Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

India-Pakistan

PPP, PML-N's position uncertain as Fazl announces 'Azadi march' against govt on October 27

2019-10-04

[DAWN] Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...a Pak religious party. It is usually part of the govt, never part of the solution...
- Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman

...Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty...
announced on Thursday that the party will begin its anti-government 'Azadi march' on October 27.

"The current government is the result of a fake election and fake results," said Rehman during a presser.

The PPP and PML-N, who along with the JUI-F had been holding near-daily meetings with each other to debate the anti-government action to be taken, have yet to indicate whether they will join the march on Oct 27.

The JUI-F chief said that all opposition parties had rejected the July 25, 2018 elections and had called for fresh elections. "In this regard, the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal have carried out 15 'million marches' in the country to raise awareness among the people," he said.

"As a result of this illegal government and its incompetencies, the country's economy has sunk [...] traders have shut down businesses as a result of heavy taxation. The Moslems of Pakistain are in anguish over the state of religion in the country," he continued.

He said a meeting of JUI-F members was held today in which it was decided that on October 27 ‐ the day celebrated by Kashmiris across the world as Black Day ‐ the party will express complete solidarity with Kashmiris and with those demonstrations, a march on Islamabad will begin.

"This will be an Azadi march. Groups of people from all over the country will embark on this journey which will culminate in Islamabad, where we will send the government packing," he said.

Link

India-Pakistan

Fazl asks supporters to get ready for ‘big’ demo in capital

2019-05-24

[DAWN]

Fazl, older and even wider than he used to be...

Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
, chief of his own faction of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...the political wing of the Pak Taliban...
(JUI-F) and head of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), has directed his party workers to start preparations for a "big" anti-government "protest demonstration" to be held in Islamabad soon, inviting other parties to join it.

The JUI-F chief, who was authorised by the country’s major opposition parties on May 19 to convene a multi-party conference (MPC) after Eid to devise a joint strategy for launching a "decisive movement" for restoration of "real democracy" in the country, issued these directives through a video message on Wednesday.

In his nearly five-minute message, the Maulana said their already planned "million marches" in Quetta and Beautiful Downtown Peshawar

...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
would be held after Eidul Fitr as per the schedule.

The JUI-F chief, whose party had initially decided to boycott the parliament after the last year’s general elections, has been pressing the other opposition parties to launch a decisive movement to dislodge the government, but he has so far failed to get a positive response from them, mainly from the PPP and the PML-N.

Link

India-Pakistan

KP Assembly unanimously passes resolution against Aurat March, terming it 'shameful'

2019-03-21

[DAWN] The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the Aurat March, which was held across Pak cities on March 8.

The resolution, presented by Rehana Ismail of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), claimed that women had taken part in the march holding placards and raising slogans that were "obscene".

"Some hidden forces have sped up their efforts to destroy our family system and social customs, the practical demonstration of which took place on March 8, 2019, in various big cities on Women's Day," the resolution stated.

It said the demands made at the event for women empowerment were "shameful and un-Islamic".

The document stated that although the provincial assembly supports the rights granted to women and minorities by Islam, the "obscenity" witnessed on March 8 was not acceptable to it.

It asked the KP government to request the federal government to "expose" such forces and their "conspiracies" and prepare a strategy to deal with such incidences in the future.

The resolution in its original form was opposed by MPAs of the ruling Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI), but after some redaction and negotiations, they agreed to unanimously pass the measure.

Speaking during the session, PTI MPA Ayesha Bano said they supported organizations that speak for women's rights, however, "We do not accept any demands of women which are against Islam."

Opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani, who also belongs to MMA, recalled that a banner at the Aurat March had read "Apna moza khud dhundo (find your own sock)" and said: "If I have pain in my back and my wife helps me put on a sock, what is wrong in that?"

PML-N's parliamentary leader in the KP Assembly, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf Zaman, claimed that certain NGOs were working against Islamic injunctions and the Constitution. "Shamelessness is being spread in the name of 'change'," he stated.

Women in large numbers, as well as men, had participated in the Aurat March held across the country to mark International Women’s Day on March 8. The first such march took place in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
in 2018; this year, the rally was extended to more cities including Lahore, Multan

Home of the Multan Sultans...
, Faisalabad
...formerly known as Lyallpur, the third largest metropolis in Pakistain, the second largest in Punjab after Lahore. It is named after some Arab because the Paks didn't have anybody notable of their own to name it after...
, Larkana and Hyderabad.

Link

India-Pakistan

‘Sad day’ in PA as opposition members ‘manhandle’ colleague

2019-03-09

[DAWN] Speaker Siraj Durrani on Thursday called it a "sad day" in Sindh Assembly’s history when a politician was "attacked" by fellow members after harsh personal remarks were made by the leader of the opposition, overtly targeting the chair.

It was a raucous day that initially mirrored the previous two sittings of the current session when the three large parties on the opposition benches went on to create hullaballoo mainly on the provincial government’s refusal to make the opposition leader as head of the Public Accounts Committee of Sindh.

However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
the proceedings turned graver on Thursday when Leader of the Opposition Firdous Shamim Naqvi, while protesting against, what he called, lesser representation given to the major opposition parties on the business advisory council, referred to some reports broadcast in a section of the electronic media asking how "that much amount of undeclared money and jewellery was found in your lockers".

Mr Naqvi’s words led everyone on the treasury benches to rise in their seats.

Everyone on the opposition benches, barring three members belonging to the Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistain and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, stood up chanting slogans against the government.

The opposition leader’s words appeared to hurt Speaker Durrani, who said what was being claimed as the undeclared jewellery from his lockers had belonged to his family for more than a century and was duly declared in his tax documents.

"I know how much you respect me, my office. The whole world knows how much a speaker is respected here," said the speaker.

Link

India-Pakistan

Fazl calls for early joint session of parliament over LoC violation

2019-02-28

[DAWN] Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...a Pak religious party. It is usually part of the govt, never part of the solution...
-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Tuesday called for urgently summoning a joint session of parliament to discuss the fresh violation of the Line of Control (LoC) by India.

Addressing a congregation at a seminary, Jamia Islamia Isha’atul Koran-o-Hadith, he said an in-camera session of parliament should discuss the issue which was vital for national security. Describing the matter of intrusion of the enemy into Pakistain’s boundaries as very serious, he observed that India had under the cover of night violated the LoC.

He said the entire nation stood with the country’s defence forces in protecting the frontiers; all issues should be placed before the joint session of parliament. He appealed to the nation to demonstrate strong unity at this critical moment and prayed for the armed forces.

The maulana, who also heads Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), also talked about the rallies the JUI-F and MMA was successfully holding under the title of ’million march’ throughout the country and referred to a recent rally held one in Badin. He said the huge public participation spoke volumes about peoples’ commitment to safeguard the Islamic identity of Pakistain and its ideology. He said the eighth ’million march’ would be held in a couple of days in Nasirabad [Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
].

With an apparent reference to the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI)-led government, he alleged that they were attempting to go against the ideology of Pakistain and in the same breath added that they would not succeed.

Speaking on the occasion, JUI-F Sindh chapter general secretary Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro claimed that the JUI-F occupied central position in the province and had emerged as a genuine representative party of the people of Sindh. According to him, the movement launched would continue to help redress public problems. "We condemn in strongest terms the violation of the Line of Control by India," he said and pledged to protect every inch of the country.

Link

India-Pakistan

Fazl hints at launching anti-govt campaign

2019-02-25

[DAWN] Chief of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Fazl, older and even wider than he used to be...

Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
has hinted at launching a protest campaign from Islamabad against the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
government.

Talking to journalists here on Saturday, the Maulana said he would consult other partners of the MMA to finalise the protest plan against the government which he claimed was leading the country to a "disastrous future" both economically and internationally.

"We can hold a protest in Islamabad and we are consulting other parties in the MMA to finalise our plan," he said.

"Only six months have passed and each and every Pak is convinced that this government is nothing but a failure. The economy is on the verge of collapse and our friends like China, Afghanistan and Iran are not happy with the country’s foreign policy."

He warned that the recognising Israel as an independent nation would be the biggest mistake of Pakistain as it would make the country surrender its claim on occupied Kashmire.

Link

India-Pakistan

MMA to stage 'million march' in Karachi on Thursday against Asia Bibi's acquittal

2018-11-06

[DAWN] The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) on Monday said it plans to hold a 'million march' in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
on Thursday against the Supreme Court's recent acquittal of Asia Bibi ‐ a Christian woman who was previously condemned to death on blasphemy charges by lower courts.

Last Wednesday, the apex court, in a landmark judgement, had accepted Asia Bibi's appeal against her sentence, following which several religiopolitical parties had taken to the streets to protest, which at some places had escalated into riots.

A day later, JUI-Fazl Chief Fazl, older and even wider than he used to be...

Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
, whose party is one of several that constitutes the multi-party MMA alliance, had announced that a 'million march' would be held in the port city, where he said "the future strategy" on the issue would be chalked out.

Rehman's party today recapitulated their plans, urging party workers to gather at Shahrah-e-Quaideen on November 8.

Thursday's march will be Rehman's second major political event after he headed a rally in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar

...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
last Friday.

In the Peshawar rally, the JUI-F head had held the PTI government responsible for the turmoil in the wake of the SC's verdict, and announced that his countrywide agitation would continue until the government was ousted.

Link

India-Pakistan

PTI's Dr Arif Alvi elected 13th President of Pakistan

2018-09-05

[DAWN] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
's (PTI) Dr Arifur Rehman Alvi has been elected the 13th President of Pakistain, according to results provided by the Election Commission of Pakistain.

Alvi, who is now set to succeed the outgoing President Mamnoon Hussain, edged out PML-N backed chief of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Fazlur Rehman and senior PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan in the presidential race by garnering more votes than both his rivals combined.

The ECP, in a blurb, said that a total of 1,110 voters participated in the presidential polls held simultaneously at the Parliament House and the four provincial assembles today. Of the total votes cast, 27 votes were declared invalid.

Link

India-Pakistan

'We are ready for presidential battle': Mullah Diesel

2018-09-03

[DAWN] Joint opposition's presidential candidate Fazl, older and even wider than he used to be...

Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
on Sunday declared that he is "ready for presidential battle" even if his attempts to convince PPP to withdraw their candidate Aitzaz Ahsan in his favour made little headway.

Rehman, following a meeting with PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif

...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab...
in Lahore, delivered a media talk and made a last-ditch effort to convince PPP supremo Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari
... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto
... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in...
, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in ...
to back him in the presidential election, set to be held in less than 48 hours on Tuesday.

"For my withdrawal, I will have to take into confidence five parties," said the JUI chief, whose party is one-fifth of the Muttahida Majlis‐e‐Amal (MMA) ‐ a religiopolitical alliance.

"For PPP it is easier to withdraw its candidate," he added in response to PPP leader Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira's call for Rehman to withdraw his candidacy earlier in the day.

While there have been little signs that the impasse between the joint opposition and PPP could be thawed prior to Tuesday's poll, Rehman is not giving up on the challenge. "We are trying to have the PPP accept the joint opposition's decision and back a single candidate; Asif Ali Zardari and Aitzaz Ahsan are good friends of mine."

Link

India-Pakistan

Aitzaz, Fazl (of all people) emerge as opposition's nominees for president after consensus eludes alliance

2018-08-28

[DAWN] With the grand opposition alliance failing to reach consensus on a single nominee, the PPP's Aitzaz Ahsan and Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...a Pak religious party. It is usually part of the govt, never part of the solution...
(JUI-F) chief Fazl, older and even wider than he used to be...

Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
on Monday emerged as the two candidates challenging Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) candidate Dr Arif Alvi's bid for the head of state's office in the September 4 election.

The failure of the opposition parties to field a joint candidate is expected to provide a virtual walkover to Dr Alvi, an MNA from Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
Ahsan, Alvi and Fazl filed their papers for the election before the 12-noon deadline on Monday.

Fazl, who had suffered humiliating defeat on both seats he contested in the July 25 elections, was thrown another lifeline as the 'single nominee' of the opposition parties (except the PPP).

The JUI-F chief has submitted his nomination papers as a candidate fielded by the PML-N, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Awami National Party
founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986. Part of the PPP-led cabinet 2008-13. The ANP is considered left wing, advocating for secularism, democratic socialism, public sector government, and economic egalitarianism....
, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and National Party.

PML-N leader Ameer Muqam will be Fazl's covering candidate.

Link

India-Pakistan

Alliance unravels as PPP refuses to vote for Shahbaz

2018-08-18

[DAWN] The opposition alliance has fallen apart before even taking off after the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) decided to "abstain" from today’s vote in the National Assembly for the office of prime minister due to refusal of the Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N) to replace its candidate, making the contest a one-sided affair.

Besides the PPP, the one-man Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
(JI) ‐ which had contested the July 25 elections from the platform of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) with four other religious parties ‐ has also decided to stay away from the election for PM office on Friday (today). This is despite the fact that the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability...
(JUI-F) ‐ the main component of the MMA ‐ is insisting that they should vote for PML-N nominee Shahbaz Sharif

...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab...
in line with the decision taken at the multi-party conference held in Islamabad earlier this month.

Sources told Dawn that using backdoor channels, the PML-N contacted the PPP leadership many times throughout the day on Thursday, asking it to review its decision in the larger interest of the opposition’s unity, but the PPP refused to reverse its decision.

A PPP front man, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, said the party after a meeting had decided that its members would vote for neither Shahbaz Sharif nor Imran Khan

... aka Taliban Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight...
.

Link

India-Pakistan

Opposition leaders sans Shahbaz Sharif lead protest against ‘rigging’ in Islamabad

2018-08-09

Looks like The Resistance™ is gathering there too.
[DAWN] Opposition parties held a protest demonstration outside the Election Commission of Pakistain (ECP) in Islamabad on Wednesday against alleged rigging in the July 25 general elections. PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif

...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab...
, however, was not in attendance.

The PML-N president could not fly to Islamabad from Lahore due to bad weather, said party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The decision to hold the protest was made by the newly formed 11-party grand opposition alliance, named ’Pakistain Alliance for Free and Fair Elections’, at a multi-party conference held in Islamabad on Friday.

Apart from the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N), the opposition alliance comprises Awami National Party
founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986. Part of the PPP-led cabinet 2008-13. The ANP is considered left wing, advocating for secularism, democratic socialism, public sector government, and economic egalitarianism....
(ANP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party (NP) and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).

Fazl, older and even wider than he used to be...

Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
, chief of his own faction of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...a Pak religious party. It is usually part of the govt, never part of the solution...
and president of the MMA, who arrived after the protest had been going on for a few hours, said: "The only reason why all political parties have joined hands today is because the ECP failed to conduct free and fair elections."

Leaders of the PML-N, according to reports, refused to address the gathering when they were invited to do so.

PPP's Sherry Rehman, Khursheed Shah and Farhatullah Babar, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's former prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics could be awe-inspiring ...
, and PML-N's Ahsan Iqbal were among the leaders who took part in the protest.

Workers numbering in hundreds gathered in the capital. Participants rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud about their respective political parties as well as the alleged rigging. Security officials were deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

Link

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