Tag: Imran Khan

  • Justice first, then elections; Maryam Nawaz wants ‘balanced scale’ before polls

    Justice first, then elections; Maryam Nawaz wants ‘balanced scale’ before polls

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Monday once again criticised the judiciary, stating that there justice has to be delivered first, and then elections will be held.

    Addressing a workers’ convention in Sahiwal, Maryam Nawaz demanded redressal of “injustice” against the party’s supremo, Nawaz Sharif. She said that first the accusations of “Sicilian mafia” and “Godfather” will have to be withdrawn and then elections will be held.

     “The scales of justice must be balanced,” she said, before unleashing a furious verbal attack on former Chief Justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa. She emphasised that polls would be conducted in the country when the vote is given respect.

    Talking about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Maryam said, “Elections will be held after Imran Khan will be measured on the same standards of justice set for Nawaz Sharif.”

    The PML-N senior vice president said Khan has been kept around to damage Pakistan, adding that he must be brought to justice.

    Maryam claimed Khan was running away from courts, making excuses about his plastered leg every time he was summoned.

    Khan is still being saved by the “remnants” of former spy chief Lieutenant General (retired) Faiz Hameed in the judiciary, she alleged.

    She then sought answers from the judges on the “Panama bench”, pointing the finger for its creation at ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed.

    “Why was Pakistan’s development put at stake?” she asked.

    She also blamed the “Panama bench” and its creators for inflation, and the country’s dependence on the IMF. She remarked that former prime minister Imran Khan’s alleged facilitators knew he was incompetent, incapable and damaging for the country. “They imposed him and destroyed Pakistan in Nawaz Sharif’s hatred,” she told the crowd.

  • Who was the bureaucrat who collected Rs72 crore salami on his daughter’s wedding? Rauf Klasra has an idea

    Who was the bureaucrat who collected Rs72 crore salami on his daughter’s wedding? Rauf Klasra has an idea

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday revealed that former Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told that him that a bureaucrat had collected Rs72 crores as salami [gift money] on his daughter’s wedding.

    Without revealing the name, Khawaja said, “Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told me himself that he went to a bureaucrat’s daughter’s wedding where a man of his [Elahi’s] constituency was collecting salami. Elahi asked him how much salami had been collected so far. The person told Elahi that around Rs72 crore had been collected while more salami was pouring in.”

    “The same bureaucrat on his elder daughter’s wedding collected Rs1billion 20 crores,” narrated Khawaja. However, he did not reveal the name of the bureaucrat.

    Journalist Rauf Klasra has now revealed the name of the bureaucrat on his Vlog.

    “Tahir Khurshid aka TK, Principal Secretary to former Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, was the one whom Pervaiz Elahi was talking about. He had collected Rs72 crore as salami on his daughter’s wedding.”

    “One should ask Imran Khan and Usman Buzdar who was TK?” said Klasra.

  • Asad Umar’s wife denies filing paperwork for husband’s release

    Asad Umar’s wife denies filing paperwork for husband’s release

    Asad Umar’s wife Sofia Asad has rejected reports of filing a petition seeking the release of her husband who volunteered for arrest three days ago under the party’s “Jail Bharo Tehreek” on the call of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.

    Stating that Asad Umar is engaged in the struggle for the “real freedom of the nation”, Sofia Asad said that reports about the request for his bail or release were wrongly attributed to her.

    She also said that she supports her husband completely. However, she admitted to approaching the Lahore High Court (LHC) to get authentic information regarding Asad’s whereabouts.

    Earlier, it was reported that the PTI leader’s wife filed a petition in LHC for her husband’s recovery from “illegal and unlawful” custody of the Lahore police.

    On Saturday, PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed that, “35 PTI workers rejected the government’s offer of release, the leadership also refused to give requests for their release.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI leaders — including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Azam Swati, and other senior members— were taken into police custody from Lahore on Wednesday on the day the Jail Bharo Tehreek began.

    On Friday, Zulfi Bukhari and Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan were also arrested from Rawalpindi.

  • PPP, PML-N, JUI-F request SC to constitute full bench minus judges Ijaz ul Ahsan, Mazhar Naqvi

    PPP, PML-N, JUI-F request SC to constitute full bench minus judges Ijaz ul Ahsan, Mazhar Naqvi

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamat-e-Ulema Islami-Fazl (JUI-F) on Saturday requested the Supreme Court (SC) to constitute a full bench to hear the suo moto proceedings of election date for Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    However, as per their request, the three parties have asked that Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan & Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi are excluded from the full bench.

    PDM asks Justice Ahsan, Justice Naqvi to recuse themselves from SC bench

    Earlier, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government has on Friday asked Supreme Court’s Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi to “recuse themselves” from a larger bench that is hearing suo motu

    The request was presented in a joint statement by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamat-e-Ulema Islami-Fazl (JUI-F), read by lawyer Farooq H Naek, on behalf of the three parties when the nine-member bench resumed the hearing of the suo motu notice today. 

    “All three political parties respectfully request that the two-member bench’s order of suo motu notice is available. Hence, both judges should not sit on the bench in the context of the provision of justice and fair trial,” Naek told the court.

    The PDM lawyer requested Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi to recuse themselves from the nine-member bench currently hearing the suo motu notice.

    Naek replied that he did not want to go into the details, adding that he also believed that the case should be heard by a full-court bench.

    At that, CJP Bandial said that the court will first discuss the admissibility of the request.

    Supreme Court raises questions on dissolution of Punjab and KP assemblies

    Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday raised questions on the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said that the SC will not tolerate the violation of the Constitution as the top court began its suo motu hearing to determine who has the constitutional responsibility to announce the date for elections of a provincial assembly.

    At the outset of the hearing, the court observed that the authority for giving the date of the elections after the dissolution of the assembly needs clarification.

    It stated that the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies were dissolved on January 14 and 17, respectively, and the elections have to be held in 90 days after the assembly dissolution under Article 224/2.

    The SC remarked that Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman says that he has not dissolved the provincial assembly on the chief minister’s advice.

    “It will be determined through the suo motu case that who has the authority to give the election date,” the court remarked.

    It said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had also complained about not getting the funds for polling day.

    The Chief Justice observed that elaboration was needed on the issue of elections and assured all the parties that the court would listen to their arguments.

    “We have suspended our schedule for the next week so that we can hear this case,” CJP Bandial said.

    CJP Bandial said that the court will restrict itself to essential things, adding that the detailed hearing of the case will be held on Monday.

    CJP Bandial initiates suo motu action, constitutes nine-judge bench on Punjab, KP polls today

    A nine-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial will hear the suo motu notice of an apparent delay in the elections of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies today (Thursday).

    CJP Bandial on Wednesday evening initiated a suo motu proceeding to determine who has the constitutional responsibility and authority to announce the date for elections for a provincial assembly.

    The bench, headed by CJP Bandial, will consist of Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah. The case will be taken up on Thursday (today) at 2pm.

    According to the apex court’s statement, the bench will assess who is eligible to issue the date for polls, the constitutional responsibility of the federation and provinces and who will fulfil the constitutional responsibility of conducting elections and when.

    “It is the government’s responsibility to conduct elections in Punjab and KP according to the Constitution,” the top court’s statement read.

    The Supreme Court added that the two provincial assemblies were dissolved on January 14 and 18, respectively. 

    “Under Article 224 (2), polls should be held within 90 days of the assembly dissolution. The Constitution mandates that polls be held within 90 days.”

    The Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice on Wednesday two days after President Dr Arif Alvi fixed April 9 as polling day for the provincial assemblies.

     

  • ‘Now watch the spoilt brat checkmate you’: Maryam trades barbs on Twitter with ‘King of Conspiracies’ Khan

    ‘Now watch the spoilt brat checkmate you’: Maryam trades barbs on Twitter with ‘King of Conspiracies’ Khan

    Senior Vice President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz hit back at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Twitter after he called her a spoilt brat in a tweet.

    “Shameless & calculated attacks on SC judges by PDM & spoilt brat Maryam, nurtured on corruption money, have one purpose only – to run away from elections even by violating Constitution,” tweeted Imran Khan in the afternoon.

    “By attacking SCP, they are damaging the Federation & ensuring law of jungle prevails in Pak,” he wrote.

    Responding to Khan’s accusations, Maryam tweeted, “Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Your squeals are not amiss as you have been the king of conspiracies,thriving & surviving on them with the help of your Godfather Faiz & his vestiges.”

    “Now watch the ‘spoilt brat’ checkmate you so Godsons & pawns like you are relegated to irrelevance,” tweeted Maryam.

    On Thursday, February 23, Maryam Nawaz Sharif showed pictures of the “cabal of five” she blames for conspiring against her father Nawaz Sharif. Among the photos were two pictures of serving judges of the Supreme Court- Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahir Naqvi. The next day, PML-N leader and federal minister Khwaja Asif criticized the judiciary during a speech on the floor of the National Assembly.

  • Imran confirms Pervaiz Elahi is now President of PTI

    Imran confirms Pervaiz Elahi is now President of PTI

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has confirmed in a speech that his party has “honoured” Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi for standing with the party and appointed him as the President of PTI.

    Addressing his followers through a video link on Thursday, the PTI chief started off by claiming that the establishment pressurised Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). “They even were offered money and were threatened that there is no future for them with PTI”, he said.

    Stating that despite all this, the father and son stayed loyal, Imran Khan appreciated Pervaiz Elahi and Moonis Elahi for their efforts, especially for dissolving the Punjab Assembly on Khan’s directives.

    “Despite all the pressure, he agreed to a merger. We told him [Elahi] that we are honouring him by making him the president of the party,” Khan said.

    On Tuesday, Moonis and his father formally joined PTI with ten other former Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

    On the same day, addressing a press conference in Lahore alongside PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, Elahi said he had stood with Khan during “hard and testing times”. Fawad also announced that Pervaiz Elahi will be the President of PTI.

    PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain dismissed Elahi from his party post and terminated his basic membership on Tuesday.

  • Jail Bharo Tehreek: PTI leaders transferred from Adiala to Shahpur jail

    Jail Bharo Tehreek: PTI leaders transferred from Adiala to Shahpur jail

    The Punjab police have transferred leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Adiala jail to Shahpur jail.

    Those who transferred include Zulfi Bukhari, Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan among others who were arrested in Rawalpindi after they presented themselves for arrest before the police.

    Other than that, police moved 41 PTI activists from Adiala jail to Hafizabad jail.

    The move came after Adiala Jail was found occupied above its capacity.

    Earlier, Chohan claimed that the police van dropped him and others off on the way and left them there.

    PTI’s Jail Bharo Tehreek: Zulfi Bukhari, Fayaz Chohan arrested

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Zulfi Bukhari and Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan gave themselves up for voluntary arrests in Rawalpindi as part of the party’s Jail Bharo Tehreek (voluntary arrest movement) on Friday.

    A police prisoner van took them away from Committee Chowk. PTI leader Amir Kayani, Awami Muslim League chief and former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, and others reached Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi to voluntarily surrender to the police.

    While talking to the media in Rawalpindi, Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that he will not give himself over for arrest but some leaders and some workers will give an arrest.

    On Thursday, PTI activists, led by their leaders, reached Central Prison Peshawar and stayed there till the evening, however, no one was arrested.

    In the evening, the sit-in staged by the party came to an end with PTI claiming that the police were reluctant to arrest them. They then announced that PTI chairman Imran Khan had ordered them to end the protest and sit in. They also announced that they would go to Rawalpindi for the campaign on Friday.

    Meanwhile, several petitions have been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking the recovery of leaders — including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Azam Swati – who were arrested on Wednesday and are serving time in jail.

    Because they wanted it: SMQ, Asad Umar in Attock, Rajanpur jail

    Leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday voluntarily gave themselves up for arrest to Lahore police as part of the party’s Jail Bharro Tehreek (voluntary arrest movement).

    In videos taken at the protest at Charring Cross, PTI leaders including Senior Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Senator Azam Swati and others can be seen wilfully climbing into a prison van.

    Later, PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said, “Around 500-700 PTI workers have given themselves up for arrest.” Chaudhry claimed that the police had arrived prepared with police vans but were “worried after seeing the thousands of people and are contemplating what they should do”.

    The arrests took place as part of the PTI’s Jail Bharo Movement. Following the arrests, PTI Chairman Imran Khan summoned a meeting of his legal team at his mansion in Zaman Park, Lahore. The meeting aims to thrash out a legal strategy for obtaining bail for the arrested PTI leaders.

    A day earlier, the police confirmed that the number of people arrested is around 80, including central leaders of the PTI. However, now according to the list of accused detained in Central Jail in Lahore, the number is 77.

    Following are the names of PTI leaders who were arrested and the jails they have been transferred to.

    Omar Sarfraz Cheema (District Jail, Bhakkar)

    Asad Umar (District Jail, Rajanpur)

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi (District Jail, Attock)

    Muhammad Azam Khan Swati (District Jail, Raheem Yar Khan)

    Murad Ras (Central Jail, Dera Ghazi Khan)

  • ECP de-notifies Khan from six National Assembly seats

    ECP de-notifies Khan from six National Assembly seats

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has de-notified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from six seats of the National Assembly (NA) that the former Prime Minister won last year in by-elections.

    According to a notification issued by the commission, Imran has been de-notified from the NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, NA-31 Peshawar-V, NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib-II, NA-Korangi Karachi-I seats. These seats are now vacant.

    In October, Khan had broken a record by winning six out of seven seats of NA against candidates of various parties that are part of the ruling coalition.

    Later, he also won NA-45 (Kurram seat), the only seat he is left with after ECP’s notice.

    The PTI chairman broke his own record of victory on five seats which were the most by a single candidate in any election.

  • ‘1970s Ittefaq Group was so big kay yeh Tata Birla waghera ka tou pata he nahi tha’: Suleman Shehbaz

    ‘1970s Ittefaq Group was so big kay yeh Tata Birla waghera ka tou pata he nahi tha’: Suleman Shehbaz

    Suleman Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, appeared on a podcast where among other matters, he discussed the history of Ittefaq Group, the Sharif family business.

    As a clip of the show went viral, Twitter had objections to Suleman Shehbaz’s version of history.

    He said that the Sharif family prioritised business first and politics second.

    “In 1970’s Ittefaq Group (Family business of Sharif family) was so big that no one knew about Tata and Birla in the region,” said Suleman to the host.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Tata Group was founded as a private trading firm in 1868 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata.

    Twitter had all kinds of reactions to Suleman’s statement.

  • ‘Cabal of five’: Maryam Nawaz doesn’t hold back in criticising judiciary

    ‘Cabal of five’: Maryam Nawaz doesn’t hold back in criticising judiciary

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday criticised two sitting judges of the Supreme Court, listing them as members of a “cabal of five” who conspired against her father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

    Addressing a public rally in Sargodha, she put up a video screen showing pictures of the five people she held responsible, saying: “The people of Sargodha should also see the ones behind the conspiracy”.

    The pictures included ex-Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, former chief justices Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar, and two sitting Supreme Court judges: Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, who are currently part of a top court bench hearing a suo motu case to determine who has the constitutional responsibility and authority to announce the date for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    The PML-N leader said that even the country’s bar councils had protested against the inclusion of the two judges in the bench hearing the suo motu case.

    One of the two serving judges shown on the screen, Maryam said, was part of the bench that disqualified Nawaz in the Panama Papers case. “He is dreaming of becoming the chief justice. It has been five to six years since Nawaz was disqualified but he is still sitting as a judge in every case against Nawaz,” said Maryam Nawaz in a thinly veiled reference to Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

    The PML-N leader claimed that when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) 2014 sit-in failed, ex-chief justice Asif Khosa told PTI chief Imran Khan to bring the Panama case before him so that Nawaz could be disqualified.

    She alleged that ex-spy chief Faiz Hameed is “still sitting somewhere and operating,” behind the scenes.

    Maryam also played the audio purportedly featuring former Punjab chief minister Elahi and one of the top court judges.

    Maryam further said that the two top court judges had taken notice of the transfer of the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Dogar and “brought back Imran’s man”.