Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reacted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s second audio leak in which the leader can be heard directing his party members not to name the United States (US) in the cipher matter.
The minister, who is currently in London, told the media that it is an “Ideal case” of Article 6 of the Constitution, which deals with high treason.
“He [Imran Khan] should listen to the clips himself and feel shame on how he has put Pakistan’s integrity at stake in his lust for power,” Asif said, lashing out at Imran.
“In Pakistan’s 75-year history, no politician has put Pakistan’s security at risk,” said Asif. He admitted that politicians and army officials have done things against each other and made mistakes but no one has done a “forgery” like the PTI leader.
“In the audio, he is saying do not take America’s name but at the same time is talking against it. I cannot even imagine that a politician can be this shameful,” added the minister.
Referring to Khan’s alleged insistence in the audio leak on using the word “letter” instead of cipher because “people wouldn’t have understood the word transcript”, Asif said the “PTI chief had underestimated the nation’s collective wisdom and will pay the price.”
Audio leak:
In the second audio leak, Imran Khan when he was Prime Minister (PM) is directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public.
“We don’t have to name the Americans. Under no circumstances do we have to take the name. So, on this issue please, the name of the country should not come out of anyone.”
In turn, the voice, supposedly belonging to Asad Umar, raised a question: “Are you saying letter deliberately? This is not a letter, it is the meeting’s transcript.”
On this, Imran Khan says that both the letter and the transcript are “the same thing”. He added that “People wouldn’t have understood the word transcript if you say things like this in your jalsa.”
In thefirst audio leak that surfaced a couple of days ago, the PTI chief directed his then-principal secretary Azam Khan that, “We have to play with it [cipher]”.
On the same day, when the first audio leak came out Khan broke his silence on it and said that he has not played on the cipher yet.
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.”
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.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took a jibe at former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who came back to Pakistan on Monday, took oath as Senator on Tuesday and is set to take over the ministry of finance on Wednesday.
The PML-N leader has come back to Pakistan after living for five years in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom (UK).
While speaking at the Ulema and Mashaikh Convention in Peshawar, Khan said, “In 2017, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) asked Dar that how has he become a billionaire as his father was a hardworking man and used to sell bicycles.”
“At the time, Ishaq Dar Ishaq Dar ki kaampein taangny lagi (Shivers are legs) and he flew out of the country on Prime Minister’s jet”, Khan said.
اسحاق ڈار سے جب نیب نے پوچھا کہ آپ کے والد کی سائیکلوں کی دکان تھی آپ کے اربوں کے اثاثے کیسے بن گئے تو اسکی کانپیں ٹانگ گئیں اور وہ ملک سے بھاگ گیا اور آج ڈیل کر کے واپس آ گیا ہے۔ عمران خان pic.twitter.com/Y4QbOOGcTa
During the address, Khan claimed that Dar is back so that corruption cases get resolved. He alleged that Dar had made a deal under National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) before returning to Pakistan.
“It is unfortunate that the justice system could not stop Ishaq Dar,” he added. “A fugitive, after stealing billions of rupees, was roaming freely abroad and was taking decisions for Pakistan.”
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar on Tuesday, September 27, took oath as a senator.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani administered the oath amid ruckus created by the opposition.
Dar touched down in Pakistan with PM Shehbaz Sharif on the night of September 26. He will be sworn in as the federal finance minister tomorrow (September 28) at 10am.
Audios allegedly of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have been leaked.
Following the leaks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter, saying, “PM House’s data has been put on sale on the dark web. It is a major failure of our intelligence agencies, especially the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Besides political matters, important discussions on security and foreign affairs are in their hands.”
Similarly, his party member Shireen Mazari said that the real issue is that who placed these hacking devices.
“Real issue is who bugged the PMO/PMHouse in the first place. The hacking happened because devices were placed in these locations. So who is responsible and where did orders or decision come from? That is a question that must also be focused on,” she tweeted.
‘TV par ulti baatein karta hai’: Maryam Nawaz about Miftah Ismail
In one of the audio clips, PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz allegedly can be heard complaining to her uncle [PM Shehbaz] about Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. “
“TV par ulti baatein karta hai” (He says strange things on television), she allegedly says.
“He doesn’t take responsibility, says strange things on TV which people make fun of, he doesn’t know what he is doing,” the voice said to be Maryam’s says in the clip.
“He clearly cut corners,” the voice said to be PM Shehbaz can be heard saying as she wishes for the return of former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
It is pertinent to mention that Dar will take over as the Finance Minister in the coming week.
The second clip allegedly concerns a conversation between PM Shehbaz, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Tarar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and former National Assembly (NA) speaker Ayaz Sadiq about the resignations of PTI MNAs. The audio is said to be a recording of a cabinet meeting.
Party leaders can be allegedly heard discussing whose resignations from PTI will be accepted. Moreover, the leaders can be heard saying that the final decision will be taken by PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif who is in London.
At one point, Ayaz Sadiq can be heard saying that “Will tell them that the signatures were not correct,” allegedly talking about those PTI members whose resignations they did not want to accept.
The third clip is allegedly a conversation between Maryam Nawaz and the PM where they are discussing the return of former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
A voice said to be Maryam’s can be heard saying that “Army has decided to bring Musharraf back to Pakistan so before it looks like that they have an imposed a decision on us, I asked Abu (Nawaz Sharif) to tweet in favour of Musharraf’s return.”
At the time, Nawaz had tweeted, saying: “I have no personal enmity or animosity towards Pervez Musharraf. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the trauma I have had to endure.”
‘Her son-in-law is very dear to her’: PM Shehbaz allegedly says in another audio leak, referring to Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law.
In that clip, PM Shehbaz and an unidentified man can be heard allegedly discussing about facilitating Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law Raheel.
The unidentified man can be heard briefing the person, alleged to be the premier, about the consequences of taking the decision.
At this, the voice thought to belong to the PM says: “The son-in-law is very dear to Maryam Nawaz. Tell her very logically about this and then I will talk to her.” He also said that he would personally meet him once he returns from Turkey.
At this, the other person allegedly advises PM Shehbaz to get this work done from former finance minister Ishaq Dar, to which he agrees.
شہباز شریف کی مبینہ اڈیو لیک۔۔ کیسے ایک آفسر بتا رہا ہے کہ مریم صفدر اپنے داماد راحیل کے لیے سفارش کرتے ذور لگا رہی ہے جس کا پاور پلانٹ انڈیا سے امپورٹ ہونا ہے۔شہباز مان رہا ہے کہ اس کا ری ایکشن آیے گا۔ البتہ رحیم یار خان میں ہاوسنگ سوسائٹی کے لیے پلانٹ کا کام کروا دیں pic.twitter.com/oRasXUNEYo
On Monday, the United Kingdom celebrated the life of Queen Elizabeth II with a state funeral steeped in tradition.
The site of the funeral service was Westminster Abbey in London. The Queen was crowned here 69 years ago and it was also where she married Prince Philip 75 years ago.
Leaders from around the world attended the state funeral of Britain’s longest serving monarch. Kings and Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, celebrities and friends from across the globe were among the 2,000 guests at the Queen’s funeral service
The Queen’s coffin was then taken to St. George’s Chapel in Windsor where after a committal ceremony, she was to be laid to rest with her parents, her sister and her late husband.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on September 8 in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is set to leave for a two-day visit to the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday, September 18, during which he will represent Pakistan at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.
The premier is scheduled to have a three-hour-long meeting with his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, in London.
According to news reports, PM Shehbaz will return to Pakistan on Monday soon after attending the state funeral for the late Queen — who died at the age of 96 on September 8 at her Balmoral Castle residence.
It is pertinent to mention here that senior analyst Suhail Warraich had recsbtly revealed that Nawaz Sharif is not satisfied with the performance of his brother Shehbaz Sharif or Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. Warraich said Nawaz wants Shehbaz to review his policies.
“Nawaz had already said that they should not take over the government and move towards elections. It seems like he [Nawaz Sharif] has made up his mind that he wants economic policies reviewed, and he would want Ishaq Dar to manage it. He [Nawaz Sharif] does not trust Miftah Sahib,” said Warraich on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on September 19 in London, United Kingdom.
The premier will reportedly reach London on September 17. Other than PM Shehbaz, United States (US) President Joe Biden and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida will also participate in the funeral along with almost 2000 other guests.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is now at London’s Westminster Hall, where the monarch will lie in state before her state funeral on Monday.
The Queen’s son, King Charles III, was joined by his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and other members of the royal family as he walked behind the coffin during its procession route on Wednesday en route to Westminster Hall.
During this two-day tour, PM Shehbaz will also meet his brother Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif. He and three key cabinet members, who are currently in Samarkand, will embark on a visit to London on September 17.
Earlier this week, Pakistan observed a national day of mourning over the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, becomes King Charles’s Queen Consort, in a remarkable journey to public acceptance after she became a hate figure for her perceived role in the break-up of his marriage to princess Diana.
For years, Camilla was vilified as the marriage-wrecker who shattered Britain’s fairy-tale royal love story.
Diana famously complained in a bombshell BBC television interview in 1995 that “there were three of us in this marriage” — her, Charles and Camilla, his long-time lover.
She even reportedly called her love rival a “rottweiler”.
After Diana died in a Paris car crash in 1997, Charles and Camilla gradually began to appear together in public and in time became accepted as a couple.
They married in 2005 and she, over time, won plaudits as the future king’s loyal wife.
The couple were seen side-by-side as they looked at flowers left by mourners for Charles’ father Prince Philip.
The popular Netflix series “The Crown”, charting the lives of Britain’s most famous family, albeit with a heavy dose of artistic licence, rekindled interest in their affair.
Charles was portrayed as very much in the driver’s seat, pursuing the older Camilla, played by Oscar-winning writer, director and actress Emerald Fennell.
In real life Camilla has carved out her own role, participating in the Booker literary prize ceremony and even the final of television ballroom dancing talent contest “Strictly Come Dancing”.
She campaigns to raise awareness of osteoporosis a condition from which her mother, Rosalind, suffered — and has an Instagram book club.
Marking 70 years on the throne earlier this year, the queen announced she hoped Camilla would be known as Queen Consort when Charles becomes king, resolving a long debate over her future title.
A YouGov poll in May 2022 found only 20 percent would like to see her become “queen”, while 39 percent favoured the title of “Princess Consort”.
YouGov ranked Camilla as the eighth most popular royal in the second three months of 2022, with 40 percent viewing her positively.
Born Camilla Rosemary Shand in London on July 17, 1947, Camilla had a traditional upbringing among Britain’s monied upper classes.
The granddaughter of the 3rd Baron Ashcombe, Roland Cubitt, she was educated in London, went to finishing schools in Switzerland and France, and spent her home life on a country estate in Sussex, in southern England.#photo1
Self-confident and attractive, she first met Prince Charles as a young woman at a polo match in the early 1970s, and they later became close.
However, believing Charles would never propose, she married British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973. Royal guests included the queen’s sister, princess Margaret, and the monarch’s daughter, princess Anne.
The couple had two children: Tom Parker Bowles, whose godfather is Charles, is now a food writer, while Laura Lopes is an art curator.
Mutual feelings with the prince remained, nonetheless, with Charles allegedly continuing to see Camilla even after his high-profile marriage to Diana at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1981.
The romance was fully rekindled later that decade as the royal marriage crumbled, which was luridly chronicled in leaked recorded phone conversations to the tabloid press.
Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles divorced in 1995, a year before Charles and Diana.
After Diana’s death, Charles and Camilla kept their relationship discreet, but it gradually became apparent they were effectively living together as husband and wife.
Following months of careful planning, the couple made their first public appearance together in 1999 and after that became increasingly open about their relationship.
They were married in the royal town of Windsor on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony followed by a religious blessing at St. George’s Chapel, with Queen Elizabeth II present.
Both divorced, there was controversy over whether they could have a church wedding, especially given Charles’ future role as supreme governor of the Church of England.#photo2
But the wedding — delayed by a day to allow the prince to attend pope John Paul II’s funeral — drew a cheering crowd of 20,000 into the streets leading to Windsor Castle.
As a married couple, they settled into a life of royal duties, overseas tours and holidays at Balmoral, the royal estate in northeast Scotland.
Camilla — known as the Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland — remained the archetype of the tweed-wearing, horse-loving British country aristocrat.
She has two Jack Russell terriers, rescue dogs Beth and Bluebell, and is a keen flower arranger.
Over time, Camilla has also been widely accepted by the royal family, including Charles and Diana’s two sons, princes William and Harry.
In 2005, Harry rejected the image of her as a “wicked stepmother”, describing her as a “wonderful woman and she’s made our father very, very happy, which is the most important thing.
“William and I love her to bits.”
Prince Charles’s behaviour with the two
Prince Charles’ relationship with Princess Diana when out in public was noted to be different in comparison to his behaviour with Camilla.
When the Prince of Wales is joined by the Duchess of Cornwall, he is snapped smiling and laughing with her, something which body language expert Inbaal Honigman shared was different when he was with Princess Diana.
Speaking to Express about Charles’ interaction with Camilla verses with Diana she said: “Prince Charles is regularly seen embracing his wife Camilla.
“The pair are often observed with their arms interlocking, looking each other in the eye, smiling full into each other’s faces, and generally seeking each other’s closeness, that the collective consciousness sees him as this guy.
“The warm, tactile, even romantic husband who is devoted to the lady beside him.
“Often photographed facing the same way as each other, or indeed facing one another, the married couple are clearly in love, and feel comfortable in each other’s presence, as they share royal duties, and the odd private moment.”
“A glance back at his photos with his first wife, the late Princess Diana, reveal a very different Prince.
“Official images and some personal press shots from the early years of the young couple’s married life, show a blushing Diana and an often discontent Charles in absolute disarray towards one another.
“There’s always a good few feet of social distancing between them, and they rarely face the same way.
“In the starkest of photographs, they’re facing squarely away from one another, both standing stiff with their arms by their sides.
“But even on the occasions when they’re not searching for something to look at on opposite ends of the room, they are not in harmony – if they both look ahead, it’s never in the same direction.
“Their facial expressions don’t match. They both look like they wished they were elsewhere, with somebody else.
“Partly, this disparity between 80s Prince Charles and his military stance, and modern era granddad Charles, all warm and loving, may be down to social protocols around the royals changing.
“It could be that back in his first marriage, the Prince was under clear instructions to not hold hands, to not look too happy – and during those days, there was no room for flexibility even with his young wife.
“These days now, the royals are accepted as people in their own right, and the Prince shows his spontaneity and natural wit without any negative repercussions.”
Inbaal continued: “Another consideration is maturity – many people only develop their romantic sides as they age.
“There is every chance that the apparent antipathy between Prince Charles and Princess Diana in the early days, expressed in their body language of opposites, was a result of social reasons, not emotional incompatibility,” she added.
Indians are among the people who own the most real estate in the capital of the United Kingdom (UK), London, more than the English themselves.
According to London-based residential developer Barratt London, the largest group of property owners in London are Indians, who are represented by those who have lived in the UK for generations, NRIs, investors from other countries, students, and families who travel to the UK for education. English and Pakistani people are next in number.
These Indian investors, who reside in both the UK and India, are prepared to spend anywhere between GBP 290,000 and GBP 450,000 for a one, two, or three-bedroom property in London, the nation’s capital.
“We are seeing a strong demand from Indian investors looking to purchase properties in London and invest in the stable and long-term property market. Outside of London, most of our products are sold to UK residential buyers, who buy these properties and live in them,” Stuart Leslie – International Sales and Marketing Director for Barratt London, toldFinancial Express.
In London, 30 per cent of sales are made to pure investors (those who want to use the apartments as rentals), and 30 per cent of those buyers come from foreign markets.
“This year we have seen a growth in the percentage of Indian homebuyers, who make up 7-8 per cent of the overseas market players. We are really reacting to where the demand is coming from rather than speculating and looking for business,” Stuart Leslie said.
According to a Knight Frank survey, 10 per cent of India’s UHNWIs intend to purchase a new home in 2022, and they prefer to invest in domestic real estate, followed by homes on the UK, UAE, and US foreign markets.
London is well-liked by Indian investors and homebuyers because it is a hub for finance and education and one of the major international entry points for investors.
Additionally, it makes sense for Indian homebuyers to look at the real estate market in London given that the cost per square foot is roughly comparable between London and Mumbai and that the two cities also share a similar legal framework, making transactions simpler.
“The reason why Indians are comfortable with buying property is because of the market fundamentals and confidence along with a history of Indians investing in houses in London. They’re eager to invest in the UK residential markets because they are getting better returns owing to the exchange rates and market presence presently. It is relatively a safer market in comparison to the UAE or India,” he said.
In addition to being a “stable market” for residential real estate, the UK has advantages over other international potential markets, such as good weather and quicker travel times.
Many families and students, especially those from India, relocate to the UK for educational opportunities. According to Stuart Leslie, the number of Indian students applying to UK colleges and universities has surged by 128 per cent in just one year.
Therefore, there are several reasons why Indians have traditionally preferred to invest in the UK, including the country’s high-quality educational institutions, business-friendly environment, cosmopolitan mindset, language familiarity, and expanding investment opportunities.
Currently, there is a demand for finished or nearly finished projects since people are looking to move quickly after the pandemic. Barratt London’s common price range for real estate is between GBP 390,000 and GBP 450,000.
“This is not a price which people normally associate with the London market but with tier-II or tier-III cities. This makes people want to own properties in London rather than smaller cities of the UK,” he said.
Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum recently went on vacation with his family and friends in London. Sheikh Hamdan is also known as Fazza.
During his trip, the Crown Prince and his close friend Badr Ateej had a ride on the London tube.
He shared the pictures on his official Instagram.
“We’ve got a long way to go and Badr is already bored,” he said in the caption.
None of the fellow passengers appeared to recognise the prince.
Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also joined Hamdan on vacation in London. Hamdan on his Instagram shared a picture with his father and his two children.
