Tag: Imran Khan

  • New Delhi allows PM Imran to use airspace, claims Indian media

    New Delhi allows PM Imran to use airspace, claims Indian media

    India has allowed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aircraft to use Indian airspace for his official trip to Sri Lanka, reported India media outlets on Tuesday.

    According to Indian media outlet WION, Islamabad asked New Delhi for permission 10 days ago that was granted on Monday. As a protocol, whenever heads of state or governments pass through the air space of any other country, the country is alerted and due permission is taken, it reported.

    Planes taking off from Islamabad for Sri Lanka cannot bypass Indian airspace; therefore, they require permission to use its airspace. But in case of Karachi, the flights can use another route and travel to Sri Lanka via Arabian Sea.

    According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, PM Imran has embarked on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka on the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa. The premier is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the Cabinet and senior officials.

    To exchange views on key regional and international issues, Prime Minister will hold meetings with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during the two-day visit. The prime minister will also participate in a joint ‘Trade and Investment Conference’ aimed at promoting trade and investment between the two countries.

  • ‘Siyanay’: Maryam reacts to PM Imran’s demand for re-polling in NA-75

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan after the latter said he would ask the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate in Daska by-polls to demand re-polling in 20 polling stations of the constituency amid rigging allegations.

    On Friday, at least two people were shot dead as a result of firing at the polling place. Both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had alleged irregularities during the by-election on the National Assembly seat in Daska. Subsequently, the ECP withheld the results, saying it suspected irregularities in 20 polling stations.

    The commission had said results of the NA-75 constituency were received with “unnecessary delay”, adding that it tried to contact the presiding officers several times but with no success.

    In the backdrop of these allegations, the PM, in a series of tweet on Monday night, reaffirmed his pledge to hold transparent elections in Pakistan. “Have always struggled for fair & free elections. So even though there is no legal compulsion to do so before ECP announces results, I would request our PTI candidate to ask for re-polling in the 20 polling stations Opposition is crying hoarse over in the Daska NA 75 by- election,” Imran had tweeted.

    “It is because we want transparency that we are seeking open ballot for Senate elections,” said Imran in reference to the upcoming elections in Senate that have become controversial after the government promulgated an ordinance to end secret ballot amid protests by the opposition.

    But the PML-N VP who had alleged irregularities in the by-election took exception to the remarks made by the PM. She said that the premier was trying to hide rigging by making such claims.

    “Don’t try to be a know-it-all. You tried to manipulate elections using the full force of the state machinery, but when you lost the by-election you abducted the staffer of the Election Commission. Your decision to support re-polling is an attempt to hide your crime [of rigging], but you have been caught red-handed. Vote thief,” she wrote on her Twitter handle.

  • PM endorses re-polling in 20 Daska polling stations amid rigging allegations

    PM endorses re-polling in 20 Daska polling stations amid rigging allegations

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has endorsed re-polling in 20 polling stations in NA-75 amid allegations of irregularities by the opposition and the Election Commission of Pakistan’s subsequent decision to withhold the election result.

    On Friday, at least two people were shot dead as a result of firing at the polling place. Both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had alleged irregularities during the by-election on the National Assembly seat in Daska. Subsequently, the ECP withheld the results, saying it suspected irregularities in 20 polling stations.

    The commission said results of the NA-75 constituency were received with “unnecessary delay”, adding that it tried to contact the presiding officers several times but with no success.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also took the government to the task over alleged rigging in the by-election. Speaking to reporters, the PML-N vice president said that the events that transpired in the aftermath of voting in Daska have exposed the PTI government. She had said the government’s alleged plan to steal votes was foiled by people who guarded their vote.

    The PML-N vice president had accused the ruling party of taking the “20 presiding officers” hostage. She had questioned why out of the 361 polling stations, the staff of only 20 polling stations had to go missing during the “fog” and why were the results of these polling stations suddenly changed when the officers returned after 12 hours.

    In the backdrop of these allegations, the PM, in a series of tweet, reaffirmed his pledge to hold transparent elections in Pakistan. “Have always struggled for fair & free elections. So even though there is no legal compulsion to do so before ECP announces results, I would request our PTI candidate to ask for re-polling in the 20 polling stations Opposition is crying hoarse over in the Daska NA 75 bye- election,” Imran tweeted.

    “It is because we want transparency that we are seeking open ballot for Senate elections,” said Imran in reference to the upcoming elections in Senate that have become controversial after the government promulgated an ordinance to end secret ballot amid protests by the opposition.

    “Unfortunately others lack this commitment. When we wanted 4 constituencies opened after the 2013 elections, it took us over two years,” Imran said, referring to alleged rigging in 2013 election. The PTI had staged a months-long sit-in in protest against the 2013 election that saw PML-N rose to power.

  • Foreign experts to arrive in Pakistan to revive PIA

    A delegation of foreign experts will arrive in Pakistan on Monday (today) to devise a five-year corporate business plan for cash-strapped Pakistan International Airline (PIA).

    According to reports, the four-member team is arriving in Pakistan on the invitation of Dr Ishat Hussain, advisor to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on institutional reforms. They will stay in the country for 12 days to develop the plan for the national carrier.

    The team will review the business model and also meet government officials at the finance ministry as well as the airline’s chief executive officer (CEO), Air Marshal Arshad Malik.

    They will devise a business plan for the airline to make it profitable and sustainable. “We will be following the government’s directives on restructuring and reforms in the airline,” reports quoted them as saying.

    It is pertinent to note that Dr Hussain is supervising the reforms in PIA. Back in November 2019, the airline had sought the services of a reputed international firm with extensive aviation consulting experience to prepare a five-year corporate business plan through a tender.

    The objective was to revive PIA as a leading international airline, and enable it to play an important role in the country’s struggling economy.

  • ‘Cracks between Imran, establishment over letting Maryam leave country,’ claims journalist

    Senior journalist Haroonur Rasheed has claimed that the establishment has agreed to let Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz go abroad like her father Nawaz Sharif, but Prime Minister Imran Khan has refused to let her leave Pakistan.

    In a TV show, Rasheed claimed that Maryam Nawaz wants to travel abroad but she cannot do so because her name is on the no-fly list due to her alleged involvement in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. According to the journalist, Maryam approached the powers-that-be for relief.

    The establishment agreed to grant Maryam’s wish but PM Imran Khan flatly denied her request, he claimed, hinting at an alleged rift between the prime minister and the establishment.

    As per Rasheed, Imran has told the establishment that it will stop Maryam from leaving Pakistan at all costs. “I will stop her from travelling abroad even if it costs me my government or freedom,” the PM was quoted by Rasheed as saying.

    Recently, Maryam Nawaz said that she had a medical condition that couldn’t be treated in Pakistan, but she would never ask the incumbent regime for relief.

    Last week, former minister and PML-Zia chief Ijazul Haq claimed that establishment and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif struck a deal after which the PML-N supreme leader was allowed to travel to London.

    In an interview with Samaa, the ex-minister claimed the change in platelets count was an NRO deal. “Certainly, there was establishment involved,” Haq had claimed. He had claimed that he knew the “platelets and blood report of Sharif was changed to facilitate his escape from Pakistan”.

    “I know that the platelet or blood report was something else and the report on paper was something else,” he said. Haq said the information is “authentic” and he has “proof” to substantiate his claim, reported Samaa.

    It may be noted that the former premier was rushed to hospital from jail after a drastic decrease in his platelets. Subsequently, he was allowed to go abroad for treatment in Nov 2019 after submitting an assurance in the court.

    Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is in London for more than one year due to medical reasons and his passport is also expired.

  • Farhat Shahzadi, first lady’s friend, allegedly owns assets worth Rs700m, claims journalist

    Farhat Shahzadi, first lady’s friend, allegedly owns assets worth Rs700m, claims journalist

    After backlash, Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of First Lady Bushra Bibi, has withdrawn her nomination papers for a Senate seat amid claims that she allegedly owns assets worth Rs70 crore, including a flat in Dubai.

    According to journalist Rauf Klasra, the properties allegedly owned by Shahzadi must be investigated, calling them a “tip of the iceberg”. He claimed that Shahzadi could be the “frontperson” of the first lady while demanding a probe into her assets.

    Shahzadi had submitted the details of her assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan at the time of the submission of her papers. According to these details, the value of her assets increased by Rs9.5 million in one year.

    She has properties in Dubai, Bahria Town, Defence Housing Authority, and Chakri, Rawalpindi. In DHA Lahore, she owns six properties worth about Rs450m; in Islamabad, she owns a flat worth Rs90m; in Dubai, she is the owner of a flat that is worth approx Rs10m.

    The PTI leader has investments in 12 different entities, whereas she has eight bank accounts in her name with millions deposited in them.

    Meanwhile, the decision to field Shahzadi as a covering candidate on a seat reserved for women didn’t go down well with the party leadership. Subsequently, she has decided against contesting the election and took her nomination papers back.

    However, at the time, PM’s aide Shahbaz Gill defended the nomination of Shahzadi. Following criticism, PM’s aide Shahbaz Gill had defended the selection of Farhat Shahzadi, saying she is a part of the PTI and has been an active political worker for many years. She is a covering candidate and it is her right, he had added.

    Earlier this week, the PTI nominated 10 candidates: Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Muhammad Khan Madni, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Robina Akhtar, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, Aon Abbas, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Hussain Minhas, Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhary and Neelam Irshad Sheikh.

    Senate elections will be held on March 3.

  • Sri Lanka cancels PM Imran’s address to parliament to ‘appease India’: foreign media

    Sri Lanka cancels PM Imran’s address to parliament to ‘appease India’: foreign media

    Sri Lanka has cancelled Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to its parliament scheduled for Feb 24 after reservations that it could sour ties with India, reported Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Express.

    PM Imran is set to arrive in Colombo on Feb 22 on a two-day visit. He is expected to address the parliament of the South Asian nation during his visit. Pakistani leaders, including presidents Ayub Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, addressed the Sri Lankan parliament in 1963 and 1975. 

    However, days ahead of the address, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena had written to the government, seeking a postponement of the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The newspaper reported that the speaker said that he was unable to ensure full attendance in parliament on the occasion.

    Daily Express, quoting unnamed but “reliable” sources, claimed that “sections of the government had reservations about the decision to have the Pakistan prime minister address the Sri Lankan parliament as it could sour relations with India”.

    “The sources believe India might apprehend the Pakistani leader would raise the Kashmir issue in his address,” it reported.

    According to English language daily, the Pakistani Prime Minister is coming to Sri Lanka to strengthen ties with the only South Asian nation with which it has consistently close and good ties. It is undeniable that Sri Lanka-Pakistan relations have been cordial and strong right from the late 1940s when both got independence from Britain.

    Sri Lanka is eagerly waiting for Pakistan’s help to garner the support of Muslim countries in the 47-member UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in which a hostile resolution against it is likely to be introduced in March. The resolution is expected to call for Sri Lanka’s reference to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

  • Ex-PTI leader says was ‘offered Senate chairmanship to drop foreign funding case’

    Ex-PTI leader says was ‘offered Senate chairmanship to drop foreign funding case’

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding member Akbar S Babar, who also filed a case against the PTI over illegal funding in 2014, claimed that a friend of Prime Minister Imran Khan offered him the Senate chairmanship if he agrees to withdraw the foreign funding case against the PTI.

    “A friend of Imran Khan offered me the post of chairman Senate,” he said, adding that he had “rejected all offers since I am on a noble purpose”.

    According to the former PTI leader, he had been threatened and cases had been filed against him for pursuing his case against the party over illegal funding.

    Meanwhile, the PTI has termed the allegations of Babar as baseless. In a statement, the PTI said that Babar was not offered any kind of position by the PTI. “He is blackmailing the party for the last eight years and no leader of the PTI has contacted him nor made any such offer. It is an attempt by him to raise his political stature.”

    FOREIGN FUNDING CASE:

    Meanwhile, the PTI has disowned the statement of its central finance secretary wherein he claimed that the funds from the United Arab Emirates were transferred to the accounts of four of its paid employees.

    Last week, a document submitted to the ECP revealed that the PTI employees were authorised to receive donations from within and outside Pakistan. The document, quoted by Dawn, had revealed the names of employees that included PTI’s telephone operator Tahir Iqbal, computer operator Muhammad Nauman Afzal, accountant Mohammad Arshad and office helper Mohammad Rafiq.

    Subsequently, an application was filed by Akbar S Babar, demanding all the personal front accounts of four PTI employees be requisitioned from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to ascertain the scope of the illegal fundraising.

    However, in a response filed before the ECP’s Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, the PTI stated the “respondent does not own such statement made by any of the office-bearers of PTI”.

    This is not the first time that the PTI has disowned a statement. Earlier, its counsel in the ECP had rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement wherein the premier agreed to the open hearing of the foreign funding case.

  • What will happen to PTI govt if Gillani wins Senate seat?

    What will happen to PTI govt if Gillani wins Senate seat?

    Senate elections are just round the corner and all parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have finalised their candidates.

    The PTI is eyeing a majority in the Senate after the polls while the opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), is seeing these elections as an opportunity to topple the Imran-led government.

    Both are hoping to bag the Senate seat from Islamabad for which voting will be held in the National Assembly — lower house of parliament dominated by the PTI and its allies. PTI has fielded Hafeez Sheikh, whereas the opposition has nominated Pakistan People’s Party leader Yousaf Raza Gillani for the seat.

    The competition between Gillani and Sheikh is of great significance: if Gillani wins the seats — for that he would need to woo at least 15 lawmakers of the ruling alliance — then this would prepare the ground for a no-trust vote against the PM. This would be the victory of the PPP as well because out of all the PDM parties, only the People’s Party favours the no-confidence move against Imran Khan.

    The PDM parties also look hopeful. They believe Gillani, who had served as the prime minister during PPP’s tenure, will be able to secure the seat for two reasons: his personal standing as a politician and the disgruntled allies of the ruling PTI.

    According to reports, the PTI lawmakers and allied parties’ lawmakers are not happy with the PM’s decision to award ticket to his aide on finance and many see him as a “parashooter” in the PTI ranks. The observers believe that the opposition will be able to cash in on these grievances if Gillani runs the campaign seriously. A senior journalist also claimed that at least 20 members of the PTI are going to vote for Gillani in case of secret ballot.

    If Gillani wins, the opposition will ask the prime minister to resign. And as PPP’s Kaira says it would be a mere formality because the PTI nominee’s defeat in the Senate election would pave way for Imran’s ouster.

    NUMBERS GAME:

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies have an advantage of around 15 votes. The PTI has 156 votes, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has five MNAs, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has seven MNAs, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) has three, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) has five MNAs and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed’s Awami Muslim League has one. They will be supported by an independent lawmaker, Aslam Bhootani from Balochistan. All these members put together come to 179, as per The News.

    On the other hand, the PML-N has 83 seats, the PPP has 54 lawmakers, the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) or Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) has 15 MNAs, the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) has four seats, and the Awami National Party (ANP) has one lawmaker in the lower house. Three independents, including PTM’s Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, along with another independent lawmaker, are likely to back the PDM candidate. So, Gillani is supported by 160 members.

  • Tariq Jamil says didn’t criticise PM Imran over violence against govt employees

    Tariq Jamil says didn’t criticise PM Imran over violence against govt employees

    Cleric Tariq Jamil has said that he has not criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan over the use of violence against the government employees who were protesting at D-Chowk for better wages.

    On Wednesday, the Islamabad police resorted to tear gas shelling near the Pakistan Secretariat as they tried to push back the workers, who are protesting for a pay raise. Several protesters were detained as well.

    In the backdrop of this violence, a tweet started making round on social media wherein the senior cleric was purportedly lashing out at the government for thrashing its employees.

    “I have nothing to do with this statement. This is fake news. For authentic news about me, stay connected to verified platforms,” tweeted the cleric, adding: “May Allah preserve us from spreading false news.”

    PROTEST AT D-CHOWK:

    Protesting government employees on Wednesday faced the wrath of authorities in Islamabad as they headed towards the Parliament House on Constitution Avenue. Demonstrators started bypassing the containers because of which the police once again had resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse them.

    At least two dozen protesting employees were taken into custody under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).

    However, the government and the protesters reached an agreement on Thursday as PM Imran Khan agreed to give them a 25 per cent pay raise and release their employees.