Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, who run the single JI seat in the Sindh Assembly, announced on Monday that he was leaving the seat. ‘We don’t want a charity seat,’ he said, speaking about his PS-129 Karachi constituency. Analysts, after finding out about Rehman’s decision, termed it as ‘not a good idea’, saying that Rehman was enough for the Sindh Assembly and he was the choice of the voter and he should not have left after being elected. The Pakistan Peoples Party is leading in the Sindh Assembly with 84 seats, MQM at 28 and Independents at 11. One seat is yet to be announced.
Tag: The Current
-
Election 2024 Wrap-Up
No mobile signals on election day:
The general election of 2024 took place on February 8, and there were no mobile signals on election day across the country. Caretaker prime minister Anwar Kakar said, “I don’t know what difficulties citizens are facing due to mobile suspension.”
Polling started late:
According to a report in The Express TRIBUNE, polling at most women polling stations started late on February 8 due to the late supply of election material in different areas of the country.
Blasts on election day:
Two blasts happened on Election Day in Lajja town and the Kharan area of Balochistan. At least three people were killed in two blasts on February 8.
Hot Seats:
NA-122 Lahore was a hot seat as Khawja Saad Rafique of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PTI-backed candidate Sardar Latif Khosa were in competition. However, Sardar Latif Khosa won this seat.
NA-128 was also a hot seat as PTI-backed candidate Salman Akram Raja and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party’s (IPP) Aun Chaudhary were competing on it. However, Aun Chaudhary won this seat.
NA-130 was also an important seat, as former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was in competition with PTI-supported Yasmeen Rashid. However, Nawaz Sharif won this seat.
Long delay in election results:
Election results took a long long time to be tabulated and released.
ECP decides to announce results:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to announce results, beginning with three constituencies at 2am on February 9.
Allegations of rigging:
Multiple politicians claimed that the elections were rigged in different constituencies, and some politicians challenged their defeat in courts.
PTI Independents take the lead:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidates took the lead and then maintained it.
Nawaz’s victory speech:
Former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif cancelled his victory speech on Thursday night due to a delay in results. The next day, February 9, Nawaz Sharif said in his speech that all politicians and political parties should work together.
Shehbaz meetings:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif met Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Asif Zardari, on Friday, and a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Saturday to discuss the possibility of joining hands in a coalition government.
Final Tally:
According to results so far, PTI-backed candidates are 93, PML-N has 73 and PPP won 53 National Assembly seats.
-
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.
-
Nawaz Sharif’s victory speech is ready, says Maryam Nawaz
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz has said in a tweet that the party is emerging as the single largest party in the centre as well as in Punjab.
She wrote in a post on X (previously Twitter), “As opposed to the false perception deliberately built by a section of media last night, PMLN, Alhamdolillah emerging as the single largest party in centre and in Punjab. Some results awaited. MNS will head to PMLN HQ for the victory speech as soon as final results are received. Insha’Allah. Stay tuned”
-
What does Maryam Nawaz have against anchors?
Maryam Nawaz breaks silence at 3:08AM. The night of the general election of Pakistan, PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz who is also a candidate from Lahore has retweeted a tweet by a twitter handle, Faisal Ranjha, who tweeted: This chaos is created by Suited, booted anchors sitting in cozy studios.
She reposted the tweet at 3:08AM on Friday morning, causing an uproar on the media. Election results are still awaited as the country waits to find out who the new Prime Minister of Pakistan will be. According to the election results so far, independent candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are leading.
-
Mobile signals are restored in Karachi, not in Lahore
Senior Journalist Gharidah Farooqi wrote in her post on X (previously Twitter) that mobile signals are restored in Karachi but are still suspended in Lahore.
It’s election night in Pakistan, but mobile signals have been suspended in Lahore for almost 20 hours. According to the election results so far, independent candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are leading.
-
Nawaz Sharif votes for Imran Khan’s former bestie
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif cast his vote in NA-128 Lahore.
Nawaz Sharif voted for Imran Khan’s former bestie and Istehkam-e-Pakistan’s (IPP) leader, Aun Chaudhry.
Aun was a member of PTI for a long time and a close associate of Khan. PMLN has supported his candidacy as Nawaz and his family have voted for Aun.
-
Nawaz Sharif casts his vote in NA-128 Lahore
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif has cast his vote in NA-128 Lahore along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz. Nawaz Sharif cast his vote for the first time in nearly six years.
-
Restore mobile service now: Bilawal Bhutto
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wants the mobile service across the country to be restored. The former foreign minister wrote a post on X (previously Twitter) saying, “Mobile phone services must be restored immediately across the country. I have asked my party to approach both ECP and the courts for this purpose.”
Other politicians are also agreeing with BBZ, including Independent candidate and former PPP minister, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.
-
Mobile internet suspended across Pakistan
The federal Ministry of Interior has confirmed on Thursday morning that internet services on mobile data across the country have been suspended after a dramatic surge of terror attacks just a day before the country goes to polls.
“Recent surge in terrorist activities resulting in precious lives have stirred security environment in the country. In the light of deteriorating security situation and to mitigate potential security threats, need has risen to take by measures to safeguard against it. Therefore, it has been decided to temporarily suspend the mobile services across the country,” a statement issued by the ministry said.
However, WiFi services have not been suspended and remain operational.
The news has been met by dismay on social media as users say it hinders the voting process and blocks candidates from communicating with their polling staff.
On Wednesday, two attacks just a short while apart from each other, killed 27 people in Balochistan while more than 50 people were injured. A grenade attack in Karachi got foiled when the ammo detonated in the hands of the motorcyclist carrying it, while JUI-F’s Hafiz Hamdullah was attacked by gunfire in an assassination attempt that failed.