Latest news with #Tehreek-e-Insaf
Business Recorder
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Shauzab, Aleema face off, but no truce
ISLAMABAD: Kanwal Shauzab, the ex-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA and self-styled defender of the party's honour, received a sharp reality check on Saturday, courtesy none other than Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan. What began as a fiery confrontation quickly turned into a humbling moment for Shauzab, who had accused Aleema Khan in a leaked video of undermining key party figures including acting chairman Gohar Ali Khan and tarnishing the party's image, vowing a dramatic face-off. However, when the ex-MNA, who had secured a seat in parliament reserved for women on PTI's quota in 2018, crossed paths with Aleema Khan at the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), the anticipated 'showdown' never materialised. Instead, Shauzab made a last-ditch attempt to offer an apology. In a sudden change of stance, Shauzab denied the accusations from her video, claiming they were part of a smear campaign orchestrated by PML-N trolls. But Aleema Khan – like brother, like sister – uninterested in engaging in any drama, met her with cold indifference. 'I'm not angry with you. Now go,' Khan said, barely glancing at the politician before dismissing her. Shauzab, still attempting to salvage the situation, tried to clarify that her words had been misinterpreted. But Aleema, displaying little more enthusiasm than someone scrolling through social media, responded dryly, 'Others from PML-N and other parties also speak against me,' before walking off. The encounter left Shauzab's attempt at reconciliation in tatters, her hope for a dramatic showdown dissolving into an awkward, futile apology. If Aleema Khan chose not to forgive her, the PTI insiders insisted, Shauzab's political career could very well be left in the gutter, with no amount of backpedaling able to salvage her reputation or future within the party. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Imran Khan's sons call on Donald Trump to intervene and secure his release
Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan 's sons have urged US president Donald Trump and the international community to call for their father's r elease from a Pakistani prison. British citizens Suleman Khan, 28, and Qasim Khan, 26, broke their silence for the first time to make a public appeal after 'exhausting' legal and other routes. Mr Khan, the 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been lodged in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since 2023 after a court handed him a three-year sentence in a corruption case. He faces some 150 charges in total, all of which his party says are politically motivated. The Tehreek-e-Insaf chief served as Pakistan 's prime minister between 2018 and 2022 before being removed from office. In an interview broadcast live on X with citizen journalist Mario Nawfal, Qasim Khan said: "We want the international community to take action and who better than [Donald] Trump.' '...We would love to speak to Trump and try and figure out a way where he would be able to help out." he said, adding they were trying to "bring democracy to Pakistan". Both sons called Mr Khan their "hero" and added they had never "spoken before, but seeing what he's going through, we couldn't stay quiet". When asked about US official Richard Grenell 's call for their father's release, the brothers said they were grateful for all the "support he has shown". Suleman Khan said: 'In terms of a message to the Trump administration, we'd call for any government that supports free speech and proper democracy to join the call for our father's release, and especially the most powerful leader in the world.' The brothers accused the Pakistan government of punishing Mr Khan by keeping him in isolation and complete darkness following a pro- democracy protest that called for the former prime minister's release. Mr Khan has no "access to the outside world, no access to doctors, and has been in prolonged solitary confinement", his elder son said. "Court mandates we speak to him once every week, but we speak to him once in two or three months." Their mother, Jemima Goldsmith, last October accused the Shehbaz Sharif government of cutting his access to lawyers and family visitations and even severing electricity to his cell. "He is now completely isolated, in solitary confinement, literally in the dark, with no contact with the outside world,' the film producer, who was married to Khan from 1995 to 2004, said in a post on X. Qasim Khan reiterated his mother's concerns, adding Mr Khan was "there for 10 days in the pitch black". He said the family wanted "international pressure" on Pakistan because their father is "currently living in inhumane conditions". "They are not giving him [Imran Khan] basic human rights," Qasim Khan said. "It is basically for human rights of not only our father but also other political prisoners and the restoration of proper democracy in Pakistan." Mr Khan's political party, earlier in May, petitioned the court for his urgent release from jail, claiming he could potentially be targeted in drone strikes during Pakistan's military standoff with India. His party said a plea had been filed in the Islamabad High Court to seek his release on parole during a 'national emergency' as India and Pakistan's military exchanged volleys of drones and shells. Both nations walked away from the brink of war following a ceasefire announcement this weekend. Mr Khan's sons said they miss their father, but "what hurts more is seeing a nation lose the man who gave everything for it". 'He always told us 'if you stand for truth, you'll pay a price. We're seeing that now'." Former UK environment minister Zac Goldsmith, in a post on X, praised his nephews for speaking up now for their father. "So proud of my nephews. They have never courted publicity," he said. Mr Goldsmith added: "But they are speaking up now for their father Imran Khan – a hero for so many in Pakistan, an incorruptible leader who is being tortured by a desperate, corrupt and greedy establishment."
Mint
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Pakistan's Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz Ghazi slams own country, says 'war' with India ‘not Islamic'
Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi of Lal Masjid, a cleric has remarked that there is 'more oppression' in Pakistan than in India, adding that Pakistan's 'fight is a fight of nationality, not of Islam'. The cleric slammed his own country as tensions surge between India and Pakistan post a terror attack in Kashmir's Phalgam that killed 26 people. Muhammad Abdul Aziz Ghazi is a Pakistani Deobandi scholar and Islamist dissident, serving as Imam and Khatib of Lal Masjid in Islamabad. A video of the cleric's sermon has gone viral on social media. The two minute clip shows, Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi criticising the Shehbaz Sharif government in Pakistan, calling it a "cruel, useless system". Ghazi accused the state of inflicting systemic violence and injustice upon its citizens. In the viral video, Ghazi poses a question to his audience: who would they support in the event of a war-India or Pakistan? His query is met with a prolonged silence. "There are very few [hands]. This means many are enlightened now. The matter is, war between Pakistan and India is not an Islamic war." Ghazi says. 'Today, the system in Pakistan is a system of disbelief (kufr), a tyrannical system, worse than that of India. There isn't as much oppression in India as there is in Pakistan. Has there been a horrific incident like Lal Masjid in India?' Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi continues. Notably, Ghazi's description of Pakistan as an oppressive state is a striking departure, particularly given his association with Lal Masjid, a site historically linked to radical rhetoric. Referring to the siege of Lal Masjid in 2007, Abdul Aziz Ghazi remarked, "Did the Lal Masjid tragedy happen in India? Does India bomb its own citizens? Are people disappearing in India like they are in Pakistan?" The cleric further highlighted the atrocities committed in Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing the Pakistani government of bombing its own people. Ghazi stated, 'What happened in Waziristan and across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – these are atrocities... The state bombed its own citizens. Have such atrocities occurred in India? Have their fighter jets bombed their people the way ours have? Are so many people reported missing in India? Here, people are exhausted from staging protests in search of their loved ones. Here, clerics are missing, journalists are missing, Tehreek-e-Insaf members are missing.' Ghazi's rhetoric seemingly reflects deepening disillusionment within Pakistan, highlighting fractures in public support for the establishment's policies. Established in Islamabad in 1965, Lal Masjid became a hub for radical Islamist ideology under the leadership of brothers Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who openly challenged the state and called for the imposition of Sharia law. Tensions escalated over several years, culminating in July 2007 when the Pakistani military launched Operation Sunrise to storm the mosque and its adjoining madrassa following violent incidents, including hostage-taking. The siege resulted in significant casualties and damage, marking a decisive effort by then-President Pervez Musharraf's government to curb growing Islamist militancy. Since then, Lal Masjid has symbolised Pakistan's ongoing struggle with extremism and state authority. Its leadership, particularly Abdul Aziz Ghazi, continues to criticise the Pakistan government, accusing it of oppression and violence against its own citizens. The legacy of Lal Masjid is complex, representing both the rise of radicalism and the state's fraught attempts to contain it. First Published: 6 May 2025, 04:26 PM IST
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Watch: Key Pak Cleric Slams "Tyrannical" System, Calls War With India "Un-Islamic"
Islamabad: Abdul Aziz Ghazi, a controversial cleric of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, launched a scathing attack on the Pakistani government, claiming any conflict with India would not be an Islamic war, even as Islamabad is busy making plans against New Delhi in the wake of bilateral tensions over terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last month. The cleric criticised the Pakistani government, calling it a "cruel, useless system". In a video going viral on social media, Abdul Aziz Ghazi can be heard asking his audience whether they would stand with Pakistan in the event of a war with India. He question is met with an unexpected silence. Noting the lack of response from the crowd, the cleric commented, "There are very few [hands]. This means many are enlightened now. The matter is, war between Pakistan and India is not an Islamic war." Abdul Aziz Ghazi goes on to denounce the Pakistan military, accusing it of widespread repression, claiming authorities in Pakistan have grown more oppressive- a bold and controversial take for someone associated with Lal Masjid, a place once synonymous with radical calls. لال مسجد کے مولانا عبدالعزیز غازی کا خطاب سنئیے جس میں وہ کہتے ہیں کہ پاکستان کی لڑائی قومیت کی لڑائی ہے اسلام کی نہیں اور پاکستان میں بھارت سے زیادہ ظلم ہے وغیرہ وغیرہ۔ ریاست کے وہ کارندے غور سے سُنیں جو ان حضرات کی سرپرستی کرتے ہیں اور سیکولر پاکستانیوں کو خطرہ سمجھتے ہیں۔ — Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) May 4, 2025 "The system in Pakistan today is that of disbelief (kufr), a tyrannical system. It is worse than that of India. There isn't as much oppression in India as there is in Pakistan," he said. Referring to the siege of Lal Masjid in 2007, Abdul Aziz Ghazi said, "Did the Lal Masjid tragedy happen in India? Does India bomb its own citizens? Are people disappearing in India like they are in Pakistan?" The cleric also cited atrocities in Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and accused the Pakistan government of bombing its own people. "What happened in Waziristan and across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - these are state bombed its own citizens. Have such atrocities occurred in India? Have their fighter jets bombed their people the way ours have? Are so many people reported missing in India? Here, people are exhausted from staging protests in search of their loved ones. Here, clerics are missing, journalists are missing, Tehreek-e-Insaf members are missing." The video was reportedly recorded at Lal Masjid on May 2, has sparked outrage on Pakistani social media. It was also shared by Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistan ambassador to the US, who criticised the cleric for his views. History Of Lal Masjid The mosque was established in 1965, shortly after Pakistan's capital was shifted from Karachi to Islamabad. Soon, it became a centre for radicalising people against India, with its chief cleric developing a close relationship with Pakistan's intelligence and security apparatus. However, by 2006, when the Lal Masjid was headed by brothers Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid, it started openly challenging the Pakistani government by advocating the imposition of Sharia law across Pakistan. As the situation escalated, the then-Pakistani government, led by former President Pervez Musharraf, started seeing the mosque as a direct challenge to state authority. In 2007, the government ultimately launched a military, known as Operation Sunrise, aimed at quelling the growing threat emanating from the mosque. As per official figures, the operation resulted in 154 deaths, while around 50 people were arrested. It also prompted pro-Taliban rebels along the Afghanistan border to nullify a 10-month-old peace agreement with the Pakistani government, leading to violence that resulted in more than 3,000 casualties in 2008.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Pakistan bombs its own people': Islamabad's Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz Ghazi on ‘war' with India
In a fiery sermon at Islamabad's Lal Masjid, Abdul Aziz Ghazi, a controversial cleric, launched a scathing attack on the Pakistani government, claiming that a war with India would not be an Islamic war. In a video clip, which is being widely shared on social media, he is purportedly heard painting a stark picture of Pakistan's internal turmoil, describing its government as oppressive. Ghazi accused the state of inflicting systemic violence and injustice upon its citizens, pointing to the deepening crisis within the country. While addressing the congregation during Friday prayers at Lal Masjid, Aziz Ghazi asked, 'If a war breaks out between Pakistan and India, how many of you will support Pakistan? Raise your hands.' Noting the dead silence and lack of response from the crowd, he commented, 'Very few hands are visible. That means a good level of awareness has developed. The issue is that the war between Pakistan and India is not an Islamic war.' He continued, 'Today, the system in Pakistan is a system of disbelief (kufr), a tyrannical system, worse than that of India. There isn't as much oppression in India as there is in Pakistan. Has there been a horrific incident like Lal Masjid in India?' Referring to incidents in Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he questioned, 'Have such atrocities occurred in India as they have in Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa? Have their fighter jets bombed their own people the way ours have? Are so many people reported missing in India? Here, people are exhausted from staging protests in search of their loved ones. Here, clerics are missing, journalists are missing, Tehreek-e-Insaf members are missing.' As the video went viral on social media, many are saying that Ghazi, once seen as a poster boy of the establishment, is now openly opposing the PM Shehbaz Sharif-led government in Pakistan. Established in 1965, Lal Masjid was built shortly after Pakistan's capital was moved from Karachi to the newly constructed Islamabad. Named for its distinctive red walls and interiors, the mosque quickly became a centre for radicalising people against India. This involvement also brought the mosque's chief cleric closer to Pakistan's intelligence and security apparatus. In 2006, the leadership of Lal Masjid, headed by brothers Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid, began openly challenging the Pakistani government. The mosque, along with the adjacent Jamia Hafsa madrassa, became a stronghold for many advocating the imposition of Sharia law across Pakistan. The clerics at Lal Masjid not only sought to establish an alternative governance system based on their interpretation of Islamic law but also called for the overthrow of the Pakistani government, deeming it corrupt and un-Islamic. Throughout the year, tensions between the mosque's militants and the government continued to rise. The Lal Masjid leadership engaged in provocative actions, including calls for jihad against the state. As the situation escalated, the Pakistani government, led by then-President Pervez Musharraf, increasingly viewed the mosque as a direct challenge to state authority and security. This ultimately led to a military operation in July 2007, known as Operation Sunrise, aimed at quelling the growing threat emanating from the mosque.
