Current Final

Category: Politics

  • ‘Yeh bhi jhoot hai, yeh bhi dhokha hai’: Bilawal adamant that Khan will not resign from assemblies

    ‘Yeh bhi jhoot hai, yeh bhi dhokha hai’: Bilawal adamant that Khan will not resign from assemblies

    Foreign Minister (FM) and Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has predicted that the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, will not resign from assemblies despite his announcement to do so.

    Addressing a ceremony held to mark PPP’s 55th foundation day, Bilawal said “Yeh bhi jhoot hai, yeh bhi dhokha hai” (This is also a lie, a betrayal). He claimed that Khan is “lying” as he will not resign from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies.

    “Don’t you remember”, he asked the crowd, “that after PTI resigned from the National Assembly and the by-polls were set to take place, they moved the courts and pleaded that their resignations were just a political stunt”.

    During the address, he noted that the army stepped back from politics, “but now, they [puppet politicians] are worried that if the institution has become neutral, then what will become of their politics.”

    Bilawal told Khan that if he decides to resign from the assemblies, then the PPP and its “jiyalas” are ready to face his party.

    At the start of the address, Bilawal paid tributes to his mother, former PM Benazir Bhutto and his maternal grandfather, former PM Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

  • ‘New elections in Punjab will be held before Ramzan’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘New elections in Punjab will be held before Ramzan’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that elections in Punjab will be held before the start of the holy month of Ramzan.

    Chaudhry, in a tweet, claimed that several members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have contacted PTI for party tickets to contest elections in Punjab. He further stated that the candidate for each constituency would be evaluated on merit.

    “New elections will be held in Punjab before March 20,” he declared.

    Fawad maintained that the Punjab division of the party is ready for “every attack” from the PML-N.

    PML-N has stated multiple times that it would not concede to the PTI’s demand for snap polls.

    On the previous Saturday, Khan announced that PTI wouldn’t be part of “this system” and would quit all the assemblies. Following this, PTI members also agreed with the decision to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies. However, an official announcement regarding the dissolution is yet to be made.

  • Azam Nazeer Tarar again takes charge as law minister

    Azam Nazeer Tarar again takes charge as law minister

    Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday once again took charge as the federal law minister.

    Tarar assumed charge once more at the request of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, after stepping down from the post last month citing “personal reasons”.

    PM Shehbaz asked federal ministers to ask Tarar to continue serving as the law minister and that he would not accept his resignation.

    On Tuesday, a delegation of the ministers — including Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Ishaq Dar — met the senator at his residence and gave him the prime minister’s message.

  • Khan congratulates COAS Gen Munir, CJCSC Gen Mirza on promotions

    Khan congratulates COAS Gen Munir, CJCSC Gen Mirza on promotions

    Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Wednesday congratulated the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chief of Army Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza on assuming charge of their office.

    Khan took to Twitter today, six days after the government announced appointments to congratulate the two military officials.

    “We hope the new military leadership will work to end the prevailing trust deficit that has built up in the last eight months, between the nation and the state. Strength of the state is derived from its people,” the former premier wrote.

    He also shared a quote of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah regarding the role and “duty” of armed forces.

    “Do not forget that the armed forces are the servants of the people and you do not make national policy; it is we, the civilians, who decide these issues and it is your duty to carry out these tasks with which you are entrusted,” the quote written in an image tweeted by Khan read.

    Khan congratulated both army generals one day after the change of command ceremony was held in Rawalpindi. On November 24, the Prime Minister selected both officers for the highest military posts, ending weeks of speculation and uncertainty.

  • Four obstacles that could have blocked Gen Munir’s appointment as COAS

    Four obstacles that could have blocked Gen Munir’s appointment as COAS

    Pakistan’s new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir was given command of the armed forces on November 29 in a ceremony in Rawalpindi.

    In the weeks leading up to the announcement of the new COAS’ name, speculation had been rife as to who among the top 6 senior most Lieutenant Generals would get the coveted spot.

    Kamran Shahid, senior journalist and anchor, while speaking about Asim Munir’s selection on his talk show, “On the front with Kamran Shahid”, revealed that many hindrances dotted the path that eventually led to his selection.

    Imran Khan proposed extension for Bajwa:

    Shahid said on his show that to stop General Asim Munir from becoming the new army chief, “a proposal to extend the then army chief General Bajwa’s tenure was given.” The journalist further revealed that this proposed extension was suggested by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    Martial law was an option:

    “I am telling this to you with a lot of responsibility that there were chances of a martial law being imposed in the country,” revealed Shahid. He further said that this idea was rejected in the Corp Commander’s meeting.

    Now-retired General thought of going to court to challenge his appointment

    The third obstacle to stop General Asim Munir from becoming the COAS was that a “now retired General” thought of going to court over the matter. The problem with this idea was that the Supreme Court can only listen to an aggrieved party. So keeping in view the law and order situation in the army, the now retired General thought of not pursuing the matter further.

    Govt was told to appoint Sahir Shamshad

    The federal government was told to appoint Lieutenant General (Lt-Gen) Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the now Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), as the new army chief. However, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif was not in favour of the suggestion, hence General Asim Munir became the new army chief, Kamran Shahid said.

  • Dissolution of assemblies: Khan to make important announcement next week

    Dissolution of assemblies: Khan to make important announcement next week

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will make an important announcement regarding the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies next week, Geo News has reported.

    Khan will address all PTI members of the assembly via a video link. Meetings for both KP and Punjab parliamentary parties have also been called.

    The KP Parliamentary Party meeting will be held on Friday while the Punjab Parliamentary Party meeting will be held on Saturday, in which Khan will take both parties into confidence to dissolve the assemblies

    The meeting also decided that the PTI would approach the National Assembly (NA) speaker and push him to accept the resignations of its legislators.

    On Saturday, Khan announced that PTI wouldn’t be part of “this system” and would quit all the assemblies. Following the announcement, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi showed support for Khan’s decision.

  • ‘No-confidence motion ka jisy shoq hai woh le aye’: CM Punjab

    ‘No-confidence motion ka jisy shoq hai woh le aye’: CM Punjab

    Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi, taking a jibe at the Opposition, said on Tuesday, “No-confidence motion ka jisy shoq hai woh le aye” (whoever wants a no-confidence motion can bring it on).

    Talking to a delegation of Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) including its Chairman Shakeel Masood Hussain and others, Elahi reiterated that he and his party members were standing with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and that the Punjab Assembly would be dissolved immediately when Khan orders it.

    He said that the Opposition can only raise slogans which is not enough for them to bring a no-confidence motion.

    The nexus of PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) members in the Punjab Assembly stands at 191. The Opposition is in minority and would remain in minority, he predicted.

    “If the assembly is in session, there can be no voting on the no-confidence motion and no vote of confidence. If the assembly is in session, governor’s rule cannot be imposed,” he explained and asserted that everything was being done within the limits of the Constitution and law.

    On Monday, the PML-N’s parliamentary party held a meeting in which they decided in principle to use all ‘available tactics’ to prevent PTI’s proposed plan to have the provincial assembly dissolved.

    The meeting discussed the prospects of tabling a no-trust move against CM Elahi, imposition of the governor’s rule and the governor seeking a vote of confidence from the CM.

  • Around Rs.100 million required to conduct general elections on one NA seat: report

    Around Rs.100 million required to conduct general elections on one NA seat: report

    Around Rs.80 to Rs.100 million would be required to conduct elections on one National Assembly (NA) seat, while the cost of polls on one provincial assembly seat would be approximately Rs.60 to Rs.70 million, reports Geo News.

    In a statement Monday, an ECP spokesperson said that the Commission is bound to hold elections in 60 days in case a seat falls vacant.

    The official said that an election on a National Assembly seat costs Rs.80 to Rs.100 million, while the estimated expenditure of an election on a provincial assembly seat is Rs.60 to 70 million.

    “In case of dissolution of an assembly, elections will be held only for the respective assembly seat,” the spokesperson said.

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Saturday that his party will quit all assemblies in its bid to pressurise the Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif-led government into early general elections.

    However, PTI — which has called off the long march to Islamabad — is yet to make a final announcement on when it is quitting the assemblies.

    Following Khan’s announcement, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that elections will be held on a total of 563 seats across Pakistan which include 123 seats in the National Assembly, 297 seats in Punjab, 115 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 26 seats each in Sindh and Balochistan.

  • Pakistan’s new COAS: Gen Bajwa hands over command to Gen Munir

    Pakistan’s new COAS: Gen Bajwa hands over command to Gen Munir

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa handed over the military’s command to General Asim Munir today at a General Headquarters (GHQ) ceremony in Rawalpindi, marking the end of his six-year extended tenure.

    The change of command ceremony marks the time-honoured tradition that symbolises the seamless transition of military leadership. As the ceremony began with a GHQ military band performing national songs and a medley of folk tunes, former heads of the military could also be spotted among the guests.

    Senior serving and retired officers, diplomats as well as government functionaries were in attendance.

    Prior to the ceremony, both Gen Bajwa and Gen Munir laid a wreath at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (Monument to Martyrs) in GHQ and offered fateha.

    ‘Mein gumnaami mein chala jaon gaa, lekin fauj kay saath rohaani raabta hamesha kayam rahay ga’: Gen Bajwa

    Gen Bajwa congratulated Gen Munir on being appointed his successor and hoped his promotion would help the country and the army progress. He went on to say that his association with Gen Munir goes back 24 years.

    “In addition to being a Hafiz-i-Quran, he is a professional, capable and principled officer. I am certain that under his leadership the army will reach new heights of success,” the outgoing Chief said while paying tribute to his successor.

    Gen Bajwa hoped the appointment of Gen Munir as the military chief would prove to be positive for both the country and the army. He said he was handing over the army to an “expert and capable son”.

    Reflecting on his military journey, Gen Bajwa said the journey which began several decades ago was now coming to an end.

    “I am thankful to God that he gave me the opportunity to work for this great army and gave me the opportunity to lead it,” he said, reiterating that it was a “great honour” for him.

    “Soon, I will walk into obscurity, but my spiritual relationship with the army will be forever,” he said in a rare moment of poignancy, ending his speech with prayers for the success of the new army chief and the Pakistan army.

    The ceremony was also attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu.

    Gen Munir was chosen to lead the country’s army by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on November 24. The summary of his appointment was ratified by President Arif Alvi the same day.

  • Hina Rabbani meets Deputy PM of Interim Afghan Govt

    Hina Rabbani meets Deputy PM of Interim Afghan Govt

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, held a meeting with Deputy PM of Interim Afghan Govt. Abdul Salam Hanafi. Bilateral trade, connectivity & people-to-people contacts were discussed during the meeting.


    In the meeting matters of bilateral importance focused on political consultations between the two governments.

    She also held a meeting with Women Chamber of Commerce. During the meeting Pakistan expressed a keen interest in strengthening linkages between women entrepreneurs of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    This visit is being perceived as important because it is led by a female minister and that this is a top Pakistani official’s first visit since the April government transition.