Category: Pakistan

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad has handed down double life sentences to YouTuber Adil Raja, former army official Syed Akbar Hussain, and journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada, Shaheen Sehbai, and Haider Mehdi. The sentences were announced by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra in cases regarding “digital terrorism” against state institutions during May 9, 2023. The prosecution, represented by Raja Naveed Hussain Kiani, presented 24 witnesses before the court. On request of the prosecution, the trial was concluded in the absence of the accused, who were represented…

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Religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, who was recently imprisoned in Adiala Jail before being granted bail in a high-profile blasphemy case, has shared details about the conduct and daily routine of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan behind bars. Speaking to a private television channel, Mirza said Khan does not enjoy “palace-like” facilities in jail but does have access to news from the outside world. He said the former prime minister is provided with two newspapers and an LED television in his room, allowing him to stay updated. Mirza…

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar departed for Beijing to co-chair, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the seventh Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue. The event is to be held on January 4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stated that Dar is the first foreign dignitary to visit China in 2026, at Yi’s invitation. The post goes on to read that “the dialogue will review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation, identify new areas of partnership, and further advance…

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LAHORE: Lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches in the Punjab Assembly have agreed on the need for an impartial inquiry into the entry of unidentified individuals at the time of the arrival of the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on the premises. However, none could clarify under whose directions the individuals had entered the building, allegedly leading to hooliganism. During the assembly session on Tuesday, the opposition also formally demanded an inquiry, maintaining that transparency is in the interest of all stakeholders. At the same time, treasury members condemned…

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LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has inaugurated three digital systems for management of Punjab’s judicial system. Addressing the ceremony, CJ Aalia Neelum said the traditional financial system is being replaced by modern technology for the first time in the 150-year history of the provincial judiciary. She said the primary goal of these systems is to minimise human intervention, eliminate the risk of fraud and restore public confidence in the judicial process. According to a statement, the Civil Courts Accounts Management System introduces a shift in how…

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ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday flagged massive financial irregularities involving the National Highway Authority (NHA), revealing that Rs26.4 billion in toll tax dues remain unpaid while another Rs16 billion could not be recovered from overloaded trucks, causing significant losses to the national exchequer. The PAC meeting, chaired by Moeen Amir Pirzada, reviewed audit objections pertaining to the Ministry of Communications for the financial year 2023-24. National Highway Authority audits During the session, the committee held a detailed discussion on 15 audit objections related to the NHA. Audit…

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LAHORE: An election tribunal has upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification declaring Nawaz Sharif the winner in Lahore’s NA-130, dismissing a challenge filed by PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid. The decision ends Dr Yasmin’s bid to overturn Sharif’s victory in the February 2024 general election from the constituency, also known as NA-130 (Lahore-XIV). The tribunal, headed by Judge Rana Zahid Mahmood, rejected Dr Yasmin’s petition on technical grounds. The ruling means the official result notified by the ECP will remain in force. According to the published results of…

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ISLAMABAD: As the curtain falls on 2025, the year is increasingly being seen by legal experts as one of the bleakest for judicial independence, following the passage of the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments and the steady consolidation of executive dominance over the superior judiciary. Throughout the year, the executive remained firmly in the driving seat, prompting many observers to term 2025 a complete disaster for the judiciary. Early hopes that the courts might push back and restore institutional balance gradually faded as a series of judicial and constitutional developments…

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KARACHI: The Sindh High Court Bar Association has strongly condemned the registration of an FIR against Advocate Abdul Fattah Chandio, Advocate Riaz Ali Solangi, and 15 other lawyers, terming it a misuse of legal process for allegedly attacking YouTuber Rajab Butt. The association noted that the case was filed on the request of a lawyer from outside Sindh without following proper procedure, which should have been routed through the Sindh Bar Council. It stressed that filing an FIR against fellow lawyers at the behest of a client is inappropriate and…

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RAWALPINDI: The beleaguered PTI appears divided on how to respond to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of talks, with the party chairman adopting a conciliatory tone and the secretary-general laying down preconditions. On Tuesday, the PTI leaders and Imran Khan’s family members were once again denied permission to meet the incarcerated PTI founder at Adiala Jail — leading to a sot-in protest. Talking to reporters, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said not only outsiders but also “people from within” were complicit in forcing them to “beg” authorities for a meeting…

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