Top aide resigns from party as crackdown continues against associates, supporters of ex-PM Khan

An undated file photo of former prime minister Imran Khan's aide Maleeka Bokhari. (Photo courtesy: social media)
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Updated 26 May 2023
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Top aide resigns from party as crackdown continues against associates, supporters of ex-PM Khan

  • Khan's aide Maleeka Bokhari denounces May 9 violent protests, calls for action against violent protesters
  • Police raided house of another Khan aide, Parvez Elahi, in continuation of clampdown against his party

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan's aide Maleeka Bokhari resigned from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Thursday, becoming the latest in a long list of Khan lieutenants who have parted ways with him as a crackdown against his party continues. 

The development takes place a day after senior PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain announced he was "parting ways" with Khan while Asad Umar resigned from the party's core committee membership and stepped down as its general secretary. 

Khan's party faces a crackdown after thousands of his supporters attacked military installations and government buildings to protest his detention on corruption allegations on May 9. The actions prompted a strong response from the army, which said it would try protesters under military laws. 

"There is no pressure on me [to quit the party]," Bokhari told reporters at the National Press Club in Islamabad, after announcing she was resigning from the PTI and would like to distance herself from it. 

"Whoever was involved in the May 9 incident will be identified," she said. "However, a red line was crossed and if that red line is crossed, then those who violated it should be tried under Pakistan's law and constitution," Bokhari added. 

Senior PTI leaders who were arrested following the violent protests included Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Umar, Hussain, Bokhari, Fayyaz ul Hassan Chauhan, and others. Journalists Imran Riaz Khan and Sami Abraham, widely seen as supporters of the former prime minister, are "missing" with their relatives claiming they were picked by law enforcement agencies. 

Meanwhile, local media reports said the names of 80 people, including Khan, and his wife Bushra Bibi have been added by the government to a no-fly list. 

“Those included on the no-fly list and barred from traveling abroad include Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and PTI leaders Murad Saeed, Maleeka Bokhari, Chaudhry Fawad  Hussain, and Hammad Azhar," SAMAA TV said. 
In a statement, the PTI said Khan is being subjected to “a virtual house arrest” as internet connectivity at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore has been suspended for two consecutive days.

Punjab police on Thursday also raided the house of Parvez Elahi, Khan’s top aide and the central president of his party, in a corruption case. 

International rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), have called on the Pakistani authorities to end the crackdown on political opposition and have also expressed their concern over the government’s plans to use the military courts to try civilians.


Pakistan reroutes kinnow exports to Gulf, Asia after Afghan closure – commerce ministry

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Pakistan reroutes kinnow exports to Gulf, Asia after Afghan closure – commerce ministry

  • Border shutdown with Afghanistan since late 2025 disrupted a key overland route for Pakistan’s citrus exports
  • Kinnow shipments earned about $40 million during peak season despite loss of a major regional market

KARACHI: Pakistan has rerouted kinnow orange exports to the Gulf and Southeast Asia after the closure of the Afghan market disrupted one of the country’s largest traditional destinations for the citrus crop, the commerce ministry said on Monday, underscoring a push to diversify export markets amid regional security tensions.

The shift follows Pakistan’s closure of major border crossings with Afghanistan in late 2025 after deadly clashes and a sharp rise in militant attacks that Islamabad says originated from Afghan territory. Pakistan has linked the restrictions to concerns over cross-border militancy, saying trade routes would remain constrained until Kabul takes credible steps to curb militant activity, a charge Afghan authorities deny.

Before the shutdown, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan exceeded $1.6 billion annually, with overland routes playing a crucial role in the export of perishables such as kinnow, a Pakistani variety of mandarin orange. Exporters have warned that prolonged border disruptions particularly hurt citrus shipments during the winter harvest, forcing consignments to seek longer and costlier alternative routes.

Despite the disruption, the Ministry of Commerce said exporters successfully redirected shipments to other destinations.

“Priority was given to expanding access to markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other non-traditional destinations, while ensuring compliance with international quality and phytosanitary standards,” the ministry of commerce said in a statement on Monday.

According to official export figures cited by the ministry, Pakistan earned approximately $40 million from kinnow exports within 45 days, covering December and the first half of January, as shipments maintained momentum despite the loss of the Afghan market.

The ministry said it coordinated closely with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), overseas trade missions and logistics partners to facilitate rerouting, documentation and market outreach, helping exporters avoid losses during the peak citrus export window.

Officials said the diversification drive helped sustain foreign-exchange inflows and protect growers, packers and exporters across the citrus value chain, while reinforcing Pakistan’s reputation as a reliable supplier in Gulf and Asian markets.

The performance, the ministry added, is being viewed as a positive signal for broader agricultural exports as Pakistan seeks to reduce dependence on a limited number of regional trade routes amid persistent geopolitical and security risks.