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.
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.
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.
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.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has nominated Istanbul deputy Ismail Kahraman as a candidate for the post of parliament speaker, Turkey’s second most senior position in state protocol.
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.
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.
Muscat: Majlis Al Shura discussed on Thursday the five year plan (2016-2020) and the general budget for 2016. The committee hosted Nasser Jashmi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, Talal Rahbi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Planning, and a number of higher officials from the Majlis Al Shura.
Change and Reform bloc secretary MP Ibrahim Kanaan announced Thursday that the Free Patriotic Movement will coordinate with the Lebanese Forces on the issue of the new electoral law.
Kanaan voiced his remarks after a meeting in Maarab with LF leader Samir Geagea in the presence of LF media officer Melhem Riachi. The lawmaker was delegated by Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun, according to OTV.
A panel established on Wednesday to devise a new parliamentary electoral law will hold weekly meetings in order to resolve a dispute that has resulted in the extension of parliament's term on two occasions.
The committee will hold its first meeting on December 1, revealed the daily An Nahar on Thursday.
Its discussions will continue until mid-March 2016, which marks the beginning of parliament's regular session.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on the country’s main opposition party to lend support to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in its renewed efforts to enact a new constitution, suggesting such cooperation would eliminate the need to take a fresh charter to a referendum.
As the much-awaited local government polls finally make their way to the poorly-governed Sindh province, the process suffers blows time and again due to the half-hearted efforts of the provincial government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
With the second phase of the polls that will devolve powers to the grassroots level around the corner, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has nullified the inclusion of rural areas into the urban ones in 23 local bodies’ constituencies in 11 districts.
KABUL (Pajhwok): Calling the separation of small violations from big electoral crimes an important issue, the Electoral Reform Commission (ERC) on Wednesday said such offenders would be punished after their crimes were identified.
ERC chief Shah Sultan Akefi told a seminar “Electoral Reform” in Kabul that the ERC was working together with judicial organs and attorneys to set new criminal rules and drafts for transparency and prevention of violations in the electoral process.
The seminar was participated by a number of members of parliament and election observers.
ABU DHABI // Dr Amal Al Qubaisi was on Wednesday appointed President of the Federal National Council, making her the region’s first female leader of a national assembly.
“I am proud to take this seat for the first time as a woman in the Arab world,” she said, after winning the role of President and Speaker unopposed.
“I dedicate this achievement to the great women of the UAE, and to the Mother of the Nation, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.”
ABU DHABI // Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid on Wednesday inaugurated the 16th legislative term of the Federal National Council.
The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai attended the opening ceremony, walking the red carpet under the swords of the Presidential Guard while a marching band played the national anthem.
He then met FNC officials before entering the Sheikh Zayed Hall to greet the Rulers awaiting him.
After verses of the Quran had been recited, the new term was convened.
The Change and Reform bloc led by MP Michel Aoun on Wednesday called for electing a president who would bring “change and solutions,” as it stressed that the electoral law for parliamentary polls must be “fair” for Christians.
“We are advocates of a change and solutions presidency,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.
The statement was recited by former labor minister Salim Jreissati.
A parliamentary committee was set up Wednesday to devise a new electoral law, as part of the political settlement that had led to holding a legislative session on Thursday and Friday after around a one-year interruption.
“The panel is comprised of 10 members and it can convene with the presence of only six members,” Deputy Speaker Farid Makari announced after a meeting for the parliament bureau.
“Should it agree on a law, it will be submitted to parliament for a vote,” he added.
ISLAMABAD: Following the Sindh High Court verdict on suspension of recently carried out delimitation, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed the forthcoming local government elections in 81 union councils (UCs) of Sindh.
The local government polls were scheduled for Thursday, November 19.
Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad shared the district names while addressing a press conference on Wednesday.
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.
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