Tag: Prime Minister Imran Khan

  • $60,000 to be spent on PM Imran’s US visit unlike Nawaz’s $460,000

    $60,000 to be spent on PM Imran’s US visit unlike Nawaz’s $460,000

    Members of the federal cabinet have been informed that around $60,000 will be spent on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s forthcoming visit of to the United States (US), unlike ex-PM Nawaz Sharif’s $460,000.

    As per the details, PM Imran on Tuesday chaired a meeting of his cabinet wherein the members were informed about the $400,000 cut.

    They were also provided details of over Rs27 billion expenditure incurred on security, camp offices and foreign visits of former presidents Asif Ali Zardari and Mamnoon Hussain, former PMs Nawaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf besides ex-Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    Addressing a post-meeting press conference, Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed said that more than Rs4.3 billion had been spent on security, camp offices and travels of Nawaz, Rs3.16 billion on Zardari, Rs8.72 billion on Shehbaz, Rs350 million on Abbasi, Rs245 million on Gilani, Rs32 million on Ashraf and Rs300 million on Mamnoon back when they were in power.

    He added that an amount of Rs8.3 billion was spent on the security of the Sharif family members within the past 10 years, while over Rs2 billion was spent on renovation and other expenditures of the Sharif family’s Raiwind residence, Jati Umra.

  • Old tweet comes back to bite PM Imran’s govt

    Old tweet comes back to bite PM Imran’s govt

    With the tragic train accident in Sadiqabad claiming over 20
    lives, an old tweet of the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has come
    back to haunt the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government.

    At least 24 people were killed and over 100 injured when the Akbar Bugti Express travelling from Lahore to Quetta on Thursday collided with a stationary freight train at the Walhar Railway Station.

    It wasn’t later that opposition leaders stepped up to seek Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed’s resignation.

    Blaming human negligence for the accident, Rasheed rubbished the opposition’s demands. “I will step down if [PM] Imran Khan asks me to do so,” a private media outlet quoted the minister as saying.

    However, soon after the opposition parties’ demand made headlines, an old PTI tweet quoting its chief started doing rounds on social media.

    “All over the world, just on an incident of railway accidents, minister resigns. This is real democracy, says Imran Khan [sic],” the tweet from August 2014 stated. It had come as Imran demanded Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and then railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique’s resignation.

    This isn’t the first time an old tweet has come back to bite the PTI government.

    As PM Imran reached China amid Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) nationwide protests last year, a 2012 tweet of his, went viral. In the tweet, he had criticised the then premier for traveling abroad as the country “burned”.

    It was aimed at criticising former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who had traveled to China for the Boao Forum while violence linked to sectarian, ethnic and political tensions continued in different parts of the country.

  • Army helicopter reaches Golain Glaciers to rescue PM Imran’s sister

    Army helicopter reaches Golain Glaciers to rescue PM Imran’s sister

    A helicopter of the Pakistan Army on Monday reached the Golain Glaciers to rescue Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, who had been trapped there following a ‘burst’.

    A massive flood hit several villages in the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as a glacier melted near the Golen Gol area on Sunday. Roads, electric poles and farms were partially damaged around the forest area, police said.

    The premier’s sister, Aleema, who was in Golain for a tourist trip was stranded along with hundreds of other tourists and residents. According to Dunya News, an army helicopter was sent to rescue her; however, she refused to leave until other tourists and residents were evacuated.

    While Chitral’s deputy commissioner has confirmed the suspension of ground connection, the army has reportedly been reached out and a rescue operation will soon be conducted.

  • US trip: PM Imran wants to stay at ambassador’s home instead of expensive hotels

    US trip: PM Imran wants to stay at ambassador’s home instead of expensive hotels

    Unlike his predecessors, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, during his maiden visit to the United States (US), is planning to stay at the residence of the Pakistani ambassador instead of some lavish hotel, a private media outlet reported.

    According to reports, the Pakistani Embassy in the US has been informed about the premier’s intentions; however, his stay at the ambassador’s residence might not be possible due to his planned meetings with top US officials.

    The residence is located in the heart of Washington’s diplomatic enclave, just off one of the city’s main arteries, Massachusetts Avenue, with at least a dozen embassies.

    If the premier stays at the ambassador’s residence, he will not be able to meet US officials there due to a shortage of staff, Dawn News reported, adding that such meetings can, however, be arranged at the Pakistani Embassy.

    While PM Imran’s plan to avoid a five or seven-star hotel in Washington, which comes amid his government’s aim to cut expenses and lighten the burden on the national exchequer, might not be achieved owing to security and logistical reasons, a final decision would be made soon.

    The premier can also choose to stay with one of the rich Pakistani-Americans in the suburbs of Washington.

    During his trip to Washington starting July 20, PM Imran is poised to discuss with US President Donald Trump the Afghan peace process along with regional issues.

    “At the invitation of US President Donald Trump, PM Imran Khan will visit Washington and hold a meeting on July 22, 2019,” Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal announced last week.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other officials will accompany the premier on the trip.

  • Riches in the corridors of power

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has publicly released the asset details of key politicians in the country.

    According to the documents, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is revealed to be one of the wealthiest politicians with a net worth of Rs 1.5 billion. On the other hand, Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has the minimum amount of assets. He reportedly only has 36 lakhs cash and 15 tolas of gold to his name.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan owns assets worth Rs108 million. These assets include his Bani Gala residence which he declared was a gift, three foreign currency accounts (Dollar, Euro, Pound), four goats worth Rs 50,000 and 150 acres of agricultural land.

    PM Khan had also shared details of his wife, Bushra Bibi‘s assets which include a 3-kanal house in Bani Gala, 431-kanal land in Pakpattan and 266-kanal in Okara.

    Former president Asif Ali Zardari owns holdings worth Rs660 million. Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif assets amounts to Rs189m.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Rana Sanaullah own assets worth Rs600m and Rs66m respectively.

    Minister for Railways Shaikh Rasheed has assets worth Rs35m.

  • ‘PTI govt repays record $9.5 billion foreign loans’

    ‘PTI govt repays record $9.5 billion foreign loans’

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has retired record foreign loans worth $9.5 billion during the current fiscal year, which according to Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar, had never been done by any government in a single year.

    On point of personal explanation in the National Assembly, Azhar said that during the first year of PTI government, external debts increased by $2.7 billion whereas, in the last year of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, foreign loans surged by over $7 billion.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Responding to the opposition’s claim of obtaining domestic loans worth Rs7,000 billion or Rs 10,000 billion during PTI’s first year in power, he further said the figures were highly exaggerated.

    The minister added that previous governments were responsible for the current economic situation of the country, while the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government was taking the economy towards stability.

  • ‘Qatari emir brokering deal for Nawaz, Maryam to leave Pakistan’

    ‘Qatari emir brokering deal for Nawaz, Maryam to leave Pakistan’

    Senior journalist and analyst Arif Nizami has said that Qatar
    is reportedly brokering a deal between the government and former prime minister
    (PM) Nawaz Sharif to secure the latter’s release.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Nizami said that Qatar was
    an old friend of Pakistan and previously involved in securing Nawaz’s release
    when former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf had arrested him after
    the 1999 coup.

    “When Musharraf came into power and detained Nawaz, the emir
    of Qatar was the first person to initiate the process for his release,” he said.

    Nizami added that up to 90 per cent of the deal had been processed to let the former PM and his daughter Maryam live in London, while sources had informed him that the “recent visit of the emir of Qatar was also linked to this task”.

    Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had arrived in
    Pakistan earlier this week and announced $3 billion worth of new investments in
    the country. He had also announced that Qatar may invest another $12 billion
    later on.

    “Sources have claimed that Nawaz’s health is not stable and
    according to his daughter Maryam, he has already suffered a stroke thrice,”
    Nizami said further.

    He claimed that under the deal, Nawaz will be allowed to pay the fine to secure his release so that he and his daughter can go and live in England. “Shehbaz and Hamza will stay here to run the party affairs and face cases leveled against them,” Nizami added.

  • Calling PM Imran ‘selected’ banned in parliament

    Calling PM Imran ‘selected’ banned in parliament

    Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) Qasim Suri has barred lawmakers from using the word “selected” to address Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, a private media outlet reported.

    According to reports, during the NA session held Sunday, Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan protested against the premier continuously being referred to as “selected” in the house.

    He said that addressing PM Imran as “selected” was a breach of the privilege of the house as he was an elected representative.

    Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan, who was presiding over the session, then banned the use of the word, saying that each member had entered the house through votes of the people and the word came as an offence to the house.

    Lawmakers of opposition parties have time and again referred to the premier as “selected” for they allege the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of coming to power after “stealing the mandate of the people”.

  • PM’s special assistant confuses Sachin Tendulkar for Imran Khan

    PM’s special assistant confuses Sachin Tendulkar for Imran Khan

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Affairs Naeemul Haque has confused former Indian skipper Sachin Tendulkar for PM Imran Khan.

    “PM Imran Khan 1969,” Haque wrote while tweeting a monochrome picture of a batsman raising his bat.

    The problem? The picture was actually that of Indian cricketing legend Tendulkar and not the Pakistani premier.

    It wasn’t later that Twitterati pointed out the blunder and started trolling PM Imran’s aide.

    https://twitter.com/DavidGillWho/status/1142187389017894913

    https://twitter.com/username_needed/status/1142352453637038081

    Naeem, also a co-founder of the PTI, has served as the party’s central information secretary and president of PTI Sindh.

  • Govt drops plan to make PM House a research university

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has dropped its earlier plan of converting the Prime Minister’s (PM) House into a research university and instead an “emerging technologies and engineering” university will be established.

    As per the details, the new idea will be materialised at a cost of around Rs30 billion and the university will be headed by former Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman Dr Attaur Rahman.

    “The proposal to have a policy institute at the PM House has been abandoned on my advice and rather an emerging technologies and engineering university will be set up in the vacant area of the venue,” Dr Rehman told a local English daily.

    Earlier, the Education Ministry had completed the process of making the PM House a research university, named as “Islamabad National University”, in the first phase.

    The university was to be constructed on 30 acres of land acquired from the polo ground, stables and mountains of the PM House in the second phase.

    Reports had said that a research institute was to be made initially which was to be further given the status of a university.