Tag: Govt

  • Arshad Sharif murder: Govt forms new investigation team after SC suo motu

    Arshad Sharif murder: Govt forms new investigation team after SC suo motu

    The federal government has formed a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif after the Supreme Court (SC) took suo motu of the slaying and ordered that a new team be formed.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan, (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, is heading the five-member bench that is hearing the suo motu case.

    During Thursday’s hearing, the federal government informed the apex court that a new JIT has been constituted, including members DIG Islamabad Owais Ahmed, Director Cybercrime FIA Waqaruddin Syed, Sajid Kayani from Intelligence Bureau, Murtaza Afzal from Military Intelligence and Mohammad Aslam from Inter-Services Intelligence.

    Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Amir Rehman informed the court that an investigation into the murder is being launched immediately, specifying that the JIT would first record the statement of the slain journalist’s mother.

    “The JIT will probe all relevant persons in Pakistan and then start investigations in Kenya,” the AAG added.

    The chief justice stressed an impartial and transparent investigation and directed the JIT to submit a progress report fortnightly. The top court also said that “JIT can approach the Supreme Court in case it faces any hurdle.”

    Moreover, the SC stated that the team should submit progress reports to judges in chambers for review.

    A day earlier, the apex court sought the names of senior and competent for the JIT from the government.

  • President Alvi ‘warns’ Imran Khan about not talking against new army chief

    President Alvi ‘warns’ Imran Khan about not talking against new army chief

    President Dr Arif Alvi has allegedly strictly warned Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to stop his party leaders and social media team from criticising the Pakistan military and the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, reports Journalist Ansar Abbasi for Jang.

    Sharing a screenshot of a WhatsApp message sent to party leadership and social media team, a PTI source said that the president also told Khan that for the new military establishment, the honour of the institution is like a red line, which must not be crossed.

    It has been revealed in the story that Imran Khan’s message was forwarded to the PTI Parliamentary Party’s WhatsApp group. In the message, Khan directed its social media team not to criticise the new army chief and made it clear that the instructions have to be followed very strictly. The person who shared this message on the group said that Khan’s directive should be followed by everyone.

    Similarly, in another group of party leaders and social media managers, Khan wrote, “Please ensure that there is no criticism of the new chief and the army.”

    When PTI leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhary was asked by the news outlet about Alvi’s message, he said that both the President and Imran Khan have made it clear that there will be no attack against the army and COAS Munir.

    He hoped that the new army chief would come up with new policies and hoped that he would not repeat the alleged anti-PTI policies of former COAS, General (r) Bajwa.

    It is pertinent to mention that Khan has directly targeted the former army chief multiple times for being “neutral”. He has also targeted others within the military, including senior officers of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

  • ‘No one will be allowed to defame us’: Army lashes out at Imran Khan

    ‘No one will be allowed to defame us’: Army lashes out at Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has named PM Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and an army officer, Major General Faisal Naseer, as the conspirators behind the assassination attempt on him in Wazirabad.

    The Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also demanded resignations from all three.

    Following the accusations, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) condemned the allegations and said: “The baseless and irresponsible allegations by chairman PTI against the institution and particularly a senior army officer are absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for.”

    Calling PTI chief Imran Khan’s allegations regrettable, the ISPR said honour and safety of its rank and file were being “tarnished by vested interests”. The institution will safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what, the statement read.

    “No one will be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity. Keeping this in view, the government of Pakistan has been requested to investigate the matter and initiate legal action against those responsible for defamation and false accusations against the institution and its officials without any evidence whatsoever,” added the army’s military wing in the statement.

    From the government’s side, federal ministers also called out Khan for accusing institutions without any evidence.

    Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “Not only was Imran Khan making false accusations without any evidence, but the fact is that the attacker was in Punjab police’s custody and investigation was the responsibility of the Punjab government, not the federal government.”

    “For Almighty’s sake, I plead not to play the religion card. This is a dangerous path and could lead to serious consequences,” she stressed.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Khan is a compulsive liar and said his whole media talk on Friday was nothing more than “baseless allegations”.

    In a press conference, the minister also said it is “very saddening” that Khan has named people for his attempted assassination without any investigation or proof.

    The minister added that the attack on the PTI march is an incident of religious extremism. However, he was of the view that, “PTI’s attitude towards the incident is also regrettable and condemnable.”

  • Social media hater? You could go to prison for seven years

    Social media hater? You could go to prison for seven years

    The federal cabinet has approved an amendment seeking seven-year imprisonment for those who spread hateful content on social media.

    Under the amendment, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been authorised to take action against such people. The final approval of the amendment will be taken by Parliament.

    However, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah decided to consult journalists and other stakeholders on the amendment. The minister said that if the amendment leads to restrictions on people’s freedom of expression, then the government will withdraw the bill

    The interior minister also stressed that if the bill is against the freedom of expression then “we won’t pass it”.

    Sanaullah said people’s private lives are being affected due to social media which is a “serious matter”.

    He further added that the issue is an important one, therefore, the government is hoping that the amendments will not create hurdles in the way of people’s right to freedom of expression.

    Earlier this year, during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tenure, President Arif Alvi approved an ordinance of a similar nature proposing amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016. It proposed a five-year sentence for criticising state institutions, including the Pakistan Army and judiciary on electronic media

    At the time, Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared the ordinance “unconstitutional” and directed the federal government to probe abuse of the law and submit a report. The law also faced backlash from the media fraternity.

  • Rana Sanaullah denies PTI’s Swati’s claim of being tortured in custody by military officials

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has dismissed claims made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and Senator, Azam Swati, that he had been subjected to custodial torture and stripping by two military officials.

    In a joint press conference today (Friday), Sanaullah along with Additional Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Ayaz Khan and Head of Cybercrime Waqaruddin Syed responded to Swati’s allegations.

    The minister said that the FIA did not hand Swati over to any other institutions and denied allegations of torture, alleging that Swati and PTI were instigating mischief. “It is important to put facts before the nation, as they lie brazenly,” the minister added.

    He also invited the additional director of FIA to present the “facts” behind the raid that was conducted to arrest Swati in October.

    Ayaz said that the First Information Report (FIR) which was registered against Swati was for “a cognisable offence” after obtaining “proper” search, seizure and arrest warrants.

    He clarified that Swati was not arrested in front of his grandchildren. He further said his team went to Swati’s house with the police and before entering the house they “properly introduced” themselves at the gate.

    Talking about PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s allegations regarding the torture and stripping of his party members including Swati and Shahbaz Gill, Sanaullah said that he doesn’t understand why Khan keeps repeating the same narrative.

    “Imran Khan has adopted an anti-national agenda and instigates propaganda. He wants to take the country toward chaos and anarchy. His propaganda will be countered at all levels,” the minister said.

    Earlier today, Swati alleged that “Major General Faisal” and “Sector Commander Fahim” were the “two culprits” behind his abuse and custodial torture. During the press conference, he also showed the alleged torture marks present on his hands.

    He also demanded that “the infamous ISI political wing be buried” as he was of the view that it is responsible for the “insult and notoriety” for the country.

    Earlier this month, Swati was arrested in a case registered against him over a controversial tweet thought to be against the armed forces. Since his arrest, Swati has alleged he was stripped and tortured while in custody.

  • FIA summons Shah Mahmood Qureshi to investigate Khan’s audio leaks about cipher

    FIA summons Shah Mahmood Qureshi to investigate Khan’s audio leaks about cipher

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned former Foreign Minister (FM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on November 1, to inquire about the conversation held between him, party Chairman Imran Khan and others on the cipher sent from Washington DC.

    Imran Khan has blamed the cipher and its contents for the ouster of his government through a Vote of No Confidence ( VoNC).

    The notice addressed to Qureshi states that “An inquiry team has been constituted by FIA on the directions of the federal cabinet to inquire into the matter of conversation of former PM Imran Khan, his political associates and Khan’s former Secretary, available on internet regarding Cypher message received from Parep, Washington.”

    “You are directed to appear in person before the inquiry team to record your version/statement”, it added.

    On September 28, an audio clip leaked on the internet in which Khan allegedly directed his then-principal secretary Azam Khan to, “Play with it [cipher]”.

    A few days later another audio clip surfaced in which Khan, when he was the prime minister, was directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public.

    Qureshi has been summoned to show up on November 1 (Tuesday) at 12pm.

    Former Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood was also summoned today (Friday) in this matter.

  • No decision has been reached so far on COAS appointment: Khawaja Asif

    No decision has been reached so far on COAS appointment: Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has revealed that no decision has been reached by the federal government yet about the appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    According to the defence minister, the selection process for the new army chief will likely begin within the next five to seven days.

    Talking in Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath”, the minister said five names will be forwarded and then Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will pick one of those names. He was of the view that the appointment is quite a simple method as this exercise has been conducted several times in the past too.

    The appointment for the COAS position is due to take place in November.

    About the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march, the federal minister said that the government will not be blackmailed by the PTI if the party comes to Islamabad.

    The minister also said that no negotiations have taken place with PTI. “A couple of meetings took place because of Imran’s old acquaintances”, he added.

    On the contrary, Khan has claimed that negotiations were indeed held. He also warned the government to give a date for early general elections or else he will announce a date for the long march within the current month.

    Discussing the recent by-elections held on the past Sunday, Asif said that if Khan had let his party candidates run from their respective constituencies instead of contesting himself, the results would have been different.

    During the show, he also hinted towards keeping the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance in place in the next elections.

  • Govt to ask Court to review acquittal of Shahzeb’s murderer

    Govt to ask Court to review acquittal of Shahzeb’s murderer

    The Federal government on Tuesday announced that it would file a review petition over Shahrukh Jatoi’s acquittal for the murder of Shahzeb Khan.

    “This is despite the instant case having already been adjudicated to be one of constitutional importance by the Supreme Court, which mandates seeking the assistance of the Attorney-General – as has been sought previously in petitions pertaining to the same matter,” the statement issued by Attorney General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali read.

    The letter further stated that the AGP’s Office had already declared that the case was related to terrorism after Jibran Nasir and other activists approached the SC against a Sindh High Court (SHC) ruling that overturned the death penalty for Jatoi and other defendants in the murder case, adding that the SHC’s decision was a “violation of the SC’s order.”

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday acquitted Shahrukh Jatoi and others in Shahzeb Khan’s murder case.

    Shahzeb was murdered in Karachi in 2012.

    An Anti-Terrorism Court handed Jatoi a death sentence in 2013. However, in 2017, the complainants had ‘pardoned’ Jatoi under the country’s Qisas and Diyat law.

  • ‘Irresponsible’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at govt after Miftah-Ishaq clash

    ‘Irresponsible’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at govt after Miftah-Ishaq clash

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to comment on the conflict between new Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his predecessor Miftah Ismail over the recent Rs12.63 per litre petrol price cut by the government.

    Chaudhry said, “The irresponsible and contradictory statements of Dar and Ismail have complicated matters further regarding the IMF programme”, adding that the federal government comprises of the “most idiotic team” in the country’s history.

    Fawad further stated that the economic team of the country is “totally confused”.

    The PTI leader claimed that “Their [govt] politics have been buried. If [the government] is working, it is working to end their NAB cases.”

    Earlier, former finance minister Ismail said that the government’s decision to not increase the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) this month without International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval is “reckless”.

    While the incumbent finance minister Dar said, “I have to handle the International Monetary Fund (IMF), so from now on, neither Miftah nor anybody else has to worry about anything.”

    On September 26, Dar landed in Pakistan after five years and took the charge of the finance ministry right after Ismail’s resignation.

  • Nawaz Sharif’s close aide Ishaq Dar to take charge of finance ministry on Tuesday

    Nawaz Sharif’s close aide Ishaq Dar to take charge of finance ministry on Tuesday

    Former Finance Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar is ready to take charge of the finance ministry on September 27 (Tuesday), reports Geo News.

    Currently, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is in London, where he held a meeting with Nawaz Sharif and Nawaz’s close aide Dar, where the decision took place.

    The incumbent Finance Minister Miftah Ismail will continue to work with the government after leaving his post as Finance Minister.

    It is pertinent to mention that Ismail is an unelected member and thus cannot continue in office for more than six months. He took charge of the ministry in April.

    Earlier, Dar, himself said that he would take oath as a Senator immediately after his return

    Dar is set to come back to Pakistan next week. The PML-N leader has been living in London since 2017 to receive medical treatment. He served as a federal minister of finance four times between 1998 and 2017.

    The former finance minister was elected as a PML-N senator on a technocrat seat in the Senate election on March 3, 2018. He is considered to be quite close to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    Rana Sanaullah hints at Ishaq Dar becoming finance minister again

    Prior to this, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah hinted a Dar becoming finance minister once again, saying that the senator “can assume the finance ministry”.

    Talking about the possibility on Geo News‘ programme Naya Pakistan, Rana said, “There is no problem for him to become a finance minister. However, the PML-N has not made any decision so far in this regard.”

    According to Sanaullah, the government will definitely consult Ishaq on economic matters as he is experienced and a senior leader.

    When asked about Miftah Ismail, the minister said that he doesn’t have a problem. “He is ready to work with the party with or without ministry”, he stressed

    Is Ishaq Dar coming back to Pakistan?

    An accountability court on Friday, September 23, suspended the arrest warrant against Dar and dismissed orders for arrest upon his arrival in Pakistan.

    Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir issued the orders, stating that once Dar returns to Pakistan, the court will decide whether it should revoke his arrest orders permanently or not.

    “We will consider permanently suspending Dar’s arrest warrants once he appears before the court in person,” the judge added.

    In 2017, an accountability court, while hearing a corruption reference against Dar, declared him a proclaimed offender due to his continued absence from the proceedings.

    However, Dar had not taken oath as a senator since 2017. The accountability court had declared Dar an absconder in a corruption reference.