Category: Politics

  • Court issues notice to FIA for Imran Khan’s bail plea in cipher case

    Court issues notice to FIA for Imran Khan’s bail plea in cipher case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman plea seeking bail before arrest in the cipher case.

    The court issued the notice during the hearing of Khan’s petition challenging the decision of the special court in a diplomatic document case. Imran Khan filed the plea on Saturday.

    The bail pleas of Imran Khan and vice president of PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the missing cipher case got rejected by the special court made under the Official Secrets Act.

    PTI’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, filed a petition on behalf of Imran Khan while IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the notice to FIA in response to the petition.

    Imran Khan’s legal team repeatedly requested an early hearing of the case, but the chief justice of the IHC said that the case would be decided according to proper procedure.

    On the other hand, the court ordered the FIA to submit its response regarding Imran Khan’s petition.

  • Justice Faez Isa’s first day as CJP has many milestones

    Justice Faez Isa’s first day as CJP has many milestones

    On Sunday, Justice Qazi Faez Isa took the oath of office to become the 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). Before the swearing-in began, Justice Faiz Isa also called his wife, Mrs. Sarina Isa, to the stage, where she remained until the end of the oath.

    After taking the oath, Qazi Faez Isa took multiple steps that have not been taken before.

    For the first time in judicial history, a woman has been appointed registrar of the Supreme Court when Lahore district and session judge Jazeela Aslam was appointed on the post.

    Jazeela Aslam also served as a session judge in Kasur and Sialkot.

    Jazeela Aslam completed her BA from Kinnard College Lahore and her LLB from Punjab University. She also passed the competitive judiciary exam on second-place in all of Punjab.

    Secondly, CJP Faez Isa also called a full court meeting on Monday to discuss several issues, like the live telecast of the court proceeding. On the other hand, former CJP Umar Atta Bandial didn’t hold a full court meeting in his whole tenure as CJP.

    It can also be seen for the first time in the country’s judicial history that the Supreme Court’s full court, comprising all 15 judges, will hear a set of petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, and the hearing will be live on TV.

    The CJP Faez Isa reached the apex court today in his personal car without any protocol and said to the staff of the court that “people come to the Supreme Court to solve their problems. Treat visitors like guests.”

  • Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rasheed arrested in Rawalpindi

    Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed got arrested on Sunday evening in Rawalpindi. Sardar Abdul Razzak Khan, Rasheed’s lawyer, confirmed his arrest, Dawn has reported. 

    “Rasheed was taken into custody by men in plain clothes from a housing society in Rawalpindi,” the lawyer added.

    According to the lawyer, the nephew of the former interior minister has also been arrested.

    In a video message, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, the nephew of the AML chief, said that his uncle has been arrested from Bahria Town Phase III in Rawalpindi, adding that no one knows about his whereabouts.

    “Both the Islamabad and Punjab police have told the high courts in writing that Sheikh Rasheed is not proclaimed in any case,” he said.

    Shafiq also requested that the higher courts take notice of the incident and ensure the safe recovery of the former interior minister.

    “We will fight the legal battle and have always indulged in politics of principles,” he added.

  • ‘My condition is like the setting sun’: CJ bids emotional farewell

    ‘My condition is like the setting sun’: CJ bids emotional farewell

    The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Atta Bandial, was overwhelmed with emotions during his farewell address to the officers and staff of the Supreme Court.

    The outgoing Chief Justice compared himself to the setting sun and said that, “Nine years have passed well with you as a Supreme Court judge, now my condition is like the setting sun. You people have time now, all of you should work with your full dedication.”

    He further said that the country is facing economic and other challenges, stressing that when everyone is united, this crisis will not remain.

  • Parvez Elahi arrested again by Anti-Corruption Establishment

    Parvez Elahi arrested again by Anti-Corruption Establishment

    Parvez Elahi, the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab on Saturday after getting bail in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case.

    The former chief minister of Punjab has been taken by ACE personnel to the judicial complex for temporary detention; later this evening, he will be brought to the ACE headquarters in Lahore.

    An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad had earlier granted bail to the PTI president in the case pertaining to the attack on the judicial complex.

    According to officials, Parvez Elahi faces four corruption cases.

    Elahi’s bail was granted by ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain in exchange for a Rs 20,000 surety bond, which Elahi’s legal team failed to pay.

    Elahi was taken into custody from the Adiala jail by ACE as a result of the bail bond not being paid.

  • Court verdict will not affect Nawaz’s return to Pakistan, says Ata Tarar

    Court verdict will not affect Nawaz’s return to Pakistan, says Ata Tarar

    Attaullah Tarar, deputy secretary general of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has stated that the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments will not have an impact on party head Nawaz Sharif’s planned return to Pakistan on October 21.

    No case, said Tarar during press conference “is a hindrance in his way of returning to Pakistan,” as there is overwhelming evidence that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is an innocent.

    “Nawaz’s return date remains the same. The date has been announced. He is coming back on the same date,” Tarrar insisted.

    He also said that the former prime minister didn’t disobey any law when it came to Toshakhana gifts. On the other hand, chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan sold state gifts and made profit out of them, Tarar mentioned.

    Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the NAB law amendments case on Friday, it is anticipated that some 2,000 NAB cases, including those at the reference, complaint verification, inquiry, and investigation levels, will be reinstated.

    According to the report, Asif Ali Zardari, a former president, and six former prime ministers—Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Shaukat Aziz, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Shehbaz Sharif—are among suspects in cases that stand to be reinstated.

  • Court fails to recognise legislative authority of parliament: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah

    Court fails to recognise legislative authority of parliament: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah

    In a 2-1 majority decision, the Supreme Court (SC) invalidated changes made by parliament to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regulations. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah commented that the decision failed to recognise the legislative authority of parliament.

    Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), received approval on Friday from a three-member SC panel for his appeal challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability legislation under the previous administration, which was led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    The majority decision, according to the verdict, found the petition against the NAB changes valid, reopening all closed inquiries submitted to the anti-graft body.

    “The majority judgement has also fallen short to appreciate that what Parliament has done, Parliament can undo; the legislative power of the Parliament is never exhausted,” Justice Shah said in his dissenting note.

  • ISI chief gets extension in service

    An official source has verified to The News that Director General (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum got an extension in service.

    The summary of the extension was accepted on late Thursday night, September 14. Earlier, former Prime Minister Shehbaz Shaif granted an extension of three years to Director General (DG) of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Fuad Asadullah before his retirement.

    On November 20, 2021, Nadeem Anjum took over as DG ISI from General Faiz Hameed. Nadeem Anjum had previously served as the commander of the Karachi Corps since being elevated to the rank of three-star general in September 2019.

    Other than that, he is the first ISI chief to have to address a press conference.

  • Supreme Court orders restoration of corruption cases against politicians

    Supreme Court orders restoration of corruption cases against politicians

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday struck down recent amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999, during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government. A three-member SC bench headed by outgoing Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, conducted 53 hearings on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition against the changes made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022.

    Today’s 2-1 majority verdict has resulted in the restoration of corruption cases against public office holders, which were closed down following the NAB amendments. The ruling specifically reinstated the NAB clause pertaining to the Service of Pakistan.

    In June 2022, former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan approached the top court to challenge the amendments to the NAB laws, contending that they will “virtually eliminate any white-collar crime committed by a public office holder”.

    On September 5, the SC reserved its verdict in the case. “My retirement is near, [we] will give a decision before retirement. We will soon announce a short and sweet verdict of the case,” said CJ Bandial.

    According to today’s SC verdict, the petition by PTI Chairman against NAB amendments was declared admissible by the majority decision, restoring all closed inquiries filed with the anti-corruption body. The top court has ordered restoring all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million that were closed down after the amendments.

    According to The Express Tribune, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was a major beneficiary of the amendments. Other beneficiaries include former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former President Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz, Faryal Talpur, Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Rana Sanaullah, Javed Lateef, Makhdoom Khosro Bakhtiar, Amir Mehmood Kayani, Akram Durani , Saleem Mandiwala, Noor Alam Khan, Nawab Aslam Riasani, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Barjees Tahir, Nawab Ali Wasan, Sharjeel Memon, Anwarul Haq Kakar, Liaqat Jatoi, Amir Maqam, Goram Bugti, Jaffer Mandokhel and G-B Governor Syed Mehdi Shah.

  • How much did Nawaz Sharif tip for his favourite kheer?

    How much did Nawaz Sharif tip for his favourite kheer?

    Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave a GBP 50 tip to a guy for delivering his favourite kheer.

    The unnamed delivery guy said in a video that Nawaz Sharif likes to eat their kheer, a dessert made from rice and milk, which he orders regularly. The delivery man said that the former Premier, who often orders the dessert, gave the man GBP 50 as tip about three weeks ago.