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Pakistan’s Finance Division releases Rs17.4 billion to election regulator amid reports of delay in polls

A Pakistani man casts his vote as a soldier stands guard at a polling station during Pakistan's general election in Karachi on July 25, 2018. (AFP/File)
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Updated 05 December 2023
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Pakistan’s Finance Division releases Rs17.4 billion to election regulator amid reports of delay in polls

  • Pakistan’s government allocated Rs42 billion for upcoming general elections in this year’s budget 
  • Election Commission of Pakistan announced in November that polls would be held on February 8 
Updated 05 December 2023
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Division said on Tuesday it had released Rs17.4 billion to the country’s election regulator so that it can hold polls in the country, with the development taking place amid reports of a delay in the upcoming national elections scheduled for February 8. 

On Monday, Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had approached the government to release funds worth Rs17.4 billion, adding that there was no “crisis on meeting the financial needs of the ECP.” 

The government allocated Rs42 billion for the upcoming general elections in this year’s budget, but it had only issued Rs.10 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan in July. Pakistani media widely reported on Monday there had been a delay in the disbursement of the remaining amount, at which the ECP summoned the finance secretary. 

“Finance Division has released Rs. 17.4 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan in addition to Rs. 10.0 billion released in July 2023 for conduct of general elections in the country,” the Finance Division said in a statement on social media platform X. It said the total amount disbursed to the ECP since July now totaled Rs27.4 billion. 

“Finance Division remains committed to provision of funds as and when required by the Election Commission of Pakistan,” the statement said. 

Pakistan, following more than a year of political turmoil since the ouster of ex-prime minister Imran Khan in Aprill 2022, is finally headed to general elections in February next year, with many analysts expecting the polls to lead to some stability in the South Asian country. 

The ECP last week put to rest rumors of a delay in election and its top official said the regulator would release a schedule in December for the upcoming general election. 

“Count 54 days backwards from February 8,” Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said in an informal chat with journalists, which means the announcement could be expected in the third week of December. 

The outgoing Pakistani government had amended the Elections Act to empower the ECP to fix and announce the election date and specifying the timeline for the announcement of election schedule, which needs to be done about 54 days before the polling day. 

On Monday, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan requested the interior ministry for the deployment of armed forces and other law enforcement agencies personnel at polling stations to ensure foolproof security arrangements, citing a shortfall of police personnel across the country as Pakistan heads toward elections. 

“Keeping in view, the deficiency of Police personnel indicated by the Provinces and the Federal Capital, the Election Commission of Pakistan has decided that in view of the clear shortfall of 277,558 personnel, the services of Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAFs) shall have to be requisitioned in static mode in terms of Article 220 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan at the Polling Stations to ensure smooth elections,” Khan wrote in a letter to the interior ministry.

“This is all the more relevant in the context of fragile security cum law-and-order situation prevalent in country.” 

Khan said as per reports from the Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) of all four provinces and Islamabad, there is a shortfall of around 4,500 police personnel in the capital city, 169,110 in Punjab, 56,717 in KP, 33,462 in Sindh, and 13,769 in Balochistan. 

The regulator said as per Article 220 of Pakistan’s constitution, all executive authorities of the administration and the provinces are bound to assist the ECP in its task of holding free, fair and transparent elections. 

“While the ECP takes all necessary steps to organize an election in accordance with the Constitution and the relevant Election Laws, it also expects the same commitment from the executive authorities and law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order in the area of the constituencies during the conduct of elections,” the letter read. 

Topics: Pakistan Election Commission of Pakistan ECP Army

Pakistan urges global protection for Gaza’s children on World Day Against Child Labor

Updated 40 min 13 sec ago
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Pakistan urges global protection for Gaza’s children on World Day Against Child Labor

  • President Zardari says children in conflict zones need global aid, protection and justice
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif also calls for stricter enforcement of existing laws against child labor
Updated 40 min 13 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called for urgent international support for children in Gaza, warning that thousands face displacement, hunger and heightened risks of forced labor amid ongoing conflict.

The appeal was made by President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement issued on the World Day Against Child Labor, observed annually on June 12. He said children living in war zones must be at the center of the global child protection agenda.

“These children urgently need global aid, protection and justice,” Zardari said. “In conflict-affected regions such as Gaza, thousands of innocent children have been displaced, injured or orphaned by violence. Many face hunger, trauma and the risk of falling into child labor.”

While reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating child labor domestically, the president urged governments, rights defenders, media, religious leaders and philanthropists to come together and protect vulnerable children everywhere.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a separate message, said Pakistan “stands shoulder to shoulder with the international community in the fight against child labor,” but noted that implementation gaps still exist.

“This day is a reminder that we must continue striving toward a future where every child grows up in a safe and prosperous environment,” he said.

Officials say child labor remains widespread in Pakistan, especially in rural and informal sectors, depriving millions of education and exposing them to exploitation.

Sharif urged stricter enforcement of existing laws, which prohibit child labor under Pakistan’s constitution and several key statutes.

Zardari emphasized that while Pakistan has introduced reforms and protection systems, including the National Commission on the Rights of the Child and child welfare bureaus, lasting change requires collective action.

“Child labor is a global challenge,” he said. “Governments and societies must work together to protect children from exploitation and ensure they grow up in dignity.”

Topics: Gaza Palestine World Day Against Child Labor

Pakistan PM heads to UAE for daylong visit, talks with president

Updated 10 min 47 sec ago
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Pakistan PM heads to UAE for daylong visit, talks with president

  • Shehbaz Sharif is undertaking the visit on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s invitation
  • The trip comes as Pakistan strives to deepen strategic relation with Gulf nations
Updated 10 min 47 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for a daylong official visit to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and hold talks with the UAE leadership, the Pakistani government said.

The trip comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to deepen strategic and economic ties with Gulf nations, especially the UAE, which has remained a key financial and diplomatic partner.

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by a delegation, has departed from Islamabad for a one-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates,” his office said in a statement. “He is undertaking the visit on the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi,” it continued. “The Prime Minister will meet the UAE leadership during the visit.”

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, home to over a million Pakistani expatriates, and a critical source of investment. It played a key role in helping Pakistan avert a balance-of-payments crisis in recent years by depositing funds in the central bank, which facilitated a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to a statement issued by the foreign office a day earlier, Sharif is expected to follow up on more than $3 billion in cooperation agreements signed during his earlier visit in January 2024.

In a phone call last month, Sharif and the UAE president discussed bilateral ties and regional security following a sharp military escalation between Pakistan and India.

Islamabad praised the UAE’s “constructive diplomatic role” during the crisis.
 

Topics: Pakistan UAE ties

‘Bellicose punchlines’: Islamabad slams India’s top diplomat over anti-Pakistan remarks in Brussels

Updated 12 June 2025
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‘Bellicose punchlines’: Islamabad slams India’s top diplomat over anti-Pakistan remarks in Brussels

  • Subrahmanyam Jaishankar accused Pakistan of sponsoring ‘terrorism,’ asserted New Delhi’s right to retaliate
  • Foreign office says India should raise the quality of its discourse instead of remaining ‘obsessed with Pakistan’
Updated 12 June 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday criticized Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar for “producing bellicose punchlines” after he made a series of statements during his visit to Brussels, accusing Islamabad of sponsoring “terrorism” and asserting New Delhi reserved the right to retaliate against militant attacks.
The comments come in the wake of a recent military standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors, involving the exchange of fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery fire. Both countries have since launched parallel diplomatic offensives, dispatching delegations to major world capitals to present their versions of events.
New Delhi suspended a longstanding river water-sharing treaty following a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that it blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement, calling for an impartial international probe before India decided to launch missiles to target what it called was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan.
A US-brokered ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump on May 10, followed by Pakistan’s call for a “composite dialogue” with its neighboring state which New Delhi has so far resisted.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the irresponsible remarks made by the External Affairs Minister of India during different media engagements in Brussels,” the foreign office said in a strongly worded statement.
“The discourse of top diplomats should aim to promote peace and harmony, rather than producing bellicose punchlines,” it continued. “The tone and tenor of a Foreign Minister should be commensurate with his dignified status.”
The ministry accused India of waging a years-long “malicious campaign” aimed at misleading the global community with a “fictitious narrative of victimhood,” adding that such rhetoric cannot conceal what it described as India’s own “sponsorship of terrorism beyond its borders” or its “state-sanctioned oppression” in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
“India must also desist from concocting misleading narratives to justify its recent aggressive actions,” the statement said. “Pakistan believes in peaceful coexistence, dialogue and diplomacy. However, it stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any aggression, as exemplified by its robust response to India’s reckless strikes last month.”
Calling India’s recent remarks a sign of “sheer frustration” after what it termed an “unsuccessful military adventure,” Islamabad said Indian leaders should focus on improving the quality of their discourse rather than remaining “obsessed with Pakistan.”
“The history will judge not by who shouted the loudest but by who acted the wisest,” it added.

Topics: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Pakistan India Ties

Palestinian MP accuses Israel and India of conspiring together against Pakistan’s sovereignty

Updated 12 June 2025
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Palestinian MP accuses Israel and India of conspiring together against Pakistan’s sovereignty

  • Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi was speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a ‘Meet the Press’ event
  • Says Pakistan’s ‘victory’ in recent military confrontation with India was a success for the entire Muslim ummah
Updated 12 June 2025
REHMAT MEHSUD

ISLAMABAD: Palestinian lawmaker Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi on Wednesday accused Israel and India of working in tandem to undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty, alleging that both nations viewed Pakistan’s nuclear capability as a threat to their regional ambitions.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a “Meet the Press” event, Al-Tamimi claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, encouraged by Israeli leadership, had attempted to provoke war with Pakistan.
“Modi and Netanyahu are deeply troubled by Pakistan’s nuclear strength. On Israel’s instigation, Modi tried to impose war on Pakistan but they were met with a response they never anticipated,” he said.
Al-Tamimi was referring to exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery strikes between the two arch-rivals between May 7-10 before a ceasefire was announced. After India struck first on May 7, Pakistan vowed retaliation, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets.
The two nations also hit each other’s military bases, airfields and other army facilities with missiles.
The Palestinian MP said Israel expected Pakistan’s leadership to be divided and weak in the face of Indian airstrikes.
“But Pakistan’s military and political leadership responded with unity and strength. This is not just a Pakistani victory, it is a victory for the entire Muslim ummah,” he said.
Al-Tamimi’s remarks come amid ongoing violence in Gaza, which he described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza in October 2023 in which at least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities in the coastal enclave.
“Israel has placed Gaza under siege ... There is now an acute shortage of food and medicine. If the blockade continues, two million Palestinians could die of hunger within a year,” Al-Tamimi warned.
He also drew parallels between the struggles in Gaza and disputed Kashmir, claiming both were victims of occupation and global neglect.
“The war in Gaza has unmasked everyone. Western media portrays Israel as a victim, but this war has exposed the truth. The silence of the international community is deafening.”
Calling for global protests, Al-Tamimi urged people, particularly in Pakistan, to demonstrate outside US embassies in solidarity with the people of Gaza:
“The world must pressure Israel to end its brutal campaign.”
During the press meet visit, NPC President Azhar Jatoi recalled the club’s early support for Gaza, including rallies and awards for over 150 journalists who highlighted the Palestinian cause. Secretary Nayyar Ali added that Pakistani journalists would continue speaking up for Gaza on all platforms.

Pakistan defends 20 percent defense budget hike, cites need to counter India’s ‘war craze’

Updated 52 min 23 sec ago
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Pakistan defends 20 percent defense budget hike, cites need to counter India’s ‘war craze’

  • Pakistan’s FY2025–26 budget has allocated Rs2.1 trillion ($7.5 billion) to defense, up from Rs1.8 trillion last year
  • Increase comes weeks after brief but intense military flare-up in May with India, triggered by a militant attack 
Updated 52 min 23 sec ago
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday defended its decision to raise defense spending by 20 percent in the new fiscal year, citing the need to strengthen missile defenses and counter what it described as a permanent state of hostility from India following the latest military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The remarks came during a press conference in London, where a high-level Pakistani delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is lobbying Western governments to support Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, regional stability, and water security. The delegation includes senior lawmakers, including Khurram Dastgir Khan, a former defense minister and ruling Pakistan Muslim League party member.

Pakistan’s FY2025–26 budget has allocated Rs2.1 trillion ($7.5 billion) to defense, up from Rs1.8 trillion last year. The increase comes weeks after a brief but intense military flare-up with India in May, triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, which denies the allegations. 

Responding to questions about the sharp rise in defense allocations in Pakistan’s 2025–26 federal budget announced on Tuesday, Dastgir said the increase was proportional and necessary given the country’s limited resources and regional threat perception.

“Pakistan has proven that they [India] spend 10 times more than us every year. We are $7.5 billion. Probably last year they spent $77 billion on their defense in a year,” the Pakistani lawmaker said.

“Despite that, we have seen that the skill of Pakistan and the equipment that Pakistan has, by using it well, we have defeated our 10 times bigger enemy. It has forced it to retreat.”

Dastagir was referring to exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery between the two archenemies between May 7-10 before a ceasefire was announced. After India struck first on May 7, Pakistan vowed retaliation, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets. 

The two nations also struck each other’s military bases, airfields and other army facilities. 

India, which allocated roughly $77 billion to defense in 2024 according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data, has called the May clashes a result of cross-border militant activity, a charge Islamabad denies.

Dastgir argued that Pakistan’s defense posture remained reactive and restrained. 

“There will be more discussion on this, on the permanent war-craze from India that is being imposed on us,” he said.

He emphasized that Pakistan must optimize its constrained budget to reinforce deterrence. 

“We have to make the best use of our limited resources. One thing is clear — that we have to strengthen our grounded defenses against the Indian missiles,” Dastagir added.

“So, by looking at the economy of Pakistan, we will make the best use of this budget. And the strength of Pakistan will be further enhanced and renewed.”

The comments reflect Islamabad’s effort to reframe its increased defense spending as a measured response to external threats, rather than a departure from regional stability commitments. The government has also pledged to continue talks under the aegis of international partners to avoid escalation.

The Pakistani delegation is expected to continue its tour with visits to Brussels where it will once more present Islamabad’s case for de-escalation, resumption of water treaty obligations, and progress on the decades-old Kashmir dispute.

Topics: Pakistan defense budget

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