Tag: PTI

  • PDM is not ready to talk with Imran

    PDM is not ready to talk with Imran

    Central leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have mutually decided not to talk with former Prime Minister Imran Khan about any political matter.

    Sources privy to inside details have told Jang that PDM leaders called Imran Khan responsible for inflation in the country as well term him the mastermind of the incidents of May 9.

    Sources also confirmed that PDM will contact the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) within 48 hours to discuss the matter of talking to Imran.

    Earlier, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said after meeting Imran Khan in Attock jail that the former prime minister was ready to talk to institutions and political parties about elections, stressing that he wants free and fair polls in the country.

    In a tweet, the lawyer said that he met Imran Khan at Attock Jail along with his colleagues. “Alhamdulillah, he is in great spirit but concern about ongoing uncertainty, inflation, and terrorism. He is willing to talk to all BUT about election,” he stated.

  • Judge hearing Imran’s plea in cipher case goes on leave

    Judge hearing Imran’s plea in cipher case goes on leave

    Special Court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, who’s hearing the cipher case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has gone on leave until September 8.

    PTI’s lawyers, Babar Awan, Salman Safdar, and Naeem Haider Panjotha, reached the courtroom on Monday where staff told them that the Judge was on leave as his wife is unwell.

    Attorney Salman Safdar requested court staff to fix the next hearing for Thursday.

    However, the PTI’s legal team reached the courtroom of Judge Raja Javad and requested him to hear the case.

    Judge Raja Javad replied that he could not hear the bail plea as he is not a duty judge.

    “There is no notification of the duty judge under the Official Secrets Act. If the Islamabad High Court can mark it, only then I can hear it,” Judge Abbas remarked. “I can hear cases of 24 courts as a duty judge but not to the extent of the Official Secrets Act.”

  • Imran Khan hires UK lawyer to represent him in international courts

    Imran Khan hires UK lawyer to represent him in international courts

    Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has retained the services of British attorney Geoffrey Robertson KC to represent him in international courts.
    The announcement has been made at a time when the former prime minister, who was removed from power in April of last year after a vote of no confidence, is still detained in the Attock District jail after being found guilty on August 5 in the Toshakhana case.

    The PTI leader was found guilty for failing to disclose state gifts he received while in government; as a result, he received a three-year prison sentence and a Rs. 100,000 fine, excluding him from running in future elections.

    The news regarding the UK attorney was made public by PTI on Friday via a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, announcing its decision to hire the renowned lawyer, who has previously worked with high-profile people including Salman Rushdie and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
    “PTI Chairman, Former Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI has appointed the eminent Human Rights Barrister Geoffrey Robertson KC of @DoughtyStreet Chambers to advise and represent him in international courts in relation to unlawful detention and human rights abuses,” the post on X read.

  • President Alvi wants elections in November

    President Alvi wants elections in November

    President Arif Alvi will likely defy the opinion of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the law ministry as he is reportedly contemplating announcing the date for the next general elections, sources familiar with the development have said, reported Kamran Yousaf for The Express Tribune.

    It is expected that the president will write another letter to the ECP, suggesting a date in November for the elections. The sources said that President Alvi was in conversation with his legal team and was advised that an act of parliament could not override the provisions of the Constitution and that parliament might have amended the Election Act 2017 but the Constitution was clear that polls would have to take place within 90 days.

    “Based on that opinion, the president will communicate the election date to the Election Commission soon,” a source revealed.

    Previously, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja decided that he would not meet President Dr. Arif Alvi for a discussion on fixing the date for the general elections. After a recent amendment to existing laws, fixing the date for the election is at the discretion of the ECP.

    The CEC called a meeting of the commission last week to talk to its members about the matter of fixing the date before taking a formal position. It is not the ECP’s responsibility, according to the law, to consult with the president on this matter. “The law is very clear about it. The President has cited the wrong article for this purpose.”

    Alvi had invited Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, for a meeting on August 23 or 24, to fix an appropriate date for holding the general elections.

  • Election Commission adamant about ensuring timely elections

    Election Commission adamant about ensuring timely elections

    After completing consultations with political parties, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced that the delimitation process will be finalised by November 30. 

    A statement issued by the electoral body said the purpose of reducing the duration of the delimitation process is to ensure elections are held as early as possible.

    The ECP also said that a date for the elections will also be announced keeping in view the schedule for the delimitation process, adding that the date was announced after deliberation with the parties. 

    A day earlier, the Election Commission said that polls would be held by mid-February at the most or by January end if the delimitation of constituencies is completed earlier. 

    The Election Commission has held consultations with political parties including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Muttahida Qoumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Jamiat Ulema Islam-Faiz (JUI-F) and others regarding the road map to general elections. 

    On August 17, the ECP announced the schedule of new delimitations to be carried out as per the new census approved by the Council of Common Interest (CCI) last month. 

    According to the schedule, the new delimitation of the constituencies was expected to be completed in December. However, the date has now been shortened to November. 

    Earlier, the ECP schedule had shown that the fresh delimitation would take nearly four months. 

    Last month, the CCI meeting chaired by then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the final results of the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023 reporting the country’s population at 241.49 million with a growth rate of 2.55%.

    The CCI approval made it constitutionally mandatory for the ECP to hold elections following fresh delimitations in the light of the results of the 7th census.

    According to Article 51 (5) of the Constitution, the seats of the National Assembly to each province and the federal capital shall be allocated on the basis of population in accordance with the last preceding census officially published.

  • Parvez Elahi arrested again hours after being set free

    Parvez Elahi arrested again hours after being set free

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President and former Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has been arrested again after his brief release today.

    Islamabad Police arrested Chaudhry Parvez Elahi from Canal Road in Lahore, leaving with him for the federal capital. Earlier today, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Parvez Elahi, after the accountability watchdog’s decision to arrest the former chief minister of Punjab was challenged in court through a petition.

    After Elahi was brought before the court, LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq announced the decision, telling NAB at the hearing today that if Elahi is not produced today, the court will issue a warrant against the director-general of the accountability body.

    On the NAB prosecutor’s reply, Justice Amjad Rafiq said that there will be a complete inquiry, ordering Parvez Elahi’s immediate release.

    It should be noted that when Parvez Elahi first filed an application in the Lahore High Court, the court granted him bail in all cases. But against the decision of the single bench of the court, the Punjab government filed an appeal before a two-member bench, which suspended the decision of the single-member bench.

  • Court orders release of PTI’s Parvez Elahi

    Court orders release of PTI’s Parvez Elahi

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release the president of Pakistan Tehrrek-e-Insaf (PTI), Parvez Elahi, on Friday, after the accountability watchdog’s decision to arrest the former chief minister of Punjab was challenged in court through a petition.

    After Elahi was brought before the court, LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq announced the decision, telling NAB at the hearing today that if Elahi is not produced today, the court will issue a warrant against the director-general of the accountability body.

    On the NAB prosecutor’s reply, Justice Amjad Rafiq said that there will be a complete inquiry, ordering Parvez Elahi’s immediate release.

    It should be noted that when Parvez Elahi first filed an application in the Lahore High Court, the court granted him bail in all cases. But against the decision of the single bench of the court, the Punjab government filed an appeal before a two-member bench, which suspended the decision of the single-member bench.

  • Nothing left for Imran in Pakistani politics: Kamran Tessori

    Nothing left for Imran in Pakistani politics: Kamran Tessori

    Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori has said that after the events of May 9, there is nothing left for former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Pakistani politics, Geo has reported.

    Addressing a press conference in London, Tessori said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) attacked Jinnah House and other military installations on May 9, shocking Pakistan. The governor claimed that the attacks on May 9 were comparable to those at the Peshawar Army Public School.

    Tessori, who is in London on a private family visit, said: “The elements involved in the 9 May attacks are left behind and the nation has come on one page. No decent and civilised society allows the destruction and arson of its important national monuments such as the residence of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, mosques and corp headquarters; people don’t burn their police stations in the world. These people burnt down their Corp Headquarters and attempted attacks on military installations. After all of this, I think there is nothing left for Imran Khan in Pakistani politics.”

    The Sindh governor also advised those that are still part of the PTI to, “think of Pakistan first and then the leader. The nation comes first, no harm in following any leader but not at the cost of Pakistan.”

  • President Alvi ko chahiye mazeed salary

    President Alvi ko chahiye mazeed salary

    President Dr Arif Alvi is seeking an increase in his salary. Official documents show that the president has asked for two raises, first with effect from July 1, 2021 and second with effect from July 1, 2023, as per Geo News.

    Currently, the president draws a monthly salary of Rs 846,550 and wants a two-step raise to Rs 1,024,325 and Rs 1,229,190 per month with effect from July 2021 and July 2023 respectively.

    In a letter written to the Secretary Cabinet through his Military Secretary earlier this month, the President’s Secretariat has desired amendment in the Fourth Schedule of President’s Salary Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act, 2018 to allow the president’s salary, a) Rs 1,024,325 per month with effect from July 1, 2021, and b) Rs 1,229,190 per month with effect from July 1, 2023.

    The letter stated, “In Pursuance of para 3(2) of President’s Salary, Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act 2018, published in the Gazette Notification (Part I), the remuneration of the President shall be a symbolic one rupee higher than the salary of any holder of Public Office in relation to affairs of the Federation. Accordingly, pay of the honorable President was fixed at Rs 846,550/- per month in 2018 as reflected in the Fourth Schedule of the Act ibid.”

    The letter further pointed out that the salary of the Chief Justice of Pakistan being a holder of Public Office was increased twice in the last 2 years through Presidential Orders. Pay of Chief Justice of Pakistan was fixed at Rs 1,024,324/ per month w.e.f 01 July 2021 and subsequently at Rs 1,229,189/ per month w.e.f. 01 July 2023. As per the rules, the salary of the President was not enhanced in relation to the laid down principle of one rupee higher than the salary of any holder of public office i.e. Chief Justice of Pakistan.

    On the basis of the above, the Presidency sought changes in the Fourth Schedule of President’s Salary Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act 2018 accordingly.

    The Cabinet Division referred the case to the Law Ministry, which on August 18 advised the former to process the case for a raise in Alvi’s salary.

    The Law Ministry stated, “The Federal Government by virtue of section 3(2) of the same Act has the power to amend that Schedule by way of a notification in the official gazette henceforth in relation to the issue at hand the Federal Government is competent to amend the Fourth Schedule by way of gazette notification and no amendment in the Fourth Schedule is required via an amending Act to effectuate a revision in the salary of the President.”

    The matter was also referred to the Finance Division, which on August 22 also supported the proposed increase in the salary of the president through amendment in the Fourth Schedule of the President (Salary, Allowances & Privileges) Act, 1975.

    The matter is expected to be presented before the cabinet for approval. The president, besides getting the desired increases, will also get a hefty amount as arrears as the two-step raises will be allowed with effect from July 2021 and July 2023 respectively.

  • Is Imran Khan leaving Pakistan?

    Is Imran Khan leaving Pakistan?

    Aleema Khan and Uzma Khanum, sisters of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, along with his wife Bushra Bibi, met him in Attock Jail on Tuesday, five days after they moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission for the meeting.

    The Khan sisters pleaded with the court they were not allowed to meet the former prime minister by the jail superintendent.

    “We went to meet our brother, former prime minister Imran Khan, in Attock jail on Thursday, but the superintendent did not allow us to meet him,” their plea mentioned, requesting the court to issue directives allowing the meeting to take place.

    During the meeting, Khan’s sisters and wife were accompanied by the party’s legal team comprising four members, as per The News.

    While Aleema and Uzma were meeting their brother for the first time, it was Bushra Bibi’s third visit to her husband, who has been in jail since August 5, after a trial court in Islamabad convicted him in Toshakhana case and handed him a three-year sentence.

    Bushra’s meeting lasted for over an hour during which, it was reported that the couple discussed personal and political issues.

    “Bushra discussed a specific issue with her husband regarding a message from a foreign friend about his settlement abroad,” an intelligence agency source said, as reported by Shakeel Anjum, correspondent of Geo News.

    READ MORE: Imran Khan rearrested in cypher case