pakistan
National Assembly passes Pakistan Maritime Zone Bill 2021
The National Assembly on Friday passed the Pakistan Maritime Zones Bill, 2021.
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Ali Zahid on behalf of Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif moved the bill in the House.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill says, Territorial Water Maritime Zone (TWMZ) Act, 1976, as amended in 1997, is currently in force. However, a process of its complete revision was initiated soon after the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) by Pakistan in February, 1997.
Revision to the TWMZ Act, 1976 has been made keeping in mind the provision of national/international maritime and customary laws warranting elaboration of internal waters, rights of innocent passage, safety zones, offshore installations, pollution, dumping, jurisdiction on foreign ships, foreign warships, visit and search, piracy, armed robbery against ships, arrest, trial and punishment etc.
The bill will enable Pakistan to deal with said matters in accordance with the national/international laws and asserts its rights, jurisdiction and sovereignty in sync with internationally accepted provisions.
Meanwhile, two bills including the National Skills University Islamabad (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Quaid-i-Azam Foundation Bill, 2023 were introduced in the National Assembly.
The bills were moved by Ministers Naveed Qamar and Murtaza Javed Abbasi respectively in the House.
Moreover, the House also adopted amendments in the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the National Assembly 2007.
The amendments were moved by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi in the House.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad has discharged 32 individuals arrested in connection with the PTI protests, clearing them of the charges.
The 32 accused were brought before the ATC Islamabad late at night after being sent for an identification parade.
The case was heard by ATC Judge Abulhasnat Zulqarnain, with the accused represented by their lawyer Ansar Kiani.
Although the police had claimed that the arrests were made at the I-9 and Margalla police stations, the accused were brought to the court from Jhelum Jail, which led to the judge expressing displeasure.
During the proceedings, the police argued that the accused were arrested on November 25 and the identification parade had not yet been conducted. The police requested a 30-day physical remand for each of the accused.
However, the defense lawyer opposed the request, stating that there had been no identification parade and the police were seeking remand for recovery purposes.
The lawyer further claimed that the police had picked up laborers from their homes just to meet arrest quotas, involving them in the protest case.
After hearing the arguments, Judge Abulhasnat Zulqarnain ordered the release of the 32 accused by discharging them from the case, removing their handcuffs in the courtroom.
He also warned that if the police re-arrested them, the officers would be handcuffed as well.
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Saturday extended bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser in a case pertaining to vandalism in Sangjani public gathering held by his party on Sept 28.
Justice Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain of the ATC conducted hearing of the case against the former NA speaker.
The petitioner’s lawyer requested exemptionof her client from appearance, citing terminal illness.
The lawyer also attached medical certificate of the former NA speaker.
Later, the court accepted the plea of Qaiser by extending his bail till Jan 7.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Adviser Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif claimed on Saturday that “secret meetings” were being held in the President House to oust Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and bring Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the new PM.
In a statement, the adviser said both father and son (President Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal) were making all the necessary efforts for premiership of the latter, adding that the president was on a secret mission to see his son as the PM.
“Zardari should make his son the PM through fair means instead of stealing the mandate given by the people to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Both Sharifs and Zardaris are enjoying the power through a stolen mandate,” he added.
He reiterated that Zardari should keep it in mind that the PTI would continue its struggle to restore its mandate.
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