Tag: Asad Qaiser

  • ‘Jootay se bhi baat aagaye jayegi,’ Khaqan Abbasi won’t apologise for threatening Speaker NA

    ‘Jootay se bhi baat aagaye jayegi,’ Khaqan Abbasi won’t apologise for threatening Speaker NA

    Former Prime Minister, Khaqan Abbasi was served a show cause notice on Wednesday for threatening to hit Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser with a shoe during an assembly session. During the session Khaqan Abbasi and the Speaker got into an argument over Abbasi’s turn on speaking on the issue of banned TLP’s demand to expel the French Ambassador.

    After the notice to apologise in seven days, Abbasi said that he only seeks forgiveness from Allah and no one else. On Thursday night, on GEO News’ programme Capital Talk, he told anchorperson Hamid Mir that if he wants to speak on the issue, he challenges the Speaker to stop him from speaking. If the Speaker tries to stop him, the same thing would happen again. When Mir stopped him to say that “you have been the Prime Minister, how can you say such a thing? Will you throw a shoe?” Abbasi replied, “It will be worse than throwing a shoe.” He said he is also nominated in two cases.

    He has said that he will respond to the show cause notice but has not stated whether he will apologise or not.

  • ‘I will throw a shoe at you’: Khaqan Abbasi threatens Asad Qaiser

    ‘I will throw a shoe at you’: Khaqan Abbasi threatens Asad Qaiser

    The National Assembly was set to debate the resolution on TLP demand regarding the expulsion of the French Ambassador today and Speaker Asad Qaiser was presiding on the session. After PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan spoke, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi rose and exchanged heated words with the Speaker over not being given a turn to speak before someone else. Asad Qaiser said, “You always behave like this,” to Khaqan Abbasi to which Abbasi responded, “I will take off my shoe and throw it at you.” Qaiser told him to remain in his limits and told him to fix his language.

    Watch the video here:

    The resolution came after a series of meetings with the TLP and the government. The banned TLP had held the country hostage with violent protests that led to the killing of four police officers and left 800 police officers injured.

    The opposition parties criticised the government over its method of dealing with the TLP and the Pakistan People’s Party boycotted today’s session.

  • Speaker NA Asad Qaiser tours the sets of ‘Kuruluş: Osman’

    Speaker NA Asad Qaiser tours the sets of ‘Kuruluş: Osman’

    Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on his recent visit to Turkey toured the sets of Kuruluş: Osman and met with the lead cast and producers of the show.

    Read more – Fawad Chaudhry visits sets of ‘Kuruluş: Osman’ in Turkey

    Sharing pictures from his visit on social media, Qaiser said: “Walking through the set of Kuruluş: Osman has been a joyful experience for us.”

    “I shall always cherish the hospitality and warmth given to us in Turkey. We are grateful for the love with which you hosted us,” he added.

    The Speaker praised the show’s producer Mehmet Bozdağ for “penning down a masterpiece like Kuruluş: Osman.”

    He also thanked him for “navigating us through the sets,” calling it an “incredible experience”.

    Qaiser also met Burak Özçivit, who plays Osman in the super hit series, saying it was a pleasure to meet the Turkish actor.

    Bozdağ also shared pictures from Speaker’s visit, saying that he was honoured to host them and sent his greetings to all the people of Pakistan.

    Meanwhile, it is being reported that the production team of the series will be visiting Islamabad after Eid to work on Pakistan and Turkey’s joint production venture and will also hold a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

  • ‘Will quit post if allegations over number of votes secured by PM proved’: Asad Qaiser

    ‘Will quit post if allegations over number of votes secured by PM proved’: Asad Qaiser

    Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has said that he will resign if the opposition’s allegations regarding the number of votes Prime Minister Imran Khan secured in the vote of confidence turn out to be true.

    Qaiser said that he is willing to challenge that not even a single vote was wrong. “Without my vote and [Faisal] Vawda’s, the numbers were 178.”

    Speaker National Assembly also said that we need to strengthen democracy and lead to stability. 

    PM Khan won a crucial vote of confidence on Saturday.

  • Speaker Asad Qaiser lauds Shehzad Roy for his efforts against corporal punishment

    In a move welcomed by child rights organisations, the National Assembly on Tuesday passed The ICT Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill prohibiting corporal punishment in the capital, setting punishments for people physically punishing children.

    Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser lauded singer Shehzad Roy for his efforts against corporal punishment.

    The proposed law will cancel out the provisions of Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which allows physical punishment “for the benefit” of the child by guardians and teachers.

    Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code:

    Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 (No XLV) allows parents, teachers and other guardians to use moderate and reasonable corporal punishment as a means to correct the behaviour of children below 12 years of age.

    The bill was tabled by PML-N MNA Mehnaz Akbar Aziz. It will become a law after the Senate passes it and the president signs it.

    Last year, The Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and banned the practice of corporal (physical) punishment by parents, guardians and teachers on children. The decision was announced after singer-activist Shehzad Roy filed a petition in court to ban the use of violence to discipline children.

  • ‘Horse-trading video’: Ex-CM Khattak, Asad Qaiser exempted from probe

    ‘Horse-trading video’: Ex-CM Khattak, Asad Qaiser exempted from probe

    The committee set up by the prime minister to investigate horse-trading during the Senate election in 2018 — following a leaked video of lawmakers taking money — will not probe Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser because allegations against the duo are levelled by “liars”.

    This was stated by Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry while speaking to a local media outlet. According to Fawad, those who levelled allegations — Ubaidullah Mayar and Zahid Durrani-– have “sold their conscience”.

    Fawad is part of the three-member committee alongside Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari and PM’s accountability aide Shahzad Akbar that would fix the responsibility in this case.

    “The PTI leaders will not be probed on the basis of allegations levelled by those who sold their conscience as their accusations are not worthy,” the federal minister quoted by The News as saying. The committee would investigate as to who was the beneficiary of these bribes.

    ‘LEAKED VIDEO’:

    On Tuesday, the video first released by ARY News showed lawmakers belonging to the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counting bundles of cash and then stashing the same in a bag.

    The video showed how, during the critical period, loyalties were switched by PTI’s 20 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawmakers, all of whom were reportedly expelled by the party’s central leadership after an investigation. The money was dished out in Feb-March 2018, it was reported.

    A day after the video was leaked to the media, ex-PTI MPA Ubaidullah Mayar admitted to taking Rs10 million in bribe ahead of the elections in 2018 on the “directives of then chief minister Pervaiz Khattak”.

    Mayar had said the PTI government had paid Rs10 million to all the MPAs and then recorded it on camera without their knowledge. He said the video was shot at the residence of then KP Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser — the custodian of the National Assembly now.

    Khattak and Qaiser paid “us money and asked to vote for their candidates”. “At that time, Pervez Khattak had formed a committee of 17 MPAs and asked us to vote for them, paid us the money, and promised to give us party’s tickets,” he alleged

    Both Khattak and Qaiser had denied these allegations.

    It may be noted that the damning video comes at a time when Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan expresses aims to hold Senate elections through open ballot in 2021 in a bid to eliminate horse-trading. Defending his party’s move to hold the elections through open ballot, the premier had last week spoken of bribes paid to buy loyalties, revealing that he himself had been offered some.

    On February 6, President Dr Arif Alvi signed Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 that will pave way for the organisation of Senate elections through open ballot. But the Supreme Court is hearing a presidential reference in this regard and is expected to announce its decision on the secret ballot soon.

  • ‘You call yourself professor… mind your tone’: Ahsan Iqbal gets a scolding from NA speaker

    Ruckus on Friday marred yet another session of the National Assembly as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ahsan Iqbal got a scolding from speaker of the House, Asad Qaiser.

    “Please follow rules. I am doing so too […] mind your tone,” the speaker told the opposition lawmaker.

    While the reason behind the war of words has not yet been confirmed by any, a video of the episode showed Iqbal repeatedly interrupting the speaker, demanding what appeared to be more time on the floor of the House.

    “Please mind your tone. You have been a minister, and you call yourself ‘professor’… is this the way to talk?” a visibly displeased Qaiser was seen asking Iqbal who kept talking back at the speaker.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Earlier, rumpus also erupted after PML-N MNA Afzal Khokhar tabled a privilege motion.

    During the session, while talking about the operation to demolish his Lahore residence, the Khokhar Palace, the PML-N leader told the House that the administration had stormed his place late at night and destroyed furniture among other things.

    “This type of attitude of Punjab authorities will not be tolerated,” he said.

    The House has been adjourned to meet again on Monday.