The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce election schedule on December 17, allowing candidates to submit their nomination papers the next day, The News has reported on Thursday.
ECP will take 54 days to complete the process of conducting polls in the country on February 8, next year.
Article 220 of the constitution says that once the election schedule is announced, the caretaker government is bound to support the ECP to conduct free and fair elections in the country.
On the other hand, ECP has halted the training of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) designated for the forthcoming general elections set to take place on February 8 next year.
The ECP spokesperson issued a notification saying that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had ordered the training of DROs and ROs to stop.
Election commissioners of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan have been notified. The training of DROs and ROs is currently in progress in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta.
Previously, the high court declined the order of the ECP appointing ROs from the bureaucracy for the upcoming general election on February 8, 2024.
India singer Sonu Nigam has recently apologized to Omar Nadeem for unintentionally plagiarizing one of his songs. Sonu Nigam showed humility and respect by publicly acknowledging the similarities and extending a sincere apology to Omar Nadeem.
The controversy arose when fans observed resemblances between Sonu Nigam’s new release and a 14-year-old song by Omar Nadeem. Social media buzzed with discussions highlighting similarities in melody, rhythm, and even some lyrical elements. Sonu Nigam swiftly addressed the concerns after hearing about the debate.
Omar Nadeem responded gracefully to Sonu Nigam’s apology, appreciating the acknowledgment of the similarities. His understanding approach resonated positively with fans on both sides of the border.
As fans, we can appreciate the commitment of these artists to fostering an atmosphere of collaboration and camaraderie, even in the face of unexpected controversies.”
The season of blinding fog has officially arrived in Punjab, complete with signs of restricted movement.
M-2 route from Lahore to Kot Momin, M-3 from Faizpur to Darkhana, M-4 from Shamkot to Pindi Bhattian, and M-5 from Sher Shah to Zahir Peer were closed due to low visibility, reports Geo.
Routes between Lahore and Sialkot is closed due to heavy fog whereas a section between Gojra and Faisalabad is also blocked for the same reason.
The situation of smog is also an added factor in low visibility all over Punjab where Lahore still stands at number two in the air quality index with very unhealthy levels of air.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday resumed the hearing of a plea filed by former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and ordered him to nominate former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief General Faiz Hamid and others in the plea against his dismissal.
A five-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa heard the case. The other members of the bench are Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi.
The proceedings were broadcast live on the apex court’s website as well as on its YouTube channel.
Lawyer Hamid Khan represented the former IHC judge in the case.
Siddiqui has filed a miscellaneous application with the Supreme Court along with the case related to his dismissal from office.
The former judge has requested to make former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI head Faiz Hameed parties in the case related to his suspension.
Ex IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui has made ex army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa , ex DG ISI Faiz Hameed etc as respondents in his petition challenging his removal by SJC. Will SC issue notice to ex army chief tomorrow ( Friday) ?? pic.twitter.com/xX5k774Me3
The case was fixed for hearing earlier this month after the judge filed a miscellaneous application with the Supreme Court to conduct an early hearing of his plea against the decision by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on his dismissal.
Order
The SC order, issued by the bench, mentioned that allegations were levelled against some personalities who were not present at the case’s hearing. It added that those accused in the case must be made parties.
“How will he, who is not a party, present his position in front of the court?” the order read.
The order also mentioned that the bench will not be available to hear the petition from Monday due to winter vacations.
The case
President Arif Alvi on October 11, 2018, removed Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui as judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council (SCJ).
The president took the decision under Article 209(5)on the SJC recommendation under Article 209(6) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution, a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice stated.
The council unanimously opined that while delivering the speech before the District Bar Association in Rawalpindi on July 21, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, an IHC judge, displayed conduct unbecoming of a high court judge.
Judges on the panel included: Then Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmad, Lahore High Court’s Chief Justice Yawar Ali, and Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh.
Justice Khosa said that the judge in question chose to address a meeting of the district bar association, Rawalpindi on July 21 at a time when many inquiries were pending against him before the SJC under Article 209.
In his speech, Siddiqui accused the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of manipulating judicial proceedings, especially in the Panamagate case.
The ex-judge had submitted a plea against the Supreme Judicial Council’s (SJC) decision to dismiss him after a complaint was filed against him for inflammatory speeches.
Superstar Ayesha Omar has said that she thinks about leaving Pakistan because she doesn’t feel secure due to the current economic situation and concerns about women’s safety.
During a podcast, she shared her feelings, saying, “I want to walk on the road and enjoy fresh air, but I can’t. I want to cycle, but why can’t I do it?” She mentioned feeling stressed and anxious in Karachi, not feeling safe, which she believes is a common feeling among many women. Ayesha wants to be able to walk on the streets and enjoy fresh air without feeling anxious or stressed. She pointed out that men might not fully understand the fears and challenges faced by women in Pakistan. Despite her love for the country, she feels frustrated about the lack of freedom and safety. She mentioned her love for Pakistan, acknowledging that the country has given her everything. “I love the land, and if I had the choice to live anywhere in the world, I would choose Pakistan.” It’s a tough situation, but she’s not alone in her feelings. Her brother has already moved abroad, and her mother is also planning to leave.
Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, delivered a strong statement on the war that is taking place in Gaza during the 10th Emergency Special Session on December 12.
He expressed Pakistan’s allegiance to the resolution submitted by the Arab and Islamic countries proposing an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and release of all hostages. Ambassador Munir also criticised America, one of the permanent members, for vetoing that resolution. Calling out the friend of Israel, for proposing an amendment that “condemns one side while exonerating the other”. He called it “unfair and inequitable”.
The Pakistani ambassador reminded the world that Israel has dropped 25,000 tons of explosives on Gaza which is nearly equivalent to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He stressed that “Israel’s goal is not to erase Hamas, this is a war against the Palestinian people, not just to erase people but to erase the entire idea of Palestine. It is the same as racial slaughter conducted by settler colonial power in the past.”
Munir Akram ended the speech by calling out the UN that its duty should not be “to justify the genocide that is taking place.”
Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, especially thanked the Pakistani Ambassador for his stance and the effective speech by calling him a lawyer of the Palestinian cause in the tenth emergency session. He said that Ambassador Munir Akram shredded to pieces the amendments proposed in favour of perpetrators. He praised the Pakistani Ambassador stating that due to his efforts “even one of the opposing countries voted in favour of the resolution today”.
Member states then adopted a resolution demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and well as “ensuring humanitarian access”.
It passed with a large majority of 153 in favour and 10 against, with 23 abstentions.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ex-chairman Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, has expressed concern that her brother might get the death penalty in the cipher case, as per a report of The News on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists outside Adiala jail, Aleema Khan said that she has doubts on the former prime minister’s trial as she can’t see justice being served.
A day earlier, a special court established under the official secret act indicted Imran Khan and PTI’s vice president Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a cypher case.
While discussing her brother’s trial, Aleema mentioned that cubicles had been made, and she couldn’t understand the reason for that.
“Our entire family was in the courtroom, and it was locked from outside,” she said, adding that they were chased and threatened when they were coming for hearing.
“We have no fear, but there can be no fair trial without the media,” she said, adding that journalists were not being allowed to attend the trial.
“It seems that we are not in our country but in some other country. It is very sad to see what is happening to us in our own country,” she added.
Caretaker Minister for Finance, Dr Shamshad Akhtar, has outlined Pakistan’s financial projections for the current fiscal year (2023–24), highlighting an anticipated mobilisation of approximately $4.5 billion from both multilateral and bilateral sources, excluding the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Minister Akhtar disclosed that the government foresees receiving over $1.6 billion in the second quarter (Q2) from sources such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
She clarified that these inflows encompass funds allocated to both project-based and programme-based initiatives.
Highlighting progress in negotiations, the minister revealed the completion of discussions for certain programme loans, with impending disbursements expected.
She reassured that Pakistan remains committed to meeting its debt obligations promptly, both currently and in the future.
Regarding the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, Minister Akhtar reported the successful conclusion of the first review of the Standby Agreement, resulting in the attainment of a Staff Level Agreement (SLA).
Pending approval by the IMF’s Executive Board, this agreement will grant Pakistan access to $700 million.
Commenting on the prevailing economic situation, Minister Akhtar acknowledged the challenges faced domestically and globally during FY2023.
Despite these hurdles, she asserted that fiscal and external sector stability have been achieved through the implementation of various stabilisation measures and structural reforms.
Fitch Ratings, a US-based credit rating agency, has maintained Pakistan’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘CCC,’ according to a statement released on Wednesday.
The ‘CCC’ rating indicates significant external funding risks due to elevated medium-term financing requirements, notwithstanding some stabilisation and Pakistan’s commendable performance on its current standby arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as explained by Fitch.
While anticipating scheduled elections in February and prompt negotiation for a subsequent IMF programme after the SBA concludes in March 2024, Fitch cautioned about potential delays and uncertainties regarding Pakistan’s ability to achieve this.
Fitch emphasised the potential vulnerability of recent reforms and the prospect of renewed political volatility in the wake of the upcoming elections. Regarding the ongoing IMF programme, Fitch expressed confidence in the unproblematic approval of the recent staff-level agreement (SLA) by the IMF board.
Fitch’s assessment highlighted the positive outcomes of the programme review, including sustained fiscal consolidation, energy price reforms despite public backlash, and strides towards adopting a more market-driven exchange rate regime.
However, Fitch also pointed out risks associated with policy implementation, citing a historical pattern of parties across the political spectrum in Pakistan failing to implement or reversing reforms agreed upon with the IMF.
Jungkook from BTS just achieved a HUGE milestone in the music world! His new solo song, ‘Standing Next To You’ is now at the top of the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart in the United States.
Jungkook has been making waves as a solo artist since 2023, proving himself to be a major player in the industry. His debut album, “GOLDEN,” dropped on November 3, and the lead track from that album snagged the number one spot on the Billboard chart. It’s a big deal because last week, Taylor Swift was holding the top position with her song “You’re Losing Me.”
Jungkook’s solo success is making headlines as he surpasses well-known artists and establishes himself as a major force in the music industry.
