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Category: Politics

  • Rana Sanaullah says PM House staffers behind audio leaks

    Rana Sanaullah says PM House staffers behind audio leaks

    Federal Minister for Interior, Rana Sanaullah, has revealed that those involved in the recent leaking of sensational audio clips have been identified.

    Talking on Geo News‘ show “Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Saath”, the minister said, “Under the directives of the prime minister and the National Security Council, an investigation is underway, the results of which will be presented before the Premier, and then it will be decided to what extent the findings will be shared.”

    The minister said that the matter of the audio leaks is not related to an agency, but a few people, who have been identified. He added that these people belong to the staff of the Prime Minister House. Some people do such work for monetary gains, he implied.

    According to the initial investigation, Sanaullah said that it wasn’t bugging; in fact, phone tapings have surfaced.

    Several audios have been leaked online in recent days — allegedly featuring government officials, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice-president Maryam Nawaz and others including former and current cabinet members.

  • ‘Not convinced there was a conspiracy’: President Dr Alvi

    ‘Not convinced there was a conspiracy’: President Dr Alvi

    President Dr Arif Alvi while discussing the infamous ‘cipher’, has said that he is not convinced that a “foreign conspiracy was hatched” against former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    However, Imran Khan has claimed that the no-confidence motion against him was part of a foreign conspiracy.

    In an interview with journalist Asma Shirazi, the president stated: “I sent that letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). I am convinced that it must be probed. I am not convinced of the fact that a conspiracy was hatched.”

    Appointment of COAS:

    About the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in November, the president was of the view that “broader consultation” should be held.

    Dr Alvi said that he learned through the newspaper that there’s a consultation going on in London regarding the appointment. The government should consult PTI chief Imran Khan on the matter, he said.

    He claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government also consulted the Opposition when former PM Imran Khan extended the three-year term of the incumbent COAS General Bajwa in 2019.

    Importance of dialogue:

    During the interview, President Alvi stressed on the importance of “dialogue”. When asked about the speculation that he had arranged a meeting between the establishment and Imran Khan, he responded: “Meri koshish yeh hai ke logo ko bethao ke dialogue karo” (I am trying that I get people to sit down and have a dialogue).

    He said dialogue is necessary for settling political issues between the government and the Opposition. He was of the view that the people are concerned about political polarisation and one of its causes was that there are different governments in the provinces.

    ‘Khan was very disappointed’: President Alvi

    President Dr Alvi, who is also a PTI leader, talked about the party not going back to Parliament. “Imran Khan was very disappointed with the manner in which his government was ousted and on that basis, he decided not to sit in the assembly,” he told Asma Shirazi.

    However, when asked about the party’s decision of resigning from the National Assembly (NA), President Alvi said that if he had been consulted, he could have given “different advice”.

    He observed that politicians are the biggest stakeholders in the country. The president said that the army should be “neutral”. When asked that Khan says that the establishment shouldn’t be neutral, he said, “You can ask him about his views”.

    ‘Free and Fair elections’: President Alvi

    President Alvi said that in August 2023, assemblies will be dissolved, stressing that both the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the PTI wanted early polls in the past. “Even the Supreme Court had considered the issue of early elections and consulted politicians,” he added.

    “I am trying to evolve an understanding of these issues and I will facilitate the process. The most important issue is the holding of free and fair elections”, he said.

  • Pakistan categorically rejects Narendra Modi’s remarks about Kashmir

    Pakistan categorically rejects Narendra Modi’s remarks about Kashmir

    Pakistan on Tuesday said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about resolving the Kashmir issue are false and misleading.

    Modi, at a rally in Gujarat on Monday, claimed that he had, “resolved the Kashmir issue”.

    “As I am following the footsteps of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (former Indian Congress leader), I have values of the land of Sardar and that was the reason I resolved the problem of Kashmir and paid true tributes to Sardar Patel,” Modi was quoted as saying by the Indian media.

    Foreign Office (FO) called on India to ensure that the people of Kashmir are accorded their inalienable right to self-determination, while demanding that the Indian leadership, instead of making “delusional” statements about having resolved the Kashmir issue, must deliver on their commitments.

    The FO said that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute, the resolution of which has been on the agenda of the United Nations since 1948.

    FO said further stated that, “India’s craftily staged visits to the occupied territory choreographed launches of so-called development projects in a bid to create a facade of normalcy will neither dampen the spirit of the Kashmiris nor would it deceive the world into believing India’s deception.”

    “Pakistan has consistently called upon the international community to assume its role and responsibility with regards to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) and the ongoing Indian atrocities in the occupied territory.”

    The FO noted that India must also be held responsible for its “nefarious scheme of altering the demography of IIOJK”, as well as for its brutal repression of innocent Kashmiris.

    “Pakistan reiterates its call on human rights and humanitarian organizations to condemn India’s state terrorism in IIOJK and demand an immediate reversal of the Indian government’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019,” the statement concluded.

  • Pakistan Army contingent leaves for Qatar to provide assistance during FIFA 2022

    Pakistan Army contingent leaves for Qatar to provide assistance during FIFA 2022

    A contingent of the Pakistan Army left for Qatar on Monday to join security personnel deployed for Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2022.

    The contingent is comprised of Pakistan Army officers, junior commissioned officers, and soldiers. They will provide security assistance during the biggest and most anticipated sporting event of the year.

    The troops travelling to the Gulf country for World Cup 2022 were trained by FIFA’s eight-member international team when it visited Pakistan in September.

    The Qatari interior ministry had made a request to send Pakistan Army for security assistance.

    The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be played from November 20 to December 18. Qatar will become the first Middle Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup.

  • ‘Superstars are back’: Twitter reacts to PTI’s new song

    ‘Superstars are back’: Twitter reacts to PTI’s new song

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has released its new official “anthem” titled “Saray Niklo Pakistan Ke Liye” today (Monday).

    The song is sung by Jawad Kahlon, Shahzaman and features former Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail. The lyrics and composition are by Kahlon while music and video credits go to Azeem Amin. The video has crossed 10,000 mark views on YouTube.

    Ismail took to Twitter to share the news, with a caption saying: “Tried to highlight Imran Khan’s message in the anthem. It is the voice of the people.”

    Right after the release of the “party’s anthem”, Twitter was flooded with lots of reactions.

    Earlier in the day, PTI’s leader Fawad Chaudhry reacted to the song in a tweet, stating simply, “Superstars are back”.

    https://twitter.com/Ghazala93279179/status/1579347314514460673?s=20&t=NSudcGTsOGEOOMPP2ksk9w

    In 2018, PTI released the song “Tabdeeli ayi reh”. The previous song is also sung by Kahlon, Shahzaman and Ismail.

  • PTI to form JIT to determine intelligence agency behind ‘bugging’ PM House and audio leaks: Khan

    PTI to form JIT to determine intelligence agency behind ‘bugging’ PM House and audio leaks: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said that his party intends to approach courts over the matter of audio leaks and will seek the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe which intelligence agency is involved in the “bugging” of the Prime Minister House and Office.

    Khan took to Twitter and said, “The Audio Leaks are a serious breach of national security as they call into question the entire security of the PMO, PMH. As PM my secure line at my residence was also bugged. We intend to go to Court to estab authenticity of Leaks & then form JIT to investigate which Intel agency is responsible for the bugging & who is leaking out the audios many of which are edited/doctored.” [sic]

    “This is critical bec sensitive security issues are & have been illegally recorded & subsequently hacked, implying confidentiality of Pak’s national security has been exposed globally,” [sic] said Khan.

    The comments made by the former premier in the purported audio suggested that it was recorded before the voting on the no-confidence motion was held against him.

    Khan said that it is a critical matter as “sensitive security issues are and have been illegally recorded and subsequently hacked”, which implies that the confidentiality of the country’s national security has been “exposed” globally. 

    The federal cabinet has already formed a committee to investigate the breach of security. 

  • Anti-corruption team couldn’t arrest Rana Sanaullah, say ‘police didn’t co-operate’

    Anti-corruption team couldn’t arrest Rana Sanaullah, say ‘police didn’t co-operate’

    A team from Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) was unable to arrest Federal Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah, on Monday due to the non-cooperation of the Islamabad police.

    The establishment’s director Syed Anwar Ali Shah alleged that the capital’s police officers misbehaved with them.

    Earlier today, a local court in Rawalpindi directed the ACE team to arrest the minister and present him before the court in a case relating to corruption.

    “The police officials neither recorded entry nor departure of the ACE team and nor did they comply with the court’s order,” Shah said.

    He stated that his department will inform the court about the day’s events and will devise a strategy as per the court’s orders.

    Prior to this, a local court in Rawalpindi, dismissed ACE’s plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against Sanaullah for not appearing in a corruption inquiry.

    On Saturday, a judicial magistrate issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the federal minister over his non-appearance in an anti-corruption inquiry.

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif appointed vice-chairperson of UN COP27

    PM Shehbaz Sharif appointed vice-chairperson of UN COP27

    The United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP27) announced on Monday that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will be the vice-chairperson for its 27th session.

    Pakistan received the honour from among 195 member countries of the UN as a result of the Prime Minister’s advocacy on climate change and the necessity for action at global and regional forums .

    Egyptian President and COP27 Chairperson Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi invited the Pakistani premier to co-chair the COP27 roundtable conference along with the prime minister of Norway. The conference will be held in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6-18.

    Last week, the Premier warned the world that other countries could be facing climate-induced catastrophes next after one-third of Pakistan was left inundated by flash floods, killing thousands and displacing millions.

    “What happened in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan,” he said in a tweet reiterating his call for urgent action a day after the United Nations issued a revised flash appeal of $816 million as relief assistance for the flood-stricken people of Pakistan.

    A video compilation shared by the government’s official Twitter handle gave an overview of different occasions wherein the premier made passionate calls at a global level, stressing an urgent response by the world for his disaster-hit country.

  • ‘Inshallah,’ says Nawaz Sharif when asked about becoming PM for the fourth time

    ‘Inshallah,’ says Nawaz Sharif when asked about becoming PM for the fourth time

    Former Prime Minister (PM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s pre-recorded press conference with his daughter PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was released on Sunday.

    During the interview, when Sharif was asked about the possibility of becoming PM of Pakistan for the fourth time, he smilingly said, “Inshallah” (Hopefully).

    The former premier began the interview by narrating the whole incident of his wife’s [Kalsoom Nawaz] illness and then her death. He said that he and Maryam were both in jail when they got to know about his wife’s death in London.

    He said when his wife was on her deathbed, people made fun of it. He said that one time when he was in court, he was informed that his wife’s health had worsened.

    “I went back to the jail and asked the jail superintendent to give me the phone so I can contact my family but he didn’t allow it.”

    He revealed that after three hours, he was informed about his wife’s death. He then said the bearers of the news were on their way to inform his daughter [who was also in Kot Lakhpat]. “At that point, I said no, I will do it and when I told her, she was in shock,” Nawaz said.

    He added that such events “are never forgotten and this loss can never be repaired or forgotten”.

    ‘We were the ones to say absolutely not’: Nawaz Sharif

    Addressing Imran’s stance of “absolutely not” to US airbases, Nawaz said, “We were the ones to say absolutely not. They offered us $5 billion but we said absolutely not. We don’t want it,” he was referring to the nuclear tests conducted during his tenure.

    According to Nawaz, when he was in power, his government had brought economic prosperity, finished loadshedding, increased employment, and eliminated terrorism but Imran Khan ruined it all. He said that now there is inflation everywhere.

    “He [Imran Khan] has taken a U-turn with regard to everything. He claimed that he would prefer dying by suicide instead of striking a deal with the IMF,” Nawaz said.

    Taking a jibe at Khan, Nawaz said that during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) tenure foreign relations had also been affected.

    ‘Revenge, not a court’s decision’: Nawaz Sharif

    Moreover, he alleged that he was punished and disqualified for life by the Supreme Court (SC) but now lifetime disqualification is being criticised as “draconian” by SC judges.

    Nawaz questioned whether there was a “valid reason” for the decision. “Disqualified for life and removed from the PML-N presidency. This is revenge, not a court’s decision,” he added.

    Regarding the recent alleged audio leaks of Khan, Nawaz said that “the one who plotted has turned out to be the biggest conspirer”.

  • PM Shehbaz, President wish nation on the occasion of Eid-Milad-ul-Nabi

    PM Shehbaz, President wish nation on the occasion of Eid-Milad-ul-Nabi

    The birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is being celebrated today with religious devotion. On the occasion of Eid-Milad-ul-Nabi, different political leaders have offered warm wishes to the nation.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation through his official Twitter handle.

    In his message, PM Shehbaz said: “Allah sent our last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a blessing for the believers”.

    President Dr Arif Alvi congratulating the nation, said: “His prophethood made visible the difference between good and evil, the darkness of ignorance was removed, the customs of non-believers were abolished, the name of the lone Creator of the universe was magnified and hearts of the humanity shone with the purity of the oneness of Allah.”

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in a tweet, extended his wishes. He said, “By fully following the principles of co-existence, cooperation, and tolerance mentioned by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), conflicts and tensions in the world can be ended.”

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan wished the nation on his Instagram handle.

    Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, on the occasion, urged the nation to, “move forward following the path indicated by the Holy Prophet.”