VOTERS in Pakistan were set to cast their ballots on Wednesday (25) while the military fanned out across the country as the south Asian nation elects a new prime minister this week.
The contest has largely been distilled to a two-party fight between jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s incumbent Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz party (PML-N), and cricket legend Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Nearly 106 million Pakistanis, including more than 19 million new voters, will choose a successor to the PML-N, which took power in 2013 and hopes for a new mandate under leader Shahbaz Sharif.
A third choice, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – son of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto – could become kingmakers, forming a coalition with the winner.
Armed soldiers watched closely as election officials in the capital Islamabad on Tuesday (24) distributed ballot boxes and voting materials to polling stations across the city.
The military has stationed more than 370,000 personnel nationwide to ensure the vote goes smoothly – the largest such deployment in Pakistan’s history on an election day. It has said the soldiers will work with local law enforcement to ensure “a safe and secure environment” for voting.
An additional 450,000 police were also assigned to provide security, according to election officials.
The mammoth deployment, coupled with a recent decision by election authorities to grant military officers broad powers inside polling centres,
has stirred fears of possible manipulation.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said military officers would be given magisterial powers, effectively making them judge and jury to punish individuals for illegal acts committed inside polling stations.
Last week, Sherry Rehman – opposition leader in the Senate, the parliament’s upper house – said the move could lead to potential conflicts and confusion. Raza Rabbani, another high-profile senator, demanded a clarification from the ECP.
The ECP said last Sunday (22) the presence of troops at polling stations is meant to ensure a “free and fair election”.
“I don’t know why they have given these powers, because that will unnecessarily create doubts in the minds of people,” retired general and security analyst Talat Masood said. “I don’t think these powers have ever been granted.”
Election observers also questioned the move, and said there was rising anxiety over the large military presence at the polls. “A lot of our interlocutors, and I would dare to say most of them, they raise serious concerns regarding the role of the military,” said Dimitra Ioannou, deputy chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission.
Political parties held their final rallies on Monday (23) night – before campaigning was suspended – in a last-ditch attempt to energise voters.
“I am giving this task to all of you: wake up early on the 25th and cast your vote,” Khan told thousands of PTI faithful in Lahore.
In southern Punjab, PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif – the brother of Nawaz Sharif – said victory was “certain”. “Despite all the odds, PML-N is winning the July 25 polls,” he was quoted as saying by Pakistani media.
The PML-N has accused the military, the country’s most powerful institution, of manipulating candidates and the media ahead of the vote in a bid to push out the party and install a pliant government, with Khan seen as the likely beneficiary.
Activists and think tanks have also widely decried a “silent coup” by Pakistan’s generals. At a PML-N rally in the military garrison city of Rawalpindi, anger simmered over what participants said was engineering by “the establishment” – referring to the military.
Some vowed to take to the streets if directed by their leaders. “After the election, we will fight,” said PML-N supporter Aftab Anjum, 67. “We are all ready.”
The military – which has ruled the country for roughly half its 70 year history – remains Pakistan’s most powerful institution and has a long history of meddling in politics and judicial affairs – a charge that it denies.
The controversy comes as increasing militant attacks on campaign events in the last month have raised fears that insurgents may target voters.
Three candidates have been killed in attacks at political events this month, including a member of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in a suicide attack last Sunday.
And on Monday, authorities announced an increased death toll – 153 – for an earlier attack on a rally in the town of Mastung in southwestern Balochistan province, making it the second-deadliest terror attack in Pakistan’s history.
Punjab holds the key to power under Pakistan’s first-past-the-post system, with a potential 141 out of 342 seats in the National Assembly, 272 of which are directly-elected.
The stand-off between Sharif and the military peaked earlier this month, when he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison for corruption.
One week later, he returned to Pakistan from London, where his wife is receiving cancer treatment, and was promptly imprisoned. Analysts say the PML-N’s fate rests on his ability to frame himself as the victim of a military conspiracy.
He is not alone in his accusations against the generals. Major media outlets and activists have increasingly complained of kidnappings and intimidation in recent months.
There have been allegations of censoring coverage of certain topics and parties ahead of the election, they say. The PML-N appears to be the main focus, though Bhutto has also complained his campaign is being hampered.
There is a widespread belief that the generals prefer a weak civilian government who will not seek to rebalance the power between it and the security establishment. “The military is clearly trying to create a new generation of leadership,” says security analyst Ayesha Siddiqa.
Khan is seen as the beneficiary of that favour, allowed to move freely around Pakistan and proclaim his ambition to build an “Islamic welfare state”. His chances of running the country are considered the best since entering politics two decades ago.
Polls show PTI’s popularity climbing, while Sharif’s incumbent PML-N party limps into the contest. Khan has cut a relaxed image on the campaign trail, looking confident of his chances.
The three times-married 65-year-old cuts a rather conservative persona as a devout Muslim, often carrying prayer beads and nurturing beliefs in living saints.
Earlier this year, he married his spiritual advisor Bushra Maneka, with wedding photos showing the new bride clad in a conservative veil.
To his legions of fans, he is uncorrupted and generous, spending his years off the pitch building hospitals and a university.
“We want change because the current system is corrupt, and we are going to have to face many difficulties,” said PTI supporter Jamil Ahmed.
Khan entered Pakistan’s politics in 1996 promising to fight graft. For his first decade and a half as a politician he sputtered, with PTI never securing more than a few seats in the national assembly.
“Sports teaches you that life is not in a straight line,” he said in an interview earlier this year. “You take the knocks. You learn from your mistakes.”
In 2012 PTI’s popularity surged with hordes of young Pakistanis who grew up idolising Khan as a cricket icon reaching voting age.
Khan admits his party was ill-prepared to capitalise on the gains during the 2013 election. But that was then. “For the first time, we’ll be going into elections prepared,” he has said previously of 2018.
Five years later PTI is running a nationwide campaign including areas far from its northwestern and urban strongholds.
To shore up its chances of winning, PTI has begun luring candidates away from Sharif’s party, stirring controversy among long-time party loyalists who say Khan is relying on the same corrupt politicians he once denounced.
However, some fear Khan’s mercurial nature is unsuited to being prime minister. He has raised eyebrows by increasingly catering to religious hardliners, particularly over the hugely inflammatory charge of blasphemy, spurring fears his leadership could embolden extremists.
“It’s hard to judge anyone when they’re in opposition because the real challenge is when you take over,” said journalist Arifa Noor. “On the downside he’s playing up the religion card.”
Khan has also been attacked for his repeated calls to hold talks with militants and for his party’s alliance with Sami ul Haq, the so-called Father of the Taliban whose madrassas once educated Taliban stalwarts Mullah Omar and Jalaluddin Haqqani.
And earlier this month, the al Qaeda-linked Harkat-ul-Mujahideen announced their support for Khan’s party, with pictures of the US-designated terrorist group’s leader posing with PTI hopefuls posted online.
Still, many, including Khan, believe this is the best political opportunity he will ever have.
“After the 25th of July, God willing we will reunite this divided nation,” he said during a rally in Lahore days before the polls. “And end the hatred.”
Whatever the result, Pakistan faces pressing challenges. One of the most acute is the economy, with analysts warning the next government has little time to avert a balance-of-payments crisis, likely requesting Pakistan’s second IMF loan in five years.
It will also have to tackle one of the fastest population booms in Asia, negating economic and developmental gains, particularly alarming when combined with the threat of absolute water scarcity as soon as 2025.
Security has improved dramatically since a military crackdown. But analysts have long warned of Pakistan’s failure to address the root causes of extremism. Militants still carry out spectacular attacks.
To gain a majority, a party needs 137 of the 272 elected National Assembly seats. A further 70 seats for women and minorities are awarded proportionally based on the voting percentages.
In 2013, the PML-N won 126 seats, while Khan’s party came third with 28 seats. After the results, 27 winning independent candidates joined Sharif’s party to give it a majority.
The election results will be updated on the official Pakistan election website www.ecp.gov.pk. (Agencies)
A MINUTE of silence will be observed in Leicester on Sunday, June 22, to remember those who died in the recent Air India crash. The silence will take place during the inauguration of the annual Rathayatra festival of chariots in the city centre.
Organisers from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness confirmed the silence will be held at 11.20am, followed by traditional Hindu performances from Gujarat at Gallowtree Gate, outside Sports Direct.
The society’s president, Pradyumna Das, told Leicester Mercury: "Though a joyous occasion, this year's festival is marred by the tragic loss of so many lives in the plane crash, impacting families here in Leicester. Today we pray for the departed in hope for their reunion with the Supreme Lord."
The Air India flight crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived – Leicester man Viswash Kumar Ramesh. Among the dead were 53 British nationals, including several from Leicester.
The welcome ceremony for the festival starts at 9am. The chariot procession will begin after the inauguration and reach Cossington Park at 2.30pm for a free celebration.
Pradyumna told Leicester Mercury: "While we observe a world plagued with division and disharmony, this festival shares the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita to encourage us to see the true spiritual nature of all beings. This means going beyond sectarianism and even religious affiliation. In the Rathayatra festival, the Lord of the universe, Jagannatha, rides through the city to offer his glance of love to everyone."
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The discount is funded and distributed by energy companies across England, Scotland and Wales, but the government decides who qualifies. (Representational image: iStock)
MILLIONS of households in Britain will receive £150 off their energy bills this winter after the government changed the eligibility rules for the Warm Home Discount.
People on means-tested benefits will now automatically qualify for the discount, regardless of their property's size or energy score. This change is expected to extend support to 2.7 million additional households, including nearly a million with children.
The discount is funded and distributed by energy companies across England, Scotland and Wales, but the government decides who qualifies. Under the previous rules, only those on the guaranteed element of pension credit or on means-tested benefits living in homes with a high energy score were eligible.
Simon Francis from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition told BBC: "With bills still hundreds of pounds higher than in 2020, millions will continue to face unaffordable energy and cold, damp homes this winter."
The expansion of the scheme follows the government's recent decision to reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment for most pensioners.
Although energy companies will cover the cost of the expanded discount, it may be passed on to all customers through a rise in the Standing Charge, BBC reported. The government says savings from reduced energy company spending and improved debt management will offset this.
Energy UK's chief executive Dhara Vyas welcomed the move and said she hoped for "a new improved targeted support scheme".
Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently confirmed £13.2bn for the government's Warm Homes Plan to improve energy efficiency in homes.
TWO sisters studying at the University of Chester have drowned in mountain pools while visiting Snowdonia with university friends, an inquest has heard.
Hajra Zahid, 29, and Haleema Zahid, 25, were pulled from the water at the Watkin Pools at Eryri in the Nant Gwynant area of Gwynedd on June 11.
The sisters, who were born in Pakistan but lived in Maltby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, were both pronounced dead at the scene, according to reports.
Assistant coroner for north-west Wales Sarah Riley opened inquests into their deaths at the Dafydd Orwig Chamber in Caernarfon on Wednesday (18).
She said: "Hajra and Haleema had travelled to the Nant Gwynant area with friends from university. They have entered the water and sadly both died as a result of drowning."
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 9.30pm after receiving reports that one woman had been pulled from the water while another remained in the pools. Despite efforts by emergency crews to rescue the second woman, both students were tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
The multi-agency response involved Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, Wales Air Ambulance, and the Coastguard. Jurgen Dissmann, chairman of Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, said, "On behalf of Llanberis mountain rescue team, I extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the two women who sadly lost their lives. This was a complex and difficult callout for the team."
The pools where the tragedy occurred are part of a series of cascades and plunge pools on Afon Cwm Llan, which have been described on social media as an "absolute dream tucked away in Snowdonia" and "perfect for a refreshing wild swim".
Both women had joined Chester Business School earlier this year to study Master's degrees in International Business.
Vice-chancellor Professor Eunice Simmons said: "The University of Chester community is in mourning for the tragic loss of Haleema Zahid and Hajra Zahid and our heartfelt sympathies are with their families and friends during this incredibly difficult time. They touched the lives of many here at Chester - their friends, the cohort on their course and the staff who taught them - and they will be deeply missed."
Colleagues from Pakistan paid tribute to Haleema, who had previously worked at a telecommunications company in Islamabad. Dr Bilal Saeed described her as "an exceptionally compassionate, hardworking and kind individual" who had "touched the lives of many with her warmth, professionalism and unwavering dedication".
Another former colleague, Sheharyar Shahnawaz, remembered Haleema as an "amazing lady, very lively and energetic, someone you would want in your life". He revealed that she had become the pillar of her family following her father's death last year and had been "really excited for this new chapter" when he saw her before she left for the UK.
Riley added: "Investigations continue in terms of how they came by their death and the inquest is therefore adjourned to allow for completion of those investigations. I offer my sincere condolences to their family, friends and all who knew and loved them."
A YOUNG couple from Croydon were among those killed in last week's devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, it has been confirmed.
Vaibhav Patel, 29, and his pregnant wife Jinal Goswami, 27, died when their flight crashed just moments after takeoff on June 12. Goswami was seven months pregnant with the couple's first child, reports said.
The pair had travelled to Gujarat to celebrate their baby shower with family and friends. Their close friend Nirav Patel, who had known Vaibhav for over a decade, spoke of his shock at the news.
"The couple were in Ahmedabad to celebrate their own baby shower. It was on the 5 June. She was seven months pregnant. They were very happy," he told the BBC.
Patel and Goswami, who had been married for four years, had recently moved to Croydon from Southampton, where Vaibhav had previously worked at a Papa John's restaurant in Portswood.
His former manager described him as a "true gentleman" who "worked very hard and was a family man".
Nirav remembered his friend as someone who "always supported his family and friends", adding: "Vaibhav did not have a father, so he was the big son supporting the family back in India."
The funeral for both victims was held in India on Monday (16), with grieving relatives and friends gathering to pay their final respects.
Croydon Business Association expressed condolences over the tragedy, saying the incident had "profoundly affected the victims, their families and the wider community".
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner was bound for London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft lost altitude just 17 seconds after liftoff and slammed into a medical college hostel.
The disaster claimed 241 of the 242 people on board, plus at least 30 people on the ground. Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.
Only one passenger survived - 40-year-old British businessman Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who was seated near an emergency exit and suffered serious injuries.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves across both India and the UK, marking one of the deadliest aviation disasters worldwide in a decade.
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Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran on June 18, 2025.
ISRAEL launched airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities on Thursday, while Iranian missiles damaged an Israeli hospital, escalating the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue its campaign until Iran's nuclear programme is destroyed. “The tyrants of Tehran will pay the full price,” he said.
Defence minister Israel Katz said the military had been ordered to increase strikes on strategic targets in Tehran. He said the goal was to eliminate threats to Israel and undermine the “Ayatollah regime.”
Netanyahu has said Israel’s offensive could bring down the Iranian regime, and that the country would take all necessary steps to remove the “existential threat” posed by Tehran.
Over a week of Israeli strikes has targeted Iran’s military leadership, damaged its nuclear infrastructure, and killed hundreds. Iran's retaliatory missile attacks have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel.
Israel’s military said it targeted the Khondab nuclear site in Arak overnight, including a heavy-water research reactor. Heavy-water reactors can be used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons.
Iranian media reported that two projectiles landed near the facility. No radiation threat was reported.
The Israeli military also said it struck a site in the Natanz area, which it described as housing equipment for developing nuclear weapons.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says its programme is peaceful. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said Israel had violated international law by attacking its nuclear sites and added there were no casualties because the areas were evacuated.
Missiles damage hospital in Israel
On Thursday, several Iranian missiles struck populated areas in Israel, including a hospital in the south, according to an Israeli military official.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it was aiming at Israeli military and intelligence sites near Soroka medical centre in Beersheba. The hospital confirmed damage.
This marks the first time in years of conflict that Iranian missile attacks have killed civilians inside Israel. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv as missiles were intercepted. Some made direct hits, according to Israeli media.
Emergency services said five people were seriously injured and dozens hurt across three locations. People were trapped in a building in a southern Tel Aviv neighbourhood.
A number of embassies in central Tel Aviv were located close to the impact zone. Buildings were also damaged in nearby Ramat Gan, a commercial area.
Emergency workers were helping residents, including children, after windows were shattered and buildings damaged by the blast.
“It’s very scary,” said Yaniv, 34, who lives nearby. He said his apartment tower shook from the explosion.
Regional conflict widens
The conflict between Israel and Iran has raised concerns about the involvement of other world powers and wider instability in the Middle East.
Oil prices rose after news of the Israeli strikes, amid concerns over potential disruptions to crude supply.
Since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, Israel has been fighting on multiple fronts. It has targeted Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Yemen’s Houthi group with airstrikes and assassinations.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday, president Donald Trump declined to confirm whether the US would join Israel’s campaign.
“I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said.
Trump also said Iranian officials wanted to come to Washington for talks. “We may do that,” he said, adding “it’s a little late.”
Trump has said the conflict could end if Iran agrees to strict limits on its nuclear programme. Iran has said it will not negotiate while under attack. Talks scheduled between Washington and Tehran were cancelled last Sunday.
Germany, France and Britain are now planning to meet with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi on Friday in Geneva, according to a German diplomatic source.
Trump has made varying statements, from suggesting diplomacy to floating the idea of targeting Iran’s supreme leader and calling for Iran’s surrender.
A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump’s team is reviewing possible US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
However, the idea of US military involvement has caused divisions among Trump’s supporters, with some urging him to avoid another Middle East conflict.