Politics

Govt claims Reko Diq issue settled with Akhtar Mengal, BNP-M denies

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Tarar says he was in touch with coalition partners over Reko Diq.
BNP-M vice president says their concerns weren’t addressed.
Says law minister’s statement was contrary to facts.

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP) has denied the claims of federal Minister for Law Azam Nazir Tarar, who said that issue surrounding the Reko Diq deal had been resolved with the party head.

The federal cabinet earlier this week approved funding for the project but coalition partners BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) had some concerns regarding it. Moreover, Mengal even warned of parting ways with the federal government.

However, Law minister Tarar claimed that the matters had been resolved with Mengal, saying that he was in touch with the BNP-M chief and other coalition partners who wanted to limit the Foreign Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act, 2022 to Reko Diq.

Responding to the claim, BNP-M Vice President Malik Wali Kakar said that their grievances had not been addressed by the federal government. He refuted Tarar’s statement that the issue had been resolved and said the minister’s statement was contrary to the facts.

He also said Federal Minister Ayaz Sadiq had sought time for a meeting, which would be agreed upon after consultation with his party.

Fazl-Mengal discussion on Reko Diq

On Tuesday, PDM Chairman and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal expressed reservations about not taking them into confidence on the legislation concerning Reko Diq.

Fazl met Mengal in which matters pertaining to the overall political situation of the country and Balochistan came under discussion.

In this regard, sources said both the leaders expressed concern over not being taken into confidence on the Reko Diq legislation and agreed to adopt a joint political strategy.

BNP-P summons core committee meeting

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tried to allay the allies’ apprehensions.

The sources have claimed that Mengal, who was considering parting ways with the ruling coalition, had summoned a meeting of BNP-M’s core committee to discuss the recent developments and future plan of action.

The former chief minister of Balochistan had also refused to support the Foreign Investment (Promotion and Protection) Bill, 2022 in the lower house of parliament. However, the ruling alliance, while apparently bulldozing the concerns raised by the allies, managed to take the parliament’s nod on the bill.

SC okays deal

Last week, the apex court declared the new deal between a Canadian firm and the government on the Reko Diq project legal.

A five-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, shared its opinion on a reference sent by President Arif Alvi.

Canadian company Barrick Gold, which ended a long-standing dispute with Pakistan in March last to strike a new agreement, earlier asked the federal government to get clearance from parliament and the country’s top court to make its investment in the project safe.

In its short verdict, the apex court observed that the government had signed the agreement after taking the Balochistan Assembly into confidence and consulting experts.

Latest News

Response from PTI to PM Shehbaz regarding party protests

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

PTI spokesperson: The government is attempting to deflect criticism away from its “failures,” the spokesperson stated in a statement.

The PTI spokesperson said, “The mandate thieves are just skilled at making pronouncements; in reality, they are obsessed with inflaming tensions between provinces and persecuting people.

All Pakistanis are aware, he continued, that “vote manipulation” was the means by which this regime was elected. “To defend their rights, democracy, and an independent judiciary, the people are now taking to the streets.”

In addition to pledging to resist what the party referred to as “injustices,” the PTI spokesperson stated that the country is committed to preserving Pakistan’s future.

PM Shehbaz claimed earlier in his speech to the federal cabinet that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is “leading” the group of sabotage agents, which is made up of Afghan citizens, and it is utilizing government employees.

Ali Amin Gandapur is ‘guiding’ the protests, the prime minister stated, while the government is working to stabilize the economy and launch its own economic initiative.

One Islamabad Police official was martyred during the rally, and protesters allegedly fired from the air, according to PM Shehbaz. It is natural that investment will draw in a calm and safe environment, he said.

Regarding the PTI demonstration, the prime minister stated that attempts were made to incite unrest at a time when the Chinese Premier was scheduled to undertake a bilateral visit along with a Saudi team, and accusations were made against the government.

While comparing the PTI’s recent protest to the party’s 2014 sit-in, Prime Minister Shehbaz declared that a “gory tale” recurrence would not be permitted at all.

“Such situations are a recurrence of the events that occurred in 2014–2015, when a sit-in was organized for months and was not called off despite the Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan being announced without consideration for the consequences for the people and economy of the country. That won’t be permitted to happen again. Under any circumstances, we will not put up with it. I guarantee you of this. The prime minister pledged, “I will not allow it to happen.”

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APC Regarding Palestine: Deputy Prime Minister Invites JUI-F Leader to Join APC on Palestine

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has been asked by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to attend the All Parties Conference, which is being held today to discuss the Palestine problem and is being hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The leader of JUI-F and a high-ranking delegation from coalition partners met with the deputy prime minister at his home.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, and Nayyer Hussain Bukhari were among the delegation members.

Muhammad Aslam Ghori, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari, and Maulana Salahuddin Ayubi took part in the meeting as well.

The discussion at the conference also covered the nation’s overall political predicament.

Latest News

PTI founder prohibited from meeting family and lawyers

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

The jail authorities have cited security concerns as the rationale for this prohibition.

Sources indicated that the Punjab government’s prohibition on meetings will be effective till October 18 and will extend to additional inmates at Adiala Jail.

Security agents have intensified investigations and apprehended six additional members of the jail staff for facilitating the PTI founder.

Sources indicated that the incarcerated personnel of the prison also comprised three women. “The apprehended prison staff comprises a janitor, two female wardens, and three CCTV surveillance operators,” sources reported.

Security agents have confiscated the employees’ cell phones. “Female employees were communicating messages between Bushra Bibi and the founder of PTI,” sources reported.

Former Adiala Jail Deputy Superintendent Zafar Iqbal has recently returned home following his detention on allegations of assisting former Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to sources.

Sources indicate that Zafar Iqbal was apprehended on August 13 for interrogation over his assistance to Imran Khan while incarcerated.