News

ECP has enough powers to disqualify PM

Jun 28 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Nation Newspaper

 Legal experts believe that legal options are available before the Election Commission of Pakistan to disqualify the prime minister and members of his family if it really wanted to decide the petitions filed by the PPP and the PTI.

The Nation talked to senior jurists who opined that the election body could take action against those who conceal their assets under different sections of Representation of the People Act, 1976.

Govt pursuing suitable foreign policy with futuristic approach: Sartaj

Jun 21 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Nation

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz yesterday said as new alignments were emerging in the regional and global arenas, the present government was pursuing a suitable foreign policy with futuristic approach.

Non-interference, balanced approach, ensuring its security, protecting sovereignty and growth of trade and economy were among the main objectives of the government’s foreign policy and its positive results would be seen in future, he said in an interview with a private television channel aired on Monday night.

Karzai meets PM Sharif in London

Jun 17 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Nation

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai met the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and enquired after his health.

Karzai expressed best wishes for early recovery of Sharif. Both the leaders discussed situation at Torkham border, bilateral relations and stressed the need for peaceful solution. Nawaz Sharif thanked Hamid Karzai for good wishes.

The Nation

Govt assailed over FO ‘inefficiency’

Jun 14 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Nation Newspaper

The opposition members yesterday severely criticised the government in the National Assembly for ‘inefficiency’ of the Foreign Office in handling important matters of the country.

The opposition also came down hard upon the government during budgetary debate for not appointing minister for foreign affairs, keeping mum over NFC award and not holding national census in the country.

The house in five-hour proceedings witnessed thin presence from both sides of the aisle, but lack of quorum was not pointed out by any opposition member.

Govt again fails to win JI support on ToRs

Jun 13 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Nation Newspaper

 

The government team has once again failed in winning Jamaat-e-Islami support on its ToRs for Panamagate probe, The Nation has learnt.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and IT Minister Anusha Rahman yesterday met JI chief Sirajul Haq to win his party’s support on government made terms of reference but the latter expressed his concerns over the way government was handling this matter, a JI leader told this scribe quoting meeting discussion.

Defence minister’s sexist remarks draw flak

Jun 09 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Nation Newspaper

The National Assembly yesterday witnessed rumpus in the middle of budgetary proceedings when Defence Minister Khwaja Asif used derogatory language against PTI chief whip Shireen Mazari.

Pointing towards Ms Mazari, Asif remarked, “Someone make this tractor-trolley keep quiet” when she and some other lawmakers protested to his speech on loadshedding during Ramazan.

“Make her voice more feminine,” he said, according to eyewitnesses. Another lawmaker chimed in from the government benches to say “Keep quiet, aunty.”

We reject one unit budget for Punjabistan: Bilawal Bhutto

Jun 07 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The News International

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari rejected the recent budget presented by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday and termed it as a 'one unit budget for Punjabistan'. 

Bilawal stated the above-mentioned via a tweet on Tuesday. The PPP chairman also said that it seemed as if the budget was made to break the federation.

Jhal Magsi by-poll: PML-N candidate wins by a heavy margin

Apr 30 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
QUETTA: 

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Khalid Khan Magsi clinched victory by a heavy margin against his nearest rival in Thursday’s by-polls for the Jhal Magsi constituency of NA-267, according to results.

According to the provincial election commission chairman Sultan Bayazid, PML-N candidate Khalid Khan Magsi secured 29,630 votes against the provincial chief organiser of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind’s 19,533 votes, according to the votes counted in 165 polling stations.

EU opposes Pakistan’s current electoral reforms process

Feb 11 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The News

Chief Observer For Elections Mission Michael Gahler advises against electronic voting, biometric verification and voting rights to overseas Pakistanis; recommends CEC’s appointment through two-thirds majority; deploys an electoral follow-up mission to Pakistan to assess reforms process

 

ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) has opposed electronic voting, bio-metric verification and granting of voting rights to Overseas Pakistanis for next general elections under much needed electoral reforms.

By-poll in PS-76 on March 3

Feb 09 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to hold the by-election in Sindh Assembly’s PS-76 (Old Dadu) constituency on March 3.

According to the ECP spokesman, nomination papers will be filed from Feb 8 to 9 and the verification process will be completed on Feb 11.

The candidates can file appeals to the tribunals against the decisions of the returning officers until Feb and the tribunals would decide on their appeals until Feb 16.

ECP criticised for deferring LG polls in Punjab, Sindh

Feb 05 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has come under fire for setting a new precedence by postponing polls on reserved seats in local bodies of Sindh and Punjab on the basis of petitions pending adjudication.

In a surprising move, the commission modified notifications earlier issued by it to postpone the elections in the two provinces, citing the matter’s being sub judice as the only reason.

LG polls on reserved seats in Sindh, Punjab postponed indefinitely

Feb 05 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday postponed indefinitely the local bodies elections on reserved seats in Sindh and Punjab, further delaying the local government setup in the provinces.

A notification, issued by the poll supervisory authority, said that the polls were being postponed since the “matter was sub judice”, without elaborating further.

Electoral reforms: ECP told to buy electronic voting machines by September

Feb 04 2016
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: 

After months of wrangling, a parliamentary panel on electoral reforms on Wednesday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to procure electronic voting machines (EVMs) by September 2016 for experimental use with a view for formal deployment, despite strong reservations from the top electoral body.

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