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☆ Salman Rushdie says he had a ‘premonition’ of being attacked just days before the stabbing that left him blind in one eye
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Renowned author Salman Rushdie has revealed more details about the knife attack that left him blind in one eye, telling CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he had a “premonition” of the event just days beforehand. “I said to my wife, Eliza, ‘I don’t want to go’ because of the dream. And then I thought, ‘Don’t be silly, it’s a dream,’” he recalled. Hadi Matar, the man accused of stabbing Rushdie and another person on stage, pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault. “I was watching (blood) spread and then thinking I was probably dying,” Rushdie added.

Persons: Salman Rushdie, Anderson Cooper, “, Eliza, ‘, ’ ”, Rushdie, ”, Satan, Prophet Mohammed, Iran’s, Ruhollah Khomeini, Kai Pfaffenbach, ” Rushdie, couldn’t, Hadi Matar, Nathaniel Barone, Barone, Booker, it’s Organizations: CNN, CBS, Chautauqua Institution, BBC, Reuters, New York, Defense Locations: New York, Mumbai, Islamabad

☆ Pakistan court grants Imran Khan appeal of graft conviction, sentence suspended
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, gestures as he speaks to the members of the media at his residence in Lahore, Pakistan May 18, 2023. A Pakistani court on Monday granted former Prime Minister Imran Khan an appeal of his conviction for graft and suspended his 14-year jail sentence, his party said. Just a week ahead of Feb. 8 elections, Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were both handed a 14-year sentence on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts. Khan remains in jail after multiple other sentences were imposed on the ex-cricket star ahead of the national polls, which also disqualified him from holding any public office for 10 years. Islamabad High Court said that the couple's sentence will remain suspended until a final decision on the conviction which will be taken up for arguments and evidence as a main petition after Eid holidays, the party said in a statement.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan, Bushra Bibi Organizations: Court Locations: Lahore, Pakistan, Islamabad

☆ Dasu dam: Chinese workers killed in suicide bomb blast as Pakistan grapples with attacks on Beijing’s interests
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences for the death of the Chinese nationals during a visit Tuesday to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, where he met with Beijing’s ambassador. The blast Tuesday follows two militant attacks in recent days in southwest Pakistan, where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Half a year later, a separatist group attacked a luxury hotel in Gwadar, often used by Chinese nationals working at the port. In August last year, BLA militants opened fire on a Pakistani military convoy in Gwadar as it was escorting a delegation of Chinese nationals to a construction project. Two militants were killed and no harm was caused to any military personnel or civilians, according to the Pakistani military.

Persons: Muhammad Ali Gandapur, Xi, Tuesday’s, Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, ”, “ Organizations: Islamabad CNN —, Beijing . Senior, Taliban, Foreign Ministry, Embassy, Beijing’s, Baloch Liberation, Pakistan Economic, Pakistan Stock Exchange Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, China, Afghanistan, restive, Balochistan, Gwadar, Beijing, Xinjiang, Karachi

☆ Suicide Bomber Kills 5 Chinese Workers in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Salman Masood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At least five Chinese workers were killed on Tuesday when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into their convoy in northern Pakistan, officials said. Their Pakistani driver was also killed in the attack. The Chinese laborers were working on the Dasu dam, a hydropower project on the Indus River in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The convoy was moving from Islamabad to Dasu and came under attack around 1 p.m., officials said. This was the second-deadliest attack on Chinese working on the project, after a previous suicide attack on a convoy in 2021.

Locations: Pakistan, Pakistani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Dasu, China, Baluchistan, Gwadar

☆ Shehbaz Sharif: Pakistani legislators elect new prime minister to head coalition
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Azaz Syed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Islamabad CNN —Pakistani legislators on Sunday elected Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s prime minister nearly a month after a general election marred by delays and widespread allegations of vote-rigging. The official results from the February 8 poll had independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party securing the most seats in parliament, with 102. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PMLN), headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is also the older brother of Shehbaz Sharif, came in second with 73 seats, and their long-term rivals the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 54 seats. Shehbaz Sharif will become prime minister for the second time, leading a coalition government with the PMLN. Following the vote in the lower house of parliament, opposition party members began chanting at Sharif as he addressed parliamentarians, calling him a thief.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Imran Khan’s, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz, Sharif Organizations: Islamabad CNN, Sunday, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party Locations: Islamabad, Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif

☆ Mark Cuban shares 1 thing he wishes he'd done differently: 'That's not being old. That's being wise'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The 65-year-old billionaire says he now regrets stressing about his age every time he hit a big numerical milestone. Just one thing: I wish I hadn't thought I was getting old at every milestone [birthday]… 30,40,50," Cuban wrote in a recent post on Threads. You may need to change your habits as you age to stay healthy, Cuban noted. Rather than getting frustrated about those changes, embrace them, Cuban wrote on Threads. Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank," which features Mark Cuban as a panelist.

Persons: Mark Cuban, …, Cuban, Becca Levy, Cuban's, Steve Kamb, Yoav Bergman, Bergman, he's, Recode, That's Organizations: Dallas Mavericks, Yale University, Foundation University Islamabad, CNBC Locations: Pakistan, Cuban

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) announced the coalition late Tuesday, naming former premier Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister and Asif Ali Zardari as president. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty ImagesIndependent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Khan’s Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured the most parliamentary seats, in a stunning victory for the jailed cricket icon. But none of the three major parties that contested won the necessary seats to declare a majority in parliament. Shortly after the coalition announcement, the PTI accused the PMLN and PPP of stealing their mandate to govern. Sharif is on course to become prime minister for the second time, with Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Pakistan’s slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, by his side.

Persons: Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, “, ” Sharif, Aamir Qureshi, Khan’s, ”, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Asim Hafeez, Sharif, Pakistan’s, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party, Getty, PTI, Pakistan People's Party, Bloomberg Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Kasur, Punjab, Khan’s Pakistan, Karachi

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghan women feel scared or unsafe leaving their home alone because of Taliban decrees and enforcement campaigns on clothing and male guardians, according to a report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. The U.N. mission’s report, published Friday, said the decrees are being enforced through arrest, harassment and intimidation. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesOver half of the women interviewed for the report felt unsafe leaving the house without a male guardian, or mahram. Some women said that male relatives were also afraid and reluctant to leave the home with female relatives, as this would expose them to Taliban harassment. It seemed to be a specific goal of the Taliban to frighten women and girls out of leaving their homes, Barr said.

Persons: Heather Barr, Barr Organizations: Qatari, Doha, Virtue Ministry, Human Rights, Associated Press Locations: ISLAMABAD, Afghanistan, Doha

☆ Shehbaz Sharif Set for Pakistan's Top Job as Elder Brother Steps Aside
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Before his stint as prime minister, the younger Sharif was known more as a good administrator than a politician, having served as chief minister thrice in the country's largest province, Punjab. The deal was signed after Sharif personally called on IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva last June. Although defence and key foreign policy decisions are largely influenced by the military, Sharif will have to juggle relations with the U.S. and China, both major allies. He started his political career as the chief minister of Punjab in 1997 with a signature "can-do" administrative style. As chief minister, the younger Sharif planned and executed a number of ambitious infrastructure mega-projects, including Pakistan's first modern mass transport system in Lahore.

Persons: Asif Shahzad, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif's, Maryam, Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Khan, Shehbaz, Kristalina Georgieva, Tehmina Durrani, Ariba Shahid, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Monetary Fund, IMF, U.S Locations: Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam ISLAMABAD, Sharif, London, country's, Punjab, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Lahore, Panama, Karachi

☆ Coalition government deal in Pakistan leaves Imran Khan’s party out of power
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Two of Pakistan’s major political parties - the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) - say they will form a coalition government after last week’s inconclusive elections. The move means the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan will not be in power, despite independent candidates affiliated with it gaining the most votes. The PMLN also released a statement that Shahbaz Sharif would be the party’s candidate for prime minister. Earlier on Tuesday, the PPP’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had said his party would support the PLMN candidate for prime minister. The party would also field its candidates for the National Assembly speaker, chairman of the Senate, and president, he said.

Persons: Imran Khan, Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Imran Khan’s, Nawaz Sharif, Khan, ” Zardari, Sharif, “, ” Bhutto Zardari Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party, PPP, PTI, National Assembly, Senate Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore, Wahdat

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 drove millions into poverty and hunger after foreign aid stopped almost overnight. “Women and girls have been disproportionately affected by the healthcare crisis, particularly because of Taliban abuses,” said the report. “The loss of foreign development aid and Taliban rights violations have caused a catastrophic health crisis in Afghanistan that is disproportionately harming women and girls,” the report quoted Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, as saying. Fifteen of the interviewees, 12 women and three men, were with Afghans who had sought health care. The rights group also talked to Afghan healthcare officials, 10 women and eight men.

Persons: ”, Fereshta Abbasi, Abbasi Organizations: Rights Watch, NATO, Food Program, Human Rights Watch, HRW, Mercy Corps Locations: ISLAMABAD, New York, Afghanistan, Samangan

☆ Analysis: Pakistan’s youth deliver stinging rebuke to military elite by backing jailed leader Khan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —His political party is effectively banned, his speeches are barred from television, and he faces at least 14 years in prison. But as the Pakistan election results show, Imran Khan cannot be suppressed. Independent candidates affiliated with the former prime minister’s Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured the most parliamentary seats in last week’s nationwide election, the election commission announced Sunday. “Now show the strength of protecting your vote.” Khan’s team has previously used AI to deliver his speeches from behind bars. Akhtar Soomro/Reuters/FileWhen he rose to power in 2018, it was, according to analysts, with the backing of the military.

Persons: Pakistan CNN —, Imran Khan, Khan, “, ”, Khan’s, –, Hashim Ali Dogar, Shayan Bashir Nawaz, Raoof Hassam, Madiha Afzal, Akhtar Soomro, Rabiya Arooj, Nawaz Sharif, Husain Haqqani, Anwar Gargash, Manahil Ahmed, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sundas Kalsoom, Insaaf, Gohar Ali Khan, Hasham Ahmed, Fahd Humayun Organizations: Pakistan CNN, Independent, PTI, CNN, Foreign, Brookings Institution, Pakistani, United, Hudson Institute, Washington D.C, Getty, Haqqani, Political, Neubauer, Tufts University, “ Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore, “, Punjab, Washington, Imran Khan Pakistan, British India, It’s, United States, Pakistani, Abu Dhabi, Peshawar, Buner, AFP, Egypt

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Allies of imprisoned Pakistani ex-premier Imran Khan won more seats in national elections than the political parties who ousted him from power nearly two years ago, according to a final tally of results published Sunday. Khan, who was kicked out of office through a no-confidence vote in parliament in 2022, has been in prison since last August. The final tally showed that independent candidates secured 101 out of 266 seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament. The Pakistan People’s Party, or PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, came in third with 54 seats. By Friday evening, seeing his party trail behind the independent candidates backed by Khan, he spoke of alliances and joining hands.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari, Sharif, establishment's Organizations: —, PTI, Supreme, National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party, PML Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistani, Pakistan

☆ What's Next in Pakistan Election Deadlock
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Gibran Naiyyar PeshimamISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's national election ended with no party winning a majority in parliament, in polls marred by militant violence, political turmoil and questions of transparency. The two, along with other smaller parties, form a coalition government in which Sharif or his brother is prime minister and important positions are given to other parties. The two parties were in government together for 16 months till August, with Bhutto Zardari as foreign minister and Sharif's brother Shehbaz as prime minister. BHUTTO ZARDARI PUSHES TO HEAD COALITION GOVERNMENTWhile Sharif and Khan's candidates won the most seats, no party can form government without the PPP. With both looking to keep the other out of power, the PPP strikes a deal to make the young Bhutto Zardari prime minister.

Persons: Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, SHARIF, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Bhutto Zardari, Shehbaz, Khan, BHUTTO ZARDARI, Sharif's, Gibran Peshimam, Sonali Paul Organizations: Monetary Fund, National Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party Locations: Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam ISLAMABAD, Sharif, Pakistan

The strongly worded reaction from the Foreign Ministry insisted the vote was peaceful and successful. The U.S. State Department said that Thursday's vote was held under undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly. In Thursday's vote, no political party gained a simple majority and independent candidates backed by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan took a lead in the vote count. Candidates backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won 100 out of the 266 seats up for grabs in the National Assembly. Also Saturday, the leader of a political party was wounded and two police officers killed in a clash in the country's northwest.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan's, Nawaz Sharif, Khan, Mohsin Dawar, Zahid Khan Organizations: —, Foreign Ministry, U.S . State Department, European Union, National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League Locations: ISLAMABAD, — Pakistan, Pakistan, North Waziristan

☆ Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan aide says party aims to form government
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan (R) addresses his supporters during an anti-government march towards capital Islamabad, demanding early elections, in Gujranwala on November 1, 2022. A senior aide to Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday their party would try to form a government as it had won the most seats in Thursday's general election. Interim party chief Gohar Ali Khan called on all institutions in Pakistan to respect the party's mandate, telling a press conference in Islamabad that if complete results were not released by Saturday night, the party would hold a peaceful protest on Sunday. Khan and rival ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have both claimed victory. Independent candidates backed by Khan won the most seats, despite him being in jail and his party barred from the polls.

Persons: Imran Khan, Pakistan's, Gohar Ali Khan, Khan, Nawaz Sharif Organizations: Interim Locations: Islamabad, Gujranwala, Pakistan

☆ Army Chief Congratulates Pakistan on 'Successful Conduct' of Elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's army chief congratulated the country on Saturday for the "successful conduct" of its national elections, saying the nation needed "stable hands" to move on from the politics of "anarchy and polarisation". The United States, Britain and the European Union on Friday each expressed concerns about Pakistan's electoral process in the wake of Thursday's vote, urging a probe into reported irregularities. The parties of former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and the jailed Imran Khan, also a former premier, both claimed victory. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by William Mallard)

Persons: Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Charlotte Greenfield, William Mallard Organizations: European Union Locations: ISLAMABAD, United States, Britain

☆ Pakistan releases official election results, independents affiliated with Khan’s PTI secure most seats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Heather Chen | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Pakistan’s official election results were announced by the election commission on Sunday, with independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party securing the most seats in parliament. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, independent candidates won 102 seats. The majority of the independents are affiliated with Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PMLN), headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, came in second with 73 seats, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 54 seats. The PTI party has called on party workers and supporters to hold protests on Sunday outside polling offices in constituencies where party members say election results were “withheld and delayed.”The capital Islamabad has imposed Section 144, allowing police to take legal action against any illegal assemblies and activities.

Persons: CNN —, Imran Khan’s, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif Organizations: CNN, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party, PTI Locations: Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Pakistan, Islamabad

☆ Former Pakistani PM says his party emerged as largest from election but fell short of majority
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad CNN —Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif claimed Friday that his party had emerged as the largest in the country’s election even as independents affiliated with jailed leader Imran Khan took the lead and protests broke out over delays to the count. If Sharif’s party forms the new government he would become prime minister for a historic fourth term. Analysts have described the vote as the least credible in the country’s post-independence history, accusing authorities of “pre-poll rigging” amid a wide crackdown on Khan’s party. His longtime foe, 74-year-old Sharif, a scion of the elite Sharif political dynasty, is seeking to make what would be a remarkable political comeback following years of self-exile overseas after he was sentenced to prison on corruption charges. Also standing is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, hoping to reestablish his Pakistan People’s Party as a major political force.

Persons: Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Khan, Sharif, Shabaz Sharif, ” Sharif, Khan’s, “, ”, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Islamabad CNN — Former Pakistani, National Assembly, Human Rights, ”, PTI, Pakistan People’s Party Locations: Islamabad, country’s, Pakistan, Shangla, Pakistan’s, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

☆ Independents Win 47 of 106 Seats Counted in Pakistan Poll, Most Backed by Imran Khan - Geo News
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Independent candidates contesting Pakistan's national election, most of whom are backed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, won in 47 of 106 parliamentary seats as counting progressed on Friday, according to projections by broadcaster Geo News. Results have been declared by the Election Commission of Pakistan in a total of 57 seats so far, according to the panel's website. Elections were held to 264 of the 265 seats in the national assembly and a political party needs 133 seats for a simple majority. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)(PML-N), which has won at least 17 seats so far, may form a coalition government with independent candidates, Sharif's aide Ishaq Dar suggested on Friday, Geo reported. "I am confident that we will form a government," Dar said, adding that his party would concede if any other party emerged a clear winner.

Persons: Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif's, Nawaz, Sharif's, Ishaq Dar, Geo, Dar, Asif Shahzad, Sakshi Dayal, YP Rajesh Organizations: Pakistan's, Geo, Former, Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, YP Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan

☆ Pakistan election 2024: Millions will head to the polls in an election mired in controversy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Millions in Pakistan will head to the polls on Thursday for a general election in which old dynasties are vying for power while the country’s widely popular former leader languishes behind bars unable to stand and militants ramp up deadly attacks. Mobile internet has been suspended in various districts of the province, leading to concerns of a nationwide blackout. A street is festooned with posters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on February 4, 2024. Sharif remains widely popular in Pakistan’s Punjab province – the country’s most populous and a key electoral battleground – where his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party has been lauded for advancing mega infrastructural projects. Standing against him is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, seeking to reestablish his Pakistan People’s Party as a major political force.

Persons: languishes, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Nawaz Sharif, ARIF, Volker Türk, ”, Liz Throssell, Imran Khan’s, Khan, Sharif, Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Islamic State, Mobile, Foreign, ARIF ALI, AFP, Getty, United Nations, Human Rights, “, Cricket, PTI, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, country’s, Balochistan, Islamic State Pakistan Province, Iran, Afghanistan, Lahore, Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Punjab

☆ Factbox-Who Are the Key Players in Pakistan's General Elections?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan holds its national elections on Thursday as the country grapples with an economic crisis and political uncertainty following the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022. Here are some facts about the main political figures trying to lead the nuclear-armed nation of 241 million people. NAWAZ SHARIFFormer prime minister Nawaz Sharif is considered a front-runner to lead the country, having buried a long-running feud with the country's powerful military, analysts say. Maryam, 50, was jailed along with her father shortly before the 2018 elections on corruption charges, which were later overturned. Nevertheless, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has tried to wage an unorthodox election campaign using social media and covert canvassing.

Persons: Imran Khan, NAWAZ SHARIF, Nawaz Sharif, MARYAM NAWAZ SHARIF, Nawaz, Maryam, SHEHBAZ SHARIF, Shehbaz Sharif, IMRAN KHAN, BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Bhutto Zardari, Asif Ali Zardari, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, International Monetary Fund, Khan's Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Punjab, Pakistan's, Khan's Pakistan, Sindh province

☆ Analysis: At this general election in Pakistan, old dynasties vie for power and populist Imran Khan languishes in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

That sets the stage for a difficult road to recovery for whoever wins in a nation where no democratically elected prime minister has ever completed a full term in office. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a lawyers' convention in Lahore on September 21, 2022. Veteran Sharif will face a strong challenge, however, from first-time candidate for Prime Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 35, son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto. Manahil Ahmed, 23, called Pakistan’s political environment “particularly hostile” right now. For Pakistan’s military and police forces, the last year was the bloodiest in a decade.

Persons: Imran Khan, –, Arif Ali, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Khan –, Khan, Fareed Khan, ”, Rabiya Arooj, Khan’s, Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's, Asad Zaidi, Pakistan’s, Farzana Shaikh, “, ’, Murtaza Solang, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Mohsin Raza, he’s, Raja Ikram, Ameer Hamza, Manahil Ahmed, Shaikh, Hussain Nadim, Maurice R, Greenberg, ‘, Aamir Qureshi, Shoaib Tanveer, Baou Nadeem, ” Shaikh, Farooq Naeem, “ Sharif, He’s, Tim Willasey Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Getty, PTI, World Bank, Pakistan, Bloomberg, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, CNN, for Research, Security Studies, Pakistan’s People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League, Baloch Liberation Army, Yale University, Pakistan Army –, Workers, King’s College London Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Lahore, AFP, Karachi, “, Rawalpindi, Asia, Hafizabad, Khan’s, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, India, Afghanistan, Iran, State Khorasan, restive Balochistan, Balochistan, Punjab, Sharif, States, China, British

☆ Election Office Blasts in Pakistan Kill at Least 22 a Day Before Vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Zia Ur-Rehman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two separate explosions outside election offices in an insurgency-hit area of Pakistan killed at least 22 people and wounded several others on Wednesday, officials said, a deadly reminder of the deteriorating security situation in the country as it heads into national elections on Thursday. “Rest assured, we will not allow terrorists to undermine or sabotage this crucial democratic process,” Jan Achakzai, the information minister in the province where Wednesday’s blasts occurred, said on social media. But such attacks against election-related activities, including the targeting of candidates, have surged as Pakistan’s campaign season has ramped up. At least 21 attacks occurred in January, killing 10 people and injuring 25, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank. Two candidates lost their lives, and several candidates narrowly escaped harm.

Persons: ” Jan Achakzai Organizations: Pakistan Institute for Conflict, Security Studies Locations: Pakistan, Islamabad

FORMER PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF, PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUEBusiness mogul, multi-millionaire and three-time premier, Nawaz Sharif hails from one of the top two families that have dominated Pakistani politics for decades. He also has a personal stake in keeping imprisoned Imran Khan out of the picture. FORMER PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN, PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF PARTYA former cricket star turned Islamist politician, Imran Khan triumphed on an anti-corruption, anti-establishment platform in the 2018 election to form a coalition government. FORMER PRIME MINISTER SHEHBAZ SHARIF, PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUEShehbaz Sharif, 72, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, succeeded Imran Khan as prime minister in April 2022. He won his first parliamentary seat in 2018 and became foreign minister after Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister.

Persons: it's, NAWAZ SHARIF, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Imran Khan, Khan, ASIM MUNIR, Asim Munir, Munir, IMRAN KHAN, Osama bin Laden, ” —, SHEHBAZ SHARIF, BILAWAL BHUTTO, ZARDARI, Pakistan’s, Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari Organizations: —, National Assembly, PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE Business, Pakistan Muslim League, Supreme, Sharif, GEN, ARMY CHIEF, LEAGUE, International Monetary Fund Locations: ISLAMABAD, — Pakistan, PAKISTAN, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Iran, Tehran, Islamabad, United States, U.S, Washington, LEAGUE Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab, London, Sindh

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