Live: Elections 2024

This is the end of Dawn.com’s live blog for elections 2024.

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Scrutiny of nomination papers for 48 Senate seats, including 12 each from Punjab and Sindh, 11 from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and two from the federal capital, has been completed, APP reports.

In the federal capital, National Assembly members will elect representatives for one general seat and one seat for technocrats, including Ulema, in the Senate.

Meanwhile, members of the four provincial assemblies will elect senators, including seven for general seats, two for women seats, and two for technocrats, including Ulema, from each province.

Additionally, one seat for non-Muslims will be elected from both Punjab and Sindh provinces.

Polling for the Senate’s vacant seats from the federal capital will take place at Parliament House on April 2, 2024.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has notified Mahmood Khan as the chairman and Malik Afzal Din Khan as the vice chairman of the PTI-Parliamentarians following the party’s intraparty elections.

PTI Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand has questioned the government as to why it is scared of his party’s processions and rallies.

In a conversation on Geo News show ‘Capital Talk’, Mohmand said the permission sought by the party from Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon for the rally on March 23 in Islamabad was to understand the situation.

“We are seeing if they will allow us or not,” he said.

While answering about the PTI’s intentions for the rally, he said the party’s objective for the rally was to raise its complaints regarding the injustice being done.

“I don’t understand why they are scared and jealous of PTI rallies,” he said.

“Maybe it is because they cannot carry out such rallies which is why they are not allowing us either,” he said.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman has said he can not comment on the closure of social media platform X.

In a conversation with Dawn.com later today while answering a question regarding his meeting with the concerned government body on X’s closure, Rehman said that he did attend the meeting, however, he could not say anything regarding the ban.

PTI leader Parvez Elahi suffered a minor fracture after a fall in the prison toilet in Adiala Jail, according to a report from the prison superintendent presented during a hearing today in the Lahore anti-terrorism court.

The report added that the incident occurred on Sunday.

PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat has downplayed the alleged split in the party, adding that the decisions by the party are taken through “collective wisdom”.

“We have no differences between us. There is a difference of opinion on the decision or issue but you should not take that as a conflict between the leadership,” he said while speaking to the media outside Islamabad High Court, adding that the party is united for Imran Khan’s mission.

“There can be differences on specific issues,” he said.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman has said that authority had not received any written order from the interior ministry regarding the closure of X.

“There is just confusion for now,” he said.

While answering a question regarding Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s acknowledgement of the closure, Rehman stated that Tarar should be questioned for any information on X.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman has said a meeting took place on February 8 at 5am in Interior Secretary Aftab Durrani’s office where it transpired that there were security threats on election day.

“We were ordered to shut down the internet [on the day] and we formally tweeted about it as well,” he told Dawn.com.

He stated that it should be clarified whether X is shut or else someone should take responsibility for it.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman has said he will raise the issue of the closure of social media platform X with the interior ministry.

In a telephonic conversation with Dawn.com, he said: “Either the matter should be cleared or someone should take responsibility for it. The closure of social media forums is always directed by the interior ministry.”

When asked whether any instruction was issued regarding shutting down X in the country, the PTA chairman stated that there is just confusion for now.

“I have asked my staff that my internet is working even though I do not have a VPN,” he said, referring to a virtual private network.

British High Commission’s Political Counsellor Zoe Ware has called on PTI leader Asad Qaiser to discuss matters related to parliamentary politics, freedom of expression and mutual interests.

President Asif Zardari has highlighted the need to translate bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bahrain into a “mutually rewarding economic partnership”.

According to the President’s Secretariat, the head of state expressed these views while talking to Commander of the National Guard of Bahrain General Sheikh Mohammad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr today.

Zardari said Pakistan attached great value to its fraternal ties with Bahrain which were based on shared religion, culture and history.

“Welcoming the visiting commander, the president said Pakistan and Bahrain enjoyed excellent relations, which needed to be further strengthened in the areas of mutual interest,” the statement said.

“During the meeting, the commander of the National Guard of Bahrain felicitated the president on assuming the office for the second time and expressed the hope that Pakistan would move forward under his leadership,” it added.

The statement quoted the Bahrain commander as saying that “both countries enjoyed excellent defence cooperation and expressed his gratitude for the supportive role of the armed forces of Pakistan. “

General Khalifa also extended an invitation to President Zardari to visit Bahrain.

PTI leader Khurrum Sher Zaman has applauded the Sindh High Court for issuing a notice to Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

PTI-backed candidates had sought contempt proceedings against the electoral watchdog for not deciding their complaints against provisional results of general elections.

“Kudos to SHC for issuing notice to CEC on PTI pleas,” Zaman said in a post on X.

Interior and Narcotics Minister Mohsin Naqvi has urged to review laws governing social media in light of the prevailing disruption of X.

Speaking to the media in Lahore today alongside PPP leader Ali Haider Gilani, the security czar gave an example of how the US House passed a bill to ban TikTok.

“In a country like the US where such things (ban) are taking place, we will also need to review our law and make sure that there is ‘no ban’ on the freedom of expression,” Naqvi added.

The interior minister emphasised that the misuse of social media which results in levelling unfounded allegations “needs to be kept in check”.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has defended the party’s decision to have winning candidates backed by it join the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

Speaking to reporters, he said, “There is no difference with the SIC. The decision to join the SIC was absolutely right and the better decision.”

The PTI MNA emphasised, “ We kept striving for our party symbol and wanted to contest [the elections] on our [electoral] symbol.“

Gohar reiterated that it was the SIC-PTI coalition’s “right” to get reserved seats in the assemblies.

Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Raja Nasir has said that Pakistan cannot “afford” such politics where “power is transferred among generations”.

In a post on X, Nasir said that a “horde of losers from Britain is taking Pakistan towards destruction” — an apparent reference to the PML-N.

“The same people are responsible for this destruction who have occupied power for the past 40 years,” the MWM chief added.

The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has said that it was “impossible” for the country’s situation to improve unless its leaders “prioritised public interests over their own”.

The PTI, without naming, has alleged that all projects under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz were for “personal publicity and gathering false praises on social media”.

In a post on X, the party said, “Lights, camera, action”. It claimed that food packages were “taken back” after photographing people with it and shared a video of a few Punjabi-speaking residents claiming that “photo sessions” were held.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has appointed Zeeshan Malik as the special assistant to CM on political affairs, according to a notification shared by the PML-N on X.

Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “got ‘selected’ in the same manner” as Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently extended his rule for another six years after winning the elections.

In a statement posted on his X account attributed to him, Fawad also compared the premier to Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina Wajid.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has appointed Saima Farooq as the personal secretary to CM, according to a notification shared by MPA Hina Parvez Butt on X.

Iranian Consul General Mehran Mowahid has met PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz and congratulated her on being elected as the Punjab chief minister, the party said on X.

During the meeting, it was decided that the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore would be decorated on the occasion of Nowruz on March 20.

PTI leader Khurrum Sher Zaman has raised questions over PLM-N supremo Nawaz Sharif chairing Punjab Assembly meetings when he was only an MNA.

Questions were raised when Nawaz on Monday made a conspicuous appearance by chairing three administrative meetings of the Punjab government.

“In what capacity is Nawaz Sharif presiding over administrative meetings?” Zaman asked in a post on X.

“He is only an MNA, and that too with a stolen mandate,” the PTI leader added.

Disruption of social media platform X has continued for over a month as civil society and rights activists raised their concerns about the situation.

Referring to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s recent comments on the disruption, BoloBhi Director Usama Khilji said, “Finally some acknowledgement.”

“When will [the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority] speak up as per its legal mandate?” he asked in a post on X.