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KARACHI, Pakistan, May 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday gave authorities 72 hours to identify and arrest all those involved in violent acts after former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest this week sparked deadly unrest. Khan departed court premises late Friday night and headed towards his hometown Lahore amid high security, after a court granted him bail. Following Sharif's announcement, Punjab's government released pictures of unidentified protesters involved in an attack on a military official's residence on Wednesday. Khan, 70, is a cricket star-turned-politician who was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 in a parliamentary no-confidence vote and Pakistan's most popular leader according to opinion polls. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were inaccessible in Pakistan on Saturday, Reuters journalists said, after access was briefly restored late on Friday.

He had remained inside for hours after being granted bail, saying he was not being allowed to leave by security officials. It's not the security agencies, it's one man – the army chief," he said, without naming him. He has since been a vocal critic of current army chief General Asim Munir. [1/7] Security officers escort Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as he appeared in Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, Pakistan May 12, 2023. "The Islamabad High Court has given a two-week bail and also ordered the (anti-graft body) not to arrest Imran Khan during this period," another of Khan's lawyers, Faisal Chaudhry, told Reuters.

☆ Clashes in Pakistan after ex-PM Khan's arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Hundreds of migrants from around the world seeking a better life in the United States have instead found themselves trapped in squalid conditions near the Mexican border, tantalizingly close to their destination, and desperate.

☆ Pakistan arrests ex-PM Khan's party leaders as protests continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pakistan's Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi speaks with the media after the proceedings at the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroISLAMABAD, May 11 (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities arrested a senior leader of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party on Thursday as the government deployed the army to help end deadly unrest sparked by Khan's arrest three days ago. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who served as foreign minister in Imran Khan's cabinet during his four year premiership, was arrested overnight, a statement on his Twitter profile said. Two other senior leader of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, were also arrested on Wednesday. Police have arrested more than 1,300 protesters in Khan's home province of Punjab for violence.

☆ Supporters of Pakistan ex-PM Khan plan march to capital to protest arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday by Pakistan's anti-corruption agency. Police said a court hearing would take place at the police guest house where he is being held. Supporters in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were asked to gather early on Wednesday in Swabi city to leave for Islamabad as part of a convoy, the party wrote on Twitter. Party leaders asked workers to continue protests but not take the "law in their hands", according to messages shared on Twitter by on Wednesday. Reporting by Gibran Peshimam and Shivam Patel; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Khan's colleagues in his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his indictment. Mobile data services were shut for a second day on Wednesday as street protests continued, with federal ministers accusing Khan's supporters of torching several buildings and vehicles. MORE THAN 1,000 ARRESTS[1/8] Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan throw stones towards police during a protest against Khan's arrest, in Peshawar, Pakistan, May 10, 2023. Khan, a cricket hero-turned-politician, was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 in a parliamentary no-confidence vote. In most of the cases, Khan faces being barred from holding public office if convicted.

The stage is now set for the possibility of a tumultuous showdown between the country’s powerful military and Khan’s supporters following deadly and unprecedented clashes Tuesday that saw angry crowds break into and vandalize the homes of army personnel. Hundreds of Khan supporters responded to his call to take to the streets and violent protests broke out in several cities. Imran Khan's supporters burn tires to block roads in Peshawar, Pakistan on May 9, 2023. Protesters burn tires to block roads in Peshawar, Pakistan on May 9, 2023 following Imran Khan's dramatic arrest. A demonstrator is seen as Pakistani police use tear gas against supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Peshawar, Pakistan on May 9, 2023.

ISLAMABAD, May 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday by an anti-graft agency on corruption charges. While prime minister, Khan promoted the trust at official events. Khan has publicly described her as his spiritual leader and said she helped guide him towards a spiritual path. The anti-graft agency that arrested Khan had summoned Hussain late last year to submit answers on the land donated to the trust. The interior minister alleged Hussain gave the land in Jhelum and Islamabad to Al-Qadir Trust in exchange for that favour.

May 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan's anti-graft watchdog arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan at Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, in a dramatic move that threatens fresh turmoil in the nuclear-armed country. You won't get any other opportunity," the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party wrote on Twitter. In most of the cases, Khan faces being barred from holding public office if convicted, with a national election scheduled for November. Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his Lahore home resulted in heavy clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel. Political infighting is common in Pakistan, where no prime minister has yet fulfilled a full term and where the military has ruled for nearly half of the country's history.

☆ Factbox: What is the corruption case against Pakistan's Khan?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, May 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday on corruption charges. Al-Qadir Trust is a non-governmental welfare organization set up by Bushra Watto, Khan's third wife, and Khan in 2018 when he was still in office. While prime minister, Khan promoted the trust at official events. Khan has publicly described her as his spiritual leader and said she helped guide him towards a spiritual path. The interior minister alleged Hussain gave the land to Khan through the Al-Qadir Trust in exchange for that favour.

☆ Factbox: Imran Khan's arrest adds to Pakistan's economic, political challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 9 (Reuters) - The arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the call from his party for nationwide protests present another blow to the nuclear-armed country struggling with an economic crisis. The South Asian nation of 220 million people is running out of dollars, inflation is running at over 36% and an expected IMF bailout has been delayed by months. POLITICAL PRESSUREKhan, arrested for alleged corruption and ousted as prime minister last year, had been ratcheting up pressure on the government through a sustained political campaign as he vied to return to power. Authorities had made several attempts to arrest Khan since March, which had resulted in clashes between his supporters and law enforcement personnel. Khan's arrest came a day after the military issued a rare statement denouncing him for making allegations against a serving officer.

☆ Imran Khan, the cricket star who ditched playboy image to rule Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Pakistan security forces guard a vehicle carrying former Prime Minister Imran Khan after his arrest at a court in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 9, 2023. REUTERS/StringerMay 9 (Reuters) - Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, a cricketing hero-turned-politician who was arrested on Tuesday, whipped up popular support amid decades-high inflation and a crippling economic slowdown before his ouster last year. Khan had for months averted arrest in a number of cases registered against him that include charges of instigating crowds to violence. His rise to power in 2018 came over two decades after he first launched his political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), or Pakistan Movement for Justice party, in 1996. Once in power, Khan embarked on his plan of building a "welfare" state modelled on what he said was an ideal system dating back to the Islamic world some 14 centuries earlier.

☆ FTC says Meta misled parents and failed to protect children using Facebook's Messenger Kids app
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FTC said Wednesday that Meta violated a 2020 privacy agreement with practices around its Messenger Kids app. Meta called the proposed changes to the 2020 order "a political stunt" and said the company plans to fight the changes. The initial 2020 order led to a $5 billion settlement with Facebook and called for an expanded privacy program. The agency claimed Meta misled parents about their ability to control who children communicate with through Messenger Kids, as some were able to talk to unapproved contacts through group messages. A group of childcare experts and advocates said in 2018 that the Messenger Kids app was satisfying a nonexistent need, and instead trying to "target" younger children who likely do not yet have other social media, according to The Associated Press.

☆ A year in Azerbaijan: From the Grand Prix to the ski slopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Words Cnn Staff | Photo Illustrations Woojin Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Anyone who has tuned in to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has seen a tantalizing glimpse of what the capital Baku has to offer. This year’s Grand Prix comes at the height of spring, often said to be Azerbaijan’s most beautiful season. Juan Vilata/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in spring Prev NextSummers in Azerbaijan are hot, so getting out of the city is a good idea. Alexander Melnikov/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in fall Prev NextWrap up, because even at its coldest Azerbaijan still has plenty to offer. You’ll learn much more at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku.

☆ Pakistan minister cancels trip to IMF, World Bank meetings in US - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is seen after a party meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal MahmoodISLAMABAD, April 7 (Reuters) - Pakistan's finance minister has cancelled a visit to Washington for spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, government officials said on Friday, citing domestic political turmoil as the reason. Minister Ishaq Dar was scheduled to attend the meetings from April 10 and see top IMF officials and multilateral creditors in a bid to secure stalled funding that the South Asian country desperately needs to avert a balance-of-payments crisis. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan's demand, saying a general election is due anyway late this year. The officials said the finance secretary, the top civil servant in the ministry, and the central bank governor would likely lead Pakistan's delegation to Washington.

☆ Pakistan parliament rejects top court order to conduct provincial snap polls - speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan's parliament on Thursday rejected a Supreme Court order to conduct provincial snap polls, in the latest move in a power struggle between the government and the top court amid political and economic instability. The top court had on Tuesday ruled illegal the government's move to delay the snap polls in two provinces where former prime minister Imran Khan had dissolved his local governments earlier this year. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has been saying the country's poor economic condition didn't allow spending on the snap polls and then on a general elections due later this year. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its allies had dissolved the provincial governments, hoping that it would force Sharif's government to hold snap polls across the country, his longstanding demand since he was ousted a year ago. ($1 = 286.2500 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ British boxer Khan handed two-year ban over failed drug test
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The UKAD website states that ostarine is a drug designed to have similar effects to testosterone. It is present on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list as an anabolic agent and is prohibited in sport at all times. Khan, who had expressed concerns over a lack of drug testing before his fight against Brook, accepted that he broke anti-doping rules but said it was not intentional. "Strict liability means Athletes are ultimately responsible for what they ingest and for the presence of any prohibited substances in a sample," UKAD chief executive Jane Rumble said. Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Heavens/Mitch PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pakistan court orders provincial votes in win for ex-PM Khan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, gestures as he speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. But the Supreme Court ruled that the delay was illegal and voting in the two provinces should be held between April 30 and May 15. It said the provincial assembly election in Punjab, Pakistan's most prosperous and politically important province should be on May 14. The court also ordered the government to release 21 billion rupees ($73.17 million) to the election commission to organise the two provincial elections. Parliament last week introduced a draft law to clip the powers of the Supreme Court.

☆ Pakistan PM urges parliament to act against ex-premier Khan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attends a summit on climate resilience in Pakistan, months after deadly floods in the country, at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, January 9, 2023. The clashes occurred earlier this month after Khan's supporters prevented police and paramilitary forces from detaining him over allegations he unlawfully sold state gifts during his 2018-22 tenure as premier. Last week Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah asked for a parliamentary ruling to empower authorities to crack down on Khan's party and his supporters. Sharif did not spell out what action he wanted the parliament to take against Khan. Some of Sharif's ministers have called for a ban on Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, but it was not clear whether the government was seeking this from parliament.

☆ Pakistani parliament's ruling sought over ex-PM Khan's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAHORE, Pakistan, March 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday sought a parliament ruling to empower authorities to tackle former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party's alleged involvement in violence. The ruling was asked for in a joint session of parliament convened over the instability caused by the crisis over Khan. The minister requested the house give "guidance" to the government about the violence stoked by Khan's supporters, who he said included "miscreants, armed groups, and terrorists". "It is required that the security forces should be given authority and other measures to deal with this issue," he said, adding that Khan's agenda is "chaos and anarchy." The government has alleged that Khan's supporters had militants among them and ministers have called for proscribing Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

[1/2] A supporter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, walks with a riot shield used by the police, during a clash outside the federal judicial complex in Islamabad, Pakistan March 18, 2023. "Around 285 PTI supporters have been arrested in Lahore and Islamabad. Khan, a former cricket star, was prime minister from 2018 until 2022, when he was ousted from office in a parliamentary vote. His successor as prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has rejected his demand and said an election would be held as scheduled later this year. Clashes between Khan's supporters and the security forces have brought a new round of political chaos to Pakistan, which is in the midst of a crippling economic crisis.

☆ UBS' dramatic takeover of Credit Suisse was the deal neither bank wanted. Here's some of the passive-aggressive digs from both sides.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

UBS acquired Credit Suisse in a rescue takeover over the weekend. But Credit Suisse didn't want to be rescued, and UBS didn't want to have to be the rescuer. For example, the first official word of the deal came from the Swiss National Bank, which announced: "UBS today announced the takeover of Credit Suisse." Next, Credit Suisse announced: "Credit Suisse and UBS to Merge." In 2019, after UBS announced Khan's hire, the chief operating officer at Credit Suisse ordered a colleague to spy on him.

[1/2] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, waves from the vehicle as he leaves from Lahore to appear before Islamabad High Court, in Lahore, Pakistan March 18, 2023. 'GOVT INTENDS TO ARREST ME'The court has previously issued arrest warrants for Khan in the case as he had failed to appear on previous hearings despite summons. On his assurance that he would appear on Saturday, the court granted Khan protection against arrest, but he said he feared the police and government planned to take him into custody. There were reports of fresh clashes between police and supporters of Khan and his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Lahore. (This story has been corrected to show Khan is to appear in court, not appearing in court, in the headline.

☆ Pakistan police enter Lahore property of ex-PM Imran Khan - party officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan gather, as they guard the entrance of Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/ File PhotoLAHORE, March 18 (Reuters) - Pakistani police on Saturday entered the property in Lahore of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, officials from his political party said, as he was arriving in the capital Islamabad for a court appearance. The move followed days of standoff and intense clashes between police and his supporters around the property, where police had attempted to arrest Khan on Tuesday. Khan said in a Tweet that his wife was at the property. (This story has been corrected to say police entered Imran Khan’s Lahore property as he was arriving in Islamabad for a court appearance in paragraph 1)Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/6] Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan carry bamboo sticks and slingshots, as they gather and chant slogans, at the entrance of Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Even though there was no police presence on Friday, witnesses said Khan's supporters, armed with batons and iron rods, remained stationed outside his home. The Election Commission of Pakistan had found him guilty and barred Khan from holding public office for one parliamentary term. Khan has said he was willing to submit a written undertaking that he would voluntarily appear before the court on Saturday, but the court said such an undertaking was insufficient. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan's demands, saying an election would be held as scheduled later this year.

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