Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 12, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘Javed Miandad Ka Imran Khan Ko Challenge’
It has been reported by Daily Jang that former captain of Pakistan cricket team, Javed Miandad, has launched an attack against Imran Khan through his YouTube channel, saying,“Mein aapka kaptaan tha aap meray kaptaan nahi thay. Imran Khan ko cricket mein chalaany wala mein tha… Aisa lag raha hai k Imran Khan khudaa banay bethay hain. Aap k ilawa koi Pakistani Oxford aur Cambridge gya he nahi… aap meray ghar aa kr wazire azam ban kar gaye thay iss ki tardeed kr k dikhayein”
‘Maryam Nawaz Pr Laser Gun Se Hamla’
It has been reported by Daily Jang that former law minister and PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has said, “Maryam Nawaz ki gaari ko pathar nahi laga. Aisa pathar nahi dekha jo bulletproof gaari ka sheesha torr de… Mujhe lagta hai ird grid ki emarato se laser gun sey fire kia gya.”
‘Judges Aur Sharifo K Ghar Ki Ghulami’
It has been reported by Daily Express that Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill has said,“Corruption aur chori ka jawab denay ki bajaye badmashon k sath NAB pr hamla kia gya… Shehbaz Sharif ko justice Abdul Qayyum jaisay judge chaheye jo inn k ghar ki ghulami kr sakein.”
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi has taken a dig at his colleague, Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry, saying that the latter is jealous of his good looks.
In an interview with The Current, Zaidi was asked if claims that he “is an expert on all ministries except his own” had any truth to them. “Fawad Chaudhry is really jealous of me. That’s why he says so,” the minister said in response, later cracking up while adding that his colleague was jealous of his good looks.
While Fawad thought it was a “fun” interview, others, including senior journalist Hamid Mir, also reacted to Zaidi’s comment.
Earlier, during the interview, Zaidi also spoke of the responsibilities of the Maritime Ministry, and the work that is being carried out under his supervision, such as the plans of introducing blue economy in Pakistan.
Besides rebutting some claims made regarding him, the minister also gave a tour of his beautiful Islamabad office, shared his views on different political leaders and fellow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) colleagues, took a look back at his cricketing career and cracked us up with his wit.
Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 11, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘Usman Buzdar Ki Tabdeeli’
It has been reported by Daily Jang that senior journalist and analyst Suhail Warraich has said, “Imran Khan k paas Usman Buzdar ko tabdeel krnay k ilawa koi option nahi.”
His remarks come at a time when rumours regarding the removal of Punjab chief minister (CM) have gone rife yet again.
‘Wazire Azam K Ladlay Totay‘
In his column, Suhail Warraich has said, “Special assistant to prime minister mein aksar tadaad inn ladlay toton ki hai jo Tehreek-e-Insaf ki siyasi jad-o-jehad mein shaamil naa thay aur naa he unhon ney koi qurbaani di… iss ka bawajood qaabina ka hisa ban bethay… parlimaan k log faisla saazi mein shareek nahi hain magar yeh ghair muntakhib eham tareen mulki faislon mein shareek hotay hain jo k sarasar ghalat riwayat hai.”
‘National Assembly Mein Classroom Wali Harkatein’
According to Daily Jang, PML-N leader and former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said all lawmakers must play their role in improving the environment of the assembly. “My grandchildren told me, ‘Aap log jo kuch assembly mein kartay ho, hum school k classroom mein kr sakty hain’.”
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president and former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, was on Tuesday caught in a clash between party workers and Punjab Police as she arrived at the Lahore office of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the case pertaining to receipt of 200 acres of what was supposed to be government land in Raiwind.
To show solidarity, PML-N workers in the form of a procession had accompanied the party leader as she left for the NAB’s office in Thokar Niaz Baig. She was, however, told to head back as the situation deteriorated outside the anti-graft body’s office when party workers and police clashed.
In two videos that she posted on Twitter, Maryam alleged that police pelted stones at her car which cracked her bulletproof vehicle’s windshield. “Pelting stones at my car, police have broken its windshield. This is a bulletproof car and police are pelting stones and shelling [PML-N workers] in front of NAB’s office to instigate workers. Why do you call us if you are so scared of us?” she was heard as saying in one of the videos.
Speaking to party workers after the clash, Maryam said she had been summoned from her home so that she could be harmed. “I am standing here, if I have been called, then listen to me as well,” she said.
The PML-N leader said that she had arrived outside the NAB office to “answer lies” and will not head back home; however, the doors of the NAB office remained closed and no official of responded to Maryam’s statement.
The incident was followed by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar taking notice of the clash and ordering the chief secretary as well as the inspector general to submit a report on the matter. “No one can be allowed to take the law into their hands,” said the chief minister. “Action should be taken against those who violated the law,” reports quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, support poured in for Maryam as Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari among many others voiced their concerns.
Condemn the unnecessary use of force, teargas & stone pelting on @MaryamNSharif & her party workers by police in Lahore today.
“Condemn the unnecessary use of force, teargas & stone pelting on @MaryamNSharif & her party workers by police in Lahore today [sic],” Bilawal tweeted.
THE CASE AGAINST MARYAM:
According to Geo, NAB has accused Maryam of receiving 200 acres of what was supposed to be government land in Raiwind. Reports claim that the transfer was made during former Lahore deputy commissioner (DC) Noorul Amin Mengal and former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general (DG) Ahad Cheema’s tenure.
NAB had also summoned Mengal along with the LDA officials of that time with records.
A tract of land, stretching over 3,568 kanals, was bought by the Sharif family in 2013. The largest part of the property, 1,936 kanals, was transferred to the name of Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif’s mother, Shamim Bibi. The land that was transferred to Maryam from that tract was 1,440 kanals.
The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has allowed resumption of “pre-COVID-19 practices subject to the adoption of social distancing guidelines” as it withdrew the government’s lockdown order.
According to the notification dated August 9, all sectors barring marriage halls and marquees and educational institutions have been allowed to resume operations from Monday (August 10), with timings and weekly holidays “reverted to pre-COVID-19 practice”.
According to Dawn, religious congregations will only be held after approval from the administration and will be bound to follow the standard operating procedures laid out by the government. Operators of public transport — that has been allowed to resume function — will also have to ensure that preventive measures are being observed by passengers.
The notification was issued three days after the federal government announced it was lifting restrictions on the tourism sector, restaurants and public transport, after months of suspension.
The decisions were made in a meeting of the National Coordination Committee, which was presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by representatives of all the provinces. The meeting participants also decided to lift restrictions on railways, airlines and metro buses.
While the restrictions are being eased as government boasts of having successfully tackled the pandemic, it is worth mentioning that a sudden spike has been recorded in coronavirus infections over the past week. The number of per day fatalities, however, on Sunday dropped to single digits for the first time in over 110 days.
Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 10, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘Sir, NAB K Khilaaf Nahi Bolna’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_FSz7_9I4o
It has been reported by Daily Jang that Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan was spotted telling his boss, Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar, to not speak against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in response to a journalist’s question during a press conference.
“NAB k khilaaf nahi bolna,” he was quoted as saying.
‘Pakistan Ki Shanaakht Tabah Ho Rahi Hai’
Daily Jang has quoted Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as saying that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is ruining Pakistan’s image. “Hukmaraan Pakistan ki shandar shanaakht tabah kr rahay hain,” he reportedly said.
BilawalGets Peshawar BRT Card
It has been reported by Daily Dunya that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Transport Minister Shah Muhammad Wazir has sent a travel card for Peshawar metro to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over his criticism against the delays that the project faced amid rising costs. “Umeed hai Sindh hakoomat bhi Green Bus ka aik card mujhe bheje gi,” the minister said further.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has launched the biggest tree plantation campaign in the history of the country, targeting a plantation of around 3.5 million trees in a day across the country.
Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, he thanked all those who had participated in Sunday’s campaign.
He said that Pakistan is among the top ten countries in the world most affected by climate change. “Our wheat production has fallen over the past two years due to climate change and unprecedented rainfall,” the PM said.
From Lower Dir to all parts of the country; from Tigers and youth to the elderly; all came out in huge numbers to plant trees. I want to thank everyone who responded to my call to plant a tree today. pic.twitter.com/z9UWVMbmVH
“If we keep continuing on this path, then some of the areas will become deserts,” he said. “It is our responsibility to make the country green for future generations.”
“The 3.5 million saplings that we have planted today is just the start. This is a constant, ongoing battle, [but] we are not doing this for us. We are doing it for the coming generations,” he further said.
“This is just the beginning. he said, promising that trees would be planted in empty spaces across cities,” he added.
The prime minister also urged women to participate. “The women have to participate the most,” he said.
He added that the nation also had to focus on cleaning the country’s rivers, in addition to making the country green. “So first we have to make the country green by planting trees, but simultaneously we also have to focus on cleanliness and make our rivers clean once again. Planting trees will also help in cleaning our climate and lessening pollution,” he said.
Earlier, in a tweet, the premier had invited everyone to join him today in planting trees all over Pakistan. He had also asked the parliamentarians, ministers, chief ministers, and Tiger Force volunteers to participate in the biggest tree planting campaign.
I want everyone to join me tomorrow, 9 Aug, in planting trees all over Pak. Have asked my MPs, ministers, Chief Ministers and Tiger Force to participate in the biggest tree planting campaign in our history. The target is 35 lakh trees in a day though we will try to exceed it.
Since the beginning of July, there has been a decline in new coronavirus cases and the number of recovered patients has also increased. By the time this report was filed, there were 26,834 active COVID-19 cases in the country.
While Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, as well as members of his team and other experts, repeatedly urged people to follow social distancing guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) on Eidul Azha in order to avoid a June-like surge in coronavirus cases in the days to come, people were seen flaunting the same not only over the Eid weekend but also during rallies protesting illegal Indian annexation of held Kashmir on August 5.
It was reported by Gulf News that the upper class of Karachi completely ignored Sindh government directives by sacrificing animals wherever they wished to despite 500 sites being designated by the provincial administration for the purpose. “Residents in the most expensive and posh neighbourhoods of the city were no exception… officials didn’t make any effort to ensure the people followed the law,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government on August 3 announced to lift the smart lockdown two days ahead of the scheduled date. The government announced to lift all restrictions on the third day of Eid because of a “significant” reduction in coronavirus cases.
While Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar expressed satisfaction over the observance of SOPs on Eidul Azha, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar announced on Thursday that restrictions on the hospitality and recreational sectors, put in place nearly five months ago to curb the spread of the coronavirus, would be lifted by August 10.
Dine-in restaurants, parks, cinemas, tourist spots and salons would be re-opened while marriage halls would remain closed at least until September 15 and the decision to re-open educational institutes would be looked into during the first week of September, he said.
However, just a day after the announcement, Punjab witnessed a sudden increase in the number of new coronavirus cases. The everyday cases that had on an average dropped to below 100 during the past one month after reaching a new high in June, once again increased to around 300.
Although some medical experts were not perturbed and declared it a routine surge, others believed that it might be a signal for the beginning of the second wave of the outbreak. Punjab reported 277 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 besides five deaths during the last 24 hours against 235 a day earlier, Dawn reported.
Besides the lifting of lockdown restrictions for the economy’s sake in July, the surge is also being attributed to the fact that next to none social distancing guidelines were followed during the preparations and hosting of seminars and rallies to mark ‘Youme Istehsal [Exploitation Day]’ on the first anniversary of Narendra Modi-led India’s annexation of occupied Kashmir.
Even though the coronavirus situation in Pakistan is getting better on paper, how the pandemic turns out over the next few days is subject to the behaviour of the masses and the policies of the government.
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has demanded that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should be disbanded.
He addressed the media after appearing before the court in connection with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) case on Thursday.
Earlier, the hearing of the LNG case against Abbasi was adjourned without any proceedings till September 7 due to the unavailability of Accountability Court Judge Azam Khan.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart told the media that despite the passage of 13 months, he has not been provided with a copy of the reference. Abbasi also thanked NAB for inducting him to the list of billionaires.
Replying to a question, the former prime minister ruled out allegations of money laundering and stated that he and his son paid all the taxes, and money in their accounts is legitimate.
Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, ex-PSO MD Imranul Haq, and others are facing charges of corruption over awarding a LNG import contract allegedly at exorbitant rates in 2015, which caused a big loss to the national exchequer.
According to NAB, in 2013 Abbasi had awarded a LNG import and distribution contract to the Elengy Terminal in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar on August 12 for what it says was illegal issuance of liquor licences.
The anti-graft watchdog has accused the provincial chief executive of illegally using powers of Excise director general (DG) and issuing liquor permits to a private hotel in Lahore.
The hotel in question is the same as the one in regard to which reports had falsely claimed that a local company was setting up a “liquor bar” at the Allama Iqbal International Airport after approval from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Punjab government.
“A section of local media wrongly reported that the provincial government has granted a license to a company to sell liquor at the airport,” then spokesperson to the CM, Dr Shahbaz Gill, had said in a video message in January last year.
He had further said that an under-construction five-star hotel near the airport had sought permission, which was duly granted after all the legal requirements were fulfilled.
“This is not something new and all the major hotels in the country are permitted under the laws,” Gill said.
However, the issuance has reportedly landed the Punjab CM in hot water.
Earlier, on May 24, in view of the threat of sale of poisonous liquor on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, Punjab Excise and Taxation DG Hafiz Ziaul Mustafa issued a letter to stop the sale of illegal liquor and take necessary steps, The Express Tribune reported.
Some unscrupulous elements use clinical alcohol, sedative tablets and juices of rotten fruits to brew liquor which is then sold in bottles of local and foreign brands. In the past scores of people have died and many more have gone blind from this locally brewed concoction.
The DG also directed to pay special attention to liquor license holders on the occasion of Eid. A letter issued from the office of the DG said that several people have been affected by drinking toxic liquor in recent years which has embarrassed the government.
Bootleggers making this toxic moonshine were likely to bring out their product on the festive occasion of Eid to grab the merriment mood of poor people who could not afford a pint of legally sold liquor available from licenced excise shops.
