Current Final

Tag: islamabad

  • Noor Mukadam case: SC demands evidence against Zahir Jaffer’s mother

    Noor Mukadam case: SC demands evidence against Zahir Jaffer’s mother

    The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan directed the prosecution to submit evidence against Zahir Jaffer’s (prime suspect in Noor Mukadam’s murder case) mother Asmat Adamjee, reports Dawn.

    The Court was hearing the bail pleas of ​​the parents of Zahir Jaffer, which were previously rejected by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    The petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Khawaja Harris stressed that the case against the petitioners was not based on solid evidence, rather the allegations were highly speculative.

    Justice Umar Ata Bandial, during the hearing, pointed out that there was no mention of Adamjee in the IHC’s order denying bail to the duo.

     “We are just trying to get the hang of the Noor Mukadam case,” Justice Bandial said while adding that the court was seeking information only to understand the facts of the case.

    Khawaja Harris argued that the order to complete the trial in two months will affect the right to a fair trial.

    To which the court said that the right to a fair trial was a must. “But the delay in handling the case only adds to anxiety.”

    Justice Bandial adjourned the court till October 18. However, last week a sessions court in Islamabad fixed October 14 for the indictment of 12 suspects in the case.

    Last week, Zahir Jaffer’s parents challenged IHC’s bail rejection by approaching the SC.

  • ‘We don’t see ourselves building our broad relationship with Pakistan’: US Deputy Secretary of State

    ‘We don’t see ourselves building our broad relationship with Pakistan’: US Deputy Secretary of State

    United States (US) Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, while speaking at an event in Mumbai, said, “We (the US) don’t see ourselves building our broad relationship with Pakistan and we have no interest in returning to the days of a hyphenated India, Pakistan. That’s not where we are, that’s not where we are going to be,” reports The Print.

    “But we all need to know what’s going on in Afghanistan. We all need to be of one mind in the approach to the Taliban. We all need to make sure that we have the capabilities that we need to ensure everybody’s security, including India’s, of course. So I am going to have some very specific conversations, continuing conversations that Secretary (Antony) Blinken has had (with Pakistan),” she added.

    Wendy Sherman is in Pakistan to meet officials during her October 7-8 visit.

    Sherman said that her trip to Islamabad is only for a “specific and narrow purpose”.

    Taking to Twitter, Sherman wrote, “I met yesterday evening with Pakistani National Security Advisor, Moeed Yusuf to discuss Afghanistan and areas of cooperation in the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.”

    https://twitter.com/deputysecstate/status/1446361767932801039?s=21

    Ahead of her visit to Pakistan, Sherman told reporters, “We seek a strong partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism and we expect sustained action against all militant and terrorist groups without distinction.”

    “Both of our countries have suffered terribly from the scourge of terrorism and we look forward to cooperative efforts to eliminate all regional and global terrorist threats,” she said.

  • Get your food delivered using a drone in Islamabad

    Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Muhammed Hamza Shafqaat in a tweet has said that food delivery service in Islamabad, through drone technology, will soon be available.

    “Using drones to deliver food in Islamabad. Coming soon,” he wrote in a tweet.

    People on social media have a mix reaction to the announcement:

    https://twitter.com/documaraftab/status/1443496547107418112
    https://twitter.com/talkingcurves/status/1443477733640744960

  • ‘Have adequate medical attention, clothing’, US embassy issues clarification on sending supplies to Zahir Jaffer

    The US Embassy in Islamabad has issued a clarification on sending a courier containing books, perfumes, clothes and shampoo to Zahir Jaffer.

    “U.S. embassies & consulates abroad are required by U.S. and international law to provide assistance to American citizens (USCITs) who are incarcerated or detained abroad, regardless of the charges against them,” the Embassy said in a tweet.

    “When a USCIT is detained overseas, we work to provide all appropriate consular assistance. Consular assistance may include visiting arrested USCITs in prison to ensure proper treatment,” the embassy added in a tweet.

    “It includes verification that they have a diet that meets subsistence levels, have adequate medical attention and clothing, and provides reference materials of U.S. origin. As a USCIT, your passport won’t help you avoid arrest or conviction.”

    https://twitter.com/usembislamabad/status/1441404679649316874
    https://twitter.com/usembislamabad/status/1441404682786598915

    The Islamabad High Court will indict 12 persons in the Noor Mukadam case on October 6.

  • US embassy sends ‘books, perfumes, clothes and shampoo’ for Zahir Jaffer

    The US embassy in Pakistan sent a parcel containing books, perfumes, clothes and shampoo for Zahir Zakir Jaffer, the prime suspect in Noor Mukadam case, through a courier. The courier was sent to Adiala Jail but the jail authorities refused to accept it.

    Superintendent of Adiala Jail, Arshad Warraich, told The Nation that the US Embassy had sent a courier for Zahir Zakir Jaffer but the administration returned the courier. He continued by adding that a letter was also written to the embassy by the jail administration to use the channel of Ministry of Interior in future if they want to send any thing for their citizen facing murder charges. “The parcel was returned by the jail authorities last Saturday,” he said in response to a query. 

    The Islamabad High Court will indict 12 persons in the Noor Mukadam case on October 6.

  • Video: Zahir Jaffer skims through challan against him, next hearing Oct 6

    The prime suspect in Noor Mukadam case, Zahir Jaffer and six other suspects appeared in court today for the hearing of the bail petitions filed by Zahir Jaffer’s parents Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee, Geo News has reported. As per details, the Islamabad High Court will indict 12 persons in the Noor Mukadam case on October 6.

    Noor’s father, Shaukat Mukadam’s lawyer Advocate Shah Khawar, said in court that as per the provisions of the presidential ordinance, the murder case should be held in a special court.

    A Twitter user shared videos of Zahir and his father Zakir Jaffer coming to the district and sessions court of Islamabad for the hearing. Zahir Jaffer and Zakir Jaffer were presented with the police challan today. In one of the videos, Zahir can be seen “skimming it without reading it through.”

    https://twitter.com/umerzaibb/status/1440942068973572099?s=21

  • ‘It is very hard to imagine a life without her’, Noor Mukadam’s sister demands justice

    Sara Mukadam, the sister of murder victim Noor Mukadam, said in a video message on Monday that it is very hard to imagine a life without Noor. She further added that no one deserves to go through what her family had experienced. “Thank you for all the love, support and prayers from around the world and giving us the courage to go through this tragic time in our life,” said Sara.

    She requested everyone to come to Wednesday the 22nd at 4.30pm to Islamabad Press Club to show their support for Noor. “Please raise your voice for Noor so she gets justice.”

    Earlier, Sara expressed her feelings for her sister Noor on the social media site, Instagram.

    Noor Mukadam was brutally murdered at a residence in the capital’s upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20. The alleged murderer, Zahir Jaffar was arrested for the murder.

  • Govt gives three housing units each to 19 bureaucrats

    Govt gives three housing units each to 19 bureaucrats

    A total of 19 bureaucrats of grade BS-22 secured three housing units each, including Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Establishment Shehzad Arbab.

    According to the papers obtained by Dawn, the officers had already been allotted a double-story “grey structures” house each in the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) scheme.

    The PHAF traditionally built low-cost housing schemes for its members and this was the first time that it introduced a scheme for senior bureaucrats.

    Previously, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had cancelled the allotment of “choice” apartments to influential bureaucrats in the same locality [PHAF] and ordered an investigation into the manipulated balloting carried out by the housing scheme.

    Not only this, the official documents say that 185 of the 588 bureaucrats right after this allotment were allotted plots in the capital’s new sectors of F-14 and F-15.

    Following this, the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) recently allotted two plots each to senior bureaucrats, judges of superior courts, lawyers, and judicial officers of Islamabad’s subordinate judiciary.

    Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled against the allotment of more than one plot to top bureaucrats at public expense under Article 25 of the Pakistan Constitution and then set aside the policy of allotment of the second plot and referred the matter to the federal cabinet.

    While talking to Dawn, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem said the allotments would be examined in light of the IHC judgment. Federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “The government is working on the issue in the light of the IHC directive and has formed a committee as well.”

    Initially, civil servants were entitled to one plot each only. However, in 2006, the then prime minister allowed two plots each for BS-22 officials.

    However, an insider said the policy to make such allotments had never been approved by the federal government.

  • Fawad Chaudhry condemned for saying Dawn is part of international conspiracy against Pak

    Fawad Chaudhry condemned for saying Dawn is part of international conspiracy against Pak

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry accused Dawn media group of being part of an international conspiracy against Pakistan.

    When anchorperson Absa Komal asked Fawad about media freedom in Pakistan and for an update on the investigation related to recent attacks on journalists in Islamabad, Fawad dodged the question and said, “Your institution [Dawn] is an active participant of an international conspiracy theory which works against Pakistan.” Fawad appeared on ‘News Eye with Absa Komal’ on Dawn News.

    “Your institution propagates an environment that works against the country, trying to take things out of context.”

    “Human Rights Watch (HRW) has written an entire article on PMDA and it says that there is five-year prosecution. When we inquired about it from HRW, they said it was entirely based on [Dawn’s] editorial,” said Fawad.

    Twitter reacted to the minister’s statement against Dawn.

    Journalist Benazir Shah tweeted, “The Info. Minister accuses Dawn of being part of an ‘international conspiracy’ to defame Pakistan, without presenting a shred of evidence to support his claim. On the other hand, there is enough evidence of increasing censorship against media.”

    Lawyer Aftab Alam questioned, “If govt is serious about media regulatory reforms, why is it keeping the process secret? Why not putting ‘Bill’ on the official page of @GovtofPakistan and sharing with stakeholders?”

    Another Twitter user wrote, “A journalist has a genuine concern? – Instead of addressing it just accuse them of being anti-state and dodge the question. This way you save yourself the embarrassment of giving a proper clarification which you clearly don’t have.”

  • Zahir Jaffer guilty of murdering Noor, states case challan prepared by police

    A case challan has been prepared by the Homicide Investigation Unit of the Kohsar police station in Noor Mukadam murder case. In the case challan, they found Zahir Jaffer guilty of murdering Noor. In addition, Jaffer’s parents, Therapy Works CEO, and other suspects have been named as accomplices of the prime suspect, Samaa has reported.

    The challan will be presented next week before an Islamabad sessions court. In the challan, the police has requested the court to give strict punishment to Zahir.

    Earlier, Noor’s father filed a petition in the high court against bails granted to Therapy Works CEO Tahir Zahoor and five employees in his daughter’s murder case. Sessions court in Islamabad had granted bail to six members of Therapy Works, who were called by Zahir’s mother to go over to the house after the murder took plac