[🇵🇰] Pakistan General Elections -- 2024

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Will go to SC for justice, says PTI’s Meher Bano Qureshi​

PTI leader and former foreign minister’s daughter Meher Bano Qureshi has said she would go to the Supreme Court for justice if the Election Commission of Pakistan fails to investigate alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections.

Speaking to supporters in Multan, she said: “We will not spare those who stole your mandate. God willing, the sanctity of your vote will be restored and justice will prevail.”

 

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PML-N issues list of names for women reserved seats in NA, Punjab Assembly​

The PML-N has issued lists of party lawmakers on women reserved seats in the national and Punjab assemblies.
It must be noted that the Election Commission of Pakistan directed the PML-N, PPP and other parliamentary parties submit additional lists for women and minority reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies after rejecting the Sunni Ittehad Council’s petition for allocation of the same.

 

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Zardari to be symbol of strength of federation, says PM Shehbaz​

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on his election as the president for the second term.

In a message, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Senate, National Assembly and elected members of all the four provincial assemblies have expressed their confidence in Zardari, state-run Radio Pakistan reports.

The PM further stated that the president-elect will be a symbol of strength of the federation.

He added that the coalition parties will work together for the development and prosperity of Pakistan.

 

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Zardari to be symbol of strength of federation, says PM Shehbaz​

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on his election as the president for the second term.

In a message, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Senate, National Assembly and elected members of all the four provincial assemblies have expressed their confidence in Zardari, state-run Radio Pakistan reports.

The PM further stated that the president-elect will be a symbol of strength of the federation.

He added that the coalition parties will work together for the development and prosperity of Pakistan.

 

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Balochistan cabinet to be finalised in two weeks, says CM Bugti​

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has said a committee comprising representatives of PPP, PML-N and other parties was holding consultation for the formation of provincial cabinet, which will be finalised within the next two weeks.

He said the PPP was grateful to allies, including the National Party and independent candidates, in Balochistan for supporting PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election. He said PPP, particularly Zardari, had always kept Balochistan close to their hearts.

“The way they provided jobs to youth in the province through the 18th Amendment, allocated funds for its uplift and initiated the movement to ensure the provision of rights to the people of Balochistan integrated the province’s youth into the mainstream,” he added.

“We hope the PPP will once again unite all the federating units and make Pakistan even stronger.”


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Editorial: ​

New president​

He was the country’s first civilian president to complete his tenure; now, Asif Ali Zardari’s election as president will make him the first Pakistani to hold that office twice.

It is evident that his style of politics has kept currency in the corridors of power despite the many sociopolitical changes this country has seen since the last time he occupied the presidency. It is, undoubtedly, a remarkable comeback orchestrated by a sharp political mind.

According to the public opinion polls conducted in the run-up to the general election and publicised through national media, the PPP was always a distant laggard compared to the PML-N and PTI. With the fortunes of Messrs Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari looking modest outside their traditional bastion, most attention had remained on their bigger rivals.

Yet, it was the PPP which somehow emerged as the strongest party after the ECP announced its results of the general election, which ensured a split mandate.


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PTI leaders Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja arrested in Lahore​

Party leader Sher Afzal Marwat condemns ‘deplorable and intolerable’ act by Punjab Police

News Desk
March 10, 2024

Latif Khosa (L) and Salman Akram Raja (R). PHOTO: FILE


Punjab Police on Sunday apprehended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja amid the party's demonstrations in Lahore, Express News reported.

Confirming the arrest of his father, Balakh Sher Khosa, son of Latif Khosa, expressed concern over the incident.

"It has come to our attention that Sardar Latif Khosa has been taken into custody, an act that is utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable," stated party leader Sher Afzal Marwat on his official X handle.

 

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Alvi defends presidential tenure in first media talk since leaving office​

Former President Dr Arif Alvi said he tried his best to fix the estranged relationship between the establishment and PTI founder Imran Khan.

“I have tried it in every meeting, some meetings were public while others were not. I had tried my level best, I used all of my years of education […] but I was unsuccessful,” he said while speaking to the media in Karachi.

He said that if his opponents had any complaints regarding his time at the presidential elections, then they should approach courts with their complaints.

“If they want to file a case under Article 6 then they are welcome,” he said, adding that he adhered to the constitution and took decisions according to his knowledge.

“I am not a constitutional expert, I made decisions using the best advice I received,” says Alvi.


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All eyes on Senate elections now​

Updated Mar 10,
With a new president and prime minister now heading the federation, all attention has turned towards the upcoming Senate elections, with forty-eight members set to be elected in the first week of April.

As per details provided by the Senate Secretariat, among the members retiring this week, 12 are from Sindh, 11 are from Punjab, 10 members are from Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), each; 4 members are from the former federally administered tribal areas (FATA), and 2 are from the federal capital, Islamabad.

It is pertinent to mention that the 4 members of erstwhile FATA will be the last members who were elected on the quota for FATA and now after the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, FATA will not have separate seats in the Senate. Therefore, the Senate will now consist of 96 members, in which each province is represented equally with 23 seats, while 4 seats are for Islamabad.

 

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President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday administered the oath to a 19-member federal cabinet of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Earlier today, PM Shehbaz had sent a summary to President Zardari to appoint the cabinet, comprising 18 federal ministers and a minister of state.

The PML-N’s main ally, the PPP, has refused to become part of the federal cabinet.

The oath-taking ceremony took place at the President House in Islamabad. The national anthem was played to inaugurate the ceremony, following which the Holy Quran was recited.

According to a summary sent by the premier to President Zardari, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the cabinet includes 12 MNAs and three senators as federal ministers, as well as a minister of state. Three technocrats — Muhammad Aurangzeb, Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema are also included in the cabinet.

The proposal for the appointment had been made under clause 1 of Article 92 (federal ministers and ministers of state) of the Constitution, which states: “Subject to clauses 9 and 10 of Article 91, the president shall appoint federal ministers and ministers of state from amongst the members of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) on the advice of the prime minister.”

 

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PM Shehbaz’s 19-member cabinet sworn in​

Nadir Guramani
March 11, 2024

President Asif Ali Zardari administers oath to PM Shehbaz’s 19-member cabinet at President House on March 11

 

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Federal ministers​

1. Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA
2. Ahsan Iqbal Chaudry, MNA
3. Rana Tanveer Hussain, MNA
4. Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator
5. Chaudhry Salik Hussain, MNA
6. Abdul Aleem Khan, MNA
7. Jam Kamal Khan, MNA
8. Amir Muqam, MNA
9. Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, MNA
10. Attaullah Tarar, MNA
11. Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, MNA
12. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, MNA
13. Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, MNA
14. Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Senator
15. Musadik Masood Malik, Senator
16. Muhammad Aurangzeb
17. Ahad Khan Cheema
18. Mohsin Naqvi

Minister of state​

1. Shaza Fatima Khawaja

 

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both Ishaq Dar and HBL chief Muhammad Aurangzeb had been participating in recent meetings on the economic situation, the appointment of the latter as a minister has strengthened reports of him heading the national kitty.

The letter written by PM Shehbaz said that Dar and Malik “shall continue in office as federal ministers” after ceasing to be members of the Senate tomorrow (Tuesday).

Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party leader Aleem Khan and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui are also among the newly sworn-in federal ministers.

Former caretaker Punjab chief minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is also currently the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, is also among the ministers. A Dawn report stated he is in the run for interior minister and has admitted that he would be a candidate for the upcoming Senate elections.