Tag: Top News

  • Main constitutional amendments in controversial new bill revealed

    Main constitutional amendments in controversial new bill revealed

    The proposed constitutional package formulated by the federal government, which contains fifty-four suggestions, has been revealed.

    According to the constitutional amendments draft, article 63 (A) of the constitution states that a member vote against the direction of the parliamentary party will be counted, Geo News reported.

    Article 17 suggests establishing a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), and Article 175 proposes changing the judge’s appointment method.

    The draft proposals suggests that an eight-member National Assembly Committee will send the names of top senior judges to the Prime Minister (PM) for the position of Chief Justice (CJ) of the Federal Constitutional Court. The committee will then choose one CJ out of three recommended names, ruling out the scenario of the most senior judge as CJ.

    However, the first CJ of the FC Court will be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, the President will appoint the first Constitutional Court judges after consulting with the Chief Justice.

    The retirement age of CJ FC Court will be sixty-eight years, and a Supreme Court judge will be appointed for a three-year term in FCC as a judge.

    The draft also read that the Suo Motu authority will be withdrawn from the High Court.

  • Senior lawyers urge Justice Qazi Faez Isa to resign on Oct 25

    Senior lawyers urge Justice Qazi Faez Isa to resign on Oct 25

    Senior lawyers, including the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), have strongly opposed the secretive constitutional package proposed by the government and called upon Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to hang his robes with honour on October 25, 2024.

    In a letter signed by senior advocates Muneer A. Malik and Faisal Siddiqi, lawyers stressed that Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah will deservedly be the next CJP on the dawn of October 26.

    In the letter, they also urged Justice Isa to “preserve his legacy and not be a nominee for any appointment for any proposed constitutional bench.”

    Both senior advocates recalled that they had acted as legal counsels or supported Justice Isa through their writings against the “unconstitutional and mala fide presidential reference filed against the then Justice Qazi Faez Isa” in 2019.

    SCBA president Shehzad Shaukat cautioned against the secrecy with which the coalition government was trying to pass the supposed amendments and not bringing it to designated forums for open discussion.

    Shaukat pointed out that the SCBA is unlikely to oppose the proposed amendment if it relates to the creation of a constitutional court, which, according to him, is necessary for dispensing justice to common people because the Supreme Court is mostly busy hearing cases of a political nature.

  • Govt’s efforts fail, Senator Irfan Siddiqui confirms constitutional amendments postponed indefinitely

    Govt’s efforts fail, Senator Irfan Siddiqui confirms constitutional amendments postponed indefinitely

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui has confirmed that the government’s late-night hustling and manoeuvring to get JUI-F president Fazal ur Rehman onboard to pass the constitutional amendments have failed, and the amendments have been postponed indefinitely.

    Siddiqui, while talking to Geo News, revealed that the government might take a week or ten days to pass the amendments.

    It should be noted that the draft constitutional amendments were to be presented in yesterday’s parliament session, but the government failed to get the magic number to pass the legislation, so the sessions were adjourned for today.

    While today’s sessions of both houses of parliament will be postponed indefinitely, Siddiqui said, “Our numbers are complete, and not being able to pass the amendments is certainly not a failure.”

    “I do not see any big difference in it, and even if the amendments do not take place, it won’t be a doomsday,” said the senior senator.

    He also said that the problem isn’t with the number of votes but some difference of opinion on some points in the proposed amendments, “which is the right of each political party.”

    Irfan Siddiqui confirmed that Fazal ur Rehman has asked for some time to study the details of the draft.

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif credits ‘friendly nations’ for securing IMF deal

    PM Shehbaz Sharif credits ‘friendly nations’ for securing IMF deal

    Prime Minister (PM) Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has acknowledged the efforts of friendly countries for facilitating Pakistan in securing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme.

    Speaking to young parliamentarians of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), he lauded the efforts of China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, the Army Chief and the incumbent government’s economic plan team.

    PM Sharif said that he hoped the upcoming IMF programme would be the last.

    He clarified that there will be no tolerance for tax evasion and stressed extending tax collection.

    Journalist Fakhar Durrani revealed in Talk SHOCK, a YouTube channel, that the IMF demanded two things from the Pakistan government before approving a seven-billion-dollar loan.

    He claimed that the first demand was a two billion dollars guarantee, which the government fulfilled by securing it from Standard Chartered Bank; the second demand was also fulfilled by securing a guarantee from Saudi Arabia on the deferred oil payment.

  • ‘PPP not in favour of Governor Raj, but…’; Bilawal Bhutto leaves option open

    ‘PPP not in favour of Governor Raj, but…’; Bilawal Bhutto leaves option open

    Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said that his party is not in favour of imposing Governor Raj in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), but the option could be considered following the deteriorating security situation in KP.

    Talking to journalists after attending a National Assembly (NA) session, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto stated, “PPP is generally not in favour of Governor Rule. There are very limited circumstances for it.”

    He remarked that the 18th Amendment to the Constitution made sure that if a governor rule is imposed anywhere, the provincial assembly has the authority to ensure it is not imposed for a longer period.
    Responding to the security situation in Balochistan and KP, he remarked that CM KP is struggling in his own village.

    He said, “The Centre and provincial government must deal with this situation together. For the first time, it is visible that it’s not just a question of national security but also there is a threat to the establishment of peace.”

    Responding to questions about nineteenth constitutional amendment, Bhutto said that it would be made with the representative’s consensus of all parties in the committee.

  • Govt set to introduce constitutional package today

    Govt set to introduce constitutional package today

    The federal government’s highly anticipated Constitutional Package which includes significant judicial reforms, including increasing the retirement age of Supreme Court and High Court judges, is set to be introduced in parliament today.

    Although the government has kept quiet on the exact details of the proposed amendments, it has been working hard to achieve the votes required to pass the constitutional amendment.

    Dawn News reported that it is uncertain whether the ruling coalition has secured the magic number—around 224 votes out of a total of 335 members in the national assembly—to pass the legislation.

    However, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while talking to journalists yesterday, said, “We have completed the number game in the lower house of parliament.”

    Geo News reported that the government intends to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges to 68, with the retirement age of other high court judges also increased to 65.

    Sessions of both parliamentary houses have been summoned this evening with only an hour’s gap.

  • ‘Not in favour of Governor Raj’: Faisal Karim Kundi

    ‘Not in favour of Governor Raj’: Faisal Karim Kundi

    Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Faisal Karim Kundi has accused the provincial government of corruption, saying, “I don’t change clothes as much as ministers in KP are being changed.”

    Speaking to journalists at the Peshawar Governor House, Kundi said that it is the provincial government’s responsibility to maintain peace, but the police were on strike.

    While questioning security issues in KP province, he asked, “Where are six billion rupees handed over to the KP government for police?”

    He also said that the provincial government had failed to maintain peace and that no provincial meeting had been held to discuss security issues in KP.

    Responding to provincial-level talks with the Afghanistan government, Kundi clarified that only the federal government has the authority to engage in dialogues with other countries.

  • ‘DIG operations pointed a gun at me,’ says Sher Afzal Marwat

    ‘DIG operations pointed a gun at me,’ says Sher Afzal Marwat

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers who were released after their arrests following the September 8 rally have shared their ordeal with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

    Leader PTI Sher Afzal Khan Marwat has revealed that the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) operations threatened him with dire consequences while pointing his 9mm gun at him.

    Marwat alleged that the same treatment had been given to the country’s bigwigs, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Advisor Prime Minister for Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, and Saad Rafiq.

    Opposition Leader NA Omer Ayub Khan said that parliament was humiliated on Tuesday following the arrest of Members of the National Assembly (MNA) from parliament premises.

    Responding to a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against lawmakers on the pretext of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) violation in the Sagjani rally, he clarified that PTI’s rally was delayed due to roads blockage.

  • PPP scores big win in by-election against PTI

    PPP scores big win in by-election against PTI

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Makhdoom Tahir Rashiduddin has won a by-election in Rahim Yar Khan with a huge margin, securing one lac sixteen thousand four hundred twenty-nine votes.

    The by-election, held on Thursday in NA-171, saw the PPP candidate defeat the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Hasan Mustafa, who could only secure fifty-eight thousand two hundred fifty-one.

    In a well-hyped campaign, the polling process continued without a break from 8 AM to 5 PM.

    The by-election took place after the death of PTI Member National Assembly (MNA) Mumtaz Mustafa in the NA-171 constituency, which has 5 lac twenty-six thousand nine hundred seventy-three (526,973) votes.

    Under section 73 of the Election Act, a by-election occurs when an elected official dies, is disqualified, resigns or is unable to continue serving as a lawmaker.

  • ‘Murad Saeed wo tota hai jisme dou jaanain phassi hui hain,’ says Faisal Vawda

    ‘Murad Saeed wo tota hai jisme dou jaanain phassi hui hain,’ says Faisal Vawda

    Senator Faisal Vawda, known for his sensational political claims and explosive press conferences, while talking on the Aaj News programme, claimed, “Murad Saeed is that parrot that holds two people’s lives – Faiz Hameed and Imran Khan.”

    In a reply to a question, Vawda alleged, “Former ISI Chief Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed will throw Khan under the bus, and Khan will blame Faiz in the coming days.”

    “He [Murad Saeed] has been sandwiched between the two because he’ll get in trouble either way whichever side [Faiz or Khan’s] he chooses,” alleged the former PTI senator.

    Furthermore, Faisal Vawda hinted at a nexus between Gen Faiz and Khan regarding the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif and the PTI’s long march on May 25, 2022.

    Vawda also criticised KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, saying that he used to say nobody’s father could arrest Imran Khan and now claims the same thing about Khan’s possible military trial.