Megalomaniac

Imran congratulates PM; PPP leader calls for ‘revision in strategic priorities’ Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday joined a host of world leaders in congratulating Narendra Modi for his Bharatiya Janata Party’s election victory. “I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia,” Mr. Khan tweeted. The Pakistan Prime Minister had in April told a group of foreign journalists that “if the BJP wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached.” Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said Mr. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government firmly believes that the real wars that India and Pakistan need to fight are against poverty and illiteracy. “I hope that after this victory, Mr. Modi will play a positive role towards peace between our two countries. For peace to happen the sufferings of the Kashmiri people have to end,” he said. While Mr...

On July 13, 2018, journalist Asma Shirazi interviewed former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when he was coming back from London, along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz, to face a prison sentence. The interview was not telecast due to censorship, but trolls immediately started an online campaign targeting Ms. Shirazi. “It left a psychological impact on me. I wouldn’t like to go in the details as I don’t want my trolls to get any satisfaction from it. While it affected me for a short while — I took a break from Twitter, or became more cautious about what I wrote or said — I took it positively in the long run as I learned a lot from this episode.” Ms. Shirazi said she deals with such negative campaigns by not checking her mentions on Twitter. This was not an isolated incident. Last month, several journalists critical of the government, including Marvi Sirmed, Mubashir Zaidi and Umar Cheema, were abused on Twitter with trending hashtags. Women are particularly targeted. A report ...

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has emerged as a leading voice of opposition to Imran Khan’s government in recent months. Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), is unwell and in prison. PML(N) leaders, including Mr. Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, face several legal challenges over corruption cases and have gone relatively quiet. This has left a vacuum in the Opposition politics and Mr. Bhutto-Zardari has stepped into this vacuum “with surprising ease”, said journalist Fahd Husain. “Gone is the awkwardness of speech and shyness of demeanour that once marked his political appearances. He is saying the right things, hitting the right tones and getting the right response.” Mr. Husain added that if Mr. Khan’s government is facing any real, hard-hitting and sustained opposition, it is from Mr. Bhutto-Zardari. “The PML-N will need to up its game if it wants to steal the thunder from the young Bilawal.” According to journali...

She was acquitted of blasphemy last year Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was acquitted by the Supreme Court of blasphemy last year, has finally left Pakistan for Canada to be reunited with her family. She had been falsely accused of blasphemy in 2009 and spent more than eight years in prison. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), an Islamist political party, staged protests across Pakistan after Ms. Bibi’s acquittal and demanded that she be hanged. Ms. Bibi was kept in protective custody till she finally left the country. TLP leader Khadim Rizvi and other activists were later arrested for creating unrest in the country and incitement to violence. Rizvi is still in jail. Saroop Ijaz, a lawyer who works for the Human Rights Watch in Pakistan, said it is a relief that Ms. Bibi’s ordeal has come to an end. “However, it is a scandal that it took so long, particularly after the Supreme Court decision. Asia’s case spotlighted the failure of the justice system at all levels and the la...

‘All political references, including attempts to link it with Pulwama attack, were removed’ A spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was listed as an international terrorist after “all political references” were removed from the resolution and it was not a victory for India. “The current listing proposal has been agreed after all political references, including removal of attempts to link it with [the] Pulwama [attack] and maligning the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris”, were removed from the resolution,” said Mohammad Faisal. “The Indian media’s attempts to build a narrative claiming it as a victory for India and validation of its stance are thus absolutely false and baseless,” he told presspersons in Islamabad. “Our position is in line with the statements of Prime Minister Imran Khan who clearly stated that there is no space for any proscribed organisation or its affiliates to operate from Pakistani ter...

Imran Khan’s statement in Tehran, in which he admitted to the presence of militant outfits in Pakistan, triggered a wave of criticism back home Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan said something in Iran that caused a stir in Pakistan. At a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Mr. Khan said: “Just a few days back, 14 of our security personnel were killed by terrorists in Balochistan. And I know that Iran has suffered from terrorism, which are from groups operating from within Pakistan. So the security chief will be sitting with his counterpart here and today, they will be discussing ways of cooperation and so that we have trust in each other that both countries will not allow any terrorist activity from their soil ...” Mr. Khan’s statement took many by surprise. While some appreciated his honesty in admitting Pakistan’s mistakes, others were more critical. Maryam Nawaz Sharif tweeted: “Vilifying & defaming your own country on foreign soil, sitting wit...

Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has emerged as a powerful voice against the government in recent days. From his election campaign in 2018 to his first speech in parliament, Mr Bhutto-Zardari has won accolades for being a voice of reason and sanity. From calling Prime Minister Khan ‘selected PM’ to being extremely vocal about media censorship, from talking about minorities rights to voicing his concern for the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Mr Bhutto-Zardari has been hitting all the right notes. Even his political opponents have had to praise him for challenging this government and other powerful quarters. Ali Dar, son of former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, recently tweeted: “@BBhuttoZardari, you beauty! Eloquent, undeterred and not the least bit daunted! BB Shaheed would have been so proud; I’m sure she is smiling down on you from the Heaven. Godspeed!” This was after Mr Bhutto’s press conference on April 29. Bilawal Bhutto’s powerful speeches and his ...