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Justice Naqvi challenges ACHAKZAI WARNS AFGHANISTAN OF SJC misconduct in CONSEQUENCES OF INACTION AGAINST TTP proceedings apex court
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Tuesday, 21 November, 2023 I 6 Jamada Al-Awal, 1445
CLAIMS TTP HAS BEEN PROVIDED ARMS AND LOW-LEVEL AFGHAN COMMANDERS ARE WITH THEM
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QUETTA
SAYS IF THE SITUATION DOES NOT IMPROVE, ‘WE WILL GO INTO TERRORIST HIDEOUTS AND TEACH THEM A LESSON’
STAFF REPORT
ALOCHISTAN caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai said that if there was no let up in militant activity from Afghanistan, Pakistan would “go into terrorist hideouts and teach them a lesson”. Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Achakzai said that Pakistan had been hosting Afghan refugees for the last 40 years. “But in return, instead of discouraging terrorism and terror, it is concerning that they are being given militant hideouts and advanced weaponry.” The minister said that Pakistan had placed its demands in front of the Afghan Taliban and had repeatedly made it clear that it was against all kinds of militancy. “For us, the crime of terrorists and their facilitators is equal,” he said. “We know how to give a befitting response to terrorism. If, despite repeated advice, this
situation does not stop, we will go into terrorist hideouts and teach them a lesson.” He further said: “It is a fact of life that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been provided arms [and] low-level Afghan commanders are with them.”
Nawaz Sharif allowed to record statement in Toshakhana case ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday allowed former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif to record his statement in the Toshakhana case. Ex-PM Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani are named in the reference for allegedly obtaining luxury vehicles from the treasury by paying 15 per cent of the actual price. In 2020, former prime was declared ‘proclaimed offender’ in the Toshakhana reference by an accountability court, and his permanent arrest warrant was also issued for his continued non-appearance. Currently, Sharif is on bail in the Toshakhana case. AC Judge Muhammad Bashir took Toshakhana reference against former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and others. Pleaders of the political bigwigs of the country appeared before the court in today’s hearing. Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Qazi Misbah pleaded with the court to allow his client to record his statement in the Toshakhana case. To this, the NAB prosecutor said they need time to review the plea. “What is the problem in it to record Nawaz Sharif’s statement,” the judge asked. Later, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo was allowed to record his statement in the case and the hearing was adjourned until November 30.
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He said that six terrorists were killed in Zhob on Oct 31, adding that they were Afghans. He claimed that the US Congress had also stated that the Afghan Taliban had handed over arms to the TTP. “As far as engagement [with Kabul]
is concerned, we have engagement at the Foreign Office level,” he said, adding that Pakistan was also engaging with Afghan authorities with regards to the government’s repatriation plan for illegal immigrants. “But playing a double game with Pakistan in this regard is unfortunate,” he said. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year. Earlier this month, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq had pinned the recent surge in terrorist attacks on the Taliban government in Afghanistan while also calling it a reaction to the government’s deportation drive. Addressing a press conference at the Prime Minister’s House, the caretaker premier said there was a 60 per cent increase in terrorism and a 500 per cent spike in suicide bombings since the Afghan Taliban came to power in August 2021.
Pakistan ready to extend all sorts of int’l cooperation to ensure global security: Sarfraz Bugti g
SAYS DECADES-LONG SINO-PAKISTAN FRIENDSHIP A MODEL FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti has said that Pakistan was ready to extend all sorts of international cooperation for boosting global security. This was stated by him while speaking to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, who called on him in Islamabad on Monday. The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest including bilateral relations during the meeting and it was agreed to further enhance cooperation in the field of security. Sarfraz Bugti said the decades-long friendship between Pakistan and China was an example for the entire world. He said the recent visit of Prime Minister
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CHINESE AMBASSADOR LAUDS PAKISTAN’S ROLE IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar to China will further strengthen cooperation in various fields including security. He expressed the confidence that next target was to implement the agreements made during the Prime Minister’s visit. He also commended the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s global security initiative. Sarfraz Bugti said that all possible measures have been taken to ensure the security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan. He said terrorism was a challenge; we have defeated it in the past, and will eradicate it completely in future as well. On the occasion, the Chinese Ambassador lauded Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism. He also thanked the Interior Minister for providing all possible security to the Chinese citizens.
PM designates Minister to take care of non-assigned ministry portfolios ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Prime Minister has designated the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to look after parliamentary business pertaining to Senate, in respect of ministries, divisions and offices whose portfolio rest with the prime minister, the PM Office said Monday. The parliamentary affairs minister has been designated as the Minister-Incharge. An office order of the Prime Minister’s Office
with subject ‘Conduct of parliamentary business in the Senate’ also mentioned the list of ministries and divisions which have not been assigned ministers and thus their portfolios rest with the prime minister. These offices include the President’s Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet Secretariat, National Security Division, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Housing & Works Division, Inter Provincial Coordination Division, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Division, and the States and Frontier Regions Division.
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Supreme Court (SC) Judge Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi on Monday challenged the Supreme Judicial Council’s (SJC) proceeding of misconduct against him, terming the allegations ‘false and baseless.’ Justice Naqvi has pleaded that the case against him may be withdrawn as the complaints are “without lawful authority and of no legal effect”. Following the emergence of audio leaks earlier this year, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on March 10 filed a complaint of misconduct against Justice Naqvi. The audio leaks allegedly featured a conversation regarding the fixation of the case before a particular bench or judge with former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi. Challenging the SJC under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, Justice Naqvi contended that a malicious campaign had been launched against him since February 16, and that a media trial had been conducted against him. The petition argued that the release of a press release without the justice’s consent not only violated his fundamental rights, it also exposed him to a media trial, further maligning him before the populace. Justice Naqvi in his petition maintained that this “malicious campaign and the complaints are a direct and blatant attack on the independence of the judiciary.” Referring to the case Justice Qazi Isa v. President of Pakistan to light in which the SC claimed that every citizen irrespective of status and position is entitled to due process of law under Articles 4 and 9 to 28, the apex court judge protested that the record of the manner in which the proceedings have been initiated by issuing a show casue notice on October 28 by SJC “is repugnant to and inconsistent with the Fundamental Rights guaranteed to him by the Constitution”. On October 28, in his preliminary reply to a showcause notice, Justice Naqvi requesting a recusal, raised objections over the participation of the three members of the body three SJC members, Justice Isa, Justice Masood, and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, but did not mention anything regarding the misconduct complaints against him. The petition submitted on Monday, while affirming that the show cause notice is in direct conflict with the judgements of the apex court, maintained that the issuance of the hearing notice on November 11 without determining the legal and constitutional objections violated Article 209 and SJC’s Procedure of Enquiry. The SJC is a constitutional body- comprising of the chief justice, two senior-most Supreme Court judges and two senior-most high court chief justices- that investigates complaints of misconduct against the Supreme and High Court judges. The SJC will meet today to review the complaints filed against two Supreme Court judges, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood.