ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has summoned rallies in the Pakistani cities of Peshawar, Karachi and Lahore, in an attempt to mobilize the masses for a snap election in the South Asian country.
Khan resigned as a member of the National Assembly on Monday, a day after his ouster from the country’s top political office in a no-confidence vote. The former PM says the new government of Shehbaz Sharif is “imported” and was brought to power through a foreign conspiracy orchestrated by the United States. Washington has denied the accusations.
On Tuesday, the cricket star-turned-politician called supporters to his first anti-government rally in Peshawar tomorrow, Wednesday, saying they must campaign to ensure that fresh elections were “immediately” announced.
“The biggest message I will give my nation from Peshawar is that you have to protect your independence, your democracy yourself, no one else can do it, no army can do it,” Khan said in a video message. “We have to run a complete campaign that elections should be held immediately in Pakistan.”
Shafqat Mahmood, a former minister and a member of Khan’s PTI, said his party had planned rallies in Karachi and Lahore as well.
“Tomorrow there is a rally in Peshawar. On the 16th [April], there is a rally at Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum in Karachi,” Mahmood told reporters in Lahore.
“And, I want to tell this good news to my fellows in Punjab and Lahore that, God willing, a rally will be held at Minar-e-Pakistan on the 23rd.”
Khan led months-long anti-government demonstrations in August 2014, with his supporters flooding the center of Pakistan’s capital and vowing to stay in the streets until then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned. He called off the protests nearly four months later only after a Taliban assault on a school in Peshawar in which at least 132 students and nine staff members were killed.
“On Wednesday I will be holding a jalsa [public rally] in Peshawar after Isha [evening prayers] — my first jalsa after being removed through a foreign-instigated regime change,” Khan said in a Twitter post on Monday. “I want all our people to come, as Pakistan was created as an independent, sovereign state not as a puppet state of foreign powers.”
“We are demanding immediate elections as that is the only way forward — to let the people decide, through fair & free elections, whom they want as their prime minister,” he added.
The National Assembly of Pakistan elected the former leader of the opposition, Shehbaz Sharif, as the country’s new prime minister on Monday. Khan’s PTI party resigned en masse before Sharif’s election.
Khan’s party to hold rally in Peshawar today to press for ‘immediate’ elections
https://arab.news/g3cv7
Khan’s party to hold rally in Peshawar today to press for ‘immediate’ elections
- Khan says new government is “imported,” brought to power through foreign conspiracy orchestrated by US
- The rally in Peshawar will be held on Wednesday, followed by public gatherings in Karachi and Lahore
Pakistan, Oman navies discuss maritime security, ink agreement to share shipping data
- Visiting Oman royal navy commander calls on Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf in Islamabad
- White shipping agreement refers to exchange of prior information on movement of commercial ships
ISLAMABAD: The naval commanders of Pakistan and Oman discussed regional maritime security on Wednesday and signed an agreement to share shipping information with each other, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
The press release followed a meeting between Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and the visiting Oman Royal Navy Commander Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi at Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.
Both navies maintain close professional relations, reflected in expert-level staff talks, joint training, bilateral exercises, and participation in multilateral exercises between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security and bilateral naval cooperation were discussed,” the Pakistan Navy said.
The MoU was signed by both sides at a ceremony at the Naval Headquarters, the navy’s media wing confirmed.
“The MoU is aimed at establishing of guidelines and procedures for information sharing in order to enhance mutual awareness of white shipping,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
White shipping agreement refers to the exchange of prior information on the movement and identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.
Information regarding the identity of vessels helps countries tackle potential threats from sea routes. This particularly helps in the development of a proper regional maritime domain awareness
The statement said Al Rahbi lauded Pakistan Navy’s professionalism and acknowledged its ongoing contributions to maritime security and regional stability.
Pakistan and Oman share geographical proximity and common maritime boundaries. Bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries span a wide range of areas, including economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts and strong defense ties.
In December, a Royal Navy flotilla from Oman visited Karachi to take part in the annual bilateral Thamar Al Tayyib (TAT) 2025 exercise.
Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman have been conducting the TAT series of exercises regularly since 1980.
