Supreme Court of Pakistan resumes hearing pleas against civilians’ trial in military courts

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June 23, 2023

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Friday resumed the hearing on the constitutional pleas challenging the government decision to try civilians in military courts for their alleged involvement in the May 9 violent protests.

A seven-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial is hearing the case. Justice Ejazul Ahsan, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik are the members of the bench.

The PDM government had decided to try civilians in military courts after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers vandalised army installations following the arrest of their party chief.

The petitions, filed by the PTI chairman, former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja, senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) Executive Director Karamat Ali, have requested the apex court to declare the trial of civilians in military courts unconstitutional.

A nine-member larger bench had taken up the pleas on Thursday. However, the bench was dissolved after Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Tariq Masood object to it.

Justice Isa objected that he “did not consider the bench a bench until the Supreme Court first issue a verdict on the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act, 2023.” And Justice Masood backed him.

CJP Bandial had said as the two senior judges had raised questions over the bench, the stay order on the law might be lifted.

The CJP then constituted a seven-member bench which started hearing the pleas.

CJP Bandial observed that the court would “quickly” wrap up the case and asked the government to provide complete details of the arrests made after the May 9 incidents.

“It is not right to issue stay orders on everything,” the CJP said when Latif Khosa pleaded for it.

Earlier, Khosa was asked to inform the court about the law on the basis of which punishments were being awarded, and the basis on which civilian cases in the anti-terrorism courts were being transferred to military courts.

Khosa submitted that the Pakistan Army Act does not mention civilians. On it, Justice Shah said he believed that civil laws have stricter punishments than military ones.

The CJP also said that private conversations were recorded and privacy was breached.

The court was also informed that the “military trials of the civilians are underway”.

Today, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui will argue the case.

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CDA approves building more water filtration plants in Islamabad

By

Sara Maqsood

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June 23, 2023

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has nodded the establishment of more filtration plants in various business centers of the federal capital and the civic body will construct these filtration plants while the maintenance of these filtration plants will be done by the business community.

This decision was made in an important meeting of the Governing Boards of the CDA held with Chairman CDA Captain Noor ul Amin Mengal in which all the board members participated.

In the meeting approval of the proceedings of the previous session was also given while the meeting also decided to establish CDA Capital Medical College in Islamabad. In this regard, Chairman CDA has also issued Member Planning and Member State’s Directive for Allocation of Venue for Medical College.

Similarly, the approval of the allocation of space in the Kahota Triangle for the Fire Brigade and Dispensary was also given in the CDA board meeting while the dispensary and Fire Brigade Station, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Association will be constructed in place of the CDA.

In addition, permission to give land for the FBR Academy was also given in the meeting. The layout plan of Sector C-13 was also approved in the CDA Board meeting.

Similarly, a committee has also been formed to look into matters of residential and commercial buildings located on the boundaries of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. This committee includes RDA, CDA, and Cantonment Board officers.

Later the meeting also decided to create new posts of three directors in the CDA Planning Wing and the approval of the Archery Club in Islamabad to stay in F-9 Park was also given in the Board Meeting of Capital Development Authority.

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IMF, Government lock horns as budget ‘disappoints’ international money lender

By

Nuzhat Aftab

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June 14, 2023

ISLAMABAD: The deadlock remains in the negotiations between Pakistan and the International Monitory Fund (IMF) as Executive Board meeting agenda of the international lender does not include Pakistan as agenda items.

The names of other countries including Uganda and Iceland have been included for approval in the IMF Executive Board meeting.

Finance Ministry officials and IMF officials will hold virtual meet ups in the coming days, the Ministry officials said.

A special meeting of the IMF Executive Board might be convened in case of Staff Level Agreement.

Finance Ministry officials said that $6.5 billion IMF loan program is ending on June 30

As per the finance ministry data, Pakistan has received only 3.9 billion dollars so far.

It is relevant to mention here that About $2.5 billion dollars are pending from the IMF.

Pakistan has to satisfy the IMF on three counts, starting with a budget due on Friday, before its board reviews whether to release at least some of the $2.5 billion still pending under a lending programme expiring this month, an IMF official said.

Esther Perez Ruiz, the International Monetary Fund’s resident representative for Pakistan, said that there was only time for one last IMF board review before the end of the $6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) at the end of June.

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Premier Shehbaz to depart for Baku as Islamabad eyes LNG cargoes

By

Palwasha Mustafa

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June 14, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, invited by President Ilham Aliyev, will travel to Azerbaijan today (Wednesday) as Islamabad aims to obtain spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries from Baku.

In a recent development, Pakistan released two tenders for spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments after nearly a year, coinciding with the announcement of a monthly LNG cargo agreement with Azerbaijan.

Pakistan has encountered difficulties in procuring spot cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to its dependence on gas for power generation and limited foreign exchange reserves, aggravated by the spike in global prices resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik, on Tuesday, announced that Azerbaijan had agreed to provide Pakistan with a monthly LNG cargo at a more affordable price. Although specific details of the supply agreement were not disclosed, Malik confirmed that a contract had been signed with Azerbaijan and that the deliveries would commence in the near future.

This situation resulted in widespread power outages. However, Asian spot LNG prices have significantly declined this year, dropping from the record highs of $70/mmBtu in August to below $10.

Meanwhile, the prime minister’s entourage would also include ministers representing the priority areas of cooperation with Azerbaijan.

During his visit, the premier will hold wide-ranging talks with the Azerbaijani president on key areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, and energy.

Meanwhile, regional and global issues of mutual concern and cooperation in multilateral forums will also be discussed.

“Pakistan-Azerbaijan relationship is embedded in commonalities of faith, culture and history, and strengthened by mutual trust and convergence of views on regional and global matters,” the FO statement read.

The minister added that the frequent leadership-level exchanges highlight the bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to closer multifaceted cooperation for the mutual benefit of the people of Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

On the other hand, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) will meet today (Wednesday) with Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar to take up the issue of approval for the import of distressed LNG for the third time from an Azerbaijan firm SOCAR, based in the UK.

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Shehbaz Sharif inaugurates various development projects in Islamabad

By

Sara Maqsood

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June 14, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Avenue formerly known as IJP Road and Seventh Avenue Overhead Bridge on Srinagar Highway besides performing ground breaking of Eleventh Avenue in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Addressing a ceremony in connection with the inauguration of these projects, the Prime Minister regretted that the poor performance of previous government delayed execution of important development projects. He however said that we have accelerated work on them and work on the ongoing projects in the federal capital will be completed by next month.

He announced an electric bus service will also be launched in the capital city, for which the buses will reach by 15th of next month.

The Prime Minister said a solid waste management system is also being introduced in Islamabad on the pattern of Lahore.

Shehbaz Sharif said that the IJP road has been named after Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed to recognize the services and sacrifices rendered by the martyrs for the nation. He said only those nations remain successful which remember the sacrifices of their martyrs.

The Prime Minister said that May 9 acts not only aggrieved the entire nation but also bowed our heads down in embarrassment. He said today the propaganda of a political party regarding regime change stands fully exposed.

The Prime Minister said relief has been given to the people in the budget. Referring to the increase in the salaries and pensions of employees, he said the budget envisages several initiatives for the youth. He said laptop scheme for the youth will be launched next month. This year one hundred thousand laptops will be distributed amongst the youth.

He said we are importing oil on discounted rates from Russia. He was also confident of a deal with the IMF saying Pakistan has fulfilled all the conditions.

He expressed the commitment to steer the country collectively out of difficult situation. He however stressed that political stability is a must for economic stability.

Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said we will continue the journey of serving the country.

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IJP Road attributed to Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed, Nishan e Haider

By

Tanzeel Ahmed

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June 13, 2023

ISLAMABAD: The under construction IJP (Ibrahim Jalees Principal Road) Islamabad’s famous and extremely busy is being attributed to Captain Karnal She Khan Shaheed, Nishan e Haider.

With a refreshed look and feel, the road has been given a new name as wellm said Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Noor-ul-Amin Mengal.

While taking to twitter the CDA chief said that the Federal Cabinet has rechristened IJP Road as ‘Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road’.

The decision has received mixed feedback from the netizens. Some commenters said that it is a good step to honor the memory of a great martyred soldier, while others argue that renaming a main thoroughfare will create difficulties for new commuters and local businesses in the area.

A recent media report stated that the municipal agency has decided to construct service lanes on Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road to accommodate slow-moving vehicles.

The official stated that the addition of service lanes to the project’s design would be of great assistance to ‘slow commuters’. The civic agency will also beautify service lanes with green belts and flowers, giving the commuters a green appearance.

While the road’s official opening date is still uncertain, the project will be completed soon. The administration has received some criticism from the people for deciding to construct the service lane “at the eleventh hour”.

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CDA starts planning to introduce LRT in Islamabad

By

Our Correspondent

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June 13, 2023

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started planning to introduce the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in Islamabad to cater growing transportation needs of the city.

The planning wing of the CDA has approached the Economic Affairs Division to get funding from an international donor i.e. Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) etc. to execute this project.

A preliminary concept paper in this regard has been prepared by the Planning Wing to proceed further on this project, however; senior officers informed that it needs a proper consultant to be engaged to carry out a detailed feasibility study.

According to initial working, a total of four potential routes have been identified that includes 30.5km long route from Rawat to Faisal Mosque on Islamabad Expressway and Faisal Avenue, 13.7km long route from N5 commonly known as G.T road to Pakistan Monument via Srinagar Highway, 27.5km long route from Rawat at T-Chowk to 26 No Stop on G.T road and 10.4km long route Pirwadhai to Faizabad via the IJP road.

The city planners had explored an option to utilize the existing railway track in Islamabad but scrapped the idea while considering it insufficient for the execution of this project as the existing railway track is one sided, which carries main traffic of Pakistan Railways.

Source said that though the planning wing has started its preparations well on time, but the execution of this project is quite difficult as it involves huge funding and political stability as well.

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Earthquake measuring 5.6 magnitude jolts Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar

By

Mehtab Cheema

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June 13, 2023

LAHORE: An earthquake measured 5.6-magnitude jolted Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and other cities on Tuesday afternoon, prompting people to rush out of their offices and homes. No loss of life has been reported.

In Punjab, the tremors were felt in Shakar Garh, Chichawatni, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Hafizabad, Zafarwal and Murree. The quake also hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Abbottabad, Swabi, and Swat areas.

Meanwhile, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the tremors were felt in Bagh, DhirKot, and Muzaffarabad areas.

Besides Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar tremors were felt for a short time, resulting in people rushing out of their offices. It was horrifying as this was the second time a quake hit the capital within a short gap.

According to Pakistan Meteorological Department, the earthquake originated at 1:04pm, with its depth at 10 kilometres.

The quake’s epicenter was Eastern Kashmir, the PMD said, with its longitude at 75.97 E and latitude at 33.32 N.

No loss of life has been reported so far from the quake.

The quake was felt in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK) and other parts of India, including New Delhi.

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Premier Shehbaz departs for Turkiye to attend Erdogan’s oath-taking ceremony today

By

Sara Maqsood

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June 2, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart for Turkiye today to attend the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 3 (Saturday).

The premier has accepted an invitation from President Erdogan to visit Turkiye, marking a significant development in the diplomatic ties between the two nations. Erdogan was re-elected to his office on May 28.

Announced during a weekly briefing at the foreign office on Wednesday, spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz will embark on his visit to Turkiye on June 3.

During his visit, PM Shehbaz would also invite President Erdogan to Pakistan.

During the briefing, Ms Baloch highlighted that the prime minister’s visit to Turkiye is a testament to the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries. The trip signifies the commitment to further enhance cooperation and collaboration in various sectors.

The forthcoming visit is expected to encompass a range of discussions and agreements on trade, defense, tourism, and cultural exchanges. Both leaders are likely to engage in talks to explore avenues for increased economic cooperation and investment opportunities.

Turkiye has historically been a significant ally of Pakistan, with the two nations sharing common interests and standing together on regional and international issues.

This visit is anticipated to solidify their longstanding friendship and pave the way for stronger bilateral ties.

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Eight-year-old girl raped in Islamabad

By

Our Correspondent

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June 2, 2023

ISLAMABAD: An eight-year-old Afghan girl was raped by a man in broad daylight who managed to run away in presence of residents of Mohallah Diptian falling in the jurisdiction of Shahzad Town Police Station.

The minor victim was shifted to a hospital where the medico-legal official confirmed the rape.

The Shahzad Town police have registered the case against the unidentified rapist under sections 376 and 377/B of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the father of the victim but couldn’t hunt down the rapist till the filing of this report.

Hazar Gul, an Afghan national, hailing from Jalalabad, lodged a complaint with the Shahzad Town, saying that he was living in Mohallah Diptian, located near Mariam Masjid with his family for a couple of months.

“I was present at my house along with my elder brother when we heard some noises from the street, we rushed out of the house and witnessed a young man running towards us, consequently, without knowing the reason for his escape, we both tried to intercept him but he succeeded to let loose from our clutches and ran off from our custody,” the complainant narrating his story, said.

However, he said, “We moved towards the place where people of the street were gathered and saw my minor daughter crying.”

Upon query, the minor victim told him the tale of the brutal attack on her, saying she was playing near her house when she was dragged by the rapist into an under-construction house and raped forcibly.

The DPO (Rural) has taken up the case and asked the Shahzad Town police to take the case as a challenge and use all their efforts to make headway to arrest the rapist, the police sources said.

The SP has constituted teams and sent them to different locations to get a clue about the rapist.

The sources added that the police have rounded up a few suspects for investigation, claiming that the police teams would make headway to the criminal and hunt him down within the next 24 hours.

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