ISLAMABAD: According to the Pakistan Weather Office’s Chief Meteorologist, forecasts indicate that much of the country will experience cold and dry weather on February 8, Election Day, with temperatures possibly dropping to as low as 13 to 14 degrees Celsius.
The latest updates from the meteorological department suggest that various regions across the country will see cold and dry conditions, particularly in the northern areas, on February 8.
Sarfaraz Khan, the chief meteorologist, stated that most parts of the country will experience chilly and dry weather, with temperatures ranging between 25 to 26 degrees Celsius during the day and dropping to as low as 13 to 14 degrees Celsius at night.
However, Gilgit-Baltistan may experience partly cloudy skies, and there’s a chance of cold winds in the Potohar region during the evening and night.
The weather office also predicts light fog in some areas of North-East Punjab during the morning hours.
Today’s recorded minimum temperatures were -16 degrees Celsius in Leh, -13 in Kalam, -8 in Astor, -5 in Malam Jabba, and -5 in Rawalakot.
Meanwhile,
Expressing concern over the violation of the law requiring political parties to allocate five percent of tickets to women, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights prompted action from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday. The IHC sought a response from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in light of the UN’s observation.
In the lead-up to the general elections scheduled for Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, issued a statement from Geneva urging Pakistani authorities to ensure a fully free and fair vote while reaffirming their commitment to the democratic process. Turk highlighted the barriers faced by women and minority communities, particularly the Ahmadis, in Pakistan.
Despite 22 percent of seats in the National Assembly being reserved for women, some political parties allegedly failed to meet the legal quota of having five percent of women candidates on their party lists.
Simultaneously, the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court sought a reply from the Election Commission of Pakistan in response to a petition demanding compliance with the statutory provision that mandates political parties to allocate five percent of tickets to women for national and provincial assembly seats. The petitioner named the ECP and several political parties, including PML-N, PPP, ANP, JUI-F, MQM, TLP, and BNP, as respondents.
The UNHCHR statement emphasized the exposure of minority communities, such as Ahmadis, to harassment and violence due to separate voter lists, despite constitutional guarantees of equal rights. The High Commissioner stressed the importance of fair competition among all parties and condemned acts of violence against political parties and candidates.
