Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • Muzaffarabad court sacks Azad Kashmir PM in contempt of court case


Muzaffarabad court sacks Azad Kashmir PM in contempt of court case

Police escort Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, center, the premier of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as he arrives to appear in a court, in Muzaffarabad, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, on April 11, 2023. (AP)
Short Url

https://arab.news/85f5u

Updated 11 April 2023
Follow

Muzaffarabad court sacks Azad Kashmir PM in contempt of court case

  • Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was accused of making derogatory remarks against judges
  • AJK is a disputed region between India and Pakistan, with the latter part of the Kashmir region governed by Pakistan
Updated 11 April 2023
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A full bench of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court dismissed Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas on Tuesday after finding him guilty of contempt of court, making him the first AJK premier in history to be dismissed for the offense. 

AJK is administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entity and constitutes the western portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947. 

The Muzaffarabad high court and supreme court on Monday separately issued notices to Ilyas, asking him to appear before the court and explain his “highly derogatory and indecent language” in public meetings and speeches against judges over the past few months. The notice also accused him of threatening judges. 

According to local media, at a function in Islamabad on Saturday, Ilyas indirectly blamed the judiciary for affecting the performance of his government and interfering in the domain of the executive through the grant of stay orders. 

Ilyas was indicted for contempt of court today, Tuesday, during his appearance before the high court. After charges were formally framed against him, Ilyas tendered an unconditional apology to the court, Pakistani news channel Geo News reported. 

“I apologize unconditionally if any of my words hurt the judge,” Ilyas said, according to Pakistani news channel Geo News. The court sentenced him till the rising of the court, rendering him disqualified from the legislative assembly. 

Ilyas, a member of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was elected 14th prime minister of Azad Kashmir on April 18, 2022 unopposed. Former PM Khan nominated Ilyas as the party’s candidate for prime minister after his predecessor, Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi, resigned. 

In January 2012, Pakistan’s former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani was dismissed by the country’s then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in a judgment that was deemed controversial by political and legal experts. The top judge found Gillani guilty of contempt of court for refusing to comply with a court order to reopen dormant fraud investigations against then president Asif Ali Zardari.

Topics: PM Azad Kashmir contempt of court case

Israel’s unchecked nuclear capability will have ‘catastrophic consequences,’ Pakistan warns West

Updated 7 sec ago
Follow

Israel’s unchecked nuclear capability will have ‘catastrophic consequences,’ Pakistan warns West

  • Analysts warn Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear weapons could encourage it to take more aggressive steps
  • Tensions have surged in the Middle East following Israel’s June 13 “Operation Rising Lion” aerial offensive on Iran
Updated 7 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja M. Asif on Sunday warned Western governments that their support for Israel risked unleashing “catastrophic consequences,” citing concerns over Israel’s nuclear capabilities and regional aggression.

Tensions have surged in the Middle East following Israel’s June 13 “Operation Rising Lion” aerial offensive targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, reportedly killing more than 130 people, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone barrages on Israeli cities, sparking concerns of a wider conflict. 

Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons but maintains a policy of ambiguity and is not a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The 1970 accord is aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, promoting disarmament, and ensuring peaceful use of nuclear technology. Pakistan is also not a signatory to the NPT but frequently underscores its commitment to nuclear safety and non-proliferation principles through other international frameworks.

Analysts warn that in the current volatile situation, Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear weapons could encourage it to take more aggressive steps, increasing the risk that the conflict could spread across the region or even spark a wider international crisis.

“World should be wary and apprehensive about Israel’s nuclear prowess, a country not bound by any international nuclear discipline,” Asif said in a post on social media platform X. “It is not signatory to NPT or any other binding arrangement.”

The minister contrasted Israel’s position with Pakistan’s, stating that Islamabad was a signatory to “all international nuclear disciplines” and maintained a nuclear program solely for “the benefit of our people and defense of our country against hostile designs.”

“We do not pursue hegemonic policies against our neighbors,” Asif added, accusing Israel of doing just that through its military actions. 

“Western world must worry about conflicts being generated by Israel. It will engulf the whole region and beyond. Their patronage of Israel, a rogue state, can have catastrophic consequences.”

The Pakistani minister’s comments come amid growing international concern over the humanitarian toll of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, as well as fears that the conflict could expand regionally following tensions with Iran and Hezbollah.

There was no immediate response from Israeli or Western officials to Asif’s remarks.

Topics: Operation Rising Lion Defense Minister Khawaja Asif Israel Iran conflict

Pakistan hikes petrol, diesel prices in fortnightly review

Updated 13 min 18 sec ago
ISMAIL DILAWAR 
Follow

Pakistan hikes petrol, diesel prices in fortnightly review

  • Government sets petrol at Rs258.43 per liter, up from Rs253.63
  • High-speed diesel will cost Rs262.59 per liter, up from Rs254.64
Updated 13 min 18 sec ago
ISMAIL DILAWAR 

KARACHI: Pakistan’s government has increased fuel prices, raising the rate of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs7.95 per liter and petrol by Rs4.80 per liter effective from today, Monday, an official notification from the finance division said. 

The notification set the price of petrol at Rs258.43 per liter, up from Rs253.63, while high-speed diesel will cost Rs262.59 per liter, up from Rs254.64.

The revision is based on “recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and relevant ministries,” the finance division saiad. 

The government did not provide a specific explanation for the hike.

Fuel prices in Pakistan are generally influenced by global oil market trends, currency fluctuations, and changes in domestic taxes.

Fuel costs are revised every two weeks and have a direct impact on inflation. Rising fuel prices increase production and transportation costs, leading to higher prices for goods and services across the board in Pakistan, including food and other essential items. This direct relationship is further amplified by the country’s dependence on imported fuel. 

Topics: petrol price hike fuel prices

Pakistan closes pedestrian traffic at key Iran border crossings as Israel strikes escalate

Updated 15 June 2025
Follow

Pakistan closes pedestrian traffic at key Iran border crossings as Israel strikes escalate

  • The closures affect the Taftan crossing in Chaghi district and the Gabd-Rimdan crossing in Gwadar district
  • Both are key rotes for cross-border movement, local trade in Pakistan’s Balochistan province
Updated 15 June 2025
SAADULLAH AKHTER

QUETTA: Pakistani authorities have closed two major border crossings with Iran for pedestrian traffic amid escalating cross-border strikes between Iran and Israel, officials in the southwestern Balochistan province said on Sunday.

The closures affect the Taftan crossing in Chaghi district and the Gabd-Rimdan crossing in Gwadar district, both key routes for cross-border movement and local trade between Balochistan and Iran. 

The Gabd-Rimdan border crossing is a point on the Iran-Pakistan border, specifically at “BP-250,” the second crossing along the 900-kilometer border between the two countries. The crossing facilitates trade and people-to-people contact between Iran and Pakistan.

“All kinds of pedestrian movement at the Gabd-Rimdan-250 border have been suspended due to the Iran-Israel conflict,” Jawad Ahmed Zehri, assistant commissioner for Gwadar, told Arab News.

Trade activity at the crossing would remain open and Pakistani citizens stranded in Iran would be allowed to return, he said, but no new entries into Iran would be permitted through this point until further notice.

In a separate order, authorities also closed the Taftan border crossing in Chaghi district for pedestrian traffic.

“We have closed pedestrian movements at the Taftan border until further notice,” said Naveed Ahmed, assistant commissioner for Taftan, adding that trade and customs operations from the crossing were continuing as usual.

The closures are expected to affect daily wage laborers, small-scale traders and local residents who depend on frequent cross-border movement for commerce, supplies and family visits.

Small items such as fruit, vegetables and household goods are commonly traded by hand or in small vehicles along these routes.

The closures come amid heightened tensions following Israeli strikes on Iranian cities since Friday with scores killed, including senior Iranian military commanders.

The bilateral trade volume between Pakistan and Iran reached $2.8 billion in the last fiscal year, which ended in June. Both countries have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of increasing this volume to $10 billion.

Iran also supplies about 100 megawatts of electricity to border towns in Balochistan.

Topics: Pakistan Iran border Israel attack on Iran

Trump says can broker Iran‑Israel peace using trade as he did with India‑Pakistan

Updated 15 June 2025
Follow

Trump says can broker Iran‑Israel peace using trade as he did with India‑Pakistan

  • Trump’s reference to India and Pakistan pertains to military confrontation which ended with US-facilitated ceasefire on May 10
  • Iranian officials report at least 138 people have been killed in Israel’s military onslaught since Friday, including 60 on Saturday
Updated 15 June 2025
Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he could use American trade leverage to broker a peace deal between Iran and Israel, drawing a parallel to his administration’s role in facilitating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan last month.

The renewed conflict saw Iran and Israel exchanging missile and drone strikes over the past three days.

Iranian officials report at least 138 people have been killed in Israel’s onslaught since Friday, including 60 on Saturday, half of them children, when a missile brought down a 14-story apartment block in Tehran. Israel has reported at least 13 deaths.

“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!”

Trump’s reference to India and Pakistan pertains to a brief military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May, which ended with a US-facilitated ceasefire on May 10. Washington said trade and security assurances were key to the de-escalation.

He also cited other conflicts, between Serbia and Kosovo, and disputes over the Nile dam involving Egypt and Ethiopia, saying his interventions helped maintain peace “at least for now.”

“Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran!” Trump added. “Many calls and meetings now taking place.”

Since Friday, Pakistan’s government has repeatedly pledged solidarity with Iran but urged its citizens to postpone travel to Iran and Iraq until the security situation improves. 

On Saturday, Islamabad issued a formal travel advisory asking Pakistanis to avoid travel to Iran “for a limited period” due to the Israeli attacks.

Pakistan has also condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them an unjustified violation of Iranian sovereignty, and has urged the international community to help de-escalate tensions through dialogue.

Topics: US President Donald Trump Israel attack on Iran

Two police officers killed, two wounded in ambush in Pakistan’s Balochistan province

Updated 15 June 2025
Follow

Two police officers killed, two wounded in ambush in Pakistan’s Balochistan province

  • Attack, claimed by BRA separatists, took place late on Saturday in Sui, mountain town about 50km from Dera Bugti city
  • Police were ambushed after they had rushed to the area in two vehicles to respond to reports of a grenade explosion
Updated 15 June 2025
SAADULLAH AKHTER

QUETTA: Two police officers were killed and two others injured when gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Sunday. 

The attack took place late on Saturday in Sui, a mountainous town about 50km from Dera Bugti city where police had rushed to respond to reports of a grenade explosion.

Jalab Khan, station house officer at Sui Police, said officers were traveling in two vehicles when they were ambushed.

“Nearly a dozen armed men were hiding behind a large rock and attacked our vehicles with heavy gunfire, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades,” Khan told Arab News.

“Two policemen were killed on the spot and two sustained bullet wounds,” he said, adding that the attackers fled under the cover of darkness.

The Baloch Republican Army (BRA), an ethnic Baloch separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The BRA has been involved in multiple attacks on security forces and gas infrastructure in Dera Bugti, one of Pakistan’s key natural gas-producing districts.

The group emerged after the killing of veteran Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti during a military operation in 2006.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is a mineral-rich region that is home to Beijing’s investment in the Gwadar deep water port and other projects. It is Pakistan’s largest province by size but smallest by population and the most impoverished. It has long been the site of a separatist insurgency by groups like the BRA, who are fighting for independence.

Pakistan accuses neighboring India and Afghanistan of supporting Baloch separatist militants, a claim they deny. Islamabad also says neighboring Iran does not do enough against militants operating on their shared border. 

“The slain policemen were local residents of Dera Bugti and their bodies have been handed over to families for burial,” said Atta Tareen, the district police officer for Dera Bugti.

A first information police report hasd been registered and Balochistan’s Counter Terrorism Department was leading the investigation, Tareen added.

Topics: Balochistan Attacks militancy in Pakistan

Latest updates

Israel’s unchecked nuclear capability will have ‘catastrophic consequences,’ Pakistan warns West
Pakistan hikes petrol, diesel prices in fortnightly review
Police break up Nigeria protest as anger mounts over killings in southern state
J.J. Spaun weathers the worst of wet Oakmont to win US Open
EU chief calls at G7 for world to ‘avoid protectionism’

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.