ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, who was arrested on Tuesday in a graft case, will be presented before the accountability court at the Police Lines Headquarters H-11/1 Islamabad today (Wednesday).
A notification in this regard has also been issued. As per the notification, the judges who will hear the NAB and Toshakhana cases will go to Police Lines Headquarters H11/1 Islamabad instead of Judicial Complex G-11/4.
Imran Khan has reportedly been transferred to the Police Lines Guest House. Furthermore, it has been disclosed that the federal government, acting on NAB’s request, has designated the Police Lines Guest House as a sub-jail, and in the event that physical remand is granted in the NAB case, Imran Khan will be held there.
The anti-corruption agency has defended the detention of Mr. Khan, which took place on Tuesday inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), with the assistance of Rangers. The agency has justified the arrest, stating that it was lawful and carried out in full compliance with NAB regulations.
“NAB arrested former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The case relates to illegal acquisition of land and construction for Al-Qadir University involving unlawful benefit given in recovery of prime proceeds (190 million pounds) through National Crime Agency, UK,” the statement said.
“The arrest has been made after fulfilling the lawful procedures of inquiry and investigation conducted by NAB,” the anti-graft watchdog asserted.
It said during the process of inquiry/investigation, several notices were issued to Mr Khan and his wife as they were the trustees of Al-Qadir Trust.
“However, none of the call-up notices was responded to by the former prime minister or his wife.”
I am certain that Imran Khan’s arrest by the rangers, an army offshoot commanded by army officers and staffed by army Jawans is a coincidence and not the result of a deliberate effort to exclude police from this operation. Moreover, the entire operation was conducted with IG police on the driving seat against what has been alleged by certain quarters. The allegations were also not true that he was arrested by the order of the Accountability Court because the government this time around was not able to arm twist the judiciary to do what they wanted.
His arrest was portrayed by certain sections as breaking in and disgracing the high court and its chief justice, forcing and dragging a wounded and frail Imran Khan by defying the court’s sanctity. While doing so, it invited visible wrath of annoyed sitting Chief Justice, who took immediate action but at the end declared the arrest in accordance with law, and by doing so put the entire nation on a razor’s edge.
According to the Pakistani Constitution, every citizen has the right to a fair trial and due process of law, including the right to be free of arbitrary arrest or detention. Article 10 of the Constitution expressly states that no one shall be detained without being informed of the reason for their detention, nor shall anyone be denied the right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice.
Section 17(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) similarly prohibits police officers from entering the court’s precincts to arrest an accused person who is attending or about to attend a high court hearing. This provision is intended to safeguard the judiciary’s independence and the rights of the accused.
While there were over 140 cases against him being heard by the courts around the country, he was arrested on the spurious pretext of a six-year-old and forgotten case of Al-Qadir Trust, in which a petitioner had alleged the taking over of a piece of land by the KP government, without the consent of the trust, and held Imran Khan responsible for the takeover.
The case is subjudice with Peshawar High Court since 2017 awaiting final ruling in which no instance of corruption or corrupt practices as yet proven with finality, no financial transaction between the trust and Imran Khan was involved, and the case was primarily between the KP Government and a trustee of the Al Qadir trust.
In addition, the PHC was seized to determine whether the KP government acted within the law in acquiring the land and whether the Al-Qadir Trust’s rights had been violated. Even if Imran Khan is ultimately found to have committed no wrongdoing, the Court was also investigating whether the case was used as a diversion from other issues in order to damage his reputation and credibility.
According to a country’s legal system, a trial court cannot assume a case that is being heard by its appellate court due to distinct jurisdictions and functions as trial court at first instance hears and decides cases and if it is dissatisfied with the trial court’s decision, it can appeal to a higher court, such as an appellate court.
The arrest also attracted recent amendment made to the NAB ordinance, in which private transactions were excluded from NAB’s purview, the NAB’s pecuniary jurisdiction was limited to mega-scandals involving over Rs. 500 million, and the statute of limitations for filing a case was reduced to one year, with court permission.
While the contested case is six years old, it is between a private trust and the government, and no government funds are involved. In fact, the government appeared to be the beneficiary, and land was acquired in the public interest. In addition, the case has not been classified as a mega scandal because no monetary value has been assigned to it to qualify it as such.
The arrest hits Section 16 of the NAB Act which stipulates that an accused will be tried for an offense under the ordinance in the court under whose territorial jurisdiction the alleged offense was committed, as previously there were no territorial limits. This section specifies the territorial jurisdiction of the court, which means that the trial will take place in the area where the alleged offense occurred.
This is intended to make it easier for the accused to defend themselves, reduce the burden on the accused and their families, and eliminate the need to travel long distances. Before this amendment, Section 16 did not specify any territorial limitations, and the accused could be tried in any accountability court in Pakistan. I hope while arresting Imran in Islamabad, all legal aspects were taken care of.
It is also said in certain sections of the civil society that Imran Khan at the time of arrest was attending a high court hearing, at the orders of the said court and was under “judicial immunity” or “protection.” This means that he could not have been arrested by any law enforcement agency while he was inside the court premises or during his transit to or from the court, unless there was a specific order from the court authorizing his arrest.
Even if the law enforcing agencies had an arrest warrant issued by a lower court – such as a trial court that was subordinate to the high court – the law enforcement agencies were required to seek permission from the high court judge in session to execute the arrest warrant. If the high court grants permission, then he could be arrested and taken into custody as the judicial immunity only applies to the jurisdiction of the high court and not to other courts. However, these apersions were set to rest by the order of Islamabad high court which termed the arrest in accordance with the law.
In any case, if an accused person is arrested without proper authorization or in violation of their judicial immunity while attending a high court proceeding, it is a serious matter and can lead to legal and administrative consequences for the law enforcement officials involved.
For example, in India in 2019, the Delhi High Court reprimanded the Delhi Police for arresting a man within the court premises while he was attending a hearing in a case. The court stated that the arrest was a clear violation of the fundamental right to access justice and the independence of the judiciary.
Similarly, in the United States, in 2019, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated the constitutional rights of an undocumented immigrant by arresting him inside a courthouse. The judge stated that the arrest undermined the court’s ability to provide access to justice and maintain the integrity of the judicial process.
The LAE, may have already set in place the damage controlled mechanism which includes deployment of additional police forces, rioting units and specialized units to areas where protests are taking place. It was done to prevent violence and maintain public order, arrest protesters engaging in violent behavior and charge them with offenses such as assault, destruction of property, or disorderly conduct. The use of force to disperse the crowds or prevent them from causing harm to property or people by the use of non-lethal weapons such as tear gas or water cannons initiating legal action against the opposition leaders was done on account of violating the laws and inciting violence – and above all curb of freedom on assembly, speech, movement and expression.
This included ban on all communication and information means such as stopping cell phone services and banning conventional & social media to stop spread of rumours, heresy and false and fabricated information to incite violence. However, they must do this by taking in account that it can have significant economic and social effects, particularly on small businesses and entrepreneurs who rely on these platforms to market their products and services, and on vulnerable populations who rely on these platforms for support and information.
If Imran Khan – or any other leader for that matter – has committed any wrongdoing, financial bungling, misappropriation of public funds or used illegal means of acquiring money, like all other such persons, no laxity should be shown to him but while living within the confines of constitution and law of the land and without any fear or favor.
Trespassing the constitution or law of the land especially by the Law Enforcing Agencies means socio economic disaster and breaking down of social order which is in no one’s interest.
Permit me to quote the concluding remarks of a TV anchor who stated that he had never seen such an alarming and dangerous political situation in his professional career, and let us join him in pleading with all leaders, politicians, and influential stakeholders to have mercy on the unfortunate people, this country, and themselves. All of this to stop leading the nation towards total collapse and catastrophe. (Edited by Khadijah Kamili)
Opinions in this piece are based on personal observations of the writer.
ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan set to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to get bail in two cases related to sedition and attempted murder.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan left his Zaman Park residence to reach the capital.
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear deposed premier protective bail pleas.
In a circular issued by the IHC Registrar’s Office, it was stated that the pre-arrest bail petitions of former prime minister Imran Khan in two cases would be heard at 2:30pm tomorrow in courtroom No.1.
Special passes would be required for journalists and lawyers to gain entry, while court staff would be exempt from this requirement.
According to the circular, Imran Khan will be permitted to have 15 lawyers accompany him inside the courtroom.
Additionally, ten lawyers from the offices of the Attorney General of Pakistan and Advocate General Islamabad, along with 30 members of the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA), will be allowed entry.
In last hearing, the court granted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman pre-arrest bails–till May 9 in the aforementioned cases. It ordered the former premier to cooperate with the police in their investigation.
“Don’t be afraid of this security arrangement. Rather feel secure. Don’t give the impression that someone wants to arrest you,” IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq who was leading a division bench told Imran Khan who appeared in the court in a wheelchair.
A day earlier, the bench had given one last chance to Imran to appear in the court in person to get pre-arrest bail, noting that it could not bend rules for the PTI chief just because he is a “privileged” person.
Addressing the former premier, Justice Farooq asked why he was not joining the probe.
Imran’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar told the bench that the police wanted Imran to appear before seven different investigation officers (IOs) probing the seven terror cases.
“We are ready to give our testimony right now. All the IOs are also present here [in the courtroom]. Why didn’t they get our [Imran’s] statement today?” he proposed.
The CJ noted that Imran could not give his testimony like this on a piece of paper. “Follow the procedure that is in place for giving testimony to police,” he noted.
The bench once again told Imran’s counsel to submit reports of a government hospital if they want to get an exemption from personal appearance in court on medical grounds. A day earlier, the court had noted that a pre-arrest bail could only be awarded if the accused appeared in a court in person.
ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions Courts Islamabad Judge Humayun Dilawar on Friday announced the reserved verdict in Toshakhana case against Imran Khan and announced PTI chairman to be indicted on May 10.
The court has summoned the former premier on May10 in person. The court has rejected both applications of the Imran Khan and gave verdict in favour of the ECP lawyers.
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lawyers Saad Hassan and Amjad Parvez and Imran Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris and Khalid Yusuf while PML-N leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha appeared before the court.
Khawaja Haris pleaded a petition has been filed for against the admissibility of the ToshaKhana case. He said petition against the admissibility of the case was filed under the Elections Act.
Khawaja Haris said Sessions court could not directly hear the Toshakhana case.
Earlier, Islamabad district and sessions court adjourned the Toshakhana case hearing again against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supremo Imran Khan till May 5 over Imran’s council absence.
PTI’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry appeared in the court of Additional Session Judge Humayun Dilawar and requested the court to adjourn the hearing as lead counsel Khawaja Harris was not available.
Faisal also submitted a petition seeking an exemption for Imran Khan in today’s hearing citing security threats.
After hearing arguments, the court approved the exemption plea and summoned arguments on the admissibility of the ECP case on May 5.
PDM led federal government filed a reference against PTI Chairman accused him of not sharing the details of gifts he retained from Toshakhana in his assets declarations.
ECP after investigations had concluded in October last year that the PTI chief filed false statements regarding the gifts.
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned those who defy the Constitution. He expressed gratitude for the participation of people in the Labor Day rally organized by his party in Lahore.
Imran Khan shared scenes from the rally on Twitter, describing the massive response from the masses as a warning to those who are considering defying the Constitution and the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) by not holding elections.
The former premier categorically said that the masses would not tolerate the mafia who is trying to run away from the Constitution.
He also warned that Pakistan is currently not in an economic position to withstand a ‘massive street movement’.
The former ruling party was late on Sunday night granted conditional permission to hold a rally in the provincial capital of Lahore.
A container reached Liberty Chowk for the rally for senior PTI leaders.
A large contingent of police was on duty by placing barriers around Liberty Chowk.
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Islamabad aim to reduce the carbon dioxide emission by 35 metric ton and also expected to save $6 billion to $8 billion yearly billion by implementing National Energy Conservation Policy 2023.
National Energy Saving Efficiency and Conversation Policy 2023 has already approved by cabinet committee.
The implementation of the policy will reduce the emission of 35 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and also expected to save up to 6 and 8 billion dollars.
As per documents, $1.15 billion foreign exchange will be saved in energy, food and water sectors.
As per the policy documents, energy saving devices in commercial, domestic, industrial, agriculture sectors will be identified and people will be asked energy saving fans, air conditioners and motors.
As per documents, energy audit of the commercial buildings will be mandatory for energy saving and use of old appliances will be banned from onwards.
Pakistan can save up to 15 percent of electricity annually while energy information houses will be built at federal and provincial levels.
According to documents, a package will be given to the production of energy saving devices across the country.
LAHORE: The Pakistani film industry is set to deliver an exciting lineup of movies on Eid-ul-Fitr 2023, with a diverse range of genres and themes.
Here are some of the most anticipated releases:
‘Money Back Guarantee’ is a comedy film directed by Faisal Qureshi, who is known for his successful television dramas. The movie stars Fawad Khan, Kiran Malik, Wasim Akram, and Shaniera Akram and it promises to be a laugh-out-loud experience for audiences.
‘Huey Tum Ajnabee’ is a romantic drama directed by Hassan Waqas Rana, who has previously directed hit movies like ‘Yalghaar’ and ‘Waar’. The movie stars Ayeza Khan and Osman Khalid Butt, and tells the story of a couple who fall in love despite their different backgrounds.
‘Daadal’ is a social drama directed by Kamran Qureshi, who is known for his critically acclaimed film ‘The System’. The movie stars Sanam Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui, and explores the themes of class, gender, and power dynamics in Pakistani society.
‘Dorr’ is a sports drama directed by Zamir Ahmad Awan, who is known for his award-winning documentary ‘The Pakistani Footballers’. The movie stars Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Ansari, and tells the story of a young girl who dreams of becoming a boxer.
‘Lahore Qalandar’ is a biopic directed by Faisal Saif, who is known for his film ‘Main Hoon Rajinikanth’. The movie stars Shaan Shahid and Mehwish Hayat, and tells the story of the Pakistan Super League team Lahore Qalandars and their journey to success.
Apart from Pakistani movies, the highly anticipated Hollywood movies ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ and ‘Evil Dead Rise’ are also set to release on Eid 2023. ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ stars Keanu Reeves and promises to be an action-packed extravaganza, while ‘Evil Dead Rise’ is a horror film that is set to be a reboot of the popular ‘Evil Dead’ franchise.
Overall, the lineup of movies set to release on Eid 2023 is diverse and promises to have something for everyone. With a mix of established stars and up-and-coming talent, Pakistani cinema is set to continue its upward trajectory and make a mark on the global entertainment industry.
LAHORE: Punjab has been receiving intermittent rain since last night in various cities including Lahore. One person died and three others injured after the roof of a house collapsed due to rain and four people were buried under the debris in Toba Tek Singh.
Heavy rains were reported in different parts of Punjad including Abbott Road, Shimla Pahari, Lakshmi Chowk, and surrounding areas of Lahore are receiving light rain. While Kahna, Gajju Mata, Nishtar Colony and surrounding areas have also received rain since late night including Gulberg, Ichhra and Wahdat Road.
On the other hand, weather forecasters have predicted more rain during the next 24 hours. Today and tomorrow, the weather will remain cloudy throughout the province, including Lahore, while there is a possibility of rain with strong winds and thunder. Due to the entry of western winds since the night, the cold has increased. Meanwhile, other cities of Punjab, Okara, Renala Khurd and Hujra Shah Moqim received rain with thunder.
In view of the heavy rains, the PDMA has issued an alert to the concerned institutions, expressing the fear of severe damage to crops, especially wheat, due to strong winds and hailstorm.
As soon as it rained in different areas, the power supply was suspended, while the low-lying areas were also flooded due to heavy rain.
On the other hand, the rain that started yesterday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is still continuing intermittently, along with black clouds in several areas.
The meteorological department said there is a possibility of rain with strong winds and thundershowers at most places icluding Chitral, Buner, Swat, Abbottabad, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.
Heavy rain and hailstorm have also been predicted in some places of the province, so far 3 mm of rain has been recorded in Peshawar, 11 in Buner, 10 in Timergara, 6 in kalaChitral and 1 mm in Kalam.
Rain also continues intermittently in various districts of Peshawar with chances of gusty winds and thunder in most places along with a possibility of hailstorm.
LAHORE: Pakistan has recently suffered their first series loss to Afghanistan cricket team in international cricket.
In one of the press conferences during the aforementioned series, Shadab said that “now everyone would have understood the importance of Babar and Rizwan”.
This statement of Shadab didn’t go well with the board, and now there are talks of removing him from the post of vice-captain in limited-overs format.
When contacted in this regard, an official from the board said that the performance of the Pakistan team under the leadership of Shadab was not satisfactory, and some of his decisions were also not timely and correct.Although no final decision has been taken to remove him from the vice-captaincy post, but even if it is done, the reason will be on cricketing grounds.
However, Shadab also did not get the players he wanted as a captain. The selectors did not take his opinion into account while choosing the squad. He was also informed very late about the captaincy transition. Shadab stands the ground that it is not right to blame the defeat solely on him.
According to sources, Shan Masood is not included in the vice-captaincy race. Previously, when he was made vice-captain in the home series against New Zealand, there was a storm; Babar and then chief selector Shahid Afridi did not even play him in the initial matches. Now Shan himself wants to stay away from the captaincy and concentrate on his game.
Imad Wasim is supported by a senior figure in the board, but Babar does not like him. There were differences in the PSL between them. Imad performed well in the series against Afghanistan. The performance of Karachi Kings in the PSL under his leadership was, however, not satisfactory as his team finished fifth among six teams.
Sources further said that Shaheen Shah Afridi is a strong candidate to become the vice-captain. He has made Lahore Qalandars the champion of PSL for two years in a row. The interesting thing is that, at this time, half of the team is swinging the captaincy cycle. The board is being held responsible for forcing Babar Azam to rest and appointing Shan as his deputy without even asking. Babar is not happy with the current situation but is keeping his mouth shut to avoid conflict.
When contacted in this regard, former Test wicketkeeper Rashid Latif said that there is a lot of confusion regarding the captaincy at the moment. PCB should resolve this issue soon. While announcing the squad for New Zealand series, the captain should also be appointed until the World Cup. To a question, he said that the vice-captain has no importance; even if Mickey Arthur is appointed as the VC, it wouldn’t matter.
ISLAMABAD: Good news for the students of schools and colleges in the federal capital as they would be enjoying additional holidays this Eid under the revised schedule for the spring break.
The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has rescheduled the spring break for all public sector schools and colleges it regulates in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
An official notification issued in this regard stated that all the schools and colleges in Islamabad will remain closed from April 17 to 20 on account of the spring holidays.
It is important to note that Eid is expected on either April 22 or 23 meaning extra holidays for the students as the authorities might consider clubbing spring break with Eid holidays.
The decision was appreciated by the students and teachers alike as they said the spring break will be just before the Eid holidays to their benefit.
President of the Federal Government College Teachers Association Dr Rahima Rehman said that the students and teachers needed some time to relax after a demanding academic session.
“The new spring vacation schedule will provide teachers with a chance to connect with their near and dear ones on Eid in their native towns and maintain a healthy balance between work and home,” the official said.
She also said at the end of an academic session, a break provided teachers with time to reflect on their teaching practices and plan for the upcoming academic session so that they could review student progress, evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies and make adjustments to lesson plans and curriculum.
