Category: National

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  • ‘It’s private’: Information commission refuses to reveal asset details of NAB chief

    ‘It’s private’: Information commission refuses to reveal asset details of NAB chief

    The Pakistan Information Commission has refused to release the asset details of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal and its directors, citing privacy concerns.

    In its decision, PIC Commissioner Zahid Abdullah said disclosing assets details of the NAB officers and their families would “compromise their privacy”.

    He further said that the commission will also not reveal the details of directors, assistant directors, and regional director generals of the accountability watchdog for the same reasons. The PIC commissioner also said that the issue didn’t pertain to the public interest.

    The PIC decision came after a citizen, Asadullah, approached NAB, seeking assets details of the NAB officials. However, the bureau refused to provide these details prompting Asad to move the PIC against the NAB decision.

    In a plea, the petitioner urged the commission to release details of the NAB officers before and after their induction in NAB.

    NAB, the apex accountability body, was established through a presidential ordinance in 1999 by military dictator General Pervez Musharraf one month after taking office as a result of a military coup. The purpose of the watchdog was to investigate and prosecute officials involved in corruption.

    However, it has come under increasing criticism for acting against the critics of the Imran Khan-led government during the past couple of years.  

    On July 20, 2020, Pakistan’s Supreme Court, in an 87-page decision, ruled that the National Accountability Bureau had violated the rights to a fair trial and due process in the arrest of two opposition politicians, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Salman Rafique, whom the NAB detained for 15 months without reasonable grounds.

    Subsequently,  the Human Rights Watch said that Pakistani authorities should follow up on a recent Supreme Court decision and cease using the NAB to detain critics of the government. NAB, however, says it is independent in its decision-making process.

  • Youngster commits suicide for not getting a smartphone

    Youngster commits suicide for not getting a smartphone

    This incident took place on Monday, in the village of Daanto of Nangar Parkar Tuluka. A 20-year old boy committed suicide after the refusal of parents on buying a new smartphone.

    According to details, the young boy was the son of Dewji Kohli. The young boy, Hashim decided to end his life by hanging himself when his wish to buy a new smartphone was denied by his parents. Hashim’s father told the reporters that he wasn’t able to meet the demands of his son. This resulted in Hashim taking his own life. The police have handed over the body of the young man to the parents after completing all the legal formalities.

  • PM Imran trolled for saying his ‘selection was right’

    PM Imran trolled for saying his ‘selection was right’

    With Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan saying the fact that the opposition was criticising the chiefs of the army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) proves he appointed the right people to the posts, he is being trolled by those who have misconstrued his words.

    The premier, who on Sunday arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan to mark the 73rd Independence Day of the region, was speaking to the attendees and participants of the Azadi Parade.

    “If these thieves [opposition] are speaking against them, it means they [chiefs] are the right people,” he said, responding to the recent remarks from the opposition.

    Lawmakers of opposition parties have time and again referred to the premier as “selected” for they allege that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power after “stealing the mandate of the people”.

    While PM Imran was referring to the people he has selected, the headline of a report carried by Dawn led to people trolling the premier for “conceding that he himself was selected”.

    While the tweet is flooded with comments by those who were cracked up, a number of Twitterati have also pointed out that the premier was misinterpreted and his statement was taken out of context:

    Have something to add to the story? Let The Current know in the comments…

  • Govt for legal action against PML-N leader ‘for weakening state’

    Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz has hinted at legal action against former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq for accusing the government of releasing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF) under pressure, fearing Indian attack.

    “What Ayaz Sadiq said is not forgivable,” he tweeted, adding that law will take its course now.

    Faraz asserted that “weakening the state” was an “unpardonable offense”, and promised that Sadiq and his followers will be punished for it.

    The statement by the government’s premier spokesperson comes a day after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar set the record straight about the events surrounding February 27 — the day Pakistan downed two IAF planes and captured Abhinandan.

    “Yesterday such a statement was given in which facts were attempted to be twisted surrounding the events that day,” the military spokesperson said during a media briefing that had come a day after Sadiq among other senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentarians accused the government of taking the decision to release the pilot under pressure.

    READ: Army breaks silence after PML-N leader accuses govt of releasing Abhinandan fearing Indian attack

    Earlier, Sadiq had said that FM Qureshi “was present in the meeting, which Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had refused to attend”.

    “India never attacked Pakistan but the government nonetheless handed over Abhinandan to the Indian authorities,” he had said, adding that it was the PTI government and not the opposition that had passed an ordinance to “facilitate” Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

    Reacting to his claims, the FM regretted how “responsible people were making irresponsible statements”.

    He said he had not expected the former NA speaker to say Pakistan let go Abhinandan under pressure and that his comments were “contrary to the truth”.

    Qureshi explained that in the meeting, the government had taken all parliamentary leaders into confidence regarding the intelligence reports it had received but made no mention of the captured Indian pilot. “Highly irresponsible statements are being issued for political gains,” he lamented while also slamming the opposition for its stance on Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

    “These people are misleading the nation on the issues of Kulbhushan and Abhinandan,” he had maintained.

    Ahead of the military’s version, Sadiq had also questioned PM Imran’s motives behind delaying a meeting related to Abhinandan on the day of his capture.

    He lambasted the Indian media for “distorting” his comments from the National Assembly session a day earlier when he had alleged that the government took the decision to release the IAF pilot under pressure.

    “One thing is clear: Abhinandan did not come to Pakistan to distribute sweets; he had attacked Pakistan,” the PML-N leader said.

  • Historical British-era tunnel restored and reopened in Ayubia

    Historical British-era tunnel restored and reopened in Ayubia

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, on Thursday, reopened a 129-year old historical ‘Motto Tunnel’ at Ayubia National Park.

    Read more – Sindh Govt comes under fire for ‘painting ancient archaeological sites white’

    The tunnel has been reopened for tourists after almost 20 years. Restoration work on it has been done by the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife.

    According to a press release, Aslam while inaugurating the tunnel said that unsustainable and exploitative tourism practices in various parts of the country, particularly in biodiversity-rich and environmentally-sensitive areas, over last several years have badly harmed local fragile ecosystems that house wildlife species and their habitats.

    The special assistant said: “Given the realisation, the incumbent government is taking all-out measures to usher in sustainable models of eco-tourism in consultative with local partners and communities as a part of Prime Minister’s vision for Clean and Green Pakistan.”

    Sharing details about the tunnel, Aslam said that the tunnel was built in 1891 between Ghora Dhaka (presently Ayubia) to Khaira Gali (Murree) beneath the road and residential area in Ayubia Town. The tunnel had remained in terrible condition due to lack of maintenance over the last several decades.

    He said that this tunnel is 12 kilometres long and has a flat track. This track was 4 kilometres long before 12 more kilometres was added to it – it is now 16 kilometres in total.

    “Besides, reopening and renovation of the different segments of the tunnel, the tunnel site has also been provided with various facilities for tourists including paved track to the tunnel, information centre, guiding facilities, sitting and resting areas and coffee shop,” highlighted Aslam.

    The PM’s aide hoped that the glorious cultural icon would add value to the natural beauty of the national park and provide added attraction to tourists.

    He said: “We are taking practical steps to promote tourism. The restoration of this tunnel is also a link to the same series.”

  • EXCLUSIVE: Bilawal’s Urdu tutor says he makes her proud

    EXCLUSIVE: Bilawal’s Urdu tutor says he makes her proud

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who has become apt at addressing political rallies and press conferences in Urdu after initial hiccups, is taking language lessons from party stalwart Shehla Raza.

    The PPP chairman had had teething problems at the outset of his political career has a much stronger grip on the language.

    The PPP leader and former Sindh Assembly speaker, who was featured in The Current Life, said it was true that Bilawal was taking Urdu lessons from her.

    “My heart grows every time I see him speak Urdu. Yesterday (while addressing Gujranwala rally), you must’ve seen that when he was delivering his speech, he had noted down his points in English. He used to take a look at his points and then talk,” said Shehla.

    According to the former speaker, the PPP chief used to speak Urdu as a kid but having stayed away from the country for such a long time, his ability to speak the national language suffered.

    Shehla Raza said she couldn’t stand Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed and would never appear on TV show alongside them.

    The PPP leader also revealed that she had gotten her leg fractured twice during her career as a politician.

  • Top Islamic council allows construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad

    Top Islamic council allows construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad

    The Council of Islamic Ideology, a top constitutional body responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues to the government, has ruled that there were no constitutional or sharia constraints against constructing a Hindu temple in Islamabad or any other place in the country.

    The CII, in a meeting on Wednesday, also allowed the government to hand over the temple site as well as its adjoining Dharamshala (community centre) in Saidpur village of Islamabad to the Hindu community “so that it can offer religious rites as per their beliefs”.

    However, briefing media about the recommendations of the three-day CII meeting, council chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz said that there was no tradition of constructing places of worship with public money so the Hindu temple could not be constructed with public money.

    The CII recommended to the government to establish a ‘special welfare fund’ for minorities which they can utilise without any outside hindrance.

    The constitution provides right to all citizens to practice their religion freely and perform last rituals of members of their community in accordance with their religious belief, it said.

    The Hindu community was allowed to perform last rituals of a deceased person in shamshan ghat (a mortuary where corpses are cremated).

    The CII contended that the Hindu community was allowed to construct a community centre to perform their religious rituals and marriage ceremonies and there was no harm in it as per the sharia.

  • Imran gets clean chit in PTV, Parliament House attack case

    Imran gets clean chit in PTV, Parliament House attack case

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has been acquitted by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) in a case pertaining to an attack on Parliament House in 2014.

    The verdict announced by ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan absolved the prime minister of all the charges filed against him by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. The court said it would indict Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mahmood at the next hearing on Nov 21.

    The court had on October 26 reserved its verdict on the PM’s acquittal plea in the case. The prime minister through his counsel Babar Awan had pleaded that court to quash the case against him. He had said the prosecution was no longer interested in pursuing the case.

     Awan had maintained that there was no evidence proving the involvement of the prime minister in the case. He had also mentioned that no eyewitness has come forward regarding this.

    In September 2014, hundreds of PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers had attacked parliament premises and the PTV office in Islamabad during the 126-day protest against the then PML-N government.

    During the riot, at least 50 people were injured, including police officer Asmatullah Junejo. Subsequently, the government pressed terror charges against the PTI chairman and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.

  • Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri throws PPP leader out of NA session

    Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri throws PPP leader out of NA session

    In a bid to enforce order in the National Assembly amid a ruckus, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri directed Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Agha Rafiullah to leave the house for “disrupting the session”.

    The house witnessed pandemonium after the opposition leaders started protesting the deputy speaker’s refusal to allow the opposition lawmakers to make speeches on point of order.

    Geo News reported PPP leader Agha Rafiullah Awan initiated cross-talk when the treasury benches started discussing the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) rallies.

    At this, he was told by Suri not to disrupt the house. However, instead of backing down, Rafiullah approached the desk of the deputy speaker and demanded his right to speak. Suri, who was chairing the session in the absence of Speaker Asad Qaiser, got irked by the attitude of Rafiullah and told him to leave the house.

    In a video, Agha Rafiullah can be seen arguing with the deputy speaker, while Suri can be heard asking the sergeant to escort the lawmaker out of the National Assembly.

    After the lawmaker was told to leave the premises, PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf issued an apology on Rafiullah’s behalf and asked the deputy speaker to review his decision.

    However, Suri refused to agree and told the PPP leader to advise his colleague to leave the house. “If Rafiullah leaves the house for a while and then apologise upon his return, he can be allowed to sit here,” a visibly irked Suri told Ashraf.

    However, the PPP leader had not left the house on the deputy speaker’s directives, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Khan to read out a clause of the rules and regulation that stated a member could be suspended over non-compliance with the speaker’s directives.

    The minister said it was imperative upon the lawmaker to comply with the ruling of the speaker for the sake of the sanctity of parliament.

    Finally, the PPP lawmaker, joined by his colleagues, agreed to leave the house for a few minutes.

  • Another Peshawar BRT bus malfunctions

    Another Peshawar BRT bus malfunctions

    Days after the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transport resumed services after a month-long hiatus, another one of its buses broke down near Firdous Station, Peshawar, on Wednesday.

    Dunya News reported that a crane was called by the authorities to remove the bus from the track after it malfunctioned midway.

    This is not the first a BRT bus broke down. Last month, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had to order an investigation after multiple BRT buses caught fire. The TransPeshawar, the government-owned company set up to manage bus operations, temporarily suspended the service in the wake of these fires.

    A subsequent report had revealed the fire incidents in the buses were caused by the malfunctioning of a motor controller installed between hybrid batteries and electric motors.

    However, after a thorough investigation, the bus service was resumed on Oct 24, after 38 days. A statement issued by the TransPeshawar at the time said that the service was launched on Saturday morning and would continue from 6am to 10pm.

    It said it had also launched express bus service, which would begin from Chamkani and make stops at Sardar Ghari, Lahori Adda, Hashtnagri, Malik Saad, Khyber Bazaar, Dabgari Garden, Saddar Bazaar, Peshawar University, Mall of Hayatabad and Karkhano Market.

    The BRT bus service was launched on Aug 13 by Prime Minister Imran Khan amid much fanfare. However, it was suspended on Sept 16 in the wake of four fire incidents in buses.