Party of Imran Khan threatens march to Islamabad amid ban on meeting jailed leader

Party of Imran Khan threatens march to Islamabad amid ban on meeting jailed leader
Supporters and activists of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, shout slogans during a protest in Islamabad on October 4, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 11 October 2024
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Party of Imran Khan threatens march to Islamabad amid ban on meeting jailed leader

Party of Imran Khan threatens march to Islamabad amid ban on meeting jailed leader
  • The Punjab administration has banned meetings with jail inmates in Rawalpindi, citing security reasons
  • PTI’s protest call on October 15 coincides with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in capital

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday announced another protest in the federal capital for the coming week, saying it would proceed with the plan if the government failed to grant Khan access to doctors and lawyers.
The development follows restrictions imposed by the Punjab provincial administration on meetings with inmates at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where the ex-premier is imprisoned on multiple charges.
The provincial government issued instructions to enhance jail security after the police counterterrorism department circulated a threat alert in the lead-up to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit on October 15 and 16.
PTI filed a petition challenging the restrictions on meetings with Khan, calling it a tactic to suppress his voice and expressing concern for his safety in prison amid ongoing tensions with the government and establishment. However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) only directed the authorities to provide adequate medical facilities in prison and arrange meetings after the ban on visits expires following the SCO Summit.
“The politic committee comprising key members of PTI has announced a protest call at D Chowk Islamabad for Oct. 15, 2024, if access to Former Chairman Imran Khan is not given to his legal team & physician,” the party said in a statement after holding an emergency meeting on the subject.
Referring to an earlier court judgment in March, it noted the authorities were citing security reasons to prevent access to Khan, though Justice Sardar Ijaz of the IHC had ordered video link access if physical interaction with Khan was not possible.
The statement maintained PTI respected the law of the land, but it was “imperative that an access of some kind may be granted [to Khan], as some reports suggested his health was not well,” which was causing unrest within the party.
PTI’s previous protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, near some of the most sensitive government installations, brought life in the capital to a standstill as authorities sealed the city with shipping containers, alleging that Khan’s party was trying to “sabotage” the SCO Summit.
After the recent court order in response to its petition, the party has threatened another protest, this time coinciding with the international conference.
PTI’s last protest also led to clashes between its workers and law enforcement personnel, leading to dozens of arrests and injuries to a large number of cops one of whom died after being subjected to alleged torture by the protesters.
Khan, jailed since August last year, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics.
Since his removal, Khan and his party have waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military.


Ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s party rejects reports of holding talks with government to ease tensions

Ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s party rejects reports of holding talks with government to ease tensions
Updated 10 sec ago
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Ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s party rejects reports of holding talks with government to ease tensions

Ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s party rejects reports of holding talks with government to ease tensions
  • Reports of possible talks surfaced after Khan’s party leaders met ruling party member Ayaz Sadiq after his sister’s death
  • Khan announced earlier this month his party will launch civil disobedience campaign against government from Dec. 14

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Thursday refuted reports it had held talks with the government on easing political tensions in the country, stressing that the ex-premier would announce details of his anti-government civil disobedience movement on Dec. 14. 

Pakistani media reported that the government and PTI had agreed to ease political tensions in the country after PTI leaders Asad Qaiser and Salman Akram Raja met ruling party Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) member and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq this week to offer condolences on his sister’s death. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif subsequently visited Sadiq’s residence, fueling speculation that the reported negotiations were discussed between Sadiq and the Pakistani premier. 

Reports of negotiations have surfaced after Khan earlier this month announced the PTI would launch a civil disobedience campaign from Dec. 14 if the government did not meet two of his demands. In a message to supporters on Dec. 5, the jailed Khan said he was setting up a five-member negotiations committee to hold talks with the federal government for the release of political prisoners, and also demanded judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9 last year and Nov. 24 this year in which the government says his supporters partook in violence and caused vandalism. 

“There were no talks with the government when they [PTI leader] went for the condolence, nothing else was discussed or no political talk except the condolence happened,” Khan’s close aide and PTI spokesperson Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari told Arab News.

He said PTI was open to talks with everyone, however, he questioned whether the government had the authority or power to engage meaningfully with the opposition. 

Khan’s party alleges the Sharif-led coalition government came to power after rigging polls with the help of Pakistan’s all-powerful military. It frequently accuses the Sharif-led government of being a stooge of the military. 

Both deny the allegations and Pakistan’s military has repeatedly said it does not interfere in political matters. 

“As for talks with the government, we are happy to have talks with everybody but the question is does the government have any power or any authority, that will still remain to be seen,” Bukhari added. 

“Because at the moment they seem to have even less authority and power than us.”

Another PTI leader and an important member of its legal team, Muhammad Shoaib Shaheen, also endorsed Bukhari’s stance that there were no talks at any level between Khan’s party and the government. 

“Qaiser visited the speaker of the National Assembly only to offer condolences and any talks will happen only if the government shows seriousness toward the PTI’s demands,” Shaheen told Arab News.

Commenting on the PTI’s call for civil disobedience, Shaheen said Khan himself will announce the civil disobedience process and its details on or after Dec. 14. 

“If the government engages in talks with genuine intent, even then Khan will decide whether to postpone the movement,” Shaheen said. 

’ABANDON OLD WAYS’

Arab News reached out to government spokespersons, including Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and other members of Sharif’s cabinet for a comment. They did not respond till the filing of this report.

In an interview with local media on Wednesday night, Tarar dismissed the rumors of talks between the two sides as baseless, stating that there have been no formal discussions between the government and PTI.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, senior PML-N leader Irfan Siddiqui said the government is willing to engage in dialogue, but urged PTI to abandon its “old ways” and avoid creating undue pressure.

“Even today, we are ready for dialogue and will engage with an open heart, but do not hold a sword over our heads,” Siddiqui said. 

“Before any dialogue, PTI members must abandon their old ways,” he added.

Siddiqui said reconciliation was “a very good policy” and that if dialogue between the two sides did take place, solutions to political issues could be found.

“Peaceful protest is everyone’s right but this right is not unconditional,” he said.


Combatting smog, air pollution at center of discussions as Punjab chief minister visits China

Combatting smog, air pollution at center of discussions as Punjab chief minister visits China
Updated 12 December 2024
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Combatting smog, air pollution at center of discussions as Punjab chief minister visits China

Combatting smog, air pollution at center of discussions as Punjab chief minister visits China
  • CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif on China visit from Dec. 8-15, meets China’s Ecology and Environment Minister 
  • Almost two million people from Pakistan fell sick when smog choked Punjab for over two weeks last month

ISLAMABAD: Combatting smog and air pollution has remained at the center of discussions this week as the chief minister of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, visits China on a week-long trip.

Smog had choked Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province for weeks last month, sickening nearly two million people and shrouding vast swathes of the province in a toxic haze. 

On Thursday, Lahore, the capital of Punjab, was listed as the world’s third most polluted city by Swiss air monitor IQAir, and its PM2.5 concentration, which comprises air particles that damage lungs, was 20.5 times the World Health Organization annual guideline value. Last month, the province had closed down schools and offices, banned outdoor activities and shortened timings for restaurants, shops and markets in a bid to control smog.

China has taken significant steps to combat its worsening air quality, declaring a “war on pollution” in 2015. Key measures include reducing coal consumption, increasing renewable energy capacity, and improving air quality monitoring systems. However, the Helsinki-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said last month in its annual assessment China’s emissions of carbon dioxide were on course to rise slightly this year, despite rapid progress on renewables and electric vehicles, putting a key 2025 climate target further out of reach.

“China is also a miracle in curbing pollution, smog mitigation, smog eradication and the steps that China has taken is not only an inspiration for us to learn from but also commend them,” CM Sharif said in televised comments during a meeting with Chinese Ecology and Environment Minister Huang Runqiu on Wednesday. 

“I am also completely and absolutely committed to making Punjab into a climate resilient Punjab.”

Briefing Chinese officials on Pakistan’s short-, medium- and long-term plans to combat air pollution, Sharif said:

“There is a complete plan that is in place which is environment conservation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and, most critical areas where we are working on daily basis, is air pollution, improving air quality standards and eradicating smog.”

Sharif said Pakistan would adopt the Chinese model of shifting industries out of cities to give people cleaner air to breathe.

Earlier this week, Sharif’s office said Punjab would develop an advanced air quality management system with the help of China and had set up a Beijing-Punjab Clean Air Joint Working Group.

“I suggest we form a working group where we can sit together on taking some tangible measures for smog mitigation, smog eradication and improving the air quality in Pakistan,” Sharif added. “We can exchange technologies, ideas, success stories and follow in China’s footsteps.”

She urged the working group to adopt a knowledge sharing policy regarding policy formulation, technology transfer, data, sharing, emission reduction strategies and e-transport.

On Thursday, the Punjab CM also invited a Chinese solar company to establish a manufacturing plan in Pakistan during her visit to the Jinko Solar Company in Shanghai, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

“The CM directed the concerned authorities of Punjab government to take necessary steps for setting up the solar manufacturing plant in the province,” the report said.


Pakistan’s second consignment of flood relief items for Malaysia arrives in Kuala Lumpur

Pakistan’s second consignment of flood relief items for Malaysia arrives in Kuala Lumpur
Updated 12 December 2024
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Pakistan’s second consignment of flood relief items for Malaysia arrives in Kuala Lumpur

Pakistan’s second consignment of flood relief items for Malaysia arrives in Kuala Lumpur
  • Pakistan dispatched 40 tons of essential items such as lifejackets, tents, blankets and sleeping bags
  • Torrential rains and floods in Malaysia and Thailand this month killed at least 30, displaced thousands

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s second consignment of humanitarian assistance for the flood-hit people of Malaysia arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. 

Pakistan dispatched a consignment of 40 tons of relief items from Islamabad on Wednesday night for the flood-hit people of Malaysia. Torrential rains and floods killed over 30 in Malaysia and Thailand and displaced tens of thousands in the two countries this month. 

“Upon arrival, the consignment was received by representatives of the Pakistan Embassy in Malaysia and the Malaysian National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA),” the NDMA said. 

It said the consignment featured essential supplies such as tents, blankets, quilts, mats, sleeping bags and life jackets.

The anti-disaster authority said it remains steadfast in its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to Malaysia’s flood affectees. 

Pakistan sent its first shipment of 40 tons of relief items to Malaysia on Dec. 8.

Pakistan is one of the worst affected countries due to climate change impact, suffering cataclysmic floods in 2022 that killed over 1,700 people and destroyed critical infrastructure inflicting losses worth Rs33 billion.


Polio officer in northwestern Pakistan says receiving deaths threats for vaccinating children

Polio officer in northwestern Pakistan says receiving deaths threats for vaccinating children
Updated 12 December 2024
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Polio officer in northwestern Pakistan says receiving deaths threats for vaccinating children

Polio officer in northwestern Pakistan says receiving deaths threats for vaccinating children
  • Mirzali Khan, a polio officer in Jamrud, says masked men threatened to shoot him if he continued vaccinating children
  • Pakistan has witnessed surge in polio cases and attacks on vaccinators in recent months by religiously motivated militants

PESHAWAR: A polio officer from Pakistan’s northwestern Jamrud town said on Thursday that unidentified armed men recently threatened to shoot him dead if he did not stop vaccinating children, amid a surge in polio infections and attacks on vaccinators in the country.

Religiously motivated militants, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, have frequently launched attacks on polio vaccination teams in Pakistan in the past. These groups accuse polio vaccination teams of using inoculation campaigns to sterilize Pakistani children based on a Western conspiracy.

Two policemen guarding a polio vaccination team were killed on Oct. 29 in the northwestern Orakzai district while in another attack, a polio worker and a police constable were killed when militants attacked a polio team in northwest Pakistan’s Bajaur district on Oct. 12.

“On Dec. 7, I was on the way in Gudar area when two masked men, one of whom was carrying a pistol, intercepted and told me what I was doing was improper and I should stop it,” Mirzali Khan, the operational officer in Jamrud for Pakistan’s anti-polio program, told Arab News over the phone.

Khan said the masked men threatened to shoot him if he “continued vaccinating children,” adding that he had immediately registered a police complaint at the nearby police station.

Khan said the incident had left him depressed, saying that he wanted safety and security for his family.

Jamrud Police Station’s Station House Officer (SHO) Shah Khalid confirmed that Khan had filed a complaint over the incident.

“The details were processed to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for further details to look into the matter,” Khalild told Arab News.

Ihtisham Ali, adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on health, told Arab News several polio volunteers and police officials guarding them have been killed by militants during anti-polio campaigns in the past.

He said the government plays its role in ensuring the safety of polio volunteers and that their safety was the provincial government’s top priority. 

“We will tackle the case with concerned authorities after investigation,” Ali said.

Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. It has so far reported 59 cases of the infection this year.

Pakistan’s efforts to contain polio have been hit hard with repeated militant attacks against vaccinators and law enforcers guarding them.

The masses’ doubts regarding polio campaigns were exacerbated in 2011 when the US Central Intelligence Agency set up a fake vaccination program to gather intelligence on former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.


Pakistan hosts Islamic Capital Markets Conference in push to make financial system Shariah-compliant

Pakistan hosts Islamic Capital Markets Conference in push to make financial system Shariah-compliant
Updated 12 December 2024
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Pakistan hosts Islamic Capital Markets Conference in push to make financial system Shariah-compliant

Pakistan hosts Islamic Capital Markets Conference in push to make financial system Shariah-compliant
  • Islamic Capital Markets promote Shariah-compliant securities and instruments as alternatives to conventional ones
  • Finance minister says 56 percent of market capitalization at the Pakistan Stock Exchange comprises Shariah-compliant securities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb highlighted the importance of Islamic capital markets in helping the country remain on the road to economic stability, as the South Asian nation hosted the second International Islamic Capital Markets Conference & Expo in Karachi on Thursday. 

Islamic Capital Markets are a sub-sector of capital markets that promote Shariah-compliant securities and instruments as alternatives to conventional ones.

The minister was addressing the inaugural session of the conference that opened on Thursday in Karachi, Pakistan’s financial hub, where senior officials such as Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, acting director general of the Islamic Development Bank Institute, Akif Saeed, chairman of the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Saleemullah, deputy governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, and other senior delegates were in attendance. 

The minister noted that Islamic finance, specifically Islamic capital markets, can play a pivotal role in Pakistan’s economic progress as instruments such as sukuk, equity funds, and Shariah-compliant investment vehicles not only attracted investment but also reduced reliance on interest-based borrowing.

“In his keynote address to the session, the finance minister described the conference as reflective of Pakistan’s growing commitment to fostering a robust Islamic capital market, highlighting the country’s dedication to transforming its financial ecosystem in line with Shariah principles,” Pakistan’s Finance Division said in a press release. 

 Aurangzeb revealed that as of June 30, 2024, 56 percent of market capitalization at the Pakistan Stock Exchange comprises Shariah-compliant securities.

“In the collective investment segment, 48 percent of assets under management of mutual funds, 66 percent of assets under management of voluntary pension funds, and 95 percent of assets under management of REITs are already Shariah-compliant,” the press release said.

“These statistics deflect the progress that we have made over a year.”

 Aurangzeb said that a growing interest in Shariah-compliant investment products was a testament to the increasing global demand for ethical and sustainable financial solutions. 

“The steady and healthy growth of Islamic finance, both in Pakistan and internationally, reflects the shifting preferences of investors toward value-based financial systems,” he said.

The minister noted that the full realization of Islamic finance’s potential was not possible without the collaborative efforts of scholars, financial institutions, regulatory bodies, and industry practitioners. 

They, he said, can address existing challenges, develop innovative Shariah-compliant financial products and build public trust. 

“We must ensure that Islamic finance is not only rooted in Shariah principles but also practical, transparent, and capable of meeting the evolving needs of our people,” Aurangzeb said.