News

Zaka Ashraf back as PCB chairman for third time

May 17 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn News

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricket turmoil deepened Saturday after an Islamabad high court suspended a management committee appointed by the prime minister and reinstated Zaka Ashraf as chief of the cricket board.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sacked Ashraf on February 10 this year and appointed a committee chaired by Najam Sethi to oversee cricketing matters.

Saturday's order meant all decisions taken by Sethi are now null and void -- including the appointments of head coach Waqar Younis and Zimbabwean batting coach Grant Flower.

LG polls Phase II: Over 2,000 seats won unopposed

May 15 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
QUETTA: Elections for the second phase of local bodies in Balochistan for the 2,298 vacant seats are scheduled to take place on May 29.

The deadline for the withdrawal of nomination papers for the reserved seats ended on Wednesday.

According to the provincial Election Commissioner Sultan Bayzeed, as many as 817 women candidates have been elected unopposed on seats reserved for women in local bodies’ second phase of election.

PTI, PML-Q discuss formation of grand alliance against PML-N govt

May 13 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

LAHORE: An opposition coalition is in the offing as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) discussed the formation of a grand alliance against the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government, Express News reported on Tuesday.

PTI chief Imran Khan contacted PML-Q chairperson Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q Punjab president Chaudhry Pervez Elahi via telephone.

May 11 elections: A year after polls, tribunals wade through complaints

May 11 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: Today, a year has passed since the country held historic elections that turned the page on many counts. The country saw first-time voters and its first civilian, democratic transfer of power.

However, the fervour and optimism that drove the elections soon faded away, when rigging allegations made headlines and electoral irregularities marred the country’s democratic transition.

Political empowerment: Fencing in the women of Balochistan

May 09 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: While candidates for next month’s mayoral elections in Balochistan come from across the political spectrum, they have one thing in common: they are all men.

More than 11,000 councillors, including women, will elect the city mayors and chairmen of local governments in June, and leaders of the two ruling parties in the province, the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and National Party (NP) have ruled out any possibility of putting forward a female mayoral candidate.

Crisis averted: PML-Q to stay in G-B govt following chief minister’s U-turn

May 08 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
GILGIT: The “snakes in the grass” remain in the coalition government in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) as Chief Minister (CM) Mehdi Shah on Wednesday retracted his statement from a day earlier wherein he had announced the termination of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

G-B chief minister ends alliance with PML-Q

May 06 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

GILGIT: Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Mehdi Shah on Tuesday announced the termination of an alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), terming its members as “snakes in the grass.”

“PML-Q lawmakers are like ‘snakes in the grass’ who keep on attacking us despite enjoying privileges from the government,” said the minister, who had been nominated for the position by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

PPP will not join PTI election protest

May 05 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: The announcement made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to take its case to the streets regarding the May 11 general elections, which took place a year ago, might have lured some political parties, but the main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has no interest.

On Monday, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, said his party did not want to join the PTI campaign.

Critics might take this decision of the PPP as a ‘deal’ with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), but Shah dismisses such observations.

Home Pakistan Military has no intention of derailing democratic system, NA told

May 05 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn News

ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday assured parliamentarians that the military does not have any intention to derail the democratic system while the govt itself will not put any kind of ban on freedom of expression in the country.

This was stated by Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lt Gen (Retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch in the National Assembly during a discussion on law and order situation in the country.

Neglecting G-B: PPP leader lashes out at party’s central leadership

May 05 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

GILGIT: A senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has predicted the downfall of his own party in the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).  The central leadership’s dismal interest in the region’s affairs will be the major factor behind PPP’s forecasted loss, claimed Amjad Hussain, a member of the G-B Council.

Lack of evidence: SHC suspends thumb impression verification of votes in NA-218

Apr 29 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) suspended the order of an election tribunal to verify the thumb impression of voters at 139 polling stations of National Assembly seat, NA-218, won by Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Makhdoom Amin Faheem.

Faheem had challenged the order passed by an election tribunal on March 28 over a petition filed by his rival candidate, Abdul Razak Memon, in SHC.

4,561 seats up for grabs: Second phase of LB polls in Balochistan in May

Apr 29 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
QUETTA: More than 25,000 candidates have obtained application forms for 4,561 seats in the second phase of the local body elections in Balochistan.

“It is surprising that 25,000 candidates obtained application forms across Balochistan,” said Sayed Sultan Bayzeed, Election Commissioner Balochistan. The candidates are able to submit their forms until April 30th.

High-level security meeting decides to continue talks with TTP

Apr 28 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn News

ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decided to continue dialogue with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shura and finalised the agenda for the next round of dialogue.

The meeting decided to hold parleys with the TTP on a formalised agenda, sources told Dawn.

The meeting was attended by Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam and army chief General Raheel Sharif.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan briefed the meeting on the progress made so far in the dialogue process.

Dubious democracy: Constituents in NA-46, Bara expected to vote for a third time

Apr 26 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
JAMRUD: Residents of NA-46 in Khyber Agency will need to queue up at polling stations and get ink on their hands yet again. An election tribunal nullified the results of re-polling which took place at 21 stations during the summer of 2013 and asked for another re-election in the constituency.

Voting was brought to a halt on May 11 after allegations of rigging and violence erupted at more than one polling station. Afterwards, independent candidate Hamidullah Jan Afridi asked the Election Commission of Pakistan for a re-poll in light of the alleged misconduct.

Despite fewer members: PML-N jostles for opposition leader’s slot in the assembly

Apr 25 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
PESHAWAR: Following Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi’s appointment as the governor, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are jostling for the opposition leader’s slot in the provincial assembly.

While each party tries to elbow the other out, PML-N continues to face internal discord. Its lawmakers fight to become the party’s parliamentary leader in the provincial assembly.

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