RAWALPINDI – Former Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has refused to undergo a polygraph (lie detector) test in connection with the May 9 violence cases, citing the absence of his legal team during the investigative process.
According to Dawn News, a joint team comprising Lahore Police officials and a member of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency arrived at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to conduct the polygraph test approved earlier by an anti-terrorism court. However, Imran Khan declined to participate, stating he would not undergo the test without his lawyers present.
When jail officials attempted to escort him from his cell for the test, Khan refused to come out. The 11-member police team was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asif Javed and included Inspectors Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Alam, and Muhammad Arham, as well as forensic expert Abid Ayub from the Punjab Forensic Unit.
The team had been granted permission by the Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court on May 14 to carry out the polygraph test on Khan in relation to the events of May 9, when violent protests erupted nationwide following his brief arrest.
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Legal and Political Ramifications
The prosecution had submitted a formal request to the court seeking permission to conduct both polygraphic and photographic tests to assess the veracity of Khan’s statements concerning the May 9 incidents. The request argued that scientific tests were necessary to “ascertain the truth” behind Khan’s alleged involvement in orchestrating or inciting the unrest.
However, Khan’s legal team strongly opposed the request. His lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, argued in court that filing such a request two years after the incident was “malicious” and motivated by political considerations rather than legal merit.
Despite the court’s approval, Khan has maintained that he will not cooperate with any investigation that takes place in the absence of his legal representation — a stance he reiterated on the day the police and forensic team arrived at the jail.
The refusal may complicate ongoing investigations into the May 9 cases, which have seen a large number of PTI leaders and workers facing legal action. Authorities have accused party officials of inciting violence and damaging state and military property during the protests.
