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☆ Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrested amid tensions with military
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested at a court in the capital Islamabad by paramilitary officers Tuesday. The arrest follows recent tense exchanges between Khan, the former national cricket captain who became Pakistan's prime minister in 2018, and the country's powerful army. After surviving an assassination attempt last November, Khan accused a senior military officer and Pakistan's current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of being behind the attempt. The military spokesperson warned of legal action if Khan keeps up his accusations. Concerning the possibility of arrest, Khan said, "If someone has a warrant, they should directly bring it to me.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 6 Podcasts for the Fashion-Conscious, and Curious
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Emma Dibdin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Last year, the show debuted its first mini-series, “American Ivy,” on the perennial popularity of the preppy look. Starter episode: “Pockets”Begun in 2014, this weekly fashion podcast offers a rare blend of down-to-earth comedy and sartorial commentary. Starter episode: “Fashion Inferno”The Business of Fashion, which started life as a Typepad blog in 2007, has grown into a resource for news and analysis within the fashion industry. Its accompanying podcast has found similar success, with Imran Amed, its chief executive and founder, delivering coverage geared toward fashion creatives and executives. In May 2021 came the brand’s first podcast, offering trend analysis, runway coverage and interviews with designers, stylists and celebrities.

☆ An ex-Apple designer showed off a futuristic AI device that projects phone calls onto your hand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new device by Humane can project phone calls onto the palm of a hand. In a video of the event that Ali shared with Insider, Chaudhri's talk appeared to be interrupted by the insistent chime of a call. But instead of reaching for a device in his pocket, Chaudhri simply turned over his hand to gaze at his palm. A representative for TED indicated that the video that Ali shared was likely captured from a livestream. "Humane will be releasing further details on how the device works in the coming months," a company spokesperson told Insider.

☆ Merch Fit for a King
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Chris Mandle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON — When Dr. Imran Haq was a medical student in 2014, he had a chance encounter with King Charles III at an event. “I was struck by how normal he was,” said Dr. Haq, a surgeon for Britain’s National Health Service in Sheffield, England. About a decade later, the monarch became Dr. Haq’s muse. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, Dr. Haq said his fondness for the British royal family inspired him to take up a hobby: designing cereal boxes as merchandise to commemorate Charles’s coronation on May 6. The boxes of his “Coronation Flakes” feature a cartoon rendering of the king on the front, along with the tagline: “They taste royally good.” On the back, there are puzzles and a cutout mask of Charles’s face.

☆ Kashmir's traditional Ramadan drummers wake neighbours up for pre-dawn meals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Fayaz Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, and usually eat a meal before the sun comes up. Jinded says his family has been playing the role of "Sahar Khans", named for the pre-dawn Ramadan meal called Sahri, for generations. Kashmir's Ramadan drummers are not paid, but as the month nears its end, people tend to become generous. "Ramadan drummers are an important part of our tradition," said Sheikh Ghulam Nabi, a tailor in Srinagar's old town. "They add to the festive atmosphere of the holy month."

☆ An economic crisis in Pakistan means many are going hungry during Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Javed IqbalIn Karachi, Pakistan’s financial center, 13 women and children died in March when hundreds of people caused a stampede in the rush for free food. Nine were killed in late March at separate government run flour distribution sites in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern at what it called “mismanagement” that caused stampedes at wheat flour distribution centers set up by the government. Khan said a shortage of basic imports such as animal feed and other raw materials essential for food production contributed further to the food crisis and widespread hunger. Ramadan is a period of thanksgiving and shared meals, but the festivities have been overshadowed by the economic crisis.

☆ Imran Khan Fights the Army for Control of Nuclear-Armed Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Sadanand Dhume | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Sadanand Dhume writes a biweekly column on India and South Asia for WSJ.com. Mr. Dhume is also a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Mr. Dhume is the author of “My Friend the Fanatic: Travels with a Radical Islamist,” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2009), which charts the rise of the radical Islamist movement in Indonesia. Mr. Dhume holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Delhi, a master’s degree in international relations from Princeton University and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, and travels frequently to India.

☆ Pakistan's finance minister opposes snap polls mandated by top court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 10 (Reuters) - Provincial snap elections are not in Pakistan's national interest given its economic turmoil and security situation, the country's finance minister said on Monday, in defiance of an order by the country's supreme court. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday put forward a financial bill to seek a vote on whether to approve the election funding. "The country's economic, security and internal conditions demand that snap polls aren't in the national interest," he said in a televised speech to parliament. He suggested holding the elections together in all provinces and national seats, saying that would reduce logistics and security expenses. ($1 = 286.2500 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Asif Shahzad; editing by John Stonestreet and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"The meeting agreed to launch an all-out comprehensive operation with the entire nation and the government, which will rid the country of the menace of terrorism with renewed vigor and determination," the security committee said in a statement. Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country of 220 million people, has seen a rise in attacks by Islamist militants in the last few months, particularly since negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group broke down last year. The court has already rejected the government's argument, but Friday's security committee statement brings with it the key endorsement of Pakistan's powerful military. It (the government) gets the military's backing without the military giving any sort of political statement," Hussain added. Pakistan's military has ruled the country for over 30 years out of its 75-year history and continues to wield enormous power.

☆ 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.

Miramax at the time was owned by Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), which sold the movie studio to an investment group in 2010. The lawsuit names Weinstein, Miramax and Disney as defendants, claiming they were aware that Lombardo was a "danger to women whom he encountered at work," but did nothing to prevent him from victimizing her. According to Ziff's lawsuit, Lombardo and Weinstein were "very close" and Weinstein was best man at Lombardo's 2003 wedding. Imran Ansari, a lawyer for Weinstein, said in an email on Friday that Weinstein had no knowledge of or control over Lombardo's conduct. Ziff is accusing Lombardo of sexual battery and gender-motivated violence, and accuses Weinstein and the companies of negligent supervision.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Former Pakistan PM Khan requests virtual court appearance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsFormer Pakistan PM Khan requests virtual court appearancePostedFormer Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the chief justice of Pakistan to allow him to appear for court proceedings virtually to reduce the risk of any threat to his life, he said in a video message on Monday (March 20), as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party prepared for a rally in Lahore on Wednesday (March 22).

[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.

☆ Ex-PM Khan attends court as police storm home
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsEx-PM Khan attends court as police storm homePostedPakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan officially marked his presence in court in Islamabad on Saturday, his aide said, complying with judicial orders. Police clashed with his supporters there and in Lahore and stormed the former cricket star's home. Lucy Fielder has more.

[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.

☆ Exclusive: Pakistan's Imran Khan: committee to lead party if I'm arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, gestures as he speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has denied being behind the cases. Khan said there is no reason he should be arrested now, because he had bail on all his cases. The police attempt to arrest Khan led to clashes in which dozens of people were injured. The former prime minister has generated popular support among Pakistanis amid decades-high inflation and a crippling economic slowdown as the country implements painful fiscal reforms to avert default.

☆ 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.

☆ Israelis launch 'Day Of Resistance' against judicial overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Pakistani police and supporters of Imran Khan fought pitched battles on Tuesday outside the former prime minister's home in the eastern city of Lahore, injuring several on both sides, ahead of his possible arrest.

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