Tag: The Current

  • Pakistan will come out of difficult situation in two years, says Nawaz Sharif

    Pakistan will come out of difficult situation in two years, says Nawaz Sharif

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has said on Wednesday that Pakistan will come out of its current difficult situations in the next two years by taking tough decisions.

    The former prime minister said that his party is in a position to form a coalition government in the federal.

    “I believe the next one and a half or two years will be difficult, but we have to stay united [during the difficult times] and face our opponents,” he said while addressing a parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday.

    The former Prime Minister identified inflation as the biggest problem in Pakistan, but stated that his party will provide relief to Pakistanis and control rising prices.

    The PML-N supremo also heaped praise on his younger brother and party president, Shehbaz Sharif, the party’s candidate for Prime Minister, saying that he dealt with immense challenges during his brief stint in power.

  • Newly-elected MNAs to take oath today

    Newly-elected MNAs to take oath today

    Newly-elected Members of National Assembly (MNA) are set to take oaths today in the inaugural session of the 16th session of the lower house.
    The development comes as the convening of the assembly’s session, required to be held on the 21st day after the polls under Article 91(2) of the Constitution, was surrounded by uncertainty after President Arif Alvi had stressed the allocation of reserved seats before the session.

    Geo News reported that the president gave a verbal response on the matter, without either rejecting or accepting the summary.

    On Monday, since Alvi was hesitant to call for the assembly session, the National Assembly Secretariat organized the session.
    However, the president finally summoned the NA session after political parties warned him of legal consequences.

  • ECP rejects Nawaz Sharif’s application for recounting in NA-15

    ECP rejects Nawaz Sharif’s application for recounting in NA-15

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected an application filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif for the recounting of votes in the National Assembly constituency of NA-15, Mansehra.

    “The petitioner may approach the Election Tribunal,” the verdict said.

    ECP ordered the returning officer to submit the complete results in three days.

    Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer said that the elections were unconstitutional, illegal, and against the election rules.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-supported candidate Shahzada Gustasap Khan won the election in NA-15 by getting 105,249 votes.

    The PML-N supremo was in second position with 80,382 votes in the same constituency.

  • ‘PPP pressurising PML-N to sideline MQM,’ alleged MQM’s Kamran Tessori audio leak sparks new debate

    ‘PPP pressurising PML-N to sideline MQM,’ alleged MQM’s Kamran Tessori audio leak sparks new debate

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) is facing challenges in talks with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as another alleged audio of Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori goes viral on social media.

    Earlier, an audio clip went viral in which MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal revealed to the party’s Rabita Committee that PML-N “doesn’t want to talk to us”. He accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of trying to corner them.

    Kamal has confirmed that the audio is genuine.

    In the latest audio, Kamran Tessori can be heard saying that MQM-P is paying the cost of becoming part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government.

    “We were part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government when PML-N and the PPP were in opposition. We supported the PDM, which angered our voter,” Tessori said in the audio, which could not be independently verified.

    “MQM-P got seven seats despite all the hurdles [in 2018 elections] which was our vote bank. We didn’t get the vote today [in the 2024 polls]. The party is being offered one ministry [Information Technology] as part of government and they are bringing their own governor in Sindh as well.”

  • PM Kakar appears before Islamabad High Court in Baloch missing students case

    PM Kakar appears before Islamabad High Court in Baloch missing students case

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday in a case related to the recovery of Baloch missing students.

    Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC heard the case related to Baloch missing students when PM, Anwarul Haq Kakar appeared before the court after skipping the last two hearings.

    During the last hearing, the IHC had instructed the caretaker prime minister, ministers, and secretaries to attend the next one. Additionally, they formed a three-member committee involving intelligence institutions to help find missing Baloch students.

    Apart from the caretaker prime minister, the interior secretary and caretaker federal Interior Minister Gohar Ijaz have also appeared in the high court.

  • Establishment wants  government of its choice, says Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Establishment wants  government of its choice, says Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, continues to be disgruntled after the 2024 nationwide elections, criticising the results. He predicted that the “system would collapse” because the establishment wants a government of its choice.

    While addressing a press conference in Peshawar on Tuesday, Maulana alleged that “the establishment wants assemblies and people in them of their choice.”

    “We received information before the elections that it has been decided to reduce the JUI-F’s inclusion [in the assemblies]. Different styles of rigging occurred in every polling station during the polls.”

    “If they think there was no rigging in the polls, then the May 9 narrative is apparently buried. They cannot run the country, and this system will collapse. Those who are sticking to the system will be crying in the coming days,” Fazl predicted.

    The JUI-F chief also said that there is no difference between the elections of 2018 and 2024, emphasising that a public representative should not be a “representative of the establishment.”

  • ‘Lost diamond in search for gold,’ Pakistani Twitter missing Buzdar is a hilarious must-see

    ‘Lost diamond in search for gold,’ Pakistani Twitter missing Buzdar is a hilarious must-see

    Social media in Pakistan never lets go of a chance to have a meme fest, and the appointment of a new Chief Minister in Punjab proved to be the fuel the meme machine needed to churn out hilarious content.

    The newly-elected Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, took the oath of office on Tuesday at Punjab Governor House with Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, Governor of Punjab, administering the oath.

    During the oath ceremony, chief minister Maryam Nawaz was with her father and former prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. The president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif was also present in the oath ceremony.

    Netizens immediately started reminiscing about former chief minister, Sardar Usman Buzdar, CM of Punjab from 2018 to 2023. Buzdar remained a point of contention for Imran Khan, who’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appointed him as the Chief Executive of the most populous province.

    At one point, Imran Khan referred to the beleaguered Buzdar as ‘Wasim Akram Plus’, implying that the unassuming South Punjab politician was a better version of the greatest left-arm bowler in history.

    Here are the best Twitter reactions, as people remember Sardar Usman Buzdar:

  • One police officer martyred, three injured in intelligence-based operation in Mardan

    One police officer martyred, three injured in intelligence-based operation in Mardan

    A senior police officer was martyred and three others injured in an intelligence-based operation against terrorists on Tuesday in the Mardan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    Superintendent of Police (SP) Ijaz Khan embraced martyrdom while a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) was injured in the operation.

    The counter-terrorism department (CTD) confirmed in its statement that two terrorists got killed in the exchange of firing in Katlang Tehsil, Mardan. A most wanted militant, Mohsin Kadir, was also killed in the intelligence-based operation.

    The injured police officers were shifted to the hospital right after the incident.

    Following the incident, the funeral prayers of SP Ijaz were performed and attended by District Police Officer (DPO) Najeeb and other police officials.

  • FIA arrests Asad Toor in connection with campaign against judges

    FIA arrests Asad Toor in connection with campaign against judges

    Prominent journalist Asad Ali Toor was arrested on Monday by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in connection with a campaign against Supreme Court (SC) judges, including Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.

    His counsel, Imaan Mazari confirmed the arrest to Geo.tv.

    Last month, the caretaker government formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) comprised of six members to investigate a negative campaign against judges of apex court. 

    Imaan Mazari told Geo.tv that FIA officials detained Toor for eight hours on Friday, February 23 after he appeared before the JIT for questioning, even though he hadn’t received a formal notice as per the standard procedure.

    “We went to high court on Monday in the morning, and the chief justice, even though I specifically told him about the eight-hour detention and that there’s a real apprehension of arrest because they have threatened us as well, said that he cannot do anything based on apprehensions,” she added.

    After the hearing in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Mazari stated that she went to the FIA office at 4:46 pm while Asad was being interrogated inside.

    On Tuesday morning, Asad was presented before the magistrate, however, his lawyers were not present there.

  • PPP’s Murad Ali Shah elected as CM Sindh for third time

    PPP’s Murad Ali Shah elected as CM Sindh for third time

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Murad Ali Shah has been elected as the chief minister of Sindh for the third consecutive time on Monday afternoon.

    Shah previously served as the chief executive of Sindh from 2016 to 2018 and then again from 2018 to 2023.

    Today, the election for the province’s chief executive began after a half-hour delay via open ballot, with those supporting the PPP’s Shah and MQMP’s Ali Khurshidi directed to go right and left of the assembly hall, respectively.

    A total of 148 members of the provincial assembly took part in the electoral process, with Murad Ali Shah securing 112 votes to become the 25th chief minister of Sindh. Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) Ali Khurshidi was in competition with newly-elected chief minister Murad Ali Shah.

    On the other hand, MQM-P leader Abdul Waseem congratulated Murad Ali Shah on becoming CM Sindh.

    “We all need to respect the elected members and resolve the problems. I hope Murad Ali Shah will live up to people’s expectations,” he said.