Tag: (PM) Imran Khan

  • ‘Who voted for Gilani?’ – PDM defeats PTI in Senate election

    ‘Who voted for Gilani?’ – PDM defeats PTI in Senate election

    Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday emerged victorious against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

    After the result was announced, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and the former prime minister shook hands and hugged each other.

    The news of Hafeez’s defeat was told to him by Zain Qureshi — who was the minister’s polling agent — following which the two men embraced each other.

    Gilani secured 169 votes while Shaikh received 164 votes. Out of the total number of 341 votes, 6 were rejected and 1 was not polled.

    Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz celebrated the win in their tweets.

    Nawaz Sharif also tweeted, congratulating Gilani on the win.

    Meanwhile, PTI’s Dr Shahbaz Gill tweeted that the government will challenge this result

    PTI’s Shaukat Yousafzai also called a press conference, asking who voted for Gilani and alleged that money had a role to play. He also questioned the veracity of the results.

    The votes were done by secret ballot and it will be difficult for the government to determine who voted for whom.

  • Sri Lanka reverses ‘anti-Muslim’ cremation order after PM Imran’s visit

    Sri Lanka reverses ‘anti-Muslim’ cremation order after PM Imran’s visit

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday welcomed the Sri Lankan government’s decision to allow the burial of COVID-19 victims.

    The Sri Lankan government rolled back the ban days after Imran’s visit to Colombo.

    On February 10, Prime Minister Imran had lauded his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa’s announcement that burials would be allowed. A day later, however, Rajapaksa backtracked and said there would be no change in the cremation-only policy.

    The ban had sparked protests by Muslims who bury their dead in accordance with Islamic customs. The Muslim community in Sri Lanka had held a protest prior to Prime Minister Imran’s visit, where they carried a mock janazah or coffin.

    “Respect Prime Minister’s statement and allow burials,” one banner at the protest read.

    On February 25, a day after Prime Minister Imran concluded his two-day official visit to Colombo, the Sri Lankan government issued a notification saying that the order has been amended to allow both burial and cremation of people who died due to coronavirus.

    “I thank the Sri Lankan leadership & welcome the Sri Lankan govt’s official notification allowing the burial option for those dying of Covid 19,” PM Imran said in a tweet posted today.

    BAN ON BURIALS:

    The Sri Lankan government had imposed a ban on burials in April amid concerns — which experts say are baseless — by influential Buddhist monks that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

    The World Health Organisation has said there is no such risk, recommending both burial and cremation of virus victims.

    Traditionally, Muslims bury their dead facing Makkah. Sri Lanka’s majority Buddhists, who are strong backers of the current government, are typically cremated, as are Hindus.

    In December, the Sri Lankan authorities ordered the forced cremation of at least 19 Muslim Covid-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim their bodies from a hospital morgue.

    This stoked dismay and anger among the Muslim community, moderates and abroad, with the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation repeatedly expressing concern.

  • Baloch families end Islamabad sit-in after PM Imran’s pledge to meet them

    Baloch families end Islamabad sit-in after PM Imran’s pledge to meet them

    Protesters calling for an end to enforced disappearances in Balochistan ended a week-long sit-in in the capital on Monday, after an assurance that Prime Minister Imran Khan will meet them next month.

    “We don’t have any big hopes from this government, but the way they have reassured us, we also have decided to give them a chance,” Sammi Baloch, who has been searching for her father Deen Muhammad since 2009, told Reuters.

    She and other families have protested across the country for years to little avail.

    The Islamabad protesters — 10 families of missing men and around a hundred supporters — said they will return if assurances are not met.

    Security officials say many of Balochistan’s so-called disappeared have links to separatists. But actual court punishments have been rare.

    The Pakistan Army and human rights ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment for this story, including questions about specific family members sought by the protesters.

    For one week, protesters held up photos of missing relatives under the watchful eyes of police surrounding them.

    Among them was 60-year-old Baz Khatoon, who clutched a stack of news reports and court filings about her son, Rashid Hussain Brohi. She believes he was detained in Dubai in December 2018, was flown to Pakistan six months later, and then vanished without a trace.

    Khatoon said her son moved to Dubai to be safe in 2017 after three male relatives, including his father, had turned up dead after being taken away by security forces over the years.

    After Brohi was detained, Amnesty International and UN bodies looking into disappearances called on the Emirati authorities not to deport him to Pakistan for fear he would be killed.

    Brohi’s mother has obtained a copy of an Emirati travel document showing Brohi’s Emirati visa was cancelled in June 2019, and that he left two days later on a flight to a small airport in Balochistan. The UAE government media office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

    Local news channels reported that he was brought back to Pakistan and charged with sending funds to gunmen responsible for a 2018 attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi. But Khatoon said she has been given no official explanation of his whereabouts.

    “Just tell us our kids are safe, put them in jail, we don’t have any problem with that,” Khatoon said.

    “If they were in jail at least we would know they are safe, at least I could take some food there for my son, or a blanket to keep him warm, or a change of clothes.”

  • Aamir Liaquat trolls Vawda over award of Senate ticket

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aamir Liaquat has taken a dig at Faisal Vawda, who is also an MNA from Karachi, after he was named by the party as its Senate nominee from Sindh.

    Vawda, who is facing a case in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly lying about his dual nationality, might get disqualified from holding the NA seat. And many observers see his candidature as an attempt to circumvent the potential disqualification.

    In a jibe at the Senate ticket for Vawda, Aamir Liaquat in a series of tweet ranted about the former getting a nomination for the upper house even though he didn’t deserve it.

    The Karachi lawmaker also shared a picture of PM Imran Khan and Faisal Vawda that was captioned with a fictional dialogue between the two. “Only a Senate ticket… but you promised me tickets for provincial assemblies, Azad Kashmir Assembly, Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, and Lok Sabha ticket that Nawaz Sharif didn’t disclose in his documents. Not just these, you also promised to give me Green Line Bus ticket on a priority basis,” the PTI leader mocked his colleague.

    He also criticised PM Imran for giving ticket to Vawda.

    The PTI leadership in Sindh is not happy with Vawda either. According to reports, key party leaders from three zones of rural Sindh approached the Sindh governor on Sunday to express their displeasure over the award of the Senate tickets of Vawda and Saifullah Abro.

    The leaders who signed the letter included Sadaqat Ali Jatoi, brother of former Sindh chief minister Liaquat Jatoi, PTI Sukkur President Mubeen Jatoi, Allah Bux Unnar and Raja Khan Jhakrani, former provincial secretary general Mehfooz Usrani, a former candidate from NA-214 Shaheed Benazirabad Gul Muhammad Rind, former provincial minister Agha Taimoor Khan Pathan, Papu Khan Chachar and other party leaders.

  • Justice Isa says order banning him from hearing cases against PM wasn’t shared with him

    A day after Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed restrained Justice Qazi Faez Isa from hearing cases against Prime Minister Imran Khan in a judgement pertaining to the development funds allegedly doled out to the lawmakers, Justice Isa wrote a letter to the SC registrar saying why the judgement wasn’t shared with him even though it was a “standard practice”.

    On Thursday,  the CJP-led bench ruled that Justice Isa “should not hear matters involving the prime minister”.

    “The Hon. Chief Justice of Pakistan, therefore, observed that in these circumstances it would not be proper for the judge [Isa] to hear the matter considering that he had already filed a petition against the Prime Minister of Pakistan, in his personal capacity. Therefore, to uphold the principle of unbiasedness and impartiality, it would be in the interest of justice that the judge should not hear matters” concerning PM Imran Khan, the order on the SC website read.

    In response to this ban, Justice Isa wrote a letter to the SC registrar. “I have learnt that an order/judgment (don’t know which one) was passed in the subject case on 11 February 2021, and released to the media. This is shocking since, as yet, I have not received the file with the order/judgement.”

    “It is settled practice that after the judge heading the bench (in this case, the CJP) writes the order/judgement, it is sent to the next senior judge, and to on; however, Justice ljaz ul Ahsan apparently received it, but I never did, and the world knows of it before I’ve seen it,” the judge complained.

    Justice Isa asked why the order wasn’t shared with him and release to the media even before it was shared with him. “Kindly let me know: (1) Why the order/judgment was not sent to me, (2) Why the settled practice of sending it to the next senior judge was not followed? (3) Why was it released to the media before I read it (let alone had the opportunity to sign it in agreement/disagreement)? (4) Who ordered its release to the media? (5) And, provide me with the case file so I may finally read the order/judegment,” he wrote.

    BAR CONCERNED OVER RULING:

    Balochistan Bar Council, in a statement, expressed concerns over the ruling banning the senior judge from hearing the cases involving the premier. It regretted that such a directive was against legal and constitutional principles, especially when a 10-judge Supreme Court bench had already quashed the presidential reference filed against Justice Isa — a reference which they said was based on malice.

     Former Pakistan Bar Council vice-chairman Abid Saqi said that one set of judges of a constituted bench could not issue a directive to the other bench or any of the judges of the bench, not to hear a matter, as per a report in Dawn.

  • KP health coverage: PM announces Rs10 lacs per family every year

    KP health coverage: PM announces Rs10 lacs per family every year

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced to provide universal health coverage to all its residents.

    With the insurance, people will now be able to avail free treatment up to Rs1 million (Rs10 lakh) at over 400 government and private hospitals across the country.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan in a tweet on Monday also congratulated the provincial government. The PM said that KP has become the first province in Pakistan to provide its citizens with free health care.

    On Sunday, KP CM Mahmood Khan said that the entire population of the province start receiving free healthcare facility with the extension of Sehat Card Plus scheme.

    He had said that a free healthcare facility was a big step towards achieving the dream of a welfare state. Being executed through the Health Department in the province, the Sehat Card Plus scheme would immensely benefit over 6.5 million families and 40 million citizens of KP, reported APP news agency.

    He had said that under his directives kidney and liver transplant facility was also included in the scheme to benefit the deserving families at large.

    On Dec 7 last year, at least six COVID-19 patients had died after “criminal negligence” resulted in a delayed supply of oxygen to a hospital in Peshawar. More than 200 patients — including nearly 100 with coronavirus — were left for hours with limited supplies of oxygen at government-run Khyber Teaching Hospital.

  • VIDEO: Lawyers interrupt PM Imran during speech

    VIDEO: Lawyers interrupt PM Imran during speech

    Prime Minister Imran Khan was interrupted twice while he was addressing a ceremony in Sahiwal on Friday.

    During a cheque-distribution ceremony under the Ehsaas programme in Sahiwal, a lawyer interrupted the premier and asked for permission to make a request.

    He subsequently asked the PM for the formation of a high court bench in Sahiwal so that they don’t have to go to Multan or Lahore for cases in the high court.

    His request was followed by another lawyer asking the PM for permission to ask “three-four questions”. However, the PM shot down his request, saying he would have allowed him to speak had he decided to ask just one question. The lawyer could be heard saying just “two questions” but to no avail.

    The PM went on to say that he doesn’t have time for “three-four questions”. The PM said that his government was planning to industrialise Pakistan so that youth can find jobs.

    Imran said Sahiwal would be provided best facilities in the fields of health, education, road infrastructure and social welfare, adding that Punjab had immense potential for development in agriculture and livestock sectors.

    “The Ehsaas programme is meant to provide a safety net to the lower-income households,” the premier said. He maintained that his PTI-led government under the welfare programme is aiming to provide universal health care.

  • PM says doesn’t want to disrespect masses by talking in English

    PM says doesn’t want to disrespect masses by talking in English

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he doesn’t use English phrases in public because it would be disrespectful to the majority of Pakistani citizens who don’t speak or understand the language.

    The PM said he has an objection to using English as a language of communication because most people do not speak this language. “I would be fine with addressing events in English if everyone would speak the language,” the PM added.

    The remarks by the prime minister came a day after a much controversial video went viral on social media wherein the owners of a posh cafe in Islamabad were seen ridiculing their restaurant manager for his inability to speak English.

    Uzma and Diya, who own Cannoli Café Soul in Islamabad, have been at the receiving end of outrage for mocking and ridiculing their restaurant manager for his English speaking skills. In the video, the two women explained how their manager has been working at their café for nine years and has taken three language courses until now. 

    They then asked him to introduce himself in English and when he struggled with speaking fluent English, they made fun of him by commenting on the manager’s salary. The manager, Owais, was visibly uncomfortable in the video.

    They also issued a half-hearted apology after strong backlash.

    ‘INHERITANCE CERTIFICATES’:

    Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Thursday, the PM announced that inheritance certificates would now be issued within 15 days to make life easier for a common citizen. In past, it would take two years to get this letter issued, but now it will be done in two weeks.

    According to Radio Pakistan, the law ministry has devised a mechanism to establish Succession Facilitation Units in collaboration with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for the issuance of Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates within 15 days of initiation of the application by the legal heirs of the deceased.

    The PM also emphasised on reforming the civil procedure court, criminal justice system and ensuring women’s inheritance rights. “People friendly law reforms were being considered crucial by the present government aimed at ensuring justice through people-friendly legislation.

  • Banigala police station staff removed on PM’s complaint

    At least 20 police officials, excluding the station house officer, of Banigala police station were removed by the Islamabad police chief after a complaint by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    According to Dawn, there were several complaints against the staff of the police station. The cops were reportedly involved in facilitating land grabbers, drug dealers, and taking money from vehicles transporting construction material.

    In addition to over a dozen staffers, three sub-inspectors and three assistant sub-inspectors were also among the officials removed over misconduct.

    The development followed days after Islamabad IG Qazi Jamilur Rehman called on the PM. During their meeting, the PM had told the IG that the Banigala policemen extorted money from a truck driver. The driver was traced and but he couldn’t identify the policemen who extorted money from him.

    According to the newspaper, Banigala and three other police stations were declared Model Subdivision in Sept 2019 in line with the PM’s vision of the police reforms.

    As per the reforms aimed at effective administration of the police stations, assistant superintendents of police would work as station house officer for effective administration.

  • Humayun Saeed is ‘thrilled’ to be bringing the ‘biggest project ever’

    Humayun Saeed is ‘thrilled’ to be bringing the ‘biggest project ever’

    A Turkish delegation comprising of Diriliş: Ertuğrul executive producer Kamal Tekdin and actor Celal Al recently visited Pakistan where they met Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Shehryar Afridi, Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui. According to details, the two countries are working together on a joint production to strengthen ties and people-to-people contact.

    Sharing pictures from their visit on social media, Humayun wrote that “it was an absolute pleasure to host our Turkish guests”, adding that he and his “friend Adnan Siddiqui are absolutely thrilled to be bringing to you the biggest project ever in collaboration with Kashif Bhai and our Turkish brothers.”

    The Jawani Phir Nahi Ani actor then thanked the authorities responsible for making this collaboration possible.

    “I would like to especially thank Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi as well as our esteemed ministers Mr Shibli Faraz and Mr Shehryar Afridi who have pledged their full support in bringing this historic project to life.”

    Saeed reinstated that the upcoming venture “will be shot in and feature actors from both countries.”

    “Here’s to the beginning of a new chapter in Pak-Turkey friendship,” he concluded.

    According to a press release by the PM’s office, the meeting between the two parties discussed in detail the proposed television series being created in collaboration between Pakistan and Turkey on the Khilafat Movement among other future projects and the lost glory of the Pakistani entertainment industry.

    PM Khan, during the meeting, emphasized on showcasing the golden era of Muslims’ Rule in the subcontinent in dramas and films to apprise the youth about that golden age and to foil negative propaganda and designs.

    The PM said that the Pakistani film and drama industry needed to work for the promotion of local culture to apprise western-influenced youth of their indigenous values and to protect them from social evils, adding that the Pakistani film and drama industry will flourish by producing quality content. This will also provide a substitute for the superficial and glamourized broadcast content to the youth.

    Meanwhile, producer Tekdin said that the Turkish team is very happy over Pakistan’s cooperation in this project, which will highlight cultural commonalities between the two countries.

    The Prime Minister assured the Turkish team that his government will provide full cooperation in this regard.

    Meanwhile, Diriliş: Ertuğrul’s Nurettin Sönmez (Bamsı Beyrek) and Ayberk Pekcan (Artuk Bey) also arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday along with a 20-member delegation including Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.