Tag: Fawad Chaudhry

  • ‘Pakistan will have no gas in years to come’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘Pakistan will have no gas in years to come’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that Pakistan will not have gas in the years to come.

    Fawad’s comments come after the cabinet meeting when he was talking to the media. He said that the gas reserves were depleting by nine per cent each year, therefore, there will be no gas available for people.

    He said people getting gas at cheaper rates in big cities should now change their habits. “This trend will not continue for long,” he added.

    Fawad highlighted that price of oil in the international market has declined. However, they haven’t been reduced much and an impact can be seen here. He, therefore, urged people to pray that the price of oil comes down globally.

  • ‘We have battled before and will do again’: Fawad Chaudhry warns TTP

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry warned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and said that the government will only talk to those who respect the Constitution and law of Pakistan. Otherwise, the government has battled before and will do again, reports Dawn.

    The information minister said that the Taliban government had once again pressed the TTP to abide by the ceasefire agreement. “And I think their advice is sane,” he added.

    Chaudhry’s remarks came after TTP’s announcement of ending a month-long ceasefire with Pakistan and the death of a policeman in an alleged armed attack on a polio vaccination team by TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    The banned organisation TTP said the government had not only failed to implement the decisions reached between the two sides but also raids had been conducted by Pakistan in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Swat, Bajaur, Swabi, and North Waziristan where they killed and detained militants.

    Prior to this, both sides [Pakistan and TTP] had reached a month-long ceasefire from November 1 to November 30, 2021. According to which the Pakistani government promised to release 102 imprisoned mujahideen.

  • ‘Nice to see them singing, this is normal Pakistan’: Fawad on Maryam Nawaz, Hamza singing

    ‘Nice to see them singing, this is normal Pakistan’: Fawad on Maryam Nawaz, Hamza singing

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing the media, praised the signing skills of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz and Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, Hamza Shehbaz.

    Fawad’s comments come in connection to the viral video of both Hamza and Maryam where they were singing at an event for Maryam’s son Junaid Safdar’s wedding.

    Maryam Nawaz sang ‘Chura Liya‘ in a melodious voice and Hamza too sang at the same event.

    Fawad, praising the singing skills of the Sharif family, said, “I really appreciate Hamza Shehbaz and Maryam Nawaz [for their singing skills].”

    “In our personal gatherings, we sing songs and we celebrate. It was nice to see them singing,” said Fawad.

    “It was nice to see this because normal Pakistan is exactly like this,” added Fawad.

    Fawad further said, “We have political differences with them, not personal ones.”

  • Fawad lauds Opposition’s Ahsan Iqbal, Mustafa Khokhar for calling out Fazlur Rehman

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry lauded Opposition members for calling out Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on his statement regarding the Sialkot lynching incident. 

    While referring to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Ahsan Iqbal and Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar’s tweets criticising Fazl’s comments, Fawad said, “The way everyone condemned the incident is commendable,” adding that he hoped the 220 million people of Pakistan, who hold moderate views, would come forward and condemn the incident.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1467434900743757831?s=20

    After the horrific lynching of a Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, Maulana tweeted, “The incident in Sialkot is reprehensible and shameful. There should be a comprehensive investigation. However, if the state does not take action against those accused of blasphemy, then such incidents will continue to happen.”

    He went on to say that in the past, there had been a similar backlash against “government-sponsored fugitives accused of blasphemy”.

    Ahsan Iqbal said, “Respectfully Maulana Sahab, such incidents should be unconditionally condemned – Islam does not allow such fanaticism and illegal killings by mobs in any case.”

    Similarly, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar took to Twitter and wrote: “Maulana Fazlur Rehman Sahib is a respectable figure but, on this occasion, he should have condemned the Sialkot tragedy by taking a stand in blunt and clear words instead of using ifs and buts.”

    Priyantha was working as a manager at a private factory. He was lynched on Friday by a mob after being accused of alleged blasphemy.

  • ‘PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhry meeting Saad Rizvi was absurd,’says Fawad

    ‘PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhry meeting Saad Rizvi was absurd,’says Fawad

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry termed the meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ejaz Chaudhry with Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Husain Rizvi as ‘absurd’.

    While speaking on Aaj News’ political news programme ‘Rubaroo with Shaukat Paracha’, Chaudhry questioned: “I think the manner in which Ejaz Chaudhry Sahib [met] the TLP [leadership] was an absurd act. Why didn’t [he] visit the homes of the policemen who were martyred.”

    “Till the time the state doesn’t stand with its martyrs who else will be their [support],” added Fawad.

    “How can there be consensus? People will only fear for [their lives here],” said Fawad.

    Senator Ejaz had met TLP chief Rizvi last month as a “gesture of goodwill” and to congratulate him on his release from jail. Pictures of Senator Ejaz hugging and presenting a bouquet to Mr Rizvi were widely shared on social media.

  • Fawad shares numbers of Pakistanis working abroad

    Fawad shares numbers of Pakistanis working abroad

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has shared a list of numbers of Pakistanis working abroad on his official Twitter account.

    In a tweet, Fawad said, “Despite Covid-19, 1.1 million Pakistanis have got jobs abroad in three years. In the next two years, the government hopes that two million people will go abroad.”

    The list shows that most of the Pakistanis work in the Middle East and the United Kingdom (UK).

    A day earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that all overseas Pakistanis will be voting for the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He claimed that 40 of Punjab’s and 80 constituencies of the country will be decided by overseas voters.

  • PML-N will protest like TLP if govt forces electronic voting

    PML-N will protest like TLP if govt forces electronic voting

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said that if the government tries to force the elections through Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), the party would be left with no option but to follow the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) way of protesting.

    Sanaullah, in a Geo News Programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ stated that the other way to protest is in and outside of Parliament.

    He said, “The current government does not even have an idea of the dynamics of the polling stations and if EVMs were used, the 2023 elections would turn controversial even before they are held.”

    Shahzeb asked Rana that the Opposition can go to court over the EVM issue. To which he replied, “We will go to court. But if nothing happens, we won’t let this election happen at any cost.”

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said it is vital for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold all upcoming by-elections using EVMs. In case the ECP fails to do so, the government will not be able to release funds under the law.

  • Cabinet rejects audit report of Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package

    Cabinet rejects audit report of Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package

    Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday rejected the recently released audit report, which shows Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package.

    “The cabinet rejected the audit report on Covid-19 spending and asked three relevant organisations to give their presentations in this regard,” revealed Fawad in a press conference after the cabinet meeting.

    Fawad said the finance ministry had already rejected the audit report and prime minister’s aide Dr Sania Nishtar had also clarified the position of her organisation, Ehsaas programme.

    The audit report was released last week as Pakistan gave in to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) pressure by releasing the audit report of expenditures incurred on Covid-19.

    The release of the report by the Ministry of Finance was one of the five prior actions that the IMF has asked Pakistan to implement if it wanted to get the $1 billion loan tranche by January next year.

  • ‘Poor judgment’, President Alvi reacts to promoting own family business

    ‘Poor judgment’, President Alvi reacts to promoting own family business

    President Dr Arif Alvi has regretted the choice of the place where his son Dr Awab Alvi signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bringing Smiles Unites States of America (USA) signatory ceremony. The MoU was signed at the Governor’s House.

    Taking to Twitter Alvi said, “For the signing ceremony of an MOU between Dr Awab [his son] and his friend in my presence, the venue selection was a matter of poor judgment.”

    Taking the president’s side, federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “The President is a very respected person, his honesty and personality is witnessed by everyone who knows him.”

    Earlier today, President Alvi’s son announced about the MoU on social media along with a picture in which Dr Arif Alvi and his wife can be seen standing along with their son.

    Despite Dr Awab’s clarification, an online debate was generated on whether there was a conflict of interest for the president or not.

    When the official website “Alvi Dentals” was checked, the president is still enlisted as a dentist and part of the Alvi Dental team. The website also provides an option to “schedule an appointment” with the president.

  • ‘Not a film set, apologise’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at model for posing at Kartarpur bareheaded

    ‘Not a film set, apologise’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at model for posing at Kartarpur bareheaded

    Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan Fawad Chaudhry has lashed out at a model for hurting the Sikh community after she posed ‘bareheaded’ for a clothing ad at the Kartarpur Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

    Taking to Twitter, the information minister wrote: “The Designer and the model must apologise to Sikh Community. KartarPur Sahib is a religious symbol and not a film set.”

    According to reports, the woman who runs Mannat, a ready-to-wear women’s online clothing store in Pakistan, got a photo-shoot done at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib complex in the recent past with the model posing bareheaded with her back towards the Gurdwara.

    In the now-deleted photographs, the woman is seen wearing a red suit posing for the camera without covering her head with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the background.

    It should be noted that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the single largest representative body of Sikhs, has pasted posters inside the gurdwara complex cautioning devotees not to shoot entertainment videos after a few of them were caught shooting TikTok videos.

    Many have criticised the model and demanded her apology. Former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna said in a statement that this is a “highly objectionable” act that has “severely hurt” the Sikh religious sentiments.

    Sarna said that he would take up the issue with the Chairman of Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board Dr Amar Ahmad on priority and ask him to make the PMU staff aware of the Sikh “rehat maryada” (Sikh code of religious conduct).

    He called upon Pakistani authorities to place written instructions in Urdu about Sikh “Maryada”. He also urged the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) and local authorities in Narowal that visitors to the historical shrine must be sensitised about the Sikh code of conduct applicable at gurdwaras.

    Last week, several Sikh pilgrims visited the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan on the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.