Tag: anti-state

  • ‘Zia-ul-Haq ko Sadar Nahi Maanta’: Chief Justice of Pakistan

    ‘Zia-ul-Haq ko Sadar Nahi Maanta’: Chief Justice of Pakistan

    Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa gave an unexpected but strongly worded statement during the hearing of the Faizabad sit-in case, stating that he doesn’t recognize the late military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq as president, as per Neo News.

    During the hearing of the Faizabad sit-in case, Justice Faiz Isa, addressing Ijaz-ul-Haq’s lawyer, said that he does not consider Zia-ul-Haq the President of Pakistan.

    When the Attorney General revealed that Ijaz-ul-Haq’s lawyer had been asked to provide a written reply with an affidavit to withdraw the statement, the lawyer of countered the Attorney General’s statement, denying that he had been asked to retract the statement.

    Ijaz-ul-Haq’s lawyer informed the court that his client had merely stated that his name should be removed from the verdict, to which Chief Justice Justice Faiz Isa remarked that Ijaz-ul-Haq’s name was only mentioned in the report by intelligence agencies, and it was not included in the verdict.

    During the same conversation, when Chief Justice Justice Faiz Isa mentioned that Ijaz-ul-Haq is the son of former army chief Zia-ul-Haq, his lawyer replied that his father was also the President of Pakistan. In response, the Chief Justice stated, “I do not consider Zia-ul-Haq the President of Pakistan. No one can become the President by the force of arms. Do not call Zia the President again in this court.”

    The lawyer of Ijaz-ul-Haq, the son of former military ruler Zia-ul-Haq, asserted that it is documented in the constitution that Zia-ul-Haq was the president. Chief Justice Justice Faiz Isa responded by remarking that Zia-ul-Haq had written in the constitution that he was the president for five years.

    Earlier today, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued summons for the chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) following allegations of “media coercion” during the 2017 Faizabad sit-in.

    The summon was initiated by a three-member bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, and including Justice Aminuddin Khan, and Justice Athar Minallah.

    The hearing, part of a series of nine review petitions against the Supreme Court’s February 6, 2019 verdict on the Faizabad sit-in case, was marked by significant developments.

    Authored by Justice Isa years before he took oath as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), the searing judgement had instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.

  • Faizabad sit-in: What is happening in court?

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued summons for the chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) following allegations of “media coercion” during the 2017 Faizabad sit-in.

    The summon was initiated by a three-member bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, and including Justice Aminuddin Khan, and Justice Athar Minallah.

    The hearing, part of a series of nine review petitions against the Supreme Court’s February 6, 2019 verdict on the Faizabad sit-in case, was marked by significant developments.

    Authored by Justice Isa years before he took oath as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), the searing judgement had instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.

    Notably, the court addressed the allegations made by Justice Isa in a prior judgment, emphasizing the importance of upholding the Constitution and the rule of law.

    Former PEMRA chairman, Absar Alam, alleged that the then-Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), General Faiz Hamid, and his subordinates exerted undue influence on media policies.

    In his written reply, Alam said, PEMRA officials were under pressure from “serving officers”, adding that he himself “received calls” from the then DG(C) Major General (retd) Hamid and or his subordinates complaining that their requests were not acceded to by him.

    “The Applicant-in-Person had been asked to: i) to take action against Najam Sethi a prominent senior journalist; and ii) to completely blackout Hussain Haqqani from TV Channels, however, both illegal/unlawful demands remained unmet,” read the affidavit, seen by Geo News.

    According to the ex-Pemra chairman, Gen (retd) Hamid and or his subordinates “controlled TV Channel policy through illegal/unlawful means by changing their numbers and moving them at the tail end, when they refused to follow instructions”.

    He further said that the situation became “untenable” in April 2017, adding that he addressed the matter in writing to then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, then-chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar and then-Chief of Army Staff General (retd) Qamar Bajwa, to inform that due to grave threats by unknown persons to Pemra officials for not following instructions fear had paralysed the latter.

    Chief Justice Isa, expressing concern over the government’s handling of the matter, noted that the investigation committee formed by the government was inadequate.

    The fact-finding committee was constituted by the government, on Friday, to investigate the “role and directions” of all “concerned” officials in the management and handling of the sit-in in 2017.

    During the hearing today, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa said the apex court wanted to know who was behind the Faizabad sit-in.

    “We want to know who was the mastermind of the Faizabad sit-in,” he remarked, expressing annoyance over the decision not being implemented since its issuance on February 6, 2019.

    “Our job is to order, and your job is to implement,” he stressed, underlining the need for a comprehensive and transparent inquiry.

    In response to these developments, the Supreme Court rejected the government’s fact-finding committee, urging the Attorney-General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, to swiftly form a new inquiry commission to ensure the implementation of the court’s verdict on the Faizabad sit-in case.

    The Faizabad sit-in, which occurred in 2017, disrupted daily life in Islamabad for 20 days, resulting in six casualties and numerous injuries.

    The sit-in was organized by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to protest alleged modifications to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath during the passage of the Elections Act 2017, later rectified by an act of Parliament.

  • ‘No evidence that TLP is anti-state party’: Election Commission

    ‘No evidence that TLP is anti-state party’: Election Commission

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday submitted an implementation report in the Faizabad sit-in case to the Supreme Court, stating that there is no evidence that Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) is involved in anti-state acts.

    The ECP sought a report from the Interior Ministry on the involvement of the TLP in anti-state activities, and as per the report, the group was not involved in such activities.
    “There is no evidence that TLP is an anti-state party,” the report states.

    While examining the party’s funding, the ECP discovered a sum of Rs1.5 million received through unauthorized channels by the TLP. However, the commission clarified that this amount, though obtained improperly, couldn’t be considered foreign funding.

    “The TLP’s funding sources were also reviewed and according to the Scrutiny Committee report, the party received Rs1.5 million from prohibited sources, which is little amount for such a party. Such a minor amount received by Tehreek-e-Labbaik cannot be classified as foreign funding,” the ECP report says.

    A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) will take up Faizabad sit-in review petitions for hearing on November 1.

    The bench would be presided over by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The Registrar’s office of the top court had issued notices to respondents including the Attorney General of Pakistan.
    Faizabad Sit-in
    Back in November 08, 2017, TLP organized a sit-in at Faizabad interchange against the amendments in the Election Bill 2017, changing the word oath to declaration.

    The protesters demanded the resignation of Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid to “protect the identity of the country”.
    The protestors achieved their objective as the Pakistani law minister Zahid Hamid stepped down from his position on November 27, 2017 culminating in an end to the protests that continued for 20 days without harm.

  • All traitors great and small

    Among the myriad promises the current federal government has failed to deliver is one pledge that the government did not commit to but has delivered in spades. I am talking about the federal administration providing us with therapy, albeit in the form of laughter. Whenever we, the people, have been at the edge of bucking under crippling inflation, the government has provided us with a moment of undiluted merriment, always at its own expense.

    In times of crisis, and what is Pakistan in if not a deep existential, democratic and economic crisis, comedians come to the rescue of their people, providing much needed merriment to take away our troubles for a moment or two. The government, however, decided to step in and provide laughter itself, in the process promoting harmony among citizens, taking away jobs from comedians as it has from nearly everyone else. We may have neither faith nor discipline but damned if we are not united in our misery.

    Last year, Faisal Vawda selflessly decided to make us laugh when he accused Dr Musadik Malik, a PhD, of being a physician to a Gulf royal family. Where else but in a social welfare state will a prominent ruling party member prove himself to be a clown just to help his people out of depression. This is not Mr Vawda’s first attempt at comedy. After elite forces had successfully thwarted an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Vawda showed up in a bulletproof vest and armed with what he said was a Glock to “defend his country”. A more unpunctual, but well-meaning, well-dressed and well-to-do vigilante had not been seen before. Take that, Batman.

    In another incident, a hilarious government announcement of Pakistan being one of the cheapest countries tied in with yet another fuel price hike. We all laughed our way to the shady hospitals where we had made deals to sell our kidneys in order to keep our bikes and cars running.

    Never one to let tradition slide, PTI has earlier this week launched a hilarious report on digital trends, just as it finalised deals on the costliest purchase of LNG. In three years, PTI has provided us with plenty of laughter but this, ladies and gentlemen, was the jewel in the crown. Compiled by what we can only assume are people with the IQ of a cabbage, the report went on to report the origins and details of “anti-state” trends. The “deep analysis” had about as much depth as the puddle a newborn would create without a diaper. Oh PTI, how do we laugh at thee? Let me count the ways.

    First off, were the graphs. Leave aside that they had probably been lifted straight off Tweepsmap, where the data was compiled from. Forget about the fact that they seemed to have been copy pasted by someone who wielded the mouse with a hoof instead of a hand. Pay attention to the fact that the content too seemed to have been finalised by someone who is getting the pay of a grade 22 officer but does not have the ability to read what has been put before him/her. The gender graph featured men, women and businesses/groups. The mind boggles at the possibilities the unveiling of this new gender has unleashed. Will we have toilets for businesses right alongside men’s and women’s? Will weddings be segregated into three sections? Will we have to issue new ID cards and passports? Will rishta aunties recalibrate their trade?

    The age graph had a section for a group aged “10-23”. Let’s concentrate on the ludicrous assertion that tweens of the country are engaging in digital warfare under the behest of anti-state elements. It’s the perfect script for a horror movie.

    Another infographic informs us that most of these anti-state handles also follow ICC. This is a win, whichever way we look at it. All traitors, great and small, gathered together at the altar of cricket with patriots, all united in their hopelessness. Brings a tear to the eye.

    Finally, the report shows us page upon page of….. screenshots. Dozens of them. Spare a thought for the poor intern or low-paid individual who slaved away at his system, gathering tweets from known pro-PTI accounts and copy pasting away. Even Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan was not spared from the relentlessness of his dexterous fingers and numb mind.

    Now, you may be inclined to think of this report as a loss. Our simple minds and lack of perception are to blame for this unimaginative conclusion. Remember the old adage, to think not of what the country can do for you but what you can do for the country. In this case, think not of how someone gets highly paid to embarrass the government, but that you too can get highly paid to embarrass the government, given the right connections.

    And a sufficient lack of grey matter.