Tag: assassination

  • Pakistani man with strong ties to Iran charged in US with attempt to carry out assassinations

    Pakistani man with strong ties to Iran charged in US with attempt to carry out assassinations

    A United States Federal court in Brooklyn has charged a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran, Asif Merchant, also known as “Asif Raza Merchant,” 46, with murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on U.S. soil, including potentially former President Donald Trump.

    Asif travelled to New York in June to meet with people he thought he was recruiting for carrying out assassinations, including paying $5,000 advance to two men, who turned out to be undercover law enforcement officers, Associated Press reported.

    He was arrested in July after he told his would-be assassins that they would get further instruction, including the targets’ identities, in August or September after he returned to Pakistan.

    “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s charges allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

    The Associated Press also reported that Asif also indicated to his associate that he wanted a “political person” to be killed, mapping out on a napkin the different strategies on how the target could be killed.

    Journalist Iftikhar Firdous posted on X, “His case file on the U.S. Justice Department’s website shows that he has a wife and children both in Iran and Pakistan while he has been consistently travelling to Iran, Syria and Iraq. This would be the second incident this year where Pakistani nationals with ties to Iranian militias in the Middle East have been arrested by the FBI.”

  • Trump shot at in assassination attempt

    Trump shot at in assassination attempt

    US President hopeful Donald Trump says he has been shot in the ear at a political rally, saying he heard a “whizzing sound” and feeling a “bullet ripping through skin”

    At the scene, a male attacker was shot and killed by a member of the Secret Service after the apparent assassination attempt on Trump at the event in Pennsylvania.

    The attacker also killed one and critically injured two others at the rally.

    A witness told BBC they saw a man with a rifle crawling on a nearby roof before the shots rang out.

    Trump is safe, but many are saying the attempt on his life will help seal his win in the presidential race against Joe Biden.

  • Benazir Bhutto left us 16 years ago today

    Benazir Bhutto left us 16 years ago today

    It has been 16 years since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a brutal suicide attack on December 27, 2007.

    Bhutto, daughter of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was born in Karachi in 1953. Her political career started after the judicial murder of her father. Benazir formally stepped into practical politics by establishing the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD). In consequence, she was held in the jail in solitary confinement.

    Post Zia-ul-Haq’s death, Bhutto came back from exile, campaigned for the elections, and became the first female Prime Minister of the Muslim world on December 2, 1988. At 35, she was also the youngest elected Prime Minister in the world. She became Premier for the second time in 1993 and remained in exile during the military regime of Parvez Musharraf.

    In her book “Reconciliation” she wrote, “I suffered the punishment of my father’s arrest, imprisonment, and murder, and I knew that such wounds of the soul never heal. I was ready to do anything to spare my children from the pain I endured at my father’s death. However, this was the only thing I could not do.”

    Upon her arrival back in Pakistan in October 2007, she survived a suicide attack that took the lives of hundreds of supporters but Bibi remained unfazed and went on with her campaign. In every meeting, she used to declare, “I have risked my life for democracy in Pakistan.”

    She became the first high-profile victim of terrorism. The plague of terrorism is rampant again and the controversy around her death stands out as one of the leading factors behind the deficit of trust between the masses and the leaders.

    “With the country facing what is perhaps the most difficult and testing time in its history, the loss of Benazir Bhutto is felt more than ever. The long shadow of despotism is hanging over the country yet again…She had the intellectual capacity to engage with even her strongest critics, a quality rarely found in our political leaders. Her loss is more than that of a political leader. She came to symbolise the unity of an uneasy federation. Her death exacerbated political divisions and polarisation,” senior journalist and author Zahid Hussain sheds light on the contribution of the iconic leader.

  • ‘Stop making false allegations’: ISPR warns Imran Khan

    ‘Stop making false allegations’: ISPR warns Imran Khan

    The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has termed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s allegations against General Faisal Naseer “highly irresponsible”.

    Strongly condemning his allegations, the media wing of the army said that the accusations are baseless and noted that, “This has been a consistent pattern for last one year wherein military and intelligence agencies officials are targeted”.

    Moreover, ISPR warned Khan to “stop making false allegations” because the “institution reserves the right to take legal course of action against patently false and malafide statements and propaganda.”

    Zardari, Shehbaz defend General Faisal also known as Khan’s ‘Dirty Harry’ after Khan’s allegations

    Earlier, prominent politicians including Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari strongly denounced the accusations made by Khan against General Faisal Naseer.

    In a tweet, Shehbaz condemned the accusations, writing that, “Khan’s leveling of allegations without any proof against Gen Faisal Naseer and officers of our Intelligence Agency cannot be allowed and will not be tolerated.”

    Replying to Shehbaz, Imran Khan asked whether he has a right as a citizen “to nominate those who he feels are responsible for assassination attacks.”

    Former President Zardari also slammed Khan, saying that the allegations against General Faisal are actually an attack on the institution with which the whole of Pakistan stands.

    “A person is fooling his innocent workers with lies and deceit, I see the downfall of this person”, Zardari added.

    Punjab Interim Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi also came to rescue General Faisal, stating that, “We will not allow anyone to humiliate or threaten our institutions and Intelligence agencies in Punjab.”

    Earlier, Khan made serious allegations that the general plotted his assassination. Khan alleged that he is behind journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder and Swati’s custodial torture.

  • Japan in shock after Prime Minister attacked in daylight

    Japan in shock after Prime Minister attacked in daylight

    Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Fumio Kishida is unharmed after being attacked by a smoke bomb on Saturday while he was campaigning for a ruling party candidate, leaving the country in shock.

    A video of the attack showing white smoke rising after a blast right before the Prime Minister was about to speak, is doing the rounds on social media.

    A witness said that he saw an object flying through the air and it gave him a “bad feeling, so he ran away unbelievably fast”.

    After the attack, the prime minister resumed campaigning.

    The incident comes just nine months after former PM Shinzo Abe was assassinated last year while campaigning for a parliamentary election.

    The latest attack also comes as Japan is set to host the 49th G7 summit from May 19-May 21 in Hiroshima.

  • ‘Unconditional apology on TV, print and social media’: PPP sends Rs10 bn legal notice to Khan

    ‘Unconditional apology on TV, print and social media’: PPP sends Rs10 bn legal notice to Khan

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has sent a legal notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for levelling “baseless allegations” against former President Asif Ali Zardari.

    “You are…. called upon to render unconditional apology from our client, on television, print and social media, within 14 (fourteen) days from the receipt of this notice, failing whereof, our client shall be constrained to institute appropriate legal proceedings against you, civil as well as criminal, before the competent courts of law and forums of Pakistan as well as of England, including but not limited to Suit for Damages for Rs.10,000,000,000/- (Rupees ten billion Only) at your risk as to cost and consequences,” said the notice.

    The notice contends that the PTI chief through his “baseless accusations” tried to create a link between Zardari and terrorist organisations “blindly disregarding the fact that our client and his party has remained the victim of terrorism”.

    The notice also reads that the PTI chief through his “defamatory actions” caused “severe agony, mental stress and loss of reputation” to the PPP co-chairperson.

    Imran Khan had alleged on Friday, January 27, in a televised speech, that Zardari was plotting and financing an assassination attempt for which the ex-president had hired terrorists.

    Khan had claimed that four people orchestrated a plan “behind closed doors” to assassinate him.

    “I got to know about it and then I recorded a video explaining the attack. In a public rally, I announced that I would release the video if something happened to me. They stepped back after this,” said Khan.

    Without naming anyone again, Khan said that another plan was made to have me killed by a religious extremist — hinting towards the November 3, 2022, Wazirabad attack, where he was shot in the legs and is still recovering from his injuries.

    “Now, there’s a Plan C. Asif Zardari is behind it. He has amassed a lot of money through corruption, invested that money with terrorists and hired a militant organisation.”

  • Imran Khan alleges that Gen Bajwa planned to murder him: report

    Imran Khan alleges that Gen Bajwa planned to murder him: report

    Former Prime Minister and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has alleged that ex- army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had planned to have him murdered and impose a state of emergency in the country, reports Dawn, referring to an interaction Khan had with Bol News team in Lahore.

    According to the news report, Bol News Lahore bureau chief Syed Khawar Abbas said that he would make “more revelations” during his press conference on Thursday (today) regarding the attempt on his life in Wazirabad, November 3, last year.

    The PTI chairman further said he could not cover up “the crimes that Gen Bajwa had committed” and added that he was being told by many to stop levelling allegations against the former army chief as he has retired.

    Earlier, Khan, claimed that Gen Bajwa was very close to current Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    “There was information that General Bajwa was in contact with Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif. The plan was to bring Shehbaz Sharif [into power] and remove me,” said Khan in an interview with GNN.

    General Bajwa retired as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in November, last year, handing over the command of the country’s military to General Asim Munir.

    Since his retirement, Bajwa has been the target of criticism by Imran Khan, who has levelled serious allegations against the former COAS. General Bajwa has yet to respond to the allegations officially.

  • University in Ireland announces award named after journalist Arshad Sharif

    University in Ireland announces award named after journalist Arshad Sharif

    Ulster University in Ireland has announced the launch of an award named after the slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, who was assassinated in Kenya on 23rd October.
    Dr Colm Murphy penned a letter to the late journalist’s wife, Somiya Arshad, and requested her permission for the “Best Investigative Journalist Award” to be named after Arshad Sharif.
    The letter had explained that the Arshad Sharif award would be given to students for the best articles produced each year. In doing so, this award will honor Sharif’s legacy to fight for the truth and become a beacon of hope for the next generation’s journalists.
    Dr Murphy further expressed his condolences to Sharif’s family for their loss, and also noted that Arshad was an important alumni of the university, since he had graduated 17 years ago after completing his MA in Media Studies from the University.

  • ‘PM Shehbaz visiting Khan is under discussion’: Rana Sanaullah

    ‘PM Shehbaz visiting Khan is under discussion’: Rana Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has once again strongly condemned the assassination attempt on former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan which took place on November 3 in Wazirabad during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march.

    In a press conference, the minister called the incident an act of “religious extremism”. However, he was of the view that “PTI’s attitude towards the incident is also regrettable and condemnable.”

    He revealed that so far four deaths have been reported due to the unfortunate incident, adding that PM Shehbaz Sharif has announced compensation for the people who have lost their lives.

    He said that the federal government has asked the Punjab government to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

    He, further said that “we consider Khan a political opponent and not an enemy, but he [Khan] considers us his enemies.”

    About the accusations made by the PTI chief, implicating Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah himself and Major General Faisal Naseer of plotting the assassination attempt, the Interior Minister said that it is “very saddening” that Khan has named people without any investigation or proof.

    Talking about the alleged confession video of the shooter, the minister said that the allegations levelled by him are extremely alarming.

    The minister also hinted at the possibility of PM Shehbaz visiting Imran Khan to inquire about his health.

    “If the environment gets better, PM Shehbaz might visit Khan but right now we have been blamed. So the discussion is under consideration, PM Shehbaz will decide this matter,” he stated.

  • ‘People behind my assassination plot will claim that a religious fanatic has killed me’: Khan

    ‘People behind my assassination plot will claim that a religious fanatic has killed me’: Khan

    Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has said that a tape containing the names of four people who are planning to assassinate him, will be released if anything happens to him.

    “The tape, which includes the names of four people, will be released if something happens to me,” said the former prime minister while addressing a jalsa in Mianwali.

    Without providing the names of the four persons, Khan said at today’s rally that if he were to be assassinated, then the people behind the plot will claim that a “religious fanatic has killed me”.

    “The people making plans against me will fail,” the PTI chairman, who has been at loggerheads with the incumbent government and plans to hold a long march seeking to oust the rulers from office, stressed.

    This is not the first time that the PTI chairman has claimed that his life is under threat, as after his ouster from the Prime Minister’s Office, Khan and his party’s leaders have time and again stated that plans were being hatched to assassinate him.