Tag: Top News

  • New law enforced: is road paved for Nawaz’s return?

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Monday postponed the hearing of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s petition asking the top court to reconsider its April 4 order of holding elections for Punjab Assembly on May 14.

    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, comprising of Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, heard the case.

    The hearing was adjourned after Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court that the law amending the Supreme Court Rules has come into effect and was signed by the President. As per the law, judicial decisions made under Article 184 III of the Constitution can now be appealed.

    “Judgments and orders made prior to commencement of this Act. The right to file a review petition shall also be available to an aggrieved person against whom an order has been made under clause (3) of Article 184 of Constitution, prior to commencement of this Act.”

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Jahangir Tareen can now file new review petitions on their disqualifications within 60 days. 

The bill becoming law after the President signed it has taken the legal fraternity and media by surprise. 

The Chief justice termed the development as 'interesting'.

  • Talks with Imran Khan only possible if he apologises to the nation: Ishaq Dar

    Talks with Imran Khan only possible if he apologises to the nation: Ishaq Dar

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar appeared on Geo News programme Jirga on Sunday where he discussed politics and the economy.

    While talking about the possibility of negotiating with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Dar said that negotiations with Imran Khan can be held if he took “corrective measures: apologises to the nation, admits his mistake and promises not to do anything like May 9 in the future.”

    The minister claimed that before May 9, when violent protests broke out, the government had “sincere intentions” when it talked with PTI, with the two parties reaching an agreement on all issues other than the election date.

    Separately, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said that there is no space for negotiations with PTI in current circumstances.

    “There used to be an environment and agenda for holding parleys on any issue. But the existing atmosphere is not suitable for talks,” he said while talking to reporters in Lahore.
    Imran Khan on May 27 constituted a seven-member negotiation committee for talks with the incumbent government over elections.

  • Parents arrested for starving 10-year-old son

    A couple in Georgia have been arrested for starving their ten-year-old son.

    Tyler and Krista Schindley were taken into custody and are being held in jail after a judge denied them bail.

    Their 10-year-old son was found searching for food in their neighbourhood, leading to his parents’ arrest.

    They boy weighed just 36 pounds.

    “We aren’t releasing any photos of this child for obvious reasons, but I will tell you, the photos are absolutely horrible, and anybody with a human heart who looks at them should be shaken to their core,” District Attorney Marie Broder said.

    She added: “It is my true belief that had he not gotten out of the home, this case would be a very different one.”

    According to an arrest affidavit, the couple purposefully denied the youngster food and allegedly kept him sequestered in his bedroom without access to lighting, toilet paper or human contact.

  • Not all trials related to May 9 will take place in military courts: Rana Sanaullah

    Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that a total of 499 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed regarding the 9 May incidents. “Out of these, 88 FIRs were registered under the Terrorist Act, while the remaining 411 FIRs were filed for other offenses,” he stated while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

    The minister added that 19 people from Punjab and 14 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will be tried in military courts. “These people trespassed and entered sensitive defence installations, so the question is how did they manage to get there,” he said.

    However, the minister clarified that not all trials will take place in military courts.

    “A rumour is circulating that all trials will take place in military courts but that is not true. The military will investigate the case but not take cognisance of it. They will see whether the Army Act or the Official Secrets Act is applicable or not.”

    While criticising former PM Imran Khan, Sanaullah said, “If Imran is left unchecked, he can lead the nation towards a disaster.”

  • Everything we say is not reported correctly: CJP

    Everything we say is not reported correctly: CJP

    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, heard a review petition filed by Election Commission of Pakistan ECP, pertaining to Supreme Court’s earlier decision about election date in Punjab.

    During the hearing the CJP addressed Attorney General of Pakistan, and talked about the controversy surrounding his “Good to see you,” comment to Imran Khan. “We saw you and said ‘Good to see you’, with an open heart. Things said in a different context were reported in such a way that they gave a wrong impression, everything we do is not reported correctly.”

    While talking about news reports claiming that the CJ provided a Mercedes to Imran Khan to commute in, Justice Bandial said, “It was said that Imran Khan was given a Mercedes by the court, I don’t even use a Mercedes myself.”

    Earlier, Supreme Court’s spokesman also clarified that the court did not provide a Mercedes to Imran Khan.

  • ‘Democratic values, freedom of expression, rule of law should be applied to everyone’: US state department on Pakistan political crisis

    ‘Democratic values, freedom of expression, rule of law should be applied to everyone’: US state department on Pakistan political crisis

    United States (US) State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, while briefing the media in Washington on Tuesday, said that US is closely monitoring Pakistan’s political situation adding that his country has “no a position on one political candidate or another”.

    “We call for the respect and equal application of democratic principles, freedom of expression around – and rule of law around the world, and of course, in Pakistan we urge that these principles be respected for all people,” said Miller while replying to a question about a crackdown following May 09 protests.
    “We have already said that we are monitoring the situation in Pakistan, there is no position on any single political candidate or party, the enforcement of democratic values, freedom of expression, and the rule of law should be applied to everyone,” he added.

    On May 09, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took to the streets after Imran Khan was arrested from Islamabad High Court. In the ensuing riots, many military and government installations sustained damage, most notably, Jinnah House, the residence of Corp Commander Lahore.

  • Khawaja Asif says government is considering banning PTI

    Khawaja Asif says government is considering banning PTI

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said on Wednesday that the federal government is considering putting a ban on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    While talking to members of the press in Islamabad, the federal minister said, “It is under consideration to ban the PTI,” citing what he called an attack on the very basis of the state by PTI.

    “The PTI has attacked the very basis of the state, that never happened before. It can’t be tolerated”.

    “The May 9 events were way different than those political movements which took place in the 1970s and 80s. They never targeted our defense institutions, they didn’t challenge the writ of the state, although they had political difference with the sitting government.”

    He further accused PTI chairman Imran Khan of coordinating attacks on military installations. “There is a lot of evidence and their people are telling themselves that they were briefed about this beforehand,” he said.

    “I feel that his struggle of a year … all his plans failed and this was his last move against the armed forces,” he added.

    On May 09, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took to the streets after Imran Khan was arrested from Islamabad High Court. In the ensuing riots, many military and government installations sustained damage, most notably, Jinnah House, the residence of Corp Commander Lahore.

  • ‘They will not let you go without a press conference’; court orders Asad Umar’s immediate release

    ‘They will not let you go without a press conference’; court orders Asad Umar’s immediate release

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday morning accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar’s plea for bail and ordered that he be released immediately.

    However, Justice Gul Hasan Aurangzeb passed cryptic remarks to Asad Umar’s lawyer Babar Awan, stating that, “They will not let you go until you hold a press conference.”

    To which Babar Awan replied, “We are not going to hold a press conference.”

    The remarks seem to be in reference to PTI members holding press conferences to either denounce the May 9 attacks on military installations or announce that they are leaving PTI.

    On Tuesday, Shireen Mazari said in a short press conference that she’s leaving PTI and politics too, citing what her children went through during her detention.

    The IHC has ordered Asad Umar to delete two tweets and give in writing that he will not take part in protests.

    Justice Aurangzeb warned that if Asad Umar renegades on his affidavit to the court, he should be prepared to forget about his political career.

  • Twitter demands release of Imran Riaz Khan

    Twitter demands release of Imran Riaz Khan

    Twitter users are demanding the release of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan, who has been missing since May 11.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah appeared on Munizae Jahangir’s programme on Aaj News on May 22. During the show, he was asked about Imran Riaz Khan’s whereabouts to which he said that there is a possibility that Imran Riaz Khan has planted his own abduction to defame ‘agencies’.

    Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar yesterday revealed that there was no trace him at any police department across the country.

    Imran Riaz Khan was arrested by the police on May 11 from Sialkot Airport.

    The vlogger is a prominent supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Have a look at the tweets demanding his release:

  • Musarrat Jamshed Cheema to leave PTI along with husband

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Jamshed Cheema and his wife Musarrat Jamshed Cheema have decided to quit PTI, their lawyer confirmed on Tuesday.

    “I am confident that they will quit PTI as soon as they come out of jail,” their lawyer said after he met them both in jail.

    The husband and wife duo have been in jail since the last 12 days. They were arrested after the May 9 protests in which PTI supporters clashed with law enforcement agencies.

    The Cheemas are not the first to leave the party which has been besieged by politicians leaving it in droves. In the past week, many leaders, including Imran Khan’s close friend Amir Kiyani and Malik Amin Aslam, have quit PTI.

    Party Chairman Imran Khan, in an informal conversation with media in Islamabad today, said that people are not leaving the party by choice, they are being forced to leave.

    A rather confident Imran further said that parties do not end like this, they end in the way Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is ending.