When an Indian Twitter user tried to troll Prime Minister Imran Khan and Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, the minister had a savage response for her.
Replying to Chaudhry’s video in which he was announcing that PM Imran Khan has handed over the first batch of ventilators to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a Twitter user Mishupreet Kaur said: “Imran ne to bola ghabrana nhi hai ye ghabrah kyu raha hai (Imran said not to worry, then why is he getting nervous).”
Meanwhile, PM Imran on Monday inaugurated inaugurated the facility of country’s first-ever indigenously made ventilators and handed over the first batch of ‘SafeVent SP100’ portable ventilators to NDMA.
Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI visited National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) at Haripur today to inaugurate the production facility of first ever indigenously developed ventilators #MadeinPakistan. pic.twitter.com/XOlCgM3o2T
According to APP, the facility in the northern town of Haripur has a production capacity of up to 300 ventilators a month.
“It’s a landmark achievement for Pakistan,” PM said, congratulating the team behind the project, the engineers and scientists at National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) and the Ministry of Science & Technology.
He further said that the country has “abundant talent to take us to self-reliance in new technological innovation and the government will strongly support any initiative to harness the potential of our youth”.
The Scientific Committee of the National Astronomical Observation Commission has decided to set up Pakistan’s first-ever space museum in Islamabad. Earlier, there was PIA Planetarium at Expo Centre in Karachi which used to give a virtual tour of the outer space.
According to APP, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry chaired the meeting in which the decision was taken to set up Pakistan’s first space museum in Islamabad. The federal minister announced that the first-ever space museum will be established within eight months.
اسلام آباد میں پہلا اسپیس میوزیم اگلے چھ سے آٹھ مہینوں میں قائم ہو گا، صوبائ حکومتوں سے بھی کہا ہے کہ صوبائ دارلحکومتوں میں اسپیس میوزیم بنائیں ۔۔۔ چاند دیکھنے سے لے کر ستاروں سے آگے کے جہاں آپ خود Explore کر سکیں گے۔۔ انشاللہ https://t.co/Vj1kMCgZ2G
The meeting also decided to set up five astronomical observatories in Pakistan. It was unanimously decided that astronomical observatories would be set up in Islamabad and Gwadar at the initial phase.
In a tweet, Fawad said that provincial governments have also been asked to established space museums in provincial capitals.
“From looking at the moon to beyond the stars, you will be able to explore the universe in future”, he said.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has been making great strides in development. Earlier, this week they also delivered a batch of locally-manufactured ventilators to the National Disaster Management Authority to fight COVID-19.
'Made in Pakistan' ventilators, named as #PakVent1, are now ready for operational usage, this will help alot in facilitating our hospitals amid Corona and after that. A major production in field of technology undertaken by #Pakistan in such a short period.#RisePakistanpic.twitter.com/HSntUg5zlr
— Mansoor Hayat Lak (@MansoorHayatLak) June 30, 2020
The National Assembly (NA) on Monday approved the federal budget for the fiscal year 2020-21. The session, however, was yet again marred by an altercation, this time between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.
“Sir, bass vee kar deo [sir, please stop]” Fawad was heard as saying as Asif addressed the Lower House of the parliament.
To this, Asif replied, “Tuvaaday mutalak mai aisiyaan aisiyaan gallaan karaanga, Khuda di qasam tavanu jagaah nayi labnni ais hall ich [I will say such things about you that you will not find a place in this hall].”
Asif went on to say that for the past few days, Fawad had been “involved in some activities”, to which the federal minister said the PML-N leader would not “find any space in Sialkot — Asif’s hometown — either” and asked him to apologise for his remarks.
NA Speaker Asad Qaiser kept on asking both the lawmakers to stop.
“No cross talk please… sit down please. Please, Fawad Sahib. Take a seat. Khawaja Sahib, continue please.”
“No, how can you let this happen? How can one person say anything and not apologise? How dare he? He must apologise!” Fawad said.
WATCH VIDEO:
Speaking to The Current, Fawad said he was discussing something with Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.
“Khawaja Asif got upset because we were not paying attention to his speech. Then he made up some lies about me, for which I asked him to apologise.”
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that politics is not for the “weak-hearted” and vowed not to resign for as long as he has the confidence of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.
“I will stay on as a minister till I have the trust of Prime Minister Imran Khan. There is no question of resigning on someone else’s wish,” Fawad tweeted Thursday, referring to Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan, who had asked the federal minister to step down following the former’s claims pertaining to rifts among the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
اس وقت تک وزیر رہوں گا جب تک وزیر اعظم کا اعتماد حاصل ہے، کسی اور کی خواہش پر استعفیࣿ دینے کا سوال ہی پیدا نہیں ہوتا، سیاست کمزور دل حضرات کا کھیل نہیں ۔۔۔
In an interview from earlier this week, Fawad had claimed that the PTI failed to bring “tabdeeli” [change] due to the in-fighting between Asad Umar, Jahangir Tareen and Shah Mahmood Qureshi after the formation of its government, which was followed by the ouster of the political class from PM Imran’s core team.
“This political vacuum was then filled by new and non-elected people who did not have anything to do with politics,” the minister had said while also making other explosive revelations that did not sit well with many.
With Fawad drawing criticism from his colleagues for also disclosing that the premier had warned his ministers to perform within six months, many reportedly approached PM Imran, urging him to take action against the science and technology minister.
It was followed by the PM telling his cabinet members to maintain unity within the party. Addressing a presser after a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by PM Imran, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said that Fawad’s interview with the Voice of America came under discussion during the cabinet meeting.
“Fawad Chaudhry’s interview was discussed in the cabinet [meeting] and the prime minister said we should maintain unity within the party,” Faraz said.
During the cabinet meeting, the information minister said that the prime minister has instructed the ministers and party leaders not to talk about things that “affect” the party or the government.
According to reports, the premier has now also held separate meetings with federal ministers. Those who held meetings with Imran included Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Asad Umar.
During the meetings, the PM discussed the disorder and heat during the federal cabinet meeting.
On the occasion, Umar and Qureshi apprised the premier on their respective positions and offered explanations.
Umar reportedly raised before PM Imran the issue of Fawad’s statements, to which the premier directed his cabinet members to exercise caution and maintain unity.
Vawda, on the other hand, openly criticised policies of Umar, Adviser to PM on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood as well as Special Assistant to PM on Petroleum Division Nadeem Babar. He also reportedly accused some people of “conspiring from within the cabinet”.
“There is a game being played here and we cannot sit silent,” he said, adding that people thought that they had become the prime minister.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has told his cabinet members to maintain unity within the party, a day after Federal Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry said in an interview that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was failing to bring promised change due to a lack of political leadership amid rifts among leaders such as Jahangir Khan Tareen, Planning Minister Asad Umar and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Addressing a presser after a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by PM Imran, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said that Fawad’s interview with the Voice of America came under discussion during the cabinet meeting.
“Fawad Chaudhry’s interview was discussed in the cabinet [meeting] and the prime minister said we should maintain unity within the party,” Faraz said.
In the interview, Fawad had said there were rifts among Tareen, Umar and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, which hurt the party and forced the PTI’s “political class” to part ways.
“As soon as the PTI government was formed, quarrels among Qureshi, Umar and Tareen began. Tareen used his influence to get Umar removed from the cabinet and later Umar got Tareen out,” Fawad had said.
During the cabinet meeting, the information minister said that the premier has instructed the ministers and party leaders not to talk about things that “affect” the party or the government.
Faraz also spoke about a recent interview of Climate Change Minister Zartaj Gul in which she said that Covid-19 means that the virus has 19 points that can be applied to any country based on its respective immunity levels.
Her remarks were widely shared on social media and she was criticised for not knowing that Covid-19 is actually an acronym for the coronavirus.
“It was a slip of the tongue and people make mistakes,” the information minister said, referring to Gul’s remarks. “It should not have happened and I completely agree with you.”
The information minister said that Gul is an “outstanding” minister “who is doing great work”.
“We should ignore the mistakes because people make mistakes,” Faraz added.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has made some explosive revelations by claiming that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to bring “tabdeeli” [change] due to the in-fighting between Asad Umar, Jahangir Tareen and Shah Mahmood Qureshi after the formation of its government, which was followed by the ouster of the political class from Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s core team.
“This political vacuum was then filled by new and non-elected people who did not have anything to do with politics,” the minister said in an interview with VOA Urdu.
Talking to senior journalist Suhail Warraich, Fawad revealed that Tareen was responsible for Asad Umar losing his Finance Ministry portfolio. When asked why was there so much in-fighting among PTI ranks, he said when Umar was the Finance Minister, Tareen got him fired.
“Now when Umar got back in the government, he got rid of Tareen. Qureshi and Tareen also had meetings but things didn’t work out between the two.”
He maintained that party groupings were a norm but PTI’s internal fighting between top leaders led to their replacement by bureaucrats, which compromised PM’s reform agenda.
Fawad added that the PTI government was now just another government as its agenda of carrying out police and judicial among other reforms now faced an uncertain future.
CIVILIAN SUPREMACY AND OPPOSITION:
To another question, he said that people say there should be civilian supremacy and the military’s role in politics should be curtailed, but they should also take a look at the parliament and provincial lawmakers. “How can there be civilian supremacy under such leadership?” Ultimately, this is about human resources, he added.
Criticising the opposition for having a limited vision due to dynastic politics, he also questioned why PM Imran had not developed any new and capable leadership.
“We can understand why Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto put weak people in important positions because their vision was to transfer leadership to their own children. Imran doesn’t have this problem. He should have placed the best at powerful positions but somehow, he was advised by someone to place weak people in powerful positions so that they can be dictated. This only damaged Imran. He is far bigger than what he looks like right now.”
ALL-POWERFUL TECHNOCRATS:
When asked how bureaucrats and special advisors to the PM were all-powerful without any resistance from the political class, he said that most people worked with the status quo. “If you can’t balance politics and governance, then it is a problem. PM Imran knows this… he recently warned his cabinet that we have five and a half months to improve our performance, otherwise time will run out for us.” He added that they didn’t have a political or governance-reform team.
PRESIDENTIAL FORM OF GOVT?
Fawad said that in a parliamentary form of government, experts are brought in to consult in the decision-making process but decision-making has to be done by elected politicians. “This is the basic difference between parliamentary democracy and a presidential system.”
When asked if the country was now moving towards a presidential form of government, he said that the appointment of so many advisors or special assistants, and elected people not being invited to participate in key decision-making, put a question mark on parliamentary form of government. “Imran Khan’s failure is not the failure of an individual; the entire nation’s hopes are pinned on his success. If the military and other state institutions are supporting the PM, it is because there are no other political options.”
He also said that while parliamentary form of government was not the most competent, it was still the most powerful. “Ideas cannot be implemented without a good team and human resource.”
It is not the first time Fawad Chaudhry has criticised the PTI government for favouring non-elected or weak people in key positions. Last year following a major cabinet reshuffle that led to Asad Umar losing his ministry while Fawad Chaudhry and several others were given new portfolios, Chaudhry lamented in an interview that at times, important decisions were taken “and we don’t even know”.
Bilal Maqsood of Strings has said that if he was the prime minister of Pakistan, he would make Fawad Chaudhry the head of Ruet e Hilal Committee.
In a Q&A session with his fans on Instagram, when a user asked Bilal what he would do if he was to become PM, the singer responded: “I will make Fawad Chaudhry the head of Ruet e Hilal Committee.”
Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan is the department that announces the sighting of the new moon. It is currently headed by Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman and assisted by 150 observatories of the Pakistan Meteorological Department and many religious scholars of different sects.
On the other hand, Chaudhry who is the Minister for Science and Technology recently launched Pakistan’s first official Moon-sighting website and Hijri Calendar. He also said: “In my opinion, Ruet-Hilal Committee is no longer required (for moon-sighting).”
The minister faced a lot of criticism from religious circles and both Chaudhry and Mufti Munib ur Rehman are often involved in a banter whenever it comes to the announcement of Eid.
Just when we thought that the matter of Diriliş: Ertuğrul being aired on national television was settled, it sparks up again. And this time, it is not just the actors who are debating, it is members of the government including Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Faisal Javed Khan.
The debate started Fawad Chaudhry commented that he was “surprised” that PTV is taking pride in other countries’ productions and urged the state-owned channel to focus on Pakistani productions.
Surprised on @PTVHomeOfficial taking pride on other countries productions,you guys must focus on Pak productions otherwise foreign dramas ll ruin Pak productions,its always cheap to import foreign dramas but this ll have devastating long term effect on our own programming
When a follower reminded the minister that he had earlier praised the drama series, Chaudhry clarified that he does not have anything against the drama and thinks it is brilliant. Instead, his stance is that foreign dramas must be taxed so that TV channels do not import them in large numbers and negatively affect the local drama industry.
ارطغرل زبردست ڈرامہ ہے میری Tweet میں ارطغرل کا معاملہ ہی نہیں، میری پوزیشن ہمیشہ یہ رہی ہے کہ آپ غیرملکی ڈرامہ چلائیں لیکن اس پر اتنا ٹیکس ضرور ہو کہ ہمارا مقامی ڈرامہ متاثر نہ ہو اگر تمام ٹیوی باہر سے سستے ڈرامے خرید لیں گے تو ہماری تو پوری انڈسٹری بیٹھ جائیگی https://t.co/mDJ1ldGoEA
Following Fawad’s tweet, Senator Faisal Javed Khan explained that “great productions like Ertuğrul will help our industry,” adding that such exchange of content should be bilateral. He further said that the local drama industry needs to work on its substance and content.
1/3 Such great productions like Ertugrul @DirilisDizisi will help our industry. We shld show some amazing work that has already been produced – Presenting Islamic History, Culture, Faith. Also this should be bilateral – exporting our content abroad. It's a win win trade. Cont.. https://t.co/6sZf4vM2Hi
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) May 31, 2020
….3/3 Awwww wish we had reacted when rubbish Indian content (low standard dramas, films, songs) was aired across our tv channels, cinema & radio. Our own people promoted "Games of Thrones" here. Why shld we object Ertugrul type content. Even PTV used to air Good English film
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) May 31, 2020
Soon enough, actors including Ahmed Ali Butt and Vasay Chaudhry stepped in to share their thoughts on the debate. While Butt said that the television industry doesn’t mind foreign content and only wants the government to assist them in production, Fakhr-e-Alam agreed with Fawad’s point of view.
Thank you @fawadchaudhry for boldly stating something the brutal truth. PTV output compared to its cost of running operations makes absolutely NO sense what so ever. This organization must realize it is already obsolete. Govt must not burden tax payer with it. https://t.co/xwZhDCTFNu
Meanwhile, Vasay reminded Khan that the industry had protested against Indian content in the past, adding that the issue is not with the play itself but is instead with “PTV and the laws related to the entertainment business”. Chaudhry urged the lawmaker to resolve the issues regarding the laws which Khan agreed with.
1/1 Just for the record Faisal Sb, we protested against indian dramas always, since the last 10 years or more.Back then twitter or social media n all wasnt that influential but that doesnt mean that the Protest or reactions never happened.
Yes Dear Brother! First we need to being the audience back on PTV as people had forgotten this channel due to poor content & quality. Substance, Content, Quality get you audience. Like all other institutions Our predecessors ruined PTV as well. PTV must revive itself now.
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) May 31, 2020
Diriliş: Ertuğrul is being aired on the recommendation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Set in 13th century Anatolia and based on the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending in the country ever since its first episode aired on the first of Ramzan. According to PTV, 133.38 million people have watched the drama series from April 25- May 14. PTV’s YouTube channel has also registered an exponential rise in its viewership with 4.75 million subscribers and episodes trending every day on the social media platform.
In an exclusive interview with The Current, Senator Faisal Javed Khan had revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has once again demanded the abolition of the Central Ruete Hilal [moon-sighting] Committee.
Fawad, while criticising the committee, argued that there was no need for such a committee in the modern era.
He also claimed that the committee, which is headed by Mufti Muneebur Rehman, wants Eid to fall on Monday, May 25 instead of Sunday, announcing to reveal motives of the committee behind such a move during a press conference.
Last year, the minister had proposed that a scientific committee should replace the Central Ruete Hilal Committee for the sighting of the moon, which had led to the committee taking strong exception.
Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman had asked Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to “rein in” his ministers after Fawad had accused clerics of making lunar sighting for Islamic months a controversial affair every year as well as opposing the creation of Pakistan.
“Fawad Chaudhry’s statement against the opposition is his personal matter, but he should exercise restraint while commenting on religious scholars and not misquote history,” he said. “Who knows… one of them might also have a role in your [Fawad] appointment.”
He had urged the premier to “control his passionate ministers”, who “lack knowledge about the system”.
In a first, Pakistan has started manufacturing oxygenators that are imperative for the treatment of 80 per cent of COVID-19 patients, Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has reportedly said.
Oxygenators are a simple form of ventilators that help patients who have breathing difficulties.
Furthermore, Pakistan is also making ventilators and N95 masks by using indigenous technology. For the manufacturing of ventilators, the Pakistan Engineering Council received 53 ventilator designs out of which 13 have been shortlisted. Seven have been approved and they are in the last stage of licensing following the European Union (EU) benchmarks.
“In six to seven months, Pakistan will not just have sufficient ventilators to meet local demand but will be in a position to export these lifesaving machines,” the minister has said.
He said that the moment of crisis had made it clear that the role of scientific research and development was underrated in Pakistan during the last decade, adding that it was the only country in the world to cut funding for research and development after 2007 from 0.67 per cent of the GDP to 0.24p per cent.
“Cities ran short of hand sanitiser, disinfectants and masks immediately after the first two cases of COVID-19 were detected in Pakistan, between Feb 26 and March 5″, the minister said.
“Since Pakistan is a major exporter of raw ethanol, an important ingredient in sanitisers and sprays, the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) was tasked to produce sanitisers and disinfectant sprays.
“In two months, Pakistan is not just self-sufficient but is in a position to export these products. The PCSIR now has the capacity to produce 1,000 litres of sanitiser a day, which is available at Utility Stores.” Ziaur Rehman from the PCSIR said.
The School of Biomedical and Engineering and Sciences and Attaur Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, both constituent colleges of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), have also started working on eye-protection shields, personal protection equipment (PPE) and Covid-19 testing equipment according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
In addition, NUST is in the final stages of introducing Covid-19 test kits and they will be available in the market within a week. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has run clinical trials of the kits and they’re in the last stage of approval.
