Tag: PTI

  • ‘Broken hearts not united’, Khaqan says PML-N will give PPP tough time in elections

    ‘Broken hearts not united’, Khaqan says PML-N will give PPP tough time in elections

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday said that his party and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are on the same page to send the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government packing despite being political rivals.

    Khaqan further added that the PML-N will contest the elections in Sindh against the PPP. He said the PML-N is focusing on Sindh and will give a tough time to the opponents in the local bodies as well as general elections.

    Khaqan said that the political strategy of the PPP and PML-N was separate. He said the PML-N will contest the elections in Jhol and Sanghar.

    Khaqan’s statement comes a day after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif hosted PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at his Lahore residence on Saturday to discuss the present political situation.

    Speaking after the lunch, Shehbaz said, “Broken hearts can be united again. Both PPP and PML-N are united to take Prime Minister (PM), Imran Khan, out.”

    Whereas Bilawal said, “The government is incompetent and the more the Opposition unites and works in coordination, the more we will be able to pressurise the government.”

  • Bilawal says PPP entered battlefield, Fawad Chaudhry offers to provide ‘camels and horses’ to PPP

    Bilawal says PPP entered battlefield, Fawad Chaudhry offers to provide ‘camels and horses’ to PPP

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday said that it was “time for Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to start panicking”.

    “The time has come for the PTI government to be accountable before the masses,” he said, adding that since people have lost their confidence in the premier, parliament must also follow suit.

    He added he had sent a message to “the puppet” to inform him that the PPP had “entered the battlefield” to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    “The kaptaan has snatched roti, kapra, aur makaan from the masses,” Bilawal said. “Khan sahib has robbed the citizens of their economic rights and their right to vote. We can’t stand it any longer, so we have declared war against this government.”

    The PPP chairman further said: “We know how to snatch our rights, but we will opt for a democratic and constitutional way to take revenge from the government in the National Assembly.”

    Taking a jibe at the PPP for not having enough supporters for its anti-government campaign, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday offered to provide “camels and horses” for the Opposition party’s long march.

    Commenting on the recent meeting of Opposition parties, he said that “it was a meeting to cover up thefts and they have now turned into regional parties”.

    Fawad said that “criminals” showed solidarity with each other on Kashmir Solidarity Day.

    He said that ever since the issue of bank accounts came up, “love has been growing in the Opposition parties”.

  • 46 per cent of Pakistanis think Imran Khan is corrupt: survey

    46 per cent of Pakistanis think Imran Khan is corrupt: survey

    The Quarterly Performance Evaluation Survey (QPES), a Pulse Consultant’s indigenous tracking tool of public perceptions about the government’s performance has released its report.

    According to a question in the report, when responders were asked: “Do you agree with [PM] Imran Khan’s statement of him being a brand and not being corrupt?” a total of 46 per cent didn’t agree with him and only 19 per cent believe the premier.

    65 per cent of responders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa think that corruption and poor performance in the province led to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) defeat in the local election.

    It is revealed that 77 per cent think that the Murree tragedy was a sudden disaster.

    Further, the survey says that 18 per cent of the country is satisfied with PM Khan and 56 per cent believe PM Khan’s claim that Pakistan is out of the economic crisis. 15 per cent think that inflation will be reduced in the next three months.

    84 per cent of Pakistanis consider inflation as the biggest problem of the country and 99 per cent of Pakistanis say ‘Inflation has increased in past three months.’

  • If PML-N has support within NA from PTI, it should bring motion of no-confidence against PM Khan: BBZ

    If PML-N has support within NA from PTI, it should bring motion of no-confidence against PM Khan: BBZ

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a jibe at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), saying that if they have [PML-N] the support of 34 members of the National Assembly (NA) from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), then they should bring a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister (PM) Imran khan.

    Previously, PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had claimed that he knows “22 members of the NA who don’t want to remain part of the incumbent government anymore and PTI would lose majority in Lower House if those 22 people step aside.”

    Bilawal said his party “always” acts for the betterment of the Parliament and democracy in the country, saying that the party would opt for a no-confidence motion against PM Khan and not besiege the Parliament.

    Further, the Chairperson said he believes that an extreme step from political parties against the government could lead to a crisis in Pakistan. “In our agreement with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a no-confidence motion was the last option.”

    “We will not hold prolonged sit-ins and attack the institutions; we will conduct political business in the Parliament. If we wish to remove the government, then we will do it in line with the Constitution.”

    Talking about the party’s relation with the establishment, Bilawal said: “We have never been interested in forging relations with the establishment, and we never will be,” adding that relations with the establishment are based on media speculation.

    PPP is set for a long march from Karachi to Islamabad on February 27 while PDM had announced its March on Pakistan Day.

  • Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday took a jibe at the Opposition.

    Questioning the leadership qualities of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Fawad said that the two leaders were not competent enough for the general elections and should try their luck and contest in mayoral elections and make their way up the leadership ladder.

    “The leadership of this great country cannot be handed over to incompetent people like Bilawal and Maryam Nawaz,” said Fawad.

    “Both Maryam and Bilawal should strive to climb up the ladder of their political careers,” Fawad said, adding, “Maryam does not have the stature to call herself a national leader.”

    “Her [street power] depends on the students of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s madrassas alone,” he said.

    Criticising the Opposition’s way of working, Fawad said that they did not have any policy to abide by.

  • Govt plans to launch Ehsaas petrol cards for motorcyclists

    Govt plans to launch Ehsaas petrol cards for motorcyclists

    The federal government has planned to launch Ehsaas Petrol Cards for motorcyclists to enable them to buy petrol at a subsidised rate.

    Earlier this week, Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card was distributed by the government, which will provide free medical treatment to all citizens at government and private hospitals.

    In a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin, several other proposals were also considered such as subsidised fuel, tax reliefs, rise in income/minimum wages, internships, record tax collection and removal of bureaucratic hurdles.

    The government also intends to raise the pay of public sector employees in the upcoming fiscal year 2022-23 budget. Moreover, it has been reported that no consideration was made regarding monetising of bureaucratic perks and privileges.

    A meeting was also held to discuss the Kamyab Pakistan Programme progress. It was informed that the first phase of the programme is going successfully and that the loans are being disbursed after fulfillment of requirements to the deserving applicants.

  • PTI finalises Hammad Azhar as its official candidate for Lahore mayorship

    PTI finalises Hammad Azhar as its official candidate for Lahore mayorship

    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finalised the name of current Federal Energy Minister Hammad Azhar as its official candidate for the slot of Lahore Mayor.

    A source told Business Recorder, “The party has short-listed his name that will be announced in due course of time; the party high-ups find him the fittest candidate to contest the Lahore Mayor elections. Azhar has shown willingness to give up his ministry and take part in the local bodies’ elections.”

    “Azhar has proven himself as a young energetic minister while heading important federal ministries. He is seen as a clean person full of energy,” the source added.

    Hammad has also served as the federal economic affairs minister and federal industries and production minister. He is the son of veteran politician and former Punjab Governor Mian Muhammad Azhar, thus has strong political roots in Lahore.

    Prior to this news, it was reported that the party had offered the candidacy to Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid.

  • SCBA president files petition against lifetime disqualification in SC

    SCBA president files petition against lifetime disqualification in SC

    President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Mohammad Ahsan Bhoon on Thursday filed a petition against the lifelong disqualification of lawmakers and said that such a law without the right to appeal is unjust.

    The petition asks the Supreme Court (SC) to rule that the declaration by a court of law under Article 62(1)(f) only applies to the election under question, and does not entail a perpetual or lifetime bar on contesting future elections, reports Dawn.

    The petition argues that the lack of clarity regarding the procedure for a declaration under Article 62(1)(f) continues to pose an obstacle to the constitutional protection of citizens under Article 17(2), which allows citizens to form or become a member of any political party.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the result of this petition can affect the outcome of SC verdicts disqualifying former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, as well as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) disgruntled leader Jahangir Tareen.

    The two were disqualified as lawmakers in judgements rendered in the Panama Papers case on July 28, 2017, and the Hanif Abbasi case on Dec 15, 2017, respectively.

    The contents of the petition said that the principle of lifetime disqualification should only be applied to electoral disputes. Under Article 184/3 of the Constitution, the SC cannot act as a trial court and there is no right to appeal against the decisions made by the apex court, which contradicts the principles of justice.

    The petition said that the lifelong disqualification without the right to appeal is unjust to the voters. 

  • Government ally PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shujaat advises govt to focus on inflation instead of Nawaz

    Government ally PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shujaat advises govt to focus on inflation instead of Nawaz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has advised the government to focus on national issues instead of Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan.

    Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that Nawaz will not come back. “It seems rather funny when PTI’s members make comments about his return.”

    He further stated that if the government keeps focusing on Sharif’s return, then Pakistan is in the hands of Allah. According to him, the government has spent a large amount of money on his [Nawaz] proceedings.

    While talking about the issues in the country, he also pointed out that no one gives any sort of solution to solve inflation because they [govt] are busy in the leg-pulling of others.

  • ‘The ones wearing long boots don’t know about the suffering of people’, PM Khan compares Shehbaz with Buzdar

    ‘The ones wearing long boots don’t know about the suffering of people’, PM Khan compares Shehbaz with Buzdar

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan launched Rs450 billion Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card on Wednesday and distributed them among residents of Islamabad with an annual medical cover of up to Rs1 million for each family.

    While addressing the ceremony, PM praised Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar. “He belongs to one of the most backward areas of the country and thus realises the suffering and problems confronting people.”

    He further said that some of the worst campaigns were launched against Buzdar but even then a survey declared him the top CM of the country. Last week, a survey found Punjab CM Usman Buzdar to be leading in satisfaction level for developmental works in comparison to other CMs.

    PM also took a jibe at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shehbaz Sharif. “A former CM of Punjab, who used to wear long boots and a hat and roam on the streets, flew abroad for his and his family’s medical treatment. They [Sharifs] do not know about the sufferings of the people.”

    CM Punjab Usman Buzdar said that the entire population of Punjab would receive medical insurance by March 31.