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Khawaja Asif vows action against challenges to state writ, seeks Malik Riaz’s extradition

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Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif & Real Estate Tycoon Malik Riaz, File Photo
Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif & Real Estate Tycoon Malik Riaz, File Photo

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Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif upholds the rule of law by stating that state will act against those who dare challenge its writ.

As per details, today, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif held a press conference in Islamabad. While talking to the media, he ensured that no one is above the rule of law and state writ.

He warned if anyone dared to challenge its writ then the state would act against it.

He also informed the media that the government will pursue a legal process to bring Bahria Town Owner Malik Riaz back to Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates as Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates are the signatories of the Extradition Treaty.

So the government is contacting the UAE authorities for the deportation of Malik Riaz, who has been declared absconder by courts, he added.

He pin point the legal flaws in the procedure for acquiring lands for Bahria Town projects across the country as it does not contain transparent transactions.

Khawaja Asif alleged that in the £190 million case, the funds obtained from illegal activities were handed back to the owners of Bahria Town. In return, they supposedly repaid the then-PTI government by donating 438 acres of land to the Al-Qadir University Trust. He further noted that the land donated was not acquired through legal means, adding another layer of controversy to the issue.

The Defence Minister firmly stated that no concessions will be granted, nor any compromises made, with Malik Riaz

Bilawal asserts Parliament’s sole authority on 26th amendment

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PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari , Picture Credit: Radio Pakistan

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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari endorsed that only Parliament have the authority to repeal the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

Reportedly, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari while speaking to the media in Islamabad, emphasized that only Parliament has the authority to repeal the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

He warned that if any other institution other than the Parliament annuls the 26th Constitutional Amendment than the move will not be accepted by anyone.

He also urged that Supreme Court judges should develop cooperation among each other’s work rather than creating obstacles.

Bilawal also dismissed speculation about becoming part of the federal cabinet. “We are not becoming part of the cabinet.”

The 26th Constitutional Amendment— which changed the procedure for the appointment of the chief justice, fixed the post’s tenure and formed constitutional benches — was widely criticised by the opposition and the legal fraternity, with many of them challenging the controversial amendment in the apex court.

He also ensured that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would complete his five-year tenure by saying hopeful “Insha’Allah.”

Bilawal Bhutto also expressed dissatisfaction over the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) due to lack of consultation with media stakeholders.

“If the government had consulted representatives of the media and digital platforms, the process would have been smoother. Consensus should always precede any major decision,” he said.

It is worth mentioning here that the Sindh Bar Council’s vice chairman challenged the 26th Amendment Act 2024 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has also criticized the government over the passage of the amendment.

Information Minister confirms PTI unilaterally ended dialogue without justification

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Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar , Picture : Radio Pakistan

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Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)  unilaterally terminated the dialogue process for no reason.

Reportedly, Attaullah Tarar, while speaking to a private TV channel, said that PTI should have waited for the government’s response to their demands until the final deadline. However, they made this decision hastily and with ill intentions.

Commenting on the National Assembly’s approval of the PECA Amendment Bill, Attaullah Tarar stated that the government fully endorses this legislation. He emphasized that the bill aims to safeguard the rights of working journalists and expand opportunities for electronic media.

IHC issues notice to FIA on acquittal pleas of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in Toshakhana case

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PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi ahead of a court hearing. — AFP/File
PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi ahead of a court hearing. — AFP/File

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sent a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) about the acquittal requests filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI )founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the new Toshakhana case today.

Reportedly, the Justice Raja Inam Amin Minhas presided over the hearing on the acquittal requests filled by the Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the new Toshakhana case .

During the hearing, Khan’s counsel Salman Safdar requested the court to stay the trial proceedings, however, Justice Raja Inam declined saying, “There is no judicial precedent for staying criminal proceedings at this stage. We will issue a notice on your request and hear the other party.”

Justice Inam also rejected the request of Salman Safdar to change the bench suggesting that Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb to preside over the acquittal pleas.

“Those were bail applications, which is a separate matter. This court will hear this case. Present your arguments on the merits of the case,” the justice said.

The counsel further argued that “the trial court proceedings should be halted due to conflicting court orders”.

“Charges have already been framed in the trial court, and witnesses’ statements are being recorded. It would not be appropriate to halt the proceedings at this stage. We will issue a notice and won’t delay the matter for very long”, Justice Inam responded.

It is worth mentioning here that the FIA has accused the Imran Khan and his wife Bushra bibi of misusing their positions to retain a Bulgari jewellery set from Toshakhana at a significantly reduced price.

Indian FM confirms no trade talks with Pakistan since last year

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Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks to reporters at the Indian Embassy in Washington, US on January 22, 2025. — Screengrab via YouTube/Ministry of External Affairs, India
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks to reporters at the Indian Embassy in Washington, US on January 22, 2025. — Screengrab via YouTube/Ministry of External Affairs, India

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Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has confirmed that no trade talks conducted between India and Pakistan since last year.

As per details, in Washington, while responding to the answer to a reporter’s question at the Indian embassy, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has confirmed that no trade talks conducted between India and Pakistan since last year.

He informed the reporter that no proposal was floated from either side [India and Pakistan] to resume trade.

He pointed out that, “India never stopped trade with its neighboring country. Their [Pakistani] government took the step to stop the trade in 2019”.

“Our concern was that they never granted us MFN [Most Favoured Nation] status, even though we granted it to them,” Jaishankar added.

“Every country has the sovereign right to take its decisions about what are their international commitments and responsibilities. We can have our respective views on it,” he concluded.

SIFC targets $20B foreign investment with key institutional support

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Special Investment Facilitation Council, Picture Credit: Radio Pakistan

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The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) focuses on promoting investment in the country.

As per details, the National Institute of Public Administration and Pakistan Administrative Staff College collaborate to design strategies for increasing industrial investment.

A research group will prepare a detailed plan to address the barriers to industrial development, will formulate strategies to increase foreign investment in the industrial sector by twenty billion dollars over the next five years.

Sindh Govt to launch eco-friendly EV taxi service

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Sindh Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon
Sindh Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon, Picture Credit : Radio Pakistan

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The Sindh government has decided to launch an environment-friendly EV taxi service across the province.

As per details, Sindh’s Senior Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon in Karachi chaired the meeting to discuss the plans for environment-friendly EV taxi service across the provincel

He said plans are also underway to develop a robust EV charging network across major urban and rural areas of the province.

Sharjeel Memon announced that a regulatory body is being established to monitor and regulate the operations of the EV taxi service.

PMD warns of drought due to 40% below rainfall

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Picture Credit : Radio Pakistan

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The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PDM) has issued a drought alert for parts of the country today.

Reportedly, PMD has warned the government regarding the worsening conditions in the wake of below-normal rainfall and rising temperatures rainfall from September 1, 2024, to January 15, 2025, forty percent below normal across Pakistan.

The PMD predicts the possibility of moderate drought in some regions are likely to aggravate in the coming months due to limited rainfall.

The PMD stated that in Punjab, mild drought conditions were observed in the Potohar region — Attock, Chakwal, Rawalpindi/Islam­abad—, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, Rajanpur, Baha­walnagar, Bahawalpur, Faisal­abad, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and D.G. Khan.

In Sindh, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Padidan, Sukkur, Khairpur, Tharparkar, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin and Karachi have witnessed drought-like conditions.

In Balochistan, Ormara, Kharan, Turbat, Kech, Panjgur, Awaran, Lasbella, Nokkundi, Dalbandin and adjacent areas were witnessing a similar situation.

The PMD added that, “the situation was unlikely to improve as the second half of the season is expected to be as dry as the first half”.

The  PMD’s National Drought Monitoring Centre (NDMC)  is “continuously monitoring the meteorological conditions”.

The PMD has advised farmers to take pre-emptive measures to mitigate the impact of the drought.

FIA tightens screening measures for first-time foreign travelers from Punjab cities

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Allama Iqbal International Airport
Allama Iqbal International Airport

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The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has directed its deputy immigration directors to be extra cautious when clearing passengers for boarding planes, specifically, passengers from Punjab’s nine cities.

As per the details, FIA has directed the immigration deputies to be extra vigilant in monitoring first-time foreign passengers to stop human trafficking in the country.

Directives further stated that all the documents including return tickets, and hotel bookings, of such passengers should be thoroughly scrutinized especially passengers between the ages of 15 and 40.

The passengers came from nine cities of Punjab including Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bhimber, Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad and Sheikhupura should be strictly monitors, the order added.

“The young passengers traveling via Fly Dubai and Ethiopian Airlines should undergo strict screening process”, the FIA advisory read.

As per the directives, “an improved system of profiling passengers traveling to Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan should be implemented”.

The documents, especially visit or tourist visas, should be carefully checked, and thorough interviews should be conducted to verify the financial arrangements and travel purpose of suspicious passengers, order further stated.

Sources revealed that, for the past 20 years, the lack of a clear policy at the country’s airports has made officials hesitant to stop passengers from boarding.

Punjab Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan meets Iranian MP to strengthen bilateral ties

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Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan met with Iranian Parliament member Muhammad Mirzaei
Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan met with Iranian Parliament member Muhammad Mirzaei Picture Credit: Radio Pakistan

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 Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan met with Iranian Parliament member Muhammad Mirzaei to discuss bilateral relations in Lahore today.

During meeting, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan emphasized the need to transform historic Pakistan-Iran relations into trade relations is essential for the development of both countries.

The meeting discussed both leaders discuss the promotion of parliamentary and economic relations between Pakistan and Iran.

The Punjab Speaker Assembly said parliamentary contacts are important in further strengthening bilateral ties.

Muhammad Mirzaei said Iran wants to improve its ties with Pakistan in different areas. He also invited Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan to visit Iran.

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