Latest news with #PakistanTehrik-e-Insaf
Gulf Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Pakistan's former PM Imran to lead another 'anti-government movement' from jail
While there is not even a slight possibility of release of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan before Eid Al Adha, he has announced to lead another anti-government movement from the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi where he is lodged. 'Imran Khan has announced a protest movement against the government. The centre of the movement would not be Islamabad, but the entire country. Imran Khan has given me the responsibility to make a plan for the protest movement. I will present the plan in my next meeting with him very soon. We will plan after consulting lawyers and party leaders,' PTI senator Ali Zafar Shah told reporters after meeting the ex-premier. Meanwhile, rumours regarding Imran Khan's possible release before Eid have been firmly rejected by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and government officials and even the PTI doesn't expect it to happen. NAB officials said that there is currently no case before any court that is ripe for Imran Khan's release. 'No notice has been issued to NAB in any matter that could result in his bail or release before Eid. As per legal norms, the prosecution must be heard before any relief is granted to a convicted individual, which has not happened so far.' Activists of PTI take part in a public rally on the outskirts of Islamabad. File / AFP Government officials have also dismissed the speculation, categorically stating that no deal has been offered to Imran Khan, and there is no behind-the-scenes arrangement underway to facilitate his release. 'There is no understanding, no negotiation, and no offer on the table,' a senior government official said. Imran Khan's legal counsel Naeem Haider Panjotha also told reporters that the reports of Imran Khan's imminent release were false. 'There is neither any deal nor any leniency being offered. The rumours are baseless.' Senator Zafar Shah quoted the party founder as telling him that 'we have been put against the wall; we have no option but to take to the streets. We will protest across the country, which I will lead from jail.' Imran, he pointed out, expressed the resolve to give all instructions related to the protest movement from jail. The senator said the upcoming movement would be unlike any seen before. He emphasised that this time, the movement must succeed, acknowledging that while obstacles were inevitable, solutions must be found to overcome them. He said the strategy of the protest movement would be ready in a few days, after the next meeting and that the party founder himself would assign responsibilities with regards to the proposed drive.
Business Recorder
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PTI protests outside ECP office
PESHAWAR: The workers of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Peshawar against the stealing of the mandate of the party on February 8, 2024. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Social Welfare, Syed Qasim Ali Shah led the protest. During his speech at the protest, the provincial minister stated that alleged rigging was carried out in Form 47 on February 8, stealing PTI's public mandate. He demanded that the injustice be rectified and the rightful mandate of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf be restored. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Gulf Today
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Pakistani journalists protest after Senate passes bill allowing control over social media content
Pakistan's upper house of parliament on Tuesday passed a controversial bill that critics argue is designed to suppress freedom of speech. The bill, which was passed by the lower house of parliament last Thursday, grants the government extensive powers to impose heavy fines and incarcerate social media users for spreading disinformation. Journalists rallied in the country's major cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, Faisalabad and Lahore, vowing to resist government efforts aimed at suppressing freedom of speech. The approval by the Senate removes the last obstacle in the bill's path. It will now be sent to the President Asif Ali Zardari, who is likely to sign it quickly. Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, authorities would create an agency with the power to order the immediate blocking of content deemed "unlawful and offensive' from social media, such as content critical of judges, the armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies. Those failing to comply could face temporary or permanent bans. The law also makes spreading disinformation a criminal offense, punishable by three years in prison and a fine of Rs2 million ($7,150). The latest development comes days after National Assembly passed it despite protests by the opposition. On Tuesday, Shibli Faraz, an opposition leader in the Senate, opposed the bill, saying it was being passed in a haste and without consulting all the stake-holders. Zulfiqar Bukhari, a spokesman for former prime minister Imran Khan, said their Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party, or PTI, would challenge the legislation in the court. "The bill has been passed from the both houses of the parliament to silence the freedom of expression on the pretext of combating fake news, and no democracy-lover can support it,' he said in a statement. Pakistan's media has faced growing censorship in recent years, but the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif says the law is necessary to limit the spread of disinformation.
