ISLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Thursday announced a “Black Day” and protests on the one-year anniversary of last year’s Feb. 8 general elections that the party says were rigged.
The national polls were marred by a countrywide shutdown of cellphone networks and delayed results, leading to widespread allegations of election manipulation by opposition parties like jailed ex-premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the JI headed by Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman.
The caretaker government which oversaw the electoral exercise and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) deny the charges, saying mobile networks were shut down to maintain law and order. The US House of Representatives and several European countries have called on Islamabad to open a probe into the allegations, a move that Pakistan has thus far rejected.
“JI will observe Youm-e-Siyah [Black Day] on Feb. 8 over the stolen mandate and rigged elections last year,” Rehman said at a press conference in Karachi. “We have planned to stage a protest outside the ECP office in Karachi and will observe the Youm-e-Siyah throughout the country.”
The JI party did not win any National Assembly seats in the general elections but managed to clinch two provincial seats in the Sindh Assembly and one in the Balochistan Assembly.
On Jan. 20, PTI founder Khan also called on his supporters nationwide to stage protests on Feb. 8 against the rigging of the polls. He directed Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the PTI is in power, to lead caravans from across the province for a public gathering in Peshawar, the provincial capital.
The PTI has also sought permission, yet to be granted by the local administration, to hold a political rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan monument on Feb. 8.
Khan’s PTI candidates contested the Feb. 8 elections as independents after the party was barred from the polls. They won the most seats but fell short of the majority needed to form a government, which was made by a smattering of rival political parties led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
After Imran Khan’s party, Jamaat-e-Islami announces protest on one-year-anniversary of general elections
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After Imran Khan’s party, Jamaat-e-Islami announces protest on one-year-anniversary of general elections
- Countrywide mobile network shutdown, delayed results led to allegations of manipulation in Feb. 8, 2024 election
- Jamaat-e-Islami party to stage protest outside office of Election Commission of Pakistan in the port city of Karachi
Pakistan unveils world’s ‘largest’ Markhor sculpture in Kaghan Valley
- Massive structure, standing 105 feet high and 38 feet wide, took five years to complete
- Authorities aim to draw tourists to mountainous north, raise awareness about species
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has unveiled the world’s “largest” sculpture of the Markhor, the country’s national animal, in the scenic Kaghan Valley, Radio Pakistan reported on Friday, highlighting cultural pride, wildlife heritage and the country’s growing focus on tourism.
By immortalizing the Markhor in stone, authorities aim to draw tourists to the mountainous north and raise awareness about the species, a symbol of national identity and a conservation-success story.
“The massive structure, standing 105 feet high and 38 feet wide, took five years to complete,” Radio Pakistan reported. “The Kaghan Valley, known for its breath-taking landscapes, now hosts this record-breaking tribute, attracting visitors from across the country and beyond.”
The Markhor, a wild mountain goat native to the high-altitude regions of northern Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has distinctive corkscrew-shaped horns and remarkable agility on rocky terrain.
Once heavily threatened by overhunting and habitat loss, the Markhor’s fortunes have rebounded in recent decades thanks to conservation efforts and community protection programs. Its increasing population has led to its conservation status being downgraded from “Endangered” to “Near Threatened.”
Local tourism officials say the new sculpture is expected to draw significant numbers of visitors to Kaghan Valley, giving a boost to local economies while reinforcing interest in wildlife conservation and Pakistan’s natural heritage.
