ISLAMABAD: Pakistani expatriates recently lamented the absence of voting rights for overseas communities and urged Pakistan’s election oversight body to devise a system that would enable their inclusion in the decision-making process at home.
National elections in the politically and economically troubled South Asian nation were initially supposed to be held on November 90, days after the dissolution of the lower house of parliament in August. However, the elections were postponed to February 8 due to the delimitation of constituencies following a new census.
Before the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022, his administration had not only endorsed the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) to enhance “transparency” and “inclusivity” in elections but it appeared to be taking practical steps in this regard, much to the delight of overseas Pakistanis.
But in May 2022, the coalition government of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif passed the Election Amendment Act 2022, revoking overseas Pakistanis’ right to vote and prohibiting the use of EVMs in general elections.
While many overseas Pakistanis were hopeful that the upcoming election would bring stability to the South Asian country, few were skeptical about the transparency of the polls.
“Overseas Pakistanis here are quite hopeful that the elections will bring Pakistan out of this crisis of instability, turmoil, unrest and chaos,” Syed Kamran Akhtar Gilani, a Pakistani expatriate in Saudi Arabia, told Arab News from Riyadh.
He said almost every overseas Pakistani in the Kingdom was enthusiastic about the upcoming polls and was actively participating in election campaigns through “social media platforms.”
Qaiser Abbas, a Pakistani expatriate in the United Kingdom (UK), was skeptical of the possibility of a free and fair election taking place in Pakistan.
“Pakistan is already in financial crisis, and spending billions of public money in this useless process will add more burden on the ordinary people as overseas Pakistanis are not allowed to vote and members of the main opposition party are being denied their basic right to stand in the election,” Abbas told Arab News from London.
He said a free and fair election and a stable government elected by the people were the only solution to a “stable and durable” Pakistan.
Mazhar Abbasi, a United Arab Emirates-based expat, expressed dismay over their exclusion from the electoral process at home.
“It is very sad that overseas Pakistanis send so much remittances, is it not our right to play our role in the decisions of our country,” he asked.
Abbasi said the fate of Pakistan should be decided by the people of Pakistan.
“I want to go to Pakistan and cast a vote but in these circumstances, I am thinking that if I cast a vote in Pakistan, will the elections be fair,” he told Arab News from Dubai. “I do not think that the elections will be fair.”
When asked why overseas Pakistanis could not vote from the respective countries in which they are based, ECP spokesperson Syed Nadeem Haider referred to the Election (Amendment) Act 2022.
“If an expatriate is a registered voter and wishes to cast a vote, they must return to Pakistan and vote physically in their constituency,” Haider said.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan is bound to adhere to the current law, which explicitly mandates this requirement and ECP will follow the law accordingly if there will be any changes brought in it in the future.”
While the government has vowed to ensure a transparent election in the country, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a few other parties have levelled allegations of “pre-poll rigging” against the administration and demanded a “level playing field” to all parties.
Khan, a 71-year-old former cricket star, has been embroiled in a tangle of political and legal battles since he was ousted as prime minister. He has not been seen in public since being jailed for three years in August for unlawfully selling state gifts while in office from 2018 to 2022.
The ex-premier has been disqualified from contesting the national elections because of the corruption conviction, but he nevertheless filed nominations for the elections which were rejected. Khan, widely seen as the country’s most popular leader, says he is being targeted by the powerful military, which wants to keep him out of the polls. The military denies this.
On the other hand, the election commission accepted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s nomination from two constituencies for the Feb. 8 election, weeks after a court overturned his two graft convictions. Khan’s party sees the recent judgments granting relief to Sharif as favors given to his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which appears poised to once again take over the reins of the country.
Dubai-based Pakistani Maaz Amjad praised the former Khan administration for granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis, but regretted the subsequent decision by the Shehbaz Sharif-led government to revoke that right.
“The biggest source of income for Pakistan is the overseas community but at the moment, they have taken away our rights and have stopped us from voting which is not a good move,” he said.
Imtiaz-ul-Hassan Bukhari, a Pakistani expatriate from the United States (US), said these polls were going to be distinct from the previous ones as they would determine the future of democracy in Pakistan.
“These are going to be very historical elections for the people of Pakistan,” he told Arab News from Connecticut.
“I am expecting that people will rise and stand up for their rights and they will elect the people who are for the people of Pakistan, not establishment-backed candidates.”
Overseas Pakistanis advocate voting rights, call for ‘inclusivity’ ahead of national election
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Overseas Pakistanis advocate voting rights, call for ‘inclusivity’ ahead of national election
- The former Shehbaz Sharif administration, via Election Act 2022, revoked voting rights of overseas Pakistanis, prohibited e-voting machine use
- Overseas Pakistanis say they want a free and fair election and that a government elected by the people is crucial for stability in the South Asian nation
Palestinian medics say Israeli airstrikes on refugee camp in Rafah kills 35
- The attacks came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah
- Israel’s army confirmed the strike and said it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 people Sunday and hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and “numerous” others were trapped in flaming debris. Gaza’s Health Ministry said women and children made up most of the dead and dozens of wounded.
The attacks came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population had sought shelter before Israel’s incursion earlier this month. Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled.
Footage from the scene of the largest airstrike showed heavy destruction. Israel’s army confirmed the strike and said it hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants. It said it was investigating reports that civilians were harmed. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was in Rafah on Sunday and was briefed on the “deepening of operations” there, his office said.
A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continued in Rafah’s Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood about two kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of the city center.
The society asserted that the location had been designated by Israel as a “humanitarian area.” The neighborhood is not included in areas that Israel’s military ordered evacuated earlier this month.
The airstrike was reported hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel’s massive air, sea and ground offensive.
There were no reports of casualties in what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility. Israel’s military said eight projectiles crossed into Israel after being launched from Rafah and “a number” were intercepted, and the launcher was destroyed.
Earlier Sunday, dozens of aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of it earlier this month. Israel’s military said 126 aid trucks entered via the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing.
But it was not immediately clear if humanitarian groups could access the aid — including medical supplies — because of fighting. The crossing has been largely inaccessible because of Israel’s offensive in Rafah. United Nations agencies say it is usually too dangerous to retrieve the aid. The World Health Organization last week said an expanded Israeli incursion in Rafah would have “disastrous” impact.”
“With the humanitarian operation near collapse, the secretary-general emphasizes that the Israeli authorities must facilitate the safe pickup and delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt entering Kerem Shalom,” the spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement.
Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is handed back to Palestinians. It agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Kerem Shalom, Gaza’s main cargo terminal, after a call between US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The war between Israel and Hamas has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas.
Around 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine.
Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds some 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must take over Rafah to eliminate Hamas’ remaining battalions and achieve “total victory” over the militants, who recently regrouped in other parts of Gaza.
The war has also heightened tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian authorities on Sunday said Israeli forces shot dead a 14-year-old boy near the southern West Bank town of Saeer. The Israeli army said the Palestinian male was shot dead after trying to stab Israeli forces at Beit Einun Junction.
Southern Gaza largely cut off from aid
Southern Gaza has been largely cut off from aid since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion into Rafah on May 6. Since then over 1 million Palestinians, many already displaced, have fled the city.
Northern Gaza receives aid through two land routes that Israel opened during global outrage after Israeli strikes killed seven aid workers in April.
A few dozen trucks enter Gaza daily through a US-built floating pier, far below the 150 trucks a day that officials hoped for. Aid groups say 600 trucks a day are needed.
Israeli man detained over mutiny threat
Israel’s military said it had detained a suspect over a widely circulated video in which a man dressed as a soldier threatens mutiny. The man says tens of thousands of soldiers were ready to disobey the defense minister over his suggestion that Palestinians should govern Gaza after the war, and pledged loyalty to Netanyahu alone.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the man has been removed from reserve duty. It was not clear when or where the video was made. The prime minister’s office released a brief statement condemning all forms of military insubordination.
Pakistan’s Hajj mission enforces ‘zero tolerance policy’ for negligence by assistants
- Hajj is one of five pillars of Islam, required to be undertaken by every able Muslim at least once
- Pakistan is due to send as many as 550 Hajj assistants to Saudi Arabia by the end of this month
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hajj mission has enforced a “zero tolerance policy” for negligence on the part of hundreds of assistants appointed to facilitate local pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, citing a senior official.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year. Of them, 63,805 pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest would be accommodated by private tour operators, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry.
This year, Pakistan is due to send 550 Hajj assistants and 400 doctors and paramedical staff to Saudi Arabia to make sure the whole process, including their food, transportation and accommodation in the Kingdom, is managed efficiently.
“Zero tolerance policy is being observed for supporting staff (Mouvineen) in their duties to serve the intending pilgrims,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster quoted Asghar Ali Yusufzai, the Pakistan Hajj mission director for accommodation and transport of pilgrims, as saying at a press conference in Makkah.
“An effective system has been put in place to evaluate the performance of Hajj supporting staff and service providers, who are duty-bound to serve intending Pakistani Hajj pilgrims.”
Yusufzai emphasized that the policy applied to both Pakistan-based assistants or contractors, who were hired to provide accommodation, food and transportation to Pakistani pilgrims.
The Hajj mission has rented 141 residential buildings in three localities, including Al-Azizia, Batha Quraish and Al-Naseem neighborhoods, according to the official.
More than 270 latest buses have been arranged for the movement of Pakistani pilgrims from the airport to their accommodations, for five-time prayer in the Grand Mosque and for other Hajj-related travel between Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah.
Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage that has been in practice for over 1,400 years. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, if they are financially and physically able. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.
In the first phase of Pakistan’s pre-Hajj flight operation, a total of 34,316 Pakistanis reached Madinah by May 23 through 146 flights, according to Pakistani authorities.
As many as 114 flights will be transporting another 34,422 Pakistanis to Jeddah till June 9.
In powerful display of solidarity, disabled Pakistanis rally in Karachi to demand ceasefire in Gaza
- The rally, jointly organized by the Disabled Welfare Association and Jamaat-e-Islami, called for boycott of Israeli products
- Protesters with disabilities said those who were not disabled had no excuse to not come out in support of Palestinian people
KARACHI: Hundreds of persons with disabilities on Sunday rallied in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urged people with no disabilities to come out onto the streets for the cause, in a powerful display of solidarity with the Palestinians amid Israel’s war.
The war broke out in Gaza after Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which killed more than 1,100 people, in response to the deteriorating condition of Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation.
Israel launched a retaliatory offensive, widely viewed as disproportionate, in which more than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have lost their lives, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Sunday’s rally in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi was jointly organized by the Disabled Welfare Association (DWA) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religio-political party.
“If all our persons with disabilities can participate in such gatherings, then why those, who are not disabled, are not coming out of their homes,” said Shaina Ali, who attended the rally in a wheelchair.
“They are not even sparing the women and children there,” she said, urging Pakistanis to completely stop using Israeli products.
She praised the Western world for coming out in large numbers in support of the Palestinians.
“We are sitting here hoping for good from other countries,” Ali said, questioning fellow Pakistanis, “What are you doing for Gaza?“
Dr. Rahat, a disabled elected councilor of the JI, said people with disabilities sent out a strong message against the “genocide” of the Palestinians by coming out in large numbers.
“Our presence in large numbers here shows that every Pakistani is out there to support the people of Palestine who are faced with genocide,” he said, addressing the attendees.
Rehan Gohar, a DWA official, said these persons with disabilities had come out to support Gaza in the face of Israel’s war.
“Our message to the Muslims of Gaza is that they should not lose hope,” he said, urging Muslims around the world to unite for Palestine.
Noor-ul-Ain, a 14-year-old protester, said she was out on the street so that the Palestinian Muslims could get their just rights.
“In Palestine, they are also martyring children. Our effort is to make sure our voices reach there so that the [Palestinian] Muslims can get their rights,” she said.
“The rulers must stop Israel’s war.”
Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
In recent months, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue of Israel’s war on Gaza at the United Nations through its permanent representative, Ambassador Munir Akram.
Pakistan conveys ‘deep appreciation’ to Norway for decision to recognize Palestine as a state
- Ireland, Spain and Norway this week said they would formally recognize Palestine as a state on May 28
- The additions would bring the total number of countries recognizing the Palestinian state to nearly 150
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday held a telephonic conversation with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store and conveyed his “deep appreciation” for Norway’s landmark decision to recognize the State of Palestine, Sharif’s office said.
The prime ministers of Ireland, Spain and Norway announced on Wednesday they would formally recognize Palestine as a state on May 28, following recent recognitions by Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas. The additions have brought the total number of countries recognizing the Palestinian state to nearly 150.
During his conversation with PM Store, Sharif emphasized the importance of the two-state solution as the key to lasting peace in the Middle East and expressed his hope that Norway’s decision would encourage other countries to follow suit, paving the way for a full membership of the United Nations (UN) for the State of Palestine.
“This principled decision by Norway would send a strong message of hope and solidarity to the brave Palestinian people who have been enduring Israel’s brutality and suffering over seventy-five years of occupation and oppression,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office.
The Pakistan premier welcomed the International Court of Justice’s decision on Friday to order Israel to stop its assault on Gaza and Rafah, and called for its “full and effective implementation.”
The case against Israel was initiated by South Africa in December 2023, where it labeled Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip as “genocidal,” asserting that they intended to destroy the Palestinian people in ways specified under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
In recent months, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue of Israel’s war on Gaza, launched last October, at the United Nations through its permanent representative.
During Sunday’s conversation, both Pakistani and Norwegian prime ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties in various sectors, including trade, investment, education, and renewable energy.
“They also recognized the important role played by Norwegians of Pakistani origin in creating a vital connection between Pakistan and Norway and contributing to the economic development of both nations,” Sharif’s office said.
“The two leaders agreed to remain in touch and to meet soon, possibly on the margins of the UNGA [United Nations General Assembly] session later this year.”
The Pakistan premier also extended an invitation to PM Store to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
Pakistan asks Afghanistan to hand over militants involved in Dasu attack on Chinese nationals
- Five Chinese workers were killed in the attack on Mar. 26 while they were on way to Dasu hydropower project in Pakistan’s northwest
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says militants operating in Afghanistan have been specifically compromising security of Chinese nationals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday demanded the Afghan interim government to hand over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants involved in a suicide attack that killed five Chinese nationals and their driver in Pakistan’s northwest in March.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan but both separatist and other militants have attacked Chinese projects and personnel in recent years, including five Chinese workers who perished in the suicide attack on Mar. 26 while they were on their way to the Dasu hydropower project in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Dasu hydropower project falls under the ambit of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative through which it has pledged more than $65 billion for road, rail and other infrastructure developments in the South Asian nation of 241 million people.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Naqvi said Pakistan’s relations with China were very important and both countries supported each other economically, politically and diplomatically, however, the cross-border threat from Afghanistan was becoming increasingly dangerous for regional security.
“We want good relations with Afghanistan, but this is only possible if they too support us and won’t let their soil be used for terrorism against us,” he said. “It is important that these terrorists present there, they [Afghan government] must arrest them, hold a trial against them or hand them over to us.”
The Dasu assault in March was the third major one in a little over a week on China’s interests.
It followed a Mar. 20 attack on a strategic port used by China in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where Beijing has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects, and a Mar. 25 assault on a naval air base, also in the southwest. Both attacks were claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of several separatist groups in Balochistan.
Naqvi said militants operating in Afghanistan were specifically compromising the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.
“Pakistan has raised this issue with the interim Afghan government and pressed them to rein in these terrorists operating there, but so far we are not receiving any positive results,” he said, adding that Islamabad was making “all-possible arrangements” to ensure the security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s counter-terrorism chief Rai Tahir, who was also present at Sunday’s presser by Naqvi, said authorities had arrested 11 militants who were involved in the Dasu suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers. The investigation and evidence showed the militants had been taking instructions from TTP leaders in Afghanistan, he said.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in its western regions that border Afghanistan, particularly after the TTP called off its months-long, fragile truce with the Pakistani government in November 2022.
Last year, Islamabad ordered all illegal immigrants to leave Pakistan by Nov 1, triggering an exodus of foreigners, mostly Afghans, from the country.
Pakistan brushed off calls from the United Nations (UN), rights groups and Western embassies to reconsider the expulsion plan and said many of these Afghan nationals had been involved in militant attacks and in crimes that undermined the security of the country. Kabul denies the accusations and says Pakistani security is a domestic problem.
