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Category: National

  • ‘Sakoon sirf qabr mein’: Twitter trolls Imran, again

    ‘Sakoon sirf qabr mein’: Twitter trolls Imran, again

    Not coming down easy on him as usual, Twitterati are once again trolling Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for saying that life is not a fairy tale, and “one gets peace only in his or her grave”.

    “Happily ever after is a myth. It’s there only in fairy tales. In real life, one gets peace only when he or she lies in their grave,” the premier said Friday as he addressed the inauguration ceremony of a skills development programme called “Hunarmand”.

    It wasn’t later that his statements broke the internet as a majority trolled him, and some called his government out for its “flawed” policies.

    https://twitter.com/qureshik74/status/1215505916705026048

    A few also took to the micro-blogging website to express their support for the premier:

    https://twitter.com/NawalAsif1xxx/status/1215330070325334017
    https://twitter.com/rayqaaf/status/1215332507631214592

    The Rs30 billion four-year Hunarmand programme will provide easy loans, capacity building and internships to the youth.

  • Spanish hunter pays $83,500 to kill season’s third markhor in Gilgit

    Spanish hunter pays $83,500 to kill season’s third markhor in Gilgit

    A Spanish hunter in Gilgit has killed the third markhor of the season after paying a whopping $83,500 as the permit fee, ARY reported.

    According to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Wildlife Department, Carlo Pasco successfully hunted a flared-horned markhor in the conservation area.

    The hunting fees for different local species were decided in November last year as the Wildlife Department auctioned off the permits for markhor for $83,500. In 2018-19, the hunters paid $110,000 for hunting the animal.

    The Wildlife Department claims that 80 per cent of the amount paid by hunters is given to the local community to invest in themselves and the conversation of these animals. The remaining 20 per cent is deposited to the national exchequer.

    Pakistan’s national animal, markhor, is a large Capra species native to Central Asia, Karakoram and the Himalayas. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, it is listed as a near-threatened species since 2015.

    Earlier on December 12, an Italian citizen had hunted the first markhor of the season.

  • Mubasher Lucman ‘banned until he apologises to Fawad Chaudhry’

    Mubasher Lucman ‘banned until he apologises to Fawad Chaudhry’

    The Lahore Bar Association (LBA) has banned the entry of anchor Mubasher Lucman in its premises over “false reporting and accusations” made against Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who is also an advocate of the Supreme Court (SC) and an LBA member.

    Fawad made the revelation in a tweet, sharing a copy of the notification released by the LBA executive committee. The press statement condemned the journalist’s act and considered his action “blatant misuse of freedom of speech and information”.

    Fawad said that Lucman will not be allowed to enter the premises of LBA until he tendered an apology over his unjust accusations.

    The notification stated that the executive committee had expressed “distress and frustration” over the recent statements made by Lucman. The Bar has also sought a written and an on-air apology from the anchorperson. The executive committee warned Lucman for taking further legal actions against him within the parameters of law and constitution.

    On January 5, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had slapped anchorperson Mubasher Lucman in a valima ceremony of Mohsin Leghari’s son.

    Several leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including Jehangir Tareen, were present at the time of scuffle between the two. Reacting to the incident, Fawad in a Twitter message had criticised Lucman, saying that the anchorperson could not be considered a journalist.

  • More than 2,500 govt officers were taking benefits from the Benazir Income Support Programme

    More than 2,500 govt officers were taking benefits from the Benazir Income Support Programme

    PTI government decided to delete over 800,000 names from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) last month as it had come to their notice that some government officers and their families were also BISP beneficiaries. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar explained that they did this by utilising forensic data as these people were ‘undeserving’.

    The more astounding part is that over two thousand top officials of provincial and federal governments were also BISP beneficiaries. According to details shared by ARY News, 2,543 government officials of Grade-17 to Grade-21 were receiving the BISP income support tri-monthly handouts, meant for the poor segments of society.

    Sania Nishtar confirmed the news on Twitter.

    Some officers were receiving money in the name of their wives and other members of families, which were registered in the list of the people entitled for income support.

    The highest number of undeserving beneficiaries were in Balochistan where 741 registered officials were registered.

    In Sindh, 342 officials of grade-18 gained profit from the scheme.

    The decision to exclude more than 800,000 people from BISP list was criticised by the PPP. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto had demanded the government to retract from the decision.

  • Video: PM Khan loses his way in Parliament

    Video: PM Khan loses his way in Parliament

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday lost his way in Parliament House.

    After attending a meeting of the PTI parliamentary committee, PM Khan started walking towards his chamber in the Assembly. PM Khan was so busy talking to Interior Minister Ijaz Shah that he suddenly found himself in unknown territory.

    He asked his security official where he was. “Where are you taking me?” asked a perplexed prime minister in a corridor. His security officer then told him that this secret passage will also take him to the Assembly Hall.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pobhe8BLIw

    Meanwhile, Pakistani Twitter did not leave a chance to troll the PM.

    Meanwhile, this is not the first time, PM Imran got lost in the National Assembly.

    Interestingly, PM Imran wasn’t the only one who lost his way in parliament yesterday. PML-N MNA Maiza Hameed went to the room where PTI parliamentary committee was being held instead of PML-N meeting.

    Twitter didn’t even spare Hameed.

  • Extension almost here for Gen Bajwa as PTI, PML-N, PPP join hands in NA

    Extension almost here for Gen Bajwa as PTI, PML-N, PPP join hands in NA

    In a first, both the government and major opposition parties on Tuesday joined hands to approve in the National Assembly all three bills formalising the tenure of the three services chiefs, including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    According to Geo News, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan made a rare appearance in the Lower House of the parliament as the assembly voted on three bills that will formalise the tenures of the army, navy and air force chiefs.

    Before the voting started, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak took the floor to request the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that it take back amendments it had suggested to the bills, saying he was making the request “keeping in mind the regional and national situation”.

    Naveed Qamar, who spoke on behalf of the PPP in response to Khattak’s request, said that the amendments had been suggested to improve the bills but, after being approached by a government delegation and consulting with the rest of the opposition, the party had decided to withdraw them.

    With voting commencing shortly after the dialogue, Speaker Asad Qaiser asked legislators to express their assent or dissent. The bills were voted on clause by clause.

    Some opposition lawmakers, including those from Jamaate Islami (JI), the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), walked out in protest over the bills. They had earlier announced they would not be supporting the bills on principle. All the major parties had, however, lent near unquestioning assent to the same.

    After voting on the bills concluded, the National Assembly session was adjourned till 4 pm on Wednesday.

    The bills will now be sent for approval to the Senate Standing Committee on Defence before they are voted on in the Senate, and become law once signed by the president.

  • PM Imran praises Buzdar for project launched by Shehbaz

    PM Imran praises Buzdar for project launched by Shehbaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has admired Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar for initiating the 115-kilometre (km) long Jalalpur Irrigation Project worth $360 million after a delay of 120 years, not knowing that the project was actually conceived, planned, negotiated and approved by his arch-rival and former chief executive of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, The News reported.

    “I congratulate you all. Today, I admire Punjab CM Usman Buzdar for initiating this project. This project has been delayed for the past 120 years. I am thankful that you started this project because these projects change the lives of the people,” the premier had said at the inauguration ceremony held in Jhelum in the last week of December 2019.

    However, official documents revealed that the project was entirely planned, initiated and negotiated by the Shehbaz administration back in 2009 when the then CM had ordered its construction.

    According to reports, the feasibility work for the project was completed in 2013 and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was engaged. It takes three to four years in the processing of such projects’ planning, loan negotiation, environmental studies, population relocation plans among other.

    A mega project like the one in question needs years owing to all the necessary surveys and the completion of its designs, which were completed in 2017. All details are also documented on the ADB website.

    A copy of the loan agreement shows that it was signed by Pakistan and ADB in April 2018 by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, ahead of which, the project agreement was signed in April 2017 by the then Punjab Irrigation Secretary Asadullah with Shehbaz’s approval.

    The Punjab Annual Development Plan (ADP) approved by the Shehbaz government in its budget for fiscal year 2017-18 also reflected the project. From 2013-2018, the Punjab government spent approximately Rs2,998 million to acquire land for this project, and the last allocation of Rs600 million was made in the ADP for 2017-18.

    At the planning stage, even alignment of canal was decided in consultation with locals through the lawmakers concerned. In 2016, a number of seminars were also held in Khushab to finalise alignment as per the needs of the farmers.

    In ADP for the year 2016-2017, the engineering designs were completed. As much as Rs70 million was spent on this project by PML-N government for engineering design in 2016-2017 and Rs230 million was allocated in 2017-2018. Total expenditure made on land acquisition by the then government was Rs3 billion. A total of 8,000 acres of land was acquired by the previous government, which was a huge administrative exercise while Rs497 million was spent on the engineering design of this project. Detail engineering design took 16 months.

    The canal will irrigate 160,000 acres of land in Pind Dadan Khan and Khushab tehsil and interestingly even the people, farmers and residents of these areas are fully aware that project was initiated by Shehbaz in 2013.

    As per the official documents, the loan agreement was signed by Shehbaz in 2017 and everything was finalised and commissioned by May 2018, but now the premier has been made to believe that incumbent Punjab CM Buzdar is behind the project.

    According to ADB documents, the project is located by the right bank of River Jhelum in Punjab. It will create new non-perennial irrigation services for enhanced agricultural production in Pind Daden Khan and Khushab districts. The project will increase kharif crop intensity by 50 per cent, improve crop yield and reduce land degradation. It will directly benefit over 200,000 rural people; mostly poor.

  • ‘You messed up,’ Gen Bajwa told US secretary of state: ISPR chief

    ‘You messed up,’ Gen Bajwa told US secretary of state: ISPR chief

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor has quoted Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa as telling United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that White House’s misadventure in Baghdad was detrimental to efforts aimed at regional peace.

    “The region is making progress towards peace from a very bad situation and the Baghdad incident is detrimental to the peace efforts in the region,” the ISPR chief quoted the COAS as telling Pompeo as US-Iran tensions soar following the killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and other officials in a US President Donald Trump-ordered drone strike on Friday in Baghdad.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Maj Gen Ghafoor also said that Pakistan will only play the role of a peacemaker and not take sides in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

    “Pakistan has defeated terrorism on its territory and will not allow its soil to be used against any other country.”

    According to Geo News, to a question regarding claims made in Indian media that Pakistan’s policy towards Iran has changed in the light of US resumption of military training program for Pakistan Army, the ISPR chief deemed it “Indian propaganda” and “fake news”.

    “Islamabad and Washington were in talks for the last four or five months over the issue and linking it as Pakistan aligning with US is Indian propaganda,” he said. “Pakistan Army is a responsible and professional force and has exercised restraint despite provocative statements from Indian leadership.”

    The military spokesperson also said that Gen Bajwa had an important role to play in regional security and Afghan peace process, and Pakistan didn’t want to see another conflict in the region.

    “Pakistan would oppose any thing that is affecting Afghan reconciliation process as it needs focus from all parties. We are of the view that dialogue is the way forward to achieve lasting peace,” he said.

  • Saad Rafique injured after fire breaks out in jail

    Saad Rafique injured after fire breaks out in jail

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has sustained minor injuries after a small fire broke out in Lahore Camp Jail’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) barracks, The News reported.

    According to reports, the fire broke out due to short circuit in an electric heater outside the room of former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s aide Fawad Hassan Fawad, causing panic among prisoners.

    Due to a lack of jail staff, Rafique started banging the bars of his cell and sustained a minor head injury when his head hit against the bar. The jail doctor gave him first-aid after which he was shifted back to the barracks.

    The fire was extinguished by the jail administration after switching off the main power supply in the meantime.

    According to Jail Superintendent Asadullah Warraich, it was a “small fire” that was put off by the staff and the PML-N leader got injured “because he panicked”.

  • ‘Why not Imran?’ asks Twitter as US State secy calls Gen Bajwa on Iran tensions

    ‘Why not Imran?’ asks Twitter as US State secy calls Gen Bajwa on Iran tensions

    With United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss heightening tensions with Tehran following the killing of top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, Twitterati are wondering why did Pompeo choose the army chief over Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan or Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

    The telephonic conversation came after Iran’s top security body vowed to retaliate in the “right place and time” following Revolutionary Guards commander Soleimani’s death in an airstrike ordered by US President Donald Trump on Friday.

    “America should know that its criminal attack on General Soleimani has been the country’s biggest mistake in west Asia, and America will not avoid the consequences of this wrong calculation easily,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.

    The dramatic escalation and subsequent fears of “World War III” were followed by both Washington and Tehran alerting their allies.

    “#Pakistan’s Chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about U.S. defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The #Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver,” Pompeo tweeted on Friday.

    In another tweet, Pompeo disclosed he spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as well about Soleimani’s killing “to protect American lives at stake”.

    ‘MAXIMUM RESTRAINT’:

    Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) disclosed that the army chief and the US secretary of state discussed “regional situation including possible implications” after the escalation in the Middle East. 

    “COAS received telephone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Regional situation, including possible implications of recent escalation in Middle East, was discussed,” the military’s media wing tweeted.

    “COAS emphasised need for maximum restraint and constructive engagement by all concerned to de-escalate the situation in broader interest of peace and stability. COAS also reiterated the need for maintaining focus on success of Afghan Peace Process,” read another tweet.

    ‘WHY NOT IMRAN?’:

    Meanwhile, Twitterati took to Twitter to ask as to why had Pompeo not called PM Imran or FM Qureshi at such a time.

    https://twitter.com/BILAL_GHARSHEEN/status/1213341499171233792

    The tweets came as Indian journalists such as The Hindu Editor Suhasini Haider pointed out the same.

    While Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has advised both the US and Iran to refrain from taking “unilateral action” against each other and abide by the United Nations (UN) Charter to respect each other’s territorial integrity, the premier has not yet made any statement.