Pakistan: Will Imran Khan's sons join nationwide protests? – DW – 07/16/2025
Jemima Goldsmith, the former wife of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, has accused the Pakistani government of obstructing her children from communicating with their father.
The 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August 2023. He was previously ousted as prime minister in a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022.
Khan faces multiple charges, including corruption and terrorism, but his supporters believe the cases are politically motivated and aimed at thwarting his return to power.
In a post on X, Goldsmith said the government threatened to arrest Khan's sons if they attempt to visit him. She described it as "a personal vendetta."
Her comments came after Rana Sanaullah, an adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, warned Khan's sons against participating in nationwide protests to demand Khan's release.
Khan's children — Suleman Khan, 28, and 26-year-old Qasim Khan — live in the UK. They made a rare public appearance in May to advocate for their father's release from prison.
The rallies are set to start on August 5. The protest movement is being organized by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudry dismissed the political significance of Imran Khan's sons, saying that "they are not the focus for the government."
The minister told DW that the former prime minister's children were "welcome to visit Pakistan as lawful visitors, but if they break the law, they will be dealt with accordingly."
The PTI party says Khan's children just want to see their father freed from jail and have no intention to participate in Pakistani politics.
"Their arrival in the country to join a peaceful movement for the release of their father has triggered panic in the concerned quarters, therefore rumors of their possible arrests are being floated to test the waters," Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, adviser to Imran Khan on international affairs and media, told DW.
PTI welcomes their decision to join the protest movement, he stated.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Asma Shirazi, a political analyst, said Khan's sons are unlikely to come to Pakistan to participate in the protests, especially given the current challenges facing the PTI party, which is riven by internal disputes and conflicting agendas.
"If they come to rally for their father in the coming months, I don't believe they will succeed in securing Khan's release from jail. They are only portrayed as showpieces to galvanize public participation." Shirazi told DW.
Osama Malik, a legal expert, said the government should not hinder Khan's sons from meeting him. At the same time, he advised them against engaging in political activity.
"It should be clear that every country places certain restrictions on foreigners who enter a country on a visit or family visa. Khan's sons should refrain from any political activity in Pakistan as it would be against their visa conditions," he underlined.
"Khan's sons, who have very little understanding of Pakistan or connection with ordinary Pakistanis, may find it extremely difficult to catalyze the movement. Instead, they may end up dividing the party further,' Malik added.
Despite being locked up, Khan still has millions of supporters across Pakistan and can still rely on his personal charisma to incite them to action.
The former athlete still hopes to leave jail and eventually return to power.
Khan's PTI is currently gearing up to launch a massive campaign on August 5, setting up marches across Pakistan to press the government and the military — the country's most powerful institution — to release Khan from prison.
During a press conference on Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and a prominent PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur announced a new 90-day timeline for what he referred to as "a final push" to free Khan.
Several such protests over the past couple of years have escalated into violence, at times paralyzing the capital, Islamabad, for extended periods.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
With the protests drawing near, the government is creating a new national paramilitary force. The official initiative will transform an existing paramilitary unit stationed along Pakistan's northwestern border with Afghanistan into a security force known as the Federal Constabulary.
Its responsibilities will encompass internal security, riot control, and counterterrorism efforts.
"This will be a new and stronger force. We require this force to ensure internal security,' said Interior Minister Chaudhry.
In turn, opposition parties and human rights organizations have already warned that the force could be used for curtailing political and civil liberties.
The human rights situation in Pakistan also became a subject of discussion in the US Congress this week, with a senior US lawmaker expressing concern over the state of affairs in the South Asian nation.
Chris Smith, a Republican congressman and co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, said even basic freedoms were being compromised under the current government in Islamabad.
He also criticized the continued imprisonment of ex-PM Khan.
"Life in Pakistan today is marked by rampant government violations of basic freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and media freedom, and the denial of free and fair elections,' Smith said.
The government's human rights record had "taken a sharp turn for the worse" in recent years, he added, urging Washington to "redouble its commitment to democracy and human rights."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
an hour ago
- DW
Trump meets EU chief in push to clinch trade deal – DW – 07/27/2025
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen is hoping to strike a trade deal with the US before August 1, to avoid a transatlantic trade war. Trump describes the prospect of an agreement as "50-50." US President Donald Trump is meeting with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland on Sunday, as Brussels seeks to finalize a trade agreement with Washington before the August 1 deadline. Ahead of the meeting, Trump gave "a good 50-50 chance" on Friday for a deal with the European Union to be reached. Von der Leyen has been pushing hard for a trade pact that would see the bloc avoid the 30% tariffs that Trump has threatened on all goods from the EU. Most EU goods already face a 10% tariff, with levies of 25% on cars and car parts and 50% on steel and aluminum. On Sunday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the August 1 deadline was firm. "No extensions, no more grace periods. Aug. 1, the tariffs are set, they'll go into place, Customs will start collecting the money and off we go," Lutnick told the US broadcaster Fox News. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to an EU diplomat briefed ahead of the meeting, set for 4:30 p.m. (1530 GMT), key issues still need to be hammered out. "A political deal is on the table — but it needs the sign-off from Trump, who wants to negotiate this down to the very last moment," the diplomat told AFP. European negotiators are aiming for a baseline levy of around 15 percent on EU exports to the US — the level secured by Japan. Any deal will need to be approved by all member states. EU ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were updated on the negotiations by the Commission on Sunday morning, and would meet again after any agreement.
DW
4 hours ago
- DW
As France's Africa policy collapses how do companies adjust? – DW – 07/27/2025
With the political leaders of francophone Africa increasingly turning their backs on their former colonial rulers, French corporations have been forced to rethink doing business with Africa without Paris' support. The disruption is now in full swing, with more and more African countries, particularly in the Sahel region of northern and western Africa, rejecting the so-called Francafrique policy by their former colonial power, France. The term refers to a complex and controversial network of political, economic, social and military ties between France and its former African colonies, describing a kind of special relationship characterized by ongoing French influence in these nations. Often described as neocolonial, France's Africa policy is under massive political and popular pressure, and the fight against it is openly challenging Paris' military, diplomatic and economic footprint in Africa. The Sahel region stretches from the Sahara Desert in the north to the savannas in the south, encompassing several countries, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Antoine Glaser is a French journalist and former director of Paris-based magazine — a leading publication focused on Africa with editions in English and French. He said French companies with operations in the region enjoyed "preferential treatment," especially during the Cold War era due to the Francafrique policy. "They thought they were at home in Africa," he told DW, and ignored more recent realities such as the fact that Africa has "gone global and France didn't see China coming." One such stark reality, he added, is Chinese companies now have a 25% market share in French-speaking Africa, while France's share has tumbled to "between 6% and 7%." Moreover, French multinational nuclear fuel cycle corporation Orano announced last September that it would suspend production at its Arlit uranium mine in northern Niger due to financial difficulties faced by its Nigerien subsidiary, Somair. The decision came as border closures between Niger and Benin, triggered by the July 2023 coup, had blocked all uranium exports, Orano said in a statement, adding: "In spite of efforts to find alternative possibilities to export the uranium produced by Somair and to relaunch commercial activities, all the proposals made to the Nigerien authorities have remained unanswered." In June 2024, Orano also lost its mining license for the Imouraren uranium deposit due to a decision by the military government, which revoked the license following a period of tensions and ultimatum. Situated about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Agadez — the largest town in central Niger — the Imouraren mine holds one of the world's largest uranium deposits. Mining was launched by French nuclear group Areva, rebranded as Orano in 2018, which mothballed the mine in 2015 due to unfavorable market conditions. Since then, tensions have illustrated the fragility of a system in which military and diplomatic presence supported economic interests. Beyond the uranium sector, France's whole model of influence is being destabilized, affecting sectors like infrastructure, telecommunication, energy and public works — all symbols of France's presence that are now being regularly challenged. In February 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron presented a new strategy, entitled "Our Future The Africa-France Partnership," and offering new forms of partnerships. Unveiled by Macron ahead of his tour of Central Africa, the strategy advocates abandoning old paradigms and puts a new emphasis on economic and trade relations rather than focusing on security issues. The central idea of this new model is based on a transition from "a logic of aid to a logic of solidarity investments and partnerships," and is meant to be a "symbiotic relationship" beneficial to all parties. What France used to consider as its "backyard" for a long time is disappearing amid wider change in the Sahel region. In addition, Africa as a whole is no longer France's exclusive business playground. Countries like Turkey, Russia, China and even Germany are advancing their positions, forcing French companies to readjust their business policy if they are to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. A French corporate consultant, speaking on condition of anonymity, told DW that in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the real French presence was "already marginal before recent tensions" with their colonial motherland. In the mining industry, he said, the main players are now often from Australia or Canada, like Toronto-based mining giant Barrick Mining Corporation. "The perception that France is omnipresent is stronger than the reality," he said. He also noted that behind "official posturing," a strategy was becoming clearer: "Maintain a presence, but through more indirect means." French companies would now seek to maintain market share "without provoking rejection" by launching joint ventures, local partnerships or the creation of project companies under local law. "There is now a dynamic in which these companies are adapting through cooperating more with local partners, setting up shared structures. It's a way of staying active while avoiding head-on visibility," he added. Yves Ekoue Amaizo, the director at the Afrocentricity Think Tank, thinks the gradual withdrawal of French companies also opens the door to new alliances, because African countries would now have "the capacity and the partners to replace these companies." "China, Turkey and other immediate players are already involved. But this means accepting new, often opaque conditions, and managing a context of risks [such as] political instability, terrorism and legal uncertainties," he told DW. While withdrawal seems inevitable for some French multinational corporations, others are still betting on rebalancing their business strategies. According to a report in the offshore industry magazine , energy giant TotalEnergies, for example, is trying to find a new footing in English- and Portuguese-speaking countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Namibia and Angola. But competition there is fierce, and France can no longer rely on a historical advantage in these countries. Even more so as questions of legitimacy and social responsibility also play an increasing role, said Amaizo. "The real question is one of mentality. If companies want to remain credible, they must prove that they are co-constructing locally and sharing the benefits, rather than going it alone with the resources." With the era of the Francafrique special relationship between France and its former African colonies now coming to an end, there are signs that French multinationals are trying to transform themselves, too, by collaborating more strongly with local partners or moving operations elsewhere in Africa. No matter what they do or where they go, legitimacy remains their main capital and must be regained.
DW
7 hours ago
- DW
Mexican town welcomes US emigres – DW – 07/27/2025
More and more US citizens are deciding to leave their country because of growing hostilities against migrants and other social groups. Many are moving to Mexico. DW met with some of them in the city of San Miguel de Allende. An increasing number of Americans are choosing to leave the United States due to what they perceive as a growing atmosphere of hostility, particularly toward marginalized groups. Traditionally, Mexico has been a popular destination for retirees and digital nomads from the US, but now it's also attracting individuals who feel threatened because of their political beliefs, sexual orientation or human rights work. The American expatriate community in Mexico has become increasingly vocal, organizing protests and speaking out against US policies, especially those targeting migrants. Activists like Edgar Lopez from Democrats Abroad Mexico and American expat Veronica Gonzalez have condemned the racial motivations behind immigration enforcement and the criminalization of protest and Latino identity. For many, Mexico represents not just a geographical escape, but a refuge from what they see as an increasingly intolerant and repressive environment in the United States.
