Should Imran Khan sack Minister Ch Fawad Hussain?

[MenInG]

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said that the process of reforms that was initiated in the ministry in 2018 is being resumed.

"The process that was started in 2018 to initiate reforms in the information ministry is being resumed," the minister said in a series of Twitter posts.

Fawad said that PTV News will be made into a high-definition (HD) channel by June 1, adding that the matter has been delayed since 2019.

Also read PTI senator congratulates Fawad Chaudhry on ‘reappointment as information minister’

"PTV Sports will also be made an HD channel in the same year," the minister added.

Terming the revival of film and drama "first priority", Fawad said young filmmakers will also be given loans.

The minister further announced that journalists will be given housing under the prime minister's housing scheme and health cards to those associated with print and electronic media.

Moreover, he informed about legislation to ensure the payment of salaries, adding, "We'll fully support the digital media."

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader was reappointed as the minister for information and broadcasting a week ago.

He was first appointed on this post on August 20, 2018, before being removed in April 2019. On April 28, 2020, Shibli Faraz was sworn in as the new information minister, in a ceremony held at the President House.

Fawad’s appointment came following a major reshuffle in the federal cabinet. It was earlier reported that PM Imran is expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle, potentially replacing several ministers and picking up some new faces.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2295922/reforms-in-information-ministry-being-resumed-says-fawad

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has strongly condemned a speech by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Reh*man, in which he claimed that “we are not capable of fighting for 24 hours”.

The minister in a rejoinder on Wednesday termed the Maulana’s remarks as tantamount to “insulting” the martyrs, who had sacrificed their lives in war against terrorism and for the security of the motherland.

“Attacking the national institutions for political reasons is highly reprehensible,” said the minister.

He said the “aging leader” of the JUI-F could not probably bear his “disrespect” at Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and had started talking on issues about which he knew nothing.

Advising the JUI-F chief to avoid giving such “irresponsible statements,” the minister recalled that it was the Maulana who had expressed scepticism about Pakistan’s defence capabilities by stating that the Taliban had reached the hills near the federal capital.

Mr Chaudhry said his “misplaced suspicions” were dispelled by Pakistan’s valiant armed forces and law enforcement agencies by breaking the back of the terrorists.

“It is better for the Maulana not to cast such unfounded doubts on the matters of national interest only to satisfy his political ego,” he said.

“Where was the Maulana when Pakistan had responded to the Indian aggression on February 27, 2019?” he asked in an apparent reference to the downing of an Indian aircraft and the capture of the pilot.

Mr Chaudhry wished that the Maulana should have expressed concern about innocent Kashmiris facing Indian brutalities when his “friend” Nawaz Sharif was embracing his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Raiwind.

Lashing out at the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement, the minister said any alliance, which was ever led by the Maulana till today, could not “fight” for even 12 hours.

The minister’s statement came hours after a speech delivered by Maulana Fazl at a gathering at his residence in which he criticised the chief of the army staff for reportedly holding a “secret briefing” with the TV anchors.

The Maulana had expressed his concern over reports that Pakistan and India were holding secret talks in the UAE. He alleged that Pakistan had adopted a reconciliation policy towards India because the country could not fight with the enemy due to weak economy and later he said that “we cannot fight for even 24 hours”.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2021

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1627682/shehbaz-may-appoint-focal-person-as-govt-willing-to-talk-with-opposition-fawad

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry expressed on Saturday the government’s willingness to initiate negotiations with the opposition, saying that Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif may appoint a focal person for the purpose.

The minister was replying to a question about the government’s stance if the opposition leader extended an invitation for negotiations.

“While he [Shehbaz] hasn’t sent us a written request [for negotiations], we have sent him one,” the minister said. “We want to improve relations with the opposition. We wanted to talk to them on reforms previously, and we want to talk to them on the matter now,” he said while speaking to the media in Lahore.

Chaudhry also stressed the significance of the PML-N and the PPP resolving differences within their respective parties.

“Maryam and Shehbaz need to settle their dispute so that they [the PML-N] have a clear policy. Similarly, Bilawal and Faryal [Talpur] need to have the same policy so that the PPP’s policy becomes clear."

He went on to say that the three major players in the opposition — PPP, PML-N and Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — had different policies, which resulted in a weak opposition that had no defined direction.

However, he added that the government acknowledged that the opposition had an important role in Pakistan, and he personally was of the opinion that the opposition needed to support measures taken by the government on important matters such as electoral reforms.

The government had invited the opposition to sit with it to resolve all controversial issues and initiate the process of much-needed electoral reforms for the larger interest of the country earlier as well.

“We are ready to sit separately with the three main opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl — and initiate talks on electoral reforms and also on other issues,” Chaudhry had said in March, while addressing a post-cabinet meeting press conference.

The government had extended the olive branch to the opposition a few days after Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed his media team not to criticise the opposition and focus on highlighting the government’s achievements.

Chaudhry had said back then that the prime minister had already written a letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar to involve the opposition in the process of electoral reforms.

Electonic voting machines

The minister announced that a PTI delegation would be meeting the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday to discuss electoral reforms, with a particular focus on electronic voting machines (EVMs).

“We have urged the ECP to adopt the [EVM] technology. We have asked them to test it and inform us if it has a fault,” he said.

However, the minister clarified that it was the government’s discretion to make policy decisions pertaining to voting in elections and election rules, procedures and regulations.

“The ECP will only execute [the policy],” he added.

Chaudhry also denied reports of the ECP having reservations on the use of EVMs, adding that the government wanted the technology to be adopted at the earliest.

'Budget will sail through NA'

Speaking on the economy on Saturday, he remarked that Pakistan had been in an economic bind due to the PML-N’s and PPP’s policies, but the economy had started to recover now.

He said the upcoming budget would be reflective of the PTI’s performance over the past years and that it would be easily approved as it was aimed at the welfare of the people. He further said that the PTI’s allies had assured the party of their support for the budget’s approval and that the budget would sail through the National Assembly.

When asked about the PTI’s estranged Jahangir Khan Tareen group backing the party on the budget, Chaudhry said his party had their support as well and members of Tareen's group, like other party members, had full confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision.

“They know that Imran Khan will not allow any injustice and whether the final decision is in their favour or against them, their stance [with respect to supporting the PTI] will not change,” he asserted.

To another question about the Financial Action Task Force improving Pakistan’s rating, he said it was Pakistan’s success and congratulated Energy Minister Hammad Azhar and the Ministry of Law.

'Complete freedom of press'

When asked about curbs on the media, the minister maintained that there was complete freedom of the press in Pakistan and the impression that there was no freedom of expression in the country was promoted by the “Indian lobby”.

He claimed that not even developed countries could match Pakistan in terms of the freedom of expression, acknowledging though that there were some “red lines”, such as blasphemy.

To a question about the audit of funds for Covid-19, he said the Ministry of Finance had submitted a detailed report on the matter to the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2306330/pti-to-dethrone-ppp-in-next-general-elections-says-fawad

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will lead the campaign in Sindh during the next general elections, vowing that the government in the province will be formed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as it is not possible for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to win on the basis of its dismal performance.

The minister was addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday. Stressing on monitoring of development budget, he said that a mechanism is in offing for monitoring of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects so that proper utilisation of funds and relief to the masses could be ensured.

It seemed that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah is unaware of Article 140-A which required provinces to establish a local government system, convene provincial finance commission and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of the local governments so that basic issues of the masses could be resolved, he said.

“We do not expect that the chief minister Sindh will take any measure in this regard, due to which, we are appealing the Supreme Court to look into the matter and ensure implementation of Article 140-A in the province,” he said, adding that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had already constituted the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) and the process is underway in Punjab where it will be announced later this year.

The PTI government had issued over Rs1,800 billion in the previous two years under the NFC award to Sindh while Rs700-750 billion were earmarked for the province for the financial year 2021-22, the minister said, adding that despite receiving such a large amount, developments in Sindh and even in Karachi were not visible.

The federal government wanted the PFC to be constituted so that Karachi and all other districts of Sindh could get their due share in the provincial resources and development budget, he explained and said that "right now, those funds are not being utilised properly and being transferred abroad".

Fawad further said that the PTI government is committed to resolve issues being faced by people in Sindh but the PPP is creating hurdles in every positive move of the federal government.

"The PPP’s Sindh government is not convening the Provincial Finance Commission neither financial resources and administrative powers are being devolved to local governments that showed that there is no democracy in Sindh and the province is under a dictatorship."

The information minister said that the PTI believed in the supremacy of parliament and wanted to settle all issues in the National Assembly to strengthen democracy.

He said that the government had introduced amendments to reform the electioneering system in parliament but the opposition was convening all-parties conference (APC) out of the ambit of parliament.

Attaching priority to elements sitting outside of parliament would weaken the democratic system, he opined and stressed that parliament is the proper forum to deal with matters of national importance.

"PM Imran floated the idea of neutral umpire in cricket and now he is advocating for a neutral election commission and such a system that would be acceptable for all," he added.

The minister went on to say that the opposition had no agenda for the progress of the country nor they had any foreign policy neither economic agenda.

"The unnatural alliance of opposition parties would not succeed in its agenda of protection of vested interests as they lacked vision and public support," he remarked.

The prime minister had a clear agenda for long term growth, uplift and sovereignty of Pakistan, he noted, adding that economic indicators had improved, agriculture production witnessed record increase while large scale manufacturing revived and overseas Pakistanis sent record remittances; resultantly the GDP growth had risen to 4 per cent.

Speaking on issues of the journalist fraternity, Fawad said that the PTI government is committed to the provision of facilities to journalists across the country, and relevant matters are being channelised.

"A package will be introduced in PM’s Housing and Kamyab Jawan programmes for journalists while training opportunities for their capacity building be offered as well," Fawad said and added that short courses of digital media will be arranged in collaboration with press clubs.

On a query regarding nuisance in the National Assembly, the minister said that though sentiments were very high, it should not had taken place but the situation had improved. He said parliament would strengthen when all the important decisions would be taken and issues should be resolved inside the house.

"Shehbaz Sharif wanted to settle the issues out of parliament because he had no influence within PML-N and he needed the backing of Nawaz Sharif or Mariyam Safdar," the federal minister said and observed that the party chanted the slogan of "honour the vote" but they themselves did not respect parliament.

To a question about the distribution of irrigation water, Fawad said that the PPP of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto was a federal political party but the incumbent leadership of PPP is restraining it to a province. “Bilawal was alleging Punjab of water theft but when IRSA suggested monitoring of water flows at entry points, CM Murad Ali Shah ran away.”

The PPP leadership is creating misconceptions and blaming others but in fact, they are the real enemies of people of Sindh, Fawad said, adding that not Punjab but the PPP leadership was stealing the irrigation water and depriving small growers of their share of water.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1630862/govt-doesnt-see-nawaz-fazl-maryam-as-stakeholders-in-the-current-political-setup-fawad-chaudhry

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, taking exception to the opposition’s plan to hold an "all party conference" on electoral reforms, said on Tuesday that the government didn’t see Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Maryam Nawaz as stakeholders in the current political setup.

Speaking to the media after a meeting of the federal Cabinet, the minister said the opposition leaders were making all-out attempts to derail the existing system, adding that the opposition’s decision to hold an “APC” on electoral reforms was actually aimed an weakening the parliament.

Chaudhry said, however, that the government was open to discuss the proposed electoral reforms with parliamentary leaders.

He said the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were being used in 20 countries and Estonia was the most digitised country as it had now switched to internet voting from the EVM. He added that Pakistan was looking to introduce the EVMs for transparent holding of the polls.

He also stressed that deciding a mechanism for holding elections was the job of the country's political leadership and the ECP and bureaucrats had nothing to do with it. The minister added that anyone intending to write a letter to the ECP should bear in mind that the parliament's sanctity should not be violated in its wake.

Chaudhry maintained that the election commission was not entitled to raise questions on laws passed by parliament. “The ECP has to implement all laws passed by Parliament while matters related to laws contradicting the Constitution will be dealt by the Supreme Court,” he clarified.

During the presser, the minister said that the cabinet had approved the introduction of Public Properties Removal of Encroachment Bill 2021 to pave way for reclamation of government lands encroached by certain elements.

“Under the law, an officer will be appointed by the federal government empowered to issue show-cause notice to an encroacher and, in case of an unsatisfactory answer, he can proceed to take necessary action which includes punishment and imposition of fine.”

He said that if the encroacher refused to surrender the property, then a rent will keep accruing upon him that he will have to pay later when leaving the property.

Chaudhry said an appellate tribunal will also be formed with the authority to take a decision in such cases within 30 days. “There are federal properties which have been encroached upon and several properties of the National Press Trust have been forcefully occupied by encroachers. Similarly, Pakistan Railways and Evacuee Trust will also be able to get their lands retrieved.”

Regarding conditions imposed by some countries on acceptance of certain vaccines, the minister said countries refusing to accept certain vaccines were also in negotiations with the World Health Organisation. “This is a global issue … and we expect this issue to be resolved soon,” he added.

He said the government had witnessed tendency among the public to get jabs, which was encouraging, “and this particular interest was seen especially when we opened vaccinations for all people aged above 18. Now on average, daily 0.4 million people are getting themselves vaccinated and our target is to vaccinate 70m people by the year's end,” he added.

Shedding light on other decisions taken by the cabinet, the minister said a cabinet committee had been formed to review policies related to NGOs and after examination, the committee will report back to the cabinet.

He also informed that the cabinet had approved the appointment of five independent directors in the Diamer-Bhasha Company.

The minister said a three-month extension to Asim Rauf as Chief Executive Authority of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had also been approved by the cabinet. “His extension is only valid until appointment of the next CEO,” he added.

"A request was earlier floated to the government regarding establishment of the Supreme Court Staff Colony. Now a cabinet committee has been formed with Shireen Mazari as its head to oversee modalities of the formation of such a colony," he added.

He also announced that the Cabinet had permitted Pakistanis residing in Luxembourg to hold dual nationality. “They have been permitted to hold Luxembourg nationality while being Pakistani nationals,” he added.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1638572/fawad-chaudhry-blames-sindh-govt-for-covid-19-situation-in-karachi-and-hyderabad

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday blamed the Sindh government's poor governance for the worsening Covid-19 situation in Karachi and Hyderabad, noting that the percentage of vaccinated people in the two cities was low compared to the rest of the country.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad following a meeting of the federal cabinet, Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed that 35pc of the eligible population in Rawalpindi and Peshawar had been vaccinated, followed by Faisalabad at 28pc and Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Sargodha at 27pc.

"We do not want to criticise the Sindh government but Karachi and Hyderabad are the most behind in vaccination which is why most [Covid-related] problems are there," he said. "This is why the Sindh government needs to reflect on its matters and try to improve its governance."

Criticising the provincial government further, the minister said the Sindh government was "the most behind" when it came to economic figures and performance in various sectors. Terming the situation "unfortunate", he said that there was a "lot of concern" because Sindh was a "very important" province.

Chaudhry said the Centre could not "sit back and watch faces", adding that it was among the rights of the federal government "to bring the provinces' attention to their governance".

"We keep bringing the attention of the Sindh government towards its governance."

The purpose of doing so was to bring betterment to the lives of the province's people, he said.

Last week, the Sindh government had decided to impose a lockdown in the province with a focus on Karachi. The decision was strongly criticised by federal ministers and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

At the time, Chaudhry had said the Sindh government would not be allowed to impose a complete lockdown in the province as the federal government's policy on controlling the spread of Covid-19 was crystal clear.

He said that under Article 151 of the Constitution, Pakistan is a single market with the port of Karachi acting as the "jugular vein of its economy". Any move that could affect the country's economic lifeline could not be allowed.

The Sindh government had been given a clear message that unilateral decisions could not be allowed in this regard, he said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Imran too criticised the decision saying the Sindh government hadn't taken into consideration the hardships of the poor.

"We had a small problem between the federal government and Sindh," the PM admitted. "Sindh government wanted to impose a lockdown, which is the correct decision and will curb the spread of virus.

"But on the other hand, the thing to see is, will we be able to save the economy from the lockdown? Then there is the issue of hunger ... the daily wage earners and especially the poor section of our society ... how will they make ends meet during the lockdown?"

The prime minister cited the example of "destruction in India" to tell Sindh government "never to impose a lockdown until you have the answers to these questions."

During today's press conference, Chaudhry termed PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif's statement — in which he stressed the need to "move on" while learning lessons from the past if Pakistan was to make real progress — as a "positive development".

"I think there are other sincere people in the opposition. If democracy has to remain in this country then we will have to clarify a system in which all people have trust."

The minister claimed that some people who were not part of parliament, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, did "not want the [democratic] system to get better and wanted it to worsen [instead]".

However, there were people in PML-N and PPP who were part of the system (parliament) and wanted to strengthen it, he added. "We will talk with leaders inside parliament and not with leaders outside parliament," he stressed.

The federal cabinet was also briefed by the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) regarding the removal of encroachments in sectors E8 and E9 in Islamabad, the minister shared.

Chaudhry said the prime minister issued "strict directives" regarding the protection of green areas in the capital. "The navy and air force have been told to remove encroachments," he added.

The prime minister ordered action to remove encroachments by "powerful people", he said, stressing that the government would "not allow any occupation" of land.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1643721/far-fetched-idea-fawad-rebuffs-shehbazs-suggestion-of-forming-a-national-govt

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said the solution to Pakistan's problems was democracy, accepting the majority's opinion and rule of law in a rebuff to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif's idea of a national government to solve the country's issues.

In a candid conversation with journalists outside Quaid-i-Azam's mausoleum on Monday, the PML-N president had said he was convinced that the solution to problems plaguing the country lay in a national government.

"I think we should have a national government in place to sort out these huge tasks. I don’t know what the exact shape of this idea would be and the right time may make things clearer but for me it’s crucial," he had said.

Questioned on the suggestion during his press conference in Islamabad following a meeting of the federal cabinet, the information minister rubbished the idea, saying: "The solution to Pakistan's problems is democracy, accepting the majority's decision and implementation of law. If the law is acted upon then Shehbaz Sharif will be in Adiala jail instead of Mazar-i-Quaid."

He alleged that instead of calling for the implementation of the law, Shehbaz was "pondering 24 hours [about] what can be his role [in government] and how he can become a part of the government".

The information minister claimed that there were some people who had worked with the PML-N president for a long time and they wanted as well to somehow force him into becoming a part of the government.

"Currently, I think [PML-N Vice President] Maryam [Nawaz] bibi isn't including him in the PML-N so him becoming a part of the government is a far-fetched idea."

He said the only reason Shehbaz was not in prison was that the courts were not hearing his cases on a daily basis.

Regarding the ongoing issue of Pakistan remaining on the UK's travel red list, Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"The UK government believes that there needs to be a discussion on Pakistan's internal [Covid-19] testing mechanism," he said, adding that a detailed session will be held this week between Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and Britain's chief medical scientist.

The information minister said the government was making complete efforts for Pakistan to be taken off the list since it was "a matter of importance to many Pakistanis".

Speaking on other issues, he said the premier had tasked Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and Energy Minister Hammad Azhar to bring a reduction in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.

"The prime minister has emphasised that there is a need to bring cylinder prices down and these two ministers will now meet on this and take the issue forward."

Addressing the situation in Afghanistan, Chaudhry said the air corridor opened to provide aid to Afghanistan would remain operational.

He expressed hope that Afghanistan's "40-year sad tale" would come to an end and Afghans would be able to take a "sigh of relief" and Pakistan would be able to strengthen its relations with a stable neighbour.

"We have a message for the Afghan people that we pray for your peace and stability and will do whatever is possible to provide relief."

Giving updates on the ongoing evacuation process, he said Pakistan's role was being praised the world over, adding that "we will continue to help and extend our cooperation in the evacuation process."

He said all Pakistanis who wished to be repatriated had been evacuated from Afghanistan.

Regarding recognition of any new government in Afghanistan, he said "Pakistan's policy was clear" that it would not take an isolated decision.

"International and regional attitudes would be considered before a decision to recognise the new Afghan regime," Chaudhry said.

Questioned on recent attacks against the Pakistan Army from the Afghan border, he said: "It's not as if there will be changes the very next day the government is changed.

"This is a process and we should wait. The new Afghan authorities have given a clear stance and we hope they won't allow Afghanistan's soil to be used against any country."

He said there would be a reduction in Indian "mischief" and funding to use Afghan soil against Pakistan.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2320850/pm-imran-president-rahmon-to-bring-taliban-tajiks-closer-fawad

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chauhdry said on Saturday that peace in Afghanistan would be in the interest of not only the Taliban but people of the entire region.

Fawad said Prime Minister Imran Khan and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon are ready to play a role in bringing the Taliban and Tajiks closer. President Rahmon, he said, was respected by Tajiks around the world.

Fawad said efforts would be made for giving Tajiks representation in the new Afghan government.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Imran, the Tajik president expressed keen interest in bringing the two factions closer, the minister said.

The announcement of talks with the Taliban, he said, was a historic step.

It would not be easy for the Taliban to include in the government the groups that have been fighting with them for decades, said the minister.

The two factions must work together to find a lasting solution to Afghanistan’s problems, the minister said, adding that socio-economic recovery was an important factor for peace and security in the region.

The Tajik president and PM Imran have vowed to work together for peace, stability and security in the region, especially in Afghanistan, Fawad added.

Earlier in the day, PM Imran said that he had initiated a dialogue with the Taliban for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan which would include Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks.

The premier took to his official Twitter handle to make the announcement and said he took the step after lengthy discussions with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon and meetings with other heads of state of countries bordering Afghanistan.

"After 40 years of conflict, this inclusivity will ensure peace and a stable Afghanistan," he wrote, adding that this would be in the interest of not only Afghanistan but the entire region.

 

[MenInG]

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said the biggest fight of the Pakistani state is against the "retrogressive thinking" that poses a danger to the country.

The minister made these remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 'Digital & Photographic Exhibition' in Islamabad.

During the address, the minister said, "One can see that two extremist regimes have cropped up on right and left of Pakistan."

Fawad was referring to the governments of India and Afghanistan, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Afghan Taliban are in power.

Talking about Afghanistan, the minister said Pakistan fully wanted to help the people of Afghanistan as he criticised the measures taken by the Taliban to restrict the movement of Afghan women.

"Saying that women can't travel alone or go to schools and colleges — this kind of retrogressive thinking is a danger for Pakistan," he added.

In an allusion to rising religious intolerance in India, he said a “similar Hindu extremist mindset” was taking hold in India. According to Fawad, the most important fight of the Pakistani state was against these “extremist ideologies” of the Taliban and the BJP.

He also termed Pakistan as “bright hope” in the region. "We have had failures and successes but hitherto Pakistan is that bright hope in this region, which while remaining in the midst of these extremes can emerge out from them."

Restrictions on Afghan women

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities said on Sunday that women seeking to travel anything other than short distances should not be offered transport unless they are accompanied by a close male relative.

The guidance, issued by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, also called on all vehicle owners to offer rides only to those women wearing hijabs.

“Women travelling for more than 45 miles (72 kilometres) should not be offered a ride if they are not accompanied by a close family member,” ministry spokesman Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP on Sunday, specifying that it must be a close male relative.

The guidance, circulated on social media networks, comes weeks after the ministry asked Afghanistan's television channels to stop showing dramas and soap operas featuring women actors.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2335828/pakistans-biggest-fight-is-against-retrogressive-thinking-fawad

 

[RajBan]

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said the biggest fight of the Pakistani state is against the "retrogressive thinking" that poses a danger to the country.

The minister made these remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 'Digital & Photographic Exhibition' in Islamabad.

During the address, the minister said, "One can see that two extremist regimes have cropped up on right and left of Pakistan."

Fawad was referring to the governments of India and Afghanistan, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Afghan Taliban are in power.

Talking about Afghanistan, the minister said Pakistan fully wanted to help the people of Afghanistan as he criticised the measures taken by the Taliban to restrict the movement of Afghan women.

"Saying that women can't travel alone or go to schools and colleges — this kind of retrogressive thinking is a danger for Pakistan," he added.

In an allusion to rising religious intolerance in India, he said a “similar Hindu extremist mindset” was taking hold in India. According to Fawad, the most important fight of the Pakistani state was against these “extremist ideologies” of the Taliban and the BJP.

He also termed Pakistan as “bright hope” in the region. "We have had failures and successes but hitherto Pakistan is that bright hope in this region, which while remaining in the midst of these extremes can emerge out from them."

Restrictions on Afghan women

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities said on Sunday that women seeking to travel anything other than short distances should not be offered transport unless they are accompanied by a close male relative.

The guidance, issued by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, also called on all vehicle owners to offer rides only to those women wearing hijabs.

“Women travelling for more than 45 miles (72 kilometres) should not be offered a ride if they are not accompanied by a close family member,” ministry spokesman Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP on Sunday, specifying that it must be a close male relative.

The guidance, circulated on social media networks, comes weeks after the ministry asked Afghanistan's television channels to stop showing dramas and soap operas featuring women actors.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2335828/pakistans-biggest-fight-is-against-retrogressive-thinking-fawad

IK declared Taliban as liberators against oppression. Now Fawad is saying that these guys are oppressors themselves. Did the recent stance by Taliban that Pakistan needs to observe Taliban way of life making the Pakistani government change their thought process?

 

[MenInG]

IK declared Taliban as liberators against oppression. Now Fawad is saying that these guys are oppressors themselves. Did the recent stance by Taliban that Pakistan needs to observe Taliban way of life making the Pakistani government change their thought process?

Fawad is talking about Taliban policies.

No one has any doubts that the puppet regime which took in Billions from the world and ran off at first sign of trouble was of any use to the Afghans.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2336634/fawad-calls-on-politicians-to-reduce-bitterness

Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said on Saturday that politicians needed to "reduce the bitterness" as the new year begins.

The minister stated that the "incumbent government and opposition should discuss elections, economy, political and judicial reforms".

He further added that Pakistan was a great country and politicians “need to realise their responsibilities” as ruckus in parliament degrade politicians in the eyes of the common people.

The minister’s tweet comes two days after Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin introduced the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 or the “mini-budget” in the National Assembly amid vociferous protest by the opposition lawmakers.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 was also presented in the House, which was referred to the relevant standing committee for vetting.

As the proceedings started, despite the absence of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, opposition members tore copies of the agenda and surrounded the speaker’s dais. They vehemently protested while Tarin was reading the items listed on the agenda.

An intense protest against the bills escalated into fisticuffs between opposition lawmaker Shagufta Jamani and PTI MNA Ghazala Saifi.

 

[moghul]

I think Fawad Ch. is doing a good job , why sack him. I know opposition doesn't like him in particular.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2344147/those-not-even-trusted-at-home-moving-no-trust-against-pm-fawad

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has taken a swipe at opposition parties saying that their bid to bring a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran was doomed to fail “as their own family members did not trust them”.

Fawad said opposition parties with “diminishing public support” were not in a position to topple the democratically-elected government through its long march on Islamabad.

“We will send ‘Doliyan’ (palanquins) to bring you (to Islamabad) on shoulders, as in my opinion, you are not even able to hold a walk let alone the long march,” he quipped while addressing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Punjab’s Pind Dadan Khan town on Thursday.

“They [opposition] are destined to fail as even their own parliamentarians will not stand by them,” he added. The opposition leaders should first learn to stand on their own feet, if they wanted to launch a long march, he added.

However, “they have no guts and political prowess to challenge Prime Minister Imran Khan who fully enjoys the trust of the whole nation”.

Fawad said the ideologies of PPP and the JUI-F were poles apart as the former was a liberal party and the latter a religious one. “But the two got united due to dearth of political workers in PPP which believed that the students of seminaries could be used to hold the long march.”

They were living in a fool’s paradise if they believed that the seminary students could be used to oust a democratically-elected government, he said, adding the opposition would not succeed in their “nefarious designs”. To oust a government, Fawad said, one has to do struggle, build up an ideology and establish strong contact with the public; otherwise there was not an iota of a chance for success.

The politics of the Sharif and Zardari families was about to end, Fawad said, advising their scions Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to gauge their popularity among the public by contesting election for a mayoral slot before entering the national level politics.

He said Nawaz Sharif fled from the country by telling a lie, and now he and his sons were not returning to the country despite the daily hearings of corruption cases being faced by her daughter Maryam.

Fawad also came hard on PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif for resorting to excuses in the court which was about to indict him in the money laundering case. Such excuses would not save Shehbaz from the accountability, he added.

There were some straight questions that needed to be answered by Shehbaz, he said, adding the PML-N president had to explain as to how Rs4 billion had poured into the account of Maqsood, who was a peon at his mill and drawing a meagre amount of salary.

“Whosoever gets the job in the mills of Sharif family ultimately became a billionaire. This is the cruelty they caused to the nation, and it is only Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which drew attention towards this injustice.”

If they wanted to do politics in Pakistan, he said, the first condition for them was to return the “looted money”.

Referring to the Weighted Average Cost of Gas (WACOG)-Bill passed by the Senate the other day, he said the legislation would help ensure provision of gas supply across the country.

Fawad also extended the heartiest congratulation to PM Imran and Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar for bringing a “big change” in the country’s energy policy. He lashed out at the previous government of PML-N for “ruining” the industrial and agricultural sectors of Punjab.

“They deprived a big chunk of Punjab’s citizenry of motorway facility by excluding its major cities, including Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Dina, Sohawa and Gujjar Khan from those projects.”

Highlighting the present government initiatives, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan was ensuring a motorway linking Sialkot with Rawalpindi, which would benefit the people of all those above mentioned cities.

He said a promise for building a canal in Jhelum was made in 196), but no government had made any effort in that regard. PM Imran was the only leader who had fulfilled the promises made in 1906.

After a hiatus of 50 years, he said, a dual carriageway was being constructed to connect the motorway with the Grand Trunk Road. When the PTI was contesting the previous election in Jhelum, there was no clean drinking water facility in the area, but now multiple projects had been started by the prime minister to ensure better health of the people.

He extended gratitude to the prime minister for giving multiple mega projects to the people of Jhelum.

He also called out the opposition for unjustified criticism on the increase of petroleum products’ prices in the country. The opposition parties did not have any alternate solution other than criticism.

 

[MenInG]

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry for giving anti-judiciary remarks, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

According to details, the petition – heard by Justice Babar Sattar, was declared inadmissible as Advocate Saleemullah sought contempt of court proceedings against Fawad Chaudhry for giving anti-judiciary remarks on social media.

During the hearing, the court ruled that it could not initiate court proceedings on political statements criticising judgments. The court pointed out that the case that was referred in the petition was already pending before a larger bench.

It is pertinent to mention here that Advocate Saleemullah had moved IHC against Fawad Chaudhry over his derogatory remarks against the judiciary on social media.

The petition stated that the PTI leader criticised judiciary after former prime minister Imran Khan issued threats to female judge Zeba Chaudhry.

The applicant pleaded with the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the PTI leader and punish him according to the law.

Earlier on August 23, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a show-cause notice to Imran Khan after taking up contempt of court proceedings against him for allegedly threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

During proceedings on August 31, the Islamabad High Court had given Imran Khan another chance to submit a written response to contempt of court proceedings against him in seven days over a threatening speech against a female judge.

 

[MenInG]

PTI MPA Hisham Inamullah lashed out at party vice president Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday for what he said was uttering a “racist remark” playing on stereotypes about Pakhtuns.

A day ago in an appearance on anchorperson Kashif Abbasi’s ARY News programme “Off the Record”, the two were discussing an alleged incident about former Federal Investigation Agency Director General Bashir Memon being locked in a bathroom of the Prime Minister House by former principal secretary Azam Khan.

Chaudhry then remarked: “He took a big risk in going to the bathroom with a Khan (Pakhtun),” which prompted Abbasi to cut to a break.

Responding to the quip, Inamullah released a statement on his Twitter account, saying that he was “proud to be a Pathan”.

Inamullah said he “strongly condemned” Chaudhry’s insinuation and considered it to be disrespectful to the entire Pakhtun community.

“This is a shameful and disreputable allegation,” he said, adding that if Chaudhry thought this about Pakhtuns, then why was he in a party whose leader and most of its members also shared that ethnicity.

“Pathan, Baloch, Sindhi and Punjabi together make Pakistan. We think that no ethnicity is superior to another, all have had leading roles in establishing Pakistan and its system and everyone should take care about the other’s respect and stature.”

Inamullah said that thoughts like Chaudhry’s led to discord, mistrust and unrest between ethnicities, adding that the PTI leader should ask for forgiveness from the Pakhtun community and strive to become “actually free” from such thinking if he considered himself to be a national leader and PTI member.

Chaudhry has yet to comment on the matter. Dawn.com has reached out to the former minister and the PTI for comment.

Dawn News anchor Adil Shahzeb also tagged a bevy of PTI ministers and leaders from the Pakhtun community, saying that he expected them to strongly condemn Chaudhry’s racist remarks.

One of the tagged individuals, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra, said: “No question about it, strongly condemned.”

However, he did ask Shahzeb if he in turn condemned the government on a number of other issues.

DAWN