Tag: Imran Khan

  • After backlash, Maryam deletes tweet on alleged meeting between Pakistani, Israeli officials

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has deleted a Twitter post pertaining to an alleged meeting between the prime minister’s aide and Israeli officials after backlash on the social media platform.

    The PML-N vice-president had retweeted the tweet of Noor Dahri, the founder and executive director of UK-based Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism (ITCT), who gave an interview to Israeli TV channel i24TV.

    The PML-N leader shared the post because it implicated the incumbent premier for his alleged efforts to normalise ties with Israel.

    But, the post backfired as the video shared by Maryam also implicated her father Nawaz Sharif, who has served as three-time prime minister, tried to establish ties with Tel Aviv.

    Subsequently, she deleted the tweet, but not before screenshots started making rounds on social media. The official Twitter handle of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also shared a screen recording of her deleted tweet.

    A PTI supporter shared that the PML-N VP deleted the tweet because it “implicates Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto”.

    Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfi Bukhari rejected the reports about any visit to Israel. According to Bukhari, he was with the deputy commissioner in Rawalpindi that day.

    Bukhari said the Indian and Israeli sponsored media and the frustrated opposition wanted to “create some controversy”.

    “If it is directed against me, I would like to clarify that I was in Rawalpindi with the deputy commissioner on the day, and pictures of the event are also available,” said Bukhari.

    The report had claimed that an adviser of PM Imran Khan, who is a British national, went to Israel with a message from the prime minister.

    An Israeli media outlet reported that the unnamed adviser was welcomed by the Israeli officials at the airport as the visit was approved by the US.

    The adviser was escorted to the “foreign ministry of Israel where he met several political officials and diplomats and delivered the message of the Pakistani PM”, the reports claimed.

  • PM Imran’s adviser ‘secretly visited’ Israel with offer to start diplomatic ties, foreign media claims

    PM Imran’s adviser ‘secretly visited’ Israel with offer to start diplomatic ties, foreign media claims

    An adviser of Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Tel Aviv in November on his British passport to relay an official message that proposed normalisation of ties between Pakistan and Israel in return for its support “to halt down Pakistan’s current cold situation with the Arab countries as well as to support it in many international issues”, claimed foreign media reports.

    According to a global think-tank director, the visit took place in the last week of Nov. “The PM’s adviser [sent to Israel] lives in the UK and has also close relations with the Trump administration.”

    According to the report, the unnamed adviser was welcomed by the Israeli officials at the airport as the visit was approved by the US. The adviser was escorted to the “foreign ministry of Israel where he met several political officials and diplomats and delivered the message of the Pakistani PM”, the reports claimed.

    “He stayed a few days in Israel where he met with the director of Israeli intelligence Mossad Yossi Cohen and delivered a secret message of Pakistan army chief,” it went on to claim.

    According to the reports that cite unnamed Israeli sources, Pakistan has sought the support of Israel to “halt down the current cold situation with the Arab countries as well as to support it in many international issues such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as well as Indian lobbying against Pakistan”.

    “In return, Pak would start political ties at a slow place due to the fear of religious bloc within the country,” they claimed, adding that the offer was welcomed by the state of Israel.

    Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has not responded to these reports yet. However, the FO has many times rejected the reports pertaining to the normalisation of ties with Israel as baseless.

    Last month, the prime minister had told a journalist on TV that some Muslim states and the US were putting pressure on Pakistan to recognise Israel.

  • VIDEO: Did Bilawal just refer to PTI ministers as Imran’s dogs?

    VIDEO: Did Bilawal just refer to PTI ministers as Imran’s dogs?

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken a dig at the ministers of Prime Minister Imran Khan, comparing them to the pet dogs of Imran Khan.

    On Sunday, when the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was busy holding a massive gathering in Lahore, the PM chose to his spend his day with his dogs. The photos of PM and his two dogs also went viral on social media and made it to the press.

    These photos were considered by many an attempt to give the impression that the PM was not intimidated by the PDM power show.

    A reporter asked Bilawal to comment on the PM spending Sunday with his dogs on the day of the PDM’s much-hyped jalsa. The PPP chairperson responded that the reporter shouldn’t “use such words [dog] about the PM’s ministers”.

    On Sunday, the PDM held a massive rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore. According to the opposition, hundreds of thousands of people attended the gathering, whereas the government’s estimates put the number at 15,000 max.

    This was a decisive rally of the first phase of the anti-government agitation, now the opposition has plans to march on Islamabad if Imran Khan fails to resign by Jan 31.

  • Top economist wants govt to make Maulana Tariq Jamil chief of FBR

    Top economist wants govt to make Maulana Tariq Jamil chief of FBR

    If honesty is the sole criterion for the appointment of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) head then the government should request cleric Maulana Tariq Jamil to head the tax watchdog, said top economist Dr Ikramul Haq while criticising the government’s tax policies.

    In an Express News show, the economist said the use of technology and enforcement of laws were important to achieve tax targets.

    “If tax collection can be increased through honesty alone, we should request Maulana Tariq Jamil to head the FBR,” the economist said, alluding to the remarks made by Imran Khan before the 2018 elections that an “honest leadership” could convince people to pay taxes and become a tax-compliant nation.

    He also urged the government to relax the definition of non-resident person to one year to facilitate those who were stuck in the country due to Covid-19.

    Haq was of the view that the government should make a general rule to facilitate the people instead of waiting for them to individually plead their cases regarding overstay due to the pandemic as scores of non-resident persons have accidentally become Pakistani residents.

    According to the economist, the FBR should send tax returns to the people to measure the response. According to the TV show, at least 72 per cent of people didn’t file tax returns: 4.7million out of the total 6.5m.

  • PM Imran prays for Maulana Tariq Jamil’s speedy recovery

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has extended his prayers and best wishes to Maulana Tariq Jamil after he tested positive for COVID-19. The renowned religious scholar has been admitted to the hospital on his doctor’s advise.

    “Praying for Maulana Tariq Jamil’s speedy and full recovery from the COVID-19”, wrote PM Khan on social media.

    Maulana Tariq Jamil on Sunday had announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

    “For the past few days, I have been feeling unwell. On getting tested for COVID, it came positive,” he shared on social media. “I have been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors, special prayers are requested.”

    Read more – Maulana Tariq Jamil apologises to nation for controversial remarks against women

    Meanwhile, Senator Faisal Javed Khan has also extended his best wishes to Maulana Tariq.

  • PM appoints Sheikh Rasheed as interior minister

    PM appoints Sheikh Rasheed as interior minister

    In another reshuffle in the federal cabinet, Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed Sheikh Rasheed as the interior ministry while Brig (r) Ijaz Shah, who had held the portfolio of the interior ministry, has been named as the narcotics minister.

    Senator Azam Swati, whose portfolio has been given to Ijaz Shah, will replace Sheikh Rasheed as the railways minister.

    Meanwhile, Hafeez Sheikh, who was serving as PM’s aide on finance, has been inducted in the cabinet as a federal minister for finance. Sheikh is not a member of parliament, but the PM can appoint “an unelected individual as a minister for six months under Article 91(9) of the Constitution”. He took oath as a federal minister earlier in the day.

    “A Minister who for any period of 6 months is not a member of the National Assembly shall, at the expiration of that period, cease to be a Minister and shall not before the dissolution of that Assembly be again appointed a Minister unless he is elected a member of that Assembly,” reads Article 91(9).

    Earlier, the Islamabad High Court had ruled that a special assistant or PM’s aide cannot head a public body without being an elected member of parliament. After this decision, Sheikh was unable to head the Economic Coordination Council (ECC) meeting.

    This is the fifth time Prime Minister Imran Khan has reshuffled the federal cabinet since assuming office in 2018.

  • PM Imran unfollows everyone on Twitter

    PM Imran unfollows everyone on Twitter

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, who used to follow 19 accounts on Twitter, has unfollowed everyone on the microblogging site, including the official handle of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    PM Imran, who has 12.9 million followers, used to follow Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, Planning Minister Asad Umar, estranged PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen and late Naeemul Haque.

    He also followed organisations he founded, i.e. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Namal University. He also unfollowed his ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith.

    Imran Khan emerged as the ninth most-followed world leader on the microblogging site in July this year, according to a study by Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW). 

    In past, social media users had observed that the premier had unfollowed journalist Hamid Mir. It was assumed that the decision was taken amid rising criticism of the government by the anchorperson and his channel.

  • Another U-turn? Mobile phones have destroyed society, says PM

    Another U-turn? Mobile phones have destroyed society, says PM

    Prime Minister Imran Khan used to call the mobile phones a necessary part of digital Pakistan until a couple of years ago, but it seems he has changed his opinion about them.

    In a recent interview with Hamza Ali Abbasi, the PM has held mobile phones responsible for the decadence in society. He said the government cannot curb sex crimes on its own, as society’s help is necessary to create awareness.

    The negative impact of mobile phones on teenagers is disastrous, the PM said, adding that the “teens can watch the stuff on their phones that no one has ever seen in the history of humankind”. He said the “sex-related material” on phones have posed unprecedented challenges to the teens.

    The PM held Hollywood and Bollywood responsible for the decadency. He said that’s why he asked Turkey for permission to broadcast their show because it contains “Islamic values”.

    In Dec 2018, the prime minister had praised the increased usage of mobile phones in Pakistan, saying they were a harbinger of a digital media revolution. The PM had said the government would use mobiles to disseminate information.

    “The government would use mobile phones to run an awareness campaign,” the PM had said while addressing a moot on overpopulation.

  • KYA BOLA? (Dec 7): ‘Five Star Mahool Ko Taras Gye’, ‘Hukoomat Media Ky Nishany Py’, ‘Media Azad Nahi’

    KYA BOLA? (Dec 7): ‘Five Star Mahool Ko Taras Gye’, ‘Hukoomat Media Ky Nishany Py’, ‘Media Azad Nahi’

    Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on Dec 7, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    ‘Five Star Mahool Ko Taras Gye’

    According to Express News, Pakistani cricket players in New Zealand are irked by the quarantine routine. “Mulk mai badshaon wali zindagi guzarny waly stars ky kamron ki 11 din sy safai nahi hui. Bedsheets tak nahi change huay, aur khana dabon mai deny ka silsala jari.”

    ‘Hukoomat Media Ky Nishany Py’

    PM Imran Khan has been quoted by Daily Jang saying that the media is targetting his government. According to the PM: “Hukoomati karkardgi sahi nahi batai jati. Media corrupt opposition ki himayat kar raha ha.”

    ‘Media Azad Nahi’

    Maryam Nawaz was quoted by Daily Jang as saying that Pakistani media was being controlled by the government. “Media kab tak mar khata rahy ga, wo hukomat ka aalakar banany sy inkar kary. Kya sada isi trah majboori mai bethy rahin gy? Sab channels ko sabaq parhaya jata ha ya likha hua aata ha.”

  • Five Pakistani dramas PM Khan should watch

    Five Pakistani dramas PM Khan should watch

    Ever since he assumed office, Prime Minister Imran Khan has given us plenty of recommendations on drama serials and books – the most prominent being Turkish drama series Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love. Earlier this week, PM Khan recommended the youth to watch another Turkish show on Sufism Yunus Emre: Aşkin Yolculuğu, which is also being aired on PTV in Urdu.

    While we love the fact that the PM takes out time to recommend stuff to the youth, we decided to turn the tables and recommend him a few recent (in the past two years) Pakistani drama serials which are worth watching. Check out our suggestions below:

    Sabaat

    While Hum TV’s Sabaat in its essence is a family drama exploring familial relations and dynamics, its presentation was very refreshing, in particular Anaya and Hassan’s storyline. The drama highlighted the importance of having a healthy, loving relationship with your children and gave out a strong message on the importance of empowering women and daughters and gave viewers a new heroine after Zindagi Gulzar Hai‘s Kashf. It also showed how ego, money and misunderstandings can ruin relationships and your life. All these themes are the ones which PM Khan has time and time again urged our drama writers to show on television.

    Read more – ‘Sabaat’ manages to tie up loose ends in a rushed finale

    Alif

    Starring PM Imran’s BFF Hamza Ali Abbasi and Sajal Aly in the lead, Alif, written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Haseeb Hasan focuses on the spiritual journeys of two individuals Qalb-e-Momin (Hamza) and Momina Sultan (Sajal), who despite coming from completely different backgrounds help each other find peace in righteousness. Alif was a brilliant example of good storytelling and sensitive direction. Moreso, the entire cast of the drama including Hamza, Sajal, Ahsan Khan, Manzar Sehbai and Kubra Khan gave strong and solid performances. It is pertinent to add here that Hamza in several interviews has shared that his life reflects what is shown in the drama.

    Suno Chanda Season 1

    Perhaps one of the most-loved dramas in the country, Suno Chanda (Season 1) is chaotic, fun and will leave you with a warm feeling. The show which ran through Ramadan and had everyone hooked is about a household in which the children of two brothers get married just before the family’s patriach passes away. Directed by Aehsun Talish and written by Saima Akram Chaudhry, Suno Chanda is a comedy drama done just right. From the performances to the witty dialogues to the direction, everything about this drama was brilliant. The show gave us some memorable characters and there was bound to be one person in the cast you could relate too.

    Out of the list, if there is one drama the prime minister should be watching, it should be Suno Chanda. Will also give him some much-needed respite from the day-to-day political tensions.

    Aangan

    Yet another multi-starrer drama starring some big dramas of the drama industry, Aangan brought back and romanticised living in joint family systems while at the same time highlighting the issues that come with it. The drama very delicately and tactfully challenged societal norms while keeping viewers engaged and hooked. Aangan is without a doubt one of Faiza Iftikhar’s finest works. I am pretty sure Khan sahab is going to love this one. It is everything he wants to promote through television and dramas.

    Sammi

    Perhaps the darkest drama on this list, Mawra Hocane and Adnan Siddiqui’s Sammi sheds light on the custom of vani (or exchange brides) and how women are forced to continuously bear children in the quest for a son. It is gritty and makes you uncomfortable but that is because you know that this is exactly what happens to women in this country. The drama has been sensitively written by Noor ul Huda Shah and directed by Saifee Hassan.

    Is there any other drama you would recommend PM Imran to watch? Let us know in the comments below.