Tag: Nawaz Sharif

  • If Nawaz had even a one percent desire to be PM, could anyone stop him? PMLN Senator

    If Nawaz had even a one percent desire to be PM, could anyone stop him? PMLN Senator

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Irfan Siddiqui said on Friday that neither an “unseen power” nor Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blocked the way of the former prime minister’s return to the PM house.

    Speaking during Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’, Siddiquie said that he rejects the idea that an “unseen power” or PM Shehbaz blocked Nawaz Sharif from becoming prime minister for the fourth time.

    The senator said that when he met Nawaz before the election, he felt that Nawaz was not eager to take the role.

    “I was present in the meeting where Nawaz Sharif announced to give the premiership to Shehbaz Sharif. Even if Nawaz had even 1% desire to become PM, is there any power that could stop him from becoming PM?” he asked.

  • Motorcyclist killed in collision with Maryam Nawaz’s protocol’s vehicle

    Motorcyclist killed in collision with Maryam Nawaz’s protocol’s vehicle

    A speeding vehicle of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s motorcade reportedly caused the death of a motorcyclist at the Chandowal Stop on Shakargarh Road, Narowal, Dawn reported on Friday.

    The CM was heading to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur to join in the three-day Baisakhi festival celebrations. As her motorcade travelled from Narowal to Kartarpur, an Elite Force vehicle collided with a motorcyclist coming from the opposite direction. The motorcyclist, 23-year-old Abubakar from Jassar Town, lost his life on the scene.

    The CM’s motorcade did not stop to take the injured to the hospital.

    Ali Rizwan, a cousin of the accident victim, told Dawn that Abubakar was on his way to the gas station where he worked. He expressed frustration that no officials stopped their car to help the injured Abubakar, nor did they call Rescue 1122. Instead, he noted with disappointment that police officers arrived at the scene after the incident and washed away the blood from the road to eliminate the evidence.

  • Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui has said that former prime minister and party supremo Nawaz Sharif wasn’t ready to become prime minister for the fourth time.  

    “It was Nawaz’s own decision to not become the prime minister,” Siddiqui said while speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Wednesday.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif became the country’s prime minister for the second time following the party’s nomination after Nawaz decided against running for the coveted post after returning to the country following a four-year self-imposed exile from London.

    The party eagerly awaited the veteran politician’s return and built its election campaign around him. They portrayed him as a saviour who could tackle the country’s problems and guide it to prosperity.

    After the February 8 polls, where major political parties like PML-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) didn’t win enough seats for a clear majority in the National Assembly, PML-N chose Shehbaz as their candidate for prime minister.

  • Army orders to investigate EX-ISI chief Faiz Hameed, journalist Kamran Yousaf reports

    Army orders to investigate EX-ISI chief Faiz Hameed, journalist Kamran Yousaf reports

    Pakistan army has formed a high-level inquiry committee to investigate alleged accusations to investigate former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed for allegedly misusing power while serving as the director-general of ISI, journalist Kamran Yousaf has reported.

    People familiar with the development said that the investigation has been conducted at the directions of the Supreme Court (SC) and the Ministry of Defence.

    Faiz Hameed was appointed as DG-C in ISI and later became the head of the intelligence agency. His name was involved in multiple controversies, including the Faizabad Dharna case. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also accused him of engineering his removal from office in 2017.

    However, the Pakistan Army has decided to investigate the case through a high-level inquiry committee. “A high-level inquiry committee has been constituted under a Major General, which will look at every aspect related to this matter in detail.”

    ‘There is a strict and highly transparent system of self-accountability in the Pakistan Army, and by promoting this system, all such allegations are investigated with great seriousness, and those responsible are also given severe punishment so that the self-accountability of the Pakistan Army is maintained,” Express TRIBUNE reported.

  • NAB clears Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana reference

    NAB clears Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana reference

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has cleared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif of any wrongdoing in the Toshakhana vehicle reference.

    The anti-graft body has requested the accountability court to clear the former prime minister of any charges. The court directed NAB to include PML-N leaders in the investigation.

    The court may acquit Nawaz Sharif from the Toshakhana reference, as the watchdog stated in its report submitted before the court today, highlighting that the car in question was not a part of the Toshakhana at the time of purchase by the former prime minister.

    The anti-corruption body found that the Saudi government gave a car to then-Prime Minister Nawaz in 1997, which he deposited in Toshakhana.

    The report stated that in 2008, then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani offered Nawaz Sharif to buy the same car.

    Therefore, the PML-N head didn’t buy the car from Toshakhana. Instead, he bought it from the federal transport pool. According to the NAB report, Nawaz Sharif didn’t use a fake account to buy a car.

  • Despite criticism, Nawaz Sharif continues leading administrative meetings in Punjab  

    Despite criticism, Nawaz Sharif continues leading administrative meetings in Punjab  

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif continues leading administrative meetings with his daughter, chief minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, despite facing heavy criticism. 

    The PML-N head also chaired a meeting on Monday to review problems in Punjab’s agricultural sector.

    Since the general elections on February 8, the leader of the PML-N has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. But in the few times he’s been seen in public since then, he’s been taking charge alongside his daughter, leading administrative meetings of the Punjab government.

    Now the question is that if Nawaz Sharif has not held any official or administrative position, then why is he leading administrative meetings in Punjab as he is just a member of the National Assembly (NA)?

    Sharif said during a meeting that the quality of seeds is still a big concern even after decades.

    He called for “effective steps” to save 37 million acres feet (MAF) of water from being wasted during agricultural activities in the province.

  • Punishing Nawaz Sharif on Iqama was judge’s mistake, says Aleema Khan

    Punishing Nawaz Sharif on Iqama was judge’s mistake, says Aleema Khan

    Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan has said that punishing Nawaz Sharif on Iqama in the Panama case was a judge’s mistake.  

    Talking to media in Islamabad, Aleema Khan declared that the letter from six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges has revealed the wrongdoing of many individuals. She emphasised the importance of judges advocating for justice, stating that without their support, justice cannot prevail. Aleema Khan urged lawyers to unite in solidarity.

    Imran Khan’s sister stated that the judge made a mistake in the Panama case. She pointed out that the former prime minister was sentenced in the Iqama case, not in the original case, adding that if he were punished in the original case, he would not be free today.

    Aleema continued to say that if pay attention to the cipher case, there will be no doubt in the statement of Asad Majeed. The 10-year sentence in the cipher case and the treason case will be buried; this case is being conducted to save Donald Lu.

  • Khawaja Asif says General Bajwa ne lamba dhoka dia tha

    Khawaja Asif says General Bajwa ne lamba dhoka dia tha

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said on Hamid Mir’s show that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa “gave an ultimatum to me that if I condemn Mian Nawaz Sharif’s narrative then all the cases of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against me would go away.”

    Hamid Mir asked the minister whether all three major parties including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz were directly involved in extending the tenure of the then-COAS, so how could he expect the establishment to stay out of politics.

    Asif replied that it was a mistake and that politicians must have a consensus on upholding the dignity of constitution of Pakistan.

    Hamid Mir inquired of the minister why he agreed to extend Gen. Bajwa’s tenure despite being threatened. The minister humorously responded that Gen. Bajwa provided ultimatums only after securing his extension successfully.

  • SC declares dismissal of former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui unlawful.

    SC declares dismissal of former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui unlawful.

    The Supreme Court on Friday ruled the dismissal of former Islamabad High Court (IHC) senior judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui as illegal, issuing directions that he may now be considered a retired judge.

    The decision was announced by a five-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Irfan Saadat. The bench had reserved the verdict on Aziz’s plea in January this year.

    In his petition, the former judge challenged the decision of Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) removing him from office and an Oct 11, 2018 notification because of which he was dismissed for a controversial speech he had delivered at Rawalpindi Bar Association.

    In his speech, Aziz blamed the country’s premier spy agency ISI of illegally using their influence to manipulate the court proceedings and forming their choice of benches in cases related to indictment of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

    However, since the court noticed that since the former judge had attained the age of 62 years, he would not be able to resume his previous service as a judge. “Consequently, Justice Siddiqui shall be deemed to have retired as a judge of the IHC and he will be entitled to receive all the benefits and privileges due to a retired judge, by allowing these petitions in the above term,” it stated.

  • Teacher arguing with Maryam Nawaz not fired, Geo Fact-Check reveals

    Teacher arguing with Maryam Nawaz not fired, Geo Fact-Check reveals

    Following Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s visit to an all-girls’ high school in Lahore, social media had a large number of posts claiming that one of the school teachers was dismissed after posing questions regarding Nawaz’s male security members.

    Geo FactCheck, however, deemed the claims as false.

    Samina Shahid, the public school teacher who went viral, was contacted by Geo Fact Check and she confirmed that she has not been sacked.

    Her claims were also verified through other government personnel.

    “The [social media posts] are false. There is no truth to them,” Geo Fact Check quotes Shahid who spoke to the team over the phone on March 15, “I am speaking to you right now sitting in my office.”

    Additionally, the chief executive officer of Lahore’s district education authority, Pervaiz Akhtar, also confirmed that no teacher was fired following the visit.

    Azma Zahid Bokhari, the information minister in Punjab, stated likewise.

    “No action against any teaching or non-teaching staff has been taken by school administration after the visit of the chief minister Punjab to the government pilot girls high school Lahore,” Bokhari told Geo Fact Check via messages.