Pakistan urges international action against Israel storming of al-Aqsa mosque

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan expressed strong condemnation on Saturday over the storming of al-Aqsa mosque by a member of the government of Israel and members of the Knesset, its parliament, who were accompanied by occupation forces.

The Foreign Office issued a press statement urging the international community to take immediate action to halt the increasing Israeli transgressions in the occupied territories. The violation of the sanctity of al-Aqsa mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, is viewed as yet another reprehensible event in a series of escalatory Israeli actions that display a lack of respect for the religious sentiments of over 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.

The Foreign Office emphasised that such acts are in direct contradiction to the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, religion, and belief for the Palestinian people. These actions not only defy humanitarian and human rights laws and norms but also perpetuate further tensions in the region.

Pakistan reiterated its unwavering

Prioritizing salaries: KP’s four-month budget to exclude new projects

PESHAWAR aziz BuneRi

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued a directives to all administrative departments, urging them to refrain from including new development projects in the upcoming budget and instead prioritize payment of salaries to project employees. The caretaker KP government has planning an estimated budget of Rs30 billion, which will be presented for a four-month period leading up to the general elections. In correspondence sent to all departments, the planning and development (P&D) department highlighted that the forthcoming developmental budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 will not incorporate any new projects. Moreover, a significant portion of funds will be allocated to projects that are in the final stages of completion. The P&D has further emphasized that priority will be given to projects falling under relief agencies and public sector development programs, ensuring a smooth allocation of funds. Additionally, an evaluation of approved developmental programs from various departments is scheduled to take place during a meeting on Monday.

Family: Christian boys accused of blasphemy after argument with policeman

LAHORE MonitoRing RepoRt

Two Christian boys, one of them a minor, have been arrested and charged with blasphemy after a minor altercation with a police constable in Lahore earlier this week, reports citing sources said. According to Babar Sandhu Masih, his 18-year-old son Adil Babar and their 14-year-old neighbour Simon Masih were arrested by the Race Course police on the complaint of police constable Zahid Sohail, who accused them of disrespecting the prophet. “Adil and Simon were standing in the street talking to each other when Sohail picked up a fight with them, alleging that they had committed blasphemy,” said Masih, who works at an auto workshop as a car painter. “When elders of the neighbourhood asked Sohail to substantiate his accusation with the evidence, he failed to satisfy them and left,” Masih said. He added that the Race Course police raided the locality later that evening and arrested Adil and Simon. “The boys were booked under Section 295-C of the blasphemy law,” he said. Section 295-C of Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes prohibits disrespect of the prophet and is punishable by death. Masih said that Adil had left school some years ago and was training with him to become a car painter. “A judge sent the two boys to prison on judicial remand on Friday. The allegation against Adil and Simon is completely baseless and we hope the court will provide justice to us. “Adil’s mother is a heart patient and doesn’t yet know what has happened to him. I don’t know how she will react when she comes to know that our youngest son is in prison on such a serious charge,” he said.

FALSE ACCUSATIONS said that the abduction FIR of Senior journalist Imran Riaz Khan was registered at the Civil Line police station. He said that abduction sections are included against “unknown persons” and a committee comprised of IT specialists and police officers has been constituted for the release of Imran Riaz Khan. support for the Palestinian cause and renewed its call for the establishment of a viable, independent, and contiguous Palestinian State based on the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. This comprehensive and just solution remains the only way to resolve the long-standing Palestinian issue, the statement said.

Several people have been lynched or killed unlawfully over false accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan. Last week, a court released on bail a Christian woman charged with blasphemy after she and a Muslim coworker were accused of intentionally burning papers containing Quranic verses.

It is pertinent to mention here that the police have launched a crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers following the ‘violent protests’ held after the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan by Islamabad High Court in the AlQadir Trust Case.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers are agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

The statement came after hundreds of Jewish pilgrims, including members of the Israeli parliament, embarked on tours of the mosque compound situated in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Known as the Noble Sanctuary among Muslims, this revered site holds the status of being the third holiest in Islam, while also bearing significance for Jews as the Temple Mount — a remnant of their faith’s ancient temples.

Although the visits proceeded without any major incidents, Palestinians expressed their discontent over the increasing number of Jewish visitors to the compound, especially those who openly violate the ban on non-Muslim prayers in the area.

The presence of Jewish pilgrims has stirred strong emotions among Palestinians, fueling concerns over the potential for further tensions.

CJP Bandial constitutes seven regular benches for next week

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Saturday has constituted seven regular benches at the principal seat Islamabad to hear a number of important cases during the next week, starting from Monday.

Comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, a three-member bench on Tuesday (May 23) will hear review petition filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan seeking review of April 04 verdict regarding holding of Punjab Assembly elections on May 14.

The first bench is comprised of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Athar Minallah while the second bench is comprised of Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice AminUd-Din Khan and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.

The third bench is comprised of Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Shahid Waheed. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi will form the fourth bench while fifth bench will consist of Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail. On Friday (May 26), the fifth bench will consist of Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.

The sixth bench will comprise of Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi while the seventh bench will comprise of Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah and the said bench will hear cases after 11:30 am.

The benches will hear many important cases including service and pension matters of government employees, educational institutions matters, labour cases, appeals against death sentences and life imprisonment, appeals against acquittal of accused in murder and corruption cases, bails/cancellation of bails appeals in NAB cases, election petitions of different politicians, NAB appeal seeking cancellation of Bail of Noor Muhammad Lehri as he being

Superintending Engineering-I, Quetta has accumulated asests beyond his known source of income, NAB appeal against acquittal of Naveed Akhtar and others as the respondents cheated some people in order to receive a huge amount under the grab of fake Travel Agency, on the commitment that accused would send them for performance of Hajj/Umrah, NAB appeal seeking cancellation of bail of Mazhar Hussain Asif as the respondent has allegations of accumulation of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, NAB appeal seeking freezing of accounts of Nadeem Hameed Sheikh as the accused used their respective offices to cheat and defraud public by raising funds from the general public through their companies which is the domain of M/s NLRL, NAB appeal seeking cancellation of bail of Noor Ahmed as respondent being Qanoongo was involved in commission of corruption and corrupt practices by means of tempering in the land revenue record through fake entries and illegal allotments, NAB appeal seeking cancellation of bail of Sahibzada Muhammad Sadiq as father of the accused has the possessor rights as Bazger for cultivation of some Govt Land situated at Mouza Nawaz Ghundi, Tehsil Kuchlak Distt. Quetta and the accused executed an illegal agreement regarding sale of Govt Land with co-accused developer/partner, for establishment of JTM and Mega City Housing schemes Kuchlak, despite the fact that no land is/was entered in his name in the revenue record, NAB appeal seeking cancellation of bail of Zahoor Ahmad as respondent was working as Junior Cleark in Sports Board, Punjab and involved in misappropriation of funds of Youth Festival Punjab, in the year 2019.

According to cause lists, no adjournment on any ground will be granted and no application for adjournment through fax will be placed before the court. Furthermore, if the counsel is unable to appear for any reason, the advocate-on-record will be required to argue the case.

LHC suspends preventive detention of 123 PTI activists

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Lahore High Court (LHC) made a significant decision on Saturday by suspending the detention orders of 123 Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) workers from Faisalabad under the notorious Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. The verdict came in response to a plea filed by former minister Farrukh Habib, seeking the recovery and release of the detained PTI workers. Justice Anwar ul-Haq Pannu presided over the hearing and ordered the immediate release of the PTI workers while suspending their detention orders. In a related development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) also suspended the detention orders of around 150 PTI leaders and workers in the province under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The bench, consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah, declared that the petitioners, if not required in any other cases, should be freed from different prisons. The court further stipulated that each petitioner should provide two surety bonds of Rs200,000 for their release. The arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad HighCourt (IHC) on May 9 sparked violent clashes throughout Pakistan. Protests erupted in various cities, with party workers expressing their anger over their chairman’s arrest. Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad witnessed demonstrations, leading to calls for the armed forces to maintain law and order. During a protest by PTI workers, army installations and the Corps Commander’s house in Lahore came under attack.

FIR of suicide attack on JI chief registered at CTD police station

ZHOB Staff RepoRt

The first information report (FIR) of the suicide attack on convey of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq was registered on Saturday at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Zhob district. A day earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq survived unhurt a suicide attack on his convey on the way for a public gathering in Zhob. Six persons had injured in the attack while vehicle of the JI chief was damaged slightly. According to preliminary police investigation, two kilograms of explosives was used in the suicide attack, but luckily the ball bearings remained intact due to which the damage remained minimal. The police said a hand grenade was recovered from the scene and the body of the deceased attacker was shifted to DHQ hospital for medico-legal formalities. Following the attack, the All Parties’ Action Committee has announced a complete shutdown strike for Sunday.