Epaper_24-06-23 KHI

Public School in Peshawar Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in the past year especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022

According to an annual security report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies Pakistan witnessed 1 524 violencerelated fatalities and 1 463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023 marking a record six-year high

The PMO said the forum conducted a comprehensive review of the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign and assessed the

country s internal security situation

The forum reiterated that the fight against extremism and terrorism is Pakistan s war and is absolutely essential for the nation’s survival and well-being The forum resolved that no one will be allowed to challenge the writ of the state without any exception it added

The progress on NAP s multi-domain tenets was scrutinised, with particular emphasis on identifying shortcomings in its implementation for addressing them as top priority

The necessity for a comprehensive and reinvigorated counter-terrorism strategy founded on complete national consensus and system-wide synergy was underscored

The PMO said that in the politico-diplomatic domain, efforts would be intensified to curtail the operational space for terrorists through regional cooperation

The renewed and full-blown kinetic efforts of the armed forces would be augmented by full support from all law enforcement agencies, empowered by effec-

tive legislation to address legal voids that hindered the effective prosecution of terrorism-related cases and award of exemplary punishments to them, the press release said

It added that the campaign would be duly complemented by socioeconomic measures aimed at addressing the genuine concerns of the people and creating an environment that discouraged extremist tendencies

Furthermore, the information space would be leveraged to promote a unified national narrative in support of the campaign”

The forum also reviewed measures to ensure foolproof security for Chinese nationals in Pakistan

Following the prime minister s approval new standard operating procedures were issued to relevant departments, which would enhance mechanisms for providing comprehensive security to Chinese citizens in Pakistan

The committee meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Finance

sion chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Saturday The session saw the return of PPP members who ended their boycott increasing their presence in the assembly Among those present were Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Sharmila Farooqi, Syed Naveed Qamar, Ejaz Jakhrani, Abdul Qadir Patel, and Jamal Rehmani Mirza Ikhtiar Baig praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s initiative to provide cheaper electricity to the industry He questioned whether the government would bear the Rs240 billion subsidy or if the

CM GILGIT BALTISTAN SEEKS DISCRETIONARY FUND AND CAMP OFFICE IN ISL AMABAD

PSX INTRODUCES AMENDMENTS TO ENHANCE INVESTOR PROTECTION MEASURES

Punjab ponders amends to law to enable expats sell proper ty without complic ations

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to be a part of the conspiracy against the PTI regime “A gang of criminals was imposed after toppling the PTI government ” he added The PTI central information secretary urged the apex court to take the suo motu notice of Zubair s statement and form a commission of inquiry to probe the claims He said that the Constitution of Pakistan was violated, calling for penalising the individuals involved in the “conspiracy”

Gov t greenlights

Operation A zm-i-Istehkam to reinvigorate counter terrorism campaign

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 PM Shehbaz said the issue of terrorism had intensely surrounded Pakistan for the last 2 5 decades and was a very complicated matter involving crime, drugs, smuggling extremism and religious terrorism He said the rule of law and stability were important for growth and development in the country adding that establishing the state s writ was his and the committee members collective responsibility A soft state can never gain the trust of investors, PM Shehbaz said, adding that a strong and healthy economy could not be envisioned in an unstable state gripped by terrorism “The responsibility of the fight against terrorism is the collective duty and the primary obligation of all state institutions It s not about you and me it s about us we have to trample it together He said some provinces had made great progress regarding the issue [However], it is my belief that we have all too easily left this matter to our armed forces and the provinces and governments are completely absolved from

political asylum application of the Afghan musicians During the hearing Justice Anwar

Power politics

IT seems that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is determined to get the textile sector to boost exports, and also to maximize the effectiveness of the recent incentive given to it in the shape of a cheaper power tariff, by removing its various grievances, so that instead of having to pile on expenses by bribing the WAPDA set-up they can cut prices and increase their competitiveness In a meeting he chaired on Friday on loadshedding power theft, power tariffs and restructuring the transmission system, he zeroed in on two of the most effective tools distribution company officials have to extract bribes from consumers: overbilling for domestic and commercial consumers and manipulating the Maximum Demand Indication for industrial consumers Overbilling not just scares the overbilled consumer but he or she is then offered a lower reading than his use Mr Sharif was thus acknowledging an important reality, that theft is initiated by DISCO staff If overbilling is stopped, which DISCO officials use to shift theft they have connived at to innocent consumers, DISCOs will have to bill consumers correctly, or else let the units go unbilled and be ascribed to line losses The same applies to MDIs except on a much larger scale

However the DISCOs have been afforded some relief by the fixed charges which have been approved for all consumers It almost seems as if the DISCOs are targeting those domestic consumers who are have installed solar power, and are selling their production to WAPDA They are not paying the DISCOs much but now they will have to pay the fixed charges depending on their consumption Instead of solving the DISCOs’ financial problems this is merely an incentive to go off-grid By using the solar power directly, the consumer would vastly reduce the number of units taken from WAPDA, and correspondingly reduce the fixed charge Such a measure is also shortsighted an assumes that excess power will never be stored as battery technology advances Even without the fixed charge if storage becomes affordable consumers may go off-grid anyhow and the IPPs may whistle for their capacity charges

The government and the DISCOs are looking at the issue in the short-term The future does not include keeping gas-guzzling thermal generation plants online Technology has been moving at a breakneck pace for the last couple of centuries Neither the government nor the DISCOs should assume that this is going to change

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

the youth with their robust jobs The library provides equitable information access to all community members without caste, creed and educational background It also bridges the digital divide of society; those who

SECURITY issues are not a recent phenomenon for Pakistan They continuously reappear to panic the country While Pakistan’s greatest adversary remains India, the state is perhaps oblivious to the rising security issues on the Western front Among other cases a recent cross-border attack from Afghan soil resulted in four civilians and three military personnel injured which is a huge question on Pakistan s security These challenges remain a key concern for Pakistan– even after 20 years in the War on Terror, the terrorist elements continue to haunt the country today Unfortunately the geographical location of Pakistan has become a curse– on the Eastern side it is surrounded by India and on the West it shares a large border with Afghanistan which is an epicentre of terrorist groups For a country like Afghanistan, the formation of the Taliban government is not the end, there is still a struggle for power in the country – given that it is home to several non-state actors among which the most active are Tehreek Taliban Pakistan Al-Qaeda and Daish with the addition of Jabhat Ansar al-Mahdi Khorasan (JAMK) a newly emerged militant group

Fortifying borders is crucial for the state s security Weak border security only means vulnerability According to a report, Pakistan has witnessed about 245 terrorist acts in the first three months of 2024–specifically in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)

Pakistan does have an existential threat from India; however, the character of war has changed now– states are more into proxy means to achieve their goals, rather than going into a direct confrontation Terrorist organizations, private security groups, and intra-state wars mainly characterize contemporary conflicts such as in the case of Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq Therefore, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies must strengthen their grip on non-state actors and develop more sophisticated strategies to identify the perpetrators Otherwise, Pakistan might take decades to recover from the security puzzle The East is exer ting pressure

and Balochistan both adjoining Afghanistan on the Durand Line The nuclear power has consistently asked the Afghan government to take stringent measures in order to halt the flow of terrorists across the border, which is the root cause of violent activities in Pakistan Seemingly, very little development has been made in this regard by the Afghan government, and each year numerous terrorists smuggle themselves into Pakistan and carry out violence In a recent effort to infiltrate the Pak-Afghan border seven terrorists were killed by the Pakistan military in the North Waziristan district In response to this, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the Afghan government was supposed to deny misuse of Afghan soil by radical elements for any acts of terrorism against Pakistan’s territory The security forces of Pakistan are always vigilant against terrorist acts; however it takes two to tango – both neighbours have to play equal parts on their sides to counter this issue It sounds absurd

take an interest in printed books are using these books for study purposes and those who are interested in online access are also using them It helps the members to keep them in safe and quiet study spaces Every library has a specific corner for academic scholars Libraries provide professional development courses to its youngster community members and serve the children s programmes In the covid-19 era libraries worldwide offered health information programmes for their community members and invited eminent health specialists to inform the local community on using different preventive measures The library is a great hub of government information The performance of different ministries can be found in the libraries such as economic surveys educational budgets population statistics, and so on Modern libraries provide material in local languages and resources in multilingual formats like Chinese, Russian, Persian and so many others It preserves the local history archives as well as the history of other states for the decision-making process Many libraries organize environmental awareness programs like reducing smog, Eco-friendly workshops, water conservations, energy conservation programmes, greenhouse movements, and community gardens Modern libraries invite specialized groups of online programming like how to earn through e-commerce; it empowers the youth to make their livelihood in an online environment if they fail to find their jobs at the local level They ed-

ucate the students to join the cryptocurrency programmes Amazon Shopify and too many other sources which inspire them to contribute to the government remittances They also train youngsters with robust technologies like AI, the Internet of Things, Augmented and Virtual realities and such like Modern libraries organize programmes for their community members named Makerspace Under this program experts from different disciplines encourage people to utilize various resources and tools to bring innovations, creativity, hands-on learning, etc A few notable maker space projects include sewing machines, embroidery works, crafting, laser cutting and computer with design software etc

information literacy programmes; these programmes aim to inform the members on how to browse and explore library resources and services They are trained to access academic

Weather Crisis

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The escalation of vigilante violence

ADr ZaFar Khan SaFDar

serious dilemma that is threatening the nation, society, and economy all at once in Pakistan is the growing threat of vigilante violence motivated by blasphemy This phenomenon has thrown the country into a state of continual unrest undermining its fundamental underpinnings of government, justice, and societal peace It is driven by religious fervour and frequently manipulated by extremist forces According to Pakistan’s Penal Code blasphemy includes a variety of offences deemed to be offensive to Islam the Holy prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or the Holy Quran These rules, which were supposedly designed to safeguard religious beliefs, have instead come to be used as powerful instruments for instigating violence settling personal grudges and upholding prejudice Often a blasphemy charge is sufficient to incite mob wrath which can result in extrajudicial executions, lynchings, and generalised dread among religious minorities and dissi-

dent voices The story of violence in Pakistan connected to blasphemy is an indicator of institutional failure and impunity Political leaders have occasionally used hyperbole and promised transformation, but the state machinery has continually failed to protect the lives and rights of its people In blasphemy cases the judiciary has found it difficult to administer impartial justice due to intimidation and the fear of retaliation which has resulted in lengthy detentions and biassed trials The military has been accused of fostering an atmosphere of impunity by not confronting religious extremism directly, leading to the functioning of extremist organizations disguised as defending religious honour This ambiguity in civilian authority and government institutions has escalated social tensions and undermined confidence in government institutions Military collaboration with radical religious groups has exacerbated internal unrest and external isolation leading to a backward of social mores and government Between 1927 and 1987 Pakistan recorded only 14 cases of blasphemy reflecting a period where legal instances of blasphemy were rare However, from 1987 onwards, Pakistan experienced an alarming surge in blasphemy cases, totalling 2,131 by 2023 This dramatic shift coincided with the era of Gen Zia ul Haq whose rule from 1977 to 1988 left an indelible mark on Pakistan s socio-political milieu particularly in matters concerning religion, law, and governance General Zia s tenure as Pakistan s sixth President and de facto military ruler was marked by a pronounced Islamization of the country’s legal and societal fabric He em-

barked on a mission to assert a conservative Islamic agenda seemingly to restore morality and uphold Islamic principles This agenda was heavily influenced by Zia s interpretation of Islam, which leaned towards a rigid, orthodox understanding that sought to enforce religious orthodoxy through state legislation and policy One of the most significant and enduring legacies of Zia’s era was the introduction and amendment of blasphemy laws in Pakistan The origins of blasphemy laws in the region can be traced back to the colonial era, but it was under his regime that these laws were significantly expanded and rigorously enforced

Under General Zia’s regime the blasphemy laws were increasingly wielded as instruments of control often to settle personal vendettas silence dissent or target religious minorities Cases of blasphemy began to proliferate as individuals and groups exploited the vague and ambiguous language of the laws to accuse others with impunity Moreover the climate of fear and intolerance fostered by Zia’s policies extended beyond the legal realm

The state apparatus including the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, became increasingly complicit in the persecution of individuals accused of blasphemy Judges faced intimidation from extremist groups, making impartial adjudication nearly impossible Even those acquitted often faced societal ostracization and vigilantism

issue subject to domestic and international scrutiny for their human rights implications and the arbitrary application of justice The media which is sometimes praised for being the fourth estate and a symbol

r e s i l i e n c e , e m b r a c i n g d i v e r s i t y a n d p r o t e c t i n g c i t i z e n s ’ r i g h t s A t t h e h e a r t o f P a k i s t a n ’ s s t r u g g l e w i t h b l a s p h e m y - r e l a t e d v i o l e n c e l i e s a c

General Zia s death in a plane crash in August 1988 marked the end of an era but left a lasting legacy that continues to shape Pakistan’s socio-political environment The blasphemy laws introduced and expanded during his regime remain a contentious

The coming Israel-Hezbollah war

several miles deep into Lebanese territory Even if that means a major show of force In the days and weeks ahead the Biden Administration will have a crucial role to play in averting war or limiting its worst outcomes, particularly in light of Iran s threat to join the battle in Hezbollah’s defense U S mediation can also provide diplomatic offramps once Israel and Hezbollah are prepared to explore a political settlement that could bring their fight to a close Nasrallah made his latest threats after a visit to Beirut by Amos Hochstein, a senior aide to Biden Hochstein is an exp i d negotiator who successfully facili demarcation of the maritime bor tween Israel and Lebanon in 2022 not a miracle worker In his latest shuttle diplomacy between Jerusa Beirut, he probed for ways to restor the Israeli-Lebanese frontier absen fire in Gaza But Hezbollah flatly the premise of his initiative The sists that the war in Gaza which raged Arab public opinion over death toll must first come to an group also turned down U S sug that it use its influence with Hamas Iran-backed group, to encourage ceptance of the proposed ceasefire Intermediaries in Beirut have n completely given up They are still quietly working with Biden s envoy to explore whether a concession short of a full cessation of

set up a de facto buffer zone

Hezbollah’s rocket fire may be enough to unlock a political settlement Such a scenario could entail a redeployment of Hezbollah s elite forces and anti-tank units which constitute a primary concern for Israelis, away from the border But it is not at all clear whether such a proposition will prove acceptable and enough to either party In fact Hochstein was met in Jerusalem by a shared assessment that the situation on its northern border is no longer tenable Hezbollah would do well to understand that no Israeli government, let l th t i ht

speech as a de facto buffer zone that his group created within Israeli territory For all Israelis not just Netanyahu the status quo is simply unacceptable Likewise, inflated threats by senior Israeli officials warning that Beirut will not be immune” from destruction, are unhelpful An Israeli military offensive into Lebanon need not necessarily include the leveling of entire residential blocs in Hezbollah s stronghold of southern Beirut as was the case in the last major war the two belligerents fought in 2006 Such actions would f th fli t f

fire elieved to in00 000 rockswarms of ones Israeli and e can defense

chiefs meet in Washington next week they need to clearly define the contours of the looming confrontation It must remain within the now largely depopulated border areas of Israel and Lebanon And firm messages

sitions as a land grab

Rushdie, the first Indian-born winner of the Booker published a volume anthologising new Indian literature Roy was a fresh voice from the still young post-independence India reminding us of the multitude of stories from the subcontinent not yet told She became an idol to be followed and imitated Indeed, in Mira Nair ’s 2001 film Monsoon Wedding a character who wants to pursue creative writing at an American university is told by an uncle: Lots of money in writing these days That girl who won the Booker prize became an overnight millionaire But many of those uncles – powerful and privileged – are no longer happy with Roy

begin India’s highest court requires the authorities to explain why they wish to use the UAPA and Saxena s order offers no explanation Nor does a 14 June note published on social media that carries his signature Under UAPA, central government approval is necessary before prosecution can begin, and the authority can grant such permission only after there has been an independent review of evidence gathered It is not known publicly if any of those steps have been taken raising profound questions about the legality of the approval itself Some lawyers believe that the government may have invoked the UAPA to sidestep the legal bar of the statute of limitations Despite this travesty if Roy is not getting an outpouring of public sympathy it has to do with how India has changed in the past quarter of a century Its elite are keen to shed the past image of a poor, struggling country

When Saxena announced that Roy could be prosecuted under India s draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) because she had said at this event that Kashmir had never been an integral part of India, there was outrage abroad from intellectuals and writers’ organisations, but responses in India were less spirited While politicians such as Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress were prompt in criticising the move others on social media commended the government and gleefully admonished those who defended Roy Their reasoning: Roy was anti-national , unpatriotic sympathising with terrorists and needed to face the full force of the law The UAPA is a draconian law – being granted bail is extremely difficult, and the accused can be taken into custody before the trial even begins And the proceedings may not begin for years, as has happened

India deserves a seat at the main table they say; and dissidents and writers who question Indian policies are inconvenient do-gooders whose pessimism interferes with India s ascent On significant issues on which much of India’s majoritarian, powerful elite believes there is consensus, Roy is the naysayer Consider Roy’s views on Indian Occupied Kashmir the disputed territory over which India and Pakistan have gone to at least three wars and where Pakistan-supported insurgents have sought independence The Indian army has stationed tens of thousands of troops there, and human rights groups have accused the Indian state and extremist groups of abuses Roy has listened to Kashmiri voices and challenged India s human rights record for more than a decade She has persistently opposed India s governing consensus and conduct in Indian Occupied Kashmir – her last novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness – describes the Kashmir crisis graphically Triumphalist Indians don t like to hear such criticism Nor do many Indians like her questioning the wisdom of building large dams to produce electricity or irrigate farms Building dams was the dream of India s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru; he called dams “temples of modern India” The dams helped farms and generated power and well-meaning development experts questioned Roy s stance But Roy showed how they also displaced hundreds of thousands of people The dispossessed saw the mandatory land acqui-

AT LEAST 22 MART YRED IN ISRAELI BOMBING ON RED CROSS OFFICE IN GA Z A

TRussia launches ‘massive’ attack on Ukraine power infrastructure

China launches new astronomical satellite developed in cooperation with France

China on Saturday launched an astronomical satellite, the result of nearly 20 years of hard work between Chinese and French scientists to capture gamma-ray bursts which flicker like fireworks in the farthest reaches of the universe

The satellite, the Space-based Multi-band Variable Object Monitor (SVOM), was launched by a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China s Sichuan Province according to the China National Space Administration

We are looking forward to some important discoveries, such as the earliest gamma-ray bursts that occurred when the universe was still in its childhood which will help us study cosmic evolution, said Wei Jianyan, who is SVOM s Chinese principal investigator and works at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ National Astronomical Observatories

Gamma-ray bursts usually very short in duration are the most violent explosive phenomena in the universe after the Big Bang, and they occur during the collapse

of massive stars or the merging of binary compact stars The in-depth observation of and research on gamma-ray bursts will help us understand some of science s fundamental questions, Wei said The main scientific objectives of SVOM include searching for and rapidly locating various gamma-ray bursts comprehensively measuring and studying the electromagnetic radiation properties of these bursts, studying dark energy and the evolution of the universe through these bursts, and observing electromagnetic signals associated with gravitational waves according to Wei

“By using the gamma-ray bursts as a tool to observe the early universe we can observe maybe the first stars said Bertrand Cordier SVOM s French principal investigator who works at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission “This is very interesting because this is the only way to get information about the universe at this age Four scientific instruments are installed on the satellite, two of which have been developed by China and two by France The four instruments can realize a large field of view and high-precision observation

C

CORPORATE CORNER

SCCI REJECTS UNPRECEDENTED HIKE IN FIXED CHARGES OF ELECTRICIT Y FOR INDUSTRIAL CONSUMERS

Punjab CM decides establishment of PEA to c urb adulteration, profiteering

behalf of the state against unknown persons under sections 429 and 34 PPC Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also took notice of the of the gruesome incident wherein a camel s leg was chopped off by a landlord in Sanghar, with the wounded animal set to receive an artificial leg The camel was then shifted to Karachi for treatment

KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T KE continues loadshed exemption for 70% of its service territory This was announced following a quarterly review of the company s network spanning 2 000 plus feeders The updated schedule is available on KE s website and is effective immediately Customers can also review for latest updates through the KE Live App and KE WhatsApp service The previous review was conducted in March 2024 We continue to maintain a close watch on our network through smart meters on our PMTs, which help us ascertain levels of electricity theft and bill payments in an area 70% of our network continues to receive uninterrupted power whereas the maximum loadshed duration in high loss areas remains fixed at 10 hours in remaining areas said Spokesperson KE on the occasion

Regular bill payments and reduced electricity theft have improved power supply to certain areas Areas like Gulistan-e-Johar Block 20 Hakeem Villas Main Jinnah Avenue Malir Cantt Surti Society Hashimabad and Orangi Sector 11½ have become loadshed exempt Furthermore, areas like Sachal Goth Suparco Road KDA Scheme-33, and Main Mosamiyat till Johar Complex - University Road will see a 4-hour reduction in loadshed duration KE is working actively to support customers and combat theft In addition to regularly establishing facilitation camps across the city, KE distribution teams have also been working around the clock to remove illegal connections through kundas from its network Since the beginning of FY24 alone KE has removed 330 000 kilograms of kundas being used to steal electricity, an effort accomplished through 30,000 removal drives An increase in the loss profile

of certain areas has conversely led to an increase in loadshedding

These include areas like Zeeshan Society in Gadap, Millat Colony in Orangi Sadiq Nagar in Gulshan and Malik Society in Johar which unfortunately will no longer be exempt from loadshed Further certain areas will see a 4-hour increase in the loadshed duration such as Baldia Sector 9-C, 9-D, 9-F and 9A New Saeedabad Others in the same loss profile category include Chota Gate Adam Gabol Goth Abdul Kareem Gabol Goth Liaquatabad #3 Commercial Area Firdous Colony Nazimabad, and North Karachi Sector 11-F KE pledges its sincere support to those committed to eradicating power theft which is a fundamental step in improving power supply in high-loss regions KE spokesperson reiterated the fact that the provision of "free electricity" is unsustainable in areas with low or declining bill payments

TThe authorities have established a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to identify and arrest members of a mob that killed a man accused of blasphemy after they ransacked a police station holding him in protective custody in Swat according to sources within the Capital Police Office

A mob beat the man to death on Thursday night after accusing him of burning pages of the Holy Quran They set the police station in the area ablaze and injured eight policemen

The 10-member JIT, comprising officials from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Branch, and senior police officers, will be monitored by Malakand Division Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police

The case involves approximately 2,000 individuals, and their identification will be aided by cellular data and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Preliminary investigation reports indicate that no political or high-ranking figures were present at the scene, where 11 people and

Earlier Opposition Leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan lashed out at the government for collapse of the economy Speaking on the floor of National Assembly, the opposition leader flayed the government for propagating lies about the economic health of the country” He recalled during his fiery speech that Rs426 4 billion were recovered during the PTI government He also claimed that the KP government had achieved its provincial surplus adding that the Sindh government s provincial surplus was still zero

SIC not entitled to reser ved seats, ECP tells apex cour t

The ECP added that it asked the independent candidates joined the SIC after the elections “The ECP decided not to give reserved seats to the SIC with a 4-1 verdict the reply added The ECP told the SC that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) also upheld its decision The election watchdog maintained that there is no error in the decision of the ECP as well as the PHC

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) informed the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan that the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) is not entitled to reserved seats In a reply submitted to the apex court in the case pertaining to the SIC’s reserved seats, the ECP maintained that The Hamid Razaled party failed to submit the list of nominees for the reserved seats by the deadline of December 24th

According to the constitution of the SIC, a non-Muslim cannot become a member of the party The provision against the inclusion of non-Muslims in the constitution of SIC is unconstitutional answer

The SIC is not entitled to reserved seats for women and minorities, the ECP reply added

The SC full court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa will hear the SIC’s plea on June 24