Imran | Pakistan

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday granted the police a five-day physical remand of PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephew Shershah Khan in a case pertaining to the Jinnah House attack during the May 9, 2023 riots. The Lahore Police arrested Shershah, son of Imran’s sister Aleema Khan, from outside his home on Friday. His brother Shahrez Khan, who was picked up on Thursday, was also handed over to police custody yesterday for eight days over the same allegations. ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill presided over today’s hearing, where PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared as Shershah’s counsel and Imtiaz Sipra as the prosecutor. The prosecution sought a 30-day physical remand, while the defence counsel requested that the suspect be discharged from the case. Judge Gill then granted the police Shershah’s five-day custody. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting Imran’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also a...

The Supreme Court on Thursday accepted the bail pleas of former prime minister Imran Khan in eight cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting Imran’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. In November 2024, a Lahore anti-terrorism court had denied Imran bail in the cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots, including an attack on the house of the Lahore corps commander. The incarcerated PTI leader’s plea challenging that was also rejected by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 24. Subsequently, days later, Imran had challenged that dismissal before the apex court. A three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and comprising Justices Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Hasan Azhar Rizvi resumed hearing the petitions today. Barrister ...

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Tuesday raised questions over some observations made by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on former premier Imran Khan’s bail pleas in eight May 9 cases. In November 2024, a Lahore anti-terrorism court had denied Imran bail in the cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots, including an attack on the house of the Lahore corps commander. The incarcerated PTI leader’s plea challenging that was also rejected by the LHC on June 24. Subsequently, days later, Imran moved the Supreme Court against the high court’s decision. A three-member bench led by CJP Afridi, which also included Justices Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, resumed hearing the bail pleas today. Barrister Salman Safdar appeared on behalf of Imran, while Punjab Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi was representing the state. During the hearing, CJP Afridi took note of some “findings” issued by the LHC in its detailed verdict of dismissing Imran’s bail pleas. “Can final observations be given in a ...

Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries Rana Ihsan Afzal has said that the government would be able to consider a pardon for PTI founder Imran Khan if he were to issue an apology for his crimes. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. In an interview on DawnNewsTV show ‘Doosra Rukh’ a day ago, Afzal said Imran’s sentence could be commuted if he were to issue a written apology to the president. “If he writes some mercy petition or an apology to the head of state, then in my opinion, his sentence can definitely be forgiven,” Afzal said. “The scope available in the law can be used. Besides this, the government does not have any other power to forgive his sentence,” he said, adding that as the allegations against Imran had been proven, a pardon could be considered based on an apology. He emphasised that the sentencing in the...

Police personnel detained PTI protesters in Lahore and Karachi on Tuesday after party activists took to the streets to officially kick off a nationwide movement for the release of ex-premier Imran Khan, who has been in jail for two years now. Imran, imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023 in a case related to state gifts, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials in alleged terrorism cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Imran had issued a nationwide protest call, with a statement attributed to him saying that the “movement that begins on August 5 will continue until democracy is restored in its true spirit”. According to PTI leader Asad Qaiser, August 5 was the inception of the protest, but it should not be considered a “final call”. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (operations) Faisal Kamran told Dawn.com: “More than 30 PTI activists trying to block roads in different areas of the city were taken into custody.” He denied reports of the police arresting hu...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday dismissed rumours of PTI founder Imran Khan leaving the country under a deal, describing them as attempts to weaken the provincial government. According to a statement issued today by his focal person for digital media Yar Muhammad Niyazi, Gandapur also rubbished media reports that Imran had asked him to resign from his post as chief minister if he was unable to keep the peace in KP. The PTI founder said in a “clear message” to Gandapur a day prior that the federation should not be allowed to conduct another military operation in the province and its tribal areas. Earlier this week, security forces, backed by gunship helicopters and artillery, launched ‘Operation Sarbakaf’ against terrorists in Lowi Mamund tehsil and imposed a three-day curfew in the region. “Chief Minister Gandapur has said that the PTI founder Imran Khan will never leave Pakistan,” the statement read. “If he (Imran) had to make a deal, he would have done so by now.” The focal per...

ISLAMABAD - Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, on Saturday clarified that Imran’s sons have applied both for their national identity cards for overseas Pakistanis (Nicops) as well as visas to visit Pakistan.

PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, clarified on Saturday that his sons have applied for National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicops) as well as visas to visit Pakistan. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. His sons, Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, have been protesting his incarceration, but uncertainty remains as to whether they will be visiting Pakistan. A day ago, Aleema said they had applied for visas and were waiting for approval from the interior ministry. That had prompted Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry to ask why they would need visas if they had the Nicop, as she had previously said. Clarifying the matter today while speaking to reporters at Adiala Jail, she said: “The Nicop of one [of the brothers] is missing and the other can’t find his card so they’ve submitted two applications: one to iss...

PTI founder Imran Khan’s sons on Friday said that United States President Donald Trump was a figure who “can make a difference” in their incarcerated father’s situation. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26 called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May. Last month, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum said they would go to the United States before coming to Pakistan as part of a movement calling for the ex-premier’s release. The siblings visited the US and engaged US lawmakers on the issue of their father’s incarceration. In an interview on ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ aired today, Kasim was questioned on whether he had any message for Trump, to which he said: “If anyone can make a difference, he (Trump) can.” Kasim said the two had met Trump’s key aide Richard Grenell — kno...

Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan has highlighted that his father was jailed in “really poor conditions” that were “getting worse by the moment”. Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim, 26 — called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May. Earlier this month, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said Sulaiman and Kasim will go to the United States before coming to Pakistan as part of a movement calling for the ex-premier’s release. The siblings visited the US and engaged US lawmakers on the issue of their father’s incarceration. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. In an interview on US media outlet Real America’s Voice shared today, Kasim said, “Right now he’s in really, really poor conditions and it looks like they’re getting worse and worse by the moment. So we’re looking for any way ou...

The PTI on Tuesday swiftly rubbished media reports that said party founder Imran Khan had barred his two sons from coming to Pakistan and participating in any activity for his release. Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26 — called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May. Earlier this month, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said Sulaiman and Kasim will go to the US before coming to Pakistan as part of a movement calling for the ex-premier’s release. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Earlier in the day, media reports said that the incarcerated former prime minister told reporters at Adiala Jail that his sons would not be coming to Pakistan and taking part in or leading any protest. Responding swiftly to the reports, PTI Central Information Secretary Waqas Akram said: “The news circulating in...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of PTI Founder Imran Khan’s bail pleas in eight May 9 cases until August 12 without issuing notices as requested by the ex-premier’s lawyer. In November 2024, a Lahore anti-terrorism court had denied Imran bail in the cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots, including an attack on the house of the Lahore corps commander. The incarcerated PTI leader’s plea challenging that was also rejected by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 24. Subsequently, Imran moved the apex court last week against the LHC’s rejection of his bail pleas. A two-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and including Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui took up those applications today. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared before the court on behalf of Imran, as his main counsel, Salman Safdar, could not attend the hearing due to being out of the country. Raja informed the bench that Safdar has applied for an adjournment of the hearing till next week. He requ...

Multiple users on social media platform X have been sharing a purported document since Thursday, titled “catering guidelines” from the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC — where PTI founder Imran Khan’s sons recently dined during their visit to the US capital — claiming the club does not serve halal food. However, the document is fake. Earlier this month, Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26 — kicked off a campaign calling for their father’s release from prison. The siblings are currently in the US and holding engagements with lawmakers for this purpose in Washington, DC. On July 25, the X account of PML-N Digital shared a post with an image of the two siblings at Capitol Hill Club, a private clubhouse in Washington, DC, with Republican Congressman Joe Wilson. The post was captioned: “Imran Niazi’s sons’ illicit feasting”, with an additional claim: “Capitol Hill Club, where Kasim and Sulaiman ate, doesn’t even have halal food available.” The post also shared an alleged document claiming to sh...

Incarcerated PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan has decried the lack of any “meaningful momentum” for the party’s planned August 5 protest and ordered its members to immediately shun all their differences. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. He has issued a nationwide protest call, which will reach its “peak” on Aug 5 to mark the second year of his incarceration in multiple cases. However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur appeared to disrupt the nationwide protest plans and sow confusion by introducing a new 90-day timeline for what he described as ‘a final push’. PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik later voiced her reservations about his announcement. The resulting discord in the party leadership and ranks had prompted Imran to prohibit his party members from publicly discussing the party’s internal...

Incarcerated PTI Founder Imran Khan’s sons met with United States President Donald Trump’s key aide Richard Grenell on Tuesday as they kicked off a campaign calling for their father’s release from prison. Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26 — called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May. Earlier this month, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said Sulaiman and Kasim will go to the US before coming to Pakistan as part of a movement calling for the ex-premier’s release. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Grenell, US special presidential envoy for special missions — known for publicly calling for Imran’s release — posted on X that he had met with Sulaiman and Kasim in California, urging them to “stay strong”. “There are millions of people around the world who are sick of political prosecutions...

PTI founder Imran Khan has prohibited his party members from publicly discussing the party’s internal matters, according to his conversation with his family and lawyers at Adiala Jail shared on his official X account on Wednesday. On Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur seemed to throw a wrench in the works of a nationwide protest, annou­nced by Imran, which is expected to climax on August 5, marking two years of the former prime minister’s imprisonment. At a press conference on Sunday, where party leaders were expected to announce the plan for this protest, CM Gandapur caused confusion when he came up with a new 90-day timeline for what he called ‘a final push’, with PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik later expressing her reservations over this announcement. “Publicly airing internal matters or individual concerns before the media is entirely unacceptable,” Imran’s post read. “My instruction is firm: whether a senior officeholder or a junior member, no one is to express inter...

PML-N leaders have issued differing statements on whether PTI founder Imran Khan’s sons would be allowed entry into Pakistan to run a political movement for their father’s release, with Senator Irfan Siddiqui saying they “can stage protests but within legal limitations”. Imran’s sons — Suleman Khan (28) and Kasim Khan (26) — had called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May. Earlier this week, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said the two brothers would come to Pakistan as part of an upcoming PTI protest movement. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023 in a case related to state gifts, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in the £190 million graft case and and faces pending trials related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Geo Pakistan’ today, Irfan Siddiqui said: “In my personal opinion — as the government has so far not taken any official stance — they should be allowed to come. They should come and carry out their activities.” He noted that the sons ...

Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Tuesday filed an application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for an early hearing of the plea for the suspension of their conviction in the £190m Al-Qadir Trust case, in which both of them face a 14-year and a seven-year prison term, respectively. Imran and Bushra were convicted on January 17 in the case which alleges that the couple obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd to legalise Rs50 billion identified and returned to the country by the United Kingdom during the previous PTI government. On January 27, the couple moved IHC against the decision, asking the court to set aside their conviction, emphasising that the ruling lacked credible evidence and suffered from procedural lapses. In an application filed on behalf of Imran, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, it was requested that an early hearing be fixed without any further delay, as it is a question of “liberty and freedom”. It was stated t...

The Lahore High Court on Thursday ruled that the prosecution evidence concerning offences attributed to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan in connection with the May 9, 2023, riots amounted to “conspiracy and abetment”. Following the arrest of the ex-premier on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises, riots erupted across the country and went on for at least 24 hours. Protesters vandalised and torched government buildings and military installations, while also breaking into the residence of the Lahore corps commander. The state subsequently launched a crackdown against him and his party, filing several other cases against Imran since the events of May 9, in many of which he has been acquitted. Imran had approached the LHC seeking post-arrest bail in eight cases of the May 9 riots, including an attack on the corps commander’s residence, in January. The other cases involve attacks on Askari Tower at Liberty, PML-N offices in Model Town, Shadman police station, the burning of police vehicles near ...

Aleema alleges PTI founder not consulted; Barrister Saif insists Imran was briefed