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.

  • Court ends ‘assets beyond means case’ against Dar after five years

    Court ends ‘assets beyond means case’ against Dar after five years

    An accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday ended proceedings in an assets beyond means case against Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Ishaq Dar.

    During the hearing, Judge Mohammad Bashir remarked that “After the [National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022], this case does not fall under the jurisdiction of this court.”

    “We can neither announce a decision in favour of NAB nor can we issue a decision in favour of the suspect. The trial against Ishaq Dar ends here,” Judge Bashir said.

    In August, the National Assembly passed the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, which sought to exclude private transactions from the scope of NAB.

    Following the amendment, accountability courts withdrew 50 major corruption cases, including the case against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, and former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shahbaz.

    The case

    In 2017, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) registered a case against Dar, accusing him of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

    Following the case, he went to London and remained there for five years until September when he returned to Pakistan and took up charge of the finance ministry.

  • ECP decides to hold local govt polls in Karachi, Hyderabad on Jan 15

    ECP decides to hold local govt polls in Karachi, Hyderabad on Jan 15

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday has announced that local bidy government (LG) elections would take place on January 15, 2023, in Karachi and Hyderabad.

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja — who headed the five-member bench, announced the verdict that the commission had reserved on November 15.

    LG elections in the two divisions were originally scheduled for July 24, but have been put off thrice since then, primarily because of the Sindh government’s request that it didn’t have required police officials as they were busy with flood relief operations.

    The polls were first put off to August 28, then to October 23, and then indefinitely, before the Sindh government on November 10 said it had postponed the polls on its own for 90 days prompting criticism from the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

    Today’s development comes days after the Sindh High Court (SHC) had instructed the electoral watchdog to issue the schedule for local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad within 15 days, adding that the polls should preferably be conducted within 60 days.

  • Toshakhana case: Court records ECP official’s statement against Imran Khan

    Toshakhana case: Court records ECP official’s statement against Imran Khan

    A District and Sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday heard the statement of an official of the Election Commission Pakistan’s (ECP)—District Election Commissioner Waqas Malik—during the hearing of a Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    The proceedings were initiated on an ECP complaint after the commission found him guilty of “false statements and incorrect declaration” in his election papers and disqualified him for concealing information about Toshakhana gifts he received during his tenure as prime minister.

    During the hearing, the district election commissioner said he had been authorised to pursue the case. He added that the ECP is an independent institution that functioned under the Constitution and ensured that corrupt practices are curtailed.

    Malik further said members of the National Assembly submitted their returns to the ECP annually. Similarly, Khan also submitted his returns from 2018 to 2021, he said.

    After listening to the statement, the court adjourned the hearing till December 8.

    Last week, the ECP sent the reference to court, asking it to proceed against Imran under criminal law for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister. The commission seeks a three-year jail term and imposition of fine as the punishment.

  • COAS appointment notification to be issued by Nov 26 says Khawaja Asif

    COAS appointment notification to be issued by Nov 26 says Khawaja Asif

    Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defence, said Monday that the notification for the appointment of the next chief of army staff (COAS) would be issued by November 26 before the end of the tenure of the outgoing chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa – who retires on November 29.

    Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly (NA) on November 21, Asif said his ministry had received a letter from the Prime Minister, asking for initiation of the appointment process on Monday, which had been forwarded to General Headquarters.

    He said the summary, along with the service dossiers of the senior-most lieutenant generals proposed for elevation and appointment as chief of army staff and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, was likely to be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office within two days.

    Appearing on Geo News programme “Capital Talk” on November 21, the minister said, “The appointment process for the highest offices in the Pakistan Army has commenced today.”

    “Once the matter [the appointment issue] is settled, the political leaders should join hands, sit together, and talk so that the appointment is not politicised in the future,” he emphasised.

    When senior journalist Hamid Mir asked Khawaja Asif as to why Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), chose November 26 as the date for his long march, the minister stated that Khan might be considering that President Dr Arif Alvi would not approve PM Shehbaz’s recommendation for the COAS.

    Lashing out at Imran Khan for “causing damage” to the honour and prestige of state institutions after being ousted from office, Asif said, “Today, an institution [army] is categorically stating that it has decided to give up its political or unconstitutional role and has made the announcement that it will play its constitutional role of defending the motherland, but Imran Khan has made their neutrality a curse.”

  • Ishaq Dar takes notice of ‘illegal, unwarranted’ leak of Gen Bajwa’s family’s tax records

    Ishaq Dar takes notice of ‘illegal, unwarranted’ leak of Gen Bajwa’s family’s tax records

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday took notice of the “illegal and unwarranted” leakage of tax information of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s family members.

    An official statement from the Finance Division states, “This is clearly a violation of the complete confidentiality of tax information that the law provides.”

    This statement comes a day after a report by investigative news website FactFocus, which cited alleged tax returns and wealth statements, claimed that the COAS’ family had amassed billions of rupees in the last six years.

    “In view of this serious lapse on the part of to-date unknown functionaries, the finance minister has directed the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Revenue, Tariq Mehmood Pasha, to personally lead an immediate investigation into the violation of tax law[s] and breach of Federal Board of Revnue (FBR) data, affix responsibility and submit a report within 24 hours,” the handout said.

    According to the FactFocus report, the current market value of the known assets and businesses of the army chief, both within and outside Pakistan, amounted to Rs12.7 billion.

    The report also shared the alleged wealth statements of Gen Bajwa and his family from 2013 to 2021.

    According to the publication, it was unable to obtain data about assets in the name of Gen Bajwa’s two sons.

    FactFocus has claimed that after the publication of the story, the traffic on its site was “disrupted” and the website had been “banned”.

  • Process for the appointment of new COAS begins today

    Process for the appointment of new COAS begins today

    Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defence, confirmed on Monday that the process for appointing the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the new chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC) has started today.

    Setting aside speculations that had been raging since weeks, Asif confirmed that the Prime Minister’s (PM) Office had received a summary in this regard.

    “The process of appointing [officials] to Pakistan Army’s highest positions has started today; God willing, the appointments will be made soon as per the constitutional requirements,” the minister said in a tweet.

    Talking with media, the minister said that the process of appointing the army chief would be completed by November 25, and the summary would be moved within a day or two.

    “There is no deadlock over the appointment of the army chief. Once we receive the summary, we will discuss the names — probably five or six senior-most officers,” he said.

    Asif had earlier said that the name of the new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday.

    Discussing the all-important appointment on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, the defence minister said that the process to appoint a new head of the armed forces would start on Monday.

    During the show, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that the change of command ceremony would be held on November 29. He also predicted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march would suffer a severe blow the day the appointment decision was finalised.

  • ’85 per cent of provincial budget is spent on govt employees’ salaries’: CM Balochistan

    ’85 per cent of provincial budget is spent on govt employees’ salaries’: CM Balochistan

    Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, has raised alarms on the financial difficulties that the province is facing.

    He said that 85 per cent of the provincial budget is spent on the salaries of government employees, leaving the provincial government with little funds to spend on development projects.

    Speaking at an event in Quetta on Friday, he said, “We are far behind other provinces of the country as far as development projects are concerned due to lack of resources and funds to develop the province.”

    The chief minister highlighted that before 2010, Balochistan used to get very little share in the National Finance Commission Award (NFC) award on the basis of population, with the government barely able even to pay the salaries of its civil servants.

    However, he said, the situation has improved a little now, however, the budget still doesn’t fulfill the needs of the province.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Balochistan was severely affected by the recent floods. The province has lost about a half million head of livestock in the floods.

  • Risk of violence in PTI long march, police tells IHC

    Risk of violence in PTI long march, police tells IHC

    There is a risk of violence during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march, the federal police stated in a report submitted to Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    Citing PTI leader Amin Ali Gandapur, the report says, “He has threatened that they [protesters] will gather at Islamabad with arms and persuaded its [PTI] workers to bring their weapons during the long march at Islamabad”.

    Moreover, it stated that some PTI leaders had extended death threats to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and PTI chief Imran Khan has admitted that some of his supporters were armed with pistols during the party’s May 25 march.

    The report alleged PTI workers usually participated in the march on vehicles, motorcycles and cranes and “spread terror amongst the public”.

    The police, in its report, also detailed precautionary measures taken by them ahead of the long march, including ensuring that no procession or activity by a political party was allowed into the Red Zone, the extension of Red Zone, imposition of Section 144 in the capital and a ban on displaying, carrying or bringing firearms in the Red Zone.

    Currently, the PTI is marching toward the capital and has sought approval from the authorities to stage a protest/sit-in there.

  • Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the name of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday.

    Discussing the all-important appointment on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, the defence minister said that the process to appoint a new head of the armed forces would start on Monday.

    During the show, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that the change of command ceremony would be held on November 29. He also predicted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march would suffer a severe blow the day the appointment decision was finalised.

    COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the incumbent army chief, is set to retire later this month. On multiple instances, he has ruled out an extension in his tenure — and so has the military.

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the matter of the next army chief’s appointment would be settled in a day or two.

    “I believe the Prime Minister has completed this process (of consultation) and will bring it to paper, today or tomorrow or the next two days, [it] takes no time,” he said.

    “I will also request you that this is a matter of a day or two so don’t ask questions which can lead to unnecessary speculation,” he said, adding that “there is not a lot of time left to this decision and it will come before you.”

  • Dubai-based watch company says they didn’t sell or buy Toshakhana gifts

    Dubai-based watch company says they didn’t sell or buy Toshakhana gifts

    Styleout Watches, a Dubai-based watch company, has rejected rumours about selling or buying Toshakhana gifts received by former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Referring to the recent controversy regarding the luxurious Graff set which was gifted to Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Styleout watches released a statement, stating, “We certify that we never bought or sold the Graff Mecca Map diamond MasterGraff Tourbillon minute repeater watch along with diamond cufflinks and round diamonds gent’s ring, as well as rose gold pen set with diamonds to any person.”

    “We were approached by an undisclosed person, to market this watch using our Instagram page,” Styleoutwatches said, adding that any information about the watch being sold for USD250,000 is “incorrect and baseless”.

    The company said that they reserve the right to sue and take legal action against anyone using their name and their brand to sell and market the watch.

    “What we did do is we got it for promotion and marketing reasons,” they said, adding that they took the watch from an undisclosed person, took pictures and posted it on social media to create attention and hype in 2019.

    “Then, we returned the watch to the person and whatever happened before or after, we don’t know,” he clarified. The company requested the people to keep them out of the matter.

    Earlier, rumours were circulating on social media that Styleout watches had sold the watch for 250k USD in 2019.

    On Tuesday, Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how he had bought the Graff set from Khan. He had bought the branded set through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said on the show that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.