Tag: Qamar Zaman Kaira

  • PPP will not join coalition government, confirms Qamar Zaman Kaira

    PPP will not join coalition government, confirms Qamar Zaman Kaira

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira has denied media reports that his party will join a coalition government, terming them “baseless.”

    Rumors about PPP joining the treasury benches emerged after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal’s meetings with Kaira and Chief Minister Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti.

    Kaira claimed while talking to Geo News that he met with Ahsan Iqbal and discussed his constituency’s developmental projects.

    “I did not discuss anything about joining the government with Ahsan Iqbal,” Kaira said.

  • PM Shehbaz invites PPP to join extended cabinet

    PM Shehbaz invites PPP to join extended cabinet

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to extend the federal cabinet after the budget and invited Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) once again to join the cabinet, The News reported on Wednesday.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior political leaders and members of allied parties will be included in the extended cabinet.

    Shehbaz Sharif has started working on enlisting new cabinet members, inviting PPP to join the government to work together for the betterment of the country.

    PML-N has given the task to its senior leader, Ahsan Iqbal. He as already talked to Chief Minister Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti and PPP’s trusted leader Qamar Zaman Kaira.

    After the elections, PPP decided against becoming part of the cabinet.

    However, the party does hold constitutional and parliamentary posts.

  • Qamar Zaman Kaira to be next Governor of Punjab?

    Qamar Zaman Kaira to be next Governor of Punjab?

    The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated stalwart loyalist Qamar Zaman Kaira and two other party leaders for the post of governor of Punjab as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has agreed to form a coalition government with the PPP, The News has reported on Monday.

    Sources have told The News that the names of Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood and Chaudhry Riaz are also in consideration for the post of Governor.

    However, the PPP is currently holding consultations for the post of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governor, as the party will announce the names of their candidates for both positions after the presidential elections, which are going to be held on March 9.

    The development comes after both parties reached an agreement to form a coalition government in the centre, wherein the PPP, with its 54 National Assembly seats, agreed to support the PML-N in government formation after none of the parties managed to secure a simple majority in the lower house in the February 8 general elections.

  • PPP is all set to conquer Punjab and Sindh

    PPP is all set to conquer Punjab and Sindh

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari formally initiated his election campaign from NA-127 Lahore on Thursday.

    The party aims to leverage the perceived political vacuum created by the establishment in Pakistan.

    With the main rival, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), still deliberating on ticket allocations for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), PPP leaders have been actively canvassing for votes in their respective constituencies.

    According to the party’s central Punjab chief, a majority of aspiring candidates have already received confirmation regarding ticket allocations, making the official announcement a mere formality.

    PPP has unveiled its 10-point agenda as part of its manifesto, with the official manifesto set to be revealed in the coming days, as announced by the party’s information secretary.

    In contrast, PML-N, despite forming a manifesto committee over a month ago, has not made any public announcements regarding its plans.

    The recent introduction of an online portal by PML-N to gather public input on its manifesto suggests that the process is not in its advanced stages.

    Bilawal, who will contest elections from three constituencies, including NA-127 Lahore and the party stronghold Larkana, visited his election office at Green Town in Lahore to formally launch the campaign.

    During his election campaign trail, he would address rallies in Faisalabad (Jan 11), Layah (Jan 12), Bahawalpur (Jan 13), Balochistan’s Naseerabad (Jan 14), Sindh’s Larkana (Jan 15), Qambar Shahdadkot (Jan 16) Badin and Sanghar (Jan 17), Nowshero Feroz and Dadu (Jan 18), Rahim Yar Khan (Jan 19) Kot Daud (Jan 20), Lahore (Jan 21), Chiniot (Jan 23), Sarghoda (Jan 24), Lala Musa (Jan 25) Multan (Jan 26), Peshawar (Jan 27) , Rawalpindi (Jan 28), Kurram (Jan 29), DI Khan (Jan 30), Malakand (Jan 31), Khuzdar (Feb 1), Kashmor and Shikarpur (Feb 2) Mirpurkhas (Feb 3), Hyderabad (Jan 4) and his second last rally as per schedule would be in Karachi (Jan 5).

    The decision to contest from Lahore is seen as a strategic move, countering PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to contest from Karachi NA-242.

    The PPP aims to secure NA-127 Lahore, building on the momentum gained from the December 2021 by-election results, where the party’s candidate secured significant votes. The move is also seen as an effort to mitigate the risk of a complete loss for the party in Punjab.

    The party sees the absence of PTI from the political arena as a golden opportunity to capitalize on anti-PML-N votes. The PML-N is expected to issue the NA-127 ticket to its Deputy General Secretary Ata Tarar.

    Meanwhile, Mayor Murtaza Wahab asserted that the people of Karachi demonstrated their support for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the local government elections held on January 15, 2023, citing the party’s perceived capability to address the city’s issues.

    The mayor expressed these sentiments during the ‘Meeting the Editors’ program organized by the Council of Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on Thursday.

    “We worked for the resolution of the issues of the people of Karachi with sincerity. The development work will continue. People think that the next government will be of the PPP as they see Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as a viable leader,” the mayor said.

    Wahab attributed the success of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the local government elections to the boycott by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

  • PPP nominates Bilawal as party’s candidate for prime ministership

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has nominated its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the party’s candidate for the position of prime minister in the upcoming general election set to take place on February 8, The News reported on Thursday.

    The PPP’s top decision-making body took a decision in the meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) on Wednesday at Bilawal House in Lahore.

    The former foreign minister is also contesting the election from NA-127 Lahore, where he will be in competition with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shaista Pervaiz Malik.

    The CEC meeting also discussed the party election manifesto, where it was determined that jobs, health, education, and the empowerment of women and youth will be prioritised.

    All party leaders in the CEC meeting showed confidence in the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

    PPP leaders, including Secretary General Taj Haider, Syed Khursheed Shah, Rana Farooq Saeed Khan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Samina Khalid Ghurki, Murad Ali Shah, Chaudhry Aslam Gill and Zulfikar Ali Bader were present at the meeting.

  • How politicians are reacting to election date

    How politicians are reacting to election date

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) that general elections will take place on February 11, 2024. Different political leaders of multiple political parties reacted to the announcement of election date.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira told SAMMA TV that the announcement of the election date has helped to end uncertainty in Pakistan politics.

    “The date announcement was necessary so political parties could start the political process. In fact, the PPP has launched the electoral campaign process. Let’s end the uncertainty,” Kaira said.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer, Barristor Syed Ali Zafar, said in a tweet that, “Supreme Court has said once date of election given it will be written in stone and shall not be changed. After the meeting between President and ECP, the date will be announced hopefully today. This could be a historic and game changing decision by SC. Constitution is supreme.”

    On the other hand, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) declared the announcement of election’s date a good development.

    PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair said that it’s a good thing that ECP is conducting elections on February 11, 2024.

    “There was uncertainty related to the election in the country. It is written very clearly in the constitution regarding the election,” he said.

    Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah also said that his party is ready for elections. “Now the ECP has told the apex court that elections will be held on February 11,” he added.

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) also stated that conducting elections is a responsibility of ECP. MQM-P’s leader, Amin ul Haq, said that the election date announcement is a good omen and would take the country ahead.

  • Caretaker prime minister should be a politician: Qamar Zaman Kaira

    Caretaker prime minister should be a politician: Qamar Zaman Kaira

    Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Monday that the incoming caretaker prime minister should be a politician, adding that political people should be in political offices.

    The PPP leader gave the statement after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the government’s tenure is going to end next month, in August 2023.

    He also said, if the national assembly dissolves before time, then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will fix a date in the next 90 days for general elections. On the other hand, if the government completes its tenure, the Election Commission of Pakistan will be bound to conduct an election in 60 days.

    The senior PPP leader has said that political offices can only be run by politicians.

    He added that the most elevated political office of the country is that of prime minister. “If a judge, general, bureaucrat, technocrat, journalist, or any corporate sector employee is appointed to it, it will be a disgrace to the post and cannot work.”

    He further asked, “Can I be appointed, on the seat of a judge in a high court or the Supreme Court is vacant? How will I be able to do justice there?”

  • ‘Mujhe gaali dega, mai uskay jawab mein thapar maaroonga usko’: PPP’s Kaira’s argument with journalist Kazmi

    ‘Mujhe gaali dega, mai uskay jawab mein thapar maaroonga usko’: PPP’s Kaira’s argument with journalist Kazmi

    Adviser to Prime Minister (PM) for Kashmir & Gilgit Baltistan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, in a verbal argument with journalist Athar Kazmi said that no one has the right to verbally abuse him.

    Speaking on Samaa News’ programme, ‘Meray Sawal with Mansoor Ali Khan’, Kaira said, “If someone verbally abuses me, I will slap them in return.”

    The panel of guests, which included Athar Kazmi, was discussing how families should be excluded from political criticism. Kaira argued that it was highly inappropriate to drag families into the criticism. Kazmi went on to say that it is inappropriate but not a crime.

    Kaira shrugged the point off, telling Kazmi not to become partisan while following someone. Kazmi added that one should be patient in arguments, to which Kaira responded, “I do not give anyone the right to abuse me.”

    Kazmi then posed a question, asking where it was written in the law or in the constitution that one could file a case against someone for verbally abusing them? Anchorperson Mansoor Ali Khan interjected and said it was possible.

    Kaira responded, “Defamation can be both civil and criminal. An FIR followed by an arrest can happen in such a case.”

  • ‘He cannot make accusations every time his wife has a dream’: Bilawal roars at Khan for accusations on his father

    ‘He cannot make accusations every time his wife has a dream’: Bilawal roars at Khan for accusations on his father

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to task for the allegations he made against Asif Ali Zardari.

    Tweeting from his official account, the foreign minister minced no words while responding to Imran Khan’s statement that former President Asif Ali Zardari was plotting to assassinate him.

    Bilawal wrote that after terrorist outfits called him and his party out by name in direct threats, Imran Khan has now made false accusations against his father.

    “These statements increase threats to my father, my family and my party. We take them seriously given our history,” tweeted Bilawal, whose mother, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a terrorist attack in 2007.

    “We are exploring legal responses to Imran latest defamatory and dangerous accusations. In the past he threatened my father that he was ‘in the crosshairs of his gun’. His and his associates history as both sympathisers and facilitators of terrorists are well documented”, said Bilawal.

    “Imran must realize every time his wife has a dream he cannot just come on tv and make accusations about people. Her dreams won’t stand up in court,” said Bilawal taking a jibe at the former First Lady, Bushra Bibi.

    “His latest accusation that my family has any association to a terrorist organization or that we would employ them to cause him harm not only defies logic but exposes us all to an increased threat.”

    Stating that PPP will challenge Imran, Bilawal said that populist fiction cannot be allowed to dominate our discourse, poison our politics and damage our democracy. “We will not tolerate being victims of terrorist and put up with propaganda from their political front men.”

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “Imran Niazi’s baseless & dangerous allegations against former President Asif Ali Zardari are not only irresponsible but also conform to a pattern of conspiracy theories meant to spread venom against his political opponents.”

    “Such nonsensical rhetoric is an attempt to remain politically relevant. The whole nation knows how he has used politics of hatred to divide the society for the sake of power.”

    Adviser to the Prime Minister, Qamar Zaman Kaira, also responded to Imran Khan’s accusations, stating that PPP will not let Imran Khan off the hook for alleging that former Asif Ali Zardari plotted to kill him.

    Imran Khan had alleged on Friday in a televised speech that PPP Co-Chairman Zardari was plotting and financing an assassination attempt for which the ex-president had hired terrorists.

    Kaira, a PPP stalwart, rejected the allegations as “atrocious”. He said that the allegations had gone beyond lies, promising that PPP won’t spare Imran Khan.

    “A former prime minister talks about his alleged assassination plan. The court should order an investigation. If his allegations are genuine, then those responsible should be brought to the book. If the allegations are proven untrue, Imran should be punished,” said Kaira while speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Sath.

    PPP leader Kasim Gillani also spoke up tweeting, “The absolutely vile, slanderous and defamatory allegations by Imran Khan against President Asif Zardari will be responded to robustly and legally.”

    Khan had claimed that four people orchestrated a plan “behind closed doors” to assassinate him.

    “I got to know about it and then I recorded a video explaining the attack. In a public rally, I announced that I would release the video if something happened to me. They stepped back after this,” said Khan.

    Without naming anyone again, Khan said that another plan was made to have me killed by a religious extremist — hinting towards the November 3, 2022, Wazirabad attack, where he was shot in the legs and is still recovering from the injuries.

    “Now, there’s a Plan C. Asif Zardari is behind it. He has amassed a lot of money through corruption, invested that money with terrorists and hired a militant organisation.”

  • PPP’s Kaira reveals why Imran Khan is no longer his favourite cricketer

    PPP’s Kaira reveals why Imran Khan is no longer his favourite cricketer

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that Imran Khan was his favorite cricketer but when Khan got involved in politics, Khan broke all his dreams.

    The PPP leader was invited to the Geo News programme ‘Jashan-e-Cricket’ with actor Eshal Fayyaz and talked about several things.

    Kaira added that the young cricketers are doing real good and that Babar Azam is leading the team really well. In his opinion, wicket-keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is a great batter as well and Shaheen Shah is doing really well.

    PPP leader Kaira further said that PPP needs to do a lot in Punjab.

    On another question about PPP’s stake in Lahore, he said that 25-30% of the people would think that Lahore’s government could belong to PPP.