ISLAMABAD: Two days after the government used force to disperse thousands of PTI protesters who had descended on the federal capital to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to establish a dedicated anti-riot force to deal with future protests. The protesters were led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister …
LAHORE: In the wake of allegations and recriminations among party leaders over the ‘failure’ of PTI’s final protest call in Islamabad, the party’s secretary general and the leader of the Sunni Ittehand Council — the party’s main ally in the National Assembly — announced their decision to step down from party office. Salman Akram Raja submitted his resignation to incumbent …
PESHAWAR / QUETTA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has declared a three-day mourning period across the province over the killing of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers during a protest in Islamabad that abruptly ended after a late-night government crackdown earlier this week. The announcement was made during an emergency session of the KP Assembly, chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati late on …
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday reiterated its stance on the operation the law enforcement agencies had carried out to flush out the PTI marchers from the capital, saying the security personnel did not fire on the protesters. At a joint press conference with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Khan was not a political prisoner …
RAWALPINDI: Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Thursday removed Barrister Gohar Ali Khan from the position of party chairman, according to reports circulating on local media. The reshuffle comes as part of a leadership overhaul within the party following internal criticism and growing dissent. Speaking after a meeting with the former prime minister on Thursday, Barrister Ali Zafar …
RAWALPINDI: The PTI on Thursday issued a list of supporters that it alleged were still missing since party protesters were cleared from Islamabad in a state crackdown that the Rawalpindi police denied saw any open firing on the crowds. A day of pitched battles between security forces and PTI protesters across the federal capital ended in a hasty retreat of …
ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist Matiullah Jan was remanded for two days in police custody on Thursday in a terrorism and narcotics case that was widely derided as being “bogus” on “trumped up charges” amid demands for his release. He was earlier booked in a terrorism and narcotics case today amid concerns raised by rights bodies over his reported arrest from Islamabad …
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine met in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss joint initiatives to tackle smog and advance sustainable development in the capital. Caused by toxic pollutants, smog has engulfed several cities in Punjab over the past month, with Lahore and Multan being the worst hit. The AQI reading in Multan has …
ISLAMABAD: Claims and counter-claims over deaths purportedly caused by law-enforcement action against PTI marchers remained a major bone of contention between the government and the opposition party on Wednesday. Following their retreat from Islamabad’s Blue Area on Tuesday night, PTI leaders alleged that a number of the party’s supporters had perished, allegedly due to firing by security personnel. While party …
TAXILA / BAHAWALPUR: Former first lady Bushra Bibi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and other PTI leaders were booked in seven new cases in Attock on Wednesday following recent violent protests. According to official sources, the FIRs were lodged with the Hasanabdal, Hazro and Injra police stations against Bushra Bibi, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar …