IHC orders Islamabad DC’s name to be placed on ECL in contempt case

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February 20, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered the authorities to place Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon’s name on the no-fly list for skipping proceedings of a contempt case over the detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Afridi’s detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.

The ordinance provides the government with vast powers of detention and has been used by authorities to round up and detain PTI leaders following the May 9 riots.

Justice Babar Sattar was hearing the case against Islamabad DC and Islamabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Malik Jamil Zafar for exceeding their authority by issuing orders under Section 3 of the MPO.

During the hearing, SSP Operations Zafar and Superintendent of Police (SP) Farooq Buttar appeared upon being summoned by the court. At the same time, the lawyer representing Islamabad DC submitted a plea for Memon’s exemption from the court.

“My client is currently in Khairpur as he has to go to perform Umrah,” the lawyer informed the court. At this, Justice Sattar remarked that the court hadn’t accepted the plea for exemption.

“Let the Ministry of Interior and DG Passports also ensure that the name of Irfan Nawaz Memon is placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) so that he is unable to leave the territorial jurisdiction of Pakistan,” a short order released by the court stated.

It also directed the inspector generals of police (IGPs) of all four provinces and the federal capital to “arrest” Islamabad DC and present him before the court tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9am.

Afridi was detained by the police in connection with the May 9 violence, under 3MPO on May 16, 2023. He was released on May 30, 2023, but only to be arrested again outside the prison.

However, the PTI leader acquired bail from the Lahore High Court on July 31, 2023, but was retaken into custody a few days later by the Rawalpindi police soon after his release from Adiala jail.

He then approached the IHC via his lawyer seeking his release and for the MPO order to be set aside.

It may be noted that the court has indicted Memon and three others including, SSP Zafar, SP Buttar, and an SHO, in the case.

At an earlier hearing, the high court ruled that the federal capital’s deputy commissioner, who also acts as the district magistrate, does not have the authority to issue detention orders under 3MPO.

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Fly Jinnah inaugurates first international flight from Islamabad to Sharjah

By

Sara Maqsood

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February 19, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Fly Jinnah, Pakistan’s low-cost carrier, celebrated the inaugural flight of its first international route from Islamabad, Pakistan, to Sharjah, UAE with a dual ceremony at Islamabad International Airport before departure and at Sharjah International Airport, where the aircraft received a warm welcome upon arrival.

The inaugural flight carried onboard Fly Jinnah’s senior leadership along with a group of travel agents, media, and social media personalities among others said a news release.

The inaugural ceremony at Sharjah International Airport was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute and followed by a welcome ceremony at Sharjah Airport attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador in the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, in addition to senior management representing Sharjah International Airport and Air Arabia.

Commenting on the occasion, Fly Jinnah’s spokesperson said: “Yesterday marked a significant milestone for Fly Jinnah as we inaugurated our first international flight after a successful year of domestic operations. Sharjah’s location serves as a perfect gateway to the United Arab Emirates with its proximity to the rest of the country.

This step also reflects our unwavering commitment to providing our passengers with more travel options as we look forward to expanding our network to more exciting destinations”. Fly Jinnah remains steadfast in offering convenient and affordable service to its passengers.

With its modern fleet of five Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline currently connects five major cities in Pakistan, namely Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta, in addition to the newly launched international destination to Sharjah in the UAE.

In addition to the extra comfort provided by the most generous seat-pitch of any economy cabin, the carrier offers affordable and value-driven travel experiences through “SkyCafe” onboard menu where passengers can enjoy a wide variety of delicacies between snacks, sandwiches, and meals at affordable prices.

The aircraft is also equipped with “SkyTime”, a free in-flight streaming service that allows passengers to stream a wide selection of entertainment directly to their devices.

Customers can now book their flights by visiting Fly Jinnah’s website (www.flyjinnah.com), by calling the call centre (111-000-035) or through travel agencies.

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PPP, PML-N expect to firm up alliance today (Saturday)

By

Sara Maqsood

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February 17, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are expected to firm up their power-sharing proposals for the next coalition government on Saturday (today) for formal approval by the top leaderships of the two parties.

The committees formed by both the parties to prepare the recommendations for their alliance at the Centre, are meeting on Saturday (today) for the third round of talks. The talks were originally scheduled for Friday, but had to be cancelled because their other engagements.

The PPP said on Tuesday it would support the PML-N to form a minority government at the Centre, ending a stalemate after inconclusive elections. A PML-N spokesperson later said that the party had nominated Shehbaz Sharif for the post of prime minister.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also laid conditions on backing the Shehbaz-led coalition, saying they would support them in electing the prime minister but would not join the government. However, he indicated the party would seek some constitutional posts in return.

Later, both sides formed their Contact and Coordination Committees (CCCs) to discuss and formalize recommendations for the coalition. PPP sources said that the PML-N had been informed about the party’s position, while talks would continue on amendments on privatization and government affairs.

The sources also said that two parties would hold talks with other smaller parties. They added that there was a strong possibility that both the parties would Jamait Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday.

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PML-N leaders against forming federal govt as Saad Rafique suggests PTI-PPP coalition

By

Asifa Farhat

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February 17, 2024

LAHORE: Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday asked the PTI-backed independents and the PPP to jointly form a government in Centre, as the fractured mandate continues fuelling and sustaining political uncertainty in Pakistan.

“No one has absolute majority in the present National Assembly,” said Saad Rafique in a post shared on X – the popular social media platform which was previously known as X.

Countering the narrative spread by political pundits who have been singling out the Nawaz Sharif’s party for leading the country’s affairs after the February 8 elections, he said the formation of the federal government was a joint responsibility of all the parties in the parliament, not the PML-N.

“Independent members supported by PTI should take the initiative, form a joint central government with the PPP. We will congratulate you,” he said, adding that the PML N had no desire to wear “this crown of thorns”.

Earlier on Friday, it was reported that most of the party leaders during a meeting chaired by three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif suggested that the PML-N should not form the federal government and only focus on Punjab where they had secured a majority after the induction of independents.

However, some of them argued otherwise, saying Pakistan was facing serious economic crisis and there was a need to rescue the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Nawaz Sharif said the PML-N must not accept any unprincipled demand forwarded by allied parties just for the sake of coming into power in Centre.

It isn’t Saad Rafique, as Rana Sanaullah, who is a close aide of Nawaz Sharif and heads the Punjab chapter of PML-N, told a private TV channel that the PML-N should not form the federal government and sit on the opposition benches.

One must recall that Nawaz Sharif has already refused to lead the next government and nominated his younger brother Shehhaz Sharif as the prime minister candidate as he didn’t want a split mandate and was aiming at a simple majority.

In this this connection, Maryam Nawaz – the PML-N chief organizer – too had earlier explained the reasons behind Nawaz Sharif not leading the government this time round which would have given him the unmatched distinction of serving Pakistan for fourth time.

Maryam Nawaz said the people had given a clear majority to Nawaz Sharif for his previous three stints as prime minister. “He has made it clear in his speeches during election campaign that he would not become part of any coalition government,” she added.

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Islamabad police expands Red Zone to Faisal Avenue

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Our Correspondent

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February 17, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad capital police extended Red Zone Ataturk Avenue to Faisal Avenue in order to stop violation of Section 144, informed a police spokesman.

Earlier, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan made a request to the local administration to extend the Red Zone from Ataturk Avenue to Faisal Avenue upto Zero Point in a move to formalise a decision which the government had already taken in the wake of the PTI proposed rallies and protest likely to be held today (Saturday).

Meanwhile, he informed that the police had not yet received any application from PTI seeking permission for holding protest or rallies in Islamabad.

He said that since Section 144 has been imposed in federal capital; therefore, no political party is allowed for taking out rally or staging protest in Islamabad.

“We had demanded extra force in order to tackle the expected rally of PTI,” he said adding that strict action would be taken against those found involved in blocking roads or creating hurdles in movement of traffic or ordinary citizens.

He said that police have also beefed up security of Islamabad besides placing special pickets on all the exit and entry points of capital city.

He advised the citizens to keep their CNICs/ other documents with them in order to avoid any inconvenience at police pickets.

He also advised the citizens including women, children and old age people to not visit F-9 Park. The citizens are also asked by the police to alert the law enforcers on ICT 15 Pukar in case of presence of any suspecious element around them

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Rain likely in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, parts of Pakistan during weekend

By

Sara Maqsood

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February 17, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted rains, isolated hailstorm with snowfall over mountains for Islamabad and parts of Pakistan on Saturday and Sunday.

According to the synoptic situation, continental air prevails over most parts of Pakistan. A westerly wave will likely enter western parts of the country on Saturday night. It may grip most upper parts of the country on Sunday.

Under these conditions, cloudy weather with light rain/light snowfall is likely at isolated places in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral and surrounding areas on Friday night.

On Saturday and Sunday, partly cloudy/cloudy weather with rain-wind/thunderstorm/snowfall is likely in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas. Isolated hailstorms are also likely during the period.

Islamabad’s minimum temperatures will likely remain between 04-06 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday.

Rawalpindi’s minimum temperatures will likely remain between 08-10 C on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, cold and dry weather prevailed in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and most parts of Pakistan during the last 24 hours. Freezing weather prevailed in the northern parts of the country.

Leh remained the coldest place in the country where the temperature dropped 09 C below freezing.

In Islamabad, minimum temperature was recorded at 04 C. Relative humidity during the morning was recorded at 86 per cent.

In Rawalpindi, minimum temperature was recorded at 08 C. Relative humidity during the morning was recorded at 58 per cent.

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Zainab Naqvi, Karachi-born Tennis player dies in Islamabad

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Our Correspondent

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February 14, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s young tennis player from Karachi, Zainab Ali Naqvi, passed away in Islamabad, during the ongoing ITF Juniors Tournaments.

As confirmed by the Pakistan Tennis Federation in an official statement, Karachi-born Zainab Ali Naqvi, 17, who was in the capital for the ITF Juniors Tournaments, died, following the practice match in the evening.

Reportedly, Naqvi went to take a bath after getting back from the practice when she was found dead in the restroom, of suspected heart failure.

“Zainab Ali Naqvi, a young tennis player who had come to Islamabad from Karachi to participate in the ITF Juniors Tournaments, passed away last night on 12th February 2024 in Islamabad,” PTF said in a statement.

“Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President-PTF, Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, Ex-President-PTF, PTF Council members and the tennis fraternity at large offer their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” the statement read further. “May Allah bless the departed soul with eternal peace in heaven.”

Notably, the scheduled matches of the tournament, on Tuesday, were postponed in memory of the young sportsperson, while a joint prayer was also offered by all the foreign and Pakistani players, parents, coaches and the PTF Officials and staff.

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Counting of votes begins as polling across country concludes amid heightened security

By

Palwasha Mustafa

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February 8, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Counting has started all over Pakistan as the polling of 12th General Elections, concluded in a largely peaceful manner, except sporadic incidents of violence, as there are varying reports about turnout.

Vote count began in the polling stations as the PTI’s plea for extending time of casting ballot was turned down.

People turn out in droves in many parts of Punjab and, eyewitnesses say, the young and the old showed a great deal of enthusiasm. There were long queues of people at some of the polling stations in Lahore while some polling stations did not have too many people.

Except for internet and mobile services suspension, the polling process reportedly went smooth at most places.

Pakistan temporarily suspended mobile phone services on Thursday to strengthen security as voting began in the country’s national election, the interior ministry said.

The government’s decision comes amidst a rise in militant attacks in the run-up to the election and a day after jailed former prime minister and the PTI founder urged his supporters to wait outside polling booths after voting until results are announced.

“As a result of the recent incidents of terrorism in the country precious lives have been lost, security measures are essential to maintain the law and order situation and deal with possible threats, hence the temporary suspension of mobile services across the country,” the interior ministry said in a message on X.

Two blasts near election offices on Wednesday killed 24 people in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blasts in a message on its Telegram channel. Several other groups, including the TTP and separatist Baloch militants, oppose the Pakistani state and have also carried out attacks in recent months.

The country is on high alert with tens of thousands of troops and paramilitary soldiers on duty across the country, including at polling stations. Pakistan also said it was closing its borders with Iran and Afghanistan for the day for security purposes.

Unofficial first results in the election are expected a few hours after voting closes at 5pm and a clear picture is likely to emerge early on Friday.

The main contests are expected to be between candidates backed by the ex-prime minister whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the last national election, and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif who is considered the front-runner.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of former premier Benazir Bhutto, has also run an aggressive campaign in an outside bid for the top office.

“The deciding factor is which side the powerful military and its security agencies are on,” said Abbas Nasir, a columnist. “Only a huge turnout in favour of PTI can change its fortunes.”

The two former prime ministers have switched places since the last election in 2018: the PTI founder was believed to be backed by the establishment then and Sharif was in jail on corruption charges.

“Historically, engineered electoral exercises have not produced stability,” Nasir said, adding, “Economic challenges are so serious, grave, and the solutions so very painful that I am unsure how anyone who comes to power will steady the ship.”

If the election does not result in a clear majority for anyone, as analysts are predicting, tackling multiple challenges will be tricky – foremost being seeking a new bailout programme from International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the current one expires in March.

Smaller political parties could play a crucial role in the formation of a government that will need 169 seats in the 336-member National Assembly. Voters directly elect 266 members while there are 70 reserved seats – 60 for women and 10 for non-Muslims – allotted according to the number of seats won by each party.

Independents, many of whom are being backed by the PTI founder, are free to join any party if they win, which could swing fortunes after the vote. He has said his candidates will not back Nawaz or Bilawal.

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Body of young student found from Islamabad seminary’s washroom

By

Our Correspondent

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February 8, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Body of a 10-year-old boy was recovered from the washroom of a local seminary in Islamabad’s Aabpara’s police station area in G-6/3, police said.

Abdullah’s jugular vein was slit with a sharp-edged weapon. He was a student of a seminary in Jamia Masjid Bilal.

Police registered the first information report and after the postmortem the dead body was handed over to the family.

A Polyclinic Hospital doctor told police that Abdullah was killed by using a sharp-edged weapon.

Further details will be revealed after the compilation of the postmortem report.

The police claimed that a comprehensive investigation was in progress to detect the reason behind this severe crime.

The police urged anyone with information regarding the matter to come forward and contact them. For reporting any suspicious activities, individuals were encouraged to utilize the emergency helpline 15 or ICT 15 app.

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Renowned actor Sajid Hasan joins IPP

By

Our Correspondent

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January 22, 2024

KARACHI: Renowned showbiz personality Sajid Hasan has officially become a part of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), reports said here on Sunday.

Sajid Hasan was presented with the party flag by Mahmood Maulvi, the Provincial President. Welcoming Sajid Hassan into the party, Mahmood Maulvi conveyed his pleasure and enthusiasm.

The veteran actor advocated for a politics of unity, emphasising the importance of bringing people together rather than creating divisions.

Expressing a new perspective, Sajid Hasan stated, “Now we are committed to making a difference for the youth and the nation.”

Meanwhile, IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan said on Sunday that his party will play a vital role in the next government.

Expressing his thoughts in Khanewal, Aleem Khan said, ‘’It is not possible to impress everybody in politics.Who pretends to extend support to everybody is not loyal to anybody in real context.’’

He took a swipe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) without naming it. ‘’I joined one political party to see the creation of Naya Pakistan. By putting in all the hard work, we made the leader of that party the premier.’’

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