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Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif each claim advantage in Pakistan election
The jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has claimed victory in Thursday’s general election and called on his supporters to celebrate.
Independent candidates linked to him have won most seats so far, with the majority of seats declared.
But another ex-prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, says his party has emerged the largest and urged others to join him in coalition.
No group or party appears on course to win an overall majority.
In a staunch video message posted on X created using AI, Imran Khan claimed his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had won a “landslide victory” despite what he has called a crackdown on his party. He is currently in jail having been convicted in cases he says are politically motivated.
The success of the PTI-linked candidates was unexpected, with most experts agreeing that Mr Sharif – believed to be backed by the country’s powerful military – was the clear favourite.
But the PTI is not a recognised party after being barred from running in the election, so technically Mr Sharif’s PML-N is the largest official political group.
So now the political horse-trading begins in earnest, which means it could still be a while before anyone is able to claim outright victory.
In a speech on Friday, Mr Sharif acknowledged that he did not have the numbers to form a government alone. But addressing supporters outside his party’s headquarters in the city of Lahore, he urged other candidates to join him in a coalition and said he could remove the country from difficult times.
As results trickled in, the UK and US voiced concerns over restrictions on electoral freedoms during the vote.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the UK urged authorities in Pakistan “to uphold fundamental human rights including free access to information, and the rule of law”. In a statement, he went on to express “regret that not all parties were formally permitted to contest the elections”.
Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller accused Pakistan’s elections of including “undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly”. He also cited “attacks on media workers” and “restrictions on access to the internet and telecommunication services” as reasons to worry about “allegations of interference in the electoral process”.
Many analysts have said this is among Pakistan’s least credible elections. Voters in Lahore told the BBC that the internet blackout on polling day meant it was not possible to book taxis to go and vote, while others said they could not coordinate when to head to polling stations with their family members.
An interior ministry spokesman said the blackouts were necessary for security reasons.
Support from the military in Pakistan is seen as important to succeed politically, and analysts believe Mr Sharif and his party currently have their backing, despite their differences in the past.
Maya Tudor, associate professor at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, said the lead taken by Imran Khan’s PTI was “shocking” in the context of the country’s past. “A win would be remarkable – in every single other election in Pakistan’s recent history, the military’s preferred candidate has won,” Dr Tudor explained.
As many as 128 million people were registered to cast their votes, almost half of whom were under the age of 35. More than 5,000 candidates – of whom just 313 are women – contested 266 directly-elected seats in the 336-member National Assembly.
Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, Maleeha Lodhi, said Pakistan “desperately” needs political stability to address what she described as “the worst economic crisis in its history”. But, in a hopeful note, Ms Lodhi said Pakistan’s voter numbers show a “belief in the democratic process”.
(BBC)
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has implored the ICC to provide a fair and transparent pathway for at least one of the Caribbean’s sovereign nations to represent West indies at the Los Angeles Olympics.
The heart of the problem here is that while in cricket many countries compete under the name the West Indies are administered by the same cricket board (CWI), the Olympics only allows sovereign nations to contest. There can be no team in which for instance, Barbadans, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Guyanese, St. Lucians play in the same team, even though that is how regular cricket is organised.
So in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, an event in which six nations will compete in cricket, the region hopes to have at least one of its sovereign states in play. Currently, West Indies women are ranked sixth on the T20I ICC rankings, and the men are fifth. West Indies men have won the T20 World Cup twice, and the women once. It is up to the ICC to nominate the teams that will participate in the Olympics.
There is also the additional complication that the United States, as the host nation of these Olympics, may be a frontrunner to gain automatic qualification despite their low rankings, though that has not been confirmed by the ICC. This means only five further spots are available.
“The Caribbean has always punched above its weight at the Olympics, inspiring the world with our athletic brilliance,” CWI president Kishore Swallow said. “Cricket’s return to the Games in 2028 must not exclude our young cricketers from the same dream that has inspired our athletes. The Olympic Charter emphasizes fairness, transparency, and universality. We are simply asking that these principles be upheld–not just in spirit, but in structure. West Indies cricket must have a pathway, and fully deserves an opportunity to compete.”
CWI has provided the ICC with two possible ways forward. To quote from the CWI release:
- If rankings are used and West Indies men and women teams technically qualify, an internal qualifying tournament among its Olympic affiliated member countries will determine which country represents the West Indies; or
- A global qualifying pathway that includes associate ICC members in the five ICC Development Regions plus member countries of the West Indies.
The first of these options would have the CWI, through domestic tournaments, pick their champions for the LA Olympics. The second would involve a more rigorous selection process, in which the sovereign nations that are members of the West Indies board compete alongside a host of other nations for Olympics spots.
What the CWI board stresses to ICC, however, is that qualification criteria must be “fair and transparent”, citing a bylaw in the Olympic Charter. Caribbean nations are accustomed to Olympic success, as several of them are frequently atop Olympics leaderboards for medals per capita. Their collective achievements in track events in particular, are recognised almost universally as extraordinary.
CWI CEO Chris Dehring said: “Our nations have proudly flown their individual flags atop Olympic podiums as perennial gold medalists. Now, with cricket’s inclusion, we must ensure that our cricketers are not shut out of history. We are ready to collaborate. We are ready to compete. But above all, we are asking for fairness.”
The ICC has made no announcement on what the Olympics qualification process will be, so far.
Cricket has only once been played in the Olympics, way back in 1900. On that occasion, France and Great Britain competed, with Great Britan winning the two day match by 158 runs. The highest individual score for France in the second innings was 8.
[Cricinfo]
Latest News
Second lot of luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the Presidential Secretariat sold
The second phase of the auction to sell luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the Presidential Secretariat was successfully concluded today (15 May), with the auction taking place as scheduled.
A total of 26 vehicles, previously allocated to former Ministers and the former President, to their advisors and staff appointed under Article 41(1) of the Constitution during their tenure, were listed for sale. Out of these, 17 vehicles were successfully sold today.
The auctioned vehicles included:
1 BMW car
2 Ford Everest SUVs
1 Hyundai Terracan SUV
2 Land Rover SUVs
1 Mitsubishi Montero
3 Nissan Patrol vehicles
2 Nissan brand cars
1 Porsche Cayenne
5 SsangYong Rexton SUVs
1 Toyota Land Cruiser Sahara
6 V8 vehicles
1 Mitsubishi Rosa air-conditioned bus
With the aim of reducing government expenditure and promoting fiscal responsibility, a decision was taken to auction the vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat.
There was a high demand for the purchase of these vehicles and over Rs. 200 million in revenue was generated through their sale at the auction held today.
There was significant interest in the auction, with 108 bidders participating.
Latest News
President approves establishment of Anti-Corruption Investigation Units in Provincial Councils and LG Institutions
President Anura Kumara Disanayake has approved the establishment of dedicated anti-corruption investigation units within provincial councils and local government institutions, aiming to combat corruption and administrative inefficiencies. The decision follows a request by provincial governors during a high-level discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (15).
During the meeting, President Disanayake emphasised that provincial governors bear the primary responsibility for driving development initiatives and ensuring accountability within their respective provinces. He noted, “Strengthening governance mechanisms is critical to addressing systemic challenges and achieving equitable progress.”
Among the key decisions taken was the creation of anti-corruption investigation units modelled after similar bodies operating at the ministerial level. These units will be tasked with monitoring financial transactions, investigating irregularities and enforcing transparency in development projects. The initiative aligns with the government’s broader agenda to eliminate malpractice in public institutions.
The discussion also highlighted that provincial councils have received three times the financial allocations compared to the previous fiscal year. However, governors raised concerns regarding delays and bureaucratic hurdles in utilising these funds effectively. In response, President Disanayake directed officials to streamline procedures and adopt results-oriented mechanisms to accelerate infrastructure development.
Persistent obstacles in upgrading provincial infrastructure such as road networks, healthcare facilities and utility services, were also discussed. The President pledged to implement practical solutions to address these challenges and urged governors to prioritise projects that deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
The Governors further stressed the need for improved coordination between provincial councils and central ministries to avoid duplication of efforts. Acknowledging these concerns, President Disanayake underlined the importance of collaborative governance to ensure efficient resource allocation.
“While increased funding is a positive step, its prudent management is non-negotiable. Provincial authorities must ensure every rupee is accounted for and spent efficiently,” he asserted.
The meeting was attended by several senior officials, including Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, Kapila Janaka Bandara, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Provincial Governors: Hanif Yusuf (Western Province), Sarath Bandara Samarasinghe Abayakon (Central Province), Bandula Harischandra (Southern Province), Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya (North Western Province), Wasantha Kumara Wimalasiri (North Central Province), Nagalingam Vedanayagam (Northern Province), Prof. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera (Eastern Province), Champa Janaki Rajaratne (Sabaragamuwa Province) and Kapila Jayasekara (Uva Province).
Kusal Mendis to replace Buttler at Gujarat Titans for IPL playoffs
Showers about 75 mm is likely at some places in Central, Eastern, Uva, Northern and North-central provinces.
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