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14 vying for GBLA-13 Astore by-election

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14 vying for GBLA-13 Astore by-election

The by-election to GBLA 13-Astore is going to be held tomorrow (Saturday). The seat was vacated after Gilgit-Baltistan’s former chief minister  Khalid Khurshid was disqualified in a fake degree case.

About 14 candidates, including nine independent candidates, are in the fray in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly constituency, GBLA-13 Astore. 

A tough contest is expected among Khursheed Ahmed Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),  Rana Farman Ali of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Abdul Hameed Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Similarly, Inayatullah Mir will try his luck in the election from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), while Attaullah will try his luck as a candidate of Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan.

The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan has established 56 polling stations in this constituency of Astore district, out of which 31 polling stations have been declared as normal, 12 as sensitive and 13 as highly sensitive.

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To make the polling process transparent in the constituency, the number of polling staff has been kept at 264, while 363 officials will perform security duties during polling. The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 33,378, of which 18,231 are male voters and 15,147 female voters.

In the by-election, a tight contest is expected between Rana Farman of the PML-N, Abdul Hameed of the PPP and Khurshid Ahmed Khan of the PTI.

PML-nominee Rana Farman Ali is a former provincial minister. Ali has contested as a candidate of PML-N in the last three general elections from the constituency, out of which he was defeated in the 2009 and 2020 elections, but he won with a large margin in the 2015 elections and was appointed Minister of Local Government.

The PPP has fielded Abdul Hameed, an old player of Gilgit-Baltistan politics. Abdul Hameed Khan was previously a council member for the first time in the 1994 elections and re-elected in the 2004 elections to the Legislative Council and continues to perform his duties as adviser on tourism.

After receiving provincial status under the Presidential Empowerment and Self-Governance Ordinance of 2009, Abdul Hameed Khan also won the first election of the provincial assembly established in Gilgit-Baltistan and remained the secretary for finance, however, in the general elections of 2015 and 2020, he was defeated. The PTI has fielded retired judge Khurshid Khan, the father of former Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid, for a nerve-shattering contest. The PTI has taken this decision on the wish of former Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Khalid Khurshid.

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In the general elections of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly held in November 2020, the candidate of the PTI from this constituency, Khalid Khurshid, won by getting 5,297 votes. Among his rival candidates, Rana Farman Ali of PML-N with 4,033 votes was at the second number.

While Abdul Hameed Khan of PPP secured third place with 3,545 votes. Around 16, 298 votes were cast in this election, which was 49 percent of the total vote. The important communities of this constituency include the Shin, Yashkan and Syed communities. This constituency consists of the important areas of Astor district including Trishang, Rato, District Bala, Gadai and Muni Murg.

The total population of Astor district is more than 100,000 and the livelihood of most of them is agriculture and trade.

There are more than 80 schools and colleges in this district and the literacy rate here is about 62 per cent. Most of the population of Astor district speaks Shina language, but their accent is different from Gilgit.

Astore district is second to none in terms of natural beauty and tourism due to the passes like Buzdal Pass, Phaloi Pass, Qumri Pass and Deosai Pass, which have many beautiful places in their habitat including Dumel, Nanga Parbat, Rama, which are charming tourist attractions.

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NA Secretariat accepts inclusion of independent members in SIC

NA Secretariat accepts inclusion of independent members in SIC

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NA Secretariat accepts inclusion of independent members in SIC

he National Assembly Secretariat has accepted the inclusion of independent members (PTI-backed MNAs) in the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Dunya News reported.

The National Assembly Secretariat has released a list of 83 members of Sunni Ittehad Council on its official website after the approval of NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

After the inclusion of independent members, Sunni Ittehad Council has become second largest party in the lower house of the parliament with 83 members.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sent a notification regarding the inclusion of independent members in the SIC to the National Assembly Secretariat.

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Pakistan urges UN to reconsider Palestine’s full membership bid amid US veto

Pakistan urges UN to reconsider Palestine’s full membership bid amid US veto

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Pakistan urges UN to reconsider Palestine's full membership bid amid US veto

Pakistan has called on the United Nations General Assembly to push the Security Council to reconsider and recommend Palestine’s application for full membership of the UN to rectify the historic injustice against the Palestinian people.

“The admission of the state of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations would constitute a concrete political step towards the two-state solution and towards rectifying the historic injustice against the Palestinian people,” Ambassador Munir Akram said in a meeting sparked by a US veto, which blocked an Algerian resolution on 18 April that would have granted Palestine UN’s membership.

The meeting was necessitated by “the veto initiative” — the informal name for a resolution adopted by the Assembly in April 2022, titled “Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council.”

According to the measure, which was put forth following the repeated wielding of the veto at the Council, blocking action on other situations, the General Assembly has a standing mandate to convene within 10 working days of a veto being cast in the Council.

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Palestine is a ‘Permanent Observer State” at the UN, meaning that it can participate in all UN proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies.

In his remarks, the Pakistani envoy said, “The veto cast against Palestine’s admission erodes the credibility of the assurances that have been held out of support for the two-state solution.”

“The diplomacy now underway for peace in Palestine, in Israel and the region would gain considerable momentum if the veto was lifted and Palestine’s admission to the United Nations recommended by the Security Council.”

Ambassador Akram appealed to the United Nations and the international community at large to enforce an immediate ceasefire in Gaza; guarantee unrestricted access to humanitarian aid; prevent further escalation of the conflict; provide international protection for the Palestinians; revive the peace process and hold Israel responsible for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Now, the extremist Israeli leadership is threatening an assault on Rafah which, as the UN Secretary-General has stated, ‘would be an unbearable escalation’, would have a devastating impact on the Palestinians in Gaza, with serious repressions on the occupied West,” he said.

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Ambassador Akram highlighted the plight of the Palestinian people over the past seven decades, including the denial of self-determination, expulsion from their homeland, and enduring a prolonged and brutal foreign occupation.

The Pakistani envoy condemned Israel for its recent war crimes in Gaza, which had resulted in the deaths of over 35,000 Palestinian civilians, indiscriminate bombing, and the blockade of humanitarian aid, which the International Court of Justice has deemed as “plausible genocide.”

Ambassador Akram also hit back at the Israeli representative for making wild accusations against Islamic countries.

“Let me tell the Israeli representative that the outlawed Israeli regime cannot divert attention from its crimes by leveling calumny against the Islamic countries,” he said, adding, “Pakistan, unlike Israel, acts in accordance with international law.”

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PM Shehbaz saddened by passing of UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed

PM Shehbaz saddened by passing of UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed

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PM Shehbaz saddened by passing of UAE's Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences on Thursday following the passing of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, the representative of the ruler of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Al Ain.

“Deeply saddened by the demise of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed Al Nahyan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the leadership and people of the UAE during this time of mourning,” the prime minister shared on his X timeline.

He emphasised Sheikh Tahnoun’s significant role in strengthening the bond between Pakistan and the UAE, stating that his contributions would be remembered for years to come.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also offered prayers for the departed soul, asking Allah Almighty to grant Sheikh Tahnoun eternal peace.

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Born in 1942, Tahnoun was among the select individuals who had accompanied Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father, since an early age.

In response to his passing, the UAE government declared a seven-day mourning period

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