Tag: Imran Khan

  • Supreme Court declares trial of civilians in military courts null and void

    Supreme Court declares trial of civilians in military courts null and void

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday has declared trials of civilians in military courts null and void.

    A five-member bench of the Supreme Court has announced its decision on applications challenging the military trial of civilians involved in the May 9 riots.

    In the short verdict, the court ordered that 102 individuals detained under the Army Act should face trial in civilian courts. It additionally dictated that any trial of a civilian in a military court is considered invalid.

    The apex court’s bench — headed by Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, and comprising of Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik — heard petitions filed by PTI chief Imran Khan and others on Monday.

    The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), Mansoor Usman Awan, completed his arguments and he had focused on jurisdiction of military courts to try civilians under the Army Act.

    The day before, the federal government had notified the top court that military trials of civilians had already begun.

  • 51 per cent people think that Nawaz’s return will help PML-N win next election

    51 per cent people think that Nawaz’s return will help PML-N win next election

    The political fortunes of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) got uplifted after the return of three-time former prime minister and party head Nawaz Sharif, revealed a snap poll conducted by Gallup Pakistan.

    As per a report in The News, a sample of 1000 men and women were selected scientifically from 100 different district across the country.
    The survey included total eight key findings.

    According to the survey, 75 per cent adults of the country said that they have heard about Nawaz Sharif’s return.

    One in three adults said that they have heard the speech of the PML-N supremo, accounting for an audience of 40 million people across Pakistan.

    Thirdly, 80 per cent of the people who heard the speech said that they liked it. On the other hand, 12 per cent said that they didn’t like the speech and eight per cent have mix feelings.

    A total of 50 per cent respondents believed that Nawaz’s comeback to Pakistan would be beneficial for the nation and its people. In contrast, 14 per cent expressed concerns that his return would have a negative impact on Pakistan. Additionally, 18 per cent remained neutral, stating that his return would not affect the lives of the ordinary citizens.

    A key figure of 51 per cent people think that the former prime minister’s return to Pakistan will be helpful for PML-N to win the upcoming general election. On the other hand, 26 per cent people said that Nawaz Sharif’s return will harm PML-N.

    A total of 70 per cent people agreed that Nawaz Sharif should work with other political parties as well, including arch rivals PTI.
    Almost four in 10 respondents believed that Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan was part of a certain deal.

    Lastly, 30 per cent people think that Nawaz Sharif has the ability to take the country out of its current economic situation. Meanwhile, 22 per cent were of the opinion that Imran Khan possessed the capability to alleviate the ongoing crisis in the country.

  • Imran Khan, SMQ indicted in cipher case

    Imran Khan, SMQ indicted in cipher case

    Former Prime Minister and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has been indicted on Monday in a case related to the leaking of secret state documents.

    Along with Khan, his party’s Vice-Chairman and former foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has also been indicted in the case. If proved, the charges carry sentences of up to 14 years imprisonment.

    Imran Khan was arrested in August in a case related to state gifts, however, he and Qureshi are currently jailed in the cipher case.

    Imran Khan’s lawyers told the media outside Adiala jail, where the indictment was read out, that they will contest the indictment.

  • Sheikh Rashid is back after a hard ‘40-day chilla’

    Sheikh Rashid is back after a hard ‘40-day chilla’

    President Awami Muslim League and PTI’s ally Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday made a comeback on TV in an interview with anchorperson Muneeb Farooq. 

    When asked about his long absence and reported arrest, Sheikh Rashid said that he had gone for a “40-day chilla” just like a tableegi mission where he was studying Quran. Sheikh said it was hard but he is thankful to the Almighty that he got this opportunity. Sheikh Rashid said he did not even get a chance to inform his family about it. “No one harmed me, everyone cooperated with me on this chilla,” added Rashid.

    Sheikh Rashid talked about his relations with the armed forces of Pakistan. He attributed his political career to General Akhtar Abdur Rehman. “I will always be proud to call myself a spokesperson of the army.” He said he had even advised Imran Khan to work in close coordination with them. 

    Rashid recalled that when the MQM talked to him during the no-confidence motion, he realised then that “PTI government is over”. However, he did maintain that he was part of the cabinet and was one of the signatories of the National Security Council (NSC) on the cipher. 

    Answering a question regarding Imran’s criticism of the army, Rashid said that he personally believes that nobody should criticise army officers and military institutions like that. Rashid said that he had condemned the May 9 violence but “it was not highlighted much”.

    Rashid reiterated that institutions are imperative for Pakistan and the biggest mistake of the PTI government was to criticise the army and hampering the appointment of Army Chief General Asim Munir. He has deduced from his experience that politicians should not meddle in the affairs of the army — their postings and transfers. Sheikh said that Imran Khan is a “stubborn” politician.

    Sheikh Rashid appeared on TV a day after the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court ordered the police to recover him by October 26. He was allegedly picked up from his residence in Rawalpindi on September 17 according to his lawyer.

  • A timeline of Nawaz Sharif’s fall from power and return to Pakistan

    A timeline of Nawaz Sharif’s fall from power and return to Pakistan

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif got disqualified when the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) announced its decision on July 28, 2017 in the Panama Papers case.

    After that, Nawaz Sharif and three of his children were referred to an accountability court, which was ordered to file corruption cases against Sharif’s family within six weeks.

    In July 2018, the expelled prime minister was imprisoned for 10 years in Avenfield properties corruption case, an assets-beyond-means trial.

    Nawaz’s sentence then got extended to one more year for not cooperating with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the same case.

    His daughter, PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, had initially received a seven-year jail sentence in the same case. However, she was subsequently acquitted in September 2022, along with her husband, (retd) Captain Safdar.

    In Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, the PML-N supremo was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018. Nawaz Sharif was taken to Adiala jail in this case, and then he got shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on the very next day. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in this case.

    The former prime minister was released from jail in March 2019. After that, Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed Nawaz Sharif to go to London for treatment for fast depleting platelets levels, and then he left for London in November 2019.

    When he didn’t come back to Pakistan for almost a year, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared him a fugitive.

    On September 9, 2021, PML-N leader Javed Latif claimed that Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan within the year, but that return didn’t work out.

    Latif, a PML-N MNA, was talking to media after visiting NAB’s Joint Investigation Team for a graft inquiry.

    On November 12, 2022, a PML-N party insider expressed confidence that Sharif will be back in Pakistan next month in December, but that didn’t happen either.

    Once again, on August 15, 2022, Javed Latif claimed that Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan in September, as doctors had allowed him to travel.

    “The doctors change their opinion with time. The people are his doctors; the nation has announced its decision that Nawaz Sharif should come back,” Latif added.

    In June 2023, one of the well-informed sources within PML-N also claimed that Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan next month, in July 2023.

    The former prime minister and PML-N president, Shehbaz Sharif, has confirmed multiple times in the last few months that Nawaz Sharif is coming back on October 21, 2023.

    The PML-N supremo left London for Saudi Arabia on October 11 and performed Umrah there. Nawaz Sharif is currently in Dubai and will land in Pakistan on October 21.

    Meanwhile, the IHC has approved Nawaz Sharif’s plea on Thursday, providing him with bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases until October 24.

  • PTI ko chahiye sirf ‘ballay’ ka nishan

    PTI ko chahiye sirf ‘ballay’ ka nishan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to promptly release a detailed written order regarding the issuance of the party’s election symbol.

    Highlighting the importance of justice and fairness, Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, the party’s counsel, submitted an application on Wednesday to the Commission, emphasizing the necessity of a comprehensive decision in the interest of transparency.

    Senator Zafar underscored that the Election Commission’s earlier notice to the PTI, rejecting the allocation of the cricket bat symbol due to purported intra-party election discrepancies, was a misstep. He contended that the PTI had indeed conducted intra-party elections on June 9, 2022, in accordance with its constitution.

    According to Senator Zafar, the Election Commission’s subsequent decision on August 30, 2023, had validated the PTI’s stance on the legitimacy of the intra-party elections and had signaled the allocation of the bat symbol.

    However, despite the Commission’s initial commitment to issue a detailed decision following the verbal announcement, the order had not been provided even after 41 days.

    “PTI is the largest political party in the country, which is contesting the upcoming elections. Not issuing a detailed decision even after 41 days is a clear violation of fundamental rights, including articles 4, 9, 10A, 15, 16, 17 and 26 of the Constitution,” he said.

    Ali Zafar insisted that according to the Constitution, ECP was bound to hold free, fair, impartial, and transparent elections, while avoiding detailed decisions was a deviation from this constitutional mandate.

    He further added that under the Constitution of Pakistan, the ECP was bound to organize and conduct the election in a manner that was honest, just, fair, and in accordance with the law, but the non-issuance of the detailed written order was contrary to this.

    “The entire world is watching the proceedings of the ECP and the delay in the decision is unnecessarily creating contrary false rumors as if the decision orally announced on Aug 30, 2023, is going to be varied,” he said.

  • Good news for Imran Khan

    Good news for Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, who is currently in Adiala jail, facing Cipher case trial, can finally take a breath of relief.

    The judge of a special court under the Official Secrets Act has granted permission to Imran Khan to speak to his sons over the phone.

    Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, the judge of Islamabad’s official secret court, heard the request to allow a telephonic conversation between the Chairman of PTI and his sons. Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shiraz Ranjha, appeared before the court.

    During the hearing, the judge stated that no information had been received yet regarding the telephone conversation with the Adiala Jail Superintendent. However, the judge added that if any information came to light concerning the telephone conversation in the jail, he would address it accordingly.

    Lawyer Shiraz Ranjha said during the hearing that Imran Khan wants a bicycle for exercise in jail.

    Judge Zulqarnain responded that he had already issued directives to the jail officials for providing a cycle, to which Ranjha said he could provide the cycle today if the court allowed.

    “I do not want the cycle to be misused such that the jail superintendent keeps using the cycle. We also have to keep the jail manual in mind. For us, the security of an under-trial prisoner is important,” the judge said.

    At this, the lawyer offered that the court may appoint a person in whose supervision the cycle could be used.

    After a brief adjournment, the court resumed the hearing, during which Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain mentioned that certain SOPs had been brought to his attention, prohibiting the accused from speaking.

    He further stated that he would look into the matter of telephone conversation according to jail manual regulations.

    However, he requested written authorization for international communication from the jail manual. He stated, “I grant permission for telephonic conversation in your favor.”

    The judge, in a one-page written order, directed the Adiala jail superintendent to ensure that Khan speaks to his sons over the phone.

    The judge also noted that the jail superintendent had “submitted his comments with the respect of SOPs in which there is no doubt that this sought of desired communication through telephone or by other mode in abroad are not warranted, specifically case in hand which is of Official Secret Act Court but the agonies of [the] family cannot [be] kept isolated”.

  • Imran Khan gets ‘more room’ in Adiala Jail

    Imran Khan gets ‘more room’ in Adiala Jail

    The cell of former prime minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has been extended in Adiala Jail.

    According to sources, the jail superintendent, following the orders of Judge Abul Hassanat Zulqarnain, has extended the PTI Chairman’s cell from approximately 35 feet to 60 feet.

    During the hearing, the PTI Chairman also made two more requests for the provision of home-cooked meals and a bicycle for exercise.

    The judge, while conversing with Imran Khan, stated that the responsibility for providing meals in the jail lies with the prison authorities.

    The judge also ordered the jail superintendent to provide a bicycle for exercise under the jail manual.

    Imran Khan and the PTI vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, are facing charges related to the alleged deliberate mishandling of a diplomatic cipher. The special court announced that PTI leaders will be indicted in the cipher case next week.

    Read more: Court postpones indictment of PTI leaders in cipher case

  • Court postpones indictment of PTI leaders in cipher case

    Court postpones indictment of PTI leaders in cipher case

    The indictment of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi occurred on Tuesday in the cipher case. The special court established under the Official Secrets Act postponed the hearing till next week.

    The hearing took place within Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, during which the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) provided the accused PTI leaders with copies of the challan submitted against them.

    The special court judge, Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, postponed the indictment of PTI leaders until next week as the counsel refrained from receiving the copies of the challan in the last hearing.

    The FIA special prosecutor, Shah Khawar, Khan, Qureshi, and their legal teams were all present in the courtroom during the hearing.

    In the last hearing on October 9, the court shared copies of the challan with the accused submitted by the FIA.

    “The accused had refused to receive a copy of the challan at the previous hearing,” the FIA special prosecutor said.

    The PTI chief’s focal person on legal affairs, Umair Niazi, told journalists outside the Adiala Jail that copies of the challan were not given in the last hearing.

  • Approval of Al-Qadir UNIVERSITY was done in a hidden manner, even we weren’t aware that Khan took watches from Toshakhana: Farrukh Habib

    Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and ex-federal minister Farrukh Habib announced his departure from the party on Monday, pledging allegiance to the Jahangir Tareen-led Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) during a press conference held at the IPP’s head office in Lahore.

    In a significant blow to the PTI, Habib condemned the May 9 riots, attributing the responsibility for the turmoil to former prime minister and Chairman of PTI, Imran Khan. He criticized Imran Khan’s handling of the political situation, alleging that the former premier fueled violence and instigated a confrontation against state institutions.

    Habib said PTI’s “war” with the state institutions was “not a war between believers and non-believers,” lamenting that the ex-premier brought the country to the verge of violence.

    The IPP was formed on June 8 by estranged PTI leaders Tareen and Aleem Khan, who left the ex-PM’s party after severe disagreements, while several Imran loyalists have also joined hands with them.

    “I wasn’t at my house for the past five months […] and for the last few weeks, I wasn’t even in contact with my family,” Habib told journalists.

    “Since May 9, we did not face the law and were away from our houses. For the past five months, I was constantly pondering whether I joined politics for this reason,” he said.

    During the press conference, Farrukh Habib highlighted a series of grievances with the PTI’s leadership, citing instances where he felt the party had deviated from its ethical and moral compass. He criticized the PTI chief for allegedly accepting gifts from the Toshakhana despite previously condemning similar actions by other political leaders.

    “I realised that we took our real struggle to the path of violence. We stepped away from Pakistan which was envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam,” he said.

    Habib recalled that the PTI government was ousted via a vote of no-confidence constitutionally, but regretted that the party did not wait peacefully after that. Expressing his perspective, he said the PTI should have opted for a “democratic struggle” and waited for elections.

    “But you opted for violent resistance. We have faced beatings as youth leaders but we never opted for a violent approach. We used to work so dedicatedly for our vision,” Habib said. “But if you look at that struggle and compare it with the post-May 9 violence, you will see a difference.

    “There were messages for people to take to the streets and their minds were hijacked. Their sentiments were provoked that Pakistan’s institutions are working against them,” he claimed.

    Habib stated that “a message of hatred” was run on television all the time and a “bullet approach instead of ballot approach” was taken.

    Habib’s decision to join the IPP follows a series of similar defections from the PTI in recent weeks, suggesting internal upheavals within the party ranks. The former minister’s remarks resonated with similar sentiments expressed by other estranged PTI members who have found a common cause in the IPP.