Tag: trending

  • Shahid Afridi congratulates PM Shehbaz Sharif, Twitter goes boom

    Former Cricket Captain, Shahid Afridi has sent good wishes to newly-elected Prime Minister (PM), Shehbaz Sharif following the ouster of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion on Sunday.

    Shahid Afridi penned down on Twitter, “Congratulations to Shahbaz Sharif on being elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan. I hope that he will be able to use his management skills to bring Pakistan out of the current economic and political crisis.”

    In another tweet, he said, “When the time comes to leave, whether it is right or sad. Leave must be accepted in a dignified manner. Accusations, conspiracies, and even defeats are part of the power game. In the pages of history, it is ultimately about moral standards, democracy, and the supremacy of the constitution. This is the balance of beauty.”

    Shehbaz Sharif secured 174 votes of Parliamentarians and was elected the new Prime Minister unopposed on Monday as Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI) boycotted the session. Later, all members of the PTI in the National Assembly resigned from their seats.

    However, Shahid Afridi’s tweets have been receiving mixed reactions from Pakistanis.

    One user said, “He’s your PM, not ours. He sold his soul to the devil, the most corrupt person on bail.”

    https://twitter.com/noirroad/status/1513630237329924107

    https://twitter.com/SherAhmedKhan18/status/1513561825505390594
  • Shehbaz Sharif – the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan

    Shehbaz Sharif – the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan

    The Joint Opposition’s candidate Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, after the former Prime Minister Imran Khan was voted out of office through a no-confidence motion on Saturday, April 9.

    Shehbaz bagged a total of 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Ayaz Sadiq presided over the session after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session.

    Born in Lahore in 1950, Shehbaz is the younger brother of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif. Shehbaz has served three times as Punjab’s chief minister.

    Taking the floor, the newly-elected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said that it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a prime minister was ousted through the no-confidence motion.

    April 11 historic day

    Terming April 11 a “historic day”, he mentioned that the happiness of the people can be seen through the economic indicators. Shehbaz mentioned that the rupee regained its value — which was trading at Rs190 per dollar and closed at Rs182 per dollar today.

    ‘Will probe threat letter’

    The newly-elected prime minister said the Opposition was discussing the no-confidence motion days before Imran Khan’s “concocted threat letter controversy”.

    “They say that this letter came to them on March 7, but our decisions were made way before that, so, if [what the previous government claimed] is a lie, then the matter should be disclosed transparently before the public,” he said.

    PM Shehbaz Sharif announced that the parliament’s security committee would be given a briefing on the “threat letter” to the members of the committee in presence of the armed forces personnel and bureaucrats — the director-general Inter-Services Intelligence, foreign secretary, and the ambassador who wrote it, who has now been transferred to Brussels.

    “If there’s an iota of evidence that we were backed by foreign conspirators […] then with you Mr speaker and God as my witness, I will not think for another second and resign from the office of the prime minister,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said, vowing to hold an in-camera session of the security committee at the earliest.

    Economy

     Shehbaz Sharif said that hard work was required for Pakistan’s progress as if only statements could move the country forward, then during PTI’s tenure, we would have been among the leading nations.

    “We will need to wash out the effects of the previous government by working together, otherwise, we will fail […] our economy is in a bad situation right now,” the prime minister said.

    “We will need to wash out the effects of the previous government by working together, otherwise, we will fail […] our economy is in a bad situation right now,” said PM Shehbaz.

    “The minimum wage will be jacked up to Rs25,000 (from April 1). 10 per cent increase in pensions of retired civil, and military officials (from April 1). Cheap wheat to be introduced at utility stores.”

    “Laptop and technical education for youth. Reintroduction of Benazir Card. Appeal to industrialists to increase salaries of employees who earn up to Rs100,000 by 10 per cent.”

    Shehbaz’s take on foreign policy

    Shehbaz said China has been Pakistan’s partner through thick and thin. “No one can snatch Pakistan and China’s friendship from us,” he said, calling it a “long-lasting relation.”

    “But this friendship is for forever and … I assure that we will make progress on the CPEC,” he added, thanking Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    Speaking about India, the newly-elected prime minister lamented that despite them wanting peaceful ties with India, they know that until the Kashmir issue is resolved, relations between the two cannot be strengthened.

    Urging Indian premier Narendra Modi to understand the issues of the people living on both sides, he questioned there is poverty, unemployment, medical issues, etc. then “why are we harming ourselves and the generations to come?”

    “Why do we want our coming generations to suffer. Come, let’s resolve the Kashmir issue in line with United Nation resolutions and Kashmiris’ expectations, so that we are able to end poverty on both sides of the border.”

    Underlining the significance of having good ties with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, European Union nations, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, and Iran, he said that ties needed to be strengthened with the US on the basis of equality and “we need to raise our voice for Afghanistan” where the situation was dire.

    “We want peace in Afghanistan.”

    The session was subsequently adjourned till 4pm on April 16.

    Sanjrani administers the oath to Shehbaz in President Alvi’s absence

    Prior to the ceremony, President Dr Arif Alvi had complained of discomfort and was advised to rest for a few days, according to an update posted on his Twitter account.

    In the president’s absence, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered the oath to PM Shehbaz.

    Modi, Turkey’s Erdogan congratulate Shehbaz on becoming PM

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the 23rd premier of Pakistan.

    Meanwhile, in a telephonic conversation with Shehbaz, Turkish President Erdogan told the newly-elected prime minister that he was “extremely happy” about him being elected as the premier.

    Guard of honour

    Earlier this morning, the premier was given a Guard of Honour at Prime Minister’s House.

  • ‘Adalat se zamanat par sarkari naukari nahi milti but Prime Minister ban saktay’: Hina Bayat grills Shahbaz with sarcasm

    ‘Adalat se zamanat par sarkari naukari nahi milti but Prime Minister ban saktay’: Hina Bayat grills Shahbaz with sarcasm

    Senior actor Hina Khawaja Bayat has shared a sarcastic take on Shahbaz Sharif’s political victory after Imran Khan’s ouster.

    She slammed the judicial system of the country in her post.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-12-at-7.42.50-AM.jpeg

    Last month the Sanam star trended on social media platforms for making a video on PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz after the latter went viral for claiming the country is about to land back in ‘Purana Pakistan’.

    'Muin me khaak': Hina Bayat grills Maryam Nawaz for her recent statement about 'Purana Pakistan'
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfriGUhx3-Q

    “Main ne aj tak kabhi nahi chaha ke main kisi ke baray men, ya kisi ke liye, koi sakht alfaz istemal karun. Lekin Maryam Nawaz sahiba, apne mujhe majboor kardiya hai ye kehne pe ke apke mun men khaak (I have never wished to use harsh words against or about anyone but madam Maryam Nawaz, you have left me with no choice but to say, may your wishes never come to pass!” she stated in the video.

  • ‘You are not my Prime Minister, Dil toot’: Armeena Rana Khan slams Shahbaz Sharif

    ‘You are not my Prime Minister, Dil toot’: Armeena Rana Khan slams Shahbaz Sharif

    Actor Armeena Rana Khan has announced on her Instagram handle that she refuses to accept Shahbaz Sharif as the new Prime Minister after Imran Khan’s ouster.

    The Janaan star is currently based in Canada.

    She also tweeted a prayer after Imran Khan’s vote-out, “May God protect Pakistan and it’s loyal citizens from darkness and the forces of evil that are about to consume it once more. Ameen.”

    https://twitter.com/ArmeenaRK/status/1512892850744217602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1512892850744217602%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2351843%2Fhe-will-rise-again-celebs-lament-fall-of-imran-khan-return-to-purana-pakistan

    Unable to fall asleep, she took to her Insta Stories to add, “Dil thora toot sa raha hai. Aesa lagta hai jese kuch qeemti si cheez kho di (My heart is breaking a little, it feels like we’ve lost something very precious).”

    Earlier she replied to netizens who criticized her tweets in which she highlighted the social hypocrisy towards the choice of dressing of local female celebrities at the Hum Style Awards.

    The Sherdil diva wrote, “Truth is a bitter medicine. My recent statement hit the bullseye, I know this because it brought all the cockroaches out, waving their fake flags of religion and nationalism. Fake faith by day, a farrago of filth by night.”

    Several female celebrities have been criticized by netizens over their choice of dressing at the 5th Hum Style Awards. Actress Armeena Rana took to Twitter to express her opinion on the on-going backlash for the female celebrities.

    After receiving backlash on her tweet the Daldal actress deleted it.

  • Elon Musk is no longer joining Twitter board as the microblogging network is “dying”

    Elon Musk is no longer joining Twitter board as the microblogging network is “dying”

    The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk will not be joining the Twitter board of directors, according to Twitter’s CEO Parag Agrawal. Musk’s appointment on the board was supposed to start on April 9, however, he announced that he would no longer be joining.

    Agrawal posted a statement on April 10, saying Musk’s appointment to the board would be subject to a background investigation and that once nominated, he would have to operate in the company’s best interests. “Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input,” he added.

    What Happened Earlier?

    Earlier, the tech mogul tweeted the list of the top ten most followed personalities, which included celebrities and politicians such as former US President Barack Obama, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga.

    The world’s wealthiest man had a complaint: many of the top Twitter accounts do not upload anything.

    Former US President Barack Obama (131.4 million followers), singer Justin Bieber (114.3 million), Katy Perry (108.8 million), and other top accounts belonging to popular artists Rihanna and Taylor Swift were among the names on the list from the Twitter account of World of Statistics, which Musk posted.

    Interestingly, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ranked ninth on the list, with a popularity of 77.1 million followers, one notch below Musk, who has 81 million followers on the social network.

    Whereas Modi is an avid Twitter user who publishes everything from his daily schedule to welcoming foreign leaders, Musk laments that celebrities like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber rarely post. Taylor hasn’t posted anything in three months, and the ‘yummy’ singer Justin Bieber only tweeted once in 2022.

    Musk, who just purchased a 9.2 per cent interest in Twitter for roughly $3 billion in his controversial style, asked his followers another question: Is Twitter dying? 

    In an ‘April fool’ message, Twitter said that it is testing some new features, one of which is a long-awaited ‘edit’ button. The platform later explained that the change to the edit button was not an April Fool’s prank and that it was truly being tested by the company.

    It is worth noting that Musk also proposed a number of improvements to Twitter’s Blue premium subscription service, including lowering the price, limiting adverts, and allowing users to pay in the crypto. Many internet users were surprised by the recent announcement, as they had been expecting Tesla’s CEO to join the board of microblogging site and witness what changes he would make.

  • PTI supporters win hearts during peaceful demonstrations

    A massive peaceful protest was launched in favour of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan after he was dismissed in the no-confidence motion on Sunday. The demonstrations were held across the country and overseas as well. Elderly people also joined in the peaceful protest.

    In Swat, people made a way for an ambulance to move forward which has won the hearts of social media users.

    A protest was held by overseas Pakistanis in London Hyde Park to show their support for Imran Khan.

    Emotional scenes were seen abroad at the PTI protest where elderly women were crying about the injustice meted out to Imran Khan.

    Actor, Haroon Shahid also shared his proud moment on Twitter, when his mother went to protest around midnight to show solidarity with Imran Khan.

    Another user shared a clip in which an elderly woman was crying and she revealed herself in a video that she came from the United States (US).

    https://twitter.com/pEEruBalOcH/status/1513284770670821394

    Former Prime Minister, Imran Khan thanked his supporters in a tweet prior to midnight.

    “Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support and emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail,” he tweeted.

    “[It] shows Pakistanis at home and abroad have emphatically rejected this,” he further added.

  • Bollywood star Simi Grewal comes in support of Imran Khan, ‘He may have failings but isn’t corrupt’

    Bollywood star Simi Grewal comes in support of Imran Khan, ‘He may have failings but isn’t corrupt’

    Actor and celebrity talk show host Simi Garewal tweeted her view on Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ouster as the head of the government after he received a no-confidence vote in the Parliament.

    The Mera Naam Joker diva had interviewed Imran for her famous talk show A Rendezvous with Simi Garewal in 2006 and had known former Indian cricketer for 40 years. The veteran actress termed him an ‘idealist’ and stated that politics is no place for honest people.

    “#ImranKhanPrimeMinister exit teaches: 1. A joint opposition can dismiss a popular Prime Minister. 2 Politics is no place for idealists. (I’ve known Imran for 40 yrs & idealism is at his core). He may have other failings –  but corruption is not one of them,” her tweet read.

    This is not the first time that Simi has tweeted on Imran. In 2018, when Imran Khan was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Simi tweeted a secret he shared with her many years ago.

    Her tweet read, “#ImranKhan I am deeply ambivalent about the victory. It’s a poisoned chalice! Many years ago @ImranKhanPTI told me that a pir had predicted he will become PM of Pakistan one day – and will be assassinated. Seems Imran wanted it.. despite the cost.. Its sad”.

  • Hindutva activists attack, terrorize Muslims during Ramazan

    A mob of Hindutva activists has been attacking and terrorizing the Muslim community in different parts of India during the holy month of Ramazan.

    Disturbing videos have been shared on the Microblogging site, Twitter in which extremist Hindus are making hate speeches against the Muslim community in Hyderabad, Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Bengal.

    On the occasion of the Hindu festival, Ram Navami in Hyderabad, a rally was taken out in which the Hindu extremists were singing a hatred song against Muslims, which says, ” Saare Bharat ko Hindu Rashtra banana hai ( We need to turn India into a Hindu country)” which goes on, “Jo Ram ka naam na le usko Bharat se bhagana hai (Whoever do not take RAM name, they have to go from India”. The song was targetting minorities, especially the Muslim community living in India.

    In Himmat Nagar, Gujarat, the miscreants involved in the Ram Navami procession targeted mosques, dargahs, and shops.

    In Goa, a Hindu mob tried to enter a mosque who were intended to attack Muslims. The Hindu mob accused Muslims that someone from the mosque threw stones at the Ram Navmi procession.

    Communal violence also erupted in Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, during the Hindu festival of Ram Navmi procession and the police have banned large gatherings in some areas.

    Riots during Ram Navami procession in Khargone, MP. The Ram Navami procession entered the Muslim locality Kazipura and raised slogans, stone-pelting.

    A bangle shop of a Muslim family was set on fire by the Hindutva activists during the celebration of Ram Navami.

  • ‘Martial law or elections – your choice’: Khan threatened to impose martial law, states report

    ‘Martial law or elections – your choice’: Khan threatened to impose martial law, states report

    Imran Khan, who was ousted as Pakistan’s prime minister (PM) on Saturday, April 9, had threatened to impose martial law rather than facing the no-trust motion and handing over the power to the Opposition, reports The Guardian.

    The news outlet writes, “On Friday, a senior minister from his ruling government sent a message to an Opposition leader that read: “Martial law or elections – your choice.”

    “It appeared to threaten the Opposition with the ultimatum that they should agree to Khan’s demand for fresh elections or he would bring in Pakistan’s powerful military to take control, as has happened repeatedly in the country’s history,” writes The Guardian.

    “Imran Khan believed it should be him or no one,” says the news report, attributing, to one figure from the Opposition who said he had refused the demand.

    The news report also states that the premier had attempted to sack Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa in order to provoke the military into taking control and imposing martial law.

    “Imran Khan wanted to sack the army chief, but the forces received information about it and they thwarted his plan after they came to know about it,” said a security official on condition of anonymity. “Khan wanted to create a huge crisis to remain in power,” writes The Guardian.

    There were also reports that the COAS and the former PM had 45 minutes meeting in Prime Minister House. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)  has dismissed BBC Urdu’s story that claims that Khan was pushing for the removal of COAS.

    The Opposition’s no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Imran Khan succeeded on Sunday with 174 members voted in favour of the motion. The magic number to oust Khan was ‘172’. The National Assembly debated on the matter for more than 12 hours and the political situation in the country took a critical turn.

    Later, PM Khan was voted out as Prime Minister of Pakistan a little after midnight with 174 votes.

  • Who will be next PCB chairperson after Ramiz Raja resigns?

    Who will be next PCB chairperson after Ramiz Raja resigns?

    The incumbent Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairperson Ramiz Raja is likely to quit from the position following the defeat of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a no-confidence motion on Sunday, reports SAMAA.

    Former Captain Ramiz Raja was elected unanimously as the 36th PCB chairman for a three-year term in September 2021.

    According to a report by Cricket Pakistan, Ramiz Raja is currently in Dubai for the International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting. During the meeting, he shared his proposal for a four-nation T20 series ( Pakistan, India, Australia, England) which is rejected because it could not fit in the next media cycles due to the packed Future Tour Program (FTP).

    However, Ramiz Raja expressed his satisfaction with how the meeting underwent through his Twitter account.

    News reports claim that Ramiz is expected to quit his office and former PCB chairperson Najam Sethi is expected to become the next head of PCB.

    Najam Sethi served in 2013 as head of PCB. However, he faced a legal battle with Chaudhry Muhammad Zaka Ashraf, another former chairperson of PCB. He later took up the position again in 2014 but Shahryar Khan replaced him and Sethi was given the charge of the executive committee.

    In 2017, he was appointed again as PCB chairperson but after one year he soon gave up his position in 2018.

    Najam Sethi was the person who launched the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2016 and was the president of PSL at that time.