ISLAMABAD: Arif Alvi, former president and a close aide of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, on Saturday denied being appointed chairman of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party.

The statement came amid widespread speculation about Alvi being made the PTI chairman to resolve the party’s issues with the powerful military establishment whom Khan has accused of sidelining him, according to some media reports.

The reports suggested the former president had been tasked with the “important” job following his meeting with Khan at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, however, Alvi denied these reports.

“There is unnecessary speculation that Mr.@ImranKhanPTI intends to appoint me as Chairman of the party. There is no such thing being envisaged by my leader nor was it discussed in my meeting with him,” he said on X.

“These speculations create confusion in a party whose leadership is wrongfully & unjustly incarcerated.”

Alvi said the incumbent PTI chairman Gohar Khan was leading the party well. “I would like to put this inaccurate non-issue to rest with a clear denial,” he added.

Alvi’s meeting with Khan came a day after the ex-premier reportedly turned down the Pakistani military’s demand to apologize for the violent protests, allegedly staged by his supporters over his brief arrest in a graft case, that targeted military installations and public property on May 9, 2023.

Hundreds were arrested in the aftermath and some were tried by military courts after the authorities promised to bring the perpetrators and instigators of the violence to justice.

During the alleged crackdown against the PTI, Alvi, who was the then president, was said to be making efforts to bridge the gap between his party and Pakistan’s powerful military.

Khan was ousted in 2022 after falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military leaders who many say backed him into power in 2018. In opposition, he waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military establishment which has directly ruled the South Asian nation for nearly half of its history.

Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says the cases against him are “politically motivated,” aimed at keeping him from returning to power. The military denies it.

ISLAMABAD: More than 3,400 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims have arrived in Madinah via 15 flights during the first two days of the country’s pre-Hajj flight operation, Pakistani state media reported on Friday.

Out of these, seven flights were operated from Islamabad and Karachi under the Makkah Route project, an initiative of the Saudi government to streamline the immigration process for pilgrims.

Currently, only Islamabad and Karachi airports in Pakistan are functioning under the initiative to facilitate pilgrims during the Hajj days.

“Filled with excitement and devotion, the pilgrims, who have been preparing for this moment for years, stepped foot in the Prophet’s (SAW) city, marking the beginning of the Hajj season,” the state-run APP news agency reported.

“Approximately three million pilgrims from around the world, including 179,210 Pakistanis, will converge on the holy cities to perform the sacred Hajj.”

From the airport, the passengers were transported to residential buildings located in Markazia, some 20-minute away from the Prophet’s Mosque.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, if they are financially and physically able.

Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry. Of them, 63,805 pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest would be accommodated by private tour operators.

Pakistan began its pre-Hajj flight operation on May 9, which will continue till June 9. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.