Current Final

Category: Politics

  • PM Shehbaz kicks off New Islamabad International Airport Metro Bus Service

    PM Shehbaz kicks off New Islamabad International Airport Metro Bus Service

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has inaugurated Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport today [Monday]. Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mustafa Yurdakul, Chinese Chargé d’affaires Pang Chunxue, and a number of Parliamentarians attended the inauguration ceremony.

    Speaking at the inauguration, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the metro bus project as a gift from PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif for the residents of the federal capital, adding that the project was started in 2017 and was made functional in a record time one year in 2018.

    “But after the government changed, like other projects, this project was also delayed,” said the prime minister while addressing the ceremony. The thing that was not present was the government’s will to work and serve the masses,” he added.

    After assuming the office of Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif had directed for resumption of work on the project and its completion on a war footing.

    The bus service will provide international standard travel facilities to thousands of passengers on a daily basis. Later, the Metro Bus Service route will be extended to Rawat.

  • PPP to get 11 ministries, PML-N 14 in federal cabinet: Rana Sanaullah

    PPP to get 11 ministries, PML-N 14 in federal cabinet: Rana Sanaullah

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will get 14 ministries, while Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will get 11 ministries. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is all set to become the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Hina Rabbani Khar will most likely be the Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry.

    PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah told Geo News‘ anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal on “Naya Pakistan” that the Finance Ministry, Interior Ministry, Defence Ministry, Planning Ministry, Ministry of Energy and Information Ministry will remain with PML-N. Commerce Ministry and Communications Ministry will go to PPP and PML-N while MQM and PPP will get Maritime Ministry and Overseas Ministry. Marriyum Aurangzeb will most likely get Information Ministry as per media reports. Rana Sana said that these decisions have been taken after a joint committee of all allied parties finalised the formation of the new cabinet.

    According to The News, Asif Zardari advised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to give cabinet posts to all coalition partners in the first phase and the PPP would join the cabinet in the second phase. It is expected that the first phase of the cabinet will take oath today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday). In the first phase, 10 to 12 ministers will take the oath.

    Last week, PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari had hinted that the PPP may not join the federal cabinet.

    “I don’t think we are taking any ministries. We want to first accommodate our friends,” said Zardari, talking about government’s other coalition partners.

    On Friday, PPP’s Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed.

  • Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    An investigation by news organisation Fact Focus reveals that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi kept all 112 presents worth Rs142.02 million from the Tosha Khana of Pakistan.

    The former PM and his wife Bushra Bibi have retained everything that was gifted to them by different states. The gifts include luxurious Rolex watches, gold and diamond jewellery, cufflinks worth millions, expensive dinner sets and perfumes. Not only that, they also kept a book worth Rs. 500, a tablemat, a samsonite bag and even a tasbih.

    The most expensive gift was a Graff watch worth Rs 85 million (Eight crore and fifty lac rupees), gifted to PM Khan by Saudi crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman when he visited Saudi Arabia on September 18, 2018. Instead of giving it the Tosha Khana, which is what every prime minister and his family is bound to do, Khan sold the watch in Dubai, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khan also declared tax returns on the watch when filing his taxes in 2020-21. He apparently paid Rs. 20 million (2 crore), which was 20 percent of the estimated value, according to his tax returns.

    List of some of the gifts:

    • One pair of cufflinks worth Rs. 5,670,000.
    • Five Rolex watches
    • A table mat of Rs. 30,000
    • Wall hanging worth Rs. 15,000
    • One locket with chain (Gold+Diamond) worth Rs. 269,350
    • Carpet worth Rs. 22,000

    In his returns for the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, Imran Khan did not mention any of the Tosha Khana presents that were kept. Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife, did not file a tax return at this time. Bushra Bibi, in reality, has never submitted a tax return in her life and was just registered with the Pakistani tax authorities in July 2021.

    A few days ago, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry that, Kya jurm huva agar gharri baich di’, admitting that Khan had sold the gifts.

    DISCLAIMER: The pictures used are for pictorial representation only and do not represent what the actual items might have been.

    Other gifts include:

  • ‘We are inching towards Civil unrest’: Fawad Ch on Punjab Assembly clash

    ‘We are inching towards Civil unrest’: Fawad Ch on Punjab Assembly clash

    Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry took to his Twitter account to comment on the manhandling of Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari by Assembly members belonging to PTI, earlier today (Saturday).

    “We are inching towards a full-fledged Civil unrest, Imran Khan has exercised utmost restraint even he won’t be able to stop this very angry mob and we’ll see the country plunging into civil unrest, imported leaders will not be able to leave the country,” he wrote in the tweet.

    Mazari was roughed up by PTI legislators carrying lotas (round water containers) before being brought back to his chamber in protective custody by the assembly’s security team. Mazari was said to have suffered minor injuries as a result of the assault by the PTI MPAs.

    On Friday, a division bench of the Lahore High Court dismissed a petition filed by a PML-Q politician and ordered Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari to hold a transparent and impartial election for the new Chief Minister of Punjab on April 16 (saturday).

  • ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, which was started to elect the new Chief Minister (CM) Punjab turned into a battle filed today (Saturday).

    Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari was attacked by several Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs). The lawmakers of the ruling party threw “lotas” at Mazari first, attacked him and pulled his hair despite the presence of security guards. Mazari who got injured somehow managed to go inside his chamber.

    Consequently, the session has been delayed due to the unfortunate incident.

    In a media talk outside the Punjab Assembly after the ruckus inside, PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar blamed Pervaiz Elahi and his “group of gangsters” for everything that happened inside the legislature.

    “What happened today is a blatant violation of the law and Constitution,” he said. “Today, the deputy speaker was attacked. This is an incident of terrorism. I have heard Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi wants to get one or two people murdered.” He added that Elahi had been encouraging the MPAs when they attacked the deputy speaker.

    Tarar also called on the Lahore High Court to take suo moto notice of the incident and initiate action against the culprits. “We are here and won’t move till midnight.”

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also condemned the incident. In a tweet, she said, “The gang of thugs whose name is PTI, seeing their defeat in Punjab, have started bullying again.”

    She further said that “This culture is by no means good for the country and for the nation but is a disaster. It must be stopped and eradicated immediately.”

    Similarly, PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb took a jibe at former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. She said, “After attacking the constitution, Parliament, Khan ordered an attack on Deputy Speaker in Punjab Assembly.”

    PML-N Khawaja Asif lashed out at Pervaiz Elahi, saying: “PTI-PML-Q gang of mobsters has not only desecrated Punjab Assembly a constitutional institution representing people of Punjab but they have also brought shame to parliamentarians all over the country.”

    On the contrary, the ruling party nominee  Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi blamed the PML-N for bringing the police inside the legislature “for the first time since the creation of assemblies”.

    “Who is the police to enter the assembly?” the PML-Q leader said. “We will make sure the Inspector General of Police (IGP) appears before us and he will be punished for a month.”

    A tough contest is expected to take place between Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz, who is the joint opposition’s candidate. Both candidates, along with their supporters, had arrived at the PA in the morning.

  • LG polls as per schedule in Balochistan: CM Bizenjo

    LG polls as per schedule in Balochistan: CM Bizenjo

    Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo on Friday said that his government is fully prepared to hold local government (LG) elections in the province as scheduled by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), reports Dawn News.

    The chief minister pointed out that due to the preparations for the next year’s budget and some other reasons, the provincial government had sought to the postponement of the LG elections for some time.

    The ECP, however, rejected the Balochistan government’s request for a six months delay in the LG elections in the province. The commission reiterated that elections will be held as per schedule on May 29 in the 32 districts of the province with the exception of Quetta and Lasbella districts.

    In a statement, CM Bizenjo said that all institutions concerned have been tasked with foolproof preparations for the timely conduct of the LG elections in a transparent and peaceful manner.

    He further added that his government would provide all resources for the elections and expressed hope that all political parties would fully participate in the local bodies’ elections.

    It is to be noted that the development has come on the heel of a change in the federal government where PTI Chairman Imran Khan was ousted from power through a successful no-confidence motion.

  • Pakistan condemns Israel’s raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque

    Pakistan condemns Israel’s raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli forces and termed it blatant aggression against innocent people.

    “Condemnable raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque & escalation of violence by Israel in gross violation of HR & humanitarian laws. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinians. Time for the international community to protect innocent Palestinian lives, and uphold international law & UN Charter,” he tweeted.

    Read more- Fact check: Did Shehbaz Sharif meet singer Farhan NTF at PM House?

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson has also expressed its grave concern over the latest developments in various parts of the occupied Palestinian territories.

    “This highly condemnable assault on worshippers, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, is an egregious violation of all humanitarian norms and human rights laws,” read a statement issued from the ministry.

    “In recent weeks, Israeli forces have killed dozens and injured countless Palestinians in the occupied East Jerusalem and other areas. This escalation of violence by Israeli forces in the Palestinian territories is deplorable,” it added.

  • No-confidence vote: Qasim Suri resigns as NA deputy speaker

    No-confidence vote: Qasim Suri resigns as NA deputy speaker

    Qasim Suri resigned as deputy speaker of the National Assembly on Saturday, less than an hour before a session of the house where voting on a no-trust motion against him was to take place.

    Sharing a copy of his resignation on Twitter, Suri said his move signified his association with the vision of his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and democracy.

    “We will never compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity. We will fight for the country’s interests and independence. We will go to any length to protect Pakistan,” he tweeted.

    Suri, who had also been functioning as the acting speaker following the resignation of Asad Qaiser, faced severe criticism in recent days over a contentious April 3 ruling to dismiss a no-confidence motion against former prime minister Imran Khan and his decision to defer the session scheduled for the NA speaker’s election from April 16 to April 22.

  • Fact check: Shehbaz Sharif did not meet singer Farhan NTF at PM House

    Fact check: Shehbaz Sharif did not meet singer Farhan NTF at PM House

    Claim: PM Shehbaz Sharif invited singer Farhan NTF to the PM House

    Fact: Shehbaz Sharif met Farhan NTF at his private residence in November 2021, almost 5 months before becoming Prime Minister.

    A video of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif meeting singer, composer and writer Farhan NTF went viral on Friday in which the singer can be seen sitting with Sharif and singing “Mian De Naray“, which is a political song.

    Political analyst Raheeq Abbasi tweeted the video and wrote: “These days, PM House looks like a circus. If in doubt, watch this video.” His tweet was retweeted more than 12,000 times and had almost three thousand quote-tweets.

    Former federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry quoted Raheeq Abbasi and tweeted: “Pakistan’s dummy prime minister in an important meeting discussing people’s issues in PM House.”

    Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan also quote-tweeted the same video and wrote that the King can be seeing enjoying himself.

    However, the video is not recent. Farhan tweeted about meeting Shehbaz Sharif on November 3, 2021. At that time, Imran Khan was the prime minister of Pakistan and the video was not shot inside the Prime Minister House.

    In a YouTube video, Farhan explains how hurt he was that his old video went viral and is being misused by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He clarifies that he met PM Shehbaz last year in November at Sharif’s private residence. He said that it seems that the video is being used as if PM Shehbaz is listening to a political song that was written for him instead of working.

    “I am a singer. I don’t have any political affiliations. I have sung songs for PTI also but my song ‘Mian De Naray’ became very popular. Did Khan not meet Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and Shaan Shahid when he was prime minister? Why can Shehbaz Sharif not meet any artist? I hope that people do not misuse our videos for their political interests.”

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • Raja Pervaiz Ashraf elected as NA speaker unopposed

    Raja Pervaiz Ashraf elected as NA speaker unopposed

    Former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party leader Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed on Friday following the en masse resignations by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members from the lower house of the parliament after the success of a no-confidence vote against former prime minister Imran Khan.

    It is to be noted that the seat of the National Assembly speaker fell vacant after Asad Qaiser resigned in accordance with the PTI’s decision minutes before voting on the no-confidence motion against then-Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 9.

    Who is Raja Pervaiz Ashraf?

    On Saturday, a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri is set to be introduced in the House. On Saturday, the National Assembly was scheduled to assemble to pick a new speaker. Suri, on the other hand, has adjourned the house on April 22.