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PM SEES NO ‘DELAY’ IN POLLS DUE TO SECURITY SITUATION ON BORDERS
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Sunday, 17 September, 2023 I 30 Safar, 1445
ASSURES INTERIM GOVT TAKING MEASURES TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS
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ISLAMABAD
SAYS PAKISTAN HAS RIGHT TO TAKE ACTION WHEREVER NEEDED TO PROTECT ITS TERRITORY, PEOPLE
STAFF REPORT
ARETAKER Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Saturday said that he did not see no possibility of a delay in general elections due to the security situation on Pakistan’s borders. “I see no such possibility at present. Although there is an alarming situation on our western and eastern frontiers in which the security threat and the required response mechanism are being enhanced, we are sure that we will control the situation and complete the electoral process at the same time,” Interim Premier Anwaarul Haq expressed the views when asked about the possibility during an interview with Voice of America (VOV) Urdu. The PM’s statement comes amid growing demand from various quarters for immediate announcement of the poll date by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which has already said elections will be pushed beyond the constitutionally mandated period of 90 days following the dissolution of the National Assembly on May 9. The electoral watchdog reasons its decision to push elections beyond November 9 on the basis of the notification of results of the new digital 2023 census and Section 17(2) of the Elections Act, which states: “The commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published.” Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi has proposed to the ECP to hold general elections by November 6, citing a constitutionally mandated time frame for the polls. Earlier, he also invited the chief election commissioner (CEC) to a meeting to decide on a date for the elections. But the CEC declined the invitation, referring to a recent amendment to the Elections Act 2017 that empowered the commission to announce the dates for polls unilaterally without having to consult the president. PM Kakar has been of the same view, saying on various occasions that appointing a date for elections and organising the polls was the ECP’s man-
date and that the caretaker government’s job was just to assist the commission. He reiterated this stance in the interview with VOA when asked about reasons due to which the caretaker government was unable to end the “speculation surrounding elections”. “I don’t believe that the caretaker government should intervene and address such speculations. “Primarily, according to the law and Constitution, it (organising polls) is the Election Commission of Pakistan’s job, and we are certain that they are performing this task with sincerity. “They have already initiated the process, and they are fulfilling some constitutional requirement, probably pertaining to delimitation … and they will soon announce the [poll] date,” PM Kakar said. He also assured that the interim government had been taking measures regarding the provision of assistance for holding elections. “The caretaker government fulfils the Election Commission Pakistan’s requirements and provides assistance wherever required on a daily basis,” he said. Asked whether the caretaker government would raise any objection if the Supreme Court ruled that elections be held in the 90-day period, he reiterated his stance that it was not for the interim government to raise any such objection. Holding elections was the ECP’s mandate and the interim government to
Saudi Crown Prince to visit Pakistan soon, claims Caretaker FM Jalil Abbas LONDON
STAFF REPORT
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani claimed that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to make an imminent visit to Pakistan. Jilani as talking to reporters here where was participating in the Youth Ministers Conference of the Commonwealth of Nations. Responding to inquiries regarding Pakistan’s strained relations with India, Foreign Minister Jilani reiterated that diplomatic ties have remained severed since the revocation of the special status of Occupied Kashmir. Reflecting on the current state of affairs in Pakistan, Minister Jilani highlighted the caretaker government’s determined efforts to curb currency smuggling, which has resulted in a notable decline in the value of the US dollar. He also commended the government’s decision to take a firm stance on addressing illegal immigration, granting those living in the country without proper documentation an opportunity to rectify their status. Furthermore, Minister Jilani assured the public that elections would be held as scheduled, with the Election Commission slated to announce the official date in due course.
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provide it will all the needed assistance for polls, he asserted. ‘Pakistan will take action in defence wherever necessary’ When asked whether there were any options for surgical strikes and drone attacks in Afghanistan were on the cards given the growing threat from banned militant outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said: “Pakistan has the right to defence. Wherever we will feel the need for action to protect our land and people, we will take it.” He added, “I will not go into specifics of the operational decisions that Pakistan can take. But when the need arises due to this threat, we will take decisions accordingly.” The PM further said Pakistan’s interests were the top priority in talks with the Afghan Taliban. He also dispelled the impression that the Afghan Taliban were not agreeing to Pakistan’s demands, further stating that Islamabad, too, was not making any specific demands from the rulers in the neighbouring country. The premier referred to the Doha deal — under which the Taliban agreed not to let Afghan soil be used against other countries — saying he believed that the Afghan Taliban too were convinced that abiding by this agreement was needed for strong and amicable relations with neighbours in the region. “Reason behind the agreement’s
conditions not being fulfilled could various … We are playing our role regarding this and are engaged on the rights forums on the role that we expect the other side to play,” he added. The premier also maintained that trade ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as Central Asia, were improving. Ties with Gulf countries He also dismissed the impression that Pakistan was becoming isolated on the world stage after growing ties between Gulf countries and India. Nations join and move away from blocs in the global arrangement on the basis of convergence of interests and conflicts of interests. “A similar situation is seen regarding the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council),” he said, adding that the GCC was exporting hydrocarbon in large quantities. “Will they compromise the export market comprising 1.5 billion Chinese and join a bloc the idea for which is being imagined? I don’t think so,” he said, apparently referring to a new ports and railway corridor for the Middle East and South Asia that is conceived to include train links to India. Press freedom and Imran Answering a question about the state of journalistic freedom in the country and an alleged restriction on the broadcast of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s name in the media, the premier rebuffed the notion and said: “You can take anyone’s name. I think Pakistan’s indicators regarding journalistic freedom of expression are still much better — if not the best — relative to the region.” The premier maintained that there was no issue, from human rights to the conduct of state institutions to economic reforms, on which journalists did not have permission to raise their voices or the opportunity to air their thoughts. Questioned further on the PTI chief and whether the cases against him proved right the perception that it was an attempt to exclude Imran from politics, the prime minister said it was a sub-judice matter and the conclusion of judicial proceedings was awaited.
Imran applies for post-arrest bail to IHC in Cypher case ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday applied for post-arrest bail to the Islamabad High Court following rejection of bail application by the trial court in Missing Cypher Case. In the bail petition, filed through Barrister Salman Safdar, he requested the court to order his release on bail. The Special Court Islamabad, established to hear cases under Official Secrets Act, had already rejected Imran Khan’s bail application in Cypher case. Imran Khan is presently lodged in Attock jail after the Special Court on Wednesday last had extended his judicial remand till September 26 in Cypher case. The PTI chairman was sent to jail on August 5 following his conviction in Toshakhana case, but the IHC had suspended his sentence. However, the special court had directed Attock jail authorities to keep him in “judicial lockup” in connection with the cipher case.
CYPHER CASE: The first information report (FIR) was registered on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act. It was registered on the complaint of Home Secretary against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while names of former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar were also mentioned. The FIR stated that the former prime minister and foreign minister distorted the facts of the diplomatic
cipher. “A conspiracy was launched to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes”, it added. It further stated that former premier and top diplomat endangered the state interests. The report claimed that former prime minister asked Azam Khan – the then principal secretary – to “manipulate the contents of cipher”. “The former premier deliberately kept the copy of diplomatic cipher, which was sent to the PM office”, it added.
NAB chief convenes meeting to mull situation after SC’s verdict ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman LtGen (retir) Nazir Ahmad Butt has summoned an important meeting of the administrative officers of the bureau in the backdrop of decision of the Supreme Court on the NAB amendments case. The NAB chairman will preside over the meeting to be held at the NAB headquarters on Monday (tomorrow). Meanwhile, the NAB has appointed Additional Prosecutor General Akbar Tarar as the acting prosecutor general till the regular appointment to the post fell vacant after the resignation of Prosecutor General Asghar Haider. The resignation of NAB Prosecutor General Haider was accepted on September 14. Yesterday, a three-member bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, approved the petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf chief against the NAB amendments passed during the PDM regime. The top court nullified nine out of 10 clauses of the NAB amendments.
Pervaiz Elahi rearrested for ‘12th time’ upon release from Adiala Jail ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was rearrested on Saturday for “12th time” since June 1, by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) as soon as he left the Central Jail Rawalpindi commonly known as Adiala jail after his release. The latest arrest came as Pervaiz Elahi who had served as the Punjab chief minister twice – is nominated in four corruption related cases being investigated by the ACE – the top anti-graft agency in the province. Pervaiz Elahi is among several PTI leaders and workers who have been arrested amid the state’s crackdown on the PTI leadership following the violent riots in the country after Imran’s first arrest on May 9. His fresh detention comes a day after an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted the former Punjab chief minister bail in a case pertaining to riots outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) in March. Later, an Islamabad court granted the Punjab AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE) one-day transit remand of PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in a graft case. According to Pervaiz Elahi’s lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzaq, the surety bonds for yesterday’s bail were not submitted yet, hence his client had not been released from the Adiala jail and subsequently taken into custody by the ACE. Speaking to the media, Razzaq said the Punjab ACE asked for Pervaiz Elahi’s five-day remand, but the court granted it one-day transit remand. The PTI leader would now be taken to Lahore and presented before the relevant anti-corruption court tomorrow, he said. When a reporter asked him about reports of Pervaiz Elahi being asked to hold a “[press] conference”, he said Pervaiz Elahi was “very determined” on his political stance and was “not ready to hold any sort of press conference”. Asked about the former Punjab chief minister’s physical health, the lawyer acknowledged that he was an “elderly person and a heart patient” but was in “high spirits and has a high morale”. THE FIR: The first information report (FIR) has details of the time of reporting and sections invoked filled in with pen. The FIR was registered on July 19 at the Lahore ACE police station on the complaint of Lahore ACE officer Tariq Mehmood. It invokes sections 109 (punishment of abetment if the Act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as section 5 (criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947. According to the FIR, in March 2021, then-CM Pervaiz Elahi misused his authority and colluded with Lahore Development Authority Director Amir Ahmed Khan to illegally alter the draft of the Lahore Master Plan 2050 and include Kotli Rai Abu Bakar — an area in Kasur district — in it. As a result, the value of the land owned by Pervaiz Elahi’s sons – Moonis Elahi and Rasikh Elahi, in Kotli Rai Abu Bakar increased manifold, the FIR said.
CJP Bandial hangs up robe as Justice Qazi Isa takes oath today ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial stood retired on Saturday and the Chief Justice-designate Justice Qazi Faez Isa will take oath to his office today (Sunday). Justice Isa’s nomination as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan was approved by President Dr Arif Alvi on June 21. He will be sworn in by the President as the 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan. Justice Isa has been provided security as per the law. The outgoing Chief Justice Bandial expressed best wishes for his successor. He has also vacated his official residence at Judges Colony in Islamabad. Justice Bandial has served as the top judicial office for over 19 months as he was appointed on Feb 2, 2022, though his notifi-
cation had been issued on Jan 17. Whereas, Justice Isa will serve as chief justice for over a year, until Oct 25, 2024. He took the oath as a Supreme Court judge on Sept 5, 2014. It is pertinent to mention here that President Alvi had filed a reference of misconduct against Justice Isa in the Supreme Judicial Council in May 2019 on the recommendation of then Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government. However, a 10-judge Supreme Court bench led by Justice Bandial set aside the presidential reference against Justice Isa in June 2020, absolving him of the charge of misconduct for allegedly not revealing three offshore companies in the name of his wife and children. Consequently, the proceedings against Justice Isa pending in the SJC also stood terminated. However, the apex court then ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to con-
duct an inquiry into the allegations of nondeclaration of foreign assets. Later in an exciting turn of events, the Supreme Court in April 2021, by a majority of six to four, overturned its June 2020 order that required verification and subsequent findings by the tax authorities on three foreign properties after accepting his review petition. Justice Isa was born on October 26, 1959 in Quetta. In his early years, he was a part of the Bar of England and Wales in the 1980s and was enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court from Balochistan. He has practiced law for over 27 years before all the high courts, the Federal Shariat Court and the Supreme Court. Later, he also served as a member of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association, and Life Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and chief justice of Balochistan during different periods.