Category: National

‘Gandapur brought Bani Gala offer to Imran Khan,’ reveals Aleema Khan

Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has revealed that it was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur who brought her brother the offer to shift him from Adiala Jail to his residence in Bani Gala.

Speaking to media persons outside the jail in Rawalpindi, Aleema said that CM Gandapur had brought the house arrest deal to Khan who had no intentions of making a backdoor deal.

“If he [Imran Khan] intended to make a backdoor deal, he would have done it by now instead of facing 200 cases,” she said, but did not reveal who was behind the offer that Gandapur conveyed.

It may be noted that Khan, in a statement on X, had last month said he was offered to be shifted from Adiala Jail to Bani Gala under house arrest, but he had refused the relief offer, saying that it was “illegal incarceration” in the first place. Amid speculations about where the offer had come from, government members had rubbished claims of any such offer for the jailed former premier.

On her brother’s condition, Aleema on Tuesday said his request for the provision of books had been refused and personal doctors were not allowed to visit him. “Imran Khan was even barred from talking to his children.”

In a sarcastic jibe at the government and judiciary, she also said that her brother was disappointed that he had not yet been sentenced in the Al Qadir Trust case.

To a question about why members of PTI’s negotiation committee were not allowed to meet Khan in jail, the incarcerated party founder’s sister said she could not make sense of it given how Khan was allowed to meet others. “We are facilitated to meet Imran Khan even at 7 am.”

It merits a mention that negotiations between the government and PTI have hit a roadblock since after last week’s second round of talks due to either side’s reluctance in agreeing to certain terms.

While the government has been stressing the need for PTI to present its demands in writing, the PTI itself refuses to hold a third round of talks before meeting and discussing the situation with Khan in jail.

Meanwhile, media reports have quoted PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as confirming that backchannel contacts have also been established for a possible solution to the political deadlock.

January 7, 2025
Govt approves Rs2bn for ISPR to counter propaganda against state institutions

The federal government has approved Rs2 billion for the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) to fight fake information targeting state institutions, The Express Tribune has reported.

According to reports, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Monday approved over Rs10 billion in additional grants, including funds for the defence ministry.

Minister for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Parvez Malik and federal secretaries as well as senior officers from relevant ministries and divisions were present during the meeting.

The military had asked for around Rs2 billion as upfront one-time cost with a recurring annual budget of Rs1.6 billion to further beef up their systems amid cyber threats while playing a significant role in countering fake information about state institutions.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has also often stressed the need to bring justice to the “inimical element” involved in disseminating fake news and propaganda.

With the ECC reviewing the request, a technical supplementary grant of Rs1.945 billion in favour of the defence ministry was approved, the report quoted finance ministry officials as saying. They said that the ECC had decided to release Rs2 billion immediately, of which an amount of Rs1.22 billion has been sanctioned for technological upgrades and the remaining Rs723 million for cyber security purposes.

The remaining Rs1.6 billion is likely to be made part of the regular budget, and its approval would be secured at the time of its announcement in June, the officials said.

Additionally, the finance ministry stated that the ECC also approved the interior ministry’s request for a supplementary grant of Rs650.5 million to cover security arrangements and maintain law and order during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2024, repair safe city cameras damaged during violent protests and address other law enforcement needs.

The finance ministry, however, clarified that the grant had been provided by diverting funds from the offices of Islamabad deputy commissioner and advocate general besides the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police fund.

The ECC also approved Rs1.7 billion in additional budget to clear pending liabilities of Huawei Technology on account of the Safe City Camera project in Islamabad.

The finance ministry said that the payment would be made to Huawei Technologies to clear the remaining 5 percent of the contract cost for federal capital’s Safe City Project, as directed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

January 7, 2025
Talks over? Imran lashes out at Shehbaz, COAS

Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s official X (formerly Twitter) recent post on January 7 has lashed out at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir amidst ongoing dialogue between the government and PTI.

“I have witnessed all Martial Laws imposed on Pakistan during my lifetime, including those under Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq, and Musharraf. What is happening in the country today in the guise of democracy can only be compared to Yahya Khan’s era. In order to ensure that no one raises their voice against the ruler’s transgressions, the first targets in martial law are democracy, an independent judiciary, and free media,” read the long post by Imran Khan’s official X account.

The government and PTI, for the first time in almost two years, have broken the ice by agreeing to talk their issue out for “greater national interests”.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq is reportedly facilitating and leading the negotiations during which the PTI has repeatedly expressed concerns over authorities’ alleged campaign to “dismantle” the opposition party.

Many analysts have opined that the social media accounts of PTI leaders, especially Imran Khan’s official accounts, engage in exclusionary politics targeting state institutions, which could be a pressure tactic in negotiations.

Former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, while talking to senior journalist Absar Alam on December 5, stated: “There needs to be a clear distinction between official PTI leaders’ social media posts and certain rogue elements who align themselves with PTI. Many of my PTI friends get angry with me when I tell them there isn’t much effort visible as it should be from PTI leaders to dissociate themselves from rogue elements.”

The journalist questioned the former federal minister that apart from a few rogue elements the minister mentioned, PTI leaders’ official accounts also engage in hateful politics, to which he replied: “When has Azhar Mashwani engaged in hateful posts against the country or establishment? In the case of Shahbaz Gill, a great injustice was done to him, and that is why sometimes he reacts angrily. Even you were treated unjustly. In my opinion, Shahbaz Gill is one of those people who were treated wrong, and that is why they’re bitter.”

“What kind of democracy is this where the name of the chairman of Pakistan’s largest and most popular political party cannot even be mentioned in the media?” read the post by Imran Khan on X.

Imran Khan also criticised the ongoing proceedings of the Al-Qadir Trust case, saying: “The Al-Qadir Trust case, like previous cases, is being dragged on only to pressure me, but I demand its immediate resolution because, just as you were exposed in the Toshakhana and the Cipher cases, the same will happen now.”

Criticising the government for handling the negotiations with PTI, Khan’s post stated: “Bushra Khan has no contact with anyone. This is mere propaganda. Our negotiation committee is handling these matters. It has been six weeks since the Islamabad massacre, yet the government has made no progress in retrieving our missing persons. This highlights the government’s lack of seriousness in conducting successful negotiations.”

January 7, 2025
Journalist quotes ‘powerful person’ as seeing no headway in govt-PTI talks

Prominent journalist Muneeb Farooq has quoted a “powerful person” as saying that the ongoing negotiations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will bear no fruit without former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan admitting his mistakes.

“PTI has only one demand and that is the release of Imran Khan from jail. Their other demands do not hold any significant importance […] Khan wants to come out of jail without any restrictions,” the journalist said in a video on his YouTube channel.

He quoted the “powerful person” as saying that PTI’s chances would improve if Khan “took ten steps back” and “admitted his past political mistakes”.

Without revealing much details regarding the nature of his source, Farooq said that they did not belong to the incumbent government.

Separately, the journalist also talked about incoming United States (US) government’s anticipated support for Khan. Commenting on PTI workers and leaders’ claims that President-elect Donald Trump would push for the party founder’s release, Farooq said that it would instead make things worse for the jailed leader.

“If Trump pressurises [Pakistan] regarding Imran Khan, the state of Pakistan shall not be lenient and instead be even harsher on Imran Khan,” reports quoted him as saying.

It merits a mention that PTI has so far put two key demands in talks with the government. These include the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, events, whereas the other demand is to release all political prisoners, including party founder Imran Khan.

The dialogue between the opposition party and the government was initiated two weeks ago. However, a significant development is yet to come despite two rounds of negotiations over the past couple of weeks.

According to reports, the major hurdles so far are the PTI negotiators’ lack of access to jailed Khan and the party’s unwillingness to share its charter of demands with the government in writing.

PTI chief Barrister Gohar, while talking to media outside Adiala Jail on Monday, said that It was necessary to meet Khan before the third round of talks.

“Hopefully we will be able to meet Khan tomorrow,” he said, however, there hasn’t been an update in this regard as of yet.

Meanwhile, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who is also a member of the opposition’s negotiations committee, maintained that the government was in a hurry to shift Khan from Adiala Jail.

The government continues to rubbish all claims regarding Khan’s possible transfer, including reports of an offer to shift him to his residence in Bani Gala under house arrest.

January 7, 2025
German official found dead in Islamabad

Islamabad police on Monday found the body of a German diplomat in his apartment located inside the Diplomatic Enclave.

The deceased diplomat has been identified as Thomas Fielder, the Second Secretary at the German Embassy in Islamabad.

As per the details, the police said that Fielder’s body was recovered by German Embassy staff after they broke into his apartment and found him lying there unresponsive. The diplomat was away from work for two days.

The embassy staff immediately called the police, and the concerned authorities shifted the body to the hospital for an autopsy. The actual cause of the death will only be ascertained by the postmortem result.

However, initial investigations revealed that the diplomat had a history of cardiac problems. He suffered a minor heart attack in the past, and it could potentially be a contributing factor.
The German Embassy has been formally informed of the incident.

Furthermore, a probe is underway to clearly establish the circumstances surrounding the Second Secretary’s death.

January 7, 2025
UAE, Saudi Arabia & others deport 63 Pakistanis within 24 hours

At least 63 Pakistani nationals have been deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Malaysia within 24 hours.

Reports quoted airport sources as saying that the Pakistani nationals were deported over visa violations, after which they landed at Karachi airport and were allowed to return to their homes following legal procedures.

Of the 63 deported individuals, 29 were sent back to the country from Saudi Arabia. Among them, four were involved in begging, 15 in fraudulent activities and 10 others for overstaying their visas.

As many as 16 Pakistani nationals were deported from Malaysia as prohibited immigrants whereas 11 were sent back from Iraq after issuance of emergency passports due to illegal entry and overstaying.

Additionally, four Pakistani nationals were deported from the UAE for having expired visas.

It merits a mention that this isn’t the first time Pakistani nationals have been deported from a foreign country over said issues, especially due to being involved in begging.

On October 1, 2024, the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) immigration wing apprehended eight individuals from the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi for attempting to travel on fake documents for begging abroad.

Five of these passengers were detained while trying to leave for Saudi Arabia under the guise of performing Umrah. The individuals, identified as Noori Anwar, Aasia Bibi, Sameena Bibi, Sakeena Bibi and Muhammad Akram, were stopped during immigration clearance.

Among the other three were Salman, Muhammad Noman and Muhammad Hussain, all of whom were flagged during immigration checks for a flight to Azerbaijan. Fake study visas and at least one fake German visa was recovered from the passengers.

On December 23, 2024, the FIA’s immigration wing also held three women passengers at the Sialkot International Airport for being involved in begging in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, the Ministry of Hajj in Saudi Arabia also formally urged Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs to address the growing issue of Pakistani beggars entering the Kingdom with Umrah visas. A recent letter sent to the Ministry of Religious Affairs warned that if the situation was not resolved, it would result in disruptions for Pakistani pilgrims.

In response, Pakistan informed Saudi Arabia of the steps taken by the government against the “mafia” that sends beggars to the Kingdom. During a meeting with Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr Nasser Bin Abdulaziz Al Dawood, Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi said that the names of around 4,300 beggars were placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) as zero tolerance policy had been adopted against beggars going to the Kingdom.

January 6, 2025
Faiz Hameed’s court martial: Gen (r) Bajwa to appear before court if summoned

As court-martial of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (r) Faiz Hameed continues, a media report has claimed that former chief of army staff (COAS) Gen (r) Qamar Javed Bajwa would appear before the court if summoned.

According to a report by The News, a number of hearings of the case against the former ISI director general (DG) have so far taken place as part of his field general court martial (FGCM). Hameed, the report quoted sources as saying, had attended every hearing and appeared to be physically fit and healthy.

After the prosecution concludes presenting witnesses, the defence team will call its witnesses, it said and quoted sources as saying that Gen (r) Bajwa would also appear before the court if he was summoned.

The report also quoted Hameed’s lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq as responding to if ex-spymaster or his legal team would invite Gen (r) Bajwa as a defence witness. “I am not deciding anything in haste. It’s all about the developments in the case and the relevance of such witnesses based on those developments,” he said.

“We also need to consider whether it will support our case or not… as it could be counterproductive. A lot of deliberations and calculations will be made before finalising the decision,” Ashfaq said, rubbishing widespread claims being made by journalists and media outlets.

“It all depends on the proceedings and prosecution witnesses. Whether a retired or incumbent witness will be called for the defence will be decided later,” he added.

To a question about the expected date of verdict against Hameed, his lawyer said that some time was required for cross-examination of prosecution and defence witnesses and it was likely to be concluded in a month. “Cross-examination is a routine procedure, and it naturally takes time.”

On August 12, 2024, the military apprehended the ex-spymaster on a petition filed by Top City Housing Society’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kanwar Moeez Khan in the Supreme Court (SC). In the complaint, Hameed was accused of being involved in land grabbing besides stealing diamonds and gold jewelry during a raid.

On December 10, 2024, Hameed was indicted on multiple allegations, including engaging in political activities, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Hameed was charged with engaging in political activities, violations of the Official Secret Act detrimental to the safety and interest of the state, misuse of authority and government resources and causing wrongful losses to individual(s), the military’s media wing added.

January 6, 2025
Shahbaz Gill was wronged, that is why he is bitter: Fawad Chaudhry

Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, while appearing on Samaa TV last night, defended PTI member Shahbaz Gill’s controversial posts on social media.

Senior journalist Absar Alam asked Chaudhry the efficacy of social media strategy in which many PTI leaders and workers were engaged in vitriol against the country, to which Fawad replied: “There needs to be a clear distinction between official PTI leaders’ social media posts and certain rogue elements who align themselves with PTI. Many of my PTI friends get angry with me when I tell them there isn’t much effort visible as it should be from PTI leaders to dissociate themselves from rogue elements.”

Absar Alam asked the former federal minister: “Do you not think that Shahbaz Gill, Azhar Mashwani directly represent PTI? So what is the difference between their hateful social media posts and others?”

Fawad replied: “When has Azhar Mashwani engaged in hateful posts against the country or establishment? In the case of Shahbaz Gill, a great injustice was done to him, and that is why sometimes he reacts angrily. Even you were treated unjustly. In my opinion, Shahbaz Gill is one of those people who were treated wrong and that is why they’re bitter.”

Shahbaz Gill, who served as the spokesperson of the Punjab Government during PTI’s tenure, was arrested in August 2022, a few months after PTI government collapsed.

The charges against Gill at the time included sections 34 (common intention), 109 (abetment), 120 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 121 (waging war against state), 124-A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempt to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153 (provoking to cause riot), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Fawad Chaudhry alleged that Gill had been abducted by unidentified personnel in cars with missing number plates.

Gill was hospitalised multiple times during his incarceration after he claimed “shortness of breath.” The Lahore High Court permitted Shahbaz Gill in March 2023 to travel to the United States, ordering the government to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Gill actively complains to US officials by tagging their social media handles against Pakistani authorities and journalists on his official X handle (formerly Twitter). Gill took to X on December 16 to write: “ALARMING! Pakistan’s leading TV channel @GeoTvNews has launched a vicious smear campaign against Richard Grenell @RichardGrenell former US Ambassador to Germany, former Director National Intelligence and recently nominated as Trump’s envoy for special missions.”

Similarly, another post on December 17 by Gill read: “Couldn’t agree more, @DarrenJBeattie! The Pakistani establishment’s smear campaign against Richard Grenell is a blatant attempt to distract from his impressive credentials & achievements. Their homophobic attacks won’t work!”

Fawad opined that the solution to dealing with Shahbaz Gill or people like him is to engage with them. Absar Alam smiled at this reply, saying: “But you people [PTI government] did not engage with anyone when you were in power. You used to say send them to jail.”

Chaudhry then claimed that the PTI’s tenure in power was the most relaxed era in the history of the country, during which the media earned significantly.

Absar Alam laughed against saying: “You’re saying this with a straight face while looking at me.” Fawad replied in a lighter tone: “But you weren’t a journalist in our times.”

It is worth mentioning that journalist Absar Alam was shot in April 2021 near his residence in the federal capital during PTI’s tenure.

In September 2021, Absar Alam was charged with incitement against the Pakistan Army while the Punjab Police also made a legal request to register a case of high treason against him under Article 6.

Fawad Chaudhry also stated: “In the past, PML-N and PPP had engaged in politics of hate, but later on they realised this cannot go on. In my opinion, there is a dominant opinion in PTI that this kind of politics cannot continue.”

January 6, 2025
Reason behind UAE president’s ‘private visit’ to Pakistan revealed

A day after a viral video showed Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif having a candid chat with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, netizens are speculating the circumstances surrounding the “sudden and mysterious” visit of the Emirati royal.

On Sunday, PM Shehbaz, accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, was spotted meeting the UAE president at the Rahim Yar Khan International Airport.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues, including economic collaboration, regional stability, climate change, and the promotion of mutual interests on the global stage, a statement issued by the PM Office said following a high-level meeting.

During the meeting, the statement added, President Nayhan underscored the UAE government’s keen interest in collaborating with Pakistan in the mining, minerals and agriculture sectors.

“Delighted to meet with my dear brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE, today in Rahimyar Khan. Reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to further strengthen Pak-UAE cooperation and elevate our ties to a mutually beneficial strategic partnership. Matters of mutual interest, including investments in Pakistan, were discussed with a resolve to move forward together [sic],” PM Shehbaz said in a post later in the day.

However, with the sudden visit and meeting taking many by surprise, social media users were seen speculating the reason behind the same.

Amid unverified claims, The Current has received exclusive details behind the Emirati royal’s private visit to Pakistan.

According to sources, the UAE president, along with Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, arrived at the Chandna Airstrip in Bahawalpur on Wednesday. The royals departed for their palace in southern Punjab’s Cholistan via two special helicopters.

“The Emirati royals are in Pakistan to engage in falconry and hunting during their one-week stay,” sources said, adding that they often privately visited the country from November to February to hunt Asian Houbara bustards.

The Houbara bustard is a desert bird similar in size to a chicken. It is an endangered migratory bird that was once common in the Arabian Peninsula. Thousands of these birds migrate from Central Asia to Pakistan in winters.

While hunting the Houbara bustard is illegal in the country due to its declining numbers, the Pakistani government often makes exceptions for Middle Eastern dignitaries, issuing yearly hunting permits.

The government argues that foreign hunters bring investment to underdeveloped areas, which contributes to the development of infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and roads. Locals also get jobs during the hunting season, it maintains.

January 6, 2025
‘Saudis in contact with US over Imran Khan,’ claims journalist

Senior journalist Muneeb Farooq has claimed that Saudi authorities do not like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and are “in contact with” their American counterparts over him.

“Saudi Arabia has sent messages to the US. The Saudis are already in contact with the upcoming US administration and they [Saudis] do not have any affection for Imran Khan,” Farooq said in a video on his YouTube channel, referring to recent social media posts by members of the upcoming US administration, who publicly expressed support for incarcerated Khan.

PTI leadership and party supporters have pinned their hopes on the upcoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump ever since the Republican nominee swept the polls in November 2024. Pakistani political atmosphere was hit by a storm when Trump’s nominee for Presidential Envoy on Special Missions Richard Grenell openly called for Khan’s release in December.

Farooq’s claims come weeks after Khan’s spouse Bushra Bibi stirred a political storm by accusing Saudi Arabia of playing a role in her husband’s ouster from power back in 2022.

In a rare appearance ahead of PTI’s unsuccessful November 24 protests, the former first lady released a video statement alleging that Saudi leadership wanted Khan out and had expressed their reservations to then army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

“The reason behind all powers standing against Khan hasn’t been told before. When Khan went to Madinah barefoot, Bajwa immediately started receiving calls about what kind of person he had brought [with him],” she had said.

According to Bushra’s allegations, Saudi leadership told Gen Bajwa that he had brought with him the “custodian of Shariah” at a time they were trying to “distance themselves from the Shariah system”. “After this, a smear campaign was launched against us and [they] started calling Khan a Jewish agent,” the former first lady had claimed.

Members of the government had condemned Bushra Bibi’s claims and called it an attempt to harm Pakistan’s relations with a critical ally.

The blowback had prompted Khan’s official X account to claim that his wife’s statement had “deliberately been taken out of context”.

“She didn’t mention Saudi Arabia at all. My government was toppled through conspiracies, all orchestrated by General Bajwa,” the statement had added.

It further said that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were at their best during his tenure and he personally shared “excellent” relations with the Kingdom’s leadership. “I have excellent relations with Saudi Arabia. When I was attacked in Wazirabad, one of the first calls I received was through the embassy from HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

Journalist Muneeb Farooq is known for accurately predicting political developments in Pakistan. He has also time and again been credited with breaking major news stories. Check out what he had to say about the country’s political landscape in an exclusive interview with The Current:

January 4, 2025