Page 13 - Pakistan Government

Pakistan dismisses US directions on probing alleged election rigging

Pakistan has dismissed the US suggestion to probe discrepancies in the February 8 general elections, asserting that it will not succumb to external dictates. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in her weekly press address on Friday categorically said that "no country could give directions" to Pakistan, an independent and sovereign nation. We believe in our own sovereign right to make decisions about Pakistan's internal affairs, Dawn News quoted Baloch as saying in reply to the comments made by her US counterpart regarding allegations of misconduct in the controversy-marred general elections. Earlier this week, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said any claims of interference or fraud should be fully and transparently investigated per Pakistan's laws and procedures. On another occasion, Miller said: Concerning investigations into reported irregularities, we want to see those investigations proceed [and] wrapped up as soon as possible.

Newly-elected lawmakers of Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly sworn in

Newly-elected lawmakers of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly were sworn in on Wednesday, with jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party in poll position to form the provincial government for the third consecutive time. Outgoing Speaker Mushtaq Ghani administered the oath to the 113 provincial lawmakers elected to the Assembly on general seats, Geo News reported. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has a total strength of 145 members, including 10 women and four minorities elected against reserved seats. The allocation of the reserved seats has not been notified as the matter is currently being heard by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Meanwhile, elections were postponed on two general seats in the province due to the candidates' deaths in constituencies.

Talks to form cabinet in Pak's Punjab province under CM Maryam Nawaz begins

Consultations for the formation of a Cabinet in Pakistan's Punjab province under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz have started within the ruling PML-N with her father and party supremo Nawaz Sharif holding talks with allied parties. In the first phase, a 20-member Cabinet is likely to be formed this week, according to a media report on Wednesday. The PML-N leadership also held talks with its allied parties PPP, PML-Q and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), which are also expected to get ministries in the cabinet in the second phase. Maryam, 50, is the first woman chief minister of a province in Pakistan's history. The meeting was chaired by three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who surprisingly nominated his younger brother to be the prime minister when a coalition federal government was formed. Senior PML-N leaders Rana Sanaullah, Pervaiz Rashid and Marriyum Aurangzeb are expected to be accommodated in the provincial cabinet. Sanaullah and Rashid are expected to be inducted as

Cash-strapped Pakistan says IMF conditions for $1.2 billion tranche met

Pakistan has met the IMF's benchmarks for maintaining the status quo in the energy sector in an outcome that may help to get the next loan tranche of USD 1.2 billion, officials said, ahead of the visit of the global lender's review mission to the cash-strapped country. The Ministry of Energy officials said they have met the end-December targets related to containing the flow of circular debt below Pakistani Rs 385 billion, timely increase in the electricity prices, and slowing the increase in line losses, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The IMF would review the implementation of these targets during the loan negotiations under the second review of the USD 3 billion bailout package. The IMF's review mission might visit Islamabad by the end of this month or early next month, provided the government formation at the federal and provincial levels is complete. Citing sources, the paper said that against the condition to restrict the flow of the circular debt to Pakistani Rs 385

Highlights: Car securing route for CM Yogi's cavalcade meets with accident

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Iran forces kill Jaish al-Adl militant commander, his companions in Pak

In the latest development, Iran's forces, in an armed clash, attacked a militant group, one month after the two countries conducted air strikes on each other

Pak govt announces Section 144 as assembly set to convene inaugural session

The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam have announced plans to stage a protest

Three injured in blast in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

Three persons were injured when an explosive device planted on a motorbike detonated in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, police said. The incident occurred at Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan district. The blast originated from a motorbike laden with explosives that was parked in front of a hotel. The explosion resulted in injuries to three passersby in the vicinity, police said, adding that one of the injured persons is in critical condition. Heavy contingents of police rushed to the site and cordoned off the entire area following the blast.

Who will be new finance minister to be the first challenge in Pakistan

Pakistan's political impasse may end with the formation of a coalition government but its economic worries may linger on primarily due to the dilemma of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party over the appointment of the finance minister of the cash-strapped country. In January, the cash-strapped country received over USD 700 million second tranche from the Washington-based global lender under the existing USD 3 billion SBA agreed towards June last year when Pakistan was slowly drifting towards default. Earlier this week, US-based Fitch Ratings one of three leading global rating agencies said in its report that a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal to succeed the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), expiring in March this year, was key to Pakistan's credit profile. Pakistan has not completed the last USD 6.5 billion IMF bailout package, and therefore, the first task of the new finance minister will be to sit with the Washington-based global lender to get the last loan tranche of USD

Independent candidates to join rightwing Sunni Ittehad Council: Imran's PTI

Reversing its earlier decision, jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's beleaguered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Monday said that the party-backed 92 independent candidates, who won the February 8 elections, will join the rightwing Sunni Ittehad Council. The party had earlier decided that its members elected to the National Assembly and the Punjab provincial assembly would join Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), a Shia party. Those elected in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) would become part of Jamaati-e-Islami (JI), which is a hardline Sunni religious party. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) is an alliance of Islamic political and religious parties in the Muslim-majority country which represents followers of the school of Sunni Islam. "Our candidates in the National Assembly, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies will join the Sunni Ittehad Council," Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said while addressing a press conference along with leaders of the MWM and SIC. "

PML-N boosts efforts to woo independents in Punjab for coalition govt

According to unofficial election results, the PML-N has 79 seats in the National Assembly and 137 in Punjab Assembly, respectively

Prohibitory orders in Islamabad as Imran Khan's party begins protests

Authorities on Saturday imposed prohibitory orders here in Pakistan's capital as jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party began nationwide protests against alleged rigging and stealing of its mandate in the recent elections. Criticising the outcome of the polls, which saw the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party-backed independent candidates emerging as the largest group by winning over 90 National Assembly seats, the PTI announced holding countrywide "peaceful protests" against what it termed "record-high rigging". The protests began with a march in Wana in South Waziristan of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The party has decided to sit in the Opposition in Parliament. "The PTI has called for country-wide protests against the unprecedented, massive, brazen rigging in general elections 2024, where PTI's win of 180 National Assembly seats and a two-thirds majority in the parliament, was cut down to half," the party said in a statement. "The 2024 elections would be remembered in t

Imran's PTI to sit in Oppn in Pak Parl; to protest against poll rigging

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party has decided to sit in the Opposition in Parliament while launching a countrywide protest against alleged rigging in the elections after its efforts to form the next government failed. The major political parties in Pakistan have stepped up efforts to form a federal government after the February 8 elections delivered a split verdict.

PML-N, PPP to hold meeting today, to finalise govt formation in centre

The meeting was postponed as the PML-N's committee has yet to consult on the matter with the party's senior leadership

Pak now an 'authoritarian regime', only Asian country in category: Report

Out of the 28 countries in the region that are included in the index, 15 recorded a decline in their score, and only eight registered an improvement

Earthquake of magnitude 4.7 jolts Pakistan, no casualties reported

An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 jolted Pakistan on Saturday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.According to NCS, the tremors were felt at 12:57 am (IST). The NCS said that the depth of earthquake was recorded at 190 kilometers.In a post on X, NCS stated, "Earthquake of Magnitude: 4.7, Occurred on 17-02-2024, 00:57:09 IST, Lat: 35.67 & Long: 71.90, Depth: 190 Km, Location: Pakistan."No casualties have been reported as of yet. Further details are awaited.

PML-N, PPP set to discuss power-sharing deal for coalition govt: Report

A second round of talks between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party is expected to take place on Friday on the power-sharing formula between them for the formation of a coalition government, according to a media report. The Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led PPP has promised to back PML-N in the formation of a government as well as the election of the next prime minister, on the condition that Nawaz Sharif's party will support them in elections to key constitutional offices like that of the President. A scheduled second round of talks between the Contact and Coordination Committees (CCCs) of the PPP and PML-N could not take place on Thursday, as both sides sought more time to assess proposals that came up in their first meeting. The next meeting between the two sides is likely to take place on Friday for clarity on the power-sharing formula, the Dawn newspaper reported. However, given the tough competition between individuals, nominating people to fill those ...

Pak polls: Imran Khan's PTI names PM choice, seeks to form coalition govt

Omar Ayub Khan, the PTI nominee for prime minister, said his first priority would be to release Imran Khan and other party leaders from jail

Pakistan polls: Imran Khan calls on US to raise voice over transparency

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has accused the US of not fulfilling responsibility against the anti-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) measures in Pakistan

Imran's PTI announces nationwide protests on Feb 17 against poll 'rigging'

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced "peaceful" protests across the nation on February 17 against the alleged rigging in the general elections conducted on February 8