ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s local news channels claimed Saturday the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party was winning a closely watched electoral contest for a National Assembly seat in Punjab that fell vacant after the death of an opposition lawmaker Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah last year.
Tens of thousands of people voted to elect their new representative in a re-election held earlier in the day for the NA-75 seat from Daska, a small town in Sialkot district.
The country’s election authorities held a by-poll in the area last February, but later declared the contest null and void due to widespread irregularities that the PML-N blamed on the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The Election Commission of Pakistan suspected back in February that the results of 20 polling stations had been falsified.
Saturday’s electoral contest was largely believed to be between PML-N candidate Nosheen Iftikhar and PTI ticket holder Ali Asjad Malhi, though there were other politicians who also participated in it.
Pakistani election authorities informed a local news channel earlier in the day they had tried to provide a free and fair environment to hold a transparent election.
“Rangers are on patrol duty, ensuring the transportation of election staff and material, while army troops have been stationed in Daska Stadium and will be available on call,” Dawn newspaper reported. “To make the conduct of the re-poll transparent, CCTV cameras have been installed at 47 sensitive polling stations, out of a total 360.”
Major opposition party leads in re-election in Pakistani town of Daska
https://arab.news/cn5yt
Major opposition party leads in re-election in Pakistani town of Daska
- Local news channels claim the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is winning the contest in Punjab's NA-75 constituency
- The Election Commission of Pakistan held a by-poll in the area last February but later declared it null and void
Pakistan president eyes strengthening trade, investment, tourism cooperation during Iraq visit
- President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for four-day visit aimed to bolster bilateral ties
- Zardari, Iraqi leaders to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in energy, manpower, technology and education
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari is in Iraq for a four-day visit where he will review bilateral ties and hold meetings with the country’s leadership to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, religious tourism and energy as well as other sectors, state-run media said this week.
Zardari arrived in Baghdad on a four-day trip on Saturday where he was received by the country’s Culture Minister Dr. Ahmed Fakkak Al-Badrani.
Pakistan and Iraq established diplomatic relations in 1947 and have traditionally maintained cordial ties, though commercial links remain modest, with officials and business groups identifying scope for cooperation in construction services, pharmaceuticals, manpower and agricultural exports.
“During the visit, President Asif Ali Zardari will hold high-level meetings with the Iraqi leadership, during which all aspects of bilateral relations will be reviewed,” state broadcaster Pakistan Television reported on Saturday.
“The meetings will consider ways to further strengthen cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, energy, reconstruction, manpower, technology, education, and people-to-people contacts.”
It said both sides are also expected to discuss regional and international issues, including cooperation at multilateral forums.
“The president’s visit is expected to further strengthen friendly relations between Pakistan and Iraq, explore new avenues of partnership, and promote people-to-people ties, particularly religious tourism and economic cooperation,” PTV said.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Ameer Al-Shammari, on the sidelines of meetings in Brussels, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on security and facilitate travel for Pakistani Shia pilgrims to Najaf and Karbala.
The two officials discussed measures to ensure the smoother movement of these pilgrims and their compliance with visa regulations.
