Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Kabul must understand that lasting peace could only be achieved by reining in terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil. “Afghanistan must understand that lasting peace can only be realised by reining in Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory,” Shehbaz said while addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference in Islamabad. In his remarks, the premier said that the theme of the conference, “Peace, Security and Development”, could not be more timely and relevant. He added that the theme was particularly resonant for Pakistan, saying that the country had always advocated for peace through dialogue and diplomacy. “We firmly believe that peace and security form the foundation of sustainable national and regional development,” he said. “The true value of peace is most profoundly understood when we are confronted with the conflicts that continue to plague our world,” he said. The premier especially called att...

Supreme Court (SC) Justice Athar Minallah has written an emphatic letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, calling for the convening of a conference to consider threats to the judiciary while also lamenting the use of the apex court as an instrument to suppress the people’s will by “unelected elite”, it emerged on Tuesday. The development comes as the government is making moves for the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The bill, which has been passed by the Senate, seeks crucial changes to a number of articles, mostly dealing with the judiciary and the military leadership. In the seven-page letter, which Dawn has seen, Justice Minallah said that the missive was being recorded as a “solemn duty to the Constitution and to place on record for future generations how their destiny was being shaped behind the marble walls of the last resort of justice”. He said that it was being written in the wake of recent events, which had greatly eroded public confidence in the judiciary. “Institution...

The Closing Ceremony of the 45th Pakistan Army Rifle Association (PARA) Central Meet was held at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU), Jhelum, with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), attending as the Chief Guest.

RAWALPINDI: After beating a depleted South African side 2-1 in the recently-concluded One-day Inter­nat­ional series, Pakistan will take on a stronger Sri Lankan outfit in another three-match rubber here at the Rawal­pindi Cricket Stadium from Tuesday. The series win against South Africa marked a successful beginning to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fresh stint as the new Pakistan captain, having replaced Mohammad Rizwan last month in an abrupt manner. The Sri Lanka challenge will be different for the pacer, given that he won his maiden ODI series as skipper with first-choice players at his disposal against a South African team missing the likes of senior pros Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markam, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj. The Islanders, led by Charith Asalanka, in contrast, arrive in Rawalpindi with a full-strength team and a top form in the format — having won the last six of their seven ODI series, including those against the strong India and Australia to rise to fourth in the International Cricket Council ODI ranki...

Islamabad has warned that the acquisition of abandoned weapons by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan not only threatens peace and security in Pakistan but also in the region. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks while addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on small arms late on Monday, according to a press release by the mission. In his remarks, Ambassador Iftikhar said, “Pakistan is seriously concerned about the presence of stockpiles of sophisticated arms and ammunition in Afghanistan, as noted in the findings of the secretary general’s reports.” The report states that transnational criminal dynamics were observed in Afghanistan, where possible arms and ammunition transfer to neighbouring states in breach of the arms embargo and unofficial markets for weapons have emerged, further escalating the threat to regional security. The envoy said Pakistan had “credible information of attempts to smuggle these arms to neig...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has imposed a ban on transfers and postings in the provincial Education Department.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui passed away in Islamabad after a brief illness.

• CJCSC urged troop mobilisation • COAS cautioned against hasty escalation ISLAMABAD: The Natio­nal Secur­ity Committee (NSC) did not overrule the then army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa’s response plan during the 2019 Balakot crisis, according to at least two participants of that meeting who spoke on Monday. “The then army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s response strategy was agreed upon and executed by the Pakistan Air Force,” said a federal minister who attended the meeting, adding that the then chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, Gen Zubair Hayat, had proposed a more radical option that was not accepted. An armed forces official who also participated in the meeting gave a similar account, saying that then prime minister Imran Khan was “displeased” with Gen Hayat’s suggestion, which he thought “did not make any sense.” The statements counter a recent claim by former defence secretary Lt Gen (Retd) Asif Yasin Malik, who said that during the 2019 NSC meeting held after the Balakot strikes, Gen Bajwa had a...

ISLAMABAD: Judges of the Federal Shariat Court (FSC), including Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman, have expressed serious reservations over their sudden relocation to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises from the FSC building, where the government has finalised arrangements to establish the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). Official sources said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has expedited renovation work on the third floor of the IHC building to accommodate the FSC. The IHC administration has been informed by a CDA contractor that three courtrooms will be ready within the next few days, while the construction of a fourth courtroom may take slightly longer. At present, only three judges are serving in the FSC against the sanctioned strength of eight. Sources said the judges are “not comfortable” with the ongoing shifting process and have conveyed their concerns at the highest level. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, accompanied by the Islamabad deputy commissioner, had visited the FSC building l...

PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui passed away on Monday in Islamabad after a brief illness, his son confirmed. His family earlier today said that he had not been placed on a ventilator but was admitted to an intensive care unit due to breathing difficulties. In a statement, the senator’s family said that Siddiqui had been receiving treatment at a local hospital in Islamabad for the past few days due to respiratory distress. President Asif Ali Zardari extended his condolences to the senator’s family on their loss, according to a statement from the President’s House. Paying tribute to Senator Siddiqui, President Zardari said the departed had made “immense contributions” to democracy in Pakistan. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also extended his condolences and praised Siddiqui as a “champion of high traditions in both journalism and politics”. Earlier today, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry claimed that the PML-N leader had been put on a ventilator after his health had worsened. “Senior politician ...

An explosion was reported near the Red Fort in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday, in which at least eight people were killed and at least 20 people were injured, local television channels reported. The exact cause of the blast was being investigated, city police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi said. However, India’s financial capital of Mumbai, as well as its most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, went on high security alert after the blast, local media reported. “Eight people have been killed in the explosion,” Tyagi said. View this post on Instagram A previous owner of the car, named only as Salman, was arrested after the blast, NDTV reported, without going into more details. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the blast took place minutes before 7pm (6:30pm PKT). “A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” he told reporters. ...

At least two terrorists were killed during an attack on Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan on Monday as security forces conducted a clearance operation at the educational facility, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The military’s media wing said the initial attempt by the terrorists to breach the perimeter security was foiled by the “vigilant and resolute response by own troops”. However, the attackers then rammed an explosives-laden vehicle against the main gate of the college, causing it to collapse and damaging an adjacent structure. The terrorists then entered the educational facility and were “cornered in the college’s administrative block”. “Displaying unwavering courage and professional excellence, own troops engaged the intruders with precision, eliminating two khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khwarij,” said the ISPR. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned TTP. The ISPR added that the terrorists, inside the college, are in contac...

The contentious bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment sailed through the Senate on Monday after 64 lawmakers voted in its favour, with members of the opposition staging a noisy walkout. The government and its coalition partners secured a two-thirds majority in the vote following the defection of two opposition members, leading to a total of 64 votes for the bill. The bill, which had stirred controversy in the country for weeks, was presented in the Senate by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, while Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani presided over the proceedings. Initially, a clause-by-clause voting was carried out. Later, voting by division was conducted, with the entry and exit gates of the Senate closed as per the protocol. View this post on Instagram Before the passage of the bill, opposition benches erupted in protest, chanting slogans against the government and its coalition partners. Lawmakers tore up copies of the bill and hurled them toward Tarar’s table as he began to present it. Most opposit...

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the Punjab Wildlife Department to submit a report on the demolition of a pet market in the walled city within 30 days and decide on a framework to prevent such incidents from occurring again, according to the lawyer who filed the petition with the court. A demolition operation was carried out at a bird market in Lahore’s Bhati Chowk area, near Data Darbar last Friday by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), with shopkeepers accusing the Punjab government of killing dozens of birds and other caged pets; allegations the government has denied. This incident led to public outrage as the animals were not moved during the demolition. Animal rights lawyer Altamush Saeed filed a petition with the LHC on Saturday, naming the Punjab government, the Punjab Wildlife and Fisheries Department and the LDA, as respondents. A press release stated that the court ordered the Wildlife Department to submit a “comprehensive report” on the matter. It added that LHC Judge Shehram Sarwa...

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday rubbished the notion that the status of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan had any bearing on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s withdrawal of proposed immunity for the top office as part of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Government senators Anusha Rahman and Khalil Tahir Sandhu had tabled a proposal for the 27th Amendment bill to extend the immunity currently enjoyed by the president under Article 248 of the Constitution to include the prime minister. The clause sought to extend presidential immunity to the prime minister, effectively barring criminal proceedings against the premier during the term in office. Article 248 of the Constitution stipulates that “no criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the president or a governor in any court during his term of office”. However, PM Shehbaz had ordered the clause’s withdrawal on Sunday, saying that the premier must remain “fully accountable”. Separat...

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq welcomed the Qatari parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim, who is visiting Pakistan to participate in the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference in Islamabad.

The government is set to table the bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment in tomorrow’s National Assembly session after it sailed through the Senate kn Monday. A notification from the NA Secretariat for the orders of the day for Tuesday’s session said Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar would table the bill. Today’s NA session was adjourned after being marred by ruckus from the treasury and opposition benches during speeches from each side. PPP MNA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was disrupted by shouting from the opposition benches as he began to speak in the NA. Speaking on the immunity for the president, he said this was standard practice in many countries for the head of state. Ashraf assailed the opposition, asking who was it to criticise the treasury benches when its ranks were filled with those who had violated the Constitution. As he continued to speak, PTI lawmakers chanted slogans of “Go Zardari go” and “Long live Imran Khan” while terming the former prime minister as “Raja rental”. The former premier said the o...

As the government made moves toward the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, present and former judges and top lawyers on Monday urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi to summon a full court meeting to discuss the proposed legislation. The request came in a letter, dated November 9 and a copy of which is available with Dawn, that was penned by senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi. It was also signed and endorsed by former SC senior puisne judge retired Justice Mushir Alam, former Sindh High Court (SHC) judge retired Justice Nadeem Akhtar and nine other top lawyers. The letter said that the missive was being written “not in normal times but in times that presented the greatest threat to the Supreme Court of Pakistan since its establishment in 1956”. It termed the 27th Amendment Act as the “biggest and the most radical restructuring of the Federal Appellate Court structure since the enactment of the Government of India Act, 1935”. “We say this without any fear of contradiction that no civilian or ...

Unidentified armed men opened fire on the house of cricketer Naseem Shah in the Mayar area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Dir in the early hours of Monday, police and residents said. According to police, the incident took place around 1:45am when the attackers fired several shots at the main gate of the house, leaving bullet holes in it. The assailants fled the scene soon after the firing. The Mayar police registered a case and launched an investigation. Officials said CCTV footage from nearby houses was being examined, and security had been enhanced around the cricketer’s residence. The Lower Dir police said that according to the initial investigation, the incident was not one of terrorism but possibly the result of a land dispute or regional enmity. Shah’s father also met Lower Dir District Police Officer Taimur Khan, who assured the former of early arrests. Local residents said Shah’s family belonged to a respectable background and had no known enmity or dispute with anyone. Additional reporting by Arif Hay...

PM targets 2m merchants by June as currency in circulation rises to 34%