ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared petitions against caretaker ministers and advisers as maintainable. The ECP has scheduled a hearing on the matter for October 26. Advocate Azizuddin Kakakhel filed these petitions.
These petitions pertain to the political associations of federal ministers and advisers, and the ECP has issued notices to the Federal Minister for Privatization Fawad Hassan Fawad, Adviser Ahad Cheema, and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Tauqeer Shah.
In July, the ECP had asked the caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to remove ministers involved in politics. The ECP expressed concern over the appointment of caretaker ministers based on political affiliations and requested the removal of caretaker ministers, advisers, and special assistants with political associations, citing violations of the Election Act 2017.
The ECP had also sought a report from the Election Commissioner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding the participation and speech of caretaker minister Shahid Khattak in a public meeting.
Ceasefire Reports in Gaza: Israel and Hamas Offer Contradictory Statements
On the 9th day of the Israel-Hamas conflict, reports emerged of a ceasefire in Southern Gaza, but there is confusion and contradiction in the statements from Israel and Hamas.
In the meantime, there were reports that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt temporarily opened at 9 a.m. (06:00 GMT) on Monday, allowing foreigners, including approximately 600 American citizens, to cross into Egypt. This development came amid the possibility of an Israeli invasion of Gaza.
However, both the Prime Minister’s office in Israel and Hamas have denied the existence of a ceasefire, casting doubt on the accuracy of the reports.
Rafah is currently the only exit point for Gaza after Israel closed its crossings. The recent agreement with Egypt allows only foreign nationals to pass through.
Furthermore, the US State Department has described the situation at the Rafah crossing as “fluid and unpredictable.” Meanwhile, it remains “unclear” how long the crossing will stay open in the face of a potential Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.
