Tag: Prime Minister Imran Khan

  • PIA incurring Rs6 billion loss per month, Air Marshal Arshad Malik tells PM Imran

    PIA incurring Rs6 billion loss per month, Air Marshal Arshad Malik tells PM Imran

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik has told Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan that in the prevailing situation, the national flag carrier is running into a loss of around Rs6 billion on a monthly basis.

    A sum of Rs24 billion was being spent yearly on the payment of salaries to its 14,500 employees alone, the PIA CEO briefed the premier, who was chairing a meeting on the reforms and restructuring of the national airline.

    The CEO also apprised the PM about the progress on the investigation into the Karachi plane crash, handing over of bodies to their bereaved families and payment of compensation amount to the heirs of plane crash victims, the PM Office Media Wing in a press release said.

    The meeting was attended by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Shibli Faraz, Advisor to PM on Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, Special Assistant Lt Gen (r) Asim Salim Bajwa and other senior officials.

    During the meeting, a timeline for the restructuring of the PIA and a comprehensive roadmap over reforms and implementation was also submitted before the prime minister.

    Addressing the meeting, the PM said due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s economy was facing difficulties, adding that people had to bear the burden of billions of rupees losses on a monthly basis suffered by the state-owned entities.

    He said under the current situation, it was imperative to expedite restructuring and reforms process in the PIA, which had been running into billions of rupees loss owing to Covid-19.

    PM Imran stressed upon bringing down expenditures of the organisation, focusing on increase in its income and financial resources and upgradation of its fleet.

    He also directed that special attention should be paid so that the PIA-owned domestic and foreign assets, which could be utilised through a completely transparent and clear manner. The assets should create financial resources for the organisation instead of becoming a burden on the general public, he observed.

    Arshad Malik on the occasion also gave a detailed briefing on the restructuring, improvement in the financial discipline, better and effective utilisation of the PIA’s assets, and strategy over other related issues.

    He said due to the prevailing situation, the airlines industry throughout the world had been affected and reforms in that regard, were carried out in the organisation.

  • Imran govt for tightening of noose around necks of ‘sugar daddies’

    Imran govt for tightening of noose around necks of ‘sugar daddies’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s aide on accountability Shahzad Akbar has unveiled a comprehensive action plan outlined by the government to take to task the “sugar daddies” identified by the sugar inquiry commission as well as for an overall overhauling of the regulatory framework which had all the while “been in cahoots with the sugar mills”, Geo reported.

    “Imran Khan was given a mandate for accountability in 2018. His 22-year political struggle has been for the same. For accountability of the powerful and influential. This was a big test for that mandate,” said Akbar, during a press conference in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Shibli Faraz.

    Referring to the all parties conference called by the PPP in Punjab, Akbar went on to say, “This is not an all parties conference, it is an all sugar daddies conference.”

    Akbar said that no matter how powerful a person is, no matter the party they belong to, or however wealthy, “no exceptions can be made” for anyone, and this was the line of inquiry followed by the probe commission.

    “Transparency is of utmost importance when it comes to accountability. Before we take action over whatever matter is being pursued, it must be put before the people. That is why the report was made public,” said the premier’s aide.

    He said the public, farmers, as well as industrial experts had been consulted over an “action matrix” that was developed.

    Akbar said that the PM had approved three sets of actions during a meeting in Bani Gala earlier in the day, which he then proceeded to delineate.

    These actions form the first set of actions approved by the premier and consist of the punishments to be given as well as the recovery mechanism to be enacted.

    Within the broad category, seven major actions, including investigation of subsidy scandal, investigation of income and sales tax fraud, evasion and benami transactions, investigation of cartelisation, inquiry and investigation of export proceeds, loan defaults, write-offs and sale of pledged stocks, investigation of corporate fraud, investigation of potentially fake exports to Afghanistan and money laundering, and breach of provincial laws, were recommended.

  • From misinformation to targetting opponents: Uncanny similarities between Imran and Trump’s coronavirus statements

    From misinformation to targetting opponents: Uncanny similarities between Imran and Trump’s coronavirus statements

    As the global coronavirus pandemic continues to take toll across the globe, a video highlighting the uncanny similarities between statements by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and United States (US) President Donald Trump — two leaders accused of “failing to deal with the outbreak” — regarding the novel virus, has gone viral over the internet.

    From spreading misinformation regarding the virus to saying things like “summers can heat kill coronavirus”, “there are no local cases”, “political opponents know nothing”, “our country is safer than others” and urging people “not to worry”, the video highlighting the similarities between the two leaders’ coronavirus statements has left many wondering “if they only translate each other’s statements”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    This isn’t the first time that the two global leaders have been trolled for being similar.

    Soon after the 2018 general election, US-based South African comedian Trevor Noah had branded Imran and Trump as ‘twins’, stressing that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief’s background story was “unnervingly similar” to that of Trump’s, wherein the two belonged to privileged families and were known for their good looks.

    Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” famed television host, who is known for never shying away from calling out world politics and the hypocrisy that it brings along, in an episode, had called Imran an “even more tan version of Trump”.

    The 34-year-old comedian had said that media also portrayed Imran and Trump similarly. A clip from the show featured a political commentator stating that Imran seemed to contradict himself during speeches just like the US president had also often been accused of.

    Among other things, Noah had also pointed out the similarities between Imran and Trunp’s speeches.

  • ‘Asad Umar will always stand with you’: Old video comes back to bite as PTI fires 9,350 Pakistan Steel Mills employees

    ‘Asad Umar will always stand with you’: Old video comes back to bite as PTI fires 9,350 Pakistan Steel Mills employees

    With the government approving retrenchment of all 9,350 remaining employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) with a one-time severance cost of about Rs20 billion, an old video of now Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has come back to haunt the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Wednesday approved firing all employees of the PSM, reasoning that the mills haven’t been functioning for years and the employees haven’t been doing anything.

    There are 9,150 employees who will be fired within a month and another 250 will be let go within three months. The ECC meeting, chaired by Prime Minister’s (PM) Adviser of Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, also approved a Rs20 billion package for the employees, which amounts to Rs2.3 million per person.

    As the decision made headlines, mixed reactions were drawn. While some lauded the government’s ‘full and final’ human resource rationalisation plan for the PSM employees in accordance with the judgments and observations of the Supreme Court (SC), others criticised the same for leaving thousands unemployed.

    Amid war of words on social and mainstream media, an old video of then opposition member Asad Umar resurfaced, wherein he was seen garnering the support of PSM employees by vowing to stand by them if the PTI is elected to power. The undated video is said to be from the tenure of former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), during which PSM was shut down after becoming a burden on the national exchequer under the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tZf62l5Vms

    “Record this so that you can embarrass me by showing me this video if I backtrack on my promise. If PTI comes to power and PSM employees are deprived of their rights, I won’t be standing with the PTI government, but will be supporting PSM employees instead,” Asad can be heard as saying in the video that is doing rounds over the internet as netizens troll him for “taking a U-turn”.

    Meanwhile, opposition parties are also criticising the government for its decision.

    Though the mills have been closed for years, they are running a Rs550 billion deficit and billions are being spent on debt servicing. However, the move will not be finalised until it is approved by the federal cabinet.

    Reports said that PSM stopped its commercial operations in June 2015 without formulating any human resource plan for its 14,753 employees, now reduced to 9,350. Presently, the per month net salary bill of PSM employees is approximately Rs350 million, adjusted as a loan in the financial accounts of PSM. Since 2013, an aggregate loan of Rs34 billion has been extended to PSM by the government on account of net salary payment.

  • Record 3,938 COVID-19 cases with 78 deaths in 24 hours in Pakistan

    Pakistan from Monday to Tuesday reported a record number of 3,938 new coronavirus cases with 78 deaths within 24 hours.

    The latest surge in cases took the nationwide tally of reported cases to 78,128 while the death toll crossed the 1,600 mark. According to statistics provided by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has broken its previous record number of 3,039 new COVID-19 cases reported over 24 hours on May 31.

    Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan reported its most number of deaths during 24 hours with 88 new fatalities, however, given the swelling number of coronavirus cases, doctors and health experts have warned that the number of cases will continue to rise unless a strict lockdown is not imposed.

    Sindh and Islamabad also recorded the highest number of cases reported over 24 hours with 1,402 and 304, respectively, on June 1. However, Punjab reported the most number of deaths and new cases reported over 24 hours with 1,610 cases and 43 new fatalities due to the COVID-19.

    On Monday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, in a live televised address, had apprised the nation on the decisions made regarding the lockdown in Pakistan to contain the novel coronavirus during the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting.

    “Since day one when we got to know that the coronavirus had started spreading in Pakistan, we imposed a lockdown following a national security committee meeting,” he had said.

    “We observed the conditions in the Chinese city of Wuhan and in Europe when the virus started spreading and we were seeing how the world was responding. But at that time, when we had discussions and meetings, I was very clear on the path Pakistan had to take.

    “Pakistan’s situation is different than that in China or Europe,” he had said, noting that he had earlier informed the nation that 25% of the country’s population was below the poverty line, which “means that nearly 50 million people in our country do not eat two full meals a day”.

    PM Imran had said doctors, elite, and the poor all had diverse opinions but it was the downtrodden ones of the society who did not have a voice.

    “But in hindsight, I should not have stopped businesses and construction because we had to balance it. Coronavirus is not going away until a vaccine is not formulated. We have to live with it,” he had noted.

  • Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Following the landmark judgement which directed the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad to shift all animals, including Kaavan the elephant to wildlife sanctuaries, American pop singer Cher took to social media to thank Prime Minister Imran Khan for “making her dream come true”. Cher added that she was always a big fan of PM Khan since his cricketing days.

    In a series of tweets, the singer not only thanked PM Khan but also various ministers for their efforts.

    Late last month, the Islamabad High Court, had ordered wildlife officials to consult with Sri Lanka to find Kaavan a “suitable sanctuary” within 30 days.

    Kaavan, an Asian elephant from Sri Lanka, has spent nearly three decades in a small cage in the zoo. His treatment and condition sparked international outrage several years ago and caught the attention of Cher, who then propagated for his release. The elephant’s behaviour, including bobbing his head repeatedly, demonstrated “a kind of mental illness” and wildlife experts were of the opinion that he was depressed.

    It is pertinent to add here that PM Khan had also raised his voice for Kaavan back in 2015 and had said that the animal belonged in “a proper sanctuary, not ill-equipped Islamabad Zoo”.

  • Cops in KP to be called ‘Sheru’, which is also the name of PM Imran’s dog

    Cops in KP to be called ‘Sheru’, which is also the name of PM Imran’s dog

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Bahramand Tangi has objected to the provincial authorities’ decision to not call personnel of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police by informal names, highlighting that one of the names approved for the cops is that of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s pet dog.

    According to media reports and a written order issued by KP Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Headquarters, a copy of which is available with The Current, no informal names such as “mama ji”, “khan ji” and “pehlwana” will be used for the police, which “undermine the sacrifices rendered by the force”.

    Instead, the personnel will only be addressed by their own names or by approved nicknames that are “jawaan“, “sheru” and “sahib“.

    With the order making headlines, it drew a strong reaction from the PPP leader who said that “Sheru [tiger]” was the name of one of PM Imran’s dogs.

    “This is unethical,” he said in a statement, adding that the personnel of KP police weren’t employees of Bani Gala.

    IMRAN & HIS SHERU:

    The premier has had a total of five pet dogs, all of which have been a focus of interest in several media reports.

    In 2011, former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf gifted a puppy to Imran before the former’s self-imposed exile. The puppy was born at Musharraf’s farmhouse, and according to the premier’s former wife Reham Khan, his name was Sheru, who was an Alsatian.

    In September 2014, Imran in a television talk show revealed that Sheru had died three months earlier. However, in April 2018, reports and social media rumours emerged that he had removed Sheru from his Bani Gala residence on the advice of his third and current wife Bushra Bibi.

    According to local media, a new quarter was then built for the dog outside the main residence building, as his wife was not comfortable with pet animals inside the house.

    However, the premier, during a press conference had later denied the media reports, saying that Sheru died three to four years ago.

  • Law minister resigns again; this time to represent govt in Faez Isa case

    Law minister resigns again; this time to represent govt in Faez Isa case

    Federal Minister for Law and Justice Dr Farogh Naseem resigned on Monday to represent the government in the Supreme Court (SC) in the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    This is the second time that Naseem, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) stalwart, has resigned from his post. Previously, he had resigned in November last year to represent Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa before the apex court in the case pertaining to the extension in his tenure as the army chief.

    Confirming the news of his resignation, Naseem said, “I will ensure that the respect and dignity of judges is maintained. I have no personal agenda. I have the greatest respect for the Bar.”

    READ: ‘Farrogh Naseem can go to jail for representing Gen Bajwa with a suspended licence,’ PBC says

    Last year in September, Justice Isa filed a fresh application requesting the SC to form a full-court bench comprising all eligible judges to hear his petition against the presidential reference filed over non-disclosure of assets in his wealth statement.

    Justice Isa had requested that the case be heard by a full court bench comprising all eligible judges of this court since the matter pertained to reference against an SC judge and as per precedent of this court in the case of ex-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Chaudhry versus president of Pakistan, PLD 2010 Supreme Court.

    Justice Isa had said matters narrated in accompanying civil miscellaneous application dated August 26 – “which may for the sake of brevity be read as a part hereof” – demonstrates the necessity for hearing by such full court bench.

    “The petition also raises a number of important constitutional questions, including that of the independence of the judiciary, formation of an independent opinion by the president, obtaining federal cabinet’s approval and other vital issues of surveillance, and the manner and method of collecting evidence against a judge of the Supreme Court and his family,” he had said in his application.

    READ: New top lawyer excuses himself from fighting Justice Faez Isa case for PTI govt

    On Friday, Justice Isa questioned the eligibility of Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Shahzad Akbar’s appointment as the head of the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) and for public office.

    A 10-member judge bench, led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, will resume hearing the case on June 2, which was earlier scheduled to be taken up on March 30. The apex court had postponed the hearing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    On the last hearing on February 24, the federal government had sought a three weeks’ adjournment in the case.

  • Coldplay lauds Pakistan’s initiative to give tree-planting jobs to unemployed workers

    Coldplay lauds Pakistan’s initiative to give tree-planting jobs to unemployed workers

    Pakistan’s initiative to help daily-wage workers who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 lockdown by giving them jobs planting trees has caught the attention of British rock band Coldplay who has remarked that the idea is “amazing”. The tweet has been marked CM which stands for Chris Martin.

    The program which was set in motion after Pakistan went into lockdown in late March has been hailed across the world. Under the initiative, unemployed day labourers have been given new jobs as “jungle workers”, planting saplings as part of the country’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme.

    Read more – Naya Pakistan: Govt starts paying unemployed people to plant trees

    According to the World Economic Forum, such “green stimulus” efforts are an example of how funds that aim to help families and keep the economy running during pandemic shutdowns could also help nations prepare for the next big threat: climate change.

    The ambitious five-year tree-planting programme, which Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan launched in 2018, aims to counter the rising temperatures, flooding, droughts and other extreme weather conditions in the country that scientists link to climate change.

    Meanwhile, Federal Minister and Adviser to PM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s official Twitter handle thanked Coldplay for acknowledging the government’s efforts and invited them to visit Pakistan once the pandemic is over.

  • Pakistan deploys militant-tracking technology to trace coronavirus patients

    Pakistan deploys militant-tracking technology to trace coronavirus patients

    Pakistani intelligence service is deploying surveillance technology to track suspected and confirmed patients of coronavirus, which is usually used to locate high-value militants.

    The development came after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announced seeking assistance from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for tackling the virus.

    Details of the project have not yet been made public but two officials told AFP that the spy agency was using geo-fencing and phone-monitoring systems for monitoring.

    Geo-fencing, a strategic tracking system alerts authorities when a suspect leaves a specific geographic area. This tool is also helping officials to monitor neighbourhoods during the lockdown.

    Authorities are also tapping phone calls of COVID-19 patients to check, whether their contacts are talking about having symptoms.

    Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a senior security official said that the trace-and-track system helped authorities track the mobile phones of coronavirus patients as well as anyone they get in touch with before or after their disappearance.

    “The government has been successful in tracing even those who tested positive but went into hiding,” added the official.

    “It was originally used against terrorism, but now they can be used effectively to trace-and-track corona patients,” they maintained.

    Rights groups, on the other hand, are concerned that institutions with such power can abuse their sweeping surveillance to curb political dissidents.

    Countries across the world have employed track-and-trace methods to control the virus spread, raising privacy concerns.

    More than 61,000 people in Pakistan have tested positive and more than 1,200 patients have died.