Tag: Opposition

  • Is Jahangir Tareen becoming the new favourite of PML-N?

    Is Jahangir Tareen becoming the new favourite of PML-N?

     Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) disgruntled leader Jahangir Khan Tareen met secretly to discuss the ousting of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, reports The News.

    The news outlet reports that the two leaders met a few days ago to discuss the fate of the incumbent government.

    It is also being reported that Tareen said that everybody is upset over the economic condition of the country because of the growing price hike.

    Earlier this week, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz said: “We are in contact with everyone (including the Jahangir Khan Tareen group) as our sole target is removing Imran Khan.”

    The Jahangir Tareen group also had a meeting at the residence of the chief minister’s former adviser, Awn Chaudry.

    In a conversation with the media after the meeting, Tareen said, “Politicians keep contact with each other, and these contacts will continue to exist.” He also said that the politicians would consult each other on the country’s situation.

  • ‘PM Khan to make significant changes in cabinet within two weeks’: Fawad

    Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on Political Affairs Shahbaz Gill have revealed that PM Imran Khan would soon make changes in the federal and Punjab cabinets by including allied parties’ members, reports Dawn.

    While talking to the media outlet, Chaudhry stated that “the premier will make significant changes in the federal cabinet within two weeks”. It has been reported that PM Khan is expected to make changes in five ministers of state, i.e. ministries of defence, planning, education, energy and overseas Pakistanis.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will include leaders from its two major coalition partners — the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

    BAP’s Kauda Babar told Dawn that his party had demanded at least four federal cabinet seats.

    The news has come at a time when the Opposition is gearing up to bring a no-confidence motion against PM Khan in the National Assembly (NA). They recently approached the MQM as well as the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) to support them.

    The government has recently given appreciation certificates to the ten ministers who performed better than others. However, those who were not included in the list are reportedly unhappy.

  • PDM to table no-trust motion against the government

    PDM to table no-trust motion against the government

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced on Friday that the Opposition alliance has decided to move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and would contact the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s allies in the Centre for this purpose.

    “All parties in the PDM have agreed on bringing a no-confidence motion against these illegitimate rulers and contacting the government’s allies in this regard,” said Maulana.

    “[We will ask government allies] to have mercy on this country and nation, considering their impoverished condition,” he added. “[We will tell them] that remaining an ally of such a government is not politically and economically beneficial for the country.”

    When asked why the PDM announced the decision to bring about a no-confidence motion against the government without completing the “homework”, Fazl said that the Opposition should be allowed to make preparations first.

    “The PDM has announced the no-confidence motion at this stage because we have a firm intention of doing so. Without preparations, we cannot give a date, so let us do our work,” he said.

    Answering a question about the planned long march, he said that it will take place as per the schedule, while the PDM’s steering committee will chalk out a plan for this purpose.

    When a reporter asked Fazl what the PDM will do if the government’s allied parties refuse to cooperate, he said: “In that case, we will hold talks with them once again and try to convince them.”

    He added that the PDM will “not contact any PTI member,” adding that if they contact the anti-government alliance themselves, there could be any reason for that.

    “We are neither going to bribe anyone nor lure them [to join us] by offering any seats [political incentives],” Fazl maintained.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif said that the citizens of Pakistan are protesting against inflation and the ensuing poverty.

    “Who else would come forward to rid them of this tyrant government if not us?”

    Reacting to PDM’s announcement of bringing about a no-confidence motion against the PTI government, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the move will serve as a “victory for democracy”.

    Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “It is a victory for democracy that most Opposition parties now agree to bring a no-confidence motion against the government. The PM has lost the confidence of the people, it is about time he lost the confidence of Parliament.”

  • ‘Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival,’ says Shehbaz as PML-N meets MQM-P delegation

    ‘Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival,’ says Shehbaz as PML-N meets MQM-P delegation

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) delegation.

    Addressing a press conference along with MQM-P Deputy Convenor Amir Khan and other party members, Shehbaz said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is not concerned about the problems of the people but is only “concerned about the Opposition”.

    “Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival,” said Shehbaz, adding that the delegation discussed all issues highlighted during the meeting with their party leadership in Karachi.

    “Life has become hard for the people due to additional taxes, rising electricity prices, etc,” said Shehbaz.

    “The kind of problems people are facing because of the federal government in the provincial capital, we are facing the similar kind of torture and oppression in Sindh because of them,” said Amir Khan.

    “There are no two opinions about the devastating economic conditions of Pakistan,” said Amir, adding that the MQM-P also has reservations regarding the rising inflation.

    “Inflation has become unbearable and a solution needs to be found as soon as possible,” asserted Amir.

    It is pertinent to mention here that MQM-P is one of the allies of the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

  • ‘Broken hearts unite’: Shehbaz says PML-N and PPP are on the same page to oust Khan

    ‘Broken hearts unite’: Shehbaz says PML-N and PPP are on the same page to oust Khan

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif hosted Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at his Lahore residence on Saturday to discuss the present political situation.

    Both Zardari and Bilawal expressed well wishes for PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif’s health and also inquired about Shehbaz, who had recently tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement issued by the PPP.

    Both sides discussed the political situation in the country in a meeting which was also attended by Maryam Nawaz,l and Hamza Shehbaz.

    Speaking after the lunch, Shehbaz said, “Broken hearts can be united again. Both PPP and PML-N are united to take Prime Minister (PM), Imran Khan, out.”

    “The government is incompetent and the more the Opposition unites and works in coordination, the more we will be able to pressurise the government,” said Bilawal.

    “We believe, the trust of the people is no more on the government. And the parliament should also stop trusting the government,” said the PPP chairperson.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Shehbaz called Bilawal on Friday and invited him for a luncheon meeting on the instruction of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

  • VIDEO: ‘Gilani is a bika hua siyasatdaan,’ Shah Mahmood Qureshi warns Senate

    VIDEO: ‘Gilani is a bika hua siyasatdaan,’ Shah Mahmood Qureshi warns Senate

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while addressing the Senate lashed out at Leader of the Opposition Yusuf Raza Gilani.

    “I said it yesterday and I am saying it today, he [Gilani] said that I don’t want to be Leader of the Opposition, he was lying. He will stay, he will take back his resignation. He will stick to this chair. This was all a drama,” said Qureshi.

    Qureshi said, “I am warning you, honourable members of the Senate, listen and pay attention to what I am saying. Members of the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition is a compromised leader. Don’t rely on him.”

    “Don’t you see a seasoned and respected parliamentarian like Raza Rabbani? Don’t you see a respected politician like Sherry Rehman sitting in your rows? He [Gilani] is compromised and a sellout,” said Qureshi.

    On Monday, Gilani announced that he had submitted his resignation as Leader of the Opposition to his party. “In the end, I will say that I have already submitted my resignation to my party that I don’t want to be the Leader of the Opposition.”

  • PPP’s Gilani resigns as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after absence from key session

    PPP’s Gilani resigns as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after absence from key session

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Yusuf Raza Gilani announced in the Senate today that he has handed over his resignation to his party (PPP) as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

    Gilani’s statement comes after his absence from the Senate on January 28 when the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 was passed.

    Addressing Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjarai, Gilani said, “When the voting happened [on January 28], you adjourned the session for 30 minutes, which means you facilitated the government, not the Opposition. During the first round, the majority was of the Opposition. When the House assembled again for the vote, there was a tie.”

    “In the history of Pakistan Senate, it was the first time the Chairman senate had to give a vote. As a neutral person, you should have not done this. As the custodian of the House, you should have protected the rights of both sides of the House,” said Gilani.

    “The role of the Speaker and Chairman Senate has to be totally neutral. They cannot be biased in any way.”

    “I am not astonished by the harsh words of my opponents but I am astonished by the silence of my well-wishers. There are few ministers, if they would have said something [of this sort], it would have been an honour for me. But those who don’t have credibility, are turncoats, are saying that I helped the government. I am saying by your vote they won. At least the credit should be given to you [Sanjrani], not to me ke dhandali ho rahi hai [there is rigging]. There should be no rigging.”

    “In the end, I will say that I have already submitted my resignation to my party that I don’t want to be the Leader of the Opposition,” said Gilani.

    It is pertinent to mention here that it was Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Dr Musadik Malik, who first pointed out the absence of Gilani from the Senate the day the SBP Amendment Bill 2021 was passed amid an outcry from the Opposition on suffering back-to-back defeats in the House, where it otherwise enjoys a dominating numerical strength.

    Taking to Twitter Malik said, “Leader of the Opposition Yusuf Raza Gilani is missing. One vote, i.e. of Mr Gilani, is missing and the bill to make Pakistan a slave of the IMF was passed. And those who made him Leader of the Opposition voted for the government.”

    Gilani later appeared on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, and said that he had not received the agenda of the Senate till 1am of the night between January 27 to January 28.

    Speaking about his absence from the Senate as SBP Amendment Bill 2021 got passed, Gilani said, “It was humanly impossible for me to reach in six hours to Islamabad.”

    “If and when can’t make history. There were a lot of honorable members who were missing. I will question the Dilawar Khan group as to why they voted in favour of the government. The Dilawar group was pressurised to vote for the government.”

    Speaking on Dilawar Khan group, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani said, “The parties in the Opposition must carry out a purge of the soft-at-heart members and those senators who sit on the Opposition benches but vote for the treasury.”

    “Friday (January 28) was a collective day of shame for the parliament, in particular the Senate, when it passed a document of surrender, a document which financially makes Pakistan a colony of the international donors and imperialists,” said Rabbani.

    PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar regretted that there was a group of people who sat on the Opposition benches but never voted for the Opposition on crucial occasions. He said these people came to the Opposition’s fold when they want to get some benefits and then they vote for the government to get benefits from it as well.

  • Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday took a jibe at the Opposition.

    Questioning the leadership qualities of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Fawad said that the two leaders were not competent enough for the general elections and should try their luck and contest in mayoral elections and make their way up the leadership ladder.

    “The leadership of this great country cannot be handed over to incompetent people like Bilawal and Maryam Nawaz,” said Fawad.

    “Both Maryam and Bilawal should strive to climb up the ladder of their political careers,” Fawad said, adding, “Maryam does not have the stature to call herself a national leader.”

    “Her [street power] depends on the students of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s madrassas alone,” he said.

    Criticising the Opposition’s way of working, Fawad said that they did not have any policy to abide by.

  • ‘It’s in the interest of the country that establishment and Khan be on same page’: Sheikh Rasheed

    ‘It’s in the interest of the country that establishment and Khan be on same page’: Sheikh Rasheed

    Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that there is no difference between Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and the military leadership and it is in the interest of the country that the establishment and Imran Khan be on the same page.

    In an exclusive interview with BBC Urdu, Rasheed said that the military leadership had decided that it would stand by the elected government.

    Responding to a question about the differences between the government and the army, the minister said, “Small differences can happen. There may be differences of opinion between the civil government and the establishment, but they are on the same page.”

    Rasheed had recently stated that the hand of the establishment is on Imran Khan’s head and later said that he was asked to withdraw this statement.

    However, Rasheed said he was still standing by his statement and that he had been asked by a person in the civilian government, not the establishment, to withdraw his statement. “I did not name the establishment but I meant that the policies of the government and the institutions are on the same page,” he explained.

    Rasheed further said that the PM is adamant on the issue of corruption and accountability and that he fired many people from the party or positions who were accused or suspected of corruption. “Imran Khan can’t do more than that,” he said.

    Accountability was Imran Khan’s biggest slogan but we did not get the success we deserved, he added.

    Rasheed said that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was trying to repatriate those wanted by the courts and the government in Pakistan, but he also complained that despite many efforts, it is still not possible for Ishaq Dar to return.

    Regarding the return of former PM Nawaz Sharif, he said that the government of Pakistan is trying to get him back. “We have been doing this for three and a half years. We sent him ourselves, it is our fault. He [Nawaz] managed to throw dust in everyone’s eyes and went out.”

    Rasheed said that the reason for the former adviser on accountability and interior Shahzad Akbar’s resignation and the Prime Minister’s displeasure with him was not only about bringing back Nawaz Sharif or Shehbaz Sharif but also because “we could not bring back the money”.

    Sheikh Rasheed says there is room for improvement everywhere in the accountability process. “We need to prepare cases well, be good lawyers. Imran Khan has no lack of intent, he says giving National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) would be treason.”

  • Opposition leaders say Naya Pakistan is corrupt, attack PM Khan for new corruption report

    Opposition leaders say Naya Pakistan is corrupt, attack PM Khan for new corruption report

    As the government defends Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021 report, Opposition leaders criticise Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for saying that the TI report supports PM’s claims and accuse his government of breaking all records of corruption.

    Joining the chorus of blames, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif said, “Corruption rampant in ‘Naya’ Pakistan of anti-corruption Mujahid, PTI govt has broken all records of corruption in the last 20 years.”

    He further tweeted that under his brother and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s rule, corruption had decreased despite massive development projects being undertaken. Shehbaz further wrote that it went down due to “transparency, good governance, and legal reforms”.

    PML-N’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz said, “Imran Mafia, who emptied the pockets of the people, bravely wiped his hands on Pakistan.”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Shazia Marri said that Imran Khan’s past claims that he would root out corruption from the country were lies.

    Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Siraj-ul-Haq said that PM Khan had proven, quite literally, that he was dangerous for the country. He claimed that the blunder committed by this government over three years was unmatched in the country’s 74-year history.