Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pays tribute to UN peacekeeping forces

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pays tribute to UN peacekeeping forces

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday paid tribute to United Nation (UN) peacekeeping forces.
    “On the occasion of International Day of UN Peacekeepers, we pay tribute to the 75 years long history of UN Peacekeeping. As a top troop contributor since 1960, over 200,000 Pakistani men & women have served with valour in 46 UN Peacekeeping Missions in all parts of the world 168 of our bravest have sacrificed their lives in this noble cause,” Bilawal wrote in his tweet.

    “Over 4,300 peacekeepers including female officers are serving with distinction under UN flag today. We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that peacekeeping remains an effective mechanism for int’l peace & security,” the foreign minister added.

    The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is being observed today to highlight the role of the force in world peace.


    Over the past 75 years, United Nations Peacekeepers have saved countless precious lives for global peace and security.


    This day commemorates the efforts of the United Nations to eliminate human suffering, establish a situation of lasting peace and order in countries with wars and internal conflicts.

  • New law enforced: is road paved for Nawaz’s return?

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Monday postponed the hearing of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s petition asking the top court to reconsider its April 4 order of holding elections for Punjab Assembly on May 14.

    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, comprising of Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, heard the case.

    The hearing was adjourned after Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court that the law amending the Supreme Court Rules has come into effect and was signed by the President. As per the law, judicial decisions made under Article 184 III of the Constitution can now be appealed.

    “Judgments and orders made prior to commencement of this Act. The right to file a review petition shall also be available to an aggrieved person against whom an order has been made under clause (3) of Article 184 of Constitution, prior to commencement of this Act.”

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Jahangir Tareen can now file new review petitions on their disqualifications within 60 days. 

The bill becoming law after the President signed it has taken the legal fraternity and media by surprise. 

The Chief justice termed the development as 'interesting'.

  • Talks with Imran Khan only possible if he apologises to the nation: Ishaq Dar

    Talks with Imran Khan only possible if he apologises to the nation: Ishaq Dar

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar appeared on Geo News programme Jirga on Sunday where he discussed politics and the economy.

    While talking about the possibility of negotiating with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Dar said that negotiations with Imran Khan can be held if he took “corrective measures: apologises to the nation, admits his mistake and promises not to do anything like May 9 in the future.”

    The minister claimed that before May 9, when violent protests broke out, the government had “sincere intentions” when it talked with PTI, with the two parties reaching an agreement on all issues other than the election date.


    Separately, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said that there is no space for negotiations with PTI in current circumstances.


    “There used to be an environment and agenda for holding parleys on any issue. But the existing atmosphere is not suitable for talks,” he said while talking to reporters in Lahore.
    Imran Khan on May 27 constituted a seven-member negotiation committee for talks with the incumbent government over elections.

  • ‘Public should NOT believe in these lies’: Punjab Govt responds to Imran Khan’s allegation of women being harassed in jails

    The Government of Punjab has responded to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s allegation of female supporters of his party being harassed in jails.


    “It’s not a surprise that one political party is spreading baseless lies about mistreatment of women in custody for attacks on public/military buildings,” a tweet from the official Twitter account of Punjab Govt read.


    “Everyone in Punjab jails is being dealt with under relevant laws and the public should NOT believe in these lies. Law-enforcing agencies are making sure that all culprits of May 9 attacks are captured and tried as per applicable laws. No one should pay heed to yet another misinformation campaign by a political party.”

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, in a address to the nation on Sunday, claimed that he has received reports that women belonging to his party are being harassed in jails.

    He requested the judiciary to take suo motu action against the arrests.
    While talking about the people leaving his party, Imran said that those quitting the party had been threatened and pressurised to do so.

  • ‘This army is mine’: Khan stresses that he has no fight with military

    ‘This army is mine’: Khan stresses that he has no fight with military

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has again stressed that he has no fight with the military.

    Talking with journalists in Zaman Park, Khan said: “There is no fight with the army, this army is mine.”

    Earlier, Khan said that he is ready to talk to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, however, he was of the view that the army chief treats him like his enemy.

    Commenting on the mass departure of leaders from his party, Khan said, “I will give a big surprise in the coming days.”

    Khan said some party leaders are leaving the party under compulsion while some have been exposed.

    He also claimed that PTI will win the next general elections despite the desertions of party leaders.

    In case of Imran’s disqualification, the PTI chief said, Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi would lead the party.

  • Shah Mahmood, Hammad Azhar and others to negotiate with govt

    Shah Mahmood, Hammad Azhar and others to negotiate with govt

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has nominated a total of seven people from his party for holding negotiations with the incumbent government.

    The team includes the party’s Senior Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former federal minister Hammad Azhar, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Murad Saeed and others.

    According to PTI, the team will discuss the matter of elections with the government.

    After the recent string of PTI leaders leaving the party, Khan expressed willingness to negotiate with “anyone who is in power”.

    However, the government does not seem willing to hold talks with the embattled PTI.

    Before the May 9 riots, several rounds of talks took place between PTI and the government to decide on the matter of elections but no fruitful result came out.

    ‘It is an appeal for NRO, not dialogue’: Govt doesn’t want to hold talks with Imran

    Earlier, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb clearly stated that no talks Khan will take place.

    Stating that those who attacked the state must be punished, she said that talks aren’t held with such people. “It is an appeal for NRO, not dialogue”, the minister said.

    Pointing out that Imran had realised the importance of talks only after his party had been shattered, she said, “Now you are saying that you want to hold talks after torching schools, hospitals and ambulances?”

    She also accused Imran of poisoning the minds of youth by spreading chaos in the country.

  • Justice Isa raises questions over Bandial’s order to stop audio leaks proceedings

    Justice Isa raises questions over Bandial’s order to stop audio leaks proceedings

    Future Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa adjourned the hearing of a commission to investigate the audio leaks which allegedly involved senior judges and their families a day after CJP Umar Ata Bandial’s order to stop all proceedings.

    However, during the hearing today, Justice Isa, who was heading the commission, raised questions on the decision handed out yesterday.

    Commenting on one of the key issues raised in the petitions filed in the SC yesterday, the judge observed that privacy always belongs to the home.

    “One cannot peep into someone’s house; however, there are CCTV cameras on the streets, are they also against privacy?” he asked.

    He said that the commission was doing nothing that would be considered a breach of anyone’s privacy.

    Defending the commission, he said it should, at least, be determined who was releasing the audios and whether they were real or not.

    He further said that there is talk of giving money to a judge in an audio leak, but the investigation has been stopped.

    “It is written in the oath that I will perform my duties according to the constitution and law,” he said.

    “This inquiry commission has been formed under a law — the Commission of Inquiry Act,” he further remarked, adding that people have to do certain things in life that they do not like.

    Further adding that the judges have to conduct such “painful investigations”, he said: “If this commission was not allowed under oath, I would have excused myself.”

    After this, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz attacked CJP Bandial for stopping the investigation of the audio leaks. It is pertinent to mention that one of the many audio leaks allegedly features Bandial’s mother-in-law talking to a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member’s wife.

    “Bandial deserves to be punished for making a mockery of the law and making a spectacle of the judiciary to save his family”, Maryam said in a tweet.

  • India seeks death penalty for Kashmir separatist Yasin Malik

    India seeks death penalty for Kashmir separatist Yasin Malik

    India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has moved Delhi High Court, seeking the death penalty for Jammu Kashmir Liberation (JKL) Front chief Chief Yasin Malik.

    The hearing is due on Monday.

    Following the news, Yasin’s wife Mushaal, said in a tweet, “Modi wants to hang my husband but I’m afraid Modi’s actually hanging his entire political career down the drain. Don’t think this Will ever silence us”.

    Yasin was arrested in 2018, months before New Delhi cancelled the held state’s special status of Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

    Last year, Malik pleaded guilty for funding the separatist movement. He was then sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently serving time in jail.

  • Game is over, Maryam Nawaz tells Imran

    Game is over, Maryam Nawaz tells Imran

    In an explosive speech, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz attacked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, calling him the mastermind of the May 9 riots.

    While addressing a public gathering in Vehari, Maryam condemned the May 9 incident, saying, “My heart cries tears of blood over the events that happened on May 9. I dedicate this rally to martyrs and their parents, children and widows.”

    She alleged that the “terrorist plan” was hatched in Zaman Park, Imran Khan’s Lahore residence where he has been living for the past several months. “The May 9 attacks were pre-planned,” she alleged.

    “Why didn’t the groups of people attack the shopping centre in front of the Corps Commander’s House?” she questioned, accusing “mastermind” Khan of instructing the protesters about which places to attack.

    Talking about the recent string of PTI leaders leaving the party, she told Imran Khan that the “game is over”.

  • No audio leak commission: Supreme Court suspends govt notification

    In a significant development, the Supreme Court issued an order on Friday, suspending the operation of the federal government’s notification regarding the constitution of a judicial panel to investigate audio leaks which included alleged calls made to judges or by their families, that have emerged on social media over the past few months.

    The top court also prohibited the commission from conducting further proceedings.

    Last week, the federal government formed the judicial commission to probe leaked audio clips allegedly involving some current and former members of the superior judiciary and their family members to determine their “veracity” and “impact on the independence of the judiciary”.

    The government said the audio leaks raised serious apprehensions about the independence of the judiciary in the public interest.