Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan recently unveiled the trailer of her upcoming podcast Call Me Hopeful where she talks about mental health. The trailer offered a glimpse into the diverse lineup of guests, including Imran Khan, Vir Das, Mallika Dua, and Kenny Sebastian.
In the trailer, actor Imran Khan who is making a comeback was seen talking about gaslighting and expressing his observations on the subject. He seemed to think about the term in contemporary society and then went on to question its applicability in various situations. Check out the trailer:
The host of the podcast, Ira took to social media to even elaborate the objective of her podcast and emphasised the need to address misinformation, oversimplification, and overcomplication of concepts related to mental health. The first episode of the podcast will be released online on May 12 at 11 am.
Pakistani lawmakers vote for return of widower of Benazir Bhutto after elections marred by rigging claims.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has won a second term as Pakistan’s president, supported by the ruling coalition in a vote by parliament and regional assemblies.
Zardari secured 411 votes, while his opponent, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is backed by the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, received 181 votes, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced on Saturday after tallying the votes by national MPs, provincial MPs and senators.
The widower of Pakistan’s assassinated first female leader, Benazir Bhutto, Zardari was voted into the largely ceremonial post by the PPP, which formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party after Pakistan’s February 8 elections that were marred with rigging claims.
Zardari is expected to be sworn in at a ceremony on Sunday.
Under the terms of the coalition pact, which also includes a number of smaller parties, PMLN’s Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as prime minister earlier this week on Monday.
Khan was jailed and prohibited from contesting in the election, with his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party targeted by arrests and censorship, and its members forced to stand as independents.
The PTI said a mobile internet blackout on election day and a delay in results were used to cover up nationwide rigging preventing their victory. The elections were also marred with allegations of vote tampering.
The PTI won more seats than any other party last month, but fell far short of the majority needed to govern, which cleared the way for the alliance between PMLN and PPP.
PTI chairman, barrister Gohar Ali Khan, said that Zardari’s election was “unconstitutional”.
The party is now fighting a case for the allocation of seats reserved for women and minorities in the assembly.
Zardari, 68, previously took the presidential office post in 2008 after a sympathy vote following the gun and bomb assassination of Benazir Bhutto when she was campaigning for re-election.
While president, a role which he held until 2013, he rolled back the powers of the presidency.
Pakistan’s presidency was once powerful, but was reduced to that of a figurehead in 2010 after Zardari made a constitutional amendment.
During his tenure, he faced challenges ranging from threats from the Taliban, to tense relations with the military after the United States special forces’ operation in Pakistan to kill al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in 2011.
Zardari has faced corruption allegations and spent more than 11 years in jail, but has bounced back from his various scandals.
Back in 2009, the New York Times said he had a knack for “artful dodging” – “manoeuvring himself out of the tight spots he gets himself into”.
When news emerged that actor Imran Khan’s marriage had hit a rough patch, people were left shocked. The actor who married his childhood sweetheart, Avantika Malik was adored for being the perfect partner. It was an image which he carried even in his films. Bollywood fans who miss rom-coms really want Imran Khan to come back and entertain them once again. Of late, he was seen with former actress Lekha Washington. The two attended the marriage of Ira Khan and Nupur Shikhare together in Udaipur. Also Read – Bollywood’s perfect superhero casting: Junaid Khan to Ajay Devgn : A cinematic dream team
Imran Khan slams those calling Lekha Washington a home-breaker
Imran Khan has confirmed that he is indeed dating Lekha Washington. He said that he has divorced and been separated from Avantika Malik since 2019. Imran Khan also slammed those who believe that Lekha Washington is responsible for his split for his wife. Imran Khan told Vogue in his interview that the narrative of his lady love being a homewrecker, is infuriating. He said it angers him as it is not only misogynistic but also takes away his agency as an interview. Imran Khan also gave Vogue a timeline of his relationship with Lekha Washington. He said, “Lekha and I grew close during the lockdown, a year and a half after I had been separated from Avantika and almost a year after she had separated from her partner, not husband as it has been widely reported.” The actor has said that he is undergoing mental therapy for years now. He said it is part of his wellness. Also Read – Imran Khan on how life changed after disappearing from Bollywood; Moved out of bungalow, sold Ferrari…
Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta’s daughter Ira Khan recently tied the knot with her long-time beau Nupur Shikhare. They had a 4-day long celebration in Udaipur, which consisted of a haldi ceremony, mehendi, pajama party, sangeet, and vow ceremony. The festivities concluded on 10th January, and pictures and videos from their wedding are going viral on Instagram. Ira’s father Aamir Khan was seen grooving to the song Masti Ki Paathshala from his film Rang De Basanti, in a video that has now surfaced on social media.
Aamir Khan aces the hook step of Masti Ki Paathshala at Ira Khan-Nupur Shikhare’s wedding
A video that has been shared by DJ Sahil on Instagram shows Aamir Khan dancing to Masti Ki Paathshala from Rang De Basanti. All attention is on Aamir as he aces the hook step of this popular song. Mithila Palkar, Ira Khan and Nupur Shikhare are also seen matching steps with Aamir in the video. Soon after, the DJ plays the song Papa Kehte Hain from Aamir’s 1988 film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. While Mithila and other guests cheered for Aamir Khan and got super-excited, the actor was pleasantly surprised.
He smiled widely, walked up to the DJ, and hugged him. Aamir then stood on the stage, while the guests cheered for him and waited for him to dance on the song. “Dropped bangers that even Aamir Sir couldn’t resist!” wrote the DJ, while sharing the video. “He wanted to leave the party & we wanted him to stay so here’s how it went! What a beautiful evening it was,” read the caption of the post. Check out the video below!
Meanwhile, two days ago, another video that went viral on social media showed Aamir Khan dancing to the song Aati Kya Khandala from Ghulam. The song is originally picturised on Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji.
Imran Khan grooves to Pappu Can’t Dance at cousin Ira Khan’s wedding
Another video showed Aamir Khan’s nephew and actor Imran Khan dancing to the song Pappu Can’t Dance from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, at Ira Khan and Nupur Shikhare’s wedding festivities. The video left fans nostalgic, and they were delighted to see the actor ace the steps, even 15 years after the film’s release.
Kriti Kharbanda celebrated her 33rd birthday bash with several renowned Bollywood celebrities in Mumbai on Monday evening.
The birthday party was attended by Kriti Sanon, Punit Malhotra, Suniel Shetty, his daughter Athiya Shetty, Imran Khan, his rumoured girlfriend Lekha Washington and more.
Imran Khan, who recently hinted at a film comeback, has admitted that focusing solely on the negative reviews he received on social media for his 2010 film Break Ke Baad with Deepika Padukone was a mistake. He shared a glimpse of all such reviews, as well as all of the positive comments he received from his fans, and stated that he will not repeat such an error. He also talked about how much fun he and Deepika had while filming in Mauritius.
On Thursday, Imran posted to his Instagram Stories, “If you are wondering why I’m looking up the past so much… It’s because I’m reshaping my relationship with my films. To be clear, I’m not blaming anyone for anything; all opinions are valid, and not everyone will like the same things… that’s normal. Unfortunately, at the time, I was only able to look at things from a negative mindset. As such, here is how I remembered Break ke Baad.”
He wrote, after sharing a glimpse of several negative reviews for the Danish Aslam film,“That was then.” Imran then shared a screenshot of fan comments from his Instagram post mentioning how it was their favourite film and wrote, “And here’s where I realise my mistake: I paid so much heed to the voices that hurt…and I never valued the voices that I loved. What a fool. I won’t make that mistake again. Thank you all for helping me change my perspective.”
Imran Khan is one of the most versatile actors in the film industry. The actor went on an inactive era after his film Katti Batti did not impress the audience in 2015. Now, Imran who is back on social media, replied back to a netizen asking him to refund all the ticket money for his films Luck and Kidnap.
Imran Khan reacts to netizen who asked him to refund ticket money for Luck and Kidnap
A while ago, taking to his Instagram, Imran Khan responded to a netizen who asked him to refund ticket money for Luck and Kidnap. talked about the actor wanting validation through likes regarding his comeback in films.
The netizen said, “1 million likes if y’all want Imran Khan to return your money if you paid to watch Kidnap and Luck.” Revealing he is yet to receive his payment for one of the films, Imran wrote, “That money actually goes to the theater owners first, then to the producers… as it happens, they never cleared my final payment on that film, so maybe we can all take the issue up with them?” Have a look:
Not only this but also Imran responded to another netizen who posted a video of himself with his poetry talking about the actor wanting validation through likes regarding his comeback in films. This is the same video where the actor was asked to refund the ticket money.
Reacting to the netizen, Imran commented, “In a world where Imran Khan needs one million likes to make a movie and not the realization that each time a couple has a movie date, they think of watching I Hate Luv Storys. Every time a group of friends get together to watch a movie, their go-to choice is Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. An Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu gives hope to a confused introvert kid learning how to be an adult that there is someone for everyone. When we simp for someone we play Kahin Toh on loop. Maybe we have turned the world into a place where love is counted. Maybe validation comes with numbers. Maybe life isn’t all sweet and hopeful like those Imran Khan movies.”
Imran Khan is the nephew of Bollywood actor Aamir Khan. By playing the childhood version of Aamir in his iconic films, Mansoor Khan’s romantic film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988 ) and his rom-com Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Imran made his onscreen debut. After that, he finally made his adult acting debut in Bollywood in 2008 with the coming-of-age romantic comedy Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na co-starring Genelia Deshmukh. The film received immense praise and appreciation from fans as well as critics and the fame of this film has not faded a bit.
Imran Khan, who was last seen in the film Katti Batti in 2015, has been away from the public eye for a long time and the actor rarely shared anything on social media. Surprisingly, the actor is now active again. And, only recently, Khan posted some BTS photos from the sets of the 2009 film Luck which starred Imran alongside Shruti Haasan, Mithun Chakraborty, and Danny Denzongpa.
Imran Khan shares BTS photos from the sets of Luck
Taking to his Instagram, Imran Khan shared a couple of BTS photos from the sets of Luck, a film directed by Soham Shah and recalled the interesting times on the movie sets. Interestingly, each photo had its own story. In one of the photos, Imran was seen walking with an umbrella in the middle of a burning field, and in another one, he was seen hanging from an aircraft.
While sharing the photos with fans on Instagram, the actor wrote, “Speaking of Luck… I found these old pictures, and thought they would be interesting to share. Yes, that’s real fire. The umbrella helped with the sun, but not the flames. My eyelashes actually got burned off during a take, when an explosion went off too close in front of me. And yes, that’s also really me strapped to the outside of a flying Cessna.” Have a look:
Fans react to the Luck BTS photo dump
After sharing a few behind-the-scenes photos with fans, Khan received a lot of heartwarming comments, but the repetitive ones were about requesting him to come back on the big screen.
One of them wrote, “We need you back, Imran. We’re missing you. I still binge watch your movies instead of new ones. Especially Delhi Belly. It’s a gem. And I request you to make a comeback. – from a diehard fan.” And, another one said, “The most beautiful thing happened in 2023 after Pathaan is you – Imran Khan using social media after 5 years.”
Another interesting comment was when one of the fans wrote, “I literally watched this movie (Luck) yesterday, what are the odds?” And, reacting to this, Imran replied, “Kya Kamaal ka Luck hoga aapka… (What outstanding luck you have!)”
Imran Khan’s comment on Zeenat Aman’s post
The Luck actor recently made headlines after his response to a fan comment on veteran actor Zeenat Aman’s post. On one of the posts by Zeenat Aman, a user wrote, “Zeenat Ji ne bhi comeback karlia, patani mera @imrankhan kab aayega.” Surprisingly, Imran took to the comments section and replied. He wrote, “Chalo (user’s name), let’s leave this one to the internet… 1M likes, and I’ll make it happen.” Unexpectedly, the actor’s comment got almost 1 lakh likes.
Work-wise, Khan is best known for his roles in films such as Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, among several others.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s parliament is set to be dissolved to prepare for a national election without former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been jailed and barred from politics for five years.
Khan’s successor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, wrote to President Arif Alvi on Wednesday, calling for the dissolution of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.
The dissolution marks the end of a chaotic tenure which began five years ago with Khan at the helm.
Sharif, who assumed power in April 2022 after Khan lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, on Tuesday said he had asked President Alvi to dissolve the assembly three days before the schedule.
“Tomorrow [Wednesday], my government completes its term and after meeting constitutional norms, we will hand over the reins to the interim set-up,” he said during an event at the headquarters of the country’s powerful army.
The dissolution allows the interim government, which is still to be set up, to oversee the next general elections within 90 days, that is by November.
According to Pakistan’s constitution, elections should be held within 60 days if a legislative assembly is dissolved on the scheduled day, and within 90 days if it is done earlier than that.
However, the likelihood of elections being held by November is slim.
Last week, the government approved the results of a digital census in Pakistan, which put the country’s population at 241 million, up from 207 million according to the census conducted in 2017.
Pakistani law mandates that elections can take place only according to constituency delimitations which will be drawn based on the latest census figures.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) says it requires at least four months to redraw the constituencies, making it uncertain if the polls will be held on time.
Speaking to a private news channel on Tuesday, Rana Sanaullah, the interior minister, also said there was no chance of holding elections in 2023.
“Very straightforward answer: no,” Sanaullah said when he was asked about the chances of polls this year.
No clarity on caretaker gov’t
Meanwhile, the outgoing government is yet to finalise the interim cabinet and the caretaker prime minister.
Sharif is scheduled to meet his cabinet members as well as opposition leader Raja Riaz to finalise the name of the caretaker leader later on Wednesday.
Among the top contenders is Hafeez Shaikh, a two-time finance minister who last served under Khan.
Sanaullah, in another interview to a news channel earlier this week, said a retired Supreme Court judge’s name is also in the running.
“However, the name of the interim prime minister will be decided in the next two days,” he said on Monday.
Sharif’s 15-month tenure was marked by political chaos, a precarious economy, and a worsening security situation.
Catastrophic floods last year killed nearly 1,800 people and caused a loss of more than $30bn. Pakistan has still not recovered from the calamity.
Meanwhile, the country’s economy was on the brink of default before it managed a last-minute $3bn bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
Sharif’s coalition rule also saw a severe crackdown on Khan and his Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party following their demands to hold immediate elections and scathing attacks on the powerful military.
On Sunday, Khan was sentenced to three years in prison over false declaration of assets in his election papers. On Tuesday, the election body barred him from politics for five years.
Pakistan has enough problems — including escalating attacks by Taliban insurgents and a spiraling economic crisis — without the added headache of a new Cold War between China and the U.S.
In an interview with POLITICO, Pakistan’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar insisted Islamabad had no appetite to pick a side in the growing global rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
As a nuclear-armed heavyweight of 250 million people, Pakistan is one of the most closely watched front-line states in the contest for strategic influence in Asia. While Pakistan’s old Cold War partner Washington is increasingly turning its focus to cooperation with Islamabad’s arch-foe India, China has swooped in to extend its sway in Pakistan — particularly through giant infrastructure projects.
Khar insisted, however, that Islamabad was worried about the repercussions of an all-out rupture between the U.S. and China, which would present Pakistan with an unpalatably binary strategic choice. “We are highly threatened by this notion of splitting the world into two blocs,” Khar said on a visit to Brussels. “We are very concerned about this decoupling … Anything that splits the world further.”
She added: “We have a history of being in a close, collaborative mode with the U.S. We have no intention of leaving that. Pakistan also has the reality of being in a close, collaborative mode with China, and until China suddenly came to everyone’s threat perception, that was always the case.”
It’s clear why Pakistan still sees advantages to walking the strategic tightrope between the U.S. and China. Although U.S. officials have expressed frustration over Pakistan’s historic ties to the Taliban in Afghanistan — and have rowed back on military aid — Washington is still a significant military partner. Last year, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of $450 million worth of equipment to maintain Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets.
Simultaneously, Beijing is pledging to deepen military cooperation with Pakistan — partly to outflank the common enemy in India — and is delivering frigates to the Pakistani navy. China is also building roads, railways, hospitals and energy networks in its western neighbor. While these Chinese investments have boosted the country’s economic development, there are also downsides to going all in with China, with Beijing’s critics arguing that Pakistan has become overly indebted and financially dependent on China.
Khar grabbed headlines in April when a leaked memo appeared in the Wall Street Journal in which she was cited as warning that Pakistan’s instinct to preserve its partnership with the U.S. would harm what she deemed the country’s “real strategic” partnership with China.
She declined to comment on that leak, but took a more bullish line on continued American power in her interview in Brussels, saying the U.S. was unnecessarily fearful and defensive about being toppled from its plinth of global leadership, which she argued remained vital in areas such as healthcare, technology, trade and combating climate change.
“I don’t think the leadership role is being contested, until they start making other people question it by being reactive,” she said. “I believe that the West underestimates the value of its ideals, soft power,” she added, stressing Washington’s role as the world’s standard setter. China biggest selling point for Pakistan, she explained, was an economic model for lifting a huge population out of poverty.
Leverage — and the lack of it — in Kabul
Khar’s sharpest criticism of U.S. policy centered on Afghanistan, where she said restrictions intended to hobble the Taliban were backfiring, causing a humanitarian and security crisis, pushing many Afghans to “criminal activities, narcotics strategy and smuggling.”
The Taliban in Kabul are widely seen as supporting an expanding terror campaign waged by the Pakistani Taliban | Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
A weakened Afghanistan is causing increased security problems for Pakistan, and the Taliban in Kabul are widely seen as supporting an expanding terror campaign waged by the Pakistani Taliban. Ironically, given the long history of Pakistan’s engagement with the Afghan Taliban, Islamabad is finding it difficult to exercise its influence and secure Kabul’s help in reining in the latest insurgency wave.
When the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, Pakistan’s then Prime Minister Imran Khan celebrated their victory against “[American] slavery” and spy chief Faiz Hameed made a visit to Kabul and cheerily predicted “everything will be O.K.” Khar, who took office last year, said Khan had reacted “rather immaturely” and argued her government always knew “the leverage was over-projected.”
While the violence has put Pakistan’s soldiers and police on the front line of the fight against the Taliban at home, Khar said Islamabad was taking a highly diplomatic approach in seeking to win round the Taliban in Afghanistan, pursuing political engagement and focusing on economic development — rather than strong-arm tactics.
“Threatening anyone normally gets you worse results than the ones you started with. Even when it is exceptionally difficult to engage at a point when you think your red lines have not been taken seriously, we will still try the route of engagement.”
She firmly rejected the idea that any other country — either the U.S. or China — could play a role in helping Pakistan defeat the Taliban with military deployments. “When it comes to boots on the ground, we would welcome no one,” she said.
Pakistan is seeking bailout cash from the International Monetary Fund as the economy is hammered by blazing inflation and collapsing reserves. When asked whether she reckoned Washington was holding back on supporting Pakistan, partly to test whether China would step up and play a bigger role in ensuring the country’s stability, Khar replied: “I would be very unhappy if that were the case.”
No to navies
When it came to Europe’s role in the Indo-Pacific region, she was wary of the naval dimensions of EU plans, an element favored by France. She was particularly hostile to any vision of an Indo-Pacific strategy that was dedicated to trying to contain Chinese power in tandem with working with India.
One of the leading fears of the U.S. has long been that China could use its investments in the port of Gwadar to build a naval foothold there, a move that would inflame tensions with India, and allow Beijing to project greater power in the Indian Ocean.
Khar said Europe should tread carefully in calibrating its plan for the region.
“I would be very concerned if it is exclusively or predominantly a military-based strategy, which will then confirm it is a containment strategy, it must not be a containment strategy,” she said of the EU’s Indo-Pacific agenda.
“[If it’s] a containment strategy of a certain country, which then courts a certain country that is a very belligerent neighbor to Pakistan, then instead of stabilizing the region, it is endangering the region.”
Islamabad, Pakistan — As a crackdown on Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party continues, supporters in Punjab province claim authorities are targeting the businesses of people sympathetic to the former prime minister.
Hammad Azhar, a top aide with Khan’s PTI, told Al Jazeera that his family-owned business, AFCO Steel Industries, was shuttered by police for more than a week.
“Both our headquarters and the factory in Lahore were raided late on June 1. Police officials and a district officer arrived and sealed the premises with a hand-written note,” Azhar said on Wednesday.
He added that the police harassed his staff when they closed his business, one of the oldest steel manufacturers in Pakistan, and refused to say why they were doing so.
“The authorities did not have any documentary evidence or sealing warrants, and yet they sealed our factory,” he said. “Thankfully, after we filed a petition, the Lahore High Court on June 7 gave us relief and ordered authorities to reopen our factory.”
The arrest of Khan on May 9 sparked countrywide protests by his supporters. Though he was released within 48 hours, thousands of PTI workers and party leaders have been arrested for vandalism and rioting, with the government promising to try those involved in controversial military courts.
Many party supporters and workers have accused police of conducting raids at their homes and businesses as part of a nationwide witch-hunt meant to intimidate them.
Khan has repeatedly claimed that Pakistan’s powerful military establishment is trying to pressure his party members to “break” the PTI.
Since Khan’s arrest, police have conducted six raids on Azhar’s home in an effort to arrest him as one of the conspirators behind the May 9 violence. He said he has gone into hiding, but that police detained his father for two hours on June 4.
A long-time party supporter from Sargodha, a city in the eastern province of Punjab, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, said on Wednesday that his family-owned wedding hall business was also closed by police in late May.
“We have been running these wedding halls since 2018, and we have never faced any problems in the past,” he told Al Jazeera. “However, this time, a few police officials came on May 31, and on some flimsy excuses of land control violations, they sealed the business.”
The PTI supporter, who is also in hiding, said that while police did not cause any damage to his wedding halls, they had raided his residence, breaking doors and windows and arresting several of his household staff.
Amir Mir, the interim information minister for Punjab province, confirmed that business across the region had been sealed but insisted that only those who broke the law were affected.
“These are routine matters, and hundreds of sealing orders have been issued,” Mir told Al Jazeera, declining to elaborate.
Another PTI supporter, who asked to remain anonymous, said that his motorcycle showroom in the eastern city of Lahore was shuttered by police late last month, costing him millions of rupees in revenue.
“Our showroom usually sells more than 400 motorbikes in a month, with an average price of one unit over 240,000 rupees ($835). You can imagine how much business we are losing out due to this closure,” he said, adding that he too is in hiding.
“More than 20 people, including policemen and some plainclothes people, came to my showroom on May 30. They did not give any reason why the office was being sealed. They took our laptops, dismantled our cameras, and went away,” he told Al Jazeera by phone.
State authorities have repeatedly denied that PTI supporters or their businesses have been targeted.
An official with the provincial commissioner’s office in Lahore, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said that the province is currently cracking down on illegal encroachments.
Allegations of PTI supporters being targeted were unfounded, he said.
“Last week, we issued more than 200 sealing warrants on account of encroachment, for dengue-related matters, and several other civic violations,” the official told Al Jazeera.
“Claiming that this is an act of vengeance against one political party, or its supporters, is completely baseless,” he said.
People on the streets were seen burning and attacking police, government buildings, official and public vehicles, military assets and installations.
Rioters and their backers who attacked Pakistan’s state assets and military installations during protests that erupted after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan will be tried under army laws, the country’s civilian and military leaders have said.
The decision was announced on Tuesday after a meeting of the National Security Committee chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Thousands of Khan’s supporters took to the streets after his arrest in a graft case on May 9. People were seen burning and attacking police, government buildings, official and public vehicles, military assets and installations.
“The meeting endorsed to bring the miscreants, the planners who incited for violence and their facilitators to dock by trying them under constitutional provisions of concerned laws, including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act,” said a statement issued by Sharif’s office.
Sharif condemned the violence, saying that it came under the category of “terrorism” and adding that the army’s headquarters, an air force base and an office of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency were attacked.
“Whoever are the planners and whoever incited these miscreants … they don’t deserve any leniency,” Sharif said.
The decision amounted to an endorsement of the military, which said on Monday that the rioters and their handlers had been identified and would be tried under army laws.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), an independent civil rights group, strongly opposed the use of those laws to try civilians.
“While those responsible for arson and damaging public and private property during the recent protests should be held to account, they remain entitled to due process,” the group said in a statement after Tuesday’s announcement.
Military courts, which proceed under the Army Act and related legislation, do not have to hold to the standard of evidence and process that regular courts are obligated to uphold, lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii told Reuters news agency.
Trying civilians in military courts is contrary to international law, according to Amnesty International’s Dinushika Dissanayake, who called the military’s intention of trying the rioters under army laws “alarming”.
“It is alarming to note that the Pakistani Army has stated its intention to try civilians under military laws, possibly in military courts,” said Dissanayake, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for South Asia.
“This is purely an intimidation tactic, designed to crack down on dissent by exercising fear of an institution that has never been held to account for its overreach.”
Khan’s party blames intelligence agencies
On Tuesday, ex-PM Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party accused intelligence agencies of being responsible for the shootings and arson during the violence.
“We have ample amount of evidence to present to any inquiry that the arson and, in some places, shootings were done by [intelligence] agencies men who wanted to cause mayhem and blame it on PTI so the current crackdown would be justified,” the party said in a statement.
“PTI believes that identification of elements involved in this unusual incident of violence and chaos through a credible investigation is inevitable,” the statement said, without offering any evidence for the claim.
Khan, Pakistan’s 70-year-old former cricket World Cup-winning captain, has waged a campaign of defiance against the country’s powerful military, which controls the intelligence services, since being ousted from power last April through a parliamentary no-confidence vote.
Open criticism of the military, which has staged three coups and heavily influences domestic politics and foreign policy, is rare in Pakistan’s political mainstream.
At least 19 senior PTI officials have been arrested, some in overnight raids on their homes, after being accused of instigating the recent violence.
Islamabad — There was a major turn of events in Pakistan Thursday as the country’s highest court ordered the immediate release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and declared his Tuesday arrest illegal. Major cities were paralyzed this week by violent protests and riots sparked by the arrest of Khan, a national cricket legend-turned political opposition leader, on corruption charges. Khan remains hugely popular in the country of 230 million despite being forced out office last year with a no-confidence vote in Pakistan’s parliament, and his arrest has infuriated his supporters.
The streets were quieter Thursday after two days of violence that left at least eight people dead. But the nuclear-armed Asian nation remained on tenterhooks after most leaders of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) political party were taken into custody. The nation’s powerful army and current prime minister, who’s backed by the military, warned protesters Wednesday that any further unrest would be dealt with harshly.
A supporter of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan throws a stone at police officers near a pile of burning tires during clashes in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 10, 2023.
AP
Here’s what to know about the chaos, how Pakistan got here, and what may come next:
Pakistan’s Supreme Court orders Khan’s release
Pakistan’s Supreme Court heard a petition Thursday from Khan’s lawyer, who demanded the politician’s release and called his Tuesday arrest illegal. The court expressed displeasure over the way Khan was taken into custody in another courtroom earlier in the week, and it ordered authorities to bring him before the high court bench within an hour.
When Khan was brought in, the court declared his Tuesday arrest unlawful for the way in which it was carried out, and then quickly ordered the 70-year-old politician’s immediate release.
Khan was detained in a lower court Tuesday after appearing on corruption charges brought by Islamabad police. As he showed up in court, dozens of agents from the National Accountability Bureau, backed by paramilitary troops, stormed the courtroom, breaking windows after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.
Amid speculation ahead of his appearance Thursday that the Supreme Court could order his release, national Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told reporters in Islamabad that it would be “unfair” for the top court to intervene is such a manner. Aurangzeb noted the violence instigated by Khan’s supporters this week and said a release order would be tantamount to a “license to kill to everyone.”
Who is Imran Khan?
Imran Khan, 70, is was the Prime Minister of Pakistan for four years, until his ouster in November 2022. He remains the leader of the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), which means Movement for Justice in English.
Khan established the party after retiring from a glittering career as the captain of Pakistan’s national cricket team. He led the team to win the Cricket World Cup in 1992, cementing his status as a national hero.
Disillusioned by widespread corruption in Pakistani politics, he left the sporting world to set up his political party in 1998. A decade later, he was finally elected as prime minister in 2018, enjoying the backing of the country’s all-powerful military. But he has since fallen spectacularly out of favor with the army’s leaders, and was voted out by parliament last year.
Why was Imran Khan arrested?
Ironically, having been an ardent campaigner against corruption and bribery, Khan now faces a series of graft and corruption cases.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told reporters Khan was arrested this week on the orders of the country’s main anticorruption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He said Khan and his wife Bushra were suspected of receiving land worth around $24.7 million from a developer that had been charged with money laundering by British authorities.
Sanaullah said U.K. authorities had returned $240 million to Pakistan in connection with the case, and that Khan was accused of returning that money to the land developer instead of keeping it in the national treasury when he was the premier.
Khan vehemently denies all wrongdoing and insists all the charges against him — which include more than 100 separate cases brought against him since his 2022 ouster — are a ruse to keep him from contesting elections scheduled to be held in November this year.
Khan is the seventh Pakistani prime minister in the country’s history to be arrested on corruption charges.
What happens next, and why does it matter?
The confrontation between Khan’s supporters and the ruling coalition government is likely to intensify again ahead of his next court appearance on May 17, when his pre-trial detention will be reviewed. If the judge decides to release Khan, he and the PTI may be emboldened and he would likely return to his home in the city of Lahore, where his supporters could more effectively try to shield him from another arrest.
If the political turmoil around Khan continues, it could derail the national elections planned for November.
A policeman holding a machine gun walks past a burning car during a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of former Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran over the arrest of their leader, in Peshawar, May 10, 2023.
ABDUL MAJEED/AFP/Getty
Pakistan’s military has ruled the country for the majority of its 75-year history, and most observers believe the army generals still pull the strings of its civilian government. Many Pakistanis fear the army could move to overthrow the civilian government and impose martial law if the unrest continues and military facilities again come under attack.
The impoverished country is mired in a deep and deepening economic crisis, meanwhile, with food inflation running above 36%. Many experts believe the government is on the verge of defaulting on its international debt payments, which could trigger a complete economic meltdown. The value of the Pakistani rupee hit an all-time low against the U.S. dollar Wednesday, and it continued its precipitous fall as trading began on interbank markets Thursday.
The instability sparked by Khan’s arrest has added to a sense of impending disaster in the country, and the immediate question is how the military will respond to any new flare-up of the protests.
If the generals take a heavy-handed approach to the unprecedented challenge to their power, it could lead to a wider internal conflict, and a stability crisis in a nuclear-armed nation that has tense relations with its nuclear-armed neighbor India would be a cause for concern around the world.
CBS News’ Tucker Reals contributed to this report.
Following the dramatic arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges, protestors and police have clashed across the country. Imtiaz Tyab reports.
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Islamabad — Pakistan’s major cities were again hit by deadly riots and disorder Wednesday as a court in the capital Islamabad ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan to be held in custody for eight days on corruption charges. Army troops have deployed on the streets of two of the country’s biggest provinces, Punjab and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, amid the chaos sparked by the former leader’s arrest. At least eight people have been killed amid the clashes, according to a senior government official, but Khan’s party claims the real death toll is in the dozens.
Officials said at least four people were killed Wednesday in the northwest city of Peshawar as supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) political party stormed the offices of national broadcaster Radio Pakistan. It was just one of many manifestations of rage among Khan’s backers following his arrest Tuesday morning as he appeared in a court to face corruption charges.
Shooting could be heard from Peshawar’s Bala Hisaar fort, which houses a military facility. One protester was killed in the southwest city of Quetta on Tuesday, bringing the officially confirmed death toll from two days of rioting to at least five. The PTI, however, claims about 50 people have been killed and more than 1,000 arrested.
A policeman holding a machine gun walks past a burning car during a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of former Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran over the arrest of their leader, in Peshawar, May 10, 2023.
ABDUL MAJEED/AFP/Getty
Police said in a Wednesday statement that officers in Pakistan’s biggest province, Punjab, had arrested at least 945 Khan supporters since Tuesday, including senior PTI leader Asad Umar. Dozens of Khan supporters were also detained in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and elsewhere. At least 157 police officers have been injured in clashes with Khan supporters, officials said.
Schools across the country were closed and major roads remained quiet or deserted as people not involved in the protests largely opted to stay indoors. Several major social media platforms were offline in the country and internet connections were either suspended or patchy as authorities clamped down on communications in a bid to quell the unrest.
Khan was ousted from power last year, losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, but the former national cricket star remains one of Pakistan’s most popular politicians. He came to power in 2018, backed by the country’s powerful military, but has since spectacularly fallen out with the army’s leadership, even publicly accusing a senior officer of plotting to assassinate him.
When he was arrested Tuesday, Khan was appearing in court on several corruption charges brought by Islamabad police. As he showed up in court, dozens of agents from the National Accountability Bureau, backed by paramilitary troops, stormed the courtroom, breaking windows after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.
Khan’s supporters quickly attacked the military’s headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, but did not reach the main building housing the offices of army chief Gen. Asim Munir.
Other demonstrators tried to reach the office and residence of current Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, who’s backed by the military, in Lahore, but were driven off by baton-wielding in police. Others attacked vehicles carrying troops and hit armed soldiers with sticks.
Black smokes billows from a building set ablaze by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran during a protest against his arrest, in Peshawar, May 10, 2023.
ABDUL MAJEED/AFP/Getty
So far, authorities have said that neither police nor soldiers have fired live ammunition at protesters. Unverified videos posted on social media since Tuesday, however, show men in plainclothes shooting during protests in several cities.
Pakistan’s military issued its first reaction to the unrest Wednesday, calling the attacks “targeting army property and installations” a “black chapter” in the country and vowing that it would “not allow anyone to take the law into their hands.”
The army said Khan had been arrested “in line with the NAB statement and law” and called those rioting against his detention “miscreants” trying to “evoke the nation’s emotions for achieving their limited and selfish objectives.”
None of the leaders of Khan’s party have denounced the attacks on the military, but they have publicly called for demonstrations to remain peaceful.
The violent unrest has prompted calls from the U.S. and U.K. for their citizens to avoid travel to Pakistan and to take all possible steps to remain safe if already in the country.
The 70-year-old opposition leader appeared in a court on Wednesday where the authorities are seeking approval to keep the opposition leader in custody for 14 days.
On Tuesday, Khan was appearing in the Islamabad High Court on multiple corruption charges when dozens of agents from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), backed by paramilitary troops, stormed the courtroom and broke windows after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.
The shock arrest deepened an ongoing political turmoil and sparked violent demonstrations across the country, in which at least one person was killed in the southwestern city of Quetta. Dozens of other PTI supporters were wounded in clashes with the security forces.
The arrest and consequential protests have led to officials of other governments and world bodies to call for restraint and calm.
Plainclothes police officers beat a supporter of Imran Khan in Peshawar [WK Yousufzai/AP Photo]
Here is how the world reacted to Khan’s arrest:
United States
The United States has called for respect for democratic principles and the rule of law in Pakistan.
“We are aware of the arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. As we have said before, the United States does not have a position on one political candidate or party versus another,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.
“We call for the respect of democratic principles and the rule of law around the world. So I would refer you to the government of Pakistan for any further information on that,” she said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he wants the rule of law to be followed in the South Asian country.
“I have seen the reports that you have alluded to and we just want to make sure that whatever happens in Pakistan is consistent with the rule of law with the constitution showing,” Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference with his British counterpart.
United Kingdom
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he has not yet had the opportunity to be briefed in detail on the developments in Pakistan, but the UK wants to see “peaceful democracy” in the country.
“The UK has a longstanding and close relationship with Pakistan. We are Commonwealth partners. We want to see peaceful democracy in that country. We want to see the rule of law adhered to. I am uncomfortable to speculate any further without having a detailed briefing on that,” Cleverly said.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn, a prominent member of British Parliament and former leader of the Labour Party, condemned Khan’s arrest on Twitter.
“The arrest of former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is a dark day for democracy,” he tweeted.
The arrest of former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is a dark day for democracy.
Solidarity with protestors in Pakistan and beyond demanding his immediate release. pic.twitter.com/qXgQGjhfe2
A top UN official on Tuesday stressed the need to ensure all political figures in Pakistan are treated fairly and that due process is followed.
The official’s comments came hours after Khan was arrested.
European Union
In a statement, the EU emphasised that in such “difficult and tense times” in Pakistan, “restraint and cool headedness were needed”.
“Pakistan’s challenges can only be addressed and its pathway can only be determined by Pakistanis themselves, through sincere dialogue and in line with the rule of law,” it said.
Amnesty International
Rights group Amnesty International said it was concerned about the “escalation in clashes” and called on the Pakistani authorities to “show restraint”.
“The clashes unfolding between Imran Khan’s supporters and security enforcement following the former prime minister’s arrest risks several human rights violations,” it said in a tweet.
PAKISTAN: The clashes unfolding between Imran Khan’s supporters and security enforcement following the former prime minister’s arrest risks several human rights violations.
We call upon authorities to show restraint, and ensure any response is in line with the principles of…
— Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office (@amnestysasia) May 9, 2023
The human rights non-profit also expressed concerns about the suspension of mobile internet service and the blockage of social media applications.
It said the suspension “restricts people’s access to information and freedom of expression”.
🇵🇰Pakistan: Amid concerns about escalating clashes between Imran Khan’s supporters and the police, Amnesty International is alarmed by reports that Pakistani authorities have suspended mobile internet and access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
— Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office (@amnestysasia) May 9, 2023
A court in Pakistan has ruled the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan legal as protests erupted across the country after he was taken into custody in the capital Islamabad.
The arrest on Tuesday, as Khan appeared in court to face corruption allegations, is the latest twist in a months-long political crisis and follows several unsuccessful attempts to apprehend the cricketer-turned-politician.
Senior members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said a six-member committee, formed by Khan in March over his fears of being arrested, will gather and decide the next move.
Earlier, authorities said Khan was arrested in connection with corruption involving the Al-Qadir University Trust, headed by the opposition leader and his wife Bushra Bibi.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan confirmed that Khan was arrested in a case pursued by the anti-corruption body.
“Imran Khan did not appear despite the notices, NAB [Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau] has arrested him for damaging the national treasury. No violence was done to them,” the interior minister said in a tweet.
Akbar Nasir Khan, a top police official in Islamabad, told Al Jazeera that NAB had issued an arrest warrant against Khan on May 1 in relation to the case.
PTI leaders have denied the charges levelled by the interior minister, saying Khan had not been issued any arrest warrant before Tuesday.
Khan has been slapped with more than 100 cases – including charges of corruption, “terrorism” and even blasphemy – since he was removed from power last April through a parliamentary no-confidence vote.
The 70-year-old denies the charges as politically motivated. He has also maintained that political parties joined forces with the country’s powerful military to remove him from power.
PTI to file appeal
Video footage on social media shared by the PTI showed party supporters rioting in different cities of the country and setting vehicles and buildings on fire. Clips of PTI supporters vandalising the residence of Corp Commander in Lahore also went viral.
“After seeing what was happening, our leadership had a very serious conversation,” senior PTI official Asad Umar told Al Jazeera.
“We believe some of this violence was preplanned by forces which are working against the PTI. This was part of conspiracy to frame charges against the party and Khan.”
Speaking about the PTI’s course of action, Umar said its legal team will file an appeal in the country’s Supreme Court to challenge the decision by Islamabad High Court which declared Khan’s arrest lawful.
“Besides the appeal, Khan will have to be presented in accountability court where authorities will seek his physical remand, which we will resist with our legal team.”
One killed in protests
Meanwhile, at least one person was killed after protests broke out across the country following Khan’s arrest.
Police fired water cannon and tear gas as thousands of Khan’s supporters took to the streets in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and other cities.
Home Minister Meer Zia ullah Langau confirmed the death of a PTI supporter, adding that police officers were also injured in clashes with PTI supporters.
Reporting from Islamabad, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said “a precarious situation” is developing following Khan’s arrest.
“As the reports of Imran Khan’s arrest went across the country, protesters [took] to the streets and arrests are being made,” Hyder said. “There is considerable anger as far as Imran Khan’s supporters are concerned and the situation is escalating by the hour.”
Hyder added that officials anticipated the protests and have warned the public against participating in them.
“The inspector general of Islamabad police has said that anybody coming out to protest should be arrested.”
Supporters of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan in clashes with the police [KM Chaudary/AP Photo]
Benazir Shah, a Lahore-based political analyst, said the NAB has been used in the past by the military to crack down on politicians.
“The tradition seems to be continuing,” she told Al Jazeera. “Imran Khan’s arrest may have less to do with the corruption charge NAB is probing and more with the allegation Khan levelled against serving military officials earlier this week.”
Muhammad Faisal, a political observer in Islamabad, said that with Khan’s arrest, political instability in the country could become untenable.
“It appears that Pakistan’s multiple crises just got hit by political violence in the most populous province with two leading forces, the PTI and military establishment, locking horns in a violent way,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that “we may not see Khan returning to power” in the long run.
“Additionally, total internet shutdowns have been observed in some regions,” NetBlocks, the global internet monitor, said on Tuesday.
Malahat Obaid, an official spokesperson for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), told Al Jazeera that the regulatory body was instructed by the Ministry of Interior to suspend access to Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
“We have received a letter from the ministry asking us to issue orders of suspension,” she said.
At least one person was killed in protests on Tuesday [Fayaz Aziz/Reuters]
The case against Khan
The Al-Qadir Trust case against Khan was initiated last year by the current government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The corruption case pertains to the acquisition of land for Al-Qadir Trust, of which Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are trustees.
The land, which is worth billions of rupees or millions of dollars, was given by Malik Riaz, one of Pakistan’s largest business tycoons, for the launch of an educational institute.
In December 2019, Riaz agreed to hand over assets, including properties, worth $239m to the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.
Interior Minister Sanaullah told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday that UK authorities had returned 190 million pounds ($240m) to Pakistan in an investigation related to “dirty money”, which Khan then returned to the businessman instead of keeping it in the national exchequer.
The former prime minister has denied wrongdoing.
Additional reporting by Abid Hussain in Islamabad.
LAHORE, Islamabad (AP) — Pakistani police stormed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday and arrested 61 people amid tear gas and clashes between Khan’s supporters and police, officials said.
Senior police officer Suhail Sukhera, who led the operation in an upscale Lahore neighborhood, said police acted to remove a barricade erected by members of Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party and his defiant supporters. He said they blocked the lanes around Khan’s residence with concrete blocks, felled trees, tents and a parked truck.
Khan was not in the home, having traveled to Islamabad to appear before a judge to face charges he sold state gifts while in office and hid his assets. The judge postponed that hearing until March 30.
Sukhera said baton-wielding Khan supporters attempted to resist police by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails and a man on the roof of Khan’s residence opened fire. At least three police officers were injured.
Sukhera said police broke open the main door of Khan’s residence and found automatic weapons, Molotov cocktails, iron rods and batons used in attacks on police during the week. Sukhera said that inside the sprawling residence, illegal structures had been erected to shelter people involved in attacks on police that have injured dozens of officers.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said later that police would do a complete search of Khan’s home, where they found bunkers and suspected more illegal weapons and ammunition were hidden. He said in Islamabad, Khan and many of his supporters were armed.
Witnesses in Lahore said police attempted to disperse Khan’s supporters by firing tear gas and chased them to several homes in the Zaman Park neighborhood. Khan’s lawyer appeared in an Islamabad court on Saturday after a top court Friday suspended Khan’s arrest warrant, giving him a reprieve to travel to Islamabad and face charges in the graft case without being detained.
Khan had been holed up at his home in Lahore since Tuesday after failing to appear at an earlier hearing in the case. His supporters hurled rocks and clashed with baton-wielding police for two days to protect the former premier from arrest.
Khan’s motorcade arrived Saturday near the federal judicial complex in Islamabad, where his supporters also clashed with police who prevented them from entering the complex. The enraged Khan supporters threw rocks at police who responded by lobbing tear gas canisters to disperse them.
Khan’s attorney, Babar Awan, filed an application for Khan’s exemption from appearance in court amid special circumstances.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar condemned Khan for not turning himself over to police and not appearing in court Saturday despite arriving at the judicial complex gate. He accused Khan of using his protesting supporters to avoid indictment.
Khan’s supporter set two police vehicles and several motorcycles outside the judicial complex on fire while dispersing, according to the law minister.
Khan, during his road trip to Islamabad, said in a video message that police had broken into his residence in Lahore while his wife was alone at the home. He condemned the action and demanded that those responsible be punished.
Khan’s PTI party secretary-general, Asad Umar, in a letter to Pakistan’s chief justice noted that police waited until Khan was en route to Islamabad to storm his Lahore residence. He said the “doors and walls have been razed to the ground” and more than 40 people at the home were arrested.
Khan, now the opposition leader, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament last April. He is accused of selling state gifts while in office and concealing assets, charges he denies. It’s one in a string of cases that the former cricket star turned Islamist politician has been facing since his ouster.
The 70-year-old Khan, who has called for early elections in Parliament, has claimed that his removal from power was part of a conspiracy by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States. Both Washington and Sharif’s government have denied the allegation.
Associated Press writer Zarar Khan in Islamabad contributed.
Just days before his retirement, Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday warned that the army’s patience with the ongoing smear campaign against it may not be unlimited and asked all political leaders to set aside their ego, learn from past mistakes and move forward. He also dismissed claims that there was a foreign conspiracy to topple the previous government and asserted that the army would not have sat idle to let it happen if there was such a conspiracy.
Gen Bajwa, 61, is scheduled to retire on November 29 after a three-year extension. He has ruled out seeking another extension. Addressing the Defence and Martyrs’ Day ceremony in Rawalpindi to pay tribute to martyrs, Gen Bajwa also extended an olive branch to those targeting the army by saying that “I want to move forward by forgetting it”. He urged all stakeholders to move ahead by learning lessons from past mistakes.
The Defence and Martyrs’ Day is observed annually on September 6 but it was delayed this year due to the devastating floods that hit the country around that time.
“I can assure you that there was no foreign conspiracy; the army would not have sat idle to let it happen if there was such a conspiracy,” he said, adding that a “fake and false narrative was built to malign the army” and those behind the narrative were trying to escape from it.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan. The powerful general said that the “army would have reacted to the (harsh) criticism but it showed patience” against the unending smear campaign, and hastened to add that “there is a limit to patience”.
Gen Bajwa mentioned the repeated use of harsh words by Khan, though without naming him, after he was removed from the prime minister’s office in April. He also confessed that the army did commit mistakes but armies the world over are spared of scathing criticism despite lapses on their part. He alleged that the Indian Army has committed human rights violations but it has never been criticised by the people. Bajwa said that the Pakistan Army despite its tremendous sacrifices has been subjected to frequent criticism, which was due to its interference in politics. “I think the reason for that is the army’s involvement in politics. That is why in February last year, the army decided not to interfere in politics,” he said.
“I assure you we are strictly adamant on this and will remain so.” But he said that instead of taking the army’s decision as a positive development, the institution was targeted and maligned. “Many sectors subjected the army to criticism and used inappropriate language,” he said. “To criticise the army is the right of [political] parties and the people, but the language should be careful.” He said the army had initiated its process of “catharsis” and expected that political parties would follow suit as well and reflect on their behaviour.
“This is the reality that there have been mistakes from every institution, including political parties and civil society,” he noted. Gen Bajwa also said the country was facing “serious economic” problems and no single party could take the country out of the financial crisis. “Political stability is mandatory and the time has come for all political stakeholders to set aside their ego, learn from past mistakes, move forward and take Pakistan out of this crisis,” he urged.
He also stressed the need for the nation to shed intolerance and adopt a “true democratic culture” and urged politicians that the next government should not be called as “selected or imported”. Gen Bajwa also spoke about the East Pakistan debacle and complained that the sacrifices of the troops had never been properly acknowledged. He rejected the commonly held notion that 92,000 soldiers surrendered in the 1971 war and claimed that there were just 34,000 combatants, while the others were part of different government departments.
Gen Bajwa also confirmed that he was retiring in a few days and it was his last address to the ceremony. “Today, I am addressing the Defence and Martyrs Day as the army chief for the last time…I am retiring soon,” he said. Bajwa was appointed as the army chief in 2016 and his three-year term was extended in 2019.
Pakistan vs England T20 World Cup 2022: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Sunday gave a piece of advice to the Pakistan cricket team ahead of its clash against England in the T20 World Cup Final at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium, Australia. Ahead of the match, the former Prime Minister today told the Men in Green to enjoy the day as one rarely gets to play in a World Cup final and don’t get overawed by it.
Khan, who created history in 1992 by leading his team to win the coveted trophy in ODI, also told the players that they will win if they are willing to take risks and can cash in on mistakes by opponents.
“My msg to Pak cricket team today is the same I gave our team in the 1992 World Cup Final. First: enjoy the day as one rarely gets to play in a World Cup final & don’t get overawed by it. Second: you will win if you are willing to take risks & can cash in on mistakes by opponents; That means playing with an attacking mindset. Good luck; the whole nation is praying for your success,” Khan wrote on Twitter.
My msg to Pak cricket team today is the same I gave our team in the 1992 World Cup Final. First: enjoy the day as one rarely gets to play in a World Cup final & don’t get overawed by it. Second: you will win if you are willing to take risks & can cash in on mistakes by opponents;
Imran khan led the Pakistan team that won the ODI World Cup in 1992. And that had happened at the same venue – Melbourne Cricket Ground – and against the same team, England. Then, Pakistan had scored 249 for 6 in 50 overs and bundled out England at 227 in 49.2 overs. Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram was the man of the match.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also tweeted backing the team and telling the players to “believe in yourself & play your best game”. “You have beaten all odds to reach the World Cup Final. I know you have the passion, motivation and determination to win. Believe in yourself & play your best game. The entire nation stands behind you. Good luck,” he said.
Team Pakistan 🇵🇰
You have beaten all odds to reach the World Cup Final. I know you have the passion, motivation and determination to win. Believe in yourself & play your best game. The entire nation stands behind you.
Pakistan and England are going with the same team that played in the semifinals.
England: Jos Buttler (c & wk), Alex Hales, Philip Salt/Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan/Mark Wood, Adil Rashid
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
