Tag: Pakistan

Pakistan's Supreme Court effectively ended the political career of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, voting unanimously to ban him for life from holding any public office. The verdict plunges Pakistan into more political instability in the lead up to elections, expected this summer. The Dawn newspaper quoted Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar as remarking from the bench that the verdict was handed down because the public deserves "leaders of good character." The explosive documents showed that the Sharif family had used offshore companies to acquire expensive real estate in London and that the prime minister himself could not otherwise account for assets "disproportionate to his known means of income." He was replaced by interim Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who also belongs to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N). In October, an anti-corruption court indicted Sharif on corruption charges. Some see the high court's verdict as a victory for its anti-corruption crusade, but Sharif also has few friends in Pakistan's military – the country's most powerful institution. They also see the court's ruling as a ploy to weaken the popular ruling party, which is expected to win upcoming elections. Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister of information, denounced the verdict immediately after it was issued. Some analysts expect Sharif's brother, Shehbaz Sharif, a powerful chief minister of Punjab, to campaign for the prime minister's job.

The Story:  The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said recently that though Europe should work with China on trade issues, it must also work to...

The Story:  The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said recently that though Europe should work with China on trade issues, it must also work to...

. Instead, the nation was waiting to see which of two mainstream political parties would win a crucial parliamentary election in Lahore this past Sunday. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N and the opposition Pakistan Justice Movement came in first and second, respectively. Until now, though, extreme parties mostly have built support through mosques and religious appeal. He said the group already is making plans to participate in next year’s national elections. “If we win, we will serve the people and struggle to establish Islamic rule in this country, based on Islamic justice for all,” he said. The issue already is raising official hackles and disputes here because of the Trump administration’s accusations that Pakistan is providing sanctuary for anti-Afghan militant groups. Both the anti-blasphemy and pro-Kashmir movements have been unofficially tolerated because of their public popularity, and Pakistan’s intelligence agency has long been reported to abet Lashkar-e-Taiba in its various incarnations. Saeed has been repeatedly placed under house arrest, then allowed to return to his fiery pulpit in Lahore on Fridays. “They cannot win elections and come to power.