Tag: politics latest

  • TLP’s Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah still at large as police continues hunt

    TLP’s Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah still at large as police continues hunt

    The News has said that previous media reports of arrests of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) vice emir Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah turned out to be not true as the police are struggling to arrest him.

    Reportedly, Shah has fled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since late Monday when the government tightened the noose around TLP leaders for targeting the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.

    “We have zeroed in on the cleric. We are not far from getting a hand on him,” said an official to The News.

    Previously, the culprit had announced a head-money of Rs10 million on Qazi Faez Isa in reaction to a decision of a three-member bench in the Mubarak Sani case.

    Meanwhile, FIRs have been filed against more than 1500 TLP members across the Punjab province after the government took a firm stance against the right wing religious party.

  • Foreign Office changes statement; removes ‘Israel’ from condemnation of Ismail Haniyeh assassination

    Foreign Office changes statement; removes ‘Israel’ from condemnation of Ismail Haniyeh assassination

    In an unusual development, the Foreign Office (FO) Pakistan on July 31st re-issued its press release condemning the assassination of Hamas’s Ismael Haniyeh, expunging the word “Israel”.

    Both press releases were issued on the same day; however, in the last paragraph of the initial press release, it was written, “Pakistan views with serious concerns the growing Israeli adventurism in the region.”

    First statement:

    Later, it was changed to “Pakistan views with serious concerns the growing adventurism in the region,” redacting the word “Israel” from its statement.

    Updated statement:

    Social media noticed the correction instantly and reacted with suspicion, with most questioning the intent behind FO Pakistan’s move.

  • Sher dargya? PML-N lawmakers pass bill trying to bypass SC reserved seats’ verdict

    Sher dargya? PML-N lawmakers pass bill trying to bypass SC reserved seats’ verdict

    The Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill proposing amendments to the Election Act 2017 seemingly barring elected assembly members from changing their party affiliation.

    The amendments to the bill propose that those individuals who contested elections as independent members cannot change their “affidavit” later to change their party affiliation, apparently bypassing the recent Supreme Court verdict in the case of the reserved seats.

    It also proposed that if political parties fail to submit their candidates’ list for reserved seats in the stipulated time by the Election Commission of Pakistan, then it won’t be eligible for those seats.

    The bill was passed by the panel with eight votes in favour while four opposed it.

    Meanwhile, federal law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the issue of “reserved seats” and independent members joining any political party is obvious.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Ali Muhammad Khan said that this is a private member’s bill and the law minister shouldn’t advocate for it.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kiyani tabled the bill on Tuesday. The amendments were proposed to Section 66 and Section 104 of the Election Act, 2017.

  • Imran Khan signals that PTI ready to talk with establishment

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala jail, has categorically signalled that his party was ready for talks with the military establishment, Dawn News has reported.

    However, while talking to reporters at Adiala jail, Khan set three preconditions for the talks: the return of PTI’s alleged ‘stolen mandate’, the release of all of the party workers currently detained, and transparent elections.

    Earlier, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan delivered a message from Imran Khan to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir to “become neutral for the sake of Pakistan.” In 2022, Khan repeatedly berated the army’s leadership for being “neutral”, repeatedly saying that only animals are neutral.

    Khan stated that his party has never levelled allegations against the army, saying that even a “spoilt child” was liable to criticism.

    He also recalled that General Ziaul Haq was responsible for the judicial murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and General Yahya Khan was responsible for the fall of Dhaka.

    Khan stated that the party had already nominated Mehmood Khan Achakzai for negotiations and urged the military to nominate their representative for talks.

  • PTI’s Hasan Raoof sent on 14-day judicial remand

    PTI’s Hasan Raoof sent on 14-day judicial remand

    A District & Sessions Court in Islamabad has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary information Raoof Hasan on a 14-day judicial remand in the anti-state propaganda case.

    The court also rejected the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) request for an extended five-day physical remand.

    Last week, Raoof and 11 other PTI members were arrested for handling the party’s media cell, allegedly responsible for spreading malicious propaganda against the state.

    In today’s court hearing, the FIA prosecutor stated, “We need a further five-day remand to investigate a technical report,” which showed that all PTI’s digital media cell members were in contact with one another.

    Meanwhile, Hasan’s legal counsel argued that his health was deteriorating because he’d been in physical remand for seven days.

  • Unlike Fawad Chaudhry, I will not beg to be taken back into PTI: Sher Afzal Marwat

    Unlike Fawad Chaudhry, I will not beg to be taken back into PTI: Sher Afzal Marwat

    Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat, whose party membership has been suspended, recently talking with Azad Urdu channel about his status in the party. He stated, “If PTI kicks me out, then I won’t beg them like Fawad Chaudhry to take me back.”

    “I am with Khan and for his cause. After May 9, whatever jalsas and conventions I did, it was for the right cause, I have never benefitted personally from PTI,” stated Marwat.

    Marwat recalled that he came to the forefront only with his own consent for the people’s “haqeeqi azadi” and Khan’s mission.

    He stated, “When misunderstandings increased to such an extent that my party membership was suspended, and they decide to kick me out of the party, I will leave.”

    Marwat said he still wants to work with party founder Imran Khan; however, he won’t beg to be taken back.

  • Government hunting down TLP leaders as more than 1500 members booked across province

    Government hunting down TLP leaders as more than 1500 members booked across province

    The government is determined to apprehend members of the right-wing religious party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), with police arresting at least two people while booking 1500 for inciting violence against the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.

    Yesterday, TLP Vice Emir Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah was arrested after a case was filed against him for an inflammatory speech targeting the CJP outside the Lahore Press Club during a protest against the SC verdict in the Mubarak Sani case.

    In February 2024, in the Mubarak Sani case, the Supreme Court ruled that Ahmadis, while declared non-Muslims, retain the right to profess their religion.

    Meanwhile, another TLP leader, Saqib Ibrahim, had targeted CJP in what the Okara police called an “illegal public meeting.” Another accused, Tauqeer Nasir, was also present in Okara when Ibrahim made the offending remarks – both were arrested on Monday.

    1500 TLP members have been booked in Lahore’s Qila Gujjar police station under various sections of Pakistan Penal Code, including the anti-terror law.

    Multiple cases have been filed against 90 TLP members in Okara for indulging in hate speech against the top judge.

    Likewise, hundreds of TLP members in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura have also been booked. Dawn News also reported that the Punjab police is on high alert to foil any violence as it continues to hunt down TLP leadership across the province.

  • Lies? Shafqat Mahmood says the ‘US conspiracy’ against Khan was ‘politics, not true’

    Lies? Shafqat Mahmood says the ‘US conspiracy’ against Khan was ‘politics, not true’

    Former Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood recently appeared on senior journalist Mansoor Ali Khan’s podcast where Mahmood stated that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) narrative about US conspiracy in Khan’s ouster from power in 2022 was “not true at all.”

    Khan asked the PTI leader whether the US was behind PTI’s removal from government, to which Mahmood replied, “They didn’t do anything at all. In politics, you have to make a lot of narratives; not all of them are hundred per cent true.”

    Shocked at his reply, the journalist said, “Sir, this is a lie you told.” Shafqat Mahmood replied, “You can call it a lie or it’s just politics.”

    In 2022, the founder of PTI, Imran Khan, alleged that the US conspired against his government in the infamous “cipher”, which, according to Khan, was the evidence of the conspiracy.

  • More than a dozen people injured in firing in Balochistan

    More than a dozen people injured in firing in Balochistan

    More than a dozen protestors were injured on Sunday in violence in Mastung when a group headed to a planned protest in Gawadar came under fire.

    Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) had scheduled a protest in Gawadar against alleged human rights abuses in the province.

    The BYC has accused the security forces of opening fire at their supporters, while the administration emphasised that the participants attacked a Levies checkpoint near Mastung.

    “At least 14 people were injured in the firing,” said a BYC leader, Bebarg Baloch, alleging that law enforcement agencies opened fire at their supporters.

    Meanwhile, the area’s internet, mobile phones, and broadband services have been shut down.

    Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog, said, “Amnesty is alarmed at the use of unlawful and unnecessary force against the participants of the Baloch National Gathering by security forces yesterday.”

  • The curious case of the abduction and return of Cola Next owner Zulfiqar Ahmed

    The curious case of the abduction and return of Cola Next owner Zulfiqar Ahmed

    Zulfiqar Ahmed, the owner of Paracha textiles, Meezan Oil and Cola Next, who was kidnapped from Karachi a few days ago, has returned home in Lahore under equally mysterious circumstances.

    Geo News reported that the business magnate has contacted his family and will be with them soon.

    Interestingly, there is no information about his abductors or the whereabouts of where he was during the past few days.

    On July 23, Ahmed was abducted from the Mauripur Road in Karachi as armed men took him and his friend, Qaiser, away in a double-cabin vehicle. His friend was let go shortly after.

    However, two of his company’s senior employees were also allegedly abducted in Lahore recently. They have not yet returned.