Tag: IHC

  • Islamabad High Court orders closure of all sheesha cafes in the city

    Islamabad High Court orders closure of all sheesha cafes in the city

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the local administration to shut down all sheesha cafes in the federal city with immediate action and submit a progress report to the court as well.

    The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) along with the Islamabad administration and police have mobilised their resources to initiate the crackdown on all sheesha cafes operating in Islamabad.

    The complete ban on sheesha was announced across the country led by the Supreme Court previously in 2015 but in the following year, the bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed of the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the sale and import of sheesha and tobacco smoking items despite the ban from the apex court.

    This time the court emphasised that action must be louder than words.

    The court also asked the advocate generals from the provincial governments about the implementation of previous orders regarding the ban on sheesha smoking in public spaces.

  • Want a hotshot space in jail? Report reveals bribery makes influential prisoners live easy

    Want a hotshot space in jail? Report reveals bribery makes influential prisoners live easy

    It has been revealed in a report that the powerful and rich class in prison are bribing guards for special perks and facilities.

    A team led by Director-General (DG) Human Rights visited the jails and submitted its report to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    The report said that prison officials acknowledge that they are under intense political pressure. It has also been revealed that influential prisoners from Jhelum and Mianwali are being kept in Adiala Jail due to pressure from the Home Department. The report also revealed that inmates of Bhakkar Jail had provided evidence of money transfer to jail authorities.

    According to the report, the brother of one of the prisoners gave evidence of giving one lakh 40,000 to a jail guard.

    The report further suggests that prison officials are not aware of basic human rights. The prison meeting registers also indicate discrimination against inmates for meeting times and frequencies.

    The report also states that when senior police and prison officials are shown around the premises, not all that is shown and told is true. The report recommends training in human rights for prison officials.

  • Court wants forensic audit firms to analyse CJ Saqib Nisar’s alleged audio leak

    Court wants forensic audit firms to analyse CJ Saqib Nisar’s alleged audio leak

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reportedly directed the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to submit the names of credible forensic audit firms for a forensic analysis of the alleged audio of former Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan Saqib Nasir, reports Dawn.

    Justice Athar Minallah headed the hearing of a petition filed by the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) Sindh High Court Bar Association. The association argued that it was not known who Nisar was allegedly talking to and whether the other person was even a judge or not and requested the court to set up an inquiry commission.

    They further argued that Journalist Ahmad Noorani’s story on Saqib Nisar’s audio clip has not been edited as per the forensic report of the audio clip. To this, the justice said that the source is not reliable.

    Justice Minallah asked who would bear the cost of this audio clip forensic audit?

    The President of SHCBA replied that the Ministry of Law can bear the cost, to which the IHC CJ inquired why the taxpayers’ money should be spent on it.

    “Suggest the name of any authoritative forensic agency to do a forensic audit of this audio clip,” Justice said.

    The court adjourned the hearing till January 28.

  • Court declares NDMA responsible for Murree tragedy

    Court declares NDMA responsible for Murree tragedy

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) responsible for the Murree tragedy which killed 23 people, including children due to carbon monoxide poisonous gas in their cars.

    The NDMA Chairman is Lieutenant General Akhtar Nawaz since 2020.

    During the hearing, the court asked the NDMA whether a letter had been written to the Opposition leader to call a meeting of the commission. At this, the official said the Opposition leader had not asked them to call a meeting, reports Geo News.

    “You have failed, it was your responsibility to call a meeting, you were responsible for providing a national management plan to the area,” the justice told the management member.

    Justice Minallah said that had the NDMA ensured that everyone followed the law, such incidents would not have happened.

    It is also revealed that NDMA held its last meeting on March 28, 2018. To this court chief Justice Athar Minallah questioned that, “It is a powerful body. How come no meeting took place since 2018.”

    The court ordered Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to call a meeting of the commission next week and directed the NDMA member to submit a report on the incident by next Friday.

    The hearing was called because of a petition by Hammad Abbasi, a Murree resident. According to him, on their way to Murree neither were they stopped and nor were they warned of the danger.

  • Contempt of court against Rana Shamim and journalists in affidavit case

    Contempt of court against Rana Shamim and journalists in affidavit case

    Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC), Athar Minallah has observed that former chief judge Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Rana Shamim and journalists appeared to have committed contempt of court.

    The journalists include editor-in-Chief of the Jang Media Group Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, and senior journalists Ansar Abbasi and Aamir Ghauri in connection with a news report about an affidavit that accused former Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of trying to delay the release from prison of former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

    The court said the news report [in The News] was published without taking reasonable care.

    Additionally, the IHC also appointed Attorney General (AG) for Pakistan Khalid Javed as the prosecutor in the case, reports Dawn.

    Editor Aamer Ghauri and reporter Ansar Abbasi argued that they had published the news report in the public interest. In reply, the order stated that freedom of expression did not apply to the cases pending in the courts.

    “It appears that the reporter had not sought any legal advice regarding the status of a copy of a leaked document in the form of an affidavit,” said the order.

    However, Shamim and others have been asked to appear in court on January 7 for prosecution in the contempt of court case.

  • ‘Shehbaz Sharif will be at the forefront of the race for the slot of PM after Nawaz Sharif’: Rana Sanaullah

    ‘Shehbaz Sharif will be at the forefront of the race for the slot of PM after Nawaz Sharif’: Rana Sanaullah

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said that the PML-N leadership, including Shehbaz Sharif, had authorised the party supremo Nawaz Sharif to make all decisions for the party, including the selection for the prime minister’s candidacy slot in the general elections of 2023. Maryam was talking to journalists after attending the hearing of her appeal by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Avenfield Apartment reference on Tuesday.

    “Shehbaz Sharif is a fatherly figure, he is president of the PML-N, but the decision on his candidature is to be taken by the party leadership.”

    Her comments come after former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced that Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif will be PML-N’s candidate for prime minister in the general elections of 2023.

    “Shehbaz Sharif is our president and he will be our next candidate for prime minister,” said Khaqan.

    On the other hand, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, said that there is no doubt our workers chant slogans in the name of Nawaz Sharif.

    “If Nawaz Sharif is not available, or does not want to become prime minister then the senior-most member next to Mian Nawaz Sharif is Mian Shehbaz Sharif Sahab.”

    Rana Sanaullah while talking about the disqualification cases against Maryam Nawaz said that even if the cases against her end, Shehbaz Sharif will be at the forefront of the race.

    On being asked if Maryam Nawaz has political ambitions and will she support someone else in the race, Rana said that once a name is announced by the leadership, everyone will fully support the candidate.

  • ‘PTI tickets are a sign of disgrace’ says Maryam Nawaz, PTI’s Gill fires back

    Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has suffered a dreadful defeat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Local Government (LG) elections.

    Maryam, while talking to the media outside of Islamabad High Court (IHC) stated that “In the future, nobody wants to get the PTI party ticket. Their tickets are a sign of disgrace. If anybody gets it, I would suggest that they wear a helmet.”

    “When a government performs so badly not only the public but your own party’s Member of National Assembly (MNA) and Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) criticise you”, she added.

    “This is the first government in history that has one after the other faced defeat in the by-elections,” PML-N leader said.

    Moreover, she said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan should resign and accept the wrong-doings he did to the public.

    When asked about PML-N’s performance in KP LG elections she congratulated Maulana Fazlur Rehman and stated that PML-N considers Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) win as their win while claiming that her party has a big vote bank in the province, they just need to focus on it.

    While answering about the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s nomination for the seat of PM she said that the decision is yet to be finalised by Nawaz Sharif.

    About her hearing, Maryam revealed that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) asked for an adjournment as they had no answers and evidence against her. The hearing is adjourned till January 18.

    In response to PML-N vice president’s statement, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill said that Maryam is talking just like Indian PM Narendra Modi.

    Talking about the loss in KP local elections, he claimed that “Once official results will be out you will see that PTI is still the biggest party in the province,” while admitting that it was PTI vs PTI.

    Gill said,” Unlike you [PML-N] we learn from past mistakes. We don’t abuse the establishment and the institutions like you,” while saying that party gives tickets to people whom their workers like.

    Gill also took a jibe at Junaid Safdar’s wedding and claimed that it was a campaign by PML-N as they hijacked all the media because of it.

  • UK oath commissioner claims Rana Shamim’s affidavit authentic, ready to appear in Pak court

    United Kingdom (UK) oath commissioner Charles Guthrie, who authenticated the affidavit of former Chief Judge (CJ) Gilgit Baltistan Rana Mohammad Shamim, has claimed the affidavit’s authenticity, reports Murtaza Ali Shah for Geo News.

    In an exclusive interview, the commissioner revealed that when CJ Rana Shamim came to him for signature, he [Shamim] was in his senses and under no pressure. The commissioner also said he is ready to appear before at any legal forum, including the Islamabad High Court (IHC), for confirmation.

    While confirming the authenticity, Guthrie said that the affidavit published in The News with the redaction of a key name was genuine and it’s the same affidavit that carries the stamp of his firm London Notary Public and the name and signature of the London oath commissioner.

    Commenting on Shamim, Guthrie said, “The former CJ is a highly educated, intelligent man. I think he was one of the most senior judges in Pakistan in his time. He confirmed to me that yes he understood exactly what he was swearing by in his oath. I saw him alone at the time he made that oath with me”.

    Guthrie provides services to the Pakistan High Commission in London and verifies papers for the Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Back in 2017, he attested all Panama related papers.

    Furthermore, Guthrie — while saying that he was aware of the controversy caused in Pakistan — stated: “I am independent and neutral. I am a non-political person. So, if the Pakistan High Commission asks me to certify true and genuine papers, I will certify them if they are true and genuine. I have done that in the past. If a person comes to me to make an oath or statement of truth, I will make him produce proper proof of identity and to see they have a proper capacity to make a statement of truth on oath.”

    “I know it’s high news in Pakistan. I will generally refuse to say anything about it other than to state what happened that the person making it was identified to me.”

    Talking with Murtaza, Guthrie also disclosed the standard procedure of signing the papers in England. “The person has to produce proof of identity. They have to produce, for example, either a passport or a national ID card or photo driving license and I will be satisfied they are genuinely the person they are. That’s exactly what happened here. The person [CJ Shamim] produced his passport and I believe it was a national identity card as well. He made the statement of oath independently, alone with me.”

    During this report, it was revealed that at least three people attempted to pay Charles Guthrie for verification of documents and then tried to obtain the story as if the affidavit was fake. However, it didn’t work as Guthrie stuck to his legal and factual position. According to the UK commissioner, he has received lots of inquiries since the affidavit of Justice Shamim was made public.

    This interview came after the former CJ appeared before IHC and said that the affidavit he had signed accusing former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar was leaked.

  • Noor Mukadam case: SC demands evidence against Zahir Jaffer’s mother

    Noor Mukadam case: SC demands evidence against Zahir Jaffer’s mother

    The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan directed the prosecution to submit evidence against Zahir Jaffer’s (prime suspect in Noor Mukadam’s murder case) mother Asmat Adamjee, reports Dawn.

    The Court was hearing the bail pleas of ​​the parents of Zahir Jaffer, which were previously rejected by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    The petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Khawaja Harris stressed that the case against the petitioners was not based on solid evidence, rather the allegations were highly speculative.

    Justice Umar Ata Bandial, during the hearing, pointed out that there was no mention of Adamjee in the IHC’s order denying bail to the duo.

     “We are just trying to get the hang of the Noor Mukadam case,” Justice Bandial said while adding that the court was seeking information only to understand the facts of the case.

    Khawaja Harris argued that the order to complete the trial in two months will affect the right to a fair trial.

    To which the court said that the right to a fair trial was a must. “But the delay in handling the case only adds to anxiety.”

    Justice Bandial adjourned the court till October 18. However, last week a sessions court in Islamabad fixed October 14 for the indictment of 12 suspects in the case.

    Last week, Zahir Jaffer’s parents challenged IHC’s bail rejection by approaching the SC.

  • IHC suspends plot allotments to judges in Islamabad

    IHC suspends plot allotments to judges in Islamabad

    Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah suspended allotment of plots to the capital’s judiciary in sectors F-14 and F-15, observing that this award of land was a conflict of interest, reported Dawn.

    The court also issued a notice to the attorney general and sought an explanation from the Ministry of Housing and Works on the policy of distribution of plots among a few segments of society.

    Justice Athar Minallah was hearing a petition filed by property owners in villages Thalla Syedan and Jhangi Syedan in Islamabad district against the acquisition of their land.

    During the hearing of the matter, Justice Minallah remarked: “It has been reported that the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority had recently held a ballot for allotment of plots in F-14 and F-15. The list indicates that virtually every judicial officer of the district courts of Islamabad, who are expected to resolve and adjudicate upon the grievances and rights of the affected landowners, is a beneficiary.”

    “It, prima facie, raises serious questions regarding conflict of interest because the plots are given to the beneficiaries at substantially lower prices than the current market rates and thus each beneficiary has a financial interest,” said Justice Minallah.

    “Moreover, astonishingly the list also includes those judicial officers who have been dismissed on account of misconduct or corruption,” added Justice Minallah.

    Justice Minallah observed that the judicial officer who was convicted and sentenced by this court was also one of the beneficiaries.

    As per the record of the FGEHA, three sacked additional district and sessions judges — Pervaizul Qadir Memon, Raja Khurram Ali Khan, and Jahangir Awan — were allotted a Kanal plot each in F-14 and F-15 while two former civil judges, Adnan Jamali and Amir Khalil, were given plots measuring 14 marlas each in these sectors.

    Last week, two special assistants to the prime minister (SAPM), judges of the superior judiciary, and top bureaucrats were among those who had been allocated residential plots in Islamabad’s F-14 and F-15 sectors.

    Judges of the superior judiciary, as well as those of the subordinate judiciary, and a few journalists had been placed in Category I — plots measuring one Kanal.

    While the judges of all the provincial high courts have been allotted plots in F-14 and F-15, not a single judge from the Islamabad High Court was among the applicants.