Top Turkish officials condemned a caricature scorning President Tayyip Erdogan in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, calling it a “disgusting effort” to “spread its cultural racism and hatred”. Turkish anger at the caricature added fuel to a row between Turkey and France about blasphemous sketches of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which flared after a …

ISLAMABAD: The law ministry will establish 30 accountability courts across the country in the first phase as Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved phase-wise establishment of 120 such courts to expedite disposal of corruption references. Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s orders dated July 8 and Oct 21, Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem briefed the prime minister on establishment of …

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) said on Tuesday that it was necessary to introduce a uniform syllabus for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) to provide a level playing field to students across the country. In a statement, the ministry also said that students who are not sufficiently equipped with the requisite knowledge to pursue …

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday deleted sections of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) invoked against the Rawalpindi-based cleric Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza who had hurled threats and abuses at Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other judges of the Supreme Court. The threats were made in a video lecture that went viral on social media in June this year. Following the incident, Chief Justice …

LAHORE: A sessions court on Tuesday adjourned hearing of a defamation suit by singer-actor Ali Zafar against fellow singer Meesha Shafi as the latter’s counsel sought an adjournment to await outcome of a petition filed with the Lahore High Court seeking suspension of the suit’s proceedings. Advocate Saqib Jillani, on behalf of Ms Shafi, told the court that its order …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minis­ter Imran Khan on Tuesday reiterated conditional offer of peace to India, saying peace was linked to alleviating suffering of the Kashmiris and settlement of the dispute. “We are ready for peace. But, for that India will have to end military siege of Kashmir and give right of self-determination to the Kashmiris in accordance with United Nations Security …

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Tuesday passed eight out of nine bills, and deferred the last one regarding amendment in criminal law. One of the bills titled: ‘Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2020’ was passed by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS), but the bill was again referred to the committee …

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif has made it clear that interference of establishment in national politics was a bitter chapter of our history and this chapter must be closed for all times to come. Talking to journalists at the residence of PML-N divisional president Anwar Soomro in Qasimabad after offering …

ISLAMABAD: Four premier bar associations of the country have questioned the hearing of review petitions in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa case by a seven-judge Supreme Court bench from Wednesday after a 10-judge full court has heard and decided the constitutional petitions against the filing of the presidential reference. In their joint but one-page application, the Supreme Court Bar Association, Quetta Bar …

ISLAMABAD: A group of public-spirited individuals, including veteran journalist and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s former chairman I.A. Rehman, approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday, seeking a declaration that the alleged kidnapping and detention of the inspector general of Sindh police as well as the illegal and mala fide interference in a criminal investigation gravely breached fundamental rights and impinged upon the …