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Pakistan Police Raid Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Party Office and Arrest its Spokesman

Women police officers taking the arrested female workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the party's headquarters into police van after a security raid in Islamabad on July 22, 2024. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)
Women police officers taking the arrested female workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the party's headquarters into police van after a security raid in Islamabad on July 22, 2024. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)
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Pakistan Police Raid Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Party Office and Arrest its Spokesman

Women police officers taking the arrested female workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the party's headquarters into police van after a security raid in Islamabad on July 22, 2024. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)
Women police officers taking the arrested female workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the party's headquarters into police van after a security raid in Islamabad on July 22, 2024. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)

Pakistan's police raided the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's political party office in Islamabad on Monday and arrested its spokesman for carrying out anti-state propaganda, the Interior Ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said officers also arrested Ahmad Janjua, a media coordinator for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI party. Janjua was arrested over the weekend in a separate raid, The Associated Press said.
The arrests have drawn criticism from Gohar Ali Khan, the chairman of PTI, who said authorities also arrested some other workers of the party's media wing, in a series of police raids in recent weeks.
Pakistani authorities often accuse the PTI of running a campaign against the country's institutions, a reference to the military, a charge the party denies.
Khan has been embroiled in more than 150 cases since 2022 when he was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in the parliament.
He has been held at a prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi since last year after his arrest.

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Zarif Softens Critique of ‘Strategic’ Law After Khamenei Endorsement

FILE PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference, March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid Al-Mousily/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference, March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid Al-Mousily/File Photo
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Zarif Softens Critique of ‘Strategic’ Law After Khamenei Endorsement

FILE PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference, March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid Al-Mousily/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference, March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid Al-Mousily/File Photo

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has announced that President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian’s government is ready to negotiate to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.
This comes alongside adhering to the “Strategic Action Plan to Lift US Sanctions and Protect Iranian Nation’s Interests,” which led Iran to suspend many of its nuclear commitments.
Zarif, appointed by Pezeshkian to lead a committee for selecting candidates for 19 key government positions, had previously criticized the “Strategic Action Plan.” However, he has now stated that the law is binding and must be followed, calling his earlier stance “personal.”
In a recent message to the UN, Zarif held the US and three European countries accountable for their failures under the deal, which he says harmed the Iranian people and triggered legislative reactions.
Zarif emphasized that it is in these countries’ interest to correct their behavior and allow Iran to benefit from the agreement. He added that Iran has taken compensatory actions within its rights under the deal.
Despite this, Zarif stressed that Pezeshkian’s administration is open to good faith negotiations based on the nuclear agreement and Iranian laws to ensure both sides uphold the deal.
Zarif’s change of position seems to align with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s support for the 2020 law.
Khamenei has urged parliamentarians to approve Pezeshkian’s government and avoid disputes, stressing the need for a unified stance on major issues.
Pezeshkian had previously expressed his intention to review and amend the law with parliament.
Zarif had criticized the law for blocking US President Joe Biden’s return to the nuclear deal and suggested that Iranian oil sales have been facilitated by the Biden administration’s flexibility.
He also predicted that if Republican candidate Donald Trump wins the November elections, he might return to a maximum pressure strategy.
Khamenei’s recent reaffirmation of support for the law, which mandates government compliance and could lead to legal action against non-compliant officials, is the first since the elections.
In a related development, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Reza Najafi said indirect negotiations with the US, mediated by Oman, are ongoing. However, he noted that the US is not ready for serious talks on lifting sanctions due to its internal issues.
Najafi highlighted that Pezeshkian’s positions suggest negotiations will continue, but the US needs to be ready for serious discussions, and the future US administration’s policy will be crucial. He reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to continue talks.