Current Final

Category: Politics

  • PTI approaches Supreme Court to hold elections in KP within 90 days

    PTI approaches Supreme Court to hold elections in KP within 90 days

    After Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict to hold Punjab polls on May 14, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has approached the top court to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the 90-day period since the assembly’s dissolution.

    The former ruling party has requested the apex court to set aside KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali’s notification to postpone the elections by five months and direct the ECP to conduct the polls “not later than 90 days subject to the barest minimum to that timeframe”.

    The PTI has argued that the “ECP has no jurisdiction or power to amend the Constitution” and hold elections beyond the constitutional period of 90 days. The electoral body also has “no power or jurisdiction to overrule or review” the Supreme Court’s verdict, the petition argues.

    On the matter of the KP Governor citing security concerns as the reason behind the delay, the PTI has stated in its petition that the “Constitution of Pakistan does not recognise any such illegal excuses” like “so-called financial constraints or a perceived law and order situation or lack of availability of adequate personnel”.

    After the ECP issued a delay notification for Punjab Assembly, Governor Ali also proposed October 8 for polls in KP.

  • Parliament rejects the verdict of Supreme Court

    The National Assembly (NA) has passed a resolution rejecting the verdict of the three-member bench of the Supreme Court about holding polls in Punjab on May 14.

    The resolution was moved by Balochistan Awami Party lawmaker Khalid Magsi and approved by a majority of the lawmakers. 

    Previously, the govt demanded a full bench for the hearing of the suo moto case, however, many judges recused themselves from the hearings.

    Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif urged the parliament to file a reference of misconduct against Chief Justice Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar who gave the verdict.

  • Pervaiz Elahi facing arrest for irregular hiring of 200 Punjab Assembly employees

    Pervaiz Elahi facing arrest for irregular hiring of 200 Punjab Assembly employees

    Former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is likely to be arrested for irregular recruitments in the Punjab Assembly without following rules and regulations.

    Reportedly, the anti-corruption department is keeping an eye on the case while the government has completed an inquiry against him.

    The former Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader is alleged to have recruited 200 people in the assembly when he was the speaker of the House and when he became CM.

    On January 12, Elahi, as CM Punjab, signed a summary for the dissolution of the provincial assembly on the directives of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. Later, he and his son Moonis Elahi joined Khan’s party following a fallout with his cousin and PML-Q Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

  • Schedule for Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia revealed

    Schedule for Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia revealed

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, Nawaz Sharif’s schedule for visiting Saudi Arabia has been revealed.

    According to news reports, Nawaz Sharif will spend the last Ashara of Ramzan in Saudi Arabia. The former prime minister will reach Jeddah along with his family on April 11.

    Nawaz will be in Jeddah and Makkah for three days, and then on April 15, he will go to Madina.

    Read more: Nawaz to visit Saudi as royal guest

    It is being reported that Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, along with other Muslim League leaders, will reach Jeddah from Lahore.

    Nawaz will be visiting the Kingdom on the invitation of the Saudi ruler.

  • ECP announces polls in Punjab on May 14, issues schedule

    ECP announces polls in Punjab on May 14, issues schedule

    The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) on Wednesday announced that polls in Punjab will be held on May 14 as directed by the Supreme Court.

    As per the revised schedule, the process will start from appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers which can be filed by April 10, while the appellate tribunal will decide the appeals by April 17.

    Revised lists of candidates for each constituency will be published on April 18, while candidates can withdraw their nominations by April 19.

    Election symbols will be allotted on April 20, while polling will be held on May 14.

  • People will take to streets if SC ruling blocked, warns Khan

    People will take to streets if SC ruling blocked, warns Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has warned that people would take to the streets if the government attempts to block the implementation of the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling that directed polls in Punjab to be held on May 14.

    The former Prime Minister talked to his supporters via video link as the party marked ‘Youm-e-Tashakkur’ or ‘thanks giving’ to celebrate the top courts verdict. The speech was broadcasted from his Zaman Park residence through a satellite link on mega screens installed at 75 locations across the country, including in 13 cities of Punjab.

    Addressing his supporters, the former prime minister said, “The nation should wait for my call to ensure that the incumbent rulers should not run away from holding elections; otherwise, neither history nor future generations will pardon this generation for not waging jihad against the forces undermining the rule of law.”

    Talking about elections, Khan said, “I will complete interviews and selection of candidates in 10 days,” adding that the nation will not let the incumbent rulers run away from elections.

    Talking about his rivals, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Khan said ‘absconder’ Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari were sitting in London and Dubai, respectively, and taking decisions about the fate of Pakistan. 

    The PTI chairman further lamented that the incumbent rulers were also trying to divide the Supreme Court while also working to create a rift between the PTI and the establishment, which “might repeat events of 1971”.

  • Ap ko tab jazbaati hona chahiye tha jab Nawaz Sharif ko nikala gaya, Maryam tells Chief Justice

    Ap ko tab jazbaati hona chahiye tha jab Nawaz Sharif ko nikala gaya, Maryam tells Chief Justice

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz, speaking at a lawyers’ convention, criticised Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial after the Supreme Court (SC) verdict of holding of Punjab polls on May 14.

    “I saw tickers on TV attributed to the CJP, that said that the chief justice got emotional during the hearing.”

    “He should have felt emotional when an elected prime minister [Nawaz Sharif] was ousted on the basis of an expired Iqama (work permit),” she said about the controversial decision that ousted her father from power.

    “An election won by Nawaz was handed over to Imran … why didn’t you get emotional then? Why didn’t you get emotional when your brother [judge] Justice Qazi Faez Isa was suffering?” Maryam asked.

    Regarding the verdict which was given by the three-member bench, she asked, “How can the CJP expect us to accept a decision that even his brother judges are not accepting it? He discluded the judges who had raised legal reservations and instead brought those judges who favoured him.”

    She also pointed out CJ’s remarks about parliamentarians. Bandial had said: “Today when you go to parliament, you find people addressing the parliament who were till yesterday in captivity, imprisoned, declared traitors. They are now talking over there, and being respected because they are representatives of the people.”

    “Instead of taunting Shehbaz Sharif and the entire government for going to jail, the CJP could have mentioned that those who went to jail were imprisoned due to fake cases,” she stated, recalling the number of cases registered against PML-N leaders and the times they appeared before courts.

    “Our leaders like Rana Sanaullah remained in jail for six months and they had a smile on their faces when they were freed. But Imran and his men are getting bail within two hours,” she criticised.

    She also gave an example of herself being in Adiala Jail for months.

    Addressing the CJP again, Maryam said: “You encouraged the man who violated the Constitution and now he is causing anarchy in the country.”

    She claimed that Imran and “his facilitators” have a plan in store, which Maryam claimed was to be executed by September before the new CJP takes charge.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also criticised Bandial’s remarks and said that it is a matter of pride for him that he has been released by the high court on merit in false and fabricated cases.

    “It is our right under the Constitution to express our views in the parliament,” he said

    Earlier, supremo Nawaz Sharif urged the parliament to file a reference of misconduct against Chief Justice Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar who decided on the Punjab election date.

    Calling the verdict a reflection of a “one-man show” in the judiciary, Nawaz argued that one individual should not be allowed to hold multiple functions, such as the prime minister, defence minister, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and above all, parliament.

  • PTI to celebrate Youm-i-Tashakur in over 75 cities across all provinces today

    PTI to celebrate Youm-i-Tashakur in over 75 cities across all provinces today

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce that his party and supporters will celebrate Youm-i-Tashakur in over 75 cities across Pakistan after Isha prayers today.

    Khan’s announcement comes after Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday declared Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision on delay in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) polls null and void. 

    Khan said, “SC has stood with Constitution & put an end to Doctrine of Necessity, which is used in the absence of Rule of Law. This is also a huge step forward towards Haqeeqi Azadi.”

    The PTI chairman said that he will address and warn his people of the real danger that, despite the SC order, the ruling mafia will still not hold elections because they are petrified of losing.

    “We must be prepared to come out on the streets for peaceful protest in support & protection of SC, which is upholding Constitution,” tweeted Khan.

    The Supreme Court, in its verdict, declared the electoral body’s decision to hold polls on October 8 as “unconstitutional”.

    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, announced that Punjab polls should be conducted on May 14.

    Regarding the elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the three-member bench said during the course of the hearing nobody represented the provincial governor therefore the issue, only till this extent, will remain under debate.

  • Israeli police attack worshippers in Ramzan during Al-Aqsa Mosque raid

    Israeli police attack worshippers in Ramzan during Al-Aqsa Mosque raid

    Israeli police have attacked and arrested Palestinian worshippers in a violent raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Ramzan.

    In a statement, police said they had “arrested and removed over 350 individuals that violently barricaded” themselves inside the mosque in the Old City of annexed East Jerusalem.

    According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, injuries were reported as a result of the raid but it was not clear how many were hurt. It was also said that medics were prevented from reaching the mosque by the Israeli forces. 

    “I was sitting on a chair reciting (Qur’an),” an elderly woman told Reuters while sitting outside the mosque. “They hurled stun grenades, one of them hit my chest,” she said as she began to cry.

    The Israeli police claimed in a statement that they had to enter the mosque after “masked agitators” locked themselves inside with fireworks, sticks and stones.

    “When the police entered, stones were thrown at them and fireworks were fired from inside the mosque by a large group of agitators,” the statement said, adding that one of the police officers was wounded in the leg.

  • Anti-corruption force starts investigation against ex-DG ISI Faiz Hameed’s brother

    Anti-corruption force starts investigation against ex-DG ISI Faiz Hameed’s brother

    The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab has initiated an investigation against Najaf Hameed, the brother of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed.

    According to ACE, Najaf had “superseded several seniors for promotion to the Girdawar post and “accumulated assets beyond his own means”.

    The department has also reached out to Rawalpindi and Chakwal deputy commissioners for Najaf’s records.

    Najaf had been suspended from the post of deputy tehsil dar on February 16 over alleged misconduct. 

    Faiz Hameed has been criticised by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for interfering in political matters and exceeding his constitutional limits. The party’s Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz often lashes out at Faiz Hameed in her rallies, accusing him of playing a role in destabilising the country by supporting Imran Khan’s government.