Tag: Punjab

  • PTI ministers confirm PM Khan to replace CM Buzdar: PML-Q

    PTI ministers confirm PM Khan to replace CM Buzdar: PML-Q

    Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid (PML-Q) Secretary-General Tariq Basheer Cheema, in Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath” revealed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ministers [didn’t mention any name] have told him that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has given the approval to remove Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar.

    Previously, it was reported that Buzdar handed over his resignation to the premier, which he declined. There are also several media reports that suggested that the Tareen group isn’t happy with Buzdar’s position as CM.

    During the show, Cheema also lashed out at Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry. While referring to the meeting between the Chaudhry brothers and Fawad on Friday, Cheema said that the no-confidence motion against PM Khan was not discussed in the meeting.

    Previously, Fawad, after his meeting, had said that PML-Q would formally announce full confidence in PM before the National Assembly (NA) session for the motion.

    “I don’t know why Fawad is giving a false statement about the settlement with PML-Q on the no-trust move”, he said while adding that if he [Fawad] has to take decisions of PML-Q then the Chaudhry brothers should leave politics.

    Moreover, the PML-Q Secretary-General said that the party will make a final decision on the no-confidence matter in the next 24 to 48 hours.

  • ‘Meray sawalon ka jawab do’: Shujaat Hussain asks Shehbaz Sharif

    ‘Meray sawalon ka jawab do’: Shujaat Hussain asks Shehbaz Sharif

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is waiting for a response from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif.

    Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) delegation led by Sirajul Haq, visited the residence of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat in Lahore to see Hussain. PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was not present.

    During the meeting, Hussain said, “We asked Shehbaz Sharif some questions during a discussion on the proposed no-confidence movement, but the answers are still awaited,” reports Dawn.

    It was also reported that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the top leadership of PML-Q had a meeting, in which the Chaudhry brothers presented their Charter of Demands to former President Asif Ali Zardari.


    The PML-Q has asked the Opposition for the Chief Ministership in Punjab and stated that no compromise will be made on anything less than that.

    In case of getting Chief Ministership, the PML-Q has assured the success of in-house transformation in Punjab and Centre. The PML-Q has said that it will fully support the Opposition at the Centre.

    In February, Shehbaz went to Chaudhrys residence where the leaders of the two rival parties met each other for a formal political meeting after a gap of about 14 years.

    PM Khan is scheduled to meet the PML-Q leadership during his daylong visit to Lahore today.

  • ‘PPP is no more a party of Benazir Bhutto’: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    ‘PPP is no more a party of Benazir Bhutto’: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in an address to media persons and supporters of the party’s ‘Huqooq-i-Sindh March’, said that the Zardari group had ruined Sindh in its 15-year-rule and it is time to get rid of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government from the province, reports Dawn.

    The minister said that [former Prime Minister] Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a man of character and his daughter [former PM] Benazir Bhutto was a fine lady, but now Zardari had firmed up his grip on their party.

    “PPP is no more a party of Benazir Bhutto, it has turned into a party of Zardari,” he remarked.

    Qureshi urged people to vote for PTI in the next general elections and claimed that their party successfully ran governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

    “We have come to your doorstep with a message from Imran Khan to support PTI in Sindh to bring about real change and brighten the destiny of the province,” he added.

    Qureshi said, “It is pathetic that a sensible minister of Sindh has used uncivilised language against Imran Khan who is a decent person.” He further said that how could a man like Khan be a fraud or corrupt who had developed a charity hospital [Shaukat Khanum] for people.

    Federal Minister Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi also addressed a large number of marchers at different places along the route. He said, “Sindh government had ruined farmers and growers by creating an artificial crisis of urea in the province.”

    Zaidi, taking a jibe at Zardari, said that he had made record corruption and even the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) admitted that they had recovered Rs10 billion and still Rs19bn was to be recovered.

  • More than 63 million children to be vaccinated in massive five day polio drive

    More than 63 million children to be vaccinated in massive five day polio drive

    A five-day anti-polio drive began in different parts of the country on Monday. More than, 63 million children will be will be vaccinated during the polio drive. The government has set a target of twenty-two million children in Punjab and more than one hundred and fifty thousand polio workers have been deployed for the purpose.

    In Sindh, anti-polio drops will be given to approximately ten million children under the age of five in thirty districts. The initiative will involve seventy thousand health professionals and ten thousand supervisors.

    During the drive, anti-polio drops would be given to nearly 2.5 million children under the age of five in Balochistan. Approximately 10,000 teams have been formed for this purpose.

    In the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, anti-polio vaccination will be provided to around 6.2 million children under the age of five in twenty-nine districts.

    During the door-to-door campaign, over 30,000 teams will administer anti-polio drops to children. To esnure the administering anti-polio drops to maximum children polio teams will also be available at railway stations.

  • Zardari, Bilawal to meet Shehbaz, Maryam as Opposition gears up for no-confidence motion

    Zardari, Bilawal to meet Shehbaz, Maryam as Opposition gears up for no-confidence motion

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will meet the Leader of the Opposition and the President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif at Bilawal House Lahore.

    Sources said the meeting between the two party leaders will first propose a no-confidence motion in Punjab in the meeting.

    Moreover, the two leaders will make a final decision on the date of the in-house change and will also consider a new offer from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz will also join the meeting. However, it has not been confirmed yet.

    Zardari has also summoned PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari from Mardan to Lahore.

    Earlier this week, Zardari held an exclusive meeting with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) cheif Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence.

  • Husband murders wife for refusing money to buy drugs

    Husband murders wife for refusing money to buy drugs

    A man killed his wife over her refusal to give him money for purchasing drugs.

    According to details, the incident took place in Faislabad district, where a drug addict asked his wife to give him some money so that he could buy drugs to feed his addiction. She refused and this infuriated him. The addict killed his wife by attacking her with a hammer.

    His wife succumbed to her injuries at the spot and died.

    The suspect also injured a cop during his arrest. He later admitted to his crime.

    Police have launched an investigation.

  • Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Former Prime Minister (PM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is ahead of all other party leaders in terms of popularity, reveals Gallup Pakistan’s latest survey, which was conducted from December 22, 2021, to January 31, 2022, and includes 5,000 participants from across the country.

    According to the survey, there is a noticeable drop in PM Imran Khan’s popularity in all the provinces.

    In Punjab, PM Khan’s popularity rate has dropped from 51 per cent in December 2018 to 33 per cent in January 2022 while Nawaz Sharif’s popularity has jumped from 35 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022.

    The survey has also included the popularity statistics of PML-N President and former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. CM Sharif’s popularity rose from 46 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022 in Punjab. Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity increased in Punjab from 18 per cent back in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022.

    In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), there is a significant increase in the level of satisfaction with PM Khan, which was only five per cent in December 2018 but is now 44 per cent, while Bhutto’s popularity mildly increased from 23 per cent in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022. Nawaz Sharif managed to gain in KP from his 14 per cent approval rating in December 2018 to 46 per cent in January 2022.

    Coming to Sindh, both Sharifs are ahead of the PPP. Nawaz Sharif’s popularity in Sindh increased from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 51 per cent in January 2022. Shehbaz Sharif’s approval rating also went up in Sindh from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 41 per cent in January 2022. Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity significantly dropped in Sindh, where the PPP is in power, from 54 per cent in December 2018 to 37 percent in January 2022. PM Khan remained at 33 per cent both in December 2018 and January 2022 but remains the least popular of all four leaders in Sindh.

    According to the survey, this is the first time that the popularity of the former PM has risen after December 2018. Shehbaz Sharif also managed to get similar ratings.


  • ‘Overseas Pakistanis ki maujain’: Cabinet approves separate judicial system for expats

    ‘Overseas Pakistanis ki maujain’: Cabinet approves separate judicial system for expats

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has approved a separate judicial system for Overseas Pakistanis.

    Fawad shared that the cabinet has approved the formulation of a separate judicial system for the expats for summary trial.

    The minister further said that the implementation of the laws will come in accordance with PM Khan’s vision to facilitate overseas Pakistanis, who are a precious asset of the country.

    The federal minister further revealed that a similar judicial system will also be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, where PTI is in power.

    Fawad said that the administrative issues of courts should be dealt with in line with the view of the government.

    “Pakistan is facing an administrative crisis due to stay orders given by the courts,” said Fawad, adding that lawsuits are “cheaper in Pakistan than in the world”.

  • Large mob lynches man over alleged blasphemy, PM Khan condemns

    Large mob lynches man over alleged blasphemy, PM Khan condemns

    A man was brutally tortured and killed by a violent mob when accused of allegedly burning pages of the Holy Quran in a village in Khanewal, Punjab on Saturday.

    The incident took place in a village called Mian Channu after Maghrib prayers. Thousands of people gathered after the announcement was made that a man had torn some of the pages of the Holy Quran and set them on fire in a mosque.

    People were not ready to tho listen to the mentally handicapped man who reportedly claimed innocence. People hanged him on a tree and then threw stones and bricks until he took his last breath.

    Local police came to the spot after receiving a call from a villager. They reached to arrest suspects but villagers started stoning them when they tried to release the man. The violent mob grabbed him from police’s custody and continued beating him.

    The victim’s elder brother revealed that the victim had been mentally ill for about 17 to18 years and was living with another brother in Karachi. He also had remained hospitalised for treatment but he could not recover. His wife also divorced him because of his illness. He had two sons and a daughter.

    He further added, “He went to buy some cigarettes and did not turn up till evening and they later learned that he was killed on blasphemy charges.”

    While talking to Dawn News, he claimed that neighbours also knew about his mental condition. He said that the violent mob stoned his brother to death in the presence of police and they did not protect his brother from the mob. He also complained that his brother’s fingers were missing after the frightful incident.

    Police claimed that they have arrested 85 suspects after they conducted more than 120 raids on Sunday.

    The police have registered two First Investigation Reports (FIR) for alleged blasphemy under Section 295-B of Pakistan Penal Code and the second one related to the lynching under Sections 302, 353, 186, 148, 149 of the PPC and Section 7A of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

    Also Read: Sri Lankan factory manager tortured to death in Sialkot over alleged blasphemy

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi soon after arriving at Khanewal Circuit House, condemned the incident and said no one should take the law into their hands.

    He emphasised that there are laws to protect religion and against blasphemy. Such matters should be reported to the police and let them proceed under the law.

    Prime Minister, Imran Khan condemned the tragic incident on his Twitter. He ordered a detailed report from the Punjab police chief. He directed authorities to take strict against the perpetrators of the lynching incident.

    Human Rights Minister, Shireen Mazari also condemned the incident and asked the Punjab government to take strict action against the assailants involved.

    Netizens also criticised Mazari for not taking enough efforts to prevent such tragic incidents. They are saying that tweets are not enough to stop such brutality.

    Some users questioned the appreciation award which was given to Shireen Mazari by Prime Minister Imran Khan last week, and how it wasn’t well deserved.

    https://twitter.com/Shine_Stine/status/1492840169686593539

    https://twitter.com/asadfacts/status/1492828727453093890

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also strongly condemned the incident.

    “The tragedy of Mian Channu has once again humiliated the entire nation,” he said.

    The deceased victim was buried in Mian Channu on Sunday.

  • Counter Terrorism agents arrests two alleged members of ISIS from Khanewal, Punjab

    Counter Terrorism agents arrests two alleged members of ISIS from Khanewal, Punjab

    The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) is claiming that they have arrested two members from ISIS after a raid in Khanewal city, Punjab.

    The spokesperson of the CTD revealed that the suspects were preparing for attacks on the important installations and worship places. The team also recovered banned literature, weapons, and hand grenades.

    Further investigation is still underway.

    A new wave of terrorism is hitting cities across Pakistan from the beginning of the year, 2022 after a ceasefire was unilaterally ended by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    Last month, terrorists targeted Lahore with a bomb blast at a famous crowded marketplace, New Anarkali. Three people died including one child and several were injured in the attack.

    Recently attacks occurred in Balochistan on a Wednesday evening resulting in four soldiers embracing martyrdom and killing 15 terrorists. Terrorists tried to enter a security forces’ camp from two locations. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks.

    Similarly, an incident occurred on January 28, when 10 soldiers embraced martyrdom after terrorists attacked a security forces’ check-post in Balochistan’s Kech district.