Lawyers’ fury
According to Daily Express (11 September 2017), when two officials of the Motorway Police stopped a car for violating a one-way traffic rule, the person sitting next to the driver identified themselves as a lawyer. The situation turned hostile and the occupants of the car proceeded to slap an official. They also called in more than 20 armed companions from a nearby village and thrashed the two Motorway Police officials. Police have now registered cases against 22 individuals.
Parting words
It was reported by Daily Nawa-i-Waqt (11 September 2017) that the PPP’s Dr. Asim Hussain, while setting off for London, stated that he would first get himself treated and then carry out treatment for others.
A difficult child
Ayesha Gulalai Wazir was quoted by Daily Express (12 September 2017) as saying that an insistent child (ziddi bacha) was preventing the Prime Minister from doing his work, by protests over every issue, which was wasting the time of young people.
Saving voters from Modi’s buddies
NA-120 electoral candidate Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh was quoted by Daily Nawa-i-Waqt (13 September 2017) as saying that he had come to save voters from political pundits, and that truth (haqq) would prevail over those who keep friendships with Modi.
Speaker’s ire
Daily Dunya (14 September 2017) reported that the speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, when questioned by Alia Kamran, said that he should not be bothered (tang na karein), since he was in a bad mood and he did not want to argue. When asked by Shiren Mazari as to why his mood was bad, he said that it was because of the government.
Trashing the party
Police from Mustafabad-Lalyani (Kasur district) arrested the father of a bridegroom and other relatives for having hired performers (tawaif) at a wedding celebration. According to Daily Nawa-i-Waqt (14 September 2017), the police registered cases against these relations of the groom and the performers, but the groom himself made good his escape.
Election party in NA-120
Daily Dunya (16 September 2017) reported on the various traditional ways in which voters were being enticed by various political parties as the polls approached in the by-elections for the constituency NA-120 in Lahore – with apparently no strings attached to the largesse. Residents were quoted as saying that the PML-N was providing them with free fuel, whilst the local PTI office was serving breakfast, lunch and supper and the Milli Muslim League was handing out gifts of medicines, sherbet and fruit.
Ghaznavid talk
The Jamaat-e-Islami’s Siraj-ul-Haq was quoted by Daily Express (16 September 2017) as saying that it was time to break the idol of Somnath, which had exploited people with corruption and built up assets.
Bane of Sultans?
Tahir-ul-Qadri, according to Daily Express (16 September 2017) expressed his view that the Sultanate of the Sharifs (Saltanat-e-Sharifiya) was reaching the end of its show, and that he had never seen rulers gain such ill repute (ruswa).
Bilawal on new politicians
The PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was quoted by Daily Dunya (17 September 2017) as saying that these days, new politicians were talking about democracy, but that they knew nothing about democracy or the people (awam). He was also quoted addressing Imran Khan, saying that the latter was touring Sindh but that in Peshawar the people were looking for him!
Delayed comprehension
According to Daily Jang (17 September 2017), during his address to a rally at Khushab, Imran Khan said that 21 years ago, he had said at Khushab that corruption is the biggest problem, but at that time people did not understand him, but that now, they finally did.