pakistan

Bilawal says arresting a politician damages entire political system

Published

1 year ago

May 11, 2023

admin

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday he was not in favour of proscribing any political party, adding that he would be the last person to agree to such a decision, a possible reference to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The PTI workers have been protesting against the arrest of party chief and ex-premier Imran Khan in a graft case, resorting to violence in which public and private property was damaged, prompting authorities to warn it with slapping a ban.

Addressing a press conference here, Bilawal urged the PTI leadership and workers to act like a political party and not like a “group of terrorists” so that it would not face ban. He warned that if they engaged in an “armed rebellion” against the state, the government would be compelled to ban the party as a last resort. He, however, expressed the hope that the government would refrain from doing so.

Foreign Minister Bilawal advised the PTI to “not make matters worse” and urged it to end violent protests across the country. He termed the PTI workers’ reaction “completely unjustified”, saying violence had created a situation in which serious conversation was needed.

People involved in criminal activities would be held accountable, he added.

Bilawal accused the PTI of violating the law and the Constitution, plunging the country into anarchy.

“I believe that the PTI has crossed all limits, and now it is the responsibility of the state, institutions concerned and courts to enforce law and the Constitution,” he continued. He said there were only two examples of the General Headquarters (GHQ) coming under attack — once by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the other by the PTI.

He said Imran Khan was arrested in accordance with the law and the Constitution. The allegations under which he was arrested were “serious”, he added.

“If you or I were involved in this crime, we would have be in jail. Khan Sahib always called for accountability in the country,” Bilawal said. He sarcastically remarked that when Imran was arrested, his followers would have said look how brave our leader is!

But, instead of a call for peaceful protest, the PTI resorted to violence. They picked up stones, sticks and guns. “Such attacks are rare in history,” he added.

He claimed that Imran Khan had abused his power while in the office. The ex-premier used to oppose reforms while in power and used to claim that the then opposition was using pressure tactics in order to get an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance).

Bilawal said the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had investigated a case [against a property tycoon] and had wanted to return £190 million to Pakistan. They sent the money but Imran misappropriated it, he maintained. The money belonged to Pakistan, to the people of Sindh. Imran, who always called for accountability, was given the opportunity to bring back the looted money of the people, he said.

He said the PPP had never celebrated the arrests of its political rivals. “When a politician is arrested, it is the loss of the entire country.”

He noted that the PPP had always been opposed to the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) but the PTI had been defending it. “Closing down the NAB was a part of the charter of democracy but Khan stopped it.”

“We told Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] that the NAB should be closed. We were not heard. Today, our allies have been supporting our stand. We all demanded that NAB should be reformed. And we brought NAB reforms. Now instead of 90 days, the remand in NAB custody has reduced to 14 days. Imran himself is benefiting from the reforms,” Bilawal quipped.

He said the PPP was trying to hold elections in the country.

“We were trying to have a dialogue between the political parties on it. I was hopeful that our political dialogue would be successful. Even today, we want the election to be on time,” he concluded.

Post Views: 159

Up Next

Russia risks cloud outlook for Central Asia, Caucasus: IMF

Don't Miss

Pakistanis abroad dissent Imran’s arrest; UK calls it internal matter

Click to comment

pakistan

KP CM Gandapur’s interim bail extended till May 28 in arson attack case

Published

1 day ago

May 18, 2024

admin

KP CM Gandapur's interim bail extended till May 28 in arson attack case

A district and sessions court of Rawalpindi on Saturday extended the interim bail of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur till May 28.

The additional district and sessions judge conducted hearing of interim bail plea for Ali Amin Gandapur in a case of arson and meddling government affairs. Advocate Muhammad Faisal Malik appeared on behalf of the KP chief minister.

During the hearing, a request was submitted by KP CM Gandapur for exemption from attending court proceedings which was accepted by the court.

Gandapur had made the request due to his official engagement in government affairs. Later, the additional district and sessions judge extended the interim bail of CM Gandapur till May 28.

It should be remembered that a case was registered against Gandapur in Nasirabad police station.

Post Views: 6

pakistan

CM Maryam directs measures for land record digitalisation

Published

1 day ago

May 18, 2024

admin

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has issued directives to implement concrete measures for the digitalization of land records across the province.

Presided over a crucial session focused on Board of Revenue reforms, CM Nawaz received a comprehensive briefing on the Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement (PULSE) project.

During the session, officials from the Punjab Land Record Authority and Management of State Land provided insights into the project’s business plan and execution strategies.

The digitalization of land records under the PULSE project is being undertaken with the support of the World Bank.

This ambitious initiative aims to digitize all land records in Punjab on an owner-based system, marking a significant step towards transparency and efficiency in revenue management.

Key highlights from the briefing include the categorization of land properties into clear, and disputed categories, denoted by green, yellow, and red respectively.

Each buyer will be assigned a unique property number, streamlining legal processes and reducing complications associated with property transactions.

The implementation of a transparent partition of land and parcel document system will enhance the transparency and fairness of revenue management.

The digitalization process will also simplify the Record of Rights (Fard) and property transfer system, ensuring accessibility and efficiency for citizens.

In a move to facilitate overseas Pakistanis, the government plans to introduce services such as overseas property transfer, mutation, registration, and e-survey.

CM Maryam Nawaz has underscored the importance of swift action and collaboration among relevant departments to expedite the digitalization of land records.

Provincial Information Minister Azma Bukhari, MPA Sania Ashiq, chief secretary, P&D chairman, SMU head and other officials attended the session.

Post Views: 11

pakistan

PM directs envoy to extend all possible help to Pakistani students

Published

1 day ago

May 18, 2024

admin

PM directs envoy to extend all possible help to Pakistani students

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the Pakistani ambassador in Bishkek to provide all possible help to Pakistani students.

Prime Minister Sharif contacted the Pakistani Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hassan Ali Zaigham by telephone and directed to provide all kind of support and assistance to the Pakistani students. He also ordered the Pakistani ambassador to visit the hostels and meet the students.

On this occasion, the Pakistani ambassador informed the prime minister about the current situation in Bishkek and said no Pakistani was killed in the incident.

He said the embassy was assisting the wounded students. The prime minister emphasised to keep in constant touch with the parents of the students and provide them timely information.

PM Sharif directed that all kinds of medical facilities should be provided to the injured students, and arrangements should be made for immediate return of the injured students who were willing to return to Pakistan.

Government of Pakistan will bear the cost of return of students. The prime minister said he was personally monitoring the situation in Kyrgyzstan.

“We will not leave our students alone in this situation. Our government is also in touch with the government of Kyrgyzstan,” said the prime minister.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep concern over the attacks on students from Pakistan and other countries in Kyrgyzstan. He directed the Pakistani ambassador in Bishkek to provide all possible help to the Pakistani students.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the Pakistani Embassy had provided emergency numbers and was continuously monitoring the situation.

Post Views: 5