Tag: politics latest

  • Asad Umar shifted to hospital after feeling chest pain in Court

    Former Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar has been shifted to a hospital on Tuesday after he experienced pain in the chest while attending a hearing in an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore.

    Umar’s lawyer said his client felt chest pain in the courtroom, after which he was shifted to the hospital.

    Doctors conducted an ECG which turned out to be normal.

    Doctors determined that the former Finance Minister’s blood pressure dropped after he took hypertension medicine on an empty stomach, Geo News has said.

    A video has surfaced on social media where people can be seen carrying him to the vehicle.

    Umar faces multiple cases in relation to the May 9 riots, including incitement to vandalism, and the cypher case.

    On November 11, 2023, the ex-secretary general of PTI resigned from party membership and withdrew from politics, citing disagreement with the party’s aggressive approach towards state institutions.

  • PTI to stage rally in Islamabad at any cost, promises Gandapur

    PTI to stage rally in Islamabad at any cost, promises Gandapur

    Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) bigwig and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, while addressing a rally at Swabi, threatened the federal government that his party would ‘’hold a rally in Islamabad in late August or the first week of September at any cost.’’

    Addressing the government, the CM said, “We will accept any venue, whether F9 Park or Srinagar Highway, for a rally in Islamabad.”

    He also said, “If the government does not permit the Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) despite requesting it, then we will rally at D Chowk.” Earlier, PTI offered to negotiate with the military by announcing their representative chairman, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.

  • National Assembly passes amendments bill to bypass SC reserved seats ruling

    National Assembly passes amendments bill to bypass SC reserved seats ruling

    The National Assembly on Tuesday approved a bill proposing amendments to the Elections Act 2017, to disallow lawmakers from changing their political party even as the opposition terms the legislation “unconstitutional”.

    Last month, the Parliamentary Affairs Committee approved the bill tabled by Bilal Azhar Kiyani, a lawmaker from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    When it becomes a law, the bill might reverse the PTI’s return to the parliament after the party got significant relief from the Supreme Court’s verdict in the reserved seats case on July 12.

    Since the landmark SC ruling, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified as many as 93 lawmakers from three provincial assemblies as PTI members.

  • Azma Bukhari slams FIA cybercrime wing for ‘incompetence’; requests PM to shut it down

    Azma Bukhari slams FIA cybercrime wing for ‘incompetence’; requests PM to shut it down

    Punjab Minister for Information and Culture, Azma Bukhari has lashed out at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime wing for incompetence while requesting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to shut it down.

    Talking to media outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), Bukhari expressed her trust in Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, she said, “I think that the Chief Justice wants to get to the bottom of this matter.”

    A few days ago, an explicit fake video of the minister was circulated online, which received widespread condemnation.

    Bukhari stated, “FIA cyber wing has no expertise in its field, and it is not worth it. Cybercrime does not know anything, and they do not know what they are supposed to do.”

    She also said that, ever since a “fitna” party came to light, these kinds of incidents have become common, a thinly veiled dig at arch-rivals Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

    Bukhari also stated that her party and personal ethics disallow her from making such fake videos; otherwise, she would know how to do such things.

  • Khan says it would be ‘foolish’ not to have excellent relations with army

    Khan says it would be ‘foolish’ not to have excellent relations with army

    Founder of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan said in an interview with Reuters that it would be “foolish” not to have excellent relations with the Pakistan Army while also clarifying that he held no grudges against the United States, whom he previously blamed for conspiring against his government in 2022.

    “Given Pakistan’s geographical position and the military’s significant role in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship,” said Khan.

    He also clarified that he criticises certain “individuals” in the army but not the institution, saying, “The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn’t be held against the institution as a whole.”

    Today, August 5, marks a whole year since Khan was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, ranging from selling state gifts to leaking state secrets.

    Last week, Khan offered “conditional negotiations” with the military establishment if “clean and transparent” elections were held and the “bogus” cases against his supporters were dropped.

    Khan also reiterated that talking with the government was futile since, according to him, the government has no public support.

  • SCBA asks top court to reconsider allowing Ahmadis worship even within private places

    SCBA asks top court to reconsider allowing Ahmadis worship even within private places

    The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has called on the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reconsider its ruling regarding Ahmadis’ right to worship within their own worship places in the infamous Mubarak Sani case.

    In February 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that Ahmadis, while declared non-Muslims, retain the right to profess and proliferate their religion.

    The SCBA lauded the top court for declaring the minority non-Muslims but asserted that they shouldn’t even be allowed to pray privately as well because it “contradicts Islamic principles, the Quran, and Sunnah.”

    Journalist Hasnaat Malik posted about this development on X, highlighting the recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the SCBA and DHA for developing the Park Road Housing Project.

    The majority of social media reactions condemned the stance taken by the bar association.

  • PTI founding member killed in Lahore

    PTI founding member killed in Lahore

    Update

    In a new twist to the story, police claim that the murder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding member Dr Shahid Siddique was planned by his son.

    Siddique was shot dead in Valencia Town, Lahore, on August 2 when he was returning from the mosque after offering Friday prayers. His son was present at the crime scene but remained unhurt.

    Police alleged that Siddique’s son, Qayyum, planned his father’s murder with a friend because he wasn’t allowed to marry a girl of his choice by his father.

    Qayyum had made a deal of Rs. 5 million for the murder of his father in January for the same reason, said police, adding he paid Rs20 million for the second attack on Siddiqui. Dr Shahid was attacked in January as well, but police remained unsuccessful in finding the culprits at the time.

    Police said that the same son who was the mastermind behind the murder led his father’s funeral prayer.

    Previous

    One of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s founding members, Dr Shahid Siddique, was shot dead in Valencia Town, Lahore, yesterday as he returned from the mosque after offering Friday prayers.

    As he was returning from the Khizra Mosque in the H-block of Valencia Town, an unknown man approached him and opened fire.

    The victim suffered four bullet wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital where he passed away.

    IG Punjab Usman Anwar ordered immediate action to arrest the perpetrator(s) and sought a detailed report from DIG Operations.

    PTI leaders expressed shock and condemned the incident, with Zulfi Bukhari saying that he was “devastated to learn the assassination of Dr Siddique.”

  • FIA traces culprits involved in Azma Bukhari’s fake video scandal

    FIA traces culprits involved in Azma Bukhari’s fake video scandal

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has made significant strides in investigating Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bukhari’s fake videos, which circulated online last week.

    A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been formed, with Assistant Director Rana Shawaz leading the team and in charge of handling the case.

    Samaa News reported that the JIT has successfully traced the culprits behind the video and they will be apprehended soon. The FIA also used sources of NADRA in identifying the social media accounts involved.

    Meanwhile, the FIA’s cybercrime wing has summoned Falak Javed, an activist of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in connection with the case. However, she did not appear for questioning.

  • PTI confused on Sher Afzal Marwat expulsion

    PTI confused on Sher Afzal Marwat expulsion

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) official page on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, announced the cancellation of the basic party membership of maverick leader Sher Afzal Marwat for a “gross violation/ breach” of discipline.

    In an interesting development, however, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has termed the notification “fake” even though the post still hasn’t been removed from the party’s social media platforms.

    “The notification regarding cancellation of Sher Afzal Marwat’s membership is fake. It’s not possible,” stated Gohar, clearly signalling rifts within the party leadership over Marwat’s future.

    In the notification, it was said that Marwat was on notice and was asked to “restrict himself, and his statements to within the limitation as outlined in the letter. A committee was setup to monitor his statements, media appearances and tweets.”

    It further stated that if Marwat was an honourable person he would resign from the NA seat because he won as a nominated PTI candidate and seek re-election.

    Meanwhile, Marwat has accepted the party notification on X, saying, “I respect the party’s decision, but let me make one thing clear: I was Khan’s soldier.”

    He also stated that Khan had been misguided about him and that he would clarify his position in front of Imran Khan.

  • What is the government’s new name for the TTP?

    What is the government’s new name for the TTP?

    Journalist Iftikhar Firdous has posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Pakistan’s interior ministry has ordered all government officials to use the term “Fitna al Khawarij” (FaK) for the banned terrorist organisation Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in all official documents.

    According to the notification issued by the interior ministry, TTP has tried to damage Islam by distorting its image.

    Historically, the Kharijites were an Islamic sect which emerged during the first civil war, called the First Fitna, in the Islamic community.

    The website Islamqa.info defines Khawarij as followers of whims and desires who have deviated from the path of Sunnat.

    Social media reacted sarcastically to this government decision.