Imran Khan demands election commissioner’s resignation after landmark Supreme Court verdict

The undated picture shows Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, Sikandar Sultan Raja. (ECP)
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Updated 12 July 2024
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Imran Khan demands election commissioner’s resignation after landmark Supreme Court verdict

  • Court says ECP misconstrued election symbol judgment and forced PTI candidates to contest Feb. 8 polls independently
  • Imran Khan calls for treason charges against people who ‘disenfranchised millions’ of his party voters and supporters

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday demanded Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and his top team to resign, following a Supreme Court decision criticizing them for misconstruing one of its verdicts and forcing candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to contest the Feb. 8 polls independently.
The apex court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to strip the PTI of its electoral symbol, the cricket bat, for holding intra-party elections that were deemed to be flawed and not in keeping with its constitution.
Subsequently, the ECP rejected the nomination papers of PTI candidates, who were listed as independents with individual electoral symbols.
The court decision that came just weeks before the general elections significantly impacted PTI’s ability to present a united front and contest the national polls with full preparation.
“I have repeatedly raised concerns about the prejudice exhibited by the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan against me and PTI,” Khan said in a social media post. “Today’s Supreme Court decision – establishing the ECP’s bias and malafide against PTI – reinforces our stance.”
“We demand criminal proceedings under Article 6 of the Constitution [that deals with treason] against all those responsible for disenfranchising millions of voters and supporters of Pakistan’s largest political party,” he continued. “Sikandar Sultan Raja and the ECP members must resign immediately!”

The former PM, who remains incarcerated on a number of charges since his arrest last August, reiterated that he wanted Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to distance himself from all the cases involving him or his party.
The Supreme Court delivered a landmark 8-5 verdict, saying the PTI party was eligible for these seats in parliament.
The short order made it clear the denial of the election symbol did not affect in any way PTI’s right to be a political party or participate in elections.
Reading portion of a minority verdict, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa noted the ECP had ‘misinterpreted’ the court’s earlier verdict related to PTI’s election emblem.
“The ECP by misinterpreting the judgment of this Court dated 13 January 2024, which was regarding non-holding [of] intra-party elections in PTI, wrongly mentioned the said candidates of the PTI as independents in Form 33 of the Election Rules,” he said. “The ECP had no authority to declare validly nominated candidates of a political party to be independent candidates.”
The PTI is currently entitled to around 23 reserved seats in the National Assembly, which does not affect the parliamentary majority of the Sharif-led coalition administration.
Political parties are allocated a total number of 70 reserved seats, including 60 for women and 10 for non-Muslims, in proportion to the number of seats won in general elections. This completes the National Assembly’s total 336 seats.
A simple majority in Pakistan’s parliament is 169 out of 336 seats.


FACTBOX: The Himalayan region of Kashmir, at the heart of India-Pakistan enmity

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FACTBOX: The Himalayan region of Kashmir, at the heart of India-Pakistan enmity

  • Kashmir has been site of several wars and diplomatic standoffs between India and Pakistan 
  • India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants, an allegation Islamabad has denied 

NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan agreed to stop firing along their border on Saturday, bringing an end to the escalated tensions between the two arch-rivals after multiple
strikes were launched against military bases.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, has been the site of several wars and diplomatic standoffs.

Here is a look at the region, its history, and why it continues to be a source of tension between the two countries:

PARTITION AND ACCESSION 

After partition of the subcontinent in 1947 following independence from British rule, Kashmir was expected to become part of Pakistan, as with other Muslim-majority regions. 

Its Hindu ruler wanted it to stay independent but, faced with an invasion by Muslim tribesmen from Pakistan, acceded to India in October 1947 in return for help against the invaders.

GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHICS 

Kashmir ended up divided among Hindu-majority India, which governs the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh; Islamic Pakistan, which controls Azad Kashmir (“Free Kashmir“) and the Northern Areas; and China, which holds the Aksai Chin region. Indian-administered Kashmir has a population of around 7 million, of whom nearly 70 percent are Muslim.

ARTICLE 370 

A provision of the Indian constitution, Article 370, provided for partial autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. It was drafted in 1947 by the then-prime minister of the state, Sheikh Abdullah, and accepted by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Although intended as temporary, it was included in India’s Constitution in 1949 by the constituent assembly.

WARS AND MILITARY STANDOFFS 

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence, two of them over Kashmir in 1947 and 1965. A third in 1971 led to the creation of Bangladesh. In 1999, they clashed again in the Kargil region in what was described as an undeclared war. A UN-brokered ceasefire line, the Line of Control, now divides the region.

THE INSURGENCY 

Many Muslims in Indian Kashmir have long resented what they see as heavy-handed rule by India. In 1989, that bubbled over into an insurgency by Muslim separatists. India poured troops into the region and tens of thousands of people have been killed.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants, which Islamabad denies, saying it offers only moral and diplomatic support.

REVOKING OF SPECIAL STATUS 

In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian government revoked Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in a move it said would better integrate the region with the rest of India. The state was reorganized into two federally administered union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Pakistan strongly objected, downgrading diplomatic ties.

RECENT YEARS 

Modi says his 2019 decision brought normality to Kashmir after decades of bloodshed. Violence has tapered off in recent years, according to Indian officials, with fewer large-scale attacks and rising tourist arrivals. Targeted killings of civilians and security forces are still reported, however.

2024 ELECTIONS 

In 2024, Jammu and Kashmir held its first local elections since the 2019 revocation of autonomy. Several newly elected lawmakers urged a partial restoration of Article 370. Key regional parties boycotted or criticized the vote, saying the winners would not get any real political power.

2025

Tensions escalated after an attack on April 22 in the resort town of Pahalgam in Indian Kashmir in which 26 men, mostly Hindus, were killed. India identified two of the three suspected militants as Pakistanis, although Islamabad denied any role.

Among a slew of tit-for-tat reprisals, India suspended the 1960 Indus Water Treaty regulating the sharing of water from the river and its tributaries.

India launched attacks on May 7 on what it said were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan, including in Pakistani Kashmir.

Strikes and counterstrikes against each side’s military installations followed. On Saturday, May 10, after concerted US diplomacy and pressure, the two nations said they had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire.”


Trump says will increase trade ‘substantially’ with India and Pakistan 

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Trump says will increase trade ‘substantially’ with India and Pakistan 

  • US president says will work with India and Pakistan to see if Kashmir dispute can be resolved
  • Trump says will increase trade ‘substantially’ with India and Pakistan amid ceasefire

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump on Sunday appreciated the leadership of both India and Pakistan for having the wisdom to agree to a ceasefire after days of increasing hostilities, vowing to increase trade “substantially” with both South Asian rivals. 

This was posted by the American president on his Truth Social platform, a day after he announced Washington had brokered a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. 

The nuclear-armed nations exchanged missiles and drone attacks this week, raising widespread fears of a nuclear confrontation between the two. Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated after Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26. 

Islamabad denied involvement, with tensions reaching a boiling point after India fired missiles at what it said were “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan this week, killing several. Pakistan said India had killed only civilians, vowing retribution. 

“I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision,” Trump said, referring to the ceasefire. 

“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations.”

The US is an important trade partner of Pakistan, with Washington’s goods exports to Pakistan reaching $2.1 billion in 2024, up 4.4 percent ($90.9 million) from 2023, according to US government data. 

The import of goods from Pakistan to the US totaled $5.1 billion in 2024, up 4.9 percent ($238.7 million) from 2023.

The US considers India its key strategic ally and has bolstered trade and defense ties with New Delhi in recent years to counter Beijing’s rising influence in Asia. 

‘A THOUSAND YEARS’

India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars since 1947, when both gained independence from British colonial India, over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. 

Both countries claim the region entirely but govern only parts of it. The part administered by Pakistan is known as Azad Kashmir. 

In his Truth Social post, the American president said he would try to resolve the Kashmir dispute between the two nations. 

“Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” he wrote. 

“God Bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!“

The ceasefire announcement came after the Pakistan military said early on Saturday it had launched retaliatory strikes against India, accusing it of attacking three bases in Pakistan with missiles. 

Pakistan’s military said it had targeted multiple bases in India in response, including a missile storage site in India’s north, as part of an operation it named “Bunyan-um-Marsoos.”

Within hours of the ceasefire announcement on Saturday afternoon, however, India accused Islamabad of violating it by targeting Srinagar city in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Ata Tarar denied the allegation, saying people in his country were celebrating the end of the conflict and the government remained committed to the agreement.

The foreign office of Pakistan also maintained the country remained committed to the “faithful implementation” of the ceasefire.


Pakistan observes ‘Day of Gratitude’ today to celebrate ‘befitting response’ to Indian military

Updated 41 min 21 sec ago
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Pakistan observes ‘Day of Gratitude’ today to celebrate ‘befitting response’ to Indian military

  • Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire with India on Saturday after both sides exchanged missile, drone attacks
  • Shehbaz Sharif urges nation, particularly religious scholars, to offer special prayers for those killed in conflict

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that the nation would mark today, Sunday, as a “Day of Gratitude” to recognize the “befitting response” it had delivered to the Indian military following a shaky ceasefire agreement between Islamabad and New Delhi that took after days of conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors. 

United States President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Washington had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following intense missile and drone exchanges, which began after a gun attack in Pahalgam, a tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, that killed 26 people, in April. 

India blamed Pakistan for the incident despite Islamabad’s rejection of the allegation, and launched retaliatory strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure.” It also took other retaliatory actions, including the suspension of a decades-old river water sharing treaty with lower riparian Pakistan.

The ceasefire announcement came after the Pakistan military said early on Saturday it had launched retaliatory strikes against India, accusing it of attacking three bases in Pakistan with missiles. Pakistan’s military said it had targeted multiple bases in India in response, including a missile storage site in India’s north.

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced to observe ‘Youm-e-Tashakkur’ across the country today [Sunday] for giving a befitting response to Indian aggression and the success of ‘Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,’” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

The state media said the day would be observed to offer gratitude to god, pay tribute to the Pakistani armed forces for their “unmatched bravery” and appreciate the nation’s resilience.

Sharif appealed to the nation, particularly religious scholars, to offer voluntary prayers for the people who had been martyred in the attacks. 

“Shehbaz Sharif expressed the resolve that the sacrifices of the Pakistan Armed Forces will never be forgotten, as the nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them,” Radio Pakistan said. 

SHARIF HOPES TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING ISSUES

In his address to the nation on Saturday night, the Pakistani prime minister hoped Islamabad’s ceasefire with New Delhi would pave the way for both countries to resolve longstanding issues. 

“We firmly believe that all outstanding issues, including the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir and the distribution of water resources, should be resolved through peaceful dialogue in accordance with the principles of justice,” he said. 

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had announced that the two countries’ military operations chiefs had spoken to each other and agreed that all fighting would stop at 5 p.m. Indian time (1130 GMT) on Saturday, without using the word “ceasefire.” The MO chiefs would next speak on May 12, he added.

Within hours, however, India accused Islamabad of violating the ceasefire by targeting Srinagar city in Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Ata Tarar denied the allegation, saying people in his country were celebrating the end of the conflict and the government remained committed to the agreement.

The foreign office of Pakistan also maintained the country remained committed to the “faithful implementation” of the ceasefire.

“Notwithstanding the violations being committed by India in some areas, our forces are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint,” it said in a statement.


Pakistan’s religious affairs minister commends Saudi Hajj arrangements during Makkah visit

Updated 11 May 2025
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Pakistan’s religious affairs minister commends Saudi Hajj arrangements during Makkah visit

  • Sardar Yousaf urges Pakistani pilgrims to follow Saudi guidelines for a smooth Hajj experience
  • He visits Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission and camps in Mina to review facilities for pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Saturday praised Saudi authorities for the arrangements made for this year’s Hajj pilgrims, describing the facilities as comfortable and well-managed.
The remarks came during his visit to Makkah, where he met officials and inspected facilities for Pakistani pilgrims, including medical services and accommodation in Mina.
“The arrangements made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the guests of Allah Almighty are truly commendable,” the Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Yousaf as saying.
“We appreciate the efforts to ensure comfort, safety and well-being of all pilgrims,” he added.
The minister urged Pakistani pilgrims to fully comply with the rules and guidelines issued by Saudi authorities, stressing they were designed to facilitate a smooth pilgrimage experience.
Yousaf also toured the Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission and received a briefing on the facilities available for pilgrims.
He later made a surprise visit to Mina camps managed by the Saudi company Al Rajhi, expressing satisfaction with services such as air-conditioned tents, sofa-cum-beds and dedicated storage spaces.
The minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to providing high-quality services to its pilgrims and emphasized that no lapses in care would be tolerated.
Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and 9 this year. Pakistan launched special Hajj flights on April 29 and has since transported thousands of pilgrims to Madinah.


Pakistan PM says ceasefire with India offers chance to resolve Kashmir, water issues

Updated 10 May 2025
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Pakistan PM says ceasefire with India offers chance to resolve Kashmir, water issues

  • Shehbaz Sharif thanks President Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for de-escalation efforts
  • Pakistan’s foreign office denies allegations of ceasefire violation, says Islamabad implementing the deal

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire with India in the hope that it would open the door to resolving longstanding disputes between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, including the Kashmir conflict and the division of river waters.

His remarks came hours after the United States helped broker a ceasefire between the two South Asian rivals following intense missile and drone exchanges, which began after a gun attack in Pahalgam, a tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, that killed 26 people.

India blamed Pakistan for the incident despite Islamabad’s rejection of the allegation, and launched retaliatory strikes on what it called “terrorist infrastructure.” It also took other retaliatory actions, including suspension of a decades-old river water sharing treaty with lower riparian Pakistan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said both countries had agreed to a ceasefire and would begin talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral venue.

“As a responsible state, we have responded positively to the ceasefire proposal in the interest of global and regional peace, and for the millions of people living in the region,” Sharif said in a televised address to the nation.

“We firmly believe that all outstanding issues, including the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir and the distribution of water resources, should be resolved through peaceful dialogue in accordance with the principles of justice,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the Indian foreign secretary said the two countries’ military operations 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.” The MO chiefs would next speak on May 12, he added.

Within hours, however, India accused Islamabad of violating the ceasefire by targeting Srinagar city in Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Ata Tarar denied the allegation, saying people in his country were celebrating the end of the conflict and the government remained committed to the agreement.

The foreign office of Pakistan also maintained the country remained committed to the “faithful implementation” of the ceasefire.

“Notwithstanding the violations being committed by India in some areas, our forces are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint,” it said in a statement.

“We believe that any issues in smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels,” it continued. “The troops on ground should also exercise restraint.”

Pakistan’s Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry told Arab News, “the response would be harsh” if India defied the ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said in his address that India had used the Pahalgam incident “as a pretext” to impose war on Pakistan.

“In its arrogance, the enemy made a failed attempt to violate our borders,” he said. “We decided to respond to the enemy in the language it understands best.”

Sharif also thanked US President Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed for their role in helping de-escalate the situation.