Author: molexn

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Monday wondered whether judges comprising the Supreme Court’s (SC) Constitutional Bench (CB) hearing petitions against the 26th Amendment could do so if they were its “beneficiaries”. The Amendment was passed by the parliament during an overnight session in October last year, with the PTI claiming seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their favour as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) also alleged its two senators were being pressured, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour. The legislation, which altered judicial authority and tenure, has…

LAHORE – Metrobus service in Lahore, Islamabad and other cities have been partially suspended in wake of ongoing protests by TLP. Several inner-city roads and motorway entry and exit points have also been closed, causing issues for commuters. Amid heightened security concerns, authorities partially suspended Metrobus service as a precaution against potential incidents. The closures also caused major traffic disruptions, affecting commuters heading to offices and hospitals. An ambulance carrying deceased person on Ferozepur Road reportedly got stuck due to the roadblocks. The Chungi Amar Sadhu-Ferozepur Road remains closed to traffic. Metrobus service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad remains suspended for…

PTI MPA Sohail Afridi on Monday was elected the new chief executive of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during an assembly session marred by the opposition’s walkout and despite uncertainty regarding the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, who pushed ahead with the election despite the opposition walkout, announced that Afridi had won the election after securing 90 votes. He had needed to secure at least 73 votes in the 145-strong KP Assembly to win the election. Opposition decries ‘unconstitutional procedure’; speaker pushes ahead During the session, Leader of the Opposition Dr Ibadullah held up…

An eight-judge Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday resumed hearing a set of pleas challenging the 26th Amendment and mull on the petitioners’ request to form a full court. The Amendment was passed by the parliament during an overnight session in October last year, with the PTI claiming seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their favour as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) also alleged its two senators were being pressured, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour. The legislation, which altered judicial authority and…

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati on Monday pushed ahead with the election for the provincial chief executive despite the opposition’s walkout over the “unconstitutional procedure”. At the outset of the session, Gandapur gave his “advance congratulations” to Sohail Afridi, the PTI’s pick for his replacement, as the treasury benches thumped their desks. He assured them that the PTI’s fight for justice would continue under the leadership of party founder Imran Khan. He expressed pride at the fact that he had submitted his resignation on October 8 on the directives of Imran. He also called for allowing the democratic process…

Ruckus marred the session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday after the opposition walked out ahead of the vote for selecting a new provincial chief executive, saying the procedure was “unconstitutional” when outgoing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation had not been accepted. At the outset of the session, Gandapur gave his “advance congratulations” to Sohail Afridi, the PTI’s pick for his replacement, as the treasury benches thumped their desks. He assured them that the PTI’s fight for justice would continue under the leadership of party founder Imran Khan. He expressed pride at the fact that he…

ISLAMABAD – Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur resigned, paving way for a high-stakes leadership battle in the provincial assembly, but Governor apparently want to delay the voting, as he rejected the resignation. The stage is now set for the KP Assembly to elect its new Leader of the House today, with voting expected today. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is putting its weight behind Sohail Afridi, a young and dynamic politician from Shalobar Qambar Khel tribe of Khyber district, who has been a PTI powerhouse since 2007, starting with the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) and steadily climbing the ranks to…

Despite the tussle over the resignation of outgoing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a session of the KP Assembly with the election of a new provincial chief executive on the agenda has begun. Speaking in the assembly, Gandapur gave his “advance congratulations” to Sohail Afridi, the PTI’s pick for his replacement, as the treasury benches thumped their desks. KP governor returns Gandapur’s resignation over ‘disparate’ signature The controversy around the resignation of Gandapur took another turn on Sunday night after Governor Faisal Karim Kundi returned two separate letters submitted by the former over “disparate signatures” and summoned him…

India’s aviation regulator said on Monday it has asked Air India to inspect the emergency power system, known as the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), on some of its 787 jets. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also asked Boeing, the maker of these aircraft, to submit a report providing details, including preventive measures at the time of a RAT deployment incident, the regulator said. This comes after the crew of an Air India 787 Dreamliner — which was flying from the northern Indian city of Amritsar to Birmingham, UK — detected deployment of the power system during the final…

MURIDKE/LAHORE – Muridke witnessed violent clashes as Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters clashed with police, leaving Punjab Police SHO dead while multiple police and party activists wounded in a dramatic escalation of the “Labbaik Aqsa” march. As per international media, security forces launched late-night operation against supporters of protesters, as the right-wing group advanced march toward capital. Police and paramilitary units reportedly deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd. The group also alleges that their main leadership container was set on fire during the operation. Videos of the crackdown have gone viral on social media, and protests are reportedly spreading to…