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“Musharraf used the NAB for political agenda, dismissing the constitutional system.”

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2 months ago

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A comprehensive 16-page written ruling on the government’s intra-court appeal concerning the nullification of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) statute has been made public by the Supreme Court.

The verdict, which was written by Pakistan’s Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, reinstates the NAB changes and overturns the prior decision made by a two-member court.

The ruling explores the background of the NAB law, noting that it was passed by former army chief General Pervez Musharraf only 34 days after he had taken over via force. The court emphasised that Musharraf exploited the law to further his personal political goals and disregarded the democratic constitution.

The ruling mentions that Musharraf dismissed judges of the Supreme Court who disagreed with his unlawful acts.

Additionally, Justice Athar Minallah sent a message expressing his agreement with Chief Justice Isa’s decision. He emphasised that the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act did not accept the government’s appeal and that only appeals from parties who have been wronged are accepted.

He pronounced the previous ruling, which had annulled the NAB modifications, to be void and emphasised that judges and military personnel should not be free from NAB legislation.

The Supreme Court emphasised that there are clear functions for the legislative and judiciary under the Constitution, and they must take great care to avoid interfering with one another’s purview. It served as a reminder to both branches to carry out their constitutionally mandated tasks in service of the people. The judiciary—including the chief justice—is not the “gatekeeper” of parliament, the court emphasised once more.

As per the preamble draughted during the Musharraf administration, the court noted that the principal aim of the NAB law was to suppress corruption. Nonetheless, the court observed that it had been employed for political retaliation and manipulation, given that lawmakers who backed Musharraf were frequently found not guilty.

“The main purpose of the NAB law was political revenge from politicians or political engineering,” the decision noted.

It also mentioned the three noteworthy changes made to the NAB law:

June 22, 2022, saw the enactment of the first amendment.

On August 22, 2022, the second amendment was proposed.
“On May 29, 2023, the third amendment was ratified, following six hearings in which the court heard arguments opposing the NAB revisions.

Although the court did not go over the third amendment in any depth, it emphasised that laws should be preserved rather than being quickly overturned. It also made it clear that the interpretation that favours the legislation’s legality will prevail when two interpretations of the same statute exist.

The ruling stated that “the PTI founder’s petition and the old judgement of the Supreme Court were not according to the Constitution,” and it also stated that the court was not persuaded that the amendments were illegal in this particular case.

The PTI founder’s appeal was denied by the Supreme Court, which said it was not filed in a sincere effort. It further emphasised the fact that Imran Khan himself had proposed a large number of these changes.

needsIt was noted that the Practice and Procedure Act had been passed five months before the decision to change the NAB statute. Following that, the Supreme Court denied a request to establish a five-member bench to hear the petition challenging the modifications. A five-member bench needs to be assembled for the NAB amendments case, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah noted. The Supreme Court stated that the two-member bench would not have been able to hear or rule on the case against the NAB changes if Justice Shah had recused himself from the bench.

The Practice and Procedure Act hearings were postponed for 100 days and then resumed on September 18, 2023, according to the statement.

The court effectively reinstated the government’s earlier actions on the NAB statute when it stated in its closing remarks that the bill had been utilised for political objectives and that its amendments should remain.

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Petrol prices are expected to experience another increase in Pakistan.

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19 hours ago

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The inflation-affected nation is expected to encounter another increase in petrol prices, with recommendations indicating a rise of Rs. 2.58 per litre for petrol and Rs. 5.91 per litre for high-speed diesel.

Sources indicate that, if sanctioned, petrol prices will ascend to Rs. 250.96 per litre, whereas high-speed diesel will be priced at Rs. 261.05 per litre.

Sources indicated that the suggested increase is due to the elevated premium on petroleum products in the worldwide market and rising import expenses.

The premium on imported petroleum products has increased, leading the government to contemplate pricing modifications effective November 16, sources indicated.

On October 31, the federal government published the prices of petroleum products for the upcoming fortnight, increasing the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel.

A notification announced an increase in petrol price by Rs 1.35, raising it to Rs 248.38 a litre. The price of high-speed diesel was fixed at Rs 255.14 per litre after an increase of Rs 3.85.

Also read: Pakistan’s weekly inflation jumps to 15.02pc

Simultaneously, the costs of light diesel and kerosene oil were reduced. The statement states that kerosene oil is priced at Rs 148.5 per litre following a reduction of Rs 4.92.

The cost of light fuel was reduced by Rs 2.61 to Rs 147.51 per litre.

The rampant hike in the prices came at the time when the weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), witnessed an increase of 0.28 percent for the combined consumption groups during the week ended on October 17, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

According to the PBS data, the SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 319.79 points as compared to 318.91 points during the past week.

In comparison to the same week last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group during the reviewed week experienced a 15.02 percent increase.

The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

Likewise, SPI for the lowest consumption group of up to Rs 17,732 witnessed increase of 0.27 percent and went up to 313.74 points from last week’s 312.91 points.

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PIA-Mora Agreement Regarding Hajj Flights: PIA Will Offer Travel Services to 35,000 Hajj Pilgrims Under Government Program

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20 hours ago

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The Ministry of Religious Affairs and PIA have finalised an agreement about hajj flights.

According to the deal, the national flag airline would offer travel accommodations to thirty-five thousand pilgrims participating in the government-sponsored hajj program.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs stated that agreements with Saudi Airlines and other domestic carriers will be concluded shortly.

Agreement signed between ministry of religious affairs and pia regarding hajj flights: religious affairs ministry spokesperson

The national airline will offer travel services to 35,000 official pilgrims. spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs

The contract was executed yesterday at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. spokesperson

The agreement was signed by PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Aamir Hayat and Additional Secretary of Religious Affairs Dr. Syed Attaur Rahman. spokesman

PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Aamir Hayat reiterated his commitment to provide the best facilities to hajj pilgrims

Contracts with Saudi Airlines and other regional carriers will be concluded shortly. spokesperson for religious affairs.

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PML-N President Nawaz Sharif’s Media Statement: Pak-US Relations Remain Stable and Will Enhance Following President-Elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration

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Nawaz Sharif, President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, has spoken hope regarding the stability and potential enhancement of Pakistan’s relations with the United States following President-Elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the recent US elections.

The PML-N President stated that the Indian cricket team ought to have visited Pakistan for the forthcoming Champions Trophy 2025, which may have enhanced bilateral relations.

Nawaz criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on smog pollution in Punjab, questioning, “Where is the billion-tree tsunami? Where are the billion trees, the 5 million jobs, and the dams?” I am unable to perceive anything. PTI should identify the project initiated during its governance at the federal level.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam stated that the smog issue has persisted for long years and cannot be rectified instantaneously; nonetheless, we are exerting our utmost efforts to address it. We are undertaking all necessary measures to address this issue. No measures were implemented previously to address this issue.

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