Category: Uncategorized

  • Justice Mansoor Ali Shah unlikely to be next CJP: Report

    Justice Mansoor Ali Shah unlikely to be next CJP: Report

    Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is unlikely to become the next Chief Justice of Pakistan after Justice Qazi Faez Isa if the coalition government manages to pass the 26th constitutional amendment, The News has reported.

    The News report stated that according to government sources, the ruling coalition and its allies will choose Justice Yahya Afridi as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) after Justice Qazi Faez Isa retires on October 25.

    The three most senior judges after Isa who are next in line for the slot of CJP will be Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi.

    In recent months, Supreme Court judges have been involved in controversy upon contriversy, and there has been a clear lack of consensus amongst the higher judiciary on many things.

    Justice Afridi, however, has remained neutral, The News reported.

    How will the proposed constitutional amendment affect the next CJP?

    The constitutional draft the government is trying to pass suggests: “The Chief Justice of Pakistan shall be appointed on the recommendation of the Special Parliamentary Committee from amongst three most senior Judges of the Supreme Court. The Committee, constituted for the aforesaid purpose, shall send the name of the nominee to the Prime Minister, who shall forward the nominee to the President for appointment. Provided that where the nominee under this clause declines, the next most senior judge shall be considered by the Committee and so on till the appointment of the chief justice of Pakistan.”

    Suppose the government succeeds in passing the amendments with a full majority in Parliament. In that case, the ‘special parliamentary committee’ will decide the next Chief Justice of Pakistan, making it significantly different from the past procedures.

    “The Special Parliamentary Committee, in this article referred to as the Committee, shall consist of the following twelve members, namely:- (i) eight members from the National Assembly; and (ii) four members from the Senate. Provided that when the National Assembly stands dissolved, the total membership of the Committee shall consist of the members from the Senate only…” proposed the 26th constitutional amendment draft.

    Representation of each political party would be according to the strength it holds in the Parliament. According to this draft, the parliamentary committee would send the nomination to the Prime Minister fourteen days before the retirement of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

    In September, the coalition government remained unsuccessful in passing the Constitutional Amendment Bill amidst protests by the opposition party and senior lawyers. The Government failed to get the magic number to pass the bill, with JUI-F President Fazal ur Rehman holding the key. Fazl took centre stage as the opposition and coalition government raced to meet with him to get his support.

  • Lawrence Bishnoi’s life to be portrayed in upcoming web series

    Lawrence Bishnoi’s life to be portrayed in upcoming web series

    Notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, imprisoned in an Indian jail, is in the news for the murder of former Maharashtra minister and National Congress Party leader Baba Siddique, who was killed in Mumbai last week, and fresh threats against superstar Salman Khan.

    According to Indian media reports, Jonny Fairfox Film Production House will release a web series, ‘Lawrence, A Gangster Story’, based on the life of Lawrence Bishnoi.

    The Indian Motion Pictures Association has reportedly already approved the series titled Lawrence Bishnoi.

    The web series will explore the life of Lawrence Bishnoi, especially his rise to become a dangerous gangster.

    Lawrence Bishnoi from Ferozepur in the Indian state of Punjab has been imprisoned in a Rajasthan jail since 2014, but it is said that he is running a criminal network in the country and abroad while sitting inside the jail.

  • Here’s how the chief justice will be appointed after 26th Constitutional Amendment

    Here’s how the chief justice will be appointed after 26th Constitutional Amendment

    A draft of the government’s proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment has unveiled the process of the appointment of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

    Ruling out the scenario of the most senior judge being appointed the Chief Justice of Pakistan, it has been suggested in Constitutional Amendments that the appointment shall be made from among the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court on the recommendation of a special parliamentary committee.

    Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi are in the running on the basis of seniority.

    Eight members of the National Assembly and four members of the Senate will be part of the 12 members of the special parliamentary committee.

    The majority of the special parliamentary committee will be from the ruling government.

    The proposed Constitutional Amendments further suggested that if the National Assembly is dissolved, then all committee members will be from the Senate.

    However, the special parliamentary committee will send the name of the judge to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and then the President will give consent to the appointment of the top court judge.

    The next senior judge’s name would be considered for the CJP if the Prime Minister rejects the special committee’s proposed judge name, and the process will continue until the CJP is appointed.

    The majority of the special parliamentary committee would be responsible for sending the name of the nominated judge to the Prime Minister prior to 14 days of retirement of the CJP.

    No decision or action of the commission or committee shall be questioned or deemed illegal following the vacancy in membership or the absence of any member in the special parliamentary committee, the 26th constitutional amendment concluded.

  • ‘Nation salutes you’: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tells Qazi Faez Isa

    ‘Nation salutes you’: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tells Qazi Faez Isa

    Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari praised Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa over his verdicts on risky cases in the past.

    Speaking at a PPP rally in Hyderabad held to mark the 17th anniversary of the Karsaz incident, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in a roaring tone, remarked that Qazi Faez Isa delivered a brave judgement on the Faizabad Dharna case, which no other judge had the courage to deliver.

    “History will remember you (Qazi Faez Isa) for declaring former dictator General Musharraf a traitor and showing courage in calling Musharraf a dictator,” the former Foreign Minister stated.

    “The nation salutes you,” he added.

    Responding to the political parties’ lack of consensus on the 26th Constitutional Amendment in parliament, Bhutto said that he would be forced to push the Constitutional Amendments through parliament using a “brute majority” to break the ‘one unit’ system in the judiciary.

    “It is my desire to have consensus among all political parties in parliament for this amendment. The second option, which is not my preferred path, is to rely on the majority’s vote to pass it,” he maintained.

    However, the incumbent government is reportedly short of 13 votes in the National Assembly (Lower House) and nine in the Senate (Upper House) to pass the Constitutional amendments.

  • Muhammad Amir wins hearts with message defending Babar Azam

    Muhammad Amir wins hearts with message defending Babar Azam

    After Pakistan’s Test win against England in Multan, Pakistani fast bowler Muhammad Amir came forward to support former captain Babar Azam.

    Babar Azam was intensely criticised online after Pakistan’s win, with internet trolls citing his absence from the team as the reason for Pakistan’s win. The 30-year-old has been under constant scrutiny following his recent failures with the bat.

    Amidst the growing backlash, Babar received unexpected support from Amir, who advised the public to desist from this vile practice.

    The left-arm fast bowler wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Please stop this nonsense that Babar was not in the team, so the team won. We played with a better plan, took advantage of home conditions and won. Please don’t get personal with your players; yes, talk about the performance, but don’t get personal.”

    He was possibly referring to Shoaib Jatt in his tweet, who has been critical of Babar Azam for a long time and attributed the 30-year-old batsman’s absence to Pakistan’s win.

    Babar is currently out of the national team after being dropped for the remainder of the England series but is expected to be back in the squad ready for the tour of Australia.

    Pakistan will play ODI matches against Australia o

  • Faizan Lakhani roasts Shoaib Jutt for criticising Babar Azam

    Faizan Lakhani roasts Shoaib Jutt for criticising Babar Azam

    Veteran sports journalist Faizan Lakhani trolled Shoaib Jatt for criticising Babar Azam after Pakistan won against England in the Second Test in Multan.

    The national selection committee dropped Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Nasem Shah from the second and third Tests against England on Sunday, October 13. The committee added right-handed batter Kamran Ghulam, spinner Sajid Khan, and Noman Ali on the team, and luckily, they performed well in the match.

    Kamran Ghulam scored 100 in his debut match, while Sajid and Noman took all 20 English wickets to secure the win for Pakistan.

    After their best performance, Shoaib Jatt shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Do you know? These three were not included in the team because the (Babar Azam) did not want them in the team; Babar did all this to ensure that his friends’ group always remained safe, no matter how much loss it caused.”

    Faizan Lakhani replied woth an old video of Shaoib in which he criticised Noman Ali for not taking wickets. Faizan wrote, “You, too, were not happy with Nomi, nai?”

    This was the first Test win for Pakistan in the last 44 months on a home ground, and also the first time in 52 years that spinners took all of 20 wickets in a Test match.

    Pakistan won this match, defeating England by 152 runs.

  • Gold hits historic peak of Rs280,900 per tola in Pakistan

    Gold hits historic peak of Rs280,900 per tola in Pakistan

    The gold price in Pakistan continued its upward trend and surged to a level never seen in the history of Pakistan.

    All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), which releases gold rates in the local market on a daily basis, reported that the price of 24-karat gold was seen at a new record high of Rs280,900 per tola.

    As per the APGJSA, the gold price recorded a massive increase of Rs3,000 per tola during the day and rose to its all-time high level.

    Interestingly, this is the third straight record high price recorded for gold within this week.

    The last record high price of 24-karat gold was recorded on Thursday when the association quoted the precious metal’s rate at Rs277,900, which was the then-record high.

    The previous record high, before today’s peak, was seen after the yellow metal witnessed a single-day surge of Rs700 in its earlier price of Rs277,200 per tola, recorded on Wednesday.

    The price for ten-gramme gold also spiked and was recorded at Rs240,826 after an increase of Rs2,572.

    Finally, silver prices also rose in the local market on Friday as the per tola rate jumped by Rs50 to Rs3,100 per tola.

    Today’s surge comes after the gold price saw an unexpectedly big increase of $30 in the international market, clocking in at $2,712 per ounce. This price is inclusive of a premium of $20.

  • PCB finalises name of new white-ball captain: report

    PCB finalises name of new white-ball captain: report

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided on the name of the new white ball captain for the Pakistan cricket team.

    The announcement of the Pakistan cricket team squad for the white ball series against Australia is expected next week. According to Geo, Muhammad Rizwan is being considered for leadership in the series, but the final decision will be made in consultation with the chairman and selectors.

    Apart from this, fast bowler Muhammad Hasnain, who last played an ODI in 2023, is a strong candidate to join the team.

    Hasnain’s return has been assured thanks to his excellent performance in the recent Champions Cup and President’s Cup.

    All-rounder Amir Jamal and young wicketkeeper-batsman Haseebullah are also in the eyes of the selection committee and could be included in the squad.

    The Pakistan cricket team has to go on a tour of Australia next month for a white ball series.

    Earlier, the board announced the new selection committee for the national team.

    The captain and head coach has been removed from the new selection committee of the national team; Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Hasan Cheema are included in the new selection committee. All five members will be voting members.

    The non-voting members include Azhar Mehmood, Bilal Afzal, Nadeem Khan, and Usman Wahla.

    However, PCB has not included captain and coach in the selection committee.

  • Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee endorses Donald Trump in hopes of justice for Imran Khan

    Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee endorses Donald Trump in hopes of justice for Imran Khan

    The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC), an organisation registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in the United States founded in 1989, has endorsed Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump in the 2024 US Presidential election.

    The organisation’s official X page posted a detailed statement with the caption: “After extensive meetings with the Trump & Harris campaigns, we believe the former President is the candidate who will improve US-Pak relations and promote true democracy in Pak.”

    In the detailed statement, it was written, “While we certainly do not agree with the former President on every issue, after extensive meetings with his campaign and with the Harris campaign, we believe the former President is the candidate who will improve US-Pakistan relations, secure the release of all wrongfully imprisoned political prisoners in Pakistan and work towards reversal of Pakistan’s dangerous democratic backsliding.”

    The PAKPAC also emphasised that during former President Donald Trump’s presidency, relations between the two countries were ‘better’ as his administration was directly engaged in talks with Pakistani ministers.

    It also said that those efforts remained absent under the Biden/Harris administration.

    “In contrast, the Biden/Harris administration has not demonstrated the same commitment to bilateral relations. Under President Biden, the Pakistani government was pushed into a legislative coup against the popular and democratically elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, and the administration has nothing done nothing to secure the release of former Prime Minister and other political prisoners,” said the statement.

    The PAKPAC also exhibited fears with the Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, writing, “We fear these policies would persist under a Harris presidency, further straining relations between our two nations.”

    It should be highlighted that PACPAC is the organisation that has extensively lobbied for former Prime Minister Imran Khan; moreover, it also lobbied for the US Congress legislation in June that called for a “full and independent investigation” of Pakistan’s election and “condemns attempts to suppress the people of Pakistan’s participation in their democracy” through “harassment, intimidation, violence, arbitrary detention.”

  • Will PTI lawmakers support the 26th Constitutional Amendments?

    Will PTI lawmakers support the 26th Constitutional Amendments?

    A day after Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Barrister Gohar Khan claimed that seven lawmakers of the ruling coalition lawmakers will vote against the 26th constitutional amendments, the incumbent government reportedly played its card and brought over opposition members to its side.

    Speaking on the YouTube channel ‘Talk SHOCK,’ veteran journalist Azaz Syed disclosed that 11 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of PTI are with the incumbent government. “The government will only use four to five PTI lawmakers” to vote in favour of Constitutional Amendments in parliament, he said.

    Speaking about the possible timing of tabling the 26th Constitutional Amendments in parliament, Syed predicted that in the next 48 hours, the Constitutional Amendments will be passed from the Senate (Upper House).

    “Chief Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman will support the constitutional amendments in the Senate,” Syed predicted.

    JUI-F on Thursday disclosed its key suggestions for the 26th Constitutional Amendment, suggesting the establishment of a constitutional bench within the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan as well as at high courts, reports said.

    According to reports, all political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have reached a consensus on the formation of a constitutional bench at the top court, and no party has objected to this suggestion.