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IN VICTORY SPEECH, SHEHBAZ VOWS TO STEER COUNTRY TO PROSPERITY PTI terms PM’s election ‘illegal’ Monday, 4 March, 2024 I 22 Sha'ban, 1445
Spells out initiatives to rein in ever-rising inflation, high cost of living, price hike, circular debt g Invites protesting opposition to ‘charter of reconciliation’ while reiterating ‘charter of economy ’ g
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Xi, Iranian President congratulate Shehbaz Sharif ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, President of Iran Seyed Ebrahim Raiisi and Foreign Affairs Minister Amirabdolahian on Sunday congratulated Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as prime minister of Pakistan. President Xi Jinping expressed confidence that under the leadership of Shehbaz and Pakistan's new government, and the united efforts of all sectors of Pakistan would be able to make new and greater achievements in the cause of national de-
velopment and progress, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua. He stressed that China and Pakistan should continue their traditional friendship, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, jointly build an upgraded version of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), continue to deepen their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, build a closer ChinaPakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and create more well-being for the two peoples.
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
UHAMMAD Shehbaz Sharif, the newly-elected prime minister, on Sunday spelled out a number of initiatives to net the runaway inflation, high cost of living, price hike, circular debt in the energy sector and foreign debts, and expressed the optimism that though the mounds of challenges existed, but were not insurmountable. In his maiden speech in the National Assembly, the prime minister-elect also offered an olive branch to the protesting opposition members with a ‘charter of reconciliation’, besides reiterating his insistence on pursuing a ‘charter of economy’. After being elected as the 24th premier of Pakistan, PM-elect Shehbaz Sharif vowed to steer the country out of multifarious crises with the help of allied parties in his second tenure in the top office. Shehbaz Sharif won the prime minister’s election on Sunday after obtaining 201 votes against his PTI-backed opponent from the Sunni Ittehdad Council (SIC) Omar Ayub Khan, who managed to secure 92 votes. Following the results announcement by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Shehbaz Sharif hugged his elder brother and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, who was widely expected to become the prime minister following the Feb 8 elections but stepped aside for reasons “unknown in favour of his sibling.” Shehbaz Sharif said that after the general elections, they had two options ahead of them; either to protect their politics or to save the country, but the allied parties’ lead-
Fazl insists incumbent parliamentarians ‘product of rigging’ KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said that the people of Pakistan do not recognize the incumbent parliament as it is a product of ‘rigging’, insisting that records of manipulation and rigging made during 2018 elections were broken in Feb 8, 2024 polls. “2024 elections in Pakistan surpassed the previous record of rigging set during the 2018 polls.” Addressing a presser in Karachi, the JUI-F chief said that the newlyelected parliamentarians are not representatives of the people but a product of rigging. He said that the General Elections 2024 is the most ‘rigged’ polls in the country’s history, vowing to carry out a countrywide movement against the same. Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the general elections in 2018 were considered the most ‘manipulated’ polls in the county, adding that the record was broken in the 8th
February elections. Fazl asserted that mounting international pressure forced Pakistan's military establishment to yield, thus influencing the election outcome. "The establishment's coercion will indeed be labelled as coercion. The establishment has divided its own ranks, accommodating some at one place and others elsewhere," he stated, addressing the alleged interference in the electoral process. He said that the JUI-F would chalk out a plan for the countrywide movement against what he termed massive rigging in the elections. The JUI-F chief said that democracy and parliament are losing dignity after the ‘massive rigging’ in the elections.“Sindh and Balochistan assemblies were bought. The current rulers will not be recognized by the people as they are the product of rigging,” Maulana Fazlur Rehman said. While rejecting the election results across the country, the JUI chief said that they would go to the parliament with ‘severe’ reser-
vations. Expressing dismay over the dwindling significance of the Parliament, Fazl remarked, "The Parliament, where we see a mockery of democracy, is no longer representative of the people. The Parliament, which we witness, will have some individuals calling themselves rulers. They may govern bodies but cannot govern the hearts of the nation." Despite his inclination to support Mahmood Achakzai, the candidate backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-supported Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Fazl indicated that his party's stance compels them to act otherwise. He dismissed the prospect of forming alliances with allied parties, citing an inadequate environment for a grand alliance. "We will be where the opposition benches are. We will go to Parliament and protest," he asserted. JUI-F chief pledged to engage with provincial councils and workers in Karachi to devise a nationwide strategy for change.
were accepted, while that of Naveed was rejected. Naveed’s application was rejected because he contested the Feb 8 general elections against a PTI-supported candidate, after which his party membership was cancelled on Feb 11, Raoof said. He noted that a second reason for the rejection was that despite Naveed applying for party membership again on Feb 24, a pre-condition to contesting intraparty elections is to have been an uninterrupted member for at least 6 months. Following that, Jabbar and Ayub “graciously withdrew their applications for the sake of party unity and harmony”. “Therefore, following the withdrawal, there was no candidate in the field against Gohar [… ] so we have declared him the uncontested winner. Gohar Khan has been elected the party chairman unopposed,” Hasan said. He added that only Omer Ayub Khan had filed nomination papers for the slot of the PTI general secretary. “And he too has been declared uncontested winner,” the PTI spokesperson said. This is the third time PTI has conducted intra-party polls over the
past two years, following its Dec 2 elections which resulted in its electoral ‘bat’ symbol ultimately being revoked by the Supreme Court following back and forth verdicts by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Peshawar High Court (PHC). Gohar was elected the PTI chairman for the first time in Dec 2 election. Prior to that, the PTI held elections in June 2022, which the ECP had annulled on Nov 23, terming them “highly objectionable”. Following the decision to schedule the new intra-party polls on March 3, incarcerated PTI leader Imran Khan had nominated Barrister Ali Zafar for the position of chairman, but he refused to accept the chairmanship. Hasan stressed that the new intra-party elections were held in accordance with guidelines set out by the ECP, noting that the party’s previous two elections “ran into some trouble” with the electoral watchdog. Results of other positions are: Ali Amin Gandapur has been elected as PTI President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Noorul Haq Qadri was elected as vice president, and Arbab Jahandad Khan as vice president of the PTI KP.
Barrister Gohar elected PTI chairman ‘unopposed’ for a second time: Hasan ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was elected as the chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) unopposed for a second time while Omar Ayub as central general secretary in the intra-party elections, Raoof Hassan, party’s information secretary announced on Sunday. Announced results of the intraparty elections at a press conference here, PTI’s information secretary Raoof Hassan said that Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was elected as the chairman of PTI without facing any opposition in the intra-party elections. “Omar Ayub secured the central general secretary position, while Dr Yasmin Rashid clinched the presidency of Punjab unopposed”, he informed. He told the reporters that some party members withdrew their applications for the position of chairman in the interest of the party’s “harmony and unity”. He noted that initially there were four applications for the position from Ashraf Jabbar, Omar Ayub, Naveed Anjum Khan and Barrister Gohar. Three applications
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) prime minister nominee Omar Ayub Khan on Sunday launched a broadside at the coalition government during the National Assembly session, dubbing it "fascist" regime solely focused on looting country's resources. "We did not get the seats that we should’ve gotten, so the election of speaker, deputy speaker and prime minister has become illegal," Omar Ayub said while addressing the assembly. Voicing grievances against what he perceived as unfair electoral practices, he said the unprecedented rigging and manipulation of polls results brought a bad name to the country. Referring to the members of coalition government in the house as "beneficiaries" of Form-47, Khan asserted that had the results been announced as per Form-45, PTI would have secured 180 seats in the National Assembly. Expressing dissatisfaction with the media coverage, Khan remarked, "When
ership preferred interests of the country and resolved to play their role for the bright future of the countrymen. Shehbaz said that Pakistan was blessed with immense natural resources and talented young people who could steer it out of the difficulties. All the segments of society and political leadership should play their part in those endeavours, he stressed. He said the economic and social challenges were myriad but at the same time, there was an opportunity, if they decided collectively to face them. The PM-elect said that as per estimates, the budget revenues stood at Rs12,300 billion and after the NFC (national finance Commission) Award distribution, the Federal Government was left with only Rs7,300 billion, out of which Rs8,000 billion had been paid in interest and services charges, showing a deficit of Rs700 billion. He wondered that from where they would have to get re-
PM-elect Shehbaz Sharif was speaking, the camera was on him, adding that his speech should also be covered live." "I want to tell the people of Pakistan that the people of the PML-N and other parties sitting here appear to be defeated; their faces indicate that they have been given stolen mandate. When a thief is fleeing after stealing, there is fear on his face," Khan added. The PTI leader highlighted recent protests held by the party against alleged electoral malpractice, revealing that cases were filed against 80 PTI members in Lahore alone. He criticised the coalition's claims of democracy in light of these actions.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 sources for the development, education, health, salaries of the Federal Government employees and the armed forces! He termed it an unending chain of seeking loans after loans and ‘a grave situation’ for about 250 million people of the country. Referring to the protest of the opposition members, he regretted that there should be ‘a reign of realization rather than making noises in the House’, adding the history would decide over such tactics. The newly elected prime minister further said that the country had sought about Rs 80,000 billion external, internal and private debts in the past. The issues at hand required a deep surgery and introduction of reforms in the system and various sectors, he said, expressing the confidence that his senior party leadership along with allied parties would get rid of the crippling loans trap.
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