ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s close aide and ruling party lawmaker Sen. Faisal Javed on Monday praised the Makkah summit which saw Arab and Muslim leaders meet and discuss cooperation and mutual challenges.
He also stressed on the strength of the relationship with the kingdom after some social media accounts pointed out a lack of coordination during the translation process. He also stressed on the strength of the relation between the premier and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the eve of the 14th two-day Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Makkah.
“The prime minister exchanged greetings with King Salman and listened to him as well through the translator,” said Javed, who is also the chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting.
He said that the prime minister “enjoys an excellent relationship with the Saudi royal” and there was no question of disrespecting the king.
“Pakistan’s bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia has improved tremendously under the leadership of Imran Khan,” he said. “The social media criticism is just the opposition’s propaganda as they are trying to play down the prime minister’s brilliant speech at the OIC summit.”
Javed said that the prime minister also held a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the summit and “thanked him for extending financial support to Pakistan at this difficult juncture.”
“Let me make it clear that the Pakistani people and Prime Minister Imran Khan will continue to stand with Saudi Arabia, and we are ready to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom,” he said. “This social media criticism is nothing but baseless propaganda by some nefarious elements, which can never succeed.”
Pakistan PM’s aide praises Makkah summits, Saudi King
Pakistan PM’s aide praises Makkah summits, Saudi King
- Imran Khan enjoys excellent rapport with Saudi leadership: Sen. Faisal Javed
- Says the social media criticism is nothing more than opposition’s propaganda to downplay prime minister’s speech
Pakistan opposition rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand release of Imran Khan
- PTI-led gathering calls the former PM a national hero and demands the release of all political prisoners
- Government says the opposition failed to draw a large crowd and accuses PTI of damaging its own politics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanded the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan at a rally in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, describing him as a national hero who continues to command public support.
The gathering came days after a rare and strongly worded briefing by the military’s media chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who dismissed Khan as “narcissistic” and “mentally ill” on Friday while responding to the former premier’s allegations that Pakistan’s chief of defense forces was responsible for undermining the constitution and rule of law.
He said that Khan was promoting an anti-state narrative which had become a national security threat.
The participants of the rally called for “civilian supremacy” and said elected representatives should be treated with respect.
“We, the people of Pakistan, regard Imran Khan as a national hero and the country’s genuinely elected prime minister, chosen by the public in the February 8, 2024 vote,” said a resolution presented at the rally in Peshawar. “We categorically reject and strongly condemn the notion that he or his colleagues pose any kind of threat to national security.”
“We demand immediate justice for Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and all political prisoners, and call for their prompt release,” it added, referring to Khan’s wife who is also in prison. “No restrictions should be placed on Imran Khan’s meetings with his family, lawyers or political associates.”
Addressing the gathering, Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, denied his administration was not serious about security issues amid increased militant activity. However, he maintained the people of his province had endured the worst of Pakistan’s conflict with militancy and urged a rethinking of long-running security policies.
The resolution asked the federal government to restore bilateral trade and diplomatic channels with Afghanistan, saying improved cross-border ties were essential for the economic stability of the region.
The trade between the two neighbors has suffered as Pakistan accuses the Taliban administration in Kabul of sheltering and facilitating armed groups that it says launch cross-border attacks to target its civilians and security forces. Afghan officials deny the claim.
The two countries have also had deadly border clashes in recent months that have killed dozens of people on both sides.
Some participants of the rally emphasized the restoration of democratic freedoms, judicial independence and space for political reconciliation, calling them necessary to stabilize the country after years of political confrontation.
Reacting to the opposition rally, Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar said the PTI and its allies could not gather enough people.
“In trying to build an anti-army narrative, they have ruined their own politics,” he said, adding that the rally’s reaction to the military’s media chief’s statement reflected “how deeply it had stung.”
“There was neither any argument nor any real response,” he added, referring to what was said by the participants of the rally.
