Category: Politics

  • There are no black sheep in supreme court, Justice Minallah tells PM

    There are no black sheep in supreme court, Justice Minallah tells PM

    Supreme Court Judge Justice Athar Minallah while talking to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), advised the AG to tell the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that there are no black sheep in the SC.

    A five member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa heard the government’s appeals against the nullification of the NAB amendments in the top court today.

    Justice Minallah further said, “Ask the Prime Minister if there are any black sheep in the Supreme Court then file a reference against them.”

    The comment by Justice Athar came just two days after PM Shehbaz while addressing the PML-N General Workers’ Council said, “Majority of judges agree on the country’s prosperity, but a few black sheep in the judiciary are bent on giving relief to Imran Khan.”

  • No stability until May 9 Perpetrators brought to justice: Pak Army

    No stability until May 9 Perpetrators brought to justice: Pak Army

    The Pakistan Army on Thursday reiterated the call for bringing to justice the planners, perpetrators, abettors, and facilitators of the May 9 riots for the “collective good of the country”.

    According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s resolve was communicated during the 83rd Formation Commanders Conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ) presided by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir.

    “Digital terrorism unleashed against state institutions, especially Pakistan’s armed forces, is being carried out with the help of external facilitators to achieve nefarious political objectives,” said the presser.

    Furthermore, the military leadership believed that there are efforts to sow discord between the state institutions and the Pakistani nation.

    The conference concluded with the determination that, “All threats to the security and stability of the country will be thwarted with the full support of a proud nation.”

  • Supreme Court rejects petition for live coverage of NAB amendment case

    Supreme Court rejects petition for live coverage of NAB amendment case

    The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s request for live streaming of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case hearing on Thursday, Geo News reported.

    The top court rejected the plea filed by the KP advocate general, with Justice Athar Minallah being in favour of live broadcasting of the case.

    “The [hearing of] case should be broadcast live since this was the case before as well,” the judge said.

    The development comes as the SC is hearing intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments against the NAB amendments struck down by the top court.

    Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Minallah, and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi are part of the larger SC bench hearing the case.

  • First acknowledge past mistakes, SC writes to British HC

    First acknowledge past mistakes, SC writes to British HC

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan penned a letter to the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Pakistan Jane Marriott, defending the top court rulings including stripping the PTI of its symbol while reminding her of past British injustices.

    “The matter was resolved in just 12 days by the Supreme Court, and general elections were held throughout Pakistan on 8 February 2024; a copy of the decision is attached as ‘A’,” read the letter by SC.

    It then went on to defend the SC ruling in which a political party was stripped of its electoral symbol days before the election, “To ensure compliance with this democratic principle the law stipulates that if a political party does not hold intra-party elections, then it would not be eligible for an election symbol.”

    It further criticised the British for its complicity in “violent undemocratic mistakes” such as overthrowing the elected democratic government of Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953, to capture Iranian oil.

    The letter also mentioned the British role in the creation of a settler-colonial state Israel and urged the UK commissioner to acknowledge its past mistakes.

  • Imran Khan acquitted in two more May 9 cases

    Imran Khan acquitted in two more May 9 cases

    The district and session court in Islamabad acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in two more cases related to May 9 violence, ARY News reported on Thursday.

    Judicial Magistrate Omar Shahab announced the decision on two May 9 cases registered against PTI founder at Shahzad town police station.

    The court cleared the former prime minister in both cases due to insufficient evidence. The prominent lawyers Mirza Aim Beg and Naeem Panjootha were representing Khan in both cases. 

    An unofficial person registered the FIR against Imran Khan and falsely accused him under Section 109, but Khan’s lawyers pointed out that the evidence is not sufficient to support the charge.

    However, Imran Khan’s lawyer and PTI leader Naeem Panjootha told the court that Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana case has been suspended, but the court has yet to announce on the illegal marriage case and the cypher case.

  • Hina Pervaiz Butt falsely claims Khan’s interview with Mehdi Hassan was paid

    Hina Pervaiz Butt falsely claims Khan’s interview with Mehdi Hassan was paid

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Hina Parvaiz Butt recently got into a Twitter feud with journalist Mehdi Hassan after she called his recent interview with founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan “paid content.”

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan gave an exclusive interview with renowned journalist Mehdi Hassan for his new platform Zeteo where he openly talked about his imprisonment experience, past regrets, and the country’s worsening political situation.

    The interview was available to paid subscribers on his new platform Zeteo and the MPA highlighted the ‘paid’ written at the start of the article alleging that it is paid content, a claim that is false.

    Mehdi called her out saying, “This Pakistani politician from the governing party is pushing a conspiracy theory that I was “paid” to do my interview with Imran Khan. ‘Paid’ on the post below means it’s a post only for paid subscribers to Zeteo.”

  • Khan, Bushra Bibi get room coolers in jail

    Khan, Bushra Bibi get room coolers in jail

    Adiala jail administration has installed room coolers for founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to help them deal with the extreme heat in Rawalpindi.

    Prison sources also confirmed to The News that former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is incarcerated in Adiala jail in the cypher case, has also been provided with a room cooler.

    The jail administration has started providing additional facilities to inmates, including cold water and beverages, as well as extra water coolers that have also been installed throughout the jail premises.

    The Adiala jail administration affirmed that various measures have been put in place to protect inmates from the heat wave’s impact, as the weather in Islamabad and Rawalpindi is extremely hot.

  • Talks sirf unke sath hongi’ says former president Arif Alvi

    Talks sirf unke sath hongi’ says former president Arif Alvi

    Former President and senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Dr Arif Alvi reiterated that Imran Khan is ready to hold a dialogue but only with those “who could offer something”, Dawn reported.

    Alvi said that holding talks with those who had come into power through ‘Form 47s’ would be futile.

    Interestingly, during the interaction with reporters outside the Karachi Press Club, Alvi tried to downplay a social media post from Imran Khan’s account on social media which made a comparison with Pakistan’s current political turmoil with events during the fall of Dhaka, saying “It’s never about the whole institution but a few individuals”.

    However, the former president warned that the prevailing situation in the country was “pushing everyone towards a dead-end”.

    “We never invited the military to intervene in politics, but Imran Khan wants to talk to those who have the power to decide,” he said in response to a question.

    “If these talks aren’t held, it would further push everyone to a dead end,” warned the senior PTI leader.

  • ‘Lies, deceit, God knows what other lies’ Khan blames one General alone for his fall from power

    ‘Lies, deceit, God knows what other lies’ Khan blames one General alone for his fall from power

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan gave an exclusive interview with renowned journalist Mehdi Hassan for his new platform Zeteo. Khan openly talked about his imprisonment experience, past regrets, and the country’s political situation.

    Mehdi Hassan clarified that he could only send a list of written questions and did not directly speak to him, nor could he ask a counter-question.

    Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala jail, spoke about his ordeal in prison saying, “They employ psychological tactics to break my spirit, but my heart, fortified by faith in Allah, remains strong.”

    Hassan asked Khan whom he blamed for everything that had happened to him since the 2022 fall of his government and he replied, “After 11 months in prison, I am certain that this ordeal was orchestrated solely by General Bajwa. I hold no one else responsible.”

    The founder of PTI used strong words for the former Chief of Army Staff saying, “He meticulously planned and executed this scheme, presenting himself as a deceitful figure, creating lies and false narratives to cause both national and international chaos – all to secure his extension.”

    Khan blamed ex-COAS Bajwa for “painting him as anti-American due to his insatiable thirst for power. God knows what other lies he disseminated to various countries.”

    “My only regret is trusting General Bajwa,” he commented.

    Interestingly, Khan did not mention current Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir at all.

    Criticizing the ruling government he said, “This government lacks legitimacy. The PML-N barely won 17 seats in Parliament. The violence, torture, and pre-poll rigging were evident. After the elections, it took them nearly two days to alter the results.”

    Finally, Khan’s message was “There has been an attack on democracy and the right to self-determination of 250 million people”. He further called the February 8 general elections a sham which brought “more uncertainty and a greater trust deficit between the people and the ruling elite.”

  • Gandapur angry in public gatherings, calm in closed-door meetings

    Gandapur angry in public gatherings, calm in closed-door meetings

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur can play a significant role in engagement between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the establishment, The News’ senior journalist Ansar Abbasi has reported.

    Informed sources told The News that Gandapur’s behaviour was entirely different to his usual outspoken self during the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) meeting, as compared to his attitude while addressing public gatherings.

    He behaved very calmly during his interaction with the federal government, The News reported on Tuesday.

    On Monday, during a joint press conference along with the interior minister Mohsin Naqvi and power minister Owais Leghari, Gandapur stressed that his political activities should be kept separate from his administrative duties. He further stated in a presser that he is ready to work with the federal government to resolve the issues faced by KP.

    The chief minister also conveyed the message of PTI founder Imran Khan: “We do not have any conflict with institutions, there is no disagreement with the governor’s policy, and we will have to negotiate on the issues and rights of the province.” 

    “He is cooperative, he positively takes part in discussions on issues of national interest and never engages in any sort of conflict,” a source who has attended a few such federal-level meetings revealed about the conduct of the KP chief minister.