ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Home and Tribal Affairs Department sent a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last week, requesting to postpone polls in 16 new constituencies of the tribal districts of the province due to security and administrative reasons.
“Election is a breathing life for democratic nations and the people of the newly-merged districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are availing this opportunity for the first time in the constitutional history of Pakistan,” the letter, dated June 3, 2019, said.
It added that the polls, which were originally scheduled to be held on July 2, should be postponed due to “unwarranted situation and threats of serious nature from across the border.”
“Some developments within the newly-merged districts may sabotage the whole process of holding the forthcoming elections,” it read.
There was an unusual increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s tribal districts, particularly in North Waziristan, with the ISPR, the military’s media wing, saying in a statement that “at least 10 soldiers have been killed and 35 wounded over the past month” in the area.
With that in mind, the KP government has requested for a delay in the polls by 20 days “which is within the constitutional limit of 25th of July, 2019 for holding the subject elections.”
In May last year, the National Assembly (NA) – through a constitutional amendment bill – had allowed the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with the KP province. The new law had approved an increase in the number of NA seats from six to 12 for the tribal districts and from 16 to 24 for the KP assembly seats.
KP requests Pakistan’s poll body to delay elections in newly-merged tribal districts
KP requests Pakistan’s poll body to delay elections in newly-merged tribal districts
- Says request made in light of serious threats from across the border
- Voting in tribal districts is due to be held on July 2
Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties.
“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”
Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said.
Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.
On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”
“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said.
He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests.
Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability.
“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.
