pakistan

AGP Shehzad Elahi issues clarification on CJP Bandial’s ‘honest PM’ remark

Published

2 months ago

February 13, 2023

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AGP Shehzad Elahi issues clarification on CJP Bandial's 'honest PM' remark

Attorney General of Pakistan Shehzad Ata Elahi has issued clarification after Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial’s remark about the country’s “honest prime minister” in a case were taken out of context and manipulated on social media.

On Feb 9, the top judge heard a petition of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, challenging amendments to the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance by the coalition government. During the hearing, the chief justice gave positive remarks about former premier Muhammad Khan Junejo. However, the echoes of his remarks were heard during a session of Senate on Feb 10 when PML-N Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui expressed concerns over the remarks.

“The chief justice has called only one prime minister honest who is probably Muhammad Khan Junejo. Who gave him the merit to declare everyone from Liaquat Ali Khan to Imran Khan dishonest,” he said.

The attorney general in a letter to Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said, “It was also inadvertently and erroneously believed without verification by some Hon’ble Parliamentarians who commented critically about the same on 10.02.2023. On 11.02.2023 their views were being reported widely in the national press”.

“On Feb 9, 2023 an incorrect version of certain observations by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan (“HCJP”) made that day during the proceedings of Constitution Petition No. 21/2022 titled ‘Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi v. Federation of Pakistan’ circulated on social media platforms.”

Clarifying that he was present in court room during the proceedings, he said: “Certain observations were made by the HCJP in the context of the non-restoration of the National Assembly by the Supreme Court in 1988 after its dissolution”.

The chief justice mentioned how in 1993 the then CJP had, in the case of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Vs. President of Pakistan, regretted the non-restoration of the National Assembly in 1988.

On the other hand, the social media reported that CJP Bandial had questioned the honesty of the prime ministers of the country.

“As I was personally present in the court during these proceedings, I can confirm to you that no such observation was made. In fact, the HCJP had recalled the regret expressed by the then Chief Justice of Pakistan (Justice Nasim Hassan Shah) in 1993 in the aforementioned case,” reads the letter.

The CJP went on to comment on the then deposed Prime Minister of Pakistan (Mr Muhammad Khan Junejo) being a very good and independent man who was removed though Article 58(2)(b).

The attorney general said the observations of the CJP seemed to have been misconstrued and misstated in the social media as “if in the history of Pakistan only one Prime Minister [Mr. Muhammad Khan Junejo) was honest”.

“However, no remark to this effect was made by the HCJP on 09.02.2023. Nevertheless, an incorrect narrative about the HCJP’s observations was circulated on social media,” he maintained.

AGP Shehzad Ealhi asked the law minister to share the correct facts with parliamentarians for setting the record straight.

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pakistan

Toshakhana case: Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi challenges NAB notices in IHC

Published

11 hours ago

April 1, 2023

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akistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the call-up notices issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a reference regarding Toshakhana gifts.

The former first lady has challenged the notices served on her on March 16 and 17 through her lawyer, Khawaja Harris. She has made the NAB chairman, and additional director of NAB Rawalpindi respondents in the case.

Bushra Bibi had pleaded the court to declare the notices null and void. She also requested the high court to bar the NAB from taking any disciplinary action against her on the basis of the notices. The petitioner asked the court to stop NAB from converting the case inquiry into an investigation.

The development comes after she failed to appear before the anti-graft watchdog to join the inquiry proceedings in the reference.

A notice issued to Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and others in the Toskhana case in February this year states: “The competent authority has taken cognisance of an offence allegedly committed by the accused persons under the provisions of NAO, 1999. In this regard, the inquiry proceedings have revealed that during your tenure in office you retained some state gifts presented to you by various foreign dignitaries including the following luxury items — five Rolex wristwatches; one iPhone presented by Chief of Staff, Qatar Armed Forces, dated 14.11.2018; (No. E67574V3), a pair of cufflinks, one ring; unstitched cloth of pant coat from Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia dated 18.09.2020; Graff gift set containing one Graff wristwatch Master Graff Special Edition Mecca timepiece, one 18K gold and diamond Graff pen and a ring and pair of cufflinks with micro-painting of Mecca.”

“You are therefore requested to join the inquiry proceedings before the Combined Investigation Team (CIT), NAB (Rawalpindi/Islamabad), Civic Centre, G-6, Islamabad,” reads the notice

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pakistan

Govt moves SC to withdraw curative review reference against Justice Isa

Published

11 hours ago

April 1, 2023

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The federal government on Saturday filed a petition in the Supreme Court to withdraw curative review reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The government said it did not want to pursue the case and pleaded the apex court to allow the withdrawal of the petition against the senior judge.

A day earlier, President Dr Arif Alvi approved the withdrawal of the curative review reference and Civil Miscellaneous Application (CMA) against the judge of Justice Isa.

The president gave the approval on the advice of the prime minister in accordance with Article 48 of the Constitution. Dr Alvi also signed his power of attorney in favour of Advocate Supreme Court Anees Ahmed Shehzad.

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pakistan

‘Only three’ died in pursuit of free flour in Punjab, clarifies Punjab gov spox

Published

11 hours ago

April 1, 2023

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Punjab caretaker information minister Amir Mir on Saturday said PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry’s claims of 20 deaths in pursuit of free flour across the province were ridiculous.

He clarified that “only three” people died in a stampede while four others suffered a cardiac arrest adding that two of them died in the hospital while the remaining breathed their last in their homes.

He said Mr Chaudhry’s false claims won’t get the air adding that he should refrain from telling lies in the holy month of Ramadan at least. “PTI leaders compete with each other in lies”, he added. People of Pakistan, he said, were aware of the difference between truth and lies and it was not possible for people like Fawad to misguide them.

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