Tag: politics latest

  • Maryam Nawaz’s govt stabbed our back after holding negotiations over bill, say journalist leaders

    Maryam Nawaz’s govt stabbed our back after holding negotiations over bill, say journalist leaders

    The Punjab Assembly on Monday approved the highly controversial Defamation Bill 2024 amidst immense opposition from journalists, human rights organisations and political opponents.

    The government considers the bill, aimed at stopping ‘fake news’, necessary while journalist leaders and opposition leaders labelled it “draconian” and a “black law”.

    Earlier in the day, representatives of media bodies met Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari and requested her to defer the controversial bill for a few days.

    However, the government decided to bulldoze the bill through Punjab Assembly despite strong opposition.

    Journalist leaders were of the view that the government stabbed them in the back after holding negotiations over the bill.

    Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed grave concern over the defamation bill, saying that it aims to uphold “parallel judicial structures” for defamation cases which goes against the very spirit of the Constitution.

    HRCP remarked that implementation of this bill would be a huge blow to freedom of speech and dissent in our society because there would be no due process or fair trials.

    “This is not a democratic bill. There is no compromise on press freedom,” stated Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari.

    He slammed the PML-N-led provincial government for passing the controversial bill and remarked, “You have cheated us. You have trapped us.”

  • CJP Isa deposits expensive gift in Toshakhana

    CJP Isa deposits expensive gift in Toshakhana

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Monday deposited a luxurious pen gifted to him by the Muslim World League in the Toshakhana.

    The pen, named Bab-e-Kaaba, was gifted to the chief justice by the Muslim World League’s Secretary Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa, who met him last month.

    Muslim World League is an international non-governmental organisation headquartered in Makkah with members from all Islamic countries and sects.

    CJP Isa got approval from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the pen has now been placed in the museum of the Supreme Court.

    Toshakhana was established in 1974 which is under the control of cabinet division and is used to store precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and officials by heads of other governments.

  • Imran Khan, others acquitted in two vandalism cases

    Imran Khan, others acquitted in two vandalism cases

    Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and other leaders of his party were acquitted by the district and sessions court on Monday in two cases related to vandalism.

    Other leaders of the party who were acquitted include Zartaj Gul, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Qasim Suri, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Shireen Mazari, Saifullah Niazi, Asad Umar and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.

    These particular cases were registered in the Kohsar and Karachi Company police stations under the violation of Section 144.

    The court had earlier reserved its verdict in the Long March vandalism case.

    Khan’s legal representatives spoke with journalists and stated that the cases against Khan were based on political vengeance.

    “No evidence of vandalism found against PTI founder during the long march,” he said, adding that the Islamabad administration did not issue any notification to enforce Section 144 in the capital city.

  • AJK’s ex PM Sardar Tanveer Ilyas arrested

    AJK’s ex PM Sardar Tanveer Ilyas arrested

    Former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was arrested by the Islamabad police on Sunday night.

    The arrest came about in connection with an FIR lodged by a member of the former premier’s family for “forceful entry and firing in [the] family property”.

    According to the FIR, Mr Ilyas, Aneel Sultan, Muhammad Ali and 25 others broke into the office of Pak Gulf Construction company situated in Centaurus Mall.

    Mr Ilyas was shifted to the Margalla Police Station. His spokesperson said police jumped the walls of the former PM’s house to arrest him.

    An Islamabad police spokesperson said all formalities were fulfilled before making the arrest.

  • Justice Asif Saeed Khosa made fake case against Nawaz to help PTI, Suhail Warraich

    Justice Asif Saeed Khosa made fake case against Nawaz to help PTI, Suhail Warraich

    Senior analyst and journalist Suhail Warraich recently revealed on Geo’s Report Card that ex-Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa, “created a false case against Nawaz Sharif.”

    Warraich stated, “Marriyum Aurangzeb was one hundred percent correct about Justice Khosa that he made a frivolous case which was already dismissed by the previous CJP, gave the case legal cover and then guided Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on how to proceed with the case.”

    He stated that a “PTI member himself told me this at that time that they [PTI] didn’t know how to deal with the case and it was Justice Khosa that told them how to deal with it.”

    “Maybe Justice Khosa had some personal problem with them [Nawaz Sharif] and Justice Azmat Saeed was also involved. These two were the main characters and another current serving Supreme Court judge was also involved in this,” said Warraich.

  • Government condemns ‘political party’ for propaganda in Kyrgyzstan incident

    Government condemns ‘political party’ for propaganda in Kyrgyzstan incident

    Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on May 19 condemned a political party, a thinly veiled reference to PTI, for spreading disinformation and negative propaganda online regarding the Kyrgyzstan incident in which mobs attacked Pakistani students.

    The minister exclaimed that “wrong news” was being spread on social media by a single political party to “humiliate the government” and it is utterly condemnable.

    It should be noted that social media was flooded with news of deaths and rapes of Pakistani students which has turned out to be not true.

    “I believe that such shameful act should not be done in politics,” he stressed.

    Tarar said there was a clash between local students and Arab students, after which this incident took place. He added that the government is helping the students who want to come back.

    “Kyrgyz foreign minister has said that no deaths have occurred in the incident and that the situation is peaceful,” said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during a press conference.

  • Sanaullah says KP CM Gandapur can only do ‘hawai firing’

    Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Rana Sanaullah has stated that Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur considers himself a “Tees Mar Khan but he fires only empty shots.”

    Talking to the media in Lahore, Prime Minister’s advisor Rana Sanaullah said that if it (PTI) wants to talk to the establishment or the establishment wants to talk to them, then absolutely do it.

    The PML-N stalwart said that when the establishment did not support Imran, he said that it is Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq. “Their dispute is that the establishment should interfere in politics and the system of the country,” he opined.

    Talking about the founder PTI, the leader of Muslim League-N said that Imran Khan is getting everything in jail.

  • Taxpayers have paid over Rs 927 million on Parliament’s renovation

    Taxpayers have paid over Rs 927 million on Parliament’s renovation

    The Interior Ministry on Thursday revealed that over Rs 927 million have been spent on the makeover of the National Parliament infrastructure over the past five years, ARY News reported.

    According to the report, the interior ministry said that Rs 108 million was spent on renovation in 2019-20.

    Over Rs 171 million in 2020-21, Rs 286 million in 2021-22, Rs 302 million in 2022-23, and Rs 60 million was spent on the renovation in 2023-24.

    The National Parliament is made up of the Senate (Upper House) and the National Assembly (Lower House).

    Last year, ex-Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani also constituted a parliamentary committee to rename the building to something that aligns with Pakistan’s cultural heritage.

  • ‘Humein bhi Imran Khan wali luxuries chahiye’; prisoners demand equal treatment

    ‘Humein bhi Imran Khan wali luxuries chahiye’; prisoners demand equal treatment

    In a new development, prisoners across the province of Punjab have demanded the same special facilities provided to founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.

    The inmates penned a letter to Punjab prisons inspector general expressing their desire to be given the same amenities as Imran Khan.

    In the letter, concerns were expressed about the “open violation” of the Prison Rules 1978 regarding the services available to the former Prime Minister.

    Khan is currently incarcerated in a better-class (B-class) facilities prison at Adiala Jail under high security due to his status of being a former ruler of the country.

    Geo News reported that there is a dedicated kitchen for preparing Khan’s meals and he occupies two of the seven special cells, typically accommodating 35 prisoners. The remaining five of the cells remain vacant for security reasons.

    The details, stated in a report submitted to the Lahore High Court by a jail superintendent last month, also include that Khan uses a yard equipped with exercise machines and other amenities for his daily walks and recreational activities.

  • Ali Muhammad Khan will move IHC against Adiala jail officials

    Ali Muhammad Khan will move IHC against Adiala jail officials

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Muhammad Khan said on Friday that he will file a plea against the Adiala jail administration in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for not allowing him to meet incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    “I am going to the high court against the jail administration. We were not allowed to meet Imran Khan during the previous appearance, and we are not allowed to meet now,” the politician said, expressing displeasure.

    The senior PTI leader stated while talking to journalists outside Adiala jail that he will file a contempt of court petition against Adiala jail officials.

    He recalled that when he was imprisoned in Adiala, jail officials treated him badly. He also said that they are doing the same thing again by not allowing him to meet former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    However, the politician expressed confidence in the country’s security agencies to ensure Khan’s safety during his appearances in cases at the Supreme Court.