Current Final

Category: Politics

  • VIDEO: PTI leader’s son thrashes NADRA officer, police register case

    VIDEO: PTI leader’s son thrashes NADRA officer, police register case

    Police have filed a case against PTI leader’s Ghulam Abbas’ son, Ahsan Abbas, and his accomplices for thrashing a National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in-charge officer in Sialkot, reports Dawn News.

    Abid Abdul Rehman was in-charge of the NADRA office at Chawinda in Pasrur tehsil, Sialkot who complained against Abbas at Phalora police station.

    According to Rehman, Ahsan Abbas first called him to the NADRA office and asked to assist him in making voting ID cards on February 18. However, Rehman refused to give him protocol.

    He said that all citizens who visit the NADRA office are equal over which Abbas became violent. He started misbehaving and threatening him as well.

    The NADRA officer said, “After some time, Abbas, his right-hand man Shaukat Mitla and five other people entered the Nadra office and he grabbed me by the collar and slapped and abused me.”

    He also added that senior officers tried to rescue him but they were also beaten.

    A case has been registered against Ahsan Abbas and his accomplices under the Telegraph Act 25-D / 506 and section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

    Sialkot police conducted raids to arrest the assailants. Police Officer, Muhammad Hassan Iqbal assured that the investigation would be conducted on merit.

    Ghulam Abbas was a former provincial minister and a ticket holder from  NA-74, Sialkot.

  • ‘Get rid of Khan’: Shehbaz meets Zardari to discuss kicking out PM

    ‘Get rid of Khan’: Shehbaz meets Zardari to discuss kicking out PM

    The Opposition has united to oust Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s government.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (February 22).

    The meeting was held at Bilawal House, Lahore. In a joint declaration after the meeting, it was announced that all-out efforts would be made to rid the country of the present government.

    The Opposition expressed concern over unrest and lawlessness in the country, as the ruling party failed to meet the basic needs of the people.

    The PML-N delegation that visited the Bilawal House included Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Rana Sanaullah.

    PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Parliamentary leader Maulana Asad Mehmood, former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, former governor Punjab Makhdum Ahmed Mehmood, Rukhsana Bangash, former Chief Minister KP Akram Khan Durrani were also present at the meeting.

  • Senior PPP leader Rehman Malik passes away

    Senior PPP leader Rehman Malik passes away

    Senior politician and former Interior Minister Rehman Malik passed away at the age of 70.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator was hospitalised in Islamabad due to Covid-19-related complications and his lungs had been severely affected.

    Riaz Ahmad Turi, Malik’s spokesperson, confirmed his death.

     PPP Senator Sehar Kamran had announced on Twitter earlier this month that Malik’s condition had deteriorated because of which he was put on a ventilator. 

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan office tweeted, “May Allah Almighty forgive the deceased and grant patience to the mourners.”

    PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “When terrorism was on the rise in the country, it was Rehman Malik who played a pivotal role in eradicating terrorism.”

    PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to Malik, saying he was a “hardworking and capable interior minister”.

    He added that Malik’s services to the country were unforgettable and the PPP leadership and workers shared in his family’s grief.

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed expressed his grief and extended condolences to the departed’s family.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Hudaibiya case was investigated under Rehman Malik’s leadership. Although justice has not been done yet, this investigation showed such modern methods of corruption that people were amazed.”

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Ahsan Iqbal tweeted, “I am deeply saddened by the demise of former Interior Minister Rehman Malik.”

    Rehman had a long career as a politician and held many portfolios, including his term as interior minister from 2008 to 2013.

    He was also a recipient of the Sitara-i-Shujaat for his services in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Nishan-i-Imtiaz.

  • Putin allows Russian forces to enter Ukraine rebel regions

    Putin allows Russian forces to enter Ukraine rebel regions

    Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops on Monday to “maintain peace” in two rebel regions of eastern Ukraine.

    The development came forward hours after Putin recognised pro-Moscow separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities in a televised national address, reports Reuters.

    “I consider it necessary to take a long-overdue decision to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision, and then to ratify the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with individual republics,” Putin announced despite West’s warnings.

    Putin termed United States-backed Ukraine as a failed state and “puppet” of the West, repeatedly kept suggesting that it is essentially part of Russia. He said, “Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood.”

    He demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities in Kyiv and warned, saying, “Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine.”

    Talking about North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) the Russian President stated, “US strategic planning documents contain the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike against enemy missile systems. And who is the main enemy for the US and NATO? We know that too. It’s Russia. In NATO documents, our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security.”

    “We will never compromise our sovereignty, national interests, and our values,” he said while adding that the country has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its security. That is exactly what we will do.

    Responding to the news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his nation and said that the country had initiated an emergency meeting with the Normandy Four (Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France), reports CNN.

    In a video address, Zelensky said the move was a violation of Ukraine’s “national integrity and sovereignty.”

    Ukraine is deeply divided, with a large Russian and Russian-speaking minority. Since fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, separatist rebels of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have been accused of being proxies for Russian interests.

    Several leaders of the state across the globe have condemned the act. The US is reportedly coordinating with allies and will announce new sanctions against its long rival Russia

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is set to visit tomorrow (Wednesday). In August, Putin and PM Khan talked over the phone and exchanged views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan and bilateral relations.

  • Zardari, Bilawal to meet Shehbaz, Maryam as Opposition gears up for no-confidence motion

    Zardari, Bilawal to meet Shehbaz, Maryam as Opposition gears up for no-confidence motion

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will meet the Leader of the Opposition and the President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif at Bilawal House Lahore.

    Sources said the meeting between the two party leaders will first propose a no-confidence motion in Punjab in the meeting.

    Moreover, the two leaders will make a final decision on the date of the in-house change and will also consider a new offer from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz will also join the meeting. However, it has not been confirmed yet.

    Zardari has also summoned PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari from Mardan to Lahore.

    Earlier this week, Zardari held an exclusive meeting with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) cheif Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence.

  • ‘Offensive content lawsuit’: Murad Saeed to take legal action against Reham Khan’s book

    ‘Offensive content lawsuit’: Murad Saeed to take legal action against Reham Khan’s book

    Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Monday decided to take legal action against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s former wife Reham Khan for her allegations and offensive content in her book ‘Reham Khan (memoir)’, reports Geo News.

    Murad Saeed, during a meeting held in the presence of the premier, said that he would file a lawsuit against Reham in London for writing “offensive content” against the prime minister. “Posting false content should be stopped,” he added.

    The news outlet revealed that PM Khan advised Saeed “not to worry about such matters and focus on his performance as the Opposition is worried these days.”

    The issue came to light after the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) cybercrime wing and the police arrested Daily Jinnah and Online news agency Editor Mohsin Jamil Baig. FIA raided the journalist’s house in the federal capital along with the police and took him into custody.

    Baig was accused of initiating a debate on a television show with some controversial references towards PM Khan and Saeed.

  • PM Khan’s wife’s son booked for possessing alcohol, released on personal guarantee

    PM Khan’s wife’s son booked for possessing alcohol, released on personal guarantee

    First Lady of Pakistan, Bushra Bibi’s younger son, Muhammad Musa Maneka was registered for possessing illegal alcohol in a car. Police also booked his cousin, Mohammad Ahmad Maneka, and a friend Ahmad Shaharyar.

    According to the First Investigation Report (FIR), the Ghalib Market police found alcohol in their car on Monday. The car crossed a police picket on Zahoor Elahi Road. Police arrested the three of them when alcohol was found in their car.

    They recovered the alcohol bottle “Moon Original Whisky” and beer cans which were wrapped in a brown paper bag.

    Police registered a case against them under sections 3, 4, and 11 of The Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd Order, 1979).

    After a medical examination, Shaharyar was found drunk while Musa and Ahmad had not consumed alcohol. They were released on a personal guarantee from a relative.

    The judicial magistrate granted bail to their friend Shaharyar.

  • #SuisseSecrets: List of Pakistanis hiding wealth in Swiss Bank

    #SuisseSecrets: List of Pakistanis hiding wealth in Swiss Bank

    A leak from a Swiss bank has revealed that around 1,400 individuals residing in Pakistan are linked with around 600 accounts opened in Credit Suisse.

    The average maximum balance in accounts held by Pakistanis was 4.42 million Swiss francs (Rs841 million) compared with the overall average of the leaked data, which stood at 7.5 million Swiss francs (Rs1.42 billion). Almost 200 clients found in the data are worth more than 100 million Swiss francs (Rs19 billion) and more than a dozen had accounts valued in the billions.

    Fact Focus, an organisation that covers factual, data-driven stories, published an investigative report by Usman Manzoor, where Organized Crimes and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigations of #SuisseSecrets names hundreds of wealthy Pakistanis stashing wealth in secret Swiss bank accounts.

    The report highlights the names of the Pakistani army generals, government officials, businessmen, and journalists.

    Army Generals:

    “General Akhtar Abdul Rehman and General Zahid Ali Akber were part of the infamous The Jalandhar Group or The Gang of Four which was also part of the coup which overthrew Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s democratic government and later hanged him through the judiciary to have smooth sailing,” reports Facts Focus.

    “The other two officers of this ‘The Gang of Four’ were General Zia ul Haq and General Rahimuddin. All these four were closely related through the marriages of their children. General Akhtar Abdul Rehman’s son Akber and General Zia’s son Ijaz ul Haq are married to the daughters of General Rahimuddin. General Rehman’s son Haroon Akhar is married to the daughter of General Zahid Ali Akber.”

    The OCCRP’s #SuisseSecrets investigation has also verified the old US paper’s report that the “CIA’s covert Soviet war aid had made rich sugar daddies out of Pakistani generals.”

    “General Akhtar Abdul Rehman’s three sons have been named in the #SuisseSecrets for opening Swiss accounts during the Soviet-Afghan war in the mid-1980s. General Akhtar, besides heading ISI, also headed the five-member committee that directly dealt with the CIA’s money to supply weapons to the mujahideen fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.”

    Politicians:

    “Punjab’s Finance Minister, Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakhat, and his brother Omer Sheharyar. They maintained a bank account for 11 months from 2011 to 2012. A sum of 2,765,038 Swiss Francs rested in this account.”

    “Senator Gulzar Ahmad Khan (late) and his two senator sons Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan and Senator Ammar Ahmad Khan family opened an account at Credit Suisse in 2008. They held 9,786,955 Swiss Francs in it. The account was closed in 2013. This account remained unheard from FBR and the Election commission of Pakistan.”

    “Senator Haji Saif Ullah Khan Bangash, a PPP senator (now deceased) maintained a maximum balance of 105,137,413 Swiss francs millions in 2009. NAB has filed a corruption reference against Bangash on bank fraud charges in 2010. Bangash’s sons, Shaukat Ullah Khan and Kifayat Ullah Khan were co-accused in this NAB reference. Kifayat Ullah Khan is a banker based in Geneva. This account was opened on November 03, 2008, and was closed on December 21, 2011.”

    Journalist:

    “Anchorperson Rana Mubashir and his wife Irum Mubashir also opened a bank account in Credit Suisse on October 03, 2008. The account had a maximum balance of more than one million dollars in May 2010. The account was closed on November 29, 2011. Rana Mubashir hasn’t responded to the queries sent to him by OCCRP.”

    Businessmen:

    “Sultan Ali Lakhani of Lakson Group who also owns Express Media Group has also surfaced in the #SuisseSecrets. Sultan along with Zulfiqar Lakhani and Amin Muhammad Lakhani held 10 individual and joint accounts with their immediate family members between 2001 and 2010.”

    “Cumulatively, they held almost 58, 626, 841 Swiss Francs (Around 60 Million dollars) in their accounts. Besides the three above-mentioned Lakhanis, others named in the Data Leak include Gul Bano Lakhani, Alizeh Lakhani, Anusha Lakhani, Fatima Lakhani, Anika Amin Lakhani, Saira Amin Lakhani, Babar Ali Lakhani, Bilal Ali Lakhani, Misha Lakhani, Shaista Lakhani, and Clinton Raven.”

    “The OCCRP data shows that the Schon family also held two Swiss accounts. The first account was opened on November 07, 2001, when Nasir Schon and his brother were facing a loan default case. This account remained operational until September 10, 2010, and had a maximum balance of 477,140 Swiss francs. Another account was opened on August 05, 2010, and remained operational until January 01, 2015, and it has a maximum balance of 1,023,261 Swiss francs in September 2010. Responding to OCCRP questions, Schons acknowledged they held the accounts and said there was nothing wrong with it.”

  • You can get up to five years in jail for forwarding fake news over WhatsApp, says Fawad Chaudhry

    You can get up to five years in jail for forwarding fake news over WhatsApp, says Fawad Chaudhry

    Prevention of Electronic Crimes Amendment (PECA) Ordinance 2022 was promulgated by President Arif Alvi on Sunday. The following changes have been made in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016:

    -The definition of a “person” has been broadened and it now includes any company, association, institution, organisation, authority, or any other.

    -Anyone found guilty will now be snatched to Fiver years jail term instead of three years.

    -As per the new law, the new gives power to FIA to arrest anyone over a complaint without an FIR or court orders.

    – Anyone can be arrested on non-bailable warrant.

    The Current reached out to Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry to take his comment on the matter. The minister, while talking exclusively to The Current, said, “A person who forwards fake news over WhatsApp can be fined and go to jail under the new law.”

    Legal expert Reema Omar took to Twitter and said that Pakistan has made the already existing criminal defamation law more “oppressive”.

    Nighat Dad, while talking to The Current, termed the propagation of Ordinance “unconstitutional” in a sense that you have to fullfuil a citeria under which an Ordinance can be propagated.

    “Instead of repealing Section 20, which has been used and weaponised against journalists and survivors of sexual harassment, women are facing charges under the same section. The government has actually strengthened it through this Ordinance, without any inclusive process,” said Nighat.

    She added that the entire exercise is pretty “unsatisfactory”. Nighat Dad said that it seems that Ordinance is basically promulgated to curb online dissent.

    Nighat added that across the world, western democracies are getting rid of criminal defamation laws but here they have added institutions, organisations, and companies who can now use this particular section if they feel that people are harming their reputation. “They can use it against them.”

    Journalist Farieha Aziz, while talking to The Current, said that the law is extremely dangerous. She added that vague terms like “harm to reputation” and “false information” in section 20 were criticised since its inception, however the amendments to the law have made it more dangerous by converting into a cognizable and non-bailable offence, allowing third parties, including organisations and government departments, to become complainants.

    While talking about the Opposition’s criticism, Aziz said that The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016 was passed under PM-LN’s regime, and PTI opposed the act at the time.

    Journalist Ramsha Jahangir raised the same question regarding the vagueness of the law. “The law or the rules don’t specify what morality is. With TikTok, we saw how PTA arbitrarily decided what’s in line with cultural and moral trends. The vague phrasing in PECA gives authorities the power to interpret the content as they deem.” She continued by questioning, “Fake news or disinformation is defined by the intent to harm or mislead. How does the government identify intent?”

    Digital rights activist Usama Khilji also expressed his concern over the usage of vague terms in the law.

    “Cultural and moral trends are very vague subjects, especially for a diverse country like Pakistan, and this leaves a lot of room for abuse of this law at the hands of the state,” he said.

    “The Constitution, and the malicious intent of the government is obvious as the amendment hasn’t even been debated in parliament but introduced as an Ordinance, especially when the Islamabad High Court has been calling for reform of Section 20, which criminalises defamation against international standards of human rights,” he added.

    Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has rejected the Ordinance.

  • Bomb blast targets police van, three officers injured

    Bomb blast targets police van, three officers injured

    Three police officers sustained injuries after a police mobile was targeted in Dera Ismail Khan.

    According to media reports, the police mobile was damaged in the bomb blast detonated by a remote control. The injured officers have been moved to the hospital where they are said to be in critical condition.

    Security agencies have cordoned off the area and launched a manhunt to arrest the culprits.

    According to initial reports, a police team was deployed for the ongoing polio campaign in the town.

    No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

    There has been an increase in attacks targeting law enforcement agencies for the past few days..