Tag: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

  • PM Shehbaz offers to talk to India but onus on New Delhi to take steps for ‘meaningful engagement’

    PM Shehbaz offers to talk to India but onus on New Delhi to take steps for ‘meaningful engagement’

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday he was “absolutely willing and ready” to engage with India for the sake of regional peace and prosperity, but the onus was on New Delhi to take necessary measures for “meaningful engagement“.

    While addressing the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Kazakhstan, the premier said, “I am absolutely ready and willing to have a serious dialogue and discussion with our counterparts, Indians, provided that they show sincerity of purpose and they show that they are ready to discuss issues that have really kept us at a distance over decades.”

    PM Sharif stressed that the people deserved that resources be diverted to their education and health.

    I want to leave behind a legacy of peace and progress

    “I want to leave behind a legacy of peace and progress for the prosperity of the coming generations of our region,” he said.

    “Pakistan’s first priority at the moment is to revive rapid and equitable economy,” he stated, regretting that issues that have kept the two countries apart had hampered the promotion of bilateral trade and investment.

    “This has to come to a stop,” he stressed, “but the onus remains on India to take the necessary steps for meaningful and result oriented-engagement.

    PM on Kashmir

    PM Sharif highlighted India’s unabated atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir for the last seven decades where Kashmiris faced the continued denial of their right to self-determination.

    He urged other countries to take notice of India’s “Bullet over ballot” policy as it blatantly quashed the United Nations Security Council’s resolution on holding a plebiscite in Kashmir.

    “India has become a threat to its minorities, neighbours and the entire region,” he said.

    Prosperous and stable Afghanistan is not only in the interest of Pakistan but also for the international community

    On Afghanistan, he said four decades of conflict took not only a heavy toll on the country but also upon Pakistan.

    Pakistan, he said, suffered immense damage to its peace and security with serious consequences in the shape of 80,000 casualties and billions of dollars in financial losses.

    The prime minister expressed satisfaction that after immense sacrifices, Pakistan was now able to control extremism and terrorism on its soil while managing to host four million Afghan refugees.

    “A prosperous and stable Afghanistan is not only in the interest of Pakistan, but also for the international community,” he said.

  • ‘Aap mehengayi kam karain, meri tabiat behtar hojayegi’: Chaudhry Shujaat to PM Shehbaz

    ‘Aap mehengayi kam karain, meri tabiat behtar hojayegi’: Chaudhry Shujaat to PM Shehbaz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain met Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday. According to reports, Shujaat advised Shehbaz to follow the constitution while appointing the next army chief and not listen to anyone on this matter.

    About the appointment of General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s successor, the PML-Q chief reportedly advised the premier to follow the book, remarking that “This is a sensitive matter and a national responsibility.”

    According to the details of the meeting, PM Shehbaz Sharif inquired about Shujaat’s health to which he responded smilingly by saying, “Aap mehengai kam karain, meri tabiat behtar hojayegi [You bring down inflation and my health will improve automatically].”

    Shujaat said that they are standing with the government but it should provide relief to the masses.

  • ‘Raid Bani Gala and you will know where the cipher copy went’: Maryam Nawaz

    ‘Raid Bani Gala and you will know where the cipher copy went’: Maryam Nawaz

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Saturday revealed that Principal Secretary Azam Khan has admitted that he gave the diplomatic cipher to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan — which had been “stolen” from the records of the Prime Minister’s House.

    Dar said it was now “established” through the audio leaks that the former Opposition — now the government — was not responsible for any conspiracy, but rather the PTI was. “We will be failing in national duty and oath if we don’t take appropriate action,” he added.

    The finance minister said the matter was not something that could be ignored, adding that “whoever did this is not pardonable”.

    “We will be betraying the Constitution if we don’t take it to the logical conclusion. So the decision is we will take the matter forward in light of the law and Constitution,” he stressed.

    Maintaining that Imran Khan was solely responsible for the travesty he said that if we do not take action to bring this matter to its logical conclusion, then it would be another breach of the Constitution.

    He further revealed that the cabinet has inspected all aspects in this regard in detail. “The minutes that were created regarding the diplomatic cipher are present; however, the original document is missing,” Dar added.

    “This proves that conspiracy was not hatched by the incumbent coalition government instead the PTI was behind this,” he said, adding that a meeting of the National Security Committee has also been held in this regard.

    Playing the purported audio leak of the former prime minister, Dar said: “We will betray our constitution if we do not take it to its logical end.

    “The mess created in four years could not be cleaned in four to five months; however, our efforts will be concentrated on stopping the destruction, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s team is working to provide relief to the masses,” he concluded.

    In Lahore, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz said: “You heard that the cipher went missing from Prime Minister House. I think there should be a raid on Bani Gala from where you will find out where the cipher copy went and what the real minutes, letter, and communique were,” she stated in a press conference.

    “Since day one I knew that he [Khan] was lying as he is the biggest liar of this century,” she claimed, adding that this wasn’t just conspiracy but this was also “tampering”.

    Accusing the former prime minister of forging sensitive official documents, she said that Khan conspired against the foreign policy of Pakistan.

    “PM Shehbaz told me that no country is ready to write a letter to Pakistan because of this fitna Khan [Imran Khan],” Maryam said, adding that other countries are now afraid of communicating with Pakistan.

    The PML-N vice president further added that the audio leaks are enough to indict Khan for his wrongdoings.

    “You can look at Supreme Court’s verdict, Khan even violated the order of the apex court while leaving his office,” she mentioned, adding that the highest court of the country has given its ruling against the former premier.

    “The nation has been held hostage by this evil mind for the last four years,” she asserted.

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the issue would be raised in parliament and expressed the hope that the body would decide to file an Article 6 reference against Imran.

  • PM Shehbaz’s alleged audio leak; Govt forms JIT

    PM Shehbaz’s alleged audio leak; Govt forms JIT

    The federal government has constituted a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the data hacked from Prime Minister’s (PM) House, after several audio leaks surfaced on the internet.

    Following the audio leaks, an investigation was initiated to probe the data leak from the PM House, with one member each in the JIT to be included from the country’s intelligence agencies.

    The investigative team will examine how the data was hacked and will investigate if devices were installed in the PM House or if the phone calls were recorded. The team will also check which officers were present in the house at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, Special Branch personnel designated at the PM’s secretariat will also be interrogated.

    The premier has also called a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday, September 27, related to the recording at the PM House. The meeting will be attended by the heads of security agencies.

    On Saturday, September 24, alleged audios of PM Shehbaz and other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders leaked online.

    In one of the audio clips, PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz allegedly can be heard complaining to her uncle [PM Shehbaz] about Finance Minister Miftah Ismail.

    The second clip allegedly concerns a conversation between PM Shehbaz, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Tarar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and former National Assembly (NA) speaker Ayaz Sadiq about the resignations of PTI MNAs. The audio is said to be a recording of a cabinet meeting.

    Party leaders can be allegedly heard discussing whose resignations from PTI will be accepted. Moreover, the leaders can be heard saying that the final decision will be taken by PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif who is in London.

    In another audio clip, PM Shehbaz and an unidentified man can be heard allegedly discussing facilitating Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law Raheel.

  • Aik aur language: Shehbaz interacts with diplomats in Tajiki

    Aik aur language: Shehbaz interacts with diplomats in Tajiki

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, September 15, reached Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to attend the annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) during a two-day visit.

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif are also accompanying the premier. Uzbekistan PM Abdulla Aripov received Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival at the airport.

    On the first day of his two-day visit, the Prime Minister will hold separate meetings with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon.

    The Prime Minister is expected to meet other world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

    PM Shehbaz met President of Tajikistan H.E Emamoli Rahmon in Samarqand, Uzbekistan.

    PM Shehbaz also interacted with officials in Tajiki, before starting the formal meeting with the president. PM’s Focal Person on Digital Media, Muhammad Abubakar Umer, shared the video on his Twitter account.

    Read more: Exclusive: You will not believe how many languages PM Shehbaz Sharif can speak

    The premier and Russian President H.E Vladimir Putin shook hands ahead of their meeting in Uzbekistan.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi in Samarqand, Uzbekistan.

    Before the summit, there was speculation that Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, who is also attending the summit, would hold bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart.

    However, Foreign Office Spokesman Asim Iftikhar told Dawn thar PM Shehbaz had no plans to meet Modi.

    It is being said that a brief courtesy meeting between the two was possible, however, they would not be holding talks as none of the sides had sought a meeting.

  • PM Shehbaz to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in missing persons case

    PM Shehbaz to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in missing persons case

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif assured the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday, September 9, that all-out efforts will be made to recover missing persons.

    “I cannot say that all of the missing persons will be recovered, but we will leave no stone unturned,” he assured the court “I will not give any lame excuse,” said the premier to the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

    Justice Minallah during the last hearing had instructing PM Shehbaz to ensure that missing persons — whose cases were being heard in the court, had to be produced before IHC on September 9 (today) and warned that the failure to do so would require the premier to appear in person on the said date and give an explanation.

    Justice Minallah stressed that the state’s responsibility should be fulfilled, regretting that in cases where missing persons were recovered, no further action was taken.

    Political leadership has to solve this issue

    “The political leadership has to solve this issue,” he said. “The court has no other way but to only ask the executive [about the issue].”

    Justice Minallah also stressed on the fact that no impression must be created that implies that law enforcement agencies were picking up citizens. The CJ reminded Sharif that national security was his responsibility.

    “This impression affects our national security,” he added. Addressing PM Shehbaz, he continued, “This court trusts you. Give [us] a solution for this [issue].”

    He asked who the court should hold responsible for enforced disappearances.

    PM Shehbaz replied that solving the issue was his duty.

    “Court will hold the chief executive responsible,” Athar Minallah warned, stressing that “people going missing is intolerable.”

    He said no entity was above the Constitution in the country, adding that this court would ensure civil supremacy, as well as the supremacy of the Constitution.

    Making people go missing biggest form of torture

    Justice Minallah then termed the practice of “making people go missing the biggest form of torture” and a “deviation from the Constitution”.

    “This court is a constitutional court … This court will look at the Constitution. There is no bigger issue than this,” he further remarked.

    He asked PM Shehbaz what the court should tell a small child approaching it for justice. “He also met the erstwhile prime minister,” Justice Minallah said, apparently making a reference to missing journalist Mudassar Naru’s son meeting former prime minister Imran Khan in December last year.

    PM Shehbaz told the court that a child of a missing person asked him to reunite him with his father. “His sentence is very disturbing for me,” he said.

    Saying that he was answerable to the courts and the people of the country, he added, “I am not here to play blame games.”

    Require two months to resolve the issue

    Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar then asked the court if he could speak about a few matters.

    In response, the IHC CJ said that he does not want to hear that the government has formed a committee and is probing the case. “I am telling you, no missing persons case should be filed again in this court,” he told the government in no uncertain terms.

    The law minister said that the government was holding meetings in this regard every week and that it required two months to resolve this issue and not a week.

    The court accepted the law minister’s plea to resolve the case within two months, adjourning the case till November 14.

  • PM Shehbaz deposits gifts worth Rs270 million in Toshakhana

    PM Shehbaz deposits gifts worth Rs270 million in Toshakhana

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has deposited all the gifts that he has received from foreign leaders worth Rs270 million permanently into the Toshakhana.

    According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, “The premier does not wish to retain any of the gift items presented to him during his visits to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, dated April 28 to April 30, 2022.”

    “The Prime Minister desires that as a policy, all precious gifts should be taken on charge by Toshakhana and consequently be permanently displayed at the PM House. The gifts would be displayed in secure display cabinets, equipped with alarm systems, under the responsibility of the Toshakhana.”

    The gifts included a pair of wristwatches (A. LANGE & SOHNE Datograph Fly back — No 242655 and Rolex — model No 326259TBR Sr No 85C423E3), pair of cufflinks (Chopard), one pen (Chopard), a ring (Chopard) and a rosary (Chopard)

    Furthermore, the PM Shehbaz has directed concerned authorities to make arrangements for displaying the gifts so that the general public can be given knowledge of fraternal ties with friendly countries.

    Formed in 1974, the Toshakhana is a government owned department under the control of Cabinet Division of Pakistan. Its main purpose is to secure gifts received by members of parliament, ministers, foreign secretaries, president and prime minister from foreign dignitaries.

  • PM Shehbaz, Saudi Crown Prince agree on mutual cooperation in investment, energy, and trade

    PM Shehbaz, Saudi Crown Prince agree on mutual cooperation in investment, energy, and trade

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman exchanged views to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries during a telephonic conversation.

    Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to intensify mutual cooperation in the fields of investment, energy, and trade, Radio Pakistan reported.

    According to a Financial Times report, the IMF and Saudi Arabia have also discussed the possibility of Islamabad being able to borrow up to $2.8 billion against Riyadh’s quota of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) at the Fund after Saudi Arabia’s decision to renew $3 billion deposit at the State Bank of Pakistan.

    “Once finalised, Pakistan’s extent of borrowing from the IMF during the present financial year (July to June) will increase by $2.8bn. This will be a very important gesture,” read the report.

    On the occasion of the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated the Pakistani nation.

  • Six Pakistani nationals convicted of violating sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabawi

    Six Pakistani nationals convicted of violating sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabawi

    At least six Pakistani nationals have been convicted of violating the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi (PBUH) in Madinah during Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, reports Geo News.

    According to media reports, a court in Madinah gave three Pakistani nationals — Anas, Irshad, and Muhammad Saleem — 10 years of jail term, while the other three — Khawaja Luqman, Muhammad Afzal, and Ghulam Muhammad — have been given eight-year sentences.

    A fine of Saudi Riyal 20,000 each has been imposed on the convicts and their mobile phones have also been confiscated.

    In April, during PM Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, a group of protesters chanted slogans of “chor, chor (thieves)” when they saw the premiere and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

    Responding to the incident in Saudi Arabia, Aurangzeb said that there was a specific group that chanted those slogans. She also said that she prayed for those people at Masjid-e-Nabawi.

    In videos that were widely shared on social media, the Pakistani delegation, including Marriyum Aurangzeb, was seen surrounded by people yelling “chor chor”.

  • PM Shehbaz visits flood-hit Balochistan, orders immediate compensation

    PM Shehbaz visits flood-hit Balochistan, orders immediate compensation

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif reached Quetta on a day-long visit on Monday, August 1, to oversee the relief operations in the flood-affected areas of Balochistan and ordered immediate compensation to the flood affectees.

    PM Shehbaz, who visited Balochistan for the second time in three days, said that he has directed the authorities to ensure that the relief amount of Rs1 million is provided to the heirs of those who lost their loved ones because of the floods within the next 24 hours.

    “During my visit here and to other camps, I have been told the people are not being provided food and water […]. People clearly said they were not getting any food and water and when I asked them how were they managing, they said they had to send someone back home to fetch food,” said PM Shehbaz.

    “It is extremely unfortunate that these camps are without food and water.”

    Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo was also present there and assured the prime minister that action would be initiated against those responsible.

    “They are all suspended and action will be taken against them,” he assured the PM.

    Read more: Will anyone save Balochistan?

    “The federal government has announced Rs1 million in compensation and the provincial government has already disbursed Rs1 million,” said Shehbaz, adding that a compensatory amount of Rs200,000 would be given for a partially damaged house and Rs500,000 for a completely damaged house.

    He said loopholes had been identified regarding the lack of a record-keeping system at camps and stressed addressing the issue at the earliest.

    Earlier today, the premier reached Quetta to visit the flood-affected areas in Chaman. He was briefed on the rescue and relief efforts by Chairman National Disaster and Management Authority (NDMA).

    PM Shehbaz Sharif asked the NDMA and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to pace up relief and rescue operations to facilitate the victims and conduct a joint survey of damaged houses and crops.

    Read more: Balochistan floods: 136 people dead, 13,000 homes damaged

    The death toll from the devastating floods is now at 136.