Imran is our red line , says PTI after Pak govt likely to arrest him

Pakistan is heading towards a political showdown. The government has filed a case against Imran Khan while PTI has warned that Imran is our red line and conspirators will have to face consequences”.Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan Niazi on Sunday was booked for threatening a judge and two top police officials at a public meeting that took place in Islamabad on Saturday. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). An FIR has been filed against Niazi under Section 7 ATA for challenging judicial and law enforcement authorities. There is also speculation about Niazi's arrest  in the next couple of days. Pakistan's interior minister Rana Sanaullah earlier on Sunday said that the government was mulling to file a case against the former prime minister for issuing threats to state institutions and making provocative statements while addressing the rally.

Niazi, while addressing a public gathering, threatened to file cases against top police officials, a woman magistrate, the election commission of Pakistan and political opponents over the treatment meted out to his aide Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested last week on charges of sedition. Sanaullah alleged the speech by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief was a continuation of a trend to target army and other institutions. Meanwhile,  Pakistan’s electronic media watchdog banned satellite television channels from broadcasting live speeches of the ousted prime minister, hours after he threatened state institutions and made provocative statements while addressing the rally.The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in a communique issued on Saturday said television channels despite repeated warnings had failed to implement a time-delay mechanism to stop the broadcast of material against “state institutions”.

Leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have asked party workers and supporters to take to the streets to protest against the possible arrest of former prime minister and party chief Imran Khan. PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi while speaking to the media told party activists to remain prepared and wait for the party’s call for protest in case of Imran’s arrest. He said they had concerns that the coalition government was planning to arrest the party chief saying, “Imran is our red line and conspirators will have to face consequences”.