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Sunday, December 6, 2020

Maryam tells PML-N workers to remain steadfast, embrace FIRs ahead of PDM Lahore rally

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz addressed a social media workers convention in Lahore on Saturday during which she urged party workers to remain steadfast and embrace any cases registered against them by the government.

Maryam said the people must know "how fearful the government is" of the Opposition. She said that "the most that the government can do" is register cases.

"You must take these charge sheets, string them together and wear them proudly like a garland," she told party workers, as she lamented that as many as 3,000 first information reports (FIR) are filed after every rally held by the Opposition.

Her remarks came ahead of a rally planned by the Pakistan Democratic Movement at Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan monument on December 13. Although Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the 11-party Opposition alliance will not be prevented from holding the rally, he vowed that cases will be registered against all organisers and facilitators of the rally as large gatherings are a violation of coronavirus safety protocols.

Maryam spoke at length about how the party's popularity and reach has been propelled by the social media teams and thanked them for their dedication.

"Thanks to our social media team, Nawaz Sharif's voice has reached across the country today," Maryam said, as she paid tribute to teams from across the provinces.

She thanked the social media teams for "continuing to carry forward Nawaz Sharif's narrative".

Taking aim at the government, she said that with a single roti (piece of bread) costing Rs30, a family of 8-10 people have no hope of making ends meet.

She said PM Imran Khan used to claim that the "green passport will be respected across the world" but now flights from Pakistan have been banned.

"Is there anyone who can ask him what became of the claims he made?" she inquired.

Speaking of the delay in LNG procurement, which ultimately led to high gas prices, she said "the prime minister's friends who run his kitchen were benefited".

"People hardly have any supply of gas in their homes, but they get unbelievably high bills," she followed by saying, adding that owing to the government's "mismanagement", a loss of Rs122bn had been incurred.

She dared the "fake and cowardly" prime minister to come and mingle with the people for two minutes.

The PML-N vice president said that Pakistan's GDP has turned negative, "hundreds of thousands" have become unemployed, medicines are prohibitively expensive, the "wheel of progress has begun to spin in the opposite direction", European countries have banned Pakistani flights, people have been robbed of wheat, sugar, flour, but no one is bothered, and there is no legal action, "all because he is viewed as taabedaar (servile)".

"We must now call Imran Khan by his new name — Taabedaar Khan," she said.

Maryam said that the PDM is about to make big decisions, hinting at resignations or possibly a long march, ahead of a meeting between alliance members on December 8.

"The people of Pakistan have won this war. Victory only remains to be declared in the rally on the 13th," she said.

She asked elected representatives to not fall under any sort of "pressure".

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Senate to now hold NAB accountable: Mandviwalla

Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla and other civil society members on Sunday held a press conference to express their grievances against the Nationality Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The deputy chairman of the upper house alleged that many people have died in NAB's custody, which should be investigated.

"Now the senators will hold the NAB accountable. We will approach every foreign ambassador in Pakistan and will expose NAB's atrocities," he said.

Mandviwalla opined that owing to its actions and undue pressure tactics, NAB’s credibility is not strengthening; instead, the institution is getting maligned due to its abrupt decisions.

"Now if the NAB sends a notice to someone, people laugh at their decisions. Their actions have no value now, neither in bureaucracy and judiciary nor in the civil society or among business community members," he maintained.

The deputy chairman added that NAB has committed many atrocities in the past, for example, using intimidation tactics and filing fake arrests.

"Numerous people have lost their lives in their custody. I have a human rights activist with me today who will tell you how rights have been violated by the accountability watchdog," he said.

"This is not a battle between Saleem Mandviwalla and the NAB but this is a battle between NAB and the Senate of Pakistan. Also, every senator in this country — whether he is from the opposition or from the government — has agreed that NAB should be exposed," he claimed.

Mandviwalla added that he, along with other senators, will make sure to investigate the appointment of NAB's Director-General Irfan Mangi and Investigation Officer Mudassar, stating that it will be the first time when a probe will be launched against the NAB.

"We will check the degrees of NAB's employees. It will be the first time when NAB will be accountable and [how these employees] are [leading a lifestyle] beyond their means," he said.

Speaking about the actions that the Senate will take against the bureau, Mandviwalla stressed that no one would be able to stop him from conducting an investigation.

"It is high time we hold such institutions accountable for their deeds and expose them without getting intimidated by them," Mandiwalla said.

He also clarified that the Senate’s move against the National Accountability Bureau is not for a specific individual but against all the injustices that the institution has committed.

"We will not conduct the investigation inside a closed room like them. The trial will be conducted in front of media and facts will be presented in front of everyone," he said.

Answering a question about how people are queuing up outside the Senate to lodge their complaints against the brutalities and inhumane behaviour adopted by the bureau when dealing with the suspects, Mandviwalla said that he will make sure to get the NAB blacklisted, not only in Pakistan but across the world.

"I will again approach Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Opposition to get them on board so that we can pass legislation. As you know that the ordinance was passed by the government to curtail NAB's powers and limit it to only corruption but the ordinance lapsed as there was no consensus between the Opposition and the government in this regard," he informed journalists.

Previously, the senator had said that NAB is involved in "blackmailing people," adding that the National Commission on Human Rights, as well as the Supreme Court, have criticised the bureau for violations.

It should be noted that NAB recently froze Mandviwalla's assets in connection with a fake accounts case. According to a report submitted by the anti-corruption watchdog, Mandviwalla had allegedly bought Benami shares in the name of a person accused in the fake accounts case. Mandviwalla, however, had categorically denied the allegations, calling the case "unfair and prejudicial."

As a result, NAB Chairman Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal had taken notice of the allegations levelled by Saleem Mandviwalla and ordered to stop further proceedings on the graft case against him until further orders.

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COVID-19 situation can worsen in the country: Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mehmood Qureshi has feared that COVID-19 situation can worsen in the country in the coming month of January.

Addressing a press conference in Multan, FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the situation in terms of COVID-19 cases can become worst if the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were neglected.

Cautioning the nation about the second wave of the pandemic, he urged the masses to ensure implementation of the SOPs and asked the ulemas and media men to come forward to create awareness among the masses.

Commenting on the recent PDM’s public rally in Multan, the FM said in his opinion the opposition should have been given permission to hold a rally in Qasim Bagh without any barriers.

He bashed the dual standards of the opposition parties on the COVID-19. “On one hand the PPP government is imposing smart lockdown in Sindh and on the other side carrying out public rallies.”

Qureshi said that PDM is risking the lives of the masses by holding public rallies in the pandemic.

Terming the alliance of the PDM ‘unnatural’, FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi claimed that they are only striving to save their corruption.

Nobody has stopped the opposition from tendering resignations from the assemblies, he added.

On Kulbhushan Jadhav’s issue, he said that Pakistan is ready to give consular access to India as per the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) directions, but New Delhi is running away.

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Six patients die due to oxygen shortage at khyber teaching hospital peshawar

At least six Covid-19 patients died allegedly due to a shortage of oxygen at Peshawar’s Khyber Teaching Hospital.

The deaths occurred last night, sources at the health facility said.

According to a spokesperson for the hospital, five of the patients were under treatment at the health facility’s coronavirus ward while one was in the intensive care unit. He added the hospital gets its oxygen supply from Rawalpindi which did not reach on time, as a result of which the critically ill patients died.

Confirming the news, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra tweeted: “There was an incident at KTH last night involving a shortage of oxygen supply.”

“I have directed the BoG [Board of Governors] to conduct an immediate inquiry & take action within 48 hours. If found unsatisfactory or if otherwise required, the govt will immediately order its own independent inquiry.”

Jhagra vowed that all the facts of the case will be made public, requesting people not to peddle unverified information on social media. “Neither this, nor any other incident will be left unused, to improve the health system; it’s service; and it’s system of accountability and transparency,” he said.

Taking notice of the incident, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan assured that a probe into the incident will be completed within 48 hours, promising strict action against those found responsible.

Speaking at a press conference later, Jhagra said six patients admitted to the coronavirus ward died due to a lack of oxygen supply. Anyone found negligent at any level would not be spared, he declared, stressing the need for improving the health system and learning lessons from the incident.

1. There was an incident at KTH last night involving a shortage of oxygen supply.
I have directed the BoG to conduct an immediate inquiry & take action within 48 hours. If found unsatisfactory, or if otherwise required, the govt will immediately order its own independent inquiry.
— Taimur Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) December 6, 2020

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