ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet expanded on Thursday as new ministers and advisers were sworn in during a ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr. President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani in attendance. A total of 12 federal ministers, 9 ministers of state, and 3 advisers were inducted into the cabinet. Those sworn …
ISLAMABAD: The government and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday signed five accords to boost bilateral cooperation in different fields on the occasion of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s first official visit to Pakistan. Pakistan and the UAE share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading …
ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday went ahead with holding its second and final day of its grand conference in Islamabad despite facing hurdles in securing a venue. The moot kicked off at Islamabad’s Legend Hotel yesterday, with the TTAP accusing the government of pressuring the hotel administration to revoke permission for the event’s second day. However, Rana …
ISLAMABAD: Proper legal procedures must be followed before transferring the accused to military authorities even if the May 9 attacks on army installations were considered serious offences, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui argued before the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench on Wednesday. The counsel argued that the transfer of civilians accused in connection with the May 9 events to military authorities violated Section …
ISLAMABAD: Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail said on Wednesday that all five judges of the Supreme Court were unanimous in their decision that civilians cannot be tried in military courts. He made these remarks during the hearing of an intra-court appeal challenging the trial of civilians in military courts. Justice Mandokhail is part of a seven-member constitutional bench overseeing the appeal, …
GENEVA: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar assured the international community of Pakistan’s efforts in protecting human rights in the country, saying “robust legislative and policy measures” were in place to ensure that, a statement from the human rights ministry said on Wednesday. His remarks came as he addressed a high-level segment of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 58th session …
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and president of the Awaam Pakistan party Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday said those in power were “suppressing democracy and dismantling the judicial system” as he addressed a moot organised by the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan. After talks between the government and the opposition collapsed in January, the PTI made another push to establish a …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Uzbekistan agreed on Wednesday to expand bilateral trade to $2 billion as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. The development comes days after a similar agreement to boost investments to $2bn was reached with Azerbaijan during the premier’s official visit there, which he concluded yesterday as he departed for Tashkent on …
ISLAMABAD: The extension in the service of former army chief, retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, was mentioned in the Supreme Court on Tuesday as a precedent of the court directing administrative functions. The seven-judge constitutional bench resumed the hearing on a set of petitions challenging the court’s Oct 23, 2023 order of nullifying the military trial of civilians involved in …
ISLAMABAD: PTI leaders who are holding official positions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will have to relinquish their party positions in a bid to reorganise the party in the province. The decision was announced by the PTI secretary general, Salman Akram Raja, on Tuesday after meeting the jailed PTI founder Imran Khan. While talking to reporters outside the Adiala Jail, …