Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Sindh CM blames past care-taker government for alarming crime rates

    Sindh CM blames past care-taker government for alarming crime rates

    Amidst increasing crime rates and deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has blamed the previous caretaker government, again, for the problem – a claim rejected by the ex-caretaker home minister Brig (retd) Haris Nawaz.

    The CM made the claim while speaking to media after visiting victims of a road accident while en route to the Shah Noorani shrine.

    The CM was of the opinion that the previous caretaker set-up had reshuffled the police department ahead of the February 9 general elections, worsening the law and order situation.

    “This reshuffle affected the entire policing system, from additional inspector generals (AIGs) to station house officers (SHOs). However, the government is taking strict measures to improve the overall law and order situation, including in Karachi, rural areas, and particularly in the katcha area,” said Shah.

    Shah emphasized that PPP has always done the best for Sindh and recalled Karachi’s 7th ranking as the world’s most dangerous city by International Crime Index in 2008 before their government came.

    “But we restored law and order after coming into power and when we left the government in 2023, the same city of Karachi had improved its ranking and was ranked 128th on the same Index,” he said.

    Responding to Shah’s claims, former caretaker home minister Brig (retd) Haris Nawaz rejected CM’s remarks and said, “The Sindh CM has his own point of view, but we approved postings of the officers with good reputation”.

  • Will work with Iran: Zardari urges Iranian President to mutually share security intelligence

    Will work with Iran: Zardari urges Iranian President to mutually share security intelligence

    President Asif Ali Zardari, and the President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, talked on the phone and greeted each other for Eid-ul-Fitr.
    President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his sincere condolences and sympathy to the Iranian leadership and the families who lost loved ones in the Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus during the conversation.

    Zardari voiced his worry about the humanitarian crisis and the genocide happening because of Israeli forces. He demanded an instant ceasefire in Gaza.

    President Asif Ali Zardari assured his Iranian counterpart that Pakistan would continue to work with Iran in all areas of mutual interest to further boost bilateral cooperation.

    He emphasized the importance of improving how information is shared to tackle the security issues both countries are dealing with.

  • PIA flight carrying Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz rerouted

    PIA flight carrying Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz rerouted

    A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Jeddah to Islamabad, carrying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz back from their visit to Saudi Arabia, was diverted to Lahore on Monday.

    Flight PK842 was supposed to land in Islamabad at 10:30pm on Monday night but was diverted to Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and landed there at 9:25pm.

    The commercial flight was carrying 393 passengers which had the official delegation returning from Pakistan, including the Defence Minister, the PM, the CM and their family members.

    Videos circulating online showed passengers expressing resentment for the problems caused to them.

    After offloading about 79 passengers at Lahore, the flight did take off for Islamabad and landed there at 11:17pm.

  • Viral video ‘exaggerated, out of context’, police issues statement after social media pressure

    Viral video ‘exaggerated, out of context’, police issues statement after social media pressure

    On Wednesday, the Punjab Police condemned the “fake propaganda” being spread on social media websites after videos emerged showing cops being assaulted by Pakistan Army officers in Bahawalnagar.

    “This matter in Bahawalnagar, which went viral on social media, has been taken out of context and exaggerated,” the police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

    The footage caused calls for concern from various quarters including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar who said that the matter in Bahawalnagar was very concerning and that the government was treating the incident as “trivial”.

    “When the unverified videos went viral, both institutions launched a joint investigation. Officers from both institutions reviewed the facts and peacefully resolved the matter,” the police said in a statement.

    “Punjab Police and the Pakistan Army are cooperating to eliminate terrorists, miscreants and criminals from the province. We request that social media users do not spread fake propaganda,” concluded the statement by Punjab Police.

    On April 8, an FIR was registered after ASI Naeem was on petrol with other cops and came across two individuals who fled after seeing them. One person was arrested and a gun without licence was also seized from him.

    When they tried to arrest the other suspect who fled from the scene, he had called his relatives and resisted arrest even dragging a constable inside his home while beating him. Naeem said negotiations to recover the constable failed and police backup was also called.

    Around 20 people threatened to kill the police, opened fire and took another constable and SHO Abbas as hostages.

    Furthermore, many videos came to surface on social media showing army officials beating and torturing cops in public.

    The police statement did not give details on what transpired between the men in the video.

    However, in a turn of events, an FIR was registered station on April 10 against four police officials under Section 342 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) which declares “punishment for wrongful confinement” and Section 155C which gives penalties to police officers for misconduct under the Police Order 2002.

    This FIR was registered after instructions were issued to carry out legal proceedings against the four.

    The now newly appointed SHO said that the previous police officers misused their authority and exhibited “high-handedness”.

  • Judges’ letter: Justice Yahya Afridi recuses from suo moto case

    Judges’ letter: Justice Yahya Afridi recuses from suo moto case

    Justice Yahya Afridi of the Supreme Court has withdrawn himself from the suo motu case that the apex court took up after receiving a letter from Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, alleging complaints about intelligence agencies interfering in judicial matters.


    Justice Afridi, who was part of the seven-member bench hearing the case, added his recusal in a note attached to the written order issued after the first hearing.

    The judge said the judges should consider the issues in the letter from the IHC judges according to the code of conduct of the Supreme Judicial Council.
    “High Courts are independent courts under the Constitution. Article 184/3 should not be invoked on independence of high courts,” Justice Yahya maintained.
    The seven-member bench conducting the hearing of suo motu case is headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprised six other judges — Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.

  • Shah Mahmood Qureshi hopeful for justice, says Shehrbano Qureshi

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi hopeful for justice, says Shehrbano Qureshi

    On Thursday, Shehrbano Qureshi, daughter of imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said that her father is hopeful and believes that justice will be served in the country.

    Talking to journalists outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail after visiting her father, she states that she met Qureshi last Monday and found him to be in good health.

    “Qureshi is very hopeful and seeing justice being done in the country,” the PTI leader said, adding that the bravery showed by six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) boosted the courage of her father — who alongside the party founder Imran Khan is facing 10-year jail term in the cipher case.

    She also said that both leaders want to see a strong and stable Pakistan despite facing difficulties.

    Regarding the case against the former foreign minister, Shehrbano said that appeals against Qureshi’s sentences in the cipher case will be heard on April 16.

  • Was Imran allowed to say Eid ki Namaz in jail?

    Was Imran allowed to say Eid ki Namaz in jail?

    Former President Dr Arif Alvi doesn’t think Khan was allowed to say Eid ki Namaz in jail, but even Alvi was confused. The former president first tweeted, alleging that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan was not being allowed to offer Eid namaz in Adiala Jail where he is currently incarcerated.

    On April 9, Dr. Arif Alvi posted that Imran Khan’s ban on Eid prayers reminded him of the British rule. He wrote about a famous leader in India’s freedom struggle when he was sentenced by the occupying authorities.

    He remarked, “He [Indian leader] remained in prison for four years and during that time Eid prayers were not even allowed. Because these oppressive rulers wanted to destroy the leadership of Muslim India, one of the various tactics to weaken their patriotism was to ban Friday and Eid prayers as well.”

    However, when it was reported that Khan was allowed to offer Eid prayers, Alvi modified his statement.

    Alvi wrote “Good sense has prevailed” in a post on X.

    But again, in a twist, Dr Arif Alvi, a few hours later again, condemned authorities that Khan indeed was not allowed to offer Eid prayer quoting Meher Bano Qureshi, a PTI member and incarcerated Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter. According to Meher Bano, both Khan and her father were not allowed to say Eid Namaz, as was confirmed to her by her father. He further stated that another party member Ejaz Chaudhary wasn’t allowed to do so either but “he led the prayer with Omar Cheema in their cell.”

    He then edited his post with deploring fake news by saying, “in these times of falsehood and deceit no news source is trustworthy, except the crowdsourcing of PTI social media.”

  • Imran Khan not being allowed to have medical checkups, says PTI

    Imran Khan not being allowed to have medical checkups, says PTI

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) core committee on Monday strongly condemned jail authorities for not allowing a medical check-up of party founder Imran Khan.

    PTI wants Khan’s physician Dr Asim to examine the former Prime Minister.

    It also urged the court to take quick notice of the matter.

    In the party meeting, the panel also condemned the recent reference filed against the Islamabad High Court Judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.

    It was of the opinion that the reference against the judge was part of the incumbent government’s efforts to pressurise and intimidate judges.

    The saga of ‘toxic letters’ sent to judges, who exposed the interference of spy agencies in the judiciary, was termed as highly regrettable and a part of an organized campaign against the judiciary.

  • Petition filed against IHC judge who wrote the letter alleging interference

    Petition filed against IHC judge who wrote the letter alleging interference

    In a surprising turn of events, a complaint has been filed with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Islamabad High Court (IHC) Senior Puisne Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, seeking his removal over alleged misconduct.

    The complainant, Waqas Malik Advocate, is a former secretary of the IHC Bar Association. He filed the complaint accusing the judge of pursuing an ‘anti-state agenda’ and also collusion with other judges.

    Justice Kayani is one of the six judges on March 27 wrote a scathing letter to SJC alleging deep meddling in judicial affairs by spy agencies.

    The letter had stirred a national controversy and even an inquiry commission was not enough when Justice Tassaduq Jillani refused to head the one-man commission.

    The Supreme Court took Suo Moto notice after Justice Jillani refused to head the commission.

    Coincidentally, the letter by IHC judges was followed by a series of threatening and poison-pen letters sent to judges of the higher judiciary by anonymous individuals.

  • Saudi Arabia to ‘expedite’ $5 billion investment in Pakistan

    Saudi Arabia to ‘expedite’ $5 billion investment in Pakistan

    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has pledged to accelerate the first wave of a $5 billion investment package in Pakistan, stated in the joint statement of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) released by the office of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

    PM Shehbaz and Crown Prince MBS held an official meeting on April 7 at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah Al-Mukarramah.

    At the outset, MBS congratulated the premier on assuming the office and expressed warm wishes for his tenure.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his gratitude and re-affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to bolstering bilateral ties and economic cooperation.

    Both parties agreed to expedite the first phase of the investment package worth billions.

    Analyst Mosharraf Zaidi pointed out that Saudi investments have not materialized in the past few years and even the pledges have gotten smaller.