India’s Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has confirmed his participation in the inauguration ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9.
According to reports, Sidhu spoke to Senator Faisal Javed on the phone and confirmed his attendance. He also thanked the Pakistan government, especially Prime Minister Imran Khan, for opening the corridor to mark the 550th Birth Anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Devji.
The Indian leader expressed that he along with millions of Sikhs across the globe are eagerly awaiting the inauguration ceremony.
Meanwhile, Senator Faisal congratulated Sidhu and the entire Sikh community on the occasion. He said that Pakistan will warmly welcome the former cricketer-turned-politician and the other pilgrims who will come to Kartarpur from around the world.
PM Imran Khan will participate in the ceremony on November 9 as the chief guest.
The Sikh community in India has hoisted Pakistani flags on their houses in Jalandhar for opening Kartarpur Corridor, Duniya News reported.
According to the details, the flags can be seen waving in the air in India’s Vijay Colony as millions of Sikhs thank Pakistan for Kartarpur project. They said that this facility will provide them relief in traveling to the neighboring country for the celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
The video of flags has gone viral a day after posters honoring Prime Minister Imran Khan on the occasion of the opening of Kartarpur Corridor surfaced in Amritsar, India.
The poster’s displayed, “PM Imran Khan and Navjot Singh Sidhu are the real heroes for opening Kartarpur Corridor”.
The Sikh minority in India has long sought easier access to the temple, which is just over the border in Pakistan.
5,000 pilgrims shall be permitted to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib through the corridor on any given day, with an additional provision for more pilgrims on special days including Gurpurab, Baisakhi, etc.
This corridor will help Pakistan generate revenue up to $100,000 every day and since this facility will remain open 365 days of the year, it can potentially generate a direct income of USD36.5 million i.e. about Rs5.55 billion per annum.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor has said that Pakistan Army is not meddling in politics as it is busy in ensuring the security of the country.
“Marches and sit-ins are a political activity and the army, as a state institution, has nothing to do with them,” he told a private media outlet and added that it had also supported the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government during the 126-day sit-in staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2014.
“The army had followed the government’s instructions at that time and as an institution, had deployed troops for the security of important buildings and performed other tasks assigned by the government,” the military spokesperson said.
“The army follows the government’s orders,” he said while talking about the military’s deployment during the general elections and added it was only for security reasons.
“The work we are involved in does not allow us to become a part of any such [political] activity,” he said in an apparent response to the allegations levelled by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding the military’s involvement in politics.
The ISPR chief further said that the army’s primary focus was ensuring national security and they would not allow any efforts to harm national stability. “We will always support the government within the ambit of the constitution.”
Former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith had a hilarious response to being called ‘Wiki of Wikileaks’ cousin by Jamiat Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayat.
During a debate on a private TV channel, when the anchor apprised Mufti Kifayat that as per cable leaks, Maulana Fazlur Rehman had met an American official, Mufti Kifayat interrupted him and said that ‘Wiki of Wikileaks’ is cousin of Jemima Goldsmith and that the leak [regarding Fazlur Rehman] was part of a vested agenda.
Jemima founds the claims to be extremely amusing and took to Twitter to share her amusement.
Mufti Kifayatullah, a JUI-F leader, was arrested from Islamabad the day his party began their ‘Azadi March’ for making inflammatory statements against state institutions. He was later released on bail by the Peshawar High Court.
Meanwhile, Jemima also added that nothing “compares to the madness, vitriol & corruption of Pakistan’s elections.”
Thanks. It’s a timely reminder that no matter how grubby the British election campaign gets, it won’t even compare to the madness, vitriol & corruption of Pakistan’s elections.
Journalists and other Twitter users loved Jemima’s response.
Highly condemnable allegation by some Mufti sahib @Jemima_Khan is an honourable lady and mother of two Muslim boys nobody have the right to attack her integrity https://t.co/PxS3Y045Pa
According to its website, WikiLeaks is “a multi-national media organisation and associated library. It was founded by its publisher Julian Assange in 2006.”
WikiLeaks says it specialises in “the analysis and publication of large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption. It has so far published more than 10 million documents and associated analyses.”
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar on Wednesday served a legal notice to journalist Irshad Bhatti for claiming that the former had “recently gotten married for the second time”.
Bhatti had on October 29 claimed that the provincial chief executive “had gotten married for the second time” and congratulated his colleagues while appearing on Geo News‘ programme “Report Card”.
“I congratulate all of you as Buzdar Sahib has gotten married for the second time… and on top of that, stories surrounding his new in-laws are amazing,” he had said.
“You have made certain assertations and touted them as facts which, I am instructed, are completely untrue and baseless, to say the least,” CM Buzdar’s lawyer, Advocate Obaid Ullah, stated in the notice served to Bhatti on Wednesday.
The notice further said that that the statements had damaged Buzdar’s reputation both personally and as a politician, and “lowered him in the estimation of others”.
“Personal relationships of my client with his family members, who are also respectable members of the society, have been soured and grossly undermined as a natural consequence of your defamatory utterances.”
Seeking an unequivocal apology within 14 days, Obaid also sought for CM Buzdar Rs250 million in damages. “…failing which, if a suit is filed, Rs500 million plus mark up shall be claimed, apart from the claim pertaining to entangling and grossly undermining the personal relationships of my client and his family.”
PML-N leader Tallal Chaudry has come under fire again for passing derogatory comments and being rude to PTI MNA Kanwal Shauzab.
On a talk show, the PML-N and PTI members were in a heated debate on the ongoing ‘Azadi Marchi’ when Chaudry disrespected Kanwal by using abusive language and accusing her of the ‘things’ she has done to reach power.
“Main yahaan saari cheezain nahi bata sakta. Humaray peechay bhi phirti rahi ho. Iss baat ka jawaab do,” Chaudry said to Kanwal.
(Sister, I can’t discuss everything here. You also followed us. Do you have an answer to this?)
When Kanwal called him out for his “cheap” comments, Tallal responded, “Ghatiya tum ho gee (You are cheap). Keep your tongue in check.”
At this point, the host intervened and asked her guests to stay on the topic.
However, the two did not back down and continued to engage in an argument.
“Aap kay peechay kaun phir sakta hai? Aap toh khud dus jaghon say phir kar aye hain,” (Why would anyone follow you? You yourself have been at ten places), Kanwal remarked.
At this point, Tallal asked Kanwal to be quiet and act like a woman and earn her respect.
What was even more interesting to note that the JUI-F member Mufti Kifayatullah present on the show sat with his eyes closed.
Watch the video here:
Meanwhile, Twitter called out Tallal for being “rude and indecent”.
Ministers Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry and Zartaj Gul Wazir were among those who hit out at the lawmaker.
Talal Ch and his cohorts including Kh Asif abuse women in and out of parliament and don’t have the moral courage to apologise. https://t.co/fYh0OT9r9J
کل پیش آنے واقعے، جس میں طلال چوہدری نے انتہائی گھٹیا زبان استعمال کی میری ساتھی ایم این اے کنول شاہزیب کے بارے میں، اس کی بھرپور مذمت کرتی ہوں۔ طلال کا یہ لب و لہجہ اس کی پرورش اور ملنے والی خاندانی تربیت کی عکاسی کرتا ہے۔ یہ بندہ قابل ترس ہے اور اس کا میڈیا پر بائیکاٹ کیا جائے۔
Talal Ch’s behaviour is uncivilised, unethical& highly condemnable. All such characters irrespective of party affiliation who use abusive language,target women in public sphere should be banned by the leadership.They bring disrepute to politics @MaryamNSharif@CMShehbazhttps://t.co/lMGcWwdbF4
1. Usman Dar: it’s perfectly normal to throw in a ‘Pathan joke’. Casual racism doesn’t hurt anyone. #ShameOnUsmanDar2. Talal Ch: it’s alright to allege that a woman politician came into power by “giving favors”. #SlowClap for anchors who keep inviting them
This man is a disgrace! Talal Chaudhary should be condemned by all specially by women in politics as well as in media. Shame!! @KanwalMna Salute you for staying there listening to all that filth and still responding with words like ‘aap’. pic.twitter.com/xpvSvF6Hsl
This man is a disgrace! Talal Chaudhary should be condemned by all specially by women in politics as well as in media. Shame!! @KanwalMna Salute you for staying there listening to all that filth and still responding with words like ‘aap’. pic.twitter.com/8QoA3pVui1
This is not the first time Talal has come under fire for passing derogatory and sexist remarks. Earlier his comments on Firdous Ashiq Awan has sparked social media outrage.
“This is the kind of tabdeeli … if Baji Firdous Ashiq Awan got her face washed, the way her real looks would emerge from behind her makeup… she would appear as Firdous Khan instead. This is also the real face of this tabdeeli,” Chaudhary had said.
Following the backlash, Chaudhry had issued an apology on Twitter saying: “My intentions were not to hurt someone, if my statement or example was ‘inappropriate’ then I would like to apologise.”
Pictures of a man pretending to be a journalist from BBC has interviewed senators, including the Upper House’s Standing Committee on Interior Chairperson Rehman Malik, outside the Parliament House in what is being termed as a massive security breach.
The incident was brought to limelight by Tahir Imran, a journalist actually affiliated with BBC, as he tweeted images of the imposter and wrote, “Dear Senator Rehman Malik, this guy is an imposter who pretends to be a BBC journalist. He is not a BBC employee”.
Sharing the images, Tahir also urged Senator Malik to lodge a complaint and inform BBC’s local office in Islamabad about the imposter.
Responding to the tweet, the senator said that he had already ordered an inquiry as to how did the man enter a restricted space. “Have also informed the BBC head in Islamabad,” he tweeted, adding that he found the fake reporter suspicious after the latter’s claim of being affiliated with BBC Italy.
I have already ordered an inquiry as to how & who gave him the entry pass to the restricted area of Senate .hv also also informed the BBC head in Isb and sent him this interviews/ with other senators shall be used as evidence .i suspected him when on a Q he posed fromBBC Italy https://t.co/aACQCaOqSd
— Senator Rehman Malik former Interior Minister Pak (@SenRehmanMalik) November 5, 2019
“BBC Islamabad has confirmed that he is not a BBC employee and will be booked as an imposter under the law,” the senator added.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vineet Agarwal Sharda has said alleged either Pakistan or China could have released poisonous gases into India to pollute its air, Pakistan Today reported.
According to the details, the BJP leader that our neighboring countries should be blamed for the high levels of pollution in Delhi and adjacent areas, adding that “I feel that Pakistan or China are afraid of us”.
“Ye jo zehreeli hawa aa rahi hai, zehreeli gas aayi hai ho sakta hai kisi bagal ke mulk ne chhori ho jo humse ghabraya hua hai (There is a possibility that this poisonous gas could have been released by any neighboring country which is afraid of us), BJP leader said.
“We must seriously consider whether Pakistan has released any poisonous gas,” Vineet Agarwal said.
Sharda said that Pakistan was “frustrated” ever since Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah took charge and was resorting to all sorts of tactics against India.
Terming Modi and Shah as Lord Krishna and Arjuna from Mahabharata, Vineet said that both leaders were capable of solving all problems.
Hashtag “#ShameOnUsmanDar” on Wednesday started trending on Twitter after Special Adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Youth Affairs, Usman Dar, made fun of Pashtun workers.
“In the end, they [the Azadi marchers] will get the same [returns] as those Pathan [vendors] who roam in streets and sell a blanket worth Rs500 for Rs50,” the PTI leader had said while appearing on Express News’ programme To the Point earlier this week.
He was immediately called out by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Hina Pervaiz Butt, who was also a guest on the show. “I want to condemn [the usage] of the word Pathan [randomly] like this. We are all Pakistanis,” she said.
Dar, however, continued to use the rhetoric until the show’s host, Mansoor Ali Khan, asked him to take his words back.
“Alright, I will take [my words] back,” the PTI leader later conceded.
WATCH VIDEO:
The remarks invited a backlash on Twitter, where “Shame on Usman Dar” became a top trend as users condemned the PTI leader’s choice of words.
MNA Mohsin Dawar also reacted to Dar’s statement, saying, “Pashtun displacement into Punjab is a cost of Pakistan’s strategic depth policy.”
Pashtun displacement into Punjab is a cost of Pak’s strategic depth policy. These Pashtuns won’t have left their homeland, if it wasnt used for strategic games & was allowed to grow to full potential. #ShameOnUsmanDar for making fun of those who are just making an honest living.
“These Pashtuns won’t have left their homeland, if it wasn’t used for strategic games and was allowed to grow to full potential. #ShameOnUsmanDar for making fun of those who are just making an honest living,” he added.
Government-constituted medical board that is overseeing the treatment of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, has recommended him a genetic test that is not available in Pakistan, The News International reported.
Reports quoted the head of the medical panel, Prof Dr Mehmood Ayaz, as saying that Nawaz needed to go abroad for treatment. “We will inform the Health Department in writing that Nawaz should undergo a genetic test abroad,” he reportedly said.
According to Dr Ayaz, a foreign visit would become essential if doctors want to examine Nawaz’s body tissues in order to diagnose the exact cause of his illness since the former prime minister (PM) was “not facing a minor genetic issue”.
With the panel head’s comments making headlines, rumour has it that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government — in both Punjab and centre — is paving way for the PML-N supremo to leave the country and “a deal has been struck”.
On Tuesday, Federal Minister for Interior Brig (r) Ijaz Shah had also hinted at allowing Nawaz to seek treatment abroad “if that turns out to be the only option”. According to some reports, incumbent PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif is also trying to convince his brother to leave the country for treatment.
