Current Final

Tag: elections

  • ‘Ensure uninterrupted Internet access’; Sindh High Court orders on Jibran Nasir’s petition

    ‘Ensure uninterrupted Internet access’; Sindh High Court orders on Jibran Nasir’s petition

    The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a directive on Wednesday, instructing the government and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to ensure uninterrupted internet access until February 8, the scheduled date for the general elections in the country.

    The order came from a two-member bench led by SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, following a petition filed by lawyer and independent candidate Jibran Nasir. The petition addressed the recent “unconstitutional” internet outages experienced across the country in the past month.

    Jibran took to X (former Twitter) and said, “SHC has directed PTA and Govt to ensure smooth uninterrupted access to Internet till Election Day 8th Feb to ensure no further pre poll rigging happens and any rigging attempts on Election Day can also be reported through social media.”

    “This is not just stopping the PTI from contesting free and fair elections — which is pre-poll rigging — but is also hindering the way of independent candidates like me,” he stated, highlighting that the internet and social media were efficient and cost-effective platforms to reach out to voters.

    Notably, three nationwide disruptions occurred on December 17, January 7, and January 20, coinciding with virtual events organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on social media platforms. The PTI had recently approached the Supreme Court, urging it to take notice of the suspension of internet services and the blocking of social media websites.

    During a press conference earlier in the week, caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi attributed the outages to “technical” issues and system installations. He also stated that there was “no guarantee” such incidents wouldn’t occur in the future.

    In Nasir’s petition, the PTA, the federal government, and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications were named as respondents. Nasir argued that the act of shutting down mobile internet and broadband services should be declared as “unconstitutional, illegal, disproportionate, unreasonable, and without lawful authority.”

    The plea further sought the immediate restoration of access to social media platforms and the suspension of any directives restricting access to social media until the conclusion of the general elections.

    In response to the petition, the SHC issued notices to the respondents and directed authorities to ensure uninterrupted internet access until the general elections on February 8. The hearing has been adjourned until January 29.

    Read more: PTA warns of possible internet disruption in next 90 days

  • ‘Pakistan’s economy performed best under Nawaz Sharif’: Bloomberg

    ‘Pakistan’s economy performed best under Nawaz Sharif’: Bloomberg

    An analysis by Bloomberg Economics reveals that Pakistan’s economy witnessed its best performance in the past three decades under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, who served as Prime Minister thrice.

    The report compares economic indicators during Sharif’s tenure with those of his rivals, including Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), using a misery index that combines inflation and unemployment rates.

    According to Bloomberg Economics, the analysis utilized an average of the misery index values over the years when each major political party ruled Pakistan since 1990.

    The results indicate that Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) outperformed both PTI and PPP in managing economic challenges.

    With general elections scheduled for February 8, Bloomberg suggests that Nawaz Sharif seems poised to return to power for the fourth time, especially as Imran Khan faces legal issues and incarceration.

    Despite Khan’s popularity, with a 57% approval rating according to a recent Gallup poll, Sharif has experienced a surge in popularity from 36% to 52% in the past six months.

    The past three decades saw the PML-N rule Pakistan four times under Sharif and his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif. The PPP under the Bhutto dynasty has held power three times, while Khan was in office for a four-year term ending in April 2022 when he was ousted from power in a parliamentary no-trust vote.

    “Bloomberg Economics used an average of the index values over the respective years when each of the major political parties ruled the country since 1990. A higher value indicates more economic hardship for citizens,” the publication said, explaining its conclusions.

    Bloomberg Economics Misery Index Results for Pakistan showed the Pakistan Muslim League scored 14.5 percent, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf 16.1 percent, and the Pakistan Peoples Party 17.2 percent.

    Pakistan is currently grappling with economic challenges, including seeking a financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Inflation is close to 30 percent in Pakistan, the currency was Asia’s worst performer last year and foreign exchange reserves have slumped.

    The incoming government, as per IMF conditions, will need to implement potentially unpopular policies such as withdrawing subsidies and raising taxes. The IMF forecasts a 2% growth in Pakistan’s economy for the current fiscal year after experiencing a contraction in the previous year.

    Despite the positive economic indicators during Sharif’s governance, the report underscores the formidable tasks awaiting the new government in addressing the country’s economic hardships.

  • PTA warns of possible internet disruption in next 90 days

    PTA warns of possible internet disruption in next 90 days

    Pakistani internet users experienced disrupted internet once again on January 20 — previously disrupted on December 17 and January 7. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) claimed that the internet disruption was caused by technical reasons — system upgrades.

    Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi has on Tuesday reiterated the claims of technical issues while also warning of the possibility of further hiccups.

    These frequent and dubiously timed blackouts have brought PTA under public scrutiny.

    Samaa news writes that “Pakistan’s tech-savvy populace expressed palpable outrage at the apparent lack of transparency and the extended timeframe for resolution”.

  • Kaala coat in Karachi; PTI favours lawyers for general elections  

    Kaala coat in Karachi; PTI favours lawyers for general elections  

    Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued tickets to more than a dozen lawyers in Karachi to contest on national and Sindh assemblies in the upcoming general elections set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    PTI counsels are taking part in polls on seven National Assembly (NA) seats and four provincial assembly seats in Karachi. There are a total of 22 NA seats and 47 provincial assembly seats all over the city.

    Advocate Zahoor Uddin, who is the Insaf Lawyers Forum Karachi president, is contesting from NA-237 (East-III), Shujaat Ali Khan NA-243 (Keamari-II), Khalid Mehmood NA-231 (Malir-III), Advocate Haris Meo NA-233 (Korangi-II), Attaullah Khan NA-245 (West-II), Barrister Fayaz NA-247 (Central-I) and Barrister Uzair Ghauri from NA-249 (Central-III).

    Ashraf Samoo PS-89 (Malir-VI), Barrister Ali Tahir PS-101 (East-V), Advocate Ali Palh PS-103 (East-VII) and Rana Imran PS-123 (Central-II) are contesting elections for provincial assembly seats.

    Prominent PTI lawyers, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, and Sher Afzal Marwat, are also contesting elections in different cities of the country.

    “Lawyers supported and stood by the PTI in its testing times and handled the cases of party leaders, including Imran Khan. They truly deserved [party tickets],” PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman said, talking to The News.

  • Gaza activists urge voters to write ‘ceasefire’ on US primary ballots

    Gaza activists urge voters to write ‘ceasefire’ on US primary ballots

    Peace activists are urging US voters considering candidates for November’s presidential election to instead write “ceasefire” on their ballots in protest over Joe Biden’s handling of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

    “Vote Ceasefire” — a coalition of local anti-war groups — says the effort allows Americans to give voice to their anger at the Democratic president over the mounting toll of civilian deaths in Gaza as Israel responds to the October 7 Hamas attacks.

    Voters in New Hampshire will pick their preferred candidate in either the Democratic or Republican nominating contests on Tuesday but the push is aimed at progressives wishing to put the White House on notice.

    “For the last three months, as the world has watched the war in Gaza continue to worsen, the Biden administration has refused all demands to call for a ceasefire and to end US support for Israel,” the campaign posted on X, formerly Twitter.

    “So we’re taking our fight to the place Democrats care about the most — the polls. While Joe Biden will almost certainly win the Democratic nomination later this year, he must know that the road to get there will be long and hard if he refuses to listen to his constituents.”

    “Vote Ceasefire” organizers have not indicated what kind of turnout would constitute a success for the campaign and it is unclear how much affect it will have.

    Biden himself is not on the ballot and is largely ignoring the contest, after New Hampshire officials clashed with the national party over scheduling.

    A separate campaign is urging supporters to write Biden’s name on the ballot in exactly the same manner that “Vote Ceasefire” is promoting.

    The outcome will not affect the nomination process in any case, as the Democratic National Committee has declared the New Hampshire primary illegitimate.

    Biden is expected to win the nomination comfortably.

    “I’m doing this as over 80 percent of Democratic voters are in favor of a ceasefire for Gaza and are opposed to the continuing slaughter of civilian men, women and children in Palestine, with the United States-supplied weapons,” campaign volunteer and former Democratic state representative Chris Balch said in a video posted to X.

    But self-help author Marianne Williamson, who is on the Democratic ballot, said the “Vote Ceasefire” campaign was doing nothing to help the citizens of Gaza.

    “A way to actually help create a ceasefire would be to vote for a candidate who has called for one from the very beginning,” she posted in response to the campaign’s social media statements.

  • Bilawal wants PTI supporters to vote PPP in upcoming elections

    Bilawal wants PTI supporters to vote PPP in upcoming elections

    The Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, urged supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday to vote for his party as the competition in the upcoming elections is between two parties symbolised by “the lion and the arrow”.

    While the PTI has lost its election symbol “bat,” the PPP has secured its longtime symbol of an arrow. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also managed to secure its electoral symbol of a tiger.

    “I am speaking to PTI supporters: We kept on telling Khan sahib to do politics; abusing rivals and putting them and their sisters in jail is not politics,” Bilawal said while addressing a party power show in Lahore.

    Bilawal also said that he is aware of the pain that PTI workers are going through. “I respect political workers […] I’ve been through this and I do not want anyone to go through such testing times”, he stressed.

    “I appeal to you [PTI supporters], in the battle between ‘lion and arrow’, support me. I will bury revenge politics,” Bilawal vowed, reminding people that when his party’s prime ministers took office, they released “political prisoners”.

    Bilawal also stressed that the way of politics should change now and that all forces need to work together.

  • Election vacations around the corner for educational institutions

    Election vacations around the corner for educational institutions

    There will be eight holidays in educational institutions during general elections across the country, Geo reported.


    According to the report, the polling for the general elections across the country will be held on February 8, 2024, and on this occasion, the educational institutions will be closed for eight days.


    The eight-day holiday spans from February 4-10. February 4 is a Sunday, February 5 is Kashmir Day, and February 6 to 10 will be a general election holidays.


    11th February will be a Sunday and thus schools colleges and universities will open on 12th February after eight holidays.

  • Latif Khosa no more part of Imran Khan’s legal team

    Latif Khosa no more part of Imran Khan’s legal team

    In a significant development, former Prime Minister and founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has made changes to his legal team handling National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases, expressing dissatisfaction during consultations last week.

    As per We News, Imran Khan voiced uncertainty about the effectiveness of his current legal team and directed Barrister Ali Zafar and Sikander Zulqarnain to take charge of NAB cases.

    Particularly raising concerns about the performance of senior lawyer Latif Khosa in handling NAB cases, Khan remarked that he was not confident in the actions taken by the legal team and specifically questioned Khosa’s preparedness in dealing with legal matters.

    Journalist Murtaza Ali Shah took to X (former Twitter) and wrote, “Imran Khan has removed Latif Khosa from his legal team saying he appears before judges without doing proper homework. Imran Khan accepts his legal team was not prepared, behind the loss of BAT symbol. The video below explains.”

    It is worth noting that on Friday, proceedings related to a £190 million NAB reference were postponed until January 24. The action related to the individual case was halted until the mentioned date.

    Imran Khan’s decision to replace his legal team has led to the postponement of the proceedings, with the court granting time for the new legal team, consisting of Barrister Ali Zafar and Sikander Zulqarnain, to prepare for the upcoming hearings. The next hearing is expected to feature appearances by Barrister Ali Zafar, Sikander Zulqarnain, and Osman Gul on behalf of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra BiBi.

  • Murad Saeed is not contesting elections this year

    Murad Saeed is not contesting elections this year

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Murad Saeed withdrew from the general elections 2024 on Thursday.

    During the hearing of the petition filed against his nomination papers in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Murad Saeed’s lawyer told the court that he had returned the ticket and he was not participating in the elections.

    The Peshawar High Court bench, comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Aijaz Anwar, and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah, entertained a plea regarding the rejection of Murad Saeed’s nomination papers and subsequently rendered its decision.

    However, it was revealed during the proceedings that the petitioner had withdrawn the application, informing the court that the ticket had been voluntarily returned.

    On Wednesday, the bench reserved its decision on the petition against the rejection of the PTI leader’s nomination papers.

    Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim remarked in yesterday’s hearing regarding what the law says when a person is declared a fugitive and does not surrender before the law.

    When a person does not appear in front of the law, how can the papers be approved, he will be elected again and legislate, he asked.

    The Advocate General said in his arguments that when a person becomes a fugitive, he loses some basic rights and he has no right to vote or contest election.

    The court stated in its remarks that, “It will then be used as a weapon to prevent anyone from the election”.

    While reserving the decision on Murad Saeed’s appeal, the court declared the documents of Shehram Tarkai and Atif Khan to be correct in this regard.

    A three-member bench of PHC upheld the decision of the Election Tribunal and rejected the petitions against the approval of Shahram Tarkai and Atif Khan’s papers.

  • What is going on in PTI as leaders clash publicly?

    What is going on in PTI as leaders clash publicly?

    In a surprising turn of events within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), party founding chief Imran Khan has reportedly instructed senior vice chairman Sher Afzal Marwat to suspend all political activities in Sindh.

    Disagreements between Marwat and other party leaders, including Raoof Hasan and Barrister Hamid Khan, have escalated, leading to a temporary halt in political engagements.

    Hamid Khan endorsed the statements of Raoof Hasan.

    https://twitter.com/BrHamidKhan/status/1747182074191360492?s=20

    The directive from Imran Khan came a day after Marwat initially announced the suspension of the election campaign in Sindh, citing an alleged “attack” by party leaders Raoof Hasan and Hamid Khan.

    “Keeping in view the statements against me by sick-minded people like Hamid Khan and Rauf Hassan, I am calling off my campaign in Sindh,” said Marwat.

    However, conflicting statements emerged later after Marwat declared his intention to continue the polls campaign.

    “Workers are right and I will continue campaigning for PTI in Sindh. I will not be distracted,” wrote Marwat.

    In a social media post, he expressed his determination to continue campaigning for PTI in Sindh, urging party activists to confront what he referred to as “satanic forces” independently.

    The internal strife unfolded after Marwat launched the PTI’s election drive in Sindh but later called it off due to statements against him by party leaders.

    The controversy intensified as Marwat accused President Arif Alvi of being a “wrong number” and alleged a conspiracy against the party.

    In response, Hasan and Hamid disowned Marwat’s statements, asserting that he did not represent the party’s position and had no official post within PTI.

    Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of PTI, addressed the media, emphasizing the party’s commitment to democratic values and calling for unity among party members. Despite internal disagreements, he expressed confidence in Marwat’s candidacy for the upcoming elections from Lakki Marwat.

    The ongoing disputes raise questions about Marwat’s purported meetings with Imran Khan in jail, with conflicting statements from PTI leaders.

    While Hasan claimed no political leader was allowed to meet Imran, Gohar Ali Khan affirmed Marwat’s continued affiliation with the party.

    As PTI works towards finalizing its candidate list for the February 8 elections, the internal conflicts underscore the challenges inherent in the democratic process. PTI members are urged to set aside personal differences for the party’s success in the upcoming polls.