Tag: PTI

  • ‘Mere aziz hum watno’: Shahid Khaqan says today’s situation is complete script for martial law

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and seasoned politician Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has warned of the possibility of martial law in Pakistan, citing political polarisation and economic crisis.

    Speaking on Dawn News‘ English show ‘Spotlight’, Khaqan said that the country “has never witnessed a more severe economic and political situation before. In much less severe circumstances the military has taken over.”

    The former Prime Minister (PM) hoped that the military isn’t considering taking over Pakistan, however, he said that “when they are left with no choice then the old famous speech, ‘mere aiziz hum watno’, if you read the situation today it’s a complete script for a speech like that.”

    He clarified that if the army were to take over, it would make things worse instead of doing any good.

    “When the system fails, when there is no interaction between the institutions, and when there is a conflict between them, then martial law always remains a possibility”, he said.

    He stressed the importance of dialogue and strong leadership but stated that the environment has become so toxic that even the parliament doesn’t discuss national issues.

    According to him, elections are not the kind of solution they used to be in the past.

    Pointing out that dialogues were supposed to have a purpose, Abbasi stated if they benefited only one political party, they would defeat their purpose. “If the intent is just to decide a date for the elections or the political benefits of one, it’s not a proper dialogue.”

    “Dialogue in media is all about abusing each other”, said the politician.

    According to him, it is unfortunate that his own party isn’t ready for dialogue. He said that he fears today that even the “youth has become delusional with this whole system” adding that Pakistanis themselves don’t recognise the potential of their country.

    At the last, he again stressed the responsibility of leadership, and that they should try to step in.

  • Audio leak: Chief Justice’s mother-in-law discusses martial law possibilities with PTI lawyer’s wife

    Audio leak: Chief Justice’s mother-in-law discusses martial law possibilities with PTI lawyer’s wife

    Amid the ongoing discussion on the controversial suo moto taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, an alleged audio leak of a call made by his mother-in-law Mahjabeen Noon has come to light.

    In an audio leak that surfaced on the internet on Sunday, Noon can be heard talking to Pakistan-e-Tehreek Insaf (PTI) lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim’s wife, Rafia Tariq, about her concerns regarding CJP Bandial’s safety. Tariq then assured her that the party is with the CJP as many people have been praying for him.

    The two women purportedly also discussed the possibility of martial law being imposed if early elections were not held in Punjab.

    The transcript of the audio is as follows:

    Mahjabeen: Hello Rafia, what is going to happen? I have been praying for Umar [Ata Bandial] since last night, I can’t tell you [how much I] have been praying since the morning.

    Rafia Tariq: I have told people as well and sent a message to Umar. I said that I was present at the Lahore rally. Hundreds of thousands people were there. Similarly, there are hundreds of thousands people in every city. And you just try to estimate how much the world is praying for you right now, which will [increase] your strength and your safety.

    Rafia Tariq: No no, his safety is a must.

    Mahjabeen: Weaken them and strengthen them.

    Rafia: May Allah make the others blind. That’s what I am saying. They are traitors of this country. Look at the way they are doing this.

    Mahjabeen: Exactly. But now they are saying why has he got the authority to do it.

    Rafia: No, but no, no, no.

    Mahjabeen: They are deliberately giving an advantage by putting other things there now.

    Rafia: There is no other thing.

    Mahjabeen: And also questioning why has suo motu been taken by him.

    Rafia: That’s his right.

    Mahjabeen: Umar hasn’t been given this right [suo motu], it had happened earlier.

    Rafia: No, but it’s the right of every chief justice. If you have to change the law then change them in your […vella] not at this time

    Mahjabeen: No, but they can’t change them now.

    Rafia: Not now. They can change it later but not now. The law is there.

    Mahjabeen: Law is there. Exactly.

    Rafia: Yeah. Exactly. [inaudible]

    Mahjabeen: [I told his wife and kids] You don’t come at all. You stay with Umar. He needs you at this moment.

    Rafia: No. Not even Naveen should come and I have told Iman that she should stay with her father all the time.

    Mahjabeen: Yeah, exactly.

    Rafia: At night, I… at night.. at night I sent something to them both, him and Muneeb. Do you know what he sent me [back]? The face that you make while biting the tongue. He was telling me to be careful. Why should I be careful? Why?

    Mahjabeen: May elections be held at the earliest.

    Rafia: Elections… see if they don’t happen then assume there will be martial law. They [govt] cannot stay that’s it.

    Mahjabeen: They are not even ready to impose martial law.

    Rafia: They are ready.

    The audio has sparked controversy in Pakistan, with many people including the general public expressing concern about the political and judicial implications of the alleged conversation.

    It is unclear at this time whether the audio is authentic or fabricated.

    Reactions by the politicians:

    Reacting to the alleged audio leak, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that his party has repeatedly asked the Supreme Court to look into the matter.

    Fawad, in his tweet, mentioned that “such illegal phone tapping is punishable by up to three years in prison under the fair trial law.”

    In a statement on Twitter, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz expressed concern that decisions were being made based on the likes and dislikes of wives and mothers-in-law, rather than on the basis of the constitution and law.

  • Gen Bajwa advised me to dissolve assemblies: Khan

    Gen Bajwa advised me to dissolve assemblies: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has admitted that he dissolved the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on advice from former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    “In a meeting with General Bajwa held in the presence of President Dr Arif Alvi, he [Gen Bajwa] said that if you want elections, dissolve your governments,” said Khan while talking on ARY News programme, ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’.

    Khan had earlier made multiple accusations against the former army chief, including the allegation that he had conspired to remove PTI government at the center.

    The former prime minister further said, “General Bajwa and the [premier intelligence] agency knew that the current rulers had stolen the money from the national kitty and taken it abroad. Despite knowing this, General Bajwa was willing to give them NRO as he had planned an extension [for himself].”

    “If you have an ideology, you can’t convince yourself to give NRO to these people,” added Khan.

    He also revealed that a leader from the Middle East had told him a year ago that Bajwa was not supporting him any longer.

    Khan went on to say that they [coalition government] are running away from elections.

    During the interview, Imran Khan also suggested that polls can take place in July if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dissolves the National Assembly — the lower house of parliament.

    “Elections can be held in July if the prime minister dissolves the assembly,” the ousted premier said.

    He also stressed that caretaker governments in both Punjab and KP — the provinces where Khan’s party was in power before he decided to dissolve its two assemblies on January 14 and 18, respectively — are illegal after the lapse of their stipulated term.

    “The caretaker government’s tenure is over already, it has become illegal,” the deposed premier said. He demanded the caretaker government be abolished and a new “neutral” interim setup be instated.

    He added that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has given May 14 as the date for Punjab polls and his party won’t let the government extend polling day beyond that.

    “If they think they [incumbent government] will pressurise the Supreme Court, we will not let it happen. They will create scandals about the top court to run away from elections,” he said.

  • Judges mein bol chaal khatam, ghar se iftariyaan waapis kardi, claims journalist

    Senior court reporter Hasnaat Malik has claimed that the differences between the Supreme Court (SC) judges have reached the point of no return.

    Speaking to Journalist Absa Komal on Dawn News programme ‘News Eye’, the journalist said, “Bol chaal khatam ho gai hai, iftariyaan bheji judges ne aik dosry ke ghar woh wapis kardi gai “(They aren’t on talking terms, the judges even returned iftaris which they sent to each other’s homes).

    Malik also revealed that arguments have also taken place in person between the senior judges and that consensus is impossible at the moment.

    Hasnaat Malik said that seven judges are on one side while the other eight are on another, pointing out that the fight is about absolute power given to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial as one side wants to regulate his authority.

    He said that as of yet CJP has unquestionable power in the SC and he can do whatever he wants in cases or matters related to benches.

    It is pertinent to mention that questions related to the supreme power given to CJP Bandial were raised when election suo moto was taken by him despite the opposition by many senior judges including the next CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Since then it has been widely speculated that judges aren’t happy with CJP Bandial.

  • Fear of operation at Zaman Park: Bushra Bibi writes letter to PM Shehbaz and interim CM Naqvi

    Former First Lady Bushra Bibi has written a letter to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and interim Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi.

    It is being reported that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s wife has sent the letter through her lawyers to the premier and caretaker CM due to fear of a government operation in Zaman Park on Eid.

    The letter states that a court order has been issued in the matter of the government conducting an operation at Imran’s Lahore residence. It further adds that a plan has been hatched to misinterpret the court order, while reminding the recipients that an operation has been conducted in the past despite court orders. The document warns that if an operation takes place in Zaman Park on Eid, then higher courts will be approached.

  • Oh, Punjab walon, Fawad Chaudhry suggests Buzdar can become chief minister again

    Oh, Punjab walon, Fawad Chaudhry suggests Buzdar can become chief minister again

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that he will be surprised to see Usman Buzdar as Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab again, however, he stressed that the decision will be up to the party chairman, Imran Khan.

    Talking to Journalist Kashif Abbasi on ARY News programme ‘Off the Record’, Fawad said: “What can I say,” when asked if Buzdar is the leading candidate for the slot. Chaudhry repeated himself again, saying that the decision will be made by Imran Khan.

    The PTI leader didn’t seem happy when asked that why he didn’t get a Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) party ticket from Imran Khan.

    It was revealed that senior leadership of the party, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Hammad Azhar, and Fawad, didn’t get party tickets for the upcoming Punjab election although it was widely speculated that they wanted one. Meanwhile, according to Fawad, both former CMs of Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi and Usman Buzdar, were given a ticket.

    “We should have gotten them”, Fawad said when asked about tickets. He also agreed that there are many party members who want to apply for the Punjab CM candidacy including Hammad Azhar and Shah Mahmood.

    Shahbaz Gill, who also didn’t get a MPA ticket, said that he and other leaders including Fawad and Hammad submitted papers for the provincial assembly, however, Khan decided not to give them tickets.

    However, he accepted Khan’s decision wholeheartedly, saying “I am not with Khan for the ticket and not for the position.”

    Khan’s social media focal person Azhar Mashwani also came forward to reveal that “many former federal ministers and MNAs of PTI wanted to contest elections on the Punjab Assembly seats as well.”

    However, according to Azhar, Khan decided that the “federal team will remain in the federation.”

  • PTI govt in Azad Kashmir gone, as region gets PDM-backed PM

    PTI govt in Azad Kashmir gone, as region gets PDM-backed PM

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-backed Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has been elected unopposed as the 15th Prime Minister (PM) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

    Haq won with a comfortable majority of 31 votes in the 52-strong Legislative Assembly in the wee hours of Thursday.

    Initially, the session was convened at 2pm on Wednesday, however, it got delayed amid hectic political manoeuvring. Consequently, a new election schedule was issued by the speaker late in the night with proceedings starting at 12:40am on Thursday.

    The election of the prime minister was triggered by the disqualification of Tanveer Ilyas of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) by the AJK High Court on April 11. Later, the decision was upheld by the region’s Supreme Court.

    After Imran, another PTI prime minister removed from power

    Earlier, PM of AJK Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was disqualified by a full bench of the region’s High Court on contempt of court charges.

    Ilyas is associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He assumed the office of PM in April 2022 and has been removed a year later, making him the first premier of the region to be removed in such a manner.

    Almost exactly a year ago, on April 10, his party chief and then-PM Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion.

    Ilyas had indirectly blamed the judiciary for affecting the functioning of his government and interfering in the domain of the executive through the grant of stay orders at an event in Islamabad.

    On April 14, 2022, AJK PM Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi tendered his resignation even before voting on the no-confidence motion against him could be held. Later, Ilyas was elected unopposed by the Assembly.

  • ‘Trying to update our software’: Khan says reign of terror controlled by other force, not PDM

    ‘Trying to update our software’: Khan says reign of terror controlled by other force, not PDM

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chair­man Imran Khan on Wednesday claimed that the “reign of terror” that his party was going through was not controlled by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) but by another force that sees itself as above the law.

    In a series of tweets Khan said, “The way we have descended into becoming a banana republic where there is no Rule of Law & only law of the jungle, it is clear that this reign of terror is not controlled by PDM puppets but by another force that sees itself totally above the law.”

    “Our ppl are abducted & afterwards sham FIRs are registered. As bail in one FIR is granted, another FIR pops up. I have over 145 FIRs against me. Its a circus of FIRs. My Bani Gala caretaker, my Zaman Park cook, our social media’s Mashwani, Waqas & my security incharge Ghumman – all abducted & tortured to try & update their software.”

    “Ali Amin got bail in one sham case, & another FIR popped up & now another one with police taking him to Lahore.”

    “Despite his falling ill on the way & being taken to hospital, he was removed from hospital before he had stabilised. Now total fascism prevails.”

  • Moonis bought benami Spanish properties on same day father Pervaiz Elahi became CM

    Chaudhry Moonis Elahi purchased several properties in Spain on the day his father, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, took oath as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab on July 27 last year.

    Writing for The News, Umer Cheema has revealed that this information has been obtained by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from Spanish authorities.

    Moonis confirmed holding benami properties in Spain, which includes an apartment, a Range Rover and a company among the newly made assets apart from a bank account and previously incorporated companies.

    Moonis admitted to their ownership and said he would declare them in his next year’s tax return. He said it was nothing more than a coincidence that the purchase of properties occurred on the day his father took the oath.

    National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore had written a letter to the authorities in Spain for an ongoing investigation of alleged corruption, looting and ill-gotten properties against the family.

    It has been found that Barcelo hotel in Barcelona is also owned by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi family, while another multi-story plaza is also said to be owned by Elahi family—with a person named Saqib Tahir appointed as caretaker, reports Samaa News.

    The Canary Islands in Spain are also said to be home to various historic buildings, plazas and orchards, owned by Eahi family.

    Moonis Elahi has recently started a taxi service in Barcelona by obtaining 250 taxi vehicles on bank lease.

    In Spain, Chaudhary Pervez is known as the frontman of the Elahi Family.

  • Citizen wants Supreme Court to remove President Alvi from office

    Citizen wants Supreme Court to remove President Alvi from office

    Chaudhry Muhammad Imtiaz has approached Supreme Court (SC) to seek the removal of President Dr Arif Alvi from his post.

    The citizen has said that Alvi is no longer eligible for the post of President and the top court should remove him from the post immediately.

    In a petition filed to the apex court, he further claimed that the president is from a political party and is biased.

    It further states that the president did not approve the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill, 2023 on the directions of his party chief Imran Khan. He also refused to sign the NAB Amendment Bill and the Islamabad Local Government Act.

    Hence, his refusal to fulfill constitutional duties shows that he is not fit for the office of the president, the citizen said.

    Last month, the apex court dismissed a petition filed seeking Alvi’s disqualification.

    At the time, the petitioner argued that the country is currently in crisis due to the appointment of an unqualified person as president.