Imran Khan taken off US-bound plane in Toronto

Toronto, October 27: Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan was taken off a New York-bound plane here and claimed that he was questioned by American officials about his stance on US drone strikes in Pakistan.

Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf () party, was questioned for about an hour late yesterday before he was allowed to travel by the US officials.

"I was taken off from plane and interrogated by US Immigration in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacksmust stop," Khan tweeted.

"Missed flight and sad to miss the Fundraising lunch in NY but nothing will change my stance. Still looking forward to meet family there," Khan said.

Khan was headed to New York to attend a fundraiser organised by his party's US chapter inLong Island here. Earlier, Khan had intended to hold a demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters in protest of the US drone strikes on his country's soil.

Meanwhile, president of Khan's party in New York Muzammil Anwar told that the rally was cancelled as it coincided with the festival of Eid and several supporters of Khan had cited their inability to participate in the demonstrations due to the Id celebrations on October 26.

Anwar said Khan along with other party activists were taken off an American Airlines plane and questioned by US officials at Toronto's International Airport. On being questioned about his stance on drone strikes, Khan repeated his position that the drone strikes were killing innocents Pakistanis and that they were counterproductive, Anwar said.

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Cut all ties with Israel and impose arms, trade embargo; history will record our action: Iran to Muslim countries

News Network

May 5,2024

Iran has urged Muslim countries to cut all relations with the Israeli regime as means of pressuring Tel Aviv to end its ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks on Saturday, addressing the 15th Heads of State and Government Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Gambia’s capital Banjul.

“Beyond doubt, this time period will also pass by, despite all its hardships and adversities for the Palestinian nation,” he said.

“However, the manner and quality of the role that is played by us, Muslim states, in the face of this crisis will go down in history,” the top diplomat added.

“Undoubtedly, severance of diplomatic and economic ties and [imposition of] practical arms and trade embargo [on Israel] serves as an important means of cessation of its genocide in Gaza and atrocities in the West Bank and the Noble al-Quds.”

At least 34,654 people have died in Gaza since October 7, when the Israeli regime began the war in response to al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by the coastal sliver’s resistance groups.

Despite the unabated campaign of bloodshed and destruction, the regime has so far fallen short of realizing its goals, including defeating Gaza’s resistance, causing forced displacement of the territory’s entire population to neighboring Egypt, and enabling the release of those who were taken captive during al-Aqsa Storm.

Amir-Abdollahian said Gaza’s developments proved that elimination of the Palestinian resistance “was nothing but an illusion.”

“Because the Israeli regime is not a legitimate government. It is only an occupying apartheid power,” he said, adding, “Passage of time is not going to lend legitimacy to an occupying power.”

The foreign minister asserted that realization of sustainable peace and security in the region was only possible through cessation of the regime’s occupation of Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, return of the Palestinian refugees to their homeland, and manifestation of Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

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