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Tag: islamabad

  • ‘Seems like PM Khan was not assisted correctly over PECA Ordinance’: Justice Minallah

    ‘Seems like PM Khan was not assisted correctly over PECA Ordinance’: Justice Minallah

    During the hearing of a plea challenging the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) PECA Ordinance, 2022, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah reportedly issued a notice to the attorney-general of Pakistan and directed him to combine this petition with other petitions that are against PECA.

    Justice Minallah said that it seems like no one told the premier that there are laws for contempt other than PECA. He was referring to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s address yesterday. “It seems like PM Khan was not assisted correctly over PECA Ordinance,” said Justice Minallah, adding that the law is used against critics here.

    The plea was filed by former president of Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Maqsood Buttar. In the petition, it was argued that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) doesn’t have the authority to deal with a matter between two private parties.

    Previously, the IHC chief called the amendment “draconian in nature”. He said it is even worse than the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.

    Last month, President Arif Alvi passed an Ordinance amending PECA 2016, an attempt to make online “defamation” of authorities, including the military and judiciary, a criminal offence with harsh penalties.

    The high court adjourned the hearing till March 10.

  • Pakistan, India resume talks on water dispute again, this time in Islamabad

    Pakistan, India resume talks on water dispute again, this time in Islamabad

    Pakistan and India will resume talks on the water dispute again from March 1 till March 4. The talks will be held in Islamabad to resolve the issue between the two countries.

    The Indian delegation comprising of ten members will arrive at Wagah Border on Monday and the sessions will be held at the 117th session of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), reports The Express Tribune.

    The Indian delegation will be presided by the Indian Commissioner for Indus Water Pradeep Saxena. The Pakistan delegation will be headed by the Indus Water Commissioner Commissioner Mehr Ali Shah.

    While talking about the dispute, Shah mentioned that Pakistan objects to several projects of India which are in progress. The Pakistan delegation will raise the issue regarding projects on Occupied Kashmir, River Chenab, and River Indus.

    According to the Indus Water Treaty, which was signed in 1960, Pakistan and India have to hold discussions at least once a year.

    The talk was last held in March 2021 in New Delhi, India which concluded that frequent meetings will be held to resolve the water dispute.

    Pakistan had also requested India to share designs of the projects. India replied that data would be shared according to the requirements written in the treaty.

  • ‘Beasts will realise consequences’, Politicians reacts to Zahir Jaffer’s conviction

    ‘Beasts will realise consequences’, Politicians reacts to Zahir Jaffer’s conviction

    Zahir Jaffer has been found guilty in Noor Mukadam’s case and has been sentenced to death by a session court in Islamabad on Thursday.

    Following the announcement of the verdict, Twitterati praised the decision. Pakistani politicians came forward and talked about the justice system in the country.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz tweeted, “The wounds Noor Mukadam’s rape and murder inflicted on the collective conscience of humanity may never heal but it is reassuring that beasts in human disguise will realise that consequences can be grave.”

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry praised the police and prosecution, saying that they fulfilled their responsibilities and the court decided in four months. He further added, “Hopefully the justice institutions will meet the expectations of the people and the rule of law will come into force.”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Naz Baloch said that she has a lot of respect for Noor’s parents. She tweeted, “Finally Justice prevailed!! Lots of respect for the courageous parents of Noor Muqaddam who fought for their innocent daughter until the murderer Zahir Jaffar was sentenced for the heinous crime.”

    Reacting to the news, PML-N MNA Hina Parvez Butt said, “This justice is not enough, but may your brutal death drive us into making this world safer for all the Noors.”

  • Fawad accuses Opposition of offering bribe to three PTI MNAs to remove PM Khan

    Fawad accuses Opposition of offering bribe to three PTI MNAs to remove PM Khan

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday claimed that three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs had been offered bribes to support the Opposition’s plan to remove Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    “Three of our MNAs including a minority and a woman member have reported that they have been offered money to give a vote in support of a no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan,” said Fawad in a press conference after attending PTI’s Central Executive Committee’s (CEC) meeting in Islamabad.

    The minister vowed that the ruling party will not allow anybody to “revive the culture of horse-trading in the country.”

    The allegation from the information minister comes as the Opposition gears up to move a no-confidence motion against PM Imran.

    Earlier today, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif at his residence upon Sharif’s invitation for a lunch.

    Sharif had invited Fazl along with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to the lunch, to discuss the current political situation and the no-confidence motion against the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    It is being reported that Fazl will visit the Chaudhry brothers’ residence in Gulberg, Lahore for dinner today.

  • Monal restaurant management breaks closure seal to enter premises

    Monal restaurant management breaks closure seal to enter premises

    Monal, a restaurant in Islamabad, which was sealed through a court order, was broken into on Wednesday. Management of the restaurant, which included 70-80 employees, broke a padlock seal and entered the premises of the site on February 16, reports Samaa News.

    Employees reached the site in the morning and asked the Wildlife department workers not to intervene.

    While talking to Samaa News, a Wildlife management board representative, monitoring the closure, said, “They told us that the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the restaurant and allowed them to resume activities.”

    The authorities asked restaurant employees to produce a court order but they refused and broke the padlock seal into pieces.

    After breaking into the restaurant, employees started adjusting seats and tables.

    According to the representative, they had never stopped the restaurant staff to look after their items which were left there and we cooperated with them fully.

    On January 11, Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner to seal the Monal Restaurant in Margalla Hills National Park.

  • Getting direct with Australia: PIA to fly directly down under for the first time

    Getting direct with Australia: PIA to fly directly down under for the first time

    The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced plans to launch two weekly flights to Australia, cutting travel time to and from the country by around one-third, The News reports.

    PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez says that if it (flights to Australia by a Pakistani carrier) happens, it would be happening for the first time.  He said that PIA has conducted a feasibility study, which concluded that it would be beneficial to the airline.

    PIA intends to operate two weekly flights from Karachi and Lahore to Sydney at first. Later, it might also include Islamabad.

    Flights might commence in late March or early April, according to the national carrier. The airline, however, has yet to receive authorisation from the Australian aviation authority.

    Direct flights would shorten a traveler’s flight duration to 12:30 hours and 13 hours, if one is going to Australia or coming to Pakistan respectively.

    Because there are no direct flights between Pakistan and Australia, passengers must travel for 34 to 35 hours with stopovers, which adds to their travel time.

    “Every airline must touch their hub before flying on to their destination,” stated Nadeem Sharif, Chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP). “There may be eight-hour layovers or even overnight stays, which adds to the travel time.”

    He added that, for example, if a person travelling to Australia via Qatar Airways from Pakistan, he or she must first fly to Doha, Qatar Airways’ hub, and then be carried to Australia from there. Similarly, when a person travels from Australia to Pakistan, the same thing happens.

    PIA’s fleet is expected to grow from the current 29 to 49 by 2026, comprising 16 wide body, 27 narrow body and 6 turbo propeller aircraft. PIA’s share price increased by 1.24 percent on Tuesday to Rs4.09.

  • PPP announces party’s long march schedule towards the capital

    PPP announces party’s long march schedule towards the capital

    Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) on Tuesday announced the schedule of the party’s long march, which is set to take place on February 27.

    PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will start the long march from Karachi and will reach the capital in 10 days.

    According to the schedule, the long march will start from Karachi’s Mazar-e-Quaid on February 27.

    The marchers’ will reach Multan on March 3, where they will be hosted by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

    The march will reach Lahore on March 6 . The last stop of the march will be Islamabad on March 8.

    The PPP, however, has not disclosed the final venue where the participants will stay after reaching the capital from all over the country.

    PPP office-bearer, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the leadership would decide the duration of the stay in Islamabad after seeing the response of the masses and assessing the situation. However, he said, many party leaders believed that the past history showed that indefinite sit-ins staged by political parties had never remained successful.

  • All you need to know about today’s PSL fixtures

    All you need to know about today’s PSL fixtures

    The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is moving forward in full swing and is almost about to complete its second leg.

    Former PSL champions Peshawar Zalmi will be taking on Quetta Gladiators today at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore at 7:30pm.

    United are placed on the third position of the points table with eight points to their name as they have won four games from the seven they have played so far.

    Their last encounter with the Kings last night was a nail-biter but they managed to defend their total on the last ball.

    Meanwhile, Kings are at the last position of the points table with zero points, as they have lost all seven games played so far.

  • PTI says strict legal action will be taken against those who spread false news about Bushra Bibi

    PTI says strict legal action will be taken against those who spread false news about Bushra Bibi

    First lady Bushra Bibi’s friend Farah Khan refuted “rumours” that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s wife was staying with her in Lahore after fighting with the premier.

    A few days ago, a journalist had claimed that Bushra Bibi had “gotten into a fight with PM Khan” and had left Bani Gala for Lahore to stay at her friend, Farah Khan’s house. The rumour soon started spreading on social media and WhatsApp groups.

    Speaking with Geo News, Farah Khan said, “I am surprised how someone made this up because Bushra Bibi has not visited Lahore in a long time.”

    “The first lady is still in Bani Gala with her husband and they have not had any fights,” she added.

    Farah Khan said that people’s personal lives should not be dragged into politics and condemned the “fake propaganda” spread about the first lady.

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Imran Khan on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said that the government has approached the country’s courts against a journalist who issued “insulting and fabricated” statements about First Lady Bushra Bibi.

    Gill said that “strict legal action will be taken against those who spread false news about the first lady”.

    Gill also confirmed that both Bushra Bibi and Prime Minister Imran Khan are currently in Islamabad and that the rumours of a separation are completely baseless.

  • New terrorist wave

    New terrorist wave

    A new wave of terrorism seems to be gripping the country in recent months, with the Lahore blast being the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted security forces, policemen, and civilians. From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan, from Sindh to the capital city to the heart of Punjab, there is a rise in such attacks across the country.
     
    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari told Dawn and Geo News that the Islamic State group’s Khorasan chapter (IS-K) is a different and bigger threat than even the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Coming from the police chief of a province that has been one of the worst victims of terrorism in the country, his statement should raise alarm bells for the state. Pakistan has given immense sacrifices in its war against terrorism – 70-80,000 people lost their lives at the hands of terrorist attacks. The APS attack is a tragedy that can never be erased from our memories. Our security forces and police officials have fought bravely against terrorist outfits and now for terrorism to make a comeback, it is even more important that the state should build a consensus on this issue and tackle the hydra of terrorism.
     
    A study conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Study (PICSS) says that the rise in militant attacks in Pakistan coincided with the Afghan Taliban’s military offensive and their eventual takeover of Kabul. Many had been pointing out to the Pakistan government that a government that does not believe in the rule of law and does not abide by any international covenants cannot bring any stability in the region and will in fact lead to instability in the neighbouring countries when Pakistan was celebrating the takeover of Kabul by the Afghan Taliban.
     
    With the withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, the fall of Kabul and the rise of the Afghan Taliban were inevitable. However, the support that they got from Pakistan has led to many problems, including the tensions between the US and Pakistan when it comes to diplomatic ties. But the most critical consequence of the new government in Afghanistan is the rise of militant outfits who are rearing their heads once again in neighbouring Pakistan.

    The rise of the Afghan Taliban has given new ideas and strength to militant outfits that had gone underground since the security forces defeated the TTP and crushed other terrorist outfits some years ago. We hope that the state will not let them wreak havoc with the country’s future again. Pakistan needs peace and stability, not chaos.