Tag: Fazlur Rehman

  • Release political opponents, urges Maulana

    Release political opponents, urges Maulana

    In a recent address at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) social media convention in Peshawar, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of JUI-F, conveyed his desire to see imprisoned politicians released from incarceration.

    He emphasized that political parties need to direct their attention towards internal and external challenges faced by Pakistan.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed his reluctance to organize public gatherings against his incarcerated political opponents, stating that such actions do not befit the current circumstances.

    Addressing the return of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan, Maulana Fazlur Rehman encouraged the nation to welcome him.

    He criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, asserting that his governance had led the country into an economic crisis. He also pointed out that the pending court cases against the PTI leader could result in his disqualification, preventing him from participating in future elections.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman further highlighted the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) announcement of elections in January, asserting that holding elections is a constitutional right.

  • We are ready for the upcoming elections: Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    We are ready for the upcoming elections: Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has stated on Tuesday that his party is prepared for the upcoming general election even if they are held tomorrow.

    He gave this statement while speaking on Hamid Mir’s program ‘Capital Talk’ on Geo News. Maulana’s statement comes one day after Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took a jibe at his party’s former allies, saying that they are “running away” from the elections.
    “Conduct the elections tomorrow… we are ready for the polls even for tomorrow,” Maulana said.

    The President of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) also said that his party had consistently called for new elections during the three and half years of Imran Khan’s government, reminding Hamid Mir that his party didn’t accept the result of 2018 polls and that stakeholders in All-Parties Conference (APC) were also not happy about the results.

    “The APC agreed that the [2018] election results will not be accepted,” he said, adding that it meant that all political parties unanimously demanded new elections.

  • 35 vacant NA seats; PDM not to contest; IK to contest alone

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will not contest by-elections on the 35 National Assembly (NA) seats that fell vacant when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers after Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf accepted their resignations.

    Speaking on the Geo News programme “Capital Talk” with Hamid Mir, Sanaullah asked who would contest elections for a span of “only two or three months”.

    He reiterated that the government will complete its constitutional term which will end by August 2023.

    In reply to a question, Rana Sanaullah said that the Speaker took the decision as the PTI lawmakers did not appear before him in person despite being invited multiple times for verification of their resignations.

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam–Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has also said that the ruling alliance will not contest by-polls on the vacant seats.

    On the contrary, PTI leaders have announced that their party chief Imran Khan will contest on 33 seats out of 35, leaving aside the two women’s reserved seats.

    PTI Secretary General Asad Umar and Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry announced the development.

    Umar claimed that whether the ruling alliance participates or not, Khan will win all the seats.

  • Who should be the next army chief? PM consults Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Who should be the next army chief? PM consults Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has begun discussions with the senior leadership of ruling parties on the appointment of the new army chief, sources have revealed to Geo news.

    A report aired on the news channel has said that allied parties have fully mandated the Premier to make the nomination in accordance with established protocols.

    Sources said that the leader of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, called the prime minister to inquire about his health.

    The two leaders then discussed the state of the nation and the selection of the new army chief over the phone, according to sources.

    Maulana urged the PM to choose the new army head in accordance with established protocols. Sources have also revealed that co-chairman PPP, Asif Ali Zardari, who is in Islamabad, may meet with Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had also acknowledged that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has the constitutional right to appoint the army chief but questioned if he can “morally” appoint the right person.

  • MQM’s wishlist: Sindh govt decides to remove PPP’s Murtaza Wahab as Karachi administrator

    MQM’s wishlist: Sindh govt decides to remove PPP’s Murtaza Wahab as Karachi administrator

    The Sindh government has reportedly decided to remove their party member Murtaza Wahab as Karachi administrator following a Pakistan People’s Pakistan (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) deal, states ARY News’ sources.

    The sources further state that the new administrator of Karachi would be nominated in light of the deal between these two parties.

    It has been reported that MQM-P will be part of the Sindh government as two ministers from the provincial cabinet will resign in the next few days.

    The 18-point-agreement between the MQM-P and PPP, known as the ‘Charter of Rights’, was signed on March 30.

    The agreement was signed in the presence of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while Shehbaz Sharif, Fazlur Rehman, Akhtar Mengal and Khalid Magsi have signed the agreement as guarantor.

  • ‘MQM-P will announce they are with us in a day or two,’ Fazl claims

    ‘MQM-P will announce they are with us in a day or two,’ Fazl claims

    After meeting with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the party [MQM-P] will announce that they are with the Opposition in a day or two.

    Fazl made the announcement alongside MQM-P’s party members in Karachi where he further said that the government allies are no more with them, adding that he is completely satisfied that the no-confidence motion will be successful.

    The PDM chief said the language Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has used during the recent rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KP) is not of an “honourable person”. “I think it is disrespectful to have such people assume such big offices,” he added.

    With the no-confidence motion date approaching soon, both the Opposition and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are trying to woo government allies ahead of no-confidence motion which is to take place on March 25.

    It is pertinent to mention that the government’s ally in the Centre, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), has assured PM Imran Khan of complete support on the motion, while other allies i.e Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), MQM-P, and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) are still indecisive.

  • COAS Bajwa orders tight security for OIC meeting, PDM changes long march dates

    COAS Bajwa orders tight security for OIC meeting, PDM changes long march dates

    In a Corps Commanders’ Conference held at General Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered that the security in the federal capital must be increased and comprehensive security measures should be taken for the safe conduct of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers’ meeting (March 22-23) and the March 23 Pakistan Day parade in the capital.

    For the OIC meeting in Pakistan, 48 countries have confirmed their participation.

    Due to the high-profile events taking place next week, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman reviewed their march dates. While talking to reporters, he announced that the participants would now enter Islamabad on March 25 instead of March 23.

    “OIC’s foreign ministers are our guests and it is our duty to respect them as they will remain in Islamabad till March 24,” Fazl added.

    PDM chief denied that the Opposition was copying the ruling party by holding the long march. He reminded everyone that they had given the call for the long march some three months ago.

    At the Corps Commanders’ Conference, the recent incident of India’s missile firing at Pakistan was also discussed. It was emphasised that despite Indian acknowledgment of the mistake, relevant international forums must take a serious view.

    Gen Bajwa also lauded the ongoing counter-terrorism operations, which is a major concern especially because of recent incidents.

  • ‘FC, Rangers will handle security on the day of no-confidence vote’: Sheikh Rasheed

    ‘FC, Rangers will handle security on the day of no-confidence vote’: Sheikh Rasheed

    In a press conference, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) will handle the security of Parliament House, Parliament Lodges, and MNA Hostel in the capital on the day the National Assembly (NA) votes on the no-trust motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Sheikh also warned that he will not take into consideration the stature of a leader and take all-out action against anyone who disrespects the law.

    “I will trample those who take the law in their hands next time,” he said.

    The minister’s statement came a day after Parliament Lodges’ showdown on Thursday. A heavy contingent of the police raided the Parliament Lodges and arrested members of the Ansarul Islam — a volunteer force of the Jamat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — who were invited to provide security to Opposition lawmakers.

    Recalling last night’s incident, the minister said, “Around 362 families live there [Parliament Lodges]. Of them, 53 are senators and 278 are MNAs. I don’t want to spread terror but we do not have some good reports as recently we caught a group from Bara Kahu planning terror activities in Islamabad.”

    Moreover, Rasheed claimed that there is video evidence that shows Senator Kamran Murtaza using extremely foul language against the police but the cops continued to calm him down. He blamed the Opposition for creating a scene.

  • Today’s highlights: Opposition submits no-confidence while PM remains unfazed

    Today’s highlights: Opposition submits no-confidence while PM remains unfazed

    A total of 86 lawmakers from the Opposition parties signed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday in an effort to oust the PM.

    Opposition leaders — Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman confirmed the submission in a joint press conference.

    The government’s current number of Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) stands at 179 while the Opposition has the support of 162 MNAs but they claim to have 186 members on their side.

    While addressing the conference, Zardari laughed when asked how many Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) assembly members are with him. He sarcastically said, “Naam bhi bata doon?” (Should I reveal the names also?)

    PM Khan remains unfazed

    PM Khan reportedly met with the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) to discuss legal aspects after the Opposition’s submission of a no-confidence motion against him. Not only this, the premier also had a meeting with YouTubers, in which he made several claims. He said that the army stands with the government, it will never support thieves.

    “After this, nothing will happen against this government till 2028. The Opposition will face a humiliating defeat,” he added.

    PM Khan is all set to visit Karachi tomorrow (Wednesday).

    Will Shehbaz Sharif become the new PM?

    Addressing the ‘Awami March’, former President Zardari hinted that Shehbaz Sharif might become the new PM (if the no-confidence motion is successful). He said, “It is time we bring a Shareef admi to replace the prime minister.”

    Another PPP leader, Naveed Qamar, said that it is likely that Shehbaz Sharif will be the next prime minister.

    CM Buzdar resignation matter

    As per reports, Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar presented his resignation to the PM but he didn’t accept the resignation and reportedly said that Buzdar will always be CM of Punjab. Buzdar also vowed that even if he is no longer CM, he will always stand by Khan.

    Moreover, there are several media reports which suggest that members within PTI aren’t really happy with Buzdar. Aleem Khan and Jahangir Tareen group said that the only way to move forward in Punjab is minus-Buzdar.

    Awami March reaches Islamabad

    PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s Awami March has reached Islamabad. In an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ programme Capital Talk, Bilawal said that the capital’s police is blocking its party convoy. “Until the whole caravan is allowed to come with me, we will protest,” he said.

    Tareen-Aleem partnership

    Top leaders of the disgruntled Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) group, including PTI’s Aleem Khan, are going to London to meet Tareen.

    On Monday, Aleem Khan formally joined Jahangir Tareen’s group. Aleem said the aim is to “save” the party after “loyalists who had been integral in PTI’s 10-year struggle were sidelined without any reason.”

    In response, PM Khan claimed that Tareen would never support “thieves”.

  • Shehbaz visits Chaudhry brothers after 14 years

    Shehbaz visits Chaudhry brothers after 14 years

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and senior party leaders visited Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi yesterday (February 13, Sunday).

    Shehbaz went to their residence where the leaders of the two rival parties met each other for a formal political meeting after a gap of about 14 years.

    The meeting lasted over an hour, where both sides discussed the current political situation in the country in detail. Sources say that Shehbaz Sharif asked the Chaudhries of Gujrat to support the Opposition in its planned no-confidence move against Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, the Chaudhry brothers told the PML-N leadership that they would adopt a strategy after consultations with their party leaders.

    The News reported that the Chaudhry brothers have asked for the slot of Chief Minister Punjab from 2023 to 2028. Shehbaz Sharif has reportedly conveyed details of the meeting to Mian Nawaz Sharif, who will make the final decision. Currently, the PML-Q is a key ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in both Punjab and the Centre.

    On Saturday (February 12), Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads the Opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), called on the Chaudhry brothers in Lahore. Maulana also asked them for their support against the sitting government.

    Earlier on Monday (February 7), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari also paid a visit to the Chaudhry brothers in Lahore to ask for PML-Q support in ousting the government.

    Last year in December, Nawaz Sharif called Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to ask about the health of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and also invited them to meet him in London.