Sunday, 27 March, 2022 I 23 Shaʽban, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 268 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
PM slaMs oPPosition leaders, terMs March 27 ‘decisive day’ in country’s history
islamabad staff report
P
rime minister imran Khan Saturday said that efforts of the opposition leaders to topple his government are focused on to evade the huge corruption cases and declared that he would not spare them, if his life is at stake. “Losing a government is a minor thing, i will not spare you (referring to opposition leaders), if my life is at stake,” he said while addressing a public gathering in Kamalia. The prime minister said that the three stooges (a reference he coined for the leaders of the main opposition parties) have been hatching conspiracy to pull down the government of imran Khan since they have not been getting any NrO. He appealed to all Pakistanis to reach islamabad for the march 27 public gathering as the opposition is giving millions of rupees to the members of the National Assembly to switch sides.
“it is the obligation for the whole nation to stand against evil and side with the good and support those people who have been waging war against these thieves and plunderers,” he told the gathering. The prime minister termed march 27, a ‘decisive day in the country’s history’ as the mammoth crowd would gather in the capital on his call to give a message to those criminals that the days of their plunder and loot are over. “The day will revive the nation. When a nation stands for the right, it is revived,” he said, adding that the whole nation should raise its voice to end evil and vice. The prime minister thanked Asif Zardari, maulana Fazlur rehman and Shehbaz Sharif, as after watching their faces, the people feared for their return to power, so they are galvanized and gathered behind PTi to counter the return of those plunderers and looters of the national wealth. First, these people tried to force imran Khan to give them NrO and after failure in their efforts, they are out to topple his
coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,523,590
LAST UPDATED AT 7:13 AM ON MARCH 236 2022
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
4
189
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
1,485,085 30,340 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
574,549
504,765
KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
218,860
35,468
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
43,239/11,693
135,016
government, he observed. Governor Punjab Chaudhry muhammad Sarwar, Chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and other provincial leadership were also present. The prime minister said that Allah Almighty has ordained the people to stand with the good and wage jihad against evil while remaining neutral in this struggle has not been allowed. The biggest thieves have been plundering the country for the last thirty years, he said, adding one politician known as ‘diesel’ [Fazl] has been doing politics on the basis of religion while the other ‘biggest illness of the country, Zardari’, has been facing graft cases over his billions of rupees corruption. While in Shehbaz’s case, it was divulged that an amount of rs3.79 billion was transacted into the account of his peon maqsood whereas another amount of rs1600 crore was detected in the accounts of his other servants. The case is pending for adjudication. Shehbaz has realised that his time has arrived and he knew well if imran is in power, he would land into jail, the prime minister further said. He said the fourth actor [referring to PmL-N supremo Nawaz Sharif] is sitting in London, who has been declared as an absconder by the courts, adding that in the Panama leaks, four big palaces in posh areas of London were surfaced. These corruption tainted people have been maneuvering against his government after realising that his government has successfully steered the country out of the financial challenges and then the corona pandemic, he added. On inflation in the country, he said it is temporary and attributed it to Covid19. “it will reduce soon,” he remarked. The prime minister also emphasised that in order for the country to flourish, “we need to follow the teachings of islam, maintain justice and equality and ensure the rule of law”.
PML-N starts ‘Mehngai Mukao March’ from Lahore islamabad staff report
Pakistan muslim League-Nawaz’s (PmL-N) “mehngai mukao march” began from Lahore’s model Town area on Saturday. Under the leadership of PmL-N Vice President maryam Nawaz and Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz, the first phase of the march will take place in Gujranwala, where workers from Hafizabad and Sialkot will join. The next overnight stay of the marchers will be in Jhelum on march 27, where local workers from Pind Dadan Khan will join. The marchers will then leave from Jhelum on march 28. After that, the marchers will reach rawalpindi, where locals and workers from Attock, Sargodha, multan, DG Khan and Bahawalpur will join. Later, the caravan will reach its des-
Rasheed urges PM to cash in on popularity with early elections islamabad staff report
Amid a political turmoil that came as Pakistan faces a recurring economic crisis, minister for interior Sheikh rasheed Ahmed advised the prime minister to cash in on the public support which has only intensified after the tabling of the notrust motion and call early elections after presenting the annual budget in June. However, rasheed, who was addressing a press conference in islamabad, stressed the idea for early polls was his personal “opinion” and should not be taken as the position of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-iinsaf (PTi) party. Criticising the “foolish” opposition, the minister said the move to table the no-trust motion against imran Khan taken the prime minister to a level of popularity where “it is the right time [for him] to go for early polls”. He recalled he had also advised Khan to impose governor’s rule in Sindh and declare an emergency but the prime minister did not approve of the suggestion. To a question, he said the government was in talks with its
tination in islamabad. earlier, majority of the party’s leaders in Lahore and the mNAs were directed to reach model Town including the Khokhar brothers and the workers from Kasur, Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan. The party workers from Gujranwala will reach Lahore today. A reception camp for the party workers has been set up by Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmad and Ghazali Saleem Butt at Shahdara, where workers from Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib will arrive. moreover, the workers from Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Kala Shah Kaku, Chiniot and Ferozewala, muridke, Alipur Chatha, Wazirabad, Gujarat, Lalamusa, Kharian, Sarai Alamgir, mandi Bahauddin, Dina, Sohawa, Gujar Khan, Chakwal and Narowal have also been directed to join the march. However, all the mNAs will remain in islamabad.
more inside
Politics of PTI based on lies: Bilawal STORY ON BACK PAGE
Supporters moving towards islamabad to attend PTi’s historic rally: Fawad STORY ON PAGE 02 allies and estranged mPs. rasheed’s presser comes a day after the speaker of the National Assembly adjourned the motion, provoking opposition accusations he was buying time for Khan to muster support after a spate of defections from his party. The motion will now be tabled on monday after which seven days of the debate should take place before an actual vote. meanwhile, the threat of political turmoil is growing as the PTi and the opposition Pakistan Democratic movement (PDm) alliance have announced to
hold public shows in islamabad on march 27 and 28, respectively, prompting fears of violence and instability. But rasheed, while assuring the provision of foolproof security to the opposition meeting, categorically said no one will be allowed to block another party’s route. He said that 15,000 security men from rangers, Frontier Constabulary and police have been deputed for maintenance of law and order in islamabad. The administration of the Srinagar Highway has been handed over to the rangers and FC.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
6 BNA terrorists killed in Balochistan IBO: ISPR STORY ON BACK PAGE
Summary to dissolve Punjab Assembly prepared by Buzdar: report STORY ON PAGE 03