Politics

PTI, govt to hold talks on elections today

Published

5 months ago

Farwa

ISLAMABAD: Following the Supreme Court’s emphasis on negotiations, talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will begin at the Senate secretariat at 6pm, sources told Geo News.

Officials, privy to the development, shared that Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and briefed him on today’s hearing at the Supreme Court.

Following his meeting with the PM, the AGP contacted PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar and Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar.

From the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) side its three-member committee will lead the talks while the government’s panel will be finalised after the ruling alliance’s lawmakers will meet with PM Shehbaz.

The development comes after Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial urged the government and the opposition to sit for talks for the sake of the constitution.

The talks are happening at the Senate Secretariat despite PTI rejecting the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani’s proposal of forming a 10-member special parliamentary committeefor the dialogue.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi — speaking to media persons outside the Supreme Court before today’s hearing— said that the party has rejected Sanjrani’s committee as “this matter isn’t about Senate, it is about political consensus”.

Qureshi said that the party has already formed its three-member committee after consultations with party chief Imran Khan. The panel comprises Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and Barrister Ali Zafar.

The ruling alliance had proposed the formation of a 10-member parliamentary committee with equal representation from both sides for talks on holding elections across the country on the same date.

The thaw in the rigid political scenario took place following the government’s suggestion of a parliamentary committee to hold parleys with the Opposition in line with the Supreme Court’s instruction to develop a consensus on the election date.

According to Geo News sources, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique contacted Sanjrani in this regard.

The sources further added that the government suggested that the parliamentary committee should include five members from each side.

Following the meeting, Sanjrani wrote a letter to PTI seeking nominations for the committee.

In his letter to PTI leader Shehzad Waseem, the Senate chairman said that he had been approached by the ruling coalition to mediate a “political dialogue to address the ongoing political and economic crisis including the holding of general elections.”

“The Senate of Pakistan; House of Federation, being a stabilising factor of the federation is constitutionally bestowed with the responsibility of protecting the national and political harmony vis-a-vis the national and public interest,” he wrote.

Sanjrani added that a 10-member special committee for holding political dialogue is being constituted under the joint convenership of the Leader of the House in the Senate and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and comprising four members each from the treasury and opposition benches.

He further mentioned that his office and the Senate will be available to facilitate the talks. He then asked Waseem to provide, on the PTI’s behalf, the names of four members from the opposition benches, to be made part of the committee in two days.

Earlier, Sanjrani had also contacted PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Waseem, the sources said.

PTI’s panel

Meanwhile, former prime minister Imran Khan formed a three-member panel for a dialogue with the government over the issue of elections and other relevant matters, The News reported.

The panel comprises PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Barrister Ali Zafar.

It may be noted that the Supreme Court has directed the political parties to hold a dialogue in a bid to reach a consensus on the date of elections in the country, with the government stressing to hold the polls on same day.

The government is expected to inform the apex court about the progress in the implementation of orders, in today’s hearing on pleas seeking simultaneous elections across the country.

On April 4, the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial had ordered the government to hold polls in Punjab on May 14.

However, after issuing its written verdict in the previous hearing, the court held that its judgment rendered on the case of delay in the elections had already fixed May 14 as the date of election to the Punjab Assembly.

Politics

Imran Khan surpasses political rivals in popularity survey: Miftah

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Miftah, Abbasi, Khokhar testing waters for launch of a political party.
Khokar is more keen to launch the party than the other two.
There is space for launching a new political party, they believe.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had surpassed all political leaders in popularity in a recent opinion poll, The News reported on Wednesday.

Miftah along with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Mustafa Khokhar, who had earlier come up with the idea of seminars on “Reimagining Pakistan”, is also presently testing waters for the launch of a political party.

Miftah told The News no decision has been taken as yet, but presently they are seriously thinking on the issue.

He disclosed that they had also done a public opinion survey in July this year, which showed Imran way ahead of all in popularity.

What Abbasi said about his political future in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and about the need for a new political party is part of the trio’s strategy to test the waters before reaching a final decision.

Abbasi, Miftah, and Mustafa are presently discussing the launch of a political party with different people besides encouraging discussion on the issue in the media and social media to assess whether it is a doable option.

Among the three, Khokar is more keen to launch the party than the other two who are not fully clear as yet whether they should do it or not.

All three, according to Miftah, agree there is space for launching a new political party in the present political situation. The question, he said, remains whether they have the capacity to attract people to join a new political party.

Through a leading entity, conducting public opinion polls, Miftah said they have also got a survey done to assess the popularity of different political parties and leaders. Their reading of the survey report made them reach the conclusion of a need for a new political party.

The three believe a significant number of voters, who are presently inclined towards Imran Khan and PTI for their rejection of PML-N, can be attracted by a new political party because neither the staunch supporters of Imran Khan nor of Nawaz would vote for any other political party.

In view of the post-May 9 difficult situations faced by Imran Khan and his party, the PTI, it is believed the new political party may attract significant voters (not the staunch supporters) of the PTI, who would never vote for PMLN or other political party in Punjab.

Among the three, Khokhar, left the PPP after the party’s leadership objected to his certain statements criticising powerful quarters. Miftah got the cold shoulder from the PML-N top leadership for publicly defending his economic solutions, which are different from that of Ishaq Dar’s.

Miftah also criticised Dar’s policies as finance minister and argued that he too was criticised as finance minister by Dar. However, his criticism of Dar’s policies has made him an alien to Sharifs.

Abbasi has started distancing himself from the PML-N top leadership for the last several months. The PML-N top leadership was keen not to let Abbasi drift from them, but the latter sounded dissatisfied with the politics of all the three leading political parties including PML-N.

Abbasi also did not show his keenness in the PML-N ticket for the next elections, while he had already declined to continue as senior vice-president of the party after Maryam Nawaz was announced as senior vice-president and chief organiser of PML-N.

On the direction of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam had visited Abbasi at the latter’s residence in Islamabad to convince him not to leave the office of senior vice-president of PMLN. Shahid had politely declined. Now, he appears to be quitting the PML-N anytime.

Politics

What will happen when Nawaz Sharif lands in Pakistan?

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Nawaz Sharif to attend rally on Oct 21, appear before court the next day.
“Consultations being held on seeking protective bail from another court.”
Dastagir adds that Nawaz can get nation out of difficulties even today.

LAHORE: The legal minds of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are holding consultations on challenges party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif faces upon his return to the country, it emerged on Tuesday.

Speaking to Geo News, former federal minister Khurram Dastagir said that Nawaz will go to attend a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan after landing at the Lahore airport on October 21 and will appear before a court the next day.

However, he added, the party is holding discussions on legal matters for the intervening period between his arrival and appearance before the respective court and consultations are being held on seeking protective bail from another court [to avoid arrest].

The former prime minister has been in London since November 2019 after he left the country for medical treatment. He was serving a jail term in corruption cases when the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed him to seek treatment from abroad.

On Monday, Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti created a stir when he said that the PML-N supremo would be arrested upon return but backtracked his remarks following a strong response from the party.

The PML-N is preparing for a grand reception for Nawaz and plans to hold a massive rally of 1 million people in their stronghold — Lahore.

Dastagir, while responding to a question, said that the former premier had gone abroad on the permission granted to him by two courts and would enter with their approval.

“An appeal is pending before a court and Nawaz Sharif will pursue it upon return,” he said.

The former minister added that people should understand that those responsible for the corruption are those who have been doing political engineering since 2014.

“The situation was bad in 2013 but Nawaz Sharif brought the country out of the worst situation and even today, he can get the nation out of these difficulties.”

To a question, Dastagir said the 15-party coalition is responsible for the successes and failures of the 16-month government.

“PML-N’s 16-month performance is a story of pulling the country out of crises,” he added.

When asked about the reports of the formation of a new political party, he responded, “Shahid Khaqan Abbasi should have told that there is peace in Karachi today and credit goes to the PML-N.”

Referring to the spike in militancy in the country, the PML-N leader said the terrorism that is increasing today is because of Imran Khan and Arif Alvi who offered amnesty to the Taliban in 2021.

About a rumoured “secret” meeting of Shehbaz Sharif earlier this month, he said, “I do not know about the meeting in Gujranwala, I cannot deny or confirm it.”

Pakistan

Senate committee recommends ECP hold polls within 90 days

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Committee recommends ECP announce polls schedule at earliest.
ECP official says preliminary delimitations will be published on Sep 27.
About 60 days are required for filing and disposal of representations, ECP.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct elections within 90 days by reducing the time for filing representations for delimitation from 30 to seven days, The News reported.

In a meeting presided over by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Taj Haider, the committee also drew the electoral body’s attention towards its constitutional obligation of holding polls in the context of the National Assembly’s dissolution.

The Senate panel recommended that the commission announce the schedule of the election at the earliest to ensure clarity on the uncertainty around conducting elections.

Briefing the committee on the polls-related matters, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan said the preliminary delimitations will be published on September 27.

However, he explained a period of approximately 60 days will be required for filing and disposal of representations.

He told the committee that some 91,809 polling stations were to be established out of which 49,919 had been designated as sensitive or highly sensitive.

He pointed out that out of the 49,919 polling stations, 17,411 had been categorised as highly sensitive and another 32,508 as sensitive while 41,809 (around 45%) were designated as normal.

He contended that the general election will encompass 266 National Assembly constituencies and 593 provincial assemblies’ constituencies. Moreover, he noted around 1 million polling staff will be required for the upcoming general election.

The committee inquired about the methods for the consolidation of results. The secretary of ECP said electronic devices having ECP-developed software will be used to send snapshots of Form-45 to returning officers and software was also equipped to keep track of time and place of snapshots in order to ensure the legitimacy of elections.

Regarding the use of funds for development schemes, Senator Haider emphasised that funds should be allocated to the approved schemes. The secretary ECP explained that there was no ban on development schemes approved prior to August 15.