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.

  • Hamid Mir received death threats, CPJ urges authorities to investigate

    Hamid Mir received death threats, CPJ urges authorities to investigate

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Pakistani authorities to “swiftly and impartially investigate death threats and online harassment targeting prominent television anchor Hamid Mir and ensure his safety.”

    Hamid Mir, a prominent journalist in Pakistan who hosts a political talk show ‘Capital Talk’ on Geo News, has survived at least two assassination attempts in the past.

    Mir told the CPJ that he had received multiple death threats on social media and warnings that his life was in danger from two journalists familiar with the situation.

    The Islamabad police is yet to register an FIR after Hamir Mir reported the threats to the police last week.

    The CPJ reported that on April 28, YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he had been told that “preparations are being made to take action” against Mir for his comments in support of freedom of speech in Pakistan

    On April 27, he filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the 2022 killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya. In February, Mir spoke out on his show against the detention of Imran Riaz Khan and journalist Asad Ali Toor.

    Mir also told CPJ that he saw at least two people filming him last week while he was in his vehicle near his Islamabad home but they ran away when he approached them. Mir also reported the incident to the police.

  • PM orders inquiry on wheat import last year

    PM orders inquiry on wheat import last year

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an inquiry committee to investigate the import of wheat last year under caretaker setup despite abundant harvest.

    Shehbaz appointed Secretary Cabinet Division Kamran Ali Afzal as head of the probe body.

    “What led to the import of wheat despite abundant production,” the prime minister inquired.

    Farmers in Punjab have staged protests because the government is not buying wheat crops from them at the agreed-upon rates.

    “All necessary measures should be taken for buying wheat and farmers should be compensated for their hard work soon,” Shehbaz assured.

    Importantly, Shehbaz has removed Federal Secretary National Food Security and Research Division Captain (R) Muhammad Asif from his post on the issue of wheat import during the caretaker government.

    Asif is a Grade 21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service. He has been made OSD.

  • ‘Mujhay easy na laina’, Gandapur slams federal govt for not paying KP dues

    ‘Mujhay easy na laina’, Gandapur slams federal govt for not paying KP dues

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur criticized the federal Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government on Thursday, threatening that people from his province will march towards Islamabad if the Centre does not pay KP’s dues. 

    While speaking at an event in Peshawar, Gandapur said that “They [centre] are making a mistake by denying the rights of the province.” 

    The chief executive of the province said that he will protest against the federal government, and the people of KP will stand by him.

    “Clear the dues of my province as soon as possible, otherwise no body will even thank you,” he told the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government in Islamabad.

    “I will ask the federal government not to take me easy.”

    The KP chief minister believes that his province deserves its fair share, as the province shares its sources with the country.

  • ‘All that’s left for them now is to murder me – but I’m not afraid to die’, writes Imran Khan

    ‘All that’s left for them now is to murder me – but I’m not afraid to die’, writes Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan wrote an op-ed for The Telegraph on May 2, blaming the military establishment for oppression, election rigging and trying to upend his political party PTI.

    “The military establishment, under the direct guidance of Gen Asim Munir, the chief of army staff, has tried every tactic to decimate my party’s presence from the political environment of Pakistan,” wrote Khan.

    The former Prime Minister also said that even though the electoral symbol of a cricket bat was taken from PTI “the people came out and voted overwhelmingly for candidates supported by my party, the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI).”

    Khan emphasized that PTI supporters were “falsely accused” of attacking military installations on May 9 2023 because it was used “as a pretext for a crackdown” on PTI workers.

    “Military leadership has been subjected to overt criticism at a level unseen before in our history. The government is a laughing stock,” stated Khan.

    He also expressed regret over the “sorry state of judicial affairs” in the country and warned that the country is going on “the same path it trod in 1971, when it lost East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.”

    Naming the COAS General Asim Munir publicly, he wrote:

    “The military establishment has done all they could against me. All that is left for them is to now murder me. I have stated publicly that if anything happens to me or my wife, Gen Asim Munir will be responsible. But I am not afraid because my faith is strong. I would prefer death over slavery.”

  • Maryam’s advice to critics on TikTok videos doesn’t sit well with social media

    Maryam’s advice to critics on TikTok videos doesn’t sit well with social media

    Responding to criticism for regularly posting her daily activities on social media, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz challenged her political opponents to come out of their “comfort zone” to work for the betterment of the country and let people make videos.

    One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote in a post that “Hum bahir nikaltay hain tou ap police peechay laga daiti hain.”

    Another user wrote on X that Maryam Nawaz gave “interesting” advice to political rivals.

    One social media user wrote on X that “TikTokers ka gham bahot achi tarah samajhti hain Maryam Nawaz”.

    Another user wrote in one post sarcastically that “Tik Toker ban’nay k leye Mehnat Karna parti hai, field main nikalna parta hai”.

    In one of the posts on X it was written that “All govt office holders come out of the air-conditioned rooms but they don’t flaunt branded suits and Gucci shoes and bags. So they go unnoticed.”

    A day earlier, on Wednesday, the chief minister said at an inauguration event in Lahore that people have continuously criticised her for her presence on TikTok and other social media platforms.

    She responded to the criticism, saying, “I also want these people to come out of their comfort zone […] come out of their air-conditioned rooms and do some work, so you would appear on TikTok videos and get eligible for media coverage too. You should also come out to serve the masses, but you have to leave your comfort zone.”

  • ‘We will not hold secret dialogue with military establishment’, says Ali Amin Gandapur

    ‘We will not hold secret dialogue with military establishment’, says Ali Amin Gandapur

    Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur said on Wednesday that he was part of the panel nominated by founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan authorised to hold dialogue with the military establishment.

    “We won’t keep anything [regarding negotiations with the establishment] secret,” Mr Gandapur told reporters after attending a Labour Day event at a hotel in Peshawar.

    “Imran Khan formed a committee and gave us permission to hold talks with the establishment,” he said.

    He also said he is happy to see Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Mulana Fazlur Rehman speaking the truth about election rigging.

    He also criticised in a sarcastic way that the JUI-F chief was part of almost every government, therefore, he will reveal secrets.

    He stated that Fazl first claimed that he ousted Imran Khan’s government but later blamed former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for it, so he should speak more about it.

  • Foreign companies seem uninterested in buying shares of PIA

    The privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has started, but foreign companies do not seem interested in buying most of its shares, The Express Tribune reported on Wednesday.

    Sources claimed that only two companies from Gulf countries sent investment documents by depositing $5,000.

    However, both companies have not submitted applications for tenders yet. The last day to submit applications for tenders for PIA’s privatisation is May 3rd.

    Sources within the Privatisation Commission confirmed that they will probably extend the deadline by a month for submitting applications for PIA tenders.

    Officials responsible for privatisation, including the financial adviser for the national carrier, lack experience in attracting foreign investment.

    Pakistani authorities have not received messages about the process yet.

  • Bilawal Bhutto not in favour of privatising PIA

    Bilawal Bhutto not in favour of privatising PIA

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed his opposition to the Shehbaz Sharif-led government’s privatisation policy for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

    The PPP chairman said at a Labour Day event in Karachi that his party will try to convince Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to revive PIA through a public-private partnership instead of privatising it.

    On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged the Pakistani government to privatise state-owned enterprises to revive the country’s economy.

    However, the finance minister has laid emphasis many times on the importance of privatising state-owned enterprises, including PIA and PSM, for the betterment of the economy.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that it will be an “unconstitutional step” if the federal government privatises PIA.

    Former senator Raza Rabbani further clarified that the government’s agenda of privatisation was “unacceptable” to the PPP.

  • US reassures Pakistan of its support to end terrorism

    US reassures Pakistan of its support to end terrorism

    The United States (US) has reassured Pakistan once again of its support to end terrorism in the country for the safety of citizens and protection of human rights, Geo reported on Wednesday.

    “We support Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and the protection of human rights,” US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a press briefing.

  • Miftah Ismail cries while remembering treatment meted out to his family by PTI govt

    Miftah Ismail cries while remembering treatment meted out to his family by PTI govt

    Miftah Ismail, former finance minister of Pakistan, got emotional during a talk show on Dawn News when journalist Wasatullah Khan asked him about his feelings after the recent “clean chit” he got from the court in the LNG case.

    Miftah remarked, “Today should have been a happy day but it was a bitter day for me because of memories.”

    Miftah broke down then, getting teary-eyed while saying, “They raided my home and breached my wife’s privacy by opening her closets.”

    “I remember this and I will take Imran Khan to the court,” said Miftah.

    He stated that an inquiry had already been conducted in Sindh in which he was exonerated and even though all the departments were based in Sindh but they opened a new inquiry on Sheikh Rashid’s request in Islamabad.

    He further said, “I will take Irfan Mangi to court who was the DG NAB in Islamabad, Javed Iqbal (DG NAB) and Imran Khan to court.”