Amid speculations of rifts in the Pakistan Democratic Movement, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has declined an invitation by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to attend a rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh on Dec 27.
Instead of Fazl, who also heads the PDM, a five-member delegation of the party will attend the gathering that marks the death anniversary of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, reported Dunya TV.
The refusal to attend the gathering by Fazl comes at a time when the JUI-F is facing internal turmoil following the expulsion of its top leaders, including Maulana Sheerani, who questioned the JUI-F’s commitment to the party.
Similarly, the JUI-F and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are not happy with the PPP. They believe that the PPP was in contact with the powers-that-be to reach a deal. “Both parties are not reacting to this development because of the alliance, but the PPP has been told that if it wants to gain results via backdoor talks, it can go ahead,” said a senior journalist recently.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has reached Naudero House to attend the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto. The PPP chief will stay in Naudero for three days and will address a rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on December 27.
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz will also attend the rally on the invitation of Bilawal. Both opposition leaders will hold a meeting at Bilawal House, Naudero.
2020 has been a year like no other and with the end of the year approaching, we list you down the pictures that trended this year in Pakistan.
Here we go…
1. When Faisal Vawda brought an army boot with him to a talk show
The PTI federal minister brought an army boot to a live TV programme to troll the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of the opposition for voting in favour of the Army Act in parliament amid their tirades against security forces.
2. Faisal Eidhi making donation to Prime Minister Imran Khan
Faisal Edhi, son of world-famous philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, met Prime Minister Imran Khan and handed over a Rs10 million cheque for the premier’s coronavirus relief fund.
Days later, he tested positive for the virus, leading to speculations if the premier had also been infected.
3. Memes from the Last episode of ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’
Remember, when MPTH lead character Danish was talking even after the heart rate monitor showed a straight line. From the “straight line” to “Mehwish slap” and ‘do takkay ki aurat’, all the memes were quite lit. Memes then light up the audience after a dull finale.
4. When Maria B landed into hot water
How could we forget Maria B’s fancy chandelier and the memes that broke the internet following the designer’s video with her husband telling the whole story behind the Punjab Police fiasco.
5. ‘I WILL SACRIFICE MY WHOLE LIFE FOR PAKISTAN’
Former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator Sehar Kamran made the headlines for celebrating independence day with great enthusiasm at a Pakistani school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sehar was seen encouraging the students all in the spirit of patriotism.
6. Syra and Sheheryar turned up the heat with their photoshoot
Syra Yousuf and Sheheryar Munawar’s photoshoot for a local magazine became the talk of the town with people discussing how hot they look together.
7. When Ishaq Dar had a hard time in HardTalk
The former finance minister, who is residing in London while corruption cases against him worsen back home, recently appeared on the BBC talk show, videos of which went viral over what was claimed to be his “discomfort” on the hot seat.
The host, Stephen Sackur, however, says Dar wanted to be on that show and seemed to enjoy it.
8. Bakhtwar Bhutto Zardari’s Engagment
PPP’s Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari got engaged this year and all eyes were on her corona-exclusive wedding. Her engagement card became controversial when it required guests to provide a coronavirus test result before coming to the engagement but the talk of the town was her shawl. The shawl was embroidered with memories of her family, her favourite things and also her love for food.
9. Nawaz Sharif eating pizza in London
Former PM Nawaz, despite conviction in corruption cases, was allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Currently in London, he has time and again been spotted taking a stroll in the park, dining at a roadside cafe, and most recently, enjoying pizza.
While criticism continues to pour in amid government’s efforts to bring him back, his daughter Maryam Nawaz seems to believe none of the stuff he has been seen doing is bad for his health.
10. Photoshoped picture of Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s hand
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz was recently trolled by social media users after she shared a supposedly edited picture of the much-awaited Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally of the joint opposition in Lahore.
While the opposition claimed it was attended by hundreds of thousands of people, the government and social media users disagreed, advising the opposition leader to “fire her graphic designer”.
Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that she was ready to have a boxing match with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz.
In a press conference in Lahore alongside British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan, Firdous said she was ready to fight anyone.
“I want to have a match with people who will come up to my level,” said the Punjab CM’s aide. At this, Amir Khan, who is in Pakistan on a visit, challenged the politician to defeat Maryam Nawaz in a boxing match. Firdous accepted the challenge, likening the PML-N vice president to a “broiler chicken”.
The comments by Firdous irked the PML-N. “Baji, you’re quite aware that she is a Rajkumari,” PML-N’s Azma Bokhari tweeted in reply to Firdous’s comments. “Also, she is protecting the masses from your punches of inflation, unemployment and corruption.”
Earlier this month, Firdous Ashiq Awan broke a stack of tiles with a punch, saying it was her response to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). “The PDM has been throwing punches at Imran Khan’s government, so now this was her response to them,” she had said.
“I was afraid that I would be made fun of in front of the media if I don’t punch through [the tiles],” she said. “I don’t know Karate nor have I ever done anything like this. Of course, my knuckles were in severe pain… they aren’t made of steel after all,” she told Samaa TV in a subsequent interview.
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.
Maryam Nawaz just exposed her father Nawaz Sharif. She tweeted a link (then deleted) to the interview of Noor Dahri where he says Nawaz Sharif as PM sent 2 delegations to Israel to normalise relations #MaryamExposedNawaz (Screen Recording via @MusaNV18) pic.twitter.com/iQu7eVS3OF
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”.
Maryam Nawaz DELETED this tweet which actually implicates Nawaz Sharif & Benazir Bhutto to have sent delegations to Israel to improve relations
She just shot #PMLN in the head and also took out #PPP in the process
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.
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.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has defended father Nawaz Sharif after his picture eating pizza went viral on social media, inviting criticism from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and others.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the PML-N vice president said that the former prime minister eats pizza once in a while. She made these remarks in response to a question wherein the reporter asked her to comment on the criticism that the photo of the former premier invited for eating pizza despite being a heart patient.
She asked whether any doctor had forbidden a heart or platelets patient from eating pizza. She further said that she did not know Nawaz Sharif to have any particular fondness for pizza.
Maryam also talked about the Senate election. She termed the government’s decision to hold early Senate polls a ‘controversy’. According to Maryam, she was not opposed to the amendment pertaining to the secret ballot, but she would oppose the early polls.
The PML-N leader also warned Prime Minister Imran Khan against pressurising the state institution, saying the PM will have to be answerable to the people of Pakistan for his acts.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz was trolled by social media users after the PML-N vice president shared a supposedly edited picture of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally held in Lahore last Sunday.
The PDM held a gathering in Lahore on Dec 13. The government had played down the number of people who attended the gathering, saying only 10,000 people attended the rally. The opposition, on the other hand, put the number above 100,000.
Decisive moment in PDM; after #LahorePDMJalsa turnout, PDM has resorted to utilize its trump card; Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop. https://t.co/q7c1vFCTFR
However, the picture of the rally shared by Maryam added to the controversy and also attracted flak for being “fake”. PTI wrote: “Decisive moment in PDM; after #LahorePDMJalsa turnout, PDM has resorted to utilizing its trump card; Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop.”
Prime Minister’s aide Shahbaz Gill tweeted that Maryam has “such a bad luck that she always gets caught”.
اس خاتون کی قسمت میں ہر چوری پر پکڑے جانا۔ بھلے کیلبری فونٹ ہو۔ جعلی ٹرسٹ ڈیڈ ہو۔ دادی کی موت کی اطلاع ہو۔ بھلے لندن تو کیا پاکستان میں پراپرٹی ہو۔ 22 cuts کے ساتھ وڈیو ریکارڈ ہو یا یہ فوٹو شاپڈ تصویر ہو۔ pic.twitter.com/yGG7sn1brk
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) jalsa in Lahore has drawn flak from the ruling party’s ministers for organising a ‘flop’ rally amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said the atmosphere at the PDM’s Lahore jalsa was “as cold as today’s weather”, adding that the opposition could only gather “10,000-15,000 people”.
“Lahore has outright dismissed them. Lahore has rejected Maryam Nawaz,” he commented, adding that while the atmosphere could be “heated up on the television, it was cold at the venue”.
Punjab CM’s information aide Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the PDM failed to attract Lahoris to its jalsa. She said the government allowed the joint opposition to organise its power show and didn’t resort to tear gas or anything of the sort.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Pakistani people were “not ready to be fooled by these thieves and looters” again.” The political clowns who looted people have reunited once again,” he added. “How can those who hold rallies amid a strong [second] wave of the coronavirus pandemic be well-wishers of the common people,” he inquired.
PM’s Special Assistant on Political Communications Dr Shahbaz Gill called the jalsa a “flop show”, whereas PTI lawmaker Ali Zaidi announced Umrah tickets for first five opposition lawmakers to resign.
“The Opposition will have to account for its corruption. NROs will not be given to anyone,” Zaidi added.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan commented on how today’s jalsa was “another flop show” and that the “PDM is doing back-to-back flop rallies”.
“The number of people who come to their [PDM’s] meeting in total are equal to the number of people we have on the stage in our [PTI’s rallies],” he added.
The Punjab Wildlife Department has rescued a lion that was being manhandled by supporters during Maryam Nawaz’s rally in Lahore on Thursday.
According to the Focal Person on Digital Media to CM Punjab Azhar Mashwani, the lion has been shifted to the zoo while the Wildlife Department has initiated legal action against five persons under the Wildlife Act.
Further reports have suggested that authorities have also detained two PML-N supporters over the incident and fined them Rs 80,000.
The incident had sparked outrage on social media with netizens demanding the government take action against those involved in harassing the animal during the rally. Under the law, people are not allowed to own wild animals like lions without a permit. It is unclear whether those involved in the incident have one.
this ever growing trend.@PunjabWildlife regulations around wildlife breeding farms and mini zoos should also be tightened to make sure wild animals do not end up with wrong owners to suffer a lifetime of abuse.
This is not the first time a lion has been spotted at a PML-N rally. Earlier in 2018, a few months before the 2018 General Elections, members of the party brought a lion in a cage to the rally venue in Haripur where Nawaz Sharif addressed his supporters.
However, for today’s jalsa in Lahore,the PML-N has advised their supporters against bringing any animal. The spokesperson said that it is against the law and the party workers should not do any such thing.
Lahore admin has sealed Butt Karachi, Lakshmi Chowk, for violating coronavirus SOPs after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz ate there along with her party leaders following the conclusion of a rally in the area.
The police have also registered cases against Maryam, PML-N leaders, and at least 200 other people. Two cases have been registered at the Gawalmandi police station, and one each at the Mozang police station, Ichra police station, and Lohari Gate police station.
The cases were filed in response to the rally that was taken out by Maryam from Jati Umra to Data Darbar. The aim of this rally to galvanise supporters ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) jalsa in Lahore on Sunday.
Earlier, a video of Maryam Nawaz eating ‘karahi’ had gone viral on Twitter. As she had her food, a large number of people could be seen in the background trying to get a glimpse of the PML-N leader.
The video clip was shared on Facebook and Twitter on Thursday. On Twitter, it also got the attention of the PML-N leader, who retweeted it with a caption, “Kamaal karahi thi.”
Maryam had spent several hours canvassing supporters in Lahore ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday. The PDM leadership said it will take ‘big decisions’ at the jalsa, which probably includes mass resignations.
A video of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz eating ‘karahi’ at a Lakshmi Chowk restaurant in Lahore has gone viral on Twitter.
A large number of people can be seen in the background trying to get a glimpse of the PML-N leader, who is seen enjoying her food along with other party leaders.
The video clip was shared on Facebook and Twitter on Thursday. On Twitter, it also got the attention of the PML-N leader, who retweeted it with a caption, “Kamaal karahi thi.”
Maryam had spent several hours canvassing supporters in Lahore ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday. The PDM leadership said it will take ‘big decisions’ at the jalsa, which probably includes mass resignations.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has said that the government will not stop the opposition from organising a jalsa in Lahore, but cases will be registered nonetheless. He said the government never shied away from a national dialogue.
On Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf senior leader Shireen Mazari alleged that the PDM, a joint opposition alliance, is receiving foreign funding. The federal minister had claimed that a lot of people who are part of the PDM have received “a lot of foreign funds”. She, however, couldn’t provide any proof.
“If we get the evidence […] but when we receive hardcore evidence, then it will become the responsibility of the government to take action,” she had.
