Convoys of buses and vehicles filled with government supporters yesterday flooded the main road leading to Islamabad to protest the release of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.
Thousands made their way to the Supreme Court for a rare sit-in against its decision to give Khan, now opposition leader, an “undue reprieve” following his arrest in a graft case. Khan, 70, was released on bail and given protection from arrest until later this month.
The call to protest was a sign of escalating tensions between the judiciary and the government of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April last year.
Photo: AFP
Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of 13 political parties affiliated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, had called for the sit-in. The radical Islamist political party Jamiat-e-Ulema-Islam is leading the protest call.
Pakistan People’s Party, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — the son of assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto — also joined the alliance’s protest.
The call to protest came, despite a ban on rallies and public gatherings that the government imposed in the wake of the crisis.
“Our peaceful protest is against Chief Justice [Umar Ata Bandial] for facilitating the release of Imran Khan,” Pakistan Democratic Alliance head Fazalur Rehman said.
As he spoke, more than 3,000 supporters had already gathered near the sprawling court building.
In a televised statement, Pakistani Minister of Defence Khawaja Mohammad Asif accused the Supreme Court of siding with Khan. He suggested the court “examine the conduct of the chief justice” and take legal action against him.
From his home in the eastern city of Lahore, where he returned to following his release, Khan yesterday wrote on Twitter that the sit-in was being orchestrated to remove the chief justice.
Khan was dramatically arrested from a courtroom in Islamabad and dragged out by agents of the National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday last week on charges of accepting millions of dollars of property in exchange for providing benefits to a real-estate tycoon.
Khan’s arrest triggered a wave of violent protests across Pakistan. Supporters of Khan and his Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf party clashed with police, set fire to scores of police vehicles and burned down government buildings and even military facilities, including the residence of a top regional army commander in the eastern city of Lahore.
Khan was expected to appear in court in Lahore later yesterday, along with his wife, Bushra Bibi, to seek bail and protection from arrest in terrorism cases filed against him because of last week’s violence instigated by his supporters.
Bibi also faces possible arrest in the case related to Malik Riaz, the business tycoon, as both she and Khan are implicated in real-estate acquisition from the magnate during Khan’s term in office. Khan has denied the allegations.
PARLIAMENT CHAOS: Police forcibly removed Brazilian Deputy Glauber Braga after he called the legislation part of a ‘coup offensive’ and occupied the speaker’s chair Brazil’s lower house of Congress early yesterday approved a bill that could slash former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence for plotting a coup, after efforts by a lawmaker to disrupt the proceedings sparked chaos in parliament. Bolsonaro has been serving a 27-year term since last month after his conviction for a scheme to stop Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 election. Lawmakers had been discussing a bill that would significantly reduce sentences for several crimes, including attempting a coup d’etat — opening up the prospect that Bolsonaro, 70, could have his sentence cut to
A plan by Switzerland’s right-wing People’s Party to cap the population at 10 million has the backing of almost half the country, according to a poll before an expected vote next year. The party, which has long campaigned against immigration, argues that too-fast population growth is overwhelming housing, transport and public services. The level of support comes despite the government urging voters to reject it, warning that strict curbs would damage the economy and prosperity, as Swiss companies depend on foreign workers. The poll by newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten and released yesterday showed that 48 percent of the population plan to vote
A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Japan’s northeast region late on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and orders for residents to evacuate. A tsunami as high as three metres (10 feet) could hit Japan’s northeastern coast after an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.6 occurred offshore at 11:15 p.m. (1415 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Tsunami warnings were issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, and a tsunami of 40cm had been observed at Aomori’s Mutsu Ogawara and Hokkaido’s Urakawa ports before midnight, JMA said. The epicentre of the quake was 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro on Friday said that his father, jailed former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, has chosen him to lead the country’s powerful conservative movement, shaking up next year’s election race. The 44-year-old senator said on social media that he will carry forward the political legacy that reshaped Brazilian politics. His announcement makes him an instant contender for the presidency. Jair Bolsonaro, 70, is unlikely to run after being sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup and banned from public office. He is appealing and seeking a legislative pardon. The former president also faces serious health issues, including complications from a
RSS