In partnership with
Profit
UNCEREMONIOUS END TO PTI’S LAHORE RALLY AS ADMIN SWITCHES OF LIGHTS, CLEARS STAGE Sunday, 22 September, 2024 I | 17 Rabi ul Awwal, 1446
Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 75 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
After permitted time of 6pm, police take g Imran in AI-generated video message charge of venue, force party leaders, likened prevailing political climate to including Barrister Gohar off stage that of East Pakistan in 1971 g KP CM Gandapur arrives late at venue, saying he ‘reached the rally site despite all hurdles’ g
T
LAHORE
SALEEM JADOON
HE Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) much-awaited Lahore rally ‘ended in an unceremonious manner’ after the district administration switched off lights and sound system, forcing the party leaders, including its Chairman Barrister Gohar, of the stage after the permitted time limit of 6pm ended on Saturday. The PTI workers and leaders started leaving the ground after the administration cut of power supply and sound system. On the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Lahore Syed Musa Raza told the organizers of the rally to act on SOPs as the designated time of the meeting ended at 6 o’clock.
The DC cautioned the organizers that action will be taken if terms of NOC were violated. After 6pm, the sound sys-
Punjab ministers mock PTI leadership for ‘poor’ show LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Punjab’s Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Bukhari and other provincial ministers mocked the PTI leadership for the flop show, saying party was given NOC to hold the rally in Lahore but it failed to mobilise masses which showed that people have no interest in its politics of chaos and unrests. “PTI failed to attract the public due to its anti-state stance and politics of destruction while the rally organizers remained waiting for the convoy
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and his supporters to fill the ground, but he did not turn up till allotted time.” Talking to media in DGP office along with Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Punjab Law Minister Sohaib Ahmed Berth and Provincial Health Minister Kh Imran Nazir, Marriyum Aurangzeb questioned why Gandapur failed to reach Lahore Jalsa in time despite his tall claims although Islamabad-Lahore Motorway and GT Road remained opened, urging PTI workers to question why Gandapur did not reach Lahore Jalsa in time?.
tem and the lights were turned off, which turned the ground into darkness. The rally was permitted from 2pm to
ISLAMABAD
The Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) has voiced strong objections against the recent ordinance amending the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023. President of SCBAP Muhammad Shahzad Shaukat, and Secretary Syed Ali Imran, along with the 26th Executive Committee, expressed “deep remorse and anguish” over the promulgation of the ordinance, calling it a direct insult to the long-standing efforts of the legal fraternity. In an official press release on Saturday, the SCBAP described the ordinance as “a clear defiance” of the legal community’s struggle,
which had culminated in the establishment of the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023. The Act had been seen as a significant step forward for the judicial system, aiming to ensure a more transparent and equitable legal process. The SCBAP also raised alarms over the timing and method of the ordinance’s issuance, which they argue effectively “amounts to a repeal” of the Act. “This is unacceptable particularly when the said legislation had already been upheld by the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” the press release states. The association expressed concern that such a move undermines the authority of the judiciary and erodes the constitutional protections that the original Act sought to safeguard.
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would not dare to hold another public gathering anywhere in the country after a flop show in Lahore which witnessed a minimal turn-out of the people. Talking to the media, the minister said the PTI had miserably failed to galvanize the support of their workers for the public gathering in Lahore, despite the all-out facilitation by the ad-
SCBAP strongly emphasised that the original Act played a “pivotal role in strengthening the Supreme Court by enhancing access to justice and upholding the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.” The association highlighted that these amendments not only reverse this progress but also pose a serious threat to the independence of the judiciary. The amendments, SCBAP warned, are “detrimental to the Constitution, the independence of the judiciary, and the protection of fundamental rights.” The organisation reiterated that the original 2023 Act had ensured a more equitable judicial process, providing greater transparency and reinforcing trust in the judicial system.
Pakistan reports 3 new polio cases; total reaches 21 in current year ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan reported three new cases of polio on Saturday, with one case each emerging from Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the National Polio Emergency Center. In Balochistan, a child in the Qila Abdullah area was diagnosed with the virus, while another case was confirmed in a child from Karachi’s Kemari area. The third case was detected in a child residing in Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Anti-Polio Laboratory confirmed that all three children were infected with wild poliovirus type 1. These new cases bring the total number of polio cases in Pakistan this year to 21. Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister’s focal person for anti-polio efforts, expressed deep concern over the latest cases. She urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated, stressing that immunization is cru-
cial to preventing further spread of the virus. “The government is more determined than ever to eradicate polio from Pakistan,” Farooq stated, reiterating the government’s commitment to protecting future generations from the disease. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had launched a special anti-polio campaign to completely eradicate polio from the country. He had inaugurated the campaign across 115 districts nationwide, aiming to vaccinate 30 million children under the age of five. Under the seven-day anti-polio drive, around 286,000 polio workers were meant to go door-to-door to administer anti-polio drops to children. Addressing the inaugural ceremony in Islamabad, Prime Minister Sharif hoped the federal government, in collaboration with provincial governments and partners, would succeed in completely eradicating polio from the country. The PM expressed the confidence that polio eradication efforts will bear fruit.
PTI moves SC to restrain ECP from allocating reserved seats to any other party ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking clarification on the letters written by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Punjab Assembly’s custodian Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the matter of reserved seats. The plea, filed by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan via lawyer Uzair Karamat Bhandari, seeks the
top court’s clarification that “the Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024 had no bearing or effect on the binding nature of the short order dated 12 July 2024 and the implementation thereof cannot be refused on the basis of the said statute.” The petition comes after NA Speaker Sadiq wrote to the ECP terming the SC ruling, which had declared the PTI eligible for reserved seats, “incapable of implementation” after the amendments to the Election Act 2017 — a similar letter was also written to the ECP by the Punjab As-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
PTI will not dare to hold another Jalsa after flop show: Tarar
SCBA decries attack on ‘judicial independence and constitutional rights’ STAFF REPORT
6pm, but the PTI leaders, leading convoys from other parts of the country, including the KP, could not arrive at Ring Road Kahna by the deadline. As all lights at the Kahna venue were turned off, the PTI workers and supporters illuminated the ground with the mobile phone lights. The administration ordered the immediate evacuation of the rally site and the police officials entered the venue to vacate the venue. However, the PTI thanked its supporters for the turnout in Lahore, calling it a “tsunami”. An AI-generated video message authorised by PTI founder and former premier Imran Khan was also also screened at the venue.
sembly’s speaker as well. The incumbent ruling coalition, following the ruling, had bulldozed the Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024 in both house of parliament on August 6 and the legislation came into force with President Asif Ali Zardari’s assent on August 9. In his letter to the electoral body, the speaker underscored two “particular provisions” — amendments to Section 66 and Section 104-A, which he said, were relevant for the Election Commission’s consideration.
ministration which not only kept the roads completely open but also provided a foolproof security in the designated area. No obstacle was placed in any city, including Islamabad, Attock, and Mianwali, from where the PTI had asked their workers to participate in the public gathering, he said, adding their leadership and workers were given free access to enter Lahore from across the country. He said similarly, the PTI had failed to gather the people in their public gathering of Islamabad, which also saw the presence of a small number of the people.
LHC petitioned against SC Practice and Procedure Ordinance LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
A day after President Asif Ali Zardari signed off the ordinance, the Lahore High Court was petitioned against the ‘controversial’ Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance, 2024 on Saturday, seeking the court to annul ‘the law’ as unconstitutional. Munir Ahmed filed the petition through Advocate Azhar Siddique, arguing that the enactment of the ‘controversial’ Ordinance aimed targeting PTI founder chairman Imran Khan and to divide the judiciary. The petitioner requested the court to declare the Ordinance ultra vires in view of Articles 9, 10, 10-A, 14, 17, 25, 37, 38, 46, 48, 75 & 89 read with Articles 4 & 5 of the Constitution 1973. He implored that all orders or actions taken pursuant this Ordinance are in violation of the fundamental rights provided in the Constitution. The federal government and others have been made respondents in the petition. It has been argued in the petition that the presidential ordinance was based on mala fide intentions. It said that the apex court had given its verdict on the Practice and Procedure Act, adding that powers of the SC couldn’t be changed through the ordinance. Through the petition, he further requested the court to direct the respondents to share all the relevant information, details and document(s) under Article 19A of the Constitution, noting the amendments can’t be supported; therefore, the Ordinance should be withdrawn with immediate effect. The petition highlighted recent statements made by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who had questioned “through ordinances, the will of one person is imposed on the entire nation. Isn’t this against democracy? Shouldn’t the president of the country provide detailed justifications along with the ordinances?” The petitioner submitted the Amended Ordinance was passed and given assent without adherence to the required legislative process, urging for its withdrawal as it was passed arbitrarily and in violation of established procedures. He further pointed out that the matter addressed by the ordinance is currently sub judice and the President failed to apply due consideration before promulgating the ordinance. The petition also alleges that the ordinance aimed at targeting PTI founder Imran Khan, characterising the move as a constitutional fraud.