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.

  • IN PICTURES: Queen’s funeral

    IN PICTURES: Queen’s funeral

    On Monday, the United Kingdom celebrated the life of Queen Elizabeth II with a state funeral steeped in tradition.

    The site of the funeral service was Westminster Abbey in London. The Queen was crowned here 69 years ago and it was also where she married Prince Philip 75 years ago.

    Leaders from around the world attended the state funeral of Britain’s longest serving monarch. Kings and Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, celebrities and friends from across the globe were among the 2,000 guests at the Queen’s funeral service

    The Queen’s coffin was then taken to St. George’s Chapel in Windsor where after a committal ceremony, she was to be laid to rest with her parents, her sister and her late husband.

    Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on September 8 in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96.

  • Swap deal: Taliban leader Noorzai released in exchange for US hostage

    Haji Bashir Noorzai, a senior Taliban figure, has been released after decades of detention by the United States (US) and arrived in Kabul on Monday, a Taliban spokesperson said.

    “Honorable Haji Bashir was released after two decades of imprisonment and arrived in Kabul today,” said Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesperson.

    An American navy veteran detained in Afghanistan since 2020 was released by the Taliban on Monday in exchange for an ally, Noorzai, who spent 17 years in a US jail for heroin smuggling, Afghanistan’s foreign minister said.

    After long negotiations, US citizen Mark Frerichs was handed over to an American delegation which then handed over (Bashar Noorzai) to us today at Kabul airport,” Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at a press conference.

    “We are happy that at Kabul International Airport, in the capital of Afghanistan, we witnessed the wonderful ceremony of one of our compatriots returning home,” he said.

    “My release in exchange for an American will be a source of peace between Afghanistan and Americans.”

    “We have been persistent in our efforts to free [Noorzai], and now he is with us in his own country,” Muttaqi continued. He said the two men were swapped at Kabul’s international airport.

    Noorzai is the second Afghan inmate released by the United States in recent months. In June, Assadullah Haroon was released after 15 years of detention in the United States’ notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.

  • High Court orders that terror charges against Imran Khan be dropped

    High Court orders that terror charges against Imran Khan be dropped

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered government authorities to drop terror charges against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case pertaining to alleged threats made against police officials and a female judge.

    Khan was booked in a case under the section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for threatening remarks against Additional Sessional Judge Zeba Chaudhry and officials of the Islamabad Police during a rally in Islamabad on August 20.

    Earlier, PTI approached the high court to grant Khan transit bail, but at the time the court had directed the former premier to approach an ATC since it was a terror case.

    On September 14, Khan appeared before Islamabad Police’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for questioning in connection with a terrorism case registered against him.

    Talking about the case there, he said, “This is a joke in front of the entire world. Why? Because everyone knows me, there have been headlines across the world that an FIR (first information report) has been registered against Imran Khan on terrorism charges.”

    Last week, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) extended Khan’s interim pre-arrest bail till September 20 in the terrorism case.

    It is pertinent to mention that the PTI chairman, since the registration of the case, has repeatedly been granted bail by the court.

  • PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb, Javed Latif booked in terror case

    PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb, Javed Latif booked in terror case

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and PML-N central leader Javed Latif, have been booked in terror cases in Punjab.

    The two have been accused of allegedly “using religion to instill and spread hatred” against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan.

    Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar shared on Twitter the First Information Report (FIR) filed against the PML-N leaders.

    Pakistan Television Managing Director Sohail Khan and controller programme Rashid Baig have also been nominated in the case. The complaint said that a press conference in which Imran Khan was accused, was shown on national television.

    Taking to Twitter, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said, “Using religion card against PML-N and other opponents is as bad by any PTI follower as it is for others.”

    “We demand not to use religious hatred campaigns against our leadership or opponents,” tweeted Fawad.

    Latif had accused the PTI chief of “attacking the basic principles of Islam” by “supporting” the Ahmediyya community during his tenure.

    “When Imran made Naya Pakistan, units of Qadianis became active in Karachi […] Did Imran not give interviews to the foreign media in which he said that Qadianis will be given religious freedom,” Latif had asked.

  • Today marks one year since Afghan girls were banned from attending school

    Today marks one year since Afghan girls were banned from attending school

    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took to Twitter to urge Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to revoke the ban on girls’ education that was implemented a year ago.

    He said, “Sunday marks one year since girls were banned from attending high school in Afghanistan. A year of lost knowledge and opportunity that they will never get back. Girls belong in school. The Taliban must let them back in.”

    “It is profoundly damaging to a generation of girls and to the future of Afghanistan itself”, said Markus Potzel, the acting head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The UN has called the ban ‘tragic and shameful.

    According to UNAMA, more than a million teenage girls have been deprived of education across the county.

    Earlier this month, dozens of girls protested in an eastern Afghan city due to the closure of schools for girls.

    When the Taliban seized power in August last year, they did reopen high schools for boys on September 18 but banned secondary school girls from attending classes.

    Education Minister Noorullah Munir termed this act a “cultural issue”. He said that many rural people do not want their teenage daughters to attend school.

    Earlier this year, the Taliban said that schools for girls would be opened after March 21 with the caveat that girls and boys must be completely segregated in schools

    However, schools were opened for a small period of time and again were shut down

    At the time, the Ministry of Education said that the schools would be closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic law and Afghan culture.

    Despite the fact that the international community has on multiple occasions made the education of girls a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration, the group has barred Afghan girls and women with certain restrictions including covering themselves from head to toe and not to travelling alone.

  • ‘Workers should await a final call in September’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that party organisations across the country have been ordered to come out and protest against rising inflation.

    Chaudhry said, “If the government doesn’t move towards elections, then wait for a final call in these two weeks as consultation continues. We think workers should await a final call in September.”

    “General elections will take place, whether the government wants them or not. The ultimate arbiter is the nation and until it doesn’t get the right to make political decisions, the PTI won’t step back from its struggle,” he warned.

    Chaudhry further said that any technocrat or interim government had no room in the Constitution and such a setup would in effect be considered a martial law.

    “Everything that has to happen will happen this month,” said Chaudhry.

    Two days prior to Chaudhry’s statement, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in an address to the nation once again demanded early elections, warning that PTI’s patience was wearing thin.

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    “If we want to save the country from discord and chaos, free and fair elections need to be announced immediately,” he said.

    “Our patience won’t last long if you continue like this, we will have to give a call to the nation,” said Khan, addressing the government.

    “If there is no political stability, the economy won’t stabilise. So I want to tell my people today that we need to have elections quickly to save Pakistan from this quagmire,” the former Prime Minister insisted, adding that it was his fear that there will be no economic progress without political stability.

  • Shehbaz, Nawaz to meet for three hours in London

    Shehbaz, Nawaz to meet for three hours in London

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is set to leave for a two-day visit to the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday, September 18, during which he will represent Pakistan at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    The premier is scheduled to have a three-hour-long meeting with his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, in London.

    According to news reports, PM Shehbaz will return to Pakistan on Monday soon after attending the state funeral for the late Queen — who died at the age of 96 on September 8 at her Balmoral Castle residence.

    It is pertinent to mention here that senior analyst Suhail Warraich had recsbtly revealed that Nawaz Sharif is not satisfied with the performance of his brother Shehbaz Sharif or Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. Warraich said Nawaz wants Shehbaz to review his policies.

    “Nawaz had already said that they should not take over the government and move towards elections. It seems like he [Nawaz Sharif] has made up his mind that he wants economic policies reviewed, and he would want Ishaq Dar to manage it. He [Nawaz Sharif] does not trust Miftah Sahib,” said Warraich on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.

  • ‘Jimmy Jimmy Aja Aja’, other desi songs played at Shangai Cooperation Organisation

    ‘Jimmy Jimmy Aja Aja’, other desi songs played at Shangai Cooperation Organisation

    Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) came to an end on Friday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan where at one point, eight world leaders attended the summit to the sounds of 80s Bollywood songs.

    A video was posted by journalist Sidhant Sibal on Thursday in which Indian songs “Jimmy Jimmy Aja Aja” and “I’m a disco dancer” were being played to welcome the SCO delegates.

    This year’s summit was hosted by Uzbekistan from September 15-16. Many historic meetings took place at the SCO including the one between Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time. Other memorable moments included PM Shehbaz interacting with officials in Tajiki, before starting a formal meeting with the country’s president.

    A highly anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin also took place. Xi called Putin his “old friend”, but the mutually endorsing speeches of the two authoritarian heavyweights were muted.

    As expected, Indian PM Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif did not have a one-on-one meeting as relations between the rival neighbors remained cold.

  • PM Shehbaz likely to meet US President Biden this month

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit the United States of America (USA) this month from September 19- 24 to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

    During this visit, he may have a meeting with US President Joe Biden. Both PM Shehbaz and Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will attend the dinner reception hosted by President Biden for heads of state and government of countries attending the General Assembly.

    Apart from this, PM will meet the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the President of the World Bank (WB) in New York. He will also address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23.

    It is pertinent to mention that this year’s UNGA session is significant because this will be the first in-person summit of world leaders since 2019. For the last two years, sessions were held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Since US President Biden’s election, relations between Pakistan and the US have cooled down. Former PM Imran Khan also has repeatedly accused the US of outsing him from power, a charge denied repeatedly by US officials and Pakistan’s establishment.