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.

  • Khadim Rizvi’s TLP contesting election despite ban?

    Khadim Rizvi’s TLP contesting election despite ban?

    Last year, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had demanded the expulsion of the French ambassador and a boycott of French products, asking the federal government to take “practical steps” otherwise it would be compelled to take “extreme action”.

    After the government’s refusal, a rally was led by then-TLP chief Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who urged the federal government to “declare jihad” against France.

    Protests erupted across major cities in Pakistan.

    On April 12 after the now-proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Hussain Rizvi was detained by security forces in Lahore, TLP again started protests and threatened the state to adhere to the parties demands.

    After the violent rallies, TLP was placed in the list of proscribed organisations, under the 1st schedule of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ &K) Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 2014.

    TLP was involved in political activities and carrying out its election campaigns in AJK, for the polls which were to be held on July 25.

    Under ATA, banned organisations are not allowed to engage in any political activities.

    However, despite the ban, TLP also participated in the NA-249 by-elections in Karachi on April 28. TLP came third in the Karachi by-election.

    Yesterday, in Sialkot, PP-38 constituency, a candidate from the TLP participated as a candidate for the election.

    Talking to The Current, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry while commenting on the recent participation of the party in the by-elections said, “The government went about it in a legal way, which was to first announce that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has been banned.”

    “It gave them (TLP) the right to appeal the government’s decision. Their appeal was reviewed by the federal cabinet, which dismissed their appeal,” added Fawad.

    “Now when it comes to their political participation in the Sialkot elections: they were not allowed to take part in any electoral activity,” said the federal minister.

    Fawad added, “The government has notified that the TLP has been proscribed and therefore cannot take part in any activities. Now, this notification will go to the Supreme Court (SC) and proceedings will take place in the apex court as per Pakistan’s Election Act.”

    “TLP will not be able to take part in the elections if the SC decides to uphold their ban and consequently bans them under the Election Act, 2017,” stated the information minister.

  • ‘Ready with my boat’: President Alvi eager to save Islamabad after floods

    ‘Ready with my boat’: President Alvi eager to save Islamabad after floods

    After the heavy downpour in the capital leading to urban flooding, President Arif Alvi extended his concern for the people of Islamabad.

    Taking to Twitter, Alvi tweeted, “I am confident that Islamabad’s administration are doing their job well but if need be, I am ready with my boat.”

    He was responding to a tweet where Alvi can be seen rowing a boat in Karachi in 2017 when he was an MNA.

    Twitterati extended support to the president.

    A Twitter user wrote, “He is following the steps of Ex-Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab.

    Our President is also a ‘memer’.

    Following two deaths and widespread flooding in the federal capital, Islamabad Commissioner Amir Ahmed has ordered a probe in this regard.

    Meanwhile, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said all officers and employees have been asked to remain on high alert for the next week in light of the heavy downpour.

  • ‘Extremely unfair to allege Pakistan supported Taliban’: PM Khan

    ‘Extremely unfair to allege Pakistan supported Taliban’: PM Khan

    In an interview with PBS Newshour, Judy Woodruff asked Prime Minister Imran Khan about Pakistan’s alleged military, intelligence, and financial support to Afghanistan.

    PM Khan replied, “I find this extremely unfair.”

    The premier added that when the Pakistani government decided to join the United States (US) war on terror, “we were devastated by that”. PM said that 70,000 Pakistanis died because of the US war in Afghanistan, even when “Pakistan had nothing to do with what happened” [in New York on September 11, 2001].

    Al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan at the time, and “there were no militant Taliban in Pakistan,” he said, maintaining that Pakistan was not involved in the 9/11 attacks.

    “We had nothing to do with it,” he repeated, regretting that the war in Afghanistan had resulted in a loss of $150 billion to Pakistan’s economy.

    PM further added that the US “really messed it up in Afghanistan”.

    Judy Woodruff asked PM Imran about claims of Taliban sanctuaries being present in Pakistan and a report about 10,000 fighters crossing the border to help the group in Afghanistan.

    “Judy, for a start, this 10,000 Taliban — or as the Afghan government says, Jihadi fighters — have crossed over, is absolute nonsense. Why don’t they give us evidence of this?” asked PM Imran.

    To a question about safe-havens, the premier questioned where the sanctuaries are located in Pakistan.

    “Taliban are not some military outfit. They are normal civilians. If there are some civilians in these camps, how is Pakistan supposed to hunt these people down? How can you call them sanctuaries?” asked PM Imran.

    “First of all, they tried to look for a military solution in Afghanistan when there was never one. And people like me, who know the history of Afghanistan and kept saying there isn’t a military solution, were called anti-American. I was called Taliban Khan,” said PM Imran.

    The prime minister further added, “I don’t know what the objective was in Afghanistan, whether there was to have some nation-building, democracy or liberate the women. Whatever the cause was, the way they went about it was never going to be the solution.”

    “When they finally decided there is no military solution, unfortunately, the bargaining power of the American or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces had gone,” said the premier.

    “Once they had reduced the troops to barely 10,000 and when they gave the exit date, Taliban thought they had won,” said PM Imran. He added that it is difficult right now to ask the group to compromise or “force them” to take a political solution.

    “It’s very difficult to force them into a political solution because they [Taliban] think that they won,” said PM Imran.

    PM Khan further said, “Pakistan is hosting over three million Afghan refugees. And what we fear is that a protracted civil war would [bring] more refugees. And our economic situation is not such that we can have another influx.”

    “Secondly, the worry is that the civil war will flow into Pakistan because Taliban are ethnic Pashtuns. Now there are more Pashtuns on our side of the border than Afghanistan. And so the worry is if this goes on, the Pashtuns on our side will be drawn into it and that is also the last thing we want,” said PM Imran.

  • Noor murder case timeline: Different media reports state different stories

    Noor murder case timeline: Different media reports state different stories

    Over the last few days, the news has been inundated with the different versions and revelations in relation to the murder of Noor Mukadam.

    Here’s a list of the different versions of the same story.

    1.Zahir Jaffer’s confession:

    Reportedly, Zahir Jaffer has confessed to the murder of Noor Mukadam. Police also gathered video evidence of Noor being tortured by Zahir.

     The accused made the confession during interrogation but has not given a reason for murdering Noor. Dawn, The Express Tribune, ARY News, Dunya have reported that Zahir Jaffer, the prime suspect in the murder of Noor, confessed to killing her before the investigators during his interrogation. Sources said the prime suspect has repeatedly changed his reasoning for committing the brutal crime.

    However, Geo News and Samaa have not reported on the confession yet.

    2.CCTV footage of the incident:

    All news outlets have confirmed that the Islamabad police have also found video evidence of him torturing Noor on his mobile phone, as well as CCTV footage of the incident.

    3.Noor seeking driver’s help:

    Only two media organisations reported the story of Noor seeking help from her driver while being held as a hostage at Zahir Jaffer’s house.

    Noor Mukadam asked her driver to arrange Rs700,000 and bring it to the house of Zahir Jaffer, the main accused in her murder, Noor’s driver told Geo News.

    The Express Tribune reported, the victim’s family reportedly informed the investigation team that Noor had instructed her driver to bring Rs700,000 to the accused’s house. However, the investigation team said no money has been recovered yet. A senior police officer added that there was no confirmation of the money being withdrawn from the victim’s account, from her home, or from any other relatives. However, Geo news says that the driver collected three lakh rupees from his own resources, friends, and acquaintances.

    No other major news outlet has run this story.

    4.Crime Scene:

    All major news outlets reported that a guard at the house of Zahir Jaffer saw Noor Mukadam trying to escape as she jumped off the balcony. When she jumped off the balcony, she landed on the Air Conditioner Unit ( Condenser). Zahir too jumped off from the balcony and grabbed her. The guard tried to help her but Zahir grabbed her by her hair and took her back into her room and locked the door.

    BBC Urdu reported that Noor jumped out of the ‘Roshandan‘ [a small window].

    BBC Urdu, Dawn, and The Express Tribune added that Noor hid in the guard’s room after finding the gate locked, adding that later the accused broke into the room and dragged her back into the house.

    Geo News did not report Noor hiding in the guard’s room.

    5.Presence of friends:

    Editor of The Nation Salman Masood, mentioned that Zahir brutally killed Noor and chopped off her head from the body while the Therapy Works team and a group of mutual friends tried to enter his room.

    Dawn reported that the SSP Rehman further said her [Noor’s] friends reached the house of the accused, but he refused to let them enter, adding that he remained on the balcony, brandishing weapons and hurling abuses at them. One of the friends informed the girl’s father while another friend called the police.

    However, as per Geo News,  a neighbour had gone to the Kohsar Police station to inform them and not a friend. By the time the police reached, the team of Therapy Works had tied up Zahir.

    6. When did Noor go to Zahir’s house:

    Editor of The Nation Salman Masood and Geo News reported that Noor was detained for two days at Zahir’s house.

    Other media outlets have not reported the duration of stay.

    7. Reason for murder:

    The reason for murder has yet not been confirmed.

    However, Geo News reported that Zahir called his parents before the murder and told them that Noor has refused to marry him.

    Meanwhile, ARY News reported that allegedly Zahir in his statement said that he killed Noor for cheating on him

    Recent update on #JusticeForNoor case:

    The parents of Zahir Zakir Jaffer — a key suspect in Noor Mukadam’s murder — on Tuesday moved a bail petition in a district and sessions court in Islamabad against their detention. Admitting the petition, the court issued a notice to the police and set July 30 as the date for the hearing.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Anyone who commits rape, solely and solely that person is responsible’: PM Khan
    
			
    ‘Anyone who commits rape, solely and solely that person is responsible’: PM Khan
    
			
    In an interview with Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour, Prime Minister Imran Khan clarified that his previous comments about rape were taken out of context.
    

    “Anyone who commits rape, solely and solely that person is responsible. So let’s be clear about that. No matter how provocative the woman is or whatever she wears, the person who commits rape is fully responsible. Never is the victim responsible,” said PM Khan.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “More than rape, there is child abuse [cases] which are going through the roof, so my comments were in that context,” said PM Khan.
    

    The premier stated that he used the word “pardah”, adding that the word does not just mean clothes or is restricted to women only. He said that “pardah” is also for men and means to “bring down temptation in a society”.
    

    “And I have to say because I know all the interviews I have given. Never would I say such a stupid thing where a person who is raped is somehow responsible. It is always the rapist that is responsible,” added the premier.
    

    Woodruff also questioned the PM if he believes that in his country the importance of Islam complicates PM’s ability to take a stronger stand against violence against women.
    

    “Absolutely not. Islam gives dignity [and] respect to women,” the PM responded to her question. He added that after traveling all over the world, he found that in Muslim countries, women are treated with more respect.
    

    “In Pakistan, even in other Muslim countries I have seen, women [are] treated with far more respect and given more dignity,” said PM Khan.
    

    The PM admitted that there are “odd cases” in relevance to the respect of women but he explained that such a situation was “everywhere in the world”.
    

    “But you look at the situation in Pakistan even now, I mean look at the rape cases here, compared to Western countries, they are minuscule,” said the PM.
    

    The premier accepted that there are problems in Pakistan and he linked them to “cultural problems”. He then went on to say that such cultural problems exist in every nation and are resolved with cultural evolution and the right education.
    

    “As far as a woman’s dignity and respect goes, I can say after going all over the world, this [Pakistani] society gives more respect and dignity to women,” concluded PM Imran.
    

    Last month, in an interview with “Axios on HBO” with Jonathan Swan, PM Khan had said that “if a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they are robots”. His statement was heavily critised and he came under fire for his reaction to the rising cases of sexual violence in Pakistan.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    CEO Therapy Works Tahir Zahoor Ahmed lies about Zahir Jaffer not being organisation’s practicing therapist
    
			
    CEO Therapy Works Tahir Zahoor Ahmed lies about Zahir Jaffer not being organisation’s practicing therapist
    
			
    The confusion is real. Was Zahir Jaffer taking clients and was a practicing therapist at the organisation Therapy Works? In a social media post, the organisation stated, “He [Zahir Jaffer] did not complete his coursework and International Essays, and accordingly was never ever given permission to see clients. This is borne out by our list of authorised therapists in which his name has never been included.”
    

    On Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Kahnzada Kay Sath’, Journalist Shahzeb Khanzada revealed that Zahir Jaffer was giving therapy sessions to children at Beaconhouse’s Rawalpindi branch. 
    

    According to leaked audio of Therapy Works CEO Tahir Ahmed Zahoor, Zahir Jaffer along with Dr Umber Zaidi ( an authorised counsellor of Therapy Works, as listed on their website) had visited Beaconhouse to give a counselling session to students, on how to cope up with the increasing pressure in education. Khanzada shows leaked audio and video of Tahir Ahmed Zahoor saying that he was not responsible for Zahir going to Beaconhouse since Zahir went on his own. Khanzada aired a clarification from Beaconhouse, in which the school states that they had reached out to TherapyWorks for their counsellors to come to the school sessions and Zahir had been sent by the organisation.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    It was further revealed that Dr Umber and Zahir were affiliated with the Therapy Works and that they both shared their credentials with the school principal on arrival. 
    

    The official Beaconhouse statement reads: 
    

    “In Jan 2019, A teacher of Beaconhouse Senior Boys Branch, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi was enrolled in a course at TherapyWorks. She asked her teacher, Dr Umber Zaidi (an authorised counsellor of TherapyWorks as listed on Therpary Works website) to visit the school as a guest speaker and talk to students about coping with study pressures. Dr Umber Zaidi brought Zahir to the school with her. Both shared their TherapyWorks credentials with the school head before the session with Students and Teachers. At no point were the students left unsupervised.
    

    In short, Beaconhouse did not invite Zahir. It was Dr Umber Zaidi’s decision to bring him along. Since she is an authorised counsellor of TherapyWorks, the school did not question her decision. It is pertinent to note that the session took place in Jan 2019″.
    

    During the show, Shahzeb Khanzada exposed other contradictions that CEO Tahir Ahmed had been stating as the truth. Khanzada reported that Tahir knew about Zahir’s mental health and let him become a therapist and take on clients anyway. 
    

     In the leaked audio, Tahir Ahmed says that it was only after June 2021 that Zahir’s parents contacted him and asked him to help their son [Zahir]. 
    

    “He is seriously ill, he will do something,” Tahir Ahmed to Zahir’s parents. 
    

    However, Zahir’s father ignored Tahir’s warnings. 
    

    Dr Imtiaz Dogar, President Pakistan Psychiatric Society, a guest on the show said, “The murder of Noor Mukadam is not a psychological but a criminal matter.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Noor took three lakh rupees from driver, police say money not recovered
    
			
    Noor took three lakh rupees from driver, police say money not recovered
    
			
    Noor Mukadam left her house at 9:15pm on Sunday (July 18) and reached Zahir’s house at 10pm. Noor called her driver Khalil the next morning (Monday, July 19) at 9.50am and asked him to arrange Rs700,000 and bring it to Zahir Jaffer’s house, reports Geo News.
    

    As per Geo News, the driver told Noor that he could not arrange such a large sum of money.  Noor told him that it was important that he brings it and asked him to take it from a friend or arrange it from his acquaintances. However, Khalil said that he could only arrange Rs300,000. 
    

    “When I called Noor, she said she can’t come out and that I hand over the money to the cook,” her driver told Geo. He then handed the money over to the cook.
    

    As per Express Tribune, a senior police officer said that there was no confirmation of the money being withdrawn from the victim’s account, from her home, or from any other relatives.
    

    The driver also revealed to Geo News that when Noor called him for the first time, she told to inform her parents that she was going to Lahore. 
    

    When Khalil went inside the house to inform Noor’s parents, her mother was already talking about the same thing with her husband. Noor’s father was asking why she was going to Lahore when it was Eid the next day, the driver said.
    

    He added that after hearing the conversation between Noor’s parents, he realised they already knew what Noor had asked him to tell them and so he left without saying anything.
    

    According to the investigating sources, Noor was in touch with her mother. Noor also spoke to her mother over the phone the day she was murdered.
    

    When Geo News contacted the police about the driver’s statement and asked about a possible kidnapping and ransom, they replied that the case is under investigation.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    US embassy representatives reportedly meet dual national Zahir Jaffer
    
			
    US embassy representatives reportedly meet dual national Zahir Jaffer
    
			
    Dawn has reported that the United States (US) embassy staff met Zahir Jaffer on Monday while Zahir was in police custody. 
    

    According to the report, a request was made by the embassy to the police for a meeting with the accused as he was a dual national of the US and Pakistan.
    

    The officers told Dawn, under the condition of anonymity, that the matter was discussed with the senior officials, and permission was granted to the embassy staff for the meeting.
    

    The meeting took place in two phases. During the first phase of the meeting, the embassy staff met the accused in the presence of senior police officers. Later, another round of discussions was held in the police officers’ absence.
    

    “I cannot comment on the case due to privacy concerns,” the US embassy spokesperson, Heather Eaton, said when contacted by Dawn to seek details of the meeting.
    

    She also refused to reveal any information when asked if the embassy was following the case or was in contact with any authority.
    

    It was reported last night that Zahir Jaffer has confessed to the murder of Noor Mukadam. Police have also gathered video evidence, reportedly of Noor being tortured by Zahir.
    

     The accused made the confession during interrogation but has not given a reason for murdering Noor.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘PM Khan’s phone does not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Modi’: Fawad
    
			
    ‘PM Khan’s phone does not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Modi’: Fawad
    
			
    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Jirga’, said, “Two days prior to the story of Pegasus spyware being published, I received a letter from The Guardian revealing that there was a list of phone numbers that had been hacked. Three numbers previously used by Prime Minister Imran Khan were also in the list.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Fawad said that the letter further added that he needed to confirm whether the numbers included in the list belonged to PM Khan or not.
    

    Fawad said that a team was being put together by the government, who would do the forensics to verify whether the premier’s phone was hacked or not. Only then will the government be able to tell if the attempt to hack the phone was successful or not.
    

    “It is confirmed that an attempt to hack the phone was made,” said Fawad.
    

    On being asked by Saleem Safi that if the phone was indeed hacked and the Indians did get the data from the premier’s phone, what implications would it have for the country, Fawad replied, ” PM Khan’s phone did not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His phone does not have any orders of murder in it.”
    

    Fawad condemned how Modi and his government had hacked the phones of Indian journalists, judges, his own government officials, and other world leaders and said that the United Nations must intervene in this regard.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Fawad Chaudhry added that the Foreign Office has taken notice of India’s use of Israeli spyware, Pegasus, to hack Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone and had already said: “We call on the relevant UN bodies to thoroughly investigate the matter, bring the facts to light, and hold the Indian perpetrators to account.”
    

    When questioned about the meeting between Imran Khan and Narendra Modi before he came into power and whether it was discussed with the then government, Fawad responded that PM Khan’s meeting was public and the media was present. Fawad criticised Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib in London and said this was news shared with the Afghan media.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “I won’t call Nawaz Sharif a traitor but it was a very irresponsible act by him,” added Fawad.
    

    Earlier this week, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif was met by Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib and State Minister for Peace Sayed Sadat Naderi.
    

    The National Security Council of Afghanistan (NSCA) gave an update about the meeting on Twitter Saturday, saying that the Afghan state minister for peace and NSA discussed “matters of mutual interest” with the former Pakistan prime minister.
    

    Nawaz Sharif’s meeting faced extreme criticism from the government.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Will seek India’s help’: PML-N’s Ismail Gujjar served show-cause notice over remarks
    
			
    ‘Will seek India’s help’: PML-N’s Ismail Gujjar served show-cause notice over remarks
    
			
    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)  Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal has served a show-cause notice to Ismail Gujjar for his controversial statement a day ago during the Azad Jammu and Kashmir election wherein he threatened to “call India for help” if attempts were made [by the government] to rig the polls.
    

    Talking to the media, Chaudhry Ismail Gujjar said, “If you try to commit such an act [rig elections], I will call India for help … I warn you this is the election of Azad Kashmir and its people, let it be peaceful.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Reacting to the statement, Ahsan Iqbal issued a show-cause notice to Gujjar.
    

    “A statement given by you appeared on the electronic media in which you have irresponsibly stated that you will seek help from India for your election,” the notice reads, asking Gujjar to give an explanation within seven days. 
    

    Issuing a clarification on to Geo News, Ismail had said his statement was directed towards the administration. “India kills Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir and over here, these people are taking down our camps,” he had added.
    

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while appreciating the PML-N for issuing a show-cause notice to a “political orphan” [Gujjar], said it would have been better had the party served a notice to Nawaz Sharif for meeting Pakistan’s enemy. Fawad was referring to Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib in London.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Fawad also commented on the Afghan NSA’s meeting with Sharif on Geo News‘ programme, ‘Jirga’.