pakistan

IHC bars authorities from arresting Imaan before informing court

Published

9 months ago

September 4, 2023

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IHC bars authorities from arresting Imaan before informing court

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has barred authorities from arresting human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir in any case before informing it.

The order was issued by Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb while hearing petition of Imaan on Monday.

Imaan and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested last month and criminal cases were registered against them by Tarnol police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station.

On August 28, Imaan was granted bail in the sedition case but was re-arrested within hours by the Islamabad police in connection with a freshly filed terror case. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) had remanded her in police custody for three days.

On August 30, the IHC barred police from arresting Imaan in any case registered after August 20 — when she was first arrested. On September 2, she was granted bail in the terror case and was released.

At the outset of hearing today, Justice Aurangzeb took up Imaan’s plea seeking the details of the FIRs registered against her and protective bail. The plea was filed last week.

Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munawar Iqbal Dogal informed the court that after the previous hearing, he had written to the provinces seeking the details of the cases against Imaan, as well as communicated the same over fax and WhatsApp.

“The petitioner should not make such statements,” the AAG added, referring to Imaan’s speech during the PTM rally.

At this, Justice Aurangzeb said, “We are disposing of the case. If there is any [new] FIR, then you will inform the court.”

Iman was granted bail in the case registered by Bahara Kahu police station on Saturday.

In the plea filed last week, Imaan had sought “protective omnibus bail” to allow her to approach the relevant court for “bail before arrest and take part in the investigation”.

The plea made the state, the Islamabad inspector general, city senior superintendent of police, Adiala Jail superintendent and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) respondents in the case.

She requested the IHC to direct the respondents not to “arrest, harass or restrict” her liberty and take any adverse measure for a period determined by the IHC. She also requested the court to direct the respondents to provide details of all cases registered against her in Islamabad and the rest of the country.

The petitioner submitted that she feared that she might be arrested in any other case because unknown number of FIRs might have registered against her.

It stated that police had “mechanically arrested and re-arrested Ms Hazir without ascertaining if her detention serves any purpose to furthering the investigation, especially where two courts have already granted her bail.”

The plea also recalled a previous verdict wherein, it said, the court had ruled that “no separate FIR is to be recorded for any new version of the same incident”.

The petition noted: “This is precisely the situation that Ms Hazir faces whereby like clockwork, a new FIR, which was unbeknownst till such time, surfaces and prompts the police into arresting her.”

It also claimed that on August 20, when Imaan was presented before a judicial magistrate, he had struck down Section 395 (punishment for dacoity) from one of the two initial FIRs registered against her, “noting that the contents of the FIR do not constitute the said offence”.

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pakistan

KP CM Gandapur’s interim bail extended till May 28 in arson attack case

Published

12 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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KP CM Gandapur's interim bail extended till May 28 in arson attack case

A district and sessions court of Rawalpindi on Saturday extended the interim bail of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur till May 28.

The additional district and sessions judge conducted hearing of interim bail plea for Ali Amin Gandapur in a case of arson and meddling government affairs. Advocate Muhammad Faisal Malik appeared on behalf of the KP chief minister.

During the hearing, a request was submitted by KP CM Gandapur for exemption from attending court proceedings which was accepted by the court.

Gandapur had made the request due to his official engagement in government affairs. Later, the additional district and sessions judge extended the interim bail of CM Gandapur till May 28.

It should be remembered that a case was registered against Gandapur in Nasirabad police station.

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pakistan

CM Maryam directs measures for land record digitalisation

Published

12 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has issued directives to implement concrete measures for the digitalization of land records across the province.

Presided over a crucial session focused on Board of Revenue reforms, CM Nawaz received a comprehensive briefing on the Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement (PULSE) project.

During the session, officials from the Punjab Land Record Authority and Management of State Land provided insights into the project’s business plan and execution strategies.

The digitalization of land records under the PULSE project is being undertaken with the support of the World Bank.

This ambitious initiative aims to digitize all land records in Punjab on an owner-based system, marking a significant step towards transparency and efficiency in revenue management.

Key highlights from the briefing include the categorization of land properties into clear, and disputed categories, denoted by green, yellow, and red respectively.

Each buyer will be assigned a unique property number, streamlining legal processes and reducing complications associated with property transactions.

The implementation of a transparent partition of land and parcel document system will enhance the transparency and fairness of revenue management.

The digitalization process will also simplify the Record of Rights (Fard) and property transfer system, ensuring accessibility and efficiency for citizens.

In a move to facilitate overseas Pakistanis, the government plans to introduce services such as overseas property transfer, mutation, registration, and e-survey.

CM Maryam Nawaz has underscored the importance of swift action and collaboration among relevant departments to expedite the digitalization of land records.

Provincial Information Minister Azma Bukhari, MPA Sania Ashiq, chief secretary, P&D chairman, SMU head and other officials attended the session.

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pakistan

PM directs envoy to extend all possible help to Pakistani students

Published

12 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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PM directs envoy to extend all possible help to Pakistani students

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the Pakistani ambassador in Bishkek to provide all possible help to Pakistani students.

Prime Minister Sharif contacted the Pakistani Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hassan Ali Zaigham by telephone and directed to provide all kind of support and assistance to the Pakistani students. He also ordered the Pakistani ambassador to visit the hostels and meet the students.

On this occasion, the Pakistani ambassador informed the prime minister about the current situation in Bishkek and said no Pakistani was killed in the incident.

He said the embassy was assisting the wounded students. The prime minister emphasised to keep in constant touch with the parents of the students and provide them timely information.

PM Sharif directed that all kinds of medical facilities should be provided to the injured students, and arrangements should be made for immediate return of the injured students who were willing to return to Pakistan.

Government of Pakistan will bear the cost of return of students. The prime minister said he was personally monitoring the situation in Kyrgyzstan.

“We will not leave our students alone in this situation. Our government is also in touch with the government of Kyrgyzstan,” said the prime minister.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep concern over the attacks on students from Pakistan and other countries in Kyrgyzstan. He directed the Pakistani ambassador in Bishkek to provide all possible help to the Pakistani students.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the Pakistani Embassy had provided emergency numbers and was continuously monitoring the situation.

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