Tag: Imran Khan

A group of Pakistani doctors and businessmen based in the United States (US) met with a senior official in Islamabad and the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, a daily Urdu newspaper reported on Monday.

According to the outlet, the meeting was part of efforts by PTI and its supporters to secure some form of relief for the incarcerated former premier Imran Khan.

These backchannel efforts are separate from earlier behind-the-scenes negotiations held between PTI and relevant quarters. However, claims suggest that the party’s backchannel talks with the establishment may resume, though no progress has been made so far.

A media outlet reported that the success of such efforts largely depends on PTI’s social media behaviour and Khan’s own stance. PTI’s social media platforms, along with its overseas chapters—particularly those in the US and UK—have consistently targeted the military and its top leadership.

Meanwhile, in his lengthy video statement recounting his recent meeting with Imran Khan, PTI leader Azam Khan Swati claims the party leader had tasked him with reaching out to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir following the latter’s appointment in 2022 to open the door for negotiations.

Swati shared that after his meeting with the jailed Imran Khan, he reached out to a close associate of Gen Munir and a renowned anchorperson but to no avail.

Swati further stated that if the establishment is prepared to negotiate, Imran Khan is still willing to come to the table, adding that he had Khan’s blessing to initiate talks to secure his freedom.

He quoted Khan as saying, “If they are ready for talks, I am willing — like I was from day one.”

Swati also shared that he had repeatedly told the party leader he had “Khotay sikkay” (mutilated coins) in his pocket.

Without naming anyone, Swati criticised “certain vloggers and anchors for selling a false story”.

Hitting out at those claiming that Imran Khan had given him a “shut-up call” for proposing talks with the establishment, Swati maintained that no one had made more sacrifices, apart from martyrs, than he and his family.

“I have faced torture, and I have shared all details with Imran Khan. I am the one who cared about the 1,100 workers in jail and made efforts to secure their bails,” he added.

Amid conflicting reports on Imran Khan’s alleged nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, state-run Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) has claimed that the former Pakistan prime minister (PM) will not be considered for the award this year, and has shed light on possible political motives behind the announcement. 

The incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder was last week reported to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Centre Party. The alleged nomination had sparked widespread speculation as the Nobel Institute itself does not confirm or deny any nominations for the prize until 50 years have passed.  

With the news and counterclaims drawing global attention, the Norwegian press has quoted Nobel Institute Director Kristian Berg Harpviken as saying that the announcement by Norwegian Centre Party leader Geir Lippestad appeared to be an attempt at gaining maximum support from the Pakistani-Norwegian community for a seat in the parliament.

Harpviken criticised the move, stating it was the first time a Norwegian politician had used the Nobel Peace Prize for personal political ambitions, and warned of multiple consequences. He expressed concern over the potential creation of a false impression that a Norwegian politician could influence the nomination process, and said it could cast doubts over the credibility of the prize, besides raising security concerns for both the nominee and the nominator.

While Lippestad has defended his stance, stating that Norwegian politicians have previously discussed Nobel nominations, Harpviken emphasised that this case was unique since the politician was not yet a member of the Storting – supreme legislature of Norway – but was seeking to be one.

“There have been many cases of sitting MPs being open about who they have nominated. What is special here is that a person who is not a member of the Storting, but wants to be there, promises specifically who he will nominate,” Harpviken said.

Lippestad, however, maintained it was not his intention to use the nomination announcement for any political gains.”It is not our point to use this for any election campaign proposal, but to lift Imran Khan and his work. And not least what is happening in Pakistan now.  Many are imprisoned without trial, and many are tortured. That is what we are concerned about.”

The NRK report, published a week after the announcement by the Norwegian party and consequent attention, further said that the deadline for nominations for this year’s Peace Prize was January 31. This means that Khan – even if someone with the right to nominate had nominated him – would not be considered for the award this year.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati has said that incarcerated party founder Imran Khan has “expressed confidence” in the party’s secretary general, Salman Akram Raja.

Speaking to reporters after seeing the jailed former premier on Tuesday, Swati quoted Khan as hoping that Raja would remain loyal to the party and not act against the PTI leadership.

He also quoted Khan as saying that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly speaker should resign if the party’s committee decided so.

Furthermore, Swati said that the PTI founder also ordered the immediate reversal of appointments made by PTI KP President Junaid Akbar. However, he added, Khan was informed that Akbar was performing well as the party’s top leader in the province.

Additionally, Swati said that Khan was updated on PTI-related matters in Punjab. He mentioned that Punjab Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza was facing obstacles and alleged that Sardar Khan and Ikram Ullah were facing corruption charges.

He further said that he briefed Khan about corruption in Mansehra and urged him to address issues related to the party’s committee.

The official X (formerly Twitter) account of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) created waves on the internet on Friday night when it shared a video of members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA) – a group affiliated with the Norwegian political party Partiet Sentrum – announcing the nomination of incarcerated former Premier Imran Khan for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts for human rights and democracy in Pakistan.

The caption of the post read, “Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, as announced by members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA) affiliated with the Norwegian political party ‘Partiet Sentrum.’ @MediaCentrePWA.

This nomination stands as a testament to Imran Khan’s unwavering struggle for peace and his 28 years of relentless efforts for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. A well-deserved recognition for a great leader—Imran Khan.”

A member of the PWA can be heard announcing, “We are pleased to announce on the behalf of the Partiet Sentrum that in alliance with somebody who have the right to nominate a candidate to the Nobel Peace have nominated Mr Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan to the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with human rights and democracy in Pakistan. I wish him all the luck. Thank You (sic).” 

But the announcement alone is not enough to convince skeptics that Imran Khan may be in contention to win a Nobel. 

The Nobel Prize website says, “As per the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, information about the nominations is not to be disclosed, publicly or privately, for a period of 50 years. The restriction not only concerns the nominees and nominators, but also investigations and opinions in the awarding of a prize.”

The website further says that any person or organization can be nominated by anyone eligible to nominate. There is no vetting of nominations prior to the nomination deadline, hence the Norwegian Nobel Committee has no influence on the quality of the submissions. The task of the Committee is strictly limited to selecting the best candidate (or candidates) among the entire list of submissions.

To simply be nominated is therefore not an official endorsement or honour extended by the Nobel Committee, and may not be used to imply affiliation with the Nobel Peace Prize or its related institutions.

The Nobel Prize winners for this year will be announced between October 7 and 14. The prestigious awards recognize achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or medical economics, literature, and efforts toward peace.

To win a Nobel Prize, a nomination is required. The Norwegian Nobel Institute registered a total of 338 candidates for the 2025 peace prize, of which 244 are individuals and 94 are organizations. For comparison, the Nobel Institute received valid nominations for 286 candidates last year, distributed among 197 individuals and 89 organisations. The highest number ever, received in 2016, was 376 candidates.

The Nobel Committee does not announce the names of nominees to the media or to the candidates themselves. In certain cases, names of candidates appear in the media. 

These advanced surmises are either the product of sheer speculation or information released by the person or persons behind the nomination.

All living persons and active organizations or institutions are eligible candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. What is considered a valid nomination is defined by the Nobel Foundation’s statutes. In order for a nomination to be valid, it must be submitted no later than January 31.

As a rule, the Committee reaches a decision only at its very last meeting before the announcement of the year’s laureate(s) at the beginning of October.

Contrary to common belief, there is no public list of the current year’s nominees.

How do the committees decide who to award the prizes to?

Every committee is slightly different, but ultimately, they all work to fulfill the will of Alfred Nobel, which stated that the Nobel Prize should be awarded according to those who have “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”

The awards were first handed out in 1901 and have seen winners, or laureates, ranging from Mother Teresa to Martin Luther King Jr. It’s not just individuals—organizations can win the awards too. And on many occasions, multiple people or organisations — or an individual and an organisation — have shared a Nobel Prize.

Imprisoned former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has complained that despite court orders, he was barred from meeting friends, speaking to his children on the phone, or accessing his diary and books.

In a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Imran Khan’s message read, “This week, my sisters were also denied a meeting with me,” adding that he had just one meeting with his political colleagues, which was scheduled entirely at the discretion of jail authorities.

Calling the Balochistan government “illegitimate,” he remarked that, being a Pakistani and a former Premier, he is deeply concerned about the ongoing situation in Balochistan marked by a sharp rise in terrorism. “It is the fundamental duty of the state to address the grievances of the people of Balochistan,” he added.

“The situation in Balochistan cannot improve unless the genuine public representatives are brought into the mainstream, their voices are sincerely heard, and the fate of the region is decided in accordance with the will of the people. Sheer force can never resolve this issue. It would rather deepen the crisis and fuel further instability,” he stressed.

Emphasising that terrorism can be addressed by engaging in dialogue with Afghanistan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said that as Pakistan shared a 2200-kilometre border with Afghanistan, “peaceful negotiations are the only way forward.”

He said that despite strained relations with the Afghan government during his tenure, his party engaged in direct talks with them, adding that the implementation of policies over three years during his reign had successfully eliminated terrorism.

“However, after our tenure, the adoption of Biden’s policy led to numerous issues, and today, the public is bearing the consequences in the form of increased terrorism. The current government’s lack of seriousness is evident from the fact that neither during the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) regime nor under the present administration has the Foreign Minister visited Afghanistan or undertaken any serious diplomatic initiatives,” he said.

PTI’s founder complained that the ToshaKhana case trial, which was being conducted within the jail premises, had been arbitrarily halted without explanation. 

“Previously, the verdict in the Al-Qadir Trust case was deliberately delayed so that my case could be presented before handpicked judges in the Islamabad High Court following court packing. After extensive legal efforts, when my appeal was finally scheduled for hearing, objections were raised, further delaying the matter until after Eid,” he said.

Imran Khan maintained that the above-mentioned reasons clearly prove that the “imposed government’s primary goal is to keep me in jail at all costs,” as his cases have no legal standing and will be overruled whenever they are heard on merits. “This is a fixed match being played under a well-orchestrated plan,” he added.

Republican Congressman Joe Wilson and Democrat Jimmy Panetta on Monday have introduced a bipartisan bill in the US House of Representatives, seeking to sanction Pakistani state functionaries over alleged human rights violations and persecution of former premier Imran Khan.

The proposed legislation in the bill, titled the ‘Pakistan Democracy Act’ calls for sanctions on Pakistan’s army chief within 180 days under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Violators of this act can be subjected to denial of entry to the United States (US) and ineligibility for U.S. visas.

The draft bill further calls on the US administration to identify key figures involved in the alleged suppression of political opposition in Pakistan and add them to a sanctions list. Additionally, it grants the US president the authority to lift these sanctions if Pakistan ceases military interference in governance and frees all “wrongfully detained political prisoners.”

On Monday, Wilson took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the “Pakistan Democracy Act,” introduced in the House of Representatives, writing, “I am grateful to introduce the PAKISTAN DEMOCRACY ACT to sanction those undermining democracy in Pakistan!”

In June 2024, a resolution with overwhelming bipartisan support, with 98 percent votes in favour, was passed in the House of Representatives. That resolution called on then-Democratic US President Joe Biden to press Pakistan to uphold democracy and the rule of law. However, the Biden administration has not taken any action in response.

While acknowledging concern over the bill, Pakistani diplomats remained hopeful that the bill would not gain enough traction to be implemented, a leading newspaper has reported. Diplomats pointed out that the U.S. still considers Pakistan an important security partner, citing Islamabad’s cooperation in the recent arrest and deportation of an Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) terrorist, Mohammad Sharifullah.  

In a historic joint speech to Congress earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump thanked the Pakistani government for assisting in the apprehension of the mastermind behind the deadly 2021 Kabul airport Abbey Gate attack.

In February, Wilson and Congressman August Pfluger had written a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling for the release of Imran Khan. 

The letter read, “You (Marco Rubio) recall that Imran Khan was Prime Minister in your first term, and you both shared a strong relationship. He is widely beloved in Pakistan, and his release would usher in a new era of U.S.-Pakistan relations with freedom value at its core”.

Drawing a parallel between Imran Khan and U.S. President Donald J. Trump as victims of “judicial abuse,” the letter stated that Imran Khan was imprisoned on trumped-up charges.

Renowned religious cleric Maulana Tariq Jamil, during an appearance on Journalist Irshad Bhatti’s YouTube channel on Sunday, expressed admiration for incarcerated former premier Imran Khan, saying that the latter has “changed history.”

“If I get a chance to meet him [Imran Khan] in jail, I will say, ‘Well done. You have changed history,” the cleric said in reply to a question about what Jamil would say to the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan if he were permitted to meet him in jail.

Asked whether the cleric was certain that Imran Khan would endure imprisonment, he said, “I was 100 percent certain… my meetings with him led me to conclude that he will never make a deal.”

The host then said that Jamil had been an advocate for Imran Khan’s vision of Riyasat-e-Madina, asking what the cleric noted in Imran Khan’s character. In response, Jamil said, “Imran Khan is an honest, truthful, and faithful man.”

On being asked whether he is optimistic about Imran Khan’s return to power, Jamil said that he is certain that Pakistan’s situation will change in the future.

The host then shifted the topic to the number of cases against Imran Khan. On the Iddat case against former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Jamil stated that in over 14 centuries, no such case had ever existed. “A lie has neither feet nor a head. How can iddat even be a case where only a woman’s testimony is accepted,” he questioned.

The cleric went on to further inquire with the host to tell him about a single legitimate case against Imran Khan. When the host informed Jamil about the ToshaKhana case, the cleric said, “He [Imran Khan] paid the money. A man who has already transferred his entire property to Shaukat Khanum Hospital—would he sell himself for a mere watch? Think for yourself.”

On August 5, 2023, Imran Khan was arrested from his residency at Zaman Park Lahore shortly after his conviction in the Toshakhana case and had been held in Attock jail. He has been in prison since then on multiple charges.

Following the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order, the PTI founder was shifted to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on September 27, 2023. Currently, he is held in Jail under high security and with B-class facilities due to his status as a former premier.