President Asif Ali Zardari telephoned PML-N chief and prime minister-elect Nawaz Sharif on Monday. — File Photo

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday telephoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and prime minister-elect Nawaz Sharif, felicitating him on winning the historic May 11 polls, DawnNews reported.

He also felicitated the former two-time prime minister on achieving majority of the seats in the parliament and expressed his hope that Nawaz would be able to strengthen the democratic process during his political tenure.

President Zardari, on the occasion, hoped that Sharif will attend the dinner in honour of prime minister of China later this week.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is set to visit Pakistan on Tuesday. He is expected to sign on some key agreements between the two countries during his visit.

The president also telephoned JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan.

Spokesperson to the president Senator Farhatullah Babar said the president congratulated the leaders and their respective parties on participation in elections paving way for the first democratic transition in the country.

The spokesperson quoted the president as saying that the elections followed by smooth transfer of power in the coming days will be remembered as a watershed mark in our political evolution and a triumph of the democratic ethos of the people and the political parties. – APP/DawnNews

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari. — File Photo

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari, in a meeting with Pakistan People’s Party’s ticket-bearers from Punjab on Monday, held national and international institutions responsible for the party’s defeat in the general elections.

The meeting was held at Bilawal House in Lahore in which senior party leaders were also present.

Following rigging allegations by various parties in the aftermath of May 11 polls, President Zardari also claimed that his party was defeated through planned rigging.

The president has formed a probe committee, which will be headed by Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, to ascertain reasons for the PPP’s resounding defeat in the recently held general elections across the country.

Pointing towards his expected exit from the presidency, he said that by the end of year, he himself will lead the party out of its current crisis.

President Zardari’s term in office is due to end this September.

He said his children – Bilawal, Aseefa and Bakhtawar – will also play their role in mobilising the party again.

Former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, former Punjab governor Sardar Latif Khosa, former PPP central Punjab president Mian Manzoor Wattoo, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and other important leaders also attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, PPP supporters gathered outside Bilawal House in great numbers to record their protest against imprudent policies of the party leadership, which they said led to its defeat in the polls.

They cited alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) as the main reason for the party’s downfall.

President Asif Ali Zardari.—File Photo

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari, who arrived here from Islamabad on Sunday afternoon on a two-day visit, would preside over a meeting of the Punjab PPP leaders on Monday.

President Zardari attended a dinner hosted by the South Asia Free Media Association.

A rumour was doing the rounds in the city that Mr Zardari would visit PTI Chairman Imran Khan who is being treated in the Shaukat Khanum Hospital for injuries he suffered from a fall during an election rally.

But Imran Khan has reportedly shown little interest in receiving the president.

Presidential spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said Mr Zardari was not scheduled to visit the hospital.—Staff Reporter

President Asif Ali Zardari. —File Photo

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on the advice of the prime minister has approved the extension of ‘criminal law (Third Amendment) Act, 2011’ to the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Spokesperson to the president Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the president, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of article 247 of the constitution of Pakistan, has approved and signed the notification.

The Criminal Law Act, 2011 shall now apply to the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

After the extension in the criminal act, section 310-A of Pakistan penal code now provides for punishment of up to 7 year imprisonment but not less than 3 years and a fine of five hundred thousand rupees for giving a female in marriage or otherwise in badla-e-Sulh, Wanni or Swara or any other custom or practice under any name, in consideration of settling a civil dispute or a criminal liability.

Whereas, sections 498-A, B& C, dealing with offences against women, now provides for prohibition of depriving women from inheriting property, prohibition of forced marriage and prohibition of marriage with the Holy Quran respectively.

The summary received in the presidency states that the KP governor has approved the proposal for extension of the said act and accordingly the home and tribal affairs department of the province, after being vet by the law, justice and parliamentary affairs division submitted the summary to the prime minister through the ministry of states and frontier regions for onward submission to the president for his approval.

The spokesperson said that under article 247 of the constitution, no act of parliament or provincial assembly shall apply to PATA or any part thereof unless the governor of province, in which the tribal area is situated, with the approval of the president, so directs.

President Asif Ali Zardari chairs a meeting at Bilawal House in Karachi. – PPI Photo/File

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved a coalition government with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Sindh province, Pakistan People’s Party leader Naveed Qamar told Dawn.com on Tuesday.

Qamar said the president has felicitated all successful electoral candidates on winning election from their respective constituencies and directed them to strive hard for development of their areas. The president will monitor the progress himself, he said.

Earlier, a party meeting, headed by President Zardari, was held at Bilawal House in Karachi. Elected MNAs and MPAs of the PPP belonging to Sindh province were present in the meeting.

The newly elected members of the assemblies apprised the president about the situation arising after the May 11 polls. Formation of the provincial government in Sindh came under discussion in the meeting also.

Speaking to media representatives prior to the meeting, PPP’s senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah regretted the fact that he was a part of the team which was tasked to empower the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). “A record breaking rigging has been witnessed in elections under this election commission,” said Shah.

He vowed that the PPP will play a role of a powerful opposition both in Senate and the National Assembly.

Senator Raza Rabbani told the media that the party has been part of different governments in the past and understands the parliamentary matters very well. He said parties in the provincial governments might not get elected next time if they fail to deliver this time.

In an apparent reference to Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Aitzaz Ahsan and Mian Manzoor Wattoo, former chief minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah said the party leadership should face the music rather than resigning from their respective posts and going home. The PPP has faced even more adverse situations in the past, he added.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that they have accepted the poll results and vowed to respect the public mandate given to the party in Sindh.

68 MPAs and 29 elected MNAs belonging to the party participated in the meeting.

Asif Mehmood contributed to this report from Karachi

President Asif Ali Zardari.—File Photo

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari felicitated the nation on Monday on the holding of the May 11 elections to mark the first democratic transition in the country. However, he made no mention of the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif whose party secured the highest number of seats in the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, PPP president Amin Fahim accepted the results of the elections, although with some reservations. He also did not say anything about PML-N’s victory.

The president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted him as saying: “Holding of elections in accordance with the constitutional provisions is a triumph of the people, of democracy and of the system put in place for democratic transition.”

President Zardari felicitated all the national institutions and individuals who had worked hard to make possible the holding of this gigantic exercise so vital for the strengthening of democracy.

“The people of Pakistan have spoken through the ballot.”

The president expressed the hope that the next phase of democratic transition — the smooth transfer of power in accordance with the will of the people as expressed by them through the vote — would also be completed soon in accordance with the constitution.

When asked about the president and PPP not congratulating Nawaz Sharif on his victory, Senator Babar said the president would invite the victorious party to form its government at the centre soon after issuance of a notification of the results by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). “How can the president felicitate any party or its leaders and invite it for forming the government unless the Election Commission issues the notification?” he said in reply to a question in this regard.

He also said that the PPP had decided to sit on the opposition benches in the National Assembly.

“The PPP has decided that it will play a robust role within and outside parliament to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions,” he added.

And Mr Amin Fahim said: “The PPP accepts the verdict of the people as expressed by them through the May 11 vote.”

In a statement, he said although the party had serious reservations about the fairness of the polls, it has accepted the results in the interest of political stability, democracy and welfare of the people.

He complained that a level playing field had not been provided to the PPP and some other parties.

“Denial of a level playing field to the PPP and other democratic parties by militants on one hand and gerrymandering in a number of constituencies on the other has eroded the credibility of the elections,” he said.

Mr Fahim said PPP’s protests against unfairness in the polls had been heeded neither by the ECP nor by the caretaker government.

He called upon the ECP to look into all the complaints the PPP had lodged with it and redress them in accordance with the law.

President Asif Ali Zardari.—File Photo

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which has surfaced as the leading party in the 2013 polls, is going to let President Asif Ali Zardari complete his remaining five months in the office, says a party leader.

Former law minister in Punjab province, Rana Sanauallah told Dawn.com on Monday that President Zardari is a constitutional president and the PML-N would not risk taking any unconstitutional steps.

“No one amongst the party leadership ever suggested of removing Zardari right away if PML-N wins the general elections,” said Sanaullah.

Speaking to a private TV channel, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had also said last week that he has no reservations regarding taking oath from Zardari which he said is according to the constitution.

On the other hand, PTI chief Imran khan had openly stated that his party will not take oath from President Zardari.

The PML-N leaders will take oath from a democratically elected president whether we like him or not, said Rana Sanaullah. “Only if the parliament goes for a vote of confidence against President Zardari then we will take the necessary step,” he said.

“But even that hasn’t been decided yet,” he added.

The PML-N leader also denied reports of the party opting to go for a future president from Balochistan.

Former prime minister and head of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif waves to supporters after his party victory in general election in Lahore on May 11, 2013.—File Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday telephoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif and congratulated him on winning the historic May 11 polls, DawnNews reported.

Zardari also felicitated the former two-time prime minister on achieving majority of the seats in the parliament and expressed his hope that Nawaz would be able to strengthen the democratic process during his political tenure.

However, PML-N spokesperson when contacted denied any such phone call.

President Asif Ali Zardari.—File Photo

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has voted by post in Pakistan’s landmark general election, a spokesman confirmed on the eve of polls which the Taliban have vowed to attack with suicide bombers.

“Yes he has cast his vote through a postal ballot,” presidency spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP.

The Taliban have directly threatened Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its main secular coalition partners, which the party says dramatically curtailed its ability to campaign in public.

Zardari’s wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in a gun and suicide attack in 2007 before the last election and her successor as PPP chairman, their son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is too young to run.

It is unclear whether Bilawal will even vote. Party officials have said the threats against him are too serious for him to appear in public.

Babar confirmed to AFP that Bilawal had been denied permission for a postal ballot but did not give an explanation.

Zardari’s two daughters, Aseefa and Bakhtawar, also cast their votes by post, the spokesman said, providing no further information. The precise whereabouts of the family has not been announced.