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Category: Politics

  • Petition against Imran, Bushra nikah dismissed

    Petition against Imran, Bushra nikah dismissed

    Civil Judge, Islamabad, Qudrat Ullah has dismissed a petition challenging the nikah between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Friday after it was withdrawn by the petitioner.

    Muhammad Hanif, the petitioner, had moved the court seeking legal action against the former prime minister for marrying his present wife while she was reportedly on iddat, but he withdrew his case, leading to its dismissal.

    In an application submitted in the court, the petitioner said: “For the time being, the applicant wants to withdraw the above said complaint due to technical reasons.”

    “If permission to withdraw the complaint is not accorded, applicant shall suffer irreparable loss,” he stated.

    Keeping in view the statement of the complainant, Judicial Magistrate (East) Qudrat Ullah granted permission for the withdrawal of the complaint under Section 248 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and wrapped up the case.

    Imran-Bushra marriage case

    The petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, had claimed that Bushra Bibi was divorced by her former husband in November 2017 and married Khan on January 1, 2018, despite the fact that the iddat period had not ended, “which is against the Sharia and Muslim norms.”

    The complainant submitted in the court the statement of Mufti Muhammad Saeed, who solemnised the marriage between Imran and Bushra, where he had said that the PTI chief married Bushra Bibi during the latter’s iddat (the time a woman goes into isolation after her husband dies or divorces her), despite knowing everything.

    In his statement to a lower court, Saeed said he had solemnised Khan’s nikah with Bushra Bibi on January 1, 2018, over the assurance of a woman claiming to be the former first lady’s sister.

    “Then the former premier contacted me again in February 2018 and requested me to solemnise his nikah with Bushra Bibi again as the first time it was against the Shariah,” Saeed stated before the court.

    He said that the first time when the nikah was solemnised, Bushra Bibi’s Iddat hadn’t ended.

    He quoted Khan as saying that Bushra Bibi had been divorced in November 2017 and that there was a “prediction” that the PTI chairman would become the prime minister of Pakistan if he married Bushra Bibi.

    Mufti Saeed added that the first nikah was illegal, which had been solemnised based on the “prediction”.

    The complainant also submitted the statement of Aun Chaudhry, a witness to the marriage and former political secretary to former prime minister Imran Khan, who claimed in court that their marriage ceremony and Nikkah were based on “fraud”.

    According to his statement, Imran’s divorce from his previous wife, Reham Khan, took place in 2015, after Bushra Bibi told the former premier to give her divorce immediately.

    “At the time, Reham Khan was not present in the country, but Imran Khan divorced her through email on the advice of Bushra Bibi,” he said.

    “On December 31, 2017, Imran said to me that he was going to marry Bushra Bibi the next day. I was surprised and told him that Bushra Bibi was already married. Imran Khan said that Bushra Bibi had been divorced,” he added.

    Aun Chaudhry claimed Imran Khan instructed them for the preparations for the marriage on January 1, 2018, adding that he accompanied Mufti Saeed, the cleric who solemnised the couple’s Nikkah, and PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari to Lahore where Imran Khan’s marriage was solemnised.

    Later, when they realized that the iddat period had not been completed yet, Aun stated “Imran Khan said that the waiting period (Iddat) would be completed on February 18, 2018, and asked me to make arrangements for the marriage on the same date. The waiting period had to be completed between February 14 or 18, 2018. Imran Khan’s second Nikkah took place in Bani Gala whereas the first one had taken place in Lahore.”

    He revealed that Bushra Bibi had been given an “order” that if the Nikkah took place on the first day of 2018, Imran Khan would become the prime minister, adding that the date was chosen keeping in mind the “prediction”.

    Marriage

    In February 2018, the PTI announced that Khan married Bushra Riaz Watoo, better known now as Bushra Bibi, who is a respected faith healer. The ceremony was held in Lahore.

    Although Khan’s sisters were not in attendance, the bride’s mother and friends attended the intimate ceremony.

    Before marrying the spiritual guide, Khan was married twice.

    He first married Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of a British billionaire, in 1995, but it ended in 2004. He has two kids, Suleman and Qasim, from his first wife. Both of them live with their mother.

    His second marriage was to Reham Khan in January 2015, which dissolved in a short span of 10 months.

  • What did Bilawal and Zardari talk about before he left for Dubai?

    What did Bilawal and Zardari talk about before he left for Dubai?

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called his father, party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, soon after a controversial interview he gave to Hamid Mir aired on Geo News.

    The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    Talking to Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada on Friday, Hamid Mir said that soon after the interview, Bilawal called Zardari to explain his narrative.

    “Now, after giving the interview, when he sat in his room, Bilawal called him in front of me. Bilawal tried explaining it to him — and just like a father would talk to his son — Zardari told Bilawal that you don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Mir added.

    He further explained that Zardari told his son the questions were very tough, and he needed to answer them. “Bilawal tried to explain that his narrative wasn’t targeting him and that he was talking about the politics that’s been going on for the past 70 years.”

    According to Mir, Zardari responded with a yes and further said, “But you don’t need to clarify yourself.”

    Bilawal then told Zardari that he would not be able to watch his interview completely because he was boarding a plane to Dubai, Mir said, adding that the former foreign minister said he would watch the interview later.

    Mir asked Zardari why Bilawal was leaving for Dubai. He explained that Sanam Bhutto was coming to Dubai and that he would also leave for Dubai. He said that it was a family gathering and it was pre-planned. Zardari and Bilawal are set to come back soon.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been campaigning across the country, touting his party as the solution to Pakistan’s ills, while also asking “old politicians (babay)” to sit back and allow the new generation to lead from the front in the elections slated to take place on February 8 next year.

    “Several PPP old-aged leaders, I got to know, also asked Bilawal whether he wanted them to leave. But Bilawal told them that he did not want them to leave. He told them that he wasn’t talking about them.”

    Mir, however, also said that there is no doubt that several questions have been raised after this interview. “But because I’ve known Zardari for years, his actual message wasn’t about Bilawal. But since he’s his son, it became the headlines.”

  • Bilawal leaves suddenly for Dubai, day after Zardari says BBZ has a lot to learn

    Bilawal leaves suddenly for Dubai, day after Zardari says BBZ has a lot to learn

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari left the country for Dubai on Friday following what appears to be a dispute with his father.

    Bilawal’s departure comes a day after his father, former President Asif Ali Zardari, said in an interview on Geo News that he was still training his son.

    Bilawal left the country on a private flight. The party is yet to disclose the reason for his visit.

    In a seeming act of defiance to his father, Bilawal changed his profile picture on X on Friday afternoon, to a photo with his mother Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister and head of the PPP till her assassination in 2017.

    The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    The former president said the new generation has its own mindset and the right to express itself.

    He further stated that if he tried to intervene in their affairs, it would just lead to more mess.

    “If Bilawal says, ‘You do politics, I won’t’, then what can I do? People learn over time in politics. I have made several mistakes myself.”

    Zardari also mentioned that Bilawal’s narrative would’ve been the same if we were doing business, “You [Zardari] don’t know anything. It’s the same in politics.”

    Zardari said he is the president of the PPPP, which is authorised to allocate election tickets, while his son Bilawal is chairman of the PPP. “I allocate tickets,” he said.

  • Islamophobic Dutch leader Geert Wilders seeks to form government after election victory

    Islamophobic Dutch leader Geert Wilders seeks to form government after election victory

    Far-right populist leader Geert Wilders is all set to form a coalition government after a dramatic election victory.
    Geert is openly anti-Islam and anti-EU, with aims to take the country out of the Union and banning the Quran. He also wants restrictions on asylum and immigration.


    Against all predictions, Wilders’ party PVV won 37 out of 150 seats on Wednesday, well ahead of 25 for a joint Labour/Green ticket and 24 for the conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte.


    Talks for the formation of a coalition will follow in the coming months. “I would be very happy to become the Dutch prime minister, of course,” Wilders told party members who welcomed him with champagne and cake, adding that he was willing to negotiate.


    It is predicted that he will have to compromise on his motives because the other parties may not agree to the anti-islam and anti-EU demands.
    Wilders’ victory has caused shockwaves all across Europe, sending a message to all populist leaders across the continent that “a new Europe is possible”.

  • Another book launch today against Imran Khan

    After former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan released a book in August 2018 detailing her tumultuous and short-lived marriage, Pakistani actress, Hajira Panezai, has made serious allegations against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman in her book, The News has reported.  

    Actress Hajira Khan’s memoir, titled “WHERE THE OPIUM GROWS: Surviving Pakistan as a Woman, an Actress And Knowing Imran Khan,” was published in America in 2014.

    In the book, she reflects on her experiences with the PTI Chairman. The actress revealed that in her last book, many important things were deleted, but now she is going to publish a book with significant details.

    She explained how she was chased by popular individuals, calling it a “dark experience”.

    Panezai also claimed that her social media accounts were hacked by Imran Khan’s team, adding that she was forced to leave Pakistan as the PTI chairman was afraid of being exposed by her.

    The actress worked with Geo in 2009, and appeared in a film titled Pinky Memsaab in 2018. Hajira Khan claimed that her book is based on true stories, while the book is being launched in Islamabad today.

  • ‘Experience is experience; Bilawal is inexperienced’: Asif Ali Zardari

    ‘Experience is experience; Bilawal is inexperienced’: Asif Ali Zardari

    Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been campaigning across the country, touting his party as the solution to Pakistan’s ills, while also asking “old politicians (babay)” to sit back and allow the new generation to lead from the front in the elections slated to take place on February 8 next year.

    The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    Zardari said the new generation in every house says, “Dad, you don’t know anything”.

    The former president said the new generation has its own mindset and the right to express itself.

    He further stated that if he tried to intervene in their affairs, it would just lead to more mess.

    “If Bilawal says, ‘You do politics, I won’t’, then what can I do? People learn over time in politics. I have made several mistakes myself.”

    Zardari also mentioned that Bilawal’s narrative would’ve been the same if we were doing business, “You [Zardari] don’t know anything. It’s the same in politics.”

    Zardari said during his tenures, there was no political prisoner as he had never resorted to revenge politics. “Every now and then, new allegations were leveled against me, but I never responded to them.”

    Speaking about the different mindsets of the top PPP leaders, Zardari stated that there are two parties — PPP and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

    Zardari said he is the president of the PPPP, which is authorised to allocate election tickets, while his son Bilawal is chairman of the PPP. “I allocate tickets,” he said.

    He also confirmed he has the authority to issue a ticket for Bilawal in the next polls.

    Zardari said his party is actively campaigning because it is certain that general elections will take place on February 8, next year.

  • Asad Qaider arrested again in May 9 riots case

    Asad Qaider arrested again in May 9 riots case

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Asad Qaiser, got arrested again from Swabi jail on Thursday in a case related to May 9 riots after getting bail in a corruption case, Geo News has reported.

    Charsadda police arrested the PTI leader from inside Swabi jail and shifted him to an unidentified location.

    The May 9 riots were triggered after the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the £190 million UK settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and leaders have been put behind bars for their involvement in violent protests and attacks on military installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 a ‘Black Day’ and decided to try protesters under the Army Act.

    During the PTI leader’s re-arrest, he said in a video message, “We will continue our struggle to win the upcoming election next year on February 8.”

    “Neither we are afraid, nor will we backtrack.”

    Asad Qaiser also claimed that his party will win elections with a huge majority if a level playing field is provided to all political parties.

    Without naming anyone, the PTI leader accused: “They have already declared a person prime minister.”

  • Four-day Israel-Gaza truce: What to expect on day one?

    A four-day pause between Israel and Gaza is now in progress.

    The first group of Israeli hostages, reportedly including 13 women and children, are to be released today. They will be escorted by the Red Cross to the Rafah border crossing where the Israeli military will take them in and carry out the identification process.

    The hostages will then be taken to Tel Aviv for physical and psychological tests.

    On the other hand, 39 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israel in exchange for the first day. They will be taken from two Israeli prisons in the southeast of Haifa and will be driven to the Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. They are then to be taken to the nearby crossing where their families will receive them.

    Humanitarian aid is also expected to be sent into Gaza from Egypt. Hamas has claimed that 200 aid trucks and additional fuel trucks will enter Gaza daily.

  • Journalists at BBC, Los Angeles Times accuse employer of ‘double standard’ in covering Gaza

    Journalists at BBC, Los Angeles Times accuse employer of ‘double standard’ in covering Gaza

    Eight BBC journalists have written a letter to Al Jazeera accusing their employer of a “double standard” in its reporting on Israel and Palestine while being “unflinching” in its reporting of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

    According to Al Jazeera, the 2,300-word letter states that BBC “has failed to accurately tell this story – through omission and lack of critical engagement with Israel’s claims – and it has therefore failed to help the public engage with and understand the human rights abuses unfolding in Gaza.”

    The eight journalists are based in the United Kingdom but their names have been kept anonymous.

    The letter highlights that while the BBC names Israeli victims and interviews affected families, “humanising coverage of Palestinian civilians has been lacking.”

    The journalists add that the Palestinians are asked whether they “condemn Hamas” and pro-Israeli guests “are not equally asked to ‘condemn’ the actions of the Israeli government”.

    “Thousands of Palestinians have been killed since October 7. When will the number be high enough for our editorial stance to change?” the letter said. “…We are asking the BBC to better reflect and defer to the evidence-based findings of official and unbiased humanitarian organisations.”

    It continued: “It is largely in the last few weeks – as civilian deaths have exponentially increased and Western countries’ appetite for Israel’s attacks has waned – that the BBC has made more effort to humanise Palestinian civilians. For many, this feels too little too late, and shows that the positions taken by governments in the UK and US have undue influence on coverage.”

    When contacted by Al Jazeera, a BBC spokesperson denied the allegations contained in the letter and said: “When interviewing either the Israeli government, Hamas, Palestinian representatives, or other leaders, we are robust, challenging and aim to hold power to account.”

    Read more on the letter: As Israel pounds Gaza, BBC journalists accuse broadcaster of bias

    Los Angeles Times

    Semafor has reported that The Los Angeles Times is not allowing staff to cover the Gaza issue for at least three months if they signed an open letter condemning Israel’s military operations in the region.

    Nearly a dozen staffers at the LA Times signed the open letter earlier this month criticising the Israeli attacks on Gaza, adding the military operations are a threat to journalists and news investigation.

    The letter also called on newsrooms to use language including “apartheid,” “ethnic cleansing,” and “genocide” when referring to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

    The published letter was reportedly signed by over 1,000 current and former journalists, calling for an end to Israeli operations in Gaza which, as it stated, represented a “slaughter of our colleagues and their families by the Israeli military and government.” The letter laid out an estimate of the number of journalists and their families who had been killed in the conflict, saying Israel’s military actions “show wide scale suppression of speech.”

    It also criticised mainstream news organisations, deeming them as apprehensive in their coverage of the situation and for being “hesitant to quote genocide experts and accurately describe the existential threat unfolding in Gaza,” adding that newsroom heads often “undermined Palestinian, Arab and Muslim perspectives, dismissing them as unreliable and have invoked inflammatory language that reinforces Islamophobic and racist tropes.”

    “We are writing to urge an end to violence against journalists in Gaza and to call on Western newsroom leaders to be clear-eyed in coverage of Israel’s repeated atrocities against Palestinians,” the letter read.

  • Show cause notice issued to Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi

    Show cause notice issued to Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi

    The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) issued a detailed show-cause notice to Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi on Wednesday, urging him to respond within 14 days.

    The show-cause was served with a 4-1 majority vote, with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq, Justice Ameer Bhatti, and Justice Naeem Afghan voting in favor, while Justice Ijazul Ahsan dissented.

    The notice comes in response to 10 complaints filed against Justice Naqvi, addressing allegations of financial misconduct and possessing assets beyond means.

    Ten complaints include the complaints of Mian Dawood, a Lahore-based lawyer, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz Lawyers Forum, Punjab, PBC Vice Chairperson Haroon Rasheed and Council’s Chairperson Executive Committee Hasan Raza Pasha and Advocate Ghulam Murtaza Khan, for amassing illegitimate assets and misconduct.

    During the SJC meeting, complainants presented evidence, while Justice Naqvi’s objections were also reviewed by the council.

    Justice Naqvi previously challenged the SJC inquiry, asserting that it was launched based on alleged misconduct and assets beyond means.

    The objections raised by Justice Naqvi were examined during Tuesday’s meeting by council members, who also heard perspectives from complainants.

    The allegations against Justice Naqvi involve financial misconduct, and the show-cause notice underscores the seriousness with which the SJC is approaching the matter.

    The hearing is scheduled to continue, and Justice Naqvi’s response will be pivotal in determining the course of the proceedings.