Former caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar was elected a senator again on Thursday.
According to the details, the unopposed election phase for seven senators from Balochistan has concluded. Following this, the returning officer has issued notifications to the successful senators who won without any opposition.
Ahmad Khan Ghilzai (JUI-F), Aimal Wali Khan (ANP) were also elected as senators.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Thursday that it will stage a protest on Sunday in solidarity with judges and for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan.
“The PTI is going to stage a rally for the freedom of the judiciary on the directives issued by the founder of the PTI,” party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said while talking to the media after a meeting with Imran Khan.
Earlier, Adiala jail authorities gave permission to 11 PTI leaders and the PTI’s legal team to visit Imran Khan in prison, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, Sher Afzal Marwat, Faisal Javaid, Zartaj Gul and Amir Niazi.
“We will soon write a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan on behalf of the founder of PTI, while Imran Khan, in his message from the jail, has expressed complete solidarity with the cause of the judiciary’s freedom,” Barrister Gohar said.
This development comes after six judges of the IHC — Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz — wrote to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to convene a judicial convention over the matter of the alleged interference of members of the executive, including operatives of intelligence agencies, in judicial affairs.
After the recent terrorist attack targeting Chinese nationals near Besham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Chinese military has offered assistance to Pakistan in dealing with various security challenges including terrorism.
Five Chinese and one Pakistani were killed in the attack in Shangla on Tuesday.
China’s Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Colonel Wu Qian said: “The Chinese military is willing to work with Pakistani side to continuously enhance our capability of tackling various security risks and challenges especially our ability to responding to terrorist attacks and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.”
Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic partners and have supported each other through thick and thin, he said. Both are “iron-clad brothers,” he responded to a question regarding PLA participation of the PLA tri-services contingent in the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad on March 23.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir reacted to the Shangla terrorist attack by stating that the military “shall not leave any stone unturned to ensure that every foreign citizen, especially the Chinese nationals — contributing to the prosperity of Pakistan — is safe and secure in the country”.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday said that any “interference by the Executive in the affairs and judicial workings of Judges will not be tolerated”.
The statement came through a widely anticipated press release by the Supreme Court after the CJP met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif yesterday regarding the six judges’ letter alleging meddling by spy agencies in judicial matters.
The press release stated “under no circumstances can independence of judiciary be allowed to compromise,” adding that the CJP and the Senior Puisne Judge believed that an independent judiciary is a “foundational pillar which upholds the rule of law” and fosters a strong democracy.
It added that a proposal was made to constitute an inquiry commission under the Pakistan Commissions of Inquiry Act, 2017 and it would be headed by a retired judge of “impeccable integrity” to probe into the allegations.
The PM will undertake a Federal Cabinet meeting today to seek approval for the constitution of the said commission. The PM also assured the judges that his office will be taking strong measures to ensure judiciary’s independence.
The Sindh government has announced two public holidays in the coming month. One is on April 1 and the second is on April 4.
The Sindh government has declared April 1st as a public holiday for members of the Christian community for the “Day After Easter” for all public and private offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, and corporations under the administrative control of the provincial government.
Additionally, the Sindh government on Thursday announced a public holiday on April 4 on the occasion of the death anniversary of former prime minister and late Pakistan Peoples Party founder (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In a notification, the provincial authorities said: “The Government of Sindh has been pleased to declare 4th April, 2024 (Thursday) as Public Holiday on the occasion of 45th Martyrdom anniversary of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ex-Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan throughout the Province of Sindh.”
This is applicable for all government offices, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, and local councils under the administrative control of the provincial government except those engaged in essential services will remain closed.
The Project Director of the Anti-Rabies Control Program has said that an app has been developed for the complaint of stray dogs in Karachi which will be launched after Ramzan. A helpline related to the same issue has been restored for the city.
Geo’s Amin Anwar reports that a hearing was held in the Sindh High Court on action against stray dogs and non-supply of vaccines in the coastal city. The Project Director filed a reply in the court stating that the helpline 1093 for reporting dog bite incidents has been reinstated by the Anti-Rabies Control Program.
The reply submitted in the court also stated that from January 2022 to March 2024, more than 19,000 dogs were vaccinated, rabies control centers were set up in four districts, and rules were made to control the growing population of stray dogs in the city.
The program has aimed in the reply that dog population control centers will be established in every district of the province and a notification regarding that has already been issued on February 29.
The project director of anti-rabies control program also said that a mobile app has been created for the complaint of stray dogs and bite incidents. This app will be launched for the public after Ramzan.
Citizens can file complaints about stray dogs with photo and address through the app. Stray dogs will be vaccinated after that.
The court adjourned till May 4.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif met the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday against the backdrop of the bombshell letter written by the six judges of Islamabad High Court (IHC). The meeting lasted about an hour and twenty minutes.
The letter went into details on what it called ‘interference’ of spy agencies in judicial matters. The PM was accompanied the by Attorney General Pakistan Mansoor Usman and Law Minister Nazir Tarar, while in the chamber, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah accompanied the CJP.
“PM Shehbaz assured CJP Isa that no compromise will be made on the judiciary’s independence,” said Tarar in a press conference today. After the high-level meeting today, the PM decided to constitute a commission to investigate the allegations levelled by the six judges.
Tarar further stated “The federal government considered the content of the judges’ letter an extremely serious matter as no one should be allowed to meddle in any institutions’ affairs, and it should be probed.”
The PM will also take up the matter during a cabinet meeting tomorrow.
Yesterday, the bar associations of the country and senior legal experts called for a thorough investigation into the contents of the letter and the CJP conducted a full court meeting to discuss the matters at hand.
Famous actor Mahira Khan has recently talked about her beautiful wedding clothes and shared her ideas for sunset photos with her husband Salim Karim.
Mahira Khan talked to Lollywood space where she said that when the photos were first shared last October along with news of her marriage to Salim Karim, it was unexpected. She said all those pictures were taken casually, surprising everyone.
“I didn’t know that wedding photographers take pictures before the wedding ceremony, maybe at the studio or the wedding venue, and I was not prepared for it,” Khan remembered.
The ‘Aik Hai Nigar’ star went on to say, “I told them I can’t take photos with Salim before we officially signed the marriage papers, because I wanted him to see me after we got married.”
“So when I arrived, I was in one corner, he was in another, peeking through his Sehra, and I had my veil. That’s when we signed the papers. I walked towards him, and he saw me for the first time. And that’s what I wanted,” she explained. She added that when she met her now-husband, she completely forgot about the pictures they were supposed to take after the wedding ceremony. “My team and photographers rushed about because the sun was about to set.”
“I mentioned that we stood at a nearby cliff for some last-minute photoshoot,” said Khan. “I didn’t want any fancy poses or editorials,” she added. “I wanted to enjoy my day without worrying about the pictures.”
Mahira Khan got married to Salim Karim, who is an entrepreneur and CEO of a startup based in Pakistan. They had a small and private wedding ceremony in Bhurban in October last year.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted conditional permission to military courts to announce reserved verdicts in cases related to civilians allegedly involved in the May 9 riots.
The directive came during a hearing on a set of intra-court appeals (ICAs) against the apex court’s previous ruling nullifying military trials of civilians connected to the riots.
The six-member bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan and including Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Azhar Hasan Rizvi, Shahid Waheed, Musarrat Hilali, and Irfan Saadat Khan, presided over the proceedings.
The case revolves around the trial of over 100 civilians accused of attacking army installations during riots following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan on May 9 of the preceding year.
Last year, a five-member Supreme Court bench unanimously declared military trials of the accused civilians unconstitutional, directing their trial in criminal courts established under the ordinary or special law of the land.
However, on December 13, the Supreme Court conditionally suspended its previous ruling pending final judgments on a set of ICAs. These appeals were filed by the then-caretaker federal government and provincial governments of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab. The defense ministry also filed an ICA seeking suspension of the ruling’s operation during the appeal process.
During the hearing, the AGP also hinted at the possibility of 15 to 20 of the accused being released by the special courts. “A total of 105 accused are in the army’s custody,” he said.
AGP Awan further said that there were three stages to the release of the suspects. The first step would be the pronouncement of the reserved judgements; the second would be its confirmation; and the third step would be for the army chief to give concessions to those with reduced sentences.
The attorney general then urged the apex court to allow military courts to announce the reserved verdicts.
“Even if permission is granted, it will be subject to the final decision on the appeals [against the Oct 23 ruling],” Justice Khan remarked.
Justice Rizvi then inquired about the names of those who would be released. AGP Awan replied that the names could not be released until the military courts decided the cases.
“Those whose punishment is one year will be given concessions,” the AGP said.
Subsequently, the SC gave conditional permission to military courts to announce the reserved verdicts. It directed that judgments be announced in cases in which the nominated suspects could be released before Eid.
The court also accepted the request from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to withdraw its appeal against the October 23 ruling. The hearing was adjourned until the fourth week of April, with the attorney general instructed to submit a report on the matter to the registrar.
Hey there, fellow movie buffs and drama enthusiasts! Get ready to have your minds blown because a recent revelation from a religious scholar on SAMAA TV has sent shockwaves through the entertainment world.
Remember those glamorous on-screen weddings you’ve seen in your favorite films and dramas? Well, it turns out they might not be as pretend as we thought! According to this scholar, tying the knot on screen could mean saying “I do” in real life too.
Yep, you heard it right! That snippet from SAMAA TV’s Sehri show last year, where the scholar dropped this bombshell, has resurfaced and gone viral faster than a gossip scandal.
But hold onto your popcorn, because the surprises don’t end there. Not only did the scholar suggest that on-screen marriages could be legit, but they also hinted that on-screen divorces might spell the end for real-life couples. Talk about drama on and off the screen.
Now, while we’re all for a good love story, some folks online are scratching their heads over this revelation. After all, when was the last time you saw a full-blown wedding ceremony in a movie? And how exactly does a fake “I do” translate into a real deal?
But amidst the confusion, there’s one group of people who are having a field day with this news – single actors! They’re joyfully tallying up their on-screen spouses, with some even joking about having more marriages than they can count. “Just counted… I have got 97 nikkahs then. Where are my wives, bro?” actor Ali Abbas asked in the comments section
Ushna Shah thought it was time to have an “awkward conversation” with her husband. Ahsan Khan responded with a surprised, “Seriously?”
Daniyal Afzal Khan jokingly demanded someone to bring him his wives. Umer Alam Khan made a lighthearted remark, saying, “Going by this, I’ve been married thrice now. Still have room for one more. That’ll probably happen in the next drama.”
Rapper and comedian Ali Gul Pir shared the video on his Instagram stories to make fun of the situation. He joked, “And you can get divorced by saying ‘Say pencil, your wedding’s cancelled’.”
@hina.naz50