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.

  • US disassociates itself from Zalmay Khalilzad’s statements on Pakistan and Imran Khan

    US disassociates itself from Zalmay Khalilzad’s statements on Pakistan and Imran Khan

    The United States (US) has come forward to clarify that its former envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad’s disapproval of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s attempted arrest and his view on Pakistan’s political situation doesn’t reflect the country’s foreign policy.

    State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said Zalmay did not speak for the administration of President Joe Biden as he is a “private citizen”.

    On March 14, Zalmay tweeted that Khan shouldn’t be arrested as it will deepen the crisis and called for early elections. He also said that Pakistan “despite great potential, is underperforming and falling far behind its archrival, India.”

    After these statements, Pakistan’s Foreign Office advised him to refrain from offering advice on the country’s domestic issues. 

    Zalmay had served as the special envoy for Afghan reconciliation under both the former US President Trump and current President Joe Biden administrations.

  • Can ECP change election date set by President Alvi? Supreme Court will resume hearing tomorrow

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Monday heard a plea by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the Election Commission’s decision to delay Punjab elections till October 8 after which the apex court issued notices to the commission and to the governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    The five-member larger bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail — heard the case.

    The apex court also sought guarantees from the government and PTI for remaining peaceful for free, fair, and transparent elections. 

    PTI’s lawyer Ali Zafar pointed out that the Ministry of Interior and Defence refused to provide security personnel.

    Zafar said that the Constitution does not allow the postponement of elections on the basis of the administration’s non-cooperation.

    “What guarantee is there that the situation will be better in October?” he questioned.

    The hearing was adjourned till 11:30am tomorrow (Tuesday).

    Earlier, ECP delayed Punjab elections and change the date from April 30 to October 8 after which the commission came under fire from the former ruling party.

    President Arif Alvi set April 30 as the date of the election in Punjab.

    Following the ECP’s announcement, KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali also urged the electoral body to also hold the general elections on the same date (October 8) as the Punjab polls given the growing security threats from terror groups operating from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions.

    No live coverage of rallies in Islamabad

    The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday restricted live coverage of rallies and public gatherings across the federal capital on March 27, hours before PTI chairman Imran Khan was expected to appear before the Islamabad High Court.

    It observed that satellite television channels run live footages/images of violent mobs, attacking on police and law enforcement agencies.

  • ‘Ya Imran ya hum’; Rana Sanaullah thinks Khan’s removal from politics is only solution to current crisis

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, in an interview with PNN News, turned his guns toward Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and blamed him for all the chaos and polarisation in the country.

    The minister was of the view that till the time Khan is in politics, there will never be peace in the country.

    He pointed out that Khan’s supporters considered the government their enemy and there is no solution to this problem.

    “Ya woh siyasat se manfi ho jaye gaye, ya hum, “(Either he will be subtracted from politics or us).

    Sanaullah also warned the PTI chief that “if they push them back, they would be forced to retaliate and will not care about anything.”

    Pakistan is in a deep constitutional and political crisis as the ruling coalition and PTI fight it out. Despite the government’s efforts in the past to talk to PTI, the former ruling party ruled out any possibility.

    However recently, Khan has agreed to sit with rival political parties for “greater national consensus” on elections.

    But no efforts from both side have been made so far.

  • PTI and PDM cabinets spent almost Rs7 crore on foreign tours in 2022

    The federal cabinets of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and former PM Imran Khan have spent nearly Rs7 crore (Rs69.97 million) on foreign trips in 2022, states an investigative report by Abobakar Khan for Samaa.

    A total of Rs652,115,04 were spent by federal ministers of the previous and current government on 25 foreign tours in 2022.

    Among the federal ministers of PM Shehbaz, Federal Minister for National Health Services Abdul Qadir Patel spent Rs1 crore on foreign visits.

    Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar spent Rs8 lac and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs of Pakistan Faisal Subzwari spent Rs6 lac.

    Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman spent almost Rs50 lac on foreign country visits, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail spent 45 lac on foreign country visits.

    During Khan’s tenure, his Adviser on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, Dr Moeed Yousaf, and Adviser on Trade and Investment, Abdul Razzak Dawood, spent Rs10 lac from the national exchequer on foreign tours.

    Khan’s special assistants including Dr Sania Nishtar, Malik Amin Aslam, and Azam Jamil spent almost Rs10 lac on these foreign trips in 2022.

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  • ‘Whether I am in jail or not, party will sweep elections’: Imran Khan

    ‘Whether I am in jail or not, party will sweep elections’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that whether he is in jail or not, his party will “sweep” the elections.

    The former prime minister said he does not know if he will end up getting disqualified or not, but stressed that it “doesn’t matter” because he believes his party has a popularity wave that is “unprecedented” in Pakistan’s history. He made these remarks in a chat with American media group National Public Radio (NPR).

    “What is happening is that the government is petrified of elections. They’re scared that we’re going to win the elections. Therefore, they are trying everything to get me out of the way, including assassination, because I survived an assassination attempt – [and am] very lucky to be alive,” Khan told NPR.

    Speaking with Steve Inskeep, Khan said that in his tenure, there was maximum media freedom.

    “Steve, my three and a half years were the most liberal three and a half years in our history. I mean, the – we never interfered with the judiciary, which was always the case in the past. We never interfered with the media. The only time there were problems with the media was not because of us, because of the army, because of the army establishment,” Khan responded.

    Talking about ‘rule of law’ Khan said that it is his “firm belief” that because he’s been all over the world as a professional international sportsman, the difference between rich countries and poor countries is not lack of resources, but rule of law. 

    “Countries that have rule of law prosper, countries that don’t have rule of law become banana republics. So our fight in Pakistan is to bring the powerful elite under the law,” he said.

  • Half of Lahore sealed ahead of PTI’s Minar-e-Pakistan jalsa

    Punjab authorities have blocked several roads in Lahore including entry and exit points of the city ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s jalsa in Minar-e-Pakistan, set to be held today (Saturday) at 9pm.

    With the help of containers and trucks, the roads have been blocked. According to details, police have also placed barricades on major Lahore roads including Ravi Bridge and Thokar Niaz Baig, the two major entry and exit points which lead to Minar-e-Pakistan.

    In a tweet, City Traffic Police Lahore has given details about the closed roads and advised residents to use alternative routes.

    In the early hours of Saturday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan called on his supporters in Lahore to attend the jalsa after Taraweeh prayers which he believes will “break all records”. 

    “Everyone must assert their right as people of a free nation that won its independence and come to Minar-e- Pakistan,” he added. 

    Earlier, the government gave a green signal to PTI to hold its powershow, however, the closure of roads has created problems for residents.

  • All weapons recovered from Imran’s Zaman Park residence are illegal, says police

    The Lahore police has said that all the weapons that were recovered by the authorities from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park are “unlicensed and illegal”.

    On March 20, Punjab Police raided Khan’s Zaman Park home, taking apart the entrance gate with a crane and entering the house, stating that they had search warrants.

    At the time, Khan was on his way to Islamabad to appear before a court in the Toshkhana case. He said that his wife Bushra Bibi was alone at home.

    The police said at least 13 SMGs, 7 Kalashnikovs, and 340 bullets were recovered from Zaman Park.

    Earlier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that police found 16 rifles, arms, bombs and a bomb-making factory in Zaman Park.

  • ‘They don’t like being told what to do’: Imran Khan holds back from criticising Taliban ban on girls’ education

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in an interview with Matt Frei for Channel 4, talked about the rigid ban imposed by Afghanistan Taliban on girls’ education.

    When asked whether he will tell them to let the girls go to school, he responded by saying that he knows Afghan character much more than anyone else in the West. “They dont like being told what to do,” Imran Khan said.

    He then urged the world to engage with the Taliban, stressing that only then the group will listen to them.

    He said, “If the West wants to influence them, they must mainstream them. I kept telling them to engage. If you isolate them, what influence are you going to have on them.”

    “My advice is to get them involved, give them a stake in the international community so when you tell them to educate girls, they will listen to you.”

    According to him, right now they react when the world questions their policy toward women.

    We are heading toward martial law: Imran Khan

    In the interview, the deposed prime minister said that the postponement of elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is a violation of the constitution.

    He said that five judges of the Supreme Court categorically said that elections should be held on April 30.

    “The worry right now is that we are heading towards martial law”, said Khan.

  • ‘Enough is enough’: Khan demands immediate release of PTI activist Azhar Mashwani

    ‘Enough is enough’: Khan demands immediate release of PTI activist Azhar Mashwani

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Social Media Activist Azhar Mashwani was picked up on Thursday, prompting party Chairman Imran Khan to condemn his arrest.

    Blaming the authorities for abducting Mashwani, Imran Khan took to Twitter and wrote: “Enough is enough. Police in Punjab and Islamabad are breaking all laws with impunity as they target PTI. Today Azhar Mashwani was abducted in the afternoon from Lahore and his whereabouts are unknown.” Khan demanded the immediate release of Mashwani.

    On March 18, Senator Shibli Faraz and Omar Sultan were “badly beaten” by Islamabad police, Khan said, insisting that they both had permission to be inside the Judicial Complex, where the PTI chief went to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case day.

    Talking about his nephew, Khan said. “Hassaan Niazi was abducted immed after getting bail & later charged with sham FIRs to keep him lcoked up.”

    “I am sending pictures of IGs [inspectors generals] of Punjab and ICT [Islamabad Capital Territory] and of all officers indulging in this criminal behaviour” to international human rights organisations, he said, “so they can identify those working for the state and indulging in abductions, illegal break-ins into homes, custodial torture and violence against political leaders and unarmed workers of PTI.”

    Mashwani’s wife, Mahnoor, also tweeted about her husband’s disappearance, writing, “My husband @MashwaniAzhar is missing from 2.51 pm from home.. He went out for Zaman park And his last seen is 2.51 pm.. If Anyone knows anything.. Let me know..”

  • Babar Azam, Behroze Sabzwari and more: List of 2023 Sitara-e-Imtiaz recipients

    Babar Azam, Behroze Sabzwari and more: List of 2023 Sitara-e-Imtiaz recipients

    President Dr Arif Alvi conferred Pakistan’s civil awards on 135 citizens as well as foreign nationals on Pakistan Day i.e. March 23, in recognition of excellence and gallantry in their respective fields.

    Among the civil awards, many renowned personalities were awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz which is the country’s third-highest civilian honour.

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam became the highlight of the event, becoming the youngest cricketer to hold this honour.

    Media personality Fakhar-e-Alam, actor Behroze Sabzwari and journalist Nadeem Malik were also conferred with Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

    Muhammad Afzal Javed and Zafarulah Khan (services to Pakistan), Dr Saeed Akhtar (medicine), late Humayun Khan (agriculture), Dr Sharif Malik (medicine), Mahfoozur Rehman (education), late Saghar Siddiqui (poetry), late Shama Khalid (art); late Ziauddin, Javed Chaudhry (journalist); Dr Anees Ahmed and Maulana Hanif Jalandhari (religious scholar), and Waqar Ahmed Malik (public service) were included.

    Among others who were also conferred the Sitara-e-Imtiaz award were Syed Murataz Mahmood (public service), Imdadullah Bosal (public service) and Mirza Ishtiaq Baig (social service); Lt Gen Noman Zakaria, Major General Muhammad Idris Dastgir, Brigadier Salman Rashid Hussain, Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Asim Ali Khan, Samina Chagali, Dr Amir Malik, Tahir Rai and Riazuddin Sheikh (public service) and Tariq Mahmood (art).