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...