MQM-P's defeat was a joint effort of humans, aliens: Sattar

 

KARACHI: Leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have alleged that the combined efforts of “aliens and humans” were behind their defeat in the 2018 general elections from Karachi. They demanded that reelections be held in the constituencies where rigging has taken place.

A large number of the party’s supporters and workers, led by Dr Farooq Sattar, Faisal Subzwari, Rauf Siddiqui, Mehfooz Yar Khan, Abdul Haseeb and Amir Khan, protested against alleged rigging in the general elections by staging a sit-in outside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s Karachi office on Thursday.

Earlier, the district administration had barred the MQM-P from holding the protest. Police officials even asked Subzwari to remove the signboard put on the make-shift stage. They warned that the leaders could be charged over violation of the Loudspeaker Act. On hearing this, Subzwari refused to negotiate with the police personnel and contacted the information minister, Jamil Yusuf, asking him to intervene. “When other parties can protest, why are we being stopped?” he questioned, adding that when others protested, they were provided security but when the MQM-P wanted to protest, they were not allowed to exercise their right.

Addressing the gathering, MQM-P senior deputy convener, Amir Khan, said that those who wanted to bury the MQM-P were themselves in a grave situation now. “They say the RTS malfunctioned, but which system malfunctioned while giving results to polling agents?” he questioned, adding that by ordering polling agents to leave the premises, systemic rigging had been carried out in the elections.

“We demand that the chief election commissioner resign immediately,” said Khan, calling for reelections to be conducted in the constituencies where the polling process or results were compromised. Khan warned it would be a mistake for institutions to consider the MQM-P weak. “If need be, we will come out with full force,” he said.

When it was his turn to speak, Dr Sattar laid out the steps through which the party had been defeated in the polls. “Humans and aliens have defeated the MQM-P,” he said. “First, our population wasn’t counted in the census. Now, our votes aren’t being counted,” he claimed.

Dr Sattar termed the 2018 general elections the dirtiest in the country’s history. “These weren’t elections, this was selection,” he said. “We reject this selection,” he said, calling on the ECP, caretaker government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan to actually recount the votes in some constituencies for transparency.

Meanwhile, Rauf Siddiqui said that on polling day, rigging began after 6pm. “The chief election commissioner is responsible for the rigged elections and he should resign immediately,” he said.

Other leaders also spoke on the occasion.

Application for recount

The MQM-P has filed an application with the provincial election commission, seeking recount of votes in all constituencies across the city. The application, filed by MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, also calls for verification of thumb impressions and demands permission for polling agents to attend the recounting process.

Siddiqui has maintained that his party has serious reservations over the counting process on the day of the elections. “Our polling agents were kept out throughout the counting process,” he alleged, adding that his party had strong reservations over the serious violations of ECP rules and regulations. “We demand that ECP to hold the results until it conducts a recount of votes in the provincial and national constituencies of Karachi. We also want to ensure that our polling agents are present during the counting process.

After submitting the application, MQM-P leader Kanwar Naveed Jameel told the media that the elections had become controversial. “We had strong reservations over the ECP process even before the elections,” he said. “Our suspicions have proven correct after the elections results.”

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'Land grabbers' set eyes on government school in Gulshan-e-Iqbal

KARACHI: Land grabbers allegedly tried to occupy Ali Muhammad Iqbal Government School’s building in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, block 10 on Thursday morning.


“When we reached the school in the morning the gates were locked and we had no option but to return,” said Ali Muhammad, a student of the school. It was then that the headmaster, Tariq Javed, came and decided to conduct the classes on the road just outside the school.

The news of the alleged attempted encroachment of the school circulated and media vans soon lined up outside the school. Talking to The Express Tribune, Javed said that before the incident on Wednesday, some people had barged inside the school claiming ownership of the building. He said that the school’s building was in rickety shape and the Education Works Department was carrying out some construction work inside.

 “One key of the school remains with me and the other with the builder,” he said, adding that on Wednesday, the school management had gone to the District East deputy commissioner’s (DC) office to register their complaint. The DC, he said, wasn’t present and they were told to see the mukhtiarkar. “We remained seated in his office until 8pm and after that he told us that he would visit the school on Thursday,” he said, adding that the school was already padlocked on Thursday.

According to Javed, land grabbers have been trying to grab the school, which occupies an area of 600 square yards, for the last three months. For this purpose, he has also filed an application to the secretary and director of the education department, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune.

“This school has been functional since 1978 but for the last few months, some individuals have been claiming their ownership over the school,” the application reads and adds that the encroachers also forcibly stopped construction work initiated by the Education Works Department. He had later requested the authorities to resume the construction work, which was later resumed.

After the incident gained coverage on media, the Caretaker Education Minister Dr Saadia Virk Rizvi took notice and asked the secretary of education to inquire into the matter. “If any employee of the Sindh Education Department is found guilty in the incident, strict action will be taken against them,” she said. After this, the police reached the school, broke all the locks and allowed the educational activities to resume inside.

According to the police, a lady named Sobia has been claiming the ownership of the school and threatening the school staff. An FIR of the incident has been lodged at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station under sections of encroachment on public property and life threats against Sobia’s alleged henchman, Sobu Khan. Two sub-inspectors, Sajid and Riaz Mehr, have also been accused of being in connivance with Sobia. They were also nominated in the FIR.

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Edhi Foundation receives 50 ambulances from Australian chapter

KARACHI: The Edhi International Foundation Australia donated 50 new ambulances to the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan. The Australian community donated 32 ambulances last year, confirmed Faisal Edhi. He added that they will also be contributing towards a training institute and a 100-bed hospital in Lyari in the coming days.



At a ceremony at the North Karachi’s Edhi centre on Tuesday, Faisal thanked the foundation’s Australia chapter and the donors who helped them. He added that in the past three to four years, especially after his father had passed away, the support of Edhi International Foundation Australia representative Hamid Khan and his team helped them run the service.

Khan said he was working with foundation on various projects, including the hospital sector. He said that substantial funds were sent to the foundation, expressing his resolve to continue working and take the late philanthropist Edhi’s mission forward. He added that they will put in efforts to ensure that all the Pakistanis living in Australia and other communities support the foundation so that this mission can be taken forward.

Edhi Foundation does not take aid from any government. Faisal appealed to the Pakistani community all over the world for support so that their mission could continue. The foundation has a fleet of 1,800 vehicles and needs 200 ambulances every year, Faisal said.

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Meet Rana Hamir Singh, PPP's first pick on minority reserved seat in Sindh

KARACHI: Known for his royal air as he belongs to the former ruling family of Amerkot, now Umerkot, Rana Hamir Singh is the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) first pick on the reserved seats for minorities in the Sindh Assembly.

Singh, the 26th Rana of Dhat, was crowned after the demise of his father Rana Chandar Singh in 2010.
The lawmaker’s family home is being flocked by people belonging to Muslim and non-Muslim communities from Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and Hyderabad at Rana Jageer situated at a distance of 12 kilometers from Umerkot.
Clad in a potiya [turban], lungi and kameez and occasionally a gold kara [anklet] on his right foot that only the Rana is entitled to wear, the royal can usually be seen welcoming people amid the sound of drums beating.

“We, Sodha Rajputs, have a history of 900 years in Umerkot when Sodha ji from Ratokot conquered Amerkot in 1125 AD. My ancestor, Rana Prasad, also gave Mughal emperor Humayun shelter at the Umerkot Fort when Shershah Suri drove him out from the ruling seat of India. I take pride as Emperor Akbar was born in the family fort situated in Umerkot in 1542,” Hamir said.

He shared that another ancestor, Rana Ratan Singh, was impaled by the British in 1847 for continuously waging war against them and not letting them enter Umerkot and Tharparkar for four years as they had conquered Sindh much earlier in 1843.
Hamir’s grandfather, Rana Arjun Singh, contested the elections from the platform of Muslim League in 1946 against Congress. He preferred to stay in the newly-emerged state – Pakistan – in 1947.

“My father, Rana Chandar Singh, was a close friend of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was also one of the founding members of the PPP. He was elected member of the provincial and National Assembly nine times consecutively and served as a minister on several portfolios, including irrigation minister for East and West Pakistan,” Hamir told The Express Tribune.

In 1990, Hamir’s father left the PPP and formed his own political party, the Pakistan Hindu Party.

Meeting with his supporters.

Hamir has also been a member of the Sindh Assembly thrice and served as a minister for science and technology and research in irrigation in 1993, provincial assembly member and Sindh Arid Zone Development Authority (SAZDA) vice chairperson and has served as the naib nazim of Umerkot district.

In 1990, he was first elected on a separate electorate from the platform of Pakistan Hindu Party where non-Muslims were supposed to vote and elect their own representative initiated by Ziaul Haq.

Hamir could not participate in elections in 2002 as he did not meet the education criteria of being a graduate. Hamir has completed his education till intermediate.

After the 2013 election, Hamir helped five out of six PPP candidates win and later joined the party. This is why PPP’s leadership put his name on the top priority of their candidates for nine reserved seats for non-Muslims in Sindh.

 

Rana Hamir Sindh belongs to former ruling family of Amerkot, now Umerkot.

This election, PPP swept the Umerkot district and restricted strong opponents belonging to the Arbab family to only one provincial seat in Tharparkar district due to a large Hindu vote bank in the area. After winning 76 seats out of 130, PPP is set to form its government in the province once again.

“I want to serve the people of my areas where the majority of Hindus reside in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and Mirpurkhas districts by resolving their revenue and agriculture related issues,” Hamir claimed, saying that Tharparkar and Umerkot are geographically distinct from the rest of Sindh due to the arid nature of its land.

Hamir’s only son, Kanwar Karni Singh, is a lawyer in Tharparkar district. His marriage in the Kanota Rathore royal family of Jaipur in 2015 made headlines on both sides of the border as well as internationally.

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AJK University holds debate on UNHRC report

MUZAFFARABAD: University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Kaleem Abbasi on Wednesday said that the United Nations Human Rights Commission’s report significantly highlighted the Kashmir issue at the global level.
He was addressing a roundtable debate jointly organised by the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmir liberation cell. The participants of the debate including Kashmir liberation cell Secretary Muhammad Idrees Abbasi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir right to self-determination movement Chairman Raja Najabat Hussain, Dean faculty of Sciences Professor Dr Ayesha Sohail, Dean Health Sciences Dr Bashir-ur-rehman kanth, Dean Law Department Dr Adnan, Director General Information Raja Azhar Iqbal, Director Liberation cell Raja Sajad Latif and others participated in the debate and highlighted various aspects of the report.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Abbasi said that Pakistan is behind the diplomatic success in highlighting Kashmir issue at the international level. He said that Pakistan has always extended political, moral and diplomatic support to the struggling people of Jammu and Kashmir for which Kashmiris are indebted to the government and people of Pakistan.

He said that University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir would continue to play its role in highlighting Kashmir issue in its true perspective. He added that the university will increase its budget for this purpose.

He said that the credit for strengthening Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government financially and administratively goes to AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan. He added that the AJK University will also organise a similar debate on 13th Amendment in AJK Constitution that had empowered the people of Azad Kashmir and ensured their political and legislative rights.

The vice chancellor said that the AJK University would set up research and information centre in Kashmir institute of Kashmir studies to carry out research on various aspects of Kashmir liberation struggle. The round table debate was also addressed by Secretary Kashmir liberation cell Muhammad Idrees Abbasi and Jammu and Kashmir right to self-determination movement chairman Raja Najabat Hussain.

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MIRPUR: Brisk preparations are afoot for the three-day Summer Tourism Festival, which will be inaugurated by Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on April 27 here at Asifa Bhutto Park.

MUZAFFARABAD: Renowned clinician Dr Bashir Kanth, who performed more than 10,000 surgeries and produced 50 civil and army surgeons, has finally won his right to be granted BPS-22 official grade after a seven-year legal battle. 

Dr Kanth, who served the profession from 1977 to 2010, was deprived of his right to retire in the said grade as the region’s top bureaucracy created hurdles for him.

“In 2010, the then Prime Minister Farooq Haider hailed my medical services and promoted me to BPS-22,” Dr Kanth told The Express Tribune on Monday.

“My feelings were at the highest level while receiving the reward from the government but at the same time top bureaucracy refused to retire me in grade 22, and that was the shocking moment of my life,” he added.

Dr Kanth said the top court and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court accepted his plea while recognising his service for the ailing humanity, and he received his right to be promoted to the maiden grade 22 in the AJK health department.

“Ultimately, justice was delivered [to me] after seven-year of legal battle,” the former practitioner expressed.

According to the veteran expert, overhauling the existing bureaucracy was the need of the hour, saying the officers are the servants of the state and answerable to people.

Sharing his future ambitions, Dr Kanth said he wanted to establish organised committee health services, saying his endeavour will be financed by his family and relatives.

Young doctors, he maintained, must continue serving humanity with dedication regardless of religious beliefs, cast or creed.

Besides thanking the judiciary and others, the senior surgeon also expressed gratitude to his lawyers Attaullah Chak and Raja Hanif for fighting his case free of cost.

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MIRPUR (AJK): Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has said the government is focusing on economic development with emphasis on promoting and developing the tourism industry in AJK.

MIRPUR: Brisk preparations are afoot for the three-day Summer Tourism Festival, which will be inaugurated by Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on April 27 here at Asifa Bhutto Park.

The festival is being organised by the AJK Tourism Department in cooperation with the Mirpur District Administration and other nation-building departments.

Addressing a press conference here at the Kashmir Press Club, AJK Minister for Sports Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed and Secretary Information and Tourism Midhat Shahzad said the festival would provide healthy entertainment and recreation to the tourists and families from across the AJK with prime focus to encourage and promote local tourism.

‘The grand gala will be free of charge for all visitors’ adding that the festival was aimed at acquainting the young generation with the centuries old cultural heritage of the Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir, they said.

Horse and cattle show, trade exhibition of homemade products, including the Kashmiri handicrafts, cultural show depicting the Kashmiri folk songs, besides the national songs, book festival, exhibition of the pictures depicting the Indian brutalities and human rights violations by the occupying forces in occupied Kashmir, marathon race, mystic poetry, boating, cricket and football matches besides the local sports would be the hallmark of the grand festival, they said.

They said various committees had been formed to design and manage the events of the festival in a befitting manner.

Mirpur Commissioner Muhammad Tayyeb, AJK Director General Information (PID) Raja Azher Iqbal and AJK Tourism Director General Javed Ayub were also present on the occasion.

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MUZAFFARABAD: The 15th death anniversary of Azad Jammu and (AJK) Kashmir Ghazi-i-Millat founding president Sardar Ibrahim Khan was observed across AJK on Tuesday.

MIRPUR (AJK): Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has said the government is focusing on economic development with emphasis on promoting and developing the tourism industry in AJK.

He expressed these views while inaugurating a three-day grand tourism gala – the Summer Tourism Festival 2018, hosted by the AJK Tourism Department in Mirpur.

Speaking on the occasion, the AJK president said, “Kashmir is a beautiful area with huge potential for tourism as it possesses varied landscape and climate.” He said this festival is the first of its kind organised in the southern regions of Kashmir.

The president said areas of Mirpur and Bhimbar are tourist destinations in both summers and winters. “AJK is at the cusp of an economic revolution and the government is focusing on infrastructure development throughout its regions,” he said.

“Our priority is construction of new roads, energy production, development of industry, universal access to health and modernising the agriculture sector. This development will directly and indirectly affect the tourism industry in AJK,” he said.

Khan also said a 200km-long tourism corridor would be established which would pass through tourist destinations like Chakar, Sudhan Gali, Haji Pir, Lasdanna, Toli Pir and Banjosa. This corridor would promote tourism and have quality facilities to cater to the growing number of tourists, he added.

The AJK president said Mirpur, being the first planned city of Azad Kashmir, would play an important role in development as under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a special economic zone would be set up here to be connected to main CPEC route via the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mirpur Expressway.

On the occasion, Khan also highlighted the deplorable human rights situation in Indian occupied Kashmir.

“Our foremost duty and responsibility is to raise our voices for innocent Kashmiris living in IOK. We must be their voice as they have been made voiceless. We must let the world know about the atrocities perpetrated by India and bring them to task for their illegal and barbaric occupation in IOK,” he said.

The three-day tourism festival would include performances by paragliders, rowing competitions, tent pegging, horse riding and a traditional cattle show. The event will also host a Sufi Night to pay tribute to the great Sufi saint and poet Mian Muhammad Baksh.

Khan visited the stalls set up by the various departments of the government, private entities and tour operators alike. Other stalls also displayed books, local products and traditional foods.

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AJK pays tribute to Sardar Ibrahim Khan on 15th death anniversary

MUZAFFARABAD: The 15th death anniversary of Azad Jammu and (AJK) Kashmir Ghazi-i-Millat founding president Sardar Ibrahim Khan was observed across AJK on Tuesday.
The anniversary was observed with a pledge to carry forward his mission to liberate Kashmir from Indian subjugation and make it a part of Pakistan.

There was a public holiday throughout AJK to mark the death anniversary of the renowned Kashmir freedom movement leader who died on July 31, 2003 after serving as the president of the state for four terms.
Special ceremonies were held in various parts of the AJK to pay tributes to the leader for his historical role in Kashmiris’ struggle for their right to self -determination.

In Muzaffarabad, AJK PM and members of his cabinet addressed a function held at Central Press club to pay homage to Ibrahim.

Earlier in their separate messages, President Sardar Masood Khan and Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan termed Ibrahim as an epoch-making leader of Kashmir who was instrumental in declaring war against Maharaja Hari Singh’s forces and liberating one-third of Kashmir.

President Masood in his message said Ibrahim had not only practically participated in the freedom struggle of Kashmir but also chaired the historic meeting at Srinagar that passed the resolution of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan in 1947.

“The best tribute to our founder leader is to dedicate all our abilities for strengthening and reinforcing Kashmir liberation struggle while adhering to his principles and thoughts,” Masood said.

Addressing all invited political forces, Prime Minister Haider said that everyone should get united on one platform to materialise the dream of Ibrahim.

He expressed his hope that new government in Pakistan would adopt an aggressive policy on Kashmir to defeat New Delhi’s negative propaganda at diplomatic front.

He said that Kashmir is not a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, rather it was a question of the future of 15 million people of Kashmir who seek their inalienable right to self-determination.

Ibrahim was born on April 10, 1915 in Kot Mattay Khan, a village in the Poonch District of Kashmir. He received his primary education in his village after which he graduated from Islamia College Lahore with B.A. degree in 1935 and went for higher education abroad in 1938.

He obtained his LLB degree from the University of London in 1943. Later, he obtained a law degree from Lincoln’s Inn and started practising law in Srinagar, Kashmir. He was the founder and first Azad Kashmir president. He represented Kashmir in different capacities at the United Nations from 1948 to 1971.

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Divisions hit BAP over Balochistan CM post nominee

 

QUETTA: The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) on Wednesday failed to nominate a consensus candidate for the slot of provincial chief minister as differences surfaced within the party over the nomination of Jam Kamal Khan Alyani by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen in Islamabad a day earlier.

Opposing the nomination of Mr Kamal, Balochistan president of the PTI Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind said: “It was the right of the provincial parliamentary party and the party’s chairman to take decisions on such issues. We cannot allow anyone to use this right.”

He said it was decided in a meeting with PTI chairman Imran Khan that the BAP would extend its support to the PTI in the formation of government at the federal level and the PTI would support the BAP and its allies in forming a coalition government in Balochistan.

Imran calls a meeting of PTI’s MNAs- and MPAs-elect from province today

“No decision of nominating a candidate for the post of chief minister was taken in the meeting,” he claimed.

PTI chairman Imran Khan has convened a meeting of his party’s MNAs- and MPAs-elect from Balochistan on Thursday.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal president Akhtar Mengal along with other party leaders reached Islamabad on Wednesday. He is likely to meet Mr Khan during his stay in the federal capital.

Differences were also reported within the BAP over the nomination of Jam Kamal. Some members-elect supported Mr Rind’s stance and said that the BAP was formed to take all decisions regarding Balochistan in the province.

At least four other MPAs-elect were also candidates for the post of CM. The names of Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, Jan Mohammad Jamali, Saleh Bhootani and Tariq Hussain Magsi were circulating in the provincial capital. Mr Bizenjo, a former chief minister of Balochistan, also expressed his reservation over the nomination of Mr Alyani in Islamabad.

“The BAP was formed to take all decisions about Balochistan in the province,” Mr Bizenjo said, adding that any decision about Balochistan taken in Islamabad was not acceptable.

There are reports that Mr Bizenjo, Jan Jamali and Tariq Magsi had a meeting with Akhtar Mengal two days ago in Quetta. Some sources claimed that they had discussed the formation of the coalition government and assured Mr Mengal of their support in his efforts with the help of like-minded allies.

However, sources in the BAP did not confirm that its MPAs-elect had assured Mr Mengal of their support for the formation of the government, excluding their party. They said that the former CM along with Mr Jan Jamal and Tariq Magsi had met Mr Mengal to congratulate him on winning the election.

The BNP-M negotiation committee was in contact with other parties and it had a meeting with the provincial leadership of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in Quetta.

“We discussed formation of the next government in Balochistan and MMA’s response was positive,” the sources said.

The BAP, which is enjoying the support of the Awami National Party, PTI and Hazara Democratic Party with 30 MPAs in a house of 51 members, is also likely to get the support of the Jamhoori Watan Party.

JWP president Shahzain Bugti was elected an MNA and his brother Gohram Bugti was elected to the provincial assembly.

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BAP nominates Jam Kamal as CM Balochistan

QUETTA: Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) on Friday nominated Jam Kamal Khan as Balochistan Chief Minister. 

Kamal is currently serving as president of BAP. The party has nominated Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo as Speaker Balochistan Assembly.

"We have taken decision for the people of Balochistan. Every decision was taken in a democratic manner," said Manzoor Kakar, BAP general secretary, at a press conference in Quetta.

Kakar said that Jan Mohammad Jamali withdrew his name for the post of Balochistan Assembly speaker. "We will consult with other parties for deputy speaker," he said.

Speaking to media, Jam Kamal Khan said his party has secured a majority in the province, but it wants to take along other parties as well.

“We have invited JUI-F and BNP for government formation in the Balochistan,” he said. 

“We will improve the province through good governance in the currently available budget. We will take Balochistan’s due rights from the federation.”

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‘Foreigner’ wins Balochistan Assembly seat in Quetta

A candidate who recently won Balochistan Assembly seat PB-26 may not be a Pakistani citizen, it turns out.

Ahmed Ali contested the general election on Hazara Democratic Party’s ticket and won the provincial assembly seat with 5,117 votes, beating the MMA’s Wali Muhammad.

But, according to NADRA officials, the man may not be a Pakistani. The authority suspects that he may be an Afghan as the Hazara people belong to Afghanistan.

The National Database and Registration Authority has blocked Ali’s computerized national identity card, which they say he acquired fraudulently.

The man attempted to established his links to a family he wasn’t related to so that he could get himself registered, Nadra authorities in Quetta stated in a letter to the deputy commissioner Quetta.

The letter says Ahmed Ali provided wrong information about his parents and his date of birth.

Reports said Nadra blocked the man’s ID card ahead of the elections on suspicion of him being an Afghan refugee.

He was barred by the Election Commission from contesting the elections, but the high court allowed him.

The deputy commissioner, meanwhile, informed the Balochistan High Court about the candidate through a letter.

The high court was hearing a petition filed by Ali.

The DC told the court that Ali has failed to prove his Pakistani citizenship with documentary evidence.

After hearing the case today, the court adjourned the hearing till next week, as officials investigate the issue.

The court will resume the hearing on Monday.

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PTI team meets Akhtar Mengal at Balochistan House

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday reached out to Balochistan National Party President Sardar Akhtar Mengal for support in the formation of government in the Centre.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal presented his demands to the PTI team. The meeting took place at the Balochistan House as the BNP-N chief refused to visit Banigala. The PTI delegation was led by Imran’s close aide Naeemul Haq and PTI Balochistan chapter President Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, Mengal said he was grateful to PTI leaders, who visited him and invited his party to become a part of the coalition government. However, he maintained that stung by political parties in the past, the decision would be made with caution.

“PTI desires us to be their partners and we also want to take the mandate of our people to the assemblies. We will extend support only on categorical assurance on acceptance of our demands,” Mengal pointed out.

About the all parties conference of the opposition parties in Islamabad, he explained that they were not invited to the event and if invited, they would present their demands before those parties. “And whosoever would accept our demands, we are prepared to go along,” he emphasized. Earlier, he informed the PTI delegation about the issues faced by the people of Balochistan and said that till and said that till core issues were not resolved, Balochistan would not make progress. He raised the issue of missing persons with the visitors and said that the missing persons should be recovered safe and sound and the CPEC be implemented with regard to its share for Balochistan.

About formation of a coalition government in Balochistan, he made it clear that BNP would not blindly support anyone if a provincial chief minister was to be named without taking them on board.

He explained, “JUI-F is an ally and we will sit together and decide whether to sit in the opposition benches or not," he added. Speaking on the occasion, Rind said that Mengal's demands would be presented to PTI chairman. He was confident that the Imran-Mengal meeting would yield positive results and they would work together.

On naming of Balochistan Awami Party President Jam Kamal Khan as chief minister, Rind said that he had no objection on his nomination. Naeemul Haq said that meeting with Mengal was quite pleasant and that the demands made by him were new, which would be presented to Imran, who was going to be prime minister of Pakistan shortly. He said they assured Mengal that Imran would be the only prime minister, who would give due rights to Balochistan.

Mengal desired to receive Imran at Balochistan House on the possibility of mutual cooperation in future. In an another development, an independent lawmaker-elect from NA-190 Mohammad Amjad Farooq and two MPAs-elect of Punjab Assembly Mohsin Atta Khosa and Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangh from PP-288 and PP-83 respectively Thursday announced to join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

They had a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan at Chairman’s Secretariat Banigala here. The new-comers expressed complete confidence and trust in the leadership and party’s manifesto. Imran warmly welcomed the lawmakers into PTI’s fold.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen, led by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas called on Imran Khan here at Banigala to congratulate him on his victory in the general elections.

Speaking on the occasion, MWM leadership lauded chairman’s resolve to make the country a welfare state on the principles of the State of Madina. “We hope that preserving national integrity and honor will be the most pressing consideration of the foreign policy”, MWM leaders emphasised. Imran thanked MWM delegation for paying a visit to felicitate him.

In another development, Imran has directed to arrange the oath-taking event with austerity. He will take his oath in a simple ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr. According to the PTI’s Central Media Department, the party’s Central Secretary Information Fawad Chaudhry said that no foreign dignitaries were being invited and hence the ceremony would be completely national in its facade and essence.

“Only a few close friends of Imran Khan will be invited, as PTI chairman has directed to arrange the oath-taking event in a simple ceremony at the Presidency without any show of extravagance," he explained.

PTI leader Senator Faisal Javed also refuted the reports circulating in the media regarding invitations being sent to foreign players and actors to the oath-taking ceremony. “Being the custodians of taxpayers’ money, we are looking forward to hold a simple and austere oath-taking ceremony completely national in its façade and essence”, he maintained.

He stated that players from across the world including India had sent warm wishes to the Prime Minister-designate Imran Khan. PTI chairman, he added, heartily thanked everyone for wishing him on his party’s historic win in the elections.

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Girls sweep top positions in Abbottabad intermediate exams

PESHAWER: Girls have bagged the top three overall positions as the Abbottabad Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) announced results for the Higher Secondary School annual examinations on Friday.
The top 20 positions were shared by 34 students. Only seven boys featured in the list with the rest clinched by girls.
Sabahat Safdar from the Peace Group of Colleges in Haripur clinched the overall top position in the board’s results, securing 1,016 marks. She was followed in second place by Laiba Behram with 1,015 marks from the Mansehra branch of the same school and college.

The third position was shared by two students, Easha Asif of the Hazara Public School and College Haripur and Kashmala Mir of the Peace Group of School and College Mansehra. The two students secured 1,014 marks.
In the pre-medical group for girls, the top positions echoed the results as the top three overall position winners. In pre-medical-boys, Hassan Ali Abbasi of the Pakistan International Public School and College Abbottabad was top with 1,009 marks. He was followed by Syed Saad Ali of the Abbottabad Public School and College with 993 marks, while Muneebur Rehman of Peace College Abbottabad was third with 992 marks.
In pre-engineering group-girls, Ayesha Rafi of the Peace College Abbottabad was top with 1,004 marks. Warda Zulhaj of the Quaid-i-Azam College of Khalabutt Township in Haripur was second with 993 marks. The third position in the group was shared by Aiman Khan of Peace College Haripur and Soma Safeer of Peace College Abbottabad with both securing 992 marks.
In pre-engineering-boys, the first position was clinched by Asad Ali of Government Post Graduate College Abbottabad with 1,001 marks, followed by Masaid Zeb of Tameer-e-Watan College Abbottabad with 999 marks. Muhammad Ali of the Pakistan Scout Cadet was third with 996 marks.

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Tech Valley: British Council opens digital library in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: In a first for the region, the Pakistan chapter of the British Council has set up its digital library in Abbottabad.
The library was launched by British Council Pakistan Country Director Rosemary Hilhorst in a ceremony at Tech Valley in Abbottabad on Tuesday.
In the ceremony, Hilhorst expressed the hope that more small tech valleys open up across Pakistan to expand the momentum, energy, innovation, and empowerment of the community.

“The British Council Digital Library will strengthen the cultural ties between UK and Pakistan,” she said as she assured the continuous support of the British Council.
“[The library] will serve as a hub for the continuing efforts to create educational opportunities, knowledge sharing and fostering a learning environment where creativity and innovation are valued. It will really help to build the capacity of teachers, students, youth, entrepreneurs and innovators which is one of the primary goals of Tech Valley Abbottabad,” she said.
Tech Valley Director Abbas Khan appreciate the monetary and time investment for continuous cultural development of Pakistan.
“This is indeed a landmark in the history of Abbottabad where people will get an opportunity to learn, connect and innovate,” he said, adding that it was a fantastic step towards turning Abbottabad into a tech-savvy city and for particularly focusing on small towns where such steps are much needed.

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Vintage car — the last remnant of Bannu’s Khan Bahadur

PESHAWAR: With even prominent names in the Pakistan movement being lost to dust-covered archives of history, in Bannu, a 90-year-old car is the last testament to a man who helped further the cause of a separate homeland for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent.
In an old brick and mortar garage in Bazaar Ahmad Khan, a well-known and historic village of Bannu in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a 1928 Ford Model A stands covered in dust and rust. Its original paint almost indistinguishable from the rusting red and its front grille shorn of its once shiny chrome.
“One of our cousins does not allow anyone to touch the car or the garage,” notes Iftikhar Khan, a grandson of Khan Bahadur Ghulam Haider Khan who originally owned the vehicle and large swathes of land.

Owner with the vintage car.

Known as Khan Bahadur in the area, he was the main landlord of Bannu in undivided India.
The city had been formed by Sir Herbert Benjamin Edwardes in 1848 to serve the then British Empire as a supply depot and garrison against the Pashtun tribes in Waziristan. Khan Bahadur’s family was awarded large swaths of land in the area. His village soon became the centre of trade and commerce in the district.
Little did the British know that less than hundred years after creating the city, that the man they counted on most for support would help overthrow the British government and carve out a homeland.
Indeed, Khan Bahadur played a massive role in first furthering the cause of the Pakistan movement and then by providing it with its future president, Ghulam Ishaq Khan — a historic fact little known outside the village.
“Khan Bahadur joined the All India Muslim League along with other notable family members including his son-in-law Malik Damsaz at a time when the entire district was in the grip of the Red Shirts’ (Khudai Khidmatgaar – servants of God) mania,” said Ifran Khan, another of Khan Bahadur’s grandsons.
He pointed out that at that point the social reform movement led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (affectionately known as Bacha Khan) was seeping the region. The movement, which propagated a similar agenda of self-rule, had been rebuffed by the All India Muslim League (AIML) and courted by Mahatma Gandhi of the Indian National Congress.
Khan Bahadur though pushed on with the AIML and to form Pakistan.
The car, too, is said to have played a part. Irfan said that it was included in a convoy for Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah when he visited the region in the mid-1940s.
“This vehicle was used during Jinnah’s visit to Bannu in the mid-1940s,” Iftikhar said while pointing to the dilapidated car.
“There is a common belief that it was used by Jinnah during his tour to Bannu but this is not true because there were too many vehicles at the time, which primarily belonged to Malik Damsaz and Khan Bahadur and other party leaders. This car was kept in reserve in case of an emergency,” he added.
Iftikhar further said that at the time, Khan Bahadur had emerged as a prominent AIML supporter and leader.
This, he said, did not please the then Chief Minister of NWFP Khan Abdul Qayum Khan, who tried his level best to damage prominent AIML leaders in the province politically.
Khan Bahadur was no exception to this.
“Qayum could stand no political opposition and he sidelined and destroyed all those who could even become potential rivals in any way,” he added.
But despite their role in the creation of Pakistan, Khan Bahadur and Malik Damsaz were forgotten by history. The car too would have been lost to history had it not been for the preservation by Khan Bahadur’s family.
“Khan Bahadur and Malik Damsaz’s role in Pakistan Movement cannot be ignored. They should have been treated as national heroes but people hardly know their names,” lamented Iftikhar.
He added that after Khan Bahadur’s death, all his moveable and immovable property was divided amongst his children and then his grandchildren.
Only a small building, which serves as the garage for the car, and the car itself have survived, Iftikhar said. The building and the car have been locked up since 1965 and are in a state of disrepair.
“I think that it is the responsibility of the federal government to restore this beautiful car to pay homage to the contribution and efforts of Khan Bahadur,” he added, noting that lack of maintenance would further see this piece of Pakistan’s history deteriorate further.
Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s rise
Being a landed individual of considerable influence, Khan Bahadur left his imprint on Pakistan in a host of ways. One of these was to set former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan on the right path.
“President Ghulam Ishaq Khan was quite talented but in his youth, he was quite unruly,” Irfan pointed out.
“One day, Ghulam’s mother visited Khan Bahadur at his house and met with his wife. In that meeting, she complained that her son was not taking interest in anything useful and was jobless. She asked for a favour from Khan Bahadur that her son be provided with a government job to keep him busy and away from bad company,” Irfan narrated.
“My grandfather was a close friend of Sir Abdul Qayum Khan, the founder of the Islamia College in Peshawar. Khan Bahadur asked him to arrange for a job for the young Ghulam Ishaq Khan and he did it.”
That job set Ghulam on a path that ultimately led to the presidency in Islamabad.
“No doubt Ghulam was unruly in his youth but he was hardworking and talented individual and this trait served him quite well throughout his life,” Irfan recalled.

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Lower Dir's Sumera Shams set to become youngest legislator

KARACHI: Lower Dir is a remote and conservative district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Women were collectively disenfranchised here by political parties in the 2013 general elections, triggering outcry across the country. But things changed in the 2018 elections, and this change is radical. Dir is all set to send a woman lawmaker, the youngest ever, to the provincial legislature.
Shamsul Qamar Khan, an Awami National Party candidate in the 2008 elections, had died of cardiac arrest on poll day. The local community thought his political legacy would be buried with him since he had no sons to carry forward his legacy.
Little did they know that one of his daughters would prove them wrong and break the taboos in the patriarchal society.

“My political career began shortly after my father died on February 18, 2008. He was contesting for provincial and national assembly seats (PF-95 and NA-34) on ANP tickets,” Qamar’s daughter Sumera Shams told The Express Tribune.
Though the ANP had been voted to power in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (then NWFP), Sumera recalled how she had received a cold shoulder from the party and the community.
In the years that followed, the family persevered. Sumera’s mother managed to head up two construction companies while her sister served as a district councillor in Lower Dir until 2018.
A student at the time of her father’s death, Sumera joined Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), assuming a role in its female student wing in K-P. Later, as head of the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) women’s wing, Sumera focused on issues including institutional sexual harassment. “It is not easy for a young girl to survive in a traditionally male-dominated society,” she added.
In the 2013 general polls, when local elders reached an agreement with political parties to bar women from casting their votes, Sumera defied PTI’s decision by becoming one of the few women to vote in the Dir region. “I waited until noon – indecisive. Later in the day, I gathered up the courage to proceed to the polling station and cast my vote,” she recalled.
“Where last time it took minutes, this year I had to wait for three hours in line to vote as women came out in large numbers to vote,” said Sumera.
The women voters’ turnout in the district was largely influenced by Section 9 of the Election Act 2017 which gives the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) the power to declare poll void if the commission finds violations including “implementation of an agreement restraining women from casting their votes.”
According to the clause, “If the turnout of women voters is less than ten per cent of the total votes polled in a constituency, the Commission may presume that the women voters have been restrained through an agreement from casting their votes and may declare, polling at one or more polling stations or election in the whole constituency, void.”
After the Imran Khan-led party gained majority seats in the federal, Punjab and K-P assemblies, Sumera was picked to represent the district in the provincial assembly on a reserved seat for women.
Sumera said Dir, an erstwhile stronghold of Jamaat-e-Islami, did not see any development work under the rule of the politico-religious party led by Sirjaul Haq.
Asked why the right-wing party remained in coalition with the PTI until earlier this year, Sumera claimed that the JI had failed to deliver in the district despite her party’s efforts. “It has been years since the PTI allotted funds for a medical college in Timergara, but due to JI’s corruption, the project could not be completed,” she claimed.
“As local representatives, it was JI’s responsibility to bring development,” she added.

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PTI’s Shah Farman Loses After Recount In PK-70

Awami National Party candidate Khush Dil Khan on Thursday emerged victorious from PK-70, Peshawar 5 constituency after the vote recount.

The RO said that the vote recount showed Khush Dil Khan in a lead with a margin of 187 votes.

During the July 25 polls, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shah Farman had emerged winner with a mere 47 vote difference over Khan.However, the ANP candidate had sought a recount in the constituency.

Shah Farman was the former Provincial Minister and also won from PK-71 in the 2018 General Election.

After the vote recount, ANP’s position in the KP Assembly stands at seven seats as opposed to PTI’s 65 seat.

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Sheikh Rashid sees forward blocs in PML-N

LAHORE: “Forward blocs” would soon emerge within the PML-N, both at the Centre and Punjab, to facilitate Imran Khan in the number game, predicted chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rashid here on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference, he said Imran Khan would finalise everything about governments both at the Centre and three provinces in the next 72 hours because he has the numbers.
“However, once these things are finalised, forward blocs will start emerging to help him further consolidate his grip on power. Imran does not have two-thirds majority in any of the house of the parliament or provincial assemblies, but he has emerged as a reality in the country and the opposition should cooperate with him to take the country out of current economic crisis,” he said.
Praising the chief justice and the army for their role in ensuring fair elections, Sheikh said these were the most fair and transparent elections the country has had. All those crying foul are doing so habitually.

“These guys cannot live without power and are only vying for it and rigging [allegation] is just a screen being used for it. Everyone is in contact with everyone,” he said in response to a question as to who is in contact with the PTI for formation of the government.

To another question about the future of Nawaz Sharif, he said: “Even we are asking for more facilities for him so that there is no new national reconciliation order (NRO). If pressed further, the Sharifs would press for NRO because he is broke now. So, they may get some facilities.”
Talking about grand opposition alliance, he was of the view that it cannot materialise for two reasons. “Firstly, all those leaders, like Fazlur Rehman, talking about alliance are spent forces – no more relevant to national or electoral politics. Secondly, 67 per cent of top leadership of the top parties is wanted by the national accountability bureau (NAB) and it is especially true for former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and former minister for railways Saad Rafique. This is the reality of new Pakistan. They are spent and tainted. That is why I say that only the PTI has that critical mass that can provide new leadership to new Pakistan.”
He reiterated, “on behalf of Imran Khan,” that the result transmission system (RTS) failed and it was a fact. Beyond that failure, there was neither rigging nor manipulation. “I assure you that if there is any proof of rigging, the PTI is ready to open all such constituencies for recount, or whatever satisfies the opposition.”
He also took time to remind Imran Khan that the nation has given him mandate and it is his responsibility to come up to expectations of his voters and followers.
When asked which federal ministry he is expecting, Rashid said he considered it an insult at the age of 66 to ask for one. “I am part of Imran Khan’s team and it is for him to decide such things.”

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Who wants to spoil Aleem Khan’s bid for Punjab CM slot?

ISLAMABAD: Whether it was twist of fate or a deliberate attempt on part of NAB and CDA to spoil Aleem Khan’s bid for the office of the Punjab chief minister, the PTI leader was thrown in possible hot water by the two government entities at a time when he was being seriously considered for the high profile slot.

What raises suspicions is the fact that a senior NAB official personally told different newsmen during the last a few days that Aleem Khan had “failed to justify the means” to buy his London flats and other properties in Dubai.
The newsmen were even told that the Bureau has a strong case of assets beyond means against the senior PTI leader. Usually even for an ordinary query, it is hard for journalists to get to the NAB’s official spokesman but in this case a senior Lahore-based Bureau official has been found willingly telling the journalists that Aleem may face serious trouble.
In a strange coincidence, the CDA has also issued notice to different housing developers including Aleem Khan and his company, who have been told to appear before the Authority or get ready for criminal proceedings.
Although Aleem Khan was already being probed by the NAB, this time when the PTI was finalising its candidate for the office of Punjab chief minister, the NAB shared a twisted “leak” which clearly suggested that Khan is going to face the music. With such a message from “NAB sources” making headlines in the media, the obvious objective could be to shoot down Aleem’s name from among those being considered for Punjab chief minister office.
NAB, however, has repeatedly reiterated that it has no political objective and is performing its duty as per law and on merit. As it happens mostly, the NAB spokesman was contacted by this correspondent on Thursday but he did not attend the call.
Contrary to NAB’s claim that it has no political objectives, the history of the Bureau is full of instances where it has been used for arm twisting for political gains of rulers or others in different times.
Before and after the 2002 elections, NAB was massively used in the making of the King’s Party- the PML-Q- and to create forward block in PPP to make a choice government for the then military dictator.
Although Aleem Khan has a controversial reputation, he was a strong contender for the CM slot for the PTI. But, it is believed that the NAB’s latest move has almost ruined his case. As if NAB was not enough to dent Aleem’s chances, the CDA also came into action and issued on Thursday notices to the operators of various housing developments including PTI leader Aleem Khan.
According to a newspaper report, the notices were issued for various violations and directed operators to appear before the CDA and explain themselves on Aug 8, or else the Authority will initiate criminal proceedings against them.
The notice issued to Aleem Khan said that based on a site report by Building Control field staff and the available records, the CDA can begin criminal proceedings against him for allowing construction in his housing development without approval from the Authority’s Building Control Directorate. The notice said the case will also be referred for cancellation of the layout plan of the Park View Housing Scheme, but gives Mr Khan and others a chance to explain their positions on Aug 8 before proceedings begin.
According to the report when asked about the timing of the notices, CDA Director Building Control II Shafi Marwat said: “We issued notices to operators of around 50 housing schemes, including Aleem Khan’s Park View society.”

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22 independents, PML-Q votes take PTI tally to 153 in Punjab

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has entered the `final phase’ of forming its government in Punjab with assertions that the party has already got the support of required number of MPAs-elect. However, there is no discussion on the selection of a candidate for Punjab chief minister for now.

Besides eight elected members of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), including an independent, the PTI claims 22 independents have formally joined the party, taking its tally to 153 in the directly-elected house of 297 members.
The 22 independents, who have joined the party, are: Raja Sagheer Ahmad (PP-7), Syed Saeedul Hassan (PP-46), Muhammad Ajmal Cheema (PP-97), Ghulam Rasool Sangha (PP-83), Ameer M Khan (PP-89), Saeed Akbar Khan (PP-90), Khawar Shah (PP-203), Muhammad Umer Farooq (PP-106), Faisal Hayat (PP-125), Hussain Jahanian Gardezi (PP-204), Sheikh Salman Naeem (PP-2017), Fida Hussain (PP-237), Shaukat Lalika (PP-238), Sardar Abdul Haye Dasti (PP-270), Basit Bukhari (PP-272), Khurram Leghari (PP-275), Tahir Mehmood Randhawa (PP-282), Syed Rafaqat Ali Gillani (PP-284), Muhammad Hanif Pitafi (PP-289), Taimoor Laali (PP-93), Rai Taimoor Bhatti (PP-124) and Mehr Aslam Bharwana (PP-127).
Sources say the PTI will bag 34 women seats and five minority seats against its 153 members and show up with 192 members in the complete house of 371 members.
Sources say party chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday remained busy in discussions about party policies for the first 30 days, 90 days and 100 days. “However, there was no discussion on the chief minister candidate as the party is weighing all options,” says a party leader.
Owing to indecision, the candidates for the coveted chief minister slot are increasing and lobbying with their credentials besides discrediting others on different grounds.
Candidates in the run are: Abdul Aleem Khan, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Fawad Chaudhry, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and new entrant Yassir Humayun (PP-21).

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