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.

  • Daily Mail yet to submit evidence in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    Daily Mail yet to submit evidence in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    The Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publishers of The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, are yet to submit evidence in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case after seven months of delay, reports Murtaza Ali Shah for Geo News.

    Earlier this year in February, Justice Sir Matthew Nicklin of the London High Court ruled that the article by reporter David Rose carried the highest level of defamation (Chase level 1 – the highest form of defamation in English law) against both Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law Ali Imran Yousaf.

    The Daily Mail has asked for three extensions, citing [previous] continuing travel restrictions and Pakistan’s Red listing as its team was unable to visit Pakistan to collect evidence, as per sources. However, now that the ban has been lifted, the Mail’s lawyer’s third extension is going to end in a few days.

    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 his son-in-law Ali Imran Yousaf “stole British taxpayers’ money” given to Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) set up to help the victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

  • Fifth-lowest growth rate in South Asia as inflation continues to rise in Pakistan: Asian Development Bank

    Fifth-lowest growth rate in South Asia as inflation continues to rise in Pakistan: Asian Development Bank

    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday projected that inflation in Pakistan would remain the highest in the region at 7.5 per cent, and the economy would grow by 4 per cent – the fifth-lowest growth rate among seven South Asian nations, contradicting the government’s claim of lowest prices in the country, reported Shahbaz Rana for The Express Tribune.

    Pakistan’s “economy is expected to continue recovering in the fiscal year 2021-22, with real GDP projected to rise by 4 per cent”, according to the ADB report.

    It was the fifth-lowest economic growth rate in the region as the economic growth rate in the Maldives (15 per cent) and India (7.5 per cent) remain the highest in the region. Bangladesh is projected to grow at 6.8 per cent and Nepal at 4.1 per cent in 2022, according to the ADB.

    The ADB said that the 4 per cent growth rate was contingent on the resumption of structural reforms later in the year in an ongoing programme under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility.

    “The economic outlook is clouded, however, by high uncertainty because it is closely tied to the course of the pandemic in Pakistan and globally.”

    The ADB has also cautioned about a further increase in prices in Pakistan, provided the Pakistan-IMF deal collapses.

    “Risk of inflation higher than forecast derives from any unusual increase in oil prices or from potential currency depreciation in the wake of any early winding down of the ongoing IMF programme,” said the ADB.

  • Punjab CM’s office denies giving information about vehicles under Buzdar’s use

    Punjab CM’s office denies giving information about vehicles under Buzdar’s use

    The Punjab Chief Minister’s (CM) office has denied giving out the information about the vehicles under the use of CM Usman Buzdar, claiming it ‘legitimate privacy’.

    Under the transparency law, such information cannot be shared, the office said in a reply to a query submitted by a lawyer.

    Abdullah Malik, a lawyer, had sent the query to the CM office earlier this year invoking the rights to the citizens under the law.

    The office took nine months to answer him and refused to share copies of the logbooks (containing details of the official vehicles’ use).
    Section 13 (i)(b) of Punjab Transparency & Right to Information Act 2013 reads, “A public information officer may refuse an application for access to information where disclosure of the information shall or is likely to cause harm to a legitimate privacy interest unless the person concerned has consented to disclosure of the information.”

    According to Dawn, Advocate Usama Khawar Ghumman revealed that Buzdar was using vehicles that were funded by taxes. Moreover, he said the logbooks could reveal misuse of the official vehicles by government officer’s families. These logbooks can also reveal if the vehicles used by the officials fall under their name or not. The denial of information about the vehicles is plainly illegal and unconstitutional.

    Earlier, the federal government denied giving out information about the exchange of gifts between Prime Minister Imran Khan and other heads of state.

    In the notice, it is mentioned that the matter is reflective of inter-state relations and the disclosure of such information potentially damages the interest of Pakistan in the context of international relations.

  • Threatening e-mail was sent to New Zealand cricket team from India: Fawad

    Threatening e-mail was sent to New Zealand cricket team from India: Fawad

    Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry held an important press conference on New Zealand’s withdrawal from the recent cricket series in Pakistan, revealing that a threatening e-mail was sent to New Zealand from India.

    Accompanied by Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, the Minister of Information talked about the strict security measures for New Zealand squad.

    The information minister said Pakistan was facing a hybrid and fifth-generation war.

    Fawad spoke about a fake social media post that was shared with former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Ehsanullah Ehsan’s name in August, adding that the post had warned the New Zealand cricket team against touring Pakistan.

    “The post stated that New Zealand cricket team should not go to Pakistan as Daesh would attack it,” revealed the information minister.

    Chaudhry said that an article was published in The Sunday Guardian two days later, on August 21, by the paper’s bureau chief Abhinandan Mishra, who wrote the same thing: that the New Zealand cricket team could get attacked in Pakistan.

    “The article published in The Sunday Guardian centred around Ehsanullah Ehsan’s post,” he said. “Indian journalist Abhinandan Mishra has close relations with former Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh,” he added.

    The information minister revealed that five days later, on August 24, a threatening e-mail was sent to New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill’s wife from an ID using the Tehreek-e-Labbaik alias. In the e-mail, Fawad Chaudhry revealed that a death threat was issued to – New Zealand batsman.

    “The e-mail said that Guptill will be killed while on tour in Pakistan,” he said. “After we investigated the ID, it was found that it was created on August 24, 2021 at 01:05am while the e-mail was sent at 11:59am on August 25,” he disclosed.

    He said the e-mail was sent using ProtonMail, adding that those who knew about the service were aware that it is a secure e-mail service. He said Pakistan had asked Interpol to assist it further in probing the e-mail and the perpetrator behind it.

    He said that despite “all these threats”, the Black Caps did not cancel their tour and arrived in Pakistan.

    Read More – ‘Pakistan provided more security to New Zealand’s team than their armed forces combined’: Sheikh Rasheed

    Chaudhry said that a chartered flight had brought the New Zealand team on September 11.

    “A detailed programme containing their protocols and security was issued by the interior ministry, which included the squad being accompanied by two helicopters,” shared the information minister.

    Chaudhry said that the New Zealand squad, on September 13, travelled from their hotel to the Rawalpindi cricket stadium along with the Pakistani players, where they held a “full practice session”.

    “I would just like to remind you that both Pakistan and New Zealand’s security agencies had probed and arrived at the conclusion that the threats issued on August 19, 21 and 24 were all fake,” he noted.

    He said the team again travelled to the same stadium on September 14 and held another training session there, with the same security protocols in place.

    Meanwhile, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar was asked how he feels about England and New Zealand’s tour abandonment, he said that it is not abig deal. Many businessman cry when everything is closed because of matches. So, there is no need to cry over it.

  • ‘If Taliban fail to form inclusive govt, Afghanistan could enter into civil war’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, while giving an interview to BBC, said that it was likely that Afghanistan could descend into a civil war if the Taliban fail to form an inclusive government.

    “If they do not include all the factions, sooner or later they will have a civil war,” said PM Khan. “That would mean an unstable, chaotic Afghanistan and an ideal place for terrorists. That is a worry.”

    Speaking on women and their education, PM Khan stated that the girls of Afghanistan would soon be able to attend schools. He said preventing women from acquiring education in Afghanistan would be un-Islamic.

    “If anyone has any idea of what our religion was, it was a liberation of women, and so whenever the idea that women should not get educated, it’s just not Islamic. It might have been some rural culture in Afghanistan but it has nothing to do with religion,” said PM Khan.

    “The statements they have made since they assumed power, I mean it’s very encouraging,” said the premier. “They have said they will give education to women and allow them to work. They have said they will give amnesty. The soil will not be used for terrorism by anyone.”

    PM Khan reiterated that the statements made by the Taliban were encouraging but where they go from here is unknown to all.

    “What they [Taliban] do from now onwards, we can only hope to persuade them and encourage them, incentivise them in that direction. But you know sitting today, what happens, where they will go, I’m afraid, I don’t know,” says PM Khan.

    “Afghan are strong people, their women are very strong, give them time and they will assert their rights,” said the premier.

  • Pak in top ten list of ‘abusers of internet freedom’

    Washington-based Freedom House, in its latest report titled ‘Freedom on the Net 2021: The Global Drive to Control Big Tech’, ranked Pakistan seventh among “abusers of internet freedom”.

    Imran Ayub for Dawn writes that according to the research, global internet freedom had declined for the 11th consecutive year.

    “Pakistan’s proposed Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules which outlines requirements for social media companies to establish one or more data servers in the country would lead to a negative impact on companies and the users,” said the report.

    “Pakistan’s proposed rules have raised alarms about their impact on end-to-end encryption. The draft requires social media companies and service providers with more than 500,000 users to hand over personal data in a decrypted and readable format when requested by the Federal Investigation Agency,” it added.

    The findings suggested that Internet freedom faced a serious and major challenge not only in Pakistan but around the globe as the situation is quite worse in Myanmar, Uganda and Belarus.

    Freedom House also found Pakistan among 24 countries that have given guidelines on how platforms treat content.

    “More governments arrested users for nonviolent political, social or religious speech than ever before. Officials suspended internet access in at least 20 countries, and 21 states blocked access to social media platforms. Authorities in at least 45 countries are suspected of obtaining sophisticated spyware or data-extraction technology from private vendors,” it concluded.

  • ‘I welcome PM Khan’s approach on Afghanistan, hope he creates same consensus within Pakistan’: Bilawal Bhutto

    ‘I welcome PM Khan’s approach on Afghanistan, hope he creates same consensus within Pakistan’: Bilawal Bhutto

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto, while giving an interview to BBC, said that he welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s approach to Afghanistan. He said that recognising the Afghan Taliban government should come after international consensus.

    “While I welcome the approach, I hope he [PM Khan] creates that consensus within Pakistan. The Pakistani parliament, unfortunately, has not met ever since the recent developments in Pakistan, stakeholders within Pakistan have not been consulted.”

    “We continue to encourage the new regime in Afghanistan to live up to international expectations if they want international recognition,” said Bilawal.

    Speaking on women’s rights and providing them safety in Afghanistan, Bilawal said, “There have been complaints from journalists in Afghanistan that women are protesting for their rights and we are concerned that girls are not being allowed to go to schools.”

    Bilawal said that as soon as the situation in Afghanistan developed, the PPP called for the government of Pakistan to hold a session of the parliament.

    “As with various issues in our country, we have been unable to form a national consensus. We require an inclusive foreign policy that is per the will of the parliament, not of any individual,” he said.

    Chairman PPP further said that we are very concerned about the potential blowback of the developments in Afghanistan as well as the links between Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He said that we have suffered immensely at the hands of violent extremism.

    “I lost my mother, the former prime minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, to Islamic extremism within Pakistan. In order to counter the threat of extremism, we need determination from the government of Pakistan to ensure no space for terrorism or extremism.”

    Journalist Yalda Hakim asked a question about the civilian government having little say in matters, to which Bilawal responded by saying that it was true that the democratic space in Pakistan was ‘shrinking’, especially during Imran Khan’s government.

    “In order for that space to be regained, it is the choice of democratic people of the country to play an active role in the political system, through the parliament and media,” said Bilawal.

    Chairman PPP added, “Everyone seems to be blaming one another, but it is important to work together for a positive outcome for the sake of the region. For the women and youth of Afghanistan who have so much potential, it is worrisome that their potential is in danger.”

    “The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both exhausted due to the war, we hope for the best but should also prepare for the worst. We are already seeing an increase in the activities of TTP within Pakistan … we have to tackle this issue through the United Nations to ensure that the vulnerable people, ethnic minorities and women of Afghanistan receive aid,” added Bilawal.

  • Nobody in a ‘rush’ to recognise Taliban govt says Foreign Minister Qureshi

    Nobody in a ‘rush’ to recognise Taliban govt says Foreign Minister Qureshi

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during a meeting with the United Nations (UN) press representatives, said, “I don’t think anybody is in a rush to recognise the Taliban at this stage and they [Taliban] should keep an eye on that.”

    The minister who is in New York for five days to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), stated that the world is watching Afghanistan. If they [Taliban] want recognition they have to be more sensitive and more open to international opinion, he added.

    He insisted on stating that Afghanistan should have an inclusive government in order to have stability and peace in the region, and expressed hope that the Afghan Taliban would live up to their promise to allow girls and women in educational institutions.

    Moreover, he urged the United States and other countries that have frozen money from the former Afghan government to release it because “that’s Afghan money that should be spent on Afghan people”.

    “I think freezing the assets is not helping the situation. I would strongly urge the powers that be that they should revisit that policy and think of an unfreeze,” Shah told reporters.

    According to an official statement issued by the Foreign Office, Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the UNGA via a video link on September 24th.

  • SAPM for power Tabish Gauhar resigns due to problems in ministry

    SAPM for power Tabish Gauhar resigns due to problems in ministry

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Power and Petroleum Tabish Gauhar has reportedly stepped down from his position after almost one year of his appointment.

    According to sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan asked for the former’s resignation as he [Imran Khan] and the Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar weren’t evidently happy with his performance, reports Samaa News.

    “After a year of public service, I’ve decided to call it a day to return to my family. It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the country, to the best of my abilities, in an honorary capacity. I shall remain indebted to the PM for giving me this opportunity,” Gauhar tweeted.

    While publicly accepting the numerous challenges in the energy sector, he added: “No doubt that under the able leadership of Azhar, the MOE [Ministry of Energy] team will continue to stay the course on structural reforms.”

    According to Geo News, the development comes after Gauhar and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi developed rifts on the controversy sparked over the Engro LNG terminal’s dry-docking. Other disagreements included the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline (PSGP) project and Gauhar’s stance in favour of laying down the North-South Pipeline with the help of local gas companies.

    Last month, he had written a letter to Hammad Azhar, pointing out multiple challenges in the energy sector.

    Gauhar had resigned from his post earlier this year but at the time his resignation had not been accepted. Later, Gauhar had lodged a complaint with the premier, pleading that two cabinet members were interfering in the affairs of the Ministry of Energy.

    After this news, a total of 11 Special ministers have resigned so far.

    Zulfi Bukhari as SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis

    Dr Ishrat Hussain as SAPM on Institutional Reforms and Austerity 

    Tabish Gauhar as SAPM on Power and Petroleum

    Lt Gen Asim Bajwa as SAPM on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) affairs

    Firdaus Ashiq Awan as Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information

    Dr Zafar Mirza as SAPM on Health

    Tania Aidrus as SAPM on Digital Pakistan

    Shahzad Qasim as SAPM on Coordination of Marketing and Development of Mineral Resources

    Dr Waqar Masood Khan as SAPM on Finance and Revenue

    Iftikhar Durrani as SAPM on Media Affairs.

    Yousaf Baig Mirza as SAPM on Media Affairs.

  • Taliban acknowledge PM Khan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan

    Taliban acknowledge PM Khan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan

    Taliban spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Information and Culture Zabiullah Mujahid praised Prime Minister Imran Khan and appreciated his efforts to promote peace in the war-torn country.

    Speaking to Afghan media in Kabul, Mujahid said countries were criticising the Taliban government for human rights violations without recognising it.

    “We think this is a unilateral point of view,” he stressed.

    On the other hand, Taliban expanded their interim cabinet but failed to appoint any women, despite the international outcry that followed their initial presentation of an all-male cabinet.

    The international community had categorically stated that recognition of the Taliban government would not be possible until it gives women and minorities their due rights.

    Zabihullah Mujahid defended the latest additions to the cabinet, saying it included members of ethnic minorities, such as Hazaras, and that women might be added later.

    Mujahid was also asked about the recent restrictions imposed on girls and women, including a decision not to allow girls in grades six to 12 to return to classrooms for the time being.

    He suggested this was a temporary decision, and that “soon it will be announced when they can go to school”. He said plans were being made to allow their return but did not elaborate.