Tag: elections

  • Rifts in PTI over ‘selection’ of new Chairman

    Rifts in PTI over ‘selection’ of new Chairman

    In a dramatic turn of events within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), founding member and dissenter Akbar S. Babar has raised concerns over the nomination of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan for the party chairman’s position.

    Accusing the move of being more of a “selection than an election,” Babar, who previously filed the foreign funding case against the PTI, expressed doubts about the transparency and credibility of the intra-party election process.

    He said, “This must be a first that elections for the party’s central leadership have been announced without its electoral college in place as the electoral college of PTI’s central leadership is an elected provincial leadership which does not exist.”

    According to Babar, the prolonged intra-party election process, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic with a one-year extension granted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), has failed to live up to the party’s commitment to transparent and fair elections.

    Babar proposed that the Commission should appoint ‘obervers’ to monitor the PTI intra-party elections as it is already discussing the matter.

    Babar, who served as the party’s central information secretary and vice-president in the past, claimed that it appears that the PTI has learnt hardly any lesson from its past history of holding rigged intra-party elections.

    The decision to nominate Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, described as a ‘newcomer,’ has sparked internal discord within the party.

    Some party leaders drew parallels between this nomination and the controversial appointment of Usman Buzdar as the Punjab chief minister, a move that faced criticism for its perceived lack of merit.

    The selection of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan over other loyalists within the party, such as Ali Muhammad Khan, Senator Humayun Mohmand, and Advocate Hamid Khan, has raised eyebrows among insiders.

    One party leader, speaking anonymously to Dawn, voiced apprehensions about Khan’s association with PPP leader Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, considering it an unwise move given the sensitive nature of the party chairman position.

    “Unfortunately, Imran Khan has again done an experiment, just like Usman Buzdar, who left him when his difficult time started. The position of the party chairman is very sensitive and it could be used against the party,” he feared.

  • ‘Islamabad can’t see that Balochistan is heart of Pakistan’: Asif Ali Zardari

    ‘Islamabad can’t see that Balochistan is heart of Pakistan’: Asif Ali Zardari

    Ex-president Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday called Balochistan the “heart of Pakistan”, lamenting that the view was not shared by Islamabad or the other provinces.

    He made the remarks while addressing a rally in Quetta to mark the party’s 56th foundation day, campaigning to improve its prospects in the province in the run up to the general elections.

    “Pakistan has everything. And Balochistan is the heart of Pakistan. Unfortunately, Islamabad does not see that Balochistan is the heart. The other provinces do not see it [either],” he lamented.

    “But we see that Balochistan is the heart of Pakistan. And it is very important to win over this heart. Without winning over the heart of Balochistan, we cannot fix Pakistan.”

    “There is much grief […] in Balochistan and we need to address that. We tried to do it in our time but it was not enough,” he said, adding that PPP wanted the people of Balochistan to take ownership of their land and resources.

    He said that he would ensure water was made accessible for the people of the province. “Pakistan becomes an export country when Balochistan has [access to] water,” he said.

    “We have formulas available on how to develop Pakistan, how to strengthen Balochistan, and how we have to serve you,” he added.

    Commenting on his son PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the ex-president — in an apparent slip of the tongue — said, “My son, by becoming the youngest prime minister of Pakistan, raised Pakistan’s honour and flag.”

    During the previous tenure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, Bilawal served as the foreign minister, the youngest to do so.

    “Everyone knows him now. Some knew him because of his mother, some people knew him because of his father and some knew him because of his grandfather but today they know him because of his own identity,” he said.

    “In all seasons and at all times, we have to support him […] we have to transfer what we know […] we want to make Bilawal the leader of the youth,” he said.

    “We will redefine Pakistan, we are not weak, you are not weak,” he said as he wrapped up his speech.

    Following reports of differences between the top two leaders, party chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari has called for “burying” politics of hatred and division in line with the vision of his father Asif Ali Zardari’s reconciliatory politics.

    “We have to do politics wherein we should think about unity and not of division. The PPP wants to start a new kind of politics in the country,” Bilawal said while addressing the public rally.

    “PPP is fighting against inflation and poverty due to which people are suffering. The old style of politics is based on hatred, division, and revenge. The country’s youth needs to bury such politics,” the PPP chief added.

    In the same gathering, Bilawal also fired a broadside at his political rivals saying that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is now known as the “mehangai [inflation] league” in the country.

    “People know that they are showbaz [big mouth] of politics,” the PPP chief added.

    Bilawal said Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the PML-N wanted to roll back the provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Amendment.

    “They want to occupy the resources of the provinces.PPP will not let this conspiracy succeed.”

    Bilawal also announced giving a surprise in the February 8, 2024 general elections saying a jiyala [PPP worker] will become the country’s new prime minister.

  • Petitions seek postponement of elections, citing ‘snowfall’ and ‘terrorism’

    Petitions seek postponement of elections, citing ‘snowfall’ and ‘terrorism’

    Two separate petitions seeking the postponement of elections have landed before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) a day before the commission is set to publish final delimitation lists.

    The petitions, filed by individuals hailing from Balochistan, cited security issues and snowfall in several districts as reasons to seek the postponement of elections.

    One of the petitions filed by Meena Majeed, a general councilor from Mand tehsil of Kech district, through Advocate Fatima Nazar, stated that Balochistan was dealing with heightened security concerns.

    “Specifically, the Mekran division has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, ranging from target killings of innocent daily wage earners to alarming incidents such as IED blasts and women suicide bombing,” it stated. The impact was most pronounced in districts such as Kech and Gwadar, where 61 acts of terrorism during the last three months alone claimed 32 lives, it read.

    “This topography coupled with inadequate road infrastructure and poor connectivity presents a formidable obstacle to implementing effective security measures and ensuring the feasibility of free and fair elections,” it added.

    The other petition, filed by Toor Gul Khan Jogezai from district Kila Saifullah Khan through Advocate Azizullah Kakakhel, pointed out that many districts and divisions in the country face heavy snowfall in winter which affects the daily routines of residents.

    As a result, elections can not be held in such areas, since the inhabitants of these areas were either displaced or are limited, until the month of May or restoration of normal life.

    The petition argued that if elections are held in such areas, it is feared that provincial or national assembly candidates would either lose their vote bank or voters would lose their votes in favor of their candidates.

    Hence, it is need of time that the election be postponed to any other suitable time through which the citizens of such an area could participate in a free and fair election and elect representatives according to their choice of constituency, the petition read.

    Elections ‘on time’

    ECP issued a firm rebuttal, cautioning that legal action could be taken against individuals disseminating misleading news about a potential delay in the polls scheduled for February 8, 2024.

    The ECP had earlier set February 8, 2024, as the election date following consultations with President Arif Alvi and in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives.

    Despite the announcement and a consensus among political parties welcoming the development, some political leaders and analysts persisted in casting doubts on the scheduled elections.

    A spokesperson for the ECP, in a statement on Thursday, termed the media reports regarding election delay as “baseless and misleading”.

    The statement said a report claiming that the voters’ lists were not being prepared is “completely false”.

    The spokesperson further said that it has approached the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to take legal action against those “spreading misleading news”.

  • Who is Barrister Gohar Khan?

    Who is Barrister Gohar Khan?

    Barrister Gohar Khan is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and appears in all high courts as well.

    He is from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa’s Buner district and was formerly affiliated with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), contesting on a National Assembly seat from there in 2008 on PPP ticket.

    He joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2022 in the presence of former Chief Minister Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak who himself has left PTI to form his own political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP).

    The Barrister is a law graduate from Wolverhampton University, UK with LLM from Washington School of Law, USA. Gohar has been in active law practice with more than 50 reported judgments to his credit on subjects ranging from taxation, commercial, corporate, arbitration, banking, election, etc.

    The new chairman of PTI has civil and criminal trials experience, and even has the honour to appear before the Supreme Judicial Council, Field General Court Martial, and its Court of Appeal.

    His clients include public and private companies and important persons, including Imran Khan.

  • Who will be the chairman of PTI?

    Who will be the chairman of PTI?

    A tumultuous day unfolded within the ranks of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as conflicting statements emerged regarding Imran Khan’s role in the upcoming intra-party polls.

    Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Khan Marwat asserted on Tuesday that Imran Khan, currently incarcerated in Adiala jail, had decided not to vie for the position of party chairman, citing legal constraints and his disqualification in the Toshakhana case.

    PTI clarified that discussions were still going on about crucial matters related to intra-party elections, emphasizing that no decision had been made regarding Imran Khan’s participation or the nomination of an alternative leader.

    Despite the party’s denial, Marwat stood by his initial statement. He took to X (former Twitter) and said, “Whatever I have said in my media talk about the intra-party election is a correct statement. The decisions were taken by Chairman PTI in the presence of Senator Ali Zafar, Barrister Gohar Umair Niazi and myself. I fail to understand who is behind the contradiction and why the misleading statement was issued. The media are advised to verify my statement with the above persons if you don’t mind.”

    Attempting to shed light on the situation, PTI Senator Ali Zafar appeared on a Geo News show on Tuesday, stating that there was no confusion within the party.

    “Two to three decisions were made together with him. Firstly, he asked what is the legal status of the ECP’s order to hold intra-party elections so I told him that it is illegal and we should appeal so the decision was made to appeal it,” he said.

    Zafar clarified that discussions also revolved around Imran Khan’s potential participation in the elections and the perception that the ECP might hinder the PTI’s symbol of the bat.

    He said finally a decision was reached that, if need be, if there was any concern arose that the ECP would raise an objection if Imran contested the elections, “then it is better than that that we at the moment hold elections in which Imran Khan doesn’t contest and we nominate someone else [for party chairman].”

    Zafar pointed out that a final decision remained to be taken on the above matter after considering all legal aspects, adding that he would announce the “exact decision” of whether Imran would contest the intra-party elections or not tomorrow.

    “If he (Imran) nominates someone else and a final decision is taken then elections will be held,” Zafar said.

    Marwat then appeared in Ary News show 11th hour with Waseem Badami and confirmed that Barrister Gohar’s name has been finalized for the chairmanship.

    While talking about the backlash he faced on social media after his initial statement, he tweeted, “Those maligning me constantly, kindly stop portraying me desperate for leadership! I didn’t come here on motive to conquer politics. It needs alot of courage to fight under these pressure circumstances. Anyone who is loyal to Pakistan, would appreciate efforts I am making. I am standing with Imran Khan and Pakistan in these difficult times because I believe in adversity, all of us must fight back against this oppression and not give up.”

    Former Governor Punjab, Latif Khosa, also entered the debate on Wednesday and said, “We can’t even think about minus Imran Khan. Imran Khan has denied all these claims.”

    The entire fiasco ended when it was officially announced by PTI that Barrister Gohar would be the candidate for chairman in intra-party election.

  • 40 countries to hold elections in 2024, including Pakistan

    40 countries to hold elections in 2024, including Pakistan

    The new year is just over one month away and it is going to be the biggest election year in history yet.

    40 countries are scheduled to vote in 2024 across the globe which, as calculated by Bloomberg Economics, represent 41% of the world’s population and 42% of its global GDP.

    The marathon will begin with Taiwan in January and end with the US in November.

    Here are some of the prominent countries lined up for elections: Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Gambia, and Libya in Africa; Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Venezuela in the Americas; Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Australia, and Pakistan in Asia and Oceania; Austria, Belarus, Belgium, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom in Europe.

    There are, however, four elections that the world has eyes on — elections that are expected to alter geopolitics in the next decade.

    Russia will elect the new president in March who will govern until 2030, putting Russia-NATO relations at the forefront.

    In April-May, India will hold elections and as per analysts, Modi’s loss can push back investors.

    The European Union will conduct bloc-wide polls in June to appoint members of the European Parliament for the 2024-2029 which will be pertinent for the increasing friction between right-wing and left-wing policymakers on issues like immigration and Ukraine.

    The United States will hold legislative and presidential elections in November for 2025-2028, while everyone curiously waits whether Republicans will return to the White House or not.

  • PTI all set to hold intra-party elections

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has given the green light for intra-party polls as general elections loom closer.

    The decision was made during a PTI Core Committee meeting, where the party’s legal team proposed the holding of intra-party elections.

    Intra-party elections will be held on Friday.

    The committee approved the schedule and deliberated on the prevailing political situation, organizational activities, and ongoing cases against party members.

    Barrister Ali Zafar, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier declared the party’s intra-party election null and void due to technicalities.

    “To avoid any discrepancies with the ECP, another leader may temporarily stand in for the PTI Chairman during this election,” he said.

    The PTI core committee expressed its commitment to democratic processes within the party and emphasized the importance of upholding democratic values in all aspects of political engagement.

    Previously slated for June 13, 2021, under PTI’s constitutional framework, the intra-party elections faced postponements, drawing a show-cause notice to Imran Khan from the ECP in May 2021 due to the delay.

    The ECP granted PTI an extended deadline, shifting the intra-party elections to June 13, 2022. Yet, the party failed to meet this revised timeline, prolonging the unresolved status of its intra-party polls.

    The commission had issued warnings, citing potential repercussions under the Elections Act, 2017, that could render the party ineligible for future polls if non-compliance persisted.

    What is an Intra-Party election?

    Intra-party elections in Pakistan refer to the process of electing leaders and representatives within a political party. This is distinct from general elections where the public votes for candidates from different parties. Intra-party elections are a key aspect of internal party democracy and governance.

  • What did Bilawal and Zardari talk about before he left for Dubai?

    What did Bilawal and Zardari talk about before he left for Dubai?

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called his father, party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, soon after a controversial interview he gave to Hamid Mir aired on Geo News.

    The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    Talking to Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada on Friday, Hamid Mir said that soon after the interview, Bilawal called Zardari to explain his narrative.

    “Now, after giving the interview, when he sat in his room, Bilawal called him in front of me. Bilawal tried explaining it to him — and just like a father would talk to his son — Zardari told Bilawal that you don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Mir added.

    He further explained that Zardari told his son the questions were very tough, and he needed to answer them. “Bilawal tried to explain that his narrative wasn’t targeting him and that he was talking about the politics that’s been going on for the past 70 years.”

    According to Mir, Zardari responded with a yes and further said, “But you don’t need to clarify yourself.”

    Bilawal then told Zardari that he would not be able to watch his interview completely because he was boarding a plane to Dubai, Mir said, adding that the former foreign minister said he would watch the interview later.

    Mir asked Zardari why Bilawal was leaving for Dubai. He explained that Sanam Bhutto was coming to Dubai and that he would also leave for Dubai. He said that it was a family gathering and it was pre-planned. Zardari and Bilawal are set to come back soon.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been campaigning across the country, touting his party as the solution to Pakistan’s ills, while also asking “old politicians (babay)” to sit back and allow the new generation to lead from the front in the elections slated to take place on February 8 next year.

    “Several PPP old-aged leaders, I got to know, also asked Bilawal whether he wanted them to leave. But Bilawal told them that he did not want them to leave. He told them that he wasn’t talking about them.”

    Mir, however, also said that there is no doubt that several questions have been raised after this interview. “But because I’ve known Zardari for years, his actual message wasn’t about Bilawal. But since he’s his son, it became the headlines.”

  • Bilawal leaves suddenly for Dubai, day after Zardari says BBZ has a lot to learn

    Bilawal leaves suddenly for Dubai, day after Zardari says BBZ has a lot to learn

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari left the country for Dubai on Friday following what appears to be a dispute with his father.

    Bilawal’s departure comes a day after his father, former President Asif Ali Zardari, said in an interview on Geo News that he was still training his son.

    Bilawal left the country on a private flight. The party is yet to disclose the reason for his visit.

    In a seeming act of defiance to his father, Bilawal changed his profile picture on X on Friday afternoon, to a photo with his mother Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister and head of the PPP till her assassination in 2017.

    The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    The former president said the new generation has its own mindset and the right to express itself.

    He further stated that if he tried to intervene in their affairs, it would just lead to more mess.

    “If Bilawal says, ‘You do politics, I won’t’, then what can I do? People learn over time in politics. I have made several mistakes myself.”

    Zardari also mentioned that Bilawal’s narrative would’ve been the same if we were doing business, “You [Zardari] don’t know anything. It’s the same in politics.”

    Zardari said he is the president of the PPPP, which is authorised to allocate election tickets, while his son Bilawal is chairman of the PPP. “I allocate tickets,” he said.

  • ‘Experience is experience; Bilawal is inexperienced’: Asif Ali Zardari

    ‘Experience is experience; Bilawal is inexperienced’: Asif Ali Zardari

    Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been campaigning across the country, touting his party as the solution to Pakistan’s ills, while also asking “old politicians (babay)” to sit back and allow the new generation to lead from the front in the elections slated to take place on February 8 next year.

    The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    Zardari said the new generation in every house says, “Dad, you don’t know anything”.

    The former president said the new generation has its own mindset and the right to express itself.

    He further stated that if he tried to intervene in their affairs, it would just lead to more mess.

    “If Bilawal says, ‘You do politics, I won’t’, then what can I do? People learn over time in politics. I have made several mistakes myself.”

    Zardari also mentioned that Bilawal’s narrative would’ve been the same if we were doing business, “You [Zardari] don’t know anything. It’s the same in politics.”

    Zardari said during his tenures, there was no political prisoner as he had never resorted to revenge politics. “Every now and then, new allegations were leveled against me, but I never responded to them.”

    Speaking about the different mindsets of the top PPP leaders, Zardari stated that there are two parties — PPP and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

    Zardari said he is the president of the PPPP, which is authorised to allocate election tickets, while his son Bilawal is chairman of the PPP. “I allocate tickets,” he said.

    He also confirmed he has the authority to issue a ticket for Bilawal in the next polls.

    Zardari said his party is actively campaigning because it is certain that general elections will take place on February 8, next year.