Tag: PPP

  • PDM nominates Gilani as joint candidate for Senate chairman

    PDM nominates Gilani as joint candidate for Senate chairman

    Yousaf Raza Gilani, who defeated Minister for Finance Hafeez Sheikh in the recent Senate polls, has been nominated by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as its joint candidate for Senate chairman. PDM decided this today in a meeting chaired by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The elections for Senate chairman will be held on March 12 and will be done through secret balloting.

    On the other hand, the government has announced the candidature of Sadiq Sanjrani as its nominee for Senate chairman.

    After Gilani’s surprise win in the Senate, PM Khan sought a vote of confidence in the National Assembly and won on Saturday. Needing the support of 172 MPs in the 342-seat House to retain its confidence, the prime minister secured 178 votes.

    In August 2019, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani survived a no-confidence move tabled against him by the joint opposition. The opposition’s no-trust motion against Sanjrani failed to receive the 53 votes required for his removal even though at the start of the session, 64 senators had stood up in support of the motion.

  • PTI, PML-N face off in Islamabad as parliament decides PM’s fate

    PTI, PML-N face off in Islamabad as parliament decides PM’s fate

    Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) protesters and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters engaged in a short brawl and shouted slogans against each other outside the Parliament in the red zone, the day Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan sought a vote of confidence in the National Assembly.

    As per details, the law and order situation erupted as the parliament geared for PM Khan’s vote of confidence amid joint opposition’s boycott of the session.

    PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal and Musadiq Malik were among the PML-N leaders present at the scene.

    The incident reportedly occurred when PML-N leaders tried to address the media and PTI workers surrounded the PML-N leaders and a scuffle broke out. A large crowd has now gathered at D-Chowk and some political workers have entered the Parliament Lodges.

    https://twitter.com/TalatHussain12/status/1368106077179494401?s=20

    While many reports have suggested that PTI supporters instigated the violence, Focal Person to PM Imran on Digital Media Dr Arsalan Khalid and Focal Person to Chief Minister Punjab on Digital Punjab Azhar Mashwani have alleged that Abbasi and Malik attacked PTI supporters when they chanted slogans against PML-N.

    https://twitter.com/arslankhalid_m/status/1368105897336143872?s=20

    Later, a large contingent of law enforcers arrived at the scene and managed to separate the political workers of the two parties.

    The 30th NA session – on a single point agenda – will make it clear whether PM Imran commands the trust of the house and whether the lawmakers who allegedly ditched the ruling candidate on the general seat in the recently-held Senate election stick to their stand.

  • ‘I was there’: Ali Haider Gillani reacts to leaked video

    With less than 24 hours to go, another controversy has come to the fore regarding the Senate elections.

    A leaked video of Ali Haider Gillani – son of former Prime Yousaf Raza Gillani – was aired by ARY News, where he is heard talking about how to waste Senate vote.

    It seems that the other person is from the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). According to reports, the video was recorded a week ago.

    Addressing a press conference after the leaked video was aired, Ali Haider Gillani admitted the video was real and that he met more than one MNA over the course of campaigning for his father.

    He said he was not buying votes but was telling PTI member of how to waste his vote as that member did not want to vote for his own party.

    “Where do I talk about money in the video? I did no wrong. This is to distract us.”

    The Election Commission of Pakistan has taken notice of the video and Gillani’s response and will be taking up the issue.

    https://twitter.com/profaltafkhan/status/1366783802849296386?s=21

    Yousaf Raza Gillani will face Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in the Senate elections.

  • VIDEO: PTI members wrestle each other in Sindh Assembly

    VIDEO: PTI members wrestle each other in Sindh Assembly

    Just a day before the Senate Elections, lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided to wrestle each other in the Sindh Assembly creating havoc.

    As per details, PTI’s disgruntled MPAs – Aslam Abro, Shehryar Shar and Karim Bakhsh Gabol – were beaten up by their own party members during a session of the Sindh Assembly.

    The three MPAs had earlier said that they will not vote for PTI candidates in the Senate polls. The fighting match that ensued can be seen in the tweets shared by journalists Murtaza Ali Shah and Gharidah Farooqi.

    https://twitter.com/MurtazaViews/status/1366702520467415042

    Later, a video of PPP MPA Sharmila Faruqi running out of the assembly emerged and the lawmaker clarified that she was running to get security.

    When asked about this incident by journalists outside the Sindh Assembly, PTI’s Haleem Adil Sheikh started shouting at them.

    He said that he is very sad that today, some senior journalists are posing as PPP workers and also called them lifafa sahaafi (journalists who take money). He also raised slogans against journalists.

    Responding to Sheikh’s comments, senior journalist Asma Shirazi asked why is it that whenever tough questions are asked, PTI members resort to attacks on journalists.

  • Senate election: Bilawal says establishment is ‘neutral’

    Senate election: Bilawal says establishment is ‘neutral’

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the military establishment is playing a neutral role in the lead up to the Senate elections.

    Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the PPP chief said that his party criticises the state institutions when they act beyond their constitutional role. “It is heartening to see that they are not transgressing their boundaries,” the opposition leader added. He said that if the establishment is neutral, then we should welcome this.

    According to Bilawal, the Pakistan Democratic Movement is giving the “incapable government” a tough time. He said the PDM has aiming to strengthen democracy in Pakistan.

    “The responsibility of the opposition is to fight for the rights of people. Now we have exposed this selected and incapable government not only before the people of Pakistan but also before the entire world. This government tried to carry out massive rigging in the Daska by-election, but was exposed.”

    He thanked PML-N and JUI leadership for accepting PPP candidate Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani as the candidate of PDM for the Senate seat from Islamabad.

    “The march will also begin by the end of the month of March. It is time to say that just one more push is needed for the wall to fall,” he said.

  • 2018 vs 2020: Is Karachi done with Imran’s PTI?

    After a rather troubled polling day, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has managed to secure a comfortable win in Karachi’s PS-88 Malir by-election for a seat in the Sindh Assembly, unofficial results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) have revealed.

    But does that mean that the people of Karachi are done with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) amid economic among other challenges faced by the country?

    According to journalist Ajmal Jami, that might be the case, at least in Malir, and here’s why…

    The PPP was the only party that not only retained the number of votes received in the 2018 general election, but went on to secure even more.

    The PPP secured 24,251 votes in the 2021 by-election as compared to 22,561 in 2018, whereas the PTI and its allied Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) received merely 4,870 votes against 2018’s 16,386 and 2,635 votes against 5,207, respectively.

    Hardliner Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which had received 7,694 votes in 2018, bagged only 6,090 this year.

    Earlier, polling for the PS-88 by-election — that was slated to be a hot contest between the PPP and PTI — was marred by allegations of vote rigging, violence and intimidation as all contesting parties traded charges against each other.

    The winning candidate, PPP’s Yousuf Murtaza Baloch, is the son of Murtaza Baloch, the former minister for human settlement.

    The seat fell vacant after Murtaza died of COVID-19 in June last year.

  • Karachi by-polls: Sindh police detain PTI MPA over violation of ECP code of conduct

    Karachi by-polls: Sindh police detain PTI MPA over violation of ECP code of conduct

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh was detained by the Sindh police on Tuesday for violating election rules, as the former claimed that his vehicle was fired upon by unknown persons during the polling in Malir’s Darsano Chana.

    The by-polls in PS-88 constituency were conducted after Ghulam Murtaza Baloch, the minister for human settlement, died of COVID-19.

    Meanwhile, the PTI MPA was quoted by Samaa, saying the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers allegedly attacked him. He showed a bullet mark on his windshield, saying his bulletproof vehicle was attacked by the PPP. The bullets were fired in the presence of the police,” he alleged.

    SHEIKH DETAINED:

    The PTI leader was arrested by the provincial police even though the reports of his arrest were refuted earlier. According to Geo, the MPA will be taken to the Memon Goth police station in armoured vehicle.

    As the arrest took place, riot police were stationed outside the SSP’s office. Water cannons and additional troops were also ready to deal with any protests. All the police personnel were given anti-riot gear.

    Before the arrest, the MPA was expelled from the constituency following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s orders for violating the code of conduct and was subsequently detained. Dawn reported that that Sheikh’s guards “resorted to firing” at a polling station in Ghulam Hussain Jokhio Goth after the chief election commissioner’s “prompt orders to evict the leader of the opposition from the constituency”.

    Furthermore, the PPP also accused the PTI leader of violating the ECP rules. The PPP wrote a letter to the ECP and urged it to take notice of the alleged rule violations by Sheikh. According to the letter: “Sheikh could be seen roaming the constituency with armed persons and was harassing voters.”

  • Good news for Gillani after arrival at ECP with two other prime ministers

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday approved former prime minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gillani’s application to transfer his vote to Islamabad; after he arrived at the election watchdog’s office with two other former premiers.

    Gillani is reportedly being fielded for the federal capital seat in the upper house of the parliament by the join opposition, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    The former premier’s vote has been registered at his address of Sector F-8 in Islamabad, making him eligible to contest the Senate elections from the federal capital.

    He had moved the ECP on Friday and arrived at the election watchdog’s office on Saturday with his successor Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

    Earlier, Abbasi’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced to support Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Gillani in the Senate elections.

    The decision was taken after a meeting between Abbasi and Gillani to hold consultations to field a joint candidate of the PDM.

    The two former premiers, Ashraf and Abbasi, acted as the proponent and seconder in candidate Gillani’s papers.

    Meanwhile, Farhatullah Babar has been named as PDM’s joint candidate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

  • ‘Books, not money’: PPP leader says leaked video is ‘edited’

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mohammad Ali Bacha, who is also seen in one of the videos where money was being dished out ahead of the Senate polls, has said that the video is edited.

    In a news beeper to Geo News, Bacha said that the stack of money could possibly be books instead of currency notes. When news anchor Wajih Sani probed Bacha about stack of notes in front of him in the video, Bacha said: “Paison ki gaddiaan nahi hai,” (these are not stacks of notes). He told Sani that they should check the closeup of the alleged notes, which could possibly be books or something else.

    In Shahzeb Khanzada’s program, Bacha said that he is not in the videos where money is being given and being taken by people. When asked by Khanzada that there is money lying in front of him in the video where he is smoking a cigarette and what is the money doing in front of him, Bacha says that the video is doctored. “If you see the video, there are doors with glasses in the background. People can see in and out of the room. Why would someone pay money where others can see them?” Bacha said that the money was not in front of him but on his ‘side’, which may be edited.

    Shahzeb Khanzada then asks him if he was not distributing money, then how could the PPP get two senators elected when they had only 6 MPAs. He said that those PTI MPAs who were upset with their own party voted for PPP. Bacha said why has these videos been made viral now after 3 years, why not when they were made.

  • Bilawal accuses PM of only wanting Sindh’s money while ignoring its people

    Bilawal accuses PM of only wanting Sindh’s money while ignoring its people

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari launched a vicious verbal assault against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, wherein the PPP chairman accused the premier of only wanting Sindh for its resources while ignoring the people.

    “[Imran] neither needs Sindh nor Sindh’s people but he wants Sindh’s islands, gas, coal, tax revenue, the money you give,” Bilawal said, adding that Imran had failed to spend money on Sindh to solve its problems.

    The PPP chairman claimed that Imran had refused to give the province its due Rs160 billion last year, and had projected to deny Rs200 billion this year.

    Speaking to a fired up crowd at the Hyderabad rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Bilawal alleged that PM Imran had refused to accept Sindh as a province of the country and therein asked who the province actually belonged to.

    “He can only rob your rights but you, the people of this country will not tolerate him. We will protect our rights and our democracy and make this PM run away,” he added.

    Bilawal told the crowd to think of “how much employment we could have provided to the youth of Hyderabad” with the aforementioned Rs200 billion.

    “This is the same government that promised one crore jobs. I ask the people of Hyderabad whether they have gotten even one job from those one crore jobs,” he said on the occasion.

    “This is not Imran Khan’s money, this is the money of the people of Hyderabad and we will go to Islamabad and take back our right from them,” he added.

    He further stated that none of the provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), belonged to PM Imran.

    Bilawal, terming the ruling party as “puppet, selected and formed as a result of rigging”, said that Imran’s vision for a Naya Pakistan had only resulted in a more “expensive Pakistan”.

    The PPP chief lamented the inflation that had struck the country, wherein food items like wheat and sugar were beyond the people’s purchasing power. “Imran’s tabdeeli (change) has brought so much inflation, unemployment and poverty in the last year that half of Pakistan’s families have food deficiency,” he said.

    In further criticism of the government, he said that the prime minister had once said that he would “commit suicide before going to the IMF (International Monetary Fund)” to ask for a loan.

    On the occasion, he accused the government of giving relief to the rich while bringing pain to the poor. He said that Imran had also promised houses to the people, but so far no results from the affordable housing schemes had been shown.

    He said that the people have been “suffering the burden of an incompetent and corrupt government”.