Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Senate drops bill to outlaw ‘violent, radical’ groups in politics

    Senate drops bill to outlaw ‘violent, radical’ groups in politics

    Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has dropped the controversial Prohibition of Extremism bill that could potentially ban “any extremist or violent” organisation in the political sphere.

    The bill, presented by State Minister Shahadat Awan, was dropped when members expressed anger over the legalisation.

    The Senate Chairman said, “The government can decide whether it wants to pursue this bill or not […] but for now, I am dropping it”.

    A majority of Senators, including the Balochistan National Party’s (BNP) Tahir Bizenjo, opposed the bill, expressing their displeasure that such choices are taken only at the wish of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) without any consultations.

    A sizable chunk of senators have said that the bill is “dangerous for democracy”.

    Jamaat-e-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that “This bill will be the last nail in democracy’s coffin.”

  • Bilawal Bhutto attends unveiling of Benazir Bhutto’s statue at Madame Tussauds in Dubai

    Bilawal Bhutto attends unveiling of Benazir Bhutto’s statue at Madame Tussauds in Dubai

    Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the Commemoration Ceremony at which a wax figure of his mother, the Muslim world’s first female Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Dubai.

    In a tweet on Sunday, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman said that, “With immense pride and humility, I attended the unveiling of the statue of the first Pakistani personality to be commemorated at Madame Tussauds today in Dubai – the inimitable, the indomitable, the irreplaceable, my mother, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.”

    He hoped that  statue will serve to inspire generations to come and remind us of the enduring resonance of the values of his mother lived and fought for – democracy, justice, human rights, rule of law, compassion, and freedom.

    He further expressed gratitude to the Madame Tussauds Dubai on behave of the Bhutto Family for the gesture, he said, “My family and I, and indeed, all Pakistanis are profoundly grateful to Madame Tussauds Dubai for honouring Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s memory and legacy.”

    The late Benazir Bhutto was the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Muslim world. She became the head of the country at the age of 35, after a prolonged fight against the dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq, who had hanged her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

    Benazir Bhutto was killed in a terrorist attack in Rawalpindi after giving a speech at an election rally in December 2007. Just two months earlier, she had survived a terrorist attack on her convoy after her triumphant return to Pakistan.

  • ‘Elections either in three months or two years’; Raja Riaz sets alarm bells ringing

    ‘Elections either in three months or two years’; Raja Riaz sets alarm bells ringing

    Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, has set alarm bells ringing with his prediction that if elections are not held within three months, they will be delayed for two years.

    “I can see two scenarios. I have told you about them both,” he told Dawn News in an interview. When prompted if he had been told this by someone, Riaz clarified that it was what he can foresee based on his political experience.

    “There are two positions. One, if you look at democracy and constitution, general elections should take place within 90 days,” he said. However, he added that considering the severe economic challenges the country is facing, “a decision in the nation’s interest should be taken.”

    He also expressed the opinion that a caretaker setup should be given at least one year to fix the economic problems.

    Raja Riaz is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday to give names for his nominees of caretaker Prime Minister.

  • Nawaz will face the law after return to the country, Shehbaz confirms

    Nawaz will face the law after return to the country, Shehbaz confirms

    According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, will face the law after his return to Pakistan.

    In an interview on Geo News’ ‘Jirga’, Shehbaz Sharif said that his brother, the former prime minister who has been living in London since 2019, will come back to his homeland in the next few weeks.

    Shahbaz Sharif further said that “Nawaz Sharif will return home and face the courts and he is not like Imran Khan who is not respecting the law while living in this country”

    In a response to a question, PM Shehbaz called the May 9 riots, which were started by the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a corruption case, a conspiracy against Pakistan.

    The Prime Minister further said, “Those involved in the May 9 incidents wanted to overthrow the military leadership”.

    Shehbaz Sharif also said that the people involved in the May 9 riots as well as the planners of this incident wanted “anarchy” and “civil war”.

    To another question, the prime minister said that his government struggled hard to bring the country back from default risk and restore the lost dignity of Pakistan.

  • 44 killed, 200 injured in suicide blast at JUI-F workers’ convention

    44 killed, 200 injured in suicide blast at JUI-F workers’ convention

    Almost 44 people have been killed in a suicide in a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) worker’s convention In Bajaur on Sunday. The caretaker Information Minister, Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, told Geo News that the explosion occurred during a JUI-F leader’s address, resulting in more than 200 injuries.
    According to the district emergency officer, the injured are being transported to Timergara and Peshawar.


    Samiullah, a cameraman for Geo News, is one of the injured and has been taken to the Lower Dir district headquarter hospital as reports emerged that he is reportedly in severe condition.


    Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat has confirmed that the first investigation indicated that the attack was a suicide bombing.
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed officials to investigate the attack and identify those who are responsible for it.

  • Former KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan gets expelled by PTI

    Former KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan gets expelled by PTI

    After joining the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday terminated the membership of the former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mahmood Khan.


    Wilson Wazeer, Ishtia Urmar, Iqbal Wazeer, Yaqoob Sheikh, and Shafiq Afridi, all former KP legislators, have also been dismissed from the PTI.
    Days after being expelled from the PTI earlier this month, Pervez Khattak, a former close aide to Imran Khan, founded PTI-Parliamentarians.
    On announcing the launch of the new party, the former defense minister condemned the attacks of May 9.


    “Our existence is directly linked to that of Pakistan. PTI is now completely finished in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the former provincial chief minister said.


    Two other close aides, Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan, along with other individuals, founded the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party last month.

  • Rana Sanaullah says Dar ‘neither nominated nor rejected’ for caretaker PM slot.

    Rana Sanaullah says Dar ‘neither nominated nor rejected’ for caretaker PM slot.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said on Friday that no one proposed the name of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for caretaker Prime Minister.

    “Neither was Ishaq Dar’s name suggested, nor was it rejected. It can be a rumour,” the minister remarked while speaking on Geo News’ programme “Geo Pakistan”.

    Admitting that discussions are currently taking place about the interim setup, Sanaullah said that the caretaker Minister should be a politician or a bureaucrat.

    “In case there’s a consensus that a politician can be appointed, then it can either be Ishaq Dar or any other politician from any party,” he said.
    He offered assurances that the government will appoint a suitable person on the position.

    As yet many names have surfaced in various reports and rumors about who will get the coveted position of caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, including Ishaq Dar, caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi and textile baron Gohar Ijaz.

  • Shabbar Zaidi says Pakistan would have economically collapsed had Imran Khan govt continued

    Shabbar Zaidi says Pakistan would have economically collapsed had Imran Khan govt continued

    The economic performance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has been criticised by Shabbar Zaidi, one of its own highest ranking officials.

    In an interview with Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada, Zaidi said that Pakistan would have economically collapsed had the PTI government continued.

    “Had this […] government continued, the party would not have even secured 5% votes as the country would have economically collapsed,” the former Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) head, appointed with much fanfare at the time by Imran Khan, said on the show.

    Accusing the then-Prime Minister of not “listening” to anyone who was offering advice to rectify the government’s shortcomings, Zaidi said that Imran Khan did remove Asad Umar as Finance Minister when told of the government’s poor performance.

    He narrated an incident where 40 parliamentarians, led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, barged into his office after he “mistakenly” sent a tax notice to a landlord in Multan.

    He also accused Asad Qaiser, the former Speaker of the National Assembly of preventing the tobacco industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from being brought into the tax net.

    “You cannot do this…you cannot enter our areas,” Qaiser told Zaidi.

    Shabbar Zaidi was the head of FBR from 2019 till 2020.

  • Taliban attack PPP leader’s house in Nowshera after asking for Rs1 crore extortion

    Taliban attack PPP leader’s house in Nowshera after asking for Rs1 crore extortion

    According to a report in The News, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Pir Muhammad Aslam’s house was partially damaged after a hand grenade attack on Friday in Nowshera district’s Risalpur.  

    In a report registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station, the PPP leader said that he had received a threatening letter from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on July 1.

    Aslam also told the police that the Taliban was demanding Rs1 Crore from him, mentioning the amount in the letter.

    The complainant had received phone calls from Afghanistan phone numbers to arrange money or face “dire consequences”.

    Pir Aslam also mentioned that he also received phone calls from Pakistani numbers, in which the Taliban threatened to eliminate his whole family if he did not arrange the money.

    This is not happening for the first time. Last year, in October, senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister Atif Khan also received a letter from the Taliban demanding Rs8 million as extortion.

  • New vehicles for government officials; LHC issues notices to Punjab caretaker govt

    New vehicles for government officials; LHC issues notices to Punjab caretaker govt

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to the Punjab caretaker government and others after hearing a petition filed against the purchase of new vehicles for government officials.


    The lawyer of the Punjab government objected to the admissibility of the application, while the petitioner, Shiraz Altaf, has made the Punjab caretaker government and others a party, asserting that public money should be used for the welfare of the people.

    The petitioner said that the caretaker government can only run the daily running of the province, having no public mandate, it cannot use public funds. The court has been requested to annul the notification of purchase of new vehicles for officers.