Tag: Imran Khan

  • ‘PTI will consider participation in APC if we receive official invitation from PM’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘PTI will consider participation in APC if we receive official invitation from PM’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said on Twitter that if Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif sends an official invitation for the All-Parties Conference (APC) set to take place on February 7 in Islamabad, then his party will consider attending.

    Fawad tweeted, “Shehbaz Sharif came in media and invited PTI for the All-Parties Conference. But Tehreek-e-Insaf has yet not received any invitation in this regard. If we receive an official invitation, we will consider participation.”

    Khan rejects PM Shehbaz’s invitation to APC

    PTI Secretary General Asad Umar has confirmed on Friday, February 4, that party Chairman Imran Khan will skip the federal government’s APC.

    PM Shehbaz Sharif invited the former prime minister and his party at an apex committee meeting in Peshawar.

    Umar, while speaking to the press outside the Lahore High Court, said: “How can we sit with them [PDM-led government] while cases are being registered against us?”

    Stating that the constitution is being violated by registering cases of treason against opponents and all the government resources are devoted to arrests and detentions, he said to the members of the press.

    Earlier today, during the apex committee meeting in Peshawar, Shehbaz Sharif, without naming Khan, said: “I have also invited the person who does not want to even shake hands with me,” stressing that all parties are invited to APC and Apex committee meetings. ‘I hope that it will not be rejected,” said the Premier.

    “We need to fight the menace of terrorism by setting our differences aside and moving forward,” said the PM.

    Recalling his time as opposition leader in the National Assembly, the premier said: “Whenever he [Imran Khan] wrote a letter to me, he never wrote my name on it, however, I always responded with my name and my signature on the letter.”

  • ‘It works two ways’: Khan again victim blames Journalist Gharidah for getting harassed

    ‘It works two ways’: Khan again victim blames Journalist Gharidah for getting harassed

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan yet again victim blamed journalist Gharidah Farooqi for being harassed at a rally where she had gone to cover the event.

    In an interview with Isaac Chotiner of The New Yorker, Khan was asked if his comment about Farooqi was taken out of context.

    The former Prime Minister responded: “No. No. No. It wasn’t out of context. Look, in our society, we were . . . it was just in one particular rally where they were all men, and she was right in the middle of this male crowd. It’s just that . . . I mean, anyone who knows Pakistani society, or most sorts of societies like India or Pakistan—if you put yourself in that position, you are going to be vulnerable.”

    “It’s just common sense. Yes, the men are to be blamed if they do anything. But also it works two ways, you should all . . . in our society, normally, people would avoid putting themselves in that position. It’s as simple as that,” added Khan.

    “We have brilliant women journalists in this country. They are doing a great job. But they don’t have to put themselves in positions—and let me just say, it was a specific situation I was talking about, because we actually tried to get her out of the situation,” said Khan.

    Chotiner probed Imran further, stating that there seems to be a certain universalism in Khan’s thinking about democratic government, but, when he speaks about cultural or social issues, about girls’ education or how women respond to being mistreated by men, there’s not so much universalism.

    Khan replied, “I’m appalled. I just feel that sometimes the Western press picks up selective things. How can anyone blame women for rape? Tell me, how can any sensible person ever make such a stupid comment? Look, the rapist is always to be blamed. Always. Simple. Full stop. I was looking at the crime charts, and the crime charts reported to me by the police officers showed that sex crimes were going through the roof in my country. So we got to the bottom of it. Why is this happening?”

    “In the case of a woman getting raped, she’s marked for life. But even worse is when children get abused; that stays with them for the rest of their life. The ideas that came forward were, one, that we must bring down the level of temptation in our society, because you have a lot of frustrated people. Now, this is coming from civil society. And secondly, how do we educate children in schools to stop this child abuse?”

    Khan, in October last year, passed sexist comments about journalist Gharidah Farooqi, saying: “Woh mardon mei ghussay gi toh aisa hi hoga” (If she will enter into men’s sphere, then this is what will happen).

    During a meeting with the delegation of the National Press Club and the Rawalpindi/Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), Khan said that “Farooqi goes into the crowd and then complains that she is being harassed”.

    He also said that he will ask his party workers to act appropriately.

  • ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’: Khan asks workers and supporters to prepare for new movement

    ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’: Khan asks workers and supporters to prepare for new movement

    Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has on Saturday asked his workers and supporters to prepare for “Jail Bharo Tehreek” (Movement to Fill Jails) across the country.

    In a televised address, the former Prime Minister announced the movement as the next step to be taken by the PTI in light of the prevailing political situation that has seen several of its top leaders and allies spend time behind bars.

    “We have two options: Considering what they have been doing, we could have gone for a wheel-jam strike and demonstrations — which is one option and a democratic one.”

    However, Imran Khan said that because the state of the economy will worsen with a strike, “I ask all my workers, the Pakistani nation and everyone to prepare for the Jail Bharo Tehreek.”

    This way, he said, the federal government’s “new hobby” of putting every senior PTI leader in jail will also be fulfilled.

    “The entire party and the people should prepare for the Jail Bharo Tehreek”, Imran said. “Whenever I give the signal, we all will get out and get arrested by the authorities.”

    Khan claimed his party never committed such atrocities in its tenure as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government in the centre has.

    “Fawad Chaudhry was picked up from home at 3am. What did Shandana Gulzar do that made her a terrorist? As the court gives bail to Sheikh Rasheed, more cases are being filed against him,” the PTI chairman said, insisting that action has been taken against every person who called out the regime change.

    The former prime minister said human rights violations have continued since the “imported government” arrived.

    “No example can be found for the way Shehbaz Gill was tortured. The effects of the torture are still there,” Khan said.

    Speaking about the attempted assassination attack that left him injured, the PTI chairman said he couldn’t get the FIR of his choice registered despite being a former prime minister. However, he said, 60 FIRs were filed against him.

    Imran pinned the responsibility of rising terrorism on incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as he recalled the sacrifices made by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the war on terror.

    “Look at the graph of terrorism and how it came down during the PTI government,” he said. “Why wasn’t there any terrorism when PTI was in the federal government?”

    “This is why they (KP public) came out yesterday and thronged the streets in fear that there might be another operation,” he said, adding that countless innocent lives are lost during anti-terror operations.

  • ‘Iss ladlay ko bachaya ja raha tha’: Rana Sanaullah claims that Bajwa and Faiz facilitated Khan until November 28

    ‘Iss ladlay ko bachaya ja raha tha’: Rana Sanaullah claims that Bajwa and Faiz facilitated Khan until November 28

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has claimed that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed facilitated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan until November 28, a day before Bajwa retired and passed over the command of the army to General Asim Munir.

    Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’ on Friday, Sanaullah said, “Iss ladlay ko bachaya ja raha tha” (They were protecting their favourite).

    Declaring that Khan has “gone crazy” after being denied the facilitation which he was previously being provided, “to bring him to the streets”. Backed by this facilitation he wanted to launch a long march and seize Islamabad, Rana Sanaullah said.

    Moreover, he claimed that Imran Khan’s long march was all about the appointment of the new army chief.

    The minister also denied that General Bajwa was going to retire in November. “The date came and he had to retire,” Sanaullah disclosed, hinting that the ex-COAS wanted to continue in his post.

    On February 2, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz claimed that her party’s actual rule commenced after November 28 as before this date, the PTI chief’s patrons were still holding powerful positions.

  • Khan will not contest in upcoming National Assembly by-polls

    Khan will not contest in upcoming National Assembly by-polls

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided not to contest on National Assembly (NA) vacant seats, multiple media outlets have reported.

    According to Geo News, former Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the PTI will participate in the upcoming national assembly by-elections. Khan has reportedly directed them to submit their nomination papers and start election campaigns in their constituencies.

    A day earlier, Khan also withdrew his nomination papers from National Assembly Constituency NA-193.

    It is pertinent to mention that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that by-elections for 33 vacant seats will be held on March 16.

    PTI leaders had announced that their party chief will contest on 33 seats out of 35 seats, leaving aside the two women’s reserved seats.

    On Thursday, it was reported that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will also participate in the upcoming by-polls with the party completing the process of finalising its candidates.

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  • Khan asks court to dismiss Tyrian White case

    Khan asks court to dismiss Tyrian White case

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday submitted a reply to Islamabad High Court (IHC) in reply to a disqualification petition filed against him for not disclosing details about his daughter Tyrian Jade White in his nomination papers.

    In the reply, Khan requested the court to dismiss the petition, arguing that he is not a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) anymore, therefore such a petition is “not maintainable and may not be proceeded”.

    Moreover, he said that the IHC could not examine the “veracity or otherwise of any declaration or affidavit issued” in the exercise of its constitutional jurisdiction, especially with respect to a person who had ceased to hold public office.

    Last year, Sajid Mehmood filed a petition in the IHC claiming that although Imran made arrangements for Tyrian White in the United Kingdom (UK), he did not disclose information about her in his nomination papers or in affidavits filed by him, a pretext necessary for contesting elections in the country.

    Tyrian, born in 1992 to the late American heiress Sita White, is alleged to be Khan’s biological child. Her mother passed away in 2004 when Tyrian was 12 years old.

  • Imran Khan to live in special bulletproof rooms in Bani Gala

    Imran Khan to live in special bulletproof rooms in Bani Gala

    Amid security threats, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided to shift to his home in Bani Gala, Islamabad.

    The former Prime Minister (PM) is currently living in his family home in Zaman Park in Lahore.

    Preparations are being made to increase the security of his Bani Gala residence so that Khan can stay there.

    Two special bulletproof rooms have been set up for the PTI chief, with bullet-resistant glass being fitted in the windows. It has also been decided that his private security will be increased.

    Imran Khan has been living in Lahore since November of last year, when an assassination attempt injured the former Premier.

    Imran Khan’s convoy was attacked on November 3 while passing through Wazirabad. The PTI chief was leading a protest march toward Islamabad at the time. He suffered bullet injuries on his legs and received treatment at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital.

    PTI has claimed several times that Khan’s life is at stake. On January 27, Khan alleged that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari is plotting and financing an assassination attempt for which Zardari had hired terrorists.

    PPP denied the accusations, with the party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari slamming the allegations against his father. The party even sent a legal notice to Imran Khan, stating that it will sue him unless he apologises within 14 days.

  • Peshawar attack: Death toll reaches 100

    Peshawar attack: Death toll reaches 100

    The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took responsibility for Monday’s suicide bombing that claimed 100 lives and left more than 200 people injured, reports Geo News. However, now TTP claimed that it had nothing to do with the bombing.

    The bomb blast ripped through a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines area around 1:40 pm, right as people lined up to offer zuhr prayers. It has been reported that the suicide bomber was standing in the first row at the mosque when he exploded the bomb.

    According to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan, a number of people are still stuck under the rubble after the roof collapsed. He also said between 300 to 400 police officials were present in the area at the time of the blast.

    Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while talking to Geo News, revealed that the roof fell due to the intensity of the blast, adding that the hospitals have been overwhelmed.

    He said that even though they receive threats, people cannot be stopped from entering a mosque.

    Condemnations by the politicians

    After the attack made waves across the country, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif condemned the brutal suicide blast. He said that the brutal murder of Muslims went against everything that was taught by Islam.

    Shehbaz added that they will form a policy to more effectively counter rising terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the “terrorist suicide attack” and expressed sympathies with the families of the victims.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, condemning the incident, said that strict action will be taken against the terrorists, their backers and facilitators.

    Meanwhile, Caretaker Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Muhammad Azam Khan imposed a medical emergency in all hospitals of Peshawar. The interim CM also instructed rescue organisations to speed up relief activities.

  • ECP declares Shujaat PML-Q president

    ECP declares Shujaat PML-Q president

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has restored Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) setting aside his removal as the head of the party by his cousin, former Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

    The commission also stated that the PML-Q’s Central Working Committee’s (CWC) decision to remove Shujaat as party chief was illegal, declaring it null and void.

    On January 16, PML-Q’s CWC removed Shujaat as the party chief. His brother, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain was given the command of the PML-Q.

    The step was taken by the committee after Shujaat had suspended the basic membership of the-then CM Elahi — for his statement about a possible merger with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    After the ouster of PTI’s chief Imran Khan from power, rifts within PML-Q widened as the party got divided into two camps over the issue of joining hands with the PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)

    Elahi, his son Moonis Elahi and the majority of party leaders sided with the PTI while Chaudhry Shujaat, Salik Hussain and Tariq Bashir Cheema supported the PML-N.

  • ‘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.”