Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz was on Wednesday caught visibly annoyed on camera when he expressed displeasure over his colleague and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s special assistant, Dr Shahbaz Gill, having an informal conversation with media persons.
In videos of the episode doing the rounds on social media, Faraz was seen asking Gill as to what he was doing.
“I was just giving them [journalists] economy-related points,” PM’s aide tells the government spokesperson over which the latter tells him that he was headed for the scheduled post-meeting presser.
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“If you want to talk to journalists, join me for the press conference,” the information minister can be heard as adding after saying that it was his job but Gill had been doing so for quite some time.
“I won’t join you [for the presser],” Gill says after continuing to explain for a while that he was only updating journalists on facts and figures regarding the country’s debts.
“Then don’t,” the information minister says and storms out, leaving Gill rather embarrassed in front of media persons.
It may be noted that Faraz is the third information minister after Fawad Chaudhry and Firdous Ashiq Awan, who discharged her duties as the pemier’s special assistant on information in the absence of a minister.
Gill, on the other hand, was called to centre after spending some time in Punjab as Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar’s spokesperson.
Weeks-old footage of Information Minister Shibli Faraz is making rounds on Twitter, in which the minister had claimed that the appointment of then Pakistan Television (PTV) chairman Naeem Bukhari was made in line with the Supreme Court verdict.
Faraz, who had appeared on the Hamid Mir show, had said that the appointment of Bukhari was in line with the court order. He had added that the government wouldn’t take any risks and make an appointment against the SC verdict in the Ataul Haq Qasmi case.
But, it seems the minister was lying through his teeth. Because a fortnight after the claim, an Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict had asked the federal cabinet to review the appointment of Bukhari because he was overaged for the post. The federal cabinet had subsequently removed him from the post.
In the clip, Hamid Mir had asked Faraz about the appointment of the PTV chairman, alluding to the plea in the high court that had questioned the qualification of Bukhari for the post.
At this, Faraz said that Bukhari was named as the PTV chairman after fulfilling all the requirements laid out by the top court in its judgement pertaining to the Ataul Haq Qasmi case. He also claimed that the journalist was being misled by some people who are making the appointment of Bukhari controversial.
BUKHARI BECOMES PTV CHAIRMAN:
In November 2020, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had notified Bukhari, who has a vast experience of doing TV programmes, as chairman of PTV. The appointment was made after a court ruling in Sept 2020 declared the appointments of PTV chairman Arshad Khan and independent members of the board of directors illegal while directing the government to fill the vacant slots in accordance with the law.
Bukhari, who has worked as an anchorperson and commentators on PTV for decades, had joined PTI in June 2016. At the time, he called Imran Khan the “only political leader who had the courage to speak the truth”. Bukhari also represented Imran when he went to the Supreme Court against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif following the Panama Papers leak.
The pleas that were later admitted by the apex court which disqualified Nawaz Sharif for being “dishonest” under Article 62 (1)(f).
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also hired the services of Bukhari as a special prosecutor to take up cases against close confidants of Sharif brothers — former Lahore Development Authority chief Ahad Cheema and former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad.
The team behind Diriliş: Ertuğrul, including Celal AL (who plays Abdur Rehman Alp) and producer of the Ottoman epic Kamal Tekdin, after being welcomed by Adnan Siddiqui and Humayun Saeed, enjoyed a delightful dinner in Islamabad on Thursday.
The dinner, which was hosted by The Legend of Maula Jutt producer Ammara Hikmat saw several Pakistani celebrities including Imran Abbas, Faisal Qureshi, Ahmad Ali Akhbar, Yasir Jaswal, Adnan and Humayun in attendance.
Pictures of the guests enjoying themselves were widely shared on social media.
Earlier in the day, the delegation met with Adnan and Humayun, with whom Tekdin Films and TRT production have signed a deal with as partners. Adnan had earlier shared that the partnership will infuse freshness in Pakistani content. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz and Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi were also part of the meeting.
Sharing pictures from the meeting, Adnan said that it didn’t feel like they were meeting Celal for the first time. He added that Celal says that he’s fallen in love with Pakistan and our hospitality.
Later, the delegates also had a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to a press release, the meeting discussed in detail the proposed television series being created in collaboration between Pakistan and Turkey on the Khilafat Movement among other future projects and the lost glory of the Pakistani entertainment industry.
PM Khan, during the meeting, emphasized on showcasing the golden era of Muslims’ Rule in the subcontinent in dramas and films to apprise the youth about that golden age and to foil negative propaganda and designs.
The PM said that the Pakistani film and drama industry needed to work for the promotion of local culture to apprise western-influenced youth of their indigenous values and to protect them from social evils, adding that the Pakistani film and drama industry will flourish by producing quality content. This will also provide a substitute for the superficial and glamourized broadcast content to the youth.
Meanwhile, producer Tekdin said that the Turkish team is very happy over Pakistan’s cooperation in this project, which will highlight cultural commonalities between the two countries. He said it will also help strengthen people to people contact.
The Prime Minister, while appreciating the project, assured the Turkish team that his government will provide full cooperation in this regard.
Pakistan’s Turkish guest Celal is thoroughly enjoying his stay in Pakistan and prayed that the love and brotherhood between Turkey and Pakistan lives long.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz has said that Pakistan is working to speed up work on joint entertainment productions with Saudi Arabia. Three serials – Dhoop Kinare, Tanhaiyan and Aahat – have been selected for dubbing in Arabic.
According to a report in Arab News, Faraz said that Islamabad wanted to enhance cultural cooperation with Riyadh, which is why the government aims to ‘speed up’ work on joint film and television productions to bring the people of the two countries closer.
“Some dramas and films have been dubbed and sent there [Saudi Arabia],” said Faraz, adding that a few were even watched by the royal family, including Hareem Farooq and Ali Rehman Khan’s Parchi.”
Parchi was the first Pakistani film ever to release in Saudi Arabia in 2018 and one of the first international releases in the Kingdom after a nearly 40-year ban on cinemas came to an end.
In April 2019, the then Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, in a press conference in Riyadh, had announced that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were in talks for increasing cultural exchange between the two countries.
Chaudhary confirmed Pakistan’s wish to participate in Saudi Arabia’s cultural revival and said it was willing to support its newly established performing arts academies by sharing the expertise of its actors, directors and other artists like calligraphers.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Information Minister Shibli Faraz, who exchanged heated words on Hamid Mir’s Capital Talk, have apologised to each other after the show and even shared a cup of coffee together.
The lawmakers had coffee together at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as they tried to make up after the verbal altercation on live TV, The Current has learnt.
During the TV show, Faraz took offence when Senator Khokhar accused the prime minister of nepotism. Khokhar said PM Imran apparently rewarded Dr Humayun, who had handled his “hair transplant”. “Same goes for certain Mr Gilani, whose restaurants are frequently visited [by PM Imran],” claimed Khokhar.
However, Faraz cut him off at this, saying that the PPP lawmaker shouldn’t bring up “personal things” during the TV show. “Is it not true,” asked Senator Khokhar. To which, the minister said it wasn’t true at all.
Mustafa Khokhar also didn’t take lightly to remarks made by the minister, saying he was challenging the minister to take action against him. “You can do whatever you want, I am right here,” said Senator Khokhar, prompting an intervention from the host, Hamid Mir, asking the lawmaker to calm down.
“I treat you as my elder brother and is this how you are going to treat me,” said Khokar, asking Shibli to take action against him if he was saying something that was wrong. Shibli responded that Khokhar shouldn’t have brought up personal things on live TV.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) jalsa in Lahore has drawn flak from the ruling party’s ministers for organising a ‘flop’ rally amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said the atmosphere at the PDM’s Lahore jalsa was “as cold as today’s weather”, adding that the opposition could only gather “10,000-15,000 people”.
“Lahore has outright dismissed them. Lahore has rejected Maryam Nawaz,” he commented, adding that while the atmosphere could be “heated up on the television, it was cold at the venue”.
Punjab CM’s information aide Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the PDM failed to attract Lahoris to its jalsa. She said the government allowed the joint opposition to organise its power show and didn’t resort to tear gas or anything of the sort.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Pakistani people were “not ready to be fooled by these thieves and looters” again.” The political clowns who looted people have reunited once again,” he added. “How can those who hold rallies amid a strong [second] wave of the coronavirus pandemic be well-wishers of the common people,” he inquired.
PM’s Special Assistant on Political Communications Dr Shahbaz Gill called the jalsa a “flop show”, whereas PTI lawmaker Ali Zaidi announced Umrah tickets for first five opposition lawmakers to resign.
“The Opposition will have to account for its corruption. NROs will not be given to anyone,” Zaidi added.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan commented on how today’s jalsa was “another flop show” and that the “PDM is doing back-to-back flop rallies”.
“The number of people who come to their [PDM’s] meeting in total are equal to the number of people we have on the stage in our [PTI’s rallies],” he added.
Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on Dec 1, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘Lekin Banda Emandaar Ha’
Maryam Nawaz has taken a jibe at Prime Minister Imran Khan for his allegedly involvement corrupt practices, as per a report in Daily Jang. “Kehty thy Imran Khan banda emandaar ha, Niazi Services banai tax bachany ky liye, lekin banda emandaar ha; Aleema Baji ny salai machine sy arabon rupee kamaye, lekin banda emandaar ha.”
‘PDM Ky Barwain Khilari’
Information Minister Shibli Faraz has compared JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to an extra player in a cricket team. Daily Jang reported Faraz as saying: “Maulana Fazlur Rahman Pakistan Democratic Movement ky barwain khilari hain. Maulana logon ko tashadud per uksaa rahy hain.”
‘Facebook Ki Her Larai Py Parcha?’
According to Dunya News, the Islamabad High Court has asked whether the FIA will file a complaint on every Facebook fight. Dunya News quoted the Islamabad High Court as saying, “Mehz darkhwast per accounts block, internet laraion per karwaion hony lagi tou kaam kon kary ga. Aj tou her baat internet ky zareay hoti ha. Kiya FIA her case py PECA lagaye gi?”
Whopping losses of Rs122 billion were inflicted to the national exchequer in the petroleum sector alone due to fallout of illogical delays and misguided decisions, but the prime minister (PM) and his teammates are not prepared to disclose as to who benefitted from the damage, journalist Shahzeb Khanzada has claimed.
During his show on Geo News, the journalist claimed deliberate falsehood was spread in the media by ministers and the special advisers who, instead of owning the decisions, hold the media, bureaucracy or the past governments responsible.
While he also accused the government of losing taxpayers’ money to the tune of Rs400 billion in wheat and sugar scandals and taking no action against the ministers responsible, Khanzada raised the question about delayed purchase of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in August and September.
“In July, the LNG was available at 5.7 per cent for August but the government instead of timely tender purchased the commodity in August at the inflated rates of 9.3 per cent that turned out to be $5 million more expensive and the next bid further heaped a loss of $2.5 million. The same was repeated in the purchase of LNG for September in August.”
He said it was available at 6.9 per cent but the timely decision was delayed and then suddenly in September it was decided to purchase the cargo which cost 10.8 per cent. These two cargos alone cost the country Rs1.5 billion. When Special Adviser to Prime Minister (SAPM) Nadeem Babar was asked about it, he blamed K-Electric and accused it of suddenly raising the August and September demand instead of raising advance warning of depleting stocks.
When Federal Minister for Power and Petroleum Omar Ayub was asked if he did not know of the required demand in time, he said the power utility had not intimated of the demand and the load shedding duration in Karachi was increasing prompting the federal government to release their stocks for K Electric.
But, according to Khanzada, the true picture is entirely different from that being stated.
In the last few years, there were differences between the government and the K-Electric due to non-negotiation of a new agreement, The News reported. The power utility kept on demanding gas from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on the basis of allocation. But the government denied that on the pretext that there was no prior agreement. The confusion led to a severe power crisis in Karachi.
Back in April 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Energy decided that the Karachi power utility be provided 130 MMCFD gas from the SSGC and 60 MMCFD LNG. Under the agreement, K-Electric kept getting 190 MMCFD since 2018. But SAPM Nadeem Babar and Federal Minister Omar Ayub erroneously claimed that the sudden raising of demand by the Karachi power utility in August and September forced them to tender expensive gas.
MMCFD stands for million standard cubic feet per day.
The anchor maintained the federal government provided K-Electric 198 MMCFD LNG in June, and 121 MMCFD LNG in July but reduced it to 73 MMCFD LNG in August and 66 MMCFD LNG in September. This clearly shows that the K Electric had not suddenly raised the demand in August and September but the government in fact had reduced the amount of gas supply. Not only this was far reduced than the amount given during June and July but was equivalent to the gas supply provided in August and September last year.
There was no justification for purchasing the LNG late in those months, Shahzeb maintained. The prime minister must ask his cabinet why the treasury was inflicted massive loss of Rs 1.5 bn because of this incompetency. Khanzada said when in June the petroleum crisis emerged why the government failed to import the fuel. Both SAPM Nadeem Babar and Federal Minister Omar Ayub blamed fuel companies and announced a thorough probe the results of which are still awaited. Due to this, the refineries had run out of furnace oil stocks and there was nothing left for K-Electric. Here once again the responsibility was lumped on the Karachi power utility.
In January 2019, the government banned the import of furnace oil and the PM ordered cheaper power generation through coal and LNG. It was decided that if need arise the K-Electric would be asked to procure furnace oil from the refineries. Against this scenario, K Electric could not have imported the furnace oil on its own. Furthermore due situation emerging out of Covid-19, the refineries had run short of furnace oil. Primarily, it was the responsibility of the government to monitor the fuel stocks. They must have imported LNG when it was cheaply available globally.
In June, the second LNG terminal was running only at its 45 per cent capacity but the government did nothing. In April, the K-Electric had informed the government in advance of its requirement of 120,000-tonne furnace oil for June.
But in June, the demand was increased to 130,000 tonne furnace oil but the PSO only provided 69,000 tonnes as the refineries had run short of furnace oil. In June 2019, PSO had provided 113,000 tonne furnace oil.
The PSO had informed the Ministry of Petroleum of the increased demand by K Electric on June 2, 2020, while reminding it of the May 19 directive by the Ministry of Petroleum to the refineries to supply maximum furnace oil.
But to this day, there has been no confirmation about it nor the allocation was increased. The PSO had intimated the Ministry of Petroleum of the impending crisis due to shortage of furnace oil, but it was not imported.
Similarly, the LNG was available at rock bottom prices but even that was not imported, causing power and fuel crisis in the country leading to losses running into billions of rupees, Khanzada said. He said the criticality of the situation forced the government to import furnace oil in panic at the last moment.
The anchor said ever since the inauguration of the PTI government, this was not the first time the gas crisis had occurred, but the central government ministers blamed the K Electric and the Sindh government for it.
In 2018 winters, a similar gas crisis had created severe problems for the people, but the government did not import the LNG in time nor it owed its responsibility for it and by blaming the MDs of the SNGPL and SSGC instead sacked them. This negligence led to power production using expensive furnace oil in 2018. In Dec 2018, the power sector was given 200 MMCFD gas which generated only 1,200 MW power instead of the needed 2,600MW. Furthermore, 1,600MW was produced by furnace oil which increased its daily consumption from 4,200 tonnes to 18,000 tonnes. The expensive power generation caused a loss of Rs 10 billion. When the then Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar was asked that though the SSGC and SNGPL MDs were sacked but if the Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of Power had “in time “raised gas demand or if the two MDs had to import LNG on their own, Sarwar conceded that the meeting was held late in December.
Today the situation is being repeated in exactly the same manner and expensive power is being generated by furnace oil. Omar Ayub is continues to be the Minister for Oil and Power, while Ghulam Sarwar’s portfolio has been changed to that of aviation. He has, however, struck disaster with the national airline and the pilots. Nothing has changed, no responsibility has been affixed on the members of the cabinet.
Even today cheap LNG is available globally. In July, once again expensive power was generated from furnace oil at 18 month high rates and even then the gas is not available for bitter winters.
Khanzada said that from October to January one million tonnes furnace oil needs to be imported, expensive power would be generated, forex would be wasted with an additional loss of Rs25 billion.
GOVT RESPONDS:
Reacting to the report on Wednesday, PM’s petroleum aide said that LNG terminals are being run on full capacity while arrangements are being made to import around 1,300 cubic feet of LNG to meet domestic needs.
The special assistant said that it’s unfortunate that a negative media campaign is being run against the government about LNG through fudged statistics.
Addressing a press conference along with Information Minister Shibli Faraz, he said that the present government has imported 35 cargo ships of LNG in the last 27 months at a 20 per cent low rate as compared to expensive LNG agreements signed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) previous government with Qatar.
Babar said that the government has also allowed the private sector to construct LNG terminals in the country and two companies have shown their readiness to establish these facilities in Pakistan. In addition, he said that the last PML-N government had established two LNG terminals with the government’s guarantee of running these facilities, inflicting a huge loss to the treasury.
The government on Tuesday dismissed the impression of placing restrictions on the arrival of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his sons — Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz — and former finance minister Ishaq Dar for the funeral of Begum Shamim Akhtar, the mother of Sharif brothers who passed away in London on Sunday.
Nawaz has been living in London since November last year when he was released on conditional medical bail for his treatment abroad. Dar, on the other hand, has taken self-exile in the United Kingdom after his removal from the post of Finance Minister in 2017 following the emergence of allegations of accumulation of assets beyond means against him. Both of them are wanted back home in multiple cases of graft and abuse of power
Speculations arose after the sudden demise of Akhtar, who had travelled to London in February to live with her son, whether or not Nawaz and Dar will return to attend the funeral.
Later on Sunday, Nawaz’s daughter and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz, in a tweet, said she had advised her father not to return because of what she claimed was the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government’s vendetta against the Sharif family.
کسی حکومتی شخص میں اتنی انسانیت نہیں تھی کہ مجھ تک دادی کی وفات کی اطلاع پہنچا دیتے۔ میں نے میاں صاحب کو درخواست کی ہے کہ بالکل واپس نا آئیں۔ یہ ظالم اور انتقام میں اندھےلوگ ہیں جن سے کسی بھی قسم کی انسانیت کی توقع نہیں۔
“They are welcome to come to Pakistan and attend the funeral,” Minister for Information Shibli Faraz said on Tuesday.
نواز شریف، ان کے سمدھی اسحاق ڈار اور صاحبزادوں حسن اور حسین کے پاکستان آنے پر کوئی قدغن نہیں۔وہ تشریف لائیں اور مرحومہ بیگم شمیم اختر صاحبہ کے جنازے میں شرکت فرما کر ثواب دارین حاصل کریں ۔ریاستی جبر کا پروپیگنڈہ دانستہ اس معاملے میں سیاست کرنا ہے۔ آپ کسے بے وقوف بنا رہے ہیں؟
In a tweet, Faraz warned the opposition party of trying to politicise the matter. “The narrative of state suppression is deliberate propaganda and an attempt to politicise this issue. Who are you trying to fool?”
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to bring the body back to Lahore within a couple of days to be buried next to the grave of her husband, Mian Sharif, at the family’s Jati Umra residence.
Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz has hinted at legal action against former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq for accusing the government of releasing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF) under pressure, fearing Indian attack.
“What Ayaz Sadiq said is not forgivable,” he tweeted, adding that law will take its course now.
ایاز صادق کی کہی ہوئی بات معافی سے آگے نکل چکی ہے۔اب قانون اپنا راستہ لے گا۔ریاست کو کمزور کرنا ناقابل معافی جرم ہے جس کی سزاایاز صادق اور ان کے حواریوں کو ضرور ملنی چاہیے۔
Faraz asserted that “weakening the state” was an “unpardonable offense”, and promised that Sadiq and his followers will be punished for it.
The statement by the government’s premier spokesperson comes a day after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar set the record straight about the events surrounding February 27 — the day Pakistan downed two IAF planes and captured Abhinandan.
“Yesterday such a statement was given in which facts were attempted to be twisted surrounding the events that day,” the military spokesperson said during a media briefing that had come a day after Sadiq among other senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentarians accused the government of taking the decision to release the pilot under pressure.
Earlier, Sadiq had said that FM Qureshi “was present in the meeting, which Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had refused to attend”.
“India never attacked Pakistan but the government nonetheless handed over Abhinandan to the Indian authorities,” he had said, adding that it was the PTI government and not the opposition that had passed an ordinance to “facilitate” Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Reacting to his claims, the FM regretted how “responsible people were making irresponsible statements”.
BIG: Pakistan’s Member of Parliament Ayaz Sadiq makes explosive claim, says, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi begged before them to let Wing Cdr. Abhinandan cross back to India or else at 9pm that day India would launch attack on Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/OOjCkj39rY
He said he had not expected the former NA speaker to say Pakistan let go Abhinandan under pressure and that his comments were “contrary to the truth”.
Qureshi explained that in the meeting, the government had taken all parliamentary leaders into confidence regarding the intelligence reports it had received but made no mention of the captured Indian pilot. “Highly irresponsible statements are being issued for political gains,” he lamented while also slamming the opposition for its stance on Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
“These people are misleading the nation on the issues of Kulbhushan and Abhinandan,” he had maintained.
Ahead of the military’s version, Sadiq had also questioned PM Imran’s motives behind delaying a meeting related to Abhinandan on the day of his capture.
Ayaz Sadiq says Indian media twisting his statement to NA, says it’s a reality PM Imran Khan asked for NRO for Abhinandan who attacked Pakistan and should not have been returned to India pic.twitter.com/JR6hukAuZp
He lambasted the Indian media for “distorting” his comments from the National Assembly session a day earlier when he had alleged that the government took the decision to release the IAF pilot under pressure.
“One thing is clear: Abhinandan did not come to Pakistan to distribute sweets; he had attacked Pakistan,” the PML-N leader said.
