ISLAMABAD: As part of measures to ensure the seamless participation of overseas Pakistanis in the upcoming by-elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday began issuing passcodes to voters registered with the i-voting system.
According to media reports, only 7,419 people have successfully registered for the program so far, even though more than 790,000 Pakistanis live abroad and 631,909 are eligible to use the system.
The online voting initiative was developed this year to grant voting rights to overseas Pakistani, but was not fully functional during the general elections in July. The polls on Sunday will enable the authorities to test the system for the first time on a relatively small scale.
The ECP said that the codes would be valid during voting hours in Pakistan. All registered voters will be able to cast their ballot after logging onto the website, sharing their required credentials and entering the individual passwords.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Imran Khan described the overseas Pakistanis as an 'asset' for the nation, assuring them of their rights and promising to extend every possible facility in recognition of their services to the country.
The new voting facility finally address the longstanding demand of overseas nationals to have a say in the political framework of the country.
ECP issues voting codes to overseas Pakistanis
ECP issues voting codes to overseas Pakistanis
- More than 7,000 have registered to vote in Sunday’s by-polls
- Numbers are disappointing considering the fact that 790,000 make up overall population
Pakistan’s leading fashion designer Amir Adnan expresses interest in expanding to Saudi Arabia
- The Pakistani designer is widely credited with defining his country’s formalwear for over three decades
- He admires the richness of Arab culture, their keen eye for detail and deep reverence for tradition
KARACHI: Pakistan’s leading fashion designer, Amir Adnan, says he is eager to open stores and manufacturing facilities in Saudi Arabia, praising the Kingdom’s evolving openness and deep cultural sophistication.
In an interview with Arab News this week, he hailed the Arab world’s appreciation for tradition and detail and expressed a desire to re-enter the Middle East market with a more immersive presence.
Adnan shared his observations about the Middle East at a time when Saudi Arabia is undergoing a cultural transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030.
The initiative has opened the Kingdom to global music acts, fashion events, cinema and high-profile platforms like Riyadh Season and the Red Sea International Film Festival, as part of efforts to position it as a regional hub for arts and tourism.
“The Arab world is brilliant, and I’m so happy that it is opening up,” the Pakistani designer, who has previously operated stores in Dubai, said. “Given the opportunity, I would love to go and open up stores over there [in Saudi Arabia] and have a whole setup over there. We would love to have an office.”
Born in Lahore to a bureaucrat father and a mother from Dhaka’s royal Nawab family, Adnan launched his eponymous brand in 1990 and is credited with modernizing the traditional sherwani. His designs have shaped Pakistani formalwear for more than three decades.
Reflecting on his experience of doing business in the United Arab Emirates, he said Arabs had a distinct appreciation for craftsmanship.
“They appreciated every stitch, every cut, every patch, every fabric, every color combination... they’re very keen observers.”
He also appreciated the historical and intellectual legacy of the Arab world.
“They introduced medicine. They had the first hospital. They gave us algebra, calculus [and] astronomy. So, where did that come from? It’s their sophistication.”
The Pakistani designer, who studied at Karachi’s Institute of Business Administration, said that despite globalization, Arabs remain deeply rooted in their culture.
“If they had given away their culture and, you know, become totally somebody else, I would not feel so good about them. But I love the Arab people because they hold on and they respect their culture.”
Adnan said the fusion of Pakistani craftsmanship with Arab tastes could lead to meaningful collaborations, ranging from fashion to social development.
“They love our fabrics. They love our stitches. They love our handicraft. All we need to do is just convert our garments to blend into their culture,” he said. “I would go there and mix my ability to suit their requirements.”
Beyond commerce, he also envisions joint creative workshops and cultural exchanges.
“We would like to work with their artisans, learn their skills and teach them ours,” he said.
The Pakistani designer believes that fashion should be seen beyond economics.
“Besides just the work and the economics of it, it is also liberation of mind,” he said. “In fact, we’ll be able to incorporate a lot of their craft and their skills into our mainstream work.”
Looking ahead, Adnan said he hopes to establish a full-fledged base in the Kingdom.
“Hopefully, one day, we’d be able to do that — set up an office over there and a whole workshop over there and even start manufacturing there… and take care of all the Arab world.”
Islamabad says Indian PM’s remarks about Pakistan violate norms of ‘responsible statecraft’
- Narendra Modi said Pakistan’s army, economy will have to ‘pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack,’ upping the rhetoric in a standoff over water access
- Islamabad maintains the Indus Waters Treaty, which guarantees water for 80 percent of Pakistan’s farms, is legally binding and no party can unilaterally suspend it
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani foreign office on Friday criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks in which he warned of economic and military consequences for Pakistan, saying his statement violated “the norms of responsible statecraft.”
Modi said Pakistan will not get water from rivers over which India has rights, and that Pakistan’s army and economy will have to “pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack,” upping the rhetoric in a standoff over water access.
India last month said it was suspending the Indus Waters Treaty in a slew of measures after the killing of 26 people in an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, a charge Pakistan dismisses.
In its response to Modi’s comments at an event in Rajasthan, the Pakistani foreign office said such statements not only reflect a “deliberate attempt to mislead the public but also violate the norms of responsible statecraft.”
“Resorting to threats and boasting about military action against a sovereign nation is a grave breach of the United Nations Charter and established principles of international law,” it said.
“This dangerous approach undermines regional peace and stability.”
Any move to stop Pakistan accessing the water would have a devastating impact. The Indus treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, guarantees water for 80 percent of Pakistan’s farms from three rivers that flow from India. The nuclear-armed neighbors have already clashed in their worst military fighting in nearly three decades before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10.
Islamabad maintains the treaty is legally binding and no party can unilaterally suspend it, with its Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan saying that Pakistan is willing to talk about or to address any concerns India may have.
The foreign office said Pakistan remains a consistent and proactive partner in the global fight against militancy and any insinuation seeking to associate Pakistan with “acts of terrorism is factually incorrect and patently misleading.”
“It is a tactic often employed to divert attention from India’s own internal challenges, particularly its repressive policies [in Kashmir],” it said on Friday.
India and Pakistan share a troubled relationship since they got independence from British rule in 1947, and have fought three wars, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.
India accuses Pakistan of backing armed separatists in Kashmir. Pakistan denies this and says it only offers diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris.
Pakistan’s prime minister and military have also accused “Indian terror proxies” of involvement in a suicide bomb blast on an army school bus in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province that killed five people, including three children, on Wednesday. India rejected the allegation.
Both nations have retaliated since the April attack by halting trade, closing borders and suspending most visas.
The Pakistani foreign office urged the Indian leadership to exercise restraint, saying such escalatory statements only exacerbate tensions.
“India should demonstrate maturity by resolving outstanding disputes through peaceful dialogue and diplomacy,” it said.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to peaceful coexistence, regional stability, and constructive engagement. However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness... Any misadventure or aggression will be met with a resolute and proportionate response. Pakistan has demonstrated its resolve in the past and will do so again, if required.”
Pakistani politicians see field marshal rank as affirmation of army chief’s influence, not a power shift
- The government elevated Army Chief Asim Munir to field marshal on Tuesday, making him only the second officer to attain the title in the country
- The promotion came over a week after Pakistan declared victory in a four-day military conflict with India, killing around 70 people on both sides
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani politicians and analysts have said that the country’s top military commander Asim Munir’s promotion to the field marshal rank, which followed Pakistan’s recent standoff with India, would not further affect the political landscape as he already held “great influence.”
The Pakistani government elevated Army Chief Munir to the rank of field marshal on Tuesday, making him only the second military officer after Ayub Khan to attain the title in the history of the South Asian country.
The promotion came more than a week after Pakistan declared victory in a four-day military conflict with India, which saw the archfoes trade missile, drone and artillery strikes, killing around 70 people on both sides.
The office of the army chief is widely seen as the most powerful position in Pakistan, a country where the military has directly ruled for nearly half its history and wields considerable influence in matters of national significance even during civilian rule.
“It will, God willing, have no [further] impact on political space or Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),” Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a spokesperson of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan-led PTI party, told Arab News this week.
“He already held all the influence.”
Khan’s PTI has been at loggerheads with the military since the downfall of its administration in 2022 and on May 9, 2023, hundreds of people carrying its flags had attacked government and military installations over the ex-premier’s arrest in a graft case. The attacks followed hundreds of arrests and dozens of Khan supporters were even tried in military courts.
The PTI denies it instigated its followers to violence and accuses the military and its political rivals of a nationwide crackdown on its supporters. The Pakistani government and the military deny the accusation.
Bukhari called Munir’s promotion an “internal matter” of the army.
“It’s generally an internal matter for the army as a result of a victory against India,” he said, adding that the entire nation celebrated that victory and ceasefire.
“We hope that with this promotion, an internal ceasefire is also reached.”
For National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who is also the vice president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, the promotion was not only a recognition of an individual’s capability, but also an acknowledgment of the sacrifices and professional competence of the Pakistani armed forces.
“Field Marshal Munir thwarted the enemy’s nefarious designs with great courage and strategy,” he said, adding the decision of his elevation would further boost the morale of the military and promote national unity.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s top political leadership conferred the baton of field marshal on Army Chief Munir at a ceremony in Islamabad. PM Shehbaz Sharif praised him for his “unflinching courage” and the army for responding with speed and precision to Indian military strikes.
The strikes were triggered by an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, an allegation denied by Islamabad.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), maintained the promotion of the army chief was a “merit-based decision” by the government as he fully deserved it.
“This move has no political angle, neither has been done to harm anyone. So, all should appreciate it,” he told Arab News.
Liaqat Baloch, a senior member of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, said it was the government’s prerogative to make such promotions.
“I think now Field Marshal Munir should work for the supremacy of the constitution,” he said, adding it would further elevate his status among people.
Baloch said the move would not have much impact on political parties, including the PTI or any other opposition group.
Political analysts believed the promotion will further strengthen army chief’s commanding position in the power structure of the country.
“Field Marshal Munir now holds a central and commanding position within the power structure, especially in light of the current weakness and disunity among civilian political leaders,” Mushahid Hussain Syed, a seasoned politician and political commentator, told Arab News.
Even before the standoff with India, he said, all major political forces were already convinced of the establishment’s central role in Pakistan’s power dynamics.
“All the mainstream political forces are convinced that the path to Islamabad passes through Rawalpindi [home to army headquarters],” he added.
But Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), said the top military commander’s promotion would not “further shrink political space for the opposition,” including Khan’s party.
“I do not think this promotion would lead to greater influence in the government affairs than he [Asim Munir] already has,” he added.
Defense analyst and author, Ayesha Siddiqa, called the promotion a “political decision” by the ruling PML-N party to “appease” the most powerful individuals within the country.
“It is a political decision because the basis on which this title is given [the standoff with India] was not even an all-out war,” she told Arab News.
“This is possibly a move by the PML-N to ensure that the army chief stays happy and does not consider too seriously any major [rapprochement] vis-a-vis [the jailed former premier] Khan.”
Pakistan says will present evidence of Indian involvement in Balochistan school bus bombing at UN
- India has denied any involvement in the attack that killed six people, including four school children
- Pakistan’s UN envoy says many countries have expressed concern over India’s suspension of IWT
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will raise the recent militant attack on a school bus in the southwestern Balochistan province at the United Nations (UN) and present evidence of Indian involvement to the international community, said the country’s top diplomat at the UN on Thursday.
At least six people, including four children, were killed on Wednesday when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeted a school bus en route to an army-run school in the Khuzdar district.
Balochistan has witnessed a separatist insurgency for decades, though it has intensified more recently, with groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carrying out high-casualty attacks on civilians and security forces.
Pakistan says such militant outfits are backed by India, though New Delhi denies the claim. The Indian administration also distanced itself from the Khuzdar school bus bombing, attributing such acts of violence to Pakistan’s “internal failures.”
“This was a heinous terrorist act directed against children, against students, [which is] totally unacceptable and condemnable,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told Arab News in an interview.
“Pakistan is going to share the evidence [of Indian involvement] with the members of the international community, including in the UN,” he continued.
Ahmad said Pakistan had also provided evidence of India’s involvement in “terrorist activities” in the past, adding it was going to do it again.
He maintained New Delhi had been committing “terrorism” in Pakistan both directly and through its proxies.
He informed Pakistan would present a dossier to the UN and its member states to highlight a clear pattern of Indian involvement in militant violence aimed at destabilizing Pakistan, particularly Balochistan.
“The dossier will contain information about who is involved [and] what are the linkages,” he added.
The envoy said Pakistan had, in the past, proposed the listing of Indian nationals involved in orchestrating violent activities in Pakistan.
“Some of the members of the Security Council … did not act responsibly and in fact they block such listings,” he informed, adding it was the collective responsibility of all UN members to assess the situation objectively and not protect India unnecessarily.
Asked about India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the ambassador said Pakistan had already raised the issue at the Security Council, as the move was highly escalatory and posed an existential threat to the country.
“We discussed this … during the meeting of the Security Council that was held on 5th of May, where a number of members of the Security Council expressed concern because it is clearly viewed by the international community as a violation of international law,” he said.
Pakistan defends nuclear safety after former US national security adviser warns of risks
- John Bolton tells an Indian media outlet Pakistan’s nuclear weapons could fall into the wrong hands
- Pakistan says the world should be more concerned about India’s ‘extremists’ controlling nuclear arms
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it was fully confident in the safety and security of its nuclear weapons after former US National Security Adviser John Bolton expressed concern they could fall “into the hands of terrorists or irresponsible commanders” in an interview with an Indian media outlet.
Bolton’s remarks came days after Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh called for Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal to be placed under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, citing concerns about their safety.
Responding to a media query, foreign office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan had a robust nuclear command and control system and a comprehensive security regime in place.
“It is ironic that John Bolton’s remarks were prompted by a statement from Rajnath Singh, a leader affiliated with a Hindu extremist organization, known for repeatedly issuing threats of aggression against Pakistan,” he said.
“In reality, the international community should be more concerned about India’s nuclear arsenal being controlled by individuals like Rajnath Singh, who harbor well-documented hostility toward Pakistan and Muslims, and exhibit dangerous delusions of grandeur,” he added.
Khan further warned of broader risks stemming from India’s domestic political trends.
“The escalating radicalization of India’s political landscape, media and segments of its society raises legitimate nuclear security concerns,” he said.
“These concerns are further exacerbated by the persistence of a nuclear black market in India, highlighting serious deficiencies in its nuclear security framework, as evidenced by recurring incidents of theft and illicit trafficking of sensitive nuclear materials.”
The renewed war of words between the two countries follows a sharp military escalation earlier this month.
The two nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10, but diplomatic tensions have remained high, with both sides continuing to trade barbs over militant violence, water sharing and nuclear security.
