ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling party gained control of the Parliament’s upper house in a secret ballot on Saturday, according to Reuters quoting local media.
The Senate result is likely to revive the political fortunes of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has clashed with the judiciary since the Supreme Court ended his premiership in July by disqualifying him from office over undeclared assets.
“PMLN now the single largest party in Senate as well, Masha’Allah,” tweeted Sharif’s daughter and presumed heir, Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
Candidates backed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 15 of the 52 seats up for grabs, overtaking Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as the biggest group in the upper house, according to Geo TV channel and other media. PPP candidates won 12 seats.
Working with allied parties in the Senate, PML-N should have de facto control of the 104-seat chamber.
Polling for the Senate elections started at 9 a.m. on Saturday, across all four provincial assemblies and the national assembly. One hundred and thirty-one candidates across the country contested 52 Senate seats from the four provinces, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the federal capital.
Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were deployed outside the assemblies and Parliament to maintain order.
A total of 20 candidates battled for 12 seats from Punjab, 33 contenders for 12 seats from Sindh, 26 contested for 11 seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 25 candidates for 11 seats from Balochistan, 24 contenders for four seats from FATA and five candidates for two seats from Islamabad.
At the National Assembly (NA) in Islamabad, Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was the first to cast his vote, while in Punjab, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar was the first one to cast his vote, followed by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah. In Sindh, PPP MPA Rubina Qaimkhani was the first to cast a vote, followed by former Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
The four provincial assemblies vote for their respective representatives, while senators in FATA are elected by MNAs from the tribal areas. In the federal capital senators are elected by NA members.
Senate polls are held every three years when half of the senators complete their six-year term, out of a 104-member house. The Senate comprises 66 general seats, 17 reserved for women, 17 for technocrats and four for non-Muslims.
Sindh & Punjab: Of the 12 seats, seven are general seats with two women seats, two technocrats and one non-Muslim seat.
KP & Balochistan: Of 11 seats, two are reserved for women, two for technocrats and seven general.
On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a code of conduct according to which no one would be allowed to carry mobile phones to the polling stations and assembly members would be allowed inside only upon producing their secretariat cards.
MNAs and MPAs were also urged to ensure the secrecy of their votes. According to ECP, the punishment for violating the code of conduct includes a fine of up to Rs100,000 ($904) and/or a jail term anywhere between six months and two years.
Addressing the media before entering Parliament, State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said: “Never in the history of any country has an elected premier been removed on the basis of an Iqama (foreign work permit). Despite no proof of corruption, he was still removed,” she said, adding that a sea of people awaits to welcome deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
“Nawaz will come out as the winner in today’s elections,” she said.
Talking to the media outside the National Assembly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Shafqat Mahmood said PTI chief Imran Khan will not be coming to the assembly today as he has other commitments.
Pakistan’s ruling party takes lead in Senate poll: Media
Pakistan’s ruling party takes lead in Senate poll: Media
Macron says Europe must protect sovereignty in face of Trump’s return
PARIS: More than ever, Europeans, including France and Germany, must protect their sovereignty in the face of the return of US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday.
He made the remarks at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris, adding that it was important to support the automobile, steel, chemical sectors, among others.
“After the inauguration of a new administration in the United States, it is necessary more than ever for Europeans and for our two countries to play their role of consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe,” Macron said.
Malaysia’s Anwar says don’t single out China in sea tensions
- There will always be border disputes in Asia, and China should not be singled out because of tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday
DAVOS: There will always be border disputes in Asia, and China should not be singled out because of tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Anwar said that Malaysia had border issues with Singapore and its other neighbors in Southeast Asia but they still managed to cultivate good relations.
While Malaysia also has maritime issues with China, it will push ahead with improving ties because it is an important country, he said.
“We have excellent relationship with Singapore. We still have border issues with them,” Anwar said.
“I treat the Thais as my family members, the leaders, but still we have some border issues with them. So it is with Indonesia, with the Philippines.
“(But) we don’t go to war, we don’t threaten. We do discuss. We get a bit... angry, but we do focus on the economic fundamentals and move on,” he added.
“Why is it that we must then single out China as an issue?” Anwar asked.
“That’s my only contention. Do I have an issue about it? Yes, but do I have a problem? No. Do we have any undesired tensions? No,” he said.
He said that while Malaysia has strong ties with the United States, China is an important neighbor that it must also engage with.
“Of course, people highlight the issue of the South China Sea... But may I remind you that Malaysia is a maritime country,” he said.
China has been “very reasonable” in dealing with Malaysia, Anwar added.
“They take us seriously, more seriously than many of the countries of our old allies and friends,” he said, without mentioning any country.
China has ruffled diplomatic feathers in Southeast Asia because of its assertion that it owns most of the strategic waterway despite an international ruling that the claim has no legal basis.
This has pitted it against Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, which have partial claims to the sea.
In recent years, China and the Philippines have seen an escalation of confrontations, including boat-ramming incidents and Chinese ships firing water cannons on Filipino vessels.
The clashes have sparked concern they could draw the United States, Manila’s long-time security ally, into armed conflict with China.
Washington’s UN nominee supports Israeli biblical claim to West Bank
- ‘It’s going to be very difficult to achieve peace if you continue to hold the view that you just expressed,’ senator tells Elise Stefanik
- Republican congresswoman for New York accuses international body of being ‘cesspool of antisemitism’
LONDON: The new US nominee for UN ambassador has backed Israeli biblical claims to the entire West Bank.
Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman for New York, was being questioned on her stance by Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen during a Senate confirmation hearing.
“You told me that, yes, you shared that view,” Van Hollen said. “Is that your view today?” Stefanik said: “Yes.”
Her stance is at odds with international law, multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and a longstanding international consensus on the issue.
“It’s going to be very difficult to achieve peace if you continue to hold the view that you just expressed,” Van Hollen said.
During the hearing, Stefanik criticized the UN for its alleged anti-Israel bias, claiming that the organization is a “cesspool of antisemitism.”
She said: “Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism.”
The US is the largest funder of the UN and houses its secretariat in New York City. Washington pays about 22 percent of the UN’s regular budget.
India and US trying to arrange Modi meeting with Trump next month, sources say
- Washington sees India as a strategic partner of the United States in its efforts to counter its rival China
- Trump’s return to office has raised worries among officials in New Delhi about imposition of tariffs on India
NEW DELHI: Indian and US diplomats are trying to arrange a meeting in February between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Washington, two Indian sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
India, a strategic partner of the United States in its efforts to counter China, is keen to enhance trade relations with the US and make it easier for its citizens to get skilled worker visas, two topics that will be on the agenda if the leaders meet, the sources said.
Trump’s return to the White House has raised worries among officials in New Delhi about imposition of tariffs on India, which he has listed as one of the countries that has high tariffs on US products and has indicated that he favored reciprocating them.
But the sources said New Delhi was willing to offer some concessions to Washington — although it has not been officially informed of any plans by US to impose reciprocal tariffs — and was also open to offering incentives to attract more US investment in India.
Officials hope that an early meeting between the pair will help get ties off to a positive start in Trump’s new term, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Trump visited India in February 2020 during his previous term in office. Then, he was cheered by more than 100,000 Indians at a cricket stadium in Modi’s political homeland in Ahmedabad, where he promised India “an incredible trade deal.”
In 2019, Trump held a “Howdy Modi” rally with Modi in Houston, drawing 50,000 people, mainly Indian Americans.
Laying the groundwork for a new Modi-Trump meeting is also on the agenda of Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who attended Trump’s inauguration on Monday and met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The United States is India’s largest trading partner and two-way trade between the two countries surpassed $118 billion in 2023/24, with India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion.
Other topics of discussion between the two leaders would be enhancing partnership in technology and defense sectors, the sources said.
Migration would be another area of discussion, as Trump has pledged a crackdown on illegal immigration but has said he is open to legal migration of skilled workers.
India, known for its massive pool of IT professionals, many of whom work across the world, accounts for the bulk of the skilled worker H-1B visas issued by the United States.
Rubio discussed with Jaishankar concerns related to “irregular migration” on Tuesday, the US State Department said.
India turns to geo-tagging to conserve Kashmir’s iconic ‘Chinar’ trees
- The trees are a cultural and ecological symbol of the restive northern territory
- The trees face threats from rising urbanization, road-widening projects, diseases
SRINAGAR: Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir are geo-tagging thousands of ‘Chinar’ trees to create a comprehensive database for their management and help conserve them amid threats from rising urbanization, road-widening projects and diseases.
The trees are a cultural and ecological symbol of the restive northern territory, which is claimed in full by India and Pakistan and ruled in part by both, but hundreds of them have been lost over the last few decades.
Under the geo-tagging process, QR codes are attached to each surveyed tree, recording information about 25 characteristics, including its geographical location, health, age, and growing patterns, enabling conservationists to track changes and address risk factors.
The public can also scan the code to access the details, Syed Tariq, the head of the project, told Reuters.
“We have geo-tagged nearly 29,000 trees, but we still have more small-sized trees that haven’t been tagged... These will be tagged in due course,” Tariq said.
The Chinar trees take around 150 years to reach their full size of up to 30 meters (100 ft) in height with a girth of 10 to 15 meters (30 to 50 ft) at ground level.
The oldest Chinar in the region lies on the outskirts of the city of Srinagar and is around 650 years old.
“We are using a USG-based (ultrasonography-based) gadget capable of determining risk levels without human intervention. The gadget will assess risk factors, eliminating the need for manual evaluation,” Tariq said.
The portion of Kashmir under India’s control was roiled by violence for decades as militants fought security forces, but the conflict has eased in recent years, leading to a gradual rise in development projects and tourism.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kashmir last week to inaugurate a tunnel and, during the event, said that numerous road and rail connectivity projects in the region would be completed in the coming days.
