Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) affiliated Member of the National Assembly (MNA) has expressed disappointment over his party’s performance in Punjab.
‘’Bilawal Bhutto Zardari cannot become Prime Minister (PM) with Sindh votes only,” he said at the ceremony at a local hotel on his father’s 85th birth anniversary.
‘’Punjab PPP leaders have been holding essential party positions yet failing to help Bilawal. Therefore, they must step down or be removed,’’ he stated. Jamiluzzaman, the son of the late PPP stalwart Amin Fahim observed that the same people vote for Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Marium Nawaz and former Prime Minister Imran Khan—but not for Bilawal Bhutto. He questioned his party ‘’Why do these votes not go to Bilawal? Why is the Punjab PPP sleeping? Why are Punjab people holding important positions?”
He also hinted at leading a delegation to meet party leadership to reactivate PPP in Punjab.
President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the Election Act Amendment Bill 2024, which aims to restrict independent lawmakers from changing parties.
According to Geo News, the bill has been sent to the Senate Secretariat for official notification today. The approval comes when the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have approached the Apex Court regarding the decision on reserved seats. The bill proposes that if a candidate does not submit a declaration of his affiliation with a political party to the returning officer (RO) before seeking allotment of the election symbol, they shall be “considered as an independent candidate and not a candidate of any political party.’’
It further states that if a political party fails to submit its list for reserved seats within a prescribed time, it will not be eligible for reserved seats. Lawmakers also cannot change to another party after joining one within three days of winning the election.
President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday that if the criminals of Sindh Kacha area, except for the most hardened ones, surrendered before the state, then they should gradually be brought into the national mainstream and rehabilitated to make them responsible and valued members of society.
President Zardari asked that strict action be taken against high-risk criminals.
During a meeting on the law and order situation in Sindh, Zardari directed authorities to improve the condition of roads, health, and education infrastructure in Kacha areas of Sindh to upgrade the socio-economic condition of the people of that area.
Minister for Interior Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Member of the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Minister for Planning and Development Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Zia ul Hassan Lanjar, Additional Chief Secretary Sindh Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Inspector General of Police Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon, Director General Rangers Sindh Major General Azhar Waqas, GOC 16 Division Pano Aqil Garrison Major General Aamer Amin and senior officials of the federal and provincial governments attended the huddle in Nawabshah.
Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, the daughter of President Asif Ali Zardari, has called analyst Najam Sethi a “fraudster” on X, formerly Twitter, after he talked about her sister Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s unopposed win on NA 207.
During an episode of his talk show on Samaa news, Najam Sethi went on to relate a story about Zulifqar Ali Bhutto and how he had his political opponents step down in 1977 elections because Bhutto wanted to win unopposed.
Then Sethi claimed that a similar chain of events has taken place in the by-polls in which Aseefa Bhutto won unopposed.
The seat was vacated by her father, Asif Ali Zardari, after he was elected as the president. A total of 11 individuals filed their nomination papers. Three withdrew their names from the race and seven nominations were rejected by the Returning Officer (RO).
Sethi claimed that when the reason was asked it was said, “She’s a kid, it’s scorching outside so we thought let’s get her elected unopposed, she would’ve won anyways.”
Bakhtawar Bhutto reacted furiously to a clip of the show, writing, “Actually our grandfather had him arrested for being a fraudster and clearly he’s still awfully bitter about it.”
President Asif Ali Zardari has filed for Presidential immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution in two National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases. The clause provides protection to high-ranking state officials from all legal proceedings in court for any action taken by them during their terms in office.
In the Park Lane Case, Mr Zardari is accused of allegedly using his influence to extract loans from the state exchequer for dummy corporations during his term as the President from 2008 to 2013. It is important to note that Mr Zardari, along with his sister and several other business associates, are accused in this case as well. However, the Presidential immunity only protects Mr Zardari.
The other NAB case is known as the Thatta Water Supply reference in which Asif Ali Zardari and others are accused of illegally awarding different contracts to private contractors. Zardari’s counsel emphasized that President Zardari’s status as the country’s elected head granted him immunity from legal action, thus rendering the continuation of the case against him untenable.
The accountability court has since issued a notice to the NAB, seeking a response to Mr Zardari’s application for immunity by April 22.
President Asif Ali Zardari has filed for Presidential immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution in two National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases. The clause provides protection to high-ranking state officials from all legal proceedings in court for any action taken by them during their terms in office.
In the Park Lane Case, Mr Zardari is accused of allegedly using his influence to extract loans from the state exchequer for dummy corporations during his term as the President from 2008 to 2013. It is important to note that Mr Zardari, along with his sister and several other business associates, are accused in this case as well. However, the Presidential immunity only protects Mr Zardari.
The other NAB case is known as the Thatta Water Supply reference in which Asif Ali Zardari and others are accused of illegally awarding different contracts to private contractors. Zardari’s counsel emphasized that President Zardari’s status as the country’s elected head granted him immunity from legal action, thus rendering the continuation of the case against him untenable.
The accountability court has since issued a notice to the NAB, seeking a response to Mr Zardari’s application for immunity by April 22.
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.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is set to run for two National Assembly seats in the upcoming general elections, while his father, co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari will contest from one National Assembly seat from Sindh, as reported by The News on Saturday.
According to a list of participating candidates from Sindh and Balochistan announced by the PPP (Parliamentarians), the former foreign minister will run for NA-194 in Larkana-I and NA-196 in Qambar Shahdadkot-I, while former president Zardari will contest elections from NA-207 in Shaheed Benazirabad-I.
The party released its list a day earlier, revealing the candidates’ names and constituencies in Sindh who are going to participate in a significant political competition scheduled for the upcoming month, aiming to secure positions in both the National and Sindh assemblies.
Other prominent names that the party has fielded for contesting the much-awaited elections for a seat in the lower house from the southern province, include Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah from NA-201 (Sukkur-II), Nafisa Shah from NA-202 (Khairpur-I), Shazia Atta Marri from NA-209 (Sanghar-I), Pir Aftab Shah Jeelani from NA-211 (Mirpurkhas-I), Mir Munawar Ali Talpur from NA-212 (Mirpurkhas-II), Syed Naveed Qamar from NA-221 (Tando Muhammad Khan), Nabeel Gabol from NA-239 (Karachi South-I) and Abdul Qadir Patel from NA-243 (Karachi Keamari-II), among others.
In all honesty, 2023 was more like a crazy roller coaster than a democratic process when it comes to Pakistani politics. Here are some of the significant events that happened this year:
Assemblies dissolved
On January 14, 2023, the provincial assembly of Punjab was dissolved while on January 16, 2023, Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was dissolved as former Prime Minister Imran Khan was pushing for early national elections.
May 9
On May 9, 2023, former prime minister and founder chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan was submitting his biometric data for a court appearance when paramilitary forces broke down a window inside the court to get to apprehend him.
The dramatic and sudden arrest of the former cricket star turned leader resulted in violent clashes between supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and law enforcement agencies protests to mark the arrest of the former Prime Minister turned into riots.
Several military installations, including GHQ and the Lahore corps commander’s official residence, were attacked across the country within hours of Imran Khan’s detention.
May 9, termed a “black day” by the Pakistani state, ended up provoking a harsh military crackdown on Khan’s party.
PTI Dismantled
Thousands of PTI members, including many women, were rounded up and arrested after May 9 riots.
More than two dozen members of PTI resigned from the politics following the protests.
Notable figures like Shireen Mazari, Asad Umer, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Fawad Chaudhry, Maleeka Bokhari, Abrar ul Haq, Murad Ras, Ali Haider Zaidi, Imran Islamil, Usman Dar, Farrukh Habib, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Andleeb Abbas, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Shaukat Tarin and others either left PTI or quit politics.
Imran Khan Jailed
Police arrested Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Lahore on August 5, 2023, after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for illegally selling state gifts, potentially barring the opposition leader from contesting an upcoming election.
On September 26, 2023, Imran Khan was shifted to the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi from Attock prison, a day after the Islamabad High Court ordered authorities to relocate him to the high-security jail.
Qazi Faez Isa
On September 17, 2023, Justice Qazi Faez Isa was sworn in as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan.
A ceremony was held at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad during which President Arif Alvi administered the oath of office. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir were also present.
Justice Isa was accompanied by his wife, Sarina Isa, while he was taking oath.
Imran Riaz ‘safely’ returns
On the evening of May 11, 2023, police arrested Imran Riaz Khan, a former anchor with the privately owned broadcaster Express News and host of a YouTube channel with over three million subscribers.
Imran Riaz Khan, often called Imran Riaz, was trying to flee the country over fears of his arrest. At the time, authorities accused him of inciting people to violence through his reporting.
He was said to have been freed a few days later, but there was no trace of him and police denied keeping him in custody.
On September 25, 2023, his lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq took to X (former Tiwtter) and posted a picture of Imran Riaz, after his return, stating that the recovery took a long time due to “countless difficulties, a weak judiciary” and the ineffectiveness of the Constitution. He also shared a photo of him with Khan.
The rift between Zardari and Bilawal
On November 23, 2023, the former president of Pakistan and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari‘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.
On November 24, 2023, 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.
PPP denied all the claims of a rift between the father-son duo.
Afghan Refugees Repatriation
On October 3, 2023, Pakistan’s caretaker government announced it would carry out mass deportations — known under domestic law as an Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan — asking all concerned to leave the country before 1 November. Although the plan purported to apply to all foreigners residing in the country illegally, it appears designed to target Afghans, millions of whom have sought refuge in Pakistan over the years.
As of December 29, 2023, the total number of allegedly illegal Afghans who left Pakistan reached 453,480 and the process is still underway.
Nawaz Sharif Returns
On October 21, 2023, Pakistan’s thrice-elected former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London.
Nawaz Sharif was disqualified when the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) announced its decision on July 28, 2017, in the Panama Papers case. After that, Nawaz Sharif and three of his children were referred to an accountability court, which was ordered to file corruption cases against Sharif’s family within six weeks.
In July 2018, the expelled prime minister was imprisoned for 10 years in the Avenfield properties corruption case, an assets-beyond-means trial.
In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, the PML-N supremo was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018. Nawaz Sharif was taken to Adiala jail in this case, and then he was shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on the very next day. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in this case.
The former prime minister was released from jail in March 2019. After that, the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed Nawaz Sharif to go to London for treatment for fast-depleting platelet levels, and then he left for London in November 2019.
Elections Date Announced
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on November 3, 2023, that 8th February 2024 is the poll date for the General Elections for the National Assembly of Pakistan and Provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The date was announced by the President House in a statement following a meeting between the top election officials and President Alvi, hours after the election commission lawyer told the Supreme Court that elections will be held on February 11.
PTI New Chairman
On December 2, 2023, The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) on Saturday elected Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as the new chairman in the intra-party elections held on the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Gohar won the chairman’s position unopposed.
The change was forced on the party after the Election Commission of Pakistan warned the PTI last month that it risked losing its emblem – a cricket bat – unless an internal ballot was held for party officers.
Election symbols are crucial in a country where the adult literacy rate is 58 percent, according to World Bank data.
Baloch Long March
Demanding the release of all “missing persons” and an end to “extrajudicial killing” in Balochistan under the leadership of activist Dr Mahrang Baloch and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the march started in Turbat, Balochistan, on December 6 after the alleged extrajudicial killing of 24-year-old Balach Baloch.
According to BYC, when the march reached the capital, the city administration didn’t allow them to protest in front of the press club. Maharng Baloch said in her live video from the Facebook page of BYC that Islamabad police arrested 300 male protesters, eight women, and 10 children.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has accused Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, of paying vloggers while sitting abroad.
In an interview on Aaj News with Asma Shirazi, the former president stated that a lobby with “multiple interests” has been funding and backing vloggers.
The former president further added that it was a conspiracy to bring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ex-Chairman Imran Khan into power, adding that some people wanted to extend his rule until 2035.
“He [Khan] would have sold Pakistan, and the country would have defaulted if I had not ousted that person… Sometimes a puppet does not know what its handler is doing to it.”
Asif Ali Zardari also said that “I can be a candidate for prime ministership and Bilawal too. Even Khursheed Shah can be the candidate.”
On the other hand, PTI supporters are showing support to Jemima on X (previously Twitter), with #StayStrongJemimaKhan trending on the platform.
Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has been summoned by an accountability court in Islamabad in connection with the Thatta water supply case.
The court, headed by Judge Mohammad Bashir, has also summoned several other individuals, including Ijaz Ahmed Khan, former secretary to the Sindh government, Hassan Ally Memon, former head of the committee responsible for procurements related to the water supply scheme, Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, CEO Omni Group, Menahel Majeed, spouse of Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed and others to appear on December 15.
The case revolves around allegations of illegal contract awards to private contractors.
Earlier this year, proceedings in the case had been halted due to changes in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO).
The case was among dozens of references transferred from accountability courts because of the amendments made in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) by the PDM coalition government headed by then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
These amendments were struck down by the Supreme Court on September 15.
This development comes as the latest in a series of legal battles for Zardari, who was indicted in the water supply reference back in October 2020, as part of the broader fake bank accounts case.
The reference specifically focuses on the alleged award of a contract by the special initiative department for the Thatta water supply scheme to a private contractor.
The accountability court has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to ensure the reference is properly presented before the appropriate forum.
