KARACHI: Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), founded by political dissidents of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) in March this year, has emerged as the largest party in the province but has failed to win a clear majority.
The situation is leading the southwestern Pakistani province toward a coalition government.
Three out of four independent members of the Balochistan Assembly — Mitha Khan Kakar, Sardar Masood Khan Looni and Mir Arif Jan Muhammad Hassani –- have joined the BAP, taking its numbers to 18 in a house of 51 members.
The fourth independent candidate, Naimatullah Zehri, is highly unlikely to join the BAP owing to his serious differences with its leadership. However, after getting reserved seats for women and minorities, the party’s strength will get a further boost.
Patron-in-chief of the BAP Saeed Hashmi saidon Saturday that being the largest political party in the province, they have to be allowed to form the government in Balochistan.
Meanwhile, the Awami National Party (ANP), which has three members in the new assembly, and the Hazara Democratic Party, which has two legislators, have also shown their willingness to join the coalition government.
“The majority of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Balochistan leaders are also in favor of joining the government as their previous experience of remaining in opposition was not good,” Raza-ur-Rehman, a senior journalist in Quetta, told Arab News.
The BAP is interested in forming a coalition government with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has won four seats in the province.
These four seats, which will increase after the announcement of reserved seats, are enough for the BAP to form a government in the province.
When asked about the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) condition that the slot of chief minister should be given to it and the PTI’s Balochistan President Yar Muhammad Rind, Qasim Khan Suri, the PTI Balochistan general secretary, said: “Everyone wants an effective and good position, and if the PTI take the driving seat it will benefit the province.”
The BAP’s members of the national assembly have already announced their support for PTI in the center, Suri told Arab News. “We have yet to start formal talks with BAP but the process has started and I have briefed chairman PTI Imran Khan about the likely coalition government in Balochistan.”
Jam Kamal Khan, chief of the BAP, who has won his PB-50 by grabbing 36,885 (58.76 percent) votes, is the main contender, whereas Muhammad Saleh Bhootani, who has 30,007 (56.34 percent) votes from BA-49; former CM, Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, who has been elected as an assembly member by getting 8,055 (34.28 percent) votes from PB-44; Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, who has been elected as member of the Balochistan assembly by getting 19,092 (31.23 percent) votes from PB-14 from the platform of BAP, are also in the race, whereas Nawabzada Tariq Magsi, who has won PB-16, is among the aspirants, making it difficult to form a consensus.
“There were several aspirants for the slot of party president but they agreed on one. They will do the same now as the decision is taken somewhere else,” Arif Baloch, editor of the Balochistan Express, told Arab News.
Saeed Hashmi, the BAP’s patron-in-chief, says the leading party deserves top slots.
“We are negotiating with different parties and will soon reach a decision regarding the future government,” Hashmi told.
This time several high-profile politicians have made it to the Balochistan assembly and their presence will be felt.
Former Chief Minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, who got 11,814 votes from PB-38; Muhammad Akhtar Mengal, former CM and chief of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), who has been elected member by getting 22,114 votes from PB-40; and the BNP’s Sana Ullah Baloch, who has got 15,354 (60.04 percent) from PB-4, will be part of the house.
Party Position in Balochistan: The MMA is the second largest party with nine seats, the BNP has six seats, the PTI has four seats, the ANP three seats, Balochistan National Party (Awami), three seats, Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) two seats, and Jamhoori Wattan Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party one seat each.
PTI in talks with BAP for coalition government in Balochistan
PTI in talks with BAP for coalition government in Balochistan
- Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), with 18 out of 51 seats in Balochistan assembly, has started negotiations with different political parties to form coalition government
- BAP government may face an opposition from heavyweights such as former Chief Ministers Sardar Akhter Mengal (BNP) and Sardar Sanaullah Zehri (PMLN) and the outspoken politician and intellectual Sanaullah Baloch
Pakistan reports three new polio cases, pushing 2024 tally to 55
- Two cases reported from southwestern Balochistan province, one from northwestern KP
- Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country
PESHAWAR: Pakistan has reported three new cases of poliovirus, two from the southwestern Balochistan province and one from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the country’s polio eradication program said on Sunday, pushing this year’s total tally of cases to an alarming 55.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has faced serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that have prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
On Friday, Pakistan reported two poliovirus cases from the KP province.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of three wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan, bringing the number of total cases in the country this year to 55,” the polio eradication program said in a statement.
Two out of the three cases were reported from Balochistan’s Zhob and Jaffarabad districts while one was reported from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district.
The program said that D.I. Khan is one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern KP which has now reported six polio cases this year. Zhob has reported its third polio infection while Jaffarabad its second this year.
Out of a total of 55 cases reported this year, Pakistan has reported 26 from Balochistan, 14 from KP, 13 from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Poliovirus, which can cause crippling paralysis particularly in young children, is incurable and remains a threat to human health as long as it has not been eradicated. Immunization campaigns have succeeded in most countries and have come close in Pakistan, but persistent problems remain.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies. Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams.
Pakistan’s chief health officer this month said an estimated 500,000 children had missed polio vaccinations during a recent countrywide inoculation drive due to vaccine refusals.
“Considering the intense polio outbreak, it is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” the program said.
Pakistan’s religion ministry launches ‘Pak Hajj 2025’ app to facilitate pilgrims
- Pilgrims will be able to review Hajj training and flight schedules via app, says ministry
- Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry on Sunday announced it had launched the “Pak Hajj 2025” mobile application to guide and facilitate pilgrims about the annual Islamic pilgrimage next year.
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage. Around 15 designated Pakistani banks on Monday started receiving applications for Hajj 2025 from intending pilgrims.
Pakistani pilgrims used the app, which is available for both Android and iPhone, last year to secure important updates and information about the Hajj pilgrimage.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has launched the mobile app ‘Pak Hajj’ for the awareness of Hajj pilgrims,” the religion ministry said in a statement.
“Hajj applicants will remain informed step-by-step through the Pak Hajj app.”
The ministry said pilgrims can view their Hajj training schedules, including dates, times, and locations, through the app, which also displays flight details with flight numbers, departure cities, dates, and times for both departure and return flights.
The app also presents information about Makkah and Madinah’s various locations and routes with the help of maps, the ministry said.
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister this month announced the country’s Hajj 2025 policy, according to which pilgrims can pay fees for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in installments for the first time.
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000 ($717), must be deposited along with the Hajj application under the government scheme, while the second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The remaining amount must be deposited by Feb. 10 next year.
Pakistan confirms Internet shutdown in areas with security concerns ahead of Islamabad protest today
Pakistan confirms Internet shutdown in areas with security concerns ahead of Islamabad protest today
- Internet watchdog NetBlocks confirms WhatsApp backends were restricted nationwide on Saturday night
- Thousands of ex-PM Khan supporters are expected to arrive in Islamabad today for anti-government protest
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior ministry confirmed that Internet services will be suspended in areas where there were security concerns today, Sunday, as Islamabad braces for a planned protest by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Pakistani users reported slow Internet services in many parts of the country on Saturday night, with independent Internet watchdog NetBlocks confirming WhatsApp backends were restricted.
The development takes place ahead of the PTI’s “long march” to the capital on Sunday. The party is seeking the release of the jailed Khan, who has been in prison for well over a year, and to challenge alleged rigging in the February general elections. The PTI also seeks to highlight its concerns about judicial independence, which it claims has been undermined by the 26th Constitutional Amendment, a charge denied by the government.
The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) earlier this week warned militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and infiltrated major cities. It said the militants could target the PTI’s protest march.
“Mobile data and Wi-Fi services will be suspended only in areas with security concerns,” a federal interior ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
“Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country.”
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) in a separate statement assured people that all operations at airports across the country, including the Islamabad International Airport, are “running smoothly and without disruption.”
“We categorically refute the baseless rumors regarding a 72-hour stay for international passengers at Islamabad International Airport,” the PAA said. “This claim is completely false and misleading.”
The PAA’s statement comes amid stringent security measures taken by authorities over the past few days to preempt potential disruptions, sealing off motorways and key roads leading to Islamabad with shipping containers.
The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) stated on Friday that it had shut down major highways based on intelligence reports indicating that protesters might carry sticks and slingshots and attempt to disrupt public order.
Additionally, a ban on public gatherings has been imposed in Punjab until November 25, while the Metro Bus service between Islamabad and Rawalpindi will remain suspended on November 24.
Pakistan’s parliament earlier this year passed legislation regulating public demonstrations in the capital, including designated protest areas and specific timings for rallies. Violators risk imprisonment of up to three years for illegal gatherings and up to 10 years for repeat offenses.
The interior ministry has also deployed paramilitary forces, including Punjab Rangers and Frontier Corps personnel, in Islamabad to maintain order during the PTI’s planned demonstration.
‘NO COMMUNICATION ON ANY LEVEL’
Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar on Saturday denied any negotiations with the PTI, warning of arrests if anyone joined the demonstration on Sunday.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had directed the government to engage in talks with PTI leadership regarding the protest, emphasizing the need to avoid disruptions during the three-day visit of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko starting Monday.
The court hoped the PTI would have “meaningful communication” with the government, acknowledging that law and order would be the administration’s priority if there was no breakthrough.
“There is no communication on any level,” Tarar said during a news conference, adding that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s contact with PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan was limited to informing him of the IHC order that “declared protests, rallies, sit-ins and marches illegal.”
“The court’s directive is clear, and anyone who attempts to protest will be arrested and face legal consequences,” he continued. “There is no confusion on our part.”
However, chief minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Ali Amin Gandapur, a close aide of the jailed former prime minister, reiterated the call to all Pakistanis to join the protest during the day.
“It is imperative for us to leave our homes to protest the illegal incarceration of Imran Khan and stage a demonstration at D-Chowk on Nov. 24,” he proclaimed in a video message on Saturday, referring to a high-security area located right next to sensitive government installations like Parliament, Presidency and the PM House.
Pakistan, Zimbabwe ODI cricket series begins today in Bulawayo
- Pakistan will play three ODI and three T20I matches against Zimbabwe from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5
- Skipper Mohammad Rizwan to lead Pakistan while Zimbabwe will be captained by Graig Ervine
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Zimbabwe are set to begin their three-match One Day International series in Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club from Nov. 24 to Nov. 28, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Saturday, with the Green Shirts all pumped up following their recent ODI series win against Australia.
Pakistan’s 15-member squad led by captain Mohammad Rizwan reached Zimbabwe last week after defeating Australia 2-1 down under earlier this month. The Pakistani players have held three practice sessions ahead of the Zimbabwe series.
“Pakistan and Zimbabwe will lock horns in a three-match ODI series followed by as many T20Is at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo from Nov. 24 to Dec 5,” the PCB said.
“In the 15-member squad Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been replaced with the uncapped duo of Abrar Ahmed and Ahmed Daniyal along with pacer Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir.”
It highlighted that the ODI series against Zimbabwe was former pacer and National Men’s Selection Committee member Aqib Javed’s first assignment as the white-ball head coach.
“Pakistan and Zimbabwe last faced each other in the 50-over format in November 2020 in Rawalpindi where Pakistan beat the visitors 2-1,” the PCB added. “Pakistan, on their last visit to Zimbabwe, whitewashed the Chevrons in a five-match ODI series in July 2018.”
Pakistan’s ODI captain termed the Zimbabwe series as “equally important” as the upcoming International Cricket Council Champions Trophy 2025 tournament.
“We aim to test out our bench strength and plan toward the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home,” Rizwan said. “With the help of the Almighty, we aim to keep the winning momentum from our last ODI series going.”
“With the trio of our main players resting up after the Australia series, it will be exciting to see other players putting their hands up and helping the team at various times during the 50-over contests,” he continued.
“Having played against the home team various times, we do expect them to put up challenges for us during the three ODIs but crucially this series will also test out temperament in terms of backing up a historic win in Australia.”
Pakistan ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Shahnawaz Dahani, Saim Ayub, and Tayyab Tahir
Zimbabwe ODI squad: Craig Ervine (captain), Brian Bennett, Blessing Muzarabani, Brandon Mavuta, Clive Madande, Dion Myers, Faraz Akram, Joylord Gumbie, Richard Ngarava, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tashinga Musekiwa, Tinotenda Maposa and Trevor Gwandu.
Schedule of matches:
24 Nov – 1st ODI vs Zimbabwe (12.30pm PST)
26 Nov – 2nd ODI vs Zimbabwe (12.30pm PST)
28 Nov – 3rd ODI vs Zimbabwe (12.30pm PST)
PM Sharif says nation stands with security forces after killing of militants amid surge in attacks
- PM says government is committed to eradicating militancy after security forces kill three in northwest
- The development comes amid rising violence in Pakistan that has witnessed deadly attacks recently
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday the nation stands firmly with its security forces as the military announced the killing of three militants in two separate operations in the country’s northwest amid a sharp rise in violence.
Pakistan’s military also injured three combatants during intelligence-based operations conducted in Khyber and South Waziristan districts on Nov. 21-22.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), two militants were killed in an operation in Bara, Khyber district, while another was killed and three injured during an attempt to infiltrate Pakistan from the Afghanistan border.
The ISPR reiterated Pakistan’s call for Afghanistan’s Taliban-led interim government to prevent its territory from being used for violent attacks against Pakistan, emphasizing the country’s commitment to securing its borders and eradicating militancy.
“The enemies of humanity will continue to face failure in their evil designs,” the prime minister said in a statement released by his office after the ISPR shared the information. “The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the brave soldiers of our security forces in the fight against terrorism.”
Sharif added his government remains committed to eradicating militancy and ensuring the complete elimination of extremist violence in the country.
The ISPR’s announcement comes amid escalating violence in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which has witnessed multiple deadly attacks in the past week.
In the latest assault on Thursday, gunmen attacked vehicles carrying minority Shiite community members in KP’s Kurram district, triggering deadly sectarian clashes that have so far killed 64 people.
Prior to that, militants targeted a checkpost in KP’s Bannu district during the week, killing 10 army soldiers and two paramilitary Frontier Constabulary personnel.
Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, during a visit to Peshawar on Friday, vowed decisive action against militant groups and emphasized the need for synchronized operations to dismantle militant networks.
Pakistan’s other western province of Balochistan has also seen a resurgence in militant activity this year.
On Tuesday, the prime minister chaired a meeting of civil and military leaders that approved a “comprehensive operation” to counter separatist insurgents in Balochistan.
The government’s latest actions underline Pakistan’s struggle to address growing instability along its borders and in remote regions, where a combination of militant activity and weak governance continues to pose significant challenges to security forces.
