SKARDU, Nov 10: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday promised free, fair and transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and a level playing field for all political parties. Addressing a public meeting at the Police Ground, the prime minister said the region had a vast hydroelectric potential and development of the sector would help reduce poverty and unemployment. Mr Gilani said that work on Diamer-Bhasha and Bunji dams would start soon, adding that over Rs5 billion…
Posts published in November 2009
By Farman Ali in The Dawn, Nov 11 Elections in Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday would be an historic occasion but a lost opportunity for the people of Ghanche District as none of the candidates contesting there campaigned on the issues fundamental to the people. Ghanche covers an area of 4,116 square kilometers and is the most strategically placed district of the disputed region — and also the most backward. It borders the Ladakh region of the…
LAHORE, Nov 9: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s observers have arrived in Gilgit to monitor the general election in Gilgit-Baltistan to be held on Nov 12. The HRCP team, led by co-chairperson Mr. Iqbal Haider, consists of rights activists and members of governing body, including Mr. Husain Naqi, Mr. Kamran Arif, Ms Uzma Noorani, Ms Parveen Soomro, and Mr. Najam-u-Din. The HRCP has already organised a consultation with stakeholders and trained local observers for monitoring…
The Business Recorder, Nov 10 GILGIT: The election campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan reach at its peak as election activities will end at 8:00 pm today according to election order. The political environment is hot despite freezing cold and different political parties organizing corner meetings. Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan Rahim Nawaz Khan Durrani said arrangements have been completed for the elections of Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly which will be held on November 12. Security has also tightened, he…
The Dawn, Nov 10 HUNZA, Nov 9: While PPP leaders promised on Monday to provide all resources for the development of Hunza, MQM representatives accused the PPP-led government of resorting to pre-poll rigging by misusing BISP funds. They were addressing election rallies at different places in Hunza. Syed Khursheed Shah, Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower, addressing gatherings in Aliabad and Gulmit as part of the election campaign of PPP candidate Wazir Baig, said that…
By Maqsood Tirmizi in The Nation, Nov 10 ISLAMABAD – Denying the reports of her sacking from the slot of In-charge PML-Q Gilgit-Baltistan Elections Campaign, Marvi Memon Monday said that party President Ch. Shujaat Hussain was satisfied with her performance and had congratulated her for arranging a successful political gathering at Lalakjan Stadium, Gilgit. “Reports of my sacking are baseless and you may confirm it from PML-Q President,” Marvi told The Nation. It is worth…
ByBronwen Maddox: World Briefing Will it be China that finally pays the huge bills for repairing and rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq — and reaps the rewards? It’s looking that way: as the US and Britain look for an exit from the battle zones, China is digging in. From its point of view, the wreckage of other governments’ half-completed wars offers a chance to strike deals on terms that look cheap on all but the most…
By Tariq Naqash in The Dawn, Nov 5 MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 4: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider issued on Wednesday a stern warning to teachers against absenteeism, saying the government would take punitive measures to arrest the unfortunate trend. Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of AJK Headmasters Association, Mr Haider announced that the government would monitor the attendance of teachers in schools through intelligence agencies which were supposed to serve as its…
By Farooq Ahmed in The Dawn, Nov 5 GILGIT, Nov 4: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has come down hard on the bureaucracy in Gilgit-Baltistan and warned to mend its traditional way or face the music. PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, while talking to party leaders and candidates here on Wednesday, said that the common people were source of power and the bureaucrats were mere public servants. He stressed accountability of officials. Mr Ahmed claimed…
By Tariq Naqash in The Dawn, Nov 2 MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 1: Renowned Kashmiri human rights activist Dr Syed Nazir Gilani has asked Pakistan to stick to the right to self-determination instead of using the vague term of “aspirations” of the people of Kashmir. “It would be wrong and unwise on the part of Pakistan to skip the urgent need to clarify between accession, self-determination and aspirations on the one hand and unfairly hope to manipulate…
The Dawn, Nov 3 ( The author is Co-chairman, Pakistan-India Citizens Friendship Forum, Karachi) IN the midst of the attacks in Pakistan by terrorists and militants, the offer of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resume the peace process – dialogue — with Pakistan came as a pleasant response as we do need to have a sense of security and peace on our eastern border so that more emphasis may be given by security forces to…