Tag: Fawad Chaudhry

  • ‘We do not use the Sindh card’: PPP responds to Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘We do not use the Sindh card’: PPP responds to Fawad Chaudhry

    In a hard-hitting press conference at the Governor House in Karachi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took a jibe at the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and the Sindh cabinet, blaming them for stealing Sindh’s water.

     Fawad said Punjab was not stealing Sindh’s water but Bilawal and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the provincial cabinet were guilty of the crime. 

    “The water never runs short when it comes to Zardari and his sister’s lands,” added Chaudhry. He said the Centre had increased the share for provinces in the federal budget and that Sindh would receive more than Rs750bn according to the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. 

    “If so much money is coming in (each year), where is it going?” he asked. “They [Sindh government] were unable to create a [competent] police force in the city. They have to seek help from the Sindh Rangers every time,” added the minister. 

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1404001153034096642

    Turning his guns towards the PPP leadership, Chaudhry accused Zardari of limiting the chief minister and provincial assembly’s role. 

    “All decisions are taken by the Zardari family,” he said. “They appoint one person as a rubberstamp chief minister. The Zardari family runs the chief minister in accordance with their wishes,” added Chaudhry. 

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1404001857714982915

    Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah responded at length to the allegations by Fawad Chaudhry against the Sindh government.

    Shah claimed that Chaudhry used to conspire against Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and now he is making statements against Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah based on “utter lies”.

    “Murad Ali Shah has never done the kind of politics that he has been accused of. We do not use the Sindh card, rather we advocate for the Pakistan card,” Nasir said.

    Nasir Hussain Shah added it was rather unfortunate that Chaudhry spoke out against the Sindh police, who have made countless sacrifices in ensuring law and order.

    “Who do you think thwarted the attack on the stock exchange which had foreign intervention?” he asked. “We have a lot of respect for the Rangers and they have supported us a lot but the sacrifices made by Sindh Police have ensured our success.”

    Shah said this propaganda that Sindh is not delivering is baseless. The reality, he said, is that the Sindh government is a thorn in the government’s side. “They themselves say that Sindh is not theirs. And they cannot digest the fact that the chief minister is performing.”

  • Fawad Chaudhary to expand UrduFlix to boost local digital streaming

    Fawad Chaudhary to expand UrduFlix to boost local digital streaming

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain attended a meeting with Mr Farhan Gauher, the CEO of Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform UrduFlix to discuss the future of the digital space and more opportunities for the OTT platform in an important meeting.

    UrduFlix, which was launched earlier this year with government support has risen as the leading OTT platform emerging from Pakistan. With back-to-back releases of original content from the platform, it has been slowly taking over the digital place – all the while putting Pakistan in the race of streaming platforms, with a first of its kind emerging from Pakistan.

    In the meeting between the federal minister and Farhan Gauher, the future of UrduFlix as a platform – and how it could be leveraged as one of Pakistan’s finest contributions in the digital space was discussed. Fawad also discussed the future of the platform in terms of its streaming services, and what new opportunities lie ahead for it.

    UrduFlix was launched as Pakistan’s first-ever Urdu OTT platform which raised the expectations with brilliant new content and has kept the surprises coming. The platform has also garnered great feedback from the audiences after multiple series including Lifafa Dayan, Khudkush Muhabbat, Dulhan Aur Aik Raat have been streaming online. The platform is officially live for download for viewers on Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Roku TV.

  • Ali Safina thinks Captain Safdar is an ‘ideal ghar daamaad’

    Ali Safina thinks Captain Safdar is an ‘ideal ghar daamaad’

    Actor Ali Safina was asked on Geo News‘ special Pakistan Super League (PSL) transmission as to who would be a better ghar daamaad (live-in son-in-law). Anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal asked the ‘Chupke Chupke’ actor who would he choose as a better ghar daamaad: Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar, Faisal Sabzwari of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and PML-N’s Talal Chaudhry.

    Ali voted for Captain (r) Safdar, who is married to Maryam Nawaz. “Safdar sahab already has the elements of a ghar daamaad in him”.

    Shahzad added to Ali’s stance saying, ” Safdar sahab embodies this element very positively.”

    Shahzad Iqbal played a clip of Safdar, where he says, “Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is like a brother to me while his father Asif Ali Zardari is the life-long president of the son-in-law’s union. I am the general secretary.”

  • NCOC announces 10 million successful vaccination doses

    NCOC announces 10 million successful vaccination doses

    National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar on Wednesday announced that 10 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in Pakistan so far. 

    Speaking to a press conference, Umar said the government’s decisions to curb the virus were proving “effective” during the third wave of the pandemic. 

    “The more quickly we get ourselves vaccinated, the faster we will be able to rid ourselves of this menace,” added Umar.

    Umar said the government as well as the masses had done a commendable job in following coronavirus SOPs, resulting in the number of cases dropping. 

    “We have seen that when Pakistanis, as a nation, decide to do something, then they do it,” he said. 

    Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate has been recorded as 2.54 per cent in the past 24 hours — the second day in a row that the positivity rate remained below 3pc. According to the health ministry, 43,900 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours after which 1,118 people tested positive.

    Earlier, the minister had taken to Twitter to announce that Pakistan will cross the 10 million doses mark today. 

    Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who accompanied Umar on the occasion of the administration of the 10 millionth dose, tweeted: “We have reached the milestone of administering the vaccine to 10 million people [sic].”

    He also lauded the government, particularly Prime Minister Imran Khan and the NCOC, for the way it fought with deadly virus.

  • Govt takes back appeal against Shehbaz, name still on ECL

    The federal government has withdrawn its petition challenging the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict, which allowed Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif to travel abroad for his medical treatment.

    Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan informed the court that the government was withdrawing its appeal as Shehbaz had decided to take back his petitions against the government in the High Court.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told The Current that the government has not taken it back. “It is disposed of with the order of the Supreme Court (SC) that this order will still not be cited as a precedent in any case in the future and Shehbaz Sharif or anyone on his behalf cannot use it for contempt proceedings against the government. This is clearly in favour of the government.”

    “If this was a proper or legal order, why can it not be used or followed again and why its violation did not amount to contempt. This is the first time where Supreme Court has passed such an order even though the petition was withdrawn from the High Court. It completely vindicates the government’s stand’” added Fawad.

    Fawad further said, “You compelled them to withdraw from the Lahore High Court and even thereafter the Supreme Court did not approve such an order. In addition, the Supreme Court has also ordered expeditious trial of Shehbaz Sharif in the Accountability Court.”

    Chaudhry had earlier tweeted, “The government’s appeal in the apex court was no longer necessary as Shehbaz’s name had been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) and he had withdrawn his petition from the High Court.”

    In May, the LHC had granted conditional permission to Shehbaz to travel abroad for medical treatment. However, when the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly attempted to leave the country on May 9, he was stopped by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). On May 17, the Interior Ministry placed the Opposition leader’s name on the no fly-list.

  • ‘No one can dare undermine me,’ Fawad Chaudhry burns BBC HARDTalk

    ‘No one can dare undermine me,’ Fawad Chaudhry burns BBC HARDTalk

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry talked on the protection of journalists, the involvement of the establishment within the state, the economy of Pakistan, missing persons, popularity of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Covid stituation and many other issues in an interview given to BBC host Stephen John Sackur on BBC HARDtalk.

    Journalists Protection

    The host opened the interview by asking what is the government and Fawad Chaudhry being the Information Minister doing to protect the journalists of the country. Sackur mentioned the recent attack on journalist Asad Ali Toor, who was severely beaten up by unidentified assailants in his apartment. Sackur further mentioned how a senior journalist and former Chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (Pemra), Absar Alam, was shot in Islamabad. To which Fawad Chaudhry replied, “Individual incidents do happen. The situation is not only dangerous for journalists but it has been for all the citizens of Pakistan. We have faced the worst terrorism. When we were fighting our war against terrorism, we lost a lot of field journalists and many civilians.”

    “Benazir Bhutto too got killed due to terrorism. We have been dealing with tough times,” replied Fawad.

    Stephen Sackur asked what the state was doing about the involvement of state agencies in such incidents.

    “It’s a bit fashionable for the western media to accuse ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence)
    when such incidents happen. When you name any organisation or Pakistani intelligence agency, you are bound to produce evidence of their involvement as well,” replied the minister. “The two specific incidents which you have mentioned, the investigation is still under process, I still don’t know under what pretext have you concluded that the state must be involved in any of this.”

    Direct State Interference

    BBC host asked Chaudhry about freedom of speech in Pakistan. He said that media censorship has increased during Imran Khan’s tenure. Chaudhry replied, “We have about 112 private channels, 43 international channels, with this kind of mass media we have, how do you expect the state to intimidate the media? How can the state be accused of intimidating the media?”

    Censorship

    “I am the Information Minister of the world’s fifth-largest state. I am the Information Minister of one of the world’s seven nuclear states of the world. No one can dare to undermine me. I am here with full authority and I decide in Pakistan what will and what is happening,” answered Fawad when told by Sackur that Chaudhry has no real power or control.

    PTI government’s comparison with previous government’s

    The host compared the working of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with previous governments.

    “This may be a perception of some Indian-influenced think tanks, not ours. This is not the perception of the people in general. Imran Khan is the most popular prime minister,” said Fawad.

    “As said, don’t undermine the elected government of Pakistan. Imran Khan has received nearly 200 million votes. This is not a joke. He is the prime minister of a nuclear state. He takes the decisions, the cabinet takes the decisions,” added Fawad.

    Relation with establishment

    Fawad Chaudhry said that we have a very good relationship with the ‘so-called establishment’ “as you term it so often. They are part and parcel of our system. We have huge respect for them, but the decision-making rests with the prime minister and the cabinet.”

    Missing Persons

    The BBC host asked about missing persons the security establishments, and the deep state?

    “ISI and army respect human rights just as any other civilian government will do. They are the most civilised army of the world, they are the most responsible army of the world. People in Pakistan respect them for their role,” said Fawad.

    “Least number of missing persons were reported in Imran Khan’s government. We are the only government that has just passed a law against disappearance. We are the only ones who have made illegal confinement a criminal offense. And now the bill has been passed and will go to the parliament,” added Fawad

    Imran Khan’s pledge to deliver

    The show host said that PM Khan’s promises have not been delivered to the people of Pakistan.

    “Unfortunately, I do not agree with your conclusion. Right now Pakistan’s growth rate is 3.94 per cent, which is one of the highest in the whole world despite all the Covid crises,” said Fawad.

    Fawad added, “People who have voted for Prime Minister Imran Khan and PTI are still ardent fans. In the next elections, PM Imran Khan will be elected again.”

    Covid situation

    Sackur asked why only one per cent of Pakistan’s population has been vaccinated.

    “As far as Covid is concerned Pakistan is a great success story. The partial lockdown story that Prime Minister Imran Khan implemented in Pakistan was a great success story,” replied Chaudhry.

  • Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari condemn attack on journalist

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Wednesday condemned the attack on journalist Asad Ali Toor, by unidentified men.

    As per the official account of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, SSP Islamabad has been directed to probe the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.

    As per Asad Ali Toor’s video statement, three unidentified men broke into his apartment and tortured him. The three assailants can be seen leaving Toor’s apartment in the CCTV footage, reported BBC Urdu. Journalist Shahbaz Zahid also posted the CCTV footage on Twitter.

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also called for a full and transparent inquiry of the incident.

    Amnesty International has also urged authorities to take urgent steps for the safety of media workers in Pakistan.

    Journalists from around the country have condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Toor.

    The federal cabinet in April approved the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill. Last year, journalist Matiullah Jan was abducted in Islamabad but was released after 12 hours while last month, senior journalist Absar Alam survived an assassination attempt in Islamabad. The Freedom Network’s annual state of press freedom report released in April 2021 highlighted a dramatic escalation in the climate of intimidation and harassment of journalists and the media in Pakistan.

  • TLP ban: federal cabinet approves formation of a review committee

    TLP ban: federal cabinet approves formation of a review committee

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said in a press conference that a committee has been formed in line with the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). It will hear the appeal by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and send its recommendations to the cabinet.

    CPEC visas, electronic voting, Palestine issue, and economy were some of the few agendas discussed during the federal cabinet meeting.

    The use of electronic voting machines has been approved by the cabinet. Chaudhry said that members of Bar associations and press clubs told him they want to use this technology for their elections. He said the government will help them.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1397142494803070976

    A special procedure has been approved for visas for Chinese citizens who want to invest in CPEC projects. These work visas will be valid for two years and will be issued within 48 hours. Separate immigration counters will be established for their facilitation.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1397150396074930176

  • No new group being formed within PTI, says Fawad Chaudhry

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing a press conference in Lahore with the members of Jahangir Khan Tareen group, said that no new group is being formed within PTI and the party “is one family”.

    “We are all in agreement on fundamental issues. Nauman Langrial and other leaders are second-generation politicians,” and the party should benefit from their experience. “There was just a need to improve communication between us,” he said.

    During the presser, the minister said that the JKT group has, “expressed confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s leadership and they are proud of their relationship with the PTI and these are the basic things which we are all united on.”

    He continued by saying that everyone in the party is clear on these issues. “Imran Khan is our leader and PTI is our party.”

    “The opposition is under the false impression that there are differences within PTI, hopefully, now the opposition’s celebration will end.”

    Talking about the ongoing investigation against Jahangir Khan Tareen, Fawad said that “neither Jahangir Tareen is expecting any undue favours from Imran Khan nor the prime minister is the type of a person who will extend any.”

    Earlier on May 19, Jahangir Khan Tareen hosted a dinner at his residence and announced a ‘group of like-minded people’. The group appointed PTI’s Raja Riaz as Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly while PML-N’s Saeed Akbar Nawani will lead in the Punjab Assembly.

  • Shehbaz files contempt petition in LHC against FIA officials

    Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif submitted a contempt petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday, against six officials who allegedly barred him from flying abroad despite the court’s order granting him permission.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s name has been added to the Exit Control List (ECL).

     Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, in a tweet said that with the approval of the cabinet and completion of all legal formalities, Shehbaz’s name was added to the no-fly list.

    Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that Shehbaz had not submitted any medical documents for travelling abroad or specify the treatment for his illness.

    “This is the first time that a verdict was given the same day a petition was filed. Shehbaz was trying to flee the country,” he remarked.

    Sheikh further added we want fair treatment for all prisoners and this is not fair. “What are the chances that Shehbaz Sharif will return when his brother Nawaz Sharif has yet to come back?” said Sheikh.

    He added that the PML-N leader may influence the approvers.

    Rasheed said Shehbaz can file an appeal against the decision in the Interior Ministry within 15 days.

    Earlier this month, the Lahore High Court granted Shehbaz permission to travel abroad once for medical treatment.

    After obtaining bail, Shehbaz was about to fly to London when an FIA team at the airport stopped him from travelling on the grounds that his name had been on the list of persons barred from leaving the country.