Zainab Altaf

Public policy consultant by chance. Photojournalist by design.

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Today is World Autism Day. Our autistic son, Feroz, is 15 now and when he was first diagnosed with autism I didn’t have much knowledge of what that meant or how many people in Pakistan and beyond were in this boat.

There is increased awareness in Pakistan now about Autism but it is still a long way to go and we need a more inclusive environment, enabling educational spaces and work opportunities for such uniquely gifted people.

Maheen and I are grateful to our friends and families who have always provided a welcoming and encouraging environment to Feroz. We hope that to be the reality for everyone like him in Pakistan.

This photo is from his stall recently at the Lahore Children’s Festival. He was the Boss and we were the Crew.

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Nature reminding us again that Climate Change is a real issue and that Pakistan is ground zero.

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

It was always a genocide and now the world finally sees it for what it is. All talk of international humanitarian law and international criminal law is useless without the world’s ability to save lives in Gaza!

[fatima bhutto 🇵🇸🇱🇧🇮🇷 @fbhutto]

Only the innocent die in war. Pakistan exercised extraordinary restraint against out of control, belligerent Zionist-armed fascist India determined on confrontation. The world cannot work the way Israel/India wish it to: no rules, no proof, contempt for law. God protect Pakistan

[Zainab Altaf @curiousmultani]

#Pakistan Zindabad! 🇵🇰

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Pakistan Zindabad 🇵🇰

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Pakistan has never wanted war. But we now have drones falling near our houses. This can’t be the new norm. The conventional deterrence equilibrium has to be reset. This isn’t Gaza. At this stage, Pakistan is legally justified in acting in self-defence.

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

India seems to be trying to create another excuse for attacking Pakistan. There can be no other explanation for the ballistic missiles landing around Amritsar. Pakistan stands with the brotherly Sikh community in Indian Punjab. This is a dangerous game.

[M. Jibran Nasir 🇵🇸 @MJibranNasir]

Prayers for all Kashmiris on both sides of the border. It is them who are spending every hour under extreme uncertainty, anxiety, fear and are the first casualty for any cross border shelling.

[Rabia Akhtar @Rabs_AA]

In the age of multidomain warfare, Pakistan stood its ground, shooting down drones, deflecting propaganda, and refusing to be baited. This isn’t weakness. It’s strategic maturity.
Proud to be a Pakistani.
#CalmUnderFire #Pakistan

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

We were having a progressive, forward-looking discussion with the visiting UN delegation regarding ECP’s role and UN’s engagement in improving the capacity of Pakistan’s election apparatus when police barged in, apparently looking for Hammad Azhar (who wasn’t there), and closed the exits of the Central Secretariat.

Despite Barrister Gohar’s assurance of full cooperation, the police authorities continuously interrupted the meeting and kept the building surrounded till after the delegation had left. It was all just an unnecessary spectacle.

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Thank you #NA148. 🙏🇵🇰

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

I am now outside the RO’s camp office at Multan Public School and have been told by DSP Murtaza and SHO Faraz that the instructions are not to allow even the candidate inside. It is my right and my chief polling agents’ right to be present at the RO office for compilation of results and review of any rejected votes.

The feedback from across the constituency is overwhelmingly in our favour and it is our right to get the correct Form 45 results this time. Pakistan can’t afford a repeat of 8 Feb and 21 April.

I was assured by RO Muhammad Saif, Commissioner Maryam Khan, DC Capt (r) Rizwan Qadeer, RPO Capt (r) Sohail Ch, CPO Sadiq Dogar and SSP Arsalan Zahid that there will be no restrictions from their side. Election Commission must take notice and ensure free and fair conclusion of the election process in #NA148.

Public’s mandate will prevail InshAllah.

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

My friends make this viral! Rest is all their last ditch effort to spoil our votes. #NA148KhanKa 🙏🐎🇵🇰

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

I returned to Pakistan with a plan for improving access to justice in the country and left my partnership at one of the world’s leading law firms, tax-free income and a comfortable lifestyle for the family abroad.

Instead, I became a victim myself of the delays and inaction of our legal system both in my capacity as a people’s representative from my constituency and as a lawyer to many who are bearing the brunt of our broken legal system.

These experiences, especially the Adyala trials and the ECP/election related legal saga, have provided valuable lessons. One could either become cynical and give up hope or else espouse hope for a better and just society.

I opt to strive, to struggle and to remain. I see hope in the six Judges of the Islamabad High Court. I see hope in the many ROs across Pakistan who didn’t budge. I see hope in the thousands of litigants and lawyers who still knock on the doors of our Courts everyday. I see hope in the eyes of our children.

The struggle will go on, the resolve even stronger than before. Immediate focus: raising voice for justice for the Justices!

[Zainab Altaf @curiousmultani]

#NA148
#PakistanElections2024

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Just to put things in perspective re #NA148 in simple terms:

As per the unlawful From 47 revised last night:

YRG Lead: 104

Rejected Votes: 13,012 (increased from 12,665 as per previous unlawful Form 47)

Example of blatant manipulation in just one polling station (that too my home polling station!):

My votes (as per Form 45 with us): 767
Rejected Votes: 13

My votes (as per Form 45 with RO): 67
Rejected Votes: 713

This is the story across around two dozen polling stations.

#InsafKiGhari

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Very very important - only if they checked things properly before doing the rigging in #NA148. The Form 45 showed by the RO today for this specific polling station (see my previous tweet) shows the same number of total votes (1138).

They have simply made my number of votes from 767 to 67 and rejected votes changed from 13 to 713 😂🤷‍♂️. They probably didn’t allow recount today so they could actually invalidate the exact number of votes!

I rest my case. Gillani Sb - aap kae sath hath ho gaya hai. My sincere advice - don’t resign from your Senate seat!

#InsafKiGhari 🕰️🇵🇰

[Zainab Altaf @curiousmultani]

#NA148
#PakistanElection2024
Corrupt Gilanis trying their best to steal the public’s #mandate and failing at basic math…
#InsafKiGhari
نقل کے لئے بھی عقل چاہئے ہوتی ہے
@BBCWorld
@cnni
@amnesty
@washingtonpost

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

😂🙏🕰️ #InsafKiGhari #NA148

[Zainab Altaf @curiousmultani]

#NA148
#PakistanElection

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Putting this out there for public record and interest. The 28 polling stations of #NA148 identified today courtesy review of RO’s Form 45 copies and mentioned in application received and acknowledged by the RO.

The people of each of these areas, eg my home grounds of Bahadarpur (713 rejected) and Tibbi Wala PS/Neel Kot (711 rejected) know who they voted for and will be able to see what’s been done with their valid votes.

These numbers don’t match at all with the signed and stamped original Form 45 available with us for these polling stations (safely stored and shared digitally by now).

The discrepancies in the Form 45 in our possession and those in the possession of the RO (many of which aren’t even signed!) will not stand legal/judicial scrutiny given the glaring issues. People’s mandate must win InshAllah.

#InsafKiGhari 🕰️🇵🇰

[Zainab Altaf @curiousmultani]

#NA148
#PakistanElection
#dhandli
@BBCWorld
@amnesty
@SouthAsiaIndex
@OxfordSAS
@Dawn_News
@ECP_Pakistan

[Taimur Malik @taimur_malik]

Important clarification Re #NA148

No recount was done today and hence it is misleading to state that the Form 49 (Final Consolidated Result) declaring Yousaf Raza Gillani has been issued after a recount.

The only thing (and useful thing for us legally) that happened today was that the RO showed us (candidates and/or their representatives) the Form 45 of all polling stations received by him.

Courtesy this review, the purpose of which perhaps wasn’t clear to others, “dhandla” is as clear as day - eg. 711 and 713 votes rejected from the polling stations of my and my parents’ home polling stations whereas the average rejected vote in other polling stations across the constituency is less than 30. They couldn’t even spread the rejected votes in a hurry across all polling stations and concentrated on some polling stations only making it all even more ridiculous.

Pursuant to the exercise we now know exactly which polling stations are problematic (also most Form 45 showing massive rejected votes don’t even have the signatures of any candidates’ polling agents) - a fact that I have duly noted in my hand written application post the exercise and which has been duly reviewed and acknowledged by the RO.

After 10.5 hours at the RO office today, I have finally left with an attested copy of the unlawful Order declining my application for a recount in #NA148 wherein I had also clearly asked that Final Consolidated Result shouldn’t be issued. This too will be challenged.

Any decision built on an illegal act will always be unlawful and the Courts will view it and decide accordingly.

People’s mandate will win InshAllah.

#InsafKiGhari 🕰️🇵🇰

[Zainab Altaf @curiousmultani]

#NA148
#PakistanElection2024

[Barrister Maleeka Bokhari @MalBokhari]

@taimur_malik has been in the RO office for hours and fighting to protect the mandate given by the people of Constituency , and his right to represent his voters in Multan.

He led a brilliant campaign and was a clear winner but the result by RO showed that he had lost by a less than 300 hundred votes. With many polling stations showing the number of rejected votes going in hundreds, it is obvious that RO Multan undertook actions that were unlawful. The margin of victory is extremely small compared to the number of rejected votes.

He was being pressurised inside the RO office which was locked for hours.

What a fight! I am very proud of him.