Tag: Pakistan

  • PM Shehbaz’s many alleged audio leaks in 24 hours, PTI raises questions

    PM Shehbaz’s many alleged audio leaks in 24 hours, PTI raises questions

    Audios allegedly of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have been leaked.

    Following the leaks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter, saying, “PM House’s data has been put on sale on the dark web. It is a major failure of our intelligence agencies, especially the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Besides political matters, important discussions on security and foreign affairs are in their hands.”

    Similarly, his party member Shireen Mazari said that the real issue is that who placed these hacking devices.

    “Real issue is who bugged the PMO/PMHouse in the first place. The hacking happened because devices were placed in these locations. So who is responsible and where did orders or decision come from? That is a question that must also be focused on,” she tweeted.

    ‘TV par ulti baatein karta hai’: Maryam Nawaz about Miftah Ismail

    In one of the audio clips, PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz allegedly can be heard complaining to her uncle [PM Shehbaz] about Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. “

    “TV par ulti baatein karta hai” (He says strange things on television), she allegedly says.

    “He doesn’t take responsibility, says strange things on TV which people make fun of, he doesn’t know what he is doing,” the voice said to be Maryam’s says in the clip.

    “He clearly cut corners,” the voice said to be PM Shehbaz can be heard saying as she wishes for the return of former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

    It is pertinent to mention that Dar will take over as the Finance Minister in the coming week.

    The second clip allegedly concerns a conversation between PM Shehbaz, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Tarar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and former National Assembly (NA) speaker Ayaz Sadiq about the resignations of PTI MNAs. The audio is said to be a recording of a cabinet meeting.

    Party leaders can be allegedly heard discussing whose resignations from PTI will be accepted. Moreover, the leaders can be heard saying that the final decision will be taken by PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif who is in London.

    At one point, Ayaz Sadiq can be heard saying that “Will tell them that the signatures were not correct,” allegedly talking about those PTI members whose resignations they did not want to accept.

    The third clip is allegedly a conversation between Maryam Nawaz and the PM where they are discussing the return of former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

    A voice said to be Maryam’s can be heard saying that “Army has decided to bring Musharraf back to Pakistan so before it looks like that they have an imposed a decision on us, I asked Abu (Nawaz Sharif) to tweet in favour of Musharraf’s return.”

    At the time, Nawaz had tweeted, saying: “I have no personal enmity or animosity towards Pervez Musharraf. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the trauma I have had to endure.”

    ‘Her son-in-law is very dear to her’: PM Shehbaz

    ‘Her son-in-law is very dear to her’: PM Shehbaz allegedly says in another audio leak, referring to Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law.

    In that clip, PM Shehbaz and an unidentified man can be heard allegedly discussing about facilitating Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law Raheel.

    The unidentified man can be heard briefing the person, alleged to be the premier, about the consequences of taking the decision.

    At this, the voice thought to belong to the PM says: “The son-in-law is very dear to Maryam Nawaz. Tell her very logically about this and then I will talk to her.” He also said that he would personally meet him once he returns from Turkey.

    At this, the other person allegedly advises PM Shehbaz to get this work done from former finance minister Ishaq Dar, to which he agrees.

  • Nawaz Sharif’s close aide Ishaq Dar to take charge of finance ministry on Tuesday

    Nawaz Sharif’s close aide Ishaq Dar to take charge of finance ministry on Tuesday

    Former Finance Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar is ready to take charge of the finance ministry on September 27 (Tuesday), reports Geo News.

    Currently, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is in London, where he held a meeting with Nawaz Sharif and Nawaz’s close aide Dar, where the decision took place.

    The incumbent Finance Minister Miftah Ismail will continue to work with the government after leaving his post as Finance Minister.

    It is pertinent to mention that Ismail is an unelected member and thus cannot continue in office for more than six months. He took charge of the ministry in April.

    Earlier, Dar, himself said that he would take oath as a Senator immediately after his return

    Dar is set to come back to Pakistan next week. The PML-N leader has been living in London since 2017 to receive medical treatment. He served as a federal minister of finance four times between 1998 and 2017.

    The former finance minister was elected as a PML-N senator on a technocrat seat in the Senate election on March 3, 2018. He is considered to be quite close to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    Rana Sanaullah hints at Ishaq Dar becoming finance minister again

    Prior to this, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah hinted a Dar becoming finance minister once again, saying that the senator “can assume the finance ministry”.

    Talking about the possibility on Geo News‘ programme Naya Pakistan, Rana said, “There is no problem for him to become a finance minister. However, the PML-N has not made any decision so far in this regard.”

    According to Sanaullah, the government will definitely consult Ishaq on economic matters as he is experienced and a senior leader.

    When asked about Miftah Ismail, the minister said that he doesn’t have a problem. “He is ready to work with the party with or without ministry”, he stressed

    Is Ishaq Dar coming back to Pakistan?

    An accountability court on Friday, September 23, suspended the arrest warrant against Dar and dismissed orders for arrest upon his arrival in Pakistan.

    Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir issued the orders, stating that once Dar returns to Pakistan, the court will decide whether it should revoke his arrest orders permanently or not.

    “We will consider permanently suspending Dar’s arrest warrants once he appears before the court in person,” the judge added.

    In 2017, an accountability court, while hearing a corruption reference against Dar, declared him a proclaimed offender due to his continued absence from the proceedings.

    However, Dar had not taken oath as a senator since 2017. The accountability court had declared Dar an absconder in a corruption reference.

  • NO, the Transgender Rights Act does not promote homosexuality

    NO, the Transgender Rights Act does not promote homosexuality

    The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of2018 has come under intense criticism from some sections of society during the past few weeks with two petitions also having been filed in the Federal Shariah Court against the Act.

    The act was enacted in the year 2018 to guarantee transgenders equal rights to Education, basic health facilities , issuance of CNICs and passport and giving them a right to vote and contest elections.

    The Supreme Court’s decision on September 25, 2012, that said that eunuchs were entitled to all of the rights protected by the Constitution and enjoyed by other members of society led to passing of the 2018 Act.

    However, now a few religious parties are seeking amendments in the act. The major amendment that is being considered is that a trans person should be allowed to change their gender identity after evaluation from the medical board instead of their self-perceived identity.

    Criticism:

    A lot of misinformation is being propagated about the Act, including accusations that “The bill is merely a disguise for the LGBT community”, while others are saying that it is creating a pathway for same sex marriages.

    https://twitter.com/_anees001/status/1572137136056602625?s=20&t=Ofi5G9VBUUJUi4Xsgi90MQ

    Former Additional Advocate General Punjab/Advocate Supreme Court Chaudhry Faisal Husain while talking to The Current said that transgenders have been given protection in this act. Calling the debate ‘needless’ Hussain added that every law has minor issues.

    He further said that if people are trying to identify themselves as something in particular then NADRA should take precautionary measures.

    Does the act allow same sex marriage?

    There is a common misconception going on that as per the act, any person can change their ID card from M to F and F to M based on their own perception. However, that is simply not the case, The rules that were notified under this act clearly say that if you are a transgender man or a woman you can change your identification card on the basis of your self-perception but only to X, not to Male or Female.

    A person having an X card can not marry a person with an ID card with a male or female gender mentioned on it.

    This provision rules out the possibility of same-sex marriage under the transgender act 2018

    Lawyer Reema Omar has also shared some ‘”facts and context”, regarding the social media campaign against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018.

    Barrister Muhammad Ahmad Pansota, Supreme Court while talking to The Current said, “The bill is criticized by certain religious parties based on some misconceptions that this law would open doors for homosexuality, which is against Islamic injunctions. Complaints of these religious groups are from a perspective that there is possibility of it being misused in terms of same sex marriages. However, nothing in the bill allows room for same sex marriage. It is only strengthening the rights of the transgenders by providing them protection, relief and rehabilitation of the rights of transgenders persons.”

    “It is not true as the bill is only for transgenders and doesn’t provide/mention that any person can come up and say that he/she wants to change his/her gender/sexual orientation, only a transgender can do it,” he added.

    Even otherwise, same sex marriages are against Islamic principles and cannot be allowed in Pakistan as the same is unconstitutional and un- Islamic, thus will not be allowed in any manner whatsoever.

    “No where in the bill has it been stated that same sex marriages are permitted.”

    This bill only promotes what has only been guaranteed to the citizens of Pakistan in the Islamic Constitution of Pakistan. There shall be no discrimination against the transgenders. They will be given right to inheritance, the right to education, the right to health, and the right to employment for transgender persons, hence, guaranteeing all constitutional rights. This law only upholds basic human rights.

    Talking about the formation of medical boards, Pansota said, “Opinion of medical board can be taken into account. Sensitive history of transgenders may be required to understand the individualized changes and characteristics in the context of hormone administration and surgical intervention. It is important to discuss procedures with the patient beforehand, including the order in which steps will occur and to provide/allow time for the patient to express any concerns prior to beginning the exam.”

    Talking exclusively to The Current, Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan called the criticism “unjustified”, adding that it is a part of global far right conspiracy

  • Political leaders need to find solution to problems through dialogue, says CJP Bandial

    Political leaders need to find solution to problems through dialogue, says CJP Bandial

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has said that political issues require political leaders to put their heads together and come up with a solution through dialogue while the judiciary alone cannot solve all problems.

    CJP Bandial on Friday while addressing the ninth International Judicial Conference said that the judiciary is determined to protect the constitution and the day is not far when Pakistan will become a progressive and prosperous state.

    Referring to Yousuf Raza Gillani’s case and that of the National Assembly’s former Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, the chief justice said that decisions are made in greater constitutional interest.

    “We protected the constitution of Pakistan,” he declared.

    He further said that good governance is an important pillar for defending human rights.

    Talking about the constitution, he said that it guarantees the protection of basic human rights and that the judiciary is committed to protecting human rights without any prejudices or partiality.

    “That is why we took several suo motos to safeguard basic human rights,” he stated.

  • PM Shehbaz speaks about Islamophobia, climate injustice, and India at UNGA

    PM Shehbaz speaks about Islamophobia, climate injustice, and India at UNGA

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, emphasizing that terrorism does not have a religion. “It is based on dogma, fueled by poverty, deprivation, injustice, and ignorance, and fanned by vested interests,” the Premier stated.

    During his debut speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Prime Minister said, “Pakistan is the principal victim of terrorism. Over the last two decades, we have suffered more than 80,000 casualties and over $150 billion in economic losses due to terrorist attacks. Our armed forces, with the support of our people, have broken the back of terrorism within Pakistan. Yet, we continue to suffer terrorist attacks from across our borders, sponsored and financed by our regional adversary. We are determined to defeat such cross-border terrorism.”

    Talking about Islamophobia, Shehbaz Sharif said that it is a global phenomenon. “Since 9/11, suspicion and fear of Muslims and discrimination against them have escalated to epidemic proportions. The officially sponsored campaign of oppression against India’s over 200 million Muslims is the worst manifestation of Islamophobia,” said the Premier.

    Continuing in the same vein, Sharif said that Muslims in India are subjected to discriminatory laws and policies, Hijab bans, attacks on mosques, and lynchings by Hindu mobs. “I am particularly concerned by the calls for ‘genocide’ against India’s Muslims by some extremist groups,” he told the General Assembly.

    “Pakistan needs a stable external environment. We look for peace with all our neighbours, including India,” the Prime Minister said, offering an olive branch to its regional arch rival. “Sustainable peace and stability in South Asia, however, remain contingent upon a just and lasting solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. At the heart of this longstanding dispute lies the denial of the inalienable right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination,” he said.

    Talking about India, PM said, “India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5th August 2019, to change the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir and to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory further undermined the prospects of peace and inflamed regional tensions. India’s relentless campaign of repression against Kashmiris has continued to grow in scale and intensity.”

    “In pursuit of this heinous goal. New Delhi has ramped up its military deployments in occupied Jammu and Kashmir to 900,000 troops, thus making it the most militarized zone in the world. The serial brutalization of Kashmiris takes many forms: extrajudicial killings, incarceration, custodial torture and death, indiscriminate use of force, deliberate targeting of Kashmiri youth with pellet guns, and ‘collective punishments’ imposed on entire communities.”

    “India is seeking to turn the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir into a Hindu-majority territory, through illegal demographic changes. Millions of fake domicile certificates have been issued to non-Kashmiris; Kashmiri land and properties are being seized; electoral districts have been Jerry Mandered, and over 2.5 million non-Kashmiri illegal voters fraudulently registered. All this is in blatant violation of Security Council resolutions and international law, particularly the 4th Geneva Convention,” said Shehbaz.

    The PM made a passionate appeal to the world on Friday to undo the ‘climate injustice’ done to countries like Pakistan that make little contribution to global warming and yet face its worst consequences.

    “Why are my people paying the price of such high global warming through no fault of their own?” the premier asked.

    “Nature has unleashed her fury on Pakistan without looking at our carbon footprint, which is next to nothing. Our actions did not contribute to this,” he stressed, adding that he came to the UN to “explain first hand” the scale and magnitude of the climate catastrophe that has pushed one-third of the country under water in a super storm that no one has seen in living memory.

    “For 40 days and 40 nights a flood of biblical proportions poured down on us, smashing centuries of weather records, challenging everything we knew about the disaster, and how to manage it,” the prime minister said.

    “Even today, huge swathes of the country are still underwater, submerged in an ocean of human suffering. In this ground zero of climate change, 33 million people, including women and children, are now at high risk from health hazards, with 650,000 women giving birth in makeshift tarpaulins,” he told the world.

    The Prime Minister said Pakistan had never seen a more stark and devastating example of the impact of Global Warming. “Life in Pakistan has changed forever. People in Pakistan ask why, why has this happened to them? When global warming rips apart whole families and an entire country at this ferocious speed, it is time to ask why, and time to ask not what can be done but what MUST be done,” said the PM while explaining how this calamity had affected hearts and minds in Pakistan.

  • ‘Unless we get substantial relief how can the world expect from us to stand on our own feet? It is simply impossible’: PM Shehbaz

    ‘Unless we get substantial relief how can the world expect from us to stand on our own feet? It is simply impossible’: PM Shehbaz

    In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the damage caused by floods and urged that the world to pay more attention to the crisis.

    The premier said, “What the world has done is commendable but it is far from meeting our needs. We can’t do it alone”. He stressed that flood losses are estimated to be at $30 billion.

    “Unless the world comes up with billions of dollars for relief, rehabilitation, for building resilient infrastructure, things will not come back to normal. And I need to put the economy back on track and put millions of people back in their homes,” he told Bloomberg.

    “Unless we get substantial relief, how can the world expect us to stand on our own feet”, he asked. “It is simply impossible. The world has to stand by us”.

    He reiterated that although Pakistan contributes very little to carbon emission, the country is among the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change, adding that around 1,500 people had died in the situation.

    Talking about the economic situation of the country, he said that Pakistan recently signed a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under “very tough” conditions, including taxes on petroleum and electricity.

    He went on to say that several world leaders had talked about the devastation in Pakistan.

    Recalling his meetings with the world leaders, he said that he is “very grateful” to United States (US) President Joe Biden for speaking about Pakistan’s plight. He added that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and France’s Emmanuel Macron had also done the same.

    The premier was of the view that such action from the world shows the intentions and sincerity of global leaders. While saying that, he added that “But I think it should come very fast because time is running out and we are racing against time”.

  • ‘Mujrimon ki aiyashiaan hui vi hain, choron ki eid hui vi hai’: Imran Khan on Ishaq Dar’s possible return to Pakistan

    ‘Mujrimon ki aiyashiaan hui vi hain, choron ki eid hui vi hai’: Imran Khan on Ishaq Dar’s possible return to Pakistan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan while speaking on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar’s possible return to Pakistan said that the criminals are having a great time and theives are enjoying Eid.

    “Mujrimon ki aiyashiaan hui vi hain, choron ki eid hui vi hai [Criminals are having a great time, and the thieves are enjoying Eid]. There corruption cases are slowly being forgiven,” said Khan while speaking to journalist Abbas Shabbir.

    “This is the reason these thieves [came into power], ” said Khan.

    When asked that there is news circulating that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan, Khan said, “Nawaz Sharif ka bara acha istaqbal hoga [Nawaz Sharif will receive a rousing welcome.]

    An accountability court on Friday, September 23, suspended the arrest warrant issued against Dar and dismissed orders for arrest upon his arrival in Pakistan.

    Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir issued the orders, stating that once Dar returns to Pakistan, the court will decide whether it should revoke his arrest orders permanently or not.

    “We will consider permanently suspending Dar’s arrest warrants once he appears before the court in person,” the judge added.

  • ‘Imran Khan insists that armed forces should bring him back into power’: Bilawal

    ‘Imran Khan insists that armed forces should bring him back into power’: Bilawal

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that former Prime Minister Imran Khan insists that the armed forces should bring him back to power.

    “He [Imran Khan] doesn’t say how dare you remove me through a democratic means. He insists that the army, armed forces and intelligence agency should intervene to bring him back into power,” said Bilawal while speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

    “If they do not, they are in the wrong. For anyone who understands the history of Pakistan and watched our turbulent history, and our struggle for democracy, they will understand how dangerous it is for us,” said the foreign minister.

    https://twitter.com/tayyabbalochpk/status/1573032882272374784?s=20&t=dyU7fSBcsBBikBNy7aH7rg

    It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s parliament voted out Imran Khan in a no-confidence motion on April 9, capping a month-long political crisis that gripped the nation of 220 million.

    It is the first time a Pakistani prime minister has ever been ousted by a no-confidence motion put forward by the Opposition.

    Since then, Imran Khan and his party have become more popular but have criticized the security establishment in thinly veiled words, critiquing their “neutrality”.

  • Ayaz Amir’s son murders wife with gym dumbbell, dumps body in bath tub

    Ayaz Amir’s son murders wife with gym dumbbell, dumps body in bath tub

    A harrowing murder took place in Islamabad on Friday morning. Daughter-in-law of senior journalist Ayaz Amir has been murdered in Islamabad. 37-year-old Sara was found murdered at a farm house in Chak Shahzad.

    According to details, journalist Ayaz Amir’s son Shah Nawaz killed his wife at their home with a gym dumbbell.

    After murdering her, the accused dumped her body in a bathtub.

    The police have arrested Shah Nawaz and the wife’s body has been sent to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for postmortem.

    As per media reports, Shah Nawaz and Sara got married only three months ago. According to the details, they met on social media. Sara came back from Dubai last night where she worked and resided.

    According to details, Shah Nawaz and Sara got into a fight on Thursday night after which he reportedly murdered her in the morning around 9AM.

    Sara was born in Canada. She was Shah Nawaz’s third wife, the police said, reports ARY.

    As per journalist Nausheen Yusuf, Ayaz Amir’s son allegedly murdered his wife.

    Islamabad Police confirmed that Ayaz Amir’s son has murdered his wife. Senior police officials and forensics teams are investigating the incident.

    Senior Journalist Ayaz Amir has expressed his grief and shock over the murder of his daughter-in-law by his son.

    He said he is speechless about the incident, adding that the murder is really heart-wrenching.

    While answering a question about his son being drunk at the time of the murder, Amir said that he could not answer legal questions.

    The journalist stated that he doesn’t want anyone to experience something like this.

    This is a developing story.

  • ‘Babar Badshah is back’: Twitter is in awe of Babar-Rizwan partnership

    ‘Babar Badshah is back’: Twitter is in awe of Babar-Rizwan partnership

    Records tumbled left, right and center as Pakistan on Thursday outclassed England comprehensively to win the second T20 of the series. Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam hit an incredible unbeaten century to storm back into formidable form as Pakistan chased down England’s target of 200 to level the T20 series without losing a single wicket.

    Shaking off his recent poor form, the star batsman managed to score 105 runs off 64 balls, becoming the top player to hit most international centuries as the Pakistan captain. Babar has now also become the first Pakistani to score two centuries in T20 Internationals.

    Pakistan’s opening duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have become the most successful batting partners as they are the first-ever batting pair in T20Is to amass 1,800 runs as batting partners.

    Shortly, after the victory, Twitter was in all praise for the two.

    https://twitter.com/babarazam100/status/1573008544651149312?s=20&t=31THXIcTMBHOS8WK96ACZQ

    https://twitter.com/hamzabutt61/status/1573007395407757313?s=20&t=31THXIcTMBHOS8WK96ACZQ