Abdullah Mumtaz Kahloon

The world is finally realizing that ideas can’t be imprisoned. In a powerful analysis for The Washington Post, investigative journalist Rana Ayyub confirms that the attempt to erase our leader has failed. While Islamabad thought they could silence him by imprisoning him, they only made his voice louder. From Rawalpindi to New York and London, Imran Khan and Prisoner 804 have become symbols of national pride. This is beyond local politics; this is a global movement that proves there can be no silencing a man with 60 million followers in the age of reels and TikTok. We are witnessing a historic lesson in the futility of oppression. In this digital age, the more the establishment attempts to censor our leader’s image and suppress his name, the more he resonates in every corner of the globe. Whether through AI-generated messages that bypass their bans or the defiant chants at international stadiums, the message is clear: the people's mandate cannot be dismantled by paramilitaries or legal technicalities. Imran Khan has transcended the role of a former prime minister to become a global legend of resistance. "Prisoner No. 804 is no longer just a detainee but a political idea," and that idea is now an unstoppable force that makes his return to the public stage inevitable. @RanaAyyub @washingtonpost #EndUnlawfulDetentionOfKhan

Pakistan's efforts at mediation are commendable. but here's my warning: keep it facilitative; don't become a directive mediator. understand Zartman's and Tuoval's "mediation dilemma". if you push the issue, Iran might think you are trying to control the agenda on US' behalf>

جب ووٹ عوام سے لیا ہوتا ہے تو غلطی کا احساس بھی ہو جاتا ہے - کینیڈا کے صوبے اونٹاریو کی وزیر اعلیٰ نے جو جیٹ جہاز لیا تھا وہ دو دن میں عوام کے رد عمل دیکھتے ہوئے واپس کیا - لیکن پنجاب میں ایسا کوئی مسئلہ نہیں!

Nothing quite like Nawaz Sharif lecturing on morality, legality and prosperity especially when Yasmin Rashid clearly beat him in General Elections 2024. He was rescued through state interference as a consequence Election results were overturned vide massive rigging. The irony&shamelessness is remarkable.

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan is in solitary confinement since October 16, 2025. He has spoken to his sons only twice in 2025 and once in February 2026 after Supreme Court orders. He has been denied books to read. He has received only 3 of the dozen books that we managed to get to adiala through a judge. Then, a perfectly health and fit Imran Khan suddenly develops a clot in his eye. He was not provided medical assistance. For two weeks, he repeatedly told the jail superintendent that he CANNOT SEE. The Adiala Jail superintendent Ghafoor Anjum DELAYED calling in a specialist for three months. By the time the eye doctor came, the delay caused permanent damage to Imran Khan’s eye. We are extremely worried that his other eye could also develop a clot. Imran khan has repeatedly sent messages over past few months that he is not satisfied with the treatment and there is only marginal improvement after the first injection in the eye. No improvement since then. Over the past month, Bushra Bibi, his wife has also developed an eye condition and was operated upon last week. Imran khan and his wife are being tortured through solitary confinement. We have repeatedly protested, demanding Imran Khan to be examined and treated at Shifa International Islamabad. There is an urgent need to identify the cause of the blood clot. Our worry is that his other eye could also develop a clot unless proper diagnosis is done and it’s treated accordingly This is inhumane and a violation of all fundemental and human rights of a prisoner under Pakistan and International laws.

Meanwhile 331 kids contracted the HIV virus in Taunsa where they were injected with used needles. The news of government hospital using used needles in Taunsa came out in March of last year. Then 106 kids were infected. The government then claimed it was going to improve the situation. But really it failed. Now 331 kids are infected. And this is just one hospital.

And yet Ontario PM Doug Ford sold his govts jet after a public outcry while CM Maryam Nawaz retains hers... That's the power of being accountable Vs unelected: GDP: Ontario US$900 bln Vs Punjab $150-200 bln Budget size: Ontario's US$180 bln Vs Punjab $18 bln GDP per Capita: Ontario $55000 Vs Punjab $1500 Population below $4.2 poverty line: Ontario (negligible) Vs Punjab 55 million

Our new Economic Think Tank is now releasing a daily brief on relevant issues... *** *Press & Media Brief on the Economy, 20 April 2026* Comments from the PTI’s Economic Team on key issues of the day As Pakistan plays its role in the Middle East crisis, it’s striking that in the US the economy is the one real pressure point on Donald Trump’s administration—creating room to end the war. In Pakistan, by contrast, the Form 47 government keeps floundering on the economy: 250 million Pakistanis face unprecedented pain, and the state shows neither the capacity nor the will to offer relief or a credible economic roadmap. *From Petrol to Power to LNG: The Next Energy Debacle* After the petrol and diesel crisis—and the power load-shedding fiasco—the Form 47 govt now seems determined to showcase its mismanagement across the entire energy sector by admitting its own decisions to wrong, on LNG terminals and the Qatar LNG contracts signed between 2013–18. Minister Ali Parvez Malik’s televised admission that the $15 million (Rs 4.2 billion) in monthly capacity charges stem from faulty contracts, and his further admission that there may have been “malafide” in contract awards (in the minister’s own words), amounts to a charge sheet against the PML-N leadership, including then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. This demands a clear explanation from the former Prime Minister and an impartial inquiry. It also raises a basic question—after the power-sector capacity debacle, why should the people of Pakistan pay Rs 4.2 bln a month for the PML-N’s misdeeds, as their own minister has now admitted? *Farmers Sold Cheap, Middlemen Cash In* It is hard to understand the wheat procurement policy of the government of Punjab. It is vague, opaque, poorly defined, lacking transparency and creating massive uncertainty for farmers. The terms on which the 11 private companies who are now being involved in procurement have been selected are unclear and dubious. Farmers in South Punjab have already sold their wheat for between Rs 2800 to Rs 3000 per 40 kg, and so the support price of Rs 3500 per 40 kg is now only going to benefit middlemen or Aarthis since no procurement has occurred. What the Punjab govt seems to be doing is neither market driven, nor state led, and the resulting policy uncertainty is only going to further increase distrust amongst farmers, who will shift to other crops. The result, the destruction of the agriculture sector can already be seen in the increasing food bill, which has increased year-to-date, from $5.5 bln last year, to $ 7.2 bln this year. *A tale of two governments, and two Gulfstream Jets* When governments feel accountable to their voters, their actions show it. Canadian Province Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford, who had recently bought a luxury jet for official travel, announced today that because of the public outcry, he was going sell the plane, because global conditions and the economic environment were not conducive. We thought Punjab in Pakistan must be a much richer province than Ontario, so we dug up some figures. Population: Ontario 16 millionVs Punjab 130 million  GDP: Ontario US$900 bln Vs Punjab $150-200 bln Budget size: Ontario's US$180 bln Vs Punjab $18 bln GDP / Capita: Ontario US$55000 Vs Punjab $1500 Population below $4.2 poverty line:Ontario (negligible) Vs Punjab 55 million No wonder one province is known for having the amongst the best quality of life for its citizens in the world, while in the other, 331 children can be afflicted with HIV in a single hospital, because optics and extravagance trump the needs of citizens. ***

Our primary demand remains clear: the immediate release of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and all political prisoners, along with the full restoration of constitutional rule in Pakistan. To that end, I attended the Mardan Jalsa held on Imran Khan’s instructions, as did every other PTI leader from KP. However, the crippling economic hardships faced by the people of Pakistan are equally urgent. In over four years, the PML-N has delivered nothing for the masses. While we acknowledge Pakistan’s role in facilitating peace talks between Iran and the US, the core issue remains what Bill Clinton's campaign famously highlighted in 1992: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Never have those words been more relevant than for this Form 47 regime, which has inflicted immense pain on 250 million Pakistanis. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues — both within PTI and beyond — all part of our strong economic team, in this newly notified PTI Economic Think Tank, to ensure this government is not allowed to deflect attention from its disastrous economic failures.

PMLN finally admitted what PTI said from day one: ‘take-or-pay’ LNG terminal contracts it signed were a disaster. And it didn’t stop there; PMLN locked the country into expensive power capacity on same ‘take-or-pay’ terms, running on imported fuels, crippling entire energy sector

If the US delegation gets half the reception I’ve received in Pakistan, they may never leave.😉😋

Still no official word as to the ailment of Bushra Bibi... This after the saga of denying Imran Khan's first visit to PIMS, and then denying him the right to meet his family since then. Utterly inexplicable.

Family of Bushra BB were called to Adyala Jail at 9 AM from LHR & 1 hr meeting was facilitated at 12 Noon. Daughter confirmed that BB was rushed to Hospital after episodes of unbearable excruciating pain in Rt Eye immediate surgery was carried out in Rt Retina at Al Shifa.

Late night I was informed thought a message that Bushra BB had been shifted to the hospital last night and that I would be briefed about the treatment. Awaiting that I would request meeting of family members with her. And also meeting of khan sab’s family with him and that khan sab be shifted to the hospital for treatment. The earlier, the better. It is their basic right according to law. Their health is too serious and every Pakistani is deeply concerned.

Pakistanis are only interested in one thing - cheap electricity & no load shedding. Very fair demand. They were promised first time back in 1986 (see newspaper report from 1986) that there will be no load shedding after 1986. It was PML govt then as it is now. 40 years later the load shedding is still going on. And the electricity rates are the highest in our region & one of the highest in the world. 40 years & still justifying reasons for failure. People are sick. They want solutions. Surely people sitting in the govt don’t have any otherwise 40 years is a long time to fix things.

Loadshedding schedule extended to industries. 4 hours power shutdown everyday.

Four years of ‘wonderful’ govt and we are still chasing small loans like it’s an existential issue. Anaemic GDP growth, tax shortfalls & energy crises on top of it. These four years of unaccountable, unelected PDM govt has delivered only poverty & pain.

During this winter’s load-shedding, PMLN said that it’s better to cut power than use expensive LNG. Now they are saying we have load-shedding because there is no LNG in the system. P.S: We have excess installed ‘Take or Pay’ capacity even if we exclude LNG power plants.

Quite a staggering press conference by the Power Minister I must say... Here is a point by point summary of the presser which may be helpful. 1. He starts off by admitting hamaray control mein kuch bhi nahin... 2. Then he says PMLN ne hamesha ke liye awam ko load shedding ke azab se azad kiya, in a presser about excessive load shedding for which he is apologising. 3. He first admits the role of LNG shortages in the load shedding issue, contradictory to the govt trying to press that this is because of reduced hydro electricity production. 4. Then he pivots to say that the issue is indeed of hydro electricity; a 1700 MW shortfall because the water cannot be released; effectively blaming the agriculture sector. Ridiculous, because the reservoirs are for irrigation, and hydroelectric production is a by product. It is the inability to plan for this that is on the govt. 5. Then he says there is no loadshedding during daylight hours, because of solar production - the same solar the govt tried to discredit. The claim is not true. Scores of feeders in Peshawar are seeing unannounced all day outages. 6. Then he says we have double the production capacity from gas (that we can't use because we have no more gas), and that we are using all the furnace oil in the country; effectively saying there is a fuel crisis in the country. 7. Then he says the wag the dog kneejerk power strategy effectively also led to industrial load shedding, so now the govt is damaging the economy as well as making consumers furious. 8. Then he says HESCO & KE is not suffering additional load shedding because there is enough power in the south, then why not the same logic to KP and Tarbela??? 9. Then the piece de resistance that the 2.5 hours load shedding is to reduce electricity bills for the public - which seems to be the most amazing marketing spin by the power sector for this unmitigated disaster. And to rub salt into the wounds he says this is the result of the major power sector reforms or which he is proud. This govt keeps failing miserably, and then thinks it can pass its failures as success. Extreme case of Form47itis... Full Presser: youtu.be/7xKfs-69foU?si…

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