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ISRAELI STRIKES KILL 274 IN LEBANON, INCLUDING 21 CHILDREN, MARKING DEADLIEST DAY IN NEARLY A YEAR Tuesday, 24 September, 2024 I | 19 Rabi ul Awwal, 1446
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 77 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Israeli military says it struck around 800 Hezbollah targets g Around 1,024 injured people being treated in 27 hospitals BEIRUT
Lebanon could become another Gaza amid escalating attacks: UN secretary-general
AFP
EBANESE Health Minister Firass Abiad said the death toll in Israeli strikes Monday rose to 274, including 21 children, the bloodiest daily toll in nearly a year of cross-border clashes. The toll stood at “274 dead, including 21 children and 39 women — that’s who we know about until now”, Abiad told reporters, adding “thousands of families from the targeted areas have been displaced”. The dead also included two rescuers, with 16 other emergency workers wounded, he said, adding that “two ambulances, a fire truck and a medical centre were targeted”. The attacks wounded 1,024 people who were treated in 27 hospitals, Abiad said. About 5,000 people had been wounded “in less than a week” of Israeli attacks, he said, after Hezbollah pagers and walkietalkies exploded and an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. That number accounts for about half of the overall wounded toll of “10,000 to 11,000”, he said, referring to nearly one year of cross-border clashes between the Iranbacked Hezbollah group and Israel after the eruption of the Gaza conflict. The conflict began when Hamas attacked Israel, with Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups around the region drawn into the violence. The Israeli military said it had struck around 800 Hezbollah targets on Monday. “Since this morning, the IDF [military] has conducted proactive and extensive aerial strikes against Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon,” a statement said, adding that the strikes hit “approximately 800 Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon and in the area of Bekaa deep inside Lebanese territory”. World powers have implored Israel and Hezbollah to pull back from the brink of all-out
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war, with the focus of violence shifting sharply in recent days from Israel’s southern front with Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon. “We sleep and wake up to bombardment … that’s what our life has become,” said Wafaa Ismail, 60, a housewife from the southern Lebanese village of Zawtar. More to come Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told people in Lebanon to avoid potential targets linked to Hezbollah as strikes would “go on for the near future”. Hagari said Israel’s military “will engage in [more] extensive and precise strikes against terror targets which have been embedded widely throughout Lebanon”. He told civilians to “immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety”. The strikes sent hundreds of people fleeing their homes, according to Bilal Kachmar, an official in Tyre. “Hundreds of displaced people rushed” to a school-turned-shelter in the southern city, he said, with many others
“camping out in the streets”. AFP correspondents saw rows of cars leaving the nearby city of Sidon. The Israeli military also warned people living in the Bekaa valley, in eastern Lebanon, to flee their homes, as it announced it was “broadening” the scope of its strikes. Explosions around the ancient city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon triggered flashes of fire and sent smoke billowing into the sky. In divided Lebanon, large parts of the south and east of the country, as well as the southern suburbs of capital city Beirut, are seen as strongholds of Hezbollah, where the group has historically wielded influence and built up services for its support base. The education minister said schools in targeted areas would close for two days. The official National News Agency said the Lebanese had received phone messages from Israel telling them to “quickly evacuate”. Hezbollah, a powerful political and military force in Lebanon, says it is acting in its
Israel’s military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, on Monday urged residents of southern Lebanon to leave their homes immediately ahead of a large-scale Israeli strike in the area. Hagari warned that “extensive” air strikes “throughout Lebanon” targeting Hezbollah assets located in houses and other buildings would begin “shortly.” “We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety,” he said. Hagari said the Israeli army had found out that Hezbollah prepared to launch attacks on Israel. Earlier on Monday, Israel launched a new wave of air strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. The military said in a statement that its warplanes are “currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to Hezbollah.” Lebanon to become another Gaza
near-daily battle with Israeli troops along Lebanon’s border in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which is also backed by Iran. Israel changing ‘security balance’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel was not waiting for threats to emerge but was preempting them and was acting to change the “security balance” in the north. Hezbollah’s deputy chief, Naim Qassem,
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah voices strong objections to Practice, Procedure ordinance
amid escalating attacks United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Sunday that Lebanon could be transformed into another Gaza amid escalating attacks between Israel and Hezbollah. During an interview with U.S. news outlet CNN, Guterres said the recent detonation of communication devices in Lebanon means there is a “potential for a much stronger escalation,” which he fears could be a “devastating tragedy for the world.” “With the region on the brink of an imminent catastrophe, it cannot be overstated enough: there is no military solution that will make either side safer,” said UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis via X on Sunday. Tension along the Israel-Lebanon border has escalated sharply following communication device explosions across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday that killed 37 people and injured nearly 3,000. Israel launched an air strike in Beirut on Friday that killed at least 45 people, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. Hezbollah has reportedly fired over 100 rockets into northern Israel.
said the group was in a “new phase, namely an open reckoning” with Israel, and ready for “all military possibilities”. They spoke after Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel caused damage in the area of Haifa, a major city on Israel’s north coast. On Sunday morning, hundreds of thousands of people in northern Israel fled to their bomb shelters as Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets across the border.
‘ONE-MAN SHOW’
Law minister asserts parliament’s authority over Supreme Court decisions ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasised on Monday that parliamentary legislation supersedes Supreme Court decisions, particularly regarding the integration of independent candidates into political parties. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, Tarar stated, “Parliament’s right to legislate is paramount. The recent court decision presents some ambiguities, but it is clear that legislation is the domain of parliament.” He further clarified that the process of an independent candidate joining a political party is “irrevocable” and that “the law clearly mandates that independent candidates must join a party within three days.” He acknowledged some confusion around this issue, which he believes will be addressed in a review appeal. Commenting on a recent ruling by the Peshawar High Court, which upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision by a five-to-zero majority, Tarar noted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was not a party in the Election Commission, Peshawar High Court, or Supreme Court proceedings. “The Election Commission is a constitutional body, and once an independent candidate joins a party, their loyalty cannot be changed,” he added.
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Supreme Court senior puisne judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah has voiced strong objections to the recent amendments to the Supreme Court’s Practice and Procedure Ordinance, outlining his reservations in a detailed three-page letter. The letter, addressed to the reconstituted committee on Monday, criticises both the substance of the amendments and the process by which they were implemented. The PML-N led government had further empowered Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to form benches and fix high profile cases by nominating judge of his choice through amendments to the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023 on Friday. Soon after the promulgation of the ordinance on amendments in the Practice and Procedure Act 2023, CJP Isa reconstituted a committee wherein Justice Aminuddin Khan has been included as a third member by ousting Justice Munib Akhtar. Justice Aminuddin Khan is the fifth most senior judge of the SC. Interestingly, Justice Yahya Afridi, who is the fourth most senior, has not been included in the committee. Justice Shah began by expressing alarm at the hasty reconstitu-
tion of the Practice and Procedure Committee, which took place just hours after the amending ordinance was promulgated. He highlighted the lack of transparency in the removal of Justice Munib Akhtar from the committee, stating, “No reasons were given as to why the second seniormost judge, Justice Munib Akhtar, was removed from the composition of the Committee, who had been attending all the meetings since March 11, 2024, and was available for attending today’s meeting.” The justice further criticised the arbitrary inclusion of a less senior judge in the committee, describing it as “unfortunate cherry-picking” that undermines democratic principles. “This selective inclusion of committee members reflects an undemocratic and one-man show approach, precisely what the Act aimed to discourage and replace,” Justice Shah noted, referencing the Supreme Court’s previous stance against such practices. Justice Shah underscored the importance of collegial decisionmaking within the judiciary, a principle that he argued has been compromised by the recent changes. “The principle of collegial working stands as a cornerstone for ensuring justice, fairness, and the larger good of the people
who seek its intervention. The concentration of ultimate administrative powers in the hands of a single individual, such as the Chief Justice, runs counter to the ideals of democratic governance and judicial fairness,” he wrote, citing the Supreme Court’s own ruling in the Raja Amer case. He also questioned the necessity of the ordinance’s promulgation without parliamentary debate, suggesting it lacked the urgency required for such a measure. “The constitutional conditionality of the very act of promulgating the amending Ordinance also requires judicial determination as no urgency has been spelled out that necessitated its promulgation, instead of a proper amending enactment through the Act of Parliament,” Justice Shah pointed out. In his letter, Justice Shah called for a full court meeting to review the ordinance, stating, “Independence, transparency, and collegiality required the Hon’ble Chief Justice to raise an immediate alarm and concern on the promulgation of the amending Ordinance in the light of the Court’s celebrated pronouncement in Raja Amer.” He warned that any decisions made by the reconstituted committee could undermine the court’s credibility and violate the Full Court Bench’s decision.
Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik appointed new DG ISI ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik has been named the new Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, according to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday. Lt Gen Asim Malik, currently serving as the Adjutant General at General Headquarters (GHQ), will take charge of his new role on September 30, as confirmed by the ISPR. Who is Lt Gen Asim Malik? Lt Gen Malik brings extensive experience to the position. He has previously led the Infantry Division in Balochistan and the Infantry Brigade in Waziristan, two of Pakistan’s key conflict zones. His career is decorated with notable achievements, including receiving the prestigious Sword of Honor during his military training. In addition to his command roles, Lt Gen Malik has held prominent instructional positions. He served as the Chief Instructor at the National Defense University (NDU) and as an instructor at the Command and Staff College in Quetta, both critical institutions for military education in Pakistan. Lt Gen Asim is also a graduate of Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defense Studies in the United Kingdom, further adding to his well-rounded expertise in defense and strategy.
ECP failed to perform its role as a ‘guarantor’ of democratic processes: SC ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court on Monday released its detailed verdict on the July 12 order in the reserved seats case, which had declared the PTI a parliamentary party. The 8-5 majority July order had declared ex-premier Imran Khan’s PTI eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had announced the majority verdict, which was supported by seven other judges: Justices Munib Akhtar, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha A Malik, Athar Minallah, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Shahid Waheed and Irfan Saadat Khan. The case had been heard by a 13-member bench — Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail had penned a minority judgment; Justices
Aminuddin Khan and Naeem Akhtar Afghan in their ruling had rejected the pleas for reserved seats; and Justice Yahya Afridi had also dismissed the Sunni Ittehad Council’s petitions. Despite the 8-5 split, all 13 judges had declared the PTI a parliamentary party as they ruled that out of a list of 80 MNAs, 39 belonged to the PTI while 41 were given the chance to resubmit their party affiliation. The 70-page judgement released today, available on the SC’s website, was authored by Justice Shah, who is set to succeed incumbent CJP Isa as the top judge in October. The verdict states: “When election authorities engage in actions […] such as unlawfully denying the recognition of a major political party and treating its nominated candidates as independents, they not only compromise the rights of these candidates but also significantly infringe upon the rights of the electorate and corrode their own institutional legitimacy.” “The importance of free and fair elec-
tions in a democracy cannot be overstated. The judiciary’s role in ensuring electoral integrity and upholding the will of the people is essential for sustaining public trust in the democratic process,” the order read. The SC asserted that the “court’s power to do ‘complete justice’ is a critical tool in preventing democratic backsliding and protecting democracy effectively”. The eight-judge order also expressed “some doubts about whether the Commission has the power to reject the certificate of intra-party elections submitted by a political party under Section 209, and whether the Commission exercised its discretion under Section 215(5) justly, fairly and reasonably in PTI’s case, adding “fundamental right of citizens to vote for the political party of their choice was at stake”. “Similarly, we have certain reservations about how the matter of intraparty elections — a matter of internal governance of party — can trump the fundamental rights of citi-
zens to vote and of political parties to effectively participate in and contest elections through obtaining a common symbol for their candidates, guaranteed under Articles 17(2) and 19 of the Constitution. “However, since these questions are sub judice in the review petition filed by PTI against this Court’s judgment dated 13 January 2024, we abstain from examining and expressing our definitive view on them,” the verdict said, referring to the SC ruling denying the PTI its party symbol. The verdict stated that Justice Mazhar wished to “make clear that nothing in this paragraph is intended to or will impact upon the hearing of the review petition”. ECP actions In its majority verdict, the SC also observed that the returning officers (ROs) and the ECP’s numerous “unlawful acts and omissions” had “caused confusion and prejudice to PTI, its candidates and the electorate who voted for PTI”.
“PTI’s nominated candidates were wrongly shown independent candidates in the list of contesting candidates (Form 33) by the returning officers and were also wrongly notified as independent returned candidates in the Section-98 notification by the Commission,” the judgment read. It noted that “after the intra-party elections (which were not later accepted by the Commission), Gohar Ali Khan had assumed at least de facto charge of PTI’s functions and affairs as its chairman”. Therefore, the SC said, the “acts performed by him on behalf of PTI” before January 13 — when the court restored the ECP verdict of not letting PTI retain its electoral symbol for the general elections — were “fully valid and effective”. “In the present case, […] the unlawful acts and omissions of the Returning Officers and the Commission, which have caused confusion and prejudice to PTI, its candidates and the electorate who voted for PTI, are numerous,” the order read.