Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Khan’s police security at Bani Gala withdrawn

    Khan’s police security at Bani Gala withdrawn

    The Islamabad Police Friday withdrew security from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Bani Gala, reports Geo News.

    “Bani Gala is the former prime minister’s private residence. He has not been staying in Islamabad for the past several months,” a spokesperson for the capital’s police said, explaining why the security withdrawal with Geo News.

    According to media reports, one Deputy Superintendent of Police and 170 police personnel were deployed at Khan’s Islamabad home. 50 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) policemen have also left Khan’s Bani Gala house. The security personnel perform their duties in different shifts at Khan’s residence.

    The Punjab Home Department has also written to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to withdraw KP Police from the former prime minister’s home in Lahore’s Zaman Park.

  • ‘He cannot make accusations every time his wife has a dream’: Bilawal roars at Khan for accusations on his father

    ‘He cannot make accusations every time his wife has a dream’: Bilawal roars at Khan for accusations on his father

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to task for the allegations he made against Asif Ali Zardari.


    Tweeting from his official account, the foreign minister minced no words while responding to Imran Khan’s statement that former President Asif Ali Zardari was plotting to assassinate him.


    Bilawal wrote that after terrorist outfits called him and his party out by name in direct threats, Imran Khan has now made false accusations against his father.

    “These statements increase threats to my father, my family and my party. We take them seriously given our history,” tweeted Bilawal, whose mother, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a terrorist attack in 2007.

    “We are exploring legal responses to Imran latest defamatory and dangerous accusations. In the past he threatened my father that he was ‘in the crosshairs of his gun’. His and his associates history as both sympathisers and facilitators of terrorists are well documented”, said Bilawal.

    “Imran must realize every time his wife has a dream he cannot just come on tv and make accusations about people. Her dreams won’t stand up in court,” said Bilawal taking a jibe at the former First Lady, Bushra Bibi.

    “His latest accusation that my family has any association to a terrorist organization or that we would employ them to cause him harm not only defies logic but exposes us all to an increased threat.”

    Stating that PPP will challenge Imran, Bilawal said that populist fiction cannot be allowed to dominate our discourse, poison our politics and damage our democracy. “We will not tolerate being victims of terrorist and put up with propaganda from their political front men.”

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “Imran Niazi’s baseless & dangerous allegations against former President Asif Ali Zardari are not only irresponsible but also conform to a pattern of conspiracy theories meant to spread venom against his political opponents.”

    “Such nonsensical rhetoric is an attempt to remain politically relevant. The whole nation knows how he has used politics of hatred to divide the society for the sake of power.”

    Adviser to the Prime Minister, Qamar Zaman Kaira, also responded to Imran Khan’s accusations, stating that PPP will not let Imran Khan off the hook for alleging that former Asif Ali Zardari plotted to kill him.

    Imran Khan had alleged on Friday in a televised speech that PPP Co-Chairman Zardari was plotting and financing an assassination attempt for which the ex-president had hired terrorists.

    Kaira, a PPP stalwart, rejected the allegations as “atrocious”. He said that the allegations had gone beyond lies, promising that PPP won’t spare Imran Khan.

    “A former prime minister talks about his alleged assassination plan. The court should order an investigation. If his allegations are genuine, then those responsible should be brought to the book. If the allegations are proven untrue, Imran should be punished,” said Kaira while speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Sath.

    PPP leader Kasim Gillani also spoke up tweeting, “The absolutely vile, slanderous and defamatory allegations by Imran Khan against President Asif Zardari will be responded to robustly and legally.”

    Khan had claimed that four people orchestrated a plan “behind closed doors” to assassinate him.

    “I got to know about it and then I recorded a video explaining the attack. In a public rally, I announced that I would release the video if something happened to me. They stepped back after this,” said Khan.

    Without naming anyone again, Khan said that another plan was made to have me killed by a religious extremist — hinting towards the November 3, 2022, Wazirabad attack, where he was shot in the legs and is still recovering from the injuries.

    “Now, there’s a Plan C. Asif Zardari is behind it. He has amassed a lot of money through corruption, invested that money with terrorists and hired a militant organisation.”

  • India and Pakistan were close to nuclear war, claims former US Secretary of State

    India and Pakistan were close to nuclear war, claims former US Secretary of State

    Former United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed on Tuesday in his new memoir that arch rivals— India and Pakistan— were on the verge of nuclear war in February 2019.

    Pompeo, who served in President Donald Trump’s tenure, has written in ‘Never Give an Inch: Fighting for America I Love’ that he does “not think the world properly knows just how close the India-Pakistan rivalry came to spilling over into a nuclear conflagration in February 2019.”

    He says at the time, he was informed by his Indian counter-partner that Pakistan had begun to prepare for a nuclear strike on India. However, he asked him to give it some time to sort out the matter. Later, he reached out to Pakistani former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    The ex-army chief told Pompeo that Indian allegations were baseless. He believed the Indians were preparing their nuclear weapons for deployment.

    Moreover, the former US official said that it took them a few hours and remarkably good work by their teams on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad to convince both countries to desist.

    In February 2019, Delhi launched strikes to attack Pakistan after a militant attack on Indian troops in Kashmir. However, Pakistan shot down two Indian military jets and captured a fighter pilot who later was released.

    In 1974, India became the first country in the region to become a nuclear power while Pakistan attained nuclear power in 1998.

    It is pertinent to mention that neither India nor Pakistan has commented so far on Pompeo’s claims.

  • Does Shireen Mazari use Imran Khan’s Twitter account?

    Does Shireen Mazari use Imran Khan’s Twitter account?

    Anchorperson Shafaat Ali shared a 1:50 minutes audio recording of a Twitter space, titled, “Demand release of Fawad Ch. & PTI position with PTI Leadership”.

    Shafaat also posted a screenshot of the space, showing that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson, Imran Khan, had joined the space from his official Twitter account. He was one of the speakers who was to talk in the space.

    It was being assumed that many had joined the space thinking it was Khan who would be addressing and talking to people. And then the account spoke up.

    To everyone’s surprise, it was former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, speaking from Khan’s official account.

    This leads to the oft-asked question: Does Shireen Mazari run and use Imran Khan’s official Twitter account?

  • ‘Sorry’: Elahi apologises for remarks against Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘Sorry’: Elahi apologises for remarks against Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Thursday apologised for criticizing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry who was arrested on Tuesday morning.

    Elahi took to Twitter to apologise for his comments, stating that he has old ties with Fawad’s family. He added that his remarks hurt the sentiments of Fawad’s family for which he is sorry.

    Elahi took a jibe on Thursday at the close aide of the PTI chief Imran Khan. Talking about Chaudhry’s recent arrest, he said it would have been better had he been arrested earlier.

    Addressing an event, Elahi said: “Imran Khan’s close aides struck at the roots of PTI. One out of four or five people, who are close to Khan, has been arrested. Things would have been better had he been arrested earlier. Moonis takes good thing about him but well I speak the truth.”

    Elahi also said that had his government been allowed to continue for a full year, the politics of their archrivals, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, would have been buried.

  • No plan to arrest Imran Khan, says Khawaja Asif

    No plan to arrest Imran Khan, says Khawaja Asif

    Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif has denied that there is any plan to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, rejecting allegations that the government wants to arrest him.

    Speaking on the Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” on Wednesday, Asif said that Imran Khan is attempting to exert pressure on the judiciary and other institutions.

    He also said that PTI uses abusive language towards the country’s institutions.

    Talking about PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry’s arrest, Asif said that if the judiciary grants bail to Chaudhry, the government would have no problem with that.

    The defence minister also stressed that the government will not abuse the law as Khan did during his time in power.

    On Thursday, President Dr Arif Alvi said that if Imran Khan will be arrested, it would lead to a severe public reaction.

    It is reported on Thursday that PTI workers and supporters spent the second consecutive night outside Khan’s Zaman Park residence to stop the police from arresting the PTI chief.

  • Khan gave his Zaman Park home to Bushra Bibi in Haq meher, claims Javed Chaudhry

    Journalist Javed Chaudhry has published another column containing sensational claims about Imran Khan. In the article published on Thursday, Chaudhry gave details of a discussion he had with Khan’s former close aide, Awn Chaudhry. Over breakfast, the two discussed a host of issues including how the former Prime Minister came to marry his third wife, Bushra Bibi.

    The journalist wrote that Khan met Bushra Bibi after his divorce from Reham Khan in November 2015 at Bibi’s ex-husband Khawar Farid Maneka’s residence. Later, she rented a three-kanal house in Bani Gala, Islamabad. After that, Khan started to meet Bushra daily.

    Awn Chaudhry told the journalist that Bibi first offered her daughter’s hand in marriage to Imran Khan. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman turned down the proposal as she was quite young.

    Javed wrote that Awn was told by Khan in December 2016 that they would be going to Lahore for his and Bushra Bibi’s nikkah.

    Awn revealed that Bibi asked for Imran Khan’s Bani Gala house in her Haq Meher. Javed claimed that Awn said that he didn’t agree to this demand, however, Khan immediately agreed. Later, Imran Khan’s primary residence in Zaman Park Lahore house and a seven-kanal plot in Bani Gala were written in Haq Meher for Bibi.

    About Reham and Khan’s marriage, Awn said that Khan gave Reham a divorce the moment she landed in London in 2015, Javed claimed. He went on to say that Awn recalled that Imran Khan was depressed about the divorce and he had never seen him as worried as he was.


    Javed wrote that Awn told him that the divorce took place after Khan consulted Bushra Bibi on the matter.

  • ‘Fawad Chaudhry’s face shouldn’t have been covered’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad Khan

    ‘Fawad Chaudhry’s face shouldn’t have been covered’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad Khan

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Malik Ahmad Khan has said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry should not have been presented in court with a white cloth covering his face.

    “If any kind of brutality happens with Fawad, I will condemn it. If due process is not followed, or in case of mistreatment, I will be the first one to [protest]. His face shouldn’t have been covered yesterday. They should have presented him in court openly,” said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader while addressing a press conference on Thursday.

    However, Malik believed that Fawad should not have threatened the Election Commission and their families. He said that his relationship with Chaudhry spans 30 years. “The one who threatened the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) isn’t the Fawad I know,” said Malik Khan.

    Former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar tweeted that such actions by the ECP will damage the remaining reputation of the institution.

    Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail also spoke up, tweeting, “Fawad should not have been arrested and handcuffed.”

    Stating that Chaudary was wrong to threaten ECP officials and families, Miftah said he should have instead been served a notice. “IK was wrong to jail us for months without charge only—-because we opposed him.”

    Former Chairman Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani, said that the Chaudhary’s arrest under section 124A, PPC, 1860, for sedition is unwarranted.

    The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), deploring the continuous use of archaic, colonial laws against sedition by successive governments against their political opponents, said that Fawad Chaudhry was the latest in the series.

    “The charges must be dropped immediately, and the government of the day must act more responsibly,” the human rights watchdog has stated.

    Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) also strongly condemned Fawad Chaudhry’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.

    SCBA termed his arrest a classic example of abuse of power and political victimisation.

  • ECP asks finance ministry for additional Rs14 billion for elections

    ECP asks finance ministry for additional Rs14 billion for elections

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has requested the Ministry of Finance for more money for elections on vacant seats in National Assembly (NA), and by-elections in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    According to the electoral body, the expenses of general elections have increased from Rs 47 billion to Rs 61 billion, incurring the need for an additional amount of Rs 14 billion.

    ECP has also proposed April 9 to 13 for the elections in Punjab and April 15 to 17 for elections in KP and asked the Governors of both provinces to select a date within the given timeline.

    The KP Assembly was dissolved on January 18 while the Punjab Assembly was dissolved on January 14 on the directives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan whose party was in majority in both provinces.

    In Punjab, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi was sworn in as the caretaker Chief Minister (CM) on January 22, while Mohammad Azam Khan has taken oath as the KP chief executive on January 21.

  • Nawaz directs Rana Sanaullah, Maryam Nawaz to lead PML-N

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz have been given instructions by party supremo Nawaz Sharif to lead rallies and meetings ahead of the upcoming general elections in Punjab.

    Rana Sanaullah met the father and daughter in London where Nawaz briefed the two senior members of the party on what their roles would be.

    Nawaz instructed the interior minister to mobilise party workers in the province for the upcoming elections. Moreover, PML-N leaders also held consultations on party appointments in Punjab and on inter-party elections.

    The federal minister and Maryam Nawaz both are expected to land back home on January 28.

    Taking to Twitter, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb wrote: “There has been a change in the time of PML-N’s senior vice president and chief organiser Maryam Nawaz’s return home. Maryam Nawaz sahiba will now reach Lahore at 3:50pm on Saturday, January 28.”

    On January 12, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi signed the summary for the dissolution of the provincial assembly. Elections are now set to take place in the province within the next three months.

    Maryam Nawaz likely to return back on January 22

    Earlier, it was reported that Maryam is likely to return to Pakistan on January 22.

    According to media reports, the senior leadership of the party decided on Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s return to the political fray while her father, Nawaz Sharif, has given her essential tasks related to the PML-N mobilisation.

    Maryam Nawaz Sharif will be visiting Punjab and meeting senior leaders.

    It is pertinent to mention here that PML-N senior vice president Maryam Nawaz underwent throat surgery in Switzerland. She travelled to Geneva from London where she stayed with her father and brothers.