Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Representatives of various press clubs, unions and associations of journalists and media workers on Saturday established an alliance — Coalition for Free Media — to jointly resist media curbs through pressure tactics and trolling on social media and to ensure freedom of expression. Almost all groups and factions affiliated with media professionals, including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), …

LAHORE: The much-delayed manifesto of the PML-N is causing embarrassment for the leadership as its team, led by Senator Irfan Siddiqui, has yet to put out a final draft despite an effort of three months. The PML-N’s rival parties, especially the PPP, are taking a jibe at the Sharifs, asking them if their party cannot present a manifesto even when …

ISLAMABAD: The disposal of two corruption references — Toshakhana and £190m cases — against former premier Imran Khan is likely to be delayed further, as the judge conducting the trial has applied for a long leave of absence till his retirement. Judge Mohammad Bashir, who is also the longest-serving judge of the accountability courts, applied for leave with effect from Jan 24 till March …

Karachi police on Sunday registered a case following an attack on the office of a PTI-affiliated independent candidate last night in the city’s Azizabad area. PTI Karachi spokesperson Falak Almas said that the incident occurred at the main office of PTI-affiliated candidate Arsalan Khalid, who will be running for NA-248 in the upcoming general elections. Last night, the party’s official …

QUETTA: A high-level meeting on Friday was informed that 8,000 CCTV cameras will be installed at sensitive and most sensitive polling stations in the province to monitor the election process on February 8. The election commission, after a survey, has identified 18 out of 35 districts as the most sensitive and sensitive. The meeting, presided over by caretaker Chief Minister …

LAHORE: Istehkam-i-Pakis­tan Party (IPP) patron-in-chief Jahan­gir Khan Tareen has stated that political and economic stability in the country can only be achieved by holding general elections on time. He made these remarks while sp­­e­­aking to the media at the resid­e­n­­ce of former MPA Zaheeruddin Ali­zai in Multan on Friday afternoon. Former chairmen of 17 union councils and 50 councillors from …

GUJAR KHAN: In this tehsil, NA-52 will witness a tough contest between traditional rivals — former PM and PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and PML-N leader Raja Javed Ikhlas. Mr Ashraf was elected to the National Assembly in 2002, 2008, and 2018 whereas Mr Ikhlas defeated the former premier to become an MNA in 2013. During his three tenures in …

RAWALPINDI: Only faces change in Pindi’s electoral politics, but all problems remain the same. At least this is the sentiment among voters in the garrison city. In 2008 and 2013, it was the PML-N that won the lion’s share of the three National Assembly seats in the district, before facing a massive setback in 2018, when the PTI and Sheikh …

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday hinted at his readiness for talks with other political parties, insisting that a politician is “always ready to hold dialogue”, but emphasised that the PTI would prefer to join the opposition instead of forming a “weak government”. Talking to the journalists during the hearings of Toshakhana and £190 million corruption cases at …

ISLAMABAD: After political heavyweights – former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former PTI MNA Sadaqat Abbasi—decided to stay away from polls, the voters of NA-51 will have to seek out a ‘suitable’ candidate to represent them in the National Assembly and resolve their chronic issues. NA-51 comprises Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta and parts of Kallar Syedan and has 719,514 …