Tag: elections

  • ‘All overseas Pakistanis votes shall go to PTI’: Sheikh Rasheed

    ‘All overseas Pakistanis votes shall go to PTI’: Sheikh Rasheed

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Wednesday, while talking to the media, said that all overseas Pakistanis shall be voting for the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and as a result, the Opposition will have a problem with this.

    “40 of Punjab’s and 80 constituencies of the country will be decided by overseas voters,” said Rasheed.

    “Go to court or do whatever you want, the law has been made and elections will be conducted through the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM),” said the minister.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb commenting on EVMs said, “Elections shall not happen through EVM. Elections and electoral reforms can not be carried out in an undemocratic and authoritarian manner.”

    “They [government] could not get biometrics done for the Corona Fund, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Health Card, now they are talking about elections on EVM?” added Aurangzeb.

    Aurangzeb further criticising the government said, “Parliament gives funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Funds for national resources and institutions are not Imran Khan’s personal estate.”

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Thinking of retiring from politics if no one bothers me: Sheikh Rasheed
    
			
    Thinking of retiring from politics if no one bothers me: Sheikh Rasheed
    
			
    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that he is thinking of retiring from politics.
    

    While speaking to journalist Waseem Abbasi, Sheikh Rasheed said Interior Ministry is a challenging ministry and mentally he is thinking of retiring now.
    

    “Every day there is an incident in this ministry. It is a sensitive ministry. Security is involved. The Railways Ministry was a normal ministry. But here the work pressure extends to 18 hours a day,” said Sheikh.
    

    When asked will he be contesting in the next general elections, Sheikh Rasheed responded, “If no one bothers me, I will not be contesting in the next general elections. Two years are left [for the elections] to happen, so I am of the view that I should retire.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    According to Rasheed, he was not going to contest the 2018 elections, but when Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif said that “I (Sheikh Rasheed) will not be in the next assembly, I just had to contest.”
    

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘PML-N is not to be blamed for the defeat in 2018’: Abbasi refutes Shehbaz’s claim
    
			
    ‘PML-N is not to be blamed for the defeat in 2018’: Abbasi refutes Shehbaz’s claim
    
			
    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi says that the PML-N is not to be blamed for the defeat in the 2018 general elections. 
    

    He said the PML-N walked into the elections on the basis of its best five-year performance.
    

    Khaqan Abbasi, while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, refuted the claims of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. 
    

    A day prior to Khaqan’s interview, Shehbaz had asserted that Nawaz Sharif would have been elected prime minister for a fourth time if the PML-N leaders had made a strategy based on consensus in the pre-2018 election period.
    

    Khaqan proposed a setting up of a truth commission to dig into what happened in the 2018 elections and the harm it has caused the country.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Shahzeb Khanzada pointed out the ongoing confusion within the PML-N and said that the party presidency is in the hands of Shehbaz Sharif who supports “reconciliation” while the party narrative is being given by Maryam Nawaz who has an aggressive approach towards politics and advocates “resistance”. He further added that with this scenario, it seems likely that Nawaz Sharif has created this confusion. 
    

    Abbasi said politics does not see either resistance or reconciliation. Politics is catered through principles instead. Shehbaz has always supported running the country in accordance with the Constitution, he said.
    

    Shahzeb asked that Shehbaz calls the criticism on the military an emotional statement while the party calls this criticism a policy statement. 
    

    Commenting on Shehbaz’s remarks about criticism of the military leadership by Nawaz, Abbasi said Shehbaz only meant to explain Nawaz’s remarks. He said Shehbaz also mentioned that Imran Khan too had spoken against the army before coming into power, adding that the PML-N supremo did not criticise the army as a whole.
    

    He repeated his demand that a truth commission needs to be set up, saying it is the only way to dispel the confusion. The [former] chiefs of the ISI and army bring facts to light by writing books and giving interviews and the situation leads to more confusion, he added.
    

    The former premier said that there is a single narrative of Nawaz Sharif and the party, adding that Nawaz always wants every institution to function within its constitutional limits and the country to be run as per the Constitution. No compromise is possible on law and the Constitution, Abbasi said.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    UN chief António Guterres gets re-elected for second term
    
			
    UN chief António Guterres gets re-elected for second term
    
			
    United Nations (UN) SecretaryGeneral, António Guterres has been re-elected for a second five-year term, on Friday by the 193 state members of the UN general assembly. 
    

    As per reports, earlier this month, a 15-membered Security Council body unanimously recommended his name for the re-appointment. His official tenure will start from January 1, 2022, which lasts to 2026. 
    

    This announcement was made by the President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir, after that he took oath from Guterres at the podium of the UN General Assembly hall.
    

    He expressed his gratitude by saying that serving in UN is an immense privilege and noble duty to him. 
    


     
    

    Guterres’s major focus throughout his tenure has always been uniting the world behind efforts to combat climate change and environmental collapse. In 2017, he succeeded Korean diplomat, Ban Ki Moon who also served twice as the UN Eighth Secretary General. 
    

    António Guterres, a Portuguese National currently is 72 years old. In the past, he also had served twice as the Prime Minister of Portugal. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    TLP barred from contesting AJK polls
    
			
    TLP barred from contesting AJK polls
    
			
    Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has been placed in the list of proscribed organisations, under the 1st schedule of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ &K) Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 2014.
    

    

    TLP was involved in political activities and carrying out its election campaigns in AJK for the upcoming polls that are scheduled for July 25. Under ATA, banned organisations are not allowed to engage in any political activities. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are the main contenders in the electoral contest.
    

    However, despite the ban, TLP participated in the NA-249 by-elections in Karachi on April 28. TLP came third in the Karachi by-elections.
    

    TLP was formed on August 1, 2015, by Khadim Hussain Rizvi and banned by the Government of Pakistan on April 15, 2021.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Accountability to continue without any discrimination: PM Khan
    
			
    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Sunday said that he will not be blackmailed by anyone, adding that even if the government has to dissolve, the process of accountability will continue.
    

    According to sources, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar informed the PM about his meeting with the Tareen Group after which it was decided that the just demands of the group would be accepted.
    

    PM Khan, according to a source, told the party leaders that he will not let Jahangir Tareen get away if he is involved in the sugar scam.
    

    The meeting also discussed the Azad Kashmir elections and Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur briefed the committee about the amendments in the relevant laws.
    

    The premier stressed that in order to make the process of elections fair and transparent, seeking technological assistance in the form of electronic voting is essential. He said that in the next elections, electronic voting will ensure that rigging does not take place.
    

    PM Imran said immediate steps should be taken to remove obstacles in the issuance of long-term visas to foreign investors, especially Chinese investors, and consider introducing a separate category for those involved in the CPEC project.
    

    The prime minister said that CPEC was not only a harbinger of economic growth for Pakistan, but also a path to development for the entire region.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Maryam Nawaz: the next Prime Minister?
    
			
    In a programme on ARY News, ‘The Reporters’, journalist Sabir Shakir said that PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz will succeed PM Imran Khan as Pakistan’s next prime minister.
    

    “She [Maryam Nawaz] will become the next prime minister, in my opinion,” he said.
    

    “She can,” agreed Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain, another senior journalist who has critised PML-N in the past and has spoken in favour of PM Imran Khan over the years.
    

    Shakir said there will be a ‘break’ in the prime minister’s term, stating that he will lose the next general elections.  
    

    “This is his first innings, he is learning how to play,” said Shakir. “Hence, he will lose first and will then emerge again stronger the next time,” he added.
    

    Another senior journalist, Arif Hameed Bhatti, said this was PM Imran Khan’s “first and last innings” as the prime minister of the country, adding that Maryam Nawaz can become the country’s next premier.
    

    Journalist Sami Ibrahim said that ‘politics demands performance’ and that giving lectures like Ibn Khaldun was of no use until rulers did not have any realization of the hardships that masses were facing
    

    Prominent journalists, who have been known for their pro-Imran Khan views over the past couple of years, think the prime minister will not be able to win the next general elections, making Maryam Nawaz a popular choice for Prime Minister. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    How electoral reforms will affect you
    
			
    How electoral reforms will affect you
    
			
    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said the federal cabinet had approved two ordinances pertaining to the reforms in the country’s electoral system. The said electoral reforms consist of four parts; electronic voting machines (EVMs), e-voting for overseas Pakistanis, use of biometric authentication, and legislation,” the minister informed.
    

    

    
https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1389548245496500229

    

    

    Out of the approved ordinances, one is in relevance  to the electronic voting, whereas the other aims to facilitate overseas Pakistani voters. The ordinance authorizes the Election Commission to use the EVM machine. However, Fawad Chaudhry added, PML-N and PPP are reluctant on providing this EVM facility to the overseas Pakistanis.
    

    He emphasized that the government has fulfilled its responsibility regarding legislation on the subject. “Technological work is to be done on biometric and e-voting,” Fawad added.
    

    Fawad said that after the ordinance, it is up to the ECP to include overseas Pakistanis in the voting process.
    

    The move comes after PPP’s NA-249 by-election victory, which  was declared a “stolen” election by the PML-N.
    

    It also comes after PM extended an invitation to Opposition parties to sit down with the government and work on electoral reforms so elections can be made fair and transparent for all.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt
    
			
    Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt
    
			
    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, in a press conference, shared details of the government’s plans for electoral reforms for free and transparent elections within the country.
    

    Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has proposed 49 amendments to the Election Amendment Bill 2020. Awan said that the reforms shall be put forth before all stakeholders, including civil society, media and Bar councils.
    

    Fawad Chaudhry stressed that the government wants to get the reforms passed from parliament through consensus. Chaudhry said that if the opposition parties are not ready to support the proposal for the electoral reforms, it will delay both political and democratic development within the country.
    

    

    
https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1389146375192039426

    

    

    Yesterday, Shehbaz Sharif had spurned down the proposal of using an electronic voting system (EVS). He was responding to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweets on electoral reforms.
    

    PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif rejected PM’s proposal to use electronic voting machine. In a statement posted on Twitter, Shehbaz said, “Electronic voting system is rejected by the whole world. Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) has declared it unworkable. Such important national tasks cannot be performed at the request or order of an individual.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    He further added that electoral reforms are a rather sensitive issue.  “Electoral reforms can only take place after consultation of all parties, in the light of public opinion and through consensus.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “Instead of electronic voting, the government should worry about a ruined economy, skyrocketing inflation, unemployment and the ever increasing mortality rates,” Shehbaz Sharif added.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    PM Imran asks for electoral reforms, again
    
			
    Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter on Saturday to say that his government wants to “bring transparency and credibility to our elections”. The NA-249 by-election has become controversial after rigging allegations against the winning Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
    

    In a series of tweets, the PM said: “All parties are crying foul and claiming rigging. The same happened in Daska and in Senate elections. In fact, apart from the 1970 election, in every election claims of rigging have raised doubts over the credibility of election results.” 
    

    

    


    

    

    

    He further added, “In 2013 there were 133 NA constituencies’ disputes before election tribunals. We asked for an examination of just 4 constituencies’ votes & in all 4 riggings was established. But it took us a yr & a 126-days dharna to get a Judicial Commission that found over 40 faults in the conduct of elections.” PM added that unfortunately no substantive reforms were put in place. He tweeted that the use technology Electronic Voting Machines “are the only answer to reclaim credibility of elections”. 
    

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has now invited the Opposition to sit with the government and select from EVM [Electronic Voting Machines] models that are available to us in order to “restore our elections credibility”.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    The prime minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is determined. “We will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency and credibility to our elections and strengthen our democracy”.
    

    Miftah Ismail writes to ECP 
    

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has written a letter to the chief election commissioner seeking a vote recount in the NA-249 by-election held on April 29 in Karachi.
    

    In the letter, Miftah wrote: “We did not receive results from more than 30 polling stations. We have serious concerns about the behaviour of some presiding officers.” He also added that many Form 45s were not signed and also asked for forensic audit of Form-45 with Whatsapp/RTS. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fixed the hearing for voting recount on May 4.