ISLAMABAD: The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (the lower house), Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, expressed concerns yesterday over the government’s decision to delay the proposed All Parties Conference on security.
He told reporters at the Parliament House that the decision to postpone the conference had created doubts in people’s minds.
Shah called upon the federal government to immediately convene the conference because security had become the biggest problem facing the country.
842 candidates for 42 seats
ISLAMABAD: A total of 842 candidates have submitted their nomination papers to contest the August 22 by-elections for 42 seats of national and four provincial assemblies, says a spokesman for the Election Commission of Pakistan.
He said that 339 had submitted papers for 16 seats of the National Assembly and 503 for 26 seats in provincial assemblies.
He said 323 candidates filed papers for 15 seats in the Punjab Assembly, 92 for four seats in the Sindh Assembly, 38 for four seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and 50 for three seats in the Baluchistan Assembly.
Trainee pilot survives crash
Islamabad: A training aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force crashed during a routine training in Tehsil Isakhel of Mianwali in the Punjab province, with the pilot ejecting safely, Geo News said yesterday.
An F-7P fighter jet was on a training mission when it crashed. The pilot, Flying Officer Taha, managed to eject and landed safely with minor injuries.
Security forces arrived and cordoned off the area. The cause of the crash was not known immediately. Authorities have ordered investigation.
EU mission hails election
ISLAMABAD: The European Union Observer Mission yesterday ruled out any suspicion about poll and involvement of intelligence agencies in the process. It described this year’s election as better organised than that in 2008.
The mission’s chief, Michael Gahler, released a report on the May 11 election at a news conference and said the EU observers had monitored 184 constituencies of the National Assembly and made 50 recommendations for electoral reforms.
He said some institutions had crossed limits in discharging their duty and the PML-N had been given more coverage than other parties during campaigning.
Five killed in Helmand blasts
Kabul: Three civilians and two policemen were killed in two explosions in Helmand yesterday.
One intelligence operative was wounded in a blast in central Bamyan province.
Thee civilians were killed when their car hit a roadside bomb in Nad Ali district, Helmand governor’s spokesman Omar Zwak said.
Another explosion in the same area killed two policemen and wounded a third, Zwak said.
He said that the second blast occurred when police were on their way to the site of the first attack to help the victims.
Agencies
