Pakistan's former army general held for incitement against institutions

Tariq Butt, Correspondent / AP

Pakistani police arrested on Monday Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib and prominent supporter of former prime minister Imran Khan on charges of inciting the public and government employees against national institutions particularly the armed forces, officials said.

Personnel from the Ramna police station of Islamabad took him into custody from his residence in the federal capital, officials said.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against the former general at the Ramna police station following one of his TV interviews.

Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader from Imran's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf opposition party, condemned the arrest of the 80-year-old Shoaib, saying such actions would "bring nothing but more hatred and anxiety."

Magistrate Owais Khan is the complainant in the FIR. It was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the FIR, the former military officer incited people to revolt against institutions during the TV interview. Currently, he is in police custody and will be presented before a court any time.

"Through his remarks and analysis, Amjad Shoaib provoked government employees against carrying out their official duties. The aim of his controversial advice to the people, government employees and an opposition party is to promote enmity among the people."

The statement of the former military official, the FIR stated, is part of a "planned conspiracy" to weaken the country.

Shoaib had been previously summoned by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to appear on September 7 last year after he made claims about a meeting between the Pakistani prime minister and an Israeli team. However, he had failed to appear before the FIA's cybercrime wing. He had made a statement alleging that the prime minister had met with an Israeli delegation during a visit to a Gulf country.

Posing as an independent analyst and commentator during the TV appearances, Shoaib had been supporting PTI and criticising his former institution, the Pakistan army.

The charge against Shoaib, which carries a seven-year sentence, came after he appeared on BOL News channel on Saturday criticising authorities for keeping Imran’s supporters jailed, especially in remote areas of the country.

They were arrested amid Imran’s latest campaign dubbed "fill the jail cells” with detainees — or "Jail Bharo Tehrik” in Urdu — as a way to pressure the government into holding early elections.

Last Wednesday in the former premier's hometown of Lahore and some other urban areas, Imran’s supporters protested, hopped into police vans and posed for cameras, taunting police to arrest them en masse and defying a ban on rallies.

Police mostly stayed back but at least 200 Imran supporters were arrested in different places in eastern Punjab province and elsewhere, at the request of Khan's supporters themselves.

In his TV appearance, Shoaib allegedly urged civil servants to refuse to do their duties. The charge against him claims Shoaib's remarks were part of a "planned conspiracy" to weaken the country. Shoaib does not hold any office in Imran’s party.