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Tag: islamabad

  • Missing persons commission taking salaries in lacs, haven’t solved 2,297 cases from 2011-2023: missing persons report

    Missing persons commission taking salaries in lacs, haven’t solved 2,297 cases from 2011-2023: missing persons report

    A report submitted on orders of the Supreme Court by the Missing Persons Commission has said that most of the cases of missing persons have been reported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by Balochistan.

    A total of 2297 cases of missing persons are pending while members of the commission as well as the heads are all being paid hefty salaries. The report was presented in front of the two-member commission for missing persons constituted by the Interior Ministry on the Supreme Court’s directions. It is headed by Justice (R) Javed Iqbal while the second member is the former inspector general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sharif Virk.


    According to the information extracted by Samaa’s Sohail Rashid via Auditor General Pakistan, the highest number of 3,485 cases of missing persons were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by the enforced disappearance of 2,752 citizens from Balochistan.


    The report states that the reason behind the said disappearances in KP was extremism, war, and deaths in drone attacks. Moreover, moving to another country without informing one’s family owing to a war-like situation was also a reason behind the said disappearances, as per the commission.


    Furthermore, 744 production orders were issued to produce the missing persons, while only 52 were executed. The 692 production orders issued by the commission were not even implemented by the relevant authorities, the commission reported.


    The police and sensitive institutions filed 182 requests for revision of the production orders, the report says, adding that out of the unimplemented production orders, 503 were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.


    From March 2011 to December 2023, 4,413 missing persons returned home, while 994 were incarcerated in various detention centres and 644 imprisoned in different jails of the country.


    From March 2011 to December 2023, bodies of 261 missing persons were found, according to the commission, which also dismissed 1,477 cases it categorized as non-enforced disappearances.


    The commission further says that the disposed of cases involved kidnapping for ransom, personal grudges or willful disappearances.


    Moreover, 260 cases from Punjab, 163 from Sindh, and 1,336 from KP are still pending in the commission as well as 468 cases from Balochistan, 55 from Islamabad and 15 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.


    According to the report, the monthly salaries of the 35 officers and employees of the Missing Persons Commission are more than Rs1.5 million. Commission chief, Justice (r) Javed Iqbal receives a monthly salary of Rs674,000, while that of Zia Parvez, a member of the commission, is Rs829,000, as per the report.


    Commission member Justice (r) Amanullah’s salary is over Rs1.1 million, while that of Sharif Virk is Rs263,000.
    The Supreme Court has sought a response from the federal government within 20 days of receiving the report of the missing persons commission.

  • Dense fog disrupts Islamabad flight operations

    Dense fog disrupts Islamabad flight operations

    Flight operations out of Islamabad International Airport have been greatly affected due to heavy fog in the federal capital and twin city of Rawalpindi.

    According to Geo News, three flights arriving in Islamabad were diverted to Lahore and Peshawar, while the arrival and departure of dozens of other flights have been affected.

    A private airline’s flight from Karachi to Islamabad landed in Lahore after half an hour of waiting in the air, while the Sharjah-Islamabad flight PK 182 also landed in Peshawar. The flight arriving in Islamabad from Dubai also shifted to Lahore.

    According to the aviation department, a British Airways flight from Islamabad to London and an Emirates flight kept waiting for clearance to depart for Dubai.

    Flights from Islamabad to Gilgit and Bahrain could not depart on time as fog reduced visibility.

    The reports of dense fog have been received from all around the city which is hindering the normal lifestyle.

  • Meet Abdul Hadi, legal eagle and Imaan Mazari’s husband

    Meet Abdul Hadi, legal eagle and Imaan Mazari’s husband

    Daughter of former federal minister Shireen Mazari, Imaan Zainab Mazaari Hazir, recently married the love of her life Abdul Hadi Ali Chattha, in a ceremony in Islamabad.

    Have you searched on Google who is Imaan Mazari’s husband?

    Abdul Hadi Ali Chattha is the Vice Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, Punjab Bar Council and Founder of Fair Trial Defenders Legal Aid Cell.

    Well, we got a chance to talk with him and as a Multani, I am filled with happiness and joy that Imaan married someone who was born and raised on a farm (Pind) in Multan.

    Abdul Hadi Ali Chattha did his O levels and A levels from Beaconhouse and went to Newcastle University UK for LLB Hons.

    He takes pride in being a Multani and honestly, so do I.

    When asked when the couple first met, Hadi said, “We first met in F-8 Katcheri because I was there for a client and got introduced to Imaan. We appeared in court together for that case.”

    He started working at AGHS legal aid cell with the late human rights giant Asma Jehangir after coming back from the UK.

    After her death, he worked at Justice Project Pakistan with Barrister Sarah Belal.

    When asked why he left the U.K. or cities like Islamabad and Lahore and came back to Multan, Hadi said, “In 2018 I came back to Multan and established my legal aid cell, Fair Trial Defenders Legal Aid Cell, to give back to the people of my land. We provide free legal representation to clients who can’t afford legal expenses. We have a core team of six lawyers with my co-founder Suleman A Zeb.”

    What do you love the most about Imaan?

    “It’s very difficult to answer that because it’s everything about her.”

    He was initially attracted because of her passion and bravery for the work she does. It’s also the side of her no one else knows, she keeps it hidden from the public eye.

    Head over heels in love with Imaan, Hadi said, “I have never met anyone like her. She’s the only one of her kind.”

    Since Imaan has been to jail recently, I asked him if he would go to jail for her. “I would go to jail with her. No one’s arresting my wife unless they arrest me too.”

    Hadi has decided to move his practice to Islamabad, getting an office there in June 2023. “We will be living in Islamabad, serving the people in Multan through Legal Aid Cell.”

    I asked if they intended to start a podcast together Hadi said nothing of the sort is happening in the near future.

    Hadi has been a great support and core organizer of Aurat March Multan since 2020. He looks after all the legal matters and NOCs required.

    When asked whether the couple will be seen in Aurat March Multan 2024 together, Hadi said, “Maybe one year in Islamabad March and one in Multan March. Wherever our comrades need us. “

    The most thoughtful part is that they didn’t have a wedding hashtag or an extravagant wedding. “We both wanted it to be as small and intimate as possible. We feel guilty being extravagant especially because of what is happening around us with our Baloch brothers and sisters and the situation in Gaza.”

  • 26 madrassa students brought to hospital after food poisoning

    26 madrassa students brought to hospital after food poisoning

    At least 26 madrassa children lost consciousness after eating stale food in the suburbs of Islamabad.


    According to the police, the children of the Bhara Kahu madrassa had eaten stale food in the night, leading to acute food poisoning.


    Police said that the children were taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital overnight in a critical condition, reports Geo.


    According to hospital sources, the children were sent back to the seminary after medical assistance and gastric lavage.


    Hospital sources further said that all the children are out of danger, while the police said that the management of the madrassa is being interrogated.

  • Climate activist Greta Thunberg commends Baloch protestors; Islamabad police gets trolled in replies

    Climate activist Greta Thunberg commends Baloch protestors; Islamabad police gets trolled in replies

    Climate activist Greta Thunberg has expressed solidarity with Baloch Protestors who had to face police brutality on Wednesday night after marching to Islamabad.

    Taking to X, Thunberg tagged the female leader of the march Mehrang Baloch, and condemned Islamabad Police for detaining, torturing, and disrupting peaceful protestors. “Climate justice activists all over the world stand in solidarity with Mehrang Baloch and other peaceful protesters who have been detained, tortured and disrupted by Islamabad police for protesting against human rights abuses in Balochistan.”

    Islamabad Police is being slammed for using baton charges, water cannons, and arrests to deter the protestors. However, the response by the police under Greta’s post enraged many.

    The official handle of the police stated, “There is no evidence of any injured persons at all.”

    To this people started sharing the pictures and videos of police assaulting the protestors as proof.


    A user responded sarcastically, “Dear Islamabad Police, Greta doesn’t watch Pakistani TV channels.”

    Baloch protesters are on roads demanding the release of all “missing persons” and an end to “extrajudicial killings” in Balochistan under the leadership of activist Dr Mahrang Baloch and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).

  • ‘Baloch protestors can stay in Islamabad, protest, or go back home. The choice is theirs’: IHC Chief Justice

    ‘Baloch protestors can stay in Islamabad, protest, or go back home. The choice is theirs’: IHC Chief Justice

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) raised concerns on Friday about the forced repatriation of Baloch protesters, who had experienced harsh police action the day before, back to their province.

    Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard a petition filed by Baloch protesters against unlawful detention, questioning why they were being “forcefully” sent back to Balochistan.

    “They can stay in Islamabad, protest, or go back home. The choice is theirs,” remarked Justice Aamer Farooq

    The police used brutal force on Wednesday night to disperse and detain Baloch demonstrators in Islamabad, who were protesting against enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in their province.

    Over 200 protesters were taken into custody after encountering tear gas, water cannons, and police batons.

    The government later claimed that more than 90 per cent of the Baloch men and women in custody had been released, except for men “who could not be identified” by the police.

    However, during the IHC hearing on a petition seeking the release of detained Baloch protesters, it was revealed that over 50 Baloch women protesters had gone missing after police took action.

    The court instructed representatives of the protesters and their counsel to approach the Islamabad SSP (Investigation) to record their version and sought a report from the police.

    Petitioners’ counsel Attaullah Kundi and Imaan Mazari appeared before the court, explaining that the police had informed them that buses were waiting to take protesters back home.

    Kundi stated that the police chief had mentioned orders from the prime minister for the repatriation of protesters, and Baloch women were forcefully filled into buses. He further revealed that some Baloch students studying in Islamabad were also coerced into the buses.

    The court expressed displeasure and summoned IG Akbar Nasir in response. The police chief claimed to have arranged transport for the protesters, to which the court questioned why they were sent back forcefully. Chief Justice Farooq emphasized that the protesters had the choice to stay in Islamabad, protest, or go home.

    When asked how many protesters were in police custody, the IG replied that 216 Baloch men and women were at the Kohsar police station of which some had been sent on judicial remand. Out of these, 19 women were released, he added.

    Protesters at the Tarnol police station were released by the local magistrate while 162 detainees were sent on judicial remand, said IG Nasir.

    The court also asked about the number of women who were sent home, those released, and the ones staying at the hostel. It also directed the police chief to arrange a meeting of the women with their counsels.

    “You have to convince them that not one person is missing,” Justice Farooq emphasised.

    Journalist Hamid Mir and Ahmed Butt of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also provided insights during the hearing. Mir highlighted discrepancies in government statements, and Butt emphasized the constitutional right to protest in a democracy.

    The court directed the police chief to arrange a meeting between the detained women and their counsels and ensure transparency in the process.

    The IHC CJ further expressed displeasure over Wednesday night’s events, regretting the police action on protesters. “What kind of a society are we living in? Even if a common person is being unjust, public officeholders should always be careful,” he remarked.

    The court then instructed Kundi to oversee the entire matter and contact the IHC registrar’s office if there was a problem. It further said that all the women staying at the I-10 hostel be released.

    “I will issue a detailed order of today’s proceedings,” Justice Farooq said, adding that the next hearing would be conducted by Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb.

  • Sarah Inam murder: Shahnawaz challenges death sentence in Islamabad High Court

    Sarah Inam murder: Shahnawaz challenges death sentence in Islamabad High Court


    Shahnawaz Amir, son of political analyst Ayyaz Amir, has challenged his sessions court December 14 conviction and death sentence for murdering his wife Sarah Inam in the Islamabad High Court.

    The appellant’s lawyer Nisar Asghar has adopted the stance that the trial court has acquitted Shahnawaz’s mother Sameena Shah but sentenced him to death which is against the law, asking that the trial court’s sentencing be declared null and void.


    It has also been stated by the lawyer that Sarah’s legal team has not been able to prove the allegations in court.


    Shahnawaz was arrested in September last year from his farmhouse in Islamabad. Sarah was reportedly murdered just a day after she arrived in the country from Dubai where she had been working. Her husband was initially remanded to police custody a day after his arrest and the period of his physical remand was extended several times.

    Shahnawaz’s father, Ayyaz Amir, was discharged from the case and his mother Samina Shah, nominated as co-accused in the case, was granted post-arrest bail in November last year.

    The postmortem revealed that Sarah had suffered multiple skull fractures leading to her death, after having been hit on the head with a dumbbell.

  • Who owns Tehzeeb Bakers? Baking giant lands in legal battle

    Who owns Tehzeeb Bakers? Baking giant lands in legal battle

    The Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued a significant ruling on Tuesday, redefining certain elements of partnership in a family business.

    The decision came in response to a petition filed by two brothers, Shaukat Ali Noon and Arshad Ali Noon, against the control and ownership of a business outlet managed by their three siblings.

    The petitioners approached the LHC, seeking either the liquidation of the family business or a court decree granting them an equal share in it.

    The case involved the family’s business journey, starting with a bakery in Rawalpindi in 1947 and evolving into Rahat Bakers, later renamed Tehzeeb Bakers due to legal disputes among the family members.

    As per the petition, the deceased father of the petitioners and respondents initiated the business, and after his demise, joint business efforts commenced.

    The dispute arose when the petitioners claimed that they were entitled to a 20 per cent share in the business based on partnership deeds dating October 29, 1994, October 28, 2002, and December 2, 2011.

    They alleged that the respondents changed the business name and registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) without providing them their due share.

    During the court proceedings, Saqib Shafique, advocate for the petitioners, argued that the business, generating daily sales revenue exceeding Rs40 million, was not honoring the agreed-upon shares.

    On the other side, Advocate Kashif Ali Malik, representing Khalil, countered that the petitioners were never legitimate members or shareholders and presented allegedly forged documents.

    The court, in its observation, highlighted the requirements for intervention under Section 286 of the Companies Act, emphasizing the need for a member with at least 10 per cent of the issued share capital and a demonstration that the company’s affairs are being conducted unlawfully.

    Moreover, the next requirement is that such a member or creditor has to satisfy the court by making an application that the affairs of the company are being conducted unlawfully.

    The court pointed out that the law defines the modes of becoming a member of a company, firstly by subscribing to a memorandum; secondly by allotment of shares, and thirdly by entering their name in the register of members of a company in terms of Section 119 of the Companies Act.

    It pointed out that the documents provided did not establish unlawful conduct, and thus, the petitioners couldn’t be declared partners due to a lack of compliance with the legal prerequisites.

    The court’s ruling sets a precedent in defining the criteria for partnership claims in family businesses and emphasizes adherence to legal requirements in such disputes.

    Companies Act 2017

    Section 119 – Register of members.—(1) Every company shall keep a register of its members and any contravention or default in complying with requirement of this section shall be an offence punishable under this Act.
    (2) There must be entered in the register such particulars of each member as may be specified.
    (3) In the case of joint holders of shares or stock in a company, the company’s register of members shall state the names of each joint holder. In other respects joint holders shall be regarded for the purposes of this Part as a single member and the address of the person named first shall be entered in the register;
    (4) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable to a penalty of level 1 on the standard scale.

    Section 286 – Application to Court.—(1) If any member or members holding not less than ten percent of the issued share capital of a company, or a creditor or creditors having interest equivalent in amount to not less than ten percent of the paid up capital of the company, complains, or complain, or the Commission or registrar is of the opinion, that the affairs of the company are being conducted, or are likely to be conducted, in an unlawful or fraudulent manner, or in a manner not provided for in its memorandum, or in a manner oppressive to the members or any of the members or the creditors or any of the creditors or are being conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the public interest, such member or members or, the creditor or creditors, as the case may be, the Commission or registrar may make an application to the Court by petition for an order under this section.

  • Landlord’s son kills renter couple, baby survives shooting after father comes between her and bullets

    Landlord’s son kills renter couple, baby survives shooting after father comes between her and bullets

    Islamabad Police has reported that the son of a house owner killed the couple who had rented his house in Barakahu after an argument. The couple’s 18-month-old daughter miraculously survived the attack. ⁠
    ⁠
    Twitter account Islamabadies posted details about the victims: “The 23-year-old Rida Noor, along with her husband Asim, was shot dead in their car by unknown Shooters. The only witness to this horrific incident, their 18-month-old daughter Sabrina, was also injured in the attack. They were shot down on their way to her mother’s place in Islamabad on Monday night,” the account posted.⁠



    The account also urged the authorities to take action and provide justice to the little girl Sabrina.⁠
    ⁠
    It was claimed that the attack was targeted, and aimed at murdering the entire family.⁠
    ⁠
    Islamabad police has said that the police is in search of the suspects.⁠


    According to media reports, two men gunned down the couple in the limits of BharaKahu police station on the night of December 4.⁠
    ⁠
    The killers were identified as Shareefullah and Ismail, the couple’s neighbours who had a heated argument with them and opened fire at them when the victims’ vehicle blocked their passage. ⁠
    ⁠
    A brief altercation over the use of the path led to the double murder. On the day of the incident, the two groups once again had a dispute on the use of the passage, reports Dunya News. ⁠
    ⁠
    The police has confirmed that the culprits were Afghan nationals who managed to escape after committing the crime, reports Express Tribune.⁠
    ⁠

  • IMF board’s January meeting to shape future disbursements for Pakistan

    IMF board’s January meeting to shape future disbursements for Pakistan

    The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board is scheduled to convene on January 11 to endorse the Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) with Pakistan, marking the inaugural review of the $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA).

    In June, the IMF Executive Board granted approval for a crucial nine-month arrangement with Pakistan, aimed at supporting its economic stabilisation programme.

    This approval facilitated an immediate disbursement of $1.2 billion, with the remaining funds to be disbursed over the programme’s timeline, contingent upon two quarterly evaluations.

    Following negotiations between IMF staff and Pakistani authorities on November 15 in Islamabad, the SLA was successfully reached, paving the way for Pakistan to access SDR 528 million (approximately $700 million).

    This latest disbursement brings the cumulative total under the nine-month $3 billion SBA to nearly $1.9 billion.

    While the initial plan had tentatively slated the IMF Board meeting for December 7 to approve the initial tranche, the confirmed date is now set for January 11.