ISLAMABAD: A key coalition partner of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party clarified on Wednesday it had not joined the opposition ahead of the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan, though one of its top leaders had bitterly criticized the federal government a day before and said it was in “trouble.”
Pervaiz Elahi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), made headlines on Tuesday by openly speaking up against the government, raising widespread suspicion that his party was in the processing of abandoning the prime minister at a crucial political juncture.
In the brief statement on Wednesday, Elahi called the prime minister an “honest” man, pointing out the PML-Q was a government ally but a separate political party.
“We have neither left the government nor joined the opposition,” he clarified. “We are part of the government and have supported it in every difficult time.”
He added: “There are different opinions within political parties but decisions are made with mutual consultation. Prime Minister Imran Khan is honest and his intentions are good.”
Following the submission of the no-trust motion against the prime minister by the opposition last week, Khan has scrambled to meet senior leaders of his party as well as disgruntled figures within and reached out to leaders of allied parties to ensure they vote in his favor.
The opposition requires at least 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly to topple Khan’s government. The current party position in the lower house of parliament shows the opposition collectively has 162 members while the government enjoys the support of 179 lawmakers, including its coalition partners.
Opposition parties, however, say they have the required numbers to win the no trust vote as they struggle to convince the government’s allied parties to leave the coalition.
“This running around, going from room to room, this is proof that he [Khan] is in trouble,” Elahi had said in an interview to local Hum News on Tuesday. “[He is] 100 percent in trouble.”
“This government has spoiled its contacts with everyone, even its own people,” the PML-Q leader said. “They are panicking because of their own people now, aren’t they? The tongue is something that can either mend ties or break them.”
Khan, who rose to power in a 2018 general election that critics say was rigged in his favor by the military, has always been known for his brash style of politics. The military denies it interferes in politics.
As pressure around the no-confidence motion gathered in the last two months, with widespread accusations against the PTI of bad governance and mismanagement of the economy, Khan reportedly did not follow the advice of senior leaders to make amends with estranged figures like Jahangir Khan Tareen, once his closest ally, and give assurances to coalition partners like the PML-Q.
Khan has also reportedly refused to remove Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, a longtime demand of both the opposition and allied parties.
Government’s key allied party denies it has joined opposition after criticizing PM Khan
https://arab.news/jau3d
Government’s key allied party denies it has joined opposition after criticizing PM Khan
- Pervaiz Elahi, a top PML-Q leader, describes Prime Minister Imran Khan as an ‘honest’ man who has good intentions
- Earlier, the PML-Q leader had said Khan was ‘panicking’ ahead of the no-trust vote since he had lost contact with everyone
Saudi cadet bags gold medal as fresh batch graduates from Pakistan Military Academy
- Forty-nine cadets from “friendly countries” graduate from Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, says army
- The PMA provides initial training to Pakistani cadets and recruits from friendly countries such as Saudi Arabia
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army awarded the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Overseas Gold Medal to a Saudi cadet in recognition of his performance, as a fresh batch of local and international cadets graduated from the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) on Saturday, the army’s media wing said.
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, was the chief guest at the passing out parade of the 149th PMA Long Course at the academy in Kakul. General Metin Gürak, the chief of the Turkish general staff who is on an official visit to Pakistan, was the guest of honor at the ceremony.
Gen. Mirza reviewed and spoke to cadets at the parade while General Gürak presented the awards to the distinguished cadets, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
“The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Overseas Gold Medal was awarded to Friendly Country Senior Under Officer Fahad Bin Aqil Al Towarqi Al Fallaj from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ISPR said.
The army’s media wing said 49 cadets from “friendly countries” also graduated at the ceremony. The coveted Sword of Honour was awarded to Academy Senior Under Officer Muhammad Nauman Abdullah.
The President’s Gold medal was awarded to Company Senior Under Officer Muhammad Abdullah Javed of the 149th PMA Long Course, the army’s media wing said.
“Since its inception, PMA has remained the cradle of leadership and center of excellence for cadets joining the premier institution of Army,” Gen. Mirza was quoted as saying by the ISPR.
“Over the years, PMA has also trained scores of foreign cadets whose brilliant performance in their respective Armies stands testament to the professional ethos of PMA.”
The PMA in Kakul, Abbottabad, provides initial training to Pakistan Army cadets and recruits from friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy fraternal relations, leading the two countries to cooperate in trade, defense and other vital sectors.
The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the cash-strapped South Asian country’s largest source of remittances.
Pakistan to hold by-elections on 21 national, provincial assembly seats on Sunday
- Polling will be held on seats vacated by candidates or where polling was postponed due to various reasons
- Polling will take place on seats vacated by PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Ministers Maryam Nawaz and Ali Amin Gandapur
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will conduct by-elections on 21 national and provincial seats on Sunday, state-run media reported on Saturday, marking the country’s first major electoral exercise since the contentious general elections of Feb. 8.
The by-elections would be held on the national and provincial assembly seats that were vacated by candidates following the Feb. 8 elections.
Polling on Sunday is scheduled to be held on five National Assembly seats, 12 Punjab Assembly seats, two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly seats and two Balochistan Assembly seats.
“Polling will start at 8:00 in the morning and it will continue till 5:00 p.m. without any break,” Radio Pakistan said.
Polling for NA-8 Bajaur and PK-22 Bajaur were postponed on Feb. 8 after the murder of a candidate, Rehan Zeb Khan. Polling will also be held in NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan, where the National Assembly seat was vacated by Ali Amin Gandapur, who retained his provisional assembly seat to become KP’s chief minister.
Similarly, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif vacated her NA-119 seat in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore, choosing instead to keep the PP-159 constituency that she also won.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif won elections on two provincial and National Assembly seats. He left the NA-132 Kasur and Lahore’s PP-158 and PP-164 seats vacant, preferring to retain the NA-123 Lahore constituency.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari won two National Assembly seats. He retained the NA-194 Larkana constituency, leaving the NA-196 seat in Qamber Shahdadkot vacant.
Pakistan’s Feb. 8 elections were marred by delayed results, a countrywide shutdown of mobile phone services and rigging allegations. Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accused Pakistan’s election regulator of manipulating the results of the elections, claiming in reality it had won over 180 National Assembly seats.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the PTI’s allegations, saying polling results were delayed due to the shutdown of mobile phone services countrywide. Pakistan’s caretaker administration had said the mobile services were suspended due to security reasons, rejecting rigging allegations by Khan’s party.
Independent candidates backed by Khan secured the highest number of seats in the National Assembly. However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly, as a court decision prevented Khan-backed candidates from contesting polls with the PTI’s symbol.
Death toll from heavy rains in northwestern Pakistan rises to 46
- Forty-six casualties include 25 children, 12 men and nine women, says Provincial Disaster Management Authority
- Heavy rains and lightning strikes have killed at least 36 people in Pakistan’s Punjab and Balochistan provinces since April 12
Peshawar: The death toll from rain-related incidents in northwestern Pakistan rose to 46 on Saturday, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Saturday, while the number of injured climbed to 60.
“As many as 25 children, 12 men and nine women are among those who died in rain-related incidents during the last eight days,” the report said about heavy rains that began in the province last Friday, April 12.
The number of injured has risen to 60, which includes 33 men, 16 children and 11 women, the PDMA said.
The current spell of showers is likely to continue till April 21, the PDMA said this week. The provincial government has released Rs110 million to be distributed among the affected families and dispatched aid, including tents, kitchen kits, blankets, hygiene kits, mosquito nets and mattresses, to the affected areas, according to the authority.
As the rains are expected to continue intermittently until April 21, the PDMA said it had already a letter to all district administrations to remain alert and take precautionary measures.
In the southwestern Balochistan province, heavy rains have killed 15 people since Friday and triggered flash floods in several areas, according to provincial authorities.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said climate change had become a “challenge” for the provincial government.
“Current rains are unusual which were never reported in a thousand years,” he told reporters on Friday. “The government has been helping the masses with available resources and our teams have reached all districts to help the people affected by rains and floods.”
Pakistan has received heavy rains in the last three weeks that have triggered landslides and flash floods in several parts of the South Asian country.
The eastern province of Punjab has reported 21 lighting- and roof collapse-related deaths, while Balochistan, in the country’s southwest, reported 10 deaths as authorities declared a state of emergency following flash floods.
In 2022, downpours swelled rivers and at one point flooded a third of Pakistan, killing 1,739 people. The floods also caused $30 billion in damages, from which Pakistan is still trying to rebuild.
Pakistan rejects US move to sanction firms for aiding its ballistic missile program
- US sanctions four international companies for supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program
- Pakistan’s foreign office questions double standards of allowing advanced military technologies to some countries
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Saturday rejected Washington’s move to impose sanctions on four international firms for providing missile-applicable items to its ballistic missile program, saying Islamabad is against the “political use” of export controls.
In a press release issued late Friday, the US State Department announced sanctions against three Chinese companies and one Belarus-based firm on charges they supplied items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.
The companies listed by the US for sanctions are the China-based Xi’an Longde Technology Development Company Limited, Tianjin Creative Source International Trade Co. Ltd, Granpect Company Limited and Belarus-based Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson responded by saying that commercial entities have been sanctioned in the past on allegations of having links to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program “without sharing any evidence whatsoever.”
“Pakistan rejects political use of export controls,” the foreign office spokesperson said in a statement. It added that the same jurisdictions that claim to exercise non-proliferation controls have waived off licensing requirements for advanced military technologies for some countries.
“This is leading to arms build up; accentuating regional asymmetries, and undermining the objectives of non-proliferation and of regional and global peace and security,” it said.
The statement said Islamabad had repeatedly pointed out that such items have legitimate civil commercial uses, urging Washington to avoid “arbitrary application of export controls.”
“There is need for discussions between concerned parties for an objective mechanism to ensure access to technology in pursuit of socio-economic development,” the spokesperson said.
“Pakistan has always been ready to discuss end-use and end-user verification mechanisms so that legitimate commercial users are not hurt by discriminatory application of export controls.”
The sanctions mean all property and interests in property of the companies in the US or in possession or control of American citizens are blocked and must be reported to the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the State Department has said.
They also mean that all transactions by American citizens, or those within (or transiting) the US that involve any property or interests in property of the companies, are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC.
Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir sets sights on T20 World Cup after comeback
- Amir played his first T20 international match for Pakistan on Thursday after a nearly four-year hiatus
- Pacer says he feels his body is fitter compared to 2019 when he last played for Pakistan in a World Cup
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir said this week he has set his sights on the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, as he gears up to mark his return to international cricket after a nearly four-year hiatus.
The 32-year-old pacer played his first match on Thursday against New Zealand in Rawalpindi but did not bowl a single delivery as rain suspended play during the first over of the match.
Amir, one of Pakistan’s most prolific fast bowlers, retired in December 2020 after being dropped from the side. He changed his mind last month and decided to restart his career, which had also been stalled by a spot-fixing ban in 2010.
“The way the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management brought me back, it is for a short-term goal, the [T20] World Cup,” Amir told PCB Digital in an interview on Friday. “And that is the biggest goal.”
The left-arm pacer pointed out that Pakistan had played in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2021 and competed in the final of the T20 World Cup in 2022. However, it had failed to “cross the line” and become world champions on both occasions.
“If that happens [Pakistan win the World Cup] it would be a huge achievement for me, to be a part of that team,” he said.
Amir said he feels he is much fitter compared to 2019 when he last represented Pakistan in a World Cup tournament.
“See, you cannot express yourself properly in the ground until you’re fit,” he said. “So I feel the way my body feels fresh right now, I can chip in more and prove beneficial to the team via my performance.”
The pacer credited his wife and children for helping him stay positive.
“She makes sure that all my focus is on cricket,” he said. “I think that always gives me energy and helps me to face whatever I have to.”
Pakistan face New Zealand in the second T20 fixture of the five-match series in Rawalpindi today, Saturday. The two sides will lock horns in Rawalpindi on April 21 before meeting for the remaining two fixtures in Lahore on April 25 and 27.
Teams:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi
New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (captain), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
