For now
It was reported by Daily Jang (29 April 2019) that PM Imran Khan conveyed via a close confidante (qareebi saathi ke zariay) the message to all lobbies within the ruling PTI that no proposal to replace Usman Buzdar as Chief Minister of Punjab was under review at the current time.
Good times ahead
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan, according to Daily Jang (29 April 2019), stated that PM Imran Khan was aware of the increasing prices in the market, and that he would restore the writ of the people and the state (awam aur riyasat ki writ bahaal karein ge). Further, Awan stated that the challenges would last only three months, that the economy would start to improve after six months, the times of difficulties and despair would end; and that prosperity was on its way.
Rana Sanaullah strikes back
Responding to some remarks by Firdous Ashiq Awan, according to Daily Jang (29 April 2019), the PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah stated that she ought to first return to the people the commissions earned from buses and sales of medicines.
Memories of the Raj
Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman was quoted by Daily Jang (30 April 2019) as saying that there would be a fight to resist the move to bring madrassahs under the aegis of the Ministry of Education in the same way as there was a fight against the British Raj.
The President speaks
President Arif Alvi, according to Daily Express (02 May 2019), observed that even though a 2/3rd parliamentary majority was required for a move to the Presidential system, the nation was still being embroiled in controversy over a possible shift. The purpose of stirring up this controversy, according to the President, was to take attention away from actual problems.
Great Expectations
PM Imran Khan was quoted by Daily Jang (02 May 2019) as praising the Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar and predicting that he would prove to be the best CM to have ever served in that province.
Case of the disappearing forests
The Forest Department in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has, according to Daily Jang (30 April 2019) had deodar trees worth Rs. 2 crore (20 million) disappear from Chitral. The disappearance of such a large quantity of timber has caused a dispute between the Forest Department and its subordinate Forest Development Corporation (FDC). While the former blames the latter for the theft, the FDC has in turn rejected the Forest Department’s allegations and described them as a conspiracy and an effort to make it the scapegoat.
Vawda’s determination
The PTI’s Faisal Vawda, according to Daily Dunya (03 May 2019), claimed that the nation would even withstand fuel prices going up to Rs. 200 per litre (bardasht kar le gi) and tighten its belt (peyt par pathar bandh le gi), but that the process of accountability would not stop, no matter what the circumstances.
Who is it?
PM Imran Khan was quoted by Daily Nawa-i-Waqt (04 May 2019) as saying that he wanted to know who had started talk of a Presidential system and that he himself was surprised by it (Sadarati nizam ka shosha kon chorr raha hai, mein khud hairan hoon).
Limitations of the Chusni
The Jamaat-e-Islami’s Siraj-ul-Haq, according to Daily Dunya (05 May 2019), asked how long those who were putting a pacifier in the mouth of the government could continue to support those currently in power (hakoomat ke moohn mein choosni denay waalay kab tak hukmraanon ki sarparasti kartay rahein ge?)