Tag: Pakistan

  • Imran Khan recognized selecting Usman Buzdar as CM Punjab was mistake: Zulfi Bukhari

    Imran Khan recognized selecting Usman Buzdar as CM Punjab was mistake: Zulfi Bukhari

    In a candid discourse at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, a close aide to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, publicly acknowledged that appointing Usman Buzdar as Chief Minister of Punjab was a monumental mistake for the party, as per Geo News.

    Speaking on the theme of “Democracy in Crisis,” organized by the SOAS Pakistan Discussion Forum, Bukhari delved into the intricacies of PTI’s nearly four-year tenure, addressing critical questions from the student audience.

    Bukhari disclosed that Imran Khan himself recognized the misstep in selecting Usman Buzdar for the pivotal role of Punjab Chief Minister.

    “There was Aleem Khan group and other power groups. There would have been a war within the PTI if Buzdar was removed and Imran Khan did the right thing by sticking to him, to avoid the war within,” said Bukhari.

    The former special assistant to the Prime Minister, now residing in London and active in advocating for Imran Khan’s case on international media, expressed his reservations about Buzdar’s performance.

    He asserted that Buzdar’s incapacity to deliver effectively was evident

    He said: “I don’t think he was a good chief minister and was able to perform and deliver. By the time calls against Buzdar grew after two years, it was too late and changing him after a year or two would have made the post a revolving door. Nobody would say Usman Buzdar was a good decision but we supported his decisions.”

    Addressing recent controversies, Bukhari distanced himself and PTI from Farah Gogi, best friend and confidante of former first lady Bushra Bibi. He emphasized that if allegations of Gogi’s corruption were true, she should face strict legal consequences.

    Responding to questions about Imran Khan’s defense of Gogi in the media, Bukhari clarified that Khan was unaware of Gogi’s business dealings and that investigating her was not within his purview.

    The former special assistant to PM also condemned the May 9 attacks on military installations.

    “We have condemned all forms of violence, especially the attack on Jinnah House which has a sacred value. We have always stood against violence. Ordinary people say things in the heat of emotions. It’s the job of the leadership to positively tunnel their emotions towards a democratic process to bring about a real change. We are the biggest stakeholder being the biggest political party and we will get more losses than others in any such scenario,” said Bukhari.

    Imran Khan’s former special assistant claimed that over 13,000 activists were arrested after May 9 and put in dire conditions but the rest have been released and around 7,000 remain in jails.

    Acknowledging PTI’s mistakes during their governance, Bukhari asserted that with a different leadership in place, those errors would not be repeated if given another chance.

    He expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with all political parties, including PML-N and PPP, for the betterment of elections and democracy.

    “We want them to sit with us and talk about elections and democracy,” said the PTI leader.

    He also revealed that things were initially fine between PTI and the army but issues started later on.

    He said: “As far as General Bajwa is concerned, he could have suggested things to the PM and not dictate.”

    Answering a question, Bukhari said that two people closest to Imran Khan during the PTI govt were behind making a false case against him.

    “The Ring Road case against me was framed by two people who were then closest to Imran Khan: one of them (Azam Khan) has now become an approver against Khan and another (Shehzad Akbar) has left Pakistan. The purpose was to campaign against me. I resigned from my position and didn’t return to the government after that.”

  • Did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiment’: Abdul Razzaq apologises to Aishwarya Rai for sexist comment

    Did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiment’: Abdul Razzaq apologises to Aishwarya Rai for sexist comment

    Former cricketer Abdul Razzaq sparked outrage on Tuesday when a video of him passing degrading comments about Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai went viral. Former cricketers Shahid Afridi and Umer Gul were sitting with Razzaq at a panel where the current team’s performance was being discussed. They could be seen laughing at the misogynistic statement.

    Several X (formerly Twitter) users described their disgust by slamming the cricket player as sexist.

    Razzaq has now apologised for his comments, saying that he did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiment.

    “Yesterday, we were talking about cricket coaching and intentions. I had a slip of tongue and mistakenly took Aishwarya Rai’s name while I was supposed to give another example. I apologise to her personally. I did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiment,” Abdul responded.

    Shahid Afridi also apologised for laughing at Abdul’s sexist remark. Speaking to a private news channel, the former captain revealed he laughed because everyone was enjoying the moment.

    “I saw the clip when I went home and realised that Abdul Razzaq made a wrong statment. I knew he had a mike in his hand and will say something. He has a habit of getting beaten by shoes. I will just text him tio apologize for what he said as it was wrong.”

  • Rape convict’s death penalty converted to life imprisonment by LHC

    Rape convict’s death penalty converted to life imprisonment by LHC

    Lahore High Court (LHC) has on Tuesday changed the death sentence of a man convicted of raping an 11-month-old to life imprisonment. The decision was made in light of a negative DNA report and the age of the convict at the time of the incident.

    Justice Aalia Neelum headed the two-judge bench hearing the case, where she remarked, “We have concluded that the prosecution has proven its case against the appellant, Muhammad Rafique, beyond any doubt. However, the factors that have persuaded us not to uphold the capital sentence of the appellant are the negative DNA report and the appellant’s age at the time of the incident.”

    The verdict states that the High Court has maintained the fine of three lac rupees as charged by the trial court but the court believes that the death sentence awarded to the appellant is quite “harsh” considering the age of the convict at the time of the crime and the negative result of the DNA report. As per law, the accused always gets the benefit of the doubt and in this case this results in mitigating the severity of the punishment by changing it to life imprisonment.

    Justice Neelum observed that there is no doubt that the baby girl was raped because in our traditional society, no parent of a minor girl will risk her future by falsely implicating somebody of raping her.

    The case against Muhammad Rafique was registered back in 2019 at a police station in Kasur.

  • Girl forcefully married to Karachi man shot dead in upscale apartment complex

    Girl forcefully married to Karachi man shot dead in upscale apartment complex

    Karachi’s Sahil police has arrested a man on charges of killing his wife on Monday at an upscale apartment complex in DHA.

    Quratulain, also known as Ainee, 22, was reportedly killed in a mysterious shooting incident on Sunday night at Emaar Tower in DHA Phase 8. The case was registered by Quratulain’s father Zubairuddin Khan who nominated her husband Abrar Bugti as the murderer, on which police formally arrested the already locked-up culprit.

    Ainee’s father stated in the FIR that Abrar asked for Ainee’s hand in marriage but he kept declining because of the latter’s bad reputation. On October 12, Abrar came to their house with police, producing a fake Nikahnama and a court order to hand over Ainee to him as he is her lawful husband, says a report by Express Tribune.

    Khan asserted that her daughter called him multiple times from their house-help’s phone and narrated incidents of torture and abuse. The security staff of Emaar Tower called him on Sunday and informed him that Ainee has been shot. “I along with my son and brother-in-law rushed to the Jinnah Hospital and found that my daughter had died,” related the woman’s father.

    The physical examination of the girl’s body revealed that there were two bullet wounds to the head and three on the body. A murder case has been registered under section 302 against Abrar Bugti.

  • ‘Stop assuming things’: Mohib Mirza slams cheating rumours

    ‘Stop assuming things’: Mohib Mirza slams cheating rumours

    Actor Mohib Mirza has addressed rumours surrounding his second marriage to actor Sanam Saeed, debunking claims he cheated on his first wife Aminah Sheikh, his spouse from 2005 to 2019, and the mother of his child. The secrecy behind his and Sanam’s relationship led to allegations that Mohib had cheated on Aminah, leading to a divorce.

    The actor appeared on the FHM podcast where he cleared the air by saying that the two began a relationship after his divorce.

    “Who is assuming this?” the actor responded to the accusations. “Do you have my divorce certificate or does Wikipedia say so? My marriage had ended when I pursued Sanam.”

    “No one can question this because I have my divorce deed with me, I know what had happened,” the ‘Razia’ actor fired back. Mohib reminded the audience his and Sanam’s relationship was a private affair, and it is their prerogative to reveal it to the public or not.

    Opening up about the couple’s wedding, Mohib revealed that it was a private event with only five people present at Sanam’s house.

  • Bilawal Bhutto advises Nawaz Sharif to focus on Lahore

    Bilawal Bhutto advises Nawaz Sharif to focus on Lahore

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has advised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to focus on Lahore, just as the latter makes his way to Balochistan. Bilawal also said that Nawaz Sharif should do something for his party, which is facing problems in Punjab.

    “Mian sahab has been adviced to visit other provinces. I would suggest that he should stay in Lahore and focus on its problems,” said the PPP chairman during a presser in Mithi, calling on  PML-N to do politics on its own and stop relying on others.

    The former foreign minister passed the remarks after PML-N declared its intention to collaboratively participate in the elections with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P).

    Nawaz is visiting Balochistan to meet several political leaders, including from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). There is also a possibility of a seat adjustment agreement with the party.

  • Two PIA flight attendants go missing in Canada

    Two PIA flight attendants go missing in Canada

    Two flight attendants, Khalid Meh­mood and Feda Hussain, slipped away in Canada shortly after Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 772 landed in Toronto.

    The spokesperson for PIA confirmed the ‘escape’ of the two senior flight attendants who vanished from the airport instead of coming back to the country.

    “On its scheduled return to Islamabad, the two senior crew members did not turn up in Toronto. The flight of the national flag carrier had to return back to Islamabad without the two flight attendants,” the spokesperson told the Dawn.

    Similar incidents have been reported in the past when members of the flight crew sneaked away upon arrival in Canada. Four of them have slipped away in 2023.

    According to ARY News, PIA has now issued a directive to include flight attendants aged above 50 years among crew members of international flights to Canada and other countries. This age limit is imposed in light of instances of young air hostesses and cabin crew slipping away upon arrival.

    Local authorities in Canada have been informed about the two staff members and their services would be terminated after a departmental investigation.

  • ECP rejects PTI’s claim of appointing retired officers as DROs, ROs in election 2024

    ECP rejects PTI’s claim of appointing retired officers as DROs, ROs in election 2024

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) claims that the electoral body is appointing retired officers as district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) for the upcoming general elections on February 8 next year.

    On Monday, ECP’s Media Coordination and Outreach Wing said in a statement that the electoral watchdog didn’t take any such decision.

    “All media reports regarding the appointment of District Returning Officers/ Returning Officers are baseless and contrary to the facts. The media ran misleading news about the appointment of retired officers as District Returning Officers/Returning Officers. The commission is yet to take any such decision,” the ECP spokesperson said.

    He also stated that ECP has written a letter to provincial chief election commissioners and asked for the list of DROs and ROs to finalise the names. He also mentioned that the matter is in process and ECP will appoint the best candidates to make the general elections free, fair, and transparent.

    “It is being looked at from different angles so that the general elections are fair and transparent. The Election Commission is well aware of all its constitutional responsibilities,” the Election Commission said.

    On the other hand, PTI leader Omar Ayub tweeted on X (previously Twitter) that ECP is appointing retired officers as DROs and ROs to make the upcoming polls controversial. PTI’s Core Committee warned that the people will resist if their election mandate was stolen.

  • Supreme Court fines Punjab govt Rs10 Lacs for wasting its time

    Supreme Court fines Punjab govt Rs10 Lacs for wasting its time

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has imposed a fine of ten lacs (Rs1 million) on the Punjab government for wasting its time by filing a frivolous case, ordering the administration to pay the money to the owner of the land they used without permission.

    The three-membered bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa dismissed the provincial government’s appeal filed against the verdicts of an appellate court along with the high court in favour of the land owner.

    The case was about a piece of land that the Punjab government constructed a road on in Gujranwala in 2007. The nine-marlas were never paid for. Liaqat Ali, the affected man, took to court, challenging the government and both lower courts decided in his favour.

    In the hearing on Monday, the Chief Justice questioned how the state built a road on the land without the permission of its owner and without paying him. “Neither the owner had gifted his land for construction of the road nor the state had acquired the said land,” Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked and asked the Additional Advocate General Punjab as to why he had filed such a frivolous application in the court. “Is it our job to teach the provincial law officer the constitution,” the CJP reproached.

  • Nawaz on ‘Quetta’ mission; Tension in PMLN over toughest election – What is happening?

    Nawaz on ‘Quetta’ mission; Tension in PMLN over toughest election – What is happening?

    In the run-up to the February 8 general elections in Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is embarking on a two-day visit to Balochistan, following the party’s strategy to form alliances in all provinces.

    The move aligns with the recent invitation extended by senior MQM-P leaders to the party to forge an alliance against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Sindh.

    Sources reveal that during a visit to Lahore, Balochistan leaders urged Nawaz Sharif to visit Quetta and align with them for the upcoming polls, as per Dawn.

    “Since some of the BAP leaders earlier remained with the PML-N and incumbent Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, a former member of BAP, had a good working relationship with PML-N, the party of Sharifs may not face much problems in exploring strategic partners in Balochistan ahead of the polls,” they said.

    The party is eyeing at least 25 sardars/electables from Balochistan, crucial players in the region’s elections.

    PML-N Balochistan chapter president Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail said Mr Sharif would hold meetings with PkMAP Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, National Party President Dr Malik Baloch, former CM Jam Kamal and BAP leaders, including Nawabzada Khalid Magsi, Sardar Muhammad Saleh Bhootani and some of the party’s senators, ex-MNAs and MPAs.

    Nawaz Sharif will also attend an event in which various ‘electables’ will announce joining PML-N, including former MNAs and MPAs belonging to BAP.

    Tension arises in PMLN

    Meanwhile, in Muzaffargarh, internal tensions arise within the PML-N as former municipal committee chairman Akram Chandia and his brother Ajmal Chandia join the party, potentially securing tickets for the upcoming elections.

    The move has irked former PML-N MPA Hamad Nawaz Tipu, who announced his candidacy, vying for both MPA and National Assembly seats.

    On the National Assembly seat, he lost to PPP’s Mehr Irshad Sial, who received 53,054 votes, with the runner-up being Jamshed Dasti securing 50,566 votes. Mr Tipu stood third with 47,642 votes. The MPA election also witnessed a close contest where winner Abdul Hayee Dasti received 17,686 votes, followed by Ajmal Chandia with 17,669 votes and Mr Tipu with 16,358 votes.

    Ajmal Chandia was a candidate for PP-270 as a candidate of Jamshed Dasti’s party in the 2018 elections and stood as the runner-up behind Abdul Hayee Dasti.

    While Mr Tipu and the Chandia brothers are in contention for the PML-N ticket, former MPA Chunnu Laghari has also announced joining the PML-N, and he is unlikely to face any resistance in obtaining an MPA ticket under Basit Sultan’s National Assembly constituency in Jatoi tehsil.

    ‘Toughest elections’

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s son Hamza Shehbaz said the Feb 8 polls were going to be the most difficult ones in the country’s history.

    Talking to journalists in Lahore on Monday, the PML-N leader said all parties should work together to steer the country out of crisis.

    In reply to a question about the role of the establishment and the PML-N’s relations with it, he said it was a good sign if the establishment supported the government.

    “It is also a good thing if there are cordial relations with the establishment,” Hamza added.

    Asked whether Nawaz Sharif was new blue-eyed of the military establishment, Hamza said: “When I was in the opposition, the people would call Imran Khan their blue-eyed.”