Tag Archives: opposite

pakistan

Sh Rashid said inflation is not a real challenge for the opposition to the PM | Instant News


KARACHI – Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Friday that the e-Passport issuance process in the country will start from June, and a German company has been awarded a contract for the purpose. He said that the validity period of the passport has been increased to 10 years and the fee has also been reduced by half, he said during a speech at a press conference at the Sindh Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Zone office.

The minister said the FIA ​​and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had cracked down on many mafias including money laundering and sugar mafia. A total of 10 defendants were arrested by the FIA ​​and 31 sugar factories were issued legal notices while 57 accounts including 19 ‘Benami’ accounts (undisclosed third party accounts) were seized in the sugar fraud. FIA officers who have enjoyed the same position for years will be replaced in the month of Ramadan, he said.

Sheikh Rashid said that the entire visa process had been done online and around 300,000 visas had been issued while only 12,000 visa applications were rejected during his tenure as Minister of the Interior. Citizens of 192 countries can obtain Pakistani visas within 30 days subject to permission from the relevant institutions in that country.

He said the national economy was thriving and strengthening in line with the decline in dollar prices to their lowest level in 22 months. Ramadan packages will be announced in a few days to provide assistance to underprivileged segments of society. Prime Minister Imran Khan is committed to controlling inflation. Imran Khan also conducted groundbreaking of low-cost housing units in the capital city of Farash a few days ago. To the question, Sheikh Rashid replied that the opposition is not a challenge for Prime Minister Imran Khan but the real challenge for him is to control inflation.

On another question, he said that the courts operate independently during the term of office of the incumbent government and the terms of justice are being guaranteed.

The minister said, “I don’t see any conspiracy working against Imran Khan. Imran Khan will complete his five-year constitutional term. “The PPP approach is positive, while PML-N creates its own problems because of the narrative, he said.

Regarding a question about Nawaz Sharif’s passport, Sheikh Rashid said that if Nawaz Sharif expressed an intention to return to the country, the Interior Ministry would issue his travel documents within 24 hours.

The Interior Minister concluded that Pakistan enjoys pleasant diplomatic relations with the US, China and Afghanistan. Pakistan plays a key role in the Afghan peace process.

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The opposition is demanding a pre-budget hearing of the Sindh Assembly | Instant News


KARACHI:

Opposition members in the Sindh Assembly claimed on Thursday that the Pakistan People’s Party-led Sindh government avoided holding pre-budget sessions of the provincial assembly to hide its own shortcomings.

Pakistani Parliament Leader Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Bilal Ghaffar, assembly member Arsalan Taj, Shehzad Qureshi, Dr Sanjay Gangwani and other members held a joint press conference at the Sindh Assembly.

Bilal Ghaffar said, based on Regulation No. 143 of the assembly, it is clear that there must be a pre-budget hearing in the DPR. This session should be held between January and March during which all provincial members inform the incumbent government of their budget proposals, schemes and district issues.

At least five sessions were held for pre-budget discussions, however, March was over but the Sindh government did not call for the sessions. “We ask that the pre-budget hearing be called,” said Ghaffar.

Criticizing the ruling party in the province, he said there is a dictatorial government in Sindh. They did not even share the Pakistan Auditor General Revenue report with the MPA. Does the Sindh government want to hide its mistakes in the last two years, said Ghaffar.

He said according to a World Bank report released on March 31, Karachi is one of the 10 least developed cities in the world. The report states that the city needs $ 10 billion to make it habitable, he said referring to the ‘Fact Sheet: World Bank Involvement in Karachi’.

Read: Merchants looking for an out-of-the-box solution within a budget

Tell me the state

According to Ghaffar, among other things, a World Bank report states that 50 percent of metropolitan city residents do not have access to drinking water, half of the population lives in slum settlements, and 60 percent of solid waste is left on the streets and roads.

Karachi currently ranks among the bottom 10 cities in the world in terms of habitability, according to the 2019 Global Habitability Index. Metro Karachi performs poorly on all city service indicators and on all livability, health, environment, safety and education dimensions. .

He stated: “The water and sewage network only meets about half of the city’s needs. As a result, water is available for only a few hours per day. Most of the waste is discharged into the sea untreated.”

Public areas have been lost and the city cannot face any natural disaster, Ghaffar quoted the report as saying.

He said the report was an independent analysis of 13 years of PPP regulations in cities and provinces. The World Bank says it has provided more than Rs150 billion for various projects in Karachi since 2017, but there has been no progress on the ground.

Read more: Withholding tax for the telecommunications sector in the upcoming budget

‘PDM is messy’

Meanwhile, Pakistani Vice President Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh in a video statement on Thursday said the opposition in the Center made big claims to overthrow the government but had fallen on its own.

Today the PDM leaders are attacking each other, he said. He said that 2021 proved to be a year of development for the country. Today, Pakistan’s exports have increased, and the stock market is at its highest.

“Inflation is down compared to last year and the rupee has also strengthened against the dollar,” he said highlighting the achievements of the PTI government.

Consumer sentiment is improving as seen from the highest number of vehicles sold in March 2021. The Federal Board of Revenue has met tax targets due to government policies that show increased taxpayer confidence, he said, adding that the business world is paying taxes, whereas in the past, they didn’t pay taxes thinking the thief was going to eat up all the money.

Haleem further said that the PPP government in Sindh had taken away basic facilities from the community. “There is an urgent need to find a vaccine even for the corrupt Sindh rulers.”

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pakistan

Opposition in the Imran era | Instant News


‘Show-cause’ to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) faction, led by the Pakistan Muslim League, PML-N and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) ), turned out to be the final nail in the coffin of a so-called alliance of 11 opposition parties that formed in September last year to topple Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The developments certainly put Prime Minister Imran Khan in the driving seat with almost no chance of an organized movement against him anytime soon unless he himself made too many mistakes and mistakes, which some believe Kaptan is quite capable of.

Divisions within the PDM have been on the cards for a long time and the two mainline opposition parties have had to share the blame, while the biggest loser in the seven-month political alliance is undoubtedly none other than Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan’s (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman. .

Some of the PML-N party leaders I spoke to were surprised and believed that the decision was taken hastily. Instead, they said, Maulana should have summoned a PDM leadership meeting. The impact could come in the next two by-elections in Daska on April 10 and in Karachi on April 29.

The Awami National Party (ANP) has quit the PDM while the PPP Central Executive Committee will meet on April 11, and is ready to give a suitable reply to PML (N), the ‘show-cause’ architect or as PML leader Shahid Khakan Abbasi said the ‘letter explanation.’

In these circumstances, Imran Khan should consider himself fortunate to have an opposition like the PDM, which despite having a strong presence in the National Assembly, Senate, Punjab Assembly and government in Sindh, could hardly pose a challenge to him in the last two and a half. -year.

The approach adopted by the two parties since the Senate election seems very immature when they announce their planned ‘Long March’ on March 26.

Both parties have a history of ‘love and hate’, allowing someone like Imran.Khan to emerge as a third force in 2018. Both parties still have deep roots in their own Punjab and Sindh constituencies and are not coming across as bad as some might think. observer in 2018.

The PPP got more seats in Sindh while the PML-N vote bank generally remained intact even though former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified against the backdrop of the 2016 Panama Papers leak.It still emerged as the single largest party in the Punjab Assembly and Imran Khan had no other choice but to formed a coalition with PML-Q even though he had deep doubts about Chaudhrys of Gujrat.

Some hidden power also played a role in bringing the two closer but until recently they had practically not spoken. Before the Senate election, Imran went to the Chaudhry House in Lahore to break the ice.

What happened in Balochistan before the general election and the way the PML-N was suddenly replaced by a new entity, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), raises serious questions and the alleged role played by former PPP President and Deputy Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.

Both sides gave pillows to PTI to form a government both in Central and in Punjab. Second, if PML-N resolves its differences with PML-Q, they can block PTI’s entry into Punjab.

Imran Khan did not face many challenges from his political rivals despite the way NAB was used against PML-N and PPP because the opposition through a poor counter strategy provided assistance to Imran.

For example, if Sadiq Sanjrani should be grateful for not only getting him elected Chairman of the Senate two years ago, but also when the vote of no confidence was defeated thanks to 14 opposition senators. He maintained his position this time thanks to seven senators.

Only Asif Zardari knows why he chose Sanjrani over Raza Rabbani in 2018 when Sanjrani could easily be re-elected as Senate Chair in 2018.

Immediately after the 2018 general elections, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam (JUI-F), who was practically removed from the KP by the PTI, wanted all opposition parties not to accept the results and had to launch a movement without taking the assembly oath. However, he could not convince either PML (N) or PPP.

The opposition received another setback when the PML-N and PPP withdrew after supporting Maulana’s own long march which reached Islamabad. Their leaders, including Shahbaz Sharif, did address the long march but kept their participation low.

This followed the surprise of Nawaz Sharif who left for London for ‘medical treatment’ amid reports of serious internal differences in government. Some sources said Imran was unhappy with the way he was allowed to leave.

So, when the PDM was formed and announced its plans to overthrow the government, there was not much enthusiasm even among the opposition. They held some impressive public gatherings in Punjab but were unable to draw large crowds to their crucial rally at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore.

Prior to Nawaz Sharif’s sudden attack in Lahore during the Gujranwala meeting raised doubts among the PPP about Mian Sahib and Maulana’s intentions because Maulana also adopted an aggressive tone.

The proposal to resign from the assembly before the March 26 ‘Long March’ was on the cards when PDM parties accepted the PPP proposal not to boycott the Senate and by-election elections. The move paid off and the PDM shocked PTI in both elections.

The PPP’s stance not to resign from the assembly has several justifications. Is it necessary to say harsh words from Asif Zardari? Probably not. At the same time, PML (N) and JUI took extreme positions and all this led to a practical share after the last meeting of the PDM leaders in Islamabad.

However, the PDM was still intact until the PPP ‘reversed course’ after Yusuf Raza Gilani and Maulana Ghafoor Haidri lost the election for Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Senate. The fact remains that PML (N) maintains its commitments and only PPP is to blame for the way seven of the suspected senators voted for Gilani in such a way as to allow the controversial Chief Acting Syed Muzazafar Hussain Shah to reject this vote.

The PPP was morally and politically bound to allow PML (N) to have a place in the opposition for two reasons. One, they have committed. Second, Gilani was already against Sanjrani’s election.

The opposition is clearly divided now or if one can say there are two PDMs, one led by PPP and ANP while the other by PML (N) and JUI (F) The other five parties are BNP (Mengal), National Party (NP), Pakhtunkhawa Party Milli Awami (PKMAP) and PPP (Sherpao).

Unless the Prime Minister and his team make a grave mistake, PTI will complete his term and Imran Khan could go down in history as the first PM to remain in power for five years.

The authors are senior columnists and analysts at Geo, The News and Jang

Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO

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pakistan

The real challenge for the government is inflation, not opposition, said Sarwar | Instant News


LAHORE: Punjab governor Chaudhry Sarwar said that the PDM is not on one page and never will be. The opposition must abandon its policy of protest inside and outside parliament and play a positive role in strengthening democracy and nation-building. He spoke with a delegation led by PTI MNA Riaz Fatiana at the Lahore Governor’s Building, Tuesday.

The governor of Punjab said Prime Minister Imran Khan would not back down from his principled stance on service and transparency in the country. Addressing the problem of inflation and unemployment is the PTI government’s top priority.

The governor said that the real challenge for the government is inflation and not opposition, adding he said that the government is using all possible measures to tackle the problem. All government organizations are working to overcome these challenges.

The governor of Punjab said that the government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan is not pursuing political or personal interests but national interests and is taking practical steps for national development and stability, where all resources are used, and elements that seek to keep the country from stable will be used. thwarted and Pakistan will be turned into a welfare state.

Sarwar said, 43 deaths from the corona virus were evidence of the increasing severity of the corona and the increasing number of corona sufferers in hospitals. He said the masses were unable to carry out a total lockdown so the public had to strictly follow the SOP. People who violate SOPs risk not only their own lives but also the lives of others.

MNA Riaz Fatiana said that the public has rejected opposition on every front including the 2018 general election and the opposition should also wait for the next general election rather than creating instability in the country. “It is our constitutional and democratic right to rule the country until 2023 and we are making all-out efforts to tackle and solve the problems of inflation and unemployment,” he added.

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pakistan

Despite the differences, the Opposition managed to pass a resolution in the Senate | Instant News


The opposition was able to pass a resolution in the Senate on the price of a coronavirus vaccine on Monday, despite disagreements within the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Senator Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Kamran Murtaza moved the resolution against the sale of the corona virus vaccine at high prices.

The Senate approved the resolution put forward by the Opposition, with 43 votes in favor and 31 votes against it.

In the resolution, candidates from the Opposition Party demanded that the government provide a free corona virus vaccine or at a lower rate for the public.

Angered by these developments, DPR Leader Shehzad Waseem said the resolution was a statement of demands against the government.

Senator Faisal Javed, on the other hand, called the resolution “odd”. “The whole world appreciates Imran Khan’s strategy against the coronavirus,” he said, defending the government’s move to vaccinate the masses.

Likewise, the Special Assistant to Poverty Alleviation and Social Security for Prime Minister Sania Nishtar warned politicians against mixing the coronavirus with politics, saying fighting infection was a “national security issue”.

The developments came after the PPP and the Awami National Party (ANP) received notifications indicating the reasons for the alleged violation of the Opposition alliance – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – the decision and principle of consensus.

PDM Chairman Maulana Fazal ur Rehman has agreed to issue notification of reasons for both parties.

The day before, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his party is ready to join hands with allied parties and if they refuse then he is ready to act as the Opposition itself, but said his party will not sit easily until they send a packing “puppet government”.

The PPP chairman, addressing a ceremony in connection with the 42nd anniversary of the death of former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, said that only “they [the PPP] know how to run a movement democratically “.

The PDM decided last month that the PPP would get a Senate seat while the vice chairman would go to JUI-F and PML-N would get the position of leader of the Opposition.

The PPP and JUI-F candidates for the two slots did not succeed in the election, because the general chairman withdrew seven votes from PPP Senator candidate Yusuf Raza Gilani.

Subsequently, the PPP withdrew from the consensus agreement and chose to secure the position of leader of the Opposition by binding several members of the BAP party, which are part of the government.

ANP supports PPP.




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