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Imran Khan appears in court as Pakistan braces for violence

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Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared in court Wednesday, a day after he was dragged from another court and arrested in Islamabad, and his supporters clashed with police across the country.

A judge was asked to approve keeping the 70-year-old opposition leader in custody for up to 14 days.

Khan, who lost power last year but remains the country’s most popular opposition figure, is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan. His arrest deepened political turmoil and sparked violent demonstrations on Tuesday, Associated Press reported.

At least two people were killed in the overnight violence, one in the southwestern city of Quetta and the other in northwestern Pakistan, and dozens were wounded in various parts of the country.

In eastern Punjab province, where authorities said 157 police officers were injured in clashes with Khan supporters, the local government asked the army to step in and restore order.

Pakistan’s GEO television broadcast footage showing Khan appearing before a judge at a temporary court inside a police compound Wednesday. The former premier was seen seated in a chair, holding documents. He appeared calm but tired.

The judge is expected to rule on the request for a 14-day detention later in the day. Meanwhile, Khan’s legal team challenged his arrest before the Islamabad High Court, seeking his release.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party had called for demonstrators to remain peaceful, hours after mobs angered over the dramatic arrest set fire to the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore.

When he was arrested on Tuesday, Khan was appearing in court on multiple graft charges brought by Islamabad police. As he showed up in court, dozens of agents from the National Accountability Bureau backed by paramilitary troops stormed the courtroom, breaking windows after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.

Khan’s supporters attacked the military’s headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near the capital, Islamabad, but did not reach the main building housing the offices of army chief Gen. Asim Munir.

Other demonstrators tried to reach the prime minister’s residence in Lahore, but were driven off by baton-wielding police. Others attacked vehicles carrying troops and hit armed soldiers with sticks. So far, police and soldiers have not fired at protesters.

The military has not commented on the attacks on its facilities. None of the leaders from Khan’s party denounced the attacks on the military.

A police statement Wednesday said officers in eastern Punjab province arrested 945 Khan supporters since Tuesday — including Asad Umar, a senior leader from Khan’s party. Dozens of Khan supporters were also detained in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and elsewhere.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, senior vice president from Khan’s party, appealed for peaceful demonstrations Wednesday, urging followers: “Don’t damage public property, don’t attack offices, as we are peace lovers.” He said the party is considering challenging Khan’s arrest in the Supreme Court.

By morning, police said some 2,000 protesters still surrounded the fire-damaged residence in Lahore of Lt. Gen. Salman Fayyaz Ghani, a top regional commander. They chanted slogans at the military, including “Khan is our red line and you have crossed it.” Ghani and his family members were moved to a safer place when the mob on Tuesday first attacked their sprawling house.

Police deployed in force across the country, and placed shipping containers on a road leading to the sprawling police compound in Islamabad where Khan is being held and where he appeared before a judge at the temporary court placed there for security reasons, according to the government.

Amid violence, Pakistan’s telecommunication authority on Tuesday blocked social media, including Twitter. The government also suspended internet service in Islamabad and other cities. Classes at some private schools were canceled for Wednesday.

Rights group Amnesty International said it was alarmed by reports of Pakistani authorities blocking access to mobile internet networks and social media — Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are suspended for a second day. Amnesty urged authorities to show restraint, saying clashes between law enforcement and Khan’s supporters risk human rights violations.

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Iran’s president says Tehran did not transfer weapons to Russia since he took office

The United States and its allies accused Iran last week of transferring ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow and Tehran.

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Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that his government had not transferred any weapons to Russia since it took office in August, after Western powers accused Tehran of delivering ballistic missiles to Moscow in September, Reuters reported.

The United States and its allies accused Iran last week of transferring ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow and Tehran.

Russia and Iran both denied the Western claims.

Asked whether Iran had transferred missiles to Russia, Pezeshkian told a televised news conference: "It is possible that a delivery took place in the past... but I can assure you that since I took office, there has not been any such delivery to Russia."

Reuters reported in February that Iran had provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, deepening the military cooperation between the two U.S.-sanctioned countries.

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G7 foreign ministers condemn Iran’s export of ballistic missiles to Russia

Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, deepening the military cooperation between the two countries, which are both under U.S. sanctions.

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The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised powers condemned on Saturday "in the strongest terms" Iran's export and Russia's procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles.

Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, deepening the military cooperation between the two countries, which are both under U.S. sanctions.

"Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs (drones) and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian people as well as European and international security more broadly," the G7 ministers said in a statement.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to hold Iran to account for its unacceptable support for Russia's illegal war in Ukraine that further undermines global security. In line with our previous statements on the matter, we are already responding with new and significant measures."

Italy currently holds the presidency of the G7 group of wealthy nations which also includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France and Canada. - Reuters 

 

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Iran launches second satellite this year into orbit, state media says

The Chamran-1 satellite, which was launched into space by the Qaem-100 satellite carrier, was put into a 550-kilometre (340-mile) orbit and its first signals had been received, the media said, adding that the solid fuel carrier was designed and built by the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards.

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Iran on Saturday launched a research satellite into orbit with a rocket built by the Revolutionary Guards, state media reported.

The launch comes as the United States and European countries accuse Iran of transferring ballistic missiles to Russia that would be likely used in its war with Ukraine within weeks. Iran has denied this, Reuters reported.

The Chamran-1 satellite, which was launched into space by the Qaem-100 satellite carrier, was put into a 550-kilometre (340-mile) orbit and its first signals had been received, the media said, adding that the solid fuel carrier was designed and built by the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards.

The primary mission of the satellite, which weighs 60 kg (132 pounds), "is to test hardware and software systems for demonstrating orbital manoeuvring technology in height and phase," according to state media.

In January, Iranian media reported that the Sorayya satellite had been launched into a 750 km orbit, the highest by the country so far.

The U.S. military alleges the long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also allow Tehran to launch long-range weapons, possibly including nuclear warheads.

Tehran denies its satellite activities are a cover for ballistic missile development and says it has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons.

Chamran-1's other mission was to "evaluate the cold gas propulsion subsystem in space systems and the performance of the navigation and attitude control subsystems", state media reported.

Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, has suffered several failed satellite launches in recent years due to technical issues.

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