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Pakistan moves to ban Imran Khan’s party

Pak govt said it has ample evidence to impose a ban on PTI and initiate legal proceedings against the party and its top leadership…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced on Monday that the Shehbaz Sharif government has decided to impose a ban on rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, coupled with a plan to file a treason case against its founder and the country’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Supreme Court.

Tarar, who addressed a press conference in Islamabad, stated that the government has ample evidence to impose a ban on PTI and initiate legal proceedings against the party and its top leadership.

“There have been recent efforts to create unrest in the country. A film trailer titled ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’ was also a cruel intention to label some individuals as being above the law,” he said.

“The government will also take action against several prominent figures, including former President Dr. Arif Alvi, PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri,” he added.

Tarar mentioned that treason cases under Article 6 of the constitution, which would include blockade of their CNIC (Computerized National Identity Card) and passports, will be lodged against the top PTI leaders.

“A parliamentary resolution would also be brought against them,” he said.

The minister criticised Imran Khan for being the “worst leader”, accusing him of establishing the precedent of imprisoning women and daughters while pointing at the arrests of Faryal Talpur, sister of current President Asif Ali Zardari, and Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab and daughter of former premier Nawaz Sharif during the time when he was the country’s Prime Minister.

Experts reckon the ban on PTI as the proverbial last nail with the government and the military establishment vowing to put an end to Imran Khan’s political career and PTI’s existence.

“Imran Khan and his party has still not been forgiven for what they did on May 9 and 10 last year when military installations were attacked and vandalised by PTI supporters and leaders, which undoubtedly was a pre-planned and strategised attack,” said political analyst Adnan Shaukat.

“At the same time, it is also true that Imran Khan and his party are getting relief from the courts in legal cases because of the ongoing war between the judiciary and the military establishment. PTI is back in the parliament because of the Supreme Court order and may get more benefits from the ongoing fight between the judiciary and establishment. It is because of this that the government is being used by the military to diminish Imran Khan,” he added.

The ruling government is also planning to file a case on Imran Khan government’s decision to dissolve the assemblies during April 2022, through advice given by the PM house to then President Alvi.

The government maintains that the move, later quashed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, constitutes an attempt to abrogate or subvert the constitution, which comes under high treason.

Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan states that any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or show or force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.

It further adds that any person aiding, or abetting (or collaborating) the acts mentioned shall not be validated by any court including the Supreme Court and High Court.

The procedure to refer to Article 6 would require the government to file a reference against Imran Khan, Dr. Arif Alvi and Qasim Suri in the Supreme Court and file treason cases against them while also initiating the same actions to impose a ban on PTI.

PTI says govt is daydreaming

In its official response, the Pak Tehreek e Insaaf said that the puppet government of Pakistan is daydreaming of banning the PTI.

“General Asim Munir and his puppet government’s mood is increasing after the process of returning the public mandate of Tehreek-e-Insaaf, which was given on February 8, after which they started daydreaming about banning Tehreek-e-Insaaf. General Asim Munir, take care and do not shake the foundations of Pakistan by playing with the constitution any more. No patriot can think of banning the largest and most popular party in Pakistan, doing so is tantamount to shaking the foundations of Pakistan and sending the country towards civil war. Learn from the Hamudur Rehman Commission report and stop playing with fire The nation will not bear the loss of the country to satisfy your ego,” the PTI said in a post on X.

PPP opposes govt’s move against PTI

The senior leadership of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have strongly opposed the federal government’s decision to ban Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ARY News reported on Monday.

PPP leader Raza Rabbani emphasized in a statement that prohibiting a political party is incompatible with democratic ideals and urged the federal government to refrain from taking such measures.

Rabbani emphasized that there is already a great deal of political and economic uncertainty in the nation. He warned that the government’s decision to outlaw PTI would have a detrimental effect on the federal government and exacerbate the current political unrest.

He recommended that the government confront the growing patterns of terrorism instead.

Senior PPP politician Farhatullah Babar echoed this opinion when he opposed the notion of outlawing political parties, according to ARY News.

He added that self-made crises cannot survive in Pakistani democracy.

Furthermore, PPP leader Nasir Shah stated that he personally does not support such actions and that the party chairman had opposed the prohibition, ARY News reported.

It is important to note that the government has decided to outlaw PTI, as announced by Ata Tarar, the federal minister of communication.

Speaking at a contentious press conference, Ata Tarar asserted that the federal government is authorized by Article 17 of the Constitution to prohibit a political party.

Citing the PTI’s involvement in foreign funding, the May 9 riots, its role in the resettlement of terrorists in Pakistan, the cypher episode, and the resolution passed in the US, he said there is credible evidence to warrant a ban on the party. (ANI)

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Special Division Bench to Hear Appeal of Imran and Qureshi

The appeal said the lead counsel, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, was contesting the polls and had already requested general adjournment from the Supreme Court and high courts. However, the trial court denied his request…reports Asian Lite News

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday formed a special division bench to hear the appeals of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday against their convictions in the cipher and Toshakhana cases, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi have challenged the conviction and their 10-year sentences each in the cipher case. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi filed appeals against their conviction in the Toshakhana case. The court has sentenced them to 14 years imprisonment each and asked them to pay a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1.54 billion.

The IHC division bench, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will hear the appeals on Monday. The appeal against conviction in the cipher case stated that the arrest and remand hearing that took place on August 16, 2023, was conducted in the “most objectionable, clandestine, and secretive manner.”

The IHC division bench said that the prosecution did not produce the complete record before the trial court against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, and the judge indicted Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in haste, according to the Dawn report.

In the appeal, the two leaders recalled that the IHC division bench had to scrap the trial court proceedings twice due to the “glaring illegalities. However, Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain allegedly concluded the trial without following the mandatory procedural requirements.

The appeal stated that Imran Khan and his lawyer extended all cooperation to the trial court and did not seek unnecessary adjournment to linger on the court proceedings. However, the judge did not ensure a fair trial and the “proceedings were hurried through by the court at a breakneck speed for reasons known only to the court itself,” and the trial ended in less than 20 days.

According to the appeal, the defence council cross-examined four prosecution witnesses, and the case was adjourned to January 25 when a counsel appeared before the Islamabad High Court and another lawyer had to travel to Lahore for dental surgery, Dawn reported. The case was adjourned to January 27 when the judge appointed state lawyers for Pakistan’s former PM Khan and Foreign Minister Qureshi.

According to the appeal, Khan and Qureshi strongly objected to “these so-called state counsels without their consent but to no avail.” The two leaders then requested the court to make a call to their lead counsel to seek assistance in cross-examination. However, the trial court refused to wait for him.

In the appeal, it was mentioned that the trial in the cipher case was shifted to a “secret room” and concluded in a “very short span of time.” The appeal in the Toshakhana case alleged that the trial was carried out in violation of the fundamental right to a fair trial, according to Dawn report.

The appeal stated that Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and their lawyers cooperated with the court. However, Judge Muhammad Bashir on January 29 “suddenly and illegally” closed their right to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses.

The appeal said the lead counsel, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, was contesting the polls and had already requested general adjournment from the Supreme Court and high courts. However, the trial court denied his request.

According to the appeal, the alternative lawyer Zaheer Abbas was not given reasonable time to prepare for the arguments as the court was “under some undue pressure to decide the case before Feb 8, 2024,” which was the date of Pakistan elections, Dawn reported.

The appeal stated that defence counsel on January 30 sought to restore cross-examination. However, the request was not approved, and the judge adjourned the hearing until January 31, when he announced the judgement without even recording the statements of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code. It said the accountability judge convicted Imran Khan “in a haphazard manner, bypassing the procedure and settled practice [and] under apparent/visible pressure.” (ANI)

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Imran Khan Votes from Adiala Jail via Postal Ballot

Only inmates with valid computerised national identity cards (CNICs) were allowed to vote, Dawn reported quoting jail authorities as saying…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf founder Imran Khan on Thursday cast his vote for the general elections by a postal ballot from Adiala Jail, local media reported.

Other incarcerated leaders who could vote included former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Punjab province chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

However, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, could not vote as she was convicted and arrested after the completion of the postal voting process.

Only inmates with valid computerised national identity cards (CNICs) were allowed to vote, Dawn reported quoting jail authorities as saying.

In a post on X on Wednesday, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan had said that former prime minister Khan had dedicated everything, including his life, to restore the country’s dignity, honour and sovereignty and ensure the welfare of people.

“As citizens of the country, we have a debt to pay. We must use our vote to change the face of Pakistan by dismantling a rotten system that has cast a vicious stranglehold on the country and its people,” Hasan said.

General Elections Begin Amid Tight Security

Polling for Pakistan general elections began on Thursday at 90,000 polling stations across the country amid tight security.

The polling began at 8:00 a.m. local time and will end at 5 p.m.

Minutes before polling began, mobile internet services were temporarily suspended across the country, Dawn reported.

“The step has been taken due to recent surge in terrorist activities,” the country’s interior ministry said,

Islamabad police said security is in place and polling stations are being manned since Wednesday morning.

Polling for the four provincial assemblies is being held on the same day.

Over 128 million people, or more than half of the country’s total population, are eligible to vote in the general elections.

Elections were to be held for 266 seats in the lower house, but the elections for one of the seats had been postponed due to the death of a candidate, according to the ECP.

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‘Lack of Election Transparency to Cause Instability in Pakistan’’

PTI founder said that another petition he registered against violations of human rights was also pending before the Supreme Court for a long time. Imran Khan said there was no rule of law in Pakistan…reports Asian Lite News

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has sought a level playing field for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the run-up to general elections and warned that lack of transparency in elections would cause more “instability,” Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

Speaking to reporters at Adiala Jail after the hearing of the Toshakhana case, Khan warned that if fair elections were not carried out, then it would result in further “instability and uncertainty.” He further said that PTI candidates “are being harassed and detained” by the authorities to stop them from contesting polls. Speaking about the crackdown on PTI, Imran Khan said the establishment could not “dismantle the party since it has roots in the masses.” He warned ‘turncoats’ that their politics would end if they left PTI, according to Dawn report. The cricketer-turned-politician accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of deliberately delaying the matter related to the PTI’s intra-party elections to take “stern and sudden action” to deprive the political party of its electoral symbol. Highlighting the efforts of Pakistan’s President to bring down the political temperature, Khan said Arif Alvi tried to mediate but to no avail.

Expressing his views about Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan said that Pakistan would suffer “irreparable loss” if attempts were made to impose an “absconder” on Pakistan. PTI founder said that Nawaz Sharif cancelled his rally in Layyah as PML-N did not have the strength to organise a power show. He claimed that the PTI will hold the ‘biggest ever’ gathering even if he is released from jail only a couple of days before the polls. Speaking about his cases in courts, Imran Khan said that despite the disposal of his plea by the Lahore High Court regarding the rejection of nomination papers, the order in this regard was not released, Dawn reported. He said that his plea against disqualification was not being heard and added that Nawaz Sharif had been given a clean chit by the courts and allowed to contest polls.

PTI founder said that another petition he registered against violations of human rights was also pending before the Supreme Court for a long time. Imran Khan said there was no rule of law in Pakistan. However, he added that he would not take the law into his own hands as a politician and would “play till the last ball.” Meanwhile, the internet services in Pakistan were interrupted at about 7 pm (local time), an hour prior to the “virtual power show” of the PTI broadcast on social media websites, especially YouTube. In a post shared on X, Global Internet Monitor Netblocks stated that live metrics showcase “a nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across Pakistan, including X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube,” Dawn reported.

Taking to X, Netblocks stated, “The incident comes as persecuted opposition leader Imran Khan’s political party, PTI, launches its second virtual gathering.” With regards to these blackouts, some internet service providers (ISPs) informed their customers that they might face internet issues due to a “degradation” in their network. An Islamabad-based ISP said in a message, “Our teams are already working for the earliest resolution. Inconvenience is regretted,” Dawn reported. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has, however, connected these disruptions to its virtual event. PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan said, “Shame on the caretakers that are causing damage to Pakistanis only, and this was the proof of what they intend to do on February 8, but the people are aware of all such moves.” (ANI)

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Imran Set to be Released After Pak SC Confirms Bail

As per Samaa TV, the PTI founder will remain in Adiala Jail despite bail as he has been arrested in Toshakhana in a 190 million pounds case…reports Asian Lite News

A Pakistan special court on Monday issued release orders for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan after his bail was confirmed by the Pakistan Supreme Court in an official Secrets Act case, alias the Cypher case, Pakistan based Samaa TV reported.

The process for Khan’s release is underway, as per Samaa TV.

The release orders were issued by special court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain.

As per Samaa TV, the PTI founder will remain in Adiala Jail despite bail as he has been arrested in Toshakhana in a 190 million pounds case.

The Pakistan Supreme Court in December granted bail to Imran Khan and Pakistan ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Cypher case.

The court directed the PTI leaders to submit surety bonds of Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 1 million each.

The three-member bench, headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and including Justices Athar Minallah and Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, issued the order based on a set of PTI petitions.

The cypher case involves a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency alleges was never returned by Imran, with the PTI asserting the document contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran as prime minister.

The Special Court (Official Secrets Act) restarted the cypher trial at Adiala district jail after Imran and Qureshi were indicted for the second time on December 13.

The trial had faced setbacks when the Islamabad High Court scrapped proceedings due to an “erroneous” government notification for a jail trial. The IHC endorsed Imran’s indictment, disposing of his plea, but instructed the special court judge to ensure a “fair trial.” (ANI)

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Imran, Qureshi Indicted in Cipher Case

The accusations included violating the Official Secrets Act during their time in office, waving the cipher at a rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022, and using the cipher for political purposes…reports Asian Lite News

A special court in Pakistan reindicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, accusing them of leaking state secrets and violating national laws.

The proceedings, presided over by Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqernain, took place in the high-security Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, where both leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party are detained. Facing the judge, Khan, 71, and Qureshi, 67, pleaded not guilty to three charges.

The accusations included violating the Official Secrets Act during their time in office, waving the cipher at a rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022, and using the cipher for political purposes.

During the hearing, Khan insisted on including in the charge sheet that he had exposed the national and international establishment, questioning the sequence of events that led to his government’s downfall and subsequent accusation.

He claimed the proceedings were a ‘drama’ aimed at protecting retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and US diplomat Donald Lu. Khan, expressing a lack of fear of the death penalty, asserted that the cipher was designed to topple his government, alleging a concealed conspiracy within it

Criticizing media restrictions, he called for a fair trial, warning the judge of the responsibility for any unfairness. The judge, in turn, reminded Khan of the courtroom setting and cautioned against an inappropriate tone.

Khan seeks recusal of IHC CJ

Imran Khan on Wednesday filed an application seeking recusal of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq from all the benches hearing cases against him, Pakistan-based The News International newspaper reported.

The News International is an English-language newspaper in Pakistan.

The former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman moved the application in the IHC, expressing a lack of confidence in Chief Justice Farooq.

In the application, Khan stated that Justice Farooq, since assuming charge as IHC CJ, had given the impression of a “one-man high court” and had included himself in every single and division bench hearing cases pertaining to Khan, apart from his intra-court appeals.

It said CJ Farooq had heard 120 applications of the former PTI chairman, alleging that the Toshakhana trial against Khan was conducted against the law because of the IHC chief justice, as per The News International.

It added that CJ Farooq also heard a case related to the number of dependents of Khan in the election nomination papers. It stated that after the applicant raised objections to the single bench hearing the matter, a three-member bench was constituted, which, through a majority decision, dismissed the case against the former prime minister, according to The News International.

The application read that CJ Farooq not only removed the majority decision from the court’s website but also issued a press release. It maintained that the applicant had lost trust in the IHC CJ and did not expect justice from him; therefore, he should recuse himself from all the cases related to Khan.

Recently, an accountability court in Islamabad dismissed the pre-arrest bail plea of Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The accountability court’s judge, Muhammad Bashir, announced the reserved verdict on Imran Khan’s pre-arrest bail plea in the case.

The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General, Muzaffar Abbasi, said that the PTI founder’s bail petition was rejected.

He said that the arrest orders would be implemented and the anti-corruption watchdog would seek the accused’s remand tomorrow.

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Imran Khan’s Legal Challenges Mount

Imran Khan

Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is presently imprisoned at Adiala Jail…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday to challenge the suspension of his interim bails in the cases involving Toshakhana and 190 million pounds, ARY News reported.

The accountability court cancelled the former prime minister’s temporary bail in the Toshakhana and 190 million pound cases when he failed to appear on August 10. Due to his Toshakhana case conviction, the PTI leader has been imprisoned since August 5. The Islamabad High Court rejected the appeal of his conviction. According to ARY News, the brief order was issued by a divisional bench led by Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and composed of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.

In its brief ruling, the IHC ordered the PTI chairman’s release on bail from Attock Jail and made note that it would explain the grounds for the suspension of the sentence in the full ruling later, ARY News reported. Notably, the PTI leader has asked the Islamabad High Court to overturn the accountability court’s judgement against him. Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is presently imprisoned at Adiala Jail.

Earlier, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad denied his bail requests in three cases because he was unable to appear in court. After the former prime minister failed to appear in court, ATC Judge Abul Hassan issued the reserved decisions in three instances and denied his bail requests. (ANI)

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Islamabad High Court Suspends Imran’s Sentence in Toshakhana Case

Imran Khan

The trial court verdict also added that Khan would serve at least six-months more jail term if he fails to pay the fine…reports Asian Lite News

In a major relief to Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended the former Prime Minister’s sentence in the Toshakhana case and ordered his release from jail.

A division bench of the IHC, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Tariq Mehmood Jahangir, announced the short order, declaring the conviction of in the case as suspended. 

As per the order, the former premier has been directed to submit surety bond worth 100,000 PKR and a guarantee of at least one person for his release. 

Addressing mediapersons outside the IHC, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awaz said that after suspension of the trial court verdict, his position as the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has also been reinstated. 

“After the suspension of trial court order, Imran Khan can no longer be kept at the Attock Jail. Also, after the court order, Imran Khan’s position as the party chief also stands reinstated. After this, PTI and Imran Khan will move towards elections,” Awaz was quoted as saying. 

Khan was arrested on August 5 from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after a trial court issued its verdict in the Toshakhana case, finding the PTI chief guilty of opting to corrupt practices for personal gains using his office and its powers.

It sentenced him to three years in jail and imposed a fine of 100,000 PKR.

The trial court verdict also added that Khan would serve at least six-months more jail term if he fails to pay the fine. 

In the wake of Tuesday’s verdict, the PTI leadership and supporters are in celebration mode as they termed the decision of the IHC as their victory.

However, legal experts say that the IHC has not cancelled Khan’s conviction or disqualification, but has suspended it and issued a bail, adding that trouble was not yet over for the former Prime Minister. 

“The IHC has suspended Imran Khan’s sentence. It has not cancelled the case, nor has it ended the Toshakhana case against him. The suspension of the trial court means that there would be a re-trial into the case and PTI would file an appeal in the same case as well. Therefore, Imran Khan’s disqualification and conviction still stands and would be later decided in the re-trial proceedings”, said Hafiz Ahsan Ahmed Khokar, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. 

The IHC verdict is based on the merits of the case and its trial at the session court.

The court had earlier stated that the merits of the case were not considered, and witnesses of Khan were also not allowed to record their statements, making the whole trial process a missed trial. 

Meanwhile, Khan is still declared as arrested in two other cases — the 9 May riots and Cipher case.

It is believed that he might be be kept in Attock Jail or may be moved into another prison as per his arrest in the other cases. 

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Imran raises concerns over privacy in Attock Jail

Imran Khan

Rights activists have also expressed serious concerns over the breach of privacy in prison, stating that such actions seem to be aimed at degrading Khan and trying to violate his rightful privacy…reports Asian Lite News

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been spending his prison term in the Attock jail, where he is being subjected to serious challenges, details of which were shared after a sessions judge’s routine inspection of the premises on August 15.

According to the findings based on a conversations between the judge and Khan, it was revealed that the former premier was seriously and gravely concerned about a CCTV camera, which was installed right in front of his prison cell, leaving no room for privacy. 

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief expressed his reservations over the placement of the CCTV placed in front of his cell in a position that even covered the open bathroom. 

“Imran Khan expressed grave concern over the CCTV camera, installed in front of prison bars just at a distance of five to six feet covering the open bathroom-cum-latrine, having small L-shape walls about two-and-a-half to three-feet high, leaving no privacy while defecating and bathing,” the report by Attock’s Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqatullah Khan stated. 

Judge Shafqatullah stated that the concerns expressed by Khan weregenuine as they were in violation of Rules 257 and 771 of Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978. 

The PTI chief also complained about the difficulties his wife and lawyers have to face in order to meet him, stating that they have no easy access to him. 

As per the judge’s report, Khan’s concerns were noted and the superintendent present there was called in, who assured to redress the grievances. 

“The superintendent present there has been given assurance to redress the grievance of the prisoner. The superintendent had also assured that the prisoner shall be given access to his wife and lawyers as per prevailing rules,” stated the judge’s report. 

After reports surfaced of ill-treatment being meted to Khan, PTI supporters and rights activists have expressed their anger on social media platforms, saying it was deliberate. 

“Imran Khan has been put in Attock jail in a concocted case and a hasty decision. Why would one have a cctv camera filming the open bathroom in the prison cell? It only exposes the agenda behind Khan’s imprisonment. Imran Khan’s privacy and his life is in danger and he needs to be released immediately. This has to stop,” said a PTI supporter Verda Memon. 

Rights activists have also expressed serious concerns over the breach of privacy in prison, stating that such actions seem to be aimed at degrading Khan and trying to violate his rightful privacy. 

“It is a basic right of any prisoner to have his/her privacy in jail as per the Prison rules. And Imran Khan deserves those rights to be provided by the authorities. Such actions only raises questions over the intent of prison authorities to films prisoners and probably later use them to blackmail them. It is unacceptable,” said rights activist Tahira Abdullah. 

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UN appeals for legal integrity in Imran’s trial

Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, was arrested in Lahore on Saturday after a court found him guilty of selling state gifts illegally and sentenced him to three years in prison…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urges the Pakistan government to “respect due process” in the case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and calls on all parties to avoid violence, his spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Monday.

Haq said: “The Secretary General urges the authorities to respect due process and the rule of law in the proceedings brought against the former prime minister”.

Guterres has “taken note of the ongoing protests that have erupted on the rest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, and he calls for all parties to refrain from violence”, Haq said.

“He stresses the need to respect the right to peaceful assembly,” the spokesperson added.

Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, was arrested in Lahore on Saturday after a court found him guilty of selling state gifts illegally and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Khan’s conviction bars him from contesting the upcoming National Assembly election due within months. He and his party have called for peaceful protests but the response has been feeble and the expected mass demonstrations have not materialised so far unlike in May when he was arrested on corruption charges.

At that time, massive protests erupted in several places in Pakistan with death and injuries reported from clashes between his supporters and security forces. He was released soon after on the orders of the Supreme Court only to be rearrested after his conviction in a different case.

The multi-millionaire former cricket star was transferred to a prison in Attock, 80 kilometres from the capital Islamabad, where his party says he is treated as a common “C-Class” prisoner with few amenities in a cramped cell.

Khan was Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 when he was ousted by a non-confidence motion and was succeeded by Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who heads the Pakistan Democracy Movement coalition.

Pakistan Assembly’s term ends next Saturday but there is uncertainty about when the nation would go to the polls. According to media reports, Sharif may dissolve the National Assembly before Saturday and hand over power to a caretaker government. That would allow a 90-interval for the elections instead of the 60 days if the Assembly ran its course till the five-year term’s end.

But Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, according to TV, has raised the possibility of even more delays because a new census would be taken and constituencies written on that basis.

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