Imran Khan demands high treason proceedings against Pak poll mandate thieves
Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has sought high treason proceedings against officials who allegedly stole the people's mandate in the February general elections.
Khan's remarks came as he spoke to reporters on Saturday after the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case in which his wife Bushra Bibi, aide Farah Gogi and property tycoon Malik Riaz are also implicated.
The February 8 elections in Pakistan were marred by the allegations of vote rigging.
Though more than 90 independent candidates backed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the maximum number of seats in the National Assembly, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto struck a post-poll deal and formed a coalition government in the country.
PTI says the new government was formed by stealing its mandate.
Khan on Saturday claimed that his party bagged over 30 million votes whereas the rest of the 17 political parties jointly secured the same number of votes, Dawn newspaper reported.
He said his party took up the irregularities in polls with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that non-government organisations also pointed out flaws in the electoral process.
Meanwhile, a protest was held outside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in the US against the alleged rigging in the polls.
Khan, 71, in his remarks, endorsed the demonstration outside the IMF office but distanced himself from the anti-Army slogans raised by the protesters.
"First, the PTI was denied its electoral symbol of bat under a conspiracy and then the former ruling party was deprived of its share of reserved seats," Khan said, as he sought high treason proceedings against officials who stole the people's mandate.
The theft of the mandate was akin to treason, which attracted Article 6 of the Constitution, the cricketer-turned-politician said.
He said the order of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on reserved seats would be challenged in the Supreme Court, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) could not allocate PTI's seats to other political parties.
In a huge blow to PTI, the PHC on Thursday unanimously rejected the Sunni Ittehad Council's petition challenging the election commission's decision to allocate reserved seats for women and minorities in the national and provincial legislatures meant for it to other parties.
PTI-backed independents, who won the February 8 elections, joined the Sunni Ittehad Council, a political alliance of Islamic political and Barelvi religious parties in Pakistan, to get a share of the reserved seats.
Khan said the February 8 election was a fixed match in which the "ECP and the caretaker gov e rnment were hand in glove".
A few political parties and the establishment "sabotaged the plan to bring in electronic voting", he said.
Khan also termed the upcoming Senate polls a fixed match'. Elections for the Senate, the upper house of the bicameral parliament, will take place on April 2.
In response to a question about whether the ties with the government were healing, Khan replied that reconciliation depended on the fair audit of elections.
Khan said that the incu m bent government was not sus tainable because of the fragile economy. He rejected the criticism that the PTI left the country on the verge of default.
According to the former premier, the PML-N left a USD 20 billion deficit in 2018 and there was no other option available but to approach the IMF.
Khan said the incumbent government had no mandate to carry out structural reforms. He advised the government to seek loans if it could repay the debt.
During the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case, Khan's counsel concluded the cross-examination of a prosecution witness, who was the chief financial officer of Al-Qadir University.
The Al-Qadir Trust case is about the settlement of 190 million pounds, about Rs 50 billion, which the UK's National Crime Agency sent to Pakistan after recovering the amount from a Pakistani property tycoon.
Khan, being the prime minister then, instead of depositing in the national treasury, allowed the businessman (Riaz) to use the amount to partly settle a fine of about Rs 450 billion imposed by the Supreme Court some years ago.
Reportedly, the tycoon, in return, gifted about 57 acres of land to a trust set up by Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to establish the Al-Qadir University in the Sohawa area of the Jhelum district of Punjab.
Accountability judge Nasir Javed Rana also recorded the statement of another prosecution witness.
During the hearing, Khan, Bushra Bibi, her daughter and son-in-law were also present in the courtroom. The case was adjourned till March 20.
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Jet fuel prices are rising. That could make summer flights more expensive
Tehran (AP): Jet fuel prices are rising as the war in the Middle East disrupts global oil supplies, putting cost pressure on airlines as the busy summer travel season approaches.
Experts say it's not a question of if airfares will go up, but when, for how long and by how much. The impact may be felt most on long-haul international routes, which burn significantly more fuel than shorter flights.
Some airlines outside of the US have announced fare increases or fuel surcharges in an effort to offset the growing expense. In the US, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby recently warned that airfare increases will “probably start quick" as increasing fuel costs work their way through the industry.
Why are jet fuel prices rising?
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The war is constraining oil exports and prompting major producers like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq to scale back output as shipments face growing obstacles.
Iran has attacked commercial ships across the Persian Gulf and targeted oil infrastructure in Gulf Arab nations following US and Israeli strikes. The attacks have effectively halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage that carries about one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
The volatile crude oil prices causing retail gasoline prices to swing up sharply have had the same effect on the price of jet fuel. The average price in the US reached $3.99 per gallon on Friday, up from $2.50 the day before the war started two weeks ago, according to the Argus US Jet Fuel Index. The index tracks the average price airlines pay for jet fuel across major US airports.
Figures from the US Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics show that US airlines paid about $2.36 per gallon for fuel in January, the most recent data available.
What does it mean for airlines?
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Some airlines are partially protected from sudden price spikes through fuel hedging, a strategy that allows them to lock in fuel prices months or even years in advance. But not all airlines hedge, and those that do are usually only protected for a portion of their fuel needs, meaning prolonged price surges may cause more carriers to raise fares.
“No one hedges anymore, and even if you do, hedging the crack spread is really hard to do,” Kirby said at a Harvard event last week. The crack spread is the difference between the price of crude oil and the price of products produced from it, like gasoline.
Another factor for airlines: Air space closures have required rerouting flights around parts of the Middle East, which can mean longer routes, additional fuel burn and higher operating costs.
What does it mean for travelers?
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Travelers may feel the impact in several ways.
Airlines can add or increase fuel surcharges, an extra fee common among carriers outside of the US that's added on top of the base ticket price.
Major US carriers, however, don't charge a separate fuel surcharge. Instead, they build fuel costs into the overall ticket price, meaning any increase is more likely to show up as a higher base fare for travelers, according to Tyler Hosford, security director at global risk management firm International SOS.
Airlines also may adjust what they charge for premium add-ons — such as seat upgrades, extra legroom seats, checked bags or priority boarding — as another way to offset higher operating costs. For consumers, that means even if the base fare doesn't rise immediately, the total cost of a trip could still increase once additional fees and upgrades are factored in.
If higher fuel prices persist, airlines may also adjust schedules or reduce certain routes, said Christopher Anderson, a professor at Cornell University's business school whose research includes operations and information management in the hospitality and airline industries.
How high could airfares climb?
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It's difficult to predict exactly how much ticket prices could increase as a result of costlier oil and fuel. Industry analysts say the impact of higher jet fuel costs can vary based on the route, airline and travel demand.
Fuel typically accounts for 20% to 25% of an airline's operating costs, making it the second-largest expense after labor, according to Rob Britton, an adjunct marketing professor at Georgetown University and retired American Airlines executive. A sharp rise in fuel prices therefore can have a major impact on airlines' budgets.
Which airlines have announced price hikes?
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So far, most fare increases and fuel surcharges are coming from airlines based in the Asia-Pacific region, but experts expect more airlines — especially those without fuel hedging — to follow if high jet fuel prices persist.
Hong Kong's flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, said it would increase its fuel surcharge starting Wednesday.
“The price of jet fuel has approximately doubled since March amid the latest developments in the Middle East,” the airline said in a statement Thursday.
Other airlines with price increases or new surcharges include:
— Air France-KLM said roundtrip economy fares on long-haul flights could rise by about 50 euros (about $57).
— Air India introduced fuel surcharges Thursday on certain routes. After March 18, the carrier says the surcharge will increase by up to $50 for all tickets to Europe, North America and Australia.
— Hong Kong Airlines increased fuel surcharges across several routes as of Thursday.
— FlySafair in South Africa announced a temporary fuel surcharge
What can travelers do to keep costs down?
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Experts say travelers planning summer trips may be able to limit the impact of rising airfares by booking earlier rather than waiting for last-minute deals.
Locking in ticket prices sooner — especially with flexible booking options that allow changes — can help secure lower prices before airlines adjust rates further.
Hosford, the security director at International SOS, suggests travelers stay flexible with travel dates, check fares at nearby airports and set alerts for price drops. He also recommends using frequent flyer miles or credit card points to book flights instead of holding out for a “perfect deal.”
“If you were going to spend cash on the flight but now you're not, then that's a good redemption deal," he said.
