Tag: Firdous Ashiq Awan

  • Firdous Awan sees opposition’s hand in Bajwa’s extension case

    Firdous Awan sees opposition’s hand in Bajwa’s extension case

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awaz has claimed that the mafia behind the petitioner who submitted the application against Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension is interlinked with the opposition parties.

    While talking during a talk show on a private news outlet, Firdous said that “PM Imran Khan has all the intelligence report, containing the information and facts about the mafia who wanted to get Gen Bajwa removed from COAS’s position and was involved in this issue”.

    PM’s aide while talking about the Army Act ammendent issue said that “Opposition parties are trying to use this opportunity as a bargaining chip and is trying to pressurize the government with their statements against this legislation [due to be passed in parliament].

    Watch Video:

    She also said that the mafia’s involvement in this matter can also be gussed by the fact that “when Supreme Court suspended COAS’s extension notification, the stock market suffered a severe blow”.

    The Supreme Court November 26 had suspended the notification confirming the extension of Gen Bajwa for another three years, saying that the “prime minister has does not have the power to extend the tenure of the army chief”.

    Later after hearing the case for two days the court announced its short order allowing Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to remain the Chief of Army Staff for another six months, during which the parliament will legislate on the extension/reappointment of an army chief.

  • ‘Petrol price is Rs75 per litre,’ says PTI leader Uzma Kardar

    Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf’s (PTI) MNA Uzma Kardar has said that petrol is being sold at Rs75 per litre in the country, which in reality is being sold at Rs114.24 per litre.

    Uzma Kardar said this while replying to a question of a reporter about petrol prices in Pakistan.

    This is not the first time any PTI leader has made a statement mentioning wrong prices of things in the country. A few days earlier finance advisor Abdul Hafeez and prime miniter’s aide Firdous Ashiq Awan, both in there statements mentioned wrong prices of Tomatoes and Peas (Matar) in Pakistan.

    Abdul Hafeez Sheikh had earlier claimed that tomatoes are being sold at Rs17 per kilogramme (kg). However, the fruit is being sold at as much as Rs320 per kg in the market as reported by citizens who bought groceries from multiple locations.

    Similarly, Firdous Ashiq Awan had earlier claimed that peas are being sold in the market for only Rs5 per kilogram.

  • Fazl given ‘lollipop’ after failed Azadi March: Firdous

    Fazl given ‘lollipop’ after failed Azadi March: Firdous

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was given lollipop upon his return from Islamabad to which he is happy, Dunya News reported.

    According to the details, Firdous while speaking in a News program “Nuqta e Nazar” said that all allied parties pose confidence on PM Imran’s leadership, however, every party has its own point of view in democracy.

    The allied parties have won elections on their own manifesto, she said adding that if all agreed, everyone would have contested elections on same manifesto.

    Regarding JUI-F chief’s Azadi March, the special assistant said that JUI-F supremo suffers from severe mental trauma and instead of being embarrassed, he is making false statements, adding that he only sees darkness ahead.

    She also stated, “Unfortunately, the JUI-F chief uses religion as a weapon and he is giving false reassurances to his party workers”.

  • REVEALED: How much does SAPM Firdous Ashiq Awan make in a month?

    REVEALED: How much does SAPM Firdous Ashiq Awan make in a month?

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan, may not be an official minister but her income is close to one’s.

    According to Geo News, details of Firdous’ salary and benefits were disclosed in the parliament on Friday, after questions were raised about it.

    The cabinet division revealed that Firdous receives a monthly salary of Rs406,000 along with an additional Rs93,700 as she has not been allotted a house from the government. This means that her total monthly income amounts to Rs499,700. Almost five lakh rupees!

    Meanwhile, federal ministers and advisers are paid a monthly salary of Rs448,000. Those who are not allotted a house by the government are provided with an extra Rs100,003 per month.

    Ministers and ministers of state are also provided cars and security guards for their use or for the use of their families.

    The cabinet division also shared that Firdous is not the in-charge of the ministry of information and broadcasting but is appointed in accordance with the status of a minister of state.

  • VIDEO: ‘Peas being sold for Rs5/kg,’ claims Imran govt

    VIDEO: ‘Peas being sold for Rs5/kg,’ claims Imran govt

    As rising vegetable prices spell misery for people under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has claimed that peas are being sold in the market for only Rs5 per kilogram (kg).

    “Another grower, [Federal Minister for Aviation] Ghulam Sarwar Khan Sahab has told [me] that 20kg pea bags are being sold at the rate of Rs5/kg,” she said while addressing a press conference.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Statement from PM Imran Khan’s aide, who seems to be totally unaware of the persisting sky-high vegetable prices in the country, made headlines a day after the premier’s finance adviser, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, told reporters that tomatoes were being sold for as low as Rs17 per kg across Karachi.

    “In Karachi, in the sabzi mandi (produce market), tomatoes are being sold for Rs17 per kg”.

    When some of the reporters present at the scene told him that tomatoes were, in fact, being sold at Rs240 per kg, he refuted saying “people were lying”.

    “That’s what is being run on the television,” Imran’s adviser noted, to which one of the reporters said, “But on the TV, it says tomatoes are being sold for Rs240 a kg.”

    Another journalist responded with a fresh personal story, “Sir, I myself bought tomatoes for Rs300 a kg.”

    “Oh but I am agreeing that prices of many commodities need to be controlled. Agriculture [industry] has seasonality,” the PM’s adviser explained, as someone from behind persistently tried to stop the person holding the phone from recording the video.

  • #FazluCreatingChaos, trending on Twitter for the wrong reasons

    #FazluCreatingChaos, trending on Twitter for the wrong reasons

    Maulana Fazalur Rehman is leading the Azadi March, which after reaching Islamabad, has demanded the Prime Minister’s resignation. Maulana has given PM Khan two days to resign or face the consequences, which include “another strategy,” and that, “we [opposition] will not be able to exercise any patience after that point.”

    https://twitter.com/Taymurmalik/status/1190251215726268416

    “They [Fazalur Rehman and co] also know that Imran Khan will not resign,” says PTI leader Asad Umar.

    Read more: ‘Fazal can sell his Islam over a diesel permit,’ Imran

    Khan himself, while addressing a rally in Gilgit said that, “”When Maulana Fazlur Rehman is there [in Islamabad] we have no need of foreign conspiracies,” he said, adding, “The way the Indian media is celebrating [this march], it makes it seem he [Rehman] himself is (an Indian) national.”

    https://twitter.com/PTILakiOfficial/status/1190302057573556230

    After Khan’s comments, almost declaring Maulana a traitor who is cohorting with India, social media exploded with memes and images of Maulana photoshopped with Modi.

    https://twitter.com/PTISMTOfficial/status/1190299712613703681

    #FazluCreatingChaos started trending and accounts claiming to be run by PTI, started posting pictures comparing Maulana and Modi.

    https://twitter.com/PTILakiOfficial/status/1190301654127693828

    In a television program when Special Assistant to the PM on the Media, Firdous Ashiq Awan was questioned about why Khan was suggesting that Maulana was a traitor, Firdous said that Khan was a Pakistani citizen and every Pakistani had a right to question who their well wishers are.

    When she was countered with the fact that Maulana is also a Pakistani and had the right to ask questions she did not respond.

    WATCH: All the facts you need to know about today’s Azadi March events

  • PM’s aide served show-cause notice over anti-judiciary media talk

    PM’s aide served show-cause notice over anti-judiciary media talk

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday served a show-cause notice to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan for her anti-judiciary press conference.

    Awan, while criticising the judiciary for granting former premier Nawaz Sharif bail on medical grounds, had on Tuesday said that the court had been “brought to order during the evening only to provide justice to jailed Nawaz”.

    “This will open a floodgate of similar requests by prisoners suffering from various diseases,” she had said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “While maligning the honourable courts [she] went to say that the case of the accused was heard during the evening ‘as a special dispensation’,” read Wednesday’s show-cause notice highlighting Awan’s remarks.

    The IHC observed that Awan “made an attempt to scandalise the court in the eyes of the public, thereby, tried to lower the esteem of the judiciary.” Seeking reason as to why the court should not proceed with contempt of court against the premier’s aide, IHC also summoned her on November 1.

  • ‘Ministers criticised Pemra’s order like they were in opp,’ complains Firdous to PM Imran

    ‘Ministers criticised Pemra’s order like they were in opp,’ complains Firdous to PM Imran

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan has complained to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan that ministers criticised Pemra’s [Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority] order like they were in the opposition.

    During the federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday headed by PM Imran, the minister said that it is humiliating if the government’s own ministers criticise the orders themselves.

    On Firdous’s complaint the Federal Minister for Science and Technology said that, “humiliation happens when the government issues an order and takes it back within a few hours”.

    Fawad Ch also said that, “Decisions are made without anyone having knowledge of it”, adding that you should take everyone into confidence before passing such orders.

    Pemra on Monday had barred television anchors from giving their “opinions” during talk shows and limited their role to “moderator”.

    The authority after receiving massive criticism later backtracked on its decision and issued a statement clarifiying that there is no ban on TV anchors from appearing on talk shows. Pemra said it didn’t mean to restrict freedom of expression as ‘being projected by few’.

  • Video: Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan says Nawaz Sharif not unwell, only ‘acting’

    Video: Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan says Nawaz Sharif not unwell, only ‘acting’

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has come under fire for her remarks regarding former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s health. Talking to a news channel, she said that Mian Nawaz Sharif is getting ready for a film shoot and all this was part of the plan.

    Mian Nawaz Sharif was taken to the hospital Monday night. His platelets count had fallen drastically but his dengue results have come out negative. His condition is now stable, as per senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal.

    Dr Fridous Ashiq Awan’s comments about Mr Sharif’s health were criticised widely and termed insensitive and callous by PML-N leaders and others on social media.

    This is not the first time Dr Awan has made flippant remarks. Last month when Azad Kashmir was jolted by earthquake, she said that the earth has taken a turn as it cannot deal with ‘tabdeeli’.

    Watch the video for Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan’s comments about Mian Nawaz Sharif’s health.

    Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan’s remarks on Nawaz Sharif’s health

  • Firdous bashes Sharmeen, Malala for ‘double standards’

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan has criticised Nobel laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai as well as Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for their “silence over the Kashmir crisis”.

    “Our sister Chinoy, who used to speak-up for acid victims in Pakistan and received an Oscar for her documentary, is now lost somewhere. Kashmiri sisters and mothers are calling out Sharmeen Chinoy to speak up for their rights,” PM’s aide said while addressing a press conference Thursday.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tax8eV-qnuA&feature=youtu.be

    “She [Sharmeen] and NGOs [Non-Governmental Organisations] were always ready to project a negative image of Pakistan to the world whenever an incident related to minorities occurred. But now when Kashmiri women are facing tough situations in the occupied valley, these organisations are sleeping.”

    Firdous alleged that they “used to receive foreign funds for promoting the negative image and now the rights of Kashmiris were not a part of their financers’ agenda”.

    She even criticised Malala for not speaking up for Kashmiris. “Malala used to speak for the rights and education of children in [erstwhile] FATA [Federally Administrated Tribal Areas] and received many awards and appreciation from the United Nations (UN) and the world… I want to hear her voice for Kashmiri children as well”.

    SHARMEEN & MALALA:

    This is not the first time that Chinoy is being received criticised for her works as her Oscar-winning documentary “Saving Face” on acid attack survivors and their tough battle for justice received much hatred for “projecting Pakistan’s negative image”.

    Malala has also been facing severe criticism for not speaking up for Kashmiris, even though she has expressed her concern for the people of the held valley.

    “I am deeply concerned about reports of 4,000 people, including children, arbitrarily arrested & jailed, about students who haven’t been able to attend school for more than 40 days, about girls who are afraid to leave their homes [sic],” she tweeted earlier this month.