Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat has taken a u-turn and told the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, didn’t plan his assassination. The News reported on Tuesday.
The PTI leader was summoned by the agency for questioning about a tweet on X, in which Marwat accused Maryam Nawaz of plotting his assassination.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Barrister Aqeel Malik had filed a complaint against Marwat.
Marwat told the FIA: “I didn’t name Maryam Nawaz as mastermind of the assassination plot but MNA Naseem Ali, who has concrete evidences about the plot, informed me.”
He also asked the FIA to summon MNA Naseem Ali for further investigation.
On March 9, Marwat on X wrote: “It is imperative to publicly acknowledge that ‘Maryam Nawaz Sharif’ poses a threat to my life, as she has orchestrated an ‘assassination attempt against me,’ which can take place at any time.”
He added: “An amount of $100,000 has been allocated by Maryam Nawaz Sharif to these assassins for the “execution of my murder.”
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif criticised the increase in rates of electricity and gas prices after directives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to do so.
The former prime minister raised concerns regarding the increase in rates of gas and power during a meeting with the Punjab government. The Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, was also present in the meeting.
The leader of the PML-N commented on high inflation, questioning how much more the nation could endure. He urged authorities to solve the issue of costly electricity for small farmers by giving them solar panels.
Senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Transport Minister Bilal Akbar, MPA Sania Ashiq, provincial chief secretary, Planning and Development Board chairman, Transport secretary, and other officials concerned were also present at the meeting.
The PML-N supremo also said that small farmers should be rewarded for their hard work and should be saved from the exploitation of big farmers.
The newly-elected Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, broke her fast on Sunday with prisoners of the central jail in Lahore in Kot Lakhpath. She visited the prisoners in jail, after having been imprisoned there herself in the past.
Videos released by her party showed her taking iftar with prisoners, giving them gifts and clothes, and providing Rs 15,000 in monetary assistance.
People on X (previously Twitter) appreciated that Maryam Nawaz extended her support to prisoners in jail. However, some people are also criticising the iftar as a publicity venture, stating that putting up banners of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in jail is wrong.
A video shared by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb showed the CM Maryam visiting different sections of the jail and planting a tree in the garden on the occasion. Besides meeting the prison officials, Maryam also spoke to the prisoners and asked about their issues and problems.
Biryani, samosas, pakoras, fruits, and other savoury items were included in Iftar’s menu.
Earlier, Maryam Nawaz inaugurated a 20-bed hospital for drug addicts inside the prison.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz on Sunday visited Central Jail Lahore in Kot Lakhpat and broke her fast with women prisoners.
Instead of mixing up with the guests, the Punjab chief minister extended her support to the prisoners by eating with them at Iftar and presenting… pic.twitter.com/JvYZZ4siCs
Newly-elected President Asif Ali Zardari has said on Thursday that the meeting between the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, is a “good beginning.”
Shehbaz Sharif’s government came into power this month after making an alliance with multiple parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is in power in KP, and it also allegedly accused PML-N of stealing PTI’s mandate in general elections.
President Zardari has welcomed the interaction between the prime minister and the chief minister.
“It is high time we start thinking of working towards healing the divisions Pakistan has been going through,” he added.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and newly-elected MNA Sher Afzal Marwat has been summoned by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing on Friday.
The agency summoned the politician on March 18 for questioning on a tweet he posted on March 9. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Barrister Aqeel Malik filed a complaint against Marwat in FIA.
The prominent lawyer has made several posts on X (previously Twitter), but it’s not clear on which specific tweet he has been summoned.
One of his tweets was about claims of being assassinated by paid assassins at Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s behest.
“It is imperative to publicly acknowledge that ‘Maryam Nawaz Sharif’ poses a threat to my life, as she has orchestrated an ‘assassination attempt against me,’ which can take place at any time,” Marwat wrote in his post on the aforementioned date.
He added: “An amount of $100,000 has been allocated by Maryam Nawaz Sharif to these assassins for the “execution of my murder.”
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to field senior leader Dr Yasmin Rashid for Senate seat in Punjab for the upcoming polls set to take place on April 2, The News reported on Thursday.
PTI’s senior leader Mian Aslam Iqbal disclosed on his X (previously Twitter) account that Yasmin Rashid will be the party’s candidate for the senate seat in Punjab.
Mian Aslam Iqbal also said that Zulfi Bukhari and Hamid Khan are the party’s candidates for general seats. However, Brigadier (retd) Musadiq will be the PTI’s candidate for the technocrat seat.
The development comes as the senior politician’s earlier bid to secure a place in the National Assembly failed after she lost to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Lahore’s NA-130 seat in the February 8 polls.
Dr Yasmin Rashid is currently in Adiala jail in cases pertaining to the violent incidents of the May 9 riots last year.
52 seats are vacant in the Senate after the expiration of the six-year term of senators. However, senate election will be held on 48 seats, as the four reserved seats for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional Amendment.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, indicating a possible melting of ice between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Addressing a press conference with Ahsan Iqbal, Gandapur said that the meeting was positive. “I have asked the prime minister to politically engage with Imran Khan. Political engagement will lead to a political solution,” he told the members of the press.
Gandapur also said Shehbaz confirmed that Gandapur would be allowed to meet Khan in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail where authorities have increased security and barred ex-PM Khan from holding meetings owing to “threat alert”.
As Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz launched Saaf Suthra Punjab Campaign in Lahore, netizens all over the internet have started posting photos and information about the overflowing drains, sewage spillage, huge piles of garbage, and poor hygiene conditions in their cities.
Newly elected Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is on a mission to transform Punjab. The latest in the series is the ‘Saaf Suthra Punjab drive’. Netizens are quick to remind her of the poor condition of drains and garbage in Lahore and other cities of Punjab.
In Lahore, citizens are struggling with the issues of overflowing drains, sewage water, and the stink emitting from them.
Blogger and activist Riaz Ali Turi posted about the uncovered drains in Lahore causing health risks and nauseating smells in NA-127 of Lahore which include the prominent areas of the city like Township and Green Town.
Urgent call to action: Uncovered drains in Lahore, particularly in NA-127, are posing serious health risks, with nauseating smells affecting residents, especially children. The situation on the ground was dire, as we witnessed. @MaryamNSharifhttps://t.co/uppeHGCyFVpic.twitter.com/II5KjUPwje
Another user with a pseudo name of I M Imran Khan shared the pictures of Shadman area in Lahore where overflowing drains are disturbing life. Adil posted about how the area around Urdu Bazaar is facing sewage issues to which Maryam Nawaz assured him of holistic action. Noman Waseem tagged CM Maryam that even though the initiative is great, nothing has been done in his city of Multan.
The whole shadman area in Lahore is worst than this, with a big sewage/ dirty drain in Shadman, jail rd, n chungi, which have become hallmarks of Lahore city. The moment u enter in Shadman, the unbearable sewer gas smell welcomes u. pic.twitter.com/LQvrbacUbM
In response to Zeeshan Malik’s tweet about the Punjab government’s work in Bahawalpur, a netizen commented that Pindi needs the same attention, and, not just on the roads but in the walled city as well.
Pindi mai kb ho ga zeeshan.just main roads per kaam na ho.asal maza tub hai androon yay saaf sutra punjab hona chew
A resident of Sheikhupura posted a series of littered streets that are disturbing the lives of citizens yet the commissioner was claiming to have started the project.
Dawn’s Khalid Hasnain interviewed a resident of a locality of Pine Avenue near Valencia Town named Aziz who complained, “You see the Sattukatla drain full of waste, which is choking its sewage flow. The water level in the drain is also rising due to the choking caused by the waste piling in it.”
“It is also surprising that though the WASA’s machine meant for desilting or cleaning the drain is parked here but no one has visited the site since long to operate it,” Aziz adds the Sattukatla drain overflows in the monsoon or the unexpected heavy rain while its choking is also spreading a very foul and unbearable smell everywhere.
The Current went to ask the residents near drains at Upper Mall which are especially disturbed by the foul smell which gets unbearable during rains.
Around Walton drains, a resident named Zahid Abbas complained that occasional breaking of the walls of the drain and overflowing of its contents causes many hindrances on daily basis. “When there is rain we become restricted to our homes and transportation via cars become increasingly difficult especially crossing the road,” says Zahid.
Traditionally, the epicentre of PML-N’s politics, Lahore has always been flaunted as the most developed part of the province the drains and heaps of garbage are depicting an opposite story. The situation is no better in other cities where grave problems require immediate action across the Punjab.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called newly-elected president Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday to congratulate him on becoming the head of state.
The President’s Secretariat said in a statement that both leaders talked about important issues and agreed to work together for the betterment of the countries.
President Zardari also thanked Erdogan for his phone call and best wishes.
“President Asif Ali Zardari wished a happy Ramadan to the Turkish nation and desired to see the role of Turkish women in the Islamic world,” read the statement.
He also expressed a desire to invite the Turkish President to Pakistan for a visit soon.
Asif Zardari became president for the second time with a big majority on Saturday. He got 411 votes from parliament and the four assemblies.
Besides the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the newly elected president had the backing of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-Pakistan), and other smaller parties.
