The Promise The Pakistani government, in December 2013, announced it would distribute energy savers to poor families, free of cost, under a special scheme to save energy and discourage the use of light bulbs. For this purpose, the government has launched “Prime Minister Energy Saver Program.” The PML (N) official website says “This is just one-step towards conserving energy in […]

 Promise Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), after forming governments at federal and provincial levels in 2008, promised to provide 4,000 environmentally friendly CNG (compressed natural gas) buses under the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Transport Program to cater to the growing needs of commuters. The then-provincial Transport Minister in PPP government, Akhtar Jadoon, speaking on the floor of the Provincial Assembly, informed the House that […]

  The Statement Cricketer-turned-politician and chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-Insaaf, Imran Khan, said that successive governments have been using the top slot of Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairmanship as a means of political patronage and rewarding the cronies, including the incumbent chairman of the Board  - Najam Sethi. Background Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed Najam Sethi, a senior journalist and anchorperson with a leading […]

Promise In the run-up to May 11 general elections, Pakistan Muslim League (N) promised that after coming into power the party would decrease borrowing from banks, rates of taxes and minimize direct taxation to reduce the burden on the general public. Unveiling the PML-N manifesto at Lahore Press Club and launching the party election campaign, the party chief and incumbent […]

Promise The Khyber Pukhtunkhwa government announced it would block NATO supplies in the province. Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI), announced this to media persons in reaction to the drone strike that killed the Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud right before major peace talks. He proclaimed, PTI will not permit NATO supplies until the US stops drone strikes in Pakistan, […]

Statement Syed Munawar Hassan, Ameer (Chief) Jamaat-e-Islami, while expressing his views on Karachi’s unrest and the recovery of illegal weapons, stated that India is dispatching arms and money to Pakistan. Background Ameer Jamaat e Islami, Syed Munawar Hasan while addressing the congregation at Mansoora on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013, said Karachi has become a hotbed for illegal weapons, and that money […]

Statement The “US drone strike sabotaged the peace process,” Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), told media persons in response to the drone strike that killed Hakimullah Mehsud, chief of the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP), on November 1, 2013. Background The Peace Process:  On Sept. 09, 2013, an All Parties Conference (APC) was held in Islamabad and discussed national […]

  The Statement “Pakistan is a bankrupt state,” the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan, said in a statement delivered at a press conference during his visit to Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI). According to Khan, Pakistan will have to pay Rs 1300 billion annually to set off its debts. Out […]

The Promise Pakistan’s federal finance minister, Ishaq Dar, has promised the spiraling price of the dollar will be reined in and brought back to the level of 98 rupees (Rs) per US dollar. Background When Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz assumed charge of the government in June this year, the US dollar was available at Rs 98. However, within six months of the […]

The Statement Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), has said that political leadership in Pakistan is powerless as the real power rests with the powerful establishment. This is a veiled reference to the security establishment of Pakistan. The Maulana gave these remarks on November 12 while speaking to a local newspaper in Islamabad. Background On Nov. 1 of this year, a […]