Politics

PTI, govt to hold talks on elections today

Published

1 year 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.

Latest News

Containers were used to seal the Red Zone before JI’s sit-in at D-Chowk.

Published

17 hours ago

Farwa

Authorities in Islamabad have blocked off the Red Zone by erecting containers in front of today’s (Friday) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demonstration and the Jamaat-i-Islami sit-in at D-Chowk in Islamabad.

Jamaat-i-Islami is scheduled to stage a sit-in at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared a nationwide protest against the country’s soaring inflation and recent spike in electricity rates.

Containers have been used to block access to the Red Zone’s main crossroads, D Chowk, Nadra Chowk, and Sarina Chowk.

ISLAMABAD, PUNJAB SECTION 144

In the meantime, in response to PTI and JI plans for statewide rallies, the federal and Punjabi governments enforced Section 144 in Islamabad and Punjab. Section 144 will be in force from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, per the notification that was released in this regard.

Rallies, sit-ins, protests, and rallies are prohibited from July 26 to July 28, according to a letter from the Home Department. It said that terrorists may find public gatherings to be an easy target and stated that the decision had been made with the threat of terrorism in mind.

In contrast, JI Secretary General Ameerul Azeem claimed in a statement that police had raided the residences of JI officials across the nation.

In an attempt to break up the protest, he said, police had targeted JI leaders and activists. He also alleged that multiple instances of police raids, arrests, and harassment of women had occurred in various towns.

GOVT ADVISED

The government was forewarned by Jamaat Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman earlier on Thursday that it would face consequences if the party was barred from accessing Islamabad for their scheduled demonstration against inflation and an increase in electricity prices.

He stated in a statement that their belief is in peaceful political protest as a means of securing public rights. “We are not afraid of arrests, and the Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped,” he added.

“The historic sit-in on Friday, July 26, will represent 250 million people of Pakistan, and we will sit peacefully at D-Chowk.”

According to the JI, convoys are in route from all around the nation to participate in the sit-in. He encouraged the administration to offer a location for the protest, highlighting that it is their constitutional and democratic right to speak up for the country.

“Any political party that wishes to participate” was invited, and he welcomed them all.

Prior to the sit-in, police raided the residences of JI leaders and officials in many parts of Punjab and Rawalpindi, making multiple arrests.

Ameerul Azim, the central secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, was not able to be arrested during the police raid; instead, Shaukat Mahmood, his driver, was taken into custody.

Latest News

The Socioeconomic Registry of Punjab. Real data gathering is essential to effective governance. Maryam

Published

17 hours ago

Farwa

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, announced that the province will introduce the “Apna Ghar Scheme,” adding that accurate data collecting is necessary in order to provide social security to the impoverished.

At the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry’s opening event in Lahore, the Maryam announced that the province’s government has started the “Roshan Gharana” project, which aims to provide 4.5 million individuals with solar panels on manageable installment plans.

Maryam Nawaz, who emphasized the necessity of centralized data, stated that data has become increasingly important in recent years since it makes basic amenities more accessible and aids in the classification of the poor.

She stated that several initiatives are being taken by the Punjabi government to assist those with disabilities.

The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is dedicated to providing relief to the poor, according to Senior Provincial Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb, who spoke on the occasion.

The government, she noted, is concentrating on health and education services.

Latest News

The ECP asks the SC to clarify the ruling in the PTI reserved seat case.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Seeking clarity on a court ruling concerning the allotment of particular seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) moved the Supreme Court on Monday.

ECP members reportedly agreed unanimously on the SC’s decision to consult the SC.

Particularly cited under Paragraph 10 of the Supreme Court ruling, the ECP has called attention to vagueness in the ruling. In order to determine which body is in charge of party certificate issuance, the ECP is asking the Supreme Court for advice.

Concerning the validity of PTI’s party structure, the ECP pointed out that the organisation hasn’t held internal elections.

In the lack of distinct party organisation and intra-party elections, there is ambiguity over which certifications hold recognition.

Position of ECP

The absence of intra-party elections, according to ECP sources, prevents Tehreek-e-Insaaf from operating as a legitimate organisation.

A plea for clarification on party certificate authority and recognition has been made to the Supreme Court by the ECP.

Resolving the existing ambiguity and guaranteeing proper electoral processes will depend on the Supreme Court’s clarity on these issues.

Continue reading: ECP orders implementation of SC ruling regarding PTI reserved seats

Previous to this, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seat verdict will be implemented, according to a Friday announcement made by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of Pakistan.

On Friday, a meeting of ECP members was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

If the SC ruling is being carried out with any judicial decision becoming a roadblock, ECP has resolved to seek guidance from the judges in the room.

“The Supreme Court will be consulted for additional guidance in the event of any obstacles,” the ECP statement stated.

ECP declines resignation demand and political party criticism.

The chief election commissioner and members have been the target of persistent attack from a political party, which the highest electoral authority has sharply denounced. No political name was mentioned by the ECP.

The ECP called the demand for resignation from the party “absurd” and rejected the political party’s unjustified criticism, which had been made continuously.

Regardless of the pressure, the statement said, ECP would keep up its adherence to the law and the Constitution.