Tag: PTI

  • ‘Nawaz will oversee PML-N-led governments’: Maryam Nawaz

    ‘Nawaz will oversee PML-N-led governments’: Maryam Nawaz

    Maryam Nawaz, the Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), has dismissed speculations suggesting that party head Nawaz Sharif has withdrawn from active politics following his nomination of younger brother Shehbaz Sharif for the prime ministerial post.

    Maryam Nawaz has been nominated as the party’s candidate for Chief Minister of Punjab.

    In a statement shared on X (former Twitter), Maryam emphasized that Nawaz Sharif is poised to remain actively engaged in politics for the next five years. She declared that Nawaz Sharif will not only participate in political affairs but will also oversee the PML-N-led administrations in both Punjab and at the federal level.

    Addressing concerns over Nawaz Sharif’s future role, Maryam pointed out that her party has secured clear mandates in the three previous governments under Nawaz Sharif’s leadership.

    She highlighted Nawaz’s explicit stance during election speeches, affirming his intention to refrain from joining any coalition government.
    “… he has made it clear in his election speeches that he will not be a part of any coalition government.”
    She added that those who are aware of Nawaz’s nature know his principled stance.
    “Shehbaz Sharif and I are his soldiers, bound by his orders and will work under his leadership and supervision. May Allah grant us success. Ameen,” Maryam said.
    Maryam Nawaz’s statement comes amid widespread speculation regarding Nawaz Sharif’s political future, with many expressing disappointment over his decision to step back from the prime ministerial race in favor of Shehbaz Sharif.

    Former spokesperson for Nawaz Sharif, Mohammad Zubair, expressed his disappointment saying: “He was the one who inspired me to join politics. Whatever name I made in politics & positions earned were all due to his confidence. Sad to see him go like this. The votes N got were all due to him but the party did not do justice to him. Was this his last political battle?”

  • Jamat-e-Islami will not join hands with PTI to form government in centre

    Jamat-e-Islami will not join hands with PTI to form government in centre

    Jamat-e-Islami (JI) confirmed on Wednesday that they will not form a government with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), despite PTI-backed independent candidates leading with higher number of seats in the February 8 general elections.

    JI leader Amir Liaqat Baloch said while talking to Geo News that his party is not going to join hands with the PTI for the formation of a government in centre.

    “There is no reason for us to form an alliance with PTI only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” said Baloch, adding that talks with PTI were related to both governments — federal and provincial. 

    PTI leader Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that there is no point of forming a government with JI as it has no representative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
    A day earlier, the PTI founder said that his party will not talk with mainstream political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

  • Zardari might be our next president; Bilawal wants Murad as CM Sindh

    Zardari might be our next president; Bilawal wants Murad as CM Sindh

    In a recent development reported by Geo News, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has expressed his preference for Murad Ali Shah to serve as the Chief Minister of Sindh for the third consecutive term.

    Sources revealed that alongside Shah, other names under consideration for the Sindh CM post include Faryal Talpur, Nasir Hussain Shah, and Sharjeel Memon.

    It’s noted that some leaders within the PPP advocate for Faryal Talpur to potentially become Sindh’s first woman chief minister, adding an intriguing dynamic to the selection process.

    Furthermore, amidst political alliances forming in the country, a six-party coalition consisting of PML-N, PPP, MQMP, PML-Q, IPP, and BAP has been announced.

    This alliance, reminiscent of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), aims to form the next government at the federal level.

    Notably, Asif Ali Zardari, the former president, is expected to lead the country for the second time, pending the coalition’s success.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari affirmed PPP’s support for PML-N in electing its prime minister, though without direct involvement in the federal government.

    However, discussions surrounding key constitutional posts, including the National Assembly speaker, Senate chairman, and president, have ensued. Bilawal expressed his desire for Asif Ali Zardari to assume the presidency, citing the need for experienced leadership in addressing the country’s challenges.

    In addition to the presidency, PPP is reportedly eyeing the post of Balochistan chief minister, with Sarfraz Bugti briefing the party on the province’s political landscape.

    Sources suggest that PML-N leadership has agreed to support Zardari for the presidency in exchange for PPP’s backing of Shehbaz Sharif for the prime minister’s post, potentially shaping the future political landscape with a PML-N prime minister and a PPP president.

    Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Rana Sanaullah said PPP did not not demand the top constitutional post of president.
    In a statement, Sanaullah said that Shehbaz had experience of working with allies, while Asif Ali Zardari has the political acumen to take prudent decisions.

    He said that neither the PPP demanded the position of the president nor did they make any commitment. “We hope that [JUI-F chief] Fazlur Rehman will become part of the government,” he added.

  • ‘PTI can talk to all parties to solve country’s problems’; Ali Muhammad Khan offers olive branch

    ‘PTI can talk to all parties to solve country’s problems’; Ali Muhammad Khan offers olive branch

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-supported independent candidates are currently leading in numbers after the recent general elections. However, the party’s leadership seems unsure about their stance on discussions with other political parties in the context of forming a government in Islamabad.

    A day earlier, former Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his party will not talk to mainstream parties, including, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

    On the other hand, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan said in an interview with Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ that PTI can talk with all political parties to solve the country’s problems, offering an olive branch as opposed to his party’s hard-line stance.

    “We have no personal fight with these parties,” Ali said pointedly, adding that PTI is ready to sit with other political stakeholders, as soon as “tomorrow morning”.

  • Why Ali Amin Gandapur should NOT be Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister

    Why Ali Amin Gandapur should NOT be Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister

    Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and founding Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has nominated former federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur as the party’s candidate for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister post.

    But his nomination has sparked outcry on social media in the light of the atrocious allegations against him.

    In 2017, eight men stripped and paraded a teenage girl in Garahmat village of Daraban tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan.

    The incident took place on October 27 when a 16-year-old girl was stopped by men as she was on her way home. They then stripped her naked and forced her to walk in the village for an hour.

    The girl screamed for help but was ignored by witnesses who were “scared” to help her.

    She was allegedly ‘punished’ for her brother’s actions who, three years prior, had allegedly entered into a relationship with a girl from the village.

    PTI MNA Dawar Khan Kundi wrote a letter to Imran Khan, pointing out Gandapur’s — the-then Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Minister — involvement in enabling the incident.

    “I visited the family a week before and they asked, in fact, requested me to make sure that Ali Amin Gandapur, revenue minister KP, may be forced and asked to withdraw his support for the criminals,” Kundi wrote in the letter, dated November 8.

    Gandapur denied the allegations and visited the girl’s family, ensuring them that he will arrange her marriage and take any financial responsibility needed.

    On the contrary, the girl revealed that during her statement admission to the police, she was “threatened” which hindered her in giving all the details.

    “When I started recording my statement, the police officer didn’t write it correctly. Instead, he wrote only what he wanted to”, Geo news quoted her as saying.

    While on one hand Imran Khan posted on X (formerly Twitter) with regard to FIR filed against the perpetrators and the arrests, he, nonetheless, deemed the allegations against Gandapur as false and instead announced that he would expel Kundi from the party.

    Apart from his involvement in the case, he also has a reputation for foul language. To quote an example, in one of his addresses to the public, in reply to one of Maryam Nawaz’s comments, “Jaisa moun waisay thapar”, he said that she shall get “slapped” for the insights he has on her.

  • Ali Amin Gandapur will be Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister

    Ali Amin Gandapur will be Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister

    The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has told media that senior leader of his party and member of the provincial assembly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, will be the chief minister of the province.

    According to the results of general elections, PTI-backed candidates have a simple majority in the KP province.
    Imran Khan also said that his party is ready to talk with all parties except the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

  • After a not-so-victory victory, what is Nawaz thinking?

    After a not-so-victory victory, what is Nawaz thinking?

    The general elections of February 8 pulled many surprises, the least of which was Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managing to win the largest number of seats despite not having a symbol or even a party.

    But another surprise was the poor performance of supposed front runners, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Although the party managed to get 79 seats, it still fell way short of expectations.

    So what is the party thinking now? More importantly, what is party head Nawaz Sharif, welcomed back in October 2023 with much fanfare, going to do?

    According to veteran journalist Nusrat Javed, Nawaz is not going to do much. Talking on Public TV, Nusrat Javed said that Nawaz has shut himself off from nearly everyone and can only be enticed to come out for meeting major players, including Asif Ali Zardari. Nusrat Javed said that Nawaz is no longer interested in becoming a Prime Minister once again. “Mujhay kyon bullaya” is the mantra, said Nusrat Javed.

    However, a party insider told DAWN that Nawaz is still very much in the running for become the Prime Minister for a fourth term. “As of now, Nawaz Sharif has not been ruled out as a candidate for the PM’s slot. Since the PML-N has to lead the federal coalition, many within the Maryam Nawaz camp feel why shouldn’t [the elder Sharif] take the driving seat,” the insider told DAWN.

    The party’s senior leader and one of Nawaz’s close aided, Khwaja Asif, has said that the former Premier is not disappointed with the results of the election in which PML-N did not manage to get a simple majority, leaving it at the mercy of a buoyant PPP for forming the government.

    Talking on Geo News, Asif said, “We are aware of the shortcomings but will fulfil our promise of giving relief to the masses after coming into government.”

    He also expressed caution about the power-sharing formula that is being talked about, with PML-N ruling for three years and then PPP taking over for the remaining two.
    “It would be unwise to hand over the government to another party after bringing stability,” he remarked.

    So there you have it. What the PML-N ultimately decides to do is still unclear. Perhaps we will know more as the days unfold.

    ‘What a joke’; PTI’s Khosa on PMLN’s two PM plan

    PTI’s Latif Khosa, who won in Lahore against PML-N’s Khwaja Saad Rafique, has said that the only party poised to form the government is PTI as they are the clear winners of the February 8 general elections.

    Commenting on PML- N and PPP’s reported plan to ‘share the Prime Minister slot’ if they make an alliance, Khosa said, “What joke is being done with democracy?”

    “Who are they — who have been rejected by the people — to divide among themselves…No Assembly or Parliament can function without Imran Khan.”

    He also added that since PTI was a registered party, the winners should not be called Independents, should be given reserved seats and allowed to make the government with Imran Khan as their leader.

    Khan is currently in jail, serving sentences in three cases.

    Not a good idea to hand over government to another party after three difficult years:  Khawaja Asif

    PML-N senior leader and former defence minister Khawaja Asif has rebutted alleged claims that Nawaz Sharif was despondent after the February 8 election result not adding up in the party’s favour.

    While speaking with Shahzeb Khanzada on a Geo News program on Monday, Asif asserted that “We are aware of the shortcomings but will fulfil our promise of giving relief to the masses after coming into government. PTI is habitual of crying foul after every election,” adding that PPP has also accepted the results.

    He claimed that independent candidates are joining PML-N by choice and that the party is not offering them any bribes.

    A crucial meeting with MQM, according to Asif, went well. The veteran politician said that while Karachi has problems related to water and terrorism, Nawaz Sharif has solved the problems of the city before.

    He also stated that the party will make Punjab an example as to how the government should be run in the provinces while admitting to the shortcomings and promising to provide service and relief to the people.

    Pointing towards PTI, he said the party has a pattern of delaying every election. PPP, on the other hand, has accepted the election results and PML-N’s seats have started to increase, whereas independent candidates want to come join on their own.

  • Ali Amin Gandapur might be next Chief Minister KP and people are not happy

    Ali Amin Gandapur might be next Chief Minister KP and people are not happy

    Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) has secured the required majority in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to form its government for the third consecutive time in the province with the party’s provincial president, Ali Amin Gandapur, likely to become the chief minister.

    The possibility of Gandapur becoming the Premier of the province has triggered severe backlash on social media.

    On November 8, 2017, then PTI MNA Dawar Khan Kundi, wrote a letter to then-chairman PTI Imran Khan about an incident that took place in Dera Ismail Khan, the constituency of Ali Amin Gandapur.

    A young orphan girl was stripped and then paraded naked in a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa village after her brother allegedly held a pre-marital affair with somebody. During the incident, nobody helped or sheltered the girl.

    As per Dawar, the logistics and physical support to the criminals who stripped the young girl were all provided by PTI Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. In a letter written to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Kundi wrote, “I visited the family a week before and they asked, in fact, requested, me to make sure that Ali Amin Gandapur, Revenue minister K-P, may be forced and asked to withdraw his support from the criminals,”

    The letter further stated, “The notorious activities of Ali Amin Gandapur are a source of providing a bad name to the party as a whole,” Dawar wrote. “You must ask CM K-P Parvez Khattak to remove Gandapur from his ministerial portfolio and ask forgiveness from the bereaved family.”

    Dawar Khan Kundi concluded his letter to Imran Khan by saying, “It is the time that PTI should stand with that orphan girl and provide justice to her as soon as possible.” However Ali Amin Gandapur has vowed he had nothing to do with the incident, saying that if charges of his involvement are proved, he was ready to be hanged till death.

    Amid this, people are not happy with Ali Amin Gandapur being Chief Minister.

    X (former Twitter) user @faraz_lhr wrote, “In 2017, Gundapur facilitated suspects involved in stripping a girl naked. Later a jirga forced the victim family to reconcile. Last month, the 5 suspects were shot dead.”

    User Crucifiedrantsuser wrote, “If Ali Amin Gandapur can be CM KP than why not PMLN in Center. If it’s all about morals Then where are the morals. How pti will defend Ali Amin n we couldn’t defend pmln?What media sells isn’t right. For me media has no credibility after this. How they projected things is absurd.”

    User @AmmarRashidT user wrote, “Can’t think of a better way to demonstrate you’re the non-dynastic non-traditional party that can deliver competent governance than by appointing a thuggish dynast with a disturbingly violent past to the most important position in the province you govern.”

    User @vanillasky458 wrote, “Haven’t heard anything on this from a PTI official, but Gandapur should not be CM. PTI did not get go through this fight only to make mistakes we’ve called out other parties for. Hope Jhagra wins his seat, no better choice than him.”

  • Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Khan Marwat memes take social media by storm

    Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Khan Marwat memes take social media by storm

    Who knew that an unlikely pair of previously-unknown faces will become our desi version of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Or, our Pakistani version of Veeru and Jai?

    Millions of adult Pakistanis voted in the country’s recent general election despite disruptions like mobile service suspensions and delayed results. However, accusations of unfairness and uncertainty cloud the electoral process in 2024.
    Amidst this, people turned to the internet for humor, and memes. A photo, taken during a press conference, featuring PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Marwat has become all the rage. Marwat, known for his intense speeches, looks serious while Gohar appears calm.
    Check out these memes:

  • Party number game: what’s going on right now

    Party number game: what’s going on right now

    PTI will form a government in centre, says Barrister Gohar Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) acting chairman, Barrister Gohar Khan, has said that PTI will form the government in the centre. He also said that PTI-backed candidates are leading in the 2024 election, adding that according to Form 45 received by the party, PTI-supported candidates have won 170 National Assembly seats so far.

    He rejected the possibility of accepting PML-N head Nawaz Sharif’s offer to all parties to get together to form a government.

    MQM wants Shehbaz to come to Karachi to ‘manao’ them

    Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khalid Maqbool Siddique has asked former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to come to Karachi to discuss the post-election situation and the possibility of forming a coalition.
    According to the results of the 2024 elections, MQM-P has won 17 National Assembly (NA) seats, making it an important stakeholder in forming a government.

    Not in touch with the PTI Independents, waiting for all votes to be counted: Bilawal BhuttoPakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal avoided questions about forming an alliance with the PMLN or PTI-backed Independents, hinting that it isn’t going to be an easy process to make a PDM.

    The former Foreign Minister avoided questions about forming an alliance with the PMLN or PTI-backed Independents, hinting that it isn’t going to be an easy process to make a PDM version 2.0.

    Bilawal Bhutto said that the PPP is not in touch with the PTI-backed candidates but is waiting for all election results before it takes any decision, adding that PPP is not in the position right now to announce anything.

    The PPP chairman said that it is also important to see what independent candidates decide before making any major decision.

    PTI has not decided who will be its candidate for Prime Minister, although it should be Khan: Waleed IqbalPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Waleed Iqbal said, while talking to Geo News that PTI has not yet finalised its candidate for Prime Minister. He also said that, while he believes the candidate should be Imran Khan, the decision will be taken after consulting with the former prime minister.

    However, Khan cannot be a candidate for Prime Minister since he has been disqualified, did not run for election, and is currently serving a jail sentence in three cases.

    MQM heading to Lahore to meet NawazMuttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) delegation is heading to Lahore on the invitation of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for a post-election meeting.

    The delegation includes Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Farooq Sattar.

    Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari also met Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore.

    On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mariam Aurangzeb said that PML-N has no intention to talk to PTI-backed candidates to form a government.