Tag: PTI

  • Jail trial in £190 million settlement case increasingly likely for Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s trial in the £190 million state money settlement case will probably take place in Adiala Jail, where the former Prime Minister is already incarcerated in the cypher case.

    A day earlier, when an accountability court in Islamabad issued Khan’s arrest warrants in the Al-Qadir Trust and Toshakhana cases, the PTI chairman was arrested within the jail premises.

    A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team visited Adiala jail today and implemented arrest warrants through the jail superintendent.

    On the other hand, journalists asked Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir whether Imran Khan will face a jail trial as a notification is being passed in the matter.

    On this, judge Bushir responded that NAB can tell where the PTI chairman will be presented as there is a possibility of a jail trial after notifications’ approval.

    “Will you also go to Adiala jail then?” the judge questioned the journalists present in the court.

    The journalists replied that they are not even allowed to enter and report inside Adiala jail.

  • Senate passed resolution against Supreme Court decision on civilian trials in military courts

    The Senate of Pakistan passed a resolution on Monday against the Supreme Court’s decision on civilians’ trial in the military courts, urging that the implementation of the judgment be stopped “unless it is considered by a larger bench.”

    A five member bench of Supreme Court (SC) last month unanimously declared civilians’ trial in military courts null and void.

    “Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing the trials of civilians and accused persons, being around 103 persons […] shall be tried by criminal courts of competent jurisdiction established under the ordinary and/or special law of the land in relation to such offences of which they may stand accused,” the short order read.

    Independent Senator Dilawar Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) moved the resolution on Monday, stating that the decision is legally flawed as the larger bench did not announce the verdict and should not be implemented.
    The resolution observed with “apprehension that the invalidation of the jurisdiction of army courts is likely to facilitate vandals and abettors of terrorism and anti-state activities”.

    “The Senate of Pakistan calls upon the apex court to reconsider its decision, urging alignment with the national security paradigm and sacrifices of the martyrs in order to address the concerns raised regarding the ramifications of the judgment on the security and stability of the nation.”

  • Arrest warrants issued for Imran Khan in two more cases

    Arrest warrants issued for Imran Khan in two more cases

    An Accountability Court in Islamabad on Monday issued arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in cases pertaining to the Toshakhana and 190-million-pound Al-Qadir Trust. 

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed an application to comply with the arrest warrants of Chairman PTI.

    Judge Mohammad Bashir conducted the hearing on the two cases where NABfiled an application seeking Khan’s arrest warrants.

    Judge Bashir approved the issuance of the warrants while directing the jail superintendent to take measures to ensure the warrants were complied with.

    Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, Prosecutor Irfan Bhola, Investigation Officers Mohsin, Waqarul Hasan, Mian Umar Nadeem, and others appeared before the court.

    The court asked the prosecutor what the High Court did in these cases.

    To which the prosecutor replied that the matter was pending, mentioning that the court neither suspended the order nor issued a standing order.

    The warrants are expected to be complied with in jail today. Imran Khan will be provided with a copy of the warrant as well as briefed about the reasons for his arrest.

    Sources said that the NAB has decided to immediately arrest Khan after the issuance of his arrest warrants, as per Aaj News.

    The anti-graft body is likely to arrest the PTI chief today from Adiala jail where a team including investigation officers of the Bureau will arrive to ensure compliance with the warrants, they added.

    The former prime minister is currently being held in Adiala jail after his arrest from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5.

    He was moved to the prison on September 26 from Attock jail where he was initially kept after his arrest.

    Bushra Bibi in trouble

    Earlier today, former First Lady Bushra Bibi was summoned by NAB in a £190 million case, and as per media reports her arrest could be on the cards.

    Bushra was summoned at 2 pm to the NAB office in G-6 in Islamabad. Farhat Shahzadi, alias Farah Gogi, a former close aide of Bushra, has also been summoned in the same case today.

    Moreover, NAB also provided Bushra Bibi with an 11-point questionnaire in the Al-Qadir Trust case. 

    During her appearance in the NAB office, Bushra Bibi was questioned about Farah Gogi.

    The questionnaire given to her also included queries about her relations with Farah Gogi, the reasons for creating Al-Qadir Trust, whether she took any courses in jurisprudence or pedagogy, whether she continued to receive benefits from Al-Qadir Trust as a teacher, whether she was satisfied with Farah Gogi’s financial affairs and if Malik Riaz himself showed interest in Al-Qadir Trust or she contacted him. 

  • What is the ‘Farah Gogi fiasco’?

    What is the ‘Farah Gogi fiasco’?

    The disclosed assets of Farhat Shahzadi, also known as Farah Gogi, alleged to be the front person of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, surged by an astonishing Rs4.52 billion between 2017 and 2020, a report by Express News has stated. 

    The revelations, made public on Thursday, suggest widespread corruption involving Shahzadi, a close associate of Imran Khan and his wife, former First Lady Bushra Bibi. 

    The details of Farah Gogi’s assets were made public by journalist Zahid Gishkori in 2022, who was associated with Samaa News at that time.

    Farah Gogi, who confessed to owning assets worth Rs950 million in 2020, saw a staggering 420% increase in her declared assets during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. 

    The report alleges that she also possesses undisclosed assets amounting to Rs3.82 billion.

    The disclosed assets, as per the report, include agricultural land in Bahawalpur and Gujranwala, residential and commercial properties in Islamabad and Lahore, and 200 kanals of agricultural land in Chakri. 

    Furthermore, investigations revealed her involvement in crimes such as money laundering, with accusations of working as a fake doctor in the UK alongside her husband.

    The report claims that Gogi took advantage of the tax amnesty scheme in 2018, regularizing Rs489 million in black money collected through bribes for various postings, transfers, and government contracts. 

    The report further alleges that Gogi received 240 kanals of land as a bribe from a property tycoon involved in an out-of-court settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency.

    According to the report, the number of Gogi’s bank accounts showed a significant abnormal increase from 2019 to 2021, with Rs426 million deposited in one account through 47 transactions from 2018 to 2022. 

    In total, 102 bank accounts linked to Gogi, her husband, and associates across the country were identified, with a sum of Rs14.5 billion.

    In response to these allegations, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Central Deputy General Secretary Ataullah Tarar held a press conference in Lahore, accusing Gogi and others of engaging in corruption. 

    He urged Gogi to return to Pakistan and testify about Imran Khan’s involvement.

    Imran Khan’s lawyer, Sher Afzal Marwat, dismissed the allegations as a new wave of propaganda against Bushra Bibi, Imran’s wife. 

    Marwat emphasized the need to avoid further political unrest in Pakistan.

    Secret foreign passport

    Recent developments indicate that Farah Gogi used a secret foreign passport to travel abroad for the alleged purpose of laundering wealth belonging to Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi as per Geo News.

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered a money-laundering and kickbacks case against Gogi in March, with her bank accounts reportedly holding over Rs14 billion.

    Meanwhile, Gogi sent a legal notice to the NAB chairman, FIA DG, Punjab IG, and Anti-Corruption Department (ACE) DG on the issue of leaking her property details.

    According to the fresh reports, Gogi used to travel abroad on the passport of Vanuatu, a string of more than 80 islands once known as the New Hebrides which is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

    The sources also claimed that the son of a property tycoon had been given the task of arranging a secret international passport for Gogi. The property tycoon’s son paid $130,000 to a renowned trader to obtain the passport.

    On March 28, 2022, the secret passport was handed over to Gogi, the sources added.

    In order to get her escape from accountability, Gogi was sent abroad on a Pakistani passport just six days before the Khan-led government was toppled. 

    In a bid to dodge the investigation agencies, she travelled abroad on a foreign passport, except Dubai.

  • Murtaza Solangi says President Alvi undermining his credibility by speaking for one political party

    Murtaza Solangi says President Alvi undermining his credibility by speaking for one political party

    Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, has said that President Dr. Arif Alvi should represent all political parties in accordance with the law and the constitution, to foster unity in the country.

    Talking to the media on Sunday, Solangi said that the President’s role was not limited to one party, urging him to speak on behalf of all political parties.

    “If the president continues to speak for one political party, it would undermine his own credibility,” he said.

    Highlighting the essence of democracy as a platform for dialogue, Solangi dismissed concerns over complaints and grievances, stating that every party and individual had the right to voice their concerns at appropriate forums including courts and the election commission.

    As regards the upcoming elections, Solangi pledged the caretaker government’s full cooperation and assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in accordance with the law and the constitution.

    He commended the competence and the sense of responsibility shown by the current ECP management, noting that they adhered to the action plan outlined for the elections.

    The people of Pakistan will determine the country’s future course on February 8, 2024, a date slated for the elections, he added.

  • ‘No merger, only seat adjustment with PML-N’: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid

    ‘No merger, only seat adjustment with PML-N’: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat has said that the people of Pakistan have pinned many hopes on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, adding that the future government will have to work for the restoration of the economy, eliminating unemployment and inflation.

    Shujaat Hussain said, ‘By overcoming the bitterness of the past, we should utilize our full capabilities to solve the issues facing the people.”

    “Our collective responsibility is not for revenge politics but for building a strong economy, providing relief to the people, and safeguarding national interests,” he added.

    PML-Q also quashed rumors of an impending merger with PML-N on Sunday.

    Instead, the party confirmed its intention to pursue seat adjustments with the Nawaz Sharif-led faction in specific constituencies.

    Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, PML-Q Punjab General Secretary, clarified the party’s position, asserting its commitment to maintaining an independent identity.

    Notably, PML-Q candidates are set to participate in the upcoming elections, carrying the party’s symbol – the tractor.

    Speculations about a potential merger were rife, with talks centering around seat allocations for Chaudhry Shujaat’s sons and Tariq Bashir Cheema, the party’s secretary-general.

    However, these speculations were dispelled by Chaudhry Shafay Hussain.

    The political landscape is witnessing increased activity, with PML-N actively seeking alliances.

    Last week, they announced a joint participation in the polls with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

    A recent meeting between a PML-N delegation and MQM-P leadership in Karachi delved into discussions on electoral alliances and future strategies.

    While PML-N explores collaborative ventures, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has voiced discontent. Sharjeel Memon, a PPP leader, criticized PML-N’s historical ascent to power, alleging rigging.

    Despite this, Memon expressed confidence in PPP’s electoral prospects, anticipating a clean sweep in the upcoming elections.

    Simultaneously, PML-Q leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and his son, ex-MNA Hussain Elahi, critiqued PML-N’s economic policies.

    They credited the recent improvements in the national economy and currency to strict measures initiated by Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir.

    The criticism of the PML-N by both the former PML-Q lawmakers and close family members of the party chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, has surfaced just when the leadership of both factions of the Pakistan Muslim League is hinting at making a seat adjustment in the election on Feb 8, 2024.

    Speaking to a gathering of party workers at his Nutt House in Gujrat, Wajahat said the masses were witness to the statement of PML-N leadership regarding being beggars and that wherever they went to seek financial assistance, the other side would consider them as beggars.

    Wajahat announced to kick off the election campaign of his son, Hussain Elahi, and two Punjab Assembly candidates of his party, Abdullah Yousaf Warraich and Khalid Asghar Ghural, asking his supporters to work for their victory.

    Sources have told Dawn that by criticizing the PML-N policies, the Wajahat camp has tried to attract the PTI vote bank with an anti-PML-N narrative as his traditional rival, Nawabzada family, has already been in the PML-N and the voters might not be easily won by the PML-Q in that constituency.

    They say Hussain Elahi would assess the ground position of his constituency for the future course of action.

    It’s pertinent to mention that both Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and his son Hussain Elahi were in the PTI before the May 9 incidents when many of the party leaders had started quitting the party. The duo also quit the PTI and joined the PML-Q.

  • Jail trial of Imran Khan in Cipher case approved by caretaker cabinet

    Jail trial of Imran Khan in Cipher case approved by caretaker cabinet

    The caretaker federal cabinet has given the green light for the jail trial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, as per Geo News.

    The decision comes in response to security concerns, prompting the Ministry of Law to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the trial on August 29, following requests from the Interior Ministry and Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.

    The Ministry of Law emphasized that the jail trial for the PTI chairman was deemed necessary due to security considerations.

    This approval sets the stage for an intra-court appeal filed by Imran Khan against the trial, scheduled to be heard by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on November 14. The court has invited arguments from the attorney general.

    Imran Khan, who was ousted from the prime minister’s office in April last year through a no-confidence motion, initially contested the jail trial through a petition in the IHC.

    However, the court’s single bench, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, dismissed the appeal on October 16, citing no apparent malice in conducting the jail trial and advising Khan to address his concerns in the trial court.

    The cipher case, invoking the Official Secrets Act 1923, was registered against Khan and Qureshi in August of this year by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), using Section 5 of the aforementioned law.

    The case revolves around a missing diplomatic cable allegedly containing a threat from the United States to overthrow the PTI government, according to the former ruling party.

    Both Imran Khan and Qureshi face allegations under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case, related to a missing diplomatic cable, and are currently detained in Adiala jail.

    The IHC had earlier suspended Imran Khan’s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case on August 29.

  • Bilawal believes, PML-N, MQM alliance will benefit PPP

    Bilawal believes, PML-N, MQM alliance will benefit PPP

    Commenting on the electoral alliance recently formed between Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), asserted on Friday that the coalition would prove advantageous for his party in the upcoming general election.

    Earlier this week, PML-N and MQM-P, former allies of the PPP in the Centre, declared their intention to collaborate in the upcoming general elections. This alliance has the potential to influence election outcome in urban areas of Sindh.

    The development occurred amidst the escalating war of words between the PPP and PML-N, following the announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct elections in the country on February 8, 2024.

    The romance between the two former allies ended after the PDM-led coalition government completed its term in August, and both the PPP and PML-N locked horns over election-related issues.

    During an interaction with journalists in Safari Park, they PPP chairman said: “We worked hard to make him [Shehbaz Sharif] prime minister. It was the need of the hour.”

    He emphasised that the decision was intended to address the ongoing political and democratic crisis in the country. The PPP leader highlighted that, during the government led by the PDM, his party contributed to the betterment of Sindh.

  • Asad Umar quits PTI, politics

    Asad Umar quits PTI, politics

    Asad Umar, former Secretary General of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has declared that he will quit both the party and politics from now on.

    He clarified that he prefers not to adopt a confrontational approach towards state policies, as such a policy goes against the country’s interests.
    He wrote on his X account (Previously Twitter), “After more than one decade in public life, I have decided to completely quit politics.

    As i had already stated publicly earlier that i disagree with the policy of confrontation with state institutions, and such a policy has led to a serious collission with state institutions, which is not in the interest of the country.

    I am resigning from basic membership of PTI.

    I want to thank all those who have supported me in public life. In particular I want to thank the NA 54 team and the voters who elected me twice. I have tried my best to serve the constituency that i was elected from. May Allah’s blessings shine upon the Pakistani nation.”

  • More PTI arrests from Mansehra

    More PTI arrests from Mansehra

    A joint team of law enforcement agencies and Islamabad police apprehended former Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Ali Nawaz Awan and Malik Aamir Dogar, along with their two hosts in the Battal area, Mansehra on Thursday.

    Both former MNAs are from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    The arrests took place during a raid on the residence of Hizbullah, chairman of the Battal neighborhood council and a prominent PTI leader.

    The whereabouts of the detainees, including Hizbullah and his cousin Zaheer Khan, remain unknown, with local police maintaining silence on the matter.

    Awan, who serves as the PTI’s central additional secretary-general, represented Islamabad as an MNA, while Dogar hails from Multan city.

    Both had gone into hiding as law enforcement agencies intensified their crackdown on PTI leaders and activists following the May 9 attacks on military and government installations across the country.

    Expressing strong reservations, PTI has declared the arrests illegal. Ajmal Khan Swati, former PTI information secretary in Hazara division, urged an immediate end to what he termed an “illegal” crackdown on their party.

    “These arrests should stop immediately,” he said.

    The PTI leader said his party wanted a level-playing field to participate in general elections just like the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, JUI-F and others in the country.

    He complained that the police didn’t allow the PTI to hold a workers’ convention in the locality and ransacked the venue despite court orders telling the government to allow PTI to carry out political activities, including canvassing.

    “Police committed contempt of court by blocking our workers’ convention despite the Peshawar High Court’s permission,” he said.

    Crackdown in Lahore Raises Concerns

    Simultaneously, the Lahore police initiated a fresh crackdown on PTI workers and activists, resulting in multiple arrests over the last three days.

    Acting on a new list of 884 PTI workers, labeled as ‘new targets,’ the investigation police targeted individuals considered part of the ‘B team’ of PTI’s top leadership.

    The list, comprising names, addresses, CNIC numbers, and mobile phone records, identified workers who allegedly made calls from protest venues during the May 9 violence against law enforcement agencies.

    Lahore DIG Investigation Imran Kishwar confirmed that the list was prepared based on information obtained during the interrogation of those arrested in connection with the May 9 attacks.

    “It took the Lahore investigation police 45 days to identify 884 new party workers and activists who were physically present at the Jinnah House and the Zaman Park,” he says, adding that many of them also took part in violent attacks at multiple sites on May 9.

    “The locations of most of them were traced at the Jinnah House and the Zaman Park from where they made mobile phone calls to contact the senior party leaders,” the officer alleges.

    Similarly, the police accessed their social media accounts for verification and got credible evidence of their physical presence at the attacked sites/venues through the posts they shared and the ones they later deleted to avoid arrests, the DIG investigation says.

    He further adds that the mobile phone data analysis of the already arrested senior political leaders of the PTI also helped the police identify the party activists and their involvement in the May 9 violence.

    “The major arrest was of Altaf Mahmood, a PTI hardcore activist, whose name was missing from the first list of May 9 attacks. He was the first who set some goods on fire at the Jinnah House (Corps Commander House) when he brought petrol bombs and other such inflammable material in a bag,” Mr Kishwar alleges.

    The arrests followed an earlier action against 1,958 PTI members, with outcomes ranging from innocence to obtaining bail or being declared proclaimed offenders.