Category: 1. Pakistan

Last Updated:August 26, 2025, 20:13 IST

Imran Khan’s message conveyed that the ‘torture on me and my family can’t break us’, directly attributing the alleged persecution to the Army Chief

The message from Imran Khan (R) concluded with a personal and direct challenge to Field Marshal Asim Munir. File image/Reuters

Aleema Khanum, the sister of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, delivered a series of sharp messages on his behalf after meeting him in Adiala Jail, CNN-News18 has learnt. She conveyed her brother’s defiance and his scathing criticism of the country’s powerful figures and institutions.

According to Aleema, Imran Khan drew a direct and stinging parallel between former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the country’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir. In his message, Khan claimed, “The way Mohsin Naqvi destroyed Pakistan cricket, Asim Munir is destroying Pakistan.” 

Despite facing what he described as severe hardships, including solitary confinement, Imran Khan’s message remained defiant. Aleema relayed her brother’s unwavering resolve, quoting him as saying, “No matter what you can do with us (me and Bushra Bibi), put us in solitary confinement; we will not bow down.” 

Furthermore, Aleema revealed her brother’s deep concern over the state of the country’s governance. “There is no rule of law in Pakistan,” she quoted him as saying, adding that “all institutions are compromised, including the media.”  

Khan alleges the justice system and press are no longer independent. The former Prime Minister has also accused the current administration of violating basic human rights, claiming that no such rights are protected in Pakistan.

The message concluded with a personal and direct challenge to Field Marshal Asim Munir. Imran Khan’s message conveyed that the “torture on me and my family can’t break us”, directly attributing the alleged persecution to the Army Chief.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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Last Updated:August 26, 2025, 20:11 IST

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, a Pakistani cleric and YouTuber, was arrested after his remarks sparked controversy and complaints from religious groups.

Muhammad Ali Mirza is widely known for his blunt lectures on religion and society. (Image Credit: X)

Pakistani cleric and YouTuber Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza was arrested under the country’s preventive detention law after his alleged remarks about Prophet Muhammad went viral and triggered complaints from religious groups.

Authorities said, as per Dawn, that Muhammad Ali Mirza, who commands more than 3.1 million followers on YouTube, was detained for 30 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and later shifted to jail. The arrest followed a petition by a religious group seeking legal action against him but Muhammad Ali Mirza’s supporters argued that his words were quoted in reference to another community’s terminology and misrepresented.

Muhammad Ali Mirza is widely known for his blunt lectures on religion and society, delivered via his YouTube channel. His outspoken views have repeatedly stirred controversy in Pakistan’s deeply conservative religious landscape and he has survived at least four assassination attempts, it was reported.

This is not the first time Muhammad Ali Mirza has faced legal or social backlash as in 2023, a blasphemy case under Section 295C alleged he insulted Prophet Muhammad and downplayed Pakistan’s ruling on Ahmadis. In 2020, he was arrested by Jhelum police for derogatory remarks against religious figures. In 2021, he survived an assassination attempt at a religious academy.

He has clashed repeatedly with prominent clerics such as Mufti Tariq Masood and Mufti Hanif Qureshi, with debates often ending in public acrimony.

Reacting to the arrest, Lahore-based lawyer J Sajjal Shaheedi said it was less about public order and more about suppressing dissent.

“The arrest of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza is not about public order. It is about silencing independent voices who dare to question sectarian clergy… Meanwhile, violent mobs like TLP are coddled, unbanned, and quietly paid off,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

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Security forces killed 47 terrorists linked to Fitna al-Khawarij during operations conducted between August 7 and 9 in Balochistan’s Sambaza border region, security sources said.

According to the sources, the terrorists were attempting to cross the border when they were intercepted. Most of those killed were Afghan nationals, whose bodies fell on the Afghan side of the border.

For nearly two weeks, the bodies remained unclaimed, exposed to the open sky and preyed upon by scavenging animals, sources added.

It was only after a jirga with Afghan officials on August 25 that the remains were hauled onto donkeys and carried away.

Security officials described the action as a “major counter-terrorism success,” preventing the terrorists from launching large-scale attacks inside Pakistan.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has directed his party lawmakers to step down from all parliamentary committees, according to his sister Aleema Khan.

“He [PTI founder] has ordered party members to tender their resignations from all standing committees in the National Assembly,” she said while speaking to journalists outside Adiala jail after meeting her brother.

She said the PTI founder also issued directives to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and general secretary Salman Akram Raja regarding the upcoming by-elections. “He [Imran] said contesting the by-elections would only give legal justification to those polls,” Aleema added.

Earlier, it was reported that Aleema had opposed participation in the by-elections, saying that the decision was totally against Khan’s clear instructions.

Raja, however, reportedly conveyed the political committee’s position and voting breakdown to her. According to sources, 13 members of the committee favoured contesting the by-elections, while 9 were opposed.

The disagreement reportedly left Raja disheartened, ultimately prompting his decision to tender resignation from the key party role.

However, Raja — earlier in the day — said Imran had refused to accept his resignation from party’s secretary general post.

Separately, sources told Geo News that Imran has nominated Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Nasir Abbas and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the post of opposition leaders in Senate and National Assembly, respectively.

Furthermore, sources added that Imran has also ordered his party to boycott the upcoming by-elections. 

Sharing details of the meeting today, Aleema said the PTI founder expressed distress over his wife Bushra Bibi’s situation and was informed about the arrests of Shershah and Shahrez.

“Imran said that such punishments and disqualifications have never taken place before in Pakistan,” she noted.

Shershah and Shahrez were arrested over their alleged involvement in May 9, 2023, riots, as the police claimed to have video evidence against the former for his presence at the Jinnah House on that day, a first information report (FIR) stated.

The FIR stated that Shershah was accused of carrying out attacks on policemen during the riots, adding that the police possessed a video record as evidence of his presence at the scene.

Regarding Shahrez, it emerged that his name appeared in a supplementary investigation report in September 2023, sources added.

Speaking to media, she quoted the PTI founder as saying that cricket had been destroyed by Mohsin Naqvi — who is the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Aleema further said the PTI founder expressed sorrow over the devastation caused by floods in Buner and other areas.

Regarding his health, Aleema clarified that Imran was in good condition, though he had an eye problem for which a petition would be filed in court. “Doctors from Pims hospital will be called for his eye treatment,” she confirmed.

Aleema said she and her sisters had been attempting to meet the PTI founder for three months but were not allowed. “Today, by the grace of Allah, we were able to meet him,” she said, adding that it was the first meeting of all sisters with him after four months.