After Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Germany-Japan statement, a Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) lawmaker, in yet another incident of slip of tongue, has chanted “Go Nawaz Go”.
In a video making rounds over the internet, PML-N MPA Uzma Bukhari can be seen protesting against the government outside Punjab Assembly.
Raising slogans, she accidentally chants “Go Nawaz Go” instead of “Go Imran Go”. When she realises her mistake, Uzma stops quickly.
According to reports, the leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz, was also present during the protest. He, however, did not react to the blunder.
Pakistan Army on Monday lauded the citizens and security forces of Karachi after the mega city’s ranking improved from 6th to 70th in the World Crime Index Comparison.
“Karachi at one point in time (2014) was 6th in World Crime Index. Alhamdulillah, today it’s at 70th with many first world cities behind,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted.
Karachi at one point in time (2014) was 6th in World Crime Index. Alhamdulillah, today it’s at 70th with many first world cities behind. Credit to team of Civil Administration & Security Forces esp Int, Police & Sindh Rangers. Also to the citizens of Karachi. More stability IA. pic.twitter.com/8ghw1VptCn
The military spokesperson credited the improvement “to the team of civil administration and security forces and the citizens of Karachi”.
The list also compares crime rate in various cities around the world like New Delhi, Houston, Dhaka and Sao Paulo ahead of Karachi in terms of crime ranking.
According to a report by Sindh Rangers, since the beginning of the Karachi operation in September 2013, the law and order situation in the port city has improved considerably.
The incidents of target killings have witnessed a steep decline, while thousands of rounds of ammunition and weapons have also been seized by law enforcement agencies.
The vice chancellors (VCs) of all government universities have
been told by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to run their affairs through
a fund-raising programme as a 50 per cent reduction in the budget of commission
is on cards, City 42
reported.
According to the report, HEC has issued a new five-point
agenda for public-sector universities, wherein the VCs have been directed to
run the institutions from their own resources.
They have also been told to seek donations from philanthropists
and alumni besides attracting students from foreign countries.
Several vital developmental projects related to
universities, including the construction of new campuses and faculty
development, have also been halted.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday admitted that Iran has suffered from terrorism by “groups operating from within Pakistan” and expressed his resolve to not allow militants to use Pakistani soil anymore.
“I know that Iran has suffered from terrorism which is from groups operated from within Pakistan,” the premier said while addressing a press conference along with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran.
WATCH VIDEO:
"I know Iran has suffered from terrorism which… Uh which ahppp… From groups operating from within Pakistan" – PM @ImranKhanPTI during the joint presser today with Iranian president @HassanRouhani in Tehran.
While he asserted that Islamabad would no longer allow any militant groups to use its soil against anyone, PM Imran’s statement regarding terrorism in Iran is receiving mixed reactions on Twitter:
PM @ImranKhanPTI talks about terrorism in Pakistan using Iran's soil specifically mentioning #Ormarra incident; also admits Iran suffering from terrorist activities in which Pakistan's soil is used #PAKIRAN#IKHRJointPresser
Peace is breaking out on Iran’s eastern front as PM Imran landed in Tehran on Sunday to strengthen trust between the two neighbouring countries on the invitation of President Rouhani.
According to reports, border security issues are on top of the premier’s agenda in Tehran as Pak-Iran relations have lately had a bad patch due to security issues along the border.
With reports claiming Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is about to be fired, Prime Minister Imran Khan has also warned his new “Wasim Akram” against poor performance.
CM’s spokesperson Dr Shahbaz Gill, however, has denied all media reports regarding Buzdar’s removal.
To be honest, we also don’t think anyone can ever sack an “under-training” and such an innocent chief minister:
More than a year has passed since the initial launch date of the much-awaited Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) that was to be completed within “six months”; however, the controversy surrounding the project continues to deepen.
Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister Pervez Khattak
had in October 2017 broke ground on the multi-billion-rupee project aimed at
providing comfortable transport facilities to the residents of Peshawar.
Launched with the Asian Development Bank’s assistance, Khattak had announced the 26 km long project would be completed by April 2018, but it was later delayed to May.
However, the Peshawar BRT has lied in limbo ever since its inauguration, as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, while auditing the affairs of Rs29.65 billion Lahore and the Rs28.5 billion Multan metro buses, has failed to finalise the total cost of its own project.
Meanwhile, an investigation into the BRT has revealed that “havoc has been played with public money through faulty planning and designing, negligence in execution of work and poor management of the project”.
According to reports, the government has lastly approved an increase in the project’s cost by 38 per cent, revising from Rs49 billion to Rs66 billion.
The new cost, which still might not be the final one, is 53.46 per cent higher than the total cost of Punjab’s most expensive mass transit project – the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus – that was completed at a cost of Rs44.31 billion.
Soon after Finance Minister Asad Umar “resigned” from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet, the premier on Thursday fired several ministers for showing unsatisfactory performance in their respective domains.
Among the victims of Thursday’s bloodbath were Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Health Minister Amir Mehmood Kiyani.
While the sacked cabinet members were handed new ministries in what is being termed as a major reshuffle, here is what you need to know about the new portfolios of the same old ministers.
Fawad Chaudhry’s Science and Technology Ministry
As the name suggests, the ministry is concerned with science and technology. It is responsible for the country’s science policy, planning, coordination and efforts to initiate technological programmes that can also be aimed at economic development.
Shehryar Afridi’s States and Frontier Regions Ministry
The main responsibility of the ministry is to deal with the issues of tribal areas of Pakistan, the frontier regions and previously Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) that is now a part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s Aviation Ministry
Concerned with matters of aviation, the ministry works in coordination with different organisations, including the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Airport Security Force (ASF), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and even Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
New Interior Minister:
The government has also announced a federal interior minister for the first time, with the portfolio — earlier held by the PM himself — going to Brig (r) Ijaz Ahmed Shah, who was appointed the federal minister for parliamentary affairs just last month.
Yes, a PM can keep ministries to himself. An example is former premier Nawaz Sharif, who kept with him the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
While Shah is known to have experience of tackling threats posed by militant organisations, his appointment has stirred a political controversy as he remained a trusted aide of former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf.
Raining Special Assistants:
Meanwhile, a trio of Special Assistants to the Prime Minister (SAPM) has also been appointed in an apparent attempt to bridge the gap that has surfaced after sacking of federal ministers.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has been made the SAPM on Information and Broadcasting Division, Dr Zafarullah Mirza has been assigned the portfolio of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, while Nadeem Babar will serve as the SAPM on Petroleum Division.
The special assistants won’t officially be ministers, but being the most superior in their respective domains, they will be entitled to a minister’s power.
Finance Minister Asad Umar on Thursday announced that he has obtained Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s consent “to not take any cabinet position” after being offered the Energy Ministry instead.
“As part of a cabinet reshuffle, prime minister desired that
I take the energy minister portfolio instead of finance. However, I have
obtained his consent to not take any cabinet position,” he tweeted.
With Umar’s statement confirming earlier media reports of a possible reshuffle in PM Imran’s cabinet, hundreds of netizens took to Twitter to react to “another U-turn of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government”.
As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Punjab government
boasts reforming the police culture, a rather questionable video, showing cops dragging
a protester on the road, has surfaced.
In the undated video making rounds over social media, at least three personnel of Punjab Police can be seen dragging a man to make way for a VIP motorcade.
The protester can be heard crying for help as he is dragged to the side of the road, while the cops return to their vehicles and drive away.
The video has widely been shared with the claim that the police
brutality victim was “protesting his son’s murder” in front of the convoy of an
unknown official when the cops charged.
The official version to the incident will be added to the
story as soon as The Current receives
it.
