Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Army chief to visit Saudi Arabia days after govt’s oops-a-daisy moment

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss regional security issues and Kashmir dispute with the Saudi leadership, as diplomatic strains occur between Islamabad and Riyadh over the Kashmir issue.

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar confirmed the visit while talking to a foreign news agency on Thursday.

    “Yes, he [Gen Bajwa] is travelling,” the Pakistan Army spokesperson told the foreign media outlet. He added that the visit is pre-planned and “primarily military affairs oriented”.

    During the visit, General Bajwa will have meetings with top Saudi leadership.

    The two countries are traditionally close and Saudi Arabia in 2018 gave Pakistan a $3 billion loan and $3.2 billion oil credit facility to help its balance of payments crisis. But Riyadh is irked by criticism from Islamabad that Saudi Arabia has been lukewarm on the Kashmir territorial dispute, motivating COAS Bajwa’s fence-building visit on Sunday.

    Pakistan has long pressed the Saudi-led Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to convene a high-level meeting to highlight alleged Indian violations in the part it controls. But the OIC has only held low-level meetings so far.

    “If you cannot convene it, then I will be compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told local media last week. Qureshi’s remarks angered Riyadh.

    Last year, Islamabad had pulled out of a Muslim nations’ forum in Malaysia at the last minute on insistence by Riyadh, which saw the gathering as an attempt to challenge its leadership of the OIC.

    Saudia Arabia had already made Pakistan pay back $1 billion two weeks ago, forcing it to borrow from another close ally, China, and Riyadh is yet to respond to Pakistan’s request to extend the oil credit facility.

  • VIDEO: ‘Fawad Chaudhry is jealous of my good looks,’ Federal Minister Ali Zaidi says

    VIDEO: ‘Fawad Chaudhry is jealous of my good looks,’ Federal Minister Ali Zaidi says

    Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi has taken a dig at his colleague, Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry, saying that the latter is jealous of his good looks.

    In an interview with The Current, Zaidi was asked if claims that he “is an expert on all ministries except his own” had any truth to them. “Fawad Chaudhry is really jealous of me. That’s why he says so,” the minister said in response, later cracking up while adding that his colleague was jealous of his good looks.

    While Fawad thought it was a “fun” interview, others, including senior journalist Hamid Mir, also reacted to Zaidi’s comment.

    Earlier, during the interview, Zaidi also spoke of the responsibilities of the Maritime Ministry, and the work that is being carried out under his supervision, such as the plans of introducing blue economy in Pakistan.

    Besides rebutting some claims made regarding him, the minister also gave a tour of his beautiful Islamabad office, shared his views on different political leaders and fellow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) colleagues, took a look back at his cricketing career and cracked us up with his wit.

    WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:

  • VIDEO: Maryam Nawaz ‘attacked by police’ outside NAB office

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president and former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, was on Tuesday caught in a clash between party workers and Punjab Police as she arrived at the Lahore office of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the case pertaining to receipt of 200 acres of what was supposed to be government land in Raiwind.

    To show solidarity, PML-N workers in the form of a procession had accompanied the party leader as she left for the NAB’s office in Thokar Niaz Baig. She was, however, told to head back as the situation deteriorated outside the anti-graft body’s office when party workers and police clashed.

    In two videos that she posted on Twitter, Maryam alleged that police pelted stones at her car which cracked her bulletproof vehicle’s windshield. “Pelting stones at my car, police have broken its windshield. This is a bulletproof car and police are pelting stones and shelling [PML-N workers] in front of NAB’s office to instigate workers. Why do you call us if you are so scared of us?” she was heard as saying in one of the videos.

    In another tweet, the PML-N leader condemned the firing of tear gas shells and assault her party workers were subjected to by the police.

    Speaking to party workers after the clash, Maryam said she had been summoned from her home so that she could be harmed. “I am standing here, if I have been called, then listen to me as well,” she said. 

    The PML-N leader said that she had arrived outside the NAB office to “answer lies” and will not head back home; however, the doors of the NAB office remained closed and no official of responded to Maryam’s statement. 

    The incident was followed by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar taking notice of the clash and ordering the chief secretary as well as the inspector general to submit a report on the matter. “No one can be allowed to take the law into their hands,” said the chief minister. “Action should be taken against those who violated the law,” reports quoted him as saying.

    Meanwhile, support poured in for Maryam as Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari among many others voiced their concerns.

    “Condemn the unnecessary use of force, teargas & stone pelting on @MaryamNSharif & her party workers by police in Lahore today [sic],” Bilawal tweeted.

    THE CASE AGAINST MARYAM:

    According to Geo, NAB has accused Maryam of receiving 200 acres of what was supposed to be government land in Raiwind. Reports claim that the transfer was made during former Lahore deputy commissioner (DC) Noorul Amin Mengal and former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general (DG) Ahad Cheema’s tenure.

    NAB had also summoned Mengal along with the LDA officials of that time with records.

    A tract of land, stretching over 3,568 kanals, was bought by the Sharif family in 2013. The largest part of the property, 1,936 kanals, was transferred to the name of Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif’s mother, Shamim Bibi. The land that was transferred to Maryam from that tract was 1,440 kanals.

  • PM launches historic tree plantation campaign with 3.5 million trees in a day

    PM launches historic tree plantation campaign with 3.5 million trees in a day

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has launched the biggest tree plantation campaign in the history of the country, targeting a plantation of around 3.5 million trees in a day across the country.

    Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, he thanked all those who had participated in Sunday’s campaign.

    He said that Pakistan is among the top ten countries in the world most affected by climate change. “Our wheat production has fallen over the past two years due to climate change and unprecedented rainfall,” the PM said.

    “If we keep continuing on this path, then some of the areas will become deserts,” he said. “It is our responsibility to make the country green for future generations.”

    “The 3.5 million saplings that we have planted today is just the start. This is a constant, ongoing battle, [but] we are not doing this for us. We are doing it for the coming generations,” he further said.

    “This is just the beginning. he said, promising that trees would be planted in empty spaces across cities,” he added.

    The prime minister also urged women to participate. “The women have to participate the most,” he said.

    He added that the nation also had to focus on cleaning the country’s rivers, in addition to making the country green. “So first we have to make the country green by planting trees, but simultaneously we also have to focus on cleanliness and make our rivers clean once again. Planting trees will also help in cleaning our climate and lessening pollution,” he said.

    Earlier, in a tweet, the premier had invited everyone to join him today in planting trees all over Pakistan. He had also asked the parliamentarians, ministers, chief ministers, and Tiger Force volunteers to participate in the biggest tree planting campaign.

    “The target is 35 lakh trees in a day though we will try to exceed it,” the prime minister had said.

  • ‘Disband NAB,’ ex-PM Abbasi demands

    ‘Disband NAB,’ ex-PM Abbasi demands

    Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has demanded that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should be disbanded.

    He addressed the media after appearing before the court in connection with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) case on Thursday.

    Earlier, the hearing of the LNG case against Abbasi was adjourned without any proceedings till September 7 due to the unavailability of Accountability Court Judge Azam Khan.

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart told the media that despite the passage of 13 months, he has not been provided with a copy of the reference. Abbasi also thanked NAB for inducting him to the list of billionaires.

    Replying to a question, the former prime minister ruled out allegations of money laundering and stated that he and his son paid all the taxes, and money in their accounts is legitimate.

    Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, ex-PSO MD Imranul Haq, and others are facing charges of corruption over awarding a LNG import contract allegedly at exorbitant rates in 2015, which caused a big loss to the national exchequer.

    According to NAB, in 2013 Abbasi had awarded a LNG import and distribution contract to the Elengy Terminal in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws.

  • NAB summons Buzdar for ‘issuing illegal liquor licences’

    NAB summons Buzdar for ‘issuing illegal liquor licences’

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar on August 12 for what it says was illegal issuance of liquor licences.

    The anti-graft watchdog has accused the provincial chief executive of illegally using powers of Excise director general (DG) and issuing liquor permits to a private hotel in Lahore.

    The hotel in question is the same as the one in regard to which reports had falsely claimed that a local company was setting up a “liquor bar” at the Allama Iqbal International Airport after approval from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Punjab government.

    “A section of local media wrongly reported that the provincial government has granted a license to a company to sell liquor at the airport,” then spokesperson to the CM, Dr Shahbaz Gill, had said in a video message in January last year.

    He had further said that an under-construction five-star hotel near the airport had sought permission, which was duly granted after all the legal requirements were fulfilled.

    “This is not something new and all the major hotels in the country are permitted under the laws,” Gill said.

    However, the issuance has reportedly landed the Punjab CM in hot water.

    Earlier, on May 24, in view of the threat of sale of poisonous liquor on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, Punjab Excise and Taxation DG Hafiz Ziaul Mustafa issued a letter to stop the sale of illegal liquor and take necessary steps, The Express Tribune reported.

    Some unscrupulous elements use clinical alcohol, sedative tablets and juices of rotten fruits to brew liquor which is then sold in bottles of local and foreign brands. In the past scores of people have died and many more have gone blind from this locally brewed concoction.

    The DG also directed to pay special attention to liquor license holders on the occasion of Eid. A letter issued from the office of the DG said that several people have been affected by drinking toxic liquor in recent years which has embarrassed the government.

    Bootleggers making this toxic moonshine were likely to bring out their product on the festive occasion of Eid to grab the merriment mood of poor people who could not afford a pint of legally sold liquor available from licenced excise shops.

  • VIDEO: FM Qureshi says Pakistan ready to ‘ditch’ Saudi Arabia for Kashmir’s sake

    In what appears to be a major foreign policy shift for Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has asked Saudi Arabia-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to stop dragging feet on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on the Kashmir issue.

    “I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the CFM is our expectation. If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris,” he said while speaking to a private media outlet.

    When asked if Pakistan will “move forward” with or without Saudi Arabia, the foreign minister said, “with or without…”. In response to another question, he said Pakistan could not wait any further.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    According to Dawn, Pakistan has been pushing for the foreign ministers’ meeting of the 57-member bloc of Muslim countries, which is the second-largest intergovernmental body after the United Nations (UN), since India annexed occupied Kashmir in August 2019.

    Qureshi had at an earlier presser explained the importance of CFM for Pakistan. He had then said that it was needed to send a clear message from Ummah on the Kashmir issue.

    Although there has been a meeting of the contact group on Kashmir on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session in New York since last August and OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission has made statements on the rights abuses in the occupied valley, but no progress could be made towards the CFM meeting.

    A major reason behind the failure to call the foreign ministers’ meeting has been Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to accept Pakistan’s request for one specifically on Kashmir. Riyadh’s support is crucial for any move at the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

    Qureshi said Pakistan skipped Kuala Lumpur Summit last December on Saudi request and now Pakistani Muslims, who are ready to lay down their lives for the Kingdom, are demanding of Riyadh to “show leadership on the issue”.

    “We have our own sensitivities. You have to realise this. Gulf countries should understand this,” the foreign minister said, adding that he could no more indulge in diplomatic niceties.

    “We cannot stay silent anymore on the sufferings of the Kashmiris,” he said.

  • India continues celebrating arrival of Rafale jets that other countries dumped

    As India continues to celebrate the arrival of its Rafale jets, military experts are not only questioning its capabilities against United States (US) aircraft but are also raising questions why the Rafale jets failed to compete in the international arms markets and got dumped by a majority of nations.

    According to foreign media reports, Dassault’s Rafale was not India’s only choice as various other global firms expressed interest in the MMRCA tender. Six renowned aircraft manufacturers competed to bag the contract of 126 jets, which was hailed to be the largest-ever defence acquisition deal of India.

    The initial bidders were Lockheed Martin’s F-16s, Boeing’s F/A-18s, Eurofighter Typhoon, Russia’s MiG-35, Sweden’s Saab’s Gripen and Dassault’s Rafale.

    All aircraft were tested by the IAF and after careful analysis on the bids, two of them — Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale — were shortlisted.

    Dassault received the contract to provide 126 fighter jets as it was the lowest bidder and the aircraft was said to be easy to maintain. After Rafale won the contract, the Indian side and Dassault started negotiations in 2012. Though the initial plan was to buy 126 jets, India scaled it down to 36, that too in fly-away condition.

    Despite boasting of awe-inspiring capabilities and selected by India after a mammoth testing & bidding process, the French origin jets didn’t see many buyers. Other than France and India, only Qatar and Egypt are using Rafale jets and that too in very limited numbers.

    As reported earlier by EurAsian Times, Russian aviation experts had claimed that Rafale jets would have been useless against the Chinese Airforce (PLAAF). The maximum speed of the Rafale jet is about Mach 1.8 compared to Chinese J-16s at Mach 2.2.

    The Rafale’s practical ceiling is also lower than the J-16s. Even in engine thrust, the Chinese J-16s aka Russian Su-35s are far superior to the French combat aircraft. Even if the Indian Air Force (IAF) was to deploy all 36 of its newly acquired jets, the technical superiority would still be on the side of China, claimed the Russian expert.

    The Rafale is one of the most expensive aircraft in the international market. India’s deal of 36 jets is worth Rs. 60,000 crores. Experts argue that the high cost is the result of many reasons including general inefficiency in the country’s defence sector, along with the small scale on which the Rafale is being produced in comparison to rival fighters such as the F-18, MiG-29 or F-35 due to which Rafale has not benefitted from economies of scale. This has contributed to its poor performance in the international markets.

    Rafale’s third buyer, India, previously proposed to acquire 126 jets under Make in India and not 36. However, it took five years for even the first five jets to arrive in India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it in April 2015 during his trip to France.

    According to analysts, despite heavy marketing by the makers of Rafale, France’s relatively small and inefficient defence sector seems to have met its limit with the fighter program. The small production lines are unable to produce the aircraft quickly or efficiently and the French budget for research and development is smaller in contrast to the US or Russia.

    The aircraft is priced very steeply and most nations prefer to buy US jets not only because of the technical superiority but also to please the Americans instead of the French. The Rafales have seemingly lost the fight in the international market, despite boasting of excellent qualities.

  • Information Ministry gets six top officials from PTI’s digital media cell, reports claim

    Information Ministry gets six top officials from PTI’s digital media cell, reports claim

    Six members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) digital media cell have been appointed at top positions in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, a notification issued on Monday by the Establishment Division confirmed.

    According to the Establishment Division’s notification, one officer would be appointed at the Management Pay-II (MP-II) pay scale and five at the MP-III level. The MP-II and MP-III appointments would be equivalent to Grade-21 and Grade-20 civil servant jobs, it added.

    Imran Haider Ghazali was hired at the MP-II scale, whereas Shahbaz Khan, Muhammad Muzammil Hassan, Usman bin Zaheer, Naeem Ahmed Yasin, and Syeda Dhanak Hashmi at the MP-III scale.

    According to reports, following months of candidate assessments and interviews, Imran Ghazali was appointed the general manager of the Digital Media Wing (DMW).

    This March, the federal cabinet approved a supplementary grant of Rs42.791 million ($256,000) for the creation of a DMW, which aims to ostensibly counter fake news that damages the federal government’s repute among social media users. The DMW is meant to help the government formulate its policies on digital media and be helpful in countering the criticism the government is facing due to inflation and high electricity tariff.

    Sources told Profit that the DMW will work as a strategic unit of the Government of Pakistan to provide results-oriented media content, digital public relations, and will give authentic government updates on digital media. As the general manager of the DMW, Ghazali has been tasked with leading a data-driven, growth-oriented team to further the interests of the State of Pakistan locally and internationally.

    “DMW will also be responsible for curating the digital content for official social media assets of the government,” said a source. “It will also be organising and verifying social media accounts of all federal government ministries and will be enhancing their digital media presence.”

    As the founding member of the PTI’s social media team, Ghazali is credited with creating the online presence of Prime Minister Imran Khan and led social media for the political party during the 2013 elections, while working with Starcom Pakistan. The Publicis agency went on to lead the 2018 media strategy that won PTI the elections on a $4.7 million media budget.

    According to an Information Ministry statement in response to media reports that the appointments had been approved without any competition, the recruitment was done according to a procedure approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan for its ‘Digital Media Wing’ back in April 2020. The latest job vacancies, the ministry added, were also advertised in the newspapers as per law.

    It said a total of 76 applications were received for the position of ‘General Manager’, whereas 67 for the ‘Digital Media Consultant’ vacancy. All in all, some 461 people applied to the jobs across seven MP scales, it added.

    The recruitment in the digital media wing were made by a special selection board after it conducted interviews, the ministry noted, adding that a summary of the selected individuals was approved by the Prime Minister on July 20.

    Those who have been hired would be paid Rs75,000 a month, it said. The candidates for the remaining 16 posts had been shortlisted, it added further.

    Meanwhile, Focal Person to PM on Digital Media Dr Arsla Khalid said all successful candidates were top names from digital media industry.

    He went on to say that no other successful candidate than Imran Ghazali was affiliated with the PTI, and even Ghazali, like others was a professional.

    According to sources, Imran Ghazali has 14 years of experience in the industry. He is also one of the pioneers of social media campaigning in Pakistan with over 120,000 followers on his personal accounts. He has been speaking as a social media strategist at various public events and has been consulting various global organisations on digital media.

  • Shaukat Khanum CEO made special assistant to PM Imran on health

    Shaukat Khanum CEO made special assistant to PM Imran on health

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has appointed Dr Faisal Sultan, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, as his special assistant on national health services, regulations and coordination, a statement issued by his office said on Monday.

    “Dr Faisal Sultan shall hold status of federal minister,” read a tweet by the government.

    Dr Sultan, who also serves as the PM’s focal person on COVID-19, will replace Dr Zafar Mirza, who had resigned last week.

    A consultant physician on medicine and infectious diseases, Dr Sultan completed his graduation from Lahore’s King Edward Medical College University (KEMU) in 1987. He also holds the postgraduate degrees of Diplomate American Board of Internal Medicine (1992) and Diplomate American Board of Infectious Disease (1994).

    Reacting to his successor’s appointment, Dr Mirza said: “I am very pleased about the appointment of Dr Faisal Sultan as SAPM health. As [a] federal minister he will be able to make decisions which [are] important.”

    Dr Mirza, who reports claimed had been told to resign from office, termed Dr Sultan “a capable professional with a good worldview” and a good friend, wishing him success in his new role.