Pak court allows Imran Khan to speak with the sons on phone
Islamabad (PTI): A special court in Pakistan on Wednesday granted permission to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to have a phone conversation with his two sons, according to a media report.
In a one-page written order, special court judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail, where Khan is currently lodged, to ensure that Khan speaks to his sons, Sulaiman Khan and Qasim Khan, over the phone, Geo News reported.
The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, who has been at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi in the cipher case, was arrested in August after a case was filed against him for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by the country's embassy in Washington in March last year.
The court last week declared that Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi would be indicted during the next hearing on October 17, which would mark the official start of the trial. However, on Tuesday, the Special Court had adjourned till October 23 the indictment of Khan and his close aide Qureshi.
The deposed prime minister had submitted a plea to the special court on September 11, seeking contempt of court against Attock jail superintendent who refused to allow him to speak with his sons, despite court orders issued previously in this regard, GeoTV said.
"(Khan) was earlier granted permission by the special court, formed to hear cases registered under the Official Secrets Act, to speak to his sons. However, the PTI chief in the petition sought contempt of court proceedings against the Attock jail superintendent for violating the court's order," the media report said.
Ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022, Khan was incarcerated on August 5 this year, after an Islamabad court sentenced him to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was lodged in the Attock District Jail to serve his prison term. Later, his sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court, but then, he was arrested in the cipher case and remained in the Attock jail on judicial remand.
Giving the chronology of events, Geo News described how, at the time of filing the plea, Khan was in judicial custody at the Attock jail. He was there till September 13 in the cipher case since his arrest on August 5 after a trial convicted him in the Toshakhana case.
"Khan was earlier granted permission by the special court, formed to hear cases registered under the Official Secrets Act, to speak to his sons. However, the PTI chief in the petition sought contempt of court proceedings against the Attock jail superintendent for violating the court's order," the report said.
The Attock jail authorities, in their reply to the contempt of court petition, argued that jail rules do not allow the accused facing charges under the Official Secrets Act to speak over the phone citing the Prisoners Act, 1978.
The SOPs regarding telephone conversations were presented to the court. Khan's lawyer quoted the Federal Shariat Court's decision in this regard and submitted a copy of the Federal Shariat Court's relevant verdict before the judge.
The judge then went on to authorise permission for the PTI chairman to speak to his sons over a phone call, Geo News added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
