Asia

Imran Khan refuses to undergo polygraph test after Pak forensic team arrives at Adiala Jail for his examination

LAHORE — Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday refused to undergo polygraph and voice matching test as a part of investigation launched by Lahore police in connection with last year’s unprecedented violence in the country.

A 12-member forensic team reached Adiala Jail on Tuesday to conduct the polygraph test on 71-year-old Khan.

The May 9 riots in 2023 were triggered across the country after 71-year-old Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a 190-million-pound corruption case. He faces over 200 cases and has been in jail since August last year.

The Lahore police team, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police arrived at the prison premises to conduct the tests, the Express Tribune reported.

They were accompanied by experts from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), the report said.

The PFSA experts were to perform polygraph, voice matching, and photogrammetry tests on the former prime minister.

However, the PTI founder answered the questions of police for 15 minutes after DSP Asif vowed to dispense justice but refused to undergo the above mentioned tests to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency’s team, the Nation reported.

The PTI founder said he was under the investigation of many institutions and he would give time to the police after the completion of his earlier inquiries, it said.

During the May 9 protests, alleged PTI workers and supporters attacked and vandalised military installations including the General Headquarters as well as monuments.

After the unprecedented violence, authorities swung into action and initiated a massive crackdown against the PTI while also holding trials of over 100 PTI workers in military courts.

Civil and military authorities have been accusing Khan of planning the May 9 conspiracy ahead of his arrest, a claim vehemently rejected by Imran and his party.

Khan denied giving orders for vandalising state properties but did acknowledge that he had asked his party to stage a peaceful protest outside the GHQ in case of his arrest.

Khan has been imprisoned at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for almost a year upon his conviction in three cases — the Toshakhana corruption case, the cipher case, and the un-Islamic marriage case — in which his wife, Bushra Bibi, is also jailed.

Though the former cricketer turned politician had secured bail or his conviction was set aside, he has not been released.

Khan was arrested on August 5 last year after his conviction in the first Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Since then, he has been kept in jail in various cases. — (PTI)