Police arrest former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan

Police arrest former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan

    Tuesday, May 09, 2023   No comments

Pakistani police on Tuesday arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on the background of his corruption trial, police said.

A large number of policemen appeared surrounding Imran Khan during his arrest, in an atmosphere of screams and chaos in a dramatic scene, where he was taken and placed in a military vehicle, under a great security alert.

His lawyer said in a video posted on Twitter that he was detained outside the Islamabad High Court, and was "severely injured" in the process.

In turn, the deputy head of the "Tehreek-e-Insaf" party, Fouad Chaudhry, announced that Khan had been kidnapped, and Chaudhry wrote in a tweet on "Twitter": "Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was kidnapped from the court building, and dozens of lawyers and ordinary people were tortured, and transferred Imran Khan to an unknown direction.

At the end of last month, a Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant against Khan on the grounds of the "threat" case against a female judge in a criminal court.

And the media reported that "the court issued its decision due to the repeated absence of Imran Khan from attending the trial session," noting that the decision came after the rejection of a petition submitted by Imran Khan's lawyer to exclude him from attending the trial, due to what he described as "threats on his life."

Khan's supporters confronted the police with stones and petrol bombs, after attempts to arrest him, last week, and 100 police officers were injured.

In March, the Islamabad High Court ruled that former Prime Minister Imran Khan would be granted protection from arrest as lawsuits against him increased.

The court's decision stipulated that Khan could not be detained for at least another week in seven separate cases related to clashes that erupted on March 18 between his supporters and police outside a court in Islamabad, where Khan was due to appear on corruption charges.

Khan was ousted by a no-confidence vote in parliament last April, and more than 100 lawsuits have since been filed against the 70-year-old opposition leader, including charges of terrorism, incitement to violence and graft.

Since his overthrow, Khan faces several legal measures, knowing that he is still very popular, and hopes to return to power in the legislative elections, which are scheduled to be held next October.

Pakistan: We will get Russian oil starting next April

Pakistan: We will get Russian oil starting next April

    Friday, January 27, 2023   No comments

Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Mossadeq Malik announces that Pakistan will start importing crude oil from Russia in April 2023, stating that this "will be beneficial for both countries."

Pakistani Petroleum Minister Mussadeq Malik announced today, Friday, that Pakistan will start importing crude oil from Russia in April 2023, after Moscow and Islamabad ended their negotiations on the terms of supply, including the issue of payment related to the use of a currency other than the dollar.

Malik added, "In March, all trade clauses of the agreement with Russia will be finalized, after which low-cost crude oil will start arriving in Pakistan. It will be beneficial for both countries," according to the Pakistani newspaper News.

Pakistan has also begun to develop a comprehensive energy security plan, which will be completed by the end of 2023, and includes the import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), pipeline gas, and other petroleum products, according to the newspaper's report.

Earlier, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov and Pakistan's Economy Minister Ayaz Sadiq held a meeting, where the two sides agreed to agree on all details of oil and gas supplies by March.

Shulginov noted that discussions on oil supplies will not begin until after February 5, after the price ceiling for Russian refined products, introduced by Western countries, comes into effect.

Shulginov added that "Russia may participate in power generation projects in Pakistan, including the modernization and construction of hydroelectric power plants and thermal power plants."

On January 19, Russia and Pakistan announced their readiness to sign the necessary documents for the construction of the "Pakistani Stream" gas pipeline.

The Russian delegation headed by Shulginov arrived in Pakistan, on January 17, to hold bilateral talks for a period of 3 days, within the framework of the work of the joint Russian-Pakistani governmental committee for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation.

Western countries have been seeking ways to limit Russia's revenues from oil and gas exports, as well as its dependence on Russian fuel since Moscow launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

On December 5, the European Union set a ceiling for the price of Russian oil, $60 a barrel, and the G7 countries and Australia joined.

Despite this, Washington and its allies agreed to review the level of the ceiling imposed on the export prices of this oil next March.

Is Pakistan on a path to profound changes that can no longer be controlled by outdated systems and outside players?

Is Pakistan on a path to profound changes that can no longer be controlled by outdated systems and outside players?

    Saturday, November 26, 2022   No comments

Streets of Rawalpindi in Pakistan now. Supporters of Imran Khan gathered as part of a massive anti-government march in Islamabad.

At the moment, the former Prime Minister of the Republic Imran Khan speaks to a crowd of protesters. After his speech, the general column is expected to move to the capital.

Chinese firms put deeper roots in Pakistan in post-flood reconstruction; more joint efforts needed for regional recovery

Chinese firms put deeper roots in Pakistan in post-flood reconstruction; more joint efforts needed for regional recovery

    Sunday, October 09, 2022   No comments

Chinese infrastructure companies in Pakistan are playing an increasingly important role in supporting the regional economy and livelihoods as the country looks for more joint efforts from the international community to facilitate the gradual recovery from the lingering devastation of recent floods.

While Chinese companies have taken an active approach in providing constant aid, they have also beefed up efforts to maintain the smooth operation of their projects in some key areas such as power generation and housing in Pakistan, as the country, hit by unprecedented floods in September, has seen its economic recovery slowing down.

Industry insiders and experts said that more joint efforts, including safety guarantees for local personnel and projects of Chinese companies, are needed more than ever to ensure the smooth operation of these projects.

Read the full story...

Environmental degradation is a crime whose effects are disproportionately shouldered by the poor and the future of humanity--the childen

Environmental degradation is a crime whose effects are disproportionately shouldered by the poor and the future of humanity--the childen

    Monday, August 29, 2022   No comments

Pardon this editorial rant; but it has to be said; for the lives lost, and the lives to be lost, the lives that did not have to be lost if it were not for our greed and gluttony.

-- The Editors

Pakistan: Charges of terrorism against Imran Khan and prevents broadcasting of his speeches

Pakistan: Charges of terrorism against Imran Khan and prevents broadcasting of his speeches

    Monday, August 22, 2022   No comments

Pakistani authorities deploy the "terrorism" label to address political dissent, risking instability and further uncertainty.

On Monday, Pakistani police charged former Prime Minister Imran Khan with terrorism charges, who is leading popular demonstrations calling for early elections.

The former prime minister of Pakistan accused the government of briefly blocking YouTube in the country to prevent Pakistanis from listening live to his speech at a political rally on Sunday evening.

"The importing government blocked YouTube in the middle of my speech," Khan said in a tweet.

Demonstration in Pakistan against the continued detention of a leader in the "Insaf" party

Supporters of the Pakistan "Insaf" party led by Imran Khan demonstrated against the authority's continued detention of the party's leader, Shahbaz Gul, 10 days ago.

The demonstrators demanded the release of Shahbaz Gul, who is the deputy head of the party. Simultaneously, the local government in Punjab - led by allied with Imran Khan - issued an arrest warrant for 12 officials in the ruling party.

Saturday night's protest gathering was followed by the arrest of a prominent leader of the "Insaf Movement", who was accused by the authorities of making statements against the army on a TV channel whose broadcast was later suspended.

Criticism of the military establishment that has ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its 75-year history is a red line.

Asad Omar, a senior official in the "Insaf Movement", denounced the move by the media regulator to ban Khan's speeches. "Banning Imran Khan's speeches is another attempt to find an administrative solution to a political problem," he told AFP. He added that his party would file an appeal against the decision before the court.

Simultaneously, a decree was issued banning TV channels from broadcasting live speeches by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The media regulator issued this decision against the background of a speech in which Khan criticized police and judicial officials after the arrest of one of his party leaders.

The authority said that Khan "is making baseless accusations and spreading hate speech," adding that "his provocative statements against state institutions and officers will cause disturbances - most likely - to public peace and tranquility."

Pakistan opposition warns Khan's arrest would cross 'red line' after being reported under anti-terror law

Pakistani opposition leaders warned Monday that the authorities would cross a "red line" if they arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan, after he was reported under the Anti-Terrorism Act over comments he made about the judiciary.

Since being ousted in a no-confidence vote in April, Khan has organized rallies across the country, warning state institutions including the military not to back the coalition government led by his longtime political rival Shahbaz Sharif.

Hundreds gathered outside Khan's home on Monday, apparently with the aim of preventing police access, but Khan has been facing a raft of charges for several months, and he has yet to be arrested.

For his part, former Information Minister Fouad Chaudhry wrote on Twitter, "Wherever you are, go to Bani Gala today and show solidarity with Imran Khan," referring to Khan's home. "Imran Khan is our red line," he added.

An initial police report was filed on Sunday as the first step in a process that could lead to formal charges and an arrest.

A light police presence was observed outside Khan's residence Monday, as about 500 supporters of his party gathered in the affluent suburb.

Muhammad Ayub said he traveled overnight from Peshawar in the northwest to be on site to show support for Khan.

"We will protest and block the roads if Khan is arrested," he told AFP.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said in a statement that the latest accusations against him were "frivolous".

"We have serious reservations about this politically motivated step, which leads to more instability in the country," he added.

Khan on Saturday criticized a judge responsible for keeping a party official in police custody, after party leaders said he was tortured in custody.

Khan's main goal is to hold an early general election before the expected date before October 2023, but the government has shown no indication that it is willing to go to the polls at a time when it is facing significant economic problems.

Since he was ousted from power by a vote of no-confidence last April, Imran Khan has organized a series of popular anti-government demonstrations.

The ban came into effect immediately on Saturday night, the same day Khan held a rally in the capital where he criticized police and judiciary officials over the arrest of one of his party leaders.

Khan remains popular among young people, with his speeches attracting the highest viewership ratings on television channels, while his highlights are widely shared on social media.