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Imran’s PTI looks for allies to form government in Pakistan (Roundup)
Islamabad, July 27 (IANS) The Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by Imran Khan was on Friday scouting for partners to form the government in Pakistan after emerging as the single largest party but short of a majority in the National Assembly elections marred by allegations of military interference and rigging.
With nearly two days elapsing since the counting of poll results began, the PTI has retained its considerable edge over its contenders, bagging 116 of the total 270 seats on which elections were held, according to the preliminary results announced by the poll officials here.
The incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bagged only 64 seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party, led by former Prime Minister, the late Benazir Bhutto’s son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, was placed third with 43 seats.
While cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, 65, is all set to be the 19th Prime Minister, his tryst with destiny still faces a possible last glitch.
A party needs at least 137 seats to cross the half-way mark in the 272-member National Assembly. Since voting wasn’t held in two constituencies, the effective strength of the House was brought down to 270 — which means Khan needs at least 136 members.
The votes of four constituencies were still being counted. The PTI is leading in all of them, according to TV reports. Assuming that the PTI gets all four, bringing Khan’s final tally to 120, the Prime Minister-in-waiting would still need the support of 16 members.
According to media reports citing unnamed sources, the PTI has established its first contacts with 12 independents and is confident of getting their support to pave the way for Khan to take the helm of the nation battling severe economic and security crises.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)-Pakistan, which has won six seats, has also agreed to support Khan, according to Dawn News.
PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen and Khali Maqbool are expected to meet MQM leaders to formalize the alliance, the Dawn said in its online report.
The PTI has also returned to power in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It also won 123 seats in Punjab — the traditional bastion of the Sharif family and its PML-N which ha grabbed 127 constituencies.
A party needs 149 seats in the 297-member Punjab assembly to form the government in the wealthiest and most populous province of Pakistan.
None of the parties has secured a majority even as the PTI and PML-N claim that they are confident of forming the government in Punjab where the Sharifs have been ruling since 1988. Independent candidates have won 29 seats in the province, while PML-Q has won seven.
The PPP appears set to form the government in Sindh for the third consecutive term. The party has won 74 seats in the Sindh Assembly while the PTI has edged past MQM-P to emerge as the second-largest political party with 23 seats – mostly from Karachi.
The Balochistan Awami Party has won 14 seats in the Balochistan Assembly, becoming the largest party in the province, while the MMA is in the second place with nine seats.
The PTI has once again dominated electoral proceedings in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, bagging a whopping 67 seats, followed by the Majilsi Muttahida Amal (MMA) which has only managed to win 10. The Awami National Party’s seat tally stands at six while the PML-N has won five. The PPP has won four seats in the provincial assembly.
The just concluded Pakistan elections have been marred by allegations of rigging and military interference. The PML-N, the PPP and other smaller parties have refused to accept the poll results but have announced they would sit in the opposition.
Amid the allegation flying thick and fast, Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted that it was only Allah who “honours whom he wants and humbles whom he wants to”.
The Arabic tweet is a verse from the Qur’an that was taken by many on the social media as the army’s confirmation of supporting Khan.
The PML-N founder, Nawaz Sharif, told his family from Adiala jail where he is serving a 10-year sentence for corruption, that he considered the result “stolen”, according to a statement from the PML-N.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has dismissed allegations of manipulation — blaming the delay on glitches in new, untested counting software — and said there would be a full result on Friday.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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