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Tag: PTI

  • PML-N Ishaq Dar appeals to take Senate oath virtually from UK

    PML-N Ishaq Dar appeals to take Senate oath virtually from UK

    Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) senior leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar has reportedly written a letter to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in which he expressed his willingness to take his oath as a member of Senate “virtually” from the United Kingdom (UK) due to his illness, states Dawn.

    The letter, dated February 2nd reads, “It is requested that arrangements may please be made to enable me [Dar] to take the required oath, virtually, through any electronic mode as you may deem convenient; the same being within the applicable legal framework and being used by the apex court of Pakistan.”

    The former finance minister attached his medical report along with his appeal. He stated that because of his “prolonged illness and ongoing medical treatment” in the UK, he cannot return to Pakistan to take the oath in person.

    In 2018, following the elections, Dar’s rival candidate, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ‘s (PTI) Nawazish Ali Pirzada, approached the Supreme Court (SC) against Dar’s selection as a senator. At the time, the top court suspended the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) notification, which declared the PML-N leader’s victory. However, on January 10, the SC gave its verdict in favour of Dar.

    Dar has been living in London since 2017 (before the 2018 general elections). He went there at a time when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was dealing with a corruption case against him.

  • 80 per cent of people want us to leave government alliance due to rising inflation: Faisal Sabzwari

    80 per cent of people want us to leave government alliance due to rising inflation: Faisal Sabzwari

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Senator Faisal Sabzwari while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Jashn-e-Cricket’, said that 80 per cent of people want them to leave the government alliance.

    “Due to rising inflation in the country, 80 per cent of people want us to leave the government alliance,” said Sabzwari.

    Faisal Sabzwari advised the incumbent government not to panic, adding that his party has not received any signal yet to leave the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while speaking on  Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, said that the government is not worried about any motion and “we completely trust our allies and partners stand with the government”.

    “I’m sending a clear message to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that their meetings to depose the prime minister are nothing more than table talk,” said Qureshi.

    It is worth noting that the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met MQM-P delgation.

    Addressing a press conference along with MQM-P Deputy Convenor Amir Khan and other party members, Shehbaz said, “Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival.”

    Meanwhile, Amir Khan said, “The kind of problems people are facing because of the federal government in the provincial capital, we are facing the similar kind of torture and oppression in Sindh because of them.”

  • Zardari meets Chaudhry brothers to discuss no-confidence motion

    Zardari meets Chaudhry brothers to discuss no-confidence motion

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the current Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to seek support from them regarding the no-confidence motion against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    According to Dawn , PML-Q agreed that primarily it had reservations with the government, but it could not become a part of any “political misadventure”.

    PML-Q also questioned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders’ seriousness about a no-confidence motion and the numbers required in parliament to support it.

    However, it is expected that the PPP and PML-Q leadership will meet once again in the next few days, as per Geo News.

    PML-Q is a key ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Centre and Punjab. Despite the Opposition approaching PML-Q for the no-confidence motion, the party has reassured its support to the ruling party.

    PPP and PML-Q meeting was held two days after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari attended a luncheon meeting with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and other (PML-N) leaders, including Maryam Nawaz in Lahore.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) today (Tuesday).

  • PM Khan says people have no better option than PTI, party set to launch election campaign

    PM Khan says people have no better option than PTI, party set to launch election campaign

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Monday said the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will contest Punjab’s local bodies elections.

    While chairing the Central Executive Committee’s (CEC) meeting, the premier decided to speed up and mobilise people at the grassroots level.

    The premier has decided to hold public gatherings in different parts of the country to mobilise workers and voters of the ruling PTI for the upcoming local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [second phase] and in Punjab, expected to be held in May.

    PM Khan during the CEC meeting said that the people of Pakistan have “no better option than the PTI”. It is being reported that during the meeting, the distribution of tickets during the elections and considered recommendations for mayors in major cities was also discussed

    During the meeting, the PM said that the organisational structure of the party would be formed. “Our workers are a valuable asset to the party and the tickets will be distributed on the basis of merit.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that the two Opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — have united towards achieving their common goal of sending the government packing.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif hosted PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at his Lahore residence on Saturday, January 5, to discuss the present political situation.

    Speaking after the lunch, Shehbaz said, “Broken hearts can be united again. Both PPP and PML-N are united to take Prime Minister (PM), Imran Khan, out.”

  • ‘Broken hearts not united’, Khaqan says PML-N will give PPP tough time in elections

    ‘Broken hearts not united’, Khaqan says PML-N will give PPP tough time in elections

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday said that his party and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are on the same page to send the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government packing despite being political rivals.

    Khaqan further added that the PML-N will contest the elections in Sindh against the PPP. He said the PML-N is focusing on Sindh and will give a tough time to the opponents in the local bodies as well as general elections.

    Khaqan said that the political strategy of the PPP and PML-N was separate. He said the PML-N will contest the elections in Jhol and Sanghar.

    Khaqan’s statement comes a day after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif hosted PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at his Lahore residence on Saturday to discuss the present political situation.

    Speaking after the lunch, Shehbaz said, “Broken hearts can be united again. Both PPP and PML-N are united to take Prime Minister (PM), Imran Khan, out.”

    Whereas Bilawal said, “The government is incompetent and the more the Opposition unites and works in coordination, the more we will be able to pressurise the government.”

  • Bilawal says PPP entered battlefield, Fawad Chaudhry offers to provide ‘camels and horses’ to PPP

    Bilawal says PPP entered battlefield, Fawad Chaudhry offers to provide ‘camels and horses’ to PPP

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday said that it was “time for Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to start panicking”.

    “The time has come for the PTI government to be accountable before the masses,” he said, adding that since people have lost their confidence in the premier, parliament must also follow suit.

    He added he had sent a message to “the puppet” to inform him that the PPP had “entered the battlefield” to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    “The kaptaan has snatched roti, kapra, aur makaan from the masses,” Bilawal said. “Khan sahib has robbed the citizens of their economic rights and their right to vote. We can’t stand it any longer, so we have declared war against this government.”

    The PPP chairman further said: “We know how to snatch our rights, but we will opt for a democratic and constitutional way to take revenge from the government in the National Assembly.”

    Taking a jibe at the PPP for not having enough supporters for its anti-government campaign, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday offered to provide “camels and horses” for the Opposition party’s long march.

    Commenting on the recent meeting of Opposition parties, he said that “it was a meeting to cover up thefts and they have now turned into regional parties”.

    Fawad said that “criminals” showed solidarity with each other on Kashmir Solidarity Day.

    He said that ever since the issue of bank accounts came up, “love has been growing in the Opposition parties”.

  • 46 per cent of Pakistanis think Imran Khan is corrupt: survey

    46 per cent of Pakistanis think Imran Khan is corrupt: survey

    The Quarterly Performance Evaluation Survey (QPES), a Pulse Consultant’s indigenous tracking tool of public perceptions about the government’s performance has released its report.

    According to a question in the report, when responders were asked: “Do you agree with [PM] Imran Khan’s statement of him being a brand and not being corrupt?” a total of 46 per cent didn’t agree with him and only 19 per cent believe the premier.

    65 per cent of responders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa think that corruption and poor performance in the province led to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) defeat in the local election.

    It is revealed that 77 per cent think that the Murree tragedy was a sudden disaster.

    Further, the survey says that 18 per cent of the country is satisfied with PM Khan and 56 per cent believe PM Khan’s claim that Pakistan is out of the economic crisis. 15 per cent think that inflation will be reduced in the next three months.

    84 per cent of Pakistanis consider inflation as the biggest problem of the country and 99 per cent of Pakistanis say ‘Inflation has increased in past three months.’

  • If PML-N has support within NA from PTI, it should bring motion of no-confidence against PM Khan: BBZ

    If PML-N has support within NA from PTI, it should bring motion of no-confidence against PM Khan: BBZ

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a jibe at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), saying that if they have [PML-N] the support of 34 members of the National Assembly (NA) from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), then they should bring a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister (PM) Imran khan.

    Previously, PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had claimed that he knows “22 members of the NA who don’t want to remain part of the incumbent government anymore and PTI would lose majority in Lower House if those 22 people step aside.”

    Bilawal said his party “always” acts for the betterment of the Parliament and democracy in the country, saying that the party would opt for a no-confidence motion against PM Khan and not besiege the Parliament.

    Further, the Chairperson said he believes that an extreme step from political parties against the government could lead to a crisis in Pakistan. “In our agreement with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a no-confidence motion was the last option.”

    “We will not hold prolonged sit-ins and attack the institutions; we will conduct political business in the Parliament. If we wish to remove the government, then we will do it in line with the Constitution.”

    Talking about the party’s relation with the establishment, Bilawal said: “We have never been interested in forging relations with the establishment, and we never will be,” adding that relations with the establishment are based on media speculation.

    PPP is set for a long march from Karachi to Islamabad on February 27 while PDM had announced its March on Pakistan Day.

  • Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday took a jibe at the Opposition.

    Questioning the leadership qualities of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Fawad said that the two leaders were not competent enough for the general elections and should try their luck and contest in mayoral elections and make their way up the leadership ladder.

    “The leadership of this great country cannot be handed over to incompetent people like Bilawal and Maryam Nawaz,” said Fawad.

    “Both Maryam and Bilawal should strive to climb up the ladder of their political careers,” Fawad said, adding, “Maryam does not have the stature to call herself a national leader.”

    “Her [street power] depends on the students of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s madrassas alone,” he said.

    Criticising the Opposition’s way of working, Fawad said that they did not have any policy to abide by.

  • Govt plans to launch Ehsaas petrol cards for motorcyclists

    Govt plans to launch Ehsaas petrol cards for motorcyclists

    The federal government has planned to launch Ehsaas Petrol Cards for motorcyclists to enable them to buy petrol at a subsidised rate.

    Earlier this week, Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card was distributed by the government, which will provide free medical treatment to all citizens at government and private hospitals.

    In a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin, several other proposals were also considered such as subsidised fuel, tax reliefs, rise in income/minimum wages, internships, record tax collection and removal of bureaucratic hurdles.

    The government also intends to raise the pay of public sector employees in the upcoming fiscal year 2022-23 budget. Moreover, it has been reported that no consideration was made regarding monetising of bureaucratic perks and privileges.

    A meeting was also held to discuss the Kamyab Pakistan Programme progress. It was informed that the first phase of the programme is going successfully and that the loans are being disbursed after fulfillment of requirements to the deserving applicants.