Tag: PML-N

  • India adopts Pakistan’s policies to achieve success, says Nawaz Sharif

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif said to the  Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Thursday that India achieved success by adopting Pakistan’s policies.

    In his address, Nawaz Sharif said that PML-N was aware of the economic challenges faced by the country. He also promised the business community that PML-N would surely take their advice, as it has done before.

    “The business community of Pakistan implemented our policies, and India adopted our policies and achieved economic success,” said Nawaz, who is leading his party’s campaign after returning to the country.

    This was his first interaction with traders since his return after a four-year-long self-imposed exile. The former prime minister mentioned that during his tenure in 2013–2017, Pakistan’s had the 24th-best economy in the world. He also said that at that time, the dollar was at 104.

    “If our development [model] and policies were continued, then the dollar would have been at 40 or 50,” claimed the three-time prime minister.

    Nawaz Sharif also said that Islamic countries began to see us as their protectors when we conducted a nuclear test in 1998.

  • Shehbaz asks ‘younger brother’ Bilawal to be politically mature

    Shehbaz asks ‘younger brother’ Bilawal to be politically mature

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and former prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, has described Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as a “younger brother”, a day after Bilawal advised PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to “focus on Lahore”.

    While mentioning the coalition government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Shehbaz said that “Bilawal Bhutto is like a younger brother. [We have] worked together for 16 months.”

    Shehbaz Sharif’s comment came during a press conference in Quetta where the other PML-N leaders, including Nawaz Sharif, were gathered.

    The PML-N president’s statement was a response to Bilawal’s advice to Nawaz Sharif to “focus on Lahore”.

    “We should move towards mature politics. Crying and blaming will do nothing,” the PML-N president said.

    “Mian sahib has been advised to go to other provinces. I suggest he should stay in Lahore,” said the former foreign minister while addressing a presser in Mithi.

    Bilawal also said that Nawaz Sharif should focus on Punjab and address issues within the party.

  • Nawaz Sharif attracts over 30 electables to PML-N camp

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has successfully garnered the support of more than 30 influential electables from Balochistan, Geo News reports.

    The seasoned politician, who recently returned to Pakistan after a four-year self-imposed exile, orchestrated the feat during his visit to Quetta.

    Accompanied by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, Nawaz engaged in discussions with leaders from various political factions during his visit to Balochistan.

    Following these deliberations, over 30 individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Balochistan National Party–Mengal (BNP-M), National Party (NP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) joined the ranks of PML-N.

    From BAP, former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan, Mir Saleem Khosa, Noor Mohammad, Baba Buledi, Sardar Masood Luni, Rubaba Buledi, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Shoaib Nosherwani, Ramin Jan Muhammad Hassni and Muhammad Khan Lehrijoined the PML-N ranks.

    PPP leaders Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail, Sardar Fateh Muhammad, and Faiq Jamali jumped ship to join the PML-N.
    From the National Party, Mujib Mohammad Hassni and former senator Dr Ashok Kumar, while Zeenat Shahwani of BNP-M and PTI’s Muhammad Jamali and Sardar Atif Sanjrani also joined the PML-N.

    The PML-N delegation, which held discussions with a BAP delegation led by Nawabzada Khalid Magsi, also marked a noteworthy reconciliation between the historically contentious parties. BAP, founded in 2018, has roots in political dissidents from both PML-N and the PML-Q.

    To strengthen its position in the province, PML-N is reportedly exploring electoral alliances, including with the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F).

    Talks suggest that, if successful, the parties may jointly contest the general elections, with a shared decision on the chief minister’s candidacy.

    Sources said that the JUI-F has also put forward the name of Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri conditioning their support if he is made the province’s chief executive.

    The development comes as earlier this month the PML-N and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced their electoral alliance to jointly contest the upcoming general elections in Sindh.

    In response to these developments, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari offered a suggestion to Nawaz Sharif, urging him to “focus on Lahore,” on Tuesday.

    “Mian sahab has been adviced to visit other provinces. I would suggest that he should stay in Lahore and focus on its problems,” said the PPP chairman during a presser in Mithi, calling on PML-N to do politics on its own and stop relying on others.

  • Bilawal Bhutto advises Nawaz Sharif to focus on Lahore

    Bilawal Bhutto advises Nawaz Sharif to focus on Lahore

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has advised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to focus on Lahore, just as the latter makes his way to Balochistan. Bilawal also said that Nawaz Sharif should do something for his party, which is facing problems in Punjab.

    “Mian sahab has been adviced to visit other provinces. I would suggest that he should stay in Lahore and focus on its problems,” said the PPP chairman during a presser in Mithi, calling on  PML-N to do politics on its own and stop relying on others.

    The former foreign minister passed the remarks after PML-N declared its intention to collaboratively participate in the elections with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P).

    Nawaz is visiting Balochistan to meet several political leaders, including from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). There is also a possibility of a seat adjustment agreement with the party.

  • What is the ‘Farah Gogi fiasco’?

    What is the ‘Farah Gogi fiasco’?

    The disclosed assets of Farhat Shahzadi, also known as Farah Gogi, alleged to be the front person of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, surged by an astonishing Rs4.52 billion between 2017 and 2020, a report by Express News has stated. 

    The revelations, made public on Thursday, suggest widespread corruption involving Shahzadi, a close associate of Imran Khan and his wife, former First Lady Bushra Bibi. 

    The details of Farah Gogi’s assets were made public by journalist Zahid Gishkori in 2022, who was associated with Samaa News at that time.

    Farah Gogi, who confessed to owning assets worth Rs950 million in 2020, saw a staggering 420% increase in her declared assets during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. 

    The report alleges that she also possesses undisclosed assets amounting to Rs3.82 billion.

    The disclosed assets, as per the report, include agricultural land in Bahawalpur and Gujranwala, residential and commercial properties in Islamabad and Lahore, and 200 kanals of agricultural land in Chakri. 

    Furthermore, investigations revealed her involvement in crimes such as money laundering, with accusations of working as a fake doctor in the UK alongside her husband.

    The report claims that Gogi took advantage of the tax amnesty scheme in 2018, regularizing Rs489 million in black money collected through bribes for various postings, transfers, and government contracts. 

    The report further alleges that Gogi received 240 kanals of land as a bribe from a property tycoon involved in an out-of-court settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency.

    According to the report, the number of Gogi’s bank accounts showed a significant abnormal increase from 2019 to 2021, with Rs426 million deposited in one account through 47 transactions from 2018 to 2022. 

    In total, 102 bank accounts linked to Gogi, her husband, and associates across the country were identified, with a sum of Rs14.5 billion.

    In response to these allegations, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Central Deputy General Secretary Ataullah Tarar held a press conference in Lahore, accusing Gogi and others of engaging in corruption. 

    He urged Gogi to return to Pakistan and testify about Imran Khan’s involvement.

    Imran Khan’s lawyer, Sher Afzal Marwat, dismissed the allegations as a new wave of propaganda against Bushra Bibi, Imran’s wife. 

    Marwat emphasized the need to avoid further political unrest in Pakistan.

    Secret foreign passport

    Recent developments indicate that Farah Gogi used a secret foreign passport to travel abroad for the alleged purpose of laundering wealth belonging to Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi as per Geo News.

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered a money-laundering and kickbacks case against Gogi in March, with her bank accounts reportedly holding over Rs14 billion.

    Meanwhile, Gogi sent a legal notice to the NAB chairman, FIA DG, Punjab IG, and Anti-Corruption Department (ACE) DG on the issue of leaking her property details.

    According to the fresh reports, Gogi used to travel abroad on the passport of Vanuatu, a string of more than 80 islands once known as the New Hebrides which is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

    The sources also claimed that the son of a property tycoon had been given the task of arranging a secret international passport for Gogi. The property tycoon’s son paid $130,000 to a renowned trader to obtain the passport.

    On March 28, 2022, the secret passport was handed over to Gogi, the sources added.

    In order to get her escape from accountability, Gogi was sent abroad on a Pakistani passport just six days before the Khan-led government was toppled. 

    In a bid to dodge the investigation agencies, she travelled abroad on a foreign passport, except Dubai.

  • ‘No merger, only seat adjustment with PML-N’: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid

    ‘No merger, only seat adjustment with PML-N’: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat has said that the people of Pakistan have pinned many hopes on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, adding that the future government will have to work for the restoration of the economy, eliminating unemployment and inflation.

    Shujaat Hussain said, ‘By overcoming the bitterness of the past, we should utilize our full capabilities to solve the issues facing the people.”

    “Our collective responsibility is not for revenge politics but for building a strong economy, providing relief to the people, and safeguarding national interests,” he added.

    PML-Q also quashed rumors of an impending merger with PML-N on Sunday.

    Instead, the party confirmed its intention to pursue seat adjustments with the Nawaz Sharif-led faction in specific constituencies.

    Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, PML-Q Punjab General Secretary, clarified the party’s position, asserting its commitment to maintaining an independent identity.

    Notably, PML-Q candidates are set to participate in the upcoming elections, carrying the party’s symbol – the tractor.

    Speculations about a potential merger were rife, with talks centering around seat allocations for Chaudhry Shujaat’s sons and Tariq Bashir Cheema, the party’s secretary-general.

    However, these speculations were dispelled by Chaudhry Shafay Hussain.

    The political landscape is witnessing increased activity, with PML-N actively seeking alliances.

    Last week, they announced a joint participation in the polls with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

    A recent meeting between a PML-N delegation and MQM-P leadership in Karachi delved into discussions on electoral alliances and future strategies.

    While PML-N explores collaborative ventures, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has voiced discontent. Sharjeel Memon, a PPP leader, criticized PML-N’s historical ascent to power, alleging rigging.

    Despite this, Memon expressed confidence in PPP’s electoral prospects, anticipating a clean sweep in the upcoming elections.

    Simultaneously, PML-Q leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and his son, ex-MNA Hussain Elahi, critiqued PML-N’s economic policies.

    They credited the recent improvements in the national economy and currency to strict measures initiated by Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir.

    The criticism of the PML-N by both the former PML-Q lawmakers and close family members of the party chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, has surfaced just when the leadership of both factions of the Pakistan Muslim League is hinting at making a seat adjustment in the election on Feb 8, 2024.

    Speaking to a gathering of party workers at his Nutt House in Gujrat, Wajahat said the masses were witness to the statement of PML-N leadership regarding being beggars and that wherever they went to seek financial assistance, the other side would consider them as beggars.

    Wajahat announced to kick off the election campaign of his son, Hussain Elahi, and two Punjab Assembly candidates of his party, Abdullah Yousaf Warraich and Khalid Asghar Ghural, asking his supporters to work for their victory.

    Sources have told Dawn that by criticizing the PML-N policies, the Wajahat camp has tried to attract the PTI vote bank with an anti-PML-N narrative as his traditional rival, Nawabzada family, has already been in the PML-N and the voters might not be easily won by the PML-Q in that constituency.

    They say Hussain Elahi would assess the ground position of his constituency for the future course of action.

    It’s pertinent to mention that both Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and his son Hussain Elahi were in the PTI before the May 9 incidents when many of the party leaders had started quitting the party. The duo also quit the PTI and joined the PML-Q.

  • Bilawal believes, PML-N, MQM alliance will benefit PPP

    Bilawal believes, PML-N, MQM alliance will benefit PPP

    Commenting on the electoral alliance recently formed between Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), asserted on Friday that the coalition would prove advantageous for his party in the upcoming general election.

    Earlier this week, PML-N and MQM-P, former allies of the PPP in the Centre, declared their intention to collaborate in the upcoming general elections. This alliance has the potential to influence election outcome in urban areas of Sindh.

    The development occurred amidst the escalating war of words between the PPP and PML-N, following the announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct elections in the country on February 8, 2024.

    The romance between the two former allies ended after the PDM-led coalition government completed its term in August, and both the PPP and PML-N locked horns over election-related issues.

    During an interaction with journalists in Safari Park, they PPP chairman said: “We worked hard to make him [Shehbaz Sharif] prime minister. It was the need of the hour.”

    He emphasised that the decision was intended to address the ongoing political and democratic crisis in the country. The PPP leader highlighted that, during the government led by the PDM, his party contributed to the betterment of Sindh.

  • Khursheed Shah hints PM House still in PML-N control

    Khursheed Shah hints PM House still in PML-N control

    Khursheed Shah of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has hinted at the caretaker government colluding with Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), stating that Prime Minister house is currently in the hands of party that was previously in power.

    “The government will not work if someone is forcefully imposed on us to rule. If the (prime minister) is selected, then the country will only suffer,” said Shah while speaking to media persons in Lahore.

    Shah mentioned that PML-N is teaming up with MQM-P for the elections, while highlighting that PPP is running independently.

    “The people of Punjab had shown their trust in PPP in the past,” said Shah, adding if there are any ‘punctures’ in the elections, then there will be a lot of damage. 

    “There is no interference during the voting process around the world,” he said while calling for the restoration of democracy through voting in Pakistan. 

    Reiterating his party’s stance on level-playing field, the PPP leader wondered how can the parties have equal opportunities during the upcoming general elections when there are PML-N leaders in the incumbent caretaker government.

  • Senators and LG representatives might be allowed by ECP to campaign for their parties

    Senators and LG representatives might be allowed by ECP to campaign for their parties

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is working on rules that will determine whether senators and local government representatives can actively support and promote their political parties during election campaign, as the February 8 national elections approach.

    As per ECP guidelines, politicians must follow the rules closely, with legal consequences, including facing contempt charges under Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017, applicable on violations.

    This behavior also holds political parties, candidates, and election agents responsible for preventing their supporters from putting too much pressure on newspapers, TV, and radio stations, including avoiding violence against journalists.

    The electoral watchdog has recommended a total prohibition on having or showing any weapons or guns during public gatherings, rallies, on polling day, and up to 24 hours after official results are finalized by the returning officers.

    Violation will be treated as an illegal practice. The condition will not apply to guards of political parties’ leaders or candidates, but they will need a valid license for carrying weapons and prior permission from the concerned authority.

  • Rana Sanaullah thinks MQM-P will help PLM-N get up to four seats in Karachi

    Rana Sanaullah thinks MQM-P will help PLM-N get up to four seats in Karachi

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has stated that his party’s alliance with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) could result in three to four candidates securing seats in Karachi in the general elections, The News has reported.

    Sanaullah passed the opinion after a joint announcement by PML-N and MQM-P that they intend to collectively participate in the elections scheduled for February 8.
    Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Sath’ on Thursday, Sanaullah said that a lot of matters were yet to be decided but the MQM-P will give PML-N space where its candidates could succeed.
    “We will strengthen PML-N in Balochistan,” he said.

    “A hung parliament after the election will add to the country’s problems,” he warned and said the future government must at least have a simple majority.
    He mentioned that the current situation in the country requires a widespread agreement on policies. The upcoming government, regardless of which party leads it, will need to collaborate with all other parties to navigate the country through its challenges.