Tag: Khurram Dastagir

  • PM Shehbaz regrets ‘inconvenience’ to Pakistanis from major power outage

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has addressed Monday’s major power breakdown that left most of the country without electricity for more than 12 hours.

    In a tweet, the Premier expressed his “sincere regrets”. He wrote, “On behalf of my government, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the inconvenience our citizens suffered due to the power outage yesterday.”

    He added that an inquiry is going on to determine what led to the sudden blackout.

    A day after the power outage, Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir said that electricity has been fully restored at grid stations across the country. However, the minister pointed out that there will be a shortage of electricity for the next two days.

    Residents complained of increased load-shedding even after the restoration, laying doubt on the government’s claims that power was fully restored.

    In a televised address on Tuesday, the minister explained said that there was a “delay in synchronisation” between Tarbela and Mangla power plants.

  • ‘Agar PM house ko secure karna hai, toh mobile phones ko band karna hoga’: Khurram Dastgir

    ‘Agar PM house ko secure karna hai, toh mobile phones ko band karna hoga’: Khurram Dastgir

    Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan has said that “Agar PM house ko secure karna hai, toh mobile phones ko band karna hoga.” (If one wants to secure the Prime Minister’s (PM) house, the use of mobile phones should not be permitted within the premises.)

    The minister’s remarks came after several audio leaks allegedly of PM Shehbaz Sharif have surfaced on the internet.

    Dastagir was of the view that “These security necessities are important as high-level talks take place at the PM office”, adding that that’s why “we need to secure it”.

    About his fellow party member Senator Ishaq Dar, Dastgir said, “Dar has remained finance minister twice in emergency situations. We hope that nation will benefit from his vast experience.”

    Dar took oath as a senator today (Tuesday) and will take over the finance ministry tomorrow.

    After the audio leaks surfaced online, the federal government constituted a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the data hack.

    An investigation has been initiated to probe the leak from the PM House, with one member each in the JIT to be included from the country’s intelligence agencies.

    The premier also called a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Wednesday, September 27, to discuss the matter.

    On Saturday, September 24, alleged audios of PM Shehbaz and other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, including some federal ministers and Vice-President PML-N Maryam Nawaz, appeared online.

  • PM Shehbaz meets COAS Gen Bajwa

    PM Shehbaz meets COAS Gen Bajwa

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa today (July 1), reports Geo News.

    In the meeting, the prime minister and army chief discussed the internal and external security situation of the country.

    Earlier, federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan revealed that the appointment of the next COAS will be made by PM Shehbaz after consulting with leaders of the coalition parties. The consultation process will begin in September.

    “The new army chief will be appointed in November. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after consulting with other coalition leaders, will decide on the army chief. This consultation will start in September,” said Dastgir.

  • ‘Waiting for DG ISPR’s response to Dastagir’: Asad Umar

    ‘Waiting for DG ISPR’s response to Dastagir’: Asad Umar

    Responding to Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir’s revelations why Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government came into power, senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar said that he is waiting for a statement by Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in response to such serious allegations.

    “Dastagir has alleged that in November when a new army chief would have been appointed by Imran Khan, the new chief would have violated the Constitution and would have helped Imran Khan make false cases against his opponents in order to disqualify them. I have been wondering why DG ISPR has not given a statement about these serious allegations even though a couple of days have passed.”

    Asad Umar said that he believes that Dastagir is lying but is still waiting for DG ISPR’s statement because these are very serious allegations and the from the military spokesperson should respond to them.

    Asad Umar also said that in reality, the government knew that the PTI government would start delivering on the economy and thus Khan had to be ousted through a conspiracy.

    READ MORE: PTI’s Asad Umar responds to DG ISPR’s recent interview

    Last week, Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir revealed why the coalition government came into power.

    “Mass disqualifications would have taken place had Imran Khan remained in power,” said Dastgir when anchorperson Syed Talat Hussain asked why the sitting government chose to come into power for a year and a half.

    “This is based on information. Imran Khan and his followers would have stayed in power for 15 years. The entire Opposition would have been disqualified. He [Imran Khan] was of the point of view that he will remove everyone and will not spare anyone.”

    “From Shehbaz Sharif to Khaqan Abbasi to Ahsan Iqbal, everyone of us would have been disqualified. We made a coalition government for that very reason. Imran Khan had fascist plans.”

    The joint Opposition’s candidate Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan. Imran Khan was voted out of office through a no-confidence motion on April 9.

  • ‘Enjoying free ride on tax money’: PM Shehbaz’s London visit receives criticism

    ‘Enjoying free ride on tax money’: PM Shehbaz’s London visit receives criticism

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and the senior leadership of the main government party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), have gone to London where they are due to meet with party supremo Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

     PM Shehbaz Sharif departed for London via a British Airways flight shortly after midnight. It is expected that he will remain in London for two to three days.

    The 10-member delegation consisting of PM Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Power Minister Khurram Dastagir, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Attaullah Tarar, among others have gone to London.

    Their visit has received a lot of backlash from PML-N’s opponents to the general public. The timing of the PM and his top leadership’s visit to London is being questioned, with observers asking why such a trip is necessary when the country is in dire straits.

    Former PM Imran Khan said in a jalsa in Jehlum on Tuesday that the entire cabinet was going to meet a ‘corrupt and convicted’ person, that too on taxpayers’ money.

    “This entire cabinet is going to London on your [tax] money — they won’t spend their own money.”

    Later Twitter reacted to the news when Deputy Secretary-General PML-N Attaullah Tarar shared a picture of the delegation visiting London.

  • ‘People gathered in the public meeting will thrash the Oppostion’: Asad Umar

    Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar in a public meeting on Friday warned the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) if it staged a long march to Islamabad to topple the government, “the people gathered in the public meeting will thrash you,” reports Dawn.

    His comments come after the Opposition is considering bringing a no-confidence motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani or National Assembly(NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser as a tester to confirm the present strength of treasury in parliament.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khurram Dastagir said on a Dawn News TV show that the motion would be moved soon. They said if the motion became successful, then a similar motion could be moved against the prime minister.

    Dastagir said: “The motion can be moved within two months against the Senate chairman or the NA Speaker.”

    Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said at a press conference that “the coalition parties have also expressed confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan”.

    The minister said these words after the premier held a third meeting on Friday with the leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in a week amid “shattered” confidence of allies in the government’s working and the Opposition’s threat to topple the government.

  • ‘No Pakistani was declared anti-state in the DMW analytical report,’ clarifies Fawad Chaudhry

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has clarified that no Pakistani was declared anti-state in the Digital Media Wing’s (DMW) analytical report.

    Fawad on Friday said that unfortunately, the political parties did not have political research wings, who could help their leadership to understand an issue in depth. Chaudhry advised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership to hire the services of an expert to learn about the contents of the DMW report.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1426198737152524294

    Fawad maintained the fact that “the analysis of Rana Sanaullah, Khurram Dastagir and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reflected that they were computer-illiterate individuals who were not well aware of the latest technology and lack of enough knowledge in this regard.”

    The minister further added, “India did use bot technology to promote anti-Pakistan tweets.” Fawad said the report did not comment on the people living in Pakistan, clarifying, “If someone will be taking part in #SanctionPakistan trending right now on social media and opposing it – then it does not mean that they indulged in an anti-state activity.”

    Commenting on the media wing of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Fawad said that PTM had participated in spreading and posting anti-state trends on social media. The data on PTM’s role in supporting the anti-state narrative was included in the DMW report, which could be analysed by people themselves.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1426199486536331270

    Fawad further added that the ones unfamiliar with technology could also contact the ministry’s Digital Media Wing that has been set up to guide individuals.

    Earlier, the PML-N slammed the report saying it had equated Pakistan’s Opposition, politicians, and journalists with India and Israel without any proof.