Political leader Wali Khan’s death anniversary today

TrendPK.com
KARACHI: One of the great political figures of Pakistan Khan Abdul Wali Khan is being remembered on his death anniversary today, TrendPK reports Thursday.

Wali Khan was born on 11 January 1917, to a family of local landlords in the town of Utmanzai in Charsadda district of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of undivided India.

He was a Pashtun activist against the British Raj, a senior politician in Pakistan and a writer. His early years were marked by his involvement in his father’s non-violent resistance movement, the “red shirts” against the British Raj.

In his late teens, he became active in the Indian National Congress. After the formation of Pakistan, Wali Khan became a controversial figure in Pakistan’s politics, he was referred to as both a hero and traitor during his political career because of his association with the Congress which opposed the creation of Pakistan.

A respected politician in his later years, he contributed to Pakistan’s third constitution, led protests for the restoration of democracy in the 1960s and 1980s.

In the 1970s, he also served as the parliamentary leader of opposition in Pakistan’s first directly elected parliament.

His political career was marked by opposition from opponents who considered him to be stubborn and inflexible, due to his criticisms of the political dominance of Punjab and the Pakistani Army. His final years were marked by his criticism of the Taliban and his support for their ouster.

He was a powerful advocate of Pashtunistan and Pashtun nationalism, provincial (state) rights within Pakistan’s federal structure but always remained an advocate of political change through dialog.

After a few years of martial law, Ayub Khan introduced a new constitution and announced he would run in the next Presidential election. The opposition parties united under the Combined Opposition Party alliance and fielded a joint candidate against Ayub Khan in the Presidential elections.

As an opposition leader, Wali Khan supported the consensus candidate Fatima Jinnah. Wali Khan assisted Fatima Jinnah in her election campaign and served as her election agent.

After a long illness, Wali Khan died of a heart attack on 26 January 2006 in Peshawar, Pakistan. He was buried in his ancestral village in Uthmanzai, Charsadda. TrendPK

Please click ‘Video’ button to watch this news.

Imran Khan addresses public gathering in Bhalwal

TrendPK.com

BHALWAL: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said Sunday sugar mafia is sitting in assemblies and that President Zardari has also several mills.

Addressing a public gathering at Bhalwal, Khan said time for Nawaz Sharif is gone.

He said President Zardari and Nawaz Sharif cannot stop the PTI’s tsunami.

Terming the Bhalwal meeting a success, Khan said change has reached out to villages.

“Rural people should get more justice. A farmer works hard throughout the year, but he hardly gets the right price of his crops. Sugar mafia is sitting in assemblies. President Zardari too has many sugar mills.”

Commenting on NRO case, he questioned why Prime Minister Gilani was not writing to Swiss authorities for reopening of cases. “If you are innocent, why don’t you write the letter.”

He also took Mian Nawaz Sharif to task, saying the PML-N leader was the backbone of Zardari government.

LPG price hike creates more troubles in Hyderabad

TrendPK.com

HYDERABAD: Recent increase in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has left people of the city in more trouble after CNG closure crisis, TrendPK reported on Thursday.

Both buyers and sellers of LPG are in trouble due to its sky talking prices.

Rs 15 have been increased on per kilogram of LPG in the last one month. Now LPG is being sold at Rs 125 per kg.

Traders of the city have demanded from the government to reverse the decision of LPG price hike. TrendPK

Two bombs recovered from D.I.Khan school

TrendPK.com

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two powerful bombs have been recovered from a private school here on Thursday.

Bomb disposal squad defused the bombs.

Terrorists tied the school peon in one of the classrooms and planted two bombs there.

When teachers came in the school they found bombs and they immediately called bomb disposal squad that defused the bombs. TrendPK

Shatrughan Sinha meets Nawaz Sharif

TrendPK.com

LAHORE: Indian politician and actor Shatrughan Sinha and Yashwant Sinha met with Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, TrendPK reported on Thursday.

Both Indian politicians met with the PML-N chief here at Raiwind.

They said they have old relationship with Nawaz Sharif.

They also appreciated his government’s efforts towards Kashmir issue.

Nawaz Sharif and Indian politicians agreed to make more efforts for peace making in the countries. TrendPK

Which Pak PM faced the contempt notice first?

TrendPK.com

ISLAMABAD: Embattled Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday appeared before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, defending himself against contempt charges in the NRO implementation case, TrendPK reports.

But he was not the first PM who was issued contempt of court notice.

It is the second time that the court has initiated contempt proceedings against a sitting prime minister, plunging Gilani’s weak government deeper into a crisis that could force early elections within months.

Nawaz Sharif was the first PM to face contempt proceeding.

The highest court on Thursday summoned Gilani to explain his refusal to ask Switzerland to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari waived under NRO.

Supreme Court judges have six options on how to proceed which include finding Gilani in contempt, disqualifying the prime minister and president, and holding early elections.

Let’s have a look at contempt of court notices served to Nawaz Sharif in the past when he was a prime minister.

In 1997, the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faced the court proceeding for his contempt of court. Akram Chaudhry Advocate filed a petition in SC on Oct 30, 1997 against the PM’s press talk.

Other than Sharif, four sitting PMAs, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali among them, were named in the plea, seeking court action for their alleged contempt.

After an initial hearing, the court issued show-cause notice to Nawaz asking him to appear on Nov 12. Sharif appeared in the court on Nov 17 and 18 amid his written statement. He was later exempted from appearance in hearing by the court.

On the night between Nov 18, 19 an amendment was got approved by the Parliament in Contempt of Court Act, quickly evading Sharif’s ineligibility for public office.

However the law promulgating new constitutional amendment was abruptly cancelled by the SC on Nov 20 on the application filed by chairman Muslim Qaumi Movement Naveed Malik.

The proceeding in case of attack on SC on Nov 28 was suspended and, later, a 10-member bench dismissed Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, and the new CJ Ajmal Mian acquitted Mr. Sharif and others in the contempt of court case in 1998. TrendPK

PML-Ns parliamentary committee to submit recommendations to Nawaz today

Fifteen-member Parliamentary committee of PML-N headed by Raja Zafarul Haq will present its recommendations to the party chief Nawaz Sharif regarding formation of new provinces.

The committee has proposed that the new provinces should be formed on administrative and population basis instead of ethnic basis.

It has been stressed in the recommendations that distribution of resources should be made certain before the formation of new provinces on administrative basis instead of dividing one or two provinces.

PML-N will decide its policy today regarding formation of new provinces in the light of committee’s recommendations.

Hashmi reiterates call for new provinces in Punjab

Talking to the media at his residence in Multan, Javed Hashmi said Punjab should take the lead and set up new provinces on administrative basis rather than ethnic lines. He also suggested that the province comprising Bahawalpur and Multan should be named Punjnad. However, he added that he only suggested a name and that a new name could be decided with referendum.

Javed Hashmi said also took a swipe at the Peoples Party, saying the ruling party is threatening Pakistan’s security. In the same breath, he called Nawaz Sharif the country’s most popular leader, saying PML-N’s support was crucial for the formation of new provinces in Punjab.

Hashmi repeated that he would support legislation to create a new province in south Punjab. “The creation of new provinces is necessary to improve quality of governance and people’s living standard in the country.”

PML-N’s horse trading hurting democracy: Awan

LAHORE: Federal Law Minister Dr. Babar Awan says that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is harming democracy through horse trading.

Speaking to newsmen outside the Parliament House today, Dr. Awan said that PML-N and PPP had never been allies as their support was confined to charter of democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

“I fail to understand why Mian Nawaz Sharif is calling his Punjab government as corrupt,” he remarked. TrendPK

PML-N parts ways with PPP in Punjab

ISLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, has announced to part ways with Pakistan People‘s Party (PPP) in Punjab here on Friday.

Nawaz Sharif said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad that they had no other choice but to say good bye to PPP from the Punjab cabinet.

He added that during last three years they tried hard to convince the PPP for improving their governance and addressing public issues but all efforts remained fruitless. We also gave 10-point agenda and a time frame for it but that was also ignored completely. The PPP did not follow a single point of our agenda.

The PML-N added further that a demand for the mid-term elections is not undemocratic or illegal; it is a normal practice of every democratic country. We have parted our ways with the PPP but did not declare any war against it as we do not intend to create any further unrest in the already troubled country.

“It is time to make a new cabinet in Punjab. We have not created the Unification Block (UB), 47 members of PML-Q have made UB themselves as they were not satisfied with the policies of their leadership,” Nawaz Sharif added. TrendPK

Next Page »