ISLAMABAD: Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan retracted on Tuesday a much-trumpeted call to hold a mass protest aimed at “locking down” the capital and forcing the prime minister to resign, after the country’s highest court asked the premier to submit a written response to allegations that members of his family were holding offshore bank accounts.
Khan, a former cricketer, called off his “million men” rally, a day before it was due to take place. He urged his supporters to gather at an Islamabad park Wednesday to “celebrate victory” as the Supreme Court holds Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to account.
Khan’s move came after the Supreme Court of Pakistan adjourned the hearing of petitions calling for Sharif to be disqualified from office for holding offshore bank accounts.
Sharif has been under immense pressure from the opposition to step down because his family members were named as holders of offshore bank accounts in leaked financial documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. He has repeatedly denied that either he or any his family members were involved in corruption.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan welcomed Khan’s announcement.
Police over the past several days used batons and tear gas to prevent Khan’s supporters from defying a ban on rallies in Islamabad.
Authorities also detained 1,500 Khan supporters to foil his rally. The arrests followed intermittent clashes between Khan’s followers and riot police in Islamabad and elsewhere in Pakistan.
Khan has been under virtual house arrest at his home since Friday. On Tuesday, he could not go to the Supreme Court, which adjourned until Thursday the hearing of his petition seeking the prime minister’s disqualification from office.
During the proceedings, judges hinted at forming a judicial commission to determine whether Sharif or his family held offshore bank accounts. After the hearing, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif told reporters that his party — the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, headed by Sharif — will abide by any verdict of the court.
Imran Khan calls off ‘million men’ march
Imran Khan calls off ‘million men’ march
Indonesia strips citizenship of ex-officers who joined Russian mercenary forces
- Muhammad Rio, Satria Kumbara went viral after claiming they were fighting in Ukraine
- Both were dishonorably discharged, Indonesian police and navy have separately confirmed
JAKARTA: Indonesia has revoked the citizenship of former security forces personnel who joined Russian mercenary forces, the government said, addressing the cases of a former policeman and a navy officer who have reportedly joined the fighting in Ukraine.
Muhammad Rio, a former member of Indonesia’s paramilitary police force Brimob in Aceh province, said he was recruited by Russia’s Wagner Group in videos and photos that have widely circulated since last week.
His case followed that of former Indonesian marine Satria Kumbara, who also went viral last year after uploading clips on TikTok, where he claimed to be fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Their Indonesian citizenships have been revoked, said Law Minister Supratman Andi Atgas.
“Anyone, be it a Brimob officer or a civilian, who joins a foreign military without the president’s permission will automatically lose his citizenship … That is clearly stipulated in the law,” he told reporters.
According to Atgas, the Indonesians who joined Russian mercenary forces did so discreetly, had their own contacts and never reported to the local Indonesian Embassy following their arrival, which makes them “difficult to track down.”
After the latest case of Rio made headlines across Indonesia, Aceh police spokesperson Joko Krisdiyanto issued a statement over the weekend, saying that the ex-policeman had deserted his post since Dec. 8 and left Indonesia on Dec. 18.
On Jan. 7, he sent photos and videos to a group chat comprising fellow police officers, “showing that the concerned person has joined the Russian mercenary division, while also describing the registration process and the salary received in Russian ruble converted to Indonesian rupiah.”
He was slapped with a dishonorable discharge on Jan. 9 over a series of misconduct, including his alleged involvement with the Russian military, Krisdiyanto said.
The Indonesian Navy has also confirmed that ex-marine Kumbara was dishonorably discharged in 2023.
