ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s two former dominant political parties said on Thursday they would join forces to field their own candidate for prime minister in parliament, challenging former cricket star Imran Khan, whose party won last week’s general election.
The alliance with several other smaller parties appeared unlikely to derail Khan’s election as prime minister, but it could leave him with a thin majority that could make enacting his agenda difficult.
Khan’s party, which won 116 of the 272 elected seats in the National Assembly, is believed to have enough would-be coalition partners among smaller parties and independents to win a majority vote to form a government.
But the main rival parties, which on Thursday repeated accusations that the July 25 vote was rigged by the powerful military, vowed to vote together with several smaller parties against Khan’s election as prime minister in parliament.
“It is an alliance which is against the rigged elections, and where all the political parties were not provided a free and fair, level playing field,” said Maryam Aurangzeb, speaking for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The opposition alliance was not believed to have the numbers to block Khan’s election.
A European Union election monitoring team in its initial assessment described the election campaign as an unequal playing field but said it was up to the people of Pakistan to decide on the vote’s legitimacy.
The PML-N joined with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), led by the son of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto, and several smaller nationalist and religious parties in forming the opposition alliance, known as the All Parties Conference.
The PMN-L and PPP have traded power in Pakistan for most of its history in between periods of military rule after the army seized power, which itself accounts for nearly half of the 71 years since independence from Britain.
Pakistani opposition to challenge Khan with own PM candidate in parliament
Pakistani opposition to challenge Khan with own PM candidate in parliament
Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian-registered aircraft by another month
- This is the 8th extension of the ban after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir triggered an India-Pakistan conflict in May
- The restriction has forced Indian airlines to reroute their flights, increasing fuel consumption, travel times and operating costs
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended a ban on Indian-registered aircraft from using its airspace until late February, the Pakistan Airports Authority said on Wednesday, prolonging restrictions that have disrupted flight routes for Indian airlines.
Pakistan first imposed the restriction on April 24 as part of a series of tit-for-tat measures announced by both countries days after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
New Delhi blamed the attack, which killed 26 tourists, on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement and called for a credible, international investigation into the attack.
Tensions quickly escalated after India targeted several sites in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, triggering intense missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on May 10.
“The ban on Indian flights has been extended till 5am on February 24,” the PAA said in a statement. “The ban will apply to aircraft owned, operated or leased by Indian airlines, including military flights.”
This marks the eighth extension of the ban, which has forced Indian airlines to reroute international flights, increasing fuel consumption, travel times and operating costs.
Last month, Pakistan accused India of blocking humanitarian assistance destined for Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah, saying a special Pakistani aircraft carrying aid was forced to wait more than 60 hours for overflight clearance.
Pakistan later sent relief supplies and rescue teams to the island nation by sea, officials said.
