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Khan-backed independents to join Sunni Ittehad Council party for reserved seats in Pakistan parliament — party chief

Khan-backed independents to join Sunni Ittehad Council party for reserved seats in Pakistan parliament — party chief
Omar Ayub Khan (4R), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party's nominee for prime minister speaks as Gohar Ali Khan (3L seated), PTI's chairman and barrister with Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza (3R), leader of the political group Sunni Ittehad Council watches during a press conference following their coalition in Islamabad on February 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 19 February 2024
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Khan-backed independents to join Sunni Ittehad Council party for reserved seats in Pakistan parliament — party chief

Khan-backed independents to join Sunni Ittehad Council party for reserved seats in Pakistan parliament — party chief
  • Khan party chief says they have collected affidavits from elected members which will be submitted to the election regulator 
  • Sunni Ittehad Council chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza says they have formed an “unconstitutional alliance” with Khan’s PTI
Updated 19 February 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR
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ISLAMABAD: Independent candidates backed by former prime minister Imran Khan who won the highest number of parliamentary seats in Feb. 8 national election will join the minority Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) party to have reserved seats allocated to it in Pakistan parliament, Khan’s party said on Monday. 
Members of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party could not contest the election on their party’s iconic symbol of a cricket bat that was taken away by authorities over the PTI’s flawed intra-party elections.
Consequently, Khan-backed candidates contested the polls as independents and stunned observers by winning more than 90 seats in the National Assembly, lower house of parliament, according to official results.
However, Khan’s party was faced with the prospect of losing reserved seats for women and minorities as the candidates it backed contested polls as independents and reserved seats are only allotted to political parties based on their representation in the assembly.
“We are officially announcing that our independent candidates will join the SIC in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in order to claim our share of reserved seats,” Gohar Khan, the PTI’s interim chairman, told reporters in Islamabad.
While the vote failed to present a clear winner, independent candidates, most loyal to Khan, secured the highest 101 parliamentary seats, according to official results. They were followed by three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party that bagged 75 seats and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which won 54 seats.
Gohar said his party would formally apply for its share of reserved seats after independent candidates backed by it join the SIC.
“We have an agreement signed with our partner SIC and this merger is done to win our reserved seats,” he said. “We will apply to the Election Commission and demand that our share of reserved seats should be given to us.” 
The PTI interim chairman noted that his party-backed elected members had fulfilled the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) requirement to join a political party within three days of their notification. 
“Affidavits from all candidates have been collected and will be submitted to the ECP today [Monday],” he added.
Gohar reiterated the PTI would form a government in the center as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces. “We will also work for the release of our leadership and workers which is our next target,” he added.
Sahibzada Hamid Raza, the SIC chief, said his party had entered into an “unconditional alliance” with the PTI, wherein all decisions will be made by Khan’s party.
“We have been their ally for the last 8 years and supported each other as we did now by providing our platform so that the PTI can get their share in reserved seats,” he said, adding that a formal agreement was signed between the two parties after formal consultations.
The recent election in Pakistan was marred by a mobile service shutdown and delayed results, sparking accusations of rigging and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments. Political parties, including Khan’s PTI, have protested the results and challenged them in court.

Topics: elections 2024 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Pakistan telecom regulator affirms support for ‘positive use’ as VPN ban deadline looms

Pakistan telecom regulator affirms support for ‘positive use’ as VPN ban deadline looms
Updated 7 sec ago
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Pakistan telecom regulator affirms support for ‘positive use’ as VPN ban deadline looms

Pakistan telecom regulator affirms support for ‘positive use’ as VPN ban deadline looms
  • PTA says businesses can use VPNs by registering with government but unregistered VPNs will be blocked after Nov. 30
  • Rights activists say government wants to block vital tools that allow users to bypass restrictions amid digital crackdown
Updated 7 sec ago
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (r) Hafeezur Rehman, said this week the body would facilitate the “positive use” of virtual private network (VPN) services even as the government was determined to move ahead with plans to block unregistered VPNs by the end of this month.
The PTA says businesses and freelancers can continue to legally use VPNs by registering with the government, but unregistered VPNs will be blocked in Pakistan after Nov. 30. Authorities say the measures are meant to deter militants and other suspects who use VPNs to conceal their identities and spread “anti-state propaganda” and promote “blasphemous” or other illegal content online.
Digital rights activists say the move is part of government attempts to block vital tools that allow users to bypass restrictions amid a wave of digital crackdowns, particularly since the use of VPNs has sharply risen in Pakistan since February this year when the government banned X. 
The federal government is also moving to implement a nationwide firewall to block malicious content, protect government networks from attacks, and allow the government to identify IP addresses associated with what it calls “anti-state propaganda” and terror attacks. Internet speeds have dropped by up to 30-40 percent over the past few months due to the firewall, according to the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP).
“We don’t say to block the VPNs but to regulate the VPNs,” the PTA chairman said on Thursday during an address at Youth Safety Summit Pakistan, jointly organized by TikTok and the PTA.
“If somebody needs VPN for the business purposes, for some positive use, nobody will stop him, let me reassure you, we will facilitate him.”
Rehman said the authority issued its first letter for VPN registration back in December 2010.
“It is now 15 years,” he said. “We have been pushing people to please register with us so that their business is not disturbed.”
The PTA chairman urged TikTok and other social media platforms to use artificial intelligence tools to “block anti-state and blasphemous content.”
“This summit marks a significant step in our mission to secure a safe and inclusive digital environment for Pakistan’s youth,” Rehman said. “PTA remains steadfast in its efforts to implement innovative measures that protect children online and promote a digitally responsible society.”
Emir Gelen, the director of government relations and public policy at TikTok for the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa, Pakistan and South Asia, reaffirmed TikTok’s commitment to online safety at the summit. 
“At TikTok, we are committed to ensuring the online safety and well-being of our users, particularly children and youth,” he said.
“We believe that this summit marks an important step toward creating a safer online environment in Pakistan … We’re dedicated to promoting digital literacy and online safety through our initiatives, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the PTA to achieve this goal.”
In August, the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) warned that frequent Internet disruptions and low speeds caused by poor implementation of the national firewall had led many multinational companies to consider relocating their offices out of Pakistan, with some having “already done so.” The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), the country’s top representative body for the IT sector, warned this week Internet slowdowns and the restriction of VPN services could lead to financial losses and closures and increase operational costs for the industry by up to $150 million annually.
Pakistan’s IT and ITeS exports have been growing at an average of 30 percent per year, and are on the way to achieve over $15 billion in the next 5 years, according to industry data, provided the government ensures continuity in export, fiscal, financial, SME, infrastructure and IT policies.
“If the VPNs are blocked, most of IT companies, Call Centers, BPO [business process outsourcing] organizations of Pakistan will lose all the major Fortune 500 clients, as well as others – as data protection and cybersecurity are of paramount importance to our clients, and connecting to client systems through VPN is a global norm and standard, and is a basic requirement and expectation of clients around the world,” P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed said in a statement released on Tuesday.
“Additionally, no international company of any size tolerates any intrusion into their security protocols by any private or public institution.”

Topics: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) VPN Ban in Pakistan VPN Ban social media censorship digital Pakistan Twitter down in Pakistan

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Pakistan consults UN agency to shape National Intellectual Property Strategy

Pakistan consults UN agency to shape National Intellectual Property Strategy
Updated 9 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan consults UN agency to shape National Intellectual Property Strategy

Pakistan consults UN agency to shape National Intellectual Property Strategy
  • Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan emphasizes ‘culture of innovation and creativity’
  • Consultations focus on challenges, recommendations, impact of intellectual property policies
Updated 9 min 44 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has held consultation sessions with a United Nations agency to develop the country’s National Intellectual Property Strategy (NIPS), state-run media reported on Thursday.
A NIPS is a comprehensive framework designed to promote and protect intellectual property rights, drive innovation and foster economic growth.
The two-day consultation sessions, which included panel discussions on challenges, recommendations and the impact of various strategies on Pakistan’s geo-economic landscape, were organized by the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan) in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized UN agency.
“IPO-Pakistan in collaboration with WIPO successfully concluded its two-day consultative sessions for the development of Pakistan’s National Intellectual Property Strategy,” Radio Pakistan reported.
IPO-Pakistan Chairman Farukh Amil emphasized the need to cultivate a “culture of innovation, creativity and respect for intellectual property rights.”
He underscored the importance of integrating intellectual property education into industries and academia, stressing that awareness among youth and students was key to promoting innovation and creativity.
Amil also thanked WIPO for its partnership and expertise in shaping Pakistan’s National IP Strategy.
“The consultative sessions featured insightful panel discussions on three key areas: Summary of Main Challenges and Recommendations for National Intellectual Property Strategy (NIPS), Impact of IP Strategies on Pakistan’s Geo-Economic Situation, and Way Forward for National IP Strategy Development,” state media reported.
Established in 1967, WIPO plays a pivotal role in shaping global intellectual property policies while promoting innovation, creativity and economic development worldwide.
IPO-Pakistan, launched in April 2005, serves as Pakistan’s leading institution for intellectual property protection and promotion.
By streamlining intellectual property management, it contributes to the country’s economic growth and development, supporting innovators, entrepreneurs and artists to position Pakistan as a responsible member of the global intellectual property community.

Pakistan court directs government to engage with Imran Khan’s party over Nov. 24 protest

Pakistan court directs government to engage with Imran Khan’s party over Nov. 24 protest
Updated 21 November 2024
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Pakistan court directs government to engage with Imran Khan’s party over Nov. 24 protest

Pakistan court directs government to engage with Imran Khan’s party over Nov. 24 protest
  • Islamabad High Court says law and order remains government’s priority if there is no breakthrough
  • Chief Justice Aamer Farooq hopes PTI will have ‘meaningful communication’ with the administration
Updated 21 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the government to form a committee to engage in talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership regarding the party’s planned protest in Islamabad on Nov. 24, emphasizing the need to avoid disruptions during the visit of the Belarusian president.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the directive while hearing a petition by local trade association, instructing the government to constitute the committee that is preferably headed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, with Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa and other officials.
The committee is tasked with negotiating with PTI leaders to address the “sensitivity over the weekend due to the movement of the President of a foreign country.”
“It would be appropriate that respondent No. 1 (government) constitute the committee ... to engage with the leadership of respondent No. 5 (PTI party), informing them of the sensitivity over the weekend,” said the court.
“In case no breakthrough is made, the law and order is the responsibility of respondents No. 1,” it continued, adding: “In this regard, no protest or rally or for that matter sit-in shall be allowed.”
Chief Justice Farooq urged the government to maintain law and order in Islamabad with “minimum disruption to the life of ordinary citizens,” expressing hope that PTI would “engage in meaningful communication” with the committee.
The court also directed a report on the matter to be submitted at the next hearing, scheduled for Nov. 27.
The directive followed a petition filed by Jinnah Super Traders Association (JSTA) President Asad Aziz, who sought the court’s intervention to prevent the PTI protest, citing disruptions to daily life and financial losses for the business community.
“Islamabad is a very expensive city with high property and rent prices,” Aziz told Arab News. “If your business is shut on top business days, how can these businessmen survive?“
He highlighted the financial strain caused by protests, particularly for shopkeepers in areas like Super Market, Jinnah Super Market and Blue Area.
Aziz claimed that 20 percent of shopkeepers had shut their businesses in recent months due to recurring disruptions caused by political demonstrations.
Protests in Islamabad have frequently caused disruptions to their lives of it residents. In September, a similar PTI demonstration led the government to lock down the city with containers, creating significant inconvenience for people and business owners.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s parliament passed a law regulating public gatherings in Islamabad, specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law prescribes three-year jail terms for participants in illegal assemblies and 10-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
Pakistan’s interior ministry has already approved the deployment of paramilitary forces in Islamabad to manage the anticipated law and order situation during the protests.
The security situation has also become a paramount concern due to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s three-day visit to Islamabad starting Monday, during which several investment deals and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed between the two countries.
 

Topics: PTI protest islamabad high court

In rare message, Imran Khan’s wife says he won’t seek revenge if back in power

In rare message, Imran Khan’s wife says he won’t seek revenge if back in power
Updated 21 November 2024
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In rare message, Imran Khan’s wife says he won’t seek revenge if back in power

In rare message, Imran Khan’s wife says he won’t seek revenge if back in power
  • Bushra Bibi says the protest date will only change from Nov. 24 if Khan shares another public course of action
  • Her message marks a rare foray into the public eye, underscoring her emerging role as a central PTI figure
Updated 21 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: In a rare public message on Thursday, Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan’s jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, assured state institutions he harbors no plans for revenge upon returning to power, as she rallied support for a protest planned by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) next week.
The PTI is organizing the rally in Islamabad on November 24, demanding Khan’s release, who has been in prison since August last year following his arrest on corruption charges.
The protest also aims to highlight the party’s allegations of electoral rigging in the February 8 general elections. The planned demonstration reflects the deepening political polarization in Pakistan, with Khan’s supporters and other political factions locked in an increasingly bitter political conflict.
Khan’s combative rhetoric against state institutions, including the powerful military— whom he has accused of orchestrating his ouster in an April 2022 no-confidence vote— has further entrenched divisions.
Despite his incarceration, Khan has remained defiant, which many interpret as evidence of his determination to seek retribution against rivals if he regains power. In her video message, however, Bibi dismissed the perceptions, emphasizing Khan’s commitment to forgiveness and unity.
“I want to tell the [state] institutions that it is completely wrong to think that Khan will take revenge on anyone,” she said in the video. “Khan says taking revenge on people after coming into power is akin to inviting God’s displeasure.”
“He has said that the time he has spent in jail has brought him closer to God,” she continued. “He has also said that he has learned that when you come into power, you should open the door to forgiveness, not the door to oppression.”
Bibi’s appeal marked a rare foray into the public eye, underscoring her emerging role as a central figure in the PTI’s efforts to build momentum for Khan’s release. She remained in the same jail with Khan in a case involving the illegal sale of state gifts before her release on bail in October.
Bibi called on party supporters to participate in the November 24 rally, saying there was no plan to change the protest date.
“The date can only be changed on one condition that Khan comes out and himself announces the next course of action to the public,” she said. “Otherwise, under no circumstances can the date of Nov. 24 be changed.”
Khan’s arrest and imprisonment have become a flashpoint for political tensions in Pakistan. The PTI alleges that the cases against Khan are politically motivated, aimed at sidelining the former premier and dismantling his party.
Meanwhile, the coalition government has taken measures to suppress PTI’s rallies, citing concerns over public safety and order, particularly in light of the planned protest in Islamabad.
Bibi asked people to come out and protest in her message, calling it their duty to fighter for the rule of law in the country.
 

Topics: Bushra Bibi Bushra Imran Imran Khan PTI protest

Pakistan government open to talks with Imran Khan’s party, refuses to allow Nov. 24 protest

Pakistan government open to talks with Imran Khan’s party, refuses to allow Nov. 24 protest
Updated 21 November 2024
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Pakistan government open to talks with Imran Khan’s party, refuses to allow Nov. 24 protest

Pakistan government open to talks with Imran Khan’s party, refuses to allow Nov. 24 protest
  • Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says negotiations cannot take place amid ‘threats’ from PTI
  • He says it is not possible to allow a rally in Islamabad ahead of a Belarusian delegation visit
Updated 21 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday suggested the government was open to talks with former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party but ruled out allowing its planned protest in Islamabad on November 24, ahead of a high-level visit by a Belarusian delegation.
The PTI has announced a “long march” to Islamabad on November 24, primarily demanding the release of Khan, who has been imprisoned since August last year on charges the party contends are politically motivated.
Additionally, the party’s protest is also meant to raise its voice against alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections while calling for measures to ensure judicial independence, which it believes has been undermined by the 26th constitutional amendment.
On Monday, Islamabad’s district magistrate imposed a two-month-long ban on gatherings of more than five people in the capital, invoking Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This provision allows the government to prohibit political assemblies, rallies, demonstrations, sit-ins and other activities for a specified period.
Addressing the media in Islamabad, the interior minister said the government was fully prepared to stop the protest, with Punjab police, Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops assisting the Islamabad police in operational duties.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Barrister Gohar Khan met Imran Khan twice in the past two days,” Naqvi said, amid speculation that the PTI leaders discussed the option of negotiating with the government. “If they wish to initiate talks [with the government], they should do it. If they want to hold talks, they should tell us.”
The minister added, however, that no talks were possible if the PTI headed to Islamabad and “wielded sticks against us” on November 24.
“Let me tell you one thing: negotiations don’t take place with threats, though I personally feel talks should take place between everyone,” he said.
In response to a question, Naqvi clarified that no talks were currently underway with Khan, who is facing a new case related to violence at a PTI rally that took place in September while the ex-premier was in jail.
Highlighting the upcoming visit of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and his 10 cabinet ministers to Pakistan on a three-day visit next week, Naqvi said no permission could be granted for any rally or protest in the federal capital.
He added that a decision on whether to suspend mobile signals in Islamabad ahead of the protest would be finalized by Friday night.
Just a day earlier, it emerged that Pakistan’s interior ministry had authorized the deployment of paramilitary Punjab Rangers and FC forces in Islamabad since November 7 to maintain law and order.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad, specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law prescribes three-year jail terms for participants in illegal assemblies and 10-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
 

Topics: PTI protest Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Mohsin Naqvi Imran Khan

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