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)
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)
Imran Khan Prime Minister of Pakistan.(Photo:instagram)
Now, as the general elections are inching closer, it seems eminent that the upcoming election would not even see Khan in contention, which may also result in a weak voter turnout….reports Hamza Ameer
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is facing major legal challenges with serious allegations ranging from corruption to sedition, may be ruled out of the electoral race in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024.
Khan, who was ousted from power through a vote of no confidence by the Opposition alliance on April 10, 2022, has led a massive campaign against the country’s military establishment and his political opposition, becoming the country’s most popular leader. And despite the fact that he currently is imprisoned and is facing major legal cases, coupled with the May 9 riots targeted at military installations across the country which led to a complete dismantling of his political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI); Khan is still widely loved by his supporters who dub all allegations against him as “false and concocted”.
Now, as the general elections are inching closer, it seems eminent that the upcoming election would not even see Khan in contention, which may also result in a weak voter turnout.
“If Imran Khan would not be contesting the next elections, and keeping in view the majority support he still enjoys among the people, the whole election process would remain shrouded with concerns and questions over its credibility,” said senior political analyst Javed Siddique.
“And because Imran Khan is still the standing most popular leader, his eviction would reflect on the polls through a very weak voter turnout, which would also mean that the next elected government would not be representative of people’s choice,” he added.
The reason why elections without Khan may trigger a weak voter turnout can also be established through a recent survey by GALLUP, which revealed that at least 63 per cent of PTI voters would not cast their vote if Imran Khan was not the chairman of PTI.
GALLUP in its survey asked: “If Imran Khan will not be the chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf, but the party still stands in the elections, would you vote for such a party?”
The question was responded with a clear “NO” by at least 63 per cent whereas 37 per cent still said they would vote for the party.
Pertinent to mention here that currently Khan is not the chairman of PTI because he has been convicted in the Toshakhana (gift repository) case.
In a latest, Khan’s plea before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking suspension of the trial court’s conviction has also been rejected while the National Accountability Board (NAB) has also filed a reference against Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the same case, whose hearing would start from December 23.
The decision of the IHC has practically barred Khan from contesting the upcoming general elections.
Even the new chairman of PTI Barrister Gohar Khan is unsure if Imran Khan would be able to contest the elections or not.
“If election schedule is not changed, there are only a few days to get a decision from the Supreme Court in favour of Imran Khan. I am not sure if that would be a possibility but we will try,” he said.
May 9, 2023, is being considered as no less than a 9/11 for PTI and Imran Khan as it repercussions have dismantled the party, forced Imran Khan to fall from the sky to ground and now has left it to even go through rigorous legal challenges to retain its political symbol of the cricket bat for its members to contest the general elections.
PTI chief Imran Khan had nominated Gohar Khan to succeed him as he was unable to contest polls due to his disqualification in the Toshakhana case
Lawyer Gohar Ali Khan was on Saturday was elected unopposed as the new chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after its intra-party elections were held earlier in the day.
PTI chief Imran Khan had nominated Gohar Khan to succeed him as he was unable to contest polls due to his disqualification in the Toshakhana case, The News reported.
Omar Ayub Khan was also chosen as the party’s central general secretary unopposed, party’s Chief Election Commissioner Niazullah Niazi said in Peshawar while announcing the results.
He shared that Ali Amin Gandapur and Yasmin Rashid have been chosen as the party’s provincial presidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, respectively.
The PTI intra-party elections were held in line with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) orders to secure its election symbol “bat” for the general elections slated to take place in February next year, The News reported.
Speaking with journalists in Peshawar, Gohar Khan said he will take on the responsibilities of the chairman as Imran Khan’s representative.
“We will take the country forward but as long as I am here, I will (act as) Imran Khan’s representative who is in jail because of his principled struggle. PTI will not fight anyone,” he said.
He lamented that none of the political parties “faced this sort of elections” like the PTI did, adding that the court did not look into other parties’ receiving foreign funding.
The intra-party polls hold immense importance in the country’s current political climate as the party’s Chairman Imran Khan, for the first time since PTI’s inception, decided to hand over the chairmanship to Gohar Khan, who will be holding the party reigns until the Khan’s release from jail, The News reported.
Earlier this week, PTI member and senior lawyer Ali Zafar announced Gohar’s name as the party’s chair, adding that his position is temporary, as Khan would return as chairman once his disqualification in the wake of the Toshakhana case is overturned.
Pakistan is preparing to welcome self-exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on October 21. The PML-N supremo does not seem in any mood to abandon his long-standing demand for the ‘strict accountability’ of general and judges for their alleged involvement in a ‘conspiracy’ to oust him from power in 2017. The Pakistan army has ruled the state directly for 33 years and exercised influence from behind the scenes during the remaining period. It has shown resilience in recovering from periodic setbacks, including its crushing defeat in 1971, using strong-arm tactics and intimidation to enforce its will. ‘The very institution created to protect the polity is given sufficient power to become a threat to the polity.’ A special report by Dr Sakariya Kareem
In Pakistan, it is not history that repeats itself but the military establishment that repeats history. Historically, one of the key reasons why the military is politically involved in Pakistan is colonialism. After partition in 1947, the Muslim League, which spearheaded the Pakistan movement, was too weak. There was a large vacuum for the military to take politics into its own hands. Hence the military has been involved in Pakistani politics since 1948.
The Pakistan army has ruled the state directly for 33 years and exercised influence from behind the scenes during the remaining period. It has shown resilience in recovering from periodic setbacks, including its crushing defeat in 1971, using strong-arm tactics and intimidation to enforce its will. The continual infringement of the Constitution has left a watermark of what should have been a robust democratic culture. Recurrent military regimes arrested the political process and have polluted political outfits that now, more often than not, collude with unelected elements to wrest power.
The Pakistan military, as an institution, remains materially and economically strong and capable of exerting the kind of influence despite the criticism from both political and civilian institutions, civil society, academia and the media. The military as an institution remains strong and the core reason for this is its material wealth. And the fact that there is no challenge. One of the key reasons why there have been coup like in 1999 or before or after that, is that some civilian actors tried to control power and that is what brought them into conflict with the military establishment, which resists these efforts by all means.
For example, Nawaz Sharif, the three-time PM of Pakistan and the military establishment became rivals in the 1990s. The key reason was that the Nawaz Sharif government tried to impose taxes on the military’s industries and economic wealth. This created a wedge between Nawaz Sharif and the military establishment and resultantly Nawaz Sharif’s government was overthrown by the same military establishment because of their growing differences.
A UNDP report of 2021 said that Pakistan’s various business elites, that include the military itself, received about USD 17.4 billion in subsidies and taxes concessions and exemptions from the state of Pakistan annually.
There was a period in Pakistan’s history where the opposition alliances had pitched a united front even against military dictators as witnessed against Field Marshal Ayub Khan in the late 1960s. However, what has become increasingly apparent in Pakistan’s political scenario is the waning influence of the classical civil society to forge an opposition as against Ayub Khan.
Rise and Fall of Imran Khan
For many years, the military establishment propped up Imran Khan as a fresh face in politics. For them, a ‘corruption-free,’ honest and popular political leadership was necessary as an alternative for the two main parties taking turns in power. Instead of direct military rule, a ‘hybrid regime’ was in the making for over two decades, which was accelerated by various political events, and materialised in 2018. A political demagogue, Khan promised to build a new Pakistan through reform, better governance, and eliminating corruption. This last pledge resonated with the urban middle class, particularly among bureaucratic and military families.
During his tenure, Khan outsourced the political management of both his allies and adversaries to the military establishment, undermining the structure of his party. Hiding behind this veneer, the state used the pretext of ‘hybrid warfare’ and ‘fifth generation warfare’ to crush all criticism of them. There was complete media censorship. Suppression and abductions were commonplace.
Khan counts some landmark achievements during his almost four-year rule. He introduced the Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card scheme, which provided Pakistani families with up to one million rupees (around $5400) in annual health care coverage. He successfully navigated the 2019 border crisis with India, which brought the rivals to the brink of war. During Khan’s tenure, Pakistan also proposed a resolution against Islamophobia at the United Nations General Assembly, which was adopted in March.
But Imran Khan’s greatest strength – the military’s seemingly unconditional support – became his Achille’s heel. As Pakistan’s economy tanked and its internal security worsened, Khan became a liability for the military. His reluctance to appoint Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as the new intelligence director and transfer out then-sitting director and Khan loyalist Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was the final straw. Khan had hoped to keep Hameed on as spy chief and promote him to army chief at the end of Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure; this position crossed a red line for the military.
But Khan’s showdown with Gen Bajwa proved costly. The military soon stepped back from supporting Khan, paving the way for the opposition’s no-confidence motion. The military ruled Pakistan for three decades and has managed ‘chosen’ administrations. A recent glimpse of that was the hybrid model of the PTI-led government, which failed resoundingly, as have similar experiments.
The current military regime under Gen Syed Asim Munir is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring Imran Khan’s removal from Pakistan’s political scene.
The political crackdown on former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan by the establishments holds no surprise as the country’s democratic backsliding goes beyond that. Imran Khan’s arrest on corruption charges triggered widespread protests across the country on May 9. The Pakistani Army swiftly labelled May 9 as a ‘Black Day,’ emphasizing that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf’s ‘lust for power’ achieved what its enemy had failed to do in 75 years.
Pakistan witnessed a disturbing trend of stifling dissent and suppressing voices critical of the government. The abduction of senior journalist Sami Ibrahim, the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, the disappearance of Imran Riaz Khan, and the attempted assassination and arrest of popular leader Imran Khan served as chilling reminders of the growing dangers faced by those who dare to speak out against the ruling powers. These incidents not only raise concerns about the state of press freedom and human rights but also shed light on the tactics employed by those in power to silence opposition.
The biggest achievement of Imran Khan has been to call out the military for its machinations in Pakistan politics and infuse the spirit of ‘true democracy’ in the masses. A recent survey conducted by a political party placed Imran Khan’s popularity at 60%.
Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, a close aide of Imran Khan said: ‘How can you classify something as a transparent democracy when you are dismantling the largest national level party… and the most popular leader in the country is in prison? For Pakistan to become a free and democratic country, what needs to happen is free and fair elections. The people have to pick their leaders and the government that comes in has to have the mandate of the masses.
The continuous erosion of democracy in Pakistan has largely been due to the machinations of the military, its political leaders and the gullible public. However, the Western powers, who are the champions of democracy and freedom, also share some blame. Pakistan has been bailed out repeatedly from various perils be it economy or terrorism, by the same Western powers. A large Pakistan diaspora exists in Western countries, be it the US, the UK or other countries which repeatedly calls out for a functional democracy in their home country. In spite of all these factors, the Western powers failed to assist Pakistan in achieving the desired democracy as envisioned by its creators. Pakistan’s military played into the sentiments of radicalisation, internal and external threats, the Afghanistan card and various other factors to its own advantage thereby completely hoodwinking the West.
Joe Biden.
Biden’s Strategy
Is there anything the Biden administration can do to help alleviate the situation in the short term?
The Biden administration can stand in favour of democracy in Pakistan, the rule of law, and the supremacy of its constitution, all of which are under threat in this current crisis – and not with the United States’ usual and favoured partner in Pakistan, its military. This means the US should explicitly speak up in favour of free, fair and on-time elections in Pakistan this year, and against violations of the rule of law and the country’s constitution.
Throughout much of this history, Pakistan has been led by military dictators. In return for helping the United States and the West pursue its objectives, the Pakistan military obtained sizable economic and military aid and political support. However, the degree of Pakistan’s cooperation has been much less than claimed.
The Pakistani priorities reflect the specific institutional interests of the military and therefore cannot be fundamentally changed unless the army gradually cedes its political role to representative civilian leaders and limits itself to defending borders.In other words,the United States and other international actors vital to Pakistan’s future must stop taking the metaphorical bribe of partial Pakistani cooperation in fighting radicalisation, terrorism etc in return for propping up an unrepresentative, military government.
Conditionality of cooperation assistance applied by a large number of countries, not simply by the United States, should be applied to Pakistan’s leadership, in particular the military leadership, and should not affect the general population.
The first step towards this would be for the West to ensure that Pakistan’s old political guard under Nawaz Sharif as well as the publicly popular Imran Khan, be strengthened to pursue a legal course against their own corrupt Army Generals, who have involved themselves in political machinations and are responsible for the country’s plight.
Nawaz Returns
Nawaz Sharif is also due to return to Pakistan on October 21. With days left before his arrival, the PML-N supremo does not seem in any mood to abandon his long-standing demand for the ‘strict accountability’ of general and judges – former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, ex-spymaster Faiz Hamid, and former chief justice Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar – for their alleged involvement in a ‘conspiracy’ to oust him from power in 2017.
The international community has all the right to be concerned. Pakistan is a nuclear nation veering from its pluralistic, democratic course, its ethnic divisions, religious and political polarisation and deepening under the jackboot of shaky military rule, posing a threat to its neighbourhood as well as the capitals of its distance western allies whose hand-wringing and threat of sanctions has fooled no one, least of all Islamabad’s current powerbrokers.
The West will be told any formulation that sees the military take the back seat in the political process has the potential for a prolonged civil war, if the current unrest, brutally suppressed by the authorities, turns into a full-blown rebellion under self-serving politicians. After another failed attempt at political engineering, the military establishment must step back and allow the democratic process to evolve.
The political churning set off by the confrontational course adopted by the military against civil society will throw up forces that could sweep even the semblances of democracy that exist in Pakistan out of the window. The US must be willing to take a chance that after the initial upheaval, Pakistan will find its democratic feet. Politicians must be allowed to have a say in a new caretaker administration and arrive at a representative, if untidy democracy.
Pakistan has long paid the price for the West’s myopic dependence on the military as the solution to all ills. This time, the West must have the courage to allow Pakistanis to winnow the democratic chaff from the military weed. Pakistan needs a new social contract that addresses injustice and inequalities.
The starting point of this might well be instituting Constitutional amendments to bring the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) under civil leadership as is done in all democracies of the world.
Pak military takes risky gamble with Imran Khan's arrest.(Photo:IN)
In a letter written to the home secretary of Punjab province, Bushra Bibi said the court had directed authorities concerned to shift Imran Khan to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi has voiced concerns about her incarcerated husband’s security and safety, saying he “can be poisoned” in Attock jail.
In a letter written to the home secretary of Punjab province, Bushra Bibi said the court had directed authorities concerned to shift her husband to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, Geo News reported.
“My husband has been imprisoned in Attock jail without any justification. According to the law, my husband should be transferred to Adiala jail,” she added.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman was jailed earlier this month after the court sentenced him to three-year in prison in the Toshakhana case related to the sale of state gifts that he received as prime minister from foreign dignitaries during his 2018-22 tenure.
Consequently, he was also barred from politics for five years.
In the letter , the ousted premier’s wife demanded that the PTI chief be provided B-class facilities in the prison given his social and political status as he is an “Oxford graduate and former captain of the national cricket team”, Geo News reported.
Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi.
She went on to say that such facilities are not available in Attock jail which her husband is entitled to.
Bushra further said two assassination attempts were made on Khan’s life in the past and the accused involved had not been arrested yet.
“His (Khan) life is still in danger (and) there is a fear that my husband will be poisoned in Attock jail,” she stated in the letter, Geo News reported.
She said being a former Prime Minister of the country, her husband should be allowed to eat home-cooked food at the prison.
The judge added that Imran Khan’s bail cannot be extended in light of the supreme court verdict….reports Asian Lite News
A district and sessions court in Islamabad has refused to extend the interim bail in six cases of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday, Geo news reported.
Judge Muhammad Sohail announced the verdict and said that it would be convenient if the former prime minister who was removed from power via a parliamentary vote last year, joined the investigation related to the cases.
The judge added that Imran Khan’s bail cannot be extended in light of the supreme court verdict.
The six cases were registered against the incarcerated PTI chief in Karachi Company, Ramna, Kohsar, Tarnool and Secretariat police stations of the federal capital.
The PTI chief arrest in a corruption case on May 9 this year triggered violent protests with the party supporters attacking defence and military installations in many parts of the country.
Hundreds of PTI workers and leaders were arrested for their alleged involvement in the riots while the authorities had accused the former premier of being the mastermind of the violent protests.
The ousted premier was put behind bars at Attock Jail earlier this month after a trial court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in prison and imposed an Rs100,000 fine after he was found guilty of concealing proceeds of Toshakhana (state depository) gifts that he received from foreign dignitaries as the prime minister of the country from 2018 to 2022.
Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified him for five years from holding public office following his conviction.
On Saturday, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan dismissed interim bails of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in seven cases on Thursday, reported The News International on Saturday.
The News International also reported that the seven cases also include the Lahore Corps commander’s house attack, for want of prosecution.
The report added that the Special Prosecutor, Farhad Ali Shah, argued before the court that there was no scope in the law to accept the exemption applications of the convicted accused. He implored the court to reject the interim bail of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman. On the other hand, Imran Khan’s counsel argued that his client was in jail and the court should summon him as he wanted to appear before the court.
As per The News International, the court responded that even when Khan was free, he did not comply with the court’s orders. Barrister Salman Safdar, who had been excused from attending the hearing, requested more time to argue his request for an exemption from attending.
The court refused to grant the PTI chairman an exemption from appearing and dismissed his bail application, reported The News International.
An accountability court in Islamabad on Thursday cancelled the interim bail of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in connection with the National Crime Agency (NCA) 190 million pounds scandal, ARY News reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a Pakistan district and sessions court on August 5, sentenced PTI Chairman Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case i.e. for illegally selling state gifts and he has been disqualified from politics for a period of five years, local media reported.
The PTI Chairman was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case. The court also imposed a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 100,000 on Imran Khan, Geo News reported.
Khan, who has expressed his disappointment over being in jail and said that he doesn’t want to stay there, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. While speaking to his lawyers in the Attock jail, Imran Khan said, “Take me out of here; I don’t want to remain in jail,” according to the officials. The PTI Chairman Imran Khan also stated that he remains holed up inside his prison cell in “distressing” conditions, as per the sources. (ANI)
With the military fixated on marginalising Khan, it is expected that the army will buy more time to do so by delaying general elections, which otherwise are to held later this year, a report by Atul Aneja
In the arrest of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, the Pakistan army has broken a psychological barrier, opening a pathway for a new dispensation to take root in Islamabad.
The army, which had been seeking Khan’s arrest after the May 9 attacks that challenged the military’s authority would have been relieved to see that the ex-Prime Minister’s arrest on Saturday did not trigger a significant blowback from his supporters in the streets. In fact, only 20-25 people were present at Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore at the time of his arrest.
The former Prime Minister’s docking has also not generated any significant pressure from abroad. The United States, which has no love lost for Khan after he publicly accused Washington for plotting his removal in a no-confidence motion last April, has looked the other way after Khan’s arrest on Saturday.
“Cases against Imran Khan and other politicians on Pakistan are an internal matter,” US State Department’s spokesperson was quoted as saying after the arrest. “We call for the respect of democratic principles and the rule of law in Pakistan, as we do around the world,” he added, in a pointer that Khan’s detention was not on Washington’s political radar.
It is likely that Khan who has been lodged in Attock jail will be granted bail in the Toshakhana case, for which the ex-Prime Minister sentenced by a sessions court to 3 years’ imprisonment.
But the relief is expected to be short-lived. Recent precedents show that Khan is likely to re-arrested for breaking the law in other cases that have been piled up against him. These include the May 9 case, where Khan is being nailed for masterminding the attacks on military installations including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the corps commanders’ residence in Lahore. Khan can also be docked for the Al Qadir Trust case. Here, the PTI chief and his wife Bushra Bibi have been accused of getting billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from a real estate tycoon based in the UK in return for favours from the PTI government.
Imran Khan.(PHOTO:INSTAGRAM)
Khan’s legal woes do not end here. He is also confronting the cypher case, where he has been accused of publicly airing state secrets conveyed to him through a classified cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States. The cable apparently revealed a conversation between the Pak ambassador to the US and David Lu, a US state department official, who apparently sought the exit of Khan’s government. The ex-Prime Minister’s government was toppled in a no-confidence motion shortly after the cable was received.
Prior to Khan’s arrest, others who have faced the arrest-bail-rearrest cycle include Pervez Elahi, former Chief Minister of Punjab, Shehryar Afridi, who served as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir as well as Yasmin Rashid– a Pakistani politician who served as the provincial minister of Punjab for Primary and Secondary Healthcare.
With the military fixated on marginalising Khan, it is expected that the army will buy more time to do so by delaying general elections, which otherwise are to held later this year.
Unsurprisingly, the government on Saturday ruled that elections would be held only after considering the Pakistan’s 2023 population census. This implies that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will now delimit electoral constituencies afresh—a time consuming exercise.
Consequently, it appears that the military establishment led by Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Asim Munir is in no mood to hold elections at least till March 2024. Pak insiders told India Narrative that it may not be surprising if the elections are postponed by 1-2 years.
To ensure that post-Imran hybrid model, where a powerful military will work together with an elected government as a junior partner, takes firm root, the army will ensure that a suitable caretaker prime minister is appointed, whose tenure could be lengthy as elections could be delayed. Earlier, the military has favoured the appointment of Mohsin Beg, a media personality close to Gen. Munir as the caretaker PM.
The military also needs extra time to see that charges against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are dropped to smoothen his return from exile from London, ahead of elections. Besides, the army also wants to see the back of pro-Imran Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial who retires in September.
The beginning of troubles
The ex-Prime Minister got into trouble over selling some of the expensive gifts that he had received from foreign government in his capacity as Prime Minister. Though top national leaders are allowed to buy foreign gifts from the state coffers, Khan had apparently purchased these gifts for himself at highly discounted value from the state treasury and sold them at market prices, thus personally pocketing a tidy profit.
Khan has been accused of selling an expensive Graff wristwatch worth at least Rs2 billion, to Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor. Khan was gifted the watch by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
According to Pakistani daily New International, Zahoor, the Norwegian-Pakistani millionaire, claims that he can prove that he bought the rare watch and three other Toshakhana gifts from Farhat Shahzadi — also known as Farah Gogi. Gogi, in turn is a close friend of Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi. Zahoor claims that he paid 7.5 million Dirhams in cash and the deal was facilitated by former federal minister Shahzad Akbar.
In an affidavit, Zahoor claims that the gifts included a Diamond MasterGraff Tourbillon Minute Repeater with Makkah Map Dial GM2751, Diamond Cufflinks with 2.12ct H IF and 2.11ct I IF Round Diamonds GR46899, Diamond Gent’s Ring 7.20cts, VVSl Rose Gold Pen Set with Pave Diamonds and Enamel Mecca Map.
Khan has not denied his involvement in the Toshakhana affairs but has pinned the blame of any wrongdoing on his military secretary Brigadier Waseem Cheema.
Recording his statement in the Toshakhana case before the sessions court on Tuesday, Khan said that Brigadier Waseem Cheema was an important and relevant character in this whole episode. “I request the court to call him to record his statement in the case,” he said, pleading innocence in the case.
In his judgement today, ADSJ Humayun Dilawar announced the verdict, stating that the PTI chief has been found guilty of corrupt practices before reading out the sentence. Incidentally no representative of the PTI chairman appeared before him at the hearing, which was adjourned several times.
Khan and the PTI are expected to challenge the verdict in higher court, implying that the ex-Prime Minister’s disqualification based on the Toshakana case may not be final. In a recorded video message, Khan has said that he had anticipated his arrest.
It is important to note that there is a bigger context to the ruling. The military led by Army Chief Asim Munir and the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have gone after Khan after the May 9 attacks on military symbols and installations including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and Jinnah House, the corps commander’s residence. Khan is a prime suspect in conceiving the plot, an accusation that he hotly denies.
In the crackdown that followed, the PTI has splintered and many senior leaders have jumped ship. The establishment has got further emboldened after the Sharif government managed to secure the IMF deal which has saved the government from payment default. Sensing that the scales maybe slowly tilting in their favour the coalition leadership has been meeting in Dubai and at home, amid prospects of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s early return to Pakistan ahead of elections.
Imran Khan
Even though he may get some relief from the judgement in a higher court, Khan’s woes are only expected to multiply. The ex-Prime Minister’s appearance in a military court for his role in the May 9 riots cannot be ruled out.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, who has so far walled Khan’s arrest has been showing signs that he might not be entirely opposed to the ex-PM’s military trial.
Last month, a six-member bench of the apex court, headed by CJP Bandial heard petitions challenging the trial of civilians accused of the May 09 attacks, in the military courts under the Army Act 1952. His observations to the petitions were interesting.
During proceedings, the CJP asked the attorney general Mansoor Awan if the suspects of May 9 will be allowed the right to appeal in civilian court against their convictions, presumably by the military courts. “You will have to satisfy the court that after the trial of suspects in the May 9 incidents, the accused persons will have fair opportunity of right of appeal against their conviction and will be ensured fair trial,” he told the AG as quoted by Pakistani daily News International.
The via media suggested by the CJP Bandial who retires in September, and which the army is likely to endorse, opens the door for Khan being, at least initially, tried in a military court.
Khan can also face the music over the so-called Cypher case.
Khan’s former Principal secretary Azam Khan has revealed details of how the ex-Prime Minister illegally used the secret cable from the United States for his personal political gains.
In his confessional statement recorded last month before a magistrate under CrPC 164, asserted that the “cypher drama” was a premeditated conspiracy hatched by the ex-Prime Minister.
Ahead of his ouster in a no-confidence motion, Khan had alleged on March 27, 2022, during a rally of PTI workers that Washington had orchestrated the movement to remove him from office. To establish his point Khan had brandished the cypher that he had received in March from his ambassador in the US.
Khan later asserted that the cable had originated in the United States, and the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal. The cable followed a meeting between former Pak ambassador to the US Asad Majeed’s and Lu.
By mishandling the cypher issue, Khan could be charged under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923. If proved in the court of law, he can be imprisoned from two to 14 years, and would not be necessarily immune to a death penalty.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Saturday from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case.
In a major development, a district and sessions court earlier on Saturday convicted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman in the Toshakhana case, sentencing him to three years in prison, Geo News reported.
Rejecting Khan’s petition seeking inadmissibility of the case, Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar sentenced the former premier to three-year imprisonment.
“Charges of misdeclaration of assets have been proven against PTI chairman,” Judge Dilawar mentioned in his judgment.
He then handed Khan three years in jail along with a fine of 100,000 PKR, while issuing his arrest warrant.
The former prime minister had challenged the Toshakhana case, related to the alleged misdeclaration of gifts he took from the state gifts repository, on several forums including the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court (IHC), Geo News reported.
The trial court had summoned Khan in his personal capacity on Saturday for a hearing in the Toshakhana case after the high court rejected his pleas challenging the maintainability order.
On Friday, the IHC also turned down Khan’s request to transfer the case to another court and directed Judge Dilawar to continue hearing the case.
The military establishment has not yet named anyone including Imran Khan but indirectly hinted the same what the civil government vocally says.0..reports Asian Lite News
No decision has been taken yet on whether Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan will be trialled under the Army Act or not, The News International reported.
Citing the sources, The News International reported that although some federal ministers had suggested that Imran Khan should be alleged as being the mastermind of the May 9 attacks in the military trial but still no decision has been taken in this regard. The civil side including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and several federal ministers have repeatedly said that Imran Khan was the key planner of the May 9 violence.
However, the military establishment has not yet named anyone including Imran Khan but indirectly hinted the same what the civil government vocally says.
FIRs are now being registered against Imran Khan in connection with May 9 attacks following the evidence collected by the police and on the basis of statements made by some of the already arrested arsonists.
In at least six FIRs, Imran Khan has been nominated. So far Imran Khan has been nominated in FIRs registered in different police stations of Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Mianwali. His name is expected to be included in more FIRs.
When asked if Imran Khan will be tried under the Army Act, the source said that no decision has been taken as yet on this issue.
According to the information provided by the federal government to the Supreme Court recently, a total of 102 civilians, arrested from various parts of the country in the wake of the May 9 violence, are with the military authorities for their trial under the Army Act.
None of these 102 suspects includes women or children. A media report, a few days back, suggested that no woman or any person under 18 will be tried under the Army Act.
The custody of all those, to be tried under the Army Act, is handed over to the Army. If a decision is taken to try Imran Khan under the Army Act, his custody will also be handed over to the military authorities.
Earlier, the PTI chief appeared before two Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) to record his statement on 12 cases registered under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), Anti-Terrorist Act (ATA) and Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on Monday, reported The News International.
Two JITs, headed by Senior Superintendent Of Police (SSP) Yasir Afridi and SP Rukhsar Mehdi, asked more than 25 questions to Imran while recording his statement.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his statement, said that he have no abhorrence of Pakistan and the national institutions. The PTI Chief further stated that he respects the Pakistan Army, the dead soldiers, and the Ghazis from the core of his heart.
“Sources disclosed that Imran had openly condemned the May 9 incident, however, Imran said, “The PTI workers or I have nothing to do with the May 9 occurrence.
“He further claimed it was a conspiracy against him and his party, according to The News International.
“I will never accept responsibility for the occurrence because the conspiracy has been hatched by the government and law enforcement agencies engaged in entrapping me and the party in legal clutches,” he said.
He repeatedly said, “I do not agree with the assertion that the PTI workers were involved in the May 9 episode because I have proof of conspiracy linked to the occurrence.”
“They are trying to eliminate me from politics but they can’t triumph in their design,” Imran concluded, reported The News International. (ANI)
