Tag: Farrukh Habib

  • POLITICS IN PAKISTAN; 2023 ROUNDUP

    POLITICS IN PAKISTAN; 2023 ROUNDUP

    In all honesty, 2023 was more like a crazy roller coaster than a democratic process when it comes to Pakistani politics. Here are some of the significant events that happened this year:

    Assemblies dissolved

    On January 14, 2023, the provincial assembly of Punjab was dissolved while on January 16, 2023, Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was dissolved as former Prime Minister Imran Khan was pushing for early national elections.

    May 9

    On May 9, 2023, former prime minister and founder chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan was submitting his biometric data for a court appearance when paramilitary forces broke down a window inside the court to get to apprehend him.

    The dramatic and sudden arrest of the former cricket star turned leader resulted in violent clashes between supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and law enforcement agencies protests to mark the arrest of the former Prime Minister turned into riots.

    Several military installations, including GHQ and the Lahore corps commander’s official residence, were attacked across the country within hours of Imran Khan’s detention.

    May 9, termed a “black day” by the Pakistani state, ended up provoking a harsh military crackdown on Khan’s party.

    PTI Dismantled

    Thousands of PTI members, including many women, were rounded up and arrested after May 9 riots.

    More than two dozen members of PTI resigned from the politics following the protests.

    Notable figures like Shireen Mazari, Asad Umer, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Fawad Chaudhry, Maleeka Bokhari, Abrar ul Haq, Murad Ras, Ali Haider Zaidi, Imran Islamil, Usman Dar, Farrukh Habib, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Andleeb Abbas, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Shaukat Tarin and others either left PTI or quit politics.

    Imran Khan Jailed

    Police arrested Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore on August 5, 2023, after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts, potentially barring the opposition leader from contesting an upcoming election.

    On September 26, 2023, Imran Khan was shifted to the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi from Attock prison, a day after the Islamabad High Court ordered authorities to relocate him to the high-security jail.

    Qazi Faez Isa

    On September 17, 2023, Justice Qazi Faez Isa was sworn in as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan.

    A ceremony was held at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad during which President Arif Alvi administered the oath of office. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir were also present.

    Justice Isa was accompanied by his wife, Sarina Isa, while he was taking oath.

    Imran Riaz ‘safely’ returns

    On the evening of May 11, 2023, police arrested Imran Riaz Khan, a former anchor with the privately owned broadcaster Express News and host of a YouTube channel with over three million subscribers.

    Imran Riaz Khan, often called Imran Riaz, was trying to flee the country over fears of his arrest. At the time, authorities accused him of inciting people to violence through his reporting.

    He was said to have been freed a few days later, but there was no trace of him and police denied keeping him in custody.

    On September 25, 2023, his lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq took to X (former Tiwtter) and posted a picture of Imran Riaz, after his return, stating that the recovery took a long time due to “countless difficulties, a weak judiciary” and the ineffectiveness of the Constitution. He also shared a photo of him with Khan.

    The rift between Zardari and Bilawal

    On November 23, 2023, the former president of Pakistan and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari‘s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    On November 24, 2023, in a seeming act of defiance to his father, Bilawal changed his profile picture on X on Friday afternoon, to a photo with his mother Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister and head of the PPP till her assassination in 2017.

    PPP denied all the claims of a rift between the father-son duo.

    Afghan Refugees Repatriation

    On October 3, 2023, Pakistan’s caretaker government announced it would carry out mass deportations — known under domestic law as an Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan — asking all concerned to leave the country before 1 November. Although the plan purported to apply to all foreigners residing in the country illegally, it appears designed to target Afghans, millions of whom have sought refuge in Pakistan over the years.

    As of December 29, 2023, the total number of allegedly illegal Afghans who left Pakistan reached 453,480 and the process is still underway.

    Nawaz Sharif Returns

    On October 21, 2023, Pakistan’s thrice-elected former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London.

    Nawaz Sharif was disqualified when the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) announced its decision on July 28, 2017, in the Panama Papers case.
    After that, Nawaz Sharif and three of his children were referred to an accountability court, which was ordered to file corruption cases against Sharif’s family within six weeks.

    In July 2018, the expelled prime minister was imprisoned for 10 years in the Avenfield properties corruption case, an assets-beyond-means trial.

    In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, the PML-N supremo was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018. Nawaz Sharif was taken to Adiala jail in this case, and then he was shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on the very next day. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in this case.

    The former prime minister was released from jail in March 2019. After that, the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed Nawaz Sharif to go to London for treatment for fast-depleting platelet levels, and then he left for London in November 2019.

    Elections Date Announced

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on November 3, 2023, that 8th February 2024 is the poll date for the General Elections for the National Assembly of Pakistan and Provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

    The date was announced by the President House in a statement following a meeting between the top election officials and President Alvi, hours after the election commission lawyer told the Supreme Court that elections will be held on February 11.

    PTI New Chairman

    On December 2, 2023, The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) on Saturday elected Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as the new chairman in the intra-party elections held on the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    Gohar won the chairman’s position unopposed.

    The change was forced on the party after the Election Commission of Pakistan warned the PTI last month that it risked losing its emblem – a cricket bat – unless an internal ballot was held for party officers.

    Election symbols are crucial in a country where the adult literacy rate is 58 percent, according to World Bank data.

    Baloch Long March

    Demanding the release of all “missing persons” and an end to “extrajudicial killing” in Balochistan under the leadership of activist Dr Mahrang Baloch and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the march started in Turbat, Balochistan, on December 6 after the alleged extrajudicial killing of 24-year-old Balach Baloch.

    According to BYC, when the march reached the capital, the city administration didn’t allow them to protest in front of the press club. Maharng Baloch said in her live video from the Facebook page of BYC that Islamabad police arrested 300 male protesters, eight women, and 10 children.

  • PMLN aur IPP ka breakup ho gaya?

    PMLN aur IPP ka breakup ho gaya?

    Discussions between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP) about a potential electoral alliance have hit a roadblock.

    PML-N is hesitant to forge partnerships on a significant number of its seats, sources cited by The News have said.

    As per sources, PML-N is not ready to make adjustments on the seats where its top leaders will contest elections.

    Sources also disclosed that the party is cautious about entering into alliances on numerous other seats.

    IPP reportedly proposed adjustments on 50 provincial assembly seats and 26 National Assembly seats during talks between the two parties. However, negotiations have failed to yield any substantial breakthrough, leading to a standstill in the alliance talks.

    Maryam Nawaz and Aleem Khan will face each other in the election for NA-119 (Lahore-III), sources said. NA-119 is a stronghold of the PML-N as it won the seat back-to-back in 2013 and 2018 elections.

    To explore potential alliances, the PML-N is reportedly considering an electoral partnership on NA-117 (Lahore-I) for Abdul Aleem Khan and contemplating NA-127 for Aun Chaudhry. It can also go for an alliance on the Lodhran seat for Jahangir Tareen.

    Meanwhile, complications have also arisen in Karachi as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is reportedly hesitant to concede the NA-242 seat to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. In response, Shehbaz Sharif is anticipated to visit Karachi for crucial talks with MQM leaders, addressing this matter and other pertinent issues.

  • Friendship ended with PPP, now PML-N and IPP are best friends

    Friendship ended with PPP, now PML-N and IPP are best friends

    The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) took a significant step on Thursday by submitting a list to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) committee, outlining its demands for seat adjustment ahead of the upcoming elections.

    The IPP is pushing for seat adjustments in 45 constituencies of the Punjab Assembly and 27 constituencies of the National Assembly.

    The deliberations unfolded during a joint meeting of the committees from both parties, hosted at the residence of former Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq. The meeting saw the participation of prominent PML-N figures including Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Atta Tarar, and Malik Ahmed Khan, while IPP was represented by Ishaq Khakwani, Aun Chaudhary and Nauman Langriyal.

    The discussions primarily revolved around seat adjustments for the National Assembly constituencies, with the IPP formally handing over its list to the PML-N committee. Both parties explored various options during the joint meeting, demonstrating a commitment to finding common ground.

    IPP has decided to field Jahangir Tareen from Lodhran, Aleem Khan and Aun Chaudhry from Lahore, Farrukh Habib from Faisalabad, Ghulam Sarwar Khan from Taxila, Aamir Kiyani and Ali Nawaz Awan from Islamabad, Firdous Ashiq Awan from Sialkot and Imran Ismail, Mahmood Maulvi will be party’s candidates from PML-N.

    Both parties agreed to continue talks on seat adjustment while another meeting is scheduled for Friday.

  • Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed among PTI leaders declared ‘Ishtehari’

    Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed among PTI leaders declared ‘Ishtehari’

    An anti-terrorism court has declared several leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) proclaimed offenders (POs) in three cases related to the May 9 riots.

    The decision was made by Judge Abher Gul Khan in response to separate applications filed by the investigating officers (IOs) of the cases.

    The IOs reported that despite strenuous efforts, the suspects, fearing arrest, had gone into hiding, making their apprehension challenging. Non-bailable arrest warrants had previously been issued against them, but the suspects failed to surrender to the law, prompting the police to request the court to declare them POs.

    Those declared POs in two cases of torching police vehicles near Jinnah House and Sher Pao Bridge are Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, Farrukh Habib, Azam Swati, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hamid Raza, Karamat Khokhar, Khalid Gujjar, Sajjad Ahmad and Zubair Khan Niazi.

    In the third case, which pertains to burning the PML-N office in Model Town, Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and his wife Musarrat Cheema, Zubair Khan Niazi, Ghulam Abbas, Farhat Abbas and Hamid Raza had been declared POs.

    The judge also directed the IOs to submit details regarding moveable and immovable assets of the suspects so that proceedings for the attachment of their properties under section 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) could be started.

    It is noteworthy that several of these PTI leaders have already been declared POs in other cases related to the May 9 protests, including the attacks on Jinnah House and Askari Tower.

    Hamza Shehbaz wants an exemption

    In a separate legal development, an accountability court issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on an application submitted by former chief minister Hamza Shehbaz. Hamza sought permanent exemption from personal appearance in the trial proceedings of the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.

    Appearing before the court with his lawyer, Hamza Shehbaz’s application prompted the court to direct a NAB prosecutor to submit a reply by January 12. The NAB had reopened the reference, initially closed under defunct amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, following a Supreme Court decision that struck down those amendments.

    In the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference, NAB alleged that Shehbaz Sharif, then chief minister, and his son Hamza, in abetment and connivance, caused a loss of Rs213 million to the national exchequer by misusing their authority. The allegations revolve around the construction of a drain in Chiniot district primarily for the use of Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by Hamza and his brother Suleman.

  • Approval of Al-Qadir UNIVERSITY was done in a hidden manner, even we weren’t aware that Khan took watches from Toshakhana: Farrukh Habib

    Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and ex-federal minister Farrukh Habib announced his departure from the party on Monday, pledging allegiance to the Jahangir Tareen-led Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) during a press conference held at the IPP’s head office in Lahore.

    In a significant blow to the PTI, Habib condemned the May 9 riots, attributing the responsibility for the turmoil to former prime minister and Chairman of PTI, Imran Khan. He criticized Imran Khan’s handling of the political situation, alleging that the former premier fueled violence and instigated a confrontation against state institutions.

    Habib said PTI’s “war” with the state institutions was “not a war between believers and non-believers,” lamenting that the ex-premier brought the country to the verge of violence.

    The IPP was formed on June 8 by estranged PTI leaders Tareen and Aleem Khan, who left the ex-PM’s party after severe disagreements, while several Imran loyalists have also joined hands with them.

    “I wasn’t at my house for the past five months […] and for the last few weeks, I wasn’t even in contact with my family,” Habib told journalists.

    “Since May 9, we did not face the law and were away from our houses. For the past five months, I was constantly pondering whether I joined politics for this reason,” he said.

    During the press conference, Farrukh Habib highlighted a series of grievances with the PTI’s leadership, citing instances where he felt the party had deviated from its ethical and moral compass. He criticized the PTI chief for allegedly accepting gifts from the Toshakhana despite previously condemning similar actions by other political leaders.

    “I realised that we took our real struggle to the path of violence. We stepped away from Pakistan which was envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam,” he said.

    Habib recalled that the PTI government was ousted via a vote of no-confidence constitutionally, but regretted that the party did not wait peacefully after that. Expressing his perspective, he said the PTI should have opted for a “democratic struggle” and waited for elections.

    “But you opted for violent resistance. We have faced beatings as youth leaders but we never opted for a violent approach. We used to work so dedicatedly for our vision,” Habib said. “But if you look at that struggle and compare it with the post-May 9 violence, you will see a difference.

    “There were messages for people to take to the streets and their minds were hijacked. Their sentiments were provoked that Pakistan’s institutions are working against them,” he claimed.

    Habib stated that “a message of hatred” was run on television all the time and a “bullet approach instead of ballot approach” was taken.

    Habib’s decision to join the IPP follows a series of similar defections from the PTI in recent weeks, suggesting internal upheavals within the party ranks. The former minister’s remarks resonated with similar sentiments expressed by other estranged PTI members who have found a common cause in the IPP.

  • PTI leaders arrested in Gawadar

    PTI leaders arrested in Gawadar

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leader Farrukh Habib, along with eight other people, have been arrested in Gwadar by security forces.

    Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai confirmed the arrests to Dawn.

    Security personnel in plain clothes conducted a raid and arrested Farrukh Habib and eight other people from a local hotel in Gawadar after they got a tip-off. Habib was minister of state for information in the PTI government and president of PTI’s western Punjab wing.

    Those arrested in the raid include Habib’s brother and father-in-law, who were taken to an unknown place after their arrest.

    “The PTI leader reached Gwadar along with his brother, father-in-law and six other people to cross into Iran from Gwadar,” Mr Achakzai told Dawn.

    Habib, his brother and father-in-law have been shifted to an unknown place while six other people were handed over to Gawadar police, who have been released on bail after initial investigation.

    Those released on bail were: Jawad Ehsan Raza, Muhammad Mohsin, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Nadeem, Muham¬mad Saqib Nasim and Mudassir. They belong to Lahore, Karachi and Bahawalpur.

  • PTI decides to bring resolution against Shehbaz Sharif in NA

    PTI decides to bring resolution against Shehbaz Sharif in NA

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly decided to bring a resolution against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif in the National Assembly (NA), reports Geo News.

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcas­ting Farrukh Habib will present the resolution in the Lower House. Geo News’ sources state that Sharif will not be allowed to address the House till the final decision of his money-laundering case.

    It is to be noted that both PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership are meeting with other Members of National Assembly (MNAs) and political party leaders to bring a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    A few days ago, Sharif met the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) delegation.

    

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    ECP releases list of 150 lawmakers for not filing asset details
    
			
    ECP releases list of 150 lawmakers for not filing asset details
    
			
    The membership of 150 lawmakers from across the country, including some cabinet members, has been suspended by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not filing their statements of assets.
    

    The ECP on Monday released a list of MNAs, senators, and MPAs of the four provincial assemblies who failed to file their statements of assets and liabilities, as well as those of their spouses and dependents, for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2021. These statements have to be filed every year by Dec 31.
    

    In the 100-member Senate, the membership of three lawmakers has been suspended, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Dr Musadik Malik, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Dr Sikandar Mandhro, and Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai.
    

    Among the MNAs who have been suspended as members of the lower house are cabinet members Farrukh Habib, Noor ul Haq Qadri, Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mahmood, and Dr Fehmida Mirza.
    

    The prominent MNAs who failed to fulfill their constitutional obligation are former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Rana Mohammad Qasim Noon and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘PML-N has seven concealed accounts, PPP has 12 hidden accounts from ECP’:  Farrukh Habib
    
			
    ‘PML-N has seven concealed accounts, PPP has 12 hidden accounts from ECP’:  Farrukh Habib
    
			
    The Elec­tion Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday allowed the ruling Pakistan Tehre­ek-e-Insaf (PTI) to inspect documents related to foreign funding cases against the Opposition parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), reports Dawn.
    

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcas­ting Farrukh Habib, while talking to the media, said that the PML-N had concealed seven accounts while the PPP had hidden 12 accounts from the ECP. 
    

    “We will bring to light the fake accounts of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz,” the minister said.
    

    “Now we would not let them run away,” claimed the minister. “Both the parties used to take money from mafias,” he alleged. He also accused the PML-N of using party accounts for “money laundering”.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Government blames Nawaz Sharif for PM Khan’s phone hacking
    
			
    Government blames Nawaz Sharif for PM Khan’s phone hacking
    
			
    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib, said that when Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone was being hacked through Pegasus spyware, it was Nawaz Sharif’s government.
    

    Farrukh made this statement after The Guardian reported that the Indian government targeted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone for surveillance.
    

    Farrukh further added that while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy hacking the phones of his Opposition, who knows, Nawaz Sharif might have sought Modi’s help for some other purposes as well.
    

    “We will not allow them [Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi] to remain silent on these issues,” added Farrukh.
    

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Shahbaz Gill tweeted, “Maryam Safdar kept speaking against Imran Khan. Today, the international media has once again exposed the nexus between her [Maryam Nawaz’s] father and Israel.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “He [Nawaz Sharif] was working with Israel to hack the phones of Imran Khan and other government officials,” added Gill.