LAHORE: Ghulam Mohiyuddin, a 70-year-old resident of Gawalmandi area of Lahore, said it does not matter whether Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is in jail or freely running an election campaign to attract voters; he will put seal on the PML-N’s lion electoral symbol on Wednesday (July 25).
Gawalmandi is an old area of Lahore and the ancestors of Muhamad Nawaz Sharif migrated here from Amritsar-India in 1947, a year in which the subcontinent was divided into two separate states — India and Pakistan.
PML-N “leader for life” Nawaz Sharif started his political career from this area and has contested all elections from this constituency since 1988.
Sharif left this constituency for his nephew, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, in 2008 as he was not allowed to contest elections after being convicted by the court in a plane hijacking case that was initiated against him during the government of military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
After acquittal from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif again contested from NA 120, the number of the constituency, and won to become prime minister for the third time.
On his disqualification owing to a Supreme Court verdict in 2017, his spouse, Kulsoom Nawaz, contested the election and was victorious.
Three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif is now serving a 10-year jail term on the charges of “owning the assets beyond means” and barred for life from taking part in an election and holding any public office, but many of his constituents are still loyal to him.
“I do not know who is candidate in this area. My vote is for Nawaz Sharif and I will put a seal on the symbol of the lion,” Naeem Ahmad, a resident of Hindu Kuttry, told Arab News.
“Nawaz Sharif made our country an atomic power. His brother (Shahbaz Sharif) executed dozens of development projects. He is an industrialist by birth,” Kafeel Khan, another emotionally charged supporter of Nawaz Sharif, told Arab News.
“Nawaz Sharif was corrupt, that’s why he is in jail. Most of his supporters have shifted to the PTI and the rest will not come to vote for his candidate,” Khurram Hameed, a PTI supporter, told Arab News.
In Nawaz Sharif’s absence, his daughter Maryam Nawaz was the candidate from this constituency but she was also sentenced to jail and the party decided to field Waheed Alam Khan to face the PTI’s Dr. Yasmeen Rashed.
Rashed has lost to Nawaz Sharif and Kulsoom Nawaz in the past but is very optimistic about winning her seat this time.
“We lost the last election by a very thin margin. This time we are working hard to fill the gaps. Dr. Yasmeen Rashed will win for sure, as Nawaz’s absence will dent the PML-N’s strength,” Ahmad Waseem, provincial office-bearer of the PTI, told Arab News.
The PML-N has fielded Waheed Alam Khan who says that he may not be a strong candidate but the voters will cast vote for Nawaz Sharif.
“People of this constituency are not fighting for my victory, rather for Nawaz Sharif’s slogan ‘give respect to vote’. They will give votes to Nawaz, not to Waheed Alam. I will win the election in the name of Nawaz,” Waheed Alam told Arab News.
This constituency always sent Nawaz Sharif or a member of his family to the National Assembly of Pakistan. He became prime minister of the country three times after getting elected from here.
Analysts say that the candidates of religio-political parties could play a decisive role in Gawalmandi’s next representative at the National Assembly.
Nawaz Sharif’s lifetime constituency vows to vote for the lion, come what may
Nawaz Sharif’s lifetime constituency vows to vote for the lion, come what may
- PML-N election symbol is the lion
- Analysts say that the candidates of religio-political parties could play a decisive role in Gawalmandi’s next representative at the National Assembly
Pakistan eyes enhanced cooperation with Saudi Arabia to prevent drug trafficking
- Pakistan’s interior minister meets Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki
- Mohsin Naqvi assures Saudi envoy Pakistan has “tightened the noose” around begging mafia
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wants to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia in curbing illicit activities such as drug trafficking and human smuggling, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday.
Pakistan this week organized the Pak-GCC Regional Narcotics Conference, organized by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in Islamabad, where delegates from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait gathered to develop a joint strategy against narcotics trafficking and abuse.
Naqvi visited the Saudi embassy in Islamabad on Sunday where he met Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki. The two discussed matters of mutual interest, enhancing bilateral relations and increasing mutual cooperation, the interior ministry said.
“We want to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia to prevent drug trafficking and human smuggling,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by his ministry.
Islamabad has been worried about the trend of Pakistani beggars abusing visas to beg in foreign countries. Pakistan fears this could impact genuine visa-seekers and particularly religious pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia.
According to widespread media reports, Riyadh raised this issue with Islamabad at various forums last year.
Naqvi assured Malki that the government has “tightened the noose” around the begging mafia in Pakistan.
“New conditions are being imposed for obtaining passports to curb begging and illegal immigration,” he said.
Naqvi thanked Saudi Arabia for releasing a Pakistani family that had been “framed” for smuggling narcotics to the Kingdom earlier this year.
“Saudi Arabia provided significant support for the release and repatriation of the innocent family,” he said.
“Thanks to the cooperation of the Saudi government, five members of the family were released and returned home,” he added.
As per the interior ministry, Malki said Riyadh enjoyed close relations with Islamabad and wanted to strengthen them further.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial relations rooted in shared faith, culture and traditions.
Pakistanis are the second-largest expatriate community in the Kingdom, with over 2.5 million living and working in Saudi Arabia, the top source of remittances to the South Asian country.
Security beefed up in Islamabad ahead of religiopolitical party’s pro-Gaza march today
- Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan plans to organize Gaza Solidarity March at 3:00 p.m. in Islamabad today
- Local media reports say major routes leading to Red Zone sealed off with containers, barbed wire
ISLAMABAD: Security has been beefed up in Pakistan’s capital and all routes leading to the Red Zone in Islamabad have been sealed today, Sunday, ahead of a planned Gaza Solidarity March by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) political party.
Religiopolitical party JI had announced it would organize a march toward the US embassy in Islamabad on Apr. 20 to protest Washington’s support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The JI has held massive protests in Karachi, Lahore and other Pakistani cities this month to protest against Israel’s renewed hostilities in Gaza. The party has also called for a nationwide strike against Israel’s war on Apr. 22.
“Jamaat-e-Islami’s Gaza March is taking place in Islamabad today,” Amirul Azeem, the JI’s general secretary, said in a video message.
“The government of Pakistan has decided to stop this march. I request the people of Pakistan to actively participate in it.”
Azeem said the Islamabad march by the party would remain peaceful similar to its demonstrations in other parts of the country in the recent past. He urged men, women and the elderly from all walks of life to take part in the march and show their support for Palestine.
Local media reported that the government has heightened security measures in the capital ahead of the march, which is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm.
Authorities have blocked three main routes leading to the Red Zone, a high-security area in Islamabad where all the top government buildings, diplomatic missions, and key institutions are located, using containers, barbed wire and concrete barriers.
News reports also mentioned the increased presence of police personnel at various locations in the city.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has frequently criticized the Jewish state for its military operations in Gaza. Islamabad has also called for the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory and the need for a revival of negotiations leading to a two-state solution.
Islamabad consistently calls for an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military offensives in Gaza have killed over 51,000 people and wounded over 116,000, as per the Gaza Health Ministry.
Afghan PM condemns Pakistan’s ‘unilateral’ deportations
- Pakistan has launched strict campaign to evict by end of month more than 800,000 Afghans
- Afghan PM Hasan Akhund urges Pakistan government to facilitate “dignified return” of refugees
KABUL: Afghanistan’s prime minister condemned on Saturday the “unilateral measures” taken by Pakistan to forcibly deport tens of thousands of Afghans since the start of April.
Pakistan has launched a strict campaign to evict by the end of the month more than 800,000 Afghans who have had their residence permits canceled, including some who were born in Pakistan or lived there for decades.
Pakistan’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar flew to Kabul for a day-long visit on Saturday where he held discussions with Afghan Taliban officials, including Prime Minister Hasan Akhund and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
“Rather than collaborating with the Islamic Emirate on the gradual repatriation process, Pakistan’s unilateral measures are intensifying the problem and hindering progress toward a solution,” Akhund said during his meeting with Dar.
He urged the Pakistani government to “facilitate the dignified return of Afghan refugees,” according to a statement on X.
Earlier, foreign minister Muttaqi “expressed his deep concern and disappointment over the situation and forced deportation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan,” the ministry’s deputy spokesperson Zia Ahmad said on X.
Ahmad added that Dar had reassured officials that Afghans “will not be mistreated.”
Afghans in Pakistan have reported weeks of arbitrary arrests, extortion and harassment by authorities.
Islamabad has said nearly 85,000 have already crossed into Afghanistan, with convoys of Afghan families heading to border crossings each day fearing raids, arrests or separation from family members.
On Friday, Pakistan’s deputy interior minister Tallal Chaudhry told a news conference that “there will not be any sort of leniency and extension in the deadline.”
The relationship between the two neighbors has soured as attacks in Pakistan’s border regions have soared following the return of the Taliban government in Afghanistan in 2021.
Last year was the deadliest in Pakistan for a decade, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of allowing militants to take refuge in Afghanistan, from where they plan attacks.
The Taliban government denies the charge.
Chaudhry said on Friday that nearly 85,000 Afghans have crossed into Afghanistan since the start of April, the majority of them undocumented.
More than half of them were children, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
The women and girls among those crossing were entering a country where they are banned from education beyond secondary school and barred from many sectors of work.
Afghanistan’s refugees ministry spokesman told AFP on Saturday the Taliban authorities had recorded some 71,000 Afghan returnees through the two main border points with Pakistan between April 1 and 18.
In the first phase of returns in 2023, hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans were forced across the border in the space of a few weeks.
In the second phase announced in March, the Pakistan government canceled the residence permits of more than 800,000 Afghans and warned thousands more awaiting relocation to other countries to leave by the end of April.
The move to expel Afghans is widely supported by Pakistanis.
“They are totally disrespectful toward our country. They have abused us, they have used us. One can’t live in a country if they don’t respect it,” said Ahmad Waleed, standing in his shop on Friday in Rawalpindi, near the capital.
Peshawar Zalmi smash PSL record with 120-run win over Multan Sultans
- Pacer Ali Raza returns figures of 4/21 while Tom Kohler-Cadmore scores blistering half-century
- Player of the Match Abdul Samad smashes 40 runs from 14 balls, hitting three sixes and four fours
ISLAMABAS: Peshawar Zalmi got off the mark in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 tournament on Saturday by defeating former champions Multan Sultans by 120 runs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, registering the highest margin of victory in the PSL’s history.
After Zalmi openers Saim Ayub and Babar Azam fell for low scores earlier on, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (52 runs from 30 balls) Mohammad Haris (45 runs from 21 balls) and Abdul Samad (40 runs from 14 balls) helped the “Yellow Storm” finish at an impressive score of 227-7 off their 20 overs.
In response, the Sultans were no match for Zalmi’s potent bowling. Skipper Mohammad Rizwan’s side was bowled out for 107 runs in 15.5 overs courtesy of a stellar bowling performance by new pace sensation Ali Raza, who returned figures of 4/21 from his four overs, and spinner Ariq Yaqoob, who finished with 3/20.
“A blazing batting performance that saw Zalmi muster 227-7 in 20 overs was followed by young pace sensation Ali Raza’s masterclass as they registered the highest margin of victory in HBL PSL history,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on its website.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Player of the Match Samad said Zalmi expected him to perform well as he had been playing domestic cricket for some time.
“Stuck to my natural game,” he said, “We had to score 200-plus runs. There was grip, and the pitch was on the slow side but glad the execution went well.”
After registering their first win in three matches, Zalmi have moved up to number five on the PSL points table while the Sultans remain at the bottom with three losses from as many matches.
Islamabad United remain at the top of the table with three wins from three matches, while Lahore Qalandars secure the number two spot with two wins out of three matches.
PM Sharif urges global investors to tap into Pakistan’s minerals sector
- Pakistan organizes three-day Health, Engineering and Minerals Show in Lahore with foreign delegates in attendance
- Exhibition featured a range of high-tech stalls showcasing agricultural machinery, precious stones and pharmaceuticals
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week invited global investors and friendly countries to tap into the country’s mining sector and take advantage of its economic opportunities, state-run media reported.
Pakistan is home to one of the world’s largest porphyry copper-gold mineral zones, while the Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan province has an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore. Barrick Gold, which owns a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq mines, considers them one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, and their development is expected to have a significant impact on Pakistan’s struggling economy.
In recent months, Pakistan has aggressively tried to tap into its huge reserves of natural resources to extract maximum economic advantage from them. Islamabad hosted a two-day minerals summit this month in which hundreds of delegates from around the world visited Pakistan to explore opportunities in its mining and minerals sector.
“Pakistan is rich in talent, especially in IT and AI sectors,” Sharif said on Saturday while speaking at the three-day Health Engineering and Minerals Show [HEMS] in Lahore.
“We are extending investment opportunities to friendly nations and inviting them to initiate joint ventures, particularly in the mining and minerals sector,” he added.
The Pakistani prime minister stressed that over 60 percent of Pakistan’s population comprises the youth, describing them as intelligent and capable.
He called for equipping them with modern skills and professional training.
“Our young generation is our asset, and with the right direction and innovation, they can drive Pakistan’s economic success,” he added.
Sharif credited his government for increasing Pakistan’s exports, saying that its consistent policies had caused the country to boost production and rely less on imports.
The exhibition featured a range of high-tech stalls showcasing agricultural machinery, precious stones, pharmaceuticals and surgical instruments, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
Dignitaries and delegates from China, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the United States, Turkiye and other countries participated, with a total of 860 foreign delegates in attendance.
On this occasion, several bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed, the APP said.
