No relationship with new army top brass, says ex-PM Khan

In this screengrab taken from a video on January 18, 2023, Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan gestures during an interview with BBC Urdu in Lahore. (Photo courtesy: BBC Urdu/YouTube)
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Updated 18 January 2023
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No relationship with new army top brass, says ex-PM Khan

  • The former prime minister says he is worried about the economy, predicts next general elections in April
  • Khan continues to criticize former army chief Bajwa, says he warned him of political instability in the country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan said in an interview on Wednesday he did not have any relationship with the army’s new top brass while adding that he foresaw the next general elections in April.

Khan was driven out of power in a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year and has since campaigned for snap polls in the country.

He attributed the downfall of his administration to an “international conspiracy” hatched by the administration in Washington, saying the US was not happy with him since he was trying to pursue an independent foreign policy.

He also accused his political rivals for participating in the conspiracy and blamed former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa for not doing anything to prevent external political intervention.

In his recent interview with BBC Urdu, Khan continued to criticize Bajwa and his rival politicians for doing a great “disservice” to Pakistan by bringing down his government.

“At this point, we have got no relationship with the new army leadership,” he said when asked if he had tried to establish links with General Asim Munir who replaced Bajwa last November.

Khan continued to criticize the former army chief, saying he had warned Bajwa of political instability in the country if the conspiracy against him was allowed to succeed.

He maintained Pakistan was witnessing a major economic crisis and the current administration of the country was finding it difficult to deal with it.

“Our economy is tanking,” he said. “We are left with $4 billion in reserves. There are $4 billion worth of items lying on our ports which cannot be lifted.”

“My own prediction is that whatever happens, this government will be forced to hold elections in April,” he added.
 


EU criticizes Pakistan over jailing of rights lawyers, flags free speech concerns

Updated 24 min 3 sec ago
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EU criticizes Pakistan over jailing of rights lawyers, flags free speech concerns

  • EU says the convictions of Imaan Mazari-Hazir, Hadi Ali Chattha violate freedom of expression
  • Both lawyers were arrested last week over social media posts under Pakistan’s cybercrime laws

KARACHI: The European Union on Thursday criticized Pakistan over the conviction of two human rights lawyers for their social media activity, saying the ruling ran counter to freedom of expression and the independence of the legal profession, core democratic principles that Islamabad is committed to uphold under international law.

Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha were arrested last Friday as they were on their way to a court appearance and were later remanded to two weeks in judicial custody.

Authorities accused them of violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) over posts on X that they said incited ethnic divisions and portrayed the military as being involved in “terrorism.” Both deny the allegations.

“The conviction of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha over social media activity goes against freedom of expression and independence of lawyers,” Anouar El Anouni, the EU’s spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, said in a post on X. “These are not only key democratic principles but also part of Pakistan’s international human rights commitments.”

Pakistan is one of the largest beneficiaries of the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which grants duty-free access to most European markets in return for implementing 27 international conventions covering human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and good governance.

Pakistan’s GSP+ status came under scrutiny in the past after, in April 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an immediate review, citing concerns over violence against religious minorities, curbs on media freedom and broader human rights issues.

Earlier this week, lawyers in Pakistan’s capital went on strike and announced plans to stage a protest against the court ruling, which handed Mazari-Hazir and Chattha a cumulative 17-year sentence.

The Pakistani government has not yet responded to the EU statement.