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Tag: Shehbaz Sharif

  • Shehbaz ko dhoti nahin pasand lekin Nawaz ko achi lagti hai, says Rohale Asghar

    Shehbaz ko dhoti nahin pasand lekin Nawaz ko achi lagti hai, says Rohale Asghar

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Sheikh Rohale Asghar recently appeared in an interview on WE News in which he revealed that PM Shehbaz didn’t like his traditional dress (Dhoti kurta).

    “PM Shehbaz strongly complains about my clothes and even told me to change the attire but I refused,” said the PML-N leader.

    He further said, “I’m not a servant of Shehbaz Sharif. I am Sheikh Rohale Asghar son of Muhammad Asghar and I have my own identity.”

    Asghar also stated that Nawaz Sharif likes his dressing style but Shehbaz Sharif has complained to him multiple times about his laacha.

    Does this mean that Shehbaz Sharif never wears a dhoti? That would be strange as after all, it is the traditional rural attire of the province he governed twice.

  • UAE allocates $10 billion to expand investment in Pakistan

    UAE allocates $10 billion to expand investment in Pakistan

    The Prime Minister’s office announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has allocated $10 billion to expand investment in Pakistan as the financially challenged country seeks foreign aid to maintain economic stability.

    The development came after yesterday’s meeting between UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and PM Shehbaz Sharif in Abu Dhabi, during the Pakistani Premier’s day-long visit to the UAE.

    The decision has been taken “to strengthen the Pakistani economy, support it, and enhance cooperation between the two countries”, UAE’s WAM news agency reported.

    In a statement, the government said: “President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, made a commitment of investing US $10 billion in multiple sectors in Pakistan.”

    The government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is actively seeking investment from brotherly countries to deal with inflation and enhance the country’s financial stability.

  • UAE pledges $10 billion investment in Pakistan’s key economic sectors

    UAE pledges $10 billion investment in Pakistan’s key economic sectors

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged $10 billion for investment in promising economic sectors in Pakistan.

    Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi today, according to a post by Pakistan Television (PTV) on X.

    The meeting focused on a wide range of bilateral issues, including cooperation in political, economic, social, cultural, and defence sectors.

    During the discussion, Prime Minister Sharif emphasised the need to enhance existing cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations. He highlighted key areas such as information technology, renewable energy, and tourism as potential fields for increased collaboration.

    Sharif also outlined steps his government has taken to ensure socio-economic stability and boost investor confidence in Pakistan.

    He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to effectively implement investment cooperation agreements in sectors like energy, port operations, wastewater treatment, food security, logistics, minerals, and banking and financial services.

    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed the UAE’s unwavering support for Pakistan and confirmed the UAE’s commitment to investing $10 billion across various sectors in the country, as stated by PTV.

    The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the UAE leadership for hosting 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates and underscored Pakistan’s significant human resource potential that could be utilised in diverse sectors.

  • Shehbaz Government cracks down on wheat scandal, leaves Caretakers unscathed

    Shehbaz Government cracks down on wheat scandal, leaves Caretakers unscathed

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered the suspension of four senior officers of the Ministry of National Food Security for “poor planning and negligence” regarding the wheat scandal.

    Interestingly, no action has been taken against the previous caretaker setup or its key officials under whom the wheat scandal took place originally.

    Earlier, PM Shehbaz had given Secretary Cabinet Division Kamran Ali Afzal the task of investigating the import of wheat last year despite a “bumper crop”, which has led to excess wheat stock leaving Balochistan and Punjab governments unable to purchase the crop from the farmers.

    The stock surplus has, so far, been attributed to the decision of the caretaker government — led by former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar — allowing the import of 2,758,226 226 metric tonnes of wheat worth Rs225.783 billion till February 2024.

    Geo News reported that the Ministry of National Food Security had apprised PM Shehbaz’s cabinet that 28.18 million tonnes of wheat was produced last year and the caretaker government decided to import 2.45 million tonnes more.

    The government allowed for relevant action to be taken against federal Secretary of National Food Security Muhammad Asif and also ordered the suspension of former Director General Plant Protection AD Abid, Food Security Commissioner Dr Wasim and Director Sohail and Punjab Director of Food Security Imtiaz Gopang.

  • AJK protests come to end after demands met by government

    AJK protests come to end after demands met by government

    Azad Jammu & Kashmir Joint Action Committee has announced the end of protests according to a notification circulating on social media.

    In its statement, the joint action committee has called on the government to form a judicial commission to investigate the fatalities that took place during the protests.

    On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved an urgent grant of Rs 23 billion in a bid to resolve the issues of people in Azad and Jammu Kashmir (AJK) as three people were shot dead and six sustained injuries due to firing and teargas shelling by the paramilitary Rangers in Muzaffarabad.

    The Government also announced reduced rates of 40kg flour bags to Rs 2,000, down from Rs 3,100, and electricity tariff was reduced to Rs3, Rs5 and Rs6 per unit for up to 100, 300, and more than 300 units, respectively.

    Rangers were also called in to maintain law and order in the state as violent clashes erupted between the police and the protestors

  • PM Shehbaz resigns as party president, paving way for Nawaz

    PM Shehbaz resigns as party president, paving way for Nawaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has resigned as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, Geo News reported on Monday.

    The development comes after president PML-N Punjab chapter Rana Sanaullah announced that party supremo Nawaz Sharif will lead the party.

    PML-N’s central committee will meet on May 18 in Lahore at 11:30am.

    PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal sent notices to the central committee about the meeting under Article 15 of the party constitution.

    Nawaz Sharif stepped down as prime minister in 2017 when the Supreme Court (SC) disqualified him for life for not declaring his receivable salary.

    The apex court also disqualified Nawaz Sharif in 2018 as PML-N president in the Panama Papers case.

    The top court said in its verdict that a person can’t lead a political party who is disqualified under Articles 62 and 63.

    On January 8, 2024, the top court abolished bans on people with criminal charges from taking part in polls.

  • MBS much-anticipated visit to Pakistan delayed

    MBS much-anticipated visit to Pakistan delayed

    The highly anticipated visit of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) to Pakistan has been delayed, The News has reported.

    Official sources had earlier indicated that the crown prince would be in Islamabad on May 19, for two days.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman is likely to visit Pakistan soon. Dar confirmed that the date of the Saudi Prince’s visit will be finalised this month.

    “InshaAllah, the visit is due [and] I believe we may receive final dates [of the visit from Saudi Arabia] anytime in May,” Dar said while addressing media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Tuesday.

    Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch, when asked to comment on the development, made it clear on Friday that as soon the schedule was worked out between the two capitals, it would be made public.

    The FO spokesperson was hopeful that the visit would take place soon.

  • The Crown is coming to Pakistan, Dar confirms

    The Crown is coming to Pakistan, Dar confirms

    The deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said on Wednesday that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman is likely to visit Pakistan soon. Dar confirmed that the date of the Saudi Prince’s visit will be finalised this month.

    “InshaAllah, the visit is due [and] I believe we may receive final dates [of the visit from Saudi Arabia] anytime in May,” Dar said while addressing the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Tuesday.

    The Saudi crown prince, also known as MBS, will visit Pakistan for the first time in five years. His last visit to the country was in February 2019, when Imran Khan was prime minister.

    The deputy prime minister mentioned that during a recent meeting in Makkah, Pakistan’s delegation met with the Saudi crown prince. He assured Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that he will visit Pakistan soon.

  • Bilawal Bhutto Zardari likely to become foreign minister once again

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari likely to become foreign minister once again

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is likely to become foreign minister once again as his party inches closer to a power sharing deal with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Express Tribune reported on Sunday.

    Insiders within both parties believe that Bilawal will join Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet as foreign minister. The sources of The Express Tribune claimed that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who had not agreed to become part of Shehbaz’s cabinet, is now ready to play the role of foreign minister.

    Both parties are figuring out the details of when PPP will officially become part of the federal cabinet.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wanted the PPP to be part of the federal cabinet before the presentation of the budget in the first week of June.

    It is still not clear whether PPP will join the federal cabinet before or after the budget.

    However, sources told Express Tribune confidently that the PPP will be part of the federal cabinet soon.

  • If Nawaz had even a one percent desire to be PM, could anyone stop him? PMLN Senator

    If Nawaz had even a one percent desire to be PM, could anyone stop him? PMLN Senator

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Irfan Siddiqui said on Friday that neither an “unseen power” nor Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blocked the way of the former prime minister’s return to the PM house.

    Speaking during Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’, Siddiquie said that he rejects the idea that an “unseen power” or PM Shehbaz blocked Nawaz Sharif from becoming prime minister for the fourth time.

    The senator said that when he met Nawaz before the election, he felt that Nawaz was not eager to take the role.

    “I was present in the meeting where Nawaz Sharif announced to give the premiership to Shehbaz Sharif. Even if Nawaz had even 1% desire to become PM, is there any power that could stop him from becoming PM?” he asked.