'Lackluster' Islamabad rally has buried Imran's politics: Maryam

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Sunday claimed that the ruling party's power show in Islamabad had failed, saying the latter can take heed from the former for two successful rallies within a time span of just 24 hours. "[Prime Minister] Imran Khan could not gather 10,000 people, let alone 10 million," Maryam said as she addressed a charged gathering in Gujranwala. Gujranwala 🥇 pic.twitter.com/zGlcVRUY3X — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) March 27, 2022 According to the PML-N leader, the people of Islamabad had proved that they are not supporting the PTI. "Islamabad has buried Imran Khan's politics today," she said and thanked the people of the federal capital for their 'no-trust vote'. In an apparent taunt aimed at PM Imran, she said: "You couldn't gather a good total even at a farewell meeting." Commenting on the premier's remarks regarding a "conspiracy to oust him from power', she asked if the international conspirers were behind the distancing of his allies from the ruling party. Gujranwala! Twice in less than 24 hours! Masha’Allah ♥️🥇 pic.twitter.com/Y13RkmT2RS — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) March 27, 2022 "On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif has deprived the ruling party of two dozen of its members of the National Assembly," she added. Also read: Foreign powers behind ‘conspiracy’ to overthrow my govt, says PM She also called the prime minister a thief involved in the stealing of flour and sugar, and told latter that the PML-N won't tolerate abusive language anymore Maryam reiterated that Premier Imran was 'the biggest mice of the country' who wouldn't stop raising a hue and cry seeing his imminent ouster from power. Responding to the prime minister's criticism at ex-premier and her father Nawaz Shairf, she said: "He doesn't badmouth the military when he steps foot abroad." شیر انشاءاللہ اک واری فیر#مہنگائی_مکاؤ_مارچ pic.twitter.com/tAztsjzYIm — PML(N) (@pmln_org) March 27, 2022 "Had you been entrusted with any secrets, they would've have been broadcast by now," she told the incumbent prime minister. While concluding, Maryam told the crowd that Nawaz Sharif and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will return to power and change the fate of the country. Addressing a large gathering in Islamabad's Parade Ground, PM Imran said that foreign powers are involved in the ‘conspiracy’ to overthrow his coalition government at the Centre through a no-confidence motion tabled by the country’s joint opposition. The premier also said that he would not spare 'corrupt leaders' even if he had to step down from his post. https://ift.tt/e4HOYVP Addressing the Gujranwala rally, Hamza Shehbaz said Prime Minister Imran Khan couldn’t prove a rupee’s corruption against Nawaz Sharif. “The people of Gujranwala have today cast their vote of no-confidence against the PM by taking to the streets.” He also accused PM Imran of failing to provide answers for the foreign funding case, saying public will soon hold him accountable. “The masses will end Imran’s rule and the youth will come forward to play their role for the country's progress.”  

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‘I will crush it’: Rashid warns PDM against turning rally into sit-in

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that the opposition parties are allowed to hold a public gathering in Islamabad “but if anyone tries to stage a sit-in he will crush it”. His statement comes as joint opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), is all set to stage its counter-power show tomorrow (Monday), a day after the ruling PTI held its ‘historic’ rally titled “Amr Bil Maroof” at Parade Ground in the federal capital. The caravans of constituent parties of the PDM – mainly comprising Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – are converging on Islamabad. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Rashid said JUI-F was given permission to hold a rally in the federal capital and added that he had requested the opposition parties not to change venue or the nature of their public gathering. The minister added that they have issued show-cause notice to the JUI-F activists to vacate the Srinagar Highway, saying that PML-N was already issued NOC [no-objection certificate] to hold a rally in Islamabad’s H-9 area on March 28 (Monday). The interior minister said stern action would be taken against those found involved in blocking the roads besides registering a first information reports (FIR) against them. Also read: Islamabad braces for back-to-back political power shows “If someone tries to create hurdles, the administration will take action as per the directions of the court,” he warned. Terming the opposition leaders as ‘gang of three,’ Rashid said they would never succeed in toppling Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government amid looming vote on no-trust motion against the premier. “Imran Khan will emerge victorious… he will play till the last ball; you [opposition] will not be able to come into power,” he added. He said the ‘corrupt politicians’ were trying to save their “ill-gotten wealth” by dodging accountability process. “Today is a decisive day in Pakistan’s history and people, in huge numbers, are heading towards Islamabad all on their own. Nation is standing with Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he added. The interior minister said that the public have rejected the “dirty politics” of the opposition leaders.

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Bigotry towards minorities defames entire nation: SC

The top court has noted that bigoted behaviour towards minorities painted the entire nation in poor colour, labelling people of Pakistan as intolerant, dogmatic and rigid as it overturned a Lahore High Court order, which had endorsed the charges of blasphemy against members of the Ahmadiyya community on the allegation that they had styled their place of worship as a mosque and displayed Islamic symbols on its inner walls. "To deprive a non-Muslim (minority) of our country from holding his religious beliefs, to obstruct him from professing and practicing his religion within the four walls of his place of worship is against the grain of our democratic Constitution and repugnant to the spirit and character of our Islamic Republic,” read nine-page judgment, authored by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, who was heading a division bench hearing a petition against the offence of blasphemy on Ahmadi individuals. It was also alleged that the electricity bill of the Ahmadi place of worship described it as a mosque. On these allegations, the petitioners were put to trial. On November 23, 2020, the trial court had framed the charge against the petitioners for offences punishable under Sections 298-B and 298-C of the PPC. Later, the complainant filed an application under Section 227 of the CrPC for alteration of the charges. He claimed that offences punishable under Sections 295-B and 295-C PPC were also attracted and should be added to the charges. Also read: LHC sets aside BZU's suspension of Ahmadi’s admission The LHC also endorsed the inclusion of blasphemy charges against the petitioners. The apex court posed the question as to that whether or not the allegations levelled in the crime report and the material collected in the course of the investigation attracted the commission of offences punishable under Sections 295-B and 295-C of the PPC. The judgment noted that observations of this court and of the Federal Shariat Court were in line with the constitutional values enshrined in the preamble to constitution which require citizens to be tolerant as a people, believe in freedom, equality and social justice, and respect minorities and make adequate provisions for them to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures and to safeguard their legitimate interests. The court noted that even though Article 260(3) of the Constitution declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, it neither disowned them as citizens, nor deprived them of their entitlement to their fundamental rights. The court observed that to constitute an offence under Section 295-B, the reading thereof showed that the accused must have defiled, damaged or desecrated a copy of the Holy Quran or an extract therefrom or use it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose. "There is no allegation in the crime report that attracts the said offence. The courts below have held that the mere reading of the Kalima or the Holy Quran by a non-Muslim/Ahmadi attracts Section 295-C. This, in our view, is not only far-fetched, but also fails to meet the fundamental constituents of the crime, i.e., mens rea and actus reus. Only that which resides in the mind of a non-Muslim while reading the Holy Quran is not sufficient to constitute the offence." Also read: Bail plea of Ahmadi man who ‘tricked Muslim woman into marriage’ rejected Similarly, the court added, to constitute an offence under Section 295-C of the PPC, there must be words spoken or written or by visible representation or any imputation, innuendo or insinuation, direct or indirect, which defiled the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). “In the instant case, the display of the Kalima and having the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) inside the place of worship do not attract the constituents of the said offence.” The verdict read what ran inside the mind of an Ahmadi while reading the Kalima did not constitute an offence punishable under Section 295-C of the PPC unless there was some overt act on his part that defiled the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The court observed that the trial and revisional courts had not correctly examined the ingredients necessary to constitute the offences punishable under sections 295-B and 296-C PPC and the petition was therefore converted into an appeal and allowed. “The impugned order is reversed, the petition of the petitioners under Section 561-A CrPC is accepted and the orders of the trial and revisional courts are set aside. The trial of the petitioners shall proceed on the basis of the charge framed on 23.11.2020 only for offences punishable under Section 298-B and 298-C of the PPC.”

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The neutrality of allies and muscle power

The political parties have started to slowly converge towards the federal capital as they usher in the penultimate round of the no-confidence tussle and seek to flex muscles both inside and outside the parliament. But as the lawmakers prepare to answer the callings of their “conscience” during the no-trust vote in the National Assembly, the rising tensions may prove to be a potential recipe for a violent clash. Before the assembly takes up the motion and goes for a vote on it, it is important to recall how all the political forces began to march towards Islamabad and why a constitutional matter has become a battle between “evil and good”. The clouds of fear are hovering over Islamabad since the opposition parties and Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to hold rallies but what really brought the political armies to actually come to the boiling point was the silence of the allies amid disgruntled members of the ruling party coming out in the open. Also read: No-confidence vote likely to be held on April 3 or 4: Rashid For the past few weeks, the ruling party’s allies – PML-Q, MQM-P and BAP – have been mulling over only one question: if they should stand by the government or side with the opposition parties over the no-trust motion. Meetings after meetings with the government and opposition as well as among the allies have been going on for weeks now but guess what; they had this one job to do and they haven’t decided yet. To add insult to injury, the coalition partners of the government are now considering staying neutral – a trait that the premier feels best describes animals. Though they might come up with a clear stance just before the voting day, the newly-added dimension of staying neutral on deciding the fate of PM Imran has allowed the government and opposition parties to go ahead with their rallies to show that the public was on their side. Amid political volatility, the allies could easily have deflated the situation by openly announcing their support for the side of their choosing but they have been busy gauging which side is offering more without realising that the politics of conflict could turn ugly if, God forbid, any clash takes place or any third force seizes the opportunity and leaves painful scars. Apart from paving the way for the rallies, the undecided allies have also contributed to putting the core issues like sky-rocketing inflation, rampant unemployment, deteriorating law and order situation, mounting debt, ever-increasing current account deficit, on the back burner. Apparently, for the sake of their greed, they have calmly been seeing the country sliding deeper into troubles every day but haven’t shown the courage to come out in the open. Also read: NA session put off sans tabling of no-trust With political parties marching into Islamabad, the silence of the allies is further fueling the fears of witnessing an attack like Capitol Hill in the United States. Every day, the key political players meet just to decide that they should meet again to discuss further what they have been discussing for months now. Some political observers believe that the decision to pick sides by the allies will be made once they finally start receiving “phones calls” from the “powerful circles”. Others, however, say that it is more about getting a better offer from the government and the opposition, especially, after the powerful circles have frequently conveyed that they would stay neutral in the situation. Despite the tall claims of being neutral, the government and the opposition leadership constantly taunt each other of seeking support from the powers that be by accusing the other side of ‘polishing boots’ or worse seeking the opportunity of ‘licking boots’. Apparently, no one really cares that the accusations of polishing or licking boots strengthen the notion that the political parties need blessings of powerful quarters more than public vote to come into power.

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Separated during Partition, Indian man reunites with family in Pakistan

Indian citizen Sikka Khan alias Habib who had separated from his family at the time of Partition, arrived in the country via Wagah Border on Saturday. The 77-year-old was warmly welcomed by his elder brother Muhammad Siddique and other members of the family upon his arrival at the other side of the border. In 1947, he had stayed behind in India with his mother while his father, elder brother and other members of the family had left for Pakistan. In January this year, 80-year-old Siddique, resident of Bogra on the outskirts of Faisalabad, met his brother who got separated during the Partition. According to him, two days before the independence of Pakistan, his mother went to visit his parents in Indian Punjab with his younger brother Habib who was only a few months old. Also read: Pakistan issues visa to Indian man separated from brother during Partition After the Partition, Siddique kept waiting for his mother to return but she didn't. But now, after 74 years, he finally reunited with his younger brother Sikka, who lived in the Indian city of Bathinda. Earlier, Muhammad Bashir from Narowal had also met his close friend Sardar Gopal Singh. Both were separated during the Partition in 1947. They used to communicate with each other via social media but a meeting could not take place. However, after the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, the friends decided to meet. At present, Sardar Gopal Singh is 94 years old and Muhammad Bashir is 91 years old. According to Gopal, the two friends used to come to the Gurdwara Sahib and play together for hours. In November 2021, a man met his nephew who got separated during the Partition. Humayun came from Faisalabad and his nephew Muhammad Bashir arrived at the corridor from an Indian village named Taran.

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Bigotry towards minorities defames entire nation: SC

The top court has noted that bigoted behaviour towards minorities painted the entire nation in poor colour, labelling people of Pakistan as intolerant, dogmatic and rigid as it overturned a Lahore High Court order, which had endorsed the charges of blasphemy against members of the Ahmadiyya community on the allegation that they had styled their place of worship as a mosque and displayed Islamic symbols on its inner walls. "To deprive a non-Muslim (minority) of our country from holding his religious beliefs, to obstruct him from professing and practicing his religion within the four walls of his place of worship is against the grain of our democratic Constitution and repugnant to the spirit and character of our Islamic Republic,” read nine-page judgment, authored by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, who was heading a division bench hearing a petition against the offence of blasphemy on Ahmadi individuals. It was also alleged that the electricity bill of the Ahmadi place of worship described it as a mosque. On these allegations, the petitioners were put to trial. On November 23, 2020, the trial court had framed the charge against the petitioners for offences punishable under Sections 298-B and 298-C of the PPC. Later, the complainant filed an application under Section 227 of the CrPC for alteration of the charges. He claimed that offences punishable under Sections 295-B and 295-C PPC were also attracted and should be added to the charges. Also read: LHC sets aside BZU's suspension of Ahmadi’s admission The LHC also endorsed the inclusion of blasphemy charges against the petitioners. The apex court posed the question as to that whether or not the allegations levelled in the crime report and the material collected in the course of the investigation attracted the commission of offences punishable under Sections 295-B and 295-C of the PPC. The judgment noted that observations of this court and of the Federal Shariat Court were in line with the constitutional values enshrined in the preamble to constitution which require citizens to be tolerant as a people, believe in freedom, equality and social justice, and respect minorities and make adequate provisions for them to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures and to safeguard their legitimate interests. The court noted that even though Article 260(3) of the Constitution declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, it neither disowned them as citizens, nor deprived them of their entitlement to their fundamental rights. The court observed that to constitute an offence under Section 295-B, the reading thereof showed that the accused must have defiled, damaged or desecrated a copy of the Holy Quran or an extract therefrom or use it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose. "There is no allegation in the crime report that attracts the said offence. The courts below have held that the mere reading of the Kalima or the Holy Quran by a non-Muslim/Ahmadi attracts Section 295-C. This, in our view, is not only far-fetched, but also fails to meet the fundamental constituents of the crime, i.e., mens rea and actus reus. Only that which resides in the mind of a non-Muslim while reading the Holy Quran is not sufficient to constitute the offence." Also read: Bail plea of Ahmadi man who ‘tricked Muslim woman into marriage’ rejected Similarly, the court added, to constitute an offence under Section 295-C of the PPC, there must be words spoken or written or by visible representation or any imputation, innuendo or insinuation, direct or indirect, which defiled the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). “In the instant case, the display of the Kalima and having the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) inside the place of worship do not attract the constituents of the said offence.” The verdict read what ran inside the mind of an Ahmadi while reading the Kalima did not constitute an offence punishable under Section 295-C of the PPC unless there was some overt act on his part that defiled the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The court observed that the trial and revisional courts had not correctly examined the ingredients necessary to constitute the offences punishable under sections 295-B and 296-C PPC and the petition was therefore converted into an appeal and allowed. “The impugned order is reversed, the petition of the petitioners under Section 561-A CrPC is accepted and the orders of the trial and revisional courts are set aside. The trial of the petitioners shall proceed on the basis of the charge framed on 23.11.2020 only for offences punishable under Section 298-B and 298-C of the PPC.”

from Punjab News Updates and Insights - The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/q9htORs

Separated during Partition, Indian man reunites with family in Pakistan

Indian citizen Sikka Khan alias Habib who had separated from his family at the time of Partition, arrived in the country via Wagah Border on Saturday. The 77-year-old was warmly welcomed by his elder brother Muhammad Siddique and other members of the family upon his arrival at the other side of the border. In 1947, he had stayed behind in India with his mother while his father, elder brother and other members of the family had left for Pakistan. In January this year, 80-year-old Siddique, resident of Bogra on the outskirts of Faisalabad, met his brother who got separated during the Partition. According to him, two days before the independence of Pakistan, his mother went to visit his parents in Indian Punjab with his younger brother Habib who was only a few months old. Also read: Pakistan issues visa to Indian man separated from brother during Partition After the Partition, Siddique kept waiting for his mother to return but she didn't. But now, after 74 years, he finally reunited with his younger brother Sikka, who lived in the Indian city of Bathinda. Earlier, Muhammad Bashir from Narowal had also met his close friend Sardar Gopal Singh. Both were separated during the Partition in 1947. They used to communicate with each other via social media but a meeting could not take place. However, after the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, the friends decided to meet. At present, Sardar Gopal Singh is 94 years old and Muhammad Bashir is 91 years old. According to Gopal, the two friends used to come to the Gurdwara Sahib and play together for hours. In November 2021, a man met his nephew who got separated during the Partition. Humayun came from Faisalabad and his nephew Muhammad Bashir arrived at the corridor from an Indian village named Taran.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | eTribune https://ift.tt/329waMr