Tag: The Current

  • 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.

  • PM Kakar wants Islamabad and Kabul to collaborate on shared objectives

    PM Kakar wants Islamabad and Kabul to collaborate on shared objectives

    Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the interim Prime Minister, has urged his Afghan counterpart in a letter to cooperate in order to accomplish shared objectives, The News reported on Monday.

    The letter from PM Kakar to Mullah Muhammad Hasan Akhund, the acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan, comes as tensions between the two nations are rising as a result of an increase in cross-border terror incidents.

    In his letter, PM Kakar said: “Pakistan has close fraternal relations with Afghanistan, as we are neighbours and brothers. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are rooted in religion, culture, and history.”

    The Premier declared that Kabul and Islamabad will continue to work together to strengthen bilateral, political, security, and economic ties.

    Earlier, Pakistan accused the Afghanistan government of misusing the transit trade agreement.

    “It is important for our customs authorities to ensure that any border trade that takes place complies with the understandings and agreements that exist between Pakistan and Afghanistan and that such commercial activities do not contravene Pakistani laws,” the Foreign Office had said.

  • Court issues notice to FIA for Imran Khan’s bail plea in cipher case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman plea seeking bail before arrest in the cipher case.

    The court issued the notice during the hearing of Khan’s petition challenging the decision of the special court in a diplomatic document case. Imran Khan filed the plea on Saturday.

    The bail pleas of Imran Khan and vice president of PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the missing cipher case got rejected by the special court made under the Official Secrets Act.

    PTI’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, filed a petition on behalf of Imran Khan while IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the notice to FIA in response to the petition.

    Imran Khan’s legal team repeatedly requested an early hearing of the case, but the chief justice of the IHC said that the case would be decided according to proper procedure.

    On the other hand, the court ordered the FIA to submit its response regarding Imran Khan’s petition.

  • 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.”

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  • ‘My condition is like the setting sun’: CJ bids emotional farewell

    ‘My condition is like the setting sun’: CJ bids emotional farewell

    The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Atta Bandial, was overwhelmed with emotions during his farewell address to the officers and staff of the Supreme Court.

    The outgoing Chief Justice compared himself to the setting sun and said that, “Nine years have passed well with you as a Supreme Court judge, now my condition is like the setting sun. You people have time now, all of you should work with your full dedication.”

    He further said that the country is facing economic and other challenges, stressing that when everyone is united, this crisis will not remain.

  • 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 fails to recognise legislative authority of parliament: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah

    Court fails to recognise legislative authority of parliament: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah

    In a 2-1 majority decision, the Supreme Court (SC) invalidated changes made by parliament to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regulations. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah commented that the decision failed to recognise the legislative authority of parliament.

    Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), received approval on Friday from a three-member SC panel for his appeal challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability legislation under the previous administration, which was led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    The majority decision, according to the verdict, found the petition against the NAB changes valid, reopening all closed inquiries submitted to the anti-graft body.

    “The majority judgement has also fallen short to appreciate that what Parliament has done, Parliament can undo; the legislative power of the Parliament is never exhausted,” Justice Shah said in his dissenting note.