Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, and his wife Bushra Bibi in Lahore in July 2023. File
| Photo Credit: AP

A Pakistani court Saturday (January 25, 2025) sentenced four people to death for blasphemy, allegedly because they posted sacrilegious material on social media about Islamic religious figures and the Quran. Their lawyer said appeal preparations are underway.

Under the country’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam, or its religious figures can be sentenced to death. Authorities have yet to carry out such a penalty, although the accusation of blasphemy and opposition to the law can incite mob violence or reprisals.

Judge Tariq Ayub in the city of Rawalpindi declared that blasphemy, disrespect to holy figures, and desecration of the Quran were unforgivable offenses and left no room for leniency.

Along with the death sentences, the judge imposed collective fines of 4.6 million rupees (around $16,500) and handed down jail terms to each of the four should a higher court overturn their death sentences.

The men’s lawyer, Manzoor Rahmani, criticized the court’s decision and investigating authorities’ lack of evidence.

“The doubts and uncertainties that arise in such cases are ignored by the courts, likely due to the fear of religious backlash and potential mob violence against the judge if the accused is acquitted,” said Mr. Rahmani. “We are preparing our appeals against the decision and will go to the High Court.”

Anti-blasphemy measures introduced in Pakistan in the 1980s made it illegal to insult Islam. Since then, people have been accused of insulting the religion, desecrating its texts, or writing offensive remarks on the walls of mosques. Critics of the law say it is used to settle personal disputes.

Washington:

The U.S., UK and EU criticized Pakistan’s military courts on Monday over the sentencing of 25 civilians in connection with attacks on military facilities in 2023 after the arrest of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The civilians were sentenced by a Pakistani military court to periods of two to 10 years in a ruling that underscored concerns among Khan’s supporters that military courts will play a bigger role in cases related to the former leader.

Washington “is deeply concerned that Pakistani civilians have been sentenced by a military tribunal for their involvement in protests on May 9, 2023,” the U.S. State Department said.

The British government’s foreign office added that “trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial.”

The European Union said the sentences were “inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Khan supporters attacked military installations to protest his arrest by paramilitary soldiers.

The ruling on Saturday came days after Khan was indicted by an anti-terrorism court. After his arrest in May 2023, Khan was briefly released before being arrested again in August that year and he has since been in jail.

He has faced dozens of cases since he was removed as prime minister in 2022, after which he launched a protest movement against a coalition of his rivals led by current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Khan says cases against him, which disqualified him from contesting the 2024 elections, are politically motivated. He had a fallout with Pakistan’s military that he blames for his ouster.

Candidates whom Khan backed secured the highest number of seats in the elections. However, his rivals formed a coalition government. A U.N. human rights working group has said Khan’s detention violates international law.

The military denies political interference. Pakistan’s government denies being unfair in the treatment of Khan or his supporters. The Pakistani embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Rod Nickel)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Islamabad:

In a bid to address its persistent external financing issues, Pakistan has formally requested a supplementary loan of 10 billion yuan (CNY) (approximately USD 1.4 billion) from China.

The announcement was made on Saturday, underscoring the fiscal pressures the nation continues to face, the Express Tribune reported.

During a meeting with China’s Vice Minister of Finance, Liao Min, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb urged the Chinese side to elevate the limits under the Currency Swap Agreement to CNY 40 billion. As stated by the Ministry of Finance, Pakistan has already fully utilised the existing CNY 30 billion (USD 4.3 billion) Chinese trade facility for debt repayment and is now seeking to raise this limit by an additional CNY 10 billion, which translates to USD 1.4 billion based on current exchange rates.

The finance minister’s appeal occurred on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. If approved by Beijing, the total facility would amount to approximately USD 5.7 billion.

This request is not unprecedented; Pakistan has previously sought increases in its debt limit, but Beijing has declined these appeals in the past. Notably, this request follows closely behind China’s extension of the current USD 4.3 billion (CNY 30 billion) facility for an additional three years. This extension was formalised during the recent visit of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, which also saw the debt repayment period for Pakistan extended to 2027.

Pakistan has fully consumed the existing trade finance facility of USD 4.3 billion under the China-Pakistan currency swap agreement. Although the Ministry of Finance did not specify the reasons behind the new request, reports suggest that uncertainties regarding some pipeline loans have prompted the need for additional financial support.

In a parallel move to fill the financing gap, Pakistan accepted terms for a costly USD 600 million commercial loan. However, this decision raised concerns, leading the IMF to clarify that the loan was not tied to the requirements of Pakistan’s USD 7 billion bailout package. Aurangzeb later informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance that the government secured USD 600 million in financing at an 11 per cent interest rate for IMF program purposes.

The finance ministry confirmed that both ministers reiterated the strength of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China. Originally signed in December 2011, the bilateral currency swap agreement (CSA) aimed to promote bilateral trade, foreign direct investment, and provide short-term liquidity support.

In the fiscal year 2021, the initial limit of the CSA was extended from 20 billion CNY to 30 billion CNY (USD 4.5 billion) for a period of three years, with maturity periods ranging from three months to one year, according to the central bank.

This is not the first instance of Pakistan seeking an increase in its loan limit from China; in November 2022, then-Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also requested an additional 10 billion yuan (USD 1.5 billion) due to delays in loans from other bilateral and multilateral creditors.

Pakistan has primarily utilised the Chinese trade finance facility to repay foreign debts and stabilise its foreign currency reserves, preventing potential market turmoil. The current USD 4.3 billion facility is part of the State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, which are approximately USD 11 billion. Additionally, China has extended USD 4 billion in SAFE deposits, which are included in these reserves, along with another USD 4 billion in commercial loans. Despite these supports, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves remain insufficient to meet its debt obligations to China.

The finance ministry stated that Aurangzeb expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for its unwavering support in Pakistan’s socio-economic development and assistance in securing the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

Furthermore, the finance minister highlighted Pakistan’s eagerness to learn from China’s experience in economic reform and mentioned plans to issue an inaugural Panda bond in the Chinese market to diversify its financing options.

Aurangzeb also assured China of comprehensive security measures for Chinese workers in Pakistan. Both parties emphasised the importance of enhancing online payment settlements and integrating the two nations’ payment systems, marking a collaborative step forward in their economic partnership.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Islamabad:

In a relief to former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, a judicial magistrate in Islamabad on Tuesday acquitted him in two long march vandalism cases, The Express Tribune reported.

On May 27, 2022, the Islamabad police filed separate cases against 150 people, including then Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, and other party leaders including Asad Umar, Asad Qaiser, over allegations of arson and vandalism in the federal capital a day earlier.

The judicial magistrate, Shaista Kundi, announced the verdict reserved earlier in the day. The court, however, rejected the request to produce the PTI founder in court.

The Pakistan-based news daily reported that during the hearing, Imran Khan’s counsel, Naeem Panjotha, said that all cases against the ex-premier were limited to the extent of intimation. He was booked in multiple similar cases in one day. The complainant in the case is an SHO and he does not have the authority to lodge a case. The case also does not include the statements of witnesses, he added.

The judge inquired whether Imran Kahn had been acquitted in cases before, to which the counsel responded in the affirmative.

The complaints against the former premier were registered at the Sahala and Lohi Bhair police stations.

In the case filed against the PTI founder and others, the footage of the Safe City cameras as well as those from private TV news channels were included in the challans of the cases as evidence. At least 39 people were taken into custody after identification from the footage.

Two FIRs were registered at Kohsar police station over the complaint of sub-inspector Asif Raza and sub-inspector Ghulam Sarwar under Sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Sub-inspector Raza stated in his FIR that he was patrolling with his other police personnel near Jinnah Avenue’s China Chowk when, at 11 PM, around 100-150 people with PTI flags suddenly moved towards Express Chowk. He added that the police tried to stop the PTI supporters due to the imposition of Section 144 in Islamabad but they did not listen and instead pelted stones at the police officers and also set fire to trees, The Express Tribune reported.

The SI said 36 individuals, “acting at the behest of Imran and other PTI leadership,” were “brought under control.”.

In May 2022, ImranKhan  launched a march towards Islamabad to topple the coalition government that assumed power after he was ousted as the premier following a vote of no confidence.

The rally was part of the PTI’s struggle to achieve “real freedom” and deliver the nation from the “slavery” of the “US-backed” coalition government, The Express Tribune reported.

Imran KHan accused the coalition government of being an “imported government that came to power through a US-backed conspiracy.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A Pakistani court on October 27 rejected petitions by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking bail and cancellation of the first FIR in the cipher case for allegedly leaking state secrets and violating the laws of the country.
| Photo Credit: AP

A Pakistani court on October 27 rejected petitions by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking bail and cancellation of the first FIR in the cipher case for allegedly leaking state secrets and violating the laws of the country.

Mr. Khan, 71, was arrested in August after a case was filed against him for disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by the country’s embassy in Washington in March last year. A special court in Pakistan on October 23 indicted him along with his close ally ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case.

Mr. Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) with the pleas for bail in the case as well as against the FIR which was registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in August.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq after the conclusion of the hearing had reserved judgment on October 16 which he announced on Friday.

The case is about a document sent by Pakistan’s embassy in Washington in March 2022 that Mr. Khan tried to use for political purposes by saying that it was proof of a foreign conspiracy to orchestrate his ouster from power in April last year.

Mr. Khan, who served as Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to April 2022, is accused of “misuse the contents of the cipher” to build a narrative that his government was ousted due to a foreign conspiracy hatched by the U.S., a charge denied by Washington.

Mr. Khan and Mr. Qureshi have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on September 30 presented the charge sheet against Mr. Khan and Mr. Qureshi who signed its copies.

On October 26, the Islamabad High Court rejected Mr. Khan’s petition challenging his indictment in the case.

The court was earlier set to indict Mr. Khan on October 17, but it delayed it after Mr. Khan’s lawyers objected that he was not provided with the copies of the chargesheet.

The cipher reportedly went missing from Mr. Khan’s possession. Mr. Khan had repeatedly said before and after the no-confidence motion against him last year that the cipher pointed to a conspiracy to remove him from the Prime Minister’s office.

Mr. Khan was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022. He was incarcerated on August 5 this year, after an Islamabad court sentenced him to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case. The PTI chief was lodged in the Attock District Jail to serve his prison term.

Later, his sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court, but then he was arrested in the cipher case and remained in the Attock jail on judicial remand. He was later shifted to Adiala jail.

More than 150 cases have been registered against Mr. Khan since his ouster from power in April last year.

Lahore:

A Pakistani court on Saturday raised an objection on a petition to reopen the case of Independence movement hero Bhagat Singh’s sentencing in 1931. The petition sought the setting aside of the sentencing by exercising the principles of review, and honouring the freedom fighter with posthumous state awards.

Singh was hanged by the British on March 23, 1931, along with his comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev, after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the British regime.

Singh was initially jailed for life but was later sentenced to death in another “fabricated case”.

On Saturday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) raised an objection to reopening the decade-old case and constitution of a larger bench to listen to the petition that pleads to set aside the sentence of Singh by exercising principles of review and ordering the government to honour him with posthumous state awards.

“The Lahore High Court on Saturday raised an objection to reopen the Bhagat Singh case and constitution of a larger bench for its early hearing. The court objected that the petition is not maintainable for the constitution of a larger bench,” Advocate Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation and one of the petitioners, told PTI.

Mr Qureshi said that the petition of a panel of senior lawyers, of which he is part, has been pending in the LHC for a decade.

“Justice Shujaat Ali Khan in 2013 had referred the matter to the chief justice for the constitution of a larger bench, since then it has been pending,” he said.

The petition says that Bhagat Singh fought for the independence of the sub-continent.

It states that Singh is respected in the subcontinent not only by the Sikhs, and Hindus but also Muslims. The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had paid tribute to him twice during his speech in the Central Assembly.

“It is a matter of national importance and should be fixed before a full bench,” Mr Qureshi pleaded.

He said Singh’s name was not mentioned in the First Information Report of the murder of British police officer John P Saunders for which he was sentenced to death.

About a decade ago, the Lahore police had searched through the records of the Anarkali police station on the court’s order and managed to find the FIR of the murder of Saunders.

Written in Urdu, the FIR was registered with the Anarkali police station on December 17, 1928, at 4.30 pm against two ‘unknown gunmen’.

The case was registered under sections 302, 120 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code.

Mr Qureshi said that the special judges of the tribunal handling Bhagat Singh’s case sentenced him to death without hearing 450 witnesses in the case.

Singh’s lawyers were not given the opportunity to cross-question them, he said.

“We will establish Bhagat Singh’s innocence in the Saunders case,” Mr Qureshi said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)