Tag: MQM

  • Former officer suspected of killing Ali Raza Abidi was close to Gen Faiz: Absar Alam

    Former officer suspected of killing Ali Raza Abidi was close to Gen Faiz: Absar Alam

    Journalist Absar Alam has revealed in the Samaa Podcasts series that a retired officer who is allegedly suspected of being involved in the assassination of ex-MQM leader Syed Ali Raza Abidi in 2018 was very close to former spymaster Gen Faiz Hameed.

    “Many orders were given to kill people; some were executed while some escaped. The details will emerge with time, whether these orders were given by Imran Khan or his boss [Gen Bajwa] or if he followed his own whims,” alleged Absar Alam.

    In 2018, Syed Ali Raza Abidi was shot dead in Karachi’s DHA when two unknown men riding a bike opened fire on Abidi’s car near his home.

    MQM at that time called it a “coldblooded assassination” that was “part of a crackdown on the party by Pakistan’s military establishment.”

    Absar opined that the details coming to light depends upon whether Faiz cab prove if he was given orders and by whom to conduct these activities.

  • Faisal Vawda to join MQM-P?

    Faisal Vawda to join MQM-P?

    The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has expressed willingness to let former federal minister Faisal Vawda join the party before the Senate elections take place on April 2.

    “We had invited Vawda to join [MQM-P] in the past […] I pray that he joins the party’s ranks,” MQM-P leader Rauf Siddiqui said while speaking with journalists in Karachi.

    MQM-P head Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, who is also a candidate for senate polls, said that the party has fielded a total of eight candidates for the upper house.

    However, Faisal Vawda has confirmed that he is still an “independent” political leader.

    “I’m still independent,” Vawda said during a press conference in Karachi, adding that he would consider joining a political party when it’s in “season,”  as independent candidates are currently trending.

    Vawda expressed doubt about the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) securing power in Islamabad.

  • Asif Zardari elected as the 14th President of Pakistan

    Asif Zardari elected as the 14th President of Pakistan

    Lawmakers across Pakistan, the Senate, National Assembly, and the four provincial assemblies, cast their votes to elect the 14th president of the country and Asif Ali Zardari won by securing 411 votes.

    His opponent, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, secured 181 votes.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) orchestrated the process, which unfolded between 10 am and 4 pm, with meticulous arrangements in place.

    The presidential race sees former President Asif Ali Zardari, representing a coalition of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other allied parties, vying for a potential second term. He faces stiff competition from Mahmood Khan Achakzai, President of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and the joint candidate of the opposition.

    Polling stations were set up within the respective houses of parliament, where the election took place through a secret ballot. The Parliament House in Islamabad accommodated senators and MNAs, while the four provincial assemblies served as polling stations for provincial lawmakers.

    During the voting process, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman acted as Zardari’s polling agent, while Senator Shafiq Tareen represented Achakzai. Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamir Farooq presided over the proceedings at the Parliament House, with notable figures like Zardari’s children, Bilawal, Bakhtawar, and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, in attendance.

    However, not all political parties participated in the election. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Jamaat-e-Islami decided against voting, citing concerns over the credibility of the process.

    The newly elected president of Pakistan is slated to be sworn in on Sunday at 4 pm at the President’s House. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa will administer the oath, with invitations already issued to guests for the ceremony.

    In the provincial assemblies, strict security measures were enforced to ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process. Election Commission members oversaw proceedings, guaranteeing fairness and peace throughout the voting.

    Despite tension and security concerns, the Election Commission upheld its decision to proceed with the scheduled polling, dismissing requests for postponement from opposition candidate Mahmood Achakzai. This commitment underscores the commission’s dedication to upholding democratic principles and adhering to electoral timelines.

  • Asif Zardari can win presidential polls easily

    Asif Zardari can win presidential polls easily

    The ruling coalition has calculated that its presidential candidate, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will get more than 400 votes as the upcoming presidential election is scheduled for Saturday, March 9. 

    Zardari is contesting against Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) head Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who is the presidential candidate for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). 

    Senate and National Assembly members will use secret ballots to vote at the Parliament House for the presidential elections, whipe polling will also take place in the four provincial assemblies.

    As many as 325 members of the National Assembly, 91 senators, 354 members of the Punjab Assembly, 157 members of the Sindh Assembly, 117 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and 65 members of the Balochistan Assembly will cast their vote.

    The ruling coalition parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), National Party (NP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), have declared their support for Zardari while PTI-backed SIC and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen have assured their support to Achakzai.

  • Party number game: what’s going on right now

    Party number game: what’s going on right now

    PTI will form a government in centre, says Barrister Gohar Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) acting chairman, Barrister Gohar Khan, has said that PTI will form the government in the centre. He also said that PTI-backed candidates are leading in the 2024 election, adding that according to Form 45 received by the party, PTI-supported candidates have won 170 National Assembly seats so far.

    He rejected the possibility of accepting PML-N head Nawaz Sharif’s offer to all parties to get together to form a government.

    MQM wants Shehbaz to come to Karachi to ‘manao’ them

    Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khalid Maqbool Siddique has asked former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to come to Karachi to discuss the post-election situation and the possibility of forming a coalition.
    According to the results of the 2024 elections, MQM-P has won 17 National Assembly (NA) seats, making it an important stakeholder in forming a government.

    Not in touch with the PTI Independents, waiting for all votes to be counted: Bilawal BhuttoPakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal avoided questions about forming an alliance with the PMLN or PTI-backed Independents, hinting that it isn’t going to be an easy process to make a PDM.

    The former Foreign Minister avoided questions about forming an alliance with the PMLN or PTI-backed Independents, hinting that it isn’t going to be an easy process to make a PDM version 2.0.

    Bilawal Bhutto said that the PPP is not in touch with the PTI-backed candidates but is waiting for all election results before it takes any decision, adding that PPP is not in the position right now to announce anything.

    The PPP chairman said that it is also important to see what independent candidates decide before making any major decision.

    PTI has not decided who will be its candidate for Prime Minister, although it should be Khan: Waleed IqbalPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Waleed Iqbal said, while talking to Geo News that PTI has not yet finalised its candidate for Prime Minister. He also said that, while he believes the candidate should be Imran Khan, the decision will be taken after consulting with the former prime minister.

    However, Khan cannot be a candidate for Prime Minister since he has been disqualified, did not run for election, and is currently serving a jail sentence in three cases.

    MQM heading to Lahore to meet NawazMuttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) delegation is heading to Lahore on the invitation of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for a post-election meeting.

    The delegation includes Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Farooq Sattar.

    Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari also met Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore.

    On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mariam Aurangzeb said that PML-N has no intention to talk to PTI-backed candidates to form a government.

  • Electioneering in Sindh – IV

    Electioneering in Sindh – IV

    In this part we will discuss Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, and Tando Mohammad districts of Hyderabad division of Sindh. Hyderabad is the largest division of Sindh in the context of districts. It consists of nine districts with 13 National Assembly (NA) and 28 provincial assembly (PA) seats.

    Matiari, with two PA seats and one NA seat, is famous for handicrafts of Hala and the tomb of Bhit Shah. The Makhdooms of Hala and famous novelist Bina Shah hail from this district. In NA 216 Matiari, 12 candidates are contesting. However, PPP’s Jami-Uz-Zaman and PML-N Sindh president Bashir Memon, who beside his community is also supported by GDA and JUI-F, are the main contenders on this seat. Jamil-Uz-Zaman won this seat in 2018 by getting over 100,000 votes while his close rival GDA’s Fazal Shah got 50,000 votes. Makhdoom has a bigger challenge to retain his ancestral seat while Memon has to prove his worth. Naseer Memon, brother of Bashir Memon, is the PML-N candidate who, alongside eight others, will challenge PPP’s Mehboob Zaman on PS 56 Matiari-I. Nargis Naz of PTI is also in the running here. Mehboob defeated Naseer in 2018 by taking 50,000 votes, while Naseer got 34,000 votes. On another provincial assembly seat, PS 57 Matiari-II, 15 candidates are testing their luck, but the real contest is expected to take place between PPP’s Fakhar Zaman and GDA’s Syed Jalal Shah. PTI’s Gulzar Hussain is also contesting on this seat. Jalal Shah was beaten by PPP’s Rafiq Zaman in 2018. He got 24,000 votes while the PPP candidate polled around 46,000 votes.

    Tando Allahyar district in Hyderabad division has one NA and two PA seats. PPP’s Zukfiqar Bachani, who won NA 217 in 2018 by getting more than 90,000 votes, is facing 17 candidates. Raheela Magsi of GDA would be his main challenger, while PTI’s Rozina Bhutto is also contesting. Bachani family has been winning this seat continuously since 2002. In 2018, there was seat adjustment between PTI and other anti-PPP political parties and families. Raheela Magsi of GDA, Syed Zia Abbas Shah of PPP, Rashid Hussain Meo are among 23 candidates vying for victory on PS 58 Tando Allahyar-I. In 2018, PPP’s Zia Abbas Shah won this seat while his close rival was PTI’s Ali Palh, who got 34,000 votes against 58,000 votes of PPP candidate. Aslam Leghari of PTI, M. Mohsin Magsi of GDA and Imdad Ali Pitafi and other nine candidates are competing on PS 59 Tando Allahyar-II. Imdad Pitafi of PPP won this seat in 2018 by taking 47,000 votes while his close rival GDA’s Khair Muhammad Khokahr got 39,000 votes. Magsi family will display some resistance, but it seems PPP is poised to retain its hold in this district.

    There are three NA and six provincial assembly seats in Hyderabad district. In 2018, PPP won one NA and three PA seats while the remaining two NA and three PA seats were grabbed by the MQM. In NA 218 Hyderabad-I, 11 candidates are the running. Syed Tariq Hussain of PPP, Nasreen Akhtar of MQM, and Zubair Khadim of JI are prominent among the contestants. PPP may retain this seat. JI’s Meraj-Ul-Huda Siddiqui, Mehmood Qadri of JUP Noorani, Mohammad Ashraf of PkMAP, Ali Muhammad Sahito of PPP, Abdul Aleem Khan of MQMP, Husnain Rashid of PML-N, Mustansir Billah of PTI and Muhammad Momin Kunwar are prominent among 40 candidates who are running for NA 219 Hyderabad-II. MQM will try to retain this seat while others, especially the PPP, are poised to challenge their hegemony. On NA 220 Hyderabad-III, 36 candidates are running. JUP(N)’s Abul Khair Zubair, PML-N’s Khalid Aziz, MQM-P’s Syed Muhammad Hussain, Tahir Majeed of JI, PPP’s Waseem Khan Rajput and PTI’s Faisal Mughal are among notables running on this seat. A close contest is expected here between the PPP and MQM-P.

    PPP candidate Jam Khan Shoro won PS 62 Hyderabad-I in 2018 by getting 35,000 votes. His close rival Ayaz Latif Palijo of GDA got 13,000 votes. In 2024 elections, Jam Khan Shoro is running again to retain the same constituency re-designated as PS 60 Hyderabad-I. His rivals are Afroz Shoro of PTI, Ayaz Latif Palijo of GDA, Sajid Ali of MQM-P, Mehboob Mahesar of JI and 19 others. Hyderabad’s main locally of Sindhi speaking population Qasimabad is in this constituency. Ayaz Latif banks on residents of that area for success. However, here Jam Khan Shoro seems favourite for victory. On PS 61 Hyderabad-II, 22 candidates are contesting in 2024. Anwar Ali of PTI, Fateh Muhammad Shoro of JI, Saeed Ahmed Talpur of JUI-F and Sharjeel Inam Memon of PPP are prominent contestants. Sharjeel Inam Memon won this seat in 2018 by getting 44,000 votes. The PPP candidate is the frontrunner on this seat. On PS 62 Hyderabad-III, the total number of candidates is 35. Awais Khan of PTI, Hashim of ANP, Faizullah of JUI-F, Abdul Jabbar of PPP, Sabir Hussain of MQM-P, Saif-Ul-Rehman of JI, Syed Muhammad Hassan of JUP-N, Saeed Akbar of PkMAP, and Khalid Aziz of PML-N are the prominent among them. Abdul Jabbar of PPP won this seat in 2018. A close contest between the PPP and MQM-P is expected during these polls. 41 contestants are vying on PS 63 Hyderabad-IV. Yasir Talpur of PML-N, Muhammad Rehan Rajput of PTI, Kamran Shafique of MQM-P, Sanam Talpur of PPP and Afaq Nasir of JI are the main contenders. MQM-P’s Naeem Siddiqui won this seat in 2018. PPP’s Sanam Talpur may put some resistance. However, MQM-P may clinch this seat. 45 candidates have fielded their nomination papers on PS 64 Hyderabad-V, which include PPP’s Aajiz Dhamrah, MQM-P’s Muhammad Rashid Khan, JI’s Zaheeruddin Shaikh, Rashid Hameed of PML-N and PTI’s Naeem Uddin. In 2018, MQM-P won this seat; PTI was the runner up while PPP stood third. Although history favours MQM-P, PPP will try to turn the tables. 42 candidates are running on PS 65 Hyderabad-IV. Shoaib Shaukat of PTI, Nazim Ali Arain of JUP-N, Nasir Hussain Qureshi of MQM-P, M. Fareed Qureshi of PPP, and Irfan of JI are the notables among them. MQM-P won this seat in 2018 and they will repeat same in these elections.

  • Man killed in MQM-PPP workers clash in Karachi

    Man killed in MQM-PPP workers clash in Karachi

    In an unfortunate turn of events, one person was killed and another injured in a clash between the workers of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in Karachi’s Nazimabad area, MQM-P has claimed.

    The incident took place in the Nazimabad No 2 area late Sunday as political parties are busy campaigning, holding public gatherings and corner meetings to mobilise their supporters ahead of the February 8 elections, according to police, Geo has reported.

    Police said clashes erupted between the workers of the two political parties and unidentified persons also lit two vehicles on fire during the violence.
    They said the deceased person was identified as 48-year-old Faraz.

    A video of the incident also emerged online wherein the political activists can be seen hurling chairs at each other.

    Abbasi Shaheed Hospital administration said the deceased man was brought to the hospital already dead and added that he died of a bullet in his head.
    MQM-Pakistan Rabita Committee member Taha Siddiqui claimed that PPP workers opened fire at their office which resulted in the death of UC-incharge.
    “The Peoples Party [PPP] cannot occupy the city through terrorism,” he alleged while speaking to the media outside the hospital.

    In a statement issued following the incident, a MQM-Pakistan spokesperson claimed that PPP workers tried to remove their party’s flag which led to the fight between the workers of the two parties. However, the spokesperson said the dispute between them was settled after some time.

    PPP workers returned after two hours with armed guards and resorted to firing which left their worker dead, the statement added.

    The MQM-P said a first information report (FIR) of the incident will be lodged following the funeral prayer of the deceased worker.

    Addressing a press conference, MQM-P senior leader Mustafa Kamal claimed that the PPP workers carrying Kalashnikovs opened fire at their members following an altercation over flag removal. He claimed that MQM-P workers were unarmed and did not “even throw stones” at them in retaliation.
    Moreover, he accused PPP leader Asim Hussain of orchestrating the attack on the MQM-P workers. “I am warning for the last time that I will not let my workers even suffer a single scratch,” the MQM-P leader added.

    Election campaigns in the past have witnessed episodes of violence, with scores of candidates and voters targeted by bombings and gun attacks.

  • ECP allots election symbols to 150 parties for February 8 elections

    ECP allots election symbols to 150 parties for February 8 elections

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has on Monday allotted election symbols to 150 political parties that are contesting seats in the National Assembly (NA) and provincial assemblies for the upcoming general election set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    After the Supreme Court’s ‘bat’ symbol verdict announced late on Saturday, former ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was missing from the list of published on the ECP website.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has been allotted ‘tiger’ symbol, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) ‘arrow’, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ‘sword’, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Nazriati (PTI-N) ‘batsman’, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) ‘eagle’, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) ‘kite’, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) ‘book’, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) ‘scale’, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P) ‘turban’, Balochistan National Party (BNP) ‘axe’, Awami National Party (ANP) ‘lantern’, Balochistan National Party Awami ‘camel’ and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) ‘cow’.

    Last week on Saturday, the ECP issued a notice to returning officers to not allot an election symbol to any election candidate who belongs to another political party.

    The five-member bench of the commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, issued the order, which said: “Therefore, in exercise of powers, conferred upon the commission under Section 4 of the Elections Act, 2017, the commission hereby, directs that no symbol of any political party be allowed to any such candidate who is member of another political party and seeks allocation of symbol of other political party.”

    Electoral authorities had already allotted poll symbols to 117 independent candidates.

  • Shehbaz Sharif will contest elections from Karachi’s NA-242

    Shehbaz Sharif will contest elections from Karachi’s NA-242

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif announced plans to take part in the upcoming general elections from Karachi’s NA-242 constituencies, Geo News reported on Friday.

    In the last general elections, Shehbaz Sharif contested from NA-249 constituency of Karachi, but former Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda defeated him by a slim margin.

    However, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced on December 23 that no agreement had been reached for seat adjustments with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding the NA-242 constituency in the Kemari district.

    The party’s representative dismissed all claims about a seat arrangement with the Shehbaz Sharif-led party.

    The spokesperson added that MQM-P Senior Deputy Convenor Mustafa Kamal is the party’s candidate for the seat.

    Shehbaz Sharif said while addressing a press conference in Karachi that PML-N will resolve the issue of transport in Karachi after winning the election on February 8 next year.

  • ECP lists Imran Khan as Chairman of PTI

    ECP lists Imran Khan as Chairman of PTI

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released a list of political parties after the issuance of the election schedule, as per The News on Thursday.
    The list comprises of 175 political parties that are going to take part in the upcoming general election, set to take place on February 8 next year.

    According to the list, former Prime Minister Imran Khan is still the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), despite the fact that Barrister Gohar Khan was recently elected as chairman of PTI.

    The issue of PTI’s intra-party election conducted on December 2, 2023, remains undecided, as the ECP reserved its judgement after hearings.

    Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is the head of  Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari leads the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP). On the other hand, former foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is a chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    Similarly, Khalid Maqbool Siddique is the head of  Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P), and Abdul Aleem Khan is the president of a newly formed Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).