Tag: court

  • Back to 2020? Markets, restaurants to be closed by 10pm

    Back to 2020? Markets, restaurants to be closed by 10pm

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued orders to close markets and restaurants in Lahore by 10pm in order to control the worsening smog in the city.

    The court gave out its ruling after a hearing on a petition seeking the court’s intervention to curb smog. According to the orders, the closure of markets and restaurants by 10pm will be enforced on weekdays.

    On weekends, however, restaurants will be allowed to close at 11pm. Although it has been suggested that markets should remain closed on Sundays but the suggestion has been put off for now.

    Regarding schools, the court said that schools that remained open on Fridays will be sealed and directed the education department to strictly implement its orders.

    Last week, the Punjab Government ordered closure of schools in the provincial capital for three days a week— Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

    Pakistan’s biggest cities have ranked among the most polluted in the world for the past few weeks, with Lahore, the capital of Punjab, having topped the list the metropolises with the most polluted air several times in the last month.

  • 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.

  • Fact Check: Is the viral video of Shehbaz Sharif with UK lawyer legit?

    Fact Check: Is the viral video of Shehbaz Sharif with UK lawyer legit?

    Claim: A video of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (PM) in London is being shared on social media.

    Users are claiming that the video depicts the Premier sitting in a court in the United Kingdom (UK) where he and his son-in-law, Imran Ali Yousaf, are being panelised in the Daily Mail defamation case.

    Shehbaz Sharif had sued the Daily Mail in 2019 for an article which had suggested that he along with Yousaf “stole British taxpayers’ money” given to Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) set up to help the victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

    In this particular video, the man sitting next to Sharif can be heard saying, “Mr Sharif misappropriated UK taxpayers’ money and particular government aid intended for the victims of the devasting 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.”

    Fact: The video is of a press conference held by Sharif himself in 2020, in which he formally launched a defamation suit against journalist David Rose and Daily Mail and Associated Newspaper Limited (ANL) — the publishers of Mail Online.

    The disclosure of formal court action was made at a press conference at the offices of British law firm Carter-Ruck by Alasdair Pepper and Antonia Foster, who are representing Shehbaz in his legal case against the paper. Shehbaz was present with his lawyers at the press conference where the announcement was made.

    The lawyer said that Carter-Ruck had decided to move the court after failing to get a substantive response from the newspaper despite several requests over a passage of several months. He said that in nearly seven months the Mail had refused to engage with Sharif’s lawyer.

    Pepper argued that the article in the Mail, followed by a social media campaign launched by journalist David Rose, was gravely defamatory for Shehbaz, carrying false allegations that he misappropriated UK taxpayers’ money in the form of aid intended for the victims of the devastating 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) official Twitter account also corrected the false claim and blamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for spreading “lies”.

    Verdict: FALSE

  • Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

    Musk’s appeal reflects concerns that the platform might turn into a swamp of free-for-all commentary once he acquires it and that numerous people with extreme views could have unlimited access to it. With Musk leading Twitter, there is a chance that many advertisers may decide to abandon the platform.

    Musk guarantees in his note that once he buys Twitter, it wo n’t be free for all. It goes without saying that Twitter cannot devolve into a free-for-all hellhole where anything may be spoken without repercussions.

    “In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all,” he tweeted via a note.

    “Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.”

    In the message, Musk highlighted why he is buying Twitter. He says, “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” he writes. “That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.”

    It’s the exact explanation Musk initially offered when he first announced his attempt to acquire Twitter for about $44 billion in April of this year. He quickly changed his mind, claiming he was no longer interested in purchasing Twitter because, in his opinion, the platform inflates the number of real, active users.

    Twitter disputed the accusations and sued Musk in court. Later, Musk promised to execute the transaction, and the court ordered him to do so by October 28.

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

  • 86-year-old gets compensation 32 years after son’s custodial death

    86-year-old gets compensation 32 years after son’s custodial death

    An 86-year-old bedridden man, Mohammad Sarwar, has finally succeeded in winning a civil lawsuit against police authorities implicated in the custodial murder of his son.

    Around 32 years after his son died at age 24, while in the custody of the police, he was carried onto the grounds of the Sindh High Court in a van to get the compensation check.

    According to Mr Sarwar’s attorney, this was the nation’s first-ever high court ruling on a lawsuit involving a custodial death.

    Despite the fact that all of the police officers were exonerated during the criminal procedures, Mr Sarwar filed a civil lawsuit before the SHC in 1991 seeking damages and compensation.
    The case was decided in 2017, and the SHC ordered the provincial government to pay the plaintiff the agreed-upon sum plus 10% interest from the day the claim was filed until the agreed-upon sum. As a result, the plaintiff submitted an application for execution in 2018; however, the provincial government filed an intra-court appeal, which was also rejected in April of this year.

  • Azam Swati sent to jail on judicial remand for tweeting against Gen Bajwa

    A local court in Islamabad on Monday has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati to jail on judicial remand in a case involving “controversial tweets” against Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    During the hearing, Swati’s lawyer Babar Awan told the court that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was praying for the recovery of the tweet sent by Swati. He also claimed before the court that the senator had an injury on one of his fingers and had a fracture as well.

    On the other hand, the prosecutor requested the court that a three-day physical remand of the senator be approved. But the court rejected the request and instead sent Swati to jail on judicial remand

    Azam Swati in custody: Court rejects FIA request, extends one-day physical remand instead of eight days

    A district and sessions court on Saturday extended the physical remand of Swati for one day. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had requested an eight-day extension.

    On October 13, Swati was arrested in the early hours of the morning for tweeting against General Bajwa. According to Swati, he was tortured by the investigation agency while in custody.

    Earlier in the day, when the hearing began, the Senator was presented in the court after a delay.

    During the hearing, FIA officials, along with their eight-day remand request, presented the record of Swati’s “controversial tweets” in the court.

    Giving the reason for the extension, Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that the FIA has to recover the said Twitter account’s password. He also informed the court that Swati wasn’t cooperating in the interrogation.

    Moreover, he said: “The said tweet is not the only tweet as Azam Swati has posted such tweets earlier as well.” He added that the FIA has records of the planned tweets from Swati’s official account.

    PTI’s lawyer Babar Awan also presented arguments, maintaining that the defence admits that Swati did post the tweet in question but there was legal cover.

    Awan said that he had told the senator to not say anything now. “If you want to check anything, check his [Swati’s] wounds,” he added.

  • FIA says no money was directly deposited into PM Shehbaz, Hamza’s accounts

    FIA says no money was directly deposited into PM Shehbaz, Hamza’s accounts

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed a special court in Lahore that no money was “directly deposited” into the bank accounts of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, in a Rs16 billion money laundering case.

    On Tuesday, the court was told that PM Shehbaz could not appear due to official engagements and requested an exemption for a day. However, Hamza appeared in court.

    Answering questions raised by the judge today, FIA’s prosecutor informed the court that Malik Maqsood – the deceased key figure in the money laundering case – had been operating eight bank accounts and that all details had been mentioned in the challan submitted before the court.

    FIA’s prosecutor, Farooq Bajwa, further argued that the record shows that neither the amounts had ever been deposited nor withdrawn from PM Shehbaz Sharif or from his son Hamza’s bank accounts.

    Hamza’s counsel argued that there is no allegation of kickbacks on the accused persons. He added that the investigation was carried out before the political situation changed and the statements were recorded on political bases.

    Earlier this month, the FIA had given a clean chit to PM Shehbaz and Hamza Shehbaz in this case, saying there was no direct evidence against them in the case.

    The case:

    In 2021, FIA submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to the special court for their alleged involvement in laundering Rs16 billion in a sugar scam.

    The report added that the amount was kept in “hidden accounts” and “given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity”.

    At the time, FIA had said that the amount of Rs16 billion has nothing to do with the sugar business of Shehbaz’s family. The money allegedly received from the accounts of low-wage employees was transferred outside Pakistan, ultimately destined for the beneficial use of his family members.

  • ‘Khan has confessed his involvement in horse trading in audio leak’: PM Shehbaz

    ‘Khan has confessed his involvement in horse trading in audio leak’: PM Shehbaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s involvement in horse trading has been confirmed in the alleged audio leak that surfaced a day earlier.

    “Imran Khan has confessed that he was involved in horse trading in the audio,” said PM Shehbaz while lambasting Khan for accusing his opponents of getting an NRO.

    The premier said that no one is above the law, adding that his family suffered the worst cruelty and yet have been appearing before the court.

    “Did any court summon Imran Khan?” he asked.

    “Pakistan’s prime minister was bidding [for people] in the PM house,” PM Shehbaz said outside Special Central Court in Lahore.

    “He had set up a market to buy and sell, and consciences were being sold. Could there be a bigger crime than this by a sitting PM?” the prime minister questioned, referring to the recent audio leaks in which Imran can be allegedly heard talking about buying “five” MNA’s.

    Terming Khan the world’s worst fraud, Shehbaz Sharif asked why the then NAB chairman did not take notice of the £190 million robbery.

    He accused the PTI chairman of hatching a conspiracy against the nation and asked where did he get the money to buy the conscience of five lawmakers?

    “Imran Niazi now you have to answer the nation,” the PM declared.

  • ‘Willing to apologise’: Khan again avoided unconditional apology for his controversial remarks against female judge

    ‘Willing to apologise’: Khan again avoided unconditional apology for his controversial remarks against female judge

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan submitted an affidavit to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a contempt of court case against him, saying he had realised he “Might have crossed a line” in his controversial remarks regarding Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

    However, it is pertinent to mention that, for the third time now, Khan has avoided tendering an unconditional apology to the court.

    The affidavit says: “Imran Khan realised that during these proceedings before the Honourable Court, he might have crossed a red line while making a public speech on August 20, 2022.”

    According to the document, it was never his intention “To threaten the honourable judge of the district court and there was no intention behind the statement to take any action other than a legal action.”

    He said he wanted to assure the IHC that he was willing to explain and clarify before Judge Chaudhry that “Neither he nor his party seeks/sought any action“ against her and he was willing apologise to her “If she got an impression that the deponent (Imran) had crossed a line”.

    Khan assured the IHC that he would “Never do anything in future” that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary.

    The next hearing of the case is scheduled for October 3, when IHC will review Khan’s response.

    Prior to this, Khan went to the court of Zeba Chaudhry to apologise for his remarks against her at a public rally. She was on leave at the time.

    Earlier this month, the high court decided to frame charges against Khan in a contempt of court case registered against him for his controversial remarks about Zeba.

    However, after many delays, Khan apologised to the high court, saying, “Mai khaatoon judge se zaati taur pe maafi maangta hoon”, (I personally apologise to the female judge).

    Following this, the high court remarked that it would not be appropriate to conduct contempt proceedings against Khan.

    In August, Khan addressed a party rally to express solidarity with then-arrested PTI’s Shahbaz Gill and threatened Chaudhry. He said, “Zeba! Be ready, we will take action against you”.

  • Nazim Jokhio’s family reaches peace agreement with accused

    Nazim Jokhio’s family reaches peace agreement with accused

    Nazim Jokhio’s family has submitted an affidavit in court, stating that they have reached a peace agreement with the murder accused.

    The affidavit has stated that both parties have reached an agreement. It has also been stated in the affidavit that the slain man’s family has no objection to ending the case.

    The affidavit has been submitted by Jokhio’s mother, widow, and children. After the affidavit, the court directed authorities to publish an advertisement in the newspaper regarding the legal heirs of Nazim Jokhio.

    The court has also asked National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to submit a report on the matter at the next hearing. The hearing was adjourned till October 15th.

    On November 3 last year, Nazim’s tortured body was found in Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Jam Awais’ farmhouse in Karachi’s Malir area, a day after he filmed a group of foreigners hunting the endangered houbara bustard in his Achar Salaar village in Thatta.

    According to Jokhio’s brother, Nazim had broadcast a live stream on social media of a hunting expedition involving foreign guests of PPP MPA Jam Awais, after which Jam Awais called Nazim to the house where he was allegedly murdered.

    Jam Karim is the elder brother of Jam Awais. In November, he was nominated as a suspect with ten others in the murder case.

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