Friday, March 18, 2022
Terror attack on Sindh House is condemnable – Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has termed the attack on Sindh House as an act of terrorism.
Chairman PPP said that a well-planned attack on Sindh House is tantamount to an attack on Sindh. Crossing dozens of police checkpoints and reaching Sindh House in the Red Zone is a question mark. The Sindh House is Sindh’s identity in the federation. Imran Khan showed his real hatred by invading Sindh. We are not the kind of people who take the law into our own hands but we know how to deal with rebellious elements. By attacking the residences of families of public representatives and judges of high courts, Imran Khan has also violated the sanctity of the four walls.
Chairman Bilawal said that the attackers of the parliament, PTV and parliament lodges have attacked the Sindh House and have expressed their fascism. Imran Khan is bewildered by his defeat. Such cheap tactics cannot get him the support of 172 members.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26621/
Pakistan PM Khan Pressured to Quit as Party Members Desert Him
Khan has ruled with a majority of seven members after winning a vote of confidence in parliament last year with 179 members supporting him in the 342-member National Assembly. The opposition has about 162 lawmakers, and needs roughly 10 more votes to topple Khan. “We are more than 24 members who will vote against Khan according to our conscience,” Raja Riaz, a senior lawmaker in Khan’s ruling party, said on Dunya TV channel Thursday night. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-18/pakistan-pm-khan-pressured-to-quit-as-party-members-desert-him
Thursday, March 17, 2022
China takes wait-and-see stance on Pakistan's political turmoil
ADNAN AAMIR
Beijing thought to prefer opposition groups to reset direction of Belt and Road.With political uncertainty growing in Pakistan and a no-confidence motion set to be tabled against the government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistani officials and experts have noted that China, its economic and geopolitical ally, has adopted a wait-and-see approach in its relations with the country as it tries to figure out whether its favorite opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), can take power in Islamabad. Since the beginning of March, opposition parties including PML-N had been preparing for the no-confidence motion to topple the Khan government. Now, Pakistan's national assembly -- the lower house of parliament -- is set to vote on the motion on March 27. If the motion secures at least 172 of 342 votes, Khan will have to step down from his post as prime minister. In the buildup to the poll, the political atmosphere has become charged. Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), has announced it will hold a mega rally in Islamabad on the day of the vote, a move seen as an attempt to sabotage the no-confidence vote. Likewise, the opposition parties have announced a long march to Islamabad on March 23 in a bid to counter the political machinations of Khan's regime. Officials and experts believe that after the likely ouster of Khan, China will prefer a government led by PML-N, a center-right Punjab-centric political party named after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A senior official of the Pakistani government told Nikkei Asia on condition of anonymity that China has adopted a wait-and-see policy in the current political crisis. "China prefers a PML-N government but, in the case that Imran Khan survives the no-confidence motion, China will still work with him, albeit with less enthusiasm." The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor -- the $50 billion Pakistan component of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative -- has not progressed well under the incumbent government. Experts believe that a new government led by PML-N will be able to pump a new life into the CPEC. Ishtiaq Ahmed, an associate professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, is of the view that Beijing is upset with the PTI government for slowing down the CPEC projects since 2018. "The Chinese were happy with the [leaders of PML-N] and will be excited if political change brings them back to power," he told Nikkei. Ahmed added that the persistent trust deficit between China and Pakistan would disappear if Khan's government falls, and that the prospect of Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif and current president of PML-N, taking over as prime minister, will be please China, given his strong belief in the CPEC projects. "Beijing had found a comfort level with the previous PML-N government [which ended in 2018], which was the administration that launched the CPEC with Beijing," Michael Kugelman, the deputy director of Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, told Nikkei. While the current government's emphasis on anti-corruption is a concern for Beijing, given its own preference for opacity regarding CPEC, "[t]here are also concerns in China that the Khan government hasn't sufficiently addressed security risks for Chinese projects and Chinese nationals in Pakistan," Kugelman said. Fazal Rehman, the director of the Pakistan Institute of China Studies at Pakistan's Sargodha University, has a different take on this matter. He says that China's obvious choice would be to let the current government complete its routine tenure and bring a change through elections which are only a year away. A move like a no-confidence motion "has inherent dangers of agitation and political instability at a time when the country is struggling to overcome economic woes," Rehman told Nikkei. Kugelman agrees. "For China, the main concern is less what the next leadership looks like if there is a change in government, and more the risk of uncertainty and volatility if there is a long transition process leading to a new government," he said, adding that "China's chief hope is that the political crisis does not spiral out of control."
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/China-takes-wait-and-see-stance-on-Pakistan-s-political-turmoil
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Talks With TTP Take Back Seat as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Turns Attention to Political Turmoil
With an uptick in violence, it would be hard for Imran Khan to sway public opinion towards a peace deal with the terror group.After a short hiatus, death and destruction knocked on Peshawar’s doors early March when more than 65 people were killed and over 200 wounded in an attack on a Shiite Mosque in the heart of the city.It is the first major suicide bombing carried out on Pakistani soil after nearly half a decade of peace, thereby signaling that, in the midst of global turmoil, Pakistan too has ventured into what appears to be a second round of the war on terror.The March 4 attack was claimed by the Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP), “one of the major beneficiaries of the derailed peace talks between the Pakistani state and the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) conglomerate,” an intelligence official privy to the developments told The Diplomat. It was in an interview with the TRT World that Prime Minister Imran Khan first mentioned peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban and its affiliates, where he said the TTP may be allowed to “live like ordinary citizens” if they surrender and reconcile with the state.
Although the TTP, under its charismatic leader Noor Wali Mehsud, rejected Imran’s amnesty offer, the government confirmed entering into a one-month-long ceasefire with the militant group and initiating peace talks being facilitated by the Afghan Taliban. TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khurasani also confirmed the temporary truce. The Pakistani Taliban’s premise for jihad had stemmed from the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan. It aimed to help the Afghan Taliban regain their territory and viewed the Pakistani military as an enemy that had sided with the Americans. Now, with the foreign forces out of Afghanistan, the militant outfit has put forward a similar argument against the Pakistani state, accusing it of “occupying” their land in the tribal districts. It demanded the government undo all reforms aimed to improve quality of life and extension of constitutional and civil rights to the tribal districts – a near impossible feat.When the 30-day truce period ended on December 9, the TTP decided not to extend the ceasefire after accusing the government of failing to honor promises made and for conducting raids, killing and detaining TTP militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). In February, talks officially resumed. The intelligence official told The Diplomat the government has released at least 100 militants so far except two men who are on death row – and the TTP is adamant on ending their imprisonment. In such a scenario, only a presidential pardon would enable the terrorists’ release. Despite hinting at the possibility of amnesty for members of the TTP last September, President Arif Alvi hasn’t signed off on the presidential pardon yet. The incumbent government is already embroiled in a political crisis with a failing economy and an opposition threatening its existence amid speculations that Khan has lost the support of the military establishment.The country has also witnessed an uptick in violence in the past few months, whether it’s Baloch rebels carrying out sophisticated attacks or the ISKP increasing the frequency and intensity of their terror activities. The TTP also continues to carry out targeted attacks in mostly the northern regions. Defense analysts explain the simultaneous existence of fighting and peace talks as a war strategy. It was seen in Afghanistan too during the Doha talks between the U.S. and Afghan Taliban. In Pakistan, however, the continued violence makes it difficult to sway public opinion towards a presidential pardon. Amid all these uncertainties, the unpopular decision to pardon terrorists would mean political suicide for Khan. In his struggle to save his office, he has pushed the peace talks to the back burner for the time being. The derailed peace process has heightened the confidence of the ISKP leadership – which, although hasn’t officially commented on the peace talks yet, has been critical of it in unofficial chatter on Telegram. The ISKP appears optimistic that the TTP, which is being pushed out of Afghanistan by the new administration and lacks breathing space in Pakistan, would see its members defect to the Islamic State and increase their dominance in the region. https://thediplomat.com/2022/03/talks-with-ttp-take-back-seat-as-pakistans-prime-minister-turns-attention-to-political-turmoil/
#Pakistan #Peshawar mosque attack lays bare intolerance against Shias in Pakistan
Shias are one of the largest persecuted minority groups in Pakistan with scores losing their lives only because of the faith they choose to follow, according to an opinion piece published in The Express Tribune. The blast in a Shia mosque in Peshawar on March 4 resulted in the death of over 60 people, including seven children below 10, and left nearly 200 people injured. While the authorities always cite ‘invisible’ hand seeking to destabilize the country’s fragile security as the reason behind such terror attacks, the Peshawar mosque attack did not target random Pakistani worshippers. These worshippers belonged to the Shia community who have been the victim of these atrocities for decades, according to the media outlet that added that the religion has been used as a political pawn in the history of Pakistan where sectarian violence has an entrenched and deeply political, violent history. Notably, Shias comprise nearly 20 percent of Pakistan’s population and are the target of violence by Sunni Islamist militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Shias are mostly excluded from positions of power. Doctors, businessmen, and other professionals have been targeted in Karachi by Sunni terrorists on a regular basis. According to one estimate, over 1,900 Shias were killed in bomb blasts or targeted gun attacks from 2012 to May 2015 alone. https://theprint.in/world/peshawar-mosque-attack-lays-bare-intolerance-against-shias-in-pakistan/876697/
#Pakistan #PPP - Forget 1 million, bring 172 to Parliament: Bilawal tells PM Imran Khan
Bilawal Bhutto terms splitting of working relationship with MQM-P a conspiracy.- PPP chairman rejects the involvement of foreign elements behind the no-trust move.
- Bilawal calls 'Kanpen tang rahi hain' video a hoax.
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed to hit a double century of MNA’s voting against Prime Minister Imran Khan and challenging him to bring 172 members in parliament and forget about one million, Geo News reported Tuesday.
In an interview with senior journalist Hamid Mir in Geo News Programme Capital Talk, Bilawal Bhutto said that Prime Minister’s statement to target Asif Zardari was nothing short of resorting violence against his political opponents, however, his [PM] threat was intolerable and reprehensible.
“He [Imran Khan] can foresee his defeat as he has started hurling abuse and threatening political rivals, however, he added that PM should not threaten anyone in democracy,” he said.
Bilawal said that Imran Khan had taken an undemocratic step by announcing a rally a day before voting as he could see the defeat clearly.
“Therefore, he wants to stop his own members from casting vote and also want to create an environment of confrontation in Islamabad,” he said
Bilawal went on to say that It’s a democratic war so let’s fight in parliament not on road where Imran Khan has to bring only 172 members and not one million.
'Since day one I'm challenging and irritating Imran Khan'
Bilawal said that since day one he was challenging Imran Khan and that was irritating him, adding, “PM is vexed of me that how can a young boy challenge him and not let him run the government.”
“I had declared him selected on the very first day of his regime and now he maintained his identity as selected in the whole world,” he added.
PPP chairman said that Imran Khan wanted to put Asif Zardari in jail, so he could rule the country for the next five years easily, however, neither did Asif Zardari bow down nor sell himself.
On a question that If opposition successfully sails no-trust motion against PM, what will be the next course of action, Bilawal said, “If the government is ousted, we will go for electoral reforms as we want transparent elections in the country, we will consult with other parties about electoral reforms to conduct elections.”
MQM-P and PPP working relationships were damaged through a conspiracy
Bilawal Bhutto also termed splitting of working relationship with MQM-P a conspiracy.
“Talks with the MQM-P are not heading just for the no-trust move but also for a working relationship as we want to restore partnership with MQM-P,” he said.
He said that through a conspiracy MQM-P and PPP working relationships was damaged, however, this partnership was in dire need.
Responding to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s statement about the involvement of foreign elements behind the no-trust move against the prime minister, Bilawal Bhutto challenged and asked the PTI leader to unveil the plot.
"I challenge Shah Mehmood to reveal the foreign conspiracy behind the vote of no confidence. For the past three years, I have been telling and demanding of our Opposition friends that we should go on a long march, protest, and vote of no confidence against this government because this regime is engineered and inorganic."
He went on to say that after three years of effort, we [opposition parties] have reached an agreement to depose this government, so where is the foreign hand in this struggle?
The USA has no interest in the politics of Pakistan
PPP’s chairman also rejected US involvement in a no-trust move, saying that, “USA has no interest in politics of Pakistan as the country has gone into the isolation because of him [PM].”
Bilawal Bhutto also hoped for the success of a no-trust move against the Prime Minister with more than a simple majority.
“All the opposition parties are working hard for the success of no-trust motion and I am sure that we will oust Imran Khan with double century (200) of MNA’s voting against him,” he concluded.
'Kanpen tang rahi hain' video is fake
Bilawal also called a video of him fake, in which he can be seen saying 'Kanpen tang rahi hain' instead of ‘tangen kanp rahi hain’ (Legs are shivering).
"PTI is a master at propaganda and manipulating videos," he claimed. "After watching this clip, I believed it was a slip of the tongue, but there was nothing like that in the original broadcast that I viewed on Geo TV," he added.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/405456-no-trust-motion-bilawal-claims-to-hit-double-century-of-mnas-voting-against-pm
#Pakistan - There were reports that Selected PM Imran Khan would be conspiring against the opposition by initiating fake NAB cases
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26599/
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
#Pakistan - 'PM teaching me Urdu': Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari posts hilarious video
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari hit back at Prime Minister Imran Khan after he mocked his Urdu during a public gathering in Islamabad.
Taking to Twitter, Bilawal shared a video comprised of various clips of the prime minister of the times his tongue slipped.
“PM teaching me Urdu,” the PPP chairman captioned the video.
The video starts with the premier mocking Bilawal’s Urdu and saying “kanpen taang rahi hain”, and then urging former president Asif Ali Zardari to “teach his son Urdu.”
Later in the video, the video showed the times when the PM had trouble speaking Urdu. The video received more than 130K views after it was posted.
A few days ago, Bilawal — while addressing the "Awami March" in Islamabad on Tuesday night — meant to say "Islamabad me tangen kanp rahi hain" (Legs are shivering in Islamabad) to mock the incumbent PTI-led government for having a hard time due to the no-trust motion submitted against the PM.
However, he ended up saying "Islamabad me kanpen taang rahi hain", mistakenly swapping a couple of Urdu letters due to his fervour while making the speech.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/405050-pm-teaching-me-urdu-bilawal-bhutto-zardari-posts-hilarious-video
#Pakistan #PPP - There were reports that Selected PM Imran Khan would be conspiring against the opposition by initiating fake NAB cases
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26599/
Monday, March 14, 2022
#Pakistan - I don’t think the prime minister will be able to retain his majority in parliament and survive in office - Writing’s on the wall
Abbas NasirANALYSTS normally put a question mark at the end of headlines like the one above as none of us are brave enough to stick our neck out, and continue to hedge our bets. The major pitfall is that it leaves the reader none the wiser, given all the caveats and ifs and buts. I believe it is time to say it like it is. I don’t think the prime minister will be able to retain his majority in parliament and survive in office, some five months after preferring to pin his hopes on one individual and losing the backing of an institution in the bargain. No. I don’t have a fly on the fall in any office of significance in Rawalpindi, Aabpara, Islamabad, to reach this conclusion; neither do I have sources embedded in the system or among those that press its various levers. All I have done is to juxtapose various events, statements and the tone and tenor of some of those statements. That has brought into sharp focus the endgame being played out; it could be a matter of days, at best a couple of weeks.Even by the PM’s own standards, the invective he has let fly this week was in such bad taste that it spoke of desperation; the ‘cornered tiger’, as some of his supporters see him, is trapped and lashing out, throwing caution to the wind with not a care for the consequences. The intensity of his verbal assaults on the opposition may have gone up dozens of notches in literally a week when he suddenly seemed to realise that his perch was too precarious for comfort and the opposition challenge serious and potent. The PM’s dissatisfaction could easily be likened to the ‘you are either with us or against us’ stance. But, for someone, who has avowedly been anti-US, save for when Trump was in the White House, he took a leaf out of George Dubya’s book when he lashed out at the military’s publicly stated and reiterated ‘neutrality’ in the political game being played out in the country. “There is no such thing as neutrality. Only animals are neutral,” he told cheering supporters at a public meeting in Lower Dir, a day after the ISPR spokesman had curtly told two questioners at his media briefing that the military was steering clear of politics. Imran Khan’s dissatisfaction with that stance could easily be likened to Dubya’s ‘you are either with us or against us’ challenge to the world after the 9/11 attacks on the US, leaving no room for neutrality for any nation. The US was gravely wounded and enraged at that point in time and was getting ready to assert its enormous military might, so it told friends and foes alike there was no stopping it. To what long-term consequences is another debate. In our case, the consequences won’t take long. Ironically, if the prime minister’s words were meant to rally/galvanise support of members of the National Assembly that make up his rather fragile majority, they may have backfired as they confirmed the worst nightmare of the wavering MNAs.From the destabilisation of the last government through the run-up to the election to polling day; from government formation to the often witnessed rendering of the opposition majority in the Senate into a humiliating minority, the sort of brazen support and mollycoddling, the governing party was used to, was no more.The realisation that their leader’s comfort blanket as also their own had been wrested and they were on their own now and, far more significantly, in any election to come over the coming six to 18 months, made their decision easy. Particularly, with a resurgent PML-N appearing a much safer bet, given the results of the by-elections and the more recent Punjab opinion polls. Whereas those PTI MNAs now convinced that even the floor-crossing disqualification may be a small price to pay for the longevity of their political careers, the government allies have no such price to pay. With the shepherd now uninterested in herding them in one particular direction, the allies are free to go where they want. If the PML-Q’s unofficial spokesman Tariq Bashir Cheema’s public grouse that his party was being offered a lollipop ahead of the no-confidence vote and that ‘hum bachchay nahi hein’ (we aren’t kids) was not enough, the very public spat between two federal ministers left very few doubts about the unfolding scenario. A visibly irate Shaikh Rashid, without naming the PML-Q said he wasn’t ‘like those who with five-odd votes were blackmailing for the Punjab chief minister’s position’. His cabinet colleague, PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi tweeted right back saying Mr Rashid was attacking those whose elders used to give him money during his student days. While the lack of commitment from the MQM and GDA did not lead to a public argument, despite an air dash to Karachi by the PM, it was clear the MQM was seeking guarantees from the opposition allies of the PPP that if it were to support the no-trust move, the concessions promised by the PPP would be delivered.The GDA’s Pir Pagaro was ‘too ill’ to receive the prime minister and the latter returned without seeing him. In desperation the PTI and Imran Khan seem to be upping the ante and calling on supporters to gather in Islamabad when the vote takes place so the MNAs violating the party whip can be confronted in the streets.To obviate any law and order situation, I suspect the PTI allies will be encouraged to make their position clear within a few days so the message to the government is loud and clear ie confronting its own dissenting MNAs or the opposition in ‘D’ Chowk and the streets will serve no purpose.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1679740/writings-on-the-wall
Russia-Ukraine war could derail Pakistan’s economy, devalue country’s currency: Experts
عمران گھبرا گئے، ارکان کو ووٹ ڈالنے سے روک رہے ہیں، بلاول
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا ہے کہ وزیراعظم کو
نکالنے کیلئے ہر کسی سے ہاتھ ملائیں گے، عمران گھبرا گئے، ارکان کو ووٹ ڈالنے سے روک رہے ہیں، عوام نےعمران خان کو عدم اعتماد کا چیلنج دیدیا،حکومتی ترجمان ووٹ نہ گننے کی دھمکیاں دے رہے.
ارکان کی گرفتا ریاں ہورہی ہیں، عدلیہ ،الیکشن کمیشن نوٹس لیں، ہمارے نمبر پورے،تبھی عمران گالیوں پر اتر آیا، بتائیں جانور کسے کہا؟ فارن فنڈنگ کیس کا فیصلہ جلد کیا جائے۔
ان خیالات کا اظہار انہوں نے زرداری ہاؤس اسلام آباد میں ایک پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کیا۔ انھوں نے کہا کہ عمران ایک غیر جمہوری آدمی ہے اور جمہوریت، قانون اور انصاف پر یقین نہیں رکھتا۔ وہ فکسڈ میچ پر یقین رکھتا ہے اور انتخابات میں دھاندلی کرنا جانتا ہے۔
وزیراعظم عدم اعتماد میں بھی دھاندلی کرنا چاہتا ہے ہم اس شکست خوردہ شخص کو اسکی اجازت نہیں دینگے۔ چیئرمین پی پی پی نے کہا کہ آئین کا آرٹیکل6بالکل واضح ہے اور یہ قانون ہر اس شخص پر لاگو ہوتا ہے جو آئین طریقہ کار میں گڑ بڑ کرنا چاہتا ہے۔
اسکے ترجمان کہہ رہے ہیں کہ ووٹوں کو نہیں گنا جائے گا اور پولیس پارلیمنٹ لاجز پر دھاوا بول کر اراکین پارلیمنٹ کو گرفتار کر رہی ہے۔ اس عمل سے کیا پیغام دیا جا رہا ہے۔
بلاول نے سپریم کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس، اسلام آباد کے ہائی کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس اور چیف الیکشن کمشنر سے اپیل کی کہ وہ ہر پارلیمنٹیرین کے ووٹ کے حق کا تحفظ کریں۔ کسی کو ووٹ دینے سے نہیں روکا جانا چاہیے۔
یہ ایک سازش ہے جس سے پارلیمنٹ کے اراکین کو ان کے حق سے محروم کیے جانے کا ارادہ ہے۔ ہم اسے برداشت نہیں کریں گے۔ جو شخص ہار رہا ہوتا ہے وہ گالیاں دینا شروع کر دیتا ہے یا بال ٹمپرنگ کرتا ہے۔ ہم اس شکست خوردہ شخص کو عوام کا مینڈیٹ چوری کرنے کی اجازت نہیں دیں گے۔
یہ صرف عمران خان کے خلاف عدم اعتماد نہیں بلکہ اس معاشی بحران کے خلاف بھی ہے جس سے عوام مہنگائی اور بیروزگاری کا سامنا کر رہے ہیں۔ یہ عدم اعتماد اس خارجہ پالیسی کے خلاف بھی ہے جس نے پاکستان کو دنیا بھر میں تنہا کر دیا ہے، ہمارے دوستوں سے ہمیں دور کر دیا ہے اور دشمنوں سے دشمنی بڑھا دی ہے، ہم نہیں چاہتے کہ پاکستان کی معاشی اور خارجہ پالیسی کو ایک شخص کی وجہ سے نقصان پہنچے یا ہمارے ادارے متنازع بن جائیں۔
بلاول بھٹو نے کہا کہ ملکی تاریخ میں کوئی بھی وزیراعظم اس قدر مایوسی کا شکار نہیں ہوا ہے کہ ہر کسی کو گالی دینے پر اتر آیا ہے۔ ہم اس وزیراعظم سے پوچھنا چاہتے ہیں کہ اس نے اپنی تقریر میں جانور کسے کہا ہے؟ یہ تو صاف ظاہر ہے کہ ہمارے نمبر پورے ہیں، نہیں تو یہ عمران خان اس وقت اتنا بوکھلایا ہوا نہیں ہوتا۔
انھوں نے عمران خان کو چیلنج کیا کہ اسمبلی کا اجلاس بلائے اور اپنے اراکین کو ووٹ دینے کی اجازت دے۔ ہمارا عدم اعتماد کامیاب ہوگا۔ ہماری حکومتی اتحادیوں سے ملاقاتیں توقع سے بڑھ کر کامیاب ہوئی ہیں۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/1061497
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Imran Khan Compares Pakistan Army With 'animals' For Not Backing Him Before Trust Vote
Amid chaos in the Pakistan Government where a no-confidence motion has been submitted against PM Imran Khan, Pakistan's Army has chosen to remain neutral
In his speech, the PM also slammed the three party leaders - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party co-chair Zardari, and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Rehman, who have joined forces to file a no-trust motion against him, citing the government’s inability to control inflation, which has harmed ordinary people.No-confidence motion against Imran Khan On Tuesday, the Pakistan Opposition submitted a no-trust motion against Imran Khan with the country's National Assembly secretariat. Reportedly, the document was signed by more than 100 lawmakers even as only 68 members, i.e 20% of the total House strength of 342 were required to sign the motion. As per the rules of procedure, an emergency Assembly session will have to be convened by March 22 and the vote will have to be held between March 26-30. As Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has only 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly, the government's survival depends on the support of allies such as MQM-P (7 seats), BAP (5 seats), PML(Q) (5 seats), GDA (3 seats), AML (1 seat), JWP (1 seat) and 2 Independents. On the other hand, the opposition has a total of 162 seats - 10 short of 172 required to topple Imran Khan's government. While the opposition is short of numbers at present, it has reached out to both PML(Q) as well as MQM-P. https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/pakistan-news/imran-khan-compares-pak-army-with-animals-for-not-backing-him-amid-no-confidence-motion-articleshow.html
Paki Prime Minister Imran Khan, Facing No-Confidence Vote, Turns To Insults, Threats: Report
Imran Khan, in his address also threatened that a sea of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers would storm Islamabad a day before voting on the no-confidence resolution tabled by the opposition in the National Assembly against him.Ahead of the no-confidence motion against his government, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday used derogatory language for Opposition leaders and threatened them with consequences once the motion fails, local media reported.Imran Khan launched a scathing attack on the troika of opposition figures, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif, the three leaders who are spearheading the no-trust move against him while addressing a public meeting at Dir Scouts Ground in Balambat, Pakistan's Dawn reported.
جس طرح سے ایک عام آدمی کو پولنگ بوتھ میں جا کر ووٹ دینے کا حق ہے اسی طرح یہ پارلیمنٹیرینز کا حق بھی ہے کہ وہ عدم اعتماد پر اپنا ووٹ ڈالیں، چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹوزرداری
چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے زرداری ہاﺅس اسلام آباد میں ایک پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ پاکستانی
عوام کی جانب سے عمران خان کو عدم اعتماد کا چیلنج دے دیا گیا ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ دس دن کے عوامی مارچ نے یہ ثابت کردیا کہ عوام عمران خان پر اعتماد نہیں کرتے۔ چیئرمین بلاول نے کہا کہ یہ پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے کارکنوں کی تین سالہ جدوجہد کا نتیجہ ہے کہ ملک بھر کی جمہوری قوتیں اس غیرجمہوری شخص کو جمہوری انداز سے چیلنج کر رہی ہیں۔ یہ ہمارا حق ہے اور یہ پارلیمانی طریقہ ہے۔ جس طرح سے ایک عام آدمی کو پولنگ بوتھ میں جا کر ووٹ دینے کا حق ہے اسی طرح یہ پارلیمنٹیرینز کا حق بھی ہے کہ وہ عدم اعتماد پر اپنا ووٹ ڈالیں۔ عمران گھبرا گیا ہے اور گالیوں کا استعمال کر رہا ہے کیونکہ اس کو شکست صاف نظر آرہی ہے۔ کوئی بھی محترم آدمی اگر وزیراعظم ہوتا تو اسے احساس ہو جاتا کہ اس کے پاس نمبرز موجود نہیں۔
عمران ایک غیرجمہوری آدمی ہے اور جمہوریت، قانون اور انصاف پر یقین نہیں رکھتا۔ وہ فکسڈ میچ پر یقین رکھتا ہے اور انتخابات میں دھاندلی کرنا جانتا ہے۔ وزیراعظم عدم اعتماد میں بھی دھاندلی کرنا چاہتا ہے۔ ہم اس شکست خوردہ شخص کو اس کی اجازت نہیں دیں گے۔ ملک کے عوام اسے دھاندلی کرنے کی اجازت نہیں دے گی۔ چیئرمین پی پی پی نے کہا کہ آئین کا آرٹیکل 6بالکل واضح ہے اور یہ قانون ہر اس شخص پر لاگو ہوتا ہے جو آئین طریقہ کار میں گڑ بڑ کرنا چاہتا ہے۔ اس کے ترجمان کہہ رہے ہیں کہ ووٹوں کو نہیں گنا جائے گا اور پولیس پارلیمنٹ لاجز پر دھاوا بول کر اراکین پارلیمنٹ کو گرفتار کر رہی ہے۔ اس عمل سے کیا پیغام دیا جا رہا ہے۔
چیئرمین بلاول نے سپریم کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس، اسلام آباد کے ہائی کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس اور چیف الیکشن کمشنر سے اپیل کی کہ وہ ہر پارلیمنٹیرین کے ووٹ کے حق کا تحفظ کریں۔ کسی کو ووٹ دینے سے نہیں روکا جانا چاہیے۔ یہ ایک سازش ہے جس سے پارلیمنٹ کے اراکین کو ان کے حق سے محروم کیے جانے کا ارادہ ہے۔ ہم اسے برداشت نہیں کریں گے۔ ہم ہر اس شخص سے جس نے آئین پاکستان کی حفاظت کی قسم کھائی ہوئی ہے اپیل کرتے ہیں کہ وہ اس بات کو یقینی بنائیں کہ آئینی طریقہ کار اختیار کیا جائے۔ یہی وہ واحد طریقہ ہے جس سے ہم موجودہ بحران سے نکل سکتے ہیں۔ ملک کا ایک قانون ہوتا ہے۔ ہم پر امن جمہوری لوگ ہیں اور عوامی مارچ میں پورے ملک میں ایک پتھر بھی نہیں پھینکا گیا۔ ووٹ دینا پارلیمنٹیرینز کا حق ہے اور وہ ہر صورت میں ووٹ دیں گے۔ چیئرمین پی پی پی نے کہا کہ پاکستانی قوم جانتی ہے کہ جو شخص ہار رہا ہوتا ہے وہ گالیاں دینا شروع کر دیتا ہے یا بال ٹمپرنگ کرتا ہے۔ ہم اس شکست خوردہ شخص کو عوام کا مینڈیٹ چوری کرنے کی اجازت نہیں دیں گے۔ یہ صرف عمران خان کے خلاف عدم اعتماد نہیں بلکہ اس معاشی بحران کے خلاف بھی ہے جس سے عوام مہنگائی اور بیروزگاری کا سامنا کر رہے ہیں۔ یہ عدم اعتماد اس خارجہ پالیسی کے خلاف بھی ہے جس نے پاکستان کو دنیا بھر میں تنہا کر دیا ہے، ہمارے دوستوں سے ہمیں دور کر دیا ہے اور دشمنوں سے دشمنی بڑھا دی ہے۔ یہ عدم اعتماد معاشرے میں انارکی کے خلاف بھی ہے جو عمران خان کی پیدا کردہ ہے۔ ہم اس عدم اعتماد کے بعد صاف اور شفاف انتخابات کی طرف جائیں گے۔ ہم ایسا ماحول چاہتے ہیں جہاں عوامی نمائندے مل کر بیٹھیں اور شفاف انتخابات ہوں تاکہ جو حکومت بنے اس کے پاس عوام کا مینڈیٹ ہو۔ ہم نہیں چاہتے کہ پاکستان کی معاشی اور خارجہ پالیسی کو ایک شخص کی وجہ سے نقصان پہنچے یا ہمارے ادارے متنازع بن جائیں۔
عمران خان نے نہ صرف اس عدم اعتماد میں دھاندلی کی کوشش کی ہے بلکہ آئندہ ہونے والے انتخابات میں دھاندلی میں بھی کوشش کی ہے۔ اس شخص کا فارن فنڈنگ کیس ابھی تک ای سی پی میں زیر التوا ہے اور ہم ای سی پی سے درخواست کرتے ہیں کہ اس کیس کا فیصلہ جلد از جلد کیا جائے۔ عوام کو یہ بات پتہ ہونی چاہیے کہ کس نے عمران خان کو بھارت اور اسرائیل سے فنڈنگ کی ہے۔ سوالات کے جوابات دیتے ہوئے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو نے کہا کہ وہ اس عدم اعتماد پر فخر محسوس کرتے ہیں کیونکہ یہ ملک کی تاریخ کا پہلا جمہوری عدم اعتماد ہے جس کی حمایت پاکستان کے عوام کر رہے ہیں۔ عمران خان کے بیانات مایوسی اور گھبراہٹ کی نشاندہی کر رہے ہیں جس پر ہمیں توجہ نہیں دینی چاہیے۔ پاکستان کی تاریخ میں کوئی بھی وزیراعظم اس قدر مایوسی کا شکار نہیں ہوا ہے کہ ہر کسی کو گالی دینے پر اتر آیا ہے۔ ہم اس وزیراعظم سے پوچھنا چاہتے ہیںکہ اس نے اپنی تقریر میں جانور کسے کہا ہے؟ وزیراعظم کی یہ مایوس کن کوششیں کامیاب نہیں ہوں گی۔ آنے والا وقت بہت مشکل ہے اور عمران خان کی تباہی کا سونامی ہمارے سامنے کھڑا ہوگا۔ یہ وقت اس بات کا تقاضا کرتا ہے کہ سب لوگ ساتھ مل کر کام کریں اور عمران خان کے دئیے ہوئے اس بحران سے نکلیں۔ ہم ایسا ماحول بنانے میں کامیاب ہو جائیں گے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ اس غیرجمہوری شخص کو نکالنے کے لئے ہم نے اپنی کوششوں میں کوئی تاخیر نہیں کی۔ ہم نے انتخابی اصلاحات کے لئے ہر ایک سے بات کرنا ہوگی۔ سیاست اسی طرح کی جاتی ہے کہ ہم دوسروں کی باتیں سنیںا ور اپنا تناظر انہیں بتائیں اور اس کے بعد کسی سمجھوتے پر پہنچیں۔ یہ کسی ایک شخص کا ملک نہیں ہے اور عوام کے مفاد میں سیاسی پارٹیوں کے نمائندوں سے ہم بات کرتے رہیں گے۔ یہ تو صاف ظاہر ہے کہ ہمارے نمبر پورے ہیں، نہیں تو یہ عمران خان اس وقت اتنا بوکھلایا ہوا نہیں ہوتا۔ انہوں نے عمران خان کو چیلنج کیا کہ اسمبلی کا اجلاس بلائے اور اپنے اراکین کو ووٹ دینے کی اجازت دے۔ ہمارا عدم اعتماد کامیاب ہوگا۔ ہماری حکومتی اتحادیوں سے ملاقاتیں توقع سے بڑھ کر کامیاب ہوئی ہیں۔ چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو نے کہا کہ ہم جمہوریت پر یقین رکھتے ہیں اور پر اعتماد ہیں اور خوش بھی ہیں کہ ہمارا مخالف اس قدر گھبرایا ہوا ہے۔ ہم جیت کی تیاری کر رہے ہیں۔ عمران خان آج اتنی مشکل میں نہیں ہوتا اگر اس نے میثاق جمہوریت سے کچھ سیکھا ہوتا۔
ہمیں معلوم ہوا ہے کہ عمران جہاں بھی تقریر کرنے جاتا ہے وہاں اسکول بند کر دئیے جاتے ہیں اور بچوں کو زبردستی جلسوں میں حاضری کروائی جاتی ہے۔ اس کے جلسوں میں تالیاں نہیں بجتی تو تالیاں بجوانے کی آڈیو چلوائی جاتی ہیں۔ عمران کی دھمکیاں اس کے خلاف جائیں گی۔ چیئرمین پی پی پی نے عمران خان کو مستعفی ہونے کا مشورہ دیا۔
چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو نے کہا کہ ایم کیو ایم سے ہمیں کچھ مسائل تھے لیکن دونوں پارٹیاں اب یہ سمجھتی ہیں کہ عوام کی حالت بہتر کرنے کا زیادہ موقع اگر ہم ساتھ مل کر کام کریں۔ ہمیں ہر مسئلے پر متفق ہونے کی ضرورت نہیں اور ہم بات چیت کے ذریعے کسی سمجھوتے پر پہنچ سکتے ہیں۔
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26591/
#Pakistan - No one can stop the parliamentarians from voting-Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26589/
Thursday, March 10, 2022
#Pakistan: Budget deficit hits record PKR 4.3 tr
آصف زرداری کی پارلیمنٹ لاجز پر پولیس آپریشن کی مذمت
سابق صدر آصف علی زرداری نے پارلیمنٹ لاجز پر پولیس کے آپریشن کی
ایک بیان میں آصف علی زرداری نے کہا کہ کٹھ پتلی وزیراعظم خوف اور دہشت کے ذریعے اراکین پارلیمنٹ کو ہراساں کررہے ہیں، صرف جے یو آئی ممبر نہیں تمام اسمبلی ارکان کو ڈرانےکی کوشش کی جارہی ہے۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ پولیس افسر اور انتظامیہ کٹھ پتلی کے غیرقانونی حکم پر عمل نہ کریں۔
آصف علی زرداری نے مزید کہا کہ اراکین اسمبلی حوصلہ بلند رکھیں، نیازی حکومت آخری ہچکیاں لے رہی ہے۔
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
#Pakistan - Pakistan PM Khan faces ouster amid fears of failing economy
ADNAN AAMIROpposition closes in on the government, threatening IMF deal.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Pakistan-PM-Khan-faces-ouster-amid-fears-of-failing-economy
#Pakistan - Women rally in Pakistan despite attempts to shut down protest
Thousands of women attend events marking International Women’s Day, known as the Aurat March in Pakistan.
About 2,000 women have rallied in the Pakistani city of Lahore despite efforts by authorities to bar the protest and withdraw security for an event frequently the target of violence.Rallies on International Women’s Day have received fierce backlash since they were embraced four years ago in deeply conservative and patriarchal Pakistan.In a society where women have been shot, stabbed, stoned, set alight and strangled for damaging family “honour”, critics accuse rights activists of promoting liberal Western values and disrespecting religious and cultural mores. On Tuesday, dozens of events marking International Women’s Day – known as the Aurat March in Pakistan – were held across the country.
Non-violent counterprotests, dubbed “hijab marches”, were also staged by women from conservative religious groups in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad where participants called for the preservation of Islamic values.
In the eastern city of Lahore, city authorities urged organizers to cancel the rally over safety concerns, threatening security would not be provided.
However, following a legal challenge, the Lahore High Court ruled the event could go ahead and authorities agreed to provide protection.
The women marched through the streets in a jovial atmosphere, chanting slogans such as “Give respect to women” and “End the patriarchy”.
They were guarded by riot police – and greeted by a small band of men chanting “end this obscenity”.
Student Sairah Khan, 23, cited recent high-profile cases of brutal violence against women “without consequences” for her attendance.
In Karachi – Pakistan’s largest city – about 1,000 women gathered in a festive atmosphere, with organisers conducting security checks as police stood by idly.
“We have only one slogan: ‘Equal wages, protection and peace’,” one woman chanted from a stage.
In the capital city of Islamabad, about 200 women rallied outside the city’s press club.
“We have come to raise our voices and highlight our issues,” said student Fatima Shahzad.
They were outmatched by more than 400 counter-protesters from conservative religious parties.
But organizer Farzana Bari pledged, “We will continue to assert ourselves.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/8/women-rally-in-pakistan-despite-attempts-to-shut-down-protest