Current Final

Category: Politics

  • ‘Imran Khan to give call to reach Rawalpindi today’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘Imran Khan to give call to reach Rawalpindi today’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said on Saturday that the “final stage has arrived” when former prime minister Imran Khan will ask his supporters to converge in Rawalpindi.

    “The final stage has arrived. Be prepared. Imran Khan will give a call to people today to reach Rawalpindi,” he tweeted.

    Chaudhry said PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar, who are leading separate convoys, will meet at Rawat today from where the marchers would move towards Rawalpindi, located at a distance of 23.8 kilometres when approached via Grant Trunk Road.

    Meanwhile, PTI’s official Twitter account tweeted that Imran Khan will announce the final date of arrival of Real Azadi March at 2 pm in Rawalpindi at Chuck Bailey, Rawat today.

  • Exclusive: Ata Tarrar and Fawad Chaudhry take digs at each other over these dogs

    Exclusive: Ata Tarrar and Fawad Chaudhry take digs at each other over these dogs

    Fawad Chaudhry, former Information Minister and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI), has shared a picture of his pet dogs, a Pomeranian and a Pug, on Twitter with the caption that they make Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ata Tarrar “jealous”.

    If that tweet leaves you confused, let us give you the background.

    Ata Tarrar held a press conference on _ in which among other things, he criticized Fawad Chaudhry for not vacating his government residence in the Minister’s Enclave. He said that the PTI leader should leave the house before asking for “Haqeeqi Azadi”.

    And then he mentioned Fawad Chaudhry’s dogs, stating that the former Minister takes them for walks every day.

    PML-N leader Attaullah Tarrar while taking a dig at said that Fawad Chaudhry is living in Minister’s enclave Islamabad and he should leave the government’s residence before asking for “Haqiqi Azadi”. He also mentioned Fawad’s pets in the presser.

    The Current reached out to Fawad Chaudhry to know more about his pet dogs. While talking exclusively to The Current, Fawad revealed that his pet dogs are named Rockie and Iglooo.

    He also added that his wife feeds stray dogs so lots of cats and dogs come to the back of their apartment building at a specific time, looking for food

  • Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the name of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday.


    Discussing the all-important appointment on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, the defence minister said that the process to appoint a new head of the armed forces would start on Monday.

    During the show, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that the change of command ceremony would be held on November 29. He also predicted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march would suffer a severe blow the day the appointment decision was finalised.

    COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the incumbent army chief, is set to retire later this month. On multiple instances, he has ruled out an extension in his tenure — and so has the military.

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the matter of the next army chief’s appointment would be settled in a day or two.

    “I believe the Prime Minister has completed this process (of consultation) and will bring it to paper, today or tomorrow or the next two days, [it] takes no time,” he said.

    “I will also request you that this is a matter of a day or two so don’t ask questions which can lead to unnecessary speculation,” he said, adding that “there is not a lot of time left to this decision and it will come before you.”

  • Dubai-based watch company says they didn’t sell or buy Toshakhana gifts

    Dubai-based watch company says they didn’t sell or buy Toshakhana gifts

    Styleout Watches, a Dubai-based watch company, has rejected rumours about selling or buying Toshakhana gifts received by former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Referring to the recent controversy regarding the luxurious Graff set which was gifted to Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Styleout watches released a statement, stating, “We certify that we never bought or sold the Graff Mecca Map diamond MasterGraff Tourbillon minute repeater watch along with diamond cufflinks and round diamonds gent’s ring, as well as rose gold pen set with diamonds to any person.”

    “We were approached by an undisclosed person, to market this watch using our Instagram page,” Styleoutwatches said, adding that any information about the watch being sold for USD250,000 is “incorrect and baseless”.

    The company said that they reserve the right to sue and take legal action against anyone using their name and their brand to sell and market the watch.

    “What we did do is we got it for promotion and marketing reasons,” they said, adding that they took the watch from an undisclosed person, took pictures and posted it on social media to create attention and hype in 2019.

    “Then, we returned the watch to the person and whatever happened before or after, we don’t know,” he clarified. The company requested the people to keep them out of the matter.

    Earlier, rumours were circulating on social media that Styleout watches had sold the watch for 250k USD in 2019.

    On Tuesday, Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how he had bought the Graff set from Khan. He had bought the branded set through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said on the show that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.

  • Intelligence reports that Imran may be attacked again, IHC says

    Intelligence reports that Imran may be attacked again, IHC says

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday said that intelligence reports have identified that there may be danger of another attack on Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Chief Justice of IHC, Aamer Farooq, passed the remarks during the hearing of two merged petitions — PTI’s plea seeking a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a protest sit-in in Islamabad and traders’ petition for ensuring the citizens’ rights to access the roads during the prolonged political demonstrations, reports Geo News.

    During the hearing, the police presented a report before the court, stating that there is a possibility of another bid on Imran Khan’s life during the protest.

    To this, the Chief Justice remarked that it is the government’s responsibility to address the issue.

    About the protest in Islamabad, Justice Farooq said the administration should take a decision on PTI’s request in accordance with the law and ensure that roads are not blocked. He also added that the government will decide on the venue for the PTI and where they can protest in Islamabad.

    During the hearing, the chief justice also noted the blockage of roads caused by PTI, stating, “You [PTI] blocked the GT Road, the motorway, and other important highways. You should also have shown some responsibility.”

    Earlier this month, the PTI chief survived an assassination attempt in Wazirabad during his party’s long march. Khan sustained multiple bullet injuries in his legs.

  • Saudi prince has immunity in Khashoggi murder lawsuit: Biden administration

    Saudi prince has immunity in Khashoggi murder lawsuit: Biden administration

    The Biden administration has said that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi-born US resident who wrote critical articles about Saudi rulers in The Washington Post.

    A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said, “This is a legal determination made by the State Department under longstanding and well-established principles of customary international law. It has nothing to do with the merits of the case.”

    Moreover, the Justice Department of the country had “determined that defendant bin Salman, as the sitting head of a foreign government, enjoys head of state immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts as a result of that office.”

    After the news, Khashoggi’s ex-fiancée Hatice Cengiz tweeted: “Jamal died again today”.

    Earlier, lawyers for the prince asked in a petition requesting a federal district court in Washington to dismiss the case, citing other cases where the United States has recognised immunity for a foreign head of state

    In 2018, Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, an operation that US intelligence believed was allegedly ordered by the crown prince who has repeatedly denied involvement in the past.

    When the incumbent US President Joe Biden took charge of the presidency, his administration made clear the president would avoid direct engagement with the crown prince and instead focus on his engagements with King Salman.

  • Fact Check: Is the viral video of Shehbaz Sharif with UK lawyer legit?

    Fact Check: Is the viral video of Shehbaz Sharif with UK lawyer legit?

    Claim: A video of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (PM) in London is being shared on social media.

    Users are claiming that the video depicts the Premier sitting in a court in the United Kingdom (UK) where he and his son-in-law, Imran Ali Yousaf, are being panelised in the Daily Mail defamation case.

    Shehbaz Sharif had sued the Daily Mail in 2019 for an article which had suggested that he along with Yousaf “stole British taxpayers’ money” given to Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) set up to help the victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

    In this particular video, the man sitting next to Sharif can be heard saying, “Mr Sharif misappropriated UK taxpayers’ money and particular government aid intended for the victims of the devasting 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.”

    Fact: The video is of a press conference held by Sharif himself in 2020, in which he formally launched a defamation suit against journalist David Rose and Daily Mail and Associated Newspaper Limited (ANL) — the publishers of Mail Online.

    The disclosure of formal court action was made at a press conference at the offices of British law firm Carter-Ruck by Alasdair Pepper and Antonia Foster, who are representing Shehbaz in his legal case against the paper. Shehbaz was present with his lawyers at the press conference where the announcement was made.

    The lawyer said that Carter-Ruck had decided to move the court after failing to get a substantive response from the newspaper despite several requests over a passage of several months. He said that in nearly seven months the Mail had refused to engage with Sharif’s lawyer.

    Pepper argued that the article in the Mail, followed by a social media campaign launched by journalist David Rose, was gravely defamatory for Shehbaz, carrying false allegations that he misappropriated UK taxpayers’ money in the form of aid intended for the victims of the devastating 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) official Twitter account also corrected the false claim and blamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for spreading “lies”.

    Verdict: FALSE

  • Who should be the next army chief? PM consults Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Who should be the next army chief? PM consults Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has begun discussions with the senior leadership of ruling parties on the appointment of the new army chief, sources have revealed to Geo news.

    A report aired on the news channel has said that allied parties have fully mandated the Premier to make the nomination in accordance with established protocols.


    Sources said that the leader of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, called the prime minister to inquire about his health.

    The two leaders then discussed the state of the nation and the selection of the new army chief over the phone, according to sources.

    Maulana urged the PM to choose the new army head in accordance with established protocols. Sources have also revealed that co-chairman PPP, Asif Ali Zardari, who is in Islamabad, may meet with Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.


    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had also acknowledged that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has the constitutional right to appoint the army chief but questioned if he can “morally” appoint the right person.

  • ‘Long march mein aanay walay logon se ziada mere mulaazim hain’: Faisal Vawda

    ‘Long march mein aanay walay logon se ziada mere mulaazim hain’: Faisal Vawda

    Former Senator of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Faisal Vawda has said that his party’s ongoing long march is sparsely attended, remarking that, “Long march mein aanay walay logon se ziada mere mulaazim hain,” (I have more employees than the number of people who attend the long march).

    During Samaa News‘ show ‘Nadeem Malik Live’, Vawda criticised his former party members without naming them, calling them “snakes”. He said that these leaders claimed that there would be hundreds of thousands of people participating in the long march. “Jitny log long march main a rahy hain is se zyada toh school ke bachay assembly mei hotay hain,” (More children attend school assembly than the number of people attending the long march).

    Vawda confirmed the meeting between PTI Chief Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa at the President’s House.

    “I helped in arranging that meeting. There were misunderstandings between the two parties but the meeting went well.”

    He claimed that PTI is popular among the people right now, however, he raised questions about why the party is carrying out the long march.

    Last month, Vawda had predicted that PTI’s march would be a bloody one. After that, the former ruling party terminated Vawda’s basic membership.

    PTI said that he would not be allowed to hold any party office or represent the party in the media as he had “grossly violated discipline by giving statements against party policies and guidelines”.

  • Fawad asked Umar not to take Imran’s name on Toshakhana scandal, WhatsApp chat reveals

    Fawad asked Umar not to take Imran’s name on Toshakhana scandal, WhatsApp chat reveals

    Senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Fawad Chaudhry, landed in hot water on Wednesday night after Geo News‘ Shahzeb Khanzada revealed WhatsApp conversations the former minister had with Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor.

    The alleged Whatsapp conversations show that Fawad Chaudhry was in contact with Zahoor who claimed this week that former Prime Minister Imran Khan sold him a precious Graff set gifted to him by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019. Fawad, who had called Zahoor a “liar” after his explosive claims about the sale of the state gift, refers to the businessman as “brother”.

    When Zahoor revealed that he had bought state gifts from Imran Khan, Chaudhry denied the allegations. However, he acknowledged that the gift was “legally” sold in the market.

    In the chats, Fawad said to Zahoor that “It seems the watch alleged to be of IK is not the same”. He also requested him not to take Khan’s name.

    During the show, Khanzada said Chaudhry also promised to help Zahoor get contracts from the Government of Pakistan.

    On Tuesday, Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how that he had bought the Graff set from Khan. Immediately afterward, Chaudhry contacted him and asked what had happened. “[Taking the name of] Shahzad Akbar is understandable, but why Imran Khan?” Chaudhry asked the businessman.

    Zahoor and Chaudhry met in Dubai several times. During the PTI government, the two also exchanged messages.

    Zahoor claimed that he had bought the branded set through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.