Tag: PPP

  • PPP says will not quit assemblies, won’t take ‘dictation’

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to oppose the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) decision to submit mass resignations, saying it would provide the government with an opportunity to undo democratic legislation.

    The decision was made during a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee that had met to mull the options of mass resignations and long march towards Islamabad.

    The PPP leadership said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government could repeal the 18th Amendment and other laws that strengthened democracy.

    It further said the party was open to discussing this option but after the return of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. It may be noted here that Nawaz is in London for the past year on account of frail health.

    The PPP said it will stand by the commitments it made with the PDM leadership, but it will not take dictation from other parties.

    On Sunday, the PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, made a similar statement, wherein he had said that the PDM parties needed to change their tactics and stop dictating each other on how to put up a fight against the government.

    According to reports, the top PPP leadership wasn’t happy with PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s decision to skip the Larkana gathering held to commemorate Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary.

    “Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not attend Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary due to local politics,” a report in Geo News claimed. Fazl didn’t attend the key PPP rally, but he still wanted the party to quit assemblies on his call, the report quoted the participants of the CEC as saying.

    Meanwhile, the PDM will hold an important meeting later this week to discuss the future course of the anti-government alliance.

  • ‘Kids half Imran’s age giving him sleepless nights’

    ‘Kids half Imran’s age giving him sleepless nights’

    Recalling that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had dismissed her and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as “kids”, Maryam Nawaz of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has said that the same are now giving the premier “sleepless nights”.

    “These kids are half your age but they are turning you around their little finger [and] have given you sleepless nights,” she said as leaders of the 11-party opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Sunday gathered in Larkana on the occasion of the late ex-PM Benazir Bhutto’s 13th death anniversary for another power show as part of its anti-government protests.

    According to Dawn, Maryam once again hit out at the government over inflation and allegedly hiding behind the establishment, telling PM Imran he was not fighting the PDM but the entire population of Pakistan.

    “Your war is not with PDM but with the 220 million people of Pakistan whom you have struck like lightning,” she said while addressing the premier, adding that the people had “won” this war.

    Maryam said when Bilawal was unable to attend the PDM rally in Mardan, PM Imran was “jumping around with elation” believing there had been a rift within the opposition. She alleged he will say the same about today’s rally which Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not attend.

    She alleged that whenever these “kids” called him out, Prime Minister Imran hid behind his “elders” and asked them to rescue him.

    “These kids’ biggest qualification is that the people of Pakistan are standing with them,” she said, adding that the premier’s alleged dream of creating a rift within the PDM “will never be fulfilled”.

    The PML-N leader paid tribute to Benazir’s struggle for democracy, recalling that the Charter of Democracy signed by her father Nawaz Sharif and Benazir “wasn’t just a few pieces of paper; this was a decision for turning the course of Pakistan’s political history that I, Bilawal and all of Pakistan’s political leadership will take forward and advance”.

    She said when the PPP government was formed in 2008, many elements wanted it to be brought down but Nawaz “crushed that suggestion even within his own party” and favoured allowing the government to complete its tenure.

    “When political parties started completing their terms, some forces to whom ‘divide and rule’ suited started getting restless. Then we saw [former ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja] Pasha set up a party by collecting political trash named the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, and that party was then used in dharnas and conspiracies against your elected government,” Maryam alleged.

    She said while politicians were given death sentences and faced character assassinations, those who committed much severer offences such as “breaking the country and the Constitution, losing Siachen and the Kashmir cause, violating one’s oath to interfere in politics, having political rivals killed, and committing corruption worth billions” were not held accountable.

    “But remember, ideology cannot be hanged or exiled,” she added.

    Accusing former military ruler retired Gen Pervez Musharraf of being “the murderer of the Constitution and of Benazir Bhutto”, she said no one even talked about bringing him back to the country.

    “The court that sentenced Musharraf to death [in the high treason case] was hanged itself,” Maryam alleged.

    She said although Musharraf could not return to the country, the “brave decision” of the judge who led the bench that handed guilty verdict to him, late Peshawar High Court chief justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, to uphold the Constitution “will not only be remembered by the Pakistani people but also kept alive”.

    Maryam also thanked the people of Sindh for their hospitality and Bilawal and his family members for welcoming her early in the morning at their residence in Naudero.

    Earlier, Bilawal also delivered a fiery speech wherein he criticised the government and its policies among accusing it of rising to power with the support of the security establishment.

  • ‘What is Imran to me if I can bring down Musharraf,’ says Zardari

    ‘What is Imran to me if I can bring down Musharraf,’ says Zardari

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that if he can send former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf home, then bringing Prime Minister Imran Khan down is not a problem for him.

    Speaking to a rally in Garhi Khuda Buksh to commemorate the death anniversary of slain PM Benazir Bhutto, Zardari said the opposition parties needed to change their tactics and mindset regarding the anti-government drive instead of “dictating each other”.

    The PPP would want to see all parties on a single page in the fight against the government, but “we should not dictate each other what to do”, he added. “We will have to fill up the jails,” said Zardari, adding that Benazir had left a message for her party to keep on fighting for Pakistan.

    Taking a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the former president said that the PTI has no importance and it will come to an end just like the party formed by Gen Musharraf during his era.

    According to the PPP co-chairman, Imran government has a little time left. “They will crumble beneath their own weight.” “These [PTI] are the people who run a cricket team, not a country,” he quipped.

    The PPP leader said that incumbent government was targeting political rivals through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

    “NAB is running a black market and issuing warrants for businessmen,” said Zardari, adding that the PPP never targeted the opposition politicians during its tenure.

    It is a historical fact that the country suffered whenever the democracy was derailed, he said, calling upon the PM to quit the government if he was unable to run the country.

    The country’s exports had fallen and the dollar had seen a steep rise, he said, referring to the poor state of the economy. The PPP had kept inflation in check in spite of the financial crunch, he claimed, adding that “everyone is hoping that one day Bhutto’s party will rise to power” again.

    In addition to other politicians, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz also spoke on the occasion.

  • Benazir’s death anniversary: Fazl refuses to attend PPP rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh

    Benazir’s death anniversary: Fazl refuses to attend PPP rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh

    Amid speculations of rifts in the Pakistan Democratic Movement, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has declined an invitation by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to attend a rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh on Dec 27.

    Instead of Fazl, who also heads the PDM, a five-member delegation of the party will attend the gathering that marks the death anniversary of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, reported Dunya TV.

    The refusal to attend the gathering by Fazl comes at a time when the JUI-F is facing internal turmoil following the expulsion of its top leaders, including Maulana Sheerani, who questioned the JUI-F’s commitment to the party.

    Similarly, the JUI-F and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are not happy with the PPP. They believe that the PPP was in contact with the powers-that-be to reach a deal. “Both parties are not reacting to this development because of the alliance, but the PPP has been told that if it wants to gain results via backdoor talks, it can go ahead,” said a senior journalist recently.

    Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has reached Naudero House to attend the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto. The PPP chief will stay in Naudero for three days and will address a rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on December 27.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz will also attend the rally on the invitation of Bilawal. Both opposition leaders will hold a meeting at Bilawal House, Naudero.

  • Khokar resigns as Bilawal’s spokesperson

    Khokar resigns as Bilawal’s spokesperson

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has confirmed his resignation from the position of spokesperson to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari a day ahead of the joint opposition’s power show in Lahore.

    In a statement on Twitter on Saturday, Senator Khokhar responded to the reports that claimed he had quit the PPP, saying that he will remain in the PPP and will stand by Bilawal “through thick and thin”.

    “In my years as his spokesperson, have given counsel with honesty, sincerity and in the best interests of the country and the party,” he added.

    Insiders say the PPP chief’s spokesperson had issues with the party’s stance on mass resignations, resulting in his resignation from the post on Thursday. Subsequently, Senator Khokhar also quit the party’s Whatsapp group, giving birth to speculations about his departure from the party.

    However, PPP media cell was quick to shoot down these reports. In a statement issued on Friday, the media cell said that Khokhar will remain in the PPP and serve as the spokesperson of the chairman. Whereas, Khokhar on the other hand remained silent on the issue till his aforementioned tweet wherein he confirmed his resignation from the post of the spokesperson.

    Dawn had reported that Senator Khokhar was “angry over the PPP’s decision about resignations from the assemblies and party leadership’s back-channel contacts with the military establishment”.

    It further reported that while almost all important PPP leaders are in Lahore ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) plan to hold a rally on Sunday, the PPP senator preferred not to go to Lahore.

  • Ali Tareen ‘welcome to join PPP’ after saying Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari is ‘pretty cool’

    Ali Tareen, who is the son of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s close aide and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bigwig Jahangir Tareen, was on Monday offered to join the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in response to a tweet calling Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari “pretty cool”.

    “Political differences aside, Aseefa is pretty cool,” Tareen had tweeted after Aseefa’s address to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) jalsa in Multan, which was seen as the formal entry into politics by the daughter of the late former PM Benazir Bhutto and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari.

    “Shukriya [thank you] Ali Tareen we welcome you to join PPP [sic],” tweeted a PPP supporter in response to the Multan Sultans co-owner’s praise for Aseefa.

    Here’s what the younger Tareen had to say in response:

    The tweets came as several netizens took to Twitter to praise Aseefa, who was filling in for her coronavirus positive brother PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, over her maiden public address. Many said she reminded them of her mother Benazir.

    Earlier, Aseefa delivered a short and brisk speech. She vowed to stand by her brother “every step of the way”.

    She began her speech by heaping scorn on the “selected” government. “Despite the cruelty and oppression by the selected [government], so many of you have gathered here. This selected [government] will have to go!”

    She said those who think the opposition will be cowed into submission are mistaken, Geo reported.

    Aseefa said that the people had announced their decision and that they wanted PM Imran to “pack up and leave”.

    Speaking about her mother, she said Benazir Bhutto had carried on her father’s mission — to establish a welfare state — and faced several setbacks.

    “[Former] president Asif Zardari introduced the 18th Amendment and BISP [Benazir Income Support Programme] and fought for the people’s rights,” she said and promised supporters that she would continue their mission and would not back down.

    “They think that we are afraid of arrests. If they arrest our brothers, then they should know that every woman of PPP is ready to take up the struggle,” she said.

  • Bilawal says money mother Benazir left him is enough

    Bilawal says money mother Benazir left him is enough

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that he is financially dependent on his father Asif Ali Zardari because income from the lands he inherited from his mother is not enough to meet his political expenditure.

    In an interview with Sohail Warriach, the PPP chief said the income from the land bequeathed to him by his mother, Benazir Bhutto, was enough to meet his personal needs, but he has to ask his father for money when it comes to expenses related to politics. “We live in a joint family system,” the PPP said.

    Bilawal said he was not interested in starting a business for the sake of money. The PPP chief said he doesn’t get time to handle the financial affairs of his lands. “I try, but I cannot do it any good because of the lack of time,” he responded to a question.

    The agriculture technology used in Pakistan is also outdated, so it is not a lot of money, Bilawal said, adding that he was thankful to Allah and his mother because she worked hard to take care of him and his siblings.

    Bilawal, who was 19 at the time of the death of his mother in a blast in Rawalpindi in 2007, was named as the chairperson of the PPP by Benazir in her will.

  • PM refuses to say Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa is not guilty of corruption

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Saturday refused to say that former military bigwig as well as his ex-aide Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa was not guilty of corruption, maintaining that it wasn’t his job to say so.

    In an interview with senior journalist Mansoor Ali Khan, when asked to say on camera if Bajwa was not guilty of corruption, the premier said, “I cannot say this because it is not my job to say this. However, I will say that he gave a very detailed answer to the allegations against him. I sat with our law minister and reviewed it.”

    Earlier this year, Bajwa had rebutted a news report linking his military career to his family’s businesses, terming it “malicious propaganda”. Amid opposition’s tirades against him despite a clarification, he had decided to continue serving as the chairperson of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority but stepped down as the premier’s aide on information and broadcasting.

    PM Imran himself had, however, expressed satisfaction over the ex-army official’s clarification regarding his assets and rejected the resignation at first.

    “These were mere allegations and if anyone had any problems with it, they should file a case against the retired army officer with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB),” the premier said on Saturday.

    He added that Bajwa was made the CPEC chairperson based on his credentials as opposed to any pressure from the army on him to do so. “He had served in the past as the commander of the Southern Command in Balochistan and had also worked closely with the Chinese. Gwadar is the focal point of the whole CPEC project.”

    The premier said that the government had then appointed Bajwa as his special assistant on information as he had also worked as the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief and had the much-needed experience for the job. 

    PM Imran reiterated that he was not under any pressure from the armed forces and among other executive decisions, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was in charge of the country’s foreign policy. “The army hasn’t [directed] me to do one thing which I did not want to do,” he said.

    “I would have resisted the army if they exerted pressure on me. The entire foreign policy [being implemented today] is mine, you can check the PTI’s manifesto,” the premier added. 

    The prime minister said that Pakistan’s foreign policy today was centered around the PTI’s manifesto, adding that the world was praising Pakistan for advocating non-military solutions to conflicts. “There was pressure on us to take a side in a conflict between any Muslim countries; we said we would remain neutral and play our role in uniting Muslim countries instead.”

    During the wide-ranging interview, PM Imran spoke on various issues and also trained guns at the opposition.

    Responding to a question, he said that former PTI general-secretary Jahangir Tareen was going through “difficult times” but said that he would not interfere in the sugar inquiry investigation.

    “Jahangir Tareen has been really close to us [in the past], we have worked together in the past closely,” he said. “Tareen says he is innocent. The investigation is going on, I will not interfere in matters of institutions,” added the PM. 

    He said that under his government, an inquiry against the sugar cartel was launched for the first time in Pakistan’s history. He said that an FIR had also been registered against Tareen.

    When asked about former Punjab government spokesperson Fayazul Hasan Chohan who was shown the door a couple of weeks ago and Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was appointed as a special assistant to the chief minister (CM) of Punjab, the premier said both mattered to him. 

    “We need both Fayyaz Chohan and Firdous Ashiq Awan,” he said. “In order to win the match, you need to change the team sometimes,” he said. 

    The premier said that Chohan wanted a “strong” ministry which he had been given now. 

    Speaking further about the Punjab government, the PM said that his party had brought in people on merit. “The same setup was in power in Punjab over the past 30 years, but we brought in people on merit.”

    He said that the new Punjab inspector general (IG) was doing a fabulous job, adding that Punjab CM Usman Buzdar was doing a commendable job as far as development projects were concerned. “You will see that after five years, Buzdar will be the number one provincial chief executive in the country,” he said. 

    When asked to respond to allegations of being a “selected” PM, the premier said that he couldn’t understand their criticism. 

    He said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the leader of his party because “he had shown a piece of paper” (in reference to Benazir Bhutto’s will) and Maryam Nawaz was leading the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) because she was Nawaz Sharif’s daughter. 

    “And they make these allegations against a man who has struggled in politics for the past 22 years,” said the premier, referring to himself. 

    He said that the leadership of the PML-N and the PPP had opened corruption cases against themselves. “Nawaz Sharif threw Asif Zardari in jail,” he said. “Our government only made cases against Shehbaz Sharif.”

    Referring to former PM Nawaz’s medical condition, the premier said that when he read the PML-N chief’s medical reports, he couldn’t help but wonder whether a person could suffer from so many ailments. “No one exerted pressure on me to send Nawaz abroad,” he said, adding that no one could do so either.  

    To another question, PM Imran said that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), being one of the best spy agencies in the world, knew about everything he does.

  • PDM protesters break into sealed jalsa venue ahead of joint opposition’s gathering

    Workers and leaders of joint opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Saturday broke into the venue of the alliance’s Multan gathering to be held on November 30, which had reportedly been sealed by the administration.

    According to reports, the district administration had placed 30 containers around the venue, Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh, with more being brought in to block roads leading to the city and police deployed outside.

    As per the details of Saturday’s incident, a rally led by sons of former prime minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gillani, namely Ali Haider and Ali Musa, overpowered law enforcement to enter the venue. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers led by local party leaders also accompanied the PPP stalwarts.

    The episode saw several scuffles between opposition workers and the police on different routes leading to the stadium where the rally was headed. A final scuffle broke out right outside the venue where hundreds of cops were discharging their duties.

    Unconfirmed reports of casualties — both police personnel and political workers — are pouring in.

    A senior PPP leader confirmed to The Current that Gillani brothers have taken control of the venue and a welcome camp is also being setup at the stadium. “They refuse to leave until the gathering has been held on Monday.”

    To a question, they said the people of Multan are overjoyed to have with them the late former PM Benazir Bhutto’s daughter, Assefa Bhutto-Zardari, who’ll be replacing her coronavirus positive brother and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

    Earlier, more than 200 workers of PDM constituent parties were arrested and raids were being conducted to arrest more. The lists of workers, particularly from the PML-N and PPP, were provided to respective police stations.

    The arrests had come after the government vowed to not let opposition “put people’s life at risk” by holding a gathering amid the second wave of COVID-19.

    As the opposition claims the government is using the virus outbreak to stop the PDM from holding its rallies against “the fascist regime”, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah has declared that the Multan rally will be held at all costs.

    Talking to the media outside the party’s Model Town secretariat in Lahore, he said if the government did not de-seal Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh, the entire city of Multan will become the venue of the public meeting.

    He said the first phase of the PDM’s anti-government protests will be completed by holding the last event of the series in the Punjab capital on December 13, and the next phase will begin after the alliance leadership devises a new strategy.

    “We stand united against the government,” he said.

  • These are not my videos, says Bakhtawar

    These are not my videos, says Bakhtawar

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari has hit out at all those sharing fakes videos and pictures from her alleged dholki.

    Responding to a Twitter user, Bakhtawar said: “These are obviously not my videos nor have anything to do with me. If reading isn’t your speciality (clearly says 27th on the leaked cards) then perhaps basic vision will allow you to see Bakhtawar is not in any of these videos neither are her very identifiable family members.”

    The Twitter user Anees Jillani, who had shared the videos later deleted them and apologised to Bakhtawar for posting them without verification.

    Videos and pictures which are circulating on social media show people celebrating and dancing without any masks or SOPs.

    Meanwhile, arrangements for Bakhtawar’s upcoming engagement on November 27 are in full swing at Bilawal House in Karachi. According to details, a catering committee has been set up for the event and all members of the staff have been assigned duties. Decorations for the event will be completed by Thursday night. The ceremony is expected to be held in the open area of the Bilawal House Karachi.

    Reports have also stated that Bakhtawar’s father Asif Ali Zardari is personally monitoring all the arrangements for the event.

    Moreso, it is mandatory for all those, including staff members, entering Bilawal House to undergo a coronavirus PCR test.

    Bakhtawar’s fiancé-to-be Mahmood Choudhry will be arriving in Pakistan with his family today (Thursday).

    Unfortunately, Bakhtawar’s brother Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will be unable to attend his sister’s wedding as he has tested positive for COVID-19.

    He will hopefully be able to attend the wedding which is expected to take place in January 2021 in Karachi.