Pakistan president dissolves parliament on Imran Khan's advice


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Pakistan's president dissolved the parliament on Sunday at Prime Minister Imran Khan's request, shortly after the premier sidestepped a no-confidence vote against him.

The developments thrust Pakistan into political turmoil and the prospect of unexpected elections.

The National Assembly had earlier appeared set to dismiss Mr Khan as parliamentarians convened to vote on an opposition confidence motion.

Instead, the 69-year-old former World Cup winning cricketer was granted a reprieve when the deputy speaker dismissed the motion as unconstitutional.

Mr Khan moments later said he would ask the president to dissolve the country's national and provincial assemblies and told Pakistanis to prepare for elections. The cabinet was also dissolved.

The prime minister has repeatedly alleged the motion against him is a foreign conspiracy to kick him out because of his determination to forge his own foreign policy.

As parliamentarians prepared to vote on Sunday morning, Mr Khan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry asked the deputy speaker to dismiss the motion as “an operation for a regime change by a foreign government".

Qasim Khan Suri replied that "no foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy", and that points raised by the minister were valid.

He dismissed the motion.

Mr Khan then addressed the country to say: “I ask people to prepare for the next elections. Thank God, a conspiracy to topple the government has failed."

The opposition immediately said it would stage a protest sit-in in parliament and challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.

Shehbaz Sharif, leader of the opposition with the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), called it high treason.

“Imran Khan has pushed the country into anarchy. [Khan] and his cohort will not be allowed to go scot-free. There will be consequences for the blatant and brazen violation of the constitution.”

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, of the Pakistan Peoples Party, said the united opposition was not leaving parliament.

"Our lawyers are on their way to Supreme Court," he said. "We call on all institutions to protect, uphold, defend and implement the constitution of Pakistan.”

Mr Khan had come under increasing pressure in recent weeks as his parliamentary numbers dwindled amid a host of desertions and defections.

He had been widely predicted to lose Sunday's vote after he was abandoned by a coalition partner last week.

His opponents accuse him of economic mismanagement which has led to months of double-digit inflation, while the prime minister also appears to have had a rift with the influential army.

Imran Khan rallies supporters - in pictures

Mr Khan said: “In a democratic society, the democrats go to the people, elections are held and the people decide who they want to rule.”

Farrukh Habib, Minister for Information, said elections would be held within 90 days. Under Pakistan's constitution an interim government, chosen with input from the opposition, should steer the country towards the polls.

Umar Ata Bandial, chief justice of Pakistan, on Sunday said he had taken notice of the developments and a hearing into the constitutional question was due later during the day.

But Khalid Ranjha, a former law minister and judge, told The National that the Supreme Court may have difficulty overturning the ruling to dismiss the no-confidence vote.

“Our constitution's Article 69 says everything which happens within the parliament cannot be questioned by the courts," he said.

“I very much suspect the Supreme Court will say 'don't drag us into this muck. Let the parliament sort it out.'”

The military also denied any involvement in the dramatic political developments.

"[The] Army has nothing to do with the political process," said Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, the head of the military's public relations wing.

Opposition parliamentarians meanwhile refused to leave the national assembly chamber after the session was adjourned. They held their own sit-in no confidence vote and reported that 195 members voted in favour of the motion.

The opposition had needed a simple majority of 172 votes in Pakistan's 342-seat Parliament to unseat Mr Khan in the confidence vote. A flurry of political desertions and defections in recent weeks had undercut support for the prime minister. More than a dozen of his own party members had defected along with small, but vital coalition partners.

Q&A with Dash Berlin

Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.

You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.

You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.

Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.

 

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The National selections

6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold

7.05pm Final Song

7.40pm Equilateral

8.15pm Dark Of Night

8.50pm Mythical Magic

9.25pm Franz Kafka

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Ballon d’Or shortlists

Men

Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)

Women

Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)

 

 

Tamkeen's offering
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships

2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds

2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58

2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified

2012 London Olympics 9.63

2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77

2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79

2016 Rio Olympics 9.81

2017 London World Championships 9.95

How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

The Uefa Awards winners

Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)

Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Price: From Dh117,059

HOW TO WATCH

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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi

From: Dara

To: Team@

Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT

Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East

Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.

Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.

I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.

This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.

It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.

Uber on,

Dara

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
​​​​​​​Release Date: April 10

Updated: April 03, 2022, 1:32 PM