Friday, March 12th, 2021
Sanjrani wins; courtesy PDM and allies!!
Miracles once again ruled supreme in the Chairman Senate elections on March 12, 2021 where govt-backed candidate and sitting Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani managed to regain the title despite the fact that they did not have the majority in the Uppar House. The govt and its allies possessed 47 seats while the PDM tally was counted at 51 in the House of 98. Ishaq Dar of PML N is out of the country and Jamaat-e- Islami senator chose to stay away from the process. Sanjrani got 48 votes, one extra voteRead More
‘Great joke with democracy’: Opposition vows to challenge Senate chairman election result
ISLAMABAD, MAR 12 – Members of the opposition on Friday blasted the result of the Senate chairman election which saw the ruling PTI-backed Sadiq Sanjrani defeat PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani — the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s joint candidate — and vowed to challenge the result in the courts. PPP leaders Raja Pervez Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira along with senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal addressed a press conference in Islamabad as they criticised the Senate chairman election during which seven votes cast in favour of Gilani were rejected. Ashraf alleged that the “unconstitutionalRead More
China approves plan to veto Hong Kong election candidates
BEIJING: China’s parliament voted Thursday for sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, including powers to veto candidates, as Beijing moves to ensure that only “patriots” run the city following huge pro-democracy rallies. Beijing has acted decisively to dismantle Hong Kong’s limited democratic pillars after massive and sometimes violent protests coursed through the financial hub in 2019. At last year’s meeting of the National People’s Congress, the Communist Party leadership imposed a national security law on Hong Kong that has since been weaponised against the democracy movement. Dozens of campaignersRead More
Turkey, Russia, Qatar push for political resolution in Syria
Turkey, Russia and Qatar are making a joint attempt to promote a political solution to Syria’s 10-year conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. “Today we launched a new trilateral consultation process,” Cavusoglu said on Thursday after talks in Doha with Russian and Qatari foreign ministers. “Our goal is to discuss how we can contribute to efforts towards a lasting political solution in Syria.” All three ministers emphasised in their meeting that the only solution to the conflict, in which hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millionsRead More
Australian HC, Army chief discuss matters of mutual interest
RAWALPINDI, MAR 12 (DNA) – Geoffrey Shaw, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan called on General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) at GHQ. During the meeting matters of mutual interest, overall regional situation including Afghan Peace Process and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed. COAS said that Pakistan values its strong diplomatic, economic and defence relations with Australia. Both reiterated the desire to further enhance bilateral cooperation including efforts for peace and security in the region. Australian High Commissioner appreciated Pakistan’s positive role for regional peace &Read More
Erdoğan unveils Turkey’s economic reform plan
ANKARA, MAR 12 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday unveiled a long-promised economic reform package that he hopes will boost the confidence of skittish foreign investors and temper inflation while boosting trade. It included tax breaks for small business owners and a pledge to improve efficiency that could help export-driven growth. “The package aims to grow the Turkish economy on the basis of investment, production, jobs, and exports,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told the Economic Reforms Introductory Meeting at the Halic Congress Center in Istanbul. Turkey will raise its potential growth through boosting production efficiency thanks to this reform package, Erdoğan noted. “We aimRead More