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Pakistan

IHC dismisses possibility of hostile agency recording PMO calls

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ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in its detailed order issued of the previous hearing of an audio leak plea observed on Wednesday that an enemy country’s agency could not have recorded phone calls of Pakistan’s highest office without the latter finding out.

“Pakistan has a capable and functional national security infrastructure. It cannot be believed that an enemy country’s agency managed to record calls of Pakistan’s highest office and the latter did not find out. A non-state actor recording calls of the country’s highest office is also unbelievable,” stated the IHC order.

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The detailed order had to do with the audio leak pleas of Najamus Saqib, son of former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, and Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister Imran Khan. Justice Babar Sattar is heading the single-member bench hearing the pleas.

Furthermore, as per the court order, the government informed the IHC that no agency had been permitted to tap or record phone calls.

The information was stated in a report submitted to the high court in compliance with its orders issued at a previous hearing.

According to the detailed order, the court asked who had the power to tap or record citizens’ phone calls? To this, the order stated, the attorney general replied that he would submit a report with the IHC after consulting with the prime minister and federal cabinet.

The secretaries of the prime minister, defence and interior ministers and ex-premier Imran Khan have submitted their replies with the court, the IHC order further maintained.

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As per the government’s reply, no agency was given the permission to record citizens’ phone calls, and that a judge is required to sign off on a warrant to do so.

Read SC upholds bench in audio leaks commission case

The IHC ordered the prime minister’s principal secretary to submit a detailed reply to the court at the next hearing. “The Prime Minster Office (PMO) must tell if orders were given to anyone to record calls; was any agency given the authority to do so; were any warrants sought for anyone? If the government had taken any of these steps, it must inform the court,” the IHC maintained.

The court further directed that the PM’s principal secretary could consult the concerned ministries as well as heads of intelligence agencies, hoping that the federal government would submit a detailed report, addressing all the queries, with the IHC.

‘Centre given one month’

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At a hearing held two days ago, October 30, the IHC granted a one-month extension to the federal government to submit its reply in the audio leaks case.

A single-member bench of the capital’s high court was hearing a petition filed by Najamus Saqib, the son of former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar.

During the proceedings, Justice Babar Sattar inquired as to how electronic surveillance was being conducted and asked who was carrying it out.

“The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has denied giving anyone such permission, then how were audios of the PMO, a Supreme Court judge and former chief justice’s family leaked?

“Leaking such audios without taking the state into confidence is a grave decision,” remarked the judge, observing that the PMO report stated that it did not look into the day-to-day affairs of intelligence agencies.

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Justice Sattar asked who was the competent authority regarding the audio tapes.



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Pakistan

Father of girl killed for ‘honour’ arrested in Kohistan

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Police in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Tuesday arrested the father of the girl who was allegedly killed in the name of “honour” in Kohistan, officials said.

The suspect Arsala was presented before a local court which granted a seven-day physical remand. Three suspected accomplices, believed to have aided and advised the accused, have also been taken into custody.

On Sunday, a young girl was murdered and another rescued by the police in a case involving a viral video in which both the girls could be seen dancing with local boys.

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The girl was killed in the Barsharyal village of Kohistan’s Palas — 150km northwest of Mansehra — allegedly by her own family members on orders issued by a local jirga.

Read More: Husband held over honour killing of wife

The boys featured in the video, which went viral on social media around four days ago, had gone into hiding.

According to details, in the case registered under sections 114, 15AA, 302/311/109/34 PPC at Palas police station on November 28, 2023, the arrested suspect, Arsala, son of Mohsin, belonging to the Barsharyal tribe, was presented before the senior sessions judge/ Palas Assistant Commissioner.

Read More: CM orders inquiry into Kohistan girl’s killing

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The police had requested a 10-day physical remand for further investigation, but the judge approved a seven-day remand. The accused will be interrogated further in connection with the case.

Three other alleged accomplices in this gruesome murder have also been arrested. Among them, one is Arsala’s brother, one is his uncle’s son, and the third is a close relative. They have been apprehended on charges of abetment and will be presented before the court for physical remand.

Meanwhile, the boy, identified as Rahmat Shah, who featured in the viral images, has been rescued safely by the local police from Barsharyal.

The police had recorded his statement, and he will be presented in court for further legal proceedings.

Police teams are actively present in Barsharyal, conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.

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PM Kakar arrives in Kuwait on two-day official visit

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KUWAIT:

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday arrived in Kuwait on a two-day official visit to meet the brotherly country’s leadership.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Kuwait’s Minister for Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Dr Jassim Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ostad received the prime minister, PM Office said in a press release.

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Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Muhammad Farooq and other senior diplomatic officials were also present on the occasion.

Read more: Investment worth $10b on the cards

During his visit, the premier will meet Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

During the visit, a new era of economic and economic cooperation between the two countries will begin. 

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A number of MoUs will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence, it was further added.

As a traditional Kuwaiti welcoming gesture, the caretaker prime minister was also presented “Kahwa” upon his arrival.

Earlier this month, the interim federal cabinet gave the nod to seven memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with Kuwait for an investment worth $10 billion.

The MoUs would be signed by PM Kakar during the visit.

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The MoUs will be inked for projects in various fields, including expansion of water reservoirs, mining facilities, protection and expansion of mangrove forests for coastal areas, investment in IT sector and food security.

The MoUs between the two countries became possible due to the efforts made by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), according to a statement issued by the PM Office earlier.

It added that the interim premier, who chaired the meeting in the federal capital, and his cabinet members appreciated the efforts of the SIFC and the relevant ministries.

The caretaker prime minister issued directions to the federal authorities concerned to ensure cooperation with the provinces for early and fair execution of the projects.

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Govt will support ECP in holding ‘fair polls’

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ISLAMABAD:

Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi Tuesday said under Article 218(3) of the Constitution, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would fulfill its responsibility to conduct fair, transparent and impartial elections and the government would support it.

Talking to media in the federal capital, the interim minister noted that the Constitution comprised 280 articles, adding that it not only had the article pertaining to holding of elections in 90 days but also had Article 254.

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Read also: Caretaker govt has no agenda: Solangi

“Everyone in Pakistan has freedom to express opinion, complain and criticize,” he said.

The minister maintained that the PML-N also had the same liberty as of the PPP and the other parties.

He said Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had apprised the people about his visit to the UAE on Monday night through a video message.



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