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Tag: Imran Khan

  • Google, Facebook and Twitter threaten to shut services in Pakistan

    Google, Facebook and Twitter threaten to shut services in Pakistan

    When PTI’s government unveiled some of the world’s most sweeping censorship rules for the internet, global internet companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter threatened to shut services in the country, a step which would leave 70 million internet users in digital darkness, New York Times reported

    Through the Asia Internet Coalition, they wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, warning him that “the rules as currently written would make it extremely difficult for AIC Members to make their services available to Pakistani users and businesses.”

    READ MORE: Punjab govt’s first-ever digital payment method collects Rs1 billion

    This undemocratic policy of PTI’s government faced severe backlash from rights groups forcing the government to retreat. Pakistani officials, this week, pledged to review regulations by doing a broad-based consultation process with all relevant stakeholders of civil society and technology companies.

    Pakistan’s digital censorship law will give power to the government to take-down a wide range of content. These laws can be easily abused by the powerful if they consider any sort of content harmful, distasteful or simply a threat to their interests.

    The unified resistance by Facebook, Google, Twitter and other tech companies in Pakistan is highly unusual. Companies often protest these types of regulations, but to leave a country is very unusual. Google pulled its search engine out of China in 2010 rather than submit to government censorship of search results.

    READ MORE: OGRA to drastically cut down petrol prices

    Under the new regulations, formally known as the Citizen Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020, social media services must remove or block content within 24 hours of a request from a newly appointed officer, called the national coordinator.

    Companies must also prevent the live-streaming of any type of content the authorities say is objectionable.

    In addition, the companies must open permanent offices in Islamabad and set up servers to store data in the country. Violations of the law are subject to fines of more than $3 million, with the authorities even empowered to block services entirely.

    READ MORE: Christian youngster killed for ‘polluting’ tube-well water by bathing in it

    The new laws are a direct threat to the digital economic future for Pakistan. This will also decrease freedom of expression, increase censorship and diminish digital rights.

    What is interesting to note is that PM Khan rose to power in Pakistan in 2018 largely because of his party’s strong presence on social media. But now that he is in charge, and he is very intolerant towards online criticism.

    Pakistan’s powerful military is also averse to debates on social media platforms, especially on Twitter, which is used by critics to question human rights violations and Pak-military’s involvement in politics.

  • PTI’s Shahbaz Gill offered Rs. 50 lakhs to become Maryam Nawaz’s advisor?

    PTI’s Shahbaz Gill offered Rs. 50 lakhs to become Maryam Nawaz’s advisor?

    PTI’s Shahbaz Gill, who was the former advisor to CM Usman Buzdar, is no stranger to controversy. In a recent program on GEO News, analyst Hafeezullah Niazi has claimed that Gill told PM Khan that Niazi had approached him on PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz’s behalf, saying that she would offer 50 lakhs if Gill would become her advisor.

    Niazi denies knowing Shahbaz Gill, saying he had only bumped into him once at a restaurant, and since they had both seen each other on programs, they exchanged salaams.

    We have reached out to Gill for a comment but he has yet to respond to the allegations.

    In March 2019 Gill had said that Twitter had partially suspended his twitter account after Maryam Nawaz had complained about him to the social networking site. He said that because he was updating the country on Nawaz Sharif’s health, Maryam had filed a complaint.

  • Fawad Chaudhry explains why PM Imran didn’t attend Naeemul Haque’s janaza in Karachi

    Fawad Chaudhry explains why PM Imran didn’t attend Naeemul Haque’s janaza in Karachi

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Naeemul Haque passed away on Saturday, losing his long battle with cancer at the age of 70. The senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was admitted at a private hospital in the city where he breathed his last. Haque had been battling cancer for the last two years.

    Haque was laid to rest in Karachi’s Gizri Graveyard on Sunday. While a number of PTI members were present at the funeral, PM Imran’s absence caused uproar considering how close the two were and the fact that Haque was one of the founding members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).

    Following the criticism on social media, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry explained and clarified why PM Imran and other senior members of the party were missing.

    Earlier, Special Assistant to the PM for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had shared that a special prayer meet will be held for the deceased at the PM House in Islamabad.

    The funeral prayer, led by former senator Maulana Tanveerul Haq Thanvi, was held at Ayesha Masjid in DHA. Senior leaders of the PTI including Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, Asad Umar and many others attended the funeral prayer.

    Leaders associated with MQM-Pakistan, PPP, PML-N among other officials were also present at the last rituals.

    PM Khan had expressed his grief over the death of his friend on social media.

  • Rs10 billion subsidy approved to control inflating food prices

    Rs10 billion subsidy approved to control inflating food prices

    To counter the effects of inflating food prices, the federal cabinet on Tuesday approved a detailed package of Rs10 billion subsidies for Utility Stores, Dawn reported.

    According to reports, the government will open thousands of stores in Pakistan, moreover, consumer items at subsidised rates will be supplied to 50,000 tandoors and dhabas.

    To address the sugar crisis in Pakistan, the cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also decided to lift the ban on sugar import and regulatory duty on it. Also, the cabinet in its meeting decided to establish five “free zones” along the Pak-Afghan border, where Utility Store Cooperation will set up its stores to curb smuggling.

    RATES:

    Under Rs10bn subsidy, a 20 kg bag of wheat flour will be sold for Rs800, sugar will be priced at Rs70 per kg, ghee at Rs175, pulses at Rs15 and rice will be available at Rs20 per kg at Utility Stores.

    In the meeting, the cabinet agreed that rupee devaluation against the dollar and the increase in gas and electricity tariffs were some of the reasons for the increase in food items prices. Cabinet also agreed that there would be no further increase in gas and electricity rates.

    Advisor to PM on Information and Broadcast Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. addressing a press conference, said, “The government would provide Rs2bn monthly subsidy to the USC for wheat flour, rice, sugar, pulses and ghee. She said the basic objective to give Rs10 billion subsidy was to ensure a sufficient supply of food items through Utility Stores.

    The also meeting decided that the government would use Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation as a reservoir to store sufficient quantity of essential items so that in times of crisis these reserves could be utilised.

  • VIDEO: PM Imran enjoying basant in Lahore

    VIDEO: PM Imran enjoying basant in Lahore

    An old video of Prime Minister Imran Khan is doing the rounds on social media in which he is celebrating basant. The location is likely to be Yousaf Salauddin’s iconic haveli with Lahore’s famous Badshahi Masjid in the background.

    Watch video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeYK6SpFlyE&feature=youtu.be
  • ‘Salary not enough to pay for my expenses’ says PM Imran Khan

    ‘Salary not enough to pay for my expenses’ says PM Imran Khan

    Addressing the business community in Islamabad, Prime Minister Khan stated that the business community needs to pay taxes if the country is going to get out of the present economic crisis. He urged them to work with the government and help in collecting more taxes.

    He also said that people didn’t want to pay taxes because former rulers had looted the country and lost the trust of the people. “When leaders live lavishly on public expense, who will pay taxes?” he asked.

    Prime Minister House in Islamabad

    He said that he had slashed the expenses of the PM house by 40 percent and that he lived in his own home and paid his own expenses. “My salary is not enough to fulfil by own household expenses,” he said, adding that he did not start any business after becoming the Prime Minister and that the expenses of his foreign tours were 10 times less than previous rulers.

    PM Khan is leaving for Davos today where he will be speaking at the World Economic Forum.

  • PM Imran shares his thoughts on Megxit

    PM Imran shares his thoughts on Megxit

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was a close friend of Lady Diana and has strong ties with the United Kingdom, said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were young and had a right to live their life as they wished.

    In a wide-ranging interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), when the PM was asked about his thoughts on the matter [Megxit], he replied, “You know what, I have so many issues in Pakistan to deal with. It doesn’t seem to be a huge issue to me. I think, it’s their life. If that’s how they want to lead it, then why should people interfere?”

    When probed further and asked if he thought Diana would have understood their decision, PM Khan responded, “I guess so. Frankly, I haven’t really looked into it deeply. I think they are a young couple who want to lead their own life, so it’s up to them.”

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on January 8 had announced that they intend to divide their time between North America and the UK to carve out a “progressive new role” and step back from their senior positions.

    After much deliberation and reports of a royal tiff, the Queen gave the couple her blessings and allowed them to split their time between Canada and Britain during a “transition period” in which the family will figure out how to deal with their shock resignation from front-line royal duties.

    “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” the 93-year-old queen had said in a statement.

    Earlier, PM Imran’s former wife and mother of his two sons Jemima Goldsmith had also extended her support to Meghan and said that she understood “what it’s like to marry a national hero from another country and be attacked by the media for your ethnicity.”

    https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1217469320105791488?s=20
  • Video: PM Khan loses his way in Parliament

    Video: PM Khan loses his way in Parliament

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday lost his way in Parliament House.

    After attending a meeting of the PTI parliamentary committee, PM Khan started walking towards his chamber in the Assembly. PM Khan was so busy talking to Interior Minister Ijaz Shah that he suddenly found himself in unknown territory.

    He asked his security official where he was. “Where are you taking me?” asked a perplexed prime minister in a corridor. His security officer then told him that this secret passage will also take him to the Assembly Hall.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pobhe8BLIw

    Meanwhile, Pakistani Twitter did not leave a chance to troll the PM.

    Meanwhile, this is not the first time, PM Imran got lost in the National Assembly.

    Interestingly, PM Imran wasn’t the only one who lost his way in parliament yesterday. PML-N MNA Maiza Hameed went to the room where PTI parliamentary committee was being held instead of PML-N meeting.

    Twitter didn’t even spare Hameed.

  • Extension almost here for Gen Bajwa as PTI, PML-N, PPP join hands in NA

    Extension almost here for Gen Bajwa as PTI, PML-N, PPP join hands in NA

    In a first, both the government and major opposition parties on Tuesday joined hands to approve in the National Assembly all three bills formalising the tenure of the three services chiefs, including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    According to Geo News, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan made a rare appearance in the Lower House of the parliament as the assembly voted on three bills that will formalise the tenures of the army, navy and air force chiefs.

    Before the voting started, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak took the floor to request the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that it take back amendments it had suggested to the bills, saying he was making the request “keeping in mind the regional and national situation”.

    Naveed Qamar, who spoke on behalf of the PPP in response to Khattak’s request, said that the amendments had been suggested to improve the bills but, after being approached by a government delegation and consulting with the rest of the opposition, the party had decided to withdraw them.

    With voting commencing shortly after the dialogue, Speaker Asad Qaiser asked legislators to express their assent or dissent. The bills were voted on clause by clause.

    Some opposition lawmakers, including those from Jamaate Islami (JI), the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), walked out in protest over the bills. They had earlier announced they would not be supporting the bills on principle. All the major parties had, however, lent near unquestioning assent to the same.

    After voting on the bills concluded, the National Assembly session was adjourned till 4 pm on Wednesday.

    The bills will now be sent for approval to the Senate Standing Committee on Defence before they are voted on in the Senate, and become law once signed by the president.

  • Robbers who looted PM Imran’s nephew’s house arrested

    Robbers who looted PM Imran’s nephew’s house arrested

    Three men who robbed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew’s house have been arrested by the police.

    According to reports, the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) also recovered the looted valuables from their possession.

    PM Khan’s nephew’s Shershah Khan’s house was robbed in the early hours of Saturday.

    According to the FIR registered by Shershah, three unidentified persons entered his house around 4 am and stole a Rs3 million cheque, jewellery and an old pistol that belonged to his grandfather. The FIR added that the robbers forced Shershah’s wife to sign the cheque.

    Police had suspected the involvement of the gardener’s son and media reports had suggested that the robbers entered through a door that was accidentally left open.

    Shershah is the younger son of PM Khan’s sister Aleema Khan.

    Shershah Khan with PM Imran’s sons at a family wedding