Former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party leader Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed on Friday following the en masse resignations by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members from the lower house of the parliament after the success of a no-confidence vote against former prime minister Imran Khan.
It is to be noted that the seat of the National Assembly speaker fell vacant after Asad Qaiser resigned in accordance with the PTI’s decision minutes before voting on the no-confidence motion against then-Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 9.
Who is Raja Pervaiz Ashraf?
On Saturday, a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri is set to be introduced in the House. On Saturday, the National Assembly was scheduled to assemble to pick a new speaker. Suri, on the other hand, has adjourned the house on April 22.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has welcomed the Australian cricket team to Pakistan after they confirmed their tour to Pakistan for the first time in 24 years. Australia will play a full-fledged series in three Tests, three ODIs and a solitary T20I on their tour starting March 4.
The minister also recommended the Australian team to try desi food in Lahore and Karachi.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “Welcome to Pakistan a beautiful country of ours, May you enjoy your trip and do try Our very Desi food in Karachi and Lahore.”
Welcome to Pakistan a beautiful country of ours, May you enjoy your trip and do try Our very Desi food in Karachi and Lahore…. https://t.co/kbWwOlbJtB
Rawalpindi will host the tour-opening first Test, swapping with Karachi, which will now host the second Test from March 12.
The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will be the venue for the final Test.
The schedule has been revised to ease logistical and operational challenges as well as to avoid Pakistan Day rehearsals, which usually commence in Islamabad in the second week of March.
The two cricket boards have also agreed that the Australia Test side will complete their isolation in Australia, before arriving in Islamabad on February 27 on a chartered flight. After a one-day room isolation, they will hold training sessions at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
Australia’s white-ball players are expected to arrive in Lahore on March 24 following isolation in Australia. After a one-day isolation upon arrival, they will integrate with other members of the side and travel to Islamabad for the first ODI in Rawalpindi on March 29.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin returned to Washington to join the on-going discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), his spokesperson Muzzammil Aslam announced in a tweet.
IMF latest update: Mr. Shaukat Tarin, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, has returned to Washington DC to join ongoing discussions with IMF. Media reports related to inconclusive talks are baseless. @FinMinistryPak
The director of IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department, Jihad Azour stated that the talks between IMF and the Pakistan government for the six billion dollars Extended Fund Facility (EFF) had progressed towards a “very good step”, reported Dawn.
Earlier this week, while in New York, Tarin rejected a media report which claimed that the talks [earlier this month] have failed because of differences over a macroeconomic framework and uncertainty over the country’s economy.
The advisor said, “Some people have created an impression in Pakistan that we have failed, and the talks have been unsuccessful. That is completely false.”
“We are working on final details and in a few days, you will see the talks moving towards success. Give us some time and we will fix it”, he said, while adding that he and his team are committed to fixing Pakistan’s economy.
Pakistan and the IMF held their latest talks in the US capital from October 4 to 15 for the release of a one billion dollars tranche from a six billion dollars extended loan facility, which was approved in 2019.
Recently, the rupee hit a record low of 173.20 against the US dollar.
Hina Pervaiz Butt, Member Punjab Assembly (MPA) from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has opened up about her divorce, being a single mother and how she became a politician.
Hina shared a video on her Instagram telling her story, “Every vital voice is an ordinary voice to start with. My voice was no different. Like many women, I fantasised about a ‘living happily ever after’ fairytale based on an ideal marriage. But this was not to be. I ended up a single mother in a culture that considers divorce a taboo and fails to provide a support system for someone who has gone through it.”
“I saw my world falling down like a house of cards. But with great despair comes great strength. I felt an energy in me, and I knew I needed to channelise it into something productive,” she added.
“I decided to complete my studies, and after getting a degree in business administration, I took the entrepreneur route and started a fashion business. At no point in my life had I thought that I would be a working woman, but here I was running a brand that gained prominence in very little time,” Hina added.
Talking about her political career, Hina said, “So I ventured into a field beyond my wildest imagination: politics. A place where my voice can actually make a difference. I got elected as a member of our provincial assembly and contributed to legislation for women’s empowerment and protection.”
“Getting here was tough. Being in politics added to my credentials, but now I am on the receiving end of patriarchal hate not only from opposing parties but sadly, sometimes from my very own people.”
Politician Sharmila Faruqi has commented under Iqra Aziz’s post featuring Yasir Hussain and their son Kabir.
“I’m so glad your husband is hands on but it’s nothing to be proud of or anything special, all good, involved fathers do this for their kids. My husband bathes, changes diapers, feeds and takes our son for his pre-school if I’m at work or unwell. And he loves it,” said Sharmila.
Taking to Instagram Stories, the Khamoshi star shared a picture of Yasir in which he was changing Kabir’s diaper.
“A pamper and clothing change session before leaving for work,” wrote Iqra.
The Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 actor went on to say, “P.S. he changed kabir’s clothes for the first time, I am so proud of you @yasir.hussain131 you’ve helped me so much in this new phase of my motherhood from pamper changes to holding him while i rest for a bit, and making me breakfasts.’
Have a look at how people on social media are reacting to the video:
Seems a student of a particular extremist party worker pulling down Ranjit Singh’s statue at the Lahore Fort. This is what happens when extremist narratives are patronized and employed for political gain. They ruin generations; the futures. pic.twitter.com/Pcc8TatmW4
Imagine being so consumed by hate, that you think best contribution you can make is by attacking a statue, of a person, who died centuries ago. Being a follower of Islam, which says that even smiling is a Sadqa, all you can do with your energy, & choose this violence https://t.co/ZhrO0JNpRd
Last year in December, police arrested a teenager for vandalising a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled Punjab in the 19th century. The statue was installed in front of the Haveli of Rani Jindan at the Lahore Fort. This is the third time that Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue has been vandalised.
Shehbaz Sharif has invited the opposition leaders for a dinner on Monday (May 24) at 07:30 PM in Islamabad, according to media reports.
Reports say that among others, former President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and JUI-F chief and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been invited to the dinner.
PDM and the current political situation will be discussed in the dinner.
Yesterday, PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that PPP has not left PDM yet, adding that a decision will be made in this regard when the PPP will be invited to PDM’s meeting with the heads of all parties involved.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA and TV host Aamir Liaquat Hussain’s first wife Bushra Iqbal has opened up about her divorce and has revealed that Liaquat divorced her over the phone at the behest of his second wife Syed Tuba Aamir.
In a social media post, Bushra Iqbal confirmed the separation and wrote: “Salam. I think its I bring about some clarity regarding my relationship with my ex-husband Aamir Liaquat.”
“He has divorced me,” stated Bushra adding that he did it over the phone in front of Tuba at her request.
“Divorcing me is one thing, but doing it in front of Tuba on call at her request, was perhaps the most painful and traumatic thing for my children and I,” said Iqbal.
