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  • ‘No confidence’ pressure mounts as top PM aide joins dissident group, opposition holds discussions


‘No confidence’ pressure mounts as top PM aide joins dissident group, opposition holds discussions

The photograph shared on October 5, 2020, shows Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Abdul Aleem Khan (left) and Prime Minister Imran Khan. (Photo courtesy: @abdul_aleemkhan/Twitter)
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Updated 07 March 2022
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‘No confidence’ pressure mounts as top PM aide joins dissident group, opposition holds discussions

  • Pakistan Democratic Movement announced last month it would file no confidence motion in parliament to topple PM Khan
  • Serving PM has only been subject to no confidence vote once in 1989 when Benazir Bhutto faced an unsuccessful motion
Updated 07 March 2022
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Abdul Aleem Khan, a close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan, announced on Monday he would be joining a group of lawmakers led by estranged party leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, as top opposition leaders met in the capital to discuss a plan to table a no-confidence motion against the premier.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of nine opposition parties, announced last month it would file a no confidence motion in parliament to bring down the government of PM Khan.
Aleem Khan’s announcement comes as a major blow to PM Khan and his government as it grapples with a chronic economic crisis and rising inflation amid reports of strained ties with the all-powerful military.
Speaking to the media after a meeting at Tareen’s Lahore residence, Aleem said that he had gathered party members here to send the message that the estranged PTI leader had not been “forgotten.”
He said Tareen had played a crucial role in the rise of the party, and lamented that he had been sidelined.
“Many people [within the party] do not understand why this happened. All those people who worked for Naya Pakistan (a PTI election slogan for a new Pakistan) alongside the prime minister, why were they ignored?” he asked.
“All of us who were part of the Tehreek (PTI) and were sincere, let us all come together on one platform,” he said. “We will try to unite all the groups within PTI.”
“PTI does not belong to one individual,” Aleem said. “It belongs to all of us.”
Meanwhile, in a separate development, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and opposition PML-N party President Shehbaz Sharif visited Zardari House in Islamabad on Monday to hold a “delegation-level” meeting with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the planned no confidence motion, according to a statement released by the PML-N.




Pakistan Democratic Movement and JUI-F's chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman (left) and PML-N party President Shehbaz Sharif (center) meet Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 7, 2022. (Screengrab from a video shared by PML-N on Twitter)

The constitution of Pakistan has provision for a no confidence motion in all constituents of the Electoral College of the state. The motions can target speakers and deputy speakers of provincial and national assemblies, the prime minister, chief ministers of provinces, as well as the chairman and deputy chairman of Senate. Before it can be put for vote on the floor of the house, the motion must have the backing of at least 20 percent of elected members in all cases except those moved against speakers or deputy speakers in which case there is no minimum. After being put to vote, the motion is deemed to be successful only if passed by a majority.
The no confidence procedure has historically been mostly used to remove speakers and deputy speakers. Of the 11 times that the motion has been invoked, nine cases targeted those posts, with four being effective.
An incumbent prime minister of Pakistan has only been subject to a no confidence vote once, in November 1989, when Benazir Bhutto faced an ultimately unsuccessful motion by Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi. The same is the case for a provincial chief minister, as the only instance of its use is the one moved against Balochistan CM Sanaullah Zehri in January 2018, who resigned before the vote could take place.

Topics: No confidence movement Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Abdul Aleem Khan Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)

Pakistan reports first case of mpox virus this year

Updated 25 January 2025
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Pakistan reports first case of mpox virus this year

  • Authorities detected the virus in a 35-year-old man during screening at the Peshawar airport, shifted him to isolation ward
  • Since reporting first case in August, Pakistan has implemented screening protocols at all airports and border entry points
Updated 25 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported first case of mpox virus this year in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday.
People who contract mpox get flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications from the infection.
Authorities detected the virus in a 35-year-old man during screening at the Peshawar airport, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“As soon as the case was reported, the public health team reached Peshawar airport and shifted the patient to Police Services Hospital,” Ehtesham Ali, adviser to provincial chief minister on health, was quoted as saying.
Pakistan confirmed its first mpox case in August last year and has since implemented screening protocols at all airports and border entry points. The South Asian country reported at least eight mpox cases in 2024.
The World Health Organization on August 14, 2024 declared a global health emergency over the spread of a new mutated strain of mpox named clade I, which first emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread to several countries, leading to increased monitoring and preventive measures worldwide.
Pakistan has so far not reported any cases of the new mutation.

Topics: mpox pakistan

Pakistani security forces kill four militants in restive northwest

Updated 25 January 2025
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Pakistani security forces kill four militants in restive northwest

  • Pakistan has struggled to curb militancy in its northwest since a truce with Pakistani Taliban collapsed in 2022
  • In 2024 alone, the military reported that 383 Pakistani soldiers and 925 militants were killed in various clashes
Updated 25 January 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani security forces have killed four militants in an intelligence-based operation in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday, amid a surge in militancy in the region.
The operation was conducted in KP’s Khyber district, which border Afghanistan, on reported presence of militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
The deceased militants were actively involved in militant activities against security forces and killing of innocent civilians. Two other militants were injured in the gunfight.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji [militant] found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.
Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the state broke down in November 2022. The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
In 2024 alone, the military reported that 383 soldiers and 925 militants were killed in various clashes.
Saturday’s operation came two weeks after Pakistani security forces killed nine militants in two separate engagements in KP’s North Waziristan district.
Islamabad has frequently blamed the surge in militancy on Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.

Topics: Pakistan Afghanistan border

Pakistan province orders comprehensive probe into alleged police harassment of Chinese nationals

Updated 25 January 2025
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Pakistan province orders comprehensive probe into alleged police harassment of Chinese nationals

  • Group of Chinese nationals filed petition in high court accusing Sindh Police of extorting, imposing unlawful restrictions on them
  • Sindh official says it si necessary for police to take measures to address potential security gaps to ensure Chinese nationals’ security
Updated 25 January 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: The home minister of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Saturday took notice of police harassment and extortion allegations leveled by Chinese nationals, directing authorities to launch a “comprehensive investigation” into the matter. 

Twelve Chinese nationals filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) December 2024 alleging they are being forced to pay bribes to police officers ranging from Rs20,000 ($71) to Rs50,000 ($179) for permission to leave their homes. It demanded a high-level inquiry into the involvement of police officers in their mistreatment. The SHC issued notices to the Sindh government, Pakistani foreign ministry and China’s missions in Pakistan on Friday, seeking their response within four weeks. 

A significant number of private Chinese investors have arrived and established businesses with local partners in Pakistan since the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure network of roads, energy and railways projects, was launched in 2013. 

In Sindh, the provincial government has established a Special Protection Unit (SPU) within the provincial police force to ensure the security of Chinese nationals, who have been under threat from separatist groups operating in neighboring Balochistan province. These groups have also carried out attacks on Chinese interests and citizens in Karachi, the capital of Sindh and commercial hub of the country.

“Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar has taken notice of the Chinese investors’ decision to approach the Sindh High Court, issuing instructions to the IGP Sindh to immediately appoint a senior inquiry officer for a comprehensive investigation into the matter,” the Sindh home ministry said in a statement. 

As per the statement, Lanjar said the provincial government is committed to ensuring the security of Chinese nationals according to the set standard operating procedures. 

“Therefore, it must be ensured that at the provincial level, the “foolproof security” of Chinese nationals involved in both CPEC and non-CPEC projects is a joint responsibility of the Sindh government, Sindh Police and local sponsors or hosts,” the statement said. 

This is aimed at further strengthening the unwavering trust of Chinese investors in the Sindh government and Sindh Police.

Lanjar stressed that it is the Sindh government and provincial police’s goal to facilitate and provide security to Chinese investors through mutual cooperation. He admitted, however, that it is also important that sponsors and SPU officers take steps to monitor security measures. 

“Additionally, it is necessary to address any potential gaps, shortcomings, or deficiencies in the security measures for Chinese nationals,” the statement said. “Implementing the measures outlined by law and SOPs is critical to eliminating any security gaps.”

Lanjar said that if Chinese nationals face security-related complaints, senior officers must not only review the situation but also ensure “a prompt resolution, as Chinese citizens turn to the Sindh Police for assistance regarding security concerns.”

Amid the surge in attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan, Beijing has repeatedly urged Islamabad to ensure protection for its citizens living and working in the South Asian country.

A suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi in October, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March 2024 in northwest Pakistan.

Pakistan says attacks on Chinese nationals are an international conspiracy to harm friendly ties between Pakistan and China.

Topics: Karachi Police Sindh police Chinese nationals in Pakistan

‘Between Sacred Cities’: Pakistan’s Imran Qureshi unveils largest installation at Islamic Arts Biennale

Updated 52 min 16 sec ago
ARAB NEWS PAKISTAN 
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‘Between Sacred Cities’: Pakistan’s Imran Qureshi unveils largest installation at Islamic Arts Biennale

  • Installation reimagines historic route that stretched from Kufa in Iraq to holy city of Makkah
  • Qureshi, a Pakistani visual artist, has featured artworks in local and international exhibitions
Updated 52 min 16 sec ago
ARAB NEWS PAKISTAN 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi on Saturday unveiled “Between Sacred Cities,” the largest installation at the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 in Jeddah, his art reimagining a historic route that once stretched from Kufa in Iraq to the holy city of Makkah. 

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 provides a platform for new discourse about Islamic arts, featuring contemporary and newly commissioned artworks with historical objects from Islamic cultures. It offers artists a platform to explore themes of spirituality, identity, and the intersection of past and present. This year’s biennale will run from Jan. 25-May 25. 

According to Lotus, a public relations agency, the installation is situated between the iconic Makkah and Madina pavilions at the Western Hajj Terminal. 

“The installation reimagines a historic route that once stretched from Kufa, Iraq, to Makkah,” Lotus said. 

“Designed to aid pilgrims on their Hajj journey, this route served as a network of resting stations and water sources, inspiring Qureshi’s interpretation of an oasis as a sanctuary of rest, reflection, and unity.”

The statement said that the concept of an oasis in the installation is transformed into an interactive and contemplative garden-like structure, central to which is an octagonal design. 

“Drawing on the spiritual essence of the journey between Makkah and Madina, the installation incorporates the holy water of Zamzam and lush greenery reminiscent of Madina’s tranquillity,” it added. 

Qureshi has used vibrant woven strips to symbolize flowing water while the surrounding greenery evokes a sense of life, Lotus said. 

The installation has been commissioned by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation and curated by acclaimed artist Muhannad Shono. 

“Between Sacred Cities will be on display from January 25, 2025, to May 25, 2025, offering visitors an unparalleled opportunity to explore the universal themes of travel, spirituality, and interconnectedness,” Lotus said. 

Qureshi is a visual artist from Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. With a career spanning twenty-nine years, encompassing local and international exhibitions, he has emerged as a prominent Pakistani artist.

In 2013, he created a large-scale, site-specific work for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Roof Garden Commission in New York. The same year he was awarded the Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year and exhibited solo for the first time in Europe at the Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle in Berlin. 

Qureshi’s work has since been shown in numerous solo exhibitions, including the Barbican Center, London (2016), Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark (2016), along with executing site-specific projects at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. (2018) and Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2018), to name a few. 

In 2021 he was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) by Pakistan’s government.

Topics: Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale

Imran Khan’s party moves top court against Pakistan constitutional amendment on judicial reforms

Updated 25 January 2025
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Imran Khan’s party moves top court against Pakistan constitutional amendment on judicial reforms

  • Urges top court to declare amendment null and void as votes to pass it were obtained via “harassment”
  • Pakistan’s ruling coalition government says only parliament has power to roll back constitutional amendments
Updated 25 January 2025
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced on Saturday it has challenged a contentious constitutional amendment on judicial reforms in the Supreme Court, urging the top court to declare it null and void as the government allegedly harassed opposition lawmakers to have it passed in parliament.

The ruling coalition government passed the contentious 26th constitutional amendment bill from both houses of parliament in October 2024, amid stiff resistance from opposition parties and the legal fraternity. Both argued the government’s move was an attempt to curtail the independence of the judiciary, a charge it denies. 

The amendments empower a parliamentary committee to appoint the Supreme Court’s chief justice for a fixed term of three years. It also called for the creation of new group of senior judges to weigh exclusively on constitutional issues. 

The government secured 225 votes of the required 224 in the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, with the help of a handful of rebel lawmakers from the PTI. The party has claimed that the government harassed and intimidated opposition lawmakers and their families to secure the votes. The government denies the allegations vehemently. 

“Legal team representing Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf has challenged the 26th amendment in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, requesting to declare its status null & void along with constitutional benches formation & decisions by the judicial bench,” a statement from the party said. 

The PTI alleged that lawmakers were harassed and abducted to ensure the amendments were passed. 

“The 26th amendment was opposed by the party at many levels that publicly criticized the process of pushing through the 26th amendment, with individuals being coerced into voting and genuine consent was not involved,” the PTI added. 

As per a summary of the petition filed in the Supreme Court, the party has maintained that the 26th amendment introduces “unprecedented and substantial” changes to the fundamental structure and salient features of the constitution. 

The development takes place a day after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the government’s key coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party, said only parliament has the power to roll back the 26th constitutional amendment. 

“As far as rolling back the 26th [constitutional] amendment is concerned, that power only rests with this institution,” Bhutto Zardari told reporters at the National Assembly, referring to the lower house of parliament. 

“Neither will we accept nor will the nation nor anyone else if the constitution is rolled back or undermined by another institution.”

TENSIONS WITH THE TOP COURT

The amendment fixing the top justice’s retirement age was passed days before Qazi Faez Isa, the then chief justice, was due to retire. 

Khan’s PTI frequently accused Isa of being aligned with the government, its chief rival, an allegation the government has always rejected. Khan’s party repeatedly said the amendments were aimed at granting an extension in tenure to Isa.

Under the previous law, Isa would have been automatically replaced by the most senior judge behind him, currently Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who consistently issued verdicts deemed favorable to Khan and the PTI.

Sharif’s government has said the bill ensures parliament will not remain “a rubber stamp” one in the wake of its tensions with the judiciary, which were on the rise since the February national election of last year.

Topics: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Supreme Court of Pakistan 26th Constitutional Amendment

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