#Pakistan - Opposition parties comes closer following more NA budget session chaos

Shehbaz's speech cut short by sloganeering from treasury benches / Seven MPs barred from parliament after budget session ruckus.

Recurring chaos in National Assembly’s budget session has brought opposition parties closer, Pakistan Today has learnt.

According to sources, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif met Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday. The meeting was arranged by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Yousaf Raza Gillani.

During the meeting they decided to move a no-confidence motion jointly against NA Speaker Asad Qaiser after two days of ruckus in the lower house of the parliament.

They said that Tuesday’s proceedings in the NA marked the “darkest day for democracy in Pakistan’s history,” according to the sources.

“The speaker has failed to fulfil his constitutional, legal, democratic, and parliamentary responsibilities […] he is the protector of every parliament member, but [he has failed in his duties] and is not qualified to hold office any more,” the sources quoted the opposition leaders as saying this. In this regard, the joint opposition leaders also agreed to form a committee that would be tasked with tabling the motion. However, the names of its members are under deliberation.

They demanded that a parliamentary committee be established with equal representation — from treasury and opposition benches — to probe the ruckus that had transpired in parliament. The joint opposition also rejected the NA speaker’s decision to ban seven members of the lower house who used foul language in Tuesday’s session.

Earlier, seven members of the lower house, including three from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, will not be able to access parliament after throwing budget document and expletives at each other during a session, Speaker Asad Qaiser said on Wednesday.

The house took on the appearance of a battleground on Tuesday as an ugly scuffle broke out opposition and treasury MPs clashed during the post-budget address of the opposition leader.

Video clips shared on social media showed Assistant to Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan shouting expletives at an opposition MP and tossing a book at his rival, who hurled it back at him.

In a tweet announcing the development, Speaker Qaiser regretted the “unparliamentary” and “inappropriate” behaviour of the MPs.

گزشتہ روز قومی اسمبلی کے اجلاس اور قائد حزب اختلاف کی تقریر کے دوران خلل پیدا کرنے والے ارکان جن کا رویہ غیر پارلیمانی اور نامناسب تھا ان کے ایوان میں داخلے پر پابندی عائد کردی گئی ہے pic.twitter.com/Gs5kBjWqyI

— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) June 16, 2021

The parliamentarians include Ali Gohar Khan, Chaudhary Hamid Hameed and Sheikh Rohail Asghar from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz; Faheem Khan, Abdul Majeed Khan, Ali Nawaz Awan from the ruling party and Syed Agha Rafiullah from the PPP. They have been told not to enter the precinct of the House until further orders.

The aforementioned MPs were found to have “violated” the rules of the parliament despite the “repeated direction” of the speaker.

“Therefore, I order for withdrawal of aforesaid Members from the precincts of the National Assembly immediately. These members are required not to enter into the precincts of the Parliament House till further orders,” the statement issued by Qaiser’s office said.

The punishment was meted out after a meeting between Qaiser and Prime Minister Imran Khan the former informed the latter about the incident as well as the latest political situation.

وزیر اعظم عمران خان سے ملاقات میں ملک کی سیاسی صورتحال اور گزشتہ روز قومی اسمبلی میں پیش آنیوالے واقعہ پر بات چیت ہوئی۔وزیراعظم کو واقعہ کی تفصیلات سے آگاہ کیا۔ایوان کا تقدس پامال کرنے والوں کیخلاف بلا تفریق کاروائی کی جائے گی۔

— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) June 16, 2021

PPP, PML-N ASSURE QIASER OF ‘PLEASENT’ ENVIRONMENT:

Meanwhile, Qaiser also telephoned Sharif and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and exchanged views on keeping the environment in the House “pleasant” during the budget sessions, according to a statement by the National Assembly Secretariat.

اسپیکر @AsadQaiserPTI کا قائد حزب اختلاف @CMShehbaz اور چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی @BBhuttoZardari سے ٹیلیفونک رابطہ ہوا جس میں بجٹ اجلاس کے دوران ایوان کے ماحول کو سازگار رکھنے پر تبادلہ خیال کیا گیا۔ pic.twitter.com/4w9ma6VeyW

— Speaker-National Assembly of Pakistan (@NASpeakerPK) June 16, 2021

During the call, Qaiser said the ruckus was “saddening”, stressing that keeping the environment pleasant was the joint responsibility of the treasury and the opposition.

He urged the parliamentary leaders of all parties to play their role in this regard, the statement said.

Shehbaz and Bilawal agreed with the speaker and assured him of cooperation in keeping the parliament’s environment peaceful, the statement announced.

SHEHBAZ NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK:

On Wednesday, surrounded by sergeants, Shehbaz tried to deliver his speech amid sloganeering from the treasury benches but was cut short.

Meanwhile, Qaiser repeatedly called on the parliamentarians to be seated, but eventually adjourned the session after an object was thrown at the speaker’s dais.

He ordered for whoever had thrown the object to be escorted from the House and said he would take action against the individual responsible.

“I will not conduct this house until both the government and the opposition [settle their matters],” said Qaiser before walking out, adjourning the session till tomorrow.

Shehbaz, during his speech, condemned Monday’s incident and said it was Qaiser’s duty to maintain the sanctity of the House and run it in accordance with the law.

“I want to inform that it was the decision of our party and the opposition that if the opposition’s speeches were peacefully listened to then we would reciprocate and listen to the leader of the House’s speech,” he said, adding that Qaiser had failed to keep the treasury members in check over the last two days.

“I am saddened by your helplessness,” he said, alleging that the behaviour of treasury members had been sanctioned by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself.

Speaking about the incident, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar claimed in a tweet that the opposition had “attacked” within minutes of the session’s start.

He added that PTI lawmaker Muhammad Akram Cheema was also injured by a bottle thrown at him.

“Worried by the economic improvement and popular budget, the opposition wants to run away from discussion on the budget in the House by engaging in confrontation.”

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/06/16/opposition-parties-comes-closer-following-more-na-budget-session-chaos/

بلاول بھٹو نے قومی اسمبلی میں ہنگامہ آرائی کو باعث شرمندگی قرار دیدیا

 پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی (پی پی پی) کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے قومی اسمبلی میں ہونے والی ہنگامہ آرائی کو پوری دنیا میں پاکستان کے لیے باعث

شرمندگی قرار دے دیا۔ 

مائیکرو بلاگنگ ویب سائٹ ٹوئٹر پر اپنے بیان میں ان کا کہنا تھا کہ آج بجٹ سیشن کا تیسرا دن بھی ضائع کردیا گیا۔

انھوں نے ساتھ میں یہ بھی کہا کہ اب یہ معاملہ پوری دنیا میں شرمندگی کی وجہ بن رہا ہے۔

چیئرمین پیپلز پارٹی کا کہنا تھا کہ سلیکٹرز بھی سلیکٹڈ حکومت اور سلیکٹڈ اسپیکر کے رویے اور نااہلی پر شرمندہ ہیں۔

انھوں نے کہا کہ یہ وہ لوگ ہیں جو معیشت، خارجہ پالیسی سمیت دیگر اہم معاملات پر پاکستان کے لیے فیصلے کرتے ہیں۔

https://jang.com.pk/news/943209

بجٹ اجلاس میں صرف شور شرابا اور احتجاج ہی نہیں اور بہت کچھ ہوا

پاکستان کی قومی اسمبلی کے بجٹ اجلاس کے دوران منگل کو حکومتی اور اپوزیشن ارکان گتھم گتھا ہو گئے۔ ارکان نے ایک دوسرے پر بجٹ کی کاپیوں سے حملے کیے اور جھگڑتے ہوئے ایک دوسرے کو گالیاں بھی دیں۔

سوشل میڈیا پر وائرل ہونے والی ویڈیوز میں ارکان قومی اسمبلی کو ایک دوسرے سے دست و گریبان ہوتے ہوئے دیکھا جا سکتا ہے۔ یہی نہیں حکومتی و اپوزیشن ارکان ایک دوسرے کو چور اور دیگر القابات سے بھی نوازتے رہے۔

پاکستان تحریک انصاف کے اسلام آباد سے رکن اسمبلی اور وزیرِ اعظم کے معاون خصوصی علی نواز اعوان کی ایک ویڈیو سب سے زیادہ وائرل ہو رہی ہے جس میں وہ مسلم لیگ (ن) کے شیخ روحیل اصغر کے بارے میں نازیبا کلمات ادا کر رہے ہیں۔

اس ویڈیو میں وہ گالیاں دینے کے ساتھ ساتھ ان پر حملہ آور ہونے کی کوشش کر رہے ہیں اور دیگر ارکان اسمبلی انہیں روک رہے ہیں۔ ویڈیو کے آخر میں علی نواز اعوان نے بجٹ کی کتاب بھی اپوزیشن ارکان پر دے ماری۔

کئی ارکانِ اسمبلی سیٹیاں اور باجے لے کر ایوان میں پہنچے۔ اس ہنگامے کے دوران سکیورٹی اہل کار بھی اراکین کو روکنے میں ناکام رہے۔

بجٹ اجلاس میں ہنگامہ آرائی اس قدر زیادہ تھی کہ قومی اسمبلی کی سیکیورٹی کے لیے سینیٹ سیکرٹریٹ سے مدد طلب کرنا پڑی۔ ایوان میں ہنگامہ آرائی سے نمٹنے کے لیے اضافی سارجنٹ ایٹ آرمز کی خدمات قومی اسمبلی کے سپرد کر دی گئی ہیں۔

منگل کو ہونے والے اجلاس کے دوران اپوزیشن اور حکومتی ارکان نے ایک دوسرے پر بجٹ کی کاپیاں پھینکیں۔ اس دوران کاپیوں کے بنڈل لگنے سے ایک سارجنٹ اور حکمراں جماعت پاکستان تحریک انصاف (پی ٹی آئی) کی رکن ملیکہ بخاری زخمی ہوگئیں۔

اس بارے میں سوشل میڈیا پر حکومت کے حامی اور مخالفین کے درمیان بھی جنگ دیکھنے میں آئی اور دونوں طرف کے افراد ایک دوسرے کو تنقید کا نشانہ بناتے رہے۔

وفاقی وزیرِ اطلاعات فواد چوہدری نے ٹوئٹر پر رکنِ اسمبلی علی گوہر بلوچ کی ایک ویڈیو شیئر کی اور دعویٰ کیا کہ لڑائی کا آغاز علی گوہر کے نعروں سے شروع ہوا تھا اور (ن) لیگ کے ایم این ایز نے تمام پارلیمانی اقدار کو بالائے طاق رکھتے ہوئے گالیاں دیں، جس پر پی ٹی آئی کے نوجوان ارکان جذباتی ہو گئے اور 

پھر بجٹ کی کتابیں پھینکنے کا سلسلہ شروع ہوا۔

اس تمام ہنگامہ آرائی سے حزبِ اختلاف کی دوسری بڑی جماعت پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے ارکان لاتعلق رہے۔

وائرل ہونے والی ویڈیوز میں سے ایک ویڈیو میں وزیرِ انسانی حقوق شیریں مزاری بھی نظر آرہی ہیں جو موبائل کیمرے میں بار بار چور چور کی آوازیں بلند کر رہی ہیں۔

مسلم لیگ ن کی نائب صدر مریم نواز نے اس ہنگامہ آرائی پر ٹوئٹ کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ “آج پارلیمنٹ میں حکومتی ارکان کی جانب سے جو ہلڑ بازی کی گئی، جس طرح کی زبان استعمال کی گئی وہ ناصرف پی ٹی آئی جیسے گروہ کا وطیرہ ہے بلکہ ذہنی طور پر ان کی شکست کا اعتراف ہے۔”

انہوں نے عربی کی ایک کہاوت بھی نقل کی جس میں کہا گیا کہ انسان جب مایوس ہو جائے تو زبان دراز ہو جاتی ہے۔

وزیرِ مملکت اطلاعات و نشریات فرخ حبیب نے اپنے ایک ٹوئٹ میں کہا کہ شاہد خاقان عباسی کے کہنے پر ن لیگ اراکین اسمبلی گالم گلوچ پر اتر آئے اس کے بعد لڑائی شروع کروائی گئی۔

ان کا کہنا تھا کہ پی ٹی آئی کے رکن فہیم خان کو مسلم لیگ (ن) کے اراکین کی جانب سے زخمی کیا گیا۔ ملیکہ بخاری کی آنکھ پر بجٹ بک ماری گئی جس سے ان کی آنکھ زخمی ہو گئی۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ ن لیگ کو خواتین اراکین اسمبلی کی عزت اور آبرو کا کوئی احساس نہیں۔

ہنگامہ آرائی شروع کب ہوئی؟

یہ ہنگامہ آرائی پیر کو بجٹ اجلاس کے دوران ہی شروع ہو گئی تھی لیکن منگل کے روز اس میں اُس وقت زیادہ شدت دیکھی گئی جب قائد حزبِ اختلاف شہباز شریف تقریر کر رہے تھے۔

حکومتی ارکان نے ڈیسک بجا کر اور نعرے بازی کر کے انہیں تقریر سے روکنا شروع کیا۔ اس دوران مسلم لیگ (ن) کے ارکان اسمبلی نے ان کا گھیراؤ کر کے ان کا دفاع کیا۔ لیکن ہنگامہ آرائی میں اچانک بجٹ کی کاپیوں کا ایک بنڈل ان کے سامنے موجود ڈائس پر آگرا، شہباز شریف اس بنڈل سے محفوظ رہے۔

اپوزیشن کے خلاف وفاقی وزیرِ خارجہ شاہ محمود قریشی اور وفاقی وزیرِ اطلاعات فواد چوہدری بھی نعرے بازی کرنے والوں میں شریک تھے۔

اسپیکر اسد قیصر نے تمام اراکین کو تحمل کا مظاہرہ کرتے ہوئے شور شرابا نہ کرنے کی سخت تلقین کی، لیکن وہ بھی صورتِ حال کو کنٹرول کرنے میں ناکام رہے، جس کے بعد انہیں اجلاس بیس منٹ کے لیے ملتوی کرنا پڑا۔

مسلم لیگ (ن) کے شاہد خاقان عباسی کا کہنا تھا کہ شہباز شریف کی تقریر سے حکومتی بنچوں میں آگ لگ گئی ہے۔ انہوں نے بجٹ دستاویزات جھوٹ کا پلندہ قرار دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ اہداف بارہ سے پندرہ فی صد مہنگائی کی بنیاد پر بنائے گئے، وزیر خزانہ بتا دیں کیا بجٹ سے مہنگائی کم ہوگی؟

شاہ محمود قریشی نے اپوزیشن اراکین کو وارننگ دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ بجٹ پر تنقيد حزب اختلاف کا حق ہے، لیکن مہذب طريقہ اختیار کیا جائے۔ اپنی بات کريں اور حکومتی موقف نہ سنيں، يہ مناسب نہيں۔ اگر اپوزيشن ہماری نہيں سنے گی تو ہم بھی ان کی نہيں سنيں گے۔

فواد چوہدری نے کابینہ اجلاس کے بعد میڈیا بریفنگ کے دوران کہا کہ ہم اس طرح کے رویے کی بالکل اجازت نہیں دیں گے۔ ہمارا یہ متفقہ فیصلہ ہے کہ اگر اپوزیشن کو ایوان میں بات کرنی ہے تو اسے حکومت کی بات بھی سننی پڑے گی، وہ پہلے وزیر اعظم اور وزرا کا نکتہ سنیں پھر اپنی بات کریں۔

فواد چوہدری نے کہا کہ اپوزیشن کو یہ غلط فہمی ہے کہ وہ جو کرے گی وہی جمہوری اور پارلیمانی رویہ ہے اور حکومت جو کرے گی وہ غیر جمہوری ہے، لیکن اگر اب آپ ہمیں بات کرنے دیں گے تو خود بھی بات کر سکیں گے۔

کوڈ آف کنڈکٹ پر عمل نہ ہو سکا

منگل کو ہونے والے اجلاس سے قبل اسپیکر کی طرف سے قائم کی گئی اخلاقیات کمیٹی نے اجلاس کے لیے کوڈ آف کنڈکٹ بھی تجویز کیا تھا، لیکن اس پر کوئی عمل درآمد نہ ہوسکا۔

اس کوڈ آف کنڈکٹ میں کہا گیا ہے کہ حکومت اور اپوزیشن کی طرف سے کوئی ممبر اخلاق باختہ، ناشائستہ اور غیر پارلیمانی زبان و بیان اور اقدام سے مکمل پرہیز کرے گا، خلاف ورزی کی صورت میں اسپیکر ایسے ممبر کے خلاف اقدام کریں جو سب کو قبول ہوگا۔

کوڈ آف کنڈکٹ میں کہا گیا ہے کہ ہاؤس کے اندر ممبرز کی پرائیویسی کا احترام کرتے ہوئے ویڈیو بنانے کی اجازت نہیں ہو گی اور نہ ہی پلے کارڈ اٹھا کر مخالف جماعت کے ارکان کی نشستوں کی جانب جانے کی اجازت ہوگی۔

کوڈ آف کنڈکٹ میں مزید کہا گیا ہے کہ اسپیکر کے ڈائس پر کھڑے ہو کر نعرے بازی، گفتگو اور احتجاج کی اجازت نہیں ہو گی۔ تمام ارکان اپنی نشستوں پر احتجاج کریں گے اور تمام ممبران صرف اسپیکر کو مخاطب کرکے بولیں گے۔

کیا پارلیمان میں اپنائے گئے رویے کی کوئی توجیح ہے؟

پارلیمان میں موجود ارکان کسی بھی ملک کی آبادی کے چنے ہوئے وہ لوگ ہوتے ہیں جنہیں عوام اپنی نمائندگی اور قانون سازی کے لیے ایوان میں بھیجتے ہیں۔

دنیا بھر کی پارلیمان میں احتجاج کیا جاتا ہے جس کے دوران بعض اوقات ہنگامہ آرائی اور لڑائی جھگڑے تک کی نوبت جا پہنچتی ہے، لیکن نازیبا زبان استعمال کرنے کی ہمیشہ ہر طرف سے مذمت ہی کی جاتی ہے۔

منگل کو پاکستان کی قومی اسمبلی میں نازیبا زبان کے استعمال سے متعلق استاد اور تاریخ دان ڈاکٹر مبارک علی نے وائس آف امریکہ سے بات کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ معاشرے میں زبان کا استعمال بھی معاشرتی رویوں کا عکاس ہوتا ہے اور زبان کا استعمال تعلیم کے ذریعے ہوتا ہے۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ جو لوگ پارلیمان میں آتے ہیں وہ عموماً پارلیمان کے آداب سے واقف ہی نہیں، ان میں سے بیشتر وہ لوگ ہیں جو خود کو اتھارٹی سمجھتے ہیں، دوسرے کو بے عزت کرنا اپنا حق سمجھتے ہیں۔

ڈاکٹر مبارک علی کے بقول، “ہمارے ہاں جمہوری روایات کے لیے جمہوریت کا تسلسل ایسا رہا ہی نہیں، بار بار فوجی آمریت آتی رہی اور کسی کی بھی پارلیمانی تربیت نہ ہوسکی۔”

معاشرے کے مجموعی رویے کے بارے میں ڈاکٹر مبارک علی کا کہنا تھا کہ اس وقت صورتِ حال یہ ہے کہ ریاست کے ادارے عوامی مسائل کے حل میں ناکام ہو چکے ہیں، مختلف مافیاز طاقتور ہو چکی ہیں اور وہ ہی تمام معاملات کو چلا رہی ہیں۔

https://www.humsub.com.pk/399753/voa-2166/

ISI ‘meddling’ in judiciary, media: Ex-judge on how Pakistan Army tried to ‘manipulate’ cases

By PIA KRISHNANKUTTY

 Former judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui alleges ISI officers visited him in 2018 to try and influence proceedings related to Nawaz Sharif's conviction & the acquittal of BOL News CEO.

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has long been accused of interfering in judicial matters for favourable verdicts and influencing media houses to shape public opinion. In the latest such incident, a former judge of the Islamabad High Court, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, has alleged that ISI Director General Lt Gen. Faiz Hameed and other military officers visited his residence to try and “manipulate” case proceedings back in 2018.

Two of these cases pertained to the conviction of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif in corruption cases and the acquittal of the founder and CEO of BOL News channel in 2018.

Siddiqui made the accusations Tuesday during a hearing before the Supreme Court against his removal from office. Hearing his plea, Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the former judge should have reported the meetings with the then Supreme Court chief justice as well as the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court at the time.

Siddiqui was removed from office in October 2018, on the recommendations of the Supreme Judicial Council, for “displaying a conduct unbecoming of a judge”. This was after he delivered a speech at the District Bar Association, Rawalpindi, on 21 July 2018 where he accused security agencies of “meddling” in judicial affairs.

During the hearing Tuesday, Siddiqui’s lawyer denied his client was maintaining ties with Army officers and read out his reply to such claims. Salahuddin Ahmed, president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, tweeted pictures of the reply Tuesday.

According to Lt Gen. Vinod Bhatia (retd), India’s former director general of military operations, this is not new.

“An amendment bill was passed in Pakistan in April this year mandating that anyone who criticises the Army may face imprisonment of two years, (or) a fine of Rs 5,00,000, or both. That sums up the political environment and how far the Army is willing to go to clamp down on free speech,” he told ThePrint.

Calling it a “smart coup”, Bhatia explained that the Pakistan Army “rules by proxy but maintains a democratic government for the world to see”.

In October 2020, the Pakistan Army landed in hot water after the Sindh province claimed the military “abducted” its chief inspector and forced him to sign an arrest warrant of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law.

Allegations that ISI officers made home visits

In his statement to the apex court, Siddiqui alleged that ISI Brigadier Irfan Ramay visited his home in June 2018 and asked him to review his order to remove encroachments from a portion of the road in front of the ISI headquarters. “On my refusal, he showed annoyance,” Siddiqui said, adding that he had some guests over in his house when the visit took place.

Siddiqui claimed that Hameed, the incumbent ISI chief who was DG, counter intelligence, at ISI at the time, later visited his home on two occasions.

According to him, Hameed made the first visit to request “modification” of his order regarding ISI headquarters. “I explained to him that being a judge, I am not supposed to go beyond my order…and his establishment has to respect and implement the same unless set aside or modified by the honourable Supreme Court,” Siddiqui stated.

Hameed then asked about the appeals before the Islamabad High Court regarding the conviction of former PM Nawaz Sharif, claimed the former judge.

At the time, Sharif had challenged a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court’s ruling that sentenced him to 10 years in prison in one of the three corruption cases against him in the Panama Papers scandal.

Graphic by Soham Sen | ThePrint

Explaining that ISI also tried to manipulate the formation of benches in high courts, Siddiqui claimed that Hameed indicated the chief justice of Islamabad HC was likely to resign due to health issues and Siddiqui could take his place in September 2018.

On 18 July 2018, the Islamabad HC ordered that Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law be released on bail as they appeal convictions on corruption charges.

This prompted Hameed’s second visit, claimed Siddiqui, a day after the verdict. Hameed allegedly said Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa “showed great annoyance and displeasure on his inability to handle a Judge of the High Court”, and told him to find out “what the judge wants”.

Siddiqui said he replied that he needed nothing except that all organs of the state and the respective departments of the executive should remain within the limits prescribed by the Constitution and the law of the land.

Hameed further said they wanted an assurance that Sharif’s bail plea was not taken up before the 2018 general election, according to Siddiqui.

‘BOL network was an ISI project’

In his statement to the Supreme Court, the former judge alleged that ISI Brigadier Faisal Merawat tried to influence the acquittal of BOL News CEO Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh “by describing BOL as a project of ISI”.

In May 2015, The New York Times published an article by its correspondent Declan Walsh revealing that Axact, the parent company of BOL News, was making tens of millions of dollars a year selling fake degrees and diplomas online. Shaikh, the chief executive and one of the directors of the company, was arrested and later acquitted.

Pervaizul Qadir Memon, the judge hearing Shaikh’s case, was removed from service in 2018 for acquitting the media mogul upon receiving a bribe.

https://theprint.in/world/isi-meddling-in-judiciary-media-ex-judge-on-how-pakistan-army-tried-to-manipulate-cases/675099/

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Video Report - #Biden #Geneva #Putin Biden arrives in Geneva for highly-anticipated Putin meeting

From Russia with Love: #bidenputin #BidenPutinSummit - Biden vs. Vlad the Impaler

 

By Finian Cunningham

Both sides acknowledge that relations between the United States and Russia are at an abject low point. And both sides have said they want to make relations better. But who is actually making a positive effort to reduce tensions and give peace a chance?

It should be obvious that the Russian side is the only party that is acting responsibly and with a generous spirit of trying to improve bilateral relations. 

President Vladimir Putin says he hopes to open personal communications with American counterpart Joe Biden when they meet for their summit in Geneva on Wednesday. The Russian leader has played down expectations of a breakthrough, but nevertheless, his stated aspiration is for a productive detente. 

There is little to no reciprocation of benign spirit from the American side. Biden and his aides may say the US does not want a conflict with Russia. But apart from that rhetorical concession, the Americans are pushing aggression and making the Geneva meeting sound like a showdown.

The unwillingness of the US president to hold a joint press conference with Putin following their private discussions is a telling sign of the obnoxious American attitude. 

There are two reasons why Biden doesn’t want to appear side by side with Putin in front of the world. 

The first is he would not be able to handle Putin’s intelligent arguments and criticism of American policy. Joe Biden’s mental faculties are in serious doubt following well-publicized gaffes and missteps of forgetting names and incoherent speech. Not meaning to sound cruel, but Putin would demolish Biden in a public discussion. 

Biden and the entire American political establishment constantly accuse Putin and Russia of malign conduct, everything from being a “killer” to interfering in elections, cyberattacks and threatening the national security of the US and its allies. 

The depiction is a fantasy based on Russophobia and bigoted prejudice. As Putin pointed out in a recent US media interview: there is no evidence ever presented to back up these wild pejorative claims. It is all unsubstantiated, rabid nonsense.

If Putin was on the same public platform as Biden, we can be sure that the veil of lies would be torn from the American facade of acting tough and sanctimonious. Biden would be left quivering and mumbling like an impotent idiot. Indeed, any American politician would be since they are all brainwashed idiots bloated from their own propaganda. 

Thus, the world would see in a wonderful moment just how ridiculously naked the American emperor is and all his NATO minions are.

The second reason for why Biden could not abide standing alongside Putin is that that image confounds the American propaganda of demonizing “Vlad the Impaler”. Any appearance of a smiling Putin in a normal friendly setting with Biden would undermine the narrative of Putin-the-bogeyman.

That’s why the meeting has to be held in private and afterward the Americans can spin some account of the talks to make themselves sound morally superior by claiming to have brought up concerns about  “human rights” and “malign behavior”. We can be sure if Biden dares to act self-righteous, Putin will deftly slam the absurd hypocrisy. 

But it’s also vital for the American side to portray the encounter as a showdown between a good guy and a bad guy. The charade only works if kept in private. 

 At least in the past, Ronald Reagan was photographed having convivial fireside talks with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev when they met in Geneva in 1985 and produced a landmark arms control treaty. To his credit, too, Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Putin when the pair met in Helsinki in 2018 and there was no acrimony.

But Biden, like most American politicians and media, is full of stupid antipathy towards Putin and the Kremlin. He warned menacingly last week he’s going to tell Putin “what he knows”. Biden says the Russian leader “needs to change his behavior” if there is to be any improvement in relations. 

It’s going to be very difficult to engage in productive dialogue when the American mindset is so indoctrinated with false propaganda.

Some observers may wonder is there any point in Putin meeting Biden under those circumstances? After all, it was Biden who invited Putin to meet him. 

The willingness of the Russian side to engage – in spite of the American animosity – is a clear sign of political maturity and generosity to try to create a more peaceful world. The onus is on the Americans to change their behavior and stop malign conduct. That’s the real challenge. 

https://sputniknews.com/columnists/202106141083147091-biden-vs-vlad-the-impaler/

Biden-Putin summit agenda revealed: Presidents to discuss Covid-19, Ukraine, hacking, climate change & situation in Middle East

By Jonny Tickle

When Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden meet in Geneva on Wednesday for their eagerly awaited summit, they will discuss a wide range of topics, including coronavirus, the war in Donbass, and the fight against cybercrime.That’s according to Yury Ushakov, a Russian diplomat and long-time aide of Putin on foreign policy matters, who announced the plan for the summit on Tuesday. The two heads of state are due to meet at 1pm local time at Geneva’s grand and historic Villa La Grange.

The meeting will be the first encounter between the two presidents since Biden ascended to his post earlier this year. Alongside the two leaders will be their closest advisers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov.

According to Ushakov, the Russian delegation will also include Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to Washington, as well as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, among others.

The two groups will discuss strategic stability, the fight against coronavirus, the situation in Ukraine, and prospects for economic cooperation. They will also look to find common ground on other issues, such as information security, the fight against cybercrime, climate change, and the Arctic.

“We’ve left regional problems for dessert,” Ushakov explained, according to Moscow news agency TASS. “The Middle East, Syria, Libya, the situation concerning the Iranian nuclear program, Afghanistan, the Korean Peninsula, and Nagorno-Karabakh. And, obviously, Ukraine.”

They may also talk about jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny and the closing of consulates in Russia and the US, Ushakov said.

The presidential aide also revealed that the summit will take place in three separate parts, with different sized delegations, and the two leaders may, at some point, step aside and have a one-to-one talk.

No decision has been made on holding a joint press conference of the Russian and US presidents after the summit, Ushakov said, noting that a final statement or agreement is yet to be confirmed. Both individual leaders will host their own press conferences, however.

“I have no confidence that any agreement will be reached,” Ushakov continued. “We’ll see, I don’t know. I look at this meeting with practical optimism, but not with much [of it].”

https://www.rt.com/russia/526586-biden-putin-summit-agenda-plan/

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Opinion: Censorship is suffocating Pakistan

By Hamid Mir

For some elements in Pakistan, it is not enough that I have been taken off the air. They want to see me behind bars. Last month, I was banned from appearing on the talk show I have hosted for two decades, “Capital Talk,” on Geo News. I was also stopped from writing my column in Pakistan’s most popular Urdu-language newspaper, Jang. Now I face the prospect of sedition charges. The maximum punishment under the law is life imprisonment.

My apparent crime was a speech I gave at a protest in solidarity with journalist Asad Toor last month. On the night of May 25, three unidentified men entered Toor’s apartment, tied him up and tortured him. It was the latest in a series of attacks on journalists in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. We know about some of the attacks, but most have not been reported.

Toor paid a price for his decision to speak out against his assailants. Within moments, he was accused of faking his wounds to seek fame. Pakistan’s information minister, Fawad Chaudhry, claimed that journalists stage the attacks to seek political asylum abroad. These remarks angered the journalists standing with Toor. For me, it was personal. It reminded me of the attempts on my own life, and how, after being shot six times, I was also accused of making it all up.

In my speech, I said that if the attacks on journalists don’t stop, we won’t remain silent. I didn’t name any individual or any organization, but my tone was harsh. I was quickly accused of maligning Pakistan’s top generals. A carefully coordinated campaign smeared me as a traitor on social media and, with suspicious haste, a flurry of complaints was filed against me around the country. Management of my TV channel informed me that I wouldn’t be able to host my show. They took this action without any court order or showing any notice of cause. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists denounced the pressure brought on media owners “to shut down critical voices.”

Pakistani journalism organizations decided to defend me in the courts, but they asked me to explain my position because I had spoke on their platform. I clarified that I never named anyone in my speech and I respect the army as an institution, but that I can’t remain silent on attacks against journalists. I even asked to be excused if my harsh tone caused any inconvenience to anyone, but reiterated my demand that attacks on journalists must come to an end.

In 2007, the then-military dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, banned me for several months when he imposed a state of emergency. In 2012, a bomb was found under my car after I criticized the Taliban’s attack on Malala Yousafzai. I still carry two of the bullets inside my body from when I was nearly killed in 2014. After that, I faced allegations of blasphemy, but I was cleared by a court of law. The attempt to charge me with sedition is part of a well-organized war on dissent in Pakistan. Journalists, human rights activists, politicians and academics have all been charged under the law. It is deliberately vague, and broad terms enable its abuse. You can be charged with sedition for merely “liking” a Facebook post, for drawing a cartoon or for making a speech. Two members of Parliament from the opposition are currently facing sedition charges. One, Mian Javed Latif, was recently released on bail. The other, Ali Wazir, has languished in a cell for the past six months.The sedition law — 124-A of the penal code — is a 19th-century British instrument of colonial repression. It was used to arrest the father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, who famously said it was “designed to suppress the liberty of the citizen.” The founder of my country, constitutional lawyer Muhammad Ali Jinnah, defended journalists accused of sedition in court — and won.

Ironically, the same governments that pride themselves on their patriotism today remain beholden to archaic British traditions. In India, the Modi government has wielded the sedition law to target academics, lawyers, activists and students. In Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina’s government has sought to silence journalists reporting on human rights violations and corruption. And in Pakistan, an attempt to finally rid us of the law was defeated last year by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government in Parliament.

Alongside old draconian laws come new ones. The Pakistani government recently proposed a law to establish a body called the Pakistan Media Development Authority. It would have introduced media tribunals to decide what can and cannot be said or written, without notice or a hearing. Offenders would be punished by up to three years in prison and millions of rupees in fines. This law would enforce total silence in Pakistani media.

Journalists, lawyers and human rights activists all condemned the draft law with one voice. This new show of unity offers a ray of hope. If we all speak loudly and without fear, I’m certain that we will be heard. This is how our forefathers resisted British rule, and it’s how we’ll continue to resist the colonial mind-set that seeks to silence us today.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/15/hamid-mir-assails-censorship-in-pakistan/

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Cash-strapped Pakistan requests another year to pay back Chinese loans

A debt-ridden Pakistan has requested its all-weather ally China that it needs another year to pay back a billion dollars Islamabad had borrowed from Beijing last year.

According to The Frontier Post, Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a letter to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on June 8 that July 23, 2021, was the date when Pakistan is supposed to return one billion dollars it had borrowed.

Imran Khan further stated that due to this support by China, "this deposit is contributing significantly easing pressure on our external account."

He requested that another 12 months be given to Pakistan to pay back this loan at an interest rate of one per cent, according to The Frontier Post.

Earlier, a bankrupt Pakistan's debt problems escalated when China declined to restructure USD 3 billion in liabilities. Islamabad has requested Beijing to forgive debt liabilities owed to China-funded energy projects established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Media reports suggest that China has refused to budge on Islamabad's request to renegotiate the power purchase agreements, saying that any debt relief would require Chinese banks to amend the terms and conditions under which the credits were extended.

The banks, including China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, were not prepared to revise any of the clauses of the agreement reached earlier with the government, Beijing said in response to the request to renegotiate terms. Pakistan has already entered a sovereign debt "danger zone" with total liabilities and debts of USD 294 billion representing 109 per cent as a percentage of GDP as of 30 December 2020.

As Pakistan's financial debt continues to mount, the country's total debt and liabilities rose to Rs 45.470 trillion at the end of March 2021, an increase of Rs 2.666 trillion or 6.2 per cent a year earlier, according to data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

Meanwhile, the debt owed by the government to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rose to Rs 1.164 trillion from Rs 1.071 trillion. (ANI)

https://in.news.yahoo.com/cash-strapped-pakistan-requests-another-140202568.html

PPP will not allow economic murder of people: Bilawal Bhutto

 Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has said Saturday that how the budget could be public when the inflation, unemployment and poverty are historic.

In his statement, Bilawal Bhutto said that the year has changed but the condition of people is still same. He said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has failed in providing relief to the common man.

“Imran Khan has unveiled his anti-public agenda. Pakistan Peoples Party will not allow economic murder of the people,” he added.

https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/605745-PPP-will-not-allow-economic-murder-of-people:-Bilawal-Bhutto

An increase of Rs 20 per liter on petrol and Rs 7 per kg on sugar is occurring due to indirect taxes – says Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

 

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called out the PTI government for presenting a selected anti-people budget. Chairman PPP also rejected the budget terming it as a method of economic murder that will lead the country to the point of no return.

In a statement issued from the Media Cell Bilawal House, the Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated, “It is evident IMF employees prepared the budget and then gave it to Imran Khan. Yet, the puppet PM went ahead and presented it without any consideration, nor did he pay heed to the plight of the poor.”

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also asked the nation to note the indirect taxes imposed by the PM. “Instead of applying direct taxes, Imran Khan is robbing the nation by levying indirect taxes worth billions of rupees.”
Highlighting the atrocious amount of indirect taxes imposed, Chairman PPP said, “An increase of Rs 20 per liter on petrol and Rs 7 per kg on sugar is occurring. Gas and petrol prices will also go up when companies give 17% sales tax on crude oil and LNG.”

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned the nation that indirect taxes worth billions of rupees imposed on every commodity used by common people would soon expose the country to a new tsunami of inflation.
“People started shopping online to avoid coronavirus, but Imran Khan imposed sales tax on online shopping as well. So where will the common man go now?” questioned Chairman PPP.

Declaring the correct government inefficient and an enemy to Pakistan’s progress, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said it was a tragedy that overseas Pakistanis were sending more in remittances than the exports of the country.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/25106/

Today, the Opposition leader was not allowed to tell the nation the realities of the economic situation – says Chairman PPP during a media talk at the Parliament

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari responding to the questions of the journalists in the Parliament House said that the experience of running the government from the container has failed. Today, the Opposition leader was not allowed to tell the nation the realities of the economic situation. The government did not show the figures of inflation and unemployment in the economic survey of Pakistan so that it can hide its failure. Every citizen is suffering due to inflation by the Imran Khan’s government and knows the failure of the government. 

This is the real face of Imran Khan’s “change”. The government cannot hoodwink the people despite its childish behaviour.

Chairman Bilawal said that the Speaker and deputy Speaker are not playing their role and PPP offers all members to the opposition leader in the no-confidence motion against them.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/25108/