Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Establishment’s involvement in judicial matters will end soon, says LHC Chief Justice

    Establishment’s involvement in judicial matters will end soon, says LHC Chief Justice

    Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shehzad Ahmed Khan said confidently on Friday that the security establishment’s involvement in the judiciary will be over soon.

    While addressing an event in Rawalpindi, he stated, “Interference in judiciary will have to be fought with faith that it will come to an end.”

    Justice Khan stressed that the establishment’s interference in the judiciary is a genuine issue, adding that he received letters as proof claiming the Army establishment’s involvement in judicial matters.

    “The establishment’s interference in judicial matters will end, and my experience [tells me] that it will come to an end,” said the chief justice.

    Justice Malik Shehzad Ahmed mentioned that he is happy that judicial authorities is “fulfilling their responsibilities without any fear or greed”.
    Earlier, on March 25, six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges wrote a letter to Supreme Court (SC) blaming intelligence agencies for interfering in judicial matters.

  • Court grants bail to Kashmiri poet Ahmad Farhad

    Court grants bail to Kashmiri poet Ahmad Farhad

    The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High court has granted post-arrest bail to Kashmiri poet Ahmad Farhad on Friday.

    The court approved the poet’s plea against a surety bond worth Rs200,000. AJK High Court Chief Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja announced the verdict.

    Last week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared Farhad a “missing person” and described his arrest as “illegal.”

    According to the court order, the poet has been missing since May 15, and the First Information Report (FIR) against his disappearance was filed at Lohebher Police Station in Islamabad under Sections 427 and 365 PPC.

    AJK Chief Justice said in his remarks during the hearing that, “Ahmed Farhad should only write poetry, not journalism”.

  • PTI ready for talks or not – The puzzle no one can solve

    PTI ready for talks or not – The puzzle no one can solve

    The story of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) holding talks with other stakeholders in power corridors has turned into a roller coaster with plenty of twists and turns.

    PTI senator Shibli Faraz, considered a close aide to party’s defacto head Imran Khan, said on April 28, 2024, that the party is always ready to talk but only with those who have real power, hinting towards the willingness to talk to the establishment.

    He then stated that the current atmosphere is not suitable for dialouge.

    A week after Shibli Faraz’s remarks, incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan told journalists at Adiala jail on May 4 that his party will only be ready to talk with its toughest opponent- the security establishment.

    Both these statements were enough to establish that PTI definitely did want dialogue, but only with the army.

    In contrast, PTI Chairman, Barrister Gohar Khan had said on April 2024 that his party is ready to talk with everyone, including political forces, adding that a committee had been formed to negotiate with other political parties on multiple issues.

    During a press conference held on April 29, Gohar said that PTI is not negotiating with anyone through the backdoor.

    However, on June 12, multiple media outlets reported that former Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk with the government for the sake of the country’s development.

    Moreover, PTI decided to choose Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai to negotiate with President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif to reduce political tension in the country.

    Analysts say that either PTI has decided to include politicians in its sphere of powers that need to be talked to, or the security establishment did not agree to talking to PTI, leading the party back towards political powers.

  • LEAs stop TTP from establishing footprint in Balochistan

    LEAs stop TTP from establishing footprint in Balochistan

    Law enforcement agencies have foiled a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attempt to establish a foothold in Balochistan by arresting a most wanted commander and several other members of the banned outfit in different areas of the province.

    The security situation in Pakistan has been deteriorating since the past few months, especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

    “With the arrest of the TTP commander and other terrorists, their efforts to establish centres in the province have been foiled,” stated a spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Department on Thursday.

    The CTD, along with other law enforcement agencies, conducted operations and arrested several militants, including the wanted TTP commander.

    He also said, “The arrested commander was involved in various terrorist activities in different areas of the country.”

  • Arrest warrants issued for Khawar Maneka and son

    Arrest warrants issued for Khawar Maneka and son

    An anti-corruption court has issued arrest warrants for Khawar Maneka, the ex-husband of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and his son Musa Maneka, for not appearing in court in a land grab and tax evasion case.

    Special Judge Asif Bashir directed the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Okara to arrest both suspects and present them in court on July 9.

    Khawar and his son both failed to appear in two court hearings, after which the judge issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for them.

    Per the prosecution, Maneka had allegedly illegally constructed 26 shops and a marriage hall on a four-kanal piece of land meant for Pir Islam Graveyard in Haveli Lakha without map approval.

    Tax evasion allegations have also been levelled against Khawar Maneka , and after the registration of the case, Khawar Maneka tried to flee the country from Lahore airport.

  • Shehbaz Sharif meets Maulana Fazal ur Rehman to cool animosity

    Shehbaz Sharif meets Maulana Fazal ur Rehman to cool animosity

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif reached Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazal ur Rehman residence in Islamabad on Thursday to meet him.
    The Premier took the initiative to improve relations between both the parties that witnessed growing animosity after February, 2024 general elections.   

    Shehbaz praised Maulana’s role in strengthening democracy in the country and acknowledged his services for religion.

    PM Shehbaz proposed a committee to make relations better for the sake of the country’s development.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on May 2, rejected the general election’s results and demanded fresh polls.

  • Sargodha ATC Judge alleges harassment by ISI; LHC Chief Justice summons IGP & others

    Sargodha ATC Judge alleges harassment by ISI; LHC Chief Justice summons IGP & others

    Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan on Wednesday summoned Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar and other officials on a complaint by a judge of an anti-terrorism court of Sargodha alleging harassment by intelligence agencies.

    According to the summons, District & Sessions Judge (D&SJ) Muhammad Abbas, on the first day of his new charge as the judge of ATC Sargodha, received a message from an ISI official requesting to meet the judge in his chamber; the judge, however, refused to meet him.

    Ever since, according to ATC judge Abbas, he had been facing a string of harassment incidents, including damaging his house’s sui-gas meter, extra-ordinary electricity bill which was fake, harassment of judge’s relatives and even an incident of firing outside the main gate of ATC which damaged the electricity transformer.

    In his summons, the Chief Justice of LHC stated that Judge Abbas is an “Honest and hardworking Judicial Officer of this institution.”

    “The threats and harassment given to the said Judicial Officer [Judge Abbas] and his family has caused restraint in his judicial work,” stated the summons by LHC.

    The chief justice also converted the judge’s complaint into a contempt petition and issued a notice.

  • PPP will not join coalition government, confirms Qamar Zaman Kaira

    PPP will not join coalition government, confirms Qamar Zaman Kaira

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira has denied media reports that his party will join a coalition government, terming them “baseless.”

    Rumors about PPP joining the treasury benches emerged after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal’s meetings with Kaira and Chief Minister Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti.

    Kaira claimed while talking to Geo News that he met with Ahsan Iqbal and discussed his constituency’s developmental projects.

    “I did not discuss anything about joining the government with Ahsan Iqbal,” Kaira said.

  • 17.6 percent hike in defence budget in new budget

    17.6 percent hike in defence budget in new budget

    The federal government on Wednesday allocated Rs 2.12 trillion for the armed forces in the upcoming fiscal year 2024-2025, a substantial increase of 17.6 percent compared to last year’s budget.

    This is the second-largest hike in the defence budget in six years and marks the second consecutive year of increased funding for the armed forces.

    Last year, there was a 15 percent increase in defence budget – different from the traditional 11 percent annual increase which took place over the last decade.

    Interestingly, according to budget figures presented to the NA by the government, it has been revealed the armed forces exceeded last year’s allocated budget of Rs 1.8 trillion, in reality spending Rs 1.83 trillion.

    The significant hike in defence spending highlights Pakistan’s priorities in a region marred by geopolitical tensions.

  • ‘Naqvi is the biggest beneficiary of favouritism,’ Khan lashes out at interior minister Mohsin Naqvi

    ‘Naqvi is the biggest beneficiary of favouritism,’ Khan lashes out at interior minister Mohsin Naqvi

    Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Monday strongly criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and the federal interior minister Mohsin Naqvi saying, “Naqvi is the biggest beneficiary of favouritism.”

    Khan was responding to Naqvi’s remarks about the need for “surgery” in the national cricket team after its poor performance in the Pakistan vs India T-20 match.

    Khan also condemned the government over the deteriorating security situation in the country saying, “Our soldiers are being martyred, and robberies are occurring in Islamabad, yet they do not care.”

    The former Prime Minister also alleged that efforts are being made to silence him and cover up election rigging, chastising the authorities for action against PTI leaders across Punjab for holding conventions.