South Asia

Representational image of a person holding a gun. — PixabayKARACHI: A man was robbed at gun point by a woman disguised as a lift seeker to lure the citizens in Korangi area of the metropolis, which remains under the menace of street crime, Geo News reported on Saturday. The incident took place on Friday night when an “elderly woman” wearing a face veil stopped the motorcyclist for hitchhiking near Singer Chowrangi, according to a copy of the complaint. 

The victim stated that he accepted the woman’s request but asked her to get off the motorcycle when they reached Korangi no 5, as he had to go towards his home from this point.”The woman got off the motorcycle and took out a gun from her handbag and placed it on my chest and asked me to hand over [my belongings],” he stated.At this, the victim gave her all he had at the moment, which included his mobile phone and Rs5,000 cash.”She grabbed my belongings and left with her accomplices,” he said, adding that three men had been following him on two motorcycles since he offered a lift to the woman.The complaint was lodged at Awami Colony Police Station on behalf of the victim, who has requested strict action against the robbers. Street crimes in Karachi are rampant with more than 50,000 incidents documented by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) between January and August this year, a report published by The News reported.The aforementioned number only reflects reported cases, but there may be countless other incident that have gone unreported.The figure shows that on an average, 208 criminal cases are reported on a daily basis in the city, with the snatching and stealing of mobile phones, cars and motorbikes being the most common.Not only have people been deprived of their valuable possessions in these cases but some 100 people have also lost their lives at the hands of the street criminals responsible. Nearly 500 others have also been wounded due to the gunshots fired by the robbers.

Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf gather for an anti-government rally in Islamabad on October 4, 2024. —ReutersISLAMABAD: On Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s call for protest in Islamabad on October 15, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif has said the government would not allow it that the country was held hostage by a party, as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of states were set to reach here.The PTI’s announcement to stage a demonstration at the D-Chowk on the inaugural day of SCO summit has sent shock waves as the federal capital is set to host foreign dignitaries.

In a statement, Asif called PTI leaders pawns for international conspiracies.”They staged a sit-in in 2014 and then the May 9 incident unfolded. These all are chain of destabilising the country,” he said.Lambasting the PTI for badmouthing the government, he said the rule was not something that one inherited, it was something that always slipped away from one’s grasp. Whereas, once the PTI founder lost the power, he incited people for the May 9 violent incidents, he added.The PTI has come under fire from various political parties for announcing the protest, with the government vowing to foil the party’s “conspiracy”.Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman said the PTI’s attempt to hold protest on October 15 would send one message only that the party put itself above Pakistan and it was ready to endanger country’s reputation as well as security at a time when the country was hosting a big international event.”It appears they have not learned any lessons,” said the senator.Sherry claimed that in an embarrassing attempt to impede Pakistan’s economic development, they first embroiled up the nation into a cyphergate issue before sending a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).The politician said the PTI once held a similar demonstration ahead of Chinese prime minister’s arrival. “If this irresponsible behaviour is not anti- Pakistan then what is it? This is their death knell, frankly,” she remarked.Meanwhile, Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad had been made fully safe and secure to welcome foreign delegations including 12 heads of the governments for the SCO conference, scheduled for October 15-16.“Those who have a mindset to conspire against the country should better stay at home as no miscreant will be allowed to disrupt the SCO Conference in Islamabad,” the minister said, addressing media in Islamabad.“The announcements do not make any difference as Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure,” he said while referring to the PTI’s announcement.“It (SCO Conference) will go as planned and will elevate Pakistan’s prestige and improve its image at international level,” Tarar remarked.He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has personally reviewed the arrangements for the reception of different head of governments arriving in Islamabad to attend the SCO conference.“This shows the importance of such a grand event in Pakistan which will be instrumental to boost the economic growth in the country,” he added.The minister said all the security arrangements had been finalised in Islamabad with the deployment of all the law enforcement agencies including Pakistan Army and Rangers.Tarar said all the heads of governments participating in the SCO would be accorded a warm welcome in Islamabad as the whole nation is ready to celebrate the event with national pride.The whole Islamabad has been decorated which would eventually leave a positive impression of Pakistan in minds of the visiting delegations, he noted.He believed that the SCO would be a great success for Pakistan and would help enhance regional cooperation with a discussion on many important topics.Despite maintaining a working relationship with the party over the proposed controversial constitutional amendment, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) spokesperson Aslam Ghori said his party did not support the PTI’s protest. Talking to The News, he said his party chief earlier asked the government not to take up the constitutional amendments matter till conclusion of SCO summit and requested the PTI as well to call off its protest.“PTI turned a deaf ear to our request and they are staging protest again which we cannot support,” he said.Ghori said respectable foreign delegates were common guests to all, and the country as a whole needed to show unity amid their presence. In terms of protests, he stated they could be held after the SCO summit.It would raise many questions, if they go ahead with the protest plan, he said.Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Ashrafi appealed the PTI to defer its protest, adding it was unacceptable to protest in presence of guests. “After a long time, Pakistan is securing successes in economic and foreign affairs,” he added.The PTI’s announcement to hold the demonstration at D-Chowk on October 15 came only a week after the embattled opposition party clashed with law enforcers in a bid to stage an anti-government protest at D-Chowk, turning the entire federal capital into a curfew zone for two days.The PTI had launched a series of protests for the “independence of the judiciary” — as the government aims to introduce constitutional amendments — and for the release of its founder Imran Khan jailed at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for more than one year.PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said all organisational officials and wings from the centre to the lowest level had been directed to finalise the preparations for the D-Chowk protest.It was pointed out that in view of the preparations for the peaceful protest of D-Chowk on October 15, the protest announced in different districts of Punjab has been cancelled.PTI’s political committee alleged that PTI founder chairman Imran Khan is being subjected to a new series of brutality in Adiala (jail) and that his life, health and safety have been deliberately exposed to serious threats, and all his basic and human rights have been taken away.In return for not bowing down to oppression and lawlessness and not accepting the state’s efforts to undermine the Constitution, the government is engaged in conspiracies to endanger Imran’s security, it said.“Imran Khan is the most popular and reliable leader of the nation and the spokesman of the political and national aspirations of millions of Pakistanis,” it claimed. The political committee warned that if the rulers did not immediately restore the basic rights of Imran, and full access was not given to his lawyers, doctors, families and leaders, then the whole of Pakistan would come out on October 15 for full protest.It demanded the immediate release of the “illegally detained workers, citizens and members of the provincial assembly from across Punjab”.In the statement the federal and Punjab governments were also demanded to immediately stop the series of raids and roundups while violating the sanctity of the house.

PTI workers wave party flags during a rally in Islamabad. — Reuters/FileISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has given a call for protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 15, the opening day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit which would be attended by several heads of the member states.
The announcement came only a week after the embattled opposition party clashed with law enforcers in a bid to stage an anti-government protest at D-Chowk, turning the entire federal capital into a curfew zone for two days.

The PTI had launched a series of protests for the “independence of the judiciary” — as the government aims to introduce constitutional amendments — and for the release of its founder Imran Khan jailed at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for more than one year. KH Asif on PTIVideo Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 3:20Loaded: 2.92%0:00Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently behind liveLIVERemaining Time -3:20 1xPlayback RateChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality LevelsHDHigh DefinitionSDStandard DefinitionAutoA, selectedAudio Tracken (Main), selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorTransparencyBackgroundColorTransparencyWindowColorTransparencyFont SizeText Edge StyleFont FamilyReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. In a statement, the Imran Khan-founded party’s political committee announced organising a demonstration on October 15 at D-Chowk.
A former ruling party’s spokesperson also announced that all district-level protests have been suspended in view of the forthcoming demonstration in the federal capital next week.
The announcement of a fresh protest is made at a time when the federal government heightened security in the federal capital, with the deployment of the Pakistan Army under Article 245, ahead of the much-anticipated SCO summit from October 15 to 16.The forthcoming SCO Council of Heads of Government would be attended by major foreign leaders, including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.The federal government had also announced a three-day public holiday in Islamabad and Rawalpindi from October 14 to 16 for the smooth conduct of the 23rd SCO CHG earlier this week.Won’t let anyone make Pakistan hostage: AsifSlamming the opposition party’s protest call at a time when the heads of foreign countries are arriving in Islamabad for the SCO moot, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the PTI’s move is an attempt to destabilise the country.Speaking to Geo News, Asif said that the PTI had staged a sit-in in 2014 and later committed May 9, 2023, mayhem after its party founder was ousted from power. He alleged that the former ruling party was a “stooge of international conspirators” against the country.The defence czar said that the authorities would not let anyone make Pakistan hostage.Reacting to the PTI’s announcement, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure to welcome foreign delegations including 12 heads of the governments for the SCO conference.“Those who have a mindset to conspire against the country should better stay at home as no miscreant will be allowed to disrupt the SCO Conference in Islamabad,” the minister said while talking to the media.“The announcements do not make any difference as Islamabad has been made fully safe and secure,” he said while referring to the protest call.PM reviews arrangementsPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the capital city today to review the arrangements being made for the upcoming SCO conference.On the occasion, the prime minister was briefed on the reception arrangements for the guests attending the SCO summit.Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Tarar and other key officials accompanied him.Naqvi and relevant authorities briefed the premier about the arrangements.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman addresses a press conference. — Radio Pakistan  Apparently softening his stance on the proposed constitutional package, seasoned politician Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday said that they would support the government if their proposals are made part of the constitutional amendments.While interacting with journalists in Islamabad, the JUI-F chief said: “We can agree on a very suitable draft if our proposals are accepted [by the government].”

The constitutional package, among other things, aims to set up a federal constitutional court and fix the tenure of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) for three years. JUI-F Maulana Fazal Ur RehmanVideo Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 1:06Loaded: 8.84%0:00Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently behind liveLIVERemaining Time -1:06 1xPlayback RateChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality LevelsHDHigh DefinitionSDStandard DefinitionAutoA, selectedAudio Tracken (Main), selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorTransparencyBackgroundColorTransparencyWindowColorTransparencyFont SizeText Edge StyleFont FamilyReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. The government had attempted to present the bill to amend the Constitution last month, but its allies as well as members from the opposition benches vehemently opposed the proposal, forcing the administration to begin a consultation process.
Following a meeting of the Special Committee of Parliament today, Fazl said: “We are trying to remove the ‘controversial contents’ from the draft.”He said that people have rejected the concept of the government’s draft of the constitutional amendments.People are hailing the JUI-F’s stance over the contentious constitutional amendments, Fazl stated, adding: “If parliament is representative of the people then it should not ignore their wishes.”Responding to a question, Fazl said that JUI-F and PPP would move forward towards a consensus draft, adding that the government should also take other allies into confidence over the matter. Terming the government’s amendments to the Constitution “unacceptable”, Fazl said his party would be in a position to vote in favour of the constitutional package if the government accepted the party’s suggestions regarding the contentious legislation. After reaching a consensus with the PPP, the JUI-F would share the draft with PTI and the Bilawal-led party would share it with the government, he added. To another query, the JUI-F chief stressed the need for restoring the 18th Amendment and abolishing the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, saying doing so would increase the parliament’s role in the judicial appointments.The JUI-F leader was of the view that all the political forces should be brought on the same page over the draft.“If we had to vote [in favour of the amendments], we would have voted,” Fazl said, adding that his party did not support the draft because it was unacceptable for them.To a question about the timeframe of the passage of the constitutional package, the JUI-F leader said: “We took 9 months for the 18th Amendment. At least 9 days would be required to decide the matter.”To another question, the JUI-F chief also opposed politicising the superior court judges for vested interests.When asked if he is in favour of establishing separate court for hearing constitutional matters, Fazl said a constitutional court and bench could be substitute for each other.Talking about the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting — scheduled for October Oct 15 -16 — the JUI-F leader said that they would warmly welcome all the participants of the meeting.“We are making efforts that the moot should be held in a peaceful environment,” he said that staging protests on the eve would be “inappropriate”.

President Asif Ali Zardari (second left) interacts with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (second from right) on the sidelines of international forum on “Interrelation of Times and Civilizations- Basis for Peace and Development”in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on October 11, 2024. — Radio PakistanASHGABAT: President Asif Ali Zardari and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday stressed the need for further strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.
The development came during an informal meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of two-day international forum on “Interrelation of Times and Civilisations- Basis for Peace and Development” here in the Turkmen capital.

The moot was held to commemorate the 300th birth anniversary of Magtymguly Faragi, a great Turkmen thinker, poet and philosopher. ishaq darVideo Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:24Loaded: 24.03%0:00Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently behind liveLIVERemaining Time -0:24 1xPlayback RateChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality LevelsHDHigh DefinitionSDStandard DefinitionAutoA, selectedAudio Tracken (Main), selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorTransparencyBackgroundColorTransparencyWindowColorTransparencyFont SizeText Edge StyleFont FamilyReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Both leaders expressed good wishes for each other, according to a statement issued by the President House.
Earlier, the president, who arrived here on Thursday for a two-day visit, also addressed the forum which was also attended by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President Emomali Rehmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and others.In his address, the president stressed need to focus on promoting connectivity among regional countries and help strengthen cultures and economic cooperation.He said Pakistan and Turkmenistan share a deep rooted bond of brotherhood which is built on a mutual respect, commonality of faith and a shared vision of a better peaceful future.The president extended his heartfelt appreciation to the government and brotherly people of Turkmenistan for organising prestigious event aimed at promoting understanding, peace and dialogue among cultures.President Zardari expressed his delight to share that our national poet, Allama Muhammad Iqbal and towering figure of Turkmen literature, Makhdum Gulli Fraghi share several commonalities in their poetry and thoughts on Sufism and nationalism.He commend the president of Turkmenistan, Sardar Berdi Muhammedov, for organising this event to promote the works of Makhdum Gulli Fraghi as well as providing an opportunity to interact with the leadership of regional countries that would help strengthen our bonds of friendship.The president also congratulated the Turkmen nation on the announcement of 2024 as the “Year of the great poet and thinker of the Turkic world- Makhdum Gulli”.

Members of political parties and federal ministers attend the fifth in-camera session of the Special Committee of Parliament in this still taken from a video. — Geo News/YouTubeISLAMABAD: After days of deadlock, mainstream political parties, including the opposition, on Friday sit together to discuss the contentious constitutional package.
Major political parties, including the opposition decided to move towards reaching a consensus and bring about a “joint draft” later on for amending the Constitution, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said.

The constitutional package, among other things, aims to set up a federal constitutional court and fix the tenure of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) for three years.The government had aimed to present the bill to amend the Constitution last month, but its allies as well as members from the opposition benches vehemently opposed the proposal, forcing the administration to begin a consultation process.Fazl, while talking to journalists today, said that the government presented their draft for the constitutional amendments before his party for the first time.The statement came after a meeting of the Special Committee of Parliament today to hold a discussion on the proposed constitutional amendments.The fifth in-camera meeting was attended by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians and federal ministers.The JUI-F top leader said that the PPP had also given suggestions, adding that the parties will begin consultations with the government in this regard.He said that the JUI-F would hold consultations with the PPP separately.Moreover, the party will also share its draft with the PTI as well to reach a consensus, the veteran politician added.Fazl, however, declined to mention the time by which the constitutional matter will be resolved.”Right now, we have just agreed to reach an agreement on the proposed constitutional amendments,” the seasoned politico added .Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said that many suggestions have been presented before the committee.”At least the uncertainty, which had been created, has now come to an end,” he added.Commenting on the contents of the joint draft, the law minister said that the amendments suggest what should be the authority and formation of the judicial commission.Moreover, the establishment of constitutional courts and judges’ transfer has also been discussed.Addressing a press conference after the meeting, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that all the political parties expressed their opinion in the meeting.PPP also presented its “draft” before the committee, while the government informed the committee about its consultation with the lawyers’ bodies.”Maulana Fazlur Rehman reiterated his stance that he wants to present the ‘joint draft’ with the PPP,” he said while referring to the JUI-F chief.”I also repeated the same stance that all the political parties should be on board,” he added.Bilawal went on to say that the law minister expressed confidence about having the “complete numbers”.If the federal government wants to bring a “joint draft” despite having a two-thirds majority then it is for the best, he said.However, he said that how long will the government wait for a joint draft to be finalised, with all the other tasks pending.Bilawal said that he wants JUI-F to present its draft before the PPP as the latter has presented before the former.Bilawal, the former foreign minister, further said that the ruling coalition decided that they would not bring the constitutional amendments before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on October 15 and 16.A report published by The News said that the PML-N and the PPP have made significant progress in their discussions, reaching a consensus on the draft of proposed constitutional amendments.This breakthrough occurred during Thursday’s crucial meeting at the Punjab House between PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal.Meanwhile, sources said that the PTI had not yet made any statement regarding today’s meeting. They said that the Imran Khan-led party would make the “final statement” after meeting him in Adiala jail where he is currently prohibited.

A representational image showing raindrops on a car window. — Geo.tv/FileKARACHI: Some parts of Karachi received rainfall coupled with strong winds on the second consecutive day, bringing relief to citizens amid hot and humid weather.
Heavy showers with strong winds hit Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Johar area, whereas, downpours also lash areas near Sharea Faisal and Karsaz which caused trouble for commuters due to overflowing of drains and traffic jams.

Traffic jam was also witnessed at Sharea Faisal as rainwater submerged both tracks of the arterial road from Drigh Road to Karsaz.Additionally, at least four persons sustained injuries after two buses collided near Drigh Road Railway Station, which further affected the flow of traffic at Sharea Faisal, according to police.The fresh spell of isolated rains was already predicted by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) which also forecast earlier today that it will not bring down the provincial capital’s soaring temperature.Mercury in the port city may reach up to 40°C and won’t be impacted by the possibility of rain, PMD Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz said.The residents of Karachi, a day earlier, got some respite from the sweltering heat after brief showers accompanied by strong winds and hailstorms hit some parts of the port city, turning the weather pleasant.

Police officials stand alert in Lahore on April 21, 2024. —APPLAHORE: In order to maintain law and order during the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the Punjab government has imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi for about one week.Exercising the authority vested under Section 144, the Punjab government announced to prohibit any form of gathering, rally, sit-in, protest, pillion riding, aerial fire, pigeon flying and use of drones or laser lights in the metropolis from October 10 to 17.

This came as part of Pakistan’s efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of the high-level summit. Islamabad is set to host the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting next week with major foreign leaders, including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visiting the country.The Punjab government said it took this decision on the district administration’s request to ensure security of people, installations, buildings and thwart any potential threat or untoward activity.

Meanwhile, the federal government has deployed Pakistan Army’s troops in Islamabad from October 5 to 17, under Article 245 of the Constitution, to ensure law and order situation in the federal capital during the SCO summit.The meeting of the SCO — which comprises nine full members, including China, India, Iran and Russia — is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on October 15 and 16.A day ago, officials also announced the closure of marriage halls, restaurants, and cafes for a period of five days — October 12 to 16 — in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.Additionally, notices were issued to traders and hotel owners by the police, warning that any violations will result in penalties.

Workers of political parties are seen gathered outside the ECP office in Saddar on October 11, 2024. — Screengrab via YouTube/Geo News LiveKARACHI: The process of vote recount for the port city’s NA-231 (Malir-III) constituency saw violence unfold as masked men burned a sack of ballot papers and stole another at the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) regional office in Saddar.Workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) placed the blame for the incident on each other after the situation took a violent turn.

The incident, therefore, triggered commotion at the electoral body’s regional office. ballot paper geo exclusiveVideo Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:21Loaded: 26.84%0:00Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently behind liveLIVERemaining Time -0:21 1xPlayback RateChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality LevelsHDHigh DefinitionSDStandard DefinitionAutoA, selectedAudio Tracken (Main), selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorTransparencyBackgroundColorTransparencyWindowColorTransparencyFont SizeText Edge StyleFont FamilyReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. The ECP has ordered the recount of four polling stations of the National Assembly constituency at the regional election commission office.
The commission’s direction came after an election tribunal of the Sindh High Court had directed the provincial election commissioner to examine and recount all the ballots cast at four polling stations — PS 65, 71, 98, and 175 — of NA-231.The order came on an election petition filed by Khalid Mehmood Ali, a candidate backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), against the election results of NA-231, where the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Abdul Hakeem Baloch was declared the returned candidate.The commission’s personnel, following the violence, began removing the burnt material from the site of the incident.The South senior superintendent of police (SSP) has said that action will be taken against the elements involved in the attack. “The stolen goods will also be recovered,” he added.Regional Election Commissioner Imtiaz Kalhoro and Election Commission Officer Mushtaq briefed journalists regarding the matter in the wake of the violence that left Naib Qasid Zubair injured.”We were about to start the recount process on the court order,” he said, speaking with journalists, adding that there was a sudden attack.The official, Mushtaq, maintained that the ECP officials are trying to save lives owing to the lack of security following the incident.”Such an attack took place despite police security,” he said, highlighting that a letter was written for summoning Rangers, but they were not deployed for the recount.Zubiar, who was injured in the violence, said that he was in the ECP office when suddenly the masked men entered and attacked.Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, speaking with journalists about the incident, said the regional election commission’s issues are a result of the weakness and incompetence of the ECP.”The election commission did not demand security from the chief secretary even in the meeting,” he said, adding that this is an internal problem of the ECP, as they counted the votes at the wrong place. In the wake of the violence, the regional election commission has sent a report of the incident to the ECP and Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar. Lanjar said that the report sent by the election authority is being reviewed. “Security should have been sought from the Rangers or the Home Department,” he said, stating that no arrests have been made in regard to the incident and that a case will be registered against unknown persons. “It is not known whether the attackers were PTI or PPP people,” said Lanjar. As per a report from the police, unidentified armed masked men attacked the office at 11am during the recount. The armed men, it added, broke the gate and forced their way into the regional election commission office. They entered the committee room of the regional election commission and damaged office property, the report revealed, adding that the armed men forcibly took polling bags from four polling stations. The unidentified gunmen, it stated, set polling bags on fire in front of the office, despite heavy police deployment and mobile units present at the site during the recount. The report added that the masked men attacked the office despite the presence of police. “Immediate action should be taken regarding the incident and a case should be registered,” the report stated.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa. — Supreme Court websiteISLAMABAD: A full court reference has been summoned on October 25 for outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, the Supreme Court’s registrar confirmed in a letter.“The full court reference has been scheduled in Court Room No.1, Supreme Court Building, Islamabad on October 25 (Friday),” SC registrar Jazeela Aslam wrote to Supreme Court Bar Association President Shahzad Shaukat.

Senior Puisne judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is set to replace CJP Isa as the country’s top judge.The full court reference is a customary practice to bid farewell to the outgoing chief justice.The confirmation follows weeks of political uncertainty, with rumours suggesting that the ruling coalition was planning to extend the chief justice’s tenure through a ‘closely-guarded’ judiciary-centric legislation.However, the government failed to even table the amendments in parliament after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman refused to support the government’s judicial package, leaving the contentious amendments hanging in the balance.Ostensibly, the government was short of 13 votes in the National Assembly and nine in the Senate as the said legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both houses.Amid speculations, CJP Isa clarified that he would not accept any “individual specific” proposal on fixing the tenure of the country’s top judge. Reacting to the CJP’s statement “misreported” in the media, CJP’s Secretary Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad had clarified last month that the top judge was surrounded by journalists who spoke to him and asked him questions following the commencement of the proceedings of the event to mark judicial year.“The Chief Justice made it clear that he was talking to them off the record, but since the conversation has been misinterpreted and widely disseminated it is necessary to accurately reproduce what transpired,” the statement added.The chief justice informed the journalists that he told the law minister, “if the proposal was individual specific, and if enacted, it would not be something he would accept”.A brief profileJustice Isa became the 29th top judge of the country when he took the oath as CJP in September 2023.Born on October 26, 1959, in Quetta, Justice Isa is the son of the late Qazi Mohammad Isa of Pishin, who was at the forefront of the Pakistan movement, and the grandson of Qazi Jalaluddin, who was the prime minister of Khanate of Kalat in the pre-partition India.In his early years, Justice Isa was a part of the Bar of England and Wales in the 1980s and was enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court from Balochistan.He has practiced law for over 27 years before all the high courts, the Federal Shariat Court and the SC.Later, he also served as a member of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association, and Life Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and chief justice of Balochistan during different periods.When called upon by the high courts and the top court, the jurist rendered his services as amicus curiae and also conducted international arbitrations.He is a strong advocate of adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law, which is reflected in his judgements.The senior jurist is also the founder of a system of transparent induction of officials and officers in high courts via advertisement.On September 5, 2014, Justice Isa took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.