Tag: PMLN

  • Confusion over CM Punjab oath-taking today, Speaker says Buzdar is still CM

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, with a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari on agenda, was adjourned by Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi till 11:30am on May 16.

    Later talking to the media, Ch Pervaiz Elahi blamed harassment of the assembly’s officials by police officers as the reason for postponing the session. “The assembly officials are being harassed and intimated by police officers. Some of them have been arrested while the police have been carrying out raiding on the houses of other staffers,” he added.

    Regarding the confusion over the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister (CM) Punjab, Elahi said that Buzdar is still the CM.

    However, in the light of the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders to Punjab Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema regarding oath-taking from CM-elect Hamza Shehbaz, there is some probability that Hamza may take oath today (Thursday).

    Voting on the no-confidence motion was scheduled for Thursday and it was supposed to be held through a secret ballot. No Member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) was allowed to bring their cellphone to the House. Women lawmakers were also barred from carrying their handbags.

    Security around the House was quite strict after the PA session on April 16 witnessed unprecedented violence which left many lawmakers injured.

    According to Dawn, a PML-N MPA told the news outlet that PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  (PTI)’s dissident lawmakers agreed to support Deputy Speaker Mazari in the no-confidence motion.

    The no-confidence against the deputy speaker was submitted on April 7 when he summoned the assembly session early on April 6 instead of April 16— a development that was opposed by PML-Q and PTI.

    Mazari’s sudden change of heart to hold the session earlier was termed the ‘handiwork’ of the PML-N leadership that allegedly wooed him through a ‘good offer’.

  • PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal under fire for comments on Cuba; Cuban Ambassador reacts

    Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal sparked an outcry through his comparison of Pakistan with Cuba while highlighting poor performance and incompetence of the previous government.

    The minister said: “We not want Pakistan to become Cuba or North Korea. We have to set Pakistan on the path to development, like Malaysia, Turkey, China and South Korea.”

    Ahsan Iqbal, in fact, was trying to draw a comparison of the poor performance of the previous, saying that the “PTI government had hampered the CPEC’s progress and soured ties with the European Union, the United States and even brotherly Muslim countries, pushing the county into isolation.”

    Responding to Iqbal’s statement, Cuban Ambassador in Pakistan Zener Caro, in a tweet, said, “Fortunately, Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s disrespectful mention of Cuba in his press conference in Lahore does not represent and has nothing to do with Pakistanis’ true respect and deep affection for Cuba and its people.”

    Following it, former Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari also took to Twitter and gave a fact check to current federal minister.

    She said, “Ahsan Iqbal’s ignorance or desperate desire to please his US regime change conspiracy masters has now led him to demean Cuba by saying he doesn’t want Pakistan to become like Cuba!”

    “Cuba is a country that fought hard to win freedom & rid itself of US interference where the US had imposed a clause in Cuba’s constitution to maintain control over its policies”, she added.

    Other people also commented over the minister’s comparison and termed it inappropriate.

    https://twitter.com/5heldonC00PER/status/1518524462706171905?s=20&t=Eg-pm7L4CK2dB9Cjdwdm-Q

    https://twitter.com/DrAmjadAliKhan/status/1518530444739887105?s=20&t=Eg-pm7L4CK2dB9Cjdwdm-Q

  • Zulfi Bukhari mocks Miftah Ismail for not knowing about Web 3.0

    Zulfi Bukhari mocks Miftah Ismail for not knowing about Web 3.0

    Following Finance Minister Miftah Ismail’s admittance of being unaware of the third generation internet, or Web 3.0, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader Zulfikar Bukhari offered him “free consultation and training” on Web 3.0.

    “We’ll give you free consultancy services & coaching on Web 3.0 Miftah, but please don’t embarrass Pakistan like that next time,” Zulfi Bukhari said in a tweet quoting a video of the Atlantic Council.

    In the viral video, Miftah is asked about the rise of Web 3.0, which the questioner believes will be a $100 billion dollar export opportunity for Pakistani talent in the next 20 years.

    He also inquired what he felt about providing new economic prospects for Pakistanis, citing the potential of digital currency.

    “Let me simply declare that I genuinely don’t know what Web 3.0 is,” Miftah said bluntly and “shamelessly..I don’t know much about this, but I do know that Pakistani fintech and new technology businesses garnered a lot of money last year and from a very low starting point”.

    He added that we want them to thrive as much as possible, I’m not sure how much we can do to assist them.

    What is Web 3.0?

    Web 3.0 is a new kind of internet that not only accurately translates what you type, but also understands what you say, whether through text, voice, or other media, and where all of the content you consume is more personalised than ever before.

    There are a few early-stage Web 3.0 applications that exist today, but their true potential cannot be seen until the new internet is fully integrated into the web infrastructure.

    Web 3.0 refers to the next generation of the internet, in which websites and apps will be able to handle data in a clever human-like manner using technologies such as machine learning (ML), Big Data, and decentralised ledger technology (DLT), among others.

    Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, dubbed Web 3.0 the Semantic Web, with the goal of creating a more autonomous, intelligent, and open internet.

    Read more: ‘Sasta Ramzan Bazaar’ fails to provide relief in third Ashra

    Data will be interconnected in a decentralised form, which would be a big leap ahead from our present generation of the internet (Web 2.0), where data is largely housed in centralised repositories.

    Users and machines will be able to engage with data as well. However, programmes must be able to comprehend information both conceptually and culturally in order for this to happen. With this in mind, the semantic web and artificial intelligence are the two cornerstones of Web 3.0. (AI).

  • ‘Will not allow anyone to relax’: PM Shehbaz says not to visit China until load-shedding over

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the long hours load-shedding across the country following his visit to different areas and departments in Lahore on Sunday, reports Geo News.

    “Immediate steps must be taken to reduce power outages by May. Until we get rid of load-shedding, I will not leave for China, neither will allow anyone to relax,” the premier declared.

    Shehbaz Sharif further said that tangible measures should be taken for the availability of oil and gas resources to operationalise closed thermal power plants.

    In the ongoing holy month of Ramazan, Pakistan has severely been hit by power outrages and various cities of the country are experiencing 10-12 hours power loadshedding.

    PM Shehbaz claimed that the previous government made the nation paid for Rs100 billion due to wrong decisions. “The nation will have to pay Rs500 billion extra this year as such due to the poor planning and incompetence of the previous government,” Shehbaz regretted.

    “Due to the negligence of the previous rulers, one Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ship that was available for Rs6 billion is now costing Pakistan a humongous amount of Rs20 billion”, PM Shehbaz revealed. 

    On a weekly-day off, the PM paid a surprise visit to Ramazan bazaar in Johar Town and visited Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) in the Punjab capital.

  • PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal invites PTI’s Asad Umar to ‘farewell dinner’

    PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal invites PTI’s Asad Umar to ‘farewell dinner’

    The newly-appointed Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has written a letter, inviting his predecessor former Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar to a farewell dinner “on a date and time of the Umar’s convenience.”

    The federal minister said that in the meeting he would “like to be briefed on the developmental initiatives of greater public importance” that the PTI government “had started and which should be continued in the public interest”.

    “I look forward to a positive response from you. My office will coordinate with your personal staff to schedule the proposed farewell dinner/meeting with you at the earliest,” the letter further reads.

    However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader is yet to make a comment on this invitation.

    The PML-N’s leader move, however, has been widely appreciated by social media users.

  • Did Maryam Nawaz attend Imran Khan’s Twitter Space last night?

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Twitter Space session on night between Wednesday and Thursday broke records with 165K people listening to it at one point. Right after the session, a screenshot started making rounds on social media claiming that Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz also attended the session.

    The screenshot was also shared by former Deputy National Assembly (NA) Qasim Suri.

    The news left some social media users surprised while majority questioned the authenticity of the screenshot.

    Earlier today, Fact-Check Pakistan declared the screenshot as fake. They shared the update on Twitter, saying: “Following former PM Imran Khan’s Twitter space some accounts of PTI supporters circulated a screenshot showing PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz as one of the listeners – this screenshot is doctored/fake – Ms Nawaz did not attend, a source in her staff confirmed to ⁦@PakistanCheck”.

    Before this, Maryam’s Political Secretary Zeeshan Malik, in a tweet, clarified that the screenshot was “fake”.

  • Bilawal going to meet Nawaz to make Zardari president: report

    Pakistan People’s Pakistan (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is expected to meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London, reports Geo News.

    As per the news outlet’s sources, Bilawal will discuss the inclusion of Balochistan National Party (BNP) and Moshin Dawar in the federal cabinet with Nawaz Sharif during his visit to the UK. PPP Secretary-General Farhatullah Babar told The News, “The main purpose of meeting Nawaz Sharif is to congratulate him on the coalition government and discuss the current political situation.”

    However, according to Journalist Saleem Safi, “Bilawal is giving a false impression that he is going to London for the sake of allies. He is going to beg for the governorship of Punjab, more ministries and to make Zardari President.”

    As per the media outlet’s sources, there is no deadlock between PPP and PML-N on the issue of the Foreign Ministry. There is an understanding between the PPP and the PML-N that Bilawal would take over as the Foreign Minister (FM). There are speculations that there are some issues in the coalition government that’s why Bilawal did not take oath as FM despite attending the cabinet oath-taking ceremony on Tuesday.

    Earlier, it was reported that Asif Ali Zardari and other PPP leaders are not in favour of Bilawal joining the cabinet.

    Recently, PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has excused from taking oath as minister of state for personal reasons and said he wants to focus on the upcoming general elections.

  • PML-N disbands Information Ministry’s Digital Media Wing for ‘opposition hate speech’

    PML-N disbands Information Ministry’s Digital Media Wing for ‘opposition hate speech’

    The new PML-N government has decided to close the Digital Media Wing (DMW), which was formed by the previous PTI administration to publicise official information on social media platforms.

    In her first press conference as minister for information and broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, on April 19, said the PTI-established DMW was made up of its own workers and bot accounts who targeted the opposition and national institutions.

    The information ministry has established a cyber wing to disseminate the government’s accomplishments and publicise its strategic plan on social media platforms.

    Furthermore, she stated that the cyber wing needed to be more innovative and up to date with changing trends, as well as keep up with offices such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to maintain Pakistan’s good image abroad.

    The closure has split industry experts, with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) welcoming the decision to disband the controversial Digital Media Wing.

    The HRCP has been rejecting the DMW, claiming that it is pursuing the PTI’s agenda against political rivals, and there have been allegations that state resources are being used to advance the party agenda, including trolling media persons.

    Read more: FIA picks up 24 over social media campaign against Pak Army

    Even so, a social media rights activist applauded the decision to transfer the DMW’s responsibilities to the information ministry’s cyber wing, claiming that it would strengthen checks on any misuse of digital media platforms by state entities.

    The PTI established the DMW shortly after taking power in 2018. It was the reincarnation of the Press Information Department’s Social Media Wing (PID).

  • Twitter reacts to only five women in Shehbaz’s cabinet

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet members took oath on Tuesday. In the new setup, the cabinet has 31 federal ministers, three ministers of state and three advisers in the first phase, as has been said by the coalition government.

    As usual, the federal cabinet includes less ratio of females. The list includes:

    Marriyum Aurangzeb – Minister for Information

    Shazia Atta Marri- Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme

    Hina Rabbani Khar- Minister for Foreign Affairs,

    Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha- Adviser to PM on Finance

    Sherry Rehman- Minister of state for Climate change

    Following the oath-taking, social media users criticise the induction of only five females in the new federal cabinet.

    https://twitter.com/meinhiburihun/status/1516276827769212931?s=20&t=RsZ9tvKjcuEwfqKS0mnnYA

    https://twitter.com/jawismm/status/1516345385631035398?s=20&t=RsZ9tvKjcuEwfqKS0mnnYA

  • ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, which was started to elect the new Chief Minister (CM) Punjab turned into a battle filed today (Saturday).

    Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari was attacked by several Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs). The lawmakers of the ruling party threw “lotas” at Mazari first, attacked him and pulled his hair despite the presence of security guards. Mazari who got injured somehow managed to go inside his chamber.

    Consequently, the session has been delayed due to the unfortunate incident.

    In a media talk outside the Punjab Assembly after the ruckus inside, PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar blamed Pervaiz Elahi and his “group of gangsters” for everything that happened inside the legislature.

    “What happened today is a blatant violation of the law and Constitution,” he said. “Today, the deputy speaker was attacked. This is an incident of terrorism. I have heard Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi wants to get one or two people murdered.” He added that Elahi had been encouraging the MPAs when they attacked the deputy speaker.

    Tarar also called on the Lahore High Court to take suo moto notice of the incident and initiate action against the culprits. “We are here and won’t move till midnight.”

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also condemned the incident. In a tweet, she said, “The gang of thugs whose name is PTI, seeing their defeat in Punjab, have started bullying again.”

    She further said that “This culture is by no means good for the country and for the nation but is a disaster. It must be stopped and eradicated immediately.”

    Similarly, PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb took a jibe at former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. She said, “After attacking the constitution, Parliament, Khan ordered an attack on Deputy Speaker in Punjab Assembly.”

    PML-N Khawaja Asif lashed out at Pervaiz Elahi, saying: “PTI-PML-Q gang of mobsters has not only desecrated Punjab Assembly a constitutional institution representing people of Punjab but they have also brought shame to parliamentarians all over the country.”

    On the contrary, the ruling party nominee  Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi blamed the PML-N for bringing the police inside the legislature “for the first time since the creation of assemblies”.

    “Who is the police to enter the assembly?” the PML-Q leader said. “We will make sure the Inspector General of Police (IGP) appears before us and he will be punished for a month.”

    A tough contest is expected to take place between Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz, who is the joint opposition’s candidate. Both candidates, along with their supporters, had arrived at the PA in the morning.