DUBAI: Pakistani pacer Naseem Abbas Shah decided to put his six-hitting bat up for auction that he used against Afghanistan in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.
Naseem Shah took the Green Shirts to the final of the Asia Cup with his performance with the bat as he smashed two sixes in the last over at the Dubai International Stadium.
After helping Pakistan win, Naseem has now decided to put the bat, with which he played and hit those two massive sixes, on auction and will use the money generated to help the flood affectees of Pakistan.
The PCB shared a video where Hasnain gifts the bat to Naseem, who announced that he will put the bat on auction and donate the money to the unfortunate flood affectees of Pakistan.
The young star borrowed fellow pacer Mohammad Hasnain’s bat during the match against Afghanistan.
Naseem’s two sixes assisted Pakistan to victory while confirming the departure of India and Afghanistan from the Asian event.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday during the hearing of the missing persons case.
The premier assured the august court to resolve the issue of missing persons with sincerity.
Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Athar Minallah was hearing the case relating to missing persons.
The Prime Minister said a committee on missing persons has already held six meetings, assuring that he will oversee its proceedings. He said he feels the pain of the families of missing persons.
“The court has troubled you as the case is about a major issue,” IHC CJ Athar Minallah said at the outset of the hearing, as PM Shehbaz Sharif walked to the rostrum.
The IHC chief justice remarked that the state is not responding as per its responsibility.
“A chief executive ruled this country for nine years. He proudly wrote in his book that he sold his people abroad,” IHC CJ Minallah said. It seems like it was probably the “state s policy”, he said.
“The court considered it appropriate to tell you [premier] what the issue actually is. The commission was formed to address the issue of missing persons but the proceedings were hurtful,” the IHC chief justice said.
He said that the state is responsible for redressing the sufferings of missing persons’ [families].
“Detention centres are there from where people have been recovered but no action was taken,” he said.
WASHINGTON: The United States State Department has approved the potential sale of F-16 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan in a deal valued at up to $450 million, the Pentagon revealed.
The principal contractor of the sale will be Lockheed Martin Corp(LMT.N), the Pentagon said.
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Pakistan of F-16 Case for Sustainment and related equipment for an estimated cost of $450 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
The Government of Pakistan has requested to consolidate prior F-16 sustainment and support cases to support the Pakistan Air Force F-16 fleet by reducing duplicate case activities and adding additional continued support elements. Included are U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics services for follow-on support of Pakistan’s F-16 fleet to include:
— Participation in F-16 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program
— Electronic Combat International Security Assistance Program
— International Engine Management Program
— Engine Component Improvement Program, and other technical coordination groups
— Aircraft and engine hardware and software modifications and support
— Aircraft and engine spare repair/return parts
— Accessories and support equipment
— Classified and unclassified software and software support
— Publications, manuals, and technical documentation
— Precision measurement, calibration, lab equipment, and technical support services
— Studies and surveys
— Other related elements of aircraft maintenance and program support.
The proposed sale does not include any new capabilities, weapons, or munitions.
The estimated total cost is $450 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with U.S. and partner forces in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.
The proposed sale will continue the sustainment of Pakistan’s F-16 fleet, which greatly improves Pakistan’s ability to support counter-terrorism operations through its robust air-to-ground capability. Pakistan will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Corporation, Fort Worth, TX. There are no known offsets proposed in conjunction with this sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Pakistan.
There will be no adverse impact on US defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value is for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.
ISLAMABAD: A newly married couple was allegedly shot dead by unidentified armed men in Dhok Kashmirian area in the jurisdiction of Sangjani Police Station, Islamabad, late on Tuesday night.
Police said the couple is suspected to have been “killed for honor”.
They said that murder victims Nisar and his wife belonged to Kohistan, and had recently married out of free will.
They said that the bodies of the deceased were handed over to the heirs after autopsy. The investigations into the matter are underway.
ISLAMABAD: The advocate general of Islamabad has said he wanted to seek permission to “display different statements of the respondents on different occasion against the judiciary and other institution.
“In these circumstances, it is humbly prayed that [the court] allow to display the aforementioned material in this honourable court via USB or other digital gadgets, and consider this material as part of the case,” he said in his application.
The advocate general Jahangeer Jadoon has filed the application on the state’s behalf.
A three-member IHC bench, headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and also comprising Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will today initiate contempt proceedings against Imran over his remarks about additional district and sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry.
The IHC had constituted the bench on Monday, after the decision to start contempt proceedings against the PTI chief was taken by Acting IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq during the hearing of a petition challenging incarcerated PTI member Shahbaz Gill’s police remand in a sedition case.
Imran, who has alleged that Gill has been subjected to “sexual abuse” and “physical and mental torture” in custody, had lambasted police over the accusation and judge Chaudhry for allowing Gill’s remand at a rally in Islamabad on Saturday.
He had threatened to file cases against Islamabad’s inspector general of police and deputy inspector general of police and declared: “We won’t spare you.” He had then warned the judiciary against its “biased” attitude towards his party, saying that it should brace itself for the consequences.
The PTI chairperson had warned judge Chaudhry that she would also face dire consequences.
Subsequently, he was booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism).
He has been granted protective bail by the IHC in the case till Thursday.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has constituted a larger bench to hear a petition filed by the PTI challenging the ruling of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the prohibited funding case.
As per the details, a three-member bench of the IHC headed by acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar will take up the case tomorrow (Thursday), August 18.
A day earlier, IHC acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq ordered the prohibited funding case against PTI fixed before a larger bench.
Justice Farooq, who was hearing the case, said that a larger bench will be formed and the case will be heard on August 18 (Thursday).
The PTI was found by the ECP to have received prohibited funding which it did not disclose. A notice was issued to the party asking it to explain why the funds should not be confiscated.
PTI has challenged the ECP’s fact-finding report, with the party’s lawyer contending that “it was not necessary to disclose accounts for various reasons”.
“The money went from here (Centre) to provincial accounts, which was not necessary to disclose,” the counsel said.
In a unanimous ruling on August 2, a three-member bench of the election commission said it has found that the PTI received prohibited funding.
The case was earlier referred to as the “foreign funding” case, but later the election commission accepted the PTI’s plea to refer to it as the “prohibited funding” case.
As per the 68-page order, the commission stated that the Imran Khan-led PTI did indeed receive funding from foreign companies and individuals, which it hid.
The ECP verdict states that the PTI received funds from 34 individuals and 351 businesses, including companies.
Thirteen unknown accounts have also come to light, said the commission in the verdict, adding that hiding accounts is a “violation” of Article 17 of the Constitution.
Moreover, the ECP found that the PTI chairperson submitted a false Nomination Form I and that the affidavit provided regarding party accounts was false.
ISLAMABAD: Akbar Sher Babar filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday to be made a party to an appeal filed by the PTI against the Election Commission of Pakistan‘s (ECP) verdict in the prohibited funding case.
Babar, an estranged but founding member of the party, had filed the case on November 14, 2014, after he had developed differences with the PTI chief over internal corruption and abuse of laws governing political funding.
The petitioner had alleged that nearly $3 million in illegal foreign funds were collected through two offshore companies, registered under party chief Imran Khan’s signature, and that the money was sent through illegal ‘hundi’ channels from the Middle East to the accounts of PTI employees.
He had also alleged that the foreign accounts used to collect funds were concealed from the annual audit reports submitted to the electoral watchdog.
Earlier this month, the ECP had ruled that the PTI did indeed receive illegal funding while issuing a notice to the party asking why the funds should not be confiscated; which was later challenged in the IHC by the party.
A three-member larger bench of the IHC is set to hear the PTI’s appeal tomorrow [Thursday].
Speaking to the media outside the high court today, Akbar S Babar said that he believed he “should be made a party to the case where ECP’s verdict has been challenged” and claimed that “various attempts were made [by the PTI] to expel us”.
“Illegal fund-raising has been declared illegal,” he said, claiming that “it is the biggest funding scam in the history of Pakistan” and PTI “leaders are involved in the scam”.
Citing a report published by the Financial Times, Babar said that it “proved that the dollars came from [the] Abraaj [group]”. The Dubai-based group reportedly raised funds for the PTI under the pretense of unspecified “philanthropic causes”.
Babar also said that “this case will change the politics of Pakistan, the decisions that will come in the coming days will open the eyes of the nation.”
Earlier this month, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) formed a five-member special monitoring team, expanding the scope of inquiry into the prohibited funding case against the former ruling party to the entire country.
The PTI had also moved the court against the FIA for taking action following the ECP’s verdict in the prohibited funding case. However, the IHC had disposed of the petition.
ISLAMABAD: The sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry had taken up the case for rehearing this morning following the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over the government’s plea challenging the dismissal of Gill’s physical remand by the duty magistrate.
Lawyers Salman Safdar and Faisal Chaudhry representing Gill — who has been behind the bars since last Tuesday (August 9) — appeared in court.
At the outset of the hearing, Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi informed the court that the judicial magistrate remanded Gill into police custody for two days but the investigation officer requested for an extension in the remand.
He said that the duty magistrate should have considered all aspects of the matter but he rejected the request. “How did he [magistrate] take Gill’s statement for the final statement?” he asked.
Abbasi maintained that a remand of at least 10 days is granted in ordinary cases while this is a case of criminal conspiracy.
He contended that the accused PTI leader is telling lies again and again and, therefore, further interrogation and a polygraph test is required.
The special prosecutor further stated that Gill has already confessed that his driver has one of his mobile phones.
“The IO clearly wrote in the plea that it’s not just about the recovery [of the phone] but there are other aspects that need to be investigated,” he said.
After the completion of the arguments by special prosecutor, Gill’s lawyer Salman Safdar gave arguments. He maintained that the case against Gill is based on malafide intent and political revenge because he mentioned the names of nine PML-N leaders including Maryam Nawaz, Ayaz Sadiq and others.
He complained that some aspects of the basis of seeking remand have been kept secret while the case record hasn’t been provided to the defence.
He said that it needs to be ascertained why the police want Gill to be remanded. “The case has been based on the selection of words and speech […] and the police have the speech.”
He also raised objection over the admissibility of the case, saying that the complainant is a magistrate who filed the case on behalf of the bureaucracy and army but a treason case cannot be filed without the permission of the federal government.
Moreover, he said that the sections imposed in the case are of capital punishment and life imprisonment, asking “if these sections are applicable on such a speech.”
“Gill made some wrong statements but things could be wrong but they don’t come under treason or criminal conspiracy,” he said.
Gill’s lawyer also contended that Gill had been remanded for three days and the request wasn’t turned down immediately. He said that the IO failed to complete the investigation in three days while the forensic department had sent the reports within 24 hours.
Gill was arrested last Tuesday afternoon from Banigala Chowk in the capital a day after making controversial remarks on a private TV channel. He was subsequently booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.
A treason case was registered against him at the Kohsar Police Station under several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 124-A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot if rioting be committed; if not committed), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), among others.
ISLAMABAD: A robber was shot dead and another was arrested in injured condition in Islamabad during a police encounter on Monday.
According to police, the incident occurred within the remits of I-9 police station after Eagle Squad intercepted muggers looting a citizen.
“As soon as the police engaged them, the robbers opened fire on police, ensuing an encounter which resulted in the death of one of the suspect and injury to another,” they said.
The injured robber was later arrested and shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Mugging incidents have been reported in the country and police nationwide have taken measures to curb such incidents.
Recently, three robbers were killed in a police encounter in Orangi Town area of Karachi, while a policeman was injured.
Police spotted three robbers in Orangi town’s 11 1/2 area when they were looking for their next target. The robbers opened fire at the police when they saw them chasing them, and the police fired back, killing the three robbers.
The police told that all three of the robbers died on the spot, bodies were transferred to a nearby hospital.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the human and financial losses caused by recent flash floods in Qila Abdullah after another heavy monsoon rainy spell lashed Balochistan province.
Seeking an immediate report over the affected areas, the prime minister also directed the National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities to expedite the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas.
A directive was also issued for the submission of a complete report regarding breaches in two dams and the subsequent damages caused by flood water.
The prime minister is soon expected to visit the flood-affected areas of Qila Abdullah.
The prime minister also desired that people trapped in floods should be shifted immediately to the safer areas, besides ensuring arrangements for food and tents for the affectees.
