Tag: PTI

  • Self-proclaimed ‘icon of Karachi’ Aamir Liaquat ‘called to National Assembly’ after not meeting Khan

    Self-proclaimed ‘icon of Karachi’ Aamir Liaquat ‘called to National Assembly’ after not meeting Khan

    Former television host Amir Liaqat took to Twitter to reclaim his grievances against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Liaquat tweeted, “PM met every member but not have a time for the ICON of Karachi, the man who got a seat for PTI from the most crucial constituency, defeated my old senior college [colleague], Farooq Sattar.”

    “I have defended PM and First Lady (Bhabhj) every time but he have no time, it is ok?” tweeted Liaquat.

    Making an appearance at the National Assembly (NA) this morning, Liaquat while talking to Journalist Azaz Syed said, “I have not come on my own, I was especially called to NA.”

    On October 4, Liaquat resigned from Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI).

    “Resigned from the National Assembly. May Allah Almighty support Imran Khan and PTI. Good-Bye,” Liaquat said in a tweet.

  • ‘I am the spokesperson of the cabinet, words are not my own’: Fawad Chaudhry apologises to ECP

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has apologised to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) for his disrespectful remarks against the institution, reports Geo News.

    The minister arrived at the ECP today for the hearing before a two-member bench comprising ECP members Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Mohammad Jatoi. During today’s hearing, the minister told members that he is a lawyer himself and does “not want to get caught up in show-cause notices”.

    The show-cause notices were sent in October to Fawad over calling ECP an “Opposition’s mouthpiece” and Federal Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati for accusing ECP of always “rigging polls” and his statement that “such institutions should be set on fire”.

    However, according to Swati’s co-counsel, he could not appear for the hearing as he was busy with the Senate proceedings and asked for more time, adding that a reply would be filed by tomorrow.

    Chaudhry, after the hearing, said, “I am sorry, I apologise for my words.”

    “I am the spokesperson of the cabinet. At times, I say things but the words are not my own,” he added while saying that he personally respects the CEC and did not abuse anyone.

    The members of the election commission directed Chaudhry to submit his apology in writing and warned that charges would be framed on the next hearing whether a reply was submitted or not and adjourned it to December 3.

    Before the show-cause notices, the election commission had issued notices to the two ministers on September 14, asking them to provide evidence about the allegations made by them against ECP and the CEC.

    Later, on September 23, Chaudhry had sou­ght six weeks to submit a reply but was given three weeks, which ended on October 19. However, Swati chose not to respond at all to the ECP notice. The ECP had then issued a notice to Chaudhry asking him to appear before it on October 27 but neither of them had turned up for the October 27 hearing, prompting the ECP to issue a show-cause notice for November 16 (today).

  • PML-Q to part ways with the ruling PTI govt?

    PML-Q to part ways with the ruling PTI govt?

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)  on Sunday decided that it was parting ways with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and launching its campaign for the next general elections, reports The Express Tribune.

    The official announcement was made after the PML-Q held a meeting, headed by its Punjab president, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who is also Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

    The party’s parliamentarians noted that people were facing a hard time in making ends meet because of the government’s “negligence”.

    Earlier, PML-Q Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha, while speaking on ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Geo News, said: “When the government needs our support, like for passing the budget, it talks to us, otherwise not.”

    “This is a manufacturing fault of [the government], they do not consult their allies on any issue,” said Agha.

    “We are trying our best to abide by the agreement we had with the government, now it depends on the government how it goes about things,” said Agha

    PML-Q is a major ally of the PTI in the Centre and Punjab.

  • ‘Haan hum tu annay hai jaise’: Twitter reacts to ‘no smog in Lahore’ comment by provincial minister

    ‘Haan hum tu annay hai jaise’: Twitter reacts to ‘no smog in Lahore’ comment by provincial minister

    Provincial Minister of Punjab for Environment Protection Muhammad Rizwan in a show aired on City 42 News claimed that there has been no smog in Punjab, including Lahore, for the last two years.

    He said that the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lahore which is being observed nowadays is different.

    Twitterati couldn’t control their emotions as Lahore frequently topped the chart of the world’s most polluted cities.

    Some lashed out while others had hilarious reactions to the minister’s statement.

    https://twitter.com/Adambeazar/status/1459485906302287877?s=20

  • ‘Nawaz can only come back to Pakistan in a coffin just like his ancestors’: PTI’s Ghulam Sarwar

    Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif can only come back to Pakistan in a coffin.

    While responding to a question that there are speculations about Nawaz’s return to Pakistan, Ghulam Sarwar commented, “If Nawaz comes back alive, he would go straight to jail. He can only come back in a coffin just like his ancestors.”

    The former PM has been in London since 2019 for his medical treatment.

    Commenting on the recent Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the government’s negotiations, Ghulam Sarwar stated that this deal is in the best of public interest and their security.

    Recently, the Punjab government removed TLP Chief Saad Hussain Rizvi’s name from the Fourth Schedule — a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism or sectarianism under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.

  • ‘No smog in Lahore for last two years’: PTI’s Muhammad Rizwan

    ‘No smog in Lahore for last two years’: PTI’s Muhammad Rizwan

    Provincial Minister of Punjab for Environment Protection Muhammad Rizwan claimed that there has been no smog in Punjab, including Lahore, for the last two years.

    According to the minister, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lahore which is being observed nowadays is different and the actual rating as per Pakistan Meteorological Department is 134.

    Muhammad Rizwan, while speaking to City 42 News, said that people don’t know how to install air quality monitors. He announced that the administration is starting a plan in which people will be given education and training related to this.

    Furthermore, while maintaining his stance, he stated: “Today our department has recorded AQI 134 mark while Town Hall has 192 and Model Town has 186.”

    After this, the host of the programme said that today (Friday) the city’s quality index was at 337 and previously Lahore was on the list of the most polluted cities.

    To which he replied, ”I can say with full confidence that there has been no smog in the last two years in Punjab, including Lahore.”

    He said that even if there is no fog, the presence of smog was not possible.

    On November 13, Lahore recorded a particulate matter (PM) rating of 364, which classifies the city under the “hazardous” category of air quality.

    However, today Lahore stands at second place after Delhi and has recorded AQI 209 mark while Karachi is at fifth place with the 175 mark.

  • ‘When the govt needs our support, it talks to us, otherwise not’: PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha

    ‘When the govt needs our support, it talks to us, otherwise not’: PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha, while speaking on ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Geo News, said: “When the government needs our support, like for passing the budget, it talks to us, otherwise not.”

    “This is a manufacturing fault of [the government], they do not consult their allies on any issue,” said Agha.

    “Our elected members are under a lot of pressure because of the government’s performance,” said Agha, adding that the elected members can hardly go to their constituencies.

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada intervened and questioned that Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan says that the allies are “on-board” with the government and everything is good between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies.

    “Ghulam Sarwar is a ‘badshah admi‘ [King]. Despite being the aviation minister, he does not even know how many bills there are in Assembly,” replied Agha.

    “We have good relations with Ghulam Sarwar Khan, he should not have said this,” added Agha.

    “We do not complain unnecessarily. And Ghulam Sarwar is aware of this. We only complain when there is a problem,” said Agha.

    “We are trying our best to abide by the agreement we had with the government, now it depends on the government how it goes about things,” said Agha.

  • Govt faces defeat twice in NA over two bills, Opposition demands PM Khan’s resignation

    Govt faces defeat twice in NA over two bills, Opposition demands PM Khan’s resignation

    The government faced defeat twice at the hands of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) on Tuesday during voting on motions seeking introduction of two bills, reports Dawn.

    Under the session chaired by Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) Qasim Suri, the Opposition first defeated the government with a 117-104 vote on a motion moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) MNA Javed Hasnain. The bill was to seek permission to introduce a private member’s bill aimed at preventing politicians from changing their parties. After the first defeat, most of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members had left the house.

    A motion moved by PTI’s lawmaker Asma Qadeer for a bill seeking to enhance punishment for those who passed offensive remarks against women didn’t pass. Because the deputy speaker announced that he could not allow Qadeer to introduce the bill as the Opposition members had rejected it with a majority and did not give the vote count as the Opposition had visibly outnumbered the treasury members.

    It is reported that there had been a significant increase in the number of members on the Opposition benches due to the arrival of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in NA.

    A day earlier, the government got seven bills passed in the absence of Opposition members from the lower house of parliament.

    After the defeat, PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq said, “Morally, Imran Khan should resign before convening of a joint sitting of the parliament.” He was referring to the government’s plan to call a joint session of parliament this week.

    PPP’s Syed Khursheed Shah, who had been in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for more than two years, was welcomed by a loud desk-thumping by the Opposition members.

  • Direct, face-to-face talks between govt and TTP for temporary truce

    Direct, face-to-face talks between govt and TTP for temporary truce

    Pakistani officials have reached a temporary understanding with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to seek a broader peace agreement to end nearly two decades of militancy in the country, reports Dawn.

    The news report reveals that the “direct, face-to-face” talks between the two sides being held in Afghanistan’s south-western Khost province for nearly two weeks had resulted in a tentative understanding to declare a countrywide truce, conditional to the release of some TTP foot soldiers as part of confidence-building measures.

    It was not confirmed as to how many militants in Pakistan’s custody would be allowed to go free, but sources said the number was not more than two dozen people. “These are foot soldiers, not senior or mid-level commanders,” the sources said. “We are testing the ground. We are cautious,” they added.

    “The truce will come into effect once the prisoners are released,” these sources said.

    “The tentative month-long truce shall be extendable, depending on how these negotiations go forward,” a source said.

  • Govt to free more than 2,000 jailed TLP activists after agreement

    Govt to free more than 2,000 jailed TLP activists after agreement

    Pakistan is to free more than 2,000 jailed activists of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)  and the government has allowed the proscribed organsiation to contest elections, under a deal with the government struck to end weeks of violent clashes, reports Reuters.

    TLP has agreed to avoid violence and withdraw its longstanding demand to have France’s ambassador expelled over the publication of blasphemous caricatures by a French satirical magazine, negotiators from both sides told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government banned the TLP after its protests turned violent earlier this year, designated it a terrorist group, and arrested its chief Saad Hussain Rizvi.

    In addition, the government has agreed not to contest the release of the group’s jailed leader as well as nearly 2,300 activists and to remove their names from a terrorist watch list, the three negotiators told Reuters.

    Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat said nearly 1,000 of the activists had already been released.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry did not respond to Reuters‘ request for comment.