Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Fact Check: Bilawal Bhutto arrested in New York?

    Fact Check: Bilawal Bhutto arrested in New York?

    Claim: Unverified reports have claimed that Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had been arrested in New York during his visit to the United States (US), which lasted for almost a week— from December 14 to 21.

    Rumors were spread across social media platforms.

    Fact: Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch dismissed the authenticity of all such reports.

    Responding to a question by a journalist in a briefing, the spokesperson cleared the air, rejecting the news as fake. She termed the report a “lie” and “contrary to facts”.

    She termed Bilawal’s visit “very productive” and said that he had a busy schedule.

    Calling the visit, “another important step towards further strengthening Pakistan’s broad-based bilateral ties” with the US, she clarified that the FM had engagements with the Biden Administration and members of the US Congress, interacted with Pakistani-American community leaders and Washington DC-based think-tank community as well as had interviews with leading media outlets.

    Verdict: FALSE

  • Pervaiz Elahi no longer Punjab CM after skipping confidence vote says Rana Sanaullah

    Pervaiz Elahi no longer Punjab CM after skipping confidence vote says Rana Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that constitutionally Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Pervaiz Elahi is no longer the Chief Minister of Punjab.

    “The Governor of Punjab had asked the Chief Minister to take a vote of confidence by yesterday, but he did not take it, so according to the constitution, Pervaiz Elahi is no longer the chief minister,” said Sanaullah.

    Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman directed Chief Minister Elahi to obtain a vote of confidence from the house on December 21.

    Sanaullah said that Governor Rehman is using his powers under the Constitution, adding that whenever he issues the orders [of de-notifying Elahi as chief minister], they will be implemented.

    “The governor’s order de-notifying Elahi as the chief minister is now just a formality,” he said. “I think it will be issued today.”

    The minister also said that Elahi cannot advise dissolving the assembly now, terming it “illegal and unconstitutional” and against the rules of the assembly.

    “If this constitutional decision is resisted and its implementation is stopped, the governor can write to the federal government,” Sanaullah said. “After the cabinet’s approval, the federal government can send his advice to the president to approve the imposition of governor’s rule in the province.”

    The interior minister asserted that the president is bound to follow the advice of the prime minister.

    “The second option we have is that parliament can pass a resolution and then governor’s rule will be imposed for two months,” he added. “After two months, another resolution can be passed and the governor’s rule can be extended for six months.”

  • Banned TTP is Pakistan’s absolute redline, Bilawal warns Afghan Taliban

    Banned TTP is Pakistan’s absolute redline, Bilawal warns Afghan Taliban

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that the Afghan Taliban have been told that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is Pakistan’s redline.

    “We will not ignore it if we find out that the Taliban are not stopping TTP,” warned Bilawal Bhutto while talking at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC on Tuesday evening.

    “As far as the TTP is concerned, it’s absolutely our red line. It is something that we will not tolerate,” reiterated the foreign minister.

    Emphasizing that Pakistan will be willing to consider each and every option to ensure the safety and security of it’s people, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed concern over a recent spate of attacks by the TTP. The Foreign Minister said that if the Taliban carry out operations against the extremists, Pakistan will provide help if needed.

    He said that there was no new agreement on cooperation with the United States for anti-terrorism.

    “We urge that frozen funds be released for the Afghan people not for the Taliban. They [Taliban] promised US and the world to take action against extremist groups,” said Bilawal.

    He acknowledged that there’s room for improvement in Pakistan’s Afghan policy — as there is in America’s — and stated, “We need to be serious about what we can do going forward”.

    “Are we going learn from our mistakes to ensure that we do not repeat them,” he asked. “The answer to that question is going to define the safety and stability of Afghanistan, the safety and stability of Pakistan and the safety and stability of our region.”

  • ‘No difference between Hamza Shehbaz and Bilawal for me’: Zardari

    ‘No difference between Hamza Shehbaz and Bilawal for me’: Zardari

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that he does not see any difference between his son, Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz.

    In a statement, he said that after Pervaiz Elahi is removed from the post of chief minister of Punjab, the next chief minister of the province should be elected from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) rather than the PPP.

    Zardari explained that he would not like to select the next Punjab CM from his party because the seat deserves a candidate from the PML-N due to its majority across the province.

    The statement comes as the combined Opposition of PPP and PML-N in Punjab seek to oust CM Pervaiz Elahi after he didn’t seek a confidence vote today (Wednesday).

    Earlier, it was reported that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) might give the post of CM to PPP after Zardari was said to be campaigning in Lahore to get the seat.

  • How many chiefs of police changed in Punjab during IK’s government?

    How many chiefs of police changed in Punjab during IK’s government?

    Inspector-General (IG) of Punjab police, Faisal Shahkar, has relinquished his charge after less than six months in the office.

    Faisal Shahkar was appointed as the IG by the Punjab government in July, replacing Rao Sardar Ali Khan who was the police chief during Hamza Shehbaz’s tenure as Chief Minster.

    Prior to this, Sardar Ali Khan served as the IGP for almost a year. Following is the timeline of the officers who served as the IGP while Imran Khan was the Prime Minister (PM).

    Dr Syed Kaleem Imam (June 2018-September 2018)

    Dr Imran was appointed in June 2018 and left office in September of that year. He was removed from the post one month after Khan appointed Usman Buzdar as CM of Punjab.

    Muhammad Tahir (September 2018-October 2018)

    After Kaleem Imam, Muhammad Tahir remained in the office for a month.

    Amjad Javed Saleemi (October 2018-April 2019)

    Saleemi served for six months as the police chief of the province.

    Capt. (R) Arif Nawaz Khan (April 2019- November 2019)

    Captain Khan left the office after seven months of being in charge.

    Shoaib Dastgir (November 2019-September 2020)

    Dastgir remained IGP for almost ten months.

    Inam Ghani (September 2020- September 2021)

    During the PTI’s government, Ghani held the IGP post for a year.

    Sardar Ali Khan (Septmeber 2021-July 2022)

    Sardar Ali was replaced by Shahkar.

    This information has been taken from the Punjab police website.

  • ‘Confidence motion against CM’: Kya hoga 4 bajay ke baad Pervaiz Elahi ke sath?

    ‘Confidence motion against CM’: Kya hoga 4 bajay ke baad Pervaiz Elahi ke sath?

    Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman directed Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi to obtain a vote of confidence from the house today (December 21).

    According to a notification issued by the Punjab Governor’s Secretariat, “The governor Punjab is pleased to sign order summoning the provincial assembly of Punjab at 1600 hours (4pm) on Wednesday (December 21) and requiring the chief minister of Punjab to obtain a vote of confidence in terms of Article 130(7) of the Constitution.”

    However, Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan has said that the governor cannot call a meeting during the ongoing session of the provincial assembly as per the rules.

    Following his meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan at his Zaman Park residence, the speaker said that the PDM was running away from elections.

    “When the governor asks for a vote of confidence, the CM is required to take a vote of confidence. The constitution is very clear,” tweeted Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned that if Elahi did not obtain a vote of confidence today, he would cease to be the province’s chief executive.

    “The Punjab Assembly speaker’s stance that the assembly is in session, so the CM cannot be asked to obtain a vote of confidence is wrong. If Elahi fails to do so, he will cease to be the CM,” he maintained.

    Sanaullah said the governor would issue an order barring the chief minister from holding the office in case he did not get a vote of confidence by Wednesday afternoon.

    He has also said that Governor Punjab will give a new notification at 4pm today (Wednesday, December 21). According to the new declaration, Pervaiz Elahi will no longer be the chief minister.

  • US offers ‘resolute’ support to Pakistan to counter terrorism

    US offers ‘resolute’ support to Pakistan to counter terrorism

    The United States (US) has offered its “resolute” support to Pakistan to counter terrorism while Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari spoke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

    Antony Blinken tweeted, “I hope for a productive climate conference next month and give my condolences for the lives lost in recent terrorist attacks.”

    Bilawal Bhutto also tweeted about the conversation, writing, “Spoke with @SecBlinken & conveyed gratitude of GoP for USG’s flood assist. of $97 m. Will continue coop. for rebuilding resilient infrastructure in & to further enhance & diversify bilateral relations & to work together for regional peace & stability.”

    Earlier, the US offered to help Pakistan in dealing with threats posed by militant outfits.

    “Well, first, we are aware of the ongoing situation in Pakistan. We’ve been closely following reports that militants have seized control of the counterterrorism centre in Bannu. We offer our deepest sympathies to those injured,” said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

  • Restaurant owners and traders denounce government’s national energy conservation plan, calling it ‘counterproductive’

    Restaurant owners and traders denounce government’s national energy conservation plan, calling it ‘counterproductive’

    Restaurant owners and traders condemned the national energy conservation plan the government announced yesterday, warning that it will create more problems rather than solutions.

    Under the National Energy Conservation Plan, the government has announced that all restaurants and markets shall be closed by 8 pm, while the timing for wedding halls will be limited to 10 pm.

    President of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran, Ajmal Baloch, urged the government to reconsider the decision, stating that it might bankrupt traders as they purchase the most expensive electricity during the timings 6pm to 8pm.

    “The government, before defaulting the country, will bankrupt all traders.”

    Rizwan Irfan, the President of the Karachi Electric Dealers Association, said while lamenting the policy. He pointed out that traders were facing problems due to electricity and gas load shedding, stressing that such a decision might cause merchants to start protesting in the streets.

    The President of the All Pakistan Restaurants Association, Athar Chawla, has called the national energy conservation plan a “counterproductive” approach to ressolving the energy crisis in Pakistan. In a letter to the Minister of Defence Khwaja Asif, who had unveiled the plan at a press conference on Tuesday, he asked that the policy be reconsidered because of how much it could harm restaurants.

    “All restaurants carry an inventory of perishable items, which is to be kept in cold storage 24 hours a day and seven days a week, another major electricity consuming machinery are air-conditioners which are already off due to winter season,” he said.

    The letter also urged the minister to consider the losses restaurants suffered during Covid-19, and mentioned that almost 50% restaurants suffered losses due to the present economic situation:

    “Any further restriction will aggravate the situation resulting in huge unemployment and loss of revenue for the government.”

    The letter requested that the government allow restaurants to operate their dine-in function till 1 am, and food delivery to function 24/7.

  • PDM may give Punjab CM seat to PPP: report

    PDM may give Punjab CM seat to PPP: report

    The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) may give the post of Chief Minister of Punjab to Pakistan People’s Pakistan (PPP) as the party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari campaigns in Lahore to get the seat, reports Geo News Urdu.

    According to the media outlet, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat has favoured PPP in this matter.

    In case of consensus, the Punjab Assembly (PA) speaker and deputy speaker candidates would be from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Zardari has also started considering names for the CM chair, including PPP Punjab parliamentary leader Hasan Murtaza, former Premier Yousuf Raza Gillani’s son Ali Haider Gillani and Usman Mehmood.

    However, the final decision will be made jointly by Zardari, Chaudhry Shujaat and Nawaz Sharif.

    The development comes forth as the no-confidence motion against incumbent CM Pervaiz Elahi gains steam. Elahi, however, remains seemingly ahead in numbers in the provincial assembly with the support of 190 Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs).

    Apart from Elahi, a separate no-trust motion was also submitted against PA Speaker Sibtain Khan and Deputy Speaker Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi.

  • Bannu hostage situation: Forces kill the terrorists

    Security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have managed to free the hostages being held by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside the Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) compound in Bannu.

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that “all the terrorists” have been killed.

    During the operation, an exchange of fire left several security men injured.

    The defence minister said that a unit of the army’s Special Service Group (SSG) carried out the operation, in which 10-15 of its commandos were injured while two were martyred.

    Earlier in the day, an operation had been launched to free the hostages held by the militants.

    Hospitals in the vicinity have been put on high alert and mobile services have also been blocked in the area.

    What happened in Bannu?

    On Sunday, militants detained at a facility run by KP police’s CTD in on Sunday took over the department, held interrogators hostage and demanded safe evacuation to Afghanistan.

    After taking over, the militants shot at security personnel inside the facility, injuring a policeman and a soldier. The outlawed TTP claimed responsibility for the incident.

    According to news reports, the militants managed to break out of lockup and held security personnel hostage. After the incident, police and security forces rushed to the spot but failed to free the hostages.

    Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Special Assistant to KP Chief Minister, said that talks between Pakistani officials and the leadership of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are underway in Afghanistan, however, there is no breakthrough as yet.

    He also confirmed that a security official was killed in the Bannu compound by the militants and said that the government had engaged the militants to avoid casualties.

    The area where CTD is located has been sealed and residents have been asked to stay indoors. Internet services have been suspended in the city.

    Moreover, roads leading to and from Bannu Cantonment have been blocked.