Tag: politics latest

  • Zardari’s sister seeks iPod, mosquito killer and maid in jail

    Zardari’s sister seeks iPod, mosquito killer and maid in jail

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur has pleaded with the accountability court for the provision of facilities in her prison cell.

    According to reports, Talpur, who is currently in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the money laundering case against her and Zardari, has sought facilities including an air-conditioner, television, microwave oven, mosquito killer lamp, torch, iPod and a maid.

    The incarcerated Sindh Assembly lawmaker has sought an iPod for ‘listening to the Quran’, the application filed by her legal team said.

    The PPP MPA was last week shifted to Adiala Jail from Polyclinic. She was under house arrest since June 14 after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected her bail in connection with a case pertaining to alleged money laundering through fake accounts.

    The PPP leader was shifted to the Polyclinic after her condition had deteriorated earlier this month.

    Meanwhile, the court has extended both Faryal and Zardari’s judicial remand till September 5.

  • Pakistan should threaten Saudi Arabia of destroying Ambani’s oil refinery: Zaid Hamid

    Pakistan should threaten Saudi Arabia of destroying Ambani’s oil refinery: Zaid Hamid

    Self-proclaimed defence and security analyst Zaid Hamid has
    suggested the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government to “threaten
    Saudi Arabia of destroying Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s oil
    refinery” to secure the Kingdom’s support.

    The world is divided as Pakistan and India face-off over
    Kashmir ever since New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of its constitution, robbing
    the disputed territory of its autonomy.

    Hamid’s advice to the government comes after Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the Kingdom might not be standing up in Pakistan’s support since it has hefty investments planned in India.

    Earlier this month, Ambani had announced that his Reliance Industries’ plan to sell 20% stake in its refining and petrochemicals business for $15 billion to Saudi Aramco. The oil refinery has an enterprise value of $75 billion.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Hamid criticised FM Qureshi
    for “making Pakistan’s position weaker in the diplomatic war against India” and
    suggested the government to threaten the Kingdom of destroying the refinery to
    garner its support.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    He further said that Pakistan should threaten Israel of a nuclear
    attack to put India on a short leash.

    “India took Israel and the United States (US) into
    confidence before moving to annex held Kashmir,” he claimed and added that therefore
    Pakistan should target Israel instead of talking to India.

  • VIDEO: Babar Awan says Fazlur Rehman, Modi ‘not that different’

    VIDEO: Babar Awan says Fazlur Rehman, Modi ‘not that different’

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former adviser to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Parliamentary Affairs, Babar Awan, has said that Jamiat Ulemae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Indian PM Narendra Modi “speak the same language”.

    “Modi says that he wants to take over Muzaffarabad, while Fazl has announced his plans to do the same with Islamabad,” he said while speaking to media persons Saturday.

    He said that Fazl, who is the former chairperson of the Kashmir Committee, should’ve made headlines for being caught while attempting to cross the Line of Control (LoC) to conquer Kashmir, however, what has been reported is the religiopolitical leader’s threat to the government.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://youtu.be/kf34wHh1-3U

    “India is threatening to attack Azad Kashmir and Maulana is threatening to take over Islamabad,” Awan said, adding that there was no difference between Modi and Fazl’s language.

    Taking a jibe at the opposition for its forthcoming All Parties Conference (APC), PM’s former aide also said that considering the votes secured by the parties in the 2018 general election, it was nothing but a “few parties conference”.

  • Video shows Gandapur accusing ex-PM Nawaz of ‘issuing visas to Indian spies’

    Video shows Gandapur accusing ex-PM Nawaz of ‘issuing visas to Indian spies’

    With tensions soaring on both sides of the border as the Kashmir crisis worsens, an old video of Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur, accusing ex-prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif of issuing visas to Indian spies, has resurfaced.

    Fear grips Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) ever since New Delhi imposed a curfew after scrapping Article 370 of its constitution — robbing the disputed territory of its autonomy. Pakistan has strongly reacted to the moves on all fronts, as it believes the development could lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the troubled valley.

    Amid tensions running high, an old video of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader has surfaced, wherein Gandapur is accusing Nawaz of “issuing visas to Indian spies and employing them as millworkers”.

    He also accuses the outgoing government of “giving a safe passage” to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who continues to remain in the custody of security agencies after the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The video further shows Gandapur’s statements attracting a strong response from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair and the anchorperson, who ridicule the federal for his ignorance.

  • PIA earns Rs7-8bn from Hajj operations, 50% less than anticipated figure

    PIA earns Rs7-8bn from Hajj operations, 50% less than anticipated figure

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has earned a revenue of Rs7-8 billion from Hajj operations against the anticipated figure of Rs25 billion, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to reports, around 250,000 people went to perform Hajj from Pakistan this year. Out of the total number of pilgrims, PIA flew more than 82,000 pilgrims, which is 20% more than previous year’s 68,000.

    PIA and Saudi Airlines, being major services, covered around 100,000 Pakistani pilgrims, while the remaining pilgrims were carried by Airblue, Etihad, Emirates and others.

    Further details reveal that the Hajj package offered by the government this year cost around Rs400,000 while privately undertaken pilgrimage has no upper limit and can go up to Rs3 million.

    Meanwhile, the ticket prices from Lahore, Islamabad ranged from Rs110,000 to Rs150,000 and tickets from Karachi airport cost between Rs100,000-Rs105,000.

  • U-turn: India admits Kashmir is disputed territory, not ‘internal matter’

    U-turn: India admits Kashmir is disputed territory, not ‘internal matter’

    Soon after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held its first-ever meeting over the Kashmir issue in almost 50 years, India has backtracked on its statement and admitted that Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) is disputed territory.

    According to The Express Tribune, facing a barrage of questions in a press briefing following the historic meeting at the UN headquarters on Friday, India’s envoy to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin said that India was committed to the Shimla Agreement inked with Pakistan in 1972, which explicitly declares Kashmir as disputed between the two countries.

    Earlier, New Delhi had regularly blocked discussion on held Kashmir at the UN, saying it considers the matter an “internal affair”.

    “So let me begin by coming across to you and shaking your hand… as we’ve already extended our hand of friendship by saying we are committed to Shimla Agreement. Let us wait on that from the Pakistani side,” said the Indian ambassador while awkwardly reaching out to Pakistani journalists and shaking their hands.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Responding to a question, he said: “In closed consultations at the UNSC, anyone, especially parties to the dispute, can try and throw in anything at the members of the Security Council. That’s the nature of the beast.”

    “We are ready to address these issues in a matter in which states who have normal approaches to international ties address them… and in our case, we are committed to Shimla Agreement,” he added.

  • Islamabad responds to Indian hint at ‘using nukes against Pakistan’

    Islamabad responds to Indian hint at ‘using nukes against Pakistan’

    Pakistan has taken exception to Indian defence minister’s statement on the use of nuclear weapons, saying the “substance and timing of the statement was highly unfortunate and reflective of India’s irresponsible and belligerent behaviour”.

    Rajnath Singh had on Friday said that New Delhi may see a major shift in its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with the ‘no first use’ policy in the future. ‘No first use’ is a pledge to not use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an opposition using its nuclear arms.

    “Till today, our nuclear policy is ‘no first use’. What happens in future depends on the circumstances,” the Indian defence minister had said while addressing a gathering in Pokhran, the site of India’s nuclear tests in 1998.

    In a subsequent tweet, Singh had added:

    “It further exposes the pretense of their no first use policy, to which we have never accorded any credence,” Pakistan Foreign Office said while reacting to the Indian defence minister’s statement.

    “No first use pledge is non-verifiable and cannot be taken at face value, especially when the development of offensive capabilities and force postures belie such claims,” the statement read and added that Pakistan always proposed measures relating to nuclear restraint in South Asia.

    “Pakistan will continue to maintain a credible minimum deterrence posture.”

  • India may change its ‘no first use’ nuclear policy: defence minister

    India may change its ‘no first use’ nuclear policy: defence minister

    Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the country may see a major shift in its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with the ‘no first use’ policy in the future, a private media outlet reported.

    ‘No first use’ is a pledge by a nuclear power to not use its nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by the opposition using its nuclear arms.

    “Till today, our nuclear policy is ‘no first use’. What happens in future depends on the circumstances,” the Indian defence minister said while addressing a gathering in Pokhran, the site of India’s nuclear tests in 1998.

    In a tweet, Singh added:

    The comments come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India ever since New Delhi revoked Article 370 of its constitution and robbed occupied Kashmir of its special status.

    Condemning the move, Pakistan has approached the United Nations (UN) against the development that can pave way for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the disputed valley.

  • Zardari seeks A-class facilities in prison

    Zardari seeks A-class facilities in prison

    Former president Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently locked up in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for his alleged involvement in the fake bank accounts case, has sought A-class facilities in prison.

    According to the details, Zardari on Friday was shifted to Adiala on a three-day judicial remand in connection with the long-running mega money laundering case.

    Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities presented the ex-president before an accountability court and sought extension in his remand in light of the recent developments in the case.

    As the proceedings continued, Zardari’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa maintained his client had already said that he be given a 90-day remand at once.

    “NAB officials ask for a four-day remand then again ask for a new remand. These repeated appearances are only causing losses to the national treasury,” the counsel said.

    Khosa also filed a plea in the court asking that Zardari be provided with A-class facilities in prison, including medical facilities and the permission to meet his family.

    The accountability court then summoned a reply from NAB regarding the request and issued orders to shift Zardari to Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

    JAIL FACILITIES:

    The classes ‘A’ or ‘B’ have prisoners who by social status, education or habit of life have been accustomed to a superior mode of living. Habitual prisoners can be included in this class by order of the government.

    The expenses of facilities to prisoners under A or B class, such as television, air-conditioner, fridge and newspapers, are usually paid by prisoners with the permission of the prisons department.

    Zardari’s petition seeking A-class facilities comes weeks after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announced removing the air-conditioner and television facilities provided to jailed ‘money launderers’.

  • ‘I am an ISI agent,’ Hamza Ali Abbasi responds to Indian journalist’s claim

    ‘I am an ISI agent,’ Hamza Ali Abbasi responds to Indian journalist’s claim

    Actor Hamza Ali Abbasi has fired back at Indian journalist Arnab Goswami, whose Republic TV had labeled the former “an undercover Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent” amid heightened cross-border tensions.

    “So that over actor and war mongerer for ratings guy Arnab/his channel declared me an undercover ISI agent! Let me clarify: I am not an “undercover” ISI agent; I am very openly/proudly an ISI agent, just like more than 200 million Pakistanis are proud ISI agents! #15thAugustBlackDay [sic],” Abbasi tweeted.

    The statement was followed by a series of tweets against Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s “fascist regime” in the name of Indian nationalism.

    “I always thought maybe I will not see a free Kashmir in my lifetime but seeing 1 blunder after another of Modi’s fascist regime and the delusional propaganda their fascist media outlets are spreading, I am now very confident that inshaAllah I will see a Free Kashmir very soon,” he furthered.