Tag: Pakistan

  • Enforced Disappearance Bill never went missing, claims Chairman Senate

    Enforced Disappearance Bill never went missing, claims Chairman Senate

    In response to recent speculations surrounding the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Senate Secretariat has issued a statement on Monday, debunking claims of the bill on enforced disappearances going “missing.”

    The Senate Secretariat clarified that the bill was duly passed by the National Assembly (NA) and subsequently returned to the NA after receiving approval from the Senate.

    https://twitter.com/OfficeSenate/status/1744311661509382327?s=20

    The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2021, designed to introduce amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure, received approval from the NA on November 8, 2021.

    Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari had previously voiced concerns about the bill’s status, suggesting that it had disappeared after being forwarded to the Senate.

    In its official statement, the Senate Secretariat refuted these claims, providing a detailed timeline of the bill’s progress. According to the Secretariat, the bill was initially introduced in the NA by the then-interior minister on January 7, 2021. After successfully passing the NA on November 8, 2021, the bill was transmitted to the Senate on November 10, 2021, adhering to constitutional and procedural requirements.

    Addressing the allegations raised by Shireen Mazari, the Senate Secretariat clarified that the bill was presented in the Senate on July 29, 2022. Subsequently, it was referred to the standing committee for a comprehensive consideration and report.

    “The Bill was passed by the Senate on 20th October, 2022 with some amendments. Accordingly, in pursuance of clause (2) of Article 70 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 and rule 125 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, the Bill was returned to the originating House, i.e. the National Assembly of Pakistan on 20th October, 2022,” the statement said.

    The Secretariat underscored that, by Article 70 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, and Rule 125 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, the bill was returned to its originating House, the National Assembly, on October 20, 2022, after securing approval in the Senate.

    The statement concluded by emphasizing that the bill was never missing, and it is not currently pending in the Senate Secretariat. Instead, it has been appropriately returned to the National Assembly after completing the required legislative process in the Senate. The Senate Secretariat reiterated its commitment to upholding constitutional and procedural standards in handling legislative matters.

  • ‘Sky will not fall if polls are deferred’: Maulana Fazlur Rehman 

    ‘Sky will not fall if polls are deferred’: Maulana Fazlur Rehman 

    Amid the ongoing controversy about the general elections scheduled for February 8, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the Senate’s resolution advocating the postponement of the electoral process aligns with his party’s stance.

    The resolution, proposed by an independent lawmaker in the upper house of parliament on Friday amid concerns about extreme weather conditions and the security situation in the country.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman, speaking on Geo News‘ program ‘Jirga’ before embarking on his visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, emphasised the need for a deferral of polls for the betterment of the security situation. 

    “Sky will not fall if polls are deferred for the betterment of the [security] situation,” Fazl said. He has continued to raise concerns about the security situation in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

    The JUI-F chief’s visit to Kabul comes at a delicate juncture, marked by strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to a surge in terror incidents, primarily attributed to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned outfit.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman has consistently asserted that the current situation in the country is not conducive to holding elections, citing multiple attacks on his party in the last six months. The most recent incident was a gun attack on the JUI-F’s convoy in Dera Ismail Khan, where fortunately, he remained unharmed.

    The controversy surrounding the postponement of elections, which have already been delayed, intensified following the Senate’s approval of a resolution seeking to defer polls.

    However, a fresh resolution was tabled on Saturday in favour of conducting elections on February 8 as originally scheduled, leading to the initiation of contempt proceedings against senators involved in the delay resolution.

    Speaking about the motion to postpone polls, Maulana Fazlur Rehman stated in an interview that the Senate resolution supported the JUI-F’s stance on the threats of terrorism, although he claimed to have no prior information about the resolution.

    Expressing concerns about the electoral environment, especially in KP and Balochistan, the seasoned politician urged stakeholders to grasp the gravity of the situation. “People are being threatened through pamphlets warning them against attending JUI-F rallies.”

    Despite the challenging circumstances, Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed hope for improvement and emphasised that his party would participate in elections. He stated, “We are not the ones running away from the elections,” underscoring the importance of talks and mediation while assessing ground realities for discussions with the TTP.

    Addressing the issue of a level-playing field, the JUI-F leader criticised the use of the term for a single party, alluding to shifts in political support. 

    “Yesterday’s blue-eyed boy is also being supported today,” he said without naming anyone.

    The year 2023 witnessed Pakistan grappling with terrorism, internal conflicts, socioeconomic disparities, regional instability and heightened tensions with militant groups along the Afghanistan border.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman, consistently voicing grave concerns over the peace and security situation, recalled previous attacks on his party members. Notably, in September, a blast in Mastung injured senior JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah, while in July, a suicide blast targeted a JUI-F workers’ convention in Bajaur’s Khar, resulting in the death of at least 40 party workers.

    In contrast to the JUI-F’s position, almost all major political parties have rejected the resolution to defer polls, insisting that the general elections must proceed as scheduled on February 8.

  • You won’t believe who first got Fawad Khan to join social media

    You won’t believe who first got Fawad Khan to join social media

    Superstar Fawad Khan recently joined Ahmed Ali Butt’s podcast and talked his career. This is a rare treat for his fans for the actor is notoriously private and not prone to giving many interviews.

    When asked about his time working in India and if Pakistani actors felt threatened by Indian actors, Khan said, “It’s a tough question because I got a lot of love in India. Politics is everywhere, but you can deal with it better in your own industry.”

    And he also talking about his experience working with Sonam Kapoor. “I auditioned for the film without preparation. I went to India for the experience and confidence. Working with the ‘Khoobsurat’ cast, especially Sonam Kapoor, felt great. It was a wonderful experience, and I only have positive things to say about it.”

    He disclosed that his entry into the world of social media was orchestrated by Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor and actor Siddharth Malhotra. Kapoor created his Twitter account during the shooting of the movie Khoobsurat, while Malhotra set up his Instagram account during the filming of Kapoor and Sons.

    Discussing his work in “Kapoor and Sons” with Kapoor and Malhotra, Fawad Khan elaborated, “Working on ‘Kapoor and Sons’ was again a project I loved, and the team was excellent.”

  • Supreme Court ends lifetime disqualification

    Supreme Court ends lifetime disqualification

    In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday overturned the lifetime disqualification of lawmakers, rescinding its previous order that barred politicians from seeking office indefinitely.

    The decision came during the hearing of a case presented by former PML-N provincial member Sardar Meer Badshah Khan Qaisrani. The top court identified inconsistencies between the Election Act of 2017 and a previous Supreme Court ruling regarding the duration of disqualification.

    The Supreme Court declared that no person can be barred for a lifetime from running in elections if they are disqualified under Article 62 (1)(f), setting aside its landmark judgment in the Samiullah Baloch case.

    Sardar Meer Badshah Khan Qaisrani had filed a petition in 2007 challenging his lifetime disqualification over allegations related to a fake degree.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, announced that the Supreme Court aims to conclude proceedings on the lifetime disqualification case by January 4 (Thursday). This crucial decision will determine whether the amendment to the Election Act 2017 aligns with Article 62(1)(F) and establish whether lawmakers’ disqualification from contesting polls should be lifelong or limited to five years.

    The seven-member larger bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and consisting of Justices Mansoor Ali Shah, Yahya Afridi, Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Musarrat Hilali, deliberated on the matter of lifetime disqualification for lawmakers during today’s proceedings.

    The apex court acknowledged the contradiction in the Election Act of 2017 and the earlier Supreme Court verdict and took this step after careful consideration. The decision marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over the length of disqualification for politicians and its alignment with constitutional provisions.

  • Winter vacations extended in KP, timings changed in Sindh

    Winter vacations extended in KP, timings changed in Sindh

    Winter vacations extended in KP on the pretext of cold while the timings for schools have been revised in Sindh for the same.

    The caretaker government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has extended winter holidays for government and private primary schools until January 13 due to severe cold and fog.

    As per official notification, all private and government primary schools (from playgroup to Class 5) across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will remain closed till January 13 due to the prevailing cold weather conditions.

    The timings for the middle/ primary, high, and higher secondary schools will be from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, instead of the previous 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. The notification further mentioned that these timings will remain in force for a week, after which the previous schedule will be followed.

    Sindh government has revised the timings for all government and private educational institutions till January 31, reportedly owing to the cold wave.

    As per a notification issued by the provincial School Education and Literacy Department dated January 8, public and private schools under the administrative control of the School Education and Literacy Department will function from 9am onwards.
    However, this notification does not apply to private institutions.

  • No extension in school holidays in Punjab but timings have been changed

    No extension in school holidays in Punjab but timings have been changed

    Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi has announced on X that school will resume on January 10, 2024, as planned.

    However, considering the ongoing winter wave, schools will start at 9:30 am from January 10 to 22nd. After the 22nd, it is expected that they will resume their regular school timings.

  • PTI set to announce election nominees in next 24 Hours

    PTI set to announce election nominees in next 24 Hours

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ali Zafar has said on Monday that the party will announce the names of its election candidates in the next 24 hours.

    While talking to GEO News, Zafar said that the party has issued confirmation notices to 98 per cent of candidates to contest the upcoming polls, set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    “The party will decide the remaining two per cent of election candidates very soon. Approval has been given on who will contest elections on which seat. The candidates will be announced today or tomorrow,” said Senator Zafar, adding that the decision will be announced after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict.

    The PTI leader also said that a large number of lawyers are going to take part in the upcoming polls on PTI tickets. However, he didn’t mention an exact number.

    The polls are just a month away, however, most political parties have yet to decide their election candidates.

    Earlier, a source within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) told The News that it was expected that the party’s top leadership will award final party tickets on Sunday; however, the announcement got postponed due to seat adjustments with multiple political parties and internal disagreements between PML-N leaders.

  • Indian Singer sets stunning world record

    Indian Singer sets stunning world record

    Multilingual Indian singer Suchetha Satish has set a stunning world record by singing in 140 languages during a nine-hour long concert on November 24, 2023, in Dubai. The concert happened at the Indian Consulate Auditorium and was a warm-up to the COP 28 Summit held from November 30 to December 12.

    She sang 101 foreign songs and 39 Indian songs. Even though she could sing in 150 languages, the organisers chose 140 to represent the 140 country leaders invited to the COP 28 summit. Suchetha started the concert by saying, “Climate change is real, and we must stop it.”
    Starting at 12 pm with an Awadhi song, she concluded the concert at 9 pm with a Hindi song dedicated to India. Impressively, she performed the entire concert without referring to any lyrics or notation.

  • Gunman dressed as lawyer opens fire in Peshawar court

    Gunman dressed as lawyer opens fire in Peshawar court

    A gunman opened fire within the premises of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Peshawar’s judicial complex on Monday, injuring three persons and killing one, media reports have said.

    Eyewitnesses on the scene reported that the alleged shooter, disguised as a lawyer, opened fire inside the ATC, creating panic throughout the judicial complex.

    The incident left four individuals severely injured, prompting an urgent response from law enforcement.

    The injured victims were swiftly and efficiently transported to the hospital.

    Tragically, Lady Reading Hospital Spokesperson Muhammad Asim revealed that one of the wounded individuals succumbed to injuries before reaching the medical facility.

    “Four people were brought to the hospital – one deceased and three injured,” stated the hospital’s spokesperson.

    According to senior journalist Iftikhar Firdous, the attacker has been arrested by police from the premises. He was one of the parties whose case was scheduled for hearing.

    Firdous questioned the level of security in the court in a tweet he posted on X, “And this is the security in a courtroom?”

    However, investigations are underway to ascertain the motives behind the attack and the identity of the assailant.

  • Actress Beena Chaudhary targeted with death threats

    Actress Beena Chaudhary targeted with death threats

    Popular Pakistani actress Beena Chaudhry has revealed in a recent video posted on her Instagram that she’s been getting death threats since the past few days. In the video, she said, “I was told that if I don’t stay quiet, I could be killed.”

    Chaudhry ominously said that anything could happen to her at any time. She has recorded a video naming those responsible in case something happens to her, and she plans to share it on social media.
    Beena Chaudhary has not clarified the reason behind the death threats nor has she mentioned the name of those threatening her. Fans asked authorities to look into the matter and protect her.