[🇵🇰] Pakistan General Elections -- 2024

[ghazi]

 

[ghazi]

Asif Ali Zardari is the head of the state again and we all love him: Ayyan Ali​

Model shared an old clip and captioned it with a playful message

Entertainment Desk
March 12, 2024

In what can only be seen as a blast from the past, renowned Pakistani model Ayyan Ali recently took to social media to share a throwback clip and pen a note for Asif Ali Zardari, who has once again taken the oath as the President of Pakistan.

The model, known for her bold and candid expressions, reminisced about a moment from an old interview where she was queried about Zardari by actor Shaan Shahid.

Sharing the clip on her social media platform, Ayyan showcased a moment from the past when Shaan asked her about Zardari. In the clip, Ayyan responds, "Very respectfully, he's the head of the state, our President. We all love him." The exchange continues with Shaan reiterating, "We all love him," and Ayyan concluding, "Yes, we do. Now don't say anything after this."

 

[ghazi]

Imran deprived of visitors after govt imposes two-week ban on Adiala jail visitations​

NEWS DESK

Punjab home dept says decision taken in light of 'threat alert' issued by law enforcement, intelligence agencies

 

[ghazi]

LHC turns down SIC plea for stay on allocation of reserved seats​

Court instructs federal, provincial govts to submit replies in next hearing

Rana Yasif
March 13, 2024

Lahore High Court building. FILE: PHOTO

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday turned down the Sunni Ittehad Council's (SIC) request for issuing a stay on the allotment of reserved seats in light of the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) new schedule.

Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal fixed the next hearing and instructed the federal and provincial governments to submit their replies.

 

[Old School]

Senior Pakistan Judges Allege Intimidation, Torture by Military-Run Spy Agency​

A majority of federal High Court judges in Pakistan have jointly accused the country's military-run spy agency of intimidating them and their relatives through abduction, torture, and secret video surveillance inside their bedrooms to influence judicial outcomes.

In a rare letter this week addressed to mostly Supreme Court judges, including the chief justice, six out of eight members of the Islamabad High Court documented the allegations and sought their intervention to resolve the complaint.

It prompted Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to summon an emergency meeting of all the Supreme Court judges to discuss the matter on Wednesday.

The letter dated March 25 blamed the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, for meddling in judicial proceedings "to seek a certain outcome." An army general runs the spy agency, and it is notorious for allegedly orchestrating the making or breaking of elected governments at the behest of Pakistan's powerful military.

The Pakistani military has not responded to VOA’s request for comment on the allegations.

"We believe it is imperative to inquire into and determine whether there exists a continuing policy on the part of the executive branch of the state, implemented by intelligence operatives... to intimidate judges, under threat of coercion or blackmail, to engineer judicial outcomes in politically consequential matters," the letter read.

It highlighted several instances of attempted coercion and intimidation by ISI officers "to influence the outcome" of cases, including those related to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

Referring to a March 2023 state-backed lawsuit against Khan, the letter said that "considerable pressure was brought to bear" on judges "by operatives of the ISI." It said the judges sought additional protection for their homes over personal security fears.

"One of the judges had to be admitted to a hospital due to high blood pressure caused by stress," it noted.

 

[Old School]

Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari elected unopposed as MNA from Shaheed Benazirabad​

Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was elected unopposed as a member of the National Assembly from NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad (formerly Nawabshah) on Friday.

She had filed her nomination papers to contest the by-election on March 17 and her candidature was subsequently approved by the returning officer (RO) after the scrutinisation process on Thursday.
This seat was vacated by her father, Asif Ali Zardari, after he was elected as the president. Word on the grapevine was that President Zardari was going to make Aseefa the new first lady. The PPP has already started referring to her with that title.

According to a notification — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — issued by the RO, three candidates withdrew their names from the contest for the by-poll.

 

[ghazi]

[H3]ECP's role ends after election win notification: SC[/H3]
Judge says stopping polling after printing of ballot papers will be inappropriate

Jahanzeb Abbasi
April 17, 2024

The Supreme Court of Pakistan. PHOTO: APP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justice Ayesha Malik remarked on Wednesday that the role of the Election Commission of Pakistan concluded after issuing the notification of the success of the winning candidate and all the subsequent matters would go to the election tribunal.

During the hearing of a petition against re-polling at four polling stations in the Balochistan Assembly constituency of PB-9, Justice Malik sought the reasons, as to why the order for the re-polling should be suspended.

The apex court bench, led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and also including Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, issued notices to the relevant parties, including the ECP, the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) and others on the appeal against election victory of Nawab Chenghaiz Khan Marri.
Ali Zafar, the lawyer for the petitioner, told the court that Marri, who belonged to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was won the PB-9 election on February 8. However, the voting could not take place at four polling stations because of the law and order situation.

Later, on the request of Mir Naseebullah Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the ECP ordered a re-polling at seven polling stations, which was held on February 16, and Marri still won the election and took oath as the Balochistan Assembly member on February 28.


Justice Malik asked the lawyer why the re-polling order should be suspended. Justice Khan inquired from the ECP lawyer whether the ballot papers have been printed or not? He remarked that it would be inappropriate to stop the voting when the ballot papers were printed.

The ECP lawyer replied that he would inform the court about the ballot papers after getting the information from the ECP. However, he added that polling was scheduled for April 24. The court adjourned the hearing till April 22.

 

[ghazi]

[H2]88 polling stations in Bajaur declared 'most sensitive'[/H2]
Dawn
April 19, 2024

DERA ISMAIL KHAN/BAJAUR: Police devised a robust security plan to ensure peaceful by-election on National Assembly seat, NA-44, to be held in Dera Ismail Khan on April 21.

In this regard, a workshop was organised for police officers regarding security duty during by-election. The participants of the workshop were directed to follow code of conduct devised by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

They were told that no unauthorised person would be allowed to enter the polling station. Presiding officer will have the authority of a magistrate. No armed person will be allowed inside a polling station or its gate.

Policemen were told to closely monitor suspicious individuals and treat voters with honour. They were directed to cooperate with polling staff.

Arrangements finalised for April 21 by-polls

In Bajaur, arrangements have been finalised for holding by-election in free, fair and peaceful manner.

"We have completed all the arrangements to by-election on two constituencies NA-8 and PK-22 in free, fair, transparent and peaceful way," said Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Anwarul Haq.

He told Dawn that polling material would be dispatched to polling stations on Saturday. He said that 366 polling stations were established in both the constituencies.

He said that 88 polling stations, mostly located in mountain areas, were declared the most sensitive. He added that special security arrangements were being made for the most sensitive stations.
Mr Haq said that CCTV cameras were installed at most of polling stations

 

[ghazi]

 

[ghazi]

 

[ghazi]

[H2]PML-N emerges victorious in by-elections on 21 national, provincial seats[/H2]
Imran Gabol | Irfan Sadozai | Arif Hayat
April 22, 2024

The ruling PML-N on Monday emerged victorious in by-elections held on 21 national and provincial seats, according to provisional results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

On Sunday, by-polls were held across the country amid allegations of "record rigging", temporary suspension of cellular services in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan and multiple incidents of violence, leading to the death of a PML-N supporter in a clash outside a Narowal polling station.

By-elections were held on five NA seats, including two from Punjab, two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one from Sindh. Further, 12 provincial seats were also up for grabs in Punjab as well as two each in KP and Balochistan.

Separately, re-polling in all constituencies of Balochistan's PB-50 (Qila Abdullah) was also held.

According to the provisional results (Forms-47) issued by the ECP, out of the five NA seats, the PML-N won two from Punjab while the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and an independent candidate won one each from KP. Meanwhile, the PPP clinched the NA seat from Sindh.

In Punjab, the PML-N grabbed 10 provincial seats while the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) won one. In KP, one seat each went to the SIC and an independent candidate.

In Balochistan, the PML-N and the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) won one provincial seat each. Separately, the Awami National Party (ANP) also won a provincial seat from PB-50, where re-polling was conducted.

Meanwhile, in Sindh, where by-elections were held on NA-196, the PPP emerged victorious with a huge margin.

[h2]Punjab[/h2]In Punjab, the PML-N won two NA seats and 10 Punjab Assembly seats while the IPP also won one provincial seat, according to the provisional ECP results. The result of PP-266 is still awaited.

PML-N's Ali Parvez won Lahore's NA-119 with 61,086 votes while SIC's Shahzad Farooq got 34,197 votes. The PML-N also won Kasur's NA-132, where its candidate Rasheed Ahmad Khan got 146,849 votes while Sardar Hussain Dogar of the SIC garnered 90,980 votes.

Lahore's PP-146 was won by Rashid Minhas of the PML-N with 31,499 votes while SIC's Mohammad Yusuf came second with 25,781 votes.

PML-N's Mohammad Riaz bagged 31,841 votes in Lahore's PP-147 whereas independent candidate Mohammad Khan Madni got 16,548 votes.

PML-N's Chaudhry Mohammad Riaz won Lahore's PP-158 with 40,165 votes while Moonis Elahi, the son of Parvez Elahi, received 28,018 votes as an SIC candidate.

In Narowal PP-54, where the polling process was marred with a man dying in reported clashes between PML-N and PTI workers, Ahmed Iqbal Chaudhry of the PML-N won with 59,234 votes. SIC's Owais Qasim was the runner-up with 45,762 votes.

PML-N's Musa Elahi won PP-32 (Gujrat-VI) with 71,357 votes against former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, who contested as a Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate.

In PP-239 (Sheikhupura-IV), PML-N's Rana Afzaal Husain bagged 46,585 votes against SIC's Ejaz Husain, who was the runner-up with 29,833 votes.

In Wazirabad's PP-36, PML-N's Adnan Afzal Chatha was the unofficial winner with 74,779 votes while SIC's Fayyaz Chatha got 58,682 votes.

The PML-N also emerged victorious in Dera Ghazi Khan's PP-290 with its candidate Ali Ahmed Khan Leghari winning 62,484 votes. Independent candidate Sardar Mohammad Mohiuddin Khan Khosa came second with 23,670 votes.

While Bhakkar's PP-93 saw a close contest between the PML-N and independent candidate Mohammad Afzal Khan, the former's candidate Saeed Akbar Khan won with 62,058 votes against 58,845 of Afzal's.

A similar contest was seen in PP-22 (Chakwal-cum-Talagang), where PML-N's Falak Sher Awan bagged 58,845 votes against SIC's Nisar Ahmed, who won 49,970 votes.

The IPP also managed to grab a provincial seat, with its Mohammad Shoaib Siddique receiving 47,722 votes in Lahore's PP-149. Zeeshan Rasheed of the SIC came second with 26,200 votes.

[h2]KP[/h2]In PTI-ruled KP, the NA seat from Bajaur (NA-8) was won by Mubarak Zeb Khan, the younger brother of Rehan Zeb — an independent candidate who was shot dead in the run-up to the Feb 8 polls. Mubarak contested the by-polls as an independent candidate and grabbed 74,008 votes. SIC's Gul Zafar Khan came second with 47,282 votes.

The NA-44 seat in Dera Ismail Khan, vacated by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, was won by his brother Faisal Amin Khan who garnered 66,879 votes against PPP's Abdul Rasheed Khan Kundi, who won 21,979 votes.

Mubarak also won Bajaur's PK-22, where he secured 23,386 votes against Jamaat-i-Islami's (JI) Abid Khan, who was the runner-up with 10,477 votes while the SIC came third.

However, the SIC won Kohat's PK-91, where its candidate Dawood Shah won 23,496 votes against independent Imtiaz Shahid, who received 16,518 votes.

[h2]Balochistan[/h2]The PML-N's Mohammad Zareen Khan Magsi won Lasbela's PB-22, where only a total of four candidates contested.

The BNP-M managed to win a provincial seat from Khuzdar's PB-20, where Mir Jehanzeb Mengal emerged victorious with 28,175 votes while independent candidate Mir Shafiqur Rehman Mengal got 20,344 ballots in his favour.

Separately, in re-polling in PB-50 (Qila Abdullah), ANP's Zamarak Khan emerged as the winner with 72,032 while Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party's (PkMAP) Mirwais Khan Achakzai came second with 57,132 votes.

[h2]Sindh[/h2]In Sindh, PPP's Khursheed Ahmed Junejo grabbed NA-196 (Qambar-Shahdadkot) with a huge majority, winning 91,581 votes while Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan's Mohammad Ali only managed to win 2,763 votes.

 

[PakistanProud]

[H3]Hum dekhenge - azm of Faiz Ahmed Faiz[/H3]

Heard this a lot in Imran Khan rallies.