Tag: Bilawal

  • Fact Check: Did Bilawal visit graves of Indian soldiers who died in Kargil war?

    Fact Check: Did Bilawal visit graves of Indian soldiers who died in Kargil war?

    Claim: A tweet is being circulated on social media, stating that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited the graves of Indian soldiers who died in Kargil war against Pakistan. Along with the tweet is a photo of the Foreign Minister wearing a heavy black coat as he stands before a wreath placed at a memorial.

    The tweet has been shared more than 4093 times.

    https://twitter.com/p4pakipower1/status/1654573262955839488

    Fact: The picture is from foreign minister’s visit to Lithuania earlier this year. During the visit, Bilawal laid a wreath at the monument of Lithuanian martyred freedom fighters.

    Verdict: The claim is false.

    Verdict: The claim is false

  • Rare show of unity as PTI calls out Indian FM for remarks about Bilawal

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Twitter strongly called out Indian Foreign Minister (FM) S. Jaishankar after he used undiplomatic language for Pakistan and its FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari post an important moot of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

    In a media conference, a visibly rattled Jaishankar called Bilawal a “promoter, justifier and spokesperson of a terrorism industry.”

    “Victims of terrorism do not sit together with its perpetrators to discuss terrorism,” he said, adding that “as a member of SCO, Bilawal was treated accordingly.”

    PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry put aside political differences to respond that the Indian FM should be ashamed for passing such remarks.

    “Pakistan has made great sacrifices in the war against terrorism, now the foreign minister of a Hindu extremist group, who is involved in the worst terrorism against its own citizens, should be ashamed of himself for speaking such nonsense.”

    Similarly, Zulfi Bukhari called this a petty act and reminded India of its values.

    He pointed out, “Whatever happened to mehman bhagwan hota hai? Or has that idea gone down the drain just like a secular India.”

    When Bilawal returned back to the country, he held a press conference to brief members of the media about his visit. He also responded to the remarks made by India’s FM, saying that he can’t do anything if their hatred has risen this much.

    Asking if he ever sat with any terrorist, Bilawal was of the view that India not only wants to declare every Muslim a terrorist but also him.

    The minister added that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism and is against any appeasement with terrorist organisations.

  • Bilawal ‘disappointed’ over Taliban banning Afghan women from university education

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed disappointment over the ban on university education for women in Afghanistan. “I’m disappointed by the decision that was taken today,” he said on a visit to Washington.

    The Taliban on Tuesday banned women from universities in Afghanistan. The statement was made by the minister of higher education, who stated that it will go into effect right away.

    “You all are informed to implement the mentioned order of suspending education of females until further notice,” said the letter signed by the minister for higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem. The letter was issued to all government and private universities.

    Despite the fact that the international community has on multiple occasions made the education of girls a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration, the group has barred Afghan girls from going to school beyond the seventh grade. Moreover, they have restricted women and girls from working and have limited their travel unless accompanied by a close male relative.

  • Is Bilawal Bhutto getting married?

    Is Bilawal Bhutto getting married?

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Foreign (FM) Minister of the country, is one of the most eligible bachelors in Pakistan, whose wedding is being highly anticipated by all.

    At the age of 33, this young politician’s marital status evokes curiosity in a lot of Pakistanis about his plans to tie the nuptial knot.

    In a video shared by Arab News on Twitter, a journalist was heard asking the FM, “There are my Pakistani friends asking if you have any plans to marry.”

    Bilawal replied smilingly, “Of course, I have plans to marry.” However, he stopped short of disclosing any other details.

    The journalist again questioned, “When?” But Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had no time to answer as he moved away along with the Pakistani delegation.

    Talking about his marriage to The Current in 2019, Bilawal had said, “The right candidate will first have to win over the hearts of my sisters. I have to take them into confidence. And winning over the hearts of my sisters is a very difficult task for any girl.”

    The son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is also brother to younger sisters Bakhtawar and Aseefa.

  • Fact Check: Bilawal Bhutto was not rejected as speaker by NYU, Columbia University

    Fact Check: Bilawal Bhutto was not rejected as speaker by NYU, Columbia University

    Claim: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto reached out to Pakistani students in Columbia University and NYU, both rejected to being his audience for a talk

    Fact: Bilawal Bhutto never contacted Pakistani students in NYU or Columbia University and so was never rejected by him

    On May 27, Shandana Gulzar Khan, a former PTI MNA made a tweet claiming that she has been told by “a person in a sensitive post”, that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reached out to Pakistani students at Columbia University and New York University, requesting them to arrange a talk with him but both organizations refused. The thread continues onwards and claims that after these two disappointments, Bhutto asked Pakistani students at Cornell to arrange a talk with him, which they first accepted and then at the insistence of the general student body, eventually rejected as well.

    This thread gathered 1,622 Likes, RTs and replies and has been shared to at least 562,647 followers on Twitter.

    Shandana Gulzar Khan’s tweet which refers to Bilawal Bhutto’s rejected request.

    The following day, on May 28, the Pakistani Students Association at NYU and the Organization of Pakistani Students at Columbia University both made announcements on Facebook clarifying that Bilawal Bhutto never contacted them so naturally they never rejected his proposal.

    To confirm with the final university, we reached out to the Pakistani students’ organization at Cornell on their Facebook page ‘Cornell University Pakistani Students Association’. They directed us to an Instagram post which clarified the same as the other two organizations.

  • 44% say Khan should resign before no-confidence motion: survey

    44% say Khan should resign before no-confidence motion: survey

    According to a survey conducted by Ipsos, 44 per cent of respondents are of the view that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan should resign ahead of the no-confidence motion while 33 per cent think he should fight it, reports Geo News.

    42 per cent of respondents are of the opinion that the no-trust motion would succeed against PM Khan while 26 per cent say the government would successfully defeat the motion and 31 per cent say that they are unsure about the outcome.

    To a question that if the no-confidence motion becomes successful, 27 per cent think Leader of the Opposition and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif should be the PM until new elections, 17 per cent say PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto and 6 per cent prefer PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the new premier.

    However, after the general elections, 18 per cent want PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to become PM, 16 per cent voted for Imran Khan, and 14 per cent for Shehbaz Sharif.

    According to the survey, a significant number of 48 per cent think that PTI’s allies should support the party’s rival, while only 27 per cent of the respondents said that the PTI coalition partners should come back to Khan.

  • ‘Resign before we table no-confidence,’ Bilawal Bhutto gives an ultimatum to PM Khan

    ‘Resign before we table no-confidence,’ Bilawal Bhutto gives an ultimatum to PM Khan

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asked Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to resign before the vote of no-confidence is tabled in the National Assembly. He also challenged PM Khan to dissolve the assembly as “he has always threatened to do”.

    “Even if he does not resign and dissolve the assembly, the Opposition is well prepared. We will bring the no-confidence motion and take this democratic war to parliament. We will be successful,” said Bilawal Bhutto on Sunday. He said he cannot guarantee 100 per cent success of the no-confidence move.

    “If we succeed, it will be a great achievement but even if we do not, I will not back down and continue my struggle.”

    The PPP Chairman was speaking in Lahore at Nadeem Afzal Chan’s residence.

    Nadeem Afzal Chan rejoins PPP

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Nadeem Afzal Chan rejoined the PPP on Sunday (March 6) in Lahore. Chan had quit the PPP for the PTI in April 2018 and contested the general elections but said he made the “wrong decision” by leaving PPP. Chan said he was very happy to be back ‘home’ in the PPP.

    Balochistan’s Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind meets Zardari

    Former PTI Balochistan President Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind called on PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday, days after quitting as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, reported Dawn.

    PPP in Lahore

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that through the 18th Amendment and NFC (National Finance Commission) Award, the PPP made Punjab the owner of its own resources.

    Awami March in Gujrat

    PPP Awami March has reached Gujrat today (March 7) and will reach Islamabad either tonight or tomorrow (March 8). Last week, senior journalist Saleem Safi tweeted that the Chaudhries of Gujrat had offered to host Bilawal Bhutto’s Awami March in Gujrat but due to the PML-Q’s refusal to go to Shehbaz Sharif’s house, Asif Zardari refused their offer.

  • PM Khan’s old friend Aleem Khan joins forces against him

    PM Khan’s old friend Aleem Khan joins forces against him

    On Monday, Aleem Khan formally joined Jahangir Khan Tareen’s disgruntled group in the PTI. Aleem said the aim is to “save” the party after “loyalists who had been integral in PTI’s 10-year struggle were sidelined without any reason” from the ruling party.

    Aleem Khan reached Tareen’s residence on Monday evening and was all praises for the disgruntled PTI leader. He also criticised the way the Punjab government was being run.

    In a politically heavy weekend, and an even bigger Monday, all wheels seem to be set in motion for a major political change. The major updates that will affect the fate of the government and the Opposition are going to change the future of the current government.

    Previously, according to journalists on Twitter, it was possible that PTI’s Aleem Khan, who is also PM Khan’s close friend, might be joining the Opposition. He had been reportedly contacted by the PML-N and was set to meet the Jahangir Tareen Group today at Tareen’s residence. Tareen, who is currently in London, was reported to address the meeting through a video link. According to reports, Aleem Khan has met 40 members of the provincial assembly this week, out of which ten are provincial ministers.

    PML-N, PPP stop their MNAs from leaving the country

    In a tough battle in Parliament over the no-confidence motion against PM Khan, which will remove him from power, the PPP and PML-N are making sure their MNAs are present for the motion.

    “Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has directed all MNAs of the party to remain in Islamabad,” PPP Information Secretary Shahzia Atta Marri said on Sunday, which means no official delegations and allegedly no vacations for the MNAs until the motion is carried through.

    According to a report published in The News, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyam Aurangzeb said that her party’s members would not be part of any foreign tour nominated by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser. All members of the party had been instructed to stay in the country. “PML-N MNAs have been barred from travelling abroad at expenses from the national exchequer. We hope sensible members of the PTI will also refuse to be part of the tours,” she added.

    ‘Beware,’ PM Khan warns Opposition

    On Sunday, PM Imran said that he will continue his fight against looters and dacoits till the last drop of his blood. He also warned the Opposition of grave consequences if the no-confidence motion against him fails.

    “Are you ready for what I will do to you once your no-confidence motion fails insha’Allah?”

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1500458502942334978
    PM Khan attacked all Opposition leaders.
    Nawaz Sharif

    PM Khan said that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif is ‘Mujrim Number 1′ (Criminal number 1) who acted like a Bollywood actor so that he could leave the country. He also called Nawaz a ‘bhagora’ (someone who runs away).

    Shehbaz Sharif

    PM Khan said that the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly starts polishing boots whenever he finds one.

    Asif Zardari

    PM Khan called PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari a “beemaari” (disease).

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    PM Khan referred to Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as ‘Fazlu’ and said he does not want to address him as a ‘maulana’ because “the title is for people who are respected”.

    PM Khan also reminded Fazlur Rehman that their ages are the same and in this age, they should be more worried about their aakhirat (life after death). He said Fazlur Rehman’s weight is also more than his.

    Maryam Nawaz reacts to PM Khan’s attack:

    PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz tweeted, “Why falling apart & sounding hysterical ImranKhan PTI? The game has only just begun, dude & you have already lost it! Show some sportsman spirit man!”

  • Moonis Elahi denies PPP asking for Q’s support in Senate

    Moonis Elahi denies PPP asking for Q’s support in Senate

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari went to see Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday.

    Reports suggested that apart from inquiring after his health, Bhutto-Zardari asked the Chaudhrys for their support in the upcoming elections for chairman Senate.

    However, PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi has denied these reports in a tweet.

    Geo News anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal tweeted to Moonis Elahi that this news was confirmed by Tariq Bashir Cheema in his show Naya Pakistan and a press release was also issued by the PML-Q saying that Chaudhry Shujaat said we have committed our allies for senate chairman vote.

    Speaking exclusively to The Current, Moonis Elahi said: “Yes, we are committed to our allies, but Bilawal did not ask for our vote nor did he come there seeking it. If he was seeking it, I am sure he would have brought the candidate along.”

  • 2018 vs 2020: Is Karachi done with Imran’s PTI?

    After a rather troubled polling day, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has managed to secure a comfortable win in Karachi’s PS-88 Malir by-election for a seat in the Sindh Assembly, unofficial results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) have revealed.

    But does that mean that the people of Karachi are done with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) amid economic among other challenges faced by the country?

    According to journalist Ajmal Jami, that might be the case, at least in Malir, and here’s why…

    The PPP was the only party that not only retained the number of votes received in the 2018 general election, but went on to secure even more.

    The PPP secured 24,251 votes in the 2021 by-election as compared to 22,561 in 2018, whereas the PTI and its allied Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) received merely 4,870 votes against 2018’s 16,386 and 2,635 votes against 5,207, respectively.

    Hardliner Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which had received 7,694 votes in 2018, bagged only 6,090 this year.

    Earlier, polling for the PS-88 by-election — that was slated to be a hot contest between the PPP and PTI — was marred by allegations of vote rigging, violence and intimidation as all contesting parties traded charges against each other.

    The winning candidate, PPP’s Yousuf Murtaza Baloch, is the son of Murtaza Baloch, the former minister for human settlement.

    The seat fell vacant after Murtaza died of COVID-19 in June last year.