Tag: PML-N

  • PM Imran asks for electoral reforms, again

    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.

  • PML-N’s Javed Latif arrested from courtroom in anti-state remarks case

    PML-N’s Javed Latif arrested from courtroom in anti-state remarks case

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) loyalist Javed Latif was on Tuesday arrested after a Lahore sessions court dismissed his interim bail in an anti-state remarks case, after which he was arrested.

    Latif has been accused of making anti-Pakistan comments and earlier, the court had reserved judgment on the PML-N MNA’s bail application.

    During the hearing, the public prosecutor sought a dismissal of the bail plea.

    The public prosecutor argued in court that Latif’s controversial statement was tantamount to overstepping his bounds in love for his leader.

    He said that a recording of Latif’s statement has been sent to forensics and the prosecution’s case is in accordance with all the requirements of the law.

    The prosecutor argued that the state is like a mother. “Can such language be used about one’s mother?” he asked.

    The public prosecutor also said that at the last hearing, it was reported that Latif had contracted coronavirus.

    He said agencies reported that Latif was not quarantined despite having coronavirus.

    During the hearing, Latif’s lawyer argued in court that a conspiracy was hatched to kill Maryam Nawaz and Latif made his statement in the context of this conspiracy.

    Latif was arrested from the courtroom.

  • Bail granted to Shehbaz Sharif

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif. The bail was approved by the three-member bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, Justice Alia Neelum and Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi. Sharif was first granted and then denied bail after a division bench issued a split decision on Sharif’s petition, sending the matter to the LHC chief justice for the nomination of a referee judge.

    Sharif was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a money-laundering case last year in September.

    Shehbaz Sharif’s son Hamza Shehbaz was released in February after spending 20 months in jail as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) probed money laundering accusations against him.

    While Shehbaz was incarcerated, a report in The News said that Maryam Nawaz, due to her hawkish stance, has gained popularity in the party and the public. Her control on the party is strengthened to such an extent that she has stopped “consulting him [Shehbaz] for political advice”.

  • Opposition parties criticise PTI govt over TLP protests

    Sunday’s clashes between the Punjab Police and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers led to reactions from various political parties as well as religious groups. Here is a recap:

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Addressing the media on Sunday night,  Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that this situation should be resolved wisely. He said that if the TLP comes to Islamabad, the JUI-F will support them. He criticised the government for declaring TLP a terrorist party.

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned the violence in Lahore and other parts of the country. He expressed grief over the loss of lives, including those of policemen and civilians, as the direct result of the PTI government’s inability to handle the situation peacefully.

    “The real fight is about fighting against the root of the festering problem, not in just responding to the symptoms. Why has the selected government not bothered to implement the National Action Plan, or even discuss arising challenges in parliament,” said Mr Bhutto. He pointed out that the tendency to foster and coddle pressure groups through instigating ethnic, religious and sectarian hatred had begun during Zia’s regime, to squeeze mainstream national political parties. He added that it was painfully clear that we have failed to understand that no one can consistently play with fire without getting burnt themselves.

    Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi strongly condemned the violence in Lahore. In a statement, Mr Abbasi said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) believes that “Namoos-e-Risalat (sanctity of prophethood) is the foundation of a Muslim’s ideology. No Muslim can compromise on it.” He criticised the government for its failure to establish peace in the country. “PDM stresses that peace and stability will only be established in Pakistan when it is run according to the Constitution and people’s wishes,” added Abbasi.

    Mufti Muneebur Rehman

    On Sunday night, former Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairperson Mufti Muneebur Rehman called for a countrywide strike the next day (Monday). Several otherst religious leaders have supported Mufti Muneeb’s strike call, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

    Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar:

    PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar called Maulana Fazl’s statement “irresponsible”. He said that it is not right to use what happened in Lahore for political point-scoring. Khokhar also said that Mufti Muneeb is also settling a score with the government after he was removed from his post as the chairperson of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. Khokhar asked why the government had signed an illegal and unconstitutional agreement with the TLP back in November.

    Agreement signed between PTI govt and TLP in Nov 2020

    Sindh High Court Bar Association 

    The Sindh High Court Bar Association condemned the utter failure of the PTI government to peacefully resolve this crisis. “The government’s reaction has swung from willful blindness to disproportionate and lethal force.” It also condemned the “unconstitutional gagging of electronic media in relation to the protests”.

    Meanwhile, Geo News reported that  a delegation of ulema led by Sahibzada Hamid Raza met the banned TLP chief Saad Rizvi in jail on Monday and urged him to end the protests taking place in the country by releasing a video message.

  • Shehbaz gets bail; PPP’s Sharmila, in deleted tweet, accuses PML-N of camaraderie with PTI govt

    Shehbaz gets bail; PPP’s Sharmila, in deleted tweet, accuses PML-N of camaraderie with PTI govt

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif in the assets beyond means and money laundering case.

    He had moved the high court for post-arrest bail in the reference — filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) — in March, five months after he was sent to jail on judicial remand by a trial court.

    The anti-graft watchdog had arrested Shehbaz in September after the LHC denied him further relief of pre-arrest bail in the case.

    On Tuesday, the bench, headed by Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, adjourned the hearing until today as a special prosecutor sought to start his arguments on behalf of the agency.

    An LHC division bench headed by Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar heard the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s arguments on the bail application of the opposition leader.

    On Tuesday, Shehbaz’s counsel Azam Nazir Tarar completed arguments for his bail, claiming that NAB has failed to come up with any evidence to establish the charges.

    In his bail request, Sharif alleged the NAB proceedings against him had been prompted by mala fide intention, ulterior motive, and considerations extraneous to law.

    He said the registration of a series of cases in quick succession against him and his repeated arrests at the behest of the government had been a classic example of misuse of the process of NAB to muffle the voice of the opposition.

    He said the bureau failed to collect any evidence of any corruption, kickbacks, misuse of any public office for personal gain by him throughout his political career.

    SHARMILA FARUQI’S DELETED TWEET:

    As Twitter reacted to the bail, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Faruqi tweeted to hint at possible betterment of ties between the PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    “Accusations of joining hands with government against the PPP and bail for Shehbaz?” she said in the tweeted that was later deleted.

    Tensions are running high between the PPP and anti-government Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), of which the PML-N is a key member.

    Trouble had been brewing between the two political entities ever since the government-friendly Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) supported PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani for slot of Senate opposition leader.

    Gilani’s nomination and subsequent election considered betrayal by other PDM members except the Awami National Party (ANP) was the latest bone of contention until the PPP and ANP were served show-cause notices.

    The same led to the PPP and ANP resigning from the opposition alliance. PDM chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has, however, asked both the parties to reconsider their decision.

    CASE AGAINST SHEHBAZ:

    Sharif along with his son Punjab Assembly opposition leader and PML-N Vice President Hamza Shehbaz was indicted in November in the Rs7 billion reference involving charges of money laundering and assets beyond means.

    The reference mainly accuses Sharif of being a beneficiary of the assets held in the name of his family members and frontmen, who had no sources to acquire such assets.

    It says the family members and the frontmen of the family received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, the bureau says, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited in the personal bank accounts of Hamza and his brother Suleman Shahbaz.

    The reference further says Sharif and his family failed to justify the sources of funds used for the acquisition of assets.

  • NA body approves bill seeking criminal proceedings against anyone defaming military

    A bill seeking criminal proceedings against anyone who defames the military, has been approved by National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior.

    The bill, under which the said act is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of Rs500,000 or both, will now be presented before the lower house of the parliament.

    According to sources, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have opposed it as a violation of right to freedom of expression.

    However, it received the votes of a majority during the NA body’s meeting.

    Last year, the National Assembly had introduced the Criminal Law Bill, 2020, to make intentional defaming and insulting the armed forces as a punishable felony.

    According to an insertion 500A in the Pakistan Penal Code Act 1860, anyone who deliberately ridicules or slanders the armed forces or member of the armed forces shall be found guilty.

  • Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F joins hands with PM Imran’s PTI against PPP in Larkana?

    Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F joins hands with PM Imran’s PTI against PPP in Larkana?

    • Show-cause notices for PPP, ANP

    In an unforeseen turn of events, Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has joined hands with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in Larkana to give the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) a tough time in its stronghold, a private media outlet has reported.

    However, the media report isn’t entirely true as brother of the JUI-F chief, Senator Attaur Rehman, has rubbished the same in conversation with The Current.

    Amid widening cracks between members of the anti-government alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the media report had claimed that JUI-F has forged with the PTI and GDA a new alliance named “Larkana Awami Ittihad”.

    It had went on to add that the alliance includes PTI leaders Ammer Buz Bhutto and Allah Bux with GDA’s Moazzam Ali Khan Abbasi and Safdar Abbasi.

    “The newly-formed alliance has also announced extending the scope of the campaign against PPP in the entire Larkana division,” the report had claimed further.

    When approached for a comment, Senator Attaur Rehman rubbished all claims and maintained that his party had only supported PTI backed-GDA candidate Moazam Ali Abbasi in Larkana by-election back in 2019.

    “Even though the JUI-F and PPP have no electoral agreement to support each other’s candidates, especially in Larkana, there is no truth to the claims,” he said and added the “ages-old” alliance was making headlines only due to a recent statement by PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

    Last Friday, Bilawal had claimed that the JUI-F sided with the “establishment” and opposed the PPP in the said by-election. “But despite that we accepted Fazl as leader of the PDM,” he had said.

    “If that is true, did we forge an alliance with the PPP in Karachi and Ghotki also on establishment’s orders?” Senator Attaur Rehman asked.

    To a question, he categorically denied the existence of any alliance between the JUI-F and PTI. “Let sleeping dogs lie,” he said.

    Trouble has been brewing among members of the anti-government alliance since after former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination by the PPP for the slot of opposition leader in the Senate. His election as the leader of opposition in the upper house has also only worsened the deteriorating ties.

    Many, including leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and other PDM member parties, seem to believe the PPP has “backstabbed” the joint opposition.

    The report by the private media outlet and its rebuttal come soon after it was revealed that the PDM has served show-cause notices to the PPP and the Awami National Party (ANP).

    While contents of the notices have not yet been disclosed, sources told The Current that they also pertain to Gilani’s election as Senate’s opposition leader despite the PDM’s reservations.

    The ANP, also a member of the PDM, had voted for Gilani.

    “They [notices] were handed to ANP’s Hidayatullah Khan and PPP’s Sherry Rehman,” sources said.

  • PML-N offers Gilani Senate chairmanship if he brings his ’31 votes’ to table

    PML-N offers Gilani Senate chairmanship if he brings his ’31 votes’ to table

    Amid deteriorating ties between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) over former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani’s election as the leader of opposition in Senate, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has put forth a rather interesting offer.

    Speaking to media, PML-N bigwig Rana Sanaullah has offered Gilani to bring his 31 votes in the Upper House to the table and get elected as the chairman with 27 others of the PML-N in the 104-member house.

    While the PPP is yet to respond to the offer, here’s what you need to know about Gilani becoming the opposition leader in Senate…

    Last week, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani notified Gilani as the opposition leader in the Senate after the PPP submitted a list of 31 senators to him.

    PML-N’s Azam Nazir Tarrar had the support of 21 opposition senators while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), which has five senators, did not support any candidate.

    “In pursuance of Rule 16 (3) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012, the chairman Senate has been pleased to declare Senator Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani as leader of the opposition in the Senate, with effect from March 26, 2021,” read a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat.

    The list carried the signatures of 30 senators; 21 PPP senators, two from the Awami National Party (ANP), one from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), two from the erstwhile Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and five from independent Senator Dilawar Khan Group.

    With the appointment of Gilani as the opposition leader in the Senate, the gulf between the PPP and PML-N widened, putting the 10-parties PDM alliance on the rocks.

  • NA-249 by-poll: Candyland owner candidate of PML-N introduces new candy

    NA-249 by-poll: Candyland owner candidate of PML-N introduces new candy

    With crucial NA-249 by-poll in Karachi on April 29 just around the corner, candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who is the owner of Ismail Industries — parent company of Candyland and Bisconni — has a surprise for constituents.

    Ismail, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Amjad Afridi and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal among others are the candidates for the lower house seat that fell vacant after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda resigned from the same.

    Amid intense electioneering, Ismail, who believes that former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif is the most popular leader in the constituency, has introduced his favourite product in limited-time packaging for locals and colleagues.

    The pictures of a white wrapper bearing Ismail, his constituency and party’s name went viral on social media on Monday.

    But what candy is it?

    Amid mixed reactions by netizens, sources told this scribe that the candy inside the wrapper was none other than Ismail’s personal favourite.

    Speaking to The Current last week, the PML-N leader had mentioned the very popular and old Fanty as his favourite product produced by his company.

    He had gone on to explain how the product had beaten the lifecycle of any other and retained its position as a widely-loved candy through decades.

    WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:

  • PDM at war

    PDM at war

    The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is at war with itself, it seems. The opposition alliance that was formed last year as an anti-government alliance now seems to be fighting a battle within its ranks.

    The two largest parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — have had a falling out of sorts in recent weeks.

    While we saw over the months since the formation of the PDM that the PML-N leadership took a rather strong stand on the establishment meddling in politics, the PPP was being cautious when it came to naming anyone directly. The strategies of both parties also seemed to be different, which is understandable given the fact that PDM is a mix of different parties with different ideologies. But one of their common goals was to get rid of the government.

    There were of course differences in strategies as to how to do it: the PML-N and Maulana Fazlur Rehman believed in resignations but the PPP believes that it should be done within the democratic framework while remaining in the system. It is understandable that the PPP would not want to resign given that it is the only Opposition party that is in power in a province. It has more at stake in parliamentary system at the moment than other parties of PDM.

    These issues have now come back in public again after the recent PDM meeting where former president Asif Zardari asked former premier Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan when the issue of resignations from assemblies was proposed once again by the latter. What ensued was a public war of words. From a tweet by Maryam Nawaz warning PM Imran to be wary of a ‘substitute’ being fostered, to Bilawal Bhutto saying he will not respond to a PML-N vice president’s statement and his party VP could respond.

    Then Bhutto-Zardari said a family from Lahore has a track record of being selected, quite obviously taking a jibe at the Sharifs. Things escalated even faster when the PPP went against the consensus decision of PDM on the Leader of the Opposition in Senate being from the PML-N. First they said they do not agree on the name of Azam Nazeem Tarar as he is defending two police officers accused in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case, who have been accused of negligence after her murder.

    The PML-N says that if the PPP could have a deputy PM who was directly nominated in BB’s letter, then why would they have an issue with Tarar’s name who is not defending any murderers. The PPP’s Yousaf Raza Gilani recently became the Leader of Opposition in Senate after securing votes from the government’s ally, BAP. Apart from the ANP and Jamaat-e-Islami, the rest of the Opposition parties supported Tarar in Senate.

    Now it remains to be seen whether the PDM decides that PPP will remain part of the Opposition alliance or not. The government, it seems, is having fun at the PPP’s expense. However, it is important that instead of this infighting, the Opposition parties should sit with the government and work on electoral reforms, accountability reforms, judicial reforms, among other things. Every democratic government must complete its tenure and bring about reforms.

    It is high time that the PDM stop thinking about a change in government and think long term so that it can benefit the system. Any elections without proper reforms would lead to finger-pointing by those who lose. It is important that all parties put aside their differences for the greater good of democracy.