Tag: Shehbaz Sharif

  • ‘Modern-day Goebbels’: Shehbaz Sharif says Imran Khan has perfected art of lying

    ‘Modern-day Goebbels’: Shehbaz Sharif says Imran Khan has perfected art of lying

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has on Wednesday scathingly responded to a tweet by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan referring to the events of May 9, calling him a “modern-day Joseph Goebbels.”

    Goebbels was the chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, largely blamed for creating the narrative that led to World War II and the Holocaust.

    Imran Khan’s tweet, posted on Tuesday, said that the violent events that took place on May 9 were pre-planned.

    “If there is someone who deserves the title of modern-day Joseph Goebbels, chief propagandist for the German Nazi Party, is none other than Imran Khan. He is certainly perfecting the art of lying. How convenient of IK to forget how he incited his cult followers to violence over a span of one year! He called the Army and intelligence leadership names, exploited the people’s emotions through slogans of ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ & use of religious symbols & even administered oath of ‘Jihad’ to them,” wrote PM in the tweet.

    “As the State symbols & military installations came under attack at the hands of his goons, he refused to condemn violence, what to speak of urging the arsonists to stand down. His speeches & Twitter posts have enough evidence to refute his claims & establish a build-up to the events of May 9. As the facts have established so far, the PTI under his watch purposefully deployed violence as a policy. He can lie through his teeth. History doesn’t,” he added

    The National Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution demanding action against May 9 rioters under the Army Act.

    The resolution was moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

    The resolution demanded that all individuals involved in May 9 riots must immediately face legal repercussions, adding that members of the same party and its leaders were separating themselves from May 9 events.

  • Budget, May 9 top agendas during PM-COAS meeting

    Budget, May 9 top agendas during PM-COAS meeting

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday at PM house, right after the presentation of the federal budget, DAWN has reported.

    The National Assembly later passed a resolution right after the meeting that demands instant prosecution of the miscreants involved in the May 9 attack on state and military installations under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952.

    No communication about the meeting has been released but according to sources close to the Prime Minister, he did meet the COAS.

    Reportedly, the Geberal said that there will be no mercy for the planners, instigators and motivators involved in the May 9 riots and their cases will be tried under the Army Act. The meeting between the PM and COAS is also considered important in the backdrop of the recent fiscal budget presentation.

    In a tweet, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said, despite the domestic and global obstacles, budget 2023-2024 promises to turn things around and shape an unobstructed path for the country.

  • ‘Imran Khan deliberately disinforming local & foreign audiences with fake news’: Shehbaz Sharif

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has said in a tweet on Monday that Imran Khan openly and deliberately misinforms local and foreign audiences with fake news.

    “In his interviews with international media outlets, Imran Niazi is openly and deliberately disinforming local & foreign audiences by glib talk laced with fake news & plain misrepresentation.” wrote PM.

    “His expedient description of the post-May 9 events as ‘human rights abuses’ & ‘stifling of the right to political protest’ is not only misleading but aimed at manipulating and swaying opinion-makers outside the country,” he added.
    The PM further wrote that what PTI did on May 9 was “a brazen attack on the State of Pakistan, with malafide intent and sinister objectives.”

    “No country in the world would tolerate such an attempt at destroying its integrity. I assure everyone that the culprits are being dealt with under the law & that I will ensure that no rights violations take place. Every case will be dealt with due process under the law. Pakistan fully respects & is committed to all its constitutional and international obligations on human rights.”

    The tweet comes after Imran Khan said in an interview with Reuters on Saturday that he tried to contact the military for talks but got no response. He further said that he did not know why Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir is ‘fixated’ on sidelining him.

  • ‘Should be held accountable for militant actions’: PM says resounding no to negotiations with PTI

    ‘Should be held accountable for militant actions’: PM says resounding no to negotiations with PTI

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has refused to negotiate with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after Imran Khan constituted a committee to hold dialogue with the government. The PM, in a tweet referred to the events of May 9, stating that ‘anarchists and arsonists’ who attack state symbols do not qualify for dialogue.

    “Dialogue is deeply embedded in the political process, which helps democracy mature & evolve. Many political & constitutional breakthroughs occurred when political leaders sat across the table to craft a consensus,” he tweeted.
    “However, there is a major difference here, the anarchists & arsonists who wear the garb of politicians and attack the symbols of the State do not qualify for a dialogue. They should rather be held to account for their militant actions. This is the prevalent practice even in developed democracies,” the tweet added.

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday, while talking about the possibility of negotiating with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said that negotiations with Imran Khan can be held if he took “corrective measures: apologises to the nation, admits his mistake and promises not to do anything like May 9 in the future.”

    Imran Khan on May 27 constituted a seven-member negotiation committee for talks with the incumbent government over elections.

  • Karachi needs Shehbaz Speed: BBZ

    Karachi needs Shehbaz Speed: BBZ

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that Karachi needs Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s speed.

    Shehbaz Speed was a term popularly used for projects completed in a short duration when Sharif was the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab.

    While giving a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of K-IV project, Bilawal addressed PM Shehbaz, stating, “We are looking at you, you should form your own team to solve these problems being faced by Sindh including Karachi.”

    He added that the prime minister has the support of the two major parties of Sindh and all partners of the coalition government want to solve the problems of the country together. “When we all continue to work together, all of Pakistan’s problems can be solved,” he said.

    Talking about Karachi, he said that if the government pays attention to the metropolis according to its potential, then not only the IMF could bid farewell, but the whole nation could also stand on its own feet.

    About the May 9 episode, he warned that if serious crimes like setting fire to Jinnah House Lahore, demolishing martyrs’ memorials and attacking military installations are neglected, then running this country will become not only difficult but impossible. He also asked that if the conspiracy of May 9 events had been hatched either in Bilawal House, Raiwand or Nine Zero, what would have been the reaction to it.

    Bilawal said that when the police went to comply with the court notice in March this year, Zaman Park had been turned into a battleground. He added that even during PTI’s long march, participants had arms, but the government did not take action, adding that the Prime Minister could have banned PTI on the basis of foreign funding case and Al-Qadir Trust case if he wanted. “But we didn’t want the impression of political vendetta and setting a bad precedent,” he said.

  • Miscreants who attacked army installations will face military court, says PM Shehbaz

    Miscreants who attacked army installations will face military court, says PM Shehbaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has announced that miscreants involved in attacks on army installations and civil properties during the violent protests if May 9, will be tried in military courts and anti-terrorism courts (ATCs).

    Chairing a meeting on the law and order situation in Lahore on Sunday, PM Shehbaz said everyone who is involved in incidents of May 9 will be dealt with an iron hand.

    He added that the day will always be remembered as a “black day” in the history of Pakistan. He went on to say that the rioters “turned into enemies of the country” and carried out the attack on the GHQ.

    After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest, his supporters came out on the streets and allegedly attacked army installations which included Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

  • No evidence of corruption against Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana housing scheme case: NAB

    No evidence of corruption against Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana housing scheme case: NAB

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has found no evidence against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif in a case pertaining to Ashiana
    Housing scheme.

    The NAB report highlighted that Shehbaz Sharif did not derive any personal benefits from the Ashiana Housing project.

    The watchdog’s report also cleared Kamran Kiyani, brother of former army chief General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, of any wrongdoing in government treasury accounts.

    The report concluded that the accountability court should decide on Shehbaz Sharif’s plea for acquittal according to the law.

  • Neither martial law nor emergency, army and govt clear rumours

    Neither martial law nor emergency, army and govt clear rumours

    Amid the violent protests and political chaos, many political commentators feared that either the army will take over or an emergency would be imposed by the government.

    However, federal ministers and Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry laid the rumors to rest on Friday evening.

    Talking on Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the DG ISPR said that the imposition of martial law is out of the question as the whole army wholeheartedly supports democracy and will continue to do so.

    In response to unverified reports that army officers have resigned due to the ongoing chaos, the spokesperson snubbed the speculations, categorically stating that not one person had resigned.

    After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters attacked army installations, the ISPR said that May 9, 2023, would go down in history as a “dark chapter”.

    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb also rebutted news regarding the “imposition of emergency” in the country.

    “The reports circulating in the media regarding the imposition of emergency in the country are baseless,” she said, adding that no such decision was taken in the meeting of the Federal Cabinet, the minister said in news statement.

    The information minister urged the media to verify facts before airing or publishing any news.

    A day earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that an emergency is a constitutional option but there is no chance of imposing martial law.

    According to media reports, the cabinet proposed an emergency to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif but no final decision took place.

  • Imran Khan spent more than 11 billion on foreign tours during his three-year tenure

    Imran Khan spent more than 11 billion on foreign tours during his three-year tenure

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan along with his delegations spent more than Rs11 billion on foreign tours during his three-year term as the head of government.

    The figure includes all foreign trips taken by Khan until March 2022. The total amount spent on these trips adds up to Rs11.15 billion.

    During the first year of Imran Khan’s tenure, he and his delegation spent more than two billion while in the first year in government PM Shehbaz Sharif spent more than one billion.

    The total budget allocation in the financial year 2022-23 for foreign tours is Rs2.86 billion.

  • Washington doc leak says Pakistan doesn’t want to appease West anymore

    Washington doc leak says Pakistan doesn’t want to appease West anymore

    Several documents regarding the declining support of key allied countries to the United States (US) have been leaked, a report published by Washington Post has stated.

    According to one of the leaked documents, Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, argued in March that her country can “no longer try to maintain a middle ground between China and the United States.”

    In an internal memo she titled “Pakistan’s Difficult Choices,” Khar cautioned that Islamabad should avoid giving the appearance of appeasing the West. She said that in order to preserve Pakistan’s partnership with the United States, the country will be sacrificing the full benefits of a “real strategic” partnership with China.

    According to another leaked document, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s aide ask him to remain neutral in the Ukraine conflict because it could jeopardise the country’s ties with Russia.

    India, likewise, appeared to avoid taking sides between Washington and Moscow during a conversation on February 22 between Indian national security adviser Ajit Kumar Doval and his Russian counterpart, Nikolay Patrushev, another of the leaked documents indicates.

    The leaked documents have surfaced when the US is no longer the unchallenged sole superpower in the world, as its former allies make strategic ties with China and Russia while the Middle East goes through its own course correction as former rivals reconcile with deals brokered by China.