Ex-PM Khan’s arrest warrants cancelled amid clashes outside Islamabad’s Judicial Complex

Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan run for cover after police fire tear gas shell to disperse them during clashes, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo courtesy: AP)
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Updated 18 March 2023
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Ex-PM Khan’s arrest warrants cancelled amid clashes outside Islamabad’s Judicial Complex

  • Khan faces charges of unlawfully selling state gifts given to him by foreign leaders while in office
  • Islamabad police claim nine of its officials sustained injuries in clashes with Khan’s supporters

ISLAMABAD: A district court in Islamabad on Saturday cancelled the arrest warrants of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case involving the sale of state gifts, after he marked his attendance outside the Judicial Complex in Islamabad.

Khan was scheduled to be indicted in the case, commonly known as the Toshakhana reference, but the court had to adjourn the proceedings after clashes broke out between his supporters and law enforcement personnel outside the complex.

The district judge, Zafar Iqbal, allowed Khan to go back after signing the attendance roll since the ex-PM could not move to the courtroom amid intense teargas shelling by the police and stone pelting by his supporters.

Khan remained seated in his bulletproof vehicle that was parked at the entrance of the Judicial Complex while hundreds of his supporters also managed to reach the area after breaking the security cordon.

“Ask Imran Khan, there is no need for stone pelting or anything else. Sign [the attendance roll] and leave,” the judge directed his judicial staff at a time when it was becoming difficult to breathe in the courtroom due to intense teargas shelling outside.

“The hearing and appearance [of Khan] cannot take place in this situation,” he continued before adjourning the hearing until March 30.

The court previously issued Khan’s arrest warrants in the case after he failed to attend its hearings.

The judge rejected Khan’s exemption from the next hearing and ordered him to appear in person to join the proceedings while responding to a request from his legal team.

Reacting to the development, the country’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah said Khan had been enjoying “extraordinary relief” from courts.

“A lot of people who were trying to invade the Judicial Complex in Islamabad today were armed as shown in videos, which were mostly shot by media personnel, so there is no doubt that they were armed,” he added.

The government banned public gatherings in Islamabad and adjoining Rawalpindi city ahead of Khan’s appearance in the court and sealed the Judicial Complex with shipping containers to stop the entry of PTI supporters there.

About 4,000 security officials of Islamabad and Punjab Police, Frontier Constabulary, and Rangers were also deployed in and around the complex when Khan’s convoy arrived from his residence in Lahore to the Pakistani capital.

The security personnel were armed with teargas shells, paintball guns, batons, and zip cuffs to deal with the PTI supporters. Prison vans and ambulances were also deployed outside the complex building.

Media and law enforcement personnel were present in the area since morning where a large crowd of Khan’s supporters later arrived with his motorcade and started pelting stones at the police.

The charged crowd chanted slogans in Khan’s favor and managed to enter the premises by repelling the law enforcement personnel wearing the riot gear. The police kept firing teargas shells on the crowd, including women, intermittently but failed to disperse them.

Some PTI supporters and police personnel also sustained injuries during the clashes.

The Islamabad Police claimed in a statement that as many as nine police personnel were injured while the mob set over 25 motorbikes on fire.

Khan has been leading nationwide protests since his ouster from power in April last year. He has been pressing his successor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to call early national elections that are otherwise scheduled to be held later this year.


Pakistan’s national airline concludes month-long post-Hajj flight operation

Updated 10 July 2025
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Pakistan’s national airline concludes month-long post-Hajj flight operation

  • Pakistan International Airlines’ final post-Hajj flight arrived in Islamabad from Madinah, says airline
  • PIA says repatriated over 41,500 pilgrims in total since June 10 using Boeing 777, Airbus A320 aircraft

KARACHI: Pakistan’s national flag carrier announced concluding its month-long post-Hajj flight operation on Thursday, saying it had repatriated 41,500 pilgrims since June 10 from Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan concluded its 33-day pre-Hajj flight operation in May, transporting more than 115,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia under both the government and private schemes for the annual Islamic pilgrimage. The Pakistan International Airline (PIA) began its post-Hajj flight operation on June 10.

The final post-Hajj flight operated by PIA arrived in Islamabad from Madinah at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, the national airline’s spokesperson said in a statement.

“In total, over 41,500 pilgrims were repatriated to Pakistan via 147 flights operated by PIA,” the spokesperson said. “PIA maintained an on-time departure rate of over 90 percent for its Hajj flights.”

The airline said its post-Hajj operation was conducted from Pakistan’s Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Multan and Peshawar cities. The airline used its Boeing 777 and Airbus A320 aircraft for the operation.

“Pilgrims expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made by PIA,” the airline’s spokesperson said.

Pakistan has already started the registration process for Hajj 2026, with over 313,000 individuals completing the process. Intending pilgrims can register for the annual Islamic pilgrimage next year through the religion ministry’s online portal and 15 designated banks.

Pakistan has extended the deadline to register for Hajj 2026 till July 11.


Awami National Party leader killed as militant violence escalates in northwest Pakistan

Updated 10 July 2025
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Awami National Party leader killed as militant violence escalates in northwest Pakistan

  • Another person with ANP’s Maulana Zeb Khan shot dead by unidentified militants, says CM Office
  • ANP spokesperson Ihsan Ullah pays tribute to Khan, says he spoke out against militants frequently

ISLAMABAD: Two people, including a senior leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Thursday, the chief minister’s office said.

Maulana Zeb Khan, a leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), was shot dead along with another person in KP’s Bajaur tribal district by unknown persons, the chief minister’s office said. English language newspaper Dawn quoted police as saying that the politician was shot dead in Bajaur’s Shindai Mor while campaigning for a peace parade scheduled for July 13 when he was attacked.

ANP spokesperson Ihsan Ullah paid tribute to Khan, saying he frequently spoke out against militants and was a key member of the party, serving as its central secretary of ulema affairs.

“Two people, including Maulana Khan Zeb, were killed in Bajaur in a firing incident by unidentified assailants,” KP Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement, adding that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the incident.

This handout photo, released by Awami National Party, shows ANP’s senior leader Maulana Zeb Khan. (Photo courtesy: ANP)

The KP chief minister directed authorities to prepare a report on the incident and ordered immediate action against those responsible for Khan’s killing.

The incident takes place amid an alarming surge in militant attacks, especially in KP’s tribal districts such as Bajaur, in recent years. Despite past military operations, recent attacks on security forces, clerics and politicians highlight growing instability in the area.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the incident. However, suspicion is likely to fall on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) outfit that has launched some of the deadliest attacks targeting law enforcers, politicians and civilians since 2007.

Pakistan says Afghanistan-based militant groups launch attacks inside Pakistani territory, a claim Kabul has strongly denied. Islamabad also blames New Delhi for funding and arming these militant groups, which India also denies.


Pakistan police detain eight Sindh building authority officials after Karachi building collapse

Updated 10 July 2025
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Pakistan police detain eight Sindh building authority officials after Karachi building collapse

  • Twenty-seven people died when dilapidated building in Lyari collapsed last Friday 
  • Incident exposes issue of unsafe housing in city home to over 20 million people

KARACHI: Eight officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the owners of a building that collapsed in Karachi last week have been detained in connection with the incident, Pakistani police said on Thursday. 

A five-story residential building, Fotan Mansion, collapsed last Friday around 10 am in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of Karachi, trapping dozens under the rubble and prompting a large-scale rescue operation. Rescue officials recovered 27 bodies from the rubble after three days. 

The collapse of the dilapidated building once again exposed the persistent issue of unsafe and poorly regulated housing in Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city, which is home to over 20 million people. The rapid urbanization and weak enforcement of building codes have put countless residents at risk.

“We have detained eight officials of the SBCA and the owners of the building in connection with the first information report regarding the building collapse in Lyari,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) City Arif Aziz told Arab News. 

The complaint was registered under criminal sections covering public servant misconduct, negligence in building safety, unintentional death, intentional bodily harm and property damage. These offenses carry penalties ranging from fines and short-term imprisonment to financial compensation and long-term jail.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah suspended Director General SBCA Ishaque Khuhro and ordered an inquiry over the incident on Monday. 

He also directed the SBCA to carry out safety inspections of all buildings in the city. The Sindh government announced Rs1 million ($3,513) in compensation for the families of the 27 victims.

Many of the building’s occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community, and residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when the structure collapsed.

Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe three years ago, according to the SBCA. This incident is the latest in a series of deadly building collapses in Karachi.

In February 2020, a five-story building in Rizvia Society collapsed, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure in Gulbahar came down, claiming 16 lives.

In June 2021, a three-story building in Malir collapsed, resulting in four deaths. Just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi killed at least three people.


Pakistan delegation concludes UAE visit under governance exchange program

Updated 10 July 2025
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Pakistan delegation concludes UAE visit under governance exchange program

  • Meetings focused on digital governance, tax reform and service delivery
  • Delegation seeks to adopt UAE best practices in innovation, institutional performance

ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistani government delegation on Thursday concluded an official visit to the United Arab Emirates as part of a program aimed at sharing knowledge and best practices in governance and public sector modernization.

The delegation, led by Bilal Azhar Kayani, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance and Railways and Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, participated in the UAE Government’s Experience Exchange Programme (EEP). The initiative is aligned with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s wider push for institutional reform and better service delivery across the country’s public sector.

During the visit, the eight-member team held detailed sessions with senior UAE officials to learn about digital governance, tax system modernization, leadership development, and innovation in public service.

“Kayani expressed gratitude to the UAE Government for facilitating valuable knowledge-sharing engagements in areas such as digital governance, public service delivery, and tax system modernization,” the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi said in an official statement.

On the final day of the program, the Pakistani delegation met senior Emirati officials including Mohammad Al Sharhan, Managing Director of the World Governments Summit, Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General of the UAE Federal Tax Authority, Saeed Al Eter, Chair of the UAE Government Media Office, Dr. Waleed Al Ali, Secretary General of The Digital School and Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation.

The sessions focused on the UAE’s approach to future foresight, media communication, and performance management in governance.

Kayani “underscored Pakistan’s commitment to adopting global best practices in digital governance, efficiency, and public sector competitiveness to enhance service delivery and institutional performance,” the statement added.

The visit builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 16, 2025, between the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in governance excellence and institutional capacity-building.

The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and an important source of foreign remittances, with more than 1.7 million Pakistani expatriates living and working in the Emirates. According to Pakistan’s Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, the UAE is the second-largest destination for Pakistani migrant workers after Saudi Arabia.

In recent years, bilateral trade has grown steadily, reaching nearly $10 billion in 2024, driven by energy imports, textiles, and other goods. Pakistani workers in the UAE sent home over $5 billion in remittances last fiscal year, providing vital foreign exchange for the country’s economy.

The two countries maintain close ties in investment, defense cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, underpinned by shared commitments to economic development and regional stability.


Pakistan army chief calls visits to US, Gulf, Central Asia ‘successful diplomatic maneuver’

Updated 10 July 2025
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Pakistan army chief calls visits to US, Gulf, Central Asia ‘successful diplomatic maneuver’

  • Munir’s remarks preset rare public statement by military on the country’s high-level diplomatic outreach
  • Says meetings with Trump, other US leaders allowed Pakistan to present views on bilateral, regional issues

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, on Thursday described his recent visits to the United States, Gulf nations and Central Asia as a “successful diplomatic maneuver,” in a rare public statement by the military on the country’s high-level foreign policy engagements.

Munir made the remarks during a closed-door briefing to senior commanders at the 271st Corps Commanders’ Conference, held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing.

In May and June, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by senior ministers and Munir, visited Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkiye, Iran, and Azerbaijan as part of Islamabad’s broader diplomatic outreach in the wake of its four-day confrontation with India in May and as tensions escalated in the Middle East.

Last month, Munir was also hosted to a unprecedented two-hour-long lunch by US President Donald Trump at the White House, with no civilian leaders present. The two leaders discussed regional conflicts including India-Pakistan and Iran-Israel tensions, as well as economic development, trade, cryptocurrency, critical minerals and IT.

“The COAS shared details of Pakistan’s proactive and successful diplomatic maneuver, including recent visits to Iran, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, KSA and UAE, where the COAS accompanied the honorable prime minister,” the army’s media wing said in a statement.

In this combination of handout photographs, taken and released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir speaks during the 271st Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on July 10, 2025. (Handout/ISPR)

“Forum was also briefed on the historic and unique visit of the COAS to US, where meetings with top-tier leadership, afforded an opportunity to share firsthand, Pakistan’s objective perspective on bilateral, regional and extra-regional developments.”

According to the ISPR, the commanders’ forum also conducted a “holistic review” of internal and external security dynamics, with particular focus on developments in the Middle East and Iran. It said the growing global trend toward the use of force as a preferred policy tool highlighted the need for “persistent development of self-reliant capabilities, national unity and resolve.”

Pakistan has long accused India of supporting militant groups that carry out attacks inside its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, an allegation New Delhi denies. The military’s statement said Indian intelligence agencies were continuing to back anti-Pakistan proxies.

“Forum strongly asserted that it is imperative to take decisive and holistic actions at all levels against the Indian-backed and sponsored proxies,” the ISPR said.

Pakistan’s powerful military has ruled the country directly for nearly half of its history and retains significant influence over foreign and security policy, even under civilian governments. In recent weeks, top officials have increasingly described the current governance model as a “hybrid system” in which the military and civilian leaders co-share power.