IHC issues notices to former generals Bajwa, Faiz over ‘misleading interviews’

Petitioner alleges that interviews tainted reputation of state institutions

October 9, 2023

PM Kakar urges India to keep politics away from sports

“We would have issued visas to Indians if the World Cup was held in Pakistan," premier says

Imran Khan protests ‘poor’ jail conditions during cipher case hearing

Special court announces to indict Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case on Oct 17

Parliament passed law to regulate top judge powers with 'good intentions,' CJP Isa observes

Full court resumes hearing petitions challenging Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023

PM Kakar appoints PTI's former aide as special assistant on investment

Tahir Javed donated money to and campaigned for Imran Khan and PTI in US when party was in power

Forces gun down terrorist involved in targeting civilians, LEAs in North Waziristan: ISPR

ISPR says the militant was involved in terrorist activities targeting security forces and civilians

Ashrafi urges enhanced Pak-Afghan relations

PUC chairman says move important for maintaining peace in region

Political manipulation is now more pervasive than ever.

Scholar Prof Dr Hassan Askari says ‘maltreatment’ of PTI ‘surpassed all limits of past’

Pakistan provides assistance for Afghan earthquake survivors

Pakistani leadership expresses sorrow over loss of lives in Herat province

PDM parties doing ‘drama’ over election date: Pervez Khattak

“What have these parties served the country in the last 35 years?" asks PTI-P top leader

October 8, 2023

Climate change ‘decreasing bird population at alarming rate’ in Pakistan

"One-eighth of species of birds have a high level of danger of extermination," says Dr Muhammad Azhar

Pakistan calls for international intervention to protect Palestinians against Israeli oppression

FM Jalil Abbas Jilani stresses need for establishment of sovereign Palestinian state as per UN resolutions

No restrictions on PTI as political party: caretaker govt

Caretaker information minister says interim setup has nothing to do with Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan

Pakistan vows all-out support for Afghanistan earthquake victims

FO says govt in contact with Afghan authorities for a first-hand assessment of urgent needs

Nimra Salim illuminates Pakistan's name globally

Nimra Salim says her childhood dream of venturing among the stars has come true

PTI leaders record video statements to avoid 'nefarious plan' against Imran Khan

PTI leaders were abducted and forced to record statements of abductors' choice under duress and coercion

Rupee to gain strength vs dollar with expected IMF tranche, trade surplus

Local currency continued to rise and reached 282.69 on Friday

Fazl censures political parties for opportunism amid sinking economy

“The country’s overall administrative structure is on the decline," Maulana Fazl says

Two terrorists killed in Balochistan’s Kech: ISPR

“Terrorists had been actively involved in multiple terrorist activities against law enforcement agencies,” says ISPR

IHC to consider Imran’s post-arrest plea today

Special court to hear cypher case against PTI chief, Qureshi as well

JI urges Muslim countries to back Palestine

Siraj says US supported Israel and Muslim world remained silent spectator

The FSC Recognizes Women’s Right to Khula as Unconditional

Rules that a woman's right of khula cannot be denied by the court of law

NIH Assesses Low Risk of Nipah Virus Outbreak

NIH expert terms awareness about mitigating measures key to reduce NiV transmission

Pakistan to attend UNHCR conference today

Refugee agency’s meeting taking place in Geneva amid country's push for eviction of illegal immigrants

CAA to Construct New Runways at Karachi Airport

Both the runways at the airport, 25 Right and 7 Left, will be reconstructed

Security forces eliminate militants in North Waziristan

Azeem Ullah remained involved in terrorist activities against security forces and killing of civilians, says ISPR

PBC’s JCP member’s stance on interviewing candidates

SBC representative writes to CJP that he backs idea

'Concerned' Pakistan calls for ending hostilities between Israel and Palestinians

Pakistan says it is concerned about the human cost of the escalating situation

October 7, 2023

Man arrested for harassing female university students in Karachi

During body search, the police also recovered drugs from his possession, say officials

PPP welcomes Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto

"It has been PPP's long-standing demand that Nawaz should return," ex-foreign minister says

'Free Rano': Activists stage art protest for release of captive bear in Karachi zoo

Bear suffers from zoochosis as she has been seen pacing relentlessly on same side of her cage for years: activist

Rejects protocol request for judge’s son

Senior additional LHC registrar sent a letter to the FO to provide protocol facilities to the son of a sitting judge

Suspects behind substandard injections that led to patients’ loss of vision arrested

Model Town SP Ammara Sherazi says suspects manufactured substandard injections at a private hospital in Lahore

September 27, 2023

Initial report on delimitation of constituencies issued as ECP inches towards elections

Voters can approach ECP if they have objections to delimitation of constituencies

Next year’s Hajj operations to be 'fully digitised': IT minister

Dr Umar Saif says system will help pilgrims to give their feedback digitally regarding Hajj operations, facilities

Weather update: Last monsoon spell to hit country from tomorrow

Met office predicts significant drop in temperature after rain as monsoon withdraws from country

Faizabad sit-in: Pemra files plea to withdraw review petition after IB

SC has fixed September 28 for hearing of review petitions against Faizabad sit-in

Punjab announces 4-day school holiday due to conjunctivitis outbreak

Decision comes after caretaker CM spots virus-affected children during a visit to government school

Imran Khan surpasses political rivals in popularity survey: Miftah

Former finance minister says he along with Abbasi, Khokhar mulling launching a new political party

Five children among 8 killed in rocket launcher shell explosion in Sindh's Kandhkot

Interim CM Maqbool Baqar takes notice of incident, seeking detailed report from IG

What will happen when Nawaz Sharif lands in Pakistan?

"An appeal is pending before a court and Nawaz Sharif will pursue it upon return," Khurram Dastagir says

Abbasi disapproves of Sanaullah’s ‘warning’ to interior minister over Nawaz’s arrest remarks

Senior PML-N leader also opposes caretaker PM ‘s minus-Imran Khan fair elections statement

Senate committee recommends ECP hold polls within 90 days

ECP official explains panel about need for approximately 60 days for filing and disposal of representations

Non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Moonis Elahi in graft case

NAB urges accountability court to declare PTI leader a “proclaimed offender”

NAB 'reopens' assets beyond means case against Ishaq Dar

Move comes after SC declared NAB laws amendments null and void and ordered restoring all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million against the political leaders

No exclusive treatment to be given to Imran Khan, PTI on May 9 cases: PM Kakar

'We commit to fair election that includes giving PTI space in those polls on an equal basis,' says premier

After much drama, Imran Khan finally moved to Adiala jail

Development comes a day after Islamabad High Court ordered to shift PTI chief from Attock to Adiala jail

ECP issues preliminary constituency delimitation list

Electoral watchdog says number of seats in the national and provincial assemblies will remain the same

‘It’s not a Cold War’: PM calls out West’s ‘obsession’ to contain China

Pakistan has been treated unfairly by the West in the last 30 years, says Kakar

After IB, Pemra approaches SC to withdraw review plea against Faizabad judgement

<p>The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Wednesday filed an application in the Supreme Court to withdraw its review petition against the court’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1462170">verdict</a> on the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1373274">2017 sit-in</a> by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) at Faizabad in Islamabad.</p>n<p>The media watchdog’s decision comes just a day after the Intelligence Bureau also <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778112">filed an application</a> in the apex court to withdraw its petition against the verdict.</p>n<p>Authored by Justice Qazi Faez Isa years before he took oath as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), the searing judgement had instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1462177"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>It had also directed the federal government to monitor those advocating hate, extremism and terrorism and prosecute them in accordance with the law.</p>n<p>Adverse observations were also made against several government departments for <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1372392">causing inconvenience</a> to the public as the 20-day sit-in paralysed life in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.</p>n<p>Pleas were subsequently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1476828">moved against the verdict</a> by the Ministry of Defence, the IB, the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1476504">PTI</a>, the Pemra, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Mutta­hida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Ejazul Haq.</p>n<p>Headed by CJP Isa, a three-judge bench, which includes Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, will take up the review petitions tomorrow (Thursday).</p>n<p>However, the Pemra filed an application today in the apex court, saying that the body’s chairman, via a letter dated September 26, had desired that the review petition be withdrawn and that the authority did not wish to pursue the matter further.</p>n<p>The application requested that the petitioner may be allowed to withdraw the review petition.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1372805"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>While the IB had sought to withdraw its review petition, Rasheed, via Advocate Mehr Khan Malik, had also yesterday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778112/intelligence-bureau-has-second-thoughts-on-faizabad-case-review">requested</a> the Supreme Court to adjourn tomorrow’s hearing.</p>n<p>The plea stated that since the AML chief’s counsel, Amanullah Kanrani, had taken over the charge of the law minister for Balochistan, he was not in a position to appear before the apex court.</p>n<p>The Lahore High Court, after being told that Rashid was not in police custody while his counsel claimed he was arrested, has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778098/lhc-directs-authorities-to-provide-better-facilities-to-parvez-elahi-in-jail">ordered</a> the police to make an all-out effort for his recovery.</p>n<h2><a id="the-pleas" href="#the-pleas" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>The pleas</h2>n<p>The IB’s review petition had urged the court to set aside the adverse observations made against the department, adding that it was a premier civilian intelligence agency which was responsible for state security.</p>n<p>It had contended that the impugned order created “bad impression” on the public that the IB was involved in unlawful activities and politics, after transgressing constitutional boundaries.</p>n<p>It had said the observations made in the verdict were based on “vague facts” and that during the sit-in, the department was in close contact with the federal and Punjab governments and forewarned them about the plans and intentions of the TLP, with a view to foiling their attempt to storm/lockdown Islamabad.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, In response, the defence ministry had requested the court to set aside the explicit or implicit observations about the armed forces and/or the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).</p>n<p>The ministry’s petition had said that a host of factors may affect morale. However, it said, what was fatal was the belief amongst the rank and file that their officers while acting like “self-proclaimed saviours” were violating the fundamental rights of citizens and instead of serving “Pakistan and thus all its citizens”, supporting a “particular political party, faction or politician”.</p>n<p>“…When the source of such remarks is the highest court in the land, it can promote fissiparous tendencies and has the capacity to destroy the ability of the armed forces to act as a cohesive fighting force,” the review petition had argued.</p>n<p>It had further said there was no evidence before the court to suggest that the armed forces or ISI were, in any manner, involved with either the sit-in or a particular outcome of the general elections of 2018 or the abridgment of free speech or intimidation or censorship of the press.</p>n<p>In its petition, the ECP had contended that it had comprehensively applied and enforced the Constitution, law and the code of conduct by issuing a letter to the TLP on Aug 16, 2017, asking the party to provide details of its bank account and even had issued notices to it with a warning to cancel its registration.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the PTI had questioned the mention in the verdict of the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1129984">2014 joint sit-in</a> organised by it and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek in Islamabad, and had said the impression one gets from it was that the party conducted an illegal protest for publicity and deliberately made wrong allegations.</p>n<p>The petition contended that the party had nothing to do with the TLP Faizabad sit-in and therefore the remarks should be expunged.</p>

&amp;lsquo;90pc of beggars&amp;rsquo; arrested abroad are of Pakistani origin, Senate body told

<p>The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed on Wednesday that a growing number of beggars from Pakistan were moving abroad, which has spurred “human trafficking”.</p>n<p>Overseas Ministry Secretary Zulfikar Haider made this disclosure during a discussion in the Senate panel on the issue of skilled and unskilled labour leaving the country.</p>n<p>In a startling revelation, Haider informed the committee that a staggering “90 per cent of beggars” arrested in foreign countries were of Pakistani origin.</p>n<p>He explained that many beggars exploited pilgrim visas to travel to Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq.</p>n<p>The official further revealed that a significant number of pickpockets apprehended in holy sites like Haram were also Pakistani nationals.</p>n<p>During the discussion, Haider also noted that Japan had emerged as a new destination for such visitors.</p>n<p>He emphasised Pakistan’s historical role in exporting skilled labour and expressed optimism that the country’s foreign remittances would increase when professionals went abroad. He added that Saudi Arabia now preferred skilled labour over untrained individuals.</p>n<p>Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hasan highlighted Japan’s demand for skilled workers from different countries, with India, Nepal, and Pakistan sending varying numbers of individuals.</p>n<p>Hasan also mentioned that as many as 50,000 engineers in Pakistan were unemployed.</p>n<p>“<em>India chand par pahonch gaya hai, aur hum rozana koi chaand charha dete hain</em> (India has reached the moon, while we stumble every day),” the senator added.</p>n<p>“Our people are now ready to work on wages lower than those of workers of Nepal and India.”</p>n<p>Regarding the Middle East, he mentioned that approximately three million people were in Saudi Arabia, 1.5m Pakistanis were in the UAE, while 0.2m were in Qatar.</p>n<p>Haider acknowledged that Bangladesh and India had surpassed Pakistan in this aspect, citing concerns about the skills and trustworthiness of Pakistani workers in the eyes of foreign employers.</p>n<p>On the other hand, Senator Sherry Rehman pointed out that Pakistan was witnessing an influx of skilled mountaineers from Nepal, emphasising that “Pakistan’s own people generally lacked the same level of expertise in mountain climbing.”</p>

After IB, PEMRA withdraws plea against Faizabad sit-in case judgement

Civil review petition by PEMRA was scheduled for a hearing on September 28

SC moved to determine army chief&amp;rsquo;s role in affairs of state

Senior lawyer Raja Irshad files petition in apex court under Article 184 (3) of Constitution

Govt to offer interest-free loans for establishing 5,000 E-Working Centers: IT minister

Government plans to aid freelancers with interest-free loans for E-Working Centers, bolstering IT sector's potential

Pakistan Army will continue to play role in ensuring peace, stability in KP: COAS

<p>Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir on Wednesday said the Pakistan Army would continue to play its role in upholding peace and stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and facilitating a “secure environment for economic development”.</p>n<p>The army chief made this statement during his address at the provincial Apex Committee meeting in Peshawar.</p>n<p>His remarks come on the heels of an increase in terror attacks in KP. On September 6, four security personnel <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774386">embraced</a> martyrdom and over 16 militants were killed in an operation to repulse militants from the Chitral district.</p>n<p>The pre-dawn attack had targeted check posts in Astui Pass and Jinjiret Koh situated in the south of Lower Chitral, bordering the Afghan province of Nuristan.</p>n<p>During the Apex Committee meeting today, the army chief was briefed about the overall security situation in the province, including initiatives against smuggling, hoarding and drug trafficking, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).</p>n<p>It said the participants of the meeting affirmed that state institutions and people were united for the protection of life and property of citizens.</p>n<p>The participants also paid rich tribute to the Shuhada and their families.</p>n<p>“We have to synergise our efforts for the peace and prosperity of our beloved country,” the ISPR statement quoted the army chief as saying.</p>n<p>He underlined that the Pakistan Army would continue to play its role in ensuring peace and stability in KP to provide a secure environment for economic development.</p>n<p>Earlier, Gen Munir also engaged in an interactive session with the women of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the “KPK Women Symposium 2023”.</p>n<p>In his address to the symposium’s participants, the COAS emphasised the constructive and pivotal role women have played in Pakistan’s historical development.</p>n<p>He underscored that women’s contributions to the progress and advancement of Pakistan are of utmost significance.</p>n<p>The army chief acknowledged that the women of KP have confronted multifaceted challenges due to the enduring battle against terrorism, but he praised their resilience, dedication, and courage in the face of adversity.</p>n<h2><a id="terrorist-attacks" href="#terrorist-attacks" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Terrorist attacks</h2>n<p>Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1723647">ceasefire</a> with the government in November last year.</p>n<p>In July, as many as <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1764380">12 soldiers</a> of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan.</p>n<p>That was the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year. Before this, 10 personnel were martyred in a “fire raid” in Balochistan’s Kech district in February 2022.</p>n<p>Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773696">data</a> compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said the number of militant attacks in August was the highest tally for monthly strikes in almost nine years.</p>n<p>There were 99 attacks across the country, the highest number in a single month since November 2014, the report had said.</p>

Met Office forecasts rain, snowfall in upper parts of country from tomorrow

<p>The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday announced the arrival of another rain spell, accompanied by snowfall, in upper parts of the country from Sept 28 to Sept 30 as the monsoon season withdraws.</p>n<p>In a forecast issued today, the PMD said a westerly wave was likely to enter the upper parts of the country on Thursday (evening or night) with rain-wind/thunderstorms (moderate to isolated heavy falls) expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur, Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar) from Thursday to Saturday.</p>n<p>It said rain-wind/thunderstorms with hailstorms at isolated places were also expected in Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Haripur, Kurram, Waziristan, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Kasur and Sheikhupura on Thursday night and Friday.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmdgov/status/1707016433664991719"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Moreover, rain-dust/thunderstorms were expected in Zhob, Barkhan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar during the period.</p>n<p>The department said snowfall was expected over high mountains in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during the period.</p>n<p>Regarding the rain’s impact, the PMD warned that wind thunderstorms may damage loose structures such as electric poles, solar panels, billboards etc.</p>n<p>“Temperatures are likely to drop significantly” during and after the rain spell, it said, adding that farmers were advised to manage their crop activities accordingly.</p>n<p>Tourists and travellers were also advised to remain cautious to avoid any untoward situation during the period.</p>n<p>“The general public is advised to stay at safe places during windstorms/lightning/moderate/heavy rains,” the PMD said.</p>n<p>It recommended all concerned authorities to remain vigilant during the forecast period.</p>

ECP issues preliminary delimitation report in significant step towards polls

<p>In a significant step towards upcoming polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday published the lists of preliminary delimitation of constituencies.</p>n<p>Under the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770761">original delimitation schedule</a> issued by the ECP on Aug 17 — ten days after the notification of census results — the initial delimitation exercise was to be completed on Oct 7 and preliminary proposals for delimitation along with the report were to be published on Oct 9.</p>n<p>However, on Sept 1, the ECP had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773455">announced</a> squeezing timelines of the delimitation exercise by 14 days to complete the process on Nov 30, instead of the scheduled Dec 14.</p>n<p>The completion of the delimitation brings ECP closer to holding polls by the last week of January, as planned by the body. A specific date for the elections is yet to be announced.</p>n<p>In a press release issued today, the ECP said the report of preliminary delimitation, along with the lists (Form 5), has been uploaded on the commission’s website and can be accessed by the public. Maps of the initial delimitation are also available on the website.</p>n<p>“The publication of the preliminary constituencies will continue for 30 days from Sept 27 to Oct 26,” it said, highlighting that objections (representations) to the preliminary constituencies can be made by the voters of the concerned constituency.</p>n<p>The representations, the ECP stated, should be addressed to the commission’s secretary and be submitted to the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad by Oct 27.</p>n<p>“The ECP will take decisions on these representations from Oct 28 to Nov 26 after hearing the positions of from the respective parties,” the press release said.</p>n<p>Listing the procedure of submitting the representations, the commission said it should be submitted by a voter of the concerned constituency in the form of a “memorandum” and entail the signatures of the voter. It said eight copies of the representations and constituency maps were required to be submitted.</p>n<p>It said the district maps can be obtained from the ECP for a “small fee”.</p>n<p>“Representations by courier, post and fax etc. will not be accepted,” the commission added.</p>n<h2><a id="preliminary-report-of-delimitation" href="#preliminary-report-of-delimitation" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Preliminary report of delimitation</h2>n<p>Based on the initial delimitation, the population distribution in the National Assembly constituencies is as follows: Balochistan has 930,900 voters, followed by 913,052 voters in Sindh, 907,913 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 905,595 in Punjab, and 787,954 in Islamabad.</p>n<p>The National Assembly consists of 266 general seats and 60 seats reservednfor women. Ten seats have also been reserved for non-Muslims. Punjab holds the majority of 141 seats in NA, followed by Sindh with 61, KP with 45, Balochistan with 16, and Islamabad with 3.</p>n<p>In the provincial assembly constituencies, the figures show Punjab leads with a total population of 429,929, followed by Sindh with 428,432, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 355,270, and Balochistan with 292,047.</p>n<p>As per the delimitation report, a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn.com</em>, the share of seats in the national and provincial assemblies have been worked out on the basis of the final results of the 2023 census.</p>n<p>“The population of the province/area has been divided by the total number of general seats and the average population or quota per National Assembly seat was obtained. Similarly, the population of a province was divided by the total number of general seats allocated to the provincial assembly to obtain a quota per seat.</p>n<p>“In calculating the total number of seats, a fraction of 0.5 and above was generally taken as one seat and a fraction below 0.5 was ignored. Due to the peculiar situation in Balochistan, more than one district has beennclubbed. Similarly, few clubbings have also been made in other provinces where necessary,” it said.</p>

Senate panel summons foreign ministry, AGP to explain &amp;lsquo;US objections&amp;rsquo; to Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline

<p>The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has summoned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) to brief the panel on objections reportedly raised by the US on the multi-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.</p>n<p>Tehran has been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768769">claiming</a> to have completed its side of the 1,150-kilometre pipeline for which a groundbreaking ceremony was jointly conducted by then presidents Asif Ali Zardari and Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Iranian site of Gabd, near Chahbahar in March 2013 with an estimated cost of $7.5bn at the time.</p>n<p>Pakistan had committed to complete its side of the project by January 2015. However, in February 2014 then petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the parliament that the Iran-Pakistan project was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1089254">“off the table”</a> due to international sanctions.</p>n<p>Earlier this year, former petroleum minister Musadik Malik explained that despite being fully committed to its contractual obligations under the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA), the Government of Pakistan had been unable to start construction of the pipeline due to US sanctions on Iran.</p>n<p>Officials said Pakistan had requested Washington earlier this year for a solution for the project to help overcome energy shortages but had not yet received any response.</p>n<p>In August, Pakistan <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768769">issued</a> a notice of ‘Force Majeure and Excusing Event’ to Iran to suspend its contractual obligation on completion of the gas pipeline. Simply put, Pakistan had expressed its inability to pursue the project as long as <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1733334">US sanctions on Iran</a> remain in place or Washington tacitly green lights Islamabad to go ahead with the project.</p>n<p>The matter came under discussion today during the Senate panel today.</p>n<p>Petroleum Additional Secretary Hassan Yousafzai briefed the committee that a deadline for 2024 had been given by Iran regarding the completion of the gas pipeline and failure to meet it would lead to fines.</p>n<p>“We are trying to renegotiate the matter with Iran,” he said, adding that efforts were being made to find out other ways of obtaining gas.</p>n<p>The secretary further expressed concerns that Pakistan could be subject to “liabilities of $20 billion”. The issue, he went on to say, was also raised with the US.</p>n<p>“Laying the gas pipeline till Gwadar will cost us $2bn,” he told the panel, adding that reneging on the deal with Iran could lead to a whopping $18bn penalty.</p>n<p>Commenting on the matter, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed called for summoning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “find out why can’t we purchase cheap gas from the neighbouring country”.</p>n<p>“We should know the reason behind the obstruction,” he said.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Senate committee, Sadia Abbasi, highlighted that India never faced such restrictions. “How was the agreement even signed amid these restrictions?” she asked.</p>n<p>Here, PPP Senator Waqar Mehdi said the agreement was signed under the government of ex-president Zardari.</p>n<p>The Iranian pipeline was aimed to supply 750 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas, although it was vehemently opposed publicly and diplomatically by the US authorities, particularly when Pakistan and Iran signed framework agreements and GSPA in 2009 and 2010 respectively.</p>n<p>Pakistan signed the pipeline agreement in 2014, which included a condition that Islamabad will pay billions of dollars in penalties if it abandons the project.</p>

LHC directs authorities to provide better facilities to Parvez Elahi in jail

<p>RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi bench, on Tuesday disposed of the petition of PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, with the direction to the Punjab home secretary to redress the grievances of the former chief minister of Punjab.</p>n<p>Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan was hearing the petition of Mr Elahi seeking better facilities for himself as per his entitlement.</p>n<p>During the hearing of the case, the counsel for Mr Elahi, Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan, argued that the petitioner was not only a former chief minister and also previously held the portfolio of deputy prime minister. He appri­sed the court that the jail administration had constructed a wall along the window of his client’s barrack, allegedly to suffocate the environment.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1778101"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He said the PTI leader also complained that a stranger had been deployed outside his cell to breach his privacy.</p>n<p>The court directed the home department to provide the facilities Mr Elahi was entitled to under the Prison Rules and sought a compliance report within a fortnight.</p>n<p><strong>Sheikh Rashid not in police custody</strong></p>n<p>Meanwhile, the same bench directed the police to find the whereabouts of former minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.</p>n<p>The counsel for Mr Ra­­shid, Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan, argued before the court that his client was arres­­ted by Rawalpindi police.</p>n<p>However, when the police denied that the former federal minister was in their custody, Justice Khan asked the law enforcement agency to make all-out effort for the recovery of the politician.</p>n<p>Further proceedings were later adjourned till Oct 2.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Over half of all polling stations deemed &amp;lsquo;sensitive&amp;rsquo;

<p>ISLAMABAD: Around 55 per cent of the polling stations to be established for the upcoming general polls, planned to be conducted in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777085">last week of January</a> next year, have been identified as ‘sensitive’, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Omar Hamid Khan told a Senate panel on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Moreover, the ECP secretary said the preliminary delimitation would be published on Sept 27. However, a period of approximately 60 days would be required for filing and disposal of representations.</p>n<p>Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, the ECP secretary said that some 91,809 polling stations are to be established out of which 49,919 have been designated as ‘sensitive’ or ‘highly sensitive’.</p>n<p>He said 17,411 of these have been categorised as highly sensitive and another 32,508 as sensitive while 41,809 (around 45pc) are designated as ‘normal’.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Election commission to publish preliminary delimitation today; secretary says no ban on uplift schemes approved before Aug 15</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The meeting of the standing committee was held with Senator Taj Haider in the chair and was briefed on the preparations for the upcoming general elections.</p>n<p>ECP Secretary Khan told the panel that the general elections would have 266 National Assembly constituencies and 593 provincial assemblies. The meeting was informed that around one million polling staff would be required for the upcoming general elections.</p>n<p>The committee inquired about the methods for the consolidation of results in the upcoming general elections.</p>n<p>Mr Khan said that electronic devices carrying the software developed by ECP would be used to send snapshots of Form-45s to the returning officers, and the software was also equipped to keep track of time and place of snapshots in order to ensure the legitimacy of elections.</p>n<p>The Senate committee recommended that the time period for filing of representations should be curtailed from 30 days to seven days in order to ensure that the general elections were held without delay.</p>n<p>The committee also drew attention of the ECP towards the constitutional obligation to conduct general elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the national assembly. It however, recommended the ECP to announce the election schedule at the earliest to remove any uncertainty regarding the conduct of elections in the country.</p>n<p>While discussing the funds of development schemes, Senator Taj Haider emphasised that the funds should be allocated to approved schemes.</p>n<p>The ECP secretary said that there was no ban on development schemes approved prior to August 15.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Karachi &amp;lsquo;most polluted city&amp;rsquo; for second day

<p>KARACHI: The metropolitan city of Karachi made a shocking distinction by becoming the most polluted city in the world for two successive days, Monday and Tuesday, in terms of air quality, followed by New Delhi, on the Air Quality Index (AQI), according to the Swiss company IQAir that monitors air quality. </p>nn<p>The concentration of PM2.5 (particulate matter) in Karachi exceeded the WHO’s annual air quality guideline value by a staggering 20.3 times. </p>nn<p>The concentration of pollutants in Karachi was recorded at 175 AQI on Tuesday evening. </p>nn<p>It’s worth noting that an AQI reading in the range of 151-200 is considered unhealthy, while an AQI reading between 201 and 300 is even more detrimental to health. </p>nn<p>Karachi’s air quality continued to remain in an unhealthy state on second consecutive day as indicated by the air quality index. </p>nn<p>The city earned the shocking distinction of being the most polluted city globally. </p>nn<p>Over the past few years, according to the yearly report issued by IQAir, it is evident that pollution levels in Karachi have not improved but have, in fact, worsened.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Punjab govt announces 4-day school closure over eye virus outbreak

<p>The Punjab government on Wednesday announced that all public and private schools in the province will remain closed from September 28 to October 1 due to the outbreak of conjunctivitis (pinkeye).</p>n<p>Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the transparent membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball. The disease <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777879/experts-call-for-preventive-measures-against-rising-eye-infection-cases">continues to infect</a> and has hit Punjab hard, with state-run hospitals across the province reporting 500-600 patients.</p>n<p>The highest number of infections in the province was reported in Lahore. The alarming surge in cases has had a noticeable impact, as evidenced by emerging reports indicating that the infection is affecting people of all age groups.</p>n<p>A large number of school-going children have been complaining of eye infections, primarily because they are not adhering to precautions at school. There have also been reports that school administrations are allowing students to stay home as soon as they contract the virus and are advising parents to take special care of their children.</p>n<p>Medical experts say pinkeye is spreading rapidly in densely populated cities where people are exposed to unfriendly environments, such as factories, bazaars, markets, and shopping plazas.</p>n<p>In light of the rise in cases, the Punjab School Education Department issued a notification today announcing four-day holidays.</p>n<p>It said all schools would reopen from Monday (Oct 2) and would observe the standard operating procedures issued by the department to curb the disease’s spread.</p>n<p>It directed all chief executive officers in the province to ensure compliance with the order.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/cmopunjabpk/status/1706967677313679649"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Separately, in a video message issued today, interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the holidays were announced to curb the average spread of the disease, estimating that the move would lead to a 50 per cent reduction in cases.</p>n<p>He said there would be eye inspections for students at educational institutions across the province when they reopened.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/GovtofPunjabPK/status/1706974508538876080?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Meanwhile, caretaker Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir said eye surgeons in government hospitals across the province were directed to stay alert throughout the day.</p>n<p>He said an ample supply of eye drops was provided to hospitals, adding that special arrangements were made to treat conjunctivitis patients at Rawalpindi’s Holy Family Hospital, Lahore’s Mayo Hospital and Multan’s Nishtar Hospital.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/1707001243435249750"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>

Gwadar port will be functional soon: CM Domki

<p>GWADAR: The Gwadar port will be operational soon and its commissioning will give a fillip to business and trade activities, Balochistan’s caretaker Chief Minister Mir Ali Mardan Domki said on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Talking to journalists during his visit to Gwadar, he said the port was already being used for Afghan transit trade thanks to its strategic location.</p>n<p>The chief minister said a below-average rainfall this year had accentuated the problem of drinking water in Gwadar.</p>n<p>“The administration and the public are consuming drinking water with extreme care,” he said.</p>n<p>About power supply from Iran, Mr Domki said the arrangement malfunctions only for two months. “It works smoothly the rest of the year,” Mr Domki added.</p>n<p>The chief minister later chaired a meeting to review the pace of work on development projects. He visited the GDA hospital and the Fisheries Department.</p>n<p>Referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Mr Domki said work was in full swing on all projects so that they could spur economic activities.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Death toll rises to 9 after &amp;lsquo;rocket launcher&amp;rsquo; ordnance explodes in Sindh&amp;rsquo;s Kandhkot tehsil

<p>Nine people, including four children, lost their lives while a woman was injured on Wednesday when a “rocket launcher’s” ordnance exploded in a house in Mehwal Shah area of Kashmore district’s Kandhkot tehsil, police said.</p>n<p>Kashmore-Kandhkot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohail Khoso confirmed the casualties to <em>Dawn.com</em>, specifying that the deceased included five children, two women and two men.</p>n<p>He further said that the injured woman was referred to a Larkana hospital from Kandhkot, while the bodies of the deceased had been brought to the Kandhkot Civil Hospital.</p>n<p>The official said that the house — located in the limits of Goghat police station — belonged to Ali Nawaz Sabzoi, and that all the deceased and injured belonged to the same family.</p>n<p>SSP Khoso stated that the police had arrived at the site of the incident and had surrounded the area.</p>n<p>According to him, children found a rocket while playing and brought it home where it exploded, due to which eight people were killed. The SSP said further investigation was under way and an emergency had been declared at the Kandhkot Civil Hospital.</p>n<p>In a statement, Sindh Chief Minister Justice Maqbool Baqar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the provincial inspector general on “how a rocket launcher reached the Zangi Subzwai Goth”.</p>n<p>“Was any stock of weapons being smuggled to the <em>kutcha</em> (riverine) areas? Are there enablers of the dacoits present in the goth (village)?”, the statement quoted him asking.</p>n<p>He wondered how the rocket launcher shell exploded, leading to a “loss of lives to this extent”.</p>n<p>Expressing his grief on the incident, he directed the IG, “A detailed report shall be submitted to me.”</p>n<p>Last week, the Sindh Apex Committee — a forum of civil and military officials — reviewed the law and order situation in the riverine areas of the province, and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777409">approved and finalised</a> details of a massive operation to be launched by police and Rangers against dacoit gangs in affected districts of upper Sindh.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776661"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The SAC was told that Rangers had been deployed along with police in upper Sindh districts and a crackdown on organised weapon smuggling had resulted in the seizure of the first cache of military-grade weapons in Ghotki.</p>n<p>The approval of an operation has been given multiple times. First, the then Murad Ali Shah-led cabinet had in March <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1741351">approved a grand operation</a> clean-up in riverine areas.</p>n<p>Later, the caretaker cabinet took up the matter in its meeting on September 14 and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776661">decided</a> to launch a massive operation in the riverine area and shut down the internet services.</p>n<h2><a id="previous-similar-incidents" href="#previous-similar-incidents" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Previous similar incidents</h2>n<p>Incidents where people were said to be “playing with” similar dangerous objects have also occurred in the past.</p>n<p>In April this year, a shepherd was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1748615">killed</a> in a grenade blast on the outskirts of Chaman when he found the hand grenade and started playing with it.</p>n<p>Two days prior to that, three children were killed in an explosion in an abandoned compound in the same region while playing with an object they had found inside the compound.</p>n<p>In January last year, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1670100">two children were killed</a> and another was critically wounded in an explosion when the grenade they were playing with went off.</p>n<p>In June 2021, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1627327">three teenage boys died</a> and two others suffered injuries in a hand grenade explosion in Quetta. The children were playing with the hand grenade “after mistaking it for a toy” when it exploded.</p>n<p>In January of the same year, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1600120">three bro­thers were killed</a> and two others injured when a grenade that they found in the fields and were playing with went off in Peshawar.</p>n<p>In a similar incident in January 2019, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1455454">three children were killed</a> and another sustained injuries in Balochistan’s Washuk district after they had found an unexploded grenade and were playing with it when it exploded.</p>n<p>In April 2013, a toy bomb exploded in Buner District, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/803702/toy-bomb-kills-two-children-woman-in-buner">killing two children and a woman</a> after the rocket-like shell they were playing with exploded.</p>n<p>The same month, at least <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/803665/rockets-attack-at-political-rally-in-waziristan-injures-two">two people were injured</a> when a rocket landed from an unknown direction at a political gathering in South Waziristan’s Wana area.</p>n<p>Local political admin sources had said that children had found a toy-looking explosive device which exploded after they had brought it home and were busy playing with it.</p>

Assets reference against Ishaq Dar revived

<p>ISLAMABAD: The assets-beyond-means reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar has been revived and an accountability court on Tuesday summoned him for October 10.</p>n<p>Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir will take up the case.</p>n<p>The same court had on Nov 22 last year <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1722463">closed the proceedings</a> on the reference and returned the case file to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).</p>n<p>The accountability court also revived the references against former National Bank of Pakistan president Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Raza Rizvi.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Accountability court summons ex-finance minister on Oct 10</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The references against the accused were closed pursuant to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1711341">amendments</a> to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) introduced earlier last year.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1712534"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The court had on Dec 11, 2017 <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1376074/court-declares-dar-proclaimed-offender?fromNewsdog=1&amp;utm_source=NewsDog&amp;utm_medium=referral">declared</a> Ishaq Dar a proclaimed offender and attached his movable and immovable properties. It had also cancelled his perpetual arrest warrant upon his surrender on October 10.</p>n<p>A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had on July 28, 2017, while taking up petitions filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, disqualified then prime minister Nawaz Sharif for not disclosing his salary that he did not draw from his son’s company, and constituted a joint investigation team (JIT), headed by then additional director general of the Federal Investigation Agency Wajid Zia, to probe the assets of the Sharif family and Ishaq Dar.</p>n<p>The JIT prepared four references — three against the Sharif family and one against Mr Dar — and filed them in the accountability court that year.</p>n<p>As per the prosecution, Mr Dar’s assets had grown manifold from Rs9.1 million in 1982-83 to Rs831.6m in 2008.</p>n<p>An SC bench, headed by former chief justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, had on Sept 15 <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776008/sc-orders-restoration-of-corruption-cases-against-public-office-holders">declared</a> the amendments to the NAO void ab initio, paving the way for revival of dozens of references closed in pursuant to the amendments.</p>n<p>The Supreme Court directed NAB to revive the closed cases in seven days.</p>n<p>NAB sources said the cases disposed of under the amended law have been returned to the accountability courts of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Quetta.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776174"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In addition to the reference against Ishaq Dar, the cases transmitted to the accountability courts included the Park Lane case against former president Asif Ali Zardari, the Universal Services Funds case in which former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and others were the accused, the case of rental power projects against ex-PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and against former chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme Farzana Raja.</p>n<p>The reference against former PM Shaukat Aziz and fake accounts case against Mr Zardari and Omni Group’s directors have also been revived.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Perpetual arrest warrants issued for PTI leader Azam Swati in offensive social media posts case

<p>The Special Judge Central — FIA’s special court — in Islamabad issued perpetual arrest warrants on Wednesday for PTI leader Azam Khan Swati over his controversial posts on social media platform X (then known as Twitter) about senior military officers including the then-army chief in October last year.</p>n<p>Swati was arrested twice last year — in <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1714819">October</a> and in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1723554/swati-held-by-fia-for-defamation-imran-terms-move-fascism">following month</a> — after the FIA booked him in Islamabad for posts that were allegedly against state institutions.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AzamKhanSwatiPk/status/1580196735288107010"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>His arrest on November 27, 2022, and subsequent detention stretched for over a month. He was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1729731">released</a> from an Islamabad sub-jail in January this year after he secured post-arrest bail from the Islamabad High Court. In his petition for bail, he had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1728095">denied making</a> the offending posts.</p>n<p>There were three previous hearings of this case, in April, May and June, all of which Swati skipped. In the May hearing, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against him, and in the June hearing, he was declared a proclaimed offender.</p>n<p>Today, Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand issued a perpetual arrest warrant for the PTI leader over Swati’s repeated failure to attend hearings.</p>n<p>Judge Arjumand ordered the FIA to arrest him on sight and present him before the court.</p>n<p>It should be noted that Swati was implicated in the May 9 violence in the law enforcement crackdown against the party and was among the party leaders declared <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775650">proclaimed offenders</a>.</p>n<h2><a id="arrests-over-posts" href="#arrests-over-posts" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Arrests over posts</h2>n<p>Swati was first arrested by the FIA on charges of posting controversial postsnabout the armed forces in October and was later released on bail.</p>n<p>The senator had alleged that he was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1717339">tortured in custody</a> and demanded the removal of two military officials, one of whom he used foul language against in his tweet on November 26.</p>n<p>On November 27, the FIA arrested Swati for the second time over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions”.</p>n<p>The arrest came after an FIR was registered by the FIA on the complaint of the state through Islamabad Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman.</p>n<p>The complaint was registered under Section 20 of Peca as well as Sections 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier from his duty), 500 (punishment for defamation), 501 (defamation and printing of content deemed defamatory), Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 109 (abetment) of the PPC.</p>n<p>Following his arrest in November, the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority prohibited Swati’s media coverage on all satellite TV channels.</p>

Police guarding house of Wana journalist: official

<p>DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Commissioner Zafarul Islam Khattak has said that police have been deployed to guard the house of journalist Miraj Khalid in Wana, South Waziristan tribal district, after his expulsion from the area by a local jirga.</p>n<p>Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, he claimed that administration provided complete security and cooperation to Miraj Khalid. He said assistant commissioner of Wana and police were sent immediately for the safety of Miraj Khalid after the jirga asked him to pay fine or leave the area.</p>n<p>The commissioner said that the administration sent a message to the journalist to avoid paying any fine to the jirga or vacating his house. However, he said that Miraj Khalid left for Islamabad although a message was sent to him to come to Dera Ismail Khan where two rooms were booked for his family at Circuit House so that they could stay there for two to three days and then return to Waziristan.</p>n<p>He said that administration in Wana was taking all possible measures to maintain the government’s writ and ensure the safety of the lives and property of the residents.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Miraj Khalid was expelled from Waziristan by a local jirga</p>n</blockquote>n<p>SEIZED: Police claimed to have seized non-custom paid (NCP) items worth more than Rs2.4 million during checking of several vehicles on bypass road.</p>n<p>They said that they recovered 92 sacks of plastic bags, 105 cartons of bubblegum, 145 cartons of milk cream and other items from different vehicles during checking. The estimated worth of the recovered goods was around Rs2,433,000.</p>n<p>ACCIDENT: Two men were killed when a car hit their motorcycle near Kulachi Morr on Daraban road here on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Haji Munawar Din Chughtai told Daraban police a car hit the motorcycle of his son Mohammad Huzaifa and his friend Shahid Khan near Kulachi Morr. As a result, Huzaifa died on the spot while Shahid received serious injuries. The body and injured were shifted to Mufti Mahmood Hospital where Shahid also succumbed to his injuries.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, police claimed to have arrested 286 drug peddlers and recovered more 141 kilograms of drugs, eight bottles of liquor and non-custom paid (NCP) items worth around Rs694.7 million during the last month.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

No institution will favour one group or other in polls: PM Kakar

<p>LONDON / ISLAMABAD: There would not be any organisational or institutional involvement, either in favour of one political group or the other in the upcoming elections, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said, as his remarks regarding the possibility of elections without PTI chief Imran Khan drew widespread criticism.</p>n<p>On Tuesday, the prime minister was in the UK, where he <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://radio.gov.pk/26-09-2023/anwaar-ul-haq-kakar-interacts-with-students-at-oxford-union">addressed</a> the Oxford Union and held a presser at the Pakistan High Commission where he fielded several questions from journalists; key amongst which were queries about the treatment of the PTI chief, whether he will be allowed to participate in elections, and whether his transfer from Attock Jail to Adiala has any deeper meaning.</p>n<p>He said his words about Imran Khan’s prospects of contesting the next election were being twisted, and that the law will decide whether he will contest or not.</p>n<p>“What people aren’t understanding is that it is not political. Whatever happens will be under law and due process. I cannot change it even if I wanted to.”</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Caretaker PM says PTI not playing ‘parliamentary politics’, those who didn’t participate in May 9 violence free to take part in elections</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Earlier, in an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.trtworld.com/video/tv-shows/exclusive-interview-with-pakistans-caretaker-pm-anwaar-ul-haq-kakar-on-pakistans-turbulent-journey-15123259">interview</a> with <em>TRT World</em>, when the caretaker PM was asked what would happen if PTI supporters did not accept that Imran Khan is not on the ballot and took to the streets to protest, he said: “As far as the protest is concerned, if [it] remains peaceful, it is their basic and democratic right. The government will try to protect the democratic right of any political party… but any kind of vandalism in the name of protest would not be allowed.”</p>n<p>Later, at the press conference, he said: “It is part of our political culture that various parties cry foul, but if international indicators and observers say it is a free and fair election, then it is.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777956"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Speaking to <em>TRT</em>, he said the ouster of Imran Khan was “lawful” as it was carried out constitutionally and without a military coup.</p>n<p>Asked about the alleged involvement of the United States in the ouster of Imran Khan, he called it a conspiracy theory that was used for public consumption.</p>n<p><strong>Oxford Union</strong></p>n<p>At the Oxford Union, PM Kakar was asked by members about Mr Khan’s incarceration, the cases against PTI workers, as well as the military’s overbearing presence in Pakistan.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/RadioPakistan/status/1706714219176247534"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In response, he said that people were in prison over different charges, ranging from vandalism, arson, destruction of public property, and that they would face such charges in any civilised society.</p>n<p>“Why should an exclusive approach be applied to Imran Khan,” he asked.</p>n<p>He said the government commits to a fair election that includes giving PTI space. “PTI is not playing parliamentary politics… if they were… Imran Khan would be the current opposition leader.”</p>n<p>When asked about the army intervening in politics, Mr Kakar said, “There is some civil and military imbalance. But the larger criticism of the Pakistan army is not valid and is out of proportion. A lot of critics rely on hearsay these days.”</p>n<p>Regarding the upcoming elections, Kakar said whatever support is required will be provided by the caretaker set-up, be it “military or paramilitary”.</p>n<p><strong>Out of context</strong></p>n<p>Separately, the caretaker government <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777996/pm-kakar-irked-at-media-misquoting-statement-on-elections-minus-imran">said</a> that PM Kakar’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777637/fair-elections-can-take-place-without-imran-jailed-pti-leaders-pm-kakar">remarks</a> during a recent interview to the <em>Associated Press</em> had been “misunderstood and misreported”.</p>n<p>Issuing the original text of the <em>AP</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-elections-sharif-khan-kashmir-afghanistan-a81c125c0abe3bc963294733a15ef7b0">interview</a>, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reproduced the premier’s statement thus: “Kakar said fair elections can take place without Khan or hundreds of members of his party who are jailed because they engaged in unlawful activities including vandalism and arson, a reference to the violence that rocked the country following Khan’s initial arrest in May.”</p>n<p>“We are not pursuing anyone on a personal vendetta. But yes, we will ensure that the law is appropriate. Anyone, be it Imran Khan or any other politician who violates, in terms of their political behavior, the laws of the country, then the restoration of the law has to be ensured. We cannot equate that with … political discrimination.”</p>n<p>The caretaker prime minister said thousands of people in Mr Khan’s party who didn’t engage in unlawful activities “will be running the political process, they will be participating in the elections.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Over 500 tourism projects recorded in Asia-Pacific region between 2018-2022: report

<p>ISLAMABAD: The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) of the United Nations has said 517 tourism foreign direct investment projects were recorded in the Asia-Pacific region between 2018 and 2022, representing $65.1 billion capital investment and creating more than 105,600 jobs.</p>n<p>The <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.unwto.org/news/new-data-shows-investment-returning-to-global-tourism-sector">‘Tourism Investment 2023’ report</a> released to mark World Tourism Day being celebrated on Wednesday says following a decline in 2020 and 2021, the number of announced projects in the region increased marginally by 2.4pc to 42 projects in 2022.</p>n<p>Job creation in the region peaked in 2018, with more than 49,000 jobs created and fell to its lowest in 2021, when approximately 4,300 jobs were created through tourism FDI. The number of jobs created from tourism-related investments increased by 6pc from 2021 to 2022.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/UNWTO/status/1702262968388342260"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>China attracted the highest number of tourism FDI projects between 2018 and 2022, receiving 79 announced projects – 15pc of the total market share in the region. China peaked for tourism FDI in 2019, with 30 announced projects, yet inbound project numbers have steadily declined since then.</p>n<p>India attracted three times more tourism FDI projects in 2022 than it did in 2021, and ranked as the top destination country in the region last year.</p>n<p>Foreign investors announced a total of 2,415 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the tourism cluster between 2018 and 2022. These projects involved a total capital investment of $175.5 billion and created an estimated 388,000 jobs.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/UNWTO/status/1704420381900300725"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>While international travel continues to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, the number of greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the tourism cluster started its tentative recovery in 2022 after posting declines in both 2020 and 2021.</p>n<p>FDI project numbers and job creation in the tourism cluster grew by 23pc from 286 investments in 2021 to 352 in 2022. Job creation in tourism FDI over the period also increased by 23pc to an estimated 36,400 in 2022.</p>n<p>As one of the areas of FDI most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, tourism has taken a long time to recover from the initial shock of 2020 – when the sector experienced a 59pc year-on-year decrease in the number of projects, dropping to 312. Capital investment in the sector also experienced a 70pc decrease, with estimated capital investment dropping from $60.9 billion to $18.2 billion.</p>n<p>The US was the largest recipient of tourism FDI between 2018 and 2022 with 198 projects, followed by the UK (160), Spain (133) and Germany (133). The top 10 countries for tourism FDI attraction accounted for nearly half (47pc) of all announced tourism projects globally between 2018 and 2022.</p>n<p>Capital investment in the sector totalled $175.5 billion between 2018 and 2022 with Spain being the leading recipient ($19.4 billion), followed by China ($11.5 billion) and the Philippines ($11.1 billion). Job creation in tourism FDI was highest in Mexico between 2018 and 2022 with an estimated 31,000 jobs created in the sector, followed by China (22,130) and Spain (20,590).</p>n<p>The hotel and tourism sector accounted for almost two-thirds of all projects in the tourism cluster between 2018 and 2022. Foreign direct investment (FDI) project numbers increased by 25pc from 2021 to 2022. However, capital investment in the hotel and tourism sector declined from $48.9 billion in 2018 to $7.8 billion in 2022.</p>n<p>Between 2018 and 2022, accommodation remained the largest sub-sector of tourism FDI globally, accounting for more than half (51pc) of all FDI projects. More than 70pc of capital investment ($126.8 billion) and job creation (270,000) in the tourism cluster was generated by the accommodation sub-sector during the same period.</p>n<p>Software and IT services were the second-largest sector for tourism FDI projects between 2018 and 2022. Its share of global FDI tourism projects grew from 10pc in 2018 to 16pc in 2020, 22pc in 2021 and 28pc in 2022, indicating the sector’s resilience and its ongoing shift towards digitisation.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

CJP Isa seeks details of IIUI ahead of board meeting

<p>ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has sought details of various offices of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), apparently to keep himself updated about the affairs of the university ahead of a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) expected to be held after a few months.</p>nn<p>The CJP by virtue of his position, is a member of the board. An official of the university said that the registrar of the Supreme Court, through an official letter asked the IIUI to provide details of various offices for information of the top judge. </p>nn<p>The letter dated September 22 asked the IIUI to provide details, such as when was the last meeting of the BoT held along with its minutes.</p>nn<p>Similarly, the registrar’s office also directed the IIUI to provide a “detailed chart”, including names, qualifications, date of appointment, and the tenure of IIUI vice presidents, director general, deans, chairperson of departments, directors, additional directors, deputy directors and assistant directors in administration.</p>nn<p>It further directed the IIUI to provide details of the budget for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24, details about students in the last five years, showing numbers of male and female students, including foreign students. </p>nn<p>The university was directed to submit details by today (September 27).</p>nn<p>An official of the IIUI told Dawn that the CJP was collecting the details of the varsity for his better understanding as he will attend the next meeting of the IIUI board as its member.</p>nn<p>Recently, the CJP attended a meeting of the Quaid-i-Azam University syndicate wherein he “surprised” the participants with his comprehensive knowledge about the varsity, particularly the agenda item of the syndicate.</p>nn<p>The board of trustees meeting of the IIUI is supposed to be held at least once a year, but since June 2020, the board has not convened. </p>nn<p>Sources in the IIUI said that the university was planning to convene a board meeting within a few months; however, there has been no official announcement in this regard.</p>nn<p>The IIUI Board of Trustees is headed by President Dr Arif Alvi and comprises at least 50 members hailing from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries. </p>nn<p>The university, which is being run primarily with public funding has more than 30,000 students, making it one of the largest universities in the country. </p>nn<p>A faculty member of IIU said: “The CJP is also a member of the Board of Trustees, the apex body of IIUI which appoints the president of the university; hence, as a member of BoT, he has every right to know about the varsity affairs.”</p>nn<p>“Our BoT is an international body comprising members from many member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It is not like the syndicate of any university headed by the VC, as the IIUI board is chaired by the president of Pakistan as its chancellor,” he added. </p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Arrest warrants for Moonis Elahi in graft case

<p>LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former federal minister Moonis Elahi in a case pertaining to alleged corruption in different development projects.</p>nn<p>Moonis Elahi is facing allegations of billions of rupees of corruption in development projects.</p>nn<p>Accountability Court Judge Naseem Ahmad Virk hearing the case issued the arrest warrants which are valid till Oct 5.</p>nn<p>On July 22, 2023, the Lahore district court had declared Moonis Elahi, son of PTI President and former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, an absconder for his continued absence in the money laundering case. Mr Moonis is currently living in Spain.</p>nn<p>The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had also pleaded to declare Moonis an absconder for not appearing before it despite issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants against him.</p>nn<p>The court also started the process to freeze his assets, bank account and cancel his computerised national identity card (CNIC), passport, and bank accounts.</p>nn<p>The FIA had lodged a case against Parvez Elahi and his Moonis for money laundering in the Panama Scandal last month.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Lesco to crack down on power theft in lawyers&amp;rsquo; chambers

<p>LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) is set to investigate power theft on several court premises.</p>n<p>With 2,600 connections installed in lawyers’ chambers being flagged for inspection, Kasur leads among all districts served by Lesco, <em>Dawn</em> has learnt.</p>n<p>“While we have initiated inspections of lawyers’ chambers nearly every Sunday, formal operations are yet to commence,” Lesco Chief Executive Officer Shahid Haider told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>“Nevertheless, we have shared the lists with district administrations to secure their support in these operations. Our efforts will extend to all Kutcheries in Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Nankana Sahib and Shiekhupura.”</p>n<p>According to an internal report, Lesco’s northern circle has identified 34 chambers in Lahore and Ferozewala kutcheries where lawyers get power through direct lines, resulting in a monthly loss of Rs1.61 million.</p>n<p>The company’s central circle has identified 490 chambers in the kutcheries of high and supreme courts where power supply continues illegally through direct connections, estimating losses of up to Rs3.53 million per month.</p>n<p>Lesco’s south circle, which covers Model Town and Cantt kutcheries, has identified 203 chambers.</p>n<p>Teams report losses of up to Rs4.58 million. Okara Circle, which includes Renala Khurd, Okara and Depalpur kutcheries, has 410 chambers where power pilferage is underway by lawyers, leading to reported losses of Rs17.41 million.</p>n<p>Sheikhupura Circle has identified 140 chambers where electricity supply is being carried unlawfully, with an estimated monthly financial loss of Rs5.4 million at the Sheikhpura kutchery. Kasur Circle has four kutcheries: Kasur, Chunian, Pattoki and Kot Radha Kishan where 1,321 of 1,387 chambers are receiving electricity illegally, resulting in losses of up to Rs22.34 million.</p>n<p>Nankana Sahib Circle covers Nankana, Shahkot and Sangla Hill, with reported power theft worth Rs3.65 million. However, the report does not mention the number of chambers receiving power directly from the main lines.</p>n<p>Lahore Bar Association President Rana Intizar Hussain said he supported anti-power theft operations, saying that no one, including lawyers, should be allowed to steal electricity in any way.</p>n<p>“I believe that whoever is involved in power theft, whether lawyers or otherwise, must be dealt with in accordance with the law,” he added.</p>n<p>Also, the Lesco administration plans to intensify the anti-power theft campaign in hard areas, such as Sharaqpur, Ferozewala, Kala Khatai Road, Ali Park, Burj Attari, Bund Road, Mohallah Kakkayzai, Saggian, Niaz Beg, Dubanpura, Shahpur, Bagarian, Shadewal, Samsani, Sundar, Mohlanwal, Sattokatla, Kharak, Lakhudair, border areas (Burki, Hadiara, Ghurki, etc.), Sitara Colony, and Shah Di Khui, as well as various unelectrified housing societies.</p>n<p>Other areas targeted include Ravi Belt Area, Renala, Sher Garh, Hujra, Depalpur Road in the Okara circle, border areas of Narang, villages in the vicinity, and Khanqa Dogra in the Sheikhupura circle, Ravi belt area, Bucheki, and Syed Wala in the Nankana circle, and Pattoki, Chunian, Kanganpur, Phool Nagar, Kot Radha Kishan, border area, Lalyani in Kasur.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Demonstrators in Lakki Marwat seek internet restoration

<p>LAKKI MARWAT: A group of youths demonstrated for the restoration of the internet service in Titterkhel town here on Tuesday.</p>nn<p>The rally was staged along the Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan section of the Indus Highway with participants carrying placards and shouting slogans.</p>nn<p>Local body members also joined them. The speakers said the suspension of the internet service had caused problems for residents, especially youth and businessmen.</p>nn<p>“The internet shutdown has affected both regular and online business, while the students can’t apply online for admissions to educational institutions,” a protester said. </p>nn<p>Meanwhile, the UK-based charity Ansar Foundation distributed food items to more than 100 families in Serai Gamila town here on Tuesday.</p>nn<p>Naurang tehsil council chairman Haji Azizullah Khan gave away “ration packages” to poor and deserving families.</p>nn<p>Country director of the foundation Kifayatullah, former chairman of the district zakat committee Maulana Asadullah and Al-Khidmat Foundation district president Irfanullah were also present on the occasion.</p>nn<p>Mr Kifayatullah said thousands of families had been provided with food items in the southern district. </p>nn<p>He said the foundation had also launched 25 water schemes in the area besides the construction of mosques and houses for widows.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

PHC reserves judgement on petition against police seniority list

<p>PESHAWAR: A bench consisting of Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Syed Arshad Ali heard arguments of the counsel for petitioners – seven police officers – as well as the representatives of the federal and provincial governments.</p>nn<p>The petition was jointly filed by superintendent of police (security) Salahuddin Khan and six other police officers seeking the court to declare the impugned seniority list issued on June 28, 2022, by the police’s additional inspector general (establishment) unconstitutional and against Articles 142, 240 and 260 of the Constitution.</p>nn<p>The petitioners also challenged the “intended” promotions through the provincial selection board of officers of BPS-17 and above, questioning whether the provincial government was competent to promote such officers or it was the domain of the federal government.</p>nn<p>They requested the court to direct the respondents, including the provincial government and provincial police officer, to restore an earlier seniority list of DSPs (BPS-17) issued on Feb 21, 2022, insisting it was based on the relevant laws and rules.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Officers insist dept revised list in violation of law and rules</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>The petitioners’ counsel, Anwarul Haq, highlighted the Police Service of Pakistan (Composition, Cadre and Seniority) Rules, 1985, and said those rules declare that promotions to BPS-18 should be made on the basis of 40 per cent quota reserved for the provincial police cadre.</p>nn<p>He requested the court to direct respondents to prepare a joint seniority list of senior officers in BPS-17, including ASPs and DSPs, in light of those rules before making promotion to BPS-18 on the basis of a 40 per cent quota of provincial police officers.</p>nn<p>The lawyer said his clients served as senior police officers (BPS-17) in the police department.</p>nn<p>He added that the petitioners, who were promoted as DSPs, had successfully undertaken various obligations and missions.</p>nn<p>Mr Anwar said a seniority list meant for DSPs was issued on Feb 21, 2022, but the AIG (establishment), violating different procedures and rules, revised it and issued the impugned list in June 2022 without citing any cogent reason.</p>nn<p>He said under Police Service of Pakistan (Composition, Cadre and Seniority) Rules, 1985, 40 per cent quota was reserved for promotion and ‘encadrement’ for officers of the police cadre of the province for which joint seniority list had to be prepared.</p>nn<p>The lawyer added that the respondents had never followed the criteria and rules.</p>nn<p>He argued that the petitioners were entitled to promotion since 2015 and they had performed in exemplary manner during the war against militancy.</p>nn<p>Mr Anwar said an identical claim of promotion and ‘encadrement’ was raised before the Sindh High Court, which decided the same in favour of petitioners in 2014 and that judgement was later upheld by the Supreme Court.</p>nn<p>Deputy attorney general Altaf Khan and lawyerSangeen Khan appeared for the federal government.</p>nn<p>The DAG contended that the petitioners were provincial cadre officers and it was the domain of the provincial government to give them seniority.</p>nn<p>The bench wondered when the relevant rules were related to the federal government, then whether the federal or provincial government was empowered to issue the seniority list for police officers.</p>nn<p>The DAG said he would submit some relevant documents to “clarify” the situation.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

&amp;lsquo;Haj policy 2024 to be presented in 10 days&amp;rsquo;

<p>ISLAMABAD: Care­ta­ker Minister of Religious Affairs Aniq Ahmed has announced that Haj Policy 2024 has been prepared and will be presented to the federal cabinet within 10 days. </p>nn<p>Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Mr Ahmed acknowledged that numerous challenges had arisen as a result of delay in the Haj policy last year. </p>nn<p>He added that the policy would include 40-day Haj, as well as a short-term pilgrimage options. </p>nn<p>“Haj pilgrims will be given two suitcases of specific colour and design with a QR code on them so that they are not lost,” Mr Ahmed said, adding that the name, passport number, residence, school number and other information will be fed into the suitcases. </p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Pilgrims will be given suitcases of specific colour and design with a QR code on them</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>Mr Ahmed further mentioned that, for the first time, Haj pilgrims will receive a special mobile package. </p>nn<p>The caretaker minister of religious affairs confirmed that a contract has been formally concluded with a mobile phone company in Saudi Arabia, allowing Pakistani pilgrims to utilise mobile phones for audio and video calls without incurring roaming fees. </p>nn<p>He specified that an extra fee of Rs4,000 would be applied for the mobile package. </p>nn<p>“Haj pilgrims will now be able to stay in touch with their families in Pakistan at all times,” he added.</p>nn<p>“The overall cost of the Haj package will be deci­ded later,” he concluded.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Three women injured in gas leak fire in Attock

<p>TAXILA: Three women received serious burn injuries in fire caused by gas leak in village Bahadur Khan in the limits of Hazro Police station in Attock on Tuesday, police and hospital sources said.</p>n<p>According to sources, due to gas load-shedding in the area, the gas stove remained open in the kitchen and when the gas returned it filled the house.</p>n<p>As soon as the wife of Khan Nawaz tried to light the stove, the fire engulfed the house inflicting burn injuries to three women. All the injured were rushed to the district headquarters hospital Attock, from where one of them was shifted to Holy Family Hospital due to her critical injuries.</p>n<p>In a separate incident, a motorcyclist was crushed to death on GT Road near Asifabad in the limits of Wah Saddar Police Station on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Police sources said that 35-year-old Farhan Latif, an employee of a sensitive organisation, was going on his motorcycle when a speedy dumper bumped into him, resulting in his death on the spot.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Four women among PTI activists sent to jail in arson attack case

<p>LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday sent eight Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) social media activists, including Sanam Javed, to jail on a six-day judicial remand while allowing investigating officer’s request for their identification parade in an arson attack case.</p>n<p>The suspects, including Sanam Javed, Afshan Tariq, Asheema Shuja, Shah Bano Gurchani, Mohammad Qasim, Ali Hassan, Mohammad Mubin Qadri and Syed Faisal Akhtar, were presented before the court on charges of attacking police near Rahat Bakery Chowk and setting fire to a police vehicle on May 9.</p>n<p>The PTI women activists, including Sanam Javed and Shahbano Gurchani, were rearrested by the investigation police on Monday night, shortly after they had been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777487">released</a> from the Kot Lakhpat jail on court order in Jinnah House attack case.</p>n<p>Investigating Officer Naveed Anjum Awan requested for judicial remand to facilitate their identification in connection with the police vehicle arson case.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>ATC allows IO’s request for identification parade</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Judge Abher Gul Khan, who was presiding over the proceedings, approved the six-day judicial remand of all the suspects and subsequently sent them to jail.</p>n<p>Earlier on Saturday, another anti-terrorism court had ordered the release of nine PTI members, including its women activists, in connection with the Jinnah House attack case. Besides Sanam Javed and Shahbano Gurchani, Robina Jameel, Afshan Tariq, Ashma Shuja, Faisal Akhtar, Qasim, Ali Hasan and Hussain Qadri had secured bail against surety bonds worth Rs100,000 each, paving the way for their release.</p>n<p>While talking to <em>Dawn</em>, a police official claimed the police re-arrested Sanam Javed, Shahbano, Afshan Tariq and Ashma Shuja from outside Kot Lakhpat jail soon after their release.</p>n<p>He explained that the women were arrested in another case pertaining to May 9 violent attacks, which was registered with the Sarwar Road police station.</p>n<p>The PTI activists were rearrested and shifted from the jail to the police station for further investigations, the official confirmed.</p>n<p><strong>PTI for contempt proceedings against police</strong></p>n<p>A PTI spokesperson on Tuesday also decried the re-arrest of party activists and workers and demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa initiate contempt proceedings against the officials involved in making “mockery of the law” of the land.</p>n<p>In a statement in reaction to the re-arrest of PTI male and female workers soon after being released from prison on court order, a PTI spokesman termed the practice of repeated arrests of the party workers and leaders despite clear court orders as “a slap in the face of the justice system”.</p>n<p>He said the arrests of activists after being released on bail by court was a ‘sheer fascism’ and oppression, adding that all limits of cruelties and barbarities were crossed to subject PTI’s affiliated male and female citizens to ‘vindictive’ political retribution.</p>n<p>The spokesperson went on to say that innocent mothers, sisters, daughters were being subjected to oppression and fascism in total disregard of Islamic values and law of the land.</p>n<p>“Chief Justice of Pakistan should take immediate notice of the brutality of the state machinery in the country and ensure protection of the basic constitutional rights of the citizens, especially of PTI workers, leaders and their families,” the statement added.</p>n<p><strong>Spokespersons nominated</strong></p>n<p>Also on Tuesday, PTI nominated the party’s official spokespersons who will give the official version on legal and political issues relating to PTI as well as party chairman and former prime minister Khan.</p>n<p>PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan notified PTI senior leaders including Farrukh Habib, Shoaib Shaheen, Raoof Hasan, Ali Mohammad Khan and Barrister Gohar Khan as the party’s official spokespersons.</p>n<p>“The designated official spokespersons will give the official version on legal and political issues relating to PTI and former prime minister and chairman [of] PTI,” the notification stated.</p>n<p><em>Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

PML-N &amp;lsquo;backtracks&amp;rsquo; on call for generals&amp;rsquo; accountability

<p>LAHORE: With the PML-N seemingly undecided what its narrative would be in the upcoming elections, a close aide of PML-N sup­remo Nawaz Sharif has claimed the party was not “demanding accountability of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI head Gen Faiz Hamid.”</p>n<p>His statement coincided with reports from London that Mr Nawaz was having second thoughts to his stated position on his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">demand</a> for accountability of ex-generals and judges.</p>n<p>Addressing a press conference at the party’s office in Model Town on Tuesday, Javed Latif said, “We [PML-N] do not demand accountability of Gen Bajwa and Gen Hamid but only those characters and facilitators involved in May 9 events and mutiny against the head of the institution.” He was referring to attacks on military installations in the wake of PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmlndigitalpk/status/1706607785767760299"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Mr Latif’s remarks have raised more questions over the party’s narrative as he is considered close to the elder Sharif and had been quite vocal in his demand to make former generals and judges an example for “conspiring against the ex-PM’s Sharif government” in 2017.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Javed Latif says party seeking action against May 9 perpetrators; leaders see statement as ‘signal of new plan’</p>n</blockquote>n<p>“Although 90 per cent in the PML-N think that Gen Bajwa and Faiz Hamid were responsible [for Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification], we are not demanding any action whatsoever against them.”</p>n<p>Referring to those who attacked military installations on May 9 as “terrorists”, Mr Latif said they should not be allowed to take part in politics.</p>n<p>The PML-N leader added that Mr Sharif has advised against any grand reception upon his return on Oct 21 “because of the problems faced by the nation”.</p>n<p>Mr Sharif will give a plan to make Pakistan economically strong in his address at Minar-i-Pakistan, he added.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/H38zICrBMOk?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><strong>‘Changed line’</strong></p>n<p>Mr Latif’s “softer stance” on the issue is being interpreted as a ‘clear signal’ of the party leadership’s thinking about a new str­a­tegy after the ex-PM’s onslaught on former generals and judges.</p>n<p>PML-N senior leader Khurram Dastgir also indirectly confirmed the party was looking to eschew the “accountability narrative”.</p>n<p>“We had tried [former] general Musharraf under Article 6, but what happened afterwards is before everyone,” Mr Dastagir told a private TV channel on Tuesday. “I believe we should not repeat this episode.”</p>n<p>Similarly, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah, who of late called the ex-generals “national criminals” and demanded action against them, also appeared cautious in targeting them further.</p>n<p>Commenting on the situation, a senior PML-N leader from Punjab told <em>Dawn</em> Mr Latif’s remarks were a “clear hint” that the party’s supreme leader has accepted the request of his younger brother and others to “not declare war on the former generals”.</p>n<p>On Sept 18, the elder Sharif went on a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">tirade</a> against the former general and chief justices — Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar — while addressing the party’s ticket holders.</p>n<p>His demand for strict accountability left many in the party in a precarious position as the leaders became wary of a possible backlash if the elder Sharif continued with such statements.</p>n<p>This prompted his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, to skedaddle back to London within 48 hours of his return.</p>n<p>He tried to convince his elder brother to “tone down” his stance, saying that this narrative might draw the ire of the powers that be, who have otherwise been quite friendly to the party during the previous government’s tenure.</p>n<p>Reports suggested that some members of his family were trying to prevail upon Mr Nawaz to revisit his strong position on the accountability of former generals and judges.</p>n<p>Asked about such re­ports, Mr Latif said Shehbaz Sharif could “only give suggestions” to his brother, but once the latter took a decision, “everyone in the party had to follow it”.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

CM Baqar suspends director general of colleges, two others over negligence

<p>KARACHI: Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar on Tuesday suspended the director general (DG) of colleges, and the principal and vice principal of a girls’ college in district Central for their alleged negligence, lack of interest and failure to promote educational activities.</p>n<p>The action was taken following a surprise visit to the Government Girls Degree College, Al-Noor, where the CM found empty classes with desks, laboratory and washrooms in a dilapidated condition.</p>n<p>He also found that not a single lab in the college was functional.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SindhCMHouse/status/1706755720111439977"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Justice Baqar asked DG-Colleges Shadab Hussain if he had ever visited the said college. Upon which Mr Hussain replied in the negative.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Decision taken after CM found staff absent, lack of facilities at Govt Girls College Al-Noor</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The CM asked him as to how students would come to a college where washrooms lacked doors and running water.</p>n<p>College principal Zahida Begum informed the CM that 300 students were enrolled in the college, but record showed that the number of students was 390.</p>n<p>The principal also had no knowledge of the sanctioned strength of the teaching staff and when the vice principal was called she also expressed ignorance about the total number of the staff.</p>n<p>While most of the staff members were found absent, the chief minister was told that a teacher of Islamic Studies, Ishratul Ain, had not come to work for the past one year.</p>n<p>The CM went from class to class and found that out of the 390 students, only 40 or 50 were present. Only an English teacher was seen taking a class. The CM appreciated and lauded her method of teaching.</p>n<p>He came to know that it was a degree college, but education was imparted up to the intermediate level.</p>n<p>Later, the chief minister ordered the suspension of the services of the DG-Colleges, principal and vice-principal.</p>n<p>He also suspended the services of the Islamic Studies lecturer who was absent from duty for the past one year.</p>n<p><strong>Inaugurates education facility</strong></p>n<p>The chief minister inaugurated House of Education School established for free education of children by the JDC Foundation.</p>n<p>Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he said that JDC and its head Zafar Abbas had valuable services in the field of education. “JDC is equipping children with the jewel of education through free IT course,” he said, adding that he was happy to learn that absolutely free education was being imparted here.</p>n<p>Also on Tuesday, the CM visited two parks — Bagh-i-Saman and Noorani Park — in district Centra and directed the authorities to develop and open the facilities for public at the earliest.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, on way back to CM House, the chief minister visited the Sindh Govt Hospital Liaquatabad where he found comparatively better hygienic conditions.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SindhCMHouse/status/1706754146198864004"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The CM took round of the old Covid-19 wards and directed the hospital officials to utilise the wards for other patients.</p>n<p>He went to the kitchen where food was prepared for 100 patients twice a day. He directed the administration to renovate it and keep it clean properly.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Armed citizens gun down three &amp;lsquo;muggers&amp;rsquo; in city

<p>KARACHI: Three alleged robbers were shot dead while two others were wounded by citizens in the Korangi and New Karachi areas on Tuesday, police and rescuers said. </p>nn<p>In Korangi, two suspects were gunned down by a robbery victim. </p>nn<p>According to Korangi SSP Hassan Sardar, the robbers had snatched valuables from a citizen within the remit of the Zaman Town police station. When they were fleeing, a citizen, who happened to be carrying his licensed pistol, chased them, upon which an exchange of gunfire took place, in which both the suspects were gunned down. </p>nn<p>The bodies were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre to fulfil medico-legal formalities. </p>nn<p>The police claimed to have recovered arms, cash, mobile phone and motorbike from them. </p>nn<p>In another incident, one suspect was gunned down while two others were wounded by a citizen in New Karachi. </p>nn<p>Police said four suspects riding two motorbikes arrived at Azam Bakery with the intention of committing a robbery. </p>nn<p>They snatched valuables from youths sitting there. In the meantime, an armed citizen, identified as Faizan, opened fire on them from his licensed pistol, killing one suspect on the spot and wounding two others.</p>nn<p>The deceased was identified as Yaseen and the injured as Kashif Ramazan. </p>nn<p>One injured suspect fled with their fourth accomplice. </p>nn<p>Later on, the police arrested the escaped injured suspect, identified as Ali Raza. </p>nn<p>The dead and injured suspects were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Dog culling by CBC draws Karachi DHA residents, animal lovers&amp;rsquo; ire

<p>KARACHI: Concerned residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA), who care for animals, have reported that the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) has started culling stray dogs in their area.</p>n<p>Many of the dogs that have vanished were being fed and cared for by the residents, who also claim that the poor animals were also guarding their neighbourhoods against burglars.</p>n<p>“They are no particular breed, just stray animals but they remained alert at night, which gave us a lot of peace of mind,” a resident of DHA Phase VIII told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>“In return for their loyalty and love we would offer them some leftovers. Everything was fine until the CBC decided to catch them and kill them,” the resident added with a lump in his throat.</p>n<p>So many areas of DHA have been cleared of stray dogs, who were quite friendly. “Many of them were spayed, neutered and vaccinated too,” said another concerned resident and animal rights activist Haniyeh Shaikh.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Cantonment board says it has invited concerned residents and members of animal rights organisations for a meeting tomorrow</p>n</blockquote>n<p>“My own pet dog Crystal was taken away by the CBC. When I found out and located her, they took Rs6,000 from me for releasing her. My dog was even wearing a collar,” Haniyeh informed.</p>n<p>“So many of these dogs that they are taking away are old and quite helpless. The poor creatures are very friendly, too. The animals are not wild but the CBC staff responsible for all this are quite wild. They are inhumane. A few days ago when they were taking away little puppies from the Creek Vista Apartments area, they were stopped by a housewife but instead of listening to her reasoning they pushed and beat her up for coming in their way,” said Haniyeh.</p>n<p>“Last Friday, many of us residents visited the CBC office to speak to them. We were very polite and civil towards them but they sounded so rude and angry. They told us that they were going to wipe out the population of dogs from DHA. Then when some residents also looked unhappy they told us that they were not culling the dogs but relocating them, which is a bunch of lies. We don’t believe that because there is no place for relocating the dogs here,” she said.</p>n<p>Jude Allen — who started ‘I am Noor Jehan Movement’ after watching the zoo elephant suffer so badly due to sheer incompetence and lack of empathy by the government — was also at the CBC office with the others on Friday with a plea to not hurt the stray dogs.</p>n<p>“We went there in a group. We met several high-ups there, who didn’t look impressed at all,” he said.</p>n<p>“At first they denied everything. But we had photographic and video evidence of their activities. Even the person in those videos we saw at the CBC office. So they had to admit. After much effort to make them understand that the dogs were harmless, they told us to keep them in our houses. But we already have made many of them our pets and are taking care of them. We can’t possibly keep them all,” he said.</p>n<p>“Then we were told by a Mr Najeeb there that if we are serious about this issue, we should work on a trap, neuter, spay and release roadmap. We have called a meeting at Aunty Park on Tuesday to discuss this with all those who care about these poor dogs because our next meeting with CBC is to take place on Thursday [tomorrow],” he added.</p>n<p>Jude said that the movement he had started itself is to raise awareness about how governments exploit animals for money. “The movement also covers senseless killings of innocent street animals by the CBC and KMC, who have absolutely no shame or fear of God for their actions,” he said.</p>n<p>Mahera Omar, the co-founder of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (Paws), was also very sad about what has been going on. “Albert Einstein once defined insanity as ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.’ Such is the case with municipal authorities in Karachi, who continue to mercilessly kill dogs in an attempt to eradicate them from the city,” she said.</p>n<p>“What the authorities should have been implementing by now is a humane citywide mass vaccination drive to control rabies in street dogs. With the disease in check in the animal reservoir, chances of transmission to humans decreases considerably. And if they engage with local communities to educate them on dog behaviour and bite prevention, it can reduce the incidences of dog bites across the city.</p>n<p>“Cleaning up the mounds of garbage in our neighbourhoods will also eventually see an overall decline in the street dog population. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix, and dealing with the situation requires political will and a sustained multi-pronged approach,” she explained.</p>n<p>“Shooting and poisoning dogs is not only cruel and barbaric, but it does not decrease their population as dogs from other areas move in to fill the void. Killing dogs also does not prevent the spread of rabies. When dogs are removed, their population is continuously changing. They may be unstable or aggressive and multiply at a high rate while carrying rabies,” she said.</p>n<p>On being approached by <em>Dawn</em>, a CBC spokesperson acknowledged that they have been receiving lots of complaints about stray dogs and also accusations about culling dogs.</p>n<p>“Therefore, we have invited all the animal rights organisations and concerned residents to the CBC office on Thursday [tomorrow] to further discuss the matter and chart out a way forward,” the spokesperson said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Law clipping CJP&amp;#039;s powers curtails judicial independence unconstitutionally: SCBA

Top lawyers body says parliament by enacting law violated principle of access to justice as a fundamental right

September 26, 2023

PTI free to take part in polls, clarifies minister after PM Kakar&amp;rsquo;s &amp;lsquo;minus Imran Khan&amp;rsquo; remarks

Murtaza Solangi says though all parties are free to participate in elections, punishment for crimes remains legal

Pakistan to take up issue of Afghan nationals&amp;#039; involvement in extortion

CTD arrests two TTP militants involved in extorting politicians; says they have 10 extortion-related WhatsApp groups

IHC to hold open court hearing on Imran Khan&amp;#039;s bail plea in cipher case

Court instructs FIA prosecutors to submit a separate petition for in-camera proceedings in next hearing

Intelligence Bureau moves SC to withdraw Faizabad sit-in review plea

CJP Isa-led bench to hear petitions contesting SC judgment on Faizabad sit-in case

NORI Cancer Hospital gets IAEA &amp;#039;Anchor Centre&amp;#039; status

PAEC Hospital NORI is designated as IAEA 'Anchor Centre' to enhance member state’s capabilities in cancer research

Petroleum crisis looms as prices soar globally

90% petroleum products imported, with only 10% production taking place domestically

Poliovirus found in Karachi, Hangu sewage samples

Pakistan has reported two cases, 27 positive environmental samples so far

QR-coded suitcases to ensure pilgrims&amp;rsquo; safety

2024 Hajj policy envisages roaming-free calls via special mobile package

Farrukh appointed as PTI&amp;rsquo;s spokesperson

Party condemns re-arrests of party workers

New Hajj policy to offer shorter stays in holy land

Minister tells Senate panel Karachi will be added to Road to Makkah project next year

September 25, 2023

COAS commends Christian community&amp;#039;s contribution to national development

Gen Asim Munir lauded the efforts of Christian community in strengthening defence of the country, says ISPR

UK investors show keen interest in Pakistan

Interim PM Kakar apprises them of FDI potential in key sectors

Karachi weather to remain hot, humid for next 3 days

The maximum temperature can go up to 36°C today in Karachi, says PMD

September 23, 2023

QAU decides to revive students&amp;rsquo; union as CJP attends syndicate meeting

CJP Isa expressed his displeasure over the presence of armed police and Rangers in the university, say sources

IHC CJ to hear Imran Khan bail plea in cipher case on Monday

PTI chief has filed post-arrest bail application after special court rejected plea

Not accountable to any govt Kakar on alleged human rights violations in Pakistan

"Country's laws are impartial, not favouring any gender, and apply to all citizens equally," says PM at UN presser

No change in Nawaz Sharif&amp;rsquo;s homecoming plan, says Shehbaz

PML-N president says he had arrived in London to discuss Nawaz’s legal, political steps ahead of his return

Jahangir Tareen advises Nawaz Sharif not to create narrative based on individuals

IPP chief says if PML-N supremo “wants to settle his matters with someone” then he should return to Pakistan

Army chief discusses defence, security affairs with Saudi counterpart

Saudi Gen Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al Ruwaili, led by high powered military delegation, calls on Gen Asim Munir

Army, Rangers to launch joint operation against dacoits in Sindh katcha area

Eight forward base camps being established in Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts

Parvez Elahi advises &amp;lsquo;all politicians&amp;rsquo; to get protective bail ahead of elections

PTI president also says that the delay in general elections has stopped the country’s system from working

95m Pakistanis live in poverty: World Bank

Urges govt to tax agriculture, real estate, cut wasteful expenditure

NAB approaches courts for reopening 115 references

<p>LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the accountability courts of Lahore for reopening of as many as 115 references, including those against former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza, former federal minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and his brother Salman and Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan. </p>nn<p>The courts had returned these references to the NAB chairman in the light of now defunct amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 for sending them to the courts of relevant jurisdiction. </p>nn<p>The scrapped amendments had clipped the jurisdiction of the bureau to take cognisance of any alleged financial corruption involving money less than Rs500 million. Whereas the NAB in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference against Shehbaz and his son made a case of alleged corruption of Rs213 million.</p>nn<p>In the mills reference, the NAB had arrested Shehbaz on Oct 5, 2018, and the Lahore High Court had released him on bail on Feb 14, 2019.</p>nn<p>The LHC in its bail granting order observed that prima facie, allegations about gratification, corrupt practice, abuse of authority, kickbacks and commission required further probe during trial as at this stage cogent evidence was not available.</p>nn<p>The NAB alleged that Shehbaz being chief minister and his son Hamza with the abetment and connivance of each other caused a loss to national exchequer of Rs213 million by committing the offence of misuse of authority.</p>nn<p>It said Shehbaz had issued a directive for the construction of a drain in Chiniot district primarily for the use of Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by his sons — Hamza and Suleman.</p>nn<p>The NAB is also likely to approach the accountability court for the reopening of Paragon reference against former federal minister for railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq, his brother Khwaja Salman Rafiq and others.The court on March 29, 2023, returned the Paragon reference to the NAB chairman against Saad, Salman and others.</p>nn<p>Another accountability court on Oct 6, 2022, returned to the NAB a reference of corruption in Chiniot minerals contracts against PA Speaker Sibtain Khan and others.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Kakar reminds world of unkept flood aid pledge

<p>• Points out India is trying to impose ‘final solution’ of Kashmir dispute<br />n• Cautions against attempts to selectively provide climate funds on basis of geopolitical considerations<br />n• Says Pakistan’s shift to geo-economics is underway</p>n<p>UNITED NATIONS: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar urged the global community on Friday to fulfil the commitments they made to Pakistan after last year’s devastating floods and help implement its recovery plans.</p>n<p>Mr Kakar, who is the first interim leader to address the UN General Assembly, used his maiden UN speech to highlight the country’s efforts to revive its ailing economy but also talked about the threat of terrorism confronting Pakistan and Islamabad’s efforts to improve ties with all neighbouring states.</p>n<p>He also touched on issues of peacekeepers facing challenges from terrorist groups, Islamophobia, etc.</p>n<p>At a UN-sponsored conference in Geneva in January, dozens of nations and international institutions had pledged more than $10 billion to help Pakistan recover and rebuild from the last year’s floods that the UN called “a climate disaster of monumental scale”.</p>n<p>“Pakistan is gratified by the commitments of over $10.5 billion for its comprehensive plan for recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction,” PM Kakar told the UNGA on Friday.</p>n<p>“Specific projects are being submitted to ensure timely funding and execution of the plan,” he said. “I hope our development partners will accord priority to allocation (release) of funds.”</p>n<p>Mr Kakar pointed out that recovery efforts had already cost Pakistan $13bn.</p>n<p>The epic floods submerged a third of the country, killed 1,700 and displaced over 8 million people, destroyed vital infrastructure, and caused over $30bn in damage to Pakistan’s economy.</p>n<p>But UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news briefing in March that only 40 per cent of the pledges were fulfilled, as donor-fatigue prevented greater contributions.</p>n<p><strong>Triple challenge</strong></p>n<p>PM Kakar, however, called for a better understanding of Pakistan’s problems.</p>n<p>“Pakistan’s triple —food, fuel and finance — challenge, is a prime illustration of the impacts of Covid, conflicts and climate on developing countries,” he said. “Pakistan is also one of the worst affected countries from the impacts of climate change.”</p>n<p>The prime minister recalled that far-reaching commitments were also made at Thursday’s UN-sponsored summit on sustainable development goals (SDGs) in New York. But “we must ensure” that those pledges are fulfilled, he stressed.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxgD9uQos7E" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxgD9uQos7E" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxgD9uQos7E" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He highlighted several key pledges that must be fulfilled: implementation of the SDG stimulus; the re-channeling of unused Special Drawing Rights (finances) for development; the expansion of concessional lending by Multilateral Development Banks; and resolution of the debt problems of the 59 countries in debt distress.</p>n<p>Mr Kakar said Pakistan was also looking forward to the fulfillment of the climate change commitments made at COP28 by the developed world: to provide over $100bn in annual climate finance.</p>n<p>He suggested allocating at least half of such finance for adaptation in developing countries; opera­tionalising the Fund and funding arrang­ements for loss and damage; and accelerating the carbon emission mitigation targets to “keep alive” the goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade.</p>n<p>“Attempts to selectively provide these funds on the basis of geo-political considerations should be resisted,” he warned.</p>n<p><strong>Economic recovery</strong></p>n<p>The caretaker premier also underlined Pakistan’s commitment to rapid economic recovery.</p>n<p>“We will stabilise our foreign exchange reserves and our currency; expand domestic revenues and, most importantly, mobilise significant domestic and external investment,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1705271515728769069"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Pakistan has established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to expedite investment decisions. Twenty-eight projects have been identified in priority sectors — agriculture, mining, energy, and IT — for implementation in collaboration with Pakistan’s partners.</p>n<p>“Pakistan’s long-term shift to geo-economics is well underway. The second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been initiated covering railway, infrastructure, and manufacturing projects,” Mr Kakar said. “Pakistan also looks forward to the early implementation of the connectivity projects with Central Asia.”</p>n<p>Noting that development depends on peace, he said Pakistan was situated in one of the least economically integrated regions in the world.</p>n<p><strong>‘Key to peace’</strong></p>n<p>“Pakistan believes that regions develop together. Therefore, Pak­is­tan desires peaceful and produ­ctive relations with all our neighbours, including India. Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India,” he said,</p>n<p>The prime minister, however, reminded the UN community that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was one of the oldest issues on the agenda of the Security Council.</p>n<p>Since August 5, 2019, Delhi has deployed 900,000 troops in India-held Jammu and Kashmir to impose the “final solution” for the disputed region.</p>n<p>“The UN Security Council must secure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir. The UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan should be reinforced. Global powers should convince New Delhi to accept Pakistan’s offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons,” Mr Kakar said.</p>n<p>The prime minister assured the international community that peace in Afghanistan was a strategic imperative for Pakistan and Islamabad shared their concerns with respect to Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women and girls.</p>n<p>“Yet, we advocate continued humanitarian assistance to a destitute Afghan population in which Afghan girls and women are the most vulnerable,” he said.</p>n<p>Mr Kakar also called for the revival of Afghan economy and implementation of the connectivity projects with Central Asia.</p>n<p><strong>Terrorism condemned</strong></p>n<p>“Pakistan’s first priority is to prevent and counter all terrorism from and within Afghanistan. Pakistan condemns the cross- border terrorist attacks against Pakistan by the [banned] TTP, Daesh and other groups operating from Afghanistan,” he said,</p>n<p>“We have sought Kabul’s support and cooperation to prevent these attacks. However, we are also taking necessary measures to end this externally encouraged terrorism.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

400,000 dementia patients in Pakistan

<p>LAHORE: Punjab observed the World Alzheimer’s Day to increase public awareness about the disease and its consequences.</p>nn<p>Dr Hussain Jafri, secretary-general of Alzheimer’s Pakistan, said currently an estimated 55m people worldwide were living with this neurological condition.</p>nn<p>He said according to estimates, there are over 400,000 people with dementia in Pakistan. Research indicates that people can develop dementia for decades before symptoms become apparent. However, reducing exposure to risk factors, both before and after diagnosis, can delay, slow progression, or even prevent projected dementia cases.</p>nn<p>Dr Jafri said the importance of clear and understandable information and advice, as well as making lifestyle changes accessible and affordable for everyone.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

26 teams formed to enforce 10pm shop closure in Lahore

<p>LAHORE: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider has taken action to ensure shops in the city close at 10pm by forming 26 teams.</p>nn<p>Teams sealed 72 shops across various markets in the city and imposed a Rs160,000 fine on shops that violated the closure orders.</p>nn<p>These teams will inspect different markets throughout the city to enforce the shop closure orders.</p>nn<p>Additional Deputy Commissioner General Zeeshan Nasrullah Ranjha oversaw the market situation in Raiwind, while the Model Town assistant commissioner (AC) sealed 28 shops. The Cantonment AC sealed 23 shops in DHA phase-III and VI, as well as Bedian Road. Warnings were issued to shopkeepers in DHA-B, III, and X.</p>nn<p>The City AC visited The Mall and imposed fines on shopkeepers found in violation of the closure time.Three weeks ago, the Lahore High Court also expressed its disappointment over the failure of the DC to ensure the market’s closure at 10pm.</p>nn<p>The environment department officials and members of the Environmental Commission submitted a report on the implementation of the court’s previous orders.</p>nn<p>The commission’s members pointed out that the markets were not being closed on time despite notifications from the DC’s office.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Pregnant woman tortured to death by in-laws in Chichawatni

<p>SAHIWAL: Torture by in-laws allegedly claimed life of a pregnant woman at 112/12-L village of Chichawatni tehsil late on Thursday.</p>nn<p>As per police and locals, Asia Bibi, a resident of 112/12 L village, married Imran, of the same village some 18 months back.</p>nn<p>Asia had good relations with her husband but developed differences with her father-in-law Shaban, brother-in-law Rizwan, and mother-in-law Sugrain Bibi.</p>nn<p>On Thursday, some hot word were exchanged between Asia and Rizwan, who started beating her with a bamboo stick, and was joined by his mother and father.</p>nn<p>The locals said Sughra Bibi also hit Asia with a brick, leaving her critically injured.</p>nn<p>Asia’s husband came to her rescue, but was also tortured by his brother and father.</p>nn<p>On hearing Asia’s cries, local intervened and rescued the injured woman.The critically injured woman was shifted to Chichawatni Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.</p>nn<p>On the complaint of Asia’s brother, Noor Samanad, Chichawatni Sadar police have registered a murder case (FIR No 1035/23) against Shaban, Sughra and Rizwan under sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. </p>nn<p>NOTICES: The owners of 107 commercial building were served notices for not getting clearance certificates for their building plans and no-submission of conversion fees to the Sahiwal Metropolitan Corporation (SMC).</p>nn<p>The notices were issued by Commissioner Shoaib Iqbal, as SMC administrator.</p>nn<p>According to Additional Commissioner (Coordination) Shafiq Dogar, out of the total 107 buildings which were served notices, 61 are being used as schools and 46 as commercial banks.</p>nn<p>He directed the corporation staff to take legal action against the building owners who fail to submit the SMC dues.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Muttahida governor, JI decide to shun differences

<p>KARACHI: In a surprise move, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who is the nominee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, on Friday agreed to “move forward”, ignoring “bitterness” for the development of Karachi.</p>n<p>The governor visited the JI headquarters Idara Noor-i-Haq on the invitation of party’s city chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and held a detailed discussion and shared brief details with the media about the motive of their meeting and points of their conversations.</p>n<p>The two sides surprisingly preferred to pick a reconciliatory tone after recent allegations against each other, calling it “nothing personal” but a line they toed over some “misunderstanding and confusion.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/KamranTessoriPk/status/1705162940771385525"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The meeting between the two sides came against the backdrop of the growing criticism of the MQM-P that had ensued after the recent verdict of the Sindh High Court which upheld the death penalty handed down to two MQM workers in the Baldia factory fire case. Among others, senior MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal was found more aggressive against the JI who had called it a “party of hypocrites”.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Tessori visits JI headquarters on Hafiz Naeem’s invitation</p>n</blockquote>n<p>However, unlike his party’s stance, Governor Tessori called it “a confusion and misunderstanding” as reason behind his recent disagreement with the JI.</p>n<p>The same gesture was showed by JI’s Hafiz Naeem, who welcomed the governor and thanked him for visiting the party headquarters over his invitation.</p>n<p>They were found in agreement that the recent “bitterness” and “unpleasant situation” between the two sides over the Jafco Ground in North Nazimabad emerged due to “misunderstanding and communication gap.”</p>n<p>“Now the issue has been resolved amicably,” said Mr Tessori while talking to reporters after the meeting.</p>n<p>“The country has set its goals and soon you would see things happening. Let me share with you that around US $30 billion foreign investment is expected in Pakistan in the days to come and 30 percent of them would be spent on Karachi. So we cannot afford any political disagreement that causes instability at this moment,” he added.</p>n<p>Hafiz Naeem, while thanking the Sindh governor for his goodwill, appealed him to play his due role in uprooting corrupt system in the country and put an end to the so called transition period.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

North Waziristan tribesmen protest delay in repatriation

<p>LAKKI MARWAT: Madakhel tribesmen of North Waziristan tribal district demonstrated in Bannu on Friday against delay in their repatriation and suspension of cash assistance.</p>nn<p>The protesters took out a procession from Fazal Qadir Shaheed Park and converged outside the press club, carrying banners and placards highlighting their demands. </p>nn<p>Tribal elders, including Malik Sharope Khan, Fatehullah, Usman and others, said militancy and military operations had displaced thousands of tribesmen in 2014, who had since been living in Bannu as temporarily displaced persons. </p>nn<p>They said the government initially facilitated each displaced family with Rs20,000 cash assistance, which was stopped later.</p>nn<p>The elders said non-provision of assistance amid backbreaking inflation had added to their troubles, and demanded of the government to repatriate the displaced families and restore payments.</p>nn<p>Separately, a resident of North Waziristan tribal district was killed over a family dispute in Bannu, the police said on Friday.</p>nn<p>They said Bakhta Noor and Payan attacked Janwaz Khan with daggers, killing him on the spot in Nawa Kallay Nar Jafar area. </p>nn<p>The police said the attackers also belonged to North Waziristan. The body was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for postmortem. The police registered a case against the suspected killers on the complaint of the deceased’s widow. </p>nn<p>Also, unknown assailants killed Shafiullah, a resident of Naurang town of Lakki Marwat district, with a firearm and a dagger in Hujramkhel Mandori area of Mirakhel.</p>nn<p>The police said the body was taken to the DHQ Hospital for autopsy. </p>nn<p>The police registered a case on the complaint of the victim’s uncle, Samiullah.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

PHC allows remission to prisoners convicted in drug cases before Sept 2022

<p>PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has ruled that the amendment made in the relevant law last year prohibiting remissions to convicts in narcotics cases could not be applied retrospectively to persons convicted prior to it.</p>nn<p>A bench consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah accepted three petitions filed by convicts challenging withholding of remissions to them by the authorities of respective prisons in the light of amendments made in the Control of Narcotics Substance Act (CNSA), 1997, last year.</p>nn<p>One of the petitioners three petitioners, Ajab Khan, contended that as he was convicted in 2020, prior to the said amendments, therefore, those changes in the law could not be applied with retrospective effect to him.</p>nn<p>Advocate Noor Alam Khan and Fawad Afzal Safi appeared for the petitioners and contended that the Control of Narcotics Substance (Amendment) Act 2022 was passed by the Parliament and published in the official Gazette on Sept 6, 2022.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Court rules Control of Narcotics Substance (Amendment) Act 2022 can’t be applied retrospectively</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>They stated that through the said amendments a new section 9(A) was incorporated in the CNSA which provided that no remission in any sentence should be allowed to a person, who was convicted under this Act. They added that the said section further provided that neither probation in any sentence should be allowed nor any accused convicted under the Act should be released on parole.</p>nn<p>Noor Alam stated that his client Ajab Khan was arrested on Sept 18, 2019, on charges of smuggling 11kg heroin and was charged under section 9-C of the CNSA.</p>nn<p>He stated that the petitioner was convicted by the trial court on Nov 13, 2020, and was sentenced to life imprisonment with fine of Rs100,000. He added that the court had also extended benefit of section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure to the petitioner, under which his period of detention prior to his conviction, had to be counted in his prison term.</p>nn<p>He stated that his appeal was partially accepted by the high court in Oct 2022 and his prison term was reduced to eight years, whereas the fine was maintained.</p>nn<p>The counsel stated that before the amendments made in the law, several remissions permissible under the prison rules and announced by the government from time-to-time were granted to the petitioner. However, he stated that after the said amendments the prison authorities had withdrawn the remissions from the petitioner.</p>nn<p>Moreover, he added that the petitioner was a first time offender and because of his good conduct he was also entitled to be released on parole under the Good Conduct Prisoners Probational Release Act, 1926.</p>nn<p>He contended that under the Constitution of Pakistan these amendments could not be applied retrospectively. He added that as the petitioner was arrested in 2019 and convicted in 2020, therefore, the law introduced in 2022 could not be applied to him as well as other prisoners convicted before it.</p>nn<p>The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had opposed the contention of the petitioners stating that under the CNS (Amendment) Act 2022, they were not entitled to remissions.</p>nn<p>The government adopted the plea that in a similar nature case the director reclamation and probation had stated that prisoner convicted under section 9 of the CNSA was not covered/eligible under the Good Conduct Prisoners Probational Release Act.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Khattak claims his party to form next govt in KP

<p>SWAT: Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians Pervez Khattak on Friday claimed that his party would form the next government in the province after winning elections and would address the “wrong” policies of the previous rulers. </p>nn<p>He said his party’s primary agenda revolved around peace, development, and prosperity.</p>nn<p>Addressing a gathering of party workers in Odigram area here, Mr Khattak said political parties lacked a concrete programme for national development and people’s welfare and therefore, he formed a new party to steer the country to development.</p>nn<p>He said as the chief minister, he initiated large-scale development projects in the province.</p>nn<p>The PTI-P leader said his party was open to honest and patriotic politicians to bring about a tangible improvement in people’s life.</p>nn<p>He welcomed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz district general secretary Syed Habib Ali Shah to the party.</p>nn<p>PTI-P vice-chairman Mehmood Khan told participants that as the CM, he approved billions of rupees worth of development projects for Swat, work on which was still under way.</p>nn<p>He said during his tenure as the CM, his administration undertook such an extensive range of development projects that there won’t be any need for more schools, water supply and roads in future.</p>nn<p>Mr Khan said had his government not ended prematurely, all development projects executed by it would have been completed by now.</p>nn<p>He claimed that his government’s record mega projects in Swat even surpassed the development work done during the times of the wali (ruler) of the formerly Swat state.</p>nn<p>The speakers criticised PTI chairman Imran Khan and his party over “failure” to deliver on their promises and slogans, especially in Punjab province.</p>nn<p>They said the “true faces” of all political parties had been exposed to the people, who understood that those parties wouldn’t resolve their issues.</p>nn<p>The speakers said the 15 months long tenure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement government was detrimental to the country’s economic stability.</p>nn<p>They urged people to reject corrupt politicians in the upcoming elections and vote for the well-wishers of the country.</p>nn<p>The speakers criticised the caretaker government in the province over “record corruption.” Noted among participants were former provincial minister Mohibullah Khan, former woman MPA Nadia Sher Khan and former lawmaker Ziaullah Bangash.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

PIC introduces cutting-edge technology to protect heart patients from stroke

<p>PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) has achieved a significant milestone by successfully performing a groundbreaking procedure with the help of a cutting-edge technology device to protect heart patients from strokes.</p>nn<p>Dr Mohammad Waleed, an interventional cardiologist specialising in structural heart diseases, led the procedure, the first of its kind in the country, saying it will provide a lifeline to patients at risk of stroke due to irregular heart rhythms.</p>nn<p>Dr Waleed is an assistant professor at the PIC, who received training from heart specialist Professor David Hildick-Smith at Sussex Cardiac Centre, Brighton, England.</p>nn<p>In the pioneering operation, Prof Hildick-Smith joined the PIC team and implanted the innovative device in a 71-year-old woman cardiac patient at the institute.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Doctor says initiative to save lives</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>Prof Hildick-Smith expressed his both astonishment and honour at the initiative in a Pakistani public hospital and said the technology could potentially save countless lives in the country, representing a new dawn for Pakistan’s healthcare.</p>nn<p>Assistant Professor Dr Mohammad Waleed, a cardiologist at the PIC, said patients with irregular heart rhythms faced the constant threat of blood clot formation in the left atrial appendage (LAA) that could lead to a stroke.</p>nn<p>He said traditional blood-thinning medications carried the risk of bleeding in various sensitive parts of the body.</p>nn<p>“The LAA closure device offers hope to these patients by reducing the risk of stroke without the need for systemic blood thinners,” he said.</p>nn<p>PIC CEO and medical director Prof Shahkar Ahmad Shah appreciated the “efforts and dedication” of his medical team and administrative staff members over the accomplishment and said the institute was committed to “connecting international technology and treatment methods” to benefit patients not only in the province but in other parts of the country as well.</p>nn<p>“We [PIC] aspire to be a centre of excellence providing state-of-the-art health facilities to people in line with international standards. We will continue integrating cutting-edge technologies into the healthcare system ensuring patients in Pakistan have access to world-class care without the need to seek treatment abroad,” he said.</p>nn<p>Prof Shahkar said the achievement represented a remarkable leap forward in the field of cardiology and underscored the PIC’s dedication to improving the lives of cardiac patients in the country.</p>nn<p>He added that the introduction of the LAA closure device set a precedent in the country’s healthcare landscape offering hope to countless people with heart conditions,” he said.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Parvez Elahi&amp;rsquo;s remand extended in Judicial Complex attack case

<p>ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday extended the judicial remand of former Punjab chief minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi in a case registered against him for allegedly inciting violence outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC).</p>nn<p>Mr Elahi was produced before ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who remarked that the court had granted post-arrest bail to the ex-CM and inquired whether his surety bonds were deposited or not.</p>nn<p>Mr Elahi’s counsel Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan told the court that since his client was arrested in another case by the Punjab Anti Corruption Establishment, the bail bonds have not been submitted yet.</p>nn<p>Mr Elahi informed the judge he was suffering from digestive disorder and was not allowed homemade food.</p>nn<p>He further claimed the jail administration had constructed a wall along the window of his barrack to suffocate the environment. </p>nn<p>The PTI leader also complained that a stranger had been deployed outside his cell to breach his privacy.</p>nn<p>The judge remarked that he would seek a report from jail authorities on his complaints.</p>nn<p>The court adjourned the proceeding till October 13.</p>nn<p>Later, talking to the media, Mr Elahi said PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif were responsible for the hike in electricity costs.</p>nn<p>He said skyrocketing inflation has broken the backbone of the middle class.In response to a question as to whether he would be released before the elections, he replied that only Allah knows when he will get out of jail and said that in the current situation, every politician should obtain the pre-arrest bail.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

&amp;lsquo;Mastermind&amp;rsquo; among seven held over MDCAT cheating scandal

<p>PESHAWAR: Police on Friday claimed to have arrested seven people for “facilitating” cheating in the recent Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).</p>nn<p>In a statement issued here, the city police said the department received complaints about cheating in the MDCAT across the province revealing that the candidates were receiving answers to questions through electronic gadgets, including Bluetooth devices, from outside examination centres.</p>nn<p>They added that police arrested 74 candidates, including men and women, over exam cheating, while 19 cases were registered at eight police stations in the provincial capital.</p>nn<p>The police said after the formal start of the investigation, a joint operation by the Peshawar and Kohat police led to the arrest of Zafar Khattak, the alleged mastermind of the scandal.</p>nn<p>It said further investigation led to the arrest of a brother of Khattak as well as Fahad, Fazal Subhan, Arshad, Fazl Wahab and Aminullah, who all were well-trained and highly-educated people.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Police say 74 candidates in custody; FIA to examine seized devices</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>“During the joint operation, police recovered electronic devices from the arrested men. The devices will be sent to the Federal Investigation Agency for forensic examination,” the police said, adding that they were also working on the call detail records of the employees of the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency as well as the arrested students.</p>nn<p>They said during the initial investigation, the accused revealed that a centralised system was in place so that all candidates stay in contact at the same time.</p>nn<p>The police said besides Peshawar, the police in other districts, too, recovered 44 electronic devices, including microphones, mobile phones and a smart watch.</p>nn<p>Meanwhile, officials privy to the development said a joint investigation team constituted by the home and tribal affairs department declared in its report that the ETEA’s mechanism to check cheating in the test as well as its information technology system were not up to the mark.</p>nn<p>They said the men behind the cheating scam had fixed rates with over Rs2 million per case, including the device and facilitation in the test.</p>nn<p>The officials said the police were investigating the scandal and had so far registered over 200 FIRs.</p>nn<p>“The mastermind was earlier kicked out from the Public Service Commission for such acts and then arrested multiple times,” an official told Dawn.</p>nn<p>On Sept 10, the Khyber Medical University (KMU) said ina statement that it had adopted the zero tolerance policy regarding the use of electronic gadgets by candidates inside testing centres.</p>nn<p>“Candidates were searched in three steps at the time of entry besides inside the centres with the help of metal detectors,” it said.</p>nn<p>The KMU said 46,612 candidates sat the admission test for public and private medical and dental colleges in the province and that the test was organised by it and the ETEA at 43 places in 11 cities of the province.</p>nn<p>“In light of the directions issued by the government, it has been decided to take legal action against the candidate who brought electronic devices to the centre,” KMU vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq said in the statement.</p>nn<p>He said papers of the candidates caught for cheating would be deemed canceled and that they would be banned from sitting any ETEA test for the next two years.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Six booked under ATA over attack on Fesco office

<p>LAHORE: In a major development, a team of the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) got a case registered against two brother lawyers and four others under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other charges for attacking and ransacking the office of the company’s Kamalia City Sub-Division, threatening and harassing staff after a team raided a spot, detected electricity pilferage and disconnected power supply.</p>n<p>“They (accused) also slapped the Lesco officials, including the SDO, after entering the office. Carrying guns, they also ransacked the office, besides hurling threats to the staff,” said Fesco CEO Bashir Ahmad while talking to <em>Dawn</em> on Friday. “The case has been registered against the accused,” he said.</p>n<p>The accused, however, rejected the Fesco officials’ stance. “I challenge Fesco officers, police and others concerned to hold an impartial inquiry.</p>n<p>And if it (the inquiry) finds us guilty, the government can impose a fine of Rs500,000 on us and may try us under the 7 ATA,“ advocate Khalid Imran Bhagila told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>According to the FIR registered by Saddar Police Station (Kamalia) under section 7 ATA, 353, 186, 440, 506, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), SDO Zulifqar Kathia and other officers were busy in a meeting on Thursday evening when the armed accused namely Khalid Imran, Abid Imran, Mudassir Alam and three unknown entered the office and started ransacking the office doors, windows and other furniture with their guns.</p>n<p>They, while doing so, also kept using abusive language, tore up official files, besides attacking sensitive portions of the office and threatening and harassing officers as well as their staff. They later fled, hurling life threats.</p>n<p>The FIR states that the Fesco team had detected power theft at the premises of accused Mudassair Alam Bhagila and his uncle Mazhar Iqbal a day before. The team also removed meters from their premises due to which the accused attacked the Fesco office.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a Faisalabad ATC granted on Friday bail before arrest till Oct 4 to the two lawyers and their accomplice Mudassar in a case of 7-ATA registered by Kamalia City police.</p>n<p>The Kamalia Bar Association observed a strike on Friday. They also warned the Fesco officials to withdraw the FIR, failing which no one from Fesco area offices would be allowed to enter the bar premises.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) claimed that the lawyers in various cases also threatened Lesco teams, beside thrashing them.</p>n<p>“Though we have so far not seen any case where we got FIRs lodged against lawyers or anyone under 7-ATA, the lawyers in various cases are doing wrong with us,” he added.</p>n<p>Sharing detail, he said in Okara, some lawyers got a power thief released from the police lockup forcibly. “Our XEN (Sha­limar Division, Lahore) was also thrashed by some lawyers recently. In Nankana Sahib, some lawyers offered resistance,” he explained, adding that last night, some lawyers offered resistance when a team captured a Samanabad car dealer association office-bearers on account of power theft.</p>n<p><em>Tariq Saeed in Toba Tek Singh also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Shehbaz declares victory over cancer

In 2000, former PM was diagnosed with an extremely rare and perilous form of cancer known as Adenocarcinoid

September 22, 2023

Pakistan urges world to convince India of its offer to shun arms race

PM Kakar says Islamabad believes nations develop together and it desires peaceful ties with all neighbours including New Delhi

India&amp;rsquo;s Hindutva agenda now hitting Western capitals: PM Kakar

“We will raise the issue to expose the reality hidden behind the face of Hindutva’s political agenda,” says premier

PPP suspends senior leader Latif Khosa&amp;#039;s party membership

Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari also suspends Khosa's membership in Central Executive Committee

PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to address UNGA session today

Premier to share Pakistan’s perspective on relevant regional and world issues as well

Shujaat &amp;#039;advises&amp;#039; PML-N, PPP to avoid conflict

Asif Zardari says PPP doesn't want confrontation with anyone; Shujaat to speak to Nawaz as well

Ban on pillion riding announced in Karachi, other Sindh districts

Pillion ban, however, will not be applicable to women, children below the age of 12 years

PM Kakar criticises West for dismissing India&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;reality&amp;#039; for &amp;#039;economic, strategic reasons&amp;#039;

"Many players in the Western capitals chose to ignore this fact and reality," caretaker prime minister says

KU teachers boycott classes from today over financial, administrative crisis

Teachers’ strike in the evening programme has been ongoing since September 14

CJP Isa-led bench to hear Faizabad sit-in review pleas on Sep 28

In 2019 ruling, SC had ruled that intelligence agencies must not exceed their respective mandates

At UN, PM warns against &amp;lsquo;Hindutva fascism&amp;rsquo;

Kakar urges UNGA to adopt indiscriminate approach towards countering all terrorists

No change in Nawaz&amp;rsquo;s travel plan: PML-N leaders

Former PPP leader says trying to convince Abbasi, Ismail to form new party

PM&amp;rsquo;s &amp;#039;Israel-US comparison&amp;#039; ignites social media outcry

Leaders, social media criticise 'shockingly poor language'; slam PM for comparing Pak-China with Israel-US alliance

PML-N &amp;lsquo;supported Bajwa&amp;rsquo;s extension&amp;rsquo; to tackle Imran

Sanaullah says decision was part of strategy at that time

Bahria Town launches free petrol initiative to alleviate inflation woes

Impoverished bikers will be given free petrol worth Rs1,000 on directives of Malik Riaz Hussain

&amp;lsquo;Shockingly poor language&amp;rsquo;: PM Kakar pilloried over comparison of Pak-China ties to Israel-US ties

<p>Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar was on Friday censured — mostly by PTI activists — for using “shockingly poor language” while describing China’s strong ties to Pakistan by apparently referring to the US support enjoyed by Israel.</p>n<p>The social media criticism comes a day after the premier made the said comparison when speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations on his visit to the US to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RIuVp7j-WnY?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In the interview (time stamp 55:30), PM Kakar said, “Pakistan enjoys a strategic relationship with China. We are very clear that there are people who would qualify Pakistan as China’s Israel.</p>n<p>“It is probably a more good analogy for [the] American audience because you do understand and appreciate the value of Israel for the United States.”</p>n<p>He made the remarks in response to one of the questions from the attendees of the talk — “What the relationship is now between Pakistan and China?”</p>n<p>He then went on to highlight how both neighbours “have a lot in common in terms of the emergent crises within the region” and “commonalities on certain issues”, citing the One-China policy and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1702924">China’s stance on Taiwan</a>, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1749760">Tibet</a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1708727">Xinjiang</a> issues.</p>n<p>As some have pointed out, the statement could be a possible reference to Chinese General Xiong Guangkai’s quote cited in the introduction of Andrew Small’s <em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.google.com.pk/books/edition/The_China_Pakistan_Axis/KscdCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">The China Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics</a></em>.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n </figure></p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/bookscache/status/1704929413295460861?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>PTI ex-MPA Taimur Khan Jhagra asked in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “Why would I want my country to be like ‘China’s Israel’? Why can we not just define Pakistan as Pakistan itself, and make it a prosperous example for the world to follow?”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Jhagra/status/1705011711110004972?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“Shockingly poor language to compare Pakistan with an apartheid state [that] Pakistan doesn’t recognise,” he added.</p>n<p>PTI’s Faisal Amin Khan, brother of party leader Ali Amin Gandapur, said, “Comparing your country to a bully like Israel isn’t very smart.”</p>n<p>Pointing out the possible reference to Small’s book, he said it seemed like the prime minister read the book “on his way to New York”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/FaisalAminKhan/status/1704923788813418673"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Simplifying PM Kakar’s remarks, PTI activist Virk Shahzaib posted on his X account, “The caretaker PM believes Pakistan is China’s Israel… He claims Pakistan is to China what Israel is to the US.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1576183"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“To use any analogy that compares Pakistan and Israel is beyond condemnable and not understandable for any point of view,” he asserted.</p>n<p><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775902">Absconding</a> PTI leader Hammad Azhar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/Hammad_Azhar/status/1704926234025529423?s=20">demanded</a> that the premier apologise and “take back his words”, adding, “To compare Pakistan with Israel that established itself by forcibly taking possession of another peoples’ land and sustained itself through nothing other than oppression and violence is an insult.”</p>n<p>Meanwhile, journalists and lawyers also chimed in on the ongoing discourse.</p>n<p><em>Dawn’s</em> US correspondent Anwar Iqbal asked on X: “What does he want to say?”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Anwardawn/status/1704931431879704979"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><em>DawnNewsTV</em> host Adil Shahzeb, while using the original quote from the book, expressed surprise at PM Kakar’s words.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/adilshahzeb/status/1705108907771781475?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Supreme Court lawyer Zahid F. Ebrahim said, “I did not expect better from Mr. Kakar. But, I did expect better from [Foreign Minister] Jalil [Abbas] Jilani.</p>n<p>“The caretaker FM (foreign minister) should have vigorously opposed this outrageously wasteful foreign jaunt by a caretaker PM,” he wrote.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/zfebrahim/status/1705137461481840913?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Another lawyer, Dr Alizaan, clarified, “He is not talking about the responsibility of any state (Israel or Pakistan); rather, he is trying to establish that just as Israel is a blue-eyed child to the US, Pakistan is to China.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/YourLegalPals/status/1705053638694248915?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>

Obtain bail before election, Elahi advises politicians

Ex-Punjab CM says system is at a standstill in absence of election; Nawaz has changed

Afghan refugees urged to abstain from political activities in Pakistan

Afghan consul general says they will not be able to defend any refugee who comes under criticism by Pakistani govt

Pakistan pushing for $10b flood-relief fund disbursement

We're trying to ensure that amounts promised and pledged to us are dispersed to Pakistan, says PM Kakar

Journalist Khalid Jamil held for spreading &amp;lsquo;anti-state narrative&amp;rsquo;

Bureau chief of a private news channel was taken into custody by FIA from his residence last night

PPP suspends lawyer Latif Khosa&amp;rsquo;s party membership

<p>The PPP on Friday suspended the party membership of disgruntled leader Sardar Latif Khosa and also ousted him from its central executive committee (CEC).</p>n<p>PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari confirmed the development to <em>Dawn.com</em>. He said the decision was taken after lawyer Khosa failed to reply to the show-cause notice issued to him by the party last week.</p>n<p>On September 14, Khosa was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775950">issued a show-cause notice</a> for “defending/pleading and representing [the] head of another political party without prior approval of [party] leadership”.</p>n<p>Although the letter did not mention anyone by name, it was a clear reference to PTI Chairman Imran Khan — who was arrested last month in the Toshakhana case. Khosa has been representing the PTI chief in several cases registered against him.</p>n<p>The ex-premier is also facing a case under the Official Secrets Act which pertains to a diplomatic document which reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power.</p>n<p>The show-cause notice issued for Khosa said: “You being member of central executive committee are defending/pleading/representing a head of another political party without prior approval of leadership …while delivering a speech in lawyers function you criticised the state policy regarding [the] cipher.</p>n<p>“You are hereby through this show cause notice asked to explain why disciplinary action not be taken against you for working against the party policy; the reply should reach the undersigned within seven days, failing disciplinary action will be taken against you by withdrawing your membership…”</p>n<p>Previously, Khosa had also been served a show-cause notice for giving a statement in favour of the PTI chief.</p>

Shehbaz says deliberated on &amp;lsquo;administrative, legal affairs&amp;rsquo; in London meeting

<p>PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that he had arrived in London to participate in a party meeting to discuss “legal and administrative” matters, emphasising that decisions regarding all the issues had been taken.</p>n<p>Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Shehbaz conveyed that he had arrived in the city on the directives of the party supremo and his brother, Nawaz Sharif, to participate in the party huddle.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1705265050435379437"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Shehbaz headed back to London on Thursday merely 48 hours after he returned to the country from the UK, sparking surprise among several quarters.</p>n<p>The former prime minister had left London earlier in the week after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771284">spending several weeks</a> there, but upon reaching Lahore, made a sudden plan to return in order to have a face-to-face meeting with his elder brother.</p>n<p>The party chief had already spent nearly a month in London for his medical check-ups, as well as holding discussions with his elder brother.</p>n<p>It was Shehbaz who, flanked by Nawaz, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775482">told reporters</a> outside Stanhope House that the elder Sharif is set to return to Pakistan on October 21.</p>n<p>His visit coincided with the London trip of party vice-president Maryam Nawaz, who also landed in London just before her uncle arrived, on a separate flight.</p>n<p>Sources had told <em>Dawn</em> that the former PM returned to discuss important matters with his elder brother, adding that there were “important discussions regarding the return of Nawaz” that were due to take place.</p>n<p>However, during his talk with reporters in London today, Shehbaz chose not to delve into the specifics of the meeting. Instead, he mentioned that his elder brother was returning to the country to “pick up the threads of development progress from where he had left off in 2018 after his mandate was snatched”.</p>n<p>He stated that the alleged destruction of the four years of development starting from 2013 had seemingly occurred overnight, and he emphasised that “such an example is not evident elsewhere”.</p>n<p>Shehbaz pointed out that Nawaz had made a commitment in 2013 to resolve the load shedding crisis, a promise he fulfilled. He further claimed that Nawaz aimed to steer the country once again toward the path of progress.</p>n<p>He also emphasised that Nawaz’s return aimed to put an end to the “trend of hatred and disrespect” that, according to him, was allegedly propagated among the youth by former premier Imran Khan.</p>n<p>In recent weeks, PML-N leaders Mohammad Zubair, Abid Sher Ali and Khawaja Asif have all met Nawaz in London, and conveyed their messages surrounding the plan for his return.</p>

Zardari-Shujaat meet sparks guessing game

<p>LAHORE: Hours after the ECP set last week of January for holding polls in the country, PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari met PML-Q president Chau­dhry Shujaat Hussain at his residence on Thursday and discussed plans for elections, including a proposal to make an alliance and go for seat adjustment in Punjab.</p>n<p>The current political situation remained the focus of the around 40-minute-long meeting, during which Mr Zardari also inquired after the veteran politician’s health.</p>n<p>While there was no official word on the details of the discussion between both leaders, PPP’s central media cell tweeted that Mr Zardari visited PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain and discussed with him the current political situation in the country.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MediaCellPPP/status/1704888005784166666"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Since the PPP’s central executive committee has empowered Mr Zardari to meet top leadership of political parties for striking seat adjustments to get his party a share of seats in the province, the former president has stationed himself in Lahore and launched efforts to get the job done.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Hunting for an alliance, former president parks himself in Lahore</p>n</blockquote>n<p>On the other hand, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777043/shehbaz-rushes-back-to-london-within-48-hours">rushed to London</a> on Thursday to discuss the political situation with party supremo Nawaz Sharif. It may be recalled that Mr Shehbaz had returned from the UK only a few days ago. PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz has also gone to London to attend the huddle which aims to make plans for the elections.</p>n<p>Sources said PPP wanted to go for seat adjustment with both PML-N and PML-Q, with its second-tier leadership also hinting at a similar arrangement with the PTI.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776820"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Though senior PML-N leaders are silent on entering into an alliance with PPP, its second-tier leadership is vocal enough to express its opposition to such an alliance. They say PDM was made only to oust Imran Khan from power and complete the remaining period of the previous government’s tenure.</p>n<p>Thursday’s meeting was also attended by former federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and PML-Q Punjab President Chaudhry Shafay Hussain.</p>n<p>At a time when Mr Zardari is on a hunt for alliance, PPP General Secretary Nayyer Hussain Bukhari has declared that the party will not enter into any electoral alliance with any party because it simply does not want such an arrangement.</p>n<p>Speaking at a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the 35th birthday of party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he said PPP did not wish to engage in a bitter rivalry with any party, adding that its workers would hold their ground instead of fleeing any electoral contest.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MediaCellPPP/status/1704880695716532407"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Welcoming the announcement of the election timeline by the ECP, he said if people were allowed to freely use their right to franchise, they would elect Mr Bhutto-Zardari as the next prime minister.</p>n<p>Amid sloganeering, he urged party’s die-hard workers to work hard like in 1970, 77 and 88 for bringing the party to power. He said that mere raising slogans or taking selfies with the party leadership would not serve the purpose.</p>n<p>PPP leader Aslam Gill, who chaired the ceremony, expressed the hope that people would vote for Bilawal to elect him as the next prime minister in the coming polls.</p>n<p>Former MNA Musa Gilani said PPP suffered damage in Punjab because of its policy of reconciliation. He said if the party wished to play the role of a real opposition, then it would have to come out on the streets for the cause of the masses.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

Journalist Khalid Jamil arrested for spreading &amp;lsquo;anti-state&amp;rsquo; narrative, remanded in FIA custody

<p>An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday remanded journalist Muhammad Khalid Jamil in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for two days after he was arrested last night.</p>n<p>According to the FIA, the journalist was detained on charges of spreading “provocative narrative” against state institutions through social media posts.</p>n<p>A photo of Jamil is also doing the rounds on social media, showing him holding a piece of paper with a case number written on it.</p>n<p><em>ABN News</em>, the TV channel with which Jamil is affiliated, posted a message at 11:18pm last night on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the journalist had been arrested.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/abnnewspk/status/1704923151950659794"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The first information report — a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn.com</em> — registered by the agency said Hussain was “found sharing and propagating highly intimidating content/tweets on social media/Twitter” (now X).</p>n<p>It invoked Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), which states: “Whoever intentionally and publicly exhibits or displays or transmits any information through any information system, which he knows to be false, and intimidates or harms the reputation or privacy of a natural person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to one million rupees or with both.”</p>n<p>The FIR also included Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.</p>n<p>“The accused had knowingly misinterpreted and disseminates anti-state narrative by sharing false misleading and baseless information which are also likely to cause fear in the public and may incite anyone to commit an offence against the state or the state institution or public tranquility,” it said.</p>n<p>It added that the “accused persons including Muhammad Khalid Jamil propagated, promoted and glorified anti-state, provocative and hatred narrative against the state institutions.” The FIA, however, did not name other individuals involved in the alleged crime.</p>n<p>The agency said such intimidating content of blaming and naming through social media accounts, is a mischievous act of subversion to create a rift between general public and state institutions to “harm the state of Pakistan”.</p>n<p>It went on to say that through such intimidating content including videos, the accused “attempted to provoke the general public against the state institutions including judiciary, by trying to create a feeling of ill-will among pillars of the state”.</p>n<p>“The competent authority has accorded the permission for registration of FIR so the case is registered,” the FIA added.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the journalist community strongly condemned the arrest of Khalid Jamil and called for a clear explanation for the action taken.</p>n<p>Journalist Maria Memon expressed concern about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) swift action in Jamil’s case, highlighting the inconsistency in their response to other online harassment cases.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Maria_Memon/status/1705121669684347293"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Journalist and columnist Nusrat Javed questioned the basis for Jamil’s arrest, suggesting that the government needed a thoroughly credible narrative to justify the detention.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/javeednusrat/status/1704942992673702161"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Mubashir Zaidi, another experienced journalist, joined the chorus of condemnation against the arrest and urged for Jamil’s immediate release.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/xadeejourno/status/1705098142750773624"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Meanwhile, commenting on Jameel’s arrest during a press conference today, interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said arrest and search warrants had been issued for the journalist by a court, which he stated was “mandatory as per the law”.</p>n<p>He said he could not comment on the charges on which the journalist was arrested.</p>n<p>“If law enforcement agencies … do any injustice then the matter should go to court. We would not want to interfere in court procedures. If there has been any injustice with him (Jamil) and it comes in my knowledge, then we will address it while remaining within the law,” Solangi added.</p>

Imran Khan &amp;#039;shocked, worried&amp;#039; on change of judge in Judge Zeba Chaudhry case

PTI chief’s lawyer says his client was extremely hopeless after he failed to get bail in the cipher case

September 21, 2023

Carateker govt sees dollar at Rs260 soon

Commerce minister urges people holding dollars to release them into the open market

Ahmadi worship place vandalised by unknown men in Karachi

Spokesperson claims eight to 10 people damaged property inside their place of worship in Martin Road area

Court summons Imran in &amp;#039;un-Islamic&amp;#039; marriage case

Superintendent Attock Jail has been directed to produce the PTI chief before the court on Sept 25

SC asks govt to expedite release of prisoners on probation

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has asked the federal and provincial governments to expedite the release of prisoners on probation who are eligible to enjoy the benefit.</p>n<p>The court has also directed the governments to implement laws relating to the release of prisoners on probation.</p>n<p>In an order released on Tuesday, Justice Athar Minallah said the governments’ refusal to release prisoners on probation violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 9, 10-A, 14 and 25 of the Constitution.</p>n<p>Under the law, a prisoner can be released on probation if they demonstrate good behaviour during detention.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Justice Minallah says judicial system allows itself to be exploited by the privileged</p>n</blockquote>n<p>In 2015, the court sought reports from federal and provincial governments over the implementation of laws relating to the release of inmates on probation.</p>n<p>Subsequently, the respective governments submitted reports, which were taken up by a two-member bench comprising Justice Minallah and former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial. The bench has now disposed of the matter and issued a written verdict.</p>n<p><strong>‘Exploitation of justice system’</strong></p>n<p>The order, written by Justice Minallah, said the reports submitted to the court demonstrated that “grave conditions affecting the fundamental rights prevail in prisons across the country”.</p>n<p>“It is an undeniable fact that living conditions and the treatment of prisoners in overcrowded and inadequately equipped prisons profoundly affect the constitutionally guaranteed rights.”</p>n<p>The judge said “weak and vulnerable” citizens are denied justice because the prevailing system “allows its exploitation by the privileged and those who wield influence”.</p>n<p>“Most of the victims of a non-functional criminal justice system are those who belong to economically and socially marginalised sections of society. They do not have the means to access the courts nor has the state fulfilled its constitutional obligation to ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice…</p>n<p>“In the circumstances … the benefit of enjoying release on the basis of probation is of pivotal importance and thus the enforcement of the laws relating to probation become crucial,” the judge said, adding it is the right of every eligible prisoner to be considered for release on probation.</p>n<p><strong>‘Constitutional right’</strong></p>n<p>While explaining the purpose of detention, Justice Minallah wrote: “The object of undergoing a sentence pursuant to being convicted by a competent court of law is to make the convicted person and others realise that what the former has done or his/her acts, omission, and conduct which have led to the conviction or handing down of the sentence were unacceptable.”</p>n<p>The judge added that prisoners, whether convicted or non-convicted, have “no choice but to place reliance for [their] right to life and other needs, such as medical attention, solely on the authorities holding [them] in custody.</p>n<p>“This reliance gives rise to a duty of care on the part of the state and its functionaries,” he said, adding this binds the state, under Article 9 of the Constitution, to ensure that every incarcerated person is treated “in a manner that does not expose [them] to harm”.</p>n<p>During incarceration, only the right of free movement is curtailed and not the constitutional rights to life and dignity.“The neglect of the executive authorities to perform their obligations and duties imposed by law and to give effect to the enforced laws, particularly relating to the inmates of prisons, amounts to a breach of the duty of care that is owed to the incarcerated prisoner.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

September 20, 2023

Marginalised groups must be brought into political mainstream: HRCP

<p>ISLAMABAD: A national conference on Tuesday called for extensive reforms to improve the political and electoral participation of marginalised groups, including women, transgender persons, persons with disabilities and religious minorities.</p>n<p>The conference was organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom – Pakistan (FNF).</p>n<p>HRCP secretary-general Harris Khalique emphasised that all marginalised groups must be brought into the political mainstream to move towards empowerment. He also underscored the necessity of a level playing field for voters as well as candidates.</p>n<p>Birgit Lamm, head of FNF’s Pakistan office, introduced the conference by highlighting the importance of free and fair elections to underpin the legitimacy of governments.</p>n<p>In the first session, representative of a minority community, Amir Mahmood, highlighted the faith-based discrimination embedded in separate voters’ lists, undermining their right to vote on the basis of citizenship.</p>n<p>Transgender rights activist Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan said that electoral participation for marginalised groups must be grounded in genuine solidarity rather than in the politics of sympathy.</p>n<p>Former speaker of Balochistan Assembly Rahila Durrani recommended special political academies to empower women to contest general elections and encourage political engagement.</p>n<p>In the second session, former HRCP chairperson Afrasiab Khattak, shed light on the duality in Pakistan’s constitutional and legal frameworks regarding marginalised groups, where the principle of equality was contradicted by laws that undermined it.</p>n<p>Researcher Dr Naazir Mahmood, explained the role of educational curriculums in peddling skewed perspectives of Pakistan’s political history, thus steadily depoliticising the electorate.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/HRCP87/status/1704080560845697078"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Discriminatory laws must also be revoked and constitutional guarantees instituted for marginalised groups to be adequately represented in parliament.</p>n<p>The panelists agreed that linking the right to vote with the possession of national identification cards effectively disenfranchises marginalised groups by shifting the burden of responsibility from the state to citizens.</p>n<p>Peshawar High Court lawyer Sangeen Khan recommended progressively increasing the minimum 10 percent stipulation of women’s votes in a constituency’s total polled votes, compelling political parties to increase women’s representation in their own ranks to secure more votes. Checks and balances must also be imposed to ensure the 5 per cent quota for women legislators is not misused.</p>n<p>In the final session, the panelists discussed the impact of elite capture on marginalised citizens. Academic Dr Asim Bashir Khan pointed to the indirect gerrymandering of constituencies through overinflated population figures, effectively discounting constituents’ interests.</p>n<p>Ewajee Alliance chair Sana Durrani and former finance minister Aisha Ghous Pasha also recommended extensive political reforms and a new social contract that safeguards citizens’ rights.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/HRCP87/status/1704100308971143392"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In his concluding address, HRCP council member Farhatullah Babar criticised the depoliticisation of the electorate, stating that the demonization of politics had effectively diminished the political will to engender change.</p>n<p>Reforms must be brought about by politically engaging young activists, he said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

ECP allows Sindh to continue building houses for flood-hit

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allowed Sindh to continue with projects to build two million houses swept away by floods and install solar panels at 2.1 million houses to rid them of frequent load-shedding and exorbitant electricity bills.</p>n<p>“There is no ban on the World Bank assisted projects which are ongoing and are under execution in various stages … There is no ban on Sindh Solar Energy Project, which was approved on 14th November, 2018, by Ecnec.</p>n<p>“There is no ban on Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, which was approved by the Ecnec in January, 2023, and under these projects multiple activities are currently being carried out in phases. There is no ban on other foreign-funded projects like World Bank, USAID or any other development partners’ project including Multilateral Banks ADB, AllB etc. which are duly approved by the competent forum,” the ECP clarified in a letter written to the Sindh chief secretary, a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>“It is expected that after this clarification there remains no ambiguity as far as the execution of the development projects is concerned. However, in case of any question, the Sindh government may approach the Election Commission of Pakistan any time,” the letter issued with the signatures of the ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan read.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Says no ban on World Bank-assisted projects being executed in province</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Earlier this month, while terming the ECP’s decision to freeze all development funds, including that for Peoples Housing Scheme in Sindh illegal, unconstitutional and anti-people, PPP had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773866">asked the ECP</a> to immediately unfreeze funds for the project.</p>n<p>“Orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan to freeze development funds in the province of Sindh, including those allocated in the provincial budget for providing flood-resistant houses to families devastated in last year’s floods and for solar panels to provide relief to the poorest of the families from hours of load-shedding and exorbitant electricity bills are shocking to say the least,” in-charge of PPP election cell Senator Taj Haider said in a letter written to Chief Election Commi­ssioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.</p>n<p>He said that during the discussions on amending Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017, by the parliamen­tary committee on electoral reforms, both the secretary and special secretary of the ECP were present as witnesses. During those discussions, the committee members had unanimously agreed that caretaker governments should not have the authority to obstruct or modify policies or halt ongoing development projects in Sindh.</p>n<p>Mr Haider recalled that he had voiced serious concern during this discussion that the caretaker administration might potentially impede the progress of the two initiatives designed to aid families in distress.</p>n<p>“Little did I suspect that while we were stopping the caretakers, it would be the honourable ECP itself who would take this illegal, unconstitutional and anti-people step,” he wrote.</p>n<p>The PPP leader said a technical and financial model based on the concept of reconstruction of Ger­many after World War II had been designed and was being implemented for reconstruction of two million houses swept away by floods in Sindh.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Man dies, 20 others injured as groups clash in Harihar village

<p>KASUR: A man who was injured along with at least 20 people in a clash between two groups at Harihar village on Sunday died at a Lahore hospital on Tuesday. </p>nn<p>The clash had started weeks back in the jurisdiction of the Saddar Police Station over fixing of a flex, expressing gratitude to two local PML-N politicians for the construction of a village road. </p>nn<p>Two groups, led by Akram and Tariq alias Daman Masih, both landlords with huge tracts of land in the village, were involved in the dispute. Both the groups are supporters of the PML-N. </p>nn<p>Sources say the actual cause of the clash was that both groups wanted to fix flexes first to please the politicians. </p>nn<p>According to police, more than two weeks back, on Aug 30, Haseeb, the son of Akram, and his friends were fixing a flex on the wall of the house of one Rasheed Masih which led to an exchange of harsh words between Haseeb and Rasheed. However, they reconciled after the intervention of the village elders. </p>nn<p>On Saturday (Sept 16), Rasheed Masih, Tariq Masih and others allegedly intercepted Haseeb and tortured him. On Sunday, according to the FIR, registered on the complaint of village UC Councillor Yaseen, a brother of Akram, he along with his nephew Jamil was on his way to Kasur when Rasheed Masih, Tariq and 55 unidentified members of their group tortured him and his nephew. </p>nn<p>Meanwhile, members of Akram group arrived there and the village roundabout turned into a battlefield as both groups attacked each other with guns, clubs and axes. As a result, at least 20 people of both the groups suffered injuries. </p>nn<p>A heavy contingent of police reached the village and the injured were shifted to the DHQ Hospital. Ten people from each group were reportedly injured and the same number of people were arrested by police. </p>nn<p>One of the injured, Javaid, was referred to the Lahore General Hospital in a critical condition where he succumbed to his injuries. </p>nn<p>Police also lodged a cross FIR on the complaint of Tariq Masih, stating that 11 people, nominated in the application, attacked him and his brother. Tariq said Haseeb had gone to the roof of his house to commit robbery and not to fix the flex. </p>nn<p>Police beefed up the security in the village to avoid any untoward situation. </p>nn<p>District Police Officer Tariq Aziz claims the situation is under control.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Motorway police make exorbitant increase in fine amount

<p>RAWALPINDI: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) have announced a significant increase in fines for drivers of motorcars, jeeps and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The updated fine amount will come into effect from October 1.</p>nn<p>The increase in fine was approved during a recent meeting presided over by the federal minister for communications at the Central Police Office Headquarters, NHMP, Islamabad to ensure implementation of the revised fine.</p>nn<p>Under the latest decision, a driver exceeding the speed limit would be fined Rs2,500 instead of Rs750 and those overtaking will have to pay Rs1,500 fine from the existing Rs300. Similarly fine for failing to yield the right of way to other vehicles has been increased to Rs1,000 from Rs300.</p>nn<p>On the other hand, a person driving a vehicle without licence will be fined Rs5,000 instead of Rs750; those driving an unregistered vehicle will have to pay a penalty of Rs2,000 instead of Rs500 while drivers parking on a bridge would be fined Rs750 instead of Rs300.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>New penalties to come into effect from Oct 1</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>The fine for interfering with an emergency vehicle has been increased to Rs5,000 from Rs500; fine for driving at night without proper lights has been raised to Rs5,000 from Rs1,000 and fine for driving on the wrong side of the road has gone up to Rs2,500 from Rs500.</p>nn<p>Similarly, fine for ignoring the stop sign has been increased to Rs3,000 from Rs500; fine for following too closely or cutting in too sharply has been hiked to Rs1,000 from Rs300; fine for driving with the rear screen covered has been increased to Rs750 from Rs300. A person jumping the traffic queue will have to pay a fine of Rs1,000 instead of Rs500.</p>nn<p>Fine for obstructing traffic has gone up to Rs2,000 from Rs500; penalty for failing to observe slow signs has been increased to Rs2,000 from Rs200 and fine for prohibited lane changing has gone up to Rs1,000 from Rs200. Fine for careless driving has jumped to Rs1,500 from Rs300 and for opening doors dangerously, it has been increased to Rs1,000 from Rs200.</p>nn<p>The NHMP has revised the fine for improper turn from Rs300 to Rs2,500, for improper lane usage (lane straddling), from Rs200 to Rs1,000; for driving a vehicle emitting smoke, ashes or oily substances, from Rs500 to Rs1,250. Fine for driving a vehicle producing unduly harsh, shrill or alarming noise has gone up to Rs1,000 from Rs300 and fine for improper U-turn has been raised to Rs1,000 from Rs300.</p>nn<p>A person using any kind of mobile phone in a vehicle would be imposed a fine of Rs500 and anyone driving a vehicle without fastening seat belts or travelling in a vehicle that does not have seat belts will be fined Rs1,500. Fine for driving a vehicle without side mirrors or with bad mirrors will be Rs500 and the fine for driving a vehicle with the installation of unlawful police lights will be Rs5,000.</p>nn<p>Fine for driving a vehicle with a fancy registration plate will be Rs1,000; Rs2000 for using high-intensity discharge lights that disrupt other drivers’ vision and Rs1,000 for evading the law by improvised tinting of glass.</p>nn<p>All regional commanders, zonal commanders and field formations have been directed to launch briefing campaigns and ensure the distribution of pamphlets and brochures regarding the implementation of the revised fine amount on a priority basis for the awareness and sensitisation of drivers, commuters, passengers and the public.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Pakistani climbers pursue Nepal&amp;rsquo;s Manaslu summit quest

<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Shehroze Kashif</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>GILGIT: Three climbers from Pakistan, have successfully made to the camp during two separate attempts to summit the Manaslu peak in Nepal, which stands at 8,136 metres.</p>n<p>Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan, who were a part of the Imagine Nepal expedition team, have reached base camp one, while Shehroze Kashif, who is part of the Seven Summit Trek, has reached base camp three.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Naila Kiani</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>Ms Kiani told <em>Dawn</em> that they anticipate reaching the summit on Sept 21.</p>n<p>If everything proceeds as planned, this will mark her 9th successful ascent of an 8,000m peak. So far, she has ascended eight of the 14 eight-thousanders, including Ever­est, K2, Nanga Parbat, Lhotse, Annapurna, Gasher­brum-I, Gasher­brum-II and Broad Peak.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Sirbaz Khan</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>Mr Khan, 32, who hails from the Aliabad area of Hunza, began his climbing career in 2016. He climbed 12 peaks out of 14 eight-thousanders. In 2019, he became the first Pakistani to summit Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain at 8,516m in Nepal, without the use of supplementary oxygen.</p>n<p>Moreover, Mr Khan summited the 8,125m-high Nanga Parbat in 2017, 8,611m-high K-2 in 2018 and Broad Peak, which has a height of 8,163m, in 2019. Earlier this year, he climbed the 8,091m-high Anap­ur­na mountain, 8,848m-high Everest and 8,035m-high Gasher­brum II.</p>n<p>In a separate expedition, Mr Kashif, the youngest climber hailing from Lahore, is embarking on a re-summit of Manaslu. He plans to ascend the peak on Sept 20 (today).</p>n<p>Mr Kashif, 19, reached the summit on Sept 25. However, it became known two days later that the summit point was not the true summit; the “actual summit” was located 10 metres further ahead and, therefore he decided to re-summit.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

CDA to scrutinise private schools&amp;rsquo; applications seeking plots on rent

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to scrutinise on Wednesday (today) over 200 applications submitted by owners of private schools for plots on rent from the civic agency, instead of getting in auction.</p>
<p>The CDA, after being failed to shift private schools from residential areas, has introduced new policy to give plots to private parties on rent. </p>
<p>In response to advertisement, the CDA received 245 applications from across the country and now a five-member committee headed by DG Planning will meet on Wednesday to scrutinise the applications.</p>
<p>A CDA official said that the civic agency allots plots for government schools on subsidised rates but ideally private schools should be allotted plots after competitive process. </p>
<p>In 2019, CDA after holding a series of meetings with stakeholders had finalised a policy regarding private schools, proposing various steps to handle private schools particularly operating in residential areas and submitted its report in the Islamabad High Court. </p>
<p>It was proposed that three years should be given to private schools operating in residential areas for relocation and Montessori and daycare centres should be opened in every sector. The policy also recommended that private schools should be allowed in Zone 2, 4 and 5 on private land. </p>
<p>In this regard, bylaws have been formulated which have to be followed for construction of schools in these areas and CDA will facilitate the managements of such schools in obtaining NOC and in approval process. In the policy, however, there was no mention of renting out plots. </p>
<p>In 2008, the CDA had allotted plots to private schools but that scheme was highly dubious and scandalised. The CDA allotted 19 plots and out of them only three were declared legal by courts. Resultantly, the civic agency had to cancel allotment of 16 plots.</p>
<p>In that scheme, the CDA as per advertisement, was supposed to deal with only Islamabad-based schools, but it allotted plots mainly to schools operating in other cities. The CDA also entertained applications after deadline and the civic agency was also accused of allotting plots in various sectors on pick and choose basis.</p>
<p>CDA officials said that there are around 100 plots available, which could be given on rent lease.</p>
<p>In April this year, the CDA board had approved a policy to give plots to private schools on rent lease. The meeting decided that its financial model will be finalised later. </p>
<p>It was decided that plots will be rented out to private schools in accordance with a 100 marks formula – 20pc marks fixed for schools operating in houses and 25pc marks for schools charging Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 fee. The board had also decided that the schools will be bound not to enhance fee by more than five per cent per year.</p>
<p>Member planning CDA Waseem Hayat Bajwa said that the committee will scrutinise the application in its meeting on Wednesday. </p>
<p>He said plots will be rented out in transparent manner. The member said, as per existing regulations, there is no mention of selling out private schools plots on commercial rate. </p>
<p>“Therefore, we are going for rental model. The schools owners who will be given plots on rent can’t increase fee unilaterally, rather before getting plots, they will have to ink agreement with CDA and fee could not be increased beyond the set limit,” he said and added that nothing is final yet as only technical evaluation of the applications will be finalised by the committee.</p>
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<em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em>
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School, college teachers in Sindh may get 15-day training during summer vacations

<p>KARACHI: The steering committee of the Sindh education department has suggested 15 days of training for school and college teachers during the June and July summer vacations and the next educational session to commence from April. </p>nn<p>Caretaker Education Minister Rana Hussain chaired the meeting, which was attended by School Education Secretary Shireen Mustafa Narejo, College Education Secretary Safad Anis Sheikh and other members of the committee. </p>nn<p>The meeting discussed that due to the late start of the educational session every year, the results of intermediate exams were also announced late because of which the students had to face challenges in getting admissions to universities. Therefore, it was suggested that the session for the year of 2024-25 should begin in April. </p>nn<p>It was also said that school and college teachers should undergo training to keep themselves abreast with new teaching methods and techniques. So it was suggested that there should be a provision of at least 15 days of training during the summer vacations in June and July to keep schools open for the teachers to enrol themselves in such training courses. </p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Students of classes 1 to 3 to be promoted without exams; steering committee decides winter vacation to begin from Dec 20</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>It was also suggested that the summer vacations for the next year should start from June 1 and conclude on July 31 while winter vacations this year should begin from December 20 to end on Dec 31. </p>nn<p>The regular local holidays in the coming year would include Kashmir Day, Shab-i-Mairaj, Pakistan Day, Youm-i-Ali, Shab-i-Qadr, Labour Day, Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha, Ashura, Independence Day, Chehlum, Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi, Youm-i-Shah Abdul Latif and Quaid-i-Azam Day. Holidays at the district level should also be notified in advance by the local administrations. </p>nn<p>It was also discussed whether it would be better to have holidays in the name of people from history or if it would be better to call children to school on the days and teach them about such worthy individuals who had left their mark in history. </p>nn<p>Suggestions regarding examinations included that children of classes one to three should be easily promoted based on their classwork while students of classes four to class eight should undergo examinations. And these examinations should be held from March 20 to March 31.</p>nn<p>Sports and other extracurricular activities should also not be ignored and there should be a proper timetable for sports and co-curricular activities in all schools throughout the year, the education minister said.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Controversy surrounds auction of new TMA shops in Landi Kotal

<p>KHYBER: A controversy has surfaced over the auction of the newly-constructed shops in Landi Kotal Bazaar with local shopkeepers and traders rejecting the auctionand rent policy devised by the tehsil municipal administration.</p>
<p>Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Press Club here, elected representatives of the tehsil council AbudardaShinwari, Haji Aziz Khan, Gul Zamin, Muhibullah, Azizullah and Rehman Khan said the TMA had completely “bypassed” the tehsil council in formulating the auction and rent policy for the newly-constructed 92 shops in Rangarrh Street of Landi Kotal Bazaar.</p>
<p>They insisted the TMA could onlydetermine the auction policy and set the rent limit when such a policy was duly passed with majority by the tehsil council as per its rules of business and bylaws.</p>
<p>They alleged that the TMA had “fraudulently” devised minutes of a council meeting, which informed higher authorities that the Landi Kotal tehsil council had unanimously passed the auction and rent policy a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>“We reject this TMA stand as no such meeting ever took place nor did we pass any bill regarding the renting out of the newly-constructed shops in Rangarrh Street,” an official said. He added that a local court had already granted a stay order against the auction.</p>
<p>Anjumane TajiranLandi Kotal president Jafar Shinwari told <em>Dawn</em> that the TMA had assured traders that those possessing old shops at the site would be given preferencefor new shops but it broke its promise and unilaterallyannounced the auction plan without taking them into confidence. He said the TMA had fixed a very high price for both pagreeand monthly rent of new shops, which was unaffordable for most traders. </p>
<p>Rejecting allegations of councillors, council chairman Shah Khalid told <em>Dawn</em> that there was no requirement of devising new bylaws for auction and determining the rent of newly-constructed shops as the provincial government had already devised modellaws for the purpose and the local councils were only supposed to implement these model laws. </p>
<p>He said 92 shops were constructed at the Landi Kotal Bazaar’s Rangarrh Street under an umbrella scheme, devised by the provincial government for the entire merged districts for construction of fruit and vegetable markets with itsrevenue to be collected by the TMA.</p>
<p>Mr Khalid said under the rules, a committee was formed under his chairmanship with tehsil municipal officer, TOR, tehsil officer, technical engineer, revenue officer, regulation, finance representatives and three senior members of the elected council were included to get their input on the implementation of model bylaws for rent and auction of the new commercial building.</p>
<p>The chairman said the auction was announced through an advertisement in local newspapers under the rules, while bids were invited for shops afterwards.</p>
<p>When contacted, TMO Abdul Samad denied any violation of rules and said the TMA had yet to announce the auction date and finalise rent.</p> <p>He added that the TMA had given no assurance to old shopkeepers as the land on which new shops were built was the government’s property and no individual could lay claim to it.</p>
<p>“I’m in contact with my high-ups. We will devise the final policy for shops auction and rent soon and will advertise it in local newspapers for the information of all and sundry,” he said.</p>
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<em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em>
</p>

PTI seeks probe into Pakistan&amp;rsquo;s alleged role in Ukraine for IMF deal

<p>ISLAMABAD: The PTI core committee on Tuesday expressed apprehensions over <em>The Intercept</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://theintercept.com/2023/09/17/pakistan-ukraine-arms-imf/">report</a> alleging Pakistan’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in lieu of securing the IMF deal, and demanded a judicial commission for a thorough fact-check of the news story along with the one previously published containing alleged text of the ‘cipher’.</p>n<p>The core committee in its meeting termed the content of the latest news report alarming’, a day after Pakistan’s foreign office <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776567">rejected</a> it as ‘baseless’ and ‘fabricated’.</p>n<p>The PTI leaders said that after publishing the alleged text of the ‘cipher’, the latest news report warranted immediate attention of the judiciary.</p>n<p>According to a statement, the committee noted that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s assumptions about the regime change conspiracy and its motives appeared to be true, as Pakistan’s economy, politics, governance, state structure and society had only declined since April 2022, exposing competence of the decision-makers.</p>n<p><strong>Blome-IGP meeting slammed</strong></p>n<p>Meanwhile, PTI Sec­retary General Omar Ayub Khan criticised a meeting of US Amba­ssador Donald Blome with Punjab IGP Dr Usman Anwar.</p>n<p>Mr Khan said, “Each one of the Punjab policemen and policewomen who sat across the table from you [the US envoy] in the meeting has a long rap sheet of human rights abuses that I am sure the folks on Capitol Hill would be absolutely delighted to read and commend you and your team for reaching out to meet.”</p>n<p>He asked the IGP if he talked about the alleged enforced disappearances and torture of PTI activists.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

4 arrested for killing public service commission director in Peshawar

<p>PESHAWAR: The police have arrested four people, including an employee of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission, here on the charge of killing director (admission) of the commission Arshad Khan last July.</p>nn<p>Addressing a news conference at the Police Lines here, SSP (Operations) Kashif Aftab Abbasi said the arrested men included the main accused, Miran Jan, and his accomplices including KPPSC assistant Mohsin Ali, Syed Noman Shah and Sajid, while another accused, Hafeez, was at large.</p>nn<p>He said the police were searching for the fugitive.</p>nn<p>Mr Abbasi said the police had recovered a motorcycle and weapons used in the murder of Mr Arshad on July 24 in the limits of the Shahpur police station.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Police say search for fifth accused under way</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>He said the accused tried to show the murder as a targeted killing.</p>nn<p>The SSP said accused Syed Noman Shah applied for the assistant director’s position and used to visit KPPSC offices to build rapport with officials to claim the post but Mr Arshad, an honest person, turned out to be a hurdle.</p>nn<p>He added that KPPSC assistant Mohsin Ali suggested Mr Arshad’s murder insisting it would help him land the job.</p>nn<p>“Mohsin Ali also promised Noman Shah Rs450,000 cash for the murder and provided him with the phone number of the director and registration of his car. Noman Shah called his friend, Hafeez of Tirah area in Khyber tribal district, to Peshawar for the murder. He also roped in Sajid,” he said.</p>nn<p>The SSP said the accused visited the Malik Saad Town in Doranpur area four or five times for the murder but they couldn’t target him due to CCTV cameras installed there and decided to kill him behind the wheels.</p>nn<p>He added that the accused hired shooter Miran Jan for the murder and purchased a motorcycle for him.</p>nn<p>Mr Abbasi said on July 24, Miran Jan went to the Ring Road Chowk in Pishtakhara area on the motorcycle, collected Noman Shah and the pistol and left for Doranpur, while Hafeez reached the crime scene in a rickshaw.</p>nn<p>“Noman Shah did a recce of the director’s movement and phoned Hafeez after the director left for office in his car. When the car reached the area, Miran Jan shot him dead and escaped,” he said.</p>nn<p>The SSP said the accused later gathered at a hostel in Gharibabad area before Sajid took away the weapon and motorcycle used in the attack.</p>nn<p>He said three days after the attack, Noman Shah paid Rs250,000 to Hafeez, who asked for Rs250,000 more.</p>nn<p>Mr Abbasi said the investigation into the matter was under way and the police would go after whosoever was involved in it. He said the police would produce the accused in a local court to claim their physical custody.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Detained brigadier&amp;rsquo;s wife pleads for relief from LHC

<p>ISLAMABAD: The wife of a serving brigadier, who was working as a director in Defence Housing Authority, Quetta and is said to be in the custody of military authorities, has asked the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench to declare her husband’s detention illegal.</p>nn<p>Ummaira Saleem, wife of Brigadier Akhtar Subhan, said her husband was taken into custody by officials of Special Investigation Branch of the Military Police on June 22, 2023.</p>nn<p>The case was fixed for hearing on Sept 13 and Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court had initially raised objections during the hearing of the case that the petitioner could not seek relief from the high court as Article 199 (3) of the Constitution barred the high court from taking up the matter related to personnel of armed forces.</p>nn<p>The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Inamur Rahim, however, cited a number of cases in which the superior courts entertained such petitions and also set aside the orders of the military authorities.</p>nn<p>The LHC then issued notice to the defence ministry and other respondents, and sought their replies and adjourned the hearing till Sept 14 since it was a habeas corpus petition. However, in the written order, the date of the next hearing was mentioned as Oct 6.</p>nn<p>The petitioner filed another application on Tuesday, seeking an early hearing of the case. She cited sections 74 and 75 of Pakistan Army Act, 1952, read with Rule 23 and 24 of the Pakistan Army Act Rules, 1957, and claimed that the arrest and custody of Brig Subhan was illegal.</p>nn<p>The petition said that the burden of the proof in a habeas corpus matter is always on the detaining authority to prove that the detention is lawful. </p>nn<p>It requested the court to decide the case as quickly as possible. The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench will now hear the petition on Wednesday.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

KP govt to cut funding of medical teaching institutions

<p>PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to slash its funding for the province’s medical teaching institutions in line with their earnings from the Sehat Card Plus health insurance programme.</p>n<p>“The cabinet decided in its last meeting that the finance department would halve budgetary allocation for MTIs. From now on, each of them will have to surrender 50pc of their income generated from the free healthcare initiative,” an official of the health department told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>Officials said the income of public sector hospitals, including 10 MTIs, from the SCP had been rising but they continued to get money from the finance department at the same time, so the slashing of their budget on the basis of their income from the SCP won’t affect their operations and would rather save the government millions of rupees.</p>n<p>They said initially, public sector hospitals lagged far behind private hospitals as the latter outweighed the former regarding their income from the SCP, but lately, the earnings of private hospitals surged, so the government wanted to slash their budget in line with their income from the cashless healthcare programme.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Official says budget to be slashed after examining MTIs’ earnings from Sehat Card Plus</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The officials said the government’s health facilities got 11pc of their earnings from the SCP in 2016, 14pc in 2017, 19pc in 2018, 23pc in 2019, 27pc in 2020, 33pc in 2021 and 44pc in 2023 until now, but despite an increase in their share in the money generated by the programme, they still received regular budget from the government.</p>n<p>They said the caretaker government faced a shortage of funds and had already decided to limit free healthcare services to 65pc population instead of the entire household of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.</p>n<p>The officials said among public sector hospitals, MTIs received a lion’s share in the income from the SCP due to which the finance department would retain half of their budget which they earned from the SCP.</p>n<p>They said the MTIs had so far been distributing the SCP’s income on the basis of a formula under which the people involved in the services got the amount along with administrative, maintenance, repair charges.</p>n<p>Under the ‘Fund Retention and Utilisation and Distribution Formula’ from SCP’s income, the hospitals were spending 25pc of their SCP earnings to improve patient care and do repairs and maintenance, give 30pc to doctors and 15pc to nursing and paramedical staff, and spend 20pc on consumables and 10pc on administrative matters.</p>n<p>Officials said most MTIs hadn’t enforced the formula due to which they received fewer patients on SCP but after its enforcement the number of people and income has kept rising due to which the government wanted to cut their budget on the basis of their income from the SCP.</p>n<p>They said the doctors and other staff would continue to draw their share from the SCP’s income but additional budget wouldn’t be offered for maintenance, repair and administrative charges, which they had already been receiving from the finance department.</p>n<p>Officials said it had been proposed to the PTI’s government in 2017 to cut the budget of the MTI on the basis of their income from the SCP but the suggestion wasn’t accepted.</p>n<p>They said the PTI, which pioneered the programme in the province from covering three per cent population in four designated districts in the province in 2016, extended it in a phase-wise manner to the entire population in November 2019.</p>n<p>The officials said since the installation of the caretaker government, the SCP continued to restrict free health services and had already stopped liver and kidney transplants of its beneficiaries.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Bushra meets Imran in jail for 7th time

<p>TAXILA: Former first lady Bushra Bibi met her incarcerated husband Imran Khan in Attock Jail on Thursday. </p>nn<p>According to jail sources, Bushra Bibi came along with the PTI’s legal team to meet the former prime minister. While the PTI lawyers were not allowed to interact with Mr Khan, authorities permitted Bushra Bibi to meet her husband. </p>nn<p>The private meeting between the couple lasted approximately an hour. Security was heightened outside the jail following the arrival of PTI chief’s wife. </p>nn<p>The sources said that upon their arrival at the jail, both Bushra Bibi and the PTI legal team encountered a brief setback when they were halted at the gate. However, while the legal team remained outside the jail premises, Bushra Bibi was eventually permitted to enter the facility. </p>nn<p>It was Bushra Bibi’s seventh meeting with her husband in Attock Jail since his arrest on August 5 in the Toshakhana case. Following the meeting, Bushra Bibi left the jail premises under police escort.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Sindh&amp;rsquo;s school dropout rate stands at 54pc, CM Baqar told

<p>• Officials say only 46pc of women in province are literate<br />n• Interim CM pays surprise visit to Qatar Hospital</p>n<p>ARACHI: Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar was informed on Tuesday that the school dropout rate stood at a whopping 54 per cent in the province where more than 50pc of women were illiterate.</p>n<p>He was given a briefing by officials of the planning and development department at a meeting held here at the CM House.</p>n<p>The chief minister was informed that 72pc of the 55.69 million people of the province had access to potable water.</p>n<p>As for literary rate in the province, the CM was informed that the male literacy ratio was 71pc whereas it was only 46pc in the case of females.</p>n<p>Justice Baqar said that he wanted education to be given importance, as no nation could develop without it.</p>n<p>The CM was told that Rs2 billion had been earmarked for the construction of school buildings this year.</p>n<p>He directed the departments concerned to complete the construction and rehabilitation of the flood-affected school buildings across the province.</p>n<p>The meeting was attended among others by Chief Secretary Dr Fakhar Alam, Chairman P&amp;D Shakeel Mangrijo, Principal Secretary to CM Hasan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Kazim Jatoi and other relevant officers.</p>n<p>The chief minister directed the planning &amp; development department to work in close coordination with Wapda so that the K-IV project could be completed.</p>n<p>The CM was told that the K-IV Phase-I for 260 MGD would cost around Rs126bn and the Wapda authorities were executing it. It was further informed that the federal government had allocated Rs15bn in its Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDP).</p>n<p><strong>Inquiry into Qatar Hospital affairs ordered</strong></p>n<p>The CM ordered an overall inquiry and audit to ascertain the reasons behind the shortage of medicines, off-road ambulances, out of order lab machines and unsanitary conditions in the Qatar Hospital.</p>n<p>During his surprise visit to the hospital, he expressed his displeasure over the unsanitary condition of various wards where stretchers had dirty stained bed sheets and bad smell could be felt everywhere.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SindhCMHouse/status/1703999779095957682"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The CM noticed that some private medical stores were functioning inside the government hospital. He was told that the hospital administration had issued them vacation orders, but they had got a stay from the court.</p>n<p>The CM ordered the health department to pursue the case and vacate the stay so that their position could be taken over by the hospital.</p>n<p>The interim CM also visited the fleet of ambulances but most of them were found out-of-order and off-road. He expressed displeasure over the unhygienic conditions of the hospital, its streets, wards, corridors, machines, pharmacy, and ambulance service and directed the health secretary to conduct an inquiry and report him.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

COAS Munir praises army&amp;rsquo;s junior leaders in Rawalpindi

<p>RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir on Tuesday said Pakistan Army’s standard of professionalism and leadership was par excellence compared to any modern army of the world. </p>nn<p>However, the junior leaders of Pakistan Army have proven their mettle in the fields of training, operations and world-class competitions across the world, the COAS said at the opening ceremony of “Multi-National Special Forces Exercise Eternal Broth­erhood-II” held at Barotha.</p>nn<p>Special forces contingents from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Turkiye and Uzbekistan are participating in the two-week-long exercise, an Inter-Services Public Relations press release said. </p>nn<p>The army chief visited the Barotha garrison and interacted with the participants. He was briefed on the scope and conduct of the exercise by the general officer commanding of Special Service Group.</p>nn<p>The exercise is aimed at further harnessing the historic military-to-military relations among friendly countries, including nurturing of joint employment concept, while identifying areas of mutual interest for future military collaborations and benefiting from each other’s experience against terrorism.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

CDA to scrutinise private schools&amp;rsquo; applications seeking plots on rent

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to scrutinise on Wednesday (today) over 200 applications submitted by owners of private schools for plots on rent from the civic agency, instead of getting in auction.</p>nn<p>The CDA, after being failed to shift private schools from residential areas, has introduced new policy to give plots to private parties on rent. </p>nn<p>In response to advertisement, the CDA received 245 applications from across the country and now a five-member committee headed by DG Planning will meet on Wednesday to scrutinise the applications.</p>nn<p>A CDA official said that the civic agency allots plots for government schools on subsidised rates but ideally private schools should be allotted plots after competitive process. </p>nn<p>In 2019, CDA after holding a series of meetings with stakeholders had finalised a policy regarding private schools, proposing various steps to handle private schools particularly operating in residential areas and submitted its report in the Islamabad High Court. </p>nn<p>It was proposed that three years should be given to private schools operating in residential areas for relocation and Montessori and daycare centres should be opened in every sector. The policy also recommended that private schools should be allowed in Zone 2, 4 and 5 on private land. </p>nn<p>In this regard, bylaws have been formulated which have to be followed for construction of schools in these areas and CDA will facilitate the managements of such schools in obtaining NOC and in approval process. In the policy, however, there was no mention of renting out plots. </p>nn<p>In 2008, the CDA had allotted plots to private schools but that scheme was highly dubious and scandalised. The CDA allotted 19 plots and out of them only three were declared legal by courts. Resultantly, the civic agency had to cancel allotment of 16 plots.</p>nn<p>In that scheme, the CDA as per advertisement, was supposed to deal with only Islamabad-based schools, but it allotted plots mainly to schools operating in other cities. The CDA also entertained applications after deadline and the civic agency was also accused of allotting plots in various sectors on pick and choose basis.</p>nn<p>CDA officials said that there are around 100 plots available, which could be given on rent lease.</p>nn<p>In April this year, the CDA board had approved a policy to give plots to private schools on rent lease. The meeting decided that its financial model will be finalised later. </p>nn<p>It was decided that plots will be rented out to private schools in accordance with a 100 marks formula – 20pc marks fixed for schools operating in houses and 25pc marks for schools charging Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 fee. The board had also decided that the schools will be bound not to enhance fee by more than five per cent per year.</p>nn<p>Member planning CDA Waseem Hayat Bajwa said that the committee will scrutinise the application in its meeting on Wednesday. </p>nn<p>He said plots will be rented out in transparent manner. The member said, as per existing regulations, there is no mention of selling out private schools plots on commercial rate. </p>nn<p>“Therefore, we are going for rental model. The schools owners who will be given plots on rent can’t increase fee unilaterally, rather before getting plots, they will have to ink agreement with CDA and fee could not be increased beyond the set limit,” he said and added that nothing is final yet as only technical evaluation of the applications will be finalised by the committee.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Controversy surrounds auction of new TMA shops in Landi Kotal

<p>KHYBER: A controversy has surfaced over the auction of the newly-constructed shops in Landi Kotal Bazaar with local shopkeepers and traders rejecting the auctionand rent policy devised by the tehsil municipal administration.</p>n<p>Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Press Club here, elected representatives of the tehsil council AbudardaShinwari, Haji Aziz Khan, Gul Zamin, Muhibullah, Azizullah and Rehman Khan said the TMA had completely “bypassed” the tehsil council in formulating the auction and rent policy for the newly-constructed 92 shops in Rangarrh Street of Landi Kotal Bazaar.</p>n<p>They insisted the TMA could onlydetermine the auction policy and set the rent limit when such a policy was duly passed with majority by the tehsil council as per its rules of business and bylaws.</p>n<p>They alleged that the TMA had “fraudulently” devised minutes of a council meeting, which informed higher authorities that the Landi Kotal tehsil council had unanimously passed the auction and rent policy a few weeks ago.</p>n<p>“We reject this TMA stand as no such meeting ever took place nor did we pass any bill regarding the renting out of the newly-constructed shops in Rangarrh Street,” an official said. He added that a local court had already granted a stay order against the auction.</p>n<p>Anjumane TajiranLandi Kotal president Jafar Shinwari told <em>Dawn</em> that the TMA had assured traders that those possessing old shops at the site would be given preferencefor new shops but it broke its promise and unilaterallyannounced the auction plan without taking them into confidence. He said the TMA had fixed a very high price for both pagreeand monthly rent of new shops, which was unaffordable for most traders.</p>n<p>Rejecting allegations of councillors, council chairman Shah Khalid told <em>Dawn</em> that there was no requirement of devising new bylaws for auction and determining the rent of newly-constructed shops as the provincial government had already devised modellaws for the purpose and the local councils were only supposed to implement these model laws.</p>n<p>He said 92 shops were constructed at the Landi Kotal Bazaar’s Rangarrh Street under an umbrella scheme, devised by the provincial government for the entire merged districts for construction of fruit and vegetable markets with itsrevenue to be collected by the TMA.</p>n<p>Mr Khalid said under the rules, a committee was formed under his chairmanship with tehsil municipal officer, TOR, tehsil officer, technical engineer, revenue officer, regulation, finance representatives and three senior members of the elected council were included to get their input on the implementation of model bylaws for rent and auction of the new commercial building.</p>n<p>The chairman said the auction was announced through an advertisement in local newspapers under the rules, while bids were invited for shops afterwards.</p>n<p>When contacted, TMO Abdul Samad denied any violation of rules and said the TMA had yet to announce the auction date and finalise rent.</p>n<p>He added that the TMA had given no assurance to old shopkeepers as the land on which new shops were built was the government’s property and no individual could lay claim to it.</p>n<p>“I’m in contact with my high-ups. We will devise the final policy for shops auction and rent soon and will advertise it in local newspapers for the information of all and sundry,” he said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

May 9 riots cases : Lahore ATC extends Asad Umar, Imran&amp;rsquo;s sisters&amp;rsquo; interim bail till Oct 4

<p>An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday extended the interim bail of PTI leader Asad Umar, party chairman Imran Khan’s two sisters and other suspects till October 4 in cases pertaining to the violent incidents of May 9.</p>n<p>Imran’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1751782">arrest</a> on May 9 in Al-Qadir Trust case had resulted in widespread violence and saw important military installations <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1753254">come under attack</a>, on the basis of which the state had launched a severe crackdown against his party.</p>n<p>While Imran Khan was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1752306">released</a> a few days later (he has since been rearrested in a separate case), scores of PTI workers and almost the entire top-tier leadership were rounded up, with many still facing court proceedings under serious charges.</p>n<p>Last month, a Lahore ATC <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772361/jailed-pti-leaders-face-fresh-interrogation">allowed</a> the police to interrogate several PTI leaders and activists afresh in different cases of May 9 riots following the addition of new offences of mutiny and waging a war against the state in the FIRs.</p>n<p>On September 2, a Lahore ATC had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773662">extended</a> the pre-arrest bail of Umar and Imran’s sisters Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan till today (September 19) in multiple cases relating to the May 9 riots.</p>n<p>The sisters’ bail had been extended with directives to join the investigation. While the investigation officer had informed the court that Umar had been discharged in five out of seven cases against him, his bail in the remaining two cases had been extended till today as well.</p>n<p>Today, ATC Judge Abhar Gul presided over the hearing while the former PTI secretary general and other suspects appeared before the court and marked their attendance.</p>n<p>The court sought the complete record of the investigation from the police.</p>n<p>When Aleema came to the rostrum, she said she “did not go to Jinnah House” — one of the military places that were vandalised on May 9 — and yet she was nominated in the case.</p>n<p>“We have come to the court for justice. We demand justice.”</p>n<p>Subsequently, the ATC extended the interim bail till October 4 and sought arguments from the lawyers at the next hearing.</p>

September 19, 2023

Initial delimitation may be ready later this month: ECP

<p>ISLAMABAD: In a significant step towards upcoming general elections, the preliminary delimitation of constituencies for the polls is expected to be completed this month, it has emerged.</p>n<p>The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reviewed progress of the ongoing delimitation exercise on Monday and expressed satisfaction over its pace.</p>n<p>The commission directed the delimitation committees to complete the task by Sept 26 positively, so that preliminary delimitation lists could be published the next day.</p>n<p>Under the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770761">original delimitation schedule</a> issued by the ECP on Aug 17 — ten days after the notification of census results — the initial delimitation exercise was to be completed on Oct 7 and preliminary proposals for delimitation along with report were to be published on Oct 9.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>ECP puts new monitoring system in place to ‘avoid repeat’ of 2018 RTS fiasco</p>n</blockquote>n<p>On Sept 1, the ECP had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773455">announced</a> squeezing timelines of the delimitation exercise by 14 days to complete the process on Nov 30, instead of the scheduled Dec 14.</p>n<p>Sources in the ECP, which had earlier been hinting at the possibility of general polls somewhere in the middle of February, after the development said it could pave the way for elections in the last week of January.</p>n<p><strong>Monitoring system</strong></p>n<p>The ECP put in place a new monitoring control system to be used in the next polls that, it hopes, will improve on how data is collected and compiled.</p>n<p>Officials pointed out that there was a massive difference between how things stood in 2013 and 2018, and said that a lesson had been learnt from what had happened with the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1424394">Result Transmission System (RTS) in 2018</a>. The media was informed that monitoring officers will have the powers to impose fine and disqualify candidates on violations.</p>n<p>During a briefing at the newly established election monitoring control centre on Monday, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan said the new system had been created as per the vision of the chief election commissioner.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ECP_Pakistan/status/1703751563334787306"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He said monitoring takes place both before and after an election, adding that the system needs improvement and data analysts will be hired for the purpose.</p>n<p>He said an offline system will work where an online connection is not available, and in the absence of both, results on hard copies will be received. He promised that the next general elections will be different from all the previous exercises.</p>n<p>ECP Special Secretary Asif Hussain said data comes in from multiple levels on the election day and the system will be used to give feedback and make decisions based on the data.</p>n<p>Project Director retired colonel Saad said the system would work round the clock and the online monitoring centre will be linked with all the control rooms to be established at the provincial and district levels.</p>n<p>He said the system will make it possible to connect with 200 monitors online while voters, candidates and others will be able to lodge complaints.</p>n<p>Besides polls, he pointed out, election campaigns will also be monitored.</p>n<p>Talking about the new result compilation system, he said the system would help make the polls transparent.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2023</em></p>

Nawaz &amp;lsquo;excited&amp;rsquo; over comeback prospects

<p>LAHORE: PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on Monday told an online meeting of party ticket holders about his ‘excitement’ regarding his planned return to the country on Oct 21, ending a four-year ‘self-imposed exile’.</p>n<p>PML-N leaders — including Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz, Ahsan Iqbal, Pervaiz Rashid, Khurram Dastgir, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Azma Bokhari and Rana Sanaullah — and a good number of the party ticket holders attended the meeting, which was addressed by Mr Sharif via a video link from London.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmlndigitalpk/status/1703805264481153381"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Mr Sharif told them that he was excited and happy to return to the country. The participants chanted slogans to express solidarity with him.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Tells ticket holders party risked its political capital to save the country</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Lashing out at the military and judicial establishment of 2017, Mr Sharif said the people should know who the real culprits for their agony were.</p>n<p>“The man (Nawaz) who rid the country of power loadshedding was sent home by four judges,” Mr Sharif said in his emotional speech to the party men, adding that the former army chief and spymaster were behind his ouster.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ZeshanMalick/status/1703823710321307861"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“(Former) chief justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa were tools of [the former army chief and his spy chief]. Their crime is bigger than a murder offence. Giving them pardon will be an injustice to the nation. They don’t deserve pardon,” Mr Sharif said, vowing to hold them accountable.</p>n<p>“These ‘characters’ who unleashed economic misery on the people of Pakistan will have to face accountability,” the PML-N supreme leader pledged.</p>n<p>Defending the PML-N decision to take the 16-month government after sending PTI leader Imran Khan home through a no-confidence motion in April, 2022,</p>n<p>Mr Sharif claimed had the PDM not saved the country from default, per litre petrol price would have been Rs1,000.</p>n<p>“We put at risk our political capital to save the country from default. In fact we paid the price of saving Pakistan from default. However, I can give in writing that in elections we will win,” Mr Sharif claimed.</p>n<p>Just like previous meetings, the PML-N leadership in the Monday meeting, too, asked the participants to bring a large number of people to receive the elder Sharif at the Lahore airport on his return. The party also set a central facilitation control centre for his homecoming.</p>n<p>Speaking on the occasion, Ms Nawaz said on Oct 21 the people would turn up in large numbers and bury those behind Sharif’s disqualification and conviction in corruption cases.</p>n<p>Hamza Shehbaz said: “We will make Nawaz Sharif prime minister again to safeguard the future of the country’s children. After becoming the premier, Nawaz will overcome price hike, inflation and unemployment.”</p>n<p>He asserted the PML-N government had given relief to the people after coming to power in 2013. “The people will have to ask who were not happy to see Pakistan making progress,” he said.</p>n<p>Like Maryam Nawaz, Ahsan Iqbal also appealed to the people to give a clear mandate to the PML-N in the polls so that their party could steer the country out of crisis.</p>n<p>Rana Sanaullah said democracy did not fail in Pakistan but it was made to fail.</p>n<p>“Had Nawaz’s government not been sent home, today Pakistan would have been progressing,” he said, adding if conspiracy was not hatched against</p>n<p>Mr Sharif, Pakistan would not have been forced to beg.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2023</em></p>

Imran moves top court against Army Act, Official Secrets Act amendments

President Dr Arif Alvi among respondents in petition challenging ‘human rights violation’ in recent clauses

September 9, 2023

Zardari vetoes PPP&amp;rsquo;s demand of holding polls within 90 days

Former president emphasizes on ‘economy over politics’; says country needs to focus on SIFC projects

Dr Yasmin Rashid, Khadija Shah remanded in police custody

ATC directs police to produce former Punjab health minister in court on September 16

Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Local official earlier said most deaths were in mountain areas hard to reach

SC seeks JIT report on Jaranwala incident

SC orders state to ensure protection of religious minorities as per Constitution

Action continues against power thieves

Body formed in Lahore to ensure registration of cases; K-Electric says its teams on high alert

PML-N youth outreach ahead of Nawaz return

Campaign to highlight ex-PM’s contributions and counter PTI ‘propaganda’

Pakistan urges G20 host to end rights abuses

FO calls for international attention on India’s Kashmir rights violations

Month-long Pakistan Theatre Festival kicks off

ACP brings renowned national, international troupes together

September 8, 2023

Article 6 should be applied on CEC for violating Constitution: SCBA president

Aitzaz Ahsan claims Raja “facilitator” and “violator of Constitution” for not holding general elections within 90 days

September 7, 2023

SC bench to take up Jaranwala rampage case tomorrow

Justice Ijaz-Ul-Ahsan will preside hearing on miscellaneous petition seeking SC’s notice of Jaranwala tragedy

Overseas Pakistanis’ well-being top priority of govt: PM Kakar

Caretaker PM discusses overseas Pakistani’s welfare, contributions in meeting with SAPM Jawad Sohrab Malik

PKR vs USD: Vawda credits Gen Asim, DG ISI for rupee appreciation

"On the directions of the army chief, the DG ISI and DG C bring down value of dollar," says Faisal Vadwa

Pleasant weather over for Karachiites as mercury likely to go up

The next three days are expected to be hot and humid

Islamabad DC, 3 police officials indicted for contempt over PTI leaders arrest under MPO

"Accused should spend some time in jail to understand the gravity of their actions," says Justice Sattar

4 million electricity consumers likely to get temporary relief under new plan

IMF rejects proposal granting relief to those consuming up to 400 units, emphasises need to curb electricity theft

Torkham border closed after Pak-Afghan security forces clash

Dispute arose over construction of bunker on Afghan side in "violation of international law"

‘Should Punjab police have fired at Islamabad police?’ IG Punjab on Parvez Elahi&amp;rsquo;s arrest, PTI and the Jaranwala mob attack

A few months after Anwar took office, deadly clashes erupted between police and supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan

New Chinese ambassador-designate arrives in Islamabad

Ex-ambassador Nong Rong returned to China in January this year

ECP ‘unlikely’ to announce elections date any time soon

"The specific question isn’t on the agenda of the ECP’s meetings as yet,” sources say

Afghan forces abandoned military equipment not US: top security official

US left only a limited amount of equipment and aircraft in Kabul, says NSC spokesperson John Kirby

‘Shujaat sent me to PTI’, claims incarcerated Parvez Elahi

PTI president Parvez Elahi says Shujaat Hussain did not join PTI due to his son Salik Hussain

Four soldiers martyred as attack on army check posts in Chitral repulsed

12 terrorists killed during attack with sanitisation of the area underway to eliminate other terrorists found in area

SC bench to hear Jaranwala rampage case today

Three-member bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan to hear petition filed by minority leader Samuel Pyare

DC restrained from exercising MPO powers

IHC issues notice to attorney general for assistance in determining constitutionality, legality of law

PTI urges govt to &amp;lsquo;promptly realign priorities&amp;rsquo;

Party expresses concern over mounting political unrest, surge in terrorist activities, and heightened border tensions

Rs9.6b ads released to media outlets

Senate panel calls for public auction of Radio Pakistan land

Sindh&amp;rsquo;s literacy rate stands at 61.8%

37% of a total 44% out of school children in the province are girls

PM Kakar green lights IT ministry’s plan to bring PayPal, Starlink to Pakistan

PM Kakar approves new IT policy which aims to increase the country’s digital exports by up to $10 billion

September 6, 2023

PPP’s Murtaza Wahab to contest UC chairman elections

The Karachi mayor will contest local government elections from multiple constituencies

Khan’s lawyer informs IHC of jail conditions in Attock

The premises lack B-class facility; everyone knows Adiala [jail] is safer than Attock jail, lawyer tells IHC

ATC hands over Parvez Elahi to police on two-day physical remand

LHC issues contempt notice to Islamabad chief commissioner for defying court orders

COAS Asim Munir links strong economy to impregnable defence

Army chief praises armed forces for thwarting Indian aggression in 1965 war with courage and professionalism

Subhan Karim &amp;ndash; Balochistan&amp;rsquo;s rising football star

Footballer’s goals at ongoing SAFF Under-16 championship have led Pakistan to two victories

Marri sends legal notices over &amp;lsquo;fake news&amp;rsquo;

News alleged that a team of NAB recovered almost Rs97 billion in a raid at Marri’s residence

Japan consultants join forces on disaster plan

Objectives to gather input and launch the creation of NDMP-II, which will cover the years 2024 to 2029

Pakistan Embassy refutes reports of denying visas to US citizens with PTI ties

Spokesperson terms claims in this regard as ‘misinformation and disinformation’

JI Balochistan to protest soaring inflation

The Central Amir of the JI, Sirajul Haq, will lead the demonstration, scheduled for September 24

PM calls for utilisation of natural resources

Orders establishing monitoring system at border crossings to prevent smuggling

PTI condemns Elahi&amp;rsquo;s rearrest

Says Pakistan has descended into complete lawlessness

September 5, 2023

PTI’s Haleem Adil Sheikh rearrested shortly after getting bail from Karachi ATC

As soon as PTI leader left court premises cops from Preddy Police Station arrested him in a fresh case

August 31, 2023

Caretakers mull over allowing consumers to pay electricity bills in instalments

Interim PM Kakar is expected to address the nation today over exorbitant electricity bills, sources say

SHC declares Jibran Nasir, Mansha Pasha’s offloading from Dubai-bound flight unlawful

Court also says decision to include Jibran Nasir, Mansha Pasha on ‘Watch List’ done “without lawful authority"

PPP’s Raza Rabbani alarmed over ECP meetings with foreign diplomats

"Pakistan is not a ‘client state’. Upcoming general elections are our ‘internal matter’," says former Senate chairman

Unlike Nawaz, incarcerated Imran allowed to speak to his sons on phone

"I want to talk to my sons Qasim and Sulaiman on the telephone or via WhatsApp," Khan pleads with court

FBR freezes PIA bank accounts over non-payment of FED

FIR to be registered against PIA officials for not submitting FED, says tax collecting authority

Traders observe shutter down strike as protests against electricity bills refuse to die down

Caretaker govt expresses helplessness to provide relief due to strict IMF conditions

Fearing backlash, Wapda bill distributors avoid going door-to-door

Wapda employee drops hundreds of electricity bills at a hotel, fearing people’s reactions

Supreme Court dismisses ECP plea seeking review of Punjab elections verdict

"The court will intervene whenever there is a constitutional violation," CJP Bandial says during hearing

‘Black chapter’: Shehbaz Sharif slams suspension of Imran Khan’s sentence

‘If everyone knows what decision will be before it comes, it should be a moment of concern for justice system," says PML-N leader

August 29, 2023

ECP rules out possibility of election in 90 days due to technical&amp reasons

Official says announcement of polls date followed by chain of events including election schedule, filing of nomination papers

August 23, 2023

Public hospitals staff to be tested across Sindh

Health department to restart contact tracing for coronavirus

June 28, 2020

MQM-London &amp;lsquo;hitman&amp;rsquo; apprehended

Police claim he was involved in over 100 murders

2,179 people diagnosed with coronavirus in Sindh

CM Murad says province’s daily testing capacity has been stretched to 12,000

Youngster killed while shooting TikTok video in Karachi

Faraz lost control of car due to speeding, rammed into tree

Illegal plasma sale thrives in Lahore

First Covid-19 patient recovered through trial treatment last month

Woman commits suicide with two daughters

Victim’s husband wanted to marry off girls against their wish

Letter to Punjab IGP seeks ban on PUBG video game

Official says excessive violence in game triggers aggressive behaviour among youth

NGO offers transgender people foreign scholarships

Programme will allow selected persons to attend month-long training in host country

&amp;lsquo;Pakistan&amp;rsquo;s progress linked to Balochistan peace&amp;rsquo;

NA speaker chairs parliamentary committee meeting to discuss issues facing province

Balochistan collects Rs2.5b from mineral sector

Computerised weighing scales have been installed

First phase of HingIaj&amp;nbsp;road construction completed

Project was approved at a cost of Rs120 million

K-P wants revival of tourism hit hard by Covid

CM Mahmood Khan orders early opening of provincial tourism authority

Virus cases in Indian Occupied Kashmir top 7,000

2,700 infections, including 41 virus-linked deaths, confirmed in last 2 weeks

AJK president lauds Joe Biden for urging India to restore people&amp;rsquo;s rights in IOJ&amp;amp;K

US former vice president has said restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests, weaken democracy.

Bilawal, Mengal agree on joint strategy for budget

Both leaders express concern over spread of coronavirus in country

June 27, 2020

Poor internet access for students echoes in K-P assembly

Debate on Rs55.42b supplementary budget completed

K-P up in arms against custodial torture

Govt asks PHC to probe yet another instance of police high-handedness

Another case of police excesses surfaces

The report further showed that the additional SHO had been previously found guilty of framing a man in a fake case

Hinduism being masqueraded as secularism in India, says AJK president

Masood says 13,000 Kashmiri boys have been abducted and kept in prison houses where they’re being subjected to torture

World leaders urged to help end Indian atrocities against Kashmiris

On International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, AJK president condemns BJP-RSS regime

June 26, 2020

Over 300,000 put under 1,291 smart lockdowns

Punjab, Sindh cross grim mark of 50,000 cases

June 13, 2020

Tales of survivors:&amp;nbsp;&amp;lsquo;Isolation, not coronavirus, was my worst nightmare&amp;rsquo;

I was convinced that if my time is not up, this virus can never kill me

April 1, 2020

‘We honour his sacrifice’: Dr Usama’s fight against COVID-19

It is a national tragedy and we will award him the status of national hero, says G-B CM

March 23, 2020

New coronavirus case emerges in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan’s tally rises to 20

The 14-year-old boy, a resident of Skardu, was held at an isolation centre where he tested positive for COVID-19

March 11, 2020