Elections 2008

[mujahideen]

Official results of 11 NA seats withheld

By Iftikhar A. Khan

ISLAMABAD, March 8: The official results of 11 of the 342 National Assembly seats have been withheld because of litigation and other complications.

The unofficial results for seven of the constituencies have been announced but the final notification has been stayed either by courts or the Election Commission on the complaints of contesting candidates.

According to unofficial results, PPP’s Noor Alam Khan was declared successful on the NA-3, Peshawar, seat but the final notification was stayed by the Peshawar High Court on a writ petition filed by ANP’s Mohammad Hashim Babar.

In NA-20, Mansehra, PML-Q’s Shahjehan Yousaf was initially declared successful, but on recount Lt-Gen (retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi was declared elected. Mr Yousaf’s plea for a re-poll was rejected by the Election Commission (EC). However, the EC later reversed its decision and stayed the official notification of Mr Tirmizi’s success by entertaining Mr Yousaf’s complaint.

Unofficial results had declared Irfanullah Khan Kundi, an independent candidate, successful against another independent Tariq Rahim Kundi on NA-25. However, a re-count of votes was ordered on a complaint and the result was stayed by the Peshawar High Court on February 28.

PML-Q’s Amir Muqam was reported to have won the NA-31 Shangla seat, but the official notification was stayed by the Peshawar High Court on a petition filed by ANP’s Sadeedur Rahman.

PML-N’s Mohammad Riaz was the winning candidate from NA-118 according to the unofficial result, but the court stayed the final notification on a petition filed by the runner-up, PPP’s Syed Asif Akhtar Hashmi.

National People’s Party’s Mohammad Ibrahim Jatoi was the unofficial winner from NA-202, Shikarpur, but the Election Commission stayed the notification on an application filed by PPP’s Aftab Shabaan Mirani.

The Sindh High Court on Saturday stayed the repolling for this seat ordered by the commission. From NA-239, Karachi-1, Abdul Qadir Patel won the election, but the official result was stayed by the Sindh High Court on a petition of MQM’s Dr K.S. Mujahid Baluch. Polling for NA-42, Tribal Area-VII, was postponed because of the law and order situation in South Waziristan Agency.

Also, election on the NA-207, Larkana, seat was suspended after the Liaquat Bagh tragedy claimed the life of a contesting candidate, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Elections were also suspended for NA-118, Lahore, because of the death of a contesting candidate.

The decision on a reserved seat for women is also pending because the contest ended in a tie and a draw would be held to decide the winner.

Official results of 11 NA seats withheld -DAWN - Top Stories; March 09, 2008

 

[mujahideen]

President convenes National Assembly session on March 17

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday convened the session of National Assembly on March 17. “The summary reached the President House yesterday evening. In the morning I thought that at the earliest we should call the session...on March 17,” President Musharraf said while addressing at the first convocation of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) here. The President said he had signed the summary sent to him by caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro yesterday to summon the session of National Assembly.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Dr Aftab appointed new PA secretary

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday appointed Dr Aftab Ahmad Joyia as the Punjab Assembly (PA) secretary.

Earlier, he worked as the PA special secretary. He was inducted as PA deputy director research in 1997. He also worked as additional secretary administration and additional secretary legislation.

He did his doctorate in economics from the US. He also has master’s degrees in political science and law. He was inducted as assistant director in the local government through the Punjab Public Service Commission in 1988.

staff report
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

Decision on 2 Sindh PA seats pending

By Razzak Abro

KARACHI: Only two provincial assembly seats are left to decide. With the Sindh High Court’s verdict issued Wednesday on five provincial assembly seats, five more MPA-elects have become able to take oath during the opening session of the provincial assembly expected next week.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had withheld official results for seven seats, the results of which were either challenged in the Sindh High Court or with the ECP.

The Sindh Assembly’s composition will be completed after the remaining two seats - PS-12, Shikarpur and PS-15, Jacobabad - are decided. The total strength of the provincial assembly is at 168, including the members elected on reserved women and minority seats.

After the SHC’s verdict, the PPP’s strength in the provincial assembly has reached 90 seats, including the reserved seats. The ANP’s two seats in the provincial assembly have also been confirmed.

Only Makhdoom Amin Fahim got dual seats: PPP senior vice chairman and PPP-Parliamentarian president Makhdoom Amin Fahim was the only candidate in the 2008 general elections from Sindh who won in both national and provincial assembly constituencies. His seat will be the only one vacant after he gives up one of them. The ECP will later hold a by-election for the vacant seat.

No independent candidate this time: The recent general elections were the only ones in the history of the provincial assembly in which no independent candidate won a seat. The candidates nominated by different political parties succeeded in all 130 general seats of the provincial assembly.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

Farewell meeting of Caretaker cabinet on Saturday

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro has convened farewell session of caretaker cabinet on Saturday at Prime Minister Secretariat. The caretaker cabinet will deliver congratulation to election commission of Pakistan over holding of fair, free and transparent elections in peaceful environment around the country on February 18. The cabinet will also exchange views over transition of power to party who got majority in the elections, sources said. The caretaker cabinet will also pay tribute to law enforcement agencies for ensuring law and order during the elections. The meeting would also review the decisions taken by caretaker setup during its short but vital period of time.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Caretaker cabinet to meet last time tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal cabinet will hold its last meeting tomorrow (Saturday) to review its performance. The meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro at the Prime Minister Secretariat will review the tasks assigned to it, besides the decision taken during its brief stint in power. The first meeting of the caretaker cabinet was held on Nov 18, 2007 and had to take crucial decisions including rescheduling of the holding of general election on Feb 18, following the death of Chairperson of PPP Ms Benazir Bhutto. Under the Constitution the President is empowered to appoint a caretaker cabinet, after the National assembly completes its tenure, or is dissolved, to look after the day-to-day affairs and hold fresh election within the stipulated time.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Election of NA speaker, deputy speaker on 19th

ISLAMABAD: The election of speaker and deputy speaker of National Assembly will be held on 19 March, the sources said. Newly elected MNAs will be sworn in maiden NA session on 17 March. The nomination papers for slot of speaker and deputy speaker will be received on 18 March and the election of the NA speaker and deputy speaker will be held on 19 March. All necessary arrangements have been finalized for National Assembly session scheduled for March 17. NA Secretariat sources said that passes has been issued to several leaders of various political parties including PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, Aitzaz Ahsan and others.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Oath-taking under 1973 Constitution

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain Friday said MNAs-elect would take their oaths in accordance with the Constitution of 1973 as no change is made in the oath related clauses of the Constitution.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said, he will administer the oath. After oath-taking ceremony the session would be prorogued till March 19. Nomination papers of Speaker would be received on March 18.
Polling for slot of Speaker would be held through secret ballot on March 19. Same day the new elected Speaker will take over the charge of the custodian of the August House.
He said the election of Deputy Speaker would be conducted by newly elected Speaker.
Then the session would be prorogued sine die. However, it can be called again within a day or two, he added.
The election of speaker and deputy speaker of National Assembly will be held on 19 March.
Newly elected MNAs will be sworn in maiden NA session on 17 March, private TV channel reported. The nomination papers for slot of speaker and deputy speaker will be received on March 18 and the election of the NA speaker and deputy speaker will be held on March 19.
All necessary arrangements have been finalised for National Assembly session scheduled for March 17.
Passes has been issued to several leaders of various political parties including PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, Aitzaz Ahsan and others.
Meanwhile, The Interior Ministry has directed the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration to ensure foolproof security arrangements for upcoming National Assembly session scheduled for March 17.
In a high level meeting presided over by Secretary Interior Syed Kamal Shah on late Thursday various decisions were taken to this effect.
The meeting reviewed current security measures in the Capital and directed ICT to further beef up security in the city as well as near the parliament lodges and Constitution Avenue.
The meeting decided that the security of ‘Red Zone’ including Constitutional Avenue and D Chowk would remain on high alert. Irrelevant and unauthorised persons would not be allowed to travel through these routes.
An ICT official said that the Constitution Avenue, D-Chowk, Judges Colony Road and area from Ayub Chowk to PTV Building have been declared as Red Zone.
ICT Administration has advised the unauthorised people not to travel towards the parliament building to avoid any inconvenience.
The Secretary National Assembly Karamat Hussain Niazi told the meeting that security staff of the Parliament would be present at the gates of the parliament to receive the newly elected Member National Assembly after the identification.
The meeting asked the Secretary NA to also ensure elaborate security measures within the building of Parliament.
The meeting directed the IGP Islamabad to beef up the security at exit and entry points of the Capital and maintain strict vigilance against suspicious elements.
Secretary Interior directed ICT to maintain strict security in the Capital and conduct checking of vehicles at all the exit and entry points of the capital.
Secretary National Assembly Karamat Hussain Niazi, Chief Commissioner ICT Hamid Ali Khan, IGP Islamabad Shahid Nadeem Baloch and other officials of law enforcing agencies also attended the meeting.

The Nation

 

[mujahideen]

Top party bosses to watch NA oath-taking from guest gallery

ISLAMABAD: The party chiefs of the PML-N and PPP, Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, will watch the oath taking of MNAs-elect together from the VVIP guest gallery of the National Assembly (NA) on March 17. It will mark a rare occasion in the country’s parliamentary history when the heads of the two leading political parties, instead of participating as members of the House, watch the NA inaugural session from the guest gallery. Nawaz will be flanked by his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, and party Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, while Zardari will be accompanied by former senator Farhatullah Babar and the party’s Parliamentary Secretary Izhar Amrohvi. Although neither Zardari nor Nawaz has been elected to the NA yet, they will chair the joint meeting of the parliamentary parties of the would-be coalition partners. They will announce the names of the NA speaker and deputy speaker nominees, and oversee voting. Zardari will name the Leader of the House after the speaker and deputy speaker have been elected. Meanwhile, the district administration has declared the parliament building and its surrounding areas a high security zone, and have made elaborate security arrangements for the inaugural session. As part of the security plan, the MNAs-elect and VVIPs will use the main gate, while a separate entrance has been designated for all others, including NA Secretariat employees. Separately, the NA Secretariat has issued NA membership and security cards to most MNAs-elect, and should complete the process today. It has allotted official residences in the Parliament Lodges.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

‘PAs cannot be convened without president’s consent’

PESHAWAR: Provincial governors cannot call the inaugural sessions of the provincial assemblies without the president’s approval after amendments made to the constitution through the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), NWFP Caretaker Law Minister Mian Mohammad Ajmal told Daily Times on Friday. He said that although signatory powers lay with the governors under Article 109 of the Constitution, the president’s approval had become mandatory via Rule 6 of the PCO. It was now up to the president to requisition the provincial assembly sessions. Nevertheless, Ajmal dismissed as ‘baseless’ news reports published in sections of the press about delays in calling the maiden session of the NWFP Assembly. It had been reported that the Law Department had sent a requisition summary for the assembly session to the governor for approval as per Article 109 of the Constitution, but the Governor’s Secretariat had returned it, saying the session would now be called according to Rule 6 of the PCO. The minister said the Law Department had neither sent a summary to the governor, nor had a demand been made for it from any quarter. “I have prepared the summary for the requisition of the assembly session. When the president orders, I will send it for signing,” he added. Ajmal said he did not know whether the NWFP Assembly first session would be called on the same day as the National Assembly inaugural session, as reported in the press.

akhtar amin
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

Asfandyar resigns from Senate

By Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali has handed over his resignation from the Senate to opposition leader Mian Raza Rabbani. "Yes, Asfandyar Wali has handed his resignation to me and I will pass it on to acting Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali today (Saturday)," Raza Rabbani said while talking to The News on Friday. Asfandyar Wali, who has been elected as member of the National Assembly, has decided to vacate the Senate seat.

Asfandyar resigns from Senate

 

[mujahideen]

Caretaker govt effectively fulfilled election responsibility: Soomro

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro on Saturday said the caretaker government had fulfilled its prime responsibility of facilitating the Election Commission in holding of free, fair and transparent elections. Chairing the last cabinet meeting at PM Secretariat, the Prime Minister said the interim government effectively fulfilled its national obligation in accordance with the expectations of the people of Pakistan. About the transparency of election process, the Prime Minister said it was monitored by thousands of international observers, which has also been commended both at home and abroad. “The valuable services and cooperation rendered by all government institutions in achieving this objective, deserve to be appreciated particularly the security forces and the provincial governments,” he added. The Prime Minister said coming generations would always remember the performance of the caretaker government in achieving national goal of moving steadily towards democracy and progress. He said the caretaker government remained focused on its primary objective of holding free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections. The caretaker government, he added took the best possible decisions keeping in view the national interest. He said various issues were discussed, debated and deliberated upon in the Cabinet, ECNEC, ECC and other high level forums and the government took decisions in the best interest of country. The Prime Minister said the country was in the grip of multiple crises like wheat and energy shortage, coupled with acts of terrorism. The government moved quickly and a Federal Food Committee was established to monitor the situation of wheat shortage in the country and was given powers to take strict action against hoarders and smugglers, he said. The food supply chain to the utility stores, he added was made more efficient and new outlets were opened in remote areas to facilitate the public. The government launched Bachat Card scheme through Utility Stores Corporation to provide relief to the low income people to help them buy essential food items at 25 percent subsidized rates. The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of law enforcement agencies in maintaining the law and order situation during elections. He also appreciated the arrangements made by the ministry of religious affairs for the Hajjis to perform Hajj in a seamless manner. On the issue of energy crises, the Prime Minister realizing the gravity of situation, he said, the government took many short and long term measures including new power projects like Neelum-Jhelum Hydro power project, power transmission enhancement project and Thar coal power project. The Prime Minister said, the government also took a number of decisions on the conservation of energy and approving various projects including setting up new energy projects as well as to increase the efficiency of existing ones. Earlier, the Minister for Inter-provincial coordination Dr. Mohammed Amjad presented a booklet to the Prime Minister documenting the efforts of caretaker government for the betterment of people.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Petition filed for a stay against NA Speaker, Dy. Speaker elections

ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court here praying for the issuance of a stay order against the elections of the National Assembly Speaker and the Deputy speaker. Shahid Orakzai filing the petition under the Article 184 (3) of the constitution made Muslim League-N and the People’s party respondents and took the plea that the two parties, by announcing the next Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the upcoming National Assembly in the Murree Declaration, have infringed upon the rights of the elected members of the other parties and, therefore, prayed for the issuance of an injunction order for withholding the elections of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Supreme Court Registrar office on contact told that his office hasn’t thus far received any such petition. Earlier, Supreme Court had banned Shahid Orakzai’s entry in its premises for filing such petitions in the past.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

NA first session tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly will meet tomorrow (Monday) at 11am, when newly elected members will take oath; whereas, the political parties are still in consultation with each other for the government formation. Meantime, Makhdoom Amin Fahim cancelled his meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. All the MNAs have arrived in Islamabad and the pre-session consultations among the political parties are in full swing. PPP leaders along with their top leader Asif Ali Zardari are persistently holding consultations at Zardari House here. PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said a consultation meeting with party MPAs from NWFP will be held this afternoon here with Asif Ali Zardari in the chair. In the consultation being held here, the leaders of political parties will take into confidence their respective parties members over the developments in the formation of government. Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has hosted a dinner today in the honour of party MNAs, where it is expected that they will issue names of the candidates for the slots of speaker, deputy speaker and premier. PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who is still the PM candidate, is holding meetings with various leaders; however he has called off his meeting with Nawaz Sharif planned today. Talking to Geo News, Amin Fahim said he was scheduled to arrive today in Lahore to hold meetings with Mian Nawaz Sharif and Qazi Hussain Ahmed; however, he is canceling the programme owing to his party related schedule here in Islamabad. Meantime, the parliamentary parties of PPPP and PML-N are holding their meetings here in Islamabad. These sessions would mull over the significant affairs including future course of action. Various parties are also buttressing the Amin Fahim’s candidature for PM. PPP sources said Asif Ali Zardari is not included in this PM race, while most of the party members deem him fit for the premiership. The sources said in the event he steps back, then the chances for the Makhdoom Amin Fahim would brighten up. In this case, the speaker would be taken from Punjab and the deputy speaker from NWFP. Party sources said everything is set among the coalition parties over the ministries. The PPP would announce the final names for the slots of speaker, deputy speaker and premiership tomorrow after the meeting.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Musharraf to welcome new MPs

* President expected to deliver televised address soon

By Azaz Syed

ISLAMABAD: President Musharraf is likely to welcome the newly elected MNAs in an address to the nation within the next few days. Sources told Daily Times on Saturday that this would be the first time that Musharraf would greet the newly elected MNAs of the PPP and the PML-N — both of whom have opposed his policies for the past eight years. The PML-N and the PPP have both said that their priority is reducing the sweeping powers accumulated by Musharraf since he seized power in 1999, according to AFP. They said that the president, who has repeatedly expressed a willingness to work with his political opponents, would welcome the newly elected parliamentarians as a confidence-building step. The sources said that apart from taking credit for free and fair election in the elections, Musharraf might also praise the members of parliament for their political reconciliation in his address. The incoming coalition government comprises the PPP, the PML-N, the ANP and the JUI-F. The sources said that the president was not willing to resign from the office of the presidency. Television: Separately, sources in the state-run PTV told Daily Times that they had been asked to set up a stage to record a presidential address to the nation. However, presidential spokesman Major General (r) Rashid Qureshi said that he was not aware of any such address in the near future.

Courtesy Daily Times