Tag: India

  • Three new cases filed against Khan after Rawalpindi rally

    Three new cases filed against Khan after Rawalpindi rally

    Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has landed in more trouble as the Punjab police registered three new cases against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) on Sunday following PTI’s protest call at Liaquat Bagh on September 28.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has been named as well.

    According to the charges, Khan allegedly incited his party workers to protest against state institutions from inside Adiala Jail, where he is currently incarcerated.

    New Town and Civil Lines police stations filed the complaints while including charges such as attempted murder, terrorism and violations of Section 144.

  • Protestors reject military operations in Swat

    Protestors reject military operations in Swat

    A large gathering appeared at Friday’s rally organised by the Swat Qaumi Jirga at Nishat Chowk, Mingora, against terrorism and military operations in the region.

    The protestors maintained that acts of terrorism in the region were “state-sponsored and artificial” and warned that Swat’s residents would take matters into their hand if the state didn’t wipe out terrorism, Dawn News reported.

    A protestor holding a white flag in his hand stated, “We are fed up with these fabricated terrorism projects. We demand peace and development initiatives on Pashtun soil. Those who devise these plans must know that such tactics can no longer fool the Pakhtun nation.”

    Citing the September 21 attack on diplomats at Malam Jabba region, a speaker said, “Swat residents are known for their hospitality. Those foreign dignitaries were our guests, but unfortunately, some elements, who are opposed to Swat’s progress, orchestrated the bomb blast on their convoy,”

    On Friday, veteran journalist Azaz Syed, on the Youtube channel ‘Talk SHOCK’, revealed that the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce hadn’t informed the Foreign Ministry of the diplomat’s visit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

  • Shehbaz Sharif slams Israel, warns India of decisive response over Kashmir in hard hitting speech

    Shehbaz Sharif slams Israel, warns India of decisive response over Kashmir in hard hitting speech

    During a hard hitting address on Friday, Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif slammed Israel at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, highlighting the brutal assault on Gaza, the Ukraine conflict and India’s violent actions in occupied Kashmir.

    Declaring Israel’s actions in Gaza a “merciless genocide”, he said, “This is a systematic slaughter of the innocent people of Gaza.”

    Warning the world of Israel’s crimes against humanity, he said, “Failure to implement UN resolutions could engulf the entire Middle East, and its consequences would be beyond imagination.”

    He stressed the need for Palestine to be admitted as a full member of the United Nations.

    Commenting on India’s absurd assertion of invading Azad Kashmir, he clearly stated, “Pakistan will respond decisively to any Indian aggression.”

    He also raised concerns about New Delhi’s ruthless occupation that crushes Kashmiri’s lives under an iron fist.

    Citing New Delhi’s heinous efforts to turn Kashmir into a playground for exploitation, he said that India always avoids the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions over Kashmir.

    He added, “Since August 5, 2019, India has taken unilateral, illegal actions to impose what its leaders ominously call a ‘Final Solution’ for Jammu and Kashmir.”

    He urged the implementation of a UN Security Council resolution in Kashmir.

    Citing India’s blatant act of aggression, he said, “The UN has failed to counter India’s prolonged curfew, abduction of numerous young Kashmiris and extra-judicial killing.”

    The Premier also highlighted the dangers of climate change that Pakistan is currently facing. “Pakistan was devastated by the flood in 2022, which cost 30 billion dollars in damages despite the country contributing less than one per cent to global carbon emissions.”

    On SDGs in nearly 100 underdeveloped countries, he concluded his speech by calling it a “death trap” rather than a “debt trap.”

  • PTI lawmaker joins government ahead of constitutional amendments

    PTI lawmaker joins government ahead of constitutional amendments

    A big shock for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as PTI Member National Assembly (MNA) Adil Khan Bazai has joined the incumbent government ahead of proposed constitutional amendments, ARY News reported.

    PTI-backed independent candidate Adil Bazai secured his National Assembly seat from Quetta constituency NA-262 in the general election of 2024.

    After Bazai joined the incumbent government, the coalition government number rose to 215 seats in the National Assembly.

    Earlier, the coalition government attempted to pass the constitutional amendments from parliament but was unsuccessful due to the insufficient number of lawmakers required to pass the amendments.

    Chief Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman had been the decision maker by having only five votes of the Upper House in his pocket.

    Veteran journalist Azaz Syed, on the YouTube channel ‘Talk SHOCK’, claimed that the coalition government intends to introduce the twenty-sixth constitutional amendment drafts to parliament in the first week of October.

  • Reserved seats uncertainty: ECP again approaches Supreme Court

    Reserved seats uncertainty: ECP again approaches Supreme Court

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has challenged the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan’s September 14 detailed verdict regarding the allotment of women and non-muslim reserved seats to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    The ECP explained in its plea that the apex court’s July 12 ruling came before the Election Amendment Act 2024; on this amendment, the ECP sought clarification from the apex court on whether to follow the amended parliamentary law or the top court’s September 14 detailed verdict.

    The 8-5 majority ruling of the Supreme Court’s verdict on reserved seats read, “Withdrawal of election symbol cannot disqualify a political party from elections.”

    It further read, “The PTI was and is a political party.”

    On September 14, the top court issued the detailed verdict of its July 12 ruling, directing the ECP to allot reserved seats to PTI.

    Meanwhile, the Election Amendment Act 2024 stated, “A candidate who does not submit the party certificate before obtaining the election symbol will be considered an independent candidate. If the list of candidates for reserved seats is not submitted within the specified period, no political party will be entitled to those seats.”

  • 46 dead in Kurram clashes so far

    46 dead in Kurram clashes so far

    Clashes between rival tribes in Kurram district have been ongoing for eight days now, with 46 people dead and 96 injured so far.

    On Friday, fresh clashes left five more people dead and 15 injured, Dawn News reported.

    Earlier, clashes started between the Bushehra tribe and the Ahmedzai tribe in the Kurram district following the construction of trenches on disputed land.

    Viewing the ongoing clashes at Kurram district, former Senator and tribal leader Sajid Turi had claimed that a grand jirga tried to resolve the dispute but ended in vain.

    Meanwhile, on Thursday, in a statement issued from the CM’s secretariat, Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur said that serious efforts were being made to maintain public order in the province.

    He added, “After the improvement of the law and order situation in southern districts, more checkposts will be handed over to the police. However, before that happens, there is a need to enhance the capabilities of police.”

  • Sindh govt unaware: NAB recovers Rs 6 trillion worth of land

    Sindh govt unaware: NAB recovers Rs 6 trillion worth of land

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered 90 per cent of 18 lac acres of land in Sindh of which the provincial government was reportedly unaware.

    Prominent journalist Asif Bashir Chaudhary has revealed on a YouTube show ‘Talk SHOCK’ that NAB sent notices to the occupants of the land, ordering them to show the documents as proof of ownership. However, they failed to produce the required documents.

    “Possession land belongs to Sukkur and Karachi forest reserves,” he revealed, adding that the Ministry of Forest did not have a record of land.

    He revealed that Chairman NAB Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad, who had complete documents of recovered 16,200,00 acres, presented to Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah.

    The CM Sindh was, reportedly, unaware of the news.

    “The estimated cost of recovered land is six trillion rupees,” he concluded.

  • Bilawal Bhutto calls for establishment of federal constitutional court

    Bilawal Bhutto calls for establishment of federal constitutional court

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has stressed the need to form Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to address disparities among Pakistan’s provinces.

    Addressing the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Bhutto stated that the 18th Amendment was threatened to be overturned while the 19th Amendment was passed under pressure.

    He pointed out that the details for the 19th Amendment have not been disclosed to-date.

    “The judicial reforms would be undertaken in line with the Charter of Democracy (COD), come what may,” he vowed.

    Bilawal Bhutto explained that PPP is considering to form a Constitutional Court in every province to address constitution-related cases, but he also clarified that no consensus has been reached on this proposal.

    “Agar Pakistan ka nizaam theek kerna hai tou Charter Of Democracy (COD) par amal kerna parega,” he added.

  • Govt warns IPPs to end Power Purchase Agreement or face forensic audit

    Govt warns IPPs to end Power Purchase Agreement or face forensic audit

    Owners of four Independent Power Producers (IPPs) set up under both 1994 policy 2002 policy have been directed to voluntarily discontinue the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and go into ‘pay-and-take mode’, an official privy to the dealings told The News.

    Official privy further said, “The government will not pay capacity payments anymore in the range of Rs139-150 billion per annum to the said IPPs for the next 3-5 years; this has been told to the proprietors of the said five IPPs. They have also been categorically told that the government has already made excess payments to the said IPPs in the form of capacity payments and returns on equity and has also paid the loans for the IPPs.”

    Meanwhile, the owner of IPP, the official said, responded that if the government pays RS 55 billion to his company, he will not only be ready to terminate the contract but also hand over the plant to the government.

    The main member of the task force has told IPP owners that there is no other option for them; if they don’t act, a forensic audit will initiate and recover extra profits they made in the past through wrongdoings.

    The 1994 governmental agreement with IPPs states that whether these power producers work at a hundred per cent efficiency or fifty per cent efficiency, they will be paid for their installed capacity.

    The agreement was based on a ‘take or pay’ policy (the government was bound to pay to IPPs even if no electricity was produced or supplied), not a “take and pay” policy.

  • ‘Afghan diplomat 14 August ko national anthem ke ihteraam mein khare hoye thay,’ Faisal Kundi reveals double standards

    ‘Afghan diplomat 14 August ko national anthem ke ihteraam mein khare hoye thay,’ Faisal Kundi reveals double standards

    Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Faisal Karim Kundi, while recalling the Afghan diplomat’s refusal to stand up for the Pakistan anthem in the presence of Chief Minister (CM) KP Ali Amin Gandapur, has claimed that the same Afghan diplomat stood up for the anthem on August 14 during a flag hoisting ceremony.

    Appearing on the Samaa News programme ‘Mere Sawal With Absar Alam,’ Kundi revealed that the Afghan diplomat, along with an Iranian diplomat and an American diplomat, stood up for the national anthem as a respectful gesture.

    He said, “14 August ko mein nay bulaya thaa, tab inhain koi takleef nahi thi or national anthem kay ihteraam may kharay b huway thay.”

    Lambasting CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur’s stance of showing no objection to the disrespect, Kundi said he appeared to be the provincial CM of Afghanistan.

    Earlier, during an official event in Peshawar to commemorate 12th Rabi ul Awal, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), two Afghan diplomats deliberately refused to stand up for Pakistan’s anthem.

    After strong discontent from Pakistan, Afghan Consulate Peshawar spokesperson Shahid Ullah clarified, “The Consul General did not stand due to the music in the anthem. We have even banned our own national anthem for the same reason.”