Current Final

Tag: Prime Minister Imran Khan

  • ‘#ShameOnUsmanDar’ trends after PM’s aide makes fun of Pashtuns

    ‘#ShameOnUsmanDar’ trends after PM’s aide makes fun of Pashtuns

    Hashtag “#ShameOnUsmanDar” on Wednesday started trending on Twitter after Special Adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Youth Affairs, Usman Dar, made fun of Pashtun workers.

    “In the end, they [the Azadi marchers] will get the same [returns] as those Pathan [vendors] who roam in streets and sell a blanket worth Rs500 for Rs50,” the PTI leader had said while appearing on Express News’ programme To the Point earlier this week.

    He was immediately called out by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Hina Pervaiz Butt, who was also a guest on the show. “I want to condemn [the usage] of the word Pathan [randomly] like this. We are all Pakistanis,” she said.

    Dar, however, continued to use the rhetoric until the show’s host, Mansoor Ali Khan, asked him to take his words back.

    “Alright, I will take [my words] back,” the PTI leader later conceded.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The remarks invited a backlash on Twitter, where “Shame on Usman Dar” became a top trend as users condemned the PTI leader’s choice of words.

    MNA Mohsin Dawar also reacted to Dar’s statement, saying, “Pashtun displacement into Punjab is a cost of Pakistan’s strategic depth policy.”

    “These Pashtuns won’t have left their homeland, if it wasn’t used for strategic games and was allowed to grow to full potential. #ShameOnUsmanDar for making fun of those who are just making an honest living,” he added.

  • Winter rain: PM orders CDA chief to visit Azadi March site, provide relief to protesters

    Winter rain: PM orders CDA chief to visit Azadi March site, provide relief to protesters

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman to visit the Azadi March sit-in site and determine what relief could be provided to the protesters.

    “I have directed the CDA chairman to immediately visit the dharna site to assess what relief and assistance can be provided to the dharna participants,” he tweeted.

    PM Imran also said that the relief would be provided in view of the onset of rain and changing weather conditions.

    On Tuesday, protesters had refused to let rain or the biting cold dampen their resolve as the anti-government sit-in continues and they demand the PM’s resignation.

    Earlier, a picture of a few Azadi marchers preparing to go to sleep in the biting cold and rain under a plastic sheet had gone viral on social media.

  • Billboards with images of PM Khan in Amritsar taken down after criticism

    Billboards with images of PM Khan in Amritsar taken down after criticism

    Ahead of the historic Kartarpur opening, scheduled to be held on November 9, billboards featuring images of Prime Minister Imran Khan have popped up in Amritsar, India.

    The posters which featured images of PM Khan and former Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu read, “Navjot Singh Sidhu and Imran Khan are the real heroes, for opening Kartarpur Corridor.”

    However, the hoardings were taken down within hours of being put up as they irked the Indians who widely criticised them.

    According to India Today, supporters of Sidhu put up hoardings calling him and PM Imran the real heroes of Kartarpur. The report further added that the hoardings were put up by Amritsar Municipal Councillor Harpal Singh Verka who is known to be close to Sidhu.

    Speaking to India Today, Verka said, “Imran Khan had asked his friend Navjot Singh Sidhu what he can do for him as he visited his swearing-in ceremony in Pakistan. Sidhu put forth a demand before Imran Khan that the Kartarpur corridor be opened for Sikh devotees. I put up hoardings of my own as I wanted to send out the message to the people about Sidhu’s role in getting the corridor opened.”

    See pictures: Kartarpur Corridor ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims

    As per reports, Sidhu was the first Indian politician who received the first invitation card to the opening ceremony bearing number 001 from Imran Khan three days ago.

    Sidhu has reportedly been given permission to visit Pakistan on November 9 when the Kartarpur corridor will be formally inaugurated.

  • PM’s aide wants ‘corrupt politicians & officials’ to be locked at Lahore Safari Zoo

    PM’s aide wants ‘corrupt politicians & officials’ to be locked at Lahore Safari Zoo

    Sahibzada Jahangir, Prime Minister’s Spokesperson on Trade and Investment in UK & Europe, came under fire yesterday for his tweet in which he called for all “corrupt politicians and officials” to be locked at the Lahore Safari Zoo in Raiwind.

    In a now-deleted tweet, Jahangir had said: “Visited Lahore Safari Zoo. Beautiful park and with great tourist potential. I urge Imran Khan PM to lock all corrupt politicians and officials here for weekend camping & let their fade [fate] be decided by Allah.”

    He later deleted his tweet when Twitterati gave him a piece of their mind.

    Sahibzada Jahangir, also known as ‘Chico Jahangir’, is the elder brother of Fauzia Kasuri. Ms. Kasuri parted ways with PTI after almost 17 years.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has known Mr. Jahangir for more than three decades. Khan’s walima with Jemima Goldsmith was held at Jahangir’s residence in London.

  • Sarfaraz sacked on PM Imran’s order: report

    Sarfaraz sacked on PM Imran’s order: report

    Pakistan cricket team’s wicket-keeper batsman and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was removed from his position on direct orders from Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Cricket Pakistan reported.

    According to the details, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wanted to retain Sarfaraz Ahmed in the same role till the T20 World Cup next year, however, Imran Khan was unhappy with him and forced the decision of his eventual removal.

    Not only this but PCB had earlier also blamed PM Imran for nullifying the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) granted to its players to feature in the upcoming T10 League.

    When players protested against the decision, they were told that the instruction had come from the PM’s office.

    Moreover, according to website ESPNcricinfo, PM Imran had instructed PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani to avoid the T10 League due to the involvement of Indian owners and financial benefactors. The same report cited a probable mutiny by the players in this regard as well.

    Reports further reveal that a PCB official leaked the news to media personnel so that the government could be blamed for the decision. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is also unhappy with the attitude of the PCB on this matter.

    In this regard, the International Cricket Council (ICC) might also begin investigations to find out if the government is influencing PCB’s decisions.

  • VIDEO: ‘Gen Bajwa gifted Fazl a perfume after heated argument,’ Klasra claims

    VIDEO: ‘Gen Bajwa gifted Fazl a perfume after heated argument,’ Klasra claims

    Saying that a meeting did take place between Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, senior journalist and analyst Rauf Klasra has revealed further details of the encounter that some say “never took place”.

    A journalist affiliated with a private media outlet had last month quoted the army chief as telling Fazl that “there was no possibility of a minus-Imran Khan concept”.

    In the “important” meeting held ahead of JUI-F’s Azadi March, the journalist had claimed that Gen Bajwa “made it clear to Fazl that they wouldn’t permit destabilisation at a time when the regional situation was critical”.

    While some, including an ex-army official, had denied the claims regarding any meeting between the two, no official statements were made as the journalist claimed it was “common knowledge”.

    With Fazl going ahead with his anti-government protest, staging a sit-in in the federal capital and demanding Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s resignation, Rauf Klasra has two weeks later claimed that not only did the meeting take place, but it also saw a “heated exchange of words” between the COAS and the religio-political party chief.

    “Even though both sides state otherwise, it has been confirmed that the meeting did take place. Not only did it occur, but it was also marred by a heated argument as Maulana Sahib defied the army chief,” Klasra said in a video doing rounds over the internet.

    He claimed that Fazl refused to budge on his plans and the situation got tense enough for the army chief to gift him a perfume on his way out. “My sources say that Maulana was gifted a bottle of perfume to calm him down.”

    WATCH VIDEO:

    According to earlier claims, Gen Bajwa had reminded Fazl that he was a responsible political leader and must be aware that the regional situation was critical. “The situation on the border with India is volatile due to the Kashmir crisis and Afghanistan’s situation is also a source of trouble.”

    The army chief had reportedly also referred to Iran-Saudi Arabia affairs and told the JUI-F chief that it was not an appropriate time for staging the protest since the economy had been brought on the right track after herculean efforts within the country and abroad.

  • #FazluCreatingChaos, trending on Twitter for the wrong reasons

    #FazluCreatingChaos, trending on Twitter for the wrong reasons

    Maulana Fazalur Rehman is leading the Azadi March, which after reaching Islamabad, has demanded the Prime Minister’s resignation. Maulana has given PM Khan two days to resign or face the consequences, which include “another strategy,” and that, “we [opposition] will not be able to exercise any patience after that point.”

    https://twitter.com/Taymurmalik/status/1190251215726268416

    “They [Fazalur Rehman and co] also know that Imran Khan will not resign,” says PTI leader Asad Umar.

    Read more: ‘Fazal can sell his Islam over a diesel permit,’ Imran

    Khan himself, while addressing a rally in Gilgit said that, “”When Maulana Fazlur Rehman is there [in Islamabad] we have no need of foreign conspiracies,” he said, adding, “The way the Indian media is celebrating [this march], it makes it seem he [Rehman] himself is (an Indian) national.”

    https://twitter.com/PTILakiOfficial/status/1190302057573556230

    After Khan’s comments, almost declaring Maulana a traitor who is cohorting with India, social media exploded with memes and images of Maulana photoshopped with Modi.

    https://twitter.com/PTISMTOfficial/status/1190299712613703681

    #FazluCreatingChaos started trending and accounts claiming to be run by PTI, started posting pictures comparing Maulana and Modi.

    https://twitter.com/PTILakiOfficial/status/1190301654127693828

    In a television program when Special Assistant to the PM on the Media, Firdous Ashiq Awan was questioned about why Khan was suggesting that Maulana was a traitor, Firdous said that Khan was a Pakistani citizen and every Pakistani had a right to question who their well wishers are.

    When she was countered with the fact that Maulana is also a Pakistani and had the right to ask questions she did not respond.

    WATCH: All the facts you need to know about today’s Azadi March events

  • ‘Fazl can sell his Islam over a diesel permit,’ Imran tells Gilgit crowd

    ‘Fazl can sell his Islam over a diesel permit,’ Imran tells Gilgit crowd

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Friday came hard on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and said that the latter “can sell his Islam over a diesel permit or Kashmir Committee chairpersonship”.

    Religio-political leader Fazl, who is also the former chairperson of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir, is currently in Islamabad as part of his Azadi March against the “illegitimate” government led by Imran.

    Speaking of the JUI-F-led opposition parties’ protest in the federal capital, the premier on Friday regretted the “use of Islam for shoring up votes” as he addressed a gathering in Gilgit.

    “Gone are the days when one could use Islam to gain power. This is a new Pakistan. Sit for as long as you want to. When your food runs out, we will send more. But we will not give you an NRO [National Reconciliation Ordinance],” declared the premier.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “We are celebrating your independence while an Azadi March [is ongoing in Islamabad]. Who are they wishing to gain freedom from?” he asked the crowd as people in Gilgit observed their 72nd Independence Day.

    “I want the media to go there and ask people who they wish to free themselves from,” said the premier, stating that all his opponents appeared disjointed in their thoughts and aims.

    He also accused Fazl of being a conspirator and said that Indian media was celebrating the march that suggested the right-wing leader was “himself an Indian national”.

  • VIDEO: Another old statement comes back to bite Imran as 65 killed in train fire

    With 65 people losing their lives and hundreds reportedly sustaining injuries in Thursday’s tragic train fire incident, an old statement has come back to haunt Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    The train, Tezgam, was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi, when a gas cylinder carried by a passenger exploded, leaving several dead and injured. The fire destroyed three of the train’s carriages, including two economy class carriages and one business class carriage.

    As the incident shook the entire nation, people on social media started sharing old videos of then member of opposition Imran, who had said that a South Korean PM resigned from office after a ferry sunk.

    “He wasn’t helming the ferry, but he resigned because he couldn’t bear that someone died under his rule,” the now premier can be heard as saying in the video.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was referring to former South Korean PM Chung Hong-won, who resigned after a ferry sank leaving around 300 people dead or missing and resulted in widespread shame, finger-pointing and blame.

    Chung had stepped down after claims by the victims’ relatives that the government did not do enough to protect or rescue their loved ones.

    Demanding resignation from both the premier and Federal Minister for Railways Shiekh Rasheed over negligence and poor performance, here’s what Twitterati have to say about the episode:

    https://twitter.com/WajidShahPAK/status/1189786784131092480

    https://twitter.com/KhuwajaMax/status/1189785023219740674

    https://twitter.com/umair_sheikh722/status/1189788504429072385

    https://twitter.com/AlarmaDita/status/1189791729534287872

    Meanwhile, the minister has blamed passengers for the tragedy.

     

  • VIDEO: ‘Usman Buzdar just got married again,’ claims journalist

    VIDEO: ‘Usman Buzdar just got married again,’ claims journalist

    Senior journalist and analyst Irshad Bhatti has claimed that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s blue-eyed subordinate, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar, has gotten married for the second time.

    As per the details, journalists on Geo News programme “Report Card” on Tuesday discussed the blunders being made by PM Imran’s team that the premier had constituted himself.

    “If you want to leave PM Imran out of all the criticism, do it. But it wasn’t us who formed his team,” Babar Sattar said.

    “You cannot absolve the premier. The person who made him [Usman Buzdar] Wasim Akram plus, must be held responsible,” he added while citing the example of the Punjab CM, who has retained his position despite severe criticism over poor performance.

    The remarks were followed by Bhatti’s revelation as he congratulated his colleagues over the alleged second marriage of the provincial chief executive. “I congratulate all of you as Buzdar Sahab has gotten married for the second time… and on top of that, stories surrounding his new in-laws are amazing,” he said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Bhatti also hinted at the development having something to do with the new house that the Punjab CM just purchased and his back-to-back trips to Khushab. “It’s his right to get married so it doesn’t matter, but the stories that follow, are astonishing.”

    He also alleged corruption on Buzdar’s part and later criticised him for his “inability” to bring out any reforms.