Author: Admin

Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and his wife have been sentenced to jail in a corruption case by Admin Jan 17, 2025 Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday morning, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year sentence. Both were charged in a case concerning the misuse of authority and corruption related to Khan’s Al-Qadir University Project Trust.  In addition to their prison sentences, Khan was fined 1 million Pakistani rupees (approximately $3,500), while Bibi was fined 500,000 rupees. The charge sheet accused Khan and his wife of acquiring land valued at billions of rupees (millions of US dollars) from Malik Riaz, a prominent real estate tycoon in Pakistan, for the Al-Qadir Trust. The purpose of this acquisition was to establish a nonprofit educational institute for the underprivileged.  The NAB alleged that Khan, who served as prime minister from August 2018 to April 2022, made a quid pro quo deal with Riaz, allowing him to launder over $239 million. This allegedly resulted in significant losses for the national treasury.  Khan, who did not appear in court on January 13 when the decision was postponed for the third time, previously stated that these delays were an attempt to “pressurize” him. This case marks the fourth major conviction for the former prime minister. An accountability court in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, where Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, reserved its verdict last December and has postponed the announcement three times. Bibi was arrested within the court premises. Three previous convictions, announced in January of last year, were linked to selling state gifts, leaking state secrets, and entering into an unlawful marriage.  All of these convictions have either been suspended or overturned. Despite this, Khan remains in prison, facing numerous pending cases against him, which he describes as a political witch-hunt. Faisal Fareed Chaudhry, Khan’s lawyer, criticized the decision as an ongoing instance of “bogus persecution” against Khan and his wife.  He stated, “This may be the only case where the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could not prove a loss of even a single penny.” Chaudhry stated that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did not present any evidence of financial losses to the state or demonstrate any connection between the Al-Qadir Trust and personal financial benefits for Khan or his family.  He noted, “The criminal proceedings against Khan and Bushra Bibi were not substantiated during the prosecution. The entire case appears to be politically motivated. I do not understand how the establishment of a trust could constitute a conflict of interest.” Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), responded to the verdict in its initial statement.  The PTI stated, “While we await the detailed decision, it is important to highlight that the case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi related to the Al Qadir Trust lacks a solid foundation and is destined to fail. All evidence and witness testimonies confirm that there has been no mismanagement or wrongdoing. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are trustees without further involvement in the matter.” Khan was removed from power in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no confidence, which he claims was the result of a conspiracy involving the military and the United States—allegations that both entities have denied.  Since its formation in 1947, Pakistan’s military has wielded considerable political influence, directly ruling the country for nearly three decades. Initially, the military was viewed as Khan’s supporter and the architect of his rise to power, but their relationship later deteriorated. Notably, while no prime minister in Pakistan’s history has completed their term, three of four military dictators have governed for nearly a decade each.

by Admin  Jan 15, 2025 History was made on Wednesday morning after President Yoon Suk Yeol became South Korea’s first sitting president to be arrested and detained. The historic event was filled with a lot of dramatic instances where the investigators had to cut security barb-wires and scale the fence of Yoon, 64, who is under investigation for insurrection due to a failed martial law order issued on December 3, which led to widespread turmoil in the country. President Yoon has also been impeached by parliament and suspended from his duties. However, he will only be removed from office if the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment. Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) were unable to arrest him on January 3 after a six-hour standoff with the president’s security detail.  However, just before dawn on Wednesday, a much larger and coordinated team of investigators and police descended on his residence in central Seoul. They were equipped with ladders to climb over buses blocking the entrance and bolt cutters to remove barbed wire. A team of around 1,000 officers involved in the arrest scaled walls and hiked up nearby trails to reach the presidential residence.  After several hours, authorities announced that President Yoon had been arrested.  In a three-minute video released just before his arrest, the 64-year-old leader stated that he would cooperate with the investigators while reiterating his previous claims that the warrant for his arrest was not legally valid. The impeached president said “I decided to appear before the CIO, even though it is an illegal investigation, to prevent any unsavory bloodshed,” However, President Yoon’s lawyers argued that his arrest was “illegal” because the CIO, as an anti-corruption agency, lacked the authority to investigate the insurrection allegations against Yoon. They also assert that the warrant was issued by the incorrect jurisdiction. The same court later dismissed President Yoon’s request for an injunction to invalidate the arrest warrant, which the authorities assert is lawful.  The floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party, Park Chan-dae, stated that Wednesday’s arrest demonstrated that “justice in South Korea is alive.” He said, “The arrest is the first step toward restoring constitutional order, democracy, and the rule of law”. According to the current warrant, authorities can hold President Yoon for up to 48 hours after his arrest. After this period, they must obtain a new warrant to continue detaining him while the investigation is ongoing.  If the new warrant is granted, they can keep him in custody for up to 20 days before he must be brought to trial. If they do not secure a new warrant, Yoon must be released. The country is currently being led by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok as acting president. He was thrust into power after the first acting president, Han Duck-Soo was also impeached two weeks after taking over the office by the parliament which is dominated by the opposition party.