Tag: Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi

  • PTI ministers confirm PM Khan to replace CM Buzdar: PML-Q

    PTI ministers confirm PM Khan to replace CM Buzdar: PML-Q

    Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid (PML-Q) Secretary-General Tariq Basheer Cheema, in Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath” revealed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ministers [didn’t mention any name] have told him that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has given the approval to remove Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar.

    Previously, it was reported that Buzdar handed over his resignation to the premier, which he declined. There are also several media reports that suggested that the Tareen group isn’t happy with Buzdar’s position as CM.

    During the show, Cheema also lashed out at Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry. While referring to the meeting between the Chaudhry brothers and Fawad on Friday, Cheema said that the no-confidence motion against PM Khan was not discussed in the meeting.

    Previously, Fawad, after his meeting, had said that PML-Q would formally announce full confidence in PM before the National Assembly (NA) session for the motion.

    “I don’t know why Fawad is giving a false statement about the settlement with PML-Q on the no-trust move”, he said while adding that if he [Fawad] has to take decisions of PML-Q then the Chaudhry brothers should leave politics.

    Moreover, the PML-Q Secretary-General said that the party will make a final decision on the no-confidence matter in the next 24 to 48 hours.

  • ‘Pervaiz Elahi’s sherwani ready, he will soon take oath as CM Punjab’: PPP

    ‘Pervaiz Elahi’s sherwani ready, he will soon take oath as CM Punjab’: PPP

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has said that there is a big surprise in store for Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. PPP has revealed that Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi would become the chief minister of the province.

    Punjab PPP General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza said, “Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s sherwani (the dress traditionally worn by politicians on formal occasions) is ready. He will soon take oath as the Punjab chief minister. Just wait for the final announcement.”

    “The government’s allies are in contact with the PPP. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will soon be dented, like those claiming the government as theirs will not be with it,” said Murtaza.

    Murtaza also dared PM Khan to come into public space without protocol to know his ‘real popularity’ among the people of Punjab.

    The PPP general secretary further added that the future of Imran Khan was bleak, with his allies ready to give him ‘a big surprise’. The PTI was not a party, but a group of people who had gathered for their personal interests, he claimed.

  • ‘Government ready to withdraw media Ordinance under one condition’: Fawad

    ‘Government ready to withdraw media Ordinance under one condition’: Fawad

    Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that the government is ready to withdraw the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 (PECA).

    “The government has handed over the mandate to Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. If the media Joint Action Committee (JAC) could get its proposal approved, the government would also accept the recommendations,” said Fawad on HUM News programme, ‘Breaking Point with Malick’.

    “If the Joint Action Committee brings the draft in 90 days, they will amend the PECA Ordinance,” said Fawad.

    On Tuesday, JAC members had called on Elahi at the assembly chambers to discuss their reservations regarding the PECA law. 

    Fully supporting the demands of the JAC, Elahi had demanded immediate withdrawal of the amendment to the PECA Ordinance, The News reported. 

    He said the PECA Ordinance is the government’s “selective treatment of the journalist community and the people of Pakistan”.

    In February, PECA Ordinance was promulgated by President Arif Alvi. Talking exclusively to The Current, Fawad said, “A person who forwards fake news over WhatsApp can be fined and go to jail under the new law.”

    Civil society, political collectives, journalists, and rights activists condemned the new PECA Ordinance.

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that it seems like no one told the premier that there are laws for contempt other than PECA. “It seems like PM Khan was not assisted correctly over PECA Ordinance,” said Justice Minallah, adding that the law is used against critics here.

  • PM Khan and Sharifs fighting over the Chaudhrys of Gujrat?

    PM Khan and Sharifs fighting over the Chaudhrys of Gujrat?

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday went to meet the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leadership.

    PM Khan inquired about the health of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

    The Chaudhrys of Gujrat assured PM Khan that they still supported him and his government and also expressed their lack of trust in the Sharifs who ditched them in the past. “We know them all, and do not trust them,” said Chaudhry Shujaat.

    “Shehbaz Sharif came to inquire after my health a few days ago and offered the chief ministership (of Punjab) to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi (in exchange for voting against Imran Khan),” said Hussain to PM Khan according to media reports.

    “However, we know them well and do not trust them. He had offered us the same slot (in the 90s) but backed off after winning the elections. The excuse was that his father did not agree to the proposal. Although he has offered it again, we don’t trust (him) and continue to stand by the government,” Hussain assured PM Khan.

    The Chaudhrys appreciated the government’s decision to slash fuel prices and electricity rates, as well as the industrial package unveiled on Tuesday.

    Khan briefed the hosts about his recent visits to China and Russia.

    PML-Q leader Tariq Bashir Cheema, while speaking on News One programme ‘G for Gharidah’, revealed that the issue of a no-trust move was not discussed in the meeting between PM Khan and the Chaudhry brothers.

    “This is the first time PM Khan visited [Chaudhry brothers] with a delegation. There were 20 people sitting in the meeting. Not once was there any talk about the no-confidence motion,” said Cheema.

    Cheema said that PM Khan discussed his recent trips to Moscow and China, asked about Shujaat Hussain’s health. He added that the recent visits of the Opposition leaders were also discussed.

    Different accounts

    In a report for The News, Ansar Abbasi says the “accounts of the meeting by the three government sources were different from each other while the PML-Q source insisted that the media had been fed the wrong information by a government minister about what was discussed in the meeting”.

    “One of the three government sources said that ‘politics’ was not discussed as such in the meeting … The second government source said that although there was no assurance sought by the PM or given by the Chaudhrys regarding the no-trust move, the body language of the top PML-Q leadership was good and encouraging for the government. This second government source said following an inquiry from the government side, the Chaudhrys also talked about Shehbaz Sharif’s visit … The third PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] source, when approached, told this correspondent that Chaudhry Shujaat told Imran Khan to stand firm (dattay rahain). The source quoted the Chaudhrys as having told Shehbaz Sharif that in case of the failure of the no-trust move, Imran Khan would emerge far more powerful. This source claimed that the Chaudhrys had urged Shehbaz Sharif not to embark on such adventures. The third government source further said that the Chaudhrys also said that they were offered the chief ministership but only to announce the dissolution of the Punjab assembly. What will we get out of it, the government source quoted Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as saying.”

  • Zardari meets Chaudhry brothers to discuss no-confidence motion

    Zardari meets Chaudhry brothers to discuss no-confidence motion

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the current Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to seek support from them regarding the no-confidence motion against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    According to Dawn , PML-Q agreed that primarily it had reservations with the government, but it could not become a part of any “political misadventure”.

    PML-Q also questioned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders’ seriousness about a no-confidence motion and the numbers required in parliament to support it.

    However, it is expected that the PPP and PML-Q leadership will meet once again in the next few days, as per Geo News.

    PML-Q is a key ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Centre and Punjab. Despite the Opposition approaching PML-Q for the no-confidence motion, the party has reassured its support to the ruling party.

    PPP and PML-Q meeting was held two days after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari attended a luncheon meeting with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and other (PML-N) leaders, including Maryam Nawaz in Lahore.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) today (Tuesday).

  • PML-Q to part ways with the ruling PTI govt?

    PML-Q to part ways with the ruling PTI govt?

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)  on Sunday decided that it was parting ways with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and launching its campaign for the next general elections, reports The Express Tribune.

    The official announcement was made after the PML-Q held a meeting, headed by its Punjab president, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who is also Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

    The party’s parliamentarians noted that people were facing a hard time in making ends meet because of the government’s “negligence”.

    Earlier, PML-Q Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha, while speaking on ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Geo News, said: “When the government needs our support, like for passing the budget, it talks to us, otherwise not.”

    “This is a manufacturing fault of [the government], they do not consult their allies on any issue,” said Agha.

    “We are trying our best to abide by the agreement we had with the government, now it depends on the government how it goes about things,” said Agha

    PML-Q is a major ally of the PTI in the Centre and Punjab.

  • PM was informed about the meeting between Asif Ali Zardari and Pervaiz Elahi

    PM was informed about the meeting between Asif Ali Zardari and Pervaiz Elahi

    Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Thursday that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was informed about his meeting with Asif Ali Zardari.

    Speaking to anchorperson Muneeb Farooq on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk,’ the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader said his party is a coalition partner of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and had never betrayed their ally.

    “Before going to see Zardari sahab, I asked Moonis [Elahi] to inform PM Imran Khan about it [the meeting],” Elahi told Muneeb Farooq when asked about rumours following his surprise meeting with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader.

    Elahi said that he went to thank Zardari for his cooperation in holding unopposed Senate elections in Punjab.

    “I had talked to him before the polls on Nawaz Sharif’s request that the PPP should withdraw its candidates. We knew what were the weaknesses of all parties and what was their due share in the Senate seats. So on the basis of it, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Moonis Elahi, and I worked on it and thankfully we achieved the goal of holding an unopposed election in Punjab,” added Elahi. 

    Earlier, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry had confirmed on the Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had informed the government about his meeting with Asif Ali Zardari.

    The meeting between the two leaders that took place earlier this week at Lahore’s Bilawal House. The Punjab government termed the meeting between the two leaders as a “storm in a teacup”.

  • Zardari-Elahi meeting: possibility of a future coalition?

    Zardari-Elahi meeting: possibility of a future coalition?

    Punjab Assembly Speaker and senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had a meeting with former president Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday.

    A press release issued after the meeting said both sides discussed matters of mutual interest and the national political scene without giving any more details.

    However, as per a report in Dawn, “a close aide to the Chaudhrys of Gujrat said that some quarters were seeing snap polls by the year-end and the meeting should be taken in the context of exploring possibilities of political cooperation in that scenario. He claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan canceled his scheduled UK visit knowing the political storms in the making, both within his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and in the ruling coalition.”

    The PML-Q is presently an ally of the PTI in Punjab.

    Though officially Pervaiz Elahi denies any differences with the PTI, his son Moonis Elahi has criticised various policies of the government publicly, particularly on social media.

    Asif Zardari has summoned the party’s chief organiser in Punjab Raja Pervez Ashraf to Bilawal House in Lahore.

    A PPP leader, who requested not to be named, said Zardari had taken on to himself the task of bargaining for a future alliance strong enough to form the next government, directing his son and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to look after other matters for the time being.

    However, the Punjab government has termed the meeting of Elahi and Zardari a “storm in a teacup” and rubbished rumours of any differences between the coalition partners.

    Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said, “The PML-Q is an experienced political party and an important ally of the PTI government.”

    “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we have defeated the worried Opposition — due to the successes achieved by the government — at every front,” added Awan.

  • 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.”

  • KYA BOLA? (Aug 24): ‘Media ka Usman Buzdar se pyar’ to ‘Jahangir Tareen se Ch Sarwar tak sab wazire aala ban’nay k khuwahishmand’

    KYA BOLA? (Aug 24): ‘Media ka Usman Buzdar se pyar’ to ‘Jahangir Tareen se Ch Sarwar tak sab wazire aala ban’nay k khuwahishmand’

    Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 24, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    ‘Media Ka Usman Buzdar se Pyar’

    It has been reported by Daily Jang that Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar was asked why he is so reluctant to interact with media, to which he said“Taa k media ka hum se pyaar barqaraar rahay.”

    ‘Usman Buzdar Aur Phone’

     Senior journalist and analyst Irshad Bhatti, in his column for Daily Jang, has stated that he asked Usman Buzdar how did he feel after becoming the chief minister, to which he said “Allah ka shukar adaa kr rha tha… mein 5 saal har maah Shehbaz Sharif ko fax krta aur milnay ki darkhuwast krta magar woh 5 saal mujhe nahi milay. Soch raha tha ab Allah ne mujhe wazire aala bana dia.”

    To another question he said, “Yeh sach hai mujhe mobile phone k baray mein zayda nahi pata… call krna, call sun’na aur kabhi kabaar WhatsApp messages bus.”

    ‘Jahangir Tareen se Ch Sarwar Tak Sab Wazire Aala Ban’nay K Khuwahishmand Thay‘

    It has been reported by Daily Dunya that Punjab Governor Chaudhary Sarwar has said, “Mujh samait Shah Mahmood Qureshi aur Jahangir Tareen sab wazire aala ban’nay k khuwahishmand thay lekin Imran Khan ne Usman Buzdar ko chuna. Pervaiz Elahi ney wazire aala ban’ny ki khuwahish zahir nahi ki.”