Category: Politics

News stories of Politics, for the topics that matter the most to young professionals and college students, political news reported with a different angle.

  • Bara Kahu police rearrest Imaan Mazari outside Adiala Jail

    Bara Kahu police rearrest Imaan Mazari outside Adiala Jail

    Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari has been arrested by the Bara Kahu police Islamabad outside Adiala Jail after getting bail from ATC this morning. According to her lawyer, no new FIR or arrest warrant has been shared with them.

    On Monday morning, an Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has granted bail to human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir in a sedition case related to controversial speeches allegedly made against state institutions at PTM’s public rally.

    The two were arrested on August 20 and sent on physical remand after they were accused of delivering a controversial speech.
    ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain heard the plea and approved post-arrest bail of Imaan and Wazir against surety bonds of Rs30,000 each.

    On August 19, two first information reports (FIR) were registered against Imaan and Wazir at the Tarnol police station and Counter-Terrorism Department police station.
    Both were booked on the charges of sedition, preventing government officials from carrying out their duties and damaging public property.

    The cases so far

    Two first information reports (FIR) have been registered against Wazir and Imaan.

    The first FIR was registered on the complaint of Tarnol Station House Officer (SHO) Mian Mohammad Imran who was present at Tarnol Phatak chowk to ensure peace during a rally led by PTM. According to the complainant, the rallly devaited from the allocated area violating no-objection certificate

    The FIR was filed under Sections 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 395 (punishment for dacoity), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) and 506ii (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

    The SHO has claimed that the participants, numbering about 700-800, were armed with sticks and attacked the police, official vehicles, and shut down shops when asked to restore access to GT road that they had blocked.

    The second FIR was registered under the complaint of Inspector Mohammad Ashraf who was present when about 950 PTM supporters blocked GT road. He said that people including Manzoor Pashteen and Iman Mazari spoke against the state, inciting hatred and revolt. The second FIR was registered under PPC Sections 124A (sedition), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) among others.

  • Judge Humayun Dilawar made OSD at IHC after citing threats to family

    Judge Humayun Dilawar made OSD at IHC after citing threats to family

    Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, who convicted PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, giving him a three-year jail term in the Toshakhana case, was made an officer on special duty (OSD) on Friday.

    As per the notification, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq appointed ADSJ Dilawar as an OSD against a “newly-created post” at the high court.

    The notification issued by the Islamabad High Court additional registrar, Ijaz Ahmed, also states “The honourable chief justice of this court has been pleased to make following transfer/posting of ADSJ working in the Islamabad Judicial Service, in the public interest.” 

    The transfer came about after ADSJ Dilawar wrote to the IHC on August 17, asking for a transfer. In his letter, the judge stated his concerns regarding protests by PTI’s lawyers in his courtroom, the trolling he faced on social media and a campaign against him during his training at the University of Hull, UK.

    In an application to the IHC registrar the ADSJ said: “I take the honour to submit that the undersigned has recently rendered a judgment in criminal Complaint under section 190 of Election Act 2017 in respect of offences under sections 167 and 173 Of the Election Act 2017 along with all other enabling provisions of Law, titling District Election commissioner Islamabad Versus Imran Ahmad Niazi, convicted the accused who is the chairman of a political party.”

    The judge said that during the trial and particularly after passing the judgment, a campaign on social media was launched against him leading to serious threats from different people across the world. 

    “My children are also facing hardship in moving to school and facing an unpleasant situation,” he said, adding that an organised social media campaign was orchestrated against him and his family. 

    “Similarly, during a recent visit of the undersigned to the UK to attend Training at the University of Hull, the undersigned and other judicial officers had to undergo displeasing episodes.” 

    In view of the situation, the judge requested the relevant authority that he may be transferred to any other place.

  • Local singer sings request to PM Kakar, gets his wish

    Local singer sings request to PM Kakar, gets his wish

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has ordered the restoration of the Panjra bridge in the Bolan area of Balochistan, on the poetic appeal of local singer Gul Meer Jamali.

    The bridge was swept away in July 2022 as biblical floods swept across Pakistan.

    “Orders have been issued to the institutions concerned for the reconstruction of Panjara Bridge,” the interim PM wrote on his official X handle on Friday.

    Kakar ordered the restoration of the bridge after listening to the song sung by local singer Gul Meer Jamali.

    The song went viral on social media, with the singer appealing to the PM to restore the bridge and “fulfil his responsibility towards Balochistan”.

    The Panara Bridge was used to pass the Bolan River on the Quetta-Sukkur Highway.

  • Who is Shoaib and why is Governor Sindh promoting him?

    Who is Shoaib and why is Governor Sindh promoting him?

    Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori was recently seen in a video talking about, of all the things, his new haircut. The background music and his facial expressions might seem a bit serious but he flaunts his hair cut and style with panache while recommending Shoaib Salon.

    It made us wonder, who Is SHOAIB?

    His Facebook page states that he is a “renowned Stylist & Hair Dresser” who is based in Karachi and has “experience of 12 years.” I rather enjoyed his Instagram profile bio more which says, “Playing with fire and scissors.”

    Shoaib’s timeline is filled with pictures of Pakistani celebrities, his salon and him at work for Express News’s program transmission but what we found fascinating was this BTS video of Kamran Tessori getting ready.

    Not only Mr. Governor, but his son, Zahid Khan Tessori, also loves the salon and you’ll get a special 20 percent discount if you go and take his name.

    Shoaib has also gotten a picture framed with Kamran Tessori for his salon.

  • Lahore police to interrogate Imran Khan in 6 more cases

    Lahore police to interrogate Imran Khan in 6 more cases

    An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has granted permission to police to interrogate imprisoned former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in six more cases after the addition of new sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in FIRs. The FIRs are related to offences of abetting mutiny in the armed forces and waging war against Pakistan.

    Separate applications were filed by the investigating officers in all six cases, stating that interrogating Imran Khan after the addition of offences under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 146 (rioting) in the FIRs is needed.

    Other offences under sections 120, 120-A, 120-B, 121-A, 505, 153, 153-A, 153-B and 107 of PPC were also added to the cases, including the attacks on Askari Tower, Shadman police station, and torching of PML-N offices in Model Town.

    Ejaz Ahmad Buttar, the ATC judge, said in his observations: “Request of the Investigating Officer being apt is accepted under the law.”

    The judge has previously allowed Lahore police to interrogate and arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Jinnah House attack case.

  • ATC allows Lahore Police to arrest Imran Khan in Jinnah House case

    ATC allows Lahore Police to arrest Imran Khan in Jinnah House case

    An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has allowed Lahore police to interrogate and arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Jinnah House attack case.

    Imran Khan is already in Attock district jail to serve a three-year sentence in the Tosha Khana case.

    After Imran Khan was arrested on May 9 in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, protests started across the country, with violent clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and law enforcement agencies. Eight people died in the riots, while several others were injured. The rioting led to the ransacking of several state buildings and installations, including Jinnah House in Lahore and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

    Protesters accused of attacking military installations will be tried under the Army Act.

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) requested permission in an application to ATC to interrogate and arrest Imran Khan in the case pertaining to May 9 riots. On Wednesday, ATC Lahore approved the application submitted by the IGP.

  • JIT to conduct forensic test of audios linked with Bushra Bibi

    JIT to conduct forensic test of audios linked with Bushra Bibi

    The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has decided to test two audios alleged to feature the voice of former first lady Bushra Bibi, in the ToshaKhana case. On Tuesday, the JIT decided to conduct a forensic test of audios as during the investigation, Bushra Bibi has denied that it was her voice.

    The JIT is currently investigating the ToshaKhana case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

    In Bushra Bibi’s recent appearance before the JIT, two audio clips were played for her. After hearing the audio clips, she said that the voice was not her’s.

    In one of the recordings, she is allegedly heard reprimanding someone for taking pictures of the things being brought from Toshakhana to Banigala House. In the second recording, she is talking to the then assistant to the prime minister, Zulfi Bukhari, about the watch at the center of the case, gifted by Saudi Arabia to Imran Khan when he was Prime Minister.

    These audios went viral on social media platforms, igniting a conversation about how involved Bushra Bibi was in the matter.

    It should be noted that Bushra Bibi appeared before the JIT on August 15 and was questioned for 20 minutes. She responded to each of the 20 questions asked by the JIT.

  • Inspection of all chair lifts in KP mandatory

    Inspection of all chair lifts in KP mandatory

    The caretaker government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has directed authorities to inspect all chairlifts installed in the province and conduct safety audits following the cable car incident in Battagram. A chairlift got stranded hundreds of feet above the ground midway through its journey across a valley on Tuesday morning as children were making their way to school inside the pod in Allai Tehsil.

    The dramatic and dangerous rescue began with army helicopters and SSG commandos saving two children via a sling, with locals joining in for the ground operation which began when darkness fell. The rescuers used a cable as a zipline to rescue the remaining people later in the night.

    Directives from the provincial government were issued on Tuesday after the rescue operation was completed, asking all the deputy commissioners in KP to carry out a safety audit of chairlifts within their jurisdictions.

    It further instructed them to immediately check chairlifts at all commercial, domestic and recreational places, adding that the inspection of cable cars installed over rivers and canals should also be done by the relevant authorities.

    DCs have to submit a report within a week after reviewing the design, capacity and safety measures of all chairlifts.

    It has also been made mandatory to get a No Objection Certificate from the district administration before the installation of cable cars.

  • ‘If you don’t get a joke then the joke is on you’; Indian actor Prakash Raj arrested after posting meme on X

    ‘If you don’t get a joke then the joke is on you’; Indian actor Prakash Raj arrested after posting meme on X

    Actor Prakash Raj has been booked by police in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district in India after jeering at the country’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3.

    According to the police, a complaint was filed by the leaders of Hindu organizations who demanded that action be taken against the actor.

    What happened?

    On Sunday, Raj posted a cartoon picture on X in which a man wearing a shirt and a lungi is pouring tea. According to The Wire, the screenshot was from an old short meme about Neil Armstrong coming across a shopkeeper, a Malayalee entrepreneur offering him a glass of legendary Kerala tea on the moon.This picture was captioned : BREAKING NEWS:- First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander Wowww #justasking

    This was taken as an offence by many Indians since Chandrayaan-3 mission is considered as a matter of national pride. Raj resultantly faced heavy backlash on social media by angry Indians.

    Some people, however, came to Raj’s rescue

    One corrected a famous news platform, India Today

    Prakash Raj eventually responded to the trolling and criticism in another tweet saying,
    “Hate sees only Hate.. i was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times .. celebrating our kerala Chaiwala .. which Chaiwala did the TROLLS see ?? .. if you dont get a joke then the joke is on you .. GROW UP #justasking”

  • CCTV camera points towards Khan’s open bathroom in prison cell, judge takes notice

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan has termed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s privacy concerns “genuine” regarding the presence of a CCTV camera around his toilet at Attock jail. Imran Khan had claimed that the camera breached his privacy, with the judge asserting in a report after an inspection of the prison facilities that the camera violated prison rules.

    Punjab Prisons Department, in response to Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan’s report, stated that Khan is being provided with all the facilities in accordance with Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.

    A new toilet with five feet high walls, a door, and toiletries have been constructed in his cell. The statement said Khan was also given a bed, pillow, mattress, table, chair, air cooler, exhaust fan, fruit, honey, dates, prayer mat, Holy Quran with English translation, several books for reading, a thermos with tea, newspapers and tissue papers.

    The statement further reads that five doctors have been appointed to provide medical facilities to Khan, “One doctor is present at all times on an eight-hour duty.” Special meals are given to Khan as per the doctor’s advice and with the approval of Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir. It further said the meals are served by a special team after a doctor’s inspection.

    The prisons department confirmed that Imran was allowed to meet his family on Tuesdays and lawyers on Thursdays.

    “CCTV cameras have been installed outside Imran Khan’s room for his and the jail’s security. More than 4,000 CCTV cameras have been installed not only in District Jail Attock but also in other jails of Punjab for security purposes,” the statement concluded.

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, while speaking on the Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, reassured the viewers that Imran Khan was allowed to meet visitors and provided facilities according to the prison class he had applied for. He said that the concerns raised in the inspection report, including those related to the CCTV camera, would be thoroughly investigated and addressed in accordance with the law.

    “We will ensure that all those facilities and class he (Imran) applied for and deserves as the ex-prime minister according to the law are provided to him. As far as I know, he has a bed and newspaper so the behavior with him will be according to whatever the law permits,” he said.

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan visited Attock jail and compiled a report on 15 August, after his fortnightly inspection of the prison facilities, which was released on August 21. The report stated that Khan’s concern regarding the presence of CCTV cameras is genuine and is in violation of the prison rules 257 and 771.

    Rule 257 (Sanitary and bathing arrangements) of the Pakistan Prison Rules states: “Prisoners shall be granted adequate facilities for bathing and latrines, ensuring privacy.”

    Meanwhile, Rule 771 refers to “latrines,” specifying that “latrine floors should be elevated and frequently renewed. Each latrine must have a proper seat and partitions for the sake of privacy.”

    The judge further noted in his report that the superintendent of police present has provided assurance to address the grievance raised by the PTI chairman.

    The PTI’s official X (former Twitter) account tweeted in response to the report “Absolutely shameful how a national hero, former Prime Minister Imran Khan is being denied his fundamental human rights, and basic facilities he’s entitled to.”