Political stability impossible without accepting Imran Khan

[Anthea]

[color=#008040]PTI-backed independents lead[/color]

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, independent candidates won 102 seats. The majority of the independents are affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the CNN reported

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PMLN), headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, came in second with 73 seats, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 54 seats.

None of the three major parties of the country will win the necessary 169 seats to have a majority in parliament and, therefore, will be unable to form government on their own, leaving it unclear who will be picked as the country’s next prime minister.

The results were announced more than three days after the polls closed in Thursday’s highly contentious election which was marred by violence and subject to allegations of poll rigging.

The PTI party has called on party workers and supporters to hold protests on Sunday outside polling offices in constituencies where party members say election results were “withheld and delayed.”

The capital Islamabad has imposed Section 144, allowing police to take legal action against any illegal assemblies and activities.

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/211905/PTI ... -elections

[Anthea]

Pakistan election process

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

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.

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.

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.

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

[Anthea]

Pakistan police vows crackdown

Pakistani police have issued a warning of cracking down on what they called "illegal gatherings" after imprisoned former PM Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party urged supporters to take to the streets peacefully following last week's elections

Independent candidates garnered the most seats in the polls, cutting off the chances of the army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to win a majority, with PTI leaders claiming that they could have taken more seats if it wasn't for rigging in the votes.

Suspicions arose when a nationwide election-day mobile blackout and the slow counting of results made it seem as if a military establishment was influencing the process to garner success for the PML-N, which is former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party.

During a press conference, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said, "Throughout Pakistan elections were manipulated in a subtle way," as he urged supporters to "protest peacefully" on Sunday. However, police warned that the so-called Section 144 orders were in effect, which is a colonial-era law prohibiting gatherings of two or more people.

Islamabad's police force announced, "Some individuals are inciting illegal gatherings around the Election Commission and other government offices," adding, "Legal action will be taken against unlawful assemblies. It should be noted that soliciting for gatherings is also a crime."

US interference

Zahid Hussain, a political analyst and author, explained that the results have clearly indicated that "no single party possesses a simple majority to establish a government," noting, "The political future of the country from this point onward is highly uncertain."

General Syed Asim Munir said in a statement released Saturday, "The nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarisation which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people."

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

On the Western side, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters that Washington was concerned about "steps that were taken to restrict freedom of expression, specifically around internet and cellphone use," adding that the US condemns election-related violence in both run-up polls and election day.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... i-protests

[Anthea]

All Eyes on Imran

Pakistani President offers immunity to Imran Khan amid rift with army. Imran Khan refuses, opts for judicial process

In the wake of the upheaval that followed the February 8 elections in Pakistan, President Arif Alvi has extended an “immunity offer” to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a bid to shield him from dozens of charges filed against him. His refusal to accept this offer has heightened political tensions and could exacerbate the discord between his party and the powerful army, sources told CNN-News18.

The PTI-elected president intends to use Article 45 of Pakistan’s constitution, which allows for the pardoning of individuals facing legal ramifications. Alvi wants to alleviate the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician from what he termed as “bogus charges.” Yet, Imran Khan remains adamant in his decision to pursue legal recourse, despite knowing the judiciary’s perceived biases

Meanwhile, Pakistan is now gearing up to elect a new president. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to hold an election for the office of the country’s president by March 9, two days before the retirement of half of the senators after completing their six-year term. Since the general elections were held on February 8, the presidential election is required to be conducted by March 9, just two days before the retirement of half of the 100-member Senate.

Pakistan media reports said the Senate elections were also due in the first week of March, but because of the delay in the general elections of the National and provincial assemblies, the Senate elections will now be held either in the last week of March or the first week of April. This report about the “immunity offer” comes amid a reported surge in threats against Khan and his family, including his third wife, Bushra Bibi.

A recent CNN-News18 expose unveiled alarming details, suggesting a concerted effort to eliminate Khan and his loved ones. It was reported that Khan’s spouse narrowly escaped a potential threat. Further complicating matters, Khan reportedly declined overtures from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for a negotiated settlement. The purported terms of the offer included retirement from politics or selection of alternative Prime Minister candidates, all of which Khan rebuffed adamantly.

https://www.news18.com/world/exclusive- ... 92419.html

[Anthea]

Opposition from Imran Khan’s PTI

Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to form a coalition with Shehbaz Sharif selected as candidate for PM

Two of Pakistan’s leading political parties have reached a formal agreement to form a coalition government, they say, days after inconclusive national elections did not return a clear majority.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) now have the “required numbers” to form a government, PMLN President and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday.

Sitting beside Sharif at a news conference in Islamabad, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former foreign minister and chairperson of the PPP, confirmed that Sharif would be their coalition’s candidate for prime minister.

He added that his father, Asif Ali Zardari, would be the alliance’s candidate for president.

Sharif, who is the younger brother of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, said the PMLN-PPP coalition also had the support of other smaller parties.

The announcement comes after 10 days of intense negotiations following the February 8 elections, which resulted in a hung National Assembly when no party secured the 134 seats needed for a simple majority and to form government on its own.

Independent candidates aligned with another leading political party – jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – won the most seats at 93 but did not have the numbers or a political party or coalition that would enable them to govern.

PTI-aligned candidates were forced to run as independents in the face of state restrictions against the party.

The PMLN is the largest party with 79 seats, and the PPP is second with 54. They along with four other smaller parties have a comfortable majority in the legislature of 264 seats.

In response to the announcement by the two parties, the PTI, which had also been trying to form coalitions with smaller parties, branded their rivals “mandate thieves” in a post on the social media platform X.

The PTI has alleged there was widespread vote rigging in the elections, a claim that was seemingly backed up when a senior bureaucrat on Saturday admitted to his involvement in changing election results.

The PTI faced a severe crackdown from government agencies and security forces in the weeks before the elections

In January, the party was even denied the use of its election symbol, the cricket bat, which resulted in its candidates running as independents instead of as members of the party itself.

Meanwhile, the social media platform X has been disrupted across Pakistan since Saturday when the vote manipulation admission was made public and people went out into the streets to protest.

“X has been inaccessible in Pakistan [since Saturday] because it is used by the public to protest,” Usama Khilji, a digital rights activist told the Agence France-Presse news agency. However, Pakistan’s government has not acknowledged the outage.

The delay in forming a government in Pakistan – a nuclear-armed nation of 241 million people – has caused concern as the country grapples with an economic crisis amid slow growth and record inflation and rising violence by armed groups. It needs a stable administration with the authority to take tough decisions.

Bhutto Zardari said on Tuesday that the PPP and PMLN would push to form a government as soon as possible.

According to the country’s constitution, a session of parliament has to be called by February 29, after which a vote for a new prime minister will take place.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/2 ... -khans-pti

[Anthea]

Imran Khan to be released

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sardar Latif Khosa has asserted that PTI founder Imran Khan will walk free from jail in current month. The former prime minister’s sentence in the Toshakhana case has been suspended by the court while the cipher case will not stand even a week, he said during his appearance on a private TV channel

Downplaying former prime minister Imran Khan’s conviction in the cipher case, Khosa said that the documents were not presented before the court in the case while the PTI founder’s presence was not proved in any case related to the May 9 riots. The PTI leader reiterated that the PTI founder will neither cut a deal for his release nor will he leave the country.

According to Latif Khosa, Khan wanted all institutions to act as per the Constitution of Pakistan and was against the politics of revenge. On political dialogue, the PTI leader said that the dialogue with the PTI founder will be possible after returning the party’s mandate it secured in the February 8 election.—INP

https://pakobserver.net/pti-founder-to- ... ent-month/

[Anthea]

More seats to Imran Khan's party

Islamabad: Pakistan’s top court on Friday found that the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan was improperly denied at least 20 seats in parliament, in a significant blow to the country’s fragile governing coalition

The ruling by the Supreme Court was hailed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which was previously excluded from a system that gives parties extra seats reserved for women and minorities in the National Assembly or lower house of the parliament.

Though the verdict is a major political win for Khan, it will not put his party in a position to oust the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who came into power following a Feb. 8 election that Khan allies say was rigged.

PTI's chairman Gohar Khan hailed the court's ruling, saying they got justice from the judiciary. "This is a day of joy,” he said, urging his supporters to peacefully celebrate their victory in the lingering legal battle.

Azam Nazeer Tarar, the law minister in Sharif’s Cabinet, told reporters that the verdict does not threaten their coalition government, which enjoys the required support of lawmakers in the parliament.

Pakistan's constitution reserves 60 seats for women and 10 for minorities, doling them out to political parties in proportion to the number of seats they win in elections.

Pakistan's Election Commission blocked the PTI from participating as a party, saying it had not properly chosen its candidates through internal elections and forcing its candidates to run as independents.

The Supreme Court overruled that decision, saying that a political party could not be deprived of its reserved seats.

Sharif was elected premier by the National Assembly in March, with 201 votes in a 336-member house. The PTI is expected to get at least 20 more seats after the ruling, adding to the 86 it currently holds.

Khan is currently in prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi after convictions in multiple cases.

https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/1 ... hans-party

[Anthea]

Imran Khan re-arrested

On Saturday, a Pakistani court nullified the convictions and seven-year prison sentences of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, suggesting that he might be released after almost a year in prison

This decision led to Khan's supporters gathering near the Rawalpindi prison where he was held, expecting his imminent release.

However, despite the court's ruling, he was swiftly re-arrested due to his alleged involvement in riots from the previous year. Additionally, his political party indicated that his wife, Bushra Bibi, might also face re-arrest related to an ongoing corruption investigation.

Since being ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence in 2022, the former Prime Minister has faced numerous legal challenges.

Authorities have registered over 150 cases against him, including charges of inciting violence, and his troubles only intensified after his arrest in May 2023.

Earlier this month, the United Nations human rights working group called for his immediate release, declaring that his detention was “arbitrarily in violation of international laws.”

The latest development in Khan's legal battles was his acquittal on Saturday. This particular case involved the legality of his marriage to his third wife, Bushra Bibi.

According to Islamic law, which Pakistan upholds, a woman must wait three months after a divorce before remarrying.

Bushra Bibi's ex-husband claimed they divorced in November 2017, which was less than three months before her marriage to Khan in early 2018. The court's acquittal indicates that this issue has now been resolved in Khan's favor.

Re-arrest

After Khan's arrest in May last year, his supporters launched intense protests, targeting military and government buildings throughout Pakistan.

The mass riots continued until the Supreme Court ordered Khan's release, which temporarily calmed the situation.

However, in August, Khan faced legal troubles again. A court sentenced him to three years in prison on corruption charges, leading to his re-arrest.

In the past few months, Khan has been acquitted of several charges related to violent incidents that occurred last year. Despite these acquittals, his bail was recently revoked in a specific case pending in Lahore, leading to renewed legal challenges.

Khan’s political party, Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced plans to appeal to higher courts to reinstate his bail.

'Robbed of our fight'

Pakistan's Supreme Court declared on Friday that Khan's party was eligible for at least 20 more seats in parliament, reserved for minorities according to the country's system, increasing pressure on the country's fragile coalition government.

PTI chairman Gohar Khan stated that "we were robbed of our right," adding that the party that some wished to see eliminated was brought back to life.

According to Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, head of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency think tank, the sentence essentially denies the ruling coalition its desired two-thirds majority.

"It will boost the morale of PTI workers and they may be in a better position to launch a movement if the party so decides," according to him

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ied-7-year

[Anthea]

Imran Khan's wife fears for his life

Jailed former Pak PM Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi fears for his life; alleges inhumane conditions in jail

Bushra Bibi, the wife of incarcerated former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, on Saturday expressed grave concerns about her husband’s safety in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, alleging that he was kept in inhumane conditions and given contaminated food.

Speaking informally to journalists at the prison, Bushra revealed fears for her own life as well, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

According to Bushra, Khan’s life is in danger keeping in view the past incidents where he was allegedly poisoned and shot at.

She added that their legal request to investigate the poisoning has not been addressed by the court yet.

Describing conditions in the jail, Bushra, 49, alleged that 71-year-old Khan was kept in unsanitary conditions and given contaminated food to eat.

She said that during their meeting in Attock Jail, Khan appeared emaciated and had to pick insects from his hair throughout the night

Bushra also criticised the treatment of political prisoners compared to convicted criminals, alleging that other prisoners received VIP treatment while Khan struggled without even basic amenities.

Khan, who is incarcerated in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since his arrest in a corruption case in August last year, faces over 200 cases and has been convicted in a few of them.

Responding to a journalist's question about Bushra's claims of toilet cleaner being added to her food and her accusations against the authorities, she asserted the claims were true despite lacking physical evidence.

Khan intervened briefly, cautioning his wife about the limitations of the media, which led to a brief protest from the attending journalists.

Khan attempted to stop Bushra from speaking and said: "Censored media won’t broadcast your words."

This remark prompted the journalists to protest, asserting that all his statements were aired.

The session ended with Bushra emphasising her and Khan's willingness to swear an oath that the charges against them were fabricated.

Despite Khan's concerns, Bushra insisted on sharing her story with the media. Bushra, who is also in jail, was initially arrested in the un-Islamic marriage case.

In Islam, a woman can’t remarry before completing four months after divorce or the death of her husband.

She, however, remains imprisoned in the Toshakhana corruption case even as a Pakistani court on Saturday acquitted Khan and Bushra in the un-Islamic marriage case.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-ne ... 38059.html

[Anthea]

Imran Khan to run for
Oxford University Chancellor post

The Chancellor's post became vacant after 80-year-old Lord Patten resigned following 21 years of service

Khan, an Oxford alumnus, will run for the post despite being in Adiala Jail in connection to several cases of corruption and incitement of violence after elections last year.

Former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson are Imran Khan's opponents in the race to become Oxford University's Chancellor.

Khan was a student of Economics and Politics at Keble College, Oxford in 1972. He was also the captain of the university's cricket team. He debuted for Pakistan's Test cricket team in 1971 and served as the chancellor of Bradford University from 2005 to 2014.

There is public demand for Imran Khan's candidature

"We will announce it publicly once we get a go-ahead from Khan and start the signature campaign for it. He's the most suited person right now for this post and we hope he will win the contest. We await approval from Khan and the campaign will begin," Geo News reported, quoting Imran Khan's international advisor.

The Chancellor of the Oxford University is a ceremonial head who presides over important events. The university invited online applications.

The Chancellor is elected by Convocation, a body made up of all former students of the University who have been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree), members of Congregation, and retired staff who were members of Congregation at retirement, the Oxford University website stated.

https://www.livemint.com/news/former-pa ... 07019.html

[Anthea]

Political stability impossible without

accepting Imran Khan

Criticising the incumbent government's alleged tactics to suppress the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday that the country might not achieve political stability without the recognition of the party's founder Imran Khan’s role

"Imran Khan is a political reality," said Qureshi during an informal interaction with journalists in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail, adding: "Without accepting this reality, our country cannot achieve political stability."

Criticising a plethora of cases filed against him after May 9, 2023, riots, the politico said that dozens of cases had been lodged against him within just one year. He added that he had been in politics for 40 years but not a single case was registered against him in the last 39 years

The former ruling party has been facing crackdown for its alleged involvement in the May 9 riots that saw military installations including Rawalpindi's General Headquarters (GHQ) and Lahore Corps Commander's House being vandalised by mobs.

He said that slain Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti was "not anti-Pakistan" and became a victim of "cruelty".

The former foreign minister claimed that the trend of labelling everyone "traitor" for the last 75 years should be stopped.

He urged stakeholders to resolve Balochistan issues via dialogue.

Responding to criticism against the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman's nomination as the opposition's mediator, Qureshi said that Mahmood Khan Achakzai "is a democrat and an individual having democratic and constitutional ideology cannot be labelled 'traitor'".

Khan, who has been behind bars for more than a year, had recently said that he was open to talks with military but only within the ambit provisioned by the Constitution and also promised to apologise if PTI workers were found responsible for the May 9 riots.

"Am I insane to ask our people to attack the army," said the cricketer-turned-politician, adding that the PTI workers were not involved in the May 9 riots and they were wrongfully declared "terrorists" for staging peaceful protests.

In his conversation with the media in Lahore today, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan said that the incarcerated former premier would move court seeking CCTV footage of the May 9 protests.

The PTI's top leader said no deal had been struck with anyone. He added that Khan had stressed that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were trying to create rifts between the nation and the army.

Moving further, he claimed this was the year of a fresh election, and that's why the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should be independent.

Ayub's recent claim echoed his party founder's statement, who said that the incumbent government led by the PML-N is only left with two months in power.

The PTI founder had categorically rejected the acceptance of an interim setup under the supervision of the incumbent government and any electoral event organised by the present CEC.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/558526-politi ... e-chairman

[Anthea]

Gen Faiz did not mastermind attacks

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Chairman Imran Khan said on Saturday it was wrong to say that the former spymaster General (retd) Faiz Hameed was the mastermind of attacks on government and military installations on May 9

Speaking to reporters at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, he said that PTI did not hatch conspiracies, in fact, it was the victim of these conspiracies.

Elaborating further, he said the first conspiracy hatched against the party was that the former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa removed General Faiz from his post at the insistence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The second, he went on to say, was that General Bajwa hired Hussain Haqqani to lobby against the PTI government in the USA for $35,000. “And that led to the cipher from US official Donald Lu which resulted in the ouster of our government in April 2022,” he said, adding, “The third intrigue was that we had requested the then chief justice of Pakistan for an inquiry into the cipher. But unfortunately, we were implicated in that case instead.”

“The May 9 violence was choreographed to cause damage to the PTI. The case, however, can be solved within an hour,” Imran said.

The fourth conspiracy, Imran said, was when the mandate the people had given to the PTI in the February 8 general elections was stolen from it.

“At the moment there is only one-way traffic in the country,” the former prime minister said, adding all this had been done to give an extension to Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

“Now the same CJP has deprived the PTI of three seats in assemblies.”

“I want to tell the establishment that it, in order to crush the PTI, is bent upon destroying the country. The truth of the matter is that it is the country, not the PTI, which you are destroying.”

https://pakobserver.net/imran-gen-faiz- ... 9-attacks/

[Anthea]

Imran Khan's sister Aleema enters politics

Aleema Khan criticises current leadership of PTI for 'not having the courage to face the party's supporters.'

Aleema Khan the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairperson Imran Khan has stepped into active politics, party sources confirmed on Saturday.

Aleema Khan made an unannounced visit to Peshawar and Mardan, where she met with imprisoned and disgruntled PTI workers.

The workers expressed their grievances, particularly against party leaders including K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur and others.

During her meetings, Aleema pledged to launch a campaign for the release of the PTI founder, working alongside party workers

Last week, Aleema Khan accused the current party leadership of having no intention of freeing him from jail.

Her comments came in response to the postponement of today's PTI rally in Tarnol, Islamabad.

Aleema Khan questioned why Azam Swati, a PTI leader, visited Imran Khan early in the morning and who instructed him to deliver the message about the rally postponement.

She expressed skepticism about the feasibility of such a meeting at 7:30 AM at Adiala Jail and alleged that the decision to cancel the rally was made under pressure from the establishment.

She criticised the current PTI leadership for not having the courage to face the party's supporters and for making decisions without consulting the founder.

Aleema Khan claimed that the leadership has no real intention of securing Imran Khan's release and is instead using his name while making decisions independently.

It is worth noting that has PTI formed a committee to resolve internal conflicts within the party, with former President Arif Alvi appointed as its head, as per sources on Sunday

According to sources, Arif Alvi will lead the committee and is expected to present recommendations within a week to address the ongoing disputes.

He will meet with dissenting leaders to hear their concerns and work towards reconciliation.

The party has been facing increasing tensions at both the central and provincial levels.

PTI recently revoked the basic membership of former Senior Vice President and National Assembly member Sher Afzal Marwat.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2491117/im ... rs-release

[Anthea]

Imran Khan moves acquittal plea

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday moved a petition to the court seeking acquittal in the £190 million case

This move came in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws.

During the court session, Imran Khan’s legal team filed for acquittal, arguing that the NAB amendments have rendered the case invalid. They contended that the amendments, which offer protection to all cabinet decisions, should affect the ongoing case. Khan’s lawyer also questioned whether the accountability court still holds jurisdiction over this matter under the new legal framework.

In response, the NAB prosecutor acknowledged that if the court retains jurisdiction, the acquittal petition could be considered. However, Khan’s attorney argued that the court’s jurisdiction is not being contested, and it is ultimately up to the court to decide on this issue.

The Accountability Court has postponed the hearing of Khan’s acquittal petition until September 10.

The Supreme Court recently dismissed Khan’s appeal to invalidate the NAB amendments and upheld the intra-court appeals from the federal and provincial governments, thereby reinstating the amendments. The detailed ruling indicated that Khan had failed to convince the court to annul the NAB amendments.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali stated that the ruling benefitted Khan in two ways: it prevents any further Toshakhana cases from proceeding and removes the £190 million case from the accountability court’s jurisdiction.

https://pakobserver.net/imran-khan-move ... mendments/

[Anthea]

Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital

Our founder has dedicated his life to improving the welfare of ordinary Pakistanis. He is unable to make an appeal for Shaukat Khanum Hospitals this year, but in his absence, we hope you will continue supporting our new hospital development in Karachi and show that we still stand together in the fight against cancer

Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, discusses the challenges of taking care of cancer patients in developing countries.

Then and now…

Our first hospital was established in Lahore in 1994 by Imran Khan. It made history in Pakistan: a comprehensive care facility dedicated to the diagnosis and the highest standards of treatment for cancer, on par with the quality found in advanced economies.

Since then, and with your trust and support, our service has grown to provide access, dignity, and respect for more patients including patients in harder-to-reach areas. We now have a second hospital in Peshawar, and Diagnostic Centres, Laboratory Collection Centres, and Outreach Screening Clinics nationwide.

At the heart of our operation is the basic idea that poverty shouldn’t be a barrier to cancer care. This is why 75% of our patients are treated for free every year. But free treatment shouldn’t mean poor service or equipment.

In the past year in Lahore, we replaced an old radiation therapy machine with a new multi-million-pound linear accelerator and opened a new 12-bed admission holding bay to improve patient flow. In September, as a step towards continuous quality improvement, the hospital received certification by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program, which is associated with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

In 2024, in Peshawar, we have plans to expand our surgical oncology services for breast cancer, and we intend to open two new operating rooms. With the help of an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) system, we also plan to expand our diagnostic capabilities in pulmonology.

In May 2023, we opened a state-of-the-art Walk-in Clinic at our new Karachi hospital, with the aim of improving cancer screening and triaging for patients in Sindh and Southern Balochistan. We remain grateful for your ongoing support in helping us reach new construction milestones this year.

Shaukat Khanum Hospitals were the first hospitals in Pakistan to procure a PET CT scan in 2007. This imaging technique provides important information about the activity of cancer cells. Cancer patients in Pakistan had to go abroad to undergo this test in the past.

Our second hospital was inaugurated in Peshawar in December 2015. Like our hospital in Lahore, it houses all the specialised diagnostic and therapeutic facilities to treat cancer under a single roof.

In 2018, 2021 and 2022, we were awarded the Joint Commission International (JCI) gold standard for compliance with its internationally recognised healthcare standards. Today, we are the second organisation in the world to achieve the system-wide JCI’s Enterprise Accreditation – and the first in Pakistan!

The Zakat you give allows 75% of our patients to benefit from free cancer care throughout the year.

Read our Zakat Guide to discover who is eligible for Zakat, how a patient qualifies for Zakat, and about Zakat transparency at Imran Khan Cancer Appeal. Use our Zakat Calculator to work out your Zakat for this year. Pay the total amount of Zakat you owe today or start paying it in instalments by sponsoring the full or partial treatment of a cancer patient at one of our hospitals.

The Zakat you give is used exclusively to provide direct patient care but there are many other ways you can support our work.

You can give Sadaqah towards the running of our hospitals and ancillary health services, including our Hospital Schooling Programme for child cancer patients, hospital staff wages, and purchasing and replacing medical equipment. You can even feed a patient by donating Sadaqah for every Iftar you have this month.

Dr Sadia Abdullah is a Consultant Radiation Oncologist who relocated from the UK to work at our hospital in Lahore. Learn why working here gives her a unique feeling of giving back to the community in a way that doesn’t happen when working overseas.

Dr Haroon Hafeez is a Consultant Physician at Shaukat Khanum Hospitals and the visionary behind our ground-breaking Hospital Schooling Programme. Learn why his programme gives our young patients hope that they will get better and one day return to their own schools.

https://www.ikca.org.uk/about-ikca/shau ... -hospital/

Imran Khan was and is the most loved, admired and highly respected person in Pakistan. His only mistake was refusing to turn against Russia. Since then US corruption has bribed and bullied officials to turn against him and invent false charges against him