Treatment
According to Daily Express (04 June 2019), former Finance Minister Asad Umar opined that the PML-N government left the economy on its deathbed (bistar-e-marg par chorr kar gai thi) and that the process of healing it would be akin to that for a wound.
The Mufti weighs in
Mufti Naeem of Jamia Binoria, according to Daily Express (05 June 2019), demanded that Fawad Chaudhry be removed from his ministerial post. He expressed his view that we are required to celebrate Eid after sighting the requisite moon. Mufti Naeem went on to say that the 5-year calendar proposed by Fawad Chaudhry would not be acceptable and that science was subservient to Shariah (science shariat ke tabeh hai).
On the budget
Defence Minister Pervez Khattak was quoted by Daily Dunya (08 June 2019) as saying that the government was trying not to burden the people with the corruption and looting (loot maar) of the previous rulers, but that it was necessary to take tough measures to get the economy standing on its feet. The Minister went on to express his confidence that the government would present a people-friendly and balanced budget.
Beneficiaries
Daily Dunya (08 June 2019) reported that on the happy occasion of Eid the barbers, tailors and beggars were among the most successful collectors of Eidi money. Religious leaders at mosques and madrassahs also received large sums of money on the festival. One beggar was quoted as saying that price hikes had hit collections from Eidi.
PIA strikes again
A PIA flight that departed from Madinah and flew to Islamabad on the second day of Eid-ul-Fitr, according to Daily Express (08 June 2019), left the luggage of more than 50 passengers who had performed Umra. Passengers launched a protest on arrival at Islamabad’s airport.
Desperate measures
Daily Jang (08 June 2019) reported that a young man accused of bothering a woman via phone calls was lured into a trap by her husband. The young man then found his head and half his mustache shaved – in addition to having his face blackened and being paraded around the neighbourhood.
Analysis from Sheikh Rasheed
Sheikh Rasheed, according to Daily Express (09 June 2019), opined that Shehbaz Sharif plays on both ends of the wicket even now – and that in doing so he always makes a path for Nawaz Sharif. He further noted that the politics of the two brothers was different. Further, Rasheed stated that the Kot Lakhpat jail where former PM Nawaz Sharif is being held, had been upgraded and that Mukesh’s songs are playing there.
What the future holds
Manzoor Wissan of the PPP, known for his political predictions, according to Daily Jang (08 June 2019), claimed that PM Imran Khan’s government would not last until 2020 and that he would resign suddenly before this year’s end.
Advice
Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed was quoted by Daily Jang (08 June 2019) as saying that the ruling PTI should not wash its dirty laundry publicly on the media, but that it ought to instead keep internal clashes to itself. He also predicted that the opposition’s “drama” would fall apart soon without affecting the PM and his administration. Rasheed also placed responsibility for the current price hikes on PML-N and PPP.
Riposte
It was reported by Daily Dunya (09 June 2019) that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan served the PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah a notice of defamation for Rs. 2 billion. Responding to the legal notice, Rana Sanaullah addressed ‘Firdous Baji’ and noted that she had become angry because he had asked her about corruption involving state-owned buses, medicines and what he described as the ineptness (na-laiqi) of the PM.
