The United States administration has once again rejected former prime minister Imran Khan’s allegations of regime change in Pakistan by the world’s superpower.

“What we can do is counter disinformation, misinformation with information,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said while addressing a press briefing on Monday. “And we’ve said many times now, including in this briefing room, that there is no truth to these allegations.”

Imran was ousted from the office of prime minister in April through a vote of no-confidence, which the former premier claims was sponsored by a foreign conspiracy. He has described it as a “regime change” plot after he visited Russia.

The PTI chief “revealed” it in a party rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022. He held a piece of paper in the gathering that he claimed was “evidence of foreign conspiracy” being hatched to topple his government.

Imran, who started his anti-government ‘Azadi March’ on October 28 in demand for snap elections, has been using such claims in his speeches. He reiterated that the country would not accept any “imported government” that was apparently planned and formed in the West or US. The “threat letter”

Price, who has many times rebuffed such allegations, said: “We won’t let propaganda, we won’t let misinformation or disinformation get in the way of an important bilateral relationship, including our valued bilateral partnership with Pakistan.”

The State Department spokesperson reiterated that his administration valued the longstanding cooperation between the US and Pakistan. “We’ve always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to our interests. That remains unchanged.”

“I understand in the case of Pakistan, elections have not yet been scheduled, but we support the peaceful upholding of constitutional and democratic principles not just in Pakistan, around the world. These are issues that we discuss with all of our partners around the world,” he said in response to a query on credibility of election process in Pakistan.

Continuing the long march on GT Road on the consecutive fourth day on Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said that the institutions “are respected only when people respect them”.

“Thieves and thugs have been imposed on the nation by giving them a higher position in the government,” the former premier said addressing the participants of the ‘Haqiqi Azadi March’ and inviting them for joining his long march just like a jihad against the imported rulers.

He said that decisions were made behind closed doors but the people of Pakistan rejected them and now it was a history that 13 parties on one side and PTI on the other side.

The PTI chief said the ‘handlers’ should listen and that Pakistanis could not be treated like sheep anymore as it has now become a conscious nation.

Lashing out at the interior minister, Imran Khan said that Rana Sanaullah killed 14 people in the Model Town tragedy but “is imposed as an interior minister of the country”.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has ruled out negotiation with the incumbent government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif without the mediation of the ‘Establishment’.

In an exclusive conversation with Aaj News, Imran Khan said said that for any negotiation to be successful, the Establishment would have to intervene so that early elections are called.

The former prime minister also lashed out at PM Shehbaz Sharif, calling him a figurehead with no real power or authority.

“Shehbaz Sharif has no power and he has to do Nawaz Sharif’s bidding. Shehbaz Sharif has neither the vote bank nor public support. Even the party (PML-N) does not pay any heed to what Shehbaz says. What is the point of talking to him,” he remarked.

Journalist Imtiaz Gul claimed on Monday that the government is paying Rs25 million daily as rent for shipping containers seized and put up long before the start of Imran Khan’s protest march. The containers have been placed at key points to barricade the capital before the arrival of marchers led by PTI chief Imran Khan.

Gul made the claim while speaking to Aaj News morning show host Sidra Iqbal on Aaj Pakistan.

“Yesterday, while I was passing through Islamabad, the city felt like it was in a state of war even though the man they are hunting for was still in Lahore,” he said.

Gul said that the government has deployed between 25,000 to 30,000 security personnel at various points in the city. The manpower has been buttressed by blocking of key access point through shipping containers. He added that the containers, numbering between 700 to 800, were seized almost a month ago. “Some of them still have goods inside,” he added.

He added that the seizure of containers started at the beginning of October “even though Imran said that he would announce the date of his march at the end of the month”.

He accused the Islamabad administration of turning the renting of containers into a ‘lucrative’ business due to the involvement of commission in the transaction.

LAHORE: PTI chief Imran Khan visited the residence of deceased journalist Sadaf Naeem on Monday to offer his condolences to her family. He was accompanied by party leaders.

The PTI’s official Twitter handle shared a video from outside Naeem’s residence.

Earlier, Asad Umar, Mehmoodur Rasheed, and Musarrat Cheema visited the house to offer condolences.

PTI chief Imran Khan has claimed that he has been witnessing a revolution taking over the country for the past six months, since the time he was ousted as the prime minister through a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly.

“A sea of people accompanied our march on GT Road,” he said in a tweet to his more than 18 million followers. The PTI chief also shared a clip of his long march, which kicked off from Lahore’s Liberty Chowk on October 28.

“Only question is will it be a soft one through the ballot box or a destructive one through bloodshed?” the former premier said in connection to his revolution claims.

Activists and supporters of PTI in Sindh would depart from Karachi today (Monday) to take part in the PTI’s ‘Azadi March’. The Imran Khan-led party would resume their protest from Kamonki today.

“In order to participate in the #HaqeeqiAzadiMarch, join [us] at Toll Plaza on October 31 at 11:30am,” PTI leader Ali Zaidi said in a tweet.

The PTI procession was expected to reach Sukkur from Hyderabad, Hala, Sakrand, and Qazi Ahmed Moro on Monday night.

He asked the supporters, who are intending to go to Islamabad direct from Sukkur, to join them from the Insaf House at 11am.

Later in a tweet, he said: “Crooks [are] playing politics on the accidental death of Sadaf. Remember crushing 9 yr old Rehmat on GT Road by Nawaz?”

“He didn’t stop his car but had the audacity to claim the poor kid as a martyr! If v were to crown hypocrites PDM would have a tough competition but amongst themselves!” he said.

https://www.aajenglish.tv/live/azadi-march-oct31-2022

LAHORE: Sadaf Naeem, a reporter who died while covering the PTI long march on Sunday night, was laid to rest in the Miani Sahid Graveyard, Lahore. The funeral prayers were offered in the Ichra area.

Politicians, journalists, and a large number of people attended the funeral.

Sadaf, who worked for Channel 5, “slipped and crushed” under the container of PTI chief Imran Khan during the long march near Sadhuki. She was walking along with the cavalcade and was also seen “running along with the container”.

Reacting to the incident, Imran announced his decision to postpone the march. The PTI had called off the activities in solidarity. The march would resume from Kamonki today (Monday).

Sadaf was associated with the field of journalism for the past 12 years. She is survived by her husband Naeem Bhatti and two children.

Sadaf was ‘standing at the divider’

Bhatti has decided to not to take any legal action or conduct the post-mortem on the body of her wife. He said this in a request to the Sadar, Kamonki police station.

“Sadaf Naeem worked as reporter-cum-anchor for Channel 5. My wife died on the spot after she fell from the divider, where she was standing and was crushed by the vehicle. The incident happened today [Sunday] at around 7pm when the long march reached Sadhoki,” said the application.

Sadaf’s husband urged that it was an incident and “he neither wants to take any kind of legal action nor conduct post mortem examination”.

He requested that the body should be handed over as soon as possible for the burial.