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ISLAMABAD: Officially, little came out from Saturday’s meeting between the incoming premier, Nawaz Sharif, and army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Express Tribune, however, learnt on Sunday that the two sides agreed to ‘overhaul’ the country’s national security and foreign policies.

During the meeting, which lasted three-and-half hours, at Sharif’s Model Town residence in Lahore, the PML-N chief told Kayani that he plans to revisit the policies of the previous administration that have “not only damaged Pakistan’s relations with other countries but also hurt its national interest”.

A close aide to Nawaz told The Express Tribune that the security establishment will hold a detailed briefing on major national security and foreign policy issues for the new government once it is formally sworn in.

The aide quoted Gen Kayani as telling Nawaz that the army “fully respects the mandate given to his party and is ready to follow whatever policies he intends to pursue in the larger national interest”.

Reportedly, the army chief also put his weight behind PML-N’s efforts seeking an immediate end to the US drone campaign in the tribal belt. According to another source, Kayani told Nawaz that the security establishment had no ‘secret understanding’ with the US on its drone campaign. The source pointed out that the PML-N intends to raise the issue with the US administration as soon as it takes charge.

Saturday’s meeting was also aimed at dispelling the impression that PML-N’s election victory might put it at odds with the security establishment because of the ‘historic baggage’, said another PML-N leader.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said Nawaz assured Gen Kayani that he had “no grudge against the army as an institution” and that he was ready to work with it to steer the country out of crises.

“It [Kayani-Nawaz meeting] will have a calming effect and will smooth civil-military relations,” said political analyst Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed. “It will also certainly settle nerves in both camps,” he added.

Safe exit for Musharraf

Another issue that was thought to be discussed in Saturday’s meeting was the fate of former president Pervez Musharraf, who is currently under house arrest at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad.

PML-N sources said there was growing sense within the party’s ranks that Musharraf’s presence in the country and his possible trial could distract the new government from pressing issues. Therefore, if the former president is allowed to leave the country under the pretext of his mother’s ill health or any other reason, the party should not object to it.

While it is clear what the Sharifs intend to do, one party leader said: “If Musharraf leaves the country before the government takes charge, it will be a win-win situation.”

Reportedly, a message has been circulated within the army that Musharraf will be allowed to leave the country soon. The ‘message’ was conveyed in a bid to pacify growing unease within the army over the trial of its former chief.

A military official, when approached, referred to the statement of Gen Kayani he made on ‘Yaum-e-Shuhada’ last month emphasising that “It is not merely retribution, but awareness and participation of the masses that can truly end this game of hide and seek between democracy and dictatorship.”

When contacted, however, both the PML-N and the army refused to comment on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2013.

KARACHI: As per unofficial results, Dr Arif Alvi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the winner in the re-polling that was held at 43 polling stations of NA-250, Karachi on Sunday, Express News reported.

Dr Alvi garnered over 16,000 votes from NA-250, defeating Naimatullah Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) who lagged behind with 360 votes.

From PS-113, PTI candidate Samar Ali Khan earned a majority with 3,135 votes whereas, in PS-112, Khurram Shair Aman of PTI took the lead with 2,581 votes.

Rangers and Army personnel were present throughout the day to provide security, but voter turnout was reportedly low.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and JI had announced that they would be boycotting the re-polling of NA-250.

In a press conference earlier on Sunday, Farooq Sattar had called the re-polling “unfair”, claiming that it should have been held for all the polling stations of the constituency and not just in the selected 43.

The JuD is the charity wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group which India has accused of masterminding the 2008 terrorist attacks in the Indian commercial hub of Mumbai.

According to sources, Bashir received a phone call from an unknown person while having dinner at his residence. Later at night, he went missing and his body, showing signs of torture, was found in the morning.

Bashir, apart from being the head of all the security matters of the organization, was responsible for coordinating all of Hafiz Saeed’s movements. The 42-year-old Bashir had joined JuD as a worker about 25 years ago and had risen in the organisation, ultimately becoming the security head.

Hafiz Saeed told The Express Tribune that Bashir was an old loyalist who had thwarted many attempts on his life. Saeed alleged that Bashior’s role in the JuD had irked certain powers, who wanted him dead.

Security for major JuD leaders was tightened as a result of the killing.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2013.

Speaking at a news conference in the wee hours of Sunday, MQM deputy convener said that while his party shared the grief of PTI, it was important to understand the motives of the gruesome murder and who were behind it.

“It’s yet to be confirmed whether this incident is a street crime or targeted killing,” he said, adding that the blame game at this stage would affect the investigations.

“It is unfortunate that PTI Chairman Imran Khan showed his political immaturity and blamed MQM chief Altaf Hussain for the murder,” he said and called upon the government to take notice of Imran Khan’s statement.

Dr Sattar said that Imran, by issuing such an irresponsible statement, denied them the opportunity to offer condolences to the bereaved family. No matter how much hatred Imran has for Altaf, he should have kept in mind the situation called for support from the MQM, he said. There is no different between Jamaat-e-Islami and PTI or even between the politics of the Taliban.

Dr Sattar said that Zahra Hussain murder could be a conspiracy to derail the democratic process in the country.

He said the MQM demands a judicial inquiry into the murder of Zahra Hussain and exemplary punishment for the killers.

Dr Sattar said that the MQM would file criminal and civil defamation lawsuits against PTI Chairman Imran Khan for character assassination of MQM chief Altaf Hussain.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2013.

According to police, three assailants intercepted 65-year-old Hussain as she stepped out off her car outside her house in Karachi’s DHA Phase-IV area.

“The suspects attempted to snatch her purse… they shot her after she put up resistance,” said SP Clifton Division Nasir Aftab, quoting the slain PTI leader’s driver. The suspects fled the scene following the incident, he added.

Hussain’s family immediately rushed her to a nearby private hospital.

“She received a single bullet to her chin which pierced her neck. She succumbed to her injuries during treatment,” a doctor at the health facility told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity. Hussain’s body was later moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities.

Party leaders confirmed Hussain’s death.

Targeted killing or mugging?

By the time this report was filed, police were still unclear about the motive behind Hussain’s murder. “Nothing could be said about the nature of the incident … whether it’s an act of targeted killing or a robbery bid gone awry… till the investigation is complete,” said SP Aftab.

Condemnation

In a statement condemning the incident, PTI chairman Imran Khan held Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain and the British government directly responsible for murder of Zahra Shahid Hussain.

“He [Altaf] openly threatened PTI workers and leaders through public broadcasts… Unfortunately, the British Government did nothing to stop his calls to violence,” Khan maintained.

“I am totally shocked and deeply saddened and still cannot believe anyone would kill such a gentle lady,” he added.

PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif was also quick to condemn the incident.

“Strongly condemn the target killing of Mrs Zahra Hussain! Culprits should be apprehended and punished ASAP – this cannot be allowed to go on,” he said on Twitter.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the PTI Media Coordinator Nasir Jamal lashed out at government authorities for failing to provide adequate protection to his party’s leaders and workers in Karachi.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Salim Zia, who visited the hospital, demanded an independent investigation into the incident by a judge.

Re-polling in NA-250 today

Re-polling in 43 polling stations of NA-250 (Karachi-XII) will take place today (Sunday), amid tight security provided by police, Rangers and army personnel. However, very few political parties will be contesting these re-polls, as the JI declared a boycott on May 11th, while the MQM announced on Friday that they would boycott the re-polls. On Saturday night, the PPP also joined the boycott bandwagon, leaving the field clear for the PTI.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Saturday, Sindh Election Commissioner SM Tariq Qadri said that strict security measures have been taken to avert any attempts at rigging or any other untoward incident.

“I assure voters and candidates that there will be no mismanagement on our part, and free and fair elections will be held in the constituency,” he maintained, adding, “the polls will start at 8am and continue till 5pm without any break.”

Qadri said following concerns by leaders of political parties regarding the credentials of election staff, the Election Commission has appointed new presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers for the re-polls.

“Apart from the district returning officer and returning officers, the entire election staff has been changed,” he said, adding that the colours of the ballots had been switched this time around as well.

“For Sunday’s polls, white ballot paper will be used for the National Assembly seat and green ballot paper will be used for provincial assembly seats… For the May 11 elections, green ballots were used for National and white for provincial assembly seats.”

Qadri maintained the ballot boxes for the re-polls had already been prepared and transported to respective polling stations under the supervision of the armed forces. According to both Army and ECP sources, soldiers will be deployed inside the polling stations.

Re-polls in Tharparkar

ECP has also announced re-polls in 47 polling stations of two National Assembly constituencies in Tharparkar.

According to the official ECP notification on Sunday, the re-polls will be carried out in four polling stations of NA-229 (Tharparkar –I) and 43 polling stations of NA-230 (Tharparkar –II) and its corresponding Sindh Assembly constituencies – PS-62 ((Tharparkar –III) and PS-63 (Tharparkar –IV). The re-polls have been scheduled for June 1.

The commission had earlier decided to withhold the results of NA-229, NA-230, PS-62 and PS-63 following violence and allegations of widespread rigging in the constituencies. The ballot papers of more than 40 polling stations were set ablaze and a worker of a political party was killed during the violence on Election Day.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2013.

KARACHI: Hours after the senior vice president in Sindh of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was shot dead in Karachi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) demanded that a high level judicial inquiry be conducted into the events surrounding the murder.

Speaking at an emergency press conference early on Sunday, a visibly agitated MQM deputy convener Farooq Sattar, on behalf of the MQM further extended their party chief’s condolence and condemnation message to the family of Hussain and PTI workers.

“We express our condolences and solidarity with PTI workers.  We also have to look at the implications of this murder and who could be behind this.”

He also expressed concerns at how the incident occurred despite stringent security measures in the area for re-elections  in the constituency in just a few hours.

“We also have to look at the implications of this murder and who could be behind this.”

In the same stride, Sattar condemned PTI chief Imran Khan’s immediate allegations against Altaf Hussain even before the facts around the incident had become clear.

Shortly after the incident, Imran in a statement said that he held the MQM chief responsible for the death of the PTI leader.

“We think this was a move to malign the character of Altaf Hussain.”

Sattar added that this was a petty move on part of the PTI chief. “They [PTI] demonstrated their political immaturity and made a petty move by blaming Altaf Hussain.”

“If a series of blame games start then it would make the investigation prejudiced.”

The MQM leader condemned Imran’s allegations, made before investigations into the murder began, and said that they will now be filing a civil and criminal defamation suit against Imran Khan and a case under  Article 62 and 63 over the Sita White case.

Soon afterwards though, many MQM members protested against the attitude of the Coordination committee, which apologised to the workers after an address by the MQM supremo.

In the telephonic address, Altaf apologised to MQM workers. He complained that some workers were not paying attention to what he was saying.

In April alone, the federal government spent Rs185 billion more than its income, which is equal to 0.8% of national output.

Officially, considering the old base year of 1999-00 which the Ministry of Finance insists on using, the deficit stands a little lower at 5.4% of gross domestic product (GDP).

The 10-month gap between federal income and expenditures is Rs103 billion higher than the annual ceiling of Rs1.184 trillion, or 5% of GDP, set by the parliament for the current fiscal year. The breach of the limit points to the previous government’s failures in curbing expenditures and boosting revenues.

According to sources, the overall budget deficit stood at Rs1.207 trillion or 5.3% of GDP, calculated with the new base year of 2005-06, considering Rs80 billion worth of savings by provinces.

On the revenue side, against the annual target of Rs2.381 trillion, the Federal Board of Revenue may hardly hit the Rs2 trillion mark by the end of fiscal year in June, a fact acknowledged in official correspondence of FBR officials.

In 10 months, FBR’s tax collection have reached only Rs1.485 trillion, making it nearly impossible to collect the remaining amount of Rs896 billion in the remaining two months of the year.

In the case of expenditures, total power subsidies are likely to clock in above Rs350 billion, compared to the budgetary target of Rs185 billion. So far, in 10 months, over Rs320 billion have already been doled out to the power sector under this head.

According to revised assessments, the budget deficit is likely to reach around 8% of GDP by the end of the year because of a massive revenue shortfall, surge in power subsidies and high interest payments.

With a gap this wide, the new government will not have many options for restraining the expansionary fiscal policy when it will present next year’s budget, analysts say.

A realistic budget deficit figure for next fiscal year will be around 6.5%, as the new government cannot consolidate more than 1% to 1.5% of GDP in its first year, said Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, dean of the Business School of the National University of Science and Technology. He said bringing down the deficit to 4% will require three to four years of continuous consolidation.

To finance a deficit of around 6.5%, the new government will have to borrow Rs1.6 trillion from the market. Officials say that given the volume of borrowings, inflationary pressures will persist and private credit will be squeezed in the next fiscal year as well.

In the first nine months (July-March), net external borrowings remained negative at Rs4.2 billion. To finance the nine-month deficit, the federal government borrowed Rs1.05 trillion from the domestic credit market, finance ministry documents reveal.

Sources say any deficit target below 6% for the next year will be unrealistic and difficult to achieve. If the new government decides to play with budgetary projections, they cautioned, it will only be repeating mistakes of the previous regime and may face similar trust deficits.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2013.

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KARACHI: Just hours before re-elections in some polling stations of NA-250 are due to begin, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf central vice president was shot dead outside her house in Karachi.

According to initial details, Zahra Shahid Hussain was shot dead outside her house in Defence Phase IV late on Saturday evening.

The motive of the attack could not be immediately ascertained.

However, SP Clifton Division Nasir Aftab said that initial findings pointed to a case of a purse snatching gone wrong. Aftab told The Express Tribune that per Hussain’s daughter, her mother got into their car to leave. The driver wheeled the car out and was locking up the gate when two men on a bike pulled up and tried to snatch her purse. “When she resisted they shot her.”

The culprits sped away after the incident.

The police said that they are trying to get the statement of the eye witness and continuing investigations into the incident.

PTI media coordinator Jameel Siddiqui told The Express Tribune that  given the situation prevailing in the city, the incident could be a part of those events.

Shortly after the incident, a large number of PTI workers gathered outside the National Medical Centre, where Hussain had been brought for treatment.

Meanwhile, the caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Zahid Kurban Alvi condemned the attack and has sought a report from IG Sindh.

Condemnations pour in

PTI chief Imran Khan and party spokesperson Shireen Mazari have condemned the brutal killing of their party leader and demanded swift arrest of the culprits.

Mazari has declared the incident as terrorism and failure on part of the provincial government.

Arif Alvi, the PTI candidate in NA-250, has appealed to PTI workers to observer calm.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has also condemned the killing.

She was the central vice president of the party and a member of the party’s central executive committee. She was also the former president of the party’s Sindh Women’s wing. She was one of the founding members of PTI.

Her funeral prayers will be offered after Asr prayers at Sultan Mosque in Karachi.

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Nawaz Sharif met Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani  in Model Town, Lahore, on Saturday, Express News reported.

Important matters, such as security issues and the current country situation were discussed in the meeting.

The meeting took place at Shahbaz Sharif’s residence in Model Town, where a luncheon was organised, attended by Nawaz Sharif and the Army chief.

However, the PML-N spokesperson hasn’t confirmed the news of the meeting.

British High Commissioner meets Nawaz Sharif

British High Commissioner Adam Thomson met Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif in Raiwind on Saturday and congratulated him for winning the elections, reported Express News.

During the meeting, they discussed political and regional matters and also talked about Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s controversial statements.

PML-N leader and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and Senator Ishaq Dar were also present during the meeting.

On Friday, Thomson went to meet Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital (SKMH). During the meeting, Imran urged Thompson to take notice of Altaf’s speech in accordance with British laws.

Earlier this week, Thomson held a press conference saying that Altaf’s remarks on Sunday threatening PTI supporters and demanding Karachi to be separated from the rest of Pakistan should be taken seriously.

Altaf’s statement had caused uproar across the country, although the MQM chief clarified the next day that he didn’t make any demand for secession and that his statement was misinterpreted by the media.

Despite facing human resource constraints, the bureau also prosecuted key graft cases, says the NAB report released on Friday.

Justifying the move, NAB Chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari said that over the past 65 years, 59 types of ‘enforcement’ legislation has not worked as a tool for ridding the country of corruption.

Pakistan’s absolute corruption index remained unchanged at 2.5/10 since the inception of Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.  This, the report states, is an indication of major systemic flaws in the constitutional, legislative, regulatory, and governance structure.

The prevention framework, which began in March 2012, complies with the standards set by the UN Convention against Corruption. Through prevention regime, organisations like NAB do not allow collusion of bureaucratic, political and private sector interests.

In a highly-politicised environment, the report states, NAB’s focus on prevention regime starts with the bureaucracy. “Regulators of the state need to be given support and independence from political and financial pressures.”

The legislative and regulatory structures of the state need to be reviewed to remove discretionary and service anomalies, the annual report states.

In order to allow greater autonomy to regional bureaus and ensure speedy process of decision making, the NAB chairman has delegated sufficient operational as well as administrative powers to directors general of regional bureaus, says the report.

NAB claims in its annual report to have recovered Rs25 billion in 2012 through voluntary returns and plea bargains.

It has formed several committees in major areas of governance in an attempt to improve performance on a sustainable basis. The bureau processed 7,889 complaints, completed 392 inquiries and filed 95 references in accountability courts. According the report, the influx of complaints multiplied as the bureau received 7,565 complaints reaching a total of 9,353 complaints, including the existing backlog of 1,788.

The report reveals that NAB authorised 232 fresh inquiries, raising pendency to 978, including the backlog of 746 inquiries. Out of total investigation cases, 147 have been finalised while the rest are in process.

During the year, NAB recommended the placement of 192 accused on the Exit Control List (ECL) through the interior ministry.

The bureau has titled the year 2013 ‘Consolidation Year’ in order to amalgamate initiatives and strategies formulated by incumbent NAB Chairman, with specific references to awareness, prevention, training, development and welfare measures for employees.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.

The issue at hand is whether Nawaz Sharif will fill his party with remnants of the Raisani government and the Musharraf era. All of them acted as robber barons, adding billions to their personal kitties.

Will the Sharifs gloss over the role of those who plundered Balochistan’s resources? Will they opt for a strong chief minister who can conduct across-the-board accountability or will they leave the province to the vultures?

What the Sharifs and their allies need to realise is that the Raisani government lorded over massive funds in five years – from 45 billion in 2008 to 172 billion earmarked during 2012-13 from the central pool. Where did the quadrupled amount of funds go?

Do they want to co-opt people into the government who are remnants of the past or do they really mean business? If the latter then they need to put in place a government that enjoys public confidence and has the vigour and will to take Balochistan’s multiple crises head-on.

One hopes that the PML-N leadership realises that Balochistan has long been plagued by conflict, neglect, and political expedience. The latest election, too, reflects the state of neglect and political opportunism.

Successive federal governments made things worse by refusing to grant Balochistan the economic and political rights it deserves. It made matters worse by overlooking the brazen appropriation of state resources by Raisani and co, which increased disparity. The fiercely independent Baloch Sardars have a tradition of resisting state interference in order to protect their own advantages, while the mass of the population expresses their grievances by a growing support for nationalism and separatism. The absence of quick and inexpensive dispute-resolution mechanisms, the continued neglect of the welfare of the general public, poor governance, and growing religious extremism all add to the tensions, as does the persistent mishandling of these issues by governments and the military.

The grievances of the Baloch people are legitimate and manifold, with their principal complaint being the non-fulfillment of the promise of provincial autonomy granted by the 1973 Constitution.

Islamabad’s martial handling of outbreaks of insurgency added fuel to the fire, increasing Baloch disaffection. Action against Baloch nationalists is increasingly seen as imperialism, especially since the boycott of the elections by mainstream Baloch nationalists in February 2008. Most Baloch are resentful of the presence of the military and tend to see the army as a tool of suppression.

Election 2013 also has thrown up the issue of representation; in PB-41 (Awaran), for instance, the turnout was hardly 1.18 per cent, giving Abdul Judoos Bizenjo of the Pakistan Muslim League the victory with only 544 votes. Total votes cast in a constituency of 57,666 registered votes stood at 672. Surprisingly, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the unofficial results, instead of deciding to order a re-polling.

This raises an extremely serious question on the legitimacy of the winner. Can a person with less than one percent of the registered votes represent that constituency? One would hope that the Sharifs forego personal or party interests in favour of a broad-based government comprising persons of integrity and also ensure fair representation in the provincial assembly by taking a critical look at, at least, some of the constituencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.

These candidates were declared victorious when each of them secured more than a hundred thousand votes, according to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Around 50 million of over 86 million registered votes were cast on the election day.

Forty-seven candidates of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz secured over one hundred thousand votes each in the elections, making the party reach the leading position in terms of overall votes received.

Eleven of total 18 successful candidates of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) secured over 1.8 million votes collectively.

Nine candidates of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians secured over 100,000 votes each, three candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and two independent candidates bagged over a hundred thousand votes each in these polls.

Not a single candidate from Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Pakistan Muslim League-Zia, Pakistan Peoples Party-Shaheed Bhutto Group, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl and Jamaat-e-Islami could secure over a 100,000 votes.

Interestingly, three women candidates, by surmounting all odds, bagged over one hundred thousand votes each.   A successful candidate from Punjab, Sumera Malik of PML-N, secured 118, 108 votes from NA-69 Khushab, while the two winning candidates from Sindh, Fehmida Mirza of PPPP secured 110,684 from NA-225 Badin and Azra Afzal Pechuho bagged 111,667 votes from NA-213 Nawabshah.

Political observers term it a good omen and give credit to impressive turnout in this general election.

In the 2002 general elections, only ten candidates had collectively bagged over one million votes, with each gaining over 100,000 votes, as the turnout was 35 to 40 per cent.

Among the candidates who gained most votes, MQM candidate Abdul Waseem leads by securing 192,678 votes in NA-243. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s candidate Pir Amin ul Hasnat Shah stands second with 156,709 votes in NA-64, Sargodha.

Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan comes at third position as he secured 147,916 votes on ticket of MQM in NA-256, Karachi, while Dr Khalid Maqbool of MQM secured 141,030 from NA-219, Karachi.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif gained 140,546 votes from NA-68, Sargodha; Nabeel Ahmed Gabol of MQM secured 139,386 votes from NA-246, Karachi while Chaudry Armaghan Subhani of PML-N grabbed 136,991 from NA-111. Syed Waseem Hussain of MQM secured 135,886 votes from NA-220, Hyderabad while Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of PML-N secured 133,906 votes from NA-50, Rawalpindi.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of PML-N secured 132,905 from NA-52, Rawalpindi and Chaudhry Hamid Hameed of PML-N gained 132,668 votes from NA-66, Sargodha.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan secured 132,283 from NA-71, Mianwali while Nasir Iqbal Bosal of PML-N secured 133,128 votes from NA-109, Mandi Bahauddin. Raja Javed Ikhlas of PML-N who defeated former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in NA-51, Rawalpindi grabbed 121,067 votes while Sardar Yousaf of PML-N collected over a hundred thousand votes in NA-20, Mansehra by defeating PTI leader Azam Khan Swati.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan of PTI defeated PML-N senior leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan by bagging over one hundred thousand votes in NA-53. Two independent candidates Afzal Khan Dhandla from NA-74 Bhakkar and Jamshid Ahmed Dasti from NA-177, Muzaffargarh secured over a hundred thousand votes as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.

ISLAMABAD: A constitutional petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Friday against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), NADRA and few television anchors under article 184 (3) of the constitution.

Dilawar Sajjad through Advocate Supreme Court Tariq Asad, held in his petition that ECP and NADRA be directed to verify the finger prints of voters of disputed constituencies and polling stations.

The petitioner stated that finger print technology used in conjunction with the voter list can trace out who were the actual voters and also those who tried hijacked the polling process.

The petitioner also prayed for suspension of the notification of winning candidates of election 2013 till the verification of the actual voters. He added that the presiding officers and the assistant presiding officers under by-laws have to be of grade 17 and 16 respectively, but these duties had been assigned to junior officials who were either inefficient or approachable by influentials.

“The instant petition is based on res ipsa loquitur (facts are evidence)”, the petitioner pleaded.

KARACHI: After the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) maintained its decision to hold re-elections in selected polling stations of NA-250 on Friday, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said it will boycott the re-polling.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, MQM leader Raza Haroon said that after the ECP rejected the MQM’s request to hold re-elections in the entire NA-250 constituency instead of selected polling stations, the party was within its rights to boycott the elections.

“MQM reject’s ECP’s decision to conduct re-polls in only 43 polling stations.”

Haroon said that the party will be raising the matter in every competent forum. “After today’s meeting, when ECP rejected our request, we reject their decision.“

Earlier, MQM leader Wasay Jalil told the media at a press conference on Friday evening that the party leadership in London and Karachi was currently consulting legal and constitutional experts on the matter.

“The first session of consultations has ended and once we come to decision we will announce that.”

Jalil said that a decision is expected later on Friday.

Raza Haroon added that the matter was about the public’s right to vote and re-enforcing the faith in voting. “The ECP should have looked at the larger interest of   the people.”

“This  was a golden opportunity for the ECP to demonstrate to the people that while they could not conduct flawless elections everywhere, they could have conducted exemplary elections in NA-250.”

Of their consultations, Haroon said that they are currently looking at all options.

Earlier on Friday, the ECP had rejected the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) request to conduct re-polling in the entire constituency of NA-250 Karachi.

PESHAWAR: In the ongoing search operation to recover former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son, police arrested the head of a gang suspected to be behind the kidnapping of Ali Haider Gilani, Dawn.com reported on Friday.

On May 9, the youngest son of former prime minister, Ali Haider, was kidnapped after an attack on a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) gathering in Multan.

On Thursday, security personnel recovered a captive and arrested four abductors in Nowshera during a search conducted to recover Ali Haider.

Sources told Dawn.com that the accused arrested today was identified as Wazir Gul and is the brother of the suspect arrested by police on Thursday in Nowshera.

Police say that Wazir Gul is running an inter-provincial gang of kidnappers and police is investigating him to find a clue to Gilani’s son.

LAHORE: The National Peoples Party (NPP) has merged with Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Express News reported on Friday.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Lahore, which was addressed by PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif and party’s Sindh chief Syed Ghous Ali Shah.

NPP was formed in 1986 by Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi after he developed differences with Benazir Bhutto and left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

According to official results available on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), NPP won two National Assembly seats and three Sindh Assembly seats.

While speaking to media, Shah alleged that Sindh experienced “unprecedented rigging” in the May 11 polls.

“There is no ideological difference between the PTI and the JI as far as the finance ministry is concerned,” Asad Umar, a senior vice president of the PTI, told The Express Tribune. “When it comes to matters relating to taxation, the PTI and JI see eye to eye.”

Umar, considered to be the party’s main leader on economic policy, confirmed reports that JI’s Sirajul Haq, elected to the K-P Assembly from Lower Dir, would be the provincial finance minister. It is not yet known who the PTI will be nominating to lead the education ministry, though the party leadership has made it clear that it will be one of their own.

The rumour that JI had been given three ministries – finance, education, and zakat – in exchange for joining the coalition with PTI caused a stir among the party’s supporters, who expressed their disappointment on social media. Particularly distressing to most PTI supporters was the fact that their party’s education plan was among the highlights of the policy agenda on the strength of which the PTI ran its election campaign.

Sources familiar with the PTI leadership’s deliberations suggested that the party’s top brass acknowledged those concerns and were keen to run the province’s education policy according to their own policy agenda. And even on the question of the finance ministry, the PTI appears to be taking measures to ensure that its economic platform gets implemented.

According to sources familiar with the matter, while Sirajul Haq will be the provincial finance minister, he will not be in charge of the planning and development department, which the PTI plans to keep for itself. The planning and development department in provincial governments is an absolutely critical one, since it is the starting point from which the implementation of all policy reforms must originate.

The K-P government consists of 30 departments, but under Article 130 (6) of the constitution, can only have a maximum of 15 cabinet members. Ministers, therefore, will be running more than one department. The education minister, for instance, will be in charge of two separate departments, that of higher education and elementary and secondary education.

Provincial finance ministers typically run three departments: finance, revenue, and planning and development. The PTI leadership appears to be comfortable letting its coalition partner run the finance and revenue departments, but wants to keep planning and development for itself.

After the 18th Amendment to the constitution, and the passage of the 7th National Finance Commission Award, provincial governments in Pakistan have been given far more autonomy than at any point in the country’s history. The PTI leadership views its government in K-P as an opportunity to compete on governance quality with its arch-rival, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. The provincial government in Peshawar is viewed by the PTI as a stepping stone for gaining the trust of a broader swathe of voters nationwide as competent managers of economic and social policy.

Sources familiar with the matter say that the PTI leadership plans to use “party resources” to help shape the provincial government’s policies, a reference to PTI’s embryonic policy think tank which has helped develop the party’s economic platform.

Yet in order to compete on policy, the PTI must first master coalition politics. It must keep its coalition partners satisfied while retaining the ability to shape the direction of the government’s policy agenda. The initial announcement – made by a JI spokesperson – that the PTI had given the crucial education ministry to a coalition partner represents a stumble, though one from which the party appears to have recovered, at least for now.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.

Initially, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) planned to head the coalition government with one of its own members firmly planted as the chief minister, and with the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and the National Party (NP) as junior coalition partners.

However, in a twist, PkMAP has seemingly emerged as the largest parliamentary party after bagging 10 seats in the 51-member provincial assembly, and is not willing to play second fiddle to PML-N, which won 9 seats.

“It is our constitutional right to form a government as we are the largest party in the assembly,” said PkMAP General Secretary Akram Shah. “Nawaz Sharif has already admitted that forming the government is the right of the largest parliamentary party in a province. Thus, keeping this in mind, we should form the Balochistan government.”

Shah emphasized that PML-N should respect PkMAP’s electoral mandate. “We will find other parliamentary parties to achieve our goal if the PML-N refuses to lend us support,” he remarked confidently.

However, PML-N president of the Balochistan chapter, Sanaullah Zehri refuted Shah’s statements and claimed that his own party was the largest parliamentary group in the province.

“Our strength in the assembly is 10-seats strong, as independent candidate, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, has joined PML-N. Furthermore, more independent members of the provincial assembly will join the party in the next few days,” said Santosh Kumar, a spokesperson for Zehri.

“Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen has won a seat and they have agreed to back our candidate for the chief minister position.”

According to high-level sources, PkMAP, the predominantly Pushtun party, is already negotiating with the Baloch nationalist NP, which bagged 7 seats, to form a coalition setup with its own member at the helm as chief minister. However, other sources said that NP chief Dr Abdul Malik is also vying for the chief minister position.

Additionally, NP Central Secretary Tahir Bizenjo was also unwilling to recognize the right of PkMAP to lead the coalition government. He, too, labelled PML-N as being the largest party, pointing out that many independent MPAs-elect have already joined hands with Nawaz.

According to Bizenjo, NP’s central executive committee will decide which group to join for setting up a coalition during a meeting fixed for May 19.

And yet, despite these assertions made by PkMAP and PML-N, PkMAP’s Shah remained firm in his stance. “It is not fair for PML-N to become the bigger party simply by accommodating independents,” he said. “We will not accept such tactics.”

Meanwhile, PkMAP members admitted that although talks are still underway with the PML-N and other parties, there is a general agreement amongst all that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, with 4 seats, will be kept out of the future Balochistan government.

According to the relevant laws, 27 seats are required to form the government in the province. No party has attained that number yet.

Cabinet conundrum

Unlike the previous government, the new government will be unable to offer portfolios to just anyone under the sun. In accordance with the 18th Constitutional Amendment, there can no longer be more than 15 members in Balochistan’s cabinet.

This amendment, passed during the Pakistan Peoples Party’s last tenure but not implemented, fixed the size of the Cabinet to 12% of the strength of the provincial assembly.

The Balochistan Assembly has 65 members, with 51 of them directly elected. It is expected that the number of Cabinet ministers will not exceed 9, and the number of advisers will not go beyond 6.

With this rule in place, the new chief minister, unlike his predecessor, Nawab Raisani, will be unable to oblige individuals – instead, parties in the coalition government will be asked to nominate members for the cabinet.

According to sources, this arrangement is bound to create resentment amongst the newly-elected members.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.

According to credible sources within the PML-N, Nawaz held a one-on-one meeting with Aziz – who is also the head of the party’s manifesto committee – at Raiwind on Thursday, asking him to take up the responsibility of the prime minister’s adviser on economy and foreign affairs. They added that the party’s senior leadership has been informed both of Aziz’s new assignment and Ishaq Dar’s appointment
as finance minister.

The next development regarding the PML-N government’s cabinet will be the designation of the federal minister for foreign affairs, the sources said, adding that Aziz will assist the PML-N chief in making a decision in this regard.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif is reportedly lobbying for the slot of foreign minister, citing his foreign qualifications, command of English and contacts both in Pakistan and overseas as his credentials for the office.

They said the PML-N chief is also contemplating the appointment of a minister of state for foreign affairs. Siddique Khan Kanju had been appointed to the slot by the party in its previous tenure.

But it’s not all smooth sailing as the party is in a bit of a fix when it comes to accommodating two stalwarts from the same district. They are Ahsan Iqbal, who is being pegged to head the Water and Power ministry and Zahid Hamid, who is thought to be the top pick for federal Law Minister. The problem is that both hail from Narowal district, and granting two ministries to people from the same district may lead to criticism from within and without the party.

PML-N invites JUI-F

After snubbing Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s attempts at blocking the PTI in Khyber-Pakhtunhwa,  the PML-N has offered a sop to the JUI-F by inviting it to join its government in the Centre and Balochistan.

Although the PML-N has secured 124 seats in the National Assembly, Shahbaz Sharif made a formal offer in this regard during a meeting with JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad on Thursday. The JUI-F has only been able to win 10 seats in the National Assembly.

Talking to the media following the meeting, Shahbaz said “JUI-F has been invited to join the government in the Centre keeping in view the national interest.” “The challenges faced by the country needed to be addressed jointly,” he maintained, adding that countries are not just run by parties which win the elections, but through proper plans of action. He stressed that Nawaz Sharif wanted all political parties on board to tackle terrorism, corruption and the energy crisis.

According to sources privy to the discussions, during the meeting the JUI-F chief once again stressed that allowing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to form a government in K-P would be against both parties’ interests.

Shahbaz Sharif, however, countered Fazl’s apprehensions saying that denying the PTI’s mandate would give the nation a negative message and hurt both parties’ credibility. He, meanwhile, invited Fazl to become a coalition partner in Balochistan as well.

However, Fazl told reporters that no decision regarding the formation of a government in Balochistan had been reached between the parties.

“We have called a party meeting and will take the matter forward after taking everyone’s opinion… We will continue with our mutual cooperation,” he added.

New inductees

Four more independent MNAs joined PML-N after meeting Nawaz Sharif at Raiwind on Thursday. The inductees were Asghar Shah from Bahawalnagar, Dostain Domki from Sibi, Khalid Magsi from Jhal Magsi and Jam Kamal.

WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY QAMAR ZAMAN

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.

ISLAMABAD: Ahead of re-polling on some polling stations of NA-250 in Karachi, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani assured Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim of the continuation of army’s full support.

A top level meeting between the COAS and CEC was held at General Head Quarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

The army chief assured the CEC about the army’s support in the upcoming re-elections on different constituencies, particularly in some parts of Karachi where elections are to be conducted again due to problems the first time round.

A close aide of the CEC told The Express Tribune that Gen Kayani assured Ebrahim that the army will help facilitate fair, free and transparent elections.

Election on reserved seats for women in balance

Meanwhile, Secretary ECP, Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan told media persons that so far 110 complaints have been received by the commission in regards to poll rigging. A press release issued by the commission said that the secretary has drawn attention to a sub-clause of the Constitution of Pakistan, which mandates that the members to fill seats reserved for women which are allocated to a province shall be elected through Proportional Representation System of Political Parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party from the province concerned in the National Assembly.

Sub-Clause (e) further provides that the members to fill seats reserved for non-Muslims shall be elected through Proportional Representation system of political parties list of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats owned by each political party in the National Assembly. The aforesaid provisions of the Constitution further provide that the total number of general seats shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three (3) days of the publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates.

The independent returned candidates are required to apply, after notification as returned candidates, to the leader of the political party for joining his party and the leader of the political party forthwith is required to inform the election commission of his joining through a letter to be delivered to the Election Commission in terms of sub-rule (5) of rule 3 of the national assembly and provincial assemblies allocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims (Procedure) Rules, 2002.