Tag: PTI

  • FIA books Imran Khan and others in ‘prohibited funding’ case

    FIA books Imran Khan and others in ‘prohibited funding’ case

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has booked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders in a case pertaining to their party allegedly receiving prohibited funding.

    The case was filed by the state through FIA’s Corporate Banking Circle in Islamabad.

    In the First Information Report (FIR), the federal agency alleged that Abraaj Group transferred $2,100,000 to PTI account. In addition, the FIR states that the party received more financing from two bank accounts of Wotan Cricket Club.

    The complaint named Imran Khan, Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan, Saifullah Khan Nyazee, Syed Yunus Ali Raza, Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Tariq Rahim Sheikh, Tariq Shafi, Faisal Maqbool Shaikh, Hamid Zaman and Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhary as signatories/beneficiaries of the PTI account in question.

    The FIR alleged the branch’s operations manager had also failed to report these illegal transactions to the concerned authorities.

    In August, the ECP issued its verdict in the prohibited funding case — previously referred to as the foreign funding case — against the PTI, which stated that the party did indeed receive prohibited funding.

    The ECP said that the party, in violation of the Constitution, had received funds from 34 foreign entities. The party received funds from the United States, Australia, and the UAE. The ECP added that 13 unidentified accounts also surfaced during the probe in the PTI funding case.

  • ‘Not convinced there was a conspiracy’: President Dr Alvi

    ‘Not convinced there was a conspiracy’: President Dr Alvi

    President Dr Arif Alvi while discussing the infamous ‘cipher’, has said that he is not convinced that a “foreign conspiracy was hatched” against former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    However, Imran Khan has claimed that the no-confidence motion against him was part of a foreign conspiracy.

    In an interview with journalist Asma Shirazi, the president stated: “I sent that letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). I am convinced that it must be probed. I am not convinced of the fact that a conspiracy was hatched.”

    Appointment of COAS:

    About the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in November, the president was of the view that “broader consultation” should be held.

    Dr Alvi said that he learned through the newspaper that there’s a consultation going on in London regarding the appointment. The government should consult PTI chief Imran Khan on the matter, he said.

    He claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government also consulted the Opposition when former PM Imran Khan extended the three-year term of the incumbent COAS General Bajwa in 2019.

    Importance of dialogue:

    During the interview, President Alvi stressed on the importance of “dialogue”. When asked about the speculation that he had arranged a meeting between the establishment and Imran Khan, he responded: “Meri koshish yeh hai ke logo ko bethao ke dialogue karo” (I am trying that I get people to sit down and have a dialogue).

    He said dialogue is necessary for settling political issues between the government and the Opposition. He was of the view that the people are concerned about political polarisation and one of its causes was that there are different governments in the provinces.

    ‘Khan was very disappointed’: President Alvi

    President Dr Alvi, who is also a PTI leader, talked about the party not going back to Parliament. “Imran Khan was very disappointed with the manner in which his government was ousted and on that basis, he decided not to sit in the assembly,” he told Asma Shirazi.

    However, when asked about the party’s decision of resigning from the National Assembly (NA), President Alvi said that if he had been consulted, he could have given “different advice”.

    He observed that politicians are the biggest stakeholders in the country. The president said that the army should be “neutral”. When asked that Khan says that the establishment shouldn’t be neutral, he said, “You can ask him about his views”.

    ‘Free and Fair elections’: President Alvi

    President Alvi said that in August 2023, assemblies will be dissolved, stressing that both the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the PTI wanted early polls in the past. “Even the Supreme Court had considered the issue of early elections and consulted politicians,” he added.

    “I am trying to evolve an understanding of these issues and I will facilitate the process. The most important issue is the holding of free and fair elections”, he said.

  • ‘Superstars are back’: Twitter reacts to PTI’s new song

    ‘Superstars are back’: Twitter reacts to PTI’s new song

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has released its new official “anthem” titled “Saray Niklo Pakistan Ke Liye” today (Monday).

    The song is sung by Jawad Kahlon, Shahzaman and features former Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail. The lyrics and composition are by Kahlon while music and video credits go to Azeem Amin. The video has crossed 10,000 mark views on YouTube.

    Ismail took to Twitter to share the news, with a caption saying: “Tried to highlight Imran Khan’s message in the anthem. It is the voice of the people.”

    Right after the release of the “party’s anthem”, Twitter was flooded with lots of reactions.

    Earlier in the day, PTI’s leader Fawad Chaudhry reacted to the song in a tweet, stating simply, “Superstars are back”.

    In 2018, PTI released the song “Tabdeeli ayi reh”. The previous song is also sung by Kahlon, Shahzaman and Ismail.

  • ‘You have to spoon-feed people’: Imran Khan in another explosive audio leak

    ‘You have to spoon-feed people’: Imran Khan in another explosive audio leak

    Another alleged audio of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has been leaked on Friday, purportedly featuring him and his former ministers Asad Umar and Shireen Mazari discussing the United States (US) cipher once again.

    Context of the audio:

    Asad Umar: Another point is, in hindsight, that whatever we are doing now should have been done at least ten days ago.

    Imran Khan: The impact of this letter is far-reaching and it has reached all over the world, more than we expected.

    Shireen Mazari: The Chinese have issued an official statement, condemning US intervention in the internal affairs of Pakistan.

    Imran Khan: The public is with us and we must ensure that the pressure must be at such a height that whoever goes to the assembly for voting must be branded for life and you have to brand them as Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq. You have to spoon-feed people as their minds are currently fertile grounds.

    Both the former ministers can be heard agreeing with their party chief. Earlier in the day, another audio clip leaked that suggested Khan was involved in horse trading during his tenure at the country’s highest office.

    It is pertinent to mention here that this alleged audio leak is part three of PTI’s audio leak series regarding the US cipher.

    In the previous US cipher audio leaks, Imran Khan when he was Prime Minister, is directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public.

    The PTI chief also told his then-principal secretary Azam Khan that, “We have to play with it [cipher]”.

    ‘Making a few moves of my own which we cannot make public’: Khan’s new audio leak

    Another alleged audio of former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was released on Friday, purportedly featuring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief talking about horse-trading in parliament.

    In the audio recording, a voice believed to be Imran’s says: “You have a misunderstanding that now the number game is complete […] don’t think this is over.”

    The voice in the audio, allegedly of the PTI chairman, can be heard strategising on horse-trading in parliament.

    It is being suggested that the recording is from before the vote of no-confidence against Khan.

    Context of audio:

    Imran Khan: You are greatly mistaken that the number game is now complete.

    Imran Khan: It’s not like that…don’t think that it’s over because 48 hours from now is a long time.

    Imran Khan: Big things are happening. I am making some moves of my own which we cannot make public.

    Imran Khan: I am buying five, I have five. [We need] to give the message that the five are very important.

    Imran Khan: And tell him if he secures five more and it turns to 10, the game will be in our hand.

    Imran Khan: The nation is alarmed right now.

    Imran Khan: Across the board people want us to win in any way possible, so no one needs to worry if this is right or wrong – whatever the tactic.

    Imran Khan: Even if someone breaks one, it will have a big impact.

    The audio clip released on Friday is the third such leak featuring the PTI chairman. Last week, an audio clip purportedly revealed a conversation between Imran and then principal secretary Azam Khan about the cipher — shared by Asad Majeed, the then envoy to the US — which Imran has used to peddle his foreign conspiracy narrative.

    PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Friday did not disavow the contents of the latest audio clip but said that “Everyone knows where and how the audios are being made”.

    In a tweet, the former minister asked: “By joining together voices such as these will you prove NRO 2 to be valid?”

  • Rana Sanaullah says that PTI Senator Saifullah Nyazee has been taken into ‘protective custody’

    Rana Sanaullah says that PTI Senator Saifullah Nyazee has been taken into ‘protective custody’

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee has been taken into “protective custody” by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for questioning in the party’s foreign funding case.

    In a press conference on Friday, the minister said, “He has been taken into protective custody, so he can be questioned.” He added that legal formalities will be fulfilled before arresting the senator if the agency deemed it necessary.

    Earlier, it was reported that the PTI senator was arrested in the foreign funding case. According to Geo News, he was arrested for the $625,000 transferred to the Insaf Trust account in 2013 in violation of rules and regulations.

    Prior to the minister’s clarification, FIA, in a tweet, said that no arrest has been made.

    “The senator has not been arrested by any FIA wing as yet,” the agency’s spokesperson said and condemned the reports circulating in the media.

    Earlier today, PTI leaders claimed Nyazee has been “picked up” by “unknown men” from outside the Senate premises in Islamabad.

    Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PTI General Secretary Asad Umar said: “I have just received news that Saifullah Nyazee has been picked up from the Senate.”

    https://twitter.com/ShehzadGul89/status/1578290516856229893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1578290516856229893%7Ctwgr%5Ecbcda1c3c0964b5c3947ce41901c263275373bea%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1713931

    Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry called Chairman of the Senate Sadiq Sanjrani to take notice of the incident.

    On September 13, the FIA Cyber Crime Wing raided Nyazee’s house. Two days later, Nyazee submitted a privilege motion against the Islamabad police and FIA over the breach of his privilege.

    He said the behaviour of the FIA and Islamabad police, including alleged harassment of his wife and daughters, was tantamount to the breach of privilege of the house of the federation and its member. Hence, the Senate chairman should take appropriate action on this breach.

  • Ishaq Dar denies allegation of taking any money, says ‘Imrandos’ are spreading fake news

    Ishaq Dar denies allegation of taking any money, says ‘Imrandos’ are spreading fake news

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a “disinformation army”.

    In a media talk on Thursday, responding to a question by a journalist about him taking Rs72 crore in back salary, the minister said, “This is the disinformation army of PTI who malign everything” and termed them as “imrandos”.

    “I didnt take a single penny and don’t have any intention to take any money,” he added.

    During the talk, when asked about decreasing petrol prices, he said, “Abhi kal toh ki hai”. (We reduced the prices just now).

    The finance minister also addressed the continuous depreciation of the US dollar against the rupee, saying that the greenback depreciated without him doing anything.

    He also announced a power subsidy package for Pakistan’s export industries with per unit electricity cost set at Rs19.99.

    Dar said the annual burden of the subsidy would amount to around Rs90-100 billion, adding that the “all-inclusive” package was announced for the five major exporting sectors, and not just the textile sector.

    Meanwhile, in response to a question on whether the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was taken into confidence on the package, the finance minister said: “I don’t need to take the IMF into confidence, when I know what I am doing then it is my responsibility to create fiscal space for it and I have done so.”

    Moreover, the minister said the market is now going in the “right direction” and correcting itself.

  • Confusion within Punjab govt regarding PTI long march

    Confusion within Punjab govt regarding PTI long march

    The final date for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march has not been announced yet by Chairman Imran Khan, however, contradictory statements have been issued by the Punjab government regarding the province’s support.

    Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar said on Wednesday that during the PTI long march, government resources will not be used and called Khan’s long march a “political matter”.

    In a tweet, he said, “Long march is our constitutional and legal right. When Imran Khan orders, we will come out as a party. This is a political matter, we have never used government resources and will not.”

    In another instance, Dogar, while talking to journalists on Wednesday said, “If Imran Khan announces a long march then the Punjab government will not become part of it. We will not facilitate the participants of the long march but security will be provided”, reports Geo News.

    On the contrary, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi— who is currently in London— said, “We will do everything that Imran Khan wants us to do”.

    Speaking to journalists, he said, “There is a PTI government in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir”, adding that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah wouldn’t be able to bear the PTI long march.

    Reacting to Dogar’s statement, Elahi said, “That is, as such, no matter”.

    The statement from the Punjab home minister and CM came after Khan directed his party’s officeholders to ensure that thousands of workers gather in Islamabad during the “Azadi March”.

    Earlier, Sanaullah said that PTI’s long march would not be allowed to enter the federal capital under any circumstances.

    On October 4, Khan asked his party leaders and workers to take an oath that they would participate in the long march, terming it a “jihad” for the country.

  • ‘Fight your political battle outside court’: IHC tells PTI to go back to parliament

    ‘Fight your political battle outside court’: IHC tells PTI to go back to parliament

    Athar Minallah, Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Thursday has told legislators belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to go back to the National Assembly.

    The court was hearing a petition filed by PTI Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) pertaining to the matter of the acceptance of 11 of their resignations.

    On Wednesday, PTI filed the petition, stating that the Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Raja Pervez Ashraf, “unlawfully” declared the members as having resigned because he “Accepted the resignation of 12 MNAs’ without calling them to ascertain the true picture and by not following the due process of law, committed an unconstitutional act.” The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) then notified them of de-seating.

    The party was of the view that the Speaker was under obligation to accept the resignations of all 123 MNAs however he only accepted 11 resignations.

    During the hearing, Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah remarked, “You must hold a dialogue with other political parties to resolve such disputes.”

    The IHC chief justice observed that members whose resignations hadn’t been accepted must rejoin parliament.

    “Go and fight your political battle outside the court,” Justice Minallah told the PTI counsel. He added that this plea couldn’t be admitted until respect for the parliament was expressed by the petitioners. “Go back to parliament tomorrow, this court will accept your plea,” he told the PTI counsel.

    PTI lawyer Senator Ali Zafar said the party has yet to take a decision on this matter. He said the decision to return to parliament or not was a political one and the court should stay “far away” from it.

    “No political party is above parliament. This mindset needs to be changed”, the IHC chief justice pointed out.

    Zafar asked him if the court wanted an assurance from the petitioners about representing their constituencies to which the judge said: “Not just an assurance, prove by your actions that parliament is supreme.”

    Zafar said the party should be given time for consultations on the affidavits.

    The hearing was adjourned indefinitely.

    PTI reaches court, says acceptance of its MNA’s resignations was ‘unconstitutional act’

    A petition, filed by 10 out of the 11 PTI lawmakers whose resignations have been accepted, states that the Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Raja Pervez Ashraf, “unlawfully” declared the members as having resigned because he “Accepted the resignation of 12 MNAs’ without calling them to ascertain the true picture and by not following the due process of law, committed an unconstitutional act.” The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) then notified them of de-seating.

    The party was of the view that the speaker was under obligation to accept the resignations of all 123 MNAs however he only accepted 11 resignations.

    The party appealed to the court to declare the speaker and ECP’s orders “illegal, issued without lawful authority and of no legal effect.” They also stated that the orders were in violation of the Constitution.

    In July, Raja Pervez Ashraf accepted 11 resignations of PTI MNAs under Article 64(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.

    The petitioners maintained that the PTI MNAs tendered their resignations as per party policy on political grounds with the objective of reaching an agreement with the then “Opposition parties for holding fresh elections so that a new government may be formed with a real mandate.”

    The petitioners requested the court to direct the NA speaker to summon 112 MNAs and petitioners for an inquiry on whether the resignations were “Voluntary and genuine”, and fulfilled the criteria laid out under Article 64 of the constitution.

    The PTI also requested the high court to hold an immediate hearing of their case. However, the request was turned down and the court decided to hold a hearing tomorrow (October 6). IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah will hear the plea.

    Moreover, the petitioners submitted the records and transcripts of the audio leaks in which Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and members of his cabinet can be heard seeking approval for accepting the resignations from PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

  • Sessions court judge approves Khan’s bail till October 13

    Sessions court judge approves Khan’s bail till October 13

    A sessions court in Islamabad has approved till October 13 the interim bail plea of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case pertaining to his controversial remarks against a female judge during a rally in Islamabad.

    Sessions court judge Kamran Basharat Mufti approved Khan’s interim bail plea, filed by Babar Awan, after a short hearing. Khan has been asked to pay surety bonds of Rs50,000.

    Awan, while speaking to media after the hearing, said that all the cases against Khan are false.

    “PTI is returning [to power] with two-third majority. If there is anyone who can bring change, it is Imran Khan,” he said. The lawyer said that the PTI chair has never ever given the excuse of being ill.

    Awan went on to say that the infamous cypher that Imran Khan blames for the toppling if his government, was an “interference and conspiracy.”

    “We don’t accept anyone who talks against Pakistan,” he said.

    Earlier, on September 19, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) cancelled the terror charges against the former Prime Minister and ordered that the case be transferred to a relevant court under the remaining sections in the FIR.

    Following the order the anti-terrorism court, on September 20, transferred the case to a sessions court and removed the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) section from the case.

    On September 22, during a hearing of a contempt case in IHC, Imran Khan also requested the court to allow him to apologise to Additional District and Session Judge Zeba Chaudhry in person.

  • FIA forms team to investigate Imran Khan’s audio leaks

    FIA forms team to investigate Imran Khan’s audio leaks

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has formed a team to investigate the matter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his aides’ audio leaks related to the infamous cipher that the former Prime Minister blames for his government’s downfall.

    A notification has also been issued which states that the investigation team will include five members from FIA and one member each from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB).

    On October 1, the federal cabinet announced the formation of a committee to probe the diplomatic cipher that it was said had been ‘stolen’ from the records of the Prime Minister’s House.

    Last week, two audio leaks of Khan and his party members surfaced on the internet. In the first audio leak, Khan told his then-principal secretary Azam Khan that, “We have to play with it [cipher]”.

    In the second audio leak, the PTI chief is directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public. He also told his party members to use the word “letter” instead of “cipher” when they talk about cipher in public rallies.