Former Pakistan Prime Minister has now clarified his remarks on the Pakistani army during a PTI rally in Peshawar last night. He stated that his criticism of the army was constructive and for their improvement.

Former PM Imran Khan clarifies comments on Pakistan Army

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan who was facing terrorism charges following his controversial remarks about a female judge has today received interim bail till September 1.

Pakistan: PTI supremo Imran Khan facing terrorism charges gets interim bail till Sept 1

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been granted bail after he was charged under the anti-terrorism law for his alleged threats to police and a sitting judge during a rally in Islamabad.

WION Dispatch | Imran: The world is mocking Pakistan today; granted pre-arrest bail

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been booked under anti-terrorism act. An FIR has been filed against the PTI leader for threatening a judge and two top officials while addressing a rally in Islamabad on Saturday.

Pakistan: PTI warns against arrest of Imran Khan

Pakistani police have charged Imran Khan under anti-terror law, days after the former prime minister attacked the police and a judicial officer at a huge rally in the capital, Islamabad.

WION Dispatch: PTI Chief alleges 'neutrals' behind crackdown on party

Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan and leader of PTI, claimed that a British newspaper had taken his statements out of context regarding Salman Rushdie’s attack. Khan described the attack as ‘sad’ and ‘terrible.’

The former minister, in conversation with UK-based The Guardian, said, "Rushdie understood because he came from a Muslim family. He knows the love, respect, and reverence of a prophet that lives in our hearts. He knew that. So, the anger I understand, but you can't justify what happened."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-media-regulating-body-prohibits-live-telecast-of-ex-pm-imran-khans-speeches-508758">Pakistan's media regulating body prohibits live telecast of ex-PM Imran Khan's speeches</a>

However, PTI explained that Khan’s comments had been misinterpreted as his remarks. The party tweeted, "The Guardian took my speech out of context. I refused to attend the seminar on inviting the cursed Salman Rushdie to India. In the interview, I explained the Islamic method of punishing the insolent Prophet. He referred to the Sialkot tragedy, and spoke of Rushdie in the same context," ANI reported.

Imran Khan stated he declined Rushdie’s invitation to the seminar. Imran said, "I gave the example of the Sialkot incident [...] spoke about Rushdie in the same context," Dawn reported.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/terrible-and-sad-former-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-condemns-attack-on-salman-rushdie-508409">&nbsp;'Terrible and sad': Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan condemns attack on Salman Rushdie</a>

Salman Rushdie has received several death threats and criticism from Islamic experts over the years for his book "The Satanic Verses."

The suspect in the case of the author’s attack was questioned about whether the late Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a fatwa against the author, had any influence on him. However, the suspect said, "I respect the ayatollah. I think he`s a great person. That's as far as I will say about that, " ANI reported.

He further stated that he had only read two pages of the novel, "The Satanic Verses."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan and leader of PTI, claimed that a British newspaper had taken his statements out of context regarding Salman Rushdie’s attack.

Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan and leader of PTI, claimed that a British newspaper had taken his statements out of context regarding Salman Rushdie’s attack. Khan described the attack as ‘sad’ and ‘terrible.’ The former minister, in conversation with UK-based The Guardian, said, "Rushdie understood because he came from a Muslim family. He knows the love, respect, and reverence of a prophet that lives in our hearts. He knew that. So, the anger I understand, but you can't justify what happened." Also read | Pakistan's media regulating body prohibits live telecast of ex-PM Imran Khan's speeches However, PTI explained that Khan’s comments had been misinterpreted as his remarks. The party tweeted, "The Guardian took my speech out of context. I refused to attend the seminar on inviting the cursed Salman Rushdie to India. In the interview, I explained the Islamic method of punishing the insolent Prophet. He referred to the Sialkot tragedy, and spoke of Rushdie in the same context," ANI reported. Imran Khan stated he declined Rushdie’s invitation to the seminar. Imran said, "I gave the example of the Sialkot incident [...] spoke about Rushdie in the same context," Dawn reported. Also read | 'Terrible and sad': Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan condemns attack on Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie has received several death threats and criticism from Islamic experts over the years for his book "The Satanic Verses." The suspect in the case of the author’s attack was questioned about whether the late Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a fatwa against the author, had any influence on him. However, the suspect said, "I respect the ayatollah. I think he`s a great person. That's as far as I will say about that, " ANI reported. He further stated that he had only read two pages of the novel, "The Satanic Verses." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Former PM Imran Khan claims his remarks on Salman Rushdie attack were taken ‘out of context’

Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for rallies across the country on Saturday to protest the alleged custodial torture of his Chief of Staff, Shahbaz Gill. For more details, we're joined by Anas Mallick.

Pakistan government denies custodial torture; Imran Khan calls for nationwide rally

Pakistan's government has slammed PTI for 'Hypocrisy' after PTI hires a PR firm to improve its image in the US. Imran Khan will hold a rally in Lahore tonight.

Pakistan government slams PTI for 'Hypocrisy' as PTI hires PR firm to improve the image in the US

Imran Khan continues to be at the centre of Pakistan's political drama. PTI Chief has now accused the coalition government of hatching a conspiracy against his party.

WION Dispatch: PTI Chief Imran Khan accuses the Pakistan government of hatching a conspiracy

Imran Khan continues to be at the center of Pakistan's political drama. The Pakistan territory South Chairman has now accused the coalition government of hatching a conspiracy against his party.

Imran: Government pitting PTI against armed forces

Former interior minister of Pakistan and Awami Muslim League chief, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has warned the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan government saying that if anyone tries to arrest Imran Khan that would trigger instability and political drama in the country.

WION Dispatch: PTI leaders warn Shehbaz Sharif government against arresting Imran Khan

Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan claimed his close aide Shahbaz Gill was "abducted". The Pakistani government has come out and said that Gill has been arrested on charges of sedition.

High drama in Islamabad: Former Prime Minister Imran

The investigation into the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party continues as the country's Federal Investigation Agency makes a 5-member team to supervise the ongoing enquiries. The team is notified days after the Election Commission ruled that the PTI had received prohibited funds in a case pending since 2014.

Pak FIA 5-member team to supervise PTI fund case probe

PTI leader Shahbaz Gill has accused former Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of taking a bribe from an Indian company when he was the Petroleum Minister in the cabinet of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

WION Dispatch: Ex-Pak PM Abbasi accused of taking bribe from Indian firm

The Election Commission of Pakistan has ruled that PTI, the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan received illegal funds from abroad, which is considered as illegal in the country.

WION Dispatch: Pakistan election agency rules PTI received illegal funds from abroad

Ex Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has now landed in trouble. The country's Election Commission has issued a show cause notice to the party after that it ruled that the PTI did indeed receive prohibited funding.

Ex Pak PM Imran Khan's PTI lands in trouble

Nawaz Sharif says 'Pakistan has become a circus'. The leader is upset as Pak's Supreme Court has ruled in PTI's favour, snatching the Punjab CM's post from Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. PML-N now plans to impose governor's rule in the province. Palki Sharma reports.

Gravitas: Nawaz Sharif cries foul as Imran Khan wins Punjab

PTI chief and Former Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan has expressed his gratitude for support against 'foreign conspiracy'. However, Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif has questioned judiciary over ruling.

Politics in Pakistan over Punjab polls continue; Imran Khan rules out dialogue with govt

All of the major local media outlets are reporting that Imran Khan, the nation’s former prime minister, is leading the PTI in 17 of the 20 provincial seats as the vote counting for Pakistan’s Punjab by-elections continues. According to these reports, the powerful coalition of prominent figures, including former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Vice-President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and leader of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, is on the verge of suffering a significant defeat in the province. PLM-N is&nbsp;leading in only 2 seats, while an Independent is ahead on&nbsp;1 seat.

Up until April, when then-Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar resigned following the federal parliament’s vote of no-confidence in Khan, Punjab was governed by the PTI party. A faction of the party’s state lawmakers voted in favour of the PML candidacy,&nbsp;which led to the PTI’s nominee&nbsp;for the position being defeated. Khan then successfully petitioned the Pakistani Election Commission to dismiss the state assembly legislators for improperly voting against the party’s request, creating vacancies for 20 seats. Sharif’s party now has 165 seats, while PTI holds 163, thus it will be a close contest. Sharif and coalition members are in charge of the assembly.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sri-lankan-crisis-economy-lessons-india-can-learn-498205">Sri Lankan crisis: Economy lessons India can learn</a>

The voting started at 8 am and went until 5 pm, although Dunya News claimed that voting was suspended in some districts because of fighting. Following the “de-seating” of 25 PTI dissident MPs by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on May 23 for casting a ballot against PML-Hamza N’s Shahbaz in the Punjab chief minister election, the 20 seats became vacant. Around&nbsp;4.57 million registered voters were able to participate in the by-elections and cast ballots. In total, 3140 polling places had been set up across the 20 seats, including 731 male, 700 female, and 1700 combination polling places. There are currently 20 open seats in the Punjab Assembly, which has a total membership of 371, increasing the total number of MPAs there to 351.

(with inputs from agencies)

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All of the major local media outlets are reporting that Imran Khan, the nation’s former prime minister, is leading the PTI in 17 of the 20 provincial seats as the vote counting for Pakistan’s Punjab by-elections continues.

All of the major local media outlets are reporting that Imran Khan, the nation’s former prime minister, is leading the PTI in 17 of the 20 provincial seats as the vote counting for Pakistan’s Punjab by-elections continues. According to these reports, the powerful coalition of prominent figures, including former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Vice-President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and leader of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, is on the verge of suffering a significant defeat in the province. PLM-N is leading in only 2 seats, while an Independent is ahead on 1 seat. Up until April, when then-Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar resigned following the federal parliament’s vote of no-confidence in Khan, Punjab was governed by the PTI party. A faction of the party’s state lawmakers voted in favour of the PML candidacy, which led to the PTI’s nominee for the position being defeated. Khan then successfully petitioned the Pakistani Election Commission to dismiss the state assembly legislators for improperly voting against the party’s request, creating vacancies for 20 seats. Sharif’s party now has 165 seats, while PTI holds 163, thus it will be a close contest. Sharif and coalition members are in charge of the assembly. Also Read: Sri Lankan crisis: Economy lessons India can learn The voting started at 8 am and went until 5 pm, although Dunya News claimed that voting was suspended in some districts because of fighting. Following the “de-seating” of 25 PTI dissident MPs by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on May 23 for casting a ballot against PML-Hamza N’s Shahbaz in the Punjab chief minister election, the 20 seats became vacant. Around 4.57 million registered voters were able to participate in the by-elections and cast ballots. In total, 3140 polling places had been set up across the 20 seats, including 731 male, 700 female, and 1700 combination polling places. There are currently 20 open seats in the Punjab Assembly, which has a total membership of 371, increasing the total number of MPAs there to 351. (with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan Punjab by-polls: Imran Khan’s PTI leading in 17 out of 20 seats

Pakistan is also witnessing an economic crisis and in a fresh attack aimed at the Shehbaz Sharif's government, the former prime minister Imran Khan warned that Pakistan is not far from a Sri Lanka moment.

Pakistan: 'Not far from Sri Lanka moment,' says Imran Khan

PTI senator Shaukat Tarin said that the people of Pakistan have lost faith in the in the ruling Sharif government. Former PM Imran Khan and his aides have been demanding Shehbaz Sharif's exit.

Pakistan's ex-finance minister Shaukat Tarin criticises Sharif government

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan renewed calls for an early election after his PTI party won a landslide 15 of 20 seats over PML-N in a by-election in the Punjab province.

Imran Khan renews call for early polls after PTI's landslide victory in Pak's Punjab province

PTI has decimated PML(N) in Punjab By-Elections. Imran Khan's PTI party has won 15 out of 20 seats. Shehbaz Sharif's son Hamza Shahbaz Sharif will have to step down as CM. Sharif's other son Suleman Sharif has been declared a 'proclaimed offender'. Palki Sharma reports.

Gravitas: PTI decimates PML-N in Punjab Assembly Bypolls

Imran Khan, a former prime minister of Pakistan, has reaffirmed his appeal for early elections in the wake of his party's winning a key provincial assembly in a surprise upset during a recent by-election. In the by-elections held on Sunday, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won 15 of the 20 seats for the provincial parliament, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) received only four. A candidate running alone won one of the seats.&nbsp;

These positions became vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan ousted 25 PTI MPs for voting against the party's candidate for chief minister. Only 20 seats were up for election since five candidates received indirect victories in the reserved seats. The elections have altered the balance of power in the provincial parliament, where the PML-N and its allies now have 179 lawmakers to the PTI's 188, led by its principal ally, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

In order to be elected, the chief ministerial candidate needs the support of 186 assembly members. Soon after the by-election, the Supreme Court previously ruled that new elections be held for the position of Chief Minister.

The outcome shows that the voters disapproved of the Pakistan Muslim League-controversial Nawaz's policies on the political and economic fronts, including handing their tickets to PTI "turncoats" and allowing the inflationary tendency to continue in order to prevent an economic disaster. The Punjab province has simultaneously given the PTI new life and delivered a major shock to the ruling coalition.

The Express Tribune noted that political observers viewed the results of the Punjab province by-elections as a referendum on both the performance of the new government, particularly in light of rising oil costs, and on Imran Khan's account of his expulsion.

Additionally, Imran Khan called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, saying the top official did everything in his power to influence the results of the election in Punjab province in favour of the PML-N party, which is currently in power. He cited the Senate elections in 2021, where Khan claimed there was clear proof of bribery, in saying that his party did not trust the CEC.

He claimed that despite numerous instances of election manipulation being submitted before the CEC, he never penalised anyone, encouraging misconduct because no one was afraid of facing consequences. Khan claimed that despite all of these strategies, "We won as people turned out to vote like never before."

(With inputs from agencies) 
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Imran Khan, a former prime minister of Pakistan, has reaffirmed his appeal for early elections in the wake of his party's winning a key provincial assembly in a surprise upset during a recent by-election.

Imran Khan, a former prime minister of Pakistan, has reaffirmed his appeal for early elections in the wake of his party's winning a key provincial assembly in a surprise upset during a recent by-election. In the by-elections held on Sunday, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won 15 of the 20 seats for the provincial parliament, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) received only four. A candidate running alone won one of the seats. These positions became vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan ousted 25 PTI MPs for voting against the party's candidate for chief minister. Only 20 seats were up for election since five candidates received indirect victories in the reserved seats. The elections have altered the balance of power in the provincial parliament, where the PML-N and its allies now have 179 lawmakers to the PTI's 188, led by its principal ally, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). In order to be elected, the chief ministerial candidate needs the support of 186 assembly members. Soon after the by-election, the Supreme Court previously ruled that new elections be held for the position of Chief Minister. The outcome shows that the voters disapproved of the Pakistan Muslim League-controversial Nawaz's policies on the political and economic fronts, including handing their tickets to PTI "turncoats" and allowing the inflationary tendency to continue in order to prevent an economic disaster. The Punjab province has simultaneously given the PTI new life and delivered a major shock to the ruling coalition. The Express Tribune noted that political observers viewed the results of the Punjab province by-elections as a referendum on both the performance of the new government, particularly in light of rising oil costs, and on Imran Khan's account of his expulsion. Additionally, Imran Khan called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, saying the top official did everything in his power to influence the results of the election in Punjab province in favour of the PML-N party, which is currently in power. He cited the Senate elections in 2021, where Khan claimed there was clear proof of bribery, in saying that his party did not trust the CEC. He claimed that despite numerous instances of election manipulation being submitted before the CEC, he never penalised anyone, encouraging misconduct because no one was afraid of facing consequences. Khan claimed that despite all of these strategies, "We won as people turned out to vote like never before." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

After sweeping Punjab by-elections, Imran Khan's PTI discusses forming government 

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