Tag: pervaiz elahi

  • ’Aik Zardari sab pe bhari’: Twitter filled with memes after Zardari-Shujaat meeting

    ’Aik Zardari sab pe bhari’: Twitter filled with memes after Zardari-Shujaat meeting

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari met Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain last night (Thursday).

    The two leaders held a meeting for hours but it is not known what they discussed. However, it is being speculated that Zardari met Shujaat to convince him to be on Hamza Shehbaz’s side for the election of Chief Minister (CM) Punjab today (Friday). Shujaat had already announced his support for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate for the CM seat.

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session for the CM election is scheduled to take place at 4pm today.

    Zardari and Shujaat’s meeting spread like fire on social media and this is what Twitter had to say about the duo.

    https://twitter.com/MrMiRzaPAK/status/1550195491429834752?s=20&t=1vY8JBvQjG0ruSYl5Oc_fQ
  • Numbers: Does Hamza have a chance to be CM Punjab?

    Numbers: Does Hamza have a chance to be CM Punjab?

    The result of the Punjab by-elections has come as a shock for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its supporters while it has proved to be a ray of light for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) future in upcoming elections.

    According to the results (as of now), PML-N managed to win only four seats in its popular province. PTI swept the by-elections by bagging almost 75 per cent of Punjab constituencies (15 seats) and one independent candidate won the seat.

    It is pertinent to mention that before the by-polls, PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) jointly had the strength of 173 members. Now, with 15 additional seats, the parties have achieved 188 seats in Punjab Assembly (PA) whereas they only needed 186. One independent MPA who has won is likely to be a part of the new ruling coalition.

    On the contrary, the current ruling coalition (PML-N, PPP and others) has 179 members.

    Two MPAs of PML-N including Mian Jaleel Sharaqpuri and Faisal Niazi had resigned so their seats are vacant. MPA Chaudhry Nisar is unlikely to vote for any of the candidates

    Great voter turnout

    In this election, a great voter turnout has been noted.

    In Sahiwal, the voter turnout was almost 56 per cent. While in Khushab, the turnout was 47.84 per cent.

    In the constituency of Multan, the turnout remained at 42 per cent where former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s son Zain Hussain Qureshi won.

    In the largest city of Punjab, the lowest turnout was recorded while the highest turnout was in Bakkhar where PTI’s Irfan Ullah Niazi won.

  • ‘It is my voice’: Sheikh Rasheed confirms the authenticity of his audio leak

    ‘It is my voice’: Sheikh Rasheed confirms the authenticity of his audio leak

    An audio call between former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed and another man, Gul Zaman, has been leaked.

    In the audio leak, it can be heard that two are talking about a “payment” being made to PML-N’s Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri.

    Following the news, Zaman came forward with his side of the story. He said that Rasheed called him and started talking about some payment and Sharaqpuri. “I snubbed him and asked him right away,” he added.

    He claimed he hasn’t met Sharaqpuri and Sharaqpuri also doesn’t know him. Gul Zaman said he has no clue why Rasheed said all that.

    While talking to Samaa News, Sheikh Rasheed confirmed the authenticity of the leak. According to him, all of this was a joke and denied any payments being made.

    In a video message, he further clarified that Sharaqpuri is innocent and blamed the government for the leak. He said that the government has a problem with Sharaqpuri giving his resignation to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

    Sharaqpuri said that it was a pre-planned audio leak. He said he doesn’t know Sheikh Rasheed much. He further added that Rasheed is Imran Khan’s enemy and is a fraud.

    https://twitter.com/mianjalilahmedd/status/1548628283725680640?s=21&t=2wRqvRPk0BUyMufpbemXfw
    Trouble for PML-N: Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri resigns

    PML-N Member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri resigned from his seat on Saturday.

    The former MPA announced his decision along with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Fawad Chaudhry tweeted before Sharaqpuri’s resignation that some PML-N MPAs are soon going to tender their resignations.

    PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have claimed that another sitting PML-N MPA Maulvi Ghayas ud Din will also resign. However, Ghayas ud Din has not issued any such statement and has denied these reports, reports Geo News.

    According to Fawad Chaudhry, another PML-N MPA Kashif Mehmood has been disqualified. He claimed that now the PML-N and PPP have 173 MPAs including the independent candidates in the Punjab Assembly. PTI has also the support of 173 MPAs.

    Sharaqpuri’s resignation has put the PML-N in a tight spot as it is already in a neck-to-neck contest with PTI-PMLQ over the Chief Minister’s (CM) slot.

    All eyes are set on today’s by-election results, which will decide the Punjab government’s fate.

  • Punjab by-election: Where is CM candidate Pervaiz Elahi?

    Punjab by-election: Where is CM candidate Pervaiz Elahi?

    Punjab by-elections are all set to take place tomorrow in 20 constituencies across the province. Many observers have pointed out that the chief minister candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, has not been seen in any campaigns.

    Talking exclusively to The Current, sources close to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that the efforts being made by the PML-Q leader for these by-polls are more than what the PTI has done.

    “We have assigned 800 of our own people to help in the PTI in the four constituencies in Lahore apart from 400 female workers who are campaigning and helping with election preparations in these constituencies. In total, we have 1,200 people on the ground who will be working alongside PTI tomorrow in Lahore only.”

    The Current’s sources further revealed that the PML-Q leader is also in touch with the “powerful quarters” and have asked them to remain neutral. “If they don’t give any undue help to PML-N, the PTI will win 13-14 seats.” The sources further said that if they are not neutral, then the results will be vice versa.

    The sources told The Current that since Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is the Speaker, he cannot participate openly in the campaign due to the rules set by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

  • Rs720 million money laundering case: Moonis Elahi appears before FIA

    Rs720 million money laundering case: Moonis Elahi appears before FIA

    Former Federal Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi appeared before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after the agency filed a Rs720 million money laundering case against him.

    After his appearance, the former federal minister said the FIA gave him a questionnaire, claiming that its “purpose” was not to conduct an investigation but to arrest him.

    “The government did all this so attention could be diverted from the budget in the Punjab Assembly. If I tell the PML-N today that we will support you, all cases will end,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader further said.

    He added that all information regarding his finances is available in his tax returns. According to Moonis Elahi, the FIA has not issued a notice till date but he would appear again if summoned.

    The investigation agency also arrested two of Elahi’s close associates – Nawaz Bhatti and Mazhar Iqbal – on the charges that both of them used to facilitate Elahi to embezzle money.

    After the case was filed, Moonis rushed to the FIA’s office on Wednesday night but he was told to appear the next morning.

    Prior to this, a special central court in Lahore dismissed Elahi’s pre-arrest bail plea in this case.

    ‘Will not abandon Imran Khan’: Moonis Elahi

    When the case was registered earlier, Moonis denied receiving any notice. He said, “I would have come to the FIA office if I had received the notice. I came to know about the FIR from the media. They have skipped a legal step.”

    Moonis said that he is coming to Lahore to appear before the FIA and they can arrest him if they want to.

    “The PML-N is at a loss to understand that it can pressure me to change my loyalty towards former premier and PTI chairman Imran Khan. We will not abandon Khan, come what may,” he said.

    Moonis added that he never heard of the two other persons named in the FIR. However, he admitted to investing in the Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) Sugar Mills, calling it his “declared investment”.

    What is the case?

    According to the FIA’s First Information Report (FIR), the case against Elahi was registered on Tuesday in which the state has been named as the complainant. The agency said that it has “solid evidence” against the PML-Q leader.

    According to media outlets, the FIA was also investigating suspicious transactions worth Rs250 million involving the PML-Q leader’s sugar mills. Moonis is a shareholder in Alliance Sugar Mills.

    According to the FIR, proceedings against Moonis under the Money Laundering Act started during former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s tenure. Last year, Khan had tasked the FIA to investigate the sugar crisis throughout the country and find out who benefitted from it.

    Following this, FIA released a report claiming that some of Khan’s own party members and Moonis were among those who had allegedly gained from the sugar crisis in Pakistan.

  • Phadda between PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi, PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhry, exchange heated tweets

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and former Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi exchanged some heated tweets when Chaudhry took a jibe at PML-Q’s Salik Hussain and Shafay Hussain, both of whom are Moonis’ cousins.

    According to a report by ARY News both Salik and Shafay met the incumbent Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz and promised to support him. Chaudhry taunted them of being two-faced on Twitter.

    Moonis called out Chaudhry and said, “Just like during the Azadi March when some leaders went to the police station and presented themselves for arrests”.

    To this, Chaudhry clarified that he was not talking about Moonis as [Moonis] knows the difference between right and wrong. He further clarified that Moonis misinterpreted his tweet.

    Taking to Twitter, Moonis said, “Let’s not swing at each other. Our combined opponent is PML-N. Let’s stay focused.” He further apologised to the PTI leader.

    It is pertinent to mention that PTI and PML-Q have a real test ahead, in which they will have to fight the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly (PA).

  • Battle begins: Hamza Shehbaz refuses to step down after ECP decision

    Battle begins: Hamza Shehbaz refuses to step down after ECP decision

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shehbaz has reportedly refused to step down from his position following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to de-seat 25 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissident Member of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) who voted for Hamza.

    PTI says it will send the CM home through legal means in line with the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) and ECP’s decisions.

    “The game for the fake CM is over after de-seating of the 25 lotas (turncoats),” Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Moonis Elahi said. He added that after losing the majority in the House, Hamza has no moral or legal grounds to cling to the office.

    Moreover, the Opposition — PTI-PML-Q alliance — sees a run-off election in the coming days claiming Hamza cannot “illegally” hold the office for long.

    It is pertinent to mention that the allocation of five vacant reserved seats will assume an important role if the run-off election is held. According to legal experts, ECP will now distribute these seats as per the current strength of each party in the Punjab Assembly, which means if the PTI gets the most share, it may be able to get the CM post.

    Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said Hamza Shehbaz is not going to resign and still has a majority in the Punjab Assembly. Similarly, PML-N deputy secretary-general Attaullah Tarar said that the ECP’s decision has no impact on Hamza’s office.

    Tarar claimed the PML-N enjoys the support of 177 members in PA against 168 of the PTI-PML-Q combined. He also claimed the PML-N will get three of the five reserved seats, which would take its tally to 180.

    The PTI-PML-Q joint candidate for the CM’s slot and the current PA Speaker Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi said, “I am Imran Khan’s candidate and after taking oath as the CM, I will dissolve the assemblies if he asks me.”

    The Punjab Assembly’s current strength is 346 members: PTI has 158 lawmakers, PML-Q has 10, PML-N 165, PPP seven, five independents, and one Rah-e-Haq Party.

  • ‘Target political opponents instead of fighting with the establishment’: Pervaiz Elahi

    ‘Target political opponents instead of fighting with the establishment’: Pervaiz Elahi

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi while giving an interview to Voice of America (VOA) said that the no-confidence motion succeeded against a sitting government and the establishment did nothing about it.

    Commenting on the neutrality of the establishment, Elahi said, “Can there be more neutrality than this? So it is not correct to say that they are not neutral. They [establishment] are neutral so target political opponents instead of fighting with the establishment.”

    Talking about the relations between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and the establishment, Elahi said, “We are also trying to improve the relations between Imran Khan and the establishment. Whenever we went to Khan Sahib, we said that we don’t need to fight.”

    Chaudhry said that during the three-and-a-half-year rule, Khan’s relations with the establishment kept fluctuating on the foreign policy front but issues were resolved, adding that he is ready to play his part in improving relations with the establishment. “While some misunderstandings were created regarding Saudi Arabia and other countries.”

    The Speaker Punjab Assembly questioned the present governemnt and said why the government is looking for anonymity, and why it wants someone else’s intervention? “The government must deliver and lower the prices of goods, let Shehbaz Sharif show his mechanics and solve the problem of electricity.”

    “I have been with Sharifs for 22 years, and the track record of Sharif’s relationship with us was not good, Sharifs have always cheated us and we have always been with them, so we don’t want to repeat the same mistake,” said Elahi.

    When asked if Elahi will take charge as governor after the former governor of Punjab was sacked, he replied that he is still consulting his lawyers and has been advised to wait for the conclusion of the cases pending in courts.

    On early polls, Elahi said that Imran Khan wanted an early election for the national assembly constituencies only.

    “He wants the provincial assemblies to complete their terms,” Elahi told VOA Urdu, “there is no harm in holding polls for the national assembly now and provincial assemblies later.”

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema removed by federal government
    
			
    Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema removed by federal government
    
			
    Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has been de-notified on Tuesday after President Arif Alvi’s rejection to approve Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s summary to remove Cheema from his post.
    

    President Alvi had conveyed to the prime minister that the Punjab governor cannot be removed without his approval.
    

    However, in contrast to the president’s rejection of the PM’s advice, the federal cabinet division issued a notification regarding the removal of Omar Cheema as governor of Punjab.
    

    “In terms of Article 101 and proviso to Article 48 (1) of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, read with serial No. 2D of schedule V-B to the Rules of Business, 1973 and the Prime Minister’s advice (s) rendered on 17-04-2022 and 01-05-2022 for removal of Governor of Punjab, Mr Omer Sarfraz Cheema ceases to hold the office of the Governor Punjab, with immediate effect,” the notification read.
    

    The Punjab Assembly speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi shall perform the functions of the governor till the appointment of an incumbent, in accordance with Article 104 of the Constitution.
    

    Cheema was appointed Punjab Governor by Imran Khan during his last days in power. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Confusion over CM Punjab oath-taking today, Speaker says Buzdar is still CM
    
			
    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, with a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari on agenda, was adjourned by Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi till 11:30am on May 16. 
    

    Later talking to the media, Ch Pervaiz Elahi blamed harassment of the assembly’s officials by police officers as the reason for postponing the session. “The assembly officials are being harassed and intimated by police officers. Some of them have been arrested while the police have been carrying out raiding on the houses of other staffers,” he added. 
    

    Regarding the confusion over the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister (CM) Punjab, Elahi said that Buzdar is still the CM. 
    

    However, in the light of the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders to Punjab Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema regarding oath-taking from CM-elect Hamza Shehbaz, there is some probability that Hamza may take oath today (Thursday).
    

    Voting on the no-confidence motion was scheduled for Thursday and it was supposed to be held through a secret ballot. No Member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) was allowed to bring their cellphone to the House. Women lawmakers were also barred from carrying their handbags.
    

    Security around the House was quite strict after the PA session on April 16 witnessed unprecedented violence which left many lawmakers injured. 
    

    According to Dawn, a PML-N MPA told the news outlet that PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  (PTI)’s dissident lawmakers agreed to support Deputy Speaker Mazari in the no-confidence motion. 
    

    The no-confidence against the deputy speaker was submitted on April 7 when he summoned the assembly session early on April 6 instead of April 16— a development that was opposed by PML-Q and PTI. 
    

    Mazari’s sudden change of heart to hold the session earlier was termed the ‘handiwork’ of the PML-N leadership that allegedly wooed him through a ‘good offer’.