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ARY NEWS

Azhar Farooq

  • Shehbaz to reach Lahore after his release from jail today

    Shehbaz to reach Lahore after his release from jail today

    LAHORE: The Leader of Opposition in National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif will arrive Lahore on Friday (today) after his release in two accountability cases, ARY News reported.

    The Lahore High Court accepted Shehbaz Sharif’s request for bail in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases on Thursday.

    A two-judge bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad had ordered Sharif to submit two bonds of Rs. 10 million in the court as surety.

    Shehbaz Sharif after the court’s decision called it a victory of truth. “The day is not far when the clouds of allegations and political victimization will disperse,” he said.

    The former chief minister of Punjab was charged with misuse of authority by unlawfully assuming powers of the Punjab Land Development Company’s board of directors, and awarding contract to an ineligible firm and the decision was resulted in the failure of the housing scheme.

    “The day is not far when the clouds of allegations and political victimization will disperse,” said Shehbaz

    The NAB charges said that the former chief minister’s misuse of authority caused a loss of Rs660 million to the national exchequer.

    Shahbaz had denied charges against him as false and frivolous and his counsel had sought relief of bail.

    The law suggests that a suspect can seek bail soon after being sent on judicial remand by the trial court. The accountability court in December last year denied the NAB request for further physical remand.

    The LHC bench, after accepting Shehbaz’s request for bail, ordered his release.

    He was taken into custody by the accountability watchdog in connection with the Ashiana Housing case on October 5, 2018.

     

  • Shehbaz’ memberships for three standing committees abolished

    Shehbaz’ memberships for three standing committees abolished

    ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar on the request of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Shairf, abolished his membership of three standing committees on Sunday, ARY News reported.

    According to a notification issues by the NA secretariat, leader of the opposite in the NA Shehbaz Sharif had been detached from standing committees on law and justice, information and broadcasting and Kashmir affairs.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, on February 7, had said the federal cabinet had demanded Shehbaz Sharif to immediately resign as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

    “Shehbaz is wanted to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in cases, hence he must step down on moral grounds,” he had told a press conference after the federal cabinet meeting.

    Shehbaz was accused in NAB cases who often comes to Islamabad, said the minister. “The cabinet has expressed its reservation on this situation.”

    Chaudhry had said Shehbaz Sharif was himself trying to protect persons wanted to NAB in different cases.

    Read More: Removing Shehbaz as PAC chairman would make matters worse: Asif

    Earlier in the day,Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif had said that Shehbaz Sharif entitled to hold the office of Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament as the Leader of Opposition.

    Talking to media at his residence here, Asif had said removing Shehbaz Sharif from the chairmanship of the PAC would only make matters worse.

  • Federal cabinet approves new Hajj Policy with no subsidies this year

    Federal cabinet approves new Hajj Policy with no subsidies this year

    ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet on Thursday approved new Hajj Policy for 2019, deciding against provision of any subsidy, ARY News reported.

    Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri briefed the cabinet meeting about the new Hajj Policy that was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan here today.


    According to new Hajj Policy more than 1, 84000 Pakistanis will perform the religious ritual of Hajj this year, while 60 per cent quota would be reserved for the government and the remaining 40 per cent for private hajj tour operators.

    Applications in this regard will be received from next month. “The cabinet has decided against provision of any kind of subsidy,” sources said.

    On the occasion, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the authorities concerned to ensure smooth Hajj operations and warned of strict action in any negligence.

    People 80 years and above will be able to perform Hajj without the need to enter a draw. People who have been unsuccessful for three consecutive years will also not be required to enter the draw.

    Read more: Hajj expenses to rise to Rs. 420,000 this year

    The cabinet also approved appointment of Arbab Shehzad as a Supervisor to look after the matters of Hajj this year.

    Last month, Saudi Arabia had increased quota of Pakistani pilgrims for 2019’s Hajj by 5,000.

    According to a spokesperson of Ministry of Religious Affairs, an agreement was signed in this regard by Minister of Religious Affairs Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri and his Saudi Arabian counterpart.

  • Production order of Saad Rafique issued to attend NA session today

    Production order of Saad Rafique issued to attend NA session today

    ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Thursday issued a production order of detained MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique for him to attend the assembly session today.

    According to details, the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader is currently under National Accountability Bureau’s custody in a case related to the Paragon Housing Society scam.

    However, the anti-graft watchdog officials would produce the former railway minister in the National Assembly (NA) today.

    The opposition in the NA had walked out a couple of times from the lower house of Parliament in a protest against the non-issuance of a production order for the PML-N leader. As a result, the assembly session was adjourned over and over again.

    Opposition leader in NA Shehbaz Sharif had also pleaded the Speaker to issue a production order for the detained leader of his party.

    The National Accountability Bureau arrested Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique after the Lahore High Court dismissed their bail pleas in the Paragon housing society scam on December 11.

    Khawaja Saad Rafique is in NAB’s custody on 10-day physical remand.

  • Government ready to give PAC chairmanship to Shehbaz Sharif

    Government ready to give PAC chairmanship to Shehbaz Sharif

    ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has finally conceded the Opposition’s nomination of Shehbaz Sharif as the chairman of the all-powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

    According to details, the government and the opposition reached a consensus on Thursday to let the Leader of Opposition, Shehbaz Sharif, to chair the Public Accounts Committee.

    Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi apprised the House earlier today that Prime Minister Imran Khan has given a nod to the opposition’s nomination for the PAC chairman in the bigger interest of democracy and parliamentary norms.

    FM Qureshi announced that the government was leaving the decision to the opposition leader to propose a name as per his choice for the coveted position. “If, however, the opposition leader chose to nominate himself for the role then the government would not object on it,” the foreign minister added.

    As the assembly session concluded, Federal Minister for Defence Pervaiz Khattak and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan met with Shehbaz Sharif in his chamber.

    Following the highly significant meeting, it emerged that the government was ready to let Shehbaz chair the committee, while a subcommittee would be constituted comprising PTI parliamentarians.

    Moreover, Khattak confirmed the development saying it was taken in the best interest to have the uninterrupted functioning of the Lower House.

    It is pertinent to mention here that in previous political setups of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a parliamentary tradition was set to allow the opposition to hold the top position of the PAC.

    Nevertheless, the PTI government had been severely reluctant in past to consent Shehbaz’s name owing to ongoing corruption investigations against him by the National Accountability Bureau.

    Few days earlier, the ruling party had decided to make a fresh contact with the opposition parties to break the deadlock over the issue of nomination of chairmanship of the PAC.

  • Nawaz Sharif wants Shahbaz as next PM: sources

    Nawaz Sharif wants Shahbaz as next PM: sources

    ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif will succeed Nawaz Sharif as the next prime minister of Pakistan, sources told ARY News on Friday.

    According to sources, a party session headed by Nawaz Sharif decided that the party will complete it’s five year term in power while Nawaz suggested that his brother and current CM Punjab should be nominated as the next prime minister.

    Some of the party leaders have also voiced their concerns over nominating Shahbaz as PM as the party will then have to look for his replacement as CM Punjab.

    On the other hand, sources say that a suggestion to nominate the former first lady Kulsoom Nawaz as PM is also under consideration.

    Reports suggest that if the party approves, Kulsoom Nawaz will be elected on reserved seats for women and then be made PM otherwise Defence Minister Khawaja Asif or NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq will be made interim-PM till the election of Shahbaz to the National Assembly.

    PML-N’s parliamentary party will meet on Saturday to arrive upon a final decision in this regard.

    A five-judge Supreme Court bench today disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a unanimous verdict in the Panamagate case, thus cutting short his third stint in power.

    Soon after the SC judgement, the PM House issued a terse statement saying that Nawaz Sharif, despite having reservations on the SC’s verdict, has stepped down from his post as the premier.

    Hours after the judgement, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified Nawaz Sharif as member of National Assembly from constituency NA-120, Lahore.

     

  • PML-N’s Zubair Umar confirms appointment as Governor Sindh

    PML-N’s Zubair Umar confirms appointment as Governor Sindh

    ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair Umar has confirmed his appointment as 32nd governor of Sindh province, ARY News reported.

    Speaking exclusively to ARY News, Umar confirmed that he is being appointed as next governor of the province, adding that his top priority as a governor will be to make Karachi a regional economic center.

    A summary regarding Zubair’s appointment as Governor Sindh has been sent to President Mamnoon Hussain for approval.

    The office of governor Sindh fell vacant after the former governor Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui’s death on January 11. He only served for two months as the province’s governor.

    Muhammad Zubair, who is currently serving as Minister of State for Privatization,  is considered a close confidant of prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He is the elder brother of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central executive committee member, Asad Umar.