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Tag: Shehbaz Sharif

  • ‘Arab rulers who presented gifts to PM Khan didn’t want their names to be made public’: Fawad

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry recently revealed that Arab rulers who presented gifts to the Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan “did not want their names to be made public”.

    While speaking on Geo News programme ‘Jirga’ with senior journalist Saleem Safi on Sunday, Fawad stated, “Previously, the heads of the government were allowed to take gifts after paying 15 per cent of the actual price.”

    “Vehicles were considered personal gifts, but former president Asif Ali Zardari changed the law for personal interest,” he added while criticising the past governments.

    Talking about the local elections in the country, the minister admitted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s biggest failure was “not holding local body elections” in Pakistan. Moreover, he said that the local bodies, formed by former Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif, were not effective and could not be restored on a technical basis.

    He added that PM insisted on having elections but members within the party, including Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, didn’t agree to it.

    He further said that a review petition against the restoration of the local bodies is being heard in the Supreme Court (SC).

    Chaudhry said that the government has no personal rivalry with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) but the election body directly attacked the PM during the Senate polls.

    Furthermore, he revealed a total of 0.6 million Election Voting Machines (EVM) will be required for the upcoming general elections of 2023.

    Previously, the federal government denied giving out information about the exchange of gifts between the premier and other heads of state. They mentioned in a notice that the matter is reflective of inter-state relations and the disclosure of such information potentially damages the interest of Pakistan in the context of international relations.

  • Dengue on the rise in Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif urges govt to protect people

    Ninety-two cases of dengue have been reported in Punjab in the last 24 hours, Dawn has reported. Of those 92 cases, 64 cases were reported from Lahore. As per the details, 828 cases of dengue virus have been reported in Punjab, and 687 in Lahore.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif has urged the government to implement dengue control guidelines to protect people.

    “Dengue is spreading & people are getting infected. I would ask the government to implement the dengue control guidelines & protocols that are already in place to mitigate the threat. People’s lives are precious and every measure should be adopted to protect them from dengue,” Shehbaz wrote in a tweet.

    In 2019, more than 8,670 cases of dengue were recorded in Punjab alone with over 50,000 reported from all over Pakistan.

  • Daily Mail yet to submit evidence in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    Daily Mail yet to submit evidence in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    The Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publishers of The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, are yet to submit evidence in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case after seven months of delay, reports Murtaza Ali Shah for Geo News.

    Earlier this year in February, Justice Sir Matthew Nicklin of the London High Court ruled that the article by reporter David Rose carried the highest level of defamation (Chase level 1 – the highest form of defamation in English law) against both Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law Ali Imran Yousaf.

    The Daily Mail has asked for three extensions, citing [previous] continuing travel restrictions and Pakistan’s Red listing as its team was unable to visit Pakistan to collect evidence, as per sources. However, now that the ban has been lifted, the Mail’s lawyer’s third extension is going to end in a few days.

    In July 2019, renowned media law firm Carter-Ruck sued British newspaper The Mail on Sunday, online news site Mail Online and its journalist David Rose on behalf of Shehbaz Sharif for publishing a “politically motivated” article. The story, published on July 14, 2019, had suggested that Shehbaz and his son-in-law Ali Imran Yousaf “stole British taxpayers’ money” given to Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) set up to help the victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

  • PM Imran Khan summoned by Lahore court in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    PM Imran Khan summoned by Lahore court in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    A Sessions Court in Lahore summoned Prime Minister Imran Khan over a defamation lawsuit filed by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif.

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Mudassar Farid Khokhar fixed October 6 for the appearance of the parties personally or through their counsel for further proceedings in the suit filed in 2017.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president has claimed in his petition that the premier has “falsely accused him of offering money to him to stay silent in the Panama Papers case.”

    Sharif’s petition pleads that the baseless and defamatory statements by PM Khan, which were widely circulated by the media, lowered the integrity of Shehbaz and caused him extreme mental torture, agony, and anxiety. The court has been requested to issue a decree for recovery of Rs 10 billion as compensation for the publication of defamatory content in favour of the plaintiff.

    “PM Imran Khan’s allegation damaged my reputation,” stated Shehbaz in the petition.

    In his written statement, Prime Minister Khan states that one of his friends told him that someone known to him and also the Sharif family approached him with an offer to pay billions of rupees if he could convince him (Khan) to stop pursuing the Panama case.

    “Just imagine how much money he offered me to be silent — Rs10 billion! If he can offer me this much money, just imagine how much he could offer to others. That is why if we don’t maintain public pressure on this issue, then after two months it will be dragged to the next year,” Khan had claimed.

    In an interview televised following the statement, Khan had refused to reveal the name of the person who made the offer but did state that this person was close to the then Punjab chief minister.

  • NAB Chairman explainer: why is the govt not talking to Shehbaz?

    NAB Chairman explainer: why is the govt not talking to Shehbaz?

    The four-year tenure of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal will end early next month.

    The non-extendable tenure of the NAB chairman has led to rumours as Prime Minister Imran Khan refuses to consult the Leader of the Opposition and the President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif.

    PM Khan has refused to hold talks with Shehbaz Sharif as the latter is accused of corruption references filed against him by NAB.

    Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking on HUM News programme ‘Hum Meher Bokhari Kay Sath’, said: “The government has decided not to consult Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif for the appointment of NAB chairman since he (Sharif) is accused in several corruption references filed by the bureau (in accountability courts).”

    “The attorney general and the law minister have been tasked to check how can one do the consultation from an accused Leader of the Opposition by weighing other legal options as the tenure of the NAB chairman is about to end,” added Fawad.

    Under the NAB Ordinance, the prime minister has to consult the Opposition Leader for the appointment of the NAB chairman, reports Dawn.

    The ordinance says: “There shall be a Chairman NAB to be appointed by the President in consultation with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly for a non-extendable period of four years on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the President and shall not be removed except on the grounds of removal of Judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan.”

    Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), told Dawn that it would be ‘illegal’ if the government did not consult the Opposition Leader for the appointment of the NAB chairman.

    To a question about the government’s plea that the Opposition Leader was a NAB suspect, Mr Mehboob said: “There is no issue of being a NAB suspect or accused. Unless the opposition leader is convicted the premier can consult him on the matter in accordance with the law.”

    He further said that not only the NAB ordinance demanded consultation with the Opposition Leader but also there was a decision of the apex court in this regard. “To consult the Opposition Leader for the purpose is not a choice but a legal binding,” he maintained.

    NAB has accused Shehbaz of laundering money and owning more assets than his known sources of income.

    In December last year, the anti-graft watchdog had issued orders to freeze 23 properties owned by former Punjab chief executive and his sons, Hamza and Suleman, over claims they had acquired assets beyond their known sources of income and committed money-laundering.

    According to NAB, an investigation against Shehbaz, Hamza, Suleman, and others had revealed that the PML-N president had acquired properties in the name of his wives Nusrat and Tehmina Durrani.

  • ‘Shehbaz Sharif’s watch a gift from his father,’ PML-N responds to Shibli Faraz

    ‘Shehbaz Sharif’s watch a gift from his father,’ PML-N responds to Shibli Faraz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Sunday said that Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz’s comments regarding Shahbaz’s expensive watch are ridiculous and there’s a limit to telling lies.

    Shibli said that while the Opposition Leader always complains about inflation in the country, he himself wears a wristwatch worth Rs10.5 million.

    Responding to Shibli’s comments, Khan said, “There is a limit to telling lies, Shehbaz Sharif has been wearing the wristwatch for the last 50 years out of respect and attachment for his late father.”

    “The wristwatch was bought by late Mian Muhammad Sharif in the 1970s during a trip to Germany,” Shehbaz’s spokesperson said, adding that at the time, the worth of the watch was just Rs2,000.

    “Being the son of [famous Urdu poet Ahmed Faraz], it’s not suitable for you to resort to mudslinging,” Khan said to Shibli. “In terms of performance, you should acknowledge that you have no comparison with Shehbaz Sharif.”

  • VIDEO: ‘Lahore has been destroyed, we miss you,’ woman tells Shehbaz Sharif

    A woman stopped Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

    In the video, the woman with her family can be seen having a conversation with the former Chief Minister of Punjab. She said, “My heart breaks to see garbage in Lahore. We not only want to see you in Lahore but in Pakistan. We miss you.”

    Shehbaz Sharif thanked her for her comments.

  • Shehbaz Sharif proposes new names for vacant ECP posts

    Shehbaz Sharif proposes new names for vacant ECP posts

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif proposed names for the appointment of new provincial members in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in response to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s letter suggesting names for the ECP members.

    Shehbaz suggested the names of Justice (retd) Tariq Iftikhar Ahmed, Justice (retd) Mushtaq Ahmed, Muhammad Javed Anwar, Khalid Masood Chaudhry, Irfan Qadir, and Irfan Ali for Punjab.

    While the names of Syed Afsar Shah, Sardar Hussain Shah, and Sohail Altaf have been suggested for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, by the Opposition leader.

    Earlier on August 27, Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry had said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote a letter to Shehbaz Sharif for the appointment of members to the ECP.

  • Ahsan Iqbal issues show-cause notice to Mian Javed Latif

    Senior journalist Mohammad Malick tweeted on Friday, “Ahsan Iqbal issues show-cause notice to Javed Latif for accusing ‘muffamat’ group in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of ‘assignment’ from someone. This was one of the key demands of the angry half of sharif equation now let’s see what happens to the main demand of Mian Nawaz Sharif truly empowering Shehbaz Sharif as president.”

    Prior to this, an exclusive report by Dawn’s Zulqernain Tahir revealed that Javed Latif has become a bone of contention between the Sharif brothers because Nawaz Sharif did not agree with Shehbaz Sharif to issue Mian Javed Latif a show-cause notice for his serious allegations against the younger Sharif and his group.

    According to the report, a party insider revealed that as a mark of protest, Shehbaz did not attend two back-to-back divisional level meetings of the party in Lahore, which were attended by his elder brother [Nawaz]. Hamza Shehbaz also did not attend these meetings, supporting his father’s stance.

    The former prime minister had asked his brother to wait for a while. After this, Shehbaz did not challenge his elder brother’s opinion but he chose to register a silent protest by not attending the meetings he was supposed to preside over, the insider claimed.

    When contacted by Dawn, Malik Ahmad Khan, the newly appointed spokesperson for the party’s president, admitted that Mr Latif had violated party discipline.

    Latif, who had come close to Maryam Nawaz after going to jail, had told a private news channel that four to five leaders in the PML-N were on an ‘assignment’.

    According to him, four or five leaders in the party got assignments from those who did not believe in law and the constitution. “These leaders must remember the fate of Chaudhry Nisar,” he had warned.

    Maryam Nawaz’s response

    Vice President of PML-N Maryam Nawaz denied the reports, urging the party workers not to pay attention to the propaganda by the enemy saying Nawaz and Shehbaz ‘are one’.

    While addressing a gathering of workers from the Bahawalpur division she said, “This is a democratic party. Differences in opinion may exist. This does not mean that one raises questions pertaining to party leadership. When it comes to the party leadership, everyone agrees with Nawaz Sharif as well as Shehbaz Sharif.”

    Earlier, Mian Javed Latif had claimed that Nawaz Sharif would come to Pakistan this year. Later, Marriyum Aurangzeb contradicted his statement and said, “He will only return to Pakistan when doctors will give a clean bill of health allowing him to travel and when the party decides.”

  • President Alvi addresses joint session in NA amid media protest

    President Dr Arif Alvi addressed a joint sitting of parliament on Monday, marking the start of the fourth parliamentary year of the National Assembly amid chaos outside parliament.

    The President of Pakistan congratulated the members of parliament at the start of the new legislative year and expressed hope that democratic values and the “tradition of tolerance” flourish in Pakistan.

    Amid loud protests by the Opposition, President Alvi said: “Despite you making noise, you will have to accept the reality.”

    Dr Alvi briefly discussed the country’s progress and shed light on various topics.

    Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)

    President Alvi stressed the need to introduce electoral reforms in order to bring transparency to elections in Pakistan.

    Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

    “People paying tax in such large numbers shows complete trust in government policies,” Alvi said, congratulating the government for devising and implementing laws and procedures to address FATF requirements.

    Sexual harassment cases

    Alvi said the government had paid “special attention” to the rights of women.

    “In recent days, incidents of sexual violence against women emerged due to which everyone is sad and I think it is a national responsibility to take steps to curb such incidents,” he said.

    President Alvi added that the government had taken measures to stop such violence and it was also society’s responsibility to play its role. “Making videos while an [harassment] incident is taking place does not suit the Pakistani society, so it will have to protect women so they can wander freely.”

    Corruption

    Because of corruption and wrong priorities, we were not only deprived of progress but also left behind in the world in human development indicators,” Alvi said.

    Health Sector

    He said that “18 million families were benefitting from the health cards so far”.

    “Pakistan is going towards universal health coverage, he added while praising the government’s efforts,” he concluded.

    Kamyab Jawan Programme

    The President noted that the government had set aside Rs260bn through which 12 million families will be given cash income, while Rs100bn had been earmarked for the Kamyab Jawan Programme to give loans to the youth to start businesses.

    Opposition walkout

    During his address, the Opposition kept booing and at last walked out of the session.

    The Opposition also accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser of violating the Constitution by not allowing a debate on the presidential address through­out the third parliamentary year, which ended on August 13.

    Politicians including Shehbaz sharif Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Sherry Rehman, Mian Raza Rabbani and Ahsan Iqbal joined the protest and showed solidarity with the journalists.

    “Thanks to all friends and well-wishers who were sending messages of solidarity the whole night whole day, we just finished a 24 hours protest camp in front of the parliament against threats to media and new proposed law for legalising censorship in Pakistan,” Hamid Mir tweeted, mentioning the end of the protest.

    President Alvi did not mention the journalists’ protest against the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA).