KABUL: After weeks of delays and violence, Afghanistan’s younger generation appears to have emerged victorious over traditionalists after winning a majority of seats across more than 20 provinces, ousting several staunch opponents of President Ashraf Ghani from the race in the process.
Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) revealed the preliminary results for October’s parliamentary elections, which were delayed for years due to the violence that has plagued the country for decades.
Delays in the ballots count were blamed on chaotic election mechanisms amid complaints of mismanagement.
The country has suffered dozens of attacks and fatalities at the hands of the Taliban over the weeks.
The October 20 election, crucial for Afghanistan’s stability as the US occupation enters its 18th year, was held ahead of a vital presidential ballot set for April 2019.
The United Nations declared the October election “the most violent and mismanaged compared with any ballot held since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.”
Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi, a spokesman for the IEC, told Arab News that tallies in 25 out of the 34 provinces have been counted, adding that the final count was delayed to ensure transparency and accuracy in rooting out “bogus votes.”
“Many of those who won the seats are youth,” he said. “There are former lawmakers among them as well.”
Another IEC official said the tally could continue changing until the final results are announced in a few weeks and that candidates that have lost can file an appeal against the preliminary results. Polls in the Ghanzi and Kandahar provinces could not be held because of poor security in the area. Votes for the Farah province allegedly perished on board the helicopter that crashed in October. The country’s electoral complaints body last week deemed the Kabul vote tally “invalid” amid allegations of fraud and mismanagement. Ibrahimi said the authority would, however, resume the counting process in the capital after it was paused for a week.
Fazl Manawi, a former IEC chief, accused the government of manipulating the vote count in order to facilitate an easier win for the country’s president.
“The government is trying to root out opponents,” he told Arab News.
A palace spokesman, however, denied the allegations. Several lawmakers said that staunch opponents of Ghani from various ethnic groups, who had stood for re-election, have been deliberately sabotaged.
“Many are beginning to doubt the IEC’s ability to hold the presidential poll in April,” said Manawi.
In Lahore’s historic Walled City, Ramadan fills the rows at Mughal-era Sunehri Mosque
Experts call for restoration of the 18th-century mosque amid encroachments and structural strain
Generations of traders shift their work schedules in Ramadan to gather for iftar and nightly prayers
Updated 46 sec ago
Farheen Ale Syed
LAHORE, Pakistan: In Old Lahore’s Kashmiri Bazaar, Ramadan changes the rhythm of trade.
By late afternoon, shop shutters begin to drop halfway and traders step away from their counters. Within minutes, the courtyard of Sunehri Mosque begins to fill.
On most days, the 18th-century mosque holds just a few rows of worshippers. In Ramadan, that number more than doubles.
“It has been 27 years since I have been leading the prayers here,” Qari Mohammed Hanif, the 47-year-old imam at the mosque, told Arab News. “On normal days, there are four to five rows. But in Ramadan, the mosque fills completely. People stand till the lower end.”
The congregation is largely drawn from the surrounding market — shopkeepers, traders and workers who close their businesses and walk directly into prayer.
The congregation at Sunehri Masjid is largely drawn from shopkeepers, traders and workers who close their businesses and walk directly into prayer. (Supplied)
For many, the mosque is inseparable from livelihood.
“I have a shop at Sunehri Masjid,” said Nasir Mehmood, 46, who runs a yarn business steps away. “This is our third generation running the shop. First it was my grandfather, then my father and now us. The shop is 50 years old.”
He said that at the beginning of Ramadan, he breaks his fast at home with his family. As the month progresses, the routine shifts.
“We start breaking our fast here at the shop, together with our friends and fellow shopkeepers. We also offer Taraweeh prayers here,” he continued, referring to the special Ramadan prayer performed after the obligatory Isha prayer at night.
Working hours extend as well.
“For the first three to four fasts, we come at 12 p.m. and leave after Asar prayers,” said Sheikh Mohammed Saleem, 50, who runs a clothing shop nearby. “After that, our routine changes. We open at 11 a.m. and stay until 12 a.m. at night, continuing this schedule until the last fast of Ramadan.
“Some food is brought from home, and some we buy from the market,” he added. “All of us gather together to break our fast.”
For many, the mosque is inseparable from livelihood. (Supplied)
Others return year after year for spiritual reasons.
“I have been coming here for 11 years,” said Mohammed Rafique, 45. “Whenever I am in this area, I always come to this mosque. I find peace here, peace in my heart. There is something from Allah. I cannot explain it. Whenever I come here, I try to break my fast here.”
Even younger traders feel a strong attachment to the space. Abdullah, 25, who gave only one name, said the mosque has become part of his working life.
“I have a shop in Lahore’s Rang Mehal, in Kasera Bazaar, under Sunehri Masjid,” he said. “I have been here for three years. The environment here is very good, the people are good.”
GILDED DOMES
The building that fills so quickly during Ramadan was constructed in 1753 during the later Mughal period by Nawab Bhikari Khan, a deputy governor of Lahore. Its three gilded domes gave it the name “Sunehri,” meaning golden.
Unlike imperial Mughal mosques built in expansive courtyards, Sunehri Mosque was embedded within a functioning marketplace. It rose not in isolation but among shops, a structure woven into commercial life rather than set apart from it.
“The Sunehri Mosque is small in scale because it was built during the decline of the Mughal Empire, a time when political power had weakened and resources were limited,” cultural heritage expert Saad Zahid told Arab News. “Its modest size and comparatively simple detailing reflect this period of reduced imperial strength.
Sunehri Mosque was embedded within a functioning marketplace. It rose not in isolation but among shops, a structure woven into commercial life rather than set apart from it. (Supplied)
“Unlike earlier Mughal monuments, it does not display the same richness or refinement, making it an important example of late Mughal architecture in Lahore,” he added.
Lahore, once a major administrative and cultural center of the Mughal Empire, saw numerous mosques constructed at the height of imperial power. Like most of them, Sunehri Mosque’s courtyard also featured a central pond, a hallmark of Mughal mosque design, though visitors usually find it dry these days.
Sunehri Masjid
While the mosque remains active and crowded during Ramadan, aspects of its physical condition raise concern.
The historic shops built beneath the mosque are now heavily encroached upon, obscuring parts of the mosque’s facade. Piles of wooden ladders and used boxes are stacked along sections of the structure. Tangled electricity wires hang across and above the building, cutting through the visual line of its domes. In some areas, residents hang washed clothes along its outer walls to dry.
B
angled electricity wires hang across and above the building, cutting through the visual line of its domes. (Supplied)
Behind the mosque lies Baoli Bagh, once associated with an important Sikh-era gurdwara site, which Zahid said also deserves conservation.
He also argued that, like the Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques, Sunehri Mosque should remain open to visitors beyond prayer times and be more actively promoted as part of Lahore’s historic landscape.
“The frescoes inside the mosque today appear overly bright and artificial. The original Mughal paintings were likely more subtle in tone, suggesting that later interventions have altered its authentic appearance,” he said, emphasizing the urgency of the building’s careful restoration to protect original design, materials and architectural identity rather than replace them with new construction.
