ENGLISH – Page 2 – OVERSEAS TRIBUNE

Eight judges to take up pleas against law to clip CJ’s powers

April 13, 2023March 5, 2025 News Desk

ISLAMABAD: An eight-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by the chief justice, will take up a set of three petitions challenging a pending legislation meant to clip CJP powers, on Thursday. However, the legal fraternity has opposed the apex court’s move to take up the petitions against an as yet proposed law, and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has called on lawyers across the country to boycott courts on Thursday (today) to protest the formation of a “one-sided and controversial bench” to take up the issue “prematurely”. In addition to CJP, the bench…

ECP issues arrest warrants for PTI chief, Fawad in contempt case

March 8, 2023March 4, 2025 News Desk

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Annoyed by their persistent absence, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan and senior party leader Fawad Chaudhry in a case pertaining to contempt of the ECP and chief election commissioner (CEC). Separately, Lahore police registered another case against senior PTI leaders for delivering incendiary speeches and accusing the state of hatching conspiracy to assassinate Imran Khan. A four-member ECP bench headed by member from Sindh Nisar Durrani noted that the former prime minister was not appearing before the…

SC orders timely polls, allowing for slight leeway

March 2, 2023March 4, 2025 News Desk

ISLAMABAD: In a split verdict on Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult with President Arif Alvi for polls in Punjab and Governor Ghulam Ali for elections in KP, so that elections could be held within the stipulated timeframe of 90 days. The verdict of three to two cautioned Governor Ali that he was in breach of his constitutional responsibility since he did not announce the date for elections after the provincial assembly was disbanded. As it set aside the Feb 20 decision of…

Imran appears in court after ruckus, gets bail

February 21, 2023March 5, 2025 News Desk

LAHORE / ISLAMABAD: As he finally appeared before a two-member bench after a day-long drama and multiple sessions of the court, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday granted interim protective bail to PTI Chairman Imran Khan till March 3 in a case pertaining to an ‘attack’ on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) building. After an ultimatum by the high court to appear before the bench by 5pm, the PTI chairman left his Zaman Park residence and took at least one hour to reach LHC. Accompanied by hundreds of supporters gathered…

‘Patchy’ fuel availability prompts stern govt warning

February 9, 2023March 4, 2025 News Desk

KARACHI: Citizens continued to complain of the unavailability of fuel at pumps across the country on Wednesday, even as a cabinet minister warned hoarders of “dire consequences”, and the regulator sought strict action against such practices, Dawn.com reported. The fuel situation is particularly troubling in some major cities, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Khanewal, Sialkot and Peshawar. Citizens took to social media to complain about petrol pumps that have either meagre or no supply of petrol for the last several days, allegedly due to a supply squeeze from oil marketing companies…

Bomber used uniform to escape checking: KP IG

February 3, 2023March 4, 2025 News Desk

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari on Thursday vowed to avenge the death of more than a hundred people in the Police Lines bombing, saying that law enforcement agencies were closing in on the militant network behind the attack. Speaking at a press briefing here to share developments from the probe into the suicide bombing that ripped through a mosque located within the police compound on Monday, he said that the bomber — clad in police uniform — had been identified. At least 101 people, including one…

Imran goes public with his ‘distrust of Elahi’

January 10, 2023March 4, 2025 News Desk

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday expressed distrust in his ally Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi, saying allegations of corruption worth billions against the PML-Q leader were apparently affecting his popularity. “I cannot stand such allegations against my coalition government in Punjab,” Mr Khan said in a meeting with the party’s senior leaders. The former premier asserted that all PTI legislators in the Punjab Assembly should persuade Mr Elahi to take a vote of confidence and dissolve the assembly. The remarks made by the PTI chairman prompted…

Fighting in Bannu leaves four terrorists dead: ISPR

January 1, 2023March 4, 2025 News Desk

PESHAWAR: Four terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Bannu on Saturday, a military statement said. During the intense exchange of fire, Sepoy Mohammad Wasim, 25, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom, said the statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). He was a resident of Khairpur, Sindh. According to the ISPR, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Jani Khel of Bannu district. During the operation, troops effectively engaged the terrorists after the latter opened fire. In the ensuing fight, four terrorists were…

BUDGET 2022-23: Budgeting for ‘hard times’ ahead

June 11, 2022March 4, 2025 News Desk

• Federal budget with outlay of Rs9.5tr presented • Govt employees’ salaries up 15pc, no tax on those earning up to Rs100,000/month • Subsidies on sugar, wheat flour proposed • Taxes on cars over 1,600cc to be increased • Pensioner tax reduced to 5pc from 10pc • Advance withholding tax to be collected from those sending remittances abroad • Tax on banking sector increases to 42pc • Families with income below Rs40,000 to be given Rs2,000 • Households using fewer than 200 units of electricity to be offered loans on…

Key allies encourage PM Shehbaz to take ‘tough’ decisions

May 17, 2022March 4, 2025 News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Three main ruling coalition partners — Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — on Monday assured the government of their support in taking ‘tough’ decisions, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to call a meeting of all the allies to take a unanimous decision on how to overcome both the political and economic crises in the country. The PM is also scheduled to head a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday (today) where he will take all the members into confidence…

Influential overseas Pakistanis should raise their voice in favour of oppressed Kashmiris, Say Speakers of a conference in Warsaw

February 6, 2021February 6, 2021 Web Desk

Warsaw (PR) Speakers of an online conference have urged the influential overseas Pakistanis to raise their voice in favour of oppressed people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The conference was organized by Pakistan’s embassy in Warsaw, the capital of Poland in connection with the Kashmir solidarity Day on Friday. The event started with recitation of Quran, was moderated by Deputy Head of Mission of Pakistan in Warsaw Naeem Sabir Khan. Other speakers of the conference were former researcher of faculty of Political Science of Warsaw’s University Dr. Syed Sibtain Shah,…

In 2 weeks, Covid-19 situation will deteriorate to June levels unless public attitude changes: Asad Umar

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020 News Desk

Planning Minister Asad Umar warned on Tuesday that within two weeks, Pakistan would face the same situation as in June, when the country saw a peak in Covid-19 cases, unless the public changes its attitude. Addressing a media briefing after a meeting of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), which was chaired by Umar, the minister said: “The rate at which the virus spread in growing, and there is no reason that it would not grow at the same rate unless we change our attitude and take precautions, within…

Kea calls India’s unilateral actions in J&K illegal and pushing towards conflict escalation

October 27, 2020October 27, 2020 Web Desk

Kashmir European Alliance (Kea) calls India’s unilateral actions in J&K illegal and pushing towards conflict escalation On Aug 5, 2019, Modi split the state of occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two federally controlled territories and took away its special privileges, saying this was necessary to better integrate the region with the rest of India. New Delhi flooded troops into the Muslim-majority valley, where armed Kashmiris have struggled since the 1990s. India detained thousands, imposed harsh movement restrictions and forced a communications blackout. The dispensation that rules India seems not interested…

New waves of the sectarian target killings in Pakistan

September 28, 2020September 28, 2020 Web Desk

Islamabad (Exclusive Report) Although processions during recent Muharram remained peaceful as majority of the masses in Pakistan wish a peaceful atmosphere in the country but seeds of the violent sectarianism cultivated during the last four decades still have outcomes. Initially hateful speech of a Sunni-Bralvi clerk namely Asif Jalali about the beloved daughter of Prophet of Islam (PBUH) caused serious concerns among the Shias and as well many of Sunnis. Secondly, a provoking speech of a Shia Zakir (reciter) namely Asif Alvi about Muslim Caliph Abu Bakr (r.z) during the…

Pakistan’s Government to stop sectarian violence, Norway’s Sunni and Shia scholars demand

September 22, 2020September 22, 2020 Web Desk

Oslo (P.R.) The Sunni and Shia religious scholars in Norway have jointly demanded the government to take urgent and serious steps to prevent the growing sectarian violence in Pakistan. This was stated during a meeting of a delegation of Shia’s scholars based in the capital Oslo held with scholars of the Islamic Cultural Center of Norway (ICC) last week. The Shia’s delegation was included the director of religious affairs of the Organization Anjuman e Hussaini Norway Dr. Syed Zawar Hussain Naqvi, Maulana Syed Qasim Ali Kazimi, Allama Syed Mustafa Mataheri…