Former spymaster General Faiz Hameed gifted a brand new bulletproof car to the Chief of terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Noor Wali Mehsud, a step taken allegedly to win his confidence amid negotiation.
Veteran journalist Azaz Syed took to his YouTube show Talk SHOCK to reveal that TTP head Mehsud presented three demands to ex-spymaster Gen Faiz during the tenure of the government led by founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan. One of the demands was to settle forty thousand families, including militants, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The second demand was to abolish the merger status of the Federal Administrative Tribal Area (FATA) with KP, while the third demand was to provide TTP with six billion rupees of financial support.
However, the state resisted the financial demand, expressing concern about the possible use of financial aid against Pakistan in terror activities.
Azaz further revealed that Gen Faiz urged Mehsud to have friendly relationships with the state of Pakistan, to which Mehsud sarcastically responded, saying that they are not as isolated as Pakistan in terms of cordial relations with border countries.
Lahore High Court on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to an underage driver involved in the fatal car accident in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase Seven that resulted in the death of six members of a family last year.
Proceedings of the case
Suspect Afnan Shafqat’s lawyer stated that three co-suspects have been found innocent in police investigation. Additonally, the geofencing of the incident also showed that witnesses were not present at the scene.
The court also inquired whether the suspect, who was 17 and a half years old at the time of the accident, was declared a juvenile. To this the lawyer confirmed that the police declared the suspect a juvenile in the charge sheet.
He said as per law, if the trial does not start within six months, bail should be granted.
Victim’s lawyer opposed the bail and argued that the discrepancies in the versions of his client were due to state of shock when he gave the initial statement and provided a supplementary statement once he regained his composure.
He stated in front of the court that the statements of the witnesses are not relevant to the bail petition.
The bench observed that the decision on bail would be based on the available evidence.
The victims’ lawyer told court that the suspect did not merely hit the vehicle accidentally, but he forcefully hit it with intent.
Forensic report
The court was told a forensic report of the vehicles was still pending and a medical board had been formed to assess the juvenile status of the suspect.The lawyer argued that a decision on the bail should be made in light of the medical board’s report.
Bail granted
Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, the head of the judicial bench allowed the bail petition of the suspect after furnishing surety bonds.
Case so far
The Punjab police is yet to receive the test reports of Afnan Shafqat, the primary accused in the death of six members of a family while driving a car without a license in DHA Phase 7, Lahore.
According to sources, the Polygraph and Photogrammetric test of Afnan was conducted by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency. The polygraph test is conducted to detect lies while the photogrammetric test is a part of forensic analysis where an accurate 3D reconstruction of an accident or crime scene is done especially in cases where position, distance, and perspective are important to determine.
However, police has not received the Ossification test conducted to determine the age of Afnan. Police will further proceed with the case after receiving the results of reports, reports The News.
On November 23, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore handed over the underage driver Afnan Shafqat to the police for five days on physical remand. During the hearing, the investigation officer (IO) of the case told the court that the age of suspect was over 17 and a medical test was required to determine his actual age.
Meanwhile, Judge Abher Gul Khan extended the pre-arrest bail of the suspect’s father Shafqat Ali till Dec 4, reports Dawn.
Previously, another suspect named Ibrahim, a friend of the teenage boy Afnan, also sitting in the car with him when the car got into an accident in Defence Phase 7 has been arrested by the police.
According to a report by the Dawn News, four of the friends were there in the car when the tragic accident took place. They were Saad, Ali and Ibrahim along the prime accused Afnan.
The police has started the process of Ossification to determine the age of the suspect. Lahore Investigation DIG Imran Kishwar said the decision was made following the conflicting reports/claims either he was underage or a teen. Initially, the police were told that the prime suspect was 17 years old, he said.
The Ossification is a test that determines age based on the degree of fusion of bone by taking the x-ray of a few bones. This process of the bone formation is based on the fusion of joints between birth and the age of 25 years in an individual.
The police added terrorism and murder charges to the already registered case against a teenage boy who killed six of a family in DHA Phase 7, Lahore. On the other hand, head of the family who was in the other car expressed his disappointment over this new development. Rafaqat Ali claims that the boy killed his family members over a grudge.
He alleges that the boy was not alone at the time when he ‘deliberately’ hit the car of his family while driving his four-wheeler at high speed (over 100 km/h) at Phase VII. He also mentioned that the two other accomplices were also accompanying him in the car at the time of the incident, reports Dawn.
The prime suspect had a prior brawl with his family members when they chased his car on the road, to which he demanded the addition of more sections to the FIR to punish all the suspects.
The Police has stated that the boy was chasing the family in the car and on interruption at a point he had threatened the family that he would not let them drive in DHA’s jurisdiction, another act that reflected his ‘mindset’.
The police had sent notices to the accomplices as mentioned in Rafaqat’s statement.
New revelations are coming up as the investigation continues in the case of a teenage boy who killed six people of a family in a road accident in DHA Lahore.
Crackdown on Young drivers
In light of the accident, the Lahore chief traffic officer (CTO) said the police lodged 998 cases against underage drivers during the last three days and sent many of them behind bars, besides seizing their vehicles, including motorbikes.
Caretaker CM Naqvi also issued a directive to be strict against underage drivers.
The proceedings of the case up till now
Previously, In a geo.tv report, Azam Malik reported that the teenage boy, Afnan, was stalking the car of the deceased victims after he had a brawl with them. The driver of the car Hasnain, reprimanded Afnan for harassing the women travelling with him, raising the speed to dodge Afnan but the boy kept following him.
A third car that was following them was being driven by Hasnain’s father. At some point, near Y Block’s Nala, the two of them stopped the car to scold Afnan but the boy remained adamant and cursed at the two in response.
The stance of the Punjab government
The Punjab government has stated that Afnan hit Hasnain’s vehicle near McDonald Chowk in Phase 7 at a speed of 160 km/hr. As a result, Hasnain’s car overturned and fell some 70 feet away. Four people came to rescue Afnan but left him after seeing the rage of the crowd. Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has told IG Punjab to add sections of terrorism against the accused.
The proceedings of the Court
The family of the victims have alleged that the police is not cooperating with them. Previously, the judicial magistrate at Cantonment Courts on Tuesday sent the boy to jail on judicial remand whereas the police asked for a physical remand. The counsel for the suspect denied the charges, leading to the magistrate turning down the police’s request.
The catch in the case
The case lodged by the police is in line with the statements of the witnesses that the boy was driving the car alone which led to the accident, claiming the lives of six people including two children but a video statement released by the Lahore Traffic Police on Twitter showed the boy himself claiming that he and his friends were going to the McDonalds in Phase Seven in a high speed when they hit the victim’s car.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday sought clarification from the federal government regarding the possible military trial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
“The PTI founder is a civilian, and the military trial of a civilian is a matter of concern for the petitioner and the court,” Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked while hearing Khan’s plea.
Citing the statement of Director General (DG) Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif, Justice Hassan advised the federation to submit its stance on Khan’s possible military trial.
On September 3, Khan filed a plea under Article 199 of the constitution amid speculation of his military trial.
Among several cases, Khan is currently incarcerated for the May 9 riots.
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had remarked that there is a possibility of Khan’s military trial based on “evidence against him.”
Ten Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers have been produced in the parliament on Thursday to participate in the National Assembly (NA) session.
Under the watch of a heavy squad, federal capital police handed over Members of the National Assembly (MNA) Sher Afzal Marwat, Malik Owais Jhakar, Malik Amar Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Ahmad Chatha, Zubair Khan Wazir, Syed Ahmad Shah, Syed Naseem Ali Shah, Yousaf Khan, and Shiekh Waqas Akram to Sergeant-at-Arms.
Earlier, Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq had ordered the production of lawmakers who were apprehended from parliament premises.
Sadiq had also suspended five officials after the MNAs were arrested from parliament.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the order for the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders.
Yesterday, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) approved the physical remand of six PTI leaders and 30 others for violating a new public protest law.
Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, has shared a message from her brother pertaining to the September 10 arrests of PTI lawmakers from parliament premises.
She claimed in the tweet that Khan received information from credible and reliable sources, which disclosed, “A decision has been taken to eliminate Imran Khan.”
The former Prime Minister claimed that a plan had been made to finish him in the style of former Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi.
While lambasting the country’s premier intelligence agency, Khan claims, “Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) controls Adiala jail Rawalpindi.”
Aleema Khan stated that all concocted cases have been cleared against Khan, but he is still in prison.
On Tuesday at midnight 3 AM, plain clothes men entered the parliament, cut the electricity supply, and arrested at least six PTI legislators.
Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat, Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, and Zain Qureshi were also arrested. Gohar was released after a brief detention.
Speaking at parliament yesterday, Gohar clarified that the rally was delayed amid road blockages, which prevented the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, from reaching the Sangjani area for the rally.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur resurfaced in the public at a ceremony of the Peshawar Bar Council Association on Wednesday, one day after disappearing for a few hours after the controversial September 8 party rally.
Gandapur remained defiant in his stance, saying, “I want to give a message to our leader [Imran Khan] that we support your ideology.”
After the CM KP gave an explosive speech targeting the military establishment, the government and journalists at the September 8 rally, a crackdown began against PTI MNAs later that night while Gandapur himself was unreachable for a few hours.
The CM of KP assailed the military for its failure to deal with terrorism in the province, announcing that he would send a delegation to Afghanistan to resolve the issue through negotiations. “Keep your policies with you,” he said.
“As a province leader, I will speak to Afghanistan. I will send a delegation to Afghanistan. I will speak to them, and through negotiations, I will resolve this issue and save lives,” said Gandapur.
Addressing bar members, he asked state institutions to mend their ways for their own and the country’s benefit.
The incumbent government led by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif intends to extend the judge’s tenure as soon as it secures enough votes in the Upper House.
The incumbent government is only three votes short in the Senate to amend the tenure of Supreme Court and High Court judges, a government source told Geo News.
Government sources further revealed that the incumbent government has achieved a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly (NA). Once the Senate’s majority is secured, Parliament will pass constitutional amendments.
After constitutional amendments, the tenure of Supreme Court judges will be extended to sixty-eight years of age, and that of High Court judges will be extended to sixty-five years of age.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar had remarked that suggestions for extending the judge’s tenure could be considered. Meanwhile, Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa had vehemently rejected the extension offer.
Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has suspended five security officers for four months after the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers from parliament premises.
The National Assembly Secretariat issued an order of suspension of the officials, including Sergeant-at-Arms (BPS-20) Muhammad Ishfaq Ashraf.
The order read, “During the period of his suspension, he will be entitled to draw pay and allowances as admissible under the applicable rules.”
In a joint parliament session today, Sadiq ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the arrest of Members of the National Assembly (MNA).
During the meeting, Sadiq stated that no compromise would be tolerated on the dignity and prestige of the parliament.
On Tuesday at midnight 3 AM, plain clothes men entered the parliament, cut the electricity, and arrested at least six PTI’s legislators.
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has approved the physical remand of six Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and thirty others for violating a new public protest law.
Lawmakers associated with PTI including Sher Afzal Marwat, Zain Qureshi, Naseem Shah, Amir Dogar, Ahmed Chattha, are charged in connection with the Sanghjani police station case.
However, PTI bigwig, advocate Shoaib Shaheen is exempted from physical remand, but the court has advised sending him to judicial custody.
Earlier, the Federal Capital Administration allotted a three-hour time slot from 4 PM to 7 PM for the rally at Sangjani, which was violated by PTI leadership, resulting in a crackdown.
Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, and Sher Afzal Marwat, were arrested from parliament premises.
However, Islamabad police released barrister Khan after a few hours of detention.
Senior journalist Absar Alam, while talking on Samaa news, warned of increasing political instability and the possibility of Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after the KP Assembly issued a resolution on September 10, demanding court marital of army officers allegedly involved in politics.
The resolution demanded that state institutions must remain within their constitutional domain while calling their actions against elected leaders ‘high treason.’
Absar Alam noted that the political situation is quite concerning. He also stated that a parliamentary party meeting occurred at CM KP’s house in which Ali Amin Gandapur assured provincial ministers that he stands by every word he spoke at the recent PTI’s rally on September 8.
Absar stated that the ministers assure the CM of their support and vowed that much harsher language would used in future political rallies.
“This kind of resolution is unprecedented and historically, we have not seen such harsh resolutions. If the situation does not improve then I think that the federal government might consider imposing Governor’s rule in KP,” warned Absar Alam.
