Tag: Imran Khan

  • PM to address the nation, likely to announce relief package

    PM to address the nation, likely to announce relief package

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will announce a relief package for the poor in an address to the nation today (Friday).

    According to media reports, PM will explain the government’s decision to remove subsidies on petroleum products and also take the nation into confidence over the prevailing economic situation in Pakistan.

    Last night, the government announced a massive hike of up to Rs30 in the prices of petroleum products for the revival of the $6 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme.

    Lambasting the Shehbaz Sharif-led government for the hike in petrol prices, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said that the nation would “suffer another massive dose of inflation at the hands of this cabal of crooks”.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan Business Council has supported the government’s decision.

  • 914 road accidents reported in Punjab during last 24 hours

    914 road accidents reported in Punjab during last 24 hours

    During the last 24 hours, at least eight people were killed and 962 were injured in 914 road accidents across all 37 districts of Punjab.

    577 people were seriously injured and taken to various hospitals, while 385 people with minor injuries were treated on the spot by rescue medical teams. Once again, Lahore remained at the top in reporting highest number of accidents.

    According to the findings, 450 drivers, 27 underage drivers, 104 pedestrians, and 388 passengers were killed in traffic accidents. The road accidents involved a considerable number of two-wheelers as it involved 807 motorcycles, 82 auto-rickshaws, 74 motorcars, 22 vans, 11 buses, 17 trucks, and 100 other types of auto vehicles and slow-moving carts.

    Considering the statistics, 239 road accidents were reported in Lahore, affecting 238 people, putting the provincial capital at the top of the list, followed by 80 in Faisalabad with 85 victims and 53 in Multan with 50 victims.

  • ‘Sir thora sa Islami touch bhi de dein’: PTI’s Suri instructs Khan during speech

    ‘Sir thora sa Islami touch bhi de dein’: PTI’s Suri instructs Khan during speech

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Qasim Suri instructed PTI Chairman Imran Khan to use the ‘Islamic touch’ in his speech during the party’s Azadi March towards the federal capital.

    Suri can be seen standing next to Khan along with other party members.

    He said, “Sir thora sa Islami touch bhi de dein.” [Sir give some Islamic touch to your speech.]

    Khan immediately acted in accordance with Suri’s words and said, “I am a follower of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).”

    Khan addressed the protesters at Islamabad’s 9th Avenue and gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and dissolving assemblies.

    “I had decided that I will sit here until the government dissolves assemblies and announces elections, but of what I have seen in the past 24 hours, they (govt) are taking the nation towards anarchy,” he said, claiming that the government was also trying to create a divide between the nation and the police.

  • PTI Azadi March: Khan leaves D-Chowk, says will come back in 6 days if no election announced

    PTI Azadi March: Khan leaves D-Chowk, says will come back in 6 days if no election announced

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan addressed the protesters at Islamabad’s 9th Avenue and gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and dissolving assemblies.

    “I had decided that I will sit here until the government dissolves assemblies and announces elections, but of what I have seen in the past 24 hours, they (govt) are taking the nation towards anarchy,” he said, claiming that the government was also trying to create a divide between the nation and the police.

    “The government tried every method to crush our Azadi March. They used teargas on peaceful protests, our homes were raided and our privacy was violated. However, I have seen the nation free itself of [the] fear of slavery,” said Khan addressing his caravan.

    He claimed that five PTI protesters were killed in clashes after the PTI’s march, saying that one had fallen off the Attock bridge amid tear-gas shelling and the other was pushed into Ravi river. He said he had also received information that three were killed in Karachi.

    Addressing the Supreme Court (SC), he asked, “What crime were we committing?”

    He said he “wants justice for the people of Pakistan from Supreme Court judges and the lawyers’ community”.

    “I am again asking the judiciary to save your FIA (Federal Investigation Agency). In the future, no FIA officer will investigate the powerful if he will meet the same end as Dr Rizwan and Asghar,” he added. Imran said peaceful protest was the right of every Pakistani and no one “gives you [the government] to treat the people in the manner that you treated them”.

    People have completely rejected the riot: Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, meanwhile, said the people “have completely rejected the riots”. In a statement posted on PML-N’s official Twitter account, Sanaullah was quoted as saying he had been personally monitoring the security situation.

    “Imran Niazi entered the city after getting permission from the Supreme Court to hold a rally at a designated place in Islamabad and broke his promise by announcing plans to go to D-Chowk.”

    Read more: PTI Azadi March: Imran sets out to lead party caravan, tensions escalate

    Army summoned to control the situation

    As the situation turned chaotic in Islamabad after Khan and his convoy entered the federal capital and started marching towards the city’s D-Chowk, the government decided to seek the help of the army to control the situation and protect the government’s offices located in the Red Zone.

    The government, in a notification, said that the army was summoned to control the situation under Article 245 of the Constitution.

    PTI, govt negotiations fail

    Following the Supreme Court’s order for the government and the PTI to hold negotiations in a bid to control the situation at 10pm Wednesday, the government’s team headed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq, reached the commissioner’s office in Islamabad but the PTI team, led by Bawar Awan, returned without holding the talks due to the late arrival of the government’s team.

    Sadiq said it was decided to meet at 10pm but “due to the closure of roads, the government’s team reached the Islamabad commissioner’s office 25 minutes late”.

    “We were gathered here on SC’s orders but now leaving as a sign of protest,” he told journalists. The PML-N leader added that the purpose of the dialogue was to select a place and set a guideline for PTI’s protest.

    “Following the court’s order, we have removed obstacles but the city was set on fire,” he added. “The chief commissioner had been continuously calling the PTI team but they were not responsive. However, we will wait here a little longer for them.”

    SC directs govt to provide PTI with ground between H-9, G-9 areas to hold jalsa

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the federal government to provide the PTI with a ground between the H-9 and G-9 areas of Islamabad to hold its public gathering.

  • Here’s where you can get petrol in Lahore

    Here’s where you can get petrol in Lahore

    Following oil industry’s warning of possible petroleum product shortages in Punjab and neighbouring areas due to road and highway blockades, a number of petrol pumps in the city have been closed.

    Majority of petrol pumps in Lahore have been shut, particularly in the Cantt, DHA, Gulberg, and Johar Town area. When asked, the majority of retailers refused to comment on when petroleum sales would resume.

    We have, however, contacted multiple managers of prominent petrol pumps in Lahore and asked if they are currently selling fuel.

    Here are a few filling stations in different parts of the city that are still selling fuel:

    1. Euro Oil petrol pump opposite Shahnawaz Mercedes-Benz Showroom Gulberg
    2. Total parco Mazang road, Mazang Chungi
    3. Hascol DHA phase 2 U Block, opposite DHA cinema
    4. PSO Chowk Thokar Niaz Baig , Multan Road

    Earlier, Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) said that oil marketing companies are supplying fuel to retailers but the deliveries could be slowed owing to road blockages in Punjab’s major cities.

  • PTI Azadi March: Imran sets out to lead party caravan, tensions escalate

    PTI Azadi March: Imran sets out to lead party caravan, tensions escalate

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Azadi March began on Wednesday, tensions rose across the country as police made use of tear gas and arrested several PTI marchers headed toward Islamabad.

    Khan’s message for PTI supporters

    PTI Chairperson Imran Khan called on his supporters to join his freedom march.

    In a video message, Khan said, “I will lead the Azadi March caravan from Peshawar, and God willing, we will head to Islamabad from there. I want each and everyone to leave because this is a defining moment.”

    Khan waves to supporters from a truck

    Imran Khan arrived at the Wali Interchange in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by helicopter.

    Khan, later, departed for Islamabad from the Wali Interchange in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    ‘Defining moment’ for Pakistan

    Imran also urged protesters to carry the Pakistani flag, calling today a “defining moment” for Pakistan.

    ‘No blockade can stop us’

    After reaching Swabi, Khan delivered a speech to supporters. In it, he said that “we are going to D-Chowk and no one can stop us” as the crowd cheered.

    Khan said that the PTI government did not bar any of them from staging protests as they “did not fear the people”.

    He said that the government was afraid as they had been plundering national wealth for the past 30 years. “I want to give the people a message from Swabi Interchange: whatever you do, we will cross all obstacles and reach D-Chowk. Our protest will be peaceful as it has always been.”

    “I want to give the people a message from Swabi Interchange: whatever you do, we will cross all obstacles and reach D-Chowk. Our protest will be peaceful as it has always been.”

     “This nation does not accept this imported government,” he declared, calling on the people to come out for what he has described of late as a “jihad” for “true freedom”.

    “All Pakistanis, women, children, families, youth, lawyers, retired army officers, everyone has to come out for real independence,” he said.

    No agreement has been reached

    Following the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the two sides have agreed on PTI holding a jalsa instead of a long march, Geo News reported. Talks between the government and PTI continued for two-and-half hours.

    Khan in relevance to the news tweeted, “Absolutely not! We are moving towards Islamabad & no question of any deal. We will remain in Islamabad till announcement of dates for dissolution of assemblies & elections are given.”

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb also said that no agreement has been reached between the federal government and PTI. She said news of negotiations and an agreement between the government and PTI is “baseless”.

    Detention expected of Khan

    The government has decided to detain PTI Chairman Imran Khan with the top party leadership on its way to Islamabad from Peshawar today for the Azadi March, reports The News.

    Rangers deployed in Islamabad

    On Tuesday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced that the federal government will not allow any riots in the name of the PTI long march. Section 144 has been imposed in Lahore, Karachi and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and the roads leading up to the capital city from different parts of the country have been blocked. Rangers have been called in by the government to help protect Islamabad’s, Red Zone.

    https://twitter.com/RashidK10425837/status/1529329373781934081?s=20&t=BqLkjo0MNs35Ix8fAEpfsg
    PTI workers clash with police at Lahore’s Batti Chowk

    PTI workers marching towards Islamabad from Lahore engaged in a clash with the police at Batti Chowk in Lahore as they tried to remove the barricades on the roads. Policemen stopped PTI supporters from moving forward and used tear gas.

    According to PTI’s official Twitter account, the marchers were also stopped at the Shahdara area.

    Dr Yasmin Rashid’s car attacked by police

    PTI supporters came forward and verbally abused the police officials. Meanwhile, Dr Yasmin Rashid tried stopping the police from taking away her car keys.

    Hammad Azhar tried to be arrested

    PTI leader Hammad Azhar tweeted, the impediments and containers on Bati Chowk, Ravi Bridge, and Shahdara have been removed and the roads have been cleared by “the public”.

    https://twitter.com/azammaalik/status/1529380891247755266?s=20&t=38SnfKGvZmlJ1vwGCvqC0w
    Weapons and ammunition recovered

    Meanwhile, police said that they have recovered heavy ammunition and weapons from the residences of PTI leaders Bijash Niazi and Zubair Niazi.

    DIG Operations Sohail Chauhdry in a press conference shared that the raids were conducted at Nawan Kot and Multan Road areas from where three persons were arrested. However, Zubair Niazi fled from the scene. Giving details of the arms recovered, the police officer said that six 223 bore guns, 13 rifles, 96 SMG rifles, and 26 magazines of pistols were found.

  • ‘Can still hear you, Calibri queen’: Khaled Anam slams Maryam Nawaz for removing ARY’s mic

    ‘Can still hear you, Calibri queen’: Khaled Anam slams Maryam Nawaz for removing ARY’s mic

    Senior actor Khaled Anam took to his Instagram stories to taunt the Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz for removing ARY channel’s mic at a press interaction. She also referred to the channel as a blackmailing channel.

    Earlier this month he grilled veteran cricketer Shahid Afridi for his recent statements regarding former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    He sarcastically pointed out how Shahid at times used to get out with zero runs on the cricket field.

    In a recent interview with his family, Afridi stated, “I’ve liked Shehbaz Sharif since the beginning. Show me an administrator like him in Pakistan, you can’t because there is none,” countered the cricketer.

    “I didn’t congratulate an Israeli prime minister, I congratulated a Pakistani prime minister. No matter who it was, I’d congratulate them,” he argued. “In my congratulations to Shehbaz Sharif, there was a protest as well, a personal protest between me and Imran Bhai,” he said. In his tweet, he wrote, “Congratulations to Shehbaz Sharif on being elected the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan and I hope that he will be able to use his management skills to bring Pakistan out of the current economic and political crisis.”

    Afridi said Imran has been a role model for him since 1989 or 1990. “I wanted to become like him,” he said. “When he entered politics, I supported him. When he set up Shaukat Khanum, I supported him. Until he was in government, I supported him. But, I, my family my children, the whole of Pakistan had a lot of hopes for him,” he said.

    The cricketer revealed that the 2013 election was the first time he had ever voted in his life. “A lot of educated people were inspired by Imran Bhai to go vote,” he said.

    “I said everything as a Pakistani citizen. I did not have any political motives. And I will continue to say what I want. We have the right to do this and we should remember that,” he said.

    The cricketer said he knew he would be criticised for congratulations PM Shehbaz but there were no political motives behind his message. He reiterated that he would have congratulated whomever was the premier because the position itself deserves respect. “We must respect our leaders so the world respects us,” he said.

    “But if Imran Bhai says the [Durood Sharif], so do we every day in our prayers. But the fact of the matter is, God gives and God takes away. God gave Imran Khan and then He took it away. And He took it away because Imran Bhai made a lot of mistakes. And he should accept those mistakes,” said Afridi.

    “If he accepts those mistakes, he will be able to create a good political party and come back stronger. I’ve always thought Imran Khan’s vision has been superb. It’s the vision of a leader. But to implement a vision, you need a team and he doesn’t have that team,” he criticised.

    “The people he had were sidelined. Why were they sidelined? What things happened that Imran Bhai could improve? I feel like you should never leave the ground and for him, the ground is parliament. He should never leave parliament. After leaving it, you’re again coming out on the streets and on top of containers. Why are you doing this, friend?” he asked.

    Once the video of his comments was uploaded online, it went viral, inviting a lot of criticism and hate from supporters of the former premier.

    Earlier the Yeh Na Thi Hamari Kismat star shared his take on the new government’s decision to rescind the 10% increase on paycheck. He took to Instagram to share his stance.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-14-at-3.57.44-AM.jpeg

    Meanwhile actress Ayesha Omar liked his statement on a portal’s feed, showing her agreement.

    While interacting with the media after his victory, the Prime Minister-elect announces 10% raise in salaries for those government employees who are receiving pay up to Rs100,000 per month. He also announces to jack up pension of retired civil, and military officials by 10% from April 1. Meanwhile, he also announces to increase the minimum wage of workers to Rs. 25,000 per month.

  • Petroleum Division refutes Imran Khan’s assertion about Russia’s low-cost fuel offer

    Petroleum Division refutes Imran Khan’s assertion about Russia’s low-cost fuel offer

    There is no formal evidence in the petroleum division of Russia’s offer of inexpensive LNG, crude oil, and POL products, as former Prime Minister Imran Khan has often claimed.

    Syed Zakria Ali Shah, Joint Secretary of Development and a spokesman for the Petroleum Division, stated this to a reporter.

    According to sources in the petroleum sector, trading of crude oil, POL products, and LNG was not even on the table when Khan discussed the purchase of LNG. There was no mention in the meeting minutes of any Russian offer of providing LNG and gasoline at a 30 per cent lower rate.

    According to the spokesman, the government wrote letters to Russia on March 30 through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in reference to the February 2022 visit of a Pakistan delegation, expressing Pakistan’s desire to enter long-term agreements on the import of crude, POL products, and LNG at discounted rates.

    The Petroleum Division also wrote to the Foreign Ministry, asking if Russia had provided any lower tariffs on LNG and fuel items. He also stated that it had given two reminders to this effect in the first week of April 2022, but the ministry stated that it had not received any letter from Russia for conversation in this respect.

    The Former energy minister, Hammad Azhar attracted the attention of his Russian peer, in a letter dated March 30, 2022, to an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on LNG cooperation that had been in force between the two friendly nations since 2017. The Russian minister was informed that Pakistan was willing to strengthen its partnership by expediting negotiations between the two selected nominees so that a long-term agreement for LNG delivery on a G2G basis could be reached as soon as possible.

    Then-energy-minister recommended two to three Russian LNG cargoes each month, each holding 140,000 cubic metres of LNG.

    There was no mention of any Russian offer in that letter, only a request for negotiation on a long-term contract for the import of gasoline and LNG at a reduced rate.

    According to officials at the energy ministry, India has been purchasing crude oil from Russia for decades and has continued to do so despite EU and US sanctions imposed as a result of its conflict with Ukraine. They claimed that India’s foreign policy was largely independent due to its strong economic power and enticing market for large economies.

    They further claimed that India had obtained a special dispensation from the US from its sanctions against Iran and had been buying crude oil and POL products from Iran despite US and UN sanctions for a long time. They claimed that India was the US’s strategic partner in the area against China.

    “India always pitches its argument before the US saying if it does not import fuel from Iran, its economy will hurt and it will never be on a par with China. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is not possible to import crude oil, POL products, and LNG at discounted rates even in the wake of EU and US sanctions on Russia, as the country’s economic muscle is very weak and the country is always dependent on the IMF programme”. The officials said that Pakistan had also failed to complete the IP gas line project just because of US and UN sanctions on Iran.

    Via: The News

  • Govt says will not allow PTI’s long march, calls it ‘fitna’; Khan vows to continue

    Govt says will not allow PTI’s long march, calls it ‘fitna’; Khan vows to continue

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced on Tuesday that the federal government will not allow any riots in the name of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march, which is due to take place tomorrow (May 25).

    He said the government will not allow the PTI to spread “chaos and disorder”.

    “They will be stopped so they cannot propagate their misleading agenda,” he said while adding that PTI’s long march is not democratic.

    Sanaullah said everyone has the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest. However, he said that PTI doesn’t want a peaceful protest.

    ‘PTI has moved from abuses to bullets’: Interior Minister says no to PTI march

    “Had they not spread anarchy, we would not have stopped them. These people [PTI] have moved from abuses to bullets. A police constable was killed in Lahore.” Rana Sana vowed to protect the lives and properties of the capital’s people “at all costs”.

    The announcement has come after a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) political committee meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif where it was reportedly decided to stop Imran Khan-led Azadi March in the federal capital.

    “Such tactics are equal to ruining the economy,” PM Shehbaz was reported as saying in reference to the long march while addressing the meeting.

    ‘We will lead the biggest procession in history on May 25’: Imran Khan

    Meanwhile, despite the government’s decision, addressing a press conference in Peshawar, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that he will lead the biggest procession in Pakistan’s history on May 25.

    He went on to say that the PTI has a right to stage a protest against the “imported conspiracy”.

    “Did we protest when Bilawal staged a long march? Did we arrest him? Fazlur Rehman also staged a march, we said we would help them,” said Khan.

    Khan lashed out at the government for conducting raids in Lahore, and for barging into homes of “innocent citizens”.

    Long March: Khan asks judges and ‘neutrals’ to do the right thing

    Addressing “those who call themselves neutral”, he said that they had taken an oath to protect the country’s independence and sovereignty. “You need to understand that the public is looking at you, and you will also be judged. You will be equally responsible if the country goes towards destruction.”

    PTI’s long march: Islamabad likely to be fully closed on May 25

    According to Geo News, after the decision to stop the long march, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah summoned the Pakistan Army for the security of the Red Zone in Islamabad.

    Section 144 has also been imposed in the federal capital for two months. According to a notification, the restrictions have been extended up to one kilometre of the Red Zone.

    Raids at PTI leaders’ house in Lahore

    On Monday night and early morning on Tuesday, Punjab Police raided the houses of several PTI leaders, including former Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar, and Babar Awan.

    In a video, the mother of PTI leader Walid Iqbal and daughter-in-law of Allama Iqbal Justice (retd) Nasira Iqbal shared the harassment her staffers had to through at the hands of the police.

    During a raid of a PTI leader’s house in Lahore’s Model Town, police constable Kamal Ahmad was shot in the chest and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

    A first information report (FIR) was filed, stating that a police party, during a search operation in Model Town, rang the doorbell of Major (retd) Sajid Hussain’s house at 1:40am.

    “Hussain asked his son Bukhari to fire straight at the police party. Bukhari, with the intention of killing, fired straight at the police party. A bullet struck the chest of Constable Kamal Ahmad, who was standing outside the house”, the FIR reads.

    Both Hussain and his son Bukhari were arrested later.

    The current Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shehbaz on Tuesday attended the janaza (funeral) of Ahmad and blamed PTI for the constable’s death.

    ‘Azadi March is not against the government but the establishment’: Maryam Nawaz

    Later in the evening, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said his “Azadi March” is not against the government, “but the establishment”.

    She said the PTI chairman also launched “a malicious campaign targetting the judiciary, in which abusive words were used against the judges” 

    Speaking further about the long march, Maryam said the government was worried about PTI’s “nefarious designs”, and it has intel about the party amassing weapons for use against law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

    The PML-N vice president pointed out that the PTI chairman should call his children to Pakistan for leading the “Azadi March”, instead of instigating Pakistan’s youth to lay their lives for him.

    “Since they are Imran Khan’s sons, they will live abroad, and no one will touch them. They will remain in a safe and sound environment, while the sons of the soil — who spent their entire lives serving the country — will take bullets to their chests just because a person’s desire for power does not end?”