News

Overdue: LG minister wants polls without biometric system

Apr 25 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government will write a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding its decision over holding the local government (LG) polls in the province.

This was stated by Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan during the Guest Hour Programme at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.

Khan said the ECP has informed the province that LG elections via the biometric system will require at least 140 days to prepare for; otherwise polls can be held within 45 days.

Round 2: PTI, PPP candidates surge forward in by-elections

Apr 25 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
SWAT / KARACHI: By-elections were held in two constituencies on Thursday. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate Dr Haider Ali Khan won in Swat for the provincial constituency PK-86 Khawazakhela with 1,500 votes lead, says an unofficial result.

The PML-N’s Sardar Khan took 13,490 votes. Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party finally succeeded in winning the provincial assembly seat PS-35 Baqrani. PPP candidate Suhail Anwar Sial defeated his rival Shafqat Hussain Unnar with a big margin.

Coalition of convenience: MQM accepts PPP offer, joins Sindh govt

Apr 23 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
KARACHI: After a hiatus of 13 months, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) joined the Sindh government on Tuesday, becoming the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) coalition partner in the province for a second time.

Two MQM legislators, Rauf Siddiqui and Dr Sagheer Ahmed, were sworn in as provincial ministers, with Siddiqui taking charge as minister for industries and commerce, and Ahmed as minister for health at a ceremony at the Governor House Tuesday evening.

Choppy waters: ‘Pressure group’ announces boycott of parliamentary committees

Apr 23 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
PESHAWAR: Disgruntled MPAs of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have decided to boycott parliamentary committee meetings until their grievances are addressed, The Express Tribune learnt on Tuesday.

According to sources privy to a meeting, the pressure group has objections over two major portfolios given to PTI’s coalition partners in the government.

The insider added a meeting was held among four pressure group lawmakers on Monday in the chambers of the assembly’s deputy speaker in which the MPAs expressed reservations on the allocation of portfolios.

Nisar chairs meeting of government, Taliban committees

Apr 23 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The News International

ISLAMABAD: A meeting between the government and the Taliban negotiation committees has begun with the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the chair.

 According to sources, Maulana Sami ul Haq and Maulana Yousuf Shah is attending the meeting while another member of the Taliban committee Professor Ibrahim is not present in the meeting as he is attending Jamat e Islami’s central Shura meeting.

 The meeting is discussing issues relating to the creation of peace zone, release of non-combatant prisoners and extension in ceasefire, the sources said.

 

Country cannot afford dictatorship: Khursheed

Apr 21 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn News

LAHORE: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has said the country cannot afford a dictatorship and that the judiciary will not endorse any ‘misadventure’.

“The current situation in the country does not allow any dictatorship and the judiciary will also not endorse any misadventure,” Mr Shah said while talking to journalists at the airport here on Sunday.

Referring to strong reaction from the army on some speeches made recently in the parliament, the PPP leader said “minor mistakes” made by legislators should be tolerated and overlooked.

On the backburner: Opposition parties accuse PTI-led government of delaying LG polls

Apr 14 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

PESHAWAR: Opposition parties of the province have termed the announcement of the coalition government regarding local government (LG) elections as a ‘drama’ to deceive the public. They claim the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has been making contradictory claims regarding LG polls as a delaying tactic and have now put all the eggs in the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) basket.

MQM to present resolution against PPO in Sindh Assembly today

Apr 14 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The News International

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Faisal Subzwari said on Monday that his party will present a resolution against the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) in Sindh Assembly today and raised concern over the missing party workers, Geo News reported.

While talking to the media before the Sindh Assembly session today, the leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Faisal Subzwari told that his party wants to maintain a satisfactory working relationship along with representing the opposition.

Pushing ahead: PTI wants local bodies’ polls held at earliest, says Qureshi

Apr 13 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday that PTI had played its role for holding transparent local body polls in the Punjab province.

“PTI wants to see local bodies’ elections held at the earliest,” Qureshi said.

He was talking to media after PTI organisational meeting in which two point agenda of local bodies’ elections and the founding day of the party were discussed.

Selected re-polling: Chitral gears for a tough fight on ‘all-important’ PK-90

Apr 13 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
PESHAWAR: Candidates of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) are bracing for a tough fight as re-election takes place at seven polling stations of PK-90, Chitral-II today.

The re-election follows a lengthy legal battle after the May 11 general elections, wherein PPP candidate Sardar Hussain contested the marginal electoral victory of APML’s Ghulam Muhammad in the election tribunal which ordered re-polling on December 12 last year.

Poll preparations: JUI-F working to form alliance of religious parties

Apr 13 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
GILGIT: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) is working to form a ‘grand alliance’ of religious parties from all sects to contest the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). Though no schedule has been issued so far, it is expected that the elections for G-B’s legislative assembly will be held early next year.

“We hope that we will be able to bring all religious parties under one banner to expand our vote bank in the region,” Rehmat Khaliq, a senior JUI-F leader told the media on Saturday.

Fresh start: PPP looks to renew strategy prior to elections in G-B

Apr 10 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

GILGIT: As elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) draw closer, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has formulated a strategy to rebuild the party’s image that has been tarnished by allegations of corruption and illegal appointments.

Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Chief Minister Mehdi Shah recently met the party’s co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House in Karachi to discuss the future of his party in G-B.

“We are done with the strategy of turning the tables on our opponents,” claimed a senior leader of PPP, who spearheads the coalition government in G-B.

Legislative agenda: Women’s Caucus to become an ‘influential group’

Apr 09 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
LAHORE: The priority agenda of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus charted at a two-day consultation includes recognition for the caucus in the provincial assembly, legislation on domestic violence, violence against domestic workers, women’s rights to reproductive health, and analysis and amendments to the Punjab Vocational Training Council Act .

The two-day consultation, organised by the United Nations Development Programme and the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, concluded at the Faletti’s Hotel on Tuesday.

Remove gender gap in social safety nets, say labour unions

Apr 09 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
LAHORE: Representatives of several labour unions in the province met on Monday to discuss the government’s Labour Policy draft. They said while the policy was comprehensive and covered most of the workers’ key areas of concern, the lack of social safety nets for home-based, domestic and agriculture workers needed to be addressed.

The participants of the meeting met at the Working Women Organisation’s office. The All Pakistan Trade Union Federation’s general secretary and WWO Executive Director Aima Mahmood shared the Labour Policy draft with them.

Job security: G-B governor yet to sign ‘controversial’ regularisation act

Apr 09 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
GILGIT: The fate of nearly 180 employees of the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government hangs in the balance as the G-B Contract Employees Regularisation of Service Act, 2014 is yet to be endorsed by the governor.

The act was unanimously passed by the G-B Assembly on March 11 and calls for the regularisation of contract employees of the government from basic pay scale 1 to 18.

Tabling the bill in the house, Law Minister Ali Madad Sher had said the law would only be applicable to those government servants who fulfilled required protocols during their induction.

Election tribunals: Important poll verdicts expected this month

Apr 07 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: Some important decisions regarding last year’s general polls are expected this month as the tenure of post election tribunals ends on April 30.

“Around 50 cases are at the final stages and decisions will be announced within a couple of weeks. Most of the petitions will be disposed of by April 30, before expiry of the tribunals’ term,” an official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told The Express Tribune.

K-P opposition members submit privilege motion against Imran Khan

Apr 07 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

PESHAWAR: Opposition parties in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly on Monday submitted a privilege motion against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan for threatening to dissolve the legislature.

The privilege motion has jointly been signed by the Awami National Party (ANP) parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Nighat Orakzai, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) parliamentary leader Sikandar Hayat Sherpao and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) MPA Mehmood Khan Bhittani.

Talks with Taliban: Bilawal blames govt for ‘creating a mess’

Apr 05 2014
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
SUKKUR: The patron-in-chief of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Friday came down hard on the government for its peace initiative saying that “Bhutto’s grandson is alive and ready to take the challenge”.

He blamed the government for ‘creating a mess’ by pursuing direct talks with militants. “This mess will be washed by the blood of martyrs,” he said while referring to the sacrifices rendered by his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and mother Benazir Bhutto.

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