Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz has said that religion should not be used for political benefits and blasted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly using faith for political gain.
“Using religion for personal motives is very bad. I have suffered this and I am a victim”, she said while talking to members of the media.
“I think religion is a personal matter but it does not remain a personal matter when you say in rallies that ‘voting for PML-N is a sin and voting for me [Imran] is righteous and if my party members switch loyalties then it’s shirk’,” she stated, referring to a recent controversy speech given by Imran Khan at a rally.
“Shirk’s definition is associating partners with God. Are you changing the entire dictionary and the meaning of religion for your disgusting politics,” she asked the former Prime Minister.
Shirk is considered to be one of the most heinous sins in Islam.
“I think all institutions, whether the judiciary or army or politicians or government, should acknowledge he [Khan] is a fitna (chaotic miscreant) who was launched for destruction and from whom no one is safe.”
Maryam said that she is not in favour of fuel or electricity price increases.
“I will request the government to focus on it. I don’t support this decision and it should be corrected. However, it will take time to stabilise the economy after what Imran Khan did,” she said, adding that PM Shehbaz Sharif has saved the country from default and slowly the economy will begin to revive.
Moreover, the PML-N vice president asked Khan to dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) if he wants fresh general elections.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in an address to the nation has once again demanded early elections, warning that PTI’s patience was wearing thin.
“If we want to save the country from discord and chaos, free and fair elections need to be announced immediately,” he said.
“Our patience won’t last long if you continue like this, we will have to give a call to the nation,” said Khan, addressing the government.
“If there is no political stability, the economy won’t stabilise. So I want to tell my people today that we need to have elections quickly to save Pakistan from this quagmire,” the former Prime Minister insisted, adding that it was his fear that there will be no economic progress without political stability.
انتخابات میں تاخیر سے میرا نہیں صرف ملک کا نقصان ہو رہا ہے، میں دعویٰ کرتا ہوں تحریک انصاف اس وقت ملکی تاریخ کی سب سے مقبول ترین جماعت ہے۔ چیئرمین عمران خان pic.twitter.com/Sm3TVtLCcI
“The incumbent government does not have any credibility, both inside and outside Pakistan, especially in the financial markets,” alleged Khan, mentioning that the prices of fuel and electricity across Pakistan had reached an all-time high and warned that they would further increase in the near future.
جب تک سیاسی استحکام نہیں آئے گا معیشت مستحکم نہیں ہو گی اور اب مجھے خوف ہے کہ یہ معیشت جس طرف جا رہی ہے کوئی نہیں بچا سکے گا۔ چیئرمین عمران خان pic.twitter.com/eb72dtKSdR
Unemployment is increasing, inflation is rising, and businesses are closing down, Imran said. “The danger I am seeing right now […] Our credit rating has fallen to negative […] do you know what this means? They think Pakistan doesn’t have the ability to repay and due to this, the cost of loans will increase,”‘ he warned.
کہا گیا شہباز شریف آئے گا سب ٹھیک کر دے گا آج پاکستان بیرونی خسارے میں دھنستا چلا جا رہا ہے روپے کی قدر ہر روز کم ہو رہی ہے اور مہنگائی میں ریکارڈ اضافہ ہورہا ہے۔ چیئرمین عمران خان pic.twitter.com/TYZh88jLFn
Addressing his supporters via video link, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan talked about the Toshakhana controversy. Khan said that all those who were appointed to higher ranks in government offices receive gifts and even the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) receives them.
“Even the army chief gets gifts. Asif Zardari took three expensive cars from the Toshakhana. I also received one car while Nawaz Sharif took one car,” he added while demanding that all of them should be investigated.
PDM’s grand scheme of plan is nothing but atrocious & malevolent with no hint or humanity. It includes.
– Attack on Social Media activitists including Twitteratis like us.
Khan said that the government is trying to malign his reputation. He also revealed that PTI leaders are receiving threats from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Foreign funding case
Talking about the party’s foreign funding case, Khan said that it is “baseless”.
The PTI chief said that the party had provided the names of 40,000 donors, who are now being termed “foreigners” by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“Despite a court order to investigate other parties’ cases, it was only the PTI that was put under a trial,” added the PTI chairman.
Imran Khan said that the only way to take the country out of the current crisis was through “free and fair elections”.
‘Gill should be given a chance to clarify’: Imran Khan
Talking about his aide Shahbaz Gill’s arrest, Khan said he should be given a chance to clarify in court.
“Gill should be charged if he has said anything that goes against the law,” said Khan, defending his party member by saying that his driver was attacked and his vehicle’s glass was smashed.
‘Govt conspired to cause rifts between PTI, army’: Imran Khan
Khan said that the coalition government has hatched a plan to create a rift between the PTI and the Pakistan Army. Khan added that the incumbent government has “conspired against the biggest party in Pakistan”.
“They [government] had issues with the fact that the army and the PTI were on the same page. Even India used to acknowledge that,” said Khan.
“PTI is the only National party in Pakistan, setting a fake narrative of being anti-state is dangerous for the country”-@ImranKhanPTIpic.twitter.com/NmLKZ1lXok
The PTI leader went on to say that his party exposed the disinformation campaigns against the country.
“PTI is the only National party in Pakistan, setting a fake narrative of being anti-state is dangerous for the country”-@ImranKhanPTIpic.twitter.com/NmLKZ1lXok
“Today, it’s being said that we are against the army and now they’ve [the government people] become the patriots who are calling us traitors,” he said, adding that he cares about Pakistan, and those who care about the country want their army to be strong.
The United Kingdom (UK) National Charity Commission (NCC) and National Crime Agency (NCA) have launched an investigation into the misuse of funds by Pakistani charity organisations for political purposes, Naeem Hanif reports for Samaa News.
The investigation is being done to find out whether these charity organisations misused charity for political purposes in Pakistan or not.
Both agencies launched the investigation after receiving several complaints. It is being reported that complainants also provided evidence to both agencies.
The evidence includes the verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in foreign funding case, a report by the Financial Times that revealed the party’s foreign funding sources, and details of its bank accounts.
The ECP said that the party, in violation of the Constitution, had received funds from 34 foreign entities. The party received funds from the United States, Australia, and the UAE. The ECP added that 13 unidentified accounts also surfaced during the probe in the PTI funding case.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in its verdict on Tuesday unanimously ruled that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did indeed receive prohibited funding and issued a show-cause notice to the party.
A three-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja announced the verdict in a case filed by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar. Akbar filed the case on November 14, 2014. The verdict was reserved on June 21.
The ECP said that the party, in violation of the Constitution, had received funds from 34 foreign entities. The party received funds from the United States, Australia, and the UAE. The ECP added that 13 unidentified accounts also surfaced during the probe in the PTI funding case.
It says that PTI Chairman Imran Khan submitted a false Nomination Form I. The PTI chairman kept accounts hidden, which the ECP said is a violation of the Constitution, and the affidavit provided regarding party accounts was also false.
The commission noted that “the party knowingly and willfully received funding from Wootton Cricket Limited, operated by business tycoon Arif Naqvi. The party was a willing recipient of prohibited money of $2,121,500”.
ECP Verdict on PTI’s foreign funding case is attached below;
The ECP said that the party knowingly and willfully also received donations from Bristol Engineering Services (a UAE-based company), E-Planet Trustees (a Cayman Island private registered company), SS Marketing Manchester (a UK-based private company), PTI USA LLC-6160, and PTI USA LLC-5975 which were hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws.
The ECP went on to say that the party had only owned eight accounts before the commission and declared 13 accounts to be unknown. “The data obtained from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reveals that all the 13 accounts disowned by the PTI were opened and operated by senior PTI management and leadership at [a] central and provincial level.”
The PTI chairman submitted Form-I for five years (between 2008-2013), which was found to be “grossly inaccurate on the basis of the financial statements obtained by this commission from SBP and other material available on record”.
“Imran Khan for the five years under review has filed submissions that were grossly inaccurate and wrong. Even during the course of scrutiny and hearing by this commission, the PTI continued to conceal and withhold complete and full disclosure of [the] source of its funds.”
The demand for an announcement of the verdict in this important case increased following an explosive story by the Financial Times, revealing the sources of funding of the PTI.
Addressing his party members at PTI’s national council meeting in Islamabad on August 1, Khan called for a protest outside the ECP office in Islamabad on Thursday, August 4, to demand CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja’s resignation.
PTI foreign funding case: ECP to announce verdict tomorrow
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that its verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s foreign funding case will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday, August 2) at 10am.
Earlier it was reported by Daily Jang that after eight years ECP might announce its verdict this week in the PTI foreign funding case.
ECP officials revealed that the investigations into international money-laundering have been completed.
“PTI is only harming itself by filing a judicial reference against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja,” said ECP officials. They said that during the hearing of this judicial reference, certain matters that were earlier “hidden from public view would be revealed”. They further claimed that the judicial reference against the Election Commission of Pakistan and the CEC “is an attempt to create a smoke screen ahead of the verdict” by “blackmailers” who are part of an international money-laundering ring.
The officials further said that ECP will not bow to any “blackmailing and will not come under any pressure”, clarifying that the ECP has no bias toward any political party.
The development has come forward after an investigative report published inFinancial Times revealed new details about PTI’s foreign funding.
After the FT report, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the coalition government, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), met ECP officials and urged them to release the verdict on the foreign funding case.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has also repeatedly urged the ECP to announce its verdict in the long-delayed case.
Hamza Shehbaz elected Chief Minister (CM) Punjab again after Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari rejected 10 Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) votes.
10 PML-Q votes will not be counted: Dost Mazari
Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Mazari says 10 PML-Q votes will not be counted because of Chaudhry Shujaat’s letter.
According to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Murad Raas, Hamza received 179 votes whereas Elahi got 186 votes. After Mazari rejected 10 PML-Q votes, Elahi was left with 176 votes, which turned the tables in Hamza’s favour.
While announcing the result, Mazari read Shujaat’s letter out loud. “As party head of Pakistan Muslim League, I have issued directions to all my provincial members to cast their votes in favour of Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Sharif,” Mazari quoted Hussain as saying.
His ruling was countered by PTI MPA Raja Basharat, who said that the law states that the parliamentary party could issue instructions to party members.
“The head of the parliamentary party is Pervaiz Elahi,” he contended.
However, Mazari said that the matter had been clarified by the Supreme Court, subsequently proroguing the session.
Will not support the PTI candidate for the CM slot., confirms Moonis Elahi to Hamid Mir
Moonis Elahi has confirmed to senior journalist Hamid Mir that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has indeed written a letter to the Deputy Speaker. He has said that he will not support the PTI candidate for the CM slot.
Senior journalist Hamid Mir originally broke the story about Chaudhry Shujaat’s letter, which was later confirmed by Moonis Elahi to him as well.
Asif Ali Zardari to meet Chaudhry Shujaat, again: Hamid Mir
Senior journalist Hamid Mir says that Asif Zardari is about to meet PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Reports suggest that Moonis Elahi has also left the Punjab Assembly.
‘Now the rules of the game will be the same for everyone, else PML-N knows how to play it better’: Maryam Nawaz
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has tweeted that the PML-N has not forgotten the treatment meted out to them. “Now the rules of the game will be the same for everyone, else PMLN knows how to play it better. Insha’Allah.”
PMLN has NOT forgotten the treatment meted out to them. Now the rules of the game will be the same for everyone, else PMLN knows how to play it better. Insha’Allah.
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 22, 2022
PTI to file contempt of court petition against Dost Mazari: Fawad Chaudhry
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has tweeted that the unnecessary delay in starting the Punjab Assembly session is a violation of the Supreme Court’s orders. He said that the party has directed its lawyers to file a contempt of court petition against Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari.
صوبائی اسمبلی کے اجلاس میں غیر ضروری تاخیر سپریم کورٹ کے واضع احکامات کی خلاف ورزی ہے، وکلاء کو توہین عدالت کی کاروائ کے لئے کہ دیا ہے، اب سے کچھ دیر بعد ڈپٹی اسپیکر کیخلاف توہین عدالت کی درخواست سپریم کورٹ میں دائر کی جارہی ہے۔
Today, the Punjab Assembly will vote in the runoff election and decide who gets to be the next chief minister of the province: Hamza Shehbaz or Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. The Punjab Assembly session started at 4pm today as per the Supreme Court’s orders.
Hamza Shehbaz is the incumbent chief minister and CM candidate of the PML-N and its coalition partners, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The total number game of the PML-N-led ruling coalition is179.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of the PML-Q is the CM candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). PTI and PML-Q have a total of 187 members on their side.
Pakistan will become another Sri Lanka if Elahi not allowed to become CM Punjab: Imran Khan
Yesterday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said yesterday that if Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is not allowed to become CM Punjab, Pakistan will become another Sri Lanka.
“I will never forget what happened to us on May 25. We will never forget,” added Khan.
#Pakistan Punjab Assembly session to elect CM will be held today. If people’s mandate is stolen in the Assembly during the CM election,then I am warning that the country would head towards a condition like Sri Lanka & after that,it would not be my responsibility,Say’s Imran Khan pic.twitter.com/O3v1pMDVTX
— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) July 21, 2022
Credit goes to Zardari for first destroying the PPP and now the PML-N: Fawad Chaudhry
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the Maryam Nawaz group’s gesture by accepting the results of the Punjab by-polls was good but the Shehbaz Sharif group is most probably working under the influence of Asif Ali Zardari. He alleged that Shehbaz Sharif is consulting Zardari these days for major decisions.
“Credit goes to Zardari for destroying two parties, first the PPP and now the PML-N,” added Fawad Chaudhry.
PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari met PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain once again last night. Zardari had already held two meetings with Chaudhry Shujaat earlier in an effort to get his support for Hamza Shehbaz.
The former president had sent a message for a meeting with Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi. However, they both refused to meet him according to The News.
Moonis Elahi said that it’s “game over” for the government.
“They can do whatever they want, they have lost the game,” said Moonis Elahi.
50 PTI MPAs can vote for Hamza Shehbaz: Rana Sanaullah
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has claimed that 50 PTI MPAs can vote for Hamza Shehbaz in the CM Punjab election today.
“Not five, but 50 PTI MPAs can either use their right to vote or abstain from casting their votes,” said Rana Sanaullah.
Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Monday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has been told by a palmist that there was a big rock that was going to fall on Khan but it fell on Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif instead.
عمران خان نے کہا کہ انہیں ایک بڑے حساب کتاب کرنے والے (پالمسٹ) نے بتایا ہے کہ ایک بڑا پتھر تھا جو ہم پر گرنے والا تھا لیکن شہباز شریف پر گر گیا۔ شیخ رشید#11thHourpic.twitter.com/YfA8ULHJj6
He made these revelations on ARY News in Waseem Badami’s programme 11th Hour.
Rasheed said that everyone is with Imran Khan so it would be a waste for anyone who stands against him in the elections.
Talking about his audio leak, Rasheed said since childhood, his [Sheikh] messages and tapes have been going viral.
He said that after the PTI swept Punjab by-polls, he received messages from top bureaucrats for the first time addressing him as ‘respected sir’.
During the show, he further revealed that Imran Khan has planned to do a tour of Sindh, especially the interior side of the province.
Rasheed again stressed that he is of the view that they should be friends with the establishment. He said that Imran Khan has said that we will not talk against the establishment anymore and have to focus on the elections.
Appearing on the same programme on Tuesday, former federal minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry agreed with Rasheed’s statement and said that they will not talk against the establishment. “We will try to normalise things in the future”, he added.
خان صاحب نے کہا ہے اسٹیبلشمنٹ کے خلاف بات نہیں کرنی۔ فواد چوہدری جو ہوگیا ہوگیا۔ اب کوشش کریں گے چیزیں نارمل ہوں#11ThHourpic.twitter.com/cS0mXtEy6o
Moreover, he said that PM Shehbaz Sharif should dissolve the National Assembly. According to him, election date will be announced within 45 days and the elections are likely to be held in October.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided not to hold early general elections in the country and to complete its constitutional term, reports Geo News.
In a meeting on Monday under the leadership of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N’s defeat in Punjab by-polls and other political matters were discussed.
On July 17, the ruling party suffered a heavy loss as it only managed to win four seats out of 20 while its rival party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 75 per cent (15 seats) of the Punjab constituencies.
The decision regarding elections has been taken by the PML-N. The party is yet to discuss the matter with its coalition partners and for that, a meeting is scheduled for today (Tuesday).
A day earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan addressed the nation after his party’s landslide victory in Punjab. He highlighted that the only way out of the current political crisis is free and fair elections.
Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that the establishment wants early elections to take place in the country.
“The army itself is saying that elections should be held. A large part of the army is of the positive opinion that elections should be held,” said Rasheed, adding that a preception is being given that the military establishment is backing the sitting government.
“General Bajwa very clearly promised that he would hold elections in 90 days to make the situation in Pakistan better. Today we ask Gen Bajwa: where did his promises go?”
Veterans of Pakistan, an organisation of former military officers, held a press conference in Islamabad yesterday (June 6). A video from the conference went viral where retired Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik threatened journalist Azaz Syed for asking a question.
Azaz asked, “General Saab, do you think that generals should give back the land given to them because of the present economic conditions of the country?”
“Tum apnay janazay ka bandobast karo,” said General Malik to Azaz Syed. [Translation: You should prepare for your funeral].
What a shame retired Gen Asif Yasin giving life threats to senior journalist @AzazSyed and running from his questions! pic.twitter.com/NZ8HLqDFBO
“General Bajwa very clearly promised that he would hold elections in 90 days to make the situation in Pakistan better. Today we ask Gen Bajwa: where did his promises go?”
A denial has been issued by military sources to BBC Urdu that no such promise [polls in 90 days] was made by the army chief. The military sources also told BBC Urdu that nobody can use the army for politics by using the name of ‘veterans’.
