#Nawaz Sharif on peace

[thehansindiaseo]

Nawaz Sharif: Jaishankar’s Visit Opens Path for India-Pak Relations

Nawaz Sharif praises Jaishankar's visit as a positive start, urging India and Pakistan to move forward, signaling hopes for improved diplomatic relations.

[mariacallous]

The results of Pakistan’s general elections on Feb. 8 reflected widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s civil and military establishment, but they seem to have brought about the opposite of what many voters wanted. Independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party—barred from running under its banner—won more seats in parliament than any major party, but not enough for a majority. Parliamentary arithmetic necessitates a coalition, and Khan, who is in prison on corruption charges, refuses to negotiate with his rivals.

Pakistan’s next government will instead be formed by a coalition of legacy parties, including the center-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and the center-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by former President Asif Ali Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. On Feb. 8, Pakistan’s entrenched political order—in which parties vie for votes as well as the powerful military’s favor—was jolted but did not crumble. Although PTI’s surprising performance damaged the military’s reputation and mystique, the military’s ability to influence the course of events remains intact.

The latest episode in Pakistan’s game of thrones comes amid a serious economic crisis as well as security threats from the resurgent Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups. Political polarization makes it difficult to address Pakistan’s swelling debt and deficit. With a GDP of $340 billion, Pakistan must repay nearly $78 billion in external debt before 2026. Imposing taxes on key sectors of the economy—agriculture, real estate, retail—is difficult without political consensus. And amid the uncertainty, various loss-making state-owned enterprises, from Pakistan International Airlines to the country’s power distribution companies, which collectively cost the government around $1.7 billion annually, cannot be privatized.

Pakistan also needs a comprehensive strategy to deal with jihadi groups, which are now responsible for terrorist attacks inside the country but were once encouraged or tolerated as part of unconventional warfare against India and a way to secure influence in Afghanistan. Populist narratives blaming India, Israel, and the United States for holding back Pakistan’s progress hinder action against extremists, who portray themselves as Islamist heroes. Meanwhile, peace with India, relations with the West, and ties to economic benefactors in the Arab world are now held hostage to Pakistan’s internal divisions: Those holding office at any given time are often accused by their opponents of selling out Pakistan’s interests.

If there was ever a time for Pakistan’s squabbling politicians to form a government of national unity, it would be now. Given the fragmented election results and allegations of vote-rigging, a stable cross-party government could pave the way for the military’s withdrawal from politics. It could also help Pakistan transition away from its long-standing tradition of one major politician or another being in jail—such as Khan—while their supporters are harassed. Parliamentary debates on alternative policy ideas could replace the current shouting matches between rival leaders’ supporters about who is more corrupt.

But rather than inspiring unity, the coalition government that is taking shape will immediately face opposition from Khan’s supporters. As things stand, it seems unlikely that Pakistan’s divisions will end anytime soon. The results of last week’s elections confirmed voters’ weariness with the political elite and dynastic politics, as well as with the meddling—both overt and covert—by the country’s generals. Widespread dissatisfaction with the economy and the absence of opportunities for Pakistan’s burgeoning young population have given rise to populist politics that will not lead to reconciliation.

Khan, the cricket star-turned-quintessential populist leader, dismisses the idea of a negotiated settlement with his political opponents. He has built a powerful narrative of victimhood that blames Pakistan’s political elites and foreign conspiracies for the country’s problems. His grandiloquence may not offer realistic solutions, but it does create an outlet for powerless people to vent their rage and frustration. Khan seems to believe that a revolution could give him greater power than embracing the idea of a new national pact. Instead of using PTI’s electoral success to talk to the other major parties, Khan has offered an alliance proposal to two minor religious parties, although one of them has already refused the partnership.

After his initial arrest in May 2023, the former leader encouraged attacks against military installations, according to an aide; he could now encourage violent protests against alleged election rigging in another attempt to ignite a street revolution. But the May 9 attacks paved the way for a harsher crackdown on PTI than if there had not been violent turmoil. Hundreds of party activists were arrested while thousands faced intimidation from security services. It would be irresponsible of Khan to put his supporters’ lives and freedom at risk.

Ironically, Khan came to power in 2018 with the help of Pakistan’s military and security services as a crusader against corrupt civilian politicians. The generals built up Khan as an alternative to these politicians, many of whom had quarreled with the military at some point in the past. But Khan also ran afoul of the military as prime minister because he defied the generals’ wishes and mismanaged the economy; his populism harmed Pakistan’s precarious external relations. To remove Khan from office, the military turned to the same politicians it had sought to discredit.

After his ouster in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, Khan saw an opportunity to continue his anti-elite bombast, adding the country’s top generals to the list of villains from whom he would save Pakistan. His supporters lapped it up. The military has influenced the country’s politics for decades, but it now faces a unique challenge. Khan has poisoned even traditionally pro-army constituencies by arguing that the generals were acting at the behest of the United States—allegations that Washington denies—and against Pakistan’s interests. Military leaders have now been trying to get an entire nation to change direction away from Khan for nearly two years with little success.

The generals and their new civilian allies may have assumed that jailing Khan, bringing back Sharif from exile, and implementing repressive measures—such as barring PTI-affiliated candidates’ access to the media—would ensure the election result that they wanted. Instead, young PTI activists used social media to mobilize voters and upended the establishment’s plans.

Still, the reaction of voters to the Pakistani military’s highhandedness is unlikely to unleash a revolution. In the short term, the country will continue to have a weak civilian government willing to work closely with the military while Khan will remain in prison and his party will remain out of power. Any widespread political violence will only result in a clamor for the military to take over and restore order.

For years, Pakistan’s military has repeated the cycle of “elect, dismiss, disqualify, and arrest” for civilian politicians. But in the long term, the country’s leaders must collectively address the widespread frustration and polarization that has contributed the success of Khan’s populism. Although unlikely, Khan changing tack and accepting political compromise could also help ease Pakistan’s pain. In any case, the hostility toward the military’s political role among its former supporters makes it difficult for generals to act as if nothing has changed.

[dpr-lahore-division]

With compliments from, The Directorate General Public Relations,

Government of the Punjab, Lahore. 99201390

 

No.1291/Zafar/Mujahid

HANDOUT (A)

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Greets Christian Community on Christmas

Lahore, 24 December 2024: Chief Minister  Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has conveyed a message of happiness and love to the Christian community in Pakistan and across the globe on the eve of Christmas. She extended Christmas greetings to the Christian community and said that she equally shares their rejoice in Christmas festivities. Christmas conveys a message of peace, love and service.” 

She said, “The Christian community of Pakistan has always rendered commendable services in the development, education, health and other sectors of the country. I highly acknowledge invaluable sacrifices and hard work of the minority community and pay them rich tribute as well.”

 

She added, “The Punjab government is taking vigorous steps for the protection of the rights of all minorities and their welfare. It is a matter of great pride that Punjab has become the center of interfaith harmony in Pakistan. We are committed to the protection of minorities and a better life as it is among Punjab government’s foremost priorities.” 

She said, “The Punjab government is launching “Minority Card” soon. The Minority Card will provide financial assistance to the needy minority brothers and sisters through NADRA.  According to the vision of Quaid-e-Azam, we will establish such a Pakistan where every religion and every community gets equal rights and protection. The atmosphere of love, tolerance, brotherhood and religious harmony is the real strength of our country.”

**  **

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.12 (after 1970)

1970 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization continues as President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will withdraw 40,000 more troops before Christmas. 1971 – The 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire begins. 1973 – President Nixon nominates House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford as the successor to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew. 1976 – Indian Airlines Flight 171 crashes at Santacruz Airport in Bombay, India, killing 95. 1977 – Hua Guofeng succeeds Mao Zedong as paramount leader of China. 1979 – Typhoon Tip becomes the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded. 1983 – Japan's former Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei is found guilty of taking a $2 million bribe from the Lockheed Corporation, and is sentenced to four years in jail. 1984 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army fail to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet. The bomb kills five people and wounds at least 31 others. 1988 – Two officers of the Victoria Police are gunned down execution-style in the Walsh Street police shootings, Australia. 1992 – A 5.8 earthquake occurred in Cairo, Egypt. At least 510 died. 1994 – The Magellan spacecraft burns up in the atmosphere of Venus. 1994 – Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 746 crashes near Natanz, Iran, killing all 66 people on board. 1996 – New Zealand holds its first general election under the new mixed-member proportional representation system, which led to Jim Bolger's National Party forming a coalition government with Winston Peters's New Zealand First. 1997 – The Sidi Daoud massacre in Algeria kills 43 people at a fake roadblock. 1998 – Matthew Shepard, a gay student at University of Wyoming, dies five days after he was beaten outside of Laramie. 1999 – Pervez Musharraf takes power in Pakistan from Nawaz Sharif through a bloodless coup. 1999 – The former Autonomous Soviet Republic of Abkhazia declares its independence from Georgia. 2000 – The USS Cole, a US Navy destroyer, is badly damaged by two al-Qaeda suicide bombers, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39. 2002 – Terrorists detonate bombs in two nightclubs in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, killing 202 and wounding over 200. 2005 – The second Chinese human spaceflight, Shenzhou 6, is launched, carrying two cosmonauts in orbit for five days. 2010 – The Finnish Yle TV2 channel's Ajankohtainen kakkonen current affairs program airs controversial Homoilta episode (literally "gay night"), which leads to the resignation of almost 50,000 Finns from the Evangelical Lutheran Church. 2012 – The European Union wins the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. 2013 – Fifty-one people are killed after a truck veers off a cliff in Peru. 2013 – An apartment building collapse in Medellín, Colombia results in the deaths of twelve people. 2017 – The United States announces its decision to withdraw from UNESCO. Israel immediately follows. 2018 – Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. 2019 – Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall in Japan, killing 10 and forcing the evacuation of one million people. 2019 – Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya becomes the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours with a time of 1:59:40 in Vienna. 2019 – The Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, which is under construction, collapses, killing three workers and injuring 30 others.

[pakmcqspdf]

PAK MCQs Current Affairs | Part 31

 Introduction

Pak MCQs is an educational website dedicated to providing all types of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for various exams and job employment tests, especially for NTS, ECAT, MCAT, CSS, PPSC, and ETEA. Our goal is to assist students in their test preparation by offering a vast collection of current affairs MCQs. These questions are essential for anyone preparing for exams that include current affairs sections.

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Current Affairs MCQs cover a wide range of topics, making them crucial for NTS tests. Students actively seek these types of questions to enhance their preparation. Current Affairs questions are not only informative but also help in scoring high marks as they form a significant portion of many exams.

Key Topics Covered in Current Affairs MCQs

Our collection includes questions on various topics such as international events, national news, economic developments, and significant political changes. These MCQs are sourced from past papers and are updated regularly to ensure relevance and accuracy.

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Current Affairs MCQs are indispensable for anyone preparing for competitive exams. By regularly practicing these questions, you can stay updated and improve your chances of scoring high. At Pak MCQs, we are committed to providing the most relevant and updated content to help students achieve their academic and career goals.

The page where are you going to get the Current Affairs MCQs. The following all questions will help you in all test preparation of exams and jobs, admission test. I have focused to share unique and important information which help student in test preparation. Some of mcqs I have get from past papers. The Current Affairs MCQs is very important section in test preparation. Because ten percent mcqs given from Current Affairs MCQs so if you well prepare this section than you get high marks. The Pak MCQs is providing all subjects mcqs for all test preparation our aim is to help student in test preparation online.

i hope you like this read and share with other's to help in test preparation for more daily updates like our Facebook Page,Whatsapp Channel,Twitter,   

301)     Which country unveiled plans to issue world's first digital currency?

            (a) Ecuador

            b) Switzerland

            c) Sweden

            d) Brazil

302)     Which country lifted the arms embargo on Pakistan on 4th June 2014?

            a) USA

            b) France

            c) Russia

            d) China

303)     Under the reign of which Prime Minister was the operation Zarb-e-Azb Conducted?

            a) Raja pervaiz Ashraf

            b) Yosef Raza Gillani

            c) Nawaz Sharif

            d) Shokat Aziz

304)     Which Army Chief of Pakistan Initiated the Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014?

            a) Asif Nawaz Janjua

            b) Raheel Sharif

            c) Ashfaq Pervez Kyani

            d) Pervaiz Musharaf

305)     Who became the youngest person ever at the age of 17 to receive the Nobel Prize, for the struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education in 2014?

            a) Malala Yousafzai

            b) Patrick Modiano

            c) Eric Betzig

            d) Stefan Hell

306)     Who was the Pakistani to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2014?

            a) Abdul Sattar Edhi

            b) Malala Yousafzai

            c) Abdus Salam

            d) Abdul Qadir Khan

307)     What is the name of the short range surface-to-surface air nuclear capable missile with a maximum range of 60 kilometers test fired by Pakistan on 26th September 2014?

            a) Hatf II

            b) Hatf IX

            c) Hatf I

            d) Hatf III

308)     Which Bill was passed on July 2nd, 2014, allowing the security forces of Pakistan to shoot suspects on sight, arrest suspects without a warrant and withhold information about where detainees are being held or what they are being charged with?

            a) Federal Court Act, 2014

            b) Anti-terrorism bill, 2014

            c) The Protection of Pakistan Act, 2014

            d) National Protection Act, 2014

309)     In which country was the World's first Android Newscaster, Kodomoroid unveiled?

            a) Japan

            b) China

            c) USA

            d) Germany

310)     Which became the first EU country to officially recognize the State of Palestine on 30 October 2014?

            a) Sweden

            b) France

            c) Italy

            d) Spain

[smqazi]

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN SO- CALLED ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN, WHICH IS NEITHER ISLAMIC NOR REPUBLIC, UNFORTUNATELY!

Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic. On April 11, parliament elected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister and head of government. This parliamentary election, conducted in accordance with procedures in the constitution, followed a successful no-confidence vote in the National Assembly called by opposition parties, which replaced the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf administration by bringing to power a coalition government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. In 2018, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won the most National Assembly seats in the general elections, and the party’s leader, Imran Khan, became prime minister. 

While independent observers noted technical improvements in the Election Commission of Pakistan’s management of the polling process itself, observers, civil society organizations, and political parties raised concerns regarding pre-election interference by military and intelligence agencies that created an uneven electoral playing field. Some political parties also alleged significant polling day irregularities.

Police have primary domestic security responsibility for most of the country. Local police are under the jurisdiction of provincial governments. Paramilitary organizations, including the Frontier Corps that operates in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, as well as the Rangers that operate in Sindh and Punjab, provide security services under the authority of the Ministry of Interior. 

The Frontier Corps’ primary mission is security of the border with Afghanistan, and the corps reports to the Ministry of Interior in peacetime and the army in times of conflict. The military plays a role in domestic security, including as the lead security agency in many areas of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas. While military and intelligence services officially report to civilian authorities, they operate independently and without effective civilian oversight or control. There were reports that members of the security forces committed numerous abuses.

Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings by the government or its agents; forced disappearance by the government or its agents; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government or its agents; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary detention; political prisoners; transnational repression against individuals in another country; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence against journalists, unjustified arrests and disappearances of journalists, censorship, and criminal defamation laws, and laws against blasphemy; serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, including overly restrictive laws for the operation of nongovernmental organizations and civil society organizations; severe restrictions of religious freedom; restrictions on freedom of movement; serious government corruption; lack of investigation of and accountability for gender-based violence; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting members of racial and ethnic minorities; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex persons; the existence or use of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults; restrictions on workers’ freedom of association; and existence of the worst forms of child labor.

There was a lack of government accountability, and abuses, including corruption and misconduct by security services, often went unpunished, fostering a culture of impunity among perpetrators. Authorities seldom investigated or punished government officials for reported human rights abuses or acts of corruption.

Violence, abuse, and social and religious intolerance by militant organizations and other nonstate actors, both local and foreign, contributed to a culture of lawlessness. Terrorist violence and human rights abuses by nonstate actors contributed to human rights problems, with terrorist violence exceeding that of the prior year. Terrorist and cross-border militant attacks against civilians, soldiers, and police caused hundreds of casualties. Military, police, and other law enforcement agencies continued to carry out significant campaigns against militant and terrorist groups.

REFERENCES:

[jobaaj]

🔴BREAKING NEWS: Pakistan has admitted its fault! Nawaz Sharif claims Pakistan broke its agreement with India!! 🤔 What happened?

Former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif has announced that:

Pakistan breached a peace agreement with India in 1999!

After Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998:

Former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee went to Pakistan.

Both PMs signed a peace agreement.

Sharif claims:

Pakistan broke this agreement.

He admitted this breach was Pakistan's fault!

The Lahore Declaration was a peace agreement between India and Pakistan that was signed on February 21, 1999.

This was a landmark moment for Indo-Pak relations where both countries stressed several important points:

Condemnation of terrorism.

Dealing with nuclear weapons.

The importance of dialogue.

Efforts on the Kashmir issue.

However, three months later:

Pakistani forces launched ‘Operation Badr’.

They infiltrated Indian territory to force India to negotiate on the Kashmir dispute.

In response:

India launched ‘Operation Vijay’.

The Kargil War ended after 2 months of fighting with India’s victory!

😲Interestingly: ▪ This could be due to growing pressure for trade with India! ▪ Pakistani businessmen have been asking the Sharif government to resume trade talks with India. ▪ Pakistan had suspended diplomatic relations and trade with India after the latter revoked Article 370 in 2019. ▪ Now Pakistan has to restart trade with India to help its economy, although India has no reason to do the same! ❓Is Nawaz Sharif trying to cozy up to India? Or is he genuinely apologetic?? Follow Jobaaj Stories (the media arm of Jobaaj.com Group for more)

[werindialive]

Nawaz Sharif accepts that Pakistan violated the peace agreement signed with India in 1999

On Tuesday, Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accepted the fact that Pakistan had ‘violated’ a contract signed between him and ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999. He made the acceptance while referring to the misadventures done by Gen Pervez Musharraf.

He was addressing a meeting of the PML-N general council of which he was recently elected as a President of the ruling party after being disqualified by the Supreme Court 6 years back. in his address, Sharif said, "On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and agreed with us. But we violated that agreement...it was our fault."

The said agreement, the Lahore Declaration, between Pakistan and India was signed by Nawaz Sharif and Ata Bihari Vajpayee on February 21, 1999. While the agreement was signed on bringing peace and stability to the two countries, Pakistan showed intrusion in the Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir a few months later which eventually led to the Kargil conflict.

"President Bill Clinton had offered Pakistan USD 5 billion to stop it from carrying out nuclear tests but I refused. Had (former prime minister) Imran Khan like a person been on my seat he would have accepted Clinton's offer," said Sharif.

Sharif also talked about the role of former ISI chief Gen Zahirul Islam in the conspiracy against his government in 2017 which made Imran Khan the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. "I ask Imran not to blame us (of being patronized by the army) and tell whether Gen Islam had talked about bringing the PTI into power," he said while asking Imran to deny the fact.

For more international news in Hindi, subscribe to our newsletter.

[wordexpress]

Pak Admits Violating Pact With India, Nawaz Sharif Says "Was Our Fault"

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday admitted that Islamabad had "violated" an agreement with India signed by him and ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999, in an apparent reference to the Kargil misadventure by Gen Pervez Musharraf.

"On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement…it was our fault," Sharif told a meeting of the PML-N general council that elected him president of the ruling party six years after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

After a historic summit here, Nawaz Sharif and Ata Bihari Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration on February 21, 1999. The agreement that talked about a vision of peace and stability between the two countries signalled a breakthrough. Still, a few months later Pakistani intrusion in the Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir led to the Kargil conflict.

"President Bill Clinton had offered Pakistan USD 5 billion to stop it from carrying out nuclear tests but I refused. Had (former prime minister) Imran Khan like a person been on my seat he would have accepted Clinton's offer," Sharif said on a day when Pakistan marked the 26th anniversary of its first nuclear tests.

Sharif, 74, talked about how he was removed from the office of the prime minister in 2017 on a false case by then Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar. He said all cases against him were false while the cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder leader Imran Khan were true.

He also talked about the role of former ISI chief Gen Zahirul Islam in toppling his government in 2017 to bring Imran Khan into power. He asked Imran Khan to deny that he was not launched by the ISI.

"I ask Imran not to blame us (of being patronised by the army) and tell whether Gen Islam had talked about bringing the PTI into power," he said and added Khan would sit at the feet of the military establishment.

The three-time premier talked about receiving a message from Gen Islam to resign from the office of prime minister (in 2014). "When I refused, he threatened to make an example of me," he said.

Sharif also praised his younger brother Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for standing by his side through thick and thin. "Efforts were made to create differences between us but Shehbaz remained loyal to me. Even Shehbaz was asked to become PM in the past and leave me but he declined," he said.

[usnewsper-politics]

Pakistan elections: What Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and Kashmir mean for Afghanistan #Afghanistan #ImranKhan #Kashmir #nawazsharif #pakistanelections

[xtruss]

Shocking Opposition Victory Throws Pakistan Into Chaos

The Party of Imran Khan, Illegally Jailed Former Prime Minister, Took The Most Seats, Humiliating the Country’s Corrupt $$$ Military Rulers Who Rigged the Elections heavily and Creating a Political Crisis.

— By Christina Goldbaum | Reporting From Islamabad, Pakistan | February 10, 2024 | The New York Times

Supporters of Imran Khan’s political party rallied on Saturday in Peshawar, Pakistan, asking for the release of the complete results of the parliamentary election. Credit...Arshad Arbab/EPA, via Shutterstock

The party of the imprisoned former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, won the most seats in parliamentary elections this week, delivering a strong rebuke to the country’s powerful generals and throwing the political system into chaos.

While military leaders had hoped the election would put an end to the political turmoil that has consumed the country since Mr. Khan’s ouster in 2022, it has instead plunged it into an even deeper crisis, analysts said.

Never before in the country’s history has a politician seen such success in an election without the backing of the generals — much less after facing their iron fist.

In voting on Thursday, candidates from Mr. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or P.T.I., appeared to win about 97 seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, the country’s election commission reported on Saturday. The military’s preferred party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, or P.M.L.N., led by a three-time former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, won at least 73 seats, the commission said. Only seven seats were left unaccounted for — not enough to change the outcome as reported by the commission.

While candidates aligned with Mr. Khan were set to be the largest group in Parliament, they still fell short of a simple majority — setting off a race between the parties of Mr. Khan and Mr. Sharif to win over other lawmakers and establish a coalition government.

Leaders of Mr. Khan’s party also said they planned court challenges in dozens of races that they believe were rigged by the military, and said they would urge their followers to hold peaceful protests if the remaining results were not released by Sunday.

The success of Mr. Khan’s party was a head-spinning upset in an election that the military thought would be an easy victory for Mr. Sharif. Ahead of last week’s election, Pakistan’s powerful generals had jailed Mr. Khan, arrested candidates allied with him and intimidated his supporters to clear his party from the playing field — or so they thought. Instead, the election results confirmed that Mr. Khan remains a formidable force in Pakistani politics, despite his ouster and subsequent imprisonment.

On Friday evening, Mr. Khan’s party released a victory speech using a computer-generated voice to simulate that of Mr. Khan, who has been jailed since August. “I congratulate you all for your election 2024 victory. I had full confidence that you would all come out to vote,” the A.I.-generated voice said. “Your massive turnout has stunned everybody.”

The success of Mr. Khan’s party upended the decades-old political playbook governing Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 240 million. Throughout those years, the military has wielded ultimate authority, guiding its politics behind a veil of secrecy, and civilian leaders have typically risen to power only with its support — or been driven from office by its heavy hand.

The vote also showed that Mr. Khan’s strategy of preaching reform and railing against the military has resonated deeply with Pakistanis — particularly young people — who are disillusioned with the political system. It also proved that his loyal base of supporters was seemingly immune to the military’s old tactics for demoralizing voters, including arresting supporters and issuing long prison sentences to their political leaders days before the vote.

Mr. Khan, a former cricket star turned populist politician, was sentenced to a total of 34 years in prison after being convicted in four separate cases on charges that included leaking state secrets and unlawful marriage, and that he has called politically motivated.

Three of those verdicts were issued just days before the vote — an old tactic used by the military, analysts say. But early estimates show that around 48 percent of the voters turned out for the election, according to the Free and Fair Election Network, an organization of civil society groups. Voter turnout in the country’s past two elections was about 50 percent, the organization said.

The results were “both an anti-establishment vote and also a vote against the status quo, against the two other major political parties that have been ruling the country and their dynastic politics,” Zahid Hussain, an analyst based in Islamabad, said, referring to the military as the establishment.

Without a simple majority, most analysts believe it will be difficult for Mr. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or P.T.I., to form a government. Some P.T.I. leaders have also suggested that the party would rather remain in the opposition than lead a weakened coalition government with Mr. Khan still behind bars.

Despite lagging behind in the polls, on Friday Mr. Sharif gave a victory speech in front of a crowd of supporters of his party, P.M.L.N. He also invited other parties to join his in forming a coalition government, suggesting that such a coalition would not include P.T.I.

“We are inviting everyone today to rebuild this injured Pakistan and sit with us,” he said in a speech in Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province.

But any coalition Mr. Sharif manages to form will face serious political challenges. The coalition government led by P.M.L.N. after Mr. Khan’s ouster was deeply unpopular and widely criticized for failing to address an economic crisis that has battered the country and sent inflation to record highs.

The incoming government is also likely to face a serious legitimacy crisis. The election on Thursday has also been criticized by some as one of the least credible in the country’s history, and delays in releasing the election results have led to widespread allegations that the military tampered with the vote count to tip the scales back in P.M.L.N.’s favor.

With P.T.I. promising bruising and lengthy court battles over the results, it could be some time before any party manages to form a government.

“We will pursue all legal options, and we will pursue all constitutional options,” said the P.T.I. leader, Raoof Hasan.

— Zia ur-Rehman contributed reporting.

— Christina Goldbaum is the Afghanistan and Pakistan bureau chief for The Times. More about Christina Goldbaum

[dfoxmarketing]

Israel’s Ongoing Gaza Aid Efforts, Hamas Hostages, and Rocket Barrage: The Fight Until Peace

Israeli Military Updates on Gaza Aid and Hamas Hostage Count

As per the Israeli military, helpful guide will just arrive at the southern pieces of the Gaza Strip, where it has encouraged Palestinian individuals to accumulate to try not to battle Hamas. Fuel wouldn’t be remembered for the alleviation supplies, as per Israeli military representative Back Naval commander Daniel Hagari.

He refreshed the quantity of hostages held by Hamas since its assault on Israel on October 7 to 210. He additionally expressed that close to one-fifth of the Palestinian rockets terminated since Friday had neglected to arrive at their objective inside Gaza attributable to fizzles, which brought about losses. This happens as Israel proceeded to vigorously pound locales all through Gaza after Top state leader Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his nation will “battle until triumph” because of Hamas liberating the initial two of its prisoners.

“Enormous number of Hamas dread thinks commonly through the Gaza Strip” included war rooms and battle areas inside multistory plans, as per the IDF, which opponent flies purportedly sought after. Hamas delivered Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and her captured 17-year-old girl Natalie.

Gaza Crisis Sparks Humanitarian Concerns and Ongoing Conflict

The flourishing organization of Gaza guarantees that north of 1,000,000 of the 2.3 million occupants living in the space have been compelled to escape their homes because of Israel’s retaliatory air and rocket assaults, which have brought about the passings of roughly 4,137 Palestinians, a large number of them kids.

Following quite a while of political wrangling, the principal philanthropic stock escort to be moved to the Gaza Strip starting from the beginning of the conflict began going through the Rafah line crossing from Egypt. Life-saving merchandise that would be gotten by the Palestinian Red Bow were important for the guard of twenty trucks. As indicated by Hamas, the freight contained some food and medication however not fuel.

Benjamin Netanyahu pronounced that Israel wouldn’t abandon its objective to “return all snatched and missing individuals” when the prisoners were liberated.

He said, “all the while, we’ll keep on doing combating until we win.”

Yoav Chivalrous, the Israeli priest of safeguard, in any case, expressed that achieving Israel’s objectives wouldn’t be straightforward or speedy.

Also Read: Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif Returns After 4 Years of Self-Exile

“We will obliterate the Hamas association. We will annihilate its military and regulatory framework. Being a troublesome phase is going. There will be an expense, he added, adding that the following stage would take more time however would zeroed in on make “something else entirely circumstance” in which Israel wouldn’t be under risk from Gaza.

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[dpr-lahore-division]

With compliments from, The Directorate General Public Relations,

Government of the Punjab, Lahore Ph. 99201390.

No.1215

HANDOUT (A)

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Aggrieved at Martyrdom of 4 Rangers’ Personnels

Lahore, 26 November 2024: “The martyrs were someone's sons and brothers, injustice was done,” said Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif while expressing a deep sense of sorrow over the martyrdom of 04 Rangers’ personnel. She strongly condemned an attempt of the miscreants to crush Rangers’ personnel with a vehicle.

Madam Chief Minister said, “Is killing and injuring others considered peaceful protest?” She added, “The miscreants are writing a bloody chapter in political history.”

*****

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.12 (after 1950)

1959 – At the national congress of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance in Peru, a group of leftist radicals are expelled from the party who later form APRA Rebelde. 1960 – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe on a desk at the United Nations to protest a Philippine assertion. 1962 – The Columbus Day Storm strikes the U.S. Pacific Northwest with record wind velocities. There was at least U.S. $230 million in damages and 46 people died. 1963 – After nearly 23 years of imprisonment, Reverend Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit missionary, was released from the Soviet Union. 1964 – The Soviet Union launches the Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew, and the first flight without pressure suits. 1967 – A bomb explodes on board Cyprus Airways Flight 284 while flying over the Mediterranean Sea, killing 66. 1968 – Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain. 1970 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization continues as President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will withdraw 40,000 more troops before Christmas. 1971 – The 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire begins. 1973 – President Nixon nominates House Majority Leader Gerald R. Ford as the successor to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew. 1976 – Indian Airlines Flight 171 crashes at Santacruz Airport in Bombay, India, killing 95. 1977 – Hua Guofeng succeeds Mao Zedong as paramount leader of China. 1979 – Typhoon Tip becomes the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded. 1983 – Japan's former Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei is found guilty of taking a $2 million bribe from the Lockheed Corporation, and is sentenced to four years in jail. 1984 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army fail to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet. The bomb kills five people and wounds 31. 1988 – Two officers of the Victoria Police are gunned down execution-style in the Walsh Street police shootings, Australia. 1992 – A 5.8 earthquake occurred in Cairo, Egypt. At least 510 died. 1994 – The Magellan spacecraft burns up in the atmosphere of Venus. 1994 – Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 746 crashes near Nantaz, Iran, killing all 66 people on board. 1996 – New Zealand holds its first general election under the new mixed-member proportional representation system, which led to Jim Bolger's National Party forming a coalition government with Winston Peters's New Zealand First. 1997 – The Sidi Daoud massacre in Algeria kills 43 people at a fake roadblock. 1998 – Matthew Shepard, a gay student at University of Wyoming, dies five days after he was beaten outside of Laramie. 1999 – Pervez Musharraf takes power in Pakistan from Nawaz Sharif through a bloodless coup. 1999 – The former Autonomous Soviet Republic of Abkhazia declares its independence from Georgia. 2000 – The USS Cole, a US Navy destroyer, is badly damaged by two al-Qaeda suicide bombers, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39. 2002 – Terrorists detonate bombs in two nightclubs in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, killing 202 and wounding over 300. 2005 – The second Chinese human spaceflight, Shenzhou 6, is launched, carrying two cosmonauts in orbit for five days. 2010 – The Finnish Yle TV2 channel's Ajankohtainen kakkonen current affairs program airs controversial Homoilta episode (literally "gay night"), which leads to the resignation of almost 50,000 Finns from the Evangelical Lutheran Church. 2012 – The European Union wins the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. 2013 – Fifty-one people are killed after a truck veers off a cliff in Peru. 2017 – The United States announces its decision to withdraw from UNESCO. Israel immediately follows. 2018 – Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. 2019 – Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall in Japan, killing 10 and forcing the evacuation of one million people. 2019 – Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya becomes the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours with a time of 1:59:40 in Vienna. 2019 – The Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, which is under construction, collapses, killing two and injuring 20.

[blogynews]

"Unbelievable! Pakistani Teen Shatters UK Exam Records, Tackling a Whopping 34 Subjects and Nailing the Top Grade - What's Her Secret?"

Mahnoor Cheema, a 16-year-old British-Pakistani girl, has achieved a remarkable feat by securing the top grade in 34 subjects at the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level in London. Her outstanding achievement was recognized and celebrated by notable figures such as former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shehbaz Sharif, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala…

[blogynewz]

"Unbelievable! Pakistani Teen Shatters UK Exam Records, Tackling a Whopping 34 Subjects and Nailing the Top Grade - What's Her Secret?"

Mahnoor Cheema, a 16-year-old British-Pakistani girl, has achieved a remarkable feat by securing the top grade in 34 subjects at the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level in London. Her outstanding achievement was recognized and celebrated by notable figures such as former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shehbaz Sharif, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala…