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Questions raised as MNA Nawaz chairs Punjab govt meetings
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PTI plans long march, sit-in against ‘rigging’ after Eid
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11 file papers for Nawabshah seat vacated by Zardari
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For more on our elections coverage, go here
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Questions raised as MNA Nawaz chairs Punjab govt meetings
PTI plans long march, sit-in against ‘rigging’ after Eid
11 file papers for Nawabshah seat vacated by Zardari
For more on our elections coverage, go here
The Election Commission of Pakistan has notified more than 100 returned candidates for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly.
The complete list can be found here.
The ECP has also notified returned candidates for the Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan assemblies.
In KP, PTI’s proposed alliance with the PTI-Parliamentarians has hit a snag.
An official said that it was decided to merge the PTI in the PTI-P in KP with ex-KP CM Mahmood Khan as its co-chairperson, but there were objections to this idea and the PTI leaders wanted Mahmood Khan to quit the party just like his predecessor Pervez Khattak.
“Now, we are also contacting Jamiat Ulama-i-Islam-Nazryati and Tehreek-i-Inqilab in KP for the merger,” said a PTI leader.
It may be noted that the decision to approach the PTI-P for a merger was taken by the PTI after its talks with the Jamaat-i-Islami collapsed.
Read more here.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has made it clear that his party “will not pick up weapons” but merely protest within the ambits of the law and take their movement forward if they choose to not sit in the parliament.
Speaking on a Geo News programme, he again invited political parties that were part of PDM to sit on the opposition benches with JUI-F instead of burying their politics by forming a government.
“Our rights have been snatched for PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, different political parties in Balochistan, for PPP in Sindh, and for PML-N in Punjab,” he said. “We were told that leave a seat and you will be accommodated somewhere else.”
Speaking on Geo News show ‘Jirga’, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman talked about his recent meeting with a PTI delegation. He said that in Pashtun culture, one did not turn away guests.
“This is not the first time PTI people came. They have come before as well. We have always given them respect,” he said, Fazl further said that a “culture” had developed where meetings between two sides were automatically termed an “alliance”.
He said that the JUI-F had reservations about the election results in the country. “In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we have reservations concerning the PTI,” he said. He added that this stance was also presented to the PTI delegation.
Noting the difference between the two parties, Fazl equated them to “mountains” and said that they were not easy to overcome.
“We are firm on our stance, they are firm on their stance,” he said, adding that there was no alliance between the two.
“But if them coming and talking to us, creates an environment where talks take place, and after those talks we go towards solving problems; we are political people and a political person never says no to talks,” he said.
Commenting on the Feb 8 polls, he asked, “How can we accept such an election from which so many anomalies have arisen?”
In a post on X, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “Thank you Pakistan! Our campaign and results have proven, once again, that the Peoples Party is what binds this nation together.”
“We have reservations over these elections, and will be taking them to the appropriate forums, and we believe the way forward is for all political parties to put aside their personal interests for the interests of the people of Pakistan,” he said.
“Our history has shown who benefits from chaos and division, and the people of Sindh remember the destruction wrought by those who encouraged and brought about the worst dictatorship our country has ever seen,” he said.
“We must not let such a situation arise again. I appeal to all political parties to think of the people. Put aside your differences. The challenges we face are too immense, and history will not judge us kindly if we care more for our ambitions than the fates of over 230 million people,” he said.
PML-N leader Ishaq Dar has stated that the plan to form a government with the PPP and MQM-P was “still on” as he pointed out that there was no other choice available to them.
Speaking to Geo News, the former finance minister said the committees of both political parties had held four rounds of meetings so far but nothing was finalised as yet.
“None of the committee members of both parties will make anything public till it isn’t final,” Dar added. “I receive calls on a daily basis to find out about the progress but I am morally bound to not say anything till it’s finalised.”
The PML-N leader termed Bilawal’s revelations of a power-sharing formula merely a fraction of the dialogue held between the two parties so far.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to divulge any more detail about this,” he said. “Bilawal made the time-sharing formula public but that was just one aspect and there can be more formulas.”
Internet monitor Netblocks has stated that its metrics show that social media platform X has been restricted in Pakistan for 24 hours, “the latest and longest in a series of nation-scale internet censorship measures imposed by authorities as reports of election fraud emerge”.
A day earlier Netblocks had reported a nationwide disruption to X “amid escalating unrest and protests over allegations of election fraud, following a high-level resignation and public admission of vote manipulation by a senior election official”.
The development had come after Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha accused the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of involvement in ‘rigging’ — a claim denied by the electoral watchdog and the top judge.
Earlier today, the director Bolo Bhi, an advocacy forum for digital rights, Usama Khilji had said that X was inaccessible for many except via select VPNs.
“Most users complaining their VPNs are also blocked and internet is slow,” he said, noting that there was no official word from the telecom authority or the IT minister “whose job is to ensure seamless internet access”.
JI chief Sirajul Haq has said that Pakistan is the only country where a “government is formed first” and “elections are held later”.
In a post on X, he said, that throughout the world, elections were held first and a government was formed later.
“The nation has clearly rejected this unconstitutional and undemocratic act,” Siraj added.
Maryam Nawaz, the PML-N’s nominee for the Punjab chief minister’s office, has stated that those who incite the bureaucracy to break the law would be dealt with according to the law.
In statement posted by the party on social media platform X, she said that threatening the bureaucracy was equivalent to creating chaos within the state machinery.
She said that officers should not be intimidated by threats and should perform their duties according to the law.
Without taking any names, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the party had decided that it would move forward with “those who has asked for its votes” and would not seek any ministries.
“To control the fire spreading in the country, we have decided that Zardari will be our candidate for the presidential election. And when he takes up the post, he will put out this fire, and will save the Centre and the provinces,” he said while speaking in Thatta.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has appealed to all the political parties of the country to “stay within the system” and work for the country’s betterment.
“But if we want to move ahead like this and spread this division of hate and politics, where someone tries to divide you along religious lines, then someone else would try to divide you along ethnic lines and someone else will try to divide through sectarianism,” he said.
Bilawal also challenged Pir Pagara and Maulana Fazlur Rehman to bring all their Form 45s to him and if proven wrong, he would contest polls against them the next day.
“I have won two seats out of which I will vacate a seat for by-elections,” he said. “How about you come and contest against us on that seat? Let’s see what your worth is.”
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has revealed the power-sharing formula he was offered wherein the prime minister’s seat would be shared between two parties.
“I was told that let us be the prime minister for three years and then you can take the premiership for the remaining two years,” he told a rally in Thatta.
“I said no to this. I said I do not want to be a prime minister like this,” Bilawal added. “If I become the prime minister, it would be after the people of Pakistan elect me.”
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that his party decided to collect the election complaints of jiyalas from all over the country and raise them at appropriate forums.
Addressing the people of Thatta, he said: “If we are unsuccessful, we will come to you and protest together”.
Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has claimed that a PTI-backed candidate was made to win against a PPP leader.
Addressing a rally in Thatta, he said that he also had all the Form 45s available with him and would approach the appropriate forum but “wouldn’t burn his own house down or divide the country”.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the country needed a political party that talked about the people’s problems.
Addressing a rally in Thatta, he said that the brewing economic and political crisis had divided society.
“What should happen is that politicians and all political parties, rather than focusing on their personal benefit, should think about the people of this country,” Bilawal added.
PTI leader Meher Bano Qureshi has said that her party was “ready and willing” to form the government provided that the people’s mandate was restored.
She posted a video clip of her statement on X, saying that people could not be expected to sit silently when their mandate had been “hijacked”.
“We will hold those responsible and those who have benefitted accountable,” Meher Bano added. “We will protect the people’s vote and be their voice!”
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq termed the Feb 8 polls the most “polluted and infamous” in Pakistan’s history.
He alleged that the census conducted before the polls was “manipulated”, adding that the population size was inflated in some areas and reduced in others.
He said that a government formed using “manipulated elections” and results would not last. “There is no solution other than following the Constitution and law,” he said.
He urged all political parties who believed in free and fair elections to unite. “Everyone is raising their voices. Only the beneficiaries are sitting quietly,” he said.
PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat has said that he sustained minor injuries on both his legs in a raid carried out at his home last night.
In a post on X, Marwat said he would press charges against the inspector general, senior superintendent of police operations, and also the Counter Terrorism Department for dacoity and criminal trespassing.
“I know my intimidators and ask them to stop it before it’s too late,” he warned.
Ali Amin Gandapur, who has been nominated by the PTI for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, has said that there should be no hesitation in marching for the rights of the province.
His remarks were shared by the party in a post on X. “I will participate in every forum for the rights of the province,” Gandapur was quoted as saying. “I hope that with sincere efforts, we will succeed.”
He promised to create a CM portal along the lines of the prime minister’s portal during Imran Khan’s tenure to resolve the complaints of the people.
“We will make significant efforts regarding the rights of the provinces,” Gandapur added. “I will work with all political parties in the assembly together.”
Gandapur further said the process of forming the provincial cabinet had started and recommendations would be sent to Imran soon. He further stated that PTI was not behind the events of May 9 and said investigations would reveal the truth.
“People going towards Rana Sanaullah’s house in Faisalabad were stopped, but they were allowed towards government properties,” he said. “The party’s policy was to not cause damage to government properties.”
He said the country needed to move forward now. Gandapur promised that the PTI would not avenge what had befallen it over the last few months.
“We will provide dignified employment opportunities for youth,” Gandapur concluded. “We will promote local industry.”
Let me first thank those who have voted for the party I lead. This is a trust that places an onerous responsibility on me and the team which will help me lead the government.
Millions of new voters have voted this time. Millions more will be voting in the next round. Sixty-four percent of Pakistanis are younger than 30 and 29 percent are between 15 and 29. They have new aspirations and are frustrated with how this country has been governed. This makes my job even more difficult. Not only must I lead under trying circumstances that call for major changes in the governance paradigm, the situation also demands a healing touch.
Not everyone has voted for my party. We have a sizeable opposition in the country, both inside and outside parliament. It is the opposition’s legitimate task to hold the government’s feet to fire. Equally, the only way to run the country is for the Treasury and Opposition benches to agree on a minimum of some basic principles — essentially, points of convergence on how, together, we can move forward. The situation calls upon all the political players to avoid political differences to grow to the point of enmity. Divided we all fall.
Read more from EOS here.
While speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan urged political parties to accept the mandate of the people.
“These parties, who haven’t even won so much as 40 seats, they and everyone else need to listen to the what the people are saying, which is that they have accepted Imran Khan as prime minister and they want a better Pakistan,” he said.
He remarked that PPP and PML-N were the beneficiaries of rigging in the Feb 8 polls and were “waiting to see who stabs the other in the back first”.
“Fazlur Rehman said what Imran Khan said before, that this vote of no-confidence against PTI was an engineered process,” Khan said. “He admitted this, and this is the biggest endorsement.”
He also noted that 30 million people voted for PTI and Imran Khan because they were “the only ones capable of removing Pakistan from this slump and putting it on the right track.”
While speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan termed the rigging against his party “the mother of all rigging”, adding that PTI “rejects this in the strongest possible terms”.
He alleged that the 70,000 vote lead that Rawalpindi Election Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha spoke about yesterday belonged to PTI, and demanded that PTI candidates be notified about the original results..
“I also want to point out that 18-19 of our seats in Karachi were stolen by MQM-P. Rigging took place the same way Chattha admitted yesterday,” he said.
“We demand that this process be reversed,” he said.
Omar Ayub Khan, the PTI’s candidate for prime minister, has said that after the allegations levelled by the Rawalpindi commissioner, there should be a judicial inquiry.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he said, “There should be a judicial inquiry with independent judges. And those named by the Pindi commissioner should not be involved in this inquiry.”
Referring to the chief justice, Omar said that since the top judge had been named by the commissioner, the party would request that he not become a part of the bench.
“And an independent panel […] there should be a clear and fair transparency,” he said.
Omar Ayub Khan, the PTI’s candidate for the slot of prime minister, has lamented the crackdown on the party over the last few months.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he said, “Even now, police are picking up our workers and leaders and pressuring them. This was not the job of any caretaker setup. They exceeded their mandate.”
He further said that the PTI would form the government in the Centre and provinces.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, PTI’s Gohar Ali Khan commented on yesterday’s press conference by the Rawalpindi commissioner — wherein he made rigging allegations.
“This is the first time that a commissioner delivers a press conference according to his conscience,” he said. He further said that a judicial commission should be formed on the allegations levelled and an inquiry should be conducted, adding that the results should be shared with the public.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, PTI leader Gohar Ali Khan has said that voters cast their ballot in favour of Imran Khan even though the party faced many hurdles in the run-up to the Feb 8 polls.
He asserted that the party had won “180 seats” in the National Assembly. Giving a breakdown, he said that the party had won 42 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 115 in Punjab, 16 in Sindh and four in Balochistan.
“In Balochistan we got one seat, three are due. In Sindh, we did not get even a single one. In Punjab, we are due around 50,” he said. He further said that the provisional result of the Feb 8 polls was delayed.
Gohar said the party’s victory in Punjab was “diluted”, while it was “eradicated” in Sindh and decreased in Balochistan.
The Punjab police has said that Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Syed Khurram Ali submitted a request for 14-day leave on January 17.
“A formal summary in this regard was sent to the Chief Minister Punjab Office on January 30,” the police spokesperson said in a post on X.
“The Punjab government approved the 14-day leave of Rawalpindi RPO Syed Khurram Ali based on the recommendations of the summary,” the spokesperson said.
The post said that a notification, a copy of which was shared with the post, had been issued allowing the RPO to proceed on leave from February 18 to March 2.
It should be mentioned that the development comes a day after Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha accused the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of involvement in ‘rigging’ the Feb 8 polls — a claim denied by the electoral watchdog and the top judge.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified 36 returned candidates for the National Assembly, Radio Pakistan reports.
The list includes one candidate each from PML-N, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Majlis-e-Wahdat ul Muslimeen and 33 independents from different constituencies of the NA in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
JI Emir Sirajul Haq has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, alleging that the Feb 8 polls were the most rigged in the country’s history.
All photos by Abdullah Zehri
A shutterdown strike is being observed across Balochistan by four political parties — namely BNP, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Hazara Democratic Party and National Party — against alleged rigging in the Feb 8 polls.
According to the district administration, the following roads have been closed as workers of the BNP and NP took to the streets:
PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Khan and Omar Ayub will address a press conference at the party’s central secretariat shortly, according a social media post.