Azeema Cheema.-
From an impartial election researcher's point of view, NA-122 was always going to be a close contest between the PML-N and the PTI – pretty much a dead heat – however, PML-N did not win it as much as PTI lost it.
Today's Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş, who was put in İstanbul's Metris Prison after he was arrested by a court on Saturday for his tweets allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was transferred alongside terror suspects to the city's Silivri Prison on Monday afternoon.
Ikram Junaidi.-
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) received as many as 35 complaints of minor abnormalities from the three national and provincial assembly constituencies where by-elections were held on Oct 11.
ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad said that they had also received an application from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) regarding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s alleged attempt to influence the by-election in NA-122 by being present in Lahore on polling day.
LAHORE: The returning officer announced on Monday official results of NA-122 and PP-147 by-elections.
Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N retained his National Assembly seat by securing 74,525 votes against his main rival Abdul Aleem Khan of the PTI, who obtained 72,084 votes. PPP candidate Barrister Amir Hassan could obtain only 819 votes.
The turnout was 43.1 per cent. Of the 347,762 registered voters, 149,885 exercised their right to franchise at 284 polling stations in NA-122, while 1,858 votes were rejected.
ISLAMABAD: Calling for meaningful electoral reforms in the country, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has urged political parties to focus on ‘real issues’ of the people as the latest by-elections offered ‘little to cheer for democracy’.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz reclaimed the coveted NA-122 Lahore seat on October 11 in a close contest with the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf after days of mudslinging against each other.
Iran's parliament has approved a deal on its nuclear programme agreed with six world powers, state media say.
The deal was passed with 161 votes in favour, 59 against and 13 abstentions, the official IRNA news agency said.
However, parliament insisted that international inspectors would have only limited access to military sites.
The agreement, struck in July, authorises the lifting of sanctions in return for Iran curbing sensitive nuclear activities.
Oct 12 Yemen's former president has vowed to honor a peace plan brokered by the United Nations in talks in Oman and to quit Yemeni cities if a Saudi-led Arab alliance stopped air strikes on the country.
Ali Abdullah Saleh also told the Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen television in an interview broadcast on Monday that he was ready to quit his position as head of the country's largest party, the General People's Congress (GPC), to facilitate an end to fighting that had killed more than 5,000 people.
ABU DHABI // A good turnout and smooth voting process for this year’s Federal National Council elections has earned the National Elections Committee praise from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Sheikh Mohammed thanked the NEC during a meeting in the capital with members of the Abu Dhabi FNC Elections Committee.
Amjad Mahmood.-
LAHORE: In a tension-filled close contest, PML-N’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq retained his NA-122 Lahore seat by defeating PTI’s Abdul Aleem Khan in the by-election held here on Sunday amid extraordinary security as well as media hype.
According to unofficial results, Mr Sadiq secured 76,204 votes and his rival Aleem Khan 72,043.
It’s the fourth consecutive win for the former National Assembly speaker since 2002, twice against PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
Zulqernain Tahir.-
LAHORE: Unlike previous elections in Lahore, the NA-122 constituents were visibly happy while casting their votes in what they called a “hassle-free environment” and expressed their desire that all future elections in the country should be held under the supervision of the army.
The polling day saw unprecedented discipline and relative calm, said most voters Dawn spoke to at various stations. Women voters were feeling more ‘protected and confident’ while heading towards their polling stations under the security cover.
ISLAMABAD: Top leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have put themselves in a spot by actively campaigning for their party colleagues.
On Sunday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced an inquiry would be held against Premier Nawaz Sharif and other top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for alleged violations of the code of conduct prior to the NA-122 by-elections.
KABUL (Pajhwok): A Wolesi Jirga member on Monday accused some lawmakers of receiving bribes from ministers in return for cancelling parliamentary summons.
Based on Article 92, a minister could be summoned by the suggestion of 20 percent of lawmakers. If the minister could not provide satisfactory answers, he or she can be unseated with a no-confidence vote by a majority of MPs.
Irfan Ghaur.-
The rapidly growing number of political parties registered with the premier poll supervisory body has once again caused shortage of election symbols. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had updated the logos before the 2013 general elections, but the number of registered political parties has again exceeded the quantity of approved emblems.
New registrations in the past two years have raised the number of political parties to 307, and after the last update the quantity of available symbols stands at 171.
As widespread battles continue in suburbs of Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan, the Afghan public's criticism over government's handling of the situation and that of security in the embattled province has gathered momentum in the past two weeks.
A number of displaced Kunduz residents said on Sunday that the National Unity Government leaders have not kept promises they made to change Kunduz in to a hub of economic development and commercial activities.
Najla Al Rostaman.-
The UAE Federal National Council (FNC) elections is over. There are winners and there were losers. Let's analyse it, because this year it unfolded differently than how it did four years back.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition will not be expanded beyond its 61 MKs, despite the terror raging across the country, the heads of opposition factions indicated in the Knesset Monday night.
There were hopes in the Likud that the terrorist attacks could be used as a catalyst to widen the razor-thin majority the coalition has in the parliament.
Netanyahu even invited the Zionist Union to enter the government at a press conference last Thursday.
Turkish political parties decided to suspend their upcoming election rallies on Oct. 12 ahead of the Nov. 1 snap elections following the Oct. 10 Ankara twin blasts which claimed at least 97 lives and wounded hundreds.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP), holder of the caretaker government, decided to suspend holding election rallies until Oct. 16 in the aftermath of the Oct. 10 suicide bombing in the run-up to the snap polls on Nov.1.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam said he did not expect to call for a cabinet session anytime soon over the lack of consensus among the country's rival political leaders.
“We want the session to be productive and we want it to become a turning point in resolving the waste crisis,” Salam told As Safir newspaper published on Monday.
“But unfortunately the conditions are not ripe yet to hold such a session,” he said.
