In Pakistan’s Chakwal, traditional titans set to fight it out in Feb. 8 election battle 

Supporters of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) attend an election campaign corner meeting led by party's candidate in Chakwal, Pakistan on January 25, 2024. (AN Photo)
Short Url
Updated 28 January 2024
Follow

In Pakistan’s Chakwal, traditional titans set to fight it out in Feb. 8 election battle 

  • Noted journalist and PTI-backed candidate Ayaz Amir says will be striving for return of ‘real democracy,’ if elected to parliament 
  • His rival, PML-N’s Tahir Iqbal promises constituents development projects like construction of cardiology hospital and medical college 

ISLAMABAD: As one enters the Chakwal city in Pakistan’s Punjab province, they are greeted by hundreds of banners and posters of rival candidates along the road who are contesting the upcoming national elections, scheduled for Feb. 8. 

While electioneering in rural areas of the National Assembly’s NA-58 constituency remains dull, election activities in the city continue in full swing and show that it is going to be a clash of two traditional titans on election day. 

The front-runners in NA-58 include Ayaz Amir, a noted journalist backed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, and Major (retired) Tahir Iqbal, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) nominee, the party led by three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. 

Both candidates, who possess strong political legacies, are tirelessly campaigning in the constituency and holding back-to-back corner meetings to woo a majority of around 600,000 voters with their own set of promises and compelling slogans. 

“We are telling people that this election is not about local issues,” Amir told Arab News this week, after addressing a charged meeting of supporters in Chakwal. “This is not about drains, or streets or street lights, it is about the future of Pakistan.” 




Ayaz Amir, electoral candidate from National Assembly’s NA-58 constituency speaks during an election campaign corner meeting in Chakwal, Pakistan on January 25, 2024. (AN Photo)

The PTI, which is backing Amir as its candidate, has been at the receiving end of a crackdown since May last year, when its supporters staged violent demonstrations across the country over Khan’s brief arrest in a graft case. The crackdown has seen several senior PTI figures defect, arrested or gone underground. 

Khan, who remains in jail since August in a separate case, accuses the country’s powerful military and election authorities of trying to keep his party from winning the elections. The military and the election authorities deny the allegation. 

Amir said the PTI was aiming for “real democracy” in the country, but they were not being granted a “level playing field” for the upcoming elections. 




Banners of electoral candidates from National Assembly’s NA-58 constituency displayed in Chakwal, Pakistan on January 25, 2024. (AN Photo)

“The administration is trying its best to favor other candidates and make things difficult for the PTI, so it’s not level playing field at all,” he said. “Our first pitch will be for the return of real democracy in Pakistan, for the institution of the rule of law in Pakistan.” 

Located around 130 kilometers from the federal capital of Islamabad, Chakwal is known as the land of ‘martial race’ as a vast majority of its residents have either served or are serving in the armed forces of Pakistan. 

In 1951, Amir’s father Chaudhry Mohammad Amir Khan defeated an entrenched politician, Raja Mohammad Sarfraz Khan, who was the first legislator from the area to be elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1927. Amir’s father was elected again to the National Assembly in the country’s first general elections held in December 1970, but the seat fell vacant after his murder in August 1974. 




Banners of electoral candidates from National Assembly’s NA-58 constituency displayed in Chakwal, Pakistan on January 25, 2024. (AN Photo)

On the other hand, Iqbal is the nephew of late General (retired) Abdul Majeed Malik who won this National Assembly seat in five consecutive elections from 1985 till 1997. 

In the 2002 elections, Amir lost this constituency to Iqbal by a margin of only 3,000 votes, but managed to reclaim it in the 2008 elections, with a record 125,437 votes, the highest among all winners in Punjab. Amir did not contest the 2013 general election, and Iqbal won this seat again. In 2018, Zulfiqar Ali Khan Dullah won the seat on PTI’s ticket. 

Like Amir, Iqbal has also been rigorously campaigning in the constituency and addressing multiple corner meetings daily. He hopes to win the election based on his past performance and proximity with the constituents. 

“The main reason is I have been performing even in opposition,” he told Arab News. “I have tried my best to stay here and be involved with my people and do something that is possible for me to get done.” 

If elected to parliament again, Iqbal said, he would try to initiate four major projects in the district, including a cardiology center, a medical college, completion of a 400-bed general hospital and a campus of the Punjab University. 

The PML-N candidate said he had been with his constituents through thick and thin and hence expected the people to vote for him. 

Last month, Pakistan’s election regulator also deprived the PTI of its election symbol, a cricket bat, which is reflective of Khan’s past as a successful cricketer, who led Pakistan to their only 50-over World Cup win in 1992. In Pakistan, the adult literacy rate is just 58 percent that makes election symbols on ballot papers vital for people to rightly vote for a candidate of their choice. 

Amir considers the loss of his party’s symbol a disadvantage and is contesting the polls as an independent candidate with a ‘saxophone’ symbol. He, however, says the response of the constituents has been “remarkable” due to Khan’s popularity. 

“In the previous campaigns, someone like me would run after voters, this time the voter is coming to us because of the PTI’s mass appeal,” he said. 

Asked about the possibility of PTI-backed independents deserting the party after winning the polls, Amir said it was not possible as they all were “diehard PTI followers.” 

“We can’t even think of what you’re suggesting,” he said. “These are diehard PTI followers, so the question of them breaking the ranks doesn’t arise.” 

Habib Akram, a political analyst, says the candidacy of Amir, a prominent journalist and columnist, in NA-58 had given the constituency much prominence, though it was just one out 141 constituencies in Punjab. 

“In the 2018 elections, the PML-N could not win even a single National Assembly seat in north Punjab, including Chakwal, Jhelum and Attock, and this pattern seems to follow in this election as well,” Akram told Arab News. 

“In Chakwal, majority of the votes are driven by the candidates’ personality and indeed, Ayaz Amir has got an edge over his rival and is believed to be a favorite candidate in this election.” 


Pakistan parliament approves bills to extend tenure of services chiefs to five years

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan parliament approves bills to extend tenure of services chiefs to five years

  • Extension in services of army, navy and air force chiefs follows controversial amendments to the constitution last month
  • The opposition PTI party condemns the amendments for changing Pakistan “from a democracy into a monarchy”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate on Monday approved bills to extend the tenure of the army, navy, and air force chiefs from three to five years, amid protests by the opposition benches. 

The office of the army chief is considered to be the most powerful in the country, with the army having ruled Pakistan for almost half of its 75-year history. Even when not directly in power, the army is considered to be the invisible guiding hand in politics and holds considerable sway in internal security, foreign policy, and economic affairs, among other domains. 

Six bills were passed by the upper and lower houses on Monday evening, including one to increase the term of the services chiefs.

“In the said Act, in section 8A, in sub-section (1), for the expression “three (03)” the word “five (05)” shall be substituted,” read the bill, seeking to amend the Pakistan Army Act, 1952.

Similar bills were passed to increase the duration of the country’s naval and air force chiefs to five years also. 

“The purpose of these amendments are to make consistent the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 (XXXIX of 1952) The Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961 (Ordinance No. XXXV of 1961) and The Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953 (VI of 1953) with the maximum tenure of the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff and to make consequential amendments for uniformity in the aforementioned laws.” 

Speaking outside parliament, the chairman of the opposition PTI party, Gohar Ali Khan, said:

“Today, democracy has been changed into a monarchy.”

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, said “modifying the service chiefs’ tenure is not a good thing for the country and the armed forces.”

The passage of the new bills follows controversial amendments made to the constitution last month, granting lawmakers the authority to nominate the chief justice of Pakistan, who previously used to be automatically appointed according to the principle of seniority.

The amendments allowed the government to bypass the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and appoint Justice Yahya Afridi as the country’s top judge, replacing former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa. 

The opposition and the legal fraternity had opposed the amendments, arguing that they were aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments and curtailing the independence of the judiciary. The government denies this.


Pakistani forces kill six militants in shootouts near border with Afghanistan — military

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistani forces kill six militants in shootouts near border with Afghanistan — military

  • Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks recently
  • Pakistan blames the surge in militancy on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed six militants in two separate engagements in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Monday.
A militant was killed in an exchange of fire during an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan’s Dosali area, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
In the second incident, Pakistani forces intercepted a group of militants while infiltrating the country’s border with Afghanistan in the South Waziristan district. Five militants were killed as a result.
“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij [militants] for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
Afghan officials, however, deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
 


Pakistan Navy test-fires ship-launched ballistic missile ranging 350 kilometers

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan Navy test-fires ship-launched ballistic missile ranging 350 kilometers

  • The missile is capable of striking land and sea targets with ‘high precision’
  • Pakistan, India consider their missile programs as deterrent against each other

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired a ship-launched ballistic missile having a range of 350 km and capable of striking both land and sea targets, it said on Monday.
Pakistan sees its missile development as a deterrent against nuclear-armed arch-foe India. Both countries have fought multiple wars since their independence from Britain in 1947.
The two South Asian neighbors have long been developing missiles of varying ranges in a bid to ensure deterrence against possible attacks from each other, with analysts often warning these developments could push the region into an arms race.
“Pakistan Navy conducted a successful flight test of an indigenously developed ship-launched ballistic missile,” the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
“The weapon system with 350km range is capable of engaging land and sea targets with high precision.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikldB3jieWo
The flight test of the weapon system, equipped with a state-of-the-art navigation system and maneuverability features, was witnessed by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, senior naval officers, scientists and engineers.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu congratulated the participating navy units and scientists on the development.
 
 


Qatar investment team due in Pakistan this month, PM Sharif says after Doha visit

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Qatar investment team due in Pakistan this month, PM Sharif says after Doha visit

  • The statement comes days after Sharif visited Qatar seeking to bolster economic cooperation between both nations
  • Before arriving in Doha, Sharif attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh and met the Saudi Crown Prince

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday a team of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will visit Pakistan this month to set up an information technology (IT) park in the South Asian country.
The statement came days after Sharif visited Qatar while seeking to bolster economic cooperation amid Pakistan’s efforts to boost foreign investment to stabilize its frail $350 billion economy.
Before arriving in Doha, Sharif attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he discussed trade and investment with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Speaking at a meeting of his cabinet, Sharif said a QIA team will visit Pakistan this month, while its chief of Asia-Pacific & Africa Investments, Faisal Bin Thani Al Thani, will also arrive in Islamabad by the end of this month.
“Qatar emir said the same thing. They also suggested setting up an IT park here [in Pakistan],” Sharif told his cabinet members in televised comments.
During his visit, Sharif led delegation-level talks with the Qatari emir before holding a separate meeting with him to discuss a wide array of issues.
“The leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Qatar relations, exploring potential avenues for enhanced cooperation in trade, potential areas of investment, energy, and culture,” Sharif’s office said last week.
He also met a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA) and invited them to invest in Pakistan’s energy, infrastructure and technology sectors.
The developments came amid Pakistan’s attempts to increase trade and foreign investment after it narrowly escaped a default last year by securing a last-gasp $3 billion financial assistance package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The South Asian country has since sought to promote closer economic ties with regional and international allies to bolster its fragile economy, which has been suffering from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
 


Pakistan central bank cuts key rate by 250 bps to 15%

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan central bank cuts key rate by 250 bps to 15%

  • Monday’s move follows cuts of 150 bps in June, 100 in July and 200 in September
  • It takes the total policy rate cuts in the country to 700 bps in under five months

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 250 basis points to 15 percent on Monday, it said in a statement, for a fourth straight reduction since June, as the country keeps up efforts to revive a sluggish economy with inflation easing.
Most respondents in a Reuters poll last week expected a cut of 200 bps after inflation moved down sharply from a multi-decade high of nearly 40 percent in May 2023, saying reductions were needed to bolster growth.
Average consumer price index inflation in the South Asian country is 8.7 percent in the current financial year, which started in July, the statistics bureau says. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects inflation to average 9.5 percent for the year ending June.
Monday’s move follows cuts of 150 bps in June, 100 bps in July, and 200 in September that have taken the rate from an all-time high of 22 percent, set in June 2023 and left unchanged for a year. It takes the total cuts to 700 bps in under five months.
October inflation came in at 7.2 percent, slightly above the government’s expectation of 6 percent to 7 percent. The finance ministry expects inflation to slow further to 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent in November.
However, inflation could pick up again in 2025, driven by electricity and gas price increases after a new $7-billion IMF bailout, and the potential impact of taxes on the retail, wholesale and the farm sector announced in the June budget to take effect in January 2025, some analysts say.