Tag: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

  • ‘Want to meet your father, go where Section 144 is imposed and get arrested’: LHC’s judge’s reply to Zain Qureshi

    ‘Want to meet your father, go where Section 144 is imposed and get arrested’: LHC’s judge’s reply to Zain Qureshi

    During a hearing on the petition filed for the recovery of the jailed leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the courtroom in Lahore High Court (LHC) burst into laughter as the judge gave a hilarious response to Zain Qureshi, son of Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

    During the hearing, the court inquired from the lawyer of the petitioner why his clients were arrested, to which the lawyer said that they had started Jail Bharro Tehreek (voluntary arrest movement). Justice Shahram then asked the lawyers that why they were “playing with the courts”, to which the lawyer said that these were symbolic arrests. “We are not asking for bail, we have come to the court to protect their rights.”

    The response promoted laughter in the court, on which the judge said, “You were saying yourself to arrest him, now if he is arrested, what is the urgency?”

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s son, Zain Qureshi, also appeared in the court and said in his statement, “I was not arrested but my father was arrested, they are not allowing me to meet him.”

    Justice Shahram instructed Zain Qureshi to go to the place where Section 144 is imposed. “You will be arrested and then you will be able to meet your father too.”

  • Nawaz Sharif was taken out of power unconstitutionally, says Qureshi

    Nawaz Sharif was taken out of power unconstitutionally, says Qureshi

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has acknowledged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif was removed from power unconstitutionally.

    Speaking with journalist Meher Bokhari, Qureshi said that PTI believed that Sharif would have learned from what happened to him and would not have repeated the same thing.

    “These experiments have not worked in the last 75 years. We were expecting that what he [Nawaz Sharif] went through as a leader, he would have learned from it and taken up a new attitude in politics,” said Qureshi.

    “If someone is removed unconstitutionally from power, a democratic mind will not accept it,” added Qureshi.

    It is pertinent to mention here, that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was removed as the prime minister in April, 2022 through a vote of no-confidence.

  • ‘Imran se mil ke dosti ka ailaan kareinge’: Gen Faiz convinced Modi to visit Pakistan in 2021, claims Javed Chaudhry

    Journalist Javed Chaudhry continues with bringing inside details of the working of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government in his column. In the fourth part of the series published today, Chaudhry alleges that in 2020 the establishment had convinced Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to visit Pakistan, and former Bahawalpur corps commander Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed played a significant role in arranging the proposed trip.

    The journalist writes that in this regard Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, who was then the head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) met Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and both agreed upon Modi visiting Pakistan on April 9, 2021.

    All the details of the trip had been planned out. Modi would have first visited the Hinglaj Mata Mandir in Balochistan and on his way back home he would have met Imran Khan who was Prime Minister. Chaudhry said that it was planned that “Modi would shake hands with Khan and declare peace between the two countries and opening of trade”.

    Continuing with the sensational claims, the journalist writes that both leaders would announce that there will be no interference or terrorist activities from both countries. At the time, Modi was of the view that both countries would sit together after 20 years to decide about the future of India-occupied Kashmir.

    However, this tour was cancelled because Khan—on the advice of his foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi—backed out. Chaudhry writes that Qureshi scared Khan by telling him it would give a perception to the masses that he [Khan] has compromised on Kashmir.

    Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed helped Khan in confidence motion

    According to the journalist, the establishment helped Khan throughout the confidence motion that Imran voluntarily announced he will take, right after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani defeated PTI’s Hafeez Sheikh in the senate elections. Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed ensured full numbers for PTI so Khan could win the motion. Calls and visits were made to ensure that disgruntled MNAs voted in favour of Khan.

    Moreover, the journalist writes that as per his sources, Khan advised showing leniency towards former President and co-chairman of PPP, Asif Ali Zardari, from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the court.

    LNG deal was ruined by Khan

    In the column, another detailed passage says that former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa admits that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz signed the best LNG deal with Qatar to ensure supplies for Pakistan during winters but it was ruined by Imran Khan.

    Chaudhry said that then-Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum, Nadeem Babar, asked for just three gas shipments from Qatar despite a one-time generous offer to take ‘as much as required’ amidst a looming gas crisis at home, so he could sell his own furnace oil.

    In another episode, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) caught a ship loaded with cheaply bought Iranian petrol. It was for none other than Babar. According to him, Khan was informed about it but chose to stay quiet.

    Also, prior to Nadeem’s appointment, Khan was warned by the establishment but he didnt listen.

    Babar isn’t in the country anymore but Pakistan is still paying the price of his decisions to serve his own interests, all because Imran wanted to retain him as his aide, writes Chaudhry in his column.

  • PTI submits petition to Supreme Court to look into attack on Imran Khan

    PTI submits petition to Supreme Court to look into attack on Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has on Monday approached five registries of the Supreme Court (SC) in different cities across the country to seek the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the assassination attack on PTI chief Imran Khan in Wazirabad, the secret recording of PTI Senator Azam Swati and his wife and the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya.

    In the plea filed in the Lahore registry, former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar is the applicant.

    The petition about the assassination attempt on Imran Khan maintains that following the incident, another “grave injustice” continues to fester as the police have “refused to register the FIR according to the request submitted by the complainant”.

    After the former Prime Minister was shot at during his party’s Long March, an First Information Report (FIR) was not registered. Imran Khan had nominated PM Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah and Major-General Faisal Naseer as the conspirators behind the firing incident. However, later, on the SC’s orders, an FIR was registered by the Punjab police on November 8. PTI rejected the report as it did not contain the names of the people whom Khan wanted to nominate.

    The petition also sought the formation of a judicial commission into the “illegal private video recording” of Senator Azam Swati and his wife which was allegedly recorded while they were staying at an official rest house in Quetta.

    Additionally, the party has also raised the matter of slain journalist Sharif’s murder with the court. The petition said it is crucial that an independent commission inquires about the circumstance that compelled Sharif to flee the country and eventually end up in Kenya.

    In a press conference after submitting the petition to the SC’s Lahore Registry, PTI Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi also made an announcement regarding the petitions.

    He hoped that the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, would consider his party’s pleas.

    In Karachi, PTI leaders Ali Zaidi and Imran Ismail along with other party members reached the SC registry to file the petition. Meanwhile, former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri and others moved the plea in Quetta.

    Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif had also written letters to the CJ to form judicial commissions on two issues — the attack on Khan and Arshad Sharif’s murder.

  • Asad Umar responds to viral video of heated conversation with Hammad Azhar

    Asad Umar responds to viral video of heated conversation with Hammad Azhar

    Senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Asad Umar, has issued a clarification after a video of him having a ‘heated’ conversation with his party fellow Hammad Azhar during the party’s long march went viral.

    In a tweet, Umar said that he was “Only angry because the generator had broken down”.

    “They are shocked to see yesterday’s Lahore show solidarity with their captain [Imran Khan] and determination for real freedom. There is a clip circulating about possible differences. I was only angry because the generator had broken down and the second one was taking longer to arrive,” he said.

    In the viral video, Umar can be seen having a ‘heated’ discussion with Azhar. PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the party’s vice president Shah Mahmood Qureshi can also be seen standing at the back.

    It was speculated that there may be a rift between Azhar and Umar but now the latter has put rest to the rumours.

  • FIA summons Shah Mahmood Qureshi to investigate Khan’s audio leaks about cipher

    FIA summons Shah Mahmood Qureshi to investigate Khan’s audio leaks about cipher

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned former Foreign Minister (FM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on November 1, to inquire about the conversation held between him, party Chairman Imran Khan and others on the cipher sent from Washington DC.

    Imran Khan has blamed the cipher and its contents for the ouster of his government through a Vote of No Confidence ( VoNC).

    The notice addressed to Qureshi states that “An inquiry team has been constituted by FIA on the directions of the federal cabinet to inquire into the matter of conversation of former PM Imran Khan, his political associates and Khan’s former Secretary, available on internet regarding Cypher message received from Parep, Washington.”

    “You are directed to appear in person before the inquiry team to record your version/statement”, it added.

    On September 28, an audio clip leaked on the internet in which Khan allegedly directed his then-principal secretary Azam Khan to, “Play with it [cipher]”.

    A few days later another audio clip surfaced in which Khan, when he was the prime minister, was directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public.

    Qureshi has been summoned to show up on November 1 (Tuesday) at 12pm.

    Former Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood was also summoned today (Friday) in this matter.

  • ‘Kis mulk se yeh letter aya hai, mai kisi ke moo se sun’na nahi chahta’: Khan

    ‘Kis mulk se yeh letter aya hai, mai kisi ke moo se sun’na nahi chahta’: Khan

    The season of leaks rages on in the country as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman’s part two of the first audio leak on the ‘cipher’ got released on Friday, September 30.

    The latest audio, reportedly featuring PTI’s Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Azam Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, can be heard below.

    The script of the second audio goes as follows:

    Imran Khan: “Okay Shah Jee [Shah Mahmood Qureshi] tomorrow we will be doing a meeting. Three of us [Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar] and the foreign secretary. In the meeting we will quietly write the minutes of the meeting. Azam is saying we will make the minutes…. and keep a photo copy of it.”

    Azam Khan: “This cipher came on the 8th or 9th March. It came on 8th March.”

    Imran Khan: “But the meeting took place on 7th. By no means will we be taking the name of Americans. So please, no one should take the country’s name on this issue. This is very important for all of you. I don’t want to hear the name of the country from where the letter came from any ones mouth.”

    Asad Umar: “Are you intentionally calling it a letter. This isn’t a letter, it is a transcript of the meeting.”

    Imran Khan: “It is the same thing, whether it be a meeting’s transcript of a letter. People wouldn’t have understood the transcript. You say [things] like this in your jalsa.”

    ‘Is par hi khelna hai’: Imran warns not to reveal United States involvement

    Khan in his first leaked audio, could be heard talking about the alleged foreign conspiracy against him with his then principal secretary Azam Khan.

    Khan discusses how to frame the narrative around the alleged conspiracy that resulted in the ouster of his government. He tells Azam Khan: ‘Iss par hi khelna hai’, without mentioning the name of the United States and they discuss how to form a team on the issue.

    The “cipher” lies at the heart of PTI’s claim that the US plotted with individuals within Pakistan to remove Khan from office. It is based on then-envoy Asad Majeed’s meeting with State Department employee Donald Lu..

    ‘Abhi toh khela hi nahi mai’: Imran Khan responds to new leaked audio

    Khan broke his silence on the leaked audio, and said that he has not played on the cipher yet.

    Khan in the new leaked audio, can be heard talking about the alleged foreign conspiracy against him with his then principal secretary Azam Khan.

    When asked who leaked the audio, Imran blamed Shehbaz Sharif.

    “It is good that the audio got leaked, I would say the cypher should also be leaked. So that everyone should come to know how big was that foreign conspiracy.”

    “Abhi toh khela hi nahi mai,” said Khan. Translation: I have not played with it yet and will play when they expose it.

  • ‘Kaptaan dar gaya, bhaag gaya’: Bilawal takes jibe at IK over PTI member withdrawal from by-election

    ‘Kaptaan dar gaya, bhaag gaya’: Bilawal takes jibe at IK over PTI member withdrawal from by-election

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson and the incumbent Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    Reacting to the PTI candidate Shakoor Shad’s resignation for NA-246, the PPP chairperson said, “IK running away from by-elections. Kaptaan dar gaya, Kaptaan bhagaya”. (Imran Khan is scared, he has run away.)

    Bhutto took to Twitter and termed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) postponement act as “special treatment” for Khan.

    In his tweet, Bilawal asked, “How long will Khan remain a favourite”, adding that PPP candidates from Multan and Karachi are frustrated by the sudden postponement of the by-elections in constituencies of Sindh and Punjab.

    Replying to him, PTI’s Meher Bano Qureshi accused Bhutto’s party of the postponement.

    “We aren’t the ones running away. Let’s go to the polls on the 11th as scheduled. Your government put in a request for the postponement. Maybe check with the allies before tweeting”, she said. Qureshi is contesting the by-elections from NA-157, Multan.

    PPP’s Syed Ali Musa Gillani also took to Twitter to express his reservation over the postponement. He said, “We are all set for the election on Sunday. This decision of ECP will not be acceptable. It is against the constitution. The people of the constituency must not be deprived of their representation. Polling staff has been nominated stations finalised.”

    “We will challenge if any notification is issued in this regard, delaying the election last minute”, he added.

    Gillani, son of former Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gillani, is contesting against Meher Bano Qureshi, the daughter of former Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on NA-157 in Multan.

    Earlier, the ECP announced its decision to postpone the by-election in 13 constituencies. The by-elections were set to be held on September 11, September 25, and October 2.

    By-elections on nine seats of the National Assembly were scheduled to be held on September 25, with Imran Khan contesting on all of them as PTI’s candidate.

    ECP has said that the decision to postpone the by-elections had been taken after getting feedback from the Ministry of Interior according to which Pakistan Army, Rangers, and the Frontier Corps are engaged in relief work for the flood-affected people, maintaining internal security, and thwarting out terrorist activities in the country.

  • Dynastic politics: PTI slammed for giving ticket to Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter

    Dynastic politics: PTI slammed for giving ticket to Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter Meher Bano Qureshi is contesting the upcoming by-polls for a National Assembly (NA) seat vacated by her brother Zain Qureshi.

    She will contest the election from NA-157, Multan. Addressing a press conference, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that they had filed nomination papers after the approval of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

    “Meher Bano has a sense of the next generation. If we want to get our country out of this difficult situation, then mothers and daughters have to play a role because a mother has more sense of what will be the future of her child.”

    Meher Bano said that she has been working with the social media team of PTI since 2018.

    “My father has chosen me to keep Imran Khan’s narrative alive, contrary to tradition.”

    However, in Multan, PTI workers came to protest against their own party’s candidate, Meher Bano Qureshi, outside the Election Commission office and raised slogans of disapproval for dynastic politics. They argued that Mahmood couldn’t find anyone within the party for the candidacy.

    “First Mahmood gave a party ticket to his son, now her to his daughter,” they complained.

    A local PTI member, Engineer Waseem, who was also a part of the protest, said that if the party does not give him a ticket, then he would contest the election as an independent candidate.

    People on social media are expressing their disappointment over PTI continuing with the tradition of dynastic politics.

    https://twitter.com/Zara75520916/status/1555522618228445184?s=20&t=nDRe3scpPcj4cUJJzB3taA

    https://twitter.com/__Mugal/status/1555581107739004929?s=20&t=nDRe3scpPcj4cUJJzB3taA

    Reacting to the backlash, Meher Bano tweeted: “I have come across so many spreading fake news, doctored images and posters and attributing false statements to me. I wonder if it would have been different had I been a man. Anyhow, happy to work hard and prove myself.”

    Shah Mahmood’s son Zain Qureshi won PP-217 in the Punjab by-polls held on July 17. After becoming a member of the Punjab Assembly, he vacated his NA seat. His sister will now contest the election for the NA seat vacated by him.

    PTI Chairman Imran Khan himself has condemned and attacked the Pakistan Muslim-League (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for dynastic politics on multiple occasions.

  • ‘Largest prison in the world’: Politicians condemn atrocities in occupied Kashmir

    ‘Largest prison in the world’: Politicians condemn atrocities in occupied Kashmir

    Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir is being observed today in Pakistan to mark the day when Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi revoked the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK). In violation of the United Nations (UN) resolutions and international law, India scrapped Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution that granted special autonomous status to IIOJK and imposed a military siege on the territory on August 5, 2019.

    Pakistani politicians expressed solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that India’s actions are “aimed at altering the demographic structure of the occupied territory”.

    “The Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been a battle of hope against overwhelming odds, of courage against fear and of sacrifice against tyranny.”

    The premier also paid tribute to the martyrs of IIOJK for their sacrifices and courage.

    “Pakistan will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle. We call upon international community to take practical steps to hold India accountable for its gross and widespread human rights violations in IIOJK and to facilitate a peaceful resolution of this long-standing dispute,” tweeted President Dr Arif Alvi.

    The president further added, “The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC Resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people is the only way to ensure durable peace and stability in the region.”

    “More than 1.5 billion people in the region deserve to see the dawn of peace and prosperity, which has been held hostage by India in IIOJK.”

    Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said that the Indian authorities assumed that their moves would crush the spirit of Kashmiri resistance “but the Kashmiris’ spirit of resistance became stronger and it continues to strengthen”.

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari released a video message on the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir.

    He said that the presence of the Indian troops has turned occupied Kashmir into the most militarised region in the world.

    “Over the past seven decades, three generations of Kashmiris have awaited for the world community and UN to honour their solemn commitment.”

    Former FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi called India a rogue state.

    “India continues to act as a rogue state with unrelenting violence in #IIOJK. Yet indigenous resistance movement for Kashmiri’s inalienable right to self-determination stands strong. Pakistan will always stand by ppl of Kashmir.”

    “Modi government has made IIJOK the largest prison in the world,” tweeted federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman.