Tag: The Current

  • Court grants bail to Hassan, Hussain Nawaz till tomorrow

    Court grants bail to Hassan, Hussain Nawaz till tomorrow

    The Accountability Court in Islamabad has suspended the perpetual arrest warrants of Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, sons of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the Flagship, Al-Azizia, and Avenfield cases handled by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the brothers voluntarily appeared before the court.

    The court also granted their requests for bail. They had to provide bail bonds worth Rs50,000 each in exchange.

    Both suspects appeared in court to mark their attendance. The court also summoned the NAB for tomorrow regarding the bail applications of Hassan and Hussain Nawaz. Their request to appoint a pleader was granted, and they chose Rana Muhammad Irfan for the task.

    The judge asked if they were the only two nominated in the three references. Qazi Misbah replied that they were co-accused in all three references, adding that the remaining accused had been acquitted of the charges. In the flagship reference, the trial court itself had acquitted the two, he added. 

    After that, the court adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.

  • Peshawar High Court rejects SIC’s plea regarding reserved seats

    Peshawar High Court rejects SIC’s plea regarding reserved seats

    The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has rejected a petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict on reserved seats.

    “Petitions are unanimously rejected,” the court maintained.

    Earlier today, PHC chief justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan resumed the hearing and five members of the bench, including Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Shakeel Ahmad, and Justice Arshad Ali, heard the petition.

    SIC’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, argued during the hearing that it’s not mentioned in the constitution that a party should submit any list to the ECP for reserved seats.

    “It is not written anywhere that you cannot resubmit the list or when it has to be submitted,” the barrister argued, adding that there is no restriction on providing a second list and that the ECP could have issued a second schedule, as it did for the general elections.

    “As per the law, those who participate in elections will get seats,” Justice Anwar remarked.

    The court then questioned Barrister Zafar if it wasn’t clearly stated anywhere that the second schedule cannot be issued.

    “The law does not prevent the Election Commission from issuing another schedule,” the lawyer responded.

    Justice Arshad remarked that Section 104 explains the mechanism for reserved seats as it states that when a list is submitted then another list can be given.

    “Section 104 says that if a political party participates in an election, it will give a list,” the lawyer argued.

    He earlier argued that whoever wins the number of seats, they get reserved seats in the same proportion. 

    “Their seats cannot be increased.”

    “If these seats are not given, the parliament will not be complete,” remarked the chief justice, responding to which the lawyer requested the court to interpret the Constitution in a way that there remains no gap in its interpretation.

    Barrister Ali Zafar also told the court that the ECP has authority to maintain justice, adding that there should be transparency in the election for reserved seats.

  • ECP issues schedule for senate polls set to take place on April 2

    ECP issues schedule for senate polls set to take place on April 2

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued a schedule of upcoming senate elections set to take place on April 2.

    As per schedule, the returning officers will issue a public notice for all prospective candidates to submit their nomination papers. The electoral body will then scrutinise nomination papers and handle appeals. 

    The development comes as the ECP, on Monday, announced holding the election for Senate seats that were vacated after the expiration of the six-year term of the incumbent senators on March 11. However, elections will only be held on 48 seats as four reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have been abolished after the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

    Members of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan assemblies will vote to elect members for seven general seats, two women, and two seats for technocrats, including Ulema.

    However, Punjab and Sindh assembly members will cast their votes for one seat each for non-Muslims.

    As per the ECP’s schedule,

    March 15 to 16 — Submission of nomination papers.

    March 17 — Publication of nominated candidates.

    March 19 — Last date for scrutiny of nomination papers.

    March 21 — Last date for filing of appeals against acceptance, rejection of nominations.

    March 25 — Last date for disposal of appeals by the tribunal.

    March 26 — Publication of revised list of candidates.

    March 27 — Date for withdrawal of candidature.

    April 2 — Polling day.

  • Dr Yasmin Rashid will be PTI’s senate candidate from Punjab

    Dr Yasmin Rashid will be PTI’s senate candidate from Punjab

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to field senior leader Dr Yasmin Rashid for Senate seat in Punjab for the upcoming polls set to take place on April 2, The News reported on Thursday.

    PTI’s senior leader Mian Aslam Iqbal disclosed on his X (previously Twitter) account that Yasmin Rashid will be the party’s candidate for the senate seat in Punjab.

    Mian Aslam Iqbal also said that Zulfi Bukhari and Hamid Khan are the party’s candidates for general seats. However, Brigadier (retd) Musadiq will be the PTI’s candidate for the technocrat seat.

    The development comes as the senior politician’s earlier bid to secure a place in the National Assembly failed after she lost to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Lahore’s NA-130 seat in the February 8 polls.

    Dr Yasmin Rashid is currently in Adiala jail in cases pertaining to the violent incidents of the May 9 riots last year. 

    52 seats are vacant in the Senate after the expiration of the six-year term of senators. However, senate election will be held on 48 seats, as the four reserved seats for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

  • Voting in progress on six senate seats

    Voting in progress on six senate seats

    Polling for six vacant senate seats from Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad is underway on Thursday, scheduled to continue till 4:00 pm.

    Lawmakers can’t hold dual membership, so these six seats became vacant under Article 223 of the Constitution.

    Sub-section 4 of article states: “Subject to clause (2), if a member of either House or of a Provincial Assembly becomes a candidate for a second seat, which, in accordance with clause (1), he may not hold concurrently with his first seat, then his first seat shall become vacant as soon as he is elected to the second seat.”

    However, in Sindh, two major opposition parties, including the Muttahid Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI), have boycotted senate elections in Sindh, Geo has confirmed.

    Polling to fill two general seats in the upper house in Sindh is underway, where Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Jam Saifullah Khan Dharejo and Muhammad Aslam Abro are contesting against Nazeerullah and Shazia Sohail of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

    Meanwhile, a total of seven candidates have been in the running for three general seats of the Senate from Balochistan on which the by-polls are underway.

    These candidates are Syed Mahmood Shah (Independent), Abdul Shakoor Khan (Independent), Abdul Qudoos (PPP), Kauda Babar (Balochistan Awami Party), Muhammad Mobeen Khilji (Balochistan Awami Party), Mir Hair Bayar Khan Domki (Independent) and Mir Dostain Khan Domki (PML-N).

    On the other hand, the National Assembly (NA) will elect only one senator, and former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani is a joint candidate of the ruling coalition of six parties on the seat, with SIC’s Ilyas Mehrban contesting against him.

  • ‘Have asked Shehbaz to engage politically with Khan’, Ali Amin Gandapur meets PM

    ‘Have asked Shehbaz to engage politically with Khan’, Ali Amin Gandapur meets PM

    Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, indicating a possible melting of ice between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Addressing a press conference with Ahsan Iqbal, Gandapur said that the meeting was positive. “I have asked the prime minister to politically engage with Imran Khan. Political engagement will lead to a political solution,” he told the members of the press.

    Gandapur also said Shehbaz confirmed that Gandapur would be allowed to meet Khan in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail where authorities have increased security and barred ex-PM Khan from holding meetings owing to “threat alert”.

  • PTI’s Faisal Javed indicted for misbehaving with journalist

    PTI’s Faisal Javed indicted for misbehaving with journalist

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Javed has been indicted on Wednesday for inappropriate behaviour with a journalist, ARY News has reported.

    The charge sheet against him stated that Faisal Javed attacked a TV reporter and threatened him on August 9, 2022, noting that threatening a journalist is a crime. The indictment ordered to move forward with a case against the PTI leader.

    The PTI leader has denied the accusations and said that he didn’t threaten the journalist.

    Last month, Faisal Javed came out of months-long hiding and secured transit bail from Peshawar High Court (PHC).

  • Ali Amin Gandapur to meet Shehbaz Sharif today

    Ali Amin Gandapur to meet Shehbaz Sharif today

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is scheduled to meet newly elected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif today (Wednesday) to talk about the replacement of Chief Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chaudhry.

    ARY sources have confirmed that Ali Amin Gandapur didn’t attend the oath ceremony while a meeting is scheduled for today to discuss the matter of the CS’s appointment.

    A day earlier, chief minister KP send a summary to Shehbaz Sharif for removal of Chief Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chaudhry. Gandapur wanted to appoint Shahab Ali Shah as the new Chief Secretary, expecting him to bring fresh perspectives and innovative strategies to the role, thereby contributing to the overall development of the KP province.

  • ECP issues notice to Gandapur over disqualification petition in property case

    ECP issues notice to Gandapur over disqualification petition in property case

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sent a notice to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur after a petition was filed against him for misleading the commission about a piece of land, The News reported on Wednesday.

    Two members of the ECP bench, including Sindh Member Nisar Ahmad Durrani and Balochistan Member Shah Muhammad Jatoi, heard the plea and adjourned the hearing of the case till March 26.

    In a short order, the electoral authority decided to send a notification to newly-elected KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who won his provincial seat from Dera Ismail Khan.

    In his plea, Muhammad Kafeel — the petitioner — claimed that 735-kanals of land, situated in Mouzah Girah Muhabbat and Muzah Rohri, Kulachi, district DI Khan, was transferred in the name of Gandapur temporarily while Asif Khan was the real owner.   

    Muhammad Kafeel highlighted that Gandapur is not the actual owner of property and he was supposed to return the property back to actual owner on his demand.

    The petitioner said in liabilities forms furnished for the year 2020 and duly published, Gandapur had allegedly shown purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser, YB-777 from the funds which he received from the sale of 735 kanal land. He also contended that on account of such wrong declaration, Gandapur was not qualified to hold the office of member provincial assembly.

    With the signatures of ECP Sindh member, the order said, “We have heard preliminary arguments which need consideration on merits. Office to issue notice to respondent No. 5 (Ali Amin Gandapur) for the date fixed through District Election Commissioner concerned. The service report of DEC shall reach to this office before the date fixed. Case to come up on 26.03.2024.”

  • Hassan, Hussain Nawaz reach Lahore after suspension of arrest warrants

    Hassan, Hussain Nawaz reach Lahore after suspension of arrest warrants

    After the suspension of arrest warrants by an accountability court, Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz — sons of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif- have reached Lahore on Tuesday.  

    Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif received his sons at his residence, Jati Umrah, Geo has reported.

    Last week, an accountability court suspended the arrest warrants for Hassan and Hussain Nawaz in the Al-Azizia, Flagship, and Avenfield cases.

    Judge Nasir Javed of an accountability court announced the decision. The arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif’s sons are suspended until March 14.

    The warrants of the brothers were issued seven years ago when the court had declared them absconders.

    Earlier, their lawyer Qazi Misbah filed the plea seeking suspension of the warrants were filed as both brothers planned to return to Pakistan on March 12. National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutors Sardar Muzaffar, Usman Masood and Sohail Arif also appeared in the court.