Sunday, 30 October, 2022 I 3 Rabi us Sani, 1444 I Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 121 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Imran approached to appoInt army chIef through ‘mutual consultatIon’, says pm g
CLAImS ImRAN HAd SUGGeSTed eACH SIde SHOULd PROPOSe THRee NAmeS FOR NexT ARmY CHIeF
g
SAYS He OFFeRed ImRAN TO HOLd TALKS ON SIGNING OF ‘CHARTeR OF demOCRACY & CHARTeR OF eCONOmY’
LAHORE
a
staff report
mId rising political tensions, Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday claimed that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had offered him to appoint the next army chief through “mutual consultation” and the message had been conveyed to him last month. Speaking to a group of Vloggers, the prime minister claimed that Imran Khan proposed through his aide that each side should propose three names for the post of the next army chief. According to Pm Shahbaz, Imran
At least 146 killed in Halloween stampede in South Korea SEOUL agencies
At least 146 people were killed in a stampede when a huge crowd celebrating Halloween crammed into an alley in a night life area of the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday night, emergency officials said. A further 150 people were injured in the crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district, Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene. many of the injured were in serious condition and receiving emergency treatment, the officials said. The incident took place at about 10:20 p.m. (1320 GmT). A large number of people fell down in the alley during the festivities, Choi said. many of the party-goers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes. many of the victims were women in their twenties, Choi said. Witnesses described chaotic scenes moments before the stampede, with the police on hand in anticipation of the Halloween event at times hav-
ing trouble maintaining control of the crowds. Social media footage showed hundreds of people packed in the narrow, sloped alley crushed and immobile as emergency officials and police tried to pull them to free. One woman heard on a social media post cries out in english: “Oh my God, oh my God, Jesus fucking Christ.” Other footage showed chaotic scenes of fire officials and citizens treating dozens of people who appeared to be unconscious. A Reuters witness said a make-shift morgue was set up in a building adjacent to the scene. About four dozen bodies were carried out later on wheeled stretchers and moved to a government facility to identify the victims, according to the witness. It was the first Halloween event in three years after the country lifted COVId restrictions and social distancing. Some witnesses described the crowd becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as the evening deepened.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
Imran fires broadside at spy chief as PTI continues march on Islamabad
photo by zubair mahfooz
LAHORE staff report
A day after he opened a new front in his war with the military establishment, former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday delivered another fiery speech targeting the intelligence chief and called two servicemen under him — who his party has accused of inflicting custodial torture on Senator Azam Swati — “savages”. Khan, who on the first day of the march on Friday came out guns blazing against Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum and accused him of holding a press confer-
ence “more political than Sheikh Rasheed”, again put the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency on his radar. “[Yours was an] apolitical press conference, you say? You don’t target only Imran Khan in an apolitical press conference,” he thundered, standing atop his container. On Saturday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) resumed its protest march to Islamabad to demand snap elections at noon from Shahdara Town on the outskirts of Lahore. Thousands of people gathered in the border town of the provincial metropolis, from
where a convoy began the 380-kilometre journey to the capital, expected to take around a week with rallies planned along the route. Speaking to a charged crowd, Khan recalled Swati blamed two ISI officials for the torture. “The names he took […] these two savages — since the day they were brought to Islamabad, [they] oppressed the people and media, threatened them, picked up social media activists. “First they picked up Shahbaz Gill, stripped him and tortured him and then [repeated the same with anchorperson] Jameel Farooqui.” He also called on Umar Ata Bandial, the chief justice, to protect people’s fundamental rights and take action against the alleged custodial torture of PTI leaders, particularly Senator Swati. “Chief justice sahib, it is your job to protect fundamental rights. The nation is looking towards you. Action is taken against custodial torture across the world …Who will protect our fundamental rights if not you chief justice sahib?” he said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
had proposed that both sides may agree on the name of the army chief after considering the six names suggested by both the sides. “Imran Khan offered [to conduct] negotiations,” the prime minister said, adding that the PTI chief wanted to settle two issues through dialogue. “The first matter was the army chief’s appointment and the second was holding snap elections,” Pm Shehbaz revealed while addressing the Vloggers. “I flatly refused his [Imran’s] offer by saying thank you,” the premier was quoted as saying. The Pm said he sent a message to the PTI chief that appointing army chief was his constitutional duty “that has to be fulfilled by the
prime minister”. Besides army chief’s appointment, the Pm said he offered Imran Khan to hold talks on his offer to signing “charter of democracy and charter of economy”. Speaking about the unprecedented presser of top military leaders, Pm Shehbaz said dG-ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum held a press conference with his consent. The incumbent army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s sixyear tenure ends in late November and the chief military spokesperson had already clarified that the current army chief had no intention to seek further extension.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05