Tag: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt to challenge constitutional amendments

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt to challenge constitutional amendments

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, led by Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur, has decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the federal government’s proposed constitutional amendments.

    In a provincial cabinet meeting chaired by Ali Amin Gandapur, cabinet members stressed that parliament is incomplete as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has not yet received its reserved seats.

    “Federal government doesn’t have the authority of constitutional amendments,” cabinet members added.

    The KP cabinet meeting also approved a grant of thirty million rupees for the Lahore High Court Bar Association, and by relaxing the ban on vehicle purchases, the cabinet also approved ninety lac rupees for High Court judges.

    Earlier, the federal government announced the twenty-sixth constitutional amendment, which reads that the eight-member National Assembly Committee will send the names of top senior judges to the Prime Minister (PM) for the position of Chief Justice (CJ) of the Federal Constitutional Court. The committee will then choose one CJ out of three recommended names, ruling out the scenario of the most senior judge as CJ.

  • KP discontinues testing service for hiring govt employees under scale 9

    KP discontinues testing service for hiring govt employees under scale 9

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has abolished the Educational Testing and Evolution Agency (ETA) test for jobs below Scale 9.

    The Higher Education, Archives and Libraries Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued a notification in light of the decision of the provincial cabinet.

    The notification says that except for Police, Finance Department, Jail, Forest, Excise and Rescue recruitment in other departments will not be done on ETA. Apart from these six departments, all other departments are authorized to make recruitments in Scale 9 on their own.

    The announcement further states that recruitments in autonomous institutions will also not be done through ETA.

  • Ex PTI MPA offloaded, leaders arrested as Peshawar High Court warns government

    Ex PTI MPA offloaded, leaders arrested as Peshawar High Court warns government

    The Peshawar High Court issued a warning on Tuesday, indicating that if the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is not permitted to carry out political activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), it would summon the caretaker chief minister of the province and the chief election commissioner for an explanation.

    “Both the chief minister and CEC will be asked about their failure to fulfil the responsibility of holding polls in a free and fair manner amid the PTI’s complaints of restrictions on its activities in the province,” Justice Ijaz Anwar observed during a hearing of a petition filed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s party for contempt proceedings against the provincial government and the administration of Mansehra district.

    The court observed that if a political party is not allowed to hold a public meeting due to security concerns, it raises questions about the Election Commission of Pakistan’s ability to conduct general elections.

    Attorney General Aamir Javed informed the court that a meeting had been called to assess the security situation, and a report would be provided within two days. The court scheduled the next hearing for November 23, focusing on the contempt petition against the caretaker government and Mansehra’s district administration.

    The bench fixed Nov 23 (Thursday) for next hearing into the PTI’s contempt petition against the caretaker government and Mansehra’s district administration for “not allowing the holding of a workers’ convention despite the court’s orders.”

    The petition was filed by PTI provincial president Ali Amin Gandapur, its provincial legal coordinator Mashal Azam, and Insaf Lawyers Forum provincial vice-president Malik Arshad Ahmad, requesting the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the relevant officers, including the provincial chief secretary, Mansehra DC and DPO, and others.

    Lawyers Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Ali Zaman, Inam Yousafzai, and others appeared for the petitioners and said a high court bench had disposed of on Oct 26 a plea of their clients after allowing the PTI to carry out political activities in the province.

    PTI MPA offloaded

    Meanwhile, in a separate incident, former PTI MPA Shaukat Ali Yousafzai was offloaded from a flight at Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport.

    Yousafzai’s flight was scheduled to depart at 9:15 am on Wednesday via Emirates flight EK-637 for Saudi Arabia, where he was to perform Umrah.

    He stated that after the boarding process was completed, the airport’s security officials came and took him into their custody “without any reason”, as per Dawn.

    The PTI ex-MPA added that when he asked the officials why he was being prevented from boarding the plane, they only replied they had “orders from authorities to not let you fly abroad”.

    Yousafzai went on to say that he would approach the Peshawar High Court and file a case against the airport’s security officials for offloading him as, according to him, neither was there a first information report against him nor was his name on the Exit Control List.

    PTI leaders arrested

    In a related development, Liaqat Ali Yousafzai, PTI’s Shangla chapter president and brother of Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, along with six other party workers were arrested by the police for allegedly violating Section 144 during a party meeting in Shahpur. The PTI criticized the authorities, claiming unequal treatment compared to other political parties allowed to hold public meetings.

    The situation reflects a growing tension between the PTI and local authorities, with the Peshawar High Court intervening to address concerns of restricted political activities in KP.

  • Supreme Court to announce verdict tomorrow at 11am in elections suo motu case

    A five-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) has reserved its verdict and said that it would announce the verdict in the elections suo motu case tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11am.

    The hearing of the case has been completed.

    Last Wednesday, the top court took suo motu notice of the delay in holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    SC orders PTI and govt to consult on elections dates themselves and inform court

    Earlier, the apex court directed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the coalition government to sit together and decide on a date for elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by 4pm today (Tuesday).

    In this regard, the top court directed Shireen Mazari and Fawad Chaudhry to consult with their party chairman, Imran Khan—who has been making appearances before various courts since Tuesday afternoon— and coalition partners’ lawyers to consult with their leaders and update the court.

    The instructions were issued after a five-member bench resumed hearing the apex court’s suo motu proceedings regarding the delay in the provincial polls.

    During the hearing on Tuesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial stated that none of the institutions, other than the court, had the authority to extend elections further than 90 days.

    The CJP also said that the court wanted to wrap up the proceedings today. “Our entire work is on halt because of this case,” he added and adjourned the hearing.

    The hearing has resumed again.

    Bench toot gaya: Five judges resume SC hearing after four recuse themselves from suo motu

    On February 27, SC resumed the hearing regarding election date suo motu notice.

    The bench, which previously included nine SC judges, has been reconstituted to a five-member bench after four judges disassociated themselves. Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Yahya Afridi recused themselves from hearing the case.

    A five-member bench has now started listening to the hearing of the case. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has said that the case has to be wrapped up by 9:30 tomorrow.

    At the previous hearing, the coalition parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamat-e-Ulema Islami-Fazl (JUI-F) — had presented a note in the apex court asking two SC judges, Justice Ahsan and Justice Naqvi, to recuse themselves from the case.

    CJP Bandial said that four members of the bench have disassociated themselves from the bench. “The remaining bench, however, will continue hearing the case.

    “We will continue the hearing for the interpretation of the Constitution because what the Constitution says depends on its interpretation,” he stated.

    CJP Bandial also pointed out that the note of one of Justice Mandokhail had emerged on social media even before the verdict was released. “We will take precautions so that such an incident does not recur in the future.”

    The CJP also addressed the issue of Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail’s objection note being leaked on social media, assuring that measures would be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

    He remarked that whatever written in the Constitution was conditional on the interpretation of it, noting that the case was critical and warranted swiftness.

    Starting out his arguments, PTI’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar said that the chief minister of Punjab sent a summary regarding dissolution of assembly to the governor.

    However, he said that the governor did not comply to it following which the assembly automatically dissolved after 48 hours.

    The counsel argued that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had requested the date of polls from the governor, who refused, citing that he was not the one who dissolved the assembly.

    Zafar said that President Arif Alvi summoned chief election commissioner for finalizing the date for polls however he did not show up.

    Following this, the lawyer said that the president unilaterally announced the dates for elections in both provinces.

    He emphasized that the Constitution clearly stipulated that elections could not exceed 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly.

    Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar remarked that there was a difference between automatic dissolution of assembly and that performed by the governor.

    Barrister Zafar commented that there was a need for someone to intervene in matters of public interest and therefore, the president announced the date.

    In response, Justice Mandokhail asked whether the president unilaterally announced the election date or if he was instructed by someone else.

    The counsel clarified that the president had provided details regarding the election date in his letter. Additionally, Zafar highlighted that the president had sent two letters to the election commission, with the first one dated February 8 requesting the announcement of the election date.

    He added that the main issue at hand was related to the announcement of the election date, which nobody seemed to be prepared for.

    The chief justice then asked if the ECP had responded to the president’s first letter, to which the counsel replied in the negative.

    During the hearing, PPP’s lawyer Farooq H Naek highlighted that they had filed a petition for the formation of a full court.

    The chief justice responded by stating that they would decide on the matter after hearing the counsel’s arguments.

    Barrister Zafar maintained that the elections could not be delayed for ten years. The court inquired about the progress in KP and asked if the governor could write a letter seeking consultation on the election date citing terrorism.

    The lawyer responded by stating that, according to him, the governor does not possess such authority.

    Justice Mazhar asked if the elections could be delayed due to terrorism, to which Justice Ali remarked that the decision on whether the polls would occur could only be taken when a date was fixed for the electoral exercise.

    Justice Mazhar then stated that the entire month was wasted on consultations.

    Justice Mandokhail inquired if the law and order situation could hamper the organization of the election, to which the CJP responded by reminding everyone that the assemblies in 2013 and 2018 completed their five-year terms.

    The DG Law added that the president could only fix the date for the polls once the assemblies completed their term.

    Justice Munib Akhtar remarked that the advice of the chief minister was implemented in KP but not in Punjab.

    The CJP stated that holding elections was the ECP’s job, while Barrister Zafar pointed out that Articles 218, 219, and 222 of the Constitution declared the election commission responsible for holding elections.

    Justice Mandokhail asked who was responsible for announcing the election date, to which Barrister Zafar said that the same question was before the court.

    He went on to say that the ECP gets the right to announce the date if Articles 218 and 219 were read jointly.

    The hearing was adjourned for a short break and set to resume at 4pm.

  • PCB to donate earnings from match against England to flood victims

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that gate earnings from the first T20I against England will be donated to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund 2022.

    The match will be played on September 20 at the National Stadium in Karachi and will begin at 7:30pm (local time).

    The PCB has urged cricket supporters and fans to buy tickets in large quantities once they go on sale online the following week in order to show solidarity with all those affected by the floods.

     “We at the PCB express our grief and sorrow for all those affected by the extreme monsoon rainfall and floods, which has ​resulted in havoc and devastation beyond imagination, killing over 1,000 and leaving around a million homeless. As cricket unites our proud nation, we stand firmly with the victims and all those involved in​ the flood relief and rescue operations,” said PCB chairman Ramiz Raja in a statement.

    According to the data issued by the National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA), at least 1,033 people have died in floods caused by heavy rains in the country.

  • Pakistan is drowning. Why don’t we care until it’s too late?

    Floods in Pakistan have affected more than 30 million people, which is about 15 per cent of the country’s population. More than a thousand people have lost their lives and millions have been displaced, prompting the government to proclaim a national emergency. This is one of the worst natural calamities in recent times. The harrowing videos and pictures on our television screens and social media show massive devastation, pain, tears, and death spread across the country. Entire villages have been washed away, and there are places that have been fully drenched due to the inundated rain and floods, turning them into islands without any access to the outside world. There are places without electricity, without internet, without phone data, without roads, and without food and help. What Pakistan witnessed in the 2010 floods is not even close to what the country is facing today. A decade later, the country is fully swamped with water. Unfortunately, we the people woke up a little too late to this harsh reality. With every passing day, the death toll increases and so does the destruction.

    The national response has been slow, to say the least, but mercifully all governments, federal and provincial, are actively helping the flood victims. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been actively visiting the flood-affected areas and trying to be at the top of his game by showing empathy towards the needy and has categorically said that it is time Pakistanis show unity and keep everything aside to save the flood victims while Chairman PTI Imran Khan will be hosting a telethon for fundraising on Monday. However, Khan has said that the PTI’s movement for Haqeeqi Azadi will continue alongside its flood relief work. PTI held a jalsa in Jehlum for its fight for haqeeqi azadi on August 27. A PTI member took to the stage and said that overseas Pakistanis should not give funds to the flood victims because the present government took away their right to vote. Khan also reiterated that his struggle against thieves will continue whether come what may. Such calamities demand a bipartisan approach from our leaders but well here too we have managed to fail our country. Khan seems pretty adamant that his quest against those he does not approve of will continue, even if there is a flood or war. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the Opposition can keep playing “jalsa, jalsa” while they will deal with the flood catastrophe.

    The question remains: will the politicians be able to let their politics take a backseat for now and show some empathy towards their own citizens? Can’t politics, the numbers game, and the blame game wait? For once, our politicians should look beyond their own personal interests and agendas and stand united. Our politicians must give priority to those millions of people who have been affected by floods. It is time that all Pakistanis must donate wholeheartedly. The people need to be prompt with their help and generosity. We hope that partisan politics is put on hold, and all political leaders fully dedicate their voices and efforts to helping the flood victims. They need to be rescued right now and relief efforts must continue. They will later need to be rehabilitated and relocated. It will take a lot of resources and hard work. We must all come together to help them right now. Our political battles can wait.

  • Two govt officers killed in DI Khan gun attack

    Two govt officers killed in DI Khan gun attack

    Two government officers have been killed in a gun attack carried out by unidentified men in Dera Ismail Khan city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    According to a report by ARY News on Monday, the police officials told the media that unidentified assailants have killed two officers of KP’s excise and narcotics control department at Darazanda Bypass of Dera Ismail Khan city.

    They added that the slain officers included Inspector Rukhsar and ASI Waseem who were targeted in the gun attack during duty hours.

    Earlier in the month, five policemen had been martyred in a rocket attack carried out by terrorists in Dera Ismail Khan.