The first attack, which killed 12, took place at the office of an independent election candidate in Pishin district. The second explosion in Qilla Saifullah, a town near the Afghan border, detonated near an office of Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI), a religious party that has previously been the target.
Pakistan- a country where civilian governments have been upended by military takeovers and where the army has ruled the nation for half of its 76 years of independence, it’s often the traditional elites that have called the shots. Here are the key players ahead of the country’s elections.
Bilawal said it would be difficult for him to join hands with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party if it came to power after the February 8 polls. Bilawal said both major political parties, other than the PPP, engage in politics of hatred and division.
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that it wants the broad participation of the people of Pakistan in the country's election adding concerns over the recent violence that rocked the country's Balochistan province.
The US mission advised American citizens not eligible to participate in Pakistan’s elections to avoid visiting areas around polling stations on February 8 as they may be crowded.
A senior official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the army and police personnel will be deployed outside the ‘most sensitive’ polling stations as per their threat assessment.
The accreditation cards issued to foreign journalists and international observers were only restricted to Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. However, if any foreigner wants to visit any other city, it is being processed on a case-to-case basis, said a minister.
According to a senior police official, the explosion occurred when children, who were picking trash, were sifting through the garbage. However, it was unclear what kind of explosive device was used.
The appellate tribunals of the Lahore High Court (LHC) upheld the returning officers' (ROs) decision to reject the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's nomination papers for two National Assembly constituencies in the Punjab province of the country.
The court's ruling has far-reaching implications, overturning the provision that previously allowed for a lifetime ban on holding public office. This decision could reshape the political landscape, especially considering the timing in the lead-up to the forthcoming polls.
The verdict will determine once and for all the controversy around the period of disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution and the Elections Act 2017.
Imran Khan's lawyer, Azhar Siddique, said the rejection exposed the Election Commission’s bias. He blamed the commission and “invisible forces” for Khan’s disqualification. Another of his lawyers, Rai Muhammad Ali, described the rejection of Khan’s papers as an injustice to Pakistan.
Qureshi could be seen in a cardigan and a shalwar kameez, attempting to speak to police personnel gathered outside the jail while he remained inside its premises. However, an official refused to listen and proceeded to shove the senior leader out the gate and toward an armoured vehicle.
The Pakistan media report also claimed that Hafiz's son Talha Saeed is also in the run. The media report claimed that Talha is contesting from the National Assembly’s constituency NA-127, Lahore.
The Lahore Police said that over “400 pieces of video evidence, including speeches of the PTI chairman, Imran Khan, proved that the attacks on military installations and premises in cantonment areas were pre-planned”.
Nawaz's younger brother and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif said in London that his brother would return to Pakistan from the UK on October 21 to lead the party's political campaign in the upcoming elections.
A trial court in Islamabad convicted and sentenced the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman to three years in prison on August 5.
Pakistan President Arif Alvi administered the oath to Kakar at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, in Islamabad in the presence of many dignitaries including former PM Shehbaz Sharif.
The ECP official’s statement about the date of the election comes as political parties, particularly those part of the ruling coalition, increasingly engage in consultations.
It is worth mentioning the current Shehbaz government came into power in April last year after throwing the Imran Khan regime. Since then, the government has been facing multiple turbulence-- be it economic, inflation or domestic unrest.
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