Live News July 25: Imran Khan’s PTI largest party in hung Pakistan National Assembly

Follow National Herald’s live news blog to get all the news in one place as we follow events in Mumbai where the Maratha Kranti Morcha is trying to enforce a bandh in support of its demand for reservations for the Maratha community, happenings in Parliament and returns from Pakistan’s general election, among other news

The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is spearheading the agitation for reservation in jobs and education, has called for the shutdown in Mumbai and some neighbouring districts today. Another outfit, the Sakal Maratha Samaj, called for the bandh in Navi Mumbai and Panvel areas.

Yesterday, large-scale violence marred a state-wide protest by Maratha outfits demanding reservation for the community. A constable died and nine other policemen were injured amid suicide attempt by three agitators during the violence. Agitators had clashed with the police and torched vehicles at several places, while Internet services were suspended in rural areas of Aurangabad district to prevent any untoward incident. In Jalna, the police had fired in the air to quell protests.

Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, has been a hugely contentious issue. Mahrashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had cancelled his visit to a temple in Pandharpur on Monday after protesters threatened to disrupt the event.

Despite assurances from Fadnavis, nothing concrete has been done till now over the demands, community leaders have claimed. "We will continue our agitation until the CM apologises to the Maratha community (for alleging that some members from the community were planning violence at Pandharpur)," Morcha coordinator Ravindra Patil said yesterday.

Protesters attacked public buses in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Navi Mumbai during the bandh called by Maratha outfits over their demand for reservation. PTI reported that two Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses were attacked by agitators in Kanjurmarg and Bhandup suburbs of Mumbai. In view of the stone-pelting on buses, BEST partially suspended its services in those areas and expects to resume it when the situation improves, an official of the transport body said.

Protesters also hurled stones at a public transport bus in Wagle Estate area of the neighbouring Thane city. They blocked some areas there, including the key Teen Hath Naka junction, resulting in long queues of vehicles on the road leading to Mumbai.

A bus was also attacked in Ghansoli area of Navi Mumbai following which the city transport authority suspended its services in the area, an official said.

TDP members in the Lok Sabha on July 25 once again raised the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Wearing yellow stoles, they raised slogans from their benches like "we want justice".

The Lok Sabha today witnessed heated exchanges between the opposition and the government over the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, with the former terming its cost exorbitant and the latter alleging that the previous regime had sanctioned projects for "narrow political gains". As the House took up a question related to the ₹1.10 lakh crore project during the Question Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the cost of the high speed rail corridor was exorbitant and the amount could have been spent on activities like doubling of thousands of kilometres of railway tracks or opening up of new divisions.

For the first time in Pakistan's political history, the Election Commission of Pakistan gave the duty of "observers" during polling to members of the transgender community. However, on Wednesday in Lahore they were not allowed to vote and in Peshawar they were barred from entering polling stations

Stating that India has deepened its partnership and engagement across the vast expanse of Africa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday charted out 10 principles of his country's engagement with African nations. "India is proud to be Africa's partner," Modi said while addressing the Ugandan Parliament, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister.

• At least 30 people were killed, including a child, and over 30 people were wounded when the suicide bomber detonated outside a crowded polling station.
• Local police officials said the suicide bomber tried to target a high-ranking military officer who was part of a delegation visiting the polling station, but due to tight security, he detonated at the gate.
• Several of the wounded are in critical condition and the death toll could rise further.
• IS claimed responsibility for the explosion, according to a statement on the group's Amaq news agency. The statement did not provide further details or give evidence for the claim.

Dawn has reported that Pakistan Television's result transmission, which is connected with the ECP's result transmission system, has stopped updating results. The last results via PTV News' Twitter account came around an hour ago while they are also not being updated as frequently on PTV website. Analysts at PTV News also appear unaware of the reason behind the slowing down of results, said Dawn