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Pakistan court rejects bail pleas of ex-PM Khan, wife in new graft case

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (C) with his wife Bushra Bibi (L) arrive to appear at a high court in Lahore on May 15, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 30 September 2024
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Pakistan court rejects bail pleas of ex-PM Khan, wife in new graft case

  • Khan and Bushra are accused of misusing power to acquire gifts from state repository when Khan was PM from 2018-22
  • Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says all cases against him are motivated to keep him out of politics
Updated 30 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court on Monday rejected the bail pleas of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan in a case in which they are accused of misusing power to acquire gifts from a state repository when Khan was premier from 2018-22.

Khan was convicted in four cases after being arrested in August last year. Two of the verdicts have since been suspended and he was acquitted in the remaining two. However, the National Accountability Bureau earlier this year filed what has come to be popularly called the new Toshakhana reference involving a jewelry set worth over €380,000 that was gifted to the former first lady by a foreign dignitary and which the couple are accused of undervaluing and buying at a lesser price from the state repository. 

Khan and Bushra, who deny wrongdoing, are set to be indicted in the case on Oct. 2.

“A court on Monday rejected the bail pleas filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder Imran Khan and his wife and former first lady Bushra Bibi in the new Toshakhana case where they face allegations of misusing power to acquire state gifts,” Pakistan’s top news channel, Geo News, reported. 

All major media outlets also reported the development. 

Khan and Bushra, already in prison at the time, were re-arrested on July 13 shortly after a district and sessions court ordered their immediate release after accepting their appeals against a ruling that they had violated the country’s marriage law.

The couple were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined in February by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage broke the law. Bushra was accused of not completing the waiting period mandated by Islam, called “Iddat,” after divorcing her previous husband and marrying Khan.

At that point, two of Khan’s convictions had been suspended by the court and he had been acquitted in the third one so the Iddat case was the only one keeping him in prison.

However, hours after the local court’s verdict in their favor, the new Toshakhana case was filed by NAB and the former prime minister and his wife were arrested, ruling out the possibility of them walking out of jail.

Khan’s convictions had already ruled the 71-year-old out of Feb. 8 general elections as convicted felons cannot run for public office under Pakistani law. Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says all cases against him are motivated to keep him out of politics.

Topics: Imran Khan Bushra Bibi PTI

In ‘hope’ ambulances with women drivers in Pakistan’s Sanghar district

Updated 7 sec ago
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In ‘hope’ ambulances with women drivers in Pakistan’s Sanghar district

  • Sindh Integrated Emergency & Health Services employed the province’s first two women ambulance drivers in June
  • Employing women is a bold move by SIEHS in a conservative province where women are often denied the most basic rights
Updated 7 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

SANGHAR, Sindh: Irum Jatt’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as the ambulance she was driving zipped through the roads of the southern Pakistani city of Sanghar earlier this month, sirens blaring to warn other cars and pedestrians to move out of the way. 

While a woman driving an ambulance is no anomaly in cities like London or New York, in this remote, conservative town in Sindh province, Jatt, 21 and another colleague Shereen Shah, 22, made history in June when they were hired as the first women ambulance drivers for the Sindh Integrated Emergency & Health Services (SIEHS), a semi-governmental organization operating around 283 “HOPE” ambulances across the province. 

Established in 2021, SIEHS employs 750 Emergency Vehicle Operators (EVOs) and launched operations in Sanghar in October 2023 with three ambulances.

In conservative and patriarchal Pakistan, where the right to education, employment and even voting is sometimes not extended to women, employing female ambulance drivers was a bold move by SIEHS and one that has not even been experimented with in large urban centers of the province such as Karachi and Hyderabad. Women in Sindh in general also face many challenges such as discrimination, violence, and limited access to health, education and job opportunities.

“Many people believed that it wasn’t possible,” Jatt told Arab News in an interview as she drove on a road in main Sanghar city. 

“But there’s something within a person, a passion that drives them to do something. I felt the same, I wanted to do it, I wanted to drive an ambulance.”

Jatt, an intermediate degree graduate, saw the job opening for an ambulance driver on social media and applied, having to go through several rounds of tests before her selection. 

“On the road, it’s common for people to stare when they see a woman driving,” Jatt said. 

“Many people don’t give way. While leaving our Sanghar city, motorcyclists don’t give way, and we have to face all of that.”

Negative stereotypes and biases, including that women were bad drivers or drove slowly, also made the job harder, she said. 

“Some good people get it but there are communities that don’t understand and say things like, ‘You arrived late,’ or ‘You deliberately delayed’. Some might even think, ‘Because it was a woman driving, it took longer’.”

Mumtaz Ali Pirzada, the district manager at the SIEHS, acknowledged the initial resistance by the community to the women ambulance drivers.

“When we first inducted female drivers in Sanghar, and we did and in the future also we will do it, there was significant backlash on social media, most people asked how can a woman drive an ambulance,” he said. 

“But we have broken that stereotype. These women have broken it because they are doing all these things and doing them with a lot of hard work.”

According to Pirzada, Shah and Jatt often outperformed their male counterparts. 

“But their success isn’t due to sympathy or special treatment, it’s purely their hard work and skills,” he added. “They even handle tasks like changing tires, including the heavy tires of ambulances, which challenges the traditional mindset that only men can manage such tasks.”

Shereen Shah, another women ambulance driver from Sanghar, said the response from the community was improving. 

“When we first started working here, people were shocked to see women driving ambulances, they thought we wouldn’t be able to handle it, that we might hit something,” she told Arab News as she stood by her vehicle. 

“But now, wherever we go, if the traffic police sees us, they salute us and the Sindh police also salute us. They feel proud of us.”

She said it was “so fulfilling” to be able to rescue people from road accidents and other emergencies and deliver them to medical facilities in a timely manner. 

“A few years ago, women rarely stepped out of their homes in this city,” she said. “But today, women are driving vehicles here and that’s a matter of pride for Sanghar.”

Topics: Ambulances Sanghar

UN adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution on self-determination, highlighting Palestinian plight

Updated 29 min 4 sec ago
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UN adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution on self-determination, highlighting Palestinian plight

  • Pakistan has annually tabled the resolution for over four decades to highlight the struggles of oppressed people
  • The resolution addresses the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir, challenges colonial and foreign occupation
Updated 29 min 4 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution reaffirming the universal right to self-determination, said the foreign office on Wednesday, with a focus on people living under foreign occupation, including in Palestine and Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan has annually tabled this resolution for over four decades to highlight the struggles of people denied self-determination under colonial domination or foreign subjugation.

“The unanimous adoption of this resolution reflects the collective will of UN member states and strengthens the principle of self-determination, as enshrined in international law, including the UN Charter and the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,” the foreign office said.

“The resolution highlights the plight of people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, reinforcing international support for their legitimate aspirations for self-determination,” it added.

Adopted by consensus, the resolution was supported and co-sponsored by a large number of countries from different regions around the world.

It underscores the inalienable right of all peoples to self-determination as essential for advancing human rights globally, sending a message of solidarity to populations struggling against foreign occupation, while calling for an end to intervention and aggression.

The foreign office said the adoption of the resolution demonstrated Pakistan’s leadership in advocating for the rights of oppressed peoples and maintaining the principle of self-determination as a cornerstone of international justice and peace.

Topics: Palestine

US imposes more sanctions over Pakistan’s missile program

Updated 49 min 32 sec ago
Reuters
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US imposes more sanctions over Pakistan’s missile program

  • The measures target ‘proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery,’ State Department says
  • The sanctions freeze any US property belonging to the targeted entities and bars Americans from doing business with them
Updated 49 min 32 sec ago
Reuters

WASHINGTON: The United States said on Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan’s long-range ballistic-missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the measures slapped on the National Development Complex and three firms were imposed under an executive order that “targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.”
The sanctions freeze any US property belonging to the targeted entities and bars Americans from doing business with them.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the US action was “unfortunate and biased” and would harm regional stability by “aiming to accentuate military asymmetries,” an apparent reference to the country’s rivalry with nuclear-armed India.
A State Department factsheet said the Islamabad-based NDC has sought to obtain components for the country’s long-range ballistic-missile program and missile-testing equipment.
It said the NDC “is responsible for the development of Pakistan’s ballistic missiles,” including the Shaheen family of missiles.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists research organization says the Shaheen series of missiles is nuclear-capable.
Pakistan conducted its first nuclear-weapons test in 1998, becoming the seventh country to do so. The Bulletin estimates Pakistan’s arsenal at about 170 warheads.
Islamabad has refused to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of the international system designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
The other entities slapped with sanctions were Affiliates International, Akhtar and Sons Private Limited and Rockside Enterprise, all located in Karachi, the factsheet said.
It said the companies worked with the NDC to acquire equipment.
“The United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern,” Miller said.

Topics: Pakistan US Ties Pakistan’s missile program Pakistan Matthew Miller Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan completes survey of special economic zones to attract Chinese industries, foreign investment

Updated 53 min 30 sec ago
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Pakistan completes survey of special economic zones to attract Chinese industries, foreign investment

  • The survey included aerial assessments to identify resources and challenges of SEZs across the country
  • The government plans to adopt environmentally sustainable practices to run these industrial zones
Updated 53 min 30 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has completed a survey of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as part of efforts to facilitate the relocation of Chinese firms and make these zones suitable for international businesses, Federal Minister for Investment Abdul Aleem Khan said on Wednesday.
The government aims to attract foreign investment from friendly nations, including China and Gulf countries, and established the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil-military body, last year to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and provide a one-window operation for foreign businesses.
The survey, which included aerial assessments using drone technology, identified the resources and challenges of SEZs across the country.
“These zones will incorporate special measures to facilitate the relocation of Chinese industries,” the investment minister was quoted as saying in an official statement, though he added the country would also welcome investments from other countries.
Officials in Islamabad and Beijing launched the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which initially focused on energy and infrastructure projects but now plans to transition into the next phase with an aim to boost industrial production and exports.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif undertook a five-day visit to China, where he met representatives of leading Chinese businesses and urged them to invest in Pakistan and relocate their operations to SEZs.
The development came as Pakistan recovers from a prolonged economic crisis with external financing, while the government acknowledges the need to enhance industrial and agricultural output and exports through increased international investment.
Khan directed Pakistani embassies to engage foreign investors actively and asked relevant officials to establish a “Pride of Pakistan” group for key international stakeholders.
He said the government aimed to introduce about 150 reforms to enhance SEZ operations and improve their overall efficiency.
The steps would include environmentally sustainable practices under the “Green Pakistan Investment” model, focusing on eco-friendly infrastructure, renewable energy and sustainability measures to attract global investors.
Specific zones, such as Karachi’s industrial hub, will be linked to Port Qasim with enhanced infrastructure and facilities.
The minister and other officials also discussed the construction of a business facilitation center in a meeting and reviewed the “Ease of Doing Business Act 2024,” which aims to streamline investment processes further.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties China

Pakistan pledges to sustain economic gains after inflation hits six-year low

Updated 18 December 2024
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Pakistan pledges to sustain economic gains after inflation hits six-year low

  • Finance minister says economic progress made so far will serve as foundation for future successes
  • Consumer Price Index in Pakistan fell to 4.9 percent this month, marking its lowest level since Apr. 2018
Updated 18 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday vowed to maintain the country’s economic momentum after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 4.9 percent earlier this month, marking the lowest inflation rate since April 2018.
The pledge comes as Pakistan navigates a recovery from years of severe economic challenges, including soaring inflation, dwindling foreign exchange reserves, currency depreciation and a persistent fiscal deficit.
In recent months, however, the country has witnessed a steady improvement in macroeconomic indicators, taking measures to restore investor confidence, as it undertakes structural reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
“The Finance Minister expressed optimism that the progress made so far would serve as a foundation for future successes, as the government remains dedicated to building a prosperous and stable Pakistan,” the finance ministry said in a statement released after the Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) meeting.
The meeting evaluated on the overall economic situation of the country and particularly mentioned the improvement in CPI.
“The current CPI figure marks the lowest in the past 78 months, signaling a positive shift in the country’s inflationary trends,” the statement added. “The decline in CPI reflects the government’s success in managing inflationary pressures and restoring price stability, particularly for essential commodities.”
Aurangzeb assured the public the government would continue its efforts to support economic stability and strengthen key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure.
The ECC also discussed plans to pursue economic diversification and ensure better living standards for Pakistan’s population.

Topics: Pakistan economy Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb

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