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Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 93 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
SeCurIty perSonnel Involved In CroSS-border SC gives open call to submit facts SmugglIng to ‘FaCe Court martIal’: bugtI surrounding Tuesday, 3 October, 2023 I 16 Rabi ul Awwal, 1445
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PM KAKAR DIRECTED AUTHORITIES TO STRICTLY CURB SMUGGLING OF SUGAR, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, UREA, ETC
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ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
NTERIM Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on Monday that the army chief had told “his people” that security personnel involved in cross-border smuggling would face court martial and arrests. Earlier this month, the interim government decided to launch a massive crackdown on smugglers, hoarders and illegal immigrants while also announcing a cash reward for those citizens who will provide information on these activities. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had also directed authorities concerned to strictly curb the smuggling of sugar, petroleum products, urea, agricultural products and other items of daily use. In response to a question during a press conference in Islamabad today, Bugti said: “If I say that border security forces weren’t involved in [smuggling], it won’t be right as the [smuggled] items are transported via trucks”. “Pakistan’s army chief has told his people very clearly that there won’t only be court-martials, but those involved in such activities would also be sent to jail,” he stated. Bugti added that the accountability method within the army was not a public affair hence it did not come to the public knowledge. However, he stated that the army’s accountability system was seen in the aftermath of the May 9 violence. On rising terrorism, the minister said several apex committee meetings were being held to address the issue, promising that “you will see changes in the days
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SAYS BACK-TO-BACK APEX COMMITTEE MEETINGS BEING HELD TO ADDRESS RISING TERRORISM THREAT
to come”. His statement comes as the country is reeling from deadly bombings in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent days. Last week, a grisly suicide blast targeting a 12th Rabiul Awwal procession in Balochistan’s Mastung claimed the lives of over 50 people, including a police officer. Four Pakistan Army soldiers were also martyred during an operation in Zhob — which is located at a five-hour distance from Mastung. The same day, a second bomb attack took place in KP’s Hangu, which targeted a police station’s mosque in the city. Five people were killed, and 12 were injured as the mosque’s roof collapsed in the explosion’s impact. While a probe revealed that the Islamic State Khorasan was behind the Hangu attack, the caretaker government has claimed that Indian spy agency RAW was behind the Mastung carnage. During the media talk on Monday, flanked by Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, Bugti said he would address the issue of rising terrorism in a media talk tomorrow. “We have a limited time and limited mandate and we want to fix things that are meant for daily basis. I must say we do not have any softness for anyone irrespective of how influential they are,” he asserted. In response to a question, the interior minister said the Mastung bombing and other terror incidents were being probed. “RAW’s involvement had been found in incidents that occurred previously in Balochistan. The current bombing is being investigated and once done, we will share details
including its executioners and sympathisers.” He further stated, “No matter what kind of violence it is, our security forces have the capacity and they have won the fight against terrorism by demonstrating courage”. “I strongly believe that our enemy does not have much capacity”. Bugti also lamented the “divide in our society” and called on ending it. “Only the state can exercise violence and this is our consensus. There is zero tolerance for it. You will see changes in days to come,” he said, asserting that Pakistan was resolved to remove all terrorists. “If someone wants to impose their agenda through gunpoint, they are mistaken. Only the Constitution will prevail.” At one point, the minister also said that recent attacks were not “unexpected” because Pakistan had decided to become a “hardened state” hence the “reaction was due”. “Terrorism is a complicated fight and they don’t have anything else except suicide bombing. State institutions have to protect every inch of the land. This is a difficult fight but not an impossible one. We will fight this,” he vowed. Talking about poll security, Bugti said it was the government’s responsibility. “We held a meeting with the Election Commission of Pakistan today and we will hold more meetings,” he revealed, adding that the government would request the state institutions whenever the need for security arose. Questioned about the return of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif — who is expected to land in the country on Oct 21 after four years — Bugti said it was “encouraging” and clarified that his statement pertaining to Nawaz’s arrest upon return was misinterpreted by the PML-N. Ever since the PML-N announced the elder Sharif’s return, there has been discussion regarding whether Nawaz would be arrested at the airport given the cases pending against him. It must be noted that Nawaz was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. The cases are still sub-judice. The elder Sharif left the country in November 2019 on medical grounds following his conviction in a corruption case but never returned. Nawaz’s departure took place approximately 20 days after the Islamabad High Court’s order, which granted him temporary relief on medical grounds in the Al Azizia case. Earlier this month, Bugti had said in a TV interview that Nawaz would be arrested if he failed to get bail. His statement was, however, bashed by the PML-N who called him out for “exceeding jurisdiction”. Talking about the matter during the press conference today, Bugti said Nawaz was a leader who had spent years in jail along with his daughter but at the same time stated that “we will treat all citizens as per the law”.
Faizabad sit-in ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court (SC) has invited all persons and organizations to disclose facts pertaining to the Faizabad sit-in by October 27, 2023 as the court will resume proceedings on eight review petitions filed against the February 2019 verdict on November 1. In a written order issued on September 28, the court invited all individuals and parties – civil, private or governmental – to submit in writing through affidavits if they wish to disclose facts pertaining to the matter. The court observed that “adjournments have been sought” and “certain parties are not in attendance” while “some have publicly stated that they knew what had happened, yet the judgment did not consider their point of view”. “This is surprising given that it was noted in paragraph 17 of the judgment that: All the hearings in this case were conducted in open court. We had permitted those aggrieved and those whose interest may be affected to come forward and had also permitted them to file documents and written submission,” the apex court noted in its written order. “In any event we are providing another opportunity to all to submit in writing through affidavits if they want to disclose facts pertaining to this matter. The learned AG [Attorney General of Pakistan] however states that the matter attends to events of a certain period and its scope should not be extended,” stated the written order. Last week, as the court took up review petitions pending since 2019, a three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan as well as Justice Athar Minallah, it was informed that the Ministry of Defence, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) wished to withdraw their pleas. Similar applications had earlier been filed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and currently ‘detained’ Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid had sought adjournments citing various reasons for which their counsels could not appear. In its written order, the top court recounted the questions that were raised at the previous hearing: Why the matter was not taken up by the apex court in the past four years The simultaneous filing of these review petitions and the reason behind doing so Whether constitutional and statutory bodies acted independently in filing the same Whether, as claimed by some, the February 2019 judgment has been implemented.
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IHC reserves verdict on FIA request for in-camera hearing of Imran’s bail plea CYPHER CASE ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved its decision on FIA’s request for conducting an in-camera hearing on the bail plea of former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the cipher case. At the outset of the court proceedings on Monday, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that it had to be decided whether the hearing would be in-camera or in open court. He said that the court would fix a date for rehearing the case. At this juncture, lawyer Salman Safdar requested the court to fix the next hearing in a couple of days, on which the Chief Justice
said that the office would schedule the case for hearing. FIA Prosecutor Shah Khawar Advocate appeared in the court and said that the trial could not be made public under the Official Secrets Act. He said today we were going to file an application in the trial court. The Chief Justice raised the question that the matter of the trial was different, could the bail hearing be held in-camera. Speaking to the lawyers, the CJ said that he did not know about this. He asked the lawyers to see to it. He said the statement was to be made in the trial court, it was the trial court’s jurisdiction whether it allowed an in-camera hearing or the open court. Shah Khawar Advocate said that the cipher was a secret document and who would decode this document.
The court inquired whether there was any code of conduct or SOP related to the cipher. The special prosecutor said that during the hearing of the bail application, some important documents and statements were to be kept before the court, the statements of some countries were also to be brought on record, if this process was public, relations with some countries might be affected. The code of conduct relating to the cipher was read out in the court. Manwar Dagal advocate said that the coded message is different for each country. Shah Khawar Advocate said that the cipher is a secret document that is kept confidential in any case, the cipher comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.