Tag: Prime Minister Imran Khan

  • PM Khan calls on departments to stop funding sports teams, promote regional teams

    PM Khan calls on departments to stop funding sports teams, promote regional teams

    Thousands of players in around 30 different sports disciplines are expected to be unemployed after the federal government issued a notice calling on all government departments, businesses and autonomous bodies to stop funding sports teams, reported Dawn.

    “During a meeting on the overhaul of the sport governance structure in Pakistan held under the chairmanship of the Pakistani Prime Minister on September 1, the Honorable Prime Minister wished to end the funding of departmental sports teams of various organizations / companies / autonomous government bodies. and, instead, these funds can be used for the promotion of regional sports teams,” wrote the additional secretary of the Ministry of Interprovincial Coordination, Mohsin Mushtaq Chandna, in a letter that was received in different departments working under the government. .

    He further asked them to divert funds to regional teams.

    “In order to implement the orientations of the Honorable Prime Minister, you are therefore asked to prepare a practical transition plan to divert funding from departmental teams to regional teams, within two months, which should be implemented. Work within six months of March 1, 2022,” the letter concluded.

    As per Dawn, one of the main features of the national sports policy that the IPC ministry has proposed is to discourage departmental sports.

    A copy of this letter was sent to the Presidents of Pakistan International Airlines, Islamabad, Wapda, Higher Education Commission, Railways, FBR, IGs of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and President National Bank from Pakistan.

    The move came after Prime Minister Imran Khan abolished the departmental cricket configuration, which resulted in thousands of cricketers losing their jobs.

    Although ministries have been asked to divert funds to sponsor the six newly formed provincial cricket associations, instead of spending this amount on their own teams, no ministry has been able to set rules for transferring these funds.

    Pakistan has historically produced athletes who have excelled in their disciplines through the departmental system.

    Read More – Punjab govt announces Rs1 million cash rewards for Arshad, Talha and Shehroz

    An official in one of the departments, who received the letter revealed that it was not possible for them to transfer their funds to the regional teams. Most of the athletes in Pakistan are employed by departments, including javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib, who impressed with their performances at this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Both represent the department, Wapda.

  • ‘Strengthen and stabilise the Taliban govt, incentivise them’: PM Khan at UNGA

    ‘Strengthen and stabilise the Taliban govt, incentivise them’: PM Khan at UNGA

    Prime Minister Imran Khan delivered his address to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) earlier today. He said, “There is only one way to go. We must strengthen and stabilise the current government, for the sake of the people of Afghanistan.”

    “Right now the whole international community should think what is the way ahead. There are two paths that we can take. If we neglect Afghanistan right now, according to the UN half the people of Afghanistan are already vulnerable, and by next year almost 90 per cent of the people in Afghanistan will go below the poverty line.”

    “If the world community incentivises them, and encourages them to walk this talk, it will be a win-win situation for everyone. Because these are the four conditions that the US-Taliban dialogue in Doha was all about,” PM Imran Khan said.

    “You cannot waste time. Help is needed there. Humanitarian assistance has to be given there immediately. The Secretary-General of the United Nations has taken bold steps. I urge you to mobilise the international community, and move in this direction,” he said.

    ON ISLAMAPHOBIA

    The premier also discussed Islamophobia and said that the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has recognised as an emerging threat, as it increases the tendency of right-wing, xenophobic, and violent nationalists, extremists, and terrorist groups to target Muslims.

    “We hope the Secretary-General’s report will focus on these new threats of terrorism posed by Islamophobes and right-wing extremists,” the prime minister said.

    “I call on the Secretary-General to convene a global dialogue on countering the rise of Islamophobia. Our parallel efforts, at the same time, should be to promote interfaith harmony, and they should continue,” he added.

    The prime minister went on to underscore how New Delhi has also embarked “on what it ominously calls the ‘final solution’ for the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.

    “Indian actions violate the resolutions of the UN Security Council on Jammu and Kashmir. The resolutions clearly prescribe that the ‘final disposition’ of the disputed territory should be decided by its people, through a free and impartial plebiscite held under the UN auspices,” the premier added.

    PM Imran Khan stated for the record that last February, both countries reaffirmed the 2003 ceasefire understanding along the Line of Control.

    “The hope was that it would lead to a rethink of the strategy in New Delhi. Sadly, the BJP government has intensified repression in Kashmir and continues to vitiate the environment by these barbaric acts,” the premier said.

    He said the onus remains on India to create a conducive environment for meaningful and result-oriented engagement with Pakistan.

    ON KASHMIR

    PM Imran Khan highlighted the forcible snatching of the mortal remains of the great Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, from his family, denying him a proper Islamic funeral and burial, in accordance with his wishes and Muslim traditions, as the most recent example of Indian barbarity.

    “Devoid of any legal or moral sanction, this action was even against the basic norms of human decency,” he said, adding: “I call on this General Assembly to demand that Syed Geelani’s mortal remains be allowed to be buried in the Cemetery of Martyrs with the appropriate Islamic rites.”

    The prime minister also warned of another conflict between Pakistan in India, which he said is essential to prevent. “India’s military build-up, development of advanced nuclear weapons, and acquisition of destabilising conventional capabilities can erode mutual deterrence between the two countries,” he said.

    ON CLIMATE CHANGE

    Turning his focus to climate change, he termed it one of the “primary existential threats” that the world faces today.

    ON COVID-19

    “The world is facing the triple challenge of Covid-19, the accompanying economic crisis and the threats posed by climate change.”

  • PM Imran Khan summoned by Lahore court in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    PM Imran Khan summoned by Lahore court in Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case

    A Sessions Court in Lahore summoned Prime Minister Imran Khan over a defamation lawsuit filed by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif.

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Mudassar Farid Khokhar fixed October 6 for the appearance of the parties personally or through their counsel for further proceedings in the suit filed in 2017.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president has claimed in his petition that the premier has “falsely accused him of offering money to him to stay silent in the Panama Papers case.”

    Sharif’s petition pleads that the baseless and defamatory statements by PM Khan, which were widely circulated by the media, lowered the integrity of Shehbaz and caused him extreme mental torture, agony, and anxiety. The court has been requested to issue a decree for recovery of Rs 10 billion as compensation for the publication of defamatory content in favour of the plaintiff.

    “PM Imran Khan’s allegation damaged my reputation,” stated Shehbaz in the petition.

    In his written statement, Prime Minister Khan states that one of his friends told him that someone known to him and also the Sharif family approached him with an offer to pay billions of rupees if he could convince him (Khan) to stop pursuing the Panama case.

    “Just imagine how much money he offered me to be silent — Rs10 billion! If he can offer me this much money, just imagine how much he could offer to others. That is why if we don’t maintain public pressure on this issue, then after two months it will be dragged to the next year,” Khan had claimed.

    In an interview televised following the statement, Khan had refused to reveal the name of the person who made the offer but did state that this person was close to the then Punjab chief minister.

  • Punjab CM’s office denies giving information about vehicles under Buzdar’s use

    Punjab CM’s office denies giving information about vehicles under Buzdar’s use

    The Punjab Chief Minister’s (CM) office has denied giving out the information about the vehicles under the use of CM Usman Buzdar, claiming it ‘legitimate privacy’.

    Under the transparency law, such information cannot be shared, the office said in a reply to a query submitted by a lawyer.

    Abdullah Malik, a lawyer, had sent the query to the CM office earlier this year invoking the rights to the citizens under the law.

    The office took nine months to answer him and refused to share copies of the logbooks (containing details of the official vehicles’ use).
    Section 13 (i)(b) of Punjab Transparency & Right to Information Act 2013 reads, “A public information officer may refuse an application for access to information where disclosure of the information shall or is likely to cause harm to a legitimate privacy interest unless the person concerned has consented to disclosure of the information.”

    According to Dawn, Advocate Usama Khawar Ghumman revealed that Buzdar was using vehicles that were funded by taxes. Moreover, he said the logbooks could reveal misuse of the official vehicles by government officer’s families. These logbooks can also reveal if the vehicles used by the officials fall under their name or not. The denial of information about the vehicles is plainly illegal and unconstitutional.

    Earlier, the federal government denied giving out information about the exchange of gifts between Prime Minister Imran Khan and other heads of state.

    In the notice, it is mentioned that the matter is reflective of inter-state relations and the disclosure of such information potentially damages the interest of Pakistan in the context of international relations.

  • ‘I welcome PM Khan’s approach on Afghanistan, hope he creates same consensus within Pakistan’: Bilawal Bhutto

    ‘I welcome PM Khan’s approach on Afghanistan, hope he creates same consensus within Pakistan’: Bilawal Bhutto

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto, while giving an interview to BBC, said that he welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s approach to Afghanistan. He said that recognising the Afghan Taliban government should come after international consensus.

    “While I welcome the approach, I hope he [PM Khan] creates that consensus within Pakistan. The Pakistani parliament, unfortunately, has not met ever since the recent developments in Pakistan, stakeholders within Pakistan have not been consulted.”

    “We continue to encourage the new regime in Afghanistan to live up to international expectations if they want international recognition,” said Bilawal.

    Speaking on women’s rights and providing them safety in Afghanistan, Bilawal said, “There have been complaints from journalists in Afghanistan that women are protesting for their rights and we are concerned that girls are not being allowed to go to schools.”

    Bilawal said that as soon as the situation in Afghanistan developed, the PPP called for the government of Pakistan to hold a session of the parliament.

    “As with various issues in our country, we have been unable to form a national consensus. We require an inclusive foreign policy that is per the will of the parliament, not of any individual,” he said.

    Chairman PPP further said that we are very concerned about the potential blowback of the developments in Afghanistan as well as the links between Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He said that we have suffered immensely at the hands of violent extremism.

    “I lost my mother, the former prime minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, to Islamic extremism within Pakistan. In order to counter the threat of extremism, we need determination from the government of Pakistan to ensure no space for terrorism or extremism.”

    Journalist Yalda Hakim asked a question about the civilian government having little say in matters, to which Bilawal responded by saying that it was true that the democratic space in Pakistan was ‘shrinking’, especially during Imran Khan’s government.

    “In order for that space to be regained, it is the choice of democratic people of the country to play an active role in the political system, through the parliament and media,” said Bilawal.

    Chairman PPP added, “Everyone seems to be blaming one another, but it is important to work together for a positive outcome for the sake of the region. For the women and youth of Afghanistan who have so much potential, it is worrisome that their potential is in danger.”

    “The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both exhausted due to the war, we hope for the best but should also prepare for the worst. We are already seeing an increase in the activities of TTP within Pakistan … we have to tackle this issue through the United Nations to ensure that the vulnerable people, ethnic minorities and women of Afghanistan receive aid,” added Bilawal.

  • Indian extremists trend #BoycottShahRukhKhan for viral picture with PM Imran Khan and film ‘Pathan’

    Indian extremists trend #BoycottShahRukhKhan for viral picture with PM Imran Khan and film ‘Pathan’

    Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has landed himself in a huge controversy as #BoycottShahRukhKhan trended on Twitter over the last weekend.

    Twitter was flooded with netizens claiming that the Don 2 star has ‘seriously hurt some religious and patriotic emotions over and over again’.

    Twitterati shared the actor’s old pictures and clips from the past where Shah Rukh Khan was seen with Prime Minister Imran or speaking of intolerance in India.

    Ahead of SRK’s movie release ‘Pathan‘, netizens started questioning “Why praise Pathan in India?”

    A Twitter user wrote, “He [SRK] is making [a] movie on Pathan…I mean it’s [a] spy action movie so why don’t they give him [a] Hindu name, Why praising Pathan in India?”

    Another Twitter user sharing a video tweeted, “This guy @iamsrk is pro-Pakistani and he has proved it many times.”

    A man shared an interview of the king of Bollywood and wrote, “Time to show Pakistan lover @iamsrk some intolerance by boycotting him and continuing his streak of Consecutive Flops on Box office. Soon he will settle down in Pakistan.”

    https://twitter.com/imaatmanirbhar/status/1438373109896126467
  • Nobody in a ‘rush’ to recognise Taliban govt says Foreign Minister Qureshi

    Nobody in a ‘rush’ to recognise Taliban govt says Foreign Minister Qureshi

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during a meeting with the United Nations (UN) press representatives, said, “I don’t think anybody is in a rush to recognise the Taliban at this stage and they [Taliban] should keep an eye on that.”

    The minister who is in New York for five days to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), stated that the world is watching Afghanistan. If they [Taliban] want recognition they have to be more sensitive and more open to international opinion, he added.

    He insisted on stating that Afghanistan should have an inclusive government in order to have stability and peace in the region, and expressed hope that the Afghan Taliban would live up to their promise to allow girls and women in educational institutions.

    Moreover, he urged the United States and other countries that have frozen money from the former Afghan government to release it because “that’s Afghan money that should be spent on Afghan people”.

    “I think freezing the assets is not helping the situation. I would strongly urge the powers that be that they should revisit that policy and think of an unfreeze,” Shah told reporters.

    According to an official statement issued by the Foreign Office, Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the UNGA via a video link on September 24th.

  • NAB Chairman explainer: why is the govt not talking to Shehbaz?

    NAB Chairman explainer: why is the govt not talking to Shehbaz?

    The four-year tenure of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal will end early next month.

    The non-extendable tenure of the NAB chairman has led to rumours as Prime Minister Imran Khan refuses to consult the Leader of the Opposition and the President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif.

    PM Khan has refused to hold talks with Shehbaz Sharif as the latter is accused of corruption references filed against him by NAB.

    Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking on HUM News programme ‘Hum Meher Bokhari Kay Sath’, said: “The government has decided not to consult Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif for the appointment of NAB chairman since he (Sharif) is accused in several corruption references filed by the bureau (in accountability courts).”

    “The attorney general and the law minister have been tasked to check how can one do the consultation from an accused Leader of the Opposition by weighing other legal options as the tenure of the NAB chairman is about to end,” added Fawad.

    Under the NAB Ordinance, the prime minister has to consult the Opposition Leader for the appointment of the NAB chairman, reports Dawn.

    The ordinance says: “There shall be a Chairman NAB to be appointed by the President in consultation with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly for a non-extendable period of four years on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the President and shall not be removed except on the grounds of removal of Judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan.”

    Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), told Dawn that it would be ‘illegal’ if the government did not consult the Opposition Leader for the appointment of the NAB chairman.

    To a question about the government’s plea that the Opposition Leader was a NAB suspect, Mr Mehboob said: “There is no issue of being a NAB suspect or accused. Unless the opposition leader is convicted the premier can consult him on the matter in accordance with the law.”

    He further said that not only the NAB ordinance demanded consultation with the Opposition Leader but also there was a decision of the apex court in this regard. “To consult the Opposition Leader for the purpose is not a choice but a legal binding,” he maintained.

    NAB has accused Shehbaz of laundering money and owning more assets than his known sources of income.

    In December last year, the anti-graft watchdog had issued orders to freeze 23 properties owned by former Punjab chief executive and his sons, Hamza and Suleman, over claims they had acquired assets beyond their known sources of income and committed money-laundering.

    According to NAB, an investigation against Shehbaz, Hamza, Suleman, and others had revealed that the PML-N president had acquired properties in the name of his wives Nusrat and Tehmina Durrani.

  • Taliban acknowledge PM Khan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan

    Taliban acknowledge PM Khan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan

    Taliban spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Information and Culture Zabiullah Mujahid praised Prime Minister Imran Khan and appreciated his efforts to promote peace in the war-torn country.

    Speaking to Afghan media in Kabul, Mujahid said countries were criticising the Taliban government for human rights violations without recognising it.

    “We think this is a unilateral point of view,” he stressed.

    On the other hand, Taliban expanded their interim cabinet but failed to appoint any women, despite the international outcry that followed their initial presentation of an all-male cabinet.

    The international community had categorically stated that recognition of the Taliban government would not be possible until it gives women and minorities their due rights.

    Zabihullah Mujahid defended the latest additions to the cabinet, saying it included members of ethnic minorities, such as Hazaras, and that women might be added later.

    Mujahid was also asked about the recent restrictions imposed on girls and women, including a decision not to allow girls in grades six to 12 to return to classrooms for the time being.

    He suggested this was a temporary decision, and that “soon it will be announced when they can go to school”. He said plans were being made to allow their return but did not elaborate.

  • KP Assembly to set daycare centre for parliamentarians

    KP Assembly to set daycare centre for parliamentarians

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly has become the first legislature in the country for setting up a baby feeding and daycare centre to facilitate women parliamentarians, reports Dawn.

    Members of the Women Parliamentary Assembly, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef), and health and planning and development departments were present when Speaker Mushtaq Ghani inaugurated the daycare centre.

    Ghani said that as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, women were being empowered by ensuring their presence in the legislating process.

    The Speaker appreciated the opening of the daycare facility stating that the female parliamentarians would not have to leave their infants at home for attending assembly sessions or committees’ meetings.