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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Imran to lead movement from behind bars
Listen to article Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan announced on Saturday the launch of a nationwide protest movement against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led ruling coalition, declaring that he will lead the campaign from behind bars. The announcement was conveyed by PTI Senator Ali Zafar following his meeting with the incarcerated party's supremo at Adiala Jail. Addressing the media outside the prison, the senator said the former PM had decided that the waiting game was over and the party would now take to the streets in a well-organised countrywide campaign. "The protest will not be limited to Islamabad," Zafar said. "It will be held across the country. The chairman [Khan] said we have been pushed to the wall. We are left with no choice but to go to the people." Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023 on a raft of charges including corruption and incitement to violenceallegations he deniestold Zafar he would oversee the movement from jail and directly issue instructions to party leaders. According to Zafar, Khan has tasked him with preparing a comprehensive plan for the protest campaign, which will be finalised after further consultations with the party's legal team and senior leadership. "The chairman has full faith in the leadership, but he insists on leading the movement himself," Zafar said, "he [Khan] has asked me to draft the initial protest strategy, which will be presented in the next meeting." The announcement comes against the backdrop of months of political gridlock and PTI's persistent claims of being denied a fair shake. Khan and his party have maintained that the legal actions against him were politically engineered and aimed at erasing him from the political playing field. Khan's statement followed closely on the heels of his recent overtures to the country's powerful stakeholders, during which he expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue for national unity. He had reiterated openness to a "give and take" with the establishment, but "only for Pakistan's interest," not for personal relief. However, Saturday's message marked a shift in gears. "We are not getting any relief from the judiciary or the executive," Khan was quoted as saying. "No option has been left for us. We must now go to the streets." According to Zafar, Khan was adamant that this round of agitation would not be like previous attempts that fizzled out due to internal rifts and external pressures. "He wants the campaign to be fully planned and effective," Zafar said. "He knows there will be obstacles, but he believes we also have ways to overcome them." This is not the first time PTI has threatened to launch a street movement. The party had announced a protest after Eid earlier this year, but the plan never got off the ground, fuelling scepticism even among some supporters. However, Khan's renewed resolve suggests a return to a more confrontational path ahead. Moreover, the development is likely to dial up tensions between PTI and the military establishment. Despite Khan's earlier calls for reconciliation, relations remain fraught. Notably, PTI leaders were absent from a recent military-hosted dinner celebrating the success of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, Pakistan's retaliatory operation following Indian aggression in May. The conspicuous absence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur from the event further underscored the lingering chill. Despite moments of cooperation during the Pakistan-India standoff, the mutual distrust between PTI and the establishment appears to have deepened. Meanwhile, ministers from the ruling PML-N coalition have continued to scoff at PTI's protest plans, pointing to the party's failure to mobilise mass support since Khan's arrest. However, Khan's call to action from a prison cell may still energise PTI's base, which has remained active online and during sporadic public gatherings. Party leaders have been hinting for weeks that a decisive moment was in the offing. "This time, the movement will not be symbolic," Zafar said. "It will be decisive. And the chairman will lead it from his prison cell." PTI insiders say the final contours of the protest strategy will be shaped in the coming days. Observers note that whether Khan's call translates into sustained public mobilisation remains to be seen, especially in a political climate where opposition space has been sharply curtailed.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Nationwide protest movement planned: IK
RAWALPINDI: The incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman, Imran Khan on Saturday said his party will stage nationwide protest movement, vowing to lead the movement from behind the bars. Senator Ali Zafar, quoting Khan after a meeting at Adiala Jail during the hearing of Toshakhana II case against Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, said the former prime minister said that the center of upcoming protest movement of PTI will not be the federal capital but it will be take place across the country. 'Khan said that he and his party have been pushed to the wall, leaving them with no choice but to take to the streets', Zafer said while quoting his party's jailed founding chairman. He added that the PTI founder intends to lead the campaign personally from jail and will issue all related directives himself. He further said that he has been assigned the responsibility of drafting a complete protest strategy, which he plans to present at the next meeting with the party leader. The planning will be carried out in consultation with legal experts and the PTI leadership, he said. According to Senator Zafar, the upcoming campaign will be highly organised, well-prepared, and unlike any protest movement previously seen in Pakistan. He said that the party is aware that there will be obstacles but claimed they have the means and experience to overcome them. PTI nationwide protests: District administrations of twin citizens blocked multiple roads Zafar said that within a few days, a detailed plan for the protest movement would be finalised, and responsibilities would be assigned accordingly. He added that the founder believes the courts and executive authorities have failed to provide any relief, leaving the party with no remaining options. Earlier, the special court hearing Toshakhana II case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, adjourned proceedings without proceedings as Khan's wife refused to appeared before the court. Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand, presiding over the case at Adiala Jail, adjourned the hearing after it was informed that Bushra Bibi declined to attend the proceedings, citing that she was denied a scheduled meeting with her husband on Tuesday. Despite the court issuing clear instructions to jail officials to bring her to the courtroom, she did not attend heairng. The judge waited for over three and a half hours, but Bushra Bibi remained absent. The authorities produce Khan before the court. Due to her non-appearance, statements of four prosecution witnesses could not be recorded. The court expressed displeasure over her refusal to appear, warning that if she fails to attend the next hearing, her bail may be revoked. The accused is being given one final opportunity, the judge remarked. Meanwhile, the prosecution requested the court to cancel Bushra Bibi's bail, arguing that the case should proceed in her absence. Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi asked the court to exercise its authority and continue proceedings without her presence. However, the judge granted Bushra Bibi one final chance and adjourned the hearing of the Toshakhana-II reference until June 3. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
27-year prison sentence: PTI MNA Latif claims ruling as bogus terrorism conviction
ISLAMABAD: The firebrand Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA from Chitral Abdul Latif, who was handed down a 27-year prison sentence on Friday, claimed he was given a bogus terrorism conviction after refusing a jaw-dropping Rs2 billion bribe to back the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment. A diehard loyalist of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, Latif slammed the ruling as revenge by what he called the 'installed regime of Form 47 and its handlers, who are pulling the strings of the puppet Shehbaz Sharif regime.' An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad convicted Latif over his alleged role in the chaotic May 9 riots – when PTI supporters allegedly stormed police stations and government buildings. But Latif insisted the charges were bogus, calling it a false flag set up by the powers that be. Latifinsisted that he didnot even know the police station he is accused of attacking existed. 'I hadn't even heard of the Ramna Police Station until I was falsely accused,' Latif said in a defiant video message following the ATC verdict. 'Just because I support Imran Khan, they threw me into this mess.' The court's decision came down hard – 27 years for allegedly leading the charge on the Ramna PS during the nationwide unrest. But Latif, unbowed, said the real crime was his refusal to accept a massive payoff to support the controversial 26th Amendment – a move that he insisted would have betrayed his party and Khan's ideology. 'There is also a court of Allah, where no police, no pressure works,' he said, taking a fiery swipe at the lower judiciary. 'Justice will ultimately be served.' Latif remained hopeful that the higher judiciary of the country will toss out what he called a 'politically motivated and unjust' ruling. He insisted he would never sell out, no matter the price – or the prison sentence. 'No conviction, no bribe can shake my conscience,' he declared. 'I've stood by Imran Khan for 28 years – and I'm not backing down now nor will I ever in future.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Imran signals readiness to 'give-and-take'
Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan once again expressed willingness to hold direct talks with the country's powerful stakeholders on Thursday, saying he was ready for a "give and take" only in the interest of Pakistan. Speaking to party leaders at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, the PTI founder, while emphasising that he wasn't seeking any personal relief, said that the doors for dialogue with the establishment were open, saying he was ready to talk at any time for the sake of country and national unity. PTI Senator Ali Zafar, after meeting Khan in jail, told the media that the former premier had made it clear that any settlement would be for the country, not for personal gain. "There is no personal give and take involved," Zafar said before quoting Khan as saying: "if I wanted concessions for myself, I would have asked for them long ago and wouldn't have spent 600 days in jail." To a question about recent remarks by Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, Zafar said that Khan clarified that any notion of a give-and-take approach would be strictly for Pakistan's benefit. "I am not asking for any relief in my cases," Zafar attributed to Khan, adding "I only want justice, and I want my cases to be heard without delay." Reportedly, Aleema recently called for direct talks with the "unseen forces" to secure her brother's release through a possible "give and take" arrangement. Speaking to media in Islamabad, she claimed that judges handling Khan's cases were under pressure, pointing out that Khan's cases come on the cause list but are then not taken up. Khan, who was ousted from office via a no-confidence vote in 2022, has been in jail since August 2023. He faces a range of charges, including corruption and abetting violence, which his party maintains are politically motivated. To another question, Zafar said that Khan also confirmed that a protest campaign against the ruling PML-N-led coalition had already been announced and that the party would unveil its strategy in the coming days. Zafar said that Khan has instructed the party leadership to prepare for the movement, warning that he would no longer remain patient if no one comes out. "No one will be allowed to play from both sides of the fence," he said. Khan's renewed outreach has come at a time when his party hasn't been able to get any relief for him since he was arrested and sent behind bars in August 2023. His party says that the imprisonment is aimed at sidelining him from the national political landscape. Nevertheless, Khan's continued imprisonment has not only remained a rallying point for PTI leaders and supporters but become a central issue in the party's ongoing standoff with the establishment. The rift between PTI and powerful stakeholders was evident last Friday as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had skipped a formal dinner hosted by the newly-elevated Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir – also the Chief of Army Staff. Surprising as it may seem, PTI leaders were not invited for the dinner to celebrate success in the operation Bunyanum Mursoos. On May 10, 2025, Pakistan had launched a retaliatory response to unprovoked Indian aggression, including missile strikes on Pakistani airbases and civilian areas.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistani high court to hear Imran Khan's appeal in Al-Qadir land bribe case on June 5
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up the Al-Qadir Trust case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife on June 5, marking the first hearing since the couple was sentenced over four months ago, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said Thursday. A Pakistani court sentenced Khan to 14 years and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to seven years in prison last January. The centers on allegations that they received land as a bribe from real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain through their charitable foundation, the Al-Qadir Trust. The trust, founded in 2018 while Khan was still in office, is accused by authorities of being used as a front for illegal benefits. The PTI has long maintained the case lacks merit and repeatedly requested the high court to hear their petition to suspend the convictions. This is the first time the IHC has scheduled proceedings since the lower court verdict in January, which was delayed at least three times before being delivered. 'Al-Qadir Trust case is scheduled for hearing on June 5,' the PTI said in a statement during the day. The hearing will be conducted by a two-member IHC bench led by acting Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, according to the court's cause list. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court earlier this week, said the party had met with the chief justice to press for the case to be listed. 'Release [of Khan and his wife] will take place once the case is heard,' Gohar told reporters. 'We still hope the case will be heard on June 5.' The Al-Qadir case stems from £190 million that the UK repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 after the Pakistani real estate tycoon settled a British investigation into suspected criminal assets. Authorities allege that instead of depositing the funds in Pakistan's national treasury, Khan's government used the money to help Hussain pay court-imposed fines in a separate case related to land acquired illegally in Karachi at below-market rates. Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 and is facing a slew of legal cases, says all charges against him are politically motivated. He accuses Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country's powerful military of orchestrating the crackdown to sideline him, a claim both Sharif and military officials deny.
