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Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PTI's rigging claims baseless, shameful: Azma
LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)'s claim of election rigging after suffering a clear defeat by 39,000 votes is extremely shameful and tantamount to denying reality. She stated that according to the FAFEN report, 116 polling agents expressed satisfaction with the electoral process. She added that the people of Sambrial have out rightly rejected and cast away the anti-state narrative of the PTI founder. She said that the people of Punjab now vote for and strongly support Maryam Nawaz's politics of public service, as the Pakistan Muslim League (N) is the only party with a genuine vision for development, stability, and public welfare. Responding to PTI leader Waqas Akram's press conference, Azma Bokhari stated that PTI faced a humiliating defeat in the Sambrial by-election. As per FAFEN's report, presiding officers duly provided Form 45 to polling agents, and out of 121 interviews conducted, 116 polling agents confirmed their satisfaction with the voting process. She noted that the vote share of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) in Sambrial increased from 41% to 59%, while PTI's vote share dropped from 35% to 29%. These statistics are enough to open the eyes of so-called intellectuals and analysts who continue to push PTI's narrative, she said, adding: 'Blaming the police and district administration instead of accepting defeat is a long-standing habit of PTI.' She reiterated that the people of Sambrial have firmly rejected the founder of PTI's anti-state rhetoric. The people of Punjab now vote for Maryam Nawaz's politics of service and continue to support it. This seat has always belonged to the PML(N), and it will remain unbeatable in the future as well, she added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Economic Times
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Nawaz Sharif praises Pakistan as 'peace-loving' nation after ceasefire with India
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Islamabad: Former three-time premier Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan was a "peace-loving" country, but also "knows how to defend itself". His comments came after US President Donald Trump announced that India and Pakistan have agreed to a "full and immediate" took to social media to react to the ceasefire agreed between Pakistan and India after days of unrest and tension."Pakistan is a peace-loving country and prefers peace, but also knows how to defend itself," he said in a post on the chief of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, also congratulated the civil and military leadership."Thanks be to Allah Almighty for making Pakistan proud. I congratulate and congratulate the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief of Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Sindhu, and the armed forces of Pakistan," he foreign minister and Pakistan People's Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan has consistently pursued dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path to peace and "war, violence and aggression are never the answer"."Now that both India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire & dialogue, we welcome this as a victory for diplomacy. We appreciate the role of USA, KSA and all countries involved in achieving this historic milestone," he said in a message on X."As a Pakistani, I could not be more proud of our people, our army and especially our Air Force," he Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Gohar Ali Khan said that it was good that peace was coming back to the region. He also said that the response given by Pakistan made the country proud."Our response forced India to come up with the white flag (peace)," he said while talking to Geo a post on X, Punjab province's chief minister Maryam Nawaz said Prime Minister Shehbaz, Army chief General Munir, Pakistan Armed Forces, and her father, Nawaz Sharif, have "made the nation proud" and shown the world that Pakistan is in "safe and patriotic hands".Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar informed the nation about the ceasefire."Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!" he wrote on X.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sharif Sr advises brother Shehbaz to ease tensions with India diplomatically
Nawaz Sharif and brother Shehbaz Sharif (File photos) LAHORE: At a time when Pakistan's civil and military leadership is pushing to respond to India, efforts are being made by former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to strengthen back-channel contacts to defuse tension with New Delhi, a media report said Friday. Nawaz Sharif, chief of governing Pakistan Muslim League (N) attended a security huddle at the PM's House late Thursday evening and advised his younger brother and incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif to ease tensions with India diplomatically. "The elder Sharif wants Pakistan govt to utilise all available diplomatic resources to restore peace between the two nuclear-armed states," daily newspaper Express Tribune reported. "I am not in favour of taking an aggressive position (against India)," Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying. Operation Sindoor India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan India-Pakistan tensions: Delhi airport issues travel advisory Operation Sindoor: Multiple explosions heard at several Pakistan air bases "Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan from London to dial down tensions between the two countries. He had been working behind the scenes... but Thursday's formal entry into the scene amid the current stand-off between the two countries is to strengthen the backdoor contact," Express Tribune stated. Nawaz Sharif attended the high-level civil-military meeting at the PM House convened to assess the Indo-Pak tensions. Since he holds no govt portfolio, he attended the meeting in the capacity of the head of the governing party, the newspaper said. Nawaz Sharif was PM during the 1999 Kargil conflict .
Business Recorder
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Civil-military leadership vows to continue retaliatory actions
ISLAMABAD: In a strong and unified response to India's drone incursions, Pakistan's civil and military leadership on Thursday vowed to avenge every martyr and to continue retaliatory actions against hostile drone aggression. The resolve was expressed during a high-level security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which was also attended by federal ministers, military leadership, and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif. The participants of the meeting received a comprehensive briefing from security officials on the recent wave of Indian drone attacks and Pakistan's robust response, which led to the destruction of 25 Israeli-manufactured Harop drones. Pakistan retains right to respond: NSC The meeting reviewed Indian aggression in detail, with intelligence and military officials presenting updates on operational readiness and strategic responses. The forum decided that India's underhand tactics would be met with decisive force and vowed that every drop of Pakistani blood would be accounted for. Addressing the participants, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces. 'We are proud of our military, and we are prepared for every eventuality,' he stated. He added, 'Pakistan has successfully downed Indian drones and aircraft. Our forces are fully capable of thwarting enemy designs.' Reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to peace with dignity, the prime minister warned that any attack on self-determination, territorial integrity, or national security would be responded to with full force. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif reached the Prime Minister house for attending a high-level meeting. The high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has started and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif is also present in the meeting. The consultations on the country's security situation are ongoing in the meeting. Federal ministers and top military officials are also participating in the meeting.
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Why Pakistan has put its ambitious canals project on hold
After weeks of protest in Sindh, the Pakistan government on Thursday (April 24) put its ambitious canals project on hold. The project, meant to irrigate millions of acres of previously uncultivable land, triggered a political storm in Pakistan, revived old provincial rivalries, and fomented tensions within the ruling alliance of the Punjab-based Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Sindh-based Peoples Party of Pakistan. Green Pakistan Initiative The canals project is the centrepiece of the larger $3.3 billion Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI), launched by Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif and army chief General Asim Munir in 2023. Run by an army-owned private company, GPI seeks to 'modernise' Pakistan's agriculture sector by introducing new technologies, providing farmers high-quality inputs, and creating irrigation infrastructure. The ultimate goal is to increase yields, and bring new areas under cultivation. 'Revitalising agriculture is essential for the economy, particularly as Pakistan faces climate-related threats,' retired army general Shahid Nazir, who heads the GPI, told Al Jazeera. In recent years, the crisis-ridden Pakistan has struggled with food shortages, forcing it to expend valuable foreign exchange to import foodstuff. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the country's import of food commodities will once again cross the $9 billion mark in the FY 2025. (It has crossed $6 billion in July-March 2024-25, data released earlier this month show). Six 'strategic' canals In July 2024, President Asif Ali Zardari, also the co-chairman of the PPP, approved the construction of 'six strategic canals' which he said were 'vital for agricultural development and food security'. The most significant among these — and also the most criticised — is a 176-km long canal meant to irrigate the arid lands of Cholistan in southern Punjab. Bordering the state of Rajasthan in India, Cholistan is a part of the larger Thar desert, and 'faces significant challenges in meeting its total water requirements' according to a 2023 paper by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources. 'The construction of the Cholistan Canal is therefore seen as a critical intervention to transform the region by bringing reliable and sustainable water supplies to large areas of previously uncultivable land,' according to the working paper prepared by the federal Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Al Jazeera reported. To be built at an estimated cost of almost $800 million, upon completion, the Cholistan Canal will irrigate almost 5,000 sq km (1.2 million acres) of land, Dawn reported. Its construction began earlier this year, but has since been halted, according to reports from local media. Officially, the Cholistan Canal was meant to be supplied entirely by flood water released by India on the Sutlej. However, according to data from Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources, in 2018-19, only 3.4% of the water (4.9 million acre feet) received by the country from the Indus and its five tributaries came from the three India-controlled 'eastern rivers' — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi. As such, experts say that it is virtually impossible to supply the canal from the Sutlej alone. This raises a larger issue. Pakistan is dependent on the Indus and its tributaries for water. And the river system is already very stressed. Critics say the six new canals will exacerbate pre-existing water scarcity. As a lower riparian province, this is of particular concern to Sindh. As one opinion article in The Nation put it, '…the federal government seeks to cultivate 1.2 million acres in Cholistan at the cost of jeopardising 18 million acres of Sindh's land.' Sindh is already a water-stressed province. The new canals will not only make things worse for its people, it will also starve the Indus delta, and thus hasten seawater intrusion and decimate fragile eco-systems, according to Dawn. So when Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, of the PML-N, and General Munir inaugurated the construction of the Cholistan Canal in February, the people of Sindh took to the streets in huge numbers. Student leader Muneer Hussain, leading a sit-in in Karachi, told The Nation: '… this issue is existential… it is the poor people who will suffer…'. One reason why opposition to the canals project is so resonant among the people of Sindh is its larger historical gripe with Punjab. Over the years, many have called Pakistan 'Punjab-istan' owing to the dominance of Punjabis in all walks of life, from the military to its cricket team. All other states — Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — have felt (or continue to feel) marginalised. The canals project evokes larger anti-Punjab sentiments among the people of Sindh, who have historically felt hard done by upstream hydro projects in Punjab. 'Punjab's own share of water is guaranteed through the existing system of canals. But when new irrigation areas are planned, without explaining where the water is coming from, it is inevitable that people in Sindh will express their anger and protest,' Naseer Memon, an Islamabad-based environmentalist, told Al Jazeera. PPP in a pickle Caught in the crossfire of the ongoing controversy is the PPP, the party which is in power in Sindh and whose support ostensibly keeps the government in Islamabad afloat. That its initial response to the GPI bordered on an endorsement — indeed party co-chairman Zardari called the canals 'vital' to Pakistan's interests — was not received well on the streets of Karachi. Various reports indicate that it was also not received well by the rank-and-file members of the party, as well as parts of its leadership in Sindh and beyond. The PPP has since made a drastic u-turn. In recent weeks, there were even murmurs that the PPP and PML-N were headed for an immediate split, largely over the canals project and the protests it had triggered in Sindh. But that's not what happened. The decision to put the project on hold was announced by Shebaz with PPP co-chairman Bilawal Ali Bhutto-Zardari sitting next to him. Bilwal later said 'as long as the PPP exists, not a single drop of Sindh's water will be given away,' but added his party would 'continue to work with the PML-N'. As the canals project is deliberated further — as the PM said it will be — people from Sindh remain wary. Indeed the strikes have not yet been called off, despite repeated requests from the Chief Minister, who belongs to the PPP. If the project is reintroduced — perhaps with some modifications and more guarantees for Sindh, as some experts say is likely — it will be interesting to see how the PPP responds.
