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“We are not far from Sri Lanka moment”: Imran Khan

Published

3 years ago

2022/07/25

Lahore: July 24, 2022 (ANI):Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday warned that Pakistan is not far from a ‘Sri Lanka moment’ when the public will pour out into the streets for ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ against the ‘mafia’ led by Asif Zardari and the Sharif family.Taking to Twitter, Imran Khan said that the mafia led by Asif Zardari and the Sharif family has brought the country to its knees politically and economically in just over three months to save their illegally accumulated wealth.

“In just over three months the Zardari – Sharifs’ mafia has brought the country to its knees politically and economically; simply to save their illegally accumulated wealth amassed over 30 years of plundering Pakistan. My question is: how long will state institutions continue to allow this?” he tweeted.

“I can say with certainty after my interaction with our nation and their response to my call for Haqeeqi Azadi that the people of Pakistan have had enough and will not allow these mafias to continue their loot and plunder,” he added.

“We are not far from a Sri Lanka moment when our public pours out into the streets,” Mr Khan said.

Imran Khan’s remarks came as the Supreme Court is hearing a petition filed by the PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi challenging Punjab Assembly (PA) Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s decision on the Chief Minister’s re-election in Hamza Shahbaz’s favour a day earlier, ARY News reported.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial summoned Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly after PTI and PML-Q filed petitions against the victory of Hamza Shahbaz during the election for the Chief Minister of Punjab.

A three-member bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar led the proceedings of the case.The Supreme court also summoned Hamza Shahbaz, attorney general, chief secretary Punjab and advocate general Punjab, and further directed the deputy speaker to bring the record of the Punjab Chief Minister election, ARY News reported.

During the hearing, the chief justice remarked that there is nothing in their decision that the deputy speaker mentioned during the assembly proceedings.

“We are here to learn and will summon the deputy speaker so that he could identify the paragraph from the top court’s decision which he used to decide on the matter,” he said.

The Supreme Court has summoned Dost Muhammad Mazari at 2:30 pm today for citing Article 63A of the Constitution and not counting the votes of defecting lawmakers as well as electing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz as Punjab Chief Minister.

This comes after the former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a petition against Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling to reject 10 PML-Q votes in Punjab Chief Minister’s elections, media reports said.

Leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) reached the Supreme Court registry in Lahore late at night and submitted a petition against Punjab’s Chief Ministerial election.The petition stated that the ruling violated the top court’s decision with regard to the interpretation of Article 63 A of the Constitution and asked the court to annul the ruling.

Earlier, PML-N’s Shahbaz was re-elected as the chief minister of Punjab after the votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were rejected by the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker.

On Friday, Pervaiz Elahi – joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q – received 186 votes, while Hamza Shahbaz got 179 votes. However, 10 votes of PML-Q were cancelled by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, hence taking the figure to 176.

Following the counting of votes, the deputy speaker, citing Article 63A of the Constitution, rejected ten votes cast by the PML-Q members. As a result, Hamza Shahbaz received 179 votes, while Pervaiz Elahi managed to bag 176 votes.Hamza Shehbaz took oath as Punjab Chief Minister on Saturday.

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Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota, Jaffna, Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Kurunegala districts

Published

2 hours ago

2025/04/27

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 26 April 2025, valid for 27 April 2025.

The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota, Jaffna, Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Kurunegala districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs pays his last respects to Pope Francis

Published

3 hours ago

2025/04/27

Priyan

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath represented Sri Lanka at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday [26]

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RW to visit CIABOC on Monday

Published

4 hours ago

2025/04/27

Thilina Walpola

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe will appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) tomorrow (28) over the statement he had made on MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, his lawyers have informed the Commission.

Accordingly, the former President will appear before the commission at 9.30am on Monday.

Wickremesinghe was initially summoned by the Commission to CIABOC on April 17 in relation to a statement he had made about the corruption case filed against NDF (gas cylinder) MP Dassanayake.

In response to the previous summons, Wickremesinghe had indicated that he is prepared to appear before the commission but requested a different date citing that his lawyers will not be available in Colombo during the New Year holiday period.

Accordingly, a new was provided and Wickremesinghe requested to appear before the commission at 09.30 a.m. on Thursday (April 25).On April 7, Wickremesinghe had said that MP Dassanayake withdrew the fixed deposits belonging to the Uva Provincial Council, over which he is now facing corruption charges, in accordance with a circular issued during Wickremesingher’s tenure as Prime Minister.

The former President questioned whether the MP’s arrest over the matter was in response to Dassanayake’s vocal criticism of the government in parliament.

The sitting MP is currently in remand custody for allegedly misappropriating a sum of Rs. 1 million of the Uva Provincial Council in 2016.

He was taken into custody on March 27, over three separate corruption-related cases.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court previously granted bail in the cases filed against him but he remains in remand custody due to an order issued by the Badulla Magistrate’s Court.

According to the CIABOC, Dassanayake had solicited funds from three state banks, claiming they were intended to provide bags for preschool children in the province.

Two banks complied, granting him Rs. 1 million and Rs. 2.5 million, which were later transferred to his foundation account.

However, when a third bank refused to provide funds, Dassanayake reportedly retaliated by withdrawing the Uva Provincial Council’s fixed deposits from that institution.The CIABOC filed a case against the MP, citing the government incurred a financial loss of Rs. 17.3 million due to his actions.