Pakistan

In a 2-1 verdict, the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered to restore the corruption cases against public office holders that were withdrawn after amendments were made to the country’s accountability laws. The reserved verdict was announced by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on …

Interim Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar said on Friday there were “some signs” of economic recovery “even if they were just starting”. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside other federal ministers, she said that while the interim set-up had inherited a set of challenges after coming into power, it was not worried and was “dealing” with them. Akhtar said that …

LAHORE: The father of deceased British minor Sara Sharif, along with his partner and brother, has been arrested by authorities soon after their arrival in the UK. The trio had left Pakistan on Wednesday and landed at Gatwick airport later that night. Surrey police in a statement on Wednesday night, said two men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of murder …

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker government has warned people of “possible” fraud over investment in private housing projects launched in the province without obtaining no objection certificate (NOC) from authorities. “Our probe has revealed that Citi Housing and Bahria Town in Peshawar don’t have NOC or other relevant legal documents to operate, but they’re still selling forms. People should invest …

ISLAMABAD: Just weeks after US Ambas­sador Donald Blome met Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja to reaffirm his country’s support for free and fair elections, British High Commis­sioner Jane Marriott had an “important introductory meeting” with the CEC, which raised many eyebrows. “We agreed that it’s crucial the country sees free, credible, transparent and inclusive elections in line with the law,” Ms …

ISLAMABAD: Outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday wondered why the Constitution’s command, which clearly states that elections should be held within the stipulated period of 90 days after the dissolution of the assemblies, was being contested. Speaking at a farewell dinner hosted in his honour by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the CJP observed that …

The PPP on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to disgruntled party leader and lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa, asking him to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him for “working against the party policy”. The letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was signed by PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. “You, being a member of the …

A special court, designated to try suspects under the Official Secrets Act, rejected on Thursday the bail pleas of former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case. Earlier in the day, the same court confirmed the pre-arrest bail granted to former federal minister and PTI leader Asad Umar in the same case. …

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Thursday sent PTI leader Yasmin Rashid to jail on 14-day judicial remand in a case pertaining to remarks against state institutions and rioting in the wake of the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in May. Imran’s arrest on May 9 had resulted in widespread violence and saw important military installations come under attack, on the …

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: A day after former principal secretary to ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, Fawad Hasan Fawad, was inducted into the caretaker cabinet, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in a letter to the caretaker prime minister’s secretary, advised the interim government to refrain from inducting “persons of known political allegiance”. The letter is addressed to Tauqir Shah, the caretaker PM’s principal secretary, and referred …