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Tag: Fawad Chaudhry

  • Plans of long-term caretaker govt in pipeline, claims journalist

    Plans of long-term caretaker govt in pipeline, claims journalist

    News anchor Meher Bokhari in her programme ‘Program Hum Meher Bokhari Kay Sath’ on Hum News has claimed that a crucial meeting has taken place where plans of installing a long caretaker government in Pakistan have been discussed.

    She said that considering the worsening economic conditions in the country, the caretaker government can be in place for six months or even two years, emphasising that the situation has slipped out of politicians’ hands.

    During her show, she pointed out that the incumbent government has failed to steer the country out of the economic crisis, despite making promises to do so. Moreover, she said that since the takeover of the coalition government, the dollar value rose exponentially, plunging the country into economic disaster.

    She highlighted Pakistan’s failure to get the next International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) tranche and the reluctance of friendly countries to help Pakistan.

    Reacting to the journalist’s claims, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry termed it a “stupidity”, stressing that the “country’s crisis is more political than economic”.

    In a tweet, he said that these are “schemes” to keep Imran Khan out of politics but are not in Pakistan’s favour. Terming general elections as the only solution to the country’s problems, he added that PTI will resist the move of forming a technocrat government.

    However, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday assured the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) that the country will not default but admitted that the economy is in a “tight position”.

    “It’s been three months since I took charge. We hear every day that we will default. How will there be a default? There is no chance that Pakistan will default,” the finance minister said.

    It should be noted that the financial situation in the country is perilous with inflation at the highest levels in recent years. A day earlier, the price of gold rose by Rs4,500 to a fresh all-time high of Rs182,700 per tola. The price of gold has increased by more than Rs20,000 per tola since the beginning of December.

  • Stab in the back? PTI, PML-Q’s MPAs contact PML-N’s Opposition ahead of no-confidence against CM Elahi

    Stab in the back? PTI, PML-Q’s MPAs contact PML-N’s Opposition ahead of no-confidence against CM Elahi

    Several members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have approached the Opposition in Punjab Assembly ahead of the no-confidence session against Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi, reports ARY News.

    According to the news outlet, a total of 11 lawmakers contacted the Opposition and they reportedly planned to skip CM Elahi’s trust vote session.

    Earlier, senior Vice President of PTI, Fawad Chaudhry, announced that Elahi will get a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly before January 11.

    Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan has already summoned a session of the assembly on Jan 11.

    The magic number required to show a majority in the assembly is 186. However, it has been claimed by PTI that the coalition government in Punjab has the support of 187 lawmakers.

    If the news is to be believed, the joint alliance of Punjab will have the support of 176 members on the day of no-confidence session.

  • PTI to appear before NA speaker next week to verify resignations

    PTI to appear before NA speaker next week to verify resignations

    Lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have decided to appear before National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for the verification of their resignations, reports Geo News.

    The lawmakers are likely to appear either on Wednesday or Thursday.

    The Speaker has yet to take action on the resignations as PTI legislators have failed to get a response after they wrote a letter to him

    On December 15, PTI leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry announced that the party would be seeking time from the National Assembly speaker for the verification of their MPs’ resignations.

    He also denied speculations that the party’s lawmakers are still receiving salaries.

    “Judges should verify the reports that show up on media. The reality is that this is another lie told by the government. The salaries of the resigned members are suspended and no member is getting any salary,” said Fawad.

    A day earlier, the PTI chief announced that both Punjab and KP assemblies will be dissolved on December 23.

  • Imran Khan to give date for dissolution of assemblies before December 20: Reports

    Imran Khan to give date for dissolution of assemblies before December 20: Reports

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a consultative session with lawmakers from Bhakkar, Mianwali, Pakpattan and Sahiwal told them that the provincial assemblies being governed by his party will be dissolved this very month and the date of the dissolution will be made public prior to December 20.

    The PTI earlier gave a deadline of December 20 to the federal coalition government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to announce a date for general elections, otherwise, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies will be dissolved.

    In reply, the ruling coalition has told the PTI chairman to dissolve the assemblies.

    According to the media reports, Khan said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Qauid (PML-Q) is on the same page with the PTI on the issue of Punjab assembly’s dissolution.

    “The PML-Q is a vital ally. We have intimated them of our decision,” Imran Khan said.

    “Our politics is not above the country. This government has destroyed the national economy,” he maintained.

    Earlier, Senior Vice-President of PTI, Fawad Chaudhry, addressing the ruling coalition said, “Leaders of the imported government don’t want polls and they have no idea how to run the country.”

    “If PDM doesn’t bring a formula for holding general elections by December 20, the Punjab and KP assemblies will be dissolved,” Fawad said.

  • India behind Johar Town bomb blast in Lahore: Rana Sanaullah

    India behind Johar Town bomb blast in Lahore: Rana Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has revealed that India was behind the Johar Town blast in Lahore— a powerful blast in 2021 near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, which resulted in three deaths.

    He held a joint press conference on Tuesday with Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General Imran Mehmood, during which he said that there is “clear evidence” of India carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

    The minister further added that India’s footprints are seen in all terror activities carried out in Pakistan and New Delhi’s activities have gone “beyond that of an enemy state” just to hide its atrocities in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

    He said that Pakistan will raise this matter before the world. The minister also mentioned that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had support from the foreign intelligence agency of India, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

    Mehmood also briefly explained who were the culprits behind the Johar Town blast.

    He said that in the initial 24 hours, CTD arrested three terrorists. However, Sami ul Haq — the main handler of RAW-sponsored terror activities in Pakistan — was arrested a year later in April when he was trying to enter Pakistan via Balochistan

    According to Mehmood, his Red Warrants were issued through Interpol. Mehmood added that his brother-in-law, Uzair Akbar, assisted Sami in terror activities and his Red Warrants were issued as well. CTD also got information about Naveed Akhtar — who did the surveillance and selected the target.

    “We also found out that close to a million dollars of terror financing was done through India to spread terrorism in Pakistan through different channels,” he revealed, adding that all the arrested persons have been sentenced to death three times by the court.

    Prior to this, days after the incident, the then information minister Fawad Chaudhry and National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf said that the mastermind of the attack was “an Indian citizen and he is associated with RAW”.

  • ‘New elections in Punjab will be held before Ramzan’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘New elections in Punjab will be held before Ramzan’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that elections in Punjab will be held before the start of the holy month of Ramzan.

    Chaudhry, in a tweet, claimed that several members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have contacted PTI for party tickets to contest elections in Punjab. He further stated that the candidate for each constituency would be evaluated on merit.

    “New elections will be held in Punjab before March 20,” he declared.

    Fawad maintained that the Punjab division of the party is ready for “every attack” from the PML-N.

    PML-N has stated multiple times that it would not concede to the PTI’s demand for snap polls.

    On the previous Saturday, Khan announced that PTI wouldn’t be part of “this system” and would quit all the assemblies. Following this, PTI members also agreed with the decision to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies. However, an official announcement regarding the dissolution is yet to be made.

  • When are assemblies going to dissolve? PTI to decide today

    When are assemblies going to dissolve? PTI to decide today

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry has announced that the former ruling party will decide on the matter of dissolution of the assemblies today in the presence of senior leadership.

    Chaudhry explained in a tweet, stating that the party’s senior leadership will be meeting on Monday. “In this meeting, the date of dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, and resignation from the Sindh and Balochistan Assembly will be considered.”

    The former minister added with these decisions, 64 per cent of seats in all assemblies would be “vacant and will pave the way for general elections”.

    On Saturday, party chief Imran Khan, addressing a charged crowd in Rehmanabad, said that PTI wouldn’t be part of “this system” and would quit all the assemblies.

    Khan said that he would announce the exact date in the next few days.

    It is pertinent to mention that Khan’s PTI is in power in Punjab, KP, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

    Following the announcement, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi showed support for Khan’s decision.

    In a video message on Sunday, he said, “When Imran tells me to dissolve the assemblies, I won’t even wait half a minute,” Elahi said, adding that “PM Shehbaz Sharif’s 27km-long [federal] government won’t even last for 27 hours.”

  • ‘Imran Khan to give call to reach Rawalpindi today’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘Imran Khan to give call to reach Rawalpindi today’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said on Saturday that the “final stage has arrived” when former prime minister Imran Khan will ask his supporters to converge in Rawalpindi.

    “The final stage has arrived. Be prepared. Imran Khan will give a call to people today to reach Rawalpindi,” he tweeted.

    Chaudhry said PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar, who are leading separate convoys, will meet at Rawat today from where the marchers would move towards Rawalpindi, located at a distance of 23.8 kilometres when approached via Grant Trunk Road.

    Meanwhile, PTI’s official Twitter account tweeted that Imran Khan will announce the final date of arrival of Real Azadi March at 2 pm in Rawalpindi at Chuck Bailey, Rawat today.

  • Exclusive: Ata Tarrar and Fawad Chaudhry take digs at each other over these dogs

    Exclusive: Ata Tarrar and Fawad Chaudhry take digs at each other over these dogs

    Fawad Chaudhry, former Information Minister and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI), has shared a picture of his pet dogs, a Pomeranian and a Pug, on Twitter with the caption that they make Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ata Tarrar “jealous”.

    If that tweet leaves you confused, let us give you the background.

    Ata Tarrar held a press conference on _ in which among other things, he criticized Fawad Chaudhry for not vacating his government residence in the Minister’s Enclave. He said that the PTI leader should leave the house before asking for “Haqeeqi Azadi”.

    And then he mentioned Fawad Chaudhry’s dogs, stating that the former Minister takes them for walks every day.

    PML-N leader Attaullah Tarrar while taking a dig at said that Fawad Chaudhry is living in Minister’s enclave Islamabad and he should leave the government’s residence before asking for “Haqiqi Azadi”. He also mentioned Fawad’s pets in the presser.

    The Current reached out to Fawad Chaudhry to know more about his pet dogs. While talking exclusively to The Current, Fawad revealed that his pet dogs are named Rockie and Iglooo.

    He also added that his wife feeds stray dogs so lots of cats and dogs come to the back of their apartment building at a specific time, looking for food

  • Fawad asked Umar not to take Imran’s name on Toshakhana scandal, WhatsApp chat reveals

    Fawad asked Umar not to take Imran’s name on Toshakhana scandal, WhatsApp chat reveals

    Senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Fawad Chaudhry, landed in hot water on Wednesday night after Geo News‘ Shahzeb Khanzada revealed WhatsApp conversations the former minister had with Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor.

    The alleged Whatsapp conversations show that Fawad Chaudhry was in contact with Zahoor who claimed this week that former Prime Minister Imran Khan sold him a precious Graff set gifted to him by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019. Fawad, who had called Zahoor a “liar” after his explosive claims about the sale of the state gift, refers to the businessman as “brother”.

    When Zahoor revealed that he had bought state gifts from Imran Khan, Chaudhry denied the allegations. However, he acknowledged that the gift was “legally” sold in the market.

    In the chats, Fawad said to Zahoor that “It seems the watch alleged to be of IK is not the same”. He also requested him not to take Khan’s name.

    During the show, Khanzada said Chaudhry also promised to help Zahoor get contracts from the Government of Pakistan.

    On Tuesday, Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how that he had bought the Graff set from Khan. Immediately afterward, Chaudhry contacted him and asked what had happened. “[Taking the name of] Shahzad Akbar is understandable, but why Imran Khan?” Chaudhry asked the businessman.

    Zahoor and Chaudhry met in Dubai several times. During the PTI government, the two also exchanged messages.

    Zahoor claimed that he had bought the branded set through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.