Former President of Pakistan Arif Alvi has apologised for sharing pictures of a rally held in the past on the internet, assuming the pictures were of the PTI rally held in the Sangjani area near Islamabad on September 8.
Alvi apologised after Punjab Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb pointed out the error.
In an X (formerly Twitter), Alvi wrote, “After fact check, I have deleted two posts, as they were images of the previous occasion. I apologise for the error.”
“Social Media is too big to be bagged or shut down. Only error connections can tame this leviathan,” he added.
PTI held a rally in the Sangjani area on Sunday. Many fake rally images were posted on the internet, and the former President fell victim to one by sharing it on social sites.
Arif Alvi was President of Pakistan from 2018 to 2024.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur gave a hard-hitting, controversial speech at the September 8 party rally, even threatening Defence Minister Khawaja Asif by remarking, “Not even your father can do a military trial of Khan!”
“Those whom you [Khawaja Asif] consider your father, they cannot do it [military trial of Khan] as well. He [Khawaja Asif] says that Gen Faiz contacted us after retirement. Did we get Gen Faiz in dowry or inheritance? He was your father…your general… fix your institutions and generals,” exclaimed the KP CM.
Journalist Muneeb Farooq, speaking on the Geo News programme last night, revealed the military establishment’s perspective on the KP CM’s speech, saying, “Whatever they’ve said in the rally, the military reply is this: whatever is ‘inevitable’, PTI is pushing it at jet speed.”
Farooq also quoted a high-level official regarding the stark difference between Gandapur’s speech at the rally and his soft-spoken attitude during meetings with the military establishment.
“Ali Amin Gandapur may not stay in his post for long for many reasons,” predicted Muneeb Farooq.
Furthermore, Ali Amin Gandapur also vowed that if Imran Khan is not released within two weeks, the party would “set him free” themselves.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur gave a hard-hitting, controversial speech at the September 8 party rally, even threatening Defence Minister Khawaja Asif by remarking, “Not even your father can do a military trial of Khan!”
“Those whom you [Khawaja Asif] consider your father, they cannot do it [military trial of Khan] as well. He [Khawaja Asif] says that Gen Faiz contacted us after retirement. Did we get Gen Faiz in dowry or inheritance? He was your father…your general… fix your institutions and generals,” exclaimed the KP CM.
Journalist Muneeb Farooq, speaking on the Geo News programme last night, revealed the military establishment’s perspective on the KP CM’s speech, saying, “Whatever they’ve said in the rally, the military reply is this: whatever is ‘inevitable’, PTI is pushing it at jet speed.”
Farooq also quoted a high-level official regarding the stark difference between Gandapur’s speech at the rally and his soft-spoken attitude during meetings with the military establishment.
“Ali Amin Gandapur may not stay in his post for long for many reasons,” predicted Muneeb Farooq.
Furthermore, Ali Amin Gandapur also vowed that if Imran Khan is not released within two weeks, the party would “set him free” themselves.
He also announced that the next party rally would be conducted in Lahore while inciting violence against CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz, saying, “Tumhara wo haal karenge kay tum Bangladesh bhool jao gay.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Special Assistant for Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has declared that Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur’s controversial speech at Sunday’s Sangjani rally was intended to spread anarchy in the country.
Speaking at the ‘Naya Pakistan’ talk show, Sanaullah dismissed Gandapur’s statements by saying, “It was not a political speech” and advised the political parties to remain within constitutional limits.
“These types of rallies should not be permitted,” Sanaullah stated.
Responding to Gandapur’s remarks about the two-week ultimatum to free founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan from prison, Sanaullah questioned, “In which rally did the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) give an ultimatum?”
Sanaullah challenged Gandapur’s claims to hold a rally in Punjab, saying, “He won’t even cross the Attock bridge for a rally in Lahore; the government will answer in the same language that the CM KP understands.”
On September 8, at a rally in Sangjani, CM KP remarked, citing former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s military trial speculation, “Not even your father can do a military trial of Khan.”
“Tumhara wo haal karenge kay tum Bangladesh bhool jao gay,” Gandapur remarked while challenging CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz that he will hold PTI’s next rally at Lahore.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur gave a hard-hitting, controversial speech at the September 8 party rally, even threatening Defence Minister Khawaja Asif by remarking, “Not even your father can do a military trial of Khan!”
“Those whom you [Khawaja Asif] consider your father, they cannot do it [military trial of Khan] as well. He [Khawaja Asif] says that Gen Faiz contacted us after retirement. Did we get Gen Faiz in dowry or inheritance? He was your father…your general… fix your institutions and generals,” exclaimed the KP CM.
Journalist Muneeb Farooq, speaking on the Geo News programme last night, revealed the military establishment’s perspective on the KP CM’s speech, saying, “Whatever they’ve said in the rally, the military reply is this: whatever is ‘inevitable’, PTI is pushing it at jet speed.”
Farooq also quoted a high-level official regarding the stark difference between Gandapur’s speech at the rally and his soft-spoken attitude during meetings with the military establishment.
“Ali Amin Gandapur may not stay in his post for long for many reasons,” predicted Muneeb Farooq.
Furthermore, Ali Amin Gandapur also vowed that if Imran Khan is not released within two weeks, the party would “set him free” themselves.
He also announced that the next party rally would be conducted in Lahore while inciting violence against CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz, saying, “Tumhara wo haal karenge kay tum Bangladesh bhool jao gay.”
In an article published in a leading Israeli newspaper, Times of Israel, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was declared as the most suitable person to boost ties between Israel and Pakistan.
The blog was written by Ayunur Bashirova, an Israeli columnist and was published by the Times of Israel. She credited four aspects being instrumental in the normalisation of ties between the two countries: Imran Khan’s public stance, the influence of the Goldsmith family and other elites, the potential for mediation, and lastly a rapidly changing Middle East.
The article cited Khan’s foreign policy during his tenure as Prime Minister and emphasised his personal relations with influential pro-Israel figures, including his former in-laws, the Goldsmith family.
It also pointed out that Imran Khan’s connection to his ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith, and her family, particularly his brother-in-law Zac Goldsmith, plays a significant role in shaping his perspective on Israel.
Zac Goldsmith, a prominent figure in pro-Israel and Jewish circles, is said to have influenced Imran Khan’s views on the matter, making him more open to reconsidering Pakistan’s stance towards Israel.
The blog also claimed there were informal messages conveyed to Israel through the Goldsmith family, stressing a potential of normalising ties between the two countries.
“There have been reports suggesting that Imran Khan sent messages to Israeli officials through the Goldsmith family, signaling a potential willingness to consider normalizing relations between Pakistan and Israel and his willingness to moderate the religious discourse in Pakistan,” the writer argued while suggesting, “If these reports are accurate, they suggest a level of flexibility in Khan’s approach to Israel that goes beyond the traditional Pakistani stance.”
Notably, aligned with the larger Pakistan’s foreign policy stance, Imran Khan has always stated support for the Palestinian cause but the article suggested that Israel should make sure that the former prime minister is free again. “Israel and its allies must do whatever they can to insure that Imran Khan is free again to participate in Pakistani politics and be the voice that channels moderation,” Aynur concluded.
Reactions poured in, as many criticised the columnist for producing a shallow analysis. Journalist Mansoor Ali Khan lambasted the writer and the Pakistani audience for getting so much attention from the PML-N fanbase and local media. “She should be given a prime-time show on TV,” he remarked sarcastically.
A netizen by the name of Riaz Zia-ul-Haq criticised Pakistani TV channels for giving a random blog so much attention as he posted, “A random blogger on Times of Israel writes something rubbish based on anonymous reports and TV channels are being forced to go gaga.”
On the other hand, a user named Ayesha Ijaz Khan, who is a lawyer and columnist, also criticised Khan for not uttering a word in support of Palestine since he is in jail, implying his connection with Goldsmiths.
The Pakistan Army has written a letter to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Haripur to hand over more than thirty-four hundred kanals of land for defence purposes.
The letter revealed that the Pakistani army authorities are seeking 3,181 land kanals and 17 marlas from Haripur tehsil, Khanpur, for “defence purposes.” However, the defence purpose has not been defined, BBC Urdu reported.
Lately, the opposition leader of the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, raised concerns about the Army’s intentions to acquire two villages’ land adjacent to the ShahAllah Ditta area near Islamabad.
“The Army will buy their land at a lower price. Where will the villagers migrate,” he questioned
He added, “Army should build Defence installation on Navy golf course and Airforce land.”
He suggested sending this matter to the Defence Committee to prevent the army from seizing the land.
However, DC Haripur, Shozab Abbasi, stated that all procedures must be carried out in compliance with the land acquisition law.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wanted Pakistan to default during the tenure of last year’s sixteen-month government led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
In a Defence Day ceremony, Dar said, “The IMF was not reviewing Pakistan’s loan request, despite fulfilling the technical review demands.”
He mentioned that the IMF had delayed the loan for eight months when Pakistan was in economic turmoil despite having three billion commitments from friendly countries.
“Pakistan could lead the fifty-seven Islamic countries by achieving economic power, and whenever the country was quite close to achieving that goal, the government’s legs were pulled from underneath it,” Dar claims.
He urged politicians to be rational about Pakistan’s economic potential, pointing out the country’s nuclear power status.
The Deputy Prime Minister stood by his unusual statement at Geo News last year, asserting, “Pakistan can avoid default without the IMF.”
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir has said that political differences should not cause hatred among people and termed relations between the army and the people the foundation for defeating any enemy.
Speaking on a Defence Day ceremony at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Gen Munir said, “For national unity, it is essential that political differences do not turn into hatred.”
The Army Chief highlighted the protection of minority rights to achieve national unity as per the constitution of Pakistan.
Commenting on Operation “Azm-e-Istehkam” (Resolve of Stability), he said, “Operation Azm-e-Istahkam is part of the National Action Plan. In this long war, not only the Pakistan Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies but also a large number of civilians, especially from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have made great sacrifices.”
He added, “The malicious goals aimed at weakening national unity will not succeed.”
Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives of Pakistan Ahsan Iqbal recalled the unfortunate incident of May 2018 when he was shot by a religious extremist, saying, “Even today, when I see my crooked and broken arm, Imran Khan’s face comes before me.”
Iqbal appeared on a Dawn News programme with anchor Adil Shahzeb, claiming that former Prime Minister Imran Khan did to the opposition during his tenure while he had maximum facilities in Adiala Jail.
“On the third day of my second surgery, the doctors said that if I didn’t do physiotherapy, my hand would become crooked. Despite court orders, Imran Khan did not allow me to undergo physio for two and a half months, due to which the hand became crooked,” lamented the federal minister.
Iqbal said, “This was the kind of vengeance Imran Khan’s government was undertaking, but we did not make such a fuss about it.”
Ahsan Iqbal said that he was not telling this story to take revenge on Khan but to let the people know that “What they did to us did not happen to them [PTI leaders].”
