ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s election regulator said on Thursday it had not decided on a date yet to release the schedule for upcoming polls, amid widespread fears that elections in the country would be delayed once again.
Elections in Pakistan were originally expected to take place in November after the country’s national and two provincial assemblies were dissolved in August before reaching the end of their tenure. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to redraw hundreds of national and provincial constituencies based on a digital census carried out in April, before arranging the electoral contest.
Given Pakistan’s uncertain political environment and precarious security situation, local media outlets have continued to speculate about the possibility of elections being delayed beyond Feb. 8. The government has repeatedly said it would not delay polls beyond Feb. 8.
A report in the Pakistani newspaper The News claimed the ECP would announce the much-awaited schedule on Sunday, Dec. 17. The report further said the regulator would start receiving nomination papers from candidates from Dec. 18.
“No specific date has been determined for the announcement of the election schedule,” ECP’s Public Relations Officer Durriya Amir told Arab News. “The Election Commission retains the authority to issue it at any given day or time.”
Separately, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan told Arab News the media reports were “not true.”
Political analysts have said polls would bring some stability to Pakistan, following more than a year of political turmoil in the country after former prime minister Imran Khan’s ouster from office in April 2022.
Khan, who has been in jail since August after his conviction in a case involving the sale of state gifts, is facing a string of legal charges. The cricketer-turned-politician denies all charges, saying they are politically motivated to keep him and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party away from polls.
He has accused Pakistan’s powerful military, with whom he had a falling out toward the later part of his tenure, of having a hand in his ouster and cracking down on his supporters. The military has repeatedly denied Khan’s allegations.
Regulator says no date decided yet to release Pakistan’s election schedule amid delay fears
https://arab.news/jq58s
Regulator says no date decided yet to release Pakistan’s election schedule amid delay fears
- Local media reports claimed Pakistani regulator would release election schedule on Sunday
- Elections in Pakistan are due to be held on Feb. 8 but political analysts fear they may be delayed further
Qatar, Pakistan resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks
- Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
- Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
