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.

  • EU parliament urges Indian PM Modi to protect minorities

    EU parliament urges Indian PM Modi to protect minorities

    On Thursday, the European Parliament urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end ethnic violence in Manipur, and to do more to protect ethnic and religious minorities in India. Modi is currently on an official visit to France, having been invited to attend the country’s annual Bastille Day national festival as a guest of honour. 

    However, between the ceremony and the diplomatic courting, EU parliamentarians in Strasbourg approved a motion that urged India to end violence in the country’s northeastern Manipur state, and to protect the minorities there. 

    The motion also criticised the ‘national rhetoric’ of the local state government, run by Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). EU parliamentarian Pierre Larrouturou released a statement on his Twitter, with an accompanying video.

    In his tweet, Larrouturou stated that Modi and Macron can “pretend that everything is going well in India”,however, the EU parliament is recalling facts, and strongly condemns the human rights violations that take place in India.

    “Every day in India, thousands of Muslims, Christians, and members of ethnic minorities see their rights repressed,” the statement read. “To remain silent on the situation would have been a humiliation for all those who fight for their fights and suffer every day from the Hindu nationalism imposed by the Modi government.”

    In May, CNN reported how residents of Manipur say there has been a breakdown of law and order. This was after a spell of violence that left at least 58 dead and tens of thousands more homeless.

    In a speech to the public, Larrouturou went on to point out, “In Manipur, for the past two months, we have seen monstrous violence. Over 120 people have died and 1700 homes have been devastated, 250 churches have been destroyed, 40,000 people have fled for their lives.”

    Despite differences over the war in Ukraine, namely India’s continued support to Russia, as well as tensions over human rights violations in the country, Western democracies are courting Modi and what is currently the world’s most populous country, as a counterweight to China’s influence in Asia.

    India is also one of the largest global buyers of French arms. On Thursday, India approved in principle the purchase of 26 French marine Rafale jets and three Scorpene-class submarines, news agency ANI reported. 

    During Modi’s last visit to Paris in 2015, he announced a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets worth around €4 billion ($4.48 billion).

  • Taliban praises Twitter’s freedom of speech and credibility amidst Threads launch

    Taliban praises Twitter’s freedom of speech and credibility amidst Threads launch

    Twitter’s challenges in attracting advertisers, maintaining site functionality, and retaining users have been widely discussed. However, amidst these struggles, an unexpected endorsement has emerged from an unlikely source—the Taliban. Anas Haqqani, a prominent figure within the Taliban, recently expressed his appreciation for Twitter in light of Meta’s Threads, a rival platform that gained over 100 million users within a few days of its launch.

    Haqqani, in justifying his decision to remain active on Twitter, highlighted two key advantages the platform offered. “The first privilege is the freedom of speech,” he stated. “The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter. Twitter doesn’t have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it.”

    Meta, the parent company of Threads, has made it clear that the new platform will adhere to the same content guidelines as its sister app, Instagram. This includes a stipulation that explicitly prohibits support or praise for terrorism, organised crime, or hate groups.

    Elon Musk’s involvement in Twitter’s operations has been marked by a series of seemingly arbitrary policy decisions, the loosening of moderation guidelines and enforcement capabilities, resulting in chaotic circumstances, and a focus on prioritising paying users. Under Musk’s leadership, instances of hate speech have surged, and ad sales for the platform have experienced a significant decline of 59% since the previous year.

    It is difficult to argue that having members of the Taliban celebrate the extent to which they can exploit the platform does not present a compelling case for potential ad buyers. Twitter, grappling with these challenges, must now confront the task of restoring confidence in its ability to provide a safe and appealing environment for both users and advertisers alike.

  • Court declares Imran-Bushra marriage case admissible

    Court declares Imran-Bushra marriage case admissible

    Additional District and Session Judge (ADSJ), Islamabad, Muhammad Azam Khan, has on Thursday declared a case pertaining to the alleged illegal marriage of Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan with Bushra Bibi during iddat admissible.

    The judge has remanded back the case by dismissing the civil court’s verdict. Earlier, the civil court had declared the case of illegal marriage of the former Prime Minister inadmissible.

    The petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, claimed that Bushra Bibi got divorced in November 2017 and married Imran Khan on January 1, 2018, which means that her Iddat period had not ended, “which is against the Sharia and Muslim norms.”

    Muhammad Hanif also submitted the statements of Mufti Muhammad Saeed, who conducted the marriage between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, and Auwn Chaudary, a former close friend of Imran Khan. Auwn Chaudhary was also one of the witnesses at the wedding.

    The petitioner said that Bushra Bibi moved to Islamabad soon after their nikah, which is the reason for filing a case in Islamabad.

    After the completion of arguments, the ADSJ declared the case admissible and returned it to civil court for hearing.

  • Interior Minister takes notice of threats to Hindu community

    Interior Minister takes notice of threats to Hindu community

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Friday took notice of threats to the Hindu community, instructing ministry officials to contact officers of Sindh government.

    Member of the National Assembly (MNA), Kheal Das Kohistani, met Rana Sanaullah and informed him about the recent situation and events in Sindh. In the meeting, it was emphasised to improve protection of the Hindu community.

    The Interior Minister further said that the protection of all religious minorities, including the Hindu community, is the responsibility of the state.

    On the other hand, in the northern districts of Sindh, police have increased the security of Hindu temples. According to police officials, the security has increased after the threats of dacoits for the return of Seema Rind.

    It should be noted that in the beginning of this month, Seema Haider, a Pakistani citizen, reached India with her four children after befriending a Hindu Indian boy on the PUBG game. In interviews given to BBC, Seema has said that she will live in India and not return to Pakistan.

    The highly publicised story led to extremist threats against the Hindu community in Sindh.

  • Our government will end on August 14 2023: Shehbaz Sharif

    Our government will end on August 14 2023: Shehbaz Sharif

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday, while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, that the government will end on August 14 and a caretaker government will take charge.

    Shehbaz Sharif became prime minister last year in April after a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

     “I assure you that our government will end on August 14, and whenever elections happen, the ECP will announce it, and I hope that whichever government comes, it prioritises education,” Shehbaz said while addressing an event in Islamabad.

    Shehbaz Sharif had already mentioned his plans on Thursday while addressing the nation but he also said that the country will be the responsibility of the caretaker government after the end of his tenure in August 2023.
    Earlier, a parliamentary committee sped up work on election reforms by examining 73 rectification proposals presented before it.

  • Parliamentary Panel speeds up work on electoral reforms as elections loom closer

    Parliamentary Panel speeds up work on electoral reforms as elections loom closer

    A parliamentary committee has sped up work on election reforms by examining 73 rectification proposals presented before it, The News has reported.

    The parliamentary panel has decided to finalise the suggestions by next week and will get the reforms to the election act approved by both houses of parliament before the National Assembly’s tenure ends in August.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also said that the tenure of the National Assembly will end in August this year.

    An in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee headed by its chairman and the Economic Affairs Minister, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, was held to finalize recommendations.

    Law Minister Azam Tarar, Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar, Senator Taj Haider, MNA Afzal Dhandla, Senator Manzoor Ahmed, Senator Kamran Murtaza, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary attended the meeting.

    Ayyaz Sadiq said, while talking to the media, that there is no proposal to ban any political party, and the parliamentary committee’s job is to make electoral reforms.

    “We will review the contentious issues on Thursday besides drafting the agreed-upon proposals. The controversial issues that need further discussion will be examined on Monday,” he said.

    Sadiq also mentioned that effective proposals will be taken into consideration for transparent elections.

  • Pervez Khattak thrown out of PTI

    Pervez Khattak thrown out of PTI

    Once one of the most important members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pervez Khattak has on Wednesday been thrown out of the party for failing to respond to a show-cause notice issued on June 21.

    Khattak, who became a powerful Chief Minister and the President of the party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), had been asked in the show cause notice to explain why he was asking workers to quit the party.

    A termination letter was sent to Khattak by PTI General Secretary Omar Ayub Khan while a copy of the same was also posted on the party’s social media handles.

    “Your membership from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has been terminated with immediate effect,” said the letter.

    Khattak himself had resigned from the post of KP party president after May 9 riots.

  • Journalist removed from PTV panel after questioning PM Shehbaz

    Journalist removed from PTV panel after questioning PM Shehbaz

    President of Lahore Press Club, Azam Chaudhry, was dismissed by state-run PTV after questioning Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the “diminishing space for freedom of speech” and the increased restrictions over media in Pakistan during a press conference in the provincial capital. 

    Chaudhry posed a two-part question to the prime minister, addressing both widespread media restrictions in the country as well as the interim government’s plan to continue executing the current economic policy. He inquired about the end of media restrictions, specifically, when would journalists be granted the freedom to speak and write without constraint. 

    In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his disapproval of curbs on media freedom but deflected responsibility to Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb, while acknowledging the need to distinguish between politics and the authority of the state, emphasized that the two should be treated separately.

    In a conversation with The Current, Chaudhry revealed that he was reportedly told by PTV right after the conference that he would not be invited back to his regularly scheduled program Ba-khaber, of which he is one of the pioneer journalists since 2022. 

    He also shared that he was informed earlier in the day that PTV would be doing a panel program after the press conference with two other journalists, Sajjad Mir and Salman Ghani. However, after his questions to PM Shehbaz, he was taken off-air and told that he was no longer with PTV.

    Many news platforms have reported that Azam Chaudhry lost his contract with the state channel; he asserts that he never claimed to be an employee of PTV. He was working as a freelance journalist, with an ‘approval letter’ stating he would be paid PKR 18,000 per program appearance (for Ba-khaber), for three programs per week. 

    According to Chaudhry, the moment the press conference concluded, PTV verbally conveyed to him that he would not be invited back to present on Ba-khaber, so he could take his leave. 

    Speaking to The Current, Chaudhry chuckled at how well-punctuated his point at the press conference became after his dismissal. “I talked about freedom of expression at the press conference, and I was off-aired right after – it proves my initial point [of ongoing media restrictions]”. 

    Ironically enough, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was reportedly discussing his government’s media-friendly policy at the very same press conference, chiding the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for only inviting “chosen journalists” to media interactions. According to the Tribune, however, leading journalists from prominent English dailies were excluded from this particular press conference.

    Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted earlier that the story is “completely false and baseless”. She reiterated Dar’s point of the previous PTI government being declared a ‘Press Freedom Predator’ by Reporters Without Borders, and only allowing selected reporters and journalists to its press conferences. 

    In conversation with the Express Tribune, Chaudhry said journalists in Pakistan were operating in a “very suffocating environment”, where they were not allowed to express themselves freely. 

    “I was not fired on establishment’s orders, I was fired by this government, but in the larger scheme of things, people would blame them.” he said, adding that this tenure also “exposes Pakistan People’s Party and their claims of being upholders of democratic principles”.

  • Benazir Bhutto, Malala Yousafzai in the list of the most influential women’ in the world

    Benazir Bhutto, Malala Yousafzai in the list of the most influential women’ in the world

    Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, and education activist, Malala Yousafzai, have recently been added to the list of ‘most influential women in the world’.

    In the list published recently by Marie Claire, a renowned French magazine, the late Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto and Malala Yousufzai were included in the list of 60 women.

    The women on the list belong to every walk of life, from women’s rights activists and pioneers of racial equality to inventors, scientists, actors, and world leaders.

    Succinctly expressing the achievements of the former Pakistani People’s Party (PPP) leader, the website wrote, “Bhutto became the first woman prime minister of Pakistan in 1988. After a military coup overthrew her father’s government, she inherited the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party.”

    Moreover, describing Malala’s achievements, it added: “Yousafzai survived a gunshot wound to the face by the Taliban and has since become a spokesperson for human rights, education, and women’s rights. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”

    Some other prominent names mentioned in the list include Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Gloria Steinem, Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Queen Elizabeth II and Indira Gandhi.

  • PM orders foolproof measures for possible flood conditions in eastern rivers

    PM orders foolproof measures for possible flood conditions in eastern rivers

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave orders to related authorities on Monday to make foolproof arrangements to tackle any possible flood in eastern rivers, including Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej.

    He has also gave orders to related departments to create awareness among the people about the possibility of flooding.

    Appreciating the personnel of Rangers and Rescue 1122 for immediate evacuation and assistance for the people trapped in flood waters in the Shakargarh area, the Prime Minister said that their actions helped save several people, including women and children.  

    “I along with the whole nation pay tribute to the country’s dutiful personnel”, he remarked.

    On Sunday, India released 185,000 cusecs of water in the river Ravi, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed. According to a report in Dunya News, the released water will reach the Shadra area of Lahore in the next 24 hours.