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  • First Black woman becomes US Supreme Court justice

    First Black woman becomes US Supreme Court justice

    Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first Black woman in the history of the United States (US) to become a justice of the country’s top court. She was sworn in to the US Supreme Court on Thursday by Chief Justice John Roberts and her mentor, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.

    Ms Jackson, 51, will replace Justice Stephen Breyer, joining the court’s three-member liberal minority.

    “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great nation,” said Jackson.

    Jackson served eight years as a federal trial court judge. She earned two degrees from Harvard University and had worked as the Harvard Law Review’s editor. Prior to her judicial assignments, she served as a public defender in Washington before starting a private practice.

  • Will Punjab select its new CM today?

    Will Punjab select its new CM today?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) moved the Supreme Court (SC) to challenge Lahore High Court’s verdict to recount the votes cast in the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) elections excluding the votes that were cast by 25 dissident PTI lawmakers.

    The SC accepted PTI’s plea for an immediate hearing earlier in the day and formed a three-member bench. The hearing is currently underway by the bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial.

    During the hearing, PTI’s lawyer Babar Awan requested to wait for seven days for the election process. To this, the court questioned, “Do you want Punjab to remain without a Chief Minister for seven days?”

    Moreover, the apex court has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to send notice to five reserved seats. As in the petition, PTI pointed out that lawmakers on five reserved seats in the Punjab Assembly had still not been notified in accordance with the LHC’s earlier directives.

    PTI leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry announced the development on his Twitter handle. He said, “An appeal has been filed in the SC against the decision of the LHC. It is hoped that the SC will hold a hearing today in view of this crisis and the session of the Punjab Assembly will be adjourned.”

    The petitioners urged the court to remove Hamza as CM and requested to issue directives for holding a “free and fair” election for the post of the province’s chief executive. Moreover, they requested the court to suspend the election process till the pendency of their petition.

    In the petition, the party also said that some of their Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) are currently not in Pakistan as they have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. The party also argued that many PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) members are busy with political campaign in their constituencies for the upcoming by-elections in Punjab.

    The magic number required to show the majority is 186. According to the verdict of the LHC, after recounting the votes today (Friday), the tally of the incumbent CM Hamza Shehbaz will come down to 172 votes after the exclusion of 25 votes of PTI dissident MPAs. The session will take place today at 4pm as per the LHC order.

    ‘Going to Supreme Court over LHC decision on Punjab CM polls’: Imran Khan

    On Thursday, LHC accepted the appeals of PTI filed against the election of CM Hamza and ordered a recount of votes with the exclusion of the 25 defecting party members who voted for him.

    A five-member larger bench of the LHC headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan announced the verdict.

    After the verdict, Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that the party would be going to the apex court tomorrow (Friday) and challenge the verdict.

    Verdict:

    As per the verdict, the votes will be recounted and the candidate securing a majority of votes will be declared the chief minister of Punjab.

    Article 130(4) of the Constitution of Pakistan governs the election of chief ministers, under which there is an obligation of a majority of 186 votes.

    Hamza will no longer be the chief minister if he doesn’t retain the required majority after the exclusion of 25 votes, while the second round of polls will be held as per Article 130(4) in case no one gets the majority after a recount.

    Reactions:

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Attaullah Tarar said that the PML-N is happy and content because it has the required numbers. He said that the PML-N has 177 votes, which means a majority of nine votes even if the dissidents’ votes are not counted.

    “The court neither nullified the previous elections nor ordered fresh elections,” Tarar said.

    The politician said that PTI is unable to understand what the verdict states “in English”.

    Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “The decision of the High Court has further aggravated the political crisis in Punjab. There are many flaws in this decision.”

    Hamza Shehbaz was elected CM Punjab on April 16 with 197 votes, while PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) candidate Pervaiz Elahi received no votes.

  • FIFA lifts ban on Pakistan Football Federation

    FIFA lifts ban on Pakistan Football Federation

    The ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has finally been lifted by FIFA, according to a statement from the Normalisation Committee.

    Pakistan now returns to the international football circuit and will also be able to host its leagues and other events thanks to financial support from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation after FIFA made the decision following the fulfilment of all necessary requirements by Pakistan (AFC).

    According to a press release from the FIFA Council’s Bureau, the suspension against the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) that was imposed in April 2021 as a result of excessive third-party interference will be lifted on June 29, 2022.

    The choice was made after FIFA was informed that the PFF’s normalisation committee had reclaimed full control of its facilities and was capable of handling its finances.

    The normalisation committee’s mandate would now be unachievable to complete by the original deadline of today, the statement continued, so the bureau decided to extend the committee’s authority until June 30, 2023.

    According to FIFA, “this will allow the latter to finally carry out the tasks assigned to it in full.”

    Haroon Malik, the chairman of the Normalization Committee, congratulated the entire country on the development and said his team had worked incredibly hard to lift the ban that had plagued both football players and fans in the nation.

    With the ban lifted, the Pakistani football team will once again be able to play in international competitions and friendly matches, and after more than a year of absence, regular football activities will once again be conducted in the nation.

    After the Ashfaq group unlawfully occupied the PFF headquarters in April of last year, Pakistan was placed under a travel ban. The Normalization Committee’s authority has now been extended by a year, and it has been given the responsibility of holding elections, starting up football activities, and taking control of PFF’s property.

  • PM Shehbaz meets COAS Gen Bajwa

    PM Shehbaz meets COAS Gen Bajwa

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa today (July 1), reports Geo News.

    In the meeting, the prime minister and army chief discussed the internal and external security situation of the country.

    Earlier, federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan revealed that the appointment of the next COAS will be made by PM Shehbaz after consulting with leaders of the coalition parties. The consultation process will begin in September.

    “The new army chief will be appointed in November. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after consulting with other coalition leaders, will decide on the army chief. This consultation will start in September,” said Dastgir.

  • Govt increases petrol price by Rs14.85 to Rs248.74 per liter

    Govt increases petrol price by Rs14.85 to Rs248.74 per liter

    The price of petroleum products has been increased by the federal government on Thursday for the upcoming two weeks, costing the general public nearly Rs15–18 per liter.

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said that he was “not supposed” to appear on national television to announce an increase in the cost of petroleum products, but that he did so in response to a directive from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    According to the Finance Division’s formal notice, the government has concluded to partially adopt a petroleum levy and revise the current prices of petroleum products “as agreed with the development partners” due to the price fluctuation of oil on the global market and changes in exchange rates.

    As of today (July 1), the cost of gasoline will be Rs248.74 per liter, diesel will be Rs276.54 per liter, kerosene will cost Rs230.26 per liter, and light diesel oil will cost Rs226.15 per liter.

    Starting from July 1, 2022, the new prices will be in effect.

    ProductOld pricesNew pricesIncrease
    Petrol Rs233.89Rs248.74Rs14.85
    Diesel Rs263.31Rs276.54Rs13.23
    Kerosene oilRs211.43Rs230.26Rs18.83
    Light diesel oilRs207.47Rs226.15Rs18.68
    Latest prices
  • Yamaha YBR125G now costs Rs292,000 after Rs26,000 hike

    Yamaha YBR125G now costs Rs292,000 after Rs26,000 hike

    The prices of Yamaha’s motorcycle lineup have increased, with the hike reaching as high as Rs26,500 and the new pricing taking effect from July 1st.

    According to Brecorder, the development comes a day after Atlas Honda raised the prices of its lineup.

    Yamaha’s YB125Z has seen a price hike of Rs23,500, bringing the current cost to Rs255,000. The cost of the YB125Z DX also increased by Rs25,000. The updated cost is Rs273,500.

    After a Rs25,500 price increase, the YBR125 will now be available for Rs280,500. The cost of the YBR125G rose from Rs26,500 to Rs292,000. The cost of the YBR125G (Matte Dark Gray) has also gone up by Rs26,500 and will now be available for Rs295,000.

    Last month, the company similarly raised the price of bikes by between Rs21,000 and Rs23,000. Motorcycle producers at the time cited rising raw material costs, rising international freight charges, and the ongoing depreciation of the rupee as causes.

    Sabir Sheikh, Chairman of the Association of Pakistan Motorcycle Assemblers (APMA), stated that the recently enacted super tax of 10 per cent and the weakening rupee are to blame for the increase.

  • Govt to introduce Pakistan’s first animal welfare law, hotline to report animal abuse

    Govt to introduce Pakistan’s first animal welfare law, hotline to report animal abuse

    Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit Salman Sufi has announced that the government is working on Pakistan’s first animal welfare law. He made the announcement while giving details of reforms launched by PM Shehbaz Sharif at a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday.

    He added that a hotline has been established to report animal cruelty. Citizens can call 1819 to report animal abuse.

    An animal ethics committee will be established. Abusers will have to face penalties for violations of the law; shooting and poisoning of animals has also been banned. In addition, the testing of animals in universities has been banned. The pet market will also be regulated.

    The law will be implemented in Islamabad and will then be extended to the entire country, said Salman Sufi while talking to The Current. He added that all the provinces are on board.

    Read more- Dogs being abducted, tortured for medical experiments

    In June, videos and pictures from Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University (PMAS-AAUR) in Rawalpindi went viral on social media in which dogs were seen in inhumane conditions.

    According to media reports, veterinarian students were snatching healthy dogs and experimented on them in brutal, immoral, and terrifying ways.

  • ‘Don’t need permission of any League leader, Nawaz Sharif’s orders are enough’: Ishaq Dar

    ‘Don’t need permission of any League leader, Nawaz Sharif’s orders are enough’: Ishaq Dar

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s close aide and former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed his return to Pakistan in July. He said that he is coming back on the directions of Nawaz and the decision was taken after the consent of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, reports The News.

    “I don’t need the permission of any League leader to return to Pakistan, as Nawaz Sharif’s orders are enough,” he added.

    The former finance minister further revealed that he has received his new passport and his doctor has also given permission to travel. 

    While talking to BBC Urdu on Tuesday, he said that his medical treatment is expected to be completed in the next 10 to 12 days.

    When asked about taking the charge of the finance ministry, Dar said he cannot decide this matter. “My party will decide.”

    Dar confirmed that he will take oath as Senator once he is back in Pakistan.

    It is pertinent to mention that the incumbent finance minister Miftah Ismail is an unelected member and he cannot continue in the office for more than six months. He took charge of the ministry in April.

    When asked by BBC Urdu about the cases against him in Pakistan and his bail, Dar said that he is facing only one “fake case which was filed by [former prime minister] Imran Niazi”.

    The PML-N leader also said that the “baseless” case against him was based on his tax return and added that he always filed his income tax return on time.

    “That is why when Imran Khan’s government approached Interpol to bring me to Pakistan, the documents given to Interpol had no credence, so they gave me a clean chit,” he added.

    Earlier, Samaa News reported that Dar would be back to face his court cases and assume his responsibilities as Senator. After winning the cases, he will decide on joining the federal cabinet.

    In 2017, an accountability court declared Ishaq Dar a proclaimed offender in assets beyond means case.

    Dar has been living in London since 2017 on account of his medical treatment. He has served as a federal minister of finance four times between 1998 and 2017.

    Earlier this year, Dar was re-instated to the Senate by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

  • Pak-China relations to restrengthen pledges Chinese delegation leader

    Pak-China relations to restrengthen pledges Chinese delegation leader

    Pak-China relations to re-strengthen, pledges Chinese delegation leader
    Chinese politician and Director of China’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi pledged to help re-strengthen Pakistan-China relations as he kickstarted his two-day trip to Islamabad with a meeting with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday.

    “He assured to play his role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels,” said the Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General (DG) Major-General Babar Iftikhar after the meeting with the army chief at the General Headquarters.

    Yang had a meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday as well. The PM highlighted the significance of Director Yang’s visit in furthering the bilateral relations between the two countries across all domains. In particular, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has strengthened the ties between China and Pakistan. The relationship between the two countries would continue to grow and prosper, bringing peace and stability to the region, noted Sharif.

    Yang also met Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

    “The two sides discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

    The meetings come at a sensitive time as the Pakistan-China relationship seems to be under strain after the April 26 attacks on three Chinese language teachers in Karachi.

  • Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Zardari to be new neighbours?

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Zardari to be new neighbours?

    Former President Asif Ali Zardari has reportedly bought two bungalows of 14 kanal in one of the elitist areas of Gulberg in Lahore, reports The News.

    According to media reports, discussions to purchase another bungalow of 6 kanal for residential purposes in Lahore are ongoing. This bungalow is situated in front of PPP’s rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s house near Gaddafi Stadium.

    If the deal finalises, Zardari and Qureshi would become neighbours. It is pertinent to mention that Qureshi left PPP in 2011 after almost two decades of serving under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto. Since then, he is on bitter terms with PPP.

    Zardari and his son Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s current residence in Baharia Town in Lahore will be converted into a farmhouse.

    Earlier, the former president hinted at buying a residence in Gulberg so that he can hold more meetings with people, as it gets difficult for people to come to his residence in Bahira Town.

    Stronghold in Punjab

    According to Geo Urdu, Zardari is currently in Islamabad. However, he will later visit Lahore and hold meetings to discuss the political crisis in Punjab.

    Prior to this, the PPP co-chairman claimed that his party will form the next government in the Centre after winning the next general elections.

    “The next government (in the Centre) will be the PPP’s. I promise if I get a chance to return to power, I will turn around Pakistan 110 degrees. The PPP has the capability to help the country negotiate all the challenges,” said Zardari.

    Talking about politics in Punjab, Zardari said, “The PPP has to sacrifice its politics to save Pakistan. I will myself look into the party affairs in Punjab and ensure its revival here.”

    “We will strengthen our party in Punjab and ensure we get our fair share in the province,” he said.

    Criticising former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Zardari said that the policies of the “anokha laadla” (favourite) had caused price hike and inflation in the country.

    The PPP is currently ruling Sindh, where it is in power for the third time in a row, while it is also a major stakeholder in the incumbent federal government.