Tag: politics latest

  • Number of voters reached 127 million this year: ECP

    Number of voters reached 127 million this year: ECP

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released voter data of the country from 2018 to 2023. According to the data, the number of registered voters increased from 105.95 million (105,955,409) in 2018 to nearly 127 million (126,980,272) in 2023.  These numbers are according to the calculations done in July this year.

    The number of male voters is over 68.50 million (68,508,258), while female voters reached 58.47 million (58,472,014) in 2023.

    According to figures given by the electoral authority, the number of voters in Islamabad increased from 765,447 in 2018 to over 1.04 million (1,041,554) this year. This is one of the country’s major urban centres.

    The total number of voters in Punjab reached 72.3 million (72,310,582) this year, while the number was 60.6 million (60,672,771) in 2018.

    The number of voters in Punjab reached 72.3 million (72,310,582) this year. On the other hand, the number was 60.6 million (60,672,771) in 2018.

  • Bilalwal asks ECP to announce poll dates

    Bilalwal asks ECP to announce poll dates

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has stated that he will only be able to remark on making “alliances” with other political parties when the election date has been made public.

    While addressing a press conference in Okara, the former foreign minister once more urged that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the election date so that the party could plan and launch its election campaign.

    “It is our request to the ECP to announce the election schedule,” the PPP chief said, emphasising that the matter of alliances can only be addressed once the election timetable is established.

    When asked about the expected return of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal stated: “Mian Sahib’s return has been a long-standing demand of the PPP.”

    “The PPP is not being pushed to the wall, we didn’t even back out from the 2007-2008 elections,” the party chairman stated in response to a question.

  • Nawaz holds the ex-military leadership, Saqib Nisar, accountable for Pakistan’s condition

    Nawaz holds the ex-military leadership, Saqib Nisar, accountable for Pakistan’s condition

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said on Monday that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government had saved Pakistan from defaulting.

    His statement came during a party meeting via video link from London, where he emphasised that the PML-N rescued Pakistan from an economic crisis by making sacrifices. He was also confident that PML-N would achieve success in the upcoming elections.

    In addition, the PML-N leader blamed former ISI chief General (retd) Faiz Hamid, former chief of the army, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, and former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar for Pakistan’s current condition.

    “Today, the poor is craving bread; who brought the country to this state” the senior politician questioned, regretting how people were worried about putting two meals on their table.

    Recalling that the economic conditions were different in 2017 when he was in power, Sharif said that flour, ghee, and sugar were cheap but now the poor people of the country are unable to pay their bills.

  • What is Practice and Procedure act 2023?

    What is Practice and Procedure act 2023?

    On March 29 and March 30, 2023, the National Assembly and Senate, respectively, adopted and enacted the (Practice and Procedure Bill) 2023. Without his signature, the President remitted the bill for review, but on April 10, 2023, the Joint Session of Parliament once more passed the Act after it had complied with all rules and procedures.

    According to the Act, each case, appeal, and subject before the Supreme Court will be heard by benches formed by a committee comprising of the Chief Justice and the two senior most judges.

    It further stated that any issue involving the use of original jurisdiction under Article 184, paragraph (3), shall be brought before the committee for consideration first.
    The committee must then assemble a bench of at least three Supreme Court justices, which may also include committee members, if it deems that the issue involves the enforcement of one or more fundamental rights.
    According to the Act, an appeal must be submitted within 30 days of the larger bench of the Supreme Court obtaining jurisdiction over it and its hearing date must be scheduled no later than 14 days after that. When submitting a review application, it also offers a party the flexibility to choose the lawyer of its choice.

  • Justice Faez Isa’s first day as CJP has many milestones

    Justice Faez Isa’s first day as CJP has many milestones

    On Sunday, Justice Qazi Faez Isa took the oath of office to become the 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). Before the swearing-in began, Justice Faiz Isa also called his wife, Mrs. Sarina Isa, to the stage, where she remained until the end of the oath.

    After taking the oath, Qazi Faez Isa took multiple steps that have not been taken before.

    For the first time in judicial history, a woman has been appointed registrar of the Supreme Court when Lahore district and session judge Jazeela Aslam was appointed on the post.

    Jazeela Aslam also served as a session judge in Kasur and Sialkot.

    Jazeela Aslam completed her BA from Kinnard College Lahore and her LLB from Punjab University. She also passed the competitive judiciary exam on second-place in all of Punjab.

    Secondly, CJP Faez Isa also called a full court meeting on Monday to discuss several issues, like the live telecast of the court proceeding. On the other hand, former CJP Umar Atta Bandial didn’t hold a full court meeting in his whole tenure as CJP.

    It can also be seen for the first time in the country’s judicial history that the Supreme Court’s full court, comprising all 15 judges, will hear a set of petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, and the hearing will be live on TV.

    The CJP Faez Isa reached the apex court today in his personal car without any protocol and said to the staff of the court that “people come to the Supreme Court to solve their problems. Treat visitors like guests.”

  • Parvez Elahi arrested again by Anti-Corruption Establishment

    Parvez Elahi arrested again by Anti-Corruption Establishment

    Parvez Elahi, the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab on Saturday after getting bail in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case.

    The former chief minister of Punjab has been taken by ACE personnel to the judicial complex for temporary detention; later this evening, he will be brought to the ACE headquarters in Lahore.

    An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad had earlier granted bail to the PTI president in the case pertaining to the attack on the judicial complex.

    According to officials, Parvez Elahi faces four corruption cases.

    Elahi’s bail was granted by ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain in exchange for a Rs 20,000 surety bond, which Elahi’s legal team failed to pay.

    Elahi was taken into custody from the Adiala jail by ACE as a result of the bail bond not being paid.

  • Court verdict will not affect Nawaz’s return to Pakistan, says Ata Tarar

    Court verdict will not affect Nawaz’s return to Pakistan, says Ata Tarar

    Attaullah Tarar, deputy secretary general of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has stated that the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments will not have an impact on party head Nawaz Sharif’s planned return to Pakistan on October 21.

    No case, said Tarar during press conference “is a hindrance in his way of returning to Pakistan,” as there is overwhelming evidence that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is an innocent.

    “Nawaz’s return date remains the same. The date has been announced. He is coming back on the same date,” Tarrar insisted.

    He also said that the former prime minister didn’t disobey any law when it came to Toshakhana gifts. On the other hand, chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan sold state gifts and made profit out of them, Tarar mentioned.

    Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the NAB law amendments case on Friday, it is anticipated that some 2,000 NAB cases, including those at the reference, complaint verification, inquiry, and investigation levels, will be reinstated.

    According to the report, Asif Ali Zardari, a former president, and six former prime ministers—Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Shaukat Aziz, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Shehbaz Sharif—are among suspects in cases that stand to be reinstated.

  • Police chief tells court Imran Riaz investigation heading in ‘right direction’

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) adjourned till next week a hearing in the Imran Riaz recovery case as the Punjab Police chief told the court that investigation is heading in “right direction”.

    Television anchor and YouTuber Imran Riaz was arrested two days after May 9 riots, following former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest. After the journalist’s arrest, he was taken to Cantt police station and then transferred to Sialkot jail.

    After this a law officer told the court on May 15 that Imran Riaz has been released from the jail after giving an undertaking in writing. His family and lawyer, however , were still not aware of his whereabouts.

    An FIR was registered against “unidentified persons” for allegedly kidnapping the journalist.
    In the previous hearing on September 6, conducted by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, the Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar said there was “positive progress” in the case.

    “We will give good news in the next 10 to 15 days,” he told the court. The hearing was then adjourned till today.

  • State institutions should respect ECP on delimitation process and election schedule: Law Ministers

    State institutions should respect ECP on delimitation process and election schedule: Law Ministers

    The interim federal and provincial law ministers have urged all state institutions to respect the authority of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in matters related to the delimitation process and election schedule.

    The statement was issued by the law ministers after a meeting chaired by caretaker Law and Justice Minister Ahmad Irfan in Islamabad was conveyed in the form of a press release today.

    The meeting was held to discuss a matter related to the upcoming general elections in the country. The provincial law ministers, Kanwar Dilshad (Punjab), Muhammad Omer Soomro (Sindh), Arshad Hussain Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and Amanullah Kanrani (Balochistan), attended the huddle.

    The conclusion of the important meeting was that the country’s electoral authority alone can announce the election date as per the constitution.

    “The Election Commission of Pakistan is an independent constitutional body,” the statement issued by the ministry read.

    The law ministry issued the statement a day after caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said that President Arif Alvi has no power to announce the election date.

  • Political leaders should have equal opportunities to contest elections, says Bilawal Bhutto

    Political leaders should have equal opportunities to contest elections, says Bilawal Bhutto

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said on Tuesday that there should be a level-playing field for all political leaders, emphasizing that they do not have equal opportunities to contest the upcoming general elections.

    Addressing the media in Sukkur where he was paying a visit to the family of slain journalist Jan Muhammad Mahar, the former Foreign Minister said, “There is no level-playing field for everyone, and that is my objection.”

    The statement came in response to a question about the availability of a level-playing field for his party as two prominent politicians, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan, are currently ineligible to run in the upcoming general elections due to convictions in separate corruption cases.

    Talking about Mahar, who was shot dead on August 17 in Sukhur by unidentified men, the chairman of the PPP said that a joint investigation team (JIT) is looking into the case.

    “I have come here to offer my condolences to Jan Muhammad Mahar’s family, and we stand by them,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.