Tag: Prime Minister Imran Khan

  • Modi cancels Turkey visit after President Erdogan supports Pakistan on Kashmir

    Modi cancels Turkey visit after President Erdogan supports Pakistan on Kashmir

    With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly raising Indian atrocities in Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and his country backing Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in Paris, India has decided to give the cold shoulder to its ties with Turkey.

    According to Khaleej Times, New Delhi has cancelled a two-day official visit to Ankara by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at the end of this month, which would have been his first stand-alone visit to the country.

    He was to have proceeded to Turkey from Saudi Arabia, where he is going on October 27-28 to attend a mega-investment summit.

    The decision to cancel the visit to Turkey marks a low in relations between New Delhi and Ankara, which have never been very warm. Trade and defence cooperation were among the issues that were to be on the table during Modi’s Ankara visit, which had been agreed to in principle.

    The Ministry of External Affairs was non-committal over the development. “The visit was never finalised so there is no question of cancellation,” reports an official as saying.

    Modi had last visited Turkey during the G20 in Antalya in 2015. He had held a bilateral with Erdogan in Osaka, on the sidelines of the G20 in June this year. The Turkish leader had paid a two-day visit to India in July 2018.

    However, Erdogan’s strong backing of Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and alleging widespread human rights violations by India during his speech at the UNGA last month has not gone down well with India.

    In his speech, Erdogan had raised the issue of UN resolutions on Kashmir and alleged that “eight million people are stuck” in Kashmir due to revocation of special status. He had criticised the international community for failing to pay attention to the Kashmir issue.

    At the end of September, at an event in Turkey to mark the building of a warship for Pakistan, Erdogan also said he would continue to flag the Kashmir issue on the world stage.

    India is known to have cancelled an order for two naval ships it had inked with Turkey, in retaliation of Erdogan’s Kashmir comments.

    At the FATF meeting too, Turkey and Malaysia, along with China, openly backed Pakistan last week, which was invaluable in getting Islamabad a lifeline of four months till February 2020 to “eliminate” money laundering and terrorist financing.

  • Azadi March: Govt’s move to seal twin cities to cost taxpayers over Rs3.3 million a day

    Azadi March: Govt’s move to seal twin cities to cost taxpayers over Rs3.3 million a day

    With the government planning to put in place hundreds of shipping containers to seal the twin cities and block the forthcoming long march of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), reports have revealed that the move will be costing taxpayers millions of rupees a day.

    JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced leading an anti-government long march to Islamabad via Rawalpindi with plans of a lockdown. While the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has invited opposition parties for a dialogue to call off the protest, it is also preparing for the worst.

    The capital will likely be sealed from October 31 onwards by either the police or the JUI-F as preparations on both sides for the Azadi March gain momentum. According to Dawn, the Islamabad police have demanded more than 550 shipping containers to intercept the march before it enters the city.

    The containers include 250 for City Zone and 100 each for Saddar, Industrial Area and Rural zones, while the logistics department of the police has ordered a vendor to arrange 450 containers.

    The Rawalpindi police, on the other hand, have prepared a contingency plan under which 120 freight containers will be used to seal the garrison city by blocking all roads leading to Islamabad.

    According to officials, each container being procured for both the cities, costs more than Rs5,000 a day to rent, which puts the total cost of 670 containers at Rs3.3 million (Rs3,350,000) a day.

  • Imran govt denies entry to Committee to Protect Journalists coordinator

    Imran govt denies entry to Committee to Protect Journalists coordinator

    Pakistan’s immigration authorities have barred entry of Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) Asia Programme Coordinator Steven Butler, saying that his name had been placed on a “stop list”.

    “Last night [Wednesday], Pakistani immigration authorities denied entry to CPJ Asia Programme Coordinator Steven Butler, citing a blacklist managed by the Ministry of Interior,” the CPJ said in a statement issued Thursday as journalists across the country accuse the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of placing bars on media.

    “A border officer at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore told Butler that his journalist visa was valid, but it was voided because his name was ‘on a stop list of the Interior Ministry’,” it quoted Butler as saying.

    According to the statement, Butler’s passport was “confiscated” by airport authorities and he was forced to board a flight bound for Doha. When he arrived in Doha, authorities there placed him on a flight to Washington, the statement read further.

    While on the flight, Butler told the CPJ that the flight crew had seized his passport and boarding pass and that he was in “a kind of restrictive custody”.

    “Pakistani authorities’ move to block Steven Butler from entering the country is baffling and is a slap in the face to those concerned about press freedom in the country,” the statement quoted CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon as saying.

    “Pakistani authorities should give a full explanation of their decision to bar Butler from entering and correct this error. If the government is interested in demonstrating its commitment to a free press, it should conduct a swift and transparent investigation into this case.”

    Butler had landed in Lahore to participate in the Asma Jahangir Conference — Roadmap for Human Rights in Pakistan, said the statement.

    BARS ON MEDIA:

    The development came two days after Geo News, one of Pakistan’s major news channels, took off the air a press conference of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman with its anchor explaining it was because the Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA) has banned a live telecast of the event.

    Veteran journalist and analyst Hamid Mir also tweeted on October 12 that PEMRA has “forced TV channels not to show” Fazl’s press conference. He said that the government was showing weakness by “imposing unannounced censorship” in Pakistan.

    The incident is not the first of its kind as channels have been barred from airing press conferences or interviews of opposition leaders especially ever since the Imran Khan-led PTI government rose to power.

    Asif Zardari, former Pakistani president, and Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of jailed former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, have faced similar restrictions.

    “The current wave of censorship is not very current,” journalist Munizae Jahangir was quoted as saying by SAMAA.

    “Unfortunately, this has been going on for a while,” Jahangir said. “I would even say that during the time of Nawaz Sharif it started even then.”

    When asked if the government was behind it, Jahangir said, “If the government is not behind this current wave of censorship, then why is it still happening? It should stop.”

    She pointed a finger at “undemocratic forces” for censorship in the media and added, “If you do have undemocratic forces influencing democracy, then you will see censorship in the media.”

  • ‘60% of recent railways appointments from minister, his nephew’s own constituencies’

    ‘60% of recent railways appointments from minister, his nephew’s own constituencies’

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued a stay order on 845 recent appointments in Pakis­tan Railways (PR) through “balloting” — a move that had earlier been challenged by PR Employees (PREM) Union, journalist Asad Malik tweeted Tuesday.

    According to Dawn, the PREM Union had last week pointed out that a majority of the newly appointed staff belonged to the two Rawalpindi constituencies of Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and his nephew Sheikh Rasheed Shafiq.

    Filing the petition before the Rawal­pindi bench of the LHC through its counsel Imran Shafique, the union had requested the court to set aside the inductions.

    PR authorities had advertised 322 posts of different categories in BS-1 to BS-5 in October 2018, according to the petition. Another advertisement was published only a month later, with the number of vacant positions being increased from 323 to 845, the court was informed.

    The petition said thousands of people had applied for the posts, but the appointments were made through balloting rather than on the basis of merit.

    “The candidates who secured highest marks in the skill/written test and proved their mettle in the interviews deserved to be appointed on the basis of open merit, but the railways authorities, while changing the criteria, placed all successful candidates in the same position and decided their fate on the basis of draws/balloting,” it added.

    Informing the court that more than half of the so-called successful candidates belonged to the constituency of the incumbent railways minister and his nephew, MNA Shafiq, the petition said it was unfortunate how “secret balloting was staged to select the blue-eyed ones”.

    The LHC was informed that 58 per cent seats were to be filled on the basis of open merit, 20 per cent quota was reserved for the children of railways employees, 10 per cent was reserved for ex-employees, 5 per cent for orphans and handicapped, and 2 per cent for disabled persons.

    However, the petition maintained, even those quotas were not taken into consideration during the induction through balloting.

    When approached, PR Chairperson Sikandar Sultan Raja told Dawn that the directions to fill the vacancies from BS-1 to BS-4 through balloting were issued by the federal government.

  • Prince William to honour Diana on Pakistan tour with a special visit

    Prince William to honour Diana on Pakistan tour with a special visit

    With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, arriving in Islamabad as part of their royal tour of Pakistan, the former will be honouring his late mother and Princess of Wales, Diana, with a special visit.

    The five-day visit to the country — which has been described by Kensington Palace as their “most complex” to date — will see William and Kate attend a series of engagements focusing on security and the effects of climate change beside education for girls and young women.

    According to reports, during the trip that will see the couple visit Islamabad, Lahore, the mountains in the north and regions bordering Afghanistan in the west, the Queen’s grandson will also seek to honour his late mother Princess Diana’s humanitarian work.

    In 1996 and 1997, shortly before she died in a fatal car accident, the princess visited the country to see her friend Jemima Goldsmith and then-husband Imran Khan, who is now the prime minister (PM).

    During the latter trip to Lahore, Diana had helped Imran with raising funds for his Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital.

    William is now due to meet the premier, who he has known since childhood, as well as President Dr Arif Alvi. It is also thought the Duke and Duchess, who have left their three children at home, will see sites visited by the Queen during tours in 1961 and 1997.

    “The duke and duchess will be covering a lot of ground and are keen to put Pakistan back on the map as a country that is now much safer than people expect it to be,” reports quoted a royal source as saying.

    Precise details of the trip — the first royal tour to the country in 13 years after Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall — haven’t been released for security reasons.

  • Fazl offered ‘tempting political package’ to call off Azadi March

    Fazl offered ‘tempting political package’ to call off Azadi March

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has rejected a “tempting political package” offered to call off his upcoming anti-government ‘Azadi March’, The Current learnt Saturday.

    The right-wing political party leader and a vocal critic of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, has announced taking to the roads of the capital on October 31 against the incumbent government’s “selection to power” after “fake election”.

    With the announcement stirring up the country’s dormant political scene overnight and forcing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to devise a counter-strategy against the challenge, sources have informed The Current of a covert offer recently made to Fazl.

    “Maulana [Fazl] was offered a tempting political package to call off his upcoming protest,” they said.

    Refusing to answer this scribe’s queries pertaining to the details of the offer, sources said that while some leaders had urged the JUI-F chief to consider it, others, including Fazl himself, were against striking any deals and his refusal had also led to “threats from certain quarters”.

    “But the threats didn’t deter him, in fact, he is more determined than ever. The main reason behind his determination remains the fact that the people trying to convince him have backstabbed him in the past.”

    “This is why Fazl has now told the people urging him to call off the march to fulfil their promises first,” sources added.

    To a question pertaining to the motive behind the offer, they said, “Maybe the ruling party fears that opposition will resort to actions similar to those carried out by its workers and leaders during its infamous 126-day siege led by Imran [Khan].”

    “But Maulana has clarified that it will be a peaceful campaign as he doesn’t want any clashes with state institutions.”

    Sources also quoted Fazl as saying that he was ready to join hands with any political leader except PM Imran. “Maulana told this to a close aide of the premier because he believes Imran has made their rivalry a personal one,” they said, adding that PTI government’s actions towards the JUI-F chief and his companions had also played a major role in it.

    ‘NO COMPROMISES NOW’:

    Speaking to The Current, Fazl’s brother and JUI-F Senator Attaur Rehman said that the party had given the federal government an August deadline to step down some three months back, but the warning wasn’t taken seriously.

    “Fazl had demanded Imran Khan to step down or be ready for a long march to Islamabad. Now we’re all set for it,” he said.

    Adding that he was not aware of any offers being made to his party chief, Rehman further said that the government had lost its chance to strike a deal. “We won’t make any compromises now.”

    AZADI MARCH:

    Voicing his concerns against the alleged rigging that marred the country’s last general election, Fazl has announced staging a sit-in at D-Chowk in the federal capital’s red zone — the same place where Imran had demonstrated for five months against then PM Nawaz Sharif in 2014.

    Fazl was earlier approached by leaders of the two major opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — and requested to postpone the lockdown plan and Azadi March till November, but he has made it clear that it was not his individual decision and he was obliged to stand by that of JUI-F’s Central Working Committee.

    The march — earlier scheduled for October 27 — will now be held three days later on October 31 as according to Fazl, his party would now join Kashmiris in observing the previously announced date as black day in protest against the Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

  • Azadi March: PML-N asks PTI govt to provide container, tents and biryani

    Azadi March: PML-N asks PTI govt to provide container, tents and biryani

    A lawmaker of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has submitted in the Punjab Assembly a resolution demanding a container, tents and biryani from the government for Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) forthcoming Azadi Marchi.

    “Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had promised giving opposition parties a container, tents and biryani for their sit-in after his election as the country’s chief executive,” PML-N’s Uzma Bukhari stated in the resolution submitted to the secretariat of the provincial house.

    Speaking to journalists earlier this year, the premier had said if the opposition wanted to stage a protest, his government was “ready to provide them a container at D-Chowk”.

    “We [the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] staged a sit-in for 126 days, let’s see for how many days can the opposition protest,” he had said, challenging his rivals to launch a movement.

    The resolution in the Punjab Assembly comes after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s announcement to set out on a long march against the government on October 31, which will culminate in the capital, where the party also plans to hold a sit-in.

    With Fazl repeatedly reminding the government of its promise to provide the protesters with said facilities, the resolution by the PML-N leader has also demanded the same.

  • PM Imran plans to hand over Pakistan Steel Mills to China

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has decided to hand over Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) to China for its revival through government to government deal, Geo News has reported.

    According to the details, PM is also exploring options to finance multi-billion-dollar railways Mainline (ML-1) during his upcoming visit to Beijing.

    PM will take up five issues during his visit, he will offer China to get Pakistan Steel Mills, finalise deal on modernisation of ML-1, financing of Bunji hydropower project, agriculture and social sectors-related projects in and outside the ambit of CPEC.

    Pakistan’s top leadership will give assurances to the Chinese side that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would not slow down, but its next phase would be pursued with zeal and vigour despite passing through under the IMF [International Monetary Fund] programme.

    PM Imran will leave for a three-day visit to China on Monday, where he would also discuss Kashmir dispute.

  • ‘Imran Bhai se rishta kya, La Ilaha Illallah’: Held Kashmir abuzz with pro-Imran chants

    ‘Imran Bhai se rishta kya, La Ilaha Illallah’: Held Kashmir abuzz with pro-Imran chants

    Kashmiris’ struggle for independence from the clutches of Indian occupying forces has been reinvigorated ever since Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, being their “ambassador to the world”, highlighted the crisis at the United Nations (UN).

    With his address to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) sweeping the troubled valley, an unprecedented wave of hope has compelled the people of the Muslim-majority region to leave their homes regardless of the restrictions imposed by India.

    According to media reports, within less than a week of PM Imran’s speech, Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) has witnessed over 50 street protests in different districts.

    As part of other protests being held since PM Imran kicked off his Kashmir campaign in the United States (US) last month, a report by BBC Urdu revealed, scores of Kashmiri protestors have taken to streets, raising slogans for freedom and demanding India to “Go back!”

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The streets of IoK are abuzz with chants of “We’re Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours!” and “What do we want? Freedom!” Among other popular slogans that hail PM Imran as a hero are, “Your brother and mine, Imran Khan!”, and “What’s our relation with Imran Khan? La Ilaha Illallah.”

    KASHMIR & IMRAN:

    The long-pending Kashmir dispute on August 5 worsened when PM Narendra Modi-led government abrogated Article 370 of the Indian constitution and robbed the region of its autonomy.

    With Pakistan fearing ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the valley as a result of the move, PM Imran announced becoming the “ambassador of the people of Kashmir to the world”.

    As part of his campaign, the premier has been highlighting Indian atrocities in IoK on different forums, including the UN.

    His entire US trip was dedicated to raising voice for innocent Kashmiris, while the highlight of his maiden UNGA address also remained intense criticism of India for the annexation of IoK and the restrictions imposed on the region under Modi’s rule.

  • PM Imran orders to launch “Mera Bacha Alert” mobile app

    PM Imran orders to launch “Mera Bacha Alert” mobile app

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has directed the concerned authorities to launch a new application called “Mera Bacha Alert” to effectively tackle the child abduction and missing cases in the country, Radio Pakistan has reported.

    According to the details, the application will be launched within two weeks and the details of the registration of data on this application will be immediately accessible to the Inspector Generals and other senior officers of the provinces.

    “Mera Bacha Alert” application will be connected with the Pakistan Citizen Portal to monitor the progress on any case.

    PM Imran apprised the cabinet meeting of the success achieved in the investigation of the cases regarding the immoral and unfortunate incidents faced by the children, which, he said, would help reach other culprits of such heinous acts.