Tag: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

  • No-confidence to be submitted in 48 hours: PDM

    No-confidence to be submitted in 48 hours: PDM

    Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader and official spokesman for the Pakistan Demo­cratic Movement (PDM) Hafiz Hamdullah said that the joint Opposition would submit the no-confidence motion in the next 48 hours.

    The development emerged after PDM chief and JUI-F head Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s talks with reporters regarding the no-confidence motion.

    According to Maulana, the Opposition will make a final decision regarding submitting a vote of the no-confidence motion in the next two to three days.

    PDM chief termed the upcoming days “important”. He claimed they have the numbers required for the success of the no-confidence motion. However, he revealed that it has not been decided yet whether they would bring the no-confidence motion against National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser or Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    It is pertinent to mention that in order to bring in-house change against PM Khan, the joint Opposition needs the support of 172 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs). For the no-confidence motion against the NA’s speaker and deputy speaker, the Opposition would need simply a majority in the Lower House.

    Moreover, Maulana said that it seems that the “umpires” [establishment] are neutral. He declared that the Opposition is not seeking any support from the establishment, rather they want them to stop supporting the government.

    An insider told Dawn when the Opposition is 100 per cent about the success rate of the no-confidence motion, only then they will table it. He said it is true that some of the government’s own people are in contact with the Opposition but they still don’t have sufficient numbers.

  • Bilawal, watch old videos of Benazir and learn how long marches happen: Fawad Chaudhry

    Bilawal, watch old videos of Benazir and learn how long marches happen: Fawad Chaudhry

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry advised Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to watch previous videos of his late mother, Benazir Bhutto, to learn how to conduct a long march.

    “Bilawal must go through the videos of previous long marches held by (late) Benazir Bhutto to learn how such rallies are conducted.”

     “We first want them [Opposition] to get tired by holding this march, then we will make our next move,” said Fawad.

    Rejecting the claims of the Opposition, Fawad said that the relief package announced by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan a day earlier was not an attempt to woo voters ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    “We just made adjustments to our existing budget to facilitate our middle class. Previously, we had given targeted subsidies to extremely poor segment.”

  • ‘Islamabad kaamp raha hai,’ Bilawal Bhutto kicks off long march to remove PM Khan

    ‘Islamabad kaamp raha hai,’ Bilawal Bhutto kicks off long march to remove PM Khan

    Pakis­tan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday began to march towards the federal capital.

    “You [people of the country] have heralded a war and let me tell you that Islamabad is trembling,” he said to the crowd.

    Chairman Bilawal said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan asks people not to worry due to price-hike, unemployment, poverty, and crises of gas, water, and fertiliser. Now, the time has come for the PM to start worrying.

    “The puppet is frightened of the Jiyalas so he has sent a few of his ministers to defend him but this selected party is a coterie of political orphans,” said an official statement released by the party.

    “Imran Khan has lost the confidence of the people and it is about time that he loses the confidence of the parliament too. The no-confidence motion will expose who is with the people and who is with the selected Imran Khan. We believe that the people will be victorious.”

    “This storm of public anger against Niazi and his government is just the beginning of what lies ahead. From now onwards for the next 10 days, people from across the country would send him messages of their sentiments and make a countdown. It’s a beginning. It’s a beginning of an end. It’s the beginning of a new era. It’s a beginning of a realization [prevailing] among the masses that how their dreams were snatched over the last three years and their hopes were stolen in the name of change.”

    PPP released a charter of demands, “Why We March”.

    “We march to realise your dreams, aspirations, dignity, self-respect, and prosperity. We fight to heal the wounds inflicted by this regime, heal our society, heal our country. The people of Pakistan shall not be enslaved, they will not be defeated.”

     The PPP caravan would cover 2,000kms and pass through 35 cities to reach Islamabad on March 10.

  • ‘Get rid of Khan’: Shehbaz meets Zardari to discuss kicking out PM

    ‘Get rid of Khan’: Shehbaz meets Zardari to discuss kicking out PM

    The Opposition has united to oust Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s government.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (February 22).

    The meeting was held at Bilawal House, Lahore. In a joint declaration after the meeting, it was announced that all-out efforts would be made to rid the country of the present government.

    The Opposition expressed concern over unrest and lawlessness in the country, as the ruling party failed to meet the basic needs of the people.

    The PML-N delegation that visited the Bilawal House included Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Rana Sanaullah.

    PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Parliamentary leader Maulana Asad Mehmood, former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, former governor Punjab Makhdum Ahmed Mehmood, Rukhsana Bangash, former Chief Minister KP Akram Khan Durrani were also present at the meeting.

  • Senior PPP leader Rehman Malik passes away

    Senior PPP leader Rehman Malik passes away

    Senior politician and former Interior Minister Rehman Malik passed away at the age of 70.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator was hospitalised in Islamabad due to Covid-19-related complications and his lungs had been severely affected.

    Riaz Ahmad Turi, Malik’s spokesperson, confirmed his death.

     PPP Senator Sehar Kamran had announced on Twitter earlier this month that Malik’s condition had deteriorated because of which he was put on a ventilator. 

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan office tweeted, “May Allah Almighty forgive the deceased and grant patience to the mourners.”

    PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “When terrorism was on the rise in the country, it was Rehman Malik who played a pivotal role in eradicating terrorism.”

    PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to Malik, saying he was a “hardworking and capable interior minister”.

    He added that Malik’s services to the country were unforgettable and the PPP leadership and workers shared in his family’s grief.

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed expressed his grief and extended condolences to the departed’s family.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Hudaibiya case was investigated under Rehman Malik’s leadership. Although justice has not been done yet, this investigation showed such modern methods of corruption that people were amazed.”

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Ahsan Iqbal tweeted, “I am deeply saddened by the demise of former Interior Minister Rehman Malik.”

    Rehman had a long career as a politician and held many portfolios, including his term as interior minister from 2008 to 2013.

    He was also a recipient of the Sitara-i-Shujaat for his services in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Nishan-i-Imtiaz.

  • ‘Sheikh Rasheed’s abusive comments are a result of his training by PML-N’: PTI’s Shahbaz Gill

    ‘Sheikh Rasheed’s abusive comments are a result of his training by PML-N’: PTI’s Shahbaz Gill

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) Dr Shahbaz Gill criticised Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed’s abusive language and said he had been trained by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Gill said that Sheikh Rasheed had previously been jailed for insulting former PM Benazir Bhutto.

    Gill also clarified that when PM Khan called Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari ‘Sahiba‘, it was due to a slip of tongue.

    Gill further said that the slip of the tongue of the premier was similar to when he had talked about the borders of Germany and Japan.

    Criticising the Opposition parties, Gill said that the use of abusive language was the culture of PML-N and PPP. “We are suffering because of them.”

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said, “I want to request the media to play the footage of the speeches of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers where they have made personal attacks against me. Imran Khan Sahib used to praise them for making such comments, clap at them. I too am someone’s daughter.”

    Maryam added, “Yes, your [PM Khan] wife [Bushra Bibi] is of respect to us. The standard you want to set for your wife, the same standards should have been there for the deceased Kalsoom Nawaz [wife of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif]. When I used to go to check on my mother from our London apartment to the hospital, three to four PTI workers used to abuse me. When my son Junaid used to leave, they used to abuse his mother.”

  • Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Former Prime Minister (PM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is ahead of all other party leaders in terms of popularity, reveals Gallup Pakistan’s latest survey, which was conducted from December 22, 2021, to January 31, 2022, and includes 5,000 participants from across the country.

    According to the survey, there is a noticeable drop in PM Imran Khan’s popularity in all the provinces.

    In Punjab, PM Khan’s popularity rate has dropped from 51 per cent in December 2018 to 33 per cent in January 2022 while Nawaz Sharif’s popularity has jumped from 35 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022.

    The survey has also included the popularity statistics of PML-N President and former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. CM Sharif’s popularity rose from 46 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022 in Punjab. Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity increased in Punjab from 18 per cent back in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022.

    In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), there is a significant increase in the level of satisfaction with PM Khan, which was only five per cent in December 2018 but is now 44 per cent, while Bhutto’s popularity mildly increased from 23 per cent in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022. Nawaz Sharif managed to gain in KP from his 14 per cent approval rating in December 2018 to 46 per cent in January 2022.

    Coming to Sindh, both Sharifs are ahead of the PPP. Nawaz Sharif’s popularity in Sindh increased from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 51 per cent in January 2022. Shehbaz Sharif’s approval rating also went up in Sindh from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 41 per cent in January 2022. Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity significantly dropped in Sindh, where the PPP is in power, from 54 per cent in December 2018 to 37 percent in January 2022. PM Khan remained at 33 per cent both in December 2018 and January 2022 but remains the least popular of all four leaders in Sindh.

    According to the survey, this is the first time that the popularity of the former PM has risen after December 2018. Shehbaz Sharif also managed to get similar ratings.

  • ‘Chief Justice should not be deciding samosa or sugar prices’: Bilawal

    ‘Chief Justice should not be deciding samosa or sugar prices’: Bilawal

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in an event organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, criticised the former Chief Justices of Pakistan (CJPs).

    Bilawal took a jibe at CJPs Mian Saqib Nisar and Gulzar Ahmed. He stated, “Some judges took it upon themselves to busy themselves, the courts and the legal community on deciding which building should be demolished and which should stay. The judiciary of Pakistan is a place for the battle of legal ideas, it is not a place for us to decide where or where not to build a dam.”

    In 2018, Justice Nisar had launched the initiative of collecting donations for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha. Meanwhile, Justice Gulzar decided on several high-profile cases last year including the demolition of buildings in Karachi i.e. Nasla Tower and Tejori Heights.

    “CJP should be deciding constitutional issues instead of samosa or sugar prices”, said Bilawal. However, he made it clear that despite this, he had the utmost respect for the legal community and judges.

    He also called on the legal community to support his party’s planned anti-government long march on February 27.

    According to him, Pakistan needs a system of accountability that is fair and non-discriminatory instead of the present “witch hunt and persecution” of opponents and those who exposed the government’s failings.

  • PPP announces party’s long march schedule towards the capital

    PPP announces party’s long march schedule towards the capital

    Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) on Tuesday announced the schedule of the party’s long march, which is set to take place on February 27.

    PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will start the long march from Karachi and will reach the capital in 10 days.

    According to the schedule, the long march will start from Karachi’s Mazar-e-Quaid on February 27.

    The marchers’ will reach Multan on March 3, where they will be hosted by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

    The march will reach Lahore on March 6 . The last stop of the march will be Islamabad on March 8.

    The PPP, however, has not disclosed the final venue where the participants will stay after reaching the capital from all over the country.

    PPP office-bearer, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the leadership would decide the duration of the stay in Islamabad after seeing the response of the masses and assessing the situation. However, he said, many party leaders believed that the past history showed that indefinite sit-ins staged by political parties had never remained successful.

  • Large mob lynches man over alleged blasphemy, PM Khan condemns

    Large mob lynches man over alleged blasphemy, PM Khan condemns

    A man was brutally tortured and killed by a violent mob when accused of allegedly burning pages of the Holy Quran in a village in Khanewal, Punjab on Saturday.

    The incident took place in a village called Mian Channu after Maghrib prayers. Thousands of people gathered after the announcement was made that a man had torn some of the pages of the Holy Quran and set them on fire in a mosque.

    People were not ready to tho listen to the mentally handicapped man who reportedly claimed innocence. People hanged him on a tree and then threw stones and bricks until he took his last breath.

    Local police came to the spot after receiving a call from a villager. They reached to arrest suspects but villagers started stoning them when they tried to release the man. The violent mob grabbed him from police’s custody and continued beating him.

    The victim’s elder brother revealed that the victim had been mentally ill for about 17 to18 years and was living with another brother in Karachi. He also had remained hospitalised for treatment but he could not recover. His wife also divorced him because of his illness. He had two sons and a daughter.

    He further added, “He went to buy some cigarettes and did not turn up till evening and they later learned that he was killed on blasphemy charges.”

    While talking to Dawn News, he claimed that neighbours also knew about his mental condition. He said that the violent mob stoned his brother to death in the presence of police and they did not protect his brother from the mob. He also complained that his brother’s fingers were missing after the frightful incident.

    Police claimed that they have arrested 85 suspects after they conducted more than 120 raids on Sunday.

    The police have registered two First Investigation Reports (FIR) for alleged blasphemy under Section 295-B of Pakistan Penal Code and the second one related to the lynching under Sections 302, 353, 186, 148, 149 of the PPC and Section 7A of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

    Also Read: Sri Lankan factory manager tortured to death in Sialkot over alleged blasphemy

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi soon after arriving at Khanewal Circuit House, condemned the incident and said no one should take the law into their hands.

    He emphasised that there are laws to protect religion and against blasphemy. Such matters should be reported to the police and let them proceed under the law.

    Prime Minister, Imran Khan condemned the tragic incident on his Twitter. He ordered a detailed report from the Punjab police chief. He directed authorities to take strict against the perpetrators of the lynching incident.

    Human Rights Minister, Shireen Mazari also condemned the incident and asked the Punjab government to take strict action against the assailants involved.

    Netizens also criticised Mazari for not taking enough efforts to prevent such tragic incidents. They are saying that tweets are not enough to stop such brutality.

    Some users questioned the appreciation award which was given to Shireen Mazari by Prime Minister Imran Khan last week, and how it wasn’t well deserved.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also strongly condemned the incident.

    “The tragedy of Mian Channu has once again humiliated the entire nation,” he said.

    The deceased victim was buried in Mian Channu on Sunday.