Tag: PML-N

  • In last NA speech, Shehbaz says he’s not happy that leader of a party is in jail

    In last NA speech, Shehbaz says he’s not happy that leader of a party is in jail

    In a poignant last speech on the floor of the National Assembly as Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif said that if the leader of a political party is jailed, “we are not happy about it”.

    “If someone has been distributing sweets [to celebrate], it is not right. This is not a good tradition,” the Premier said, in a thinly veiled reference to political rival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    Khan has been sentenced to three years imprisonment in the Tosha Khana case, and is currently at Attock jail.

    Talking about the severe economic crisis in the country, Shehbaz said that his government faced severe difficulties in its 16-month long tenure.

    He thanked legislators from all parties and both sides, including Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, for showing confidence in him.

    Calling the assembly a “bouquet”, the Prime Minister said that such a bunch of Pakistanis has never been put together before and will never be put together again.

    In a lighter moment, he asked members to thump their desks with more force after he paid tribute to Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

    He also singled out Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for praise, thanking the outgoing Foreign Minister for keeping the coalition together and for his diplomatic prowess.

  • Whose face is on Maryam Nawaz’s new coffee mug?

    Maryam Nawaz has finally ditched the metal glass she would carry around with her, replacing it with a new coffee mug that has a photo right up front on it.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has uploaded a video on their social media accounts where Maryam Nawaz says that her previous cup was the subject of “many discussions, analysis and TV programs”.

    She then turns a light coloured insulated mug she’s holding towards the camera and says, “Coffee tastes better in the cup I’m using now.”

    She goes on to elaborate that on one side the cup says “Mian day naaray wajjan gay” (Mian’s praise will resound everywhere), a slogan used for her father, PML-N head Mian Nawaz Sharif.

    The other side of the mug features a photo of the former Prime Minister.

    She then turns towards party officials including Azma Bokhari and Talal Chaudhary, instructing them to use the same cups. “I promise you, the coffee tastes better,” she said as the short clip draws to a close.

  • Govt employees get flat 50% increase in travel allowance

    The current government has announced a 50% increase in the daily travel and mileage allowances for all on-duty government employees. A notification to the same was issued by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday.

    According to the notification, different calculations will be used for different grades of employees. There is an increase of Rs 7,200 per day for employees in Grade 22 and Rs 6,000 for Grade 21 employees. On the other hand, the employees in Grades 12 to 16 can get an increase of Rs 1320 and Rs 1200 per day for the employees in Grades 5 to 11.

    Additionally, the cost of transportation has increased by 50% to Rs7.5 per kilometer for vehicles and Rs3.75 per kilometre for motorcycles. For personal vehicles or taxis, the per-kilometre mileage allowance has increased by 50% to Rs15, Rs6 for motorcycles, Rs3 for bicycles, and Rs3.75 for public transport.

    The aforementioned daily allowance prices are applicable to certain stations for special rates as announced, including Hyderabad, Karachi, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Quetta, Sargodha, Sialkot, Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Pesha­war, Gwadar, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad and Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

    Government employees in grades 1–19 can stay in hotels (not five-star ones), motels, public sector corporations, rest houses, and guest houses.

  • National Assembly set to dissolve after 5:30PM

    National Assembly set to dissolve after 5:30PM

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is preparing to advice President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly (NA) today, bringing an end to tumultuous five-year term for the Lower House. Today (Wednesday) might be the last day of the coalition government.

    In order to extend the interim period, which is legally within 90 days if an assembly is dissolved prematurely, the government will dissolve the Lower House of parliament earlier than its legal term, which expires on August 12.

    If the National Assembly gets dissolved prematurely, a caretaker government will be responsible for conducting elections in 90 days.

    According to Article 58 of the constitution, the prime minister can advise the president on the dissolution of the National Assembly, however, if the president doesn’t approve, the assembly is still dissolved within 48 hours.

    “The president shall dissolve the National Assembly if so advised by the prime minister; and the National Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the prime minister has so advised,” the article reads.

    PM Shehbaz Sharif, after a joint session of Parliament today at 5:30 p.m., will request President Alvi to dissolve the Parliament. Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with opposition leader Raja Riaz is scheduled for 4 p.m. today.

  • Hafeez Sheikh in, Ishaq Dar out; Rana Sanaullah says interim PM names shortlisted

    Hafeez Sheikh in, Ishaq Dar out; Rana Sanaullah says interim PM names shortlisted

    Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said on Sunday that former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh has been shortlisted among the names being discussed for caretaker prime minister.

    Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the National Assembly would be dissolved three days before the completion of its tenure, on August 9.

    The assembly will complete its term on August 12, in which case the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would be responsible for holding the election in the next 60 days.

    Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Sanaullah said that the name of a retired judge of Supreme Court is also among the shortlisted candidates for caretaker PM.

    “The interim prime minister will be finalised by Tuesday or Wednesday (August 8 or 9),” he added.

    He also mentioned that the names of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are not among the shortlisted candidates.

  • Khaqan, Bhootani in running for caretaker PM post

    Khaqan, Bhootani in running for caretaker PM post

    The names of independent lawmaker from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are also in the running for the post of caretaker PM, Geo News has reported.

    According to the report, coalition partners are currently having a Zoom meeting to share their views about the upcoming caretaker setup, as the tenure of this government is coming to an end.

    According to media reports, aome other names that are being considered include Ishaq Dar, Gohar Ejaz, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Dr. Hafeez Pasha, and former Chief Justice Tassaduq Jilani.

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, and other senior leaders are in the Zoom meeting.

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders have had several meetings about the upcoming caretaker setup, but no final decision has been made.

    Earlier, at a dinner hosted for allies, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed that the National Assembly will be dissolved on August 9, three days before the end of its tenure.

  • PM Shehbaz says didn’t care about ‘taunts’ of being called establishment’s man

    PM Shehbaz says didn’t care about ‘taunts’ of being called establishment’s man

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that he did not care about taunts labelling him “establishment’s man”.

    At the inauguration ceremony of the Barha Kahu bypass project in Islamabad, the Prime Minister said, “I was called the establishment’s man, but I did not care about those taunts […] I never met army chiefs for personal reasons; the only motive behind those meetings was to ensure that the establishment and governments take the country forward together.”

    Acknowledging that in his 38 year long political career, he met many army chiefs but only to ensure that, “Islamabad’s government and Rawalpindi’s establishment remain on the same page.”

    Mentioning rumors that he was close to former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and military dictator, the late General Pervez Musharraf, Shehbaz asked what did he get.

    “Nawaz Sharif was thrown into jail and so was I. He went to Attock, so did I. He went to Landhi jail, so did I. Nawaz Sharif was exiled, so was I. Even my family was exiled,” he commented.

  • ‘China will always stand firmly with Pakistan’; Xi Jinping vows to stand with ally

    “No matter how the international landscape may change, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan,” President Xi Jinping has said in a statement reiterating China’s steadfast support for Pakistan.
    The statement was given as part of a congratulatory message at the CPEC celebration ceremony held in Islamabad on Monday, where the Chinese Vice-president He Lifeng was also present as part of a three day visit to Pakistan.

    Talking about mutual ties, President Xi also stressed that China and Pakistan will keep enhancing overall planning. China will work with Pakistan to further develop CPEC into an exemplary project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, he stated.
    “Since its launch in 2013, China and Pakistan have been advancing CPEC under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and have achieved a number of early harvests,” he added.

    Earlier today, both the countries signed six agreements to promote mutual cooperation.
    The document establishing the joint cooperation committee of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was signed by China’s Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reforms Commission and Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.

  • Rana Sanaullah says Dar ‘neither nominated nor rejected’ for caretaker PM slot.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said on Friday that no one proposed the name of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for caretaker Prime Minister.

    “Neither was Ishaq Dar’s name suggested, nor was it rejected. It can be a rumour,” the minister remarked while speaking on Geo News’ programme “Geo Pakistan”.

    Admitting that discussions are currently taking place about the interim setup, Sanaullah said that the caretaker Minister should be a politician or a bureaucrat.

    “In case there’s a consensus that a politician can be appointed, then it can either be Ishaq Dar or any other politician from any party,” he said.
    He offered assurances that the government will appoint a suitable person on the position.

    As yet many names have surfaced in various reports and rumors about who will get the coveted position of caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, including Ishaq Dar, caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi and textile baron Gohar Ijaz.

  • PM meets Fazal and MQM-P to discuss caretaker set-up

    PM meets Fazal and MQM-P to discuss caretaker set-up

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming caretaker set-up in the country.

    According to the sources of Geo News, the PM will conduct a final meeting with all the political parties in the ruling alliance after Muharram 10 (Ashura).

    PM Shehbaz will meet with the leader of the opposition, Raja Riaz, at the beginning of next month in the National Assembly. The opposition leader will present three names for the position of caretaker PM.

    The PM also held a meeting with the MQM-P leaders at the Governor’s House, where the latter lodged a “strong protest” against the performance of K-Electric and the recent increase in power tariff.

    The PM also met with MQM-P leaders at the Governor House in Karachi. Shehbaz Sharif assured the MQM-P delegation that the final decision regarding the caretaker PM would be made after consulting all the coalition partners in the government.

    Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of the PPP, Akhtar Mengal of the BNP-M, and Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti of the Jamhoori Watan Party had all already met with PM Shehbaz.