Tag: Imran Khan

Former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Khan has quoted her brother as praising party workers’ determination despite military courts’ conviction, terming the convicts of May 9 riots as ‘mujahids’.

“They [convicted PTI workers] have shown great patience. I am proud of them. They are Mujahids,” Noreen, while speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail, quoted her brother as saying.

Military courts had on Dec 21 awarded prison sentences to at least 25 PTI workers and leaders for attacking state installations on May 9, 2023. On Dec 26, Noreen’s son and nephew of the incarcerated former premier, Hassaan Khan Niazi, was among 60 others who were awarded jail terms for their involvement in the May 9 riots.

While several PTI supporters and leaders remain undertrial in military as well as anti-terror courts for their involvement in the violent protests that had erupted following Khan’s arrest, PTI maintains its innocence, continuing to demand a judicial probe into the riots.

Terming civilians’ conviction by military courts as “baseless”, Noreen said that all demonstrators had done on May 9 was exercise their right to protest. “They had not killed anyone,” she said.

Describing her recent visit to Kot Lakhpat jail, Khan’s sister said that all convicted were “happy”. “My son Hassaan Khan Niazi was also happy… and nobody was disappointed with their sentence.”

Meanwhile, Aleema Khan, who accompanied Noreen outside Adiala, reiterated PTI’s claim that scores of party workers were missing since after violent November demonstrations. She went on to claim that her brother feared the protesters had been “killed and buried”.

Aleema added that Khan had categorically denied the government’s proposal for house-arrest, adding that her brother had vowed to face cases come what may.

She further said that incarcerated Khan refused to strike any deal. “Why would he enter a deal after already spending a year and half in prison?” she said and quoted her brother as rejecting any offers for his release.

“The PTI founder said that his cases have been wrapped up,” Aleema said, adding that Khan continued to reiterate his two demands – the formation of a judicial commission comprising three senior-most Supreme Court judges to probe May 9 and November 26 events, and the release of all political prisoners.

Earlier, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz also rubbished the “false perception” that Khan was seeking relief for himself in negotiations with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led coalition government.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday accused former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar of being involved in his imprisonment during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government.

Addressing a seminar to commemorate his father Khawaja Muhammad Rafique’s death anniversary in Lahore, Rafique said, “It was not Imran Khan who sent me to jail but General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Saqib Nisar.”

While questioning why their names were not highlighted, the senior PML-N leader, in the same breath, answered that their names should be addressed. “It’s not acceptable that politicians face [accountability], but the ex-army chief, after creating all the mess, keeps playing golf,” he added.

Highlighting political polarisation in the country, Rafique accused founder PTI Imran Khan, ex-CJP Saqib Nisar, and former COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa, of turning the charter of democracy upside down, adding that the trio have “changed the direction of the country.”

Moreover, He took aim at PTI for believing in the politics of long marches, saying, “We neither toppled the PPP government, nor PPP topple our government through long marches.”

Commenting on ongoing negotiations between PTI and Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif-led government, the PML-N leader expressed optimism about the success of the dialogue.

He praised the incumbent government’s effort to prevent the country from economic meltdown, adding, “The government and Pakistan army have made a joint effort to prevent the country from defaulting.”

The former Minister of Railways and Aviation explained that the newly elected United States (US) administration of Donald Trump has no interest in former premier Imran Khan’s release, noting that the US is concerned about Pakistan’s atomic programme and ballistic missiles programme.

Earlier, PML-N bigwig Khawaja Saad Rafique hit back at US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, over his persistent social media posts advocating for the release of Imran Khan.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Rafique called out Grenell over his hypocrisy, saying, “His [Richard Grenell] conscience has been sleeping since the 2018 election theft to the dark period of political revenge and long imprisonment of opposition leaders.”

The PML-N leader, who remained imprisoned during Imran Khan’s tenure, reminded Grenell that the elected government of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan was overthrown by the “collusion of the establishment, the judiciary and Imran Khan’s party.”

Senior analyst Najam Sethi has stated that negotiating with Taliban and resettling terrorists back in the country was the military establishment’s policy, not Imran Khan’s.

“From 2008 to 2018, at least fourteen negotiations or settlements were made with the Taliban. There is a history of Pakistan’s capitulation when dealing with these terrorists. If you remember, there was also a time when the Taliban were referred to as good but misguided Muslims,” stated Sethi on Samaa News. 

“Imran Khan was simply the spokesperson of the establishment, and these were the establishment’s policies. Khan couldn’t have done anything about it,” concluded Najam Sethi.

Sethi’s statement comes right after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday: “The entire nation is paying the price with its blood for the policy of bringing back and settling in Afghanistan under its own stubbornness, but such a person is still incapable of learning from his mistake.”

Pakistan has consistently blamed its neighbouring country, Afghanistan, since 2022 due to a stark increase in terrorism in the country. 

“Terrorist outfits are being provided sanctuaries and support and are allowed unrestrained activities on Afghan territory,” stated the DG ISPR.

“All evidence related to terrorism can be traced back to the safe havens enjoyed by terrorists in Afghanistan. The army chief has a clear and straight-forward stance on this: that Pakistan has reservations on banned organisations’ sanctuaries, support, and unrestrained activities on Afghan territory,” he asserted.

The DG ISPR also added: “From September 2023 till now, 815,000 illegal Afghan citizens have gone returned [to their Afghanistan].”

Pakistan targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) camps late Tuesday night with airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, reportedly killing and wounding multiple suspected terrorists. Dawn News reported that Pakistani fighter jets targeted TTP camps in the Murgha and Laman areas of the Bernal district in Afghanistan.

An X post by the Afghan Defence Ministry also confirmed Pakistan’s targeted attack. However, it claimed that the fatalities from Pakistan’s airstrikes included a number of children and other civilians.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers this a brutal act against all international principles and blatant aggression and strongly condemns it,” the ministry said.

This is the second time in 2024 that Pakistan has targeted TTP camps inside Afghanistan. Previously, it launched two airstrikes into Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces in March, targeting multiple terrorist hideouts.

A day after a military court sentenced her son to 10 years in prison, Noreen Khan Niazi has said that her brother and former prime minister Imran Khan’s suffering hurts her more than her son’s ordeal.

Noreen’s son and nephew of the incarcerated former premier, Hassaan Khan Niazi, was on Thursday awarded 10 years in jail for his involvement in the May 9 riots. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a military court found Hassaan guilty of ransacking Lahore Corps Commander’s residence (Jinnah House).

“My son’s sentence hurts, but Imran Khan’s suffering hurts me even more,” Noreen said in an interview with ABN News following her son’s sentencing. Declaring it “injustice”, she alleged that the sentence “stemmed from personal hatred”.

“If the maximum sentence limit had been more than ten years, then they surely would have awarded that to Hassaan,” Noreen said. She, however, expressed hope that her son among others would be released after the convictions were challenged in the high court.

To a question about the dozens of pending cases against her brother, Noreen accused the judiciary of being compromised.

“The reason behind the frivolous cases on Imran Khan is to force him to leave the country,” she said, alleging that the government had kept her brother in Adiala Jail’s death-row cells. 

To a question about the ongoing negotiations between the government and PTI, she said she only had faith in Allah.

Separately, Hassaan’s father Hafizullah Niazi appeared on Dunya News where he said the state had exploited a blatant lie to sentence his son.

He claimed that his son had told him all about how Jinnah House was already on fire when he reached there on May 9, 2023. “There was chaos everywhere and I just gave a speech there,” Niazi quoted his son as saying.

It is pertinent to note that Hassaan was not the only person who was on Thursday sentenced for his involvement in May 9 riots. According to the military’s media wing, military courts awarded punishments to at least 59 other, including former PTI lawmaker from Lahore, Mian Abad Farooq.

Earlier, military courts had on Saturday awarded sentences to at least 25 others for attacking state installations on May 9, 2023. Scores of PTI supporters and leaders remain undertrial in military as well as anti-terror courts for their involvement in violent protests that broke out following the former premier’s arrest last year.

Military courts have sentenced another 60 civilians, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s nephew Hassaan Khan Niazi, for their involvement in May 9 riots, the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) said Thursday.

As per the details, Niazi has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the ransacking of Lahore Corps Commander’s residence (Jinnah House). Among other convicts was Mian Abad Farooq, a former PTI lawmaker from Lahore, who was sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment.

“Sequel to the announcement of the May 9 punishments in light of the Supreme Court’s decision, the Field General Court Martial has promulgated the punishments to the following 60 culprits after examining all evidence, ensuring the provision of all legal rights to the convicts, completion of due process and the appropriate legal proceedings,” read a statement issued by the military’s media wing.

The latest sentences come just days after the ISPR announced that 25 civilians had been handed prison terms for their involvement in violent protests that broke out over Khan’s arrest in May last year. The demonstrations saw attacks on state establishments, including military installations across the country.

Thursday’s statement once again stressed that all individuals sentenced by military courts had the right to appeal the sentence as outlined by the law of the land. “The nation, government and armed forces remain resolute in their commitment to ensuring justice and upholding the inviolable authority of the state,” the ISPR concluded.

After months of deliberations over military court’s eligibility to try and sentence civilians, as many as 25 persons were last week convicted and sentenced for their involvement in May 9 attacks on state installations. 

“Field General Court Martial have in [the] first phase promulgated the punishments to 25 accused,” read a statement issued by ISPR on Dec 21.

While the PTI demanded a judicial commission to probe last year’s events, the statement added that the promulgation of the sentences of remaining accused was also being done and will be announced shortly as and when the due process was completed.

It added that the nation on May 9 witnessed tragic incidents of politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan.

Building on a sustained narrative of hate and lies, the ISPR said, politically orchestrated attacks were carried out on the installations of the armed forces including the desecration of martyrs’ monuments.

“Many accused are also being tried in various Anti-Terrorism Courts and their cases are being pursued as per the law, however, justice would truly be fully served once the mastermind and planners of 9th May Tragedy are punished as per the Constitution and laws of the land,” the statement read.