Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has disclosed the reasons as to why he is no longer on the same page with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, claiming that the head of the armed forces did not consider corruption a bad thing.
Talking about why there is a plausible rift between the army chief and Khan and why he has started talking against him, Khan said, “This should be asked from Gen Bajwa. He didn’t consider corruption bad as I did. He was not ready to do accountability.”
عمران خان کھل کرآرمی چیف جنرل باجوہ کیخلاف بول اٹھے!جنرل باجوہ کرپشن کو بُرانہیں سمجھتے، چوروں کیخلاف کاروائی نہیں ہونےدینا چاہتےتھے،قانون کی حکمرانی پریقین نہیں رکھتے، علیم خان کو وزیراعلی پنجاب بنانا چاہتے تھے، انہی باتوں پر اختلافات ہوئے۔۔۔!!!
“For the past 26 years, I have been saying that without the rule of law, a nation cannot progress. This was not his ‘thing’. We had other conflicts as well. He wanted to make Aleem Khan Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab in place of Usman Buzdar,” revealed Khan.
PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry hit back at criticism that the party’s long march was moving slowly, saying it would proceed at its own pace, adding “We will also keep changing our plan to reach Islamabad to baffle the government.”
ہم بار بار تاریخ دیں گے اور بدلیں گے، انہیں تھکا تھکا کر ماریں گے، فواد چوہدری pic.twitter.com/Uud3RGgqQz
Replying to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice president Maryam Nawaz and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah observations that the march is proceeding slowly, Fawad said, “I want to tell them [that] we will move according to our own pace, not according to yours.”
He said that the party could give dates for reaching Rawalpindi and Islamabad one day and change them the next. “You will have to do the guesswork daily.”
A day prior to this Imran Khan had said in an interview, “Let them impose martial law.” On the fourth day of his long march, his statement was addressed to the establishment in reply to a question asked by journalist Imran Riaz Khan.
“Impose martial law. If they want to impose, It doesn’t affect me,” said Khan.
Khan further added that the current political scenario in the country was worst than former President and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Pervez Musharraf’s martial law. Khan added that when PTI leaders Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill were tortured they were told that, “Imran would face the same.”
Hamza Shehbaz elected Chief Minister (CM) Punjab again after Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari rejected 10 Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) votes.
10 PML-Q votes will not be counted: Dost Mazari
Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Mazari says 10 PML-Q votes will not be counted because of Chaudhry Shujaat’s letter.
According to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Murad Raas, Hamza received 179 votes whereas Elahi got 186 votes. After Mazari rejected 10 PML-Q votes, Elahi was left with 176 votes, which turned the tables in Hamza’s favour.
While announcing the result, Mazari read Shujaat’s letter out loud. “As party head of Pakistan Muslim League, I have issued directions to all my provincial members to cast their votes in favour of Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Sharif,” Mazari quoted Hussain as saying.
His ruling was countered by PTI MPA Raja Basharat, who said that the law states that the parliamentary party could issue instructions to party members.
“The head of the parliamentary party is Pervaiz Elahi,” he contended.
However, Mazari said that the matter had been clarified by the Supreme Court, subsequently proroguing the session.
Will not support the PTI candidate for the CM slot., confirms Moonis Elahi to Hamid Mir
Moonis Elahi has confirmed to senior journalist Hamid Mir that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has indeed written a letter to the Deputy Speaker. He has said that he will not support the PTI candidate for the CM slot.
Senior journalist Hamid Mir originally broke the story about Chaudhry Shujaat’s letter, which was later confirmed by Moonis Elahi to him as well.
Asif Ali Zardari to meet Chaudhry Shujaat, again: Hamid Mir
Senior journalist Hamid Mir says that Asif Zardari is about to meet PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Reports suggest that Moonis Elahi has also left the Punjab Assembly.
‘Now the rules of the game will be the same for everyone, else PML-N knows how to play it better’: Maryam Nawaz
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has tweeted that the PML-N has not forgotten the treatment meted out to them. “Now the rules of the game will be the same for everyone, else PMLN knows how to play it better. Insha’Allah.”
PMLN has NOT forgotten the treatment meted out to them. Now the rules of the game will be the same for everyone, else PMLN knows how to play it better. Insha’Allah.
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 22, 2022
PTI to file contempt of court petition against Dost Mazari: Fawad Chaudhry
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has tweeted that the unnecessary delay in starting the Punjab Assembly session is a violation of the Supreme Court’s orders. He said that the party has directed its lawyers to file a contempt of court petition against Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari.
صوبائی اسمبلی کے اجلاس میں غیر ضروری تاخیر سپریم کورٹ کے واضع احکامات کی خلاف ورزی ہے، وکلاء کو توہین عدالت کی کاروائ کے لئے کہ دیا ہے، اب سے کچھ دیر بعد ڈپٹی اسپیکر کیخلاف توہین عدالت کی درخواست سپریم کورٹ میں دائر کی جارہی ہے۔
Today, the Punjab Assembly will vote in the runoff election and decide who gets to be the next chief minister of the province: Hamza Shehbaz or Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. The Punjab Assembly session started at 4pm today as per the Supreme Court’s orders.
Hamza Shehbaz is the incumbent chief minister and CM candidate of the PML-N and its coalition partners, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The total number game of the PML-N-led ruling coalition is179.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of the PML-Q is the CM candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). PTI and PML-Q have a total of 187 members on their side.
Pakistan will become another Sri Lanka if Elahi not allowed to become CM Punjab: Imran Khan
Yesterday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said yesterday that if Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is not allowed to become CM Punjab, Pakistan will become another Sri Lanka.
“I will never forget what happened to us on May 25. We will never forget,” added Khan.
#Pakistan Punjab Assembly session to elect CM will be held today. If people’s mandate is stolen in the Assembly during the CM election,then I am warning that the country would head towards a condition like Sri Lanka & after that,it would not be my responsibility,Say’s Imran Khan pic.twitter.com/O3v1pMDVTX
— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) July 21, 2022
Credit goes to Zardari for first destroying the PPP and now the PML-N: Fawad Chaudhry
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the Maryam Nawaz group’s gesture by accepting the results of the Punjab by-polls was good but the Shehbaz Sharif group is most probably working under the influence of Asif Ali Zardari. He alleged that Shehbaz Sharif is consulting Zardari these days for major decisions.
“Credit goes to Zardari for destroying two parties, first the PPP and now the PML-N,” added Fawad Chaudhry.
PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari met PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain once again last night. Zardari had already held two meetings with Chaudhry Shujaat earlier in an effort to get his support for Hamza Shehbaz.
The former president had sent a message for a meeting with Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi. However, they both refused to meet him according to The News.
Moonis Elahi said that it’s “game over” for the government.
“They can do whatever they want, they have lost the game,” said Moonis Elahi.
50 PTI MPAs can vote for Hamza Shehbaz: Rana Sanaullah
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has claimed that 50 PTI MPAs can vote for Hamza Shehbaz in the CM Punjab election today.
“Not five, but 50 PTI MPAs can either use their right to vote or abstain from casting their votes,” said Rana Sanaullah.
Former Prime Minister (PM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi’s brother Ahmed Mujtaba has been summoned by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab over his alleged involvement in a corruption case, reports Geo News.
The former first lady’s brother illegally occupied government land in Depalpur, which is in Okara District. He is accused of “illegally leasing government land earmarked for a market and seizing government land through the chairman of market committee Tahir Zahoor”. Later, he had shops constructed there.
ACE has asked Mujtaba, secretary Tahir Tanveer and eight others to appear before the Sahiwal office of the anti-corruption department on July 6 (tomorrow).
The investigation has been opened following Bushra Bibi’s audio leak in which she directed PTI digital media head Dr Arslan Khalid to accuse the former Opposition parties of “treason”.
The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) team raided to arrest former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar and his brothers’ houses in Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan and Taunsa Sharif over the matter of the illegal transfer of state-owned 900 kanals of land.
However, Buzdar and his brothers were not at their houses at the time. It is pertinent to mention that the former CM and his siblings shared protective bail with the raiding team earlier, which they had been granted by the Lahore High Court (LHC) till June 30.
Following the raids, Buzdar said that the Punjab government is carrying out retaliatory actions, adding that they [his family] can’t be intimidated. He took a jibe at the incumbent Punjab CM Hamza Shehbaz, saying that the police and administration have become puppets.
“I did not take any kind of revenge during my tenure. We will not make excuses for illness or flee the country,” he added.
What is the case?
Earlier, ACE registered cases against Buzdar and his brothers for the illegal transfer of state-owned 900 kanals of land.
The state-owned lands are reportedly worth millions of rupees. They were seized in Taunsa, DG Khan.
Cases against Buzdar were registered after Deputy Commissioner DG Khan submitted an inquiry report in this regard. DG Khan ACE is investigating the case in detail.
According to the police complaint, on September 4, 1982, around 474 kanals and 12 marlas of state land in DG Khan was “bogusly mutated” in favour of Fateh Muhammad Buzdar’s sons, which are Usman Buzdar and his two younger brothers, reports Geo News.
The transfer was illegal, as all three brothers at the time were minors. Usman Buzdar was 13, Umar Buzdar was 12 and Tahir Buzdar was 3.
As of the year 2021, the cost of the land has been estimated to be Rs4,98,83,641.
Last month, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Attaullah Tarar said that the incumbent government has decided to move ACE against the former Punjab CM. He had alleged that Buzdar had acquired assets worth Rs10 billion when he was chief minister from 2018 to 2022.
Following the incident, her party members including Zulfi Bukhari, Shibli Faraz, Fawad Chaudhry along with Mazari’s daughter Imaan Mazari reached the Kohsar police station.
Dr @ShireenMazari1 has been picked up outside from her house a while ago, everyone must reach Police Station Kohsaaar!
— Dr. Iftikhar Durrani (@IftikharDurani) May 21, 2022
Mazari’s daughter tweeted that her mother has been abducted by Anti-Corruption Wing, Lahore.
Male police officers have beaten and taken my mother away. All I have been told is that Anti Corruption Wing Lahore has taken her.
— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) May 21, 2022
While talking to the media, Imaan said nobody was informed before and she will come after this government.
مردپولیس اہلکار میری والدہ کو لےگئے اور تشدد کیاگیا ،بیٹی شیریں مزاری کا الزام پولیس اہلکار والدہ کو گھسیٹتے ہوئے لے گئے ،بیٹی شیریں مزاری کا الزام@ImaanZHazirpic.twitter.com/I81GiHY5UU
According to Geo News, Mazari was arrested in a case registered in Dera Ghazi Khan. The case had opened during former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar’s tenure but the investigation was put on hold as per his orders
Mazari’s neighbour, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar told The Current: “I saw some heavy security movement around my house. When I inquired, we were told it was for someone’s security. However, my staff informed me that Shireen Mazari, who is my neighbour, may have been arrested. I went to her house and from there we went to the police station with her daughter Imaan Mazari.”
Khokhar added that the police informed them that she has been arrested by Anti-Corruption Department Punjab.
According to Journalist Syed Talat Hussain people in authority in Punjab are clueless about Mazari’s arrest.
Most “persons in authority” that I have spoken to in Punjab and at the center say they have no clue about Dr Mazari’s arrest. And that they are trying to “find out who has done this.”
— Syed Talat Hussain (@TalatHussain12) May 21, 2022
According to former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, nobody knows about Mazari’s whereabouts. He said the government has attacked a lady from their party, if this is war then so be it.
While Sheikh Rasheed said that a list of PTI leaders has been prepared which mentions names of the ones to be arrested in the future.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has condemned the act. In a tweet, they have said that her arrest smacks of political victimisation, which has regrettably become an entrenched practice and is deplorable no matter which party is the perpetrator.
HRCP condemns the arrest and manhandling of senior PTI leader @ShireenMazari1. Her arrest smacks of political victimisation, which has regrettably become an entrenched practice and is deplorable no matter which party is the perpetrator. 1/2
— Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) May 21, 2022
CM Hamza Shehbaz has ordered immediate release of Dr Shireen Mazari. He said that she is a respected personality.
“We condemn what Imran Khan said about Maryam Nawaz but we don’t believe in revenge politics.”
Mazari was arrested outside her house in Islamabad. Anti-Corruption Department Punjab arrested Mazari earlier today.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday in its decision on a presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution, which is related to the status of defecting lawmakers, said the votes of defecting lawmakers will not be counted.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters started celebrating the ‘expected’ comeback of Usman Buzdar by removing the current Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.
The memes in relevance to Buzdar are hilarious.
Seems like the Peer baba’s business is about to boom.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan claimed Friday that the establishment is messaging him but he is not ready to talk to them, adding that he has blocked their numbers.
“I am not going to speak to anyone until the date for the elections is announced,” the ex-premier said while speaking to journalists.
Anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal said Imran Khan told media persons that when he referred to neutrals, he meant none other than the country’s powerful establishment.
“I couldn’t even think that corruption was not an issue for powerful quarters and they would impose these criminals on the country, but unfortunately, that happened,” the ex-premier said, according to Shahzad Iqbal.
“Instead of handing over the reins of power to these people, it would have been better if an atomic bomb had been dropped on Pakistan.”
The PTI chairman said he had learned about the “conspiracy” in June last year, but unfortunately, “all the decisions” were made to weaken his government — and it was eventually sent packing.
The former prime minister said “powerful quarters” wanted Usman Buzdar removed as the chief minister, but he would tell them that there was “more corruption and governance issues in Sindh”.
Addressing PTI workers in Mardan, Khan said that he was ousted from power through a conspiracy hatched jointly by America and Pakistani Opposition parties’ leaders. He said he sent former finance minister Shaukat Tarin to ‘neutrals’ to stop the conspiracy being hatched against his government, as otherwise Pakistan’s economy would be ruined.
But the ‘neutrals’ did not play their role to block the way of conspirators, he said, adding that a no-confidence move was allowed to succeed to replace him with “looters and plunderers”.
“I know very well who conspired against me. The face of every Mir Jaffar who conspired against me is written on my heart,” said Khan.
Talking about Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Khan said that he knew about telephonic conversations between Bilawal’s mother, Benazir Bhutto, who used to tell Bilawal on phone calls about where their money is abroad. “Bilawal is going to America and he will only ask them to help him. He will ask for money because they [ fear] Imran Khan will be back.”
Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti on Wednesday directed Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema to either administer oath to Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz or appoint anyone for it.
According to ARY News, the chief justice while announcing a reserved verdict over delay in oath taking of the newly-elected chief minister directed the governor Punjab to hold oath-taking ceremony by tomorrow.
The LHC CJ declared that the court’s order should immediately be conveyed to the governor and president, regretting that the province is being run without a chief executive for 25 days.
The court further said in its order that currently Usman Buzdar is acting as chief minister and the governor as per the Constitution is bound to take oath from the newly elected chief minister.
Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had directed President Arif Alvi to nominate another official to take oath from Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz after Governor Omar Sarfraz refused to administer oath to him.
The court ruled that the governor could not refuse to administer oath to the chief minister-elect and the president should appoint another person to administer oath to Hamza Shehbaz.
The court also directed to send a copy of the decision to the president for implementation on the orders within 24 hours.
The PML-N had approached the LHC in a bid to have the governor of Punjab administer the chief minister’s oath to Hamza Shehbaz, the newly-elected chief executive of the province.
Hamza Shehbaz stated that he had been elected as the Punjab chief minister on April 16, during a provincial assembly session held under the LHC’s direction and that he had secured 197 votes out of 371.
Leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly and PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz filed a petition in the Lahore Court High against the transfer of the Punjab Inspector General and chief secretary.
Hamza Shehbaz moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the “unlawful” removal of Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan.
LHC Chief Justice Amir Bhatti has taken up the petition and will hear it on April 11.
In developments that happened late on Friday, the federal government decided to transfer the chief secretary and IGP after they allegedly refused to ‘sort out’ the PTI dissidents to stop them from voting for the opposition candidate in the Punjab Assembly (PA).
The provincial assembly has to elect the new leader of the house after Usman Buzdar resigned last month. PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza, who has secured the support of PTI’s dissident lawmakers — the Jahangir Khan Tarin and Aleem Khan groups — are expected to go head to head in the race to become the next chief minister.
In the petition Hamza named the Government of Punjab, chief secretary, and the IGP as respondents.
It stated that Buzdar’s resignation was accepted on April 1 and, since then, the powers he assumed are that of the caretaker chief minister.
“The postings and transfers of the officers such as Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police of the province can only be made in consultation with the provincial government.
“It is also an admitted position that the provincial cabinet does not exist, therefore, essentially no provincial government exists. Hence such appointments/postings/transfers are without lawful authority,” Hamza argued.
Axe falls on Punjab SC, IGP
Sources told Dawn that both Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan were summoned by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Friday.
The chief minister, flanked by PML-Q leaders, insisted that they should round up the PTI dissident MPAs and ensure that they should not vote for the opposition’s CM candidate.
The chief secretary and the IGP are said to have refused to indulge in the illegal activity and the PML-Q leaders demanded that they both be replaced.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had himself assured Parvez Elahi of all possible help needed ahead of his election as chief minister, during his one-on-one meeting a few days ago at the Governor House, Lahore.
Sources said the chief minister had moved two summaries for the prime minister to replace the chief secretary and the IGP. For the chief secretary’s replacement, the chief minister had given the names of former principal secretary Tahir Khurshid, Yousaf Bashir Khokhar and Planning and Development Board chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal.
Sumbal, however, immediately requested that his candidature might be withdrawn.
Similarly, the chief minister moved a summary for the appointment of a new IGP while giving a panel – Lahore CCPO Fayyaz Dev, former IG Islamabad Amir Zulfiqar Khan and former Punjab IGP Inam Ghani.
Former Governor Chaudhry Sarwar in a hard-hitting press conference said, “All Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Punjab and the federal ministers complained to us whether this was the Pakistan that we wanted where the chief secretary and inspector general are changed every three months.”
Lashing out at PTI leadership, Sarwar criticised PM Khan’s choice of appointing Usman Buzdar as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab. “The premier believed that only Usman Buzdar could build the Naya Pakistan and other party leaders compromised,” he said.
“We said that we want to build Naya Pakistan and if Imran Khan thinks Usman Buzdar can do that, we are with him. But the entire country saw that chaos [subsequently] ensued in Punjab. Workers across Pakistan, federal [cabinet] members, [people] from Europe to the United Kingdom questioned if this was the Pakistan we voted for.”
“Imran Khan was on one side and the PTI on the other,” he said. Referring to the party’s claims that the no-confidence resolution against PM Imran was a “foreign conspiracy”, Sarwar said: “If there is an international conspiracy … the biggest conspiracy was making Usman Buzdar chief minister.”
Former governor said he had met PM Khan twice who told him to call the session after April 3 (today). “However, I did not inform PML-Q’s PTI-backed Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi because the talk with the premier was an amanat (secret) with me,” he added.
Sarwar also said that Elahi also visited him later to tell him it was important to hold elections before April 2 or he would not win. He added that he again went to the premier to express his reservations about Buzdar.
“I signed on the resignation in the dark of the night and they sacked me immediately,” he said, adding, “Pakistan is in a difficult phase right now.”
The federal government removed Chaudhry Sarwar from his post as Governor Punjab, appointing Omer Sarfraz Cheema as his replacement. Cheema has taken oath as the new Governor Punjab.
