Current Final

Category: Politics

  • ‘A dark day’: PTI reacts to Maryam Nawaz’s acquittal

    ‘A dark day’: PTI reacts to Maryam Nawaz’s acquittal

    Following the verdict of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday (today), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have said that today is, “Another dark day in the history of Pakistan”.

    PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to say that “The country’s institutions have lost the trust of the public”.

    “Beyond any doubt, it is another dark day in the history of Pakistan”, he added.

    Another PTI leader and former Energy Minister Hammad Azhar claimed that “PML-N itself seems to be a bit embarrassed after today’s ruling”.

    In a tweet, PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar made a claim that “Imran Khan’s government was removed so that imported government leaders could get their cases dismissed”.

    The former ruling party leader Babar Awan said, “Jitna bara daku, itni bari kursi“. (The bigger the thief, the bigger the chair). He added, “The jail department would teach lessons about the Sharif family to prisoners so that they can get NRO II as well.”

    The verdict:

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield reference, nullifying the conviction handed to them in 2018 by an accountability court.

    After the victory, Maryam said that she was thankful to Allah for making Nawaz and herself proud today. She also took a jibe at PTI Chairman Imran Khan, telling him that he is a “helpless” person now and whether or not he decides to answer for his deeds, history will ensure that he answers for it.

  • Gen Bajwa told Imran Khan that it is not safe to talk at PM House, says Fawad

    Gen Bajwa told Imran Khan that it is not safe to talk at PM House, says Fawad

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had informed former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan multiple times that the PM House is unsafe for important conversations.

    “The army chief told Imran Khan that the points that what we discuss here is recorded and leaked later on,” he said, adding that, “General Bajwa had said Nawaz Sharif stepped out of PM House when he wanted to talk to him about some vital issue.”

    The PTI leader said that it is unacceptable for PM Office to be hacked, regardless of who is premier — whether Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif or Imran Khan.

    Fawad said he doesn’t support the PM’s telephones being tapped.

    Fawad’s comments come after several audio leaks of PM Shehbaz Sharif along with federal minister were leaked.

    On Wednesday, September 28, an audio of Khan was leaked as well.

    Khan can be heard talking about the alleged foreign conspiracy against him with his then principal secretary Azam Khan.

    He tells Azam Khan: ‘Iss par hi khelna hai’, without mentioning the name of the United States, and they then discuss how to form a team on the issue.

    The “cipher” lies at the heart of PTI’s claim that the US plotted with individuals within Pakistan to remove Khan from office. It is based on then-envoy Asad Majeed’s meeting with State Department employee Donald Lu.

  • Maryam Nawaz, Capt Safdar acquitted in Avenfield case

    Maryam Nawaz, Capt Safdar acquitted in Avenfield case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday acquitted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield reference, nullifying the conviction handed to them in 2018 by an accountability court.

    A two-member bench, comprising of Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, presided over today’s hearing during which the court heard arguments from both sides.

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif was handed 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond known income and one year for not cooperating with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Meanwhile, Maryam was given 7 years for abetment after she was found “Instrumental in concealment of the properties of her father” and one year for non-cooperation with the bureau.

    Safdar was given one year jail time — for not cooperating with NAB, and aiding and abetting Nawaz and Maryam.

    Congratulating Maryam and Capt Safdar, PM Shehbaz tweeted, “The edifice of lies, slander & character assassination has come crumbling down today.”

    “Maryam Nawaz’s acquittal in the Avenfield Reference is a slap in the face of so-called accountability system that was employed to target Sharif family,” tweeted the PM.

    Maryam also received a phone call from her father, she congratulated him for the win.

    Later, talking to the media, Maryam said that she was thankful to Allah for making Nawaz and her proud today.

    Maryam asked PTI Chairman Imran Khan what would he do now as he has been proven “a liar” and “a conspirator”, while Nawaz has come out on top.

    Maryam told Khan that he is a “helpless” person now and whether or not he decides to answer for his deeds, history will ensure that you answer for it.

    In response to a question that the case was registered against her before PTI came into power and that some other powers were behind it, Maryam said: “Who was the beneficiary of all this? Had Nawaz remained here, then even in three lifetimes, Imran could not have come into power.”

  • Need to know how to deal with misogyny? Just watch Sherry Rehman

    Need to know how to deal with misogyny? Just watch Sherry Rehman

    If you want a guide or need tips on how to deal with the misogyny that exists even in Pakistan’s Senate, you need to watch Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman. Here is she at her wittiest best.

    An incident took place in Senate Pakistan on Tuesday where the House Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani called Rehman the “Senate’s dadi (grandmother)” when he asked a house member to keep the questions specific so that Sherry Rehman can answer the questions.

    “I would advise you to only ask specific questions so that Sherry Rehman, who is the dadi of this House, can give you the right answers,” Sanjrani said, adding that members should keep the environment of the House calm.

    However, Rehman snapped back immediately and said: “Kyunke mei apki dadi lagti hoon, meri koshish ye hogi kay kisi ki dadageeri na ho“. (Because I am your grandmother, i will try to ensure that no one is bullied.)

    The Upper House then burst out with laughter.

    Following this, Senator Rehman shared a clip of the incident with a caption saying, “How to deal with misogyny 101 without giving it the oxygen it seeks”.

  • Govt to conduct forensic audit of Shehbaz, Imran audios: Sanaullah

    Govt to conduct forensic audit of Shehbaz, Imran audios: Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said that the federal government will conduct a forensic audit of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s leaked audios.

    Sanaullah — during a press conference in Islamabad — said that if Khan’s audio is real, then he should be exposed before the nation. “Khan has created a narrative of an American conspiracy to mislead the nation and divide it,” he said.

    Criticising the PTI chief, the interior minister said that Khan has caused “Irreparable damage to Pakistan and destroyed the country’s economy and political culture.”

    “I will show students Imran Khan’s awful face,” said Sanaullah with reference to Khan’s recent appearance at a university, adding that this “political fitna” (political miscreant) has to end in a political way.

    Sanaullah also said that Khan’s political narrative will be exposed.

  • ‘Modi is not Manmohan Singh or even Vajpayee’: Bilawal Bhutto

    ‘Modi is not Manmohan Singh or even Vajpayee’: Bilawal Bhutto

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari once again talked about India being a different country now and said a lot has changed since 2010, pointing out that the current Indian Prime Minister, (PM) Narendra Modi, is not like his predecessors.

    In his address at Washington DC-based think-tank, Woodrow Wilson Centre, the minister stated, “This is a very different India, Modi is not [former PM] Manmohan Singh or even [former PM] Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We want a manageable and responsible relationship with India”, adding that he was not surprised by India’s reaction to the United States’ decision to give $450 million to upgrade Pakistan’s fleet of F-16 aircraft. “Obviously, Indians are going to be upset, let them be, kiya karein (what do we do)”, he said.

    Last week, prior to PM Shehbaz’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session Bilawal said that, “India today is a changed India and is no longer the secular country promised by its founding fathers for all its citizens.”

    While responding to a question from the audience at the Woodrow Wilson Centre that some sections of the media are reporting that the “US schooled Pakistan” on maintaining ties with India and China, Bilawal dismissed the reports, saying “He [US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ] is an incredible human being and can never talk in such tone.”

    ‘Everything else can wait’: Bilawal urges China and US to work together

    At the international forum, the minister also urged the two world powers to cooperate and not fight with each other.

    “Let me be absolutely clear. We will not overcome climate change, we will not save our planet, if China and the US do not work together on climate,” said Bhutto-Zardari

    “Everything else can wait. Every other conflict. Every other dispute. We will all fight among ourselves if there’s a planet left to fight over,” he added.

    Earlier, US Secretary Blinken said that he had urged Pakistan to engage China on some of the important issues of debt relief and restructuring so that Pakistan can more quickly recover from the floods

    Addressing these remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that Beijing is already providing assistance to the flood victims and urged that other nations also do “something real and beneficial, instead of passing unwarranted criticism against China-Pakistan cooperation”.

    It is pertinent to mention that US is so far the largest donor to flood relief and rehabilitation funds. Washington has provided about $56 million to Pakistan since July.

  • ‘Imran Khan ki videos dekhaanay ya dekhnay ke qabil nahi hain’: Rana Sanaullah claims to have seen videos of Khan

    ‘Imran Khan ki videos dekhaanay ya dekhnay ke qabil nahi hain’: Rana Sanaullah claims to have seen videos of Khan

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday claimed to have seen secret videos of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, which he claimed were “neither worthy of being seen nor being shown”.

    “[Imran Khan] ki videos dekhanay ya dekhnay ke qabil nahi hain,” said Sanaullah. Translation: Imran Khan’s videos are neither worthy of being seen nor being shown.

    Sanaullah while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Capital Talk’ said, “The alleged audio does not damage PM Shehbaz’s reputation because there is nothing wrong in it,” adding that recording something in today’s day and age was no big deal.

    Talking about Khan’s video, Sanaullah also said that he does not have access to the videos.

    Earlier today, in a new leaked audio, the former prime minister can be heard talking about the alleged foreign conspiracy against him with his then principal secretary Azam Khan.

    Khan discusses how to frame the narrative around the alleged conspiracy that resulted in the ouster of his government. He tells Azam Khan: ‘Iss par hi khelna hai’ (let’s play with this), without mentioning the name of the United States. They discuss how holding a meeting with the Foreign Secretary and then-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi in which allegedly Azam Khan can be heard discussing the minutes of the meeting.

  • Court issues notice to NAB on Dar’s plea to cancel warrants

    Court issues notice to NAB on Dar’s plea to cancel warrants

    An accountability court has served a notice to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today (Wednesday) after newly-appointed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar surrendered himself before the court and submitted a petition pleading for the cancellation of his arrest warrants.

    The court then issued a notice to the NAB and ordered Dar to appear before the court on October 7.

    “We will hear the application for cancellation of warrants along with assets’ reference,” the judge remarked.

    In 2017, Dar was a declared a proclaimed offender in a NAB reference due to his continued absence from the proceedings.

    NAB accused Dar of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

    The case was filed by NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

    The same year, Dar flew to United Kingdom due to seek medical treatment. He stayed there for almost five years until his return to Pakistan on Monday.

  • ‘Abhi toh khela hi nahi mai’: Imran Khan responds to new leaked audio

    ‘Abhi toh khela hi nahi mai’: Imran Khan responds to new leaked audio

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan broke silence on the leaked audio, saying he has not played on the cipher yet.

    Khan in the new leaked audio, can be heard talking about the alleged foreign conspiracy against him with his then principal secretary Azam Khan.

    He said that Shahbaz Sharif leaked that audio when asked who did this.

    “It is good that the audio got leaked, I would say the cypher should also be leaked. So that everyone should come to know how big was that foreign conspiracy.”

    “Abhi toh khela hi nahi mai,” said Khan. Translation: I have not played over it yet and will play when they expose it.

    Audio: ‘Is par hi khelna hai’: Imran warns not to reveal United States involvement


    Khan discusses how to frame the narrative around the alleged conspiracy that resulted in the ouster of his government. He tells Azam Khan: ‘Iss par hi khelna hai’, without mentioning the name of the United States and they discuss how to form a team on the issue.

    The “cipher” lies at the heart of PTI’s claim that the US plotted with individuals within Pakistan to remove Khan from office. It is based on then-envoy Asad Majeed’s meeting with State Department employee Donald Lu.

    Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf (PTI) is claiming that the audio has been leaked by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that the audio leak is evidence of the attempt to hide the US letter from Imran Khan, in an acknowledgement that the audio is likely real.

  • Prince Mohammed Bin Salman named as Saudi Prime Minister

    Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was named the country’s prime minister on Tuesday. The development came after a cabinet reshuffle ordered by King Salman.
    “HRH the crown prince, based on the king’s orders, alre

    ady supervises the main executive bodies of the state on a daily basis, and his new role as prime minister is within that context,” said an official while talking with Reuters.


    As prime minister, Prince Salman will lead the council of ministers. Prince Khalid bin Salman will become Defense Minister amidst a cabinet reshuffle.

    Prince Mohammed, who turned 37 last month, has been first in line to succeed his father as king since 2017.


    Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, has congratulated Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his appointment as the Kingdom’s Prime Minister.

    “I congratulate my brother, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, on his appointment as the Kingdom’s Prime Minister, wishing him success, and the Kingdom greater progress under the wise leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,” Sheikh Hamdan said in a tweet.

    The newly designated Prime Minister is expected to visit Pakistan in November this year.

    COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa has congratulated Mohammed Bin Salman on his appointment.