Tag: Imran Khan

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle has lashed out at the government while expressing reservations about Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Raja Minhas who was appointed to hear the appeal of the new Toshakhana case.

“I have serious reservations about Judge Raja Minhas being assigned to my Toshakhana 2 Case appeal in the Islamabad High Court. Arshad Minhas, his brother, is both a lawyer and prosecutor against me in the May 9th cases and the GHQ attack case,” stated Khan’s official X account’s lengthy post this morning.

The post also highlighted that Justice Raja Minhas was appointed as the IHC judge only under the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment – a law that the PTI has rejected and challenged in the Supreme Court.

“Raja Minhas’s ad-hoc appointment after the 26th Amendment and his dependence on the government for confirmation of his position reflects a conflict of interest, so he must recuse himself from the case,” read the post.

The official account also strongly condemned the government for failing to constitute a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024 – the primary condition set by the PTI in the negotiations between them and the government.

“This government is avoiding the formation of a judicial commission because it has something to hide. We cannot move forward (with negotiations) without accountability for the incidents of May 9th (2023) and November 26th (2024),” it announced.

The account also claimed that the government has spent Rs. 500 million on prosecution to pursue cases against Imran Khan.

It also opined on the Al-Qadir Trust case in which Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were recently convicted and punished. 

“The decision of the London court is clear in the Al-Qadir Trust case: the funds were to go into the Supreme Court’s account, not to the government. On April 21st, 2020, NAB constituted an inquiry committee comprising the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Prosecutor, and Additional Prosecutor, who unanimously decided to close this case due to the lack of any merit to proceed. The reopening of this inquiry was malicious,” claimed the long post.

“The current NAB Chairman is being dishonest to his position by continuing with the case despite this, merely to increase pressure on me. NAB amendments were made solely to exonerate cases against Nawaz Sharif and his entire family,” stated the X post.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shandana Gulzar told a reporter on January 26 that Sher Afzal Marwat, currently in trouble with the party, is a true leader of the people.

Imran Khan prohibited Sher Afzal Marwat from visiting him in Adiala Jail on January 23.

The News reported that the maverick leader attempted to visit the party founder at Adiala Jail but was denied entry. Officials cited explicit instructions from Imran Khan who clarified that Marwat was not his legal counsel and should not be granted access.

Marwat has dismissed reports of Imran Khan’s refusal to meet him, calling it an “attack on my character by electronic and social media.”

“Marwat is a public leader and he’s that PTI leader who came out for Khan when nobody was there for him. I’ll tell you one thing: A plan was made to kill Imran Khan in the Judicial Complex on March 18, 2023. That plan was foiled at that time by Sher Afzal Khan Marwat,” alleged Shandana Gulzar defending the maverick’s role in the party.

Gulzar also claimed: “After that event, Maryam Nawaz and her cronies assigned the task of killing Sher Afzal Marwat. They couldn’t digest this development. Many people were happy on March 18, 2023, that [God forbid] something might happen to Imran Khan. Sher Afzal Marwat’s family is in the police and army; we all have families in these institutions. When he went there he saw no judge nor the normal staff present. He got the information and he quickly informed Khan to get out of there.”

Marwat is often known for sparring with fellow PTI leaders while being issued show cause notices multiple times by the PTI, with the most recent one issued on January 13.

The party leader was directed to respond to allegations of issuing statements against party policy and the party’s secretary-general Salman Akram Raja in the most recent show cause notice.

Sher Afzal Marwat submitted his written response on January 25 alleging that Salman Akram Raja had made derogatory remarks against him during a TV programme on January 10 and repeated the accusations on January 12.

Marwat said that an MPA from Punjab had misled the party’s founder about him, accusing him of disrespecting the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi. Without being given a chance to explain himself, Marwat claimed he was unfairly removed from the party at that time.

He has also accused Shahbaz Gill and his associates of making a targeted campaign against him. Marwat highlighted that the PTI founding chairman’s decision to remove Shahbaz Gill from party committees was not implemented. Instead, a narrative was built suggesting that Imran Khan had praised Gill.

A confidentiality deed points out that former premier Imran Khan’s government played a significant role in facilitating the £190 million repatriation case settlement between property tycoon Malik Riaz and the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) National Crime Agency (NCA), as it was signed by ex-Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) head Mirza Shahzad Akbar, The News reported on Monday.

Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his accountability czar Shahzad Akbar had denied that their government played any role in the 190 million settlement deal, saying that the agreement was solely between the NCA and Malik Riaz.

At the time of the £190 million settlement case, the respondents and the UK’s NCA signed a ‘Framework Agreement.’ which was signed around the same time as the deed of confidentiality, outlines the settlement’s terms, including the repatriation plan for the seized amount and the sale of immovable property. Through the deed, the Government of Pakistan (GOP) assured that it would keep the agreement’s details confidential and not disclose them publicly.

Clause 2.1.1 of the confidentiality deed stated that the terms of both the deed and the Framework Agreement would remain confidential. Despite Imran Khan’s and the head of the ARU’s public distancing from the deal between the NCA and the property tycoon, the deed clearly shows their involvement in the settlement.

“The GOP shall not make, or permit any person to make, any public announcement, communication or circular concerning this deed, the Framework Agreement or the Transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement (announcement) without the prior written consent of the other parties to the Framework Agreement,” noted the clause 2.4 of the confidentiality deed.

“Nothing in clause 2.5 shall prevent the GoP from making an announcement required by law or any governmental or regulatory authority (including any tax authority), any securities exchange or any court or other authority of competent jurisdiction, provided that it consults with the other parties to the Framework Agreement and takes into account their reasonable requests concerning the content of the announcement before it is made,” clause 2.5 reads.

Furthermore, clause 2.6 of the deed allows the GoP to permit a third party to announce if it is correcting or clarifying information about the Framework Agreement that was described differently in another public statement.

Prominent journalist Fakhar Durrani had claimed that Imran Khan, as the country’s PM, repeatedly helped Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz travel abroad despite being placed on the Exit clControl List (ECL).

“Malik Riaz’s name was on the ECL on Supreme Court orders. […] however, from March 2019 to March 2022, Imran Khan facilitated Riaz by granting him special permission [to travel abroad] 20 times,” Durrani said in a video on his YouTube channel on Friday.

Senior journalist and analyst Najam Sethi has claimed that Republican Joe Wilson posted in favour of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, particularly “Free Imran Khan”, after being assured of fundraising from Pakistani diaspora.

Sethi said that following Wilson’s social media post about the jailed former premier, he asked someone about the sudden shift in behaviour of the American lawmaker who had recently met with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on the latter’s visit to attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

He quoted sources as saying that the post came after Pakistani community in the US assured Wilson of raising funds. “Fundraising is very important for politics there [in the US]. On the basis of fundraising, they [politicians] take a turn and change their policies entirely,” Sethi explained.

Earlier, the series of social media posts in jailed Khan’s favour saw Wilson taking to X (formerly Twitter) to post, “Free Imran Khan”. He was followed by Jack Bergman, another Republican congressman, who also called for the release of Khan.

“The facts are straightforward, it’s no time to mince words. Free Imran Khan,” Bergman also wrote on X.

The posts once again sparked speculation, with analysts drawing connections to “successful lobbying by PTI” in the US, United Kingdom (UK) and other countries. It also once again led to discussions on President Trump’s alleged support for Khan.

It merits a mention that the Republican representative, a day after tweeting about Khan, also wrote, “The Iranian regime is weaker than ever before with few friends left. Few expected Assad would fall and the same will happen in Iran. The people will overthrow the regime soon. Free Iran [sic].”

“Free Iraq from Iran,” he wrote in another post. “Free Yemen from Iran,” read another statement.

Earlier, the presidential envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, following the crackdown of security forces on PTI demonstrators in November in Islamabad, had posted on his account on X in favour of Imran Khan, writing, “Free Imran Khan!”. However, he did not receive much attention at that time.

Grenell was discussed in Pakistan politics on December 15, 2024, when Trump appointed him as his Special Envoy for Global Missions in his administration. His social media posts then were amplified by PTI supporters.

Prominent journalist Fakhar Durrani has claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, as the country’s prime minister (PM), repeatedly helped Bahria Town owner and property tycoon Malik Riaz travel abroad despite being placed on the exit control list (ECL).

“Malik Riaz’s name was on the ECL on Supreme Court orders. […] however, from March 2019 to March 2022, Imran Khan facilitated Riaz by granting him special permission [to travel abroad] 20 times,” Durrani said in a video on his YouTube channel.

According to the journalist, Khan also made sure that the special permission for Riaz to travel abroad was renewed after each expiry, keeping his name off the no-fly list for three years.

In reference to Riaz’s latest troubles at the hands of the Pakistani government, Durrani said that the PM Shehbaz Sharif-led government and establishment were determined to launch an inquiry against the property tycoon, noting that the government was actively working to get him extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It merits a mention that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday issued a press release cautioning the public against investing in Bahria Town’s new real estate project in Dubai.

Following Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s conviction in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, the accountability watchdog said that Riaz was an absconder in the same and they had already frozen a number of his assets.

“Mr Malik Riaz is residing in Dubai, UAE. He has recently launched a project for the construction of luxury apartments in Dubai, UAE. The general public at large is hereby advised and warned to refrain from investing in the stated project. If the general public at large invests in the stated project, their actions would tantamount to money laundering, for which they may face criminal/ legal proceedings,” the press release read.

The controversial property tycoon, in response to the NAB press release against his Dubai-based project, took to X on Wednesday, warning, “I am holding back, but there is a storm within me. If this dam breaks, then everyone’s façade will shatter. Don’t forget that the secrets of the past 25–30 years are preserved along with evidence.”

 
“My decision yesterday was the same as it is today: no matter how much oppression you inflict, I (Malik Riaz) will not testify.”

 
Jailed Khan was quick to react to the development. He asked Riaz on Friday to disclose the names of the politicians, judges and generals who had received benefits from him. 

Imran Khan’s X (formerly Twitter) handle posted, “I ask Malik Riaz to disclose which judges, generals and politicians received bribes and other benefits from him over the last 30 years so that the nation knows who has been involved in dirty deals. The world should know how clean those who lecture about the bogus Al-Qadir (University) Trust case really are.”

Social media erupted with outrage when a Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) in Punjab’s recruitment guide for constables about former premier Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al Qadir Trust case came to light. 

In a widely circulated undated video, a person can be seen reading the MCQ about the date on which the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was arrested in 2023, triggering wide-spread violent protests. “When did the National Accountability Bureau arrest Imran Khan inside the Islamabad High Court in the corruption allegations in the Al Qadir Trust?” 

Four options can be seen in the guide given below the MCQ content: (A) May 9, 2023, (B) May 11, 2023, (C) May 10, 2023, (D) None of these

PTI social media users were quick to react, with some alleging that the Punjab government was responsible for including the MCQ in the guide, while other users argued that the Punjab government had nothing to do with it.

A social media user wrote, “The Punjab government has included a question about Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case in the recruitment guide for constables. Aspiring candidates are memorising the question. Shame, shame, shame.”

Another user wrote, “They have been stooped so low in the jealousy of Imran Khan.”

Journalist Shahid Aslam shared the short video clip on his X handle, stressing that one should not stoop so low in political differences.

However, another netizen opined that it was not the Punjab government but rather the guide publishers that had put the MCQ about Imran Khan’s arrest date in the recruitment guide.

On May 9, 2023, NAB apprehended Imran Khan from Islamabad High Court in connection with the corruption cases in the Al Qadir Trust case.

On January 17, 2025, an accountability court convicted Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, in the said case. Judge Nasir Javed Rana sentenced 14 years and seven years in jail for the former premier and his wife, respectively.

As per the verdict, the Imran Khan was convicted for “corrupt practices” and “misuse of authority”, while the first lady was convicted for “involvement in illegal activities”. The judge directed the authorities to give the Al-Qadir Trust University in the federal government’s custody.

The 148-page verdict mentioned that Bushra’s role was limited to aiding and abetting the corruption offences, which is considered a mitigating circumstance in her sentencing.

Days after property tycoon Malik Riaz posted a warning on his official X (formerly Twitter) account in response to a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) press release, former premier Imran Khan asked Riaz to disclose the names of the politicians, judges and generals who had received benefits from him. 

Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s X (formerly Twitter) handle posted, “I ask Malik Riaz to disclose which judges, generals and politicians received bribes and other benefits from him over the last 30 years so that the nation knows who has been involved in dirty deals. The world should know how clean those who lecture about the bogus Al-Qadir (University) Trust case really are.”

The controversial property tycoon, in response to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) press release on Tuesday against his Dubai-based project, took to X on Wednesday warning, “I am holding back, but there is a storm within me. If this dam breaks, then everyone’s façade will shatter. Don’t forget that the secrets of the past 25–30 years are preserved along with evidence.”

 
Riaz stressed that he will neither be used against anyone nor will anyone blackmail him, adding, “My decision yesterday was the same as it is today: no matter how much oppression you inflict, I (Malik Riaz) will not testify.”

According to a statement posted Imran’s X account, negotiations with the incumbent government were scuttled after a raid on the residence of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, an ally of the PTI and its spokesperson for the negotiation committee.

“We are immediately discontinuing all talks (with the government). A raid on the home of our ally, who is the spokesperson of our negotiations team, is an attack on our negotiations committee itself. Such a duplicitous and malicious negotiation process cannot yield anything positive,” reads Imran Khan’s statement.

Incarcerated Imran Khan reiterated demands to constitute a judicial commission comprising of the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court to probe the May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024, incidents. “Any other commission would not be acceptable to us,” he added.

The former premier also claimed that for the sake of the rule of law, he had directed his party to take other opposition parties into confidence. “We have been working on a grand national agenda against the fake government. There is instability in the country,” Khan added.

Earlier in the day, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told reporters outside Adiala Jail Rawalpindi that the jailed party founder had directed them to call off negotiations over the government’s failure to form judicial commissions.

Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has reacted to his and his spouse Bushra Bibi’s conviction in the 190-million-pound (Al-Qadir Trust) case. The reaction comes minutes after an accountability court in the federal capital sentenced him to 14 years in prison and his wife to seven years on Friday.

Khan and Bibi have been fined Rs. 1 million and Rs. 0.5 million, respectively. If they fail to pay the fines, the ex-prime minister will serve an additional six months, while Bushra Bibi will serve three more months.

According to the verdict, ex-PM Imran Khan has been convicted of “corrupt practices” and “misuse of authority,” while the former First Lady has been sentenced for “involvement in illegal activities.” Accountability court judge Nasir Javed Rana directed the authorities to place the Al-Qadir Trust University in the federal government’s custody.

The 148-page verdict mentioned that Bibi’s role was limited to aiding and abetting the corruption offences, which is considered a mitigating circumstance in her sentencing.

Following the announcement of the 190-million-pound verdict, she has been taken into custody.

“Bushra Bibi is entirely innocent in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The only purpose for including her in the case was to increase pressure on me. Even before this, Bushra Bibi was unjustly jailed for nine months,” the official account of former Premier on X (formerly Twitter) posted a message after the Al-Qadir Trust case verdict.

In October 2024, Bushra Bibi was granted bail after nine months of incarceration in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, in the Tosha Khana case.

Imran Khan stated in his official X handle: “By convicting me in the baseless Al-Qadir (University) Trust case they [installed regime] will make a mockery of themselves all over the world and cause themselves deep embarrassment. My sentencing is being sought in a case where neither have I derived a single penny of personal gain, nor the government has suffered a single penny of financial loss.” 

“We will be writing a letter to Justice Aminuddin Khan [the head of the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench] to hear our petition about human rights violations. Our innocent people were subjected to brutal mental and physical torture while in military custody. Hearings on our petitions must be made a top priority. As we are not getting justice from any court in Pakistan, we have completed preparations for sending letters to international human rights organizations and to the United Nations in this regard. Qazi Faez Isa and Aamir Farooq have consistently acted as the establishment’s opening batsmen, and the newly formed constitutional bench is merely an extension of this.” read the post on Khan’s X account.

The £190 million case involves allegations that Imran Khan and others, in 2019, adjusted Rs 50 billion — equivalent to £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government during his tenure as the country’s Prime Minister.

The amount in question pertains to assets of a property tycoon, which were seized by the NCA during PTI’s rule. The British crime agency had stated that the amount was to be passed to the Government of Pakistan, as its settlement with the Pakistani property tycoon was “a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt.”