Page 8 - Pakistan Army

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

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

Highlights of the day: On Fb live, Shiv Sena UBT leader's son shot dead

Latest LIVE: From elections in Pakistan to BJP govt's decision to present a white paper on state of economy during UPA 's ten year rule, catch all the latest updates from around the world here

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

Pakistani general elections: Citizens cast vote amid rigging claims

Millions of voters in Pakistan on Thursday began voting in the general elections in which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is hoping to secure a record fourth term with the backing of the powerful military amid a crackdown on his rival Imran Khan's party, rise in violence and economic stagnation. Amidst tight security, 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 million registered voters to cast their votes and elect a new government that they hope to stabilise the country's economy. The counting will start soon after the conclusion of the voting. Nearly 650,000 security personnel have been deployed across the country as at least 30 people were killed on Wednesday in twin blasts in the restive Balochistan province. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja Wednesday talked to the chief secretaries and inspectors general of police (IGPs) of the four provinces a

Pakistan elections on Feb 8: Country's turbulent poll history. 10 points

Pakistan elections: Pakistan's political landscape always remains shadowed by its military influence, which is considered a driving force behind the polls

On the cusp of elections, Pakistan needs to get past 'lock him up' politics

The generals should also have learned by now - from Sharif's longevity, if nothing else - that you only further boost a Pakistani leader's career by trying to remove him or her from political process

Pak forces ready to safeguard territorial sovereignty: Army chief

Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir on Monday said any aggression or violation of the country's territorial sovereignty will be responded to with full national resolve and military might. Pakistan Army is well versed with the full threat spectrum and is perpetually ready to respond effectively, Munir said, accusing India of targeting individuals in his country. During his visit to the Sarian Sector of Line of Control, he was briefed about the latest situation along the LOC. Pakistan had last month claimed that it had "credible evidence" of links between what it called "Indian agents" to the assassination of two Pakistani terrorists associated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. India dismissed as "false and malicious" propaganda Pakistan's allegations linking Indian agents to the assassination of two Pakistani terrorists in Sialkot and Rawalkot last year. "It is Pakistan's latest attempt at peddling false and malicious anti-India propaganda," External Affairs ...

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

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

Ahead of Pak general elections, minority Hindus feel left out of process

Ahead of the February 8 general elections in Pakistan, members of the minority Hindu community feel they are mostly left out of the poll process despite having a notable presence, especially in the southern Sindh province. The census showed that Hindus account for just 2.14 per cent of the total population in Muslim-majority Pakistan and in Sindh itself their large concentration means they account for nearly nine per cent. Under Pakistan's Constitution, 10 seats are reserved for members of minority communities in the National Assembly and 24 seats in the provinces. Leaders and members of the Hindu community rue the fact that they are not given proper representation and many are not even registered as voters. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, noted that the Hindu community, especially those belonging to the lower economic sector or those living in remote villages in Sindh feel left out of the election process. In the national census carried o

Ahead of elections, Pakistan finalises deal to sell national airline

The government decided to privatise PIA just weeks after signing the IMF agreement

Recently announced organisational elections of Imran Khan's party postponed

The party has fielded independent candidates for the next week's elections

Pak SC gives relief to some leaders of Imran's party ahead of Feb 8 polls

In a relief to the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, the Supreme Court on Friday allowed its president Parvez Elahi, and some other senior leaders to contest the February 8 general elections. A three-member bench heard Elahi's appeal against the rejection of his candidature by the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the election tribunal. The apex court also allowed other PTI leaders, Umar Aslam, Tahir Sadiq, Sanam Javed, and Shaukat Basra to contest the upcoming general elections. The beleaguered Khan and his PTI have suffered blow after blow ahead of the polls with the election commission snatching away its iconic cricket bat symbol and rejecting nomination papers of 71-year-old Khan and several top leaders on multiple grounds. The panel, after hearing the arguments, declared the decision to reject Elahi's nomination papers null and void and allowed him to contest the elections from a constituency of the Punjab assembly in his home province ...

Trade with Iran normal, despite tension on border: Pakistani officials

Trade activities between Pakistan and Iran remained uninterrupted at all the border points in the restive Balochistan province despite tensions between them following their tit-for-tat military strikes in each other's territory, Pakistani officials have said. On Friday, more than 100 trucks carrying vegetables and other goods crossed from the Taftan border into Iran, Makran Commissioner Saeed Ahmed Umrani said. Pakistan conducted "precision military strikes" against what it called "terrorist hideouts" in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province that killed 9 people on Thursday. The attack was seen as retaliation to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Tuesday, which targeted two bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan's unruly Balochistan province. Umrani said the positive thing was that governments on both sides now making efforts to move on with trade activities at the border crossing points of Taftan, Gwadar, Kech, Panjgur and Washuk in Balochistan. Trade h

'Minor irritants' with Iran will be resolved through dialogue, says Pak

Pakistan's top civil-military leadership at a high-level huddle on Friday concluded that the minor irritants with Iran would be overcome by the two countries mutually through dialogue and diplomacy, indicating that the unprecedented tension between the neighbours has already tapered off. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar chaired the meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) while services chiefs, cabinet ministers and other officials were in attendance. The forum reviewed the security situation and lauded the professional, calibrated and proportionate response by the armed forces against unprovoked and unlawful violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, as the participants were briefed about political and diplomatic developments bearing upon the prevailing situation between Pakistan and Iran and its impact on the overall security milieu in the region, an official statement said. The meeting also took stock of the Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar', which was successfully execute

Pakistan's civil-military leadership holds meeting amid tension with Iran

Pakistan's civil-military leadership held a high-level consultative meeting on Friday to discuss the ongoing tiff with Iran as the two neighbours made amends to repair the frayed ties following their military strikes in each other's territory. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar presided over the meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) while services chiefs, cabinet ministers, and other officials were in attendance, sources said. The NSC meeting has started and is currently underway, a source said. The officials from the defence and foreign ministries will brief the meeting about the attack by Iran and counter charge by Pakistan armed forces, sources said. It is said the NSC is likely to give guidelines for future ties with Iran. Kakar had rushed back home on Thursday night from Davos, where he had gone to attend the World Economic Forum event after Pakistan and Iran carried out military strikes against each other. Pakistan conducted "precision military strikes" ag

Attack 'seriously damaged bilateral ties': Pak foreign minister to Iran

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has told his Iranian counterpart that the unprecedented attack by Iran seriously damaged the ties between the two nations. Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday night targeted two bases of the Balochi militant group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan's border town of Panjgur in Balochistan province. Jilani, who is currently leading the Pakistan delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Uganda, on Wednesday in a telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stressed that the attack conducted by Iran inside the Pakistani territory on January 16 was not only a serious breach of Islamabad's sovereignty but also an egregious violation of international law and the spirit of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran, the Foreign Office said in an overnight statement. Expressing Pakistan's unreserved condemnation of the attack, the foreign minister added that the incident has ...