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In an interesting development, arrest warrants have been issued for the judge who convicted the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, in the Toshakhana reference. Justice Humayun Dilawar’s arrest warrants have been issued in a land-grabbing case by a judicial magistrate in Bannu, who also issued arrest warrants for the judge’s brother, father, and registrar.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has been directed to arrest and present the judge in court.
Special Assistant on Anti-Corruption to KP CM Musaddiq Abbasi confirmed the development saying that the suspect “illegally” registered government land for their housing society.
Imran Khan was arrested last year from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana reference and given a sentence of three years in jail with a fine of Rs 100,000.
However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended Khan’s sentence in the same reference in April 2024.
Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has claimed that Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur was abducted after a power show at Sangjani.
Speaking to journalist at Adila jail, former Prime Minister Khan allegedly said that the establishment had tricked him over the September 8 rally at Sangjani and arrested PTI’s top leadership.
Khan expounding on the postponed rally of August 22 he said, “PTI leader Azam Swati visited Adiala jail at 7 AM and conveyed the establishment message.” This was followed by Khan rescheduling the rally in Islamabad.
Khan alleged that the establishment had offered him ‘acquittal in all cases’ if he remained silent for three years.
He criticized the incumbent government for barring the PTI supporters from reaching the Sangjani area by blocking the roads with containers.
Responding to Chief Justice Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa’s tenure extension, Khan warned of street agitation if parliament tries to extend CJP’s tenure through constitutional amendments.
Senator Faisal Vawda has accused former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, on Monday of knowing “something big” was about to happen ahead of the October 2022 assassination of journalist Arshad Sharif.
Vawda laid down the substantial claims in multiple TV shows last night and also released a 42-second audio clip which allegedly recorded Imran Khan talking about something big that was about to happen before Arshad Sharif’s murder.
Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was killed in Kenya on October 23, 2022 after he left the country followimg Khan’s government being thrown out through a no-confidence motion in the parliament.
Vawda also claimed that former ISI Chief Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed might have been involved in the incident.
“According to my analysis, [Imran] was not aware that Arshad Sharif was going to be murdered. But he was well aware that something big would happen,” said Vawda.
“But Faiz Hameed was directly involved, and he was well aware of that [plan]. And Murad Saeed was also aware. He was aware of it in August 2022. He even knew that someone outside the country had been hired for the job. His presser on this subject is on the record,” stated the Senator known for making sensational claims.
In the audio clip, the alleged voice of the PTI founder can be heard saying: “Look, we should not confuse what we’re going to do in the long march and what we’re doing in the protests that we are staging today. Both protests have different dynamics and we have planned very meticulously what we’re going to do [in the long march] and I am not going to announce it in a knee-jerk reaction. I am going to announce it very soon, by the end of the month or maybe on 30th or by next Sunday. But I am not giving any date.”
Vawda said that anyone can perform a forensic analysis of the audio recording to check its authenticity.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Monday that the government intends to present a constitutional amendment draft for the approval of both Houses of Parliament this week, ending long-debated speculations, to bring about significant changes in the judicial system.
While addressing a dinner for MNAs of his own and allied parties in the PM’s house, Sharif said that certain elements are busy undermining government performance but they would be helpless under the upcoming amendments.
Earlier, many YouTubers and journalists speculated about the government’s alleged plans to extend the tenure of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa through an upcoming judicial package; however, both the government and the CJP denied the claims.
He also asked coalition members of the parliament to ensure their attendance from September 10 till the adjournment of the current session.
Jang News reported that the government has attained a two-thirds majority in the Houses of Parliament for the proposed constitutional amendment.
Meanwhile, The News reported that the two major amendments include removing the suo motu powers of the superior judiciary and establishing a constitutional court under the Nawaz-Benazir Charter of Democracy signed in June 2006.
A crackdown has been launched against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) top leadership for allegedly violating the new Public Order law during the September 8 rally at Sangjani.
The capital police registered multiple cases against 25 leaders, resulting in the arrest of prominent PTI figures, including Sher Afzal Marwat, Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, Chief Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, from outside the parliament.
Law enforcement agencies have also conducted raids to arrest Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan.
PTI’s bigwigs Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Naeem Haider Panjotha, Amir Mughal, Khalid Khursheed and Zartaj Gul Wazir are also nominated on the raid list.
The development came after Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) passed sexist and controversial remarks at the Islamabad rally.
However, Chairman PTI barrister Gohar Ali Khan offered a “conditional apology”.
Speaking to Geo News, barrister Khan said that he had not heard Gandapur’s speech but contacted him immediately, upon which CM KP apologised for his recent remarks.
Earlier, the Federal Capital Administration allotted a three-hour time slot from 4 PM to 7 PM for the rally at Sangjani, which was violated by PTI leadership, resulting in a crackdown.
Two student organisations clashed on Monday at Punjab University’s new campus over the welcome banner for the new batch of students.
Geo News reported a quarrel erupted after a student organisation pasted posters over the existing banner welcoming the newcomers.
The Superintendent Police (SP) of Iqbal town stated that a faction of thirty to forty students from both sides started throwing rocks at each other. Meanwhile, the Punjab police intervened and dispersed the students.
The Punjab police have requested the Punjab University’s Chief Security Officers (CSO) to provide the names of the students involved in the clash so that legal action can be taken.
The Punjab University is one of the academic institutes where student unions are still active despite being banned in 1984 during the era of former Dictator General Zia ul Haq.
Former President of Pakistan Arif Alvi has apologised for sharing pictures of a rally held in the past on the internet, assuming the pictures were of the PTI rally held in the Sangjani area near Islamabad on September 8.
Alvi apologised after Punjab Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb pointed out the error.
In an X (formerly Twitter), Alvi wrote, “After fact check, I have deleted two posts, as they were images of the previous occasion. I apologise for the error.”
“Social Media is too big to be bagged or shut down. Only error connections can tame this leviathan,” he added.
PTI held a rally in the Sangjani area on Sunday. Many fake rally images were posted on the internet, and the former President fell victim to one by sharing it on social sites.
Arif Alvi was President of Pakistan from 2018 to 2024.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur gave a hard-hitting, controversial speech at the September 8 party rally, even threatening Defence Minister Khawaja Asif by remarking, “Not even your father can do a military trial of Khan!”
“Those whom you [Khawaja Asif] consider your father, they cannot do it [military trial of Khan] as well. He [Khawaja Asif] says that Gen Faiz contacted us after retirement. Did we get Gen Faiz in dowry or inheritance? He was your father…your general… fix your institutions and generals,” exclaimed the KP CM.
Journalist Muneeb Farooq, speaking on the Geo News programme last night, revealed the military establishment’s perspective on the KP CM’s speech, saying, “Whatever they’ve said in the rally, the military reply is this: whatever is ‘inevitable’, PTI is pushing it at jet speed.”
Farooq also quoted a high-level official regarding the stark difference between Gandapur’s speech at the rally and his soft-spoken attitude during meetings with the military establishment.
“Ali Amin Gandapur may not stay in his post for long for many reasons,” predicted Muneeb Farooq.
Furthermore, Ali Amin Gandapur also vowed that if Imran Khan is not released within two weeks, the party would “set him free” themselves.
He also announced that the next party rally would be conducted in Lahore while inciting violence against CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz, saying, “Tumhara wo haal karenge kay tum Bangladesh bhool jao gay.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Special Assistant for Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has declared that Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur’s controversial speech at Sunday’s Sangjani rally was intended to spread anarchy in the country.
Speaking at the ‘Naya Pakistan’ talk show, Sanaullah dismissed Gandapur’s statements by saying, “It was not a political speech” and advised the political parties to remain within constitutional limits.
“These types of rallies should not be permitted,” Sanaullah stated.
Responding to Gandapur’s remarks about the two-week ultimatum to free founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan from prison, Sanaullah questioned, “In which rally did the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) give an ultimatum?”
Sanaullah challenged Gandapur’s claims to hold a rally in Punjab, saying, “He won’t even cross the Attock bridge for a rally in Lahore; the government will answer in the same language that the CM KP understands.”
On September 8, at a rally in Sangjani, CM KP remarked, citing former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s military trial speculation, “Not even your father can do a military trial of Khan.”
“Tumhara wo haal karenge kay tum Bangladesh bhool jao gay,” Gandapur remarked while challenging CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz that he will hold PTI’s next rally at Lahore.
In an article published in a leading Israeli newspaper, Times of Israel, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was declared as the most suitable person to boost ties between Israel and Pakistan.
The blog was written by Ayunur Bashirova, an Israeli columnist and was published by the Times of Israel. She credited four aspects being instrumental in the normalisation of ties between the two countries: Imran Khan’s public stance, the influence of the Goldsmith family and other elites, the potential for mediation, and lastly a rapidly changing Middle East.
The article cited Khan’s foreign policy during his tenure as Prime Minister and emphasised his personal relations with influential pro-Israel figures, including his former in-laws, the Goldsmith family.
It also pointed out that Imran Khan’s connection to his ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith, and her family, particularly his brother-in-law Zac Goldsmith, plays a significant role in shaping his perspective on Israel.
Zac Goldsmith, a prominent figure in pro-Israel and Jewish circles, is said to have influenced Imran Khan’s views on the matter, making him more open to reconsidering Pakistan’s stance towards Israel.
The blog also claimed there were informal messages conveyed to Israel through the Goldsmith family, stressing a potential of normalising ties between the two countries.
“There have been reports suggesting that Imran Khan sent messages to Israeli officials through the Goldsmith family, signaling a potential willingness to consider normalizing relations between Pakistan and Israel and his willingness to moderate the religious discourse in Pakistan,” the writer argued while suggesting, “If these reports are accurate, they suggest a level of flexibility in Khan’s approach to Israel that goes beyond the traditional Pakistani stance.”
Notably, aligned with the larger Pakistan’s foreign policy stance, Imran Khan has always stated support for the Palestinian cause but the article suggested that Israel should make sure that the former prime minister is free again. “Israel and its allies must do whatever they can to insure that Imran Khan is free again to participate in Pakistani politics and be the voice that channels moderation,” Aynur concluded.
Reactions poured in, as many criticised the columnist for producing a shallow analysis. Journalist Mansoor Ali Khan lambasted the writer and the Pakistani audience for getting so much attention from the PML-N fanbase and local media. “She should be given a prime-time show on TV,” he remarked sarcastically.
A netizen by the name of Riaz Zia-ul-Haq criticised Pakistani TV channels for giving a random blog so much attention as he posted, “A random blogger on Times of Israel writes something rubbish based on anonymous reports and TV channels are being forced to go gaga.”
On the other hand, a user named Ayesha Ijaz Khan, who is a lawyer and columnist, also criticised Khan for not uttering a word in support of Palestine since he is in jail, implying his connection with Goldsmiths.
