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Tag: PTI

  • 60% of Pakistanis don’t agree with PTI’s long march: survey

    In a public survey by the Institute of Public Opinion and Research (IPOR), 60 per cent of Pakistanis do not like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s idea to lead a long march towards Islamabad.

    According to 60 per cent of responders, Khan should run his campaign from the assemblies. On the other hand, only 23 per cent of Pakistanis support the idea of PTI’s long march.

    It has also been revealed that 48 per cent of PTI’s own supporters think that leading a long march is right, while 44 per cent are in favour of a struggle against the government in the assemblies rather than a long march.

    In the survey, more than 2,000 people from across the country participated.

    Meanwhile, 54 per cent of Pakistanis support the idea of holding fresh elections in the country, although 35 per cent of people suggest the assemblies should complete their constitutional term.

    A big majority of 86 per cent of PTI voters backed the idea of early elections, while 57 per cent of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) voters and 31 per cent of PML-N supporters said they favoured early elections.

  • Twitter reacts to Khan appointing nephew as PTI’s focal legal affairs person

    Twitter reacts to Khan appointing nephew as PTI’s focal legal affairs person

    Barrister Hassaan Khan Niazi has been appointed as the focal person for legal affairs to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), reporting directly to party Chairman Imran Khan. His appointment was made official on Sunday (June 5).

    The newly appointed focal person announced the news on Twitter. Twitterati reacting to the news, had both good wishes and skepticism for Hassaan as he is the former premier’s nephew.

    Journalist Alina Shigri lauded Hassaan for earning the position through “sheer hard work” and “not through nepotism!”

    Meanwhile, netizens questioned Hassaan’s appointment.

    A Twitter user said, “Is this Hassaan Niazi the same person who attacked a hospital in Lahore along with other lawyers in which some patients died, or is he some one other?”

    https://twitter.com/ArifManzoorKha6/status/1534075867772637186

    Another user questioned the appointment and wanted to know if it was through nepotism or morosi siyasaat? [dynastic politics]

    A
  • Phadda between PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi, PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhry, exchange heated tweets

    Phadda between PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi, PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhry, exchange heated tweets

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and former Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi exchanged some heated tweets when Chaudhry took a jibe at PML-Q’s Salik Hussain and Shafay Hussain, both of whom are Moonis’ cousins.

    According to a report by ARY News both Salik and Shafay met the incumbent Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz and promised to support him. Chaudhry taunted them of being two-faced on Twitter.

    Moonis called out Chaudhry and said, “Just like during the Azadi March when some leaders went to the police station and presented themselves for arrests”.

    To this, Chaudhry clarified that he was not talking about Moonis as [Moonis] knows the difference between right and wrong. He further clarified that Moonis misinterpreted his tweet.

    Taking to Twitter, Moonis said, “Let’s not swing at each other. Our combined opponent is PML-N. Let’s stay focused.” He further apologised to the PTI leader.

    It is pertinent to mention that PTI and PML-Q have a real test ahead, in which they will have to fight the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly (PA).

  • Plan under consideration to increase govt officials’ salaries by 5 to 15 per cent

    Plan under consideration to increase govt officials’ salaries by 5 to 15 per cent

    In an attempt to lessen the impact of inflation, the government is considering raising salaries by 5 to 15 per cent in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, according to The News, following the Pay and Pension Commission’s inability to submit a report ahead of the next budget, which led to the prime minister’s decision to grant another extension.

    The deadline for submitting the Commission’s recommendation is being extended to June 30, 2022, as per a statement released by the Finance Division.

    According to top official sources, the former PTI-led government gave a 15 per cent allowance to officials in grades 1 to 19, effective March 1, 2022.

    The new Shehbaz Sharif-led administration, on the other hand, pledged a 10 per cent rise in the pension and a 25,000-per-month minimum wage.

    A Finance Ministry official stated that in the future budget, pay for grades 1 to 19 may be boosted by another 5-10 per cent as an adhoc allowance. Employees in grades 20 to 22 could see a pay raise of 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

    In addition, due to increased inflationary pressures, the government may boost pensions by 5-10 per cent. The Regulation Wing of the Ministry of Finance has completed its internal work in this regard. It was also resolved to form a Pay and Pension Commission, which would make recommendations.

    The commission was established by the PTI-led government in April 2020, and its chairman was former Secretary of Finance Abdul Wajid Rana. He resigned, however, and former bureaucrat Nargis Sethi was named Chairperson of the Pay and Pension Commission. She later quit as well.

    The Pay and Pension Commission was then chaired by Zafar Ahmed Khan, who was chosen by the government. So far, the commission has requested two extensions but has yet to present its recommendations.

    The text box was included in the Pay and Pension Commission’s terms of reference, which included studying the adequacy of the existing basic pay scale system and evaluating the current salaries of government employees.

    Read more: Petrol quota for ministers, govt officials in Sindh lowered by 40 per cent

    It also includes making recommendations for streamlining existing classification from BPS 1-22, studying the separation of existing basic pay scales for dedicated departments, occupations/cadres, reviewing special scales such as management grades, management position scales (MP Scales), special professional pay scales (SPPS); project pay scales, and proposing measures for uniformity and improvement, reviewing admissible regular allowances, special incentives, and all other supplementary pay scales.

    The panel was tasked with identifying current shortcomings in the Pension Scheme and making recommendations for a corrective revision along with ensuring the current model’s long-term viability and recommending a system with clear timelines that is more efficient and sustainable given the available resources.  

  • PML-N divided over filing treason charges against Imran Khan

    PML-N divided over filing treason charges against Imran Khan

    Government officials have been discussing about going ahead with filing treason charges against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Ministers (CMs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mahmood Khan, CM Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Muhammad Khalid Khurshid Khan after PTI’s Azadi March in Islamabad, reports Geo News.

    In a special cabinet committee, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah strongly recommended that the federal cabinet should file a treason case against Khan.

    The minister termed PTI’s long march fitna and fasad March. “With planning, around 2,500 miscreants were already sent to the federal capital and they tried to capture D-Chowk before the arrival of Imran Khan,” he added.

    Sanaullah further said Khan had violated the Supreme Court’s (SC) order and asked workers to reach D-chowk.

    On the contrary, in Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Sanullah’s party’s senior leader Khawaja Asif said that the government should leave Khan on his own and shouldn’t file any charges against him.

    “He destroying himself as a politician, let him do that,” Asif added. He further said that PTI attacked Islamabad and the party itself accepted that their workers and supporters were armed.

    Talking about initiating a talk with the PTI Chairman, the PML-N leader said if there is any chance of a diplomatic talk, it should take place [between PTI and the government].”

  • ’Threat to national security’, PEMRA bans Bol show after Khan’s interview

    The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has just banned Bol News’ programme “Tajzia” hosted by Anchor Sami Ibrahim after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s appearance on the show.

    The notice reads that “the statements that Khan gave at the show gravely threatened the national security, independence, sovereignty, integrity and ideology of the country and it is a clear violation of Article 19 of the constitution, PEMRA Ordinance, Electronic Media Code of Conduct (2015).

    Article 19 mainly states that “every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part, therefore, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, or incitement to an offence.’

    Imran Khan, in an interview aired on Wednesday, said that the establishment needs to make the right decisions and if they don’t, “the army will be destroyed”.

    He further said, “If the establishment doesn’t make the right decisions then I can assure you in writing that the army and they will be destroyed. Pakistan is going towards default. If right decisions aren’t made, then the country will be on a suicidal path.”

  • ‘We have criticised army as well not for our political gains like Khan’: Maryam Nawaz

    ‘We have criticised army as well not for our political gains like Khan’: Maryam Nawaz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday has said that they too have criticised the establishment in the past but that was never for any political gains. Her comments are relevant to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s recent remarks on the establishment and the division of Pakistan into three parts.

    “We have criticised the army as well but not for our political gains like Imran Khan but our remarks were to direct the establishment towards the right direction,” said Maryam.

    ‘Who introduced the ‘three-piece’ ideology?’

    “Sometimes you say Kashmir should be divided into three parts and now you are saying Pakistan will be divided into three parts,” said Maryam Nawaz.

    Maryam asked Khan who introduced him to the ideology of the country’s division into “three pieces”.

    “Whose ideology is it? Did Zac Goldsmith give you this ideology or Israel? There will be 300 pieces of the one who said such a thing and his party,” she said.

    Does he have any role in making Pakistan an atomic power?

    Maryam went on to say that the PTI chairman failed within 30 days of assuming the office of prime minister and was exposed within 30 days after being ousted.

    She asked under which right did Imran Khan talk about Pakistan’s atomic programme. “Does he have any role in making Pakistan an atomic power?”

    “[Politicians] have borne exiles and life sentences for Pakistan. [Zulfiqar Ali] Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto were martyred but the voice of Pakistan Khappay [we want Pakistan] was heard,” she said.

    Khan says Pakistan ke teen hissay hongay, Shehbaz warns him not to cross limits

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif warned Imran Khan on Thursday, saying that his recent remarks on Pakistan make him “unfit for public office”.

    Khan in an interview with Sami Ibrahim for Bol News programme ‘Tajzia’ said that if Pakistan goes bankrupt, then the country will have to face denuclearisation, predicting that the country would then be divided into three parts.

  • Khan says Pakistan ke teen hissay hongay, Shehbaz warns him not to cross limits

    Khan says Pakistan ke teen hissay hongay, Shehbaz warns him not to cross limits

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday, saying that his recent remarks on Pakistan make him “unfit for public office”.

    Khan in an interview with Sami Ibrahim for Bol News programme ‘Tajzia’ said that if Pakistan goes bankrupt, then the country will have to face denuclearisation, predicting that the country would then be divided into three parts.

    Do your politics but don’t dare to cross limits & talk about division of Pakistan

    PM Shehbaz tweeted: “While I am in Turkey inking agreements, Imran Niazi is making naked threats against the country. If at all any proof was needed that Niazi is unfit for public office, his latest interview suffices.”

    “Do your politics but don’t dare to cross limits and talk about [the] division of Pakistan,” he warned the PTI chairperson.

    Pakistan will have to face de-nuclearisation, the country would then be divided into three parts

    Imran Khan in an interview aired on Wednesday said that the establishment needs to make the right decisions and if they don’t, “the army will be destroyed”.

    Khan questioned what would happen if the country went bankrupt, saying the army will be the worst hit. And if Pakistan goes bankrupt, then according to Khan, Pakistan will have to face de-nuclearisation, predicting that the country would then be divided into three parts.

    Khan said that the current political situation was an equal problem for the establishment and the country.

    He said, “If the establishment doesn’t make the right decisions then I can assure you in writing that the army and they will be destroyed. Pakistan is going towards default. If right decisions aren’t made, then the country will be on a suicidal path.”

    Imran also added that as prime minister, he didn’t have absolute power. “Everyone knows where the real power lies.”

  • PTI women wing leaders use wrong video to criticise the government

    PTI women wing leaders use wrong video to criticise the government

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s women wing held a press conference on Monday at the KPK House, Islamabad. During this press conference, while criticising the current government, PTI women wing president Kanwal Shauzab and Maleeka Bokhari announced that Imran Khan did not go to D-Chowk on May 25 because the government had allegedly planned to kill a large number of protesters. To back up this conspiracy, they also showed a video clip to the audience which showed tear gas attack.

    While they claimed that the video shows Shehbaz Sharif government attacking PTI’s women political workers. When someone in the audience pointed out that this is an old video, Kanwal Shauzab replied that because it is old, there is not as much smoke.

    The shared video clip is from 2021 when during Imran Khan’s government, the law enforcement attacked the civil servants’ protest at D Chowk and subjected the protesters to severe teargas shelling.

    Several PTI workers and supporters shared a video clip on Twitter and have been corrected by journalists, politicians belonging to the Opposition and other social media users, some examples can be seen here, here, here, here and here.

  • Khan denies contacting Malik Riaz to patch up with Asif Zardari

    Khan denies contacting Malik Riaz to patch up with Asif Zardari

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan denied contacting property tycoon Malik Riaz for reconciliation with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

    Khan’s comments come in relevance to an alleged telephonic conversation that was leaked on social media. In the audio conversation, Malik Riaz can be heard saying that Khan wants a patch up with Zardari. Riaz said, “Aaj usnay bohot hee message kiye hain mujhe. [He sent many texts to me today.]” Zardari responds that it is “impossible” now.

    Khan’s denial came while speaking to digital journalists in Peshawar.

    Pressure to recognise Israel

    Khan revealed that when he was in power, there was “a lot of pressure” on his government to accept Isreal as a sovereign state.

    “We were sent a message that you should think about your country but at this time, I cannot reveal who had sent the message to us,” said Khan.

    Khan criticised the government and alleged that it was going to recognise Israel after a Pakistani expatriate delegation living in the United States (US) visited Israel.

    No need for PTI MNAs to verify their resignations

    On the matter of PTI members of the National Assembly’s (MNAs) resignations, Khan said they have resigned from their posts, and there was no need for them to verify their resignations.

    “We had announced in front of the National Assembly’s speaker that we have resigned. There is no need for a member to verify their resignation individually […] the day we come back to the assembly, it will mean that we have accepted this imported government,” said Khan.

    Only the army and the PTI can keep Pakistan intact

    Speaking about the appointment of the army chief, Khan said he did not know about the candidates nor did he think about the procedure. He claimed there were “individuals within institutions” who had “opinions on certain issues”. However, he did not name the individuals.

    “Only the army and the PTI can keep Pakistan intact,” he said.