ISLAMABAD: Ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday challenging what it called “illegal raids” and “harassment” of the party’s social media activists by state authorities.
The petition was filed by PTI Islamabad president Ali Nawaz Awan, who said social media activists belonging to the PTI, including former social media focal person for Khan, Dr Arslan Khalid, were being 'harassed.'
The FIA counterterrorism wing sprang into action this week after a “vilification drive” against the army, particularly the army chief, was launched on social networking websites following Khan’s ouster on April 10 in a no-confidence vote spearheaded by a joint opposition in the National Assembly.
Khan has repeatedly said the campaign to oust him was a "foreign conspiracy" orchestrated by the US. Both Khan and his supporters have expressed disappointment that the military and army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa did not support him against the alleged foreign plot and block his ouster.
In the wake of Khan's removal from office, anti-army and judiciary hashtags have remained top trends on social media platforms.
“To immediately stop the unlawful and illegal raids and harassment of the Petitioner’s party workers ... in the interest of justice, equity and fair play,” the PTI petitioner requested to the court.
“To act strictly within the four corners of Constitution and law and to refrain from violating and disrespecting the privacy, honour of the families and house-holds of the political workers and preserve the sanctity thereof,” the petition read.
On Tuesday, the Pakistan army also commented on the online hate campaign after a meeting of formation commanders: “The forum took note of the recent propaganda campaign by some quarters to malign Pakistan Army and create division between the institution and society.”
Ex-PM Khan’s party moves court against ‘harassment’ of social media activists
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Ex-PM Khan’s party moves court against ‘harassment’ of social media activists
- FIA has launched crackdown against pro-PTI social media users allegedly maligning state institutions online
- Petitioner appeals court to immediately stop the “unlawful and illegal raids and harassment” of PTI workers
Pakistan PM orders accelerated privatization of power sector to tackle losses
- Tenders to be issued for privatization of three major electricity distribution firms, PMO says
- Sharif says Pakistan to develop battery energy storage through public-private partnerships
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister on Monday directed the government to speed up privatization of state-owned power companies and improve electricity infrastructure nationwide, as authorities try to address deep-rooted losses and inefficiencies in the energy sector that have weighed on the economy and public finances.
Pakistan’s electricity system has long struggled with financial distress caused by a combination of factors including theft of power, inefficient collection of bills, high costs of generating electricity and a large burden of unpaid obligations known as “circular debt.” In the first quarter of the current financial year, government-owned distribution companies recorded losses of about Rs171 billion ($611 million) due to poor bill recovery and operational inefficiencies, official documents show. Circular debt in the broader power sector stood at around Rs1.66 trillion ($5.9 billion) in mid-2025, a sharp decline from past peaks but still a major fiscal drain.
Efforts to contain these losses have been a focus of Pakistan’s economic reform program with the International Monetary Fund, which has urged structural changes in the energy sector as part of financing conditions. Previous government initiatives have included signing a $4.5 billion financing facility with local banks to ease power sector debt and reducing retail electricity tariffs to support economic recovery.
“Electricity sector privatization and market-based competition is the sustainable solution to the country’s energy problems,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at a meeting reviewing the roadmap for power sector reforms, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
The meeting reviewed progress on privatization and infrastructure projects. Officials said tenders for modernizing one of Pakistan’s oldest operational hubs, Rohri Railway Station, will be issued soon and that the Ghazi Barotha to Faisalabad transmission line, designed to improve long-distance transmission of electricity, is in the initial approval stages. While not all power-sector decisions were detailed publicly, the government emphasized expanding private sector participation and completing priority projects to strengthen the electricity grid.
In another key development, the prime minister endorsed plans to begin work on a battery energy storage system with participation from private investors to help manage fluctuations in supply and demand, particularly as renewable energy sources such as solar and wind take a growing role in generation. Officials said the concept clearance for the storage system has been approved and feasibility studies are underway.
Government briefing documents also outlined steps toward shifting some electricity plants from imported coal to locally mined Thar coal, where a railway line expansion is underway to support transport of fuel, potentially lowering costs and import dependence in the long term.
State authorities also pledged to address safety by converting unmanned railway crossings to staffed ones and to strengthen food safety inspections at stations, underscoring broader infrastructure and service improvements connected to energy and transport priorities.
