Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Govt of Punjab responsible for releasing my attacker, not judiciary: Khadija Siddiqi

    Khadija Siddiqi, a young lawyer who was stabbed 23 times by Shah Hussain in 2016, questioned the Punjab government for the early release of her attacker.

    Shah Hussain was released from jail on 17 July without completing his five years in jail term. He got a 1.5 year remission.

    “Many people raising questions on the order of the High Court, given by Justice Shan Gul, just to clarify, they approached the court for 1 month of further remission which was NOT granted by the court,” said Khadija in a tweet, adding: “The @GovtofPunjabPK had already granted extraordinary REMISSION of 1.5 years! State to be blamed.”

    “Dear State, will you break the silence and hold jail authorities accountable?” she asked.

    In another tweet, Khadija tagged Punjab Prisons Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan and wrote: “You are responsible for allowing early release of my attacker.”

    Speaking on Geo News programme AAj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Khadija said that she has no idea on what basis Shah Hussain got a remission of one and a half years. “It is evident that influence has been used in this case.” She said that when she came to know about the release of Hussain through unofficial sources, she wrote to CCPO Lahore that she needs security because her life is in danger as her attacker will be out but she did not get any response.

    Karachi-based lawyer Jibran Nasir, while talking exclusively to The Current, said that the government needs to explain how and why Shah Hussain has been released without completing his five year sentence.

    Siddiqi was stabbed 23 times on a busy Lahore street while she was picking her six-year-old sister from school on May 3, 2016.

  • Premeditated murder: Zahir asked friends if he would go to jail for killing parents

    Reporter Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai while speaking with Geo Pakistan , a program on GEO News has revealed that Zahir Jaffer asked his friends if would he go to jail if he kills his parents, days before he allegedly killed Noor Mukadam.

    Yousafzai, while talking about the case, said that that police has not gotten forensic evidence results yet, adding that the cause of Noor’s murder, whether it was the torture, stabbing, or beheading will be determined after forensic lab reports.

    He added that Zahir had already planned the murder and he even asked his friends if he could get away with murdering someone, considering he was an American citizen. The reporter also stated that Zahir asked his friend if he would face any legal consequences if he murders his parents.

    Yousafzai further added that mutual friends of Zahir and Noor came to Zahir’s place to inquire about the whereabouts of Noor. They left after Zahir told them that Noor was not with him.

    READ MORE: ‘I am disgusted and horrified’: Hollywood’s Jameela Jamil gets emotional about the Noor Mukadam case

    Talking about the negligence of the guard who saw Noor jumping from the balcony and could have helped her, Yousafzai said that the guard should have called the police instead of Zahir’s parents.

    RELATED: US embassy representatives reportedly meet dual national Zahir Jaffer

    Last night, ARY News reported that Zahir Jaffer has confessed to the murder of Noor Mukadam. Police have also gathered video evidence, reportedly of Noor being tortured by Zahir.

    ARY sources have said that Zahir confessed to the police but has not given a reason for murdering her.

    Zahir Jaffer’s phone has now been recovered by the police and has been sent for forensic testing.

  • US embassy representatives reportedly meet dual national Zahir Jaffer

    US embassy representatives reportedly meet dual national Zahir Jaffer

    Dawn has reported that the United States (US) embassy staff met Zahir Jaffer on Monday while Zahir was in police custody.

    According to the report, a request was made by the embassy to the police for a meeting with the accused as he was a dual national of the US and Pakistan.

    The officers told Dawn, under the condition of anonymity, that the matter was discussed with the senior officials, and permission was granted to the embassy staff for the meeting.

    The meeting took place in two phases. During the first phase of the meeting, the embassy staff met the accused in the presence of senior police officers. Later, another round of discussions was held in the police officers’ absence.

    “I cannot comment on the case due to privacy concerns,” the US embassy spokesperson, Heather Eaton, said when contacted by Dawn to seek details of the meeting.

    She also refused to reveal any information when asked if the embassy was following the case or was in contact with any authority.

    It was reported last night that Zahir Jaffer has confessed to the murder of Noor Mukadam. Police have also gathered video evidence, reportedly of Noor being tortured by Zahir.

     The accused made the confession during interrogation but has not given a reason for murdering Noor.

  • ‘PM Khan’s phone does not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Modi’: Fawad

    ‘PM Khan’s phone does not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Modi’: Fawad

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Jirga’, said, “Two days prior to the story of Pegasus spyware being published, I received a letter from The Guardian revealing that there was a list of phone numbers that had been hacked. Three numbers previously used by Prime Minister Imran Khan were also in the list.”

    Fawad said that the letter further added that he needed to confirm whether the numbers included in the list belonged to PM Khan or not.

    Fawad said that a team was being put together by the government, who would do the forensics to verify whether the premier’s phone was hacked or not. Only then will the government be able to tell if the attempt to hack the phone was successful or not.

    “It is confirmed that an attempt to hack the phone was made,” said Fawad.

    On being asked by Saleem Safi that if the phone was indeed hacked and the Indians did get the data from the premier’s phone, what implications would it have for the country, Fawad replied, ” PM Khan’s phone did not have messages of Gujarat massacre like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His phone does not have any orders of murder in it.”

    Fawad condemned how Modi and his government had hacked the phones of Indian journalists, judges, his own government officials, and other world leaders and said that the United Nations must intervene in this regard.

    Fawad Chaudhry added that the Foreign Office has taken notice of India’s use of Israeli spyware, Pegasus, to hack Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone and had already said: “We call on the relevant UN bodies to thoroughly investigate the matter, bring the facts to light, and hold the Indian perpetrators to account.”

    When questioned about the meeting between Imran Khan and Narendra Modi before he came into power and whether it was discussed with the then government, Fawad responded that PM Khan’s meeting was public and the media was present. Fawad criticised Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib in London and said this was news shared with the Afghan media.

    “I won’t call Nawaz Sharif a traitor but it was a very irresponsible act by him,” added Fawad.

    Earlier this week, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif was met by Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib and State Minister for Peace Sayed Sadat Naderi.

    The National Security Council of Afghanistan (NSCA) gave an update about the meeting on Twitter Saturday, saying that the Afghan state minister for peace and NSA discussed “matters of mutual interest” with the former Pakistan prime minister.

    Nawaz Sharif’s meeting faced extreme criticism from the government.

  • Zahir Jaffer confesses to killing Noor Mukadam

    Zahir Jaffer confesses to killing Noor Mukadam

    ARY News has reported that Zahir Jaffer has confessed to the murder of Noor Mukadam. Police have also gathered video evidence, reportedly of Noor being tortured by Zahir.

    ARY sources have said that Zahir confessed to the police but has kept changing the reasons for murdering her.

    Reportedly, Noor managed to run away from Zahir after jumping from the balcony and hide inside the security guards room. Zahir chased after her and found her in the room and dragged her out. The guards were present but no one stopped Zahir from taking Noor back to the room where he proceeded to murder and behead her.

    “There were more people present who had witnessed Noor Mukadam being dragged by him. Zahir Jaffer had tortured Noor consistently for three hours,” ARY sources have stated to the network.

    Zahir Jaffer was taken back into police custody after a court gave them an extension on the physical remand.

    RELATED: Zahir Jaffer saw patients at Therapy Works, witness comes forward

    Islamabad police had arrested Zahir’s parents and two security guards for assistance in crime, hiding evidence, tampering with evidence in order to save the accused, and complicity, officials said.

    READ MORE: ‘I am disgusted and horrified’: Hollywood’s Jameela Jamil gets emotional about the Noor Mukadam case

  • ‘Will seek India’s help’: PML-N’s Ismail Gujjar served show-cause notice over remarks

    ‘Will seek India’s help’: PML-N’s Ismail Gujjar served show-cause notice over remarks

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal has served a show-cause notice to Ismail Gujjar for his controversial statement a day ago during the Azad Jammu and Kashmir election wherein he threatened to “call India for help” if attempts were made [by the government] to rig the polls.

    Talking to the media, Chaudhry Ismail Gujjar said, “If you try to commit such an act [rig elections], I will call India for help … I warn you this is the election of Azad Kashmir and its people, let it be peaceful.”

    Reacting to the statement, Ahsan Iqbal issued a show-cause notice to Gujjar.

    “A statement given by you appeared on the electronic media in which you have irresponsibly stated that you will seek help from India for your election,” the notice reads, asking Gujjar to give an explanation within seven days.

    Issuing a clarification on to Geo News, Ismail had said his statement was directed towards the administration. “India kills Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir and over here, these people are taking down our camps,” he had added.

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while appreciating the PML-N for issuing a show-cause notice to a “political orphan” [Gujjar], said it would have been better had the party served a notice to Nawaz Sharif for meeting Pakistan’s enemy. Fawad was referring to Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib in London.

    Fawad also commented on the Afghan NSA’s meeting with Sharif on Geo News‘ programme, ‘Jirga’.

  • Zahir Jaffer saw patients at Therapy Works, witness comes forward

    Therapy works has denied allegations that Zahir Jaffer, the alleged killer of Noor Mukadam, was seeing clients at the Therapy Works office. Samaa News has reported that a woman has came forward with details contradicting their claims.

    She shared screenshots with Samaa Digital that in 2019, she had taken someone to Therapy Works to receive therapy from Zahir Jaffer. She also shared a screenshot of conversation she had with Zahir to book an appointment.

    According to a statement released by Therapy Works, “Zahir Jaffer was enrolled as a student in UK Level 3 from September 2015 to September 2016. After this he joined UK Level 4 from October 2016 to June 2018. He did not complete his coursework and International Essays, and accordingly was never given permission to see clients,” said the statement. But the woman’s screenshot and claim shows otherwise.

    TherapyWorks statement on their official Instagram handle

    As per Samaa, “Therapy Works had posted on its Instagram a picture of its UK Level 5 candidates and the group included Zahir Jaffer. They have deleted the picture now, but social media users took a screenshot of it.”

    While Therapy Works has responded to the allegation that Zahir was a practicing therapist, The Current reached out to them asking for a response to the allegations that they were involved in the incident. We are still waiting for a response.

  • Sheikh Rasheed confirms Zahir Jaffer’s name to be placed on ECL

    Sheikh Rasheed confirms Zahir Jaffer’s name to be placed on ECL

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed while addressing a press conference said that Noor Mukadam murder accused, Zahir Jaffer’s name has been placed on a provisional no-fly list known as the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).

    Rasheed also said that Zahir’s name will also be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).

    A court in Islamabad extended on Monday the physical remand of Zahir Jaffer, by two days.

    Islamabad police, on Saturday night, arrested the parents of alleged killer Zahir Jaffer, Zaqir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee for hiding evidence and abetting the murder. The court gave the police a two-day remand for the parents of Zahir Jaffer and they are to remain in police custody.

  • Covid positivity rate jumps to 7.5 per cent in Pakistan

    Covid positivity rate jumps to 7.5 per cent in Pakistan

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) reported that the Covid-19 positivity rate is currently 7.51 per cent.

    President Dr Arif Alvi urged citizens to “get serious”. “Cases have shot up post-Eid. I was expecting and warning about it as I saw carelessness in [the] streets, bazaars, [and at] weddings and mosques,” he said.

    President Alvi urged Pakistanis to get vaccinated. “Don’t let the recent gains towards stability [be] sacrificed on the alter of neglect. You are a rising nation, so the important test is to rise to the occasion,” he added.

    The number of deaths from coronavirus in the country has risen to 23,048 after 32 more people died in the last 24 hours and the total number of cases has reached 108,446.

  • PTI wins AJK elections with vast majority, PPP, PML-N reject results

    PTI wins AJK elections with vast majority, PPP, PML-N reject results

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has won the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections by clinching the most seats. The PTI won in 25 constituencies, followed by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in 11 constituencies and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in six constituencies, according to unofficial results.

    The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party and the (JKPP) and the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJK-MC) managed to bag one seat each according to the unofficial results.

    Turnout in AJK elections was recorded at around 62 per cent. More than 700 candidates from 32 political and religious parties contested for the 45 general seats.

    The official Twitter account of PTI celebrated the victory and called Prime Minister Imran Khan the ‘Ambassador of Kashmir’.

    PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz claimed that the PTI won the Kashmir polls through rigging and rejected the results of the elections held on Sunday.

    Maryam Nawaz tweeted, “I have not accepted the results and neither will I.”

    Maryam praised her party workers for “putting up a good fight” despite rigging by PTI.

    Taking to Twitter, Bilawal Bhutto claimed the election commission had failed to take action against the PTI for violating electoral rules.