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Tag: Imran Khan

  • Nawaz Sharif to return back to Pakistan anytime now: reports

    Nawaz Sharif to return back to Pakistan anytime now: reports

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has finalized plans to return home to Pakistan before the next general elections.

    According to media reports, Nawaz Sharif has instructed his party that if Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan dissolves the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assemblies, new elections should be held in both provinces within 90 days as per the constitution, while Nawaz himself will head the election campaign of these provincial elections.

    The former Prime Minister has also completed consultations about his return with his lawyers. His legal team will begin pursuing reviews of his convictions in courts immediately after his arrival.

    Media reports also suggest that it has been decided at the highest level that Nawaz Sharif will no longer keep himself away from domestic politics and will directly lead his party and supporters in the next election.

  • ‘We will be dissolving the assemblies this month’: Imran Khan

    ‘We will be dissolving the assemblies this month’: Imran Khan

    Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan asked his party members to get ready for elections as Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies will be dissolved this month

    In an address to the Parliamentary Party of KP, Imran asked party workers to prepare for elections and begin campaigning in their constituencies. “Whether they [the government] come towards elections or not, we will be dissolving the assemblies this month and moving towards elections.”

    He reiterated that PTI is only ready to talk to the coalition leader on elections, warning that he will otherwise dissolve the assemblies in the provinces where his party was in power.

    He also said that Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Pervaiz Elahi had given him the go-ahead to dissolve the assembly. “He has said he is standing with me and would dissolve assemblies on my call,” he emphasized.

    Moreover, Imran warned that “if something happens to [PTI senator] Azam Swati, we will go after everyone responsible for arresting him”.

    Imran further said that the people who took Swati to Quetta had turned Pakistan’s justice system into a “joke”.

    “I am once again saying this with great respect to the judiciary, if you won’t protect the rights [of people] then who will,” he asked senior judges.

    Imran then instructed all his party members and supporters to come out to protest against Swati’s arrest.

    On Saturday, the government turned down Khan’s invitation to parleys for early elections, arguing threats and talks could not go together.

  • Asad Qaiser says giving extension to Gen (r) Bajwa was ‘mistake’

    Asad Qaiser says giving extension to Gen (r) Bajwa was ‘mistake’

    Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, has said that the then-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s decision to extend the tenure of ex-chief of army staff (COAS) retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa in 2019 was “wrong”.

    When asked about background discussions leading to the extension, Qaiser responded: “It was the wrong decision, no matter why or how it was taken.”

    While making a candid admission that they [PTI] “regret the mistake”, Qaiser said, “Everyone [in the party ranks] is realising that it was a mistake to grant him (Bajwa) an extension.

    Gen (r) Bajwa was appointed as the army chief by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2016. In 2019, then-premier Imran Khan approved an extension in his tenure as COAS for another term — just three months before he was due to retire.

  • ‘October 2023’: PML-N unmoved by Khan’s offer to govt

    ‘October 2023’: PML-N unmoved by Khan’s offer to govt

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) adamant that the next general elections will be held as per schedule in October 2023.

    The Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has offered the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government to discuss the possibility of early general elections.

    However, the olive branch comes with a threat. “Give us a date for elections or we will dissolve Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies,” Khan said in a video address to the PTI’s Punjab parliamentary party.

    Marriyum Aurangzeb, Interior Minister, took to Twitter and wrote, “October 2023” as a response to Khan’s offer.

    Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister, said the government stuck to its stance that elections would be held in Oct 2023.

    “We can sit for talks with PTI but on any other issue except snap elections,” he said when asked about PML-N meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister.

    He said the coalition government came into power through a constitutional way and it reserved rights to complete its constitutional term [till Oct 2023].

  • ‘Give us date for elections or we dissolve assemblies’: Khan offers govt an olive branch wrapped in a threat

    ‘Give us date for elections or we dissolve assemblies’: Khan offers govt an olive branch wrapped in a threat

    The Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has offered the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government to discuss the possibility of early general elections.

    However, the olive branch comes with a threat. “Give us a date for elections or we will dissolve Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies,” Khan said in a video address to the PTI’s Punjab parliamentary party.

    “We have the full backing of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q),” Imran Khan said, adding that Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will disband the provincial assembly on his call.

    “No elections, no political stability in the country,” Khan declared, adding that the coalition government was not willing to consider snap polls because they know they would be wiped out.

    “The only plan they have is to somehow have me disqualified by filing cases against me and other party leaders,” he observed.

    In response to Khan’s invitation to talks, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership will not refuse to hold dialogue.

    “Discouraging dialogue is considered non-political and undemocratic by PDM. Its leadership will not refuse to sit and talk. We believe in resolving political matters in a political manner,” he said in a statement reacting to Khan’s invitation.

  • ‘Quetta police took Swati away, endangering his life’: Imran Khan demands release of his senator

    ‘Quetta police took Swati away, endangering his life’: Imran Khan demands release of his senator

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has said that Senator Azam Swati has been “taken away by the Quetta police” from Islamabad despite his health concerns.

    In a tweet on Friday (today), the party chief stated, “Swati was moved to PIMS (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) early morning after suffering severe chest pains and breathing issues.”

    “While test results were awaited, Quetta police got him discharged and took him away endangering his life,” he further said.

    Terming the Quetta police act “a great crime”, Imran demanded the immediate release of his party’s senator.

    Meanwhile, PTI leader Asad Umar said Swati was “handed over” to Balochistan police and taken to Quetta without waiting for medical reports from the hospital or waiting for the high court’s decision. He further blamed the “imported government” for “flouting fundamental rights and refusing to follow due process of law.”

    According to media reports, the arrest has been made over different cases registered against the senator across Balochistan. It is pertinent to mention that several First Information Reports (FIRs) had been registered within 24 hours against PTI leader Swati for his controversial tweets at different police stations in Karachi, Quetta, Jacobabad Qambar, Lasbela, Larkana, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Kandhkot, and other cities.

    Earlier today, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved its verdict on a plea filed by Swati seeking details of the FIRs registered against him.

    The court, asking if the federal government has no administrative control, had reserved its verdict on the plea.

    A day earlier, Swati approached the Supreme Court (SC) to request the transfer of all cases registered against him in Sindh and Balochistan to Islamabad. The same day, an Islamabad court sent the senator on 14-day judicial remand.

    In a petition to the apex court, Swati has said that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested him in a false case, adding that multiple cases were registered against him in the country, and he faces a security threat when appearing in various courts.

    Last Sunday, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Swati — for the second time in less than two months — for speaking against the army.

  • ‘Gen (r) Bajwa asked us to support PTI during no-confidence motion’: Moonis Elahi

    ‘Gen (r) Bajwa asked us to support PTI during no-confidence motion’: Moonis Elahi

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi has revealed that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had advised his party to back Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) when the no-confidence motion was moved against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    Elahi further revealed that both PTI and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had made offers to PML-Q. However, Gen (retd) Bajwa asked them to support the Imran Khan-led party. “I had an inclination towards PTI, and everyone knows about it. So I discussed it with my father. And then my father said to side with [PTI]. If Bajwa was so bad, why did he ask us to side with PTI at such a crucial junction,” he asked during an interview with Meher Bokhari.

    Moonis then criticized the social media campaign against General Bajwa, stating that, “Certain elements are busy on social media bashing Bajwa sahib without any reason. This is the same Bajwa who changed the course of rivers for the PTI. Back then he [Bajwa] was right, but now he is not. I have a total disagreement with those who are now talking against him.”

    “When he was giving you all-out support, he was right,” the PML-Q leader said, wondering if Bajwa how had the retired military head now become a “traitor” to them.

    Moonis said that there was no doubt that the former COAS fully supported PTI, but when he withdrew his support, he had become a bad person. “This is a bad example and I have a disagreement with them on it. He [Bajwa] was never against the PTI.”

    “Had he [Bajwa] been against them [PTI] at that juncture, he just had to give a signal, and we would have been sitting with them [PDM],” Moonis said.

    The PML-Q leader said when the establishment says that they have nothing to do with politics, he believes that because they have not influenced the Punjab government.

  • Twitter approves of Abrar-ul-Haq’s new song for PTI

    Twitter approves of Abrar-ul-Haq’s new song for PTI

    Pakistani singer-turned-politician Abrar-ul-Haq has sung a song titled “Hai Haq Hamara Azaadi” for his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    The song was released by Haq’s YouTube channel on 26 November and has managed to get more than 70,000 views so far.

    The party chief Imran Khan also shared the song on his official Twitter account and said “it’s a great Tarana about Haqeeqi Azadi”.

    He further wrote that only truly free (Azad) nations “fulfill their immense human potential to rise and become Iqbal’s Shaheen.”

    After the release, Twitter couldn’t help but praise the song while some argued that “Kinnay Kinnay jaana PM day ghar would have been a banger”. Here is how people on Twitter are reacting :

    https://twitter.com/iKarachiwala/status/1598261695549345792?s=20&t=SDVwaOX3JCyDwTeIM40lXw
    https://twitter.com/FaryalG07152520/status/1598275141490073600?s=20&t=SDVwaOX3JCyDwTeIM40lXw
  • ‘Yeh bhi jhoot hai, yeh bhi dhokha hai’: Bilawal adamant that Khan will not resign from assemblies

    ‘Yeh bhi jhoot hai, yeh bhi dhokha hai’: Bilawal adamant that Khan will not resign from assemblies

    Foreign Minister (FM) and Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has predicted that the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, will not resign from assemblies despite his announcement to do so.

    Addressing a ceremony held to mark PPP’s 55th foundation day, Bilawal said “Yeh bhi jhoot hai, yeh bhi dhokha hai” (This is also a lie, a betrayal). He claimed that Khan is “lying” as he will not resign from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies.

    “Don’t you remember”, he asked the crowd, “that after PTI resigned from the National Assembly and the by-polls were set to take place, they moved the courts and pleaded that their resignations were just a political stunt”.

    During the address, he noted that the army stepped back from politics, “but now, they [puppet politicians] are worried that if the institution has become neutral, then what will become of their politics.”

    Bilawal told Khan that if he decides to resign from the assemblies, then the PPP and its “jiyalas” are ready to face his party.

    At the start of the address, Bilawal paid tributes to his mother, former PM Benazir Bhutto and his maternal grandfather, former PM Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

  • Khan congratulates COAS Gen Munir, CJCSC Gen Mirza on promotions

    Khan congratulates COAS Gen Munir, CJCSC Gen Mirza on promotions

    Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Wednesday congratulated the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chief of Army Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza on assuming charge of their office.

    Khan took to Twitter today, six days after the government announced appointments to congratulate the two military officials.

    “We hope the new military leadership will work to end the prevailing trust deficit that has built up in the last eight months, between the nation and the state. Strength of the state is derived from its people,” the former premier wrote.

    He also shared a quote of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah regarding the role and “duty” of armed forces.

    “Do not forget that the armed forces are the servants of the people and you do not make national policy; it is we, the civilians, who decide these issues and it is your duty to carry out these tasks with which you are entrusted,” the quote written in an image tweeted by Khan read.

    Khan congratulated both army generals one day after the change of command ceremony was held in Rawalpindi. On November 24, the Prime Minister selected both officers for the highest military posts, ending weeks of speculation and uncertainty.