Category: Politics

  • What does Bushra Bibi want to give Imran Khan in jail?

    What does Bushra Bibi want to give Imran Khan in jail?

    Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has approached the Islamabad High Court seeking protection for her husband and expressing concerns about his safety in jail. She has requested permission for homemade food for Imran Khan, while his legal team has claimed that his life is in danger.

    The IHC has issued notices to respondents in Bushra Bibi’s case and is considering her request to provide homecooked food to Imran Khan. The court has adjourned the hearing until next week.

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of PTI, has taken his case to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in an effort to suspend a trial court’s verdict in the Toshakhana case. This move comes after the IHC previously suspended his three-year sentence in the same case about a month ago.

    In August, a trial court in Islamabad found Imran Khan guilty of “corrupt practices” related to concealing details of state gifts and sentenced him to three years in prison. While Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar had ordered the capital police chief to arrest Imran, he was instead arrested by the Punjab police, who took him to the Attock district jail. The Supreme Court later acknowledged “procedural defects” in Imran’s conviction by the trial court, suspending his sentence.

    Following the suspension of his Toshakhana case sentence, Imran Khan was detained in the cipher case and has been in judicial remand, which was extended until October 10. Recently, he was moved to Adiala jail from Attock jail under the IHC’s directives.

    Imran Khan, represented by senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa, has filed a petition with the IHC seeking the rectification of the order that suspended the Toshakhana case verdict. The petition requests the suspension of the order until the final appeal decision and also seeks permission to make the state a respondent in the appeal.

    The petition argues that the IHC has the authority to suspend the impugned order and sentence under the relevant sections of the Criminal Procedure Code. It highlights an omission in recording the counsel’s request for suspension of the trial court verdict, which has affected Imran Khan’s rights, including his disqualification from elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    The petition further alleges mala fide intentions on the part of the ECP in disqualifying Imran Khan and mentions attempts to remove him from the leadership of PTI and prevent him from participating in general elections.

    In a related development, the Special Court (Official Secrets Act) handling the cipher case against Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is expected to indict both leaders on October 9. The case involves the disclosure of classified diplomatic information.

    During the trial behind bars, the prosecution requested in-camera proceedings, but the judge ruled that the trial would commence after framing charges against the suspects and that proceedings were already being conducted inside Adiala Jail. The IHC rejected the FIA’s request for an in-camera hearing of their post-arrest bail petitions in the cipher case.

  • Moments when we miss Imran Khan

    Moments when we miss Imran Khan

    Today is Imran Khan’s 71st birthday and as much as PTI followers are missing his birthday celebrations, we miss him the most when we are cutting birthday cake, waiting to eat it all by ourselves.

    Of course, he is the one who we miss today as ICC World Cup is starting. Many are drawing parallels with 1992 when Pakistan Won the World Cup under Imran’s captaincy.

    All pet lovers know that Khan is indeed a pet lover and he used to spend a significant time with his dogs.

    For me, another cute memory is him having a fun time with Pervez Khattak in a chair lift.

    For all the right reasons, we can’t forget his romantic and protective side for his wife, Bushra Bibi.

    Nothing can be said about Imran Khan without mentioning Jemima, his first wife. For a few years, they did give a lot of young couples a happy ideal marriage to emulate.

  • PTI’s Usman Dar says Imran Khan responsible for May 9 riots

    PTI’s Usman Dar says Imran Khan responsible for May 9 riots

    Kamran Shahid, the anchor of On the Front on Dunya News, filmed a highly anticipated interview at his ancestral ‘Haveli’, airing it on Wednesday night.

    Usman Dar, one of the stalwarts of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the former head of PTI’s Tiger Force, an organization comprising young volunteers, appeared on the show to talk about who was the mastermind behind the May 9 riots. On the said day, after PTI Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from Islamabad High Court, protests broke out throughout the country, leading to armed clashes between them and law enforcement agencies. Jinnah House in Lahore, GHQ building in Rawalpindi, airbases and other state installations, along with monuments honouring martyred military men, Askari Tower, Military Library, residences of the armed forces officers, army selection center, petrol pumps, were attacked or set ablaze.

    Dar reappeared in public after 147 days to announce on the show that not only was he leaving PTI but also bidding farewell to politics forever. Dar started off by mentioning that he had been missing his passionate arguments with Kamran Shahid on his programs, moving on to say he joined PTI because he genuinely believed that Imran Khan was a leader who could provide a platform for “clean politics.”

    Dar termed the aftermath of May 9 for PTI workers an “earthquake”, stating that the day did not unfold incidentally but happened after a significant build-up. After the PTI government was removed, there were two types of mindsets in the party, Dar revealed. Murad Saeed, Azam Swati, and Hammad Azhar were the ones who believed in the politics of collision while Asad Umar, Omar Ayub, Ali Muhammad Khan, Shafqat Mahmood, and Dar himself believed in the politics of reconciliation.

    “Those who believed in the collision were convinced that this confrontation would generate results. Unfortunately, Imran Khan supported that group more. He is anyways more of a leading from the front type, and he likes front liners,” said Dar, unveiling what went on in Zaman Park, where Imran Khan was bunkered down.

    He further stated that the beliefs of the collision group prevailed more within the party and Imran Khan supported this policy. He also explained how workers from Punjab and KPK were called on and off to Lahore to provide Imran Khan with a ‘human shield’ to avoid arrest. Duties, timing, and days were divided among leaders and workers to stop something as “unique” as Imran Khan’s arrest.

    Dar stated that workers had a feeling that they had to save Imran Khan at all costs. Imran Khan was supporting the anti-state narrative that was being developed among workers. “Imran Khan started with General Bajwa and then on to [Chief of Army Staff] Asim Munir. I believe any Army Chief would leave, like today General Asim Munir is there instead of General Bajwa but the institution remains there,” he said.

    He also explained that the long march organised by PTI in November 2022 was to oppose General Asim Munir’s appointment. “I think Imran Khan had some information from within the institution that probably the long march would hinder the appointment of General Asim Munir,” Dar said, confirming what many political pundits had suspected since long.

    Dar also said that he’ll appear in court to state all this under oath if he has to.

    After May 9, the lives of PTI workers have changed entirely and their families are suffering, the Sialkot based Dar observed. Finally, he said he is disappointed in Imran Khan.

  • Arif Alvi nay Imran Khan ka dil tor diya?

    Arif Alvi nay Imran Khan ka dil tor diya?

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister, has voiced his profound disappointment and discontentment with President Dr. Arif Alvi for not yet announcing the date for upcoming elections, his sister Aleema Khan has said while talking to the press after a court appearance in Lahore.

    Aleema Khan, who has been implicated in the May 9 riots case, appeared before an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday, where her’s and former Finance Minister Asad Umar’s interim bails were extended until October 16. The judge instructed their legal representatives to present final arguments in the Jinnah House attack case.

    Aleema Khan later told the media that Imran Khan was disappointed with President Alvi’s perceived failure to fulfill his constitutional obligation of announcing an election date, especially during a critical time for the nation.

    The issue of the election date has been a subject of contention in recent times. The PTI’s core committee issued a strong statement last month, reminding President Alvi of his constitutional responsibilities and urging him to promptly announce the election date. The committee asserted that failure to do so would amount to a violation of the Constitution and the basic democratic rights of the people.

    The core committee argued that announcing the election date would bring an end to political uncertainty and chaos that had gripped the country since the “regime change conspiracy” in April 2022.

    After the court hearing, Aleema Khan addressed the media and expressed concerns about her brother’s deteriorating health. She mentioned that Imran Khan had lost a significant amount of weight and highlighted the lack of opportunities for him to exercise or even take a walk. She also expressed apprehensions about potential efforts to prolong Imran Khan’s detention in the cipher case.

    It’s worth noting that the caretaker government has emphasized that only the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has the authority to make such an announcement. Initially, President Alvi had invited Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in an attempt to get him to agree on a date. However, Raja declined the request, asserting that only the ECP possessed the authority to announce the date, citing amendments made in the ECP Act of 2017.

    Before the amendment to Section 57(1) of the act, Raja had explained that the president was required to consult the ECP before appointing an election date. However, after the amendment, the commission was empowered to announce the date or dates for the general election, he noted.

  • Is Shahid Khaqan saying ‘Acha chalta hu’ to PMLN?

    Is Shahid Khaqan saying ‘Acha chalta hu’ to PMLN?

    Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif in London, emphasizing that he has maintained a 35-year relationship with the party, and these ties go beyond political considerations.

    The two-hour-long meeting happened a few days after Abbasi announced that there was a need for a new political party in Pakistan, claiming that the existing parties, including PMLN, PTI, and PPP, had failed.

    While talking to media after the meeting, Khaqan Abbasi dispelled rumors about forming a new political party, saying: “I only talked about forming the new party, but I did not make one.”

    He said: “There is a dire need to compensate for the injustices that happened with Nawaz Sharif. I have had an association with Nawaz Sharif since the last 35 years. I and Nawaz Sharif exchanged views on the country’s political situation.”

    When asked if he discussed Re-Imagining Pakistan or the new party with Nawaz, Shahid Abbasi said he discussed every matter with him and “gave my opinion”.

    “Nawaz Sharif is the senior-most politician of Pakistan today. He understands things like no one else. I believe he should take the whole nation forward with him and forget a lot of things that have happened in the past. We discussed everything that we needed to and we have done so always. There are things we agree on and something we disagree on,” he told The News.

    A senior PMLN source said Khaqan Abbasi had been breaking party discipline for many months, and it was clear he had moved on from the party. The source said that Abbasi had made it clear he wants to launch a new party or be part of it when it is formed. “It’s just a matter of time before this party is launched by Shahid Khaqan, Miftah Ismail and Mustafa Khokhar as a new force. The fate it will meet is another matter.”

    The former premier said Nawaz Sharif’s court-related matters – including Iqama disqualification – should have been settled before his departure to Pakistan. He said Nawaz Sharif was victimized by the courts and deserves justice.

  • Afghan Taliban slam crackdown against refugees as ‘unacceptable’

    Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has deemed Pakistan’s strategy to expel undocumented Afghan nationals as “unacceptable” and has urged authorities to revisit the policy.

    Only a day before Taliban’s response, on October 4, the caretaker government set November 1 as a deadline for the illegal immigrants residing in Pakistan, warning that action will be taken against them after the deadline. The decision was taken during an apex committee meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP) at the Prime Minister’s House. 

    “We have given them [foreigners residing in Pakistan unlawfully] a deadline of November 1 to willingly return to their countries and if they don’t, all law enforcement agencies (LEAs) of the state and provinces will deport them,” announced Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday at a press conference.

    On Monday, the caretaker government led by Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar announced its intention to repatriate 1.1 million foreign nationals who are currently residing in Pakistan without legal authorisation. The government’s plan involves a multi-phase approach. 

    In the initial phase, those individuals who are residing in Pakistan unlawfully, colloquially referred to as “aliens”, will be subject to eviction, as will individuals who fail to renew their visas. Subsequent phases will target individuals with Afghan citizenship who possess proof of residence cards. 

    The decision to take action against illegally residing Afghan citizens was made due to concerns that this group is linked to activities such as funding, facilitating, and smuggling terrorists. Additionally, a significant number of Afghan nationals have not renewed their proof of residence in Pakistan, further raising security concerns.

    However, the United Nations (UN) said Tuesday that refugees residing in Pakistan should be allowed to exit the country voluntarily and no pressure should be exerted on them. 

    “Any refugee return must be voluntary and without any pressure to ensure protection for those seeking safety,” Qaisar Khan Afridi, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told Anadolu.

    People react

  • Why did A National TV reporter hurl abuse at PTI supporters?

    Why did A National TV reporter hurl abuse at PTI supporters?

    Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif in London, emphasizing that he has maintained a 35-year relationship with the party, and these ties go beyond political considerations.

    After the two-hour-long meeting, Shahid Khaqan talked to the media outside Nawaz’s residence. During the conversation, PTI supporters started raising slogans against him.

    While a reporter from Samaa was trying to interview Abbasi, PTI supporters came near them in a car and started chanting, “Kaun Bachaye Ga Pakistan, Imran Khan, Imran Khan”. Abbasi responded with a simple “Khuda Hafiz”.

    This would’ve been fine, but then the Samaa reporter started shooing the PTI supporters off, eventually swearing at them.
    Watch the video to see what happened.

  • ‘Remove Imran’s name’; petition filed in Election Commission

    ‘Remove Imran’s name’; petition filed in Election Commission

    Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will be hearing three separate petitions filed against PTI on October 10 by Khalid Mehmood Khan and Mohammad Awn Saqlain, as per Geo News.

    The petitions seek the removal of former prime minister Imran Khan’s name as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and declare the party ineligible for obtaining electoral symbol.

    Khalid Mehmood Khan has also asked for the electoral body to take action against PTI in one of his petitions, alleging that the party is still receiving “prohibited funds from foreign entities”.

    Meanwhile, another application filed by Mohammad Awn Saqlain seeks PTI to be declared ineligible for electoral symbols under Section 215(4) of the Election Rules 2017.

    The rule states, “Where a political party or combination of political parties, severally or collectively, fails to comply with the provision of section 209 or section 210, the Commission shall issue to such political party or parties a notice to show cause as to why it or they may not be declared ineligible to obtain an election symbol.”

    The ECP will also hear a case against PTI’s former leader Fawad Chaudhry for making “contemptuous” remarks and “intemperate” language against the electoral body and its officials.

    It is pertinent to know that at present, PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan is imprisoned in Adiala jail in the cipher case after the Federal Investigation Agency — in August — booked the PTI chief under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing the classified document for vested political interests.

  • Right wing Indian leader says there was love triangle involving Trudeau and Nijjar

    Right wing Indian leader says there was love triangle involving Trudeau and Nijjar

    In a surprising twist amidst the ongoing diplomatic standoff between India and Canada, Tejinder Pall Singh Bagga, the national secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), has made a sensational claim regarding the late Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Bagga asserts that Nijjar was gay and suggests a personal connection between him and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

    The assertion by Bagga comes at a critical juncture in the strained relations between the two nations. The dispute erupted when Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in Nijjar’s killing, prompting a swift response from India.

    Meanwhile, the US has urged India to cooperate fully with the Canadian investigations, as was reiterated following the meeting between Minister of External Affairs of India S. Jaishankar and counterpart Antony Blinken.

    Canadian MP from Surrey, Sukhminder aka Sukh Singh Dhaliwal, has meanwhile rubbished allegations of him being close to Pakistani intelligence organisation ISI, saying that as a member of the Parliament, he would not be close to any member of a foreign spy agency.

    Some Indian right wingers have suggested that ISI was behind Nijjar’s killing, but Canada has maintained that the “foreign agent” involved in the killing was from an “Indian agency”.

    Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed outside a Surrey gurudwara on June 18 by unidentified gunmen. India had, in 2020, designated him as a terrorist. Nijjar was involved in networking, financing, and training the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) module, India alleges.

  • Imran Khan’s trial to be conducted in Adiala Jail

    Imran Khan’s trial to be conducted in Adiala Jail

    The Ministry of Law has released a notification stating that the trial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the cipher case will be conducted in Adiala Jail.

    Special court’s judge, Abdul Hasnat Zulqarnain, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Law for issuing a letter to conduct the hearing of the cipher case in Rawalpindi Adiala Jail due to security concerns.

    The judge said that the special court intended to hold trial in the Adiala jail and asked the law ministry in a letter to issue an appropriate notification for the hearing of the case, scheduled to be held tomorrow.

    The Law Ministry said in a notification that it didn’t have any issue with conducting Imran Khan’s trial in Adiala Jail.

    Earlier on Monday, the special court under the Official Secrets Act summoned PTI chief and Vice Chairman Imran Khan on October 4 in the cipher case.

    Judge Zulqarnain had also directed Superintendent Adiala Jail on Monday to present Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in court on October 4.