Current Final

Category: Politics

  • ‘Serving Army officers involved in May 9 attacks’: Shehbaz Sharif reveals startling details

    ‘Serving Army officers involved in May 9 attacks’: Shehbaz Sharif reveals startling details

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed startling details of the May 9 riots on Tuesday while speaking to Asma Shirazi in “Faisla Aap Ka” on Aaj News, stating that serving Army officers were involved in the chaos.

    He added that May 9 would always be remembered as a “Black Day” and that Imran Khan and his supporters had acted as “foes disguised as friends.”

    On a question related to the upcoming general elections, Shehbaz Sharif said that the elections should be held according to the latest census. He also mentioned that it is necessary for transparent elections.

    However, he also stated that defining the boundaries of the constituencies and managing a matter related to elections is the job of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    The Prime Minister has also mentioned that this government is going to complete its tenure on August 12.

    He also added that the matter would be transferred to the chief election commissioner, if the arrangements for the upcoming election were not finalised.

    He said that a committee has been formed to talk with all the stakeholders in politics for the caretaker government, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He also said that the names of the caretaker government will be shared with opposition leader Raja Riaz.

  • NA passes bill proposing up to three years jail for involvement in anti-state activities

    NA passes bill proposing up to three years jail for involvement in anti-state activities

    The National Assembly has on Tuesday passed amendments to the Official Secrets Act Amendment Bill 2023 which suggests a three year jail sentence for involvement in anti-state activities.

    Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, presented the bill named “Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023”.

    According to the bill, a person who creates a problem of public order or intentionally acts against the policies of the state would be guilty of the offence.

    Action will also be taken against the person who will try to gain unauthorised access to documents or information to act against the security interests of the state within or outside the country.

    These offences are punishable with three years in jail and a fine of Rs10 lacs or both.

    According to the bill, intelligence agencies can enter any place without a search warrant. The investigation officer will be the officer of FIA.

    Under the Official Secrets Act, the accused will be tried in a special court, and the special court will give it’s verdict after completing the hearing within 30 days.

  • Constable’s rampage on Jaipur-Mumbai train leaves officer and three Muslim passengers dead

    Constable’s rampage on Jaipur-Mumbai train leaves officer and three Muslim passengers dead

    In a shocking incident onboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express, an RPF constable allegedly fired shots resulting in the demise of his superior officer and three other passengers. The incident took place on Monday morning and the accused has since surrendered to the police.

    The alleged perpetrator, identified as Chetan Singh, is reported to have triggered the train’s alarm chain and disembarked at Borivali station in a bid to evade capture. The victims of the shooting spree have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tikaram Meena, Abdul Qadir(48), Akhtar Abbas Ali(48), and Sadar Mohammed Hussain.

    Sources from Western Railway suggest that the altercation leading to the shootings had escalated from an argument that assumed a communal dimension. P C Sinha, Inspector General cum Principal Chief Security Commissioner of Western Railway, attributed Singh’s actions to his mental health issues. “Constable Chetan Singh had just returned from leave and shot his superior first and then those who were in his path,” stated Sinha.

    After shooting a Muslim man Singh said “If you wish to stay in India, then just Modi and Yogi”.

    Authorities have apprehended Singh and handed him over to the railway police for further investigations. The motive behind the tragic incident is still being investigated. This unsettling incident has shaken the railway community and raised questions about mental health checks and firearm access for railway personnel.

  • SC reserves verdict on new plea for full court on civilians in military courts case

    SC reserves verdict on new plea for full court on civilians in military courts case

    A six-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a new plea seeking formation of a full bench to decide the fate of the case pertaining to military trials of civilians.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha A. Malik were part of the bench.

    Senior Counsel Faisal Siddiqi had submitted the fresh plea on Monday at the behest of civil society members, asking that “all judges willing and available” be included in the bench.

    The Supreme Court reserved its verdict after discussing the matter during the hearing with other petitioners.

    During the hearing, Justice Naqvi said the law did not give permission to “pick and choose”, asking why the inquiry against civilians was not brought on record. Justice Bandial asked if Faisal Siddiqi was “hiding”, upon which he was told that the lawyer had stepped outside for some work and would be back soon.

    The apex court has already once disposed of the government’s plea to formulate a full bench.

    The reserved verdict will most likely be announced tomorrow.

  • Violent extremism bill; Law Minister shifts blame after outrage, says it was drafted by PTI

    Violent extremism bill; Law Minister shifts blame after outrage, says it was drafted by PTI

    Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarrar, has confirmed that the government will not pursue the Violent Extremism Bill, shifting the blame for the legislation on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), The News has reported.

    Seeking to distance his government from the bill, which seeks to ban any organisation which resorts to violence from contesting elections, Tarrar said that the bill was drafted by the PTI government including every full stop and comma.

    However, the current government has decided against introducing the bill,” he said, speaking in Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had advised them against drafting such legislation in haste.

    On Sunday, the bill was dropped by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, who halted further proceedings following opposition by senators. Sanjrani said that the government should reconsider the bill.

    The bill was termed “dangerous for democracy” by senators, including those from the treasury benches.

  • ‘War not an option’; PM says he’s willing to talk to India

    ‘War not an option’; PM says he’s willing to talk to India

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said on Tuesday that Pakistan has “nothing against anybody” and he is willing to talk to India for regional development.

    We are prepared to talk with everyone, even with our neighbour, provided that the neighbour is serious to talk serious matters on the table because war is no more an option,” the prime minister said, addressing the inaugural session of the Pakistan Minerals Summit in Islamabad.

    Ties between the two arch-rivals have been suspended since the annexation of Jammu and Kashmir by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in 2019.

    Mentioning the three major wars between the two countries, Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan is a nuclear power but only for its defence.

    “If there is any nuclear flashpoint, who will live to tell what happened? So (war) is not an option,” he said, stressing that India should understand the same.

    Shehbaz Sharif also said that the two countries cannot become “normal neighbours” unless abnormalities are removed and unless our serious issues are understood and addressed through peaceful and meaningful discussions.

  • Bajaur bombing death toll climbs to 54

    Bajaur bombing death toll climbs to 54

    The number of deaths in the suicide bombing that ripped through a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl ( JUI-F) workers conventions on Sunday had climbed up to 54, Samaa has reported.

    Officials have told the news channel that more than 200 people are wounded while dozens are still receiving treatment in various hospitals.

    While 38 bodies have been handed over for burial to families after identification, eight bodies are still in morgues as they are not identifiable. Doctors fear that the number of dead may rise even more.

    As relatives search for loved ones in different hospitals, the district grapples with brief as funerals take place.

    Meanwhile, the Counter Terrorism Department and police investigative units continue their investigation of the suicide bombing.

  • ‘China will always stand firmly with Pakistan’; Xi Jinping vows to stand with ally

    “No matter how the international landscape may change, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan,” President Xi Jinping has said in a statement reiterating China’s steadfast support for Pakistan.
    The statement was given as part of a congratulatory message at the CPEC celebration ceremony held in Islamabad on Monday, where the Chinese Vice-president He Lifeng was also present as part of a three day visit to Pakistan.


    Talking about mutual ties, President Xi also stressed that China and Pakistan will keep enhancing overall planning. China will work with Pakistan to further develop CPEC into an exemplary project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, he stated.
    “Since its launch in 2013, China and Pakistan have been advancing CPEC under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and have achieved a number of early harvests,” he added.


    Earlier today, both the countries signed six agreements to promote mutual cooperation.
    The document establishing the joint cooperation committee of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was signed by China’s Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reforms Commission and Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.

  • “Usne meri qamar mai chaaku maara hai’, Khan says Bajwa betrayed him

    “Usne meri qamar mai chaaku maara hai’, Khan says Bajwa betrayed him

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa “stabbed” him in the back.

    Talking to Geo’s Haider Shirazi on camera at a court, Imran Khan said of the former army head, “I have been saying this, he stabbed me in the back.”

    “People say, ‘You must have done something.’ I did nothing. He [General Bajwa] was already planning to get an extension, he was thinking ahead,” the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said.

    “That conspiracy is obvious,” he stated.

    Since his removal from power through a Vote of No Confidence in April 2022, Khan has attacked the former Army Chief many times in public rallies and interviews. However, the current Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. General Nadeem Anjum alleged in a press conference held last year that the PTI government offered Bajwa an extension in March 2022 for “an indefinite period of time” if he would save the government from being ousted.

    Khan has denied the allegations.

  • Tariq Bashir Cheema refutes son’s involvement in Bahawalpur University scandal

    Tariq Bashir Cheema refutes son’s involvement in Bahawalpur University scandal

    Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Tariq Bashir Cheema, has said in a press conference that his son, Walidad Cheema, has no involvement in the Bahawalpur University scandal. He further said that his political rivals are using this case as a tool to defame him.

    A major scandal involving illicit activities, such as the use and sale of drugs, illegal medications and prohibited videos of female students and staff, at the Islamia University in Bahawalpur, surfaced earlier this month.

    Tariq Bashir Cheema, a senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), also demanded that a commission of high court judges be set up to properly investigate the matter.

    Stating that he is willing to cooperate with every inquiry committee along with his son, Cheema stated that he would throw out his son from his house if Walidad had any involvement in the matter.

    On the other hand, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the people who are involved and responsible for this incident will be severely punished.

    Earlier, Islamia University Bahawalpur’s Chief Security Officer was apprehended by police on charges of drug possession and possession of objectionable material, including videos and pictures of the university’s female officials and students.