Politics

Imran Khan secures bail in three cases, suffers setback in Toshakhana case

Published

9 months ago

Farwa

Attempted murder case: Imran Khan secures interim bail till March 9.
Prohibited funding case: Banking court grants PTI chief interim bail.
Terrorism case: ATC approves former PM’s bail till March 9.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday secured interim bail in three cases — including attempted murder and prohibited funding cases — while a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him in the Toshakhana case by a district and sessions court in Islamabad.

Amid a busy schedule today, the PTI chairman appeared before the banking court, anti-terrorism court and the sessions court at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad. He, however, skipped the hearing related to Toshakhana gifts.

Attempted murder case

PTI chief Khan secured interim bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the attempted murder case.

IHC’s Justice Aamer Farooq granted Khan interim bail till March 9 against surety bonds worth Rs100,000.

In October last year, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and member of the National Assembly Moshin Nawaz Ranjha filed the case against the deposed prime minister — who was ousted from power through a no-confidence motion in April — at the Secretariat police station in the federal capital.

Ranjha had approached the police after being attacked outside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s office in Islamabad, where PTI workers and supporters were protesting ECP’s verdict, which disqualified their party chief in the Toshakhana case.

It is pertinent to mention here, the election organising authority on October 21 disqualified Imran Khan, finding him guilty of not sharing details of Toshakhana gifts and proceeds from their sale during his tenure as prime minister. A five-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, unanimously ruled against Khan under Article 63 (p) of the Constitution.

Attempted murder case — Imran Khan secures interim bail till March 9.
Toshakhana case — Non-bailable arrest warrants issued against Khan.
Prohibited funding case — Banking court grants PTI chief interim bail.
Terrorism case — ATC approves former PM’s bail till March 9.

As Imran Khan arrived at the judicial complex in the federal capital, a large number of PTI workers entered the building by knocking its gate down.

Security arrangements at Sector G-11 of the judicial complex were disrupted as the PTI workers removed all barriers.

Toshakhana case

Earlier today, a district and sessions court in Islamabad issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the PTI chief in the Toshakhana case against him.

Additional sessions judge Zafar Iqbal, who conducted the hearing of the case, announced the decision as Khan failed to appear before the court despite repeated orders.

During the course of proceedings, Khan’s lawyer Ali Bukhari and Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) lawyer Saad Hasan were present in court. The hearing of the case was conducted by judge Zafar Iqbal.

Khan’s lawyer informed the court that the former has left Lahore a while ago. “Imran Khan has to appear before two courts in the judicial complex.”

He said that Khan will not be able to appear in this court today.

Bukhari requested the court to adjourn the hearing for five days.

“Why is it that Imran can appear in 11 courts but not at the katchehri?” inquired the judge.

The court will frame charges against him so he should come here and then leave, he remarked.

“Khawaja Haris is Imran Khan’s lawyer in this case and he is not available to appear in this court today,” he added.

The judge sought Khan once again in the Toshakhana case today.

Both of Khan’s lawyers — Ali Bukhari and Sardar Masroof — are were reportedly giving contradictory statements about Khan’s arrival.

Terror case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) court granted interim bail to the former prime minister after he appeared before it at the judicial complex.

The former prime minister secured bail in the prohibited funding and terrorism cases filed against him.

ATC judge Raja Jawad heard the terror case and granted bail till March 9 against the submission of surety bonds worth Rs100,000.

The Islamabad police had registered terror cases against PTI leaders, including Khan, after the party workers took to the streets and vandalised state property following his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference.

The cases — filed under 7ATA along with other sections of the PPC — were filed at different police stations in the federal capital in which hundreds of PTI workers and leaders were named for blocking roads and attacking police personnel at the behest of Khan, Asad Umar, Ali Nawaz Awan and others.

Prohibited funding case

Later, judge Rakhshanda Shaheen confirmed Imran Khan’s bail in the prohibited funding case.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on October 2022 booked the PTI chief for allegedly receiving prohibited funding.

The ECP, in a unanimous verdict on August 2022, had announced that the PTI received prohibited funding.

The case was earlier referred to as the “foreign funding” case, but later the election commission accepted the PTI’s plea to refer to it as the “prohibited funding” case.

Politics

Bilawal toes father Zardari’s line of political ‘unity’ ahead of polls

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

PPP chief Bilawal calls for burying politics of hatred, division.
Says wants to introduce new style of politics to end rivalries.
Zardari not afraid of “forces”, wants son Bilawal to become PM.

Following reports of differences between the top Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders, party chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari has called for “burying” politics of hatred and division in line with the vision of his father Asif Ali Zardari’s reconciliatory politics.

“We have to do politics wherein we should think about unity and not of division. The PPP wants to start a new kind of politics in the country,” Bilawal said while addressing a public rally held to mark the PPP’s 56th foundation day in Quetta.

Bilawal said his party wanted to promote a style of politics under which there is no rival party of the PPP.

“PPP is fighting against inflation and poverty due to which people are suffering. The old style of politics is based on hatred, division, and revenge. The country’s youth needs to bury such politics,” the PPP chief added.

The PPP chief apparently lowered his rhetoric against his rivals in his first public interaction since his father Asif Ali Zardari’s interview wherein the top PPP leader termed his son “inexperienced” while expressing displeasure over his tirade against the elder politicians.

The interview broadcast on Geo News last week triggered speculations that there were cracks among the top PPP leadership.

However, the party quickly rejected the rumours, and Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, the daughter of PPP Co-chairman Zardari, put to rest the speculation asking people to not pay heed to the headlines

She also shared an image with her family — including Zardari, Bilawal, and aunt Faryal Talpur. All of them seemed in a happy mood.

In the same gathering, Bilawal also fired a broadside at his political rivals saying that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is now known as the “mehangai [inflation] league” in the country.

“People know that they are showbaz [showmen] of politics,” the PPP chief added.

Bilawal said Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the PML-N wanted to roll back the provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Amendment.

“They want to occupy the resources of the provinces..PPP will not let this conspiracy to succeed.”

‘Jiyala next PM’

Bilawal also announced giving a surprise to the entire in the February 8, 2024 general elections saying the jiyala [PPP worker] will become the country’s new prime minister.

Addressing the gathering, Zardari called for the support of his son to make him the country’s youngest prime minister.

“We have to teach Bilawal what we know […] we have to train him to make him a leader of the youth.”

The former president also said that some forces are always at play to pull the legs of a leader who wants to take the country forward.

“We are not afraid of such forces. We trust our people.”

Pakistan

COAS Gen Asim Munir meets Kuwaiti crown prince

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to meet Kuwaiti crown prince today.
Both army chief and PM are in Kuwait on official visit.
PM Office says multiple MoUs expected to be signed during visit.

Army chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as part of his official visit to the gulf country, reported Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The meeting was also attended by Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Mohammad Farooq and other members of the delegation.

Meanwhile, PM Kakar has also arrived in Kuwait City after concluding the UAE visit and is expected to meet the crown prince today, the PM Office said on Wednesday.

The premier will also meet his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The PM office said that a number of memorandum of understanding (MoUs) will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence.

In UAE, Pakistan signed several MoUs worth multi-billion dollars in a range of areas on Monday to boost economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, PM Kakar said.

The prime minister said with the signing of the MoUs, the bilateral economic and strategic relations had entered into a new era of bilateral cooperation.

Congratulating the people of Pakistan and the UAE, he said the foundation of friendship with Pakistan which was laid by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the 1970s, had been taken forward by his son Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to a new era.

PM Kakar expressed the hope that the MoUs that were signed by the two countries would turn into tangible projects very soon.

Politics

Imran Khan’s aide kickstarts PTI funding campaign in Europe

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

LONDON: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zulfi Bukhari has kickstarted a mass mobilisation and fundraising campaign for the party in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Addressing a workers’ convention in High Wycombe in London along with Sahibzada Jahangir, one of the founders of PTI, Zulfi said that the mass mobilisation and fundraising has been started for the elections scheduled for February next year.

“We will take part in elections at any cost. We need funds and effort from the overseas regions. The party needs funds for its legal challenges as well for the election campaign,” he said.

Zulfi said the entire leadership is prepared for the elections and will not be deterred by the arrest threats.

The former cabinet member said he will be going to Pakistan himself as soon as the party leadership directs him, adding that he was prepared to go to jail.

However, it is unlikely that Zulfi will be travelling to Pakistan anytime soon as the caretaker govt has requested Interpol for his arrest. He was in Dubai when the Interpol request was made, he left UAE and since then has not travelled outside London.

Zulfi said he will be personally visiting cities in the United Kingdom and Europe to raise funds.

The PTI leader revealed that the campaign in the UK is scheduled to start shortly and arrangements are in place. He said the PTI Core Committee was meeting daily to discuss affairs of the party to formulate strategies on a daily basis.

Zulfi Bukhari has so far stayed away from PTI UK events but his decision to take part in mobilisation suggests he has been asked by the leadership in Pakistan to engage with the local chapter.

Two weeks ago, he told an audience at the University of London that making Usman Buzdar Punjab’s chief minister was a mistake but Imran Khan did the right thing by not sacking him.