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The Sunni Ittehad Council—the new home of PTI elected lawmakers—was ineligible for reserved seats since non-Muslims cannot be religiopolitical party members, the country’s top electoral authority said on Saturday.
In response to the Supreme Court in the reserved seats case, the Election Commission of Pakistan said that the SIC cannot be given reserved seats.
In mid-February, the PTI-backed independent candidates joined the SIC to secure reserved seats after the Supreme Court stripped the party of its iconic symbol before elections.
There are 70 reserved seats in the National Assembly and 210 seats in the whole country which are only allotted to the political parties.
The deadline for submitting the list of reserved seats was January 24, but the SIC did not submit the list for reserved seats, the ECP said.
It went on to add that candidates were asked to provide a certificate of the PTI-Nazriati electoral symbol, but later they withdrew from the symbol. After this, they were declared independent candidates.
According to the ECP, such candidates joined the SIC after the general elections while mentioning that the Peshawar High Court upheld the commission’s decision not to give the SIC the reserved seats on the party’s appeal.
It reiterated that the SIC was not eligible for the reserved seats and there was “no flaw” in the ECP’s and PHC’s decisions as it was “under the Constitution and law.”
The SIC’s constitution does not allow a non-Muslim to be its member, it added.
On Friday, the SC announced a 13-member full bench to hear the reserved seats case. The full bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, would hear the case on June 24 and 25.
Earlier this month, CJP Isa had observed that all of such issues could have been avoided if the PTI had held its intra-party elections. Justice Muneeb had remarked that ECP’s decision to take away the bat symbol had set forth a “cascading” series of errors.
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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued Form 47 to the winning candidates of the recent by-elections.
A total of 21 forms were issued, corresponding to the 21 constituencies where by-elections were held on Sunday.
The winner was also declared in a constituency of Qila Saifullah where re-polling took place at some polling stations on Sunday.
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PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui has said that ‘perhaps’ the May 9 issue was taken properly by neither politicians nor the army.
“There could be a shortcoming, but I think overall, there is no doubt that there could be our mistake, however, the army perhaps not taken up this issue with that intensity or passion on media,” he said while appearing on Aaj Exclusive which was aired on Aaj News on Saturday.
He was responding to a question related to the politician forces’ apparent failure to come up with a counter-narrative against the PTI.
Several people vandalised state buildings and military installations on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in a graft case.
While responding to the query, he said agreed that civilian forces did not work well enough after the incidents that he described as “rebellion”.
According to Siddiqui, attacking military installations and sensitive buildings was a revolt. He added that the court decisions have halted the action against the people involved in such activities.
He was of the view that such events were taken as “rebellion” and admitted that the political parties had not endured the actions on May 9.
The PML-N senator admitted that the political parties did not give any counter-narrative to the actions of PTI a year ago. But he added that the results of February 8 have overwhelmed the May 9.
He wondered about the people who were allegedly involved in such events and contested elections.
“I don’t think that now after February 8, you can take big actions related to May 9.”
In the interview, he said during party meetings he had taken the impression that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif did not intend to become the PM for the fourth time.
He admitted that the party should have taken more seats in Parliament and added that the party did not project its performance during the 16 months of the Pakistan Democratic Movement well to the people.
Siddiqui described the PTI as the “biggest opposition” in recent times, saying that Imran Khan’s party would be the biggest party in the Senate and it should play that role in Parliament.
He further dispelled the impression that a couple of members of the cabinet were not appointed on the decision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
When asked, he admitted that the party’s media strategy was not solid before the elections and failed to bring voters out on voting day.
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Lahore High Court has suspended a notification that declared a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader as the winner after recounting.
PMLN’s Azhar Qayyum had been declared the winner in Gunjranwala’s NA-81 after a recount.
Justice Shahid Karim suspended the notification in a petition filed by Sunni Ittehad Council leader Bilal Ijaz Chaudhry .
Chaudhry had maintained in the petition that he had won his seat by over 8,000 votes but a recount decreased his votes by 2,500 and handed the victory to Qayyum.
The court has now suspended the notification until the case is resolved.
The SIC, made up of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidates who contested the elections as independents has alleged that many of its seats were lost after recounting.
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Story highlights
US diplomat Donald Lu – whose name made headlines in Pakistan after the cypher controversy – told the Congress on Wednesday that he has received death threats after the allegations of involvement in the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan.
“One of the things that I have faced over these last two years is that some of these unfounded allegations have resulted in regular death threats against me, threats against my family, involvement of local police,” he said in response to a query from US representative Rich McCormick.
US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu appeared in the Congressional hearing on ‘Pakistan after the elections: Examining the future of democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan relationship’.
Before answering the query, Lu spoke about the protest and said that the State Department and administration have “tremendous respect” for the Pakistani American community because they are the people in the vast country who care the most about the bilateral relationship.
The Pakistani Diaspora has something genuine to offer because of their deep knowledge and concerns with the country’s future, he said and added that the administration respects them. “We try to listen to them at every opportunity and listen to all of and to those of us who are trying to guide this policy.”
But Lu also mentioned the threats he has received after the allegations. “There is a line of acceptability, and I do think at times some of the free speech has verges into threats and violence which is not acceptable in our society.”
Former prime minister Imran Khan accused the US of backing the no-confidence motion against his removal from power in 2022. At the time, he alleged that had reportedly in a meeting with Ambassador Asad Majeed warned there could be implications if he survived the opposition’s no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.
But the State Department and the diplomat have several times denied such allegations. He reiterated that same thing during the hearing.
Lu was responding to the protest that began at the hall during his response to US Representative Joe Wilson’s question about his assessment of the unsubstantiated allegations that the US government conspired to remove Khan from power.
In his response, the diplomat described them as “conspiracy theories” and a lie. “It is a complete falsehood, I have reviewed the press reporting related to this what it is called in Pakistan ‘cypher’ the alleged leak of diplomatic cable from the embassy here.
When he said that it was not accurate, one of the people in the hall chanted “liar” and a couple of people raised their hands in protest.
He paused for a second and continued to say that at no point does it accuse the US government or him personally of taking steps against Imran Khan. He quoted the-then Pakistan’s envoy to the US Asad Majeed who testified to his government that there was no conspiracy.
Lu claimed that the country respected the sovereignty of Pakistan and the people should have the power to elect the government.
Some of the people in the hall started shouting when he finished his answer.
Before taking questions from Congressmen, Lu read out his written testimony that general elections in Pakistan seemed to be as per law but there had been “irregularities” in how the results were compiled.
Congressmen asked him about alleged rigging in elections, Pakistan’s economic debt, Dr Shakil Afridi who helped the American CIA in tracing the Al-Qaeda chief, floods, and democracy in Pakistan and India.
When asked about the status of ties with the country, he said that the relations with Pakistan were at an inflection point.
He went on to add that Pakistan has been caught up in the conflict after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, calling for supporting the country amid terrorism threats.
Lu also mentioned the recent terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan where seven soldiers were martyred.
According to the diplomat, Pakistan needed a functioning economy and a private sector-led growth not that fueled by a “lender country like the People’s Republic of China.”
When asked about his position on the incumbent government despite rigging allegations, he said that the Biden administration was seeing the investigations being conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan to look into them.
At one point, he said Pakistan’s success was the success of US. He was of the view that Pakistani investors were smart and wanted those bureaucratic hurdles cut down.
In response to a query on the audit of election results, he said that the ECP has called for re-run elections where there have been reports of violence
“We call on the ECP to fulfil its constitutional role to be the watchdog and work in a non-partisan way and the way they do it.”
He was questioned about any sanctions after an investigation into an alleged Indian attempt to assassinate a Sikh dissident on American soil.
“This is a serious issue between the US and India,” he said and added that the US administration took the issue “very seriously” and had raised it at the highest levels with India.
The US was working with India and encouraging it to hold accountable those who were responsible for the “terrible crime” and pointed to India’s announcement of creating an inquiry committee on the matter.
“We ask them to work quickly and transparently to make sure that justice is done,” he said.
Lu said the South Asian country was a very “important partner” and a major non-Nato ally.
“We have deep national security interest with Pakistan, not the least of which is the fight against terrorism. Not only terrorism that affects Pakistanis but terrorism that affects Americans. Pakistan has been a partner in our resettling of Afghan refugees to who we owe a debt and we are grateful to the people and government of Pakistan for that cooperation.”
But he added that the US administration viewed Pakistan’s current relationship with the Afghan Taliban with “suspicion”.
The current greatest terrorist threat to Pakistan emanated from Afghanistan, he said, adding that the Taliban’s relationship with the neighbour was the same as their relationship with the US. “Very strained and difficult,” he added.
Lu said the US had a “very important dialogue” with Pakistan on shaping the Taliban’s behaviour and making sure that they upheld their commitments.
While speaking about the plight of Pakistani women, he said that he saw great victories in Pakistan. S
“Some days Pakistani women are doing better than Americans. As foreign partners, we need to put our speech and activism behind Pakistani women.”
He stressed the need for providing women access to cheap loan financing, an area where the US can tap the potential.
Lu informed Congress that the US was tracking the development following the announcement of the caretaker government to establish its side of the pipeline for gas from Iran.
“I don’t see from where the financing will come. We have not heard from Pakistan about the waiver of any sanctions. We want to have questions with Pakistan about where they can find other non-Iranian gas. Pakistan is interested in clean energy.”
But he also added that the administration was in contact with the government about the project.
Representative Brad Sherman questioned Lu about “hundreds of” American citizens who he said were placed on the Exit Control List and could not leave Pakistan. He asked Lu what the US was doing to get them out when they were not even charged with crimes.
The diplomat replied that there were laws in place but the US was pursuing the matter. Sherman cut him off, saying: “We allow top generals in Pakistan to visit the US when American citizens can’t leave Pakistan and come to the US. We then have the vote tabulation system and they banned the ‘bat’, the symbol of the PTI, and they banned the batsman [Imran Khan]. There have been flaws in the Pakistani elections but this is perhaps the greatest flaw.”
Pakistan’s ambassadors chalked up the matter as the “ordinary working of the Pakistani judicial system,” he said and asked Lu if the US had faith that the PTI founder “has not been the victim of selective prosecution or is it apparent that he has been?”
Lu replied that the US had raised its concerns about the mass detentions, including of PTI members, after the May 9 riots and the use of military courts.
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But again Sherman interrupted him by saying: “There is one thing you need to do. The US ambassador needs to visit Imran Khan in prison and make sure that he lives to tell the tale of how he was wrongfully imprisoned through selective prosecution.”
He also asked him about any prisoner swap deal with Pakistan, by freeing Dr Aafia Siddiqui in exchange of incarcerated Dr Shakil Afridi who helped the American CIA in tracing the Al-Qaeda chief.
When US Representative Tim Burchett asked about providing insight into the involvement of the military in Pakistan, Lu said: “Pakistan’s military is the sixth largest in the world—the largest of any Muslim-majority country. The US military has historically had very close relations with the Pakistani military. Our generals and their generals have trained together decade after decade. It is an important part of Pakistani culture. I have lived in Pakistan. I have seen that for myself. The Pakistani military is an important institution.”
He added: “We respect in this administration and all past American administrations the constitutional principle that Pakistani military must be kept under civilian control.”
Lu said it must be answerable to the president who is the commander-in-chief and responsible for civilian control, but the representative countered him by saying: “It isn’t.”
Burchett suggested that a strong letter was not enough and advised the US should use its economic might to correct some of its wrongs.
He denied that the US asked for Khan’s removal after the former prime minister’s trip to Russia.
“I was absolutely not involved nor were any Americans were involved in that process,” he said in reply to allegations of being involved in regime change.
He also denied allegations that the aid to Pakistan was held as the country abstained from voting on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly.
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PTI lawyers Qazi Anwar and Mashal Yousafzai have brushed off the criticism from some leaders within the party after the Peshawar High Court ruled that the Sunni Ittehad Council, which now has a large number of PTI leaders, was not entitled to claim quota for reserved seats.
In a brief chat with reporters outside the ECP office in Peshawar on Tuesday, Anwar used verses from a Farsi poem. The crux of the verses was that one should focus on one’s work as naysayers always criticise.
He was asked about the reaction after the high court’s decision last week as some leaders blamed Anwar for losing the case and criticised Yousafzai for making her “ustani at such a young age”.
On March 14, the PHC dismissed the Sunni Ittehad Council’s petition challenging the ECP’s decision to reject the party allocation of reserved women and minority seats.
In a 4-1 verdict earlier this month, the electoral watchdog ruled that the SIC was not entitled to claim quota for reserved seats “due to having non-curable legal defects and violation of a mandatory provision of submission of party list for reserved seats which is the requirement of law”.
Anwar said he did not want to answer the query, but used a Farsi couplet to react to the reactions. Yousafzai was smiling when the senior lawyer answered the query.
The woman lawyer thanked PTI founder Imran Khan for making her part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet and allowing her to serve the people.
While reacting to the “ustani” title, she said that her leader had given her instructions to stop the way of traitors and conspirators within the PTI. “We have been following those instructions and Imran Khan has brought the people who made contributions to the party to the frontline and those who have fallen behind having nothing to do and will say whatever they want to.”
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Qazi and the legal team were at the ECP Office related to the Senate elections.
When asked that his name was not on the list issued by the PTI, Qazi replied in affirmative and added that he had shared a similar concern with his party and that he should have been prior informed about the decision. “But then yesterday I received the information to complete the scrutiny. So according to that order, I am completing my scrutiny.”
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An accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday acquitted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons, Hassan and Hussain, in three corruption references related to the Panama Papers: Flagship, Avenfield Property and Al-Azizia Steel Mills.
Accountability court judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the reserved verdict of the corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau after hearing arguments from respondents.
Sons of Nawaz were declared proclaimed offenders in 2018 after they failed to join the investigation in the three references.
Earlier this month, the two through their counsel decided to surrender before the court to face the trial proceedings and sought suspension of the warrants issued against them. They returned to Pakistan last week after an accountability court suspended their warrants till March 14.
The court reopened the references against them after suspending their perpetual arrest warrants and granting them bail against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.
Qazi Misbah appeared as the counsel for Hussain and Hassan while their pleader Rana Mohammad Irfan was also present.
At the hearing, the defence lawyer argued that the Islamabad High Court had already acquitted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and her daughter Maryam Nawaz in the same reference. The running of trial against his clients would be “wastage of court time,” he said.
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NAB deputy prosecutor Azhar Maqbol maintained that the decision of the Supreme Court was not a hindrance in this case, adding that this court can announce its verdict.
The main accused has already been acquitted in the three references by the IHC and the prosecution didn’t challenge the verdicts, the prosecutor added.
The court reserved the verdict and later acquitted the two accused while announcing the decision.
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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Tuesday the country needed better laws to regulate internet free speech, as disruption of social media platform X stretched into its fifth week.
Islamabad has declined to clearly say whether it is behind nationwide restrictions to the platform, formerly known as Twitter, which have left it rarely accessible since February 17.
Pakistan’s polls earlier that month were marred by allegations of rigging, and the outages began after a senior government official made a public admission of vote tampering.
“We need to make better laws,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said when asked whether his ministry was responsible for the X shutdown.
“Expression is fine, but making false allegations against people is wrong – it’s happening and needs to be fixed.”
“We must reassess our own laws and look into what is being misused,” he told reporters in remarks broadcast on state TV.
X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok were key planks in the election campaigning of jailed ex-prime minister and popular opposition leader Imran Khan.
The former cricket star was barred from running and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was subject to a sweeping crackdown of arrests and censorship ahead of February 8 polls.
Most of their campaigning moved online, where it was shut down by numerous social media blackouts which Islamabad blamed on technical glitches.
Rigging claims were also fuelled by a nationwide mobile internet shutdown on polling day, which the caretaker government said was required for security reasons after twin bombings killed 28 a day earlier.
X remained unavailable to AFP reporters in Islamabad, Peshawar and Lahore on Tuesday afternoon – but the site has been momentarily accessible at times over the past five weeks.
“The problem is there is no transparency by the government,” said Sadaf Khan, an analyst for Pakistani campaign group Media Matters for Democracy.
“Twitter is being banned specifically because it has emerged as a platform where political disclosure takes place,” she told AFP.
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Information minister Attaullah Tarar has given mixed signals over disruption, telling one local media outlet it “is working” and another that it was “already banned” when the new government came to power.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – who secured the office through a shaky coalition after Khan’s candidates defied expectations to secure more seats than any other party – has frequently published statements on X.
On Monday, he used the platform to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin for his re-election in a poll slammed by independent observers and the West as the most corrupt in post-Soviet history.
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United States envoy Donald Blome has assured President Asif Ali Zardari of the country’s support in its fight against terrorism.
The ambassador conveyed his condolences for the loss of Pakistani soldiers in the recent terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan, according to a statement from Acting US Mission Spokesperson Thomas Montgomery on Monday.
Seven army men were martyred when terrorists attacked a check post on Saturday. They were laid to rest in their native areas with full military honours on Sunday.
The Foreign Office confirmed to the media earlier in the day that the country conducted anti-terrorist operations in the border regions inside Afghanistan against terrorists belonging to the banned Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which along with outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, is responsible for multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
The statement from the embassy added that Blome called on Zardari in Islamabad to discuss a broad range of issues important to the bilateral relationship, including US support for continued economic reforms, human rights, and regional security.
The ambassador highlighted the importance of the two countries’ shared interests and the “many opportunities to advance our shared goals, including through high-level dialogues and the Green Alliance framework.”
A separate statement from the Press Information Department stated that President Asif Ali Zardari stressed the need for enhancing trade and investment relations with the US, besides exploring collaborative opportunities in diverse sectors.
“American enterprises should be encouraged to invest in the Pakistan Stock Exchange as well as bring innovative business ideas to the country’s economy,” he said.
The president said that Pakistan had enjoyed a long-standing and broad-based relationship with the US spanning over seven decades, which needed to be further strengthened.
The top priority of Pakistan was to put its economy on the right track and overcome economic and security challenges, Zardari said and highlighted that climate change was a global issue and the South Asian country was among the countries most vulnerable to its adverse impacts.
Pakistan wanted to improve its agricultural sector by adopting modern irrigation techniques to conserve water and reduce reliance on flood irrigation, he added.
Blome was of the view that Pakistan and the US could enhance bilateral collaboration in the fields of trade & investment, climate change, renewable energy, agriculture and security.
He informed that the US had completed the Sindh Basic Education Program to build climate-resilient schools to strengthen Pakistan’s education sector. The US ambassador also congratulated the president on assuming the office for a second time.
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A new political party would be launched in the country’s political spectrum in the next two to three months, disgruntled PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said as he questioned the “credibility” of incumbent leaders to improve conditions.
“In the next two to three months, hopefully, efforts are effort and discussions are under way to launch a new political party and there is a need for it,” he said in an interview with Shaukat Piracha on his show Rubaroo aired on Aaj News on Monday.
Months before the elections, Abbasi was among the three politicians who were conducting seminars titled ‘Reimagining Pakistan’ in different cities to raise awareness about the issues in the country.
Many were sceptical about their initiative as to who was pulling the triggers when the country was heading towards elections. His party member Miftah Ismail and former PPP senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar were the other two members.
Khokhar in an interview with Hamid Mir of Geo News had admitted to approaching different politicians to form a new party.
When asked, Abbasi confirmed that a new political party would be launched by May or June.
The former prime minister clarified that he would not spearhead the party and discussions were under way to include leaders from different parts of the country.
He also clarified that he did not quit politics, but only quit elections.
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He went on to add that there were plans to launch the party before the Feb 8 elections, however, they changed them and hoped that parties would change.
The PML-N leader added that they did not want to have power or ministries, stressing the need for a new party. “The whole country is depressed by the three parties [PPP, PML-N, and PTI],” he said and that it was not a success to come to power.
Abbasi described the new party as an “alternate platform and alternate thought” amid the existing political parties.
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The Peshawar High Court on Thursday dismissed petitions from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies.
Nearly all of the PTI-backed MPs who had won the February 8 election as independent candidates joined the SIC so that they could claim a share of the reserved seats. SIC believed it deserved at least 77 seats, including 23 in the National Assembly, based on the number of general seats the party’s MPs had secured in the election.
The party filed petitions before the Peshawar High Court, which in the past ruled in favour of PTI.
However, on Thursday the PHC dismissed the petition unanimously.
A five-member larger bench headed by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the case.
The court said reserved seats could only be allotted to a political party that wins at least one seat in the general election. The SIC, the court said, did had not won a single general sea in Febraury 8 election.
The court had stayed the oath of the MPs on the reserved seats in question, but some of the MPs were sworn in.
MNAs elected on reserved seats sworn in despite court’s stay order
The SIC has the option to challenge the ruling before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed, a leading law expert told Aaj News. The matter will now land before a larger bench of the Supreme Cour of Pakistan, he said.
More to follow…
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Dejected PML-N leader Javed Latif has prayed that the incumbent government—a Pakistan Democratic Movement redux—completes its five-year term as the country faced severe economic challenges.
“May God everyone put their heads together and try to bring Pakistan out of the economic challenges it is facing,” he said in an interview with Munizae Jahangir on her show Spot Light aired on Aaj News on Tuesday.
But he compared the ruling alliance with the governments having a simple majority in the past that has not been able to complete their term. “And if a coalition government is formed or made or formed based on a need, may God it completes its term.”
If someone wanted to deliver to the public in the past they were stopped, he said, without taking the names. “The incumbent PM was much obedient. Shehbaz Sharif can have better relations with everyone,” Latif said and warned leaders of repeating past mistakes.
Latif was once considered one of the close associates of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif. In the recent past, he has been vocal about the state of the government in the country and called for “justice” for his party.
Despite having party president Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister of Pakistan, he is not satisfied and cast doubt on the election results. In more than a 30-minute interview, several times he used the term “pick and choose” to describe the kind of governments ruling the four provinces: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (SIC), Punjab (PML-N), Balochistan (PPP), and Sindh (PPP).
Like the opposition party, Latif claimed that every election in Pakistan has been contended by politicians. He was of the view that votes reflected the sentiments of the people and if they were against institutions then it was “alarming” for the institutions.
The PML-N leader claimed that the verdicts of different cases against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi facilitated them days before the February 8 elections. He questioned why decisions on cases related to the May 9 and 10 events, when a mob attacked state buildings and military installations following Khan’s arrest, were not announced by courts.
He advised those making vote rigging allegations should “speak the whole truth”, citing that they should also reveal from where they are treated as “beneficiaries”.
Latif refrained from calling the incumbent setup a PML-N-led government, but described it as a “technocrat or national setup”. He revealed that he was among those voices within the party calling for not making the government due to lack of a majority.
When asked who was keener to make the central government, stuck to Punjab if gotten majority, and ally with those they wanted, he said: “The result makers.”
He added that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was silent for “many reasons” which he would share one day. But he clarified that the former PM was not “depressed” as some experts thought.
Since ending his self-imposed exile, Sharif has not given any interview to any reporter and has not even made a speech in the National Assembly after getting elected as an MNA.
Latif warned that when national parties are dismantled then its results are bad for the state while speaking about the past incidents where politicians have left parties to join other parties or quit politics.
In the show, a clip of PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat was shown where he told Geo News host Shahzeb Khanzada that any deal for democracy and the rule of law would be held with political forces.
Latif said that justice should be served on cases related to May 9 events. He hoped that politicians could sit together for democracy. But he claimed some forces wanted to destabilise Pakistan.
According to the PML-N leader, election results would have been different if an independent investigation into the May 9 events had been conducted.
When asked why their old allies like Mehmood Khan Achakzai were not with them now, he said that politicians can have disagreements.
“If I had a chance I would have voted for Mehmood Khan Achakzai,” he said about the presidential election in which the PkMAP chief lost to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
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The newly sworn in Sindh government has allocated portfolios to its cabinet members, which mostly comprise old faces.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori administered the oath to the nine members of the cabinet during a ceremony at the Governor’s House in Karachi.
The members included Sharjeel Memon, Dr Azra Pechuho, Nasir Shah, Sardar Shah, Saeed Ghani, Jam Khan Shoro, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, Mohammad Bux Mahar and Ali Hassan Zardari.
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Newly-elected President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has decided not to draw salary amid economic challenges faced by the country.
“He [Zardari] took this decision to encourage prudent financial management in the country. The President considered it important not to burden the national exchequer and preferred to forgo his salary,” according to a post from the President of Pakistan X account on Tuesday.
The PPP co-chairman took oath as president of Pakistan for a second term at a ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad on March 10.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered oath to the newly-elected president of Pakistan. Outgoing president Dr Alvi also attended the ceremony.
Succeeding Dr Arif Alvi as the 14th president of Pakistan, Zardari became the only civilian president to have been elected to the Office for a second term.
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Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s provincial cabinet is set to take oath today (Tuesday), sources said.
In the first phase, the 10-member cabinet will include Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Azra Fazal Pechuho, Sardar Shah, Muhammad Bakhsh Mehr and Zia Lanjar among others.
Shah was elected the chief minister of Sindh for the third term on February 26. He secured the maximum 112 votes.
This marked the PPP’s government for the fourth time in the province.
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The new government would try to end subsidies for elites as soon as possible to provide relief to the poor people, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.
“What is the reason for providing subsidies to the elite? The biggest contradiction is that the poor are being crushed under inflation and the elite being given subsidies,” he said while addressing the federal cabinet.
Last year, British economist Stefan Dercon told reporters in Islamabad that Pakistan’s elites are engaged in a battle for the capture of resources and power as part of a clientelist patronage state. He was of the view that their motivation does not prioritise economic growth and development in the country.
Dercon argued that there is an underlying elite bargain for the status quo among powerful elite groups comprising the leading political class, leading business class, leading individuals in the military, leading figures in civil society, leading members of the civil service, intellectuals, and journalists.
“A handful of the elite has not just encroached upon 90% of the resources but also not fulfilling their duties,” he said and added that the poor are burdened with heavy electricity bills by a group of elite.
Shehbaz went on to add that the country’s circular debt, including gas and electricity, was around Rs5 trillion, citing that there were so many reasons for that.
While speaking about GENCOs, he said that there were junks and the cost of plants run by diesel was Rs60 per unit. “If they are shut down then you can recover your losses,” he said and lamented that mafias were not letting it happen.
He was of the view that wholesalers should be taxed while speaking about the international institutions’ demand to tax the retailers.
“It’s a journey full of blood, sweat, and sacrifice,” PM Shehbaz said and called for expanding the tax base.
He told members of his federal cabinet to “perform or perish”, saying that the time is “now or never”. He said taking up the federal ministries was not a matter of dividing ministries among each other but for a united cause.
“Now we will not dither or delay things,” he said.
“Those who are good collectors are our heroes and we will encourage them and those who are black sheep will be paraded to show the difference between black and white.”
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Former Habib Bank Limited CEO Muhammad Aurangzeb has taken over as the finance czar of Pakistan, the finance ministry said on Monday.
Aurangzeb was sworn in as a federal minister earlier in the day in a ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad. He is part of the 19-member federal cabinet.
Aurangzeb resigned from his position as leader of the country’s largest bank, HBL said in a letter to the stock exchange.
“Mr. Muhammad Aurangzeb, has tendered his resignation to the Board of Directors of Habib Bank Limited (“HBL”) and shall step down as President and Chief Executive Officer of HBL. The Board of Directors of HBL has accepted his resignation, subject to the approval of the State Bank of Pakistan,” read the notice.
Aurangzeb was picked over several veterans previously involved in handling the $350 billion economy, including four-time finance minister Ishaq Dar, as the country looks to plot a path out of its economic difficulties.
The new finance team would seek to negotiate a new International Monetary Fund programme after the current stand-by arrangement expires next month.
The South Asian country seeks to have a longer term bailout to keep the country’s economy stable amidst high inflation and external financing requirements.
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Model Ayyan Ali took to X, formerly called Twitter, to share her reaction after PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in as the president of Pakistan for a second stint.
“Mornin’ Mr President. Godspeed and Goodluck. And ofcourse not to forget. Ahh well very respectfully, Asif Ali Zardari is the head of state again and we all love him,” she said in a post on X, formerly called Twitter, on Monday.
She also shared an old video clip from her interview with actor Shaan on his show Geo Shaan Se.
When Shaan asked her about Zardari in the rapid-fire round, she said: “Well very respectfully he is the head of the state. Our president and we all love him.”
She asked the host to not say more and to ask the next question.
Ayyan was arrested on March 14, 2015 for allegedly attempting to smuggle $506,800 in cash to the United Arab Emirates by the Airports Security Force personnel at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad.
She spent four months in Adiala jail. Her name was linked to high-profile politicians and it was alleged that she was a conduit for their money laundering operations.
In 2017, the Supreme Court allowed her to go abroad and directed the interior ministry to remove her name from the Exit Control List.
But two years later, the special court of customs, excise and taxation declared the model a proclaimed offender in a currency smuggling case.
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The Election Commission of Pakistan will hold the election on 48 vacant seats of the Senate of Pakistan on April 2, the electoral body said on Monday.
The ECP will issue the election schedule for the election on March 14 while the candidates can submit nomination papers from today (Monday).
As many as 52 seats in the upper house will fall vacant after the expiration of the 6-year term of the incumbent Senators on Tuesday.
However, the election would be held on 48 Senate seats as four reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional amendment.
With this, the total seats in the Senate will fall to 96 from the earlier 100 seats.
Voting would be held to elect members against seven general seats, two women, two seats for technocrats, including Ulema and one seat for non-Muslims from four provinces.
Members of the National Assembly will elect one general seat and one seat for technocrats, including Ulema from the federal capital, it added.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s federal cabinet became the smallest among the governments elected in the Centre since 2008.
A 19-member federal cabinet took the oath administered by President Asif Ali Zardari in a ceremony at the President’s House earlier on Monday, making it the smallest among the five governments since 2028.
The previous coalition government, formed after the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote, had the biggest federal cabinet.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement government in 2022 had a total of 70 members; out of which 34 were federal ministers, seven state ministers, four advisers, and 25 special assistants to the prime minister.
The federal cabinet in the Pakistan Peoples Party tenure in 2008 consisted of 60 members. The PPP government had 38 federal ministers, 18 state ministers, two advisers and two PM’s aide.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) formed the central government in 2013.
Its federal cabinet comprised 59 members; out of which 32 were federal ministries, 15 state ministries, and four advisers while eight were appointed assistants to the prime minister.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government that took charge of the country in 2018 had a 52-member federal cabinet.
Out of the 52 members, 25 were federal ministers, four state ministers, four advisers, and as many as 19 were special assistants to the PM.
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When several reporters asked former president Arif Alvi about the rival politicians’ demand for initiating a treason prosecution against him, he laughed off and said: “Welcome, start the trial”.
He said this while addressing his first press conference after stepping down as the 13th president of Pakistan in Karachi, his hometown.
Alvi belongs to former prime minister Imran Khan’s party. In the past, some of the members of PTI have been wary of his decisions and abilities to not hold elections in the country despite the Supreme Court’s order fixing May 14 as the date for elections to the Punjab Assembly.
But the former president tried to block some of the attempts of the multi-party confab during its 16-month rule and when the National Assembly session was to be summoned for the newly elected lawmakers after general elections on February 8.
Several leaders of the PML-N in the past have demanded that Alvi should be tried under Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution for his apparent loyalty to a political party. A leader from the same party, Khawaja Asif, was the latest to make such demands.
Last month, he told reporters outside Parliament that the former president should be tried for high treason because of allegedly violating the law twice.
At the presser, Alvi did not take such demands seriously as when a reporter while quoting some of the PML-N, PPP and their allies said that he supported all unconstitutional work, he said: “Very good” and tried to shrug off such a suggestion.
“Fine. If these are people’s allegations, there are courts and approach it that I did not administer the oath and say whatever can happen with that,” he said and laughed at it. “If a case has to be tried under Article 6, so welcome, have it.”
He claimed that as a president he adhered to the Constitution and did what he considered appropriate.
Alvi, once considered a close confidant of Khan, stated that he was not a legal expert and acted as per the best suggestion he received. “Even the court in its majority judgement did not mention anything about Article 6 and despite that, if someone wants a case under Article 6 then the matter is open.”
He was also asked about his attempts to end the fissures between Imran Khan and the establishment that started with the appointment of an army chief as the former wanted to have the-then spymaster General (retd) Faiz Hameed and the latter wanted to follow the army protocol.
“I solemnly swear that and I don’t say that easily that whenever I spoke to Khan Sb, he never spoke about his preference, especially, he used to send me messages that make it clear to everyone whoever asks a question to you that he has no preference and merit should be the preference.”
A reporter also asked him whether he had seen the cypher, which the former PTI chairman waved in front of his supporters before the no-confidence vote in April 2022 and presented as “proof” the US had been part of a conspiracy behind his fall from power for his “Russia trip and not compromising on the foreign policy.”
But, the US has time and again rejected such allegations.
Earlier this year, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act jailed Khan and his foreign minister to 10 years in jail each for leaking official secrets.
Alvi while responding to the query mentioned the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
It states that if the prime minister comes across any secret or anything he/she would judge whether he/she can make it public if it was in the public interest. “So I think Imran Khan said on that basis.”
When asked did you see the cypher, he said: “Yes, the cypher was sent to me. Yes, I saw it.”
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He stressed the need for ending tensions with anyone, citing that the best solution was reconciliation like the country saw it during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Alvi, the country was able to perform better as compared to other countries because the civilians and the army were united against it and everyone worked together.
“This is a tried and tested prescription where Pakistan achieved victories.”
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PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari took oath as president of Pakistan for a second term at a ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad, a day after outgoing president Arif Alvi’s term ended.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered oath to the newly-elected president of Pakistan. Outgoing president Dr Alvi also attended the ceremony.
A day earlier, Zardari was elected the president of Pakistan for the second time after winning the presidential election with 255 votes against PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai who got 119 votes in Parliament.
He succeeded Alvi as the 14th president of Pakistan and became the only civilian president to have been elected to the Office for a second term.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all three service chiefs, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza participated in the swearing-in ceremony.
Born on July 26, 1955, in Karachi, Zardari is the son of Hakim Ali Zardari, a tribal chief and prominent landowner.
He was married to Pakistan’s first female prime minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
Zardari served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013 and was the first politician to complete a full term in office. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet took oath on Monday, with many old faces returning to his team.
The oath was administered by President Asif Ali Zardari in a ceremony at the President House.
The prime minister had moved a summary containing 19 names who will be appointed as federal ministers to the president of Pakistan. Under the constitution, the president is the appointing authority for federal ministers but functions on the advice of the prime minister.
The summary seen by Aaj News indicates that the cabinet will have a total of 19 members and will include both ministers and advisors. The final portfolios will be announced in a notification.
As expected, a couple of cabinet members are given more than one ministries.
Later in the day, the government issued a notification related to the cabinet members
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More than 20 PTI supporters, including lawmakers Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, were arrested by police in Lahore on Sunday as Imran Khan’s party protested against alleged vote rigging elections in different cities.
Shahbaz Khosa confirmed to media that the Cantt superintendent of police arrested his father Latif Khosa before the protest.
Moreover, police arrested Salman Akram Raja from Ichhra. Later, they also arrested Mehmoodur Rashid’s son Haasan Mehmood from Shadman Town.
MPA Haroon Akbar, the brother of Akram Usman, was also detained from Ichhra. Police also arrested Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Zaheer Abbas Naqvi.
Police contingents were deployed in major cities, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, to ensure “law and order” after the PTI announced its decision to hold demonstrations.
PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat led the party’s processions in the twin cities. A large number of the party’s supporters gathered outside the Islamabad Press Club.
The federal capital police have maintained that the gathering of more than five people under Section 144 of the CrPC was banned in Islamabad, reiterating that legal action would be taken against illegal gatherings.
According to Khan’s strategy, a large number of lawyers has joined the party after several leaders of the party quit the PTI following arrests and investigations into the May 9 events.
The PTI’s protest at the Dawood Chowrangi in Karachi culminated by 5pm.
PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen told supporters that a “mafia” has been imposed on the country. He described the PML-N and the PPP – two major parties of the ruling alliance – as “mafias” who allegedly wanted to launder the people’s money.
He claimed that “illegal MNAs” were being brought up while accusing the Election Commission of Pakistan of playing the role of “facilitator” in this process.
Without presenting proof, he accused the two parties of looting the people. Like his party leader Khan, he vowed to protect the rights of the people.
“Our struggle will continue until our PTI founder comes out,” he said while talking about incarcerated former prime minister Khan.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed hailed Pakistan as one of the biggest leaders of the country, saying that Imran Khan was the only leader after the founder of Pakistan Quad-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
While addressing supporters of the party in Peshawar, he demanded that the former prime minister and all party leaders be released.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur claimed that there was foreign interference in the internal matters of the country, alleging that all the conspiracies would soon be hatched.
He said that the PTI founder should be given a fair trial and an investigation commission should be formed on the cypher case. Gandapur demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan should form a judicial commission on the case related to the diplomatic cable.
He further demanded that the reserved seats of the party, which were allocated to other political parties after the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision, should be given them back.
Speaking to the media from the rally site on the eve of the protest, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said that the party’s protest would remain peaceful.
He recounted the party’s complaint against pre-poll and poll day rigging, adding that even foreign observers had not accepted the results of the elections.
Gandapur also reiterated the party’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja.
The KP CM added that he would not attend the oath-taking ceremony of the president. He had also skipped the oath-taking ceremony for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In Lahore, a heavy contingent of police arrived at the Liberty Chowk ahead of the planned PTI protest. The police also brought three prison vans.
Protests have also been planned for Lahori Gate in Wazirabad, Gondalanwala Adda in Gujranwala, Clock Tower in Faisalabad and Khanapul Road in Rawalpindi.
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PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, after losing the presidential election to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, has claimed that for the first time neither any vote was bought nor sold in the poll.
“The most unusual thing about this election was that the first time it has happened votes were neither bought nor sold,” he told reporters outside Parliament in Islamabad.
“There are some people in Pakistan who think that everything can be bought and sold in Pakistan,” he said, adding that there is a distinction growing between people who could be bought and those who cannot.
The Sunni Ittehad Council backed candidates lost to the former president by a big margin. According to the result shared by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on social media, Zardari got 411 votes and the opposing candidate got 181 votes in Parliament and four assemblies.
The PPP co-chairman would succeed Arif Alvi as the 14th president of the country. In a reception hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, Bilawal described the stature of the presidency as the “Queen of England” after the former president devolved his powers under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Achakzai, who hails from Balochistan, thanked lawmakers who voted for him in the presidential election. He also thanked those who did not belong to Imran Khan’s party, the BNP-M chief and his two-member parliament.
He wondered why National Party’s Abdul Malik Baloch who vowed to vote for the alliance did not vote for him. “Don’t know whether he slipped on a banana peel or what happened? We should have got one vote from there. We did not get any single vote from our province [Balochistan].”
Achakzai has been playing his role in the political democratic alliance which can be gauged from his active participation in MRD, APDM, Poonam, PDM, and other movements.
But overall he was satisfied with the process. “This is good and a good precedent has been set. We will talk about other things in Parliament.”
He reiterated that he had urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to delay the poll for five to seven days to try to ease the tense political situation by developing a consensus.
The PkMAP chief said that the NA speaker did not understand his demand or else the presidential election could be held with consensus.
“I still say that and I request that this charged environment in Punjab and KP is not a good sign for the future. I will request Nawaz Sharif that he should tell the saner elements in his party that maybe he may not have good ties with some people and do not like their actions, but a large number of people in Pakistan have voted for that party,” he said.
In an apparent reference, the politician was speaking about incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan. He had called for his release in his maiden NA speech.
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“We have to bear each other,” Achakzai said and added that politicians have to support each other. He went on to add that it could be done if parties don’t take their parliamentary issues to court.
The PkMAP chief reminded politicians that the legislative assembly had formed the Constitution. “The sooner the better,” he said, adding that except for Nawaz Sharif, politicians were small in front of the challenges faced by the country.
“Our small mistake can destroy the region,” he said and requested “for the sake of the country” to have discussions on Iran, Afghanistan, and resources related to Central Asia.
“This is the test of our wisdom,” he said and warned leaders against getting involved in proxies due to the leaders’ “negative attitude”.
He shared that he went to congratulate Zardari, but the latter was not in his seat. He sent his congratulatory message to senior leaders of PPP. “Now a test will begin for all of us.”
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