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  • Delaying polls unconstitutional, experts say, as Pakistan law minister hints at extension for provincial caretakers


Delaying polls unconstitutional, experts say, as Pakistan law minister hints at extension for provincial caretakers

Voters cast their ballot at a polling station during the by-election for national assembly seats, in Karachi on October 16, 2022. (Photo courtesy: AFP)
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Updated 01 February 2023
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Delaying polls unconstitutional, experts say, as Pakistan law minister hints at extension for provincial caretakers

  • Ex-PM Khan’s party dissolved assemblies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to force government to announce snap polls
  • Law Minister Tarrar has hinted the constitution allows for extension for caretaker setups in case of security and economic issues
Updated 01 February 2023
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The general elections in Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assemblies as per the constitution, election and constitutional experts said on Wednesday, warning that a violation would be ‘extra constitutional.’

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party dissolved both the provincial assemblies last month in a bid to force the federal government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to announce early national elections. The federal government has rejected Khan’s demand, saying elections would be held on time in October.

The governors of Punjab and KP have not announced dates for general elections in their respective provinces yet though the assemblies were dissolved on Jan. 14 and 18, respectively.

On Monday, in comments made in parliament, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar hinted at the possibility of extending the terms of the caretaker governments in the KP and Punjab, unleashing debate over whether such a move would be legal.

“This would be extra constitutional, to not hold general elections in Punjab and KP within 90 days of the dissolution of these assemblies,” Ali Zafar, a lawyer who is a PTI senator and represents the party in its legal cases, told Arab News.

“We have moved the Lahore High Court for directions to the governor and Election Commission of Pakistan for announcement of a date for the elections in Punjab,” he said. “The violation of the constitution can only be expected during martial law.”

Article 224 of the constitution says that when the National Assembly or a provincial assembly is dissolved, “a general election to the assembly shall be held within a period of ninety days after the dissolution.”

The ECP has also written separate letters to the Punjab and KP governors to announce dates for elections in their respective provinces, so that the regulator could start the electoral process, which requires at least 54 days to complete.

In response, KP Governor Hajji Ghulam Ali has advised the election commission to consult with law enforcement agencies before fixing an election date, given what he called an ‘alarming law and order situation in the province.’

“The Election Commission of Pakistan should consult and take into confidence the relevant institutions/LEA [law enforcement agencies] as well as political parties to ensure that conduct of general elections in a fair, free and peaceful manner in the province is possible,” the KP Governor said in a letter to the regulator.

Militancy has been on the rise in Pakistan in recent weeks and Peshawar, the capital of KP province, was hit this week by one of the deadliest attacks in recent memory, as a suicide bomber struck a mosque inside a police compound, killing over 100 people, at least 97 of them from police.

In his comments in parliament this week on the day of the Peshawar attack, Law Minister Tarrar said the constitution allowed for an extension in the tenure of a caretaker setup “in case of law and order or economic issues.”

He cited past examples of election delays due to floods in 1988 and the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007, which resulted in a change in the dates for the 2008 general elections.

Currently, Pakistan is in the grips of a deep economic crisis amid its biggest ever currency devaluation and a rash of emergency spending cuts, offering the clearest sign yet that the nuclear-armed nation faces the risk of a default unless it receives massive external support.

Tarrar and State Minister for Law and Justice Senator Shahadat Awan did not respond to attempts to seek comment for this story.

Election experts said the federal government wanted to delay the elections in Punjab and KP provinces, but there was no provision for it in the constitution.

“The constitution is very clear on holding the elections, so technically the government or even the election commission cannot delay them by just giving any excuse,” Rashid Chaudhry, deputy-director programs at the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Islamabad, told Arab News.

He said it would be “unprecedented” to delay the elections in the provinces: “There is no room for it in the constitution.”

Chaudhry said a timeline was not given in the constitution about the election schedule, but a clear deadline of “within 90 days” was mentioned, which “must be respected.”

“It is beyond our imagination as to how the constitutional provision can be violated by the election commission,” he said, adding that the superior judiciary should intervene to ensure elections were held within the specific timeframe.

Concurring with Chaudhry, Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), said the election commission, not the federal government, was the relevant authority to decide on election dates.

“We cannot rule out a delay in the elections at the moment especially after the deadly Peshawar blast in which around hundred police personnel have been killed,” he told Arab News. “The election commission has already delayed local government elections in Islamabad and other territories following a request by the government.”

Constitutional experts said the federal government and the election commission would have to provide “solid reasons” if they decided to delay the elections.

“It is a constitutional requirement to hold the elections, so they cannot just violate it without any valid reason,” Justice (retired) Shaiq Usmani told Arab News.

However, he said the federal government and election commission could stave off the consequences of violating the constitution by citing Article 254, which states:

“When any act or thing is required by the constitution to be done within a particular period and it is not done within that period, the doing of the act or thing shall not be invalid or otherwise ineffective by reason only that it was not done within that period.”
 

Topics: elections Provincial Assembly Elections Punjab Assembly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Riyadh-based digital bloc says Pakistan’s 2026 presidency to boost country’s global tech standing

Updated 9 sec ago
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Riyadh-based digital bloc says Pakistan’s 2026 presidency to boost country’s global tech standing

  • Pakistan is a founding member of the Digital Cooperation Organization which was established in November 2020
  • Its secretary general, Deemah AlYahya, is currently in Pakistan where DCO is co-hosting a digital investment summit
Updated 9 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Secretary-General of the Riyadh-based Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), Deemah AlYahya, said on Tuesday Pakistan’s forthcoming presidency of the multilateral body was part of ongoing efforts to position the country as a regional and global digital leader.

Founded in November 2020, the DCO is an intergovernmental organization aimed at accelerating digital transformation and encouraging collaboration among member states. The organization’s founding members include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Pakistan, with Nigeria and Oman joining shortly thereafter. Pakistan is scheduled to assume the DCO presidency in 2026, following Kuwait’s term in 2025.

AlYahya, a Saudi digital economy expert and the organization’s Secretary-General since April 2021, is responsible for engaging with heads of state, ministers and private sector leaders to bridge digital divides across member nations. She is currently in Islamabad for a two-day Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) summit, organized by Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication in collaboration with the DCO.

The event has attracted over 400 delegates and more than 200 IT and telecom companies from over 30 countries.

“The presidency of Pakistan that is planned for 2026 for DCO is a continuous effort for positioning Pakistan as the digital powerhouse for the region and for the globe as well,” the DCO secretary-general told Arab News in an exclusive conversation on the sidelines of the forum in Islamabad.

She said Pakistan’s leadership role would not only benefit the country in terms of infrastructure and technological advancement but also put it in a position where it will be able to support other countries to grow as well.

“The DCO is working to open markets for enterprises across all member states, enabling smooth and healthy cross-border collaboration, so Pakistan will have a leading role in making such kind of advancement happen,” she added.

AlYahya said that seeing the youth and the growth in Pakistan’s digital sector gave her a great sense of optimism.

“It gives us a lot of motivation to put hands in hands with all our member countries and utilize the amazing advancement in each and every country,” she added.

She noted that DCO believed every country had a unique competitive advantage that can help address challenges faced by others, adding it was her organization’s role to identify these imperatives, strengths and areas for improvement.

“The Digital FDI event here in Pakistan … is one example of how can we explore the competitive advantage of the great infrastructure, youth, talent, the advancement in software and hardware here in Pakistan and attract the private sector to harness these opportunities in the land of Pakistan,” she added.

Pakistan’s IT exports reached a record $3.2 billion in FY2024, reflecting a 24 percent increase from the previous year, according to the State Bank of Pakistan. In the first half of the current fiscal year (FY2025), exports rose further to $1.86 billion, up 28 percent year-on-year, with monthly figures averaging around $310 million.

This growth trajectory is underpinned by a number of factors, including an expanding global client base, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Pakistan is now aiming to cross the $4 billion mark in IT exports by the end of FY2025.

Topics: Digital Cooperation Organization Deemah AlYahya

Pakistan tells UN Israel killing Palestinians at ‘four times the rate of previous conflicts’

Updated 44 min 16 sec ago
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Pakistan tells UN Israel killing Palestinians at ‘four times the rate of previous conflicts’

  • Asim Iftikhar Ahmed says peace will remain an illusion until Israel’s occupation of Arab lands continues
  • He calls for a ceasefire, full humanitarian access to Gaza and a credible path to Palestinian statehood
Updated 44 min 16 sec ago
Fatimah Amjad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations said on Tuesday Israel was killing civilians in Gaza at “four times the rate of previous conflicts” as he urged the international community to move toward permanent peace in the Middle East by ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories.
The war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has so far killed around 52,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, raised the issue during a high-level debate at the Security Council on the Middle East. He described Israel’s ongoing military campaign as “the erasure of a nation’s right to exist” and accused it of war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
“Israel’s unilateral breach of the ceasefire agreement — brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States [earlier this year] — was a deliberate choice of return to war over diplomacy,” Ahmed said. “This assault on Gaza is killing civilians at four times the rate of previous conflicts. Since hostilities resumed, nearly 2,000 more Palestinians have been killed, adding to the staggering death toll of over 52,000, among them more than 17,000 children.”
Ahmed condemned the attack earlier this month on Al-Ahli hospital, the last major facility providing critical health care in Gaza, calling it a “horrific massacre.”
He said Israeli forces were deliberately targeting civilians, aid convoys and critical infrastructure, while using starvation as a weapon of war.
“The deliberate targeting of civilians and essential infrastructure, the use of starvation as a weapon, and the incineration of displaced families in tents — these are not collateral damages of war; they are methods of war,” he said.
The Pakistani envoy also blamed Israel for violating ceasefire agreements and UN resolutions in Lebanon and Syria, calling the pattern “clear.”
“As long as the root cause, the illegal occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands, is ignored and not addressed, peace will remain an illusion,” he added.
Calling for immediate international action, Ahmed urged the Security Council to pursue a permanent ceasefire, full humanitarian access to Gaza and a credible path to Palestinian statehood.
He welcomed the upcoming June peace conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia as a “vital opportunity” and called for concrete outcomes, including a timeline for statehood, protection of civilians and full UN membership for Palestine.
“Seventy-five years of failure have shown one immutable truth: peace cannot coexist with occupation, justice cannot thrive under apartheid and stability cannot take root where millions remain stateless,” Ahmed added.

Topics: Pakistan Israel Palestine

Pakistan’s Noor Zaman revives family legacy with epic Under-23 world squash championship comeback

Updated 50 min 51 sec ago
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Pakistan’s Noor Zaman revives family legacy with epic Under-23 world squash championship comeback

  • Zaman defeated opponents from Kuwait, Poland, France and Malaysia on his path to the final
  • His epic win has got him a wildcard entry to Senior World Championship in Chicago next month
Updated 50 min 51 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Noor Zaman found himself on the brink of defeat after losing the first two games to his Egyptian counterpart in the final of the Under-23 Men’s World Squash Championship in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi this month.

The 21-year-old faced a moment of truth in front of a roaring home crowd and decided he could not lose the world championship Pakistan was hosting for the first time in 30 years and what followed was an epic comeback from Zaman to beat Egypt’s Karim El Turky 3-2.

His victory was not just a personal milestone but a symbolic moment for Pakistani squash, a sport once dominated by legends like Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, and Zaman’s own grandfather, Qamar Zaman.

“When I got 2-0 down, only one thing was coming to my mind that ‘a world championship is being held in Pakistan after three decades, the whole crowd is sitting here to support me, if I lose, I will regret it a lot’,” Zaman recalled.

“I thought to myself that ‘all the hard work I have done in the past three, four months to prepare for this tournament, I should go to the court and fight for every single point.’ Thank God, I fought for every point and Allah made me the world champion.”

Pakistani officials welcome Under-23 world squash champion Noor Zaman (right) at Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 12, 2025. (Pakistan Squash Federation)

Zaman, who hails from the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, says for him, squash was more of an obligation than a passion.

“When I was young, I used to be taken for playing squash [by my grandfather]. I was not as passionate in childhood,” he said.

But with time, the sport became his calling.

Zaman’s ascent began with two consecutive Asian Junior Championship titles last year, followed by a silver medal at the Asian Games after graduating to the senior category.

The Under-23 World Squash Championship saw participation from 32 countries, with Zaman defeating opponents from Kuwait, Poland, France, and Malaysia on his path to the final. Zaman defeated 3-0 the players he had narrowly contested against as a junior, which was a testament to his growing dominance in the game.

Pakistani officials welcome Under-23 world squash champion Noor Zaman (right) poses for a picture with the trophy after winning the Under-23 Men’s World Squash Championship in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 10, 2025. (Pakistan Squash Federation)

His final opponent, Egypt’s El Turky, pushed him to the limit, but Zaman staged a spirited comeback, cheered on by an electrifying crowd in Karachi.

But there has hardly been any official recognition of Zaman’s feat.

“Everyone congratulated me — government officials, seniors, everyone — but no one has yet invited me for any honors,” he shared.

The 21-year-old remains grounded, driven by the legacy of his grandfather who continues to nurture talent in Peshawar by organizing regular tournaments.

“This is our family game and all the players emerging from Peshawar are emerging because of him, because of his support,” Noor said.

“He organizes 2-3 tournaments every month, which gives motivation to kids and they improve further.”

Zaman’s victory in the Under-23 championship has earned him a direct wildcard entry to next month’s Senior World Championship in Chicago.

The young Pakistani squash star is hopeful of not just carrying forward his family’s legacy, but also helping his country reclaim its former glory in the sport.

“God willing, now, I am going to play the Senior World Championship, [and] the goal is to become the Senior World Champion,” he said.

Topics: Noor Zaman Pakistan Under-23 world squash championship Jahangir Khan Qamar Zaman squash

Pakistan says India planning military action within ‘24 to 36 hours’ as US calls for restraint

Updated 30 April 2025
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Pakistan says India planning military action within ‘24 to 36 hours’ as US calls for restraint

  • Ataullah Tarrar warns ‘onus of escalatory spiral and its ensuing consequences shall squarely lie with India’
  • US says Secretary of State Marco Rubio will contact Pakistan and India ‘as early as today or tomorrow’
Updated 30 April 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Ataullah Tarrar said on Wednesday Islamabad had “credible intelligence” India was planning to launch a military action against Pakistan within the next “24 to 36 hours,” as the United States urged both nuclear-armed neighbors to resolve their differences peacefully.

Relations between the two South Asian nations have deteriorated sharply following an attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people.

New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the assault, but Pakistan denied any involvement and called for an independent investigation while warning India against any escalation.

Tarrar issued the warning in a video statement, hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his top military commanders alongside the country’s defense minister and national security adviser, reportedly granting them “operational freedom” to respond to last week’s attack.

“Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident,” he said.

“Indian self-assumed hubristic role of judge, jury, and executioner in the region is reckless and vehemently rejected,” he added.

Tarrar reiterated that Pakistan had itself suffered from militancy and “always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations anywhere in the world.”

He said Islamabad had proposed a credible and transparent probe by a neutral commission of experts to ascertain facts around the Pahalgam attack, but “India had decided to tread the path of confrontation.”

“Evasion of credible investigation is in itself sufficient evidence exposing India’s real motives, consciously making strategic decisions hostage to public sentiments purposefully trumped up for securing political objectives is unfortunate and deplorable,” he said.

“Pakistan reiterates that any such military adventurism by India would be responded to assuredly and decisively,” he added. “The international community must remain alive to the reality that the onus of escalatory spiral and its ensuing consequences shall squarely lie with India.”


Meanwhile, the United States said it was closely monitoring the situation and had reached out to both governments.

“We’re also monitoring the developments across the board in that region, and we ... are in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan, not just at the foreign minister level, certainly, but at multiple levels,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a media briefing.

“The Secretary [of State Marco Rubio] expects to speak with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India as early as today or tomorrow,” she added. “He is encouraging other national leaders, other foreign ministers, to also reach out to the countries on this issue.”

On Friday, US President Donald Trump had sought to downplay the tensions, saying tensions over Kashmir had lingered for a significantly long period and the matter would be “figured out, one way or another.”

Topics: Pakistan India Ties India Kashmir attack Ataullah Tarar Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan says will defend itself as Modi gives Indian army ‘operational freedom’ over Kashmir

Updated 29 April 2025
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Pakistan says will defend itself as Modi gives Indian army ‘operational freedom’ over Kashmir

  • Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif rejects Indian allegations and calls for a neutral investigation in conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Updated 29 April 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday told United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Pakistan shall defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force as Indian PM Modi gave the country’s military “operational freedom” to respond to last week’s attack in Kashmir, amid soaring tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Modi on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with army and security chiefs a week after the deadliest attack in years that killed 26 civilians, and told the armed forces that they had the “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response to the terror attack,” AFP reported, citing a government source.
Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing the attack on April 22. Islamabad has rejected the charge and both countries have since exchanged gunfire in Kashmir, taken diplomatic measures against each other, expelled citizens and ordered the border shut. Modi last week vowed to pursue those who carried out the attack in Pahalgam and those who had supported it.
Amid heightened tensions, UN chief Guterres called PM Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday and underscored “the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Gutterres offered his good offices to support the de-escalation efforts.
“While underscoring that Pakistan shall defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any misadventure by India, the prime minister encouraged the UN Secretary-General to counsel India to act responsibly and exercise restraint,” Sharif’s office said. 
“The prime minister categorically rejected any attempt to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident and reiterated his call for a transparent and neutral investigation into the incident.”
India on April 23 suspended the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until “Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” Islamabad described India’s move as an “act of war” and closed the Pakistani airspace for Indian airlines.
Guterres’ call came amid fears that India may conduct limited airstrikes or special forces raids near its border with Pakistan.
In his conversation with the UN chief, Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment toward fostering international peace and security as a responsible member of the international community and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
“He particularly highlighted India’s weaponization of the waters of the Indus Basin as unacceptable, while noting that water was the lifeline of 240 million people,” Sharif’s office said.
Also on Tuesday, Pakistani Deputy PM Ishaq Dar claimed India had been attempting to alter the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which determines the river water-sharing mechanism between both countries, for the past two years.
“I have my doubt, much like other people, that this drama was staged to suspend this treaty,” he said, referring to the Pahalgam attack.
“We obviously don’t have evidence that they have staged this drama,” he continued. “What we do say with full confidence is that Pakistan has nothing to do with this [attack].”
Tensions have been boiling between the two nations since the attack in Kashmir, which has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries have fought two wars over the disputed region they rule in part but claim in full.
The worst attack in recent years in Indian-administered Kashmir took place in Pulwama in 2019, when an insurgent rammed a car packed with explosives into a security forces convoy, killing 40 and wounding 35.
Indian fighter jets carried out air strikes on Pakistani territory 12 days later. The strikes were followed by the downing of an Indian fighter jet by Pakistan and the capturing of an Indian Air Force (IAF), who was released as a result of diplomatic efforts later.
The UN has urged the arch-rivals to talk, while China, which shares its border with both India and Pakistan, on Tuesday repeated its call on both sides to “exercise restraint.” Saudi Arabia has said Riyadh was trying to “prevent an escalation,” while Iran has offered to mediate the crisis.

Topics: Pakistan India Ties Pahalgam attack

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