In an interview, the ex-premier regretted that he put his trust in the then army chief….reports Asian Lite News
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and PTI Chairman, Imran Khan, has accused ex-Pakistan Army Chief, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, of playing “double game” against his government, admitting that he committed a “big mistake” by extending the tenure of then military chief Bajwa in 2019, according to a media report.
In an interview with a local TV channel, the ex-premier regretted that he put his trust in the then army chief.
“I would believe in everything General Bajwa would tell me because our interests were the same… That we had to save the country,” Khan said, Express Tribune reported.
Kahn, who was ousted from power via opposition’s no-confidence motion in April this year, said he also received reports from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on “what games were being played against his government”.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief claimed that the then military establishment was in contact with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to topple his government and the plot against his government became clear following the removal of Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed as ISI chief in October 2021, Express Tribune reported.
When asked about Moonis Elahi’s recent claim that General Bajwa asked him to support the PTI, Khan said, “It is possible that he [Moonis] was asked to support Imran Khan while the other one [Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain] had been asked to go with PML-N.”
“General Bajwa was playing a double game and I discovered later that even PTI’s members were being given different messages,” Khan said.
Speaking on a point of order, Pak minister said it was possible that the process of the army chief’s appointment would be completed in two to three days…reports Asian Lite News
The Pakistan government seems to be set in naming outgoing Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwas successor by Friday, the media reported.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said his Ministry had received the premier’s letter, asking for the initiation of the appointment process on Monday, which had been forwarded to the General Headquarters, reports Dawn news.
He said the summary, along with the service dossiers of the senior-most lieutenant generals proposed for elevation and appointment as chief of army staff and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, was likely to be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office within two days.
Speaking on a point of order, he said it was possible that the process of the army chief’s appointment would be completed in two to three days, Dawn reported.
Blaming the media for giving the matter too much hype, Asif said: “The media itself in a state of confusion�. I request them from the floor of this house to maintain the sanctity of the process.”
The Defence Minister believed that the commotion being witnessed in the political domain would fizzle out once a new army chief was appointed, after which they would “take on” the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman, who has called on his supporters to hold a sit-in in Rawalpindi on Saturday, Dawn reported.
Chief of Army Staff Gen Bajwa is retiring on November 29, while Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza would retire on November 27.
The shootings and terrorist attacks that have continued with frequent intervals for more than seven decades took the lives of several politicians, including former premier Benazir Bhutto…reports Asian Lite News
October 16, 1951, stands out in the history of Pakistan as a date when the first Prime Minister of the country, Liaquat Ali Khan, was shot dead during a public rally in Rawalpindis Company Gardens.
The bullets fired in 1951 at the Company Gardens, later renamed Liaquat Bagh, led to the first major assassination but, unfortunately, it was not the last attempt as PTI chairman and former premier Imran Khan has become the latest to join the long list of politicians, who have faced such attacks, The Express Tribune reported.
The shootings and terrorist attacks that have continued with frequent intervals for more than seven decades took the lives of several politicians, including former premier Benazir Bhutto, her brother Mir Murtaza Bhutto, Gujrat’s Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, Punjab’s former home minister Shuja Khanzada and former minister for minorities Shahbaz Bhatti.
Several others, including Khyber-Pakhthunkhwa (K-P) Assembly member and ANP’s Bashir Ahmed Bilour and his son Haroon Bilour; religious scholar and former senator Maulana Samiul Haq; MQM’s Syed Ali Raza Abidi; and PTI’s Sardar Soran Singh were also killed in such attacks.
Just like Imran Khan, PML-N’s incumbent Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has also survived an assassination attempt.
Benazir Bhutto was murdered on December 27, 2007 by a suicide bomber after she had just finished an election rally in Rawalpindi.
Her brother was shot dead along with six associates in a police encounter near his home in Karachi on September 20, 1996, during her tenure, The Express Tribune reported.
Imran Khan,(grab)
Zahoor Elahi was assassinated in Lahore in 1981 by Al-Zulfikar, reportedly, by a terrorist organisation led by Murtaza Bhutto. It claimed responsibility for the attack.
Khanzada was assassinated in a suicide attack at his political office in Shadikhan, Attock on August 16, 2015. A militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, had claimed responsibility for his murder.
On March 2, 2011, gunmen had killed Bhatti, who spoke about blasphemy law and championed the rights of the country’s beleaguered minorities.
A suicide blast in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar had killed K-P senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour along with eight others in December 2012. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for that blast.
His son was killed in a suicide bombing during a party meeting in Peshawar on July 10, 2018.
Maulana Samiul Haq, who was known as the “Father of Taliban” for the role his seminary Darul Uloom Haqqania played, was killed at his residence in Rawalpindi in November 2018, The Express Tribune reported.
Protests erupt across Pakistan after attack on Imran Khan
PTI leader Asad Umar’s announcement comes a day after Khan was shot at during his long march…reports Asian Lite News
PTI leader Asad Umar announced that the party will launch countrywide protests after Friday prayers, adding that demonstrations will continue till the party Chairman Imran Khan’s demands are met.
“Today, after Friday prayers, protests will be held till Imran Khan’s demands are not met. Countrywide protests to continue till demands are met,” tweeted Umar.
His announcement comes a day after Khan was shot at during his long march. The former Prime Minister had been shot in the leg “three to four” times in the alleged assassination attempt.
Following the incident, Umar had said that Khan suspects three people — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a senior military officer — to be behind the assassination attempt on him, Geo News reported.
Imran Khan,(grab)
“Imran Khan has said that he had the information beforehand that these people might be involved in the assassination attempt on him,” he said.
Asad, quoting the PTI chairman, demanded that all the three people should be removed from their offices.
The PTI leader added that Khan has warned that if these officials are not removed from their officers, then the party would hold countrywide protests as Pakistan cannot run in this manner anymore.
“If the demands are not met, then all the party’s workers are awaiting Khan’s call, and when he does give that call, then protests will take place across the country.”
A day after the federal cabinet approved an ordinance pertaining to the sale of national assets, Khan opposed the legislation and said the “thieves” should not be allowed to sell the assets…reports Asian Lite News
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that his country was not far from a Sri Lanka-like situation and people will soon pour out into the streets against the mafias loot and plunder.
Expressing his views and concerns, the PTI chairman tweeted: “I can say with certainty after my interaction with our nation and their response to my call for �Haqeeqi Azadi’ that the people of Pakistan had enough and will not allow these mafias to continue their loot and plunder.
“We are not far from the Sri Lanka moment when our public pours out into the streets. My question is: How long will state institutions continue to allow this while in just over three months Zardari-Sharifs’ mafia has brought the country to its knees politically and economically; simply to save their illegally accumulated wealth amassed over 30 years of plundering Pakistan.”
A day after the federal cabinet approved an ordinance pertaining to the sale of national assets in a bid to overcome the economic crisis faced by the country, Khan opposed the legislation and said the “thieves” should not be allowed to sell the assets, Dawn reported.
On his Twitter account, the former Prime Minister said: “How can imported government brought to power through US conspiracy, led by crime minister’, whose family along with Zardari have volumes written on their corruption, be trusted with the sale of national assets and that too through bypassing all procedural and legal checks.
“These people have been plundering Pakistan for the last 30 years and are now responsible for the present economic meltdown. These thieves should never be allowed to sell our national assets in the devious manner they are attempting. The nation will never trust them with our national assets.”
“I have written to the President to dissolve the assemblies. There should be elections in a democratic way. I call upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections,” Khan said in an address to the nation, said Imran
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan shocked the Opposition by advising President Arif Alvi to dissolve National Assembly.
His announcement came moments after National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was chairing today’s session, dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, terming it a contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution.
“I have written to the President to dissolve the assemblies. There should be elections in a democratic way. I call upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections,” Khan said in an address to the nation.
Earlier, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Sadiq Sanjrani dissolved the house alleging “foreign conspiracy” and said that no-trust motion was ” unconstitutional”.
“I congratulate every Pakistani on the Speaker’s decision. The no-confidence motion was a foreign conspiracy against us. Pakistan should decide who should govern them,” Khan added.
Imran Khan Pic credits Instagram
Earlier it was reported that Imran Khan has offered to dissolve the assembly on the condition to withdraw the no-confidence motion against him.
Khan had said that he was given three options ahead of the no-trust vote by the “establishment” — resignation, holding early elections or facing the no-confidence motion.
The military establishment however denied the claim and said that it did not bring the Opposition’s options, and rather it was the federal Government that telephoned the top brass while asking for a meeting to discuss the ongoing political scenario, The News International reported.
The Chief of Pakistan Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the Directive General (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) met Pakistan PM on Wednesday at the request of the ruling government, according to The News International citing sources.
Imran Khan has seemingly lost support both in the lower house of the legislature and the backing of the all-powerful Pakistan army.
Imran Khan received a massive blow when the PTI “lost the majority” in the National Assembly after losing its key ally in the coalition Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P). The MQM on Wednesday announced that it had struck a deal with the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and would support the no-trust vote in the 342-member National Assembly.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi is a former Pakistani cricketer, who after leading the country to victory in the 1992 World Cup Final, retired from cricket and joined politics. He is the founding Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
His political front, which he founded in 1997, remained on the sidelines of Pakistani politics until he found favour with the military establishment, which began propping him after 2013, to counter the growing political assertion of the two traditional mainstream parties led by Sharif and the Bhutto families.
The military establishment is widely known to have given its tacit approval to Khan in 2016 when he organised a massive rally and threatened a lockdown of Islamabad over the Panama Papers leak which had implicated the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The rally propped Khan as a serious contender for power, who enjoyed the blessings of the all-important Pakistani Army.In 1997, he founded his own political party ‘Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Khan contested for a National Assembly seat in October 2002 elections and served as a Member Parliament from NA- 71, Mianwali until 2007. In 2018, Imran Khan stormed to power in Pakistan by winning 176 votes.
Imran Khan, the seventh member of his family, was born on November 25, 1952, to a Pashtun family in Lahore, Pakistan. He attended Aitchison College in Lahore and later moved to Oxford for higher studies.
Hailing from a cricketing family, his cousins, Javed Burki and Majid Khan, both preceded him in going to Oxford and captaining Pakistan. Khan married Jemima Goldsmith, an English socialite, who converted to Islam on May 16, 1995, in Paris.
The marriage ended in divorce after eight years in June 2004 as Jemima Khan was allegedly unable to adapt to Pakistani culture.Khan started playing cricket at the age of 13. Initially playing for his college and later representing English county Worcester, he made his debut for Pakistan at the age of 18 during the 1971 English series at Birmingham.
Soon, he acquired a permanent place in the team. Khan achieved the all-rounder’s triple in 75 tests.His career came to an end after the first and only ODI World Cup victory for Pakistan in 1992 with a record of 3,807 runs and 362 wickets in Test cricket.
He founded Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust in 1991, which actively worked on the research and development of cancer and other related diseases. He also founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research centre in 1994.
He passionately pursued healthcare interests in the wake of his mother’s untimely death, who died of cancer.Khan was awarded ‘The Cricket Society Wetherall Award’ in 1976 and 1980 for being the leading all-rounder in English first-class cricket.
He was also named as the Wisden Cricketer of the year in 1983 and received the ‘President’s Pride of Performance’ award in 1983.He also got the Sussex Cricket Society Player of the Year Award in 1985 and served as Unicef’s Special Representative for Sports during the 1990s. Khan was inducted in the ‘ICC Hall of Fame’ on July 14, 2010. (ANI)
On Wednesday, Imran Khan chaired a political committee meeting at the PM House, in which he was briefed on important legal and constitutional issues….reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan is holding his cards close and may announce a major move on March 27, Samaa TV reported.
He said that the National Assembly Speaker can hold voting on the no-confidence motion moved against Imran Khan whenever he wants.
Rasheed said the National Assembly meeting will be held on March 25, but the session would be adjourned for a day after ‘Fateh’, as per the tradition, and the voting may be held on March 31 or April 1, as and when the Speaker decides.
On Wednesday, Imran Khan chaired a political committee meeting at the PM House, in which he was briefed on important legal and constitutional issues.
During the meeting, the political situation of the country and the no-trust motion were discussed. The meeting also reviewed the preparations for the PTI rally scheduled on March 27.
The meeting was attended by Rasheed, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary and other federal ministers.
After the meeting, Imran Khan said that he still holds the trump card on the situation that has emerged after the opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against him, and when he reveals the card, the opposition leaders will be surprised, Samaa TV reported.
Speaking to a group of senior journalists after the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the “surprise” would be revealed a day before or on the day of the voting on the no-confidence motion.
The opposition leaders cannot imagine how few members will be left with them, he said.
Pic credits Twitter @ImranKhanPTI
Majority MPs upset with govt: PTI leader
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in Pakistan, Ali Muhammad Khan, has said that a majority of the ruling PTI Members of National Assembly (MNA) have “genuine” reservations with the government, Geo News reported.
“The majority did not take money, they are just upset with the government. But some might have taken money,” the PTI leader said while speaking in a talk show aired on a private television channel.
As the session for the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan draws close, several PTI lawmakers have expressed reservations — while some have announced plans to switch camps, Geo News reported.
The government’s ally in the Centre, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), has assured Imran Khan of complete support ahead of the no-trust motion, while other allies — BAP, MQM-P and PML-Q — are still indecisive.
In response to a question, the state minister said that no PTI member could be forced out of the party and assured that he and the party’s chief whip in the National Assembly, Amir Dogar, would resolve the issues of the dissident MNAs.
“We will try to resolve their genuine concerns regarding the governance in Punjab,” the minister said, noting that Imran Khan had already told the government lawmakers that a leader is like a “fatherly figure” who seeks resolution.
Criticising the Khan, Aurangzeb said that the premier should give an account of “billions of illicit foreign funding, money laundering, and deteriorating economy…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday demanded action against Prime Minister Imran Khan for violating the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP’s) code of conduct.
Khan held public gatherings and used state resources ahead of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local body election, reported Geo News.
“Imran Khan should be punished for violating the code of conduct under sections 181, 233 and 234,” said Marriyum.
“PM is showing through his behaviour that he does not respect the constitution and the laws,” she added.
Criticising the Khan, Aurangzeb said that the premier should give an account of “billions of illicit foreign funding, money laundering, deteriorating economy, unemployment, high inflation, 10 million jobs and five million houses” in his next speech.
On March 12, the ECP had issued notices to PM Imran Khan and other PTI officials for attending an election rally in Lower Dir in violation of the ECP’s rule of conduct, The News reported.
The ECP Lower Dir district monitoring officer (DMO) issued notices to PTI officials for speaking at a public rally in contravention of the amended code of conduct.
He had previously recommended the prime minister to cancel his plans, and now he has summoned him to appear before him on March 14 in person or through counsel, along with a written declaration in his defence, reported Geo News.
The DMO stated that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the code of conduct had been broken.
“…..in case of your failure to submit your written defence or failure to appear before the undersigned, in person or through counsel, an ex-parte decision would be taken under Section-243 of the Elections Act, 2017,” the notice stated.
After the submission of the no-confidence motion and the National Assembly session for voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan just weeks away, the government has been holding public gatherings. (ANI)
Now, with opposition parties joining in and becoming stronger; the same independent members and parties are sliding towards the opposition benches, ringing serous alarm bells for the Imran Khan-led government….writes Hamza Ameer
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is faced with a major challenge by opposition political parties, who have not only joined together to oust his government, but also have started to get nods from ally parties and members of the ruling benches, who now seem to be sliding in support of the no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly.
One of the major political parties, Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q), which is in alliance with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has revealed that Prime Minister Imran Khan was 100 per cent in trouble because of the no-confidence motion against him.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, speaker of the Punjab provincial assembly and leader of PML-Q criticised Imran Khan for opting the revenge policy, which he said was not the way to govern a country.
“Imran Khan is 100 per cent in trouble, as his allies are on the opposition side. The government 100 per cent lacks wisdom and understanding. The prime minister has a great desire for revenge, which is evident from the fact that he puts everyone in National Accountability Bureau (NAB). There are no such ways to govern,” he said.
“When Moonis Elahi (son of pervaiz elahi) delivered his speech… we started receiving threats from NAB. There are a lot of inexperienced people among the rulers. They should have learned first. If they come down, they would learn. The government is under threat from its own people,” he added.
Elahi said that the opposition alliance, led by Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People Party (PPP) and Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have resisted the government orchestrated and maneuvered pressure, adding that today, the alliance is strong and lasting.
“When opponents are united against one person, bitterness among them is forgotten.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the current ruling government of Imran Khan has been formed through many alliances with other political parties and electables, who had won their respective seats in independent capacity. Now, with opposition parties joining in and becoming stronger; the same independent members and parties are sliding towards the opposition benches, ringing serous alarm bells for the Imran Khan-led government.
The seat of the Prime Minister that Imran Khan sits on has a lead of only 5 votes/seats in the National Assembly, which was gained by the support of the same independent and ally parties.
“Imran Khan is too late now because the cracks in the ruling coalition have widened,” said Elahi.
On the other hand, Imran Khan’s ministers say that the opposition attempt to oust the Prime Minister are destined to fail as no one from the government or the coalition parties will join with them. The ruling benches also say that the opposition’s no-confidence motion is motivated and facilitated by external forces and power, hinting towards foreign hands behind what they term as a ‘conspiracy’.
Pakistan PM said that the no-confidence motion against him would turn out to be the ‘political demise’ of the opposition…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday lashed out at the opposition parties for their ‘no-confidence motion’ and said that his first target would be Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson, Asif Ali Zardari for his involvement in corruption and money laundering.
He made these remarks during a public rally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers at Governor House during his day-long visit to the metropolis.
Pakistan PM said that the no-confidence motion against him would turn out to be the ‘political demise’ of the opposition, Pakistani newspaper Business Recorder reported on Thursday.
He said that he was waiting for this moment when the opposition would submit the no-confidence motion and he could launch his war against the corruption that he was pursuing for the last 25 years.
Imran said that Zardari was focused on buying loyalties of the members of PTI, adding that a PTI Member National Assembly (MNA) told him that he was offered Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 200 million.
Imran Khan also lashed out at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President, Shahbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s chief Fazlur Rehman for joining Zardari in a bid to save one another.
He also accused Shahbaz Sharif of laundering billions of rupees to his son and son-in-law abroad, and Fazal-ur-Rehman for possessing wealth worth billions even without owning any business.
Imran said the gang of dacoits had got united against him, adding that the corrupt were not making the move to save the country, but themselves, according to Business Recorder.
Citing the letter penned by the EU urging Pakistan to vote against Russia during the UNGA session, Imran said that he had not given any statement against the European Union, but reminded it that Pakistan was its ally in the war against terrorism which cost the country over 80,000 casualties.
Imran Khan said Pakistan was in favour of maintaining friendly relations with all countries, but not at the cost of its own integrity. Recently, his persistent anti-west utterances have irked the United Kingdom as the UK called off two key meetings with Pakistan. (ANI)
