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Audio leaks case: FIA, PTA, and PEMRA pleas seeking Justice Sattar’s recusal dismissed

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The Islamabad High Court fined each of the three government departments Rs. 500,000 on Monday after dismissing their arguments against a bench trial over audio leaks.

The court may also hold the heads of the aforementioned departments—the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)—culpable for contempt.

In the audio leak case, four government agencies—the PEMRA, PTA, FIA, and Intelligence Bureau—filed separate petitions with the IHC, pleading for Justice Babar Sattar’s recusal and asking for the case to be heard by the same bench that has previously decided a case of a similar nature.

The petitioners contended that in order to prevent a different ruling, Justice Babar Sattar should recuse himself from the case that was decided in 2021. The petitions of Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, and Najamul Saqib, the son of former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, should also be brought before the same bench.

During the current hearing, Justice Sattar also issued a summons to IB Joint Director General Tariq Mehmood, directing him to come before the court for the case’s subsequent hearing.

Following the issue’s discovery in 2023, the judge has been considering the aforementioned petitions.

The government agencies contended in the petitions in the case before Justice Sattar that Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had already resolved an analogous issue in 2021. Thus, in order to prevent a conflicting ruling and for the sake of justice, they asked the judge to recuse herself from the case.

The departments are requesting that Justice Sattar recuse himself after six IHC judges—among them, himself—complained in writing to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) about intelligence agencies interfering with the court’s decision.

On March 25, the judges called for the calling of a judicial convention to address the issue of purported meddling by intelligence agents in the judicial activities or “intimidation” of judges in a way that jeopardised the judiciary’s independence.

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A powerful westerly wave is predicted to arrive in the nation today.

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ISLAMABAD The Met Office predicts that a powerful westerly wave will likely hit the country’s western regions on Monday, February 25, and could reach the higher regions on February 25.

In the Northern Areas, the westerly wave is probably going to last till March 2.

From now till February 26th, Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Mastung, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Chagai, Noushki, Kalat, Khuzdar, Barkhan, Harnai, Zhob, and Musakhel are all predicted to see rain and snowfall over the hills in Balochistan due to this weather system.

On February 25 and 26, Sindh’s Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, and Sukkur districts are anticipated to see light rainfall.

Between February 25 and March 02, with sporadic breaks, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir may have extensive rains and snowfall in the hills.

The regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will see heavy rainfall and snowfall in the mountains from the evening of February 24 to the first day of March.

From February 25 to March 1, with sporadic breaks, Punjab and the federal territory of Islamabad will have rains and moderate to heavy snowfall in Murree, Galliyat, and the neighbouring areas.

Rainfall is also anticipated in the following locations: Jhang, Bhakkar, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Taunsa Sharif, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Okara, Bahawalnagar, and Bahawalpur from February 25 to February 27; Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, and T.T. Singh from February 25 to 28.

During the anticipated period, flash floods could occur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir’s vulnerable districts due to heavy rainfall.

During the expected period, landslides could occur in hilly regions of Kashmir, Murree, Galliyat, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Additionally, isolated locations in plain areas of Punjab, Islamabad, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are predicted to see hailstorms.

It has been suggested that travellers exercise extra caution and refrain from making needless trips during periods of severe snowfall or rain.

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For this reason, University Road was closed to traffic.

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Water Board representatives and equipment have arrived close to Old Sabzi Mandi to repair the damaged line during BRT construction, according to traffic police.

From Hassan Square to New Town, traffic is halted.

Traffic from Essa Nagri is being rerouted towards the stadium via the Hassan Square bridge, while commuters from NIPA are being rerouted by the Expo turning.

To prevent disruption, authorities have recommended the public to choose alternate routes.

Tree-cutting along the city’s bus rapid transit route was previously the subject of a Sindh High Court (SHC) case involving the mayor of Karachi and the secretary of transportation.

In addition, Secretary Forest and others attended the high court hearing on the Karachi tree-cutting suit.

According to Secretary Forest, the KMC was in charge of the city’s trees, although the forest department’s jurisdiction started outside the municipal limits.

Justice Salahuddin Panhwar enquired about the KMC’s findings.

For a while, KMC’s attorney begged for the report to be submitted. According to the BRT agreement, the contractor shall plant five trees for every tree that is chopped down, the attorney informed the court.

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Seven Khwarij are killed by security forces in Dera Ismail Khan.

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In two different clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan District, security forces have killed seven Khwarij.

ISPR reports that the Security Forces carried out an Intelligence Based Operation in the general Daraban area in response to the reported presence of Khwarij.

Four Khwarij were dispatched to hell as a result of own troops successfully engaging the Khwarijs’ location throughout the operation.

Three Khwarij were successfully neutralised by own soldiers in a different battle that happened in the Maddi general area.

The Khwarij, who continued to be actively involved in a number of terrorist actions in the region, were also found to have weapons and ammunition.

As Pakistan’s Security Forces work to eradicate the threat of terrorism from the nation, sanitisation efforts are underway to eradicate any remaining Kharji in the region.

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