Tag: Khawaja Asif

  • KYA BOLA? (Jul 16): ‘Noon League ne PIA ko naa baich kar ghalti ki’ to ‘Benazir ki waseehat’

    KYA BOLA? (Jul 16): ‘Noon League ne PIA ko naa baich kar ghalti ki’ to ‘Benazir ki waseehat’

    Following are some of the best snippets from Urdu newspapers on July 16, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    ‘Noon League ne PIA ko naa baich kar ghalti ki‘

    According to Daily Jang, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Khawaja Asif has admitted in a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Privatisation that“Noon League nay pichley daur mein PIA ko naa baich kr ghalti ki”.

    Meanwhile, managing director of PIA Investments Limited told the meeting that United States (US) President Donald Trump was interested in buying the national carrier-owned luxury hotel in New York.

    ‘Court aur Wazir-e-Azam kay muawin‘

    Daily Dunya has reported that Islamabad High Court (IHC), while hearing a petition filed against special assistants to the prime minister (SAPMs), has remarked that, “Wazir-e-Azam ka muawin wohi ho sakta hai jo mutalka shaubay [department] ka maahir ho.” The court ruled that if an answer was not submitted at the next hearing, unilateral action will be taken.

    ‘Benazir ki waseehat’

    It has been reported by Daily Dunya that Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded that the late former PM Benazir Bhutto’s will be presented before the nation.

    As a war of words continues between ruling PTI’s leaders from Sindh and members of the PPP-led provincial government, Zaidi has alleged that a handwritten “unverified” note was presented by the PPP to hand the reins of the party to the family of the deceased PM while “fooling the nation” and “ruining Sindh”.

  • PTI leader seeks blasphemy case against Khawaja Asif for stressing equal rights for minorities

    PTI leader seeks blasphemy case against Khawaja Asif for stressing equal rights for minorities

    A local leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Narowal has filed a complaint seeking registration of a blasphemy case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Khawaja Asif, who has been accused of “speaking against Islam” on the floor of the National Assembly (NA).

    Asif, while speaking on a point of order last week, had said that a “planned campaign against minorities” was being run on social media in retaliation to the Indian atrocities against Muslims in occupied Kashmir. “If minorities don’t feel safe in Pakistan then it is a matter of shame for us. It is our responsibility to protect their places of worship,” he had said while claiming that some objectionable caricatures had been made on social media targeting the minorities.

    He had also discussed the construction of Islamabad’s first Hindu temple, which has for now been halted, leading to a debate in the Lower House.

    “His words are against the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah, and are tantamount to blasphemy against Islam,” Advocate Qamar Riaz stated in his complaint to Zafarwal police against Asif, whom the complainant claims said that no religion was superior to the other.

    “This is a grave crime according to the Shariah, in which he [Asif] has declared Muslims and infidels equal,” Riaz stated.

    The PTI leader quoted a few verses from the Holy Quran in his application too. “Asif committed blasphemy in the light of those verses and hurt the sentiments of all Muslims,” he said, requesting the police to register a case against the PML-N lawmaker.

    According to reports, the police have not yet registered a case and orders from Narowal DPO Zulfiqar Ahmed are awaited.

    Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry has supported the stance of Khawaja Asif regarding construction of temple in Islamabad, saying that Pakistan’s constitution guarantees equal freedom to all religions.

    “Those who are issuing Fatwas on Khawaja Asif’s statement are projecting the thinking of Indian extremists and [Indian Prime Minister] Modi, which needs to be rejected outright,” he said.

  • VIDEO: Khawaja Asif, Fawad Chaudhry trade barbs in National Assembly

    VIDEO: Khawaja Asif, Fawad Chaudhry trade barbs in National Assembly

    The National Assembly (NA) on Monday approved the federal budget for the fiscal year 2020-21. The session, however, was yet again marred by an altercation, this time between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

    “Sir, bass vee kar deo [sir, please stop]” Fawad was heard as saying as Asif addressed the Lower House of the parliament.

    To this, Asif replied, “Tuvaaday mutalak mai aisiyaan aisiyaan gallaan karaanga, Khuda di qasam tavanu jagaah nayi labnni ais hall ich [I will say such things about you that you will not find a place in this hall].”

    Asif went on to say that for the past few days, Fawad had been “involved in some activities”, to which the federal minister said the PML-N leader would not “find any space in Sialkot — Asif’s hometown — either” and asked him to apologise for his remarks.

    NA Speaker Asad Qaiser kept on asking both the lawmakers to stop.

    “No cross talk please… sit down please. Please, Fawad Sahib. Take a seat. Khawaja Sahib, continue please.”

    “No, how can you let this happen? How can one person say anything and not apologise? How dare he? He must apologise!” Fawad said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Speaking to The Current, Fawad said he was discussing something with Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.

    “Khawaja Asif got upset because we were not paying attention to his speech. Then he made up some lies about me, for which I asked him to apologise.”

  • Fawad Ch says PML-N’s Khawaja Asif ‘lobbying to become prime minister’

    Fawad Ch says PML-N’s Khawaja Asif ‘lobbying to become prime minister’

    Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif “is lobbying to become the prime minister (PM)”.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, the minister claimed that Asif wanted both former PM Nawaz Sharif and his brother, PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif, to seek British citizenship and leave Pakistan for good. “He wants the entire [Sharif] family to move there [United Kingdom], and that he be granted the reins of PML-N.”

    When asked by anchor and host Arshad Sharif as to what would that mean for other senior leaders such as ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Fawad said Asif believes he played an important role in securing Nawaz the permission to seek medical treatment abroad. “He thinks he is on really good terms [with the Sharif family] nowadays, and so is the best candidate,” the federal minister added.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    To this, the journalist asked if Asif was in contact with federal cabinet members and that was how he managed to pave way for convicted former premier’s foreign travel. Fawad, however, did not answer the question.

  • PML-N rejects claims of a secret meeting in Birmingham; reporters stand by their story

    PML-N rejects claims of a secret meeting in Birmingham; reporters stand by their story

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif has rejected reports claiming that an “important” party meeting was being convened in the United Kingdom (UK).

    In an exclusive conversation with The Current, Asif said all reports regarding such a meeting were false and none of the party’s members were leaving the country to attend any such moot.

    Earlier, a private media outlet and some journalists, including 24 News and Geo’s Arshad Waheed Chaudhry, had claimed that an “important” meeting was to soon be held in Birmingham, UK, where PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his brother and party chief Shehbaz Sharif are present for the former’s medical treatment.

    Reporters are standing by their story. In response to Khawaja Asif’s tweet to this effect, Arshad Waheed Chaudhry tweeted:

    The report had quoted sources as saying that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance and other legislative business were to be discussed by top PML-N leadership beside the party’s future course of action as a new wave of inflation grips the masses under the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    It was also reported that Asif would be discussing with party leaders recent rifts that had emerged within the PML-N, and leaders, including Rana Tanveer, Ayaz Sadiq, Attaullah Tarrar among others were to leave for the meeting on Thursday.