Tag: PTI

  • Bushra Bibi’s closest friend’s case dropped by Anti Corruption Establishment Punjab

    Bushra Bibi’s closest friend’s case dropped by Anti Corruption Establishment Punjab

    The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab, has dropped a corruption case against Farah Khan, a close friend of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, reports Geo News.

    Farah was accused of getting a 10-acre plot allotted in the Faisalabad Special Economic Zone for only Rs83 million when its actual worth was Rs600 million. A prerequisite was in place for any company interested in buying the plot to have a minimum valuation of Rs. 2 billion.

    The Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department issued the order to dismiss the case after former Director-General of ACE l, Rai Manzoor Nasir, declared Farah innocent in the investigation.

    In May, Imran Khan said that the cases against Farah were “totally wrong.”

    “She [Farah] has been in the real estate business for 20 years,” said Imran Khan.

    “It was implied that Farah’s riches grew exponentially during three years […] real estate business has generated a lot of money during the last three years,” he explained.

    “They say that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is independent. First of all, I ask NAB, can a case even be built against Farah Khan or not?” Imran questioned.

    He said that the term “wealth beyond known sources of income” applies to public office holders only.

    In June it was reported that Farah Khan and her husband Ahsan Jameel Gujjar were treated as residents of Imran Khan’s house in Bani Gala, which was declared the official PM House during his tenure.

    The records for 44 months showed that Farah alias Gogi and Gujjar’s visits to Bani Gala were not recorded in the registers maintained by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Special Branch. The Special Branch of Islamabad Police controls the entry and exit points of PM House as part of the security provided to the PM.

  • ‘Kaptaan dar gaya, bhaag gaya’: Bilawal takes jibe at IK over PTI member withdrawal from by-election

    ‘Kaptaan dar gaya, bhaag gaya’: Bilawal takes jibe at IK over PTI member withdrawal from by-election

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson and the incumbent Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    Reacting to the PTI candidate Shakoor Shad’s resignation for NA-246, the PPP chairperson said, “IK running away from by-elections. Kaptaan dar gaya, Kaptaan bhagaya”. (Imran Khan is scared, he has run away.)

    Bhutto took to Twitter and termed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) postponement act as “special treatment” for Khan.

    In his tweet, Bilawal asked, “How long will Khan remain a favourite”, adding that PPP candidates from Multan and Karachi are frustrated by the sudden postponement of the by-elections in constituencies of Sindh and Punjab.

    Replying to him, PTI’s Meher Bano Qureshi accused Bhutto’s party of the postponement.

    “We aren’t the ones running away. Let’s go to the polls on the 11th as scheduled. Your government put in a request for the postponement. Maybe check with the allies before tweeting”, she said. Qureshi is contesting the by-elections from NA-157, Multan.

    PPP’s Syed Ali Musa Gillani also took to Twitter to express his reservation over the postponement. He said, “We are all set for the election on Sunday. This decision of ECP will not be acceptable. It is against the constitution. The people of the constituency must not be deprived of their representation. Polling staff has been nominated stations finalised.”

    “We will challenge if any notification is issued in this regard, delaying the election last minute”, he added.

    Gillani, son of former Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gillani, is contesting against Meher Bano Qureshi, the daughter of former Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on NA-157 in Multan.

    Earlier, the ECP announced its decision to postpone the by-election in 13 constituencies. The by-elections were set to be held on September 11, September 25, and October 2.

    By-elections on nine seats of the National Assembly were scheduled to be held on September 25, with Imran Khan contesting on all of them as PTI’s candidate.

    ECP has said that the decision to postpone the by-elections had been taken after getting feedback from the Ministry of Interior according to which Pakistan Army, Rangers, and the Frontier Corps are engaged in relief work for the flood-affected people, maintaining internal security, and thwarting out terrorist activities in the country.

  • Imran Khan to be indicted on Sept 22, response deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ by court

    Imran Khan to be indicted on Sept 22, response deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ by court

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday decided to indict Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on September 22 after he failed to submit an unconditional apology in contempt of court proceedings against him for passing controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

    “Imran Khan’s response was unsatisfactory”. said IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, who is heading a five-member bench — comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangir, and Justice Babar Sattar — that heard the case.

    Justice Athar Minal­lah observed that Khan’s replies to the court’s show-cause notice appeared to be “Justifying contempt of the judiciary” and showed “No remorse or regret”.

    Justice Minallah went on to ask why the judges of the lower courts were considered different to those of higher courts. “You are justifying contempt of court which means that you have no remorse or regret,” the judge observed.

    Expressing his disappointment in the response given by Khan to the court, which was the second of its kind, the court asked: “Even after the court’s input on the matter, this is the response submitted?”

    “It seems you want to fight this case […] and you have no realisation that the case against you is extremely seriously,” noted Justice Minallah.

    Declaring subordinate judiciary a ‘red line’, IHC CJ Minallah warned the PTI chairman that threatening a district judge is a more serious offence than a Supreme Court justice.

    Before appearing for the hearing, the PTI chairman told journalists that he would become “more dangerous” if the government decides to send him behind bars.

    “They have been trying to [put me in jail for long now]. I will be more dangerous if they send me to jail,” Khan said to media, confidently smiling ahead of the hearing.

    Hours before the proceeding, Khan filed a new plea at the high court. He argued that the high court cannot exercise suo moto jurisdiction as per the Constitution. The arguments on the inadmissibility of the contempt case should be kept on record.

    “The written arguments will also be explained in the oral arguments during the course of the proceedings,” read the plea.

    A day earlier to the proceedings, Khan submitted a fresh response to the contempt of court case, in which in he expressed deep regret for his words.

  • ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, addressing a rally in Chishtian, said, “Agar ap ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote toh matlab ap mujrim ko vote de rahy hai. Is ka matlab ap burai ke sath khary hai. Is ka matlab ke ap Allah ke farman ke khilaf ja rahy hai.” (People who vote for PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif will be siding with a convict and are on the wrong side. This also means that you will go against Allah’s orders.)

    This is not the first time that PTI leader has played religious card against opponents or has mentioned religion in his speeches.

    Another time, while addressing his supporters, he said “You have to spread my message to the public just like the prophets of Allah did”.

    The former prime minister once also said that those who defected from his party [PTI] committed shirk. Shirk, or infidelity to God, is considered a severe sin in Islam.

    “Those who do wrong things to save their jobs commit sin, it is shirk [idolatry]. Those who sell their self-respect and themselves, it is also counted as shirk because Allah is Al-Haqq”, he said.

    Moreover, in Chishtian, the PTI leader said Chishtian is not a stronghold of the PML-N as it claims.

    “We make the country’s biggest robbers prime ministers. Today, the people ruling the country have been robbing the country for 30 years,” he reiterated.

    He once again accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and said that the body is a “Pet of the coalition government”.

    Clarifying his earlier remarks against the Pakistan Army, Khan said that “this country is mine and so is the army”.

  • Khan files new plea ahead of court hearing in contempt case

    Khan files new plea ahead of court hearing in contempt case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is scheduled to resume hearing on Thursday the contempt of court case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for threatening a female District and Sessions Judge, Zeba Chaudhry

    A five-member bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah will hear the case at 2:30 pm. The PTI chairman will appear before the court in person amid strict security.

    Hours before the proceeding, Khan filed a new plea at the high court. He argued that the high court cannot exercise suo moto jurisdiction as per the Constitution. The arguments on the inadmissibility of the contempt case should be kept on record.

    “The written arguments will also be explained in the oral arguments during the course of the proceedings,” read the plea.

    A day earlier to the proceedings, Khan submitted a fresh response to the contempt of court case, in which in he expressed deep regret for his words.

    In a 19-page-long document, Khan told the court that it should discharge the notice based on his explanation and follow the Islamic principles of forgiveness.

    “That the purpose of the contempt law is not to punish anyone but to uphold the majesty of law. The respondent [Khan] believes in the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution,” the response said.

    “The respondent takes this opportunity to express his deep regrets over his unintentional utterances during the course of his speech at a rally which was taken out in response to the shocking news of the physical torture of Shahbaz Gill.”

    However, the submitted reply fell short of offering an unconditional apology.

    IHC on August 31 had directed the former prime minister to resubmit his response, giving him seven days to hand in the new draft. During the proceedings, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had said he was “disappointed” by the written response submitted by Khan. He asked him to review it and submit it once more.

  • ‘Enough is enough’: Khan to reply to ‘PDM crooks’ at 5pm today

    ‘Enough is enough’: Khan to reply to ‘PDM crooks’ at 5pm today

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that he has had enough of the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) “cabal of crooks” who are trying to launch propaganda against him.

    Khan on September 4, alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Zardari wanted to appoint their favourite as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) because if a “strong and patriotic army chief” was appointed, they would be questioned about their corruption.

    In a tweet, the PTI chairman said, “Am following intense propaganda launched by PDM cabal of crooks against me.This stems from their being petrified of PTI’s soaring popularity.”

    “Today in Peshawar jalsa I will give proper reply to all those who have deliberately been distorting my words to malign me. Enough is enough,” said Khan.

    Pakistani Army on Monday, August 5, expressed extreme displeasure over Khan’s recent statement against the establishment and said that the institution was “aghast” over it.

    Read more: ‘Disappointing’, Pak Army says Khan should not ‘scandalise’ Army Chief selection

    “Pakistan Army is aghast at the defamatory and uncalled for statement about the senior leadership of Pakistan Army by Chairman PTI during a political rally at Faisalabad. Regrettably, an attempt has been made to discredit and undermine senior leadership of Pakistan Army at a time when the institution is laying lives for the security and safety of the people of Pakistan every day,” said the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

  • ‘Imran Khan apne bayaan ki khud wazahat karein ke in ka kya maqsad tha’: President Alvi

    ‘Imran Khan apne bayaan ki khud wazahat karein ke in ka kya maqsad tha’: President Alvi

    President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi has said that the chairman of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan “apne bayaan ki khud wazahat karey ke in ka kya maqsad tha”. (Imran Khan should himself clarify what he meant.)

    While talking to media at Governor House in Peshawar, Alvi stressed that all soldiers including the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) are patriots. He said that Pakistan Army is busy in helping flood affectees of the country and no one can doubt their patriotism.

    “Including the incumbent government, every institution is patriotic”, the President added.

    Alvi claimed that he is trying to clear all the misunderstandings between the stakeholders.

    Addressing a jalsa in Faislabad on Sunday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari wanted to appoint their favourite as COAS because if a “strong and patriotic army chief” was appointed, they would be questioned about their corruption.

    “The army chief of this country should be appointed on merit. The one who is on merit should become the next army chief,” said Khan.

    It is pertinent to mention that Khan drew fire from government leaders over his remarks about the appointment of the next chief of army staff. PTI leaders have been trying to clarify their chairman’s remarks.

    Former Human Rights Minister and PTI leader Shireen Mazari called Nawaz and Zardari “criminals”. She said, “Chairman PTI’s statement was about merit & merit in the selection of COAS cannot be made by two criminals whose only priority is to save their billions stashed abroad and who have zero credibility. Remember DawnLeaks & Memogate?”

    Fawad Chaudhry denied the fact that Khan called the army unpatriotic.

    He said, “As far as I remember, Imran Khan did not mention unpatriotic, every general and Pakistani citizen is a patriot. Imran Khan talked about appointment on merit. Anyway, this is a political matter, not a judicial one. Commenting on the topic is inappropriate.”

    Irked by Imran Khan’s recent remarks about the appointment of a new COAS, the Chief Justice (CJ) of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah minced no words.

    “Did you hear Imran Khan’s speech from yesterday,” the Chief Justice asked the former prime minister’s lawyer on Monday. “Do political leaders deliver such speeches? Will everything be put at stake just for the sake of “game of thrones?” The honourable judge asked during the hearing of a petition filed by the PTI against a ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on the live telecast of the speeches of Khan.

    Pakistani Army also expressed extreme displeasure over Imran Khan’s recent statement against the establishment and said that the institution was “aghast” over it.

  • ‘I am going to leave PTI’: Did Fawad Chaudhry really say this?

    ‘I am going to leave PTI’: Did Fawad Chaudhry really say this?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry’s Twitter account got hacked in the early hours of Saturday morning.

    PTI ‘s official Twitter account confirmed the news and said efforts are being made to recover his account.

    “Please note that Fawad Chaudhry’s account has been hacked. Recovery in process,” tweeted PTI.

    Hackers also posted inappropriate tweets on Chaudhry’s account.

    Among the tweets posted by hackers was one which said, “I am going to leave PTI.”

    https://twitter.com/Abbasxkhan/status/1565806086707355651?s=20&t=ZKaUy_6oVxEbiuTGiWUOFg

    However, the account has now been recovered.

    Read more: Imran Khan’s Instagram account was hacked, now recovered

    Earlier last month, PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Instagram account was hacked. Prior to that Asad Umar’s Twitter account and Hammad Azhar’s e-mail, Twitter, and Apple accounts were also hacked.

  • Govt spends Rs20 million per month on Khan’s security: IG Islamabad

    In a meeting of the Senate Standing Com­mittee on Interior chaired by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Senator Mohsin Aziz, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Isla­mabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan revealed that 266 personnel have been deployed for PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s security, which costs the government Rs20 million per month.

    The meeting took place on Wednesday, in which IGP Islamabad also admitted that there are reports of threats to Khan’s life.

    IGP Nasir provided these details in the form of a report sought by Committee Chairman Mohsin Aziz, who took a suo moto notice on reports of withdrawal of Khan’s security.

    He was asked about the reasons for the withdrawal of Khan’s security and revoking of private security companies’ licenses that were deployed for his protection. In reply, the IGP said that besides the two private security companies, 266 personnel from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) police, Frontier Consta­bulary and Rangers have been deployed for PTI Chairman’s security.

    He added that the said licenses were revoked by the Interior Ministry, however, they are still performing security duties.

    Chairman Committee Aziz observed that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was invited eight times for this meeting, but he did not come to attend the meeting once.

    Senator Shahadat Awan remarked that instead of calling a meeting, the committee chairman could have directly asked the IGP about the issue.

    “An hour-long meeting costs Rs15 lakh from the national exchequer”, he pointed out.

    Federal Minister of Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarar, said that despite concerns for flood victims, Imran Khan’s rallies were being held and abuses were being hurled. “This forum is not for discussing such matters,” he said.

    On Thursday, Imran Khan’s counsel, Babar Awan, informed the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) that Khan’s life is under threat.

    “IGP and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations will be responsible if something happens to my client,” warned Babar.

  • Aap Imran Khan ko hataayeinge, kaisay khud reh paayeinge, asks Fawad

    Aap Imran Khan ko hataayeinge, kaisay khud reh paayeinge, asks Fawad

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that if Imran Khan in any way gets disqualified, then those those who make this decision should think how will they survive.

    “It is for those who can disqualify Imran, not for the PTI, to think that how would they survive (in their positions) if they oust Imran Khan,” said Chaudhry on HUM News.

    “Pakistan is at the edge of revolution. If a judgement is given against Imran Khan Sahib, the people of Pakistan will decide the fate,” said Chaudhry.

    Fawad said that when Bhutto was ousted out of power, he was not at the peak of his popularity. But on the contrary, massive public support is with Imran Khan today.

    Speaking on another political programme aired on Dunya News, Chaudhry said that he found a commonality in the cases of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Yusuf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, as all these leaders had lost their popularity among the masses when they were ousted.

    “Imran Khan is at the pinnacle of his popularity. No one can afford that politics in Pakistan runs without him,” said Chaudhry. When the anchorperson asked Fawad if he means that the courts cannot penalise a popular leader, Fawad said they could not punish (a popular leader) in political cases. His comments were in relevance to the contempt of court case against Khan.

    The anchorperson told Fawad that the courts had convicted popular leaders like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Talal Chaudhry and Nehal Hashmi, Fawad advised the anchor against comparing Imran Khan with the likes of Talal or Nehal.