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.

  • ‘Gandi gandi videos tayyar kar rahay hain’: Khan

    ‘Gandi gandi videos tayyar kar rahay hain’: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a rally held on Tuesday has alleged that his opponents are making morphed, fake and “dirty” videos of him through latest technology.

    “They are making my dirty, deep fakes videos. They are using everything in their capacity to damage my party’s and my name,” said Imran Khan in his speech.

    Declaring that he is going to court, the former Prime Minister asked how is it possible that the Premier’s house’s secure line gets recorded and later released to the public. “I will definitely probe which intelligence agency is behind this,” he stated.

    “Am I some enemy of the country? Whatever they do, they cannot stop the flood of people,” asked the PTI chairman.

  • Nawaz Sharif meets Awn Chaudhry and Aleem Khan at London residence

    Nawaz Sharif meets Awn Chaudhry and Aleem Khan at London residence

    Aleem Khan and Awn Chaudhry met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif separately at his London residence.

    Aleem Khan didn’t talk to the media and left right after the meeting. Refusing to give details about the meeting, Aleem Khan said, “I will avoid talking about politics.”

    “Let’s talk about the weather. The weather in London will not have any impact on the politics in Pakistan,” he said smilingly to reporters.

    Chaudhry, who is also the PM’s advisor on sports and tourism, said that Pakistan needs Nawaz Sharif at this critical juncture, adding that the nation would hear good news very soon.

    “Don’t ask me anything today. We pray that Nawaz Sharif comes to Pakistan soon,” he told the media. The Punjab government will crumble under its own weight, he predicted in reply to a question.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was present in the meeting with Nawaz Sharif.

  • FIA says no money was directly deposited into PM Shehbaz, Hamza’s accounts

    FIA says no money was directly deposited into PM Shehbaz, Hamza’s accounts

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed a special court in Lahore that no money was “directly deposited” into the bank accounts of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, in a Rs16 billion money laundering case.

    On Tuesday, the court was told that PM Shehbaz could not appear due to official engagements and requested an exemption for a day. However, Hamza appeared in court.

    Answering questions raised by the judge today, FIA’s prosecutor informed the court that Malik Maqsood – the deceased key figure in the money laundering case – had been operating eight bank accounts and that all details had been mentioned in the challan submitted before the court.

    FIA’s prosecutor, Farooq Bajwa, further argued that the record shows that neither the amounts had ever been deposited nor withdrawn from PM Shehbaz Sharif or from his son Hamza’s bank accounts.

    Hamza’s counsel argued that there is no allegation of kickbacks on the accused persons. He added that the investigation was carried out before the political situation changed and the statements were recorded on political bases.

    Earlier this month, the FIA had given a clean chit to PM Shehbaz and Hamza Shehbaz in this case, saying there was no direct evidence against them in the case.

    The case:

    In 2021, FIA submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to the special court for their alleged involvement in laundering Rs16 billion in a sugar scam.

    The report added that the amount was kept in “hidden accounts” and “given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity”.

    At the time, FIA had said that the amount of Rs16 billion has nothing to do with the sugar business of Shehbaz’s family. The money allegedly received from the accounts of low-wage employees was transferred outside Pakistan, ultimately destined for the beneficial use of his family members.

  • Rana Sanaullah says PM House staffers behind audio leaks

    Rana Sanaullah says PM House staffers behind audio leaks

    Federal Minister for Interior, Rana Sanaullah, has revealed that those involved in the recent leaking of sensational audio clips have been identified.

    Talking on Geo News‘ show “Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Saath”, the minister said, “Under the directives of the prime minister and the National Security Council, an investigation is underway, the results of which will be presented before the Premier, and then it will be decided to what extent the findings will be shared.”

    The minister said that the matter of the audio leaks is not related to an agency, but a few people, who have been identified. He added that these people belong to the staff of the Prime Minister House. Some people do such work for monetary gains, he implied.

    According to the initial investigation, Sanaullah said that it wasn’t bugging; in fact, phone tapings have surfaced.

    Several audios have been leaked online in recent days — allegedly featuring government officials, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice-president Maryam Nawaz and others including former and current cabinet members.

  • ‘Not convinced there was a conspiracy’: President Dr Alvi

    ‘Not convinced there was a conspiracy’: President Dr Alvi

    President Dr Arif Alvi while discussing the infamous ‘cipher’, has said that he is not convinced that a “foreign conspiracy was hatched” against former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    However, Imran Khan has claimed that the no-confidence motion against him was part of a foreign conspiracy.

    In an interview with journalist Asma Shirazi, the president stated: “I sent that letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). I am convinced that it must be probed. I am not convinced of the fact that a conspiracy was hatched.”

    Appointment of COAS:

    About the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in November, the president was of the view that “broader consultation” should be held.

    Dr Alvi said that he learned through the newspaper that there’s a consultation going on in London regarding the appointment. The government should consult PTI chief Imran Khan on the matter, he said.

    He claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government also consulted the Opposition when former PM Imran Khan extended the three-year term of the incumbent COAS General Bajwa in 2019.

    Importance of dialogue:

    During the interview, President Alvi stressed on the importance of “dialogue”. When asked about the speculation that he had arranged a meeting between the establishment and Imran Khan, he responded: “Meri koshish yeh hai ke logo ko bethao ke dialogue karo” (I am trying that I get people to sit down and have a dialogue).

    He said dialogue is necessary for settling political issues between the government and the Opposition. He was of the view that the people are concerned about political polarisation and one of its causes was that there are different governments in the provinces.

    ‘Khan was very disappointed’: President Alvi

    President Dr Alvi, who is also a PTI leader, talked about the party not going back to Parliament. “Imran Khan was very disappointed with the manner in which his government was ousted and on that basis, he decided not to sit in the assembly,” he told Asma Shirazi.

    However, when asked about the party’s decision of resigning from the National Assembly (NA), President Alvi said that if he had been consulted, he could have given “different advice”.

    He observed that politicians are the biggest stakeholders in the country. The president said that the army should be “neutral”. When asked that Khan says that the establishment shouldn’t be neutral, he said, “You can ask him about his views”.

    ‘Free and Fair elections’: President Alvi

    President Alvi said that in August 2023, assemblies will be dissolved, stressing that both the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the PTI wanted early polls in the past. “Even the Supreme Court had considered the issue of early elections and consulted politicians,” he added.

    “I am trying to evolve an understanding of these issues and I will facilitate the process. The most important issue is the holding of free and fair elections”, he said.

  • Pakistan categorically rejects Narendra Modi’s remarks about Kashmir

    Pakistan categorically rejects Narendra Modi’s remarks about Kashmir

    Pakistan on Tuesday said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about resolving the Kashmir issue are false and misleading.

    Modi, at a rally in Gujarat on Monday, claimed that he had, “resolved the Kashmir issue”.

    “As I am following the footsteps of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (former Indian Congress leader), I have values of the land of Sardar and that was the reason I resolved the problem of Kashmir and paid true tributes to Sardar Patel,” Modi was quoted as saying by the Indian media.

    Foreign Office (FO) called on India to ensure that the people of Kashmir are accorded their inalienable right to self-determination, while demanding that the Indian leadership, instead of making “delusional” statements about having resolved the Kashmir issue, must deliver on their commitments.

    The FO said that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute, the resolution of which has been on the agenda of the United Nations since 1948.

    FO said further stated that, “India’s craftily staged visits to the occupied territory choreographed launches of so-called development projects in a bid to create a facade of normalcy will neither dampen the spirit of the Kashmiris nor would it deceive the world into believing India’s deception.”

    “Pakistan has consistently called upon the international community to assume its role and responsibility with regards to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) and the ongoing Indian atrocities in the occupied territory.”

    The FO noted that India must also be held responsible for its “nefarious scheme of altering the demography of IIOJK”, as well as for its brutal repression of innocent Kashmiris.

    “Pakistan reiterates its call on human rights and humanitarian organizations to condemn India’s state terrorism in IIOJK and demand an immediate reversal of the Indian government’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019,” the statement concluded.

  • Pakistan Army contingent leaves for Qatar to provide assistance during FIFA 2022

    Pakistan Army contingent leaves for Qatar to provide assistance during FIFA 2022

    A contingent of the Pakistan Army left for Qatar on Monday to join security personnel deployed for Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2022.

    The contingent is comprised of Pakistan Army officers, junior commissioned officers, and soldiers. They will provide security assistance during the biggest and most anticipated sporting event of the year.

    The troops travelling to the Gulf country for World Cup 2022 were trained by FIFA’s eight-member international team when it visited Pakistan in September.

    The Qatari interior ministry had made a request to send Pakistan Army for security assistance.

    The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be played from November 20 to December 18. Qatar will become the first Middle Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup.

  • Anti-corruption team couldn’t arrest Rana Sanaullah, say ‘police didn’t co-operate’

    Anti-corruption team couldn’t arrest Rana Sanaullah, say ‘police didn’t co-operate’

    A team from Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) was unable to arrest Federal Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah, on Monday due to the non-cooperation of the Islamabad police.

    The establishment’s director Syed Anwar Ali Shah alleged that the capital’s police officers misbehaved with them.

    Earlier today, a local court in Rawalpindi directed the ACE team to arrest the minister and present him before the court in a case relating to corruption.

    “The police officials neither recorded entry nor departure of the ACE team and nor did they comply with the court’s order,” Shah said.

    He stated that his department will inform the court about the day’s events and will devise a strategy as per the court’s orders.

    Prior to this, a local court in Rawalpindi, dismissed ACE’s plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against Sanaullah for not appearing in a corruption inquiry.

    On Saturday, a judicial magistrate issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the federal minister over his non-appearance in an anti-corruption inquiry.

  • Non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Rana Sanaullah in corruption case

    Non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Rana Sanaullah in corruption case

    Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued on Saturday in a corruption case for Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

    A spokesperson of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab said that it has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader after he failed to appear at an inquiry.

    Special Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Akbar issued the arrest warrant for the interior minister in case number 19/20, said the ACE spokesperson.

    “The warrants have been issued because Sanaullah failed to appear in the anti-corruption inquiry despite being summoned several times,” a spokesperson of ACE told Dawn.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on its official Twitter account, said that a police party has departed to arrest Sanaullah and will soon reach the Kohsar police station.

    “According to the rules, the process of arresting Rana Sanaullah will begin by informing the local police,” it added.

    A day earlier, the FIA took PTI Senator Saifullah Niazi into “protective custody” for questioning in the foreign funding case.

  • Gilgit-Baltistan minister, abducted by militants, returns home

    Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Prisons Minister Colonel (retd) Abaidullah Baig has returned home after being abducted by militants on Friday while en route to Skardu from Islamabad.

    According to police, the minister was travelling with two foreigners when abducted by terrorists.

    Geo News’ sources have said that the kidnappers had demanded the release of their jailed accomplices.

    Earlier, former GB government spokesperson Faizullah told Geo News that he has spoken to the minister and talks were underway for the release. He had said he was present at the Jirga where negotiations were held with the kidnappers.

    Faizullah said that the militants had kept Baig and his companions in a house for six hours. They were released at 3am after negotiations.

    Baig was elected from Hunza 6 on a PTI ticket and he is a member of the GB Legislative Assembly since 2020.