I find it surprising the Opposition is fearful of a machine: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said he finds it surprising the Opposition is fearful of a machine, referring to the electronic voting machine the government aims to introduce prior to the next general elections so voting can take place transparently.

His remarks came during the launch ceremony of the Lilla Jhelum Dual Carriageway, which was inaugurated with the touch of a button on a large display screen by the premier.

"I was reflecting on the fact that we used technology and inaugurated this project with the touch of a hand, and that technology has come so far.

"I am surprised to see the Opposition [resist technology], insisting that voting take place traditionally," the prime minister said.

He said "the whole world" now uses technology for voting so it can be a better, more transparent exercise.

"I am surprised the Opposition have a problem with it; they are afraid of a machine or I don't know of what," PM Imran Khan said.

The premier said that in today's era, when information is simply a click away, a government's performance is plain for all to see.

"People can find out very easily who did what, what conditions prevailed when the government came into power," he said, adding that everyone can now see on their smartphones how Pakistan was deep into the country's "biggest deficit" and how it "paid back the greatest number of loans in the country's history".

PM Imran Khan said the government's aim was to first stabilise the country and then bring about long-term development.

"Countries advance when they think of future generations while planning," he said.

"They don't think of the upcoming elections. They think of our youth, which form 60% of our population, and what is to be done for them," he added.

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MQM-P decides to support govt on using EVMs in next elections

The MQM-P has decided to support the government on the EVM bill in the joint sitting of Parliament scheduled to be held tomorrow (November 17).

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haq on Tuesday confirmed that MQM-P will support the government over the new legislation proposed in the joint session.

"This decision was taken after consultation with the coordination committee," Haq said, mentioning that the party was briefed on electronic voting machines by the defederal science and technology minister a day earlier.

The minister said that MQM-P will support the government on the EVM bill.

He further added that on their request, a bill regarding Hyderabad University and the census will also be presented in the joint meeting.

Ministry of Science and Technology briefs MQM-P on EVMs

The science and technology ministry had failed to convince the government's ally MQM-P on the use of EVMs in the next elections.

Minister of Science and Technology Shibli Faraz had briefed an MQM-P delegation on Monday.

Sources privy to the matter had said that the briefing couldn't satisfy the delegation on the use of EVMs, therefore, the decision to continue consultations on the matter was made.

When asked if the EVMs will avoid rigging or facilitate digital rigging in the polling process, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi had said that the government has only partially briefed the allied parties regarding the use of EVMs.

He had also said that briefings regarding EVMs will continually take place.

Siddiqi was speaking to the media after the briefing.

The government has decided to convene a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday, November 17 as it continues its efforts to coax political allies PML-Q and the MQM-P to rein in their support for the bills it plans to table on EVMs, NAB and other issues.

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I find it surprising the Opposition is fearful of a machine: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said he finds it surprising the Opposition is fearful of a machine, referring to the electronic voting machine the government aims to introduce prior to the next general elections so voting can take place transparently.

His remarks came during the launch ceremony of the Lilla Jhelum Dual Carriageway, which was inaugurated with the touch of a button on a large display screen by the premier.

"I was reflecting on the fact that we used technology and inaugurated this project with the touch of a hand, and that technology has come so far.

"I am surprised to see the Opposition [resist technology], insisting that voting take place traditionally," the prime minister said.

He said "the whole world" now uses technology for voting so it can be a better, more transparent exercise.

"I am surprised the Opposition have a problem with it; they are afraid of a machine or I don't know of what," PM Imran Khan said.

The premier said that in today's era, when information is simply a click away, a government's performance is plain for all to see.

"People can find out very easily who did what, what conditions prevailed when the government came into power," he said, adding that everyone can now see on their smartphones how Pakistan was deep into the country's "biggest deficit" and how it "paid back the greatest number of loans in the country's history".

PM Imran Khan said the government's aim was to first stabilise the country and then bring about long-term development.

"Countries advance when they think of future generations while planning," he said.

"They don't think of the upcoming elections. They think of our youth, which form 60% of our population, and what is to be done for them," he added.

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Pakistan to host ICC event after more than two decades

Pakistan will host an International Cricket Council (ICC) event after more than two decades, the cricket's governing body announced Tuesday.

Pakistan last staged an ICC event in 1996 when they co-hosted the 50-over World Cup with India and Sri Lanka, but the country has been largely starved of international cricket since the 2009 attack on the touring Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore.

Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy in 2025, the ICC said in a statement.

The development came as the ICC confirmed the 14 host countries of ICC men’s white-ball events from 2024-2031.

Eleven full members and three associate members have been selected to host two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, four ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, and two ICC Men’s Champions Trophy events.

The USA and Namibia will host an ICC World Cup event for the first time. Meanwhile, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe have previously staged major events and will do so again over the next decade.

The hosts were selected via a competitive bidding process overseen by a Board sub-committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Skerritt.

The ICC board accepted the recommendations of the committee who conducted a thorough review of each bid along with ICC management.

A similar process to identify the hosts for ICC Women’s and U19s events for the next cycle will be undertaken early next year.

PCB chairman 'delighted'

In response, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja thanked the ICC for awarding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to Pakistan, saying the event will showcase Pakistan’s passion for the sport, a statement from the PCB said.

The ICC Board’s decision means Pakistan will defend the ICC Champions Trophy title in their backyard when the eight-team and 15-match tournament is held at three iconic venues in February 2025. Pakistan had defeated India by 180 runs in the 2017 tournament at The Oval.

“I am pleased no-end with the ICC’s decision to select Pakistan as a host nation for one of their elite tournaments. By allocating a major global event to Pakistan, the ICC has expressed complete confidence and faith in our management and operational capabilities and skills," he said.

“We have continued to demonstrate how a great host we are and through the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, we will again showcase our passion and love for the sport as this event will be a boon to the millions of home fans, who will see world class teams and their favourite international players from close quarters," he added.

“We not only endeavour to plan and deliver a world-class event, we will also prepare and field a strong and formidable side that can perform and entertain our home fans. We saw during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign how the nation got united and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home will be another opportunity to further strengthen that bond as we defend the title," Raja said.

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MQM-P decides to support govt on using EVMs in next elections

The MQM-P has decided to support the government on the EVM bill in the joint sitting of Parliament scheduled to be held tomorrow (November 17).

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haq on Tuesday confirmed that MQM-P will support the government over the new legislation proposed in the joint session.

"This decision was taken after consultation with the coordination committee," Haq said, mentioning that the party was briefed on electronic voting machines by the defederal science and technology minister a day earlier.

The minister said that MQM-P will support the government on the EVM bill.

He further added that on their request, a bill regarding Hyderabad University and the census will also be presented in the joint meeting.

Ministry of Science and Technology briefs MQM-P on EVMs

The science and technology ministry had failed to convince the government's ally MQM-P on the use of EVMs in the next elections.

Minister of Science and Technology Shibli Faraz had briefed an MQM-P delegation on Monday.

Sources privy to the matter had said that the briefing couldn't satisfy the delegation on the use of EVMs, therefore, the decision to continue consultations on the matter was made.

When asked if the EVMs will avoid rigging or facilitate digital rigging in the polling process, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi had said that the government has only partially briefed the allied parties regarding the use of EVMs.

He had also said that briefings regarding EVMs will continually take place.

Siddiqi was speaking to the media after the briefing.

The government has decided to convene a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday, November 17 as it continues its efforts to coax political allies PML-Q and the MQM-P to rein in their support for the bills it plans to table on EVMs, NAB and other issues.

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Hamza shehbaz meets Chuadry Pervaiz Elahi

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz on Tuesday held a meeting with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi while paying a visit to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid's (PML-Q) ailing leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at a hospital in Lahore to inquire about his health.

Hamza visited Shujaat at the Doctors Hospital and Medical Center where the latter is currently admitted. During the visit, Hamza met and spoke with Elahi as well as Chaudhry Salik Hussain (Shujaat's son).

"Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is a senior politician of the country and a very fine man," Hamza told reporters as he prayed for the PML-Q president's recovery.

The meeting comes amid reported tensions between the PML-Q and the ruling PTI, with the former being a coalition partner of the government.
During a recent meeting chaired by Elahi, the PML-Q's parliamentary party had admitted that it was becoming difficult with each passing day to continue supporting the PTI’s Punjab and federal governments while expressing concern over price hikes and inflation.

The parliamentary party members vented their anger against the government and said the common man was suffering and they were unable to face their voters in respective constituencies.

The PML-Q spokesman said the government had failed to resolve common people’s problems. He said the current circumstances would worsen problems if the government persisted with non-issues.

Last week, the government was forced to put off a joint session of parliament scheduled for November 11 (Thursday) after struggling to ensure the presence of the required number of members and due to reservations shown by its allies over the proposed electoral reforms bills regarding the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and introduction of I-voting for overseas Pakistanis in the next polls.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Imran Khan had convened a meeting of the government allies — Muttahida Qaumi Movement and PML-Q — on Monday to gain support for the legislation. However, following the meeting, the coalition partners still remained uncertain about supporting the bills, including those related to EVMs and I-voting.

PML-Q Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha had told Dawn that Elahi, who had attended the meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, had still not decided on whether the Q-League would support the bills.

The PML-Q leaders met in Lahore for two consecutive days (Sunday and Monday) and reached a conclusion that “it will be harmful for the party if it continues to stick with the ruling coalition”, Agha said.

He said the party had reservations about the government’s “faulty” economic policies, unprecedented price hike, sharp increase in the cost of petroleum products, shortage of gas and electricity, increasing corruption and lawlessness in the country.

However, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry insisted that the government's allies had expressed confidence in the leadership of the premier and assured him of voting in favour of the bills.

“Reservations of the coalition partners have been removed and the government had unanimously decided to convene a joint session of the parliament on Wednesday,” he said at a press conference on Monday night.

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Hamza shehbaz meets Chuadry Pervaiz Elahi

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz on Tuesday held a meeting with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi while paying a visit to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid's (PML-Q) ailing leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at a hospital in Lahore to inquire about his health.

Hamza visited Shujaat at the Doctors Hospital and Medical Center where the latter is currently admitted. During the visit, Hamza met and spoke with Elahi as well as Chaudhry Salik Hussain (Shujaat's son).

"Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is a senior politician of the country and a very fine man," Hamza told reporters as he prayed for the PML-Q president's recovery.

The meeting comes amid reported tensions between the PML-Q and the ruling PTI, with the former being a coalition partner of the government.
During a recent meeting chaired by Elahi, the PML-Q's parliamentary party had admitted that it was becoming difficult with each passing day to continue supporting the PTI’s Punjab and federal governments while expressing concern over price hikes and inflation.

The parliamentary party members vented their anger against the government and said the common man was suffering and they were unable to face their voters in respective constituencies.

The PML-Q spokesman said the government had failed to resolve common people’s problems. He said the current circumstances would worsen problems if the government persisted with non-issues.

Last week, the government was forced to put off a joint session of parliament scheduled for November 11 (Thursday) after struggling to ensure the presence of the required number of members and due to reservations shown by its allies over the proposed electoral reforms bills regarding the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and introduction of I-voting for overseas Pakistanis in the next polls.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Imran Khan had convened a meeting of the government allies — Muttahida Qaumi Movement and PML-Q — on Monday to gain support for the legislation. However, following the meeting, the coalition partners still remained uncertain about supporting the bills, including those related to EVMs and I-voting.

PML-Q Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha had told Dawn that Elahi, who had attended the meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, had still not decided on whether the Q-League would support the bills.

The PML-Q leaders met in Lahore for two consecutive days (Sunday and Monday) and reached a conclusion that “it will be harmful for the party if it continues to stick with the ruling coalition”, Agha said.

He said the party had reservations about the government’s “faulty” economic policies, unprecedented price hike, sharp increase in the cost of petroleum products, shortage of gas and electricity, increasing corruption and lawlessness in the country.

However, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry insisted that the government's allies had expressed confidence in the leadership of the premier and assured him of voting in favour of the bills.

“Reservations of the coalition partners have been removed and the government had unanimously decided to convene a joint session of the parliament on Wednesday,” he said at a press conference on Monday night.

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