ISLAMABAD: The election organisation has asked the government personnel and their immediate family members, who intend to use the postal ballot facility for by-elections on 23 seats of the Assemblies, to cast their votes not later than April 2, 2024.

This facility, under the law, has been extended to the persons in government service, members of armed forces and their spouses and children, as well as persons with physical disabilities, and persons who are imprisoned or held in custody, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Friday.

The aforementioned persons are eligible to vote through postal ballot under Section 93(1) of the Elections Act 2017.

By-elections are scheduled on 23 seats of the Assemblies on April 21, comprising of 19 seats vacated by those candidates who had won more than one seats in the last month’s general elections, and four seats that saw elections postponement due to the deaths of contesting candidates.

The by-polls would be held on the six seats of National Assembly, 12 seats of Punjab Assembly, two seats each of Balochistan Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and one Sindh Assembly seat.

Of these seats, the general elections that were scheduled on February 8, on National Assembly’s seat NA-8 and KPA seat PK-22, were delayed due to the killing of a candidate who was contesting the polls on both these seats. Polls were also postponed on KPA seat PK-91 and PA seat PP-266 due to the deaths of the respective contestants ahead of February 8 general polls.

The remaining 19 seats that have been vacated by candidates who won more than one seats in the general polls, and where by-polls are being held, are: NA-44, NA-119, NA-132, NA-196, NA-207, PP-22, PP-32, PP-36, PP-54, PP-93, PP-139, PP-147, PP-149, PP-158, PP-164, PP-290, PB-20, PP-22 and PS-80.

The ECP is under fire from public and political circles as well as international stakeholders over allegedly massive rigging in February 8 general polls. The electoral body has rejected these allegations.

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LAHORE: Four senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who had lost their seats in the general elections held on February 8, are not in the race for the by-elections, as they had not submitted their nomination papers.

PML-N leaders Rana Sanaullah Khan, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Mian Javed Latif and Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan had stayed away from the by-polls scheduled to be held on April 21.

In Punjab, for the National Assembly seats by-poll was scheduled in NA-119 Lahore-III and NA-132 Kasur-II. The seat of NA-119 was vacated by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz while NA-132 was vacated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The by-elections were also being held in different Punjab Assembly constituencies, including PP-22 Chakwal-Cum-Talagang, PP-32 Gujrat VI, PP-36 Wazirabad-II, PP-54 Narowal-I, PP-93 Bhakkar-V, PP-139 Sheikhpura-IV, PP-147 Lahore-III, PP-149 Lahore-V, PP-158 Lahore XIV, PP-164 Lahore-XX, PP-266 Rahim Yar Khan-XII, and PP-290 Dera Ghazi Khan-V.

The seat of PP-147 was vacated by the former Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz while PP-149 was vacated by Istakam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) President Abdul Aleem Khan.

It may be added that March 29, is the last date for withdrawal of candidature and publication of the revised list of candidates, and subsequently, election symbols will be allotted to contesting candidates on March 30.

On the other hand, the nomination papers of 12 candidates, including the candidates of the PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been approved for NA-119. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has approved the nomination papers of PML-N’s candidate Ali Pervez Malik of PML-N, and PTI’s candidates Shahzad Farooq and Nadeem Sherwani for the by-election in NA-119. The nomination papers of other candidates, including Ali Sarwar Gillani, Zarak Tanveer, Akmal Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, Asghar Ali, Ahmed Mughal, Muhammad Zaheer, Muhammad Nawaz and Mian Rohail Ashraf, have also been accepted.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed its desire to engage in meaningful discussions with the United States to address “misunderstandings” with regard to the country’s domestic situation and electoral laws.

Speaking at her weekly news briefing in response to media queries about the US Congressional hearing of alleged rigging in Pakistan’s February 8 general elections, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that during the hearing some statements were made, which were intrusive and reflected a misunderstanding of Pakistan’s domestic situation and electoral laws.

“We hope to engage in meaningful discussions with the United States to address these misunderstandings. We also hope that the US Congress will play a positive and constructive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and developing avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation,” the spokesperson said.

Lu submits written testimony in US Congress: ‘Despite complaints Pakistan polls were as per law’

She said Pakistan respects the prerogative of legislative bodies to discuss international issues. She; however, said the deliberations of these legislative bodies should contribute to promoting positive dynamics in bilateral ties based on mutual respect and understanding.

US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, a central figure in the cipher controversy, testified before a Congressional panel on Thursday about US-Pakistan ties in the wake of allegations of rigging in the February 8 general elections, as he told the panel that if the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to investigate allegations of irregularities in the polls, it will retard the bilateral relationship.

When her response was sought on Lu’s remarks about the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project, she said that it is the sovereign decision of the Pakistan government to move forward on the project and it will start work on construction of the pipeline. “At this point, there is no room for any discussion or waiver from any third party for the construction of the pipeline inside Pakistan’s territory,” she made it clear when her response was sought on the top US diplomat’s statement that Pakistan has not yet sought any waiver.

However, she added that Pakistan remained in contact with American partners, and “we have conveyed to them the importance of energy security for Pakistan’s future and the important role that the Pakistan-Iran pipeline plays in the overall context of Pakistan’s energy security.”

To Lu’s remarks that the US continues to monitor the weapons it provides to Pakistan especially F-16 to ensure their correct use, she underlined that the hearing was an internal event of the United States where the Congress and the administration were engaged in a conversation.

As far as Pakistan is concerned, she added that Pakistan remains in dialogue with the United States on all aspects of our mutual interest and that includes cooperation in the realm of security and defence. “We will continue to engage with them (the US) with respect to our defence needs and the regional situation that Pakistan faces. And we hope they will understand our concerns and requirements,” she added.

To another query, she said that the case of Shakil Afridi is being dealt with according to the laws of Pakistan and the country’s position on his case has not changed. “He (Afridi) is in prison as a result of the legal processes and a decision by the courts of Pakistan. Pakistan’s position with regard to the case of Shakil Afridi hasn’t changed,” she added.

About Dr Aafia Siddiqui, she said that Pakistan has remained in contact with the US State Department, the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to extend all possible support for Dr Aafia Siddiqui for her welfare and to explore all options with regard to her continued stay in the United States.

Commenting on the 18th March cross-border operation in Afghanistan, she said the operation was not targeted against the people, institutions or the military of Afghanistan. “We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and look forward to working together to find joint solutions in countering terrorism and preventing any terrorist organisation from sabotaging bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” she said.

She added that Pakistan carried out intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations in the border regions inside Afghanistan and the prime target of the operation was terrorists belonging to Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which along with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been responsible for multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

She said Pakistan has on multiple occasions shared concrete evidence and intelligence with the Afghan authorities about the presence of terrorist sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. “It is a reality that terrorists especially the TTP have their basis in Afghanistan. This is not just Pakistan’s assertion but also confirmed by the international observers including reports by the United Nations,” she said.

She said that Pakistan is looking forward to work together to find joint solutions in countering terrorism and preventing any terrorist entity from sabotaging bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “We should be partners in peace and partners against terrorism,” she added.

About the terrorist attack in Gwadar port, she said that Pakistan’s security agencies successfully eliminated the terrorists involved. She added that Pakistan remains committed to protecting all projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) including the Gwadar port. “Pakistan believes that these terror organisations, including BLA, are a threat to the entire region. And we would like to work with our neighbouring countries in defeating this terror threat,” she added.

When asked about the Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks that Azad Kashmir is part of India, the spokesperson said these are unwarranted statements and based on fallacy. She said Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally-recognised dispute whose final disposition is to be made by the Kashmiri people in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

AFP adds: Government dismissed a warning from the United States that relations between the two countries would suffer if it did not probe irregularities in last month’s election.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokeswoman for Foreign Ministry, said the warning from Donald Lu, the top US diplomat for South Asia, “reflects a misunderstanding of Pakistan’s political situation and electoral laws”.

“We hope to engage in political discussion with the United States to address misunderstandings so that our two countries continue to move forward for regional cooperation,” she told reporters in the capital, Islamabad. Lu told lawmakers on Wednesday that the United States had “serious concerns” about the conduct of the February 8 election and ongoing disruptions of media and social media, including a prolonged shutdown of X, formerly known as Twitter, and called for an investigation.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan, should it find that these irregularities are substantiated, should rerun elections where there’s been interference,” Lu told a hearing of a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee.

Lu said the United States was not considering any major new military sales to Pakistan, a Cold War ally whose army and intelligence apparatus has long played a dominant role in politics and whose past links with Afghanistan’s Taliban soured ties with Washington.

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WASHINGTON: US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has submitted a written testimony in the American Congress, saying the general elections in Pakistan seemed to be as per law but there had been ‘irregularities’ in how the results were compiled.

Donald Lu’s testimony comes ahead of his scheduled appearance in US Congress Foreign Affairs subcommittee, which will take place later today.

The four-page testimony says that the US observed multiple irregularities in the election. “We were particularly concerned about electoral abuses and violence that happened in the weeks leading up to the elections,” he wrote.

Donald Lu said there had been terror attacks against police, politicians, and political gatherings. He also said that journalists had been harassed by party supporters as well.

The US assistant secretary also said that many political leaders were unable to register parties, as well as, specific candidates.

Lu said that the irregularities were also continued on the polling day when international observers could not witness counting in half of the country’s constituencies. He also referred to the shutdown of mobile internet on the day of the election as well. “More than 5,000 independent observers were in the field. Their organization’s conclusion was that the conduct of the election was largely competitive and orderly, while noting some irregularities in the compilation of results,” he said.

Lu; however, also noted that over 60 million people had voted and had been given a range of choices, saying three different parties have formed governments in Pakistan.

Calling Pakistan an important partner of the US, Lu said that the two countries had shared goals against terrorism. “The Pakistani people deserve a country that is peaceful, democratic, and prosperous. We are working every day to support that vision,” he added.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ordered for re-poll in PB-50 Qilla Abdullah, Balochistan as all the parties including the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) agreed on the proposal.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, on Monday, heard the case.

The court annulled the ECP’s earlier order of re-polling at six polling stations and ordered the electoral watchdog to conduct fresh polls in the constituency as per the law.

Awami National Party (ANP)’s Zamurd Khan challenged the ECP’s order and contended that the turnout at many polling stations of the constituency remained low.

The ANP leader’s claim of low turnout could be termed as the outcome of the several acts of terrorism that unfolded in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa when the general elections were just around the corner.

The week following the elections in Balochistan was marred by protests from political and religious parties that took to the streets against alleged election irregularities including rigging, manipulation of results, and undue delays in the announcement of poll results.

Despite calls for restraint and appeals for dialogue, political and religious groups had persisted in holding rallies and demonstrations and had intensified their demands for electoral transparency and accountability.

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NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday to submit all the details of so-called electoral bonds issued under an opaque political funding system, just a month before general elections.

The further details of the controversial funding mechanism, introduced in 2017 but subsequently scrapped, are expected to make public information linking donors to political parties over the last five years, and the size of their donations.

Corporate funding of political parties is a sensitive matter in India, where the February scrapping of electoral bonds, along with the publicising of the names of donors and recipients, has become a hot topic ahead of elections due by May.

The Supreme Court gave the state-run lender until Thursday to provide the Election Commission of India with the unique identification numbers of the bonds, so as to allow donors to be matched with recipients.

ISLAMABAD: The scrutiny of nomination papers for the forthcoming Senate elections, encompassing 48 vacant seats is scheduled to take place on Tuesday (tomorrow).

As per the electoral schedule, the revised list of candidates vying for these seats will be unveiled on March 26, while any candidate can withdraw his/her nomination paper till March 27.

In federal capital, members of National Assembly will exercise their voting rights to elect Senate members, including one for a general seat and one for technocrats, including Ulema.

The members of four provincial assemblies will play a pivotal role in determining Senate composition as they are set to elect senators for seven general, two women and two seats designated for technocrats including Ulema from each province.

Besides, one seat each for minorities from both Punjab and Sindh provinces will be filled.

42 candidates have submitted their nomination papers for Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to a list issued by a spokesman of ECP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Ahmad in Peshawar this afternoon, 25 candidates have submitted their nomination papers for seven general seats.

Similarly, 10 candidates have submitted their nomination papers for two technocrat and Ulema seats.

Seven women candidates have submitted nomination papers for two reserved seats for women from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Senate elections will be held on April 02.

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ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday expressed the optimism that the US Congress subcommittee’s forthcoming hearing on US-Pakistan relations in the wake of February 8 general elections will contribute to promoting positive dynamics in bilateral ties based on mutual respect and understanding between the two countries.

Responding to media queries during her weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan values its close relationship with the United States and believes in constructive engagement on all matters.

“We are aware of the notification and the hearing of the subcommittee that is scheduled for the 20th of March. And we respect the prerogative of legislative bodies to discuss and debate international issues. We sincerely hope that their deliberations contribute to promoting positive dynamics in bilateral ties based on mutual respect and understanding. We, therefore, hope that the US Congress will continue its supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and developing avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation,” she added.

US Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will brief the House Subcommittee on ties with Pakistan in the wake of the February 8 general elections.

The United States House Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia is scheduled to conduct a hearing on “Pakistan After the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship” on Wednesday, March 20th.

The committee has invited Donald Lu, the US Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau for South and Central Asian Affairs, US State Department as a witness, to explain about the prospects of US-Pakistan ties in the wake of the February 8 elections with “the US Observations”.

The United States and some other Western countries have been urging Pakistan to investigate the allegations of fraud in the elections. Donald Lu is the top US diplomat, named by the PTI founding chairman Imran Khan in the cypher controversy.

To another question about the information minister’s allegations that PTI wants to disrupt the GSP Plus status, she said that Pakistan has close multidimensional ties with the European Union and GSP Plus is an important pillar of our bilateral relations.

She said that the facility is pivotal for Pakistan’s trade, and it is a successful framework for development and mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and the European Union.

She said that the ninth round of Pakistan-EU political dialogue took place last week, where both sides agreed to continue and strengthen cooperation in various domains including GSP Plus. “So, we are confident that going forward, Pakistan and the European Union will continue to work together in the framework of GSP Plus,” she added.

Responding to another query, she said that Pakistan has taken strong exception to the implementation of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act by India. She said that the legislation and the relevant rules are evidently discriminatory in nature as they differentiate among the people on the basis of their faith.

She said that the regulation and laws are premised on a false assumption that minorities are being persecuted in Muslim countries of the region and the facade of India being a safe haven for them.

She pointed out that the rising wave of Hindutva under the BJP government has led to rapid political, economic and social victimisation of Muslims and other minorities in India. She said the discriminatory steps further expose the sinister agenda of transforming India into a Hindu Rashtra.

Baloch advised the Indian authorities to stop pre-choreographed targeting and systematic marginalization of minorities. She said only a few days ago, a group of UN special rapporteurs urged corrective actions to protect human rights and attacks against minorities in the run-up to India’s national elections.

Commenting on India’s recent test of a ballistic missile, she said that Pakistan has taken note of the missile test on March 11, adding that the advance notification was shared by India but it did not follow the three-day timeline as stipulated in Article 2 of the Agreement on Pre-notification of the Fight Testing of Ballistic Missiles. “The agreement on pre-notification we believe must be complied with in letter and spirit,” she added.

About the recently held 59th Session of the Programming Committee of SAARC held in Kathmandu, Nepal, she said that Director General (South Asia &SAARC) Ilyas Mehmood Nizami represented Pakistan at the committee.

She said that the Committee reviewed the status of SAARC processes and activities and finalised the budgets and calendars of activities of the SAARC Secretariat, specialised bodies, and regional centres.

Since the postponement of the 19th SAARC Summit which was planned to be held in Islamabad, she added that the Programming Committee is the only Charter Body of SAARC that reviews all organisational activities and processes.

As a founding member of SAARC, she stated that Pakistan is fully committed to advancing the objectives of the organisation as enshrined in its Charter and has always played an active role in the SAARC processes and activities.

About the situation in Gaza, she said that Pakistan remains deeply concerned about the ongoing atrocities against the people of Gaza by Israeli occupation forces. “We strongly condemn yesterday’s attack on UNRWA’s food distribution center in the eastern part of Rafah in Southern Gaza. Attack against the few remaining food distribution centers for a population on the verge of famine is part of Israel’s deliberate and inhumane policy of mass starvation. It is inhumane, unconscionable and a crime against humanity,” she added.

She stated that Pakistan also condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the recent Israeli decision regarding the construction of 3,500 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank.

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RAWALPINDI: The incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, on Wednesday, termed the threat alert due to which the Punjab government has imposed a ban on his meetings with PTI leaders in jail, “a lie”.

Talking to reporters informally in Adiala Jail after hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case, he said the whole country was being “run on lies”. All institutions had been destroyed in the country, he said, adding the PTI had not been allowed to take part in the general elections.

Khan said the masses had taken revenge on the mafia on election day but they did not accept change brought through the vote. They had snatched the public mandate and ended the hope of the public, he said. “All my predictions have come true, now I am telling you that the Sri Lankan situation is going to happen in Pakistan,” he said, adding that inflation would further increase and people would take to the streets.

He said the PTI’s ongoing protest against rigging in the elections would continue. “PTI will also move the Supreme Court against rigging,” he said.

Earlier, an accountability court recorded the statements of three more prosecution witnesses in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case against PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.

Accountability Court judge, Nasir Javed Rana, while hearing the case at Adiala Jail, recorded the statements of three prosecution witnesses. Both Khan and his wife were present in the courtroom during the hearing.

Khan’s lawyer will conduct a cross-examination of the witnesses during the next hearing to be held on March 16.

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ISLAMABAD: Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Mehmet Pacaci, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, earlier today, said a press release issued on Tuesday.

The Ambassador congratulated the Prime Minister on his re-election and conveyed best wishes from the leadership of Turkiye and emphasized the importance of strengthening the fraternal ties between both countries.

The Prime Minister deeply appreciated the congratulatory telephone call and message of felicitations from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately after his re-election.

He emphasised that Pakistan and Turkiye enjoyed exemplary bilateral relations that were based on shared history, religion and culture and were unshakeable.

The Prime Minister said both countries needed to work together to achieve the annual target of US$5 billion in bilateral trade. He also called upon the two sides to enhance their bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest including trade, defence, connectivity and culture. In this regard, he congratulated Turkiye on the successful flight of KAAN 5th generation fighter aircraft.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan and Turkiye have consistently supported each other on core issues and would continue to do so in the future.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his invitation to President Erdogan to visit Pakistan. He said the people of Pakistan looked forward to the visit that would also provide a useful opportunity for both sides to carry out extensive consultations during the 7th session of High Level Strategic Coordination Council (HLSCC).

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ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented move, the dysfunctional Upper House of the Parliament goes to by-elections on Thursday (tomorrow) on six of its seats —without a chairman, deputy chairman, leader of the house and leader of the opposition in place.

By-elections are scheduled on three seats of Balochistan, two seats of Sindh and one seat of Islamabad.

Although, these elections are constitutionally organised and supervised by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), with Special Secretary ECP Zafar Iqbal Hussain been appointed as Returning Officer (RO) of the by-polls, these elections are being held with 52 senators already retired on Monday, following the completion of their term, including Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the House Ishaq Dar and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shahzad Waseem.

Sanjrani had quit Senate even before his retirement following his election to Balochistan Assembly.

This scenario indicates that after March 14 by-polls, the returned candidates on the six seats would not be able to take oath till new chairman and deputy chairman Senate are in place after April 2 Senate polls that are taking place on 48 seats. This implies, till April 2 elections, Senate would remain dysfunctional.

Last week, the Senate Secretariat reportedly discussed with parliamentary political parties a proposal to extend the tenure of Sanjrani, the then Chairman Senate, till his successor was in place.

However, this proposal was not materialised due to political opposition, it is learnt.

Reportedly, Senate Secretariat proposed to include a provision in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012 to extend the tenure of the outgoing chairman Senate till his successor was at the helm — on the same pattern the speaker National Assembly remains in charge till their successor takes over.

The Article 67(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan empowers a House to make rules for regulating its procedure and the conduct of its business.

Unlike the chairman Senate, the speaker NA is constitutionally mandated to continue with their official responsibilities till their successor takes charge.

Article 53(8) provides that when the NA is dissolved, the speaker shall continue in office till the person elected to fill the office by the next Assembly is at the helm.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), Tuesday, decided to join hands in the coming elections of the Senate.

Both parties would support each other in the Senate by-election on March 14 and the Senate general election on April 2.

“The PPP will support the JUI-F in Balochistan Senate elections, while the JUI-F will extend support to Yousaf Raza Gillani,” JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said.

“We will not participate in government-making but play our role in the Parliament,” he said.

PPP leader Nayyar Bukhari has said that the PPP will extend support to the JUI-F candidate in the Senate’s by-election in Balochistan.

The Senate by-election will be held for six seats of the upper house in Islamabad, Sindh and Balochistan on March 14 (Thursday). Balochistan’s three Senate seats have been vacated and the JUI has requested the PPP’s support in Balochistan, Nayyar Bukhari said.

Yousaf Raza Gillani said, “We have discussed over the matter with Maulana Sahib scores of times, we welcome him here”.

“We are supporting each other for the Parliament and will work in tandem in the house,” he added.

It is to be mentioned here that Gillani and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC)’s Ilyas Meharban will contest in the Senate by-election on the vacant seat from Islamabad.

According to the election commission, polling will be held at the upper house of parliament as well as at Sindh and Balochistan assemblies in Karachi and Quetta from 9:00am to 4:00pm on Thursday.

Among these general category seats, one falls vacant in the federal capital, two in Sindh, and three in Balochistan as senators relinquished their seats, following their election as members of the National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.

Earlier, People’s Party decided to nominate Yousaf Raza Gillani as its candidate for the Senate chairman’s office and he was asked to relinquish his National Assembly seat from Multan.

In order to fill 48 vacant seats, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Monday, also announced holding the Senate elections on April 2.

Fifty-two seats in the upper house of parliament will fall vacant after the expiration of the six-year term of the incumbent senators today (Tuesday). The elections, however, would be held to elect 48 senators as four reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional amendment.

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As could be anticipated, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf’s (PTI’s) protests on March 10, 2024 against alleged election rigging were nullified by the police, particularly in Punjab, where newly inducted Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif had promised to ‘crush’ any such manifestation.

Sindh saw little of a heavy-handed government response, perhaps because the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government headed by CM Murad Shah is securely ensconced with a huge majority.

Balochistan barely witnessed a murmur, underlying the reality that the PTI has little if any strength in the largest by area and most troubled by a nationalist insurgency province. Also as anticipated, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the PTI was not only able to mount protests without police hindrance but also hold a rally addressed by CM Ali Amin Gandapur in Peshawar.

The explanation for this clear exception to the rule lies in the fact that the PTI is in power in KP. Most prominent PTI leaders were arrested in Punjab, some by being dragged out of vehicles. The response of the PTI leaders and workers to this time honoured treatment by the Punjab police was different from the past. It seems that the PTI has learnt some lessons from the May 9, 2023 fracas and its aftermath, and now plumbed for ‘peaceful resistance’.

What is notable about the PTI’s protests on the street is the extraordinary array of gleaming vehicles. This is perhaps areflection of its urban middle class base, particularly in Punjab. This relatively new phenomenon in the country’s politics points toward the changing social and political dynamic in the country, of which the PTI is the main beneficiary, having focused on this demographic since at least 2011. The question that remains unanswered is whether this urban middle class base can demonstrate in practice the efficacy of street protest, even if peaceful.

It goes without saying, and the events of March 10, 2024 indicate that the incumbent government in Punjab particularly is in no mood to allow the PTI to gain momentum for its political campaign against alleged rigging of the elections through street power. Although the PTI has also seemingly learnt the lesson that abandoning parliament, as it did after its government’s removal in 2022, is bad strategy, it remains to be seen whether its clamorous opposition inside the Houses combined with its newfound Gandhian peaceful resistance on the streets can or will yield the expected results.

For the PTI, those results rest centrally on the dissolution of the present government and anointing of the PTI in power or, failing that, a fresh election with some guarantees that it will be conducted in a fair and free manner and without the manipulation and other legerdemain employed for the Elections 2024. It is possible to see the shape of some of the future if PTI’s Sher Afzal Marwat’s announcement of another protest in Islamabad (and elsewhere?) on March 30, 2024 comes to fruition. As it is, the authorities have released prominent PTI leaders such as Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja but charged many workers for defying the imposition of section 144 just before March 10, 2024. This may portend an even harsher response to future protests. What this means is that the rules of the democratic game remain suspended except on the establishment-backed government’s terms, which naturally include acceptance of their (controversial) mandate.

The PTI’s game, on the other hand, seems to include continuing efforts for a rapprochement with the estranged establishment. One pointer to this continuing effort may be detected in outgoing president Dr Arif Alvi’s revelation that he had been, and continues to try for such a rapprochement, but regrettably without success so far. Perhaps Dr Alvi needs reminding that it takes two hands to clap, whereas the miffed establishment (because of the thrust of the May 9 ‘uprising’) is so far not interested in talking to the hitherto ‘insurgent’ PTI.

Meanwhile the system juggernaut continues in motion with the first phase of a 19-member federal cabinet being sworn in on March 11, 2024 in the aftermath of Asif Ali Zardari returning to the presidency. This cabinet assumes office on the verge of Ramazan. Surprise, surprise, Mohsin Naqvi’s stars are not confined to being anointed Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman immediately after he surrendered the caretaker CMship of Punjab (a trajectory that seems to be acquiring the permanence of a norm given the previous example of Najam Sethi), but also shine for him in terms of being inducted into the federal cabinet as proposed interior minister, a post he can hold for six months until he is elected to parliament, which opportunity beckons in the impending Senate elections. Now to ordinary sceptics there is no answer how or why this has transpired.

What are Naqvi’s credentials for the post he is destined for? But then why quibble over qualification when now CM Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti was, until recently, caretaker federal interior minister? In both cases, the deft hand of the establishment seems inescapable.

The only difference is that whereas Bugti had already won the affections of the establishment in the conflict with Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006 and after, which was instrumental in him being awarded the caretaker federal ministry, Mohsin Naqvi seems to have passed the establishment’s test as caretaker CM Punjab with flying colours. This conclusion is not as farfetched as it may seem at first glance, given the fact that both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPP are at pains to deny Naqvi is their man. Now President Asif Ali Zardari, on the other hand, will have little hesitation in honouring Sarfraz Bugti with this title since, in an extraordinary sleight of hand, a caretaker interior minister resigned just days (literally) before the general elections 2024, stood for a Balochistan provincial seat in his home area of Dera Bugti, and was not only elected, but duly ensconced as CM Balochistan. There are some who question the constitutional and legal validity of this sleight of hand. Others feel constrained to remind us that the PPP inducted Sarfraz Bugti into its ranks immediately after he left the caretaker federal cabinet and Asif Ali Zardari even campaigned for him (albeit from a distance because of bad weather cancelling flights) in his provincial constituency at a triumphant election rally. Now the PPP can boast of heading not just the Sindh government, but that of troubled Balochistan too.

It seems this may well be the last caretaker government Pakistan will see, as both the PML-N and the PPP seem determined in the light of all the objections that have been raised against the last such body, including overstaying its constitutional welcome to straying into areas that were not within its purview, to change this rule that has been in vogue since the 1977 abortive elections. Whether, however, a polarised polity such as Pakistan’s at present can agree how and what rules to replace the caretaker setup with, remains in the realm of the unknown so far.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday staged a protest rally against alleged electoral fraud on the call given by party founding chairman Imran Khan.

The PTI activists led by Shoaib Shaheen and MNA Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, gathered at the Zero Point and marched towards the National Press Club, crossing all the barricades created by Islamabad Police.

The police tried to stop the protesters from staging the protest under Section 144, but they managed to reach the National Press Club chanting slogans against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the PML(N)-led coalition government.

Addressing the protesters, Marwat alleged that the victory of National Assembly seats won by PTI-backed independent candidates was stolen at the last minute. He said that the protests will continue unless their stolen mandate is returned.

He said that the party would never compromise on the theft of people’s mandate, and all the seats snatched from the PTI through rigging with the help of the returning officers (ROs) would be snatched back.

He further stated that the party had submitted an application to the DC, Islamabad seeking permission for a protest rally on March 23, adding the party will approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) if permission was not granted. In Rawalpindi, PTI workers and the paramilitary forces came face to face after a protest rally led by party leader Seemabia Tahir was prevented from entering the city via the Khanna Pul route. The police also apprehended some party workers, who were later freed.

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PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has demanded constitution of a judicial commission to investigate the cipher case and alleged rigging in recently-held general elections.

Addressing a public rally here, the chief minister alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to oust PTI-led federal government in 2022.

It is pertinent to mention here that PTI founder Imran Khan was ousted as the prime minister from office through a no-confidence motion in April 2022.

“One day all conspirators will be exposed,” CM Gandapur said, demanding Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to form judicial commission on Cipher at the earliest.

“Illegal cases were fabricated against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder while Asif Ali Zardari illegally took away a vehicle from Toshakhan and had been made the President of Pakistan. Unfortunately, Shehbaz Sharif had been doing money-laundering and he was made the prime minister of the country,” he alleged

Referring to alleged rigging in February 8 general elections, Gandapur said that the PTI won the polls as per the Form 45s while demanding a judicial inquiry into “result tempering”.

He also lamented the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision of not allocating reserved seats to Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), saying that distributing claimed seats for minorities and women among other political parties was illegal and unconstitutional.

KARACHI: In the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, reserved seats for women should be increased from 16% to 23%. General seats should also be allocated 5% to 20% for women. Political parties should ensure representation and presence of women in decision-making bodies.

These demands were made during the first Sindhi Women’s Day ceremony at Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

Prominent women from various fields, including sports, law, journalism, and other walks of life, addressed the event, showing remarkable achievements at the national and provincial levels.

Mahreen Baloch, a gold medalist in boxing and a Commonwealth Games representative for Pakistan in combat sports, stated that men also feel intimidated when women enter the boxing arena. She hails from Lyari, where men are famous in boxing, and she ensured women’s inclusion in it.

Verun Pirzado, a sports teacher, expressed her desire to elevate football to the grassroots level as the first female referee in football. She believes that women need to be brought forward not only in the field of academia but also in sports.

Fahmeeda Riaz Shewani, a member of the organising committee for Sindhi Women’s Day, pointed out that even in recent elections women were mostly confined to reserved seats, although some contested on general seats like Maryam Nawaz and Shazia Marri.

Rabiya Ejaz Sheikh, hailing from Khairpur, is a designer on YouTube. She learned from YouTube and built her channel, earning enough to build her own house, which was astonishing for the villagers. She thought spending the whole day on mobile phones could be a waste of time. She advised young girls to enter their preferred fields and benefit from the current era, allowing them to earn from home.

Lok singer Nahid Mallani, Alghoza Nawaz Arbab Khoso also performed, while Professor Shahnila Zardari, Wahida Mahesar, Shazia Nazamani, Rubina Chandio, and others also spoke.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday appointed returning officers and polling officers for the forthcoming elections on 48 seats of the Senate. The appointments were made through a notification.

As per the ECP, in all the provinces elections will be held for seven general seats, two women seats and two technocrat seats. Apart from this, there will be election on one minority seat from Punjab and one minority seat from Sindh while one general and one technocrat seat from Islamabad.

The ECP has further informed that relevant Provincial Election Commissioners have been appointed as Returning Officers for the Senate elections in all the four provinces.

For Islamabad, the director general, training, ECP, has been appointed as the Returning Officer. The ECP has already issued schedule of the elections on 48 seats of the Senate in the first week of April. Polling for the elections will be held on April 3 in the national and four provincial assemblies.

Twelve each senators will be elected from Sindh and Punjab and two from Islamabad, while 11 each senators will be elected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

KARACHI: The Provincial Election Commission of Sindh on Sunday announced that the by-elections to two general seats of Senate from Sindh will be held on March 14, Thursday, in the Sindh Assembly building. The polling for the Senate seats will start from 09am to 04pm in the assembly.

Jam Saifullah Khan and Mohammed Aslam Abro are the nominated candidates of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) for Senate general seats whereas Nazirullah and Shazia Sohail of Sunni Ittehad Council will compete as candidates in the by-elections.

As per the by-election schedule of the Election Commission of Pakistan for 2 general seats of the Senate from Sindh province Waqar Mehdi and Mukhtiar Ahmed Dhamra of PPPP whereas Jameel Ahmed of the Sunni Unity Council had withdrawn from the Senate by-election.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf key leaders MNA Sardar Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja and several others have been taken into custody by the Punjab Police in Lahore after authorities started arresting protesting PTI workers yet again.

A large number of PTI leaders and activists organised protest demonstration across the country on the call and back of PTI founder Imran Khan against the alleged rigging in the election.

The party leaders and activists also gathered at the GPO Chowk and other areas of Lahore to register their protest against the alleged rigging in the recently held polls. The arrest of PTI’s senior leader Sardar Latif Khosa was confirmed by his son Shahbaz Khosa.

LHC orders release of Barrister Latif Khosa’s son

Khosa was arrested from Sadar Cantt roundabout while Salman Akram Raja was detained near Ichhra.

Following the arrest of PTI lawyer Salman Akram Raja from a protest site, lawyer Usama Khilji called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his release. Member Punjab Assembly Haroon Akbar was also detained from Ichhra.

Dr Hasan Mahmood, son of PTI leader Mian Mahmood-ul-Rashid, was also detained. Mian Mehmood-ul-Rashid’s son was detained from a rally in Shadman. Mian Mehmood-ul-Rashid and his son-in-law Akram Usman are already in jail.

Earlier, police had arrested PTI-backed provincial assembly member Hafiz Farhat Abbas.

Party leader Sher Afzal Marwat called the arrest “utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable”, adding that the authorities in Punjab need to stop the “unfair behaviour”.

Two PTI MPAs were also arrested from Multan where heavy police force were deployed at various places including Nawan Shehar, Chungi 9 and Sehv Chowk.

MPAs Moinuddin Riaz Qureshi and Malik Adnan Dogar were arrested by the police.

According to police sources, they had been shifted the arrested leaders and along with several workers to an unknown location.

Similarly, police manning a checkpost on Old Airport Road in Rawalpindi arrested several PTI workers while several others managed to escape from the spot.

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to take oath today (Monday). Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) sources maintained that initially, 12 to 14 members cabinet will take the oath of their portfolios, most probably today (Monday) to be administered by newly-elected President Asif Ali Zardari.

They further maintained that Azam Nazeer Tarar is likely to be given the ministry of law ­and justice, Ishaq Dar is expected to be given ministry for foreign affairs, and Tariq Fatemi to be made special assistant on foreign affairs. Khawaja Asif is likely to be given the portfolio of defence.

Mohammad Aurangzeb is likely to be given portfolio of finance. Ahsan Iqbal is likely to be given planning and development, Musaddiq Malik to be given petroleum, Atta Tarar information and broadcasting, and Shaza Fatima Khawaja is likely to be made minister for information technology.

Shehbaz Sharif takes oath as 24th PM of Pakistan

Ahad Cheema is likely be made adviser on establishment division and Mohsin Naqvi as adviser on interior.

Jam Kamal and Chaudhary Salik Hussain will also be part of the federal cabinet.

However, the sources maintained that some of these portfolios may likely be changed, as consultations were still under way within the party, as well as with other stakeholders.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024