Lone warrior?
Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) Imran Khan was quoted by Daily Dunya (10 Oct 2016) as saying that the Prime Minister and the Opposition were both corrupt. He went on to reiterate that the PTI’s upcoming series of protests could be put ‘on hold’ if the government accepts the TORs presented by opposition parties for investigation in the Panama affair, or else if the PM resigns.
Democracy: difficult to spot?
Leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed stated that “Nawaz democracy” is visible only to patwaris and courtiers (darbari). According to Daily Express (14 Oct 2016), he further stated that the judiciary or the common man certainly cannot see it, even with binoculars.
Say ‘Uncle’!
According to Daily Express (15 Oct 2016), commenting on the Altaf money laundering case and the British investigation, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Shehla Raza said that PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto had only referred to Altaf Hussain as “Uncle” in a humourous vein (tanz).
“America and the West not welcome!”
According to Daily Express (15 Oct 2016), leader of the JUI(F) Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, commenting on the issue of legal reforms in the status of FATA, stated that no decision ought to be ‘imposed by force’ on the people of the Tribal Areas. He went on to say that there was no room for America and the West in Pakistan, a Muslim country, and that no matter how many technical colleges were established by the government, the madrassahs and mosques would retain their role.
Name-calling
PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz was quoted by Daily Jang (11 Oct 2016) as saying that Somersault (Qalabaazi) Khan stood exposed and that the people must know that he is “Mr. U-turn”. He went on to say that the PTI leader out not to bring four infants (chaar bachay) onto the street and hurl insults at people.
“I could but I’d rather not!”
ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan was quoted Daily Jang (11 Oct 2016) as saying that locking down cities is not politics and that he could close down Peshawar within two hours. He went on to say that Imran Khan was intoxicated by a desire for the highest office in the country. The ANP leader then went on to harshly criticise Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s administration too.
Partial opposition to honour killing?
According to Daily Jang (12 Oct 2016), the chief of the Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, Sajid Mir, criticised the proposed legislation against honour killing, stating that he partially supported (juzvi hamayat) the legislation, but felt that the kin of a victim of honour killing ought to have the option of forgiving the murderer or accepting blood money.
Race to the bottom?
Daily Jang (12 Oct 2016) reported that according to a recently released report by the Global Hunger Index, India faced a serious situation with regards to hunger and malnutrition, but that the situation in Pakistan was ranked even worse. Reportedly, India ranked number 97 in the list of developing countries, while Pakistan came in at number 107.
Threatened men?
It was reported by Daily Jang (14 Oct 2016) that a decision by the Punjab Workers’ Welfare Board to employ only women has been challenged by a petition in the Lahore High Court. The basis for the challenge is reported to be ‘discrimination against men’.
Sense of scale…
Daily Nawa e Waqt (16 Oct 2016) quoted Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Parvez Khattak, as saying that corrupt politicians have harmed the country so much that even India could not match it.