Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Army releases 20 PTI workers arrested in May 9 riots

    Army releases 20 PTI workers arrested in May 9 riots

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has approved the release of 20 convicts involved in the May 9 riots by granting them a special relaxation.

    The Chief allowed the convicts to go free before Eid-ul-Fitr, leading to their release on April 6 and 7.

    The list released by the Army showed that among those freed, are eight residents of Rawalpindi, three from Lahore, five from Gujranwala, three from Dir, and one from Mardan.

    None of the convicts had completed their sentences and were released only on the orders of COAS.

    Violent clashes and riots had erupted across the country after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.

    On December 23, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan had allowed the resumption of military trials.

    The released convicts had stayed in custody for various periods up to 10.5 months.

  • PTI BOYCOTTS Senate chairman, deputy chairman elections

    PTI BOYCOTTS Senate chairman, deputy chairman elections

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has boycotted an important election for top positions in the Senate. The party had previously requested the postponement of Senate chairman and deputy chairman polls until the senate elections are conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). 

    The former ruling party’s core committee made the decision and also called for postponing the upcoming elections for the top positions in the Senate. The party stated in its announcement that these elections would be unconstitutional if they didn’t represent all units of the federation.

    The former ruling party also asked the Senate secretary to delay the mentioned polls. In their request, Senator Saifullah Niazi stated that their request should be heeded since they were actually 96 Senate members.

    Currently, the upper house is short of 11 members as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the KP Senate elections last week because of non-administration of oath to MPAs-elected on reserved seats.

  • PPP’s Yousaf Raza Gillani elected Senate chairman ‘unopposed’

    PPP’s Yousaf Raza Gillani elected Senate chairman ‘unopposed’

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Saidal Nasir Khan were elected as Senate chairman and deputy chairman respectively on Tuesday.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators continuously protested throughout the oath taking session.

    No other senator submitted his nomination papers against Gillani and Saidal Nasir Khan for the important posts.

    Earlier today, 41 newly-elected senators took oath as PTI members protested on the floor of the house, terming the process of election of chairman and deputy chairman as “unconstitutional” due to an “incomplete house”.

    President Asif Ali Zardari had called a session of the upper house for the oath-taking ceremony and the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

  • ’Four salary bonus’, PM Shehbaz is reportedly rewarding his staff

    ’Four salary bonus’, PM Shehbaz is reportedly rewarding his staff

    A few days before leaving for Washington to ask the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new bailout package to avoid a default, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a proposal to give up to four salaries in bonuses to his staff. He also asked his finance minister to concur with it.

    The PM is being faced with criticism that the policy to hand out such big awards to bureaucrats amidst such deeply serious economic conditions is against an austerity drive.

    Also, analysts are asking whether this move would bode well for the new IMF bailout package as the IMF discourages bloated government expenditures.

    The rewards were approved for staff officers because of ‘their extraordinary efforts in the completion of tasks’, according to the Express Tribune.

    More importantly, the cost for these bonuses will be paid to these government servants by taking loans from banks at a 23 per cent interest rate.

  • Serious lapses in security protocol of slain Chinese nationals

    Serious lapses in security protocol of slain Chinese nationals

    Since a tragic terror attack in Shangla claimed six lives including five Chinese citizens, a decision to constitute an investigative committee was taken by the government.

    The attack exposed serious lapses in the security detail of the Chinese engineers and a disregard for standard operating procedures (SOPs).

    The committee was shocked to find out that the bus carrying the Chinese officials was not bulletproof, let alone bombproof, which is the requirement under the security SOPs.

    It pointed out multiple significant flaws in the security detail due to which the incident took place.

    They further said the company “that was required to provide bullet- and bombproof vehicles to transport Chinese workers, and duly paid for, failed to meet its contractual obligations.”

    Moreover, according to the SOPs, the District Police Officer in Upper Kohistan was supposed to be informed about the movements of the foreign nationals in advance which did not happen.

  • As street crime escalates in Karachi, HRCP voices concern

    As street crime escalates in Karachi, HRCP voices concern

    Street crime in Karachi has been on an alarming rise since the beginning of the year and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has voiced its concern on the matter.

    Once known as the city of lights, Karachi has long been the victim of street crimes and the breakdown of law and order, making the lives of common people difficult.

    In 2023, over 90,000 crimes were reported in the metropolitan city which was, unfortunately, an increased number as compared to 2022 when 80,000 crimes were registered.

    As per the reports, out of 90,000 incidents a total of 134 citizens were brutally murdered, hundreds injured over resisting robberies, while 411 civilians were killed in various incidents.

    HRCP released a statement on X saying, “The first quarter of 2024 has followed the same pattern. While vigilantism and increased brutality in response by citizens is not the answer, the government’s failure to address rising crime levels is shocking.”

    It further stated that the core reasons for this upward tick in crimes have always been “unemployment” and “economic desperation” which must be urgently addressed to restore law and order in the city.

  • Norway removes Pak from terror threat assessment list

    Norway removes Pak from terror threat assessment list

    The Norwegian government has removed Pakistan from the National Threat Assessment List which is published by the country’s Police Security Service.

    Pakistan’s inclusion in the list poses significant challenges for Pakistani students and researchers who want to pursue their studies or careers in Norway.

    The decision came about after active diplomacy from Islamabad in persuading Norwegian authorities to remove its name from their list of nations of “security concern,” reported the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

    “Pakistan’s diplomatic initiatives bore fruit, leading to its removal from the list,” the report read.

    “The announcement came through the latest report issued by Norway’s Police Security Service, which holds responsibility for intelligence and security matters within the country.”

    The terror threat assessment is a crucial report that identifies potential threats to Norway’s national security including Espionage, Proliferation, Terrorism, and threats to government officials.

  • PTI requests postponement of Senate chairman, deputy chairman polls

    PTI requests postponement of Senate chairman, deputy chairman polls

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has asked on Monday for the postponement of the election for Senate chairman and deputy Senate chairman until polls for the upper house are conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    Senator Saifullah Niazi from PTI submitted an application to the Senate secretary, stating that the true count of Senate members is 96.

    Last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the KP Senate elections because the MPAs elected to reserved seats hadn’t taken their oath. As a result, the upper house is now lacking 11 members.

  • CTD makes ‘progress’ in threatening letters case

    CTD makes ‘progress’ in threatening letters case

    The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is getting closer to uncovering the person behind the threatening letters sent to judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts, Geo News reported on Monday.

    Geo sources say that CTD has been actively following key developments in the investigation since they received the forensic report on the handwriting in the letters.

    The investigation department matched the letters written to judges in the Supreme Court, Islamabad, and Lahore High Courts. According to forensic reports, the same person wrote the letters to judges in all three courts under the names Resham, Reshaman, and Gulshad Khatun. The letters were also sent through the same post office.

    “There is a single mastermind behind sending threatening letters to judges,” sources within CTD told Geo News, adding that arsenic found in the letters to the judges was also bought by the same person.

  • Defence Minister wants us to stop eating pakoras

    Defence Minister wants us to stop eating pakoras

    Defence Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif took to X, formerly Twitter, to post an interesting thing about Pakistan’s economy or rather ‘pakora economy’. It described how the country could save $9.5 million a month if people avoid pakoras in Ramadan.

    The Minister’s post got some very passionate responses from the people, to say the least.

    A user on X quoted his post and said, “RAW has assassinated 20 high-profile targets in Pakistan. Meanwhile our defense minister.”

    Another user wrote, “Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issuing important messages to the nation while performing Umrah.”

    The Minister’s post said, “Pakora Economy: A standard 13 gram Pakora absorbs 3 grams of oil during frying. Let’s say 50million people at home have at least 1 pakora for Iftar. This translates to 150 tons of oil/day. Oil is Rs600/ltr. So its Rs 90 Million or $316 K/day of oil, $9.5 million a month. Avoid Pakora and save $9.5 million a month.”

    It also said at the end, “O believers, fasting is compulsory not pakoras.”

    We think Khwaja Asif was joking, but who knows, he may actually be serious.