Tag: Agency

  • ‘Name them’: Marriyum challenges Khan to name agencies that briefed him on PPP, PML-N’s corruption

    ‘Name them’: Marriyum challenges Khan to name agencies that briefed him on PPP, PML-N’s corruption

    Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday challenged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to name the agencies and the people working in them who he claimed had briefed him on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) alleged corruption.

    Addressing a news conference today, the minister said, “Who used to give you these reports? Who used to tell you all these things? Name them.”

    The information minister recalled that Khan had earlier said that the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja was done after he was given guarantee of his neutrality.

    “You said the agency had given you guarantees about the CEC […] who had given you the guarantees? What did they say? And why were you receiving guarantees?”

    “Did you ask for those reports? And who from the agencies gave you reports?”

    “Imran Khan sahab, stop this drama and lies. If you have the courage, tell us who from what agency used to give you reports on PPP and PML-N […],” she demanded.

    “You slung mud on other people, and you say the agencies were giving you briefings? Do you have any shame?” she questioned. “You made a joke of such a big country’s democracy. Do you think your sins will be forgiven if you say agencies were giving you briefings? Then take their names.”

    Aurangzeb alleged that after the no-confidence vote, Imran “begged the neutrals to protect him”.

    “But when the institutions played the role of neutrals, which is a line sketched by the Constitution […] you are now, once again, asking them to help you and save your false politics”.

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday, August 18, wondered about the role of the ‘establishment’ in curbing corruption, saying he always thought that ‘establishment’ was against corrupt rulers.

    “Why did you let these corrupt leaders imposed upon the country when you yourself [establishment] would say that they are corrupt,” added Khan.

    He also revealed that agencies had informed him about the corruption scandals of incumbent rulers when he was the prime minister. Imran also reiterated that attempts were being made to disqualify him and bring back Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified for life by the Supreme Court, from London to put both of them in the same position.

  • Kashmir freedom fighter Yasin Malik sentenced to life imprisonment

    Kashmir freedom fighter Yasin Malik sentenced to life imprisonment

    Mohammed Yasin Malik, 54, founder of the organization Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front who was accused and charged with participating in alleged ‘acts of terrorism, illegally raising funds, being a member of a “terrorist organization”, terrorism financing, criminal conspiracy and sedition’, has now been sentenced to life in imprisonment.

    On 19 March, Judge Praveen Singh set May 25 as the date for hearing arguments from both sides and sentencing. She also directed Malik to provide an affidavit regarding his financial assets. JKLF reports that while in court, Malik said, “Terrorism-related charges leveled against me are concocted, fabricated and politically motivated.”

    The case is based on events from the 1990s when Malik and his associates were charged with the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989 and the killing of four Indian Air Force officers in 1990.

    Malik’s wife Mushaal Malik also appeared in a press conference in Islamabad, alongside PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb. She spoke of the severely unjust treatment that the Indian government is subjecting on her husband, absolutely restricting the family from communicating with him and taking away his right to a free and fair trial. She demanded that her husband’s case be tried in the International Court of Justice and requested the United Nations to take action and establish an inquiry into this case.

    On Monday, the Pakistani Senate passed an unanimous resolution condemning the case against Hurriyat leader and expressing solidarity with his family. The resolution was tabled by former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

    Cases against Yasin Malik

    Malik, who has been kept under arrest at New Delhi’s Tihar Jail was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in April 2019, when he was already in jail for violating the Indian Public Safety Act, according to which one can be jailed for an entire year without any trial.

    Malik, along with seven others, is charged with killing four Indian Air Force officers in 1990. However, their counsel has argued that since the group announced a unilateral ceasefire in 1994, the charge is not true.

    Secondly, Malik is accused of abducting the then federal home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter, Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989. Both of these cases have been presented in courts by the NIA under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act [TADA].

    Unfair trial

    Despite there being no cases or new charges against Malik and his group throughout the BJP government, the court is now rushing through to reach sentencing in the trial.

    In his open letter from prison, Malik wrote, “Though I have every legal right to be presented physically before the court, but the judge and the CBI at the behest of government are not allowing me to present myself before the trial court physically. I am being presented through video conference, where neither I am able to hear the arguments of the lawyers nor am I being allowed to speak.”

    Commenting on the speed with which the case is being tried, Malik’s lawyer Tufail Raja told Al Jazeera, “When you reopen a 30-year-old case and pursue it at a fast pace in a bid to hastily produce judgement, you can understand the intentions of this government.” He added “This is a political rather than a judicial move.” 

    The verdict

    Leading up to the announcement of the verdict, people had started coming out on the streets in Kashmir, on either side of the issue – in his support as well as those against him. The court also imposed various fines including a 5,000 INR and a 10,000 INR fine on Yasin Malik, along with two life imprisonment sentences, which will both run simultaneously.

    DG ISPR and wife Mushaal Malik have vehemently condemned this decision on Twitter and held up Kashmir’s right to self determination.