Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Mera bhi dil hai’, Chief Justice Bandial ki ankhon mein aansoo aa gaye

    ‘Mera bhi dil hai’, Chief Justice Bandial ki ankhon mein aansoo aa gaye

     Now at three members — resumed hearing the PTI’s petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to delay polls in Punjab on Friday.

     The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the government’s request to form a full court on the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa election delay case. 

    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, rejected the request put forward by Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan on behalf of the government. 

    During the hearing it was reported that CJP Bandial got teary eyed and said that he too has a heart and emotions.

    SC bench dobaara toot gaya; After Justice Amin, Justice Mandokhail recuses from hearing election delay case

    Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, who was part of the four-member bench hearing the case against the delay of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections, has excused himself from hearings on Friday morning, adding to the turmoil gripping the Supreme Court.

    Justice Mandokhail said that Justice Amin-ud-Din excused himself from hearing the case. After Justice Amin’s decision, the order was awaited. “I received the court order yesterday at home. I have written a separate note on the order, Attorney General, please read the dissenting note,” said Justice Mandokhail.

    The Attorney General read the dissenting note of Justice Jamal Mandokhail, in which it was said that he was a member of the bench; he was not consulted while writing the judgment. “I think I am a misfit in the bench,” the justice wrote in his note.

    A four-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial was to hear Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea against the delay in elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab today.

    Initially, a five-member larger bench of the top court was hearing the case.

    The original bench comprised CJP Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.

    However, on Thursday the bench was dissolved after Justice Khan recused himself from the case after a Supreme Court order halted proceedings under Article 184(3).

    After the dissolution of the bench, Supreme Court announced that the bench would continue hearing the case without Justice Khan.

    Taking to Twitter, the PTI Chairman Imran Khan said, “Whether it’s a 5 mbr SC bench or Full Bench, it makes no difference to us bec all we want to know is if elections will be held within the 90 days’ constitutional provision.”

    “Before we dissolved our two provincial assemblies, I consulted our top constitutional lawyers, all of whom were clear that the 90-day constitutional provision on holding elections was inviolable.”

    “Now Imported Govt of crooks, their handlers & a compromised ECP are making a complete mockery of Constitution. By cherry picking which Articles of Constitution they will abide by, they are threatening the very foundation of Pakistan, which is the Constitution & Rule of Law. So petrified are they of elections & so desperate to whitewash their convicted ldrs that they are prepared to destroy the Constitution & any semblance of Rule of Law.”

  • Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, and Islamabad airports to be outsourced by govt

    Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, and Islamabad airports to be outsourced by govt

    The government has approved a draft to outsource three of its major airports in a bid to boost its dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

    The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the government considered a summary presented by the Ministry of Aviation regarding the engagement of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is part of the World Bank Group, as a transaction advisor for the outsourcing process.

    The airports that will be outsourced are the Jinnah International Airport Karachi, Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore, and Islamabad International Airport.

    The committee, headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, initiated the outsourcing process under the Public-Private Partnership Act-2017 to engage private investors/airport operators to run the airports, develop associated land assets, and enhance commercial activities. The committee also approved the draft Transaction Advisory Agreement (TASA) reached with the IFC by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) for the outsourcing of the airports after a detailed discussion.

    The details of the partnership or any agreement have not been made official. According to officials, Pakistan has been in talks with Qatar to jointly run terminals at the three airports.

    Prime Minister visited Doha last year to seek Qatari investment in the country’s energy and aviation sectors, and the Qatar Investment Authority pledged $3 billion to Pakistan.

    Pakistan’s national flag carrier is struggling with accumulated losses of nearly Rs400 billion Pakistani rupees, and the government hopes that outsourcing the airports will help attract direct foreign investment and provide world-class facilities to passengers.

  • Relief for workers as Punjab govt raises minimum wage to Rs32,000 per month

    Relief for workers as Punjab govt raises minimum wage to Rs32,000 per month

    The Punjab government has announced an increase in the minimum wage for unskilled workers from Rs25,000 to Rs32,000 per month, providing some relief to workers during a period of skyrocketing inflation.

    This increase of Rs7,000 was made official through a notification issued by the interim government on Thursday. It is worth noting that in April of last year, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif announced a minimum wage increase for government employees to Rs25,000 and a 10 per cent increase in civil and military pensions for retired employees.

    Following this announcement, the Punjab government set the minimum wage at Rs25,000. On January 31, 2023, Asif Ali Zardari, the former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson, proposed to the coalition government that the minimum wage should be raised to Rs35,000.

    Zardari emphasised that the government should take responsibility for providing relief to workers and take far-reaching measures to address the problems faced by the masses.

  • You can now get garma garam biryani from vending machines

    You can now get garma garam biryani from vending machines

    Biryani is one of the most popular dishes, not just in the subcontinent, but in the world. And now we have another way of accessing it.

    An Indian outlet, named ‘The BVK Biryani’ has implemented the concept of takeaway biryanis that can be bought from vending machines.

    After placing the order, a timer appears on the screen showing that the food is being prepared and you can get a warm box of biryani ready in under four minutes.

    The restaurant with the vending machine is located in Chennai’s Somanathapuram, Kolathur.

    The machine offers different types of biryani as well as vegetarian dishes, starters or beverages.

    The place is also known for its unique “manless takeaway” service as there are four to five vending machines at the restaurant where customers can place their orders.

  • Babar Azam is the best player of Pakistan but is afraid of getting out: Simon Doull

    Babar Azam is the best player of Pakistan but is afraid of getting out: Simon Doull

    Kiwi Commentator Simon Doull has landed in hot waters after his sharp criticism of Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

    Opening up about the one on one conversation he had with Babar Azam during the Pakistan super league match between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, Doull said in a video that he thinks Babar Azam is afraid of getting out and that is where he needs to work.

    “I told Babar that you are the best player in the country but you are afraid of getting out. At some point of your innigns you need to play aggressive cricket and that was kind of the gist of my whole chat with him,” Doull said in the clip.

    “Someone texted me yesterday that Quinton de Kock slows down his innings while close to 100, did they win? Yes it’s ok to slow down the innings when you have a solid start and you are chasing at the home conditions but it’s not a good approach when there is not a set target ahead of you and you slow down the innings just for your personal milestone,” he added.

    “That was the whole crux of the comment. At times it gets blown out of proportion.

    I’ll never ever hide behind anything that I say. I said it at the time, I stuck by it, and I have no issue that I said it,” Simon concluded.

    Babar was criticised by Doull for slowing down to complete his maiden PSL century during the match between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators in PSL. Doull got a lot of flak from the star batsman’s fans.

  • Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter on suspicion of spying for Washington

    Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter on suspicion of spying for Washington

    On Thursday, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia announced that it had detained Evan Gershkovich, a US national who works as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, on suspicion of espionage on behalf of the United States.

    The FSB has initiated a criminal investigation against Gershkovich, alleging that he gathered information classified as state secrets about a military factory. The FSB did not disclose the name or location of the factory but stated that Gershkovich was apprehended in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Urals, while attempting to obtain secret information. No evidence was provided to support the charges.

    The FSB asserted in a statement that Gershkovich was acting on behalf of the American side and had been collecting sensitive information on one of Russia’s military-industrial complexes. The detention of Gershkovich marks the most serious public move against a foreign journalist since Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.

    Russia has implemented tighter censorship laws since its military operation in Ukraine began in February 2022. The Wall Street Journal and the US Embassy in Moscow did not respond immediately to requests for comment from Reuters. A US diplomatic source stated that the embassy had not been notified of the incident and was seeking information from Russian authorities about the case.

    Foreign journalists covering Russia expressed their support for Gershkovich online, contending that he was a professional journalist and not a spy. Andrei Soldatov, an author and an expert in Russia’s security agencies, who is currently outside the country, stated on social media that Gershkovich was an excellent and courageous journalist and not a spy. He further noted that the detention of Gershkovich represented a frontal attack on all foreign correspondents still working in Russia and that the FSB was off the leash.

    According to Russia’s Kommersant newspaper, Gershkovich will be transported to Moscow and detained in the Lefortovo prison, an FSB pre-trial detention facility. Gershkovich, who has covered Russia since 2017, previously worked at The Moscow Times and France’s Agence-France Presse news agency.

    In recent months, he had primarily reported on Russian politics and the Ukraine conflict. On Thursday, his mobile phone was unreachable, and according to the Telegram messenger service, he was last online on Wednesday at 1:28 pm Moscow time.

  • PM Shehbaz orders withdrawal of review petitions against Justice Isa

    PM Shehbaz orders withdrawal of review petitions against Justice Isa

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar to withdraw the curative review reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court.

    “On my direction, the government has decided to withdraw the Curative Review Petition against senior most Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faez Isa,” tweeted the PM.  

    In a tweet posted today, the PM said that the curative review was based on “ill-will and meant to harass and intimidate the honourable Judge at the behest of Imran Niazi”.

    Separately, in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today, PM Shehbaz said that Justice Isa and his family were “harassed and defamed” in the name of the reference.

    “This was not a reference, but a vendetta by Imran Khan Niazi, a vindictive person, against a fair-minded judge who followed the path of the Constitution and the law,” the statement quoted the PM as saying.

    “Imran Niazi misused the constitutional office of the president for this criminal act and President Arif Alvi became an instrument in the attack on the judiciary and an accomplice to a lie.”

  • ‘It’s tragic that an entire generation finds Friends offensive’: Jennifer Anniston

    I’ll be there for you but not when you’re making offensive jokes.

    Since its debut in 1993, the popular American sitcom ‘Friends’ has won hearts of generations across the world with its hilarious depiction of the struggles of five adults living in an apartment near Central Park. Neat-freak Monica, the line “JOEY DOESN’T SHARE FOOD!”, Rachel and her lewks, but especially Ross and the line “PIVOT!” are part of our psyche.

    But it turns out, not all that glitters is gold because recent generations have found the popular sitcom to be insensitive for the copious amounts of sexism, body shaming, and especially Joey and his creepy flirting.

    Jennifer Aniston, who starred as the fashionista Rachel Green on the show, has addressed these controversies in an interview with AFP, while she was promoting her upcoming Netflix film ‘Murder Mystery 2’ which will co-star Adam Sandler. The actress lamented the dearth of comedy shows and criticism of ‘Friends’.

    “There’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of ‘Friends’ and find them offensive,” Aniston said. “There were things that were never intentional and others… well, we should have thought it through — but I don’t think there was a sensitivity like there is now.”

    The ‘Dumplin’ star went on to lament how difficult it is to make humor today.

    “Now it’s a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life,” she said. “[In the past] you could joke about a bigot and have a laugh — that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were. And now we’re not allowed to do that.”

    Anniston went on to stress that it was necessary now more than ever that more shows like ‘Friends’ are made:

    “Everybody needs funny! The world needs humor! We can’t take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided.”

  • Big move: Senate passes bill aimed at limiting powers of chief justice

    The Senate has passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 on Thursday, setting in motion limiting of Chief Justice of Pakistan’s discretionary powers to take suo motu notice.

    Upon voting, the bill received 60 votes in favour and 19 in opposition, breezing through the Upper House despite Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) opposition to it.

    A day earlier, the National Assembly (NA) passed the bill after fiery speeches by government members in parliament, criticising former chief justices.

    The bill states that any matter that comes before the Supreme Court shall be heard and disposed of by a bench constituted by a Committee comprising the Chief Justice of Pakistan and two senior most judges, in order of seniority.

    Moreover, it says that any application pleading urgency or seeking interim relief filed in a cause appeal or matter, shall be fixed for hearing within fourteen days from the date of filing.

    The development has taken place after two top judges—Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah—criticised CJP Umar Ata Bandial, saying that the Supreme Court can’t rely on him for its decision. Using strong words against the CJP, both of them were of the view that institutions should review this “one-man power show”.

  • ‘Larger bench toot gya’: Justice Amin-Ud-Din recuses from hearing delay in elections case

    ‘Larger bench toot gya’: Justice Amin-Ud-Din recuses from hearing delay in elections case

    The Supreme Court was set to resume the hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to defer the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 11:30 but the hearing was delayed following Justice Amin-Ud-Din’s recusal.

    At the outset of today’s hearing, when the five-member bench came to the courtroom, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said Justice Amin wanted to say something.

    “I recuse myself from the instant case in light of SC order issued by Justice Qazi Faez Isa,” the judge stated. 

    The original bench comprised CJP Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.

    Justice Amin-Ud-Din concurred with Justice Isa while Justice Shahid Waheed dissented with the majority order of 2-1 in a suo moto case regarding the grant of 20 marks to Hafiz-e-Quran students while seeking admission to MBBS/BDS Degree under Regulation 9(9) of the MBBS and BDS (Admissions, House Job and Internship) Regulations, 2018.