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Tag: Prime Minister Imran Khan

  • Prime Minister Imran Khan breaks silence on Aurat March

    Days after it was held, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has broken silence on Aurat March 2020, saying that a “culture clash” was developing in the country due to different education systems and it was most visible in the mixed reactions drawn by women marching on International Women’s Day to demand basic rights.

    “We will, hopefully by next year, introduce a core syllabus for all schools that will be mandatory for students apart from the additional subjects each institution chooses to teach,” the premier said in a speech marking the groundbreaking ceremony of housing projects for low-income people.

    “This is how you create a nation. This is how you end rival cultures from developing,” he said. “The Aurat March that just happened… a different culture was visible in it… this is a cultural issue and this comes from the schooling system,” he added.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://twitter.com/mmnewsdottv/status/1237783284723179522

    PM Imran said that by adopting a uniform education system, Pakistan could bring an end to the societal divide that is perpetuated by different educational standards.

    In various cities across Pakistan, the Aurat March was held on Sunday to mark International Women’s Day. The marches were attended by women, children, men, transgender people and others.

    The first Aurat March was held in 2018 in Karachi. Last year, it was extended to more cities, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Larkana and Hyderabad. The Aurat March, as it has come to be known since its first iteration, was organised by Hum Aurtain — a feminist collective.

    It has a manifesto demanding basic rights for women in each field of life.

    Many people object to placards and demands of women marchers, saying that they are “un-Islamic” and “unconstitutional”.

  • ‘Cabinet entitles MPs to 25 business class air tickets,’ report claims

    ‘Cabinet entitles MPs to 25 business class air tickets,’ report claims

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has approved certain amendments to Section 10 of the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 1974, to ensure privileges for the members of parliament, including 25 business class air tickets for themselves and their families.

    According to reports, the federal cabinet during a meeting on February 25 approved the amendments to ensure perks to 446 lawmakers, which would cost taxpayers Rs300 million.

    The lawmakers will be able to avail 25 business class air tickets from the respective constituency to Islamabad or vouchers worth over Rs0.8m that could also be used by their family members for travel. These amendments would be presented in parliament for approval later on.

    They said that these amendments were proposed by the Parliamentary Affairs Division through a summary to the federal cabinet following the demands of some parliamentarians.

    The cabinet considered the summary titled ‘The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2020′ dated February 7, and approved the proposal given in the summary, the report said.

    Meanwhile, Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry has differed on the claims made by the media report.

  • From Daren Sammy to Dean Jones, here are all the PSL players who PM Imran Khan met

    With the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League officially underway in Pakistan, there is little Pakistanis can talk about except cricket.

    Former cricketer and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been hosting some players and his old adversaries in his office. From Daren Sammy to Dean Jones, here is everyone who met the prime minister:

    Vivian Richards said he was delighted to meet his friend again.

    Shane Watson referred to PM Khan as his “cricket hero.”

    Karachi Kings, Dean Jones said that it was great to catch up with Khan.

    Wasim Akram called Imran ‘My Skipper.’

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9R1JCwpGWV/

    Daren Sammy said it was honour meeting the great cricket legend.

    Meanwhile, PM Khan congratulated Sammy on receiving honourary Pakistani citizenship and praised him for playing his role in helping to revive international cricket in the country.

    In his meeting with Peshawar Zalmi, Khan remarked that he was happy that the whole Pakistan Super League (PSL) was being staged in Pakistan.

    “People are happy too,” PM Imran is reported to have said. “It is encouraging to see the stadiums filled with enthusiastic spectators. This will send a positive message from Pakistan to the world.”

  • SURVEY: Majority unhappy in PTI’s ‘Naya Pakistan’

    SURVEY: Majority unhappy in PTI’s ‘Naya Pakistan’

    At least 66 per cent Pakistanis have expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, revealed a Gallup survey on Sunday.

    According to the survey, 59 per cent believed that the ruling PTI’s performance was worse than that of the previous governments. Further, 62 per cent Pakistanis have opposed the policies of the current government whereas 35 per cent feel that the country is heading in the right direction.

    In the survey, it was said that those who felt the country wasn’t heading in the right direction were only 48 per cent in 2018 — a figure that significantly shot up since the PTI came to power.

    Regarding the perception of the federal government’s performance, only 1 in 3 Pakistanis is satisfied (very or somewhat). Only 32 per cent are satisfied with the performance of the PTI government.

    According to the breakdown, only 16 per cent from Sindh, 13 per cent from Balochistan, 34 per cent from Punjab and 64 per cent from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were satisfied with the ruling party’s performance.

  • Delhi riots: Imran warns of ‘strict action’ against harming Pakistani non-Muslims

    Delhi riots: Imran warns of ‘strict action’ against harming Pakistani non-Muslims

    As the situation in New Delhi continues to worsen with communal violence by extremist Hindu mobs making the Indian capital a living hell for the country’s minority Muslim community, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has warned far-right activists against any similar acts targetting the minority communities of Pakistan.

    Anti-Muslim riots over a controversial citizenship law have erupted in the Indian capital of New Delhi this week, leading to violence that has left 21 dead and hundreds injured as the police fail to control Hindu-supremacist mobs running rampage in Muslim areas.

    “I want to warn our people that anyone in Pakistan targetting our non-Muslim citizens or their places of worship will be dealt with strictly. Our minorities are equal citizens of this country,” the premier tweeted.

    In an earlier tweet, he said what was being seen in India was the “Nazi-inspired Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation — ideology taking over a nuclear-armed state of over a billion people”.

    He also once against urged the world community to act against the bloodshed in India before it was too late.

    “As I had predicted in my address to UNGA [United Nations General Assembly] last year, once the genie is out of the bottle the bloodshed will get worse. IoJK [Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir] was the beginning. Now 200 million Muslims in India are being targeted. The world community must act now,” he stated.

    Meanwhile, the premier’s warning against any acts of violence targeting Pakistani minority communities is receiving mixed reactions from Twitterati.

    What do you think of PM Imran’s statement? Let The Current know in the comments.

  • PTI govt moves FIA against Khalid Butt for mocking Imran Khan

    PTI govt moves FIA against Khalid Butt for mocking Imran Khan

    According to journalist Anas Mallick, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is moving FIA against Khalid Butt, Faysal Chaudary and Mustafa Chaudhry for their political satire mocking Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    Mallick claims that the PTI government is seeking to register an FIR against the satire team.

    Khalid Butt and his team host a satirical show on Neo News. In January, they poked fun at PM Khan’s statement that nurses at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, who looked after him after he fell from the stage back in 2013, looked like hoors (companions from paradise) following painkillers.

    PM Khan is not the only one Khalid Butt and his team have mocked. They made fun of Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif after the PML-N voted in favour of the extension of the army chief. Meray Paas Tum Ho fame Danish and his subsequent death in the finale was also recreated by them.

    After Anas Mallick’s tweet, Khalid Butt tweeted: ‘Bring it on’ while journalist Kamran Yousaf sarcastically said that yes Khalid Butt & co should “immediately be arrested” since they are responsible for all the problems and all the U-turns taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan. “They must be booked under Article 6.”

  • New top lawyer excuses himself from fighting Justice Faez Isa case for PTI govt

    New top lawyer excuses himself from fighting Justice Faez Isa case for PTI govt

    The newly-appointed attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) — chief law officer and legal advisor of the government –, Khalid Javed Khan, has recused himself from representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa case.

    Justice Faez Isa, a vocal critic of the establishment, has been facing a presidential reference accusing him of concealing his properties in the United Kingdom (UK), allegedly held in the name of his wife and children. He has submitted before the Supreme Court (SC) that these properties were bought and have always been held in plain sight in the personal names of his wife and children.

    “The government has recommended the name of Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman to represent it in the Supreme Court,” Khalid said Monday, adding that he could not represent the federation. “I have already stated my opinion regarding the Justice Isa reference,” he explained, while his predecessor, Anwar Mansoor Khan, who was representing the government in the case against the top court judge, withdrew his unwarranted statement and tendered unconditional apology.

    Anwar had stepped down from the post after lawyer bodies demanding his resignation for his “baseless” claims against certain judges of the SC. He was replaced by Khalid as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan appointed him last week.

    The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) had demanded Mansoor’s resignation over some comments he made regarding Supreme Court judges, for which he had been reprimanded by the court as well.

    During the hearing on Monday, the AGP told the court that AAG Aamir Rehman was ready for the case.

    Justice Ata Bandial, who is heading the 10-judge bench hearing the Justice Isa reference said the court would give the government additional time to prepare for the case.

    AAG Rehman had on Friday filed an application with the apex court, submitting that the hearing of the petition of Justice Isa as well as the identical petitions challenging the presidential reference fixed for February 24 may be adjourned for three weeks.

    As the hearing resumed on Monday, the AAG told the court that he would be out of the country till March 20 for some official work. On this, Justice Bandial said one of the judges on the bench would be away after March 20 and they would hear the case upon his return.

  • Malaysian PM resigns from office

    Malaysian PM resigns from office

    Malaysian Prime Minister (PM) Mahathir Mohamad, who had recently made headlines for his visit to Pakistan and for hosting his Pakistani counterpart, Imran Khan, in Malaysia, has announced his resignation, paving the way for a possible formation of a new government.

    Mahathir said in a two-line statement that he had informed the country’s king of his resignation at 1 pm Kuala Lumpur time (05:00 GMT) on Monday.

    Mahathir’s party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, has also quit the ruling government coalition, Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), according to the party president, Muhyiddin Yassin, casting doubt on the future of the partnership.

    According to AlJazeera, Mahathir’s decision follows a weekend of political wrangling, after it was reported on Sunday night that his party was planning to form a new government that would exclude his anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.

    On Sunday night, allies of Mahathir, some renegade members of Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR), and a slew of other parliament members, including those from the opposition, held talks in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

    The meeting fueled speculation of an impending collapse of the coalition government, and a political realignment with Mahathir remaining on top, with new coalition partners and Anwar’s PKR out of the alliance. 

    The tussle between old rivals Mahathir, 94, and Anwar, 72, is the latest chapter in a long-running political saga between two of the country’s most prominent political figures.

    Anwar and Mahathir united ahead of the 2018 election to drive out the UMNO-dominated Barisan Nasional coalition that had ruled the Southeast Asian country for six decades in a surprise victory that led to the removal of then-PM Najib Razak.

    Mahathir has also repeatedly promised to hand over power to his former foe.

    But tensions between the two in their Pakatan Harapan alliance had been growing, as Mahathir resisted setting a specific timetable for keeping his promise to hand power to Anwar.

    The coalition’s political fortunes have been waning with defeat in five recent by-elections.

    Anwar also had a split with party mate, Mohamed Azmin Ali, the econonic affairs minister, who was among those who joined the meeting on Sunday night. On Monday, Anwar’s PKR announced the expulsion of Azmin as a member.

    For his part, Azmin announced that he had quit Anwar’s party, taking with him 10 renegade members of PKR, which until Monday was the dominant partner of the ruling coaltion.

    At least 112 votes from members of the 222-seat parliament are necessary to form a new government. 

    Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy when the latter was prime minister during his first stint from 1981 to 2003. But Mahathir sacked him in 1998 after they disagreed on how to handle the country’s financial crisis.

  • Indefinite leave for FBR chief Shabbar Zaidi

    Indefinite leave for FBR chief Shabbar Zaidi

    Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi is on indefinite leave and has not joined the office, sending an application in this regard to Advisor on Finance to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, The Express Tribune reported.

    Read more: Imran’s ‘blue-eyed’ Shabbar Zaidi resigns as FBR chairman?

    The FBR chief is sick since January 9, has excused himself from working, and also informed the PM in this regard, reports said.

    Zaidi’s leave had expired on February 14, and he was supposed to join office on Feb 17, but did not. In his absence, FBR Acting Chairman Nausheen Javed Amjad has been handling the affairs of the bureau. 

    Read more: Pakistan has a cure for coronavirus and Chinese can’t stop thanking for it

    According to the report, Zaidi said that his health was not good and he would follow his doctors’ advice.

    On the other hand, the PM’s aide on finance said that if Zaidi could not continue with his work as the FBR chairman owing to ill-health, a new chairman would be appointed after consultations.

  • PM announces buffaloes, cows and goats for women

    PM announces buffaloes, cows and goats for women

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has announced to empower women through the allocation of domestic animals to them, so that they can support their families and earn a livelihood, The News reported.

    Addressing the Ehsaas Amdan (income) programme launching ceremony in Layyah on Friday, the premier said the government had decided that women will be given one cow, one buffalo and three goats, so that they could run their households.

    Addressing the gathering, he said the government had launched the programme — which he described as “the first of its kind” in Pakistan — to alleviate the sufferings of the poorest members of society. Soon people will get more good news about their wellbeing and country’s prosperity, PM Imran added.

    The premier assured the nation that Pakistan’s difficult time was over now, and the country had been put on the right track. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was making efforts for its vision of formation of an Islamic welfare state on the patron of the state of Medina.

    The PM said the government was working on different projects to establish an Islamic welfare state. He said neither he was afraid of death nor defeat, and believed in making his best efforts to leave the matter to Allah, whose all decisions would be acceptable to him.