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.

  • ‘3 shooter nahi thay’: JIT aur Imran Khan ki conflicting statements

    The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Wazirabad attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan while setting the record straight has said that there was only one shooter who attacked the former Prime Minister.

    A report page shared by Senior Journalist Kamran Shahid stated, “No credible/independent evidence has come on record which shows that there were no more than one fires/assailants.

    Kamran Shahid had shared the Punjab Forensic Report about the firing incident on January 3, rejecting claims of three shooters and also added that Khan was not shot four times on November 3, 2022, at Wazirabad.

    Reading out the Punjab Forensic Report about the firing incident in which the PTI chief was shot at, Kamran Shahid said that a “few” fragments of bullets hit him.

    “Few fragments of a bullet and a metallic particle hit Imran Khan,” said Shahid.

    On the contrary both Imran Khan and party leaders have repeatedly said that there were three shooters.

  • Blast in Kabul near Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Blast in Kabul near Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    An explosion has taken place in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul. Multiple casualties are being reported.

    In a tweet, a spokesman of the Kabul Police Command, Khalid Zadran confirmed the tragedy.

    He wrote, “Today around 4 o’clock there was an explosion on the road of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which unfortunately resulted in casualties. Security teams have reached the area, and the details of the incident will be shared later.”

    According to media outlets, at least three people have lost their lives as of now.

    It has also been reported that the blast took place when a meeting was underway between a Chinese govt delegation and Taliban representatives inside the ministry.

    This is a developing story.

  • ‘Dunya ne hum par aitemaad keeya’: PM Shehbaz promises to use $9.7 billion flood donations transparently

    Following substantial pledges from the international community for Pakistan’s flood rehabilitation and climate resilience building, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif accompanied by federal ministers, held a press conference in Islamabad to discuss the figures that the country received.

    On Wednesday, the premier announced that the Geneva conference proved to be successful as the world pledged a total of $9.7 billion.

    Giving a breakdown of the amount pledged at the conference, the prime minister said Saudi Arabia committed $1 billion, followed by China $100m, Qatar $25m, Canada $18.6m, Denmark $3.8m, European Union €87m, France €380m, Germany €84m, Italy €23m and Azerbaijan $2m.

    During the conference, he said that the world trusted this government, adding that, “It is now upon us to utilise the amount on infrastructural development and for the development of other important sectors.”

    “The ball is now in our court. We now have to transparently spend every single penny on the people’s prosperity”, he affirmed.

    He added that the incumbent regime would keep up their work until the flood-affected populace was repopulated into their homes.

    Answering a question about the sit-in in South Wazirabad against terrorism, and militancy, the prime minister said the National Security Committee (NSC) discussed the issue in detail.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari termed the PM’s foreign policy “successful”, citing the amount raised for flood victims and simultaneously dispelled the “myth” that Pakistan was isolated.

    Bilawal said the requirement of $16bn [for flood recovery] in times of Covid, as well as the crisis triggered by the Ukraine-Russia conflict, was “no joke”.

    Earlier this week, an International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan was held in Geneva which was co-hosted by Pakistan and the United Nations (UN). PM Shehbaz addressed the platform and asked the world to pour in support for Pakistan.

  • CM should always have the support of majority in house: Court

    A five-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday (today) heard Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s plea challenging Governor Balighur Rehman’s orders to de-notify him as CM.

    During the hearing, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh remarked that the governor can ask a chief minister to take a vote of confidence from the assembly.

    While Elahi’s lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar responded that his client became the chief minister by taking votes in the assembly, Justice Hafeez said that the chief minister should always have the support of the majority of the lawmakers (186 members) in the house.

    At one point, Justice Sheikh said that if a consensus could not be reached between the governor and the chief minister, then the case would be heard on “merit”.

    “The matter has now prolonged beyond a reasonable time,” he remarked, adding that the court would have to look at assembly dissolution, violation of the governor’s orders, and the way forward.

    In the late hours of December 22, Rehman denotified Elahi as CM. At the time, the governor had said that since the chief minister had refrained from taking a vote of confidence at the appo­i­nted day and time, he ceased to hold office.

    Subsequently, Elahi approached the court, saying the move was “unconstitutional, unlawful and of no legal effect”.

    LHC later reinstated Elahi as the chief minister after he assured the court that he would not dissolve the Punjab Assembly until the next hearing, which was held today.

    This a developing story.

  • Video: Shoe thrown at Rana Sanaullah’s car

    Video: Shoe thrown at Rana Sanaullah’s car

    A shoe was tossed at the windscreen of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s vehicle outside the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday.

    The minister was sitting in the front passenger seat while his driver drove the car, passing by a group of journalists. An unknown person threw the shoe.

    The shoe flew towards his vehicle as the minister left the Punjab Assembly’s premises.

    Earlier in the day, Sanaullah along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar and other party leaders were barred by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) controlled Punjab government.

    As per the details, the police and the assembly staff stopped Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers and leaders from entering the premises of the Punjab Assembly; however, some of the members forced their way into it.

  • Ulema issue fatwa against terrorism activities, terms them haraam

    Ulema issue fatwa against terrorism activities, terms them haraam

    A total of sixteen Ulema of the Deobandi school of thought from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have signed a fatwa terming the terror attacks in Pakistan “haraam” and declared them unlawful.

    According to the fatwa (religious decree) signed by the Ulema, there are clarifications on questions raised in light of controversial statements made by anti-state groups.

    The decree says that not everyone has the right to declare Jihad and that those who are killed while protecting the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, such as the police and army personnel, are without a doubt considered martyrs.

    The fatwa declared that anyone involved in sedition is considered to be rebelling against the Constitution of Pakistan.

    In the past few months, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist attacks after a ceasefire agreement with the banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended in November.

  • ‘Race against time’: PM Shehbaz calls on the world to help flood ravaged Pakistan

    ‘Race against time’: PM Shehbaz calls on the world to help flood ravaged Pakistan

    The International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan — co-hosted by Pakistan and the United Nations — began in Geneva on Monday.

    The international conference began with the words of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who said, “We will need considerable support” from the international community,” as he sought solidarity to help Pakistan achieve a “resilient” future.

    The FM said that rehabilitation “continues to this day” as Pakistan battles with wide-scale destruction brought on by the environmental catastrophe.

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Monday appealed to the world to help Pakistan deal with the disaster caused by floods, saying “massive investments” are needed for the country’s rehabilitation which is expected to cost more than $16 billion.

    “Even through the darkest moments, the giving spirit of the Pakistani people has shone brightly,” said Guterres, “I have seen neighbours helping neighbours with food, water and shelter”.

    The UN head stated that his heart broke when he saw first-hand the active devastation of last summer’s floods. “No country deserves to endure what happened to Pakistan, but it was especially bitter to watch that country’s generous spirit being repaid with a climate disaster of monumental scale,” he said.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif again called on the world to help flood-ravaged Pakistan in his address at the International Conference on Resilient Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz said that the world was standing at a “turning point of history” today.

    “One can go on and on but to truly say, we are racing against time. We are thankful for the support extended to us by the Asian Development Bank, UN, International Monetary Fund and several other international organisations.”

    At the moot, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also launched the ‘Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Recons­truction Framework’ (4RF).

    The framework outlines a vision for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-affected areas as well as will emphasise the need for global support and long-term partnership to implement it.

    “The first part of the 4rf plan reflects the priorities for recovery and reconstruction, bearing in mind the minimum funding requirement of $16.3 billion, half of which we met from domestic resources and the remaining half with the help of development partners and friends,” PM Shehbaz said.

    He said that the second part of the framework plan incorporates flood-resilient designs and infrastructure projects such as protecting key highways, railway line networks and early warning systems and capacity building for rescue and relief for future disasters.

    The PM while sharing details of the scale of destruction the country has suffered said that “various parts of Sindh and Balochistan still remain under water”.

    The floods, blamed on climate change, dealt a severe blow to Pakistan’s strained economy while displacing some 8 million people and killing at least 1,700.

    PM Shehbaz stressed that he was asking for support for those who have lost their life savings, homes, and livelihoods and are facing the harsh winter under open skies.

    “The one thing we have learned is that nothing can go back to business as usual,” the PM stressed.

    “I am asking for a sustained international support plan to meet this daunting challenge, for a new lifeline for these people. Together we have to rebuild their lives and their dreams,” he concluded.

    French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and President European Commission Ursula von der Leyen shared messages of solidarity at the event via video link.

  • Aleem, Aun Chaudhry not forming a new party: report

    Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Awn Chaudhry and Abdul Aleem Khan have dismissed reports that they are forming a new political party, reports Raees Ansari for Geo News.

    The news report states that Chaudhry clarified that former PTI stalwart Jahangir Khan Tareen, Aleem and Chaudhry Sarwar are “not forming a new political party”.

    “Currently, we are part of the government and are standing with it. Tareen group is an ally of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and will remain an ally,” Chaudhry said.

    It was also reported that senior politician Aleem Khan denied joining a political party or forming a new one, saying: “There is no truth in the reports of my inclusion in a new political party.”

    “I am neither a part of any political party nor have any intentions to become one,” Aleem said adding that he has good ties with former PTI leaders Chaudhry Sarwar and Jahangir Tareen but has no intentions of becoming active in politics.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Aleem and Tareen were the most prominent leaders in the PTI’s early years. Internal differences got in the way with Tareen first and then Aleem parting ways with the PTI chief Imran Khan.

  • Gen Bajwa makes appearance at Gen Faiz Hameed’s daughter’s wedding

    Gen Bajwa makes appearance at Gen Faiz Hameed’s daughter’s wedding

    Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa attended his former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General (retd) Faiz Hameed’s daughter’s wedding on Saturday.

    The wedding was attended by many prominent personalities and politicians such as former director general Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) General (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the current Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza along with other famous names.

    Faiz Hameed had filed an application to seek early retirement from the army days after the federal government appointed Gen Asim Munir as the new army chief in November 2022.

    Meanwhile, Gen (retd) Bajwa retired from his post on November 29, 2022, after serving six years in office.

  • ‘It was military vs PTI’: Gen Bajwa was actively involved in sending PTI govt packing, says Fawad

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that in the no-confidence motion against his party’s Chairman and then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was actually the PTI versus the military.

    Fawad claimed during a BBC HARDTalk interview yesterday that “some army generals, as well as ex-chief General [Qamar Javed] Bajwa were actively involved in sending the PTI government home”.

    Establishment played a very active role in the ouster of Imran Khan

    “And in that conspiracy, some army generals were involved, there is no doubt about that and the establishment actually played a very active role in the ouster of Imran Khan. In fact, the last army chief was [also] actively involved in sending our government home,” he alleged.

    Host Stephen Sackur asked Fawad about DG ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum’s press conference, in which he, alongside then ISPR chief Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, said Imran Khan asked the military to perform an unconstitutional act during the no-confidence vote.

    Chaudhry responded: “The current [army] leadership has just assumed the office and we are hoping there will be a change in the policy, but the last chief was not speaking truth when he said we asked [for their] help. We only asked for their neutrality.”

    Unelected institutions like the judiciary and the military exercised their powers beyond Constitution

    Dismissing the notion that the PTI was against the military, Fawad said his party was not against anyone. “In Pakistan, unelected institutions like the judiciary and the military exercised their powers beyond Constitution [in the past], which is known to everyone.”

    Bygones are bygones: PTI looks forward to having good relations with US

    Talking about how Khan blamed United States for his ouster and then later changing his narrative that he wants to have good relations with US, Fawad said that the PTI never said it seeks a war with the superpower. “Instead, it wants good bilateral ties. No party wants confrontation with the US,” Fawad noted. However, at the same time the PTI doesn’t want any country including the US to dictate Pakistan, he opined.

    Saying bygones are bygones, Fawad said his party looks forward to having good relations with the US, and hopes the superpower too would like to collaborate with Pakistan’s most popular political party.

    Calling Osama bin Laden a “martyr” was a slip of a tongue

    To a question, he clarified that Imran never called Osama bin Laden a “martyr”, saying he had a slip of a tongue in one speech which was clarified later.

    Shehbaz govt ruined all efforts due to their ignorance of Afghanistan’s history and problems

    Chaudhry said the then-PTI government was holding “continuous negotiations” with the Afghan government “and we were close to actually resolve the issue”.

    He, however, blamed the incumbent government for “ruining” all efforts due to their “ignorance of Afghanistan’s history and problems”.

    PTI could wait for elections but….

    The PTI leader said his party could wait for elections “but this government is not ready to hold polls as they know people will oust them through vote”.

    He insisted that elections were needed for Pakistan and not for the PTI. “We are asking that elections should be held at the earliest so that a new responsible government can take care of economic affairs.”

    Zardari and Sharifs had put Pakistan into a vicious debt cycle

    Stephen Sackur said Pakistan’s debt stood at $116 billion when the PTI took over in 2018, but it rose to $230 billion when the party left government.

    Fawad responded saying his party’s government had to borrow funds to return the loans taken by the previous government. He maintained that his party’s government worked to restructure the loans and did as far as economy is concerned.

    He said, ” Zardari and Sharifs had put Pakistan into a vicious debt cycle.

    Imran gave the country one of the cleanest governments in 75 years of history

    Sackur said figures did not bear out his claim, referring to promises made by the PTI before elections, especially those about corruption, He said that Pakistan fell by 20 points on the corruption perception index (CPI).

    Fawad disagreed, arguing that these were the departments related to rule of law, for example judiciary, not the political side, that had contributed to that index. He said Imran gave the country one of the cleanest governments in its 75 years of existence.

    The PTI leader said it is not possible to create economic stability without political stability as [political uncertainty in the country is such that] no one knows who will rule the country three or five months from now.