Tag: Miftah Ismail

  • Political stability cannot be achieved with rigged elections, says Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    Political stability cannot be achieved with rigged elections, says Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    The Awam Pakistan (AP) party convener, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, has stated that political stability cannot be achieved in a country with rigged elections.

    “Every system in the world has been tried in this country, and now it’s time to turn to the Constitution,” the former Prime Minister said during the launch of the ‘Foundation and Vision Document’ event for the (AP) manifesto.

    “The country doesn’t function because no one adheres to their oaths,” he opined.
    While talking about the economy, he noted, “The state of the economy today is the same as it was ten years ago.”
    Abbasi mentioned that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) might be an issue, but the real problem is the economy’s failure.
    Former finance minister Miftah Ismail was also present at the event. He said the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award should be reviewed.

    “The government is providing Rs 109 billion to cover the losses of the railways. We bear these losses because the railways operate for the benefit of its employees and officers, not for the public,” he added

  • Abhi to party shoroo honi hai; Miftah Ismail’s new party is ready for launch

    Abhi to party shoroo honi hai; Miftah Ismail’s new party is ready for launch

    Former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has unveiled the launch date of his new party, Awam Pakistan (AP), confirming that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be the party’s first chairperson.

    The ex-finance minister told Geo News on the phone that the Awam Pakistan party will be launched next month, and Abbasi will lead it. A ceremony will be held on July 6 in Islamabad.

    Explaining the party’s manifesto, the senior politician said that the aim of Awam Pakistan is to change the entire governance system of the country as the party believe in democracy and people’s will, adding that multiple politicians are in contact with him to join the party.

    Several politicians, including former PML-N leaders Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi, Javed Abbasi, Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Rana Zahid Tauseef, Zahid Binnouri, and Sardar Anwar Soomro, will be part of the Awaam Pakistan party.

  • Miftah Ismail cries while remembering treatment meted out to his family by PTI govt

    Miftah Ismail cries while remembering treatment meted out to his family by PTI govt

    Miftah Ismail, former finance minister of Pakistan, got emotional during a talk show on Dawn News when journalist Wasatullah Khan asked him about his feelings after the recent “clean chit” he got from the court in the LNG case.

    Miftah remarked, “Today should have been a happy day but it was a bitter day for me because of memories.”

    Miftah broke down then, getting teary-eyed while saying, “They raided my home and breached my wife’s privacy by opening her closets.”

    “I remember this and I will take Imran Khan to the court,” said Miftah.

    He stated that an inquiry had already been conducted in Sindh in which he was exonerated and even though all the departments were based in Sindh but they opened a new inquiry on Sheikh Rashid’s request in Islamabad.

    He further said, “I will take Irfan Mangi to court who was the DG NAB in Islamabad, Javed Iqbal (DG NAB) and Imran Khan to court.”

  • ‘Anybody but Dar’; Bilawal on next finance minister

    ‘Anybody but Dar’; Bilawal on next finance minister

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told in Absa Komal of Dawn News in an interview, “I think the whole nation has a unanimous consensus that anybody but (Ishaq) Dar (should be the finance minister).”

    The former Foreign Minister also criticised his political rivals and said that the Sharifs are vengeful and not capable of dealing with the economic crisis.

    “They [PML-N leaders] aren’t the one to forgive. They harbour animosity, seek revenge, and balance scores at the right time. They only know the politics of revenge. This is their history.” He singled out Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif for changing the then finance minister Miftah Ismail during the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government.

    The PPP chairman predicted that independent candidates will play a vital role in the upcoming polls set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    “A huge number of independent candidates are contesting elections this year. Not only PTI leaders, but even those who are electable and have a political history, or those who failed to get tickets from PTI or PML-N, are contesting.”

  • I’m not part of PML-N decision-making anymore, says Muhammad Zubair

    I’m not part of PML-N decision-making anymore, says Muhammad Zubair

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Muhammad Zubair revealed on Sunday that his role in the party is limited now as the party doesn’t consult him while taking decisions.

    Acknowledging that country is heading towards the much-awaited general election, set to take place on February 8, 2024, Zubair said that he is in PML-N, “just like Abbasi.”

    The quote was in reference to former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who is also at odds with the party. Ex-federal minister Miftah Ismail has also been sidelined.

    Muhammad Zubair said while speaking on the Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan” on Sunday, “I think, I am in the PML-N. I am in [the party] just like Abbasi is,” he added, as Abbasi had stepped down from the party office soon after the appointment of Maryam Nawaz as senior vice president and chief organiser.

    The PML-N leader also said that he supported the party with full energy from 2013 to 2018. “I stood firm with the party when a difficult time came in 2017 after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.”

  • ‘Imran more popular than rivals’: Miftah Ismail cites survey

    ‘Imran more popular than rivals’: Miftah Ismail cites survey

    According to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail, the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, is more popular than his political rivals, The News has reported.

    The PML-N leader also disclosed that he conducted a survey in July to get public opinion, and according to that survey, Imran Khan is more popular than his political rivals.

    Miftah Ismail also said that PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former member of the Senate Mustafa Nawaz Khokar agreed that there is space for a new political party in the country. “The question now is whether they have the capacity to attract people to join a new political party or not,” he added.

    However, the PML-N leader told The News that no decision has been taken about the launch of a new political party, stating that they are seriously thinking about the matter.

    Miftah Ismail also criticised the policies of former finance minister Ishaq Dar, alleging that his criticism of Dar’s policies alienated him from the Sharifs.

    Earlier, PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that there is a space for a new political party in Pakistan.

    According to the sources of The News, Mustafa Nawaz Khokar is more keen to launch a new political party than Abbasi and Miftah. The other two are not completely sure yet whether to go for it or not.

  • Miftah Ismail resigns as General Secretary of PML-N Sindh, leaves all committees

    Miftah Ismail resigns as General Secretary of PML-N Sindh, leaves all committees

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has resigned as General Secretary of the Sindh chapter of the party. The former finance minister has also resigned from all party committees, Geo has reported.

    “Given the upcoming reorganisation of the party structure, I think it’s time for me to make official what is already true and move on”, wrote Miftah in a letter to PML-N General Secretary and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

    “I therefore tender my resignation as General Secretary of PML-N Sindh and also resign from all party committees.”

    Earlier, PML-N, Senior Vice President, Maryam Nawaz, while talking to senior party leaders, expressed disappointment with the performance of Miftah.

    Maryam Nawaz further said that Miftah will not be given any important party position in the future.

  • Not involved in leg pulling business, says Miftah Ismail

    Not involved in leg pulling business, says Miftah Ismail

    Former Finance Minister, Miftah Ismail has said that he is not involved in the business of leg pulling but asserted that he speaks the truth. He made the comments while speaking to The News.

    The former minister was referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s statement in which the Premier said without naming anyone that the people criticising current Finance Minister Ishaq Dar have no place in his party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Miftah Ismail said he is in Islamabad to meet friends and is also trying to contact former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

    He further added he has no clue about the PM’s statement about Dar’s leg pulling, and he does not know why the PM gave the statement. According to sources of The News, Miftah Ismail and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have no intentions of parting ways with PML-N.

    However, Miftah Ismail served PML-N as Finance Minister in 2017 while Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was Prime Minister at that time.

  • ‘I don’t think PML-N can clean sweep in elections’: Miftah Ismail

    ‘I don’t think PML-N can clean sweep in elections’: Miftah Ismail

    Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has cast doubts over his party’s ability to sweep the upcoming general elections. In an interview with Geo News, the disgruntled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that he believed whether Pakistanis have Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari or martial law, nothing will improve the system until “we make systemic changes”.

    Talking about the upcoming general elections, Miftah said that he doesn’t see any party sweeping the elections; however, the PML-N leader was sure that he “absolutely does not see PML-N sweeping the elections.”

    Miftah said that any political party be it PML-N, PPP or PTI needs to talk to the people of Pakistan asking them about their real problems and needs.

    “When you hear the leaders today, you hear them say that I want to be the prime minister, there is one leader who is more into I, me and myself than others but it is all about them,” he said.

    “Nobody is talking about the people of Pakistan. What about the 60 per cent of people who earn Rs40,000 a month? What about the young people who cannot find jobs? What about the people living in rural areas? What about an average Pakistani child failing in science and mathematics,” he asked.

    Declaring that nobody is talking about real solutions, Miftah Ismail slammed politics as “just a fight for power, nothing else.”

    There are no new ideas and absolutely no competence, he maintained.

  • Who would be Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s pick for Finance Minister? Not Ishaq Dar

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that if he had been the premier of the country, his finance minister would have been Miftah Ismail and not Ishaq Dar.

    In an interview with a web channel, Abbasi said that Miftah Ismail had fulfilled the responsibility given to him by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the coalition government took charge.

    Abbasi was asked if the current Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, was running the country’s economy satisfactorily. Abbasi responded by saying that history will decide the success of Ishaq Dar.

    “Whatever responsibility the Prime Minister gave to Miftah Ismail, he did it. Ministers work on the authority of the Prime Minister. He decided that Ishaq Dar should be the one to lead the finance ministry, so he brought him in. Now it is the responsibility of the Premier and the Finance Minister to play their part in fixing the country’s economy. Only history will tell how far they will succeed,” said Abbasi.

    It is pertinent to mention that Miftah resigned from the position of finance minister in September last year after Ishaq Dar returned from London and took over.