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.

  • ‘Victory against injustice’: Rahul Gandhi’s response to Modi’s U-turn on controversial farm laws

    Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has taken a U-turn by announcing that his government will repeal three controversial agricultural reform laws, which set off huge protests across India by the farmers.

    “Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws,” announced Modi.

    “In the parliament session starting later this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal these three agricultural laws.”

    “I appeal to all the farmers who are part of the protest … to now return to your home, to your loved ones, to your farms, and family. Let’s make a fresh start and move forward,” said the Indian prime minister.

    “Friends, I apologise to the countrymen and want to say with a clean heart and conscience that we must have fallen short in our efforts to explain (the benefits of the farm laws) to a section of the farmers.”

    Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, took to Twitter and wrote, “Congratulations on this victory against injustice!”

    In a high-profile protest against controversial agricultural reforms, tens of thousands of farmers drove a convoy of tractors festooned with brightly-coloured flags through the outskirts of India’s capital of New Delhi on the country’s Republic Day, January 26.

    Three laws pertaining to agriculture and farming were passed in India, which the farmers said would affect their livelihood. Modi billed these laws as necessary to modernise Indian farming.

  • ECP not sure about use of EVMs, PTI’s Faisal Javed says system can be activated within a month

    ECP not sure about use of EVMs, PTI’s Faisal Javed says system can be activated within a month

    The Elec­tion Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday seemed unsure about using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next polls.

    The observation from the ECP came during a meeting of the members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice.

    During the meeting, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha said the bill introduced electronic voting without omitting the condition of manual voting, which meant that at present the Elections Act allowed both electronic and manual voting in elections, reports Dawn.

    He said the proposed EVM lacked a biometric verification facility and it would rely on manual verification. As a result, “someone can cast vote on the computerised national identity card of a dead man”, he added.

    On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan on Thursday said that the EVM “system can be activated within a month”.

    The senator’s statement came during Geo News’ programme “Capital Talk” while advocating the use of EVMs in the next general elections. He said that the EVMs are “just a one-time expense”.

    “There will be no more expenditure in the future,” said Faisal Javed.

  • Judge Rana Shamim’s son requests Kashif Abbasi to let him sing a song on live show for his wife

    Judge Rana Shamim’s son requests Kashif Abbasi to let him sing a song on live show for his wife

    Former Chief Judge (CJ) of Gilgit-Baltistan Justice (retd) Rana Shamim’s son appeared on Kashif Abbasi’s show ‘Off the Record’ yesterday (Thursday) while sitting in a car.

    During the interview, the anchor asked him if he is in a position to talk about his father’s case, who is also his client. To which Supreme Court advocate Ahmed Hassan Rana said his father texted him today after he appeared on a news channel saying, “enough shows done”.

    Kashif further asked if his father met Nawaz Sharif in London. Rana asked if it made any difference, adding that his father has not told him about any meeting.

    https://twitter.com/chmwaqasakramk4/status/1461396551163691012?s=21

    Rana seemed more interested in talking about his own problems, saying he has no authority in his home and his wife is angry at him, and that he is on the road thinking about how to make it up to her.

    He asked Kashif, “Can you help me make up with my wife?” The anchor said he could not.

    He then requested Kashif to let him sing a song on his show for his wife; the request was denied by the host who said it was national television.

    Earlier, Rana Shamim’s son made an appearance in Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ in which while describing his relationship with his father, Rana said if he has to go play snooker at 10pm, his wife will ask for the permission on his behalf at 09:45pm from his father. He also questioned the host, asking if Shahzeb has to take permission from his father if he has to go out late at night. To which the anchor said no, he does not ask for permission from his father.

  • Sitara-i-Imtiaz holder allegedly sexually abused a 23-year-old girl

    Zia Chishti, Sitara-i-Imtiaz (third-highest honour and civilian award in Pakistan) holder and founder of a multi-dollar company “Afiniti”, has been accused by a 23-year-old Tatiana Spottiswoode of sexually abusing her, reports The Guardian.

    Spottiswoode, who is a Columbia University law student and daughter of Chishti’s friend, told the United States (US) House of Representatives judiciary committee that Chishti had told her “he should have had sex with me when I was 13 years old”.

    The committee released images on Wednesday allegedly showing neck injuries sustained by Spottiswoode.

    Spottiswoode, who joined Afiniti on Chishti’s insistence in 2016, told the committee her contract included an arbitration agreement with a “strong confidentiality clause” that had prevented her from speaking out about the alleged assaults.

    Trigger Warning!

    She said, “Over the next 18 months he [Chishti] oscillated between pressuring me for sex and punishing me. When I rebuffed him he humiliated me in front of co-workers and then ignored me completely, causing me to fear for my job.”

    She said that on a work trip to Brazil she “began to worry that, in addition to wanting sex, Chishti wanted to hurt me and punish me for rejecting him”.

    “I felt completely trapped and hopeless. I was 23 and very far from home,” she told the committee. “I didn’t want to lose my job, I didn’t want him to get any angrier, I did not feel that anyone would protect me and I was too tired to argue with him anymore. I went to his room where he beat me while having sex with me.”

    Spottiswoode said her body was “covered with scratches, cuts, and contusions”.

    “I had bruises around my neck that looked like I had been strangled, a large bump on my head, and a black eye. A nurse at the hospital said I had the symptoms of a concussion,” she said.

    Afiniti, which also employs Princess Beatrice, said Chishti “strongly disputes all accusations against him” and termed Spottiswoode’s claims “wrong”.

    After a detailed string of allegations made against the Sitara-i-Imtiaz holder, former British Prime Minister (PM) David Cameron announced that he has quit his role at the software company.

    The former PM stood down as chair of its advisory board.

  • Jamaat-i-Islami demands public hanging of rapists, terms castration ‘unIslamic, against Sharia’

    Jamaat-i-Islami demands public hanging of rapists, terms castration ‘unIslamic, against Sharia’

    One of the bills passed by the joint session of parliament on Wednesday included that of the “chemical castration” of rapists.

    According to the bill, “chemical castration is a process duly notified by rules framed by the prime minister, whereby a person is rendered incapable of performing sexual intercourse for any period of his life, as may be determined by the court through administration of drugs which shall be conducted through a notified medial board”.

    Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed protested over the bill and termed it unIslamic and against Sharia. He said a rapist should be hanged publicly, but there was no mention of castration in the Sharia, reports Dawn.

  • TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi released

    TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi released

    Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Rizvi has been released, party spokesperson Mufti Abid said on Thursday.

    A high-level meeting under Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat could not reach a consensus on the release of Hafiz Saad Rizvi on Wednesday, reports Dawn.

    The meeting linked Rizvi’s release with the decision of the Federal Review Board, which had already been approached by the provincial government seeking withdrawal of its application regarding his detention.

    The local authorities have been directed to cooperate with the TLP in observing the first death anniversary of the outfit’s founder, Allama Khadim Rizvi.

    Last week the government removed Saad Hussain Rizvi’s name from the Fourth Schedule — a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism or sectarianism under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.

    The Punjab Home Department issued a statement: “The name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad, being Ameer of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, a proscribed organisation, was listed in the 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, under Section 11-E on the recommendations of District Intelligence Committee, Lahore.”

    Rizvi was taken into custody in April shortly after the federal government declared the TLP a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws and launched a broad crackdown against it.

  • Indian Punjab CM, Indian politicians at Kartarpur to celebrate Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary

    Indian Punjab CM, Indian politicians at Kartarpur to celebrate Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary

    Indian Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Charanjit Channi, along with other Indian politicians, visited the Kartarpur Corridor.

    Indian Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, along with his ministers, is part of the first delegation to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

    The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, reopened on Wednesday. The pilgrimage to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara was suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    On the directions of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, the best arrangements are being made for Sikh pilgrims who are participating in 552 birthday celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak from all over the world, including India and within the country.

  • ‘Pakistan, China, countries of particular concern for violating religious freedom’: US

    ‘Pakistan, China, countries of particular concern for violating religious freedom’: US

    United States (US) Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken “designated” Pakistan and China as countries of particular concern (CPC) for violating religious freedom, as per the official website of the US State Department.

    In a statement issued by Washington, Secretary Blinken stated, “I am designating Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, the DPRK, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom,” reports Dawn.

    “We will continue to press all governments to remedy shortcomings in their laws and practices and to promote accountability for those responsible for abuses,” he added.

    According to US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) official website, each year the US President designates CPC to countries in which governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.

    Moreover, Washington has placed Taliban governed Afghanistan under a “special watch list”.

  • Joint session ‘big victory’ for Govt, Opp to move ‘no-confidence’ motion against Senate Chairman

    Joint session ‘big victory’ for Govt, Opp to move ‘no-confidence’ motion against Senate Chairman

    The government on Wednesday managed to force amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, allowing the use of electronic voting machines and granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis. A total of 33 bills were passed amidst the Opposition’s continuous protest against them.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry termed the passage of 33 bills in a joint sitting of parliament a “big victory” for the government.

    Speaking at a press conference, Fawad said, “The Opposition will remember this defeat for a long time and must have realised about its strength today (Wednesday) in parliament and now its dream to remove the Senate chairman will not come true.”

    “Those considering moving no-confidence motion against government functionaries should have a second thought about their assessments,” said Fawad.

    The Opposition on Wednesday decided to challenge the bills that were passed in parliament.

    Earlier the Opposition was considering bringing a no-confidence motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani or National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser as a tester to confirm the present strength of treasury in parliament.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khurram Dastagir said on a Dawn News TV show that the motion would be moved soon. They said if the motion became successful, then a similar motion could be moved against the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    On the Opposition’s decision to move the court against the bills, Fawad said both the Houses had approved the legislation, so it would not be an “easy task” to challenge them.

    “Both the Houses have passed the bills […] it will be hard to challenge them, but they can be challenged,” added Fawad.

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, speaking to media outside Parliament, said legislation was bulldozed and NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had “trampled” Parliamentary traditions.

    “Legislation cannot take place in such an atmosphere […] the votes counted for the Opposition were far fewer than their actual numbers,” he added.

    “We believe three or four additional votes were counted in favour of the government,” he said, adding: “We had more than 200 lawmakers in the house today.”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “The government did not emerge victorious today in parliament.”

    Bilawal tried to explain that according to the law, more than half of the combined votes of a joint sitting were required to get a law passed in parliament.

    Bilawal said he “tried his best” to draw the attention of the treasury benches and NA Speaker towards the joint sitting’s rules, but no one paid heed to it.

  • Joint parliamentary session: All you need to know about what happened

    Joint parliamentary session: All you need to know about what happened

    The much anticipated joint parliamentary session on Wednesday left dark clouds over the future of the country’s legislation system.

    Number game of parliamentarians:

    The government needed a majority in the joint sitting of houses to pass bills where the total strength was 440 members.

    The party position in parliament showed that the treasury had a majority of just two votes if the two Houses were combined together. According to party position, the number of Opposition members in the 440-member joint House came to 219 against 221 treasury members, 221 members of the government and its allies were present with 213 members of the Opposition.

    Bills to be reviewed:

    More than a dozen bills were presented in parliament.

    The major bills: Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Voting rights to overseas Pakistanis were passed in the absence of Opposition.

    The other bills include:

    The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill

    The Hyderabad Institute for Technical and Management Sciences Bill, 2021

    The State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021

    The International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2021

    Security arrangements:

    The in-house security of the National Assembly (NA) was made to stand in front of the Speaker dice to prevent the Opposition members from reaching the dice and cause a commotion.

    Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) leader Hina Rabbani Khar termed the situation as “martial law”.

    https://twitter.com/Hina_RKhar/status/1460907005141467141?s=20

    Ruckus in NA:

    During voting, things got heated up from both sides.

    In a video, PPP’s Qadir Mandokhel can be seen involved in a fight with the government representatives.

    The decorum of the House couldn’t stay still, copies of the agenda books were torn, pieces of paper were thrown at Speaker NA Asad Qaiser.

    A heated exchange of words took place between Qaiser and parliamentarians.

    Qaiser lashing out at the parliamentarians. “Stay within your limits, mend your way of talking.”

    Opposition walkout:

    The Opposition walked out of the House giving the government a chance to pass the bills. They argued that the Opposition’s votes counted were fewer than actual numbers and eventually walked out.

    Session now led by Senate Chairman:

    Speaker Asad Qaiser will no longer be chairing the proceedings after the passage of important legislation. Instead, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani will lead parliamentary proceedings.

    Reaction:

    Twitterati reacted to the heated situation in parliament.