A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has allowed police to conduct polygraph (lie detection) and photogrammetric (facial and voice analysis) tests of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in cases related to the May 9 violence, an official said on Thursday.
The tests will be conducted for 12 terrorism cases against Khan related to the violent protests which erupted on May 9, 2023, after his arrest by paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court premises.
"ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill accepted the request of the prosecution on Wednesday and allowed police to conduct polygraph and photogrammetric tests of Imran Khan within 12 days at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi in 12 terrorism cases, including attack on the Lahore Corps Commander House known as Jinnah House," a court official said on Thursday. During the violence, supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) allegedly vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander House), the Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. A mob also attacked the Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
Khan's lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar opposed the prosecution request, questioning the police decision to conduct the polygraph and photogrammetric tests 727 days after the May 9 incidents.
He said that bail has already been granted to the PTI founder in 21 terrorism cases.
"The prosecution is seeking both tests of Mr Khan in 12 cases in which he already has recorded statements declared lawful by the Lahore High Court," Safdar said and urged the court to dismiss the prosecution's petition.
Special Prosecutor Rana Aazar argued that the Supreme Court allowed such tests to fulfil investigative requirements, Khan, however, refused to undergo these tests in jail without the presence of his lawyer. "Conducting the voice match test of the accused is a legal requirement," he said.
After hearing both sides, the judge accepted the prosecution plea allowing it to conduct the tests within 12 days.
Khan has been imprisoned at high-security Adiala Jail since August 2023 in multiple cases.
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