Current Final

Tag: Fawad Chaudhry

  • ‘Ministers criticised Pemra’s order like they were in opp,’ complains Firdous to PM Imran

    ‘Ministers criticised Pemra’s order like they were in opp,’ complains Firdous to PM Imran

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan has complained to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan that ministers criticised Pemra’s [Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority] order like they were in the opposition.

    During the federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday headed by PM Imran, the minister said that it is humiliating if the government’s own ministers criticise the orders themselves.

    On Firdous’s complaint the Federal Minister for Science and Technology said that, “humiliation happens when the government issues an order and takes it back within a few hours”.

    Fawad Ch also said that, “Decisions are made without anyone having knowledge of it”, adding that you should take everyone into confidence before passing such orders.

    Pemra on Monday had barred television anchors from giving their “opinions” during talk shows and limited their role to “moderator”.

    The authority after receiving massive criticism later backtracked on its decision and issued a statement clarifiying that there is no ban on TV anchors from appearing on talk shows. Pemra said it didn’t mean to restrict freedom of expression as ‘being projected by few’.

  • Fawad Chaudhry tells nation not to look towards government for jobs

    Fawad Chaudhry tells nation not to look towards government for jobs

    Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry created a stir once again when he said that the nation should not look towards the government for jobs.

    Addressing a conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, the minister said that the government is, in fact, going to disband 400 departments.

    “If you start looking towards the government for jobs, our economy will collapse,” he stated.

    Chaudhry explained that his statement was taken out of context and was being misinterpreted. In a tweet, he explained that jobs are provided by the private sector while the government’s responsibility is to create an environment where jobs are created. But the government cannot accommodate everyone in government departments.

    Meanwhile, PTI’s manifesto states otherwise:

    Create 10 million jobs and strengthen the labour market

    PTI will strengthen the labour market and create 10 million jobs over 5 years in key sectors: SME, housing, ICT, health, education, green economy and tourism.

    Article 38 of the constitution states that the “state shall provide for all citizens, within the available resources of the country, facilities for work and adequate livelihood”. Approximately two million additional youth enter the labour force each year, which totals to 10 million over the next 5 years. We believe Pakistan’s youth can become its biggest asset. However, if we do not take action, the youth dividend can also become our biggest challenge and lead to drastic economic and social consequences.

    Meanwhile, Minister for Water and Resources, Faisal Vawda, in early April had said that there will be a burst of jobs in Pakistan in the coming weeks.

    Six months later we have seen no burst. Is the PTI going back on its promises?

    https://youtu.be/uQDjmtSxgKE?list=PLJPlBvZludM5xdTtXjTIlrbYVBHpXZSpm
  • VIDEO: Fawad Chaudhry wants to be Deputy Prime Minister?

    VIDEO: Fawad Chaudhry wants to be Deputy Prime Minister?

    Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry says that he told PM Khan that in countries like Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, the ministers for science and technology are as powerful as a Deputy Prime Minister. (hint hint)

    When we asked Fawad whether he was joking or being serious, he said he meant it as a joke.

    Fawad’s counterparts in the countries he mentioned are:

    The Minister of Science and Tech in Korea is Dr Yanghee Choi since 2014 but doesn’t have an active Wikipedia page. He was previously the Chairman of Samsung Science and Tech Foundation.  

    Minister of Science and Tech in Singapore doesn’t exist. Science and Tech comes under the Ministry of Trade and Industry whose minister is Chan Chun Sing who is a former major general and also served as Singapore’s Chief of Army (Infantry).

    Yeo Bee Yin currently is the Minister of Energy, Science and Tech, Environment and Climate change in Malaysia. A member of parliament, one of her first initiatives was to ban on the import of plastic waste.

    Indonesia’s Science and Tech minister is professor. Mohamad Nasir was also the Dean of the Accounting program at a university and was involved in a major controversy in 2016 when he wanted to ban the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus.

    Indonesia’s Science and Tech minister is professor. Mohamad Nasir was also the Dean of the Accounting program at a university and was involved in a major controversy in 2016 when he wanted to ban the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus.

  • PM Imran likely to appoint Fawad Chaudhry as his spokesperson

    PM Imran likely to appoint Fawad Chaudhry as his spokesperson

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has reportedly decided to appoint Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry as his spokesperson in Nadeem Afzal Chan’s place.

    According to reports, the minister will serve as the premier’s spokesperson in addition to managing his science and technology portfolio.

    The current spokesperson, Chan, who is also the PM Imran’s special assistant on parliamentary coordination, wants to step down citing his “inability to carry on holding the post”.

    The premier has requested Fawad, a media affairs expert, to replace Chan, The Express Tribune reported, adding that the PM’s Office will issue a formal notification within a few days.

  • Fawad Chaudhry raises voice for Kashmir in Oslo

    Fawad Chaudhry raises voice for Kashmir in Oslo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yXkewVsGHI
  • Fawad shuts up Indian major who pointed out PTI-PML-N clash

    Fawad shuts up Indian major who pointed out PTI-PML-N clash

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has shut up an Indian army veteran who attempted to highlight the divide between ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    A war of words had erupted between Fawad and PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan as the joint session of the parliament continued for the second day on Wednesday.

    The ruckus in the parliament had started after the PML-N leader condemned the government for having failed to take Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi head-on.

    It was at this juncture when Fawad began to disrupt his speech, prompting Mushahid to ask the speaker to “put a leash on Fawad”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Even though Speaker Sadiq Sanjrani urged them both to not indulge in cross-talk, the PML-N senator continued addressing the minister, “I had left you tied at home… I had put a leash around your neck before coming to parliament.”

    The two leaders then traded “shut up” barbs with each other.

    Pointing out the clash, an ex-officer of the Indian army, Major (r) Gaurav Arya, took to Twitter and wrote:

    Responding to the Indian major’s tweet, Fawad wrote:

    The tweets come amid tensions rising on either side of the border over the Kashmir dispute. Indian government on Monday had snatched away the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy by revoking Article 370 of the constitution.

    The move has attracted a strong reaction from Pakistan as Kashmiris fear that it could pave way for Muslim genocide in the troubled valley.

  • VIDEO: Fawad Ch breaks into tears, urges parliamentarians to save Kashmir

    VIDEO: Fawad Ch breaks into tears, urges parliamentarians to save Kashmir

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday broke into tears as he urged parliamentarians to save Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK).

    Fear is gripping the Muslim-majority disputed valley ever since the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the constitution to pave way for what is being termed as a Muslim genocide.

    With the emergency joint parliament session continuing for the second day, members of the National Assembly and Senate met to discuss Pakistan’s future course of action in light of Indian misadventures.

    “I urge the parliament to not let Kashmir become Palestine. We cannot stand this. We cannot live with this humiliation. If it comes to a fight, we will fight,” Fawad said as he moved to tears while addressing the lawmakers.

    “The message from this parliament should be that we fought for Kashmir before and we will fight for Kashmir again.”

    He also urged the government to cut diplomatic ties with neighbouring India.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    President Dr Arif Alvi, upon opposition parties demand, had on Monday called the joint parliament session to discuss the deteriorating situation in held Kashmir.

    The article, revoked by the Indian government, gave certain autonomy to the occupied valley, under which the administration in Kashmir could formulate its own laws — other than those at play in rest of the country.

    Kashmiris fear the development can lead to non-Kashmiris settling in the valley, resulting in a massive demographic shift as the area transforms from majority-Muslim to majority-Hindu.

  • ‘Thai Airways never stopped operating from Pakistan’, Sherry Rehman ridicules Fawad

    ‘Thai Airways never stopped operating from Pakistan’, Sherry Rehman ridicules Fawad

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman has ridiculed Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry over his claim regarding Thai Airways’ operations in Pakistan.

    “Thai Airways to start operation from Lahore to Bangkok and beyond with four flights a week starting July 16, 2019,” the minister had tweeted Tuesday.

    While a lot of people praised the “restoration” of Thai Airways’ operations after British Airways, that operated its first flight to the country in eleven years on June 2; some users, including Sherry, pointed out what was wrong with the claim.

    “Err, Thai Airways has been flying from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi several times a week for over ten years. The Islamabad and Lahore flights were suspended due to [the] closure of air space recently. Islamabad flights have still not resumed,” she tweeted.

    Pakistan closed its airspace following an aerial engagement with the Indian Air Force (IAF) along the Line of Control (LoC) on February 27. On June 28, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that the closure for overflight and transit flights will continue till July 12.

  • Video of Fawad Chaudhry slapping journalist Sami Ibrahim emerges

    Video of Fawad Chaudhry slapping journalist Sami Ibrahim emerges

    Days after Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry slapped senior anchorperson Sami Ibrahim, a video of the incident has emerged.

    The incident took place last week at a wedding in Faisalabad, where the minister slapped Ibrahim “after getting angry” in wake of the ongoing spat between the two.

    Earlier in June, the senior anchorperson had alleged that some elements within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were hatching a conspiracy against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to oust him and to weaken the Pakistan Army.

    He had alleged that Fawad was a part of the group conspiring against the government.

    The minister had responded by using slurs against the anchorperson, drawing widespread criticism from politicians, civil society and members of the journalist community.

    He had also accused Sami of blackmailing him when he was the information minister for refusing to put his channel, Bol TV, into category A for advertisements.

    Last Friday, Fawad tweeted that he had initiated criminal proceedings against the senior anchorperson and he would teach him a lesson in accordance with the law.

    However, later that night when both of them met at the wedding function in Faisalabad, they had a bitter argument, which led to the minister slapping him on the face.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The incident had led to PM Imran speaking to the journalist and telling him “his party doesn’t encourage any individual acts that intentionally or unintentionally undermine someone’s self-esteem.”

  • ‘Important decisions are made without us knowing’, Fawad loses it during TV interview

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who was sacked by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan as the information minister in April, has broken silence on the alleged rift widening within the government.

    “At times, some important decisions are taken and we don’t even know. I still believe that we have some political weaknesses in decision-making,” he said during an interview to a private media outlet.

    Earlier, sources had informed The Current that tensions are about to reach the boiling point within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a cold war continues between elected and non-elected people in the government.

    Fawad too was replaced by non-elected Firdous Ashiq Awan, who was handed the reins of the Information Ministry in the capacity of special assistant to the PM (SAPM) on information and broadcasting.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The former information minister, however, wasn’t the only one to be sacked as part of the major cabinet reshuffle. The then finance minister Asad Umar was also replaced by another non-elected member, SAPM for Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

    Hinting at the war going on within the ruling party, Fawad said that “non-elected people had the power to change portfolios of ministers”.

    “As I have maintained before, there were too many people trying to manage it [Information Ministry],” he said and added that one can’t do much when so many people are involved.

    “Your real strength is the parliament and the elected people, and you cannot leave them,” Fawad said. “You’re not going to redo the party and hand it over to those who have not even been a councillor.”