Prime Minister Imran Khan associated a woman’s attire with potential rape case in his recent interview. The statement has created a furor on the internet with netizens being divided on their stance to the PM’s controversial remarks.
The Diyar-e-dil actor, Osman Khalid Butt took to twitter to express his views on the statement.
Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter on Saturday to say that his government wants to “bring transparency and credibility to our elections”. The NA-249 by-election has become controversial after rigging allegations against the winning Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In a series of tweets, the PM said: “All parties are crying foul and claiming rigging. The same happened in Daska and in Senate elections. In fact, apart from the 1970 election, in every election claims of rigging have raised doubts over the credibility of election results.”
He further added, “In 2013 there were 133 NA constituencies’ disputes before election tribunals. We asked for an examination of just 4 constituencies’ votes & in all 4 riggings was established. But it took us a yr & a 126-days dharna to get a Judicial Commission that found over 40 faults in the conduct of elections.” PM added that unfortunately no substantive reforms were put in place. He tweeted that the use technology Electronic Voting Machines “are the only answer to reclaim credibility of elections”.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has now invited the Opposition to sit with the government and select from EVM [Electronic Voting Machines] models that are available to us in order to “restore our elections credibility”.
The prime minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is determined. “We will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency and credibility to our elections and strengthen our democracy”.
Miftah Ismail writes to ECP
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has written a letter to the chief election commissioner seeking a vote recount in the NA-249 by-election held on April 29 in Karachi.
In the letter, Miftah wrote: “We did not receive results from more than 30 polling stations. We have serious concerns about the behaviour of some presiding officers.” He also added that many Form 45s were not signed and also asked for forensic audit of Form-45 with Whatsapp/RTS. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fixed the hearing for voting recount on May 4.
Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation earlier today, giving a detailed update on the prevalent security situation in the country. He said that he decided to do this after the tense situation last week.
PM said Pakistan is the only country to have been made in the name of Islam. “I have travelled the entire Pakistan. Our people love the Prophet (PBUH) with all their heart. Whenever there is anything blasphemous, we do not tolerate it. Any Muslim in any part of the world gets hurt by such blasphemous content. We are no different.”
PM Khan said that last week, the TLP tried to show as if it loves the Prophet (PBUH) more than others. “What the TLP wants, we also want — i.e. no blasphemy against our Prophet (PBUH),” but he stated that the approach is and should be different to dealing with the issue.
“TLP has demanded that the French Ambassador should be sent back, ” the PM said, “we have a different approach from them but our (government’s) goal is the same.”
He repeatedly stated that he understands the way western countries think and nothing we do in our country will change the way the West thinks. “I understand the West and this approach will not help. The West has made this an issue of freedom of speech and this (riots in Pakistan) will not make a difference to France.”
He then stated the loss of life and property that the violent riots had caused in Pakistan. “Four police officers lost their lives and 800 were injured, ” Khan stated, “40 police cars were burnt and millions of rupees in damages were caused to personal properties.” He also stated that many oxygen cylinders were not able to make it to corona patients due to the riots.
He then explained his approach to the nation. “Our rupee is finally stabilising, our economy is getting better. When we send France’s ambassador back, we break relations with the European Union (EU),” he emphasised, “Which means we lose our textile exports to the EU. This means we lose jobs and poverty will increase. We will lose, not France.”
He explained that he had been developing his approach since 2019 when he first addressed the United Nations and told the world that the actions of the West hurt the Muslim world. Therefore, he suggests that the Muslim world come together and in a united front, state that blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is unacceptable. He went on to say that if the West does not stop hurting Muslim sentiments – like they have for the Jews and the Holocaust – then the Muslim world should boycott trade with the West.
“We tried to explain this to TLP,” Khan said, “We were in discussions with them and said we can bring this up in the assembly. But we realised they were preparing for something else and soon thereafter, they announced that they would do a dharna. Which is when our discussions with them stopped.”
Khan also made a pertinent point as to the riots affecting Pakistan and no one else. “The crime happens somewhere else, and we hurt ourselves? How does that make sense?” he asked, “We need to come together. Our economy is getting better. The country is going in the right direction. This is not the time to hurt our country.”
PM Khan also gave the example of former PM Nawaz Sharif not raising his voice against Salman Rushdie and his blasphemous book, ‘The Satanic Verses’. “I am speaking up against blasphemy done by the West but former PM Nawaz Sharif did not when Salman Rushdie’s book came out.”
PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal later tweeted that the book did not in fact come out during the tenure of Sharif. It came out in 1988. Sharif came to power in 1990.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the nation tonight at 06:45 pm. The development comes a day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lost his Senate seat in Islamabad.
Reports suggest that the government has requisitioned a session of the National Assembly on Saturday so that the PM can seek a vote of confidence from the lawmakers. Yesterday, after former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani defeated finance minister Hafeez Sheikh in the Senate election, the government held a power-packed press conference where it was announced by Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that PM Khan will seek a vote of confidence from parliament.
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari reminded PM Khan of his promise to dissolve the assembly if he lost the Islamabad Senate seat.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Shibli Faraz tweeted that Prime Minister Khan has announced the name of Sadiq Sanjrani for Senate Chairmanship. Sources say that Yousaf Raza Gillani will be PDM’s candidate for Chairman Senate though his name has not yet been confirmed by PDM.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has extended his prayers and best wishes to Maulana Tariq Jamil after he tested positive for COVID-19. The renowned religious scholar has been admitted to the hospital on his doctor’s advise.
“Praying for Maulana Tariq Jamil’s speedy and full recovery from the COVID-19”, wrote PM Khan on social media.
Maulana Tariq Jamil on Sunday had announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
“For the past few days, I have been feeling unwell. On getting tested for COVID, it came positive,” he shared on social media. “I have been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors, special prayers are requested.”
Read more – Maulana Tariq Jamil apologises to nation for controversial remarks against women
Meanwhile, Senator Faisal Javed Khan has also extended his best wishes to Maulana Tariq.
Prime Minister (PM) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has written a furious poem criticising the “treachery and betrayal” of his wife.
His wife and the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, secretly fled to Europe with their son Zayed, 7, and daughter Al Jalila, 11, last week. She is also the half-sister of King Abdullah II.
Al-Maktoum, 69, is known for frequently marking great occasions of state and family events such as weddings, in verse.
“You Lived and You Died” is the new poem, which appears to have been written by the prince in outrage at his wife’s decision to leave.
“Some mistakes are known as betrayal, and you have transgressed and betrayed,” the poem begins. “You traitor, you betrayed the most precious trust, you exposed your games and nature,” he adds in the piece.
The royal then continues to accuse his wife of lying, suggesting the claim was backed by evidence.
“You no longer have a place within me, go to who has kept you occupied,” he wrote, ending with “I do not care whether you live or die”.
While the subject behind the poem was not disclosed by al-Maktoum, the tone suggests it was addressed to a woman who had betrayed him.
Princess Haya is believed to have initially sought asylum in Germany, while reports claim her application has been approved in principle.
According to reports, she is also said to be seeking refuge in the United Kingdom (UK) as her preference is to live in London, where she is currently said to be residing at a secret location.