Pakistan minister accuses Imran Khan of inciting violence in wake of ‘assassination’ attempt

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan (C) addresses his supporters during an anti-government march towards capital Islamabad, demanding early elections, in Gujranwala on November 1, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 06 November 2022
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Pakistan minister accuses Imran Khan of inciting violence in wake of ‘assassination’ attempt

  • Marriyum Aurangzeb says Khan’s demand PM Sharif resign ‘ridiculous,’ says he wants chaos
  • Imran Khan has accused PM Sharif, interior minister and ISI top official for plotting to kill him

DUBAI: The Pakistani information minister on Sunday accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan of inciting violence through his call for daily nationwide protests, saying he was welcome to call an international body to aid investigations into a gun attack in which he was injured this week. 

Khan was shot in the legs on Thursday as he waved to crowds from atop a truck-mounted container while leading a dayslong protest march to Islamabad from Lahore to pressure the government to announce early elections.

The leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was removed from office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in April, and has since frequently said his ouster was part of a US-backed “foreign conspiracy.” Washington and Khan’s opponents, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who heads the coalition government, deny the claim.

In a press talk from hospital on Friday, his legs bandaged and propped up on a chair, Khan said he would relaunch his protest march to the capital. Just hours before the former leader spoke, his supporters staged national wide demonstrations, blocking major roads and clashing with police. 

Khan also called on supporters to mobilize daily to protest the “assassination” attempt against him and demand the resignation of the sitting PM.




People react as police use tear gas to disperse them during a protest to condemn the shooting incident on a long march held by Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Wazirabad, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on November 4, 2022. (REUTERS)

In a phone interview with Arab News, Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Khan wanted “chaos in the country.”

“Mr. Khan is inciting violence in Pakistan and instigating hate in Pakistan,” she said. 

Since Thursday’s attack, Khan has held three officials responsible: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Inter-Services Intelligence director-general for counter-intelligence Maj. Gen. Faisal Naseer. Khan has also called for all three to step down, saying a transparent probe was impossible while they remained in office. 

The ex-premier has not provided evidence to support his accusations. Both the government and the military have said the accusations are baseless. 

“It’s absurd, it’s ridiculous to the max … How is the prime minister connected to this incident?” the information minister said, adding that Khan could call an international agency to come to Pakistan and be involved in the probe if he wanted to. 

 

 

As the attack took place in Pakistan’s Punjab province, which is ruled by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Aurangzeb said the former PM had everything at his disposal — the administration, police and intelligence — to conduct a probe but so far has not even filed a first information report, or FIR, which is the first step in Pakistan’s legal system before an investigation into a case. 

“It is a fact that it has been 48 hours since the incident and the FIR report has not been registered in any police station in Punjab,” she said.

Aurangzeb reiterated that the Sharif government immediately called for a probe after the attack.

“The moment this incident happened, the prime minister of Pakistan called the interior minister and immediately asked for an initial report from the chief secretary of Punjab and the IG (Inspector General) Punjab,” Aurangzeb said. “And the interior minister was instructed to give all recourses, all assistance to the Punjab government for any investigation they want, for any security they want.”

“And the interior minister was instructed to give all recourses, all assistance to the Punjab government, for any investigation they want, for any security they want.”


Pakistan says five killed, no information on missing as search ends in Greece boat tragedy

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Pakistan says five killed, no information on missing as search ends in Greece boat tragedy

  • Report in Geo News says at least 40 Pakistanis killed in migrant boat tragedy off Greek island of Gavdos last week
  • Six cases filed against suspects accused of facilitating transport of victims from Punjab to Libya where they boarded boats

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s mission in Greece said on Thursday five Pakistanis had been killed in a migrant boat tragedy off the Greek island of Gavdos last week but it had “no concrete information” on how many of its nationals were missing.

The latest incident of the boat capsizing highlights the perilous journeys many migrants undertake due to conflicts and lack of economic opportunities in their home countries. 

In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos. It was one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.

A report in Pakistan’s Geo News on Thursday said at least 40 Pakistanis had been killed in the latest tragedy, quoting the embassy in Athens. 

“So far, we have information of five dead Pakistanis and another 47 who have been rescued. No concrete information of missing persons is with us, and this is the final information available at this time,” an official at Pakistan’s mission in Greece told Arab News over the telephone, declining to be named.

“We are in contact with the authorities who have concluded their special search operation.”

The official added that regular patrolling would continue, and Greek authorities would inform the mission if any new information became available. He declined to comment on the Geo News report and referred Arab News to the foreign office. 

Speaking to Arab News, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the government had already released death toll figures and had no further information. 

“We cannot comment on people’s statements or claims regarding how many Pakistanis were on board until we receive evidence from the investigation,” she said in response to a question about the Geo News report that 40 Pakistanis were feared dead. “It is difficult to verify the claimed figure, as there was no official record of their travel.”

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered strict measures to combat human trafficking and demanded a detailed report on human trafficking incidents involving Pakistani citizens this year. 

Separately, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has filed six cases against suspects accused of facilitating the transport of victims from Punjab to Libya, where they were subsequently sent on boats to Greece.

Greece was a favored gateway to the European Union for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia in 2015-2016, when nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, mostly via inflatable dinghies.

Incidents with migrant boats and shipwrecks off Crete and its tiny neighbor Gavdos, which are relatively isolated in the central Mediterranean, have increased over the past year.


Pakistan calls for transport connectivity, trade corridors between D-8 developing nations

Updated 18 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan calls for transport connectivity, trade corridors between D-8 developing nations

  • PM Sharif is in Cairo to attend Eleventh Summit of D-8 countries, hold bilateral meetings with world leaders on forum’s sidelines
  • Pakistani PM will also and attend a special meeting on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East with a focus on Palestine and Lebanon

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called for better transport connectivity and trade corridors between member states from the D-8 developing group of nations to boost regional trade and economic cooperation.

Sharif arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to lead the Pakistan delegation at the Eleventh Summit of D-8 countries, hold bilateral discussions with multiple world leaders on the sidelines of the forum and attend a special meeting on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with a focus on Gaza and Lebanon.

The D-8 grouping promotes economic and development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. Key areas of cooperation are agriculture, trade, transportation, industry, energy and tourism.

The bloc’s latest summit is themed “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”

“Connectivity is a force multiplier and is rightly hailed as a vehicle for peace and prosperity,” Sharif said as he addressed the summit. “We need to explore the possibilities of developing and enhancing transport connectivity among D-8 member states for building efficient intra-trade corridors and reliable supply chains.

In this regard, the Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye corridor is an excellent project for very efficient connectivity.”

The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Road Transport Corridor is a cross-border trade initiative aimed at improving road transport links and providing more efficient movement options for goods between South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.


Pakistan naval chief holds defense cooperation, regional security talks on visit to Oman

Updated 55 min 46 sec ago
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Pakistan naval chief holds defense cooperation, regional security talks on visit to Oman

  • Oman is the nearest Arab country to Pakistan, because of which they share a maritime boundary
  • Last week, the Pakistan navy conducted joint naval exercises and drills with the Royal Oman ship ‘Alseeb’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani naval chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf is on an official visit to Oman to discuss defense cooperation, smuggling and regional maritime security, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

Oman is the nearest Arab country to Pakistan, because of which they share a maritime boundary. Pakistan shares a unique ‘blood bond’ with Oman, one third of whose population originates from Pakistan’s Balochistan province, while the southwestern port city of Gwadar, which is 200 nautical miles from Oman, was transferred to Pakistan in 1958, before which it had remained gifted to the Sultan of Oman for 175 years.

“During the meetings, the security situation in the Indian Ocean and joint defense cooperation were discussed,” the military’s media wing said after Ashraf had separate meetings with the minister of the Royal Office of the Sultanate of Oman, and the commanders of the Omani Royal Navy and National Defense College.

“Naval Chief highlighted the role of Pakistan Navy in preventing piracy and smuggling,” the statement said. “Pakistan Navy is a strong supporter of promoting maritime security in collaboration with other regional countries.”

Last week, the Pakistan navy conducted joint naval exercises and drills with Royal Oman ship ‘Alseeb.’ The bilateral naval exercise, “Samar Al-Tayeb,” is conducted regularly between the navies of the two nations.


Asian Development Bank approves $7.5 million to boost health care in Pakistan’s northwest

Updated 19 December 2024
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Asian Development Bank approves $7.5 million to boost health care in Pakistan’s northwest

  • Funds will aid in revamping hospitals, improving service delivery, modernizing equipment across secondary health facilities
  • The ADB has committed over $52 billion to Pakistan, one of its founding members, since 1966 in public, private sector loans

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $7.5 million to enhance health care systems in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.

The funds will support the mega project of revamping of Non-Teaching District Headquarters hospitals across the province, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“It would also improve service delivery, and modernize equipment across secondary health care facilities,” the report read.

The regional development bank has committed over $52 billion to Pakistan, one of its founding members, since 1966 in public and private sector loans, grants and other forms of financing to promote inclusive economic growth in the country.

On Dec. 14, Pakistan signed a loan agreement with the ADB for the Integrated Social Protection Development Program additional financing amounting to $330 million.


India to play Champions Trophy on neutral ground, not Pakistan

Updated 19 December 2024
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India to play Champions Trophy on neutral ground, not Pakistan

  • In return, Pakistan will also play upcoming ICC tournaments hosted by India in other countries, yet to be decided
  • The agreement will extend to ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 hosted by India, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

KARACHI: India will play next year’s Champions Trophy matches on neutral ground after refusing to visit tournament host and arch-rival Pakistan, the International Cricket Council said Thursday following weeks of wrangling.
In return, Pakistan will also play upcoming ICC tournaments hosted by India in other countries, yet to be decided.
“India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed,” said a statement released by the body.
“This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan).”
The agreement will extend to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 hosted by India, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the statement added.
The announcement ended a month-long stand-off over the Champions Trophy, after India told the ICC it will not send its team to Pakistan because of security fears and political tension.
Pakistan did, however, play in India during the 2023 ICC World Cup hosted there.