Lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen who charged Khan with treason, according to police.
Islamabad, Pakistan—— Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been formally named in connection with the killing of a lawyer who accused him of treason. Khan called the allegation “stupid”.
Lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on his way to the Balochistan High Court building in Quetta on Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday. Police officials told Al Jazeera that Shar was shot more than 10 times in his car and died at the scene.
Shar’s son, Siraj Ahmed, has filed a complaint against the leader of the Pakistan Justice Instigation (PTI) party, accusing the former prime minister of abetting the murder and saying he believes his father’s killing was related to his claims. The case concerned Khan.
“My father filed a case against Imran Khan under section 6 and I’m sure that’s why [Khan] Ahmad said in the statement that his PTI men killed my father and spread terror, adding that his father had received death threats after submitting the petition to Khan.
Shar filed a petition with the Balochistan High Court last month seeking to bring charges against the former prime minister under Article 6 of Pakistan’s constitution, which is linked to treason charges.
Shar argued in his petition that Khan should stand trial for treason because of his decision last April to dissolve the National Assembly to avoid a no-confidence motion aimed at ousting him as prime minister.
In a video posted on PTI’s social media accounts on Wednesday, Khan called the charges against him ridiculous and said he had no idea he was being charged in a “stupid case”.
“This case was one of several that were filed against me and it never went forward, but now I’m charged with murder,” he said. “I am going to Islamabad tomorrow to apply for bail for 16 cases but I am going to jail because I know they will detain me again.”
Khan dissolved parliament on April 3, 2022, declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and was removed from office in a parliamentary no-confidence vote a week later.
Ataullah Talal, an aide to Prime Minister Sheikh Baz Sharif, claimed at a news conference on Tuesday that the PTI chief was behind Shar’s killing. PTI rejected the allegations and called for a transparent investigation.
In a statement on Tuesday, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan asked that Sharif and Home Minister Rana Sanaullah be formally named in the murder.
“Both of them should be removed and investigated,” Hassan said. He also urged the Supreme Court to take note of the lawyer’s killing.
The murder is the latest in a long string of legal challenges to Khan, who has registered more than 100 cases against him since he was ousted as his party faces violence following last month’s violent protests. Statewide crackdown.
Thousands of his supporters have protested across the country since the PTI chief was arrested from an Islamabad court on May 9 in a corruption case.
Public and private property was looted, and military installations and monuments were especially targeted in what the government claimed was a conspiracy involving PTI workers. PTI has denied the allegations and accused the government of a witch hunt against the party.
Khan was released within 48 hours of his detention, but thousands of PTI workers remain behind bars. The government has promised to try those involved in the attack on military installations in military courts.
More than 50 people have been allowed to stand before military courts, but proceedings have yet to begin.
