Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC 20240704 : comparemela.com

Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC 20240704

We start with breaking news imran khan, pakistans former prime minister, has been arrested, after being sentenced to three years in prison. His team say they will file an appeal against the ruling. Thejudge found him guilty of failing to declare money he had earned from selling state gifts. As the decision was announced in islamabad a crowd, including some prosecuting lawyers, began chanting Imran Khan Is A Thief outside court. Multiple cases have been filed against mr khan in the last 16 months. In may, he was detained for not appearing at court as requested but was subsequently released after the arrest was declared illegal. Since then his party has been under intense pressure from the authorities with many senior officials leaving and thousands of supporters arrested, accused of being involved in the protests that followed imran khans arrest. The Pakistan Parliament will dissolve on 9th august and a Caretaker Government will take over in the run up to the elections. No election date has been announced, though constitutionally they should take place by early november. Our pakistan correspondent Caroline Davies was inside the court in islamabad where the Prison Sentence was announced and has the latest on all the developments. This has been many months in the making and thejudge this has been many months in the making and the judge appeared to say that he had found imran khan guilty. He then sentenced him to three years injail and he instructed the Islamabad Police to then carry out that erased immediately. We then heard relatively shortly afterwards that he had been arrested at his home. We spoke to his lawyers here who have said that they had anticipated this decision, that they are planning to appeal the case, but, of course, it is saturday and the courts are currently closed and so they cannot lodge that appeal until monday. Now, The Big Question now, of course, is that when we saw imran khan arrested last time back on the 9th of may, we then sell protests that took place around pakistan and a lot of those by targeting what is referred to as the establishment here in pakistan, that is the military and Intelligence Services which are very powerful and political as well. Now, we know that, after that, there was a very dramatic crackdown on imran khan and his party. Imran khan was then released from prison. It was announced by a judge that the arrest had been illegal. He was then freed but many of his Political Party had announced that they were taken to prison and said they were leaving the party altogether. And many of his supporters, many thousands, were also arrested afterwards. Since then, we have seen quite a dramatic reduction in how publicly people want to be supportive of imran khan and The Big Question now, of course, will be, will we see a repeat of what we saw on the 9th of may . Or has a subsequent crackdown mean that people are nervous about doing Something Like that . What will we see . What would the reaction be here in pakistan after imran khans arrest . We understand he had actually recorded a message before his arrest. So ijust got a few recorded a message before his arrest. So i just got a few quotes here from what he said. Most of it is speaking directly to his supporters. And he has said, he has been telling his supporters to be peaceful as part of this pre arrest video. He also says, you have to protest peacefully until you dont get your rights. Again, on this, i have only one appeal. Dont sit at home silently. This is part of the pre recorded statement that was posted on social media. He has also said that his arrest was, quote, expected. As part of the statement on social media. So those are some of the quotes that i have been able to find as part of this statement that imran khan has put out. We understand that he was expecting the arrest and he recorded this message so here we are. My arrest was expected and i recorded this message before my arrest. It is one more step in fulfilling a plan but i want my Party Workers to remain peaceful, steadfast and strong. We bio before no one but allah. , we bow. That is part of the Statement Part of this longer video that imran khan has posted prior to his arrest. Live now to imran khans lawyer Intazar Hussain panjutha. First off, where is imran khan right now . ~ ,. , first off, where is imran khan right now . , ~ i. First off, where is imran khan right now . , ~. , now . Thank you so much. Right now, he has been now . Thank you so much. Right now, he has been arrested now . Thank you so much. Right now, he has been arrested as now . Thank you so much. Right now, he has been arrested as you he has been arrested as you mentioned, he has been taken to the airport and it has been announced by the authorities that he will be taken to islamabad to a special plane there. You will be taken to there and there he will serve a sentence. 50 there and there he will serve a sentence there and there he will serve a sentence. , , sentence. So he will be serving his sentence, what sentence. So he will be serving his sentence, what about sentence. So he will be serving his sentence, what about this sentence. So he will be serving his sentence, what about this appeal. Sentence, what about this appeal that his party, his lawyers have said that they will be lodging with the Supreme Court . And when will that take place . We the Supreme Court . And when will that take place . The Supreme Court . And when will that take place . We have a number of etitions that take place . We have a number of petitions today that take place . We have a number of petitions today. We that take place . We have a number of petitions today. We have that take place . We have a number of petitions today. We have failed petitions today. We have failed before the Supreme Court of pakistan, the decision taken by the high court yesterday. It has been decided but interestingly, when the Written Order came out, it was against what we had prayed for and we decided to set it before the Supreme Court. If i do to new today and then there was in the application against the judge who was conducting this trail, because the trial has been conducted in such a manner that never, in the history of pakistan, nobody has seen such a biased trial, such a trial based on this tray about Kangaroo Type Court and you can simply say that we have never witnessed a trial where he was never witnessed a trial where he was never given an opportunity to defend himself. Even the legal team, including myself, iwas himself. Even the legal team, including myself, i was maltreated by the court a number of times and i was the one who was asked by the court to shut up. Our client was never given the opportunity. The entire case is based on no authority whatsoever to file such complaint against any of the politicians. Imran khan has never, has never shied away from facing the law. We have been facing it in a number of cases. And on 180, and he has never objected. Now thejudge has cases. And on 180, and he has never objected. Now the judge has a social media account where he has been posting against imran khan publicly and he is also admitting that but nobody has bothered that such a biased person, how can he conduct a trial against him . fin biased person, how can he conduct a trial against him . Trial against him . On that point, we have had a chance trial against him . On that point, we have had a chance to trial against him . On that point, we have had a chance to follow trial against him . On that point, we have had a chance to follow up trial against him . On that point, we have had a chance to follow up on. Have had a chance to follow up on that, we certainly will. But i wonder if i could just take you back to the case. Now, are you talking about the case back in may, because according to what has taken place in terms of the sentencing, pakistans Information Minister has said that the Trial Court Order has said, imran khan was given full chance to defend himself. Did he appear in court . Were you able to defend him because the Information Minister said that he was . What actually happened . Said that he was . What actually happened . Well, actually, iwill cive happened . Well, actually, iwill give some happened . Well, actually, iwill give some examples, happened . Well, actually, iwill give some examples, instances| happened . Well, actually, iwill. Give some examples, instances on happened . Well, actually, iwill give some examples, instances on the case. Firstly, as you mentioned, when he was latterly abducted on the 9th Of May 2023 from the premises of the islamabad high court. It was declared subsequently by the Supreme Court that it was an illegal arrest but during that illegal arrest, a charge was framed on him which was never read out to him, which was never read out to him, which was never told to us, the legal team and it was all of a sudden, it was reported in the news that he has been charged. And then after, the charge was, certain witnesses were produced by the Election Commission of pakistan but when we give our defence to the court, we said to the court we want witnesses on our behalf to defend our case. We were not given the opportunity. The appeal against the denial of trial court to allow us to produce our witnesses was still pending. It was, and we have failed it before the Supreme Court of pakistan in a very slipshod manner. The trial has been concluded. The trail is not fit for formaljudgment today and imran khan was probably sleeping when the police broke into his house and arrested him. So this is how this entire case has taken place. No opportunity whatsoever. 50. Entire case has taken place. No opportunity whatsoever. So, ok, a coule of opportunity whatsoever. So, ok, a counle of things opportunity whatsoever. So, ok, a couple of things i opportunity whatsoever. So, ok, a couple of things i just opportunity whatsoever. So, ok, a couple of things i just want opportunity whatsoever. So, ok, a couple of things i just want to couple of things i just want to point out a rather discuss with you. Again, the Information Minister, because, obviously, have to put it to you what statements he has with his. He is not with us but can certainly put to you what has been said publicly. He has said that the arrest happened after a full investigation, proper Legal Proceedings in the trial court. Let me just ask you. What is the basis of your defence . Did imran khan sell state gifts . That is the first point. State gifts . That is the first oint. ~ state gifts . That is the first oint,. , state gifts . That is the first oint. ~. , , point. Well, actually, the case, the entire case point. Well, actually, the case, the entire case which point. Well, actually, the case, the entire case which has point. Well, actually, the case, the entire case which has been point. Well, actually, the case, the entire case which has been built. Point. Well, actually, the case, the| entire case which has been built up, which has been made against imran khan is that he failed to declare in his statement which was submitted before the commission of pakistan that which is supposed to be given by every member of the National Assembly,. By every member of the National Assembly by every member of the National Assembly,. 30th. By every member of the National Assembly,. 30th of| by every member of the National Assembly,. 30th ofjune assembly,. And did he . 30th ofjune in pakistan assembly,. And did he . 30th ofjune in pakistan. So, assembly,. And did he . 30th ofjune in pakistan. So, basically, assembly,. And did he . 30th ofjune in pakistan. So, basically, our assembly,. And did he . 30th ofjune in pakistan. So, basically, our case i in pakistan. So, basically, our case is that we have not conceded even a single asset, with not concealed even a single penny from any of the forms which were lawfully required us to declare that. So forms which were lawfully required us to declare that. Forms which were lawfully required us to declare that. So that was done b the us to declare that. So that was done by the 30th us to declare that. So that was done by the 30th of us to declare that. So that was done by the 30th ofjune . Us to declare that. So that was done by the 30th ofjune . You us to declare that. So that was done by the 30th ofjune . You did us to declare that. So that was done by the 30th ofjune . You did that i us to declare that. So that was done j by the 30th ofjune . You did that by by the 30th ofjune . You did that by the 30th ofjune, like you said . He the 30th ofjune, like you said . He did the 30th ofjune, like you said . He did that on every 30th ofjune. It has never happened that imran khan has never happened that imran khan has concealed any of his assets. He is the one who is known by everybody, many pakistanis give him a lot of money as charity to his trusts and people trust him. This is basically an effort to create a distrust among the people, that he is honest. Also, the entire case has been made On Political Grounds and when he is demanding a fair opportunity, a fair trial. He has been denied that. But had the witnesses been allowed to produce before the court, the case would have been entirely different. Even now, Nothing Incriminate Ore was put to imran khan. No offence was alleged to him. So this is how the entire case has been treated and the proceedings at trial court. Whenever the Court Required him, he appeared before the court, even a few days ago. He recorded a statement under section 3112 he answered all the questions. Every question which was put to imran khan had no nexus whatsoever to any of the crimes which are mentioned. So the case is not the one which has been presented. The case is that, basically, a plan has been made that imran khan should not stay in the politics. He should be ousted by hook or by crook. This is how it is being managed. That hook or by crook. This is how it is being managed being managed. That is obviously what youre being managed. That is obviously what youre saying. Being managed. That is obviously what youre saying. Is being managed. That is obviously what youre saying. Is interesting j what youre saying. Is interesting you say that the case that was presented in court doesnt tie up with what he has been sentenced for, the three years in prison. Again, to remind our viewers, the Information Minister saying he was given a full chance to defend himself. It was, the sentence was passed after a full investigation, the charges were successfully proven. The case against imran khan was successfully proven. What are you going to next . What is imran khans next move . We intend what is imran khans next move . Intend to challenge this order in the high court on monday. We will challenge it on multiple grounds. The fair trial opportunity has not been given and the very question of fair trial to been given and the very question of fairtrialto imran khan been given and the very question of fair trial to imran khan is subject to the Supreme Court of pakistan. As we filed it earlier today. So the minister, whatever he is saying, is lying, basically. We have been asking, we have been speaking at every level, that a fair trial has not been given and imran khan has always been talking to the media, to the press, and everybody that i need a fair opportunity to defend myself. That is his right. But he was denied that right. To that is his right. But he was denied that riuht. , , , that right. To have minutes recorded entrails in such that right. To have minutes recorded entrails in such cases . That right. To have minutes recorded entrails in such cases . Yes, that right. To have minutes recorded entrails in such cases . Yes, we that right. To have minutes recorded entrails in such cases . Yes, we do i entrails in such cases . Yes, we do have minutes entrails in such cases . Yes, we do have minutes recorded entrails in such cases . Yes, we do have minutes recorded and entrails in such cases . Yes, we do have minutes recorded and well i have minutes recorded and well prove that in the higher forums. We will prove that he was not given the opportunity to defend himself. But you see how unfair it is that, if you see how unfair it is that, if you are put, blaming somebody, of committing such and such a crime. When the alleged person is saying i have not done this and am ready to prove it, prove you wrong, let me give, let me have a chance to defend myself. Let me produce my witnesses and then the court refuses, what does it mean . It means you have no case. ~ , does it mean . It means you have no case. , , case. Whilst this appeal is going throu h, case. Whilst this appeal is going through. Will case. Whilst this appeal is going through, will imran case. Whilst this appeal is going through, will imran khan case. Whilst this appeal is going through, will imran khan be case. Whilst this appeal is going | through, will imran khan be able case. Whilst this appeal is going i through, will imran khan be able to continue his Political Activities . No. As a consequence of todays a conviction he has been barred to take part in the politics for five years. But if the sentence and conviction are suspended, as we are hoping, by these courts, he will then be able to come back to politics. Then be able to come back to olitics. , , , , politics. And how long to that rocess politics. And how long to that process is politics. And how long to that process is likely politics. And how long to that

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