ISLAMABAD: The top office-bearer of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced during a crucial court hearing about the party’s election symbol on Saturday his family was “attacked” by people who took away important documents from his residence as the national polls loom next month.
Barrister Gohar Khan, the new PTI chairman, was at the Supreme Court to witness the proceedings initiated by a petition filed by the country’s election regulatory authority that seeks to revoke “cricket bat” as the PTI emblem for the next polls after blaming it for holding a flawed intraparty voting process.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued a ruling in this connection last month, though it was challenged by Khan’s party at the Peshawar High Court (PHC) that managed to secure a favorable verdict. The ECP went to the top court in response to file an appeal against the PHC decision, and the new PTI chairman was present at the hearing when he discovered about the incident.
“My family has been attacked,” Barrister Khan approached the rostrum and told the court. “[People] arrived in four pickup trucks and took the computer and documents from my residence. They beat my nephew and son. I just received this information.”
In recent months, the PTI has repeatedly stated that its leaders have been targeted by state agencies, alleging an uneven playing field ahead of the upcoming general elections.
The party has been facing a crackdown following violent protests triggered by the brief detention of ex-PM Khan from an Islamabad court last year in May.
People carrying the PTI flags targeted government buildings, including a top general’s residence in Lahore and the main gate of the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, and setting some of them on fire.
Following Barrister Khan’s statement in court, Islamabad police shared via social media that they had acted on a tip-off and reached a house in search of wanted criminals, only to discover it was the residence of the new PTI chief.
“No violence was inflicted on anyone, nor were any documents taken,” the post continued. “It was a routine operation. Further investigations are being conducted.”
Ex-PM Khan’s party official says family ‘attacked’ during top court hearing on election symbol dispute
https://arab.news/n5gqm
Ex-PM Khan’s party official says family ‘attacked’ during top court hearing on election symbol dispute
- Barrister Gohar Khan says people came in pickup trucks and took the computer, documents from his residence
- Police says they acted on a tip-off and reached a house to arrest criminals, only to discover it was Khan’s home
Pakistan reviews austerity measures amid Middle East crisis, urges strict nationwide implementation
- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar chairs review meeting of austerity steps
- Officials briefed on salary cuts, school closures, four‑day week, petrol conservation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Wednesday assessed progress on a sweeping set of austerity measures introduced to mitigate the country’s economic strain from sharply rising global oil prices and supply disruptions linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week announced a series of austerity steps, including a four‑day work week for government offices, requiring 50 percent of staff to work from home, cutting fuel allowances for official vehicles by half, grounding up to 60 percent of the government fleet and closing all schools for two weeks to conserve fuel amid the global oil crisis.
The measures were unveiled in response to global oil market volatility triggered by the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which has disrupted supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and pushed crude prices sharply higher, straining Pakistan’s heavily import‑dependent energy sector.
“The meeting stressed the importance of strict and transparent adherence to the austerity measures, promoting fiscal responsibility and prudent use of public resources,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said in a statement.
He was chairing a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures, constituted under the directions of the PM, bringing together federal and provincial officials to review execution of the broad cost‑cutting plan.
Dar emphasized the government’s commitment to enforcing the PM’s austerity steps nationwide. The committee’s review also covered reductions in departmental expenditure, deductions from salaries of senior officials earning over Rs. 300,000 ($1,120), and coordination with provincial administrations to ensure uniform implementation of the plan.
Participants at the meeting reiterated that all ministries and divisions must continue strict monitoring and reporting, with transparent oversight mechanisms, as Pakistan navigates the economic pressures from the prolonged Middle East crisis and its fallout on global energy and trade markets.
