Archive | Election

PML-N to up the ante against government

PML-N to up the ante against government

Posted on 26 November 2018 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 3,500

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government needs no opposition, as they themselves are enough to upset the masses with their bad policies, loose governance and perpetual lies, said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan.

The PML-N senator further said the only priority of the government seems to be to victimise opposition parties. “Given the government’s performance, we can take the seat back and relax,” he said as he lamented over the government’s performance so far but said his party feels for the masses and will voice their concerns on issues adversely affecting Pakistan.

“Since the PTI’s honeymoon period is over now, PML-N will up the ante against the government,” he said hinting at a strict approach from the former ruling party as the government’s first 100 days come to an end.

The former federal minister also announced the party will devise its future strategy in the coming few days.

“We want to give PTI ample time to function so that they don’t blame the opposition once they have failed,” said Mushahid Ullah.

Meanwhile, Central Spokesperson of the PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb while terming the first 100 days of the PTI government a tale of 100 U-turns has said this hopeless and useless government after failing to perform is now trying to take credit for projects launched by the PML-N during its government.

“This theft, of stealing and taking credits for out projects is nothing new for PTI,” she said alleging that lying and stealing is the cornerstone of the current ruling party as they stole public mandate in the 2018 general elections. The former information minister further added that in these 100 days the list of PTI’s achievements is ridiculous instead of being impressive.

Criticising the government’s performance, the PML-N spokesperson asked Prime Minister Imran Khan when he will tweet about Aleema Khan’s illegal assets. “When will the money looted by Aleema Khan be brought back by the prime minister who claimed to bring back every penny of money looted from the county,” she asked.

“The people of Pakistan will be presented with 100 lies and U-Turns by PTI as their first 100 days end,” said Marriyum condemning the government for stealing the claim of projects their government had started. She said this was because PTI had nothing to show for these 100 days other than their incompetence and inability.

She said that the most significant ‘achievement’ of the government in these 100 days is the NRO given to Aleema Khan.

She said that every single day of these 100 days was a disaster for the nation as every sector of the government and private sector was hit with one disappointment after the other.

“Every word said in these 100 days was a lie, every promise a farce and every claim a hopeless failure,” said the former minister as she lashed at PTI for politicising bureaucracy and pressuring favours while derailing merit and transparency.

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Sanaullah most favourite for PML-N Punjab presidency

Sanaullah most favourite for PML-N Punjab presidency

Posted on 01 March 2018 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 3,658

ISLAMABAD: Heavyweights in Punjab chapter of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are eyeing the coveted slot of provincial president which will be left vacant after the elevation of Shehbaz Sharif as the party’s central president on March 6.

PML-N’s Provincial Secretary General Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Iqbal and Shehbaz’s son Hamza are among the candidates to head the N-League’s Punjab chapter, The Express Tribune has learnt.

In case the party leadership fails to finalise a candidate, Shehbaz might continue in his present role until a regular appointment is made, it is further learnt.

According to party sources, if Ashfaq gets elevated as Punjab president, the post of secretary general will have to be filled in, for which his brother and incumbent Joint Secretary Raja Attique Sarwar could be a potential candidate.

However, the sources believe it is highly unlikely that the top two positions in the party are occupied by two brothers. Therefore, a new race would start for the secretary general’s position if Ashfaq becomes provincial president.

Among the aspiring quartet, Sanaullah is regarded as a trusted aide to Shehbaz and thus rated as the most powerful candidate.

However, there are some groups in the party who oppose Sanaullah, blaming him for the emergence of split factions in the PML-N Punjab.

Provincial Speaker Rana Iqbal appears to be acceptable to many in the party given his ‘mild’ and ‘diplomatic’ style, while conducting the proceedings of the provincial legislature.

Party insiders believe that Shehbaz as the new central president would prefer a ‘harmless’ person like Iqbal in order to maintain control over the party at the Centre and in the province.

Hamza has long been regarded as an aspirant for the post of Punjab president. Back in 2016, Shehbaz also wanted his son to replace him. But the plan had to be dropped because of opposition from Kulsoom Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz, the sources said.

Again, some PML-N circles say it is unlikely that a father-son duo get the top party positions — at the Centre and in the province.

Party stalwarts at the Centre say that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife and daughter agreed to Shehbaz’s rise as PML-N president, and in return a candidate from ‘Maryam’s lobby’ is being placed at the top of the party’s provincial chapter.

But the leaders in the provincial chapter deny the possibility, saying that Maryam lacks any support base in the party’s Punjab chapter because she focused solely at the Centre when her father headed the party.

Regarded as one of the most powerful positions in the PML-N, Punjab’s provincial chief wields more importance and ‘nuisance value’ compared to other provincial chiefs of the party because it is this province where the N-League draws its major political vote bank.

At present, the party leadership is considering choosing a candidate for PML-N Punjab chief, whose candidature is approved by the powerful groups in the party, discussions with informed party leaders suggest.

“This would be tricky,” said a PML-N legislator, who is also a party office-bearer in Punjab.

“At a time when the party faces serious challenges coming from within and without, in the shape of internal divide, grouping, tug-of-war between party lobbies as well as the court cases and legal references – we need a candidate who enjoys a great deal of acceptability in the party’s senior ranks in Punjab,” a source said.

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Five reasons why PTI supporters should be alarmed ahead of the 2018 election

Five reasons why PTI supporters should be alarmed ahead of the 2018 election

Posted on 01 March 2018 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 2,546

The 2018 election season is heating up in Pakistan, and in a few months, millions of Pakistanis will cast their ballot in what is promising to be a crucial election in the country’s history. The stage has been set by the dramatic ouster of one of the most influential men in Pakistan’s political history, and the unlikely political movement and slogan that the aforementioned ouster has led to.

On the other hand, Imran Khan continues to be the wildcard choice to lead the country, should all elements come together at the right place and the right time. However, a string of crucial electoral losses, divisions within the party and various other controversies should alarm all the supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who hope to see Imran emerge as the nation’s next leader in this upcoming election.

The following reasons are just some of the issues that should give PTI supporters a cause for concern:

1. No clear winning strategy in Punjab

Since the end of the previous election in 2013, Imran has been demanding an early election. However, when posed with the obvious question of how that election will actually be won, PTI’s strategy gets muddled.

Let’s run some quick math to understand the issue. In the 2013 election, PTI won eight out of 148 available seats in the province of Punjab. If we assume that the election was rigged to an extent where half of the votes belonging to the PTI were stolen, and if we also assume that the PTI is twice as popular in Punjab today than it was in 2013, this would still mean a grand total of 32 parliamentary seats, or roughly 21% of the total seats available.

This problem is at the heart of Imran’s woes in Punjab, which is why the PTI is in flux over whether to support candidates that directly align with the party’s ideology, or to change the ideology of the party itself in order to rope in more “electable candidates”, especially in areas such as southern Punjab where the party fancies its chances. Either way, it is evident that there is no clear direction of how to mathematically win in Punjab, and the doubts over which election strategy to adopt while the election itself looms near is visibly hurting the party in the run-up to the polls.

2. By-elections and lack of momentum

After the historic Panama verdict was announced, it was assumed that Imran and the PTI would seize the moment and run off with the show after securing an incredible victory in the next election, given the emergence of a political vacuum. However, the tide has turned against the PTI since then, and the lack of a clear direction is hurting the party’s momentum going into the election.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has won three critical by-elections that have been held since then, and that too by massive margins, and their victory in Lodhran has sent shockwaves in PTI’s camp. With only a few months to go before the general election, the PTI cannot afford to keep losing by-election after by-election, particularly in areas where it hopes to win only a few months later. It is critical to shift the momentum now before it becomes too late and yet another election season is lost by the PTI.

3. Divisions within the party

A common theme to have emerged in the party is the lack of unity at the local and regional levels. The PTI is a party that is now comprised of various groups and factions that have sometimes come from rival parties and families. While the national leadership is unified and presents a professional outlook for the party, matters are entirely different at the local level, where different groups are often fighting for electoral tickets and greater influence.

This culture has been cited as the prime reason for the shocking loss in Lodhran as well, as many members were split on the selection of Ali Tareen after his father had been disqualified by the Supreme Court (SC). Perhaps this is one of the prime reasons why the PTI has failed to hold any sort of intra-party elections in the last five years and has now formed a committee to review its constitution.

4. Lack of defections in PML-N

Against all odds and expectations, after over six months since Nawaz Sharif was disqualified, the PML-N has not suffered any major defections and has survived as a unified force despite being pushed around by some senior members.

Going into the election, it is critical to keep an eye on the political sphere and see whether the party ends up breaking into smaller factions, as some analysts have predicted. If it does, that could be the single biggest factor that determines the outcome of the next general election, and would also give Imran the best shot at securing his position as the country’s next prime minister.

5. Nawaz’s campaign

While Imran and his PTI are still trying to figure out election campaigns and strategies, Nawaz’s election campaign is already fully underway. Despite most people counting Nawaz out of the game, he has roared back with a catchy and effective campaign in the Punjabi heartland and is using the open playing field in front of him to cash in early.

Historically, Nawaz has done extremely well in Punjab. Now, with experience, incumbency, and influence to back him up, he is making sure that no chances are taken with the upcoming election. Within months, the attention has shifted from Nawaz being labeled a scandalous corrupt tsar, to a people’s representative who was thrown out of power unjustly. It is critical for the PTI to counter this narrative and to counter it quickly before they lose out yet again. The results of early campaigning by Nawaz can already be seen in the shape of Lodhran and other local elections, which should serve as a wake-up call for the PTI leadership.

However, all is not yet lost for the PTI and the recent removal of Nawaz as the head of the PML-N should reignite PTI and their efforts at establishing a popular narrative. Having a strong party that realistically knocks on the door of the status quo would be great for the longevity of Pakistan’s democracy, which is why we should all hope that despite the evident shortcomings, the PTI is able to come together and provide a real challenge to the PML-N in the 2018 election.

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Khalid Maqbool set to become new MQM-P CONVENER

Khalid Maqbool set to become new MQM-P CONVENER

Posted on 13 February 2018 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 1,153

KARACHI ‘: After removing Farooq Sattar as its convener a day earlier, the Rabita Committee on Monday requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to appoint Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui as the party chief.

“Vide the minutes of the meeting of Rabita Committee held on February 11 at Bahadurabad, Sattar has been removed as convener. In his place Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has been elected by two-thirds majority,” said an application written by deputy convenor Kanwar Naveed Jamil, bearing signatures of 26 of the total 35 Rabita Committee members.

A senior ECP official confirmed to The Express Tribune that the Rabita Committee’s plea for a new convener has been accepted and Siddiqui will replace Sattar. “We have not yet issued a notice, but Siddiqui will head the party.”

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MOM-P) nominee for Senate election Barrister Farogh Naseem said that the party was not registered with Sattar, but he was its head.

“The Rabita Committee has removed Sattar with two-thirds majority. He is no longer the party head,” Barrister Naseem said, adding that Bahadurabad was the office of MQM-P and no one could claim it.

Responding to a question, he said, “The Rabita Committee has the authority to make such decisions under MQM-P’s constitution. It has also nominated candidates for the Senate election. Sattar can challenge it in court if he has any reservations over it.”

The general workers’ meeting convened by Sattar holds no legal or moral value as the Rabita Committee has removed him, he added.

When the Rabita Committee removed Sattar as convener, Sattar dissolved the committee in retaliation during a public meeting at KMC ground on Sunday night. He announced to hold intra-party elections on February 17 to elect a new body.

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Awan in lead as vote count continues

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Awan in lead as vote count continues

Posted on 24 February 2010 by PakBee - Total hits: 3,477

LAHORE: Vote count started following the completion of polling for by-election in NA-55 constituency here amid cries of foul play by Chief of Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Unofficial results that have started pouring in show Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate Shakil Awan in clear lead over Sheikh Rashid in a neck-and-neck competition between the two.

During the day a couple of incidents of fight were reported. However, the overall law and order situation remained satisfactory.

Pakistan Muslim League-N in reaction to Sheikh Rashid’s allegations of rigging said the latter is raising hue and cry as a way of face saving in view of his defeat in sight.

Early morning rain in the city affected the polling arrangements but later voters starting coming out as clouds started to clear the sky. The turnout grew with time and picked momentum towards the end of polling hours.

The overall situation remained peaceful throughout the polling except for a few separate incidents of fights reported during the day.

Blaming the state machinery for alleged rigging, Sheikh Rashid said PML-N may go ahead and do whatever it wants, he will prove himself a tough competition.

Meanwhile, Jamat-e-Islam candidate Dr. Kamal expressed satisfaction on the election process and advised Sheikh Rashid to come forward with evidence of the alleged rigging.

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