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  • Jahangir Tareen faces tough challenges in Lodhran

    Jahangir Tareen faces tough challenges in Lodhran

    As the nation gears up for the upcoming general elections, political tensions have intensified in Lodhran district, specifically between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the newly emerged Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP).

    Failure to reach a seat adjustment formula between the two parties may result in a challenging electoral battle for Jahangir Tareen, the chief of the IPP, in his native district of NA-155.

    Reports from Dawn indicate that Jahangir Tareen, strategically evaluating the situation, has taken preemptive measures by filing nomination papers for NA-149 in Multan as well.

    Tareen has submitted papers for two National Assembly seats and four Punjab Assembly seats, indicating a readiness for multiple contingencies.

    The primary contender against Tareen, PML-N’s Abdul Rehman Kanju, has publicly opposed any seat adjustment with the IPP. Kanju has urged the party leadership not to impose such an arrangement, potentially setting the stage for fierce competition in Lodhran.

    Amid this uncertainty, 14 candidates have submitted their nomination papers for NA-154 (Lodhran), including notable figures such as Abdul Rehman Kanju and Imtiaz Begum.

    Meanwhile, 14 candidates who submitted their nomination papers from NA-154 (Lodhran) include PML-N divisional president and ex-interior state minister Abdul Rehman Kanju, and his mother Imtiaz Begum, PTI leader Akhtar Khan Kanju (an uncle of Abdul Rehman Kanju), ex-MNA Nawab Amanullah Khan, Ajmal Khan Kanju, Rana Faraz Noon, Rana Afzal Noon, Pir Raza Shah, Imdadullah Abbasi of PPP, Sohail Khan Kanju, Muhammad Zubair, Zafar Iqbal, Irfan Ahmed and Ismat Bibi.

    As many as 20 candidates have filed papers from NA-155, including Jahangir Tareen, former MNA Siddique Khan Baloch, ex-MNA of PTI Muhammad Iqbal Shah, his son, ex-MPA Aamir Iqbal Shah, Mudassar Jahanzeb Shah, Rana Muhammad Rafiq of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Shah Nawaz of the PPP, Ziaul Rehman Tamimi of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Sajid Iqbal of Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, Saleem Abbas of Saraiki Democratic Alliance, Muhammad Akram Qaiser, Muhammad Qasim, Ghulam Mustafa, Wasim Ahmed, Ahmed Deen Malik, and Nafees Murad Meo.

    A total of 19 candidates have filed papers from provincial assembly constituency PP-225 (Lodhran -1), They include Abdul Rehman Kanju, ex-minister Jail Zawwar Hussain Waraich, ex-MPA Pirzada Jahangir Bhutta, Tahir Hussain Khan, Muhammad Razaq, Muhammad Saleem Akhtar, Ashiq Hussain Baloch, Imran Habib Bhutta, Kaleem Hassan, Ali Hassan, Nadira Hayatullah, Aftab Ali Babar, Muhammad Mubeen, Mumtaz Hussain Baloch, Shazia Hayat Tareen, Intizar Ahmad Attari, Muhammad Yuosuf, Rab Nawaz Khan and Waseem Abbas.

  • Kya PTI leaders mein larai chal rahi hai?

    Kya PTI leaders mein larai chal rahi hai?

    As Pakistan gears up for the upcoming general elections, internal tensions have surfaced within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), notably between leaders Taimur Khan Jhagra and Sher Afzal Marwat.

    The disagreement revolves around Marwat’s decision to enter the electoral race in Peshawar.

    Jhagra, a prominent PTI leader hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has expressed objections to Marwat’s choice to contest the elections scheduled for February 8 next year from the NA-32 constituency in Peshawar.

    During a recent statement, Jhagra emphasized, “It would be more fitting if a leader from Peshawar contested from that constituency.”

    He underscored that the party, rather than individual leaders, should determine the candidates’ election constituencies.

    In response to these objections, Marwat, in an interview with Geo News, stated that he has no personal interest in participating in the elections.”The PTI founder has directed me to contest elections from Peshawar,” he added.

    Marwat, who has already submitted his nomination papers, reiterated his commitment to contesting elections from Peshawar as per Imran Khan’s instructions.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reported a significant influx of nomination papers, receiving a total of 28,626 submissions from aspiring candidates across the country vying to participate in the upcoming polls.

    As per the ECP’s data seen by Geo News, 7,242 men and 471 women have filed nomination papers for national assembly seats (general), whereas for provincial assemblies, the number stands at 17,744 and 802, respectively.

    The ECP is currently scrutinising the nomination papers filed by the candidates with the stage set to culminate on December 30 (Saturday).

    Meanwhile, appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers can be submitted by January 3, and decisions on these appeals will be made by January 10.

    The top electoral body will issue the list of candidates on January 11, with candidates having the option to withdraw until January 12 i.e., before the ECP allots electoral symbol on January 13.

    As per the data shared by the ECP, a total of 459 and 1,365 nomination papers have been received by the electoral body for the reserved seats for national and provincial legislature, respectively.

    Meanwhile, on the reserved seats for non-muslims, 361 men and 32 women have submitted their nomination papers for provincial assemblies. For national assembly seats, the number stands at 140 and 10, respectively.

    A total of 7,713 people have submitted their nomination papers for national assembly seats (general), with the number standing at 18,546 for provincial assemblies (general).

  • Candidate doesn’t need to appear before ROs to submit nomination papers, says ex-secretary ECP

    Candidate doesn’t need to appear before ROs to submit nomination papers, says ex-secretary ECP

    Former Secretary of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, said on Wednesday that election candidates don’t need to appear before returning officers (ROs) to submit their nomination papers or for scrutiny of papers.

    Candidates who are hiding or proclaimed offenders need to appear before ROs to submit their nomination papers; otherwise, their nomination papers will be rejected.

    As per Section 62 of the Election Act of 2017, the election candidate is not required to be present at the time of submitting nomination papers.

    Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad also said that former President General Pervez Musharraf said in 2002 that a candidate needs to appear before RO to submit their nomination paper.

    The election order was illegal as Musharraf was targeting former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif at that time, and he wanted to keep Banazir and Nawaz Sharif out of the elections.

    He said that in 2007, the ECP amended the Election Order 2002, after which Bhutto and Sharif did not need to submit their nomination papers and appear in person at the time of scrutiny.

    “At the time of scrutiny of nomination papers, the candidate’s election agent, proposer and a voter who has registered an objection under sub-section (1) shall be present. The returning officer shall give him reasonable opportunity of scrutinising all nomination papers. Nowhere in this section is mentioned that the candidate must be present before the returning officer at the time of submission of nomination papers or scrutiny,” he added.

  • PML-N candidate courts controversy with oath on Holy Quran ahead of elections

    PML-N candidate courts controversy with oath on Holy Quran ahead of elections

    A video featuring Syed Basit Sultan, a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate from NA-177 and other constituencies, has sparked controversy on social media.

    The politician took oath from his supporters on the Holy Quran to swear allegiance to him ahead of the general elections scheduled for February 8.

    In a video that has now gone viral, Bukhari can be seen sitting with supporters who swore allegiance to him.

    The political journey of Sultan took a turn last year when he switched allegiances, leaving the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to join the ruling coalition under the leadership of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

    Recently, Sultan, accompanied by his wife and daughter, submitted nomination papers for NA-176, NA-177, PP-272, and PP-273.

    Responding to critics who questioned the unconventional oath-taking approach, Sultan defended his actions, stating that supporters, including former union council chairmen, voluntarily participated in the oath.

    He argued that the purpose was to dispel opposition propaganda suggesting a lack of support from constituents. Sultan explained that he initially resisted the idea of the oath but eventually yielded to the request of friends.

  • Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrested again in May 9 case

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrested again in May 9 case

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested again on Wednesday by Rawalpindi police from Adiala jail in connection with a case related to the May 9 riots.

    Earlier, Shah Mahmood Qureshi was detained for 15 days after the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi issued an order to that effect.


    According to the orders, the PTI leader will be detained owing to his involvement in attacking the GHQ, Rawalpindi Gate, on May 9.

    Priviously, there was news circulating that Shah Mahmood Qureshi can be released from Adiala Jail today as the Supreme Court (SC) had approved his bail last week on Friday.

    The former federal minister’s lawyer, Barrister Taimur Malik, reached Adiala jail today with required bail bonds.

    Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who is hearing the cipher case, also arrived at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.

    The wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and lawyers Umair Niazi and Rai Muhammad Ali were also present.

    The SC approved the post-arrest bail of PTI leaders in the cipher case as well as the apex court also determined that Islamabad High Court (IHC) incorrectly exercised discretion deny the bail of petitioners in the said case.

    After examining the material available on record, the court found that there was no sufficient incriminating material available at this stage to show that Khan communicated the information contained in the cipher telegram received from PAREP (Ambassador), Washington, USA, to the public at large with the intention or calculation, directly or indirectly, in the interest or for the benefit of a foreign power, nor the disclosed information related to any of the defence installations or affairs, nor did he disclose any secret official code to the public at large.

  • PTI moves to court for reinstatement of bat symbol

    PTI moves to court for reinstatement of bat symbol

    In a major legal victory for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Peshawar High Court (PHC) temporarily halted the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) directives and restored the iconic party symbol ‘bat’.

    The PHC also stated while announcing the verdict that a double bench will hear the matter after winter vacations.

    PHC judge, Kamran Hayat Miankhel, said the election symbol can’t be revoked after the release of the election schedule.

    Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a petition in Peshawar High Court (PHC) to challenge the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order declaring intra-party polls illegal and revoking its electoral symbol, the cricket bat.

    Justice Kamran Hayat Miankel of the PHC will hear the petition filed by PTI today after the party requested an urgent hearing in court.

    According to the petition filed by PTI, the ECP has no authority to decide about the intra-party elections, adding that the complainant who challenged intra-party polls is not a member of the party.

    “The ECP withdrew the electoral symbol ‘bat’,” it read asking the court to form a bench comprising senior judges and hear the plea on Tuesday (today).

    In discussing the recent decision, the chairman of the PTI, Gohar Khan, strongly criticised the ECP but expressed optimism that courts will support the request for its reinstatement.

  • Bilawal Bhutto not contesting elections from PPP stronghold Lyari

    Bilawal Bhutto not contesting elections from PPP stronghold Lyari

    The chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will not contest the upcoming election from Lyari, the party’s stronghold in Karachi, The News has reported on Tuesday.

    However, the former federal minister is contesting election from NA-128 (Lahore-XII), NA-194 (Larkana-I), and NA-196 (Qambar Shahdadkot-I). Bilawal has submitted nomination papers for these constituencies.

    According to some political analysts, the PPP has lost interest in the Lyari constituency after the defeat by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the 2018 elections, speculating that it has failed to regain the confidence needed to reclaim the seat in the polls set to take place on February 8 next year.

    However, PPP’s Sindh General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said that his party is in a good position in Lyari. He also mentioned the results of the recent local body elections in the same constituency, in which the PPP won the majority of seats.

    Mehdi predicted that PPP will not only win in Lyari but from other areas of city, adding that loyal candidates will be given tickets after the completion of the scrutiny process.

    Journalist Sameer Mandhro has claimed that after defeat in the 2018 polls, the PPP is not confident enough to win the seat from Lyari NA-239 (Karachi South-I) constituency.

  • Bilawal pledges to eliminate 17 federal ministries if PPP voted into power

    Bilawal pledges to eliminate 17 federal ministries if PPP voted into power

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), pledged on Monday to eliminate 17 federal ministries if his party secures victory in the general elections. This measure aims to save taxpayers a sum of “Rs300 billion.”

    Addressing a public gathering in Nawabshah, Bilawal said the 17 federal ministries should have been devolved to provinces after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, Geo News reported.

    The leader of the PPP stated that an amount of Rs300 billion was allocated for the ministries, and the government provided a subsidy of Rs1,500 billion to the ‘elite’ individuals in different sectors, such as energy and fertilizers.

    Bilawal said his party would end the subsidy for elites to provide funds to labourers and farmers through cards, he said.

    On April 8, 2010, the 18th Constitutional Amendment was enacted, leading to the decentralization of numerous federal ministries and the transfer of powers to provinces.

    Referring to the youth as the future of the nation, the PPP chief said old politicians are a thing of the past.
    Bilawal said the country’s issues could be resolved by burying the politics of “hatred and division”.

  • Which women are on the priority list of political parties?

    Which women are on the priority list of political parties?

    Political parties have submitted their priority list to the Election Commission of Pakistan for reserved seats for women.

    According to details, major political parties Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) and others issued the priority list of the women candidates.

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leads with Hina Rabbani Khar topping the list for National Assembly seats from Punjab, followed by Samina Khalid Ghurki, Natasha Doultana, Neelam Jabbar, Shagufta Chaudhary, and Syeda Samina Raza.

    Shazia Marri was placed on the first number in the list for the National Assembly’s (NA) reserved seats for women.

    Other candidates include Dr Nafisa Shah, Shagufta Jumani, Shehla Raza, Mehtab Akbar Rashidi, Musarrat Rafiq, Shazia Soomro, Naz Baloch, Seher Kamran, Sharmila Farooqi, Shazia Abid, Rehana Baloch, Neelum Jabbar, Nargis Faiz, Nayab Gohar and Shazia Nizamani.

    The PML-N has nominated candidates such as Tahira Aurangzeb, Shaista Parvez, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Nuzhat Sadiq, Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Seema Jilani, Shiza Khawaja, Romina Khurshid Alam, Wajiha Qamar, and Zeb Jafar.

    The PML-N issued the priority list of 58 women candidates from Punjab.

    The candidates include Kiran Dar, Anusha Rehman, Tahira Wudood, Afia Naz, Saba Sadiq, Farah Naz, Shehnaz Salim, Muneeba Iqbal, Iffat Naeem, Zakia Khan, Ishrat Ashraf, Tehmina Daultana, Uzma Bukhari, Hina Parvez Butt, Saima Saadia, Rahila Khadim, Uzma Kardar and Tamkeen Akhtar.

    The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) presented Munazza Hasan, Firdous Ashiq Awan, and Asia Azeem in the list.
    Meanwhile, the PTI’s priority list was withheld by the ECP as the party’s election symbol was revoked after intra-party elections were declared null and void.

    Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) suggested 23 women candidates for the Punjab Assembly in its priority list. IPP issued the list of 14 women candidates and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) recommended 21 women candidates.

  • PPP doesn’t believe in political adjustments, says Nayyar Bokhari

    PPP doesn’t believe in political adjustments, says Nayyar Bokhari

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has said that it is dedicated to the welfare of the people rather than engaging in political or electoral accommodations, stated Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Secretary General of the party.


    Bokhari asserted that the assurance of national prosperity and the prerequisite for national development is rooted in economic stability and political stability, as per The News.


    “For the sake of the state and democracy, the party that gives the charter of democracy will give the charter of economy to ensure prosperity, development and employment for the people of Pakistan,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
    Bokhari expressed confidence in the PPP’s success, emphasizing their commitment to a manifesto centered around national development, prosperity, and performance.


    “As in the past, in 2024, workers, farmers and women will also bring unprecedented plans for prosperity,” he said.
    The senior politician said the leaders and followers of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto are expressing full solidarity with the candidates of the PPP.


    Bokhari emphasized that the economic stability would be fostered through the supremacy of the Constitution, ensuring equality and equal rights within a democratic system.