Jamat-e-Islami (JI) confirmed on Wednesday that they will not form a government with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), despite PTI-backed independent candidates leading with higher number of seats in the February 8 general elections.
JI leader Amir Liaqat Baloch said while talking to Geo News that his party is not going to join hands with the PTI for the formation of a government in centre.
“There is no reason for us to form an alliance with PTI only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” said Baloch, adding that talks with PTI were related to both governments — federal and provincial.
PTI leader Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that there is no point of forming a government with JI as it has no representative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). A day earlier, the PTI founder said that his party will not talk with mainstream political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Sonya Hussyn has been in a lot of TV shows and movies and people love her acting.
The ‘Tich Button’ actress is currently starring in a show called ‘Akhara’ with Feroze Khan, and fans are loving the series.
But even though she’s doing so well in her career, Sonya doesn’t want to get married. She recently talked about marriage on a TV show hosted by Nadia Khan. “Everyone asks about my marriage. They say, ‘You’ve finished studying, you’re really successful, you even have your own house. So why aren’t you married?’ I feel like I don’t fit in with this generation. People don’t have good manners or respect for each other. They don’t know how to talk to girls or treat women well. They also don’t know how to respect older people. I can’t accept these things because I come from a different background. Now, I only feel inspired by people who have good qualities and treat others nicely.”
Sonya used to be married to gym owner Wasif Muhammad, but their marriage didn’t last long. Now that she’s flying high, we say she deserves all the time she wants before deciding upon marriage.
In a recent development reported by Geo News, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has expressed his preference for Murad Ali Shah to serve as the Chief Minister of Sindh for the third consecutive term.
Sources revealed that alongside Shah, other names under consideration for the Sindh CM post include Faryal Talpur, Nasir Hussain Shah, and Sharjeel Memon.
It’s noted that some leaders within the PPP advocate for Faryal Talpur to potentially become Sindh’s first woman chief minister, adding an intriguing dynamic to the selection process.
Furthermore, amidst political alliances forming in the country, a six-party coalition consisting of PML-N, PPP, MQMP, PML-Q, IPP, and BAP has been announced.
This alliance, reminiscent of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), aims to form the next government at the federal level.
Notably, Asif Ali Zardari, the former president, is expected to lead the country for the second time, pending the coalition’s success.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari affirmed PPP’s support for PML-N in electing its prime minister, though without direct involvement in the federal government.
However, discussions surrounding key constitutional posts, including the National Assembly speaker, Senate chairman, and president, have ensued. Bilawal expressed his desire for Asif Ali Zardari to assume the presidency, citing the need for experienced leadership in addressing the country’s challenges.
In addition to the presidency, PPP is reportedly eyeing the post of Balochistan chief minister, with Sarfraz Bugti briefing the party on the province’s political landscape.
Sources suggest that PML-N leadership has agreed to support Zardari for the presidency in exchange for PPP’s backing of Shehbaz Sharif for the prime minister’s post, potentially shaping the future political landscape with a PML-N prime minister and a PPP president.
Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Rana Sanaullah said PPP did not not demand the top constitutional post of president. In a statement, Sanaullah said that Shehbaz had experience of working with allies, while Asif Ali Zardari has the political acumen to take prudent decisions.
He said that neither the PPP demanded the position of the president nor did they make any commitment. “We hope that [JUI-F chief] Fazlur Rehman will become part of the government,” he added.
It has been revealed that there is a clear difference in grading of the first year (Inter) 2023 and 2022 examinations under Higher Secondary Education Board Karachi.
More A1, A, and B grades were awarded to candidates in 2022 than in 2023.
According to details reported by Geo, the percentage of success of A1 and A1 grade candidates in science pre-medical, pre-engineering, and general science last year was high, with 1539 in pre-medical results in the 2020 exams. Candidates succeeded in A-1, 3712 with an A grade, and 4573 with a B grade.
However, in the 2023 examinations, 654 candidates passed with an A1 grade, 2418 with an A grade, and 3753 secured a B grade.
In the 2020 pre-engineering results, 1125 candidates passed with A 1, 2468 with an A grade and 3304 with a B grade while in the 2023 exams, 461 candidates passed with A 1, 1566 with an A grade and 2479 with a B grade.
In the science general result of the 2020 examinations, 216 candidates succeeded with an A grade, while 918 candidates secured an A grade and 1573 candidates with a B grade.
In the 2023 examinations, 178 candidates passed with an A1 grade and 853 candidates passed with an A grade.
Background
The results for the first-year (Part-I) examination announced by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) on January 24 raised concerns as more than 50 per cent of the students failed.
According to the Inter board spokesperson, 72 per cent of the candidates failed in arts first year (private) and 80 per cent in arts (regular).
In this context, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) also announced a sit-in outside the Board of Intermediate Education office in Karachi (BIEK) following the announcement of inter results which revealed that about 80 per cent Arts students had failed.
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”.
Atif Aslam has sung many a hit song and does not regret any of them except for some prose. The superstar recently shared in an interview that he has apologized to Allah for singing inappropriate poetry by mistake. Clips from his interview have gone viral on social media, where people have praised him for the sincere and meaningful conversation.
Atif Aslam said, “If I have ever accidentally sung any inappropriate poetry which is considered as blasphemy in the glory of Allah, then I later realized that I have also apologized for it.” He also talked about his values and how he always stands up against wrong things and seeks forgiveness from God. Discussing his career, Atif Aslam mentioned, “It’s not that there was no auto-tuner technology in our time, auto-tuner was there then but now it has become a support for new singers because now everyone just wants to be famous quickly.” He added, “In today’s age, no one wants to work hard, everyone wants to get fame in a short period of time.”
He also said, “Sudden fame does not last long.” Although Atif Aslam didn’t mention any specific songs in the interview, he admitted to past mistakes. Both Atif Aslam and Qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan have faced criticism on social media for some of their songs and poetry in the past.
Authorities in Cambodia have issued a stern rebuke to students to avoid “inappropriate activities” this Valentine’s Day, warning them of the perils of “losing dignity”.
Valentine’s Day has become popular among young people in many Southeast Asian countries in recent years, with bunches of red roses and heart-shaped chocolates popping up in stores and on street stalls in the days leading up to February 14.
While some might see the annual celebration of love as a bit of harmless fun, the Cambodian government — which has form for issuing dire warnings about the pitfalls of young love and premarital sex — is rattled.
The education ministry issued a directive to public and private schools late on Tuesday ordering them to “take measures to prevent inappropriate activities on Valentine’s Day”.
“It is not tradition of our Khmer nationality,” the statement said.
The ministry also noted that the event had made “a small number of youths… forget about studying and lose the dignity of themselves and their families”.
The Ministry of Culture called on authorities and parents “to remind children to use the day in line with the beautiful Khmer tradition for the sake of their honour and dignity”.
And the ministry of Women’s affairs weighed in, saying some people “misunderstand the meaning of February 14”.
Cambodia’s National AIDS Authority warned that AIDS was still spreading and that some people, particularly youth, used Valentine’s Day to “show love that leads to possible sexual intercourse”.
Last year, there were 7,600 people living with AIDS in Cambodia, including 1,400 new cases, it said.
About 42 percent of the new cases are youths aged between 15 and 24, the authority said.
Social conservatives see Valentine’s Day as a foreign import that represents a moral threat to traditional Buddhist beliefs.
Cambodian women in particular are under intense social pressure to retain their virginity until marriage.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is likely to join the federal cabinet despite publically stating on Tuesday that the party will only support Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate for prime minister, Geo has reported on Wednesday.
A day earlier, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto said that his party will only support PML-N in government formation and will not take ministries.
In a press conference following the two-day Central Executive Committee meeting of the PPP, Bilawal stated that the party is open to offering support on specific issues and crucial votes for the Prime Minister candidate of Pakistan, aiming to facilitate government formation and restore political stability.
“The PPP has decided that while we are not in a position to join the federal government ourselves, nor will we be interested in taking ministries in such a set-up, we also do not want to see political chaos in the country. We do not want to see perpetual crisis in the country,” he said.
Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of PPP, announced in a press conference later the same night, the formation of a six-party alliance for the next coalition government. He stated that they had decided to form the government together.
Indonesians began voting for a new president Wednesday with Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto the frontrunner to lead Southeast Asia’s biggest economy despite concerns over his human rights record.
Polls project Subianto, a military chief during the Suharto dictatorship a generation ago, to secure a majority and replace popular outgoing president Joko Widodo, who observers claim indirectly supported his campaign.
The 72-year-old is the clear favourite after a campaign mixing populist rhetoric with pledges to continue the policies of Widodo, who has presided over steady economic growth but reached the constitutional two-term limit.
“The hope is to win,” Subianto told reporters before voting in Bogor on Wednesday.
“Come to the voting station… cast your votes according to your conscience.”
Nearly 205 million people are eligible to vote for Subianto or his rivals, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, in just the fifth presidential election since the end of Suharto’s dictatorship in 1998.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 am (2200 GMT) in the easternmost region of Papua and were due to close at 01:00 pm (0600 GMT) at the other end of the country in jungle-clad Sumatra.
A logistical feat involving more than 800,000 polling stations and 20,000 seats up for grabs saw planes, helicopters, speedboats and even cows used to cart ballots around the sprawling archipelago of nearly 280 million people.
In Papua’s Timika city, officials inspected makeshift polling stations built from logs, metal sheets and palm leaves as voters arrived to eye candidate lists.
In the capital Jakarta, a thunderstorm deluged 34 polling stations, according to the city’s disaster mitigation agency.
Workers wearing shirts that read “not voting is not an option” relocated some stations where ballot boxes had been wrapped in plastic, while others used pumps to drain floodwater.
Official results are not expected until March, but so-called quick counts from government-approved pollsters — shown to be reliable in the past — are expected to indicate the winner later Wednesday.
‘Decisive leader’
Consultant Debbie Sianturi was one of those determined to vote.
“I want to have a leader that will continue the democracy,” the 57-year-old said.
Another said Subianto’s experience made him a popular candidate.
“He has a military background, so I think he will be a decisive leader,” said Afhary Firnanda, a 28-year-old office worker in Jakarta.
Election commissioner Idham Kholik told AFP all voters should be allowed to cast their ballots if large queues remained when polls closed.
Subianto needs to claim more than 50 percent of the overall vote and at least a fifth of ballots cast in over half the country’s 38 provinces to secure the presidency.
If he falls short, a second-round vote will be held in June.
Baswedan, seen as the favourite to challenge Subianto in that event, told supporters to help ensure a fair vote in the graft-riddled country where voters dip their fingers in halal ink to prevent double voting.
“Come back to the voting station, monitor the vote count,” he told reporters.
Pranowo, who entered election day last in polls after once being the front-runner, said he hoped for a clean election.
“Today is the best time for all to return to the good path of democracy,” he told reporters.
Commitment to democracy
Another key factor in Subianto’s popularity is having Widodo’s eldest son, 36-year-old Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his vice presidential running mate, a move that has raised eyebrows.
In October, Indonesia’s then-chief justice, who is Widodo’s brother-in-law, changed the rules that had barred candidates below the age of 40 from running for high office.
Widodo enjoys near-record approval ratings after two terms of solid economic growth and relatively stable politics in the nation’s young democracy.
However, some legal experts and rights groups have accused Widodo of improperly using government funds to support Subianto.
Subianto and his aides have rejected accusations of impropriety.
Subianto was dismissed from the military in 1998 over accusations he ordered the abduction of democracy activists at the end of Suharto’s rule, but he denied the accusations and was never charged.
He has since rehabilitated his image, thanks in part to a savvy social media campaign targeting Indonesia’s youth that portrayed him as a “cuddly grandpa”.
But rights groups have expressed alarm that he could roll back hard-won democratic freedoms, pointing to the alleged disappearances.
“We’ve been always worried about his commitment towards democracy,” said Yoes Kenawas, a researcher at Jakarta-based Atma Jaya Catholic University.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that his party is not interested in being part of the government in the centre. He also said that the PPP didn’t get a mandate and that “I’m not a candidate for Prime Minister.”
The PPP Chairman said that PPP is not in a position to form a government at the centre, adding that PTI has said that it will not hold any talks with PPP, and PML-N is the only party that invited us to join the government at the centre.
“We have decided that we are not in a position to be a part of the federal government. The former foreign minister said that we will not take ministries into the federal government, but we will vote for PML-N’s candidate for prime minister.
He further said that we want the government formation to be completed soon and the country to come out of the crisis.
