Connect with us

Pakistan

Shafqat Mahmood resigns as Punjab PTI president

Published

on

  • Shafqat Mahmood tenders resignation amid reports that the party was not happy over response from Punjab during long march.
  • Says due to health issues, he could not continue his responsibilities.
  • In his absence, Shah Mehmood Qureshi will look after Punjab chapter.

LAHORE: A week after the failure of a PTI sit-in plan on the call of Chairman Imran Khan, the party’s Punjab President Shafqat Mehmood resigned from the post over “health-related” issues.

The PTI Punjab leadership remained under criticism for its inability to put up a solid power show in Islamabad, which was also considered a moral defeat of the party against the Shehbaz Sharif-led government. 

Sources revealed that in the absence of the Punjab chapter head, Vice-President Shah Mehmood Qureshi will look after the chapter.

Mehmood, also a former senator in the PPP era in the mid-90s, got elected as an MNA in 2013 and 2018. In 2013, he was the only PTI MNA who managed to secure a seat from Lahore. Nevertheless, there have been questions about his connectivity with party stalwarts and office-bearers. 

The former education minister, after the PTI’s Azadi March, remained hospitalised and underwent surgery on Wednesday. Finally, on June 3, he quit the PTI’s top organisational office in Punjab.

In a statement, he said that due to health issues, he could not continue his responsibilities. “I am grateful to the party chairman for assigning me this role,” he said, adding that he would continue to work after recovery.

Taking to his Twitter handle, he wrote: “It was an honour and privilege to serve as President PTI Punjab and I thank chairman Imran Khan for the opportunity.” 

“It is time for change due to my surgery and convalescence. I congratulate the new President and will serve the party in whatever capacity assigned,” he added.

It is noteworthy that the PTI also has a real test ahead in which it would have to fight the PML-N for 20 vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly. The names of Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed are doing rounds for the next PTI Punjab president.

Latest News

According to Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, accusations made against Pakistan by Bushra Bibi, the spouse of the PTI founder, are vile and disgusting because Pakistan has historical relations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Published

on

By

The defense minister stated at a press conference in Islamabad that the Kingdom should not be involved in politics for selfish reasons because of our historical, religious, and economic ties with Saudi Arabia.

2.8 million Pakistanis work in Saudi Arabia and send millions of dollars in remittances, he added, adding that making unfounded accusations against the country will hurt Pakistan’s economy.

According to him, Saudi Arabia has always stood by Pakistan throughout its most trying moments, and Pakistanis have a deep affection and connection to the Kingdom.

There is a breach among PTI ranks and files, and Khawaja Asif stated that we have never witnessed such a low point in politics.

Given the gravity of the accusation, the Minister said, former Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa should respond right away.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should fight terrorism rather than target the city, he said, adding that the PTI’s demand for a demonstration on November 24 is the third strike on the federal capital.

Continue Reading

Latest News

The Interior Ministry prohibits KP from using government machinery for PTI protests.

Published

on

By

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not allowed to use the resources of the Provincial Government for a party protest, according to the Interior Ministry.

On November 24, the PTI has scheduled a protest, and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur has declared his intention to participate.

The Federal Government arrested a number of Provincial Government officials who were ordered to participate in the violent protest in Islamabad by the PTI, and confiscated vehicles used by the KP Government against the state during the previous protest in October.

However, the Jinnah Supermarket Traders Union has petitioned the Islamabad High Court to halt the PTI demonstration in the capital and deem it unlawful.

In the petition, the head of the Traders Union has asked the court to rule that the PTI protest violates fundamental human rights by preventing companies from operating and removing the public’s ability to visit stores for necessities.

The petition asked the high court to protect the capital’s workers and PTI founder from unlawful protests.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Planning Minister: The Nation Is Back on Track for Development

Published

on

By

Ahsan Iqbal, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development, asserts that the country’s youth are its future and that Pakistan has made great strides over the past 77 years, becoming the sixth nuclear state in the world today.

Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal stated that inconsistent policies have an impact on the development process.

According to Ahsan Iqbal, the CPEC got Pakistan on its path to growth, and the government is currently moving on with phase two of the project.

The country was in danger of defaulting, but the government has put it back on course, he said.

Continue Reading

Trending