Tag: PTI

  • PM Khan’s aide Zulfi Bukhari resigns over allegations of corruption

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis, Zulfi Bukhari has stepped down from his position, owing to allegations in the ongoing Ring Road inquiry. Zulfi made the announcement on his Twitter account.

    “My Prime Minister has always said that if a person has been named rightly or wrongly in any inquiry he should cease to hold any public office till his name has been cleared of charges ,” wrote Zulfi Bukhari.

    “Owing to the allegations in ongoing Ring Road inquiry I want to set this example, by resigning from office until my name is cleared up of any allegations and media’s obnoxious lies,” he added.

    He continued by saying, “I reiterate that I have nothing to do with Ring Road or any ongoing Real Estate project. This time the inquiry should be done by capable personnel. I endorse a judicial inquiry.’

    “I’m here to stay in Pakistan and stand united with the Prime Minister and his vision.”

    “I sacrificed my life overseas to come and serve my country, I am ready to face any inquiry,” he concluded.

    His resignation has come after an order by the National Accountability Bureau, to look into alleged corruption and illegal land requisition in the Rawalpindi Ring Road project.

  • Peace with Pindi? Nawaz Sharif’s Spokesperson tells all

    Peace with Pindi? Nawaz Sharif’s Spokesperson tells all

    Mohammad Zubair, Spokesperson to Mian Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, claimed in a TV talk show that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has made peace with Rawalpindi. Zubair made this statement in ARY News programme ‘The Reporters’.

    Alluding to a rapprochement between the establishment and PML-N, anchorperson Sabir Shakir directly asked Mohammad Zubair about ‘sulaah‘ (rapprochement) with Rawalpindi. The PML-N leader confirmed to Shakir that there has indeed been a reconciliation.

    “All it will take is to pull the ladder away from PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] and the government will be in trouble,” added Zubair. He said that this is what the PTI fears.

    Zubair further added that the relations of PML-N with the army have always been good.

    PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has been targeting the establishment quite vocally. At a rally in Gujranwala held by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) last year, Sharif’s comments against army chief shocked Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

    Senior PML-N politician Javed Hashmi recently criticised the establishment in a video that went viral on social media. The PML-N has officially distanced itself from Hashmi’s comments by tweeting: “Javed Hashmi’s statement about the national institution is his personal opinion.”

  • ‘Thank you, Bilawal,’ says Shehbaz Sharif

    ‘Thank you, Bilawal,’ says Shehbaz Sharif

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday after a resounding victory by the PML-N in PP-84 by-election. In a statement tweeted by the PPP’s official Twitter handle, Bilawal Bhutto congratulated Sharif on PML-N’s win and also added that the “consistent wins by the Opposition show clearly how disillusioned people are with the PTI and its anti-people policies. The people of Pakistan continue to give their verdict against PTI, but the selected govt refuses to listen.”

    Shehbaz Sharif responded to this tweet by thanking Bilawal. “There is no doubt that the by-election results represent an overwhelming rejection of the anti-people policies pursued by the PTI government,” tweeted Sharif.

    The last few months have seen the leaders of the PPP and PML-N indulge in a war of words, both online and offline. In March, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz tweeted about a ‘substitute being fostered’, which some say was a dig at Bilawal Bhutto after Asif Zardari had asked Mian Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan during a meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    When Bilawal was later asked whether Maryam’s comment was about him, he said that if he wanted to comment on the PML-N’s vice-president, he would have asked his party’s vice-president to comment on it.

  • PML-N wins PP-84 Khushab by-poll

    PML-N wins PP-84 Khushab by-poll

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Moazzam Sher Kallu has won the PP-84 Khushab by-election with a significant margin. Kallu came out on top with 73,081 votes and retained the seat that was vacated after the death of PML-N lawmaker Malik Muhammad Waris Kallu in March.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Ali Hussain Baloch was the runner-up with 62,903 votes. Kallu’s margin of victory is 10,178 votes.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the public and winning candidate Moazzam Sher Kallu. “The people of Khushab have rejected the wheat and sugar thieves,” Sharif was quoted

    Maryam Nawaz celebrated the Khushab victory on Twitter. She said “people in every city have declared Nawaz Sharif’s victory” and derided those who wanted to “minus Nawaz Sharif”.

    “Look at the works of Allah! Only Nawaz Sharif is left [standing], while everyone else has been cut out,” added Maryam.

    A total of eight candidates stood in the race. Besides the PML-N and PTI candidates, PPP’s Ghulam Habib Ahmed was in the running, as well the banned TLP’s Asghar Ali. The independents included Amjad Raza, Aurangzeb, Imran Haider Khan, and Ilyas Khan Azad.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said in a statement that “no untoward situation of law and order has been reported at the polling station”.

    Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulated the President PML-N Shehbaz Sharif, for the win in PP-84 by-polls.

  • Govt will complete its term: CM Punjab

    Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar on Wednesday said that the government will definitely complete five years and the next general elections will be held in 2023. Talking to Punjab cabinet members and Punjab Assembly parliamentarians, CM Punjab said that Punjab is significantly ahead of all other provinces. Buzdar said that the politics of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is over. He added that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is spending money on backward areas as well, and not just Lahore. “People only want development and prosperity, the PTI government is pursuing equal development of every city,” added Buzdar.

    CM Punjab’s statement comes a day after analyst Sabir Shakir’s video went viral on social media where Shakir claims that the government will not complete its tenure and new elections will be held soon.

    PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb said that this (new election) is the need of the hour. The country is facing high inflation and the people are suffering under the governance of PTI, She said.

  • How electoral reforms will affect you

    How electoral reforms will affect you

    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said the federal cabinet had approved two ordinances pertaining to the reforms in the country’s electoral system. The said electoral reforms consist of four parts; electronic voting machines (EVMs), e-voting for overseas Pakistanis, use of biometric authentication, and legislation,” the minister informed.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1389548245496500229

    Out of the approved ordinances, one is in relevance to the electronic voting, whereas the other aims to facilitate overseas Pakistani voters. The ordinance authorizes the Election Commission to use the EVM machine. However, Fawad Chaudhry added, PML-N and PPP are reluctant on providing this EVM facility to the overseas Pakistanis.

    He emphasized that the government has fulfilled its responsibility regarding legislation on the subject. “Technological work is to be done on biometric and e-voting,” Fawad added.

    Fawad said that after the ordinance, it is up to the ECP to include overseas Pakistanis in the voting process.

    The move comes after PPP’s NA-249 by-election victory, which was declared a “stolen” election by the PML-N.

    It also comes after PM extended an invitation to Opposition parties to sit down with the government and work on electoral reforms so elections can be made fair and transparent for all.

  • ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

    ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

     Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen on Monday said that lawmakers of the ‘Tareen group’ had a fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tareen said his group expressed their concerns and were assured of justice. He said that PM has assured them that he would himself look into the case and justice will be done. Pro-Tareen lawmakers met PM Imran last week.

    Tareen also denied being in touch with either the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    The Tareen group will decide on what course of action to take after Eid. Senator Ali Zafar was tasked by the PM to ensure that a fair inquiry is being conducted in Tareen’s case and there is no discrimination. Sources say that Senator Ali Zafar has met FIA and the investigating team as well as Tareen’s lawyers and accountants to hear their side of the story. After Eid, once Zafar completes his inquiry, the JKT group will decide how to move forward.

    The PTI leader and his son Ali Tareen were granted an extension in bail from a Lahore banking court in the sugar scandal case. The court ordered the FIA to complete its investigation as soon as possible and submit an inquiry report. Tareen said that the probe against him had been going on for a year and he has provided hundreds of thousands of documents to the court. He said he has never run away from investigation but believes that there is no truth to this case.

  • PM Imran asks for electoral reforms, again

    Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter on Saturday to say that his government wants to “bring transparency and credibility to our elections”. The NA-249 by-election has become controversial after rigging allegations against the winning Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    In a series of tweets, the PM said: “All parties are crying foul and claiming rigging. The same happened in Daska and in Senate elections. In fact, apart from the 1970 election, in every election claims of rigging have raised doubts over the credibility of election results.”

    He further added, “In 2013 there were 133 NA constituencies’ disputes before election tribunals. We asked for an examination of just 4 constituencies’ votes & in all 4 riggings was established. But it took us a yr & a 126-days dharna to get a Judicial Commission that found over 40 faults in the conduct of elections.” PM added that unfortunately no substantive reforms were put in place. He tweeted that the use technology Electronic Voting Machines “are the only answer to reclaim credibility of elections”.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has now invited the Opposition to sit with the government and select from EVM [Electronic Voting Machines] models that are available to us in order to “restore our elections credibility”.

    The prime minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is determined. “We will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency and credibility to our elections and strengthen our democracy”.

    Miftah Ismail writes to ECP

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has written a letter to the chief election commissioner seeking a vote recount in the NA-249 by-election held on April 29 in Karachi.

    In the letter, Miftah wrote: “We did not receive results from more than 30 polling stations. We have serious concerns about the behaviour of some presiding officers.” He also added that many Form 45s were not signed and also asked for forensic audit of Form-45 with Whatsapp/RTS. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fixed the hearing for voting recount on May 4.

  • Dr Arif Alvi, wife open up on personal life, marriage

    President Dr Arif Alvi and First Lady Mrs Samina Arif Alvi recently opened up on their personal life, relationship dynamics and revealed how they got married.

    Appearing on Nida Yasir’s show, Dr Alvi and Mrs Samina shared that they are second cousins. When Yasir, in her typical style, asked if their marriage was an arranged or love, the president said that it was a “mix,” adding that they have an age difference of five years.

    President Alvi also shared that he would write letters to his wife after their marriage.

    Talking about their relationship dynamics, President Alvi and his wife shared that they joke around with each other at home but no one takes any offence. President Alvi said that he feels that Samina has a better sense of humour than him.

    “There are times when she objects to what I would wear and I’d ask her if I had ever criticised what she wore,” joked President Alvi to which Samina added that he never really listens to her.

    “We’ve been married for almost 50 years now and I have never asked her to change the way she dresses,” said the president to which Samina responded: “That’s because I always dress well.”

    Read more – Pakistani dramas are depressing, says First Lady Samina Alvi

    The couple have one son and three daughters together, all of who are married.

    Talking about their children, the duo said that while Samina did the personal grooming of the children, President Alvi looked after their studies.

    “It was from Grade 9 to 12 that I taught them,” said Dr Alvi, adding: “Samina was the one who groomed them otherwise.”

    “It was a big task to help our son with the studies,” said Samina. “I think because sons are the troublemakers. Daughters, on the other hand, are timider. They listen to whatever you tell them.”

    “We tried to make our children understand the importance of education to a point that the only thing they thought about was education,” said President Alvi. “That wasn’t what we wanted so we started focusing on other aspects as well. Even after our daughters were married, all they could think about was studying. I told them there was more to life than studying, raise your kids.”

    Meanwhile, President Alvi also gave viewers a glimpse into his childhood saying that growing up he was a very naughty child, according to his elder. He said that he deeply misses his school days adding that his father was very strict and he was very close to his mother.

  • PM’s meeting with pro-Tareen MPs: Hit or miss?

    PM’s meeting with pro-Tareen MPs: Hit or miss?

    A group of lawmakers supporting Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen have met Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and expressed their concerns regarding all action against Tareen.

    Speaking to reporters after their meeting in Islamabad, PTI MNA from Faislabad Raja Riaz said it was held in a “very cordial” atmosphere and that the premier had assured them that justice will be done “in every condition”.

    He said the prime minister had sought time to look into their concerns that Tareen was being victimised, promising that “all requirements of justice will be met”.

    The PTI group contended that PM’s advisor on Interior Shehzad Akbar was allegedly misusing the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Tareen and the mills of Khusro Bakhtiar and Haroon Akhtar were not made part of the investigation, reports said.

    Tareen group presented a charge sheet against Shahzad Akbar to the PM.

    Reports claimed that the prime minister directed Senator Ali Zafar to note all points raised by the Tareen group and said he himself would ensure that justice is done in Tareen’s case.

    Riaz and Nazir Chauhan told the media that prime minister had assured that justice would be done in any case and he would not allow anyone to abuse power.

    Riaz said that the premier has assured the group that he is “personally monitoring” the inquiry against Tareen and will see to it that justice is served.

    “The prime minister has asked for some time and Insha’Allah justice will be served,” the PTI leader added.

    In reply to a question, Riaz said that the group shared their reservations regarding Akbar, after which “the prime minister said he will not allow injustice to be done with anyone and that we should leave it to him and he takes responsibility”.

    Riaz clarified that the prime minister has not “acknowledged” that Akbar has meted out “unfair treatment” to Tareen, but the group has simply shared their concerns and the premier has assured them of looking into it.

    The PTI MNA claimed that the prime minister said: “You are all my allies. Even those who are opposed to me, I wish to tell them, no one will be treated unfairly and justice will be done.”