News

PTI, PPP agree to form joint opposition in NA

Nov 25 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development on Tuesday, the two main opposition parties — PPP and PTI — decided to sit on opposition benches in the National Assembly and give a tough time to the government.

A PTI delegation headed by Shah Mehmood Qureshi called on Leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Shah at the latter’s Parliament House chamber to discuss various options for playing the role of combined opposition.

The two sides, the sources said, had agreed to play an effective role in the parliament and to raise issues jointly from a single platform.

LG elections: Comments sought from ECP over Korangi UC’s delimitation

Nov 25 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed on Tuesday the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) authorities to file comments on a petition challenging the delimitation of union councils (UCs) in Korangi district.

A division bench, headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, directed the authorities to file their comments by November 26. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had challenged the delimitation of certain UCs in Korangi.

ECP challenges high court’s order on delimitation

Nov 24 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has challenged a judgment of the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench, which set aside the delimitation of union councils of villages — such as Kotli Sattian and Murree — in the district Rawalpindi.

The appeal was instituted before the Supreme Court by ECP. On Oct 8, the court had declared the new delimitation of union councils null and void. These included areas such as Darnoin, Dheer Gran and Korina Kalan in Tehsil Kotli Sattian; Seribari, Dhall and Ghora Gali in Tehsil Murree, Hayyal Sharif and Banda Nagial etc.

JI and PTI vow to defeat killers, extortionists in LG polls

Nov 23 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami said on Sunday that its election alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for the Dec 5 local government election was against the extortionists and targeted killers.

Speaking at a joint JI-PTI election rally in west district, Karachi JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rahman said that the alliance between the two parties would bring back the peace in the metropolis and restore its identity as the city of lights.

Women’s wings of political parties gear up ahead of polls

Nov 23 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

KARACHI: As the local government elections in the city draw near, the women’s wing of different political parties of Karachi have geared up their campaigns.

Heads of women’s wing of political parties told The Express Tribune that they are busy in door-to-door campaigns and in arranging corner meetings to spread their respective party’s word.

PTI wants ECP to ensure army deployment for Lodhran by-poll

Nov 22 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has sought reconfirmation from the Election Commission of Pakistan that army troops will be deployed inside and outside polling stations in the by-election to be held on Dec 23 on the National Assembly seat from Lodhran.

In a letter to the ECP secretary, Jahangir Khan Tareen, the PTI candidate in the by-election, has reminded the commission that when the polling was scheduled to be held in the same constituency on Oct 11, it had announced that the army would be deployed at polling stations.

Despite its concerns PPP accepts Badin results

Nov 21 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Despite PPP’s concerns over the victory of Zulfiqar Mirza’s group in the local government elections in Badin town, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah accepted the results on Friday and urged others to respect the people’s decision.

Talking to reporters after meeting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, he said: “We should all accept Badin’s results as the decision of the people of the area.”

PML-N, PPP solidify gains

Nov 21 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
KARACHI / HYDERABAD / LAHORE: 

As unofficial results of Thursday’s local government elections in Sindh and Punjab continue to trickle in, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party retained their dominance in their respective strongholds.

PML-N strong in Punjab

The PML-N consolidated itself in the second phase of local government polls as it won a massive 1,067 seats in 12 districts of Punjab with independents giving a strong account of themselves securing 894 seats.

Despite hiccups, PPP victorious in Sindh; Mirza pulls off upset in Badin; dozens injured in clashes

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
SUKKUR / HYDERABAD: 

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lived up to expectations in Sindh on Thursday, securing the most seats in the second phase of the local government elections while suffering a major setback in Badin and seeing its alliance in Hyderabad routed.

Local government: Clashes mar second phase of polls in Punjab districts

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
LAHORE: 

Clashes between political rivals slowed polling in several of the 12 districts in the second phase of local government elections.

Polls on Thursday were held in Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Attock, Jhelum, Mianwali, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sheikhupura and Khanewal.

Ruling parties tighten grip

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
LAHORE: 

Mirroring the results of the first phase of the local government elections in Punjab, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) appeared to have captured more hearts and seats than independents and their nearest political rivals in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf put together in the second phase of the polls.

Unofficial results in 12 districts put PML-N in the lead with 382 seats, while independent candidates chalked up 262 seats, and PTI trailing behind with 112 seats.

Restrictions in Punjab: Women barred from voting in some districts

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
LAHORE: 

While women came out in large numbers to participate in the second phase of the local bodies elections held on Thursday, there were reports of women being stopped from exercising their right to franchise in many districts of Punjab. A scuffle broke out at a polling station in ward-III of Chenab Nagar, Chiniot when one contestant tried to stop a troop of women, who had been brought in by the rival candidate, from casting their vote. Polling had to be suspended due to the scuffle, but resumed after a 30 minute interlude.

Women stick to no-vote resolve

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

TOBA TEK SINGH: The women in Chak 295-JB (Devidaspur) maintained their resolve not to cast vote in any case.

Villagers said that since Pakistan came into being the women of this area were never allowed to cast their votes in any elections.

They said in today’s local body elections their men, like the previous elections, also did not allow their women to go to polling stations.

Fuente: http://www.dawn.com/news/1220906/women-stick-to-no-vote-resolve

Woman challenges tradition through ballot

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

MULTAN: Of the over 1,400 women voters of Mauza Mohripur in Khanewal district, only one woman turned up at the polling station on Thursday to cast her vote in local government’s second phase elections.

Fauzia Talib refused to follow decades old tradition that bars women from going to the polling station.

“I’m breaking the tradition for the betterment and empowerment of the women of my area,” she asserted on Thursday.

Women, youth lead voters’ charge in Attock

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ATTOCK: Women and young people turned out to vote in surprising numbers as the second phase of the local government elections was held in Attock district on Thursday.

By the end of polling, however, mixed trends were visible as the PML-N led the field with potential victories on nine seats. Unofficial results gave five seats to independent candidates, three to the Major Tahir Sadiq group and one seat to PTI.

LB polls have exposed ECP’s ‘inefficiency’: PPP

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Criticising the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for its last minute decision to postpone polling in 76 local councils in Sindh, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khurshid Shah said on Thursday that the move had again exposed inefficiency of the ECP.

Talking to reporters at his Parliament House chamber, he reiterated his demand for resignation of ECP members and, for the first time, also criticised the chief election commissioner, saying that he was also not playing his due role.

Democracy in motion: More rural voters come out in lower Sindh

Nov 20 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
HYDERABAD/BADIN/SUKKUR: 

With confusion prevailing over holding of the local government (LG) elections on schedule after the Supreme Court order, a modest turnout was observed in the second leg of the polls in 14 districts of Sindh.

However, the polling process remained largely peaceful despite fears of armed showdowns especially in Badin, Tharparkar, Umerkot and some other districts. Around 6,127 polling stations were set up for around seven million registered voters.

30% of polling stations in Hyderabad division declared sensitive

Nov 18 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

HYDERABAD: Around 30 per cent of the 3,500 polling stations in nine districts of Hyderabad division have been declared very sensitive by the police.

Besides the army and Rangers personnel, more than 30,000 policemen will perform the election duty, out of which 23,000 policemen will be deployed at the polling stations.

Around 142 areas have been declared as trouble spots, where it is feared that clashes can occur between the rival groups. These trouble spots include small localities to an entire taluka of a district.

Pages