Tag: Imran Khan

  • ‘Utterly Disgusting’, Twitter reacts to Anchor Imran Khan’s video justifying Noor Mukadam’s murder

    A video clip of television Anchor Imran Khan is making rounds on social media, in which Imran can be heard drawing parallels between Noor Mukadam’s murder and her lack of telephonic conversation with her father.

    Twitter reacted to the video of Imran Khan victim blaming calling it ‘utterly disgusting’. Have a look at the reactions:

    https://twitter.com/Hebah6291/status/1424959168671272986

    https://twitter.com/spillthechai4/status/1424794056492830723
    https://twitter.com/abdullahsultan/status/1424984419564204042

    Imran reacted to the criticism against him by unapologetically posting a screenshot of Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari’s conversation in a private group, which is a breach of her privacy.

  • ‘The gun is already placed on their head’: Hamid Mir on being banned by Geo

    ‘The gun is already placed on their head’: Hamid Mir on being banned by Geo

    In an interview with Stephen Sackur on BBC HARDtalk, senior journalist Hamid Mir talked about why he was banned on Geo News, press freedom, censorship under Prime Minister Imran Khan, attacks on journalists, and how he is worried for his own safety in Pakistan.

    Disappointment on being off-air

    Stephen Sackur questioned Hamid Mir as to how disappointed he was with his employers [Geo News] and the Jang group who did not stand by him. Sackur also questioned how Mir felt that he had lost his voice and platform as a journalist because he was suspended from his channel.

    Mir said he was certainly disappointed but did understand the circumstances under which the decision was taken place.

    “Mir Shakil ur Rehman was arrested last year and he remained in the detention of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for more than seven months for a three-decade-old case, which was not a very big case. And I think that he was arrested, he was detained, just because of the freedom he was trying to give us. He got bail from the Supreme Court but his name was placed on the Exit Control List. He cannot leave Pakistan. He is already being held at gunpoint. So, my employers, the gun is already at their head. So when they were asked to ban Hamid Mir, they banned me. So I can understand their problem,” replied Mir.

    Imran Khan is a helpless Prime Minister

    The BBC host asked Mir that in the past he had a friendly relationship with PM Imran Khan so did he ever think that PM Imran personally wanted to see him taken off-air.

    Hamid replied, “It’s a very difficult question for me to respond [to], but I will try to very honestly. Imran Khan stood by me in 2007 when I was banned by General Pervez Musharraf, and yes at that time he was the biggest supporter of media freedom in Pakistan. Yes, I provided him a lot of space on my TV shows because he was in the Opposition, and you can say that I was friendly with him when he was in the Opposition. But when he became PM, I started raising questions. I even met him personally, and I asked him that your government should provide more space to the media because you are the biggest beneficiary of media freedom.”

    “One of my interviews with the former president, Asif Ali Zardari, was banned on my show, on my TV channel and some other Opposition leaders were also banned on different TV channels. So we started criticising Imran Khan and so I think he was not happy with my criticism.

    “The second part of your question is very important. I think that Imran Khan is not directly responsible for imposing a ban on me. And I don’t think he wants me to be off-air. But like past prime ministers, he is not a very powerful prime minister and I think he is helpless and he can’t help me,” said Mir.

    Concerned about my personal security

    Sackur questioned Mir if he feared the toxic environment in Pakistan and how concerned was he about his personal safety in the country after two assassination attempts on him. Mir answered, “Yes, I am very concerned about my personal security for a long time. I asked my family to leave Pakistan and my family left, my daughter and wife have already left. I was also approached by some people who suggested I leave Pakistan. But I decided not to leave.”

    Ready to face imprisonment

    The HARDtalk host asked Hamid Mir if he was ready to face imprisonment for the accusations against him, to which Mir responded, ” Yes, and I am ready to face life imprisonment because if they will be able to convict me at least the whole world will come to know what is going on in Pakistan. The whole world is already aware of what is going on in Pakistan because I am a living example of censorship in Pakistan. Everybody knows what happened to Hamid Mir and why he is banned and everybody knows the names of the people which I have not mentioned, everybody knows who was responsible for imposing a ban on me.”

    “The common Pakistanis are very wise, they are very clever. They know each and everything about what’s going on. But you see, there is no rule of law in Pakistan. And we only want justice, we want that the rule of law should be established in Pakistan. And if a journalist is asking questions, don’t try to silence his voice,” added Mir.

    State of media freedom in Pakistan

    Stephen Sackur questioned Mir whether there was a climate of fear in Pakistan when it comes to journalists or journalism.

    “Yes, definitely, there is a climate of fear in Pakistan. A lot of young journalists, they are very disappointed and look at the state of media freedom in Pakistan. When Mr Imran Khan became prime minister in 2018 Pakistan was ranked at 139 on the World Press Freedom Index. Today, in 2021, when I am talking to you, it is 145. So Pakistan lost six points in the last three years,” said Mir.

    He further added, “According to the International Federation of Journalists, Pakistan is one of the five most dangerous countries for journalists in the whole world. This is not good for Pakistan, for its reputation and credibility in the international community. And yes, there is a climate of fear in Pakistan because Pakistani journalists think journalism is becoming very difficult in this country and this government of Imran Khan [is] now planning some more anti-media laws which is not acceptable to us.”

    Rule of law only solution in Pakistan

    Commenting on the grave danger to democracy in Pakistan, Hamid Mir said, “I think that the rule of law is the solution to all of our problems. That’s why we want a general democracy in Pakistan because the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a democrat and I am a follower of his.”

    “And all those people who are trying to snatch media freedom from us are enemies of Pakistan and are enemies of Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” said Mir.

  • Eight PPP leaders summoned to FIA

    Eight PPP leaders summoned to FIA

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued notices to eight members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), including provincial ministers. FIA has summoned them in person, reported Hum News.

    FIA notices have been issued to Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani, Nafisa Shah, Qadir Patel, Shahida Rahmani, Naz Baloch, Shela Raza, and Qadir Khan Mandokhel.

    PPP leader Nafisa Shah said that the PPP members have been summoned after receiving a message from a nominee in a case regarding anti-Chief Justice speech.

    “The members have been notified by the FIA by issuing notices under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA),” stated Nafisa Shah.

    “State machinery is being used to silence PPP spokespersons and leaders. Receiving a message from a person on WhatsApp does not constitute a crime nor does the PECA law apply,” added Nafisa Shah.

    The PPP leader said, “Political leaders receive thousands of messages. If receiving messages is criminalised, the whole world will be in jail.”

    She said that the PPP could not be silenced by such tactics and that the FIA ​​is misusing its powers.

    “Like the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), FIA is being used by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for political engineering,” said Nafisa Shah. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    PM Khan, others pray for Arshad Nadeem’s win at Olympics Javelin Throw finals
    
			
    PM Khan, others pray for Arshad Nadeem’s win at Olympics Javelin Throw finals
    
			
    Prime Minister Imran Khan along with other politicians and notables have prayed for Arshad Nadeem, who will be competing for the finals of the Javelin Throw competition at Tokyo Olympics today.
    

    Taking to Twitter, PM office’s account wrote: “We pray for #ArshadNadeem’s podium finish in the finals of the Men’s Javelins Throw.”
    

    He further added: “With the nation’s prayers and your hard work, victory awaits you, Insha’Allah. Way to go, champ!”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Other people who wished him luck include Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam, journalist Hamid Mir, actor Faysal Quraishi, among others.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    Arshad Nadeem, in a video message, thanked his fans for their prayers.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir: Pakistan highlights Indian oppression in IOK
    
			
    Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir: Pakistan highlights Indian oppression in IOK
    
			
    Pakistan is observing Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir today to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, as August 5 marks two years of Indian Occupied Kashmir’s (IOK) military siege by the Modi regime in India.
    

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a series of tweets, said: “Today marks two years since India’s unilateral and illegal actions of 5 Aug 2019 in IIOJK. In these two years, the world has witnessed unprecedented oppression in IIOJK (Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir) by Indian Occupation forces. It is also witnessing Indian efforts to force demographic change and destroy Kashmiri identity.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    PM Khan further said that the government and the people of Pakistan salute their Kashmiri brothers and sisters for their “sacrifices in their determined & legitimate struggle” for their inalienable rights.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    The Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR), the military’s media wing, quoted Cheif of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa as saying that the “continuation of an inhuman military siege, machinations to bring demographic changes and gross violations of human rights and international laws are perpetuating humanitarian and security crises in IIOJ&K” that imperil regional security.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Speaking to a rally arranged to salute the bravery and courage of Kashmiri brothers and sisters in Islamabad, President Arif Alvi said no Pakistani will rest until occupied Kashmir, under Indian military siege is liberated. 
    

    “Pakistan will liberate occupied Kashmir,” he said. “Let me warn India that Pakistan is a strong nation.”
    

    President Arif Alvi addressing a rally in Islamabad. -Radio Pakistan
    

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan will continue to support oppressed Kashmiris. 
    

    Events have been arranged in order to call out India’s unilateral, illegal actions against the Kashmiri people. Solidarity walks of one mile have been planned in all the main cities, including the federal capital. 
    

     A one-minute silence was observed across the country while traffic was also halted for a minute, and sirens were sounded.
    

    

    Two years ago, on August 5, 2019, the Narendra Modi government revoked the special status of the people of Kasmir. The Indian government rushed through a presidential decree and abolished Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave a measure of autonomy to the Muslim-majority Occupied Kashmir.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Nawaz Sharif was more interested in cricket and by chance became PM’: Imran Khan
    
			
    ‘Nawaz Sharif was more interested in cricket and by chance became PM’: Imran Khan
    
			
    Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing the launching ceremony of Defence Analyst Ikram Sehgal’s book, said, “I was friends with both former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif. Sharif was more interested in cricket and by chance, he became prime minister.”
    

    Speaking about his early days in politics a little over two decades ago, PM Khan said, “I knew them [Benazir and Nawaz] personally and they both offered me party tickets again and again, but I was opposed to their corruption and challenged them,” the premier recalled. 
    

    The premier said he had studied politics in university and therefore understood international politics, but every country has its own culture of politics. “I had no knowledge of Pakistani politics and that is how I began my career in it,” he said.
    

    Taking a jibe at the opposition, PM Khan said that the leaders of Pakistan’s political parties spent their summers abroad and never thought about the country. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘PML-N is not to be blamed for the defeat in 2018’: Abbasi refutes Shehbaz’s claim
    
			
    ‘PML-N is not to be blamed for the defeat in 2018’: Abbasi refutes Shehbaz’s claim
    
			
    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi says that the PML-N is not to be blamed for the defeat in the 2018 general elections. 
    

    He said the PML-N walked into the elections on the basis of its best five-year performance.
    

    Khaqan Abbasi, while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, refuted the claims of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. 
    

    A day prior to Khaqan’s interview, Shehbaz had asserted that Nawaz Sharif would have been elected prime minister for a fourth time if the PML-N leaders had made a strategy based on consensus in the pre-2018 election period.
    

    Khaqan proposed a setting up of a truth commission to dig into what happened in the 2018 elections and the harm it has caused the country.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Shahzeb Khanzada pointed out the ongoing confusion within the PML-N and said that the party presidency is in the hands of Shehbaz Sharif who supports “reconciliation” while the party narrative is being given by Maryam Nawaz who has an aggressive approach towards politics and advocates “resistance”. He further added that with this scenario, it seems likely that Nawaz Sharif has created this confusion. 
    

    Abbasi said politics does not see either resistance or reconciliation. Politics is catered through principles instead. Shehbaz has always supported running the country in accordance with the Constitution, he said.
    

    Shahzeb asked that Shehbaz calls the criticism on the military an emotional statement while the party calls this criticism a policy statement. 
    

    Commenting on Shehbaz’s remarks about criticism of the military leadership by Nawaz, Abbasi said Shehbaz only meant to explain Nawaz’s remarks. He said Shehbaz also mentioned that Imran Khan too had spoken against the army before coming into power, adding that the PML-N supremo did not criticise the army as a whole.
    

    He repeated his demand that a truth commission needs to be set up, saying it is the only way to dispel the confusion. The [former] chiefs of the ISI and army bring facts to light by writing books and giving interviews and the situation leads to more confusion, he added.
    

    The former premier said that there is a single narrative of Nawaz Sharif and the party, adding that Nawaz always wants every institution to function within its constitutional limits and the country to be run as per the Constitution. No compromise is possible on law and the Constitution, Abbasi said.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘He will not be spared, even if he is a US National’: PM Khan on Noor murder case
    
			
    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday, in an interactive session with the general public via phone calls, answered a question about the Noor Mukadam case. He said that he has been overseeing the case since day one and that he will ensure that justice is served.
    

    “I’m looking over the Noor’s case since day one, and I know about all the details”, adding that people say that the [alleged] murderer belongs from a very influential family so maybe he can escape justice. Let me tell you, no matter how powerful the assailant’s family is or whether he is a US national, he will not be spared” he said.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    During the interactive session, the PM also criticised the partial coronavirus lockdown imposed by the Sindh government against the federal government’s wishes, explaining that doing so would break the back of the common man.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Wildfires sweep Turkey, Pakistan extends support
    
			
    Wildfires sweep Turkey, Pakistan extends support
    
			
    Prime Minister Imran Khan and several other politicians have showed solidarity with the Turkish government over the loss of lives in Turkey as wildfires sweep the country.
    

    PM Khan, in his tweet, stated that Pakistan is ready to offer any help at this difficult time. “We stand with the govt & people of Turkey & share in their sorrow at the tragic loss of life in the wildfires tragedy”, he further added. 
    


     
    

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, expressed his grief and said, “We send our prayers & best wishes 2 our Turkish brothers & sisters as firefighters are busy putting down fire.”
    


     
    

    Moreover, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quershi, tagging Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Turkey stated, “Pakistan extends support to the government of Turkey and to our Turkish brothers and sisters over the loss of lives.” 
    


     
    

    In addition to this, PML-N’s MPA Hina Parvez Butt and PTI’s Abdul Aleem Khan have also extended their support. 
    


     
    


     
    

    Support and help are pouring in from throughout the world as planes from Russia and Ukraine helped battle the flames. 
    

    About 70 wildfires have broken out across 17 provinces on the country’s coasts this week resulted in four deaths and the evacuation of thousands, reports Reuters.  
    

    #PrayforTurkey is the top trending hashtag on Twitter in Pakistan today. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘PM Khan’s phone does not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Modi’: Fawad
    
			
    ‘PM Khan’s phone does not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Modi’: Fawad
    
			
    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Jirga’, said, “Two days prior to the story of Pegasus spyware being published, I received a letter from The Guardian revealing that there was a list of phone numbers that had been hacked. Three numbers previously used by Prime Minister Imran Khan were also in the list.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Fawad said that the letter further added that he needed to confirm whether the numbers included in the list belonged to PM Khan or not.
    

    Fawad said that a team was being put together by the government, who would do the forensics to verify whether the premier’s phone was hacked or not. Only then will the government be able to tell if the attempt to hack the phone was successful or not.
    

    “It is confirmed that an attempt to hack the phone was made,” said Fawad.
    

    On being asked by Saleem Safi that if the phone was indeed hacked and the Indians did get the data from the premier’s phone, what implications would it have for the country, Fawad replied, ” PM Khan’s phone did not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His phone does not have any orders of murder in it.”
    

    Fawad condemned how Modi and his government had hacked the phones of Indian journalists, judges, his own government officials, and other world leaders and said that the United Nations must intervene in this regard.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Fawad Chaudhry added that the Foreign Office has taken notice of India’s use of Israeli spyware, Pegasus, to hack Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone and had already said: “We call on the relevant UN bodies to thoroughly investigate the matter, bring the facts to light, and hold the Indian perpetrators to account.”
    

    When questioned about the meeting between Imran Khan and Narendra Modi before he came into power and whether it was discussed with the then government, Fawad responded that PM Khan’s meeting was public and the media was present. Fawad criticised Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib in London and said this was news shared with the Afghan media.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “I won’t call Nawaz Sharif a traitor but it was a very irresponsible act by him,” added Fawad.
    

    Earlier this week, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif was met by Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib and State Minister for Peace Sayed Sadat Naderi.
    

    The National Security Council of Afghanistan (NSCA) gave an update about the meeting on Twitter Saturday, saying that the Afghan state minister for peace and NSA discussed “matters of mutual interest” with the former Pakistan prime minister.
    

    Nawaz Sharif’s meeting faced extreme criticism from the government.