Ex-PM Khan, wife appeal Pakistan graft convictions

0 seconds of 59 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:59
00:59
 
Short Url
Updated 28 January 2025
Follow

Ex-PM Khan, wife appeal Pakistan graft convictions

Ex-PM Khan, wife appeal Pakistan graft convictions
  • Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest in Aug. 2023, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended
  • A graft court this month found Khan and his wife guilty of ‘corruption’ over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi appealed against their convictions for graft on Monday, his lawyer said.
Khan, 72, has been held in custody since August 2023 charged in around 200 cases that he claims are politically motivated.
The former cricketing star was sentenced to 14 years in jail and his wife to seven this month in the latest case to be brought against them.
“We have filed appeals today and in the next few days it will go through clerical processes and then it will be fixed for a hearing,” Khan’s lawyer Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry told AFP outside Islamabad High Court.
Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended.
A special graft court found the pair guilty of “corruption and corrupt practices” over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust.
The court hearing for the case was postponed three times and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said earlier it was being used to pressure him into cutting a deal with the government to step back from politics.
Khan alleged before the conviction that he had been “indirectly approached” about the possibility of house arrest at his sprawling home on Islamabad’s outskirts.
Bibi, a faith healer who married Khan shortly before he was elected in 2018, is being held at the same jail as her husband in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad.
Khan’s popularity continues to undermine a shaky coalition government that kept PTI from power in elections last year.
Even from behind bars, Khan has fired off statements through his legal team railing against the government and promising to fight his battles through the courts.
Sometimes violent protests have paralyzed Islamabad in recent months and the party has announced further rallies next month to mark one year since elections that were marred by allegations of rigging.
Khan called off talks with the government last week aimed at easing political tensions.
Ousted from power by a no-confidence vote in 2022, the former cricket star has since launched an unprecedented campaign in which he has openly criticized Pakistan’s powerful generals.
Analysts say the military’s leaders are Pakistan’s kingmakers, although the generals deny interfering in politics.
A UN panel of experts found last year that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office.”
Khan was barred from standing in last February’s election and his PTI party was hamstrung by a widespread crackdown.
PTI won more seats than any other party but a coalition considered more pliable to the military’s influence shut them out of power.


Pakistan wants to expel all Afghan refugees from the country, says Afghan embassy

Pakistan wants to expel all Afghan refugees from the country, says Afghan embassy
Updated 3 min 9 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan wants to expel all Afghan refugees from the country, says Afghan embassy

Pakistan wants to expel all Afghan refugees from the country, says Afghan embassy
  • The embassy says Afghan nationals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad are facing arrests and police searches
  • Many are waiting to be resettled in a third country, with Pakistan warning they can’t stay permanently

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wants to remove all Afghan refugees from the country and they face expulsion in the near future, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad warned Wednesday.
The embassy issued a strongly worded statement about Pakistan’s plans, saying Afghan nationals in the capital, Islamabad, and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi have been subjected to arrests, searches, and orders from the police to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan.
“This process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad through any formal correspondence,” it said.
“Ultimately, officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that there is a definitive and final plan to deport all Afghan refugees not only from Islamabad and Rawalpindi but also from the entire country in the near future,” the embassy said.
There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani government on the Afghan statement.
The latest development comes more than two weeks after Pakistan’s government threatened to deport Afghan nationals living in the country illegally.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved a deadline of March 31 to deport those awaiting relocation to third countries unless their cases are swiftly processed by the governments who have agreed to take them after the Afghan Taliban seized power in 2021.
The Afghan embassy criticized “the short timeframe” given and “the unilateral nature of Pakistan’s decision.”
Besides hundreds of thousands of those living illegally in Pakistan, there are around 1.45 million Afghan nationals registered with UNHCR as refugees. Pakistani authorities say those who were registered earlier had their stay extended until June 2025, and will not be arrested or deported at least until the extension expires.
Earlier this month, Shafqat Ali Khan, the spokesman at Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had said: “This resettlement problem can’t be indefinite. So, for us, the Afghans who are here, awaiting resettlement also has to be a transitory phase. This is not a permanent thing.”
He said Pakistan has been collaborating with Western countries to expedite the resettlement program and “will continue to do that.”
In the past three years, tens of thousands of Afghans have fled to Pakistan. Many of them were approved for resettlement in the US through a program that helps people at risk because of their work with the American government, media, aid agencies and rights groups. However, after US President Donald Trump paused US refugee programs last month, around 20,000 Afghans are now in limbo in Pakistan.
These Afghans have been facing harassment and even arrest since October 2023, when Pakistan began cracking down on foreigners living in the country illegally.
Although the government said the campaign was not aimed at Afghans, they make up the majority of foreigners in Pakistan. Since then, more than 800,000 Afghan nationals have been deported or forced to leave the country under a so-called voluntary repatriation plan.
The International Organization for Migration has also reported an increase in deportation of Afghans in January.
IOM this week in a report said, “Afghan nationals are being deported to Afghanistan from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.” It said there is an increase of 13 percent in those Afghans returning home from Jan. 16 to 31 compared to the first two weeks in January. It said 824,568 Afghans have returned home since 2023.
Ahmad Shah, a member of an Afghan advocacy group, urged Pakistan on Wednesday to allow Afghans waiting for relocation to continue living in Islamabad at least until the Trump administration makes a final decision about their fate.
He said it would be hard for them to visit Western embassies in the Pakistani capital if they are moved to other areas.


Pakistan’s army chief arrives in UK to attend military forum, hold talks with senior leadership

Pakistan’s army chief arrives in UK to attend military forum, hold talks with senior leadership
Updated 16 min 26 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan’s army chief arrives in UK to attend military forum, hold talks with senior leadership

Pakistan’s army chief arrives in UK to attend military forum, hold talks with senior leadership
  • General Asim Munir address a conference on Pakistan’s future outlook amid the emerging world order
  • He will also meet British civil and military leadership to discuss strengthening of ties between both states
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir has reached the United Kingdom to attend a platform for military-to-military dialogue between the two countries and hold talks with the British civil and military leadership, an official statement announced on Wednesday. The 7th Regional Stabilization Conference is an annual event held at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK. It facilitates bilateral collaboration and understanding by bringing together civil and military policymakers, as well as think tank members from both countries, according to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The 2025 conference is significant due to the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, offering an invaluable opportunity to exchange perspectives and explore pathways for enhanced bilateral cooperation, it added. “Chief of Army Staff General Munir is on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 7th Regional Stabilization Conference at the esteemed Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he will deliver the keynote address on ‘The Emerging World Order and Pakistan’s Future Outlook,’” the ISPR said. “On the inaugural day of his visit, General Munir was accorded a warm and dignified welcome including a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the historic Royal Horse Guards Parade Ground presented by an impeccably turned-out contingent.” The ISPR added the Pakistani army chief would meet UK Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Toney Radikon, British Army Chief of General Staff General Sir Roland Walker and UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Nicholas Powell to discuss matters of mutual interest. He will also engage in discussions with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to address shared challenges apart from underscoring the importance of fostering deeper collaboration between both countries. The ISPR said General Munir will visit prominent British Army units including the Land Warfare Center and the 1st Strike Brigade where he will be briefed about the “modernization initiatives and operational strategies.” “The visit highlights the enduring partnership between the two nations, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional stability and global peace,” the statement said. Pakistan and the UK have witnessed high-level visits between their military leaders, in an effort to strengthen defense ties and collaboration. Last August, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza met with top British military officials to discuss bilateral defense and security cooperation. The two countries share a long-standing relationship built on strong diplomatic, economic and security ties. Over the years, both militaries have maintained robust cooperation, particularly in the fields of counterterrorism and professional training. Their existing defense partnership includes Pakistani officers undergoing training at Sandhurst and the Royal College of Defense Studies.

PM Sharif urges Bahrain to increase trade volume with Pakistan

PM Sharif urges Bahrain to increase trade volume with Pakistan
Updated 41 min 7 sec ago
Follow

PM Sharif urges Bahrain to increase trade volume with Pakistan

PM Sharif urges Bahrain to increase trade volume with Pakistan
  • The prime minister meets 11-member Bahraini parliamentary delegation
  • Trade between both countries has ranged between $500 million to $1 billion

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Bahraini nationals to invest in Pakistan, his office said on Wednesday, urging increased trade between the two countries as Islamabad aims to strengthen economic ties and attract foreign investors, particularly in the Gulf region.
After narrowly avoiding a sovereign default in 2023 and securing a last-minute International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, Pakistan is strengthening business and investment ties with regional allies, including China and Central Asian states, to overcome the impact of a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
Sharif met with an 11-member Bahraini parliamentary delegation, led by Bahrain’s Council of Representatives Speaker Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musalam, to discuss ties between the two countries.
“The prime minister invited Bahraini investors to invest in Pakistan,” the PM Office said in a statement. “The PM urged efforts to increase the current trade volume between Pakistan and Bahrain.”
According to the foreign office, Pakistan’s trade with Bahrain ranges between $500 million and $1 billion. Major exports include meat, vegetables, rice, tobacco and textiles. Imports from Bahrain include petroleum and its products, ferrous waste, scrap and aluminum.
Sharif called for strengthening people-to-people connections to further enhance ties between both countries, the statement continued, adding he also highlighted the “valuable services” provided by Pakistani nationals in Bahrain.
He urged Bahrain and other Muslim states to increase their support for the residents of Gaza, apart from extending his wishes to Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Earlier this month, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Pakistan saw huge potential in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market, comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
Pakistan has intensified its outreach to international partners and allies in recent months as it navigates a fragile economic recovery, backed by a $7 billion IMF facility granted last September.


Pakistan, Saudi forces conclude naval drills with display of firepower and combat tactics

Pakistan, Saudi forces conclude naval drills with display of firepower and combat tactics
Updated 19 February 2025
Follow

Pakistan, Saudi forces conclude naval drills with display of firepower and combat tactics

Pakistan, Saudi forces conclude naval drills with display of firepower and combat tactics
  • The two countries maintain close defense ties, with their navies regularly participating in joint drills
  • Affaa Al Sahil follows Naseem Al Bahr-XV and Aman 2025 exercises to enhance maritime coordination

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia concluded their annual Affaa Al Sahil naval exercise in Karachi on Wednesday with a demonstration of intense firepower, close quarter combat and hostage rescue, according to a statement by Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The exercise, which has been conducted annually since 2011 between the Pakistan Navy’s Special Service Group and the Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ Special Operations Forces, focused on enhancing interoperability and tactical coordination.
It follows Naseem Al Bahr-XV, another bilateral naval exercise between the two countries, and Aman 2025, a multinational maritime drill aimed at promoting regional maritime cooperation.
“The joint naval exercise Affaa Al Sahil between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ Special Operations Forces concluded in Karachi,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“The training drills included RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] firing, machine gun firing, close quarters combat, practical rappelling, hostage rescue, visit board search and seizure, explosive ordnance disposal drills, mission planning and advanced area clearance techniques,” it added.
The closing ceremony of the exercise was attended by Commander Coast Rear Admiral Faisal Amin along with senior officials from both navies.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia maintain close defense ties, with their navies regularly participating in joint drills to improve maritime security and counter asymmetric threats in the region.
“This joint exercise will help strengthen mutual capabilities and coordination in countering maritime security challenges,” the ISPR added.


Pakistan’s deputy PM seeks UN support to curb ‘cross-border terrorism’ from Afghanistan

Pakistan’s deputy PM seeks UN support to curb ‘cross-border terrorism’ from Afghanistan
Updated 19 February 2025
Follow

Pakistan’s deputy PM seeks UN support to curb ‘cross-border terrorism’ from Afghanistan

Pakistan’s deputy PM seeks UN support to curb ‘cross-border terrorism’ from Afghanistan
  • Ishaq Dar meets Secretary-General António Guterres, says Pakistan will support the destitute in Afghanistan
  • Th deputy PM stresses OIC’s role in addressing issues facing the Muslim world in meeting with Saudi minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also holds the foreign affairs portfolio, on Wednesday sought the United Nations’ support to curb “cross-border terrorism” from Afghanistan during a meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres, according to an official statement.
Dar traveled to New York this week to address a Security Council debate on multilateralism and global governance convened by China. A day earlier, he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to people affected by Israel’s war.
He also mentioned a surge in militancy in its two western provinces of his country bordering Afghanistan since a fragile truce between the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down in November 2022.
The government has frequently blamed the spike in militant activities on Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter for Islamabad.
“The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister highlighted cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan and called for the UN’s support in countering terrorism within and from Afghanistan,” the foreign office said in a statement released after Dar’s interaction with Guterres.
“He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to provide humanitarian support to the millions of destitute people in Afghanistan and to promote its economic development, including through implementing connectivity projects between Central Asia and Pakistan through Afghanistan,” it added.
During his conversation with the UN chief, the deputy prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the UN’s central role in addressing global challenges, including peace and security, development and climate change.
Dar highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism and UN peacekeeping efforts, saying Islamabad remained dedicated to promoting international peace and security as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
He also welcomed the UN chief’s Summit of the Future initiative, designed to strengthen global governance and improve multilateral cooperation, expressing hope it would help address financing gaps for developing countries to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and climate targets.
Guterres thanked Pakistan for its contributions to UN peacekeeping and its active engagement in multilateral forums, according to the statement.
TALKS WITH SAUDI MINISTER
Later, the deputy prime minister met with Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed Abdul Karim El-Khereiji, according to a separate statement by the foreign office.
Dar praised the long-standing ties between the two countries and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to strengthening economic and security cooperation with the Kingdom.
“Recognizing the deep-rooted strategic and economic ties between the two countries, the two leaders reiterated their resolve to expand economic cooperation and explore avenues for broad-based collaboration in trade, investment, and commercial sectors, emphasizing the vast investment opportunities available in Pakistan,” the statement said.
The two leaders also discussed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, calling for the full implementation of the ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza and an early start to reconstruction efforts leading to a two-state solution.
They further underscored the critical role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in addressing issues concerning the Muslim world.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to strengthening their strategic partnership for mutual prosperity and regional stability.