Pakistan: Imran Khan jailed for 14 years

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/iihtishamm/statu...73789866213388

https://twitter.com/iihtishamm/statu...75499099725824

https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/stat...84797615759366

[Bill Ryan]

https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/62353
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/62357
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/62358
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/62361
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/62363

[Bill Ryan]

Juat a personal side note, some of which I think I've posted earlier. (Bruce Charlton and Tintin, ardent cricket followers, will understand and I think agree. )

Imran Khan, already a star player in the Pakistan cricket team, was appointed captain from 1982—1992. This is what he looked like back then:



Not only charismatic and handsome, he electrified Pakistan cricket at the time (which is the country's national sport, as it is in India); he was a courageous, aggressive and inspired batter and bowler besides also being an excellent captain; he was a wonderful sportsman, respected and sincerely liked by all his opponents; and (as best I know) he was 100% incorruptible.

ESPNcricinfo.com, a major international cricket website, opens their bio of him like this:

Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s.

So he won the hearts and minds of not only tens of millions of Pakistanis in the 1980s, but also everyone else in the country who's proudly followed Pakistan cricket ever since, probably some 150 million people or more.

Most of the country (a clear "democratic majority", whatever that means nowadays) simply loves the man. This is evident in the above scenes of pure rejoicing at his release and return to his family.

[Michel Leclerc]

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)

It’s time for Pakistanis to take their country back from the generals

(...)

It’s time for Pakistanis in Pakistan and around the world to take direct action in lawful and peaceful ways. Pakistani people and parents must call on their sons to withdraw their services from the army and police until a genuinely just order and independent institutions are established. They must call on their sons not to follow orders that tell them to shoot, kill or inflict violence on their own people.

(..).

So in Pakistan, there is at least one person who knows what to do.

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/ArthurM40330824/...48013398089730

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/PTIOfficialCA/st...49833046638595

https://twitter.com/ABCNewsUrdu/stat...48705391124480

https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/stat...52673110433793

https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/stat...39151974674432

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/RealPepeEscobar/...17644418437141

https://twitter.com/RealPepeEscobar/...70097431658502

[Bruce G Charlton]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Juat a personal side note, some of which I think I've posted earlier. (Bruce Charlton and Tintin, ardent cricket followers, will understand and I think agree. )

Imran Khan, already a star player in the Pakistan cricket team, was appointed captain from 1982—1992. This is what he looked like back then:



Not only charismatic and handsome, he electrified Pakistan cricket at the time (which is the country's national sport, as it is in India); he was a courageous, aggressive and inspired batter and bowler besides also being an excellent captain; he was a wonderful sportsman, respected and sincerely liked by all his opponents; and (as best I know) he was 100% incorruptible.

ESPNcricinfo.com, a major international cricket website, opens their bio of him like this:

Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s.

So he won the hearts and minds of not only tens of millions of Pakistanis in the 1980s, but also everyone else in the country who's proudly followed Pakistan cricket ever since, probably some 150 million people or more.

Most of the country (a clear "democratic majority", whatever that means nowadays) simply loves the man. This is evident in the above scenes of pure rejoicing at his release and return to his family.

Thanks for the cricket link!

Unfortunately, I never watched him at the time; but I have studied Imran's career in cricket - https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricket...ran-khan-40560 - and he was one of the greatest, and very possible The greatest, 'bowling all-rounders' of all time - that is, he was a superb fast bowler, who was also a good enough batsman to be selected for International Test Cricket as a batter.

As a bowler, his historical stature is also supported by the accomplishment of 'inventing' the vital art of 'reverse swing' - in that he was probably the first great exponent of this 'deadly' but extremely difficult to master style of fast bowling, and probably the first to understand it so as to be able to pass on the art to the next generation of Pakistan greats: Waqar and Wasim. For some years, only these three could really do it, and knew how to do it!

(In brief; it involves allowing one side of the ball to get dry and rough - being careful not to touch it, while saturating the other side with sweat and spit; then being able to bowl fast and with a lower arm, in a particular way).

Imran was well known in England, having played for Oxford University as a student, and later in country cricket for Sussex and Worcestershire.

[Tintin]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Juat a personal side note, some of which I think I've posted earlier. (Bruce Charlton and Tintin, ardent cricket followers, will understand and I think agree. )

Imran Khan, already a star player in the Pakistan cricket team, was appointed captain from 1982—1992. This is what he looked like back then:



Not only charismatic and handsome, he electrified Pakistan cricket at the time (which is the country's national sport, as it is in India); he was a courageous, aggressive and inspired batter and bowler besides also being an excellent captain; he was a wonderful sportsman, respected and sincerely liked by all his opponents; and (as best I know) he was 100% incorruptible.

ESPNcricinfo.com, a major international cricket website, opens their bio of him like this:

Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s.

So he won the hearts and minds of not only tens of millions of Pakistanis in the 1980s, but also everyone else in the country who's proudly followed Pakistan cricket ever since, probably some 150 million people or more.

Most of the country (a clear "democratic majority", whatever that means nowadays) simply loves the man. This is evident in the above scenes of pure rejoicing at his release and return to his family.

Yes! I really used to love watching him play, but with that awkwardness that accompanies watching a brilliant opponent bearing down on your team - England in this case - akin to Richard Hadlee, Allan Border, Vivian Richards, who used to enthrall but terrorise with their talent at the same time

[Miller]

Here's George Galloway's opinion on the situation. George has always been a vociferous supporter of Imran Khan

The military are intent on killing Imran Khan

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DohnZl4oilQ

[Bill Ryan]

When I was writing my cricket post above, I checked the Imran Khan Wikipedia page to check I had my dates right. I ended up reading the entire page with great interest, and there were some things in his political career I'd not known.

My observation, though I did know this already:

He's clearly an immensely good man (and a man of the people), and of course in these days that cannot be tolerated by the despots who seek to control the world.

The short second paragraph in the extract below tells us everything.

For anyone following this who is maybe just instinctively sympathetic to Imran, the many details below may be most interesting. I'd vote for the man (and enthusiastically attend rallies to support him) if I were in a position to. For sure.

(Extracted. See the original page for the many footnotes and references.)

~~~

On 10 April 2022, Khan became the country's first prime minister to be ousted through a no-confidence motion vote in parliament. On 22 August 2022, Khan was charged by the Pakistani police under anti-terror laws after Khan accused the police and judiciary of detaining and torturing his close aide.

In foreign relations, he dealt with border skirmishes against India, strengthened relations with China and Russia, while relations with the United States cooled.

In 2010, Khan said in an interview: "I grew up hating India because I grew up in Lahore and there were massacres of 1947, so much bloodshed and anger. But as I started touring India, I got such love and friendship there that all this disappeared."

Khan views the Kashmir issue as a humanitarian issue, as opposed to a territorial dispute between two countries (India and Pakistan). He also proposed secret talks to settle the issue as he thinks the vested interests on both sides will try to subvert them. He ruled out a military solution to the conflict and denied the possibility of a fourth war between India and Pakistan over the disputed mountainous region.

Khan publicly demanded a Pakistani apology towards the Bangladeshi people for the atrocities committed in 1971. He called the 1971 operation a "blunder" and likened it to today's treatment of Pashtuns in the war on terror. However, he repeatedly criticised the war crimes trials in Bangladesh in favour of the convicts.

In August 2012, the Pakistani Taliban issued death threats if he went ahead with his march to their tribal stronghold along the Afghan border to protest US drone attacks, because he calls himself a "liberal" – a term they associate with a lack of religious belief.

On 1 October 2012, prior to his plan to address a rally in South Waziristan, senior commanders of Pakistani Taliban said after a meeting headed by the Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud that they now offered Khan security assistance for the rally because of Khan's opposition to drone attacks in Pakistan, reversing their previous stance.

His sympathetic position toward the Pakistani Taliban and Afghan Taliban, as well as his criticism of the US-led war on terror, has earned him the moniker "Taliban Khan" in Pakistani politics.

He believes in negotiations with Taliban and the pull out of the Pakistan Army from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He is against US drone strikes and plans to disengage Pakistan from the US-led war on terror. Khan also opposes almost all military operations, including the Siege of Lal Masjid.

In 2014, when Pakistani Taliban announced armed struggle against Ismaili Muslims (denouncing them as non-Muslims) and the Kalash people, Khan released a statement describing "forced conversions as un-Islamic". He has also condemned the incidents of forced conversion of Hindu girls in Sindh.

Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, Khan congratulated the Taliban for their victory in the 2001–2021 war, and urged the international community to support their new government. He also said that his government was negotiating a peace deal with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) with the help of the Afghan Taliban.

On 8 January 2016, Khan visited the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Islamabad and met their head of commissions to understand their stances about the conflict that engulfed both nations after the execution of Sheikh Nimr by Saudi Arabia. He urged the Government of Pakistan to play a positive role to resolve the matter between both countries.

After parliament passed a unanimous resolution keeping Pakistan out of the War in Yemen in April 2015, Khan claimed that his party was responsible for "many critical clauses" of the resolution. In July 2018, the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank activated its $4.5 billion oil financing facility for Pakistan.

[Miller]

UK: Imran Khan's ex wife Jemima Goldsmith says unidentified men tried to enter her London home

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QXSB3FgmABg

This video was posted on YT a month ago and may be linked to what is happening to Imran Khan. It seems that not even the elite are safe.

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
Imran Khan destroyed Junta’s Generals in his live speech told officers of Police & Army to stop accepting illegal orders from them "They are not your gods"

"Junta should register itself as a political party" - Imran Khan on Military’s continues meddling in politics.

"You are not ashamed to issue a warrant for the arrest of a veiled woman, you have no women at home? Or are you so shameless and dishonorable that someone does this to your women and you wouldn’t care? - Imran Khan rattles Junta’s Generals on their crackdown against women protesters.

Imran Khan compares Military Junta 'Generals to modern day Pharaohs’s (Firauns)' on live speech.

Imran Khan addressing the nation live
http://youtu.be/OhOqoD3_TWg

https://twitter.com/dana916/status/1657411346575572992

¤=[Post Update]=¤

https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/stat...47505246965760

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/stat...96853401042946

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
Let’s translate that for UK PM, British Foreign Office, US State Dept: Punjab Police barged into the home of Usman Dar, a PTI politician and threatened his sister that unless Usman Dar surrenders to Police, they will rape his old mother; after issuing this threat; they took the old woman into a room & locked doors! Video is circulating on social media/internet but Pakistani Govt has blocked internet across Pakistan in most places!
@BBCNews

@10DowningStreet

@StateDept

@amnestysasia

https://twitter.com/MoeedNj/status/1657434997811208197

[Bill Ryan]

An 11-minute summary from The Duran (which really means Alexander Mercouris ). It begins with an overview of all the events, most of which followers of this thread will be very familiar with. But then, and maybe of interest to readers here, Mercouris looks ahead to the coming general election, which could be held any time from mid-August to mid-October.

The issue is that Imran is almost certain to win — but then he'd inherit all the chaos created by the current situation, combined with serious economic and other problems. So (my words here), winning might be a kind of poisoned chalice, and even Imran's overriding charisma and popularity may not be able to do much to fix everything.

Imran Khan released, but troubles in Pakistan remain

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Mhoo_JHuEE4

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/dana916/status/1657868571286945794

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
So now the complete London plan is out. Using pretext of violence while I was inside the jail, they have assumed the role of judge, jury and executioner. The Plan now is to humiliate me by putting Bushra begum in jail, and using some sedition law to keep me inside for next ten years.

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/sta...42709334294530

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/sta...43733935652864

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/sta...43755666354177

Text:

My message to the people of Pakistan; I will fight for Haqeeqi Azaadi till the last drop of my blood because for me death is preferable than to be enslaved by these assortment of crooks . I urge all my people to remember that we have pledged LA Illah ha illalah, that we bow to no one except the One (Allah). If we bow to the idol of fear there will only be humiliation and dismemberment for our future generations.
Countries where there is injustice and law of jungle prevails, don't survive for long.

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/sta...46004694097923

[Bill Ryan]

This new Telegram post seems very extreme (and may not be balanced or accurate — but it could be!). I'm reporting it here just for the ongoing record.

https://t.me/CIG_telegram/30965
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/63013

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/st...67487700549632

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacifi...-again/2899768

'Probably my last tweet,' Pakistan's ex-Premier Khan fears arrest again

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said the police have surrounded his residence in the northeastern city of Lahore, and he might be arrested any time.

"Probably my last tweet before my next arrest. Police have surrounded my house," Khan said in a Twitter post containing his video message.

However, there was no immediate word from the government about Khan’s tweet regarding police surrounding his house.

The development came after the provincial government of northeastern Punjab province gave a 24-hour "ultimatum to the leadership" of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to surrender "30 to 40" miscreants allegedly involved in last week's violent protests against the ex-premier's arrest in a corruption case.

Punjab's Information Minister Aamir Mir, at a press conference on Wednesday, alleged that the "wanted miscreants" are hiding inside Khan's Zaman Park residence located in a high-end Lahore locality. The PTI denies the charge.

Mir warned that the security forces, this time, won't hesitate to take stern measures if the miscreants are not surrendered within the deadline.

He was referring to pitched battles between police and Khan's supporters when police tried to arrest Khan for not appearing before a court in a corruption case last month.

In his video message, Khan said all surveys showed that his party is going to win the next elections by a vast majority.

In a thinly-veiled reference to the country's military, he said that "those" who don't want him to be back into power staged the violence.

Meanwhile, Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir reiterated that all those responsible for “bringing shame to the nation on the Black Day of May 9” will be brought to justice.

According to an army statement, Munir made these remarks during a visit to the northeastern Sialkot Garrison near the Indian border on Wednesday, referring to attacks on several military installations during violent protests last week.

The government and the army have already announced that those involved in attacks on military installations will be tried under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.