Entertainment
President Zardari steps in to diffuse PML-N-PPP tensions after days of verbal spat
- President Zardari, Mohsin Naqvi to discuss PML-N-PPP friction.
- PPP members boycott NA, Senate sessions over Maryam’s remarks.
- Party laments divisive rhetoric coming from Punjab towards Sindh.
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The tensions between coalition partners Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) escalated sharply after heated exchanges over Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s public remarks, The News reported on Tuesday.
The PPP lawmakers, a day earlier, staged walkouts from both the National Assembly and the Senate and demanded a formal apology, while PML-N ministers rejected the demand and counterattacked Sindh’s governance record.
However, President Asif Ali Zardari stepped in to defuse the growing tensions between the Sindh and Punjab governments who summoned Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Karachi for urgent consultations.
The president held a telephonic conversation with the interior minister to discuss the ongoing friction between the provincial government of Punjab and Sindh and summoned him to Karachi immediately.
The president’s intervention comes against the backdrop of the ongoing verbal spat between the PPP and PML-N — the key ruling parties at the Centre — who have been at odds over flood relief, water resources, and the performance of their respective provincial governments in Sindh and Punjab.
On Monday, the PPP lawmakers staged walkouts from the Senate and National Assembly, demanding an apology from the Punjab chief minister. In National Assembly, the PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers separately staged walkouts.
The PPP members boycotted the House proceedings in protest against what they termed “regrettable remarks” made by Punjab CM against their leadership.
Speaking on a point of order, former prime minister and senior PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said his party would not participate in the proceedings until the government provided a satisfactory explanation regarding the Punjab CM’s statements.
“Bilawal Bhutto never criticised any PML-N leader; rather, he appreciated the Punjab CM’s governance. We are part of this government for the sake of Pakistan’s federation, not confrontation,” Raja said.
He added that PPP’s tolerance should not be mistaken for weakness, reminding the House that the party had faced much tougher times, including military dictatorships.
Ashraf also criticised the withdrawal of security for the PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly and called it a violation of the spirit of the Charter of Democracy.
“We must not use divisive language or resort to blame games. Respect is more important for us than power,” he added.
Speaking on the floor of the House, PPP parliamentary leader Senator Sherry Rehman expressed concern over what she described as “divisive rhetoric” coming from Punjab towards Sindh and the PPP leadership at a time when the nation was reeling from devastating floods.
“Over 6.5 million Pakistanis have been affected by floods — these are not Punjabis or Sindhis, they are Pakistanis. Instead of focusing on their plight, divisive rhetoric is growing. This is no way to manage a crisis or a coalition,” she said.
Sherry Rehman said the ongoing “war of words” between Punjab and Sindh was hurting both the coalition and national unity. She asserted that the PPP had shown restraint and solidarity but a red line was crossed when PML-N leaders “played the Punjab card” and criticised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.
She lamented that the Punjab government had even withdrawn the security of PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly.
Defending Bilawal’s recent comments, she said he had merely suggested that the Punjab government use Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) data to identify and compensate flood victims.
Calling BISP one of the world’s most effective social protection mechanisms, she cited a World Bank report to support her point. Sherry maintained that “an apology brings more respect” and that PPP did not believe in “politics of division or hatred”.
“If an apology is not offered, then don’t take our support for granted. The PPP remains the largest party in the Senate,” she warned before leading her party’s walkout.
Responding to her remarks, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar struck a conciliatory tone, saying that President Asif Zardari had already taken cognisance of the situation and stepped in to play his constitutional role.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif are both proponents of reconciliation. The political temperature will come down soon,” Tarar said, adding humorously that the opposition should not celebrate these “ups and downs” in coalition politics.
Meanwhile, separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has clapped back at PTI’s Asad Qaiser for suggesting that PPP move a no-confidence motion against the government, telling him to focus on fixing his own party first.
At least 10 people have been hurt in a horrific shooting incident at the Mall of Louisiana. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, two of the injured are in critical condition.
Police Chief TJ Morse has ruled out any threat to public at this time; however, the shooter remains at large. He added that the incident was not a random act of violence.
Morse said: “Unfortunately there was some innocent people in the area that might have also caught some rounds.”
The initial investigation reveals that an argument between two groups of people sitting inside the food court escalated to the point that opened fire at each other.
Arounf six victims were taken to the hospital by emergency services while the others went for medical aid by personal vehicle. Some of the injured were undergoing surgery.
Officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were also present at the scene.
East Baton Rogue Mayor-President Sid Edwards was also present on the scene. He updated that all the civilians were excorted out of the building. He requested public to “keep the victims and their families in your prayers.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also released a statement, saying, “I am aware of the active shooter schene at the Mall of Louisiana.” He urged public to avoid the area, adding, “Sharon and I are praying for those affected.”
He also praised the law officials for their quick response to the incident.
The incident comes just hours after the police arrested a man on his way to Louisiana allegedly with the intent to carry out a mass shooting at a festival in New Orleans.
Prince William took a turn behind the scenes of high-speed innovation this week, visiting the headquarters of Jaguar TCS Racing and putting the spotlight firmly on the future of electric motorsport.
Sharing a clip from his visit on Instagram, the Prince of Wales captioned it: “Going green with Jaguar TCS Racing and Formula E!” a nod to the team’s push toward electrification, sustainability.
William also brought his trademark curiosity to the table, joking with engineers about how far automation in racing could eventually go.
Speaking during the visit, he quipped: “At what point does the driver become the weak link?”
Before pushing the thought further: “(At what point do we think) get rid of drivers, we’ll get an AI person in? We’re probably not far off that, are we?”
The Prince also spent time speaking 22-year-old Phoebe Russell, where the conversation turned to careers in motorsport and the barriers still faced by women entering the industry.
William asked: “Was it easy for you to find your way into this world?” to which Russell replied: “Not at all,” explaining she had early exposure to the sport through family connections.
After the visit, Russell admitted the encounter left her overwhelmed, saying: “Being asked to do a little career talk was very exciting.
The fact that he had so much awareness of the sport and so much interest, and it ties into his whole sustainability project, it was very interesting.”
Before leaving, William signed off with encouragement for the team ahead of their next challenge, telling them: “I’m very excited to see you racing, I’m going to cheer you guys on.”
Michael has finally been released on April 24 and it is already getting a lot of attention, with people discussing how the story of Michael Jackson has been shown on screen.
The project has been in talks for a long time. It was first discussed in 2019 and later confirmed in 2022, so fans have been waiting for years to see it.
One of the biggest reasons for interest is that Jackson’s real life nephew Jaafar Jackson is playing him, which made people even more curious about how the film would turn out.
The producer Graham King shared that the goal was to show a fair and balanced version of Michael’s life, explaining the idea was to show him as a real person, not just focus on fame but also his struggles and personal side.
Before the release, some parts of the story got to be changed because of legal restrictions.
That means a few planned scenes were removed or adjusted before the final cut.
Even with all the debate and discussion around the film, early reactions suggest strong interest from audiences.
Many fans around the world are still excited to watch Michael and decide for themselves after seeing it, which is why expectations at the box office remain high.
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