ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Thursday it was willing to discuss the modalities of the next general elections if the government was open to the idea of going to the polls ahead of schedule.
The PTI has been seeking fresh elections in the country since the downfall of its administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April. Khan has held dozens of protest rallies across Pakistan while describing snap polls as the only way out of the prevailing political and economic turmoil.
The former prime minister announced his decision at a recent protest in Rawalpindi to dissolve the provincial legislatures of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where his party is in power, hoping to intensify pressure on the coalition administration at the center to announce an early election date.
“For sure,” said PTI senior vice president Chaudhary Fawad Hussain in a Twitter post, “if [the government] announces early elections we are ready to negotiate [the] framework of elections and changes in [the Election Commission of Pakistan].”
Khan has repeatedly said in recent days he wants early elections since the country’s economy is in a crisis state and his party wants to retrieve control of the situation before it is too late.
He has also expressed reservations over the workings of the country’s election regulatory authority while claiming that its officials have a bias against his party.
On Thursday, the former prime minister also held a meeting with the Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to discuss the overall political situation of the country and weigh the option of dissolving the provincial assembly.
“There will be no delay in dissolving the Punjab Assembly on Imran Khan’s instructions,” Elahi said in a Twitter post after the meeting.
He dismissed the possibility of governor rule in Punjab while pointing out it could not happen since the assembly was in session.
Elahi also challenged the federal government to bring a no-confidence motion against him, saying the move would fail again like before.
He added his political rivals were far behind in the number game.
It may be recalled the Punjab chief minister is Khan’s political ally and holds the top provincial position after reaching a political understanding with the PTI leadership.
He noted that his party endorsed all decisions made by Khan, adding it fully supported anyone it chooses to ally with.
Ex-PM Khan’s party says willing to negotiate with government over next elections
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Ex-PM Khan’s party says willing to negotiate with government over next elections
- Among other modalities, PTI leaders want to discuss changes in the Election Commission of Pakistan
- Punjab chief minister has reiterated his commitment to dissolve the assembly on Khan’s instructions
Pakistan thrash South Korea 4-0 in Azlan Shah Cup hockey clash
- Pakistani players Abdul Hanan Shahid, Arshad Liaqat, Ghazanfar Ali and Sufiyan Khan score goals
- This is Pakistan’s second victory in the tournament after their win over hosts Malaysia on Saturday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s field hockey team beat South Korea 4-0 in their second match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this week, state-media reported on Monday, as the South Asian side continued their impressive run in the tournament.
The 30th edition of the prestigious field hockey tournament is being played in Ipoh, Malaysia from 4-11 May. The cup will be contested between six teams, namely Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Korea. Pakistan’s national hockey team made a triumphant start to the tournament on Saturday, defeating hosts Malaysia by 5-4 in a thrilling match.
The green shirts continued their impressive form on Sunday, beating South Korea in what was a one-sided contest.
“Pakistan in their second match beat South Korea by four goals to nil at Ipoh on Sunday,” the state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
Pakistani players Abdul Hanan Shahid, Arshad Liaqat, Ghazanfar Ali and Sufiyan Khan scored goals to ensure the national team dominated the match. Pakistan’s defense did an impressive job to contain the Korean hockey team, thwarting their efforts to score a single goal.
“Pakistan will play their third match against Japan in Ipoh, Malaysia tomorrow,” Radio Pakistan reported. “The match will start at 3:15 p.m.”
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 will see a round-robin stage at first where all six participating teams will play against each other once, followed by positional playoffs.
The teams finishing in the bottom two places of the league stage will contest in a fifth-place classification match. Teams finishing in third and fourth place in the pool stage will compete for bronze, while the top two teams will play in the final for the title.
Pakistani journalists condemn Israel’s decision to ban Al Jazeera, demand ‘earliest restoration’
- PM Netanyahu’s cabinet shut down network for as long as Gaza war continues, saying it threatened national security
- Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists credits Al Jazeera for reporting “independently” on Israel’s war in Gaza
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most prominent association of journalists strongly condemned Israel’s move to ban international news organization Al Jazeera on Sunday, describing it as a “brutal curb on press freedom,” urging journalist bodies around the world to raise their voices for the Qatar-based network.
The statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted unanimously to close Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. The decision came weeks after Israel’s parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to its national security as the months-long war in Gaza drags on.
Later on Sunday, Israeli police raided Al Jazeera’s premises in East Jerusalem while satellite and cable providers took the broadcaster off air.
“Workers strongly condemn the Israeli decision of banning telecast of Al Jazeera TV and demand its earliest restoration,” the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said in a press release. “The PFUJ-Workers terms the decision a brutal curb on press freedom and demand that Israeli govt should give right to every media organization to work freely.”
PFUJ credited Al Jazeera for reporting “independently” on Israel’s war in Gaza, calling on journalist bodies around the world to raise their voices for freedom of media and support the Doha-based news channel.
“If we do not discharge our duty of raising voice for Al Jazeera the other will use the practice to silent voices in their regions,” the statement concluded.
Al Jazeera criticized Israel’s decision to ban its broadcast in a report, saying that it is one of the few international media outlets to remain in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting “bloody scenes of air attacks and overcrowded hospitals, and accusing Israel of massacres.”
“The Network vehemently rejects the allegations presented by Israeli authorities suggesting professional media standards have been violated,” Al Jazeera said in a statement. “It reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values embodied by its Code of Ethics.”
Israel’s move can heighten the Jewish state’s tensions with Qatar, which funds Al Jazeera, especially at a time when the Gulf country is playing a key role in mediating efforts to stop the war in Gaza.
Tim Dawson, the deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, told Al Jazeera Israel’s decision was a “retrograde and ridiculous decision.”
“Closing down media, closing down television stations is a sort of thing that despots do,” he said.
Two-day Pakistan-Saudi Arabia investment conference begins in Islamabad today
- The development comes amid the visit of a high-level Saudi business delegation to Pakistan
- The conference is expected to foster growth and prosperity for the people of both countries
ISLAMABAD: A two-day Pakistan-Saudi Arabia investment conference is set to begin in Islamabad today, Monday, to promote trade and investment between the two countries, Pakistani state media reported.
It comes a day after a 50-member Saudi delegation, led by Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, arrived in Pakistan to explore investment opportunities.
The investment conference is expected to foster a new era of growth and prosperity for the people of both countries, the state-run APP news agency reported.
"During the first half of the current financial year, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was recorded at $2,482.37 million, with Pakistan’s exports of $262.58 million and Saudi exports of $2.219 billion," the APP report read, citing a Pakistani commerce ministry official.
"Pakistan would welcome and fully facilitate investments and partnerships from Saudi Arabia in IT, minerals, textiles, food security, engineering and energy sectors."
At present, Saudi Arabia's exports include oil, plastics and organic chemicals, while Pakistan exports rice, bovine animal meat, fruit and vegetables, tents and camping goods.
The official noted Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had agreed on a Free-Trade Agreement last year and Islamabad was also planning to organize a Single Country Exhibition and Lifestyle Show in the Kingdom.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong ties rooted in shared culture, religion and economic cooperation, and have witnessed a flurry of official visits in recent weeks.
The two countries have lately been working to increase bilateral trade and investment, and the Kingdom recently reaffirmed its commitment to expedite an investment package worth $5 billion for Pakistan.
Pakistan farmers announce nationwide protest from May 10 amid wheat import crisis
- Farmers are demanding the government stop wheat imports that have flooded markets, leading to price slump
- Agriculture contributes about 24 percent of the GDP and accounts for half of the employed labor force in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani farmers on Sunday announced a nationwide protest over the wheat import crisis from May 10, a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised to address their grievances.
Farmers in Pakistan’s Punjab province, which produces most of the wheat crop, are demanding the government stop wheat imports that have flooded the market at a time when they expect bumper crop.
They say the import of wheat in the second half of 2023 and the first three months of this year has resulted in excess amounts of the commodity in the country, leading to reduced prices.
On Saturday, PM Sharif took notice of the matter and formed a committee under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to address farmer grievances, Pakistani state media reported.
“On the 10th [of May], after the Friday prayers, we are initiating protest from Multan and this protest will be expanded to the whole of Pakistan,” Khalid Khokhar, who heads the Kissan Ittehad Pakistan, said at a press conference.
“Thousands of farmers will come, there will be hundreds of tractors, trailers. Animals, cattle and children and women will also be accompanied.”
Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and constitutes its largest sector. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), agriculture contributes about 24 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for half of the employed labor force in the country.
However, the prices of wheat have dropped in Pakistan in recent weeks and are much below the government’s support price of Rs3,900 per 40-kilogram bag.
“We do not have any option other than this. The mafia made Rs100 billion, Pakistan’s $1 billion worth of foreign exchange was spent and the farmers incurred around Rs400 billion losses,” Khokhar said.
“They slaughtered 60 million farmers just for the sake of corruption.”
Pakistan’s Dr. Shahzad Baig makes it to TIME’s 100 world leaders in health
- Before arriving in Pakistan, Baig was a technical adviser to Nigeria’s polio eradication effort, which remained successful
- Pakistan, Afghanistan are only two countries in world where polio continues to threaten health and well-being of children
ISLAMABAD: US news magazine TIME has included Dr. Shahzad Baig, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme’s national coordinator, to its list of 100 most influential people across the world in the field of health in 2024.
The list, titled ‘TIME100 HEALTH,’ this week honored individuals from across the world for their services for fresh discoveries, novel treatments, and global victories over disease.
Baig was recognized for his efforts for the eradication of poliovirus, which mainly affects children under the age of ten years by invading their nervous system, and can cause paralysis or even death.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio continues to threaten the health and well-being of children.
“On the front lines in the effort to stamp it [polio] out is Dr. Shahzad Baig, national coordinator of Pakistan’s polio-eradication program,” TIME wrote on its website.
“In 2019, polio disabled or killed 147 people in Pakistan; since Baig assumed the position, in 2021, case counts have plummeted, with only six children stricken in 2023.”
Before arriving in Pakistan, Baig was a technical adviser to Nigeria’s polio eradication effort, which succeeded spectacularly, according to the US magazine.
In 2020, the African country became the most recent one in the world to be declared polio-free.
“If Baig has his way, Pakistan will be the next,” it added.
