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  • Imran Khan declared guilty in Jinnah House attack case; bail rejected

    Imran Khan declared guilty in Jinnah House attack case; bail rejected

    An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has found former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan guilty in cases connected to violence on May 9, 2023, cancelling his bail in eight cases.

     

    According to reports, ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill issued a seven-page written ruling detailing that the prosecution had strong evidence against the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including audio and visual recordings that confirmed his role in inciting violence.

     

    The court also stated that testimonies from witnesses in the “Zaman Park conspiracy”, where Khan is accused of inciting his supporters, were on record.

     

    As per the prosecution, Khan was involved in orchestrating a plan to disrupt state machinery in the event of his arrest.

     

    Incarcerated Khan’s counsel had argued that his client was already in custody at the time of the incident, but the court rejected this claim, saying that the conspiracy had been planned before his detention.

     

    The ATC also pointed out that the prosecution’s case was not a trivial matter of incitement but involved serious charges, including directing attacks on military installations.

     

    The court said that the PTI founder’s instructions were followed by his supporters, which led to the attacks on state buildings and law enforcement.

     

    The court also noted that on May 11, violence against police officers, among other incidents, occurred on the former premier’s directives.

  • VIDEO: Status of PTI protester pushed off container, confirmed

    VIDEO: Status of PTI protester pushed off container, confirmed

    Days after a viral video showed a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protester being pushed off a container in Islamabad, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has broken silence on his whereabouts and current condition.


    A viral video from PTI’s violent protests in Islamabad showed a man, namely Tahir Abbas Tarar, “offering prayer” atop three containers set up to block access to D-Chowk. The video also showed the man being pushed off by security personnel, falling down as the crowd looked on.


    With the video drawing strong reactions from party leaders and the general public alike, netizens also expressed serious concerns over the incident and demanded an official update on Tahir’s current condition.


    After widespread criticism aimed at the government and law enforcement, and claims that the victim “fell to his death”, Information Minister Tarar has put an end to speculations.


    “Propaganda claimed that a person was offering prayers when he was killed by pushing him [off the containers]. He is a resident of Mandi Bahauddin, and is alive,” the minister said, adding that Tahir had received injuries on his arms and legs.


    The info minister also said that the man from the video was “not offering prayers” and was actually “recording a TikTok video”. He, however, did not disclose any further details.


    Meanwhile, a man claiming to be Tahir’s brother, Naveed, has said that his family has been “abducted”.


    Confirming that Tahir had survived the fall with a fractured arm and leg, Naveed alleged that his family had now “gone missing”.

     

     


    The same was also claimed by the PTI in a post on its official social media handles.


    “His [Tahir’s] family members have now been abducted from their home in the village. There are concerns of coercion to extract statements and suppress the truth with expectations that the public will blindly accept the authorities’ narrative. This incident is just an example of the scale of the ongoing state repression,” PTI said, adding that it was an example of the “brutality” that “unfolded on Nov 26” at D-Chowk.


    Tahir is among the dozens of protesters who sustained injuries in violent clashes between the PTI and law enforcement during the former’s three-day protests in and around the federal capital.
    Confusion prevails on the total number of casualties at the protest, amid conflicting claims from the camps of both the government and PTI.

  • PTI decides to head to Islamabad, again

    PTI decides to head to Islamabad, again

    Days after being forced to retreat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) amid dozens of casualties at the protest march, the Parliamentary Committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to head back to Islamabad with “full preparations”.

     

    As per the details, KP Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur chaired a meeting of the party’s parliamentary committee at the CM House with Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) and Members of National Assembly (MNAs) in attendance.

     

    During the meeting, the party’s lawmakers expressed confidence in CM Gandapur and discussed law enforcement’s violence against PTI workers in the federal capital. They also put forth their suggestions for the future.

     

    The parliamentary committee expressed displeasure over the party’s central leadership and questioned why was it absent when “law enforcement opened fire at D-Chowk”.

     

    Despite the government repeatedly denying claims regarding the use of lethal rounds, the PTI leadership maintains that dozens of its supporters were killed after security forces opened fire during Tuesday night’s grand clearance operation.

     

    The KP CM had on Friday night also issued threats to the federal government, saying, “We are coming back to Islamabad, and a decision has been made regarding this.”

     

    “We will fight for our rights, and if we do not receive justice, we will respond in the same manner… our children have been martyred,” he said on the floor of the KP Assembly.

     

    Gandapur also responded to the claims regarding the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the province. “We are not interested in power and positions. We cannot be intimidated by such threats. Try us,” he added.

     

    Earlier, Adviser to PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah had stated that the federal cabinet, in its meeting, discussed the option of imposing Governor’s Rule in KP.

     

    He said the matter came up for consideration as KP’s resources were being used to “stage violent protests” in Islamabad.

     

    While a majority of federal cabinet members supported the proposal, consensus could not be reached with allies of the ruling PML-N.

     

    Awami National Party (ANP) chief Aimal Wali Khan, while addressing a press conference along with KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday, said that Governor’s Rule in KP was not the solution to the ongoing crises.

     

    Governor Kundi himself also opposed Governor’s Rule, but added that he had only heard about it on the news.

     

    Kundi also reacted to a recently-tabled resolution in the Punjab Assembly, which sought a ban on the PTI. “The events of May 9 and November 24 provide enough justification for a ban. PTI has been a disruptive force in the province for years.”

  • PTI shares, then deletes graphic video from 2019 claiming police brutality

    PTI shares, then deletes graphic video from 2019 claiming police brutality

    A graphic video is being pushed on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) affiliated social media accounts, depicting severely injured people in a hospital, alleging that the victims in the footage are injured PTI protestors in Islamabad.

     

     

    Fact Check: The graphic video is from 2019 Nankana Sahib’s DHQ Hospital when two rival groups opened fire on each other.

     

     

     

    PTI’s official page on Instagram shared the video; however, it was later deleted.  Some PTI supporters are still sharing the video, claiming it to be the victims of an alleged massacre after the security forces launched a crackdown on PTI protestors in Islamabad.

     

    Sabir Shakir posted the video on November 29 with the caption: “This is the floor of a hospital in Islamabad.” The post has garnered more than 116K views till now with more than seven thousand reposts and eleven thousand likes.

     

    Likewise, another social media user re-tweeted the video, writing, “What story are the injured protesters brought to Islamabad hospital after the operation on November 26 and their blood on the floor?”


    Another user posted, “This is not Palestine or Gaza, but the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, where innocent people are being massacred. Yazid and descendants of Yazid are still present in the world.” 

     

    Another X user wrote, “Every one can see Nawaz, Maryam  @MaryamNSharif‘s. signatures in mass murder of innocent people 3 days hungry thirsty & sleep deprived along with General Asim and Shahbaz face. Why we Pakistan tolerate it ?”

     

    While multiple PTI supporting accounts ran trending hashtags like #گولی_کیوں_چلائی and #IslamabadMassacre.

     

    After PTI began its “final call” towards Islamabad, tensions between law enforcement and protesters ran high, as the federal government deployed the military in Islamabad by invoking Article 245 of the Constitution.

     

    A notification issued by the Interior Ministry said that the army had been authorised to impose a curfew in any locality deemed necessary to maintain law and order.

     

    The opposition leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, on Friday demanded a judicial probe into the recent use of force against protesters in the federal capital.

     

    “The chief justice of Pakistan should constitute a fact-finding committee to bring facts to the fore,” said Omar Ayub who is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member National Assembly from the Haripur district while talking to reporters in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) where he had turned up to secure a transit bail.

     

    The PTI leader said the party leadership shared the grief of the families of those who died in Islamabad. He also said the financial compensation had already been announced by the KP government for the heirs of the deceased and the injured.

  • Government decides to file cases against Ali Amin Gandapur, Bushra Bibi

    Government decides to file cases against Ali Amin Gandapur, Bushra Bibi

    Prime Minister (PM) Shahbaz Sharif’s government has decided to tighten the noise around founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s party leaders by filing cases against them.

     

    Shahbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Friday in which it was decided that cases would be lodged against Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur, and founder PTI Imran Khan’s spouse, Bushra Bibi; both were leading the recent protest march towards the federal capital in which multiple people were killed, including four law-enforcing officers. 

     

    “This is not a political party [PTI] but a fitna [mischief] and a group of terrorists,” Shahbaz Sharif said.

     

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, Punjab’s Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz, federal ministers and other security officials attended the meeting.

     

    After a “final call” given by incarcerated Imran Khan, CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur and former First Lady led a convoy from Peshawar to Islamabad, which started on November 24 and ended on November 26 night after security forces cracked down on the demonstrators.

     

    On Tuesday (November 26) night, grand operations were initiated to disperse the opposition’s biggest party protestors, in which multiple casualties were reported and hundreds of protestors were wounded.

     

    Attendees of the meeting told Dawn News that it was also decided in a top-level meeting to register cases against the PTI leaders and workers who were allegedly involved in the killing of security officials during the recent protest march.

     

    A press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) noted, “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif established a task force under the chairmanship of Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi to identify the people involved in spreading chaos and violence in Islamabad earlier this week and take strict action against them.”


    Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and officials of security departments will also be members of the task force.

     

    Furthermore, it was also decided to modernise the federal capital Safe City project along with strengthening the federal prosecution service. It has been observed that the quality of the project is so poor that its cameras cannot recognise people, particularly at night and when travelling in vehicles.


    Previously, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Muhammad Fayyaz submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly secretariat seeking a ban on arch-rivals PTI.

     

    The resolution demands stringent action against former PM Imran Khan’s PTI, labelling the party a “disruptive group” operating under the guise of a political party, and calls for those responsible for the November 24 protests to be brought to justice.

  • We can respond with weapons too: Gandapur warns in fiery speech

    We can respond with weapons too: Gandapur warns in fiery speech

    Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur gave yet another fiery speech in his first address to the KP Assembly after an unsuccessful party march towards Islamabad saying, “We have fire and ammunition and we can respond with weapons too,” the Premier of the province said. 

     

    PTI supporters on social media are angry and disappointed with party leaders for abandoning workers in D-Chowk when security forces started their crackdown on November 26.

     

    Around midnight, the media reported that Gandapur and Imran Khan’s spouse Bushra Bibi, escaped from the capital and went towards Peshawar.

     

    Since then, PTI has claimed that the security forces opened fire on the protestors leading to multiple fatalities – a claim the government denies.

     

     

    “Be wary of that day if we reply to fire with fire and to ammunition with ammunition; if we abandon peace slogans because we have weapons too. We can take our rights that way as well. Listen to this as well, we do not care about powerful chairs that you could scare us with the threat of Governor Raj. I challenge you to impose Governor Rule here and see if you can stay here,” he challenged.

     

    After Gandapur led the caravan from KP towards Peshawar for its “final call,” rumours quickly spread that the federal government was mulling imposing Governor’s rule in KP.

     

    Ali Amin Gandapur warned the federal government that PTI cannot be “intimidated” by such actions as tensions grow following the late-night crackdown against protesters in Islamabad.

     

    “Release Imran Khan as soon as possible or we will respond to bullets with bullets and then you will see what happens, and you will be responsible for whatever happens,” warned CM KP in his address to the provincial assembly. 

     

    The CM also addressed the soldiers of the Pakistan Army, saying, “You must see your children at home, what would their mother think if this happened to them? Allah bestows rizq to every human being, but what you have done for a job, you will not find peace in this world and in this world! Today I pray to Allah that you [soldiers] may find yourself in such pain and hurt that you become an example in history for Allah’s justice in the world who oppressed the people.”

     

    “Let it not happen that we start feeling comfort in killing you. Release Imran Khan, otherwise we have a meeting, prepare a strategy, if we don’t get rights, we will kill for them,” concluded Gandapur.

     

    Gandapur has been heavily criticised by party workers and followers for the perception that he is in touch with the establishment. Party followers tweeted and posted on other social media platforms against Gandapur, dismayed at him leaving party workers on D Chowk while he and Bushra Bibi got passage to safety.

  • PML-N moves resolution in Punjab Assembly to ban PTI

    PML-N moves resolution in Punjab Assembly to ban PTI

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Muhammad Fayyaz has submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly secretariat, seeking a ban on arch-rivals Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

     

    The resolution demands stringent action against former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI, labelling the party a “disruptive group” operating under the guise of a political party, and calls for those responsible for the November 24 protests to be brought to justice.

     

    A similar resolution was introduced in the Balochistan Assembly on Thursday, accusing PTI of committing acts of violence and taking on the form of a “political anarchist group”.

     

    The resolution was moved by Balochistan Minister for Communications and Works Mir Saleem Ahmad Khosa, provincial ministers Mir Sadiq Umrani, Mir Asim Kurd Gelo, Raheela Hamid Khan Durrani, Bakht Mohammad Kakar and parliamentary secretaries against the PTI’s actions during the recent protests.

     

    The resolution read, “This kind of anarchist agenda of the PTI has badly affected every system and school of thought in the country, including the judiciary, the media and the country’s economy.”

     

    The opposition in the Balochistan Assembly staged a walkout in protest, decrying the mistreatment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party.

     

    The resolution accused the PTI of orchestrating violent demonstrations, including assault on public and military installations during the May 9 protests last year. It also criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for allegedly using state resources to challenge federal authority, describing such actions as part of a “non-political agenda.”

     

    PTI’s recent “do-or-die” protest in the federal capital ended abruptly after a government crackdown that resulted in the apprehendation of 1,151 protesters, including 64 Afghan nationals. Authorities claimed to have confiscated weapons, ball bearings, and spiked clubs from the detained Afghans. 

     

    Meanwhile, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja alleged that 20 protesters were killed during the demonstrations—a claim that the authorities have denied.

    Earlier, Senator Faisal Vawda, while appearing on the Geo News programme Capital Talk on Wednesday, had claimed that former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s party will be banned.


    Faisal Vawda stated, “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister [Ali Amin Gandapur] will not be arrested, but Bushra Bibi [Imran Khan’s wife] will.”

    Faisal Vawda also pointed out the absence of PTI’s big names during the recent protest: “Where was Omar Ayub Khan, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly?”


    He alleged that the former First Lady has a “major role” in bringing founder Imran Khan’s party to a “dead end.”
     

    It should be mentioned here that PTI marched towards Islamabad on the “final call” of party founder Imran Khan.


    PTI demanded the reversal of the recently passed 26th Constitution Amendment, the “stolen mandate,” and the release of all party political prisoners, including Imran Khan.

  • Saturday holiday cancelled to compensate the loss

    Saturday holiday cancelled to compensate the loss

    The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has issued a new notification which has officially abolished the Saturday holiday in all federally managed educational institutions.


    The notification was issued on Friday with the subject: “Saturday as working day”.

     

    It is addressed to all heads of institutions in Islamabad’s schools and colleges in rural and urban areas.


    The decision will come into effect from November 30 (tomorrow), and remain in place till February 1, 2025. 


    It also says that the decision has been taken to compensate for the academic activity disrupted by the closure of schools in recent months.

     

    Thus, starting from tomorrow, Saturday will be considered a full working day in schools and colleges under the FDE’s jurisdiction.


    Elaborating on the steps taken by FDE, an official said that students’ education had been significantly affected by unforeseen holidays and closures. “The change has been made to ensure students receive the required instructional time and complete their syllabus on schedule,” the notification said.

  • Lahore High Court asks offices, schools to make work-from-home policy

    Lahore High Court asks offices, schools to make work-from-home policy

    During Friday’s hearing of the cases against smog in the provincial capital, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the administration to formulate a work-from-home policy for schools and offices.


    Justice Shahid Karim heard petitions against the failure to take effective measures to combat smog.


    Geo News reported that during the hearing, the complainant raised the point of cutting down trees in the Township area of Lahore to build depots for electric buses. There are reports that the trees are cut and sold in the timber market.


    Upon this, the court summoned the Secretary of Transport of Punjab and ordered an investigation into the matter to find out where the trees that were cut actually ended up. “If the matter of cutting trees is true, a case will be registered against those responsible,” the court ordered. 


    On the matter of large amounts of vehicular emissions in the city, the Court said that software should be created to store the vehicle data in the city while noting that the data for checking vehicles should be created after giving a time limit of three months.

     

    Justice Karim also stressed that things can’t be fixed until the city’s DCs are transferred.

     

    The court directed the government to make a policy about checking transport that must have the data, and a tag system should be introduced for vehicles as well. 

     


    The lawyer representing the government, Hassan Ejaz Cheema, said that the work on formulating a policy is underway.

     

    Moreover, Samaa News reported that the court also criticised the government for lifting all smog-related restrictions in the city. This could result in a relapse, it warned.

     

    Justice Shahid Karim also suggested opening schools four days a week and letting construction work take place for three days a week. 

     

    The court also ruled that schools and offices should have a work-from-home policy because the smog is not over yet. It may suddenly return, and ideally, construction work should not even start.

     

    Later, the court adjourned further hearing on the case until Tuesday, December 3.

     

    Previously, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court issued a three-page order on petitions regarding the smog issue, ruling that schools should provide transport to children after the winter vacations, while the government announced a relaxation of smog restrictions in the city.

  • Imran Khan to get bail within three months, predicts Najam Sethi

    Imran Khan to get bail within three months, predicts Najam Sethi

    Political commentator Najam Sethi has predicted that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, will get bail within three months.

     

    Appearing on Samaa News Najam Sethi stated on Thursday that former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will be in his home in Zaman Park or Bani Gala within the next three months.

     

    In response to the programme host Ayesha Naz’s question whether Khan would remain under house arrest or not, Najam Sethi stated that “there is no issue of Imran Khan being in house arrest, he will be free.”

     

    It may be noted here that former PM Imran Khan was arrested on August 5 last year from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, shortly after his conviction in the Toshakhana case and has been in jail since then on multiple charges. 

     

    Imran Khan’s party had orchestrated protests in Pakistan’s heart, Islamabad, which resulted in multiple casualties.

     
    Referring to the PTI’s recent protest march towards the federal capital, Sethi said, “It was his [Imran Khan] last public card; he [Imran Khan] won’t t be able to use the public card for the next three to four months, and [Khan] knows that.”

     

    Responding to the PTI’s next probable march to the federal capital, Najam Sethi maintained that there would be “no long march for at least one year towards Islamabad.”

     

    Najam Sethi observed that by the time the grand operation started on Tuesday night, Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur advised former First Lady Bushra Bibi to leave the federal capital.

     

    “Bushra Bibi was scared; her guards disappeared, and then she decided to leave the federal capital,” Sethi added.

     

    Furthermore, Najam Sathi reiterated that the federal government had helped CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur and Imran Khan’s spouse to escape from the scene.

     

    Earlier, PTI sources told Geo News that prior to the Tuesday night grand operation on PTI demonstrators, the government facilitated Bushra Bibi and Ali Amin Gandapur to escape from Islamabad.

     

    On Tuesday night (November 26), security forces launched a grand operation at D Chowk to disperse the protestors, leading to multiple casualties.

     

    Reportedly, prior to the operation, markets in all nearby areas were closed, and streetlights were also turned off; the operation was completed within two and a half hours, leading to the arrest of more than 500 protesters from D-Chowk and its nearby areas.