PTI chairman Imran Khan's sisters Uzma and Aleema, as well as party leader Asad Umar, had been sought by Lahore police in connection with the attack on Jinnah House on May 9.
In Brief
POLITICS
IHC: The court will hear Imran's bail request in the cipher case in public
On 3 October, The Islamabad High Court (IHC) stated that while the hearing of PTI Chairman Imran Khan's bail request in the cipher case will take place in open court, "sensitive information" would be discussed behind closed doors. The judgement was made as the IHC rejected the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) request for in camera deliberations about the PTI chief's bail bid in the case. The diplomatic document that allegedly vanished from Imran's possession is the subject of the cipher case. According to the PTI, it featured a US threat to remove the party head from power. After receiving a three-year prison sentence in the Toshakhana graft case from a court, Imran was transferred to Attock jail on 5 August, 2023. He had been placed on judicial remand in the cipher case, it was revealed after the sentence was suspended. Meanwhile, PTI lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar termed the in-camera trial of Imran and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case “unconstitutional”. (Umer Burney, “Imran’s bail plea in cipher case to be heard in open court, IHC says,” Dawn, 4 October 2023)
Asad Umar and Imran's sisters were sought by Lahore police pertaining attack on Jinnah House
On 3 October, PTI chairman Imran Khan's sisters Uzma and Aleema, as well as party leader Asad Umar, had been sought by Lahore police in connection with the attack on Jinnah House on May 9. As an anti-terrorism court (ATC) considered the accused' bail requests, the police made the request.. Due to widespread rioting and attacks on significant military installations following the PTI chief's detention in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9, the state initiated a harsh crackdown against his party. Following the property's vandalism during the riots, Sarwar Road Police had opened a case over the attack on Jinnah House, which also serves as the residence of Lahore's corps commander. Aleema and Uzma both came before the joint investigation team (JIT) in August to participate in the investigation into the attacks on the military facilities. (Rana Bilal, “Lahore police seek arrest of Asad Umar, Imran’s sisters in Jinnah House attack case,” Dawn, 4 October 2023)
‘They comply with martial law but assault the parliament’ says CJP
On 2 October, according to Pakistan's Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the Supreme Court has already approved martial law multiple times, and many justices have forgotten their oaths after the declaration of martial law. He added that the parliament should be respected and that the supreme court cannot permit anyone to cause trouble in the nation. The parliament is being attacked by everyone. The CJP stated that the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act has now been incorporated into law and that the question of whether or not parliament was able to do so should not be discussed. “When martial law is imposed, everyone surrenders their weapons. There are many pictures [of judges] in this room who forgot their oath after the imposition of martial law,” the CJP Isa stated after the attorney read out the judges’ oath in court. The Supreme Court had previously supported martial law, according to CJP Isa, who also claimed that one person was to blame for the country's ruin. (“They surrender to martial law but attack parliament: CJP,” The News International, 4 October 2023)
EXTERNAL
Discussions on regional trends and mutual interest between the Army chief and the US defense secretary
On 3 October, according to the US Department of Defence, the US defense secretary Lloyd Austin and Pakistan’s Army Staff General Asim Munir spoke on the phone about "areas of mutual interest as well as recent regional developments". The communications branch of the Pakistan Army, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has not yet released a statement on the conversation. Despite the fact that the US statement provided no further information regarding the talk, it should be noted that it took place as terrorism in Pakistan, particularly in the provinces of KP and Baluchistan, has increased after the TTP's truce with the government was broken in November of last year. (“Army chief, US defence secretary discuss areas of mutual interest and regional developments,” Dawn, 4 October 2023)
Pakistan's Climate and Development Goals Are Undercut by IMF and WB Policies
On 4 October, according to the study written by the Dutch organization Recourse for Financial Accountability, the inherent limitations of these programs towards the climate and the poor are hurting the country's climate and development goals because financially strapped Pakistan is unable to wean itself off of financial injections and development interventions from international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMR) or the World Bank (WB). The research examined the two organizations' projects and the fundamental flaws in the underlying analytical and developmental logic of the programs they both conducted in Pakistan, including their climate-related initiatives..According to the report, Pakistan was chosen as a case study for the various climate-related effects of international financial institutions' programs in the Global South because it has had a record number of 23 IMF programs not all of which were completed and World Bank Group (WBG) investments totaling more than USD 40 billion over a number of decades in a variety of industries, including energy, agriculture, and water. (“IMF, WB Policies Undermining Pakistan's Climate And Development Goals: Report,” The Friday Times, 4 October 2023)
PAKISTAN ELECTIONS 2023
PR Exclusive Update 16
ECP requests FO to allow foreign observers to track elections
On 2 October, the ECP reconsidered its position and requested that the Foreign Office take all necessary procedures to invite foreign observers three months after announcing that they would be invited to observe the next general elections following the announcement of the election date. The Election Commission "intends to extend invitations to foreign observers and media through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in accordance with Section 238 of the Elections Act, 2017... In a letter to the foreign secretary, ECP's Additional Director General Media Wing Haroon Shinwari stated that "the Election Commission believes in an open-door policy and welcomes observation missions for the upcoming general election at the earliest as necessary." (“ECP asks FO to invite foreign observers to monitor polls,” Dawn, 4 October 2023)
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“A jail trial for Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in which the star witness was an enforced disappearance for a month, and in which the backdrop is a concerted attempt to somehow wrest away the voter from PTI, can only hurt Pakistan.”
- Taimur Khan Jhagra
“Abdul Aleem Khan's dedicated service to Pakistan is a source of inspiration, reflecting a profound commitment to positive change. His hands-on approach illuminates the path towards a better, more united nation.”
- Sapnasayzz
“Caretaker govt announces a deadline: Illegal immigrants in Pakistan must voluntarily leave by November 1 or face expulsion. Afghan nationals linked to recent terror incidents.”
- Syed Amir Abid
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Zahid Hussain, A surge in terrorist attacks
Dawn, 4 October 2023
"The suicide attack on a Rabiul Awwal congregation in the Balochistan town left almost 60 people dead. At least five people were killed in a targeted attack in KP on the same day, swelling the number of fatalities. It was one of the bloodiest days of the current year that has already recorded the highest number of casualties among security forces in the past eight years. Terrorist attacks have become almost a daily affair. The return of terrorism presents a most serious challenge to a nation mired in multiple crises. The spate of killings across the country demonstrates the expanding capacity of militant groups to carry out increasingly audacious operations."
Aisha Khan, De-risking climate
Dawn, 4 October 2023
"The conversations and meetings this year leading up to COP28 so far have not injected new hope for either a fair or safe world. From the Bonn talks in May to the UNGA Climate Summit in September, the emphasis has remained on the need to do more, without any concrete action to achieve the elusive target of decarbonising the economy through deep, rapid and immediate cuts in emissions. Environmental ministers from G20 nations, representing countries that account for 80pc of GHG emissions failed to agree on ways to curb emissions and address other crucial matters at the Delhi Summit. The lack of consensus after a year filled with climate-induced disasters and repeated calls for action sends a strong signal of what to expect from the critical COP negotiations."
Mahir Ali, Open-ended conflict
Dawn, 4 October 2023
"Western diplomats, including the more enlightened minds at the US State Department, have been aware since at least the 1990s that Nato’s eastward expansion was a red line for Moscow. Mikhail Gorbachev was verbally promised it wouldn’t occur, and regretted not insisting on a written assurance. Even Boris Yeltsin, effectively a US puppet, bristled at Nato’s ambitions. By the time Putin replaced him in 1999-2000, key Eastern European states had already switched their satellite status from ex-Soviet to American via Nato membership, and the Baltic republics followed."
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