Category: Politics

News stories of Politics, for the topics that matter the most to young professionals and college students, political news reported with a different angle.

  • Journalist questions US ‘internal matter’ response to Imran’s arrest, compares to other countries

    Journalist questions US ‘internal matter’ response to Imran’s arrest, compares to other countries

    Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, was recently questioned about his country’s “subdued and muted” response to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest.

    In a recent press briefing, a journalist asked Miller about whether he thought Khan got a fair trial. To this, Miller responded by saying, “We think it’s an internal matter for Pakistan. And we continue to call for the respect of democratic principles, human rights and rule of law in Pakistan, as we do around the world.”

    The journalist then said, “Some people describe that response as subdued and muted,” asking if that was because of Imran Khan’s criticism of the USA when he was Prime Minister.

    “I think our response to this arrest and his previous arrest have been consistent,” Miller replied, repeating again that it was an internal matter for Pakistan.

    Another journalist then asks, “How is that different from the Navalny case,” referring to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for allegedly funding an extremist organisation. The US had strongly condemned Navalny’s detention.

    Miller replied, “There are times when the case is so obviously unfounded that the United States believes it should say something about the matter. We have not made that determination here.”

  • Arif Alvi, establishment strike deal?

    Arif Alvi, establishment strike deal?

    Senior analyst Muzamil Suharwardy has alleged that President Arif Alvi will announce the election date very soon as part of a deal he has striken with the establishment.

    During a programme on Naya Daur TV, the analyst said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum met with President Alvi to finalize a deal between both parties. President Alvi will not voice any objections regarding the Official Secret Act and Army Act, Suharwardy narrated.

    The analyst also said that the President asked the establishment to provide a smooth path so that he could face the public with dignity. Not objecting to the Official Secret Act and Army Act will be part of the agreement.

    According to Suharwardy, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will file a plea stating that the president has no right to announce the election date. The matter will then shift to the Supreme Court (SC), where the upcoming chief justice, Qazi Faez Esa has already said that no such case can be heard until the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill case is finalized.

    Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial will consequently face criticism from both the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    “A fixed match will be played between President Alvi and the establishment,” Suharwardy said.

  • 60,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court: Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar

    60,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court: Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar

    Pakistan Bar Council Vice-Chairman Haroon-ur-Rashid has said that there are an estimated 60,000 cases pending in the Supreme Court, emphasizing that despite being repeatedly highlighted, important cases are still not scheduled for early hearing.

    Addressing the full court ceremony at the commencement of the new judicial year, Haroon-ur-Rashid said that no transparent system has been devised for the hearing of pending cases.

    He pointed out that in most cases, detailed decisions are not issued on time, and in between, judges retire. In some cases, larger benches were ordered, but that has not happened either. He requested the nominated Chief Justice to fix the benches in the same week as new and urgent cases are filed.

    Haroon-ur-Rashid added that a large number still await the first hearing. “There is a general impression that when the cases of a few special people are filed, they are immediately settled, whereas the general cases are fixed after a long time resulting in disappointment,” he said, adding that this practice should, henceforth, be dispelled.

    He further said that a system should be created in which cases are assigned without discrimination, the common people do not feel deprived and trust in the institution persists. He further highlighted that decisions have been made in many cases but their written orders have not been provided.

    Vice-Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Haroon-ur-Rashid also said that complete information should be provided to the Supreme Body of Lawyers, hoping the apex court will not be deprived of the right to access information.

  • ‘Striving to bring back abducted football players from Dera Bugti,’ says interior minister

    ‘Striving to bring back abducted football players from Dera Bugti,’ says interior minister

    An operation is underway by the Frontier Corps Balochistan (North) for the recovery of six kidnapped footballers in Dera Bugti, Balochistan. Seven suspects have been arrested so far.

    On Saturday (September 9), six footballers were kidnapped by unknown armed assailants in Dera Bugti while they were on their way to Sibi to participate in the Chief Minister Balochistan Gold Cup tournament.

    “FC Balochistan (North) is tirelessly striving to bring back the abducted football players from #DeraBugti. Your prayers are needed. Hoping for safe recovery. InshAllah,” tweeted caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday.

    Around 24 players were on their way to Sibi when they were abducted at gunpoint by armed men, reported Dawn. However, the kidnappers released 18 players but kept six. According to the Dera Bugti deputy commissioner, the kidnapped footballers are residents of Dera Bugti and Sui.

  • Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said in a media talk on Sunday that the federal administration will have zero tolerance against smuggling. He also said that the caretaker government will give prize money to those who provide information on smuggling, hoarding, and illegal immigrants.

    In a joint press conference with the caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, Sarfaraz Bugti also stressed that all state institutions will go to any length to eliminate the menace of smuggling and hoarding in the country.

    The caretaker government recovered sugar and urea in a very large quantity in different parts of the country, and operations against wheat, sugar, urea, dollars, and other commodities is still continuing, he added.

    Almost 59 people who were involved in the illegal business of Hundi-Hawala have also been arrested, the security czar said.

    “But what is ironic is that now the elements involved in smuggling have started hoarding various things,” he added.

    On a question regarding terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, Bugti said that the neighbouring country should abide by the Doha Agreement, which is a surety that Afghan soil will not be used against any country.

  • FC official killed in targeted Peshawar blast, eight injured

    A vehicle belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC’s Mohmand Rifles regiment was targeted Monday morning at 10:30am in Peshawar. According to the Warsak Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Arshad Khan the blast occurred when the vehicle was headed toward Peshawar from Machni.

    A Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was martyred and eight others, including two civilians were injured. The blast took place near Prime Hospital Complex on Peshawar’s Warsak Road.

    The incident took place just one day after acting interim Minister Sarfraz Bugti downplayed the rise in militancy in the country, stating there was no need for fear since “a little surge [in terrorism] is not so big as to make us panic.”

  • Fawad says PPP, JUI-F, ANP ‘hypocritical’ for blaming PML-N for inflation

    Fawad says PPP, JUI-F, ANP ‘hypocritical’ for blaming PML-N for inflation

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has a surprising ally as far as allegations of responsibility for inflation go. Fawad Chaudhry has said that PML-N’s former coalition partners Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Awami National Party (ANP) are being “extremely hypocritical” by blaming PML-N for inflation.

    “I am a severe critic of PMLn but to be fair the way PPP,ANP and now JUI are shifting everything on PMLn and Shahbaz Sharif is extremely hypocritical, they all were partners in crime how can they absolve themselves from what they all did to people of Pak in a partnership,” Fawad wrote in a tweet on Friday.

    The post came in response to an interview in which JUI-F’s Maulana Amjad Khan told Express Tribune that his party should not be blamed for inflation as the main ministries and the Prime Minister seat in the coalition government were with PML-N. However, he did add that global commodity prices were rising, emphasizing that this was not a phenomenon solely limited to Pakistan.

    Earlier in the week, JUI-F emir and head of the former ruling coalition of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, blamed PPP for delay in elections.

    Talking to journalists in Lahore, Fazl said that all the parties in PDM had agreed to hold elections early last year. However, Fazl said, PPP went back on its promise, thus the tabling of the Vote of No Confidence.

    Fazlur Rehman also predicted that elections will be held by the end of February next year, but cautioned that an uptick in terrorism related incidents in former FATA regions could make campaigning there extremely difficult.

  • Another ‘unusual’ huddle in Aiwan-e-Sadr sets rumour mill in overdrive

    Another ‘unusual’ huddle in Aiwan-e-Sadr sets rumour mill in overdrive

    A few days after an unexpected meeting among three important people at the President House, another ‘unusual’ meeting took place on Sep 8 (today).
    Former information minister Muhammad Ali Durrani met President Arif Alvi on the completion of the president’s constitutional term.

    Muhammad Ali Durrani is the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F). He also served as information minister in the era of late military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. In 2021, during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, he proposed starting a dialogue between stakeholders.

    In 2020, the former information minister met former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Kot Lakhpat jail during Imran Khan’s tenure to convey an “important message”. 

    According to Geo News, the former information minister called on President Alvi at Aiwan-e-Sadr. However, no official statement has been issued about the huddle.

    “Political pundits are terming the meeting unusual, as Durrani was inactive in politics for a long time and played a key role in the backdoor meeting,” the publication said.

    Earlier, sources told The News that two important personalities met President Alvi in Aiwan-e-Sadr. The meeting was held on the fourth floor of the Aiwan-e-Sadr, with the premises being off-limits for everyone, including staff.

  • IG Punjab promises ‘good news’ soon in ongoing search for missing journalist Imran Riaz

    IG Punjab promises ‘good news’ soon in ongoing search for missing journalist Imran Riaz

    Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar, during a court hearing addressing a plea concerning the whereabouts of anchorperson Imran Riaz, asserted on Wednesday that the police were poised to deliver “good news” in the coming days. As a result of this statement, the court granted an extension for additional time to locate the missing journalist.

    Imran Riaz has remained untraceable since his apprehension at Sialkot airport on May 11, a mere two days following widespread protests triggered by the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan on May 9. His last known location was the Cantt police station immediately following his arrest, and subsequently, he was transferred to Sialkot prison.

    It’s worth noting that Imran Riaz was among several journalists taken into custody in the aftermath of the May 9 protests. Following these events, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed on May 16 by the anchorperson’s father, Muhammad Riaz, alleging the abduction of his son. 

    According to Dawn, the FIR listed “unidentified persons” and police officials as suspects under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, pertaining to kidnapping or abducting with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person.

    In parallel, the journalist’s father initiated legal proceedings by submitting a plea to the Lahore High Court for the recovery of his son. 

    Today, Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti presided over the case and was apprised by the Punjab IG of positive progress in the ongoing investigation. 

    In his statement, the IG assured the court of forthcoming positive developments within the next 10 to 15 days and requested additional time for their efforts to locate Imran Riaz.

  • India to be renamed soon?

    A proposal to officially change India’s name to Bharat may be tabled by the Narendra Modi-led government during the upcoming special session of the Parliament from September 18-22.

    Speculation about the name change was fuelled amid reports that Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of “President of Bharat” instead of the usual “President of India”.

    The Constitution of India currently refers to the country as “India, that is Bharat…”, but there is a growing call among the ruling party’s right-wing support base to amend this to simply “Bharat”.

    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Parvesh Verma has also prepared a private member’s bill seeking to amend the Constitution’s preamble to remove the word India even as lawmakers have been informed that there will be no private members’ day or zero question hours during the special session.

    Verma’s bill says the name Bharat has been widely recognised internationally as an alternate name for India as reported by Hindustan Times.

    “By officially adopting ‘Bharat’ as the formal name of our nation, we will establish a unified identity in global forums, promoting India’s cultural and historical heritage on the international stage. Renaming India as ‘Bharat’ will reinforce our cultural identity, foster national unity, and project a more authentic representation of our country’s rich heritage on the global stage.” It adds this move will align with the aspirations of the citizens seeking to embrace and “celebrate our cultural roots.”

    There was no official confirmation of the introduction of the renaming bill even as the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc constituents linked the reference to the Bharat in the G20 invite to the BJP’s nervousness over the formidable challenge they pose to the ruling party.

    On the previous Thursday, the government announced a special session, triggering speculation that it has been convened for a Uniform Civil Code legislation, the celebration of India’s G20 presidency, and the new Parliament building, etc.

    BJP’s ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been pushing for the change in name from India, using Bharat in its communication.

    Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rashtrapati Bhawan’s invite for the G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of “President of Bharat” instead of the usual “President of India”. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he cited the Constitution’s Article 1 that “Bharat, that is India, shall be a Union of States” and added now even this “Union of States” is under assault.

    Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asked the BJP whether it would change the name of Bharat if the opposition alliance INDIA renamed itself Bharat.
    “There is no official information about it but I have heard rumours. Why is this happening? Some parties have come together to form the INDIA bloc. If the INDIA alliance changes its name to Bharat, will they rename Bharat?” Kejriwal said. “This is treason.”

    People took to X to question the alleged decision by the BJP. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K.Stalin, said, “After Non-BJP forces united to dethrone the fascist BJP regime and aptly named their alliance #INDIA, now the BJP wants to change ‘India’ for ‘Bharat.’”

    Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, since 2009 and writer Shashi Tharoor and said, “I hope the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with “India”

    Investigative Journalist Saurav Das took a rather humorous take and questioned why ‘Prime Minister of India’ isn’t being called ‘Emperor of Bharat’.

    Journalist Nidhi Razdan questioned whether every stakeholder was contacted in this regard or not stating that India belongs to all instead of one political party.