ISLAMABAD: Three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will be addressing public gatherings across Pakistan as part of his party’s election campaign for which a detailed schedule will be chalked out in the coming days, a senior member of his party said on Tuesday, more than a week after his return to the country from a self-imposed exile.
The statement came after Sharif chaired a meeting of party members at his residence in Jati Umra, Lahore to discuss the formation of parliamentary boards for distribution of party tickets to candidates, election campaign schedule and the manifesto of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party for the general elections due to be held in January.
Sharif resumes political activities after a hiatus of around four years following his return on October 21 from a self-imposed exile in London. In 2018, the three-time former premier was handed down seven- and ten-year prison sentences in two separate corruption cases, though he managed to fly to London in November 2019 on medical grounds. He was also disqualified for life from holding any public office.
Prior to his return to Pakistan, Sharif not only secured protective bail from the Islamabad High Court, but the court last week restored his appeals against conviction. However, the courts have yet to suspend or overturn the sentences for Sharif to run in elections.
“Nawaz Sharif will be leading the party’s election campaign and addressing public gatherings across Pakistan to win public support,” Rana Mashhood Ahmad, a senior PML-N figure, told Arab News, following the Lahore huddle.
“Each and everything was discussed in the meeting today, including formation of the parliamentary boards for issuance of tickets to potential candidates,” he said, adding his party was “fully ready” to go to the polls.
About Sharif’s legal hurdles, he said the PML-N legal team was looking into all the cases against the ex-premier and “apparently there is no serious legal challenge barring him from contesting the election.”
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by Sharif’s arch-rival Imran Khan, is also preparing to give a tough time to PML-N candidates in the election.
While Khan’s party gears up for elections, the ex-premier remains in jail on a judicial remand in a case related to leaking contents of an alleged diplomatic correspondence between Washington and Islamabad last year that Khan says is proof his ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022 was part of a US conspiracy to remove him.
“The PTI is fully prepared to trounce rival candidates in the elections, even if Imran Khan remains in jail during the campaign,” Barrister Gohar Khan, a member of the PTI’s core committee, told Arab News.
“We are not getting a level playing field, but our homework to go to the polls is complete.”
PTI parliamentary boards have already finalized potential candidates for each national and provincial constituency, and even adjustments have been made in constituencies where the candidates have announced quitting the party, according to Gohar.
Several PTI members, including top Khan aides, have quit the party in recent months, amid a crackdown on PTI supporters following alleged attacks by them on government and military installations on May 9, which came in reaction to Khan’s brief arrest in a graft case.
“We have selected a panel for vacant constituencies instead of a single candidate to make sure that PTI candidate contests the election from each constituency, come what may,” he said, denying the possibility of an alliance with other parties.
“Only a massive rigging in the polls could keep PTI from sweeping the election.”
Political analysts say pre-poll rigging has already been underway by not allowing the PTI even to hold worker conventions ahead of the elections, while the PML-N was having a hard time restoring its public appeal.
“If elections are held in the last week of January as per the election regulator’s announcement, they will not be called free and fair elections by any means. Tangible pre-poll rigging is being done to damage one party, PTI, ahead of the polls,” Zaigham Khan, a political analyst, told Arab News.
“The PTI is still the most popular party in KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) province despite all hardships, while the PML-N does not seem to reclaim its popularity even in Punjab. Political instability and uncertainty seem to continue in Pakistan even after the elections.”
Ex-PM Sharif to hold election rallies across Pakistan, party says days after his return from exile
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Ex-PM Sharif to hold election rallies across Pakistan, party says days after his return from exile
- The party of Sharif’s rival, ex-PM Imran Khan, says it has already finalized candidates for each constituency to ‘sweep the polls’
- Political analyst says elections cannot be called free and fair on the basis of ‘pre-poll rigging’ being done to damage Khan’s PTI
Win over England a ‘relief’ but doesn’t fix Pakistan woes, says skipper Shan Masood
- The 152-run victory against England was Pakistan’s first home win since February 2021
- Pakistani captain wants to carry forward the momentum in the final Test on Oct. 24
MULTAN: Captain Shan Masood hailed Pakistan’s second Test win over England in Multan on Friday as a “relief” but warned his team’s dire recent record would take a long time to turn around.
Pakistan spinner Noman Ali grabbed 8-46 and Sajid Khan took 2-93 as the pair wrapped up England’s second innings for 144 after the visitors were set a daunting target of 297.
The 152-run victory was Pakistan’s first home win since February 2021 and came after they were thumped by an innings in the first Test on the same Multan pitch.
“This was a very important win for Pakistan cricket. The recent results were unacceptable. There is relief, whether you ask cricketers or fans,” said Masood.
“We were hurt after recent results and wanted a positive result, which has come here,” he said. “We need to carry this forward because things will not change overnight.”
Noman finished with a match haul of 11-147 while Sajid had figures of 9-204, only the second time in Pakistan’s history that two bowlers took all 20 wickets in a Test.
Pakistan’s last Test win at home came against South Africa in Rawalpindi more than three years ago. It was followed by 11 home Tests without a win.
Friday’s victory is the first for Masood in his six Tests since being appointed captain last year. “This win is special for the team and for me as well,” he said.
Pakistan dropped ace batsman Babar Azam in one of four changes after their defeat in the first Test.
“Since I’ve come in we’ve had no issue taking risks. We’ve tried to play cricket that brings results, and we’ve lost a lot of matches doing that too,” said Masood.
“But we want to become a team that can produce results anywhere. This is a long process and journey.”
Masood said his team’s first innings score of 366 had set up the win.
“We need big first innings with the bat and then the bowlers to back us up,” said Masood, whose team then bowled England out for 291 for an invaluable 75-run lead.
“The lead took the third innings pressure off us,” he said.
The final Test starts in Rawalpindi on October 24.
Pakistan’s parliamentary committee chair claims unanimous approval of contentious amendment
- The constitutional amendment advocates judicial reforms previously opposed by ex-PM Khan’s PTI party
- PTI still says it is deliberating over the amendment package and plans to consult its jailed founding leader
ISLAMABAD: A special parliamentary committee, comprising government and opposition politicians, has unanimously approved the draft for the 26th constitutional amendment, according to its chairman on Friday, even as former premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party opposed it and called for a nationwide protest by its supporters.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration has been attempting to introduce a set of constitutional changes since last month, which the country’s opposition and prominent lawyers argue is aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments.
The proposed amendments initially suggested establishing a federal constitutional court, raising the retirement age of superior judges by three years and modifying the process for appointing the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The PTI believed the amendments were intended to grant an extension to Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is widely thought to be aligned with the government and opposed to its chief rival, ex-PM Khan, though the ruling administration denied the allegation.
Different political parties prepared various drafts of the constitutional amendment during several rounds of negotiations before announcing their agreement on the proposed judicial reforms and submitting it to the parliamentary committee.
“The special parliamentary committee has unanimously approved the draft of the 26th Constitutional Amendment today, Friday,” Syed Khursheed Shah, the committee chairman from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), told the media after presiding over the meeting.
“It will now be presented to the cabinet for approval before being submitted to both houses of parliament,” he continued, adding the committee also included the long-standing demand to allow overseas Pakistanis to contest elections.
However, Shah noted that these individuals would only be able to participate in the voting process by first renouncing their foreign nationality.
In a televised speech to his parliamentary party leaders, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed optimism that the constitutional amendment would soon be adopted, as political parties were close to reaching a consensus to secure the required majority.
However, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of the opposition PTI party, said the fourth draft of the constitutional amendment, containing 26 points, was shared with his party earlier today, adding that it was still deliberating on it.
“We will soon reach a decision and meet with Imran Khan to finalize it,” he said. “We will submit a request for a meeting with Khan and discuss the party’s decision for final approval.”
The former prime minister has been imprisoned in a high-security jail for over a year on multiple charges.
The PTI had given a nationwide protest call for Friday against the constitutional amendment, though its supporters only came out small clusters in various Pakistani cities.
Senator Irfan Siddique, a committee member from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) party, told the media that no one opposed any clause of the draft constitutional amendment, describing it as a positive sign.
“We hope to present it before both houses of parliament soon,” he said.
Pakistan wins big at 6th Asian Open Taekwondo Championship in Indonesia
- Pakistan secured the top team position after winning three gold, three silver and two bronze medals
- Yousef Karami was awarded best coach award while Shahzaib Khan named best athlete for highest score
KHAPLU: Pakistan’s Taekwondo team made history by winning the 6th Asian Open (Khyurogi) Taekwondo Championship held in Indonesia from Oct. 14-17, sports officials confirmed on Friday, with a twin sister duo bagging multiple medals, including gold, silver and bronze.
Twin sisters Manisha Ali and Maliha Ali, hailing from the country’s northern Hunza valley, were part of the team that secured three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals in the championship, which featured over 275 athletes from across Asia, including participants from India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal and Indonesia.
Pakistan emerged as the top team at the event, followed by Kazakhstan and Malaysia.
“Thanks to Allah Almighty, the Pakistan Taekwondo team performed very well and stood as the number one team of this event,” Lt Col (r) Raja Wasim Ahmed, the president of Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF), told Arab News over the phone.
“They have done their job and given their performances. And if they get such opportunities, they will be able to give even better results,” he said, adding: “There is no dearth of talent among Pakistani athletes. We should support and encourage them to bring pride to our country.”
Manisha defeated Indonesia’s Parmata Sri 4-1 and 8-2 to win the gold medal for Pakistan in the women’s +73 kg category, while her sister Maliha won a bronze medal in the same category.
On the occasion, Pakistan Taekwondo Federation’s executive member Zubair Macha praised the Pakistan team’s performance at the championship.
“Overall, 12 Pakistani players participated in the event held from October 14 to 17. The team brought home a total of eight medals— three gold, three silver, and two bronze— achieving their best result to date,” he added.
“Pakistan also secured the top team position and won the coveted team trophy,” he continued. “Head Coach Yousef Karami was awarded the Best Coach Award, while Shahzaib Khan was named Best Athlete for achieving the highest score in the event.”
Pakistan vows to send more aid to Palestine, Lebanon amid Israel’s military campaign
- PM Sharif has asked Pakistani diplomats in Mideast to report on the number of required tents and blankets
- Pakistan has so far sent 12 aid shipments of ready-to-eat meat, tents and winter clothing to the war zones
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday Pakistan would continue sending relief goods to Palestine and Lebanon to aid those affected by Israel’s military campaign in the Middle East.
Israel besieged the Gaza Strip and launched airstrikes after a surprise attack by Hamas in October last year, which the group claimed was in response to the worsening conditions of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.
More recently, it opened another front in Lebanon with the stated goal of destroying Hezbollah, which attempted to provide military assistance to the Palestinians, raising fears of a broader regional conflict, potentially involving Iran.
Pakistan has so far dispatched 12 aid shipments to Palestine and Lebanon, which include ready-to-eat meat, tents, tarpaulins, warm bedding, winter clothing and powdered milk.
“We will not abandon the Muslims of Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon in their time of hardship,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office.
“Pakistan will also send additional tents and blankets for our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon, who are victims of Israeli aggression, as winter approaches,” he added.
Sharif instructed Pakistani ambassadors in Palestine’s neighborhood to submit a report on the required number of tents and blankets in the two war zones.
He said his government would soon send 3,000 more tents and 12,000 blankets to the two countries along with medicines and other items.
“No compromise should be made on the quality of aid being sent to Palestine and Lebanon,” he added.
The prime minister also criticized Western countries for not stopping Israel from killing “defenseless people.”
“History bears witness that the major cause of world wars in the 20th century was the silence of global powers on such conflicts,” he said.
Pakistan PM urges President Biden to release Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from US prison
- Sharif’s letter to the US president, written last Sunday, was submitted to a Pakistani court by a state lawyer
- Sharif wants Biden to take a compassionate view of the situation, release Siddiqui ‘on humanitarian grounds’
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote a letter to United States President Joe Biden earlier this month, according to a court hearing on Friday, seeking the release of a Pakistani national, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year prison sentence in the US on terrorism charges.
The information about the letter emerged after a state lawyer submitted the document, written last Sunday, during an Islamabad High Court hearing that had recently sought a detailed report on the extradition efforts made by Pakistani authorities.
Siddiqui, a US-trained neuroscientist, was convicted in 2010 on multiple charges, including attempting to kill US nationals. She became a suspect after leaving the US and marrying a nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Siddiqui was wounded during a confrontation with US officials in Afghanistan in 2008, with some reports suggesting she shot at the Americans.
“I am writing this letter to you, Mr. President, to seek your kind intervention in a matter that deserves to be viewed with compassion,” the prime minister said in his letter. “I am referring to the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui ... [who] is serving an eighty-six (86) year sentence, without the possibility of parole.”
Sharif noted that Siddiqui, now 52 years old, had spent approximately 16 years behind bars in the US.
He also emphasized that several Pakistani officials had made consular visits to her in prison, raising “serious concerns” about her treatment while incarcerated.
The prime minister said her time in prison had “severely impacted her already fragile mental and frail physical health,” adding: “In fact, they [the officials] even fear that she could take her own life.”
Pointing out that, as Pakistan’s prime minister, it was his duty to intervene when necessary to ensure the well-being of a citizen, Sharif sought clemency from President Biden for Siddiqui.
“Keeping these facts in view, I request you, Mr. President, to kindly exercise your constitutional authority and accept Dr. Siddiqui’s clemency petition and order her release, strictly on humanitarian grounds,” he said.
Siddiqui’s sister, Fauzia, has taken up her case in the media and has visited her in captivity in the US.
During the hearing, she urged the government to make every effort to bring her back to the country, as the court reviewed the details of how the Pakistani neuroscientist ended up in an American prison.
With input from AP
