The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unveiled a revised list on Sunday, featuring 175 officially registered political parties that reflect the diverse landscape of the country’s political arena.
The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, is no longer listed as the leader of the party in the updated list, indicating that PTI is now considered a political entity without a designated leader.
However, the list now includes the group headed by Pervez Khattak, identified as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP).
An important development took place earlier in the week when the party led by Khan lost its electoral symbol, the “bat”, as a result of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) releasing the reserved verdict on the party’s internal elections.
After hearing arguments from all concerned parties, the ECP initially reserved its decision.
Following this, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, leading a five-member bench of the electoral authority, announced the invalidation of the PTI’s intra-party elections.
After ECP’s verdict, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who took over as PTI chairman after Imran Khan, will no longer serve as the party’s leader.
Aleema Khan, the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has stated that none of his family members will contest the upcoming general elections slated for February 8 next year.
During a chat with journalists outside the Islamabad High Court on Thursday, she remarked: “I will not contest the election, even if Imran Khan asks (me), I will not participate in the election.”
Aleema clarified that neither Khan’s sisters nor his wife will contest. “None of us is contesting elections. We only come for the cases of the PTI founder”.
She emphasized that treating the PTI founder in the same manner as former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was unwarranted, highlighting the absence of a young generation during Bhutto’s time.
She alleged that Nawaz Sharif, the leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had got two umpires, asserting that he was preventing other political players from entering the political arena, stressing that evidence supporting this claim became apparent during the nomination paper submission process, where individuals are allegedly being deprived of their papers.
She dismissed the cipher case as a mere joke, expressing concern over the rapid pace of the trial and raising the possibility of a death sentence being pronounced by December 30.
“Our hope for justice is from Allah and justice should also be expected from the Supreme Court, but what is happening is in front of everyone. We are no longer disappointed with the Supreme Court. If you don’t expect anything from the Supreme Court, who will you expect from? If we do not get justice from there, we will definitely get it from Allah,” she remarked.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ex-chairman Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, has expressed concern that her brother might get the death penalty in the cipher case, as per a report of The News on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists outside Adiala jail, Aleema Khan said that she has doubts on the former prime minister’s trial as she can’t see justice being served.
A day earlier, a special court established under the official secret act indicted Imran Khan and PTI’s vice president Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a cypher case.
While discussing her brother’s trial, Aleema mentioned that cubicles had been made, and she couldn’t understand the reason for that.
“Our entire family was in the courtroom, and it was locked from outside,” she said, adding that they were chased and threatened when they were coming for hearing.
“We have no fear, but there can be no fair trial without the media,” she said, adding that journalists were not being allowed to attend the trial.
“It seems that we are not in our country but in some other country. It is very sad to see what is happening to us in our own country,” she added.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently under arrest, has said that he will ask the court to summon General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, former Army Chief, in connection with the cipher case. Imran Khan shared this information during an informal conversation with journalists at Adiala Jail.
Imran Khan explained the circumstances of his arrest, stating that it was all part of London’s plan. He drew a parallel with Nawaz Sharif, stating that after the London plan, Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan. He further claimed that Nawaz Sharif is responsible for 9 May incidents.
Breaking : عمران خان نے 9 مئی واقعے کی زمہ داری نوازشریف پر عائد کردی۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ 9 مئی لندن پلان کا حصہ ہے۔ یہ معاملہ تحریری معاہدے کی صورت میں موجود ہے۔ نوازشریف اسی پلان کے بعد وطن واپس آئے۔ جیل رہنا عبادت سمجھتا ہوں۔ (جیل میں سائفر کیس کی سماعت کے دوران صحافیوں سے…
Journalist Azaz Syed posted in a tweet that, “Imran Khan while talking to reporters in the jail (during the jail trial) said that I will summon Gen Bajwa to the court , he (Bajwa) did all on the directions of Donald Lu , I will also bring US Embassy officials and Gen Bajwa in doc (as witness).He said that Donald Lu took the cypher to Gen Bajwa, it was meant for Bajwa. “They wanted to remove me. They are trying to do with me what they did with Sheikh Mujib,” Imran reportedly said. He added that he can give in writing that his party will win the elections.
Imran Khan while talking to reporters in the jail (during the jail trial) said that I will summon Gen Bajwa to the court , he (Bajwa) did all on the directions of Donald Lu , I will also bring US Embassy officials and Gen Bajwa in doc (as witness).He said that Donald Lu took the…
Imran Khan, also the former Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleged that General Bajwa had acted on the instructions of US diplomat Donald Lu, asserting that he would ensure that General Bajwa faced the court for his actions.
Responding to a question, Imran Khan emphasized that he had not engaged in any negotiations for a deal, declaring his readiness to submit a written statement affirming that PTI would emerge victorious in the elections.
He further stated that he has faced no difficulties in jail and considers incarceration a form of worship.
عمران خان کا بہت بڑا بیان!
قسم اٹھانے اور قرآن پر ہاتھ رکھنے کیلئے تیار ہوں کہ بشری بی بی کو اُس دن دیکھا جس نے اُن سے نکاح کیا، عمران خان
In response to queries about PTI leaders leaving the party, Imran Khan expressed gratitude for those departing, considering it a positive development.
عمران خان کی کمرہ عدالت میں صحافیوں سے گفتگو حالات بتاتے ہیں آپ کو طویل عرصے تک جیل میں رہنا پڑے گا۔ صحافی کا سوال
“مجھے کوئی فرق نہیں پڑتا، قوم کو پیغام دینا چاہتا ہوں آپ کا کپتان آخری سانس تک لڑنے کیلئے تیار ہے۔ مجھ سے نہ کوئی ملا نہ مزاکرات کی۔ نو مئی لندن پلان کا حصہ تھا۔…
— Rizwan Ghilzai (Student of Arshad Sharif) (@RizwanGhilzai) December 4, 2023
It’s important to note that a special court, established under the Secret Act, has set December 12 as the date to formally charge Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Safdar case. The case involves the alleged altercation with law enforcement at the Quaid’s mausoleum during Maryam Nawaz’s rally.
Former prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that neither he met anyone in jail nor did somebody negotiate with him. He also stressed that the PTI will win the elections.
Khan made these remarks while answering a reporter’s question, in his first interaction with the media since being imprisoned, about whether someone held negotiations with him.
Recalling the events of May 9, the former PTI chairman said Dr Yasmin Rashid can be clearly seen asking people not to go inside the Lahore Corps Commander House. He added that CCTV footage could be seen to check who led the miscreants inside.
Furthermore, Khan said false accusations had been made through Khawar Maneka, adding that these were morally corrupt people.
“I can say on oath that I saw Bushra Bibi on the day of the marriage,” he insisted.
Imran Khan said he wanted to convey a message that the “kaptaan” was ready to fight till his last breath. He further alleged that the so-called London Plan was meant to bring back PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, jail all PTI officials and finish the party.
“I am making it clear to you today that the PTI will win the elections,” the former PTI chief said, adding that looking at the situation, it was feared they would run away from elections.
He further commented on the economy, saying that growth has dropped from 6.17 to zero. “People are not mad; they know what these people have done.”
On the other hand, Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a reporter he did not need any office within the party. The former minister was responding to a journalist’s statement that Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had been made the PTI chairman.
“I stood by Khan yesterday; I am standing today and will continue to do so in the future,” Qureshi asserted. He added that he was at a stage where he did not need a position.
He further urged the supporters of the former PTI chairman to go out of their houses and cast their votes. He added that he was in the hearts of Imran Khan and the people of the PTI.
A special court declared on Tuesday that the trial proceedings of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case will be conducted at Adiala Jail.
Today, Judge Zulqarnain presided over the hearing at the FJC, where Barrister Salman Safdar appeared as Imran’s counsel while Advocate Ali Bukhari was present as Qureshi’s lawyer. FIA’s prosecutors Shah Khawar and Zulfikar Abbas Naqvi also appeared before the court.
This decision comes after Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain emphasized the importance of security, prompting the trial to be held within jail premises.
The court previously ordered that the former prime minister and Shah Mahmood Qureshi be present at Islamabad’s Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) for today’s hearing.
However, Adiala jail authorities, citing “security risks” in their report, failed to produce Imran Khan, despite the court’s directives.
The initial orders for a jail trial were issued in the first hearing of the cipher case outside the Adiala jail following the Islamabad High Court’s decision to nullify the August 29 notification for a jail trial.
Judge Zulqarnain has been conducting the trial within the jail premises due to security concerns since Khan’s indictment last month.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were booked under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case in August.
The case revolves around a missing diplomatic cable allegedly containing a threat from the United States to topple the PTI government.
The court’s decision to hold the trial within Adiala Jail, in an open court setting, aims to ensure transparency and accessibility for those interested in the proceedings.
During the hearing, the jail authorities submitted their report to the court, which Judge Zulqarnain reviewed. The judge then said, “The jail officials are saying that he (Imran) cannot be presented.”
According to reports by intelligence agencies and the police, the PTI chairman faces threats to life, the report stated. It further said, “It has been informed that the PTI chairman faces security risks of a serious scale”.
The special court stated that those who wished to attend the court proceedings would not be stopped from doing so and that journalists would also be permitted to witness the case.
It further said that five family members of each suspect would also be allowed inside the courtroom. The hearing was adjourned till Dec 1 (Friday).
Both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were indicted in the cipher case on October 23, with the trial initially held at Adiala Jail.
However, the proceedings were deemed “erroneous” by an Islamabad High Court division bench, leading to the initiation of a fresh trial. The court’s decision to approve an open jail trial addresses concerns about transparency and legal protocols.
Alima Khan, the sister of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has claimed that the cipher case involves the complete complicity of the US Embassy.
While talking to the media, she said that they will file a case against Donald Lu in American courts.
Donald Lu, a US diplomat in the State Department, was blamed by Imran Khan for orchestrating the no-confidence vote that led to his ouster in April 2022.
Donald Lu’s talks with a Pakistani diplomat were conveyed in a diplomatic cipher sent to Islamabad that caused uproar in Pakistan.
Alima Khan confirmed that the case will be filed in the US while talking to the media outside Adiala Jail, where Imran Khan is currently held under tight security.
“خان صاحب اچھی صحت میں ہیں، خان صاحب نے کہا کہ میری قوم کو بتاو کہ یہ ایسی دفعات مجھ پر لگانے کی کوشش کرہے ہیں جس میں عمر قید یا سزائے موت بھی ہوسکتی ہے، اگر عدالتوں سے انصاف نہیں ملتا تو ہم امریکہ میں ڈونلڈ لُو پر کیس کریں گے” علیمہ خان #ناحق_قید_عمران_خانpic.twitter.com/r6wejQ4UE0
She assured the public that Imran Khan’s health was in good condition, emphasizing his well-established routine and the absence of any complaints about the food provided by the authorities.
She also said that the High Court has issued a stay order in the cipher case, and clauses are being added which carry the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Alima Khan demanded that authorities specify the charges against Imran Khan that led to these serious allegations and probable punishments. She urged for justice to be served in Pakistan.
Alima Khan claimed that Imran Khan asserted that the American Embassy was fully involved in the conspiracy, and if justice is not served in Pakistani courts, they will pursue the case against Donald Lu in the United States.
The Cases
The former prime minister is currently being held in Adiala Jail after his arrest from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5.
He was moved to the prison on September 26 from Attock Jail where he was initially kept after his arrest.
Khan was first convicted by a lower court in the Toshakhana case in August and sentenced to three years of imprisonment. The IHC suspended his sentence the same month.
The Islamabad accountability court issued arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana and £ 190 million Al-Qadir Trust cases on Tuesday.
Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 for the first time.
The £ 190 million (approximately Rs60 billion) settlement case pertains to the money of property tycoon, Malik Riaz, being laundered and caught by the UK authorities during Imran’s government in 2019.
The UK government had informed the Pakistani authorities regarding the money being caught.
The former premier is already in prison as he was subsequently booked in the ‘cipher’ case. The hearing of the cipher case in the special court has been adjourned without proceeding till November 21.
In the cipher case, Khan, along with his close aide and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has been accused of leaking state secrets.
An Accountability Court in Islamabad on Monday issued arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in cases pertaining to the Toshakhana and 190-million-pound Al-Qadir Trust.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed an application to comply with the arrest warrants of Chairman PTI.
Judge Mohammad Bashir conducted the hearing on the two cases where NABfiled an application seeking Khan’s arrest warrants.
Judge Bashir approved the issuance of the warrants while directing the jail superintendent to take measures to ensure the warrants were complied with.
Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, Prosecutor Irfan Bhola, Investigation Officers Mohsin, Waqarul Hasan, Mian Umar Nadeem, and others appeared before the court.
The court asked the prosecutor what the High Court did in these cases.
To which the prosecutor replied that the matter was pending, mentioning that the court neither suspended the order nor issued a standing order.
The warrants are expected to be complied with in jail today. Imran Khan will be provided with a copy of the warrant as well as briefed about the reasons for his arrest.
Sources said that the NAB has decided to immediately arrest Khan after the issuance of his arrest warrants, as per Aaj News.
The anti-graft body is likely to arrest the PTI chief today from Adiala jail where a team including investigation officers of the Bureau will arrive to ensure compliance with the warrants, they added.
The former prime minister is currently being held in Adiala jail after his arrest from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5.
He was moved to the prison on September 26 from Attock jail where he was initially kept after his arrest.
Bushra Bibi in trouble
Earlier today, former First Lady Bushra Bibi was summoned by NAB in a £190 million case, and as per media reports her arrest could be on the cards.
Bushra was summoned at 2 pm to the NAB office in G-6 in Islamabad. Farhat Shahzadi, alias Farah Gogi, a former close aide of Bushra, has also been summoned in the same case today.
Moreover, NAB also provided Bushra Bibi with an 11-point questionnaire in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
During her appearance in the NAB office, Bushra Bibi was questioned about Farah Gogi.
The questionnaire given to her also included queries about her relations with Farah Gogi, the reasons for creating Al-Qadir Trust, whether she took any courses in jurisprudence or pedagogy, whether she continued to receive benefits from Al-Qadir Trust as a teacher, whether she was satisfied with Farah Gogi’s financial affairs and if Malik Riaz himself showed interest in Al-Qadir Trust or she contacted him.
The caretaker federal cabinet has given the green light for the jail trial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, as per Geo News.
The decision comes in response to security concerns, prompting the Ministry of Law to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the trial on August 29, following requests from the Interior Ministry and Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.
The Ministry of Law emphasized that the jail trial for the PTI chairman was deemed necessary due to security considerations.
This approval sets the stage for an intra-court appeal filed by Imran Khan against the trial, scheduled to be heard by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on November 14. The court has invited arguments from the attorney general.
Imran Khan, who was ousted from the prime minister’s office in April last year through a no-confidence motion, initially contested the jail trial through a petition in the IHC.
However, the court’s single bench, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, dismissed the appeal on October 16, citing no apparent malice in conducting the jail trial and advising Khan to address his concerns in the trial court.
The cipher case, invoking the Official Secrets Act 1923, was registered against Khan and Qureshi in August of this year by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), using Section 5 of the aforementioned law.
The case revolves around a missing diplomatic cable allegedly containing a threat from the United States to overthrow the PTI government, according to the former ruling party.
Both Imran Khan and Qureshi face allegations under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case, related to a missing diplomatic cable, and are currently detained in Adiala jail.
The IHC had earlier suspended Imran Khan’s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case on August 29.
The legal saga surrounding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s jail trial and the controversial cipher case took center stage in Islamabad this week.
On Tuesday, three witnesses provided their testimonies against the PTI chief and his party’s Vice Chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Judge Zulqarnain presided over the proceedings at Adiala jail under the special Official Secrets Act court. PTI legal representatives included Barristers Salman Safdar, Taimur, and Gohar Ali Khan, while special prosecutors comprised of Shah Khawar, Zulfikar Abbas Naqvi, and Raja Rizwan Abbasi.
During the proceedings, PTI’s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, representing Khan, raised concerns over the trial’s confined space within the jail premises, emphasizing that it wasn’t in line with legal protocols.
Family members met the two leaders before witnesses’ statements and cross-examination were conducted; legal teams consulted with Khan and Qureshi. The PTI chief met with his wife Bushra Bibi and sisters Aleema Khan, Noreen Khanum, and Uzma Khan, within the jail premises.
Qureshi’s daughter, Meharbano, was also present during the trial. She also spoke with the media outside the jail, and demanded justice and a fair trial for her father.
“Let the family in; no one can have security concerns from their family. Fair trial is my father’s right and as a daughter, I have the right to see the trial,” she added.
Contempt of court petition
Adiala jail superintendent responded to the contempt of court petition filed by Khan on Wednesday, requesting the court to dismiss the contempt of court petition.
“Can’t even think of disobeying the court order,” he stated in his reply.
The superintendent told the court there is no permanent facility to make phone calls abroad on WhatsApp. He informed the court that the PTI chief spoke with his children on October 18, after the jail took special measures to make the call possible.
“Arrangements are made for prisoners to speak with family and lawyers at the jail PCO,” he said, adding that the court can direct the Punjab Home Department to amend the rules with regard to making phone calls.
The court, meanwhile, adjourned the hearing of the contempt petition till Monday due to the absence of Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.
Islamabad High Court
Islamabad High Court’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb asked the Attorney General of Pakistan to ensure that the cipher case trial was not conducted in an inappropriate manner, otherwise, it might collapse like a house of cards.
An IHC bench, comprising Justice Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, heard the intra-court appeal filed by Khan against his jail trial and the appointment of the special court’s judge in the cipher case.
The court adjourned the proceedings to November 14, allowing time for the attorney general to present arguments.
Nawaz wants his own umpires
Talking to media persons outside Adiala Jail, Imran Khan’s lawyer Barrister Umair Niazi said the PTI chief had criticised PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and also rejected the trial of civilians in military courts.
The PTI lawyer quoted Mr Khan as saying that Nawaz Sharif cannot play without his own umpires and is again looking towards them. All political parties, except the PML-N, are calling for a level playing field, he added.
Khan expressed concern over the fresh wave of terrorism in the country and said this was because of a “weak” Afghan policy as Mr Bhutto-Zardari, being the foreign minister, did not visit Kabul to address the issue of terrorism.
Speaking to the media after paying a visit to Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan said her brother is doing just fine.
“There is a glow on his face,” she said. “He has finished the Quran four times by now.”
Aleema said Imran Khan has read a lot of books in jail and that he is “gaining a lot of knowledge”.
When a reporter referred to the conflicting claims regarding Khan’s health and statements issued by his lawyers, Aleema laughingly said that there is no contradiction and it’s just that while losing weight and body fat is considered ‘healthy’, some people think it’s unhealthy and the other person has gotten ‘weak’.
A reporter asked that his opponents are claiming Imran Khan is ‘breaking’, Aleema responded: “Go read up on hybrid warfare.”
“You all are saying that Imran Khan has gotten weak, that’s not how it is.”
“All prisoners are allowed to walk and exercise in prison according to international law. They thought that by disallowing him (Imran Khan) of these liberties, he would break.”
She indirectly alluded to his opponents, saying that they should give up because Khan “will not break no matter how many false stories you publish”.
There is a holy glow on Imran Khan’s face. He has read the Holy Quran cover to cover four times now. He is completely fit and healthy, says Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan. pic.twitter.com/7xpHZamoPN
