Tag: Shehbaz Sharif

  • ‘Sub nay aapnay paison se ticket li hai’: Miftah Ismail on tax money for London trip

    ‘Sub nay aapnay paison se ticket li hai’: Miftah Ismail on tax money for London trip

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, in a video, has said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) delegation who is currently in London has gone at their own expense.

    Miftah said, “We all have come at our own expense and bought our airline tickets ourselves. Some of us have come in business class and some via economy and all have bought their own tickets.”

    “This is what Imran Khan does, he lies but we are living at our own expense in the hotel as well. We are not like PTI who move around on the government’s expenses,” said Miftah.

    PML-N’s visit received a lot of backlash from PML-N’s opponents to the general public. The timing of the PM and his top leadership’s visit to London is being questioned, with observers asking why such a trip is necessary when the country is in dire straits.

    The PML-N was criticised that the entire cabinet was going to meet a ‘corrupt and convicted’ person, that too on taxpayers’ money.

  • Khan’s ex-bestie now Shehbaz’s advisor on tourism

    Khan’s ex-bestie now Shehbaz’s advisor on tourism

    A key member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) Group, Awn Chaudhry has been appointed as an adviser on sports and tourism to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    President Arif Alvi approved the appointment of Chaudhry on the advice of PM Shehbaz.

    It has been reported that the newly-elected Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shehbaz has also decided to accommodate the JKT group in the provincial cabinet.

    CM Hamza recently met with Jahangir Tareen, who is back in Lahore from London. Tareen congratulated Hamza Shahbaz on being elected as CM.

  • PML-N’s agrees on not holding early elections

    PML-N’s agrees on not holding early elections

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with his key cabinet members and party leaders, had a meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and it has been decided that there will be no early elections and the main focus of the current government should be on providing economic relief to the masses and also taking tough but long-term economic decisions, reports The News.

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that PM Shehbaz and ministers in his delegation presented a full report on Pakistan’s socio-economic and political situation to Nawaz Sharif.

    Aurangzeb further stated that the meeting deliberated upon the IMF conditions and how the people of Pakistan were affected by them.

    Marriyum Aurangzeb said there was nothing surprising in the London meeting.

    “Nawaz Sharif is our Quaid. The meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif was long overdue. We have inherited today’s Pakistan in a written-off situation and we needed to review the whole situation to formulate a plan. This was a private delegation.”

    When asked about early elections, she said that the current government’s “mandate is till next year and we are here to give relief to the people of Pakistan. It’s the history of Nawaz Sharif to take Pakistan out of economic crisis and if there is one person who can deliver, that’s Shehbaz Sharif. Only the PML-N has the right strategy.”

  • ‘Enjoying free ride on tax money’: PM Shehbaz’s London visit receives criticism

    ‘Enjoying free ride on tax money’: PM Shehbaz’s London visit receives criticism

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and the senior leadership of the main government party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), have gone to London where they are due to meet with party supremo Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

     PM Shehbaz Sharif departed for London via a British Airways flight shortly after midnight. It is expected that he will remain in London for two to three days.

    The 10-member delegation consisting of PM Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Power Minister Khurram Dastagir, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Attaullah Tarar, among others have gone to London.

    Their visit has received a lot of backlash from PML-N’s opponents to the general public. The timing of the PM and his top leadership’s visit to London is being questioned, with observers asking why such a trip is necessary when the country is in dire straits.

    Former PM Imran Khan said in a jalsa in Jehlum on Tuesday that the entire cabinet was going to meet a ‘corrupt and convicted’ person, that too on taxpayers’ money.

    “This entire cabinet is going to London on your [tax] money — they won’t spend their own money.”

    Later Twitter reacted to the news when Deputy Secretary-General PML-N Attaullah Tarar shared a picture of the delegation visiting London.

  • ‘Chowkidaar nahin keh sakta ke neutral hain’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘Chowkidaar nahin keh sakta ke neutral hain’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking at a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) jalsa in Jhelum, said, “Jub daku is mulk pe hamla karde tou chowkidar yeh nahin keh sakta ke mai neutral hoon” [When thieves attacks the country, the guards of the country cannot say that they are neutral].”

    Chaudhry further said that the people of Jhelum demand from the ‘chowkidaars’ that they fulfill their duty and hold elections.

    After Chaudhry, former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan critisiced PM Shehbaz Sharif, calling him Mir Jafar and saying that he conspired with the Americans to topple his government.

    “Shehbaz Sharif, you are Mir Jafar, you betrayed Sirajud Daula in the same way you conspired with the Americans,” said the PTI chairman.

  • ‘Wasn’t the right time to go for Umrah’: Imran Khan

    ‘Wasn’t the right time to go for Umrah’: Imran Khan

    Addressing a gathering of party leaders in Islamabad, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said it was not the right time to go for Umrah.

    Khan while apparently taking a jibe at Shehbaz Sharif, also calls out his own party members for going on Umrah in the month of Ramzan, Khan said, “It was not the right time to go to Madina. Your every hour counts.”

    Khan questioned, “I am here, Don’t I want to go?”

    https://twitter.com/zafru1313/status/1523756087488311297?s=20&t=tAeicB_eEm8GzZNOA1Kc2w

    On a separate occasion, the former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said, “You will be answerable to Allah on the Day of Judgment. He will ask you did you support justice? Did you fight against oppression? Did you jihad against injustices? Did you protest against the imported government?”

    “You can’t say that you are neutral. He [Allah] has not allowed you that,” he stated while adding that only animals can be neutral.

  • Covid rise: PM orders reopening of National Command and Operation Center

    Covid rise: PM orders reopening of National Command and Operation Center

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate restoration of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) after Pakistan reports its first case of the Covid Omicron sub-variant. The NCOC was disbanded in March after covid cases were on the decline.

    According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s House, the premier took notice of the new variant of Omicron and its growing cases. “He has also sought a report from the National Institute of Health (NIH) over the current Covid-19 situation,” it said.

    https://twitter.com/PMO_PK/status/1523912826787667968?s=20&t=TXvYAouDrl9564PVgoXaQw

    Pakistan detected its first case of Omicron sub-variant on Tuesday.

    “NIH has detected the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. This new sub-variant is causing an increasing number of cases in different countries.” NIC also advised citizens to take preventive measures.

    NCOC, which was tackling Covid-19 in Pakistan, was shut down on March 31.

    On March 16, NCOC decided to lift all the Covid-19 related restrictions amid the decline in cases.

  • Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema removed by federal government

    Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema removed by federal government

    Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has been de-notified on Tuesday after President Arif Alvi’s rejection to approve Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s summary to remove Cheema from his post.

    President Alvi had conveyed to the prime minister that the Punjab governor cannot be removed without his approval.

    However, in contrast to the president’s rejection of the PM’s advice, the federal cabinet division issued a notification regarding the removal of Omar Cheema as governor of Punjab.

    “In terms of Article 101 and proviso to Article 48 (1) of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, read with serial No. 2D of schedule V-B to the Rules of Business, 1973 and the Prime Minister’s advice (s) rendered on 17-04-2022 and 01-05-2022 for removal of Governor of Punjab, Mr Omer Sarfraz Cheema ceases to hold the office of the Governor Punjab, with immediate effect,” the notification read.

    The Punjab Assembly speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi shall perform the functions of the governor till the appointment of an incumbent, in accordance with Article 104 of the Constitution.

    Cheema was appointed Punjab Governor by Imran Khan during his last days in power. 

  • Legal action to be taken against Imran’s anti-state speech, PM Shehbaz Sharif

    Legal action to be taken against Imran’s anti-state speech, PM Shehbaz Sharif

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has decided to take legal action against former PM Imran Khan’s speech during a rally in Abbottabad held on Sunday. PM Shehbaz termed Khan’s address a grand conspiracy against Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz said those concocting a narrative against national institutions were the real Mir Jaffars and Mir Sadiqs. He said the state of Pakistan, the Constitution of Pakistan, and the respected institutions of Pakistan were challenged by Imran Khan in Abbottabad on Sunday.

    Shehbaz said what Khan was doing could only be categorised as a conspiracy, not politics and this conspiracy was not against any political rivals but against the country.

    “Pakistan cannot be surrendered and compromised over one person’s ego, arrogance, and blatant lies. Imran first conspired to destroy the economy of the country and is now planning to trigger a civil war in Pakistan”, said the premier.

    PM Shehbaz pledged that these nefarious designs of Imran Khan would be crushed. “Imran is this era’s Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq who wants Pakistan to face the same fate as Libya and Iraq,” added Shehbaz.

    The premier went on to say that Imran Khan was digging holes in the very boat he is riding and biting the hand that feeds him.

    “The people of Pakistan, the Constitution, and the institutions of Pakistan are not slaves of Imran Niazi, nor can he hold them hostage.” He slammed Imran’s speech and said he would not be allowed to become the Hitler of Pakistan.

    ‘Extremely damaging’, army condemns practice of defamatory remarks about them

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a press release on Sunday, noted that “intensified and deliberate attempts have recently been made to drag Pakistan Armed Forces and their leadership by some political leaders, journalists and analysts into the ongoing political discourse in the country”.

    The military’s media wing termed this practice as “extremely damaging”.

    “This practice of unsubstantiated, defamatory and provocative statements/remarks is extremely damaging,” the ISPR condemned while adding that army takes “strong exception to such unlawful and unethical practices”.

    “These attempts are manifest through direct, insinuated, or nuanced references to the armed forces as well as their senior leadership, made by some political leaders, a few journalists and analysts on public forums and various communication platforms, including social media”, the statement reads.

    Moreover, it said that the army “expects all to abide by the law and keep the armed forces out of political discourse in the best interest of the country”.

    Since the episode of the removal of former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, on several occasions, the establishment has urged the public not to drag them into political matters and clearly said that there is no involvement from their side in politics.

    The statement came hours after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s statement about the concept of neutrality, saying that God hadn’t permitted human beings to remain neutral when the time comes to stand up for justice and support the good.

    This is not the first time that Khan has made such comments. He once claimed that only animals can stay neutral and that humans either side with good or evil.

  • Shahid Afridi responds to ‘criticism of Khan’ by PTI supporters

    Shahid Afridi responds to ‘criticism of Khan’ by PTI supporters

    Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi responded to social media criticism he has been receiving after he expressed his views about PTI’s government in a recent interview.

    In a video posted on YouTube with the caption, ‘Pakistan’s sovereignty above all’, Afridi said that he wanted to respond to “negative criticism” on social media. He started by saying that he is grateful that he was born in Pakistan and will continue to serve his country in every way that he can.

    Afridi stated he has always admired Imran Khan’s leadership in cricket and politics.

    “Imran Bhai is my ideal. I started cricket only because of him as Khan inspired me. He showed leadership in the 1992 World Cup and that’s why we won the World Cup.” Afridi also lauded Shaukat Khanum Hospital and said it is a huge contribution to our society by the former premier.

    “I have always said that whoever comes to power should complete five years in government. I have always praised Imran Khan as a leader but it’s my right to disagree with his policies and views. Do not convert difference of opinion into hatred. In a civilised society, difference of opinion is tolerated.”

    He also praised PTI government’s Sehat Card.

    “I spoke as a common Pakistani regardless of any political ideology,” he added. “when I congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming Prime Minister, I knew that I would be criticised for it. I didn’t do it due to any vested interest. Whoever becomes a leader of this country should be respected as he/she represents us all over the world.”

    Afridi also thanked and praised overseas Pakistanis.

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1522657700575907843?s=20&t=CRGRnGTIHNrGjT5jo24pFQ

    Previously, Afridi in an interview said Imran Khan committed numerous blunders during his time as Pakistan’s premier. He went on to say that Imran should own up to his mistakes and be held accountable for them. Afridi added that he and his family had high expectations for Imran Khan, but that he did not deliver.

    Social media users criticised Afridi for voicing his political opinion and congratulating Prime Minister Shebaz Shairf.