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.

  • Nawaz still very ill, new medical reports submitted to court

    Nawaz still very ill, new medical reports submitted to court

    Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s new medical reports have been submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) after the British authorities turned down his request for an extension in his stay, pleading that he cannot return as doctors have not yet allowed him air travel, reports Dawn.

    Since November 2019, this is Nawaz’s 11th medical report submitted to the LHC.  In all medical reports, a similar plea had been taken that ‘doctors have stopped him (Nawaz) from air travel’.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif has already said that Nawaz Sharif will not return until his complete recovery and stated that he can legally stay in the UK till the British immigration tribunal makes a final decision.

    Nawaz’s consultant, cardiothoracic surgeon David Lawrence, in Nawaz’s medical report wrote, “Nawaz Sharif, undoubtedly, has complex and complicated medical issues which need to be treated holistically. Great care needs to be exercised in dealing with each of the diseases and comorbidities he is suffering in order to maintain the right balance.”

    “There is also the appearance of the transient ischemic dilatation suggesting significant ischemic burden that amounts approximately 22 per cent of the myocardium. This is indicative of significantly reduced blood supply to the heart in the circumflex territory and impaired functionality. Mr Nawaz is advised cardiac catheterisation and subsequent management given the significant risk of worsening of his heart disease but once his comorbidities (ITP, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease) were stabilised by a multidisciplinary approach,” said the doctor.

    “He developed Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) during his incarceration and his response to the first and second-line therapies was unsatisfactory, a stable platelet count within the medically prescribed range was paramount to ensure the safety of diagnostics and treatment. In addition to the recent finding of him having developed carotid artery’s stenosis, he was assessed to have had an exacerbation of his coronary artery disease and deterioration of renal functions. The intention was indeed to proceed with the management of his cardiac and carotid diseases once he was given clearance from hematology and nephrology specialties,” says the medical report.

    “He should, by all means, avoid travelling and visiting public places like airports. He should only stay in close proximity to the healthcare facilities where he has been getting his treatment until the Covid-19 threat is over and his health problems are adequately addressed,” Lawrence said.

    “Mr Nawaz needs to take serious precautions being a clinically extremely vulnerable person,” added the report.

  • Twitter reacts to Turkish news channel calling Gen Bajwa ‘Pakistani premier’

    Twitter reacts to Turkish news channel calling Gen Bajwa ‘Pakistani premier’

    A Turkish news channel ‘Hürriyet Daily News’ shared a picture of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa in a meeting with Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, with the caption: “#Defense Minister Akar, #Pakistani premier discuss bilateral issues.”

    https://twitter.com/HDNER/status/1425533726969274368

    Twitterati had a good time responding to the tweet.

    A Twitter user wrote, “They know who the boss is.”

    Another user wrote, “Na koi phone karta hai, na koi milnay aata hai… [Neither does anyone call nor does any once come to meet] The #SedLyf of #ImranKhan”

    One man tweeted PM Khan’s picture with ‘absolutely not’ written as a response to the tweet.

    A Twitter user quoted a picture of prime minister Imran Khan sarcastically depicting him after hearing that international media has replaced him.`

    A Twitter user questioned, “If Gen Bajwa is Premier then what Imran Khan is?”

  • Journalists reject government media bill, call it unconstitutional

    Journalists reject government media bill, call it unconstitutional

    The representatives of media organisations have rejected the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) and termed the concept as an unconstitutional and draconian law against the freedom of press and expression and a step toward imposing state control to regulate all segments of media under over-centralised body.

    The major stakeholders believe that the proposed PMDA is an attempt to tighten the government’s control over the media from one platform and ignores the fact that print, electronic and social media are separate entities, each with their own defined features.

    A joint meeting of the members of the Standing Committee of National Assembly and Senate on Information and Broadcasting was held on August 11.

    Talking to The Current, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said that a joint meeting of the Standing Committees on Information of both Houses — Senate and National Assembly— had been called by the Information Ministry to discuss the proposed media authority bill.

    “PML-N had boycotted the meeting as it was being held at the Information Ministry instead of Parliament House. When I went to the meeting, I raised some legal and constitutional points regarding the meeting,” said Khokhar.

    “I asked the government for signed permission by Chairman Senate and Speaker National Assembly as it is required by law if such meetings are called outside parliament. The government could only produce a permission letter from Chairman Senate but not Speaker National Assembly. So I raised the point that this meeting is illegal,” said Khokhar.

    “I also pointed out that since Mian Javed Latif, who is the chair of the NA Standing Committee on Information, is not present due to PML-N’s boycott, the NA Standing Committee cannot be part of this meeting. I was overruled by the government. Thus, the PPP also decided to boycott the briefing,” added Senator Khokhar.

    The agenda before the Committee was one of a comprehensive briefing on the proposed PMDA by the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry.

    As per the last known draft, the PDMA has been described in the Ordinance as “an independent, efficient, effective and transparent” Authority, which will regulate all forms of media, including digital media.

    Under the Ordinance, print and digital media will also need a license to establish and operate in the country.

    The draft describes digital media as online newspapers, web TV channels, OTT content platforms, online news channels, video logs, and YouTube channels, Netflix, Amazon Prime.

    As per the drafted Ordinance, the government could issue directives to the Authority on matters of policy, and such directives will be binding on the Authority.

    For a media organisation to operate in the country, it will be required to not broadcast, distribute or make available online any programme inciting violence or hatred or any action prejudicial to maintenance of law and order or content which defames or brings into ridicule the Head of State, or members of the armed forces, or legislative or judicial organs of the state or is obscene or vulgar.

    As per the draft, the president will set up media tribunals. An aggrieved person can file an appeal with the media tribunal within 30 days. Only the Supreme Court will have jurisdiction to question the legality of a decision taken by the media tribunals.

  • Fact Check: Islamia University Bahawalpur is not in the top 1000 international universities

    Fact Check: Islamia University Bahawalpur is not in the top 1000 international universities

    Claim: Islamia University Bahawalpur is in the top 1000 international universities

    Fact: Islamia University Bahawalpur is not in the top 1000 international universities

    Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar on Wednesday, in his speech at the Kissan Convention in Bhawalpur, said, “As per the Times Higher Education World Ranking of Universities, Islamia University of Bahawalpur is amongst the world best 1000 universities.”

    According to the World University Ranking, Islamia University of Bahawalpur is not in the top 1000 universities but is in the list of 1001+ universities.

    Screengrab from the Times Higher Education World University Ranking official website

    Furthermore, CM Buzdar said that the Islamia University of Bahawalpur is among the top nine universities in Pakistan.

    Checking the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) official website which was last updated in 2015, the Islamia University of Bhawalpur is not included in the list.

    Screengrab from the Higher Education Commission’s official website.

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • Pakistan celebrates National Minority Day

    Pakistan celebrates National Minority Day

    Pakistan celebrates National Minority Day today, remembering the contribution of minorities in the progress of Pakistan.

    August 11 marks the day to reaffirm our founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision that despite belonging to different faiths, we are one nation.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted, “Let Quaid e Azam’s historic speech of August 11 1947 resonate & let us unite to honour spirit & sanctity of his words. Celebrating the white in our flag.”

    Qureshi also shared a video message.

    Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari tweeted that August 11 is a reaffirmation of the vision of Quaid-e-Azam.

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Reopening of the mandir in Rahim Yar Khan on August 11 signifies the importance government attaches to rights of minorities, respect for religious beliefs is our core policy.”

    “We will ensure all citizens enjoy life and liberty as per Constitution of Pakistan mandate,” tweeted Fawad.

    A Hindu temple in Bhong town was recently vandalised by a mob, but is has been completely restored to its original structure and handed over back to the members of the minority community.

  • Pakistan responds to UK’s concerns amid Red List travel ban

    Pakistan responds to UK’s concerns amid Red List travel ban

    The Pakistan government has responded to the United Kingdom (UK) government’s reasons for keeping the former on its travel Red List in a detailed letter written by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan.

     Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari shared the letter on Twitter and said, “The table exposes claims of UK govt, clearly it has been a political decision.”

    Mazari further tweeted, “UK’s Conservative govt with a strong Indophiles’ presence playing discriminatory politics against Pakistan on Covid.”

    Dr Sultan in his letter writes that Pakistan has “no interest in allowing” its nationals who pose a health risk to other societies to travel abroad. He said this is a shared global objective.

    Dr Sultan presented a table comparing key indicators from Pakistan and some other countries in the region, which currently sit on the Amber List, to illustrate what he referred to as “obvious disparities”. He said that when looking at countries’ track record of managing the epidemic, “numbers alone, without context, can be deceptive”.

    The SAPM explained how the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in Pakistan were being conducted and highlighted that testing is done through “agreed-upon national algorithms”. He explained how it makes for “accurate and timely data inputs”.

    “We feel that the number of tests being done is a large enough sample size to be a sensitive and accurate barometer of the epidemic and the number, especially when seen with the percentage positivity rate, has accurately reflected the rise and fall of all the waves seen so far,” Dr Sultan wrote.

    SAPM agreed that Pakistan does have limitations in whole-genome sequencing throughput, compared to the UK, which is the current leader in this arena. So far 854 samples have been sequenced during July and August 2021 and the details are shared with the World Health Organisation (WHO) regularly.

  • PML-N changes stance, no longer opposes the Anti-Rape Ordinance

    PML-N changes stance, no longer opposes the Anti-Rape Ordinance

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) moved a resolution in the National Assembly today for the disapproval of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020. According to an official document by the National Assembly Secretariat, members from the Opposition party were to move against the Anti-Rape Ordinance.

    However, the PML-N has withdrawn its resolution against the Anti-Rape Ordinance.

    PML-N’s Secretary Parliamentary Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja told The Current that there were several Ordinances that were passed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. The PML-N has a considered stance to oppose any legislation that is brought through Ordinances, which is why the PML-N prepared resolutions for dissolution for all of them because they were not going through proper legislative procedures. “This became one of them by mistake,” says Shaza. The PML-N has now withdrawn its resolution for disapproval of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020.

    Shaza added that the PML-N would like the government to bring this legislation to parliament as concerns were also raised by the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) and the Women’s Lawyers’ Association (WLA) about the Anti-Rape Ordinance.

    “PML-N stands for women’s rights and would want a pro-women law that can also be implemented without any bureaucratic or other hurdles.” Shahza Khawaja said that despite strong opposition from PTI and other parties, the PML-N has been able to pass progressive and pro-women legislation, including the Anti-Rape Laws 2016, Anti-Honour Killing Bill, as well as Protection of Women against Violence Bill in Punjab.

    In response to a tweet, Shaza Khawaja tweeted that the PML-N unequivocally stands with women’s rights in every sense of the word.

    Twitterati reacted to PML-N’s withdrawing the resolution.

    Farieha Aziz tweeted, “Bills will be detrimental, not beneficial if passed in their current form. Must not be passed as they are.”

    Lawyer Reema Omer tweeted, “It was bizarre – even if well-intentioned – to make such radical reform in criminal law through ordinances anyway. The focus now must be on the anti-rape bills, which have some serious problems.”

  • ‘Kabul should avoid pointing fingers at Pakistan for its own failures’: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    ‘Kabul should avoid pointing fingers at Pakistan for its own failures’: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked the Afghan government to avoid pointing fingers at Pakistan for its own failures and look into its governance issues.

    In a press briefing at the Foreign Office (FO), he said Pakistan had repeatedly said it had no favourites in Afghanistan and saw all sides of the conflict as Afghans.

    “It is unfortunate to scapegoat Pakistan for the failures of others; the issues of governance and meltdown of Afghan National Defence Forces need to be looked into — and not just start pointing fingers at Pakistan.”

    “The time has come when the world wants answers to what has been achieved in Afghanistan in these past 20 years. The taxpayer in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Europe wants to know who is responsible for no achievement. Pakistan will not be apologetic, as we are not accountable nor responsible for the trillions spent and nothing to show for it. No capacity building, no arms, where has everything gone?” remarked Qureshi.

    “Pakistan is against a forceful takeover of Afghanistan. Pakistan does not want a military takeover, as we do not support one. We speak of a political takeover. A military takeover will result in more bloodshed and the people of Afghanistan have suffered and this suffering should end. Leadership inside Afghanistan should rise to the occasion and avoid a military takeover. We urge all sides to show respect for human rights and international humanitarian laws,” said Qureshi.

    “We had made a request to be present there, but unfortunately, it was not accepted,” he said, adding that at the time of India assuming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) presidency, Pakistan had asked it to operate objectively.

    However, India did not behave in a manner that was befitting of that responsibility, the foreign minister said. “India has been, in our view, in breach of its obligation as president of the Security Council.”

    Pakistan has been facilitating the peace process, and its role has been and will continue to be of a facilitator, the foreign minister said.

    “We cannot guarantee, we can only facilitate,” he said, noting it was up to the Afghans to decide their future, and now the world community was backing Pakistan’s narrative that there is no military solution in Afghanistan.

    While on the request of President Ashraf Ghani, intra-Afghan peace talks were postponed in Islamabad, Pakistan now looks forward to the August 11 peace talks of the troika consisting of Pakistan, China, and Russia with an aim of chartering a political way out for an Afghan-led peace process.

    “We reiterate the need for the effective use of available peace mechanisms,” Qureshi said, adding Pakistan has always stressed the need for talks.

  • Anti-Muslim slogans call for murder at event organised by BJP

    Anti-Muslim slogans call for murder at event organised by BJP

    Inflammatory, anti-Muslim slogans calling for murder were raised in New Delhi, India, on Sunday during a march “against Colonial-era laws” in the country — an event organised by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Upadhyay, reported The Wire.

    The event, organised under the ‘Bharat Jodo Movement’, demanded the end of “colonial-era laws” by implementing a Uniform Civil Code. The event was reportedly held without police permission.

    In photos and videos of the event doing the rounds on social media, violent and inflammatory anti-Muslim slogans were raised at the event, including slogans directly calling for the murder of Muslims. The Delhi Police have registered an FIR against unknown persons.

    https://twitter.com/asfreeasjafri/status/1424366863711043587?s=21

    People are questioning why an FIR has been registered against unknown people when their faces are clearly visible.

    Senior Journalist Barkha Dutt tweeted: “Revolting anti-Muslim slogans in heart of the capital is a clear example of hate speech and incitement to violence.”

    “I do not agree with the sedition law or with the phrase anti-national but if ever there was an apt definition of it, it is these men, caught on tape,” tweeted the journalist.

    Indian journalist Smita Sharma tweeted, “Video clips doing the rounds of vitriolic dangerous sloganeering against Muslims in the heart of the capital.”

    Sharma further said, “These are not fringe elements or just stupid crowds. They have been emboldened. Will @DelhiPolice act against these toxic anti-nationals?@CPDelhi.”

    Journalist Maya Mirchandani tweeted, “A group gets permission to hold a sit in at Jantar Mantar supposedly for unity in the country, then raises genocidal slogans against Indian Muslims in the heart of Delhi, a stone’s throw from parliament. Under govt’s nose, under @CPDelhi nose. How? #rightwingextremism #hatespeech”

  • Did Zahir’s mother help cover up Noor’s murder? Investigators look through call logs

    Did Zahir’s mother help cover up Noor’s murder? Investigators look through call logs

    Investigators in Noor Mukadam’ s murder case are checking the calls logs of Zahir’s mother — Asmat Jaffer — who called the head of Trillium Information Security Systems, a private Rawalpindi-based security firm, several times on the day of Noor’s gruesome murder on July 20, reports Zahid Gishkori for The News.

    Asmat Jaffer, who was in Karachi at the time of the murder, was also in contact with her son at 7:29pm. Noor’s murder reportedly took place between 6:30 and 7:30pm.

    Shortly after this call, Zahir contacted Trillium Security’s head at 7:30pm for five minutes after which Asmat spoke to the head of the firm at least thrice. Not only this, several people that she was in contact have confirmed that she was actively moving between Karachi’s DHA, Clifton and Shaheed-e-Millat Road area and reached out to multiple people at this time. According to The News, Zahir’s mother communicated over 200 times with numerous people: her servant, neighbours in F-7/4, a few influential individuals, a security company, capital police, a welfare trust, four private firms, her immediate family members and periodically with her son, the suspected killer, officials and people involved in the case said.

    These strange calls started peaking in the afternoon of July 20. She made frequent calls to Zahir a dozen times. However, the nature of these calls hasn’t been disclosed yet.

    “I have nothing to do with what happened [at Jaffer House]. These are absolutely false findings. Whatever the folks are saying is incorrect, as I have no connection with this [Noor Mukadam] murder,” Trillium Information Security Systems’ owner told Gishkori.

    The court denied bail to Zahir’s parents. Asmat Jaffer arrived at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Karachi, at 6:30am on July 21, throughout on call. Upon her arrival, she did not go to her family home. She went straight to sector F-8 for a few hours, before going to a friend’s house in sector F-6.