KARACHI: Several Pakistani parties on Saturday announced they would observe February 27 as “black day” in response to Sindh police firing tear gas at political workers protesting suspected rigging in the general elections earlier this month, as the newly elected lawmakers joined the inaugural session of the provincial legislature.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) bagged the highest 84 seats in the southern Sindh province, followed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) which secured 28 seats, while 14 seats went to independents. The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religious party and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) won two seats each.
Supporters of the JI, GDA, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), and other nationalist parties gathered near the provincial assembly in Karachi’s South zone to protest the alleged manipulation of the Feb. 8 election, which was marred by a mobile network outage and delays in the release of constituency results.
Hundreds of police personnel were deployed to prevent opposition supporters from advancing toward the Sindh Assembly building. The GDA and JUI-F were en route to the Karachi Press Club when clashes broke out between their workers and the police, resulting in stone-pelting and tear gas shelling.
“I strongly condemn the police shelling over the JUI-F workers,” Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, the JI chief, said at a joint protest with the GDA. “We will observe February 27 as black day against election rigging and police torture on political workers.”
Rashid Soomro, a JUI-F leader, also confirmed development.
“Our peaceful workers were beaten and subjected to shelling as we attempted to reach the press club,” he said.
Political workers belonging to the protesting parties also blocked a main thoroughfare, Shahrah-e-Faisal, for several hours during the day.
Earlier, the outgoing speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Durrani, administered oath to the newly elected lawmakers amid heavy security around the building.
“I do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan, that as a member of the provincial assembly of Sindh, I will perform my functions honestly, to the best of my ability, faithfully, in accordance with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the law and the rules of the assembly, and always in the interest of sovereignty, integrity and solidarity, well-being and prosperity of Pakistan,” Durrani said as he read out the oath to the lawmakers.
“May Allah Almighty help me and guide me.”
In view of the protest calls, the Sindh caretaker government on Friday imposed a ban under Section 144 on public assembly, gatherings, protests, processions, and demonstrations in Karachi’s South zone, where the provincial legislature is located, for a period of 30 days, according to the provincial home department.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers the administration to issue orders in public interest and place a ban on any activity for a specific period of time.
The oath-taking ceremony came a day after the PPP nominated Murad Ali Shah, former Sindh chief minister, for the top provincial office once again, Syed Owais Shah for the role of speaker, and Anthony Naveed for the post of deputy speaker of the Sindh provincial assembly.
“We will not only compete with the governments of other provinces but also with the Center in performance,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a former foreign minister and the PPP chairman, said at a meeting of newly elected party lawmakers in Karachi.
The PPP chairman announced that his party would forge a working relationship with all opposition parties in Sindh and address their legitimate grievances, according to a PPP statement. He urged the newly elected lawmakers to play their role in resolving the people’s problems in their respective constituencies.
“Be my eyes and ears,” Bhutto-Zardari was quoted as saying. “You play the role of a bridge between the people of your constituency and me; you are my ambassador to the people.”
Opposition parties in Sindh announce ‘black day’ following clashes during provincial lawmakers’ oath ceremony
https://arab.news/p86s5
Opposition parties in Sindh announce ‘black day’ following clashes during provincial lawmakers’ oath ceremony
- Political workers of different parties staged hours-long blockade of a central thoroughfare despite tear gas shelling
- Jamaat-e-Islami, Grand Democratic Alliance and Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam raised rigging allegations after Feb. 8 polls
Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter jet draws ‘strong interest’ at Riyadh defense exhibition
- Jets showcased as Pakistan seeks to expand defense exports
- Interest in JF-17 has heightened after May 2025 conflict with India
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jet has drawn “strong interest” at the World Defense Exhibition in Riyadh, Pakistan’s state broadcaster said on Sunday, as Islamabad promotes the aircraft to international buyers at one of the region’s largest defense industry events.
The exhibition brings together defense officials, manufacturers and military delegations from dozens of countries, offering a platform for arms exporters to showcase equipment and pursue new contracts amid heightened global and regional security concerns.
Saudi Arabia has sought to position Riyadh as a regional hub for defense and aerospace exhibitions, using such events to foster partnerships and attract international manufacturers as part of broader diversification efforts.
Last year Islamabad signed a mutual defense pact with Riyadh and is reportedly discussing another defense agreement involving Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, although details have not been made public.
“At the World Defense Exhibition in Riyadh, the Pakistan Air Force’s JF-17 Thunder has attracted strong interest from visitors and defense experts, standing out among fighter jets displayed by the US, Saudi Arabia and other countries,” state broadcaster Pakistan Television reported.
Islamabad is attending the exhibition in the backdrop of talks with at least 13 countries, six to eight of which are in an advanced stage, for deals involving JF-17 jets made jointly with China as well as training aircraft, drones, and weapons systems, according to recent media reports.
Interest in the JF-17 jets has been bolstered by its operational visibility following the Pakistan-India military confrontation in May 2025, which Pakistani officials and defense analysts have cited as reinforcing the aircraft’s combat credibility.
Islamabad has increasingly positioned the JF-17 as a cost-effective multirole combat aircraft for countries seeking alternatives to high-end Western fighter jets. The aircraft is already in service with several foreign air forces and remains central to Islamabad’s defense export strategy.
Countries engaged in talks include Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Morocco, Ethiopia, and Nigeria as well as the government in eastern Libya led by Khalifa Haftar. Discussions on JF-17s and other weapons with Bangladesh and Iraq have been publicly acknowledged by Pakistan’s military, although more details have not been made public.
Almost all the potential buyers are Muslim-majority nations, like Pakistan. Many are from the predominantly Muslim Middle East, where Pakistan has historically been a security provider.
Separately, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif met his Saudi counterpart, Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, at the sidelines of the event.
Asif congratulated the Saudi leadership and the defense minister on the “successful and splendid” organization of the World Defense Show, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“He described this global defense event as an important milestone in promoting defense cooperation in the region,” Radio Pakistan said.
