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IHC declares contempt of court petition against PDM leaders inadmissible for hearing

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The Islamabad High Court on Friday dismissed a contempt of court petition filed against Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders Fazlur Rehman, Rana Sanaullah and Maryam Nawaz, among others, declaring it inadmissible for hearing.

The application was filed a day earlier by Ali Ijaz Butter and fixed for hearing today with objections from the Registrar’s Office.

“What is your request?” Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who heard the petition, asked the petitioner’s counsel, Naeem Haider Panjutha.

“Anti-judiciary statements were made on social media by these leaders,” the counsel replied.

“Is there any mention about this high court?” Justice Kayani asked.

“You should go to the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court, as these are the courts you have spoken of,” the judge told the lawyer.

At one point, Justice Kayani said: “The petitioner is from Lahore, why does he prefer this court?”

“Tell the petitioner that there are courts in Lahore too,”  he added.

The judge noted that “at the time the remarks were made, they fell on deaf ears”.

The court subsequently dismissed the petition as inadmissible for hearing, asking the petitioner to approach the relevant forums.

Petition

The petition had named Maryam Nawaz, Rana Sanaullah, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Attaullah Tarar and Marriyum Aurangzeb as respondents.

According to the petitioner, “while watching social media”, he came across a number of statements, media talks and videos of the PDM leaders. He said he was “shocked to see that the respondents who represent the ruling elite of Pakistan and are running the affairs of the federal government unfortunately, don’t have respect for the institutions of Pakistan, especially the judiciary, which is the most sacred institution”.

The petition said that the respondents have “time and again” used “contemptuous language” against the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, as well as judges of the honourable high courts.

“These attitudes, acts, and speeches are not only contemptuous, but have also scandalised the honourable judges of the high court and Supreme Court of Pakistan,” read the petition.

It added that these acts and statements of the respondents have “shattered” the confidence of the public in the judiciary and the judicial system.

With the petition, transcript of media talks, press conferences and speeches by the PDM leaders were attached.

It was prayed that the respondents be summoned in person, tried for contempt and punished under the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 read with Article 204 (Contempt of Court) of the Constitution of Pakistan.

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Imran Khan’s aide kickstarts PTI funding campaign in Europe

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LONDON: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zulfi Bukhari has kickstarted a mass mobilisation and fundraising campaign for the party in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Addressing a workers’ convention in High Wycombe in London along with Sahibzada Jahangir, one of the founders of PTI, Zulfi said that the mass mobilisation and fundraising has been started for the elections scheduled for February next year.

“We will take part in elections at any cost. We need funds and effort from the overseas regions. The party needs funds for its legal challenges as well for the election campaign,” he said.

Zulfi said the entire leadership is prepared for the elections and will not be deterred by the arrest threats.

The former cabinet member said he will be going to Pakistan himself as soon as the party leadership directs him, adding that he was prepared to go to jail.

However, it is unlikely that Zulfi will be travelling to Pakistan anytime soon as the caretaker govt has requested Interpol for his arrest. He was in Dubai when the Interpol request was made, he left UAE and since then has not travelled outside London.

Zulfi said he will be personally visiting cities in the United Kingdom and Europe to raise funds.

The PTI leader revealed that the campaign in the UK is scheduled to start shortly and arrangements are in place. He said the PTI Core Committee was meeting daily to discuss affairs of the party to formulate strategies on a daily basis.

Zulfi Bukhari has so far stayed away from PTI UK events but his decision to take part in mobilisation suggests he has been asked by the leadership in Pakistan to engage with the local chapter.

Two weeks ago, he told an audience at the University of London that making Usman Buzdar Punjab’s chief minister was a mistake but Imran Khan did the right thing by not sacking him.

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Bannu Cantonment Board CEO Bilal Pasha ‘commits suicide’

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  • Police say Bilal Pasha was suffering from mental stress.
  • Police say they found his body at his residence. 
  • Inquiry launched into incident to find cause of death. 

BANNU: Bannu Cantonment Board chief executive officer Bilal Pasha has allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself, the police said on Tuesday. 

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Cantt Azmat Khan, Pasha was suffering from mental stress for several days which led to his suicide. 

The police said that they found Pasha’s body covered in blood inside his residence where he shot himself. They added that his body had been moved to the District Headquarters Hospital, Bannu.

According to a media report, the police have launched an inquiry into the incident to find whether Pasha committed suicide or was murdered. They also said that he had a bullet wound in his head. 

Following the funeral prayers, which were held at the premises of the cantonment board, the body was sent to Pasha’s hometown Khanewal for burial. 

The news of Pasha’s death, who was a distinguished CSS officer, spread across social media which left everyone in shock. Several reports had also claimed that the CEO had died of a cardiac arrest.  

People across social media demanded an investigation into the matter, saying that the police should find out whether it was a suicide or someone murdered him. 

Bilal belonged to Punjab and began his primary education in a mosque-established school. He then studied at Emerson College Multan and graduated in Agriculture from the University of Faisalabad. 

He also secured 47th rank in the CSS examination. 

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Arrest Marriyum Aurangzeb and present in court on Dec 9: Lahore ATC

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  • ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan directs SHO to execute orders. 
  • Arrest orders issued for non-appearance in court. 
  • Aurangzeb accused of making hate speech against Imran Khan. 

LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday directed the police to arrest Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Marriyum Aurangzeb in a hate speech case and produce her in court on December 9.

The orders were issued by ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan who directed the station house officer (SHO) concerned to execute the arrest warrants of Aurangzeb.  

The non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against the former information minister for not appearing before the court.

A terrorism case has been registered against Aurangzeb, Mian Javed Latif, state-run Pakistan Television’s Managing Director Sohail Khan and others for allegedly trying to incite hatred by using the religion card against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

Latif and Aurangzeb were accused of making controversial remarks at the behest of their party leadership in order to spread religious hatred against the former prime minister.

In the previous hearing, the ATC judge cancelled the non-bailable arrest warrant against Latif after he appeared before the court.

Advocate Farhad Ali Shah representing Javed Latif and Marriyum Aurangzeb appeared before the court.

During the hearing, Judge Khan inquired about the whereabouts of the PML-N leaders and was informed that Latif had appeared while Aurangzeb had not.

Consequently, the judge issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the former information minister and directed all suspects named in the case to appear before the court on December 9.

The issuance of the warrant came after the political leaders’ initial failure to appear in court. The judge set December 9 as the deadline for the prosecution to respond to the former information minister’s application seeking acquittal.

In her plea, Aurangzeb asserted that she played no role in the alleged incitement through her speeches in talk shows. She distanced herself from any claims made against her during these shows emphasising her innocence and requesting acquittal.

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