Category: National

A mentally ill 74-year-old Christian blasphemy accused has been released by the Supreme Court after 23 years, it has emerged.

The Supreme Court, after setting the judgements of the high court and trial court aside, observed that the appellant was more than 74 years of age, not of sound mind, and had spent around 23 years in prison, most of which was in a death cell.

“The opinion of the Medical Board raises doubt regarding the culpability of the appellant and its benefit cannot be withheld in the facts and circumstances of this case. The benefit of doubt is, therefore, extended in favor of the appellant and consequently he is acquitted from the charge framed against him,” read the nine-page judgement of the apex court, penned by Justice Athar Minallah.

“The conduct of the appellant during the investigation and the trial was not that of a normal and sane person. The contents of the letter reflected signs of grandeur, hallucination and delusional flight of ideas. Though the abnormality was obvious from the conduct and contents of the letter, neither the prosecution nor the trial court had the appellant medically examined by specialists in the field of psychiatry,” the judgement added.

The court said if the man was not required to remain in prison on any other charge, he was free to go, and that it expected for the individual’s medical treatment to continue even after release.

It merits a mention that the case in question had been pending before the top court since 2014 and was heard by several benches more than a dozen times since 2017, but no decision was taken.

The case pertained to a complaint lodged against the man at Lahore’ Gawalmandi Police Station in September 2001, under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The appellant was subsequently arrested, and after completion of the investigation, a report was filed in court. The appellant had pleaded guilty to the charge framed against him on June 28, 2002.

The trial court, upon conclusion of trial, had convicted the appellant for commission of the alleged offence and sentenced him to death. He was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs500,000, which, in case of default, was to be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

He had appealed the sentence in the high court, but the same was dismissed on June 30, 2014. 

After examining the accused’s record, the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) in Lahore had constituted a board to evaluate him, resulting in a Bipolar Affective Disorder diagnosis.

He was later admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana has ordered a crackdown on the public display of arms and the menace of “Dala Culture” to impress and threaten the public.

Chairing a meeting to review the monthly performance of Civil Lines and Model Town police divisions, the top cop directed DIG (Operations) Faisal Kamran to initiate wide-ranging operations to eliminate the unlawful presence of armed individuals and suppress elements involved in promoting a culture of intimidation and lawlessness.

Emphasising the importance of targeted action against narcotics, he directed officials to backtrack drug-related cases to uncover and dismantle larger smuggling networks.

“There must be no leniency towards drug dealers. Tracing their links is crucial for long-term results,” he said and stressed the need for efficient public service at police front desks, ensuring all applications are addressed promptly.

“Officers must maintain direct contact with complainants to guarantee timely and impartial justice,” he said.

On street crime, the CCPO Kamyana ordered intensified patrolling in hotspot areas and the full utilisation of the police’s surveillance software Hotel Eye to monitor suspicious activities.

In light of security challenges, he directed taking preventive measures at banks, commercial centres and other locations across the city.

The meeting was also attended by DIG (Admin) Imran Kishwar, DIG (Investigation) Zeeshan Raza, SSP (Investigation) Muhammad Naveed as well as relevant SPs, ASPs, Circle Officers and SHOs.

After weeks of reported rifts within the ranks of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has resigned as the provincial chief executive on jailed party founder Imran Khan’ orders.

Amid speculation on the reason behind his sacking and the PTI’s claims of no divides within the party, senior journalist and analyst Ansar has said the development is a “stark reminder of how perilous it can be for even a powerful figure in PTI to end up on the wrong side of the two women closest to incarcerated Khan”.

“The once-fiery PTI stalwart had little political ground left to stand on after a bruising, power struggle with Aleema Khan and an old rift with Bushra Bibi that never truly healed,” Abbasi wrote for The News.

He said that tensions between Gandapur and Bushra Bibi had been simmering since last year when the PTI leadership decided to lead a protest march to Islamabad’s D-Chowk. 

The demonstration had turned bloody after Bushra Bibi had overruled Gandapur and pushed for the march to continue to the heart of the capital despite the latter’s advice to stop at Sangjani on security and strategic grounds.

This, Abbasi said, was the first visible sign that Gandapur’s authority within the party was challenged by Bushra Bibi, who, despite the CM’s reluctance, had joined the march and led it too.

The rift deepened when Bushra Bibi publicly claimed that she had been “left alone” at D-Chowk during the tense standoff — a statement Gandapur publicly rejected. “I was with her from beginning to end,” he had told reporters.

Gandapur, the journalist said, was also upset with the interference into political matters by Bushra Bibi during her stay in Peshawar despite a lack of support from within the party as Imran Khan always trusted her the most.

The more serious confrontation, Abbasi maintained, was recently when Gandapur openly accused Khan’s sister Aleema of engineering a rift within the PTI, further alleging that she was being facilitated by the Military Intelligence (MI) and “establishment.”

“Imran Khan is my leader and I am loyal to him. It is my right to convey the truth to him … I made him aware of all that has been happening [during my meeting with him yesterday],” Gandapur had said in a video statement.

 
The KP CM said that he had conveyed to the party founder that Aleema had a big role in dividing the party and some members being discredited. He also alleged that no steps were being taken for Khan’s release. “Instead, there is groupism in party which some people are using to serve their own interests.”

 
He alleged that Aleema was in contact with “vloggers” working to create divide in the party. “And instead of stopping them… she is provoking them. And Hafeezullah Niazi sahib refers to Aleema Khan as the prime minister in his articles. He writes that she should become the party chairperson,” he alleged.

Days later, Khan had reportedly told Gandapur and Aleema to avoid issuing statements against each other.

After trading barbs for weeks, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have agreed to a “ceasefire” following an emergency meeting between senior leaders from both sides.

The breakthrough came as PML-N scrambled a delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, to Zardari House in Nawabshah. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi were also a part of the meeting that came two days after President Asif Ali Zardari intervened to ease the growing rift between the Sindh and Punjab governments.

During the meeting, reports said, President Zardari urged the government delegation to advise their party members to exercise restraint, saying they did not want matters to worsen. The PML-N team made the same request, agreeing that both sides should listen to each other before making any public statements.

Reports said Dar was instrumental in clearing the air between the parties and understanding reached was intended to halt the cycle of tit-for-tat statements that started over flood compensation through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), going on to dominate political headlines for weeks.

The PPP had been calling for the provision of aid to flood victims via BISP — a proposition turned down by the Punjab government. The situation intensified after Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz said other parties were using flood devastation in the province for political mileage.

Her sharp retorts prompted the PPP leadership in both the Senate and the National Assembly to stage walkouts and issue veiled threats of withdrawing from the coalition. They also demanded that CM Maryam apologised for her remarks, which was ruled out by the Punjab chief executive.

She maintained that as the CM, she would defend Punjab and would not apologise for speaking up for her province. CM Maryam also asserted that those who mocked the province during natural calamities should themselves seek forgiveness.

PML-N ministers also retaliated by raising questions on Sindh’s governance record under the PPP.

Amid the war of words, the president had earlier this week held a telephonic conversation with Naqvi to discuss the ongoing tensions and the fate of the ruling coalition.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has decided to remove party leader Ali Amin Gandapur as the chief minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), reports quoted Bushra Bibi’s lawyer Rai Salman as saying on Wednesday.

According to sources, the decision was taken in light of CM Gandapur’s recent tussle with jailed Khan’s sister Aleema Khan over the latter’s alleged interference in the affairs of the party as well as the provincial government.

PTI lawmaker in the KP Assembly Sohail Afridi is reportedly the top contender for the slot of the provincial chief executive, sources told The Current.

It merits a mention that the development comes a week after Khan told Gandapur and his sister to avoid issuing public statements against each other.

 
The instructions were conveyed by PTI Senator Ali Zafar as Imran also urgently summoned CM Gandapur for a meeting at Adiala Jail.

 
Addressing speculation during a media briefing outside the jail, Zafar had said that the jailed former premier’s urgent summon for Gandapur was for a meeting and not a reprimand.

He had also dismissed reports of Gandapur’s sacking.

  
Prior to Khan’s message, CM Gandapur had accused Aleema of creating a divide within the party and alleged that she was being facilitated by the Military Intelligence (MI) and “establishment”.

 
“Imran Khan is my leader and I am loyal to him. It is my right to convey the truth to him … I made him aware of all that has been happening [during my meeting with him yesterday],” he had said in a video statement.

 
The KP CM had also revealed conveying to the party founder that Aleema had a big role in dividing the party and some members being discredited. He had also alleged that no steps were being taken for Khan’s release.

“Instead, there is groupism in party which some people are using to serve their own interests.”

 
He had alleged that Aleema was in contact with “vloggers” working to create divide in the party. “And instead of stopping them… she is provoking them. And Hafeezullah Niazi sahib refers to Aleema Khan as the prime minister in his articles. He writes that she should become the party chairperson,” he had alleged.

Journalist and YouTuber Azaz Syed has quoted an Israeli diplomat as claiming that they “invested a lot in” former ousted prime minister (PM) Imran Khan who “did not perform as expected”.

As per the details, a viral clip has shown the journalist claiming that an Israeli diplomat, at an event abroad, told him how their government established contacts with the former premier.

“We, in Israel, invested a lot in Imran Khan and had high expectations from him, but he did not perform as expected,” Azaz quoted the diplomat as saying while appearing on TV Today. He went on to claim that Khan deliberately avoided openly condemning Israel because of his past association with ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith’s family.

It may be noted that the claims come amid a fierce battle between social media activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) since after JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman criticised Khan for his silence on Israel’s Gaza genocide.

The spat began when Naeem was questioned why Khan, despite using social media regularly from Adiala Jail, had not spoken out against Israel. The JI chief’s remarks triggered a wave of reaction from PTI’s digital platforms, which accused the JI leader of hypocrisy and acting at the behest of the establishment.

The dispute escalated into tit-for-tat trending hashtags on social media, prompting both the PTI and JI to issue formal statements.

The PTI dismissed Naaem’s criticism as “absurd, malicious and a desperate attempt to please the establishment”, reminding the JI that just months ago, their party chief had sought a meeting with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan regarding a pro-Palestine march, which the PTI had supported unconditionally.

They also accused JI of selective activism, responding to which JI accused the PTI of twisting Hafiz Naeem’s remarks and misleading its supporters.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has declared fully funded PhD scholarships as part of the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor Project, creating chances for Pakistani scholars to undertake doctoral studies at prestigious universities in the United States.

As per HEC, the initiative is designed to enhance academic collaboration between Pakistan and the United States while aiding in the enhancement of Pakistan’s human resource capacity in advanced sectors.

The program is available to scholars applying to institutions ranked within the Top 300 according to the QS World Rankings. It comprises two funding categories. 

Applicants who gain admission to universities within the Top 50 will receive complete tuition fee coverage, a monthly stipend, and health insurance. Meanwhile, those accepted to universities ranked between 51 and 300 will be eligible for financial aid of up to USD 12,000 annually for tuition, alongside a stipend and health insurance.

HEC noted that these scholarships are part of its continuous endeavors to offer Pakistani students and professionals global research exposure and training in advanced fields, thereby improving their ability to contribute to the nation’s development.

Currently, applications are open for two admission cycles. The cutoff for Spring and Summer 2026 admissions is November 15, 2025, while the deadline for Fall 2026 admissions is April 30, 2026.

Qualified candidates can submit their applications via HEC’s online scholarship portal at [scholarship.hec.gov.pk](http://scholarship.hec.gov.pk). 

Updates and additional information can be found on HEC’s official social media channels, including Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and WhatsApp.