Tag: Murad Saeed

  • NCOC to decide on closing schools after checking positivity rates

    NCOC to decide on closing schools after checking positivity rates

    After the much-awaited meeting today about the schools’ closure, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) did not make a decision on whether schools will be closed or not in the wake of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

    The NCOC had called a meeting of the provincial health and education ministers on Monday.

    In a statement, they said, “Decision about education institutions will be taken on data of positive cases of various institutions for which massive testing in educational institutions is being carried out.”

    Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid informed the ministers that 85 per cent of the students in Punjab have been fully vaccinated and the Covid-19 situation in the province is under control.

    In Sindh, Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah decided that educational institutions will continue in the province despite an alarming surge in cases as Karachi has reached a 40 per cent positivity rate.

    Meanwhile, earlier today a total of 4,340 new cases have been reported in the country.

  • PTI reacts to report on false claims of ministers and govt officials

    PTI reacts to report on false claims of ministers and govt officials

    Journalist Benazir Shah’s exclusive report featured on Geo News highlighted the misleading claims of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) numerous ministers and government officials.

    Since the PTI came to power in 2018, its lawmakers and officials have made the most of ‘fake news’ and used it to discredit journalists, media organisations, and the party’s opponents.

    “The offending language is often used to distort the truth and to undermine journalism, which aims to keep the powerful in check. When in reality those handing out the label of ‘fake news’ have occasionally stumbled themselves, especially when communicating with the public. A large number of ministers and government officials from the ruling party have fallen for false and misleading claims. In some instances, clarifications are issued, but in others, no corrections have been made to date,” read the report.

    September 2021: Minister of State Ali Muhammad Khan claims that Quaid-e-Azam went to jail

    Claim: Minister of State, Ali Muhammad Khan while speaking on 92 News programme, ‘Hard Talk Pakistan with Moeed Pirzada’ said, “We made the country. In 1947, my grandfather, Muhammad Wakeel Khan, went jail with Quaid-e-Azam.”

    Truth: There is no claim to the fact that the founder of Pakistan was ever arrested.

    August 2021: The ministry of information released a report, which incorrectly flag pro-state tweets as ‘anti-state’

    Claim: A report was released by the Digital Media Wing (DMW) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting titled, ‘Anti-State Trends: Deep Analytics Report’. It was deeply misleading and based on assumptions instead of facts.

    “The purpose of this report was to ascertain factual data and to analyse social media trends that were anti-state, Data was collected after analysing Pakistan Twitter Panel from June 2019- August 2021. Those hashtags were marked for data collection where the content of tweets was planned and propagated through a network to spread anti-state trends,” General Manager of the Digital Media Wing (DMW), Imran Ghazali told The Current.

    Truth: The report seemed to declare all the users in the report as anti-state until one prominent journalist reached out to the government and they eventually added the disclaimer after the report was published.

    June 2020: Minister of State Zartaj Gul claimed that ‘Covid-19’ actually has 19-points, hence the name

    Claim: Minister of State for Climate Change, Zartaj Gul, while speaking on PTV said that Covid-19 actually has 19 points, which can be applied to any country to combat coronavirus.

    Truth: Covid-19 is actually a short form for Coronavirus disease.

    June 2020: Prime Minister Imran Khan misquotes Allama Iqbal 

    Claim: In a tweet, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan shared an image, which had poetry written on it along with Allama Iqbal’s picture, and wrote, “This poem by Iqbal reflects how I try to lead my life. I urge our youth to understand and absorb the poem of the great Iqbal and I guarantee them that it will release their great God-given potential that we all possess as His greatest creation Ashraf ul Mukhluqat.”

    Truth: PM Khan later tweeted, “I stand corrected – this is not Allama Iqbal’s poem but the message conveyed is what I have stood by and tried to follow.”

    May 2020: Minister Murad Saeed insists the governor of New York wants to follow Pakistan’s model of contact tracing

    Claim: Minister for Communication Murad Saeed, while addressing the National Assembly, said that the governor of New York wanted to follow Pakistan’s model of contact tracing after PM Khan gave the concept of smart lockdown.

    Truth: As per the report published on Geo, not a single briefing of the governor was found stating the claim made by the minister.

    September 2019: Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari shares incorrect video

    Claim: Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari shared an incorrect video on Twitter and wrote, “Indian occupation forces can’t even bare to see fruit trees live in IOJK – lest the Muslim Kashmiris eat the fruit. Such is the barbarism of the Rogue Modi Govt’s fascist hate-filled mindset. #Kashmir”

    Truth: The video shared was from Himachal Pradesh, 2018 when India, after a court order against illegal forest encroachment, ordered the trees to be chopped.

    May 2019: Minister Fawad Chaudhry claims that the Hubble telescope was sent into space by Suparco

    Claim: Fawad Chaudhry while speaking on Geo News programme, Naya Pakistan said that the Hubble telescope was sent into space by Suparco, the national space agency of Pakistan.

    Truth: Hubble was deployed by NASA.

    However, the ruling party reacted to the report.

  • KYA BOLA? (Aug 18): ‘Idaaron ko dhamkiyan’ to ‘Hukoomat aur corona ki beemari mein koi farq nahi’

    KYA BOLA? (Aug 18): ‘Idaaron ko dhamkiyan’ to ‘Hukoomat aur corona ki beemari mein koi farq nahi’

    Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 18, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    ‘Idaaron Ko Dhamkiyan’

    Daily Jang has reported that Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed has accused PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of threatening institutions. He said “Chori ka hisaab denay k liye bulaya jata hai tou karkuno ko dhaal banaa kr idaaron ko dhamkanay k liye aa jatay hain.”

    ‘Shikayat Ka Mauqa Nahi Milega’

    It has been reported by Daily Dunya that Nawaz Sharif has called Fazlur Rehman up. “Nawaz Sharif ne Maulana Fazlur Rehman ko bharpoor opposition ka kirdaar adaa krnay ki yakeen dahani krwatay huay kahaa hai k inhein ainda shikayat ka mauqa nahi milega.”

    ‘Hukoomat Aur Corona Ki Beemari Mein Koi Farq Nahi’

    Daily Dunya has quoted PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal as saying, “Wazire Azam Imran Khan Pakistan ko ujaarna, jab k Nawaz Sharif taraqqi dena jantay hain. PML-N taraqqi ki jamaat hai aur PTI tabahi ki jamaat. Hukoomat aur corona ki beemari mein koi farq nahi.”

  • KYA BOLA? (Jul 21): Foreign Ministry’s $25,000 for bathroom decor to ‘Peeth mein chura ghonpnay wala Shehbaz’

    KYA BOLA? (Jul 21): Foreign Ministry’s $25,000 for bathroom decor to ‘Peeth mein chura ghonpnay wala Shehbaz’

    Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on July 21, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    Foreign Ministry’s approval of $25,000 for bathroom decor

    It has been reported by Daily Jang that the Foreign Ministry has approved $25,000 for the decor of bathroom of Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN). An amount of $50,000 has already been spent on the renovation of the official’s residence.    

    ‘Judges ko phone kr k marzi k faislay lenay walay‘

    Daily Jang has quoted Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed as saying,“Judges ko phone kr k marzi k faislay lenay walay humein jamhooriyat ka dars de rahay hain.”

    ‘Peeth mein chura ghonpnay wala Shehbaz’

    According to Daily Jang, Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan has said, “Barray bhai aur bhateeji ki peeth mein chura ghonpney walay Shehbaz Sharif pr Bilawal aitebaar krnay se hichkacha rahay hain.”

    His statement came as PML-N President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday spoke to each other over the phone and discussed the prevailing political situation and the possibility of holding an All Parties Conference (APC) after Eid.

  • VIDEO: PPP leader tries to hit Murad Saeed with headphones in National Assembly

    In yet another unusual occurrence in the National Assembly, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Shazia Soomro on Thursday tossed her headphones towards Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Federal Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed as the latter read out the confessional statement of Lyari gang war kingpin Uzair Baloch, who was allegedly affiliated with the PPP.

    As per the details, the minister, during the session of the Lower House, delivered a speech on the joint investigation team (JIT) report related to criminal gang war leader Baloch. In its response, Soomro attempted to hit him with her headphones but missed.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://twitter.com/Khaista90/status/1281153858522288128

    Earlier, while addressing the assembly, Saeed read out the confessional statement and said the Lyari gang war kingpin harassed people around Bilawal House and vacated 40 houses.

    “Uzair Baloch used three police officers and a mobile phone in a murder,” he said, adding that Baloch had confessed that extorted money, as well as that obtained through other illegal means, was transferred to former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur.

    Earlier, the Sindh government made public the JIT reports on infamous Lyari gang war leader Baloch, Baldia Factory tragedy and Nisar Morai.

    JIT report of Lyari gang war leader Uzair Baloch consists of 36 pages that include the names of dozens of accomplices, including Ahkhana, Habib Jan, Habib Hassan, Saif Ali and Noor Mohammad. According to the report, Baloch has also confessed to killing 198 people.

  • Murad Saeed trolled as Donald Trump ‘follows footsteps of PM Imran’

    Murad Saeed trolled as Donald Trump ‘follows footsteps of PM Imran’

    Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, who had falsely claimed that New York was to follow Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s coronavirus lockdown model, has been trolled by lawyer Reema Omer among others as United States (US) President Donald Trump expressed the desire for his country, worst-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, to reopen.

    The tweet by the lawyer came as Trump, who has been voicing his concerns over the adverse effects of the lockdown on the economy, tweeted, “REOPEN OUR COUNTRY!”

    The tweet by the US president coincided with PM Imran allowing to ease restrictions across Pakistan ahead of Eid to “wisely” provide relief to the labour class, daily wagers and lower-middle strata of the society.

    “Epic trolling,” tweeted senior journalist Abbas Nasir in response to Reema’s dig at the federal minister.

    ‘NEW YORK TO FOLLOW PAKISTAN’S LOCKDOWN MODEL’:

    In a May 11 viral video, Saeed had claimed that the US state of New York was going to follow the “smart lockdown” concept after being inspired by Imran Khan and Pakistan, however, fact checks revealed otherwise. Meanwhile, netizens shared videos and pictures of how the partial lockdown measures were failing even in Pakistan.

    The clip instantly gained popularity on social media and was reported by several Pakistani and international news outlets.

    “If you look at the smart lockdown concept implemented by PM Imran Khan even the governor of New York has quoted Pakistan’s contact tracing and tracking concept and are following it now,” the federal minister is heard saying while speaking at the National Assembly.

    Saeed also reportedly said that the cluster lockdown concept discussed by Khan is being taken forward by his counterpart Boris Johnson in the United Kingdom (UK).

  • ‘Gen Bajwa reached China to control situation after PTI ministers’ statements against CPEC’

    Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed has said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had to go to China to control the situation after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers levelled baseless allegations regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

    Speaking to a private media outlet Sunday, Mushahid said it was regrettable that the United States (US) openly opposed the CPEC initiative, adding that the project was not aimed at defence, though it did have various strategic implications.

    “China has no link with attempts to subjugate right to freedom in Pakistan,” he said and added that it was unfortunate how every government in Pakistan tried to take credit for the projects launched by its predecessors.

    Speaking about Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed’s allegations about corruption in CPEC projects, Mushahid said not even a single rupee corruption had been proven and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal should take Murad to court in this regard.

    The PML-N senator said that CPEC had a central position in the Pak-China strategic relationship, and maintained that the PTI leadership should be very careful in giving statements about the flagship projects as they were not fully aware of the sensitivities attached to it.

  • ‘PTI govt recovers Rs10.8 bn looted in Hazara motorway construction,’ claims Murad Saeed

    Minister for Communication and Postal Services, Murad Saeed has claimed that the government has recovered embezzlement worth Rs10.8 billion in the Hazara motorway project done by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Addressing the National Assembly (NA) session on Monday the minister said that PML-N made changes in the design of the motorway and added a suspicious bridge in the project that caused the delay and escalated the cost as well.

    Murad said that he requested the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to look into the matter and launched an inquiry, which led to recoveries of Rs10.8 billion.

    The minister informed the parliament that inordinate changes were also made in Hakala-Dera Ismail Khan, Sukkur-Multan, and Lahore Abdul Hakeem motorway sections.

    He later demanded an apology from those who caused substantial damages to the national exchequer and announced that the design changes have been completed, and the motorway will be open for the public on November 15.

    Watch Video:

  • Naya Pakistan: Communications Ministry generates record revenue of Rs43.32 billion in a year

    Naya Pakistan: Communications Ministry generates record revenue of Rs43.32 billion in a year

    The Ministry of Communications has registered over a 52 per cent increase in its annual revenue during the first year of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

    According to the one-year performance report of the PTI issued Monday, the ministry generated record revenue of Rs43.32 billion during the fiscal year 2018-19, as compared to Rs28.64 billion in the fiscal year 2017-18, witnessing an increase of over Rs14 billion.

    The ministry has so far recovered Rs7 billion through audits. In addition, a new system containing facilities such as e-billing, e-tendering and a mobile app has been introduced by the ministry to enhance transparency.

    In the head of accountability, total audit recoveries of Rs7.02 billion were made in 2018-19, whereas no recoveries were made in 2017-18.

    A special audit of delayed projects of the National Highway Authority, including Lyari Expressway, Khuzdar-Shahdadkot Highway(M-8), Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Highway (M-8), Lowari Tunnel (N-45) Civil Works, and Kalat-Quetta-Chaman Highway (N-25) was also ordered.

    During past one year, NHA launched an anti-encroachment drive under which 3,347 encroachments were removed and 448.25-kanal land was recaptured. The estimated cost of the vacated land stood at Rs2.503 billion.

  • ‘Pakistan Post entering $34.2bn logistics market, expecting investment up to $1.5bn’

    ‘Pakistan Post entering $34.2bn logistics market, expecting investment up to $1.5bn’

    Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has said that Pakistan Post was entering the country’s logistics market, which at present is worth $34.2 billion and is growing at a rate of more than 18 per cent per year.

    “Pakistan Post is expecting up to $1.5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on public-private partnership model for its capacity building in the logistic sector,” Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted the minister as saying.

    FDI is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country.

    Within past one year, Pakistan Post has introduced revolutionary initiatives, including Electronic Money Order (EMO) at doorstep, Mobile App, E-Commerce and Same Day Delivery services, to improve efficiency and expand its network across the globe.

    According to Pakistan Post Director General (DG) Dr Naseer Ahmed Khan, the national postal operator is adopting new communication and information technologies to move further.

    He said that on the special directives of the federal minister, Pakistan Post has initiated inclusive measures to develop a better perception of its services among the public by ensuring timely delivery of mail, money and other articles.