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.

  • ‘Block his passport’; Manzoor Pashteen cracks joke after meeting CM Gandapur

    ‘Block his passport’; Manzoor Pashteen cracks joke after meeting CM Gandapur

    Manzoor Pashteen, the leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), sarcastically asked the federal government to block Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s passport and CNIC after he met with Pashteen yesterday.

    A reporter asked Pashteen about the recent decision by the federal government to ban the PTM, to which he replied: “They [federal govt] said that whoever meets with us, their passports and CNICs will be blocked. So I ask the federal government to implement their order starting with the Chief Minister.”

    Gandapur laughed, saying, “They’ve stolen my wallet, and my CNIC was in that, so add that to the list of stolen items.”

    Pashteen retorted, “That’s what I was saying, that we are collecting the data of those who have been wronged, we will add your name to the list as well.”

    On October 6, the federal government issued a notification declaring the PTM as a ‘proscribed organisation’, warning that it posed a threat to peace and security in the country.

  • The Saudis are here; what does this mean for Pakistan’s economy?

    The Saudis are here; what does this mean for Pakistan’s economy?

    Saudi Arabia’s investment minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Faleh, is making an official visit to Pakistan. He announced that the Kingdom would invest two billion dollars in the country while mentioning that Pakistan, for him, is like “family, not friends.”

    Speaking at the Pak-Saudi Business Conference, the minister said that relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are beyond agreements, with relations that have been established for 1400 years.

    The Minister also stressed that 25 lac Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia are supporting the Kingdom’s economy. Quoting Army Chief Asim Muneer, the Saudi Minister said that he had been assured that “red tape has been replaced by red carpet.”

    He also informed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will establish a special one-window system to streamline all the 27 agreements that have been signed and sought to increase trade to about two billion dollars.

    Ishaq Dar’s statement

    “Pakistan will soon emerge as the 24th strongest economy in the world,” Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said in his address.

    He pledged to create a favourable environment for foreign investment in the country.

    Saudi Minister’s praise for Musadik Malik

    Federal Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik told the media that if Pakistan had only one ally, it would be Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Saudi Minister Al-Faleh praised him for teaching him to build industrial clusters in his own country.

    “Musadik mentioned that he was a consultant and a subject matter expert. He mentored and taught me. He was very humble when he called me his boss,” he said as he addressed the audience at the Pak-Saudi Business Forum on Thursday.

    Additionally, he remarked, “We took his advice, and we are very proud that our industrial sector is booming. It is one of the fastest growing and most competitive certainly in the region.”

    Malik said that there is a big market for petroleum products in Pakistan. He told Wasim Abbas of We News that more than 50 companies and more than 130 delegations from Saudi Arabia have come to Pakistan for investment purposes. Agreements of two billion dollars have been signed on the arrival of the Saudi delegation to Pakistan.

    Investment in the education sector

    In a report by Independent Urdu, it has been revealed that Saudi Arabia is investing 14 million dollars in the education and health sector of Pakistan. This will include the establishment of five thousand schools and one thousand homes for flood victims of 2022.

    Al Faleh announced to the business forum that Saudi Arabia intends to invest in Pakistan’s infrastructure and mining sectors, and his delegation will sign 25 agreements across various fields, including an investment of one billion dollars in the Reko Diq project.

  • PTI delegation meets Fazlur Rehman; Bilawal claims amendments will pass before Oct 25

    PTI delegation meets Fazlur Rehman; Bilawal claims amendments will pass before Oct 25

    A delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met Chief Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday to inquire about his stance on the incumbent government’s proposed constitutional amendments.

    The government intends to table the constitutional amendment in parliament after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is taking place on October 15 and 16.

    The PTI delegation led by Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Ali Khan included Advocate Salman Akram Raja, Hamid Khan and Raoof Hassan. They discussed the political situation in Pakistan and the twenty-sixth constitutional amendment at Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence.

    Speaking to the media after the meeting, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said, “We will review the draft of the 26th constitutional amendment first, and only then can we discuss it. But the government has turned it into a mystery.”

    He said that both JUI-F and PTI believed in the independence of the judiciary.

    Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed that the government wanted to create a consensus among all political parties, including JUI-F, on the 26th constitutional amendment.

    He predicted on Tuesday that the constitutional amendment will be passed by the parliament by October 25.

    Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Bilawal Bhutto said, “There is no deadline from our side for the constitutional amendment.”

    Bhutto remarked that the government has the option to secure the required majority number under “conscience voting,” adding, “Despite this, efforts are being made to reach a consensus.”

  • Did Barrister Saif slap Imran Riaz Khan?

    Did Barrister Saif slap Imran Riaz Khan?

    Rumours have been spreading on social media that Advisor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Barrister Muhammad Saif slapped YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan over his misconduct with Chief Minister (CM) KP Ali Amin Gandapur.

    Netizens claimed that Imran Riaz Khan met with CM Ali Amin Gandapur in Peshawar and misbehaved with him.

    Journalist Murtaza Solangi claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that when Ali Amin Gandapur reached CM House, YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan was also present there with the provincial cabinet.

    Imran misbehaved with Ali Amin Gandapur, upon which Barrister Saif slapped Riaz twice and pushed him out from there, Solangi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) without taking names.

    Veteran journalist Umar Cheema, on his Youtube channel, claimed that Barrister Saif denied the allegation of slapping Imran Riaz Khan over his misbehaviour with Ali Amin Gandapur.

    “Advisor KP acted like an illiterate person during the incident,” Cheema stated.

    However. Imran Riaz informed Umar Cheema that there was a confrontation with Barrister Saif regarding Saif’s recent statement about inviting Indian External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to address the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest in Islamabad and clarified that they were not involved in a physical altercation.

    Cheema concluded by saying that later, CM KP mediated between Barrister Saif and Imran Riaz Khan.

  • Next target is Shehbaz Sharif’s bedroom if Khan allows: Ali Amin Gandapur

    Next target is Shehbaz Sharif’s bedroom if Khan allows: Ali Amin Gandapur

    Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur addressed lawmakers in the KP Assembly yesterday, claiming, “If Imran Khan allows, we will reach Shehbaz Sharif’s bedroom next time.”

    Gandapur has recently come under fire from his party members and supporters for his mysterious role in last week’s PTI rally when he disappeared on October 5 in Islamabad, only to resurface in the KP Assembly a day later.

    “However, Imran Khan has ordered us to remain peaceful and follow the law, and we proved that last week in our protest,” said Gandapur told the KP Assembly.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Talal Chaudhry, while speaking on Geo News, stated: “This isn’t a Bani Gala bedroom where anyone can enter and exit. We know how to protect our state institutions, our leaders and most of all our country.”

  • ‘Pakistan to have two Chief Justices after new constitutional court,’ says Farooq H. Naek

    ‘Pakistan to have two Chief Justices after new constitutional court,’ says Farooq H. Naek

    Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), renowned lawyer Farooq Hamid Naek said on Wednesday that there will be two Chief Justices in Pakistan after the formation of the new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).

    Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council from Islamabad claimed that one Chief Justice will head the Federal Constitutional Court while the other will lead the Supreme Court of Pakistan, ARY News reported.

    He further stated that constitutional court judges’ performance will be recorded, and they could be removed through the Judicial Commission based on recommendations, adding that the Committee will propose names for the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

    Naek further said that the Federal Constitutional Court will have representation from all four provinces of Pakistan.

    Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto, has been campaigning to win the confidence of lawyers nationwide for the formation of a Constitutional Court.

    Addressing the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, the PPP Chairman stated, “If you don’t accept the constitutional courts, you should leave the practice.”

    Meanwhile, some lawyers have rejected the formation of a new constitutional court.

    Speaking at the All Pakistan Lawyers Convention (APLC) organised by the Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) on Monday, lawyers condemned the judicial package and declared it a tactic by anti-democratic forces to control the independence of the judiciary.

  • Achakzai fears Khan may be treated like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

    Achakzai fears Khan may be treated like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

    Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, while addressing a public meeting in Qila Saifullah, Balochistan, warned on Monday that a dark chapter of history could repeat itself, fearing Imran Khan could be treated the same way Zulifqar Ali Bhutto was.

    On April 4, 1979, the founder of the Pakistan People’s Party, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, whose government had been illegally removed by the dictator Zia ul Haq, was hanged in the Central Jail Rawalpindi.

    Former Prime Minister Bhutto was sentenced to death by Lahore High Court in 1978 in an alleged politically motivated murder case, while the Supreme Court later upheld the original sentence.

    Mary Anne Weaver, a foreign correspondent for The New Yorker, narrated the last moments of Bhutto in 1993, writing, “At 1:45 A.M. on April 4, 1979, four wardens entered the prison cell of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a waifishly thin man, nearly wasted away by malaria, dysentery, and hunger strikes. Two of them lifted him by the arms and two by the feet, and he was carried out.”

    Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto wrote in his last testimony, which was later compiled into a book ‘If I Am Assassinated’, that he was confined in a “in this narrow, dark, sinking death cell for 22 or 23 hours every day.”

    Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has been imprisoned for over a year in numerous cases ranging from allegations of corruption and violence against state institutions.

    Achakzai alleged that the PTI workers have faced state repression while protesting for their leader’s release, while emphasising that they won’t let history repeat itself.

    The PkMAP chief demanded that Khan and his party workers should be released from jail, warning that failure to do so could push the country towards civil unrest.

  • KP govt prohibits officials from participating in Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga

    KP govt prohibits officials from participating in Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Tuesday prohibited its officials and employees from participating in the three-day Pahstoon Qaumi Jirga hosted by the Pahtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) on October 11.

    On Sunday, citing security threats and national peace, the federal government declared the PTM a “proscribed organisation” and imposed a ban on it under section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATC).

    Chief Secretary KP Today issued a notification which noted: “Employees of all government departments/attached departments/police/autonomous and semi-autonomous public sector institutions and their employees are informed, and stand informed, that participation, overt or covert, physically, financially or otherwise in any programme or activity of a proscribed organisation is unlawful and shall be acted against under the law.”

    The notification further added, “General public, including all segments of society are informed, and stand informed, that participation, overt or covert, physically, financially or otherwise in any programme or activity of a proscribed organisation is unlawful and will make them liable to lawful action.”

    Meanwhile, Khyber Deputy Commissioner (DC) Captain (retd) Sanaullah Khan issued an order enforcing Section 144 in the district for a period of 30 days, effective from October 9 to November 7.

  • PTI protest causes 240 million in damages

    PTI protest causes 240 million in damages

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) recent protests in the federal capital devastated 240 million rupees of private and public property.

    The Islamabad Inspector General’s office submitted a report to the Islamabad chief commissioner, which claimed that the federal capital’s 441 safe city cameras worth 140 million rupees were damaged, Geo News reported.

    One policeman was martyred, and 31 were injured, the report maintained.

    Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur had led the protest that was staged in Islamabad in a disorganised manner.

    Ali Amin Gandapur did not show up at D-Chowk. He instead went to KP House Islamabad and then disappeared . Surprisingly, he reappeared in the provincial assembly after one day.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, while condemning the PTI’s recent protests, stated, “Such incidents are a replica of 2014-15 incidents when a sit-in was staged for months and was not called off despite the announcement of the Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan without bothering about its impact on the country’s image and national economy.”

    Addressing the federal cabinet, he further claimed, “We will not allow it to be repeated. We will not tolerate it at any rate, at any cost. This is my promise. I will not let it happen.”

  • Inside the government meeting with Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman

    Inside the government meeting with Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman

    A high-profile meeting took place yesterday at the President’s House in Islamabad between the government and Chief Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, in which the proposed constitutional amendments were the focus.

    After the All Parties Conference (APC) held at the President’s house to show solidarity with Palestine, In a meeting with government officials, Chief JUI-F reportedly said that since the central leadership of his party was not present in the meeting, except for him and Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, no decisions could be made.

    Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman claimed that his party had prepared an 80 per cent draft of the constitutional amendments and would soon hand it over to the government’s negotiated team.

    It was stressed that a draft with common proposed constitutional amendments would be preferred.

    The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People Party (PPP) negotiated team would again engage with the JUI-F team in the upcoming week.

    President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif assured their support to Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and praised his efforts in promoting democracy.