Supreme Court orders Punjab polls on May 14, putting judiciary on collision course with government

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Updated 04 April 2023
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Supreme Court orders Punjab polls on May 14, putting judiciary on collision course with government

  • Court says election regulator not authorized to extend election date beyond 90 days period stipulated by constitution
  • Directs federal government to provide Rs21 billion funds to ECP by April 10, make security arrangements for elections

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that a decision by the election regulator to postpone polls in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province to October 8 was unconstitutional and announced elections on May 14, a verdict likely to worsen a row between the higher judiciary and the federal government which wants provincial elections held on the same time as national polls.

The landmark ruling comes after days of hearings in the Supreme Court on a petition filed by ex-premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party over the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s decision last month to postpone elections in Punjab from April 30 to October 8.

“Neither the Constitution nor the law empowers the Commission to extend the date of elections beyond the 90 days period as provided in Article 224(2) of the Constitution,” the six-page judgment said, declaring the election regulator’s decision to postpone the election date “unconstitutional.”

“The polling day perforce must be shifted, and moved forward from 30.04.2023 to 14.05.2023.”

Speaking to reporters, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said he felt “pain and regret” at the decision by the three-judge bench.

“This will make the political crisis that we see today deeper and more serious,” he added.

The law minister said there was a perception of division within the country’s judiciary:

“To eliminate this perception, as the head of the institution, the chief justice should have taken this important constitutional and legal issue to a larger bench,” Tarar said, urging the chief justice to call a full court meeting to discuss the issue to avoid Pakistan descending into “chaos.”

Provincial assemblies in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces were dissolved in January by Khan and his allies in a bid to force early general elections, since Pakista historically holds the provincial and national elections together. According to Pakistan’s constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of a legislative assembly.

After weeks of delays and political wrangling on the issue, the Supreme Court in a 3:2 verdict on March 1 ordered the ECP to fulfil its constitutional obligation and announce an election schedule for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The ECP subsequently said the vote in Punjab would be held on April 30 but later said it was impossible to hold the vote in April due to security and financial concerns. It announced October 8 as the new poll date in Punjab.

Khan’s PTI party then approached the Supreme Court, which has since been debating whether the ECP’s postponement decision was legal.

At Tuesday’s hearing, the court ruled that the election commission’s order to postpone polls had wasted 13 days, directing the federal government to release the required election funds of Rs21 billion to the ECP by April 10 and make security arrangements for election duty.

“Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Federal Government must make available all necessary personnel, whether from the Armed Forces, Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and all other forces under the direct, indirect or ultimate command and control of the said Government, as are required by the Commission for security and other purposes related to the general elections,” the judgment said. 

“In this regard, the Federal Government must forthwith, and not later than 17.04.2023, provide a plan acceptable to the Commission.”

As per the court order, the election commission is bound to issue a final list of candidates on April 19 and allot election symbols to all candidates on April 20.

During previous hearings in the case, the election commission had assured the court it would hold the elections if it was provided with the required funds and security for election duty.

Khan’s party has welcomed the judgment, calling it ‘historic and constitutional’ and urging all other political parties to create a “conducive environment” for peaceful polls in Punjab.

“It is a clear, historic and constitutional judgment,” PTI lawyer Ali Zafar told reporters after the court released its judgment. “The constitutional supremacy stands proven today through this verdict.”

Senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi called the verdict a “watershed moment” in Pakistan’s political history.

“A clear line has been drawn [to differentiate] between democratic powers, constitutional powers and unconstitutional powers,” Qureshi told reporters outside the court, commenting on the verdict.




Shah Mahmood Qureshi, center, a leader of former premier Imran Khan's Tahreek-e-Insaf party, is surrounded by party leaders and workers as he speaks outside the Supreme Court following court decision regarding provincial elections, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 4, 2023. (AP)

The PTI leader urged the party’s followers and leaders to start preparing for elections: “Prepare yourself to be the next government of Pakistan and the next government of Punjab, god willing.”

The verdict in the election delay case comes as, separately, Pakistan’s parliament has passed a new law to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court’s chief justice amid a row between the higher judiciary and the government on the holding of snap polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The government says it is economically not viable to hold the snap elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa first and then have another general election this year in October.

The Supreme Court last month ordered the snap polls to be held in the two provinces within 90 days of the dissolution of the two local governments, which falls by April 30.


Pakistani PM holds informal meeting with Saudi Crown Prince at royal court luncheon 

Updated 33 min 13 sec ago
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Pakistani PM holds informal meeting with Saudi Crown Prince at royal court luncheon 

  • Luncheon attended by important leaders from the Middle East, including Saudi cabinet members and top Saudi civil and military leaders
  • Crown prince and Sharif will hold bilateral talks that are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, regional security

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held “informal talks” with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today, Friday, at a special luncheon at the royal court, ahead of bilateral talks between the two leaders.

Sharif arrived in the Kingdom on Thursday on a two-day visit in which he will hold bilateral discussions with the Saudi Crown Prince on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.

A statement from Sharif’s office said the Crown Prince gave a “special welcome” to the PM and personally drove him to attend the lunch.

“The Saudi Crown Prince warmly welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif at the lunch and informal talks were held between the two leaders,” the statement said. 

“The lunch was attended by important leaders from the Middle East, including members of the Saudi cabinet and top Saudi civil and military leadership.”

Sharif reached Jeddah on Thursday evening and departed for Makkah to perform Umrah, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had said in an earlier statement.

“The two leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade and investment, welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and regional peace and security,” PMO said about Sharif’s meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince later today, Friday. 

Sharif is also expected to express gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their role in de-escalating recent tensions between Pakistan and India. 

Last month, following the worst military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades, Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf nations, played a key role in mediating between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, helping to avert a potential war. 

The visit also comes amid deepening economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In recent months, the two countries have signed multiple agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment. Notably, Saudi Arabia has committed to a $5 billion investment package to support Pakistan’s economy, which has been grappling with a balance of payments crisis.

Last year, Saudi and Pakistani businessmen signed 34 memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion, covering sectors such as industry, technology, and agriculture. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Manara Minerals is in talks to acquire a 10-20 percent stake in Pakistan’s $9 billion Reko Diq copper and gold mining project, one of the largest of its kind globally.

Defense cooperation is also a key component of the bilateral relationship. The two nations have a history of military collaboration, with Saudi Arabia providing support to Pakistan during times of regional tension and Pakistan training Saudi forces. 

Pakistan has a 2.7 million-strong diaspora in Saudi Arabia, which accounts for the highest remittance inflow, a crucial lifeline for the country’s economy.


Pakistan says US should encourage India to engage in ‘comprehensive dialogue’

Updated 40 min 40 sec ago
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Pakistan says US should encourage India to engage in ‘comprehensive dialogue’

  • Weeks after their worst military confrontation in decades, India and Pakistan have dispatched top lawmakers to press their cases in the US
  • Pakistan team led by ex-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, India’s by one of its most prominent opposition politicians Shashi Tharoor

WASHINGTON: The head of a delegation visiting Washington DC to present Islamabad’s position following a recent military standoff with New Delhi said on Friday the United States should encourage India and Pakistan to engage in a “comprehensive dialogue.” 

Weeks after their worst military confrontation in decades, India and Pakistan have dispatched top lawmakers to press their cases in the United States, where President Donald Trump has shown eagerness for diplomacy between them.

After crisscrossing the world, the delegations descended this week at the same time on Washington, which played a key mediatory role in a ceasefire after four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed adversaries in May.

In strikingly similar strategies, the rival delegations are both led by veteran politicians who have been critical of their countries’ governments and are known for their ease in speaking to Western audiences. Pakistan has embraced an active role for the Trump administration while India, which has close relations with Washington, has been more circumspect and has long refused outside mediation on the flashpoint Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

“Just like the United States and President Trump played a role in encouraging us to achieve this ceasefire, I believe they should play their part in encouraging both sides to engage in a comprehensive dialogue,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the scion of a political dynasty whose Pakistan People’s Party says it belongs neither to the governing coalition nor opposition.

“I don’t quite understand the Indian government’s hesitance,” Bhuttoo Zardari, the head of the Pakistani diplomatic delegation, told AFP.

“I’m the first to criticize the United States for so many reasons, but where they do the right thing, where they do the difficult task of actually achieving a ceasefire, they deserve appreciation.”

India’s delegation is led by one of its most prominent opposition politicians, Shashi Tharoor, a former senior UN official and writer.

He said he was putting the national interest first, despite disagreements domestically with Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Tharoor said he heard “total support and solidarity for India” during his meetings with US lawmakers and a “complete understanding of India’s right to defend itself against terrorism.”

“NO EQUIVALENCE”

Gunmen on April 22 massacred 26 tourists on the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, most singled out as Hindus, in the deadliest attack on civilians in decades in the scenic region that has seen a long-running insurgency.

India accused Pakistan of backing the assailants — which it denies — and launched strikes on Pakistani territory. More than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides.

“There can be no equivalence between a country sending terrorists and a country having its civilians killed, holiday-makers, tourists, men shot down in front of their wives and children after being asked their religion,” Tharoor told a news conference.

He said he was “puzzled” by those who believe denials of responsibility by Pakistan, pointing to how US forces found Osama bin Laden in the country.

Tharoor also noted that former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto Zardari’s father, had advocated peace with India but was in power during the siege of Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

“If they can’t control what they’re doing to us, why bother to talk to them?” said Tharoor, who pointed to the outsized role of the military in Pakistan.

“NEW NORMAL”

Trump has repeatedly credited his administration with averting nuclear war and said the United States had negotiated an agreement to hold talks between the two sides at a neutral site, an assertion that met India’s silence.

Pakistan had cool relations with Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, whose aides bitterly resented Islamabad’s role in the Afghanistan war, but Pakistan has quickly worked to woo Trump including with the arrest of a suspect in a deadly 2021 attack that killed more than 170 people, including 13 US troops, during the withdrawal from Kabul.

Bilawal, recalling how his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a terror attack, said Pakistan was ready to discuss terrorism with India but that Kashmir as a “root cause” also needed to be on the table.

He said that India was establishing a dangerous new precedent in South Asia where whenever there is a terrorist attack in any country, “you go straight to war.”

“I think that the fate of 1.7 billion people and our two great nations should not left in the hands of these nameless, faceless, non-state actors and this new normal that India is trying to impose on the region,” he said.

The two delegations have no plans to meet in Washington.


Pakistan moves to build ‘direct collaboration’ with New York Crypto Council

Updated 06 June 2025
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Pakistan moves to build ‘direct collaboration’ with New York Crypto Council

  • CEO of Pakistan Crypto Council has been on a visit to the United States since last month
  •  Saqib has met over a dozen key US lawmakers, government officials, including New York mayor

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, has met New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in a “key step” toward building “direct collaboration” between the crypto councils of Pakistan and New York, Saqib’s office said in a statement on Friday. 

The minister, who is also the CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), has been on a visit to the United States since last month, where he has met over a dozen key US government officials and lawmakers to strengthen cooperation in the areas of digital assets, blockchain regulation, and financial innovation.

Pakistan set up the PCC in March to create a legal framework for cryptocurrency trading in a bid to lure international investment. In April, Pakistan introduced its first-ever policy framework to set rules for how digital money like cryptocurrencies and the companies that deal in it should operate in Pakistan. The policy has been formulated to align with compliance and financial integrity guidelines of the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Last month, the government also approved setting up the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), a specialized regulatory body to oversee blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Saqib last week also unveiled the country’s first government-led strategic bitcoin reserve at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas.

“Both New York City and Pakistan have taken bold steps by establishing dedicated Crypto Councils to support the responsible growth of the digital economy,” a statement from Saqib’s office said after he met Adams.

“This meeting marked a key step toward building direct collaboration between the New York Crypto Council and the Pakistan Crypto Council— two government-backed bodies committed to shaping the future of Web3.”

Adams and Saqib explored opportunities to co-develop knowledge-sharing initiatives, capacity-building programs, and strategic advisory efforts to foster innovation and also discussed regulatory compliance. 

“This event marked the final stop on Minister Saqib’s official US tour focused on blockchain innovation, public-private partnerships, and advancing global crypto collaboration. The meeting at Gracie Mansion offered a fitting conclusion— highlighting New York City’s pivotal role in global tech leadership and Pakistan’s emergence as a bold new voice in the digital asset space,” the statement said. 

Late last month, Pakistan announced the allocation of 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity in the first phase of a national initiative to power bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers. The allocation is the first phase of a broader, multi-stage digital infrastructure roll-out.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a meeting at the Finance Division to review progress on the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital and virtual assets in the country. 

The law ministry tabled a draft of the proposed legal framework during the meeting, which was developed through close collaboration with members of the PCC, key stakeholders and technical experts.

“During the meeting, the draft was thoroughly reviewed and refined,” the Finance Division said. “It was collectively agreed that in-principle approval process will be fast-tracked to ensure timely enactment and effective implementation.”

The draft legislation outlines a regulatory structure for digital and virtual assets, encompassing governance mechanisms, licensing protocols and investor protection provisions, the statement said. The proposed framework seeks to position Pakistan as a forward-looking participant in the digital asset ecosystem, the statement added.


US fund commits $10 million for startup investment initiative led by Pakistani tech leaders 

Updated 06 June 2025
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US fund commits $10 million for startup investment initiative led by Pakistani tech leaders 

  • Mehwish Salman Ali, Malik Mudassir to receive $10 million to invest in high-potential startups planning to scale US operations 
  • Target investment range is $250,000 to $1.5 million per startup, portfolio size will be 15-20 carefully selected companies over 2 years

ISLAMABAD: The JR Dallas Tech Fund on Friday announced a “groundbreaking” $10 million commitment to globally recognized technology leaders, Pakistan’s Mehwish Salman Ali and Malik Mudassir, to spearhead an exclusive US-focused startup investment initiative.

Under the agreement, Ali and Mudassir will receive $10 million in dedicated capital to identify, evaluate, and invest in high-potential startups planning to scale operations in the United States. The duo will serve as lead investment partners with full authority to deploy capital across artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital health, and frontier technology ventures.

“We are entrusting $10 million to two of the most visionary technology leaders of our generation,” said Jehangir A. Raja, Managing Partner at JR Dallas Tech Fund. 

“Mehwish and Malik represent the perfect combination of technical expertise, entrepreneurial success, and strategic vision needed to identify the next generation of game-changing startups ready to conquer the American market.”

According to the statement by JR Dallas, economic impact projections of the funding include direct job creation, with portfolio companies expected to generate 300-500 high-skilled technology positions within 24 months.

The target investment range is $250,000 to $1.5 million per startup and focus areas are AI/Machine Learning, Cloud Infrastructure, Digital Health, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity.

The portfolio size will be 15-20 carefully selected companies over 24 months.

The commitment will also strengthen Texas as a hub for international tech talent entering the US market and accelerate breakthrough technologies in AI, health care, and cloud infrastructure. Portfolio companies are also projected to contribute $50-100 million in US economic activity within three years.

Ali is the founder and CEO of Data Vault, Pakistan’s first solar-powered and quantum-encrypted AI data center, co-founder of Zahanat AI, the country’s first indigenous GPT model, and COO of AppsGenii Technologies. 

As a TEDx speaker and Forbes Technology Council member, Ali’s track record in AI innovation, cybersecurity, and operational excellence “makes her uniquely qualified to identify transformative technologies ready for US market expansion,” JR Dallas said. 

Mudassir is the founder & CEO of AppsGenii Technologies, operating across the US, UK, and Pakistan, and co-founder of multiple successful ventures including GharPar, BoxesGen, and Dental Connect. He is also a Central Executive Committee Member at P@SHA, Pakistan’s largest IT trade association. 


Pakistan condemns Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on eve of Eid Al-Adha

Updated 06 June 2025
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Pakistan condemns Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on eve of Eid Al-Adha

  • Israeli strikes pummelled southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital late on Thursday, sending thousands fleeing 
  • Israeli strikes also hit southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana shortly after evacuation warnings were issued for the area 

ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan on Friday “unequivocally” condemned airstrikes by Israeli forces on Beirut’s suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon on the eve of the Eid Al-Adha religious holiday, the foreign office said. 

Israeli air strikes pummelled the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital late on Thursday, sending thousands of people fleeing on the eve of the Muslim feast day and prompting accusations by top Lebanese officials that Israel was violating a ceasefire deal.

At least 10 strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs — a sprawling area known as Dahiyeh — in a wave of bombing that began about 90 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for four sites in the area.

It was the fourth time that Dahiyeh has been bombed since a US-brokered truce in November ended a year-long war between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.

“These attacks, launched on the eve of Eid Al-Adha, constitute a blatant violation of international law, sovereignty of Lebanon, and the ceasefire agreement of November 2024,” the Pakistani foreign office said. 

“The reckless use of force threatens civilian lives, fuels regional instability, and undermines efforts for lasting peace.” 

Pakistan urged the international community, particularly the United Nations and ceasefire mediators, to take “immediate action to hold Israeli occupying forces accountable and prevent further escalation.”

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire says Hezbollah must pull all military equipment and fighters out of southern Lebanon and says all non-state militant groups must be disarmed across the country.

The Israeli military said on Thursday it was planning to strike “underground UAV production infrastructure sites that were deliberately established in the heart of the civilian population” in Dahiyeh.

It said Hezbollah was producing thousands of drones there, “with the direction and funding of Iranian terrorists.”

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which in the past has denied placing military infrastructure in civilian areas.

Israeli strikes also hit the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana, according to Lebanese state media, shortly after evacuation warnings were issued for the area.

The attacks occurred as the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha was due to begin on Thursday. The strikes “generated renewed panic and fear on the eve of Eid Al-Adha,” the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon said on X.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam both condemned the attacks as a “blatant violation” of international agreements.

With inputs from Reuters