Page 8 - Imran Khan

Pakistan's former PM Nawaz Sharif claims election win, seeks coalition

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Friday called for a unity government as the cash-strapped Pakistan appeared to be heading towards a hung parliament, with independent candidates backed by jailed ex-premier Imran Khan's party springing a surprise by winning 92 out of the 224 seats for which results were declared so far. Addressing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters at the party's central secretariat in Lahore, 74-year-old Sharif said his party respects the mandate of all parties, including the independent candidates backed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. According to the latest Election Commission data, results of 224 constituencies out of 265 were declared. Independent candidates (mostly supported by PTI) bagged 92 seats while PML-N got 63 and PPP 50. Smaller parties secured 19 seats. To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 in the National Assembly. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate. Overall, 169 seats

Pakistan Election 2024 Results: Pakistani stocks plunge amid tight race

PSE's benchmark KSE-100 index fell 1,700 points in early morning trade on Friday amid delays in the declaration of results and political uncertainty

Delay in poll results due to 'lack of communication': Pak interior ministry

The unusual delay in announcing the results of the just-concluded election in Pakistan was due to a "lack of communication", which was a result of preventive measures taken to ensure foolproof security, the interior ministry said on Friday. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the first results of the 2024 polls in the early hours of Friday, more than 10 hours after voting ended amid allegations of rigging, sporadic violence and a countrywide mobile phone shutdown. The delay in election results is due to "lack of communication, which was a result of preventive measures taken to ensure foolproof security, the ministry said in a post on X. The ministry added that the media and the public's concerns about the late processing of the results have been reviewed. The delay was assessed and the situation is now satisfactory, it said.

Pakistan Elections: Shehbaz Sharif wins with 63,953 votes from Lahore

The (PML-N) has secured four seats in the National Assembly, Dawn reported today citing preliminary reports from the country's poll panel

Pak poll results delayed, Imran Khan's party claims win in first results

This will be "probably the biggest election upset in Pakistan's political history in the last 50 years," said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a senator with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

Pakistan elections: Results for 12 seats announced, parties neck and neck

By early Friday morning, the ECP had announced results for 12 of the 265 contested seats in parliament on its website

Pak Elections: US lawmakers condemn violence, restrictions on free speech

Amid the counting of votes in Pakistan, US Congress lawmakers have condemned the use of political violence, cell phone service shutdowns and restrictions on freedom of expression in the country

Amid rigging allegations, Pak caretaker PM hails successful elections

Internet monitor Netblocks also said that the real-time data shows that internet blackouts are now in effect in "multiple regions of Pakistan in addition to mobile network disruptions," reported Dawn

Pakistan responds to UN concerns over election violence and women role

Earlier in the week, the US State Department expressed reservations about challenges to freedom of expression during the ongoing electoral process

Pak's Ex-PM Imran Khan votes by postal ballot, wife Bushra Bibi misses out

Pakistan's Former prime minister Imran Khan and other prominent incarcerated political figures have cast their votes through postal ballot from jail, according to a media report on Thursday. However, Bushra Bibi, Khan's wife, was unable to participate in the voting as she was convicted and arrested after the completion of the postal voting process, Dawn News reported. Political leaders who have managed to vote by mail included former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, the report quoted Adiala Jail sources as saying on Wednesday. Overall, fewer than 100 prisoners of Adiala Jail were able to vote, constituting only about one per cent of the prison's 7,000 inmates. Sources said the jail administration allowed only those inmates to cast their votes who had valid computerised national identity cards (CNICs), and the reason for a low turnout was

Pak temporarily suspends mobile services as voting begins for general polls

Pakistanis on Thursday began voting in the general elections to elect a new government to rule the cash-strapped country amid speculation that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N may emerge as the largest party in Parliament as it is backed by the powerful military. The polling started at 8.00 AM and will continue without any break till 5.00 PM. A countrywide public holiday has been declared to enable a total of 128,585,760 registered voters to cast their votes. The counting will start soon after the conclusion of the voting. Nearly 650,000 security personnel have been deployed across the country as more than 12.85 crore registered voters will cast their ballots at 90,000 polling stations. Pakistan has decided to temporarily suspend the mobile service due to the threat of militancy. With former prime minister Imran Khan in jail, Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is tipped to emerge as the single largest party in the elections.

Twin blasts targeting election offices kill 30 in Pakistan's Balochistan

At least 25 people were killed and 42 others injured on Wednesday in two devastating bomb blasts targeting election offices in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, a day before the general elections in the coup-prone country. In the first incident, a powerful blast outside the office of independent candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar in Pishin district killed 17 people and wounded 30 others. Less than an hour later, another bomb blast took place outside the election office of a Jamiat-Ulema Islam-Pakistan in the Killa Abdullah area claiming the lives of eight people and injuring 12 others. Abdullah Zehri, a senior police official in Balochistan Panjgur, said that the blast outside the election office of candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar was detonated remotely and was placed in a bag outside the building. The condition of some of the injured is critical and they have been rushed to Quetta for treatment, he said. He said so far the body count from the blast was 17 but the casualties cou

Pakistan elections amid political, economic turmoil tomorrow: Details here

Pakistan Elections 2024: The country is set to go for polling to elect its 16th National Assembly on February 8. This comes at a time when it is facing several issues

From jail, Imran Khan asks supporters to wait by poll stations after vote

Any large-scale gathering of Khan's supporters near booths could raise tensions because of what they call a military-backed crackdown on him and his party that has restricted campaigning

US monitoring Pakistan's electoral process closely, says official

The United States is closely monitoring Pakistan's electoral process, an official of the US State Department has said, observing that it has concerns over the infringement with respect for freedom of expression, assembly, and associations. Speaking at his regular press briefing, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that it wants the broad participation of the people of Pakistan in the country's election. "We're continuing to monitor Pakistan's electoral process quite closely, and as we have said, we want to see that process take place in a way that facilitates broad participation with respect for freedom of expression, assembly, and associations, Patel said. Pakistan will hold its general elections on February 8. "We have concerns of all incidents of violence and restrictions on media freedom; freedom of expression, including internet freedom; and peaceful assembly and association. We're concerned by some of the infringements that we've seen in that space. ..

Pakistan Election Commission ready for Feb 8 Polls with EMS setup

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) concluded setting up the Election Management System (EMS) and election monitoring on Monday

Imran Khan accorded 'high-profile' status, to perform prison labour: Report

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi despite being high-profile prisoners will have to perform their prison labour inside the compound, according to a media report. Both the leaders were convicted by a special court for a 10-year jail term in the cipher case and have been imprisoned in Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala Jail, where their trial was held. Khan, 71, and Qureshi, 67, are being kept separately as high-profile prisoners - in their capacity as a former prime minister and foreign minister, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Pak EC disqualifies Shah Mahmood Qureshi from contesting polls for 5 years

Pakistan's election commission has disqualified Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a close aide of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, from contesting elections for five years after the former foreign minister was sentenced to 10 years each in prison for leaking state secrets. The disqualification of Qureshi, 67, comes five days before the February 8 general elections, which Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party is contesting despite a state crackdown and without its famous election symbol, the bat. The announcement comes days after a special court, established under the Official Secrets Act, awarded Qureshi 10 years imprisonment in the high-profile cypher case along with Khan. Citing the special court's judgement dated January 30, 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that any convicted individual, in accordance with the Constitution and the law, cannot participate in elections, The Express Tribune reported. As a consequence, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has become disqualifie

Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi get 7-year jail in 'un-Islamic marriage' case

A Pakistan court on Saturday sentenced jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years imprisonment in the un-Islamic nikah' case. Bibi's first husband, Khawar Maneka, had filed the case, alleging that she violated the Islamic practice of observing the mandatory pause or Iddat between two marriages.

Pak court likely to announce verdict in Imran Khan's marriage case

A Pakistan court is expected to announce on Saturday its verdict in a case challenging the 'un-Islamic' marriage of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to his third wife, Bushra Bibi. Bibi's first husband, Khawar Maneka, had filed the case, alleging that she violated the Islamic practice of observing the mandatory pause or Iddat between two marriages. Maneka also accused his ex-wife and Khan of being in an adulterous relationship before marriage, a crime punishable by death by stoning. Islamabad's Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah conducted the hearing in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi where Khan has been held since September last year due to different cases. He concluded the hearing on Friday night after a marathon 14-hour-long hearing. On Friday, the cross-examination of the four prosecution witnesses was completed, while Khan, 71, and Bibi, 49, submitted a joint statement, answering 13 questions. The court rejected the defence's request to produce additional witnesses. A plea of acqu