Millions of farmers in South Punjab face difficulties as the government, although it set the price of wheat at Rs 3,900 per maund, hasn’t started buying it yet. On the other hand, the price of wheat in the local market is also very low, even though the harvesting season is ending in the South Punjab region.
Farmers feel trapped with tough choices on both sides in this situation.
Umar Cheema, a senior investigative reporter for The News, recently stated on Geo News, “We are not ready to believe that a person [General Bajwa] is speaking the truth under oath, but are still discussing the words of a person [Imran Khan] who has a track record of lying and running away.”
Cheema was talking about a recent report that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bajwa took an oath on the Holy Quran that he did not conspire against Imran Khan.
“All those parties which are considered very close to the establishment did not get any clear dictation whether they should vote for or against then Prime Minister Imran Khan in the 2022 Vote of No Confidence (VoNC) against him,” Cheema pointed out.
According to the reporter, the [establishment] way of pressurising and harassing is well known which was absent during the VoNC.
Moreover, he commented that Bilawal Bhutto asserted, “General Bajwa informed me that Imran Khan is prepared to dissolve the assembly if the Vote of No Confidence is withdrawn.”
Umar Cheema said that if he [Gen Bajwa] did conspire against Imran Khan then he would have no need to tell this to Bhutto.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Rana Sanaullah proposed a ‘reconciliation offer’ to imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan. He said that together, all parties can steer the country out of crisis.
On Geo News’ show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, the senior PML-N leader urged the founder of PTI to join the political discussion, stressing that the weak economy ‘can’t handle more political tension’.
He asked Khan to, “take the matter to a logical conclusion.” The former interior minister said the PTI founder was not even “ready to sit or talk” with anyone.
Referring to the results of Sunday’s by-polls, the PML-N leader said, “PTI’s supporters and voters did not come out of their homes due to his [Imran Khan] stubbornness.”
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Rana Sanaullah, commenting on the recent by-polls, said that the low voter turnout is a big message for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
“PTI voters have not come out today [during by-elections],” Sanaullah claimed while speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan.
Sanaullah also said that any complaints regarding the election process should be brought before the relevant forums.
Stating that Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N used to raise complaints about the election results “within the system”, he said it was the former prime minister Imran Khan who always tried to “bulldoze” the system.
Rana Sanaullah expressed satisfaction over the by-polls and opined that voter turnout is usually low in by-polls.
Meanwhile, PTI’s leader Ali Muhammad Khan alleged that these by-polls were rigged the same way as the February 8 general elections.
Furthermore, the PTI member expressed satisfaction with the election results of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
A video emerged over the weekend on social media of a man, seemingly a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter, waving a poster with Imran Khan’s picture inside the holiest Muslim site- The Ka’ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The footage was shared by a user on X, formerly Twitter while condemning his actions.
Originally, the video was posted on Tiktok by a PTI supporter, Jameelrehmani24, himself displaying the poster at the holy site.
Social media reactions were mixed with some users saying there is nothing wrong with doing so and others condemning the move.
Interestingly in 2018, two Indian nationals were held by Saudi authorities for waving and taking pictures with the tri-colour Indian flag inside the Kaaba in Mecca.
Following the incident, the Consulate General of India in Jeddah released a statement that it is illegal to display flags in the area.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and supporters celebrated on Sunday as they won most of the seats in the April 21 by-elections as per the unofficial results so far.
PML-N claimed that, according to unofficial results, the party has won two seats out of the five National Assembly seats, and 10 provincial assembly seats out of 16.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid have won one seat each in the provincial assemblies.
Adnan Afzal Chattha from PML-N won the PP-36 Wazirabad seat against Fayyaz Chattha from PTI.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad council candidate Chaudhry Moonis Elahi are competing in the by-polls from PP-158.
Chaudhry Moonis Elahi is the son of the former chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Earlier in March, an appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed Moonis Elahi to contest by-polls.
On Saturday, the federal government approved the deployment of Army and civil armed forces to maintain the law and order situation during by-polls set to take place in multiple districts tomorrow.
Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces troops will perform duties as a rapid response force, Geo reported on Saturday.
On April 17, social media was in an uproar with the news of Advisor to the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Mashal Yousafzai requesting the government for luxury cars worth more than Rs 27 million on provincial government’s expenditure.
Social media users were quick to criticise the move as the government is implementing austerity measures due to poor economic environment.
Geo News reported on the issue, led by their Peshawar reporter Nadia Saboohi who sent Yousafzai messages on whatsapp to ask about her version. Soon after Geo reported on the story, Yousafzai alleged in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Saboohi tried to extort money from her and when Yousafzai refused to give in, ‘propaganda’ was done against her.
The Current spoke with Saboohi to find out what happened.
“I had access to the document detailing the request for luxury cars, but since there are many fake documents on social media, I waited to get a confirmation from the relevant authorities about the authenticity of the document,” Saboohi said over the phone. “After the document was authenticated by proper authorities, I reached out to advisor sahiba for an explanation and her point of view.”
Interestingly, according to the document, Yousafzai had asked for a Toyota Fortuner for herself, listed at a price of over Rs. 1.7 crore and a KIA Sportage for her secretary worth Rs. 73 lakhs.
DOCUMENT
Saboohi remarked that she simply asked the advisor for her perspective, saying that she also asked if the move was wise in such a difficult economic climate, adding that “Even advisor sahiba’s own department has not paid seven to eight hundred employees their salaries.”
Saboohi also pointed out that the Chief Minister of KP Ali Amin Gandapur, implemented an austerity program and no government official is allowed to get any new cars or go abroad for medical treatment.
“In the beginning of our conversation, advisor sahiba flatly denied the existence of any such summary,” Saboohi recalled, “When she was sent the document, she changed her statement and said, ‘This summary is from March 29 and I stopped it.’”
When Geo News broke the story, it went viral, generating immense backlash against Yousafzai. The advisor then tweeted that she had taken back the request for luxury cars.
TWEET
But the issue did not die down. Yousafzai took to X again and criticised the journalist and posted a serious allegation on X against Saboohi.
‘You’re taking money from the ‘boys’ and Muazzam Butt,” read Yousafzai’s tweet.
She also posted screenshots of the conversation she had with the journalist and revealed Saboohi’s phone number to the public. However, in the screenshots posted in her tweet, there is no evidence that Saboohi had extorted money from the advisor.
Yousafzai later deleted the tweet.
Deleted Tweet
“I made it clear to advisor sahiba that, being a journalist, I have no interest in taking sides,” Saboohi said. “I also told her that I have no personal grudge against you but the story was important to break because given the tough socio-economic environment the people of KP are facing, people deserved to know that luxury vehicles might be purchased using taxpayers’ money.”
According to Saboohi, Yousafza has issues within her own party, specifically with senior advocate Muazzam Butt in Insaf Lawyers Forum. Butt was also mentioned in the tweet against Saboohi, as someone who Yousafzai alleged, was paying off the journalist. Yousafzai said to Saboohi, “Because Muazzam was unable to become the advocate general so he started propaganda against me with your help.”
Saboohi said that it was her job as a journalist to report stories about the government in KP and the CM had said that he wanted news outlets to openly report and criticise his government’s actions if needed. In return, “[Yousafzai] released my contact information on social media just because she didn’t approve of my story”.
KP GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE
“The CM house rejected the summary when it was sent to them as told by the CM social media wing representative Yar Muhammad Niazi,” revealed Saboohi. Niazi told her that the document might have been circulated but it was always going to be rejected.
Saboohi also pointed out that the advisor neither holds the authority to send such a document nor put a stop to it because the ministry belongs to CM.
“The spokesperson of KPK government, Barrister Saif, said that the document was given by Yousafzai in her individual capacity, when I asked him about the issue,” Saboohi said, “after which I asked him if that meant that any common person can request the government to buy them cars? Because this was an official government document”.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Khyber Union of Journalists Peshawar Press Club condemned the advisor for making unsubstantiated remarks and sharing the female journalist’s information on social media.
According to Saboohi, a Jirga in her community has also vowed to support her, adding that, “anyone is welcome to prove these kinds of allegations in her entire 26 years of career.”
Peshawar Press Club had given Yousafzai 24 hours to delete the tweet or provide evidence of her claims. Yousafzai has since deleted that tweet.
When asked about problems she’s faced due to her contact information being publicised by the KPK official, Saboohi remarked, “I am facing a lot of harassment and threats due to this and she [Yousafzai] is responsible for this.”
SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSE
Interestingly, PTI supporters on X are also criticising the advisor on her tweet.
The Current has reached out to Yousafzai for her version of the story and a comment and have not heard back yet.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub Khan has declared the head of state, Asif Ali Zardari, “illegal” after the President’s first speech in parliament on Thursday.
Zardari stressed the importance of meaningful dialogue between political parties to reduce the political crisis in Pakistan in his speech.
The PTI leader raised questions on Article 41 of the Constitution, which states that a President is a representative of the federation, pointing out that Asif Ali Zardari hasn’t resigned as co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as of yet.
“Law is being violated in this House,” the PTI leader said that he tried to raise a point being a leader of the opposition, but he was denied the floor.
“As per the law, the floor is given to the opposition leader whenever he asks,” he added.
On the other hand, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also criticized him, saying that “We do not recognize this president [Zardari]. [Not only this president, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the entire cabinet are also illegal.”