Punjab Police charge KP chief minister under Anti-Terrorism Act for allegedly inciting violence

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party nominated Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur shows a portrait of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan, during a protest against the alleged skewing in Pakistan's national election results, in Peshawar on February 17, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 24 September 2024
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Punjab Police charge KP chief minister under Anti-Terrorism Act for allegedly inciting violence

  • Police say people in Ali Amin Gandapur’s caravan smashed the window of a toll plaza near Sialkot Interchange
  • Police also accused them of targeting private vehicles and threatening uniformed personnel with AK-47 rifles

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Police registered a case on Sunday against Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, for allegedly inciting violence while en route to a public rally organized by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Lahore, with details emerging on Tuesday.
Thousands of people arrived in Lahore on Saturday from various parts of Pakistan to attend the rally, which demanded Khan’s release, as he has been imprisoned on multiple charges for over a year. By the time Gandapur, who is also a close aide to the ex-premier, arrived at the rally’s venue, PTI leaders had been asked to wind up since the designated time for the public gathering had expired.
However, people in the KP chief minister’s convoy reportedly engaged in violence at one of the toll plazas and threatened the police officers deployed there.
According to a police report, his convoy broke traffic rules by using the wrong side of the road due to congestion while approaching the toll plaza near the Sialkot Interchange.
“On Ali Amin’s orders, an armed group began smashing the windows of the toll plaza cabins, the barriers used to stop vehicles and the CCTV cameras,” the police complaint said.
It maintained the people accompanying the chief minister also targeted the private vehicles at waiting to cross the toll plaza and broke their windows.
When the police officials jumped into action, the vehicles driven by the group sped toward them “with the intent to kill.”
“But we managed to save ourselves by jumping to the sides,” the police complaint continued, adding the armed individuals also “pointed their AK-47 rifles at us with the intent to take our lives.”
Gandapur faces charges in Punjab, where the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is in power, while his province is governed by Khan’s PTI.
Both parties are at political odds, with PTI in opposition at the federal level and PML-N leading the central government.


Pakistan Super League to woo foreign investors in London roadshow today

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Pakistan Super League to woo foreign investors in London roadshow today

  • PCB says it has attracted “significant interest” from potential ownership groups in UK as it expands PSL to eight teams
  • PSL roadshow to attract diverse audience of business leaders, potential franchise owners and cricket supporters, says PCB

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will host a landmark roadshow at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground (MCC) in London today, Sunday, to showcase the league’s commercial strength and future direction to foreign investors. 

The PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league that features six city-based teams competing for the league’s title every year. The tournament’s 11th edition is expected to be held in April and May next year. 

The PCB has announced it will expand the cricket league to include two more franchises this year, raising the total number of teams to eight. The board said in a statement earlier this year that it has already received “significant interest” from potential ownership groups across the UK regarding the two new teams. 

“The London Roadshow aims to build on this momentum by offering investors and cricket lovers an immersive introduction to the league, its commercial ecosystem and the strategic vision driving its next phase of growth,” the board said in a statement on Dec. 2. 

The PCB said it expects to draw a diverse audience of business leaders, potential franchise owners and cricket supporters eager to engage with the league at the roadshow. 

It said the initiative will showcase PSL’s commitment to global expansion, strategic partnerships and delivering world-class entertainment and cricketing excellence. 

“This event is an important opportunity to deepen global partnerships and share our long-term vision for expansion and innovation,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was quoted as saying by the board. 

“We look forward to welcoming investors and cricket enthusiasts in London.”

Within a span of 10 years, the PSL has competed for viewership with some of the most prominent cricket leagues around the world, including the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League, the Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League, among others.