Amendment of the NAB Act and Supreme Court

 

Shahbaz Sharif benefited the most from NAB amendments, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar also benefited

All parties benefit from NAB amendments, far-reaching effects of the decision on politics  

  After 53 hearings, the Supreme Court reserved its decision on former Prime Minister Imran Khan's petition challenging the amendment of the NAB Act. Chief Justice Bandyal has consistently had an opinion about the financial integrity of political leaders. He has delivered several judgments in this regard throughout his career as a judge of the Supreme Court. Recently, he struck down the Review of Judgments and Orders Act, 2023.

      Political analysts believe that if the Supreme Court annuls the NAB amendments, the cases against the political leaders will start again. It will also be a victory for PTI chairman's corruption narrative against rival political parties. It will be interesting to see if Chief Justice Bandyal will confirm the legislative competence of the Parliament or strengthen the powerful circles that have controlled the Musharraf era. Always used NAB for political engineering.

     During the hearing, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asked the petitioner's lawyer why this law of NAB is not applicable to judges and generals. Isn't this a violation of Article 25 of the Constitution? Are they also convinced that how the amendments are violating the fundamental rights of citizens?

      On the other hand, both Chief Justice Bandyal and Justice Ijazul Hassan expressed surprise that whether Parliament can change the nature of the crime by amending the NAB Act. Both judges expressed concern that the amendment act has been applied retrospectively.

      Both judges are also expressing concern over the new definition of benami in the amended law. They are also questioning the amendment which purportedly nullifies the admissibility of documents and evidence obtained from foreign governments as mutual legal assistance and which are subject to ongoing NAB inquiries. , has been relied upon in investigations and trials.

     Senior lawyers say that the matter may be sent back to Parliament for reconsideration with some amendments. They are wondering what will be the future of those who have already benefited from the amendments after the implementation of the law. No stay was given on the amendments in the NAB law.

     According to the report, former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif benefited the most from the amendments among other leaders of all major political parties. Even senior federal ministers in the PDM government benefited from it.

     Among the leaders are Mian Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz, Faryal Talpur, Ishaq Dar, Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Rana Sanaullah, Javed Latif, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Aamir Mehmood Kayani, Akram Durrani. Salim Mandviwala, Noor Alam Khan, Nawab Aslam Raisani, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Burjees Tahir, Nawab Ali Wasan, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Anwarul Haq Kakar, Liaqat Jatoi, Amir Maqam, Goram Bugti, Jafar Khan Mandukhel, Governor G. B Syed Mehdi Shah is included.

     NAB while giving the details of Shehbaz Sharif's cases informed the Supreme Court that the case related to the illegal allotment of 1400 kanals of government land near Lal Sohanra National Park will also be affected by the recent amendment as the amount involved in this case is less than Rs 500 million. Is.

     Similarly, another case related to abuse of power against the former prime minister and others will also be affected as the amount involved in this alleged scandal is less than Rs.500. Third, the inquiry against Shahbaz Sharif and others regarding the illegal use of the Prime Minister's aircraft from 2014 to 2018 will also be affected.

     Besides, the investigation against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for illegal appointment of CEO of ZTBL in violation of Nationalization Act 1974 will be affected. The inquiry against the former Federal Minister of Railways will also be closed.

     The inquiry against PTI leader Shaukat Ali Yousafzai for alleged misuse of powers as Information Minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will also be affected as the amount involved in the scandal is less than Rs 500 million. The inquiry against former health minister Aamir Kayani regarding abuse of power, dishonesty and obtaining financial benefits through illegal means while framing the drug pricing policy will also be affected.

     Asset collection inquiry against former PTI Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht and other family members will be affected. The disproportionate assets inquiry against PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur will be affected under Section 4(2a) of the National Accountability Act, 2022.

     The inquiry against Maulana Fazlur Rehman will be closed as the property in the name of the accused in the case is nominal and in the light of the new amendment act it is very difficult to connect benamidars. The inquiry against former Defense Minister Khawaja Asif for the approval of Kent Housing Society and the allegation of acquiring land of private individuals and cheating people will be affected.

     The inquiry against Chaudhry Sugar Mills, owned by the Sharif family including Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, will also be affected. The inquiry against former Home Minister Rana Sanaullah for disproportionate assets, illegal assets of Rs 95 million in the name of unnamed persons and illegal profits of Rs 100 million will be affected.

    In view of the recent amendments in the NAB law, a total of six cases against Nawaz Sharif will be affected. The inquiry against Syed Adil Geelani, chairman of Transparency International of Pakistan, will also be affected.

Thanks Arshad Nadeem!!

       Arshad Nadeem, the national hero of Pakistan's javelin throw in the Paris Olympics, has given a proud gift to the nation on this year's Independence Day by making a record performance, which should be used as a fall nook for other fields as well. Arshad Nadeem, who won the gold medal for Pakistan, returned home last night, his flight TK 714 landed at Lahore's Allama Iqbal Airport at 1:25 PM. Nadeem arrived in Lahore from Paris via Turkey. To see a glimpse of the national hero, a crowd of fans came to the airport. The late idol of Fakhar Pakistan Arshad Nadeem was received at Allama Iqbal Airport in Lahore. Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Chairman Prime Minister Youth Program Rana Mashhood, Senior Minister Punjab Maryam Aurangzeb, Former Federal Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima, Pakistan Athletic Federation President Wajahat Hussain, Arshad Nadeem's family and relatives and friends welcomed, Airport In the state lounge, Arshad Nadeem's father hugged his son and garlanded him with flowers. In the lounge, Uzma Bukhari and others also garlanded Arshad Nadeem. The fans of Fakhar Pakistan Arshad Nadeem showered flower petals on their hero and kept banging to the beat of drums, the airport echoed with slogans of "Arshad Nadeem Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad".

       While Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal for Pakistan after 40 years, he also took the title of the biggest throw of 92.97 in the 118-year history of the Olympics, while in the same competition, he threw the javelin 91.79 meters and set the record for the second longest throw of the Olympics. Thus, he has become the first athlete to bring gold medal to Pakistan in individual events. The previous record for the longest throw in the Olympics was held by Andersen Thor Kludsen of Norway who threw 90.57 meters in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the final of the event, 12 athletes lined up, including India's defending champion Neeraj Chopra. Neeraj Chopra made it to the final by throwing 89.34 meters while Arshad Nadeem stood fourth with 85.59. Overall, this is Pakistan's 11th medal in the history of Olympics. India's Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal in the last Olympics, was adjudged the silver medalist this time with a throw of 89.45m while Grenada's Andres bagged the bronze medal with a throw of 88.54m.

        On arrival at Lahore Airport, Arshad Nadeem said in a discussion about his success that Pakistan got happy after many years. The President has given instructions to award the civil award (Hilal Imtiaz) to Arshad Nadeem in a special ceremony in recognition of his services in the field of sports. In the joy of winning the gold medal, it has been decided to celebrate Youth Day tomorrow, August 12, Monday, in a grand manner. Olympian gold medalist Arshad Nadeem is also expected to participate in the special event. According to government sources, the National Youth Policy in this regard will also be announced, domestic and foreign investment companies will also set up stalls for job offers to athletes and youth. The messages of the President of the State, the Prime Minister and the Army Chief, including all the notable personalities on Arshad's great success in the Paris Olympics, are making it clear that this victory is the victory of the entire nation. It is a prayer that the spirit of better performance in every field of national life will be prominent, the goals of success will continue to rise and Pakistan will continue to move towards the front ranks of development and prosperity in the international community.

Martyrdom of Ismail Haniya

 

         Prominent Palestinian leader, a symbol of invincible resistance against Israel's totally illegal and usurping occupation of his homeland, the head of the political department of Hamas and the former Prime Minister of Palestine, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed last night as a result of the missile attack by the Zionist state of Israel in Iran. Martyrdom in the city of Tehran will surely prove to be the cause of eternal life in the history of struggle against oppression and injustice.

 

         After the martyrdom of his three sons and four grandsons in the Israeli attacks on Gaza, he sacrificed his life for the sake of liberating his homeland and defeating the evil Zionist ambitions, and has provided eternal energy to the Palestinian freedom movement, which, God willing, will not happen today, but tomorrow. Success will be met and oppressive Israel and its patron powers will be humiliated.  

         According to Iranian TV, Ismail Haniyeh was in Tehran to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian president, where he was martyred by an attack on his residence. Iranian authorities say that the results of the investigation of the assassination attack will be revealed soon. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was the face of the Palestinian group's international diplomacy. He usually lived in Turkey and Qatar to avoid travel restrictions in Gaza, and was currently representing Hamas in ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire.

       During these negotiations and in the presence of government representatives from all over the world who came to Tehran to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian president, Israel's targeting of the Palestinian leader is a sign of the anti-peace of the Zionist rulers and of igniting the fire of war on the whole planet. There is clear evidence of nefarious intentions. The international community should understand that if it does not play a productive role for the just solution of the Palestinian issue, the peace of the whole world may be destroyed.

New IMF Agreement, Adverse Effects and Remedies

        Finally, after the budget, Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed on a new package at the staff level, under which USD 7 billion will be provided over a period of 37 months. Final approval will be given by the Executive Board of the institution. The objectives of the new program include macroeconomic stability, monetary policy, sustainable growth and broadening the tax base. The expansion fund facility is available on the basis of economic stability achieved under the 2023 Standby Arrangement. The IMF mission visited Pakistan from May 13 to May 23, after which virtual talks were held. For the first time in the country's 77-year history, the federal government and the provinces approved taxing agricultural income on the demand of Domor.

        The IMF has also issued a statement stating that the share of taxes in GDP will be increased by 3 percent during the loan program. There will be a fair increase in direct and indirect taxes. Tax net collections in the export sector will be improved. The tax net in the retail sector will be increased and the agricultural sector will be brought into the tax net. Administrative affairs in state-owned enterprises have to be improved.

      In the current economic situation of the country, the agreement with the IMF had become inevitable, for which the bitter pill of strict conditions had to be swallowed. The national budget had to be made in consultation with the international organization. It is expected that the new loan program will improve the economy, but it is not a permanent solution to the problem. We are not moving towards self-reliance due to strict conditions. Trapped in the vortex of debt, the debt that is received goes into interest payments. Investment is the best tool for economic stability and with its help all strong economies have achieved stability. Now, however, the economy has to be renewed. Matters have been settled with the IMF, it should also be a foreclosure before the coming inflationary storm. Pakistan needs to improve its infrastructure. 

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The 14-year reign of the Conservative Party has ended

Writer:.... Ishtiaq bag

          British elections are always a source of interest for Pakistanis due to the large number of Pakistanis living in the UK and the participation of Pakistani-origin candidates in British elections. In the recent British election, issues such as the economy, inflation, immigration, the NHS and the environment dominated the campaign. Even before the election, the victory of the Labor Party was predicted in various exit polls, which proved to be correct and the Labor Party came to power after 14 years with a huge majority. According to the election results, the Labor Party won 412 seats, the Conservatives won 121 seats and the Liberal Democrats won 72 seats. The issue of Gaza was the most important in many constituencies in the British election where the votes cast also affected the results of the parties and the candidates supported by Israel suffered the worst defeat. 15 British-born Pakistanis and 5 pro-Palestine independent candidates won the elections and became members of the British Parliament.

        Britain's Labor Party is considered the party of Pakistanis and Muslims. Labor Party policies have always been supportive of Muslim immigrants living in Britain. This party has the honor of giving party tickets to Muslims of Pakistani origin to contest elections and for the first time in the history of Britain, an Asian and Muslim of Pakistani origin, Muhammad Sarwar, who took oath on the Holy Quran, was successful. Similarly, during the reign of the Labor Party, a Pakistani-origin Shahid Malik was made a minister for the first time in Britain, while the Labor Party itself elected a Pakistani-origin Lord Nazir as a member of the House of Lords. Islam is the second largest religion in the UK. The number of Muslim population and voters in Britain is increasing with each passing day. According to the 1971 census, the population of Muslims in England and Wales was 126,000, which according to the 2021 census has increased to more than 4 million at a rate of 6.5%, in which the number of Pakistanis is 1.6 million, while in the United Kingdom The number of mosques is more than one and a half thousand. Due to the growing population of Muslims in Britain, the number of Muslim members in the British Parliament is also increasing.

       Among the 10 Muslim candidates who were successful in the elections held in 2010, there were 7 Muslim British MPs of Pakistani origin, while 15 of the 19 Muslim British MPs who were successful in the recent British elections are of Pakistani origin. The Pakistani community living in Britain has demanded these Muslim British MPs to raise their voices in the British Parliament against the atrocities of India and Israel, which are illegally occupying Kashmir and Palestine. It should be noted that the manifesto of the Labor Party includes Hamas, Israel immediate ceasefire, provision of aid and Israel-Palestine two-state solution.

      Britain is currently facing the worst economic crisis since Brexit. Inflation and unemployment are on the rise and the rich class of Britain is leaving the country and moving to other countries along with their capital, while inflation has severely affected the lower class and according to a news report, more than 12,000 people have been killed in the streets in London alone in recent days. But they are forced to sleep. The main reason for the worst defeat of the Conservative Party in the recent British elections was poor economic policy, rising inflation and unemployment, which Indian-born British Prime Minister Rishi Sonak failed to control. In such a tough situation, the leader of the Labor Party and the newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer entered the field with the slogan "Time for a change" and ended the 14-year rule of the Conservative Party, which won only 121 seats in the recent election.

      After winning the elections and meeting Prince Charles III of Great Britain, Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labor Party and the newly elected British Prime Minister, has assumed the position of Prime Minister. For the new British Prime Minister, there are major challenges such as improving relations with the powerful global economy and reviving the economy. It is noteworthy that Keir Starmer does not believe in any religion while his wife and children belong to the Jewish religion.

     What struck me the most about the recent UK election was outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sonak's grinning acceptance of defeat after the election results were announced, congratulating opposition leader Keir Starmer on his victory and the new The government had to assure its support. After the election results, the opponents did not raise any question on the transparency of the election, nor did they accuse of rigging and stealing votes, nor did they give any call for protest. Unfortunately, there is no such example in Pakistan. I wish that a tradition of Western-style democracy would be established in Pakistan as well.

Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif murder case: Kenyan court's fair decision

     

    In Kenya, the High Court of Jiado has decided to investigate the murder case at the request of Arshad Sharif's widow, in which hosher revelations have been made. A Kenyan court has acquitted the well-known Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif after he was shot dead by police officers. Widow Jawaria Siddiq has been ordered to pay one million Kenyan shillings, which is about 78 thousand US dollars, as compensation, but after this decision, the question is what will happen now and whether this decision can be implemented or not. So far, there has been no reaction to this decision from the Kenyan police, the government lawyer or the Policing Oversite Authority.

    The Kenyan court rejected the statement of the police in which it was said that Arshad Sharif's car was fired on the basis of mistaken identity, we were considering this car as the car of the kidnappers. Rejecting the police's claim that the killing was a result of mistaken identity, he ordered an investigation against the law enforcement agencies and security agencies.

    The Kenyan court, in its decision, ordered to investigate the conspiracy to kill Arshad Sharif with precision and depth, and said that strict disciplinary action should be taken against the police and security agencies. The judge of the Kenyan court, Justice Stella said, And everyone is equal before the law.

    It should be remembered that in October 2022, Arshad Sharif was killed by police firing on a vehicle passing near a checkpoint in Nairobi and surprisingly, the driver sitting with him was not even slightly injured.

   The Nairobi police chief claimed that while searching for the abductors of a child, the police targeted the vehicle carrying Arshad Sharif for failing to stop despite signals.

   On which Arshad Sharif's widow and journalist Jawaria Siddiq filed a case against the elite police unit, in which it was said that Arshad Sharif's murder was not based on mistaken identity but planned. On April 30 this year, this case In the second hearing, the lawyers had completed their arguments, while the decision of the case was reserved in the third hearing held on May 8, which was announced yesterday after two months.

Background of the case

    This case was filed by Arshad Sharif's second wife Jawaria Siddique through her lawyer Ovichal against the GSU Journal Service Unit and 5 policemen named in the murder in a Kenyan court on October 19 last year. The Attorney General of Kenya, Director of Public Prosecutions, IG National Police Service, Independent Police, National Police Service Commission were made parties in the application. In the preliminary hearing held in December, the court asked all the parties, including the police and other accused, for detailed answers. Notices were issued.

    According to the petitioner Jawaria Siddique, four international organizations including ICFJ, IWMF, Media Defense and Women Journalism, along with two Kenyan journalism organizations Union of Journalists and Correspondence Association, also supported her.

  In Kenya we got justice, wife Jawaria Siddique

    Jawaria Arshad, the wife of the deceased Arshad Sharif, said on her YouTube channel, "We won the case." The Kenyan court acknowledged that the Kenyan police did not submit satisfactory responses. Justice was done in Kenya and now justice is yet to be done in Pakistan. The real killers of my husband are the ones who named Arshad Sharif in 16 cases in Pakistan and due to which my husband had to leave the country.

What was the position taken by the lawyers of wife Jawaria Siddique in the Kenyan court

    It was contended in the petition that firing at the vehicle was a criminal act by the police as the kidnappers' vehicle was being searched by the police. Arshad Sharif's car was fired on, instead of which the model and number plate were different. The reasons given by the police for the murder of Arshad Sharif are vague and vague, so the murder should be investigated carefully. It is not yet clear why Arshad Sharif was shot even though the bullet could have been hit on the tire. The lawyer also raised the question why the bullets only hit Arshad Sharif and the driver's hair was not hit and then the police. Why was the car allowed to go with the dead body? Why was the driver not forced to stop the vehicle?

When was Arshad Sharif killed?

    Anchor and journalist Arshad Sharif was killed by police firing in Kenya on October 23, 2022. The Kenyan police said in a press conference that Arshad Sharif's car was hit by police bullets due to mistaken identity. Not only did I stay these officials, but their jobs were also restored.

Why did Arshad Sharif go to Kenya?

    Arshad Sharif had moved from Pakistan to Dubai in August 2022 after several cases were registered against him and after staying there for some time, he mysteriously and quietly moved to Kenya. Lived there with a friend. Not many people were aware of their presence and movements in Kenya. His family also did not have concrete information in this regard.

Strong supporters of Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan

     Arshad Sharif is considered a staunch supporter of Tehreek-e-Insaaf and has emerged as a staunch supporter of PTIA since Imran Khan's government was overthrown by a no-confidence motion. Arshad Sharif has been trolled on social media for criticizing Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan, but later his relationship with PTI became quite pleasant.

Brother of martyred soldier

    Arshad Sharif's brother, Major Ashraf Shaheed, was posted in Bannu, when he got the news of his father's death, he left for home. When this information reached home, the father's funeral prayer was stopped and later the father and son were buried together.

Unsolved questions

      Many questions remain unsolved in the Arshad Sharif case. Why did they choose a country like Kenya where there is insecurity and terrorism and it is not very safe for journalists.

      It is said that Arshad Sharif's reason for leaving the UAE was not to extend his visa and to send him back to Pakistan, but the concrete facts in this regard are still hidden.

     This question also stands in its place through whom they went in Kenya. In this regard, the names of a few people also came out, but the details have not been revealed yet.

The verdict is a warning to Kenyans police officials

     The court decision is a victory for Kenyans who want police accountability.

     It is also a good decision for the rule of law and it shows the bravery of the Kenyan judiciary.

    This decision will have a big impact on the police culture in Kenya, it is a warning shot to Kenyan police officers, no matter how long it takes to get justice, police brutality will no longer be tolerated.

 

Pak-Russia relations

 

Pak-Russia relations

When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited the Russian President to visit Pakistan and said that no geo-political change can affect our relations, he seems to be pointing to the status and importance of the current relations between the two countries. Pakistan Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to the Kazakh capital Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. In this lively and pleasant meeting, it was agreed to strengthen relations between the two countries in various fields including trade and energy and to expand multilateral cooperation.

 

 Shahbaz Sharif said that we want to increase oil supply from Russia, we have to improve business relations with Moscow in the future. President Putin said that there are excellent relations between Pakistan and Russia, we can expand our cooperation in the fields of energy and agriculture, we will also expand cooperation with Pakistan in the field of food security. The two leaders had extensive discussions focusing on trade and economic relations, energy sector, important relations and global issues. The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to work with Russia to further expand and strengthen the growing multilateral cooperation between the two countries in all areas of mutual benefit, including trade, energy, defense and security. Shahbaz Sharif said that it was nice to meet you, Pakistan and Russia have been friendly countries for a long time, their positive relations will have to be strengthened in the future. I am We can benefit from your experiences and develop mutual trade which is currently around one billion dollars. He expressed his desire to promote trade with Russia under the barter system, which will be beneficial for Pakistan and through which the country's numerous and other problems can be overcome.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was a pleasure to meet you again after the Samarkand meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization two years ago. Bilateral relations have further improved thanks to trade ties between the two countries. He indicated to increase cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, food security. The meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Council has its own importance, but the contacts that took place on the sidelines between different countries on this occasion are also very useful. Shahbaz Putin's meeting provided an opportunity to increase efforts to stabilize Pakistan-Russia relations and increase trade opportunities. The trilateral talks between the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Ali Youf, among other issues, highlighted the possibilities of establishing a tripartite institutional mechanism in the fields of trade and economic cooperation and investment. Also, from the Pakistan-Tajikistan joint statement issued at the end of Shahbaz Sharif's two-day official visit, where the need and benefits of a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan for regional development came to the fore, dealing with all kinds of organized crimes, including terrorism. The determination was renewed. It should be expected that as a result of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the contacts of various leaders, global and regional peace will be strengthened and the way of prosperity will be paved in the region.