ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s election regulator has yet to decide about the allocation of reserved seats to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, ana election official said on Tuesday, despite the issuance of a detailed judgment by the Supreme Court on the subject.
The Supreme Court on July 12 declared Khan’s PTI party eligible for allocation of reserved parliamentary seats, months after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) forced the PTI candidates to contest the February 8 national election as independents. The ECP took the decision after the PTI lost its election symbol in the wake of a prolonged legal battle for not holding proper intra-party polls. Subsequently, the election body refused reserved seats to the PTI on technical grounds, saying they were only meant for political parties and not for independent candidates.
The Supreme Court overturned the ECP’s decision and said it had misconstrued an earlier verdict relating to election symbols by depriving the PTI of reserved seats. Instead of giving the seats to the party, however, the election body filed a petition to seek guidance on the matter and questioned the validity of the party’s organizational structure under the circumstances. The detailed judgment by the Supreme Court clarified that a party’s constitutional right to participate in elections was not impacted by the absence of an electoral symbol.
“The ECP held a sixth meeting at its headquarters in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss the matter that remained inconclusive,” an ECP official told Arab News on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media. “The ECP will have another meeting tomorrow [Wednesday] to reach a conclusion over the allocation of the reserved seats.”
The official said the ECP was consulting its legal team on the detailed judgment of the Supreme Court and the Elections Act that the ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, amended to bar independent lawmakers from joining a political party after a stipulated period. The National Assembly speaker and the Punjab Assembly have written separate letters to the ECP urging it to follow the parliamentary law over the Supreme Court ruling on the reserved seats.
“It is a complex issue and that’s why the election commission is taking into consideration all possible aspects of the constitution, laws and the court ruling before deciding on the matter,” the official said.
Legal experts have urged the election regulator to “side with the constitution” instead of the ruling coalition and implement the Supreme Court’s majority verdict that ordered allocation of reserved seats to the PTI in the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies.
Justice (retired) Nasira Iqbal said the election regulator should have implemented the court’s short order shortly after it was announced on July 12 to avert speculations and conspiracies on the matter.
“The election commission is setting dangerous precedents by trying to frustrate the Supreme Court rulings through different delaying tactics,” she told Arab News. “The election commission should side with the constitution instead of trying to become a party in this matter.”
“The ruling coalition has taken a position over the constitutional matter and they want the fulfilment of their desire by getting the reserved seats,” Amanullah Kanrani, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, told Arab News.
He urged the ECP to follow the constitution and allocate the reserved seats to the PTI as per the court ruling. “We expect the ECP to act independently and follow the constitution to avert a new crisis,” Kanrani added.
Speaking about possible consequences for the ECP if it failed to implement the majority judgment, Kanrani said the top court bench could initiate contempt proceedings against the chief election commissioner and other members.
Pakistan election regulator indecisive over allocation of reserved seats to ex-PM Khan party
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Pakistan election regulator indecisive over allocation of reserved seats to ex-PM Khan party
- In its detailed verdict, the top court observed election commission’s denial of recognition to Khan’s party infringed upon electorate’s rights
- Legal experts urge the election commission to ‘side with the constitution’ and implement the ruling to allocate reserved seats to the PTI party
Pakistan Cricket Board says Gillespie to remain head coach for South Africa series
- PCB rejects media reports of ex-cricketer Aaqib Javed replacing Gillespie
- Pakistan will play all-format away series against South Africa in December/January
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday strongly refuted speculation it was about to replace the national squad’s Head Coach Jason Gillespie with former world cup winner Aaqib Javed, saying Gillespie will continue in the role for Pakistan’s Test series against South Africa in December/January 2025.
Multiple media outlets reported last week that the PCB was set to appoint Javed, who is currently the convener of Pakistan’s national selection committee, as head coach of the men’s team across all formats. Gillespie is Pakistan’s Test coach and currently the interim coach of the white-ball side.
The former Australian pacer was appointed as interim white-ball coach after his predecessor, Gary Kirsten, resigned from the post in October. According to local media outlets, Kirsten resigned following disagreements with the cricket board over its decision to strip him of selection powers.
“As announced previously, Jason Gillespie will continue to coach the Pakistan side for the two red-ball matches against South Africa,” the PCB wrote on social media platform X.
Pakistan are scheduled to play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches in an away series against South Africa in December/January 2025. The PCB have not confirmed if Gillespie will be the head coach for any series beyond those two Tests against South Africa, though he does have a contract with the board till 2026. Pakistan have a two-Test home series against West Indies immediately following the Tests in South Africa.
Citing a PCB official in its report on Sunday, ESPNcricinfo said the board decided to replace Gillespie on account of him not spending enough time in Pakistan.
“ESPNcricinfo understands Gillespie’s view is that he has spent every day his contract demanded he be in Pakistan within the country, in addition to which he also did the Shaheens tour of Darwin without pay as a gesture of goodwill,” the website reported.
Pakistan have a busy cricket schedule ahead, with the green shirts set to play a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe starting Sunday after which they play the all-format series in South Africa. Their next home series is a two-match Test series against the West Indies at the end of January, and their only white-ball games before the Champions Trophy come in a short tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in February.
The PCB has come under increasing criticism for the high rate of turnover at the board. In November 2023, then team director Mickey Arthur was told by then PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf he would not be going with the team for the Test series in Australia in January 2024. Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez was appointed team director for that tour.
Arthur and Grant Bradburn, then head coach, parted ways with the PCB soon after. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assumed the PCB chair weeks later, beginning the hunt for Pakistan’s white and red-ball coaches, with the posts ultimately going to Gillespie and Kirsten.
Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur today to mark birth anniversary of religion’s founder
- Sikh pilgrims from India cross over into Pakistan every year via visa-free Kartarpur Corridor
- Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal, is Sikhism founder’s final resting place
ISLAMABAD: Indian Sikh pilgrims will visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the eastern Kartarpur town today, Monday, to mark the 555th birth anniversary of their religion’s founder Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, state media reported.
Every year Indian Sikh pilgrims cross over from India to Pakistan via a visa-free border crossing known as the Kartarpur Corridor. The corridor connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, near Narowal in Pakistan’s Punjab, to Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.
Inaugurated in 2019, the corridor is seen as a rare example of cooperation and diplomacy between the two South Asian neighbors.
“Sikh pilgrims will visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on Monday to celebrate the 555th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
It said that the pilgrims would visit Gurdwara Rohri Sahib in Eminabad on Wednesday before concluding their journey in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore.
Much of Sikh heritage is located in Pakistan. When Pakistan was carved out of India at the end of British rule in 1947, Kartarpur ended up on the Pakistani side of the border, while most of the region’s Sikhs remained on the other side.
For over seven decades, the Sikh community had lobbied for easier access to their holiest temple.
Pakistan’s initiative to open the corridor earned widespread appreciation from the international community, including the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who had described it as a “Corridor of Hope.”
Fly Jinnah celebrates inaugural Lahore-Dammam flight amid Saudi expansion
- Pakistan’s low-cost airline began domestic operations in 2022 and is now focusing on the Middle East
- Fly Jinnah has also been connecting Pakistani cities to Sharjah, Riyadh and Jeddah, as PIA struggles
KARACHI: Fly Jinnah, Pakistan’s low-cost airline, celebrated its inaugural flight from Lahore to Dammam on Sunday, further enhancing air connectivity between the South Asian nation and Saudi Arabia amid growing demand for international travel.
Established in 2021 as a joint venture between Pakistan’s Lakson Group and the United Arab Emirates’ Air Arabia Group, Fly Jinnah began domestic operations in October 2022, connecting major Pakistani cities such as Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.
In February 2024, the airline launched its first international route, connecting Islamabad to Sharjah, before expanding to Saudi Arabia— home to an estimated 2.7 million Pakistanis— with flights to Riyadh and Jeddah.
“We are happy to celebrate our inaugural flight from Lahore to Dammam, further enhancing connectivity between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for our passengers,” the airline said in a social media post.
The first flight to Dammam in the kingdom’s Eastern Province was operated a day earlier. A substantial number of Pakistani families reside in and around the Saudi city, drawn by job opportunities in the oil-rich region.
The addition of Dammam to its network highlights Fly Jinnah’s aim to capture the lucrative Middle Eastern travel market as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the struggling national carrier, faces financial challenges.
The Pakistani government has been exploring privatization options for PIA, leaving a gap that private airlines such as Fly Jinnah aim to fill.
Saudi Arabia is a key destination for Pakistani travelers, driven by religious pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah and by a thriving expatriate workforce.
Fly Jinnah’s direct connections offer affordable travel options, positioning the airline as a viable competitor in this high-demand sector.
Pakistan dispatches 19th relief consignment to Syria amid conflicts in Middle East
- Pakistan says it will continue to support people affected by Israel’s military campaign in the region
- Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Pakistan has called for a ceasefire at the UN, other forums
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) dispatched its 19th relief consignment on Sunday to help war-affected people in Syria and refugees from Lebanon, according to an official statement, reaffirming the country’s commitment to supporting those impacted by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The aid shipment, sent in collaboration with the Pakistani charity Al-Khidmat Foundation, consisted of 17 tons of humanitarian supplies, including buckets, powdered milk, tinned food, family packs, sleeping bags and medical kits.
The consignment departed via a chartered flight from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi to Damascus in Syria.
“This 19th consignment has been dispatched for the people of Syria and refugees from Lebanon,” the NDMA said in its statement. “Prior to this, the Government of Pakistan has sent 12 aid consignments to Palestine and six shipments to Lebanon, with a total volume of 1,722 tons.”
The statement reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the people of Palestine and Lebanon who are in distress due to Israel’s military campaigns in the region.
It also emphasized the importance of collaboration by welfare organizations and the Pakistani public in strengthening the government’s efforts to assist those in need.
Pakistan has already established a special fund titled the “Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Gaza and Lebanon,” inviting public donations.
Since the beginning of the war in October last year, Pakistan has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and has raised the issue at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other international forums, urging an end to Israeli military actions and a resolution to the humanitarian crisis.
Women in Pakistan’s Karachi protest against honor killings, rising extremism
- Participants of the rally say Karo-Kari is ‘rampant’ in Sindh, oppose marriages to settle disputes
- Protesters also raise concern about proposed amendments to Pakistan’s water distribution system
KARACHI: Hundreds of women marched in Karachi on Sunday to protest honor killings, rising extremism and social injustices, while voicing concerns over proposed changes to Pakistan’s water distribution mechanism earlier this year, which southern provinces argue are detrimental to their interests.
The rally, organized by Sindhiyani Tehreek, a women-led movement supported by civil society groups, drew demonstrators from across Sindh who marched from Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club.
Dr. Marvi Sindhu, the central general secretary of the movement, highlighted the threat of so-called honor killings, locally referred to as Karo-Kari. These killings target individuals accused of engaging in illicit relationships or marrying against their families’ wishes, often as a means to restore the perceived honor of the family.
“We are raising our voices against the rampant killing of women in the name of honor in Sindh,” she told Arab News. “We are also here to raise our voices against rising religious extremism.”
Sindhu said Karo-Kari was “alarmingly rampant” in northern Sindh, though she noted other socially conservative practices also undermined the interests and wellbeing of women.
“Women are married to settle disputes or murder cases [in the province], only to face harassment [from their in-laws] for the rest of their lives,” she continued, urging Pakistan’s senior judiciary to form a commission to address such issues.
Amar Sindhu, a professor and member of the Women’s Action Forum, echoed similar concerns, saying the rise in extremist ideologies was deepening social injustices and threatening women’s safety in Sindh.
“We stand united against these injustices and demand action to protect women from violence and oppression,” she said.
Sindhiyani Tehreek, founded in 1980, has been a prominent force in the province, advocating for women’s rights, social justice and the preservation of Sindhi culture. The movement also has a long history of resistance against authoritarian rule, gender-based violence and environmental degradation.
Apart from social and gender issues, the protest also highlighted proposed amendments to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Act, 1992, introduced in July to restructure Pakistan’s water regulatory authority.
Key changes include appointing a permanent federal chairman to the authority, replacing the current rotational system where provincial representatives take turns leading IRSA.
The movement’s general secretary condemned the amendments as “unlawful,” warning they could exacerbate interprovincial disputes and deprive Sindh of its rightful share of water.
“Sindh deserves its share of water to sustain its crops, mangroves and marine life,” she said.
