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Tag: Imran Khan

  • Saudi Arabia rolls out the ‘Lavender carpet’ for PM Khan

    Saudi Arabia rolls out the ‘Lavender carpet’ for PM Khan

    Saudi Arabia has announced that it is renouncing red for its dignitary visits – and opting for purple carpets instead. The decision was announced by the Ministry of Culture, which connected the change in ceremonial procedure to the violet-coloured plants currently in bloom across the Asir region in Saudi Arabia.

    The Kingdom said the decision to choose lavender as the new colour for ceremonial carpets better reflects Saudi national identity and the hospitality of the kingdom. The Kingdom further said that lavender is associated with Saudi generosity and hospitality. The pleasant change for ceremonial welcome is one of the many initiatives announced as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

    Lavender covers large areas of the country’s desert landscape in spring and the purple hue of the flower has been associated with royalty.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan walked the lavender carpet when he arrived in Saudi Arabia and was received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

    At the Oscars this year, the Academy too, rolled out a pink carpet instead of red for its guests. It’s a shade that is said to flatter the A-listers. A secret colour, one whose precise specifications the show’s organisers won’t reveal for fear of copycats.

  • PM chastises envoys for indifferent attitude towards expats

    PM chastises envoys for indifferent attitude towards expats

    Prime Minister Imran Khan virtually addressed Pakistani ambassadors and high commissioners from across the globe on Wednesday.

    PM tweeted that he told all Pakistani missions abroad that their priority “must be the welfare and well-being of our greatest asset, overseas Pakistanis”.

    “Overseas Pakistanis are precious assets of the country,” the premier said, adding that it is unfortunate that Pakistani ambassadors do not treat them well.

     He read out complaints received on Citizens Portal and condemned the “callousness and insensitivity” displayed by embassy workers.

    “Expats face unnecessary delays and complications in availing routine services,” PM Imran said. He further added that complain resolution of the embassy is mostly firefighting and lacks a passion to solve these issues. “The job of embassies is to serve their citizens.”

    PM had recently recalled Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz and six staff members after reports of their alleged mistreatment of the Pakistani expat community surfaced. The Foreign Office said there is zero tolerance for any lapse in public service delivery. “The feedback provided by Pakistani expats living in Saudi Arabia was shocking,” said PM. He added that an indifferent attitude towards the expat community is “unforgivable”.

    PM Imran in particular acknowledged the services of labour working abroad in tough conditions . “These workers deserve our utmost respect and the government will not spare anyone misbehaving with them.”

    Former diplomats react to PM’s comments

    Former Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua tweeted she was deeply dismayed at the unwarranted criticism of the foreign ministry.

    Former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador of Pakistan to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani does not completely agree with PM Imran. In a tweet, the former diplomat said that he wished the PM was properly briefed about working of Missions. “Services like attestation of degrees, marriage certificates, licenses etc are referred to HEC, Interior or Provincial govts for verification. You don’t get timely response. Hence delays. Blaming envoys unfair.”

    Jilani also said that the foreign service of Pakistan suffers from “decades of neglect, political paralysis and resource constraints”.

    Jilani and Janjua were not the only former diplomats to be irked by PM’s comments. Former Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir also tweeted that PM’s ire and critique of the foreign ministry and envoys is misplaced.

  • PM likely to take your phone calls again on May 11

    Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to restart his initiative of taking phone calls from the masses and giving them his response from May 11. The initiative is expected to restart when he returns from Saudi Arabia.

    Khan is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia from May 7 to May 9. The issue of the release of Pakistani prisoners who are suffering in Saudi Arabia’s jails is likely to be highlighted by the PM.

    This is the third telethon series to be done by PM Khan. He launched the event on March 28, which was a telethon for the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme and also took calls from the general public on April 4th.

    “It is the practical implementation of the promise made by the prime minister to the masses in his victory speech that he would be answerable before the people,” a PTI leader said.

  • PM Khan urges OIC to oppose Islamophobia at all forums

    PM Khan urges OIC to oppose Islamophobia at all forums

    Prime Minister Imran Khan met the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday, briefing them on Pakistan’s efforts at the international level to create awareness about Islamophobia. He also stressed the need to collectively address the occurrences which surface due to it.

    PM Khan stressed that Pakistan’s efforts were always aimed at building a mutual consensus and promoting inter-faith harmony. He noted that Islamophobic acts fan inter-religious hatred and disharmony. “Falsely equating Islam with radicalism and terrorism was leading to the marginalisation and stigmatisation of Muslims,” he added.

    PM emphasised that the vilification of Islamic principles and religious personalities, wrongly justified under the garb of the right to freedom of expression or opinion, hurts the sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. He also underlined the need to establish legal safeguards aimed at protecting the sensitivities of all religious groups and said that the OIC has to make a collective effort to project the true image of Islam, and its message of peace and tolerance.

    This comes after TLP’s demand to expel the French Ambassador, resulting in a security situation in the country.

    Video:

  • Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt

    Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, in a press conference, shared details of the government’s plans for electoral reforms for free and transparent elections within the country.

    Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has proposed 49 amendments to the Election Amendment Bill 2020. Awan said that the reforms shall be put forth before all stakeholders, including civil society, media and Bar councils.

    Fawad Chaudhry stressed that the government wants to get the reforms passed from parliament through consensus. Chaudhry said that if the opposition parties are not ready to support the proposal for the electoral reforms, it will delay both political and democratic development within the country.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1389146375192039426

    Yesterday, Shehbaz Sharif had spurned down the proposal of using an electronic voting system (EVS). He was responding to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweets on electoral reforms.

    PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif rejected PM’s proposal to use electronic voting machine. In a statement posted on Twitter, Shehbaz said, “Electronic voting system is rejected by the whole world. Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) has declared it unworkable. Such important national tasks cannot be performed at the request or order of an individual.”

    He further added that electoral reforms are a rather sensitive issue. “Electoral reforms can only take place after consultation of all parties, in the light of public opinion and through consensus.”

    “Instead of electronic voting, the government should worry about a ruined economy, skyrocketing inflation, unemployment and the ever increasing mortality rates,” Shehbaz Sharif added.

  • ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

    ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

     Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen on Monday said that lawmakers of the ‘Tareen group’ had a fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tareen said his group expressed their concerns and were assured of justice. He said that PM has assured them that he would himself look into the case and justice will be done. Pro-Tareen lawmakers met PM Imran last week.

    Tareen also denied being in touch with either the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    The Tareen group will decide on what course of action to take after Eid. Senator Ali Zafar was tasked by the PM to ensure that a fair inquiry is being conducted in Tareen’s case and there is no discrimination. Sources say that Senator Ali Zafar has met FIA and the investigating team as well as Tareen’s lawyers and accountants to hear their side of the story. After Eid, once Zafar completes his inquiry, the JKT group will decide how to move forward.

    The PTI leader and his son Ali Tareen were granted an extension in bail from a Lahore banking court in the sugar scandal case. The court ordered the FIA to complete its investigation as soon as possible and submit an inquiry report. Tareen said that the probe against him had been going on for a year and he has provided hundreds of thousands of documents to the court. He said he has never run away from investigation but believes that there is no truth to this case.

  • VIDEO: PM Imran drives in without protocol, interacts with street vendors in Islamabad

    VIDEO: PM Imran drives in without protocol, interacts with street vendors in Islamabad

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan paid a surprise visit to different areas of Islamabad and interacted with the general public, specifically with small vendors on the streets.

    https://youtu.be/qYAt03AbuJc

    According to the statement issued by the PM Office, “PM Imran Khan drove to public places in Islamabad without any security and protocol. The PM visited G-11 Markaz and talked to vendors.”

    On his visit, he asked about the condition of business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He instructed them (vendors) to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan at street vendor stall

    In addition, PM drove the car in the capital because he also wanted to see the arrangements done by the local administration for Ramzan.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan driving around in ICT to check arrangements done by local administration

    People expressed happiness on seeing the premiere among them without any protocol. Besides, PM visited the Sewerage Plant I-9 and Korang Cricket Ground in the federal capital.

    PM visited the Sewerage Plant I-9 and Korang Cricket Ground in the federal capital.

    Amid the pandemic, business activities and routine life is disrupted. The government of Punjab has also imposed a smart lockdown in all major cities of Punjab.

    Pakistan reported 4,414 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s Covid-19 tally to 8,29,933.

    The country’s death toll climbed to 18,070 after 113 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

  • Modi Administration exposed – India’s COVID crisis

    Modi Administration exposed – India’s COVID crisis

    The visuals from our next-door neighbour, India, are just horrendous. The record-breaking surge in coronavirus cases and the reports from India have left the entire world in shock. According to the Indian health ministry, 3,689 people have died within the past 24 hours. Last month, India became the first country in the world to register over 400,000 coronavirus infections in a single day. The situation in India continues to get worse. The second wave of coronavirus has exposed the Modi administration.

    The Modi administration gravely mishandled the COVID-19 crisis in India. From declaring a premature victory after the first wave, the Modi government is now downplaying the crisis. According to a report published in the New York Times, “Interviews from cremation grounds across the country, where the fires never stop, portray an extensive pattern of deaths far exceeding the official figures. Nervous politicians and hospital administrators may be undercounting or overlooking large numbers of dead, analysts say. And grieving families may be hiding Covid connections as well, out of shame, adding to the confusion in this enormous nation of 1.4 billion.”

    We have seen how journalists in India are being attacked online for telling the truth. The Modi government, it seems, is more worried about its international image than handling the crisis. From pro-Modi actors like Kangana Ranaut to media channels like Times Now to websites acting like the government’s mouthpieces, we have seen journalists Rana Ayyub and Barkha Dutt being attacked for their journalism. What is worse is how Indian government is also directly involved in intimidating those critising it. The police in Uttar Pradesh (UP) – a state run by BJP’s Yogi Adityanath – filed a criminal case against a man who used Twitter to appeal for an oxygen cylinder for his grandfather. CM Adityanath also asked the UP administration to “crack down” on hospitals that discharge patients due to shortage of oxygen or “complain” about it to the media. Just a week ago, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said it had asked Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to remove some posts “in view of the misuse of social media platforms by certain users to spread fake or misleading information”. Such sort of censorship and intimidation just points to one thing: the Modi government is more interested in its image-building than addressing the disastrous COVID-19 crisis. Hospitals across India have run out of beds, oxygen supply is dwindling, the vaccination rollout programme is slow. All of this combined with election rallies and large gatherings that were allowed by the government in recent months led to catastrophic results.

    Pakistan government has offered relief and support to India. Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as others expressed their solidarity with India in this difficult time. We hope and pray that the situation changes for the better in India. 

  • Imran Khan named ‘Personality of the Week’ for ‘efforts against Islamophobia’

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has been voted the ‘Personality of the Week’ by Al-Jazeera’s weekly program Sibaq-ul-Akhbar (News Competition), Radio Pakistan has reported. The primer was selected for his views and efforts to address the issue of Islamophobia.

    PM Imran Khan had recently shared his views on Islamophobia in a series of tweets in which he sent out a message to “extremists abroad” who indulge in Islamophobia, and racist slurs to hurt and cause pain to the Muslims across the globe.

    “We Muslims have the greatest love and respect for our Prophet PBUH who lives in our hearts. We cannot tolerate any such disrespect and abuse,” the permier had said.

    Read more – ‘TLP’s way is not the answer’: PM Khan addresses the nation

    Sibaq-ul-Akhbar is an interactive and live one hour weekly program in Arabic on Al Jazeera TV. It is very popular in Arab countries. During the show, the channel selects three to four top news of the week and subsequently viewers are asked to vote which is the top news story and personality associated with the story. Imran Khan secured 56 percent votes from the viewers.

    Al-Jazeera’s viewers on the Sibaq-ul-Akhbar program held on April 24 voted for PM Khan as Personality of the Week for his candid views on the issue of Islamophobia.  

  • NA-249 by-election: Imran Khan, his PTI most popular, suggest surveys amid polling

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are the most popular in embattled NA-249 constituency of Karachi where a by-poll is currently being held.

    According to surveys by Ipsos, Pulse Consultant and Gallup Pakistan, PTI is likely to retain the seat that had fallen vacant after its Faisal Vawda stepped down; however, rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) could give it a tough time.

    The Karachi West-II seat of the National Assembly lies in Baldia Town neighbourhood of the metropolis.

    It was won by PTI’s Vawda in the 2018 general election after beating PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif.

    As many as 276 polling stations comprising 796 polling booths have been established in the constituency. The voting process on Thursday began at 8 am and will continue till 5 pm without any pause.

    The constituency, with 339,591 registered voters, has emerged to be a highly contested seat with candidates belonging to almost every major political party fighting for it.

    Prominent candidates in the run are Miftah Ismail of PML-N, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Syed Mustafa Kamal, Amjad Afridi of PTI, Qadir Khan Mandokhail of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Mohammad Mursaleen of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Mufti Nazeer Ahmed Kamalvi of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

    TLP which was banned earlier this month over violent nationwide protests is contesting the seat after the Ministry of Interior said it could contest elections until such time that it stood dissolved as a political party registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    Candidates and their supporters have acknowledged a lacklustre ambience reflecting a certain sense of detachment among the voters belonging to the constituency, however, expressed hope that they would come out of their homes by noon.