Current Final

Category: Politics

  • ‘A lie’; Donald Lu slams allegations of involvement in Khan removal

    ‘A lie’; Donald Lu slams allegations of involvement in Khan removal

    US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu has categorically denied former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s allegations that he engineered the PTI founder’s removal from government.

    Testifying before a Congressional panel on Wednesday morning in Washington DC, Lu minced no words when asked about the allegations. “I wanna be very clear on this point, this conspiracy theory is a lie, it is a complete falsehood,” he stated. He was the key witness before a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee.

    Imran Khan and his party, along with its coalition government, was removed from power in April 2022 after a Vote of No Confidence, the first successful one in Pakistan’s history.

    Lu said during the hearing- titled ‘Pakistan After the elections: Examining the future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US Pakistan relationship- that Pakistan’s envoy to Washington Asad Majeed also testified to his government that there was no conspiracy. “We respect the sovereignty of Pakistan, we respect the principle that Pakistani people should be the only ones to choose their leader through democratic process,” he observed.

  • Teacher arguing with Maryam Nawaz not fired, Geo Fact-Check reveals

    Teacher arguing with Maryam Nawaz not fired, Geo Fact-Check reveals

    Following Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s visit to an all-girls’ high school in Lahore, social media had a large number of posts claiming that one of the school teachers was dismissed after posing questions regarding Nawaz’s male security members.

    Geo FactCheck, however, deemed the claims as false.

    Samina Shahid, the public school teacher who went viral, was contacted by Geo Fact Check and she confirmed that she has not been sacked.

    Her claims were also verified through other government personnel.

    “The [social media posts] are false. There is no truth to them,” Geo Fact Check quotes Shahid who spoke to the team over the phone on March 15, “I am speaking to you right now sitting in my office.”

    Additionally, the chief executive officer of Lahore’s district education authority, Pervaiz Akhtar, also confirmed that no teacher was fired following the visit.

    Azma Zahid Bokhari, the information minister in Punjab, stated likewise.

    “No action against any teaching or non-teaching staff has been taken by school administration after the visit of the chief minister Punjab to the government pilot girls high school Lahore,” Bokhari told Geo Fact Check via messages.

  • ‘Crack open the heads of the officers who ask for bribe,’ Ali Amin Gandapur

    ‘Crack open the heads of the officers who ask for bribe,’ Ali Amin Gandapur

    In a recent address in Syed Alian village, Dera Ismail Khan, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, has stirred controversy with an unconventional and violent proposal on dealing with corruption within bureaucratic ranks.

    Speaking to attendees, Gandapur said, “Crack open the head of the officers who ask for a bribe with a brick and then come to me instead of complaining about the bribe taker.”

    Gandapur told the attendees to “announce that Ali Amin asked me to do so,” after the violent act.

    He further went and said, “Tell the offspring of that officer that you have saved their father from hell.”

    Gandapur’s remarks, delivered in a no-nonsense tone, urged citizens not to lodge complaints about bribery but instead to take direct action against the perpetrators.

    CM KP emphasized that both the bribe-taker and the giver will be going to hell so the people should neither become hellish nor let him be.

  • Gen Asim Munir, Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Salman discuss military cooperation

    Gen Asim Munir, Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Salman discuss military cooperation

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz on Wednesday to discuss military cooperation between both countries.

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a press release saying that the army chief met with the Saudi prince during an official visit to the Gulf Kingdom.

    “Wide-ranging issues of mutual interest, including regional peace and security and bilateral defence and security cooperation, came under discussion,” the ISPR statement read.

    During the meeting, the prince stressed that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan shared strong and brotherly relations with each other, adding that they stood for each other. 

    After that, the COAS thanked the Saudi prince for his warm sentiments and support towards Pakistan.

    According to state-run Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Minister of Defence Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, National Security Advisor Dr Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Chief of General Intelligence Khalid bin Ali Al-Humaidan, Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Al-Malki attended the meeting.

  • Mohsin Naqvi seeks to review social media laws amid nationwide X disruption

    Mohsin Naqvi seeks to review social media laws amid nationwide X disruption

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has sought a review of social media laws to prevent misuse, as the popular social networking platform X has been disrupted nationwide for over a month.

    X, formerly Twitter, is not accessible to millions of Pakistani citizens without a VPN, getting suspended before the February 8 general elections.

    “Social media laws should be envisaged,” Naqvi said while speaking to journalists in Lahore on Tuesday, adding that “social media is being misused. Social media regulations have been implemented across the globe.”

    Mohsin Naqvi also said that it is necessary to maintain a difference between freedom of expression and spreading propaganda. “Everyone has the right to freedom of speech; however, it should not be misused.”

    The interior minister also said smear campaigns against politicians, the judiciary, and other national institutions should be stopped, further adding that there should be the implementation of social media laws in the country.

  • Donald Lu expresses concerns over Feb 8 election irregularities

    Donald Lu expresses concerns over Feb 8 election irregularities

    Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu has pointed out irregularities in the Feb 8 polls and said that the United States (US) is committed to making Pakistani democratic institutions stronger, Geo reported on Wednesday.

    Lu will attend a Congressional panel hearing about Pakistan today.

    The hearing titled ‘Pakistan after the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship,’ has been announced by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, where the assistant secretary will be a key witness.

    Donald Lu submitted his testimony on Tuesday to the Subcommittee, in which he pointed out a number of issues between the two countries and how US policy will look in Pakistan in the future.

    He mentioned that the State Department had issued a clear statement the day after the general elections in Pakistan last month, noting undue restrictions on the freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.

    He also said that the State Department issued a statement on the next day of polls last month, and it was clearly mentioned in the statement that there were restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.

  • Asfandyar Wali wins defamation case against PTI leader

    Asfandyar Wali wins defamation case against PTI leader

    In a significant legal victory, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has emerged triumphant in a defamation lawsuit against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former provincial minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, resulting in a Rs150 million judgment in his favor.

    Additional district and session judge Ejazur Rehman Qazi announced an ex parte verdict in the case as Yousafzai didn’t attend court proceedings.

    Asfandyar had sued the PTI leader through his counselsc Tariq Afghan and Sajeed Afridi, for alleging in a presser on July 25, 2019, that the ANP chief had “sold Pashtuns for $25 million.”

    Yousafzai was the spokesman for the then-PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    The counsel for Asfandyar told the court that their client was the son of Pakhtun leader Khan Abdul Wali Khan and the grandson of Pakhtun leader Bacha Khan, both prominent leaders of international repute in the Independence Movement.

    They emphasized Asfandyar Wali Khan’s extensive political experience, having served multiple terms in the National Assembly, as well as in the Senate and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

    The court noted that while the plaintiff presented six witnesses and substantial evidence, the defendant failed to attend court proceedings and produced only one witness. Consequently, the court proceeded ex parte against Yousafzai.

    In its detailed judgment, the court emphasized that the burden of proof lay with the defendant, who failed to provide any evidence to substantiate his allegations. The court determined that the derogatory remarks made by Yousafzai during the press conference were defamatory and lacked any justification or explanation.

    Based on the evidence presented, the court ruled in favor of Asfandyar, awarding him Rs100 million in damages and an additional Rs50 million in aggravated damages. The judgment underscored that the plaintiff had successfully established his case and was entitled to the decree sought.

  • Parvez Elahi suffers bone injury after slipping in Adiala washroom

    Parvez Elahi suffers bone injury after slipping in Adiala washroom

    The former chief minister of Punjab and president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, suffered a bone injury after falling in the Adiala jail washroom on Monday.

    The deputy superintendent of Adiala Jail brought forward a medical report to an anti-corruption court during a hearing about illegal recruitments in the Punjab Assembly.

    The deputy superintendent informed the judge that the former chief minister fell in the washroom yesterday (March 17), resulting in a fracture.

    The court has postponed the hearing of the indictment against Elahi and others until April 4 due to his absence in court.

    Parvez Elahi has been detained in multiple cases for several months.

  • Hassan, Hussain Nawaz are free from all cases

    Hassan, Hussain Nawaz are free from all cases

    The Accountability Court in Islamabad has taken a significant step in the cases involving Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, sons of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

    The court has acquitted them in the Flagship, Al-Azizia, and Avenfield cases, which are being handled by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

    Earlier, the court also suspended the perpetual arrest warrants after the voluntary appearance of the brothers before the court after reaching Lahore on March 13.

    They were received by their father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, at his residence, Jati Umrah.

    In addition to suspending the arrest warrants, the court also granted bail to Hassan and Hussain Nawaz. As part of the bail conditions, each of them had to provide bail bonds worth Rs50,000.

    Both suspects made their appearances in court to mark their attendance. The court has summoned the NAB for the following day regarding the bail applications of the brothers. Furthermore, the court has approved their request to appoint a pleader, and they have chosen Rana Muhammad Irfan for the task.

    This decision from the accountability court comes after seven years, ever since the warrants for the brothers were issued, declaring them absconders.

  • Shahid Khaqan Abbasi hints at launching his new political party

    Shahid Khaqan Abbasi hints at launching his new political party

    Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has hinted at launching a new political party soon, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

    “We are holding consultations and groundwork is in progress for a new political party,” he told the media while arriving for a NAB hearing. “The country needs a new political party,” he said.

    The senior politician requested that the president and prime minister abolish the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as it is necessary to save the country.

    “I don’t want withdrawal of cases against me but decision on all these cases,” he said.

    Abbasi also said on a question regarding his meet-up with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawab Sharif that “I am ready to meet him, when he will summon.”