Prime Minister Imran Khan Archives - Lokmarg

EU Questions Credibility Of Pak’s Elections

By LokMarg 9th February 2024

Amid reports of rigging in Pakistan general elections conducted on February 8, the European Union has “regretted” the lack of a “level playing field” for leaders of all political parties referring to restrictions on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI).

As official results from Pakistan general elections showed independents backed by Imran Khan taking the lead howver, three-time former leader Nawaz Sharif has claimed his party emerging as leading the mandate.

The country’s National Assembly has a total of 266 elected members. A party or a coalition needs 134 seats to win.

In a statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the general elections, the EU took note of the completion of the polling in the general elections, which took place on February 8 in Pakistan, following several months of postponement and uncertainty and in the context of a tense security environment.

“We regret the lack of a level playing field due to the inability of some political actors to contest the elections, restrictions to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression both online and offline, restrictions of access to the internet, as well as allegations of severe interference in the electoral process, including arrests of political activists,” the statement added.

Independent candidates, mostly backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), are leading with 52 seats, according to the provisional results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) so far, Dawn reported.

The ECP has released the provisional results for 120 out of 266 seats of the National Assembly.

While PTI-backed independent candidates are leading on 52 seats, PML-N is a close second with 40 seats, followed by the PPP with 19 seats.

The unofficial results by Geo News for 204 seats have shown the independent candidates leading with 87 seats. They are being followed by PML-N at 60 seats and PPP at 45 seats.

“We therefore call upon the relevant authorities to ensure a timely and full investigation of all reported election irregularities and to implement the recommendations of the upcoming EU Election Expert Mission report,” the EU also said.

According to the EU statement, the authorities were faced with the “challenging task of countering serious terrorist threats and attacks”.

The EU also condemned all acts of violence, which took place in the lead-up to the elections and called on all parties and actors to use peaceful and democratic mechanisms to settle differences, refraining from further violence.

“The EU attaches paramount importance to political pluralism, democratic values, independent media, vibrant civil society, judicial independence and international human rights standards, which are key for democratic elections. We call on all political actors in Pakistan to engage in a peaceful and inclusive dialogue aiming at the formation of a stable government and to respect human rights in line with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as well as with international treaties to which Pakistan is party,” the statement also noted.

Notably, former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, currently incarcerated, was disqualified from contesting the elections due to criminal convictions. The electoral symbol of the PTI was also taken away by the ECP in a ruling later backed by the Pakistan apex court. As a result, the PTI leaders and supporters contested as independent candidates, Dawn reported.

The participation by the Pakistani people to exercise their right to vote, despite systemic barriers still faced by women and persons belonging to minorities, demonstrates their commitment to democracy and the rule of law. The EU welcomes the increased number of women registered to vote compared to the last elections, it also said.

EU also urged Pakistan to “continue reforms in the areas of human rights, good governance, as well as labour rights and environmental standards, to address the shortcomings outlined in the GSP+ report of November 2023, and to continue the necessary economic reforms”. (ANI)

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Pakistan: Imran Casts Vote Through Postal Ballot

By LokMarg 8th February 2024

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political leaders who are currently incarcerated have cast their votes through a postal ballot from Adiala Jail, Pakistan-based Dawn reported, citing sources.

People in Pakistan began voting on Thursday, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and other leaders of the party, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, currently in prison.

Other leaders who have managed to vote through mail include Pakistan’s former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was unable to vote as she was convicted and arrested after the completion of the postal voting process. Fewer than 100 prisoners of Adiala Jail were able to vote, which implies that about one per cent of the jail’s 7000 inmates, according to Dawn report.

The Jail administration allowed only those inmates to vote who had valid computerised national identity cards (CNICs), Dawn reported, citing sources. The reason behind the low turnout was that an overwhelming majority of the prisoners did not have the original CNIC.

Speaking to Dawn, a senior official said, “There are criminals, dacoits, thieves, convicts in the heinous crimes and under-trial prisoners (UTPs) detained in the jail.”

He said majority of criminals did not carry the CNIC to avoid their identity while the identity of the Under Trial Prisoners (UTP) were generally withheld by the police stations.

According to the official, the Adiala Jail administration received postal ballots from the Election Commission of Pakistan in mid-January and the ballots were given to the inmates. The last date for submission was January 22. However, the jail superintendent, Asad Javed Warraich, extended the time after which the votes were given to the district returning officers (DROs) of respective constituencies in sealed envelopes.

According to a senior official, since some inmates were from far-flung regions, the exercise was carried out at least a fortnight before the polls to ensure the delivery to the DROs before the final counting.

Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi also wanted to vote through a postal ballot, Dawn reported citing Jail sources. However, the authorities could not accept her request as the process had been completed by the time she was detained, Dawn reported.

Bushra Bibi’s spokesperson Mashal Yousafzai said that Imran Khan’s wife had been denied casting the vote through a postal ballot.

Meanwhile the PTI party requested people to remember the party’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. In a message, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said Imran Khan had dedicated everything, including his life, to that cause.

“As citizens of the country, we have a debt to pay. We must use our vote to change the face of Pakistan by dismantling a rotten system that has cast a vicious stranglehold on the country and its people,” he said in a post on X.

Considered one of the most popular leaders in the country, Imran Khan is incarcerated in Adiala jail on multiple charges. The cricketer-turned-politician has been disqualified from contesting the polls and has been sentenced to 10 years in the cypher case, 14 years in the Toshakhana case, and seven years in the ‘un-Islamic’ marriage case.

PTI has said that the “illegitimate and fascist” regime has blocked cell phone services across Pakistan on February 8. PTI urged the people to counter the caretaker government’s “cowardly act” by removing passwords from personal WIFI accounts.

In a post on X, PTI stated, “Pakistanis, the illegitimate, fascist regime has blocked cell phone services across Pakistan on polling day. You are all requested to counter this cowardly act by removing passwords from your personal WiFi accounts, so anyone in the vicinity can have access to internet on this extremely important day. We are all in this together & we will win together!”

Pakistan’s caretaker Interior Ministry on Thursday announced the temporary suspension of mobile services across Pakistan, Dawn reported. Citing the “deteriorating security situation,” the ministry emphasized the need to safeguard against potential security threats.

Imran Khan’s party PTI has also shared visuals of people coming out to vote in the elections. Sharing a picture of people who are standing in queue outside polling station, the PTI in a post on X stated, “In Karachi too, people came out of their homes to vote.”

In another post on X, PTI stated, “Lahore is out in massive numbers at various polling stations, waiting in long queues even before polling started!”

PTI has rejected reports about party boycotting elections. On February 7, PTI said that the “illegitimate regime” has used “every ounce of fascism, propaganda & unprecedented pre poll rigging” against PTI led by “illegally incarcenated Imran Khan.”

In a post on X, PTI stated, “Let the world know that this is the level to which the illegitimate, fascist regime has stooped to! Petrified of the massive turnout tomorrow for General Elections, the controlled media is being used to run a fake news about PTI boycotting elections, along with running a fake audio!”

The party added, “The illegitimate regime has used every ounce of fascism, propaganda & unprecedented pre poll rigging against Pakistan’s largest, most popular & only federal party PTI, led by illegally incarcerated Imran Khan. Yet, the resolve of the nation proved stronger than the oppression! The will of the people will reign supreme!” (ANI)

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Pak SC Grants Imran, Shah Qureshi Bail In Cypher Case

By LokMarg 22nd December 2023

The Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cypher case, Dawn reported.

The court directed the PTI leaders to submit surety bonds of Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 1 million each.

The three-member bench, headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and including Justices Athar Minallah and Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, issued the order based on a set of PTI petitions.

The cypher case involves a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency alleges was never returned by Imran, with the PTI asserting the document contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran as prime minister.

The Special Court (Official Secrets Act) restarted the cypher trial at Adiala district jail last week after Imran and Qureshi were indicted for the second time on December 13, as reported by Dawn.

The trial had faced setbacks when the Islamabad High Court scrapped proceedings due to an “erroneous” government notification for a jail trial. The IHC endorsed Imran’s indictment, disposing of his plea, but instructed the special court judge to ensure a “fair trial.”

However, Imran Khan will not be released from jail as he has multiple arrest warrants issued against him in several other cases.

Earlier in August, former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of Rs 100,000 by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, after the judge found him guilty of graft in the Toshakhana case.

Khan has been convicted of misusing his position as prime minister to sell state gifts worth more than Rs 140 million (USD 490,000) that he received from foreign dignitaries during visits abroad, reported Geo News.

Last month, the PTI sought Imran’s post-arrest bail in the Supreme Court, arguing that bail should not be used as a form of punishment. The SC had previously issued notices to the FIA and the federation, directing them to submit responses to the plea, Dawn reported.

The cypher case, initiated with the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act, involves serious allegations against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The FIR, lodged based on the complaint of the Home Secretary, also implicates former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar.According to the FIR, action is anticipated against Azam Khan and Asad Umar, as authorities have concluded their involvement in the misuse of classified documents. The report alleges that a conspiracy was orchestrated by Khan and Qureshi to exploit the contents of the diplomatic cypher for malicious purposes, endangering state interests.

The report claimed that former prime minister asked Azam Khan – the then principal secretary – to “manipulate the contents of cypher”. “The former premier deliberately kept the copy of diplomatic cypher, which was sent to the PM office”, it added, ARY News reported. (ANI)

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Imran Arrested, Gets 3-Years Jail In Toshakhana Case; Disqualified For 5 Years

By LokMarg 5th August 2023

A Pakistan district and sessions court on Saturday sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan for three years in prison in the Toshakhana case i.e. for illegally selling state gifts and he has been disqualified him from politics for a period of five years, local media reported.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on the PTI chief, Geo News reported.

Khan was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case today, Geo News reported.

Dawn reported that during the hearing today, presided by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, the trial court ruled that charges against the former prime minister in the case were proven.

“Imran Khan deliberately submitted fake details [of Toshakhana gifts] to the ECP and is found guilty of corrupt practices,” he stated and sent the PTI chief to jail for three years under Section 174 of the Election Act.

Ahead of today’s proceedings, a large contingent of police was deployed outside the court premises with only lawyers allowed inside the courtroom.

The development comes after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday set aside the session court’s verdict on the Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman as maintainable and ordered the lower court to rehear the case.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on August 2 deferred the indictment of former Pakistan PM in the Toshakhana case, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

Earlier on July 3, Imran Khan had lashed out at the Shehbaz Sharif government, alleging that the administration has “made a plan” to put him in jail and the whole episode that transpired over his arrest was “pre-planned”.

Giving clarification over the allegations in the Toshakhana case, Khan claimed that the gifts were sold “as per the rules” and everything has been declared in FDR.

“As per the law, when PM, President, Army Chief receives gifts, it goes to Toshakhana, where it is valued. It is done through an FDR, with an initial value and then an appraisal. If there are any excess value, they give the option of purchasing. This is the rule. Under this I took many gifts and refused others. Whatever I sold, is declared in FBR and is under capital gains tax. What is wrong here? Also, under this case, NAB, Election Commission and FIR is also filed. It is just not possible that three cases are being run on the same issue,” he had then said.

The case pertains to the allegations that the former PM “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept — during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales.

The Toshakhana case registered by ruling party lawmakers is based on a criminal complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), as per the Dawn report.

As per the Toshakhana rules, gifts and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules are applicable shall be reported to the Cabinet Division. Notably, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has faced a number of legal cases over his retention of gifts. He has also been disqualified by the electoral body over the issue.

On May 9, this year, former PM and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from inside the High Court in Islamabad by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the charges of corruption in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust, which he owns alongside his wife, Bushra Bibi.

Following Khan’s arrest, his party called for demonstrations, which turned violent at many places. The administration resorted to crackdown and many arrests were made across the country. The people accused in the May 9 violence are being tried at military courts. (ANI)

Internal Threat Due To Pak Political Turmoil: ISI

By LokMarg 30th October 2022

Pakistan’s spy agency ISI unfolded many secrets for the first time in an explosive interview by ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum along with Director General ISPR Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar.

Talking about former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “Long March”, Gen Anjum said that there is no external threat to Pakistan, however, there is an internal threat due to this political turmoil. “When you do politics on the basis of hate and divide, this harms the country and the same was the reason for Pakistan’s dismemberment,” reported The Nation.
On PTI’s long march, he said every political party has the right to organize a march but within peaceful means and if there is any threat to the country then we would intervene.

Regarding their working relationship with Khan, they said both Army and ISI refused to do illegal and unconstitutional acts asked by him, which was why he (Imran) dubbed these state institutions as ‘Mir Jaffar’ and ‘Mir Sadiq’ and ‘neutrals’, reported The Nation.

Addressing a rare and unprecedented joint news conference at the ISPR headquarters, Rawalpindi, Director General ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum said, “We could commit a mistake, however, we cannot be traitors or conspirators.”

“If the commander-in-chief is a traitor then why did you meet him in hiding? Meeting [him] is your right but it cannot be possible that you meet at night and call [him] a traitor in the day,” asked the DG ISI.

When asked by many journalists what prompted him to appear before the media, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum said, “I have decided to appear before the media after the decision of the institution, and the institution was being targeted and maligned and our soldiers who are giving sacrifices for the motherland, baseless accusations against them are not acceptable”.

He further disclosed that last March the previous government in order to fail the no-confidence motion, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was offered an unlimited extension, but he turned down the offer, reported The Nation.

DG ISPR said the appointment of the new Army Chief will take place on time in accordance with the constitutional requirements and in the due time frame.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Babar presented all evidence of Arshad Sharif’s departure from Peshawar airport including his tickets and other documents, and made it clear that he left under the pressure of Imran Khan, reported The Nation.

“A threat alert was issued by the KP government against Arshad Sharif, which the federal government or agencies never knew,” he said.

“There were reports that he (Arshad Sharif) did not want to leave the country but he kept being reminded that he was facing a threat to his life,” he said.

He termed the murder of Arshad Sharif as most unfortunate and said the slain journalist was an “icon of journalism in Pakistan”. He noted and eulogized the services of late Arshad Sharif in defence sector reporting and said that members of his family had served in the army, adding that he always felt the pain of martyred officers.

Talking more about the diplomatic cypher, Gen Babar Iftikhar said that Army Chief Gen Bajwa had discussed the matter with the then PM Imran Khan on March 11 and the army chief termed it “not a big thing”.

“However, it was surprising for us when on March 27 a piece of paper was waved before the nation and an attempt was made to build a narrative that was far from facts,” the DG ISPR said. (ANI)