News ki dunya

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: A day after most of its nominees failed to clear the scrutiny of nomination papers filed for the 2024 general elections, the PTI has decided to move election tribunals on Monday (today) to contest the rejection of nomination papers of scores of its candidates, including party founder Imran Khan. Party’s Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan told Dawn all rejected nomination papers would be challenged. Mr Hasan said that as per the rules, the rejection of nomination papers would initially be challenged in the tribunals and then other options would be explored. Similarly, PTI Central Punjab Additional General Secretary Sardar Azeemullah Khan told Dawn the party had asked all candidates to file appeals against ROs’ decisions. He added that some candidates would be filing appeals with the appellate tribunals through private lawyers, while others would be offered party’s help. “The candidates have collected the certified copies of ‘rejection decisions’ from re

QUETTA: In a move to empower women within the police force in Balochistan, a women police station has been inaugurated in Sibi town. The initiative aims to provide female complainants with the opportunity to address their issues with women police officials. The establishment of the women’s police station in Sibi marks the fifth of its kind in Balochistan. Previously, women police stations were set up in Quetta, Gwadar, Turbat and Sohbatpur. IGP Balochistan Abdul Khaliq Sheikh emphasised the importance of increasing the representation of women in the police force and the establishment of more women police stations in the province. He highlighted that beyond the numerical aspect empowering women within the force is crucial. Published in Dawn, january 1st, 2024 http://dlvr.it/T0q5hY

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Saturday announced extending winter vacation in all public and private educational institutions of the province till Jan 9. Both school and higher education departments had issued the notifications of extension to winter vacation in all public and private schools, colleges and universities of the province. The government had taken the decision in view of the prevailing cold weather. School Education Minister Mansoor Qadir confirmed the extension to holidays. The higher education department (HED) has also notified the extension to winter vacation. According to the notification, all colleges (public and private) shall re-open on Wednesday (Jan 10, 2024) resuming full/normal week for all classes. The BS four-year programmes, however, shall continue to function. Furthermore, all examinations shall be held as per the notified schedules of boards and universities. Earlier, the provincial government had announced the winter vacation from Dec 18

LAHORE: The Punjab government, tourism, archaeology and museums department along with its attached departments is taking steps by launching an online portal tailored for Sikh pilgrims, streamlining booking and digital payments for global tourists. This marks a significant milestone in easing access for tourists visiting the country. The government’s dedication is evident in planning guided tours for international Sikhs across Punjab’s historical landmarks. The proposal to establish a Sikh resort in Kartarpur and the creation of an online booking portal for Sikh visitors from other countries demonstrate Pakistan’s inclusivity and commitment to facilitating diverse tourists. TDCP’s proactive measures extend to enabling online bookings for Patriata and sightseeing buses, leveraging technology to enhance the tourist experience. Under the World Bank-funded project Punjab Tourism for Economic Growth (PTEGP), 10 golf carts are operational at various sites, amplifying convenience for

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday directed the police to recover the allegedly abducted brother of former PTI leader Usman Dar within 24 hours. Usman Dar filed a habeas corpus petition against the alleged illegal detention of his brother, Umar Dar, by law enforcement agencies. At the outset of the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel urged the court to immediately summon the CCPO Lahore. He stated that the petitioner’s broth­­er had gone to a private hotel for dinner the previous night. The counsel alleged that more than 40 individuals in police uniform abducted the petitioner’s brother from the hotel. He further mentioned that the mother of the abducted man was contesting elections against Khwaja Muhammad Asif of PML-N from Sialkot, claiming that the petitioner’s family was being targeted on political grounds. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi asked the petitioner’s cou­nsel if the CCTV footage of the alleged abduction incident was recorded. The lawyer responded that

• Nominations of Imran, Qureshi, other bigwigs rejected; party cries foul; tribunals to decide appeals till Jan 10 • GDA leaders Zulfiqar, Fahmida Mirza; Akhtar Mengal, Sheikh Rashid, Alvi’s son, Ayaz Amir face rejection • Nawaz, Shehbaz, Bilawal, Achakzai, Maryam, Khattak, Fazl, Siddiqui, Tareen, Awan, Siraj among those cleared ISLAMABAD: In the initial phase of elections slated for Feb 8, the top leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and its allies has been knocked out of the polls race, as almost “90 per cent of nominations from important leaders” failed to stand the scrutiny exercise ended on Saturday. Despite their failure to clear scrutiny at the initial stage, the PTI candidates have till Jan 3 to approach an appellate tribunal against the decision of the respective returning officer. The tribunals can adjudicate on these appeals till Jan 10. Most of the candidates whose papers were rejected belong to PTI, which has fallen out of favour and is f

QUETTA: South Asian Partnership (SAP) and Aurat Foundation have asserted that considering population statistics, the proportion of reserved seats for women should be increased in all elected assemblies and local bodies. They emphasised that this increase should be implemented immediately through a constitutional amendment, raising it to 33 per cent. Shahida Kakar, representative of SAP, along with Yasmeen Mughal, Alauddin Khilji, and Shugufta Khan of Aurat Foundation, stated this during a joint press conference on Saturday. Ms Kakar, while referring to the lists issued by political parties, said it shows that once again, active women workers, trans­g­ender individuals, and pers­ons with disabilities have been neglected. She criticised the practice by political parties of nominating women from influential families only. Highlighting the issue, she added: “Only 11pc of women candidates have been nominated for election on general seats of national and provincial assemb

-Dawn LAKKI MARWAT: Suspected militants torched a government higher secondary school for girls in Kotka Mambati Barakzai area of Bannu on Thursday night. A police official said the school was located in Miryan tehsil. He added the attackers set the science lab and equipment dumped there on fire. The official said the laboratory and staffroom along with furniture and other objects were destroyed. He added the militants also took away the solar power system and other goods with them, leaving behind a note affixed to the school gate, warning of dire consequences if it was opened. Schools in the area are closed for winter vacation. It is the first school having been set ablaze in the district since the surge in militant attacks when a ceasefire between the government and outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended last year. Following the incident, the police reached the school and collected evidence from the site, the official said, adding investigations were underway to

ISLAMABAD: The returning officers (ROs) will decide whether to approve or reject nomination papers on Saturday (today). The ROs have so far scrutinised the nomination papers of 157 candidates contesting the upcoming elections for three National Assembly seats from Islamabad. According to District Returning Officer Irfan Nawz Memon, the ROs scrutinised the papers of the 157 candidates so far submitted for NA-46, NA-47 and NA-48 constituencies since Wednesday. The remaining nomination papers of the candidates will be scrutinised on Saturday (today), Mr Memon added. Papers of 126 candidates vying for three seats in Taxila accepted Taxila Nomination papers of 126 candidates for three constituencies of Taxila including one national and two provincial assembly seats were accepted on Friday. As many as 39 nomination papers were accepted by the Returning Officer in Taxila for one seat of the National Assembly NA-54, Rawalpindi-III. Prominent among them heavyweights li

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was adjourned to meet again on Monday in around five minutes after commencement, without transacting any business. The reason was once again lack of quorum or in other words lack of interest in the proceedings by members of the House. As the session of the House resumed after a two-day break immediately after the recitation from the Holy Quran, lack of quorum was pointed out by Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q, forcing the chair to adjourn the House till Monday afternoon. PPP Senator Rubina Khalid presided over the brief sitting. After the quorum was pointed out, the count was made and the House was found not in order. Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo of the National Party after the recitation of the Holy Quran, interjected the chair to allow him to take the floor to discuss the matter of Balochistan rights’ activists. However, due to the lack of quorum, he was not allowed to proceed. Presiding Officer Senator Rubina Khalid of PPP asked the Senator to remain

• IHC judge says creating hurdles to meetings over party tickets brings caretaker govt’s ‘impartiality’ into question • Says deliberations on award of tickets is basic right; huddles to be held under jail superintendent’s watch • Gohar assails rivals over remarks on PHC ruling, asks them to respect judiciary By and ISLAMABAD: Allowing erstwhile PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and others to hold talks with party founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail about award of PTI tickets to aspirants for the Feb 8 elections, an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge observed that creating impediments to such meetings raised questions about the impartiality of the caretaker government. Hearing a petition filed by Barrister Gohar through advocate Shuaib Shaeen, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked on Friday that the caretaker government should remain neutral and should not take such steps that would derail the election process. During the course of arguments, the court was inform

ویب ڈیسک: لیڈی ریڈنگ ہسپتال میں سال 2023 کے دوران 19 لاکھ مریضوں کا علاج کیاگیا ،صوبے کے سب سے بڑے ہسپتال کی ایمرجنسی میں بچوں اور عورتوں سمیت تقریباً 11لاکھ مریضوں کامفت علاج کیا گیا اور ڈیڑھ لاکھ چھوٹے مزید پڑھیں The post 2023 ، لیڈی ریڈنگ ہسپتال میں 19 لاکھ مریضوں کا علاج کیاگیا appeared first on Mashriq TV. http://dlvr.it/T0lzxd

LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Sirajul Haq says there is no difference between the PML-N, the PPP and the PTI as these former ruling parties are essentially two sides of the same coin. Speaking at a press conference at Mansoora on Thursday, he said many so-called leaders who were a part of these parties were opportunistic and turncoats who aligned themselves with whichever party was poised to come into power. Haq, alongside JI Secretary General Amirul Azim, also launched the JI election symbol ‘scale’. The JI emir announced that his party had fielded 222 candidates for the National Assembly and 520 for provincial assembly seats, urging the public to vote for the JI candidates to bring about real change. Party fields 222 candidates for NA, 520 for PA seats He said the political workers had no place in the so-called mainstream parties, which tended to favour their relatives in distribution of party tickets. Despite frequently coming to power, he contended, the m

SUKKUR: PPP Chair­man Bilawal-Bhutto Zard­ari defended his promise of abolishing 17 “redundant” federal ministries to cut costs if his party came to power and stres­sed the need for development in various sectors beyond just constructing metros and motorways. Addressing a press conference in Sukkur a day after PPP’s rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, he said the Rs300 billion being spent “unnecessarily” on these ministries could be used to facilitate people with low incomes. He said the “massive participation” of workers in the PPP’s public gathering on Wednesday had proved the widespread support enjoyed by the party. The party launched its poll campaign from Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on the oc­­casion of former premier Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary. Mr Bhutto-Zardari also announced a 10-point election manifesto, emphasising the formation of a “pro-people” government after the Feb 8 elections. In Sukkur, Mr Bhutto-Zardari told reporters that the PPP government in Sindh had take

LAHORE: The nomination papers of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for Mansehra’s NA-15 constituency were reportedly approved by the respective returning officer on Thursday, whereas separate decisions were reserved on objections to the nomination papers of PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and ex-premier Imran Khan in Lahore. In NA-15, objections were moved against Nawaz Sharif by PTI leader Azam Swati through his representative Shahid Rafiq, a local party leader. The papers, however, were initially cleared by the RO after she rejected the objections. The PTI leader argued that the PML-N supreme leader had been disqualified for life by the Supreme Court and added the RO was not authorised to approve the nomination papers. But Mr Sharif was cleared. In Lahore’s NA-122 constituency, the nomination papers of ex-PM Imran Khan were contested on grounds of his punishment in the Toshakhana case. The objector said the court had only suspended the sentence, not the conviction handed o

RAWALPINDI: An inquiry has been launched against the police officials on the federal government’s order to the chief secretary and IGP Punjab to take disciplinary action against those found responsible following a complaint by the Afghan Embassy that some Afghans, who are living in Pakistan legally, faced harassment in which a child also allegedly lost his life. The complaint was lodged during a meeting held between the Afghan Embassy officials and Pakistani authorities in Islamabad earlier this month. During the meeting, the Afghan officials claimed that two Afghan nationals — Yaseen and Muhammad Ala, who are holders of Proof of Registration (PoR) for Afghan Refugees card — were harassed and threatened by an official of Civil Lines police station Rawalpindi and money was demanded from them. They added that an Afghan child Abdul Rahman, who was also holder of a PoR card and a resident of Lala Musa, died allegedly from torture by several people when he was collecting from th

ISLAMABAD : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that it was technology progressive organisation and has accomplished more than two dozen technological initiatives since 2020. However, the voters’ list have not been uploaded on the website or mobile apps of the commission due to its international standards of data security and individual privacy as well as compliance with Section 195 of the Elections Act, 2017. The ECP has said that there have been incidents of website hacking, such as during the United States Presidential election in 2016 and subsequent election events in French election and German parliamentary election underscore the vulnerability of online platforms to cyber threats. The cautious approach of the ECP aligns with latest global best practices, preserving public trust in the integrity of electoral systems. The ECP has also added that a huge amount was required for web security to protect website from hackers. The ECP said that placing

ISLAMABAD: A judge of Islamabad High Court (IHC) expressed displeasure over the discriminatory treatment of police against the Baloch protesters and directed them to complete the identification parade of 34 detained protesters. On the other hand, lawyers expressed solidarity with the Baloch demonstrators and asked the government to release the protesters and accept their demands. During the hearing of a petition seeking the release of Baloch protesters and permitting them to stage a protest in the capital, IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb pointed out discriminatory treatment meted out to protesters. The petition was filed by Sammi Deen Baloch and Abdul Salam. During the hearing of the petition, Justice Aurangzeb inquired from the senior superintendent of police (SSP) if he was ordered to deal with protesters in a stern manner. High court asks police not to discriminate against Baloch long march participants; bar councils stand in solidarity with protesters Th

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has launched ‘GHAR (Green Housing Affordable Resilient), an initiative aimed at enhancing the technical capacity of government institutions and renowned academia to design, construct, and manage climate-resilient housing. UNOPS Pakistan, in partnership with the provincial governments of Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP), would carry out this initiative through research and development, interactive dialogue between institutes and academia, training, and communication on passive techniques for improving building performance. There are three components to UNOPS Pakistan’s work on climate-resilient housing: communication, training, and demonstration strategies. All these components are required to achieve progress in the implementation of green building codes for climate-resilient, sustainable, and inclusive housing, UNOPS announced on Wednesday. Pakistan has been experiencing rapid urbanisation and

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Invites professionals, experts, citizens to contribute ideas for party’s 2024 election manifesto http://dlvr.it/T0gT48

Kakar directs relevant authorities to formulate policies aimed at enticing global IT professionals http://dlvr.it/T0gSvY

ISLAMABAD: As Baloch protesters remain encamped outside the National Press Club to press authorities for the acceptance of their demands, some unidentified armed men on Monday night barged into the camp – right under the nose of the police – and took away the sound system used by the demonstrators. Despite denial of any involvement or knowledge of the incident by the relevant authorities, including the Islamabad police and the ICT administration, social media was flooded with footage of plain-clothed people escaping the camp with the sound system in a white double-cabin vehicle. The footage by the participants of the camp was uploaded at around 3:30am. In the morning, Dr Mahrang Baloch narrated to the media that at midnight, while the women and children were asleep, some masked men arrived at the camp in a white vehicle, armed with guns. “They harassed the people at the sit-in camp and stole the speaker and fled,” she said and added that all this was happening in the presence of

ISLAMABAD: Despite the directive of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Inspector General of Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon are likely to stay on their posts at least for the time being as the Establishment Division has not even started the process to transfer them. The secretary Establishment Division informed the ECP that owing to the prevailing law and order situation the interior ministry wanted to retain both the officers on their respective offices. Mr Khan was appointed as IGP Islamabad in May 2022 by the then PML-N-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government. In October, the ECP had asked the interior ministry to transfer the officers after different political parties filed complaints against them fearing they may influence the outcome of the upcoming elections. Initially, the interior ministry had given a nod to the Establishment Division for the transfer of the two officers. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul

ISLAMABAD: The Isla­m­abad High Court (IHC) is likely to rule this week on the legality of in-camera pro­ceedings in the cipher case involving former pri­me minister Imran Khan. IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will resume hearing of a petition filed by Mr Khan against the decision of the Special Court (Official Secrets Act) to hold closed-door proceedings of the cipher case at Adiala Jail. Justice Aurangzeb was heading a division bench that had earlier issued a detailed order, scrapping the cipher trial and linking the open proceedings of the court with transpare­ncy, impartiality and ind­e­p­endence of the judiciary. In a judgement issued by the IHC on Dec 19, the co­urt had stressed that “pub­lic trial ensures imp­artial administration of justice”. The judgement explai­ned the reasons for scrapping the earlier round of pro­ceedings of the Special Court (Official Secrets Act) due to lack of transparency and openness and linked the open court proceedings with

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal government on Monday claimed to have released about 290 Baloch demonstrators held in the wake of a crackdown on a long march organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. The claim was contested by the organisers of the protest, who said the authorities released about 130 protesters on Sunday night, but not a single person was released on Monday as claimed by the government. In a statement on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), the interior ministry said the decision to release the protesters was taken in light of the negotiations held between the Baloch demonstrators and a cabinet committee, and a court verdict. In its statement issued, the interior ministry “confirmed the release of all the 290 detained protesters” and made it clear that while peaceful protests were the right of every citizen, no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands. It said that the security of the Red Zone would be ensured. The special help centre set

LAHORE: The PML-N leadership’s decision to nominate women, either from influential families or the upper echelons of society, on reserved seats has sparked disquiet among the ranks of the party’s loyal women workers, who are questioning the criteria of the selection process. The party’s old guard has also expressed dissatisfaction, particularly over the preference given to PTI turncoats, leading to a broader debate on the party’s values and its commitment to its long-standing members. The Sharifs have picked Mussarat Asif, wife of former defence minister Khawaja Asif, and his niece Shaza Khawaja; and Zeb Jaffar, daughter of former PML-N senator Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal and niece of PCB interim head Zaka Ashraf, for National Assembly reserved seats. Mr Iqbal’s wife Ishrat Ashraf has also been a top pick for a reserved Punjab Assembly seat. Similarly, PML-N information secretary and former federal minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has been nominated for reserved seats of both the nationa

• Scrutiny of paperwork to continue till 30th; rules bar returning officers from asking ‘irrelevant’ questions • ROs bound to give candidates, representatives ‘reasonable’ opportunity to examine all nomination papers Irfan Khan / ECP data ISLAMABAD: As many as 28,626 candidates have submitted their nomination papers for 1,085 general and reserved seats of the national and provincial assemblies across the country for polls to be held on February 8. According to details shared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), at least 7,713 candidates, including 471 women, submitted their nominations to contest the upcoming elections on 266 general seats of the National Assembly. In Punjab, 3,871 candidates, including 277 women, filed nomination papers for 141 NA seats, while 1,681 candidates, inc­luding 110 women, submitted nominations for 61 NA seats in Sindh. As many as 1,322 candidates, including 39 women, are in the run for 45 general seats in the National Ass­em

KARACHI: In a major development, two mainstream parties of Barelvi school of thought — the Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Pakistan Sunni Tehreek — on Monday joined hands to contest the Feb 8 general election from one platform. Announcing the alliance at the TLP’s Rizvi House headquarters, leaders of the two parties also appealed to other parties of the same school of thought to join them to defeat what they called “secular forces”. According to the deal, the Sunni Tehreek (ST) would contest on one National Assembly and two Sindh Assembly seats in Karachi on TLP electoral symbol ‘Crane’. “We are so thankful to the Almighty that we [TLP and ST] have mutually and unconditionally agreed to contest the upcoming elections together as one party in Karachi,” said TLP leader Mufti Qasim Fakhri. Crane will be the electoral symbol of ST candidates, says Mufti Qasim Accompanied by Sahibzada Bilal Abbass Qadri of the ST, he said: “The ST will contest election on PS-91 &am

The caretaker government on Monday claimed that 290 Baloch protesters — who were arrested during a demonstration in Islamabad against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings — had been released from jail and police custody. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the interior ministry said the decision was taken in light of the negotiations held between the Baloch demonstrators and a cabinet committee. The Baloch protest march — which started in Turbat on December 6 after the alleged extrajudicial killing of a Baloch youth by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel — had reached the federal capital last week. However, they were met with brutal force and more than 200 protesters were taken into custody by the Islamabad police. In light of the crackdown, the march led by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) had converted into a sit-in outside the National Press Club. On Saturday, the BYC had given a three-day ultimatum to the government to quash