Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Maryam sends McDonald’s to children, teachers, deletes post after social media uproar

    Maryam sends McDonald’s to children, teachers, deletes post after social media uproar

    Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz got into trouble when Punjab government sent McDonald’s meal bags as a gift to school children in Murree on Tuesday.

    The famous fast-food chain faced boycotts and protests internationally when it announced shortly after the October 7 attacks, that it would give free meals to the Israeli military. In many countries throughout the world, including Pakistan, McDonald’s was subjected to boycotts on allegations of aiding Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    On Monday, Maryam Nawaz visited a government girls high school in Murree where she inquired about the facilities in school, including health facilities.

    The very next day, the provincial government sent McDonald’s meal bags for the children.

    The PML-N’s also shared videos with their followers on X.

  • ‘Views my own about Saudi’s role in IK’s removal’; Marwat tries damage control for PTI

    ‘Views my own about Saudi’s role in IK’s removal’; Marwat tries damage control for PTI

    Sher Afzal Marwat has offered clarification on his allegation that Saudi Arabia was involved in the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022.

    Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “The statement made by me in live show was based on my personal views. I never claimed in my interview that the stance had any official backing of the PTI.”

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has ‘criticised’ its maverick member Sher Afzal Marwat for alleging that Saudi Arabia played a role in the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    PTI’s official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a statement which read, “Marwat’s views do not undermine the strategy or position of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in any way, nor do they consider them as factual statements. This may be his personal opinion which is not supported or approved by the leadership or workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf at any level.”

    Moreover, the post said that Saudi Arabia is one of Pakistan’s closest and most trusted Islamic brotherhood countries and Imran Khan had a relationship of mutual respect and trust with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS).

    Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s close aide Zulfi Bukhari also clarified on X, “Neither Imran Khan nor PTI holds any such opinion about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. KSA has ALWAYS been & will be our closest brotherly country.”

    He also said that the recent visit by the Saudi delegation is a testament to Pakistan’s brotherly relations with KSA.

    Moonis Elahi also said his piece on X, “I think Sher Afzal Marwat Sahib is mistaken. His recent statement against Saudi Arabia is also not correct because PM Imran Khan never mentioned Saudi Arabia in the regime change plan. As far as I remember, Khan Sahib has always used good words for the Saudi government.”

    Earlier, Sher Afzal Marwat, the popular Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member, in a talk show on GTV, gave a new twist to the alleged ‘regime change’ of 2022 when he remarked that Saudi Arabia was directly involved in the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan.

    “This regime change operation took place due to cooperation between the two countries Saudi Arabia and America. Saudis played the role of a conduit in the regime change,” said the PTI member.

    When anchorperson Gharida Farooqi said to Marwat that this is a very serious allegation because Saudi Arabia is a brotherly country of Pakistan, he replied that his allegations are a reality because KSA makes policies on the whims of the USA.

    “Someone made an allegation on Imran Khan that he did mimicry of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) and he got to know about it so that could also be the reason for this,”, said Marwat after being questioned by the journalist about Saudia’s motivation for it.

  • PTI to hold public rallies across country before by-elections

    PTI to hold public rallies across country before by-elections

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Wednesday that it will hold public rallies across the country, especially in Punjab, before the upcoming by-elections set to take place on April 21st.

    PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, along with party leader Sher Afzal Marwat, talked to journalists in front of Adiala jail about their meeting with party founder Imran Khan.

    The former Prime Minister asked Barrister Gohar Ali Khan to announce the party’s plan about public rallies in the country before by-polls. Imran Khan specifically assigned Sher Afzal Marwat to lead public rallies in Punjab.

    Furthermore, it was noted that Imran Khan instructed the party’s leadership to revamp the party’s activities nationwide, particularly in Punjab.

    Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, and Sher Afzal Marwat were given the responsibility to mobilize the party in Punjab and KP for upcoming by-elections. They were also tasked with organizing rallies before the elections. The party’s founder specifically assigned Sher Afzal Marwat to visit constituencies where the by-elections were happening.

  • US reaffirms support to Pakistan in managing economic crisis

    US reaffirms support to Pakistan in managing economic crisis

    As Pakistan, yet again, seeks a fresh International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package, United States Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller has remarked that America fully supports Pakistan in managing its debt crisis.

    “Pakistan has made progress to stabilise its economy, and we support its efforts to manage its daunting debt burden. We encourage the government to prioritise and expand economic reforms to address its economic challenges,” he said addressing a press briefing in Washington.

    He welcomed the recent staff-level agreement reached between the IMF and Pakistan on the second and final review under the $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement, which, if cleared by the IMF’s board, will release about $1.1 billion to the indebted country.

    Finance Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Aurangzeb, is currently in the US to hold meetings with the IMF for the recent lending package.

    The News reported that Pakistan intends to make a request for augmenting the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) through climate finance, so there is a possibility of securing $6 to $8 billion SBA.

  • Is Saudi Arabia going to invest $1billion in Balochistan mines?

    Is Saudi Arabia going to invest $1billion in Balochistan mines?

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said on Tuesday that the current visit of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Islamabad will mark the beginning of a fresh era of strategic and commercial partnerships between the two long-standing allies.

    The Saudi foreign minister came to Islamabad for a two-day visit to boost economic cooperation between the two countries and advance investment deals that were agreed upon earlier.

    “The visit is the beginning of a new era of strategic and commercial partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement from his office after he met Prince Faisal. “Pakistan wants to further promote cooperation in the fields of trade and investment between the two countries.”

    The PM stated that Pakistan is actively promoting foreign investment and making partnerships mutually beneficial for allies. He added that Islamabad appreciates the Saudi leadership for increasing investment.

    In a statement shared with media on Monday, the Pakistan information ministry said the Saudi delegation would consult with Pakistani officials “on the next stages of investment and implementation issues.”

    The ministry announced that they would discuss Saudi Arabia’s planned investment in the Reko Diq gold and copper mining project during the visit. The development comes after the media reported that Saudi Arabia is likely to invest $1 billion in the mine project in Balochistan.
    The investment will reportedly focus on energy, IT, minerals, defence, and agriculture sectors.

  • PTI-JUI-F dosti on the cards?

    PTI-JUI-F dosti on the cards?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have decided to increase their contacts on a party level. The former ruling party has launched a movement against rigging in recent general elections.

    Asad Qaiser, a PTI central leader, also confirmed that he talked on phone with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and wished him a happy Eid ul Fitr.

    “We exchanged views on the current political situation and the process of forming a government in our telephonic conversation,” Qaiser said in a statement, adding that both sides agreed on increasing party-level contacts.

    The former National Assembly (NA) speaker also spoke about his party’s concerns regarding Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) coalition government with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after the February 8 polls, calling for an organised public movement, calling it essential.

    The senior politician said that the PTI and the JUI-F have “ideological coordination” regarding the public movement.

  • Halaat kb behtar honge? Finance Minister gives timeline for structural reforms

    Halaat kb behtar honge? Finance Minister gives timeline for structural reforms

    Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb spoke at the US think tank Atlantic Council in Washington DC, stating that Pakistan needs two or three years to implement structural reforms prescribed by International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    The minister remarked that Pakistan does not need any more policy prescription from the IMF because it knows what it needs to do in terms of reforms.

    “We have known the what and why not for years but for decades. […] It’s time for us to actually start moving the execution of these aspects and why we’re looking for a larger and extended program, so once we get into the execution we will need a two to three-year time period to go through the structural reforms,” said Aurangzeb, previously the head of Pakistan’s largest bank.

    The minister also remarked that if Pakistan failed to implement reforms, then it would be looking at another IMF program later.

    The Finance czar was of the opinion that Pakistan entered 2024 in a much better economic shape and credited the nine-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) programme.

    He also emphasized that needs to bring the under-taxed and untaxed sectors into the national tax net and also said that taxation process needed reforms.

  • Bushra Bibi wants to leave Banigala sub-jail and go to Adiala Jail, court refuses request

    Bushra Bibi wants to leave Banigala sub-jail and go to Adiala Jail, court refuses request

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) turned down Bushra Bibi’s application, where she had requested a transfer from Bani Gala sub-jail to Adiala jail.

    IHC judge Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb heard the petition and showed discontent as the lawyer of the former first lady was late to court. Judge Aurangzeb rejected Bushra’s request, without the lawyer present.


    After the rejection was announced, Bushra’s lawyer Shoaib Shaheen reached court and said that he was late due to the long wait at checkposts.
    After her request to move to jail was denied, Shaheen urged the court to do a medical examination and address her health concerns. Bushra has alleged that she is being ‘slowly poisoned‘ at home.

  • PML-N leaders lambast the Faizabad Commission report

    PML-N leaders lambast the Faizabad Commission report

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticized the recently published report of the Faizabad Sit-in Inquiry Commission which gave a clean chit to the former Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) General (retd.) Faiz Hamid and blamed the then-government for the entire event.

    Asif opined that the report was neither authentic nor reliable, saying, “Faizabad commission was a joke as General (retd) Hamid and former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa did not appear before the commission but only political workers like me did.”

    Questioning the reliability of the commission members, the defence minister said that they were not serious when he appeared before the commission.

    “The Faizabad inquiry commission must introspect about whether it fulfilled its duty or not,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Khurram Dastgir, a senior PML-N member remarked on GTV that Pakistan has its own parliament and that is the only constitutional and right way to investigate this matter.

    “Without accruing criminal liability, parliament must call all those actors to inquire the allegations,” said the former defence minister.

    “We shouldn’t leave this up to the annals of history but bring out the truth through parliament,” remarked Dastgir.

    Remember the Faizabad dharna? The 2017 Faizabad sit-in was organized by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), led by Khadim Rizvi, on November 8 to protest amendments in the Elections Bill specifically the word ‘oath’ changed to ‘declaration’. On November 25, the government clashed with protestors after many attempts of ‘peace talks’, resulting in nationwide protests and the deaths of more than six people across Pakistan.

    Earlier, the Faizabad Dharna Inquiry Commission was formed after accusations were raised that the then Major General DG (Counter Intelligence), General Faiz (who later became D.G. ISI) was involved in the dharna to pressurise the government and to investigate the TLP 2017 sit-in. The Commission has finalized its report, seven years later, and has sent its report to the federal government. The report completely exonerates General (retd.) Faiz Hamid from any responsibilities in the incident.

    The three-member commission was headed by retired police officer Syed Akhtar Ali Shah and consisted of former IGP Islamabad Tahir Alam Khan and Additional Interior Secretary Khushal Khan.

    The report put the onus on the then-ruling PMLN government, for mishandling the right-wing religious party’s violent sit-in.

    The report said that the fallout from the Faizabad dharna was “more due to lack of courage of conviction of the leader handling the issue and in particular the government of Punjab”.

    The report stated that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had “confirmed that no individual/organization was involved in organizing or facilitating Faizabad Dharna”.

    Moreover, Mr Ahsan Iqbal, Mr Zahid Hamid, Mian Shehbaz Sharif and the then Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief were also asked about the alleged role of agencies in supporting the march and they all denied such allegations.

  • Ali Haider Zaidi accepts that PTI government relied too much on Gen Faiz

    Ali Haider Zaidi accepts that PTI government relied too much on Gen Faiz

    In a talk show on ARY News, Kashif Abbasi asked senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Haider Zaidi about the biggest mistake of the PTI government in his personal opinion. Zaidi remarked that their handling of political matters was weak.

    When the anchor asked the PTI leader whether there was too much reliance on General Faiz and establishment on convincing other MNAs on passing any bills in the parliament, Zaidi replied, “Imran Khan has accepted this himself, Khan said that we [Khan and establishment] were on very good terms and they used to help us during passing of budgets.”

    He remarked that in hindsight that was the biggest mistake PTI government made during their tenure but at the time it was difficult to comprehend due to the fog of war.

    He also emphasized that in every democratic society, decision-making should be completely political.

    Ali Zaidi said that he’s not coming back to politics until he “clears a lot of things with Imran Khan”. And then he asked the anchor, “Have I ever said anything against Imran Khan? Have I ever tweeted against PTI? Did I say anything against PTI since I’ve been in your program?”

    He blamed the party’s Core Committee for letting his family be vilified online due to their deliberate lies. “My daughter comes home from school and asks what they are saying about us,” he recounted.

    He emphasized that the committee members deliberately lie to get to upper ranks and expose internal party differences in public. He said that he would need to talk these things over with Imran Khan and let him know what these people did to us.