Tag: PTI

  • ‘Increase in dollar rate benefits us as we only pay in rupees,’ says PTI minister

    ‘Increase in dollar rate benefits us as we only pay in rupees,’ says PTI minister

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai has said that the increase in dollar benefits Pakistan greatly as we only have to pay in rupees, not in dollars.

    While addressing the media on Wednesday, the KP minister said that the 3 billion rupees increase in Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project due to rupee devaluation has not affected the national treasury, as we have paid that amount from our savings.

    “The increase in dollar value has increased the cost of BRT by Rs3 billion and at the same time helped us save over Rs3 billion because we only have to pay that amount in rupees, not in dollars”, the minister said.

    Shaukat also said that all those saying that the rupee devaluation is going to increase the amout have no idea what they are talking about.

    Watch Video:

    Meanwhile, Peshawar metro bus project misses its 6th deadline

    The Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf (PTI) led KP government has missed its sixth deadline despite announcements by the KP information minister that the project would be completed in time.

    Shaukat Yousafzai had earlier claimed that the project would be completed in 2020 and people would start getting its benefits from next year.

    He also claimed that 87% work on the mega project has been completed, adding that 30 stations had been finalised, while work on the remaining 10 stations was underway.

    Earlier, the minister had said the project would be finished by December this year, but reports claimed that the flagship project of the PTI government was unlikely to be completed in December, citing completion of only 16 stations out of over 40.

    Moreover, three bus depots made for Peshawar BRT were reportedly also under construction.

    “Even 10 per cent work has not been done on the Haytabad bus depot. No work has been done on the route from Hayatabad to Karkhano Market,” claim reports.

  • Musharraf treason case: Special court refuses to obey IHC’s order to halt verdict

    Musharraf treason case: Special court refuses to obey IHC’s order to halt verdict

    The special court overseeing former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf’s high treason case has refused to accept Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order to halt the verdict due Thursday, a private media outlet reported Thursday.

    According to reports, the special court has said that they “are not bound to accept IHC’s order” that on Wednesday had stopped it from issuing a ruling in the case filed against Musharraf by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government for the imposition of an extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

    The special court was set to announce the ruling in the treason case Thursday, however, the IHC, which was hearing petitions filed by former president Musharraf and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to postpone it, had told the court to not announce the verdict just yet.

    It had also directed the special court to admit the arguments of all parties in the case before announcing the ruling and ensure a fair trial.

    MUSHARRAF TREASON CASE:

    The PML-N government had in 2013 filed the treason case against Musharraf over the president’s imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

    Earlier this year, head of the prosecution, Mohammad Akram Sheikh, tendered his resignation. In his resignation letter sent to the interior secretary, Sheikh expressed his inability to proceed with the case after the imminent change of government at the centre.

    Akram was appointed as the head of the prosecution in the case in November 2013, by the then ruling PML-N.

    Musharraf was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court and rejected all charges.

    On March 18, 2016, the former president left the country for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the exit control list (ECL) on the orders of the Supreme Court (SC).

    A few months later, the special court had declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his continuous inability to appear.

    Later, his passport and identity card were also cancelled on orders of the apex court.

  • PTI’s ally criticises govt over ‘messed up priorities’

    PTI’s ally criticises govt over ‘messed up priorities’

    Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) – a coalition partner of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Centre and Punjab – has criticised the ruling party for bringing the matter of former military ruler General Musharraf’s high treason case to fore again, Express Tribune reported.

    According to the details, Shujaat said that the common man would not benefit from the case even if it continues for five more years in the courts.

    “This [case] will also not help in controlling inflation, unemployment and other crises,” PML-Q leader said.

    He also said that his party was deliberating upon the option of moving the Supreme Court (SC) to identify those responsible for the rising inflation in the country.

    “It is important to identify the real culprit behind prevailing inflation, unemployment and other issues that have led the country to the current situation,” Shujaat said while addressing the media in Lahore on Tuesday.

    Shujaat asked, “Are previous governments responsible for these crises or is it the current one?”.

    The PML-Q chief said that all politicians who are betraying the general public by giving them false hope must be unmasked, adding that “We are consulting our legal advisers for moving the apex court so that those responsible for the current mess are identified”.

    On Monday, the government [prosecution in this case] petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to set aside the November 19 order of a special court trying Pervaiz Musharraf for “subverting the Constitution” in 2007.

    The move came on a day when a Lahore High Court (LHC) bench took up a similar plea filed by Musharraf, asking his attorney to argue on the maintainability of his client’s petition on Tuesday. It is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a former army chief has faced prosecution for high treason.

    Shujaat advised his coalition partners avoid fresh conundrums, asking that “Will they be able to control soaring tomato price even in next five years with such performance”.

  • Lawyer, ‘who moved court against Gen Bajwa’s extension’, found

    Lawyer, ‘who moved court against Gen Bajwa’s extension’, found

    The lawyer, Riaz Hanif Rahi who challenged the extension of Chief of Army Staff’s (COAS) tenure has been found. He earlier failed to appear in court on Tuesday nor anybody else had appeared on his behalf.

    In a recent video posted by journalist Baqir Sajjad on his Twitter account shows the petitioner appearing in court for hearing of the army chief’s extension case. Replying to the question about why he filed an application to withdraw his original petition against Gen Bajwa, he replied, “I have no personal grudge with anyone and highlighted the point as law demanded it”.

    https://twitter.com/baqirsajjad/status/1199554944099061765?s=21

    Riaz Rahi, however, refused to answer when asked: “If someone is pressurizing him to withdraw his original petition against COAS extension?”.

    The Jurist Foundation had earlier challenged Gen Bajwa’s reappointment through its counsel Riaz Hanif Rahi, requesting the apex court to declare it null and void, and illegal.

    When the court assembled on Tuesday, a hand-written application from the petitioner Riaz was submitted before the bench, seeking withdrawal of his petition. The chief justice (CJ) Asif Saeed Khosa remarked that the application was not accompanied by any affidavit and it was not known if the withdrawal of the petition was voluntarily.

    CJ Khosa later rejected the application against Gen Bajwa’s extension and took up the petition under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution as it involved a question of “public importance”.

  • Farrogh Naseem can go to jail for representing Gen Bajwa with a suspended licence: Pakistan Bar Council

    Farrogh Naseem can go to jail for representing Gen Bajwa with a suspended licence: Pakistan Bar Council

    Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Amjad Shah has said that Law Minister Farogh Naseem, who on Tuesday resigned from office to fight for an extension to the army chief in the Supreme Court (SC), cannot legally represent General Qamar Javed Bajwa because the minister’s practice licence was suspended by the council a few months ago.

    In a video tweeted by senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir, Shah said that if Farogh appeared in court to represent chief of the army staff (COAS) with his suspended licence, they would raise objections and anyone practising law with a suspended licence could face up to one-year imprisonment.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    According to the PBC, Naseem, having joined the federal cabinet as the law minister, was required to get his licence suspended under Rule 108-O of the Pakistan Legal Practitioners & Bar Councils Rules, 1976, but failed to do so.

    Moreover, another reason for the suspension of his licence was filing a reference against an honest top judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    The attorney general (AG) had subsequently quashed the PBC ruling. However, the council had said it was not AG’s jurisdiction to nullify the ruling. The former law minister will have to approach the council for renewal of his licence.

    Naseem’s resignation Tuesday came soon after a meeting of the federal cabinet. The meeting was summoned to discuss the petition filed by the Jurist Foundation against Gen Bajwa’s extension.

    The cabinet said it was a unanimous decision to give General Bajwa the extension for another three years. The participants of the meeting were of the view that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, being the chief executive of the country, had the authority to extend the army chief’s tenure.

    Earlier in the day, the SC had suspended the official notification extending the tenure of the army chief. The apex court said the AG was asked under which law an army chief’s tenure could be extended or he could be re-appointed. But the country’s top lawyer failed to explain it, the court added.

    WEDNESDAY’S HEARING:

    On Wednesday, a three-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, resumed hearing the petition challenging the extension of the COAS.

    Naseem submitted his power of attorney as the CJP Khosa asked AG Anwar Mansoor Khan if they had accepted the points raised by the court Tuesday.

    To this, the AG replied that they have not accepted the mistakes. “This is not a suo motu case, media did not understand it correctly,” CJP Khosa remarked. “We are hearing the case on the petition filed by Raiz Riahi.”

    He then asked the AG to present the summary approved by the federal cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday. “I informed the court yesterday as well that we are waiting for some ministers to respond on the extension notification,” the AG said.

    “If there is no answer, so we assume the answer is yes?” the CJP inquired.

    To this, the AG replied that according to the law, that is correct.

    The top judge then said that this course of action was only acceptable when the answer has to be given in a certain time period. “If this was an open mandate we would have let it go. The cabinet has accepted the mistakes that we pointed out,” he added.

    The attorney general then submitted the documents pertaining to Tuesday’s decisions by the federal cabinet to the court and the hearing was adjorned till 1 pm.

  • Nov 27: News you need to know before heading to work

    Nov 27: News you need to know before heading to work

    Law Minister Farogh Naseem resigns

    • Law Minister Farogh Naseem has resigned and will fight Chief Of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s case tomorrow (Wednesday), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers confirmed after an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet concluded on Tuesday. 
    • In a press conference today, federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed that Naseem had tendered his resignation during the cabinet meeting.  “Prime Minister Imran Khan has accepted Naseem’s resignation,” he said. 

    Cabinet approves new summary seeking Gen. Bajwa’s extension

    • The prime minister had called an emergency meeting of the cabinet for the second time during the day. 
    • The cabinet’s approval was sought for giving an extension to army chief General Bajwa after the Supreme Court had earlier suspended a notification over the same matter. 
    • An amendment in the Defence Act was approved by the cabinet. Reports claim that the new summary was sent to President Alvi for approval. 

    Opposition leaders reiterate demand for ‘transparent’ elections post APC meeting

    • In his address, Fazl said that the government should take up the holy quran-burning incident with the government of Norway.
    • Maulana Fazlur Rehman led all parties conference (APC) was held in Islamabad. The opposition parties are deliberating on the next course of action in their anti-government campaign.
    • Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal addressed the media after the session. 

  • ‘Petrol price is Rs75 per litre,’ says PTI leader Uzma Kardar

    Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf’s (PTI) MNA Uzma Kardar has said that petrol is being sold at Rs75 per litre in the country, which in reality is being sold at Rs114.24 per litre.

    Uzma Kardar said this while replying to a question of a reporter about petrol prices in Pakistan.

    This is not the first time any PTI leader has made a statement mentioning wrong prices of things in the country. A few days earlier finance advisor Abdul Hafeez and prime miniter’s aide Firdous Ashiq Awan, both in there statements mentioned wrong prices of Tomatoes and Peas (Matar) in Pakistan.

    Abdul Hafeez Sheikh had earlier claimed that tomatoes are being sold at Rs17 per kilogramme (kg). However, the fruit is being sold at as much as Rs320 per kg in the market as reported by citizens who bought groceries from multiple locations.

    Similarly, Firdous Ashiq Awan had earlier claimed that peas are being sold in the market for only Rs5 per kilogram.

  • Nov 26: News you need to know before heading to work

    Nov 26: News you need to know before heading to work

    PTI’s conscience clean in foreign-funding case: PM Imran

    • Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that the opposition was misleading the people in the foreign-funding case.
    • Speaking to his party’s spokespeople PM said, the PTI submitted all relevant details to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), noting that the leaders of two of the country’s biggest political parties made money through money-laundering.
    • Reacting to opposition’s call for APC he said they were doing so and protesting to mask their embarrassment. However, the people have rejected their protest.

    Nawaz to be admitted in hospital upon cardiologist’s advice

    • Dr Adnan Khan, has said that Professor Simon Redwood of the London Bridge Hospital had recommended hospital admission for the former prime minister to undergo angiogram followed by further intervention.
    • “Once he has gone through all haematological investigations, we will then have a clear picture of what is required next and what the exact treatment should be”, Dr Adnan added.

    Treason case: Musharraf, Govt file petition against special court’s verdict on Nov 28

    • The federal interior ministry and former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf both submitted pleas in the Islamabad High Court on Monday, requesting it to stop the special court from announcing its reserved verdict in the high treason case against the former army chief.
    • The special court, constituted to try the former military ruler for high treason, was set to announce its verdict on November 28. The IHC will hear the case on Tuesday.
    • The ministry in its plea has stated that the accusers to be tried with Pervez Musharraf were not included in the trial. The prosecution team was denotified on Oct 23, but it proceeded with the case on Oct 24 without having an authority in the matter.
  • Called off Azadi March after assurance of general elections in three months: Fazl

    Called off Azadi March after assurance of general elections in three months: Fazl

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman has disclosed the “conditions” upon which the opposition’s Azadi March sit-in was called off.

    “I was assured that a change would come in the month of December […] I was assured that new general elections would be held in the next three months,” Dunya News quoted Maulana Fazl as saying.

    JUI-F chief said that we need to wait “whether in-house change [in the parliament] is brought or the entire government is sent packing”.

    Meanwhile, Fazl has called multiparty conference (MPC) of the opposition parties on November 26 aimed at discussing next course of action against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Reports reveal that Fazl has invited several influential politicians including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Ahsan Iqbal and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, among other senior leaders of opposition parties.

    However, PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz has excused herself from attending the meeting due to health issues, including blood pressure and diabetes.

    The protests, led by JUI-F supremo, began with the ‘Azadi March’ on October 27 from Karachi. Thousands of supporters reached Islamabad on October 31, holding a two-week sit-in on the city’s main highway.

    Later on November 13, Fazl ordered his supporters to disperse across the country to block roads, in what he termed as ‘Plan B’ to topple Prime Minister Imran Khan.

  • ‘Imran is a mental patient,’ PML-N reacts to PM’s speeches

    ‘Imran is a mental patient,’ PML-N reacts to PM’s speeches

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan, referring to him as a ‘mental patient’, Geo News reported.

    According to the details, Marriyum while speaking to media on Friday said that after PM Imran today’s speech it was clear that he was a mental patient and needed to get himself checked.

    She said, “We’re convinced Imran Khan is a mental patient, he should get himself a medical examination.”

    PML-N spokesperson said that it was fortunate that Shehbaz Sharif was being compared to Nelson Mandela, addinf that Imran Khan had nothing to show for after five years of governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and one year in power at the federal level. 

    “The issue here is that the government’s performance is zero,” she said. “He should have spoken about how the Peshawar BRT cannot be completed even after five years.”

    Marriyum further said that a case against the prime minister should be filed for provocative speech.

    PM Imran on Monday, had said that when he saw the former premier Nawaz Sharif climbing the stairs of the plane he remembered the doctors’ reports, which said the patient ‘will be gone [forever]’ if not allowed to go abroad.

    Meanwhile, Senator Sherry Rehman has also criticised the premier for mimicking political rivals by saying that was all he was doing these days. 

    “Imran Khan has destroyed the country and now all he does is mimic his rivals,” she said, adding that “He should think before he speak–his words contradict his own stance.”

    She said that people were unable to find jobs in the country and the PM was saying that the economy was stabilising.

    On Monday, PM Imran had made fun of PPP’s Bilawal over the latter’s “rain theory”.

    Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Havelian-Thakot motorway under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he had mimicked Bilawal and said that his theory had startled scientists across the globe.