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Pakistan’s Khan set to march on Islamabad to demand snap polls
Former PM Imran Khan plans to lead a caravan of vehicles from Lahore to Islamabad with his supporters.
(Al Jazeera)Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has gathered hundreds of supporters in the eastern city of Lahore to join a caravan of cars and trucks heading for the capital, Islamabad, in an attempt to pressure the government to call snap polls.Since being removed in April through a parliamentary vote, Khan has held rallies across Pakistan, stirring opposition against a government that is struggling to bring the economy out of the crisis that Khan’s administration left it in.
Khan plans to lead the motorised caravan slowly northwards up the Grand Trunk Road to Islamabad, drawing more support along the way before entering the capital next week.By the time he gets there, Khan said he expects to have hundreds of thousands of people with him, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has asked authorities in the capital to allow a protest sit-in.
“I want that all of you participate. This is not for politics or personal gain, or to topple the government … this is to bring genuine
freedom to the country,” Khan said in a video message on the eve of the march.PTI members told journalists that the party was willing to negotiate with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government if it announced a date for a snap election.The government says polls will be held as scheduled in October next year. Khan says he is not willing to wait.
The growing crowd of Khan supporters in Lahore on Friday chanted slogans, including “Imran Tere Jannisar, Beshumar, Beshumar”, meaning “Imran, countless people are willing to give their life for you”. Laila, a mother of two from Toba Tek Singh, a city in the eastern province of Punjab, echoed those sentiments.
“I have come to Lahore to join the long march with my husband and two sons aged nine and 11. I am not concerned about security as Khan is struggling for a better future for my children,” she said, adding that she and her family would go to Islamabad and stay till the end.
As Khan’s supporters assembled in Lahore, large numbers of police were deployed along the 260km (160 miles) route to Islamabad.Khan has used this tactic before – most recently in May, weeks after he lost power. But that time police used tear gas after clashing with Khan’s supporters as they approached Islamabad’s sensitive “red zone”, and the rally quickly dispersed.
This time, Khan has called on protesters to stay peaceful and given assurances that he would not enter the “red zone” and the protest would remain in areas designated by the courts and local administration.
But given the politically charged environment, fears of violence persist. The federal government, which runs Islamabad, has indicated that any deviation from approved protest plans will be met with force from the city’s police.
Khan’s party is in government in two of Islamabad’s neighbouring provinces, Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and the provincial police forces are expected to be providing security to marchers.With security enhanced in the capital and augmented by paramilitary forces, there is a fear that the forces could come face to face.
Crucially, Khan lacks backing from Pakistan’s powerful military, which has directly ruled the country for more than three of the seven-and-a-half decades since independence.Having once been regarded as close to the generals, Khan has accused the military of supporting his opponents’ move to remove him. The country’s powerful military says it is staying out of politics, and on Thursday the intelligence chief accused Khan of asking for “illegal and unconstitutional” support for his government.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
