ISLAMABAD: A team of the National Accountability Bureau will formally begin an investigation against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan today.
An Islamabad Accountability Court had approved Imran Khan’s eight-day physical remand in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case on Wednesday.
Security arrangements have been beefed up at and around the Police Lines in Islamabad after it was declared a sub-jail. Additional containers have also been dispatched.
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir had heard the reference against the PTI chief.
Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday in a graft case, and presented before the accountability court at the Police Lines Headquarters in H-11/1 Islamabad today.
Imran’s counsels Khawaja Haris, Faisal Chaudhry, Ali Gohar, and Ali Bukhari appeared before the court.
The accountability bureau will investigate the former premier at the Police Lines. The NAB had sought Imran Khan’s 14-day remand.
At the outset of hearing, the country’s top anti-corruption body sought 14-day physical remand of the former premier.
To which Imran’s council contended that NAB has no jurisdiction in the case, adding the anti-graft watchdog also did not share inquiry report.
He maintained that a fair trial is Imran Khan’s fundamental right. “Imran Khan’s trial should be held in open court,” his counsel urged the court.
NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar reported to the court that Imran Khan was shown arrest warrants at the time of his detention. He also assured Imran’s council that the necessary documentation would be provided.
“This is a corruption case which the UK’s National Crime Agency has probed,” he said, adding that the money received was meant to be transferred to the government of Pakistan.
“Instead of the government, the funds that were received were transferred to Bahria Town,” he said.
The prosecutor further said Imran Khan’s aide Shahzad Akbar had briefed him about the funds in a cabinet meeting, and the then prime minister ordered to keep the record sealed.
Imran Khan disputed the prosecutor’s statement and informed the court that the warrants were not shown to him during his arrest, but rather shown when he was transferred to the NAB office.
During the hearing, Imran Khan told the court he had not gone to the washroom for 24 hours, and asked for calling his personal physician Dr Faisal.
He feared he would be meted out the same treatment as ‘Maqsood Chaprasi’, alleging people were injected something that killed them slowly.
Imran’s lawyer Khawaja Haris told the court a building was constructed on the land of Al-Qadir Trust where people were getting free education.
Meanwhile, a medical report submitted to the NAB showed that Khan has been declared fit and he did not complain of any pain to the doctors examining him.
A medical board, comprising seven doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital and two doctors from the Polyclinic, examined Khan and conducted several tests.
The report submitted by the board, headed by Dr Rizwan Taj, showed that Khan’s blood pressure, sugar level, and heartbeat were normal after repeated tests.
ISLAMABAD: Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Vice Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) was arrested by Islamabad Police here from Gilgit Baltistan House in federal capital.
In a video statement issued before his arrest of Vice Chairman PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi, he said police reached to arrest him. “This is a real freedom movement,” he added.
“Imran Khan tried to fulfill the responsibility and played the politics of honesty for 40 years,” Qureshi added.
Qureshi vowed that the struggle would continue till the release of Imran Khan.
The PTI Vice Chairman said he has done nothing wrong and has no regrets.
“I have not given any statement of provocation,” Shah Mahmood added.
Without elaborating the context, he said a great sacrifice has to be made for a great cause.
ISLAMABAD: As political unrest simmers in the wake of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman (PTI) Imran Khan’s arrest, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad have called in the army amid violence that claimed four lives in Peshawar, while Sindh is also imposing Section 144 to maintain law and order.
Police have arrested hundreds of supporters of ousted prime minister Imran Khan for violence after his arrest on corruption charges, authorities said, deepening the political crisis in the country.
Four bullet-riddled bodies were received by the emergency room doctors, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LHR) told Geo News, while as many as 27 others were under treatment for traumatic injuries related to agitation.
Mobile data services were shut for a second day while Twitter, YouTube and Facebook were disrupted, as security forces tried to restore order after violence killed one person late on Tuesday.
The government said PTI workers had attacked important state buildings and damaged private and public vehicles.
“This can’t be tolerated, the law will take its course,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told a news conference. “These violent attacks were not the outcome of any public outpouring, they were planned by the PTI rank and file.”
The Ministry of Interior has approved the Punjab government’s request for assistance by sanctioning ten companies of troops, saying: “The army would be working alongside district administration to restore law, order and peace”.
The order issued by the Federal Ministry of Interior stated: “Pursuant to the request made by the Home Department Government of Punjab, vide their letter No.SO(IS-II)3-15/2023 (Security) (1) Dated 9 May 2023, the federal government in excise of powers conferred under article 245 of the constitution and Section 4 (3) (ii) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, (to discharge such functions as specified in the said act), is pleased to authorise the deployment of Pakistan Army troops/assets for maintaining law and order situations across the Punjab province in aid of civil power.”
The exact number of troops/assets, date and area of deployment will be worked out by the provincial government in consultation with the MO Dte, GHQ, it added.
“The date of the de-requisition of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation between both stakeholders,” the notification said.
In a separate statement, Punjab police said action had been taken against those attacking government property, police force and law enforcement agencies in the province.
“Miscreants involved in violent acts, vandalism, damage to public and private property throughout the province have been arrested,” the notification said, adding that they had “seriously injured” more than 130 police officers and law enforcement personnel during the violent operations.
The spokesperson then shared: “Police teams have arrested 945 law breakers and miscreants from across the province.”
The Punjab police spokesperson said: “More than 25 vehicles of the police and government agencies were destroyed and burnt.”
Protesters had attacked more than 14 government buildings, looting and causing serious damage to government property, he shared.
Furthermore, Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar shared that strict legal action is being taken against those who challenge the writ of the state and the law.
He reaffirmed that those who injure citizens, police officers and personnel and damage property “will be brought to justice”.
Following the violent protests, at least 30 people were arrested in Peshawar, police confirmed, adding that cases had been registered against the alleged miscreants.
According to the police, the cases are registered on charges of damaging public and private property, vehicles, metro buses and government ambulances.
Provisions of arson, stone pelting, vandalism and attacks on the police have also been registered.
Identification of rioters and arsonists from CCTV footage and other sources is underway, the police said.
Reacting to the news, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi slammed the federal government and questioned: How did the army become available for deployment in Punjab, when earlier it was said it was “too busy” [to perform election duty]?
“We have serious concerns about threats to the life of chairman Imran Khan. Our leader is in the custody of those who threatened him. Secondly, till yesterday, the army was very busy and was not available for the elections, but what has happened that the army has been deployed in Punjab and KP today? The nation is not stupid,” Qureshi tweeted.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested Wednesday, hours after the police apprehended PTI Secretary General Asad Umar as the authorities crack down on the party’s leadership amid countrywide protests due to PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest.
People familiar with the matter said that Qureshi has been taken into custody for 15 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960.
The people added that both — Qureshi and Umar — have been shifted to the Secretariat Police Station in the federal capital, with police trying to arrest PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry as well.
The PTI’s top-tier leadership is being put behind bars, sources said, to ensure law and order as they are the ones calling the shots — may it be protests or other disruptions being caused in the country.
The protests are being held in remote and major cities alike as the party workers are agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) eight-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust graft case.**
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir had heard the reference against the PTI chief and reserved his verdict.
Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday in a graft case, and presented before the accountability court at the Police Lines Headquarters in H-11/1 Islamabad today.
Imran’s counsels Khawaja Haris, Faisal Chaudhry, Ali Gohar, and Ali Bukhari appeared before the court.
The accountability bureau will investigate the former premier at the Police Lines. The NAB had sought Imran Khan’s 14-day remand.
At the outset of hearing, the country’s top anti-corruption body sought 14-day physical remand of the former premier.
To which Imran’s council contended that NAB has no jurisdiction in the case, adding the anti-graft watchdog also did not share inquiry report.
He maintained that a fair trial is Imran Khan’s fundamental right. “Imran Khan’s trial should be held in open court,” his counsel urged the court.
NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar reported to the court that Imran Khan was shown arrest warrants at the time of his detention. He also assured Imran’s council that the necessary documentation would be provided.
“This is a corruption case which the UK’s National Crime Agency has probed,” he said, adding that the money received was meant to be transferred to the government of Pakistan.
“Instead of the government, the funds that were received were transferred to Bahria Town,” he said.
The prosecutor further said Imran Khan’s aide Shahzad Akbar had briefed him about the funds in a cabinet meeting, and the then prime minister ordered to keep the record sealed.
Imran Khan disputed the prosecutor’s statement and informed the court that the warrants were not shown to him during his arrest, but rather shown when he was transferred to the NAB office.
During the hearing, Imran Khan told the court he had not gone to the washroom for 24 hours, and asked for calling his personal physician Dr Faisal.
He feared he would be meted out the same treatment as ‘Maqsood Chaprasi’, alleging people were injected something that killed them slowly.
Imran’s lawyer Khawaja Haris told the court a building was constructed on the land of Al-Qadir Trust where people were getting free education.
Meanwhile, a medical report submitted to the NAB showed that Khan has been declared fit and he did not complain of any pain to the doctors examining him.
A medical board, comprising seven doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital and two doctors from the Polyclinic, examined Khan and conducted several tests.
The report submitted by the board, headed by Dr Rizwan Taj, showed that Khan’s blood pressure, sugar level, and heartbeat were normal after repeated tests.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked the party’s charged protestors to remain peaceful during ongoing demonstrations.
Speaking to the media outside the Police Lines Guest House in Islamabad, Qureshi told Peaceful protest is your constitutional right, keep it going. But don’t take the law into your own hands.
He went on to say that authorities wanted to lodge fake cases against you, adding “Don’t give them the chance.”
PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that protests would take place across the country and called on the people to remain peaceful.
Last night, Islamabad High Court (IHC) termed the arrested of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan legal in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq — who had raised questions over the Rangers’ move to arrest Khan from the court’s premises earlier in the day — announced the reserved verdict.
The IHC also issued notices to the Islamabad inspector general of police and the interior secretary over contempt of court.
The chief justice ordered the high court registrar to get a first information report (FIR) registered over the circumstances of the arrest, which included manhandling the lawyers present nearby as well as damage to the court building.
He also instructed the registrar to conduct an inquiry and submit a report by May 16.
On the other hand, 1,500 security personnel have been deployed around the Police Lines owing to the presence of the PTI chief inside.
Contingents of Rangers and FC have also been deployed along with police, while 3,000 armed police and anti-riots force has been deployed across the city.
The entry of common people into the Red Zone has been banned, while Imran Khan’s lawyers were transported to the Police Lines by a shuttle service.
LAHORE: In a major development in the money laundering case against Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has submitted a supplementary report declaring the father-son duo as “innocent”.
The report was submitted to the accountability court and was presented during the hearing conducted by Accountability Court judge Qamar-ul-Zaman.
The report, which was submitted on Monday, revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shehbaz, and others have been acquitted of all charges.
During the hearing, Shehbaz Sharif’s representative Anwar Hussain appeared in the court and completed his appearance.
The court adjourned further hearing of the case till May 24.
The case was filed by NAB, which alleged that Shehbaz Sharif and his family members were involved in money laundering and illegal transfer of funds through fake accounts.
In December 2020, the FIA had submitted a challan against the two PML-N leaders before the court for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case.
The investigation team has “detected 28 Benami [untitled] accounts of the Shehbaz family through which money laundering of Rs16.3bn was committed during 2008 to 2018”. It examined the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions.
Shehbaz and Hamza were booked in the case along with Suleman Shehbaz, who was absconding in the United Kingdom. 14 other people were also named in the FIR.
The report revealed that the amount was kept under “hidden accounts” which were given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity.
The Sharif family has consistently denied any involvement in money laundering or other illegal financial activities. They have maintained that the case against them is politically motivated and an attempt to discredit their reputation and influence in the country.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son, Suleman Shehbaz, stating that the agency found ‘no evidence of his involvement in the money laundering case’.
ISLAMABAD: Supporters of PTI Chairman Imran Khan were planning to march towards Islamabad on Wednesday where the former Pakistan prime minister is in custody in a corruption case, raising fears of more clashes with security forces.
Mobile data services in the country were shut while Twitter, YouTube and Facebook were disrupted. Television carried watered-down coverage of violence that erupted on Tuesday.
Authorities in three of Pakistan’s four provinces have imposed an emergency order banning all gatherings after Khan’s supporters clashed with police.
Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday by Pakistan’s anti-corruption agency. Police said a court hearing would take place at the police guest house where he is being held.
The arrest came a day after the country’s powerful military rebuked Khan for repeatedly accusing a senior military officer of trying to engineer his assassination and the former armed forces chief of being behind his removal from power last year.
In response, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party called for a “shutdown” across the country, with Khan’s supporters clashing with police in many cities and storming military buildings in Lahore and Rawalpindi, according to witnesses and videos shared by his party.
Supporters in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were asked to gather early on Wednesday in Swabi city to leave for Islamabad as part of a convoy, the party wrote on Twitter.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the party’s senior leadership was in Islamabad to meet Khan and will approach the Supreme Court to challenge an Islamabad High Court order that deemed Khan’s arrest legal.
“We continue to call PTI family workers, supporters and the people of Pakistan onto the streets for peaceful protest against this unconstitutional behaviour,” Qureshi wrote on Twitter.
A police spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday that Khan will not be brought to court and his scheduled hearing will take place at the location where he is being held under custody in the Islamabad police lines area.
At least one person was killed on Tuesday and 12 others injured, including six police officers, in clashes in the southern city of Quetta, provincial home minister Ziaullah Langove said.
Imran Khan, 70, a cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 in a parliamentary no-confidence vote. Khan has not slowed his campaign against the ouster even though he was wounded in a November attack on his convoy as he led a protest march to Islamabad calling for snap general elections.
His arrest comes at a time when Pakistanis are reeling from the worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation and anaemic growth. An International Monetary Fund bailout package has been delayed for months even though foreign exchange reserves are barely enough to cover a month’s imports.
The corruption case is one of more than 100 registered against Khan since his ouster after four years in power. In most of the cases, Khan faces being barred from holding public office if convicted, with a national election scheduled for November.
Political infighting is common in Pakistan, where no prime minister has yet fulfilled a full term and where the military has ruled for nearly half of the country’s history.
ISLAMABAD: European Union while reacting to the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case stated that patience is necessary during this difficult and tense situation.
The EU spokesperson said the current difficult and tense situation in Pakistan requires patience, and the problems faced by the country must be resolved by Pakistanis themselves, and emphasised the need for sincere dialogue and adherence to the rule of law in order to solve the issues at hand.
Enraged PTI activists across the country have taken to the streets to protest the arrest of Imran Khan, resulting in violent protests. The protesters have blocked roads in various cities and even disrupted mobile phone services.
The deposed premier was arrested today by a team from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) with assistance from Rangers in the Al-Qadir Trust case from the Judicial Complex Compound following which he was shifted to NAB Rawalpindi office.
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah said that Mr Khan is bent on harming Pakistan by joining the anti-national forces, adding that if anyone tries to spoil the situation, the law will come into action with full force.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, who was arrested on Tuesday in a graft case, will be presented before the accountability court at the Police Lines Headquarters H-11/1 Islamabad today (Wednesday).
A notification in this regard has also been issued. As per the notification, the judges who will hear the NAB and Toshakhana cases will go to Police Lines Headquarters H11/1 Islamabad instead of Judicial Complex G-11/4.
Imran Khan has reportedly been transferred to the Police Lines Guest House. Furthermore, it has been disclosed that the federal government, acting on NAB’s request, has designated the Police Lines Guest House as a sub-jail, and in the event that physical remand is granted in the NAB case, Imran Khan will be held there.
The anti-corruption agency has defended the detention of Mr. Khan, which took place on Tuesday inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), with the assistance of Rangers. The agency has justified the arrest, stating that it was lawful and carried out in full compliance with NAB regulations.
“NAB arrested former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The case relates to illegal acquisition of land and construction for Al-Qadir University involving unlawful benefit given in recovery of prime proceeds (190 million pounds) through National Crime Agency, UK,” the statement said.
“The arrest has been made after fulfilling the lawful procedures of inquiry and investigation conducted by NAB,” the anti-graft watchdog asserted.
It said during the process of inquiry/investigation, several notices were issued to Mr Khan and his wife as they were the trustees of Al-Qadir Trust.
“However, none of the call-up notices was responded to by the former prime minister or his wife.”
I am certain that Imran Khan’s arrest by the rangers, an army offshoot commanded by army officers and staffed by army Jawans is a coincidence and not the result of a deliberate effort to exclude police from this operation. Moreover, the entire operation was conducted with IG police on the driving seat against what has been alleged by certain quarters. The allegations were also not true that he was arrested by the order of the Accountability Court because the government this time around was not able to arm twist the judiciary to do what they wanted.
His arrest was portrayed by certain sections as breaking in and disgracing the high court and its chief justice, forcing and dragging a wounded and frail Imran Khan by defying the court’s sanctity. While doing so, it invited visible wrath of annoyed sitting Chief Justice, who took immediate action but at the end declared the arrest in accordance with law, and by doing so put the entire nation on a razor’s edge.
According to the Pakistani Constitution, every citizen has the right to a fair trial and due process of law, including the right to be free of arbitrary arrest or detention. Article 10 of the Constitution expressly states that no one shall be detained without being informed of the reason for their detention, nor shall anyone be denied the right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice.
Section 17(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) similarly prohibits police officers from entering the court’s precincts to arrest an accused person who is attending or about to attend a high court hearing. This provision is intended to safeguard the judiciary’s independence and the rights of the accused.
While there were over 140 cases against him being heard by the courts around the country, he was arrested on the spurious pretext of a six-year-old and forgotten case of Al-Qadir Trust, in which a petitioner had alleged the taking over of a piece of land by the KP government, without the consent of the trust, and held Imran Khan responsible for the takeover.
The case is subjudice with Peshawar High Court since 2017 awaiting final ruling in which no instance of corruption or corrupt practices as yet proven with finality, no financial transaction between the trust and Imran Khan was involved, and the case was primarily between the KP Government and a trustee of the Al Qadir trust.
In addition, the PHC was seized to determine whether the KP government acted within the law in acquiring the land and whether the Al-Qadir Trust’s rights had been violated. Even if Imran Khan is ultimately found to have committed no wrongdoing, the Court was also investigating whether the case was used as a diversion from other issues in order to damage his reputation and credibility.
According to a country’s legal system, a trial court cannot assume a case that is being heard by its appellate court due to distinct jurisdictions and functions as trial court at first instance hears and decides cases and if it is dissatisfied with the trial court’s decision, it can appeal to a higher court, such as an appellate court.
The arrest also attracted recent amendment made to the NAB ordinance, in which private transactions were excluded from NAB’s purview, the NAB’s pecuniary jurisdiction was limited to mega-scandals involving over Rs. 500 million, and the statute of limitations for filing a case was reduced to one year, with court permission.
While the contested case is six years old, it is between a private trust and the government, and no government funds are involved. In fact, the government appeared to be the beneficiary, and land was acquired in the public interest. In addition, the case has not been classified as a mega scandal because no monetary value has been assigned to it to qualify it as such.
The arrest hits Section 16 of the NAB Act which stipulates that an accused will be tried for an offense under the ordinance in the court under whose territorial jurisdiction the alleged offense was committed, as previously there were no territorial limits. This section specifies the territorial jurisdiction of the court, which means that the trial will take place in the area where the alleged offense occurred.
This is intended to make it easier for the accused to defend themselves, reduce the burden on the accused and their families, and eliminate the need to travel long distances. Before this amendment, Section 16 did not specify any territorial limitations, and the accused could be tried in any accountability court in Pakistan. I hope while arresting Imran in Islamabad, all legal aspects were taken care of.
It is also said in certain sections of the civil society that Imran Khan at the time of arrest was attending a high court hearing, at the orders of the said court and was under “judicial immunity” or “protection.” This means that he could not have been arrested by any law enforcement agency while he was inside the court premises or during his transit to or from the court, unless there was a specific order from the court authorizing his arrest.
Even if the law enforcing agencies had an arrest warrant issued by a lower court – such as a trial court that was subordinate to the high court – the law enforcement agencies were required to seek permission from the high court judge in session to execute the arrest warrant. If the high court grants permission, then he could be arrested and taken into custody as the judicial immunity only applies to the jurisdiction of the high court and not to other courts. However, these apersions were set to rest by the order of Islamabad high court which termed the arrest in accordance with the law.
In any case, if an accused person is arrested without proper authorization or in violation of their judicial immunity while attending a high court proceeding, it is a serious matter and can lead to legal and administrative consequences for the law enforcement officials involved.
For example, in India in 2019, the Delhi High Court reprimanded the Delhi Police for arresting a man within the court premises while he was attending a hearing in a case. The court stated that the arrest was a clear violation of the fundamental right to access justice and the independence of the judiciary.
Similarly, in the United States, in 2019, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated the constitutional rights of an undocumented immigrant by arresting him inside a courthouse. The judge stated that the arrest undermined the court’s ability to provide access to justice and maintain the integrity of the judicial process.
The LAE, may have already set in place the damage controlled mechanism which includes deployment of additional police forces, rioting units and specialized units to areas where protests are taking place. It was done to prevent violence and maintain public order, arrest protesters engaging in violent behavior and charge them with offenses such as assault, destruction of property, or disorderly conduct. The use of force to disperse the crowds or prevent them from causing harm to property or people by the use of non-lethal weapons such as tear gas or water cannons initiating legal action against the opposition leaders was done on account of violating the laws and inciting violence – and above all curb of freedom on assembly, speech, movement and expression.
This included ban on all communication and information means such as stopping cell phone services and banning conventional & social media to stop spread of rumours, heresy and false and fabricated information to incite violence. However, they must do this by taking in account that it can have significant economic and social effects, particularly on small businesses and entrepreneurs who rely on these platforms to market their products and services, and on vulnerable populations who rely on these platforms for support and information.
If Imran Khan – or any other leader for that matter – has committed any wrongdoing, financial bungling, misappropriation of public funds or used illegal means of acquiring money, like all other such persons, no laxity should be shown to him but while living within the confines of constitution and law of the land and without any fear or favor.
Trespassing the constitution or law of the land especially by the Law Enforcing Agencies means socio economic disaster and breaking down of social order which is in no one’s interest.
Permit me to quote the concluding remarks of a TV anchor who stated that he had never seen such an alarming and dangerous political situation in his professional career, and let us join him in pleading with all leaders, politicians, and influential stakeholders to have mercy on the unfortunate people, this country, and themselves. All of this to stop leading the nation towards total collapse and catastrophe. (Edited by Khadijah Kamili)
Opinions in this piece are based on personal observations of the writer.
