Current Final

Tag: PTI

  • Political arrests show our politicians have learnt nothing

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) social media head Azhar Mashwani went missing outside his house on Thursday when he was taking a cab to Zaman Park. His brother has lodged an FIR of his kidnapping. PTI has alleged that Azhar has been illegally abducted by the authorities. It is indeed quite alarming that three days have passed since he went missing from Lahore and yet there is no news about his whereabouts. Imran Khan has condemned the police in Punjab and Islamabad for “breaking all laws with impunity as they target PTI”. The recent targeting of PTI leaders and workers, including Fawad Chaudhry, Hassaan Niazi, and now Mashwani shows that our political parties have not learnt anything and will do the same when they come in power which they condemned when they were at the receiving end of the same treatment during the regime of their political opponents.


    Two wrongs don’t make a right is something we often hear, but we don’t see this being professed in Pakistan. Witnessing the wrongs in the politics of Pakistan, it is safe to say that no one learns from past mistakes. For years, we have seen politics in our country. The people in power change, and their faces change, but their means and tactics to settle scores remain the same, and this vicious cycle continues. In the last few months, we have seen how the PTI leaders and workers have been arrested on frivolous charges just like workers and leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) or others when the PTI was in power. For years now, we have seen some very powerful sectors influencing decision-making both in politics and otherwise. The political arena is overshadowed by these mighty decision-makers and their idea of politics. Every time a politician is arrested to silence him or her, it just shows a flagrant disregard for the law of the land.


    An arrest should only be made if, and only a crime has been committed or one is found guilty of any wrongdoing. Arrests on frivolous charges are not the answer to silence opinion. Democratic countries allow dissent. We have seen journalists and activists being arrested or picked up because of their views and opinions. The PDM government, which was a victim of such brutal policies in the past, has now made it abundantly clear that it will go to the same lengths to arrest Khan and his supporters. However, this vicious cycle must end. It is the responsibility of the political class to decide if they want to continue with settling scores and political victimisation or they want to put a stop to it. All politicians, be they in the government or the Opposition, need to unite on this point. Otherwise, such arrests and disappearances will continue. This culture must stop and change because political arrests will get us nowhere. A country facing multiple crises – from economic to political – needs stability. Not more chaos.

  • PTI and PDM cabinets spent almost Rs7 crore on foreign tours in 2022

    The federal cabinets of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and former PM Imran Khan have spent nearly Rs7 crore (Rs69.97 million) on foreign trips in 2022, states an investigative report by Abobakar Khan for Samaa.

    A total of Rs652,115,04 were spent by federal ministers of the previous and current government on 25 foreign tours in 2022.

    Among the federal ministers of PM Shehbaz, Federal Minister for National Health Services Abdul Qadir Patel spent Rs1 crore on foreign visits.

    Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar spent Rs8 lac and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs of Pakistan Faisal Subzwari spent Rs6 lac.

    Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman spent almost Rs50 lac on foreign country visits, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail spent 45 lac on foreign country visits.

    During Khan’s tenure, his Adviser on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, Dr Moeed Yousaf, and Adviser on Trade and Investment, Abdul Razzak Dawood, spent Rs10 lac from the national exchequer on foreign tours.

    Khan’s special assistants including Dr Sania Nishtar, Malik Amin Aslam, and Azam Jamil spent almost Rs10 lac on these foreign trips in 2022.

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  • Maryam Nawaz to unmask Khan’s handlers next week: report

    Maryam Nawaz to unmask Khan’s handlers next week: report

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President and chief organiser Maryam Nawaz will unveil the identities of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s local and international handlers next week. 

    According to media reports, Maryam Nawaz will address a rally in Kasur on Monday, where she will reveal the facts.

    Earlier, addressing a PML-N workers’ convention in Rawalpindi, Maryam said that certain people were still supporting Khan as he did not appear before courts while hearings against him were being delayed.

    She said she was not talking about honest judges but those who were part of the Lt General (retd) Faiz Hameed legacy.

    Maryam said that while Khan could go to Rawalpindi for his party’s gathering with his injured leg, he “cannot appear before the court”.

    While addressing the crowd during her party’s convention in Gujranwala, Maryam claimed that the “facilitators” still wanted to save a person [Imran Khan] who had “already drowned”. 

    “I want to ask the facilitators why they want to save a person because of whom the country’s fate has sunk. That person drowned himself, but why are you people bent on [losing] your jobs?” she said.

  • ‘Ensure Punjab, KP polls to avoid contempt of court’: President tells PM to safeguard rights of citizen

    ‘Ensure Punjab, KP polls to avoid contempt of court’: President tells PM to safeguard rights of citizen

    President Dr Arif Alvi in a letter written to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, has urged him to ensure the implementation of Supreme Court’s orders about the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    Alvi in his letter emphasised that all relevant executive authorities of the federal and provincial governments should be directed to refrain from abuse of human rights and assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the election in two provinces within the constitutional time-frame, in compliance of orders of the apex court, to avoid further complications, including contempt of court.

    The president said that the prime minister, being head of the government, was responsible for safeguarding human rights as well as the fundamental rights of every citizen of Pakistan as enshrined in the Constitution.

    President Alvi maintained that elections of provincial assemblies, in case of their dissolution under Article 105 or Article 112, were required to be held within 90 days under Article 224 (2) of the Constitution.

    The top court in its order dated March 1, had directed the electoral watchdog to propose date(s) to the president for holding the poll within 90 days or on a date that deviates to the barest minimum from the aforesaid deadline, he added.

    The president said that KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali was also directed by the SC to appoint a date for holding the general election for the provincial assembly as per the time frame.

    “Subsequently, ECP had proposed holding of general elections between 30th April – 7th May, 2023 and general elections for the Provincial Assembly of Punjab were announced to be held on 30th April, 2023 and the same was notified by the ECP,” read the letter.

  • ‘Whether I am in jail or not, party will sweep elections’: Imran Khan

    ‘Whether I am in jail or not, party will sweep elections’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that whether he is in jail or not, his party will “sweep” the elections.

    The former prime minister said he does not know if he will end up getting disqualified or not, but stressed that it “doesn’t matter” because he believes his party has a popularity wave that is “unprecedented” in Pakistan’s history. He made these remarks in a chat with American media group National Public Radio (NPR).

    “What is happening is that the government is petrified of elections. They’re scared that we’re going to win the elections. Therefore, they are trying everything to get me out of the way, including assassination, because I survived an assassination attempt – [and am] very lucky to be alive,” Khan told NPR.

    Speaking with Steve Inskeep, Khan said that in his tenure, there was maximum media freedom.

    “Steve, my three and a half years were the most liberal three and a half years in our history. I mean, the – we never interfered with the judiciary, which was always the case in the past. We never interfered with the media. The only time there were problems with the media was not because of us, because of the army, because of the army establishment,” Khan responded.

    Talking about ‘rule of law’ Khan said that it is his “firm belief” that because he’s been all over the world as a professional international sportsman, the difference between rich countries and poor countries is not lack of resources, but rule of law. 

    “Countries that have rule of law prosper, countries that don’t have rule of law become banana republics. So our fight in Pakistan is to bring the powerful elite under the law,” he said.

  • Half of Lahore sealed ahead of PTI’s Minar-e-Pakistan jalsa

    Punjab authorities have blocked several roads in Lahore including entry and exit points of the city ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s jalsa in Minar-e-Pakistan, set to be held today (Saturday) at 9pm.

    With the help of containers and trucks, the roads have been blocked. According to details, police have also placed barricades on major Lahore roads including Ravi Bridge and Thokar Niaz Baig, the two major entry and exit points which lead to Minar-e-Pakistan.

    In a tweet, City Traffic Police Lahore has given details about the closed roads and advised residents to use alternative routes.

    In the early hours of Saturday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan called on his supporters in Lahore to attend the jalsa after Taraweeh prayers which he believes will “break all records”. 

    “Everyone must assert their right as people of a free nation that won its independence and come to Minar-e- Pakistan,” he added. 

    Earlier, the government gave a green signal to PTI to hold its powershow, however, the closure of roads has created problems for residents.

  • All weapons recovered from Imran’s Zaman Park residence are illegal, says police

    The Lahore police has said that all the weapons that were recovered by the authorities from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park are “unlicensed and illegal”.

    On March 20, Punjab Police raided Khan’s Zaman Park home, taking apart the entrance gate with a crane and entering the house, stating that they had search warrants.

    At the time, Khan was on his way to Islamabad to appear before a court in the Toshkhana case. He said that his wife Bushra Bibi was alone at home.

    The police said at least 13 SMGs, 7 Kalashnikovs, and 340 bullets were recovered from Zaman Park.

    Earlier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that police found 16 rifles, arms, bombs and a bomb-making factory in Zaman Park.

  • ‘They don’t like being told what to do’: Imran Khan holds back from criticising Taliban ban on girls’ education

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in an interview with Matt Frei for Channel 4, talked about the rigid ban imposed by Afghanistan Taliban on girls’ education.

    When asked whether he will tell them to let the girls go to school, he responded by saying that he knows Afghan character much more than anyone else in the West. “They dont like being told what to do,” Imran Khan said.

    He then urged the world to engage with the Taliban, stressing that only then the group will listen to them.

    He said, “If the West wants to influence them, they must mainstream them. I kept telling them to engage. If you isolate them, what influence are you going to have on them.”

    “My advice is to get them involved, give them a stake in the international community so when you tell them to educate girls, they will listen to you.”

    According to him, right now they react when the world questions their policy toward women.

    We are heading toward martial law: Imran Khan

    In the interview, the deposed prime minister said that the postponement of elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is a violation of the constitution.

    He said that five judges of the Supreme Court categorically said that elections should be held on April 30.

    “The worry right now is that we are heading towards martial law”, said Khan.

  • ‘Enough is enough’: Khan demands immediate release of PTI activist Azhar Mashwani

    ‘Enough is enough’: Khan demands immediate release of PTI activist Azhar Mashwani

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Social Media Activist Azhar Mashwani was picked up on Thursday, prompting party Chairman Imran Khan to condemn his arrest.

    Blaming the authorities for abducting Mashwani, Imran Khan took to Twitter and wrote: “Enough is enough. Police in Punjab and Islamabad are breaking all laws with impunity as they target PTI. Today Azhar Mashwani was abducted in the afternoon from Lahore and his whereabouts are unknown.” Khan demanded the immediate release of Mashwani.

    On March 18, Senator Shibli Faraz and Omar Sultan were “badly beaten” by Islamabad police, Khan said, insisting that they both had permission to be inside the Judicial Complex, where the PTI chief went to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case day.

    Talking about his nephew, Khan said. “Hassaan Niazi was abducted immed after getting bail & later charged with sham FIRs to keep him lcoked up.”

    “I am sending pictures of IGs [inspectors generals] of Punjab and ICT [Islamabad Capital Territory] and of all officers indulging in this criminal behaviour” to international human rights organisations, he said, “so they can identify those working for the state and indulging in abductions, illegal break-ins into homes, custodial torture and violence against political leaders and unarmed workers of PTI.”

    Mashwani’s wife, Mahnoor, also tweeted about her husband’s disappearance, writing, “My husband @MashwaniAzhar is missing from 2.51 pm from home.. He went out for Zaman park And his last seen is 2.51 pm.. If Anyone knows anything.. Let me know..”

  • ‘Violation of constitution’: PTI to move SC against election postponement

    ‘Violation of constitution’: PTI to move SC against election postponement

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has confirmed that his party will challenge the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone general elections in Punjab from April 30 to October 8 in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

    Addressing a joint press conference on Thursday, Chaudhry, along with PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, announced that they are moving the top court against the ECP for “breaching the Constitution”.

    “It is your duty to save the Constitution,” Chaudhry appealed to the judges of the top court, adding that the joint sitting of parliament convened on Wednesday was aimed at an “attack on the Supreme Court”.

    “Judges are being blackmailed and pressurised,” Chaudhry claimed. He also said that the country demands that Article 6 should be applied on five members of the electoral watchdog.  

    PTI Chairman Imran Khan condemned ECP’s move to postpone the election in Punjab, as the party announced to move the Supreme Court against “violation of the Constitution”.

    It is pertinent to mention here that electoral watchdog postponed the elections in view of the recent spate of terrorist attacks in various parts of the country.

    The order said that the interior ministry conveyed to the ECP that the deployment of civil and armed forces would not be possible due to the “spike in incidents of terrorism across the country” and threat alerts from intelligence agencies.