Pakistan news and discussions

[weatheriscool]

Bus carrying pilgrims overturns in SW Pakistan, killing 20
Source: AP

By ABDUL SATTAR

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A speeding bus carrying pilgrims overturned on a highway and fell into a ravine in a remote area in southwestern Pakistan before dawn on Friday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 50 others, police and officials said.

The accident happened in Khuzdar, a district in Baluchistan province, local police official Hafeez Ullah Mengal said. Rescuers transported the dead and injured to military and government hospitals, he added.

Imam Bakhsh, one of the injured passengers, told The Associated Press by phone that passengers had repeatedly warned the driver to be more careful. He blamed the driver for the accident, saying he was enjoying music and driving recklessly.

Imran Ahmad, an official with the Levies security force said driver negligence apparently caused the accident, but that officers were still investigating.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-4a5 ... 0309f97664
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[wjfox]

After KP, PM Imran launches health insurance programme for all residents of Punjab

Published December 13, 2021

Prime Minister Imran Khan launched on Monday a programme to give health insurance to all residents of Punjab, announcing that by the end of March, all families in the province will get the 'Naya Pakistan Health Card'.

Under the scheme, families can avail free medical treatment of up to Rs1 million per year.

After Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which began offering all its residents health insurance under the same scheme in February, Punjab is set to become the second province to offer its residents universal coverage.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the programme in Lahore today, Prime Minister Imran lauded Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for spearheading the project in the province.

"This is a landmark, defining moment in the journey of Pakistan becoming a welfare state," the prime minister said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1663578

[caltrek]

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Defiant Before No-Confidence Vote
by Q Zaman
March 31, 2022

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/3 ... dence-vote

Introduction:

(Al Jazeera) Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he will not resign, striking a defiant tone ahead of a no-confidence vote expected to take place on Sunday.

Khan, 69, lost his majority in parliament on Wednesday when a key ally quit his coalition, which could give the opposition the 172 votes in the 342-seat house needed to force him out.

The opposition has accused him of corruption and economic mismanagement, amid high inflation and a weakening currency.

“There is only one honourable exit for [Khan] and that is resignation,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), told reporters on Thursday.

But Khan, in a live address to the nation later on Thursday, rejected calls to step down.

[caltrek]

Here is The National's take on the cirsis facing Imran Khan:

Imran Khan Says He Will Not Resign Before Vote to Oust Him on Sunday
March 31, 2022

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/a ... on-sunday/

Introduction:

(The National) Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a televised address to the nation on Thursday that he would not resign before a vote to oust him is held on Sunday.

Mr Khan also said a “western country” is backing his removal because he visited Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin last month.

No Pakistani prime minister has ever seen out a full term and Mr Khan is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since being elected in 2018. His opponents accuse him of economic mismanagement and foreign policy bungling.

The government is also battling to contain a rise in militancy by the Pakistani Taliban, which on Wednesday announced an offensive against security forces during Ramadan, which is due to begin with the sighting of the next new moon.

Debate on the no-confidence motion was due to start on Thursday, but the deputy speaker suspended proceedings when members of Parliament declined to first address other items on the agenda.

[caltrek]

With Yet Another Prime Minister’s Exit, Army Shows It Reigns Supreme in Pakistan
by Sharat Sabharwal
April 1, 2022

https://indianexpress.com/article/opini ... n-7846829/

Introduction:

(The Indian Express) Another prime minister of Pakistan is on the verge of losing office without completing his tenure. What went wrong with Imran Khan’s prime ministership? What does his impending departure mean for Pakistan and India?

Imran Khan’s political career — which was floundering since the founding of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996 — was given a boost by the army from 2011 onwards to counter Nawaz Sharif. He promised “Naya Pakistan” and won the 2018 election with the army’s support. This resulted in a hybrid arrangement, in which Khan flaunted his proximity to the army and was seen as doing its bidding. He adopted an autocratic style of governance, thereby alienating some close associates. He hounded his political opponents through selective accountability and galvanised them into joint action. However, he did not display the requisite political and administrative acumen to deal with Pakistan’s intractable problems.

Less than four years later, he is on the edge of a political precipice and Naya Pakistan continues to stare at its long-standing problems. He has presided over an economy characterised by high inflation, sliding (Pakistani) rupee, dwindling foreign exchange reserves and a mounting debt burden. The relationship with India remains fraught. His attempts to forge a relationship that goes beyond Afghanistan with the Biden administration have failed. He managed to alienate Saudi Arabia in 2020, making them recall one of their loans and end the deferred payment facility for oil imports. The army leadership had to step in to mollify the Saudis. He has failed to stem extremism and terrorism.

Every civilian surrogate promoted by the army has sooner or later felt stifled and defied them at the cost of their wrath.

[caltrek]

Pakistan is Thrown into Crisis After the Prime Minister Dissolves Parliament
by Diaa Hadid and Abdul Sattar
April 3/ 2022

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/03/10904901 ... 771565b535

Introduction:

(NPR) ISLAMABAD — Pakistan plunged into political crisis Sunday after the prime minister, Imran Khan, dissolved parliament ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion in which he was widely expected to lose.

The decision to break up the parliamentary session ahead of the vote marked a stunning attempt by Khan to remain in office despite widespread economic and political discontent across Pakistan. A successful no-confidence motion would have likely seen the formation of a new government. Instead, the country looks headed to fresh elections – giving Khan a potential new lease on keeping the job.

The opposition says it will challenge the move in the country's Supreme Court. The court said it would take the challenge up on Monday, but it remains far from clear how the court may rule.

"Absolutely unprecedented," said Amber Rahim Shamsi, an analyst and former broadcaster who is now the director of the Center of Excellence in Journalism at the International Business Administration. "This is a constitutional crisis."

"This is Imran Khan changing the nature of the game," she said. "The opposition had the numbers, and it was pretty much a sure vote. Had it gone through, the prime minister would have been removed from office."

[weatheriscool]

Pakistan is Thrown into Crisis After the Prime Minister Dissolves Parliament
by Diaa Hadid and Abdul Sattar
April 3/ 2022

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/03/10904901 ... 771565b535

Introduction:

(NPR) ISLAMABAD — Pakistan plunged into political crisis Sunday after the prime minister, Imran Khan, dissolved parliament ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion in which he was widely expected to lose.

The decision to break up the parliamentary session ahead of the vote marked a stunning attempt by Khan to remain in office despite widespread economic and political discontent across Pakistan. A successful no-confidence motion would have likely seen the formation of a new government. Instead, the country looks headed to fresh elections – giving Khan a potential new lease on keeping the job.

The opposition says it will challenge the move in the country's Supreme Court. The court said it would take the challenge up on Monday, but it remains far from clear how the court may rule.

"Absolutely unprecedented," said Amber Rahim Shamsi, an analyst and former broadcaster who is now the director of the Center of Excellence in Journalism at the International Business Administration. "This is a constitutional crisis."

"This is Imran Khan changing the nature of the game," she said. "The opposition had the numbers, and it was pretty much a sure vote. Had it gone through, the prime minister would have been removed from office."

The middle east is so fucked up that it almost needs a king or a strong arm dictator for any stability. Pretty sad............

[Yuli Ban]

Pakistan in political turmoil as leader dissolves Parliament

Pakistan’s prime minister threw the country into political limbo on Sunday, accusing the United States of attempting to oust him and canceling a no-confidence vote he was poised to lose. He then ordered the National Assembly dissolved so new elections can be held.

The moves by Imran Khan appeared to set off a constitutional crisis: Pakistan’s Supreme Court must rule on their legality, but it adjourned until Monday and gave no indication when the matter would be settled. In Pakistan, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has just begun.

[Yuli Ban]

Pakistan is Thrown into Crisis After the Prime Minister Dissolves Parliament
by Diaa Hadid and Abdul Sattar
April 3/ 2022

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/03/10904901 ... 771565b535

Introduction:

(NPR) ISLAMABAD — Pakistan plunged into political crisis Sunday after the prime minister, Imran Khan, dissolved parliament ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion in which he was widely expected to lose.

The decision to break up the parliamentary session ahead of the vote marked a stunning attempt by Khan to remain in office despite widespread economic and political discontent across Pakistan. A successful no-confidence motion would have likely seen the formation of a new government. Instead, the country looks headed to fresh elections – giving Khan a potential new lease on keeping the job.

The opposition says it will challenge the move in the country's Supreme Court. The court said it would take the challenge up on Monday, but it remains far from clear how the court may rule.

"Absolutely unprecedented," said Amber Rahim Shamsi, an analyst and former broadcaster who is now the director of the Center of Excellence in Journalism at the International Business Administration. "This is a constitutional crisis."

"This is Imran Khan changing the nature of the game," she said. "The opposition had the numbers, and it was pretty much a sure vote. Had it gone through, the prime minister would have been removed from office."

The middle east is so fucked up that it almost needs a king or a strong arm dictator for any stability. Pretty sad............

It's basically largely due to horrible geopolitics.
The Near/Middle East was stable once upon a time, until the Mongols ravaged the place. And by the time they recovered, Western powers fractured the place horribly along lines that don't even make sense. The partition of India into India and Pakistan was a good idea on paper, but was really poorly thought out. So basically what I'm saying is that if we want to resolve all these crises, we ought to hit it at the root of the source— poorly drawn borders, deliberately inflamed ethnonationalism, and funding despots. But this would require such a big reset that it might cause more problems than it'd resolve. Most countries would rather not be broken to pieces...

[caltrek]

What is going on in Pakistan? And why has the US been dragged into it?
by Ayesha Jalal

https://theconversation.com/what-is-goi ... -it-180731

Extract:

(The Conversation) What prompted the calls for a no-confidence vote?

The basic charge against Imran Khan is mismanagement, especially in Punjab – Pakistan’s second-largest province in terms of area and its most populous.

Khan came to power in 2018 promising a “new Pakistan” and an end to the corruption that has for decades been part of Pakistan’s politics. But he has failed to live up to that promise. Khan’s appointed chief minister in Punjab, Usman Buzdar, has been accused of widespread corruption, taking bribes and receiving money in return for making bureaucratic appointments. Even members of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have broken with the prime minister over his backing of the now outgoing Punjab chief minister.

On top of this, Khan has been criticized for his handling of everything from the pandemic to soaring inflation in the country.

Where does the US come into this?

With his position as prime minister under threat, Khan has fallen back on a tried-and-tested tactic in Pakistani politics: Blame the United States.

Khan’s new narrative is that there is a foreign conspiracy to oust him from power. And it is America, Khan says, that is really behind the no-confidence motion filed by opposition lawmakers.

U.S. Denies Khan’s Claim It Wants Him Ousted in Pakistan

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... n-pakistan

Introduction:

The U.S. denied claims from Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan that the Biden administration is seeking to oust his government...

[caltrek]

Supreme Court Finds That Prime Minister Kahn Acted Unconstitutionally
by Jonathan Guyer
April 9, 2022

https://www.vox.com/23016679/pakistan-p ... parliament

Introduction:

(Vox) One of Pakistan’s twin crises was resolved this week. The other one, not so much.

On Thursday, the country’s supreme court delivered a historic ruling that resolved a constitutional crisis that took shape last week. The court rebuked Prime Minister Imran Khan, a self-fashioned populist leader and former cricket star who is more celebrity than statesman. Khan, the court ruled, had acted unconstitutionally when he dissolved Pakistan’s Parliament last week in order to avoid losing power through a no-confidence vote.

It was a surprising and reassuring decision, experts in the country’s politics said, given the supreme court’s checkered record as a sometime political ally of Khan. On Thursday, the court sided with the rule of law.

But the underlying political crisis that led to the court’s landmark order endures.

Khan outlandishly blamed the opposition parties’ efforts to oust him on a US-driven foreign conspiracy. Now, the Parliament has been restored and will continue with its no-confidence vote against Khan’s premiership Saturday, likely leading to his ouster and extraordinary elections later this year. Khan, for his part, said that he would “fight” back.

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Awesome news! I am glad to see countries like Pakistan get rid of corrupt leaders...It is a sign of improvement.

[weatheriscool]

Pakistani lawmakers elect Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister
Source: Axios

Pakistan's parliament voted Monday to elect opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif as the country's new prime minister, after lawmakers from ousted leader Imran Khan's party walked out, AP reported.

Driving the news: Khan was removed as prime minister Sunday in a no-confidence vote after weeks of political turmoil.

The country's Supreme Court said last week that a vote on the no-confidence motion should go ahead, after finding Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's effort to block the vote was unconstitutional.

Members of Khan's party resigned en masse ahead of Monday's vote to elect a new prime minister, with more than 100 walking out of the National Assembly.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/pakistan-new-prim ... b0a6a.html

[caltrek]

^^^More on that:

Pakistan's Parliament Votes in Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif as Prime Minister
by Sophia Saifi, Rhea Mogul and Aliza Kassim
April 11, 2022

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/11/asia/pak ... index.html

Introduction:

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) Pakistan's lawmakers voted in opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif as the country's new prime minister on Monday, after Imran Khan was ousted at the weekend in a no-confidence vote over allegations of poor governance.

Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N party and younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, received 174 out of 342 votes in Monday's vote in parliament and is set to serve as prime minister until the next general election, which is expected to take place in 2023.

All of Khan's lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party resigned en masse in protest ahead of Monday's vote, and there will now have to be urgent elections to replace them. Following the vote, Khan called on his supporters to take to the streets. His next rally is scheduled for April 16 in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan.

In a speech to parliament ahead of his swearing in, Sharif spoke of unity across the country, including his coalition government.

[caltrek]

What’s Next for Pakistan After Imran Khan’s ouster?
by Ayesha Jalal
April 13, 2022

https://theconversation.com/whats-next- ... ter-181212

Extract:

(The Conversation) What do we know about the new prime minister?

Shahbaz Sharif for a long time had been chief minister of Punjab, and the general perception is that he was an effective administrator there. He comes from a political family – his brother Nawaz Sharif served as prime minister of Pakistan on three separate occasions. And like his brother, who has been convicted of corruption and is banned from public office, Shahbaz has faced allegations of cronyism and corruption. But this is not unusual in Pakistani politics, where opposition leaders tend to face such charges. Nothing has been proved in court against Shahbaz Sharif.

Sharif has come into office making a number of populist promises, offering relief to hard-pressed Pakistani families, such as a raise in the minimum wage.
…
The danger is that Khan will not accept an election loss. The now-former prime minister is a superstar with a massive ego and a loyal base of support. You have to remember he was a superstar before he was prime minister, having been the captain of the country’s national cricket team and a global jet-setter. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Imran Khan is a legend to many Pakistanis, and Khan will be trying to mobilize his supporters in street protests.

So who is likely to win an election?

Khan certainly has a base of support that is very loyal. But it isn’t clear whether it outweighs that of the other parties put together – and a coalition of opposition parties could gain enough seats to oust Khan in an election. Indeed, Khan never governed with a large mandate – his party did not win a majority of seats in Parliament and required the support of smaller parties. And his own members have been disavowing him in light of the recent events. I also doubt many people in Pakistan are buying the conspiracy that it was the U.S. that toppled him.

[weatheriscool]

Pakistan Hit With Power Blackouts As It Struggles With Fuel Shortages And Technical Problems
April 18, 2022 NEWS

A once-in-a-generation inflation shock is rippling worldwide and has become a significant source of social and political instability in the weakest countries. Pakistan is the latest country to experience paralyzing inflation.

Bloomberg reports almost a fifth of electricity generation capacity is offline in the South Asian country because some power plants struggle to purchase liquefied natural gas and coal due to record high prices.

Pakistan’s energy costs have doubled to $15 billion in the last nine months ended February from a year earlier. The country has struggled with purchasing energy products to fuel its power plants since the conflict in Ukraine exacerbated commodity shortages, sending prices to record highs.

https://zububrothers.com/2022/04/18/pak ... -problems/

[Time_Traveller]

*Bumped*

Fear for democracy in Pakistan as ISI gets power over civil service

Sun 12 Jun 2022

Pakistani politicians and activists have raised fears about the military increasing its control over the country’s public life after the new prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, gave the ISI spy agency vetting power over civil service appointments.

The move has placed the verification and screening of government officials in charge of postings, appointments and promotions in ISI hands, leading to concerns of a shrunken civilian space.

Pakistan’s powerful military, which ruled the country directly for three decades, and its premier intelligence agency have a long history of meddling in politics and controlling politicians.

It is widely perceived in Pakistan that politicians need the military’s backing to come to power, but many now fear that bureaucrats could also need the same support for their appointment and postings.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... il-service

[weatheriscool]

Imran Khan: Pakistan police charge ex-PM under terrorism act
Source: BBC

Pakistan's police have charged the country's former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, under anti-terror laws.

Their investigation comes after he accused the police and judiciary of detaining and torturing a close aide.

Mr Khan's supporters gathered outside his house vowing to "take over" if he was arrested. However, he has now been granted pre-arrest bail until Thursday.

Since being ousted from power in April, Mr Khan has been a vocal critic of the government and the country's army.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/imran-khan-p ... 43948.html

[caltrek]

Satellites Reveal a Third of Pakistan Underwater
by Lizzy Davies
September 2, 2022

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) Aid workers have appealed for urgent donations to fight the “absolutely devastating” impact of flooding in Pakistan, as new satellite images appeared to confirm that a third of the country is now underwater.

As the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched an appeal to raise funds for the 33 million people affected, the European Space Agency released stark images based on data captured by its Copernicus satellite. Those pictures appear to confirm the Pakistani government’s assessment that more than a third of the country—an area roughly the size of the UK—has been submerged by monsoon rainfall, estimated to have been 10 times more severe than usual.

“The Indus River has overflowed, effectively creating a long lake, tens of kilometers wide,” Esa said in a statement.

The floods have claimed more than 1,100 lives, including 399 children, destroyed more than a million homes and swept away crops, livestock, and major infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

Further extract:

Speaking from the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Ahmad said he had been in the country for the 2010 floods, which killed nearly 2,000 people, but this was worse. “The situation…is absolutely chaos everywhere. People are on the roadside, waiting for humanitarian assistance, like water, food, shelter—and this is unprecedented in the history of Pakistan. In 22 years of my experience as [a] humanitarian aid worker, I never saw such destruction caused by floods.”

Read more and view more photos here: https://www.motherjones.com/environmen ... isis-aid/


European Space Agency


Edit: Counterpunch also has an article on the flooding: https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/09/02 ... harges-68/