Pak Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reacts to SC ruling on Imran's arrest
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leadership has not been given treatment like Imran Khan by the apex court.
"The Supreme Court has ensured that he (Imran) is provided all facilities and allowed to meet ten people. My only question is why these double standards," Khawaja Asif asked court after ruling on Imran's arrest while speaking at a briefing on Thursday (11 May).
Reacting to the Pakistan Supreme Court's judgement of declaring PTI chief Imran's arrest "unlawful", he questioned why were PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and several other "of our people were not dispensed justice in this manner", reports Dawn.
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Court should have taken suo motu notice of violence during protests, Khawaja Asif said.
"In his video message published prior to his arrest, did Imran not incite and preach violence in it? And what was the result of that violence?
"The court should have taken notice of the attack on the grave of martyrs. Those graves were defaced and the army's installations were attacked. The corps commander's residence in Lahore was attacked.
"But no suo motu was taken and the judiciary did not raise concerns.
"However, an individual was respectfully transferred to a rest house," he said.
"Imran alleges he was hit with batons and he cannot remember all that happened after that," he continued, adding, "Memory is a matter of convenience for him."
Taking exception to Imran's health complaints, Asif said, "There is a great deal of difference between Imran's medical report released by the authorities while he was in police custody and the one issued by his private welfare hospital."
"Till when will the nation be fooled? He walked in the corridor and it was clear that he did not need a wheel chair or that his leg was injured," he added.
Asif termed PTI leaders' language during protests an attack on national security.
"You all saw and heard what PTI leaders were telling their supporters and the language they used. Was it not an attack on nation security? Was it not enmity towards the country?" he further said.
