Tag: PTI

  • ‘New Tosha Khana case over after SC restores NAB amendments,’ says Imran Khan

    ‘New Tosha Khana case over after SC restores NAB amendments,’ says Imran Khan

    Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has said that the new Tosha Khana case is over now, after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments was released.

    Speaking to journalists at Adiala jail, the former Prime Minister said that he should be joyful, hinting at the closure of the Al Qadir trust case, too.

    “Public representatives did corruption, then passed laws to finish their cases,” he remarked.

    He said that some people are plotting against incumbent Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur, and Khan advised his party not to undermine Gandapur: “Those who are plotting against CM KP shouldn’t complain if they don’t get a party ticket later,” Khan said.

    Commenting on the August 5 Director General (DG) Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) press conference, Khan said that if the army announces its apolitical stance, it is good for the country.

    He further stated that former Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa should also be sue along with former spymaster General Faiz Hameed in military court.

  • Supreme Court upholds NAB amendments, rejects Imran Khan’s appeal

    Supreme Court upholds NAB amendments, rejects Imran Khan’s appeal

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday approved the intra-court appeal, upholding amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO).

    A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa announced the 5-0 majority verdict and remarked that respondent former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and other parties failed to prove NAO amendments unconstitutional.

    The apex court noted that the CJP and other judges “cannot be the gatekeepers of the parliament.”

    A larger apex court bench stressed, “whenever possible, the Supreme Court should strive to maintain legislation” enacted by the parliament.

    In 2022, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) led government made several amendments to NAO’s laws, including limiting the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) jurisdiction to investigate over Rs 500 million cases and restricting the tenure of the NAB chairman to three years.

    Imran Khan then moved the apex court, calling the amendments “legitimise corruption.”

    In September 2023, a Supreme Court bench led by the then CJP Umar Ata Bandial, ruled 2-1 to restore corruption cases, declaring Khan’s plea legitimate, which the provincials and federal government challenged.

  • ‘Militants will be dealt with an iron hand,’ DG ISPR

    ‘Militants will be dealt with an iron hand,’ DG ISPR

    Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry has said that militants will be dealt with an iron hand.

    During a press conference at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the DG said, “There is no area where terrorists are active,” ruling out the presence of a no-go area in the country.

    He further said that factions that attempts to create a rift between Pakistan and Afghanistan, two brotherly nations, are “living in an imaginary world.”

    Commenting on former spymaster General Faiz Hameed’s military trial, Chaudhry remarked that if an individual from the Pakistan Army “works for personal gain or promotes a specific agenda,” the law will take its course.

    He clarified that no one is exempt from the law, and action will be taken against anyone who does not abide law.

    “Pakistan Army is neither against nor in favour of any political party,” he added.

    Speaking about security operations nationwide, Chaudhry claimed that security forces and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) carried out 32,173 Intelligence-Based Operations (IBOs) against terrorists in the first eight months of the ongoing year.

  • Imran Khan lambasts Pakistan cricket team

    Imran Khan lambasts Pakistan cricket team

    Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has called Bangladesh’s whitewash of Pakistan cricket team the worst defeat and questioned the factors that destroyed national cricket within three years.

    Speaking to journalists at Adiala jail, Khan remarked, “Cricket is a technical game. The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should be a professional in cricket; Ramiz Raja, former Chairman of PCB, was not my relative but a non-amateur.”

    He explained that the Supreme Court of Pakistan is the last institution representing the country’s integrity; any effort to destroy the apex court will be turned into a nationwide protest movement.

    Talking about the military, he added, “The institution belongs to everyone, not just the army chief.”

    He pointed out that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, incumbent Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, and President Asif Ali Zardari’s high-profile cases are frozen due to the pending Nationals Accountability Bureau (NAB) ruling.

  • Nawaz Sharif seeks unconditional dialogue with PTI, says Rana Sanaullah

    Nawaz Sharif seeks unconditional dialogue with PTI, says Rana Sanaullah

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Advisor on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif wants unconditional dialogue with all parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had denied reports of receiving direction from former PM Nawaz Sharif to initiate talks with all parties, along with PTI.

    According to Associated Press Pakistan (APP), Sanaullah stated on a local news channel, “We have also maintained the same stance before the PTI lawmakers in the National Assembly.”

    Emphasizing that Shehbaz shook hands with everyone two weeks ago, offering unconditional talks, Sanaullah advised the PTI to reverse its “stubborn attitude” to make talks productive.

    Responding to Chief Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s negotiation offer, Sanaullah said that PML-N believes in democracy and negotiation to curb political issues.

  • Bill tabled in Senate to increase number of Supreme Court judges to 21

    Bill tabled in Senate to increase number of Supreme Court judges to 21

    Senator Muhammad Abdul Qadir has introduced the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill in the Senate, proposing to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 21.

    Lawmaker Qadir explained that the purpose of the amendment is to ensure quicker justice and to address the fifty-three thousand pending cases in the apex court. He emphasized that the amendment would significantly improve the judicial system’s efficiency.

    He also noted that billions of rupees in cases have remained unresolved due to the shortage of judges in the superior court and the lack of available time.

    The opposition, however, expressed concerns over the proposed amendment, arguing that it would favour the incumbent government and called it a “judiciary coup.”

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar advised the government to focus on reforming the lower judiciary rather than increasing the number of judges in the apex court.

    Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said, “Massive reforms are being introduced in the criminal procedure code, from registration of FIR to manner of arrest and discharge, and timelines in the material and sessions trial to the use of the modern device in the law of evidence,”

  • ‘Boot ko izzat ko’; Imran lashes out at Nawaz

    ‘Boot ko izzat ko’; Imran lashes out at Nawaz

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has lashed out at ruling party Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif, stating that [he took] the fastest U-turn, turning the slogan “vote ko izzat do” into “boot ko izzat do”.

    Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Khan repeated what he had said to journalists in Adiala jail earlier in the day.

    He wrote that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif had taken so many U-turns on his narrative that it could break the Guineas Book World Record.

    The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) told journalists that federal ministers start ranting whenever PTI hints at dialogue over the May 9 event, stressing that he is always open to dialogue, even with the incumbent government.

    Talking about the September 8 rally at Islamabad, Khan stated, “We want the return of our stolen mandate, getting rid of the ‘qabza group’ and independence of the judiciary.”

    “It will be an honour for Pakistan to have an Oxford University chancellor; if I doesn’t make it, it doesn’t matter,” he concluded.

  • ‘CJP Qazi Faez Isa has rejected extension,’ claims Rana Sanaullah

    ‘CJP Qazi Faez Isa has rejected extension,’ claims Rana Sanaullah

    Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, claimed in an interview with ARY News that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has rejected any possibility of an extension to his tenure.

    “CJP Isa is an honourable judge; an age limit extension for everyone is acceptable,” he said.

    “The government is short of the required number of constitutional amendments in parliament. It is the privilege of parliament to amend the constitution,” he added.

    Commenting on the previous extension of former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Sanaullah said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif never hinted at an extension for Bajwa.

    “It is possible that after Isa’s retirement, WhatsApp messages may surface regarding communications between the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former spymaster General Faiz Hameed on May 9th, and those who facilitated their communication may speak out later,” he concluded.

  • Objectionable material found on Orya Maqbool’s phone, claims Umar Cheema

    Objectionable material found on Orya Maqbool’s phone, claims Umar Cheema

    In a short clip that has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), journalist Umar Cheema alleged that police have found objectionable material on Orya Maqbool Jan’s mobile phone while in custody.

    YouTuber Orya Maqbool Jan, known for his right-wing religious views, was arrested on August 22 by the FIA’s cybercrime wing in Lahore for alleged hateful social media posts regarding the Mubarak Sani case.

    “Charges brought up against him include sharing of vulgar and nude media in some drinking party where Orya Maqbool Jan is present.”

    He also alleged that the authorities have found evidence that indicates Orya’s team was involved in creating trends against Army Chief Gen Asim Munir.

    Umar opined that the coming days will tell how the case unfolds.

  • Raoof Hasan ‘hoped and prayed’ for end to deadlock between PTI and Army

    Raoof Hasan ‘hoped and prayed’ for end to deadlock between PTI and Army

    A day after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for an across-the-board dialogue to end the political crisis in the country, PTI’s spokesperson Raoof Hasan stated he “hoped and prayed” that the deadlock between the military and the PTI would end.

    Raoof Hasan, who was recently released from jail in a cybercrime case, also stated to Voice of America that his party was interested in talking to the powers that be for the state’s interests.

    “PTI has done whatever it could to improve ties with the army,” he said, emphasising that any supposed talks would be within the Constitution’s ambit.

    “Instability will end once all institutions start working within the limits of the Constitution,” he added.

    Hasan also alleged that the ruling government was “desperate” to extend the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.