Pakistan

Sedition case: Shahbaz Gill files bail plea in Islamabad court

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Shahbaz Gill maintains that case against him is based on “distorted” bits of his remarks.
Says basis of sedition case is “malafide intent” and “political malice”.
Contends case not admissible against him under treason sections.

Senior PTI leader Shahbaz Gill on Thursday filed a plea seeking bail in the sedition case filed against him, in a district and sessions court in Islamabad where the case is currently under trial.

Advocate Faisal Chaudhry and others in PTI’s legal team filed the plea on Gill’s behalf. The plea stated that the case against Gill is based on “malafide intent” and “political malice”.

“I have passed out from the best universities and have been teaching in American and European varsities. Bits of my remarks [made during live TV programme were distorted and included in the FIR,” Gill stated in the plea. He argued that a case under sections of treason is not admissible against him.

The PTI has repeatedly demanded that the party leader be released on bail, alleging that he faced humiliation, torture and sexual abuse in police custody.

Islamabad court sends Shahbaz Gill back to jail

Gill is currently in prison on judicial remand after the trial court remanded him into judicial custody over the police’s request for an extension in his physical remand in both the sedition case and a separate arms recovery case.

Gill was arrested on August 9 in Islamabad after a sedition case was filed against him for inciting mutiny within the Pakistan Army. He has since been back-and-forth in police custody and at the PIMS hospital.

He was already facing sedition charges, but the Islamabad police — a day earlier — also registered a case against the PTI leader over possession of an illegal weapon.

He was booked in the new case after police raided the incarcerated PTI leader’s room in Parliament Lodges late Monday — where they recovered weapons, a satellite phone, and foreign currency.

Gill, during the raid at his Parliament Lodge’s residence, also told journalists that he had been “sexually assaulted”.

The party leader claimed that he was “denied treatment for asthma”; however, the federal government and police have refuted the allegations.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has demanded an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the alleged torture of Gill in police custody.

Business

Price of LPG “slashed” by Rs. 20 per kilogram

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Sources claim that LPG rates have been lowered by Rs 20, making the cost per kilogram drop from Rs 280 to Rs 260.

It is noteworthy to remark that the costs of LPG were reduced by Rs 20 per kilogram earlier, resulting in a total reduction of Rs 40 per kilogram within a few weeks.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas for the month of May 2024 was lowered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on April 30.

The LPG tariffs were lowered by Rs 11.88 to Rs 238.46 per kilogram in accordance with the OGRA’s notice. On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the new rates will go into effect.

In April of last year, the price per kilogram of LPG was Rs 250.34. pricing reduction of Rs 140.18 has resulted in a new pricing for home LPG cylinders set for May 2024 of Rs 2813.85.

The OGRA reported a drop in liquefied petroleum gas pricing in April. The price of LPG is now Rs 250.34 per kg instead of Rs 256.78 due to a reduction of Rs 6.44 per kg.

The price of the household cylinder was fixed at Rs 2954.03 for the month of April, down from Rs 3030.12, a decrease of Rs 76.9.

Business

ADB delegation stops by FBR headquarters

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Senior Director ADB Tariq Niazi oversaw the expedition, which also involved Sana Masood, Farzana Noshab, and Senior Public Sector Management Specialist Laisiasa Tora. The meeting included presentations from economists as well, according to an FBR press release.

The officers focused on structural and policy adjustments as they discussed the Domestic Resource Mobilization Program’s implementation at the meeting.

$300 million was given to the Pakistani government by ADB in December 2023 as a result of the hard work and dedication of FBR. Better laws, regulations, and institutional capability for the FBR were established by Sub-Program I.

With the $300 million in funding provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Government of Pakistan in December 2023, the delegation conveyed satisfaction with the program’s effective launch.

The FBR also underlined how crucial digitization is to recording the economy and boosting productivity in a sustainable way.

In order to promote the Government of Pakistan’s Digital Tax Administration Project, both parties decided to look into measures to improve their cooperation.

Latest News

Off-duty police in Islamabad are prohibited from donning uniforms.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The new directives, according to specifics, were sent via wireless by the federal capital police and state that no officer may wear a uniform when reporting for duty or leaving it.

According to the police official, uniforms will only be worn when on duty; otherwise, two policemen will accompany each other during duty hours and will always be required to carry guns.

A different development was the earlier release of an app by the Islamabad Police with the goal of improving crime prevention and public safety.

Launched on the orders of former Interior Minister Sarfraz Akbar Bugti, the recently released ICT-15 app aims to empower the people of the capital city by giving them the ability to actively engage in the battle against crime and protect their areas.

Residents of Islamabad can now easily download and utilize the ICT-15 app because it is easily accessible on the Google Play Store.

Citizens can report a variety of issues with this easy-to-use application, such as incidents, unlawful behavior, complaints against law enforcement, the presence of undocumented people, or any suspicious criminal activity.

The police promise quick reaction times as soon as information is reported using the app, so assistance will be provided as quickly as feasible.