ISLMABAD: The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday filed a petition seeking review of last week’s ruling by the Supreme Court of Pakistan that declared former prime minister Imran Khan’s party eligible for reserved seats in parliament.
The July 12 verdict in favor of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party dealt a blow to the ruling coalition of PM Sharif, which may lose its two-thirds majority in Pakistan’s parliament. PTI candidates contested the Feb. 8 national election in Pakistan as independents after the party was barred from polls on the technical grounds that it did not hold genuine intra-party polls, which is a legal requirement.
Subsequently, they won the most seats in the election, 93, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said independents were ineligible for their share of 70 reserved seats — 60 for women, 10 for non-Muslims. The reserved seats were then distributed among other parties, mostly those in the ruling coalition, a decision appealed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) that was joined by Khan-backed independents to claim their share of reserved seats.
In its review petition, the government noted the issue of granting reserved seats to the PTI was not even in the pleadings of the SIC before the election commission, the Peshawar High Court and the Supreme Court.
“SIC and PTI are two separate political parties and two separate entities. The Order under Review, it seems has treated them as one party with different names which cannot be permissible under the Law,” the government petition read.
“It is submitted and reiterated here that PTI neither filed any case before the ECP, nor before Peshawar High Court, nor before the Supreme Court, hence it is not entitled to any relief, let alone a relief which was not even pleaded.”
The petition stated that all returned candidates had already joined the SIC and hence there was no question of giving them an option of joining the PTI that too after many months of the election. It was also against Rule 92 (6) of the Election Rules, 2017 which states that once an independent candidate has joined a political party, there is no option to recall or cancel, it added.
“The Order under Review is against the settled principles of interpretation of the Constitution. By carving out a procedure which is not provided under the Constitution, Order under Review might have gone into the realm of creating and not just interpreting the Constitution which is against the long standing jurisprudence of this Honourable Court,” the petition read.
The government requested the top court to accept the review petition for hearing and stay implementation of its order declaring the PTI eligible for reserved parliamentary seats.
All candidates from Khan’s PTI party were forced to contest the February polls as independents after the party was stripped of its election symbol of the cricket bat by the ECP on the technical grounds that it did not hold intra-party elections, a prerequisite for any party to take part in polls.
The PTI is currently entitled to around 78 reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies, which does not affect the parliamentary majority of the Sharif-led coalition government.
The July 12 verdict also bolstered political position of Khan’s supporters, whose rallying cry has been that the election commission and a pro-military caretaker government that oversaw the polls indulged in electoral fraud to deprive it of a victory. The ECP denies this.
Pakistan seeks review of court ruling declaring Imran Khan party eligible for reserved seats
https://arab.news/4qfvh
Pakistan seeks review of court ruling declaring Imran Khan party eligible for reserved seats
- Khan’s PTI party was denied its share of reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies, benefitting the ruling coalition
- Government says the issue of granting reserved seats to PTI was not even in pleadings before the election commission, courts
High-ranking UAE delegation in Pakistan to discuss maritime, railways, aviation investments
- The development comes amid Pakistan’s push for investment to revive its $350 billion economy
- The UAE is one of Pakistan’s closest allies and has frequently bailed out the South Asian country
ISLAMABAD: A high-ranking delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday called on Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar, and discussed with him investment in Pakistan’s maritime, railways and aviation sectors, Dar’s office said.
The development comes amid a push for foreign investment by the South Asian country, which has been facing low foreign exchange reserves, currency devaluation and high inflation for the last one year.
Since avoiding a default last year, Pakistan has been making desperate attempts to revive its fragile $350 billion economy and reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July for a new $7 billion loan.
The UAE delegation, which called on the deputy prime minister, was led by Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al-Maktoum, according to Dar’s office.
“The talks focused on investment opportunities in Pakistan’s maritime, railways, and aviation sectors,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
The UAE is one of Pakistan’s closest allies and has frequently bailed out the South Asian country, joining Saudi Arabia and China in rolling over billions of dollars of loans in support to the South Asian country.
In May, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan announced $10 billion investment in Pakistan during a visit by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Gulf country, according to Sharif’s Office.
The South Asian nation this year also signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi (AD) Ports Group, which will be investing about $395 million for the development of a container and cargo terminal under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement between the UAE and Pakistan.
Pakistan accountability watchdog files fresh graft case against ex-PM Khan, wife
- Khan and his wife were arrested in the new case on July 13 after they were acquitted in the last of four cases they were convicted in
- The former premier says the cases against him are ‘politically motivated’ to keep him from returning to power, a charge authorities deny
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog on Tuesday filed a fresh graft case against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Khan, for illegally retaining a jewelry set from a state repository, local media reported.
The case, also called the new Toshakhana reference, came to the fore after the watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), arrested the couple following their acquittal in an illegal marriage case on July 13.
It pertains to a jewelry set, comprising a ring, bracelet, necklace a pair of earrings worth over €380,000, gifted to the former first lady by a foreign dignitary that was allegedly undervalued by the couple and retained against a lesser price.
The NAB reference, which consists of two volumes, was filed by investigation officer Mohsin Haroon and case officer Waqar Hassan in an accountability court, Pakistan’s Geo News channel reported.
“The fresh reference will now be reviewed by the registrar of the accountability courts,” the report read. “After removing the objections, the reference will be sent to the administrative judge.”
On Monday, an accountability court sent Khan and his wife to jail on a 15-day judicial remand in the new Toshakhana reference, after the couple appeared before the court following the expiry of their 10-day physical remand and submitted a written answer in response to a questionnaire by the accountability watchdog.
The ex-premier, who has been in jail since last August, was convicted in four cases. Two of the cases have since been suspended and he was acquitted in the remaining two, including the illegal marriage case.
Khan’s convictions had ruled the 71-year-old out of the February general elections as convicted felons cannot run for public office under the Pakistani law. Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says the cases against him are “politically motivated,” aimed at keeping him from returning to power. Pakistani authorities deny this.
The ex-premier is also facing multiple cases relating to May 9, 2023 protests, which saw his supporters attack government and military installations over his brief arrest in a graft case.
In a separate development on Tuesday, an anti-terrorism court acquitted Khan’s wife in 12 cases relating to May 9, 2023 violence.
PM orders authorities to resolve all issues relating to Meta operations in Pakistan
- The development comes amid snail-paced Internet speeds in Pakistan that have affected online businesses, freelancers in recent weeks
- Pakistan has been installing a firewall to block malicious content, protect cyberattacks and curb what it calls ‘anti-state propaganda’
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered authorities to resolve all issues relating to Meta operations in Pakistan, Sharif’s office said on Tuesday, amid complaints of slow Internet in the South Asian country.
Sharif issued the directives at a meeting with a five-member Meta delegation, led by Meta Vice President for Asia Pacific Simon Milner, in Islamabad.
The development came amid snail-paced Internet speeds in the country in recent weeks, which have particularly affected online businesses and freelancers.
During the meeting, the Meta delegation apprised the prime minister of their services in Pakistan and the Asia Pacific region, according to Sharif’s office.
“Both sides expressed their resolve to work together for the development and promotion of digital media and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors in Pakistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
Meta, a California-based American multinational technology conglomerate, owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp among other products and digital services.
The meeting came days after the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) warned that frequent Internet disruptions and low speeds caused by poor implementation of a nationwide firewall had led many multinational companies to consider relocating their offices out of Pakistan, with some having “already done so.”
Pakistan has been installing the firewall to block malicious content, protect government networks from attacks, and allow the government to identify IP addresses associated with what it calls “anti-state propaganda,” according to officials.
Separately, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said last Thursday that Pakistan’s economy could lose up to $300 million due to Internet disruptions caused by the imposition of the firewall.
Pakistan court seeks government response over Internet slowdown amid national firewall controversy
- Islamabad High Court takes up journalist Hamid Mir’s petition, summons relevant authorities for Aug. 26 hearing
- Government has denied responsibility for network disruptions, attributing it instead to the widespread use of VPN
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday summoned representatives from the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) and the Ministry of Information Technology on August 26 to respond to senior journalist and television anchor Hamid Mir’s petition regarding the countrywide Internet slowdown amid the installation of a national firewall.
According to the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan, nationwide Internet speeds have dropped by 30-40 percent in the last few weeks as the government operationalizes the firewall intended to filter undesired content, such as “anti-state propaganda.”
Pakistan’s State Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja rejected reports over the weekend that the government was responsible for slowing or shutting down the Internet in the country, attributing it instead to the widespread use of virtual private networks (VPNs) amid the ban on social media platform X.
Mir filed his petition through Advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari on Friday, describing the frequent network disruptions in recent weeks as a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights, while challenging the government’s denial of its contribution to the situation.
“During today’s hearing, the chief justice issued notices to PTA and the IT ministry for the next hearing on August 26 and asked why the Internet is slow and what is the firewall,” Mir told Arab News.
He said the IHC registrar initially raised some objections to his petition, but Chief Justice Aamer Farooq overruled them and scheduled the case for a hearing on Tuesday.
Mir noted in his petition he was aggrieved by the government’s conduct, which had caused him and his colleagues significant difficulties in performing their duties as professional journalists, heavily reliant on online connectivity and communication.
He maintained that young people, particularly students, were also facing substantial challenges.
Speaking to Arab News, the president of the Pakistan Freelancers Association said last week the businesses of over 2.3 million Pakistani freelance workers had suffered due to the slow Internet.
After Tuesday’s hearing, Mir’s lawyer informed the court was fully aware of the Internet disruption affecting the entire country.
“The honorable court inquired about the reasons behind the disruption and sought the government’s stance on the issue,” Mazari said, adding the additional attorney general was unable to provide a satisfactory response, saying he did not use the Internet frequently and was unaware of the situation.
She added that the chief justice observed the Internet disruption in Pakistan was a matter of common knowledge before summoning representatives from the PTA and IT ministry for the next hearing on August 26.
Asked about the state minister for information technology’s assertion regarding the Internet slowdown, Mazari said it was factually incorrect that it was caused by VPN use.
Arab News reached out to the PTA and the Ministry of IT for their comments, but they did not respond by the time this story was filed.
Google announces program to help Pakistani journalists produce accurate, engaging digital stories
- The program will equip 1,000 journalists in Pakistan with the essential tools, training, and resources
- The launching ceremony of the program will be held in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Sept. 4
ISLAMABAD: Google on Tuesday announced the launch of a special program for Pakistani journalists to help them produce accurate and engaging digital stories, in collaboration with a Pakistani social enterprise, Tech Valley.
The program, ‘Digital Sahafat,’ or Digital Journalism, is part of the Google News Initiative (GNI) that works with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources and build a diverse and innovative news ecosystem.
“We’re very excited to announce the launch of Digital Sahafat, a program by the Google News Initiative, in partnership with Tech Valley, to equip 1,000 journalists in Pakistan with the essential tools, training, and resources to produce accurate and engaging digital news stories,” the GNI said in a statement.
The program will be formally launched in Islamabad on September 4, according to the GNI. The event will be addressed by Kate Beddoe, managing director of Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) News Partnerships at Google, and the Tech Valley team.
The GNI has supported journalism worldwide and continues to build on Google’s decades-long dialogue and collaboration in the news industry as part of a global effort to build a more sustainable and equitable news ecosystem. Since 2018, it has partnered with thousands of news organizations in more than a hundred countries to provide tools, programs, and workshops that help publishers worldwide in boosting readership and revenue as they evolve their businesses.
Founded in 2015, Tech Valley aims to bring together public and private sectors of Pakistan by bridging the gap between academia, industry and the government through technology and innovation.
