by Shahzad Akbar

The United Kingdom prides itself on being a champion of democracy and human rights, frequently condemning political repression and imprisonment in authoritarian states such as China, Iran, Russia and North Korea. 

Yet, its response to the arbitrary imprisonment of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan an elected leader with extensive ties to Britain has been muted at best and complicit at worst over the last two years. 

Fourteen former international cricket captains from five Test teams have appealed to the Pakistan government to request better prison treatment for Imran Khan, amid serious fears for the health of the 73-year-old ex-captain and prime minister.

The petition, drafted by former Australian skipper Greg Chappell and delivered to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday afternoon, has also been undersigned by former Indian captains Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, plus the likes of Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark and Kim Hughes.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday paying tribute to Pakistan’s national poet Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal on his 143rd birth anniversary said Iqbal’s thoughts continue to be a source of inspiration and guidance.

PM Imran in his tweet shared an article of Dr Ali Shariati, renowned Iranian revolutionary and sociologist, and wrote that Iqbal’s thoughts continue to be a source of inspiration and guidance.

“He is a great mystic, with a pure spirit, delivered of materiality and, at the same time, a man who respects and honours science, technological progress, and the advancement of human reason in our age,” the PM quoted Dr Shariati.

by Sana Jamal, Correspondent Gulf News

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan said in an interview that the war on terror by the United States “actually bred terrorists” in different regions of the world, including Pakistan. The prime minister made the comments on Sunday during a CNN interview responding to a question on the surge in terrorism in the Middle East and Pakistan-Afghanistan region despite the withdrawal of US forces.

by Junaid S. Ahmad

From the barracks of Rawalpindi to the halls of Washington, a sordid alliance stalks the republic of Pakistan: a military caste addicted to power, a civilian class cowed into servitude, and a foreign patron ever ready to pull the leash. What unfolds is less a grand strategy than a tragicomedy: generals trading sovereignty for sinecures, soldiers harbouring contempt for their officers, and a once-promising democratic movement crushed under the twin weights of imperial ambition and martial tutelage.

Reporter: Meenakshi Ravi – Al Jazeera

Despite being in jail for more than two years, Imran Khan continues to occupy air time in Pakistan. After the army restricted access to Khan, rumours of his death ricocheted across social media. Pressure from his supporters and family forced the military to lift the restrictions and grant Khan’s sisters access to speak to him.

by Asia Jamil

After losing his mother to cancer in 1985, Imran Khan dreamed of constructing a free cancer hospital to help others. Imran Khan spent significant time and effort raising money for this cause because he was committed to building a center that would offer quality cancer care to low-income patients in Pakistan regardless of their ability to pay.

ISLAMABAD:

The world is widely acknowledging Prime Minister Imran Khan’s smart lockdown strategy, mainly focusing balance between lives and livelihood, as the country witnessed a steep decline from around 6,800 Covid-19 patients a day in mid-June to 1,209 cases during the last 24 hours across the country.