PML-N DeMaNDS RecUSaL of Sc jUDgeS To ‘cLeaR PaTH’ foR SHaRif’S HoMecoMiNg

PAKISTANMuslim LeagueNawaz’s (PML-N) legal team has planned to ask two judges of the Supreme Court to recuse themselves from hearing cases against the party leadership, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan.

In a series of tweets, Khan named the judges — Ijaz ul-Ahsan and Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi — and alleged they have a biased attitude towards PML-N. One of them had supervised cases against deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and the party expects no justice from him, said Khan.

He also referred to an audio leak apparently related to Naqvi, questioning his impartiality. The legal team of PML-N will request both judges to step down from benches hearing cases of the party’s leaders, the minister added.

The decision comes after Shehbaz Sharif consulted with the government’s legal team on Tuesday.

Quoting a party insider, Dawn reported the move will pay off if both judges step down from the cases against the party’s supreme leader, who is in London, opening the way for his return.

Sharif wants relief in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case before returning home, the insider said. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $25 million in the case in December 2018 after the court ruled he was unable to prove the source of income that had led to his ownership of the steel mill in Saudi

Dar, US ambassador discuss bilateral ties

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday met Ambassador of the United States (US) to Pakistan Donald Blome and discussed bilateral economic, investment and trade relations between the two countries. According to details, the finance minister and US Ambassador also discussed opportunities to further strengthen economic relations. During the meeting, Ishaq Dar apprised Donald Blome of Pakistan’s national and international financial responsibilities and also informed about the government’s policies in the difficult economic situation. Speaking on the occasion, US Ambassador expressed his satisfaction over the government’s policies for economic stability and economic development and said that there are strong relations between Pakistan and the United States. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the Board of the China Development Bank (CDB) has approved a loan facility of $700 million for Pakistan. “This amount is expected to be received this week by State Bank of Pakistan which will shore up its forex reserves” tweeted Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. Pakistan has been eyeing to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that would not only lead to a disbursement of $1.2 billion but also unlock inflows from friendly countries. It is pertinent to mention here that the National Assembly on Monday passed the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023 aimed at amending certain laws relating to taxes and duties. The bill proposed to impose new taxes of Rs 170 billion to minimize fiscal deficit. On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan moved closer to the revival of $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as the lender responded to the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) draft. The sources informed that IMF and finance ministry held virtual talks today, adding that the ninth review to the revival of $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) will be completed soon. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar on Wednesday claimed International Monetary Fund (IMF) was likely to announce staff level agreement on Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with Pakistan by this week. Talking to an international news outlet, the federal minister said that Pakistan has taken all the measures needed to unfreeze a $6.5 billion credit line and expects to clinch the deal ‘any day now’. After formal announcement by the fund, Pakistan would get a $1.2 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Naveed Qamar said that the IMF agreement would give investors and creditors confidence that “Pakistan’s economy was now stabilizing and has taken all the right steps, so in that sense their money would remain protected.

Arabia. Under the law, this is taken to prove corruption.

Recently, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has also stressed the need for Sharif’s return to lead the party.

The PML-N has been publicly criticising the apex court judges in rallies and press conferences. Recently, PML-N chief organizer Maryam Nawaz called for accountability in the judiciary and expressed the need for honest judges instead of those allegedly favouring Prime Minister Imran Khan.

She also urged the judges named in the purported audio leak to resign from their posts and accused Khan of “trying to get support from the judiciary” to come back to power after “failing to get support” from the establishment.