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Ruling alliance meets in Lahore today amid political, legal challenges

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1 year ago

April 1, 2023

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a key meeting of the ruling partners today (Saturday) to devise a strategy to handle the ongoing political crisis and legal challenges.

Sources said the meeting would be held at the premier’s Model Town residence in Lahore, where the participants would be briefed on the elections’ delay case being heard by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

PM Shehbaz is expected to take the coalition partners into confidence over the prevalent political situation. The huddle comes a day after the top court rejected a petition filed by the coalition government seeking formation of a full court bench to hear the case regarding delay in elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s party has challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order to put off the Punjab polls till Oct 8. The electoral body cited security and financial constraints as reasons to defer the elections.

Later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali also asked the ECP to hold general elections in the province along with Punjab polls given the security situation in the province.

During Friday’s hearing, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the proceedings could be halted temporarily if the government and the opposition engaged in dialogue. “We will play our constitutional role if dialogue is not held,” he said, adding: “Constitution is the spirit of democracy”.

The judges of the apex court were being targeted, the chief justice lamented. “We are showing tolerance but we will look into this matter”. “What I have done till today is aligned with Constitution,” he maintained.

At one point, the chief justice said he would hold some important meeting after the hearing and remarked that there would be new dawn of hope on Monday.

The apex court has also summoned secretaries of interior and finance on April 3 (Monday) after it turned down a government’s plea for constitution of the full bench.

When Attorney General Usman Mansoor Awan again pleaded the court to form a full bench to hear the case, the CJP remarked that certain factors had to be reviewed before constituting the full bench as sometimes there were issues regarding availability of all judges. “We also don’t want to affect the proceedings of other cases pending with the apex court,” he said.

The attorney general also told the SC that Pakistan was facing a deficit of billions of rupees and it was difficult to go for elections in these trying times. He came up with the argument on why the finance ministry had refused to provide funds to the ECP for elections. He also claimed that the interest rate was expected to rise to 22 per cent, which would further increase the country’s debt.

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Related Topics:Pakistan Politics PDM Shehbaz Sharif

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Former PM Raja Parvez Ashraf raises concerns over IMF bailout conditions

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

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Former PM Raja Parvez Ashraf raises concerns over IMF bailout conditions

Former prime minister Raja Parvez Ashraf has raised concerns about the potential conditions of the new IMF bailout package for Pakistan.

In a statement issued on Friday, the PPP Central Punjab President suggested that the government should brief parliament on the IMF package, with the finance minister providing lawmakers with details on new taxes and approved austerity measures during an in-camera session.

Ashraf underscored that instead of privatising Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other vital institutions, state-owned enterprises should be managed through public-private partnerships.

The former PM strongly opposed the idea of imposing taxes on pensioners, deeming it unacceptable. He urged the Finance Ministry to seek an alternative solution.

Raja Parvez Ashraf also highlighted the potential for enhanced harmony between the Centre and the provinces through the full implementation of the 18th Amendment.

He also proposed the abolition of unnecessary ministries to alleviate the financial burden on the federation.

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Pakistan slams Indian atrocities against minorities, Kashmiris at UN

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1 day ago

May 3, 2024

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Pakistan slams Indian atrocities against minorities, Kashmiris at UN

Pakistan addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday, asserting that India was targeting Indian Muslims, Christians and Muslims in occupied Kashmir, and urged an end to their harsh suppression.

Ambassador Munir Akram stated during a debate on ‘Culture of Peace’ that since the BJP-RSS government took office in 2014, hate, oppression and violence against India’s 200 million Muslims, as well as other minorities like Christians and the ‘lower-caste’ Dalits, became rampant and systematic, driven by the ideology of Hindutva.

The envoy emphasised that unless Hindutva fascism was opposed and the impunity of the BJP-RSS ended, wider violence and conflict in South Asia would remain a real and present danger.

Despite efforts to promote a “Culture of Peace,” Akram noted a rise in hate, violence and war worldwide, with over 300 conflicts raging across the globe.

Highlighting Pakistan’s efforts to combat Islamophobia, Akram expressed deep concern at the officially sanctioned manifestations of Islamophobia in India, citing the Citizenship Law and National Registry list designed to exclude Muslims from citizenship.

The envoy warned of the spread of Hindutva extremism, which he said turbo-charged repression in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He called for urgent resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Akram also highlighted India’s belligerence towards Pakistan, citing threats from Indian officials to “take over” Azad Kashmir and dangerous military doctrines adopted by India.

He accused India of financing and sponsoring terrorist groups to disrupt the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and highlighted Pakistan’s concerns over India’s campaign of targeted assassinations, even beyond its borders.

Akram emphasised the urgent need for the international community to address these issues and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace and stability in the region.

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NA Secretariat accepts inclusion of independent members in SIC

Published

2 days ago

May 2, 2024

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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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