Imran prepared to go to jail after being declared 'absconder' by Pak court

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has said that he is prepared to go to jail as per the decision of the anti-terrorism court.

Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri have been declared as proclaimed offenders by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan in connection to an assault case involving a senior police officer.

Addressing participants of the sit-in at D-Chowk, Imran said that it was difficult to understand the court's decision to declare PTI leaders proclaimed offenders, including KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar, the Dawn reported.

He added that before leaving D-chowk, he had announced that PTI workers would not damage public property at any cost, and his speech was on record.

According to The Express Tribune, the Secretariat police had registered an FIR against the PTI and PAT for beating SSP Operations Asmatullah Junejo on September 1, when he was leading a police party deployed to protect state buildings in Red Zone.

The cop suffered serious injuries as he attempted to stop PTI and PAT workers from forcefully entering the Pak Secretariat.

The two party chiefs also face arrests over the attack on Parliament House and PTV building during their sit-ins.

On learning the duo's non-cooperative behaviour, the ATC judge declared Imran and Qadri as proclaimed offenders and ordered for the immediate arrest of the pair.

The court further ordered the police to put an advertisement at the residence of both the leaders and other public places, showing them as absconders, the report added.