pakistan

PTI in Supreme Court to challenge party symbol verdict

Published

4 months ago

January 4, 2024

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PTI in Supreme Court to challenge party symbol verdict

The PTI moved the Supreme Court on Thursday on the party symbol issue as its chairman Barrister Ali Gohar expressed his confidence to get the “bat” for the February 8 general elections.

It is the Peshawar High Court’s decision of accepting the review petition filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which is now challenged in the country’s top court, after it was deprived of an opportunity to field party candidates in the elections.

The PTI chairman has requested the Supreme Court to fix the matter for hearing tomorrow (Friday) due to the urgent nature of the case.

He told reporters that they wanted a swift action by the Supreme Court as the time period set for the scrutiny of nomination papers, which was to be followed by allotment of party tickets.

WHY THE RUSH?

Earlier on Wednesday, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) accepted the review plea filed by the ECP, restoring the December 22 orders under which the PTI was deprived of “bat”.

Thus, the top provincial court reversed the single-bench’s December 26 verdict, which had suspended the ECP decision till January 9, enabling the PTI to use its party symbol.

The review petition said the ECP was responsible for conducting elections honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law by making necessary arrangements ahead of the polls.

It mentioned that the single-member bench observed that “election is a process which starts with the issuance of the election programme and consists of the various links and stages in that behalf as, filing of nomination papers, their scrutiny, the hearing of objections and the holding of actual polls. If any of these links is challenged it really (is) tantamount to challenging the said process of election.”

“This case implies that where a violation of the standards mentioned in Article 218(3) has not as yet taken place,” it noted, adding that the ECP was legally empowered under Article 218(3) to exercise its powers pre-emptively in order to avoid a violation of these standards.

Moreover, the plea said that the petitioners had sought “interim relief” for the suspension of ECP’s order and, therefore, the court could not grant final relief as an interim relief, which meant that the single-bench judgment was against the law as well as against a Supreme Court verdict issued in 1997.

BAT COULDN’T BE SECURED IN LAHORE AS WELL

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday declared that the petition filed to seek restoration of “bat” as the PTI party symbol was unmaintainable, a day after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) reversed the orders passed by a single member bench.

In its detailed judgment, the LHC said it could not interfere in a matter which was under consideration by the Supreme Court and the Peshawar High Court.

Earlier, as a local lawyer moved the LHC to get the “bat” secured, the single-member bench on Wednesday had reserved its judgment on the issue.

The announcement was made by Justice Jawad Hassan who had earlier stated that the judgment would be delivered today (Tuesday).

“[I] will announce the verdict today [Wednesday]. My decision would be seen as judicial precedent. [Just] wait for it,” Justice Hassan remarked.

During the hearing, the judge noted the Supreme Court had already affirmed that there shouldn’t be any interference in matters related to elections [at the high court level]. The Tehreek-e-Insaf should establish a research wing to file cases after a detailed study, he remarked.

At the same time, the federal government representative opposed the petition, calling it unmaintainable. The petitioner wasn’t an affected party, as the plea had been filed by the lawyer in personal capacity, he added.

Moreover, the law officer said that the federal government wasn’t made a party in the petition while the Supreme Court had clearly warned against interference in election process.

On the other hand, the petitioner, who is a PTI member, argued that the PHC had issued a stay order to cancel the orders passed by the ECP [till Jan 9], meaning that the PTI would have “bat” as party symbol in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but not in Punjab.

The LHC, he pleaded, could issue similar directives for Punjab.

However, the court asked the petitioner to submit written replies to some important questions, which include whether a high court could interfere in the matters already sub-judice with the Supreme Court. The other query was if any party had challenged Section 2015 of the Election Act.

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pakistan

NA Secretariat accepts inclusion of independent members in SIC

Published

18 hours ago

May 2, 2024

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NA Secretariat accepts inclusion of independent members in SIC

he National Assembly Secretariat has accepted the inclusion of independent members (PTI-backed MNAs) in the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Dunya News reported.

The National Assembly Secretariat has released a list of 83 members of Sunni Ittehad Council on its official website after the approval of NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

After the inclusion of independent members, Sunni Ittehad Council has become second largest party in the lower house of the parliament with 83 members.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sent a notification regarding the inclusion of independent members in the SIC to the National Assembly Secretariat.

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pakistan

Pakistan urges UN to reconsider Palestine’s full membership bid amid US veto

Published

18 hours ago

May 2, 2024

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Pakistan urges UN to reconsider Palestine's full membership bid amid US veto

Pakistan has called on the United Nations General Assembly to push the Security Council to reconsider and recommend Palestine’s application for full membership of the UN to rectify the historic injustice against the Palestinian people.

“The admission of the state of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations would constitute a concrete political step towards the two-state solution and towards rectifying the historic injustice against the Palestinian people,” Ambassador Munir Akram said in a meeting sparked by a US veto, which blocked an Algerian resolution on 18 April that would have granted Palestine UN’s membership.

The meeting was necessitated by “the veto initiative” — the informal name for a resolution adopted by the Assembly in April 2022, titled “Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council.”

According to the measure, which was put forth following the repeated wielding of the veto at the Council, blocking action on other situations, the General Assembly has a standing mandate to convene within 10 working days of a veto being cast in the Council.

Palestine is a ‘Permanent Observer State” at the UN, meaning that it can participate in all UN proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies.

In his remarks, the Pakistani envoy said, “The veto cast against Palestine’s admission erodes the credibility of the assurances that have been held out of support for the two-state solution.”

“The diplomacy now underway for peace in Palestine, in Israel and the region would gain considerable momentum if the veto was lifted and Palestine’s admission to the United Nations recommended by the Security Council.”

Ambassador Akram appealed to the United Nations and the international community at large to enforce an immediate ceasefire in Gaza; guarantee unrestricted access to humanitarian aid; prevent further escalation of the conflict; provide international protection for the Palestinians; revive the peace process and hold Israel responsible for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Now, the extremist Israeli leadership is threatening an assault on Rafah which, as the UN Secretary-General has stated, ‘would be an unbearable escalation’, would have a devastating impact on the Palestinians in Gaza, with serious repressions on the occupied West,” he said.

Ambassador Akram highlighted the plight of the Palestinian people over the past seven decades, including the denial of self-determination, expulsion from their homeland, and enduring a prolonged and brutal foreign occupation.

The Pakistani envoy condemned Israel for its recent war crimes in Gaza, which had resulted in the deaths of over 35,000 Palestinian civilians, indiscriminate bombing, and the blockade of humanitarian aid, which the International Court of Justice has deemed as “plausible genocide.”

Ambassador Akram also hit back at the Israeli representative for making wild accusations against Islamic countries.

“Let me tell the Israeli representative that the outlawed Israeli regime cannot divert attention from its crimes by leveling calumny against the Islamic countries,” he said, adding, “Pakistan, unlike Israel, acts in accordance with international law.”

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pakistan

PM Shehbaz saddened by passing of UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed

Published

18 hours ago

May 2, 2024

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PM Shehbaz saddened by passing of UAE's Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences on Thursday following the passing of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, the representative of the ruler of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Al Ain.

“Deeply saddened by the demise of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohamed Al Nahyan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the leadership and people of the UAE during this time of mourning,” the prime minister shared on his X timeline.

He emphasised Sheikh Tahnoun’s significant role in strengthening the bond between Pakistan and the UAE, stating that his contributions would be remembered for years to come.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also offered prayers for the departed soul, asking Allah Almighty to grant Sheikh Tahnoun eternal peace.

Born in 1942, Tahnoun was among the select individuals who had accompanied Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father, since an early age.

In response to his passing, the UAE government declared a seven-day mourning period

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