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Tag: PTI

  • Corruption reference filed against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi

    Corruption reference filed against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a corruption reference against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and other suspects in the £190 million settlement case.

    The reference was submitted by NAB’s Deputy Prosecutor General Muzafar Abbasi and investigative officer Umar Nadeem in an accountability court in Islamabad, with the registrar’s office currently examining the document.

    Besides former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former First Lady Bushra Bibi, the reference names several other suspects, including Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf (PTI) leaders Zulfi Bukhari, Shahzad Akbar, lawyer Barrister Zia-ul-Mustafa Nazeer, and three others, totaling eight individuals.

    The filing of the reference comes days after the federal cabinet gave the go-ahead to conduct the jail trial of the PTI chairman in corruption cases.

    According to The News, the cabinet summary, moved by the Ministry of Law and Justice, was approved via circulation.

    The anti-graft watchdog had requested the ministry to allow the trial to be held in Adiala jail considering the law and order situation.
    The ministry had already issued a notification on the trial of the PTI chairman in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA), UK, and Toshakhana case in prison.

    According to the notification issued by the ministry on Nov 28, the concerned accountability court will sit at and conduct the trial of the suspects in the Central Prison, Adiala.

    “The federal government is pleased to accord approval that the accountability court concerned shall sit and conduct the trial of the accused (PTI chairman and former PM) and others in Central Prison, Adiala, with reference to the case regarding misuse of authority/ illegal sale of gifted state assets, etc. under Section 16(b) of NAB Ordinance, 1999,” the notification said.

    The case

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan, along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders, is currently embroiled in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry linked to a settlement between the PTI government and a prominent property tycoon, Malik Riaz. The case involves allegations of corruption amounting to billions of rupees and reportedly resulted in a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.

    Adjustment of Funds:

    Imran Khan and other accused are charged with adjusting Rs50 billion (£190 million at the time) sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government. This fund adjustment is said to be part of an agreement with Malik Riaz.

    Undue Benefit and Land Acquisition:

    Khan and Bushra are accused of receiving undue benefits, including over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa. This land was allegedly obtained to establish Al Qadir University.

    Seizure of Assets in the UK:

    During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth £190 million from Malik Riaz in Britain. The NCA stated that these assets would be passed to the government of Pakistan.

    Approval of Settlement:

    Then-Prime Minister Imran Khan sought approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement. It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of Malik Riaz.

    Establishment of Al-Qadir Trust:

    Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad a few weeks after the PTI-led government approved the agreement with Malik Riaz. Notable figures such as Zulfi Bukhari, Babar Awan, Bushra Bibi, and her close friend Farah Khan were appointed as members of the trust.

    Land Transfer and Trust Ownership:

    Two to three months after the cabinet’s approval, Malik Riaz transferred 458 canals of land to Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of the PTI chief, who later transferred it to the trust. Bukhari and Awan eventually opted out as trustees, and the trust is now registered in the names of Khan, Bushra Bibi, and Farah.

    NAB Investigation:

    NAB officials were initially probing the alleged misuse of powers in the recovery of “dirty money” received from the UK crime agency. Following the emergence of “irrefutable evidence,” the inquiry was converted into a full-fledged investigation.

  • Rifts in PTI over ‘selection’ of new Chairman

    Rifts in PTI over ‘selection’ of new Chairman

    In a dramatic turn of events within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), founding member and dissenter Akbar S. Babar has raised concerns over the nomination of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan for the party chairman’s position.

    Accusing the move of being more of a “selection than an election,” Babar, who previously filed the foreign funding case against the PTI, expressed doubts about the transparency and credibility of the intra-party election process.

    He said, “This must be a first that elections for the party’s central leadership have been announced without its electoral college in place as the electoral college of PTI’s central leadership is an elected provincial leadership which does not exist.”

    According to Babar, the prolonged intra-party election process, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic with a one-year extension granted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), has failed to live up to the party’s commitment to transparent and fair elections.

    Babar proposed that the Commission should appoint ‘obervers’ to monitor the PTI intra-party elections as it is already discussing the matter.

    Babar, who served as the party’s central information secretary and vice-president in the past, claimed that it appears that the PTI has learnt hardly any lesson from its past history of holding rigged intra-party elections.

    The decision to nominate Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, described as a ‘newcomer,’ has sparked internal discord within the party.

    Some party leaders drew parallels between this nomination and the controversial appointment of Usman Buzdar as the Punjab chief minister, a move that faced criticism for its perceived lack of merit.

    The selection of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan over other loyalists within the party, such as Ali Muhammad Khan, Senator Humayun Mohmand, and Advocate Hamid Khan, has raised eyebrows among insiders.

    One party leader, speaking anonymously to Dawn, voiced apprehensions about Khan’s association with PPP leader Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, considering it an unwise move given the sensitive nature of the party chairman position.

    “Unfortunately, Imran Khan has again done an experiment, just like Usman Buzdar, who left him when his difficult time started. The position of the party chairman is very sensitive and it could be used against the party,” he feared.

  • How many seats will be in the National Assembly in upcoming elections?

    How many seats will be in the National Assembly in upcoming elections?

    Amid rumours of delay in the elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the final list of delimitation of constituencies in the national and four provincial assemblies.

    This progress paves the roads for the election schedule, which is more likely to be announced in the first week of December, as per the electoral body.

    Previously, the ECP had said that the final list of delimitations for constituencies would be published on December 15, but it was later revised to November 30.

    According to the notification issued by the ECP, the National Assembly (NA) has a total of 266 seats; 60 seats are reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities.

    Balochistan has a total of 20 NA seats, including 16 general and four reserved seats for women; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 45 general NA seats and 10 reserved seats for women; Sindh has a total of 75 NA seats, of which 61 are general and the remaining 14 are reserved for women.

    On the other hand, considering population, Punjab is a big province, and it has 141 NA seats, of which 32 are reserved for women. The federal capital has three general NA seats, with no reserved seat for women.

    Article 106 pertains to the constituencies of the four provincial legislatures. According to this article, Balochistan comprises 51 general seats, with 11 reserved for women and three for non-Muslims, making a total of 65 seats.

    In the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are 115 general seats, along with 26 reserved for women and four for non-Muslims, bringing the total number of seats in the legislature to 145.

  • PML-N hits back at Bilawal over ‘mehangai league’ tirade

    PML-N hits back at Bilawal over ‘mehangai league’ tirade

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) responsible for the inflation in the country during the two parties’ coalition government. Political temperature across the spectrum is rising as general election is set to take place on February 8 next year.

    PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been calling the PML-N “mehangai [inflation] league,” alleging that the PML-N is responsible for rising prices in the last 16-months period.

    The term of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which included the PPP, PML-N, and various other parties, concluded in August this year. During this period, there was a significant surge in inflation, unprecedented increases in energy and fuel costs, and a notable decline in foreign reserves.

    In his conversation on Geo News’ programme “Capital Talk”, Musadik Malik — who served as the Minister of State for Petroleum during the PDM government — slammed Bilawal for targeting the PML-N for rising inflation and noted that all decisions in their 16-month stint were collective.

    Musadik Malik also reminded the PPP Chairman that he was a foreign minister of the country in the previous coalition government.

    “So when the minister had the portfolio of Foreign Ministry and I finalised a [oil] deal with Russia, he called it truck ki batti [false hope]. What was that? He should talk about his role as well. Was it my job to secure deals in Azerbaijan Russia? And you, while sitting in the US, said it was truck ki batti. So didn’t we reach our destination while following this truck ki batti?” asked Malik.

  • ‘Police took nine-year-old son in raid,’ former PTI MNA

    ‘Police took nine-year-old son in raid,’ former PTI MNA

    In a startling turn of events, Gul Zafar Khan, a former MNA associated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has accused Bajaur police of raiding his residence in the Gat Kai area of Mamond tehsil on Wednesday night.

    He also claimed that police took his nine-year-old son, who reportedly has special needs.

    Khan took to X(formerly Twitter) to share the distressing incident.

    However, in a statement issued from the office of the district police officer (DPO) on Wednesday night, police confirmed that the raid was conducted on Khan’s house owing to his violation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, but said that no one was arrested in the raid as the former MNA was not present in his house.

    A day earlier, Khan had attended a party meeting at the residence of former provincial minister Anwerzeb Khan in connection with the PTI’s convention, to be held a few days later.

    Adding to the complexity of the situation, a police official said that Khan was also wanted by police in a case registered in Upper Dir district a few days ago.

    Meanwhile, police on Wednesday also arrested PTI’s former MNA Gul Dad Khan for violating Section 144 CrPC, police and party sources said.

  • Who is Barrister Gohar Khan?

    Who is Barrister Gohar Khan?

    Barrister Gohar Khan is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and appears in all high courts as well.

    He is from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa’s Buner district and was formerly affiliated with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), contesting on a National Assembly seat from there in 2008 on PPP ticket.

    He joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2022 in the presence of former Chief Minister Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak who himself has left PTI to form his own political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP).

    The Barrister is a law graduate from Wolverhampton University, UK with LLM from Washington School of Law, USA. Gohar has been in active law practice with more than 50 reported judgments to his credit on subjects ranging from taxation, commercial, corporate, arbitration, banking, election, etc.

    The new chairman of PTI has civil and criminal trials experience, and even has the honour to appear before the Supreme Judicial Council, Field General Court Martial, and its Court of Appeal.

    His clients include public and private companies and important persons, including Imran Khan.

  • Nawaz Sharif free in Avenfield apartments reference

    Nawaz Sharif free in Avenfield apartments reference

    In a massive relief for the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield reference on Wednesday.

    The verdict was announced by a two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

    Nawaz Sharif was facing a 10-year jail sentence in the Avenfield properties corruption reference since July 2018, charged with owning assets beyond known income. An additional one-year sentence was imposed for non-cooperation with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), both to be served concurrently.

    Having been declared a proclaimed offender in two cases, Al-Azizia and Avenfield, in December 2020, Nawaz Sharif spent nearly four years in London on medical grounds before returning to Pakistan last month. Upon his return, he sought the restoration of appeals against his convictions, which had been dismissed for non-prosecution during his medical stay abroad.

    The second case against Nawaz was the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, for which Nawaz Sharif received a seven-year jail term on December 24, 2018, accompanied by a fine of Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million. The decision for this case is yet to be taken. 

    The IHC restored these appeals in a decision last month, leading to today’s pivotal hearing. Nawaz Sharif’s legal counsel, Amjad Pervaiz, argued before the court, pointing out perceived loopholes in the Avenfield reference.

    Nawaz’s lawyer Amjad Pervaiz questioned the ownership of the properties, arguing that there was neither verbal nor documented evidence indicating Nawaz’s ownership. The defense emphasized the lack of evidence proving that Maryam Nawaz and other family members were under Nawaz’s patronage.

    Pervez argued that the NAB failed to prove any of the allegations against Nawaz Sharif. “The properties in question were acquired at different times, with some being acquired between 1993 and 1996. The appellant had no connection to these properties, and the prosecution did not clarify their relation to the properties in the reference.”

    He said that Wajid Zia, former DG FIA, admitted that there was no evidence to establish Nawaz Sharif’s connection to the properties. The charge sheet stated that the assets were not in accordance with declared assets.

    The court based the sentence on assumptions, and the decision was generally written without specific evidence. It was written that children are generally under the guardianship of their father, he said.

  • PPP and PMLN want timely elections

    PPP and PMLN want timely elections

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the importance of conducting the scheduled general elections on February 8 next year.

    Speaking to reporters after his appearance before an accountability court in Lahore regarding the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Shehbaz said, “[Holding the elections on time] is the requirement of law and democracy.”

    The NAB reference alleges that Shehbaz, the former chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by utilizing public funds to construct a bridge to benefit mills owned by his sons.

    Despite the legal challenges, Shehbaz expressed confidence in the PML-N’s upcoming election campaign, announcing that party leader Nawaz Sharif will unveil the manifesto during the electoral activities.

    Addressing concerns raised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding equal opportunities in the polls, Shehbaz cited, “I went to court today and this is called the level-playing field and Nawaz Sharif will also produce himself in an Islamabad court today.”

    Shehbaz also delved into recent events, including the May 9 incidents and the subsequent arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. “A conspiracy to overthrow the army was hatched on May 9 and any democratic government will not tolerate treason,” he stressed.

    During the court hearing, Shehbaz clarified the charges against him, referring to his summoning in the clean water case and subsequent arrest in the Ashiana reference

    “I will not discuss the merits of the case, my lawyer will do it,” he told the court, adding that the court gave him justice in the Ashiana case.

    “After that, NAB arrested me in the sewer case. I was told that I had issued a directive for the construction of a drain which was built by an MPA,” he said.

    The PML-N president told the court that they have installed thousands of clean water projects during his tenure.

    Shehbaz said that he transferred their inherited sugar mill to his son and the government did not give subsidies to sugar mills in his tenure.

    PPP hopeful about timely elections

    Meanwhile, PPP expressed optimism that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa would ensure the timely holding of the next general elections on February 8.

    “We are hopeful that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa will not let the elections be delayed,” PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi told in a press conference.

    Echoing concerns about a level playing field previously voiced by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Kundi asserted that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is poised to become the next prime minister.

    Mr Kundi claimed that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will be the next prime minister of the country and he would announce the party’s future line of action about the next elections at a public meeting in Quetta on Nov 30 on the occasion of the 56th foundation day of the PPP.

    “Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari will both address the public meeting,” he said, adding that Bilawal’s sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari would conduct the election campaign of his brother.

    Additionally, PPP leader Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari was appointed as the secretary general of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

    Before Mr Bukhari’s appointment, seasoned party leader Farhatullah Babar was serving as the secretary general of the party’s parliamentary chapter.

  • Who will be the chairman of PTI?

    Who will be the chairman of PTI?

    A tumultuous day unfolded within the ranks of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as conflicting statements emerged regarding Imran Khan’s role in the upcoming intra-party polls.

    Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Khan Marwat asserted on Tuesday that Imran Khan, currently incarcerated in Adiala jail, had decided not to vie for the position of party chairman, citing legal constraints and his disqualification in the Toshakhana case.

    PTI clarified that discussions were still going on about crucial matters related to intra-party elections, emphasizing that no decision had been made regarding Imran Khan’s participation or the nomination of an alternative leader.

    Despite the party’s denial, Marwat stood by his initial statement. He took to X (former Twitter) and said, “Whatever I have said in my media talk about the intra-party election is a correct statement. The decisions were taken by Chairman PTI in the presence of Senator Ali Zafar, Barrister Gohar Umair Niazi and myself. I fail to understand who is behind the contradiction and why the misleading statement was issued. The media are advised to verify my statement with the above persons if you don’t mind.”

    Attempting to shed light on the situation, PTI Senator Ali Zafar appeared on a Geo News show on Tuesday, stating that there was no confusion within the party.

    “Two to three decisions were made together with him. Firstly, he asked what is the legal status of the ECP’s order to hold intra-party elections so I told him that it is illegal and we should appeal so the decision was made to appeal it,” he said.

    Zafar clarified that discussions also revolved around Imran Khan’s potential participation in the elections and the perception that the ECP might hinder the PTI’s symbol of the bat.

    He said finally a decision was reached that, if need be, if there was any concern arose that the ECP would raise an objection if Imran contested the elections, “then it is better than that that we at the moment hold elections in which Imran Khan doesn’t contest and we nominate someone else [for party chairman].”

    Zafar pointed out that a final decision remained to be taken on the above matter after considering all legal aspects, adding that he would announce the “exact decision” of whether Imran would contest the intra-party elections or not tomorrow.

    “If he (Imran) nominates someone else and a final decision is taken then elections will be held,” Zafar said.

    Marwat then appeared in Ary News show 11th hour with Waseem Badami and confirmed that Barrister Gohar’s name has been finalized for the chairmanship.

    While talking about the backlash he faced on social media after his initial statement, he tweeted, “Those maligning me constantly, kindly stop portraying me desperate for leadership! I didn’t come here on motive to conquer politics. It needs alot of courage to fight under these pressure circumstances. Anyone who is loyal to Pakistan, would appreciate efforts I am making. I am standing with Imran Khan and Pakistan in these difficult times because I believe in adversity, all of us must fight back against this oppression and not give up.”

    Former Governor Punjab, Latif Khosa, also entered the debate on Wednesday and said, “We can’t even think about minus Imran Khan. Imran Khan has denied all these claims.”

    The entire fiasco ended when it was officially announced by PTI that Barrister Gohar would be the candidate for chairman in intra-party election.

  • UK Police confirms acid attack on Shahzad Akbar

    UK Police confirms acid attack on Shahzad Akbar

    The United Kingdom police have confirmed that Shahzad Akbar, a former adviser to ex-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, was attacked with acid at his residence on Sunday, as per Geo news.

    Hertfordshire police released a statement revealing that they were alerted by the ambulance service just before 4:45 pm on November 26.

    “It is believed an acidic solution was used. A 46-year-old man received hospital treatment and has now been discharged. Safety of any victim is paramount and we believe this is an isolated incident. Active enquiries are underway. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information which could assist with our investigation is asked to please contact police.”

    Both police sources and Akbar confirmed to Geo News that he had informed UK law enforcement authorities about feeling endangered two weeks ago, citing concerns that his new address in Royston was known to the Pakistani government.

    Imran Khan’s former advisor did so after receiving a letter from the Cabinet Division asking questions about his role in the £190 million NCA properties settlement case and Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s Al-Qadir Trust case.

    “I have been in touch with the UK agencies (Police, National Crime Agency (NCA), intelligence services) after my brother was arrested in Pakistan and kept in custody for many months. The letter two weeks ago came to my new address which was shocking for me because it was a clear message from the Pakistan govt that my location is known. So the police already knew about this matter.

    What was the need to send me a letter at my new address when letters were being served in Islamabad on my home address,” said Akbar.

    A source linked with the Pakistani government with full knowledge of the ongoing cases said it’s a legal requirement to serve papers to the accused’s known address. Akbar holds evidence and documents in the £190 million corruption case and he took away these state-owned papers and refused to cooperate with the inquiry, said the source claimed.

    The claim has been denied by Akbar.

    The case

    The incident took place in an area near London outside the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader’s residence.

    He wrote, “Last evening I was attacked at my address in England (where I am living in exile with my family) by unknown assailant/s who threw acidic liquid at me. Thankfully my wife and children are safe, however I got some injuries but nothing life-threatening.

    Police and emergency services arrived instantly and house being protected now. I will not be intimidated nor bow down to those who are doing this.”

    Speaking to Geo News, Akbar said a delivery person came to his house and threw acid on him as soon as he opened the door. However, he said, most of the acid landed on the door and only a small amount landed on him.

    “My wife and children remained unharmed, only I got some injuries,” said the former PTI leader.

    Akbar told Geo News that he is currently living in a small village outside of London where he shifted about 1.5 months ago. He said that his new address had been leaked.

    The politician, who has been in self-exile in the UK, said that he was at home with his kids on Sunday when a delivery man wearing a helmet rang the doorbell.

    He said that as soon as he opened the door, the man threw acid on him from a bottle, adding that one side of his face and body were injured.

    He said that the suspect was dressed as a delivery boy and was traveling on a bike.