Pakistan: Imran Khan jailed for 14 years

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status...24927759507934

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/...ran-khan-allie

US questions Pakistan election process amid Imran Khan allies lead

Washington on Friday questioned the implementation of "undue restrictions" during Pakistan's electoral process and voiced concerns regarding accusations of potential vote-rigging.

"We join credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly," a statement by State Department Matthew Miller read.

This comes as candidates aligned with imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan maintained a lead in election results thus far.

Despite facing a crackdown targeting the party, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was performing better than anticipated.

Read more: Wife of former premier Khan to serve 14-year sentence at home

Geo News revealed that independents, who are more lenient towards Khan, had won 47 of 106 seats for which it had results, noting that a total of 265 seats were up for grabs in yesterday's election.

Khan stated before that the military is working against his party, as analysts and opponents claim that Sharif is being backed by the military

"I am confident that we will form a government," a close aide to Sharif, Ishaq Dar, informed GEO TV, adding that the PML-N could partake in a coalition with the support of independents.

However, it was still likely that the next government would be formed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after a period of political negotiations and bargaining.

The government also stated that before the elections yesterday, it stopped mobile phone services as a security measure and then partially initiated them.

Read more: Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan supporters lead in elections

Miller said Washington looked forward to "timely, complete results that reflect the will of the Pakistani people," as he listed US concerns with the process.

"We join credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly," Miller said in a statement.

"We condemn electoral violence, restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including attacks on media workers, and restrictions on access to the Internet and telecommunication services, and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process. Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated."

However, Miller emphasized that the administration of President Joe Biden was "prepared to work with the next Pakistani government, regardless of political party, to advance our shared interests," which includes trade, investment, and security cooperation.

[Ravenlocke]

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While the local media has banned mentioning Imran Khan's name or displaying his picture, the international media is covering the developments regarding what is happening to him and the allegations of rigged general elections, which suppress Imran Khan's clear victory.
#PTIWon
#RespectMandate

https://x.com/PTIofficial/status/1756067203516899352

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[Michel Leclerc]

How a slave state is treated to “concerns”, "investigations” (“independent” of course), “over”performance qualifications, “shock” leads (who's would be shocked, seriously?), “serious”ness, “divisiveness” labeling — which of course Anglosaxonia would NEVER apply to itself, but which they can freely, unassailably, apply to those barbaric speakers of ..

“what? Oordoo you say? Is that some kind of Voodoo?” etc etc

Those barbarians will oust their slave masters earlier than the so-called slaves in Anglosaxonia will their masters.

That is because the Anglosaxonian slaves are only slaves to the extent that they whine like slaves are supposed to – in actual fact they just masquerade as slaves, their mind is a master’s mind.

[Bill Ryan]

A powerful article by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, telling it exactly like it is. It was published on 1 February, a week before the recent elections.

For anyone who may not be up to speed with what the heck happened here, Sachs lays the whole thing out.



https://commondreams.org/opinion/us-ouster-of-imran-khan



The US Toppling of Imran Khan

Covert regime change strikes again. This time in Pakistan.

A principal instrument of U.S. foreign policy is covert regime change, meaning a secret action by the U.S. government to bring down the government of another country. There are strong reasons to believe that U.S. actions led to the removal from power of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan in April 2022, followed by his arrest on trumped-up charges of corruption and espionage, and sentencing this week to 10 years imprisonment on the espionage charge. The political objective is to block Pakistan’s most popular politician from returning to power in the elections on February 8.

The key to covert operations of course is that they are secret and hence deniable by the U.S. government. Even when the evidence comes to light through whistleblowers or leaks, as it very often does, the U.S. government rejects the authenticity of the evidence and the mainstream media generally ignore the story because it contradicts the official narrative. Because editors at these mainstream outlets don’t want to peddle in “conspiracy theories,” or are simply happy to be the mouthpieces for officialdom, they give the U.S. government a very wide berth for actual regime-change conspiracies.

Covert regime change by the U.S. is shockingly routine. One authoritative study by Boston University professor Lindsay O’Rourke counts 64 covert regime change operations by the U.S. during the Cold War (1947 and 1989), and in fact the number was far larger because she chose to count repeated attempts within one country as a single extended episode. Since then, U.S. regime change operations have remained frequent, such as when President Barrack Obama tasked the CIA (Operation Timber Sycamore) with overthrowing Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. That covert operation remained secret until several years after the operation, and even then, was hardly covered by the mainstream media.

All of this brings us to Pakistan, another case where evidence points strongly to U.S.-led regime change. In this case, the U.S. desired to bring down the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the charismatic, talented, and hugely popular leader in Pakistan, renowned both for his world-leading cricket mastery and for his common touch with the people. His popularity, independence, and enormous talents make him a prime target of the U.S., which frets about popular leaders who don’t fall into line with U.S. policy.

Imran Khan’s “sin” was to be too cooperative with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, while also seeking normal relations with the United States. The great mantra of U.S. foreign policy, and the activating principle of the CIA, is that a foreign leader is “either with us or against us.” Leaders who try to be neutral amongst the great powers are at dire risk of losing their positions, or even their lives, at U.S. instigation, since the U.S. does not accept neutrality. Leaders seeking neutrality dating back to Patrice Lumumba (Zaire), Norodom Sihanouk (Cambodia), Viktor Yanukovych (Ukraine), and many others, have been toppled with the not-so-hidden-hand of the U.S. government.

Like many leaders in the developing world, Khan does not want to break relations with either the U.S. or Russia over the Ukraine War. By sheer coincidence of prior scheduling, Khan happened to be in Moscow to meet Putin on the day that Russia launched the special military operation (February 24, 2022). From the start, Khan advocated that the conflict in Ukraine should be settled at the negotiating table rather than on the battlefield. The U.S. and E.U. arm-twisted foreign leaders including Khan to fall into line against Putin and to support Western sanctions against Russia, yet Khan resisted.

Khan probably sealed his fate on March 6 when he held a large rally in northern Pakistan. At the rally, he berated the West, and especially 22 EU ambassadors, for pressuring him to condemn Russia at a vote in the United Nations. He also excoriated NATO’s war against terror in next-door Afghanistan as having been utterly devastating to Pakistan, with no acknowledgment, respect, or appreciation for Pakistan’s suffering.

Khan told the cheering crowds, “EU ambassadors wrote a letter to us asking us to condemn and vote against Russia… What do you think of us? Are we your slaves ... that whatever you say, we will do?" He added, “We are friends with Russia, and we are also friends with America; we are friends with China and with Europe; we are not in any camp. Pakistan would remain neutral and work with those trying to end the war in Ukraine.”

From the U.S. perspective, “neutral” is a fighting word. The grim follow-up for Khan was revealed in August 2023 by investigative reporters at The Intercept. Just one day after Khan’s rally, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu met in Washington with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Asad Majeed Khan. Following the meeting, Ambassador Khan sent a secret cable (a “cypher”) back to Islamabad, which was then leaked to The Intercept by a Pakistani military official.

The cable recounts how Assistant Secretary Lu berated Prime Minister Khan for his neutral stance. The cable quotes Lu as saying that “people here and in Europe are quite concerned about why Pakistan is taking such an aggressively neutral position (on Ukraine), if such a position is even possible. It does not seem such a neutral stand to us.”

Lu then conveyed the bottom line to Ambassador Khan. “I think if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the Prime Minister. Otherwise, I think it will be tough going ahead.”

Five weeks later on April 10, with the U.S. blunt threat hanging over the powerful Pakistani military, and with the military’s hold over the Pakistani parliament, the Parliament ousted Khan in a no-confidence vote. Within weeks, the new government followed with brazenly manufactured charges of corruption against Khan, to put him under arrest and prevent his return to power. In utterly Orwellian turn, when Khan made known the existence of the diplomatic cable that revealed America’s role in his ouster, the new government charged Khan with espionage. He has now been convicted on these charges to an unconscionable 10 years, with the U.S. government remaining silent on this outrage.

When asked about Khan’s conviction, the State Department had the following to say: "It’s a matter for the Pakistani courts." Such an answer is a vivid example of how U.S.-led regime change works. The State Department supports Khan’s imprisonment over Khan’s public revelation of U.S. actions.

Pakistan will therefore hold elections on February 8 with its most popular democratic leader in prison and with Khan’s party the subject of relentless attacks, political murders, media blackouts, and other heavy-handed repression. In all of this, the U.S. government is utterly complicit. So much for America’s “democratic” values. The U.S. government has gotten its way for now—and has deeply destabilized a nuclear-armed nation of 240 million people. Only Khan’s release from prison and his participation in the upcoming election could restore stability.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status...09623060295942

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/...n-rush-to-form


Desperate to keep Khan out of gov., PPP, PLM-N rush to form coalition

A coalition comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has reached an agreement to establish the next government of Pakistan, effectively sidelining the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan despite its victory in the national election.

During a press conference held in Islamabad on Tuesday night, it was confirmed that the rival parties, along with two smaller coalition partners, have agreed to form a united government allegedly to steer Pakistan out of its current challenges. The President of PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif, was announced as their sole nominee for the position of prime minister.

Asif Ali Zardari, the PPP co-chair, said, "Looking at everything, we have thought and decided to sit together. We have contested elections against each other but despite that, it is not necessary for ever. Opposition happens in elections. It was electioneering opposition, not ideological opposition."

On his part, Shahbaz Sharif noted that he was "thankful to Zardari and Bilawal that they decided for their party to vote for the PML-N," adding that "today we have united to tell the nation that we all accept the split mandate.”

It is worth noting that Pakistan's recent election saw Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party win the most votes but fall short of a majority. This outcome occurred despite opposition from the military and a state-led crackdown.

The announcement, however, came after earlier reports said that the two major political parties in Pakistan dismissed the idea of forming alliances, on Tuesday, following an inconclusive election. This would have raised the potential for either a minority government or an extended period of negotiations before a coalition is established.

Candidates affiliated with imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's PTI secured the majority of seats in Thursday's election while running independently. However, Khan has rejected the possibility of forming an alliance with his political rivals.

The outcome prevented the army-supported Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from attaining a majority for governance, as the PPP, their primary coalition ally in the previous administration, came in third.

Speaking in Adiala Jail, where he has been incarcerated since his arrest in August, Khan accused both the PML-N and PPP of engaging in corrupt practices.

"We will neither sit with the PML-N nor with the PPP," Khan conveyed in a message to a small group of reporters who were present to cover a procedural hearing at the prison located outside the capital, Islamabad.

Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the leader of the PPP, stated that his party was not inclined to form a new alliance with the PML-N. However, he expressed willingness to support a government formed by the PML-N on specific issues.

"We will support a political party without becoming part of the government," Bhutto Zardari said, before adding, "But we will support the votes of prime ministership, budget, and legislation on an issue-to-issue basis."

In parallel, Sharif stated on Tuesday that the PML-N remains open to negotiations with other parties.

"We've had two meetings (with PPP), and there may be a few more. Once a decision is reached, the nation will be informed," he said during a news conference in Lahore.

[gini]

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jaDDeh3LyyU

--21 min--8 Feb 2024 #imrankhan #piersmorgan #pakistan
As Pakistan goes to the polls, Imran Khan's sister Aleema tells Piers Morgan she fears her brother will be poisoned in jail.

Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored about the former Pakistan Prime Minister and cricket star's incarceration, she describes life for him in prison, how often he's allowed to see his family and her fears over the attempts on his life.

Piers also asks Aleema about Imran and his wife's many charges and whether she fears being imprisoned herself.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/1759613994455781450

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1763660369501806972

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/u...=ap_kzidplvu36

US lawmakers call on Biden to withhold recognition of Pakistan's new government

Over two dozen members of the US House of Representatives have called on President Joe Biden not to recognise Pakistan's new government over concerns that the February election was rigged.

The members of Congress, led by Representatives Greg Casar and Susan Wild, released a letter to the president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, expressing concerns about pre and post-rigging of Pakistan's polls and urging them to "stand with the Pakistani people and defend democracy in Pakistan".

"The Pakistani people came out in large numbers to have their voices heard, despite allegations of pre-poll rigging. It is in the US interest to ensure the results of this election represent the will of the people, not the Pakistani elite or the military,” said Congressman Casar in a statement on his website.

The letter recommends that recognition of Pakistan's government should only be granted after a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation of election interference has been conducted, and anyone in prison as a result of "political speech and activity" has been released. The letter added that the State Department should gather information and advocate for "their release".

The letter states that former Prime Minister Imran Khan was "sentenced to prison terms of 10 years and 14 years on questionable charges of leaking state secrets and corruption".

Pakistan's elections took place on 8 February without a clear ruling majority for any of Pakistan's three major parties: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Umer Karim, a researcher at the University of Birmingham, wrote that the “electoral field had been designed to diminish any chances for Khan’s success”, citing the the PTI party’s top leadership and heavy restrictions on PTI’s ability to campaign, in addition to its electoral symbol being banned.

Despite what observers saw as a skewed playing field, independents (PTI-backed candidates who could not run under their party name) won the highest number of seats at 93, followed by PML-N and PPP with 75 and 54 respectively. A simple majority of 134 seats is required by a party or coalition to form a government and the PML-N and PPP have since aligned to form the federal government.

Pakistan Democracy Watch says it has documented over 500 incidents of electoral manipulation including throttling of internet and mobile phone services countrywide; polling stations not opening on time; polling agents of specific political parties not allowed inside polling stations; slow polling processes with long queues observed near end time; reports of results being withheld and delayed, as well as stark discrepancies in results between separate polling forms among others.

The representatives' letter states, "Given the strong evidence of pre- and post-poll rigging, we urge you to wait until a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation has been conducted before recognizing a new Pakistani government."

"Without taking this necessary step, you risk enabling anti-democratic behavior by Pakistani authorities and could undermine the democratic will of the Pakistani people."

A state department spokesperson told Middle East Eye that it welcomes "congressional support for transparency" and that it is the position of the administration that it will "work with any government chosen by the people of Pakistan".

"Challenges to election results, brought by political parties from across the political spectrum, remain ongoing, and we will continue to monitor these developments closely."

Targeting Pakistan's military

The letter has been signed by several prominent members of Congress, including Jim McGovern who co-chairs the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Pramila Jayapal who heads the House progressive caucus, as well as representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ro Khanna, Summer Lee, Jamaal Bowman, and Barbara Lee among others.

The letter has been endorsed by the Center for Economic and Policy Research; Community Alliance for Peace and Justice; First Pakistan Global; Global Peace Seekers; Just Foreign Policy; MPower Change Action Fund; Now or Never; and the Save Pakistan coalition.

Pakistan's all-powerful military, which previously backed former Prime Minister Imran Khan until a falling out, is widely seen as the power broker pulling the strings behind election irregularities and clearing the way for PML-N's previously exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan.

Members of Congress endorse this view and state in the letter that the US must "make clear to Pakistani authorities that US law provides for accountability for acts that violate human rights, undermine democracy, or further corruption, including the potential for military and other cooperation to be halted".

The US provided Pakistan with some $33bn in aid, primarily to the military, from 2002 until 2018 to aid and "reimburse" Pakistan for its fight against militants as part of the War on Terror. Most of that money has dried up since 2018, when former US President Donald Trump decided to cut back on aid to Pakistan.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is still in prison in Pakistan, had a tumultuous relationship with the US and blames the US government in part for his removal from power.

[Ravenlocke]

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🇵🇰 EXCLUSIVE: Despite winning the majority of seats in the elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (#PTI) faced the unjust withdrawal of its mandates amidst allegations of rigging. As the country's largest party, the PTI's primary objective now is to pressure the government to restore the seats it rightfully won and to secure the release of all its workers and leaders, especially #ImranKhan: Abdul Samad Yaqoob, PTI spokesman to Sputnik.

After the election, in the midst of massive rigging and result manipulation, PTI's key team faced a crucial decision. They were debating whether to stage widespread protests across the country or to initiate legal proceedings to challenge the alleged rigging.

There were fears that certain elements might exploit the situation to incite conflict and unrest, which could lead to the peaceful supporters of the PTI being transformed into agents of violence.

#Pakistan #PakistanElection2024 #electionsresults

https://x.com/Sputnik_India/status/1763470590092922991

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🇵🇰 Pakistan has snubbed the U.S. over its demands to investigate alleged irregularities in last month's national elections.

"We believe in our own sovereign right to make decisions about Pakistan's internal affairs," Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokeswoman for Pakistan's Foreign Office, said in response to media questions regarding the elections interference claims.

🗳 Last month, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called on Pakistan to investigate claims of electoral interference.

"With respect to investigations of reported irregularities, we want to see those investigations move forward … [and] be completed as quickly as possible," Miller said.

🎖 Pakistan's main opposition party, #PTI, led by the detained former PM #ImranKhan, claims the general elections were rigged to benefit Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, allegedly supported by the military. PTI is staging nationwide protests on Saturday.

| #Pakistan | #US | #PakistanElections2024 |

https://x.com/Sputnik_India/status/1763851341741371595

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/anadoluagency/status/1768049424050114615

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacifi...sharif/3163739

In 1st sign of political reconciliation, jailed Khan-backed chief minister meets Pakistani Premier Sharif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party made a maiden contact with the coalition government led by Premier Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, in a first sign of political reconciliation between arch-rivals after the Feb. 8 general elections.

Khan-backed chief minister of northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Ali Amin Gandapur, met Sharif at the Prime Minister’s Office in the capital Islamabad with both calling the rare meeting “positive” and agreed to work together.

Addressing a news conference along with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal after the meeting, Gandapur stressed on the need to solve public issues "together" and the need for the federal and provincial governments to deliver.

“We had good talks. It was very positive. He assured that he would fulfill his promise and would not lie,” Gandapur said.

He said he requested Sharif to facilitate his meeting with Khan, who has been languishing in a jail in the northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi after being convicted in a series of cases.

“I told him that political engagement with Khan is very necessary to resolve political issues. He (Sharif) was very positive and told me plainly he would make my meeting possible so I can complete consultations regarding the Senate election,” Gandapur maintained.

Iqbal, for his part, expressed his positivity on the talks between Sharif and Gandapur, saying that the premier had reassured him that his government will work together with the KP government to address the public issues.

The PTI whose affiliated independent candidates won the highest number of seats in the Feb. 8 elections, has been complaining about alleged rigging, and calling the Sharif government "illegal."

The Election Commission rejects rigging charges.

Despite winning the highest number of seats, the PTI could not stitch a coalition, leaving space open for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of thrice-elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and center-left Pakistan People's Party to form the government for a five-year term.

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
❗️🇵🇰 Imran Khan rejects the IMF and names sitting Army Chief General Asim Munir of being the primary instigator behind his and his wife's conviction, and he issues a stern warning that any harm inflicted upon his wife while in jail will not go unpunished, holding the general directly responsible.

thearcangel

https://x.com/dana916/status/1781052094121738706

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Illegally incarcerated Imran Khan has called out the military chief General Asim Munir for direct involvement in Bushra Bibi’s illegal conviction in a fabricated case.

Both Imran Khan & Bushra Bibi have been repeatedly denied medical care, despite Bushra Bibi falling severely ill after being fed contaminated, chemical laced food by the state authorities, who have her under illegal incarceration.

This is #PakistanUnderFascism
This is #جنگل_کا_قانون

Let sanity prevail.

https://x.com/PTIofficial/status/1780963481967026468

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/1797669826963652679

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacifi...s-case/3238704

Pakistani court acquits ex-Premier Khan in state secrets case


KARACHI, Pakistan

A Pakistani court on Monday acquitted former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case that accused him of leaking state secrets.

The ex-cricket star had been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a lower court on charges of making public a cypher, a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's envoy in Washington in 2022.

A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, in a brief verdict, also exonerated Khan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi of the charges, who was co-accused in the case.

Khan, 71 has been in jail since last August, and despite his acquittal, will remain in prison. He along with his third wife Bushra Khan is serving a seven-sentence in an illegal marriage case.

About 200 cases have been registered against Khan since his ouster, but he has received acquittals and bails in several of them. His conviction in a corruption case involving state gifts was set aside by the same court last year.

Khan, who came to power in 2018, lost a vote of confidence in parliament in April 2022, nearly one year short of completing his term. He accuses the US of orchestrating his removal, a charge Washington and Islamabad have rejected.

Khan’s party welcomes verdict

The exoneration is seen as a political boost for his party, which won most seats in the Feb. 8 election but could not form a government as rivals formed a coalition.

His party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), welcomed the verdict, terming it a “victory of justice.”

PTI chairman Gohar Khan told reporters outside the court that “justice has prevailed” as the prosecution failed to prove its case against the ex-premier. "God willing, he [Khan] will soon be out of jail as all the cases against him are politically-motivated,” he added.

Leader of the opposition Omar Ayub hailed the verdict and called for the “immediate” release of both Khan and Qureshi. "Alhumdolillah!!! PM Imran Khan and Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureishi sahib acquitted in the cipher case. They are political prisoners and should be released immediately,” he said in a post on X.

Aqeel Malik, adviser to the government on legal affairs, said the prosecution will wait for the detailed judgment to decide if it should be challenged in the Supreme Court.

"This is a fact that it was waved at a political rally and you all know that the PTI founder waved and used a confidential Pakistani document for his political purposes," he said, adding: “The better way would have been that this should have been seen in the context of national security and the case should have been sent for a retrial.”

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/arabnewspk/status/1797716178497908928

[Bill Ryan]

Copying this new post by bojancan:

Posted by bojancan (here)
“Never give up, no matter how hard life is, no matter how much pain you feel. The pain will eventually subside, nothing lasts forever, so keep going and don’t give up.”
― IMRAN KHAN

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Historical Interview on MSNBC with Mehdi Hasan

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=SgwjniCcA1w

[Richter]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Copying this new post by bojancan:

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Historical Interview on MSNBC with Mehdi Hasan

What a brilliant interview!

I found especially Imran Khan's body-language striking.

Look at his hands and how nervous he gets when the interviewer starts asking 'difficult' questions about his own time in office.

I remember Imran Khan mostly as the iconic cricketer, but the snake pit of Pakistani politics is definitely not cricket, so he's probably not just the 'Mr. Nice Guy' as I'd like to see him - certainly not after this interview.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/anadoluagency/status/1859199849612099746

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacifi...elease/3398945

Court grants bail to Pakistan’s ex-Premier Khan in corruption case, orders his release

A Pakistani high court on Wednesday granted bail to the country’s incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case, and ordered his release, court records said.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the Islamabad High Court granted bail against two surety bonds of Rs 1 million ($3,611).

The bail comes days before the call for a long march toward the capital Islamabad by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, demanding the ex-premier’s release.

Khan, along with his wife Bushra Bibi, is accused of illegally retaining a jewelery set gifted by a foreign leader — including a necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings — at a low price, which, according to prosecution caused significant loss to the exchequer.

The two deny the accusations.

Bushra Bibi is already on bail in the case, commonly known as the “Toshakhana-2 case.”

A similar case was thrown out by the Islamabad High Court earlier this year.

Despite the release orders, it is unclear if the former premier would be released as he is wanted in a string of other cases ranging from corruption to terrorism.

Khan, 72 is currently languishing in a jail in northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi.

He was ousted through a successful no-trust move in April 2022, slightly over a year before completion of a 5–year constitutional term.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status...83451058151906

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/...adly-clashes-i

Khan calls more protesters to capital after deadly clashes Islamabad

Imran Khan, Pakistan's imprisoned ex-prime minister, called on more followers to join rallies against his detention in the capital late Tuesday, following a day of fatal clashes between demonstrators and police forces.

Since Sunday, convoys of pro-Khan protesters have been advancing through Islamabad, removing barriers and engaging police and paramilitary troops with rubber bullets and tear gas and prompting a lockdown.

Since the February election, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has resisted a government crackdown with frequent demonstrations, but Tuesday's is by far the largest to hit the city.

The demonstrations come in response to Khan's call for his supporters to march on the capital, demanding his release and free elections.

Khan has been in jail for over a year, facing numerous charges that he claims are politically motivated.

His supporters allege widespread rigging in February's elections and accuse the ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of orchestrating his imprisonment to prevent his return to power.

Khan delivered a message from his detention cell outside Islamabad, urging more people to join protesters seeking to take a public area in the city's administrative enclave.

"Those who haven't yet joined the protest must also head to D-Chowk [square], "Khan said in a message posted by his party on social media.

Pakistani Army deployed in Islamabad, given shoot-on-sight orders

Following the protests, the federal government deployed the army in the national capital along with shoot-at-sight orders on Tuesday, state-run media said.

Four paramilitary personnel and two policemen have been killed and over 100 security personnel injured.

Despite a prohibition on public meetings, AFP journalists reported seeing over 10,000 demonstrators clashing with police in the city center.

"This is not our government, this government is made up of traitors," demonstrator Abdul Rashid told AFP, adding "Long live Imran Khan."

"These disruptive elements do not seek revolution, but bloodshed," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated. "This is not a peaceful protest, it is extremism."

PTI legislator Waqas Akram told AFP, "They treat their own people as enemies," accusing the state response as being unjustified and unreasonable.

The authorities accused demonstrators of seeking to delay Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's three-day state visit, which began on Monday. "There will be no negotiations with violent people," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated to reporters late Tuesday.

Last Monday, the Islamabad municipal government issued a two-month ban on public meetings. However, PTI convoys traveled from their power base in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the most populated province, Punjab.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/1861463679138480447

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/...ules-out-talks

Text:
Islamabad, Pakistan – Imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged his supporters to “fight till the end” as Pakistani authorities cracked down on protesters calling for his release.

Security forces on Tuesday clashed with supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party who broke through barriers as they marched towards the centre of the locked-down capital, Islamabad, in an attempt to stage a sit-in.

The protesters are demanding the return of what they call a “stolen mandate” after February’s elections, the release of political prisoners and the reversal of a constitutional amendment that allows a civilian government to call in the army to help it implement “law and order”.

In a post on social media, Khan told protesters to remain peaceful and united, saying their struggle is for Pakistan’s “survival and true freedom”.

As tensions rose, the government dismissed prospects of “further dialogue” with the PTI and accused Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, of orchestrating the unrest.

“The loss of life and economic damage over the past few days lies squarely on one person’s shoulders,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said at a news conference on Tuesday evening. “She is wholly responsible for this chaos.”

Led by Bibi, who was recently released from prison after nearly nine months of incarceration, a PTI convoy departed on Sunday from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a PTI-controlled province in the northwest, with the goal of reaching the capital.

Despite facing a number of obstacles, including highway closures and shipping containers blocking roads, hundreds of PTI supporters on Tuesday morning reached D-Chowk, a site in Islamabad’s highly fortified Red Zone, which houses key government offices – including the presidency, the prime minister’s office, the National Assembly and Supreme Court – as well as the diplomatic enclave.

Initially, the security personnel present at the site withdrew, allowing the crowd to climb onto containers, chanting slogans and waving PTI flags.

However, members of the Rangers paramilitary unit soon replaced the police and responded with live fire and tear gas, covering the area in thick smoke and forcing the protesters to scatter. The PTI said two people were killed.

As night fell, authorities shut off streetlights, plunging the area into darkness and raising fears of a large-scale operation against the protesters.

The PTI convoy was stationed fewer than 3km (almost 2 miles) away from D-Chowk.

Internet connectivity, meanwhile, has remained patchy throughout the day for users across the city with mobile data services completely inaccessible.

Bibi, who has so far maintained an apolitical but an influential presence in Khan’s life, delivered a number of short speeches throughout the day, urging PTI supporters to stand firm.

“Our protest will not end till Imran Khan is amongst us and tells us what to do next,” she told supporters, encouraging them to move towards D-Chowk.

Earlier in the day, Naqvi, the interior minister, hinted at Bibi when he alleged that a “hidden hand” was sabotaging peaceful resolution efforts and pushing an antistate agenda.

“Their entire leadership is keen on having peaceful dialogues, but there is one hidden hand which is controlling the decision-making and has an anti-Pakistan agenda. In my experience, that hidden hand is the root cause of all this chaos,” Naqvi told reporters on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has remained largely silent on the ongoing protests.

His only public action on Tuesday, besides meeting visiting Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, was to attend the funerals of three Rangers who were killed in a hit-and-run incident on Monday evening

The government has accused the PTI supporters of being behind the deaths, a claim the party has vehemently denied. Separately, authorities said, a police officer also died in clashes with protesters on Monday as they were approaching Islamabad.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1880164240654475525

https://x.com/TimesOF_Lebanon/status...74198603702344