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.

  • ‘China will always stand firmly with Pakistan’; Xi Jinping vows to stand with ally

    “No matter how the international landscape may change, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan,” President Xi Jinping has said in a statement reiterating China’s steadfast support for Pakistan.
    The statement was given as part of a congratulatory message at the CPEC celebration ceremony held in Islamabad on Monday, where the Chinese Vice-president He Lifeng was also present as part of a three day visit to Pakistan.

    Talking about mutual ties, President Xi also stressed that China and Pakistan will keep enhancing overall planning. China will work with Pakistan to further develop CPEC into an exemplary project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, he stated.
    “Since its launch in 2013, China and Pakistan have been advancing CPEC under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and have achieved a number of early harvests,” he added.

    Earlier today, both the countries signed six agreements to promote mutual cooperation.
    The document establishing the joint cooperation committee of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was signed by China’s Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reforms Commission and Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.

  • Tariq Bashir Cheema refutes son’s involvement in Bahawalpur University scandal

    Tariq Bashir Cheema refutes son’s involvement in Bahawalpur University scandal

    Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Tariq Bashir Cheema, has said in a press conference that his son, Walidad Cheema, has no involvement in the Bahawalpur University scandal. He further said that his political rivals are using this case as a tool to defame him.

    A major scandal involving illicit activities, such as the use and sale of drugs, illegal medications and prohibited videos of female students and staff, at the Islamia University in Bahawalpur, surfaced earlier this month.

    Tariq Bashir Cheema, a senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), also demanded that a commission of high court judges be set up to properly investigate the matter.

    Stating that he is willing to cooperate with every inquiry committee along with his son, Cheema stated that he would throw out his son from his house if Walidad had any involvement in the matter.

    On the other hand, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the people who are involved and responsible for this incident will be severely punished.

    Earlier, Islamia University Bahawalpur’s Chief Security Officer was apprehended by police on charges of drug possession and possession of objectionable material, including videos and pictures of the university’s female officials and students.

  • Former KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan gets expelled by PTI

    Former KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan gets expelled by PTI

    After joining the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday terminated the membership of the former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mahmood Khan.

    Wilson Wazeer, Ishtia Urmar, Iqbal Wazeer, Yaqoob Sheikh, and Shafiq Afridi, all former KP legislators, have also been dismissed from the PTI.
    Days after being expelled from the PTI earlier this month, Pervez Khattak, a former close aide to Imran Khan, founded PTI-Parliamentarians.
    On announcing the launch of the new party, the former defense minister condemned the attacks of May 9.

    “Our existence is directly linked to that of Pakistan. PTI is now completely finished in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the former provincial chief minister said.

    Two other close aides, Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan, along with other individuals, founded the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party last month.

  • Shabbar Zaidi says Pakistan would have economically collapsed had Imran Khan govt continued

    Shabbar Zaidi says Pakistan would have economically collapsed had Imran Khan govt continued

    The economic performance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has been criticised by Shabbar Zaidi, one of its own highest ranking officials.

    In an interview with Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada, Zaidi said that Pakistan would have economically collapsed had the PTI government continued.

    “Had this […] government continued, the party would not have even secured 5% votes as the country would have economically collapsed,” the former Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) head, appointed with much fanfare at the time by Imran Khan, said on the show.

    Accusing the then-Prime Minister of not “listening” to anyone who was offering advice to rectify the government’s shortcomings, Zaidi said that Imran Khan did remove Asad Umar as Finance Minister when told of the government’s poor performance.

    He narrated an incident where 40 parliamentarians, led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, barged into his office after he “mistakenly” sent a tax notice to a landlord in Multan.

    He also accused Asad Qaiser, the former Speaker of the National Assembly of preventing the tobacco industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from being brought into the tax net.

    “You cannot do this…you cannot enter our areas,” Qaiser told Zaidi.

    Shabbar Zaidi was the head of FBR from 2019 till 2020.

  • New vehicles for government officials; LHC issues notices to Punjab caretaker govt

    New vehicles for government officials; LHC issues notices to Punjab caretaker govt

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to the Punjab caretaker government and others after hearing a petition filed against the purchase of new vehicles for government officials.

    The lawyer of the Punjab government objected to the admissibility of the application, while the petitioner, Shiraz Altaf, has made the Punjab caretaker government and others a party, asserting that public money should be used for the welfare of the people.

    The petitioner said that the caretaker government can only run the daily running of the province, having no public mandate, it cannot use public funds. The court has been requested to annul the notification of purchase of new vehicles for officers.

  • ‘This is not Punjab Police’; When Gen Bajwa resigned in anger

    ‘This is not Punjab Police’; When Gen Bajwa resigned in anger

    Since the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a Vote of No Confidence in April 2022, political analysts have wondered what led to a falling out between the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the then-Army Chief, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    Kamran Yousaf has unveiled new details of the falling-out between the two. In a report for Express Tribune, Yousaf has revealed that at one point in the growing chasm between the two, General Bajwa resigned from the post of Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    On the morning of October 7, 2021, General Bajwa informed Azam Khan, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, that he was resigning, giving the Premier one week to appoint a new Chief.

    The information, conveyed on a phone call, left the government in panic. Within the hour, top military officials reached out to General Bajwa, pleading with him to not resign.

    How had matters reached this point? The fallout begun when Imran Khan secured a vote of confidence after his candidate for senate, Hafeez Sheikh, was defeated by the opposition’s candidate, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani. General Bajwa told Imran Khan that after securing members for his vote, the establishment will no longer manage political maneuvering for his government.
    He was also told that General Faiz Hameed, Director-General of Inter-Serviced Intelligence (DG ISI) will be transferred from his post, in line with army procedures. Imran asked for a month, then more time.

    In October, General Bajwa informed the Prime Minister that the transfer cannot be delayed further, to which Imran replied by asking for changes in the procedure. This led to a heated argument between the two former proponents of ‘same page’.

    “This is not the Punjab Police, Mr Prime Minister,” Bajwa told Imran bluntly.

    Imran agreed to the change, leading to ISPR issuing a notification.

    The very next morning, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry issued a statement that the appointment was the Prime Minister’s domain, hinting that the appointment was not done with his approval.

    A furious General Bajwa conveyed to the PM office his decision to resign. Convinced to not do so by military officials, he again met Imran Khan where the two reached a compromise.

    General Faiz would serve for a few more weeks while Imran would then agree to Bajwa’s candidate.

    The relationship between the two was, however, damaged and would never be the same again.

  • Imran Khan to be indicted in ECP contempt case in August

    Imran Khan to be indicted in ECP contempt case in August

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the indictment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan till August 2 in a contempt case filed against him, Geo News has reported.

    The ECP had on Monday ordered that the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) be arrested and presented before the ECP in a case in which he allegedly used “”intemperate” language against the constitutional body and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

    A four-member bench, headed by Nisar Durrani, heard the case.

    One of the members of the bench said that the commission will frame the charge against the former PM on August 2, and the bench directed that Imran Khan should appear in person at the next hearing.

    Earlier last year, the ECP issued contempt notices in exercise of its powers of contempt, against PTI chief Imran Khan and party leaders for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and ECP. The electoral body asked them to appear in person or through their counsel before the commission to explain their position.

    During today’s hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shaheen Sohail, requested to adjourn the hearing until September.

    “We have only one month of vacation, and since you asked for a personal appearance, we have appeared”, Shaheen said.

    He further added, “Earlier, there were other lawyers on this case; now, I am the lawyer. This is my first appearance.”

  • Court accepts petition declaring Imran Khan’s sisters and PTI leaders absconders

    Court accepts petition declaring Imran Khan’s sisters and PTI leaders absconders

    An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has accepted a petition filed by the police to declare Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s sisters and other PTI leaders ‘absconders’ for not cooperating with the ongoing investigation related to the May 9 riots cases.

    Police told the court that PTI leaders are not cooperating with the investigation and are currently in hiding. According to the police, those PTI leaders are involved in the May 9 riots.

    The police, therefore, pleaded with the court to declare the aforementioned individuals “absconders”.

    The court has initiated the process with Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, Aslam Iqbal, Hammad Azhar, Farrukh Habib, Murad Saeed, Zubair Niazi, Hassaan Niazi, Ali Amin Gandapur, Azam Swati, Andleeb Abbas and others named in the plea.

    On the other hand, the court has also extended the judicial remand of PTI’s senior leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhary, and former Punjab governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema.

    The court has also directed the police to submit challans against them at the next hearing.

  • Police arrest couple in DIG Jamal’s death inquiry

    Police arrest couple in DIG Jamal’s death inquiry

    Lahore police have arrested a man and his wife for questioning in Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shariq Jamal’s death inquiry.  

    The police officer was found dead in mysterious circumstances at an apartment on Saturday morning. At the time, conflicting media reports said that the policeman was found dead at his residence, while others said his body was found in an apartment in DHA.

    According to media reports, a couple shifted him to a private hospital in DHA.

    However, after further investigation by the police, it came to light that DIG was at the couple’s flat.

    The husband and wife revealed that the DIG was with them, and they brought him to the hospital after his health took a turn for the worse.

    According to the details, DIG was brought to the hospital at 1:30 a.m. and declared dead on arrival.

    The police confirmed that Shariq Jamal was not at his residence but at an apartment in Lahore, and he had shifted to the hospital from there.

    The authorities have decided to investigate the matter, transferring the body of the DIG to Jinnah Hospital for a postmortem.

  • Supreme Court will intervene if martial law-like situation happens

    Supreme Court will intervene if martial law-like situation happens

    If a martial law-like situation arises, then the Supreme Court will intervene, the apex court has said during a hearing on petitions against the trials of civilians in military courts.

    Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial said that the present case is not related to the death penalty.

    Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan describes the procedure of military trials in court.

    A six-member larger bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Atta Bandial, is hearing the case. Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Ayesha Malik are part of the larger bench.

    The AGP said in his arguments that incidents like May 9 have never happened in the history. He also mentioned that the faces of the people involved in May 9 riots are very clear.

    The Attorney General said that the court should adjourn further hearing for a month. In response, the chief justice said that the court will consult with each other and inform him about the next hearing date.

    Journalist Hasnaat Malik tweeted after the hearing, “So final fate of civilian’s trial in military courts will be decided during next CJP era. CJP Bandial wants stay in commencement of civilians trials till his retirement. He also made it clear that there is no martial law in the country”.