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Category: Politics

  • ‘Your talking to me has placed me in a most embarrassing position’, Former CJ Bandial slammed

    ‘Your talking to me has placed me in a most embarrassing position’, Former CJ Bandial slammed

    Former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, before his retirement earlier this month, had a telephonic conversation with Justice Sardar Tariq Masood to discuss a matter of complaints against fellow judges of the apex court, as per The News.

    As per the sources of Geo’s senior reporter Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui, Justice Masood received a phone call from CJ Bandial on the night of September 5, 2023. The two justices had a conversation, initially intended to discuss and resolve complaints against fellow judges of the Supreme Court, which took a bitter turn.

    Sources suggest that during the contentious telephonic conversation, former Chief Justice Bandial extended an offer to Justice Masood. Allegedly, he proposed that if a pending complaint against another judge were withdrawn, then the complaint against Justice Masood would also be resolved.

    Displeased by the call, Justice Masood wrote a letter to the former CJ on September 6, expressing his disapproval. Justice Masood was upset at how the former CJ had called him instead of forwarding the matter to the current members of the Supreme Judicial Council, including Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, the chief justice of the Sindh High Court, and the chief justice of the Lahore High Court.

    The letter penned by Justice Masood — dated September 6 — reads as follows:

    Mr Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, Islamabad.

    “Dear Sir,

    Yesterday you spoke to me on the phone and informed me that a complaint against me was submitted by Mrs Amina Malik and you asked me what to do with it. Sir, with the greatest of respect I do not think it was appropriate for you to have talked to me about the said complaint. Sir, you’re talking to me has placed me in a most embarrassing position.

    Under the circumstances, it would be best if the said complaint is placed for consideration before the Supreme Judicial Council as I do not want an additional accusation of seeking favour to be leveled against me. I am confident that the Council will attend to it in accordance with the constitution and the law, and if the complaint is found to be false and intended to malign me then the Council will act pursuant to clause 14 of the Supreme Judicial Council (Procedure of Inquiry), 2005.

    Yours very sincerely,

    Justice Tariq Masood”

    Geo News attempted to contact the former chief justice to get his stance on this matter but, as of now, no response has been received.

  • As Saudi Arabia gets closer to Israel deal, Pakistan reiterates support for Palestine

    Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has asserted that the establishment of a strong, independent and integrated Palestinian state is essential.

    Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani saif that Pakistan stands with Palestine and does not recognize Israel at all. The statement comes days after Pakistan’s ally Saudi Arabia confirmed that it is nearing a deal with Israel linked to normalisation of relations between the two countries.

    Minister Jilani clarified Pakistan’s position in the OIC Contact Group on September 19.

    Jalil Abbas Jilani said that by implementing the resolutions of the United Nations and the OIC, an independent Palestinian state should be established under international laws.

    Jilani’s comments were given after Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke about normalisa­tion of Israel’s relations with the Muslim states. Reported by Israeli media outlet Kan News, Cohen claimed that ‘six or seven’ Islamic nations would possibly establish ties with Israel after Sau­di Arabia’s possible inclusion in the Abraham Ac­cords. The declaration already includes the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

    Recently, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman talked about ‘normalisation’ of his country’s relationship with Israel.

    MBS told Fox’s Special Report programme that the Palestinian issue was “very important” to Riyadh. “We need to solve that part,” he said when asked what it would take to get a normalisation agreement.

    “We got to see where we go. We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, get Israel as a player in the Middle East,” he said.

  • Free and fair elections can be held without Imran, says PM Kakar

    Free and fair elections can be held without Imran, says PM Kakar

    Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan, Anwaarul Haq Kakar, has said that free and fair elections can be held in the country without Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan who is currently incarcerated in Attock jail in the cipher case.


    “Free and fair elections can take place without [Imran] Khan or hundreds of members of his party who are jailed because they engaged in unlawful activities, including vandalism and arson,” said PM Kakar in an interview on Friday with The Associated Press.

    PM Kakar dismissed the possibility that the military establishment would manipulate the results to ensure that PTI doesn’t win as “absolutely absurd”.


    Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that elections would be held by the end of January next year.

    Kakar said that once the ECP sets an exact election date, the caretaker government “will provide all the assistance, financial, security or other related requirements”.


    Imran Khan faces multiple charges in court including May 9 riots when PTI workers clashed with police. Some of the PTI workers were involved in the violent protests and attacks on military installations in different cities of the country.


    PM Kakar also said that the arrested PTI workers are involved in violent protests, attacks on military installations, and other illegal activities.


    “Thousands of PTI activists who did not engage in unlawful activities can partake in the upcoming elections,” he added.

  • Imran Riaz Khan returns home after four months

    Imran Riaz Khan returns home after four months

    Youtuber and television anchor Imran Riaz Khan has been brought home safely by Sialkot Police on early Monday morning, four months after he was detained.

    Sialkot Police confirmed his release through a post on social media.

    His release was also confirmed by his lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq.

    Riaz was arrested on 11 May, two days after PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9 which resulted in violent protests.

    On September 20, the Lahore High Court (LHC) questioned the Punjab police chief on Riaz, giving him a “last opportunity” to recover the YouTuber by September 26.

  • No change in Nawaz Sharif’s return to country, says Shehbaz Sharif

    No change in Nawaz Sharif’s return to country, says Shehbaz Sharif

    Shehbaz Sharif, the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has said that he went to London to discuss legal and political initiatives regarding the arrival of the former prime minister and his brother Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan on October 21.


    The PML-N President said while talking to the media that an important meeting of the party was attended by Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Ishaq Dar, Talal Chaudhary, and others at the Stanhope House in the British capital.

    Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed that there is “zero substance” in speculations about going back to London in a rush and receiving “a special message” for Nawaz Sharif.
    The reports indicated that earlier this week, Shehbaz Sharif had received a message in a special meeting in Gujranwala.


    “Imran Khan taught vulgarity to the nation. Nawaz will end this poison and will educate the youth and will give them employment”, Shehbaz added. Sharif also said that his brother Nawaz is a “ray of hope” for Pakistan.


    On the other hand, Maryam Nawaz has said in media interactions that her father will get a historic reception on his arrival in Pakistan next month.

  • US places visa restrictions on Bangladeshis as conflict continues

    US places visa restrictions on Bangladeshis as conflict continues

    The US Department State has released a statement on Friday stating that the country will be imposing visa restrictions on “Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh”.

    In the statement, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the step is a reflection of America’s commitment to supporting “Bangladesh’s goal of peacefully holding free and fair national elections, and to support those seeking to advance democracy globally,”

    The people in question are members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition including current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of opposition and ruling political parties, and members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services.

    Moreover, any other individual or personnel found “responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh may also be found ineligible for US visas under this policy in the future”

    “The United States is committed to supporting free and fair elections in Bangladesh that are carried out in a peaceful manner,” the statement read.

    Previously this year, in May, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the new visa policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) (“3C”) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections.

    Under this policy, the US could restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual found guilty in tampering with the election results.

    The United States has said it will not release the names or numbers of people in Bangladesh subject to the visa restrictions.

    Reported by Dhaka Tribune, US Embassy Spokesperson Bryan Schiller told UNB that “Visa records are confidential under US law,” and so, the names or numbers of people will not be revealed.

    He further added that the imposition of the restriction has been done “After a careful review of the evidence”

    On the contrary, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Md Shahriar Alam responded to the update stating that the government has “nothing to lose and that they are not worried about the visa restrictions issue, as they are doing nothing wrong”.

  • Elections Date; kis nay kia welcome, kaun jaye ga court?

    Elections Date; kis nay kia welcome, kaun jaye ga court?

    After the announcement of the timeframe of elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), major political parties in the former ruling alliance welcomed the development, hoping that it would dispel apprehensions about the political situation of the country.

    “The final list of constituencies will be published on November 30. After that, elections will be held in the last week of January 2024,” the commission said in a statement.

    Reacting to the development, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) viewed it as positive development while Awami National Party (ANP) demanded a specific date. However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided to challenge the move in court.

    PTI

    After the announcement, PTI has decided to challenge the Commission’s decision to conduct elections in the last week of January.
    While talking to Geo News, PTI’s core committee member Niazullah Niazi said that the Constitution calls for elections within 90 days, and exceeding the period is unlawful.

    “We will challenge the Election Commission’s decision. The way the ECP is working it does not look like a constitutional institution,” Niazi said, adding that President Arif Alvi has the authority to announce a date for polls.

    PMLN

    Senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal stated that his party welcomed the decision by the ECP as it has ended uncertainty about delimitations.

    “Everyone knew from the first day that the election commission was bound to conduct delimitation after the census,” he said.

    “Earlier, the ECP had said to complete the delimitation process by December 15 after which the polls were estimated to be held in February next year. However, our party had given suggestions to the ECP to reduce the delimitation period. In the light of those suggestions, the ECP reduced the delimitation time till November 30 and then announced elections at the end of January after the 54-day period,” he added.

    He further added, “It is important that the elections are held peacefully, and a stable government is formed that takes the country out of the economic crisis.”

    PPP

    PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira stated that he could only give his own opinion on the matter but viewed the development as “positive”.
    The former federal minister said that uncertainty would end and things would hopefully move in a positive direction. “Let’s hope for the best.”

    ANP

    Meanwhile, the Awami National Party has urged the ECP to fix an exact date for the election.

    Senior ANP leader Zahid Khan said that his part has demanded that elections be held in 90 days and the party raised the same issue when they met Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

    MQM

    MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal told Geo news that they are satisfied with the development.

    However, he said it is yet to be seen whether the ECP would address the party’s concerns regarding the demarcation of constituencies after publishing an initial list of delimitation.

    The former Karachi mayor said his party would file a complaint if they found any problem with the delimitation process.

  • Officers of ‘spy agency’ will perform duties in NAB

    Officers of ‘spy agency’ will perform duties in NAB

    The top anti-corruption watchdog, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), has decided to appoint intelligence agency officers to investigate high-profile corruption cases after Supreme Court’s decision of reopening graft references worth billions of rupees, Geo has reported.

    A letter has been written to the institutions, and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt has also approved that letter, sources have confirmed.

    According to the report, anti-corruption officials have also said that the officers of sensitive institutions will be appointed to key positions and will start working in a few days.

    The insiders also stated that vacant seats in NAB will be filled soon.

    A deputy chairman of the national anti-graft body and prosecutor general will also be appointed soon on a permanent basis, they added.

    The officers of sensitive institutions will perform duties in the NAB offices, as this way a strong and efficient intelligence system can be established in the institutions.

  • Elections in Jan ‘24: How you can register to vote in Pakistan

    Elections in Jan ‘24: How you can register to vote in Pakistan

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set a new date for the general election in January, which is about three months later than originally planned. This decision was made to clear up confusion about when the election would happen and to help the struggling economy. 

    In this article, we will explain how you can sign up to vote in the upcoming election. 

    To register to vote, you need to send in an application along with a copy of your Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to the District Election Commissioner (DEC), Registration Officer, or Assistant Registration Officer in the district where you want to vote.

    You can find the necessary forms online on the ECP website or get them for free at the offices of the District Election Commissioner, Registration Officer, Assistant Registration Officer, or Display Centre Incharge. 

    To be eligible to vote, you must meet these criteria: 

    (a) You must be a citizen of Pakistan.  

    (b) You must be at least eighteen years old.  

    (c) You need to have a CNIC issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) up until the last day for submitting claims, objections, and applications for updating the voter list.  

    (d) You must not have been declared legally unfit (unsound mind) by a court.  

    (e) You must either live in the area where you want to vote or be considered a resident under section 27. 

    Even if your NADRA ID has expired, it’s still valid for registering to vote or casting your vote in an election. 

  • Khan ‘worried’ about change of judge in Zeba Chaudhry case, says Khan’s lawyer

    Khan ‘worried’ about change of judge in Zeba Chaudhry case, says Khan’s lawyer

    The legal team of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that the change of the judge hearing the Zeba Chaudhry case against Imran Khan is quite shocking for the former prime minister.

    “The PTI chairman was shocked and worried at the change of the judge hearing the Judge Zeba Chaudhry case,” said one of the PTI chief’s legal counsels, Salman Safdar, in a media talk outside the Attock jail after meeting his client.

    Justice Malik Aman should not have been changed at this critical time, the lawyer said, as he was going to announce the decision soon.

    Salman Safdar also said that the former prime minister apologised to Judge Zeba Chaudhry in her court for passing remarks against her in a public rally.

    In August last year, Imran Khan was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening additional sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and other police officers of the Islamabad police in a public gathering.