No democracy can function and no government can be formed in Pakistan without jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, a senior party leader asserted on Tuesday as rival political parties were in talks to form a coalition government. Expressing astonishment at reports of a power-sharing formula being discussed between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party leader Latif Khosa described it as a joke that rival political parties were putting forward such a proposal. The 71-year-old jailed cricketer-turned-politician and PTI founder will have to be brought back, he said. Who are they - who have been rejected by the people - to divide among themselves... No Assembly or Parliament can function without Imran Khan. No democracy can function and no government can be formed with Imran Khan. "So rid yourself of the misunderstanding that by minusing Imran they will be able to operate a democracy or the government. You will hav
The Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an alliance of armed pro-independence groups, claimed responsibility for 161 attacks in the 11 days leading up to the election, according to The Balochistan Post
The Bilawal Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party which won the third largest number of seats in the National Assembly in the elections appears to be split on whether to join a coalition government or sit on Opposition benches. The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PPP which met in Islamabad to deliberate on the post-poll scenario and proposals regarding the coalition government has decided to reach out to all political parties, including the PTI-backed independents, for a possible power-sharing deal. Addressing a press conference after the CEC meeting on Monday night, Senator Sherry Rehman said, The PPP will approach all (political) parties, and a committee will be set up. The committee will be formed on Tuesday, while the CEC meeting which ended without reaching any final decision will also resume at 3 pm. A highly reliable source within the party said this was the main reason for the party's central executive committee which met on Monday.
In the wake of the general elections in Pakistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the situation in the country very closely and has urged the authorities and political leaders to refrain from violence and avoid actions that could increase tensions. Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, made these remarks at the daily press briefing here on Monday. On the elections in Pakistan, I can tell you that he is indeed following the situation very closely and continuing to monitor the situation following the general elections, Dujarric said while responding to a question on the Secretary-General's reaction to the outcome of last week's election in Pakistan. Guterres calls for resolving all issues and disputes through the established legal frameworks and for human rights and the rule of law to be fully respected in the interest of the people of Pakistan. The Secretary-General urges the authorities, and political leaders to maintain a calm atmosphere and
Pakistan's benchmark stock index fell 2.8% Monday after dropping 1.8% on Friday
The US is ready to work with any government that comes to power in Pakistan, a State Department official said on Monday, amid rumours of horse-trading in the absence of a clear majority after general elections in the country and also the delay in declaring results on all National Assembly seats. Contrary to its earlier claim, the Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday blamed the suspension of Internet and mobile services on February 8 -- when countrywide polling took place -- and said it did "create hindrance" in declaring results promptly. It also claimed that the delay did not harm "any specific political party". In the US, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference, "I don't think there is a new Pakistani government yet. I believe there are still discussions going on about the formation of a government." "But one of the things that we have said leading up to the elections, and we'll continue to make clear, is that whoever the ...
Almost a dozen Independent candidates who won the Pakistan general elections on February 8, joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Samaa TV reported on Tuesday
"Immediate decisions are being taken on complaints filed," the poll panel added in its statement
The leaders of both parties engaged in substantive discussions regarding the prevailing political landscape and the imperative of collaborative efforts for the betterment of the country
In often dysfunctional Pakistan, citizens have typically seen the army as a functional and trustworthy institution
The general election in Pakistan is a watershed moment in its patchy democratic history. Never before have the Pakistani people defied the Army so openly by voting against the parties it supported
It's harder to see a scenario where Khan's PTI forms a government given the military's opposition to it, analysts say
Political parties in Pakistan on Sunday intensified their efforts for the formation of a coalition government after it became clear that the cash-strapped country faced a hung Parliament after general elections. The general elections were held on Thursday, but the unusual delay in the announcement of results vitiated the atmosphere as several parties cried foul play and some resorted to protests. Former prime minister and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif received the backing of the powerful Pakistan Army on Saturday for his call for a unity government to pull Pakistan out of its current difficulties. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats. The result of NA 88 was withheld by the ECP due to complaints of fraud and it would be announced after redressing the grievances of the aggrieved. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate.
Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here
MQM-Pakistan Convener, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the polls have created a challenging situation in Pakistan and stressed that all parties must play their part in moving the country out of crisis
Pakistan's election commission on Sunday declared the final result of Thursday's general elections in which independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party got the biggest piece of the cake by winning 101 seats. The unusual delay in the announcement of results vitiated the atmosphere as several parties cried foul play and some resorted to protests. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats. The result of NA 88 in Khushab in Punjab province was withheld by the ECP due to complaints of fraud and it would be announced after redressing the grievances of the aggrieved. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate.
LIVE Updates: From Pakistan election results to Elon Musk's firm Neuralink ditching Delaware to reincorporate in Nevada, catch all the latest news here
Former Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan was granted bail in 12 cases related to May 9 riots by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi
Khan's independents may fail to form a government as the election ends in a fifth straight hung parliament
He said, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), that elections and democracy are means to serve the people of Pakistan and not ends in themselves