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ISLAMABAD: In the backdrop of Panamagate and a letter of a Qatari prince in support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s stance in the Supreme Court, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) raised concerns on Thursday over the current visit of Qatari royal family’s delegation to Pakistan.
The concern was raised at a meeting of the PTI, presided over by party chairman Imran Khan at his residence in Banigala.
The meeting discussed different issues including the visit of the Qatari delegation and tabling of the 24th constitution amendment bill in the National Assembly by the government which the PTI believed was an attempt to protect Prime Minister Sharif and his family in the Panama scam case.
Giving details of the meeting, PTI Information Secretary Naeemul Haq said that the government had kept the objectives and reasons of the Qatari delegation’s visit to Pakistan secret at a time when a Qatari prince had sent a rescue letter that was presented before the Supreme Court by the prime minister’s legal team in the Panama leaks case.
“The meeting demanded that the government unveil reasons of the visit of the Qatari delegation,” the PTI leader said.
“If Qatari princes are here for hunting, then another question arises as to who gave them the licence to kill innocent birds,” he added.
Mr Haq questioned as to how long the prime minister and his family would continue to sell the national interest for personal gains and protection.
Referring to the 24th constitution amendment bill introduced by the government in the National Assembly last Friday seeking the right of appeal in suo motu cases taken up by the Supreme Court, the PTI leader called it a bid to protect Nawaz Sharif from a legal course of action.
He termed the proposed bill an attempt by the government to protect the prime minister and pledged that it would never support it in parliament.
“In democracy legislation is made for collective welfare and not for individuals,” Mr Haq added.
Earlier, a PTI delegation, led by Imran Khan, called on visiting UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and discussed several issues including Panamagate and violation of the Line of Control by Indian armed forces and the Kashmir issue.
Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2016
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Comments (64) Closed
Nov 25, 2016 09:09am
All Qatari contracts should be chalanged in Supreme court. There is a huge conflict of interest here.
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Nov 25, 2016 09:14am
How focused on irrelevant issues.
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Nov 25, 2016 09:22am
they are in govt! trying to avoid from allegations but sword is hanging over their head.lets see
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Nov 25, 2016 09:23am
What else do you expect from PML-N?
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Nov 25, 2016 09:49am
Is it just the feathered birds or other types too that are of interest for coming all the way to Pakistan?
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Nov 25, 2016 09:51am
No point going after friendly nations
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Nov 25, 2016 10:14am
Qatari Royal family is visiting Pakistan for bird hunting,no big deal. Qatar is a brotherly nation,and more than 100,000 people from Pakistan are working there.Besides Pak Qatari are dealing in LNG gas and other mega projects,all got smoothly materialised because of close friendship of PM Nawaz Sharif, and Saif ur Rehman. Now the Royal Family of Qatar wish to rescue their friend Nawaz Sharif at SC, it is interesting and yet to see, how our Apex Court consider the Royal man letter, although some renowned Pakistani lawyers have treated that letter of no legal value.
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Nov 25, 2016 10:20am
IK, don't you have any thing to do lets say SERVE the people of KPK, don't waste our time.
Pakistan can do just fine without you!
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Nov 25, 2016 10:31am
1) To get licenses for hunting houbara bustard
2) To invest in CPEC
3) To sign MOU on Nuclear Technology and Space Research
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Nov 25, 2016 10:42am
Any thing for a sound bite. I am surprised that PTI has spared NZs domestic staff so far. I am sure maasis and cooks were involved in Panama as well.
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Nov 25, 2016 10:44am
@Shakeel Ahmed Mariam Shared migh know answer to your questions.
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Nov 25, 2016 10:47am
Let PTI lives in Doubt and Concerns
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Nov 25, 2016 10:59am
Shareef family and Bhutto family are the royals of Pakistan. They are allowed to go about doing anything at all.
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Nov 25, 2016 11:43am
For hunting remaining houbara bustards?
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Nov 25, 2016 12:00pm
The letter is as irrelevant as the discussion about it. Only proofs are the property documents.
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Nov 25, 2016 12:03pm
@jawaid
That is the maximum PTI can do; Sir jee. Containeering, blaming, and sloganeering.
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Nov 25, 2016 12:06pm
@jawaid
IK just wants the accountability of the PM and get that slot vacated by all means. At the same time, he wants to save all corrupt in PTI.
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Nov 25, 2016 12:41pm
They need to get the story straight i.e. Qatari and Sharif, so therefore the visit. Plus Qatari wants its fee upfront. I suggest check Sharif's foreign account money transfer and check there airplane before the "Royalty" departs?
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Nov 25, 2016 12:43pm
He is PM of country have power to issue permit to friends as it is they R owners of MNC which brings foreign exchange and fame. Why IK is questions them?
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Nov 25, 2016 12:58pm
@faisal: Someone cannot be called friendly if they help people to loot, plunder and destroy Pakistan, and themselves abuse Pakistani laws and people. They are certainly enemies, rather worse of enemies.
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Nov 25, 2016 01:07pm
PTI is selfishly hurting the interests of the nation in the greed of its own interests. First its dharna delayed visit of Chinese President and in result delayed the start of CPEC by almost 0ne year. Now, PTI is bent upon getting its wrath turning sour relations with one of the most important friends of Pakistan, Qatar, helping us to ensure our Gas and in return, gas based Power generation. What a brutal selfish of no concerns for patriotism!
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Nov 25, 2016 01:08pm
@M Mirza ; First of all, stop using gas before talking against it.
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Nov 25, 2016 01:10pm
@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan : Can you give a single example where any of the previous governments did anything good for the nation? Don't tell that PTI will do when its Chairman has done nothing other than dharans for self glorification.
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Nov 25, 2016 01:15pm
@Shumail: Start paying your taxes before seeking any good from Politicians. How can these democratic leaders live without eating? What we pay in taxes is not even enough for them to get decent emoluments apart from their hefty security establishment.
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Nov 25, 2016 01:21pm
@A A Ahamed:
You should know that, they are paying heavily for breeding Houbara Bustards in farms and release on maturity to open, before they come to hunt some of them for their game???
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Nov 25, 2016 01:30pm
PTI is a failed party
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Nov 25, 2016 01:56pm
@Mike - So you think PML-N with all the corruption, is a 'successful party'?
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Nov 25, 2016 02:36pm
supreme court should take action and ask for explanation......
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Nov 25, 2016 02:44pm
Tsunami is heading towards pm house fastly. Only miracle can rescue nawaz and his family. But it will never happen. All we expect that pakistan must be cleaned from such corrupt families who brought bad name for us in civilized world.
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Nov 25, 2016 02:45pm
PTI and some of the opposition parties are bent upon spoiling Pakistan's relation with Qatar, after we had a low with Saudi Arabia and UAE.
I cannot understand any technical or business logic in doubting contracts with Qatar, specially LNG.
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Nov 25, 2016 03:09pm
Is there any bottom of this pit we are in? and for how long we plan to stay there?
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Nov 25, 2016 03:15pm
Over sensitive approach. It's not pti's business to dictate who to come and go in Pakistan this is the responsibility of state to decide.
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Nov 25, 2016 03:18pm
He is coming to help the PM get away with Panama leaks issue.
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Nov 25, 2016 03:18pm
Nation is in the grip of lethargy, accepting corruption as a way of life. IK has taken sole responsibility to invigorate masses against inept, corrupt leadership. He is the Lone Ranger rest of us are bystanders.
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Nov 25, 2016 03:22pm
Imran Khan you address Nawaz Sharif as " Badshah"
So when another Badshah comes to the rescue of your Bradshah, then you shouldn't be surprised
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Nov 25, 2016 03:26pm
We should expect anything from this PM
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Nov 25, 2016 03:27pm
@Philosopher (from Japan) : "its the responsibility of State to decide who should come and who should go" wow!
Yet again, philosophical but illogical comment.
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Nov 25, 2016 03:33pm
@ZAK : 4. To rescue Mian sahib....
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Nov 25, 2016 03:42pm
This Qatari LNG project is NS personal project and Pakistani nation is paying the extra price for it.
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Nov 25, 2016 04:06pm
If people demand to have the plundered wealth in country which our country needs to meet many challenges, don't interfere these royal families
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Nov 25, 2016 04:08pm
Thanks. Please keep their bad deeds alive so that nation can recall their short memories
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Nov 25, 2016 04:12pm
Worst case scenrio: The middle class workers will finally know too late that the only way to become rich and successful is to be corrupt to the core and evade all taxes. Thats how the current lot got in to power.
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Nov 25, 2016 04:14pm
@haris yeah it's only logical if in favor of PTI. Pathetic mentality.
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Nov 25, 2016 04:13pm
@Hope. Today an ANP minister was put behind bars by a Traffic Warden in KPK. None of the other three provinces can even allow such a development to happen because they are immature minds who will hold on to whatever power they can get.
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Nov 25, 2016 04:15pm
exactly" If Qatari princes are here for hunting, then another question arises as to who gave them the licence to kill innocent birds"
so true what if imran khan came in power he gave license to people from other ciountries to hunt
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Nov 25, 2016 04:16pm
@Shaukat Ali Khan If Nawaz or Zardari were doing their jobs; no one would have had to worry about Imran's accountability. Why are people only going after Imran when he went after the corrupt? Why not audit him in 20 years he's been in politics?
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Nov 25, 2016 04:27pm
Who exactly are these royals to prevent law realizing its total power in Pakistan, if someone is caught in corruption or any other crime in their kingdom (whatever it is), will they tolerance an outsider like Pakistani's intercession on criminal's part?
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Nov 25, 2016 06:11pm
The shady deals are not allowed in democracy Pmln must inform the house of any such action.
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Nov 25, 2016 06:14pm
Not 'innocent birds' but 'Endangered birds'.
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Nov 25, 2016 06:19pm
Despite all the differences with PPP, now we should realise why PPP was not willing to take it to court. Political matters are Political matters and should be used for the Political purposes. In case of decision comes into the favour of PMLN then they will be considered clean and the topics of their corruptions will be finished forever.
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Nov 25, 2016 07:08pm
@eik pakistani : These birds are protected species.
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Nov 25, 2016 07:29pm
What else can they say?
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Nov 25, 2016 07:37pm
I believe PTI can multi task.
They can be a good opposition while developing KPK.
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Nov 25, 2016 07:59pm
@Hope.
How do you except justice in pakistan, if NOT Imran who else is going to bring these corrupt leaders to face justice.
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Nov 25, 2016 08:08pm
@Hope. Fine with 20.941 trillions of debt and still counting. Corruption and crimes all time high, justice only in riches pocket. police corrupt criminals are released on mutual deals of political parties. What a fine country they are running without IK.
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Nov 25, 2016 08:09pm
@Shehzad KPK is developing, you cant see numbers don't believe reports? go there and check by yourself.
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Nov 25, 2016 08:48pm
Who gives a dime about conflict of interest ... who thing is a conflict of interest while India prepare to ban the waters of Pakistan. I think Nawaz and Modi are colluding and have colluded previously; Modi is doing all this to get attention for elections in Bihar and UP. While Nawaz is taking advantage to take attention out of Panama crisis. if you think about it.. works perfectly
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Nov 25, 2016 08:49pm
@Agatha christie ... dont find justification of looters and stealers of nation. you make me sick
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Nov 25, 2016 09:01pm
@Hope. And of course, the country Pakistan would benefit without Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharifs.
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Nov 25, 2016 10:46pm
Such visits are always fruitful for bilateral relations. Qatari royal family is always welcome to Pakistan.
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Nov 26, 2016 01:39am
Once again PTI is trying to hide its failures and looking for face saving with baseless ideas. These visits are not new. Qatar is an ally of Pakistan and relations have been strong even before Sharifs.
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Nov 26, 2016 06:53am
Iran has got a friend in Pakistan.
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Nov 26, 2016 07:15am
@Agatha christie : solving legal cases with remarks like "how our Apex Court consider the Royal man letter, although some renowned Pakistani lawyers have treated that letter of no legal value."" because of the JUDGES OF THE SUPREME COURT also had informed the 670 pages of evidence presented by Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid is of no legal value either. CASE NOT RESOLVED AGATHA CHRISTIE.
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Nov 26, 2016 09:25am
This VVIP should not be allowed to enter Pakistan, in fact he should be declared 'persona non grata'.
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