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Pakistan’s new government: Who will be the key players?

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C) and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) party, along with his younger brother and ex-PM Shehbaz Sharif (R) and his daughter Maryam Nawaz (L) attend a gathering with supporters in Lahore on February 9, 2024, a day after Pakistan's national elections. (AFP)
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Updated 14 February 2024
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Pakistan’s new government: Who will be the key players?

  • Nawaz Sharif has opted not to be prime minister and nominated brother Shehnaz as PM candidate of coalition government 
  • Asif Ali Zardari widely expected to become president, Maryam Nawaz Sharif could be first women chief minister of Punjab
Updated 14 February 2024
WAJAHAT ALI

ISLAMABAD: Following days of political uncertainty after general elections on Feb. 8, the party of Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and its allies have announced they will jointly form a coalition government.
According to official results, the allied parties together hold 152 general seats in the National Assembly and are expected to surpass the simple majority mark of 169 members after securing their share of reserved seats. Along with the 266 directly elected seats in the National Assembly, parties are allocated 70 reserved seats — 60 for women, 10 for non-Muslims — in proportion to the number of seats won. This completes the National Assembly’s total 336 seats. Independents are not eligible for reserved seats.
The specifics of the new government will emerge in the coming days but it is clear that former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party will be in opposition, despite candidates backed by it winning the largest number of seats, 92, in the National Assembly.
The following people are expected to play a key role in the next administration:
Nawaz Sharif
Having buried a long-running feud with the country’s powerful military, most independent analysts believed three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was the front-runner to lead the country. 
However, after his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) did not win enough seats to form a simple majority in parliament — it got 79 seats — it announced it would form a coalition government with allies, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which got 54 seats. Sharif stepped aside and his younger brother Shehbaz was announced as the coalition set-up’s prime minister candidate. Analysts say the decision reflects Nawaz’s reluctance to navigate the complexities of a coalition government with a limited mandate for his PML-N.
However, despite stepping back from the top slot, Sharif, as the PML-N’s founding leader and a key figure in the coalition, is expected to wield significant influence in shaping policies and guiding the coalition’s direction from behind the scenes. 




Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif speaks at the party office of Pakistan Muslim League (N), at Model Town in Lahore, Pakistan, February 9, 2024. (REUTERS)

“If it is being deduced that Nawaz Sharif is avoiding politics by not accepting the post of Prime Minister, then there is no truth in it. In the next 5 years, he will not only do vigorous politics, but will patronize his governments in the Federation and Punjab, God willing,” his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the candidate for chief minister Punjab, said on X.
“In the three governments of Nawaz Sharif, the people gave a clear majority and he has made it clear in his election speeches that he will not be a part of any coalition government. Those who are devoted to Nawaz Sharif’s temperament know the principled stand of Nawaz Sharif. Shehbaz Sharif [Sharif’s younger brother] and I are his soldiers, bound by his orders and will work under his leadership and supervision.”

The 74-year-old chief of the PML-N returned from a four-year self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom late last year to lead his party in elections. His convictions for corruption — which he denies — and a lifetime ban from politics were overturned by courts after his return.
Shehbaz Sharif
Shehbaz Sharif, 72, is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, and led a coalition government for 16 months following the ouster of Imran Khan in 2022 until parliament was dissolved and a caretaker government took over in August to prepare for national elections.




Pakistan's former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party Shehbaz Sharif speaks during a press conference in Lahore on February 13, 2024. (AFP)

He has previously served multiple times as chief minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, cementing his reputation as an efficient administrator. He has worked closely with China on Beijing-funded projects in the last decade and helped Pakistan avert a financial crisis last year by striking a deal with the International Monetary Fund after tenuous, delayed negotiations for another bailout package.
Shehbaz’s expected return to the prime ministerial role may involve balancing the demands of coalition partners and ensuring cohesive governance while also leveraging his diplomatic skills and administrative experience to foster unity and progress within the multiparty setup. He will take over a country faced with a crippling economic crisis, record high inflation, slow growth and a surge in militancy.
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the widower of the late prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is widely expected to become the new president. 




Pakistan's former President Asif Ali Zardari (3R) of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) casts his ballot to vote during the country's national elections at a polling station in NawabShah of Sindh province on February 8, 2024. (AFP)

Zardari, previously behind the scenes of Pakistani politics, came into the political centerstage after the assassination of his wife in 2007, leading him to the presidency of Pakistan from 2008-2013. Known for political maneuvering, he is expected to play a pivotal role in the new set-up and ensure that the PPP party’s interests are well-represented.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif, plays an influential role in the PML-N party, and has been presented by her father as his political heir-apparent. She is senior vice president of the party.




Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of Pakistan's former Prime Minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) party Nawaz Sharif waves to her supporters during an election campaign rally at Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on January 22, 2024. (AFP)

She is now set to chart a new course in her political career, potentially becoming the first woman chief minister of Punjab, arguably the most important political appointment in the country after the PM. However, Maryam’s lack of prior administrative experience presents challenges, but analysts say these can be overcome with the support of an experienced advisory team, which includes veteran politicians from the Sharif dynasty, including her father and uncle. 
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the 35-year-old son of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, was the country’s foreign minister until a caretaker government took over late last year. He became co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party in 2007 when he was still a teenager after his mother was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack at a rally.




Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of Pakistan People's Party speaks during a press conference regarding parliamentary elections, in Islamabad on February 13, 2024. (AP)

Bhutto-Zardari ran one of the most prominent campaigns in Feb. 8 elections, appearing throughout the country, saying he was focusing the country’s huge youth population and addressing impacts of climate change, which have wreaked havoc in his southern Sindh province. His adept handling of diplomatic affairs as foreign minister has bolstered his reputation as a capable leader and he is expected to be a major player in the new coalition.

Topics: elections 2024 Nawaz Sharif Shehbaz Sharif Maryam Nawaz Sharif Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

Security forces kill one militant, injure another in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan

Updated 52 min 45 sec ago
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Security forces kill one militant, injure another in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan

  • The operation was carried out while militants were trying to stop passenger vehicles in Harnai district
  • Baloch militants killed nine migrant laborers from Punjab in March after stopping a bus in Noshki
Updated 52 min 45 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Security forces in Pakistan killed one militant and injured another in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province, said the military’s media wing, ISPR, on Saturday, while they were trying to stop passenger vehicles in Harnai district.

Earlier this month, armed assailants intercepted a bus traveling from Quetta to Taftan near the city of Noshki, singling out nine passengers, who were later identified as migrant laborers from Punjab province, and shot them.

Balochistan’s Harnai district has also witnessed militant violence, with an improvised explosive device killing one employee of Mari Petroleum and injuring 14 others in March 30.

“On 27 April 24, a fire exchange took place between security forces and terrorists in Harnai District of Balochistan,” the ISPR said. “The terrorists tried to stop passenger vehicles plying on Sanjavi Road, Harnai. Security Forces reacted immediately and effectively engaged the terrorists.”

The statement mentioned that one militant was killed and another injured during the fire exchange.

“The timely response by the security forces thwarted nefarious intent of the terrorists, saving innocent lives,” the statement added. “Sanitization operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area.”

Balochistan has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatist groups who accuse the state of denying the people of the province of their share in its vast mineral wealth.

The government has frequently denied the allegation, saying it is carrying out a number of development projects for the prosperity of Baloch nationals.

Topics: Pakistan Army Balochistan

Pakistan says net-metering promotes ‘unhealthy investments’ in solar power

Updated 27 April 2024
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Pakistan says net-metering promotes ‘unhealthy investments’ in solar power

  • Government says massive solar installation is affecting 30 million consumers, imposing Rs1.90 per unit burden on them
  • Experts say the government’s ‘regressive policies’ will make it difficult to cut fossil fuel and promote renewable energy
Updated 27 April 2024
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government said on Saturday net-metering was promoting unhealthy investments in installation of solar power by affluent domestic and industrial consumers, hinting at cutting the buyback rates to discourage uptick in the sector.

The government approved the net-metering policy in 2017, allowing solar panel purchasers to sell power they produced to the national grid to spur the solar energy use and cut power shortages. Under the policy, the government is paying Rs21 per unit for the net-metered electricity which the government says is resulting in the subsidy of Rs1.90 per unit, burdening the government.

This development comes at a time when the price of solar panels has plummeted by more than 60 percent in Pakistan in recent weeks due to the bulk imports from China because of lower rates, making the country witness a surge in the solar power installation by domestic and industrial consumers to reduce their electricity bills.

“The present system of net-metering is promoting unhealthy investments in solar power,” the energy ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “Affluent consumers have been massively installing solar power due to which domestic, industrial consumers and the government have to bear the burden of Rs 1.90 per unit under the head of subsidy.”

The ministry warned the subsidy was affecting some 25 to 30 million “poor consumers,” and if the trend of the solar power continued, the bills of ordinary consumers would surge by at least Rs 3.35 per unit. However, it clarified no fixed tax was being imposed on the solar power.

The 2017 net-metering policy was aimed at promoting renewable energy in the system, which helped enhance the solarization in the country that now “needs to be balanced,” the ministry said.

Pakistan has ideal climatic conditions for solar power generation, with over nine hours of sunlight in most parts of the country. Utilizing just 0.071 percent of the country’s area for solar photovoltaic (solar PV) power generation would meet Pakistan’s electricity demand, according to the World Bank.

Currently, only 5.4 percent of Pakistan’s installed power generation capacity of 39,772 megawatts comes from renewables like wind, solar and biomass, while fossil fuels still make up 63 percent of the fuel mix, followed by hydropower at 25 percent, according to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).

The South Asian nation of 241 million aims to shift to 60 percent renewable energy by 2030 with 50 percent reduction in projected emissions, but it stands far behind in meeting the goal despite a recent surge in the solar power.

Energy experts said the government’s “inconsistent” solar power policies would result in discouraging the sector and its failure in meeting the national and international commitments of cutting the greenhouse gas emissions.

“Public sector the world over is promoting renewable energy to cut fossil fuel while we are discouraging consumers with regressive policies,” Aamir Hussain, chairman of Pakistan Alternative Energy Association, told Arab News.

He said the association had suggested the government to issue licenses to consumers for their actual household or industry load instead of allowing them to install massive solar power with a promise to buyback the surplus.

“The government should come up with an inclusive policy to promote renewable energy instead of discouraging consumers by slapping taxes or cutting the rates,” he added.

Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi help Pakistan down New Zealand to draw T20I series

Updated 56 min 18 sec ago
AFP
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Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi help Pakistan down New Zealand to draw T20I series

  • Azam’s 44-ball 69 took Pakistan to 178-5, while Afridi’s 4-30 restricted New Zealand to 169 in 19.2 overs
  • The series gave both the teams a kickstart to their preparations for the T20 World Cup in June this year
Updated 56 min 18 sec ago
AFP

LAHORE: Skipper Babar Azam hit a solid half century while spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed four wickets as Pakistan overcame New Zealand by nine runs in the fifth and final Twenty20 international in Lahore on Saturday.
Azam’s 44-ball 69 and Fakhar Zaman’s 33-ball 43 took Pakistan to 178-5 in their 20 overs before Shaheen claimed 4-30 to restrict New Zealand to 169 in 19.2 overs, squaring the series at 2-2.
But Pakistan’s win only came in the final over with 12 needed as Josh Clarkson 38 not out threatened to pull off a heist, but two run outs in Mohammad Amir’s over sealed the home win much to the delight of a full house at Qaddafi Stadium.
The first match of the series was abandoned while Pakistan clinched the second and New Zealand the third by identical seven-wicket margins – all in Rawalpindi.
New Zealand took the fourth match, also in Lahore, by four runs.
The series gave both the teams a kickstart to their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the United States and the West Indies in June.
While Pakistan would be disappointed not to have won a series against a depleted New Zealand side missing a host of players due to Indian Premier League, unavailability and injuries, the visitors got a boost from their bench strength.

Pakistan's Babar Azam plays a shot during the fifth T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (AP)

Shaheen gave Pakistan an ideal start by dismissing Tom Blundell for four in his first over – his 15th wicket in his opening over of a Twenty20 international – and 50th in all T20 matches.
Tim Seifert put New Zealand back on track with an aggressive 33-ball 52 – his ninth T20I half century containing seven boundaries and two sixes.
He added 76 for the second wicket with skipper Micheal Bracewell (23) but from 81-1 New Zealand lost four wickets in the space of 25 balls for the addition of just 22 runs.
Leg-spinner Usama Mir (2-21) had Seifert and Mark Chapman (12) while fellow spinner Shadab Khan accounted for Bracewell as New Zealand’s chase was derailed.
Shaheen returned for a second spell to dismiss James Neesham (16), Zak Foulkes (naught) and Ish Sodhi (three) in successive overs.

Pakistan's Saim Ayub, center front, walks off the field after losing his wicket during the fifth T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (AP)

Earlier, Azam saw his opening partner Saim Ayub fall in the second over for just one but that did not deter him as he added 73 for the second wicket with Usman Khan who made a brisk 24-ball 31.
Azam hit six boundaries and two sixes in his 34th T20I half-century before he was bowled by pacer Ben Sears in the 15th over.
Zaman hit four boundaries and a six before he was smartly caught by Chapman on the boundary off Foulkes as Pakistan managed 55 in the last five overs.
Shadab Khan hit a six and a four in his five-ball 15 not out.
New Zealand made three changes as they brought back Seifert, Cole McConchie and Foulkes while pace spearhead Shaheen returned for the home team.

Topics: Pakistan vs New Zealand

New Zealand win toss, opt to bowl in 5th and final T20 against Pakistan

Updated 27 April 2024
AP
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New Zealand win toss, opt to bowl in 5th and final T20 against Pakistan

  • Pakistan, looking to build-up for June’s T20 World Cup, are trailing 2-1 in the series
  • Pakistan have brought in their ace fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in place of Zaman Khan
Updated 27 April 2024
AP

LAHORE: New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and elected to field in the fifth and final Twenty20 against Pakistan on Saturday.
Pakistan, looking to build-up for June’s T20 World Cup, are trailing 2-1 in the series as they tested their bench strength against the understrength Black Caps.
Pakistan made just one change from the team that lost the fourth match by four runs, bringing in their ace fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in place of Zaman Khan.
New Zealand, touring Pakistan without their nine frontline T20 players who are in the Indian Premier League, made three changes.
Tim Seifert recovered from sore back and returns in place of Tim Robinson, who scored a half-century in the last game but was ruled out with a groin injury.
Cole McConchie and Zak Foulkes also made it to the playing XI replacing Dean Foxcroft and Jacob Duffy. Foxcroft was ruled out with a back injury.
The first game was abandoned because of rain before Pakistan bowled out New Zealand for 90 runs in the second game to win by seven wickets.
New Zealand made a comeback, winning the third match by seven wickets before edging out the home team in the last game at Qaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Topics: Pakistan vs New Zealand

Pakistani pro-Palestine protester says banned from rights conference after disrupting German envoy's speech

Updated 27 April 2024
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Pakistani pro-Palestine protester says banned from rights conference after disrupting German envoy's speech

  • The envoy was criticized for ‘lecturing’ on civil liberties when Germany was punishing defenders of Palestinian rights
  • One of the organizers of Asma Jahangir Conference says no one should ‘insult people by shouting or getting harsh’
Updated 27 April 2024
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: A pro-Palestine protester in Pakistan, who interrupted German Ambassador Alfred Grannas during his speech on civil liberties in South Asia at a rights conference in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday, said he was ‘manhandled’ by the organizers who later forces him out of the hall.
Ali Abdullah Khan, who studies economics and is part of the Progressive Students Collective, disrupted the German envoy’s speech at the popular Asma Jahangir Conference while accusing the European state of “brutally abusing” those who have been agitating for Palestinian rights.
Germany has clearly sided with Israel since the beginning of the war in Gaza after a surprise attack was launched by Hamas on Oct. 7 as a response to the deteriorating Palestinian condition living under Israeli occupation.
The conflict, which has led to the killing of over 34,000 Palestinians, has led to widespread criticism of the Israeli government, leading to protests in different parts of the world.
While countries like South Africa have accused the Jewish state of committing genocide in Gaza, German authorities have forcibly removed protest encampments and gone into people’s houses to arrest them for critical social media posts on charges of antisemitism.
“We were forced out of the place after we raised our voice during the German ambassador’s speech,” Khan said while speaking to Arab News. “The organizers manhandled us and banned our entry in the conference.”
He said it was “baffling” to see the German ambassador “lecturing” people on civil liberties in Pakistan after his country supplied arms and ammunition to Israeli military to kill Palestinian civilians and destroy hospitals and education institutions.
“Germany isn’t in a position to champion civil liberties and human rights when it is complicit in the killing of thousands of civilians in Palestine,” he continued. “We simply called out Germany’s hypocrisy by peacefully raising our voice in the conference that literally agitated the ambassador.”

German Ambassador to Pakistan Alfred Grannas gestures during a speech at the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore on April 27, 2024. (Photo courtesy: X/@voicepkdotnet)

Khan said he had peacefully expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and would continue to do so until the western world remained “complicit in the brutal massacre of Palestinians.”
The Asma Jahangir Conference is named after a late Pakistani human rights lawyer and activist and brings together scholars, activists, legal experts and policymakers to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the lives of marginalized communities.
Responding to an Arab News query, Munizae Jahangir, one of the conference’s organizers and the daughter of Asma Jahangir, objected to the way Khan criticized the German envoy.
“Freedom of speech is everybody’s right, but there should be a decent way to ask questions or express your difference of opinion,” she said. “The purpose of the conference is to provide a platform to people to express their opinions, views and dissent, but one should not insult people by shouting or getting harsh.”
Jahangir, a prominent journalist and activist in her own right, said a special session on Gaza was held at the conference to highlight the issue that was attended by Shawan Jabarin, director of the Palestinian human rights organization Al Haq, and Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“We warmly welcome the difference of opinion at our platform but not the insult and disrespect to our honorable guests,” she added.
Earlier, Khan interrupted the German ambassador shortly after he began his speech.
“I am shocked by the audacity that you are here to talk about civil rights while your country is brutally abusing the people speaking for the rights of the Palestinians,” he shouted while standing at the back of hall.
Many people around him supported him by shouting “Free, Free Palestine” and “From the River to the Sea.”
The German envoy, who looked visibly perturbed by the development, responded by shouting back at him and pointing to the exit.
“If you, if you want to shout, go out,” he said. “There you can shout. Because shouting is not a discussion.”
Last year in November, a Pakistani classical dancer and human rights activist Sheema Kermani raised slogans for a ceasefire at a British Deputy High Commission event in Karachi and later complained of being “escorted out.”

Topics: War on Gaza

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