Blast at Indian firecracker factory kills 11, dozens injured
NEW DELHI: At least 11 people were killed and dozens injured on Tuesday after a blast ripped through a firecracker factory in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state at midday, media reports said. Television footage showed a towering blaze and smoke billowing from the factory in the Harda district after the explosion, as fire engines rushed […]
PTI nominees likely to give tough time to PML-N in urban Faisalabad – Pakistan
In NA-100, Rana Sanaullah has a contest against the PTI-backed candidate Dr Nisar Jat and the PPP’s Sidra Saeed Bandesha. TOBA TEK SINGH: In three urban constituencies of Faisalabad, the PML-N is strong in one constituency, the PTI-backed candidate has an upper hand in the other while a tough contest is expected between the candidates […]
Voting for the first time on Feb 8? Here’s all you need to know – Pakistan
A step-by-step guide to help navigate voting and all its intricacies. Are you a first-time voter? Confused about what to do, where to go and how to exercise your right to franchise? Has the election-related vocabulary left you scratching your head in confusion? Fret not as Dawn.com has compiled a step-by-step guide for first-time voters […]
The ineffable Maulana Fazlur Rehman is back in the game – Newspaper
Such is the political power of this stocky politician that no matter who rules Islamabad, they all need him to be on their right side. IN A leaked classified cable from November 2007, the diminutive US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, wrote of Maulana Fazlur Rehman: “He appeared to relish his role as a […]
Balochistan stuck in a time warp as ‘rolling stones’ rock and roll – Pakistan
Observers say there is no difference between Balochistan-based and mainstream parties, thanks to the politics of electables. DURING PML-N leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, Quetta’s only four-star Serena Hotel was buzzing. Mr Sharif, who had been absent from Quetta for six years, returned to a […]
Reflections from elections past: Will Feb 8 be any different? – Pakistan
Reflecting on the last eight elections, a lingering thought consumes me; will we ever witness a truly democratic election or are we doomed to an eternal loop of deja vu in the democratic realm? On a Thursday morning, I casually strolled into a cafe near the Dawn office for a cup of coffee. As I […]
Annie Lennox calls for ceasefire in Gaza
As Israeli brutality continues to target Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, protesters across the world are rallying for the cause. Celebrities and influential showbiz names are increasingly using their platform to speak truth to power, underscoring the staggering death toll in Palestine. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli attacks have killed at least 27,585 […]
Bilawal’s candidature challenged in SC – Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was on Tuesday requested to take notice of alleged violation by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of the country’s election law since he is member of two registered political parties. Advocate Shah Mohammad Zaman moved the apex court after his similar petition was rejected by the Sindh High Court’s Larkana circuit branch. […]
US voices concern over lack of freedom in electoral process – World
WASHINGTON: The US State Department has voiced apprehension over observed challenges to freedom during Pakistan’s current electoral process. Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, in a news briefing on Monday, affirmed, “We want to see that process take place in a way that facilitates broad participation with respect for freedom of expression, assembly, and association.” Mr Patel […]
Swinging between the victor and the vanquished – Newspaper
‘Swing constituencies’ are those that can be won by influencing very small changes in voter preferences. Map Design: Farooq Dawood “Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War GIVEN the complexity of Pakistan’s electoral dynamics and unpredictability of the role the various ‘external’ stakeholders […]