pakistan

14 vying for GBLA-13 Astore by-election

Published

8 months ago

September 8, 2023

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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.

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.

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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pakistan

Court reserves verdict on PTI founder’s bail plea in May 9 case

Published

21 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Court reserves verdict on PTI founder's bail plea in May 9 case

The Islamabad district and sessions court has reserved verdict on the bail plea of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder in the May 9 case.

Judicial Magistrate Omar Shabbir heard the case against the PTI leader registered in Shahzad Town police station.

Naeem Haider Panjhota, Sardar Masroof and Amina Ali appeared before the judge as counsel for the PTI leader.

The lawyers said the case against the PTI founder had not been pursued by an authorised officer. All cases against him had been instituted on the basis of politics and should, therefore, be quashed, they demanded.

The court after listening to the arguments reserved the verdict.

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pakistan

Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

Published

21 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

The Rawalpindi Sessions Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking the registration of a case against former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Hakim Khan issued a two-page written order on the petition.

In its order, the court observed that apart from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a departmental inquiry was also being conducted against the former commissioner.

If the allegations were proven in the ECP and departmental inquiries, a legal action was certain, the order stated, adding that in this situation, there was no justification for registering a separate case against the former Rawalpindi commissioner.

Two lawyers from Rawalpindi had filed the petition seeking the registration of a case against former commissioner.

In a Feb 18 presser, the former commissioner admitted that elections in his division were “rigged”.

The commissioner accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja of being complicit in the rigging and asserted that he, along with the CEC and Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, deserved punishment, even the death penalty, for their injustice.

Chattha expressed remorse for forcing his subordinates to engage in wrongdoing and admitted that winning candidates were made to lose on 13 seats in the Rawalpindi division.

Later on Feb 23, Chattha retracted his earlier statement in a written statement submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In the statement, Chattha confessed to having supported the narrative of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about rigging in the general elections and maligning state institutions in exchange for a lucrative position in the future.

He stated he had been made this offer by a Lahore-based PTI leader with whom he had developed a close friendship.

Chattha alleged that “this entire planning had been formulated after consultation and approval of the senior leadership of PTI”.

He stated that this proposal was made by the said [PTI] individual in consideration of the fact that he was about to retire from service after having remained a part of the services for 32 years and enjoyed all the perks and privileges.

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pakistan

IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Published

21 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought the record from Zartaj Gul’s counsel on a petition seeking the name removal of PTI leader and MNA Zartaj Gul from the Exit Control List (ECL).

IHC’s Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the case on Zartaj Gul’s name removal from ECL.

During the hearing, the state counsel stated that Zartaj Gul’s name has been included in the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).

Upon inquiry from the court, the state counsel informed that Zartaj Gul’s name was included in PNIL on the order of Islamabad and Punjab police, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was responsible for including the name in PNIL.

Also read: PTI’s Shibli Faraz, Raja Basharat, Zartaj Gul secure bail in May 9 cases

State counsel added that five cases were registered against Zartaj Gul in Islamabad and Punjab.

The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Usama, disclosed that Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in those cases. He reiterated that the name was being included in the PNIL list despite being on bail.

During the hearing, Justice Tariq Jahangiri inquired about how many cases Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in and ordered the petitioner to appear before the court in the next hearing.

Consequently, IHC has adjourned the case hearing until next week by directing Zartaj Gul’s counsel to appear before the court in the next hearing with records.

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