Tag: PML-N

  • PTI leaders declare president, prime minister ‘illegal’ after first joint parliament session

    PTI leaders declare president, prime minister ‘illegal’ after first joint parliament session

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub Khan has declared the head of state, Asif Ali Zardari, “illegal” after the President’s first speech in parliament on Thursday.

    Zardari stressed the importance of meaningful dialogue between political parties to reduce the political crisis in Pakistan in his speech.

    The PTI leader raised questions on Article 41 of the Constitution, which states that a President is a representative of the federation, pointing out that Asif Ali Zardari hasn’t resigned as co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as of yet.

    “Law is being violated in this House,” the PTI leader said that he tried to raise a point being a leader of the opposition, but he was denied the floor.

    “As per the law, the floor is given to the opposition leader whenever he asks,” he added.

    On the other hand, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also criticized him, saying that “We do not recognize this president [Zardari]. [Not only this president, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the entire cabinet are also illegal.”

  • Motorcyclist killed in collision with Maryam Nawaz’s protocol’s vehicle

    Motorcyclist killed in collision with Maryam Nawaz’s protocol’s vehicle

    A speeding vehicle of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s motorcade reportedly caused the death of a motorcyclist at the Chandowal Stop on Shakargarh Road, Narowal, Dawn reported on Friday.

    The CM was heading to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur to join in the three-day Baisakhi festival celebrations. As her motorcade travelled from Narowal to Kartarpur, an Elite Force vehicle collided with a motorcyclist coming from the opposite direction. The motorcyclist, 23-year-old Abubakar from Jassar Town, lost his life on the scene.

    The CM’s motorcade did not stop to take the injured to the hospital.

    Ali Rizwan, a cousin of the accident victim, told Dawn that Abubakar was on his way to the gas station where he worked. He expressed frustration that no officials stopped their car to help the injured Abubakar, nor did they call Rescue 1122. Instead, he noted with disappointment that police officers arrived at the scene after the incident and washed away the blood from the road to eliminate the evidence.

  • Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui has said that former prime minister and party supremo Nawaz Sharif wasn’t ready to become prime minister for the fourth time.  

    “It was Nawaz’s own decision to not become the prime minister,” Siddiqui said while speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Wednesday.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif became the country’s prime minister for the second time following the party’s nomination after Nawaz decided against running for the coveted post after returning to the country following a four-year self-imposed exile from London.

    The party eagerly awaited the veteran politician’s return and built its election campaign around him. They portrayed him as a saviour who could tackle the country’s problems and guide it to prosperity.

    After the February 8 polls, where major political parties like PML-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) didn’t win enough seats for a clear majority in the National Assembly, PML-N chose Shehbaz as their candidate for prime minister.

  • Non-formal education will be provided to out-of-school children in Sindh, says Sindh education minister

    Non-formal education will be provided to out-of-school children in Sindh, says Sindh education minister

    Sindh Minister for Education and Mines & Minerals, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, announced on Wednesday that out-of-school children in the province will be provided a facility to complete their studies through a non-formal education strategy. Geo reported on Wednesday.

    A non-formal education authority will be established, which will work with the collaboration of UNICEF and through public-private partnerships. 

    The remarks came during a meeting on Wednesday in Karachi with Education Secretary Sindh Zahid Ali Abbasi and other officials.

    Education minister explained that through a non-formal strategy, a child who is out of school will complete his/her education up to eighth grade within four years. He also said that almost two million children in Sindh will be able to get benefit from the facility.

    He also stated that Sindh is the only province that will take initiatives for out-of-school children in the form of non-formal education.

    He stated that non-formal education centres will be established in areas where the number of out-of-school children is high.

  • NAB clears Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana reference

    NAB clears Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana reference

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has cleared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif of any wrongdoing in the Toshakhana vehicle reference.

    The anti-graft body has requested the accountability court to clear the former prime minister of any charges. The court directed NAB to include PML-N leaders in the investigation.

    The court may acquit Nawaz Sharif from the Toshakhana reference, as the watchdog stated in its report submitted before the court today, highlighting that the car in question was not a part of the Toshakhana at the time of purchase by the former prime minister.

    The anti-corruption body found that the Saudi government gave a car to then-Prime Minister Nawaz in 1997, which he deposited in Toshakhana.

    The report stated that in 2008, then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani offered Nawaz Sharif to buy the same car.

    Therefore, the PML-N head didn’t buy the car from Toshakhana. Instead, he bought it from the federal transport pool. According to the NAB report, Nawaz Sharif didn’t use a fake account to buy a car.

  • PTI-JUI-F dosti on the cards?

    PTI-JUI-F dosti on the cards?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have decided to increase their contacts on a party level. The former ruling party has launched a movement against rigging in recent general elections.

    Asad Qaiser, a PTI central leader, also confirmed that he talked on phone with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and wished him a happy Eid ul Fitr.

    “We exchanged views on the current political situation and the process of forming a government in our telephonic conversation,” Qaiser said in a statement, adding that both sides agreed on increasing party-level contacts.

    The former National Assembly (NA) speaker also spoke about his party’s concerns regarding Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) coalition government with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after the February 8 polls, calling for an organised public movement, calling it essential.

    The senior politician said that the PTI and the JUI-F have “ideological coordination” regarding the public movement.

  • Maryam Nawaz announces transgender schools in each division while they exist since PTI times

    Maryam Nawaz announces transgender schools in each division while they exist since PTI times

    Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has announced the establishment of transgender schools at the division level. Additionally, she directed the relevant officials to provide educational facilities to special children in at least one government school in each district.

    Dawn reports that these decisions were ta­­ken at a meeting held to re­­­view proposed school education reforms in the province.

    While chairing the revi­­ew meeting, CM Nawaz said: “Schools for trans­ge­nder [community] will be established at divisional level.”

    PTI-initiated Transgender schools

    Nine of the 11 divisions in Punjab already have schools for the transgender community. The initiative was taken by the previous PTI government under the supervision of the then Punjab Minister for School Education Murad Raas.

    Trans Educational School Sys­t­­em, Multan, Principal Ali­sha Sherazi told Dawn that no one from the government had contacted them for the establishment of transgender schools, as such schools already exis­ted in different cities of Punjab like D.G. Khan, Gujran­wala, Rawalpindi, Sargo­dha, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Multan and Bahawalpur. Only the one established in Lahore was later closed, she added.

    Transgender schools

    Alisha Sherazi, a trans­gender and a former cons­u­ltant of UNDP who did her MPhil in Education, Planning and Manage­m­ent from Burhanuddin Za­­kariya University, expl­ai­ned that three of the scho­ols including D.G. Khan, Multan and Bahawalpur were giving vocational tr­­a­ining to members of the transgender community. Four labs for IT, stitching, cooking and make-up classes were established in those schools, while other schools were focusing on academics, according to the principal.

    The government did not have the exact figures of transgender community’s population in the Punjab, Alisha added.

    At the meeting, CM Maryam Nawaz directed relevant authorities to implement a new comprehensive procedure.

  • PM Shehbaz set to visit Saudi Arabia for two days  

    PM Shehbaz set to visit Saudi Arabia for two days  

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will depart for a two-day trip to Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Saturday night. During his stay in Jeddah, he will also meet his Saudi Arabian counterpart, The News reported on Friday.

    The Premier will discuss various projects during a meeting with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

    Shehbaz Sharif will also invite MbS to visit Pakistan soon.

    During his stay in Saudi Arabia, both countries will finalise multiple development projects, and continue bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including agriculture. 

    The sources of The News claimed that Saudi Arabia will also invest $1 billion in the Reko Diq project.

    The schedule for PM Shehbaz’s visit will be finalised on Friday (today), said the sources.

  • Kakar out, Gillani in; PPP takes final decision

    Kakar out, Gillani in; PPP takes final decision

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated former prime minister and party loyalist Yousaf Raza Gillani as its candidate for the slot of Senate Chairman on Thursday.

    Jamil Soomro, political secretary of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, issued a notification on Thursday, putting to rest all speculation that the party will nominate another former Prime Minister, Anwaar Kakar, for the covered post.

    Following an agreement between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on certain positions, like the post of president, Senate chairman, and governorship of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were given to the PPP. However, the posts of Senate deputy chairman, National Assembly speaker, and governorship of Sindh and Balochistan were provided to PML-N.

    The former prime minister has the support of a total 54 senators, including 24 from the PPP, 19 from PML-N, four from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), three from the Awami National Party (ANP), three independents, and one from the National Party.

    However, if he gets the support of three MQM-P and five JUI-F senators, this number will become 64, which means Yousaf Raza Gillani will be in a comfortable position to get elected to the seat of Senate Chairman.

    On the other hand, the PTI has the support of 20 senators and one each from the BNP and PML-Q, taking the tally to 22.

  • Women arrested for stealing Uzma Kardar’s jewellery accuse police of beating, stripping them

    Women arrested for stealing Uzma Kardar’s jewellery accuse police of beating, stripping them

    Four women, detained for allegedly stealing jewellery belonging to PML-N’s Member of Punjab Assembly Uzma Kardar, have accused police of physical torture and stripping them in the presence of the MPA during the investigation process.

    The jewellery theft case was registered at the Model Town police station. However, the suspects, who are employees of a private housing society club have denied the allegations.

    The MPA suspected that two instructors and two club employees were involved in the theft. It was stated in the FIR that after attending the assembly session, she had gone to the club for swimming. She put the jewellery in her purse, which was kept in the club’s locker. Upon her return, she found out that jewellery worth Rs4-5 lakh had been stolen.

    SP Model Town told The News that four female employees of the club were detained after registration of the theft case. They were released after Uzma Kardar’s husband was taken into confidence on the matter. He said the club management also vouched for them and declared them innocent. He said the matter was still under investigation with the help of club’s surveillance cameras and management’s statements.

    MPA Uzma Kardar has called it “completely fabricated lies just to cover up systematic theft”. She emphasised that the women were investigated in front of her and were not detained for the night.