Pakistan

SC to hear IHCBA’s plea against govt’s decision to block roads to stop PTI’s ‘Azadi March’

Published

10 months ago

Farwa

Three-member bench, headed by Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, to hear petition tomorrow.
Plea says government, provinces, and public functionaries are bound to obey Constitution.
IHCBA appeals to apex court to direct govt to “unblock roads and highways and not to create hindrance in movement of citizens”.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has fixed a hearing tomorrow for the Islamabad High Court Bar Association’s (IHCBA)petition against the government’s decision to block roads and raid houses of PTI members ahead of the party’s “Azadi March”.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, will hear the case.

The IHCBA, in its petition, told the court that the blockage of roads and highways by different state institutions and executive authorities was “preventing” advocates, citizens, including ambulances and doctors, from reaching their destinations.

The association, in its petition, stated that the lawyers were also stuck on the highways and roads for a long period which made them “unable to approach” the Supreme Court, thus, depriving citizens of their fundamental rights and hindering “access to justice”.

“The freedom of movement is the fundamental right of every citizen of Pakistan and all the executive authorities, state agencies, state institutions, and the government and all the provinces and as well as the public functionaries are bound to obey the Constitution and exercise their powers within the four corners of the provisions of the Constitution and law,” read the petition.

The lawyers’ body also cited press reports that stated that lawyers, parliamentarians, and workers of one political party were being arrested and harassed without any reasonable and lawful justification. It stated that the violation of the fundamental rights of the citizens was “illegal, unlawful, and contrary to the provisions of the Constitution”.

The petitioners told the court that their plea has been filed for the “protection of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution”.

The IHCBA has appealed to the apex court to direct the government to “unblock the roads and highways and not to create hindrance in the movements of the citizens”.

It also asked the Supreme court to direct the government to restrain from taking “any unconstitutional and illegal action or harass the citizens”.

Pakistan

Ramadan 2023: Sindh revises school, college timings

Published

15 hours ago

Farwa

The Sindh School Education and Literacy Department on Monday announced the revised timings for all the educational institutions in the province during the holy month of Ramadan.

All the government and private schools in Sindh will now start at 7:30am and continue till 12pm (noon) from Monday to Thursday and on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the school timings on Friday will be from 7:30am to 11am.

Office timings

On Monday, the federal government also notified timings for public offices during the holy month.

In a notification, the Establishment Division said the public offices coming under the ambit of the federal government would operate from 7:30am to 1:30pm from Monday to Thursday.

Moreover, the public offices coming under the ambit of the federal government would operate from 7:30am to 12:00pm on Fridays.

First Ramadan expected on March 23

Meanwhile, The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast that there is a strong possibility that the crescent for Ramadan 2023 will be sighted on the evening of March 22 (Wednesday).

The update was shared by the Met department’s Climate Data Processing Centre. This means the first of Ramadan is likely to fall on Thursday, March 23 in Pakistan.

Pakistan

Cleric shot dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar

Published

16 hours ago

Farwa

A cleric was shot dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Tuesday after morning prayers.

According to police, Maulana Abdul Qayyum Sufi, was going back home after Fajr prayers in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block-9 when assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire at him.

The police said that Maulana Abdul Qayyum Sufi was a member of the Pakistan Ulema Association and a prayer leader at Mohammadia Noorani Islamic Centre.

There were no further details available about the incident.

Pakistan

Ramadan 2023: Minimum Nisab set at Rs103,159 for Zakat deduction

Published

16 hours ago

Farwa

The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety has fixed the Nisab for Zakat deduction for the ongoing year.

According to a notification issued by the ministry, Zakat will be deducted from saving accounts, profit and loss sharing accounts and other similar accounts having a minimum balance of Rs103,159 or above, on the first of Ramadan.

The Nisab was fixed at Rs88,927 in the previous year.

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Under the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance 1980, no Zakat would be deducted in case a bank account has a lesser amount than the value announced by the ministry, added the statement.

“All the Zakat Collection Controlling Agencies (ZCCAs) are requested to deduct the Zakat accordingly,” it said.

The first of Ramadan will likely fall on March 23, this year, subject to the appearance of the moon.

To be liable for Zakat — which is one of the five pillars of Islam — one’s wealth must amount to more than a threshold figure, termed the “Nisab”.

Those who do not want Zakat deduction from their accounts can submit a “Zakat exemption” form to their respective banks.