Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Secretly recorded video shows PTI MPAs receiving loads of cash ahead of 2018 Senate election

    A secretly recorded video exposing horse-trading during 2018 Senate polls has made its way to television channels weeks before the 2021 election on seats of the upper house of the parliament.

    According to ARY News, the video shows lawmakers belonging to the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counting bundles of cash and then stashing the same in a bag.

    The video shows how, during the critical period, loyalties were switched by PTI’s 20 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) lawmakers, all of whom were expelled by the party’s central leadership after an investigation, the report said.

    Quoting sources, it added that the horse-trading had been carried out between February 20 and March 2, 2018.

    On February 6, President Dr Arif Alvi signed Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 that will pave way for the organisation of Senate elections through open ballot.

    According to the ordinance, changes have been brought to Sections 81, 122 and 185 of the Constitution. The ordinance will come into force “at once” and “extended to the whole of Pakistan.”

    A presidential reference being heard by the Supreme Court (SC) also pertains to the organisation of Senate polls through an open vote.

    It may be noted that the damning video comes at a time when Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan expresses aims to hold Senate elections through open ballot in 2021 so as to eliminate the menace of horse-trading.

    Defending his party’s move to hold the elections through open ballot, the premier had last week spoken of bribes paid to buy loyalties, revealing that he himself had been offered some.

    He had further revealed that 20 members of the KP Assembly belonging to the PTI, likely the ones from the video, were paid Rs50 million each during the last Senate polls to vote in favour of certain candidates.

  • New documents reveal PTI employees were authorised to receive donations

    New documents reveal PTI employees were authorised to receive donations

    In a watershed development in the foreign funding case, a documented list has revealed that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) employees were authorised to receive donations from within and outside Pakistan.

    The document, available with Dawn, revealed the names of employees that included PTI’s telephone operator Tahir Iqbal, computer operator Muhammad Nauman Afzal, accountant Mohammad Arshad and office helper Mohammad Rafiq.

    The decision to allow the PTI employees to collect the funds was taken at a meeting held on July 1, 2011. It was attended by Saifullah Niazi, the incumbent chief organiser and an aspirant of a PTI Senate ticket; Aamer Mahmud Kiani, present secretary-general and former health minister who was removed from the federal cabinet; Dr Humayun Mohmand, who was recently appointed chairman of the board of directors of PIMS; Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan, the party’s former finance secretary and now Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Colonel Yunus Ali Raza among others.

    The foreign funding case pertains to Akbar S Babar’s allegations that foreign donations were illegally received in the front accounts of PTI employees through Hundi, particularly from the Middle East, and siphoned off by the senior party leadership through cheques with no trace or record.

    Babar was a founding member of PTI. He has repeatedly asked the scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to investigate the private bank accounts of PTI employees which were illegally used as a front to collect donations.

    The committee continues to keep the PTI records and bank statements secret despite ECP orders. The records include 23 PTI bank accounts provided to the ECP by scheduled banks on the instructions of the State Bank of Pakistan. The scrutiny committee is due to meet today (on Tuesday) to decide whether to keep the PTI documents secret or not.

    The election watchdog has passed more than one order against the secrecy of the PTI record.

  • Azad Kashmir elections: PPP leaders oppose alliance with ‘rival’ PML-N

    Azad Kashmir elections: PPP leaders oppose alliance with ‘rival’ PML-N

    Even though the opposition parties have decided to contest Senate election on a joint platform, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Azad Kashmir chapter, has refused to enter an alliance with its “main rival” — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — ahead of the elections in Kashmir.

    According to reports, the local PPP leadership has said that the PML-N is its main opponent in the region and it was not possible to field candidates under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a 10-party anti-government alliance — due to the very same reason.

    Geo News reported that the PPP leaders gave this answer after PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari sought recommendations from PPP Azad Kashmir on the upcoming elections. 

    “PPP Azad Kashmir’s stance is that how can the party contest the elections jointly with the PML-N when it is its main rival there?” the media outlet reported.

    The PPP, however, said there was a possibility of entering an alliance with the PML-N on 12 out of 33 total seats. 

    The central leadership of the party will make a final decision in this regard.

    Last week, after a six-hour-long meeting, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced that the opposition parties will contest the upcoming Senate elections on a joint platform.

    He had said that the parties decided to contest the Senate elections together and would not go against each other’s candidates. “Our candidates will be jointly decided,” he had told reporters after the meeting.

    The elections in Azad Kashmir will be held later this year, with the current assembly completing its term in July.

  • Porsche Pakistan CEO ‘runs off’ with Rs80 crores in booked orders

    Porsche Pakistan CEO ‘runs off’ with Rs80 crores in booked orders

    The chief executive officer (CEO) of Porsche Pakistan in Lahore has been accused of running off with nearly a billion rupees after conning people in the name of advance booking for high-end cars, whereas the company has termed these claims “false”.

    According to the police, while victims of the scam have registered complaints against Abuzar Bokhari in different police stations across the city, the department has informed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), seeking their help in informing Interpol.

    Help from the international criminal police organisation is being sought for Bokhari’s extradition from England where he allegedly flew off to a few days ago.

    Police further say that Bokhari collected Rs800 million (Rs 80 crores) from people in the name of car registrations and fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after which he went to England and has not returned since.

    While Bokhari is the founder and CEO of Lahore-based, and Pakistan’s only, Porsche dealership based in Lahore, media reports say he started off with two partners but continued alone with the venture when Porsche formally entered the Pakistani market.

    Porsche’s presence in Pakistan was provisionally launched in 2006 and then formally launched in 2008. Since then, it has been running its operations rather successfully and has grown significantly.

    However, the luxury carmaker has now reportedly removed its official website page on Pakistan.

    “Porsche official website removes page on Pakistan which has details of its Pakistan representative Abuzar Bokhari — accused of leaving the country with Rs800 million in booked orders — here is a screenshot of the cached version of the page,” journalist Omar Quraishi tweeted.

    ‘ALLEGATIONS ARE FALSE’:

    In a statement, Porsche Pakistan said the said claims are false. It said that its CEO doesn’t owe car booking money to anyone and all the registration money was received in the account of Performance Automotive Pvt Ltd (Porsche Pakistan) on behalf of Porsche AG as their appointed representative.

    It said Porsche AG was refusing delivery of the vehicles to Pakistani customers for two years.

    A lull in supply is due to attempts to discredit Porche Pakistan by a ‘controversia;’ business group.

    The statement said Porsche Pakistan was in a legal battle with Porsche AG for this “illegal” refusal on all legal forums.

    The statement alleged that the delay was due to Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE’s alleged understanding with a rival local party it called “an influential and controversial business group” that seeks to get hold of Porsche distribution rights in Pakistan.

    The company concluded, “Porsche Pakistan and its legal team are fully available for any concerned parties or investigative authorities for any information or clarification they may require.

  • Sindh health official suspended after out-of-turn vaccination of PML-N leader’s daughter

    The Sindh government has suspended a senior health official over out-of-turn vaccination of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair’s daughter and son-in-law against COVID-19.

    As per the details, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho took notice of the incident after the couple posted on social media pictures of them receiving the vaccination shots.

    Reports quoted provincial government sources as saying that Karachi East Deputy District Health Officer Dr Anila was suspended as coronavirus vaccines were administered to acquaintances at other centres as well.

    A three-member committee has been formed to report its findings to the Sindh health minister within 72 hours.

    “If Mohammad Zubair had his family administered the vaccines privately then there is nothing wrong in it,” Information Minister Shibli Faraz told SAMAA TV.

    “But if it were the government-procured vaccines, then this was not the right thing to do,” he added.

    Earlier, a team of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) led by Dr Faisal Sultan also met Sindh health officials and Planning Minister Asad Umar on Sunday.

    It directed the Sindh government to only vaccinate frontline health workers for now.

    The Sindh government on Friday had announced launching COVID-19 vaccination programme in 10 districts of the province and unveiled a detailed phase-wise plan to inoculate people, beginning with 170,000 frontline health workers.

    According to Dawn, In addition to the 82,359 doses to be received from the Centre, the provincial government also shared its plan for the procurement of the vaccine on its own though federal authorities are yet to respond to its request for permission for the procurement.

    “We are starting the vaccination from Wednesday [next],” Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah at a press conference. He was accompanied by a member of the Sindh vaccination taskforce and provincial lawmaker Qasim Soomro.

    Shah said 10 districts had been identified in Sindh where COVID-19 jabs would be provided. “This programme will be initiated in all the seven districts of Karachi along with Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Shaheed Benazirabad.

  • ‘Govt unable to retrieve Quaide Azam’s 29-kanal property from land grabbers in Lahore’s Gulberg’

    ‘Govt unable to retrieve Quaide Azam’s 29-kanal property from land grabbers in Lahore’s Gulberg’

    Despite efforts made over the span of more than a year, Punjab’s anti-corruption department has failed to retrieve Quaide Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s property from land grabbers in Lahore, it has been claimed.

    According to Lahore-based journalist Rehan Tariq, the 29-kanal land owned by the founder of Pakistan in the provincial capital’s Gulberg area has been occupied while shopping malls and plazas have been constructed on lands linked to his sister and “Mother of the Nation”, Fatima Jinnah, as well as the country’s first prime minister (PM) Liaquat Ali Khan.

    The journalist went on to claim that the anti-corruption department launched a probe into the matter in December 2019 and it also sought record from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) besides other public offices.

    “Officials also acquired Jinnah’s will regarding the land and prepared a source report,” Tariq said, adding that Jinnah’s property consisted of Arazi Khasra No 2181, 2129, 2200, 2180, 21825, 2184.

    Now shopping malls and plazas have been built on the land dedicated to a trust, he claimed.

  • PDM to march on Islamabad on March 26, yet to decide on mass resignations

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided to march on Islamabad on March 26 after a six-hour-long meeting in Islamabad.

    The anti-government alliance announced this decision while talking to the media after the PDM huddle. PDM chief and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the opposition parties will contest the upcoming Senate elections on a joint platform.

    He also said that the parties have decided to contest the Senate elections together and will not go against each other’s candidates. “Our candidates will be jointly decided,” he said.

    He further said that the movement opposes the open ballot method of Senate polls and nomination of former judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, retired Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed as head of Broadsheet committee.

    There were reports that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was reluctant to resign from the assemblies. And it seems the PDM has yet to take a decision on that.

    Earlier this month, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that the opposition should bring a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan to send his government home. His remarks had prompted a strong response from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), with its leader Ahsan Iqbal asking the PPP chairman to show the numbers.

    Subsequently, Asif Ali Zardari had to step in and assured that all options were on the table. The PPP will send the “failed and incompetent” government home by all means, said the PPP co-chairman. Zardari said the government will have to go home as its “inexperience and ineptness might plunge the country into a bigger crisis”.

  • VIDEO: Shireen Mazari accused of ‘making obscene gestures at opposition MNA’

    Former prime minister (PM) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf among other opposition members have accused Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari of “making obscene gestures at an opposition MNA” in a claim that has been rubbished by the latter.

    “I could not even dare to explain the kind of gestures made by the minister,” media quoted the former premier as saying after yet another session of the National Assembly was marred by ruckus by both government and opposition members during each other’s turn to speak on the floor.

    According to the details of Wednesday’s episode in the lower house of the parliament, the government tabled the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill that seeks open balloting in upcoming Senate polls. Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem presented the bill amid loud slogans and protest by the opposition against the said amendment.

    As the session continued, a heated exchange of words took place between three members of the parliament when Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Agha Rafiullah tore his copy of the bill and tossed it in the air in front of Speaker Asad Qaiser.

    After the incident, the speaker’s desk was surrounded, books were banged on the desks to disrupt proceedings, whistles were blown and Rafiullah claimed that Mazari allegedly hand-signalled the number five at him; taking it as Moutza.

    Moutza is the most traditional gesture of insult among Greeks. It consists of extending and spreading all fingers of the hand and presenting the palm towards the face of the person to be insulted with a forward motion. It is often coupled with swear words.

    Rafiullah was furious; he refused to tolerate it; brought the matter to everyone’s attention and the commotion almost turned into a quarrel when a couple of ruling party MNAs, including Malik Anwar Taj, accused him of throwing papers on Speaker Asad Qaiser, The Express Tribune reported.

    Rafiullah, however, denied the allegation and once again drew the house’s attention to Moutza.

    Ex-PM Ashraf expressed annoyance over the alleged insulting gesture, regretted treasury benches’ behaviour and reminded them that they don’t have the numbers needed for making a constitutional amendment.

    When given the floor, Mazari, on the other hand, alleged that Rafiullah swore at a woman MNA from the treasury benches and threw papers on Qaiser’s face.

    “I was only seeking your attention,” she told the speaker when asked to explain her gestures.

    WATCH VIDEO:

  • Justice Isa holds referendum on country’s press freedom situation in court; no hands raised

    Justice Isa holds referendum on country’s press freedom situation in court; no hands raised

    Supreme Court’s (SC) Justice Qazi Faez Isa has expressed serious concerns over the press freedom situation in Pakistan, holding a referendum on freedom of press in his court.

    “Tell me… is media free in Pakistan?” Justice Isa asked the attorney general while hearing the case regarding local government elections with Justice Maqbool Baqir.

    The top court judge asked the reporters present in the courtroom to raise their hands if media was free in the country. Even though a number of media persons were present, nobody raised their hands.

    At this, Justice Isa said, “The people who are behind curbs on media must go to jails.”

    “The country is systematically being damaged. The poor are crying,” he added.

    Justice Baqir, on the other hand, remarked that a judge should avoid discussing such things but for how long could one remain silent on a situation such as the prevailing one. “It is not an ideal situation.”

    Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted schedule of local bodies elections to the court.

    The election watchdog, in its reply to the apex court, stated that local government polls will be held in Punjab on July 20 while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Cantonment Boards will hold the election on April 8.

    The commission further said that decision regarding date of the elections in Sindh and Balochistan will be taken on February 11.

    Last Thursday, the top court had asked the ECP to furnish a comprehensive reply within a week on holding the polls.

  • Govt to file reference against Kashmala Tariq over deadly Islamabad accident

    Govt to file reference against Kashmala Tariq over deadly Islamabad accident

    Punjab Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has claimed that a reference will be filed against federal ombudsperson Kashmala Tariq after her protocol vehicles crushed four men to death and injured two in a road mishap earlier this week.

    The CM’s aide said Kashmala will be removed through a reference filed by the president and the cabinet has asked the Law Ministry to move forward with the process.

    “Unfortunately, four people lost their lives due to the protocol of Kashmala Tariq,” Firdous said, calling her the “legacy” of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-) government. Tariq was appointed as the ombudsperson to adjudicate cases pertaining to women’s workplace harassment in Feb 2018 for a period of four years.

    Meanwhile, Islamabad Police has summoned Tariq and her husband Waqas Khan to record their statement in the case. The decision to summon the couple was taken after their son Azlaan failed to appear before the police to record his statement in the case. The police have also made the statement of the sole survivor of the crash as a part of the record, who alleged Azlaan was behind the wheel when the accident took place.

    FOUR DEAD IN ACCIDENT:

    Four people were killed while two were injured after a vehicle reportedly driven by the son of Federal Ombudsperson Kashmala Tariq jumped a red light and rammed into a Mehran car on Kashmir Highway.

    It was reported that five speeding vehicles, part of Kashmala’s protocol, broke a traffic signal in G-11 and crashed into two vehicles. It also claimed that one of the vehicles had a government number plate. The ombudsperson’s son and husband were travelling with their protocol when the incident happened.

    The first information report said that five men, who came from Mansehra to Islamabad to take an exam for the Anti-Narcotics Force, were travelling in a Mehran which was hit by a Lexus at the G-11 traffic signal. The FIR alleged that the vehicle was driven by the son of the ombudsperson. A bike was also hit and the rider was taken to the hospital by the people who gathered at the site of the accident.

    The complainant, who was the only one to survive the crash, said when he was rescued, people who had gathered at the site were naming Tariq’s son as the driver of the car that hit them.