ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, whose party is considered a front-runner to win general elections in February, will kick off his campaign next week, aides said, days after the Supreme Court cleared him to run for a fourth term.
The campaign for the Feb. 8 poll, delayed since November, looks set to fire up a lackluster race in an uncertain political environment after Sharif’s main rival and former premier Imran Khan, was jailed and disqualified from contesting.
“We will, God willing, start our mass campaign on Jan. 15,” Pervaiz Rashid, a close Sharif aide told Reuters, adding that the former premier would speak at a rally two days later.
Analysts believe the South Asian nation’s powerful military has thrown its backing to Sharif, 74, after it was locked in a standoff with former cricket star Khan, 71.
That gives Sharif an edge in a country where army generals mostly decide on making or breaking governments.
“Sharif is a front-runner because he and his party are back in the military’s good graces,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at Washington think tank the Wilson Center.
“In the polarized, vendetta-driven environment of Pakistani politics, it is brutally simple: Nawaz is a bitter rival of Imran Khan, and that serves the army well, which turned on Khan and doesn’t want him to return to power.”
The military’s public relations wing did not respond to a request for a comment.
Sharif’s party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb also did not respond to a question about his ties with the military.
Despite Sharif’s return to Pakistan in October from four years in self-imposed exile, his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had not yet begun its campaign, since he faced a lifetime bar from contesting polls.
On Monday, however, the Supreme Court scrapped such lifetime election bans for those with criminal convictions, clearing the way for Sharif to run.
Major players such as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto have already begun campaigns, but these have been muted compared to past polls.
The two largest parties, the PML-N and Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have yet to gear up four weeks ahead of the election.
Bhutto’s son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, her party’s candidate for prime minister, pointed to the delay in launching Sharif’s campaign, saying it called into question whether elections would be held at all.
Khan’s PTI, the winner of the 2018 elections, which is known for festive gatherings that draw a good turnout, is grappling with a military-backed crackdown.
Its campaign efforts must also contend with state-backed efforts to block candidates on legal and technical grounds, it said, with its leader in jail.
“We are going through an election where people have no trust as they know and they are seeing that the state is blatantly pushing one party against the wall,” said author and political commentator Ayesha Siddiqa.
“We may get some activity, of course, when Sharif gets out and holds rallies.”
Sharif’s key pledge will be to rebuild the $350-billion economy which is in dire straits, battling high inflation, an unstable currency and low foreign exchange reserves, despite averting a debt default with an IMF bailout last summer.
“We have delivered on the economic front every time we came to power,” said the aide, Rashid. Previous terms in office saw Sharif favor policies focused on ambitious infrastructure-led economic growth.
Sharif, elected prime minister in 1990, 1997, and 2013, has blamed his 2017 ouster and subsequent corruption convictions on the military, with which he had fallen out. The military denies this.
That fallout is believed to have stemmed from differences over handling relations with arch-rival and neighbor India and his government’s treason trial of a former ruler and army chief, the late General Pervez Musharraf.
Still, Sharif appears to be the only viable option for the generals, said Aqil Shah, an author and specialist in the military politics of Pakistan at the University of Oklahoma.
“The military institution is only concerned with preserving and advancing its hegemonic interests,” he said. “Hence, it has no permanent enemies or friends.”
Pakistan’s former PM Nawaz Sharif to launch election campaign as front-runner
https://arab.news/zd7tb
Pakistan’s former PM Nawaz Sharif to launch election campaign as front-runner
- Sharif’s key pledge will be to rebuild the $350-billion economy which is in dire straits, battling high inflation
- His main rival and former premier Imran Khan has been jailed and disqualified from the Feb. 8 national polls
Pakistan vows to track masterminds of attack on Chinese engineers during deputy PM’s Beijing visit
- Ishaq Dar reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to the regional connectivity initiative launched by China’s Xi Jinping
- The two countries express satisfaction at their expanding space cooperation and agree to build on it further
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan vowed to pursue the masterminds behind a suicide attack that claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers earlier this year while reaffirming its commitment to the regional connectivity initiative launched by President Xi Jinping’s administration during Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s three-day visit to Beijing.
According to a statement issued by the foreign office of Pakistan on Thursday, Dar, who is also the foreign minister, began his trip to China on May 13 where he co-chaired the Fifth Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with his counterpart Wang Yi before concluding his visit.
During his stay in Beijing, the two sides discussed multiple global and regional challenges, including the second phase of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The foreign office said both countries condemned the March 26 suicide attack on the Chinese workers who were on their way to the Dasu Hydropower Project in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“In keeping with its ironclad friendship with China, the Pakistani side would hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice, take more effective security measures, and make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the statement said while providing details of the discussions between both countries.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, said last week the attack was planned in “terrorist sanctuaries” in neighboring Afghanistan while addressing a news conference.
His assertion came amid accusations from officials in Islamabad that the administration in Kabul was not doing enough to prevent groups like banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from launching cross-border attacks.
“The two sides reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations with a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude, and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism and security through a comprehensive approach,” the foreign office continued.
Pakistan also agreed to work with China to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge an upgraded CPEC version by jointly building growth, livelihood, innovation and green corridors and aligning them with Pakistan’s development framework and priorities.
“The two sides agreed to accelerate progress on major connectivity projects including upgradation of ML-1 [railway infrastructure], the Gwadar Port, realignment of Karakoram Highway Phase II, strengthen cooperation in agriculture, industrial parks, mining, information technology and other fields according to local conditions, and enhance Pakistan’s capacity for sustainable development,” the foreign office informed.
“The two sides believe that the Khunjerab pass plays an important role in promoting bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges, and agreed to speed up efforts to make sure that the Khunjerab Pass can function all year round,” it continued.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination over issues related to Afghanistan, calling for concerted efforts of the international community to help deal with the humanitarian situation in that country.
They agreed to play a positive and constructive role in helping Afghanistan achieve stable development and integrate into the international community.
Additionally, Pakistan and China expressed satisfaction at their expanding space cooperation and agreed to further build on it for a peaceful and mutually-beneficial exploration of space.
Earlier this month, Pakistan sent an imaging device in outer space as part of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission.
Pakistan establishes Hajj control rooms in Makkah, Madinah to facilitate pilgrims
- Around 15,819 Hajj pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia weeks before Hajj 2024 kicks off
- Hajj control rooms in Makkah and Madinah are open 24 hours a day, says Pakistani official
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has established two control rooms, one each in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to facilitate Hajj pilgrims, the religion ministry confirmed on Wednesday, as thousands of Pakistanis continue to arrive in Saudi Arabia ahead of the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) has confirmed that around 15,819 pilgrims from the country have arrived in Saudi Arabia weeks before the Hajj begins.
This year, 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under government and private schemes. Pakistan kicked off a month-long flight operation last week. Five airlines— PIA, Saudi Airlines, Airblue, Serene Air, and Air Sial— will operate 259 flights from eight major Pakistani cities to Jeddah and Madinah till June 9.
The government intends to facilitate thousands of Pakistani pilgrims through Hajj control rooms to ensure their pilgrimage remains free from hassles.
“We have established two control rooms: a main control room in Makkah and a branch office in Madinah to facilitate the pilgrims,” Muhammad Umer Butt, a religious affairs ministry spokesperson, told Arab News via phone from Madinah.
He said both control rooms in Makkah and Madinah would facilitate pilgrims 24 hours throughout the day.
“All pilgrims are provided with a card they wear for identification, and on the back of each card, the control room numbers are listed so they can contact the control room by phone in case of any emergency or complain,” Butt explained.
He said this year Pakistan has followed the Saudi government’s lead in digitizing Hajj through the Pak Hajj mobile application. Butt said the app provides all necessary information, including the ability to lodge complaints and track their status.
“We have a live dashboard established in the control room under the complaint management system which showed all the details of complaints received and solved, movement of the pilgrims and other general queries,” he shared.
During the last seven days, the spokesperson said 195 complaints received through the Pak Hajj mobile app have been resolved, and 25 pilgrims who lost their way to their respective destinations in the holy cities were guided.
He added that the Loss and Found department located 111 bags and seven wheelchairs which were handed over to their owners.
Butt said as Pakistani Hajj pilgrims were currently arriving in Madinah, the control room there was more active compared to the one in Makkah and was staffed with 54 personnel, and 18 Hajj assistants (Muaveneen).
“These pilgrims will go to Makkah from May 17 after their eight-day stay in Madinah,” he said.
Butt said the Makkah control room was staffed with only eight people as Pakistani pilgrims have not started to arrive in the holy city yet.
“Along with this all adviseries issued by the Saudi government and Pakistani Hajj mission are also uploaded on the application through these control rooms,” he said.
PM Sharif to meet officials in Azad Kashmir today following deadly protests in region
- The unprecedented protests against price hikes broke out last Friday and resulted in four fatalities
- The protests were called off after Shehbaz Sharif’s administration approved $82 million in subsidies
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on a daylong visit to Azad Kashmir on Thursday where he will interact with officials and visit the site of a hydropower project, just a few days after a massive public protest in the region resulted in at least four fatalities.
The unprecedented protests against price hikes broke out last Friday and spread across the semi-autonomous Himalayan territory under Pakistan’s administration.
One police officer was killed in the clashes while three protesters lost their lives in clashes taking place in different parts of the region.
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which organized the demonstrations, announced to end its protest on Tuesday after the Sharif administration approved $82 million in subsidies to provide relief to people who objected to the increase in flour prices and electricity tariffs.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will arrive in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir today for a one-day visit,” his office announced in a statement circulated in the morning. “A meeting will take place between the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq.”
Sharif will also address the cabinet of the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir that will be broadcast by the state-owned news channel.
He will also meet with the leaders of the Kashmiri freedom movement.
“The Prime Minister will visit the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project where he will be briefed,” the statement added.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947, with both countries ruling part of the territory, but claiming it in full.
Pakistan has frequently criticized New Delhi for mismanaging the portion of Kashmir under its rule, accusing it of rights violations while using its forces to suppress people and their aspirations.
Pakistan PM condemns gun attack on Slovakian counterpart, offers prayers for recovery
- Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times while coming out of a government meeting on Wednesday
- The attack was described as unprecedented in a country where no such previous incident has been reported
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday condemned the attack on Robert Fico, his Slovakian counterpart who was shot multiple times while coming out of a government meeting, saying he was praying for the leader of the central European state.
Fico was rushed to a hospital after the gun attack on Wednesday where he fought for his life in what was described by his administration as a “political assault.”
Speaking to the media after Fico’s surgery, Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba said the medical procedure had gone well and the 59-year-old Slovakian leader was expected to survive the assassination attempt.
“Strongly condemn shocking attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico,” the Pakistani PM said in a social media post. “Our thoughts and prayers with him and his family. Wish him quick recovery and good health.”
“We stand by government and people of Slovak Republic in these critical moments,” he added.
Fico’s party won the last general election in the European state held in September 2023.
The Slovak leader is a four-time prime minister and political veteran who has been criticized by his rivals for swaying his country’s foreign policy in Russia’s favor.
The gun attack was described as unprecedented, with analysts pointing out there had been no such previous incident reported against any minister or prime minister in Slovakia.
Ex-PM Khan expected to make first public appearance since arrest in top court hearing via video link
Ex-PM Khan expected to make first public appearance since arrest in top court hearing via video link
- Supreme Court instructed the government to make arrangements for Khan to argue his case against NAB amendments
- Khan has largely been kept out of the public eye by the authorities since his arrest last August on graft charges
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan is expected to appear before Pakistan’s top court via video link today, Thursday, to present his arguments in a case related to accountability law amendments in what may become his first public appearance since last August after being arrested on corruption charges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s previous administration amended the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance in May 2022, reducing several powers of the country’s anti-graft body after describing it as a tool of political engineering in the country.
One of the amendments limited the NAB jurisdiction only to cases involving over Rs500 million, leading Khan and his party to argue that these changes were meant to close cases against leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
In June 2022, Khan challenged the amendments in the Supreme Court, claiming they would effectively “eliminate any white-collar crime committed by public office holders.” After reviewing the case, the top court reinstated the original provisions of the law in September 2023, but the government decided to challenge the decision the very next month.
“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder [Imran Khan] can present his arguments in the upcoming hearing via video link if he wishes to do so,” Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa said during the last hearing of the government’s intra-court review appeal on Tuesday.
The court said it had allowed the former prime minister to be represented by a counsel, though he decided to personally argue the case. It also instructed the relevant authorities to make necessary arrangements to enable Khan to present his argument before the bench.
The former prime minister, who was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022, became tangled in a slew of legal cases, a frequent hazard for opposition figures in Pakistan.
Since his arrest in August 2023 after his conviction in a graft case, Khan has been through prison trial in many cases and has largely been kept out of the public eye, where he enjoys a massive following among his supporters.
A two-member Islamabad High Court bench granted him bail in a £190 million embezzlement case on Wednesday, asking him to submit a Rs1 million surety bond.
However, Khan continues to serve prison sentence in other cases, including one in which he has been convicted of divulging state secrets.
