Tag: Justice system

  • Indonesia: Chief Justice dismissed over decision in favor of the President’s son

    Indonesia: Chief Justice dismissed over decision in favor of the President’s son

    A judicial panel in Indonesia has dismissed the Chief Justice of the country over allegations of conflict of interest. It was reported that Chief Justice Anwar Usman gave a verdict in favour of President Joko Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

    Last month, Chief Justice who happened to be the President’s relative, gave a ruling regarding the age limit of vice-presidential elections, a decision critics saw as favouring him to a great extent. The controversy led to an outrage resulting in his dismissal by the panel of judges in the top court.

    The judicial panel found him guilty of violating the ethical code of judges as he is the brother-in-law of the president and should have remained neutral but he could not recuse himself.

    The panel was asked to investigate the conduct of judges amid public outcry after they ruled that the minimum age requirement of 40 need not apply to election candidates who had previously held elected office. The ruling was made just days before the start of registration for the 2024 election. The 36-year-old, already serving as a mayor of Surakarta city, was able to register for the election of the vice president.

    The panel has decided that Justice Anwar can serve as one of the nine judges of the court but must not take part in any election-related cases in the future as those fall under a conflict of interest. The rest of the eight judges have also been reprimanded by the panel.

    Criticism against the decision stemmed from the public seeing the step as part of Widodo’s aim of forming a dynasty by appointing his son the the vice-president. He himself has completed two terms and has not backed any candidate formally for upcoming elections.

  • Supply of free flour for underprivileged cannot be questioned, says Lahore High Court

    Supply of free flour for underprivileged cannot be questioned, says Lahore High Court

    Lahore High Court has ruled that the government is responsible for providing free flour to those living below the poverty line and unable to purchase it themselves, and therefore the supply of free flour cannot be challenged in court. The court also stated that the supply of free flour under the government’s “Ramzan package” is a policy decision that cannot be interfered with by the court. This ruling came in response to a petition filed by a bar member challenging the government’s fixation of the wheat price at Rs3,900 per 40 kg.

    LHC dismissed the petition, stating that the government has the authority to fix prices and take necessary measures to cater to the needs of the people. The court also observed that the fixation of prices of commodities such as wheat by the government falls within the policy-making domain of the government and that this function must be performed keeping in mind various factors such as the availability of stocks and demand and supply.

    The court further noted that the government’s power to fix prices cannot be ordinarily interfered with by the court in its constitutional jurisdiction and that in the absence of any law or policy, the court cannot issue directions to respondents to provide flour or wheat to consumers at subsidised rates. The court also stated that the government’s purchase and sale of wheat, provision of wheat to flour mills, subsidised value, and framing of policy to provide flour at a particular rate or free of cost to deserving people of the society are all within the policy-making domain of the government.

    The court held that the government’s fixation of the wheat price was within its jurisdiction and powers, and that the government’s decision to fix the price was made after considering various factors, including regulating market forces. According to Brecorder, the court observed that the government’s power to fix prices cannot be challenged by petitioners who do not have access to the relevant data or the capability to determine various aspects of the price-fixing criteria.

    In conclusion, the court ruled that the government has the authority to fix the price of wheat and that the supply of free flour to those in need is a policy decision that cannot be challenged in court. The court also noted that the fixation of prices of commodities falls within the policy-making domain of the government and must be performed in consideration of various factors and that the court cannot interfere with the government’s power to fix prices in its constitutional jurisdiction.

  • ‘Beasts will realise consequences’, Politicians reacts to Zahir Jaffer’s conviction

    ‘Beasts will realise consequences’, Politicians reacts to Zahir Jaffer’s conviction

    Zahir Jaffer has been found guilty in Noor Mukadam’s case and has been sentenced to death by a session court in Islamabad on Thursday.

    Following the announcement of the verdict, Twitterati praised the decision. Pakistani politicians came forward and talked about the justice system in the country.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz tweeted, “The wounds Noor Mukadam’s rape and murder inflicted on the collective conscience of humanity may never heal but it is reassuring that beasts in human disguise will realise that consequences can be grave.”

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry praised the police and prosecution, saying that they fulfilled their responsibilities and the court decided in four months. He further added, “Hopefully the justice institutions will meet the expectations of the people and the rule of law will come into force.”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Naz Baloch said that she has a lot of respect for Noor’s parents. She tweeted, “Finally Justice prevailed!! Lots of respect for the courageous parents of Noor Muqaddam who fought for their innocent daughter until the murderer Zahir Jaffar was sentenced for the heinous crime.”

    Reacting to the news, PML-N MNA Hina Parvez Butt said, “This justice is not enough, but may your brutal death drive us into making this world safer for all the Noors.”

  • CM Sindh compares murderer Shahrukh Jatoi living in luxury to Murree tragedy

    CM Sindh compares murderer Shahrukh Jatoi living in luxury to Murree tragedy

    Chief Minister (CM) Sindh Murad Ali Shah addressed the media on Tuesday and said that he got to know about death row convict Shahrukh Jatoi’s luxurious life in the private hospital room yesterday.

    During the press conference, in an absurd reference, the CM repeatedly compared Shahrukh Jatoi’s case to the Murree tragedy.

    He said that no family died in this case because of the cold but he really appreciated that the media aired the news. He assured that those who are responsible for providing the convict [Shahrukh] facilities will be punished.

    “I have directed the administration for an inquiry. This is not acceptable”, he added.

    While pointing out the government’s incompetency in the Murree tragedy, he stated that he will not back the administration and say that they did “good” work.

    Jatoi was transferred to the hospital when he complained of a backache and later, reportedly complained of having gastric problems.

    According to the rules, if the life of a prisoner is in danger, he would be transferred to public or private hospitals. However, the provincial health department did not receive any letter to shift him to the private hospital.

    When the news aired on various channels, the administration of the jail came into action and Jatoi was put behind bars once again. He was arrested after he killed Shahzeb Khan in 2012.

  • Father of Asma Rani pardons his daughter’s murderer

    The father of the medical student Asma Rani, who was killed in 2018, has ‘pardoned’ the murderer of his daughter, Samaa has reported.

    “They wronged my daughter but I have decided to pardon the culprit for the sake of Allah’s blessings,” said Asma’s father.

    “I was also receiving threats in connection with the case and I was also told that ‘we are in the government, so you should consent to the settlement’ but I was adamant that I will see Asma’s killer at the gallows,” Dastageer said.

    Police say Dastageer pardoned the death sentence of Mujahid Afridi at a Jirga and the formal declaration of the settlement would be announced on September 5.

    However, the the member of Marwat Qaumi Jirga has said that they had turned down the request of Asma Rani’s father to attend the meeting that will take place at Kohat’s Tableeghi Markaz, Dawn has reported.

    Timeline:

    January 2018: Asma Rani was shot dead in Kohat in January 2018 for refusing a marriage proposal. She was taken to a nearby hospital after being shot thrice. In her last video, Asma named her murderer Mujahid Afridi. The video caused outrage in the country. Later, the accused fled the country.

    March 2018: Afridi was arrested from Dubai.

    April 2018: The trial was transferred from Kohat to Peshawar on the directives of the Peshawar High Court in April 2018.

    25 June 2021: District and Sessions Court in Peshawar handed over the death sentence to Mujahid Afridi.

  • Govt of Punjab responsible for releasing my attacker, not judiciary: Khadija Siddiqi

    Khadija Siddiqi, a young lawyer who was stabbed 23 times by Shah Hussain in 2016, questioned the Punjab government for the early release of her attacker.

    Shah Hussain was released from jail on 17 July without completing his five years in jail term. He got a 1.5 year remission.

    “Many people raising questions on the order of the High Court, given by Justice Shan Gul, just to clarify, they approached the court for 1 month of further remission which was NOT granted by the court,” said Khadija in a tweet, adding: “The @GovtofPunjabPK had already granted extraordinary REMISSION of 1.5 years! State to be blamed.”

    “Dear State, will you break the silence and hold jail authorities accountable?” she asked.

    In another tweet, Khadija tagged Punjab Prisons Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan and wrote: “You are responsible for allowing early release of my attacker.”

    Speaking on Geo News programme AAj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Khadija said that she has no idea on what basis Shah Hussain got a remission of one and a half years. “It is evident that influence has been used in this case.” She said that when she came to know about the release of Hussain through unofficial sources, she wrote to CCPO Lahore that she needs security because her life is in danger as her attacker will be out but she did not get any response.

    Karachi-based lawyer Jibran Nasir, while talking exclusively to The Current, said that the government needs to explain how and why Shah Hussain has been released without completing his five year sentence.

    Siddiqi was stabbed 23 times on a busy Lahore street while she was picking her six-year-old sister from school on May 3, 2016.

  • Therapy Works and its alleged role in the murder of Noor Mukadam

    The daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat was killed on Tuesday. Noor Mukadam, 27, daughter of Shaukat Mukadam, was found murdered at a residence in the capital’s upscale Sector F-7/4 and the alleged murderer, Zahir Jaffar was arrested for the murder.

    As per details, Zahir Jaffar was allegedly associated with Therapy Works.

    https://twitter.com/situationsarah/status/1417854061966237701

    In a recent development, Islamabad Police has decided to interview the management of Therapy Works, which allegedly granted murder suspect Zahir Jaffar a certification to become a therapist.

    According to the information provided on Therapy Works website,  the centre is affiliated with the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) in the United Kingdom and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

    However,British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has confirmed that Therapy Works is not a member of BACP. “Thanks for bringing this to our attention,” said BACP while responding to a tweet.

    “We can confirm that this organisation is not a member of BACP, and we’ve contacted them to ask they remove the BACP logo from their website and other advertising materials.”

    Meawhile, Therapy works has denied the allegations of Zahir Jaffar seeing clients of the organisation.

    “Zahir Jaffer was enrolled as a student in UK Level 3 from September 2015 to September 2016. After this he joined UK Level 4 from October 2016 to June 2018. He did not complete his coursework and International Essays, and accordingly was never given permission to see clients,” said the statement.

    While Therapy Works has responded to the allegation that Zahir was a practicing therapist, The Current reached out to them asking for a response to the allegations that they were involved in the incident. We are still waiting for a response.

  • ‘Pakistan’s governance system has become corrupt’

    The governance system in Pakistan has become corrupt, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah said Thursday.

    He expressed the belief that people do not even have access to “cheap and speedy justice.”

    According to Geo, he was hearing cases against the rising number of crime in Islamabad, obstacles in the delivery of justice, issues pertaining to naval farms and housing societies.

    Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar also appeared before the court.

    Pointing out the flaws in the justice system, Justice Minallah said district courts, which are meant to deal with the problems of the common man, had never been anyone’s priority.

    In response, the PM’s adviser said he has already briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the matter.”

    You are the adviser on accountability, so I suggest you go to the accountability courts yourself and examine the conditions there,” Justice Minallah said.

    “The judges in those courts do not even have the staff for dictation. There is a lot of work pressure on those courts, but there is an acute dearth of staff.”

    The chief justice added that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has repeatedly stressed courts to hear cases on a daily basis, adding that judges are “ready to work day and night if the executives cooperate with them.”

    “You should visit the accountability courts and brief the prime minister about the situation,” Justice Minallah told Akbar.

    Responding to the judge’s remarks, Akbar said he has been appearing in the same courts for quite some time, adding that the situation in courts did not worsen overnight and it took 40 years of neglect to reach the current stage.

    “Advisers do not have executive authority, we can only provide suggestions,” Akbar said. “We will do whatever we can to improve the conditions of special courts.”