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India-Pakistan

Political parties playing the religion card to woo voters in Chakwal

2018-01-09

[DAWN] CHAKWAL: Instead of any future manifesto for development or reforms, PML-N and Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) politicians involved in Chakwal’s upcoming by-election appear to be relying on the religion card to woo voters. The PP-20 by-election is scheduled to be held on Jan 9. The key PML-N supporter in the district is the Tehrik Khuddam Ahl-e-Sunnat Waljamaat (TKASW), founded by the late Maulana Qazi Mazhar Hussain. The TKASW is the main representative of the Deobandi sect in Chakwal, and is currently led by Qazi Zahoorul Hussain Azhar, the founder’s son. The hardliner organization regularly holds religious gatherings in various parts of the district, to which PML-N leaders are invited as chief guests. PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq also frequents Madni Mosque, the headquarters of the organization located in the heart of the city. With the PML-N under criticism from Barelvi leaders over the controversial amendment to the Election Bill, the TKASW has decided to back the ruling party’s candidate, as it has done for years, but at a price. The organization has decided to back PML-N candidate Chaudhry Sultan Haider Ali Khan, who arrived at Madni Mosque a few days ago with MNA Tahir Iqbal, MPA Zulfiqar Ali Khan and others, and was presented a written statement by the TKASW that he was asked to read out. By reading the statement, he assured the audience: "By the grace of Allah I am a Moslem belonging to the Sunni sect. I admit Prophet Muhammad (PTUI!) as the last prophet. I declare Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiani and his followers as non-Moslem. Furthermore, I condemn the recent amendment regarding Khatm-e-Nabuwat, although I think it was not done intentionally." Mr Khan vowed that he would consider it is his obligation and honour to quit the government if it dared to introduce any legislation against Islam or against the finality of the Prophet and the sanctity of his lover companions. After reading the statement, the 32-year-old aspirant for the provincial assembly seat went a step ahead to appease the leaders and workers of the TKASW. "As my brother Zulfiqar Ali Khan highlighted that Ahmadis are currently holding key posts, I feel proud that our party’s Capt (retired) Safdar sahib talked about this issue on the floor of the National Assembly for the first time." He said if Allah gave him an opportunity to reach the assembly, he would also raise this issue. "The need of the hour is to remove Qadianis from public posts; rather they should be banished from the country," Mr Khan added, as he sought guidance from the TKASW chief.

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India-Pakistan

Kashmir is no integral part of India, says PML-N

2013-10-23

[Pak Daily Times] The Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday rejected the "out of box" solution on Kashmire dispute by declaring the UNO resolutions the only "way out" to settle the long standing conflict between Pakistain and India. PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq addressing a presser categorically stated that implementation of previous UNO resolution would resolve issue and no fresh petition in the world body was required to pressurise India. He took exception to the statement of Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khursheed who rejected the international mediation on Kashmire dispute by describing the Occupied Kahsmir "integral part" of India. "Kashmire is no integral part of India. But an internal dispute as per the resolutions of UNO", he stated and rejected the conduct of India to make its integral part through its constitution. Raja recalled that it was India that took the issue to UNO and also agreed with the 23 resolutions passed unanimously in Security Council. "These resolutions are still relevant and overrule all the arrangements India made to keep Kashmire as its part", he said. He also touched upon the Shimla Accord and Lahore declaration between India and Pakistain and pointed out that both the documents also carried the supremacy of UNO resolutions.

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India-Pakistan

PML-N protest goes wild, no city corner spared

2009-02-28

RAWALPINDI PML-N protest went wiled on Friday, making Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road and the areas that surround it into a battlefield for party workers and police. The PML-N workers blocked roads and streets, burnt tyres, and showered stones and bricks on police and private vehicles on the third consecutive day of their agitation against a Supreme Court (SC) order disqualifying their leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif from electoral process. Shouting anti-government, they ran amok forcing the police to baton-charge and tear-gas them to break up the tension. They damaged electricity poles, private hoardings and security barriers. Mukhtar has a close shave: They attacked vehicle of Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar; threw stones on it near Dhoke Kala Khan on Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road. The defence minister had a close shave as his driver sped off the troubled spot on time. Police and law enforcement agencies succeeded to take the minister to a safe place. PML-N convoy attacked: PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq's convoy also came under attack by some unknown people when he tried to go to Liaquat Bagh to lay floral wreath at Benazir Bhutto's monument. Rare windscreen of his jeep was damaged. PPP leaders and Police high-ups advised him not to go there because PPP workers were infuriated over burning of BB portrait by PML-N workers on Wednesday. Faizabad violence: In the evening, stick-wielding people took over Faizabad, blocking all traffic, attempted to torch three buses and ransacked the market. The police retaliated and succeeded in routing the hoodlums. Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road remained the centre of all protesters, where PML-N leaders Raja Zafarul Haq, Hanif Abbasi, Haji Pervaiz, Malik Abrar, Yasir Hafeez, Sheryar Riaz, Sardar Nasim and others led a mega rally of hundreds of people. The protesters blocked a road from Raja Bazaar to Committee Chowk. They held up sticks, burnt tyres and effigies of President Asif Ali Zardari. They shouted slogans against the government and the judiciary, demanding the SC to reverse its decision. The PML-N workers also attacked police vehicles at different places. Raja Bazaar, Iqbal Road, Bohar Bazaar, Liaquat Road, DAV College Road and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road from Liaquat Bagh to Fiazabad remained highly tense. Armoured Personnel Vehicles (APVs) were seen moving in disturbed areas where heavy deployment of police and personnel of other law-enforcement agencies was made. Clashes were also reported in various parts of the city between the PPP and PML-N workers. The tension escalated after Friday prayers when the PML-N workers thronged roads and starting damaging buildings and steel-n-glass shopping malls. The police told fuel stations on Liaquat Road, Ratta Road, Gunjmandi, Bagh Sardarn, Asghar Mall Road to close down because of violence.

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India-Pakistan

APDM announces polls boycott

2007-11-25

The APDM on Saturday announced that it would boycott the elections unless the government restores the country to pre-November 3 situation by Wednesday. “We give a four-day ultimatum to the government to revert to the pre-November 3 situation, otherwise the APDM will boycott the elections,” PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq told a news conference after the meeting. Haq asked other opposition parties, including the PPP, to endorse the APDM decision and boycott the polls. The JUI-F boycotted the meeting. That would seem to violate Nawaz' agreement with Perv within moments of its coming into existence. The PML-N leader demanded that the government withdraw the PCO, lift emergency, reinstate judges and release all detained political activists, besides annulling amendments to the PEMRA Ordinance. He told reporters that all component parties would separately get the APDM decision endorsed by their respective executive committees within four days. He said that if any party took part in the elections, it would be evicted from the APDM. MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed said the final decision on boycott would be taken on the platform of the six-party religious alliance.

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India-Pakistan

PML-N wants Sharifs back before Sept 10

2007-08-26

The central working committee (CWC) of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday recommended that Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif return to Pakistan before September 10. PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq presided over the CWC meeting here at the party’s central secretariat, which was called to decide the date of the Sharif brothers’ return to Pakistan and discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to allow them back. Push is coming to shove for Perv as the Islamicists make their moves.

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