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.
ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan set to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to get bail in two cases related to sedition and attempted murder.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan left his Zaman Park residence to reach the capital.
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear deposed premier protective bail pleas.
In a circular issued by the IHC Registrar’s Office, it was stated that the pre-arrest bail petitions of former prime minister Imran Khan in two cases would be heard at 2:30pm tomorrow in courtroom No.1.
Special passes would be required for journalists and lawyers to gain entry, while court staff would be exempt from this requirement.
According to the circular, Imran Khan will be permitted to have 15 lawyers accompany him inside the courtroom.
Additionally, ten lawyers from the offices of the Attorney General of Pakistan and Advocate General Islamabad, along with 30 members of the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA), will be allowed entry.
In last hearing, the court granted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman pre-arrest bails–till May 9 in the aforementioned cases. It ordered the former premier to cooperate with the police in their investigation.
“Don’t be afraid of this security arrangement. Rather feel secure. Don’t give the impression that someone wants to arrest you,” IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq who was leading a division bench told Imran Khan who appeared in the court in a wheelchair.
A day earlier, the bench had given one last chance to Imran to appear in the court in person to get pre-arrest bail, noting that it could not bend rules for the PTI chief just because he is a “privileged” person.
Addressing the former premier, Justice Farooq asked why he was not joining the probe.
Imran’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar told the bench that the police wanted Imran to appear before seven different investigation officers (IOs) probing the seven terror cases.
“We are ready to give our testimony right now. All the IOs are also present here [in the courtroom]. Why didn’t they get our [Imran’s] statement today?” he proposed.
The CJ noted that Imran could not give his testimony like this on a piece of paper. “Follow the procedure that is in place for giving testimony to police,” he noted.
The bench once again told Imran’s counsel to submit reports of a government hospital if they want to get an exemption from personal appearance in court on medical grounds. A day earlier, the court had noted that a pre-arrest bail could only be awarded if the accused appeared in a court in person.
ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions Courts Islamabad Judge Humayun Dilawar on Friday announced the reserved verdict in Toshakhana case against Imran Khan and announced PTI chairman to be indicted on May 10.
The court has summoned the former premier on May10 in person. The court has rejected both applications of the Imran Khan and gave verdict in favour of the ECP lawyers.
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lawyers Saad Hassan and Amjad Parvez and Imran Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris and Khalid Yusuf while PML-N leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha appeared before the court.
Khawaja Haris pleaded a petition has been filed for against the admissibility of the ToshaKhana case. He said petition against the admissibility of the case was filed under the Elections Act.
Khawaja Haris said Sessions court could not directly hear the Toshakhana case.
Earlier, Islamabad district and sessions court adjourned the Toshakhana case hearing again against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supremo Imran Khan till May 5 over Imran’s council absence.
PTI’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry appeared in the court of Additional Session Judge Humayun Dilawar and requested the court to adjourn the hearing as lead counsel Khawaja Harris was not available.
Faisal also submitted a petition seeking an exemption for Imran Khan in today’s hearing citing security threats.
After hearing arguments, the court approved the exemption plea and summoned arguments on the admissibility of the ECP case on May 5.
PDM led federal government filed a reference against PTI Chairman accused him of not sharing the details of gifts he retained from Toshakhana in his assets declarations.
ECP after investigations had concluded in October last year that the PTI chief filed false statements regarding the gifts.
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned those who defy the Constitution. He expressed gratitude for the participation of people in the Labor Day rally organized by his party in Lahore.
Imran Khan shared scenes from the rally on Twitter, describing the massive response from the masses as a warning to those who are considering defying the Constitution and the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) by not holding elections.
The former premier categorically said that the masses would not tolerate the mafia who is trying to run away from the Constitution.
He also warned that Pakistan is currently not in an economic position to withstand a ‘massive street movement’.
The former ruling party was late on Sunday night granted conditional permission to hold a rally in the provincial capital of Lahore.
A container reached Liberty Chowk for the rally for senior PTI leaders.
A large contingent of police was on duty by placing barriers around Liberty Chowk.
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Islamabad aim to reduce the carbon dioxide emission by 35 metric ton and also expected to save $6 billion to $8 billion yearly billion by implementing National Energy Conservation Policy 2023.
National Energy Saving Efficiency and Conversation Policy 2023 has already approved by cabinet committee.
The implementation of the policy will reduce the emission of 35 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and also expected to save up to 6 and 8 billion dollars.
As per documents, $1.15 billion foreign exchange will be saved in energy, food and water sectors.
As per the policy documents, energy saving devices in commercial, domestic, industrial, agriculture sectors will be identified and people will be asked energy saving fans, air conditioners and motors.
As per documents, energy audit of the commercial buildings will be mandatory for energy saving and use of old appliances will be banned from onwards.
Pakistan can save up to 15 percent of electricity annually while energy information houses will be built at federal and provincial levels.
According to documents, a package will be given to the production of energy saving devices across the country.
LAHORE: The Pakistani film industry is set to deliver an exciting lineup of movies on Eid-ul-Fitr 2023, with a diverse range of genres and themes.
Here are some of the most anticipated releases:
‘Money Back Guarantee’ is a comedy film directed by Faisal Qureshi, who is known for his successful television dramas. The movie stars Fawad Khan, Kiran Malik, Wasim Akram, and Shaniera Akram and it promises to be a laugh-out-loud experience for audiences.
‘Huey Tum Ajnabee’ is a romantic drama directed by Hassan Waqas Rana, who has previously directed hit movies like ‘Yalghaar’ and ‘Waar’. The movie stars Ayeza Khan and Osman Khalid Butt, and tells the story of a couple who fall in love despite their different backgrounds.
‘Daadal’ is a social drama directed by Kamran Qureshi, who is known for his critically acclaimed film ‘The System’. The movie stars Sanam Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui, and explores the themes of class, gender, and power dynamics in Pakistani society.
‘Dorr’ is a sports drama directed by Zamir Ahmad Awan, who is known for his award-winning documentary ‘The Pakistani Footballers’. The movie stars Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Ansari, and tells the story of a young girl who dreams of becoming a boxer.
‘Lahore Qalandar’ is a biopic directed by Faisal Saif, who is known for his film ‘Main Hoon Rajinikanth’. The movie stars Shaan Shahid and Mehwish Hayat, and tells the story of the Pakistan Super League team Lahore Qalandars and their journey to success.
Apart from Pakistani movies, the highly anticipated Hollywood movies ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ and ‘Evil Dead Rise’ are also set to release on Eid 2023. ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ stars Keanu Reeves and promises to be an action-packed extravaganza, while ‘Evil Dead Rise’ is a horror film that is set to be a reboot of the popular ‘Evil Dead’ franchise.
Overall, the lineup of movies set to release on Eid 2023 is diverse and promises to have something for everyone. With a mix of established stars and up-and-coming talent, Pakistani cinema is set to continue its upward trajectory and make a mark on the global entertainment industry.
LAHORE: Punjab has been receiving intermittent rain since last night in various cities including Lahore. One person died and three others injured after the roof of a house collapsed due to rain and four people were buried under the debris in Toba Tek Singh.
Heavy rains were reported in different parts of Punjad including Abbott Road, Shimla Pahari, Lakshmi Chowk, and surrounding areas of Lahore are receiving light rain. While Kahna, Gajju Mata, Nishtar Colony and surrounding areas have also received rain since late night including Gulberg, Ichhra and Wahdat Road.
On the other hand, weather forecasters have predicted more rain during the next 24 hours. Today and tomorrow, the weather will remain cloudy throughout the province, including Lahore, while there is a possibility of rain with strong winds and thunder. Due to the entry of western winds since the night, the cold has increased. Meanwhile, other cities of Punjab, Okara, Renala Khurd and Hujra Shah Moqim received rain with thunder.
In view of the heavy rains, the PDMA has issued an alert to the concerned institutions, expressing the fear of severe damage to crops, especially wheat, due to strong winds and hailstorm.
As soon as it rained in different areas, the power supply was suspended, while the low-lying areas were also flooded due to heavy rain.
On the other hand, the rain that started yesterday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is still continuing intermittently, along with black clouds in several areas.
The meteorological department said there is a possibility of rain with strong winds and thundershowers at most places icluding Chitral, Buner, Swat, Abbottabad, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.
Heavy rain and hailstorm have also been predicted in some places of the province, so far 3 mm of rain has been recorded in Peshawar, 11 in Buner, 10 in Timergara, 6 in kalaChitral and 1 mm in Kalam.
Rain also continues intermittently in various districts of Peshawar with chances of gusty winds and thunder in most places along with a possibility of hailstorm.
