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Category: Politics

  • Govt of Pakistan’s Twitter account withheld in India, claims Indian Twitterati

    Govt of Pakistan’s Twitter account withheld in India, claims Indian Twitterati

    The Government of Pakistan’s official Twitter account is with held in India.

    Indian Journalist Suhasini Haider who is currently covering the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, tweeted a picture of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Vladimir Putin of Russia having a conversation. Government of Pakistan’s Twitter handle originally shared the picture.

    Moments after Haider tweeted, one of her followers pointed out that her quoted tweet can’t be seen in India as there is a chance it has been withheld in India.

    https://twitter.com/Autiqueering/status/1570693475439644672?s=20&t=nPU-ihMf9Mn9N5bmTcpcTg

    On September 13, Twitter’s former security chief, Peiter Zatko, told a US Senate hearing that the Indian government forced the micro blogging website to hire two persons who were likely “government agents” and had access to sensitive user data. Zatko had alleged in a complaint filed in August that Twitter had violated it’s agreement with users by giving access to their data to a government agent.

    Zatko also told the hearing that it was his belief that the government agent was placed at Twitter by the BJP government to asses if the social media giant would be willing to agree with censorship demands.

    Read More: Twitter withholds accounts of journalists Murtaza Ali Shah, Rana Ayyub, and C J Werleman’s in India

    In June, Twitter in India withheld accounts of journalists Murtaza Ali Shah, Rana Ayyub, and C J Werleman.

  • Trouble for IK as ECP imposes fine on him for holding jalsa in Peshawar

    Trouble for IK as ECP imposes fine on him for holding jalsa in Peshawar

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a fine of Rs.50,000 on Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan, and other party leaders.

    The fine was imposed on them for violating the code of conduct issued for the upcoming by-elections by participating in a rally in Peshawar despite the commission’s warning.

    On September 6, PTI held a rally in the provincial capital Immediately after Imran’s arrival on stage, YouTube’s access in the country appeared blocked or greatly slowed down.

    Following the violation, District Monitoring Officer (DMO), Peshawar, Shahabuddin, had served notices to Khan, the Chief Minister and others, seeking an explanation. They appeared before the DMO and submitted written replies.

    However, the DMO deemed the reply unsatisfactory and imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on each of the leaders, directing them to deposit the fine to the state exchequer by September 18.

    It is pertinent to mention that a day before the Peshawar rally, the DMO had asked PTI not to attend the rally and warned of legal action.

    Another PTI rally is scheduled to be held in Charsadda on September 17 and for that, the commission sent letters to the KP governor and chief minister asking them not to attend it.

    This is not the first time that a fine has been imposed on PTI leaders. In March, ECP slapped a fine of Rs50,000 on Imran Khan, CM Mahmood Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others for violating the code of conduct as they all attended a public gathering in Swat on March 16 ahead of the no-confidence motion.

  • ‘Fitna’: Maryam Nawaz slams Imran for ‘using religion’ for personal benefits

    ‘Fitna’: Maryam Nawaz slams Imran for ‘using religion’ for personal benefits

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz has said that religion should not be used for political benefits and blasted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly using faith for political gain.

    “Using religion for personal motives is very bad. I have suffered this and I am a victim”, she said while talking to members of the media.

    “I think religion is a personal matter but it does not remain a personal matter when you say in rallies that ‘voting for PML-N is a sin and voting for me [Imran] is righteous and if my party members switch loyalties then it’s shirk’,” she stated, referring to a recent controversy speech given by Imran Khan at a rally.

    “Shirk’s definition is associating partners with God. Are you changing the entire dictionary and the meaning of religion for your disgusting politics,” she asked the former Prime Minister.

    Shirk is considered to be one of the most heinous sins in Islam.

    At a rally, Khan had said that “people who vote for PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif will be siding with a convict and are on the wrong side. This also means that you will go against Allah’s orders.”

    At one point, he also said that those who defected from his party [PTI] committed shirk.

    “I think all institutions, whether the judiciary or army or politicians or government, should acknowledge he [Khan] is a fitna (chaotic miscreant) who was launched for destruction and from whom no one is safe.”

    Maryam said that she is not in favour of fuel or electricity price increases.

    “I will request the government to focus on it. I don’t support this decision and it should be corrected. However, it will take time to stabilise the economy after what Imran Khan did,” she said, adding that PM Shehbaz Sharif has saved the country from default and slowly the economy will begin to revive.

    Moreover, the PML-N vice president asked Khan to dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) if he wants fresh general elections.

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif will attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

    PM Shehbaz Sharif will attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on September 19 in London, United Kingdom.

    The premier will reportedly reach London on September 17. Other than PM Shehbaz, United States (US) President Joe Biden and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida will also participate in the funeral along with almost 2000 other guests.

    The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is now at London’s Westminster Hall, where the monarch will lie in state before her state funeral on Monday.

    The Queen’s son, King Charles III, was joined by his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and other members of the royal family as he walked behind the coffin during its procession route on Wednesday en route to Westminster Hall.

    During this two-day tour, PM Shehbaz will also meet his brother Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif. He and three key cabinet members, who are currently in Samarkand, will embark on a visit to London on September 17.

    Earlier this week, Pakistan observed a national day of mourning over the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

  • ‘Our patience won’t last long’: Imran Khan wants early elections

    ‘Our patience won’t last long’: Imran Khan wants early elections

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in an address to the nation has once again demanded early elections, warning that PTI’s patience was wearing thin.

    “If we want to save the country from discord and chaos, free and fair elections need to be announced immediately,” he said.

    “Our patience won’t last long if you continue like this, we will have to give a call to the nation,” said Khan, addressing the government.

    “If there is no political stability, the economy won’t stabilise. So I want to tell my people today that we need to have elections quickly to save Pakistan from this quagmire,” the former Prime Minister insisted, adding that it was his fear that there will be no economic progress without political stability.

    “The incumbent government does not have any credibility, both inside and outside Pakistan, especially in the financial markets,” alleged Khan, mentioning that the prices of fuel and electricity across Pakistan had reached an all-time high and warned that they would further increase in the near future.

    Unemployment is increasing, inflation is rising, and businesses are closing down, Imran said. “The danger I am seeing right now […] Our credit rating has fallen to negative […] do you know what this means? They think Pakistan doesn’t have the ability to repay and due to this, the cost of loans will increase,”‘ he warned.

  • Court grants bail PTI’s Shahbaz Gill

    Court grants bail PTI’s Shahbaz Gill

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill in the sedition case filed against him.

    IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah directed the authorities to release Gill on bail after hearing arguments from all of the parties in the case. The court also directed Gill to submit Rs500,000 as surety against his bail.

    Last week, Gill approached the high court after his failure to get bail from a trial court despite continuous efforts.

    Following his bail, Gill tweeted on his official handle.

    It is pertinent to mention that Shahbaz Gill was taken into custody on August 9 from Bani Gala Chowk for inciting the public against state institutions.

    Shahbaz Gill behind bars: Islamabad court approves two-day physical remand, again

    An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday (August 17) approved a two-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shahbaz Gill in police custody. The court was hearing a review plea seeking Gill’s remand in a sedition case.

    Last Friday (August 12), a district and sessions court in Islamabad hearing a sedition case against Shahbaz Gill rejected the prosecution’s request to extend Gill’s physical remand. Instead, the court had sent him to jail on judicial remand. A plea was then filed by Islamabad Advocate General Jahangir Khan Jadoon in the Islamabad High Court on August 13 challenging the order.

    Shahbaz Gill told the court on August 12 that he was being subjected to extreme torture in custody.

    “I am a professor, not a criminal,” said Gill, adding that he was not permitted to sleep and not even allowed to meet his lawyers.

    ‘He was stripped naked’: Imran Khan

    PTI Chairman Imran Khan recently revealed that his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill was stripped naked and beaten up in custody.

    This is political victimisation: Shahbaz Gill

    Gill was presented in a court earlier today after the completion of two-day physical remand.

    He said that his arrest was political victimisation.

    “No honourable Pakistani will ever say anything against the Pakistan Army,” added Gill.

    Gill denied reports that he admitted his guilt or that he made the statement on Imran Khan’s instructions.

    “No. Not at all. I did not say any such thing.”

    Two-day physical remand

    A court in Islamabad on Wednesday (August 10) approved a two-day physical remand of Gill in a sedition case. The police had been directed to produce Gill before the court on August 12 (Friday), while the investigating officer was told to get the PTI leader medically examined.

    Gill, who is PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s chief of staff, was taken into custody on August 9 from Bani Gala Chowk for inciting the public against state institutions.

    ‘Not ashamed’ says Gill

    While talking to the media, Gill said he was not “ashamed” of the statement that he made on the private television channel.

    “There was nothing in my statement that I am ashamed of [….] my statement was of a person who loves his armed forces,” said Gill.

    The PTI leader said he did not attempt to provoke anyone and that he was only pointing toward bureaucrats who were involved in “wrongdoings”.

    Shahbaz Gill arrested for ‘inciting members of state institutions’

    Dr Shahbaz Gill was arrested for inciting the public against the state institutions, a spokesperson of the Islamabad Police clarified.

    “Shahbaz Gill has been arrested for making statements against the state institutions and inciting the people to rebellion,” said a police spokesperson.

    A case has been registered against Gill at the Bani Gala Police Station, said the spokesperson. Besides other charges, clauses relating to inciting people against the state institutions and their heads were added to the First Information Report (FIR).

    Gill served in Imran Khan’s cabinet as a Special Assistant to the Prime Minister till April 10, 2022

    ’Abduction not an arrest’: Imran Khan

    PTI Chairman Imran Khan termed the arrest as an abduction.

    “This is an abduction not an arrest. Can such shameful acts take place in any democracy? Political workers treated as enemies. And all to make us accept a foreign backed government of crooks,” tweeted PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

    Khan shared a video in which Shahbaz Gill’s assistant said, “I wasn’t unlocking the car so after moving it to the side, they also subjected me to violence — look at my neck — and after that, he [Gill] was also handcuffed and they broke the car windows with Kalashnikovs,” adding that Gill was “dragged around as well and there were around eight to 10 cars”.

    CCTV footage of arrest

    The CCTV footage of Gill’s arrest has surfaced and it contradicts the claims made by PTI leadership after Gill’s arrest.

    Claims of Gill’s driver

    In a video, Gill’s driver claimed that they were manhandled by those who came to arrest Shahbaz Gill.

    “Around 15 to 20 cars with black mirrors were there. They did not show us any warrant or any paper. They broke the car windows with Kalashnikovs as if there was a terrorist sitting in the car. I sat silently, they kicked him [Shahbaz Gill] and then handcuffed him. They treated us like we had murdered someone. Then they stopped me and hit my neck with the Kalashnikov. They asked me to give his [Gill’s] phone, they were asking about the data. There was no number plate on the cars. All were in private cars.”

    In another video shared by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the driver also showed his wounds.

    What does the CCTV footage reveal?

    The CCTV footage shows that the security personnel gather around Gill’s car and signal him to come out of the car.

    It can be seen that Gill doesn’t comply with the order. Later, a security official breaks the window of the car with his gun.


    Gill comes out of the car and is seen walking up to the police vehicle himself and sitting in the car.

    After Gill is taken away, his driver can be seen parking the vehicle by the roadside.

    PTI leaders react to Gill’s arrest

    Fawad Chaudhry, in a tweet, stated that Gill was picked up from Bani Gala Chowk by unidentified personnel in cars with missing number plates.

    Earlier, Murad Saeed said that Shahbaz Gill has been taken into custody from Islamabad.

    “The imported government is in panic,” Murad Saeed said in a statement on social media.

    PTI’s official Twitter account shared a video of Gill’s vehicle showing broken glasses.

    On Twitter, PTI further demanded the immediate release of Gill. The statement said: “After the ban on ARY yesterday, they’ve today arrested Gill. Pakistan is living under a fascist imported government, that doesn’t care about the human rights of the people of Pakistan. We strongly demand the immediate release of Dr Gill.”

    Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari said Gill’s abduction and ARY being taken off air was part of the “grand design of US regime change conspiracy and its abettors”.

    A day ago, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had issued a show-cause notice to ARY News for airing comments by Gill and said they were “highly hateful and seditious” remarks tantamount to “incite armed forces towards revolt”.

    The notice went on to say that Gill was invited via a telephonic call for his comments and during which he alleged that the government was trying to provoke the lower and middle tier of the army against the PTI.

    Gill had said that the government leaders, including PML-N leader Javed Latif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and former National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, had lambasted the army in the past “and they were at the government positions now”.

  • Aik aur language: Shehbaz interacts with diplomats in Tajiki

    Aik aur language: Shehbaz interacts with diplomats in Tajiki

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, September 15, reached Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to attend the annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) during a two-day visit.

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif are also accompanying the premier. Uzbekistan PM Abdulla Aripov received Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival at the airport.

    On the first day of his two-day visit, the Prime Minister will hold separate meetings with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon.

    The Prime Minister is expected to meet other world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

    PM Shehbaz met President of Tajikistan H.E Emamoli Rahmon in Samarqand, Uzbekistan.

    PM Shehbaz also interacted with officials in Tajiki, before starting the formal meeting with the president. PM’s Focal Person on Digital Media, Muhammad Abubakar Umer, shared the video on his Twitter account.

    Read more: Exclusive: You will not believe how many languages PM Shehbaz Sharif can speak

    The premier and Russian President H.E Vladimir Putin shook hands ahead of their meeting in Uzbekistan.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi in Samarqand, Uzbekistan.

    Before the summit, there was speculation that Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, who is also attending the summit, would hold bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart.

    However, Foreign Office Spokesman Asim Iftikhar told Dawn thar PM Shehbaz had no plans to meet Modi.

    It is being said that a brief courtesy meeting between the two was possible, however, they would not be holding talks as none of the sides had sought a meeting.

  • ATC grants bail to Ali Wazir in fourth sedition case

    ATC grants bail to Ali Wazir in fourth sedition case

    Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader and MNA Ali Wazir has been granted post-arrest bail by Karachi’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in the fourth sedition case registered against him.

    Wazir has been behind bars since December 31, 2020, for allegedly delivering provocative speeches inciting hate against the state institutions.

    The ATC judge announced the verdict on Wazir’s bail plea after hearing arguments from the defence and prosecution. He directed the applicant to submit a surety of Rs100,000 to secure his release.

    Cases have been registered against Wazir under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of common object), 500 (punishment for defamation), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief), and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with the Section 7 (Punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

    In November 2021, the Supreme Court granted bail to Wazir in one case lodged against him, along with Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen and other leaders, for delivering incendiary speeches at a rally within the jurisdiction of Sohrab Goth police station.

    Later, the Sindh High Court in May granted him bail in a second identical case lodged at Sohrab Goth police station.

    However, Karachi police had then booked him in a third case lodged at the Shah Latif Town police station against the PTM leaders over alleged hate speech against state institutions.

  • ‘Terror case against me is a joke’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday appeared before Islamabad Police’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for questioning in connection with a terrorism case registered against him.

    Earlier this week, the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) had extended the ex-premier’s bail till September 20 and instructed him to become a part of the investigation.

    “I was quiet because of the economic conditions of the country; there was flooding[…] so we decided to protest peacefully,” the PTI chief stated while talking to the media, warning that if he gave the call “The government won’t able to tolerate it”.

    “You will not be able to bear the day I give a call, because people are already cursing you […] you go out and public curses you […] PPP in Sindh is hiding,” he said while addressing the government.

    “This is an imported government, robbers have been imposed on us through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that “free and fair” elections were the only way forward for the country.

    “This is a joke in front of the entire world. Why? Because everyone knows me, there have been headlines across the world that an FIR (first information report) has been registered against Imran Khan on terrorism charges,” he stated while talking about the allegations he faces.

    The world knows the definition of terrorism charges, he pointed out. “If you are slapping terrorism charges on me for saying that we will take legal action against the custodial torture [of incarcerated PTI leader Shahbaz Gill], then the entire world is laughing at you.”

    “They are trying to crush my party,” Khan said and warned that the government could not withstand his protest call.

    He maintained that his party may hold negotiations with the government but only on the topic of free and fair elections.

    He lashed out at the coalition government over its alleged failure in controlling the economic crisis and said, “Pakistan is following in the footprints of Sri Lanka.”

    He maintained that free and fair elections are the only solution to the economic crisis. He also criticised the government for doing politics amid floods and harassing his party’s donors.

  • Missing person returns home after court warning

    Missing person returns home after court warning

    Haseeb Hamza, who had reportedly gone “missing” in August has been produced before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by the police, a day after the court issued a strict warning to the police and intelligence agencies to locate him by Wednesday.

    His father, Zulfikar Ali, told the court that his son phoned him in the morning to inform him that he was near the Shifa International Hospital in the capital.

    During the hearing today (Wednesday), IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Justice Minallah asked Haseeb where he had been, to which he replied that he was blindfolded at the time he was taken and had no knowledge of where he was.

    Haseeb’s father had filed a petition in IHC, which stated that on the night between August 22 and August 23, around 20 people — 15 of them in black uniforms — entered his house without a warrant and whisked away his son along with a laptop computer, five mobile phones and some documents.

    After Hamza’s return, Justice Minallah ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct an investigation into the kidnapping case and to submit a report to the registrar of the high court by September 22.

    ’Produce missing person by tomorrow, else intelligence services must appear at court’, Court directs police

    A day earlier, Justice Minallah gave strict orders to find Hamze by 10am tomorrow (Wednesday).

    The court also added that if the person is not produced by tomorrow, sector commanders of Military Intelligence (MI), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Special Branch and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) must appear before the court.

    His father Zulfikar Ali filed a petition in which he said his son was picked up from their home on August 22. According to him, he filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the time but all in vain.

    Zulfikar had said that his son was a labourer who worked in Layyah in Punjab.

    The IGP duly appeared before the court and confirmed that FIR had been lodged.

    Moreover, the petition said that the police say that Haseeb is with the intelligence agencies.

    Justice Minallah said that under an earlier court verdict IGP and other concerned officials should be held responsible for the disappearance of a citizen.

    Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif appeared before IHC and assured the court that all-out efforts will be made to recover missing persons.

    “I cannot say that all of the missing persons will be recovered, but we will leave no stone unturned”, he had promised.