Tag: politics latest

  • Islamic scholar Assim Al-Hakeem comes to Khan’s defense

    Islamic scholar Assim Al-Hakeem comes to Khan’s defense

    In an interesting Twitter clash, renowned Saudi cleric Assim Al-Hakeem clapped back at an X user when he posted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s picture showing him apparently prostrating at a shrine and asked the Islamic scholar whether the act was shirk in Islam.

    The scholar criticised the intent behind posting the picture and stated, “When one sees such a photo which is about 8 years old, one knows that the motive behind such a question is political and not religious.”

    Al-Hakeem further wrote, “You should fear Allah and when you hate someone, fight like a man and not use such dirty cheap tactics, trying to use Islam and religious rulings to support your party when you yourself most likely don’t even know the basics of Islam nor care about Islam or even the county!”

    The user later shared on X that the scholar had blocked him.

  • Hamad Azhar, Mian Aslam to lead PTI in Punjab: Omar Ayub

    Hamad Azhar, Mian Aslam to lead PTI in Punjab: Omar Ayub

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub said on Thursday that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan has given responsibility to PTI leaders, including Hamad Azhar and Mian Aslam, to lead the party in Punjab.

    While talking to journalists on Thursday outside Adiala jail, Omar Ayub revealed that Hamad Azhar and Mian Aslam met the founder PTI in Adiala jail, adding that the party trusts them and always backs them. He stated that Hamad Azhar and Mian Aslam are committed and loyal party workers.

    The opposition leader blamed Shehbaz Sharif’s government for the violence in Azad Kashmir.

  • SIFC ditches CM Gandapur and he’s not happy about it

    SIFC ditches CM Gandapur and he’s not happy about it

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has strongly criticised the federal government for not inviting KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to the upcoming apex committee session of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned the SIFC’s session at 11:45 am on May 25. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was not invited to the meeting.

    Chief Ministers of all other provinces have been invited to the SIFC meeting except Gandapur.

    KP government’s spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif condemned the federal government, saying that the “Form 47 government of Shehbaz Sharif” showed bias towards the province.

    Earlier this month, CM Gandapur had come down hard on the federal government, warning of a strong reaction if the Centre failed to give an exact timeframe for resolving the province’s core issues.

  • Maulana urges PTI to revamp anti-government campaign

    Maulana urges PTI to revamp anti-government campaign

    Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam – Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that he will join the opposition alliance only when the fresh movement against the government starts on a new platform. The development came during a consultative meeting between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and JUI-F members on Wednesday.

    As per the report of The Express Tribune, Maulana demanded support from the PTI, specifically from its founding chairman and former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, for his party.

    The JUI-F chief also demanded from PTI during Wednesday’s meeting that PTI form a committee with the authority to negotiate for the protest movement.

    Maulana has also asked the PTI delegation to discuss the “authorised” committee with Imran Khan and present the names of the committee members.

    However, a PTI insider told The Express Tribune that the party delegation will meet Maulana Fazlur Rehman again next week to discuss further about re-launching the protest movement against the government.

  • Governor Punjab urges provincial government to review defamation bill 2024  

    Governor Punjab urges provincial government to review defamation bill 2024  

    Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Khan has called on the provincial government on Thursday to review the controversial Defamation Bill 2024 that the Punjab Assembly approved recently.

    While talking on the Geo News programme Capital Talk, the Governor said that the recently approved bill is not the final word and the provincial government needs to reconsider it.

    He also urged the Punjab government to remove objectionable clauses from the bill.

    Khan stated that he is ready to sit with all stakeholders to solve the issues regarding the bill, as it has sparked a storm in the entire country.

    On Monday, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Defamation Bill 2024 amid a strong and noisy protest by the opposition after it was tabled by Punjab’s Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Mian Shuja-ur-Rehman despite media bodies’ requests to defer the legislation.

    As per the constitution, the governor can send this bill back to the Punjab Assembly for reconsideration, and if the provincial government approves it again, it becomes law after a specific period of time, even if the governor doesn’t approve it.

  • UAE allocates $10 billion to expand investment in Pakistan

    UAE allocates $10 billion to expand investment in Pakistan

    The Prime Minister’s office announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has allocated $10 billion to expand investment in Pakistan as the financially challenged country seeks foreign aid to maintain economic stability.

    The development came after yesterday’s meeting between UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and PM Shehbaz Sharif in Abu Dhabi, during the Pakistani Premier’s day-long visit to the UAE.

    The decision has been taken “to strengthen the Pakistani economy, support it, and enhance cooperation between the two countries”, UAE’s WAM news agency reported.

    In a statement, the government said: “President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, made a commitment of investing US $10 billion in multiple sectors in Pakistan.”

    The government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is actively seeking investment from brotherly countries to deal with inflation and enhance the country’s financial stability.

  • CDA demolishes PTI central secretariat in Islamabad over ‘violation’

    CDA demolishes PTI central secretariat in Islamabad over ‘violation’

    The Capital Development Authority (CDA) in a Thursday late-night raid demolished a portion of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Central Secretariat in Islamabad over a “violation of building rules”.

    According to CDA, an anti-encroachment operation was launched around 11:30 PM last night and lasted around an hour.

    The CDA stated illegal construction was incorporated into the building and an additional floor was also constructed on the plot in violation of the building rules.

    As the operation was underway last night, PTI leadership called upon its workers to immediately arrive at the location, stating that the government’s actions were “illegal”.

    The CDA claimed it had sent reminders to the party previously, however, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan shot down the claims and said that they did not receive any orders from the CDA.

    PTI leadership strongly condemned the actions by the CDA and even drew parallels to the onslaught taking place in Gaza by Israel.

  • IMF says bijli aur gas mazeed mehngi karu

    IMF says bijli aur gas mazeed mehngi karu

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has told the Pakistani authorities of its plan to release the next bailout package under specific conditions which Pakistan would have to fulfil like increasing revenue and curtailing government expenditure.

    “The government will have to hike electricity and gas tariffs in coming July and August 2024 to strike a deal with the IMF,” Geo news reported.

    If approved, the fresh bailout package through climate finance would range from $6 to $8 billion.

    The government would also have to present an aligned budget and secure its approval from the parliament.

    The IMF has asked the government to raise the power tariff by jacking up fuel price adjustments and quarterly tariff adjustments. The tariff on gas will also be increased.

    On solar net metering, the government has decided to hire a Chinese consultant and others to study it independently because the net metering system is reportedly causing harm to distribution grids.

  • Hammad Azhar reappears in public after months, escapes police arrest

    Hammad Azhar reappears in public after months, escapes police arrest

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar reappeared in public on Wednesday after almost a year in hiding following a crackdown on PTI workers after the May 9 riots.

    “Yesterday, I received a message from Imran Khan that it’s time to come out of hiding,” said Azhar as he visited the PTI’s Central Secretariat office in Islamabad.

    The senior PTI leader said that he will go to Peshawar to get pre-arrest bail as he has multiple charges pending against him in connection with the May 9 violent protests that erupted last year after Imran Khan’s arrest in a corruption case.

    “All leaders, including Murad Saeed, will come out of hiding,” he added.

    After knowing about Azhar’s whereabouts, Islamabad police quickly encircled the party’s secretariat in the capital city to arrest him.

    However, the PTI leader managed to escape the party’s office before the police’s arrival.

  • They wanted to slit my throat, says PTI’s Raoof Hasan

    They wanted to slit my throat, says PTI’s Raoof Hasan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan survived a dangerous attack in Islamabad earlier this week. He has claimed that the attackers wanted to “slit” his throat.

    Hasan, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, broke down in tears saying that his party colleagues faced much worse scenarios compared to what he suffered.

    The Secretary Information claimed that “those people threatened me three days ago and warned that they’re after me.”

    PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub along with Hasan and Azam Swati rejected the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Islamabad police after the attack.

    Omar condemned the attack on Hasan and called it an “assassination bid”. He said the party rejected the FIR which was “a police attempt to weaken the case”.

    They demanded a judicial commission to investigate the attack.

    Meanwhile, the federal government has formed a committee to investigate the attack.