How Imran Khan Betrayed Pakistan’s Missing Persons

By Somaiyah Hafeez

The former prime minister had been outspoken about addressing the issue of enforced disappearances. But even before his ouster, Baloch had long since given up hope that he would take action.

Imran Khan recently became the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted from power via a vote of no confidence. The former cricket star turned politician made several promises that he and his government couldn’t live up to in their three-and-a-half years of governance. One such promise was to resolve the missing persons’ issue.

Before becoming the Prime Minister, Khan was a regular and prominent guest on Geo TV’s show “Capital Talk,” hosted by renowned anchor and journalist Hamid Mir. On the show, Khan criticized intelligence agencies for kidnapping people without evidence and he did not mince his words. “Once in the government, it is going to be me against the security agencies in case a single person goes missing during my government,” Khan proclaimed.In his book “Pakistan: A Personal History,” he proudly claims that he “led the first demonstration with the families of missing persons outside parliament [in 2003].”

Khan became the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan after the controversial election of 2018, which his opponents termed as “rigged.” Shortly after, Dr. Shireen Mazari, the human rights minister in Khan’s cabinet, began to prepare the much-awaited bill to criminalize enforced disappearances. Mazari had long claimed that her party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is a pioneer in working on legislation to change the situation.

Khan’s uncensored criticism of the intelligence agencies and his promises gave a faint hope to hundreds and thousands of missing persons’ families in Balochistan. The southwestern province of Pakistan is plagued by both an insurgency movement and counterinsurgency operations that violate human rights, such as enforced disappearances.

As time passed and nothing happened, however, the desperate families lost hope.

In February 2021, at least 15 families of missing persons from Balochistan came to protest in Pakistan’s capital to push Khan and Mazari to fulfil their promise.“We came to remind Imran Khan and Shireen Mazari that they have to bring back our loved ones who were forcefully abducted and criminalize enforced disappearances,” said Sammi Deen Baloch, who has been campaigning on behalf of her missing father, Dr. Deen Muhammed Baloch, for over a decade.The families weathered the harsh winter nights of the capital for five days, staging a sit-in outside the Islamabad Press Club, but not a single government representative came to visit them. They were eventually forced to take their protest to D-Chowk, close to the parliament.Baloch recounted that many students had come to support them. At least 10 were arrested for a day and a lot of obstacles were created for them before they reached D-Chowk.

Eventually, Mazari visited the aggrieved families and assured them that Khan would meet them in a month’s time to discuss the issue of missing persons.

Baloch, along with two other family members of missing persons, met the then-prime minister on March 18, 2021.

“We had different expectations from the PM because we had been assured that when the PM will meet us, he will give us some information about our loved ones, who were missing for years,” said Baloch.

She added, “PM did not make any promises or give us any reassurances. He just said he wants the issue of missing persons to be resolved. He said he would personally meet the Chief of Army Staff to discuss the cases, and would give us some information about our loved ones. We asked for a time-frame. He asked us to wait for a month. But nothing happened.”The bill banning enforced disappearances was introduced in Pakistan’s parliament in June 2021 and passed by the National Assembly in November. However, it never passed the Senate, and last month, Mazari said that the bill on missing persons had itself gone “missing.” The Diplomat reached out to Mazari for a comment but didn’t hear back.Khan was ousted from power through a no-confidence vote in parliament on April 9. The bill on missing persons was never made law.

Hafeez Baloch and Racial Profiling of Baloch Students Amid silence from the government, enforced disappearances continue in Balochistan.

Abdul Hafeez Baloch, enrolled in Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, went to his hometown, Khuzdar, Balochistan, in February but never returned to his school. Baloch was reportedly abducted from an academy where he was teaching. His father told BBC that “three masked armed men came in a black surf car and forcibly took Abdul Hafeez to an unknown location in front of his students.” Intelligence agencies are generally alleged to be involved in the enforced disappearances cases; however, Pakistan’s security agencies have regularly denied being complicit in disappearances. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concerns about reports of a fresh wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and on the abduction of Hafeez Baloch. Baloch students staged a protest in front of the Islamabad press club. A case was registered in the Islamabad High Court against Hafeez Baloch’s abduction and racial profiling of the Baloch students at university campuses across the country. In its response, the Islamabad High Court noted, “There cannot be a graver grievance [than] for a citizen to feel that he/she is being subjected to racial profiling or is not being treated equally.”

Imaan Hazir Mazari, the lawyer of Hafeez Baloch, said that “the last order of the Honourable Court notes that the Baloch students should not feel scared to return to their hometowns as a result of this profiling – that is an acknowledgment of the trauma and insecurity these students have been living in for many months now (and others before them). Measures are to be taken by the Interior Ministry and others in this regard.”

Mazari added that it is deplorable and distressing, but most Pakistanis are not aware of the situation in Balochistan due to a media blackout. “When parents in those circumstances, against all odds, sacrifice to send their children to the Federal Capital, Punjab, or elsewhere so that they can have a safer existence, these students are profiled on campuses, which are meant to be safe and enabling spaces for them to learn, grow, and express themselves without fear,” Mazari told The Diplomat. Critics say that the administration of QAU did not pay heed to the issue of racial profiling of Baloch students. “If these students had been heard by QAU administration, they wouldn’t have had to come out onto the streets in the first place. There has been a massive failure on the part of QAU in allowing this profiling, harassment, and intimidation of Baloch students to take place on its campus,” said Mazari.

Weeks later after protests across the country and the court intervention, Hafeez Baloch reappeared. However, charges of terrorism were registered against him in Balochistan and he has been imprisoned since then. His lawyer, family, and activists term the charges as “fake.” Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.

Imaan Mazari said that the matter is still ongoing in the court, but what is important is that the voice of the Baloch students has reached the constitutional court and subsequently those in government and the bureaucracy. “For those in the corridors of power to hear these voices is a first step toward rectifying the wrongs that have been perpetrated over decades,” she added. But one could argue that in the past the courts have taken notice of the gross human rights abuses and enforced disappearances in Balochistan, but the situation remains the same. Human rights activists in Balochistan say that unless the perpetrators are punished and held accountable nothing would change. And that brings us back to Khan’s broken promises and the “missing” bill on enforced disappearances. The Never-Ending Issue of Enforced Disappearances According to the Voice for the Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), an organization that keeps a record of missing persons, more than 5,000 people have been forcefully abducted over two decades in Balochistan. “During Imran Khan’s tenure, 430 missing persons were recovered while more than 600 went missing,” said Nasrullah Baloch, the chair of VBMP. “Since Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the prime minister, three people have been abducted. As per unconfirmed reports received by VBMP, on 19th April 2022, 7 more people were abducted including a female,” he added.

The issue of missing persons is not confined to Balochistan. The former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), bordering Afghanistan, have reportedly seen the forced disappearance of thousands of civilians.

In Balochistan, political workers, students, rights activists, insurgents, and their sympathizers or facilitators have been forcefully abducted. Whenever there is a rise in separatist attacks and rights activism by the Baloch – as is occurring today – an increase in missing persons is also seen.

Many Baloch have raised eyebrows over mega development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and multibillion dollar copper and gold Reko Diq projects. They claim the national resources of Balochistan are being exploited by the center and multinational companies.

Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur, a renowned Baloch rights activist and columnist, said that before one talks about the missing persons issue it is necessary to see and understand the broader perspective of why people go missing. Without touching this important aspect there can never be any improvement or clarity, he said. Talpur explained that a sizable majority of Baloch people reject the mega development projects and secret deals on Saindak and Reko Diq, which they see as instruments of bringing about demographic changes, population displacement, and economic apartheid. But anyone subscribing to this view is considered a traitor by the central government, and because holding this view is not a crime the only way to deter people is to intimidate them by disappearing people. He added, “This is an unending cycle of oppression and resistance, as Baloch despite all the losses suffered have continued to resist and the state doesn’t relent in its oppressive policies.”

According to Talpur, there isn’t a single political party in Balochistan that is willing to voice the sentiments at the root of the issue of missing persons, for this would mean a direct confrontation with the state. However, these parties do not shy away from falling back on the missing persons issue for their political redemption.

The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) joined an alliance with Khan’s PTI with six demands and on the top of the list was the demand for the release of Baloch missing persons. After two years, the BNP-M left the alliance, stating that none of their demands were fulfilled. Sardar Akthar Mengal, the chief of BNP-M, has been a vocal voice against enforced disappearances. He played an important role in ousting Khan and threw his support for the new government led by Shehbaz Sharif. A few days ago, while speaking on a Twitter space, Akhthar Mengal expressed his disappointment with the PTI and Khan’s handling of the issue of enforced disappearances. He also said that he was not hopeful that the current government would resolve the issue. On hearing this, Sammi Deen Baloch asked him why, if they are disappointed, Akhthar Mengal and Dr. Abdul Malik, the head of the National Party (NP), wouldn’t join the missing persons’ families to protest against the current government.

He did not directly say that he would do so.

Many critics of the BNP-M do not believe that the party is serious in taking substantial steps for the cause.

“BNP-M is a political party and not a revolutionary one. It wants to work within the system and because it itself doesn’t have enough members to bring about a change, so it compromises with parties that matter at the moment,” explained Talpur.

When the families of missing persons staged protests in Islamabad, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the vice president of the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – and niece of current PM Shehbaz Sharif – visited the families and criticized Khan’s government for not resolving the issue. But few hope for concrete action from the PML-N now that it is in the prime minster’s seat.

“While political parties are out of power, they raise the issue of missing persons as this stance garners support for them and their democratic credentials are enhanced and reinforced. But after they come to power, they realize talking about the missing persons will ruffle the feathers of quarters that are powerful,” said Talpur.

https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/how-imran-khan-betrayed-pakistans-missing-persons/

عمران خان اور ہمنواؤں کی فارن فنڈنگ کیس کے فیصلے کے خوف سے سانسیں اکھڑ رہی ہیں -

پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے سیکرٹری جنرل سید نیر حسین بخاری نے کہا ہے کہ عمران خان اور ہمنواؤں کی فارن فنڈنگ کیس کے فیصلے کے خوف سے سانسیں اکھڑ رہی ہیں گھبرانا نہیں والے نے اگر دشمن ممالک کے شہریوں سے مدد نہیں لی تو بھاگتے کیوں ہو الیکشن کمیشن میں زیر سماعت فارن فنڈنگ کیس میں بار بار التوا مانگنے کا واضح مطلب ہے کہ پی ٹی آئی کی چوری پکڑی گئی ہے

 انہوں نے مزید کیا ہے کہ ریاست مدینہ کے جھوٹے دعویدار نے غریب قوم کا ایک ارب روپے صرف گھر سے دفتر تک ہیلی کاپٹر سواری کے نشے میں اڑا دیا قومی خزانہ قومی امانت ہے کسی کے ‏ باپ کا پیسہ نہیں کہ حساب اور احتساب نہ ہو
تحریک انصاف جو درحقیقت تاریک انصاف ہے کی تعریف صرف اتنی ہے کہ توشہ خانہ ان کی مرضی،کرپشن ان کا حق، نالایقی ان کا کردار، جھوٹ مکر فریب دھوکہ ان کی پہچان ہے

 کراچی کے بعد آج لاہوریوں نے بھی آٹا چینی ادویات کھاد چوروں کو اوقات یاد دلادی ہے نیر بخاری نے مزید کہا ہے کہ ‏ آئین کا تماشہ بنانے والوں کیخلاف قانون اپنا راستہ خود بنائے گاریاستی اداروں فوج پولیس اور عدالتوں اور خانہ جنگی کی کھلی دھمکیوں سے لگتا ہے کرسی چھننے کے بعد بھی سستا نشہ جاری ہے

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26877/

  

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Pakistan’s new Sharif, old problems

Former cricket star-turned politician Imran Khan, who was voted out by Pakistan’s parliament from the office of prime minister, is back doing what he does best: rabblerousing. Khan is blaming the United States for conspiring to oust him from office, while naming Pakistan’s judiciary and military as co-conspirators.

Khan’s incendiary rhetoric is threatening chaos in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation with 200 million people. The new government, headed by Shahbaz Sharif, three-time chief minister of Punjab province, now faces the difficult task of undoing the consequences of Khan’s bombast and incompetence.

Elected in 2018 as a “new broom sweeps clean” celebrity, Khan ended up dividing Pakistanis, mismanaging the economy and undermining Pakistan’s relationships abroad. Even in his last days, his claims of being victim of a foreign conspiracy have injected venom into the veins of an already troubled polity.

Many of Pakistan’s problems are endemic and predate Khan’s term in office. But like many populists, Khan paid little heed to policymaking and described himself as the solution to all problems. His followers saw him as a messiah opposing corrupt traditional politicians. But critics mocked the number of times he spoke about himself and used the words “I, me, mine,” in his longwinded speeches. In one recent 45-minute speech, the total number of first person references was more than 200.Khan claimed he wanted Pakistan to regain its honor, which had been lost due to dependence of the West, especially the U.S. He lectured everyone about his mixture of Islamic mysticism, hyper-nationalism and “all the nation needs is an honest man like me leading it” ideology.

Describing the Taliban as people who had “broken the shackles of slavery,” Khan went out of his way to criticize the West, without regard for Pakistan’s external economic relations. The U.S. remains Pakistan’s largest export market, while Europe and the United Kingdom are significant investors and trading partners. Khan even managed to annoy Pakistan’s traditional friends and economic benefactors China, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan has hoped for years to re-align its economy by expanding investments from and trade with China. But Khan failed to attract any new Chinese investment. China even expressed reservations about the competence of Khan’s economic managers in relation to ongoing infrastructure projects under the rubric of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).True to his bombastic form, Imran Khan showed up in Moscow to stand beside Vladimir Putin on the day Russian troops invaded Ukraine. The Russia trip made no foreign policy or economic sense and was undertaken against the advice of Pakistan’s military and foreign office. Pakistan’s trade with Russia is a meager $ 200 million, and Putin was no longer in a position to deliver on promises of future oil supplies, investment or trade.Under Khan, Pakistan’s economy dived into a tailspin, with per-capita GDP declining for the first time in years. Inflation reached double digits. The rupee plunged in value. The stock market never recovered to pre-2017 levels. Khan’s own finance minister, Shaukat Tarin, has now admitted that their government had no economic plan.

The economic mismanagement and poking of Pakistan’s foreign friends in the eye annoyed Pakistan’s all-powerful military, which had helped Khan’s rise as a way of getting rid of traditional politicians who tended to challenge the military’s dominance. Once Khan attempted to interfere with the appointment of the army’s next commander, the military withdrew political support. That, in turn, led to smaller parties in parliament switching support from Khan’s coalition to the opposition. Instead of resigning after losing a majority in parliament, as is the general practice for prime ministers in parliamentary democracies, Khan tried to block the vote of no confidence against him by claiming that it was part of a conspiracy instigated by the United States. Pakistan’s supreme court ruled against Khan and forced the vote to go through. Khan was ousted from office but is now orchestrating protests.

Khan has a hardcore cult-like following that believes anyone who doesn’t agree with their leader is a traitor to Pakistan and Islam. Khan is also hoping that there are people in the military, especially in the middle ranks, who can be swayed by the sentiment that “Pakistan is under foreign attack” by other means.

The Pakistan military leadership has made it clear that it has seen no evidence of collusion between Khan’s opponents and any foreign power, let alone the United States. The army’s chief of staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has repeatedly indicated that better relations with the U.S. are in Pakistan’s interest. But Khan is unlikely to step back from his false claims and will probably continue to fire up his base, hoping to ride an anti-American wave to success in the next elections.

That makes the task of the new prime minister, who presides over a coalition of disparate parties, all the more difficult. Sharif brings experience in governance and a calm demeanor to the job, which has helped lift the Pakistan rupee and the stock market. But changing the direction of Pakistan – which is often seen internationally as unstable and perennially crisis prone – might not be that easy.

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3274672-pakistans-new-sharif-old-problems/

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#Pakistan - Testing times ahead - PM Shehbaz has a sea of challenges to navigate before he can take the country to safer shores

By Maleeha Lodhi

THE new government has assumed power in a deeply divided country. The political polarization in evidence today has few parallels in Pakistan’s recent history, with the social media amplifying the divide and giving it an inflammatory edge.

In this politically charged environment in which an angry party is unreconciled to its loss of power, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has a sea of challenges to navigate before he can take the country to safer shores. Calling for unity, consensus and the need to heal the nation in his first parliamentary address as premier he struck the right note. But this may be easier said than done. His efforts to establish political and economic stability face imposing obstacles.

For a start, managing an unwieldy coalition of disparate parties, which will be rivals in the next election, will consume much of his time and energy. After all, the government’s parliamentary majority is precariously narrow. He hopes that sharing cabinet portfolios with coalition partners will give them a stake in the survival of the government. But it will also mean forging agreement among them on policy measures. Meeting their demands while taking timely decisions by consensus will involve a delicate balancing act for a prime minister serving at the federal level for the first time in his otherwise long political career.

The coalition has an incentive to stick together in the face of the common challenge from a belligerent Imran Khan. Even so, they have differing views on key policy areas and will adopt positions with an eye on elections. For now, there is agreement that the government and assemblies should serve out the rest of their term of a year and a half until general elections are called. How politically feasible this turns out to be is open to question.

Sharif’s greatest challenge and top priority is to stabilise a deeply ailing economy. Pakistan’s chronic fiscal and balance of payments deficits are at a record high, foreign exchange reserves have depleted, the rupee is under pressure, inflation has soared and debt risen exponentially. The energy crisis is also set to worsen this summer.A spokesman of the new government claims that financing needs next year are estimated to be around $30 billion while the current account deficit in the ongoing fiscal year is about $20bn. Pakistan’s financing requirements this fiscal year are about $9bn, $6bn for the current account gap and $3bn for debt repayments.Some may deem these numbers as overestimates. But financing needs are large and urgent, and with reserves precariously low it is necessary to restart talks with the IMF to continue the loan programme. Without a Fund programme, Pakistan will be unable to access financing from the World Bank, other multilateral agencies and even bilateral partners including China.

This confronts the government with tough choices. While resuming the IMF programme is essential it will have to reckon with taking politically unpopular steps, especially at a time when inflation is hitting people hard and was the major factor for public discontent with the previous government.

The government’s dilemma could be mitigated to some extent if it is able to persuade the Fund to soften its conditionalities in the multiyear programme given that it will be a short-lived government with elections ahead. Even then, the government would have to manage the political fallout of measures it may still have to take.

The ruling coalition faces daunting economic and political challenges in a deeply divided country.

The political challenge is no less daunting. Imran Khan is set on a course to mount maximum pressure on the government through confrontational politics and demonstrations of popular power. He has announced public rallies across the country which are likely to be big draws as that in Peshawar last week.

His aim is to force the Sharif government to call early elections. He is encouraged by the response he has received from supporters to believe elections would return him to power. He may be mistaken in assuming large crowds automatically translate into votes, but for now he is determined to play a spoiler’s role and try to make the new government dysfunctional. However, his decision for PTI lawmakers to tender mass resignations — to disrupt the political system — may hurt his party, which is why many opposed it. Not only does it leave the parliamentary field open to treasury benches to do as they will, but it may also weaken their MNAs’ prospects in electoral contests that lie ahead. Nevertheless, the Sharif government will face a formidable foe in Khan and efforts to establish political stability will confront constant hurdles from PTI’s agitational activities.Khan will continue to fuel the narrative of a foreign conspiracy that unseated him and seek to tap into anti-American sentiment. Despite the fact that the DG, ISPR has clearly debunked the conspiracy claim, Khan’s allegation has traction among his loyal base and even beyond in a conspiracy theory-ridden society. It is therefore imperative for the government to counter this by unequivocally proving it to be false.

Sharif’s plan to call a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security to examine this, with service chiefs in attendance, is a step in the right direction. But it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

This will enable his government to press ahead more confidently to mend relations with the US and the rest of the West. The priority in the relatively short life of the government, however, will be to fortify ties with Pakistan’s two strategic allies, China and Saudi Arabia. That should be easy as Sharif has worked with the Chinese on several projects in the past and the Sharifs have long-standing relations with the Saudi royal family. The prime minister’s early meetings and statements have reinforced this priority as also the desire to strengthen ties with the US, EU and UK. But first order issues are expected to all be domestic. Thus, major foreign policy initiatives, including with India, will likely wait until after elections.

Critical tests lie ahead for the ruling coalition. It has to show it can stay together and govern, manage a troubled economy, dispel scepticism about ‘Purana’ Pakistan and meet the expectations of the public who yearn for stability and effective governance. https://www.dawn.com/news/1685583/testing-times-ahead

Pakistan tries to justify 1971 Bangladesh genocide: Report

Pakistan is trying to justify the massacre of Bangladeshi residents by its military during the 1971 Bangladesh war, denying the extent of the military oppression and blaming the whole incident on Bangladesh for the separation.

Pakistani scholars jointly agree on sabotaging the Bangladesi uprising in 1971, accusing the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, of recasting the killings of non-Bengalis as a struggle conducted by the Awami League and of implementing it against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), reported by Global Strat View, an independent media group.

Pakistan believes the mock trials of war criminals to be absurd and deems that “those accused of attacking, killing and raping members of their community will never be brought to justice. In official memory, as institutionalized by the Bangladeshi state, only crimes against Bengalis are remembered.”

Pakistan even lends its support to war groups like the Khalistan movement, fighting against the Indian state. Pakistan also claims that Bangladeshi Hindu professors spread secessionist sentiments amongst its students, reported Global Strat View, an independent media group.Aggressive think tanks cover the separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan with a certain biasedness, highlighting only those issues that comply with the official policy while ignoring anything that violates the guidelines.The Pakistani authorities oppose Bangladesh’s efforts to deliver justice to the victims who suffered in the Pakistani war crimes, criticizing the execution of two convicted war criminals, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, leader of BNP, and Ali Ahsan Mohammad, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Also, countries like China and The United States suppressed the genocide reports as well, provoking both activists and academics. Thus, in turn, the Bangladeshi uprising of 1971 has been reduced to a civic-political demand.

Recognition of the brutal massacre and the qualitative widening of the current legal understanding of genocide during the Liberation Struggle of Bangladesh is ethically demanded.

https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-tries-to-justify-1971-bangladesh-genocide-report/920819/

این آر او نہیں دوں گا کے بیانات دینے والے عمران خان اب ہر جلسے میں این آر او مانگنے پر مجبور ہیں۔

  پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے سیکرٹری جنرل سید نیر حسین بخاری نے عمران خان کی تقریر پر ردعمل میں کہا ہے کہ
یوٹرن ماسٹر عمران خان نے امریکہ پر مسلسل تنقید کے بعد امریکہ کے خلاف نہیں ہوں کا بیان دیکر ایک اور یوٹرن لیا ہےوہ وقت دور نہیں جب عمران خان مبینہ خط کے معاملے پر بھی یوٹرن لیں گے انہوں نے کہا ہے کہ این آر او نہیں دوں گا کے بیانات دینے والے عمران خان اب ہر جلسے میں این آر او مانگنے پر مجبور ہیں 

عمران خان کی چیخ و پکار اور روتے رہنا مقدر ہے نیر بخاری نے مزید کیا ہے کہ عمران خان خود کو فارن فنڈنگ کیس میں نااہل ہوتے ہوئے دیکھ رہے ہیں اسلئے الیکشن کمیشن کو بھی متنازعہ بنانے کی کوشش کی جا ری ہے

تحریک انصاف نے اپنے دور حکومت کے دوران فارن فنڈنگ کیس کے معاملے پر الیکشن کمیشن پر مسلسل دباو ڈالافارن فنڈنگ تحریک انصاف کے خلاف ایک مضبوط کیس اور بہت بڑا اسکینڈل ہے، نیر بخاری نے مزید کہا ہے کہ الیکشن کمیشن آف پاکستان آزاد صاف شفاف انتخابات کرانے کا خود مختار آئینی ادارہ ہے

پیپلزپارٹی آزاد اور خود مختار ادارے الیکشن کمیشن کے ساتھ کھڑی ہے

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26850/

 

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ہم مکمل طور پر آزادانہ اور منصفانہ انتخابات چاہتے ہیں، چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی سی این این کے ساتھ گفتگو

Pakistan just recently experienced our equivalent to America’s January 6th moment. Mr. Khan despite knowing that he had lost his majority in the parliament tried acting through his Speaker to conduct a constitutional coup. pic.twitter.com/XdHwXMoOZG

— Peoples Media Office Islamabad Official (@PMOIslamabad) April 13, 2022

اسلام آباد، 13 اپریل 2022: چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی، بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے سی این این کے ساتھ گفتگو میں کہا ہے کہ پی پی پی نے ایک مخلوط حکومت کے ساتھ مل کر خان کو تحریک عدم اعتماد کے ذریعے ہٹانے کے لیے کام کیا۔ اس نے ہماری کوششوں کو ناکام بنانے کی کوشش کی جو آئینی بغاوت کے مترادف ہے لیکن سپریم کورٹ آف پاکستان نے ان کے خلاف فیصلہ دیا۔ بالآخر، پارلیمنٹ نے انہیں عہدے سے ہٹانے کے لیے جمہوری عمل اختیار کیا۔ ہمیں پاکستان کے مسائل سے نمٹنے کے لیے مل کر کام کرنا ہوگا۔ قوم کے بہتر مفاد میں پارٹی جو بھی فیصلہ کرے گی میں اس پر عمل کروں گا۔ اس وقت عمران خان کو شکست دینے والے اتحاد میں شامل تمام جماعتوں کو جمہوریت کی بحالی، انتخابی اصلاحات کے لیے مل کر کام کرنا چاہیے اور معاشی مسائل کو حل کرنے کی کوشش کرنی چاہیے۔

ہم مکمل طور پر آزادانہ اور منصفانہ انتخابات چاہتے ہیں لیکن ان کے انعقاد کے لیے انتخابی اصلاحات کی بات کرتے وقت ہمیں قانون سازی کرنی چاہیے۔ عمران خان 2018 میں دھاندلی زدہ انتخابات کے ذریعے اقتدار میں آئے، ان انتخابات کی قومی اور بین الاقوامی سطح پر مذمت کی گئی۔ ان کے نتیجے میں تین سالہ طویل آمرانہ حکومت ہوئی۔ اس نے نہ صرف ہمارے میڈیا کی آزادی پر ڈاکہ ڈالا بلکہ عام پاکستانیوں کے جمہوری حقوق پر بھی ڈاکہ ڈالا۔ یہ جمہوریت کی بڑی فتح ہے کہ ہم انتخابی اصلاحات اور آزادانہ اور منصفانہ انتخابات کی طرف بڑھ رہے ہیں۔ ہم عمران جیسی سلیکٹڈ حکومت نہیں بلکہ ایک ایسی حکومت ہیں جو حقیقی معنوں میں پاکستانی عوام کی نمائندہ ہے۔ عمران خان نے یہ جاننے کے باوجود کہ وہ پارلیمنٹ میں اپنی اکثریت کھو چکے ہیں، اپنے اسپیکر کے ذریعے آئینی بغاوت کروانے کی کوشش کی۔ انہوں نے انہیں بے دخل کرنے کے لیے امریکا کی قیادت میں بین الاقوامی سازش کا ایک بڑا جھوٹ سامنے لایا ہے جب کہ حقیقت یہ ہے کہ وہ پاکستان کی تاریخ کے پہلے وزیر اعظم ہیں جنہیں آئینی، جمہوری طریقے سے بے دخل کیا گیا ہے۔ یہ پاکستان کی جمہوریت کی بہت بڑی فتح ہے۔ جہاں تک عمران خان کی عوام میں حمایت کا تعلق ہے، اگرچہ ہم گزشتہ انتخابات کو شدید دھاندلی کے طور پر تنقید کا نشانہ بناتے ہیں، لیکن خان صاحب نے جسے تاریخ کے سب سے زیادہ آزادانہ اور منصفانہ انتخابات کہا، ان کی پوزیشن پاکستانی عوام کے 30 فیصد ووٹوں کی نمائندگی کرتی ہے۔ جبکہ ہمارا اتحاد پاکستان کے 70 فیصد ووٹوں کی نمائندگی کرتا ہے۔ عمران خان کے امریکا مخالف ہونے کے باوجود ڈونلڈ ٹرمپ کے ساتھ اچھے تعلقات تھے۔ عمران خان واقعات کے سلسلے کو توڑ مروڑ کر یہ تاثر پیدا کرنے کی کوشش کر رہے ہیں کہ کوئی بڑی سازش ہے۔ عدم اعتماد کا ووٹ لانے کا ہمارا فیصلہ یوکرائنی بحران کے موقع پر عمران خان کے دورہ روس سے بہت پہلے لیا گیا تھا۔ ہمارے پاس یہ جاننے کا کوئی طریقہ نہیں تھا کہ عمران خان صدر پیوٹن سے ملاقات کریں گے۔ عمران خان پاکستانیوں کے عمومی امریکہ مخالف جذبات پر انحصار کر رہے ہیں کیونکہ ان کے پاس کوئی بیانیہ نہیں ہے۔ وہ ایک انتہائی خطرناک صورتحال کو بھڑکانے کی کوشش کر رہا ہے جہاں اس نے 70% پارلیمنٹیرینز جو کہ 70% عوام کے مینڈیٹ کی نمائندگی کرتے ہیں کو یکطرفہ طور پر غدار قرار دے دیا ہے۔

پاکستان کی جمہوریت بالکل نئی ہے اور عمران خان کا اپنے بڑے جھوٹ اور فاشسٹ رجحانات کے ذریعے حملہ واقعی ہمارے معاشرے کے لیے خطرہ ہے۔

خاندانی سیاست کے حوالے سے ایک سوال کے جواب میں چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو نے کہا کہ خاندانوں کا وجود بالکل موجود ہے اور سابق وزیر خارجہ اور صدارتی امیدوار ہلیری کلنٹن کو سیاست میں شامل ہونے پر تنقید کا نشانہ بنانا ناانصافی ہو گی کیونکہ ان کے شوہر سیاست میں شامل تھے۔ آپ اقربا پروری اور خاندانی سیاست پر جتنی چاہیں تنقید کر سکتے ہیں۔ پاکستانی عوام کیا فیصلہ کرتے ہیں اس سے فرق پڑتا ہے۔ جہاں تک خان صاحب کا تعلق ہے تو ان کی پوری پارٹی خاندانوں سے بھری پڑی ہے۔ ہو سکتا ہے کہ اس کے بچے نابالغ ہوں اور سیاست میں شامل نہ ہوں لیکن اپنی صوبائی حکومتوں، وفاقی نمائندگیوں اور اپنی پارٹی میں وہ سیاسی خاندانوں پر بہت زیادہ انحصار کرتے ہیں۔

چیئرمین بلاول نے کہا کہ ان کے نانا کو ایک فوجی آمر نے پھانسی دی، ان کی والدہ کو دہشت گردوں اور ایک آمر کی ملی بھگت سے قتل کیا گیا اور وہ چھوٹی عمر میں پاکستانی سیاست میں آنے پر مجبور ہوئے۔

سیاست کسی بھی وجہ سے ہو، ہم جمہوریت پر یقین رکھتے ہیں اور عوام کو فیصلہ کرنا چاہیے۔ عمران خان جمہوریت کی بات کرنا پسند کرتے ہیں جب کہ درحقیقت وہ دھاندلی کے ذریعے اقتدار میں آنے پر یقین رکھتے ہیں۔

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26815/ 

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Are Pakistani feminists reluctant to talk about marital rape?

In many South Asian countries, it is not illegal for a husband to rape his wife. Pakistan's feminist movement faces challenges in exposing sexual assaults that have been shrouded in secrecy.

Since the first "women's march" in 2018, the struggle for women's rights has grown into a large-scale movement in patriarchal Pakistan. Pakistan's feminists have been relentless in campaigning for the right to bodily autonomy, safer public spaces, and an end to violent sexual crimes.

Campaigns like #MeToo and #TimesUp have also given more women a public platform to expose sexual harassment and violence.

However, Pakistan's feminists appear to be hesitant in tackling the widespread problem of marital rape, which occurs when a husband forces his wife into sexual activity against her will.

Pakistan remains one of the 36 countries yet to explicitly criminalize marital rape. Others include Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and India.

Legal ambiguity of marital rape

In India's Karnataka state, a recent court ruling refusing to quash a rape case filed by a wife against her husband has given hope that the debate on outlawing marital rape move forward.

"Rape is a rape, be it performed by a man, 'the husband,' on the woman, 'the wife,'" the judge said. Although the move does not strike down the "marriage exception" defining rape in Indian law, it will require the husband to stand trial in this single case.

In Pakistan, the legal situation of marital rape is unclear. In 1979, Pakistani law defined rape as forced sex outside of a marriage.

In 2006, a bill to protect women was introduced, which redefined rape as sex without a woman's consent. Although this definition potentially makes marital rape a punishable crime, there was no specific mention of marriage in the change. The penal code remains ambiguous.Sara Malkani, a high court lawyer in Pakistan, told DW that there are "no known convictions on grounds of marital rape" in Pakistan. She added that official complaints of marital rape are few and far between.

"Even if a complaint is filed, the case does not go to trial," she said.

Rape hidden behind religion

In places where marital rape is not outlawed, many women do not report their husbands because they feel ashamed and know it will not be prosecuted. The religious context of marriage is also often used as a shield from legal action.

Shireen Ferozepurwalla, a marital rape survivor in Karachi, Pakistan, sought a divorce on grounds of "domestic violence," as marital rape is seldom considered to be grounds for separation.

Ferozepurwalla said her ex-husband would try and use religion to coerce her into having sex.

"My husband would tell me that the angels would curse me for denying him [sex]," she told DW.

"He would say if I pleased him in bed [that] I would go to heaven directly, and if he was angry with me, no matter what I did, I would go to hell," Ferozepurwalla said, adding that he used to forced himself upon her.

Haroon Ghazi, a right-wing Islamic cleric in Pakistan, told DW that in Islamic culture, "signing the marriage covenant in and of itself establishes consent" to sex. However, Ghazi added that battering one's wife is considered sinful.

Adding marital rape to Pakistan's feminist manifesto

Pakistan's feminism movement tackles a distinct set of issues during the annual march. The latest march focused on labor rights for women.However, the continued prevalence of gender-based violence begs the question of why Pakistan's feminist circles do not speak out as forcefully on marital rape.A women's march organizer, who requested anonymity over security concerns, told DW that one of the primary reasons that marital rape is not discussed as much is because it is not reported.The activist said that feminists do acknowledge marital rape, but women are reluctant to come forward because they are stigmatized for questioning the sacredness of the institution of marriage.

"Just because this is not a mainstream discussion, it does not mean that conversations around it are not happening. The contributing factors behind rape such as violation of consent are equally important," she said. The activist continued to say that Pakistan's feminism movement is a "people's movement," and that demands for raising awareness of issues must first come from within the people.

"This will only happen when we shake foundations, so women are comfortable in not only reporting it, but also living with the consequences of it," she said.

Zohra Yusuf, ex-chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told DW that victims of marital rape are often confused about their own rights.

"Sometimes, women themselves believe that their husbands are entitled to demand sex whenever they desire," she told DW. "The lack of sensitization from authorities, and the initial reaction from the police to any instance of domestic violence is not encouraging," she added. Yusuf said that spousal violence often goes unchecked because law enforcement treats it as a "family matter," which makes it off-limits for outsiders to intervene.

However, feminists say that Pakistani authorities are slowly becoming cognizant of gender-based violence, but that Pakistan's social system needs to do more to provide support to victims within legal structures.

https://www.dw.com/en/are-pakistani-feminists-reluctant-to-talk-about-marital-rape/a-61449046

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s petulant ousted leader, is already plotting his return

By Mohammed Hanif

On a moral crusade, the former prime minister believes that anyone who opposes him is corrupt and an American puppet.

Last weekend, Pakistanis saw something they never expected to see: their prime minister, Imran Khan, in tears. He was addressing the nation on TV after being sent back to the national assembly by the supreme court to face a vote of confidence that he would go on to lose, to be replaced by Shehbaz Sharif.

Earlier he had refused to face the vote and had dissolved the assembly, but the court declared his actions illegal. Khan refused to accept the rules of the national assembly, tried to evade a ruling by the highest court in the land and only relented a few minutes before the midnight deadline imposed by the court. He turned a banal parliamentary procedure into a nerve-racking, edge-of-the-seat thriller. He behaved like a child who realises for the first time that other children have birthdays too. Because he believed that if he wasn’t in charge of the house, he might as well burn it down.

In his subsequent 8 April address to the nation, Khan reiterated his claim that it was the US that wanted him out; he asked people if they wanted to be a free nation or American slaves. The US would never do it to India, he said. Here, he welled up, he choked. As a cricketer, Khan was always shy of showing his emotion. Even in moments of glory, he offered half-hearted high fives and reluctant, two-tap hugs. But when he became prime minister he learned to emote. And he became very angry. Approaching 70, he transformed into that angry young man who passionately delivers one contradictory sentence after another.

For more than two decades, Khan was an outlier in Pakistani politics, more popular with London’s posh set than Pakistani voters; a sports celebrity who wanted to be the saviour king. In order to get his dream job, he got rid of his idealism. Before coming to power he stated that he would rather die than go to the IMF for a loan; a few months after he did, he went begging to the institution. He surrounded himself with the politicians he had claimed were the root cause of Pakistan’s problems.

As prime minister, Khan avoided dealing with the country’s structural problems, instead going on a moral crusade because in his youth he had lived a life of sin in the west and now he was not only atoning for it but wanted to be a spiritual father to the nation. In his head he was not only the leader of Pakistan but also the leader of ummah (community of Muslims) who can also do 60 pushups on the go. Last month he lectured foreign ministers of Muslim countries about how porn was responsible for rising divorce rates. He himself is on his third marriage.

While in opposition he was focused, hammering away at Pakistan’s rulers on his pet themes of corruption and nepotism. In power he seemed restless and distracted, as if he wanted to be back on the street. He rarely came to parliament, claiming that he could not sit with thieves and looters.

Faced with a vote of no confidence, Khan waited for the army to come to his rescue. During his rise to power, the army had celebrated his ascent and protected him from his political opponents. There was a strong feeling within the armed forces that they had been used, abused and abandoned by the Americans in the latter’s “war on terror”. In Khan they saw a man who was comfortable dealing with the west, and always on his own terms.

But this didn’t last. When Khan fell, it wasn’t because he failed to deliver, it was because he fell out with the army. Khan caused huge offence when he wanted his own man to continue as the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence. Any civilian prime minister interfering with the army or the way it wants to run the country’s defence policy is seen as the enemy. As soon as the army withdrew its support, opposition parties moved in for the kill.

Why is Khan not blaming the army for his ousting? Behind his petulant facade, there is a pragmatist at work. His party cadres are seething at the army for abandoning them, but Khan himself doesn’t want to burn the bridge that may one day bring him back to office.

Khan rose to power by convincing the voters that he was the only clean politician around, that everyone else was corrupt. Now everyone opposing him is not only corrupt but a traitor and an American puppet. Khan never seemed comfortable in office and now he has been sent back to the street where he can start his crusade to save the country all over again.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/12/imran-khan-pakistan-ousted-leader-prime-minister

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From 4-yr-old on horseback to outspoken Pakistani opposition leader — Bilawal Bhutto then & now

 PRAVEEN JAIN

When his mother Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, Bilawal became the titular head of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Today, he is at the epicentre of a political churning in Pakistan.

Days after former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination at Rawalpindi on 27 December 2007, her son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was named her successor as chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

He was 19 at the time, and a student at Oxford University. According to a BBC report, he was chosen as the titular head till the completion of his studies before taking over the reins of the PPP.At the press conference where the announcement was made, Bilawal had said that his father Asif Ali Zardari would run the party till he is ready.

Fifteen years later, a somewhat older Bilawal, now 33, is at the epicentre of a major political churning underway in his country as head of the opposition PPP, which was founded by his grandfather and former PM late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The following are a series of photographs from various junctures of the young leader’s life.

The first four photographs were taken in September 1992 at the Bhutto residence in Karachi. Benazir Bhutto, then the Leader of Opposition, was to host a ‘SAARC Opposition leaders seminar’, which was attended by the late former Indian Prime Minister V.P. Singh and Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina, among others. The photos were taken a day before the event.

ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta, an editor with India Today at the time, was good friends with Benazir Bhutto. A fan of Indian classical music, the former PM had requested him to bring along some CDs. While both of them were talking, ThePrint’s National Photo Editor Praveen Jain, who was then with The Pioneer, saw a young

Bilawal and his sister Bakhtawar riding a horse and feeding goats in the garden.

 https://theprint.in/in-pictures/from-4-yr-old-on-horseback-to-outspoken-pakistani-opposition-leader-bilawal-bhutto-then-now/906740/

ڈپٹی اسپیکر کا چیئرمین پی پی پی کو خطاب سے روکنا اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ عمران خان اور ان کے حواریوں کے اعصاب پر بلاول بھٹو سوار ہیں۔

 

 اسلام آباد؛ پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی پارلیمنٹیرینز کی مرکزی اطلاعات سیکرٹری و رکن قومی اسمبلی شازیہ عطا مری نے اپنے ایک جاری کردہ بیان میں کہا ہے کہ ڈپٹی اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی قاسم سوری نے آج بھی اسپیکر کی کرسی کو سیاسی مقاصدکیلئے استعمال کیا اورڈپٹی اسپیکر کا چیئرمین پی پی پی کو خطاب سے روکنا اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ عمران خان اور ان کے حواریوں کے اعصاب پر بلاول بھٹو سوار ہیں ۔

 شازیہ مری کا کہنا تھا کہ قاسم سوری نے چیئرمین ایاز صادق کی جانب سے چیئرمین پی پی پی بلاول بھٹو زرداری کو خطاب کی دعوت کے بعد اجلاس ملتوی کرکے بدترین پارلیمانی روایت قائم کی ہے ۔ 

انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ پی ٹی آئی اراکین کے استعفوں کے اعلان کے بعد قاسم سوری کا دوبارہ اچانک اجلاس کی سربراہی کرنا ایک چھوٹی حرکت ہے اور قاسم سوری قومی اسمبلی کے ڈپٹی اسپیکر کی حیثیت میں ایوان کی سربراہی کا اخلاقی جواز کھوچکے ہیں جاتے جاتے بھی ایسی اوچھی حرکتیں کرکے عمران خان کے حواری ثابت کررہے ہیں کہ وہ عوام کی نمائندگی کے اہل نہیں   

شازیہ مری نے کہا کہ آج ثابت ہوگیا کہ چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو کی تجویز کردہ تحریک عدم اعتماد ہی عمران خان سے نجات کا واحد ذریعہ تھا

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26794/

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The National Assembly is neither mine, nor Imran Khan’s or Shehbaz Sharif’s but that of the people – Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

 

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing the National Assembly has said that the Speaker himself is doing the contempt of court and abrogating the Constitution.

The five-member bench of the Supreme Court has given an order and no agenda item can be raised except the order of the day.

On April 3, their minister had trapped the PM, President and deputy-speaker in abrogation of the constitution. Due to today’s effort, the Speaker is himself involved in these crimes.

Chairman Bilawal demanded of the Speaker to follow the court’s orders. The Speaker will himself be disqualified over the contempt of court. This is not the first time in Pakistan that a speaker’s ruling has been thrown by the court. In the past too, a Speaker sitting in the same chair had given a ruling which was then done away with through a suo-moto notice. The court has ordered for the process of April 3 to be completed and voting has to take place.

The Captain is running and in doing so, is committing a contempt of court and abrogating the constitution. If the Speaker wants to be involved in these crimes, it is up to him.

I had warned the PM a long time ago, to be wary of the person who made a speech before me or else he would trap him. The same person has trapped him.

‘Mr. Speaker, obey the court’s order and conduct voting’, Chairman Bilawal said.

If today’s agenda is not followed, then they should know that the opposition too will not leave. The court is here. We will snatch our constitutional rights.

They are compelling the Speaker on violating the constitution and committing the contempt of court through a fake letter. They do not have the courage to listen.

The reality is that the majority is with the opposition. Imran has lost his majority. All the foreign conspiracy talk is not included in the agenda. We can debate on it for a 100 days but the voting should be conducted. Accept the court’s order.

There are many lies in their story. The first being that the debacle took place on March 7 and our no-confidence came on March 8.

There is a time difference in the US and Pakistan, March 7 there is March 8 over here. Then, even according them, the no-confidence was submitted when their conversation was ongoing. I know who is giving Imran this advice, and they are thinking for themselves. They will get Imran Khan trapped.

We had decided that when Imran is no longer the selected PM, there would be no objections between us. However, the Captain ran in a cowardly manner and is not here today too. He cannot even present his stance.

We ask why the foreign minister was not present in the meeting of the National Security Committee that he mentioned himself. Why was there no mention of the no-confidence in the minutes of the NSC meeting? An ordinary decision of a demarche being given was made.

If a conspiracy was being hatched against Pakistan on March 7 or earlier, then their ‘honour’ should have emerged right then and there along with the proof of their patriotism. They should have asked their allies to not leave them and become a part of a conspiracy. They tell us to not bring a no-confidence and be involved in a conspiracy. However, they only cared for the conspiracy after losing the majority. When Mr. Bugti of the JWP had announced to join us on March 27, they had realised that their game was over.

Now, this fight is not between the PPP and the PTI, or the the PDM and the PTI but that of democratic and undemocratic people. This fight is between those who wish to remain apolitical and neutral and those who wish to be biased and want interference. This is the real conspiracy. The real conspiracy is that Imran fears free and fair elections. He knows that he will be defeated by the opposition as was in the case of the bye-elections, if free and fair elections take place. It is their conspiracy to not let the vote of no-confidence take place. They want to stick to power for a day or two even if it means that the Speaker and the Chairman are made scapegoats.

It is their conspiracy to either let selections take place without electoral reforms or to create a crisis so big that it results in dictatorship and a military rule. They want for democracy to end because as long as it is present, Imran Khan’s politics cannot be saved.

Imran can try a 100 times, but still not become Bhutto. He can try a 1000 times and still not be a political martyr. The reality is that they were selected before and again wish to be selected. However, they should know that whoever is advising them is not to bring former PM Imran Khan again but to wrap up democracy. This is the conspiracy of ending this Islamic, federal and democratic constitution.

Even a child knows why they were selected. They were selected to end the 18th Amendment and rob the rights of the provinces. They were selected and created an economic crisis so big, that a common Pakistani cannot even provide for Sehri and Iftaar for their children in this month of Ramazan.

The economic crisis that has been created is so historic that every Pakistani is in trouble. Neither can they take care of their elders nor can send the youngsters to school. Neither can youngsters attain employment after their education, nor are the farmers getting the prices of their crop. The labourer is not getting the due share of their hard work. They know all of this.

It is Imran’s conspiracy to rob the stomachs and pockets of the people and try to fool them. The Captain cannot see beyond himself.

It is the Speaker’s duty to accept the court’s order. We are not struggling just for Shehbaz Sharif to be made the PM. We are struggling because despite there being various ways of throwing the PM out, we too knew how to knock on Gate no. 4 and play dharna-dharna, but we wanted to remove him via democratic means only. There is only one democratic option and that is of the no-confidence. This is the only legal, constitutional and democratic means to dismiss a government.

If we are successful against them today, then when they protest against us, the PM would not have to do a dharna or look for any Pasha. He would only have to adopt the democratic method and bring a no-confidence against us.

The National Assembly is neither mine, nor Imran Khans or Shehbaz Sharif’s but that of the people, Chairman Bilawal asserted.

I had said in my first speech too, that the foundation of this building of the parliament was laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Chairman Bilawal said. The basis for this constitution was also laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and elders of the members of the Assembly.

The blood and sweat of our workers, leadership and Pakistani citizens has been spent on this constitution.

We will not let anyone conspire against this constitution.

They talk of selling conscience, but 90% of the faces of the former treasury benches have been ‘Lotas’ their whole life. Wherever I see, there are ‘Lotas’. When the foreign minister was changing his party for the first time, how much money did he take? What was the price of his conscience the second time he changed parties? What was the price when he was selling his conscience for the third time?

Those who came to the opposition’s benches and the ones that are yet to come, were forcibly made to join the PTI before the 2018 elections. They were made to decide against their political interest at gun point.

I would like to clarify on the floor of the House, that we won the Senate election being mentioned, but 20 members of ours were made to disappear.

The problem now is that no one is there to repeat these disappearings. This is the reason why they have lost their majority.

In the same elections that we consider selections and the PTI deems the most transparent in history, it obtained only 30% of the votes. The parties on the other side attained 70% votes even in that selection.

The Speaker too should save himself and protect the honour of the National Assembly. They should accept the orders of the Supreme Court because today is once again the seventh day of the no-confidence motion.

We had repeatedly told them during our long march that we are bringing a no-confidence. In September 2020 when the PDM sat together, there was mention of the no-confidence. Was there a foreign conspiracy at that time? Was there the Ukraine-Russia conflict then too?

On 5 January, the CEC of the PPP was conducted in Lahore and we decided on a long march. We also demanded for a resignation and dissolution of the House before that or we would bring a no-confidence.

Our judiciary, establishment and all of Pakistan have been divided. The time has come for us to unite Pakistan to move towards free and fair elections and progress. We will accept whoever gets the mandate as a result of free and fair elections. If there is a hurdle in this, it is those who are abrogating the constitution and waving a fake letter. If this correspondence carried such weightage, then why was the foreign minister not present in the NSC meeting?

Khan has not once done something honourably, but should have towards the end of his rule.

If the voting does not take place, then it would mean that the constitution has been abrogated once again and the contempt of court has taken place, Chairman Bilawal said.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26788/ 

 

بلاول بھٹو کا وزیر خارجہ بنائے جانے کی تصدیق سے انکار

 چیئرمین پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے اپنے وزیر خارجہ بنائے جانے کی تصدیق کرنے سے انکار کردیا ہے۔

برطانوی نشریاتی ادارے سے گفتگو میں بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ ہماری جماعت کی حالیہ جدوجہد کے مقاصد میں عدم اعتماد کو کامیاب بنانا تھا۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ ہمارے مقاصد میں انتخابی اصلاحات، پاکستان میں مستحکم جمہوریت کا قیام بھی شامل ہے۔

برطانوی صحافی نے بلاول بھٹو سے استفسار کیا کہ کیا آپ پاکستان کے اگلے وزیر خارجہ بننے کی تصدیق کریں گے؟

اس پر جواب دیتے ہوئے پی پی چیئرمین نے کہا کہ میں پاکستان کے اگلے وزیر خارجہ بننے کی تصدیق نہیں کرسکتا۔

اُن کا کہنا تھا کہ میری جدوجہد کا مقصد پاکستان میں جمہوری نظام کو مضبوط بنانا ہے، پچھلے 3 سالوں میں آئین، جمہوری نظام، انسانی حقوق، میڈیا کی آزادی کو نقصان پہنچایا گیا۔

بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے مزید کہا کہ پاکستان کے تمام مسائل کا حل جمہوریت، جمہوریت اور مزید جمہوریت ہے، جب تک سیاسی اور جمہوری آزادی حاصل نہ ہو معاشی ترقی کےاہداف حاصل نہیں ہوسکتے۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ ہمارا پہلا اقدام ماضی میں کیے گئے غلط کو صحیح کرنا ہے، جس کے لیے طویل راستہ طے کرنا ہے۔

https://jang.com.pk/news/1072772

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Pakistan's PM ousted in no-confidence vote in parliament

By Asif Shahzad and Syed Raza Hassan

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a confidence vote in parliament on Sunday, the speaker of the lower house said, following desertions from coalition partners who blame him for a deteriorating economy and failure to deliver on his campaign promises.

The announcement of the vote's result came just before 0100 (2000 GMT) after multiple adjournments in the lower house caused by members of Khan's party, who said there was a foreign conspiracy to oust the cricket star-turned-politician.

Opposition parties were able to secure 174 votes in the 342-member house in support of the no-confidence motion, presiding Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said, making it a majority vote. There were just a few legislators of Khan's ruling party present for the vote. The voting came after the country's powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met Khan, two sources said, as criticism mounted over the delay in the parliamentary process.

Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif is the front-runner to lead the nuclear-armed nation of 220 million, where the military has ruled for half its history. read more

Shehbaz, 70, the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has a reputation as an effective administrator. Khan, 69, surged to power in 2018 with the military's support, but recently lost his parliamentary majority when allies quit his coalition government. There were also signs he had lost the support of the military, analysts said.

Opposition parties say he has failed to revive an economy battered by COVID-19 or fulfil promises to make Pakistan a corruption-free, prosperous nation respected on the world stage.

His ouster extends Pakistan's unwanted record for political instability: No prime minister has completed their full term since independence in 1947, although Khan is the first to be removed through a no-confidence vote.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-parliament-try-again-vote-oust-pm-khan-2022-04-09/

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US: Man impersonated agent, claimed ties to Pakistani intel

 By MICHAEL BALSAMO

One of two men accused of impersonating federal agents and giving actual Secret Service agents gifts and free apartments in Washington has claimed to have ties to Pakistani intelligence and had visas showing travel to Pakistan and Iran, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The men, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, were arrested Wednesday. The FBI raided a luxury apartment building in Southeast Washington, where the men were staying and had been offering free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents and officers.

During a court appearance Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein said Ali had told witnesses that he was affiliated with the Inter-Services Intelligence agency in Pakistan and that he had multiple visas from Pakistan and Iran in the months before prosecutors believe the men began impersonating U.S. law enforcement officials. Rothstein said the U.S. has not yet been able to verify the veracity of Ali’s claims to the witnesses.

Prosecutors believe the men were trying to “ingratiate themselves” and “integrate” with U.S. federal agents and people who worked in the U.S. defense community, Rothstein said.

The FBI searched five residences at the building on Wednesday and three vehicles. They found body armor, gas masks, zip ties, handcuffs, equipment to break through doors, drones, radios and police training manuals, Rothstein said.

The two men also had surveillance equipment and a high-power telescope, he said. The FBI found evidence that they may have been creating surveillance devices and also found a binder with information on all the residents in the luxury apartment building, which is home to law enforcement officers, defense officials and congressional staffers.

Prosecutors say the men had also set up surveillance in the building and had been telling residents there that they could access any of their cellphones at any time. The residents also told investigators they believed the men had access to their personal information.

The FBI also found several firearms — including handguns and ammunition — and disassembled rifle pieces and sniper scopes, Rothstein said.

Prosecutors allege Taherzadeh and Ali had falsely claimed to work for the Department of Homeland Security and work on a special task force investigating gangs and violence connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Taherzadeh is accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments — including a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year — along with iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a television, a generator, a gun case and other policing tools, according to court documents. In one instance, Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the first lady, prosecutors said.

The plot unraveled when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating an assault involving a mail carrier at the apartment building and the men identified themselves as being part of a phony Homeland Security unit they called the U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit.

Investigators believe Ali had taken multiple trips to the Middle East and had three visas showing he had been to Pakistan and two Iranian visas, Rothstein said. U.S. travel records also showed he had traveled to Istanbul, Turkey and Doha in Qatar, he said.

Prosecutors allege one of the men also tried to destroy evidence once he learned he was being investigated. After Taherzadeh found out the FBI was starting to investigate him, he took steps to delete posts on social media and admitted that he had deleted the posts that would’ve been evidence in the case against him, Rothstein said.

A lawyer for Taherzadeh and Ali argued that both men should not be detained. But Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey ordered both men held until a detention hearing can be held on Friday afternoon.

Rothstein said the case was being presented to a grand jury and he expected both men to face federal conspiracy charges.

https://apnews.com/article/us-secret-service-iran-middle-east-pakistan-b51b54e1f65ef33321acdbf036d0968f

Islamabad High Court’s decision to declare PECA amendment ordinance unconstitutional is the victory of the constitution

 Pakistan Peoples Party has expressed pleasure and welcomed the decision of the Islamabad High Court to null and void the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) amendment ordinance. Central Information Secretary of PPP-P and member of the National Assembly Shazia Atta Marri has said that Pakistan Peoples Party has warmly welcomed and expressed its pleasure in the Islamabad High Court’s decision to declare the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act amendment ordinance unconstitutional and she termed it, the victory of the constitution of Pakistan. 

This she expressed in a statement issued hereon today. Shazia Marri said that we congratulate the entire nation and the journalist community of the country over this constitutional victory. Islamabad Court’s decision regarding the rejection of the PECA ordinance is an immense pleasure to all of us because selected Imran Khan Niazi wanted to snatch the freedom of the expression of the common man like the dictators of the past. 

Ms. Marri said that Pakistan Peoples Party had already rejected the draconian black law of PECA, today, Islamabad High Court has taken a constitutional step by declaring the PECA amendment ordinance as an unconstitutional move. 

She added that Imran Khan’s government has turned the President's House into the center of conspiracies.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26784/

کل بھی بھٹو زندہ تھا،آج بھی بھٹو زندہ ھے

Video Report - Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing a press conference at Zardari House ISB