Current Final

Category: Politics

  • France advises citizens to leave Pakistan

    France advises citizens to leave Pakistan

    The French Embassy has advised all French nationals and companies to temporarily leave Pakistan as violent anti-France protests paralyse the country.

    “Due to the serious threats to French interests in Pakistan, French nationals and French companies are advised to temporarily leave the country,” the embassy said in an email to French citizens.

    “The departures will be carried out by existing commercial airlines.”

    Anti-French sentiment has been simmering for months in Pakistan since the government of President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for a magazine’s right to republish blasphemous caricatures depicting Holy Prophet (PBUH).

    On Wednesday, the Pakistani government moved to ban the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) whose leader had called for the expulsion of the French ambassador.

    Saad Rizvi was detained hours after making his demands, bringing thousands of his supporters to the streets in cities across Pakistan.

    Violent countrywide clashes have led to the death of at least three cops and hundreds of other casualties from both the police and protesters.

  • Tehreek-e-Labbaik to be banned

    Tehreek-e-Labbaik to be banned

    Federal Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has announced that a summary seeking banning of hardliner Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) will be forwarded to the federal cabinet.

    “We have taken the decision to ban TLP under Section 11(B) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997,” he was quoted as saying.

    Under said law, the federal government can ban an organisation if it has reason to believe that the same is involved in terrorism.

    Earlier, the ban had been proposed to the Interior Ministry by Punjab government as Labbaik activists wreaked havoc with countrywide violent protests against the arrest of party chief Saad Rizvi.

    The riots have resulted in deaths of at least three cops in three days.

    THE PROTESTS:

    As per details of the protests, violence began late on Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel the French ambassador, Marc Baréty, over blasphemous cartoons.

    According to police, the arrest was aimed at maintaining law and order. But Rizvi’s detention quickly sparked violent protests by Islamists in cities around the country. The protesters blocked highways and roads in several cities.

    The deadly clashes came two days after Rizvi in a statement asked the government of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to “honour” a commitment it made in February to his party to expel Baréty before April 20.

    However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in the National Assembly.

    The reaction from Rizvi’s supporters against his arrest was so swift that police in Lahore could not clear a main highway and roads. Thousands of people were stranded in their vehicles.

    Monday’s clashes initially erupted in Lahore. Rizvi’s supporters later clashed with police in Karachi and they continued rallying on the outskirts of Islamabad, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing residents.

    Reportedly, five TLP workers have also died with hundreds of both cops and activists injured. Property losses have also been reported.

    It may be noted that the ban comes amid demands for the same by the general public as well as officials of government departments including the police.

  • Shehbaz gets bail; PPP’s Sharmila, in deleted tweet, accuses PML-N of camaraderie with PTI govt

    Shehbaz gets bail; PPP’s Sharmila, in deleted tweet, accuses PML-N of camaraderie with PTI govt

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif in the assets beyond means and money laundering case.

    He had moved the high court for post-arrest bail in the reference — filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) — in March, five months after he was sent to jail on judicial remand by a trial court.

    The anti-graft watchdog had arrested Shehbaz in September after the LHC denied him further relief of pre-arrest bail in the case.

    On Tuesday, the bench, headed by Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, adjourned the hearing until today as a special prosecutor sought to start his arguments on behalf of the agency.

    An LHC division bench headed by Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar heard the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s arguments on the bail application of the opposition leader.

    On Tuesday, Shehbaz’s counsel Azam Nazir Tarar completed arguments for his bail, claiming that NAB has failed to come up with any evidence to establish the charges.

    In his bail request, Sharif alleged the NAB proceedings against him had been prompted by mala fide intention, ulterior motive, and considerations extraneous to law.

    He said the registration of a series of cases in quick succession against him and his repeated arrests at the behest of the government had been a classic example of misuse of the process of NAB to muffle the voice of the opposition.

    He said the bureau failed to collect any evidence of any corruption, kickbacks, misuse of any public office for personal gain by him throughout his political career.

    SHARMILA FARUQI’S DELETED TWEET:

    As Twitter reacted to the bail, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Faruqi tweeted to hint at possible betterment of ties between the PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    “Accusations of joining hands with government against the PPP and bail for Shehbaz?” she said in the tweeted that was later deleted.

    Tensions are running high between the PPP and anti-government Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), of which the PML-N is a key member.

    Trouble had been brewing between the two political entities ever since the government-friendly Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) supported PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani for slot of Senate opposition leader.

    Gilani’s nomination and subsequent election considered betrayal by other PDM members except the Awami National Party (ANP) was the latest bone of contention until the PPP and ANP were served show-cause notices.

    The same led to the PPP and ANP resigning from the opposition alliance. PDM chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has, however, asked both the parties to reconsider their decision.

    CASE AGAINST SHEHBAZ:

    Sharif along with his son Punjab Assembly opposition leader and PML-N Vice President Hamza Shehbaz was indicted in November in the Rs7 billion reference involving charges of money laundering and assets beyond means.

    The reference mainly accuses Sharif of being a beneficiary of the assets held in the name of his family members and frontmen, who had no sources to acquire such assets.

    It says the family members and the frontmen of the family received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, the bureau says, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited in the personal bank accounts of Hamza and his brother Suleman Shahbaz.

    The reference further says Sharif and his family failed to justify the sources of funds used for the acquisition of assets.

  • Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    A day after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) finally broke silence on backstabbing allegations, expressed its reservations and later resigned from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) along with Awami National Party (ANP), members of the parties have reportedly been removed from a WhatsApp group of the anti-government alliance.

    According to sources, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Saeed Ghani and Mian Iftikhar were removed from the WhatsApp group of the joint opposition’s steering committee.

    This came as PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked the PPP and ANP to reconsider their decision of resigning from the alliance.

    Addressing a press conference after chairing an important meeting of the PDM in Islamabad after resignations from PPP and ANP, Fazl said both the parties still had time to reconsider their decision and contact the PDM.

    The PDM chief said PDM was an alliance of 11 parties and decisions were made with the consensus.

    “If any party is found violating the consensus then it must be made answerable,” he said while explaining the show-cause notices to PPP and ANP, which became the latest bone of contention after Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination and election as Senate opposition leader.

    Both the parties had the opportunity to summon PDM meeting to give an explanation on the matter, but they decided to part ways with the alliance, Fazl maintained.

  • Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    • Interior minister announces action against those breaking law; necessary measures to reopen roads, entry/exit points also ordered

    At least two protestors and a policeman were killed Tuesday in violent clashes between members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and police in Lahore early Tuesday morning, less than a day after police arrested party chief Saad Rizvi.

    According to reports, the policeman was killed in overnight clashes with the supporters of Rizvi, Lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said. Ten policemen were also wounded in these clashes in the Shahadra neighbourhood.

    Two members of the TLP were also reported dead in Punjab.

    As the protests spilled over into other cities on Tuesday, the police arrested more than 100 supporters of the party.

    The violence began late on Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel the French ambassador, Marc Baréty, over blasphemous cartoons.

    According to Dogar, the arrest was aimed at maintaining law and order. But Rizvi’s detention quickly sparked violent protests by Islamists in cities around the country. The protesters blocked highways and roads in several cities.

    The deadly clashes come two days after Rizvi in a statement asked the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to “honour” a commitment it made in February to his party to expel Baréty before April 20.

    However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in the National Assembly.

    The reaction from Rizvi’s supporters against his arrest was so swift that police in Lahore could not clear a main highway and roads. Thousands of people were stranded in their vehicles.

    Monday’s clashes initially erupted in Lahore. Rizvi’s supporters later clashed with police in Karachi and they continued rallying on the outskirts of Islamabad, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing residents.

    INTERIOR MINISTER:

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has ordered action against those who take law into their own hands, besides putting in place measures needed to reopen roads as well as entry and exits points of major cities across the country.

    The Interior Ministry decided to take strict action against those creating law and order situations, and ordered to suspend cellular and internet services in affected areas.

    The decisions were taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Rasheed.

    It was attended by federal minister for religious affairs, chief commissioner, Islamabad and Punjab inspector generals (IGs) and chief secretaries concerned.

    BACKGROUND:

    Saad Rizvi emerged as the leader of the party in November after the sudden death of his father, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, due to the coronavirus. His supporters have previously held violent rallies to pressurise the government not to repeal the blasphemy laws.

    Blasphemy is punishable with a mandatory death sentence, and the very mention of blasphemy is enough to inflame violent reactions.

    The TLP wants the government to boycott French products and expel the French ambassador under an agreement signed by the government with Rizvi’s party in November.

    TLP and other religious parties have denounced French President Emmanuel Macron since October last year, saying he tried to defend blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as freedom of expression.

    Macron’s comments came after a young Muslim beheaded a French school teacher who had shown caricatures in class.

    The images had been republished by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, best known for vulgar irreverence, to mark the opening of the trial over the 2015 attack against the publication for the original caricatures.

  • Russian president’s ‘blank cheque’ to Pakistan: What you need to know

    Russian president’s ‘blank cheque’ to Pakistan: What you need to know

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently visited Islamabad after nearly a decade and delivered an “important” message to the Pakistani leadership from President Vladimir Putin.

    “I came with a message from my president that ‘tell Pakistan we are open for any cooperation, whatever Pakistan needs Russia is ready for it’,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by a senior Pakistani official who, according to The Express Tribune, attended the closed-door meeting.

    The Russian president’s offer was dubbed by the official as a “blank cheque” as they revealed that Putin had conveyed to Pakistan through his top diplomat that Moscow would help Islamabad in any manner.

    “If you’re interested in gas pipelines, corridors, defence or any other cooperation, Russia stands ready for it,” the official quoted Lavrov as saying, explaining what he meant.

    “It is now up to us to follow up this successful visit,” the official said.

    At the joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart, the Russian foreign minister had said Moscow was ready to supply Pakistan with “special military equipment” to enhance its anti-terrorists potential. He, however, did not provide further details.

    Relations between Pakistan and Russia have undergone transformation in recent years thanks to the new alignments and strategic realities.

    The rapprochement between the former Cold War rivals began in 2011 when Pakistan’s relationship with the US hit the rock bottom. At that time, a decision was taken to bring a strategic shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy. The shift envisaged reaching out to Russia as part of Pakistan’s efforts to diversify its foreign policy options.

    The two countries initially worked quietly to find common ground. The years-long efforts had resulted in the Russian decision to send its troops to Pakistan for the first time in history for joint exercises in 2016. Moscow even overruled the Indian objections over holding joint drills with Pakistan.

    Since then, the two countries have been regularly holding these exercises and they are looking to further deepen that cooperation.

    Pakistan is hoping that Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit the country, something that would complete the Pak-Russia ties from being Cold War foes to friends.

    In contrast, Russian ties with once its solid ally India are heading in the opposite direction. The two still have good relationship but the usual warmth they expressed earlier have been missing.

  • Traffic situation heads towards normalcy while hardliner TLP continues protests

    The traffic situation across country is continuing to head towards normalcy despite countrywide protests by hardliner Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

    According to reports, while the sit-ins are likely to continue even today and maybe later, the protests will be confined to certain areas in every city.

    It may be noted that the protests come amid the third wave of COVID-19, however, authorities remain reluctant to calm the hardliners down.

    WHY ARE PROTESTS BEING HELD?

    Countrywide protests erupted on Monday after security forces detained TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi in Lahore.

    According to a news outlet, a senior police official also confirmed that Rizvi had been taken into custody as a “pre-emptive measure” ahead of the party’s April 20 deadline. However, no first information report (FIR) against Saad Rizvi has been registered so far.

    TLP leader Syed Zaheerul Hassan Shah, in a video message, confirmed Saad’s arrest and said the government had “completely deviated from” the agreement it had reached with his party regarding Namoos-i-Risalat. “The government has resorted to thuggery (gunda gardi) and is restoring its past practices.”

    Shah called upon party leaders and workers to “come out on the roads” in their areas in protest against the government action.

    “Carry out protest demonstrations on roads and wherever you are, jam the entire country,” he told them in the message.

    Following the development, protests erupted in multiple cities of the country.

    It bears mentioning that, last year, TLP supporters had brought Islamabad to a standstill for three days with a series of anti-France rallies.

    Police blocked the demonstrators as they attempted to enter the capital. Some chanted that the only punishment for a blasphemer was beheading, police official Tauqeer Shah said.

    The protesters attacked the police with bricks, stones and sticks, he added. They were pictured blocking the road into Pakistan’s capital.

    “Several of our officers were injured,” he said, adding that nearly 2,000 protesters had camped at the main entrance to the city, refusing to leave.

    KARACHI:

    Karachi’s II Chundrigar Road, MA Jinnah Road and their surrounding areas, including the road connecting Tower to the Governor House, was left jam-packed with vehicles due to the protest.

    Other roads were also blocked in the port city, including Baldia No. 4 Hub River Road, Northern Bypass, Orangi Town No. 5, Jinnah Bridge (traffic blocked from ICI towards Jinnah Bridge), Star Gate.

    Police dispersed protesters from Star Gate to allow the flow of traffic to return to normal.

    Moreover, it emerged that at least one officer was injured in Orangi Town No. 5 after the protesters began pelting stones at the police.

    ISLAMABAD & RAWALPINDI:

    In Islamabad, Athal Chowk was forced into closing, which created problems for citizens. Protests also broke out in Bhara Kahu and roads leading to Murree and Azad Kashmir from the federal capital were also blocked for traffic.

    Protesters were also seen chanting slogans on Murree Road.

    Moreover, the entry points for the twin cities were closed down, leading to more problems.

    TLP workers were seen stone-pelting and forcing travellers to stop their cars at Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi.

    Workers of the party also climbed atop the Liaquat Bagh metro bus station, while traffic blockages were reported from across the city.

    LAHORE:

    In Lahore, the traffic flow was disrupted in several areas and on multiple roads.

    The roads blocked by TLP workers included the following: Faletti Chowk towards Faisal Chowk; High Court Chowk towards Regal Chowk; Avari Chowk towards Governor House Chowk (now opened); Corporation Chowk Outfall Road; Yateem Khana Chowk; Khayaban Chowk; Muhafiz Town towards Thokkar Chowk EME Road; Darogawala Chowk towards Quaid-e-Azam Interchange (both sides); Chungi Amarsadhu towards Kasur (both sides); Shahdara Chowk from all four sides; Shadbagh; Joray Pul Zarar Shaheed Road; Barki Road; Bhatta Chowk Bedian Road; Walton Road; Canal Road; Cup store Misrishah; Harbanspura Interchange (slip roads); Shalimar Chowk towards Ghas Mandi; Quaid-e-Azam Interchange to Niazi Shaheed Interchange on Ring Road; Bagriyan Chowk; and Sundar Road.

    Protests in Multan led to beefing up of the security as the TLP workers blocked the road link between Multan and different cities of southern Punjab.

    Reports of protests from Jhelum and Naushahro Feroze were also received.

    TLP member Khalid Awan told a local news outlet that the government had “turned back on its promise” to expel the French ambassador by April 20 and took Rizvi into custody.

    “We will not step back from our mission because of Saad Rizvi’s arrest,” he said.

    In Feburary, the federal government and TLP had agreed to table the TLP demands in the Parliament, which would decide the matter. At the time, the TLP had extended its deadline from February to April 20.

    According to the document signed on January 11, 2021, the TLP had signed an agreement with the PTI government on November 16, 2020, which could not be implemented.

    “The government and TLP were in talks for the past one month as the government resolved to implement it. It has been agreed that the federal government would table the agreement in the Parliament by April 20 and decisions would be taken with a nod of the parliament,” the agreement said.

    The agreement had said that those TLP leaders whose names had been registered in the fourth schedule would be absolved. The agreement had said that the agreement would stand cancelled if any clause of the agreement is violated. The document had said that the prime minister would formally announce the deal which would be implemented amicably.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan also announced the agreement on Thursday during a TV interview, saying that the government negotiators had successful talks with the leadership of TLP and it had been agreed to extend its deadline of February to April 20.

  • PDM: Done and dusted?

    PDM: Done and dusted?

    PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday announced that the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) has called upon its members to resign from all positions of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). 

    Flanked by party leaders, Bilawal held a news conference to speak about the matters that came under discussion during the recently-held Central Executive Committee meeting of the party. 

    He said the CEC had come to the conclusion that resignations from the national and provincial assemblies should be “like an atom bomb”.

    Bilawal said the PPP’s stance that the Opposition should not “abandon the Parliament and the Senate battleground” had been vindicated.

    He said if the PPP had listened to other political parties in the Opposition and boycotted the Senate elections and by-elections, then it would have harmed democracy.

    “We did not give the PTI government an open field to form a two-thirds majority in the Senate,” he said, adding that the government lost on its “own pitch” when the PDM candidate won from the Nowshera by-election.

    “We will not undermine these gains that the PPP has achieved after giving many sacrifices,” he said. “When the PML-N was in power, we protected the Parliament then and we will protect the Parliament today.”

    He said those who wanted to resign from the Parliament, should do so.

    “But, no one should try to impose their will or their dictation on any other political party,” he said. “And the Pakistan Peoples Party will continue in its firm, consistent Opposition to the selected government that has been ongoing since day one and has not broken for a single day,” stressed the PPP chairperson.

    “The Pakistan Peoples Party rejects the so-called show-cause notice,” he said. “Politics is done with equality and respect,” he added.

    “The PPP demands an unconditional apology to the ANP and to the PPP for this obnoxious attitude,” he said.

    Bilawal said the PPP stands by the ANP and would not abandon them under any circumstances. “There is no concept of show-cause notices in democratic alliances,” he said.

    He recounted the PPP’s participation in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy.

    “We condemn the politics of Opposition against members of the Opposition,” he said.

    The PPP chairperson said his party’s doors were open for all other parties, adding that there should be a “working relationship” among them.

  • Rights champion IA Rehman passes away at 90

    Rights champion IA Rehman passes away at 90

     Journalist and veteran human rights activist Ibn Abdur Rehman aka I A Rehman passed away in Lahore at the age of 90 on Monday.

    He died of old age and high sugar and blood pressure levels, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Secretary General Harris Khalique said.

    The deceased left behind three sons and two daughters. His wife, Tauseef I A Rehman, had died in 2015.

    A protégé of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Abdur Rehman became chief editor of the now-defunct Pakistan Times in 1989. He wrote a regular column for Dawn until a few days before his death.

    He was the founding chair of the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) and a director of the HRCP since 1990.

    Between 1978 and 1988, he remained executive editor of weekly Viewpoint.

    Tributes poured in from all quarters as word of Abdur Rehman’s passing spread.

    “A titan of human rights, Mr Rehman’s integrity, conscience and compassion were unparalleled,” HRCP said.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the country had lost a “true icon”.

    Political leaders from both the government and opposition, media persons and rights activists are among those expressing grief and sorrow over Rehman’s death on Twitter.

  • Two-week complete lockdown in worst-hit Lahore from today?

    Punjab health authorities and local administration have proposed a complete lockdown in the provincial capital as the COVID-19 positivity ratio stands at around 19% for the third consecutive week.

    The final decision, in this regard, will be taken by the Asad Umar-led National Command Operation Centre (NCOC).

    Lahore is the worst-hit during the third wave of the pandemic owing to the recklessness of the masses and disinterest of the government. Both had turned a blind eye towards the virus situation until the positivity ratio climbed to a whopping 23% last week.

    The situation in other parts of Punjab is not much better either.

    Punjab Health Minister Prof Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that if precautionary measures are not taken, the situation in Lahore and other cities would worsen.

    Explaining the alarming situation in the Punjab capital, she said there were no vacant ventilators at any of the city’s major hospitals, including Jinnah Hospital, Services Hospital and Gangaram Hospital.

    Besides the shortage of ventilators, oxygen beds at hospitals across Lahore have also reached their 70% capacity.

    “We don’t have any other option rather than the complete lockdown in Lahore however the final decision will be taken by the Punjab government,” the provincial health minister added.

    Meanwhile, 58 people lost their lives due to coronavirus with 4,584 new cases over the past 24 hours. The death toll has surged to 15,501 while the number of confirmed cases stands at 725,602.

    The 58 fatalities on Sunday-Monday come after over 100 deaths ever 24 hours for at least five consecutive days.