Current Final

Tag: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

  • ‘These are all rumours’: Bilawal Bhutto on Hareem Shah’s claim

    ‘These are all rumours’: Bilawal Bhutto on Hareem Shah’s claim

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto has dismissed the claims of TikTok star Hareem Shah. The TikToker confessed tying the knot with a Sindh’s provincial Minister from the PPP. Bilawal said that it’s all a “conspiracy to divert attention from [other] problems”.

    Read more – After officially crushing on Bilawal Bhutto, Hareem Shah marries other PPP leader

    The TikTok star did not disclose her husband’s identity citing the reason that his first wife has not yet allowed them to do so. As reported by Geo News, Bilawal shared his thoughts with the media outlet on the controversy after a press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad.

    The reporter asked Bilawal about the PPP provincial minister allegedly married to Shah.

    Read more – ‘Can’t reveal my husband’s name until his first wife allows’: Hareem Shah on mysterious politician spouse

    Bilawal said, “These are all rumours being spread to divert attention from [other] problems. No such thing has happened.”

  • FY22 Budget passes: Did the Opposition lie?

    FY22 Budget passes: Did the Opposition lie?

    The National Assembly (NA) on Tuesday passed the budget for the new fiscal year with majority vote amidst the Opposition’s hollow claims of giving the government a tough time.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan was present for today’s session, while former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari were also in attendance.

    The Finance Bill 2021-22 was discussed clause by clause in the House. Amendments proposed by treasury members were accepted while those proposed by the Opposition members were rejected.

    After the clause by clause reading was completed, a voice vote was conducted by the NA Speaker and the budget was passed.

    The Opposition did not challenge the voice vote since they did not have the required numbers.

    There were 172 votes in favour of the Finance Bill while 138 votes were against it. Meanwhile, senior Journalist, Hamid Mir claims that the total strength of the Opposition members in NA is 163 members. 25 opposition members were not present in the NA today,12 were from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and13 from other opposition parties.

    Earlier this month, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto had rejected the budget and vowed to give a tough time to the government inside the parliament.

  • Maria Wasti thinks Bilawal Bhutto delivers funnier speeches than Maryam Nawaz

    Maria Wasti thinks Bilawal Bhutto delivers funnier speeches than Maryam Nawaz

    Pakistani television actress and host Maria Wasti shared a few interesting remarks on political leaders, especially Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz.

    Wasti was invited to Geo’s game show Jashan-e-Cricket, where the host Shahzad Iqbal asked her that if she likes Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto more than Pakistan Muslim League Noon (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz. The actress said: “Who told you that?” She answered no for both the political leaders.

    She added: “I think both are equal. It depends on which of them makes you laugh more. I think we will not get anything from politicians or the government in any way. I’m not very hopeful.”

    She then went on to choose Bilawal as the leader with funnier speeches amongst the two. Maria also gave suggestions to Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former President Asif Ali Zardari.

  • Bilawal congratulates PM for increasing the population of donkeys in the country

    Bilawal congratulates PM for increasing the population of donkeys in the country

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticised the government on Friday saying that as per the economic survey 2021, if nothing else, the population of donkeys has increased during the regime of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the country, for which Prime Minister Imran Khan’s policies must be lauded. 

    Addressing the National Assembly (NA) a day after Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif delivered his budget speech, Bilawal slammed the government for presenting a budget that was a “pack of lies”.

    PPP chairperson reprimanded the government for abandoning the country’s population during these unprecedented times, saying that the ruling PTI could never realise the problems of a common man.

    Bilawal went on to add that people, who were suffering because of the inflation brought on by Khan’s government, were well aware that the claim of four per cent economic growth was nothing but a lie.

    He added that the nation might still have forgiven the government had they not “abandoned the people so ruthlessly amid these difficult times”.

    “We introduced the revolutionary Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) but this government, on the other hand, persistently talks about the Ehsaas [programme], when you have no realistion [of the people’s predicament].”

    He said that people will never forgive the government for further pushing them below the poverty line.

    Bilawal said that if the country has seen economic growth, as claimed by the PTI-led government, then why does it have to “beg before the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?”

    “If the economy has significantly improved, then the government should immediately opt out of the IMF’s deal,” he said.

    Pointing out that the PPP had increased salaries multiple times and raised pensions, he said the PTI had not raised salaries in the last two years even though the entire world was struggling in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and every Pakistani was facing financial troubles.

    The PPP chairperson recalled that the PTI had reached an agreement with government workers on raising their salaries, adding that the insufficient hike in their salaries was an act of deception by the government.

    As Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar began his speech in response to Bilawal’s criticism, Shehbaz began making his way out of the assembly, prompting the minister to challenge him to stay and hear him out.

    “If you are not cowards then remain in your seats and listen to what I have to say,” said Azhar.

    “If you have the strength to hear the truth, then listen to what I have to say,” Azhar said but the PML-N president did not react and exited the house.

    https://twitter.com/trendinpk/status/1405788144121921538

    Azhar began his speech by hitting back at Bilawal, saying, “Those who have never worked a day in their life or taken any responsibility are telling us how to run the economy and the country.”

    Mocking the way Bilawal kept switching between English and Urdu during his speech, Hammad Azhar implied that oratory skills are not enough to remove the stains of corruption from someone’s character.

    “They said to us that this is a government of ‘puppets’. Do they want a government of convicts? Do they want a government in which people are known not by their names but by the dirtiest scandals in the history of this country?”

    He said that the PTI had come into power after being elected, adding that it had not “threatened or bribed its way into government”.

    Azhar said some people in the Opposition say that despite corruption, there is also progressive work being done. “If corruption had anything to do with development, Sindh would have progressed beyond California.”

    If someone wants to see the destruction that corruption brings, then go and look at the state of Sindh, the minister said. “You will see how corrupt rulers ruin the lives and the futures of people. Sindh is a living example of this.”

  • No-confidence motion to be moved against NA Speaker Asad Qaiser

    No-confidence motion to be moved against NA Speaker Asad Qaiser

    The Opposition has decided to jointly move a no-confidence motion against National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser, after two days of ruckus in the National Assembly.

    The decision of tabling a no-confidence motion against Qaiser was reached when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto met in the NA earlier today to discuss the way forward after yesterday’s session.

    In this regard, the joint Opposition leaders also agreed to form a committee that would be tasked with tabling the motion. However, the names of its members are under consideration.

    The Opposition members said that Tuesday’s session was the darkest day in the history of democracy, with the Speaker failing to fulfil his constitutional, legal, democratic, and parliamentary responsibilities.

    “Asad Qaiser is not qualified to fulfill this duty,” said one of the Opposition members.

    The Opposition demanded that a parliamentary committee be established with equal representation from treasury and Opposition benches to probe the ruckus that had transpired in parliament.

  • ‘A budget that will make everyone happy’: PM Khan

    ‘A budget that will make everyone happy’: PM Khan

     Prime Minister Imran Khan hosted lunch for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians and the government’s coalition partners today, where important issues relating to the country’s political scenario and the budget were discussed, as reported by Geo News. 

     The premier was asked whether the budget, which will be presented later in the day, will be a “people-friendly” one.

    “Today, everyone will be happy,” said PM Khan in response. 

    The Opposition is holding a meeting of its parliamentary members, which started at 3:00pm. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif will chair the meeting, which will also include participants from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).  

  • ’PPP is neither my priority nor my competition’: Maryam Nawaz

    ’PPP is neither my priority nor my competition’: Maryam Nawaz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday said that since the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is not part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) anymore, therefore, it is not her priority.

    Speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Maryam denied there were rifts in the PDM, saying that all parties in the alliance had the same stance as Nawaz Sharif.

    “We all share the same ideology and the parties in the PDM have the same position that Nawaz Sharif has,” she clarified.

    Maryam Nawaz said that the PPP is no longer a part of PDM, therefore, it should not be discussed now.

    “PPP is neither my priority nor I have any competition with it,” she said.

    Maryam added that the benefits of resignations would have been evident only if all the parties in the PDM had resigned.

    Maryam went to the IHC for the hearing of an appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield Properties reference.

  • Bilawal slams PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal, calls him ‘office-bearer on paper’

    Bilawal slams PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal, calls him ‘office-bearer on paper’

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday criticised the government over the Ghotki train accident and said that he was shocked at the ‘callous’ attitude of the government.

    Differences between the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also became visible in the National Assembly (NA) session when PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal criticised the chair for giving the floor to the PPP chairman before him. Ahsan Iqbal said that being from the largest Opposition party, it was his right to get the floor first. When Bilawal took the floor again, he hit out at Iqbal and the PML-N and termed him an “office-bearer only on papers”.

    Responding to Bilawal’s remarks, Ahsan Iqbal tweeted, “PTI attacks him [Bilawal] for a will written on a piece of paper. I don’t know why he felt the need to attack me with this piece of paper issue.”

    Speaking on the floor, Bilawal said a tragic incident has occurred in Ghotki and lamented that a poor person’s life is not safe during travel via the railways.

    “They (government) do political point-scoring even when an incident like these happen,” he said, adding, “I want to convey a message to the affectees of the crash: We stand with you and demand answers from the authorities.”

    Later in the day, Bilawal tweeted that his request to suspend all other business to discuss Ghotki train accident was denied by Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.

    “PM, railway minister not in NA to answer why in three years of this government we’ve had more train accidents than any other govt in history of Pakistan. Shocked at callous attitude of govt,” he added.

  • ‘Raiwand’s prime minister’ sent abroad despite conviction: Bilawal

    ‘Raiwand’s prime minister’ sent abroad despite conviction: Bilawal

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, said, “Raiwand’s prime minister” Nawaz Sharif was sent abroad despite being convicted.

    Bilawal said former president Asif Ali Zardari remains in Pakistan, moving from one doctor to another, despite his children telling him to go abroad and seek treatment.

    “If the president [Zardari] is from Nawabshah, he remains on medical bail despite trumped-up charges,” said chairman PPP.

    “I want to ask the prime minister (PM) what sort of accountability and justice is being implemented in the country? I want to ask the PM what kind of rule of law is there within the country?” Bilawal asked, adding that if the premier’s friends are being alleged of a crime, no action is taken against them.

    “This is revenge and political engineering and their ministers themselves accept it has hurt the economy,” added Bilawal.

    “If the prime minister and his sister are blamed for a crime, nothing happens to them,” Bilawal lashed out.

    However, if a former president from Nawabshah’s sister is blamed for something, then she is dragged to jail from her hospital bed, he said, referring to PPP leader Faryal Talpur.

    The PPP chairman denigrated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and questioned its standards of accountability. “This system is a mockery of the Constitution,” said Bilawal.

    “If the Leader of Opposition is from Lahore (Shehbaz Sharif), he is awarded bail, and if the leader of Opposition hails from Sukkur (Khursheed Shah), he is denied the right and treated like a ping-pong ball — back and forth from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) courts to Supreme Court,” Bilawal said.

    The PPP chairman claimed the authorities were repeatedly blackmailing Shah’s children and his wife.

    Bilawal further said that the party would support Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly on the budget despite the inappropriate behaviour of some Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members.

    “I unconditionally say to Shehbaz Sharif in front of the media that all PPP members will be in your support with regards to parliament and this [upcoming] budget despite tantrums [of some PML-N members].”

    He said that PPP members would come and vote on the day of the budget and now it was up to Shehbaz as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly to “do his work and stop the government’s budget.”

    Bilawal was responding to a question on whether the PPP had been contacted on the budget issue and whether it would support the Opposition. He responded that despite the “inappropriate behaviour” of the PML-N and other political parties in the Opposition, the PPP had prioritised national issues and the budget over differences between the political parties.

    “So despite their insults, the PPP went to Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for dinner so we can rid the people of economic difficulties. Unfortunately, our host was publicly insulted after that dinner by some officeholders of the PML-N,” said Bilawal, adding that flinging statements at guests was not a part of “our tradition, values, and culture”.

    The PPP chairman also lashed out at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), saying it should have offered resignations the same day or the next when the PPP had “supposedly” refused to listen to its demands and set out for its long march.

    “If they still want to do politics of resignations, then they should have given them by now.”

    Hitting out at the prime minister, the PPP chairman said that the statements since the past few weeks on the state of the economy showed that the “prime minister has no connection to the common man”.

    “The prime minister says Pakistan’s difficult time is over. Not sure about the common man but the IMF’s (International Monetary Fund) difficult time is over, for sure,” he said.

    Bilawal Bhutto said the government’s ministers had come around to accept the PPP’s stance on the economy and expressed the hope that Pakistan would escape the “IMF’s grip” in the budget next week.

    Bilawal similarly hit out at an ordinance for the creation of a new media body and said the PPP would continue to oppose it. He added that the recent attacks on journalists such as Asad Ali Toor or pressure being applied to media personnel such as Hamid Mir through petitions had “exposed the government’s weakness and insecurity”.

  • ‘PPP and ANP have left PDM’: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    ‘PPP and ANP have left PDM’: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    General Secretary of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) have left PDM. “Now their paths are separate.”

    “There are eight parties in PDM and they will continue to do their work. The doors of PDM are open for every party that will follow the manifesto and decisions of PDM,” added Abbasi.

    Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that leaders of the fragmented anti-government alliance appear to be “confused and divided”.

    Bilawal further added that PPP was not part of the meeting held on Saturday, yet PDM is still following the manifesto that was presented by the PPP when PDM was formed.

    “We can have positive feelings for each other and wish everybody good luck. Everybody has the right to do Opposition politics in accordance to their own manifesto and ideology,” said the PPP chairman.

    He made these remarks while addressing a press conference with ANP leaders in Charsadda on Sunday.

    PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday said that the PPP and ANP were not discussed in the PDM meeting, as they are not part of the alliance.

    “They [PPP] can still contact the PDM leadership and apprise them about their intentions. But it is not something that we will waste time over anymore during PDM meetings,” said Maulana Fazl.