Current Final

Category: National

  • Pakistanis appreciate PM Imran for ‘Koi Bhooka Nahi Soye Ga’ programme

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday launched the ‘Koi Bhooka Nahi Soye Ga (No one will sleep hungry)’ program under the administration of Ehsaas Programme and Bait-ul-Maal. Under the scheme, free meals will be distributed among the poor through food trucks in all major cities of Pakistan.

    As per details, freshly cooked food will be distributed twice a day, among 1000-1500 people on daily bases in portable food trucks. Initially, the food trucks will operate in Islamabad and Rawalpindi only, with daily wage workers the main beneficiary of the programme.

    Speaking at the launch, PM Khan expressed his desire to spread the programme in every city of the country. The premier added that the launch of this food drive is a step forward towards a welfare state.

    “I always feel happy to see that deserving people are given shelter and food with honour and dignity at various Panahgahs established across Pakistan,” said PM Imran.

    VIDEO: Bushra Bibi makes rare public appearance, visits Panah Gah in Lahore

    He also announced to launch a subsidy programme under which direct money will be transferred to 30 million deserving families.

    The scheme is being highly appreciated by Pakistanis on social media. Check out some reactions below:

    https://twitter.com/MuhammadMobinK4/status/1369694559643566085
  • PML-N leader booked for ‘thrashing woman constable outside Lahore court’

    PML-N leader booked for ‘thrashing woman constable outside Lahore court’

    Islampura police on Wednesday registered a case against a senior leader of the PML-N for allegedly torturing and thrashing a lady police constable on the premises of an accountability court.

    According to a local media outlet, the police nominated PML-N leader Tanvir Chaudhry in the first information report on the complaint of anti-riot force constable Anam Fatima.

    She alleged the suspect tried to enter the premises of the accountability court along with five unknown women without seeking permission. As she and her colleague Sonia Ashraf tried to stop them, Tanvir Chaudhry got furious and slapped her.

    The FIR stated that he and the unidentified women then thrashed her publicly, Anam alleged and added the attackers also hurled threats at her.

    However, conflicting reports claim that the police arrested another PML-N MPA, namely Tanveer Bibi, for slapping the lady constable and registered a case against the lawmaker after approval from the Punjab Assembly speaker.

    Meanwhile, a police official has confirmed to the media that the matter had been referred to the investigation wing for further action against the suspects.

    Later, Tanvir Chaudhry’s son took to Twitter and said: “Incompetence at its peak! Punjab government lodging an FiR against my father who is not even in Pak[istan] & @Dawn_News, @dawn_com incompetence at its peak putting up wrong picture and writing an article on a man who’s not been in Pak[istan] for 6months.”

    “Going for a defamation suit against both,” he added.

  • Surge in COVID cases: Educational institutions to close down in at least 7 cities

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, in a press conference, have announced that educational institutes in Punjab will remain closed from March 15 to 28. The decision was taken after a meeting of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) to review the situation of coronavirus in the country.

    The government officials said that educational institutes in Punjab will remain closed from March 15 to March 28 to contain the spread of Covid-19, adding that spring break will begin in seven districts of Punjab, including Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujrat, Multan, Rawalpindi and Sialkot. Mahmood said the same decision will also apply to educational institutions in Islamabad, Muzaffarabad and Peshawar.

    However, the decision of the closure of the schools will not be applicable to schools that are already conducting examinations.

    Educational institutions in Sindh and Balochistan would continue with 50 percent attendance every day.

    Earlier today, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar presided over the NCOC meeting. To contain the spread of the virus the in the country, the following decisions have been taken:

    • Strict compliance of Mask Wearing will continue across the board.
    • SLDs / Micro SLDs will continue to be imposed based on the disease prevalence / hotspots.
    • 50% work from home policy will be implemented on the discretion of federating units. However, it will be enforced in ICT with immediate effect.
    • Time limit of 10:00 PM on all commercial activities will be re-enforced with immediate effect, less essential services.
    • Amusement Parks across the country will be closed at 6:00 PM..
    • Earlier decision of allowing indoor weddings, indoor dining and opening of cinemas and shrines with effect from March 15, 2021 has been withdrawn. However, outdoor dining / take away will continue to remain open as per previous practice.
    • Outdoor gatherings will continue to remain limited to a maximum of 300 individuals with strict enforcement of COVID -19 SOPs.
    • Review of all enforced  non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) will be carried out on April 12, 2021.

    The above-mentioned decisions regarding non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are the baseline decisions. Federating units are at liberty to impose stricter NPIs in selected cities/districts keeping in view the local disease trend/ spread.

  • Senate chairman vote: ‘Govt will do whatever is necessary to win this time’

    Senate chairman vote: ‘Govt will do whatever is necessary to win this time’

    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has said that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will do whatever is necessary to ensure the victory of Sadiq Sanjrani in the Senate chairman election.


    Speaking in Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ as the country heads towards another critical vote following the government’s defeat at the hands of opposition alliance for Yousuf Raza Gilani’s election, the minister said the government would do whatever is required to win the Senate chairman slot.


    While responding to media reports about the government’s offer to JUI-F, Faraz said no formal offer has been made to Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for the post of Senate deputy chairman, and neither it is possible.


    “The JUI-F is just raising the matter to gain importance,” he said.


    “Abdul Ghafoor Haideri came to meet us and we informally discussed these things while having food in the library,” he said, adding that the government also goes to Opposition senators for seeking votes in the Senate elections.

    To a question whether the Senate chairman would be elected by seeking votes, using power or using money, Faraz said the opposition always violates rules and uses money.
    “We are ready this time. It can’t happen that we play Sharif Sharif [morally] and do everything according to law. We would do everything necessary for winning,” Shibli said.


    WATCH VIDEO:


    He added that it was not possible that the government remains unmoved, while the opposition uses every tactic for its benefit, which was witnessed in the Senate elections.
    Faraz said the government would not play “nicely” and would make every effort for the success of its candidate.


    “It’s not happening that the opposition is allowed to even touch the ball in a football game with hand, while the government just plays with the foot. Love begets love and vice versa,” he said.


    The minister, however, made it clear that he was not talking about using money in the Senate election.

  • Is Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar going home?

    Is Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar going home?

    Prime Minister Imran Khan dropped a hint at bringing major administrative changes in Punjab, a private media outlet reported. According to reports, the premier on Tuesday expressed reservations over the state of affairs in Punjab during an important meeting that was attended by senior party leaders. Reports said that before the meeting, PM Imran had an important discussion with Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar.

    The meeting also discussed the election of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate. The premier asked Defence Minister Pervez Khattak to get the support needed for the post of chairman and deputy chairman. The government has decided to take the allies into confidence for the post of Senate deputy chairman, reports claimed and added that the meeting also deliberated on giving the post of deputy chairman to any allied party.

    The performance of the Punjab government was also discussed in detail during the meeting chaired by the premier and attended by federal ministers except Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, senior government members and constitutional experts, as well as CM Buzdar. When contacted, a senior Punjab official told The Current that a major shuffle might soon be held in the province. They hinted at the possible removal of the provincial chief executive as well as the chief secretary.

    While PM’s digital media aide has rubbished these claims, rumour has it that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) CM might also soon be replaced.


    Meanwhile, journalist Muneeb Farooq has also cited sources as saying that the Punjab CM is not going anywhere.


  • PM Imran wishes Women’s Day to Bushra Bibi, shares pictures of mother and wife

    Prime minister Imran Khan celebrated Women’s Day by sharing pictures of the two important women in his life.

    Posting pictures of his late mother Shaukat Khanum and wife Bushra Bibi, PM Khan wrote: “Happy Women’s Day.”

    Imran Khan was the only son of his mother. In 1985 he lost her to cancer and in 1994 set up Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital Lahore in memory of her.

    Meanwhile, PM Khan married Bushra Bibi in 2018, a few months before his party won the elections. Earlier, PM Imran had said that he could not have survived without his wife Bushra Bibi who is his soulmate and has great wisdom, adding that he discusses everything with her.

  • Withdrawn PTI candidate Abdul Qadir welcomed to party by PM Khan

    Newly elected Senator from Balochistan, Abdul Qadir, joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday. Qadir was elected as an independent candidate with the support of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Saifullah Nyazee were also part of the meeting.

    It should be noted that PTI had withdrawn the party ticket awarded to business tycoon Abdul Qadir in Balochistan for the Senate election after strong opposition from the PTI provincial leadership and zonal heads. PTI awarded its Senate ticket to Syed Zahoor Agha. Later, when Abdul Qadir contested the Senate election as an independent candidate with the joint support of BAP and the government, PTI’s Zahoor Agha withdrew his nomination papers.

  • Government offers Senate deputy chairmanship to JUI-F

    The PTI government has offered the post of Senate deputy chairman to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F). Defence Minister Pervez Khattak says he offered the position of deputy chairman Senate to JUI-F’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri. 


    JUI-F, led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, is part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). Reports indicate that PDM will offer deputy chairman slot to JUI-F and Leader of Opposition in Senate to the PML-N. However, these decisions have not been officially announced. PDM has officially nominated Yousaf Raza Gilani as its joint candidate for Senate chairman. Haideri said that he cannot predict who will become Senate Chairman on March 12. He also said that he has not been informed about PDM’s decision about candidates for the slot of deputy chairman.

    Maulana Ghafoor Haideri told the media that he condemns the government ministers’ discussion about this issue. “We don’t accept this government so there is absolutely no standing of any offer from this government,” Haideri added.

  • ‘Will quit post if allegations over number of votes secured by PM proved’: Asad Qaiser

    ‘Will quit post if allegations over number of votes secured by PM proved’: Asad Qaiser

    Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has said that he will resign if the opposition’s allegations regarding the number of votes Prime Minister Imran Khan secured in the vote of confidence turn out to be true.

    Qaiser said that he is willing to challenge that not even a single vote was wrong. “Without my vote and [Faisal] Vawda’s, the numbers were 178.”

    Speaker National Assembly also said that we need to strengthen democracy and lead to stability. 

    PM Khan won a crucial vote of confidence on Saturday.

  • ECP rejects PTI petition seeking stop on Gilani notification

    ECP rejects PTI petition seeking stop on Gilani notification

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking to stop the notification of newly-elected Senator Yousaf Raza Gilani.

    According to reports, the election watchdog sought amendments to the petition.

    Last Wednesday, Gilani, who was fielded as a joint candidate of the 11-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on a technocrat seat from Islamabad, defeated Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in Senate elections in a major setback to the government. He received 169 votes to the latter’s 164.

    On Saturday, three PTI leaders — Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Bokhari, and Kanwal Shauzab — approached the election commission to halt the issuance of the victory notification for Gilani until a probe into a contentious video, showing the former prime minister’s son Ali Haider Gilani explaining to MPs how to waste their votes, is completed.

    In another petition filed on Monday, the trio sought an early hearing of the case which was earlier scheduled for March 11 — a day before the election for the office of Senate chairman.

    “The matter is extremely important as a senator elected with corrupt practices is now aspiring to become the chairman of Senate,” the petition said.

    “It is a matter of utmost importance, which will have far-reaching consequences.”

    “The election of Yousuf Raza Gilani has been a rare incident in the national political history,” the request further said.

    “Hopefully, the election commission will hear the matter urgently, as it heard the issue related to [the] by-election in NA-75, Daska.”

    “The issuance of the notification should be stopped till the action on the video scandal is completed,” the petition said.

    The video, which had emerged hours before legislators across the country were set to go to Senate elections, showed Ali Gilani explaining to MPs how to cancel their votes. In a press conference, Ali Gilani accepted that he was in the leaked video, but denied he was engaging in a deal to buy votes for his father.

    A separate video clip showed Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah assuring four MPs of getting paid “over and above” the agreed amount and also resolve all issues from the provincial government.

    The person, who was seen finalising the deal, told Shah that all the four were “sold” and, in return, Shah also assured the legislators that all the tasks of his “brothers” were now his own responsibility.