Tag: PMLN

  • ‘[PTI leaders] spent winter nights in heated bedrooms,’ Maryam blasts govt, says no rift in party

    ‘[PTI leaders] spent winter nights in heated bedrooms,’ Maryam blasts govt, says no rift in party

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday rejected the claims of the government of having a forward bloc within the party and said that the government was fabricating such stories to divert attention from its incompetence.

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday claimed that four PML-N leaders were “hell-bent on removing the party supremo Nawaz Sharif from the party.”

    Addressing a gathering in Lahore, Fawad said that there is a “rat race going on among senior PML-N members as to who would lead the party next,” adding that, “four top-most party leaders want to remove PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in a bid to take over the party’s leadership.”

    When asked about the reported attempt by her party leaders to replace the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Maryam said that Fawad’s statement was a way to hide from the questions of media about rising inflation and the government’s inabilities that led to the recent Murree tragedy.

    She said that after the death of tourists, instead of providing a balm to the wounds of the bereaved families, the inconsiderate ministers and government machinery started victim-blaming.

    Criticising the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership who used to make fun of PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam said, “Instead of following his example and borrowing the boots from him, they [PTI leaders] spent winter nights in the heated bedrooms of their official residences, maintained on public expense while tourists were dying in the snow.”

  • ECP releases list of 150 lawmakers for not filing asset details

    ECP releases list of 150 lawmakers for not filing asset details

    The membership of 150 lawmakers from across the country, including some cabinet members, has been suspended by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not filing their statements of assets.

    The ECP on Monday released a list of MNAs, senators, and MPAs of the four provincial assemblies who failed to file their statements of assets and liabilities, as well as those of their spouses and dependents, for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2021. These statements have to be filed every year by Dec 31.

    In the 100-member Senate, the membership of three lawmakers has been suspended, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Dr Musadik Malik, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Dr Sikandar Mandhro, and Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai.

    Among the MNAs who have been suspended as members of the lower house are cabinet members Farrukh Habib, Noor ul Haq Qadri, Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mahmood, and Dr Fehmida Mirza.

    The prominent MNAs who failed to fulfill their constitutional obligation are former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Rana Mohammad Qasim Noon and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

  • Maryam hits at PM Khan after clash with Pervez Khattak, says this is just the beginning

    Maryam hits at PM Khan after clash with Pervez Khattak, says this is just the beginning

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz took a jibe at Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Thursday after reports about his bitter clash with Defence Minister Pervez Khattak surfaced on the media. 

    Taking to Twitter, the PML-N leader called PM Khan a “liar, conspiratorial and cruel person.”

    Maryam said that the treatment of some Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members towards the premier was a clear reversal of fortunes. 

    She further criticised the PM and said that “getting your hands dirty for a few days of premiership is an utter loss”.

    Referring to the events that unfolded during the PTI’s parliamentary meeting earlier today, the PML-N vice-president wrote that “this is just the beginning” for the [prime minister].

    Earlier, Maryam while speaking to journalists after inquiring after party leader Bilal Yasin at his residence said that seeing the “misery of the people” at the hands of the ruling PTI had changed her mind and now she wanted the government to be sent home immediately.

    Later in the day, PM Khan and Khattak had an exchange of bitter words during a parliamentary party meeting chaired by the premier himself.

    It was reported that Pervez Khattak said in the meeting that, “we have made you the prime minister.”

    “Gas is banned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we generate gas and electricity and we are the ones who are suffering,” said Khattak, adding, “We will not be able to get votes if this is your attitude.”

    After hearing Khattak, PM Khan got up to leave and said that if you are not satisfied with me then he will give the government to someone else.

    Later while talking to journalists Khattak said, “No one spoke harshly, I spoke for my right.”

    When asked why Khattak got up and walked out of the meeting, he said that he was not angry with anyone during the meeting but went out to smoke.

  • Shehbaz involved in Nawaz leaving fraud, bring him back or face investigation says, Fawad Chaudhry

    Shehbaz involved in Nawaz leaving fraud, bring him back or face investigation says, Fawad Chaudhry

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting, said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is not seeking medical treatment for the past 17 months.

    “Shehbaz Sharif was the guarantor of Nawaz Sharif,” said the minister.

    “The drama of Nawaz Sharif’s health was created here,” said Fawad, adding that Nawaz went out of Pakistan through fraud.

    Fawad further stated that the High Court ordered that Nawaz Sharif would remain in touch with the Pakistani embassy in London, adding, “the Pakistan embassy contacted Nawaz twice, but he did not respond.”

    “[PML-N President] Shehbaz Sharif is involved in this fraud. According to his statement, Shehbaz Sharif should take steps to bring Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan,” said Fawad.

    “The Federal Cabinet has decided to approach the High Court on the false affidavit of Shehbaz Sharif,” said the minister.

  • Politics on Murree tragedy: Opposition criticises PTI for negligence, incompetence

    Politics on Murree tragedy: Opposition criticises PTI for negligence, incompetence

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, condemning the massive tragedy in Murree said, “What a massive tragedy Murree is turning out to be! Heartbroken to learn about the loss of so many precious lives.”

    Taking to Twitter the PMLN leader wrote, “My profound condolences & sympathies are with the bereaved families.”

    Criticising the government for its negligence and not ensuring the safety of the people, Shehbaz tweeted, “Where do you pin the responsibility of these deaths? Where was the government all the while? What arrangements did it make to deal with such an influx? Incompetence is fast turning into criminality.”

    “Prior arrangements & round the clock supervision were the normal SOPs in the past,” said Shehbaz.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz paying her respects to the ones who have lost their lives said, “The tragic death of entire families in Murree, helpless in the snow, has shaken my heart.”

    “There is no point in cursing the government because this dead conscience government has died long ago,” further wrote Maryam.

    Reminding the government of its negligence, Maryam said, “The job of governments is not only to count tourists but also to make advance arrangements and security measures for them.”

    “These deaths are not due to snowfall, but due to government negligence,” tweeted Maryam.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman tweeted, “Heartbreaking, Govts surely need to be more vigilant about the flood of tourists on the Galiat routes in extreme weather.

    “Instead of seeking more tourists, Govt should have given a warning for jammed roads. This is the norm in perilous weather in all such destinations,” said Sherry.

    Meanwhile, the federal government has deployed the Pakistan Army and other civil-armed forces for rescue operations after 16-19 tourists died in their vehicles in Murree due to heavy snowfall in the hill station.

  • ‘If law can apply to Nawaz Sharif, why not Imran Niazi?’ Shehbaz demands action against PM

    ‘If law can apply to Nawaz Sharif, why not Imran Niazi?’ Shehbaz demands action against PM

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday demanded legal action and “daily court proceedings” against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    In a series of statements shared by the party’s official Twitter account, “A person who hides facts, steals, and lies, cannot hold constitutional, governmental or political office,” said Shehbaz.

    Shehbaz asked, “if the law can apply to a popular leader like Nawaz Sharif, why not Imran Niazi?”

    “If a Panama Papers JIT can be formed against Nawaz Sharif, and can be overseen by the honourable judges of the Supreme Court (SC), then why can this not be done for Imran Niazi?” he further questioned.

     “Under the Constitution of Pakistan and its laws, “no thief can be a prime minister. Imran Niazi, who has been proven a thief and a liar under the law, must resign,” he added.

     

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president demanded that a probe be initiated against PM Imran Khan and his case be heard on a daily basis — like against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

    He said equal treatment under the Constitution and law is a fundamental principle of Pakistan’s laws and one that must be fulfilled.

    “The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP’s) scrutiny committee has charged Imran Niazi and his party under the law,” he said.

    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) hid 53 bank accounts and funds worth millions of rupees from the ECP.

    The report of an ECP scrutiny committee probing the party’s funds revealed the following details.

    The committee’s report showed that the PTI had only disclosed 12 out of its 65 accounts, which are registered with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

  • Is ‘jahaz owner’ Jahangir Tareen hinting at joining PML-N?

    Is ‘jahaz owner’ Jahangir Tareen hinting at joining PML-N?

    The wedding ceremony of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Khawaja Saad Rafique’s daughter took place in Lahore which was attended by disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen.

    In an informal conversation with reporters on the occasion, Tareen said that Saad Rafique is a brother and we are like a family. “Friendship with PML-N is old and will continue like this,” said Tareen.

    When a reporter asked If Tareen’s plane could ever go towards the PML-N, Tareen responded by saying “Jahaz tou hur jagah ja sakta hai [The plane can go anywhere]”.

    Jahangir Tareen was all smiles when the reporter asked him about joining PML-N, to which PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq said that “whether it was Jahangir Tareen or some other PTI leader, everyone except Imran Khan are smiling.”

  • PM Khan sets record as most followed Pakistani politician on Twitter

    PM Khan sets record as most followed Pakistani politician on Twitter

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is currently topping the charts among Pakistani politicians in the race of Twitter followers with 15 million.

    This has made him the most followed Pakistan politician. Earlier in 2019, PM Khan had been ranked the fifth most influential world leader on Twitter.

    He had an average of 6K RT (retweet per tweet) ratio on Twitter.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has 5.5 million and Vice President Maryam Nawaz has 6.5 million. Pakistan People Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has 4.4 million.

    Meanwhile, former United States (US) President Barack Obama is the most-followed account holder on Twitter with 130.5 million. Indian Prime Minister (PM) has 74.1 million followers, which makes him the second-most followed in the world.

  • ‘Lifafa replaces Basket’: Netizens give Pakistani journalists a new name

    ‘Lifafa replaces Basket’: Netizens give Pakistani journalists a new name

    In a 2022 first, another leaked audio conversation between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and PML-N Leader Pervaiz Rashid left netizens full of anger and sarcasm.

    While the two politicians could be heard allegedly planning to control independent media, the audio claims that certain journalists received ‘baskets’ from former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

    Journalists in Pakistan for a long have been associated with the word “Lifafa”, a term used to discredit them for taking a bribe. However, after the leaked audio, Twitterati has given a new name to journalists and started calling them “basket journalists” instead. The term was coined after Maryam said in the alleged audio that two baskets should be sent to journalists.

    Here are a few of the memes doing the rounds calling journalists “basket”.

    As per the leaked audio, Pervaiz Rashid, referring to how criticism was directed towards PML-N on a political talk show on Geo News, said to Maryam Nawaz, “They have a programme called ‘Score Card’ [Report Card], Hassan Nisar is a part of its [panel] he abuses us a lot.”

    Rashid lamented the fact that there was not one single person [journalist/analyst] whom they could call a spokesperson for the party.

    Towards the end of the clip, Maryam allegedly passes instructions that a pair of baskets that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif brought from Azerbaijan should be sent to journalists Nusrat Javeed and Rana Jawad.

  • PM Khan wants similar ECP scrutiny on bank accounts and funding of PPP, PMLN

    PM Khan wants similar ECP scrutiny on bank accounts and funding of PPP, PMLN

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday welcomed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) scrutiny of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) funding, money which he said came through donations from overseas Pakistanis.

    Taking to Twitter, the premier wrote, “I welcome ECP’s scrutiny of PTI’s funding through donations from Overseas Pakistanis. The more our accounts are scrutinised the more factual clarity will emerge for [the] nation to see how PTI is the only political party with proper donor base premised on proper political fundraising.”

    In another tweet, PM Khan said he looked forward to seeing similar ECP scrutiny on funding of the other two major political parties, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    His comments come a day after the report compiled by the scrutiny committee of the ECP noted that the ruling party had received funding from foreign nationals and companies, under-reported funds, and concealed dozens of its bank accounts.

    PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif criticising PM Khan said, “Truth has a strange way of exposing people. The facade of “Sadiq aur Ameen” has been shredded into pieces.”

    PPP Chairman took to Twitter and said, “Tax records reveal @ImranKhanPTI income increased more than 50 times since gaining power. Pakistan has become poorer but Imran is richer.”