Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Why we opened the court in the middle of the night’, Islamabad High Court issues clarification

    ‘Why we opened the court in the middle of the night’, Islamabad High Court issues clarification

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has clarified opening its doors late on the evening of April 9, 2022 when the process of a no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was going on in the National Assembly (NA).

    In a statement, the court said, “The filing of petitions late in the evening on April 9, 2022, has been misreported and queries have been raised whether petitions can be presented after the notified court timings.”

    On Saturday, there were rumours that a petition was filed in the IHC, asking the court to restrain Khan from de-notifying Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa from his post.

    IHC said the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President approached the court and requested the court to implement the Supreme Court’s April 7 order. The IHC statement then referred to the petitions, including a “pre-emptive” constitutional petition that sought to restrain the then prime minister from de-notifying the army chief.

    “As a constitutional court, the Islamabad High Court has ensured that cases relating to extreme urgency are presented at any time after the notified timings,” the high court said, adding: “The honourable chief justice, if satisfied that there exists extreme urgency, may order fixing of the case at any time.”

    “A petition regarding extreme urgency could be presented at any time after the notified court timings and it could also be fixed for hearing subject to the satisfaction of the chief justice that circumstances exist for doing so,” the court said further.

  • Islamabad Traffic Police to take strict action against motorists using HIDs, LEDs

    Islamabad Traffic Police to take strict action against motorists using HIDs, LEDs

    The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has once again decided to take stern action against motorists who use High-Intensity Discharge (HID) and Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) while driving.

    As per the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic, Rai Mazhar Iqbal, the decision was taken on the orders of IGP (Islamabad) Muhammad Ahsan Younis to provide a safe driving environment in the federal capital and reduce accidents.

    Special squads have been formed to monitor motorists’ use of LED and HID lights. Police pickets will be set up along major thoroughfares such as the Expressway, Srinagar highway (Kashmir Highway), Margalla Road, IJP Road, Murree Road, 7th Avenue, and 9th Avenue.

    This campaign will be led by night shift in-charges to prevent the use of high beam lights and LED/HID lights, while an education wing will inform the public about the dangers of using these lights.

    Read more: Lahore Police arrested 648 dacoits, recovering more than Rs27 crore in three months

    Special broadcasts on ITP’s dedicated FM Radio 92.4 will also educate drivers about the dangers of utilising these lights. The SSP Traffic has urged citizens to help Islamabad police to ensure a safe road environment.

  • Shehbaz reaches office at 7am, announces only one holiday a week, on his first day as PM

    Shehbaz reaches office at 7am, announces only one holiday a week, on his first day as PM

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif arrived at the PM Office at 7am on Tuesday, created fear among the staff present at the PM House.

    PM Sharif has also abolished two weekly offs for government officers, reports Geo News. The government offices will be open six days a week under the new schedule, with only one official weekly holiday on Sunday. As per the new timings, the work at the government offices will start at 8am.

    The joint Opposition’s candidate Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was voted out of office through a no-confidence motion on Saturday, April 9.

    Read more- Shehbaz Sharif – the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan

    Shehbaz bagged a total of 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.

  • US monitoring rising HR abuses in India: Blinken

    US monitoring rising HR abuses in India: Blinken

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was monitoring what he described as a rise in human rights abuses in India by some officials, in a rare direct rebuke by Washington of the Asian nation’s rights record.

    “We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values (of human rights) and to that end, we are monitoring some recent concerning developments in India including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police and prison officials,” Blinken said on Monday in a joint press briefing with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

    Blinken did not elaborate. Singh and Jaishankar, who spoke after Blinken at the briefing, did not comment on the human rights issue.

    Blinken’s remarks came days after US Representative Ilhan Omar questioned the alleged reluctance of the US government to criticise Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on human rights.

    “What does Modi need to do to India’s Muslim population before we will stop considering them a partner in peace?” Omar, who belongs to President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party, said last week.

    Modi’s critics say his Hindu nationalist ruling party has fostered religious polarisation since coming to power in 2014.

    Since Modi came to power, right-wing Hindu groups have launched attacks on minorities claiming they are trying to prevent religious conversions.

    Several Indian states have passed or are considering anti-conversion laws that challenge the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief.

    In 2019, the government passed a citizenship law that critics said undermined India’s secular constitution by excluding Muslim migrants from neighbouring countries.

  • Zardari ‘smiled’ when PML-Q asked for his help to make Pervaiz Elahi Chief Minister: Chaudhry Shujaat’s son

    Zardari ‘smiled’ when PML-Q asked for his help to make Pervaiz Elahi Chief Minister: Chaudhry Shujaat’s son

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has once again approached former President Asif Ali Zardari for the Punjab chief ministership, reports Geo News.

    PML-Q leader Tariq Bashir Cheema and Chaudhry Shujaat’s son Chaudhry Salik Hussain met Asif Ali Zardari and conveyed Chaudhry Shujaat’s message to the former president. Both Cheema and Salik requested Zardari to support Pervez Elahi for the post of Chief Minister Punjab.

    Zardari, after hearing this request, smiled and did not respond.

    Meanwhile, PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz have been advised by the Lahore High Court (LHC) to decide a date for the chief minister’s election peacefully instead of “creating a scene”, reports Geo News.

    LHC Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti while hearing the case against the delay in the CM election asked the lawyers of all the parties of the case to gather at the Punjab advocate-general’s office and settle the date for the CM election. It has been advised that the parties reach the date through mutual consultation and understanding.

    “Don’t create a scene. Remember we are all residents of this country. Solve the problem at home, together,” the LHC CJ remarked.

    Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti informed the court that the lawmakers belonging to the PML-N had allegedly ransacked the furniture of the House during the session on April 3. The furniture is now being replaced.

    “As a result of the ruckus, the session was adjourned until April 16,” he said.

    Earlier, through an official notification, Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari himself postponed on Tuesday the session of the Punjab Assembly till April 16. It has also been reproted that Mazari’s powers have been restored by the LHC.

  • Democratic Pakistan critical to US interests, says White House

    A democratic Pakistan is critical to the interests of the United States, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, hours after Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister.

    Ex-prime minister Imran Khan repeatedly blamed the US for backing the no-confidence motion — that lead to his ouster early Sunday — and has refused to accept the newly-elected premier, saying “there can’t be any bigger insult to this country” — but the Joe Biden administration denied any role.

    In a press briefing at the White House, Psaki said: “We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional democratic principles, we don’t support one political party over another.”

    The White House press secretary said the United States “certainly” supports the principles of rule of law and equal justice under the law.

    Psaki added that the US values its long-standing cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests — that remains unchanged regardless of who the leadership is.

    In response to a question about whether Biden would call Shehbaz, Psaki said: “In terms of future calls, I don’t have anything to predict at this point and time, obviously, we stay in close touch with them at a range of levels.”

    Since Biden assumed the US president’s office in 2021, Imran Khan and Biden did not hold a telephonic conversation.

  • Which designer was Maryam Nawaz wearing at the PM oath-taking ceremony?

    Which designer was Maryam Nawaz wearing at the PM oath-taking ceremony?

    Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz’s ensemble has become the center of attention which she was wearing during the oath ceremony of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    It is now revealed by the clothing brand, Parniyaan by Ayesha Jawad on their Instagram that Maryam Nawaz was wearing their outfit during the event. She was wearing their Chantelle chiffon brown dress. The dupatta has an elegant design at the bottom of it.

    The brand also highlighted another client on their Instagram wearing their dress who is the wife of Former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary, Saima Fawad Chaudhary.

  • 264 shopkeepers arrested in Peshawar for overcharging

    264 shopkeepers arrested in Peshawar for overcharging

    During a three-day crackdown on racketeers in Peshawar, the district administration arrested 264 shopkeepers from various parts of the provincial capital on April 11.

    Officials of the district administration visited bazaars in, Hayatabad, Kohat Road, Interior City, Nauthia, Ring Road, Charsadda Road, Dilzak Road, University Road, GT Road, Pajagee Road, Bara Road, and other localities to examine Ramzan bazaars, along with the availability of vital food products, on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Peshawar, Shafiullah Khan.

    They investigated the quality and status of the commodities sold at Mega Malls set up as Ramazan Facilitation Counters and detained 264 profiteers from various areas. Fruit and vegetable vendors, milk vendors, butchers, grocers, and others were among those arrested. The district government has signaled that legal action may be taken against them.

    Read more: SBP determined to curb inflation, improve foreign exchange reserves

    Previously, the Minister for Food, Science, and Information Technology in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Atif Khan had also directed the responsible authorities on April 8 to constantly monitor the relief provided to people by the provincial government in terms of food costs.

  • Shehbaz Sharif’s election as Prime Minister sparks meme fest

    Shehbaz Sharif’s election as Prime Minister sparks meme fest

    The Joint Opposition’s candidate Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, after the former Prime Minister Imran Khan was voted out of office through a no-confidence motion on Saturday, April 9.

    Shehbaz bagged a total of 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.

    Shehbaz bagged a total of 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.

    Shehbaz Sharif’s election has sparked a meme fest on Twitter, have a look:

  • Shahid Afridi congratulates PM Shehbaz Sharif, Twitter goes boom

    Former Cricket Captain, Shahid Afridi has sent good wishes to newly-elected Prime Minister (PM), Shehbaz Sharif following the ouster of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion on Sunday.

    Shahid Afridi penned down on Twitter, “Congratulations to Shahbaz Sharif on being elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan. I hope that he will be able to use his management skills to bring Pakistan out of the current economic and political crisis.”

    In another tweet, he said, “When the time comes to leave, whether it is right or sad. Leave must be accepted in a dignified manner. Accusations, conspiracies, and even defeats are part of the power game. In the pages of history, it is ultimately about moral standards, democracy, and the supremacy of the constitution. This is the balance of beauty.”

    Shehbaz Sharif secured 174 votes of Parliamentarians and was elected the new Prime Minister unopposed on Monday as Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI) boycotted the session. Later, all members of the PTI in the National Assembly resigned from their seats.

    However, Shahid Afridi’s tweets have been receiving mixed reactions from Pakistanis.

    One user said, “He’s your PM, not ours. He sold his soul to the devil, the most corrupt person on bail.”

    https://twitter.com/noirroad/status/1513630237329924107

    https://twitter.com/SherAhmedKhan18/status/1513561825505390594