News reports said Wednesday that Imran Khan's third marriage is reportedly in trouble.&nbsp;

The reasons for the trouble, the reports said, were children from previous marriages, and relatives.&nbsp;

Imran had married Bushra Manek, secretly, last month amidst a media frenzy. Bushra was, at the time, described as his "spiritual mentor".&nbsp;

Wednesday's news reports seemed to hint that Imran was upset by the presence of Bushra's son at his home.&nbsp;

The couple had reportedly had a rule that no child from any of their previous marriages would live with them for very long.&nbsp;

The news reports also added that Bushra was not happy with the presence of Imran's sisters in his home. The sisters, the reports said, were helping out with the renovation of Imran's home.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<img alt="imran khan, bushra manek.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/imran%20khan%2C%20bushra%20manek.jpg" width="770" />

(Imran Khan, his third wife Bushra Manek, and relatives pose for a family photo after their marriage last month.)&nbsp;

Bushra is Imran's third wife. He has before this been married to the British socialite Jemima Goldsmith. The marriage lasted nine years.&nbsp;

Imran's second marriage in 2015 to TV anchor Reham Khan lasted 10 months.

Imran had married Bushra Manek, secretly, last month amidst a media frenzy. Bushra was, at the time, described as his 'spiritual mentor'

News reports said Wednesday that Imran Khan's third marriage is reportedly in trouble. The reasons for the trouble, the reports said, were children from previous marriages, and relatives. Imran had married Bushra Manek, secretly, last month amidst a media frenzy. Bushra was, at the time, described as his "spiritual mentor". Wednesday's news reports seemed to hint that Imran was upset by the presence of Bushra's son at his home. The couple had reportedly had a rule that no child from any of their previous marriages would live with them for very long. The news reports also added that Bushra was not happy with the presence of Imran's sisters in his home. The sisters, the reports said, were helping out with the renovation of Imran's home. (Imran Khan, his third wife Bushra Manek, and relatives pose for a family photo after their marriage last month.) Bushra is Imran's third wife. He has before this been married to the British socialite Jemima Goldsmith. The marriage lasted nine years. Imran's second marriage in 2015 to TV anchor Reham Khan lasted 10 months.

Imran Khan's third marriage in trouble: Reports

Pakistan's leading opposition leader Imran Khan today said he would take action against 20 provincial lawmakers of his party for allegedly selling their votes in elections to the upper house of parliament.

The elections to the Senate early last month were marred by allegations levelled by various political leaders that several lawmakers from different parties took money to vote against several policies.

Cricketer-turned-politician Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party (PTI) rules the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where allegedly many lawmakers were involved in the vote-for-money scandal.

In a press conference here, Khan who is campaigning for a corruption-free Pakistan, identified 20 party members and lawmakers of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly and accused each of them of selling their vote for Rs 40 million.

"We have issued them show cause notices to explain their position to the party. We will ask National Accountability Bureau to take action against them if they fail to satisfy the party," said Khan.

The Senate is 104-member upper chamber of parliament and the members are elected by the lawmakers of provincial and national assemblies on the basis of proportional representation. This makes selling and buying of votes easier.

Khan said money had been used in all elections to the Senate but it was for the first time that any party had initiated action against those who sold their votes.

Khan identified 20 party members and lawmakers of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly and accused each of them of selling their vote for Rs 40 million

Pakistan's leading opposition leader Imran Khan today said he would take action against 20 provincial lawmakers of his party for allegedly selling their votes in elections to the upper house of parliament. The elections to the Senate early last month were marred by allegations levelled by various political leaders that several lawmakers from different parties took money to vote against several policies. Cricketer-turned-politician Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party (PTI) rules the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where allegedly many lawmakers were involved in the vote-for-money scandal. In a press conference here, Khan who is campaigning for a corruption-free Pakistan, identified 20 party members and lawmakers of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly and accused each of them of selling their vote for Rs 40 million. "We have issued them show cause notices to explain their position to the party. We will ask National Accountability Bureau to take action against them if they fail to satisfy the party," said Khan. The Senate is 104-member upper chamber of parliament and the members are elected by the lawmakers of provincial and national assemblies on the basis of proportional representation. This makes selling and buying of votes easier. Khan said money had been used in all elections to the Senate but it was for the first time that any party had initiated action against those who sold their votes.

Pakistan: Imran Khan to act against party lawmakers in vote-for-money scandal

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf party has finalised three nominees for the position of caretaker prime minister for the interim government, a party spokesperson said on Monday.

Retired Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, industrialist Abdur Razzaq Dawood and banker-cum-economist Ishrat Hussain were the three nominees finalised by the party for the position of caretaker prime minister, party spokesman Fawad Chaudhry was quoted as saying by Dawn News TV.

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government will conclude its five-year term on May 31, after which the caretaker setup will be put in place to hold elections, expected in July or the first week of August.

According to the party, Shah Mehmood Qureshi will present the names to Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah, who is responsible for forwarding opposition nominees for the position to the prime minister.

Shah and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have already held the first round of consultations regarding the all-important position as the responsibility for holding free and fair elections is tied to it.

Justice Jillani has served as the chief justice of Pakistan between 2013 and 2014 and was also appointed as an ad hoc judge on behalf of Pakistan at the International Court of Justice in Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's case.&nbsp;

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April last year, following which India moved The Hague-based ICJ in May.

Economist Ishrat Hussain has served as the governor of State Bank of Pakistan as well as dean of the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi.

Dawood, an industrialist by profession, served as commerce minister in former president Pervez Musharraf's cabinet between 1999 and 2002.

Meanwhile, party sources said that the names of Dr Salman Shah, Shahid Kardar and former bureaucrat Tariq Khosa have been finalised for the position of caretaker chief minister of Punjab.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf party has finalised three nominees for the position of caretaker prime minister for the interim government, a party spokesperson said today

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf party has finalised three nominees for the position of caretaker prime minister for the interim government, a party spokesperson said on Monday. Retired Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, industrialist Abdur Razzaq Dawood and banker-cum-economist Ishrat Hussain were the three nominees finalised by the party for the position of caretaker prime minister, party spokesman Fawad Chaudhry was quoted as saying by Dawn News TV. The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government will conclude its five-year term on May 31, after which the caretaker setup will be put in place to hold elections, expected in July or the first week of August. According to the party, Shah Mehmood Qureshi will present the names to Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah, who is responsible for forwarding opposition nominees for the position to the prime minister. Shah and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have already held the first round of consultations regarding the all-important position as the responsibility for holding free and fair elections is tied to it. Justice Jillani has served as the chief justice of Pakistan between 2013 and 2014 and was also appointed as an ad hoc judge on behalf of Pakistan at the International Court of Justice in Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's case. Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April last year, following which India moved The Hague-based ICJ in May. Economist Ishrat Hussain has served as the governor of State Bank of Pakistan as well as dean of the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. Dawood, an industrialist by profession, served as commerce minister in former president Pervez Musharraf's cabinet between 1999 and 2002. Meanwhile, party sources said that the names of Dr Salman Shah, Shahid Kardar and former bureaucrat Tariq Khosa have been finalised for the position of caretaker chief minister of Punjab.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf finalises 3 nominees for caretaker Prime Minister post

Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has asked the interior ministry to crack down on any individual or groups involved in posting blasphemous material about the Hindu religion, after the minority community leaders protested against a wave of online hate speech hurting their religious sentiments.

The directive came yesterday after a picture of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan depicted as a Hindu god was doing the rounds on social media.

The Speaker issued the directive following a protest by Hindu legislators who said that their religion was being smeared in a wave of hate speech online, the Dawn reported.

The issue was raised by Ramesh Lal who presented an example of the blasphemous content, a picture of a Hindu deity with Imran's face, the report said.

Such posts have deeply hurt the religious sentiments of more than four million Hindus living in Pakistan. The lawmaker said that such offences were covered by cyber laws and should not remain unpunished, it said.

Demanding legal action against the perpetrators for posting blasphemous content, he asked the speaker to order an inquiry into the matter.

Another parliamentarian Lal Chand Malhi said there was evidence of a malicious online campaign targeting the minority community and desecrating images that were revered by millions of Pakistani Hindus.

In response to the complaints, Speaker Sadiq directed Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry to complete the inquiry within seven days.

He also directed the state minister to lodge a case against the culprits with the Federal Investigation Agency.

Lal said he along with Malhi prepared a complaint letter which will be handed over to Chaudhry.

He said that the social media campaign against the Hindu community had been going on for two weeks.

Earlier in the house, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said his party fully supported the Hindu community.

He alleged that such content was being generated by the social media wing of a political party.

Commenting on the PTI allegation, Chaudhry said the government strongly condemned all such acts.

He said the internet was full of blasphemous content that was used not only to hurt the feelings of the Hindu community but also to insult Muslims.

Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had in the past also taken up the issue of blasphemous content on Facebook and even asked the social networking websites to not allow such offensive posts.

Tallal Chaudhry assured the house that his ministry would investigate the online attacks on the Hindu faith and seek out the culprits. 
&nbsp

The directive came yesterday after a picture of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan depicted as a Hindu god was doing the rounds on social media

Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has asked the interior ministry to crack down on any individual or groups involved in posting blasphemous material about the Hindu religion, after the minority community leaders protested against a wave of online hate speech hurting their religious sentiments. The directive came yesterday after a picture of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan depicted as a Hindu god was doing the rounds on social media. The Speaker issued the directive following a protest by Hindu legislators who said that their religion was being smeared in a wave of hate speech online, the Dawn reported. The issue was raised by Ramesh Lal who presented an example of the blasphemous content, a picture of a Hindu deity with Imran's face, the report said. Such posts have deeply hurt the religious sentiments of more than four million Hindus living in Pakistan. The lawmaker said that such offences were covered by cyber laws and should not remain unpunished, it said. Demanding legal action against the perpetrators for posting blasphemous content, he asked the speaker to order an inquiry into the matter. Another parliamentarian Lal Chand Malhi said there was evidence of a malicious online campaign targeting the minority community and desecrating images that were revered by millions of Pakistani Hindus. In response to the complaints, Speaker Sadiq directed Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry to complete the inquiry within seven days. He also directed the state minister to lodge a case against the culprits with the Federal Investigation Agency. Lal said he along with Malhi prepared a complaint letter which will be handed over to Chaudhry. He said that the social media campaign against the Hindu community had been going on for two weeks. Earlier in the house, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said his party fully supported the Hindu community. He alleged that such content was being generated by the social media wing of a political party. Commenting on the PTI allegation, Chaudhry said the government strongly condemned all such acts. He said the internet was full of blasphemous content that was used not only to hurt the feelings of the Hindu community but also to insult Muslims. Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had in the past also taken up the issue of blasphemous content on Facebook and even asked the social networking websites to not allow such offensive posts. Tallal Chaudhry assured the house that his ministry would investigate the online attacks on the Hindu faith and seek out the culprits.

Act against those who hurt Hindus' religious sentiments: Pakistan Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to Interior Minister

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in series of tweets lambasted Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for his recent remarks claiming that horse trading and money played a key role in the outcome of the recent Senate elections.

"So now PM Abbasi is crying abt horse-trading & money deciding Senate elections! If his party was so concerned why didn't they support PTI's proposals to change Senate election format to prevent exactly these shenanigans?" the PTI chief tweeted.

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So now PM Abbasi is crying abt horse-trading & money deciding Senate elections! If his party was so concerned why didn't they support PTI's proposals to change Senate election format to prevent exactly these shenanigans?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/977794522917851137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 March 2018</a></blockquote>
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Following his tweet, Khan posted a list of four questions over Abbasi's statements and asked him to clarify whether the Prime Minister felt a money launderer should be above the law because of "some imagined ongoing development".

"4 Qs for PM Abbasi after his histrionics yesterday 1: How could Panama case & it's verdict have derailed development when it indicted NS for money laundering? Does PM Abbasi feel a money launderer shd be above the law be of some imagined ongoing development?" he tweeted.

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4 Qs for PM Abbasi after his histrionics yesterday 1: How cld Panama case & it's verdict have derailed development when it indicted NS for money laundering? Does PM Abbasi feel a money launderer shd be above the law bec of some imagined ongoing development?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/977796096557813762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 March 2018</a></blockquote>
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Khan also attacked the Prime Minister for ignoring the corruption in the ruling party.

"Does PM Abbasi regard the debilitating USD 10 billion money laundering per year that is destroying Pakistan a non-issue?" Imran asked in another tweet.

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3. Does PM Abbasi think NS is or is not involved in money laundering? if he thinks he is, then how can Abbasi as PM condone crime of money laundering? If Abbasi thinks NS is not guilty of money laundering then he is more foolish than one thought. <a href="https://t.co/TrxSQh9wYS">https://t.co/TrxSQh9wYS</a>
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/977797171079794688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 March 2018</a></blockquote>
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Following this, the PTI chief said Abbasi is a fool if he thinks that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was not guilty of money laundering.

"If he thinks he is, then how can Abbasi as PM condone crime of money laundering? If Abbasi thinks Nawaz Sharif is not guilty of money laundering then he is more foolish than one thought," Imran posted on Twitter.

In his fourth question, Imran said, "How others expected to accept and respect the judgement of the Supreme Court when the Prime Minister of the country himself not ready to accept."

Earlier on Saturday, Abbasi said, "An election where votes were sold and purchased got us a chairman who was not known in the political circles before. It is sad to have such a person as chairman of the Senate, an institution that represents the federation."&nbsp;

Following his tweet, Khan posted a list of four questions over Abbasi's statements and asked him to clarify whether the Prime Minister felt a money launderer should be above the law because of "some imagined ongoing development".

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in series of tweets lambasted Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for his recent remarks claiming that horse trading and money played a key role in the outcome of the recent Senate elections. "So now PM Abbasi is crying abt horse-trading & money deciding Senate elections! If his party was so concerned why didn't they support PTI's proposals to change Senate election format to prevent exactly these shenanigans?" the PTI chief tweeted. So now PM Abbasi is crying abt horse-trading & money deciding Senate elections! If his party was so concerned why didn't they support PTI's proposals to change Senate election format to prevent exactly these shenanigans? — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) 25 March 2018 × Following his tweet, Khan posted a list of four questions over Abbasi's statements and asked him to clarify whether the Prime Minister felt a money launderer should be above the law because of "some imagined ongoing development". "4 Qs for PM Abbasi after his histrionics yesterday 1: How could Panama case & it's verdict have derailed development when it indicted NS for money laundering? Does PM Abbasi feel a money launderer shd be above the law be of some imagined ongoing development?" he tweeted. 4 Qs for PM Abbasi after his histrionics yesterday 1: How cld Panama case & it's verdict have derailed development when it indicted NS for money laundering? Does PM Abbasi feel a money launderer shd be above the law bec of some imagined ongoing development? — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) 25 March 2018 × Khan also attacked the Prime Minister for ignoring the corruption in the ruling party. "Does PM Abbasi regard the debilitating USD 10 billion money laundering per year that is destroying Pakistan a non-issue?" Imran asked in another tweet. 3. Does PM Abbasi think NS is or is not involved in money laundering? if he thinks he is, then how can Abbasi as PM condone crime of money laundering? If Abbasi thinks NS is not guilty of money laundering then he is more foolish than one thought. https://t.co/TrxSQh9wYS — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) 25 March 2018 × Following this, the PTI chief said Abbasi is a fool if he thinks that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was not guilty of money laundering. "If he thinks he is, then how can Abbasi as PM condone crime of money laundering? If Abbasi thinks Nawaz Sharif is not guilty of money laundering then he is more foolish than one thought," Imran posted on Twitter. In his fourth question, Imran said, "How others expected to accept and respect the judgement of the Supreme Court when the Prime Minister of the country himself not ready to accept." Earlier on Saturday, Abbasi said, "An election where votes were sold and purchased got us a chairman who was not known in the political circles before. It is sad to have such a person as chairman of the Senate, an institution that represents the federation."

Imran Khan goes on Twitter tirade against Pakistan PM Abbasi

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf&#39;s (PTI) leader Imran Khan on Saturday claimed that he is ready to take on &quot;Sharif Mafia&quot;.

While addressing his party&#39;s social media team here Khan said, &quot;I am impatiently waiting for the &#39;big match&#39;, the general election 2018&quot;, as told by the Dawn.

He asked his social media team to expand and bring a change by introducing new ideas to develop public opinion against &quot;Sharif Mafia&quot; while alleging that ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had looted the national wealth and stashed it abroad.

He further said, &quot;The PTI volunteers and their passion must defeat the paid (social media) mafia of the Sharifs&#39; PML-N,&quot; he said adding the next general election would decide the fate of youth in Pakistan.

Khan claimed that people will be given the party tickets on the basis of merit and popularity in their respective constituencies. In case of multiple candidates from the same constituencies, a survey shall be conducted.

He also accused the ruling PML-N government of looting money on the name of projects.

On Saturday former Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Aamir Liaquat Hussain also decided to join the PTI.

Earlier on March 12, Imran Khan had promised to transform Pakistan into a nation, Pakistan leaders Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Muhammad Iqbal had envisaged.

He had also announced to contest the next general elections from the Karachi constituency.&nbsp;

Khan had also announced to contest the next general elections from the Karachi constituency

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) leader Imran Khan on Saturday claimed that he is ready to take on "Sharif Mafia". While addressing his party's social media team here Khan said, "I am impatiently waiting for the 'big match', the general election 2018", as told by the Dawn. He asked his social media team to expand and bring a change by introducing new ideas to develop public opinion against "Sharif Mafia" while alleging that ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had looted the national wealth and stashed it abroad. He further said, "The PTI volunteers and their passion must defeat the paid (social media) mafia of the Sharifs' PML-N," he said adding the next general election would decide the fate of youth in Pakistan. Khan claimed that people will be given the party tickets on the basis of merit and popularity in their respective constituencies. In case of multiple candidates from the same constituencies, a survey shall be conducted. He also accused the ruling PML-N government of looting money on the name of projects. On Saturday former Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Aamir Liaquat Hussain also decided to join the PTI. Earlier on March 12, Imran Khan had promised to transform Pakistan into a nation, Pakistan leaders Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Muhammad Iqbal had envisaged. He had also announced to contest the next general elections from the Karachi constituency.

Ready to take on 'Sharif Mafia', says Imran Khan

Members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf&rsquo;s (PTI) women wing attacked MNA Ayesha Gulali in anger as she arrived at a hotel in Bahawalpur Friday evening.

Women activists of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party threw eggs and tomatoes on rebel MNA Gulalai. Gulalai, who had announced to quit the party in early August last year had levelled allegations of harassment and corruption against Imran Khan, was attacked outside her hotel in the city.&nbsp;

She quit the PTI in August 2017 after blaming Imran Khan for sending her inappropriate text messages in October 2013.

She was in the city to attend an event organised by the Suba Bahawalpur Bahali Tehreek (SBBT).

In response to the &lsquo;go Gulalai go&rsquo; chants by PTI members, activists of the SBBT shouted &lsquo;go Imran go&rsquo; and &lsquo;ro (cry) Imran ro (cry)&rsquo;. Gulalai said that those PTI activists shouting slogans at her were not at fault and described the protesting activists as her sisters.

Incidents of attacking political leaders have increased in the present month.&nbsp;

The shoe-throwing incident on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Jamia Naeemia seminary in Garhi Shahu on March 11, the ink-throwing incident on Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif during a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) convention and another shoe throwing episode on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal have surfaced recently.&nbsp;

Gulalai said that those PTI activists shouting slogans at her were not at fault and described the protesting activists as her sisters

Members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) women wing attacked MNA Ayesha Gulali in anger as she arrived at a hotel in Bahawalpur Friday evening. Women activists of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party threw eggs and tomatoes on rebel MNA Gulalai. Gulalai, who had announced to quit the party in early August last year had levelled allegations of harassment and corruption against Imran Khan, was attacked outside her hotel in the city. She quit the PTI in August 2017 after blaming Imran Khan for sending her inappropriate text messages in October 2013. She was in the city to attend an event organised by the Suba Bahawalpur Bahali Tehreek (SBBT). In response to the ‘go Gulalai go’ chants by PTI members, activists of the SBBT shouted ‘go Imran go’ and ‘ro (cry) Imran ro (cry)’. Gulalai said that those PTI activists shouting slogans at her were not at fault and described the protesting activists as her sisters. Incidents of attacking political leaders have increased in the present month. The shoe-throwing incident on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Jamia Naeemia seminary in Garhi Shahu on March 11, the ink-throwing incident on Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif during a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) convention and another shoe throwing episode on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal have surfaced recently.

PTI women throw eggs, tomatoes at MNA Ayesha Gulali

&nbsp;A shoe was hurled at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Tuesday during a rally in Gujrat city in Pakistan&#39;s Punjab province.

The shoe hit PTI leader Aleem Khan as he was standing alongside Imran Khan, reported Geo News.

The PTI chief had just turned to face a different direction when the shoe came flying in, hitting Aleem squarely on the chest, the report said.

Imran was addressing a public gathering and was present on top of a vehicle with fellow PTI leaders and staff.

Imran Khan concluded his address soon after the attack.

According to the reports, this isn&#39;t the first such attack on the PTI chief. Last week, a man was beaten up and handed over to police for allegedly trying to hurl a shoe at Imran as he was getting into his vehicle to leave the venue of a rally in Faisalabad.

Earlier on Sunday, a miscreant hurled a shoe at Pakistan&#39;s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif when he was about to address a gathering at Jamia Naeemia&#39;s mosque in Lahore.

Furthermore, on Saturday a man threw ink at Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif during his speech at the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz&#39;s (PML-N) workers&#39; convention in Sialkot, The man was taken into police custody.&nbsp;

The shoe hit PTI leader Aleem Khan as he was standing alongside Imran Khan

A shoe was hurled at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Tuesday during a rally in Gujrat city in Pakistan's Punjab province. The shoe hit PTI leader Aleem Khan as he was standing alongside Imran Khan, reported Geo News. The PTI chief had just turned to face a different direction when the shoe came flying in, hitting Aleem squarely on the chest, the report said. Imran was addressing a public gathering and was present on top of a vehicle with fellow PTI leaders and staff. Imran Khan concluded his address soon after the attack. According to the reports, this isn't the first such attack on the PTI chief. Last week, a man was beaten up and handed over to police for allegedly trying to hurl a shoe at Imran as he was getting into his vehicle to leave the venue of a rally in Faisalabad. Earlier on Sunday, a miscreant hurled a shoe at Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif when he was about to address a gathering at Jamia Naeemia's mosque in Lahore. Furthermore, on Saturday a man threw ink at Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif during his speech at the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) workers' convention in Sialkot, The man was taken into police custody.

Shoe hurled at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/shoe-hurled-at-pakistan-tehreek-i-insaf-chief-imran-khan-35713">Shoe hurled at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan</a>

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-crude-prices-fall-over-rising-production-tillerson-firing-35722">US crude prices fall over rising production, Tillerson firing</a>

Oil fell more than 1 per cent on concerns over rising US production and as equities fell, erasing earlier gains driven in part by the firing of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Gorakhpur, Phulpur Bypoll results: Counting underway amid heavy security Counting of votes for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha byelections began today amid tight security. All eyes are on Gorkahpur as it is the home constituency of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath from where he had won five times as an MP. Trump targeting $60 billion tariffs on Chinese imports in 100 items President Trump's administration is targeting China import tariffs upto $60 billion even as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the US Senate was "highly unlikely" to pass legislation to nullify tariffs which President Trump has announced. Chabahar project not aimed at 'strangulating' anybody: Iran Iran has invited Pakistan and China to participate in the strategic Chabahar Port and said the initiative is not aimed at "strangulating" or "encircling" anybody, a media report today quoted visiting Iranian Foreign Minister as saying. Shoe hurled at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan A shoe was hurled at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Tuesday during a rally in Gujrat city in Pakistan's Punjab province. US crude prices fall over rising production, Tillerson firing Oil fell more than 1 per cent on concerns over rising US production and as equities fell, erasing earlier gains driven in part by the firing of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

WION Morning News Brief, March 14, 2018

A man was beaten up&nbsp;by people and handed over to the police after he allegedly tried to hurl a shoe at Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan&nbsp;when he was getting into his car after leaving the rally in Faisalabad on Sunday.

Khan&#39;s party workers and security staff caught the man when they saw him open the leader&#39;s car and was then beaten up.&nbsp;

The man, identified as Mirza Ramzan was sent by the son-in-law of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Sheharyar, reports said.&nbsp;

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Confessional video of the man sent by Rana Sanaullah to attack Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan. PMlN stooping to the lowest level! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PTI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PTI</a> <a href="https://t.co/H3Y5aPLyyT">pic.twitter.com/H3Y5aPLyyT</a>
&mdash; PTI (@PTIofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/972834240445460480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

According to police, the suspect admitted that Sanaullah&rsquo;s son-in-law directed him to throw a shoe at the PTI chief. The further action would only be taken after a written application by the PTI, they added.

Earlier today, a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/shoe-thrown-at-former-pakistan-pm-nawaz-sharif-35386">man threw a shoe </a>at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at Jamia Naeemia in Lahore during a ceremony.

The incident came a day after an individual hurled ink at Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, a member of the ruling party and a close Sharif aide, while he was speaking at a party rally in eastern Pakistan.

Khan's party workers and security staff caught the man when they saw him opening the leader's car and was then beaten up.

A man was beaten up by people and handed over to the police after he allegedly tried to hurl a shoe at Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan when he was getting into his car after leaving the rally in Faisalabad on Sunday. Khan's party workers and security staff caught the man when they saw him open the leader's car and was then beaten up. The man, identified as Mirza Ramzan was sent by the son-in-law of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Sheharyar, reports said. Confessional video of the man sent by Rana Sanaullah to attack Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan. PMlN stooping to the lowest level! #PTI pic.twitter.com/H3Y5aPLyyT — PTI (@PTIofficial) March 11, 2018 × According to police, the suspect admitted that Sanaullah’s son-in-law directed him to throw a shoe at the PTI chief. The further action would only be taken after a written application by the PTI, they added. Earlier today, a man threw a shoe at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at Jamia Naeemia in Lahore during a ceremony. The incident came a day after an individual hurled ink at Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, a member of the ruling party and a close Sharif aide, while he was speaking at a party rally in eastern Pakistan.

Watch: Man beaten up after hurling shoe at PTI chief Imran Khan

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan on Monday announced he would contest the upcoming general election from Karachi.

While addressing a gathering in city&rsquo;s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area, Khan said Karachi was the city people would come to spend their vacations But over the years it has been abandoned by political parties.

He said that Karachi used to run the entire system of the country, adding that the division caused Karachi a lot of damage.&nbsp;

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the highest rate of terrorism but today it was a peaceful province.

&quot;Mafias prevail in this city. The tanker mafia for example - citizens do not have access to water because of it... The Rangers have been posted in the city because [political parties have] ruined the police,&quot; Khan said.

The PTI chief further stressed the need to elect a mayor who has administrative powers and financial resources to deal with the challenges being faced by the city.&nbsp;

He promised that if he came to power, his party would bring in a directly elected mayor who would solve Karachi&#39;s problems with his team of experts.

He was addressing a gathering in city’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan on Monday announced he would contest the upcoming general election from Karachi. While addressing a gathering in city’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area, Khan said Karachi was the city people would come to spend their vacations But over the years it has been abandoned by political parties. He said that Karachi used to run the entire system of the country, adding that the division caused Karachi a lot of damage. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the highest rate of terrorism but today it was a peaceful province. "Mafias prevail in this city. The tanker mafia for example - citizens do not have access to water because of it... The Rangers have been posted in the city because [political parties have] ruined the police," Khan said. The PTI chief further stressed the need to elect a mayor who has administrative powers and financial resources to deal with the challenges being faced by the city. He promised that if he came to power, his party would bring in a directly elected mayor who would solve Karachi's problems with his team of experts.

Imran Khan to contest 2018 general elections from Karachi

A video of kid bowling with pace and accuracy on a terrace has captured the imagination of cricket lovers in Pakistan.

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I just recieved this video and don&rsquo;t know about this brilliant kid, want to know your thoughts abt this terrific bowling. <a href="https://twitter.com/wasimakramlive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wasimakramlive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/shoaib100mph?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shoaib100mph</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iramizraja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iramizraja</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAfridiOfficial</a> <a href="https://t.co/8JPRQNHlfj">pic.twitter.com/8JPRQNHlfj</a>
&mdash; Faizan Ramzan (@faizanramzank) <a href="https://twitter.com/faizanramzank/status/968577555593822208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The boy with left-handed bowling action is seen in the video bowling with such pace and venom that even Pakistani bowling legend Wasim Akram couldn&#39;t resist talking about him.

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Where is this boy??? We have serious talent flowing through the veins of our nation and no platform for these kids to be discovered. It&rsquo;s time we do something about it <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheFutureOfCricketIsWithOurYouth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheFutureOfCricketIsWithOurYouth</a> <a href="https://t.co/ybzd5ASeTx">https://t.co/ybzd5ASeTx</a>
&mdash; Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) <a href="https://twitter.com/wasimakramlive/status/968733106176970754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The boy in successive deliveries brings down the stumps in true &quot;Wasim fashion&quot; and even manages to bowl a few of inswinging yorkers.

However, there is no information where the boy is from although several cricket fans have urged authorities to look for him and induct him in cricket training programme.

A legend in the making? Who knows...

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I don&rsquo;t have any contact but sure Insha Allah he will be found
&mdash; Faizan Ramzan (@faizanramzank) <a href="https://twitter.com/faizanramzank/status/969201878851604480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

There is no information where the boy is from although several cricket fans have urged authorities to look for him

A video of kid bowling with pace and accuracy on a terrace has captured the imagination of cricket lovers in Pakistan. I just recieved this video and don’t know about this brilliant kid, want to know your thoughts abt this terrific bowling. @wasimakramlive @shoaib100mph @iramizraja @SAfridiOfficial pic.twitter.com/8JPRQNHlfj — Faizan Ramzan (@faizanramzank) February 27, 2018 × The boy with left-handed bowling action is seen in the video bowling with such pace and venom that even Pakistani bowling legend Wasim Akram couldn't resist talking about him. Where is this boy??? We have serious talent flowing through the veins of our nation and no platform for these kids to be discovered. It’s time we do something about it #TheFutureOfCricketIsWithOurYouth https://t.co/ybzd5ASeTx — Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) February 28, 2018 × The boy in successive deliveries brings down the stumps in true "Wasim fashion" and even manages to bowl a few of inswinging yorkers. However, there is no information where the boy is from although several cricket fans have urged authorities to look for him and induct him in cricket training programme. A legend in the making? Who knows... I don’t have any contact but sure Insha Allah he will be found — Faizan Ramzan (@faizanramzank) March 1, 2018 ×

Watch: 'Who is this boy,' asks Wasim Akram, video goes viral

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf followers have been mocking cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan&#39;s second wife Reham Khan after she tweeted a picture of the PTI chief&#39;s new wife Bushra Maneka covering herself from head to toe along with a picture of modest Burqa.

The former wife of the politician, who recently tied the knot for the third time, said Maneka was wearing a political burqa.

The anchor&#39;s tweet put her in trouble as followers of Imran Khan dissed her in the worst possible way, insulting, bashing and even abusing Reham Khan.

She said Imran Khan was going from &quot;Soho to Sufism&quot; and that the pictures of Khan&#39;s new wedding were &quot;political suicide&quot;.

&quot;I have all the respect for women who observe hijab for personal reasons. I object to right-wing vote pick up efforts,&quot; Reham Khan tweeted.

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I have all the respect for women who observe hijab for personal reasons. I object to right wing vote pick up efforts <a href="https://t.co/SWt6i7YDaS">pic.twitter.com/SWt6i7YDaS</a>
&mdash; Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) <a href="https://twitter.com/RehamKhan1/status/967438990310854656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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PTI followers going bonkers over the tweet said &quot;religious policing&quot; was at its peak.

&quot;First of all, you saying all of that is even indecent and against our religion,&quot; a follower replied to Reham Khan&#39;s tweet.

Some said she was a &quot;jealous&quot; woman and that she came up with &quot;utter rubbish&quot; as she did not have a valid point.

&quot;Fighters of Islam should first and foremost watch out the words they utter,&quot; a Twitter user said.

Khan last month secretly married his spiritual mentor Bushra Maneka, a divorcee, amid the media frenzy over his third marriage.

Khan&#39;s first marriage with Jemima Goldsmith lasted for nine years, while his innings with Reham Khan lasted merely 10 months.

Khan's first marriage with Jemima Goldsmith lasted for nine years, while his innings with Reham Khan lasted merely 10 months

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf followers have been mocking cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's second wife Reham Khan after she tweeted a picture of the PTI chief's new wife Bushra Maneka covering herself from head to toe along with a picture of modest Burqa. The former wife of the politician, who recently tied the knot for the third time, said Maneka was wearing a political burqa. The anchor's tweet put her in trouble as followers of Imran Khan dissed her in the worst possible way, insulting, bashing and even abusing Reham Khan. She said Imran Khan was going from "Soho to Sufism" and that the pictures of Khan's new wedding were "political suicide". "I have all the respect for women who observe hijab for personal reasons. I object to right-wing vote pick up efforts," Reham Khan tweeted. I have all the respect for women who observe hijab for personal reasons. I object to right wing vote pick up efforts pic.twitter.com/SWt6i7YDaS — Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) February 24, 2018 × PTI followers going bonkers over the tweet said "religious policing" was at its peak. "First of all, you saying all of that is even indecent and against our religion," a follower replied to Reham Khan's tweet. Some said she was a "jealous" woman and that she came up with "utter rubbish" as she did not have a valid point. "Fighters of Islam should first and foremost watch out the words they utter," a Twitter user said. Khan last month secretly married his spiritual mentor Bushra Maneka, a divorcee, amid the media frenzy over his third marriage. Khan's first marriage with Jemima Goldsmith lasted for nine years, while his innings with Reham Khan lasted merely 10 months.

Imran Khan supporters mock Reham Khan after her tweet against 'political burqa'

Pakistan&#39;s election year has begun but the main political parties are in disarray. The &#39;Deep State&#39; has ensured this would be the scene in the run-up to the elections scheduled for later in the year.

The once great party, the PPP, has drifted into such irrelevance that political commentators in Pakistan barely mention it. What was once meant to be the King&#39;s Party - the PML (N) - when it was created by General Zia-ul-Haq, to oppose Benazir&#39;s PPP and led by his protege Nawaz Sharif, has been rendered leaderless by judicial activism.

It seems the &#39;Deep State&#39; has been acting with a two-word whip - Get Nawaz.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), whose cricketer-turned-political leader Imran Khan has pretensions to political greatness, now appears to be more a pantomime and less a serious party.

It would appear that for the present unless something dramatic happens, the GHQ (General Headquarters at Rawalpindi) has it all tied up safely for itself for the next five years.

The elections are still several weeks away, but a week is a long time in politics where strange things are known to happen.

No prime minister in Pakistan has served his or her full term; only one government, that of Asif Zardari, was able to complete its five-year tenure, but had to sacrifice its prime minster.

The elections in 2008 had brought Asif Zardari&#39;s PPP (after the assassinated Benazir Bhutto bequeathed the party leadership to her husband in her will - strange but may be true) to power.

The beleaguered dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, accused by Benazir of plotting her assassination, bolted from Pakistan. What the GHQ did not expect was the decrepit regime would last its full term of five years despite Memogate and other methods of skullduggery.

It was a landmark for Pakistani democracy when Zardari&#39;s elected government transferred power to another political party in Pakistan after the elections in 2013. Things were expected to change said many starry-eyed intellectuals, some to be found in India. Others were more pragmatic and did not wear rose-tinted glasses. Nothing had changed and nothing would change, they (including this author) said.

The Army would continue to rule; it no longer needed to stage a coup and come up front.

Far better to let the politicians pretend to rule, take the blame while the Army would continue to control and rake in all the profits of war and democracy.

Nawaz Sharif&#39;s election through a democratic process was not welcomed by the &#39;Deep State&#39; - the fear of democracy taking root in Pakistan was second only to the fear of India and had to be snuffed out.

Soon enough, they put Nawaz Sharif&#39;s government to the test in 2014. Imran Khan and his new ally, Tahir-ul- Qadri from Canada and leader of the Hizb-ut-Tehrir, mysteriously appeared on the streets of Islamabad, flush with money, organising protests and lock downs and accusing Nawaz Sharif of election malpractices and demanding re-elections.

Just as Nawaz Sharif himself had done in the last year of the Zardari government by taking issues to the streets, he was subjected to the same treatment early in his innings to let him know where the real power lay and to keep him on the back foot. But, Nawaz was tougher; he had been thrown out of power twice before and he did not want to be third time unlucky.

He took the battle to the &#39;enemy&#39; when he sought Musharraf&#39;s arrest and trial for treason. This broadside against a former army chief in Pakistan was blasphemy according to the Pindi Boys. Nawaz was being not only indiscreet but also positively rebellious. He committed another sin when he dared to seek better relations with &quot;enemy&quot; India, especially when he began to get friendly with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

Nawaz Sharif had become bad news. He had to go, but not in a military coup which would turn off all the money taps. The Panama Papers have helped and Sharif lost his premiership in July last year and followed by another harsh judgment delivered a few days ago.

The Supreme Court has now removed Nawaz Sharif even from the leadership of his party. The judgment is potentially dangerous for the future of democratic processes in Pakistan. The court is expected to interpret law, impart justice and not give person-specific judgments. The decision that nullifies all past decisions of Nawaz Sharif since his re-election last year is manifestly excessive and unfair.

At moments like this, there are questions about the future of the PML (N) and Nawaz himself. There will be the usual, including the bureaucrats with their secrets, who will jump ship but the party has also shown that in the past, it has held together.

Despite being sent into exile in Saudi Arabia by General Musharraf, Nawaz showed enough resilience and had the party&#39;s support to stage a political comeback in 2007. Even after Nawaz&#39;s ouster last year, the party held together. There will be the usual rumours of internal dissensions and family squabbles in a party that has been dynastic.

There may be a consensus building up around Nawaz&#39;s brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. A great deal would depend on the family holding together and Nawaz being willing to accept his role as &#39;eminence gris&#39;, or for that matter, the party accepting this role, and finally, would the GHQ have any preferences for the much-married younger brother.

Nawaz&#39;s posture since his ouster as prime minister has been aggressive, presumably trying to portray confidence about returning to power.

Imran Khan, the Pathan from Mianwali, is the newest overgrown kid on the block. Idol of many, he missed the bus when he could not capitalise on the political adversity of his arch rival Nawaz Sharif.

Apart from angry speeches and loose statements that have landed him in a legal suit last year by Pakistan&#39;s biggest media chain, the Jang Group, who had slapped a suit for one billion rupees and an unconditional apology. Many are not seeing Imran as an alternative to Nawaz.

Yasser Latif Hamdani, a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School has an interesting story to tell. He describes Imran as a deeply religious and superstitious type even if his antics as a notorious playboy contradict this reality.

He also has spiritual advisers telling him what he should do to become prime minister. His party, the PTI, announced earlier this month that he had married Bushra Manika (aka PinkiPirni), mother of five, on February 18. (Actually, they got married a few months ago). It seems that the woman had a dream. A most holy personage in Islam told her that for Imran Khan to become prime minister, she must marry him, and then, both Pakistan and Islam would truly prosper.

She consulted her husband, who promptly agreed to a divorce and, in November, the couple divorced, described by her son as having occurred on the orders of Allah and His Messenger.

Imran, eager to be prime minister swallowed this story. There is not much to commend Imran and this latest foray has not endeared him to many of his followers.

The &quot;burger&quot; class among his followers is unhappy that he has married a woman who is dressed in &quot;a shuttle cock burqa&quot;

This has also not pleased the hardened Deobandhis who constitute his most ardent followers, for, he has married a Sufi despite the fact that the bride wore a burqa.

It seems that Imran is actually a closet fundamentalist and has begun to play the religious card assiduously.

He has wooed former senator Sami ul-Haq, leader of his faction of the Jamaatul-Islam (S) and chancellor of the Darul Uloom Haqqania, for an alliance to fight the Senate elections together.

Sami ul-Haq&#39;s CV is impressive. Known as the father of the Taliban, his madrassa has been the alma mater of the Taliban. Haq has been Chairman of the right wing Difa-e-Pakistan Council - an alliance of more than 40 political and religious parties opposed to US and India. In 2013, he formed the Mutahida Deeni Mahaz, an alliance of right-wing political and religious parties to contest elections.

It is with this extreme right wing that Imran Khan has close relations and the PTI government in Khyber PakhtunKhwa announced an additional grant of Rs 227 million to the Haqqania madrassa. This is an addition to the Rs 300 million granted in the previous budget. The latest hand out has come just ahead of the Senate elections.

This kind of largesse to a madrassa globally acknowledged as the seminary of the Taliban comes at a time when the Pakistan government is battling the FATF resolution in Paris. This is not likely to embarrass the Pakistan government known for its double speak.

The election turf is essentially between the PTI and PML (N); more specifically in the Punjab province and in terms of personalities, between Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif/Shahbaz Sharif.

The Sharif family still has considerable control in the Punjab but the religious right and the Army will be the match referees.

The once great party, the PPP, has drifted into such irrelevance that political commentators in Pakistan barely mention it

Pakistan's election year has begun but the main political parties are in disarray. The 'Deep State' has ensured this would be the scene in the run-up to the elections scheduled for later in the year. The once great party, the PPP, has drifted into such irrelevance that political commentators in Pakistan barely mention it. What was once meant to be the King's Party - the PML (N) - when it was created by General Zia-ul-Haq, to oppose Benazir's PPP and led by his protege Nawaz Sharif, has been rendered leaderless by judicial activism. It seems the 'Deep State' has been acting with a two-word whip - Get Nawaz. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), whose cricketer-turned-political leader Imran Khan has pretensions to political greatness, now appears to be more a pantomime and less a serious party. It would appear that for the present unless something dramatic happens, the GHQ (General Headquarters at Rawalpindi) has it all tied up safely for itself for the next five years. The elections are still several weeks away, but a week is a long time in politics where strange things are known to happen. No prime minister in Pakistan has served his or her full term; only one government, that of Asif Zardari, was able to complete its five-year tenure, but had to sacrifice its prime minster. The elections in 2008 had brought Asif Zardari's PPP (after the assassinated Benazir Bhutto bequeathed the party leadership to her husband in her will - strange but may be true) to power. The beleaguered dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, accused by Benazir of plotting her assassination, bolted from Pakistan. What the GHQ did not expect was the decrepit regime would last its full term of five years despite Memogate and other methods of skullduggery. It was a landmark for Pakistani democracy when Zardari's elected government transferred power to another political party in Pakistan after the elections in 2013. Things were expected to change said many starry-eyed intellectuals, some to be found in India. Others were more pragmatic and did not wear rose-tinted glasses. Nothing had changed and nothing would change, they (including this author) said. The Army would continue to rule; it no longer needed to stage a coup and come up front. Far better to let the politicians pretend to rule, take the blame while the Army would continue to control and rake in all the profits of war and democracy. Nawaz Sharif's election through a democratic process was not welcomed by the 'Deep State' - the fear of democracy taking root in Pakistan was second only to the fear of India and had to be snuffed out. Soon enough, they put Nawaz Sharif's government to the test in 2014. Imran Khan and his new ally, Tahir-ul- Qadri from Canada and leader of the Hizb-ut-Tehrir, mysteriously appeared on the streets of Islamabad, flush with money, organising protests and lock downs and accusing Nawaz Sharif of election malpractices and demanding re-elections. Just as Nawaz Sharif himself had done in the last year of the Zardari government by taking issues to the streets, he was subjected to the same treatment early in his innings to let him know where the real power lay and to keep him on the back foot. But, Nawaz was tougher; he had been thrown out of power twice before and he did not want to be third time unlucky. He took the battle to the 'enemy' when he sought Musharraf's arrest and trial for treason. This broadside against a former army chief in Pakistan was blasphemy according to the Pindi Boys. Nawaz was being not only indiscreet but also positively rebellious. He committed another sin when he dared to seek better relations with "enemy" India, especially when he began to get friendly with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Nawaz Sharif had become bad news. He had to go, but not in a military coup which would turn off all the money taps. The Panama Papers have helped and Sharif lost his premiership in July last year and followed by another harsh judgment delivered a few days ago. The Supreme Court has now removed Nawaz Sharif even from the leadership of his party. The judgment is potentially dangerous for the future of democratic processes in Pakistan. The court is expected to interpret law, impart justice and not give person-specific judgments. The decision that nullifies all past decisions of Nawaz Sharif since his re-election last year is manifestly excessive and unfair. At moments like this, there are questions about the future of the PML (N) and Nawaz himself. There will be the usual, including the bureaucrats with their secrets, who will jump ship but the party has also shown that in the past, it has held together. Despite being sent into exile in Saudi Arabia by General Musharraf, Nawaz showed enough resilience and had the party's support to stage a political comeback in 2007. Even after Nawaz's ouster last year, the party held together. There will be the usual rumours of internal dissensions and family squabbles in a party that has been dynastic. There may be a consensus building up around Nawaz's brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. A great deal would depend on the family holding together and Nawaz being willing to accept his role as 'eminence gris', or for that matter, the party accepting this role, and finally, would the GHQ have any preferences for the much-married younger brother. Nawaz's posture since his ouster as prime minister has been aggressive, presumably trying to portray confidence about returning to power. Imran Khan, the Pathan from Mianwali, is the newest overgrown kid on the block. Idol of many, he missed the bus when he could not capitalise on the political adversity of his arch rival Nawaz Sharif. Apart from angry speeches and loose statements that have landed him in a legal suit last year by Pakistan's biggest media chain, the Jang Group, who had slapped a suit for one billion rupees and an unconditional apology. Many are not seeing Imran as an alternative to Nawaz. Yasser Latif Hamdani, a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School has an interesting story to tell. He describes Imran as a deeply religious and superstitious type even if his antics as a notorious playboy contradict this reality. He also has spiritual advisers telling him what he should do to become prime minister. His party, the PTI, announced earlier this month that he had married Bushra Manika (aka PinkiPirni), mother of five, on February 18. (Actually, they got married a few months ago). It seems that the woman had a dream. A most holy personage in Islam told her that for Imran Khan to become prime minister, she must marry him, and then, both Pakistan and Islam would truly prosper. She consulted her husband, who promptly agreed to a divorce and, in November, the couple divorced, described by her son as having occurred on the orders of Allah and His Messenger. Imran, eager to be prime minister swallowed this story. There is not much to commend Imran and this latest foray has not endeared him to many of his followers. The "burger" class among his followers is unhappy that he has married a woman who is dressed in "a shuttle cock burqa" This has also not pleased the hardened Deobandhis who constitute his most ardent followers, for, he has married a Sufi despite the fact that the bride wore a burqa. It seems that Imran is actually a closet fundamentalist and has begun to play the religious card assiduously. He has wooed former senator Sami ul-Haq, leader of his faction of the Jamaatul-Islam (S) and chancellor of the Darul Uloom Haqqania, for an alliance to fight the Senate elections together. Sami ul-Haq's CV is impressive. Known as the father of the Taliban, his madrassa has been the alma mater of the Taliban. Haq has been Chairman of the right wing Difa-e-Pakistan Council - an alliance of more than 40 political and religious parties opposed to US and India. In 2013, he formed the Mutahida Deeni Mahaz, an alliance of right-wing political and religious parties to contest elections. It is with this extreme right wing that Imran Khan has close relations and the PTI government in Khyber PakhtunKhwa announced an additional grant of Rs 227 million to the Haqqania madrassa. This is an addition to the Rs 300 million granted in the previous budget. The latest hand out has come just ahead of the Senate elections. This kind of largesse to a madrassa globally acknowledged as the seminary of the Taliban comes at a time when the Pakistan government is battling the FATF resolution in Paris. This is not likely to embarrass the Pakistan government known for its double speak. The election turf is essentially between the PTI and PML (N); more specifically in the Punjab province and in terms of personalities, between Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif/Shahbaz Sharif. The Sharif family still has considerable control in the Punjab but the religious right and the Army will be the match referees.

'Deep State' ensures Pakistan's political parties in disarray in election year

Imran Khan&#39;s ex-wife Reham Khan told WION today that former cricketer&#39;s latest marriage is a &quot;political misadventure&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t like to be known as Imran Khan&#39;s ex-wife,&quot; <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-dated-bushra-when-i-was-still-his-wife-reham-khan-33552" target="_blank">Reham declared candidly, </a>adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman is free to marry whoever he wants.

Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka, 44, in a private ceremony in Lahore last week. Reham had alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during their short-lived marriage.

&quot;I was never part of Imran&#39;s political life,&quot; Reham said declaring that she was &quot;blamed&quot; by people around her for having &quot;political ambitions&quot;.

Reham hinted at massive political corruption in Pakistan elections while speaking to WION. Pakistan will be going to the polls in July with Imran&#39;s PTI intent on coming to power as it contests against Nawaz Sharif&#39;s PML-N and Pakistan People&#39;s Party(PPP).

&quot;We have a troubled history of democracy in Pakistan,&quot; she observed.

On her latest move to publish a book, the former TV anchor said: &quot;I was told ladies don&#39;t publish books.&quot;

Imran who helped Pakistan win the 1992 World Cup, entered politics soon after retiring from cricket. The former cricketer who often had a colourful private life during his playing days first married British socialite Jemima Goldsmith in 1995 that ended in divorce after nine years in 2004.

His second marriage with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khans-ex-wife-reham-khan-leaves-pakistan-after-receiving-threats-31946" target="_blank">Reham, then a TV anchor</a>, lasted barely for 10 months.

Imran had first married British socialist Jemima Goldsmith in 1995 that ended in divorce after nine years in 2004.

Imran Khan's ex-wife Reham Khan told WION today that former cricketer's latest marriage is a "political misadventure". "I don't like to be known as Imran Khan's ex-wife," Reham declared candidly, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman is free to marry whoever he wants. Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka, 44, in a private ceremony in Lahore last week. Reham had alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during their short-lived marriage. "I was never part of Imran's political life," Reham said declaring that she was "blamed" by people around her for having "political ambitions". Reham hinted at massive political corruption in Pakistan elections while speaking to WION. Pakistan will be going to the polls in July with Imran's PTI intent on coming to power as it contests against Nawaz Sharif's PML-N and Pakistan People's Party(PPP). "We have a troubled history of democracy in Pakistan," she observed. On her latest move to publish a book, the former TV anchor said: "I was told ladies don't publish books." Imran who helped Pakistan win the 1992 World Cup, entered politics soon after retiring from cricket. The former cricketer who often had a colourful private life during his playing days first married British socialite Jemima Goldsmith in 1995 that ended in divorce after nine years in 2004. His second marriage with Reham, then a TV anchor, lasted barely for 10 months.

Imran's latest marriage is political misadventure: Ex-wife Reham Khan to WION

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">Kamal Haasan to launch political party </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">today,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554"> invites people to &#39;create a new era&#39;</a>

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to &#39;create a new era&#39; even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai.&nbsp;

Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members.

The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party&rsquo;s name and launch its flag.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-cs-assault-case-police-detains-aap-mla-prakash-jarwal-33546">Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal</a>

AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister&#39;s residence, police said.

He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said.

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister&#39;s residence on Monday night.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-dated-bushra-when-i-was-still-his-wife-reham-khan-33552">Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan</a>

&quot;Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife,&quot; said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan.

Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday.

In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-backs-ban-on-bump-stocks-on-semi-automatic-weapons-33551">Trump backs ban on &#39;bump stocks&#39; on semi-automatic weapons</a>

Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban &quot;bump stocks&quot; -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.

Trump also said school safety was a &quot;top priority&quot; for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states.

Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-cancels-planned-meeting-with-us-vp-pence-33543">Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped</a>

US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un&#39;s sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday.

&quot;North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics,&quot; Pence&#39;s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement.

But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, &quot;they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down,&quot; Ayers said. 
&nbsp;

Kamal Haasan to launch political party today, invites people to 'create a new era' Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to 'create a new era' even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai. Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members. The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party’s name and launch its flag. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister's residence, police said. He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said. Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Monday night. Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan "Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife," said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan. Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday. In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician. Trump backs ban on 'bump stocks' on semi-automatic weapons Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban "bump stocks" -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one. Trump also said school safety was a "top priority" for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states. Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history. Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un's sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday. "North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics," Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement. But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, "they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down," Ayers said.

WION News brief, February 21, 2018

&quot;Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife,&quot;&nbsp;said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan.

Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday.

In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician.

&quot;Imran Khan was in contact with Bushra three years ago when I was his wife and he is not a truthful man,&quot; she said.

Citing Imran&#39;s staff, Reham also took to Twitter and said that her ex-husband had met his new wife while she was married to Imran, The Express Tribune reported.

&quot;No, these are the words of those who have been Pir &amp; Mureed. Both confirmed he was taking instructions for the last 3 years. Ex-husband of Pir confirmed it too. I was his wife at the time. #Fact (sic),&quot; said Reham while replying a tweet.

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No, these are the words of those who have been Pir &amp; Mureed. 
Both confirmed he was taking instructions for the last 3 years. 
Ex-husband of Pir confirmed it too. 
I was his wife at the time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fact?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fact</a> <a href="https://t.co/hp4MKaGl9D">https://t.co/hp4MKaGl9D</a>
&mdash; Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) <a href="https://twitter.com/RehamKhan1/status/965915883880288258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Reham also went on to say that Imran and Bushra got nearly two months ago.

&quot;I knew they married on January 1, and he revealed it later, this is exactly what he did after marrying me and then announcing after two months,&quot; she remarked.

In an earlier interview to a foreign media outlet, Reham claimed that Imran had remarried Bushra in January.

Her claims come as the PTI is looking to make a mark in the Pakistan general elections, scheduled to be held in July this year. The Imran-led party is aspiring to overthrow the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

Imran&#39;s third wife, Bushra, 44, was married to Khawar Farid Maneka, a senior customs official in Islamabad and is the mother of five children.

Imran had first married British socialist Jemima Goldsmith in 1995 that ended in divorce after nine years in 2004.

His second marriage with Reham, then a TV anchor, lasted barely for 10 months.&nbsp;

Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician.

"Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife," said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan. Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday. In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician. "Imran Khan was in contact with Bushra three years ago when I was his wife and he is not a truthful man," she said. Citing Imran's staff, Reham also took to Twitter and said that her ex-husband had met his new wife while she was married to Imran, The Express Tribune reported. "No, these are the words of those who have been Pir & Mureed. Both confirmed he was taking instructions for the last 3 years. Ex-husband of Pir confirmed it too. I was his wife at the time. #Fact (sic)," said Reham while replying a tweet. No, these are the words of those who have been Pir & Mureed. Both confirmed he was taking instructions for the last 3 years. Ex-husband of Pir confirmed it too. I was his wife at the time. #Fact https://t.co/hp4MKaGl9D — Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) February 20, 2018 × Reham also went on to say that Imran and Bushra got nearly two months ago. "I knew they married on January 1, and he revealed it later, this is exactly what he did after marrying me and then announcing after two months," she remarked. In an earlier interview to a foreign media outlet, Reham claimed that Imran had remarried Bushra in January. Her claims come as the PTI is looking to make a mark in the Pakistan general elections, scheduled to be held in July this year. The Imran-led party is aspiring to overthrow the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. Imran's third wife, Bushra, 44, was married to Khawar Farid Maneka, a senior customs official in Islamabad and is the mother of five children. Imran had first married British socialist Jemima Goldsmith in 1995 that ended in divorce after nine years in 2004. His second marriage with Reham, then a TV anchor, lasted barely for 10 months.

Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-ties-the-knot-for-third-time-33289">Imran Khan gets married for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-ties-the-knot-for-third-time-33289">third</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-ties-the-knot-for-third-time-33289"> time, to &#39;spiritual guide&#39; Bushra Maneka</a>

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has confirmed party chief Imran Khan&#39;s marriage to his &quot;spiritual guide&quot; Bushra Maneka, thus ending weeks of speculation about the union.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/south-africa-widens-zuma-corruption-probe-to-india-33308">South Africa widens Zuma corruption probe to India</a>

South Africa has widened a corruption probe into allies of ex-president Jacob Zuma to other countries including India, China and Dubai, the police minister said Sunday

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/florida-school-shooting-survivors-to-march-on-washington-call-for-gun-reform-33292">Florida school shooting survivors to march on Washington, call for gun reform</a>

Students who survived a mass shooting at their Florida school on Sunday announced plans to march on Washington in a bid to &quot;shame&quot; politicians into reforming laws that make firearms readily available.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-they-are-laughing-their-asses-off-in-moscow-33301">Trump: &#39;They are laughing their asses off in Moscow&#39;</a>

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Russia was succeeding beyond its &quot;wildest dreams&quot; in sowing US discord but refrained once more from directly challenging Moscow on its election meddling.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-plea-seeking-sit-probe-into-justice-loya-case-33305">Supreme Court to hear plea seeking SIT probe into Justice Loya case</a>

The Supreme Court will continue hearing three pleas seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the death of special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge BH Loya on Monday.

.

Imran Khan gets married for third time, to 'spiritual guide' Bushra Maneka Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has confirmed party chief Imran Khan's marriage to his "spiritual guide" Bushra Maneka, thus ending weeks of speculation about the union. South Africa widens Zuma corruption probe to India South Africa has widened a corruption probe into allies of ex-president Jacob Zuma to other countries including India, China and Dubai, the police minister said Sunday Florida school shooting survivors to march on Washington, call for gun reform Students who survived a mass shooting at their Florida school on Sunday announced plans to march on Washington in a bid to "shame" politicians into reforming laws that make firearms readily available. Trump: 'They are laughing their asses off in Moscow' President Donald Trump said Sunday that Russia was succeeding beyond its "wildest dreams" in sowing US discord but refrained once more from directly challenging Moscow on its election meddling. Supreme Court to hear plea seeking SIT probe into Justice Loya case The Supreme Court will continue hearing three pleas seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the death of special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge BH Loya on Monday. .

WION Morning News Brief, February 19, 2018

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has confirmed party chief Imran Khan&#39;s marriage to his &quot;spiritual guide&quot;&nbsp;Bushra Maneka, thus ending weeks of speculation about the union.

Khan, a cricketer turned politician, married Bushra Bibi (also known as Pinki Pir) in a simple ceremony held in Lahore yesterday, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet.

He said the marriage ceremony was held at Maneka&#39;s brother&#39;s residence in Lahore. PTI Central Executive Committee member Mufti Muhammad Saeed performed the &#39;nikah&#39;.

&quot;Marriage is the combination of two hearts and two souls which join each on this special day of wedding. I wish a very happy and blessed married life to Imran Khan,&quot; Chaudhry said.

&quot;The valima ceremony will also be held in a simple manner in a few days,&quot; he said.

The PTI&#39;s media wing released pictures of the marriage ceremony in which Khan is seen wearing shalwar kameez and black jacket while the bride is decked in red suit with woolen shawl.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Congratulations to our Kaptaan <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImranKhanPTI</a>. May he find joy &amp; happiness in marriage &amp; in his personal life. Wishing him all the best. <a href="https://t.co/2HuOLTCsgM">pic.twitter.com/2HuOLTCsgM</a>
&mdash; Munaza Hassan (@MunazaHassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MunazaHassan/status/965289782921383937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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None of Imran&#39;s sisters was present in the ceremony triggering rumours that Khan had not taken them into confidence about his third marriage.

Khan&#39;s previous two marriages ended in divorce. His first marriage was with Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of a British billionaire, in 1995, which lasted nine years. Khan has two sons from her.

His second marriage with TV anchor Reham Khan in 2015 ended after a brief 10 months.

Earlier, Khan had rejected the reports that he had contracted his marriage with Maneka on January 1 in Lahore&#39;s Defence residence of his &#39;new&#39; brother-in-law.

A source in the party said Khan was under immense pressure from the PTI to disclose his third marriage after a humiliating defeat in Punjab&#39;s Lodhran district last week.

&quot;The PTI leadership was of the view that strong rumours about his third marriage had played a role in the defeat of the party&rsquo;s strong man Jahangir Tareen&#39;s son at the hands of a candidate of ruling PML-N,&quot; he said.

&quot;Khan was advised to disclose his marriage as early as possible because the general elections are not far away and the PTI may suffer more politically if this news was broken just before the polls,&quot; he said.

Maneka is in her late 40s and has five children from her first marriage. She is a resident of Pakpatan district, some 250 km from Lahore, which is known for the shrine of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar.

According to a source, Khan had started visiting her over a year ago to seek spiritual advice.

&quot;He got closer to her when some of political predictions she made about his party came true. Later, both developed some &#39;intimacy&#39; and finally Bushra took divorce from her husband and contracted marriage with Imran early last month,&quot; the source said.

Last month, Khan had admitted that he had proposed marriage to Maneka.

&quot;I would like to reiterate that every time I met her, with family and alone, she has been in purdah (veil). My interest in her lies in the fact that I have not seen or met anyone with her level of spirituality. I only sent the proposal for marriage after she divorced her husband,&quot; said Khan.&nbsp;

Khan married Bushra at a simple ceremony in Lahore yesterday

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has confirmed party chief Imran Khan's marriage to his "spiritual guide" Bushra Maneka, thus ending weeks of speculation about the union. Khan, a cricketer turned politician, married Bushra Bibi (also known as Pinki Pir) in a simple ceremony held in Lahore yesterday, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet. He said the marriage ceremony was held at Maneka's brother's residence in Lahore. PTI Central Executive Committee member Mufti Muhammad Saeed performed the 'nikah'. "Marriage is the combination of two hearts and two souls which join each on this special day of wedding. I wish a very happy and blessed married life to Imran Khan," Chaudhry said. "The valima ceremony will also be held in a simple manner in a few days," he said. The PTI's media wing released pictures of the marriage ceremony in which Khan is seen wearing shalwar kameez and black jacket while the bride is decked in red suit with woolen shawl. Congratulations to our Kaptaan @ImranKhanPTI. May he find joy & happiness in marriage & in his personal life. Wishing him all the best. pic.twitter.com/2HuOLTCsgM — Munaza Hassan (@MunazaHassan) February 18, 2018 × None of Imran's sisters was present in the ceremony triggering rumours that Khan had not taken them into confidence about his third marriage. Khan's previous two marriages ended in divorce. His first marriage was with Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of a British billionaire, in 1995, which lasted nine years. Khan has two sons from her. His second marriage with TV anchor Reham Khan in 2015 ended after a brief 10 months. Earlier, Khan had rejected the reports that he had contracted his marriage with Maneka on January 1 in Lahore's Defence residence of his 'new' brother-in-law. A source in the party said Khan was under immense pressure from the PTI to disclose his third marriage after a humiliating defeat in Punjab's Lodhran district last week. "The PTI leadership was of the view that strong rumours about his third marriage had played a role in the defeat of the party’s strong man Jahangir Tareen's son at the hands of a candidate of ruling PML-N," he said. "Khan was advised to disclose his marriage as early as possible because the general elections are not far away and the PTI may suffer more politically if this news was broken just before the polls," he said. Maneka is in her late 40s and has five children from her first marriage. She is a resident of Pakpatan district, some 250 km from Lahore, which is known for the shrine of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar. According to a source, Khan had started visiting her over a year ago to seek spiritual advice. "He got closer to her when some of political predictions she made about his party came true. Later, both developed some 'intimacy' and finally Bushra took divorce from her husband and contracted marriage with Imran early last month," the source said. Last month, Khan had admitted that he had proposed marriage to Maneka. "I would like to reiterate that every time I met her, with family and alone, she has been in purdah (veil). My interest in her lies in the fact that I have not seen or met anyone with her level of spirituality. I only sent the proposal for marriage after she divorced her husband," said Khan.

Imran Khan gets married for third time, to 'spiritual guide' Bushra Maneka

Reham Khan, the former wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, has left Pakistan citing threats to her by unidentified individuals, Pakistan media reported.

Speaking to a Pakistani private TV channel, Reham confirmed that she left Pakistan on Sunday night because she was receiving threats through phone calls made to her staff.&nbsp;

She reportedly shared an audio recording in which the coordinator of Reham Khan Foundation was informing her how he received calls from unidentified numbers and was threatened to not coordinate Reham&rsquo;s interviews and events.

The ex-wife of Imran went on to say that she had discontinued her daughter&rsquo;s education. Reham added that she was &ldquo;extremely distressed&rdquo;, saying she didn&rsquo;t have the support of any kind from any political party.

Reham, however, did not elaborate as to why she thought she was receiving threats for.

The former wife of the PTI chairman confirmed to the TV channel that several former cricketers called her and advised her to forget Imran Khan and not to get into any fight with him, Pakistan media reported.

Reham, however, did not elaborate as to why she thought she was receiving threats for

Reham Khan, the former wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, has left Pakistan citing threats to her by unidentified individuals, Pakistan media reported. Speaking to a Pakistani private TV channel, Reham confirmed that she left Pakistan on Sunday night because she was receiving threats through phone calls made to her staff. She reportedly shared an audio recording in which the coordinator of Reham Khan Foundation was informing her how he received calls from unidentified numbers and was threatened to not coordinate Reham’s interviews and events. The ex-wife of Imran went on to say that she had discontinued her daughter’s education. Reham added that she was “extremely distressed”, saying she didn’t have the support of any kind from any political party. Reham, however, did not elaborate as to why she thought she was receiving threats for. The former wife of the PTI chairman confirmed to the TV channel that several former cricketers called her and advised her to forget Imran Khan and not to get into any fight with him, Pakistan media reported.

Imran Khan's ex-wife Reham Khan leaves Pakistan after 'receiving threats'

Pakistan`s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has taken action against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan for allegedly misusing official helicopters for private visits.

NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal has directed the bureau`s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) director general (DG) to conduct an inquiry into Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan`s reported use of the KP chief minister`s official helicopters, reported the Dawn.

According to Pakistan`s apex anti-corruption organisation communique, Imran Khan used government helicopters for private visits for 74 hours on cheap rates, adding that Imran used the Mi-17 for 22 hours and Ecureuil 52 hours.The per hour cost of flying stood at Rs28,000.

The 74-hour flying cost is said to be Rs 2.1072 million, according to the reports.

However, the PTI rejected the allegation and urged NAB to investigate misuse of official choppers by other provinces and political parties.According to the circular, K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak allegedly misused his authority by unofficially letting the PTI chief use a state-owned helicopter.

According to Geo News, the PTI chief, whose party governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, used the helicopters to fly to and from Banigala, Islamabad, Mardan, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Nathiagali, Kohat, Battagram and Chakdara, among other places.&nbsp;

The bureau alleged that he used official helicopters for private visits

Pakistan`s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has taken action against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan for allegedly misusing official helicopters for private visits. NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal has directed the bureau`s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) director general (DG) to conduct an inquiry into Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan`s reported use of the KP chief minister`s official helicopters, reported the Dawn. According to Pakistan`s apex anti-corruption organisation communique, Imran Khan used government helicopters for private visits for 74 hours on cheap rates, adding that Imran used the Mi-17 for 22 hours and Ecureuil 52 hours.The per hour cost of flying stood at Rs28,000. The 74-hour flying cost is said to be Rs 2.1072 million, according to the reports. However, the PTI rejected the allegation and urged NAB to investigate misuse of official choppers by other provinces and political parties.According to the circular, K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak allegedly misused his authority by unofficially letting the PTI chief use a state-owned helicopter. According to Geo News, the PTI chief, whose party governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, used the helicopters to fly to and from Banigala, Islamabad, Mardan, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Nathiagali, Kohat, Battagram and Chakdara, among other places.

Imran Khan under NAB scanner over use of govt choppers

Breaking his silence on the marriage controversy surrounding him, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday went on a Twitter spree, questioning whether wanting to get married is a crime.

Khan said for the last three days he had been lamenting as to how he is being treated as a criminal.

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1. For 3 days I have been wondering have I looted a bank; or money laundered bns in nation&#39;s wealth; or ordered a model-town-like killing spree; or revealed state secrets to India? I have done none of these but discovered I have committed a bigger crime: wanting to get married.
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/950645476306702337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In a thread of tweets, Khan even lambasted ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mir Shakil Ur Rehman, the founder of news channel Geo TV, accusing them of running a smear campaign against him.

He, however, said that their campaign has only strengthened his resolve to fight them.

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2. The vicious, gutter media campaign led by NS &amp; MSR mafia does not bother me as respect &amp; humiliation come from Allah Almighty.
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/950645784483155968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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3. However, my concern is for my children &amp; the very conservative family of Bushra begum, all of whom have been subjected to this malicious campaign by NS &amp; MSR.
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/950645925667655680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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4. NS &amp; MSR can rest assured that their vicious campaign has only strengthened my resolve to fight them all the way.
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/950646167515422720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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5. I have known the Sharifs for 40 years and I know all their sordid personal lives but I would never stoop to the level of exposing these sordid details.
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/950646554041430017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The former-cricketer turned politicians proposed marriage to Bushra Maneka, but she asked for time to make a final decision after consulting her family, including her children.

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6. All I ask of my well wishers and supporters is that they pray I find personal happiness which, except for a few years, I have been deprived of.
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/950646933562982400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Whereas, a media report, on Saturday said the PTI chief got married on New Year&#39;s Day in Lahore. The rumours were later thrashed by the party.

The 66-year-old politician previously married and divorced two women, socialite Jemima Goldsmith and journalist Reham Khan.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Khan said for the last three days he had been lamenting as to how he is being treated as a criminal.

Breaking his silence on the marriage controversy surrounding him, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday went on a Twitter spree, questioning whether wanting to get married is a crime. Khan said for the last three days he had been lamenting as to how he is being treated as a criminal. 1. For 3 days I have been wondering have I looted a bank; or money laundered bns in nation's wealth; or ordered a model-town-like killing spree; or revealed state secrets to India? I have done none of these but discovered I have committed a bigger crime: wanting to get married. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 9, 2018 × In a thread of tweets, Khan even lambasted ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mir Shakil Ur Rehman, the founder of news channel Geo TV, accusing them of running a smear campaign against him. He, however, said that their campaign has only strengthened his resolve to fight them. 2. The vicious, gutter media campaign led by NS & MSR mafia does not bother me as respect & humiliation come from Allah Almighty. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 9, 2018 × 3. However, my concern is for my children & the very conservative family of Bushra begum, all of whom have been subjected to this malicious campaign by NS & MSR. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 9, 2018 × 4. NS & MSR can rest assured that their vicious campaign has only strengthened my resolve to fight them all the way. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 9, 2018 × 5. I have known the Sharifs for 40 years and I know all their sordid personal lives but I would never stoop to the level of exposing these sordid details. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 9, 2018 × The former-cricketer turned politicians proposed marriage to Bushra Maneka, but she asked for time to make a final decision after consulting her family, including her children. 6. All I ask of my well wishers and supporters is that they pray I find personal happiness which, except for a few years, I have been deprived of. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 9, 2018 × Whereas, a media report, on Saturday said the PTI chief got married on New Year's Day in Lahore. The rumours were later thrashed by the party. The 66-year-old politician previously married and divorced two women, socialite Jemima Goldsmith and journalist Reham Khan.

Is wanting to marry a crime, asks Imran Khan

Pakistan&#39;s ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday lambasted cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan as a coward for putting the dignity of a family at stake by proposing marriage to a woman he has been visiting for spiritual guidance.&nbsp;

Khan, the leader of the Opposition, on Sunday had confirmed that he had proposed marriage to the woman named Bushra Maneka but denied reports that he had secretly wed her.&nbsp;

Sharif said Khan was cowardly hiding after putting the dignity of a family at stake.&nbsp;

&quot;What sort of person he is who hides like a coward while leaving an innocent family to face rumours,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Khan, 66, was married twice earlier.&nbsp;

Khan had first tied the knot with Jemima Khan on May 16, 1995, that ended in divorce after nine years on June 22, 2004. His second marriage was with Reham, then a TV anchor, which continued barely 10 months. &nbsp;

Although that marriage was publicly announced on January 8, 2015, there were reports that a nikah had also taken place in early November 2014.

Imran Khan had confirmed that he had proposed marriage to the woman named Bushra Maneka but denied reports that he had secretly wed her

Pakistan's ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday lambasted cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan as a coward for putting the dignity of a family at stake by proposing marriage to a woman he has been visiting for spiritual guidance. Khan, the leader of the Opposition, on Sunday had confirmed that he had proposed marriage to the woman named Bushra Maneka but denied reports that he had secretly wed her. Sharif said Khan was cowardly hiding after putting the dignity of a family at stake. "What sort of person he is who hides like a coward while leaving an innocent family to face rumours," he said. Khan, 66, was married twice earlier. Khan had first tied the knot with Jemima Khan on May 16, 1995, that ended in divorce after nine years on June 22, 2004. His second marriage was with Reham, then a TV anchor, which continued barely 10 months. Although that marriage was publicly announced on January 8, 2015, there were reports that a nikah had also taken place in early November 2014.

Ousted Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif calls Imran Khan a coward after rumours of his marriage

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership is in crisis as the chief, Imran Khan, went incommunicado, on Tuesday. Prominent Pakistani journalist Salman Masood took to Twitter to inform about the situation, adding his WhatsApp was also shut down.&nbsp;

&quot;A huge sense of crisis within PTI leadership right now. Imran Khan is incommunicado with almost everyone. His WhatsApp has been shut down for the most part of the day. Bani Gala house does not have a lot of visitors right now,&quot; Masood tweeted.&nbsp;

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A huge sense of crisis within PTI leadership right now. Imran Khan is incommunicado with almost everyone. His WhatsApp has been shut down for most part of the day. Bani Gala house does not have a lot of visitors right now.
&mdash; Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) <a href="https://twitter.com/salmanmasood/status/950708006404153344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

This came hours after Imran Khan, in a move to defend himself over the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/is-wanting-to-marry-a-crime-asks-imran-khan-29026" target="_blank">recent marriage controversy revolving around him, went on a Twitter spree,</a> stating he had been wondering if he committed any crime.&nbsp;

The former-cricketer turned politicians proposed marriage to Bushra Maneka, but she asked for time to make a final decision after consulting her family, including her children.

Whereas, a media report, on Saturday said the PTI chief got married on New Year&#39;s Day in Lahore. The rumours were later thrashed by the party.

The 66-year-old politician previously married and divorced two women, socialite Jemima Goldsmith and journalist Reham Khan.

A media report said the PTI chief got married on New Year's Day in Lahore. The rumours were later thrashed by the party

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership is in crisis as the chief, Imran Khan, went incommunicado, on Tuesday. Prominent Pakistani journalist Salman Masood took to Twitter to inform about the situation, adding his WhatsApp was also shut down. "A huge sense of crisis within PTI leadership right now. Imran Khan is incommunicado with almost everyone. His WhatsApp has been shut down for the most part of the day. Bani Gala house does not have a lot of visitors right now," Masood tweeted. A huge sense of crisis within PTI leadership right now. Imran Khan is incommunicado with almost everyone. His WhatsApp has been shut down for most part of the day. Bani Gala house does not have a lot of visitors right now. — Salman Masood (@salmanmasood) January 9, 2018 × This came hours after Imran Khan, in a move to defend himself over the recent marriage controversy revolving around him, went on a Twitter spree, stating he had been wondering if he committed any crime. The former-cricketer turned politicians proposed marriage to Bushra Maneka, but she asked for time to make a final decision after consulting her family, including her children. Whereas, a media report, on Saturday said the PTI chief got married on New Year's Day in Lahore. The rumours were later thrashed by the party. The 66-year-old politician previously married and divorced two women, socialite Jemima Goldsmith and journalist Reham Khan.

Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan goes incommunicado 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has issued an official statement regarding the media reports claiming that<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/has-imran-khan-secretly-married-again-28703"> Imran Khan got married</a> third time on Saturday. According to the statement, Imran Khan did propose Bushra Maneka who will give Imran her reply after consulting her family members including kids.

The official statement was posted on Twitter on Sunday.

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Official Statement issued by Chairman Secretariat. <a href="https://t.co/29p2VJu20u">pic.twitter.com/29p2VJu20u</a>
&mdash; PTI (@PTIofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/949880867928903680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The reports added that if Bushra Maneka accepts Imran Khan&#39;s proposal, he himself&nbsp;will announce the wedding to the media.

There were media reports on Saturday that Imran Khan has secretly got married on New Year&#39;s Day for the third time.

Reports said that he got married to a woman he used to visit for spiritual guidance.

Later in the same day, PTI leaders rejected the report on Twitter.&nbsp;

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This is irresponsible yellow journalism.I had categorically denied the veracity of this planted gossip to cheema. Totally concocted story.
&mdash; Awn Chaudry (@AwnChaudry) <a href="https://twitter.com/AwnChaudry/status/949496710899929089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In an official party statement, it said that Imran Khan did propose Bushra Maneka who will give Imran her answer after she consults her family including her kids.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has issued an official statement regarding the media reports claiming that Imran Khan got married third time on Saturday. According to the statement, Imran Khan did propose Bushra Maneka who will give Imran her reply after consulting her family members including kids. The official statement was posted on Twitter on Sunday. Official Statement issued by Chairman Secretariat. pic.twitter.com/29p2VJu20u — PTI (@PTIofficial) January 7, 2018 × The reports added that if Bushra Maneka accepts Imran Khan's proposal, he himself will announce the wedding to the media. There were media reports on Saturday that Imran Khan has secretly got married on New Year's Day for the third time. Reports said that he got married to a woman he used to visit for spiritual guidance. Later in the same day, PTI leaders rejected the report on Twitter. This is irresponsible yellow journalism.I had categorically denied the veracity of this planted gossip to cheema. Totally concocted story. — Awn Chaudry (@AwnChaudry) January 6, 2018 ×

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf denies Imran Khan's secret wedding rumours

Iran&#39;s supreme leader blamed &quot;enemies&quot; Tuesday for unrest that has seen 21 deaths as Washington sought to increase pressure on the Islamic regime that was facing its biggest test in years.

In a speech carried on state television, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei broke his silence on the protests for the first time since they erupted last Thursday.

&quot;The enemies have united and are using all their means, money, weapons, policies and security services to create problems for the Islamic regime,&quot; the supreme leader said.

&quot;The enemy is always looking for an opportunity and any crevice to infiltrate and strike the Iranian nation.&quot;

Even reformists, who backed the last major protest movement in 2009, condemned the unrest and the support it has received from the United States.

But they also urged the authorities to address economic grievances that have fuelled the protests.

&quot;The Iranian people are confronted with difficulties in their daily lives... and have the right to peacefully demand and protest,&quot; said a statement from the Association of Combatant Clerics, headed by reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami. Also Read - <a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/world/9-dead-in-overnight-iran-unrest-state-tv-28310">9 dead in overnight Iran unrest: State TV</a>

Major challenge 
 
A fifth night of unrest Monday to Tuesday saw six protesters killed during an attack on a police station in Qahderijan in the central province of Isfahan, state TV said.

At least three other towns near the cultural hub of Isfahan also saw violence overnight, causing the deaths of a young member of the Revolutionary Guards, a policeman and a bystander.

The estimated death toll is now 21 since protests began in second city Mashhad and quickly spread to become the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime since mass demonstrations in 2009.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini late Tuesday deplored &quot;the unacceptable loss of human lives&quot; and called on &quot;all concerned to refrain from violence&quot;.

As violence has grown, authorities have stepped up arrests, with at least 450 people detained in Tehran since Saturday and 100 more around Isfahan on Monday, media reported.

US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Tehran since the latest protests began, praised the demonstrators for acting against the &quot;brutal and corrupt&quot; regime and said Iranians had &quot;little food, big inflation and no human rights&quot;.

Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said Trump was &quot;wasting his time sending useless and insulting tweets&quot; and would be better off focusing on &quot;homeless and hungry people&quot; in his own country.

Trump&#39;s ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the US would seek emergency UN talks on the situation.

&quot;The people of Iran are crying out for freedom,&quot; she said at a news conference. &quot;All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause.&quot;

&#39;Complete nonsense&#39; 
 
Haley rejected as &quot;complete nonsense&quot; Khamenei&#39;s charges that the protests were being fomented by Iran&#39;s &quot;enemies&quot;.

&quot;The freedoms that are enshrined in the United Nations charter are under attack in Iran. Dozens have already been killed. Hundreds have been arrested,&quot; she said.

&quot;If the Iranian dictatorship&#39;s history is any guide, we can expect more outrageous abuses in the days to come.&quot;

Iran&#39;s moderate President Hassan Rouhani phoned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron Tuesday to demand action against the Paris-based &quot;terrorist&quot; Mujahedeen-e-Khalq opposition group he accused of fomenting protests.

A statement from the French presidency said Macron called for &quot;restraint&quot;, and both sides agreed to postpone an imminent visit to Tehran by the French foreign minister.

The unrest in Iran appears leaderless and focused on provincial towns and cities, with only small and sporadic protests in Tehran amid a heavy police presence.

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, described the unrest as a &quot;proxy war against the Iranian people&quot; and said online accounts in the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia were encouraging demonstrations.

Many Tehranis agreed with his assessment.

&quot;When there is a protest, you can be sure other countries will take advantage of it and interfere,&quot; 30-year-old architectural engineer Mehdi Rahmani told AFP.

But he also understood the economic grievances driving the unrest.

Economic woes 
 
&quot;The root of people&#39;s protests are merely their economic problems, the problem of youth unemployment,&quot; he said.

Rouhani has tried to play down the unrest, which began over economic woes but quickly turned against the regime as a whole.

Pro-regime rallies have also been held, reflecting continued support among a large conservative section of society.

The head of Tehran&#39;s revolutionary court, Moussa Ghazanfarabadi, warned that as violence grows punishments for demonstrators would get &quot;heavier&quot;.

&quot;We no longer consider them as protesters demanding rights, but as people targeting the regime,&quot; he told the conservative Tasnim news agency.

Rouhani came to power in 2013 promising to mend the economy and ease social tensions, but high living costs and a 12 percent unemployment rate have left many feeling that progress is too slow.

The young are the most affected, with as many as 40 per cent jobless according to analysts, and rural areas particularly hard-hit.

Rouhani on Sunday acknowledged there was &quot;no problem bigger than unemployment&quot;, and also vowed a more balanced media and more transparency.

In 2009, authorities ruthlessly put down protests against the re-election of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At least 36 people were killed, according to an official toll, while the opposition says 72 died.

 
&nbsp;

According to The News' report, Imran Khan has tied the knot with a woman he used to visit for spiritual guidance

Iran's supreme leader blamed "enemies" Tuesday for unrest that has seen 21 deaths as Washington sought to increase pressure on the Islamic regime that was facing its biggest test in years. In a speech carried on state television, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei broke his silence on the protests for the first time since they erupted last Thursday. "The enemies have united and are using all their means, money, weapons, policies and security services to create problems for the Islamic regime," the supreme leader said. "The enemy is always looking for an opportunity and any crevice to infiltrate and strike the Iranian nation." Even reformists, who backed the last major protest movement in 2009, condemned the unrest and the support it has received from the United States. But they also urged the authorities to address economic grievances that have fuelled the protests. "The Iranian people are confronted with difficulties in their daily lives... and have the right to peacefully demand and protest," said a statement from the Association of Combatant Clerics, headed by reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami. Also Read - 9 dead in overnight Iran unrest: State TV Major challenge A fifth night of unrest Monday to Tuesday saw six protesters killed during an attack on a police station in Qahderijan in the central province of Isfahan, state TV said. At least three other towns near the cultural hub of Isfahan also saw violence overnight, causing the deaths of a young member of the Revolutionary Guards, a policeman and a bystander. The estimated death toll is now 21 since protests began in second city Mashhad and quickly spread to become the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime since mass demonstrations in 2009. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini late Tuesday deplored "the unacceptable loss of human lives" and called on "all concerned to refrain from violence". As violence has grown, authorities have stepped up arrests, with at least 450 people detained in Tehran since Saturday and 100 more around Isfahan on Monday, media reported. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Tehran since the latest protests began, praised the demonstrators for acting against the "brutal and corrupt" regime and said Iranians had "little food, big inflation and no human rights". Iran's foreign ministry said Trump was "wasting his time sending useless and insulting tweets" and would be better off focusing on "homeless and hungry people" in his own country. Trump's ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the US would seek emergency UN talks on the situation. "The people of Iran are crying out for freedom," she said at a news conference. "All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause." 'Complete nonsense' Haley rejected as "complete nonsense" Khamenei's charges that the protests were being fomented by Iran's "enemies". "The freedoms that are enshrined in the United Nations charter are under attack in Iran. Dozens have already been killed. Hundreds have been arrested," she said. "If the Iranian dictatorship's history is any guide, we can expect more outrageous abuses in the days to come." Iran's moderate President Hassan Rouhani phoned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron Tuesday to demand action against the Paris-based "terrorist" Mujahedeen-e-Khalq opposition group he accused of fomenting protests. A statement from the French presidency said Macron called for "restraint", and both sides agreed to postpone an imminent visit to Tehran by the French foreign minister. The unrest in Iran appears leaderless and focused on provincial towns and cities, with only small and sporadic protests in Tehran amid a heavy police presence. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, described the unrest as a "proxy war against the Iranian people" and said online accounts in the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia were encouraging demonstrations. Many Tehranis agreed with his assessment. "When there is a protest, you can be sure other countries will take advantage of it and interfere," 30-year-old architectural engineer Mehdi Rahmani told AFP. But he also understood the economic grievances driving the unrest. Economic woes "The root of people's protests are merely their economic problems, the problem of youth unemployment," he said. Rouhani has tried to play down the unrest, which began over economic woes but quickly turned against the regime as a whole. Pro-regime rallies have also been held, reflecting continued support among a large conservative section of society. The head of Tehran's revolutionary court, Moussa Ghazanfarabadi, warned that as violence grows punishments for demonstrators would get "heavier". "We no longer consider them as protesters demanding rights, but as people targeting the regime," he told the conservative Tasnim news agency. Rouhani came to power in 2013 promising to mend the economy and ease social tensions, but high living costs and a 12 percent unemployment rate have left many feeling that progress is too slow. The young are the most affected, with as many as 40 per cent jobless according to analysts, and rural areas particularly hard-hit. Rouhani on Sunday acknowledged there was "no problem bigger than unemployment", and also vowed a more balanced media and more transparency. In 2009, authorities ruthlessly put down protests against the re-election of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At least 36 people were killed, according to an official toll, while the opposition says 72 died.

Has Imran Khan secretly married again?

A day after Pakistan foreign<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-do-more-to-fight-terrorism-white-house-28379"> minister Khawaja Asif challenged</a> the US administration, Pakistan&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi went a step further saying &quot;Islamabad could review its cooperation if it is not appreciated&quot;.

&nbsp;Asif in a tweet on Tuesday had said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-has-played-a-double-game-with-us-for-years-nikki-haley-28383">the US administration can hire a firm</a> at Pakistan&#39;s expense to audit the money spent on fighting America&#39;s war on terror.&nbsp;

President Trump in a tweet on New Years Day had said the US has &quot;foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars&quot; in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US &quot;nothing but lies &amp; deceit.&quot;&nbsp;

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a &quot;double game&quot;.&nbsp;

Maleeha Lodhi hit back at Haley saying the US was &quot;shifting the blame for own mistakes and failures onto others&quot;.

&quot;We have contributed and sacrificed the most in fighting international terrorism and carried out the largest counter-terrorism operation anywhere in the world,&quot; Lodhi said.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s tweet against Pakistan created a firestorm in the country with several leaders including Prime Minister Abbasi condemning the statement by the US president.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said: &quot;We lost 70,000 lives in America&#39;s war, Trump&#39;s recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it.&quot;

Prime Minister Abassi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday and expressed &quot;deep disappointment&quot; at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a "double game".?

A day after Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif challenged the US administration, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi went a step further saying "Islamabad could review its cooperation if it is not appreciated". Asif in a tweet on Tuesday had said the US administration can hire a firm at Pakistan's expense to audit the money spent on fighting America's war on terror. President Trump in a tweet on New Years Day had said the US has "foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars" in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US "nothing but lies & deceit." US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a "double game". Maleeha Lodhi hit back at Haley saying the US was "shifting the blame for own mistakes and failures onto others". "We have contributed and sacrificed the most in fighting international terrorism and carried out the largest counter-terrorism operation anywhere in the world," Lodhi said. Trump's tweet against Pakistan created a firestorm in the country with several leaders including Prime Minister Abbasi condemning the statement by the US president. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said: "We lost 70,000 lives in America's war, Trump's recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it." Prime Minister Abassi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday and expressed "deep disappointment" at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump.

US shifting blame for own mistakes: Maleeha Lodhi

Pakistan&#39;s former cricketer and politician&nbsp;Imran Khan celebrates his pre-arrest bail approved by an Anti-Terrorism Court Tuesday.&nbsp;

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter to announce Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court&#39;s decision.&nbsp;

In a Bollywood style, Imran Khan used Shah Rukh Khan&#39;s dialogue from the movie &quot;My Name is Khan&quot; that released in 2010 and said, &quot;My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist&quot; and also added, &quot;SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks!&quot;

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My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist. Moreover, the SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks!
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/948142557829230592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The&nbsp;Anti-Terrorism Court approved on Tuesday, Imran Khan&#39;s pre-arrest bail pleas regarding four cases pertaining to violence during the 2014 sit-in.

Khan has been accused in four cases, including that of the&nbsp;attack on the state television building, Parliament and the then Islamabad SSP Operations Asmatullah Junejo.

Khan took to Twitter to announce Supreme Court's approval of his pre-arrest bail

Pakistan's former cricketer and politician Imran Khan celebrates his pre-arrest bail approved by an Anti-Terrorism Court Tuesday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter to announce Pakistan's Supreme Court's decision. In a Bollywood style, Imran Khan used Shah Rukh Khan's dialogue from the movie "My Name is Khan" that released in 2010 and said, "My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist" and also added, "SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks!" My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist. Moreover, the SC has pronounced me Sadiq and Ameen and I am coming after them crooks! — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 2, 2018 × The Anti-Terrorism Court approved on Tuesday, Imran Khan's pre-arrest bail pleas regarding four cases pertaining to violence during the 2014 sit-in. Khan has been accused in four cases, including that of the attack on the state television building, Parliament and the then Islamabad SSP Operations Asmatullah Junejo.

Pakistan's Imran Khan channels SRK, says 'My Name is Khan and I Am Not A Terrorist'

Responding to President Trump&#39;s<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-lost-70000-lives-in-americas-war-on-terror-imran-khan-28324"> tweet on Pakistan &quot;deceiving&quot;&nbsp;the US </a>on its&nbsp;war on terror, foreign minister Khawaja Asif challenged the US declaring that it can hire an audit firm to find out whether $33 billion was spent on fighting terror.

In his tweet, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-blocks-usd-255-million-military-aid-to-pakistan-28291">Khawaja said: &quot;President Trump</a> quoted figure&nbsp;of $33billion given to Pakistan over last 15 years, he can hire a US-based audit firm on our expense to verify this figure and let the world know who is lying &amp; deceiving.&quot; 
&nbsp;

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Pres Trump quoted figure of $33billion given to PAK over last 15yrs,he can hire a US based Audit firm on our expense to verify this figure &amp; let the world know who is lying &amp; deceiving..
&mdash; Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) <a href="https://twitter.com/KhawajaMAsif/status/948201021356085248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Asif had said earlier that he would respond to President Trump&#39;s tweet to &quot;let the world know the truth..difference between facts &amp; fiction.&quot;

President Trump in a New Year tweet had said that the US has &quot;foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars&quot; in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US &quot;nothing but lies &amp; deceit.&quot;

Trump&#39;s tweet created a firestorm in Pakistan with Pak authorities determined to fire back at Trump&#39;s latest lash out against its allay on the war on terror.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, reports said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) to discuss President Trump&#39;s accusations against Pakistan.

After the meeting the NSC expressed &quot;deep disappointment&quot; at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump, Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper reported.

Asif&#39;s attack on the US comes just hours after the Trump administration suspended $255 million military aid to Pakistan saying the fate of such assistance will depend on Islamabad&#39;s response to terrorism on its soil.

US relations with Pakistan hit a new low in August last year after President Trump unveiled his new Afghanistan strategy blaming the Pakistan government for creating &quot;safe haven&quot; for terrorists.

President Trump in a New Year tweet had said that the US has "foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars" in aid

Responding to President Trump's tweet on Pakistan "deceiving" the US on its war on terror, foreign minister Khawaja Asif challenged the US declaring that it can hire an audit firm to find out whether $33 billion was spent on fighting terror. In his tweet, Khawaja said: "President Trump quoted figure of $33billion given to Pakistan over last 15 years, he can hire a US-based audit firm on our expense to verify this figure and let the world know who is lying & deceiving." Pres Trump quoted figure of $33billion given to PAK over last 15yrs,he can hire a US based Audit firm on our expense to verify this figure & let the world know who is lying & deceiving.. — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) January 2, 2018 × Asif had said earlier that he would respond to President Trump's tweet to "let the world know the truth..difference between facts & fiction." President Trump in a New Year tweet had said that the US has "foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars" in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US "nothing but lies & deceit." Trump's tweet created a firestorm in Pakistan with Pak authorities determined to fire back at Trump's latest lash out against its allay on the war on terror. Meanwhile, reports said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) to discuss President Trump's accusations against Pakistan. After the meeting the NSC expressed "deep disappointment" at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported. Asif's attack on the US comes just hours after the Trump administration suspended $255 million military aid to Pakistan saying the fate of such assistance will depend on Islamabad's response to terrorism on its soil. US relations with Pakistan hit a new low in August last year after President Trump unveiled his new Afghanistan strategy blaming the Pakistan government for creating "safe haven" for terrorists.

Trump can hire US firm to verify $33 billion spent on Pakistan to fight terror, tweets Khawaja Asif

Former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan&nbsp;made a major blunder on Twitter on Monday, posting a rather bizarre information on what seemed to be about late CM of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa.&nbsp;

The Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman also mixed up the names - addressing the late CM as &#39;Shashikala&#39;, the correct name, of course, is Sasikala, currently lodged&nbsp;in a Karnataka prison in the disproportionate&nbsp;assets case.&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s former World Cup-winning captain said on his Twitter: &quot;Shashikala, a famous South Indian actress turned politician in India&#39;s Tamil Nadu died recently &amp; below her house were discovered gold reserves, jewels &amp; an illegal stash of money! A msg to all &nbsp;corrupt ldrs: the hoarded bns stolen from our impoverished masses will be left behind.&quot;

Former chief minister&nbsp;of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa died on 5 December in 2016 due to cardiac arrest.&nbsp;

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Imran Khan&#39;s tweet which he later deleted. (Twitter)
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Imran mistakenly named&nbsp;&quot;Jayalalithaa&quot;&nbsp;for &quot;storing gold reserves, jewels, and an illegal stash of money&quot;&nbsp;and also provided &quot;pictures&quot;&nbsp;of the scene.&nbsp;

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One of the pictures posted by Imran Khan showing large stack of gold reserves. (Twitter)
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The other picture shows &#39;illegal stash of money&#39; which Khan claimed was found in the late CM&#39;s house. (Twitter)
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He also posted this picture of heavy gold jewellery which Khan claims belonged to Jayalalithaa. (Twitter)
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The pictures show massive amounts of gold bricks and jewellery stacked in what seems to be a shop or a basement. However, no proof of any &quot;discovery&quot; has ever been&nbsp;made of gold being stashed away either at Sasikala or Jayalalithaa&#39;s residence. &nbsp;

He further went on to call out &#39;all corrupt leaders&#39; claiming that all this large amount of money &quot;stolen&quot;&nbsp;from the impoverished masses will be left behind.&nbsp;

Imran, however, discovered his mistake after&nbsp;over 30 minutes after which he removed the controversial tweet.

Apart from the questionable information he posted, he also mixed up the names - Addressing the late CM as 'Shashikala' - who is actually a Bollywood actress.?

Former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan made a major blunder on Twitter on Monday, posting a rather bizarre information on what seemed to be about late CM of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa. The Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman also mixed up the names - addressing the late CM as 'Shashikala', the correct name, of course, is Sasikala, currently lodged in a Karnataka prison in the disproportionate assets case. Pakistan's former World Cup-winning captain said on his Twitter: "Shashikala, a famous South Indian actress turned politician in India's Tamil Nadu died recently & below her house were discovered gold reserves, jewels & an illegal stash of money! A msg to all corrupt ldrs: the hoarded bns stolen from our impoverished masses will be left behind." Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa died on 5 December in 2016 due to cardiac arrest. Imran Khan's tweet which he later deleted. (Twitter) × Imran mistakenly named "Jayalalithaa" for "storing gold reserves, jewels, and an illegal stash of money" and also provided "pictures" of the scene. One of the pictures posted by Imran Khan showing large stack of gold reserves. (Twitter) × The other picture shows 'illegal stash of money' which Khan claimed was found in the late CM's house. (Twitter) × He also posted this picture of heavy gold jewellery which Khan claims belonged to Jayalalithaa. (Twitter) × The pictures show massive amounts of gold bricks and jewellery stacked in what seems to be a shop or a basement. However, no proof of any "discovery" has ever been made of gold being stashed away either at Sasikala or Jayalalithaa's residence. He further went on to call out 'all corrupt leaders' claiming that all this large amount of money "stolen" from the impoverished masses will be left behind. Imran, however, discovered his mistake after over 30 minutes after which he removed the controversial tweet.

Imran Khan's blooper on Twitter: Shashikala, famous south Indian actress, died recently

Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court dismissed a graft case against cricketer-turned-opposition leader Imran Khan Friday, ensuring he will contest a general election due next year, just months after the same body ousted ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.&nbsp;

Khan had faced being disqualified from holding political office over charges including unreported assets, namely the funds he used to buy a scenic, sprawling property in the Bani Gala hills on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad.

He has dismissed the claims as a political vendetta, saying he used money earned from his career as one of Pakistan&#39;s most famous World Cup cricketers to buy the land and that he has the documentation to prove it.

&quot;No omission or dishonesty can be attributed to him. This petition has no merits and is dismissed accordingly,&quot; chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar said, reading from the judgement to a packed courtroom.&nbsp;

Shortly after the judgement Khan held a press conference in Karachi where he told reporters &quot;Pakistan&#39;s highest court has exonerated me&quot;.

&quot;The taxpayers and those who earn their money through fair means and pay taxes should not be compared with the robbers and thieves,&quot; Khan added.

Pakistan has been roiled by military coups and instability for much of its 70-year history, and the general election due in 2018 will only be its second ever democratic transition.&nbsp;

Khan&#39;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which already holds northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, hopes to capitalise on Sharif&#39;s ousting and the disarray of his ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to gain seats.

Few observers of Pakistan&#39;s volatile politics are willing to predict with any certainty who will take the election, however.

Sharif swiftly installed party loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister after the court sacked him in late July following a corruption investigation spurred by the Panama Papers leak.&nbsp;

But Abbasi is widely seen as a placeholder as Sharif himself has refused to relinquish leadership of the party, despite being barred from contesting elections, leaving the PML-N floundering.

Its weakness was brutally exposed last month when it was forced to capitulate to the demands of small and previously unknown Islamist group that had held a weeks-long sit-in in the capital to demand the resignation of the federal law minister over claims linked to blasphemy.&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s third major party, the once-mighty Pakistan Peoples Party, has seen its fortunes plunge since its leader and the country&#39;s first female prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated a decade ago on December 27, 2007.

Her son 29-year-old son Bilawal, now chairman of the party, is trying to revive its political fortunes but few are gambling on it regaining its previous status in time for the polls.

If the PML-N does not recover, parties from the religious right could come together to fill the vacuum, tilting Pakistan yet further towards the Islamist extremism it has long grappled with.

Imran Khan had faced being disqualified from holding political office over charges including unreported assets, namely the funds he used to buy a scenic, sprawling property in the Bani Gala hills on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad

Pakistan's Supreme Court dismissed a graft case against cricketer-turned-opposition leader Imran Khan Friday, ensuring he will contest a general election due next year, just months after the same body ousted ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Khan had faced being disqualified from holding political office over charges including unreported assets, namely the funds he used to buy a scenic, sprawling property in the Bani Gala hills on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad. He has dismissed the claims as a political vendetta, saying he used money earned from his career as one of Pakistan's most famous World Cup cricketers to buy the land and that he has the documentation to prove it. "No omission or dishonesty can be attributed to him. This petition has no merits and is dismissed accordingly," chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar said, reading from the judgement to a packed courtroom. Shortly after the judgement Khan held a press conference in Karachi where he told reporters "Pakistan's highest court has exonerated me". "The taxpayers and those who earn their money through fair means and pay taxes should not be compared with the robbers and thieves," Khan added. Pakistan has been roiled by military coups and instability for much of its 70-year history, and the general election due in 2018 will only be its second ever democratic transition. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which already holds northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, hopes to capitalise on Sharif's ousting and the disarray of his ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to gain seats. Few observers of Pakistan's volatile politics are willing to predict with any certainty who will take the election, however. Sharif swiftly installed party loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister after the court sacked him in late July following a corruption investigation spurred by the Panama Papers leak. But Abbasi is widely seen as a placeholder as Sharif himself has refused to relinquish leadership of the party, despite being barred from contesting elections, leaving the PML-N floundering. Its weakness was brutally exposed last month when it was forced to capitulate to the demands of small and previously unknown Islamist group that had held a weeks-long sit-in in the capital to demand the resignation of the federal law minister over claims linked to blasphemy. Pakistan's third major party, the once-mighty Pakistan Peoples Party, has seen its fortunes plunge since its leader and the country's first female prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated a decade ago on December 27, 2007. Her son 29-year-old son Bilawal, now chairman of the party, is trying to revive its political fortunes but few are gambling on it regaining its previous status in time for the polls. If the PML-N does not recover, parties from the religious right could come together to fill the vacuum, tilting Pakistan yet further towards the Islamist extremism it has long grappled with.

Pakistan court dismisses graft case against opposition's Imran Khan

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