ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday criticised two Supreme Court judges for tendering resignations following the passage of the 27th constitutional amendment a day earlier, saying their “consciences only awakened after their monopoly was curtailed.” Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah handed in their resignations, hours after the contentious 27th Constitutional Amendment was signed into law by President …

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi asserted on Friday that Pakistan had never eschewed dialogue with any government in Kabul but would not hold talks with any terrorist groups. The spokesperson’s speech came in the context of the third round of talks that concluded on November 7 in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan, aimed at ending cross-border terrorism …

ISLAMABAD: The Senate swiftly passed four bills related to the recently approved contentious 27th Constitutional Amendment on Friday, including one that seeks changes to the Army Act and resets the tenure of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir after his appointment as the chief of the defence forces (CDF). As explained by Law Minister Azam Nazeer …

RAWALPINDI: Four terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were arrested for their involvement in the suicide blast in Islamabad earlier this week, the government said on Friday. “In a joint operation conducted by the Intelligence Bureau Division and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), four members of the TTP/Fitna al-Khawarij terrorist cell involved in the suicide attack at the Judicial …

ISLAMABAD: Justice Aminuddin Khan on Friday was sworn in as the first chief justice of the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) after the 27th Amendment was enacted into law a day earlier. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza were also present for the ceremony …

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has convened a full court session on Friday to deliberate on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, after it was passed in the Senate today by a two-thirds majority of 64 votes. The session is scheduled for tomorrow, before Friday prayers. The decision follows multiple letters from Supreme Court justices, bar associations, and senior lawyers …

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah handed in their resignations, hours after the contentious 27th Constitutional Amendment was signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday. Both judges had called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi in separate letters to summon a full court meeting and judicial conference to hold a debate on …

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said the suicide bomber involved in the blast at Islamabad’s judicial complex was “related to Afghanistan”, while Rawalpindi’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested seven suspects who allegedly facilitated the attack. Speaking on the Senate floor, Naqvi termed the alleged links to Tuesday’s blast incident, which killed 12 people and injured 35, a “very serious” …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government announced the launch of the “Safe Secure Islamabad” initiative to ramp up the security of the federal capital. The announcement comes two days after 12 people were killed and 36 were injured in a suicide blast outside the district and sessions court building in Islamabad’s G-11 area. The incident occurred as international events were being hosted …

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday that terrorist incidents in Pakistan were linked to “neighbouring countries”. He made the remarks while meeting with the director general of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Graeme Biggar, according to a handout issued by the interior ministry. “Links of all terrorist incidents come from neighbouring countries,” Naqvi was quoted as …