Imran Khan
Pakistani female journalist crushed to death at ex-PM Imran Khan's march
A female journalist was crushed to death Sunday in Pakistan while covering a political march led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a senior police officer said.
Sadaf Naeem, 36, a television journalist with Channel 5 in Lahore, was crushed to death after she slipped from the container truck Khan was traveling in, said Salman Zafar, assistant superintendent in Kamuke, one of the towns on the march's path.
Khan’s convoy was making its way through Punjab province toward Islamabad on the march's third day. The demonstrators were challenging Khan's successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his government, demanding snap elections. It was the practice of Khan's convoy team to invite a few journalists at a time onto the top of the truck to speak to Khan.
“Shocked & deeply saddened by the terrible accident that led to the death of Channel 5 reporter Sadaf Naeem during our March today," Khan said in a tweet. "I have no words to express my sorrow. My prayers & condolences go to the family at this tragic time. We have cancelled our March for today.”
Sharif also expressed his condolences to Naeem's bereaved family, announcing a roughly $20,000 donation to her relatives.
“Deeply saddened by the death of reporter Sadaf Naeem after falling from a long march container,” Sharif said in a tweet. “Cannot feel sad enough over this tragic incident. Heartfelt condolences to the family. Sadaf Naeem was a dynamic and hardworking reporter. We pray for patience for the family of the deceased.”
Naeem was the breadwinner for her family and had worked as a journalist for 12 years. Pakistani officials say they will bear the living costs and educational expenses of her two children, aged 17 and 21.
About 10,000 of Khan's supporters, many of them piled into hundreds of trucks and cars, left from Lahore on Friday.
The convoy’s journey, expected to be capped with an open-ended rally in Islamabad, could present a significant challenge to the new administration. The rally could potentially also turn violent if police move in to disperse Khan’s supporters.
Rallies demonstrate Imran Khan’s political force
Since he was toppled by parliament five months ago, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has demonstrated his continued popularity with mass rallies across Pakistan, signaling to his rivals that he remains a considerable political force.
On Tuesday, he addressed some 25,000 supporters in the northwestern city of Peshawar, the capital of deeply conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
Khan said he would soon organize a mass march to the capital, as a culmination of his campaign to force the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to hold a snap election, which some analysts say Khan might win due a groundswell of support.
“I will soon give you a call for a march on Islamabad,” Khan told the cheering crowd, then asked: “Are you ready for it?”
“Yes,” came the response from his supporters.
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Sharif has rejected the demand for early elections, saying the vote should take place as scheduled in 2023.
As during previous rallies, Tuesday’s speech was not shown live by TV stations on instructions from the country’s media regulatory agency. The regulators have banned broadcasting his live speeches, purportedly because of his recent critical remarks about the military and judiciary. Viewers also had difficulty accessing the speech via YouTube and other social media.
Since his ouster, Khan has claimed that the current government came into power under a plot by the U.S. which allegedly disagreed with his more independent foreign policy; Washington has denied such a claim.
Khan had served as prime minister for over three-and-a-half years until he was brought down by an alliance of political parties in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April.
In a new twist to his comeback campaign, the former cricket star-turned-Islamist politician faces terrorism charges for allegedly threatening police and a judge at a rally last month in Islamabad. At the time, Khan sharply criticized the authorities for having arrested his close aide Shahbaz Gill on charges of inciting troops to mutiny against top army generals.
Khan could face several years in prison under Pakistan’s 1997 anti-terrorism law, which grants police wider powers. He is currently on a type of bail that shields him from arrest until Sept. 12.
“Look, a terrorist is standing in front of you,” Khan sarcastically told the crowd Tuesday evening.
Analysts say that even in the opposition, Khan remains a political force.
“Yes, Imran Khan will win elections whenever the voting takes place,” predicted Rana Akram Rabbani, a newspaper columnist and former senior politician.
In Tuesday’s speech, Khan again attacked Washington, saying his removal from office was the result of a U.S.-organized plot and collusion with Sharif. Both have denied the allegation.
Khan said Pakistan should not allow its soil to be used for attacks against any country.
His comments come amid reports that the U.S. drones were using Pakistan’s air space for surveillance in neighboring Afghanistan, where the Afghan Taliban seized power last year.
Khan is a vocal critic of military operations.
Read: Typhoon batters South Korea, forcing thousands to flee
Even before coming to power, he called for the resolution of the Afghan issue through peace talks. Addressing the United States on Tuesday, he said he wants friendship with Washington, but that “we will not accept your slavery.”
Khan has said in recent months that the United States wanted him gone because of his foreign policy choices in favor of Russia and China, and a visit he made on Feb. 24 to Moscow, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.
Khan has said he was not aware that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would start during his visit.
After coming to power in 2018, Khan initially enjoyed excellent ties with the military.
His troubles began when he resisted the appointment of a new spy chief by the army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Although the issue was later resolved, analysts say Khan and Bajwa never repaired the relationship and that Khan still believes Bajwa was part of the alleged plot to topple him.
Khan claimed Tuesday that his political opponents tried to drive a wedge between him and the army which traditionally plays an out-sized role in Pakistan politics.
“I love my army,” Khan said.
Police file terrorism charges against Pakistan's Imran Khan
Pakistani police have filed terrorism charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, authorities said Monday, escalating political tensions in the country as the ousted premier holds mass rallies seeking to return to office.
The terrorism charges came over a speech Khan gave in Islamabad on Saturday in which he vowed to sue police officers and a female judge and alleged that a close aide had been tortured after his arrest.
Khan himself has not immediately addressed the police charge sheet being lodged against him. Khan's political party — Tehreek-e-Insaf, now in the opposition — published online videos showing supporters surrounding his home to potentially stop police from reaching it.
Hundreds remained there early Monday and police have yet to attempt to detain Khan, said Fawad Chaudhry, who served as information minister in Khan’s government. Tehreek-e-Insaf warned that it will hold nationwide rallies if Khan is arrested.
Khan’s lawyer Bawar Awan meanwhile filed a request to Islamabad's High Court seeking protective bail for Khan, which would protect him from being arrested.
Under Pakistan’s legal system, police file what is known as a first information report about charges against an accused person to a magistrate judge, who allows the investigation to move forward. Typically, police then arrest and question the accused.
The report against Khan includes testimony from Magistrate Judge Ali Javed, who described being at the Islamabad rally on Saturday and hearing Khan criticize the inspector-general of Pakistan's police and another judge. Khan went on to reportedly say: "You also get ready for it, we will also take action against you. All of you must be ashamed.”
Khan could face several years in prison from the new charges, which accuse him of threatening police officers and the judge under the country's sedition act, which stems from British colonial-era law. However, he's not been detained on other lesser charges levied against him in his recent campaigning against the government.
The Pakistani judiciary also has a history of politicization and taking sides in power struggles between the military, the civilian government and opposition politicians, according to the Washington-based advocacy group Freedom House. Current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif likely will discuss the charges against Khan at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Khan came to power in 2018, promising to break the pattern of family rule in Pakistan. His opponents contend he was elected with help from the powerful military, which has ruled the country for half of its 75-year history.
Read: Pakistani lawmakers to elect new PM after Imran Khan ouster
In seeking Khan’s ouster earlier this year, the opposition had accused him of economic mismanagement as inflation soars and the Pakistani rupee plummets in value. The parliament's no-confidence vote in April that ousted Khan capped months of political turmoil and a constitutional crisis that required the Supreme Court to step in. Meanwhile, it appeared the military similarly had cooled to Khan.
Khan alleged without providing evidence that the Pakistani military took part in a U.S. plot to oust him. Washington, the Pakistani military and Sharif's government have all denied the allegation. Meanwhile, Khan has been carrying out a series of mass rallies trying to pressure the government.
In his latest speech Sunday night at a rally in the city of Rawalpindi outside of Islamabad, Khan said so-called “neutrals" were behind the recent crackdown against his party. He has in the past used the phrase “neutrals” for the military.
“A plan has been made to place our party against the wall. I assure you, that the Sri Lankan situation is going to happen here,” Khan threatened, referencing the recent economic protests that toppled that island nation's government.
"Now we are following law and constitution. But when a political party strays from that path, the situation inside Pakistan, who will stop the public? There are 220 million people.”
Khan's party has been holding mass protests, but Pakistan's government and security forces fear the former cricket star's popularity still could draw millions out to the street. That could further pressure the nuclear-armed nation as it struggles to secure a $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund amid an economic crisis, exacerbated by rising global food prices due in part by Russia's war on Ukraine.
On Sunday, the internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks said internet services in the country blocked access to YouTube after Khan broadcast the speech on the platform despite a ban issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
Police arrested Khan's political aide, Shahbaz Gill, earlier this month after he appeared on the private television channel ARY TV and urged soldiers and officers to refuse to obey “illegal orders” from the military leadership. Gill was charged with treason, which under Pakistani law carries the death penalty. ARY also remains off-air in Pakistan following that broadcast.
Khan has alleged that police abused Gill while in custody. Police say Gill suffers from asthma and has not been abused while detained. Gill is now in a hospital and a court will decide at a hearing later Monday whether he should return to jail. Khan's speech Saturday in Islamabad focused primarily on Gill's arrest.
Meanwhile, police separately arrested journalist Jameel Farooqi in Karachi over his allegations that Gill had been tortured by police. Farooqi is a vocal supporter of Khan.
Pakistani ex-PM Khan demands new elections be set in 6 days
Defiant former Prime Minister Imran Khan early Thursday warned Pakistan's government to set new elections in the next six days or he will again march on the capital along with 3 million people.
Khan spoke at a rally of thousands of demonstrators in Islamabad aiming to bring down the government and force early elections. The government earlier had summoned troops to guard important buildings, including the parliament and offices of the president and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The measures came following clashes between demonstrators and police.
Also read: Pakistan bans Imran Khan's rally, cracks down on supporters
Khan in his address claimed that five of his supporters were killed in the violence across the country. There was no immediate comment from the government about Khan's claim, whose supporters were dispersing. Earlier, Khan had vowed that he will stage a prolonged sit-in to get his demands accepted.
Khan, a former cricket star turned Islamist politician, was prime minister for over three and half years until being ousted last month by a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Since then, he has held rallies across the country, saying his removal from office was the result of a U.S.-organized plot and collusion with Sharif. Both have denied the allegation.
Khan began his march toward Islamabad from the northwestern city of Peshawar. Clashes initially erupted in the eastern city of Lahore, when riot police fired tear gas and pushed back hundreds of demonstrators who hurled stones as they tried to pass a roadblocked bridge near the city to board busses bound for Islamabad.
Dozens of Khan's followers also briefly clashed with police in Islamabad, where the demonstrators set fire to bushes lining a main boulevard, sending smoke and flames rising into the sky. Altercations were also reported elsewhere, including in Karachi, where demonstrators burned a police vehicle.
At least a dozen demonstrators and several policemen were injured. Ahead of Wednesday's marches, authorities used dozens of shipping containers and trucks to block off major roads into Islamabad.
Khan himself traveled by helicopter to a highway some 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Islamabad, where he condemned the police crackdown and urged supporters to join the rally.
The government on Wednesday responded by launching a crackdown and arrested more than 1,700 Khan supporters. The measures were announced after a policeman was killed Tuesday during a raid on the home of a notable Khan supporter in Lahore.
Also read: Pakistani lawmakers to elect new PM after Imran Khan ouster
In a separate development Wednesday, dayslong talks between Islamabad and the International Monetary Fund concluded in Qatar without Pakistan securing a revival of a $6 billion bailout package from the global lender.
After the talks, the IMF urged Pakistan to remove subsidies on fuel and energy. The subsidies were approved by Khan’s government in February, forcing the IMF at the time to withhold a crucial tranche of about $1 billion.
Pakistani police move to stop ex-PM Khan’s banned rally
Pakistani police have fired tear gas and scuffled with stone-throwing supporters of defiant former Prime Minister Imran Khan as they gathered for planned marches Wednesday toward central Islamabad for a rally he hopes will bring down the government and force early elections.
The marches have raised fears of major violence between supporters of Khan — now Pakistan’s top opposition leader — and security forces. The government of Khan’s successor, Shahbaz Sharif, has banned the rally and warned Khan he could face arrest if he went ahead with the demonstrations.
Earlier in the morning, riot police fired tear gas and pushed back hundreds of demonstrators who hurled stones as they tried to pass a roadblocked bridge near the city of Lahore to board busses bound for the capital, Islamabad.
A dozen demonstrators and several policemen were injured. Altercations between the police and Khan’s supporters were also reported elsewhere.
Ahead of Wednesday’s marches, authorities used dozens of shipping containers and trucks to block off major roads into Islamabad.
Khan, a former cricket star turned Islamist politician served as prime minister for over three and half years until last month, when he was ousted by a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Since then, he has held rallies with thousands of people across the country.
Khan says his removal from office was the result of a U.S.-organized plot and collusion with Sharif, whose government has vowed a stern response if Khan violates the ban. Washington has also denied any role in Pakistan’s internal politics.
Despite the ban, Khan is insisting his rally will be massive and peaceful — and continue until the government agrees to hold fresh elections this year, not in 2023 as scheduled. Organizers had planned for crowds to travel by car and bus to Islamabad’s city limits, then march on foot.
Khan himself traveled by helicopter to a highway some 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Islamabad, where he condemned the police crackdown and urged supporters to join the rally.
“My message for the nation: Everyone must break out of the grip of fear to achieve freedom,” he wrote on Twitter, before starting out by vehicle from the Swabi interchange. His convoy still faces a series of roadblocks ahead that would require heavy machinery to remove.
Khan has urged his supporters to remove the containers that were filled with earth and circumvent any blockades in order to enter the city. “I will be among you Wednesday afternoon,” he had vowed on Tuesday.
Also Read: Pakistan bans Imran Khan's rally, cracks down on supporters
Thousands of Khan’s supporters along with leaders of his Tehreek-e-Insaf party had already massed in Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where his party rules. From there, his followers must cross a bridge at the province’s border that the government has blocked, before assembling on the outskirts of Islamabad.
The government launched a crackdown and arrested more than 1,700 Khan supporters, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. He congratulated his countrymen for rejecting the rally by not participating in it and apologized for the inconvenience caused to citizens due to the blockades.
“Imran Khan had claimed that he would gather 2 million people here in Islamabad today, but he is marching toward Islamabad along with only 6,000 or 7,000 demonstrators,” he told a news conference Wednesday. “We are fully prepared to handle him.”
Authorities have deployed additional police and paramilitary troops on highways and in Islamabad, with also tractor trailers parked across both lanes of traffic in several areas.
The measures were announced after a policeman was killed during a raid on the home of a notable Khan supporter in Lahore.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Supreme Court was hearing a petition Wednesday to remove the blockades into Islamabad. Authorities say that if Khan submits a written assurance that his rally will be peaceful and confined to a public park, the government could consider lifting its ban.
The court was expected to announce an order about Khan’s rally later in the day.
Pakistan bans Imran Khan's rally, cracks down on supporters
Pakistan on Tuesday banned ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a massive, planned rally in the capital of Islamabad and cracked down on his supporters in overnight raids across the country, arresting hundreds.
The ban came hours after a policeman was killed during one of the raids, when a supporter of the former premier opened fire after officers entered his home in the city of Lahore.
Also read:Pakistani lawmakers to elect new PM after Imran Khan ouster
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned Khan that he would “not be allowed to disrupt peace in Islamabad" and would be arrested if needed, should the rally go ahead. Sanaullah earlier in the day accused Khan of seeking to create a civil war-like situation.
The former cricket star turned Islamist politician, Khan served as prime minister for over three and half years until he was ousted by a no-confidence vote in parliament in April.
Khan has remained defiant, demanding early elections and claiming his removal was the result of a U.S.-organized plot in collusion with his successor, Pakistan's new Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Washington denies any role in Pakistan’s internal politics.
Earlier this week, Khan urged supporters to converge on Islamabad on Wednesday for a massive rally to pressure Sharif's government. The demonstration, he said, would continue until a date for snap elections was announced.
Sanaullah, the interior minister, said the decision to ban the rally was taken after Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party failed to assure the administration in writing that the rally would be peaceful.
Earlier Tuesday, authorities stepped up security in Islamabad, deploying additional officers and paramilitary Rangers. Large shipping containers were placed on a key road leading to the parliament building, to prevent Khan’s supporters from getting close and possibly staging a sit-in there.
According to Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, police raids against their supporters started shortly after midnight Monday. Homes were still being raided on Tuesday morning and at least 400 supporters of the party were arrested across the country, Chaudhry said. Khan condemned the arrests on Twitter.
Authorities confirmed the raids but refused to share details about any arrests.
Also read: Deputy Speaker rejects no-confidence motion against Pakistan PM Imran Khan, declares it unconstitutional
At a news conference in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Tuesday, Khan vowed to carry on with the rally in the Pakistani capital as planned.
“I tell my supporters to reach Islamabad and I will also be there," he said, insisting he was not afraid of death and urging his followers to “get ready for sacrifices" for the sake of Pakistan's sovereignty.
Several other prominent figures from Khan's party warned police they could face violent resistance if raids on their homes continued.
Sharif sworn in as Pakistan’s new PM after week of drama
Pakistan’s parliament on Monday elected opposition lawmaker Shahbaz Sharif as the new prime minister, following a week of political turmoil that led to the weekend ouster of Premier Imran Khan.
Sharif took the oath of office inside the stately, white marble palace known as the Presidency in a brief ceremony.
But his elevation won’t guarantee a peaceful path forward or solve the country’s many economic problems, including high inflation and a soaring energy crisis.
Sharif, the brother of disgraced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, won with 174 votes after more than 100 lawmakers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or Pakistan Justice Party, resigned and walked out of the National Assembly in protest.
Those 174 votes — two more than the required simple majority — are enough to pass laws in the 342-seat assembly. If Khan’s followers take to the streets, as he has vowed, it could create more pressure on lawmakers and deepen the crisis.
Khan, a former cricket star whose conservative Islamist ideology and dogged independence characterized his three years and eight months in office, was ousted early Sunday. He lost a no-confidence vote after being deserted by his party allies and a key coalition partner.
In a show of strength and a precursor to the political uncertainty ahead, Khan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters in protests Sunday night, describing the new leadership as an “imposed government” that colluded with the U.S. to oust him. His backers marched in cities across Pakistan, waving large party flags and shouted slogans promising to return him to power. The crowds were dominated by youths who make up the backbone of Khan’s supporters.
The political drama began April 3 when Khan sidestepped an initial no-confidence vote demanded by the opposition by dissolving parliament and calling early elections. The opposition, which accuses Khan of economic mismanagement, appealed to the Supreme Court. After four days of deliberations, the court said Khan’s move was illegal and the no-confidence vote went ahead, leading to his ouster.
Khan has demanded early elections — the balloting is not due before August 2023. He has tapped into anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, accusing Washington of conspiring with his opponents to topple him. That conspiracy theory resonates with his youthful base, which often sees the U.S. war on terrorism after 9/11 as unfairly targeting Pakistan.
Read: PTI announces mass resignations from National Assembly
Khan claims Washington opposes him because of his independent foreign policy favoring China and Russia. He was criticized for a visit he made on Feb. 24 to Moscow, where he met with President Vladimir Putin as Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.
The U.S. State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics.
China, which is Pakistan’s key ally and investor, said Monday it would support any government.
“As Pakistan’s close neighbor and iron-clad friend, we sincerely hope that all factions in Pakistan will remain united and work together for national stability and development,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a briefing. “I would like to emphasize that no matter how the political situation changes in Pakistan, China will unswervingly adhere to its friendly policy toward Pakistan.”
China is heavily invested in Pakistan in its multibillion-dollar global initiative to link south and central Asia to Beijing.
Pakistan’s longtime rival India also sent congratulations to Sharif, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his country “desires peace and stability.” The two countries have fought three wars, coming dangerously close to a fourth over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is divided between the two and claimed by both.
The opposition coalition consists of parties that cross the political divide, from the left to the radically religious. The two largest parties are the Pakistan Muslim League, headed by Sharif, and the Pakistan People’s Party, co-chaired by the son and husband of Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister who was killed in 2007.
A few wealthy and powerful families have dominated Pakistan’s politics for decades, with power most often alternating between the Sharif and the Bhutto camps. Both political houses have been accused of and at times convicted of widespread corruption. They have dismissed the allegations as being politically motivated.
Nawaz Sharif was unseated by the Supreme Court in 2015 after being convicted of financial irregularities revealed in the so-called Panama Papers — a collection of leaked secret financial documents showing how some of the world’s richest hide their money and involving a global law firm based in Panama. He was disqualified from holding office by the Supreme Court.
Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto’s husband who served as president of Pakistan after the 2008 election, has spent more than seven years in prison, convicted on corruption charges.
Khan came to power in 2018, promising to break the pattern of family rule in Pakistan, but his opponents said he was elected with help from the powerful military, which has ruled the country for half of its 75-year history.
Nawaz Sharif was also ousted in 1999, in a military coup, and Benazir Bhutto’s government was ousted several times after the military sided with her opposition. In Pakistani politics, where loyalties are often fluid, Bhutto’s fiercest opposition often came from Sharif’s party.
Shahbaz Sharif has served three times as chief minister of Pakistan’s largest, most influential Punjab province, home to 60% of the country’s 220 million people. His son, Hamza, was elected last week as the new chief minister by the Punjab provincial parliament, ousting Khan’s nominee. Khan’s party is challenging that election, and the younger Sharif has yet to be sworn in.
Imran Khan: The Greatest Pakistani Cricketer
Imran Khan, a former Pakistani cricketer and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, is considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He played for the Pakistani national cricket team from 1971 to 1992 and captained the team from 1982 to 1992. Imran Khan led Pakistan to win the Cricket World Cup in 1992.
After retiring from cricket in 1992, Khan became involved in politics. He founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party in 1996 and has been its leader ever since. He became the 22nd president of Pakistan in 2018. While Imran was very successful in his cricket career, his political career was not quite fruitful. Let's have a look at Imran Khan's eventful life.
Who is Imran Khan?
Imran Khan is a cricketer and politician from Pakistan. He is also a former Prime Minister of the country and the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Khan played international cricket for two decades and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. In 1992, Pakistan earned its first Cricket World Cup under his captaincy.
Read: PTI announces mass resignations from National Assembly
However, he started his political career in 1996 and has been an outspoken critic of corruption and terrorism. Khan was elected Prime Minister in 2018 and has since embarked on an ambitious reform agenda.
PTI announces mass resignations from National Assembly
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Monday decided to resign from the National Assembly, minutes before the election for the new prime minister is scheduled to place.
The decision was taken in a party's parliamentary meeting, which was chaired by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, at the Parliament House today afternoon, reports Dwan.
"The parliamentary party has decided to resign from the assemblies against the imported government," PTI Central Information Secretary Farrukh Habib confirmed in a tweet.
Immediately after the announcement, Murad Saeed tendered his resignation as member of the NA — the first from the party.
Read: Pakistani lawmakers to elect new PM after Imran Khan ouster
Speaking to DawnNewsTV shortly afterwards, he confirmed that he made the decision in line with the party's narrative. He reiterated the former prime minister's claims of a foreign conspiracy, stating that sitting in the NA after these revelations would be akin to be being a part of this plot.
"Should foreign powers have the right to make or break governments in Pakistan?" he asked.
Saeed also highlighted the charges against the opposition's candidate for prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. "They were and are corrupt," he added.
Former maritime affairs minister Ali Haider Zaidi also followed suit, announcing his resignation on Twitter. He said he had submitted his resignation to the party chairman.
"No way we should legitimise this foreign-funded regime change in Pakistan. The battle for the sovereignty of Pakistan will now be decided on the streets by the people, not the these looters," he said.
Former minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur also shared a photo of his resignation on the party's letterhead.
"I am proud to be a follower of Imran Khan and will fight till my death for the freedom of Pakistan and parliament," he said.
PTI leaders Shireen Mazari, Hammad Azhar, and Shafaqt Mahmood shared their resignations on Twitter too.
Yesterday, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had said that the decision to resign was tied to the acceptance of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif's nomination papers for prime minister's elections, to which the PTI had raised objections.
He said it was a "great injustice" that Shehbaz would be contesting the election for the prime minister on the same day he is to be indicted in a money laundering case.
Read: Pakistan's PM vows to fight on after Parliament ousts him
"What can be more insulting for Pakistan that a foreign selected and foreign imported government is imposed on it and a person like Shehbaz is made its head," he rued.
It is pertinent to mention that a special court (Central-I) of the Federal Investigation Agency was to indict Shehbaz and his son, Hamza, in a Rs14 billion money laundering case today but the court deferred the indictment.
Pakistan parliament to vote in new PM after Imran Khan ousted
Pakistan's parliament will select a new prime minister on Monday, after Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the early hours of Sunday.
Shahbaz Sharif - the leader of an opposition coalition who worked to depose Mr Khan - is widely expected to win a majority of the votes, reports BBC.
The parliament is due to vote around 14:00 local time (09:00GMT).
Mr Khan, 69, was voted out after days of political drama and Supreme Court intervention.
He had attempted to block a previous attempt to bring a no-confidence motion against him by dissolving parliament and calling for a snap election.
However, the country's Supreme Court upheld an opposition petition that his actions were unconstitutional and ordered the no-confidence vote to go ahead.
Also read: Pakistan's PM vows to fight on after Parliament ousts him
What do we know about Shahbaz Sharif?
Mr Sharif, 70, served as chief minister of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, prior to Imran Khan coming to power in 2018. Mr Sharif, who leads the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN), had a reputation for efficiency and being hardworking, and is credited with making significant infrastructure improvements.
Many ruefully contrasted him with his successor, Usman Buzdar, who was widely ridiculed as under-qualified and incompetent. Anger at Imran Khan's refusal to replace Mr Buzdar is one reason cited by numerous analysts for the emergence of a rift between Mr Khan and his previously close ally, the Pakistani military.
Shahbaz Sharif has always been in the shadow of his older brother, Nawaz Sharif, who served as PM on three occasions. Whereas Nawaz openly criticised the army following his removal from power, however, Shahbaz has favoured a reconciliation with the "establishment".
Like his brother, Shahbaz has also faced corruption allegations and has spent periods of time in jail during Mr Khan's tenure. He has not been convicted of an offence and maintains the allegations are politically motivated. Shahbaz Sharif's son, Hamza, is hoping to follow in his father's footsteps and become the next chief minister of Punjab.
Imran Khan's supporters regard the Sharif clan as part of the dynastic, "old Pakistan" that they want to relegate to history.
Shahbaz Sharif submitted his candidacy for the top post on Sunday and is widely tipped to have the numbers to ensure victory.
Other opposition leaders - like Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) - have already indicated their support for him.
On Sunday, Mr Sharif heralded "a new dawn" for Pakistan following the vote.
However, Imran Khan, whose supporters protested across major cities after he was dismissed, is still blaming a "foreign conspiracy" for his removal as prime minister.
He has claimed, without evidence, that his rivals had colluded with the US to remove him because of his foreign policy stance on Afghanistan, Russia and China. Washington has strongly denied this. But the former international cricketer's claims fed on anti-American sentiment held by many of his supporters.
He tweeted that the crowds seen were some of the largest in Pakistan's history - a claim that has not been not independently verified.
Also read:Pakistan’s embattled PM ousted in no-confidence vote
How was Imran Khan ousted?
Mr Khan's opponents saw an opportunity to strike after months of discontent over his management of the economy, and a breakdown in his relations with Pakistan's powerful military.
Mr Sharif banded together with other opposition lawmakers to muster the numbers to vote Mr Khan out.
On April 3, they challenged Mr Khan outright in parliament - launching a motion for a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
But the deputy speaker of the parliament - a political ally of Mr Khan's - blocked the motion, claiming it was influenced by foreign powers. His government then swiftly dissolved parliament and called for a snap election.
The furious opposition immediately challenged the legality of government actions in the Supreme Court. After a four-day hearing, it ruled that Mr Khan's government had acted illegally, in breach of the constitution.
Even then, Mr Khan and his party tried to prevent the vote in parliament for hours - with officials quitting, lawmakers filibustering and other disruptions.
But eventually, in the early hours of Sunday, his opponents secured his removal, with 174 lawmakers voting against him in the 342-member house.