Despite it all
It was reported by Daily Express (15 April 2019) that kite-fliers did not mend their ways (patang baaz baaz na aaye). The report named a number of areas in Lahore where citizens continued to fly kites and the police remained unable to stop them.
Bureaucratic U-turn?
According to Daily Express (15 April 2019), members of the “kitchen cabinet” of former CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif had been brought back by the current administration within 9 months of taking power – even though some had been initially moved out of the province.
Good times to come
CM Punjab Usman Buzdar was quoted by Daily Jang (15 April 2019) as saying that previous rulers had only looted the treasury mercilessly, but that the current government would give so much development funding to neglected cities that no comparable example from the past would be found (nazar-andaz shehron ko itnay taraqiyati fund dein ge jinki misal nahin milti).
Meanwhile in Naya Pakistan…
Federal minister Brig (retd.) Ijaz Ahmad Shah, according to Daily Jang (15 April 2019), warned the people (awam) that they must not block roads on the call of deceivers (dhokay-baazon ki call pe) or else they would be beaten severely in very hot weather (shadeed garmi mein bohat chitrowl hogi).
Fixing the economy
Ahsan Iqbal, according to Daily Express (16 April 2019), pointed out that speaking ill of Nawaz Sharif would not reduce prices in the market. Moreover, he asked as to why the country’s coffers were empty if the corruption of 3,000 arab rupees (Rs. 3,000 billion).
Response to the drug problem
It was reported by Daily Jang (16 April 2019) that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet met and among other items, it was proposed that punishments including death penalty be introduced for those dealing in the drug “ice” (crystal meth).
Experimental
Commenting on the question of a presidential system, Asif Ali Zardari, according to Daily Jang (17 April 2019), opined that in Pakistan there are new experiments everyday. He went on to state that there were those who were in the mood for this experiment too, but that his party would oppose it.
One way to get to a presidential system
According to Daily Express (19 April 2019), the PPP’s Khurshid Shah commented that if a presidential system is to be introduced, then those desiring it will have to simply do away with the Constitution (sadarati nizam lana hai tou aaeen khatam kar dein).
Can’t care less
It was reported by Daily Dunya (20 April 2019) that while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to serving the people and not deceiving them, CM Punjab Usman Buzdar stated that he was not bothered by criticism (tanqeed ki koi parwah nahin), and that he only gave importance to popular opinion.
Skipper’s message
Daily Dunya (20 Apri 2019) quoted PM Imran Khan as saying that the task of a captain was to win the match at all costs, and that in this process, he could change his players and amend the batting order.
