Tag: imran khan

Categories
-Top News Asia News PAKISTAN

Imran Khan Faces IMF Snub

In another setback to Imran Khan, IMF refuses to interfere in Pakistan’s electoral dispute, reports Asian Lite News

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has refused to interfere in Pakistan’s domestic policies after Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf demanded it review the country’s February 8 polls before sanctioning any new economic package, the Express Tribune reported.

However, the IMF has encouraged Islamabad to hold ‘fair resolution’ of all electoral disputes.

This comes after incarcerated former PM Imran Khan penned a letter to the IMF, urging the global lender to give the poll results a thorough once-over before cutting any new cheques for Islamabad.

“If the country gets a loan in such a situation, then who will return it?” he questioned, expressing concerns that such a loan could lead to an increase in poverty.

Khan warned that without substantial investment in the country, the burden of loans would continue to rise, underscoring the need for political stability.

While breaking its silence on the PTI’s attempt to involve the global lender in political matters, an IMF spokesperson instead showed readiness to negotiate the next medium-term programme with the newly-elected government.

“The IMF, as an international institution with a narrow mandate on economic issues, does not comment on domestic political developments,” said the IMF spokesperson while commenting on the letter written by the PTI.

The IMF said that it received a letter from a PTI spokesperson on February 28 regarding the Fund’s engagement with Pakistan under the programme, as reported by Express Tribune.

Notably, PTI has throughout termed the Feb 8 polls as ‘disputed’ while alleging a lack of ‘level playing field’. The party claims to have won about 177 seats as against 92, which were notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as independently elected members of the National Assembly. The PTI has also claimed to have documentary evidence of rigging in the elections and demanded that the IMF should play a role in conducting the investigations.

“Given the importance of the institutional environment for economic stability and growth, we do encourage the fair and peaceful resolution of all electoral disputes,” said the IMF spokesperson.

The IMF’s current USD 3 billion short-term bailout package is expiring before the middle of next month and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already given a go-ahead to the Finance Ministry to begin discussions for signing a new Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

The last EFF had expired in June without the disbursement of the USD 2.6 billion loan amount due to Pakistan’s failure to meet the programme conditions.

The last loan tranche of $1.2 billion of the current programme remains undisbursed and the IMF is waiting for the formation of the federal cabinet before sending a mission to Pakistan.

“We look forward to engaging with the new government to complete the second review under the current Stand-by Arrangement and, should the government request, support the formulation of a new medium-term economic programme,” according to the IMF spokesperson.

The spokesperson said that the IMF’s aim is to support the implementation of strong policies to deepen financial stability, address long-standing economic and underlying balance of payments challenges, and restore sustained and inclusive growth for the benefit of all Pakistani citizens, Express Tribune reported. (ANI)

ALSO READ: India Hits Back at Pakistan’s UN Allegations on Jammu and Kashmir

Categories
-Top News Asia News PAKISTAN

PTI Threatens to Disrupt Assembly Unless They Get ‘Due Rights’

PTI leader Junaid Akbar said: “We do not recognise this assembly. We will neither legislate nor allow it [in the House].

Coming down hard on the ruling alliance, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Junaid Akbar warned that they would not let the National Assembly function until provision of their “due rights,” Geo News reported on Friday.

The PTI leader, who is also a Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawmaker, made the remarks during his fiery speech at the second session of the newly elected lower house of parliament.

Taking the floor, Akbar said: “We do not recognise this assembly. We will neither legislate nor allow it [in the House].

Notably, the Imran Khan-founded party has claimed that its mandate was “stolen” during the February 8 general elections. It has termed the polls “rigged” and accused the caretaker government of denying a ‘level playing field’ in the run-up to elections.

“A market [of horse-trading] was set up at the Sindh House and consciences [of lawmakers] were bought,” Akbar said firing a fresh salvo at the Pakistan Peoples Party. “Some were threatened, some were shown their videos.”

Highlighting the cases of alleged discrimination with the PTI, the lawmaker said that his party was stripped of its electoral symbol ‘bat’ in the garb of May 9 mayhem.

He also alleged that two assassination attempts were made on the life of the PTI founder.

Some 34 PTI supporters were killed on May 9 and FIRs were also lodged against the leadership of Khan-founded party, he added. “Sedition cases were registered against me and my friends.”

The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after the deposed prime minister’s arrest in the 190-million-pound settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations, according to Geo News.

During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 “Black Day” and decided to try the miscreants under the Army Act.

(Photo: Instagram)

Talking about the alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections, the PTI leader said that those who suffered defeat as per Form 45 were sitting in the House.

He also vowed to hold the ruling alliance accountable for “violating” the constitution and harming the country.

The PTI urged the government and Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to launch a fresh inquiry to ascertain the beneficiary of the May 9 violence, Geo News reported. (ANI)

Categories
-Top News Economy PAKISTAN

Imran Seeks IMF Election Audit Before New Loan

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.(photo:instagram)

Former PM Imran Khan warned that the loan would lead to more poverty and add to the country’s burden.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, confirmed on Friday that he had sent a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) demanding that it hold an audit of the election results before approving any new loan for Islamabad, The News International reported.

“The letter has been written to the IMF and will be dispatched today. If the country gets a loan in such a situation, then who will return it?” PTI leader told media during a hearing of the £190 million reference at Adiala Jail.

The former PM warned that the loan would lead to more poverty and add to the country’s burden.

According to the News International report, Khan’s update about the letter comes a day after PTI senator Ali Zafar announced that the party founder had decided to write to the global lender urging it to call for an audit of the February 8 election before it continues talks with Islamabad for a new loan programme.

However, the IMF, on Saturday, expressed willingness to work with the new Pakistani government, ignoring his demand, the news report stated.

Meanwhile, former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the letter holds no significance, adding that if the PTI founder has written against the country’s national interest then it is condemnable.

“Writing anything for personal gain is shameful. PTI founder’s letter will have no significance,” Dar, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told media outside the Punjab Assembly.

Pakistan’s former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar

Pakistan secured a short-term USD 3 billion programme from the IMF last year which helped to avert a sovereign debt default. It will run out next month and securing a new and much bigger one is widely seen as the priority for the new administration, Geo News reported.

With the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and their allies striking a deal to form a coalition government, the PTI and some other political parties have altogether rejected the elections and announced country-wide protests.

The PTI has demanded election results be issued based on Form 45–the results of a single polling station instead of Form 47–the consolidated results of a constituency, as the party claimed the votes were rigged after its Independent candidates won a simple majority in the National Assembly. (ANI)

ALSO READ: SPECIAL: A crown of thorns awaits the incumbent PM of Pakistan

Categories
-Top News Asia News Politics

Imran Calls Feb 8 Polls as ‘Mother of All Rigging’

Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, conveyed his message after meeting him at Adiala Jail today, where he labelled the electoral process as the epicentre of widespread rigging….reports Asian Lite News

In a message from jail, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the recent elections on February 8 were marred by the “mother of all riggings,” both before and after the polls, Dawn reported.

Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, conveyed his message after meeting him at Adiala Jail today, where he labelled the electoral process as the epicentre of widespread rigging.

During a subsequent media briefing, Aleema lamented that the public’s mandate had been “stolen” in the aftermath of the elections. Imran, she stated, vehemently condemned the suspension of internet services, alleging that it was a deliberate tactic to “hide the real results.”

Aleema further disclosed Imran’s concerns about the safety of the former Rawalpindi commissioner and emphasised his desire for resolution, stating, “Now Khan sahib wants all this to end… he demands the real mandate of the public should be handed over.”

Meanwhile, expressing apprehensions over the well-being of former first lady Bushra Bibi during her detention at Bani Gala, the PTI raised alarms about “serious threats” to her health.

The party warned that any harm befalling Imran Khan’s wife would be attributed to the Adiala Jail authorities. In an official statement, the PTI asserted that Bushra Bibi was enduring “intense pain” due to allegedly being served “poisoned food” and highlighted that she was denied access to her family or a medical professional.

Moreover, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has intensified its call for the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, holding him responsible for the alleged failure to ensure free, fair, and transparent general elections in 2024, as reported by ARY News.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, representing PTI, conveyed the party’s demand after a meeting with party founder Imran Khan in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, stating, “Incumbent CEC (Sikandar Sultan Raja) has now become a controversial personality as he failed to stop rigging in elections; PTI demands CEC Raja to resign immediately.”

Accusing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of failing in its responsibility, Khan called for an investigation into Liaquat Ali Chatha’s allegations and the conduct of the February 8 elections. He asserted that CEC Raja’s resignation would contribute to a non-controversial inquiry into the reported irregularities on February 8. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Poll Predicament: Imran Khan Beckons US Attention

Categories
-Top News Asia News Politics

Imran Khan Granted Bail in 12 Riot Cases

Imran was also granted bail in the GHQ and Army Museum attacks, with the court requiring a PKR0.1 million surety bond in all 12 cases….reports Asian Lite News

Former Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan was granted bail in 12 cases related to May 9 riots by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi, The Express Tribune reported.

Additionally, Khan’s close aide and the former foreign minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmud Qureshi was granted bail in 13 cases, the daily reported.

Imran was also granted bail in the GHQ and Army Museum attacks, with the court requiring a PKR0.1 million surety bond in all 12 cases.

The bail applications were considered by ATC Judge Malik Ejaz Asif. The court ruled that there was no rationale for keeping the PTI founder in custody, and all suspects in the May 9 cases were granted bail.

Imran and Qureshi were indicted as per charges on February 6. The duo was brought before the court, and the former prime minister informed the judge that he had been unjustly arrested on May 9 from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), according to The Express Tribune.

Imran was booked in many cases relating to the rioting that erupted throughout the country on May 9, following his detention in a corruption case. The complaints filed in Rawalpindi included an attack on the gate of General Headquarters (GHQ), rioting at a sensitive institution’s office, and other incidents.

He rejected the claims included in the cases’ first information reports (FIRs).

It should be mentioned that, following his release from Adiala jail, PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was hauled away by Punjab police in connection with the attack on the GHQ, according to The Express Tribune.

In July last year, a high-level joint investigative team (JIT) looking into the May 9 violence decided to designate the former premier in two terrorist cases, including an attack on GHQ.

With the inclusion of new sections to the proceedings, the PTI head was charged with planning and inciting violence.

The bail has been granted to Imran Khan at a time when the results of the Pakistan General Elections that took place on February 8 are highly anticipated.

The counting for the elections held on Thursday is underway, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged as the single-largest party but is trailing behind the independent candidates, mostly backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).

Meanwhile, amid the Election Commission of Pakistan drawing flak over the delay in declaration of the results of the general elections, former PM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Saturday released a ‘victory speech’ in his AI-enabled voice, saying that the ‘London Plan’ of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif failed with the massive turnout of voters on polling day, as he also claimed victory in the general elections.

Moreover, Nawaz Sharif also announced his intention to form a united government with the help of his former allies – Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) amid a fractured mandate. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Balochistan Protests Amid Pakistan Elections

Categories
-Top News Asia News Politics

‘Neck-and-Neck’ in Pakistan

As per ECP, PTI-baked independents are leading on 28 seats, followed by a tight contest between PML-N (19 seats) and PPP (18 seats)….reports Asian Lite News

As the counting for the Pakistan general elections progresses, the independent candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) are leading with 73 seats in a tight contest with two major parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistani local media reported.

According to the unofficial results called by Geo News for 163 out of total 266 seats, PTI-backed independent candidates are leading on 73 seats, followed by PML-N on 48 and PPP on 35.

However, the provisional results have only been released for 72 seats by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Dawn reported.

As per ECP, PTI-baked independents are leading on 28 seats, followed by a tight contest between PML-N (19 seats) and PPP (18 seats).

Among major candidates, three-time former PM and front-runner Nawaz Sharif won from the NA-130 constituency in Lahore with 1,71,024 votes.

However, in a major surprise, he lost in the NA-15 constituency in Mansehra against PTI-backed independent Gustasap Khan, according to ARY News.

Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz won the NA-119 seat from Lahore. Former PM Shehbaz Sharif also won from the PP-158 seat in Lahore.

Among PPP leaders, former President Asif Ali Zardari and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also won from their respective seats in NA-207 and NA-196.

Notably, Imran Khan was disqualified from contesting the elections due to criminal convictions. The electoral symbol of the PTI was also taken away by the ECP, in a ruling later backed by the Pakistan apex court. As a result, the PTI leaders and supporters contested as independent candidates, Dawn reported.

Local media outlets in Pakistan today started reporting the results of the polls conducted in the national and provincial assemblies that began at 8 am on February 8 and was conducted by 5 pm on the same day.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry today said delay in election results, which was supposed to be out by Friday morning, was due to a “lack of connectivity,” which it stressed was the result of preventive measures taken to ensure foolproof security. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Reform IMF, WB with BRICS Involvement, UN Chief Bats for Global South

Categories
-Top News Asia News PAKISTAN

Imran Khan’s PTI Faces Crisis as Nomination Papers Rejected

The PTI also lost its electoral symbol ‘bat’ leaving the party’s nominated candidates with no other option but to contest as independent candidates…reports Asian Lite News

Future of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which emerged as a major political party in the country in the 2013 general polls, is in the doldrums as nomination papers of several party leaders, including founder Imran Khan, have been rejected by the Election Commission of Pakistan over corruption charges.

Though Khan, former prime minister, is languishing in jail on charges of corruption and misplacement of secret document for 14 years and 10 years respectively, he enjoys love and support of many.

The PTI also lost its electoral symbol ‘bat’ leaving the party’s nominated candidates with no other option but to contest as independent candidates.

With PTI and its leader Imran Khan out of the picture, many believe that the tone for the polls has already been set as the country heads towards another process of “selection” rather than “election”.

It is believed that the May 9, 2023 riots, triggered after the arrest of Khan in Islamabad, which saw angry party supporters storming military installations across the country, became the prime reason for the downfall of PTI and its leadership.

“The military establishment under COAS (Chief of Army Staff) General Syed Asim Munir seems to have decided to dismantle and destroy PTI as part of their punishment for attacking military installations on 9th May,” said senior political analyst Javed Siddique.

“We see an open, blatant and targeted dismantling of PTI, its workers, its leaders and its founder as anyone and everyone who tries to even come out of their home with a PTI flag are taken into custody. The party is not allowed to hold even a corner meeting for political campaigning. Its candidates are now contesting polls under multiple election symbols in independent capacity. It is almost clear to all now that PTI has been kept out of these elections deliberately,” he added.

A different version of analysis on PTI still remains that while it may not be contesting the upcoming elections, the party itself may be a major asset for the military establishment after the formation of the new elected government.

“PTI and Khan have proven many interesting facts about themselves. There are a set of people who follow Khan more than the party’s policy. They have also proven that they are not equipped or competent to run a national government. But they have also proven that they can send shockwaves in any government through protests, street power shows, resistance campaigns and long marches, which in the past have proven to be very effective and have kept ruling governments on their toes,” said political analyst Ayub Khan.

“So I think that PTI may not have any say in the upcoming polls, but it certainly is a major tool for the military establishment or even for itself to cause serious damage to any ruling governments. And that is what I think now, will keep the presence of PTI alive in the future,” he added.

“It is an open secret in Pakistan that the former PTI chief’s followers and supporters have been silenced but are still intact. The ongoing targeted cleansing operation against the party, its leaders and supporters may have yielded results for the polls, but it certainly cannot be sustained for long,” he said.

Many people are of the view that soon after the general elections, the former prime minister will be out and emerge more stronger. He will challenge the ruling government through big rallies and anti-government long marches, a tool that the country’s powerful military establishment would always want to keep in its backup plan.

ALSO READ-Imran Khan, wife get 7-year jail for unlawful marriage

Categories
-Top News PAKISTAN Politics

Imran Khan, wife get 7-year jail for unlawful marriage

imran khan and wife bushra bibi.

The couple were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced

A trial court has handed seven-year sentences each to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the “un-Islamic nikah” case at the Adiala jail on Saturday, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

The court has also asked Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to pay a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 500,000 each. The couple were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced, according to Geo News report.

Senior civil judge Qudratullah announced the verdict today. The decision was announced a day after the hearing of the case was conducted inside the jail premises for 14 hours. The court had reserved its decision after the arguments were completed on Friday.

The judge pronounced the court’s verdict in a case related to the plea registered by Bushra Bibi’s former husband, Khawar Maneka against what he refers to as an un-Islamic and illegal nikah with Imran Khan.

So far, cross-examination of the statements given by the four witnesses in the case has been completed, Geo News reported. The statements of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi under Section 342 have been recorded.

During the court’s hearing on Friday, the complainant’s lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi and Khan’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja and Bushra Bibi’s counsel Usman Gul also gave their final arguments.

In his petition, Khawar Maneka had called Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s nikkah “fraudulent” and stressed that the marriage was solemnised during her iddat after her divorce from him.

The petition filed by Maneka reads, “That above said nikah and the marriage ceremony was neither legal nor Islamic as it was solemnised without observing iddah period,” according to the Geo News report.

Khawar Maneka accused Imran Khan of ruining his entire life. In the petition, he mentioned that PTI founder “stigmatised the complainant and his family just to achieve his unethical and immoral objects through intrusion in the complainant’s peaceful marital life.”

He requested the court to summon Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi and punish them in accordance with the law.

“In light of the above, it is humbly prayed that respondents No.1 [Imran Khan] and 2 [Bushra Bibi] be summoned and punished strictly in accordance with law in the interest of justice,” Maneka requested the court. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Imran Khan, wife sentenced to 14 years in Toshakhana case

Categories
-Top News Asia News Politics

Imran Khan, Wife Indicted in Toshakhana Case

Imran Khan

The court subsequently adjourned the hearing till January 11 and directed the NAB to produce the witnesses in the case at the next proceedings….reports Asian Lite News

The Islamabad accountability court indicted former Pakistan PM and Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference, Dawn News reported on Tuesday.

During the hearing held on Tuesday at Adiala Jail, Imran, his spouse, PTI lawyers Shoaib Shaheen and Barrister Umar Niazi appeared in court. NAB prosecutors Sardar Muzaffar and Amjad Pervaiz were also in attendance.

As the proceedings commenced, accountability judge Muhammad Bashir indicted the PTI founder and his wife and read out loud the charges framed against them.

Dawn News reported that Imran denied the charges saying he was waiting for the day when he would meet the approvers, who had testified against him, claiming that people were kidnapped, after which they became witnesses.

The court subsequently adjourned the hearing till January 11 and directed the NAB to produce the witnesses in the case at the next proceedings.

Separately, the judge also reserved the verdict in the 190 million-pound reference.

The case alleged that Imran and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd. for legalising Rs50bn that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

The reference filed by NAB said Imran played a “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi”.

It also claimed that despite being given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, the accused deliberately, with mala fide intention, refused to give information on one pretext or another.

According to the Dawn News report, copies of the case record were given to Bushra Bibi. Imran was handed over the copies during yesterday’s hearing. The judge said charges would be framed against the suspects on January 17 and adjourned the case.

The court also rejected Imran’s post-arrest bails in both the Toshakhana and 190 million pounds references.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, the PTI leader said it was alleged in the Toshakhana reference that he used his office boy as the prime minister for corruption of millions and billions of rupees.

“Being the premier, I used no one else but the office boy […] how is that possible?” Imran asked, adding that two persons, including an office boy, were made approvers against him.

“Is this society running on [the concept] of Amr Bil Maroof (enjoin the good)?” he further questioned, adding, “I am being punished for trying to bring the mighty under the law.”

On December 19, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a fresh reference against Imran and his wife in an accountability court for retaining a jewellery set received from the Saudi crown prince against an undervalued assessment.

The anti-graft watchdog alleged in the reference that during his term as prime minister, Imran and his wife had received a total of 108 gifts from different heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

“Out of these 108 gifts, the accused persons retained 58 gift boxes or sets against an undervalued amount of PKR 142.1 million as assessed by appraisers,” the reference stated. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Imran Set to be Released After Pak SC Confirms Bail

Categories
-Top News Asia News Politics

Despite Bail, Imran Khan to Stay Behind Bars

Imran Khan was granted bail in the Toshakahan case and the top court granted him relief in the cipher case but there are two more hurdles in his way…reports Asian Lite News

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan won’t be coming out of jail despite getting bail in the cipher case by the country’s top court, Geo News reported on Friday.

He was granted bail in the Toshakahan case and the top court granted him relief in the cipher case but there are two more hurdles in his way as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed two corruption references against him.

The anti-graft watchdog arrested the PTI founder in a 190 million-pound settlement and Toshakhana cases and the bail petitions are pending before the accountability courts. Until he secures bail in these two cases he will remain behind bars, according to Geo News.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court granted him and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi bail in the case against surety bonds of 1 million Pakistani Rupees (PKR) each today.

Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has been in jail since August after his conviction on corruption charges in separate cases.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of leaking state secrets. The charges are related to a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington last year, which Khan is accused of making public.

As per details, the former premier is facing multiple cases from corruption to violence filed against him in different courts across the country including the Toshakahana reference in which he has been disqualified, Geo News reported.

Other than Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi also got bail by the Pakistan Supreme Court in the cypher case.

Earlier in August, former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 100,000 PKR by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, after the judge found him guilty of graft in the Toshakhana case.

Khan has been convicted of misusing his position as prime minister to sell state gifts worth more than PKR 140 million (USD 490,000) that he received from foreign dignitaries during visits abroad, reported Geo News.

Last month, the PTI sought Imran’s post-arrest bail in the Supreme Court, arguing that bail should not be used as a form of punishment. The SC had previously issued notices to the FIA and the federation, directing them to submit responses to the plea, Dawn reported.

The cypher case, initiated with the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act, involves serious allegations against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Nomination papers submitted

Despite being disqualified from contesting the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan had his nomination papers submitted from his home constituency in Mianwali on Friday, as reported by Geo News.

Khan had his nomination papers submitted for the National Assembly’s NA-89 constituency. PTI leader Umar Bodla appeared on the former prime minister’s behalf.

The PTI founder, a 70-year-old former international cricket star, has been at the centre of a political crisis since he was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.

The cricketer-turned-politician was sent to jail for three years on August 5 after being found guilty of selling state gifts during his 2018-22 tenure as prime minister — the charges he denies, Geo News reported.

Khan is seeking to overturn that conviction, which has barred him from contesting elections for five years, filed a plea in the Islamabad High Court, but it was rejected, after which the party moved to the Supreme Court. (ANI)

ECP Decides Against Letting PTI Retain Symbol

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday decided against letting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) retain its ‘bat’ electoral symbol for the February 8 general election, Dawn newspaper reported.

Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper.

The ECP’s verdict was announced a day after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed the electoral watchdog to decide on PTI’s intra-party polls and electoral symbol by Friday in “accordance with the law”.

The development also came hours after the PTI met with the commission following the Supreme Court’s order for the ECP to address the party’s concerns regarding a lack of a level playing field in the run-up to the polls. According to the PTI, the ECP had assured its delegation that it would address its grievances, as per Dawn.

The ECP had taken notice of the PTI’s intra-party, in which Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was easily elected as the party’s new chairman. The polls were held on December 3, days after the ECP declared as null and void the intra-party polls held in June 2022, giving the PTI 20 days to hold fresh elections or be ready to become ineligible for the poll symbol.

As per Dawn, the party was on the receiving end of sharp criticism over the polls as estranged PTI founding member Akbar S Babar announced that he would challenge the entire process. He had alleged that the PTI had carried out a selection process aimed at throwing out party workers to give the reins to a few lawyers.

Akbar had approached the ECP against the intra-party elections, alleging it was “rigged and fraudulent”. Various other petitions were also submitted to the ECP along similar lines as Babar’s, with the mutual demands of declaring the intra-party election without effect and orders for the exercise to be carried out anew.

A five-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Tuesday reserved judgement on the matter linked to the allocation of the ‘bat’ as the PTI’s electoral symbol.

In its order, which was posted on social media platform X, the ECP said that according to the PTI constitution, the Federal Election Commission would be formed to hold intra-party elections.

It said the record submitted by the PTI did not show that any competent authority had appointed the Federal Election Commission in line with established procedure.

It added that the appointment of a single federal election commissioner was not a requirement of the PTI constitution and such an individual could not exercise any power to hold the intra-party elections in the absence of a complete commission, according to Dawn.

The ECP said the PTI had not complied with its directions and had failed to hold intra-party elections in accordance with the party’s prevailing constitution and the election laws.

“Therefore, the certificate dated December 4 and Form-65 filed by the alleged chairman, is hereby regretted and rejected accordingly,” the ECP said.

“The provisions of Section 215 of the Election Act, 2017 are hereby invoked and the PTI is hereby declared ineligible to obtain the election symbol for which they have applied for,” the ECP added, according to Dawn. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Imran’s Electoral Future in Jeopardy