All set for KAshmir solidArity dAy being observed todAy

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

KASHMIrSolidarity Day will be observed tomorrow Sunday to express whole hearted support of Pakistani nation to the just struggle of Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to selfdetermination under the UN resolutions.

The day will also be marked to expose worst ever oppression being perpetrated by Indian occupation forces against Kashmiris in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. One minute silence will be observed at 10:00 am across the country.

Solidarity walks will be organized in Islamabad, Muzafarabad, Gilgit and in four provincial headquarters. In the federal capital, the walk will be led by cabinet members including Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif and Qamar Zaman Kaira.

It will be joined by the parliamentarians and people belonging to different walks of life. Human chains will be formed at Kohala and other important points linking Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.

Posters and billboards will be dis- across the country.

Minister of State for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Nawabzada played on important roads, airports, and railway stations to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people. In connection with the day, debate and declamation contests as well as essay writing competitions will be organized in educational institutions

Iftikhar Ahmed Khan Babar has stated that Kashmiris living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and elsewhere in the world would observe Kashmir Solidarity Day on Sunday.

ihC bench reconstituted in former top judge Chaudhry’s suit against imran

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

After objections were raised to an Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench formed to hear former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s appeal against the interim decision of a trial court in a defamation suit against former prime minister Imran Khan, Justice Babar Sattar has been removed from the bench on Saturday.

Chaudhry filed his appeal in the court challenging the decision in the rs20 billion suit against Khan. To hear his appeal, the court formed a bench which was consisted of Justice Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan. But Chaudhry raised an objection over the inclusion of Justice Sattar in the bench saying he has through his opinion articles criticised his “judicial activism”.

In his plea, the former judge requester the court it was appropriate if Justice Sattar would recuse himself from the case. Subsequently, the IHC formed a new bench comprising Justice Hassan and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir. The bench will hear the case on February 9. Khan had levelled vote-rigging allegations on Chaudhry during the 2013 general elections.

As the matter is sub judice in the high court, the sessions court has postponed its proceedings on the case.

Addressing a joint news conference with National Assembly member (MNA) Wajiha Qamar and leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), the minister said that the government of Pakistan and the provincial governments had arranged several ceremonies to express solidarity with the Kashmiris. He appealed to the Pakistanis to participate in the demonstrations to convey a strong message of solidarity to their Kashmiri brethren. He particularly asked the young people to raise their voice for rights of Kashmiri people on social media.

Threats and talks can’t go together: PTI leaders

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Murad Saeed and Senator Faisal Javed said on Saturday threats and offers for negotiations could not go together as the government was registering cases against its opponents on one side and sending invitation for talks on the other side.

While talking to media persons outside a court, the PTI bigwigs said embroiling the opponents in the politically-motivated cases would not fix the worsening economy and depreciate the US dollar against the rupee.

The remarks of PTI leaders come as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited PTI Chairman Imran Khan to attend the All Parties Conference (APC), scheduled to be held on Feb 7, to discuss the challenges being faced by the country.

Faisal Javed said: “We are ready for talks if the government announces a date for general elections in the country”. The PTI has been demanding early elections in the country since the

sh rashid sent to jail for two weeks over levelling allegations against Zardari

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister through a no-confidence motion in April last.

Sheikh rasheed Ahmad, the chairman of the Awami Muslim League (AML) party and ally of former prime minister Imran Khan, has been sentenced to 14 days of judicial remand by a district and sessions court in Islamabad. He is charged with accusing former president Asif Ali Zardari of plotting to assassinate Khan. The case was filed by rawalpindi president of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), raja Inayat ur-rehman, and includes charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups, and statements conducing to public mischief. During the hearing, the police sought a five-day extension of Ahmad’s physical remand, however, the politician requested the court to take him to a hospital to treat his injuries and provide him with rangers’ security.

He highlighted that inflation in the country had surged to a record level. He said the government was also planning to introduce a bill, adding that any curbs on journalism would not be accepted. Accusing the government of political victimisation of the PTI leaders, he said they were facing different cases on a daily basis. “I have been nominated in 13 cases,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Murad Saeed said over 100 people, including policemen, were martyred in the Peshawar mosque blast. “We had been alerting the government about security situation since June last,” he said, adding that actions should be take to save the country from the menace of terrorism.