ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif, three-time former prime minister of Pakistan, was on Tuesday elected unopposed as the president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) party after a hiatus of six years, the PML-N said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif resigned as the PML-N president earlier this month saying it was time for his elder brother to “resume his rightful place” as the party’s leader.
Sharif, who founded the PML-N in 1993, stepped down as its president in 2018 after the Supreme Court ruled that an individual disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution, which outline the rules for qualification and disqualification for parliamentarians, could not serve as the head of a political party.
Around 3,500 members of the PML-N’s general council and senior leadership attended a party meeting in Lahore, at which the PML-N chief election commissioner, Rana Sanaullah, announced Sharif’s election as the party chief which was endorsed by the gathering.
“Call those who decided that Sharif was disqualified forever as today, I am standing before you again,” Sharif said, while addressing the PML-N general council meeting after his election. “These party general council members are our assets and remain steadfast during a difficult time.”
Sharif congratulated his party’s members and his younger brother for steadfastly holding onto the party banner through tribulations, and urged the prime minister to turn around Pakistan’s situation, noting that the PML-N had always delivered and brought the country out of troubled times.
“Inflation is coming down, the stock exchange is going up, and despite the current difficult 2-3 years, a prosperous time for Pakistan is on the horizon,” he said.
Addressing the general council meeting, PM Shehbaz felicitated his elder brother on reassuming the party presidency, saying the responsibility and trust given to him were returned to its “rightful owner” today.
“Allah has now restored your position and respect with this great majority,” the Pakistan premier said, adding that the “injustice committed in 2017” had been undone.
Sharif was disqualified as prime minister by the Supreme Court in July 2017, which declared him “dishonest” for not disclosing a separate monthly income from a company owned by his son. The court also ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to open a criminal trial into the ownership of London flats and several other revelations about the ex-PM’s family wealth disclosed in the Panama Papers’ leaks.
A year later, following the investigations ordered by the court, Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison for corrupt practices linked to his family’s purchase of the upscale London flats and subsequently to seven years in jail in a separate case for being unable to prove the source of income that had led to his ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia. Sharif has since been acquitted in both cases, which he always maintained were politically motivated.
As Sharif faced a slew of cases, Shehbaz Sharif, his younger brother, subsequently became president of the PML-N but had always maintained it was a temporary arrangement until his brother was exonerated by the courts.
After being jailed in 2018, Sharif flew to London in 2019 after a court allowed him to leave for medical treatment, on the condition he returned when fit. However, he went into exile and ran his party affairs from London, while former cricketer Imran Khan ruled as prime minister until April 2022, when he was ousted in a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
Shehbaz took over after Khan and became prime minister for 16 months ahead of general elections on Feb. 8, after which he once again came to power in March and became premier and is now ruling Pakistan through a fragile coalition with smaller parties.
Sharif returned from exile to Pakistan in October last year in a chartered jet, surrounded by supporters and journalists.
Speaking to Arab News, PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal said Sharif’s election as the PML-N president would bring “new energy and life” to the party as his leadership had been instrumental in transforming the party into a “popular and dynamic political force” in the country.
“His election also reverses the injustice and wrong done to him in 2017 at the hands of the establishment of that time, when he was removed from the office of prime minister and president PMLN through false cases,” Iqbal said.
He said the “unconstitutional judgments” of the courts had recently vindicated Sharif’s innocence. “His stature and experience will be a big asset for the party and the country,” Iqbal added.
Political analysts termed Sharif’s election a “significant boost” to the ruling party and Sharif himself to engage actively in the country’s politics.
“It will be very significant as the elder Sharif finally has a formal role now,” Aasiya Riaz, a Pakistani political analyst, told Arab News.
She said Sharif remained a key leader of the party, who had “resonance with the public.” “He may use this office to distance himself from some of the unpopular decisions taken by elected office-holders of his party,” Riaz said.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of Islamabad-based think tank PILDAT, said Sharif’s election would not have much impact as far as the country and the PML-N were concerned, but it was a significant move for Sharif personally.
“He [Sharif] will feel that his personal redemption has moved forward and he has reclaimed the position which he was removed from,” Mahboob told Arab News.
He said another aspect of Sharif’s election was that the “duality” in party leadership had been removed as it was always the elder brother who called the shots in the party.
Mahboob, however, said the separation of the positions of the party head and the head of government had not been very successful in Pakistan in the past.
“It is desirable but not practical in Pakistani culture of political parties, because it takes a lot of political maturity and democratic culture to live with multiple centers of power,” he added.
Nawaz Sharif retakes Pakistan ruling party’s presidency after six years
https://arab.news/b6hr3
Nawaz Sharif retakes Pakistan ruling party’s presidency after six years
- Nawaz Sharif, who founded the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in 1993, stepped down as president in 2018
- Following his election as PML-N president, Sharif urges PM Shehbaz to turn around Pakistan’s situation
Violations reported after India and Pakistan agree to ceasefire
- Blasts heard in Srinagar and Jammu and projectiles and flashes seen in the sky over Jammu in Indian-administered Kashmir
- Media channels reported firing from India into Pakistan along the Line of Control de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir region
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday after US pressure and diplomacy, announcing a sudden stop to a conflict that had seemed to be spiralling alarmingly.
But within hours, violations were reported from the main cities of Indian-administered Kashmir, the territory that had borne the brunt of four days of fighting.
Blasts were heard in Srinagar and Jammu and projectiles and flashes were seen in the night sky over Jammu, similar to the events of the previous evening, according to authorities, residents and Reuters witnesses.
Pakistani witnesses and local media channels also reported firing from India into Pakistan in Azad Kahmir along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.
Military spokespeople in both countries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The fighting had been the worst between the old South Asian enemies in nearly three decades and threatened to erupt into a full-scale war in one of the world’s most volatile and densely populated regions.
There were briefly fears that nuclear arsenals might come into play as Pakistan’s military said a top body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet.
But the defense minister said no such meeting was scheduled, hours after a night of heavy fighting in which the two countries targeted each other’s military bases and the combined civilian death toll rose to 66.
“Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar posted on X. “Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!“
The Indian foreign secretary said the two countries’ military chiefs had spoken to each other and agreed that all fighting would stop at 5 p.m. Indian time (1130 GMT), without using the word “ceasefire.”
US President Donald Trump posted: “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.”
HOTLINES AND DIPLOMACY
Dar told the broadcaster Geo News that military channels and hotlines between India and Pakistan had been activated, and three dozen countries had helped to facilitate the agreement.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, India’s top diplomat, said the two military chiefs would speak to each other again on May 12.
On Wednesday, India had attacked what it said was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistani Kashmir and Pakistan, two weeks after 26 people were killed in an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir.
Pakistan denied India’s accusations that it was involved in the attack. Days of cross-border fire, shelling and drone and missile attacks followed.
Despite the truce, two Indian government sources told Reuters that the punitive measures announced by India and reciprocated by Pakistan, such as trade suspension and visa cancelations, would remain in place for now.
The sources also said the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a critical water-sharing pact that India suspended after the Kashmir attack, would remain in abeyance.
The Indian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he and Vice President JD Vance had engaged with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, and the two national security advisers over the course of 48 hours.
TALKS TO FOLLOW AT NEUTRAL VENUE
In a post on X, Rubio commended Modi and Sharif on the agreement, which he said included not only an immediate ceasefire but also the start of talks on “a broad set of issues at a neutral site.”
Jaishankar said India had consistently maintained a firm and “uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations” and would continue to do so.
News of the ceasefire was greeted with relief on both sides of the border and Pakistan’s airports authority said its airspace had been fully reopened.
Omar Abdullah, chief minister of Indian Kashmir, which bore the brunt of the fighting, welcomed the truce but added: “If it had happened 2-3 days ago, the lives we lost would not have been lost.”
Pakistani news channels showed tanks returning from the border.
“Both Pakistan and India need to lift their large populations on virtually every measure of socio-economic development,” said Ehsan Malik, CEO of the Pakistan Business Council. “We are happy that a ceasefire will help both the governments to focus on this priority.”
Shuja Nawaz, distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, said the Indus treaty would figure prominently in the impending talks “after a decent interval, which allows both governments to claim credit for what they’ve achieved until now.”
India and Pakistan have been locked in a dispute over Kashmir ever since they were born at the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Hindu-majority India and Muslim Pakistan both rule part of Kashmir but claim it in full.
They have gone to war three times, including twice over Kashmir, alongside numerous smaller outbreaks of fighting.
India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. It also blames Pakistani militant groups for attacks elsewhere in India.
Pakistan rejects both charges. It says it only provides moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiri separatists.
– With inputs from wires
Pakistanis welcome ceasefire with India but caution against trusting New Delhi
- A trader in Karachi says no one wins in war, warning that conflicts only bring human suffering
- A veterinarian in Islamabad warns India can behave unpredictably even within treaty frameworks
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: People in Pakistan on Saturday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire with India after heavy cross-border missile and drone exchange between the two countries, though some expressed skepticism about New Delhi’s willingness to uphold the truce.
The ceasefire brought an end to one of the most serious military standoffs between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in decades, triggered by a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that killed 26 tourists.
India blamed Pakistan for the incident and launched missile strikes on what it called “terrorist camps” in five Pakistani cities. Islamabad denied involvement and retaliated by targeting Indian military sites.
The hostilities escalated until Washington brokered a truce, announced Saturday by US President Donald Trump.
“Look, the ceasefire announcement has been beneficial for both countries,” said Abbas Raza, a trader in Karachi, while speaking to Arab News. “Who wins when there’s loss? No one wins in loss. People only suffer.”
Muhammad Shehbaz, a local businessman in the city, said Pakistan had exercised restraint for days despite repeated “Indian provocations.”
“India was pushing, trying to provoke Pakistan into escalating the conflict,” he said. “They kept at it, but Pakistan showed restraint again and again.”
“Then yesterday, when Pakistan carried out a retaliatory strike, they were shaken within three hours,” he continued. “They were brought to their knees. And today, they called in Trump and agreed to a ceasefire.”
Zubia Mehfooz, a woman visiting Karachi, said she had been unable to return to the United States, where her family lives, due to the airspace shutdown caused by the conflict.
“I was here for some work and got stuck,” she said. “I have a flight Monday morning. There’s never an issue from our [Pakistani] side. You know where the issue comes from. If the ceasefire holds, it’s a very good thing.”
But in Islamabad, some urged caution, citing past episodes.
“We don’t fully trust India’s statements,” said Muhammad Farhan Hameed, a veterinarian. “Past experiences have shown this. Many treaties have been signed before, but sometimes they behave unpredictably and break from what was agreed.”
US mission in Islamabad eases staff movement curbs after India-Pakistan ceasefire
- The embassy upholds ‘Do Not Travel’ statue for areas near the eastern border
- It also maintains a ‘Reconsider Travel’ advisory in the country more broadly
ISLAMABAD: The United States eased movement restrictions on its diplomatic personnel in Pakistan on Saturday, following a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan that brought a pause to days of cross-border military exchanges.
The conflict was sparked by a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that killed 26 tourists, with New Delhi blaming Pakistan for the incident despite Islamabad’s denial of the allegation.
India launched missile strikes on what it said were “terrorist camps,” prompting Pakistan to respond with attacks on Indian military targets.
A ceasefire brokered by Washington was announced Saturday afternoon by President Donald Trump, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying both sides had agreed to hold talks at a neutral venue.
“Movement restrictions on US government personnel in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore have been adjusted to allow travel within city limits,” the US mission said in a security alert.
However, it reiterated its “Do Not Travel” advisory for areas near the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control, citing “terrorism” and the risk of “armed conflict.”
It also maintained a “Reconsider Travel” advisory for Pakistan more broadly, reflecting long-standing US concerns about militant violence and limited consular access in parts of the country.
Earlier this year, the US State Department had cited Pakistan’s deteriorating security conditions, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
In its recent alert, the US embassy advised citizens in Pakistan to review their security plans and stay alert.
It noted that flight availability remained fluid in Pakistan, urging travelers to confirm schedules with their airlines.
Pakistan reopens airspace, resumes Hajj flights after India ceasefire
- Country shut down its airspace following strikes on three of its air bases by Indian forces
- Ten Hajj flights were canceled due to closure of flight operations since Wednesday this week
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reopened its airspace to all domestic and international flights on Saturday and resumed Hajj operations after a ceasefire agreement with India put pause to cross-border missile and drone attacks that disrupted regional travel and raised fears of a wider conflict this week.
The reopening was announced after the two nations agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire deal that came less than 24 hours after Pakistan said India had struck three of its air bases, which led Islamabad to hit multiple bases in India in response, including a missile storage site in India’s north.
“Pakistan’s airspace has been completely restored for all types of flights,” the Pakistan Airports Authority said in a statement.
“All airports in the country are available for normal flight operations,” it added, asking passengers to contact their airlines for updated schedules.
The religious affairs ministry separately said Hajj flights would now resume as per schedule.
“A total of 10 Hajj flights were canceled due to the closure of flight operations from time to time,” a spokesman for the ministry said. “Flights cancelation affected the schedule of 2,290 pilgrims.”
So far, 19,669 Pakistani pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage in early June, the spokesman added.
Flights were grounded, rerouted or delayed across South Asia this past week as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors escalated.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspended operations after halting ground services, while several foreign airlines — including Korean Air, EVA Air, and China Airlines — opted to avoid Pakistani airspace, citing security concerns.
The standoff between the two South Asian nuclear states was sparked by a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the incident, though officials in Islamabad repeatedly denied any involvement and called for a neutral and impartial probe.
However, New Delhi launched missile strikes on what it called “militant training camps” in at least five Pakistani cities on Wednesday and the two nations have since variously exchanged drone and missile attacks as well as seen increased gunfights on their de facto border at disputed Kashmir.
Pakistan and India agree to ceasefire
- US secretary of state says two countries had agreed to talks on “broad set of issues at a neutral site”
- Announcement comes after Pakistan and India launched attacks on each other early morning Saturday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India both confirmed on Saturday they had agreed to a ceasefire after President Donald Trump said the US had mediated late night talks between the nuclear-armed South Asian nations on the brink of an all-out war.
The announcement came after the Pakistan military said early on Saturday India had attacked three bases in Pakistan with missiles, after which it had targeted multiple bases in India in response, including a missile storage site in India’s north. India said there was limited damage to equipment and personnel at air force stations in the Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj areas. The military said there were several high-speed missile attacks on several air bases in Indian Punjab, and that India had responded to the attacks.
Five civilians were killed in attacks in the Jammu region of Indian-administered Kashmir, regional police said.
“Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar wrote on X.
The Indian ministry of external affairs also confirmed the ceasefire deal in a briefing.
Separately, Trump said:
“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two countries had also agreed to talks on a “broad set of issues at a neutral site.”
Earlier on Saturday, Pakistani and Indian officials had both separately said they would consider de-escalation if the other nation reciprocated.
Through this week, allies and friends like Saudi Arabia, China, Iran and Qatar have offered mediation and urged restraint. The Group of Seven (G7) major countries called on India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue while the US government said it had offered assistance in starting “constructive talks.”
Saturday’s military confrontation, the worst fighting between the longstanding enemies in decades, followed days of daily clashing since Wednesday through drones and missiles and gunfighting on the Line of control, the de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir region between them. At least 50 have been killed on both sides.
The latest tensions were triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people on April 22. New Delhi said Islamabad was involved, which denied the allegation and repeatedly said it was willing to participate in a transparent and credible inquiry.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations, having fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947.
Both nations acquired nuclear weapons in 1998.
– Inputs from Reuters
