ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top court criticized a speech delivered by British High Commissioner Jane Marriot in a letter that emerged in the media on Wednesday, saying her reservations about the judiciary’s role in the conduct of the February 8 general elections, which were widely seen as manipulated, were “unjustified.”
The letter written on May 3 referred to the British diplomat’s speech at the Asma Jahangir Conference held last month in Lahore, wherein she said not all political parties were allowed to fully participate in the electoral contest. Her speech, quoted in the media, specifically mentioned the “legal processes” that deprived them of “recognizable party symbols.”
Many Pakistani political parties criticized the last general elections, saying they did not get the required “level playing field” to perform in the national polls. The complaint made by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was particularly high-pitched, as most of its top leadership found itself behind bars on a number of charges amid a crackdown against them that began after violent protests on May 9, which broke out after Khan was briefly detained in a corruption case.
The PTI was also prevented from using its electoral symbol of a cricket bat after a protracted judicial battle by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a case relating to flawed intra-party polls.
“The law enacted by Parliament (Election Act, 2017) requires democracy within political parties via the holding of periodical intra-party elections; to forestall autocracy, or even dictatorship within them,” the letter written by the Supreme Court registrar explained. “To ensure compliance with this democratic principle the law stipulates that if a political party does not hold intra-party elections, then it would not be eligible for an election symbol.”
“A political party (which had itself voted in this law) did not hold the mandated intra-party elections,” it continued. “The Supreme Court reiterated what the law stipulated ... Therefore, you Excellency’s criticism with regard to this decision, with utmost respect, was unjustified.”
The letter written on the instructions of Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa noted that the proceedings of the hearing were live televised for the public.
It also highlighted other steps taken by the top court to strengthen democracy in the country and make the national and provincial elections possible earlier this year.
The Supreme Court registrar also maintained that Britain had also made several mistakes in the past which had led to unbearable suffering to people in different parts of the world. It specifically mentioned the overthrow of Iran’s Mohammad Mossadegh’s government in 1953 and the adoption of the Belfour Declarations that led to the creation of Israel.
It maintained the Supreme Court had acknowledged its past mistakes, adding this should also be done with the British government.
“Let us all stand up and be counted for equality, peace and humanity,” it continued.
Pakistan’s top court rebukes British envoy’s critique of election conduct as ‘unjustified’
https://arab.news/8qkmb
Pakistan’s top court rebukes British envoy’s critique of election conduct as ‘unjustified’
- British envoy said last month not all parties could fully participate in the polls, some were deprived of election symbols
- The Supreme Court mentions the past mistakes of British governments that caused suffering to millions around the world
Bangladesh leader pushes for SAARC revival after meeting Indian, Pakistani dignitaries
- Muhammad Yunus met Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker, Indian FM at Khaleda Zia’s funeral on Wednesday
- SAARC has been dysfunctional since 2016, after India withdrew following a militant attack it blamed on Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Younus this week pushed for reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) platform after meeting dignitaries from India, Pakistan and other parts of the region.
SAARC has been effectively dysfunctional since 2016, when its planned Islamabad summit collapsed after India withdrew following a militant attack it blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied involvement, but New Delhi’s decision prompted Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan to pull out, leading to the indefinite postponement of the summit.
Younus met Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at former Bangladesh premier Khaleda Zia’s state funeral in Dhaka on Wednesday. The funeral also saw a handshake between the Indian and Pakistani representatives, the first high-level contact between officials of the two countries since their conflict in May.
“During the meetings, Professor Yunus repeatedly emphasized the need to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC),” Yunus’ account on social media platform X said.
“We witnessed a true SAARC spirit at the funeral yesterday,” the account quoted Yunus as saying. “SAARC is still alive. The SAARC spirit is still alive.”
The Bangladesh leader said apart from Jaishankar and Sadiq, representatives from South Asia who attended the funeral included Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, and Maldives Minister of Higher Education and Labor Ali Haider Ahmed.
Yunus said he tried to convene an informal gathering of SAARC leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last year.
His statement to revive SAARC follows that of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who earlier this month also called for reviving the South Asian platform.
Sharif’s message last month came as the bloc marked the 40th anniversary of its founding charter. The Pakistani premier stressed the importance of deeper economic collaboration and collective responses to shared regional challenges such as poverty, climate-induced natural disasters, food and energy insecurity, and public-health vulnerabilities.
