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BARRISTER GOHAR RELEASED AS NA SPEAKER TAKES NOTICE OF PARLIAMENT RAIDS, LAWMAKERS ARRESTS Wednesday, 11 September, 2024 I | 6 Rabi ul Awwal, 1446
Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 65 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
g KH ASIF CRITICIZES ACTIONS AND g ALI MUHAMMAD KHAN DESCRIBES THIS TIME CCTV FOOTAGE WILL BE MADE PUBLIC, PTI CHIEF SAYS, RHETORIC OF PTI, QUESTIONING SEPT 9 AS MAY 9 FOR PAKISTAN’S CALLING SEPT 9 ‘A BLACK DAY’ PARTY’S DEMOCRATIC CREDENTIALS DEMOCRACY g RANA TANVEER URGES OPPOSITION TO SIT TOGETHER FOR STRENGTHENING PARLIAMENT, DEMOCRACY g
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ISLAMABAD
SALEEM JADOON
day after his arrest in an overnight crackdown alongside other PTI lawmakers for ‘violating’ Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, the police on Tuesday released party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan while National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq took notice of the arrests of the party’s leaders from the parliament house. Taking notice of the arrests, the NA speaker ordered Islamabad Inspector General (IG) to immediately release PTI lawmakers arrested outside lower house of parliament,
sources say. In a statement, the police said the PTI chief had been discharged from a case registered in Sangjani police station and subsequently released from custody. Speaking to journalists after the release from police custody, Barrister Gohar strongly condemned the police actions within the Parliament House premises, saying masked men stormed the parliament and arrested at least 12 of party’s lawmakers. “This time, the CCTV footage [of the arrests] will be made public,” the PTI chief said, calling September 9 “a black day in the democratic history of Pakistan”. He said they believe the arrests
were an attack on parliament, urging the National Assembly (NA) speaker to investigate the matter.
ATC sends PTI MNAs on 8-day physical remand in Islamabad rally case ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday sent PTI lawmakers – Sher Afzal Marwat, Aamir Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Maulana Naseem Shah, Ahmed Chattha, and others in police custody on eight-day physical remand, while sent Advocate Shoaib Shaheen to jail on judicial remand, rejecting the request for his physical remand. The Islamabad police in an overnight crackdown had arrested PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and other MNAs, including Sher Afzal Marwat from Parliament House in
£190m case: Court puts off Imran, wife’s acquittal pleas till Sept 12 RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
The Accountability Court on Tuesday put off the hearing of the acquittal pleas filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi in the £190m reference till September 12. Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana presided over the hearing held at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail wherein former prime minister Imran Khan and former first lady Bushra Bibi were present. On Saturday, the PTI founder had filed the acquittal plea in the £190 million reference following the Supreme Court reinstated the amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), accepting the government’s intra-court appeals filed against Sept 15, 2023 verdict. Khan and his spouse are accused of causing billions of rupees loss to the national exchequer. Last week, the court had reserved verdict on Bushra’s acquittal plea in the case. During the hearing on Tuesday, the legal team of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi did not show up in the court due to their engagement in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and therefore, the last witness in the case – Mian Umer Nadeem couldn’t be cross-examined. Furthermore, assistant counsel Faisal Chaudhry’s request seeking adjournment of the hearing was opposed by the NAB’s prosecution team. The anti-graft body’s prosecutor said that Khan and Bushra’s counsels were using delaying tactics in the case as they have been given 16 opportunities to crossexamine the last witness in the reference. Noting that 12 affidavits have been submitted by the defence lawyers in this reference, the NAB prosecutor said that since counsels Barrister Ali Zafar and Chaudhry were present at the moment, they should cross-examine the witness. At this, Chaudhry requested the court for a chance and said that they would cross-examine the witness if the lawyers failed to appear in the next hearing. £190 million case As per the charges, Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon. Subsequently, then-prime minister Khan got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.
connection with cases registered by the Sangjani police over violation of public gathering regulation and clashes with police during the PTI’s rally on Sunday. The violations include disrupting the agreed route, breaching commitments, attacking Islamabad police, exceeding permitted timings, and delivering anti-state speeches. On Tuesday, the Islamabad Police produced the arrested PTI lawmakers before ATC Judge Abul Hasnaat Zulqarnain. Prosecutor Raja Naveed requested a 15-day physical remand of the accused, stating that they used police equipment during the attack on police and that police kits were yet to be recovered following their party’s rally in Islamabad’s Sangjani on Sunday.
“Our leaders forgave all the hardships they faced for the sake of the country, people, and democracy,”
PESHAWAR
STAFF REPORT
A day of ‘arrest spree’ in which more than a dozen lawmakers of the party were arrested from the Parliament House in Islamabad, the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) on Tuesday vowed to launch a vehement anti-government movement across the country. “Certain elements have manipulated Pakistan’s political and democratic systems, but the PTI will not back off in the face of attempts to silence the voice of the people”, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja declared while address-
Supreme Court rejects review plea in Monal restaurant case ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the decision of Monal restaurant’s closure by rejecting a set of petitions seeking to revisit the June 11, 2024 order in which the top court declared all leases and allotments inside the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a three-judge bench comprising Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan had taken up a set of petitions moved by the Monal Group of Companies, the Capital View Point Restaurant (La Montana), Sunshine Heights (Pvt) Ltd, and by Brig retired Falak Naz Bangash of the defence ministry. The decision reserved on September 6 was pronounced by the Supreme Court today. The apex court upheld its decision of closure of Monal restaurant, Sunshine Heights and La Montana restaurant The Supreme Court through its March 21 judgement had ordered the Capital Development Authority
LAHORE
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday reinstated the appointment of Lieutenant General Munir Afsar as Chairman of the National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA), according to a report by a private news outlet. The federal government’s legal team, represented by the Attorney General, had chal-
Waqas Akram, Naseem-ur-Rehman, and Zubair Khan. Additionally, three cases have been registered under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill in Islamabad, citing violations of the event’s NOC. The FIR names 28 individuals, including PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali, Sher Afzal Marwat, Shoaib Shaheen, Omar Gul, Zartaj Gul, Aamir Mughal, Seemabia Tahir, and Raja Basharat. Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister reached KP CM House safely after 7-hour absence following crackdown against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders.
PTI vows not to back off in face of attempts to silence people’s voices
(CDA) to file a list of leases in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). Later, the Supreme Court office issued notices to the petitioners on April 22, 2024, and then passed an order on June 11, in which the court declared all such allotments contrary to the provisions of the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Ordinance 1979. On August 15, Supreme Court (SC) issued a contempt of court notice to Malik Luqman Ali Afzal,
the owner of the Monal Restaurant, located at Margalla Hills. Hearing a case related to commercial activities at Margalla Hills National Park, CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked, that the owner of restaurant assured the court about the closure of the hotel, but now he is doing ‘propaganda’ against justice on TV. Why he did not appear before court today, the CJP asked. Ali Afzal should give jobs to the staff of restaurant to his other eateries, the top judge remarked.
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ing a press conference in Peshawar on Tuesday. “There should be no misunderstanding as people have stood up,” he added. PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser and Azam Swati were also present at the presser held after the party’s core committee meeting. He defended the speeches made by PTI leaders during the recent Islamabad rally, describing the event’s atmosphere as fundamentally different from regular political discourse. The PTI leaders party strongly condemned the lawmakers’ arrests, including the detention of some MNAs from the parliament, in a police crackdown on its leadership in Islamabad launched on alleged violations of the public gathering law’s violations.
Gandapur refuses to apologise over Islamabad rally speech PESHAWAR
STAFF REPORT
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday defended his absence after a speech at a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally in Islamabad, stating that he was not forcibly detained but had to attend a meeting with government officials. He also remained firm on his remarks made during the rally, refusing to apologise. Addressing concerns raised by members of his parliamentary party during a meeting in Peshawar on Tuesday, Gandapur explained, “I had an official meeting with authorities, so I had to stay overnight. There was no force involved.” Parliamentary members had expressed worry over his prolonged absence. Gandapur clarified, “Due to jammers, I could not stay in contact, which led to concern among my family and colleagues.” Regarding his controversial remarks at the Sangjani rally, the chief minister said, “I stand by my words. I will neither retract nor apologise.” He further added, “PTI founder Imran Khan has endorsed my stance. Anyone opposing it can do so.” His firm tone garnered support from the parliamentary members, who backed his stance and agreed to adopt a hardline approach in future rallies. The members also decided that five to seven members would deliver strong speeches during the assembly sessions to express their emotions. The closed-door meeting at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar also outlined a future strategy, with plans for more rallies across the country.
PML-N introduces bill to raise number of apex court judges from 17 to 23 ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The National Assembly on Tuesday introduced ‘The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2024,’ which seeks to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court from 17 to 23.
The bill, presented by Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Daniyal Chaudhry, proposes an amendment to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1997. Under the amendment, the total number of judges, including the Chief Justice, will be raised to 23, up from the current 17. Currently, the Supreme Court consists of 16 judges
LHC reinstates Lt Gen Asim Munir Afsar as NADRA chairman STAFF REPORT
he said, adding: “We stayed in parliament so we could play our role.” He also questioned whether it was a crime to prolong a rally beyond its designated timeframe. The police, a day earlier, arrested a number of party leaders in several cases, including the reported attack on police at Chongi No 26 — which turned into a battleground as PTI workers and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) clashed after the formers deviated routes leading to Sangjani, the designated venue of the public gathering. Other party leaders who have been arrested include PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat, Zain Qureshi, Sheikh
lenged a previous decision by a single-member bench of the LHC, which had nullified Afsar’s appointment as NADRA chairman. A two-member bench of the LHC, led by Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, reviewed the plea and overturned the earlier verdict, restoring Afsar to his position. The court has also issued notices to the involved parties, seeking their response in the ongoing legal case. Lieutenant General Munir Afsar was appointed as Chairman of NADRA on October
2 last year, following approval from the federal cabinet. His appointment was one of three recommendations proposed by the Ministry of Interior. The cabinet’s decision followed a selection process in which a committee shortlisted the top candidates for the post. After careful consideration, Lieutenant General Afsar was chosen for the role, replacing Tariq Malik, who had resigned after meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
plus the Chief Justice. The government did not raise any objections to the bill’s introduction. However, opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai voiced his opposition and highlighted a quorum issue in the assembly. The bill has been referred to the relevant standing committee for further consideration.