At a time when cracks continue to appear between the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said his party’s experience in government with that of former president Asif Ali Zardari, was good.
“The prime minister (PM) doubts his allies. He doesn’t verify what he’s told. We negotiated with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and got his sit-in in Islamabad wrapped up, but instead of appreciation, we were doubted,” he was quoted as saying.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Elahi also reportedly said that his party’s experience of forming a coalition government with Zardari of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was a pleasant one.
“Advised [Punjab Chief Minister] Usman Buzdar to not reshuffle officers in the province, and also suggested him to not block the supply of wheat from Sindh, but my suggestions were not considered by the Buzdar administration,” the Punjab Assembly speaker added.
He also said that the provincial chief executive of Punjab could somewhat be held responsible for the poor administrative affairs.
Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir, who is known for making statements that leave people in fits, has showered praise on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for having a charismatic personality and killer smile.
“If we talk about the body language of PM Imran Khan, I think he is the finest charismatic man,” she can be heard as saying a video doing rounds over the internet.
“The manner in which the premier walks, which can be seen in various videos, he comes with so much confidence and authority, which removes all doubts from our minds amid crises,” she adds.
WATCH VIDEO:
PM Imran Khan has a killer smile … videos have been made showing his body language … when he walks into a crisis … such charisma of his personality … whatever doubts we have go away: Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir pic.twitter.com/YXcfLCovaS
This is not the first time the minister has expressed how starstruck does the premier leave her.
Believe it or not, she had once said that the reason Pakistan was getting an abundance of rain and snowfall was because an honest man like Imran Khan was the country’s PM.
A satirical headline from five years ago has come true as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has told members of his government to “quit following news in order to fix things”, author of the satirical tweet pointed out on Friday.
“To avoid getting depressed, [party] workers should shut their cameras, stay away from television screens, turn their mobile phones off and go to sleep after popping some pills,” Broken News — a “parody news channel” — had quoted then opposition member Imran as saying in 2015.
کارکن ڈیپریشن سے بچنے کے لیےابھی سے کیمرے بند کر دیں ٹی وی سکرینوں سے دور ہو جائیں موبائل آف کردیں اور نیند کی گولیاں کھا کر سو جائیں ،عمران
While it was nothing but a satirical headline back then, the same statement, five years later, has made its way to newspapers after the premier actually said something quite similar.
Speaking at a breakfast session aimed at showcasing his vision for Pakistan and its economic potential before the global business leaders as well as overseas Pakistanis in Davos, PM Imran said he had stopped reading morning newspapers and watching evening talk-shows due to extreme negativity targeted at him in the media.
WATCH VIDEO:
“I’m trying to make my team understand this. The problem is that they watch the chat shows and they come… sitting there shell-shocked in cabinet meetings,” said the premier, who was in the Swiss town to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The similarity was pointed out by the author of the satirical tweet:
After four years this Tweet has been published in leading newspapers today, https://t.co/eqcyiHWjda
Meanwhile, PM Imran has returned to the country from Davos where he attended different ceremonies and met key world leaders, including United States (US) President Donald Trump.
Training guns at Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan has questioned the former’s own performance in response to his criticism aimed at Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar.
According to Geo, Fayaz has accused Fawad of trying to remain relevant with his stunts and said he had “crossed all limits” when it came to violating the party’s discipline.
“You should think about how to benefit the ship that you’re on,” said Chohan. “It is not his [Fawad] prerogative to give opinions on whether CM Buzdar should stay or go,” he said when asked to comment on Fawad’s statements, while speaking to a private media outlet.
The provincial minister said only Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had the prerogative to decide whether Buzdar should remain as Punjab’s chief executive or not and added that the premier, the entire cabinet and treasury benches were satisfied with Buzdar’s performance “100 per cent”.
“I can give him befitting, beautiful replies in my style,” said Chohan. “However, I am bound by my disciplined attitude not to do so. I would request him that excess of everything is bad.”
The information minister expressed disappointment that Fawad had still not learned how to talk about people from his party or government, adding that he was like a brother to him. “However, this has been his problem and he will never change.”
“It is his habit to try to become a hero. He tries to issue a statement every month or so to become a hero in front of the media,” he added.
Chohan advised Fawad to play his part as the federal minister of science and technology to ensure Pakistan became a force to be reckoned with in space. “I request you to prepare a Ghauri II or a Ghauri III for space. Leave the clerics and Usman Buzdar alone,” he added.
A woman has accused CNBC journalist Hadley Gamble, who interviewed Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, of wearing a short dress “to seduce” the Pakistani premier.
“Could her dress have been any shorter? In Davos no less where it’s -6 degrees. Is she interviewing him or trying to seduce him? [sic]” Doreen Kiani tweeted along with a clip of PM Imran’s interview to the American media outlet.
Earlier, PM Imran roundly rejected the notion being projected by US officials that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was some sort of a debt trap for Pakistan.
Speaking to Gamble during the interview, he said Pakistan was grateful to China as it had helped the country in difficult times by making investments. “We were at rock bottom when the Chinese [government] came and rescued us,” the PM said.
Responding to a question, the premier rejected the impression that CPEC had made Pakistan ‘indebted’ to China and pointed out that Chinese loans accounted for only 5-6 per cent of Pakistan’s total loan portfolio.
“CPEC envisages cooperation in different sectors, including technology transfer in the agriculture sector,” he said.
The premier also spoke of the Kashmir issue, his meeting with United States (US) President Donald Trump, Pak-US ties and tensions that continue to soar between Washington and Tehran.
Transparency International (TI) — a Berlin-based international non-governmental organisation combating global corruption — on Thursday released a new report, according to which, the country under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has witnessed more corruption in 2019 than it did in the outgoing year of the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
According to TI’s global report on the 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), while Pakistan’s ranking dropped from 117 to 120 in 2019, the CPI score also dropped from 33 to 32.
Here’s what Twitterati have to say about the report that was to determine if corruption in the country under the PTI government has decreased as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s promised accountability drive continues against opposition lawmakers and government officials.
So this happened… According to Transparency International’s global Corruption Perception Index, Naya Pakistan actually got *worse* than Purana Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/NKZ6w0qFZK
BREAKING: Transparency International, Berlin’s global report 2019 released. Shows Pakistan more corrupt than before. As against 2018 Pak’s ranking dropped from 117 to 120 in 2019. CPI score also dropped from 33 to 32. Since 2010, this is 4 the 1st time Pak did worse than before.
Despite rhetoric, both Score and Ranking of Pakistan on TI Corruption Perception has taken a hit during 2019. Score decreased from 33 to 32 and ranking further plummeted from 117 to 120. https://t.co/2p0rOTPis8
— احمد بلال محبوبAhmedBilalMehboob (@ABMPildat) January 23, 2020
Transparency International releases rankings – Pakistan’s rank falls – more corrupt than before https://t.co/ZnhmCPgryE
Pakistan witnessed slight improvement in the 2018 CPI, scoring a point higher than in 2017 but remaining unchanged in the rankings.
According to Geo, the country scored 33 out of 100 on the index — one point better than its score of 32 in the previous year. Its ranking, however, remained unchanged at 117 out of 180 countries, same as 2017.
TI’s annual report on CPI is formulated on the basis of input from 13 international agencies. In the case of Pakistan, however, the assessment of eight agencies is taken into account. These include the World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey; the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment; the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index; the Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index; the Economist Intelligence Unit Country Risk Service; the Global Insight Country Risk Ratings; the IMD World Competitiveness Center World Competitiveness Yearbook Executive Opinion Survey; and the Varieties of Democracy project’s findings.
Pakistan in the last 10 years (since 2010) has improved its index score from 23 in 2010 to 33 in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, Pakistan maintained the same score, 32, which in 2018 increased to 33. However, never in these last ten years has Pakistan been assessed to have performed negatively as compared to the previous year.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has accused Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah of “murdering at least 18 people” and called him a “criminal out of the gutter”.
The remarks were made by the premier as he last week addressed YouTubers from across the country at an event called “Digital Pakistan”. It was the first in series of interactive sessions to be held between government officials and digital publishers as well as content creators to work on developing a positive image of the country.
“Our fight is against people like Rana Sanaullah, who is a criminal from the gutter. People from his own party say he has killed 18 people, which too is debatable… he must’ve murdered more [people] than that,” PM Imran said as he spoke of social media’s role in today’s politics.
WATCH VIDEO:
Earlier, he said that PML-N trolls had left no stone unturned in slandering Bushra Bibi even though she had nothing to do with politics. “Maryam Nawaz, on the other hand, runs a social media cell of her own. But we never did any such thing against [the late] Kusloom Nawaz.”
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has been accused of getting removed at least two top-tier civil servants, including Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Saifullah Dogar, in a bid “to assist his brother grab land” in Mandra town ofthe district’s Gujjar Khan tehsil.
According to sources, the tussle began when British-Pakistani Jawad Sohrab Malik, who is the nephew of Federal Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Mian Soomro, accused Murad Akbar, the brother of PM Imran Khan’s aide, of attempting to illegally occupy his land in the town near the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.
They said Malik’s late grandfather had purchased over 10 kanals of land in the town back in 1986 and built on it a flour mill a year later, which still stands there. “A watchman was also hired to look after the said piece of land as its succession to the heirs has not yet been made and it is still in the name of Malik’s deceased grandfather.”
‘MURAD AKBAR WANTS TO GRAB LAND’:
Sources close to the lawmaker’s nephew told The Current that his supervisor on January 14 called Malik to inform him that six or seven people had arrived at the site claiming they had purchased two kanals of it. “Malik told him [the watchman] to approach the police and file a complaint against the intruders’ attempt to forcibly take possession of his land,” sources said, adding that the unidentified persons fled as soon as they saw police reaching the scene.
A report quoted Malik as saying that three days after the incident, nearly 50 people sent by Murad arrived at the venue with bricks and other construction material. Once again the supervisor called him to inform what was going on. “A senior police officer and assistant commissioner of Gujjar Khan also arrived at the site uninvited to ensure these people take the possession of the land,” he said.
Malik said a case was filed by Murad in a civil court in 2015, claiming the ownership of two kanals of land, and got a favourable decision ex-parte in 2018. “The deceased grandfather was made the respondent and notices were deliberately sent to wrong addresses so that the one-sided proceedings are held.”
He further said he was scared that by using government machinery, Murad would take possession of the land by force, leaving him in the lurch. “To avoid this, I got stay orders from a civil court and the ADCR.”
Sources claimed that as the tussle continued, Additional District Collector Revenue (ADCR) Rizwan Qadeer also reported that Murad’s ownership was forged and the transfer of land was fake, allegedly upsetting Imran’s aide Shahzad. The report was approved by the DC, following which the Rawalpindi police chief was ordered to use force to ensure transfer of the two kanals of land to Murad.
“The cop, however, refused to intervene saying that it was a civil matter and police couldn’t interfere,” sources said, adding that in the meantime, DC Dogar was reprimanded by powerful circles and transferred along with the ADCR in what was “ironic misuse of authority” by the premier’s aide on accountability.
OTHER SIDE OF STORY:
A friend of Shahzad Akbar, who presented the SAPM’s version but clarified he “wasn’t his spokesperson”, told The Current that the cabinet member had been stopped to issue any statement over the episode by the premier himself.
He asserted that succession of the land had not been carried out because of the disputes within the Malik family, and shared documents and footage to support his claims.
According to documents provided by Akbar’s friend, Murad had bought 17 marlas of land in Moaza Bucha of Gujjar Khan’s Khasra # 473 on main GT Road in April 2005. He later also purchased another 23 marlas of land from the same khasra on June 9, 2008, the documents claimed.
In 2009, he gave an application to the revenue office of Gujjar Khan for partition and possession of his land, he claimed. “After 10 years of hectic litigation, in April 2018 the Gujjar Khan revenue office finalised the partition suit and divided Khasra # 473 into two, making Murad exclusive owner of Khasra 473/1 measuring 40 Marlas,” as per the documents.
After giving him possession, the revenue office also sectioned partition mutation number 2849 dated May 31, 2018 declaring exclusive and legal owner and possessor of Khasra number 473/1. Murad got demarcated the dimensions of his land on Jan 13, 2020 before starting construction and consigned demarcation report in Tehsil Office, Gujjar Khan, they claimed.
The source claimed Malik visited the Gujjar Khan Revenue Office on January 13-16 escorted by police officials deputed for squad duty of Soomro.
On January 17, when labourers were working on Murad’s alleged land to construct boundary wall, the minister’s official escort number GAE 538 with uniformed police officials reached the spot.
A private Vigo UC-1-ICT, allegedly registered in the name of Malik, with armed guards reached the scene and threatened labourers of consequences and asked them to stop the work.
Murad claimed that Somroo called Mandra station house officer (SHO) and ordered him to intervene. The Gujjar Khan Revenue Department after examining the documents of both sides decided that Murad, being “legal owner”, is within his right to build the wall.
Somroo and Shahzad Akbar have reportedly spoken to each other about the dispute, but wide differences exist as both fully support the claims of their relatives and are unwilling to budge from their respective stands. Both the leaders were contacted for a comment, however, they were unavailable.
Malik, however, denied the claims made by the aide of Akbar, saying his family was the rightful owner of the property. He also claimed that he was not present at the scene when the incident took place.
OFFICERS BEAR THE BRUNT:
Meanwhile, an official notification, a copy of which is available with The Current, showed that two civil servants who have been removed from office include Rawalpindi DC Saifullah Khan Dogar and ADCR Rizwan Qadeer.
Sources said the two officials, who were also allegedly reprimanded by Shahzad, were let go due to alleged misuse of authority owing to the high-level power struggle between the two top members of the federal cabinet.
Saifullah was transferred on January 20 and replaced with Capt (r) Muhammad Anwar-ul-Haq, while Rizwan Qadeer was transferred two days earlier. An assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Gujjar Khan has also been transferred reportedly due to the dispute.
Shahzad Akbar’s friend, however, says that the removal was merely a co-incidence. He also hinted at another case pertaining to a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator, being the reason behind the transfer of the Rawalpindi DC.
None of the said officers were available for a comment.
In what appears to prove the rumoured rift between certain leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has called out Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan for her “illiterate” remarks regarding Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar.
The SAPM had said that those criticising CM Buzdar were criticising Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and it would be “the premier’s failure if the provincial chief executive of Punjab failed”.
“Why?” Fawad said while quoting Awan on a private media outlet’s talkshow Monday night. “I’d say it is an illiterate comment,” he said, to which the anchor asked if the minister was sure about what he was saying regarding a colleague.
“Whoever says such a thing… it’d be a dumb thing to say,” Fawad maintained, adding that Buzdar was to held accountable for his performance and PM Imran for his own.
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To this, the anchor said that the premier was accountable for both his performance and that of CM Buzdar.
Continuing to train guns at the Punjab CM, Fawad urged Buzdar to step aside, and said the federal government could not deliver effectively without the support of the provinces.
Raising questions over the performance of the Punjab government, the minister said that they had made promises with the people of change and accountability and good governance ahead of general election, but unfortunately nothing had changed in Punjab.
He maintained that around 62 per cent of the total budget went to provinces but they were not delivering appropriately. Fawad added that the federal government was doing whatever it could for the masses.
As the price of wheat (atta and flour) reaches Rs75 per kilogram (kg) — the highest price recorded in Pakistan’s history — amid shortage, we have to ask: what is this crisis and what led to it?
The crisis is huge because it hits a daily essential. Roti, bread, naans and puris, you name it, everything with any bit of flour or wheat in it is going to be affected, and prices are rising.
What happened? A country that is rich in wheat production, exports millions of tonnes of wheat itself is now in a massive wheat shortage?
It all started from projection vs. reality.
Projection this year did not meet reality and was less than the previous three years
It all started from the government projecting that the wheat production of 2018-2019 would be 25.2 million tonnes, which would be sufficient for the year. Pakistan also exports wheat and because the projected wheat crop was high, the country exported, 640,000 tonnes. Pakistan was supposed to export between 200,000 to 400,000 tonnes.
The crisis began when Pakistan did not meet its projected figure. It produced 24.7 million tonnes due to bad management, poor coordination and the weather.
So now all provinces are racing to save their stock. Punjab has imposed a ban on moving wheat to other provinces and reportedly, people who want to profit from the shortage, are hoarding the wheat to sell at a later stage when prices increase.
The federal government is blaming the provinces for the shortage, primarily the Sindh government (Sindh is also the only province which is not under PTI rule) saying that the Sindh government bought a lot of wheat at the wrong time. The Sindh government is saying that Imran Khan is responsible because he allowed the extra wheat to be exported.
Prices of 10KG of atta in four cities
The next few months are going to be crucial for wheat. The price of wheat used to be around Rs45-50 per kg and is now Rs75. The government is now having to import wheat from other countries to make up for the shortage, and Twitter is not happy about it.
If the figures coming out are correct, Pak officially exported 500,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan. Another 140,000 tonnes were smuggled out even after a belated ban. Then according to some, 800,000 tonnes were diverted to chickenfeed. Now Pak importing 300,000 tonnes. ♂️
