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Pakistan

Winter activity and political turmoil!

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When the Supreme Court of Pakistan summoned Prime Minister Imran Khan during the hearing of the APS suo motu case, the tide of national politics began to turn.

Imran Yaqub Khan Profile Imran Yaqub Khan

The Honorable Court first reprimanded the Attorney General and then summoned the Prime Minister in person. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed and the esteemed judges of the bench Justice Ijaz-ul-Hassan and Justice Qazi Amin made strong remarks during the hearing. According to political pundits, the summons of the Prime Minister to the Supreme Court seems to be adding to the growing worries for the present government that always claims "change".

Opposition groups called for a boycott of the assembly. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto have once again stood in the same line. In today's joint sitting of the parliament, a joint strategy has been formulated to prevent the government from enacting legislation. The opposition is calling the NAB legislation and government legislation for electronic voting machines one-sided and illegal. The opposition believes that the Imran Khan government is trying to give itself NRO by changing the NAB rules. Attempts will be made to steal the next election through electronic voting machine.

On Tuesday night, PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had invited the opposition MPs for dinner. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto also attended the dinner. According to newspaper reports, 180 members of parliament attended the dinner. On this occasion, it was decided that all members of the opposition would ensure attendance in the House. The people who are in the throes of inflation will want the opposition to be their voice.

It's welcoming to see the opposition together. The people may also see a glimmer of hope in their gathering. The purpose of uniting this long-divided opposition is to prevent legislation from gaining a numerical majority. Talking to media persons after the dinner, Shahbaz Sharif said that the country could not move forward without transparent elections. Bilawal Bhutto also assured that the opposition is united under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif. Prior to the dinner, the legal team of the opposition parties also sat together and agreed that the government's efforts to bulldoze the parliament would be thwarted. This commitment of the opposition is commendable.

In the National Assembly on Tuesday, the government had to give up trying to get a vote on two bills. The government couldn't present its bill. The bill introduced by the opposition could not be stopped. This could be seen as a significant development ahead of the joint sitting of Parliament. In such a scenario, the question arises as to whether the opposition is really united and how serious it is to stop the government. Are old grievances gone? Until recently, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was on the ground in opposition to the government alone, taking the wound of separation from the PDM to heart. Young leaders are also going to be emotional, so while opposing the government, they have been opposing the opposition. Now that he is again standing by the side of Shehbaz Sharif, it is hoped that Shehbaz may have ignored Bilawal's statements.

Qamar Zaman Kaira is a seasoned politician and holds a prominent position among the central leaders of the PPP. Kaira Sahib had opened a front against PML-N on the day when the opposition parties in Islamabad were uniting and formulating a plan of action against the government. He accused the PML-N of having backdoor contacts with the Establishment and made it clear that if the statement of respecting the vote was to be respected then backdoor contacts should be terminated. The incumbant government is intact because of PML-N and these people want the government to complete five years.

There are two statements going on in his party. First unite in your party. Nawaz Sharif should clarify whether his statement is resistance or compromise. Kaira's questions must be answered. Now it remains to be seen whether Shehbaz Sharif's tolerance comes to the fore in response or whether there is shelling from PML-N as well. However, PDM spokesman Hafiz Hamdullah did respond to Kaira. In his statement, he said that the PPP had stabbed the PDM in the back for the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. By criticizing the PDM, the PPP is opposing the opposition, not the government. PPP please, it is not appropriate to make a hole in the plate in which you have eaten. If you want to return to PDM, then consult Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the leadership of PDM.

The fate of the people of Pakistan always hangs in balance because of the Opposition's tactics favouring the government. Perhaps that is why Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry has termed the opposition as Bhanmati's family. He also advised the Opposition to wait for the first two years and the next five years. Every time the winter season comes, the political tension mounts. On this, Fawad Chaudhry mockingly called PDM a winter activity and said that these people just go out in winter and then leave. Given the past performance of the Opposition, this confidence of the government is not unreasonable. Now the question is whether the Opposition will be able to surprise the government in the joint sitting of the Parliament. If you look at the number of members of both the houses, the government has a lead of two members in the number game.

There are currently 440 MPs in both houses. The PTI and its allies have 221 members in the National Assembly and Senate. Opposition parties have 219 members in the National Assembly and Senate. There are 156 members of PTI, 7 members of MQM and 5 members of BAP in the National Assembly. PML-Q has 5 members and GDA has 3 members. Awami Muslim League, JWP and Azad are one member each. If you look at the opposition, there are 83 members of PML-N, 56 members of PPP, 15 members of MMA and 4 members of BNP in the National Assembly. The ANP has one member and the opposition has the support of three independents. The government and allies have 42 seats in the Senate. PTI 27, BAP 9 and MQM 3 are members of the Senate. The government also has the support of the Functional League, the Q League and an independent candidate. The Senate has 57 opposition members. PPP has 21 members, PML-N has 9, JUI-5 and National Party has 2 members. Jamaat-e-Islami One, PK Map 2, ANP 2 and BNP also have 2 members. The opposition also has the support of six members of the Dilawar Khan group in the Senate.

It seems that the joint sitting of the parliament is going to be tumultuous no matter what else happens.

Imran Yaqub Khan

Imran Yaqub is senior journalist and analyst

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Business

Finance Minister pledges to ensure stable regulatory framework for foreign investors

Muhammad Aurangzeb welcomes the delegation and assures that the present government has taken all pragmatic measures to facilitate the business environment in Pakistan.

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Islamabad: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday pledged to streamline processes, provide necessary incentives, and ensure a stable regulatory framework for foreign investors.

He was talking to a delegation of International Investors that called on him in Islamabad today to delve into the economic dynamics and investment prospects of Pakistan.

The Finance Minister welcomed the delegation and assured that the present government has taken all pragmatic measures to facilitate the business environment in Pakistan.

 During the session, he highlighted the macroeconomic stability in terms of reduced inflation and surge in stock market signaling burgeoning investor confidence.

Moreover, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb shed light on the government's tax initiatives, emphasizing the agenda to broaden the tax base and expedite the digitalization process of the Federal Board of Revenue.

Privatization endeavors, commencing with Pakistan International Airlines, were also delineated, with a commitment to extend privatization efforts to additional sectors in the near future.

The Minister for Finance and Revenue shared that Pakistan is gradually moving toward economic stability and it is high time to invest in Pakistan.

He stressed upon the potential of IT and Agriculture sector in Pakistan and the need for local as well as international investment in these sectors to boost the country's economy.

The delegation discussed the economic situation and outlook of the country with the Finance Minister.

Investors held a comprehensive discussion with the Finance Minister regarding IMF program, upcoming budget targets, market perception and outlook, as well as the situation of foreign reserves.

Investors were encouraged to explore opportunities with confidence, as the government remains dedicated to facilitating their ventures and contributing to the nation's prosperity.

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Pakistan

PPP’s Sardar Salim Haider Khan to take oath as Punjab governor tomorrow

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan will administer oath to Sardar Salim Haider Khan while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will arrive in Lahore and will grace the occasion.

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Lahore: Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Sardar Salim Haider Khan will take oath as Punjab governor on Tuesday (tomorrow).

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan will administer oath to Sardar Salim Haider Khan.  PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will arrive in Lahore and will grace the occasion.

The oath taking ceremony is expected at 6:00 pm at Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam.

The PPP leaders and workers including members of the provincial cabinet as well as the leaders of the PML-N and others will also take part in the oath-taking ceremony.

The sources said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would stay in Lahore for next two days. During his stay he would hold important meetings with the party leaders and would discuss the political situation in Punjab.

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Sports

Shehla Raza steps down as PHF President

The PPP leader says the promises made in the government meeting have not been fulfilled, the decisions taken in the meeting have also not been given importance and the proposal to form a committee to resolve PHF issues has been ignored

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Islamabad:  Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) senior leader Shehla Raza stepped down from the office of President of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

Shehla Raza confirmed that she had submitted her resignation as President of the PHF on April 27, 2024.

“I have also sent my resignation to Minister IPC Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Mashood, and have also presented her resignation to the PHF Congress,” she said while talking to a local private TV on Monday.

The PPP leader said that the promises made in the government meeting were not fulfilled, the decisions taken in the meeting were not given importance, and the proposal to form a committee to resolve PHF issues was not implemented.

Shehla Raza said that Haider Hussain was asked to work as Secretary of the PHF, but action was not taken on it, the constitution and laws of the PHF were violated, and they all had offered their resignations in the meeting, but they were prevented from doing that as they were told that their concerns would be addressed.

 

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