ISLAMABAD: Elections 2008 came with myriads of changes in its lap with great images in the national politics crashed to the ground, as Pakistan Muslim League Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein and the former federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed were defeated in their respective strongholds.According to the details, former federal minister and former PPP Secretary General Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar defeated the former ruling PM-Q Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein with a wide margin of at least 13293 votes.Two other candidates Alhaaj Mirza Saeed Baig and Chaudhry Gul Nawaz were also contesting from the same constituency, but they could not pocket any vote.Another personality charisma was defeated in Rawalpindi, where Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) defeated Sheikh Rashid.Former National Assembly speaker, Chaudhry Amir Hussain face defeat against Dr. Firdaus Awan while Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi and Khursheed Mehmodd Kasoori also missed the majority in their respective constituencies.
The polling result of NA-105 surprised all when Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians’ candidate and former federal minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar inflicted defeat on President PML-Q, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain with a considerable margin of 13293 votes.Two candidates Al-Haaj Mirza Saeed Baig and Chaudhry Gul Nawaz were also running for NA-105 slot but received no votes.Similarly, Shaikh Rashid Ahmed also faced defeat in his stronghold Rawalpindi by PML-N candidate Hanif Abbasi.Maulana Fazlur Rehman also returned unsuccessful in his constituency. Other big political names who had to face failure on a fateful day of Feb 18 include Rao Sikander and Chaudhry Shahbaz. (The News)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Vote Is Expected to Further Weaken Musharraf
By CARLOTTA GALL and JANE PERLEZ Pakistanis vote in parliamentary elections on Monday amid anxiety over further political turmoil and violence.(The New York Times)
Desiring a Fair Vote, Doubting It Will Be
By Pamela Constable and Candace Rondeaux
SIALKOT, Pakistan, Feb. 17 -- Many people in this gritty rural district of wheat fields and cinder-block factories believe one of the country's two main opposition parties deserves to win Monday's crucial voting for parliament. Yet they also believe the government will do everything it can to steal...(The Washington Post)
SIALKOT, Pakistan, Feb. 17 -- Many people in this gritty rural district of wheat fields and cinder-block factories believe one of the country's two main opposition parties deserves to win Monday's crucial voting for parliament. Yet they also believe the government will do everything it can to steal...(The Washington Post)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Doubts on Fairness and Security for Pakistan Vote
By JANE PERLEZ Pakistan’s parliamentary elections on Monday have included charges of armed intimidation and bribes, and the suspicion of rigging hangs thick in the air. (The New York Times)
Friday, February 15, 2008
U.S. Scrambling To Find Observers For Pakistani Vote
By Robin Wright
With Pakistan's critical parliamentary election fast approaching, Bush administration officials began scrambling late last month to find a U.S. monitoring group willing to travel to Pakistan and observe the Feb. 18 vote.(The Washington Post)
With Pakistan's critical parliamentary election fast approaching, Bush administration officials began scrambling late last month to find a U.S. monitoring group willing to travel to Pakistan and observe the Feb. 18 vote.(The Washington Post)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Pakistan's Attorney General Aware of ‘Massive’ Election-Rigging Plans: HRW
Audio Recording Calls Into Question Government’s Commitment to Fair Elections
(New York, February 15, 2008) – In an audio recording obtained by Human Rights Watch (http://hrw.org/audio/2008/urdu/pakistan0208.htm), Pakistan’s Attorney General Malik Qayyum stated that upcoming parliamentary elections will be “massively rigged,” Human Rights Watch said today.
In the recording, Qayyum appears to be advising an unidentified person on what political party the person should approach to become a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary election, now scheduled for February 18, 2008.
Human Rights Watch said that the recording was made during a phone interview with a member of the media on November 21, 2007. Qayyum, while still on the phone interview, took a call on another telephone and his side of that conversation was recorded. The recording was made the day after Pakistan’s Election Commission announced the schedule for polls. The election was originally planned for January 8 but was postponed after the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, returned to Pakistan on November 25. An English translation of the recording, which is in Urdu and Punjabi, follows:
“Leave Nawaz Sharif (PAUSE).... I think Nawaz Sharif will not take part in the election (PAUSE).... If he does take part, he will be in trouble. If Benazir takes part she too will be in trouble (PAUSE).... They will massively rig to get their own people to win. If you can get a ticket from these guys, take it (PAUSE).... If Nawaz Sharif does not return himself, then Nawaz Sharif has some advantage. If he comes himself, even if after the elections rather than before (PAUSE)…. Yes….”
Repeated attempts by Human Rights Watch to contact Qayyum by phone were unsuccessful.
Fears of rigging have been a major issue in the current election campaign. Human Rights Watch said that since the official election period commenced in November 2007, there have been numerous allegations of irregularities, including arrests and harassment of opposition candidates and party members. There are also allegations that state resources, administration and state machinery are being used to the advantage of candidates backed by President Pervez Musharraf. Human Rights Watch expressed concern that the Election Commission, which is monitoring the polls, was not acting impartially
Background
Malik Qayyum is a former judge who resigned from the bench in 2001 amid charges of misconduct. On April 15, 1999, a two-judge panel of the Lahore High Court headed by Qayyum convicted Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari in a corruption case. They were sentenced to five years in prison, fined US$8.6 million dollars each, disqualified as members of parliament for five years, and forced to forfeit their property. The impending verdict led Bhutto to go into exile in March 1999.
In February 2001, the Sunday Times, a British newspaper, published a report based on transcripts of 32 audio tapes, which revealed that Qayyum convicted Bhutto and Zardari for political reasons. The transcripts of the recordings reproduced by the newspaper showed that Qayyum asked then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s anti-corruption chief, Saifur Rehman, for advice on the sentence: “Now you tell me how much punishment do you want me to give her?”
In April 2001, on the basis of this evidence, a seven-member bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld an appeal by the couple, overturning the conviction. In its ruling, the Supreme Court contended that Qayyum had been politically motivated in handing down the sentence. Faced with a trial for professional misconduct before Pakistan’s Supreme Judicial Council, the constitutional body authorized to impeach senior judges, Qayyum opted to resign his post in June 2001.
A close associate of Musharraf, Qayyum was appointed as the lead counsel on behalf of Pakistan’s federal government in the presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, instituted after Chaudhry was first illegally deposed by Musharraf on March 9, 2007. A full bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court reinstated Chief Justice Chaudhry on July 20, 2007.
Qayyum was appointed attorney general of Pakistan by Musharraf in August 2007.
(New York, February 15, 2008) – In an audio recording obtained by Human Rights Watch (http://hrw.org/audio/2008/urdu/pakistan0208.htm), Pakistan’s Attorney General Malik Qayyum stated that upcoming parliamentary elections will be “massively rigged,” Human Rights Watch said today.
In the recording, Qayyum appears to be advising an unidentified person on what political party the person should approach to become a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary election, now scheduled for February 18, 2008.
Human Rights Watch said that the recording was made during a phone interview with a member of the media on November 21, 2007. Qayyum, while still on the phone interview, took a call on another telephone and his side of that conversation was recorded. The recording was made the day after Pakistan’s Election Commission announced the schedule for polls. The election was originally planned for January 8 but was postponed after the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, returned to Pakistan on November 25. An English translation of the recording, which is in Urdu and Punjabi, follows:
“Leave Nawaz Sharif (PAUSE).... I think Nawaz Sharif will not take part in the election (PAUSE).... If he does take part, he will be in trouble. If Benazir takes part she too will be in trouble (PAUSE).... They will massively rig to get their own people to win. If you can get a ticket from these guys, take it (PAUSE).... If Nawaz Sharif does not return himself, then Nawaz Sharif has some advantage. If he comes himself, even if after the elections rather than before (PAUSE)…. Yes….”
Repeated attempts by Human Rights Watch to contact Qayyum by phone were unsuccessful.
Fears of rigging have been a major issue in the current election campaign. Human Rights Watch said that since the official election period commenced in November 2007, there have been numerous allegations of irregularities, including arrests and harassment of opposition candidates and party members. There are also allegations that state resources, administration and state machinery are being used to the advantage of candidates backed by President Pervez Musharraf. Human Rights Watch expressed concern that the Election Commission, which is monitoring the polls, was not acting impartially
Background
Malik Qayyum is a former judge who resigned from the bench in 2001 amid charges of misconduct. On April 15, 1999, a two-judge panel of the Lahore High Court headed by Qayyum convicted Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari in a corruption case. They were sentenced to five years in prison, fined US$8.6 million dollars each, disqualified as members of parliament for five years, and forced to forfeit their property. The impending verdict led Bhutto to go into exile in March 1999.
In February 2001, the Sunday Times, a British newspaper, published a report based on transcripts of 32 audio tapes, which revealed that Qayyum convicted Bhutto and Zardari for political reasons. The transcripts of the recordings reproduced by the newspaper showed that Qayyum asked then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s anti-corruption chief, Saifur Rehman, for advice on the sentence: “Now you tell me how much punishment do you want me to give her?”
In April 2001, on the basis of this evidence, a seven-member bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld an appeal by the couple, overturning the conviction. In its ruling, the Supreme Court contended that Qayyum had been politically motivated in handing down the sentence. Faced with a trial for professional misconduct before Pakistan’s Supreme Judicial Council, the constitutional body authorized to impeach senior judges, Qayyum opted to resign his post in June 2001.
A close associate of Musharraf, Qayyum was appointed as the lead counsel on behalf of Pakistan’s federal government in the presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, instituted after Chaudhry was first illegally deposed by Musharraf on March 9, 2007. A full bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court reinstated Chief Justice Chaudhry on July 20, 2007.
Qayyum was appointed attorney general of Pakistan by Musharraf in August 2007.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sharif: Pakistan Vote Could Cause Chaos
By MATTHEW PENNINGTON
KAHUTA, Pakistan -- A leading opposition politician on Wednesday accused President Pervez Musharraf of planning to rig next week's elections, describing it as a move that could trigger uncontrollable unrest and tear Pakistan apart.(The Washington Post)
KAHUTA, Pakistan -- A leading opposition politician on Wednesday accused President Pervez Musharraf of planning to rig next week's elections, describing it as a move that could trigger uncontrollable unrest and tear Pakistan apart.(The Washington Post)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Pakistan Faces Violence if Democracy Blocked: Zardari
By REUTERS LAHORE (Reuters) - Pakistan faces violence if political leaders fail to heed the people's demand for change, the widower of assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto said on Tuesday.(The New York Times)
Pakistan Launches Search For Missing Envoy to Kabul
By Candace Rondeaux and Pamela Constable
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 12 -- Security forces have launched a wide-ranging search for the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan, Pakistani government officials said Tuesday, a day after the envoy disappeared in a tribal area that has recently been the scene of intense Taliban activity.(The Washington Post)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 12 -- Security forces have launched a wide-ranging search for the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan, Pakistani government officials said Tuesday, a day after the envoy disappeared in a tribal area that has recently been the scene of intense Taliban activity.(The Washington Post)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Pakistan Lawyers Boycotting Courts
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistani lawyers began a nationwide boycott of the courts Monday to pressure the president to reinstate senior judges he sacked under a state of emergency more than three months ago. (The New York Times)
Official: Top Taliban Commander Captured in Pakistan
By Candace Rondeaux
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 11 -- A top Taliban commander in Afghanistan who claimed close ties to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was captured Monday in southwestern Pakistan, according to a Pakistani military official.(The Washington Post)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 11 -- A top Taliban commander in Afghanistan who claimed close ties to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was captured Monday in southwestern Pakistan, according to a Pakistani military official.(The Washington Post)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Joint Chiefs Chairman and Musharraf Discuss Terror Threat
By JANE PERLEZ A recent string of visits of senior American officials in Pakistan suggests increasing frustration in Washington with the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan. (The New York Times)
Bhutto sympathy vote seen key to Pakistan election
By Robert Birsel
MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - The strength of a sympathy vote for assassinated Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in the country's biggest province is likely to determine the result of a general election on February 18. (The Washington Post)
MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - The strength of a sympathy vote for assassinated Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in the country's biggest province is likely to determine the result of a general election on February 18. (The Washington Post)
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Bin Laden, Omar Not Operating In Pakistan: Islamabad
By REUTERS ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan rejected on Saturday a U.S. official's assertion that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar are operating from Pakistani territory. (The New York Times)
Learning to Fight a War
By David Ignatius
The debate over troop numbers may be missing the point.(The Washington Post)
The debate over troop numbers may be missing the point.(The Washington Post)
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