Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Maulana Fazlur Rehman warns of instability if Constitution overlooked

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman warns of instability if Constitution overlooked

    The Chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam- Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has warned that failure to adhere to the Constitution will lead the country towards instability and unrest.

    Speaking at an event in Karachi, he talked about this year’s general elections, labeling the incumbent constituent assembly a product of the establishment.

    Responding to the government’s proposed controversial constitutional amendments, Fazlur Rehman asserted, “Neither the opposition has a draft [of the proposed amendments], nor do the people know about any such document. Here, every institution wants to interfere in the other’s mandate. These can’t be called reforms by any means.”

    The head of JUI-F suggested that institutions operate within their own paradigm and strengthen themselves and expressed a wish to see a robust parliament, judiciary, and military.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been a formidable challenge for the government as he resisted the so-called twenty-sixth constitutional amendments despite having only five Senate votes, proving himself to be the decision-maker.

  • PTI supporters share old rally picture to claim Lahore rally success

    PTI supporters share old rally picture to claim Lahore rally success

    In an interesting development yesterday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters shared old pictures of the party rally on social media, alleging that the September 21 Lahore rally was successful.

    Many users pointed out that the images being shared by PTI-affiliated accounts are from the 2022 PTI rally and not yesterday.

    Journalists, including Sabir Shakir, Tariq Mateen, and Ihtisham ul Haq, shared misleading pictures yesterday claiming that the recent PTI rally has been a political success for the party.

    Ihtisham later deleted the picture when he was called out for sharing a fake image.

    Interestingly, AFP did a fact-check of a similar matter when PTI-affiliated accounts shared pictures from a 2022 rally to falsely claim that the September 8 rally in Islamabad had a huge number of people.

    PTI has conducted two rallies in the country despite immense difficulties including road closures and detention of party workers since the party founder termed the Lahore rally a “do or die” matter.

  • Ali Amin Gandapur’s arrest warrant issued

    Ali Amin Gandapur’s arrest warrant issued

    An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur over a Federal Judicial Complex vandalism case.

    ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, while turning down CM’s bail petition, stated that bail can not be given every time without a justified reason.

    The defendant’s lawyer informed the judge that the court should grant “one (more) chance,” assuring that “Ali Amin will [definitely] appear before the court.”

    Upon this, Judge Sipra reminded the lawyer that previously, a date for a hearing was fixed according to Gandapur’s availability, but he never showed up.

    ATC later adjourned the hearing of the case till October 3.

    ATC court also issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) leader Aamer Mehmood Kiani and PTI leader Raja Rashid Hafeez in a Federal Judicial Complex vandalising case.

    On March 18, 2023, PTI workers allegedly pelted stones at the authorities inside the premises of the Federal Judicial Complex during founder PTI Imran Khan’s hearing in court.

  • Baba jee stuck in time; Azma Bokhari addresses disinformation

    Baba jee stuck in time; Azma Bokhari addresses disinformation

    Minister of Information and Culture in Punjab, Azma Zahid Bokhari, has pointed out the false information posted by YouTuber Imran Riaz’s fan page.

    In 2022, a video was posted on Imran Riaz’s official account showing an old man urging the public to attend a PTI rally for the country’s future. However, in 2024, the same video was posted on the Imran Riaz fan page account, claiming that the old man was urging citizens to attend the rally to be held today in Lahore.

    In her tweet, Ms Bokhari wrote, “Baba G aik hi libaas main 2 saal pehly B wohi baatien kr rhy thy or aaj bhii wohi keh rahy hain.” She then jokingly advised the PTI, “Baba badal lain ya unhain bitha dain.”

    “Chor chori se jayee magar Hairaa pherii se Na Jayee,” she added

    Tweep Rab Nawaz Baloch, claimed, “The elderly man who was chanting ‘neutral’ slogan was seen leaving Youtuber Imran Riaz’s house in 2022 wearing the same costume.”

    Another netizen said, “Baba G abhii Naya Pakistan k raasty main hain.”

  • ‘Rejected amendments over concerns about military expansion,’ Maulana Fazlur Rehman clarifies

    ‘Rejected amendments over concerns about military expansion,’ Maulana Fazlur Rehman clarifies

    Chief Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while criticising the twenty-sixth constitutional amendments draft, said he rejected the controversial constitutional amendments due to fears of expansion of military rule.

    Speaking to the media in Multan on Friday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the proposed amendment provides exemptions to the military and limits the scope of basic rights.

    Showing concerns over the secrecy of the constitutional amendments draft, the Chief of JUI-F remarked, “Eventually, they (incumbent government) gave us a copy, but I cannot say for sure whether both copies are identical. We do not know if there have been additions or subtractions in the new version.”

    He added, “We told the government that this is merely a headline; show us the actual draft first, and then we will discuss.”

    Lambasting the incumbent government, Maulana alleged that modifications in the constitution were introduced to protect the coalition government, predicting, “This government is unlikely to complete its tenure.”

    Meanwhile, appearing on the Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the government will continue to pursue Maulana Fazlur Rehman over constitutional amendments.

    The Defence Minister advised JUI-F “Not to doubt the [ruling parties]’s intentions.”

  • Speeches against the army and judiciary will not be allowed: Speaker Ayaz Sadiq

    Speeches against the army and judiciary will not be allowed: Speaker Ayaz Sadiq

    Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq said on Friday, “Pakistan’s constitution declares that there can be no talk against the armed forces and the judiciary; therefore, speeches against the army and the judiciary will be stopped.”

    In the past and the present, both the opposition and the government benches have discussed diverse topics, including the country’s institutions.

    Ayaz Sadiq said in an informal conversation with the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) yesterday: ‘I am not talking about retired judiciary members. I am talking about the present service that we cannot talk by taking their name in this way. Speeches against the judiciary and the army will not be aired; we will cut them. We give maximum time to the opposition on our website but will cut such speeches.”

    On the topic of the recent failed attempt by the coalition government to pass the constitutional amendments, the speaker expressed ignorance over the details of the draft.

    He also stated that law enforcement agencies have no role in postponing the sessions of parliament even though, in the past, that was true.

    “In the past, we were told that the NAB Chairman could not be called into the parliament, and the session of NA used to be cancelled,” revealed Sadiq.

  • Over 20 PTI workers arrested in Lahore, Azma Bokhari claims they attacked police

    Over 20 PTI workers arrested in Lahore, Azma Bokhari claims they attacked police

    More than 20 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were detained by Lahore police for holding a corner meeting in Gulberg area of the city.

    While the party claims to be preparing for the upcoming procession in Lahore, Gulberg police said that the PTI workers pelted stones and opened fire when police officials arrived.

    The police van was damaged in the violence, the police claimed.

    Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bokhari also shared videos on X (formerly Twitter) calling out “Tehreek-e-Fisad” (movement of chaos).

    Azma wrote that the “Gangsters of this movement of chaos have already started burning and encircling the roads, now if we take action against them, they will start crying in protest.”

    Taking a jibe at PTI’s leadership, who are repeatedly asking people to stay peaceful, Azma shared several videos on social media captioning that these people are rooming around Main Boulevard Gulbarg in Lahore, “Listen to the peaceful speeches of their so-called leaders while actually this is their real face.”

  • National Assembly Secretariat declares PTI lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council members

    National Assembly Secretariat declares PTI lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council members

    The National Assembly Secretariat has issued a new list of party positions in the National Assembly (NA) and declared all Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members.

    According to the new list, seats in the coalition government of political parties is two hundred thirteen as Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), hold one hundred ten seats; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has sixty-nine seats, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has twenty-two seats.

    Meanwhile, on the opposition benches, SIC has eighty seats, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has eight seats, and PTI independent supporters have eight members.

    Secretariat officials did not mention twenty-three reserved seats and declared them disputed.

    Earlier, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had penned a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on September 19 stating that after the Elections Act Amendments, 2024, has been passed by the parliament, the Supreme Court’s reserved seats verdict of July 12 can no longer be implemented

  • No rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Punjab govt notifies PTI

    No rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Punjab govt notifies PTI

    The Punjab government has decided to allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a rally in Lahore but not at the Greater Iqbal Park at Minar-e-Pakistan.

    In a high-level district intelligence committee meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore, various suggestions were floated whether to allow PTI to hold a rally in Lahore or not, Geo News reported.

    DC Lahore also sought a security report from Punjab police.

    The Lahore High Court, while rejecting an appeal for the suspension of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally scheduled on September 21 in Lahore, directed the DC on Friday to decide the venue for the rally by 5 PM today.

    Justice Tariq Nadeem lamented, “All the bureaucracy has left their work to be in the court today; the world has progressed so much. What message are we giving to the world?”

  • Constitutional court necessary if citizens unsatisfied with existing judicial system: Bilawal Bhutto

    Constitutional court necessary if citizens unsatisfied with existing judicial system: Bilawal Bhutto

    Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday that he supported the coalition government’s proposed formation of constitutional courts in the since-postponed constitutional amendment legislation.

    “At least 50 percent of the cases in Supreme Court are constitutional — which consumed 90 percent of the time,” claimed the PPP leader, asking why a separate court should not be established for better dispensation of justice.

    Bhutto also emphasised that if citizens are not satisfied with the current judicial system, then a constitutional court must be established.

    Interestingly, the former foreign minister also stated that the proposed legislation by the government was “inadequate” because constitutional courts should be established at the provincial level as well.

    He also stressed that there is a need to revise the judicial appointment system, saying, “Parliament has decided that people will decide who will become the judge.”

    Bilawal alleged, “In Pakistan, there is a tradition that if you’re someone’s relative, you can become a judge,” adding that it has severely damaged the judicial system in Pakistan.