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.

  • President of Tajikistan to come to Pakistan for the second time tomorrow

    President of Tajikistan to come to Pakistan for the second time tomorrow

    Tajik President Emomali Rahmon will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow (Wednesday) on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    This is the second time that President Rahmon will be meeting PM Shehbaz this year. This tour will be his second visit to Pakistan within two years.

    According to the Pakistani Foreign Office (FO), during Rahmon’s visit, the two sides will exchange views on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas and are expected to sign multiple bilateral agreements and memorandum of understanding (MoU).

    The FO also termed Tajikistan an “important partner of Pakistan in Central Asia”.

    PM Shehbaz and President Rahmon had last met in September this year at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

    At that time, the Pakistani prime minister thanked Tajikistan for its support to the flood affectees in Pakistan and shared details of the devastation caused by the massive floods.

    President Rahmon last visited Islamabad in June 2021 when former PM Imran Khan was in power.

  • VIDEO: New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern calls rival ‘arrogant prick’, apologises later

    VIDEO: New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern calls rival ‘arrogant prick’, apologises later

    New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern apologised for calling a political rival an “arrogant prick” in parliament on Tuesday. She made the comment about David Seymour, the leader of the libertarian ACT party, after he asked Ardern if she could “give an example of her making a mistake, apologising for it properly, and fixing it” during question time.

    In response, Jacinda Ardern agreed that the people had a difficult time with managed isolation but said that she supported the job the government had accomplished during the previous term.

    After ending her reply, Ardern sat down next to her deputy, Grant Robertson, and murmured: “Such an arrogant prick”. Her comment was picked up in the background by her desk microphone as House Speaker Adrian Rurawhe was talking and was broadcast on parliament television.

    Speaking to the media after the session had ended, Seymour said that Ardern had texted him to say sorry. “[She] said, ‘I apologise, it’s not something I should have said’ and she said, ‘As my mum would say, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it’,” he added.

    Seymour went on to emphasise that the matter was resolved, closing his statement by saying: “At the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world.”

    Ardern’s office has also confirmed she had apologised to Seymour.

  • IHC grants 14-day protective bail to PM’s son Suleman Shehbaz

    IHC grants 14-day protective bail to PM’s son Suleman Shehbaz

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted protective bail to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s son Suleman for 14 days in a money laundering case registered against him by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

    Last week, the IHC had barred authorities from arresting Suleman in the assets-beyond-means reference while hearing his petition for protective bail that would enable him to surrender before a trial court.

    Earlier today, Suleman appeared before a single-member bench of IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq for bail in the money laundering case.

    Amjad Pervez, Suleman’s lawyer, told the IHC CJ that his client has to appear before a special judge central in Lahore.

    After this, Justice Farooq granted protective bail to the PM’s son and directed him to appear before the relevant court within 14 days.

    Addressing the media after the hearing, Suleman addressing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, said, “The time of accountability is here; we will not spare him. We will not give him any space now; he will be punished.”

    Asked about Farah Khan, a friend of Imran Khan’s wife who allegedly sold the watches gifted to Khan, Suleman wondered why did she run away from Pakistan.

    “You are crying that Farah Gogi is not a public office holder. I was not a public office holder either,” said Suleman. He added that PTI chairman, while he was in power, did not even think about women and instantly arrested them.

    “You had the power, you could have proven the cases,” said Suleman.

    The PM’s son also slammed former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Javed Iqbal, saying that he was a “black stain” on the accountability system.

  • No one is ready to invest in Pakistan, says Imran Khan

    No one is ready to invest in Pakistan, says Imran Khan

    Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), addressed his supporters on Monday about the alarming economic crisis in the country.

    He started off by clarifying that he was not only addressing the nation but was also speaking to the institutions as economic deterioration would affect the entire country.

    Khan said that amid the ongoing economic downturn, small and large-scale businesses are the most affected. He added that exports are also declining gradually.

    “This might be the biggest economic crisis that this country has ever witnessed,” the PTI chief said.

    Moreover, he urged the business community to speak up. “I want to tell all of you that you will be responsible for the destruction of the country if you do not speak up,” he said.

    He pointed out that no one is ready to invest in Pakistan as they have lost trust in the country’s economy.

    Khan, concluding the address, said that the only solution to the crisis is free and fair elections.

    The former Prime Minister has been asking for early general elections, however, the government has said that polls will take place on their scheduled time in October 2023.

  • ‘Gen Bajwa apkay mohsin thay, aap mohsinkush niklay’: PM Shehbaz to Imran Khan

    ‘Gen Bajwa apkay mohsin thay, aap mohsinkush niklay’: PM Shehbaz to Imran Khan

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa was Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s benefactor, but the former Premier betrayed him.

    “General Bajwa was your benefactor; you have betrayed him,” said PM Shehbaz to Khan while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

    In reply to a question about the former army chief, Shehbaz Sharif said that since General Bajwa has hung up his boots, he should be allowed to live in peace.

    PM Shehbaz on Daily Mail:

    The prime minister said that Khan and his “minions” were “heartless” when they got involved with Daily Mail.

    “They thought that if this damages Pakistan’s reputation, it won’t matter. They wanted to embarrass the Sharif family no matter what,” the prime minister said.

    “This isn’t just an apology to me, this is an apology to the 220 million people and the mothers and daughters who were affected in the floods,” he said about the apology issued to him by the British newspaper.

    The prime minister also noted that Daily Mail published the apology to him in one million printed copies last Sunday. “This is Daily Mail’s timeline. This was a huge conspiracy against Pakistan, but it was Allah’s mercy that it was proven wrong,” he said.

    “I do not use the word ‘fraud’, but this is what Imran did”: Shehbaz Sharif

    The Prime Minister then talked about the Toshakhana scandal, stating that Imran sold the one-of-a-kind watch that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman had gifted to him.

    “Imran made a cheap move by selling the watch that contained the image of Holy Kaaba,” Shehbaz Sharif said, adding that nobody can deny that the watch was not sold after the evidence that has come to light.

    “I do not use the word ‘fraud’, but that is what Imran did. The shop owner — whose receipts that PTI showed — has also clarified that it is not his handwriting on the receipt,” PM Shehbaz pointed out.

    Khan’s treatment with other politicians

    Berating PTI further, PM Shehbaz said that the former rulering party tried to malign Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, his family, and his party by levelling baseless allegations against them.

  • Pakistan asks Afghanistan to take strict action against those responsible for Chaman attack

    Pakistan asks Afghanistan to take strict action against those responsible for Chaman attack

    Pakistan has condemned the unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on civilian population by Afghan border forces in Chaman, in which six Pakistani nationals were killed and seventeen others wounded.

    In a press release, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that such unfortunate incidents are not in keeping with the brotherly ties between the two countries.

    She said that the Afghan authorities have been informed that recurrence of such incidents must be avoided and strictest possible action must be taken against those responsible.

    The spokesperson stated that both sides are accountable for safeguarding residents at the borders.

    She noted that in order to prevent a further escalation of the situation and a repetition of similar situations, the relevant authorities from both nations continue to be in communication.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the attack.

    “Unprovoked shelling & fire by Afghan Border Forces at Chaman resulting in martyrdom of several Pakistani citizens & injuring more than a dozen is unfortunate & deserves the strongest condemnation. The Afghan Interim government should ensure that such incidents are not repeated,” wrote the PM in a tweet.

  • Rana Sanaullah acquitted in narcotics case by Lahore court

    Rana Sanaullah acquitted in narcotics case by Lahore court

    A special court in Lahore on Saturday acquitted Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in a narcotics case filed against him during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s tenure.

    In his plea filed today, Sanaullah argued that the case against him was “concocted, devised and fabricated”.

    The minister urged the court to acquit him of the charge “in the interest of justice, equity and fair play”.

    Sanaullah was arrested in 2019 by the Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) Lahore team while he was travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore.

    The ANF claimed to have seized 15 kilogrammes of heroin from his vehicle. A special team of the force had also arrested five others, including the driver and security guards of the PML-N leader.

    He was twice denied bail by the trial court, however, the Lahore High Court ordered his release on December 24, 2019.

  • Bushra Bibi’s bestie Farah left Pakistan right after Khan was removed as PM

    Bushra Bibi’s bestie Farah left Pakistan right after Khan was removed as PM

    Farah Khan, a close friend of former First Lady Bushra Bibi, left Pakistan nearly 20 days after former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was removed from power, it has been revealed.

    Farah left the country on April 29 on a private jet owned by a private firm in Pakistan, reports Naeem Hanif for Samaa News, 19 days after Imran Khan was removed through a no-confidence motion.

    The news report has revealed that on her way out of Pakistan, she was accompanied by two people— Zainab Bashir and Muhammad Zoraiz Malik. According to the news outlet, Farah most likely used one of her foreign passports to travel out of the country.

    It is pertinent to mention that Farah is the prime suspect in Toshakhana reference.

    Last month, Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor claimed that he had bought an expensive Graff set— gifted to Imran Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019— through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan. He said that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.

    Earlier, The News reported that Farah’s wealth grew exponentially within the first three years since former PM Khan formed his government. Her total declared assets grew four times from Rs231 million in 2017 to Rs971 million in 2021.

  • IK should say sorry to PM Shehbaz after Daily Mail’s apology, PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb

    IK should say sorry to PM Shehbaz after Daily Mail’s apology, PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, on Thursday, talked about the apology issued by the British newspaper Daily Mail, saying that the paper had failed to produce even a single piece of evidence in the court to prove its allegations against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    The federal minister also said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and the former advisor on accountability, Shahzad Akbar, levelled baseless and false accusations against the Sharif family.

    Aurangzeb added that they did it to satisfy their egos.

    Moreover, she pointed out that Imran Khan handed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference to Daily Mail. Hence, an apology should be tendered by Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar, not just the British newspaper. She asked that they should now apologise to PM Shehbaz and the nation. The minister also alleged that David Rose, the Daily Mail journalist who wrote the now-deleted story, conspired with Imran Khan against Shehbaz Sharif.

    The statements have come forward after Daily Mail tendered an apology to the premier and withdrew all allegations of corruption against him and his son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf.

    The case:

    In July 2019, renowned media law firm Carter-Ruck sued British newspaper The Mail on Sunday, online news site Mail Online and its journalist David Rose on behalf of Shehbaz Sharif for publishing a “politically motivated” article. The story, published on July 14, 2019, had suggested that Shehbaz and Yousaf “stole British taxpayers’ money” given to Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) set up to help the victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

  • Balochistan High Court orders cancellation of all FIRs against Azam Swati

    Balochistan High Court orders cancellation of all FIRs against Azam Swati

    The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Friday ordered that all first information reports (FIR) registered against Senator Azam Swati of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for his controversial tweets against senior military officers should be cancelled.

    Five FIRs were registered in Balochistan against Swati for tweeting against army officials.

    Balochistan police had arrested the PTI senator last week from Islamabad, detaining him in their custody after a local court in Quetta approved the law enforcement agency’s request for a physical remand.

    The court has directed police to quash all FIRs registered against the senator in the province and release him if he was not booked in any other cases.

    Swati was first arrested by the FIA on charges of posting controversial tweets about the armed forces in October and was later released on bail.

    The senator has since alleged that he was tortured in custody and demanded the removal of two military officials, one of whom he used foul language against in his tweet on November 26.

    On November 27, the FIA arrested Swati for the second time over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions”.