Tag: Opposition

  • Bilawal Bhutto meets Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Bilawal Bhutto meets Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari meets Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman today in Islamabad.

    Geo News reported that the PPP made contact with PDM after having resigned from all PDM offices in April 2021, saying that no party “should try and impose their will and dictation on any other political party”. 

    The meeting comes after the Opposition parties have “united” to adopt a joint strategy against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    Members of the united Opposition on Thursday met National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser twice and asked him to give them in writing the terms of engagements, which should include a categorical statement that it was the government that approached them for dialogue.

    “We are going to communicate to the Speaker that he should give us in writing because we do not want to hear that we (the Opposition) have been pressing for a dialogue,” said Sherry Rehman.

  • ‘We have not been pressing for dialogue’: Opposition seeks written assurances from govt on legislation

    ‘We have not been pressing for dialogue’: Opposition seeks written assurances from govt on legislation

    Members of the united Opposition on Thursday met National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser twice and asked him to give them in writing the terms of engagements, which should include a categorical statement that it was the government that approached them for dialogue, reports Dawn.

    “We are going to communicate to the Speaker that he should give us in writing because we do not want to hear that we (the Opposition) have been pressing for a dialogue,” said the parliamentary leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Senate Sherry Rehman.

    “The steering committee will consider further action after receiving legislation in writing from the Speaker regarding the bills and ordinances to be discussed in the joint session,” said Sherry. “We believe in the supremacy of parliament and dialogue but obviously, our leadership will take the final decision after the steering committee deliberations,” she added.

    Former Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said, “The Speaker called me and Naveed Qamar and said he wanted the government and the Opposition to sit down and talk about the 20 bills related to the ordinances. We responded that we will talk to the party leadership first.”

    The Opposition parties had formed a steering committee on Wednesday to formulate a joint strategy after the government postponed Thursday’s joint session of parliament.

    The Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari termed the government’s decision of postponing the joint session as their victory.

    “The hasty convening of the joint meeting and then the hasty adjournment shows the seriousness of the government that had made sensitive and serious issues like legislation a child’s play,” said Shehbaz.

    Bilawal said “Kaptaan bhag gaya” (the captain ran away), sharing President Arif Alvi’s notification for the postponement of the session.

  • ‘Kaptaan bhaag gaya’: Opposition criticises govt for postponing joint Parliament session

    ‘Kaptaan bhaag gaya’: Opposition criticises govt for postponing joint Parliament session

    Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari termed the government’s decision of postponing the joint Parliament session as their victory.

    “Imran Niazi should resign after it was clearly exposed that he had lost the trust of his members and allies,” said Shehbaz.

    “The hasty convening of the joint meeting and then the hasty adjournment shows the seriousness of the government that had made sensitive and serious issues like legislation a child’s play,” he said.

    “Those claiming to compete on the field have fled the field,” he said. Shehbaz Sharif said that the postponement of the joint session of the Parliament proves that the government has confirmed its defeat on the legislation of “black laws.”

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Wednesday that the government postponed the Parliament’s joint session as it had “foreseen its defeat”.

    Taking to Twitter, Bilawal said “Kaptaan bhag gaya” (the captain ran away), sharing President Arif Alvi’s notification for the postponement of the session.

    “Yet another victory for the United Opposition in the Parliament today. Government ran away from joint sessions when they saw they would be defeated yet again. Kaptaan Bagh[sic] gaya,” tweeted Bilawal.

    Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter and announced that the joint parliamentary session, which was earlier called by President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday (November 11) has been postponed.

  • ‘Ladlay ki niki niki khawaahishein puri hogayi hain’: Saleem Safi takes a dig at PM Khan

    ‘Ladlay ki niki niki khawaahishein puri hogayi hain’: Saleem Safi takes a dig at PM Khan

    Senior journalist Saleem Safi, while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, said, “Ladlay ki niki niki khawaahishein puri hogayi hain” [ Favourite’s small small wishes have been fulfilled]. Safi was alluding to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. His comments come in connection to the notification of the appointment of the new Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. The sources close to the PM Khan said that most probably the notification of the new appointment would be issued on Friday (today).

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada further asked Safi that the Opposition is on the roads against the government but the ruling party seems very relaxed and if there is any strategy behind this because they do not consider the protests of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) a threat.

    “Where is the Opposition? I have not seen any Opposition in this country for the past three years. The tragedy is such that the ones who have been given the government do not know how to do governance and the ones in the Opposition do not know how to do Opposition,” replied Safi.

    Khanzada questioned senior journalist Asma Shirazi if there is any political strategy with which the Opposition plans on ousting the sitting government?

    “Definitely a strategy will be made. The Opposition is relaxed and just reviewing what is happening right now. There is a lot of miss trust with the institutions,” replied Shriazi.

  • PDM to launch nationwide anti-government protests today

    PDM to launch nationwide anti-government protests today

    The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will launch its countrywide anti-government protests from today (Wednesday).

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level party meeting on Tuesday to finalise the schedule for protests and rallies against the PTI-led government. 

    The first jalsa will be held in Rawalpindi today, and Shehbaz Sharif is urging workers and leaders of the party at the district and provincial level tp take part in the protests. 

    PDM leaders in Islamabad will be meeting at 2pm, to decide the dates and venues for the Islamabad protests. 

    READ MORE: 57% Pakistanis losing confidence in PM Khan overcoming economic crisis: Survey

    PDM, which had lost steam in previous months, is now once again, at the receiving end of the opposition’s criticism. Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that the Prime Minister is lucky he has such a “worthless” Opposition to deal with and that the government does not feel threatened by the Opposition at all because “it is spineless”.

    The call for protests come at a time when inflation is at its height and buying essentials in the country has become difficult.

    RELATED: Shahzeb Khanzada warns of December crisis, Hammad Azhar ignores question in heated debate

    Rasheed had also reacted to the Opposition’s criticism of the PTI-led government due to the rising inflation in the country and said that the situation arose due to the policies of the previous governments as well as the coronavirus situation in the country.

  • ‘Find those who opened fire on my house,’ PML-N’s Khurram Dastgir tells Punjab govt

    Unidentified suspects opened fire on the side gate of senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurram Dastgir’s house Sunday night, he revealed in a press conference on Tuesday, reports Geo News.

    He called the firing incident a “failure of [the] Punjab government to enforce law and order” in the province.

    “You could not find the kidnappers of the presiding officers in the Daska by-polls. At least find those who opened fire on my house,” Dastgir said.

     “The firing on my house was a conspiracy to harass the Opposition,” said Dastgir.

    Dastgir also said that women and children were present inside the house when the incident took place.

    He said that no action was taken, despite the administration being informed about it.

  • Accountability court indicts Shehbaz Sharif’s wife in money laundering case

    Accountability court indicts Shehbaz Sharif’s wife in money laundering case

    An accountability court in Lahore indicated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif’s wife Nusrat Shehbaz in money laundering case reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), reports Dawn.

    During the hearing, Judge Naseem Virk indicted Sharif’s wife who is currently residing in London. NAB prosecutor Usman Rashid Cheema was also present there.

    Shehbaz Sharif’s plea for exemption from appearance got accepted as he has been advised complete rest by doctors after he slipped from the stairs.

    The hearing was adjourned till October 18.

    Following the decision by British National Crime Agency (NCA) about unfreezing of Sharif and his family’s bank accounts, NAB sources had claimed that the money laundering case is very different from it.

    Last year in August, NAB had filed before an accountability court a Rs8 billion reference of money laundering against Shehbaz, his wife, his two sons and other family members.

    Some sources had claimed that NAB Lahore investigated the assets of Sharif’s family through money laundering and fake foreign telegraphic transfers. 

  • Govt vs PML-N: Clash over UK’s unfreezing of Shehbaz’s accounts

    Govt vs PML-N: Clash over UK’s unfreezing of Shehbaz’s accounts

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have said that the government’s claims that it was not involved or pursuing the money laundering cases against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif have been exposed. 

    Addressing a press conference, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said, “The government had embarrassed itself in front of the world with the National Crime Agency (NCA) probe.”

    “The standard set by this government, when it comes to lying, is totally unique. The prime minister of this country, in his own office, creates an Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) that has no legal basis. And what has that ARU done?” Abbasi questioned. 

    “Time and again, the NCA told the court that it has the complete support and cooperation of the Pakistani government and its agencies,” added Abbasi.

    PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said the government is failing the masses as it is busy registering fake cases against the Opposition. “However, your failure is becoming a matter of life and death for the public,” he said.

    PML-N leader Atta Tarar on Tuesday shared on Twitter the letter written by the office of the prime minister’s adviser on accountability to the NCA in the UK.

    “For [three] years [you] have levelled false allegations; ARU’s letter to NCA written on December 11, 2019, by your office is attached,” Tarar wrote, addressing Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar, whose office had sent the letter to NCA.

    However, in a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar pointed out that there was no asset freezing order (AFO) against Shehbaz in the UK.

     He also shared the document on Twitter and said: “Cheap tricks won’t work. Shehbaz still need[s] to answer in courts in Pakistan.”

  • Banned by govt, TLP actively takes part in Cantonment Board polls

    Banned by govt, TLP actively takes part in Cantonment Board polls

    Months after being banned by the government, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) fields 84 candidates in 17 of the 41 cantonments, reports Dawn.

    Polling will be held on Sunday (tomorrow) to elect general members of the Cantonment Boards.

    A list of candidates of all the 219 wards shows that the ultra-rightwing TLP has fielded the largest number of 57 candidates in nine cantonments of Punjab, followed by 24 in six cantonments of Sindh and three candidates in two cantonments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

    The party, however, has not fielded any candidate in any of the nine wards of the three cantonments in Balochistan.

    Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking to Dawn, said that only the Supreme Court had the authority to disqualify a political party from contesting the elections.

    He was of the opinion that the ban placed on the TLP was an administrative step. “There are two phases — one is administrative and the other is judicial. Until the judicial phase is not complete, the party cannot be stopped from participating in the elections,” explained Fawad.

    However, the minister criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not holding any investigations to find TLP’s source of funding when the commission was swift enough to check the accounts of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the two major Opposition parties.

  • ‘Puppet PM will lose the govt if we get rid of puppet Buzdar in Punjab’:Bilawal

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Prime Minister Imran Khan himself will lose the government if the Opposition de-seats puppet Cheif Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar in Punjab.

    Addressing a gathering in Rahim Yar Khan, Bilawal reiterated that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) needs to understand the role of the Opposition. He said that his party is doing its part and that the PML-N will need to topple the government by sending both PM Khan and Buzdar home.

    Criticising the PML-N, Bilawal said, “It is not possible that you talk about ‘vote ko izzat do’ [give respect to the vote] and run away the moment one has to use the power of the vote.”

    “It is not possible that you [PML-N] talk about respecting the vote and then you boycott the by-elections and the Senate elections. Because of you, people are angry with us as well. If you talk about respecting the power of the vote, then you need to start practicing that power yourself as well,” said Bilawal.

    “I urge you [PML-N] to get courage, work together, think about the people, don’t think about ego or personal preferences. We need to save Punjab together,” said Bilawal reminding the PML-N that if they are not ready, the people will not forgive them.

    “When we were with you [PML-N], you used to say that nothing can happen without resignation. I challenge you here to work with us or start implementing your own words and resign,” added Bilawal.

    Bilawal said, “You [PML-N] will have to do either of the two things, otherwise the people of Punjab will know that you are neither revolutionary nor ready for reconciliation but a hypocrite.”

    “The people of Punjab will reject the politics of hypocrites. We politely tried to explain to you but now we will show you how things are done through our hard work and political acumen and hold PM Khan accountable,” said Bilawal accusing the PML-N of being a facilitator of the government.

    Bilawal Bhutto claimed that the PPP will form the government in the Centre and provinces.