In an unexpected development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from inside Islamabad High Court (IHC) by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday (Tuesday).
According to Islamabad police, Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir case.
Celebrities Like Maya Aali, Shaan Shahid and Adnan Siddiqui have come out in support of Imran Khan.
Have a look at some of the reactions:
Shaan Shahid
Adnan Siddiqui:
Mariyam Nafees:
As World Cup 2023 gets closer, cricketing fans wait for the joy of an India vs Pakistan clash.
However, will Pakistan actually participate in the mega event? Speculations are rife that the country may skip the event. What has led to these rumors?
The Indian government has said that they will not allow their team to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, leading to the assumption that the hardliner government will not allow the Pakistani team to play in India.
The mega event of International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to take place in India, with broadcasters eyeing the potential of huge revenues from an India vs Pakistan match.
However, will the Pakistan team get permission to travel to India in the light of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent statement given during a trip to India?
“Sports should be kept separated from politics and foreign policy,” the FM had stated during his visit to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
Earlier reports had claimed that Pakistan will play its World Cup matches in Ahmedabad in Narendra Modi stadium in Gujrat.
“Pakistan may not agree to play against India at Narendra Modi Stadium due to certain reasons,” a source has disclosed, without discussing further details on the matter before the announcement of the official schedule.
It must be noted here that International Cricket Council (ICC) hasn’t announced the schedule for the World Cup so far. The mega event will take place in October-November this year in India.
A reliable source in PCB has also denied reports regarding their demand from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to give them a guarantee in writing that if Pakistan goes to India for ICC World Cup, then they will come here for ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
Supreme Court has declared Khan’s arrest “illegal” and ordered the authorities to release him immediately.
In an unexpected development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from inside Islamabad High Court (IHC) by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday.
A three-member Supreme Court (SC) bench will hear PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case at 2pm.
The bench will comprise Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.
PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been arrested in Islamabad and moved to an undisclosed location, according to the party.
Fawad Chaudhry was arrested late last night and Asad Umar is already in custody.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif in an address to the nation on Thursday termed damaging public property an “act of terrorism” and “enmity” towards the country.
In a short address, the premier said that he would like to warn “terrorists” who are harming the country to stop, otherwise strict actions will be taken against them.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said on Wednesday that the institution will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands.
In a harshly worded statement, the army’s media wing said that Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court “in line with the NAB statement and law”.
“Immediately after this arrest, attacks were perpetrated on the army’s properties and installations anti-army slogans were raised,” it added.
The statement also warned that, “Any further attack on the army and state will result in an extreme reaction.”
ISPR also said that May 9 will be remembered as a “black chapter”
NAB has gotten physical remand of PTI Chairman Imran Khan for eight days in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The Punjab Home Department has given permission to the Pakistan army to maintain law and order across the province amid civil unrest.
Currently, internet service is suspended and protests are being carried out to show support for Imran Khan who was arrested from the premises of Islamabad High Court yesterday.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has requested physical remand of Imran Khan, Chairman of PTI, in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar heard the Al-Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan at New Guest House, Police Line.
During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor asked the court for a 14-day physical remand of Imran Khan.
Asad Umar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi went to the Islamabad High Court to submit a petition pleading to meet Imran Khan.
He has been arrested by Anti-Terrorist squad of Islamabad Police.
The protests against Imran Khan’s arrest have turned violent as the PML-N Model Town secretariat in Lahore has been set on fire by protesters.
According to reports, a violent mob is heading to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s personal residence in Lahore.
Fawad Chaudhry has said that PTI will challenge Imran Khan’s arrest in the Supreme Court in the morning.
In his tweet, senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry labelled Khan’s arrest “illegal”.
Amid the protest across the country in support of Khan, many mobile services have been suspended and now Twitter is also not working.
The Punjab government has enforced Section 144 throughout the province amid the protest happening against the arrest of Imran Khan.
The Home Department has released a notice stating that Rangers have been called in to aid the police in managing the situation.
Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a tweet said that the government will not spare anyone involved in attack on the state of Pakistan.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed Khan’s arrest by NAB, adding that there are “dozens” of other cases with corruption inquiries in progress against the former premier.
“Look at this person’s hypocrisy that when he was making false corruption cases against people, he himself was [involved] in such disgusting corruption,” he said.
The interior minister said evidence is present for all of the above developments.
Later, protests started across the country and several roads are blocked.
Around 3pm, Khan was arrested. Here is a video of Khan being pushed by rangers as they arrest him in Islamabad.
Following is the video of Khan before his arrest.
PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said that the party wanted the IHC to form a full court to hear the case. However, no action has been taken so far by the court.
Following are the tweets by PTI leaders who strongly condemned the arrest of their chief and urged people to come out of the street.
In an unexpected development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has been arrested from inside Islamabad High Court (IHC) by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today (Tuesday).
NAB bought arrest warrants with them, which were issued by the accountability watchdog’s Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad Butt on May 1. As per details, Khan was taken into custody under Section 9A of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
According to Islamabad police, Imran has been arrested in a case in which Bahria Town allegedly gave land worth Rs530 million to Khan and Bushra Bibi’s Al-Qadir Trust in return for a settlement.
In 2019, more than £190m of assets were seized from Malik Riaz by National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK.
Later, NCA returned this amount to Pakistan’s national treasury, however, the Khan-led cabinet of the time decided to submit millions of pounds to Supreme Court on behalf of Malik Riaz.
A few weeks later, the Al-Qadir Trust was founded by Khan, Bushra Bibi, Zulfi Bukhari, and Babar Awan. Malik allotted 458 kanals to them to establish a university that apparently has only 35 students.
However, according to senior journalist Kamran Khan, the former Prime Minister (PM) was arrested for making accusations against the top brass in the army including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.
Earlier, Khan made serious allegations that General Faisal Naseer plotted his assassination. Later, when Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) condemned his words, he said that he can prove that ISI took over the judicial complex in Islamabad to murder him.
According to the police, a man was apprehended in Odisha’s Sambalpur district on Monday on suspicion of murdering his wife because she didn’t cook rice with curry.
The incident occurred in Nuadhi village in the Jamankira Police Station region on Sunday evening. The accused has been identified as Sanatan Dharua, a 40-year-old man, while his wife has been identified as Pushpa Dharua, a 35-year-old woman.
Sanatan and Pushpa have a daughter and a son, with their daughter working as a domestic help in Kuchinda while their son was spending the night at a friend’s house on Sunday.
Upon returning home, Sanatan discovered that Pushpa had prepared only curry and not rice, sparking an argument that resulted in him assaulting and killing his wife, as per a police officer.
The matter came to light when Pushpa’s son returned home to find his mother dead. He contacted the authorities, who took the body and detained the husband.
Jamankira Police Station Inspector-in-charge Premjit Das stated that an autopsy was conducted on Monday and the accused husband was held in custody.
A South African woman has made headlines after contacting her wedding photographer, four years after her wedding, to request a refund due to her recent divorce.
The woman claimed that she and her ex-husband no longer needed the wedding photos, and therefore, they should be entitled to a refund.
The photographer, Lance Romeo, initially thought it was a prank, but after realising the woman was serious, he respectfully declined her request.
Still, the woman did not accept his refusal and requested to meet in person to discuss the matter, but the photographer refused and instructed her to communicate through her lawyers.
The photographer shared the WhatsApp chat with the woman on Twitter, which soon went viral. The woman’s ex-husband later contacted the photographer and apologised on her behalf.
Despite the woman’s demands, the photographer remained professional throughout the exchange, and the incident garnered widespread attention on social media.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi is in Dubai for a crucial meeting with Jay Shah, the President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and also secretary for Board of Control for cricket in India (BCCI).
Jay Shah has continuously threatened PCB that the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023 and force Pakistan to step back from hosting the tournament.
Pakistan has declared its stance loudly and clearly for everyone that if Pakistan is forced to back off from hosting Asia Cup, warning that if anyone tries to take away Pakistan’s rights, the country will boycott Asia Cup and will also not travel to India for the upcoming World Cup.
Najam Sethi also proposed a hybrid model for India, suggesting that they can play their matches at another venue but it’s Pakistan’s right as host to decide where those matches will be played.
Star Sports’ owner is also attending the meeting.
It is clear that no other team will give the kind of revenue an India Vs Pakistan match can produce. Star Sports has a contract with ACC from 2016 to 2023 under which they paid 50 million USD.
Indian Media has reported that BCCI is planning to organized its own five nation Asia Cup in which they will exclude Pakistan but broadcasters are not ready for this.
Earlier Indian media ran fake news that Asia Cup has been shifted to Sri lanka but Sri Lankan media denied Indian media reports.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi left for Dubai on Tuesday for a crucial meeting with Asia Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Jay Shah.
Media reports have stated that the owner of Star Sports will also attend the meeting.
Ahead of the meeting Indian media ran false reports that Sri Lanka is set to host Asia Cup 2023 after the tournament is shifted from Pakistan.
However, Sri Lankan media has rubbished the news and said that the Board of the island nation have stated that there has been no official announcement by ACC on the matter.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has locked horns with PCB over the matter, threating to form their own five nation version of the tournament, excluding Pakistan, and influencing other teams not to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023.
On the other hand, PCB had indicated that they would boycott the event if it would be held outside Pakistan.
Pakistan has suggested a hybrid model, in which Pakistan will host all other matches of Asia Cup but India will play at a neutral venue. However, Indian media have reported that broadcasters were not satisfied with the offer.
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, May 6. The ceremony commemorated Charles’ role as monarch of the United Kingdom after he acceded to the throne upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022.
According to a press release issued by Buckingham Palace, over 2,200 individuals, which included members of the royal family, politicians, international royals, and world leaders, attended the televised ceremony.
The official coronation concert took place on May 7. Have a look at the some of the major moments from both events.
Anne’s hat:
Prince Harry attended his father’s coronation alone, while his wife Meghan Markle stayed in California to take care of their children and celebrate Archie’s birthday.
A red feather in Princess Anne’s hat obstructed Harry’s face from the view of the camera. Social media users are joking that the placement of the feather cannot be accidental.
Some also said that a candle played the same role at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in obstructing a clear view of Meghan.
Prince Louis singing the wrong national anthem:
Crowd favourite Prince Louis was the focus of many people’s attention as he attended the Coronation service.
The five-year-old royal accidentally sang God Save The Queen instead of God Save The King at the end of the service.
Winnie the Pooh:
A video of the cartoon of Winnie the Pooh talking to Piglet about King Charles III’s love for red squirrels and the names he gave them was also played.
Winnie the Pooh then opened a door holding a balloon which said “King Charles III Coronation”.
“Oh Piglet, Christopher Robin told me His Majesty loves red squirrels so much”
Winnie the Pooh special Coronation cartoon revealed at concerthttps://t.co/sxAEQFmrIR pic.twitter.com/A9euQoW6dL
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 7, 2023
Katty perry’s dress:
A special note was embroidered on the inside of pop star Katty Perry’s concert dress.
A photograph showed the inside of the bustier of the dress, which was embroidered with the words: “KATY PERRY. CHARLES III. 2023. VW.”
The embroidery included a small crown sewed next to the King’s name. “VW” indicated the initials of famed designer Vivian Westwood, who died last December.
Tom Cruise Tells King Charles ‘You Can Be My Wingman’ at Coronation Concert:
Tom Cruise made a video appearance at King Charles III’s coronation concert to deliver a message to the British monarch.
“Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty,” the veteran action star said, offering something special to the monarch. “You can be my wingman any time,” said the Hollywood superstar who often mingles with the royal family.
Here are the complete highlights from the event:
Here are the complete highlights from the event:
Pakistan is in the midst of a balance of payment crisis, and the stakes are high. Without the financial aid of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the country faces the prospect of defaulting on its external payment obligations.
Unfortunately, reports say that the IMF is not convinced by the assurances given to them by Pakistan’s friendly countries.
Officials of the finance ministry, speaking anonymously, have confirmed that Pakistan has fulfilled several conditions set by the lender for the revival of the loan facility, and the staff-level agreement on the ninth review was supposed to be signed by February 9.
However, the delay in the IMF programme could have severe repercussions. The budget planning, which is expected to be tabled in the second week of June, is likely to be affected.
Moody’s Investor Service has warned that Pakistan may default if it does not receive a bailout from the IMF as its financing options beyond June are uncertain.
While Pakistan is expected to meet its external payments until the end of this fiscal year in June, its reserves are weak and without IMF support, it could default.
Pakistan is struggling to restart a stalled $6.5 billion bailout programme from the IMF due to the government’s failure to meet some loan conditions, and political tensions ahead of elections are adding to the risk of a delay in the loan.
An engagement with the IMF beyond June would support additional financing from other multilateral and bilateral partners, which could reduce default risk. Pakistan’s foreign-exchange reserves remain very low, standing at $4.5 billion, and sufficient to cover only about one month of imports.
S&P Global Ratings estimates that Pakistan’s gross external financing needs as a proportion of current-account receipts plus usable reserves will rise to 139.5 per cent in fiscal year 2024 from 133 per cent in 2023.
S&P analysts believe that an IMF programme would be a foundation for important fiscal policy reforms and that an agreement on the current review cycle could instill more confidence for other bilateral and multilateral lenders to Pakistan.