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PDM TARGETS CJP FOR ‘WEAKENING DEMOCRACY, FACILITATING’ IMRAN KHAN Tuesday, 16 May, 2023 I 25 Shawwal, 1444
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MARYAM NAWAZ ACCUSES JUDGES OF PLAYING SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN 'DESTRUCTION' OF PAKISTAN
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ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
T a protest sit-in outside Supreme Court of Pakistan here on Monday, the top leadership of govt alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), targeted superior judiciary for what it called the weakening of democratic order in the country. In a passionate address, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz accused judges of playing a significant role in the destruction of Pakistan. She expressed her concerns regarding the state of the country and emphasised the importance of strengthening democracy within the framework of the Constitution. Speaking to a massive crowd gathered to protest against behaviour of judges of superior judiciary especially Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umra Ata Bandial, Maryam called attention to what she referred to as the “talk of the facilitators of Imran Khan”.
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PDM WANTS TO RESTORE HONOUR, DIGNITY OF THE TOP COURT: MAULANA FAZL
She arrived at the venue of the protest demonstration alongside Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman. She asserted that legislation should remain the responsibility of the Parliament, stating, “It is not your [judges] responsibility to stop it.” By emphasising the role of the elected representatives, the PML-N leader highlighted the need for a robust democratic process. Showing her respect for the Supreme Court and the Constitution, she criticised the tarnished image of the revered institution, attributing the blame to what she termed as “Imrandari”. “This building was tarnished not by ‘Imandari but by Imrandari’, she stated, emphasising her disappointment with the current state of affairs. Maryam also expressed her reluctance to protest at the Supreme Court, advocating for democracy to be strengthened through the proper functioning of the institution. She emphasised the importance of preserving the integrity of the building and called for the restoration of democratic values. Marayma stated that her party respects Pakistan’s
law and Constitution, but this building, the Supreme Court, was giving verdicts which were causing the country’s destruction. She pointed out that the top court should have given justice to the oppressed and strengthened Parliament, but instead, it disqualified a prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who was elected by the people. She accused it of “murdering” justice, and said that it gave its certification to all the martial laws that were imposed in Pakistan. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the ruling PDM wanted to restore the honour and dignity of the top court. He said the “historic gathering” outside the Supreme Court reflected that the country’s decisions should be made by the people. He also vowed to protect the Supreme Court building, saying no one can dare to cause harm to the top court in the presence of the PDM’s protesters. “We believe in respecting the judiciary. We have held a people’s court in Islamabad,” he remarked. Fazl also blamed the PTI chief Imran Khan’s decision to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies for the prevailing crisis in the country. PDM CALLS OFF DAYLONG SIT-IN: After dawn to dusk “peaceful dharna”, the ruling PDM called off the sit-in staged outside the Supreme Court to protest against the judiciary for “facilitating” Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. The announcement was made by PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) while addressing a large number of participants of the sit-in outside the apex court in the federal capital. The multi-party protesters, including workers and supporters of the JUI-F, from different areas of the country converged on Islamabad with many making an entrance into the Red Zone, despite Section 144 still in effect the capital city. Maulana Fazl, on Friday announced to stage the sitin outside the Supreme Court against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial for facilitating Khan.
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Dar announces Rs 12 cut in POL prices PROFIT
MONITORING DESK
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar declared on Monday that the cost of petrol and diesel would be lowered by Rs12 and Rs30, respectively. In a televised speech, he revealed that premier and his administration aim to offer the relief to the general public based on international market prices. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sahib and his government try to provide maximum relief to the public on the basis of prices in the international market. Hence, after 12pm tonight, for the next 15 days, petrol prices are being reduced by Rs12 and the new price of petrol will now be Rs270,” Dar said. The new cost of petrol would be Rs270 while diesel would be priced at Rs258 for the next 15 days. Kerosene oil’s price would decrease by Rs12, now costing Rs164.07, and the cost of light diesel oil would be reduced to Rs152.69 per litre, down by Rs12. The finance minister also requested transporters and other departments using diesel to forward the relief to the public by charging lowered fares. It may be mentioned that overall oil sales plunged 47 per cent year-over-year (YoY) to 1.171 MT, while the total sales shrank by 24pc to 13.970 MT in the July-April period of FY23.