Tag: politics latest

  • ‘Rejected amendments over concerns about military expansion,’ Maulana Fazlur Rehman clarifies

    ‘Rejected amendments over concerns about military expansion,’ Maulana Fazlur Rehman clarifies

    Chief Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while criticising the twenty-sixth constitutional amendments draft, said he rejected the controversial constitutional amendments due to fears of expansion of military rule.

    Speaking to the media in Multan on Friday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the proposed amendment provides exemptions to the military and limits the scope of basic rights.

    Showing concerns over the secrecy of the constitutional amendments draft, the Chief of JUI-F remarked, “Eventually, they (incumbent government) gave us a copy, but I cannot say for sure whether both copies are identical. We do not know if there have been additions or subtractions in the new version.”

    He added, “We told the government that this is merely a headline; show us the actual draft first, and then we will discuss.”

    Lambasting the incumbent government, Maulana alleged that modifications in the constitution were introduced to protect the coalition government, predicting, “This government is unlikely to complete its tenure.”

    Meanwhile, appearing on the Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the government will continue to pursue Maulana Fazlur Rehman over constitutional amendments.

    The Defence Minister advised JUI-F “Not to doubt the [ruling parties]’s intentions.”

  • Speeches against the army and judiciary will not be allowed: Speaker Ayaz Sadiq

    Speeches against the army and judiciary will not be allowed: Speaker Ayaz Sadiq

    Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq said on Friday, “Pakistan’s constitution declares that there can be no talk against the armed forces and the judiciary; therefore, speeches against the army and the judiciary will be stopped.”

    In the past and the present, both the opposition and the government benches have discussed diverse topics, including the country’s institutions.

    Ayaz Sadiq said in an informal conversation with the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) yesterday: ‘I am not talking about retired judiciary members. I am talking about the present service that we cannot talk by taking their name in this way. Speeches against the judiciary and the army will not be aired; we will cut them. We give maximum time to the opposition on our website but will cut such speeches.”

    On the topic of the recent failed attempt by the coalition government to pass the constitutional amendments, the speaker expressed ignorance over the details of the draft.

    He also stated that law enforcement agencies have no role in postponing the sessions of parliament even though, in the past, that was true.

    “In the past, we were told that the NAB Chairman could not be called into the parliament, and the session of NA used to be cancelled,” revealed Sadiq.

  • National Assembly Secretariat declares PTI lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council members

    National Assembly Secretariat declares PTI lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council members

    The National Assembly Secretariat has issued a new list of party positions in the National Assembly (NA) and declared all Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members.

    According to the new list, seats in the coalition government of political parties is two hundred thirteen as Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), hold one hundred ten seats; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has sixty-nine seats, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has twenty-two seats.

    Meanwhile, on the opposition benches, SIC has eighty seats, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has eight seats, and PTI independent supporters have eight members.

    Secretariat officials did not mention twenty-three reserved seats and declared them disputed.

    Earlier, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had penned a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on September 19 stating that after the Elections Act Amendments, 2024, has been passed by the parliament, the Supreme Court’s reserved seats verdict of July 12 can no longer be implemented

  • No rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Punjab govt notifies PTI

    No rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Punjab govt notifies PTI

    The Punjab government has decided to allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a rally in Lahore but not at the Greater Iqbal Park at Minar-e-Pakistan.

    In a high-level district intelligence committee meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore, various suggestions were floated whether to allow PTI to hold a rally in Lahore or not, Geo News reported.

    DC Lahore also sought a security report from Punjab police.

    The Lahore High Court, while rejecting an appeal for the suspension of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally scheduled on September 21 in Lahore, directed the DC on Friday to decide the venue for the rally by 5 PM today.

    Justice Tariq Nadeem lamented, “All the bureaucracy has left their work to be in the court today; the world has progressed so much. What message are we giving to the world?”

  • President approves Practice and Procedure Amendments Ordinance

    President approves Practice and Procedure Amendments Ordinance

    President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has signed the Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance after the federal cabinet approved the bill.

    According to the ordinance, in the absence of a committee member, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) will be able to nominate a judge as a committee member, The News has reported.

    The ordinance reads, “Each case and appeal will be recorded, and its transcript will be prepared, which will be available to the public, and each case will be heard on its turn; otherwise, reason will be given if the court hears case out of turn.”

    The ordinance also says that court benches will look into cases in light of fundamental human rights and public importance.

    The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had passed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023 in a bid to ensure transparent proceedings within the apex court and to safeguard the right to appeal.

    However, Supreme Court’s eight member bench, which was chaired by the then Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, stayed the bill due to several petitions challenging it.

  • ‘September 21 rally is do-or-die for PTI,’ declares Imran Khan

    ‘September 21 rally is do-or-die for PTI,’ declares Imran Khan

    Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Thursday declared the party’s pre scheduled rally to be held in Lahore on September 21 a do-or-die event.

    Speaking to journalists at Adiala jail Rawalpindi, the former Prime Minister said, “The Constitution gives us the right to assemble,” he said, warning that jails will be filled if PTI gets barred from holding the Lahore rally.

    He stated, “I ask the nation to come out for their future on September 21 in Lahore.”

    Citing the judiciary’s role in society, Khan remarked, “The Supreme Court (SC) is the last institution from which people have expectations. If the SC is also destroyed, Pakistan will become a banana republic.”

    Responding to the government’s proposed constitutional amendments, he stated, “To destroy the Supreme Court is to destroy democracy, and to destroy democracy is to destroy freedom. When freedom is destroyed, people become slaves.”

    Lambasting President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, Khan said that both will flee again and stressed that everyone is aware of their money which is lying abroad.

  • Speaker directs election commission to dismiss Supreme Court’s ruling on reserved seats

    Speaker directs election commission to dismiss Supreme Court’s ruling on reserved seats

    Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, has penned a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on September 19 stating that after the Elections Act Amendments, 2024, passed by the parliament, the Supreme Court’s reserved seats verdict of July 12 can no longer be implemented.

    On July 12, in a significant political and symbolic win for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a thirteen-member bench of the Supreme Court ruled that PTI had the legal and constitutional right to reserved seats.

    However, on September 14, an eight-judge bench of the Supreme Court sternly criticised the ECP for delaying its ruling on the reserved seats case and warned of serious consequences.

    “After the Judgement of SC, the Parliament has been pleased to pass the Elections Act, 2024 which received the assent of the President on 7th August 2024 and was published in the Gazette of Pakistan on 9th August 2024,” stated the letter by Speaker NA.

    The senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member Ayaz Sadiq further wrote, “In view of this backdrop, it is stated that independent returned candidates who have already given a joining to a political party can’t be allowed to now switch parties in terms of the Amended Election Act.”

    The speaker clarified that the amended act “shall prevail and supersede” the Supreme Court’s July 12 verdict.

  • All eyes on Maulana Fazlur Rehman as success of constitutional amendments hangs in balance

    All eyes on Maulana Fazlur Rehman as success of constitutional amendments hangs in balance

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman may win a lot of seats or not a lot, but his political importance stays intact.

    Senator of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Irfan Siddique has said that constitutional amendments cannot be passed without Chief Jamiat-e-Ulema Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s cooperation.

    Appearing on the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Saath’, Siddiqui stated, “As soon as Maulana Fazl is satisfied, the constitutional amendments will be tabled.”

    Responding to Rehman’s concerns over the constitutional amendments, Siddiqui cleared, “Maulana had no objection to the constitutional court or formula of appointment of judges.”

    In opposition, speaking to journalists following a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaisar in Islamabad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman remarked, “They (opposition parties) completely rejected the government proposed amendments draft.”

    Interestingly, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is still hopeful of winning Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s confidence for the judiciary-centric legislation.

    Appearing on the Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk,’ Asif said, “Fazl is a shrewd politician, and we will definitely find a resolution.”

    Meanwhile, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, said that he couldn’t comment on anything regarding the JUIF stance.

    Speaking to journalists at Adiala jail Rawalpindi on Wednesday, he remarked, “All political forces have to unite for democracy. If Maulana is standing with democracy, it is a good thing.”

    To pass the controversial constitutional amendments, the incumbent government lacks thirteen votes in the National Assembly (NA) and nine in the Senate.

  • 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.

  • Joe Biden appreciates Pakistan’s efforts in tackling terrorism

    Joe Biden appreciates Pakistan’s efforts in tackling terrorism

    President of the United States (US) Joe Biden has highlighted the significance of Washington’s relations with Pakistan for “regional stability and security” after he received a Letter of Credence from the Pakistan Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Shiekh.

    At a ceremony at Blair House in Washington DC, Biden said, “The relationship between our two countries remains important for regional stability and security. We appreciate US-Pakistan cooperation on countering terrorist threats,” a statement released by the Pakistan embassy in the US read.

    “The United States will continue to stand with Pakistan to tackle the most pressing global and regional challenges of our time,” he added.

    The US President’s statement comes at a crucial time when the US imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies and a Chinese research institute that had assisted Pakistan in developing the Shaheen Three and Ababeel missile systems.

    During a press briefing from Washington yesterday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller had stated, “We have been clear and consistent about our concerns with Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme for many years.”