Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and supporters celebrated on Sunday as they won most of the seats in the April 21 by-elections as per the unofficial results so far.
PML-N claimed that, according to unofficial results, the party has won two seats out of the five National Assembly seats, and 10 provincial assembly seats out of 16.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid have won one seat each in the provincial assemblies.
Adnan Afzal Chattha from PML-N won the PP-36 Wazirabad seat against Fayyaz Chattha from PTI.
A clash between rival political groups turned into a violent fight that resulted in the death of one Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) worker.
Workers from the PML-N and PTI clashed in Zafarwal’s PP-54 constituency. During the brawl, a 60-year-old man died when he was hit on the head with a rod.
Polling was subsequently stopped at the Kot Naju polling station.
The 60-year-old man was shifted to a hospital, where he died during treatment.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari expressed condolences over the death of a PML-N worker. She also criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), calling it a thug political party. At the same time, she also demanded the immediate arrest of the killers.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal met with the family of the deceased PML-N worker and condoled his death. “We will never tolerate the politics of bullying and violence,” he declared, vowing that the culprits will be brought to justice soon.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad council candidate Chaudhry Moonis Elahi are competing in the by-polls from PP-158.
Chaudhry Moonis Elahi is the son of the former chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Earlier in March, an appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed Moonis Elahi to contest by-polls.
Polling is underway, across the country, on 21 national assembly and provincial assembly seats amidst the suspension of cellular and internet services in “specific districts” of Punjab and Balochistan in order to maintain law and order situation during the electoral process.
This is the fist major by-poll since February 8 general elections in the country. The polling started at 8am and will end at 5pm today without any delays.
The elections are being held on five NA seats, 12 Punjab Assembly seats, two each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Assemblies and one in Sindh Assembly.
The PTA said the decision had been taken on the directives of the interior ministry to “safeguard the integrity and security of the electoral process”.
It should be noted that cellular and internet services were suspended throughout the country during the February 8 elections as well.
And access to social media website X, formerly Twitter, has also been blocked since February 17 this year.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon wrote on X that the Sindh government is going to start Peoples Bus Service in MirpurKhas district of Sindh very soon. He also praised chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his post.
He wrote on X that “Inshallah from today Peoples Bus Service will start their operation in #Mirpurkhas. This is the vision of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari. CM Murad Ali Shah is also focusing on spreading the service throughout the province. Many more coming soon.”
On Saturday, the federal government approved the deployment of Army and civil armed forces to maintain the law and order situation during by-polls set to take place in multiple districts tomorrow.
Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces troops will perform duties as a rapid response force, Geo reported on Saturday.
National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq took action against two lawmakers on Friday for making inappropriate gestures during a joint parliamentary session . He suspended the membership of Jamshed Ahmad Khan Dasti and Muhammad Iqbal Khan, who are backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) after they used abusive language during President Asif Ali Zardari’s speech.
PTI-SIC lawmakers staged a strong protest and created a ruckus during the maiden joint sitting of parliament on Thursday after the February 8 nationwide elections, which was addressed by President Zardari in which he stressed the need for political reconciliation.
The NA speaker introduced a motion in the lower house of parliament to suspend two members.
The motion, which was read by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, stated that both MNAs used “abusive language” and approached the dais of the speaker in a “threatening manner”, which was an “unacceptable” action.
Punjab has requested the interior ministry on Saturday to shut down mobile networks and internet services in 13 districts and tehsils of the province on April 21, citing security concerns.
The request has been made to maintain law and order in the province and avoid any untoward incidents.
The provincial home department wrote a letter to the interior ministry for the suspension of internet on April 21 as multiple districts and constituencies are set to witness the conduct of by-polls after more than two months of February 8 general polls.
On April 17, social media was in an uproar with the news of Advisor to the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Mashal Yousafzai requesting the government for luxury cars worth more than Rs 27 million on provincial government’s expenditure.
Social media users were quick to criticise the move as the government is implementing austerity measures due to poor economic environment.
Geo News reported on the issue, led by their Peshawar reporter Nadia Saboohi who sent Yousafzai messages on whatsapp to ask about her version. Soon after Geo reported on the story, Yousafzai alleged in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Saboohi tried to extort money from her and when Yousafzai refused to give in, ‘propaganda’ was done against her.
The Current spoke with Saboohi to find out what happened.
“I had access to the document detailing the request for luxury cars, but since there are many fake documents on social media, I waited to get a confirmation from the relevant authorities about the authenticity of the document,” Saboohi said over the phone. “After the document was authenticated by proper authorities, I reached out to advisor sahiba for an explanation and her point of view.”
Interestingly, according to the document, Yousafzai had asked for a Toyota Fortuner for herself, listed at a price of over Rs. 1.7 crore and a KIA Sportage for her secretary worth Rs. 73 lakhs.
DOCUMENT
Saboohi remarked that she simply asked the advisor for her perspective, saying that she also asked if the move was wise in such a difficult economic climate, adding that “Even advisor sahiba’s own department has not paid seven to eight hundred employees their salaries.”
Saboohi also pointed out that the Chief Minister of KP Ali Amin Gandapur, implemented an austerity program and no government official is allowed to get any new cars or go abroad for medical treatment.
“In the beginning of our conversation, advisor sahiba flatly denied the existence of any such summary,” Saboohi recalled, “When she was sent the document, she changed her statement and said, ‘This summary is from March 29 and I stopped it.’”
When Geo News broke the story, it went viral, generating immense backlash against Yousafzai. The advisor then tweeted that she had taken back the request for luxury cars.
TWEET
But the issue did not die down. Yousafzai took to X again and criticised the journalist and posted a serious allegation on X against Saboohi.
‘You’re taking money from the ‘boys’ and Muazzam Butt,” read Yousafzai’s tweet.
She also posted screenshots of the conversation she had with the journalist and revealed Saboohi’s phone number to the public. However, in the screenshots posted in her tweet, there is no evidence that Saboohi had extorted money from the advisor.
Yousafzai later deleted the tweet.
Deleted Tweet
“I made it clear to advisor sahiba that, being a journalist, I have no interest in taking sides,” Saboohi said. “I also told her that I have no personal grudge against you but the story was important to break because given the tough socio-economic environment the people of KP are facing, people deserved to know that luxury vehicles might be purchased using taxpayers’ money.”
According to Saboohi, Yousafza has issues within her own party, specifically with senior advocate Muazzam Butt in Insaf Lawyers Forum. Butt was also mentioned in the tweet against Saboohi, as someone who Yousafzai alleged, was paying off the journalist. Yousafzai said to Saboohi, “Because Muazzam was unable to become the advocate general so he started propaganda against me with your help.”
Saboohi said that it was her job as a journalist to report stories about the government in KP and the CM had said that he wanted news outlets to openly report and criticise his government’s actions if needed. In return, “[Yousafzai] released my contact information on social media just because she didn’t approve of my story”.
KP GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE
“The CM house rejected the summary when it was sent to them as told by the CM social media wing representative Yar Muhammad Niazi,” revealed Saboohi. Niazi told her that the document might have been circulated but it was always going to be rejected.
Saboohi also pointed out that the advisor neither holds the authority to send such a document nor put a stop to it because the ministry belongs to CM.
“The spokesperson of KPK government, Barrister Saif, said that the document was given by Yousafzai in her individual capacity, when I asked him about the issue,” Saboohi said, “after which I asked him if that meant that any common person can request the government to buy them cars? Because this was an official government document”.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Khyber Union of Journalists Peshawar Press Club condemned the advisor for making unsubstantiated remarks and sharing the female journalist’s information on social media.
According to Saboohi, a Jirga in her community has also vowed to support her, adding that, “anyone is welcome to prove these kinds of allegations in her entire 26 years of career.”
Peshawar Press Club had given Yousafzai 24 hours to delete the tweet or provide evidence of her claims. Yousafzai has since deleted that tweet.
When asked about problems she’s faced due to her contact information being publicised by the KPK official, Saboohi remarked, “I am facing a lot of harassment and threats due to this and she [Yousafzai] is responsible for this.”
SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSE
Interestingly, PTI supporters on X are also criticising the advisor on her tweet.
The Current has reached out to Yousafzai for her version of the story and a comment and have not heard back yet.
The Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF) Middle East and Central Asia has said that Pakistan must focus more on the implementation of structural reforms instead of a loan.
“I think what is important at this stage is to accelerate the reforms, double down on the structure of reforms in order to provide Pakistan with its full potential of growth,” Jihad Azour told a press conference on the sidelines of the IMF 2024 Spring Meetings.
The statement comes as Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is currently in Washington DC, to finalise yet another bailout package that the country is seeking from IMF.
Pakistan is nearing the end of a nine-month, $3-billion SBA with the IMF designed to tackle a balance-of-payments crisis, which brought it to the brink of default last summer.
The Finance Minister in a recent interview, had mentioned that Pakistan would need two to three years of to implement the structural reforms.
