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  • ‘We’re patient’: Military reacts to detailed verdict in ex-chief’s treason case

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Thursday blasted the detailed judgement in the high treason case against former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, stating that the fears of the armed forces had proven true.

    “We direct the Law Enforcement Agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict [Musharraf] and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad and hanged for three days,” one of the judges, Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), had stated in the verdict issued earlier in the day.

    Reacting to the verdict, the military spokesperson said that the words used in the written order “transgressed humanity, religion, culture and any other values”.

    “Pakistan Army is a responsible institution and its soldiers have taken an oath to protect the country. For the armed forces, the country comes first, and institutions later,” Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said as he addressed a short press conference hours after the detailed verdict was issued by the special court trying the ex-army chief for treason.

    “We will not let this stability be reversed under any circumstances,” he said, adding that the military knew how to defend the institution’s integrity, and would foil any attempts by external or internal enemies to destabilise the country.

    “We have been fighting conventional wars, then sub-conventional wars and now, we are facing a hybrid war,” he said. “We know the nature of this war and how to fight it.”

    The DG ISPR said that efforts were being made to weaken Pakistan externally. He said that some elements were trying to destabilise the country by making people fight with one another. “Some people are dreaming that they can defeat Pakistan. This will not happen. If we know about the threat, then our response is also in place.”

    He said that the prime minister (PM) and army chief had spoken in detail over the verdict, and the government would soon inform the nation about the decisions taken by the two.

    “The armed forces are not an institution, but are like a family,” Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

    REFERENCE AGAINST SETH:

    Meanwhile, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan has strongly condemned the detailed verdict of the special court and said that the government would take action against the judge who proposed public hanging.

    Terming the judgement as “illegal, unconstitutional and immoral”, he said that an action would be taken against the judges concerned under Article 209 of the constitution.

    “I will take steps for declaring the verdict null and void after returning from Istanbul. This matter will be sent to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) of Pakistan for holding an inquiry against the judge,” the AGP said while talking to ARY News.

    He added that the verdict was seemingly given on the basis of personal enmity and a legal plea would be filed to nullify the verdict in accordance with the law. “It [the verdict] has damaged the reputation of the armed forces as it is an apparent attack against the institution.”

    “A person must not be allowed to continue to perform their duties as a judge when they are mentally ill. This position is not for a person who gives verdicts against the constitution, law and the religion,” he maintained.

    READ DETAILED VERDICT:

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi takes his words back about not accusing judges of being anti-Army

    Hamza Ali Abbasi takes his words back about not accusing judges of being anti-Army

    Ever since a special court on Tuesday awarded death penalty to former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for high treason, there is pretty much nothing else anyone can talk about.

    Hamza Ali Abbasi, who is one of Pakistan’s most vocal actors, has been tweeting furiously on the matter. Earlier in the day Hamza had requested people who support Musharraf to express their views without accusing judges of being anti-Army or pro-Nawaz Sharif.

    However, after the special court issued its detailed verdict, an excerpt of it went viral on social media, Hamza remarked that he takes his “words back about not accusing judges of being anti-Army or anti-Pakistan.”

    “We direct the Law Enforcement Agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict [Musharraf] and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad and hanged for three days,” read the excerpt.

    Earlier, he had tweeted that PML-N and others need to apologise for their allegations on the judiciary, during the cases against the Sharifs.

    He also added that the courts should apply the same procedure to Ishaq Dar others who are not present in the country.

  • ‘If found dead, Musharraf’s corpse should be dragged to D-Chowk, hanged for three days’

    ‘If found dead, Musharraf’s corpse should be dragged to D-Chowk, hanged for three days’

    The special court that had earlier found former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf guilty of high treason, on Thursday issued its detailed verdict, an excerpt of which has left Twitterati stunned.

    “We direct the Law Enforcement Agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict [Musharraf] and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad and hanged for three days,” read the excerpt.

    Here’s what Twitterati have to say about it:

    https://twitter.com/SameenaERana/status/1207595507004170242

    The dooming excerpt was, however, a part of the dissenting opnion of one of the three judges, Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth. This was also confirmed by lawyer Reema Omer.

    A copy of the detailed verdict has been handed to an official of the Ministry of Interior.

    READ FULL VERDICT:

    On Tuesday, the court had sentenced Musharraf to death for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007, adding that it had found him guilty of high treason in accordance with Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

    The case was heard by a bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC).

    The special court, in its detailed verdict authored by Justice Seth, stated that Musharraf “has been afforded more than his due share of fair trial” and “given every opportunity to defend himself”. The court said that “the facts of the case are well documented” and “clearly demonstrate the guilt on the part of the accused”.

    “It proves beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt all the charges of High Treason levelled against the accused by the State,” the verdict adds.

    “We, with the majority of 2 as to 1, allow the complaint and hold the accused guilty of high treason as defined at Article 6 of the Constitution and pass punishment under section 2 High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973. Thus, the convict be hanged by his neck till he is dead,” it reads.

    It was a majority verdict, with two of the three judges giving the decision against Musharraf. 

  • Fate of Muslims not in UN Security Council members’ hands: Erdogan at Kuala Lumpur Summit

    Fate of Muslims not in UN Security Council members’ hands: Erdogan at Kuala Lumpur Summit

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said that the fate of the world’s 1.7 billion Muslims was no longer in the hands of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

    According to Anadolu Agency, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Summit in the Malaysian capital, Erdogan reiterated that the world was bigger than the five permanent UNSC members, whose veto power could prove catastrophic for smaller nations.

    “The world is bigger than five” is a famous slogan repeatedly used by Erdogan to criticise the permanent council members that are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US).

    He also said that Turkey did not bow to pressure to silence it, including a coup attempt, economic terror and slander. “As they try to silence Turkey, we insist on calling attention to Palestine, Gaza, the Rohingya, Libya, Somalia, and Syria.”

    Earlier at the opening ceremony, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as well as the host, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, delivered speeches.

    Hundreds of government officials, businessmen, representatives of civil societies and experts from different sectors across the Muslim world, except Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, are taking part in the summit.

    Islamabad reportedly decided not to participate in the moot after being told so by Riyadh.

  • Islamophobia heightened after Boris Johnson’s victory: report

    Islamophobia heightened after Boris Johnson’s victory: report

    Following Boris Johson’s ascent to the premiership, several British Muslims have started the process of leaving the United Kingdom (UK) over fears for their ‘personal safety’, a private media outlet has reported.

    The report comes as racist taunts increased sharply in wake of Johnson’s victory and far-right activists linked with his party urged Muslims to leave the UK or face the consequences.

    Manzoor Ali, the head of a Muslim charity organisation that provide food parcels for poor people in Manchester, says he wants to leave the country because he is “insecure about the future of my children.”

    In the past, Johnson has been accused of Islamophobic and racist comments on several occasions. For example, he has compared Muslim women to “letterboxes and bank robbers” in a column for The Telegraph. In another article, he called Islam a ‘problem.’

    Moreover, fear arose after several people complained that after Johnson’s victory, they were told online to leave Britain. Those who were targeted included prominent figures from immigrant backgrounds.

  • VIDEO: Musharraf terms death penalty verdict as ‘personal vendetta’

    VIDEO: Musharraf terms death penalty verdict as ‘personal vendetta’

    Former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf has said that the special court’s death sentence verdict against him was based on “personal vendetta”.

    Musharraf in a recent video message released on Wednesday said, “I heard the special court’s verdict against me on television,” adding that “There is no example of such a verdict in the past where neither the defendant nor his lawyers were given permission to speak in his defence.”

    Former dictator said that he had earlier offered to give his statement to a special commission if they visit him in Dubai, where Musharraf is currently undergoing medical treatment adding that “his request was ignored”.

    Musharraf said that he respected the Pakistani judiciary and that, similar to Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, he also believed that everyone was equal before the law.

    “I call this verdict suspicious because supremacy of the law was ignored from the start to the end during the hearings of this case,” he added.

    Musharraf said, “However, in my opinion, CJ Khosa showed his intentions and his determination to the public himself by saying that he ensured a speedy verdict in this case. How can the judges who gained personal benefits during my tenure issue a judgement against me?”

    He thanked the Pakistani citizens and the country’s Armed Forces for remembering his services for the country.

    “This is the biggest honour for me, which I will take to my grave,” he said, adding that he will announce his plan of action regarding the case after consulting his legal team.

  • Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ reminds Shoaib Akhtar of himself

    Tom Cruise’s superhit Top Gun is getting a sequel after 34 years and trailer of the film has set the hearts of fans racing. Among those who were excited about the film was Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar.

    The legendary cricketer took to Twitter to express his anticipation for the film, adding that the character reminded him of himself.

    Meanwhile, the action-packed trailer shows Cruise returning as a flight school instructor after 30 years of service.

    In the follow-up, Maverick shows a new class of fighter pilots how to duck, dip and dive in the sky. Scenic views, fancy jets, bomber jacks and aviator sunglasses are generously featured in the film.

    The original film was a huge commercial success, grossing $356 million worldwide from a $15 million budget.

    Top Gun: Maverick is expected to hit theaters on June 26, 2020.

    Watch the trailer here:

  • ‘Can locate users even if they opt-out of tracking,’ reveals Facebook

    The social media giant, Facebook has revealed that it can determine where users are even if they choose-out of having their whereabouts tracked, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to the details, Facebook in its letter sent to United States (US) senators explained the ways it can use to figure out where people are after they have selected not to share precise location data with the company.

    The social media network, contended that knowing a user’s location has benefits ranging from showing ads for nearby shops to fighting hackers and battling misinformation.

    Republican Senator Josh Hawley in a tweet said, “There is no opting out. No control over your personal information,” adding that, “That’s Big Tech. And that’s why Congress needs to take action.”

    Facebook said that the clues for figuring out someone’s location include being tagged in a photo at a specific place or a check-in at a location such as at a restaurant during a dinner with friends or a hotel.

    Along with location information shared in posts by users, their whereabouts can be noted with the help of devices connecting to the internet, which are given IP addresses. Those IP addresses include locations, although they are a a bit imprecise when it comes to mobile devices linking through telecom services that might only note a town or city.

    The tech giant had recently said that it is ready for a data privacy law which will go into effect in its home state of California at the start of next year.

    The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) will give internet users the right to see what data is being collected by the big tech companies and with whom it is shared.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi to make Islamic videos

    Hamza Ali Abbasi to make Islamic videos

    Ever since he announced that he will be quitting acting to focus on his spiritual journey, we’ve not seen or heard from Hamza Ali Abbasi – which is strange because the actor usually has plenty to say on practically every topic.

    In case you’re wondering where he currently and what is he upto, we have an answer straight from the actor.

    In a Twitter conversation, when a user asked Hamza why he is inactive on Twitter these days, the actor shared that he was “studying Islam to make some very important Youtube videos.”

    Previously, Humayun Saeed in an interview had revealed that Hamza will be directing a film based on the topic of patriotism and nationalism.

    “I have planned a film on the subject of nationalism which will be directed by Hamza. Everything is almost done except deciding the name of project,” Humayun had said.

  • ‘CJP Khosa’s statements about Musharraf’s case are fake,’ clarifies SC

    ‘CJP Khosa’s statements about Musharraf’s case are fake,’ clarifies SC

    The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has said that the statements of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa being aired and published by differnent news channels regarding former army cheif Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf’s high treason case are baseless and concocted.

    In a press release, the top court clarified that the fake news items have created an impression that CJP Khosa was personally involved in the progress of the case and he was giving directions to other judges.

    “Different benches of the supreme court of Pakistan had been hearing different aspects of the case of Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and had passed various orders for the early disposition of the said case”

    “The Hon’ble Chief Justice had not issued any direction of any sort to the Special Court other than the judicial directions issued by the relevant benches of the Supreme Court in the above mentioned case,” the statement said.

    A few news channels and newspaper had earlier published statements of CJP Khosa saying that the treason case was clear and that Mushrraf was given many chances to present his views.

    On Tuesday, a special court awarded death sentence to former military dictator Musharraf in absentia for suspending the constitution on November 3, 2007.