Tag: Pakistan

  • Political parties should take path of dialogue for better Pakistan, says Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

    Political parties should take path of dialogue for better Pakistan, says Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

    Former Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, called on all political parties and stakeholders to take a path of dialogue for the betterment of the country.

    The senior leader was speaking  on Nadir Gurmani’s show “Dusra Rukh” where he was also questioned about the 2017 Faizabad sit-in.

    Responding to the question, the former NA speaker said, “I want to say that we have to look at the outcome of whatever has been happening. Even after 75 to 76 years, we have not been able to stand on our own feet. So we have to think about whether we remain stuck in the past or if there is something which we should take a step towards.” 

    Ashraf suggested moving forward by saying that there is not a lot of distance between the past and present.

    “I still think, and I have said so many times before […] to do consultation and sit everyone down [and] open a dialogue. Intra-political party dialogue should be opened,” he insisted.

    On the question of holding the former army chief accountable, the PPP leader said, “Okay, then keep on harping and whining about it. You won’t be able to move forward one inch. This practice is not right where after every two or three years you open an issue of the past. Nations which have progressed are forward-looking people.”

  • Fearing Taliban, Afghan singers go to Court against deportation

    Fearing Taliban, Afghan singers go to Court against deportation

    Fearing persecution In Taliban’s Afghanistan, Afghan singers residing in Pakistan have filed a plea against the government’s deportation plan in Peshawar High Court. The three petitioners are Hashmatullah Omed, Rafi Hanif, and Hameed Shahdai, accompanied by a large number of Afghan singers and musicians who are claiming that they have lived in Pakistan for years as refugees.

    The bench at the PHC consists of Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Syed Arshad Ali. It directed the deputy attorney general Hazrat Said to file a reply on behalf of the federal government to the petition filed by the singers.

    The petitioners’ counsel, Mumtaz Ahmad, informed the court that almost four identical petitions had been filed before the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the forced repatriation of Afghans. He also suggested that it would be appropriate for the high court to wait for the outcome of those petitions in the top court and to decide the instant plea in light of that decision. The traditionally conservative Taliban government has inadvertently forced these artists to take refuge in Pakistan with their families like many others. They are registered by the UN refugee agency, given a token number, and their cases are under process. They requested the court to issue directives to the government to allow them to live unbothered with their refugee status in Pakistan.

    The same question was asked to Sarfraz Bugti, interim Interior Minister of Pakistan, to which he responded that such individuals need to opt for a proper procedure of asylum.

    The government, however, is in no mood to retract their decision. In a recent statement made by an official in an interview with the Tribune, it was reiterated that the aim is to repatriate all the illegal Afghans- almost 1.7 million in a year. Certain people will be allowed to stay in Pakistan before their settlement in USA, UK, and Canada only on the request made by these countries who have promised asylum to these Afghans. They have been informed by Pakistan to speed up the process.

  • He’s gone, but Supreme Court to decide death penalty case against Musharraf

    He’s gone, but Supreme Court to decide death penalty case against Musharraf

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan is set to begin hearing a series of appeals on November 10, including those filed by the late former President, retired General Pervez Musharraf, in an attempt to overturn his death sentence, as per Dawn.

    A four-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, along with Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Aminud Din Khan, and Justice Athar Minallah, will preside over the hearings.

    Represented by his counsel Salman Safdar, the late General filed an appeal requesting the annulment of the conviction, citing a trial process that was conducted in violation of the Constitution and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1898.

    The appeal seeks a suspension of the judgment in the interest of justice and fair play.

    The petition highlights Musharraf’s military career and claims that the trial for a constitutional crime was conducted in an unconstitutional manner.

    In a separate development, the Sindh High Court Bar Association contested the Lahore High Court’s decision on January 13, 2020, which deemed the Special Court’s decision unconstitutional.

    The association has appealed to the Supreme Court to reinstate the conviction for subverting the Constitution.

    Presented by counsel Rasheed A. Razvi, the appeal argues that the high court’s verdict is legally flawed, alleging a misinterpretation of evidence and failure to appreciate the material presented by the prosecution during the trial.

    Additionally, the appeal asserts that the high court neglected to acknowledge that the material presented by the prosecution before the Special Court was not denied by Gen Musharraf at any stage of the case.

    It further argues that the verdict contradicts established principles of the Qanoon-e-Shahadat Order, stating that unchallenged facts are deemed admitted by the parties and do not require further proof.

    The petition asserts that the high court’s decision contradicts the precedent set by superior courts and the Supreme Court, referencing the 2019 Lahore High Court Bar Association case.

    A special court in Islamabad found former military ruler retired Gen Pervez Musharraf guilty of high treason and handed him a death sentence under Article 6 of the Constitution on December 17, 2019.

    This was the first time in Pakistan’s history that a military chief has been declared guilty of high treason and handed a death sentence. The verdict was split 2-1.

    Article 6 of the Constitution says: “Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or hold in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance the Constitution by use of force or show force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.”

    The three-member bench of the special court was headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and comprising Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

  • Shahid Afridi opens up about why he chose Shaheen to become his son-in-law

    Shahid Afridi opens up about why he chose Shaheen to become his son-in-law

    Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Afridi married Ansha Afridi, the daughter of former cricket star Shahid Afridi, in a star-studded celebration that went viral on social media. The two tied the knot in Karachi and later held wedding festivities in September.

    Speaking on Samaa TV’s podcast, ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi opened up about why he chose Shaheen to be his son-in-law.

    “His family and mine had been talking about this topic for a long time,” Shahid said. “Shaheen is a very good human being. I had not known him personally but the elders in our family knew each other very well, but their contact had faded. A lot of people who played domestic cricket with Shaheen praised him for being very mature, well mannered. All these things were very important for me to know what kind of a person he is.”

    Shahid was then asked about the chances of developing a career in Bollywood, to which the former cricketer replied:

    ‘”Yes, I got an offer two to three times, in India as well, I think one should only do something that he can. My identity was cricket, I was never in movies, and neither was my family into that so I never thought of that. It was fine doing some acting in TV commercials but that was it.”

  • Ishaq Dar wants President Alvi to resign voluntarily

    Ishaq Dar wants President Alvi to resign voluntarily

    Former Finance Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ishaq Dar has called on President Arif Alvi to resign from his position after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s remarks in the election delay case.

    “It would be suitable for the president to step down voluntarily as his constitutional tenure ended,” said the PML-N stalwart while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Jirga’ on Sunday.

    The CJP had said that President Alvi violated the constitution by not announcing a date for the general elections.

    Qazi Faez Isa passed the observation while hearing petitions seeking general elections in 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies in country.

    “Following the Supreme Court’s remarks, it would be better if the president resigns voluntarily,” Dar said.

    While discussing general elections, the former finance czar said that they could be further delayed due to the delimitation process.

    However, he said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) saved time in carrying out the process to draw new boundaries.

  • Pakistan’s cotton production surge offers hope for forex reserves 

    Pakistan’s cotton production surge offers hope for forex reserves 

    Cotton production this year is proving to be a silver lining for Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, with an impressive 83 per cent increase in production for the 2023-24 season, totalling 6.79 million bales. 

    According to an estimate by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Forum, cumulative production in the current season may reach around 9 to 9.5 million bales, a significant improvement from the previous year’s production of 5 million bales. This can be attributed to favourable weather conditions. 

    However, it’s worth noting that the production is still below the government’s target of 11.5 million bales. 

    According to Express Tribune, the recent 193 per cent increase in gas prices has exacerbated challenges faced by textile manufacturers and exporters, reducing the country’s competitiveness among regional textile exporters. 

    Another discouraging factor is for the farmers, as the market is offering them Rs7,000 per 40 kilogrammes, falling short of the government’s announced support price of Rs8,500 per 40 kilogrammes.

    The government has yet to fulfil its promise of purchasing cotton to stabilise market prices.  

    The Caretaker Prime Minister has urged the activation of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan, but this action is contingent on approval from the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, which has not yet occurred. 

    Ginners has mentioned that the increase in cotton production will save the country approximately $1 billion in import costs. 

  • Armeena Khan slams Shaniera for staying silent about Palestine

    Armeena Khan slams Shaniera for staying silent about Palestine

    Actress Armeena Khan slammed philanthropist and wife to former cricketer Wasim Akram, Shaniera, for remaining silent about the genocide of Palestinians.

    Shaniera tweeted her sorrow at the recent tragedies around the world, writing:

    “Helpless. I feel so totally and utterly helpless. Ive never been scared of saying what I want or how I feel, but right now im very emotional and actually just don’t have any words left to give and i am really sorry if that offends anyone”

    To which Armeena had responded:

    “You have plenty of words to give when it’s Pakistan. Either talk about Palestine openly or keep your dramatics to yourself.”

    In a now-deleted tweet, Shaniera criticised Armeena’s response by writing: “Seriously? With the state of the world and the pain we are seeing daily, you are still throwing hate at me. For what? You don’t know me or what I am dealing with. Whatever we are, we are both mothers, you should be using your voice to promote unity and sisterhood. I think it’s about time you grew up. You are really sinking pretty low for headlines now.”

  • Lahore High Court orders sealing smoke emitting factories

    Lahore High Court orders sealing smoke emitting factories

    Taking stern action for the prevention of smog in the city, Lahore High Court has ordered that factories that are becoming a source of contaminating the air should be sealed.

    Lahore has had hazardous levels of air quality five days in a row. Hearing a petition filed by a citizen, Haroon Farooq, the court reviewed all the steps that have been taken by the local administration and the implementation of previous judgments by the court. Commissioner Lahore division Mohammad Ali Randhawa was present in front of the judge and laid out the efforts made by the administration.

    He told the court that strict actions have been taken against smoke emitting vehicles. For the awareness of environment friendly transport, as advised by the court in a previous hearing, campaigns for the promotion of cycling are being run in the government sector.
    The court advised penalising the owners of the vehicles and including the private sector in the revival of cycling in next five to six months to protect the environment for the future.

    Justice Shahid Kareem further adjudicated that factories that are contributing in the worsening of smog should be sealed, only allowed to reopen when the owners submit their word that if they do not comply with the guidelines their factories will be levelled to the ground by the authorities.
    The next hearing is scheduled for November 7.

  • Dar will decide who can run for elections from PMLN: notification

    Dar will decide who can run for elections from PMLN: notification

    The President of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif, has appointed Senator Ishaq Dar as the leader of the party’s election cell for the upcoming polls.

    On Saturday, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal issued a notification with the approval of Shehbaz Sharif announcing Dad’s appointment.
    “With the approval of the President PML-N, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar is hereby appointed as Chairman, Election Cell PML-N, for General Elections 2024,” read the notification.

    Marriyum Aurangzeb, the spokesperson for PML-N, said in a tweet that the party’s election-related efforts will gain more momentum following the recent appointment.
    “All polls related activities including the process of applications to get the party ticket will be completed soon,” said Marriyum Aurangzeb.
    PML-N head Nawaz Sharif will address public rallies across the country soon, once the tickets are awarded.

  • Fawad Chaudhry arrested again from Islamabad

    Former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s wife, Hiba Chaudhry, and brother, Faisal Chaudhry, have claimed on Saturday that he has been arrested from his home in Islamabad by police.

    In a tweet posted on X (formerly Twitter), Hiba wrote, “Fawad arrested and taken to unknown place.”

    Geo News has reported in its bulletin that Fawad was arrested from home in front of his children and his wife by police and other officials in plain clothes.

    Hiba Chaudhry told Geo News that she was not shown an arrest warrant by the police officials.

    Hiba Fawad also said in her tweet that “Islamabad police taken Fawad. I need the Case information in which he is nominated.”

    Fawad became one of the first famous names to leave Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf after the events of May 9, joining Istehkaam Pakistan Party (IPP), a joining political analysts consider a reluctant decision.

    This would make it the third arrest within the year for Fawad Chaudhry.