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KARACHI: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, on Sunday took a serious notice of a speech delivered by the Islamabad High Court’s judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui at the Rawalpindi Bar Association in which he alleged interference of intelligence agencies of the country in judicial matters.Hearing human rights cases at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that he was disappointed at the reported statement of the Islamabad High Court’s judge and dispelled the impression about the interference in the judiciary. The chief justice observed that the judiciary is independent and no one could dare dictate the judiciary.The CJP observed that judges believe in the rule of law and deliver judgments under the law and the Constitution. He observed that the reported statement of IHC judge was unacceptable and shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law and all facts shall be brought before the nation.The chief justice dispelled the impression and called complete record from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority of the reported speech of IHC judge at the Rawalpindi Bar Association.Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a press release said: "An honourable judge of Islamabad High Court of Pakistan has levelled serious allegations against state institutions including honourable judiciary and the premier state intelligence agency."In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions, Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly."Also, Islamabad High Court Justice Shaukat Siddiqui on Sunday requested Chief Justice Saqib Nisar to constitute a judicial commission to probe into the former's allegations of certain institutions meddling in the judicial work.In a letter written to the CJP, Justice Siddiqui said that a commission be formed with a retired or serving judge as its head. He added that the judge should not be someone who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order initiated by former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

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DERA ISMAIL KHAN/BANNU: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate for provincial assembly constituency PK-99 Sardar Ikramullah Khan Gandapur was martyred and five others were injured in a suicide bombing near Nuri Darbar in Mohallah Kamalkhel in Kulachi tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan district on Sunday.It was learnt that Ikramullah Gandapur was leaving the residence of one Ikram Kamalkhel and was about to board his vehicle when the blast took place. He had gone there in connection with his election campaign.There were reports that a suicide bomber blew up near the vehicle of Ikramullah Gandapur, whose brother Israrullah Gandapur was also martyred in a suicide attack in Dera Ismail Khan in October 2013.The blast left Ikramullah Gandapur, his driver Mohammad Ramazan, former union council nazim Najeeb Shah, gunman Dilnawaz and Abdur Razzaq and a passer-by Saifur Rehman injured.Soon after the blast, officials of the Rescue 1122 and the local people shifted the injured to the Civil Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan. Police officials said Ikramullah Gandapur succumbed to his injuries at the CMH. The condition of his driver Mohammad Ramazan was stated to be critical.The vehicle of Ikramullah Gandapur and the nearby houses were also damaged in the blast. The attack was carried out in a narrow street surrounded by houses on both sides. Another vehicle with armed guards was following Ikramullah Gandapur’s vehicle and its occupants later rushed towards the site of the blast to help the injured. The police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to nab the suspects.Dera Ismail Khan’s District Police Officer Manzoor Afridi was quoted as saying that at least eight to 10 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.Meanwhile, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack through its spokesman Mohammad Khorasani. He told The News in a phone call from an undisclosed location that the TTP targeted Ikramullah Gandapur after he got killed 12 of their colleagues and arrested some others.“We didn’t attack him because he was the PTI candidate. We specifically targeted Ikramullah Gandapur because he openly opposed and challenged us,” the TTP spokesman added. He identified the suicide bomber as Junaid. He reminded that TTP had also claimed responsibility for the assassination of Israrullah Gandapur.It may be mentioned that Israrullah Gandapur was martyred in the suicide attack at his residence on the day of Eidul Azha on October 16, 2013. He was receiving guests offering Eid greetings when the suicide bomber exploded near him. Israrullah Gandapur had thrice been elected MPA and was law minister in the PTI government when he was martyred.Meanwhile, Inam Khan, brother of Ikramullah and Israrullah Gandapur, while talking to a private news channel alleged that former KP minister Ali Amin Gandapur was involved in the murder of his two brothers. He said he had brought the issue into the notice of Imran Khan and other party leaders, but no action was taken. He appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo moto notice of the assassination of his two brothers to uncover the real killers.Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (R) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan condemned the assassination of the PTI candidate Ikramullah Gandapur in the suicide attack and sought report of the incident from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.As per the official communiqué issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), KP chapter, the CEC directed the caretaker chief minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief and chief secretary to submit to him a detailed report of the incident. The CEC questioned why proper security was not being provided to the candidates during election campaign even after repeated directives from the Election Commission. The CEC once again directed the provincial government to provide proper security to the candidates without any discrimination and ensure peaceful environment for the July 25 general election. He offered condolence to the family members of late Ikramullah Gandapur.Meanwhile, former chief minister and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) candidate for National Assembly constituency NA-35 Akram Khan Durrani escaped unhurt in a firing incident in Mandori area in Bannu district.It was the second attack on Akram Durrani, who is a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), in the last 10 days. It was learnt that unidentified gunmen opened fire on Akram Durrani’s vehicle in Mandori, located in the limits of Bannu Police Station. Though Akram Durrani remained safe, the windscreen of his vehicle was damaged in the firing.Eyewitnesses said that Akram Durrani, who served as chief minister in the MMA government from 2002-2008, was about to get off his vehicle to meet the people when the firing incident took place. Soon after the incident, the police and personnel of the security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation during which a suspect was arrested. The police said that a sniper gun was used in the attack.It may be recalled that Akram Durrani, who served as federal minister as a nominee of the JUI-F in the PML-N government from 2013-2018, escaped unhurt on July 13 in a blast targeting his convoy in Howaid Khas area in Bannu. He was returning to Bannu city from Howaid village when a motorcycle stuffed with explosives and parked on the roadside occurred. Four persons were martyred and several injured in the attack.Earlier, the MMA candidate for provincial assembly constituency PK-89 Malik Shireen was attacked with a roadside blast in Bakkakhel area in Bannu. These incidents have caused concern among the election candidates and the people in the run-up to the polling day on July 25.APP adds from Rawalpindi: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed grief on the martyrdom of the PTI candidate Ikramullah Gandapur in a suicide attack.Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor shared a tweet with the message of the army chief.“We have lost another patriotic political leader who are being targeted by enemies of peace & democratic process. We stay determined & steadfast. Blood of our martyrs shall not go waste, IA (Insha Allah),” the COAS said.Meanwhile, Geo News reported that at least 20 people were injured after a hand grenade exploded outside Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) electoral office in Dalbadin on Sunday night. According to the police, the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital. The police and law enforcing agencies cordoned off the area and started an investigation into the incident.This is not the first attack on a BAP election campaign. A total of 149 people including BAP candidate Nawab Siraj Raisani were martyred in a suicide bombing at an election meeting in Mastung on July 13.

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ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will be shifted to the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology from Adiala Jail today (Monday) after his health deteriorated Saturday evening.He is being shifted to the institute on the advice of doctors. A team of doctors from the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, led by Major General (R) Azhar Kayani, carried out medical examination of Nawaz Sharif. General Kayani told The News that Nawaz Sharif was already diabetic and a heart patient.He said the PML-N leader’s health deteriorated due to intense heat. An ECG test was conducted that’s not satisfactory. Kayani said doctors had advised administration of drips to overcome dehydration from exposure to intense heat.The Interior Ministry approved a summary forwarded by the Punjab Home Ministry Sunday night seeking Nawaz Sharif’s shifting to the hospital. On the other hand, sources said tests showed that Nawaz had high sugar level being diabetic and heart patient.He also had high Urea concentration in blood that could be damaging for the kidneys. Sources claimed that the former premier was not provided with air condition or room cooler exposing him to dehydration.They claimed that the jail administration did not allow Nawaz’s personnel physician Dr Adnan to treat him. IG Jail Shahid Saleem Baig visited Nawaz last Friday to convince him to send Maryam Nawaz to the Sihala Rest House.Nawaz asked Baig to allow his medical check-up, but he did not heed his request. The sources said Nawaz Sharif was not even allowed to offer Juma prayers. After deterioration in health, the jail doctors examined him but his health did not improve after which Major General (R) Kayani was requested to visit the jail along with a team and carry out medical check-up of Nawaz Sharif.The team suggested his immediate shifting to the hospital as delay in shifting might damage his kidneys. A report to this effect was dispatched to the authorities concerned after which it was decided that since Nawaz was sentenced by a NAB court of Islamabad; therefore, a medical board of PIMS should give his medical report by carrying out his medical examination. The decision to shift him to hospital would be taken in the light of this report.

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MULTAN: Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday said Hanif Abbasi was leading with 70,000 votes against Sheikh Rasheed and that was why he was given a life term.Addressing an election meeting in NA-157 Multan-VI in Mauza Kayanpur, he said the PML-N was being pushed to the wall in Election 2018. He said the PML-N was being discriminated against ahead of elections, as its leaders were being dragged to the courts or put behind the bars. On the other hand, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was being facilitated and given relief in all the cases against Asif Ali Zardari. The orders for placing him and his sister on the exit control list (ECL) had been turned down until elections, he complained.He said the PTI and caretaker government in Punjab had joined hands against the PML-N. He warned if the PML-N voters were prevented from going to polling stations, everything would happen which nobody had ever expected.Shahbaz said the PML-N was organising fully-packed public meetings, while Imran Khan was addressing only empty chairs. He said fully-packed Multan NA-157 meeting has proved people would give votes to the PML-N on July 25 to get released Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hanif Abbasi from jail.He appreciated the Election Commission of Pakistan for postponing the election in the constituency of Hanif Abbasi. He said Abbasi’s conviction was announced at midnight, which had no example in the world or the judicial history. He said Hanif Abbasi was the person who promoted sports across the province and put up chains of gymnasiums, sports complexes, cricket ground in the province.Shahbaz Sharif said shameful defeat of Sheikh Rasheed was writing on the wall now and he was losing his slot with the margin of 70,000 votes. He said he would visit family members of Hanif Abbasi to express solidarity with them.Shahbaz said Monday was the last day for election campaign and voters must realise that “a noble daughter has been arrested along with his pious father and both of them put in the jail”.The PML-N president said he was in Sargodha on Saturday when he received a call from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. He expressed solidarity with the Sharif family and offered his help in the present ordeal. Shahbaz said he thanked him and requested him to pray to God for the early release of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. The Turkish president also expressed his grief on Mastung and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa terrorism incidents.Mian Shahbaz Sharif said he would bring Pakistan on a par with Turkey in development and the Turkish president promised all his help in bringing Pakistan out of crises.Shahbaz said the PML-N government spent Rs27 billion on Khanewal-Lodhran Road, which reduced distance among cities. The PML-N government gifted the people of Multan with the Metro bus service and established a state-of-the-art kidney centre, a general hospital, a trauma centre, and a burns unit.Shahbaz announced that if the PML-N forms the government after 2018 elections, he would launch Metro project in Bahawalpur also.Shahbaz Sharif also sought pardon from the people of Multan over the mistakes committed by the PML-N candidates in the past. He promised that he would complete Multan Nishtar Hospital phase II in the shortest period of one year. He also promised establishing a University of Engineering and Technology in Multan.

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ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the NAB prosecutor in Nawaz Sharif case says the ‘competent authority’ — the executive board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) — has not asked him to file an appeal with the high court against part of the accountability court judgement declaring that the prosecution couldn’t prove the charges of corruption and dishonesty against the former prime minister.“An appeal could have been filed within 10 days of the announcement of judgement, but we couldn’t file it on our own. The decision to file an appeal against an order of the accountability court is taken by the competent authority,” NAB Deputy Prosecutor General (DPG) Sardar Muzaffar told The News.Under the NAB law, the bureau has the right to appeal this part of the verdict but the competent authority has decided not to file an appeal on this count.In an interview with The News, Muzaffar Abbasi said Nawaz Sharif was convicted under Section 9(a)(v) of the NAB Ordinance, as he could not give account of the resources to purchase the London flats and that this also falls in the definition of corruption and corrupt practices under the NAB law.Muzaffar admitted that the charge of corruption under Section 9(a)(iv) was also part of the NAB charge sheet against Nawaz but the court did not admit it.When told that following the latest judgments of superior judiciary Section 9(a)(v) had become redundant as even the Supreme Court had held that link of any property had to be established with commission of crime of corruption, he responded these judgments link Section 9(a)(v) with Section 9(a)(vi) and not with Section 9(a)(iv) as being interpreted in the media.“Our case was based on the charge that during investigations before the Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Nawaz Sharif couldn’t give an account of the resources to purchase London flats in early nineties and was guilty under Section 9(a)(v),” Muzaffar said, adding, “The court has acknowledged our basic argument and convicted the accused persons”.Asked whether or not the charge of corruption and dishonesty levelled under Section 9(a)(iv) was part of NAB charge sheet against Nawaz Sharif, Muzaffar said, “Yes, Nawaz Sharif was indicted under Section 9(a)(iv) and was acquitted of this charge”.Contrary to Abbasi’s view, the superior courts have held that four basic ingredients have to be proved for conviction of an accused under Section 9(a)(v) of NAB Ordinance.Senior most judge of the Supreme Court Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa had authored the judgement in the case of Ghani-ur-Rehman vs NAB (PLD 2011 Supreme Court 1144). Justice (R) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Justice (R) Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui were also part of the bench.Justice Khosa had held that mere possession of any pecuniary resources or property was by itself not an offence, but failure to satisfactorily account for such possession of pecuniary resources or property that makes the possession objectionable and constitute offence.Keeping all this debate and viewpoint of NAB prosecutor aside, it is important to mention here that Nawaz Sharif in his replies before the court hasn’t admitted the ownership of London flats and submitted that these flats were acquired by his father as a result of a known foreign investment and were transferred in the ownership of his son Hussain Nawaz in 2006 as inheritance. But, the JIT and NAB, without producing any evidence, insisted that these flats were purchased by Nawaz Sharif himself in early nineties and the accountability court held that it can be presumed that flats were purchased by Nawaz Sharif.However, when The News contacted senior lawyer Ikraam Chaudhry and explained him view point of NAB prosecutor and ingredients given in the Justice Khosa judgement, he replied that though the standard set in Justice Khosa verdict of connecting the purchase of property with the crime of corruption was not established in this case but still the Sharif family was not able to provide complete detail of money trail to purchase these properties.Ikraam said that in his view the conditions required under the law for the conviction under section 9(a)(v) were fulfilled.

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 Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan addresses to his supporters during public gathering meeting for General Election 2018 coming ahead on 25 July, at Jinnah Bagh in Karachi on Sunday, July 22, 2018.KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan, on Sunday said any conspiracy against the army tantamount to conspiracy against the country and vowed that the PTI will stand by the army.Addressing the PTI public gathering in Karachi, Imran said his political opponents, predominantly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), are maligning the army because it is not taking any ‘do more’ calls from the international establishment.Imran Khan said the Indian media was so worried about transparent elections in Pakistan because they also want to protect the Sharifs. "Our country is united and stands fully behind the army for restoring peace in the country. How could peace be restored without the army's help," he said.Imran said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was maligning the army to please the foreign players who the military poses threat to. He referred to the pieces published by foreign media on the Pakistan’s 2018 general elections and specifically mentioned Indian media, saying that under a conspiracy all “enemies” of the country had gathered because during these polls they don’t see their backed candidates coming to power.The PTI chief said there could have been no peace in Karachi without Army operation. Referring to the violent past of the city, he said that police, being infested with political influence, was unable to protect the citizens.Criticising the traditional winners of Sindh’s mandate, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Imran said they did nothing in the past. “The PPP was from the interior Sindh, therefore, it did not care about Karachi,” he said, adding that the MQM used the excuse that they had no powers.Referring to the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, he said that another room was being prepared adjacent to the Sharif’s in Adiala Jail. The PTI chairman Imran Khan said that a charter of democracy signed between the PPP and the PML-N was actually a charter of corruption. Supporters of Pakistani cricketer turned politician Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) attend an election campaign rally by Khan´s ahead of the general election in Karachi on July 22, 2018. “It was a pact between two parties to take turns in the governments and corruption. You let us loot freely, then we let you loot freely,” he said. “People of Karachi, we are not fighting political parties, we are fighting mafias. And in this fight you have the heaviest responsibility to shoulder,” he said, adding, “People of Karachi, you are the most politically literate people. All major political movements have sparked from Karachi.”“The extent of hooliganism in Sindh is evident from Uzair Baloch's confession that he actually killed people at the behest of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur,” he said. Imran said Rangers had played a major role to restore law and order in Karachi. "It is unfortunate that Rao Anwar has been released," he lamented.Imran said the condition of Karachi's and interior Sindh's some areas is worse than 5,000 years old civilisation of Mohenjo Daro even. He called Karachi residents to use the golden opportunity to change the fate of the entire country."Our former minister Ikram Gandapur has been ruthlessly murdered in a suicide attack. Ikram's brother told me he was standing just 10 yards away from his brother before the blast," he said.He again alleged that the 2013 polls were rigged by returning officers, Najam Sethi and PML-N. Monitoring report adds: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has revealed that he did not see Bushra Maneka’s face till after they were married and that his earlier marriage to Reham Khan was “the biggest mistake” of his life.Speaking about his third marriage in February this year, Imran during an interview with Daily Mail said, “I did not catch a glimpse of my wife's face until after we were married. I proposed to her without seeing her because she had never met me without her face being covered with a full veil.”He added, “The only idea I had of what she looked like came from an old photograph I had seen in her house.” Imran explained that he had not seen Bushra Bibi’s face as the 39-year-old is a spiritual guide and “did not meet men other than her husband with her face uncovered, nor ventured unveiled outside her house, which she rarely leaves”.The mother-of-five and Imran met for the first time three years ago, when she was still married to her first husband, a senior Customs official named Khawar Fareed Maneka. However, when Bushra Bibi finally did remove her veil, Imran said, “I was not disappointed, and now I am happily married.”The PTI chairman did admit that back in the 1980s, it would “have been unthinkable if someone had told me I would marry someone whose face I hadn't seen. I would have thought they were mad”. But Imran insisted that, along with much else, his attitude to relationships has changed.“I have gradually realised that although I know more about physical attraction than anyone else, actually the character of a person and the mind, the intellect, is much more important than the physical, because in my experience that has the smallest shelf life. That is what keeps the interest. I have great respect for my wife's intellect and character,” he said.Speaking about his marriage to broadcast journalist Reham Khan, Imran said, “Normally I don't say anything about Reham, but I will say this: I've made some mistakes in my life, but my second marriage has to be the biggest.” As for Jemima, they are 'of course' still good friends.Further, Imran denied reports that his main reason for marrying Bushra Bibi was that it was politically astute. He admitted that he was once “a totally non-spiritual person”, but his “spiritual journey” has already lasted decades.“My interest in Sufism started 30 years ago. It changed my life,” he said. “Sufism is an order with many levels, but I have never met anyone who is as high as my wife. My interest in her began with that.”Imran further said Bushra Bibi's sister who is a PTI member introduced them when he was struggling to understand the teachings of a 13th Century Sufi saint. He said he used to visit Bushra Bibi's house to listen to her explain these and other religious complexities: “I would go and meet her and read the books she would recommend.”Gradually, the visits became more frequent, and they began to grow close personally. But he said he would never have dreamed of proposing to her had she not got a divorce last year. After a short interval, it was in January “when I proposed to her without seeing her face”, he said.Further, Imran said that he does win the election and becomes prime minister, Bushra Bibi will not attend official functions. “She meets very few people, but it suits me fine. I am past the age of socialising. I am quite happy with this life,” he said.

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ISLAMABAD: Amid a stream of views coming in support and against the sentencing of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Hanif Abbasi from NA-60, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Sunday notified postponement of the election in this constituency of Rawalpindi.The Election Commission said that while preparations for the general elections were in their final stages and ballot papers for the constituency were already printed with Hanif Abbasi's election symbol on them, the ECP is bound to provide a level playing field to all candidates. It said the election in NA-60 is postponed and will be conducted after the scheduled general elections, along with other postponed elections.Hanif Abbasi was contesting the election mainly against the Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed from NA-60. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) did not have a covering candidate in the constituency. Sheikh Rasheed enjoys full support of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as well.“Whereas only two days are left to the conduct of the elections, when Hanif Abbasi, a potential candidate from NA-60 has been disqualified, which has resulted into a heated debate in the media and political circles rendering the atmosphere as full and negativelycharged and; whereas the serious criticism is afloat qua the provision of level-playing field in the general election…and whereas the Election Commission of Pakistan, having taken cognisance of all attending circumstances is bound to provide a level playing field to the contestants under the Constitution and the law, particularly the Section 4 of the Elections Act, 2017 read with Article 218(3) of the Constitution and the powers of the Election Commission defined by the August Supreme Court of Pakistan in famous Workers Party case…”, the notification says.Now, the election in NA-60 will be conducted along with other constituencies, where the poll process had been already postponed, following the July 25 elections for which a schedule will be duly issued.It is pertinent to mention that the law provides for postponement of election in case of death of a candidate. Section 73 of the Elections Act, 2017, says that “if a contesting candidate dies before commencement of the poll or during the polling hours, the returning officer shall, by public notice, terminate the proceedings relating to that election”.Under this law, polls have been also delayed in PS-87 Malir, following death of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan candidate Sharif Ahmed Khan in a road accident, PK-78 Peshawar after death of Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Haroon Bilour in a suicide attack and NA-103 and PP-103 constituencies of Peshawar due to death of independent candidate Mirza Mughal.Elections were also delayed in PB-35 Mastung after a terrorist attack, which claimed at least 149 lives including that of Balochistan Awami Party candidate Siraj Raisani. Similarly, polls have been postponed in PP-87 Mianwali after death of Ahmed Khan, a candidate of Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party. Some candidates have been also disqualified already but polling will take place as usual; they include Rana Asif Tausif, Sardar Ghulam Abbas and Rai Hasan Nawaz.

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ISLAMABAD: In the July 25 parliamentary polls, the ‘tendered’ and ‘challenged’ ballot papers will also be counted like ordinary votes in favour of or against the contesting candidates while spoilt ballots will not be computed.However, some tendered and challenged ballots, held invalid, will not be taken into account. Under Section 90(15) of the Elections Act, the Presiding Officer (PO) will seal in separate packets the un-issued ballots; tendered papers; challenged ballots held to be valid and counted by the PO; challenged papers considered doubtful and excluded from the count by the PO; spoilt ballots; marked copies of the electoral rolls; the counterfoils of used ballot papers; and such other papers as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or Returning Officer (RO) may direct.If a person representing himself to be a voter applies for a ballot paper when another person has already represented to be that voter and has voted under the name of the person so applying if the applicant meets the requirements of laid down identity verification, he will be entitled to receive a ballot paper (tendered ballots) in the same manner as any other voter; if the applicant fails to prove his claimed identity, the PO may proceed against him for personation punishable. The PO shall, after the voter has marked and folded the tendered ballots, place it in the same condition in a separate packet bearing the label ‘tendered papers’ instead of being placed in the ballot box.Section 86 defines the challenged ballot. It says if, at the time, a person applies for ballot paper for the purpose of voting, a candidate or his polling agent declares to the PO that he has reasonable cause to believe that person has already voted in the election at the same or another polling station, or is not the person whose name is entered in the electoral roll and undertakes to prove the charge in a court and deposits with the PO in cash a sum of one hundred rupees, the PO may, after warning the person of the consequences and obtaining on the counterfoil, his thumb impression and if he is literate, also his signature, issue a ballot paper (challenged) to the person. If the PO issues a challenged ballot to any person, he will enter the name and address of that person in a list to be prepared by him (challenged votes list) and obtain on it the thumb impression and, if he is literate, also the signature of that person.The PO will, after the challenged ballot has been marked and folded by the voter, place it in the same condition in a separate packet bearing the label challenged papers, instead of being placed in the ballot box and shall include it in the count by him.Section 87 defines the spoilt papers. It says a voter who has inadvertently so spoilt his ballot paper that it cannot be used as a valid ballot paper may, upon proving the fact of inadvertence to the satisfaction of the PO and returning the ballot paper to him, obtain another ballot paper and cast his vote by such other ballot paper. The PO will cancel the ballot paper returned to him, make a note to that effect on the counterfoil under his own signatures and sign the cancelled ballot paper and place it in a separate packet bearing the label ‘spoilt papers.’The Elections Act further says that the PO will open the used ballot box(es) and count the entire lot of ballot papers taken out therefrom; open the packets bearing the labels ‘tendered papers’ and challenged ballots - and count them; and count, in such manner as prescribed, the votes cast in favour of each contesting candidate excluding the spoilt votes and the ballot papers which bear no official mark and signature of the PO; any writing or any mark other than the official mark, the signature of the PO and the prescribed mark or to which a piece of paper or any other object of any kind has been attached; no prescribed mark to indicate the contesting candidate for whom the voter has voted; or any mark from which it is not clear for whom the voter has voted.According to Section 99, the RO will seal the “tamper-evident” bags provided to him for the purpose after putting in the bags the packets containing the ballot papers each of which shall be sealed with the seal of the PO or, if opened by the RO, with the seal of the RO; the packets containing the counterfoils of issued ballot papers; the packets containing the marked copies of the electoral rolls used in the poll; the packets containing the ballot paper account; the packets containing tendered ballots included in the count; tendered papers excluded from the count; tendered votes list, and challenged ballots included in the count; challenged papers excluded from the count; the challenged votes list; and spoilt ballots; and such other papers as the ECP may direct. Tamper-evident bag means a specially designed bag approved by the ECP, having one or more indicators which, if breached, can reasonably be expected to provide visible evidence that tampering has occurred.

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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Awami Muslim League (AML) and an independent candidate on Sunday decided to challenge the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of postponing the elections in the constituency of NA-60 Rawalpindi following sentence of life imprisonment of PML-N candidate Hanif Abbasi.The PPP termed ECP’s decision unconstitutional and illegal and demanded of the electoral body to withdraw its notification of postponement of election in this regard. "We will approach the courts of law against the decision of postponement of elections in NA-60 Rawalpindi as it seems that this decision was made to bailout any particular political party," said Secretary General of PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari while addressing a press conference here Sunday along with PPP candidate Mukhtar Abbas from NA-60 Rawalpindi, PPP Media Coordinator Nazir Dhoki and Annum Farooq Paracha.Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said the ECP had taken an illegal and unconstitutional decision as the elections in any constituency could be postponed when any contesting candidates died but it was not a case here. He questioned that why the ECP had not taken such a decision in cases of Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar who were also contesting the elections and who were disqualified following sentences by the Accountability Court.”The PPP secretary general said even no political party had sent any request to ECP for postponement of the elections in the constituency of NA-60 Rawalpindi. "The Election Commission of Pakistan should review its decision of postponement of elections in the constituency of NA-60 Rawalpindi," he demanded, adding that the PPP will approach the judiciary against the decision of ECP.PPP candidate from NA-60 Mukhtar Abbas said this decision of ECP was to deny the voters of constituency of NA-60 to exercise their vote. "The Election Commission of Pakistan has no such powers and it misuse its power to deny the right to vote to the people of Constituency of NA-60," he said.Agencies add: Meanwhile, Chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed announced that he would challenge the ECP decision of deferment of NA-60 election in the Lahore High Court.Addressing a press conference here, he said postponement of election was unconstitutional and illegal as ECP did not postpone the election in Lahore and Manshera after the disqualification of Maryam Nawaz and Capt (R) Safdar.Rasheed said PPP had also declared the postponement of election unconstitutional. He said ephedrine case was pending in the courts for last seven years and the decision came on merit. He said Hanif Abbasi was sentence to jail for life time for selling drugs.Sheikh said that security agencies were the backbone of the country and those who did not want free and fair election were speaking against them. The AML chief said if the LHC would not decide the matter,he woudl go to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.An independent candidate from NA-60, Dr Azhar Aslam is also challenging postponement of polls in the court of law. Dr Azhar Aslam is contesting the election with Jeep as his symbol. He has left his successful medical practice on London's Harley Street to return to Pakistan and take part in active politics.

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Islamabad: Department of Archaeology and Museums (DoAM) has completed digitalisation of around 400 artefacts of Islamabad museum through its Digitalisation Centre to provide electronic database for visitors especially scholars to conduct research and prevent illicit trafficking of archaeological objects.The department has digitalized overall 2000 artefacts so far under the project titled `Establishment of digitalization centre for documentation of the artefacts and archival material'' is being executed by DoAM.Talking to APP, Director (Archaeology), DoAM, Abdul Azeem said preservation and documentation has always been a matter of concern for the academic research of the moveableand immoveable cultural wealth of the country.The fragility of archaeological material and lack of digital documentation of the artefacts in the national repository limits academic study and verification of record. The digital archiving of the whole record of the archaeological artefacts in the custody of DoAM was direly needed for preservation, preventing it from illicit trafficking and providing data to the scholars for interpretive information, he said.Abdul Azeem said the department will digitize the entire inventory with DoAM in phases which will be replicated by all the provinces so that a national inventory can be created. It will enable the country to comply with the UNESCO Convention of 1970 i.e "Prohibiting and Preventing the illicit Import Export and Transfer of ownership of cultural property", he said. The high resolution pictures of these artefacts and electronic database is the only way to preserve and project this rich cultural heritage of the country, he observed.

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ISLAMABAD: While state-run Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is running into huge financial losses to the tune of Rs2 billion, its management is doling favours to blue-eyed employees with unprecedented and back-dated promotions and unrequired re-designations despite the Supreme Court’s strict observations on state-run TV’s financial mismanagement.Recently Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a sou moto case related to former Pakistan Television (PTV) chief Attaullah Haq Qasmi's appointment as managing director (MD) and ordered the senior journalist to return his salary and financial benefits he received as PTV’s Chairman and MD.However documents available with The News revealed that apart from Qasmi’s case there are several other strange cases of promotion and appointments in PTV despite employees having fake and dubious degrees.Talking to The News, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of PTV Zahoor Barlas himself admitted that “PTV is in a state of mess”, with under-qualified employees and huge financial losses. According to official figures provided by Barlas, the state-run corporation has caused about Rs2 billion losses to the national exchequer during last five years despite earning about RS7 billion annually from public in form of Rs35 fee charged with electricity bills from consumers.“A large number of employees have fake or dubious degrees and we call them holders of Allah Khair degrees,” Barlas said while referring to a the degrees of a private university which is now banned by HEC to admit new students. During last one year alone, PTV has dismissed 50 employees for holding fake degrees from a notorious private university, Barlas said.The DMD admitted that five of his relatives including his real borther, his nephew and his brother-in -law are also working in PTV but denied that he offered any support in their unprecedented promotions. “I have never asked anyone to promote my brother or nephew. They have been appointed and promoted on merit.”But some recent decisions under the current management have cause grave unrest among the PTV regular employees who complain that only blue-eyed favorites are being promoted and provided with extra-ordinary benifits.In one such decision last month, an employee Nazia Riaz has been given back-dated promotion and financial benefits spanning over last six years in an unprecedented decision by the otherwise ineffective Grievance Committee. Surprisingly, the employee Ms Riaz holds a dubious degree from Al-Khair University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) which is banned by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) since 2016 from admission. HEC has also stopped attesting degrees of Al-Khair University since 2016.However this did not stop PTV management from issuing an Office Order for her controversial promotion on June 26, 2018. According to letter No HP/159/IT/3500, “Services of Ms Riaz are regularized as Training & Coordination Officer (Group-6) with effect from 11.01.2012 and posted at PTV-HQrs Office Islamabad with immediate effect”.The official document further states that the Grievance Committee took notice of her representation to Managing Director regarding regularization of her services as Training & Coordination Officer (Group-6) according to her education qualification MBA Finance. Interestingly, MBA Finance is not the relevant degree for such high-level posts in IT department which requires an MBA IT for such jobs.But this is not the only discrepancy in the documents of the promoted employee. According to PTV DMD, she has submitted Bachelors degree from Al-Khair University which was issued in June 2008. But the PTV management issued a letter in June 2007 reporting that her BA degree is missing from her file. “Scrutiny of personal file of Miss Nazia Riaz Resource Person (Information Technology) reveals that copy of BA degree in her personal file is not visible. She is required to submit her original degree for check and return,” says the letter PFIRP-159 signed by Deputy Controller Administration & Personnel-II Muhammad Tariq Cheema.Sources said the employee submitted a dubious BA degree from Punjab University at the time of her original hiring as resource person (IT) in September 2006. Her second BA degree is dated 2008 so she could not have submitted the Al-Khair degree in 2006. The News also obtained a copy of her aleeged “BA Degree” from Punjab University which was attested by a headmaster of FG Boys Secondary School in Golra, Islamabad.Documents also revealed that Ms Nazia mentioned two separate dates of births in her papers submitted with PTV as her computerized national Identity Card (CNIC) shows 1982 as her year of birth while her domicile and matriculation certificate states 1978 as her year of birth.While contacted by The News, Ms Nazia who is now set to be automatically promoted to Group 8 owing to back-dated promotion, denied she was given extra-ordinary favour by the management. “I deserved this being the highly qualified employee,” she said. However she insisted she will not reveal her university which awarded her MBA degree. She admitted that her matriculation was done in D grade while her FA certificate was in E grade. “The Grievance Committee rightly promoted me in Group 6 as I was wrongly demoted to group five by the management,” she said.The DMD PTV Zahoor Barlas also supported Nazia’s claims saying she deserved promotion as originally she had been granted Grade 6 by the Secretary Information in response to her earlier complain in 2013.Regarding her two dates of birth, Barlas said the employee was asked to choose one date and she decided 1978 as her date of birth. He did not mention any action taken against her for mis-declaration of birth date. “Many employees in PTV did that and we ask them to decided one date” he said. However sources said action has been taken againt other employees who mis-declared their dates of birthd and their financial benefits had been withheld.When asked why the Grievances committee has so far failed to resolve any other case apart from the controversial decision of Ms Nazia, the DMD said in other cases employees had been challenging the decisions of the committee in higher courts.The DMD also lamented the role of PTV trade union and blamed it for the current dismal state of the organization. “This organization has 30% job quota for children and relatives of employees. No other organization offers such benefit to employees,” he said.When contacted, Javeria Qureshi, who was original petitioner in Supreme Court in Qasmi’s case said the current PTV management was involved in gross irregularities where some blue-eyed employees were given extraordinary favours while others are deprived of their rights.She said the post of Managing Director is empty since last three years and temporary charges are given to officers of the information ministry who are not interested in the protection of PTV’s interests.She said PTV was earning profit only few years ago but a national institution is being destroyed through ad-hocism. “We need a professional as the Managing Director of PTV to save the future of the corporation,” she said.She said despite ban on hirings in PTV, the management has hired three persons last months. Several others are being favoured through re-designations, she added. However DMD said the ban on hiring is applicable on certain posts only. He admitted that PTV is filling vacant posts through re-designation but denied that the same is being done to promote blue-eyed persons.

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KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday took a serious notice of a speech delivered by the Islamabad High Court’s judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui at the Rawalpindi Bar Association in which he alleged interference of intelligence agencies of the country in judicial matters.Hearing human rights cases at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that he was disappointed at the reported statement of the Islamabad High Court’s judge and dispelled the impression about the interference in the judiciary. The chief justice observed that the judiciary is independent and no one could dare dictate the judiciary.The CJP observed that judges believe in the rule of law and deliver judgments under the law and the Constitution. He observed that the reported statement of IHC judge was unacceptable and shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law and all facts shall be brought before the nation. The chief justice dispelled the impression and called complete record from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority of the reported speech of IHC judge at the Rawalpindi Bar Association.Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a press release said: "An honourable judge of Islamabad High Court of Pakistan has levelled serious allegations against state institutions including honourable judiciary and the premier state intelligence agency."In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions, Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly."Also, Islamabad High Court Justice Shaukat Siddiqui on Sunday requested Chief Justice Saqib Nisar to constitute a judicial commission to probe into the former's allegations of certain institutions meddling in the judicial work. In a letter written to the CJP, Justice Siddiqui said that a commission be formed with a retired or serving judge as its head. He added that the judge should not be someone who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order initiated by former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

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DERA ISMAIL KHAN/BANNU: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate for provincial assembly constituency PK-99 Sardar Ikramullah Khan Gandapur was martyred and five others were injured in a suicide bombing near Nuri Darbar in Mohallah Kamalkhel in Kulachi tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan district on Sunday.It was learnt that Ikramullah Gandapur was leaving the residence of one Ikram Kamalkhel and was about to board his vehicle when the blast took place. He had gone there in connection with this election campaign.There were reports that a suicide bomber blew up near the vehicle of Ikramullah Gandapur, whose brother Israrullah Gandapur was also martyred in a suicide attack in Dera Ismail Khan in October 2013.The blast left Ikramullah Gandapur, his driver Mohammad Ramazan, former union council nazim Najeeb Shah, gunman Dilnawaz and Abdur Razzaq and a passer-by Saifur Rehman injured.Soon after the blast, the officials of the Rescue 1122 and the local people shifted the injured to the Civil Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan. Police officials said Ikramullah Gandapur succumbed to his injuries at the CMH. The condition of his driver Mohammad Ramazan was stated to be critical.The vehicle of Ikramullah Gandapur and the nearby houses were also damaged in the blast. The attack was carried out in a narrow street surrounded by houses on both sides. Another vehicle with armed guards was following Ikramullah Gandapur’s vehicle and its occupants later rushed towards the site of the blast to help the injured. The police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to nab the suspects.Dera Ismail Khan’s District Police Officer Manzoor Afridi was quoted as saying that at least eight to 10 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.Meanwhile, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack through its spokesman Mohammad Khorasani. He told The News in a phone call from an undisclosed location that the TTP targeted Ikramullah Gandapur after he got killed 12 of their colleagues and arrested some others.“We didn’t attack him because he was the PTI candidate. We specifically targeted Ikramullah Gandapur because he openly opposed and challenged us,” the TTP spokesman added. He identified the suicide bomber as Junaid. He reminded that TTP had also claimed responsibility for the assassination of Israrullah Gandapur.It may be mentioned that Israrullah Gandapur was martyred in the suicide attack at his residence on the day of Eidul Azha on October 16, 2013. He was receiving guests offering Eid greetings when the suicide bomber exploded near him. Israrullah Gandapur had thrice been elected MPA and was law minister in the PTI government when he was martyred.Meanwhile, Inam Khan, brother of Ikramullah and Israrullah Gandapur, while talking to a private news channel alleged that former KP minister Ali Amin Gandapur was involved in the murder of his two brothers. He said he had brought the issue into the notice of Imran Khan and other party leaders, but no action was taken. He appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo moto notice of the assassination of his two brothers to uncover the real killers.Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (R) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan condemned the assassination of the PTI candidate Ikramullah Gandapur in the suicide attack and sought report of the incident from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.As per the official communiqué issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), KP chapter, the CEC directed the caretaker chief minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief and chief secretary to submit to him a detailed report of the incident. The CEC questioned why proper security was not being provided to the candidates during election campaign even after repeated directives from the Election Commission. The CEC once again directed the provincial government to provide proper security to the candidates without any discrimination and ensure peaceful environment for the July 25 general election. He offered condolence to the family members of late Ikramullah Gandapur.Meanwhile, former chief minister and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) candidate for National Assembly constituency NA-35 Akram Khan Durrani escaped unhurt in a firing incident in Mandori area in Bannu district.It was the second attack on Akram Durrani, who is a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), in the last 10 days. It was learnt that unidentified gunmen opened fire on Akram Durrani’s vehicle in Mandori, located in the limits of Bannu Police Station. Though Akram Durrani remained safe, the windscreen of his vehicle was damaged in the firing.Eyewitnesses said that Akram Durrani, who served as chief minister in the MMA government from 2002-2008, was about to get off his vehicle to meet the people when the firing incident took place. Soon after the incident, the police and personnel of the security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation during which a suspect was arrested. The police said that a sniper gun was used in the attack.It may be recalled that Akram Durrani, who served as federal minister as a nominee of the JUI-F in the PML-N government from 2013-2018, escaped unhurt on July 13 in a blast targeting his convoy in Howaid Khas area in Bannu. He was returning to Bannu city from Howaid village when a motorcycle stuffed with explosives and parked on the roadside occurred. Four persons were martyred and several injured in the attack.Earlier, the MMA candidate for provincial assembly constituency PK-89 Malik Shireen was attacked with a roadside blast in Bakkakhel area in Bannu. These incidents have caused concern among the election candidates and the people in the run-up to the polling day on July 25.APP adds from Rawalpindi: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed grief on the martyrdom of the PTI candidate Ikramullah Gandapur in a suicide attack.Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor shared a tweet with the message of the army chief.“We have lost another patriotic political leader who are being targeted by enemies of peace & democratic process. We stay determined & steadfast. Blood of our martyrs shall not go waste, IA (Insha Allah),” the COAS said.Meanwhile, Geo News reported that at least 20 people were injured after a hand grenade exploded outside Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) electoral office in Dalbadin on Sunday night.According to the police, the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital. The police and law enforcing agencies cordoned off the area and started an investigation into the incident.This is not the first attack on a BAP election campaign. A total of 149 people including BAP candidate Nawab Siraj Raisani were martyred in a suicide bombing at an election meeting in Mastung on July 13.

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LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan has postponed the election in NA-60 and the election will be conducted in the constituency after the scheduled general elections along with other postponed elections in the country.The ECP issued a statement Sunday following the conviction of PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi in ephedrine case. It said only two days are left for the polls when Hanif Abbasi candidate from NA-60 Rawalpindi was disqualified. The disqualification has resulted in a heated debate in the media and political circles rendering the atmosphere as negatively charged, it added.It further stated that “the ECP having taken cognizance of the circumstances and is bound to provide level playing field to the contestants under the Constitution and law particularly Section 4 of the Election Act 2017 read with Article 218 (3) of the Constitution and the powers of the Commission defined by the Supreme Court in famous ‘Workers Party case’ reported in PLD-2012 SC 681”.

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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Awami Muslim League (AML) and an independent candidate Sunday decided to challenge the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of postponing the elections in the constituency of NA-60 Rawalpindi following sentence of life imprisonment of PML-N candidate Hanif Abbasi.The PPP termed ECP’s decision unconstitutional and illegal and demanded of the electoral body to withdraw its notification of postponement of election in this regard. "We will approach the courts of law against the decision of postponement of elections in NA-60 Rawalpindi as it seems that this decision was made to bailout any particular political party," said Secretary General of PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari while addressing a press conference here Sunday along with PPP candidate Mukhtar Abbas from NA-60 Rawalpindi, PPP Media Coordinator Nazir Dhoki and Annum Farooq Paracha.Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said the ECP had taken an illegal and unconstitutional decision as the elections in any constituency could be postponed when any contesting candidates died but it was not a case here. He questioned that why the ECP had not taken such a decision in cases of Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar who were also contesting the elections and who were disqualified following sentences by the Accountability Court.”The PPP secretary general said even no political party had sent any request to ECP for postponement of the elections in the constituency of NA-60 Rawalpindi. "The Election Commission of Pakistan should review its decision of postponement of elections in the constituency of NA-60 Rawalpindi," he demanded, adding that the PPP will approach the judiciary against the decision of ECP.PPP candidate from NA-60 Mukhtar Abbas said this decision of ECP was to deny the voters of constituency of NA-60 to exercise their vote. "The Election Commission of Pakistan has no such powers and it misuse its power to deny the right to vote to the people of Constituency of NA-60," he said.Agencies add: Meanwhile, Chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed announced that he would challenge the ECP decision of deferment of NA-60 election in the Lahore High Court.Addressing a press conference here, he said postponement of election was unconstitutional and illegal as ECP did not postpone the election in Lahore and Manshera after the disqualification of Maryam Nawaz and Capt (R) Safdar. Rasheed said PPP had also declared the postponement of election unconstitutional.He said ephedrine case was pending in the courts for last seven years and the decision came on merit. He said Hanif Abbasi was sentence to jail for life time for selling drugs.Sheikh said that security agencies were the backbone of the country and those who did not want free and fair election were speaking against them.The AML chief said if the LHC would not decide the matter,he woudl go to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.An independent candidate from NA-60, Dr Azhar Aslam is also challenging postponement of polls in the court of law.Dr Azhar Aslam is contesting the election with Jeep as his symbol. He has left his successful medical practice on London's Harley Street to return to Pakistan and take part in active politics.

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SUKKUR: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Sunday his party would defeat the engineered alliance formed against it with the support of masses in the forthcoming general elections. Addressing a rally in Sehwan, where he laid a floral wreath on the grave of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, the PPP leader in an apparent jibe at the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) said that manufactured alliances were also made against his mother, the late Benazir Bhutto.“I don't know the politics of curses. I am doing politics of ideology and principles,” he said, adding “Our manifesto speaks for the rights of poor farmers. PPP is the only party that fights against poverty. Good governance is serving the poor masses.”He said that those who always claimed to be the well-wishers of Sindh were now sitting with those demanding division of Sindh. He said that he was not fighting against the GDA but against poverty, unemployment, hatred and cruelty.He said that his government launched the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to eliminate poverty and empowered women by ensuring them micro-financing loans. He said that both the former chief ministers of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Syed Murad Ali Shah, did their best for the people of Thar in particular and Sindh in general.The PPP chairman said that after his party comes into power, he would first try to reduce poverty by providing food cards and would launch the poverty reduction programmes. He said that the PPP government would set up food centres in every union council so as to overcome the malnutrition. He said the airport near Islamkot was a great effort of the PPP government.

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MULTAN: Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif Sunday said Hanif Abbasi was leading with 70,000 votes against Sheikh Rashid and that was why he was given a life term.Addressing an election meeting in NA-157 Multan-VI in Mauza Kayanpur, he said the PML-N was being pushed to the wall in Election 2018.He said the PML-N was being discriminated against ahead of elections, as its leaders were being dragged to the courts or put behind the bars. On the other hand, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was being facilitated and given relief in all cases against Asif Ali Zardari. The orders for placing him and his sister on the exit control list (ECL) had been turned down until elections, he complained.He said the PTI and caretaker government in Punjab had joined hands against the PML-N. He warned if the PML-N voters were prevented from going to polling stations, everything would happen which nobody had ever expected. Shahbaz said the PML-N was organising fully packed public meetings, while Imran Khan was addressing only empty chairs. He said fully packed Multan NA-157 meeting has proved people would give votes to the PML-N on July 25 to get released Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hanif Abbasi from jail.He appreciated the Election Commission of Pakistan for postponing election in the constituency of Hanif Abbasi. He said Abbasi’s conviction was announced at midnight, which had no example in the world or the judicial history. He said Hanif Abbasi was the person who promoted sports across the province and he laid down chains of gymnasiums, sports complexes, cricket ground in the province.Shahbaz Sharif said shameful defeat of Sheikh Rashid was writing on the wall now and he was losing his slot with the margin of 70,000 votes. He said he would visit family members of Hanif Abbasi to express solidarity with them.Shahbaz said Monday was the last day for election campaign and voters must realise that “a noble daughter has been arrested along with his pious father and both of them put in the jail”.The PML-N president said he was in Sargodha on Saturday when he received a call from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. He expressed solidarity with the Sharif family and offered his help in the present ordeal. Shahbaz said he thanked him and requested him to pray to God for the early release of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. The Turkish president also expressed his grief on Mastung and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa terrorism incidents.Mian Shahbaz Sharif said he would bring Pakistan on a par with Turkey in development and the Turkish president promised all his help in bringing Pakistan out of crises.Shahbaz said the PML-N government spent Rs27 billion on Khanewal-Lodhran Road, which reduced distance among cities. The PML-N government gifted the people of Multan with the Metro bus service and established a state-of-the-art kidney centre, a general hospital, a trauma centre, and a burns unit.Shahbaz announced that if the PML-N forms the government after 2018 elections, he would launch Metro project in Bahawalpur also.Shahbaz Sharif also sought pardon from the people of Multan over the mistakes committed by the PML-N candidates in the past. He promised that he would complete Multan Nishtar Hospital phase II in the shortest period of one year. He also promised establishing a University of Engineering and Technology in Multan.

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KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Sunday said any conspiracy against the Army tantamount to conspiracy against the country and vowed that the PTI will stand by the Army. Addressing the PTI public gathering in Karachi, Imran said his political opponents, predominantly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), are maligning the Army because it is not taking any ‘do more’ calls from the international establishment. Imran Khan said that Indian media was so worried about transparent elections in Pakistan because they also want to protect Sharifs. "Our country is united and stands fully behind the Army for restoring peace in the country. How could peace be restored without Army's help," he said.Imran said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was maligning the Army to please the foreign players who the military poses threat to. He referred to the pieces published by foreign media on the Pakistan’s 2018 general elections and specifically mentioned Indian media, saying that under a conspiracy all “enemies” of the country had gathered because during these polls they don’t see their backed candidates coming to power.The PTI chief said there could have been no peace in Karachi without Army operation. Referring to the violent past of the city, he said that police, being infested with political influence, was unable to protect the citizens.Criticising the traditional winners of Sindh’s mandate, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Imran said they did nothing in the past.“The PPP was from the interior Sindh, therefore, it did not care about Karachi,” he said, adding that the MQM used the excuse that they had no powers.Referring to the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, he said that another room was being prepared adjacent to the Sharif’s in Adiala Jail.The PTI chairman Imran Khan said that a charter of democracy signed between the PPP and the PML-N was actually a charter of corruption.“It was a pact between two parties to take turns in the governments and corruption. You let us loot freely, then we let you loot freely,” he said.“People of Karachi, we are not fighting political parties, we are fighting mafias. And in this fight you have the heaviest responsibility to shoulder,” he said, adding, “People of Karachi, you are the most politically literate people. All major political movements have sparked from Karachi.”“The extent of hooliganism in Sindh is evident from Uzair Baloch's confession that he actually killed people at the behest of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur,” he said.Imran said Rangers had played a major role to restore law and order in Karachi. "It is unfortunate that Rao Anwar has been released," he lamented.Imran said the condition of Karachi's and interior Sindh's some areas is worse than 5,000 years old civilisation of Mohenjo Daro even. He called Karachi residents to use the golden opportunity to change the fate of the entire country."Our former minister Ikram Gandapur has been ruthlessly murdered in a suicide attack. Ikram's brother told me he was standing just 10 yards away from his brother before the blast," he said.He again alleged that the 2013 polls were rigged by returning officers, Najam Sethi and PML-N.Monitoring report adds: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has revealed that he did not see Bushra Maneka’s face till after they were married and that his earlier marriage to Reham Khan was “the biggest mistake” of his life.Speaking about his third marriage in February this year, Imran during an interview with Daily Mail said, “I did not catch a glimpse of my wife's face until after we were married. I proposed to her without seeing her because she had never met me without her face being covered with a full veil.”He added, “The only idea I had of what she looked like came from an old photograph I had seen in her house.”Imran explained that he had not seen Bushra Bibi’s face as the 39-year-old is a spiritual guide and “did not meet men other than her husband with her face uncovered, nor ventured unveiled outside her house, which she rarely leaves”.The mother-of-five and Imran met for the first time three years ago, when she was still married to her first husband, a senior Customs official named Khawar Fareed Maneka. However, when Bushra Bibi finally did remove her veil, Imran said, “I was not disappointed, and now I am happily married.”The PTI chairman did admit that back in the 1980s, it would “have been unthinkable if someone had told me I would marry someone whose face I hadn't seen. I would have thought they were mad”. But Imran insisted that, along with much else, his attitude to relationships has changed.“I have gradually realised that although I know more about physical attraction than anyone else, actually the character of a person and the mind, the intellect, is much more important than the physical, because in my experience that has the smallest shelf life. That is what keeps the interest. I have great respect for my wife's intellect and character,” he said.Speaking about his marriage to broadcast journalist Reham Khan, Imran said, “Normally I don't say anything about Reham, but I will say this: I've made some mistakes in my life, but my second marriage has to be the biggest.”As for Jemima, they are 'of course' still good friends.Further, Imran denied reports that his main reason for marrying Bushra Bibi was that it was politically astute. He admitted that he was once “a totally non-spiritual person”, but his “spiritual journey” has already lasted decades.“My interest in Sufism started 30 years ago. It changed my life,” he said. “Sufism is an order with many levels, but I have never met anyone who is as high as my wife. My interest in her began with that.”Imran further said Bushra Bibi's sister who is a PTI member introduced them when he was struggling to understand the teachings of a 13th Century Sufi saint. He said he used to visit Bushra Bibi's house to listen to her explain these and other religious complexities: “I would go and meet her and read the books she would recommend.”Gradually, the visits became more frequent, and they began to grow close personally. But he said he would never have dreamed of proposing to her had she not got a divorce last year.After a short interval, it was in January “when I proposed to her without seeing her face”, he said.Further, Imran said that he does win the election and becomes prime minister, Bushra Bibi will not attend official functions.“She meets very few people, but it suits me fine. I am past the age of socialising. I am quite happy with this life,” he said.

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ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the NAB prosecutor in Nawaz Sharif case says the ‘competent authority’ — the executive board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) — has not asked him to file an appeal with the high court against part of the accountability court judgement declaring that the prosecution couldn’t prove the charges of corruption and dishonesty against the former prime minister. “An appeal could have been filed within 10 days of the announcement of judgement, but we couldn’t file it on our own. The decision to file an appeal against an order of the accountability court is taken by the competent authority,” NAB Deputy Prosecutor General (DPG) Sardar Muzaffar told The News.Under the NAB law, the bureau has the right to appeal this part of the verdict but the competent authority has decided to not file an appeal on this count.In an interview with The News, Muzaffar Abbasi said Nawaz Sharif was convicted under Section 9(a)(v) of the NAB Ordinance, as he could not give account of the resources to purchase the London flats and that this also falls in the definition of corruption and corrupt practices under the NAB law.Muzaffar admitted that the charge of corruption under Section 9(a)(iv) was also part of the NAB charge sheet against Nawaz but the court did not admit it.When told that following the latest judgements of superior judiciary Section 9(a)(v) had become redundant as even the Supreme Court had held that link of any property had to be established with commission of crime of corruption, he responded these judgements link Section 9(a)(v) with Section 9(a)(vi) and not with Section 9(a)(iv) as being interpreted in the media.“Our case was based on the charge that during investigations before the Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Nawaz Sharif couldn’t give an account of the resources to purchase London flats in early nineties and was guilty under Section 9(a)(v),” Muzaffar said, adding, “The court has acknowledged our basic argument and convicted the accused persons”.Asked whether or not the charge of corruption and dishonesty levelled under Section 9(a)(iv) was part of NAB charge sheet against Nawaz Sharif, Muzaffar said, “Yes, Nawaz Sharif was indicted under Section 9(a)(iv) and was acquitted of this charge”.Contrary to Abbasi’s view, the superior courts have held that four basic ingredients have to be proved for conviction of an accused under Section 9(a)(v) of NAB Ordinance.Senior most judge of the Supreme Court Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa had authored the judgement in the case of Ghani-ur-Rehman vs NAB (PLD 2011 Supreme Court 1144). Justice (R) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Justice (R) Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui were also part of the bench.Justice Khosa had held that mere possession of any pecuniary resources or property was by itself not an offence, but failure to satisfactorily account for such possession of pecuniary resources or property that makes the possession objectionable and constitute offence.Keeping all this debate and viewpoint of NAB prosecutor aside, it is important to mention here that Nawaz Sharif in his replies before the court hasn’t admitted the ownership of London flats and submitted that these flats were acquired by his father as a result of a known foreign investment and were transferred in the ownership of his son Hussain Nawaz in 2006 as inheritance. But, the JIT and NAB, without producing any evidence, insisted that these flats were purchased by Nawaz Sharif himself in early nineties and the accountability court held that it can be presumed that flats were purchased by Nawaz Sharif.However, when The News contacted senior lawyer Ikraam Chaudhry and explained him view point of NAB prosecutor and ingredients given in the Justice Khosa judgement, he replied that though the standard set in Justice Khosa verdict of connecting the purchase of property with the crime of corruption was not established in this case but still the Sharif family was not able to provide complete detail of money trail to purchase these properties.Ikraam said that in his view the conditions required under the law for the conviction under section 9(a)(v) were fulfilled.

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KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar Sunday took a serious notice of a speech delivered by the Islamabad High Court’s Judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui at the Rawalpindi Bar Association in which he alleged interference by the intelligence agencies in judicial matters.Hearing human rights cases at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry, the chief justice observed that he was disappointed at the reported statement of the Islamabad High Court’s judge and dispelled the impression of interference in judicial matter.The chief justice observed that the judiciary was independent and no one could dare dictate it.He further observed that judges believed in the rule of law and delivered judgments under the law and the Constitution.He observed that the reported statement of Justice Siddiqui was unacceptable and shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law and all facts shall be brought before the nation.The chief justice dispelled the impression and summoned complete record from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority of the reported speech of IHC judge.Meanwhile, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a press release said: “An honourable judge of Islamabad High Court of Pakistan has levelled serious allegations against the state institutions including honourable judiciary and the premier state intelligence agency.“In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions, Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to initiate an appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly.”Also, Justice Shaukat Siddiqui Sunday requested the chief justice to constitute a judicial commission to probe into his assertions.In a letter written to the CJP, Justice Siddiqui said a commission be formed with a retired or serving judge as its head.He added that the judge should not be someone who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order initiated by former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

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