Tag: Imran Khan

  • ‘Every gift belongs to the office, not to be taken home’: High Court

    ‘Every gift belongs to the office, not to be taken home’: High Court

    The Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb has ordered to take Toshakhana gifts [state gifts] back from the officials who took them home and asked Deputy Attorney General Arshad Kayani to put the gifts on display.

    “People come and go but the Office of the Prime Minister remains at the same place. Every gift given [to the head of the state/government officials] belongs to their office, not to be taken home,” Justice Miangul Hassan remarked.

    The directives were issued during hearing of two petitions on the Toshakhana gifts matter, one by a citizen who demanded that the details should be put forward and the other by the Cabinet Division challenging that.

    The Justice directed to make a policy to ensure that the gifts received by the head of the state will only be deposited in the treasury. He also objected that the policy to pay a certain percentage of the gift’s value and take it home shouldn’t have been there.

    “There is no stay on the Pakistan Information Commission’s (PIC) order. The Cabinet Division is bound to provide information,” he observed. The case was adjourned for two weeks.

    However, the cabinet division challenged the PIC order in the high court, claiming that it is “illegal, without lawful authority”. The former government was of the view that the revelations of details of these gifts can affect Pakistan’s relations with the countries which have given the gifts.

    Earlier this week, an investigation by news organisation Fact Focus revealed that former PM Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi kept all 112 presents worth Rs142.02 million from the Toshakhana of Pakistan.

  • ‘Our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one’: US

    ‘Our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one’: US

    United States Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said that his country wants to work closely with the newly-formed government of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on regional and international issues and termed the US-Pakistan relationship as a “vital one”.

    In a press briefing, he said: “For almost 75 years our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one.” “We look forward to continuing that work with the new government in Pakistan across regional and international issues. This is work that has the potential to promote peace and prosperity in Pakistan and throughout the region.”

    Price added that the US viewed Pakistan as an “important stakeholder and partner” with whom the country is engaging to bring about a stable and secure Afghanistan.

    The statement is of great significance for bilateral relations as it has come after a series of allegations by Shehbaz’s predecessor Imran Khan. He had repeatedly blamed the US for backing the joint Opposition to oust him from power through a no-trust motion. Khan also came forward with a threatening letter that he claims is from the US.

    It is pertinent to mention that since Biden came into power and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, US-Pakistan relations have been standing on the edge of a precipice.

    Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the new Prime Minister of Pakistan and vowed to continue cooperation with the new government.

  • Fact check: Did Judge Nasira Iqbal write a statement in favour of Imran Khan?

    Fact check: Did Judge Nasira Iqbal write a statement in favour of Imran Khan?

    Claim: Justice (R) Nasira Iqbal made a statement in favor of Imran Khan, validating his conspiracy theory

    Fact: It was a doctored statement that Nasira Iqbal denied having ever made

    A message attributed to Justice (retd) Nasira Javed Iqbal is being widely shared on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.

    “I will tell you what crime you committed Dear IK. I have been asking why IK had to be removed immediately rather than wait for 16 months to complete the term. So here is the answer,” says the message, which then goes on to state that there was a conspiracy to oust Khan because he was taking measures that would have made Pakistan “come out of slavery” and thus the United States (US) was left with no choice but to remove him from power.

    When asked by anchorperson Abdullah Sultan on Geo News if the message being circulated was indeed written by her or reflect her views, Justice Nasira denied this and said it was a fake message being falsely attributed to her.

    “I am not on social media. I don’t subscribe to Facebook. I have not given any statement. I don’t like giving political statements in any case. I don’t know who these troublemakers are who have put out something in my name. And why do they use Allam Iqbal’s name? This is quite inappropriate. Whether Imran Khan is right or wrong does not concern me,” said Justice Nasira Javed Iqbal.

    Verdict: FALSE

  • ‘Bedroom tak jaayeinge’: PML-N supporters hurl threats at Jemima

    ‘Bedroom tak jaayeinge’: PML-N supporters hurl threats at Jemima

    PML-N supporters staged a protest outside the house of Jemima Goldsmith’s mother in Surrey, England. During the protest, the PML-N activists said:”If Jemima and her children don’t come down there, they will enter her bedroom.” They also said if you will protest outside Mian Nawaz Sharif’s house, they also reserve the democratic right to outside your house.

    “This is a video of hundreds of persons protesting for hours outside house of Jemima’s 88-year-old in Surrey yesterday. The man with the tannoy is threatening – If Jemima and her children don’t come down here, then we will enter her bedroom.”

    Read more- UK distances from Pak ‘political affairs’ after Khan’s ex-brother-in-law extends support

    Jemima, has not commented on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ouster. However, her brother Ben Goldsmith announced support for Imran Khan on Twitter following Khan’s ouster. He said: “My brother-in-law @ImranKhanPTI is a good and honourable man, motivated only by a strong desire to do good for his country.”

  • ‘Establishment offered us three options, not us’, Imran Khan maintains his stance

    ‘Establishment offered us three options, not us’, Imran Khan maintains his stance

    While talking to reporters, former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan insisted that the establishment gave him three options, contradicting the Pakistan military’s statement that the options were presented by Khan himself.

    Khan said, “The establishment gave me three options, so I agreed with the election proposal. How could I accept the resignation and no-confidence suggestion?”

    Last week, Director-General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the PM Office had contacted the military leadership to help resolve the ongoing political crisis. He added that the army chief and DG ISI visited the PM office at “their” request to play the role of “mediator”.

    The former prime minister said that the military was onboard over the Russia visit. He said, “Gen Bajwa said we must visit Russia.” The army has also confirmed that they agreed with the decision to visit Russia.

    Responding to the recent Toshakhana (state gifts) controversy, the PTI chairman said they were his gifts, so it was his choice whether to keep them or not. “Meray tohfay, meri marzi [my gift, my choice],” he added.

    According to media reports, the former PM received gifts worth more than Rs140 million from world leaders during his tenure and he kept them all either by paying a minor amount or without any payment.

    “Whatever I took from Toshakhana is on record. I purchased the gifts after paying 50 per cent of the cost,” Khan said.

    Regarding Farah Khan, he said that she had no position or ministry, how could she take money, if anyone has any evidence, bring it forward.

    About his party’s rallies in Peshawar and Karachi after the removal of his government, Imran Khan said: “I have never seen such a large number of people coming out in Pakistan.”

    He maintained his stance that the PTI government was removed as part of an “international conspiracy” and urged the nation to not accept this.

    The former prime minister also admitted that the filing of a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was a “mistake”. The reference against the SC judge should not have been filed, I have no personal enmity with anyone, it was sent by the law ministry”, the PTI chairman cleared.

  • ‘We still want immediate elections,’ Maulana Fazl tells the new govt

    ‘We still want immediate elections,’ Maulana Fazl tells the new govt

     Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has demanded immediate elections.

    Addressing his party workers in Islamabad, Maulana said that the maximum time this new government would be in power for is a year.

    “In this new setup, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has its own identity and we are telling them [new government] that we still want immediate elections.”

    READ MORE: Zardari, Nawaz, Maulana have all been ruined by one man: Saleem Safi

    Maulana said that continuing to stay in power unnecessarily is not his party’s stance. The new government, he added, can take some time for electoral reforms but Maulana said that Imran Khan was ousted so that the people of Pakistan could be given their mandate back.

    “Now it is our responsibility to give back the nation what we promised.”

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also been demanding early elections. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that elections cannot be held before October as it needs four months to complete the process of delimitation of constituencies.

  • Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    An investigation by news organisation Fact Focus reveals that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi kept all 112 presents worth Rs142.02 million from the Tosha Khana of Pakistan.

    The former PM and his wife Bushra Bibi have retained everything that was gifted to them by different states. The gifts include luxurious Rolex watches, gold and diamond jewellery, cufflinks worth millions, expensive dinner sets and perfumes. Not only that, they also kept a book worth Rs. 500, a tablemat, a samsonite bag and even a tasbih.

    The most expensive gift was a Graff watch worth Rs 85 million (Eight crore and fifty lac rupees), gifted to PM Khan by Saudi crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman when he visited Saudi Arabia on September 18, 2018. Instead of giving it the Tosha Khana, which is what every prime minister and his family is bound to do, Khan sold the watch in Dubai, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khan also declared tax returns on the watch when filing his taxes in 2020-21. He apparently paid Rs. 20 million (2 crore), which was 20 percent of the estimated value, according to his tax returns.

    List of some of the gifts:

    • One pair of cufflinks worth Rs. 5,670,000.
    • Five Rolex watches
    • A table mat of Rs. 30,000
    • Wall hanging worth Rs. 15,000
    • One locket with chain (Gold+Diamond) worth Rs. 269,350
    • Carpet worth Rs. 22,000

    In his returns for the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, Imran Khan did not mention any of the Tosha Khana presents that were kept. Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife, did not file a tax return at this time. Bushra Bibi, in reality, has never submitted a tax return in her life and was just registered with the Pakistani tax authorities in July 2021.

    A few days ago, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry that, Kya jurm huva agar gharri baich di’, admitting that Khan had sold the gifts.

    DISCLAIMER: The pictures used are for pictorial representation only and do not represent what the actual items might have been.

    Other gifts include:

  • ‘We are inching towards Civil unrest’: Fawad Ch on Punjab Assembly clash

    ‘We are inching towards Civil unrest’: Fawad Ch on Punjab Assembly clash

    Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry took to his Twitter account to comment on the manhandling of Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari by Assembly members belonging to PTI, earlier today (Saturday).

    “We are inching towards a full-fledged Civil unrest, Imran Khan has exercised utmost restraint even he won’t be able to stop this very angry mob and we’ll see the country plunging into civil unrest, imported leaders will not be able to leave the country,” he wrote in the tweet.

    Mazari was roughed up by PTI legislators carrying lotas (round water containers) before being brought back to his chamber in protective custody by the assembly’s security team. Mazari was said to have suffered minor injuries as a result of the assault by the PTI MPAs.

    On Friday, a division bench of the Lahore High Court dismissed a petition filed by a PML-Q politician and ordered Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari to hold a transparent and impartial election for the new Chief Minister of Punjab on April 16 (saturday).

  • ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, which was started to elect the new Chief Minister (CM) Punjab turned into a battle filed today (Saturday).

    Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari was attacked by several Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs). The lawmakers of the ruling party threw “lotas” at Mazari first, attacked him and pulled his hair despite the presence of security guards. Mazari who got injured somehow managed to go inside his chamber.

    Consequently, the session has been delayed due to the unfortunate incident.

    In a media talk outside the Punjab Assembly after the ruckus inside, PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar blamed Pervaiz Elahi and his “group of gangsters” for everything that happened inside the legislature.

    “What happened today is a blatant violation of the law and Constitution,” he said. “Today, the deputy speaker was attacked. This is an incident of terrorism. I have heard Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi wants to get one or two people murdered.” He added that Elahi had been encouraging the MPAs when they attacked the deputy speaker.

    Tarar also called on the Lahore High Court to take suo moto notice of the incident and initiate action against the culprits. “We are here and won’t move till midnight.”

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also condemned the incident. In a tweet, she said, “The gang of thugs whose name is PTI, seeing their defeat in Punjab, have started bullying again.”

    She further said that “This culture is by no means good for the country and for the nation but is a disaster. It must be stopped and eradicated immediately.”

    Similarly, PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb took a jibe at former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. She said, “After attacking the constitution, Parliament, Khan ordered an attack on Deputy Speaker in Punjab Assembly.”

    PML-N Khawaja Asif lashed out at Pervaiz Elahi, saying: “PTI-PML-Q gang of mobsters has not only desecrated Punjab Assembly a constitutional institution representing people of Punjab but they have also brought shame to parliamentarians all over the country.”

    On the contrary, the ruling party nominee  Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi blamed the PML-N for bringing the police inside the legislature “for the first time since the creation of assemblies”.

    “Who is the police to enter the assembly?” the PML-Q leader said. “We will make sure the Inspector General of Police (IGP) appears before us and he will be punished for a month.”

    A tough contest is expected to take place between Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz, who is the joint opposition’s candidate. Both candidates, along with their supporters, had arrived at the PA in the morning.

  • Fact check: Shehbaz Sharif did not meet singer Farhan NTF at PM House

    Fact check: Shehbaz Sharif did not meet singer Farhan NTF at PM House

    Claim: PM Shehbaz Sharif invited singer Farhan NTF to the PM House

    Fact: Shehbaz Sharif met Farhan NTF at his private residence in November 2021, almost 5 months before becoming Prime Minister.

    A video of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif meeting singer, composer and writer Farhan NTF went viral on Friday in which the singer can be seen sitting with Sharif and singing “Mian De Naray“, which is a political song.

    Political analyst Raheeq Abbasi tweeted the video and wrote: “These days, PM House looks like a circus. If in doubt, watch this video.” His tweet was retweeted more than 12,000 times and had almost three thousand quote-tweets.

    Former federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry quoted Raheeq Abbasi and tweeted: “Pakistan’s dummy prime minister in an important meeting discussing people’s issues in PM House.”

    Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan also quote-tweeted the same video and wrote that the King can be seeing enjoying himself.

    However, the video is not recent. Farhan tweeted about meeting Shehbaz Sharif on November 3, 2021. At that time, Imran Khan was the prime minister of Pakistan and the video was not shot inside the Prime Minister House.

    In a YouTube video, Farhan explains how hurt he was that his old video went viral and is being misused by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He clarifies that he met PM Shehbaz last year in November at Sharif’s private residence. He said that it seems that the video is being used as if PM Shehbaz is listening to a political song that was written for him instead of working.

    “I am a singer. I don’t have any political affiliations. I have sung songs for PTI also but my song ‘Mian De Naray’ became very popular. Did Khan not meet Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and Shaan Shahid when he was prime minister? Why can Shehbaz Sharif not meet any artist? I hope that people do not misuse our videos for their political interests.”

    VERDICT: FALSE