Current Final

Category: Politics

  • ‘I would love to have a debate with Modi on TV’: PM Khan

    ‘I would love to have a debate with Modi on TV’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, in an interview with Russia TV (RT) ahead of his visit to Moscow, said that the first thing his government did in 2018 was to reach out to India for a dialogue.

    “I told them [India] our only issue is Kashmir. Remember, I am the one who knows India better than anyone else. So I immediately reached out and then I discovered to my horror that this is not the India I used to know because this has been taken over by a mad ideology. It’s a racist ideology that was inspired by the Nazis,” said the premier.

    https://twitter.com/faizanMFY/status/1496003243423539201

    “I would love to debate with Narendra Modi on TV. It would be so good for over a billion people in the sub-continent if we can resolve our differences through a debate,” said PM Khan.

    The prime minister noted that greater cooperation between the United States, China, and Russia will benefit mankind much more than the conflict.

    Pakistan wants to strengthen bilateral relations with Russia and he looks forward to his Moscow visit, said the PM.

    The prime minister said, “Our North-South Gas pipeline has suffered a delay because of the US sanctions on the Russian company we were negotiating for the construction of the pipeline.”

    PM Khan said the western countries should frame laws as they have on terror financing to check the illicit flow of money from poor countries. 

    “My main emphasis is to remove poverty. No human society has achieved what China has done. So, therefore we learn from everyone. But we should be rooted in our culture, history, and religion.”

     “Pakistan wants to establish trading relations with all other countries to lift people out of poverty rather than becoming part of any bloc,” said the premier.

    It is pertinent to mention here that PM Khan, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will go on an official two-day visit to Russia from February 23-24.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Asad Umar,  Adviser for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, National Security Adviser Moeed Yousuf, and others will accompany the premier during the visit.

  • PM Imran Khan announces ‘no tax’ policy for freelance workers

    PM Imran Khan announces ‘no tax’ policy for freelance workers

    Prime Minister(PM) Imran Khan has announced that registered freelancers will be exempted from all types of taxes.

    While addressing the launching ceremony of the E-commerce Portal, PM said that freelancers will not be liable to any sort of tax on their income now.

    He said, “IT [sector] is youth-driven. All of these tech company owners became billionaires by the age of 20.”

    He also shared that the government’s aim is to take Information technology (IT) exports upto $50 billion in the upcoming years. The exports of IT have reached $4 billion during the past two years.

    He also added that women at home will be able to empower themselves by freelancing at home.

    He also opened up about his future plans to work with Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, for the IT industry. He was invited to Pakistan to honour him as he made efforts to eliminate polio disease from the country.

    PM said, “But my interest was to involve him in Pakistan’s IT [industry] even if in an advisory capacity.”

    In September 2021, the Information Technology Ministry of Pakistan launched a portal to register freelancers.

    World Bank released a report last year in September in which it revealed that the number of freelancers is much higher than Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

  • Mohsin Baig case: Court says FIA misused its power, issues show-cause notice

    Mohsin Baig case: Court says FIA misused its power, issues show-cause notice

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued show-cause notice to the Director of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cybercrime wing, Babar Bakht Qureshi, on Monday for misusing FIA’s powers in the arrest case of journalist Mohsin Jamil Baig.

    The FIA cybercrime wing and the police arrested and raided Daily Jinnah and Online news agency Editor Mohsin Baig’s house. He was accused of initiating a debate on News One’s programme ‘G for Gharidah’. He made some controversial references towards Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Minister for Communication Murad Saeed.

    IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah asked, “Why should we not register contempt of court case against the FIA? Do they think they are above the law?”

    During the hearing, Justice Minallah grilled the FIA director, reminding him that the court had told the agency to not make arrests. “This court will take action against you. Your job is to protect people and not to restore the reputation of an elite person.”

    Justice Minallah also posed some questions related to the arrest. He asked Qureshi that when there were four people in the programme, why only Baig was arrested.

    Justice Minallah further said that the agency has always abused its authority, adding that the court will not allow the FIA to infringe on anyone’s fundamental rights.

    When asked about PM Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan’s book and which reference was given by Baig in the show. Additional Attorney General Qasim Wadood, who was present before the court, replied that he had not read the book.

    “Does everyone know what is written in the book?”, CJ asked.

    Justice Minallah said that this court has repeatedly said that you should be careful but the message being given is that there is no freedom of expression.

    However, the Director of FIA continued his argument that the reference to the book is defamatory and added, “We must discourage obscenity.”

    CJ Minallah stated that the biggest obscenity is not respecting the constitution, adding that prohibition is an abuse of power.

    Responding to contempt of court notice, Quershi pleaded to the CJ, saying we are like your children, have mercy. To which the CJ responded, “You are not my child and I am not your father.”

    Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned and Justice Minallah asked Qureshi to submit his response. The court also summoned Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan in the next hearing on February 24. Previously, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) approved the three-day remand of journalist Mohsin Baig.

  • ‘When Khan will be speaking in Moscow, Putin will not be worried about what army is doing in the absence of PM’: Fawad

    ‘When Khan will be speaking in Moscow, Putin will not be worried about what army is doing in the absence of PM’: Fawad

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that everyone — from Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to a common soldier — stands behind Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Speaking in Geo News‘ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Chaudhry said, “The citizens of Pakistan stand behind PM Imran Khan as well.”

    “Institutions want to see a person in charge who is loyal to Pakistan,” added Fawad.

    “When Imran Khan will be speaking in Moscow, Putin will not be worried about what the army is doing in the absence of PM Khan,” said the minister.

    The federal minister said a person should have the tendency to resolve issues amicably and work along with the institutions.

    “If soldiers are being martyred in Kargil and if then PM (Nawaz Sharif) goes to India to expand steel business, who will stand by him?” asked Fawad Chaudhry.

  • Fazl to host dinner for Zardari to discuss no-confidence motion today

    Fazl to host dinner for Zardari to discuss no-confidence motion today

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari will meet Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad to discuss the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, reports Geo News.

    According to the media outlet’s sources, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief will also host a dinner in honour of the former president.

    The two leaders are also likely to discuss a plan of action regarding the no-confidence motion, which will be tabled by Opposition parties to oust PM Khan’s government.

    Zardari has been staying in the capital for a couple of days and holding low-profile meetings. 

    It is pertinent to mention that the meeting of the two leaders will be the first since PPP’s exit from PDM. 

  • PM’s aide Razak Dawood encourages trade with India, calls it ‘need of the hour’

    PM’s aide Razak Dawood encourages trade with India, calls it ‘need of the hour’

    Adviser to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Commerce, Textile, Industry, and Production, and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said that trade with India is the need of the hour and beneficial to both countries.

    Dawood said “As far as the ministry of commerce is concerned, its position is to do trade with India. And my stance is that we should do trade with India and it should be opened now.”

    “Trade with India is very beneficial to all, especially Pakistan. And I support it.”

    Earlier this month, business tycoon Mian Muhammad Mansha claimed that he is aware of backchannel diplomacy being pursued by India and Pakistan.

    Mansha further insisted that the two countries need to resolve their issues and increase trade.

    “If things improve between the two neighbours, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could visit Pakistan in a month,” said Mansha.

  • Former DG ISI had around $12.9million in offshore accounts in the1980s: Swiss Leaks

    Former DG ISI had around $12.9million in offshore accounts in the1980s: Swiss Leaks

    A leak from a Swiss bank has revealed that around 1,400 individuals residing in Pakistan are linked with around 600 accounts opened in Credit Suisse.

    The average maximum balance in accounts held by Pakistanis was 4.42 million Swiss francs (Rs841 million) compared with the overall average of the leaked data, which stood at 7.5 million Swiss francs (Rs1.42 billion). Almost 200 clients found in the data are worth more than 100 million Swiss francs (Rs19 billion) and more than a dozen had accounts valued in the billions, reports The News.

    Senior intelligence officials and their offspring from several countries that cooperated with the United States (US) in the war on terrorism also had money stashed at Credit Suisse.

    General Zia-ul-Haq’s closest aide and former Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan’s name was also part of the list.

    “As the head of the Pakistani intelligence agency, General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan helped funnel billions of dollars in cash and other aid from the United States (US) and other countries to the mujahedeen in Afghanistan to support their fight against the Soviet Union,” reports The New York Times (NYT).

    According to the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project’s (OCCRP) report, the Saudi Arabian and US funding for mujahideen fighters battling Russia’s presence in Afghanistan would go to the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Swiss bank account. “The end recipient in the process was Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence group (ISI), [at the time] led by Akhtar,” the report said.

    “The report states that by the mid-1980s, Akhtar was adept at getting CIA cash into the hands of Afghan jihadists. It was around this time that Credit Suisse accounts were opened in the names of his three sons.”

    OCCRP’s report stated that one of the two Akhtar family accounts at Credit Suisse — held jointly by three of Akhtar’s sons — was opened on July 1, 1985. That same year, US President Ronald Reagan would raise concerns about where the money intended for the mujahideen was going. By 2003, this account was worth at least five million Swiss francs ($3.7 million at the time). A second account, opened in January 1986 in Akbar’s name alone, was worth more than 9 million Swiss francs by November 2010 ($9.2 million at the time).”

    Two of the general’s sons, Akbar and Haroon Khan, did not respond to requests for comment from the reporting project. In a text message, a third son, Ghazi Khan, called information about the accounts “not correct,” adding, “The content is conjectural.”

  • Pak ‘least costly’ country claims Shaukat Tarin, website he refers to says cost of living is 171 thousand rupees per month

    Pak ‘least costly’ country claims Shaukat Tarin, website he refers to says cost of living is 171 thousand rupees per month

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, while sharing a table with the title “The Cost of Living Index by Country 2021 Mid-Year”, has claimed that Pakistan is the “least costly” country across the globe.

    In the chart, Pakistan has been ranked on 139th number among 139 countries with only 21.88 cost of living. The table Tarin shared was taken from the website NUMBEO.

    https://twitter.com/shaukat_tarin/status/1495274739991867401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1495274739991867401%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2344435%2Fpakistan-cheapest-country-says-tarin

    However, according to the website, this is the summary of Pakistan. The ranking comes with comparison to other countries.

    • Family of four estimated monthly costs are 171,936.39Rs. without rent.
    • A single person estimated monthly costs are 51,837.84Rs. without rent.
    • The cost of living in Pakistan is, on average, 71.36% lower than in the United States.
    • Rent in Pakistan is, on average, 90.59% lower than in the United States.

    Last month, the Quarterly Performance Evaluation Survey (QPES), a Pulse Consultant’s indigenous tracking tool of public perceptions and opinions about the government’s performance and current political situation, stated that 84 per cent of Pakistanis consider inflation as the biggest problem of the country.

  • Revealed: Where did Shehbaz Sharif meet Jahangir Tareen?

    Revealed: Where did Shehbaz Sharif meet Jahangir Tareen?

    Punjab’s Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan has revealed new details about a secret meeting between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) disgruntled leader Jahangir Khan Tareen that took place recently. The two leaders discussed a plan to oust Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion.

    Chohan revealed that Shehbaz and Tareen met at Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood’s residence. He made these revelations in Geo News‘ morning show, ‘Geo Pakistan‘.

    Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood is former Governor Punjab and belongs to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Last year in December, Makhdoom Ahmed met Mian Nawaz Sharif in London. He is said to be one of Shehbaz Sharif’s oldest friends and is also a brother-in-law to Jahangir Tareen.

    Chohan said that Jahangir Tareen should not trust the Sharifs and added that there will not be any no-confidence move against PM Khan.

  • Kuwaiti parliamentarians demand ban on the entry of India’s BJP members

    Parliamentarians of Kuwait have demanded an immediate ban on the entry of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members into the country.

    Al Sharikal, who is a Kuwaiti lawyer, posted a letter on Twitter addressed to the parliament to stop BJP members from entering Kuwait.

    He wrote, “A group of powerful Kuwaiti parliamentarians have demanded the govt of Kuwait to put an immediate ban on the entry of any member of the ruling BJP of India into Kuwait. We can’t sit back and watch Muslim girls being publicly persecuted they said. Time for the Ummah to unite.”

    This tweet was also reshared by Congress leader, Shashi Tharoor.

    He wrote, “Domestic actions have international repercussions. I hear from friends across the Gulf of their dismay at rising Islamophobia in India &the PM’s unwillingness to condemn it, let alone act decisively against it. “We like India. But don’t make it so hard for us to be your friends”.

    This retweet was highly criticised by the Indian Embassy in Kuwait and dupped as an “anti-national” tweet by a “Pakistani agent.”

    Recently, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also condemned the recent incidents of the genocide of Muslims by the Hindutva groups in India.

    It said, “The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation expresses deep concern over recent public calls for genocide of Muslims by the Hindutva proponents in Haridwar in the State of Uttarakhand and reported incidents of harassment of Muslim women on social media sites as well as banning of Muslim girl students from wearing hijab in the State of Karnataka.”