Tag: MQM-P

  • Voting in progress on six senate seats

    Voting in progress on six senate seats

    Polling for six vacant senate seats from Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad is underway on Thursday, scheduled to continue till 4:00 pm.

    Lawmakers can’t hold dual membership, so these six seats became vacant under Article 223 of the Constitution.

    Sub-section 4 of article states: “Subject to clause (2), if a member of either House or of a Provincial Assembly becomes a candidate for a second seat, which, in accordance with clause (1), he may not hold concurrently with his first seat, then his first seat shall become vacant as soon as he is elected to the second seat.”

    However, in Sindh, two major opposition parties, including the Muttahid Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI), have boycotted senate elections in Sindh, Geo has confirmed.

    Polling to fill two general seats in the upper house in Sindh is underway, where Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Jam Saifullah Khan Dharejo and Muhammad Aslam Abro are contesting against Nazeerullah and Shazia Sohail of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

    Meanwhile, a total of seven candidates have been in the running for three general seats of the Senate from Balochistan on which the by-polls are underway.

    These candidates are Syed Mahmood Shah (Independent), Abdul Shakoor Khan (Independent), Abdul Qudoos (PPP), Kauda Babar (Balochistan Awami Party), Muhammad Mobeen Khilji (Balochistan Awami Party), Mir Hair Bayar Khan Domki (Independent) and Mir Dostain Khan Domki (PML-N).

    On the other hand, the National Assembly (NA) will elect only one senator, and former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani is a joint candidate of the ruling coalition of six parties on the seat, with SIC’s Ilyas Mehrban contesting against him.

  • Tayyip Erdogan congratulates Asif Zardari on becoming president

    Tayyip Erdogan congratulates Asif Zardari on becoming president

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called newly-elected president Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday to congratulate him on becoming the head of state.

    The President’s Secretariat said in a statement that both leaders talked about important issues and agreed to work together for the betterment of the countries.

    President Zardari also thanked Erdogan for his phone call and best wishes.

    “President Asif Ali Zardari wished a happy Ramadan to the Turkish nation and desired to see the role of Turkish women in the Islamic world,” read the statement.

    He also expressed a desire to invite the Turkish President to Pakistan for a visit soon.

    Asif Zardari became president for the second time with a big majority on Saturday. He got 411 votes from parliament and the four assemblies.

    Besides the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the newly elected president had the backing of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-Pakistan), and other smaller parties.

  • ‘PPP pressurising PML-N to sideline MQM,’ alleged MQM’s Kamran Tessori audio leak sparks new debate

    ‘PPP pressurising PML-N to sideline MQM,’ alleged MQM’s Kamran Tessori audio leak sparks new debate

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) is facing challenges in talks with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as another alleged audio of Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori goes viral on social media.

    Earlier, an audio clip went viral in which MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal revealed to the party’s Rabita Committee that PML-N “doesn’t want to talk to us”. He accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of trying to corner them.

    Kamal has confirmed that the audio is genuine.

    In the latest audio, Kamran Tessori can be heard saying that MQM-P is paying the cost of becoming part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government.

    “We were part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government when PML-N and the PPP were in opposition. We supported the PDM, which angered our voter,” Tessori said in the audio, which could not be independently verified.

    “MQM-P got seven seats despite all the hurdles [in 2018 elections] which was our vote bank. We didn’t get the vote today [in the 2024 polls]. The party is being offered one ministry [Information Technology] as part of government and they are bringing their own governor in Sindh as well.”

  • PPP’s Murad Ali Shah elected as CM Sindh for third time

    PPP’s Murad Ali Shah elected as CM Sindh for third time

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Murad Ali Shah has been elected as the chief minister of Sindh for the third consecutive time on Monday afternoon.

    Shah previously served as the chief executive of Sindh from 2016 to 2018 and then again from 2018 to 2023.

    Today, the election for the province’s chief executive began after a half-hour delay via open ballot, with those supporting the PPP’s Shah and MQMP’s Ali Khurshidi directed to go right and left of the assembly hall, respectively.

    A total of 148 members of the provincial assembly took part in the electoral process, with Murad Ali Shah securing 112 votes to become the 25th chief minister of Sindh. Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) Ali Khurshidi was in competition with newly-elected chief minister Murad Ali Shah.

    On the other hand, MQM-P leader Abdul Waseem congratulated Murad Ali Shah on becoming CM Sindh.

    “We all need to respect the elected members and resolve the problems. I hope Murad Ali Shah will live up to people’s expectations,” he said.

  • PTI-backed candidate claims ‘being forced to join PPP or MQM-P’.

    PTI-backed candidate claims ‘being forced to join PPP or MQM-P’.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidate Shanawaz Jadoon has claimed that he was declared the loser in Karachi’s PS-115 (Keamari) constituency when he refused to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) or the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

    The politician said in a video statement that he was threatened by unknown persons that he would lose his provincial assembly seat if he did not join the PPP or MQM-P. 

    “I’ve been receiving phone calls since morning asking me to leave Imran Khan. I told them that I won’t leave Imran Khan under any circumstances,” he said in the video statement.

    Shanawaz Jadoon has said that he is standing with Imran Khan and party workers, who struggled day and night to get him elected as a Member Provincial Assembly (MPA).

    “I will die, but never leave Imran Khan’s side. Thousands of such seats can be sacrificed for Imran Khan and the people of my constituency,” he said, adding that he has no interest in becoming a member of the provincial assembly.

  • ‘PTI can talk to all parties to solve country’s problems’; Ali Muhammad Khan offers olive branch

    ‘PTI can talk to all parties to solve country’s problems’; Ali Muhammad Khan offers olive branch

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-supported independent candidates are currently leading in numbers after the recent general elections. However, the party’s leadership seems unsure about their stance on discussions with other political parties in the context of forming a government in Islamabad.

    A day earlier, former Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his party will not talk to mainstream parties, including, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

    On the other hand, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan said in an interview with Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ that PTI can talk with all political parties to solve the country’s problems, offering an olive branch as opposed to his party’s hard-line stance.

    “We have no personal fight with these parties,” Ali said pointedly, adding that PTI is ready to sit with other political stakeholders, as soon as “tomorrow morning”.

  • Bilawal urges people to vote for “arrow” if they want to stop lion

    Bilawal urges people to vote for “arrow” if they want to stop lion

    Just days before the February 8 general elections, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari launched criticism at all opposing political parties as election campaigning reached its peak.

    While addressing an election rally in Hyderabad, Bilawal asked his audience to vote for arrow, the symbol of the PPP, if they want to block the lion, the symbol of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Stressing the need for hard work, the ex-foreign minister asked the participants, “You just get PPP to win [elections]. I will handle this lion.”

    The PPP chairman also criticised the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). “If people ask you to vote for ‘kite’, then tell them, ‘We will not vote for those who raise anti-Pakistan slogans.’”

    Reply that the kite will be ripped apart, he added. The PPP leader urged the people not to waste their vote on any independent candidate — an apparent reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates.

    PTI candidates are taking part in the upcoming general elections as independent candidates after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) didn’t allot them their election symbol (bat).

  • 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.

  • PPP and PMLN want timely elections

    PPP and PMLN want timely elections

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the importance of conducting the scheduled general elections on February 8 next year.

    Speaking to reporters after his appearance before an accountability court in Lahore regarding the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Shehbaz said, “[Holding the elections on time] is the requirement of law and democracy.”

    The NAB reference alleges that Shehbaz, the former chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by utilizing public funds to construct a bridge to benefit mills owned by his sons.

    Despite the legal challenges, Shehbaz expressed confidence in the PML-N’s upcoming election campaign, announcing that party leader Nawaz Sharif will unveil the manifesto during the electoral activities.

    Addressing concerns raised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding equal opportunities in the polls, Shehbaz cited, “I went to court today and this is called the level-playing field and Nawaz Sharif will also produce himself in an Islamabad court today.”

    Shehbaz also delved into recent events, including the May 9 incidents and the subsequent arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. “A conspiracy to overthrow the army was hatched on May 9 and any democratic government will not tolerate treason,” he stressed.

    During the court hearing, Shehbaz clarified the charges against him, referring to his summoning in the clean water case and subsequent arrest in the Ashiana reference

    “I will not discuss the merits of the case, my lawyer will do it,” he told the court, adding that the court gave him justice in the Ashiana case.

    “After that, NAB arrested me in the sewer case. I was told that I had issued a directive for the construction of a drain which was built by an MPA,” he said.

    The PML-N president told the court that they have installed thousands of clean water projects during his tenure.

    Shehbaz said that he transferred their inherited sugar mill to his son and the government did not give subsidies to sugar mills in his tenure.

    PPP hopeful about timely elections

    Meanwhile, PPP expressed optimism that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa would ensure the timely holding of the next general elections on February 8.

    “We are hopeful that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa will not let the elections be delayed,” PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi told in a press conference.

    Echoing concerns about a level playing field previously voiced by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Kundi asserted that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is poised to become the next prime minister.

    Mr Kundi claimed that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will be the next prime minister of the country and he would announce the party’s future line of action about the next elections at a public meeting in Quetta on Nov 30 on the occasion of the 56th foundation day of the PPP.

    “Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari will both address the public meeting,” he said, adding that Bilawal’s sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari would conduct the election campaign of his brother.

    Additionally, PPP leader Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari was appointed as the secretary general of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

    Before Mr Bukhari’s appointment, seasoned party leader Farhatullah Babar was serving as the secretary general of the party’s parliamentary chapter.

  • Rana Sanaullah thinks MQM-P will help PLM-N get up to four seats in Karachi

    Rana Sanaullah thinks MQM-P will help PLM-N get up to four seats in Karachi

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has stated that his party’s alliance with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) could result in three to four candidates securing seats in Karachi in the general elections, The News has reported.

    Sanaullah passed the opinion after a joint announcement by PML-N and MQM-P that they intend to collectively participate in the elections scheduled for February 8.
    Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Sath’ on Thursday, Sanaullah said that a lot of matters were yet to be decided but the MQM-P will give PML-N space where its candidates could succeed.
    “We will strengthen PML-N in Balochistan,” he said.

    “A hung parliament after the election will add to the country’s problems,” he warned and said the future government must at least have a simple majority.
    He mentioned that the current situation in the country requires a widespread agreement on policies. The upcoming government, regardless of which party leads it, will need to collaborate with all other parties to navigate the country through its challenges.