Category: Politics

News stories of Politics, for the topics that matter the most to young professionals and college students, political news reported with a different angle.

  • Kashmiris rage at India’s proposal to redraw voting map

    A proposal to redraw the Indian-administered Kashmir’s electoral map has given rise to a controversy in the region, reports BBC.

    Many view that the recommendation is an assault on the political centrality and supremacy of the Indian people. The proposal has raised eyebrows as the Muslim population thinks that it will lessen their choice for electing their leaders.

    People in the Kashmir Valley believe that the proposal of redrawing the voting map is part of India’s ‘dream project’ of installing a Hindu minister in the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir.

    It will further dissociate the Muslim majority from the rest of India.

    The people of Kashmir have another fear of constant security clampdowns and communication jamming of Kashmir, keeping it away from the world.

  • PM grills KP CM, loss due to candidate selection based on favouritism

    PM grills KP CM, loss due to candidate selection based on favouritism

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday received a brief report on the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) defeat in the recent local government (LG) polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), indicating ‘wrong’ selection of candidates based on ‘favouritism’.

    A source in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) told Dawn that the performance report was presented by KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan who was also grilled by PM Khan for not fielding ‘deserving’ and ‘poll-winning’ candidates.

    The premier during his visit to Lahore (Thursday) in Punjab will select the best possible candidates and prepare well for the local government polls, which are expected to be held in the province in March or April next year.

    On Wednesday, PM Khan said amidst all the noise over the election result, nobody appreciated the fact that the government had empowered the LG system for the first time in 74-year history of Pakistan.

    The premier took to Twitter and wrote, “Directly elected Tehsil nazims will improve governance & create [a] future leader. Ist time in our 74-yr history we have an empowered LG system.”

    “No one realises these elections are [the] start of modern, devolved LG system as exists in successful democracies,” tweeted PM Khan.

  • ECP accepts apologies of PTI’s Azam Swati, Fawad Chaudhry for their disrespectful comments

    ECP accepts apologies of PTI’s Azam Swati, Fawad Chaudhry for their disrespectful comments

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reportedly accepted the apologies of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Minister for Railways Azam Swati and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry for their remarks against the election body.

    Swati said that the ECP was responsible for destroying Pakistan’s democracy and it should be set on fire. On the other hand, Chaudhry labelled ECP as the mouthpiece of the Opposition. Both ministers later apologised.

    Swati appeared before the ECP, where he was pardoned and warned to exercise caution in the future.

    While questioning his absence from earlier hearings, the ECP inquired, “You are a busy man, why didn’t you appear in previous hearings?”

    Upon this, Swati remarked that he has always advocated for the independence of the ECP.

    “All the institutions are yours; it is not appropriate to talk bad about them,” the ECP remarked.

    Swati expressed gratitude to the ECP for accepting his apology and stated that the commission will make sound judgments regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

    In September, the ECP had sent notices to the ministers. In November, Chaudhry appeared before the ECP and apologised. Swati did not show up at that time.

  • ‘May Allah give a good damaad to everyone as he gave to Nawaz Sharif in my form’: Capt Safdar

    ‘May Allah give a good damaad to everyone as he gave to Nawaz Sharif in my form’: Capt Safdar

    

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (Capt) Safdar while conversing with reports was asked what did he give his daughter-in-law Ayesha, to which he said he wished his daughter-in-law good health and well-being.
    

    “Just as Allah has given a good wife to my son, I pray he gives it to all, and may Allah give a good damaad (son-in-law) to all the daughters as Allah has given to Nawaz Sharif in my form,” said Capt Safdar.
    

    Talking about his son Junaid Safdar’s wedding, Capt Safdar said, “If I had sung a song at Junaid’s wedding, then maybe all the fun would have been ruined. I have been singing my wedding song for 30 years, I will sing my son’s wedding song for the next three years.”
    

    Capt Safdar even hinted at Junaid ultimately joining politics and said, “Just as a lawyer’s son is a lawyer, a doctor’s son is a doctor, so he is a politician’s son and will definitely enter politics.”
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘I curse you,’ Jaya Bachchan lashes out at the BJP
    
			
    ‘I curse you,’ Jaya Bachchan lashes out at the BJP
    
			
    The actor turned politician MP (Member of Parliament) Jaya Bachchan lost her cool in the Rajya Sabha (Senate) over alleged personal remarks against her in the house.
    

    In the video, Bachchan is seen involved in a verbal spat with the treasury benches. She even accused the chair of not listening to the Opposition and favouring the government.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    She alleged that personal remarks were made against her. She argued, “How can they make personal remarks in the House? Aap logon kay burey din aayenge (Your bad days will come soon), I curse you.”
    

    Later, Jugal Lokhandwala, one of the treasury bench MP who apparently made the personal remark told NDTV that he had meant the whole Opposition when he said, “You will not do drama”.
    

    While pointing out the chair presided by Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Bhubaneswar Kalita, Bachchan said, “I don’t want to thank you because I don’t know whether I should remember when you used to walk shouting or today when you are sitting in the chair.”
    

    Samajwadi Party (SP) leader’s remarks came after she was asked to participate in the discussion on the ‘Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances’ Amendment Bill 2021.
    

    When the ruling party lawmaker Rakesh Sinha objected to Bachchan’s remarks against the Chair, things escalated.
    

    

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    KP LG polls: Ruling PTI loses mayors to Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F
    
			
    KP LG polls: Ruling PTI loses mayors to Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F
    
			
    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)  faced a major upset on multiple seats in the first phase of local government (LG) elections held in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa (KP) at the hands of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
    

    Mayor seat elections:
    

    Peshawar:
    

    JUI-F’s Zubair Ali won the race with 62,388 votes while PTI’s Rizwan Bangash was second with 50,659 votes.
    

    JUI-F’s Zubair Ali
    

    Mardan:
    

    In Mardan, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Himayatullah Mayar won the seat with 56,458 votes while JUI-F’s Amanat Shah Haqqani was in second place with 49,938 votes.
    

    ANP’s Himayatullah Mayar
    

    Kohat:
    

    Sher Zaman of JUI-F won the mayor seat with 34,434 votes and independent candidate Shafiullah Jan was in second place with 25,793 votes.
    

    Sher Zaman of JUI-F
    

    Bannu:
    

    JUI-F’s Irfanullah Durrani has been declared the winner with 59,844 votes and PTI’s Iqbal Jadoon Khan was second with 47,398 votes.
    

    JUI-F’s Irfanullah Durrani
    

    JUI-F emerges victorious in 16 tehsil council seats, PTI wins 14, as per unofficial results, reports Geo News. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Will personally oversee PTI’s LG election strategy’: PM Khan blames loss on wrong candidate selection in KP
    
			
    ‘Will personally oversee PTI’s LG election strategy’: PM Khan blames loss on wrong candidate selection in KP
    
			
    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday said his party “made mistakes” as he pinned the blame of the poor performance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on “wrong candidate selection” for the first phase of local government (LG) elections held in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa (KP).
    

    PM Khan tweeted, “PTI made mistakes in 1st phase of KP LG elections & paid the price. Wrong candidate selection was a major cause.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Making sure that the same mistake is not repeated, the premier added, “From now on I will personally be overseeing PTI’s LG election strategy in 2nd phase of KP LG elections & LG elections across Pak.”
    

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif said that the people residing in the KP districts have rejected the ruling party. 
    

    “The ruling party’s defeat is an expression of people’s anger over the back-breaking inflation, crushing price hike & the meltdown of governance,” said Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “It is the beginning of the end of an experiment that has cost the nation dearly.” 
    

    PM’s remarks come after the Opposition parties have had a combined lead over the ruling PTI in the local body elections.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Zardari says ‘superpower’ in Pakistan needs a different ‘solution’
    
			
    Zardari says ‘superpower’ in Pakistan needs a different ‘solution’
    
			
    Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing party workers at Zardari House, said that the ‘superpower’ was asking to share some formula but he told them that first this [government] should be sent packing and then talks could be held.
    

    “I said it is the parliament [in 2018] that this hotchpotch sort of [government] could not last,” said Zardari without taking any names. He further added, “The conditions are such that now they are asking for help. We should make a way, devise a formula. I have told them there is no formula.”
    

    “Your formulas are the reason that the country is in this state. The answer is pretty straightforward now. Send them packing and then talk with us,” said Zardari.
    

    “The superpower said to me that they made me the most powerful civilian president. [So I said] I gave all the power to the parliament within three months,” said the former president.
    

    He said that building Pakistan was easy but they could neither build the country nor listen and understand. But a time would come when they would have to listen, understand and follow our advice, he said without naming anyone.
    

    “I just need your prayers to have more strength.” He said, “I would make them understand Bhuttoism and make them run.”
    

    He said people would see that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would become prime minister. Zardari said that the PPP had been fighting and would keep fighting.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    KP LG polls: PTI loses, Shibli Faraz says party lost because of ‘PTI vs PTI’
    
			
    In the first phase of local government elections held in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa (KP), Opposition parties have had a combined lead over the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), according to unofficial results.
    

    Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that the ruling party lost because “PTI was contesting against PTI”.
    

    “If it was not PTI vs PTI, we would have really won the elections. The results are still being announced. It was a crucial election but our performance has been really good,” said Shibli. 
    

    The PTI is ahead on 15 seats followed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) 13, Awami National Party (ANP) nine, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) two, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) one each — which totals up to 26 seats for the Opposition parties as per unofficial and unverified results. Meanwhile, independent candidates are in the lead on 13 seats, reports Dawn.
    

    In all, 12.668 million voters — seven million male and five and a half million female — were registered for the polls in the 17 KP districts.
    

    In the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), local government elections were held for the first time in Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur districts.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    KP LG polls: JUI-F leader accidentally kills himself with celebratory gunfire
    
			
    KP LG polls: JUI-F leader accidentally kills himself with celebratory gunfire
    
			
    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Zakariya Khan accidentally took his own life on Sunday when he fired a gun in celebration of his victory in the local government elections in Khyber district. 
    

    Police said they would thoroughly investigate Zakariya’s death before registering a case. 
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Rocket attacks, firing, and suicide bombings at various locations in Khyber district caused six casualties yesterday while several were injured. 
    

    Polling stations for women were also attacked in Nowshera and Buner.