Tag: home-politics

  • Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    As tensions soar on either side of the border, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has announced heading to the Line of Control (LoC) and leading from the front if a war breaks out.

    Heavy troop movements reportedly continue along the LoC in both Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) after India revoked Article 370 of its constitution last Monday.

    The move that snatched away the disputed territory’s autonomy, can lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and ultimately result in the transformation of the region into majority-Hindu.

    READ: Articles 370 and 35A explained

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Gandapur on Friday eulogised those who had laid their lives for the Kashmir cause and said that if India imposed war, he would be in the forefront in fighting the occupying forces.

    “The entire nation stands in solidarity with Kashmir and if needs be, I will head to the LoC to fight the war,” the minister added.

    In an earlier statement, Gandapur had said that Kashmir was the country’s jugular vein and every Pakistani was ready to fight for it till death. He had further said that the country’s armed forces were ready to befittingly respond to any Indian misadventures.

  • Kashmir crisis: Russia steps up to support India

    Kashmir crisis: Russia steps up to support India

    Russia has come out in support of India’s move to revoke Article 370 of its constitution and integrate occupied Kashmir, which can lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and transform the region into majority-Hindu.

    According to media reports, Moscow has become the first among the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to formally state that abrogation of the provision is “an internal matter for India”.

    “Moscow expects that Pakistan and India will not allow aggravation of the situation in the region due to the change by New Delhi in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quoted as saying.

    “We proceed from the fact that the changes associated with the change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir are within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India,” it said.

    The ministry further said that Russia was a consistent supporter of peace between the two neighbouring countries.

    “We hope that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Shimla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999.”

    Tensions are soaring between Pakistan and India after New Delhi on Monday revoked Article 370, which gave special status to held Kashmir and moved a separate bill to split the state into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    Pakistan believes the move, other than snatching away occupied Kashmir’s autonomy, can pave way for a Muslim genocide as it allows people from all over India to settle in the disputed territory which could result in a massive demographic shift.

  • Kashmir crisis: Taliban urge Pakistan, India to choose peace over violence

    Kashmir crisis: Taliban urge Pakistan, India to choose peace over violence

    As tensions soar after India revoked the special status of held Kashmir, Taliban have urged both Islamabad and New Delhi to refrain from taking any steps that could pave way for violence in the region.

    Pakistan has downgraded diplomatic ties with India and also suspended bilateral trade after the Indian parliament approved abrogating Article 370 of its constitution.

    The move that takes away autonomy from Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), can lead to Muslim genocide in the disputed territory as people from all over India can now purchase properties there — resulting in major demographic changes.

    In a statement issued Thursday, Afghan Taliban expressed deep sadness over IoK’s special status being revoked and advised Pakistan and India to choose peace, stating that they themselves have gained bitter experiences from war and conflict.

    “Taliban have gained bitter experiences from war and conflict and urges peace and use of rational pathways to solve regional issues,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahed said.

    The statement further said that linking the issue of Kashmir with that of Afghanistan by some parties will not aid in improving the crisis at hand because the issue of Afghanistan is not related nor should Afghanistan be turned into the theater of competition between other countries.

    It came after the leader of the opposition in National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, compared Kashmir and Afghanistan in the parliament.

    “What kind of a deal is this that the Afghans enjoy and celebrate peace in Kabul, but in Kashmir, blood is shed? No, this is not acceptable for us,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader had said.

    However, the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul has clarified that the Kashmir crisis would not affect the peace drive in Afghanistan.

  • Italy to invest Rs3.6 billion in Gilgit-Baltistan

    Italy to invest Rs3.6 billion in Gilgit-Baltistan

    The government has signed with Italy an agreement under which the latter would invest 20.5 million euros (Rs3.63 billion) for economic development in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the country, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) has reported.

    According to reports, the investment will be used for infrastructural support, capacity building and technical assistance to benefit rural areas of Gilgit-Baltistan.

    The objective of the Economic Transformation Initiatives (ETI) is the growth of irrigated crop areas, production and improved connectivity with markets through investments in economic infrastructure.

    It will improve incomes and reduce poverty, malnutrition in rural areas of the region while benefitting around 100,000 rural households.

    The Italian government has also joined hands with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the initiative, which is providing $76 million over a period of seven years.

  • Maryam was arrested to save her from assassination, Zaid Hamid claims

    Maryam was arrested to save her from assassination, Zaid Hamid claims

    Self-proclaimed defence and security analyst Zaid Hamid has claimed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President (VP) Maryam Nawaz was arrested to save her life.

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday had arrested the PML-N leader in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case as she arrived at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail to see her father, former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif.

    Sharing “inside news” regarding the arrest, Hamid claimed that Maryam was taken into custody “to save her life from an Indian assassination attempt”.

    “Indians had planned to assassinate her [Maryam] in a political rally, just like Benazir,” he said and added that the result would have been total chaos in the country.

    Earlier, according to family sources, Maryam was taken away by NAB in the presence of her father while her teenage daughter was also present there.

    The bureau had summoned Maryam on Thursday at 3 pm in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, but she didn’t appear before the watchdog, which is said to have led to the PML-N leader’s arrest.

    The case pertains to government accusations that the Sharif family used the mills for money laundering and availing millions of rupees in subsidy without actually exporting sugar.

  • VIDEO: ‘Because I don’t polish boots,’ jailed Maryam responds to journalist’s question

    VIDEO: ‘Because I don’t polish boots,’ jailed Maryam responds to journalist’s question

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President (VP) Maryam Nawaz’s response to a journalist’s query, as she reached an accountability court on Friday, has gone viral over the internet.

    The PML-N leader was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. A day later, Maryam was brought to court by NAB authorities who sought her 15-day physical remand.

    As she spoke to media persons after appearing before the court, a journalist asked the PML-N VP as to what built up to “people not liking her” and if it dated back to the Dawn Leaks fiasco or something that followed.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “[It’s] because I do not polish boots,” the PML-N VP replied. “And I consider [it] a bad thing [to do].”

    The PML-N leader further said she believed that representatives of the people should be respected. “Running the country is the representatives’ job. I will raise my voice against anyone who violates constitutional boundaries,” Maryam added.

    “This is what people don’t like.”

    In response to another question, Maryam accused the government of “using state machinery to victimise political opponents”.

    “They fear Maryam Nawaz. Selected is after me, his government is after me, there are restrictions on media,” she said, adding that the government was also trying to restrict opposition parties from holding public rallies.

    “But none of that worked. To compete with Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, they needed to be put behind bars,” Maryam maintained.

  • Kashmir crisis: Pakistan’s aggressive diplomacy at UN puts India on backfoot

    Kashmir crisis: Pakistan’s aggressive diplomacy at UN puts India on backfoot

    Islamabad’s aggressive diplomacy, ever since India revoked Article 370 of its constitution to snatch occupied Kashmir’s autonomy, has put New Delhi on backfoot at the United Nations (UN), ARY News reported.

    According to reports, Pakistan’s Representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi has highlighted the need to ensure that the crisis triggered by India’s unlawful annexation of Jammu and Kashmir is addressed in accordance with UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions on the disputed region.

    During Lodhi’s meeting with UN Political Affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo on Thursday, she focused on the illegality of Indian actions and called on the UN, especially the secretary general, to clearly enunciate its position on the subject.

    The meeting was part of a series of contacts Pakistan’s envoy has been making to brief senior UN officials from all regions of the world about Pakistan’s stance on the Indian government’s decision to strip Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) of its special status and placing the disputed state under a lockdown.

    She also informed DiCarlo about the complete lockdown in IoK, including shut down of internet services and landlines that had begun even before the announcement of the controversial decision.

    A statement issued on behalf of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also acknowledged the critical importance of UN Resolutions on Kashmir to deal with the crisis.

    Lodhi also met three non-permanent members of the UN Security Council — Kuwait, Indonesia and South Africa — as India, on backfoot, also stepped up its campaign to have the world believe that the decision was taken for the socio-economic development of the Kashmiris and that they enjoy the same rights as Indians.

  • VIDEO: PML-N’s Uzma Bukhari beats up Lahore cop, ends up in hospital

    VIDEO: PML-N’s Uzma Bukhari beats up Lahore cop, ends up in hospital

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Punjab lawmaker Uzma Zahid Bukhari on Friday beat up a Punjab police constable as a scuffle broke out between party workers and cops outside the accountability court in Lahore.

    As per the details, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities had brought PML-N Vice President (VP) Maryam Nawaz, who was arrested Thursday, to the court in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

    With PML-N leaders and workers gathering outside the court to express solidarity with the detained VP, enraged party activists were seen pelting stones at the police, reportedly resulting in injuries to one of the cops.

    This led to the scuffle during which Uzma Bukhari was seen thrashing a constable. A video available with The Current, shows the cop approaching her from behind and allegedly groping her, as a reaction to which the PML-N leader gives him a sound beating.

    While authorities or party sources have not yet reacted to the episode or confirmed what followed the incident, another video shows Uzma being shifted to the hospital in an ambulance.

    Meanwhile, the court has reserved its judgment on NAB’s appeal for a 15-day physical remand of Maryam Nawaz.

  • Zardari calls PM Imran an ‘immigrant’, says they had ‘nothing to do with Pakistan’s creation’

    Zardari calls PM Imran an ‘immigrant’, says they had ‘nothing to do with Pakistan’s creation’

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari has called Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan an “immigrant”, adding that those who migrated to the country “had nothing to do with its creation”.

    Addressing the joint session of the parliament held to discuss the recent developments in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), the ex-president suggested that migrants had nothing to do with the creation of Pakistan.

    “I come from Sindh. Sindh and Bangladesh created Pakistan. It was not you who created Pakistan, you were a migrant,” Zardari said. “You were made to flee from there and you came to seek refuge here.”

    The premier’s father, Ikramullah Niazi, was born in Mianwali, while his mother Shaukat Khanum was born in Jalandhar and migrated to Pakistan after partition.

    “You [migrants] are most welcome here, Pakistan was created to accommodate all Muslims,” the former president said further in an attempt to rectify his outrageous statement.

  • NAB arrests Maryam Nawaz

    NAB arrests Maryam Nawaz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President (VP)
    Maryam Nawaz on Thursday was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau
    (NAB), media reports said.

    According to reports, Maryam had arrived at Lahore’s Kot
    Lakhpat jail to see her incarcerated father, former prime minister (PM) Nawaz
    Sharif, when she was taken into custody by NAB officials.

    The PML-N leader has reportedly been taken into custody in
    the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case against members of the ex-PM’s family.

    Earlier, the PML-N VP had also been sent a
    questionnaire inquiring about the case details, including questions on how and
    where the shares were divided since the inception of the mill in 1985.

    NAB officials say that Maryam had failed to satisfy the
    bureau during her last appearance before an investigation team. She had tried
    to lead the inquiry officials “astray with unnecessary and abstruse information
    in a sitting that lasted for 45 minutes”.

    The evidence against the owners of the sugar mills had
    surfaced during an investigation against ex-Punjab chief minister (CM) Shehbaz
    Sharif and his sons Hamza and Salman in money laundering and income beyond
    means cases.