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Pakistan court remands ex-PM Khan’s acquittal petition to trial court in graft case

Pakistan court remands ex-PM Khan’s acquittal petition to trial court in graft case
Police cammandos escort former Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan (C) as he arrives at the high court in Islamabad on May 12, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 07 November 2024
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Pakistan court remands ex-PM Khan’s acquittal petition to trial court in graft case

Pakistan court remands ex-PM Khan’s acquittal petition to trial court in graft case
  • Khan and his wife are accused of receiving expensive land through trust as bribe from real estate tycoon
  • IHC has instructed Pakistani trial court to announce decision on Khan’s acquittal petition, says his party
Updated 07 November 2024
Shahjahan Khurram
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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday remanded former prime minister Imran Khan’s acquittal petition back to a trial court in a corruption case in which he is accused of receiving land as bribe from a real estate tycoon, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said. 
The corruption case against Khan, or the Al-Qadir Trust case as it has become popularly known, involves accusations that the former prime minister and his wife, Bushra Bibi, set up a charitable trust named Al-Qadir in 2018 as a front to receive valuable land as gift from real estate developer Malik Riaz Hussain. 
The Al-Qadir Trust runs a university outside Pakistan’s capital Islamabad devoted to spirituality and Islamic teachings, a project inspired by Khan’s wife who has a reputation as a spiritual healer. Khan and his wife deny any wrongdoing, saying that charges against them are politically motivated. 
In August, the IHC issued a temporary stay barring a trial court from issuing the final order in the case. The former prime minister filed an acquittal plea, which was turned down by an accountability court in September.
“IHC two-member bench has remanded the acquittal petition by Mr. & Mrs. Khan back to the trial court in Al-Qadir Trust case,” the PTI said in a statement. 
The party said the defense counsel had argued that “no personal gains” received by Khan could be established in the case and that the trustees had not benefitted from any transaction. 
“IHC has instructed the trial court to announce the decision on the acquittal petition,” the PTI said. “We are hopeful it’ll lead to ordering the release of both Mr. & Mrs. Khan.”
HOW DID THE BRIBE ALLEGEDLY WORK?
Pakistan’s government says the controversy originated with 190 million pounds repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 by Britain after Hussain forfeited cash and assets to settle a British probe into whether they were proceeds of crime.
Instead of putting it in Pakistan’s treasury, Khan’s government used the money to pay fines levied by a court against Hussain for illegal acquisition of government lands at below-market value for development in Karachi.
Pakistan’s then interior minister Rana Sanaullah said Hussain gave the land to Khan through the Al-Qadir Trust in exchange for that favor. 
Khan, who was removed from office after losing a parliamentary vote in April 2022, continues to remain popular among the masses. He has been languishing in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in four cases. Pakistan’s courts suspended two of the verdicts against Khan while he was acquitted in the remaining two.
Since his ouster from the Prime Minister’s Office, Khan has led a campaign of unprecedented defiance against the country’s powerful military, whom he accuses of colluding with his political rivals to orchestrate his removal and keeping him imprisoned. 
The military and incumbent coalition government deny Khan’s allegations vehemently.

Topics: Imran Khan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party graft case

Pakistan’s economy grows 0.92 percent in Q1 of ongoing fiscal year

Pakistan’s economy grows 0.92 percent in Q1 of ongoing fiscal year
Updated 22 sec ago
Reuters
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Pakistan’s economy grows 0.92 percent in Q1 of ongoing fiscal year

Pakistan’s economy grows 0.92 percent in Q1 of ongoing fiscal year
  • The country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path and has been buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the IMF
  • The growth was driven by positive performances in agriculture and services sectors, which grew by 1.15 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively
Updated 22 sec ago
Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s economy grew by 0.92 percent in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25, despite a contraction in the industrial sector, according to data approved by the National Accounts Committee, and released by its Statistics Bureau on Monday.
The South Asian country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path and has been buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September.
The growth was driven by positive performances in the agriculture and services sectors, which grew by 1.15 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively, in the first quarter of the fiscal year which ends in June 2025.
Pakistan’s economy grew by 2.69 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of the previous 2023-24 fiscal year.
However, the industrial sector contracted by 1.03 percent, mainly due to a decline in mining and quarrying activities during July-September, read the report.
The committee compiling the national accounts approved the introduction of quarterly estimates of expenditure of the economy.
On the basis of latest figures of the national accounts aggregates for the last fiscal year, the overall size of the economy stood at 105.6 trillion Pakistani rupees ($379.31 billion).
Annual per capita income in rupees was recorded at 472,263 Pakistani rupees ($1,696.35).
The committee also approved an updated annual growth rate for the last fiscal year 2023-24, which stood at 2.50 percent, slightly lower than the previously estimated 2.52 percent.

Topics: Pakistan economy Pakistan GDP Pakistan GDP growth

Pakistan’s new Gwadar airport set to launch flights to Muscat from Jan. 10

Pakistan’s new Gwadar airport set to launch flights to Muscat from Jan. 10
Updated 30 December 2024
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Pakistan’s new Gwadar airport set to launch flights to Muscat from Jan. 10

Pakistan’s new Gwadar airport set to launch flights to Muscat from Jan. 10
  • The Chinese-funded airport is capable of handling A-380 aircraft and accommodating up to 4 million passengers annually, PM’s Office says
  • The start of operations at Gwadar airport was delayed because of security review due to militant attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan in August
Updated 30 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s new Gwadar International Airport is set to begin flights to Muscat from January 10, the Pakistan prime minister’s office announced on Monday, following a months-long delay in the opening of the airport.
A security review prompted by deadly attacks by separatist militants in Balochistan in August delayed the airport’s opening to the end of this year. The $200-million Chinese-funded airport, which will handle both domestic and international flights, is expected to become one of Pakistan’s largest, according to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.
China has pledged over $65 billion in infrastructure, energy and other projects in Pakistan under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, the program in Pakistan is also developing a deep-water port close to the new airport in Gwadar, a joint venture between Pakistan, Oman and China that is close to completion.
On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting to discuss the airport’s operations and directed authorities to develop a strategy to establish it as a major transit hub, emphasizing the need to improve road connections between the airport and other parts of the country, particularly Balochistan.
“Flights from Gwadar to Muscat will start from Jan.10 next year,” the PM’s office said in a statement. “The Gwadar airport can handle A-380 aircraft and will be capable of accommodating 4 million passengers annually.”
The statement noted that the Gwadar International Airport has obtained necessary certifications from the Pakistan Airports Authority. Additionally, personnel from the Airports Security Force, Pakistan Customs, Anti-Narcotics Force, Federal Investigation Agency, and Border Health Services have been deployed at the airport.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plans to increase flights between Karachi and Gwadar to three times a week, while discussions are ongoing with private airlines and carriers from China, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to launch both domestic and international services, according to the PM’s office. The airport will feature various facilities, including cold storage, cargo sheds, hotels and shopping malls, with banking services arranged through the State Bank of Pakistan.
Although no Chinese projects were targeted in militant attacks in August, they have been frequently attacked in the past by separatists who view China as a foreign invader trying to gain control of impoverished but mineral-rich Balochistan, the site of a decades-long insurgency.
Recent attacks, including one in which two Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in Karachi, have forced Beijing to publicly criticize Pakistan over security lapses and there have been widespread media reports in recent weeks that China wants its own security forces on the ground to protest its nationals and projects, a demand Islamabad has long resisted.
In his remarks, Sharif highlighted that the Gwadar International Airport symbolized the strong China-Pakistan friendship, expressing gratitude to Beijing for constructing an airport with international standards and modern facilities. He also directed the implementation of comprehensive security measures at the airport.
The meeting was attended by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahsan Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and senior government officials. Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, along with Federal Minister for Privatization, Investment, and Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, also participated via video link.

Topics: Gawadar Airport Pakistan Oman ties Gawadar

Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth

Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth
Updated 30 December 2024
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Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth

Pakistan, Kenya agree to promote free trade amid Islamabad’s push for economic growth
  • Pakistan to export pink salt, marble and cement to Kenya under fresh agreement, says state media
  • Islamabad has sought to bolster international trade in its bid to achieve sustainable economic growth
Updated 30 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kenya on Monday agreed to promote free trade between their countries, state-run media reported on Monday, as Islamabad seeks to achieve sustainable growth and attract investment in its vital economic sectors. 

After narrowly escaping a sovereign default last year before clinching a last-gasp International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program, Pakistan has sought to enhance business and investment ties with regional allies and countries such as Russia, Central Asian states and Gulf nations to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. 

According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya is one of Pakistan’s largest African trading partners. Trade between the two countries is dominated by two commodities, rice and tea. Pakistan is the largest buyer of Kenyan tea in the world while Kenya is the largest destination for Pakistani basmati and non-basmati rice in the world.

“Pakistan and Kenya have agreed on a free trade agreement and mutual cooperation to enhance business and investment opportunities,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. “Under the agreement, Pakistan is expected to export pink salt, marble and cement to Kenya while bilateral trade in pharmaceuticals will also be increased.”

The fresh agreement between the two countries is expected to foster economic stability and growth, apart from enhancing their global market positions, Radio Pakistan said. It added that the agreement will also help lower prices, develop industries and increase business opportunities in both Pakistan and Kenya. 

Islamabad and Nairobi established a Joint Ministerial Commission in 1992. Till date, three sessions of the commission have been held since then. The two sides have also established a Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC), the first session of which was held in April 2021.

Pakistan’s total trade with Africa was recorded at $ 4.44 billion in 2022-23 of which $ 2.89 billion were imports and $ 1.55 billion were exports. The top three exports destinations for Pakistan in Africa are Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. Pakistan’s major exportable items to African countries include rice, textile and clothing, pharmaceuticals, cement, agriculture machinery and paper. 

The South Asian country mainly imports coal, petroleum, diphosphorus, tea, cotton and copper from African countries in return. 

Topics: Pakistan Kenya Ties

WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women

WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women
Updated 30 December 2024
Reuters
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WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women

WOW: How a driving school program empowers Pakistani women
  • Operational since 2017, WOW program teaches women how to operate two-wheelers in eastern city of Lahore 
  • WOW program has trained at least 6,600 women since 2017 in Pakistan, where it is rare for women to drive two-wheelers
Updated 30 December 2024
Reuters

LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistani student Laiba Rashid, 22, hopes her life will change once she learns how to drive a motorcycle after undergoing a training program that teaches women how to operate two-wheelers in the bustling eastern city of Lahore.

Although the program is 7 years old, it’s rare to see women driving motorcycles. Women driving cars or riding pillion on two-wheelers driven by a male relative is more socially acceptable in the conservative nation.

“I hope this will change my life because I am dependent on my brother to pick me up and drop me to college,” Rashid told Reuters on her first day at the Women on Wheels (WOW) driving program offered free by the Lahore traffic police.

Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden, teaches women how to ride a bike while wearing an abaya, during a training session as part of the "Women on Wheels" program organised by the traffic police department in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

She said she wants to buy a motorcycle to go to college, adding that, previously, there were no women drivers in her family. “Now everybody is convinced that women should be independent in their movement to schools, jobs and markets,” she said.

Women driving two-wheelers has been a cultural and religious taboo, said Bushra Iqbal Hussain, a social activist and director of Safe Childhood, an organization advocating the safety of female children.

But more women are now changing the culture, she said, like they did in the 1980s with regular cars, in a bid to reduce their reliance on men to commute.

The WOW program has been in operation since 2017, but has become increasingly popular in recent months as car prices have soared and motorcycles offer a cheaper alternative.

“Stagnant wage growth and high inflation have eroded the purchasing power of the middle class, leaving motorcycles as the only viable option for many households,” said auto sector analyst Muhammad Abrar Polani of investment house Arif Habib Limited.

Ishrat Khan practices riding a motorbike while Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden, observes her during a training session as part of the 'Women on Wheels" program organised by the traffic police department in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

The cheapest four-wheeler in Pakistan, where the annual GDP per capita is $1,590, costs about 2.3 million rupees($8,265) compared to about 115,000 rupees for the most affordable China-made two-wheeler.

Sohail Mudassar, a traffic warden, said the WOW program has trained at least 6,600 women, and Rashid’s batch was the 86th since it started.

“Women of different ages and segments of society join our camp,” said female trainer Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden who has trained about 1,000 women. “Young women are quick learners because they are enthusiastic and take risks.”

Shumaila Shafiq, 36, a teacher at a private school, rides a motorbike during a motorbike training session as part of the "Women on Wheels" program organised by the traffic police department in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

One of them, Ghania Raza, 23, who is pursuing a doctorate in criminology, said learning to drive a two-wheeler gave her a deep sense of achievement and empowerment: “It was like breaking a glass ceiling,” she said.

Shumaila Shafiq, 36, a mother of three and a part-time fashion designer, said she has been driving her husband’s motorcycle to the market and other places after graduating from the program. 

She has designed a special short length abaya, a dress used by Muslim women, to wear while operating the motorcycle.

“Wearing a long abaya with loose fitting poses risks as it may get entangled in the wheels,” she said, adding that she intends to market the design to fellow women riders.

Topics: Pakistan women

Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 

Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 
Updated 30 December 2024
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Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 

Pakistan to launch five-year Economic Transformation Plan targeting stability on Tuesday 
  • Transformation plan to be based on 5Es framework, which includes energy, economic growth, exports, equality and education, says state media
  • Eager to escape macroeconomic crisis, Pakistan has sought stronger trade relations with Gulf countries, Russia, Central Asian states and others 
Updated 30 December 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said Islamabad will launch its five-year National Economic Transformation Plan on Tuesday, state-run media reported, reiterating that it would be based on economic factors that Islamabad needs to address and achieve to ensure long-term progress and stability. 

Iqbal said in July that Pakistan’s National Economic Transformation Plan will be based on the 5Es framework (exports, energy, economic growth, education and equality), adding that it would aim to foster stability and lay the foundation for future growth in Pakistan. 

“Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal says National Economic Transformation Plan for next five years will launch tomorrow [Tuesday],” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday. “He said that the transformation plan is based upon several factors which need to be addressed and achieved if Pakistan wants to develop and progress in future.”

Speaking at the passing out ceremony of the officers of the 47th Specialized Training Program of Pakistan Administration Service in Lahore, the minister urged Pakistan to focus its resources on promoting an export-based economy. 

He urged authorities to pay attention on automation, nanotechnology and artificial technology, stressing that these sectors will “reshape future economics.”

“He urged the civil servants to utilize all their capabilities to better manage public issues, as civil service is a huge responsibility rather than just a job,” the state broadcaster said. 

Islamabad has been struggling to recover from a macroeconomic crisis that has plagued the country for the past two years. Inflation in the South Asian country surged to a record high of 38 percent in May 2023 fueled by rising prices of food and fuel, as the country’s national currency weakened against the US dollar while its foreign exchange reserves plummeted to historic lows. 

Pakistan almost suffered a sovereign default before Islamabad clinched a last-gasp $3 billion bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2023 that helped its economy stay afloat. Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has repeatedly said Islamabad needs to adopt an export-led economy to achieve long-term and sustainable economic growth. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also urged the government to seek greater collaboration in trade, defense, agriculture and other key sectors of the economy to attract foreign investment and brighten Pakistan’s economic prospects. 

In its move to attract foreign investment in key sectors, Pakistan has enhanced its bilateral trade and investment ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Central Asian states and other Gulf countries. 

Topics: Pakistan economy

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