An IHC bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamir Farooq took up a petition filed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman against an Islamabad accountability court’s Oct 14 verdict of rejecting his acquittal plea in the case.

Also Read: Zardari files plea for acquittal in references under amended NAB law

The court gave the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) more time to file its reply to the petition and adjourned the case until November 23. The bench restrained the trial court from framing charges against him till further order.

On Oct 14, the accountability court rejected a plea filed by former president Asif Ali Zardari seeking his acquittal in the Rs8.3 billion suspicious transaction case.

Also Read: NAB summons Asif Zardari’s political secretary in money laundering case

He had moved the acquittal plea on the basis of the recent amendments made to the country’s accountability law. His counsel stated before the court that his client cannot be indicted in the case after the promulgation of the National Accountability (NAO) Ordinance, 2021.

He had contended that no case is made out against former president Asif Ali Zardari after the new law, pleading with the judge to acquit him.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) presented the accused, identified as Mohammad Amin, Mairaj and Abdul Aziz, before the court and requested their physical remand for investigation.

The court handed over the accused to FIA on three-day physical remand and directed it to submit a progress report.

FIA’s anti-human trafficking circle arrested the three accused. Mairaj, is an agent facilitating identity cards for aliens. Ameen was allegedly involved in getting the CNIC in cahoots with NADRA employees, on the basis of fake documents, FIA officials said.

The investigation officer of the FIA earlier said that two more employees of the NADRA had been arrested on charges of issuing fake computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to national and foreign citizens.

The intelligence agency’s anti-human trafficking circle made 10 arrests in two cases related to the fake CNICs scandal. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) investigation officer has made two more arrests, whereas, the total number of arrested men in such cases has risen to 13.

The arrested officials include two assistant directors of NADRA and a superintendent, an agent, six Afghan citizens who were allegedly involved in getting the CNICs. Moreover, the arrested men also included three persons from the same family.

Those who received Pakistani CNICs through illegal means include Afghans, Bengalis, Burmese and other foreign nationals.

In a Twitter post, he issued directives for their administrations to take immediate action to provide temporary shelters plus food for those who cannot be accommodated in the existing Panagahs.

Given the extremely cold weather conditions I have asked CMs of Punjab & KP to ensure that no person is left out without shelter; & their administrations must take immediate action to provide temporary shelters plus food for those who cannot be accommodated in existing Panagahs.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 29, 2019

In a Twitter statement earlier this year, Prime Minister Khan had urged all provincial and federal elected representatives to visit shelter homes in their respective areas and share meal with people staying there.

“Our prov [provincial] & fed [federal] elected reps [representatives] must visit Panah Gahs [shelter homes] in their areas & share a meal with the people using them.”

PM Khan stressed that this practise “will sensitise them [representatives] to issues faced by the bottom tier of our society.” He added that in coming months, “I will personally monitor effectiveness of our poverty alleviation jihad.”

The bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah announced the verdict that he reserved after lawyers representing the government and the petitioner concluded their arguments on the petition earlier today.

The bench quashed its interim order that suspended the appointment notification of Haq as PRCS chairman.

The outgoing chairman Red Crescent Society Saeed Elahi, who was an acting chairman of the body before his removal, moved the petition in the high court challenging Abrar Ul Haq’s appointment.

After the preliminary hearing earlier on Nov 19, the bench had suspended appointment orders of the PTI leader.

Justice Athar Minallah had remarked the law governing the body exists, which could not be violated by anyone.

Abrar ul Haq’s lawyer contended that the Red Crescent is a welfare body and the petition against appointment of its chairman is non-maintainable.

Abrar ul Haq had been appointed as the new chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) on November 15.

President Arif Alvi had approved the appointment for PRCS, also known as Hilal Ahmar. Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination had also issued a notification regarding Abrar’s appointment.

Sources relayed it has been decided to dispense money to the poor and deserving people to help them buy essential food items.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar, who heads the Ehsas programme, has been issued special directives in this regard. The prime minister instructed that money should be dispensed in a transparent manner.

READ ALSO: Poverty alleviation first step towards prosperity, says Hafeez Shaikh

Earlier in July, this year, Prime Minister Khan had launched the National Poverty Graduation Initiative to help the poor fight poverty by providing them interest-free loans.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the initiative in federal capital, he had said the government will introduce new initiatives under the umbrella of the Ehsas Programme every month to pull the people out of poverty.

The prime minister distributed cheques of varying amounts of interest-free loans to help the poor set up businesses on a small scale to uplift their living standards.

READ ALSO: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide $200m for poverty alleviation in Pakistan

The prime minister regretted previously, people came to power to serve the masses but instead served their interests.

“Naya Pakistan will pull the poor out of poverty,” said Mr Khan, citing Chinese example of bringing as many as 70o million people out of poverty over a period of 30 years.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Minister said more than seven thousand workers including youth, volunteers and social media activists are participating in the drive.

He said disposing of the wastes of sacrificial animals on Eid-ul-Azha is a major task to be handled by the local government.

Read More: PDMA issues rain alert for KP

He said twenty million rupees have been allocated to give reward to workers in acknowledgment of their performance.

He also appealed the people to cooperate with the workers in order to make this drive successful.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday paid visits to Civil Hospital – Jamrud and Headquarter Hospital – Landi Kotal to review health facilities being provided to the nationals, ARY News reported.

A briefing was also given to the KP chief minister during his visits. CM Khan said that he has himself visited hospitals in tribal districts to review health facilities.

He detailed that the government has initiated a recruitment process for the appointment of 400-500 doctors and technical staff, whereas, a gynecologist will be appointed in the hospitals within one week.

The chief minister added that the government will terminate services of the physicians who are unnecessarily referring patients to the private clinics.

Read: Providing better health facilities to people our top priority: KP Health Minister

Moreover, CM Khan directed KP’s Healthcare Commission to review the services of private laboratories in Landi Kotal town.

Earlier on July 12, KP Health Minister Hisham Inamullah Khan had said in the provincial assembly that the government was squarely focused on the provision of better health facilities to the residents of the province.

Responding to a question he said that six million families of the province will be provided free health facilities through Sehat Insaf Card.

Speaking on a point of order, Provincial Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will solve traffic problems in Peshawar on a permanent basis.

Speaking during a ceremony in Lahore, the CJP said that as many as Rs55,000 are daily spent on a judge from the national exchequer and questioned if judges are justifying this expense through their work.

He maintained that his statement of comparing judiciary to Baba Rehmata (a fictional character) was ridiculed by some but Baba Rehmata’s character is that of a village elder who is respected among people so he compared judiciary with the character.

The CJP also urged the attendants to “value” Pakistan as not all get a free country to live in and added that he himself might have only been a clerk if there were no Pakistan.

“I would have been a clerk if there were no Pakistan so I keep a check on myself too and ask myself if I am fulfilling all my responsibilities and obligations as a Pakistani,” said the CJP.

The country’s top judge said that the country’s whole system is rotten and it is the judiciary’s responsibility to wipe out injustices from the society.

“We have witnessed that substandard mineral water is being sold, hospitals are not treating their patients like they should and poor people are being robbed of their property by influential land grabbers, so it is our responsibility to make sure they get justice,” said Saqib Nisar.

Answering a question, the CJP said that the court has constituted a separate bench to take up cases of missing persons.

He concluded his speech by saying that in future, people will hopefully see a Pakistan where justice will prevail.

According to police, a man identified as Asghar was shot dead while he was sitting in his car near Nazimabad underpass.

A woman left the car soon after the incident but when police approached her she maintained that she was deceased’s colleague and was in the car when some armed riders opened fire upon the car leaving the driver dead.

Police, however, say the woman’s statement has contradictions.

The car has been taken into police custody while samples of blood taken from the crime scene have been sent for forensic examination.

The deceased was identified as a Malir resident named Asghar and was moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital’s morgue.

He is son of late Nawaz Ghous Bakhsh Raisani, who served the office of the governor of Balochistan in 1972 under the government of PPP founder Zulifqar Ali Bhutti. 

He holds a master’s degree in political science. He held different administrative posts in the government, including Balochistan Development Authority, Passco and police before starting his political career.

He joined the Mir Ghous Baksh Bizenjo-led Pakistan National Party in the late 1980s. He won election in 1988 and was elected as parliamentary leader of the party in the Balochistan Assembly.

Raisani has been elected to the provincial assembly four times and was elected unopposed 18th Chief Minister of Balochistan on April, 09, 2008.

In the general elections of 2008, he was elected for the fourth time, from the constituency of Mastung/Quetta (PB-38) and became the parliamentary leader in the assembly.

He joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and also member of the party’s central executive committee.

He was appointed senior minister in the cabinet of Mir Mohammad Jamali and served the office of the finance minister.

See Also: Mir Hasil Bizenjo – Born, Age, Political Party and Family

He is considered a progressive agriculturist and renders social services for the welfare of agriculturists of Balochistan. He is also credited for introducing modern agricultural technology in the backwards province.

Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani – Born, Age, Political Party and Education

Sharif received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Government College University, Lahore. After graduation, he joined his family owned business Ittefaq Group. He got elected president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry in 1985.

Shahbaz is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister of Pakistan. He remained the chief minister of Punjab from 2008 to 2013 and currently completing the continuous second tenure of his provincial government after his PML-N party won a big majority in 2013 general elections in the province. 

Previously, he held this position from 1997 to 1999, when Gen. Pervez Musharraf toppled the PML-N government in October 1999 military coup. He, along with his entire family, exiled to Saudi Arabia under a deal with the military government. 

He attempted to return to Pakistan on May 11, 2004 but was again deported to Saudi Arabia within a few hours from the airport. The family returned back to Pakistan in 2007. 

Shahbaz was first time elected in the Punjab Assembly in 1988 elections and National Assembly in 1990. He was again elected in the Punjab Assembly in 1993 and was named leader of the opposition. After contesting for the Punjab Assembly for the third time in 1997 elections, Shahbaz was elected as the chief minister of Punjab on February 20, 1997.

As the chief executive of the Punjab province, he was known as a strict disciplinarian. 

During his tenure, he tried to eliminate the culture of bureaucratic hurdles focused on health, education, agriculture and industrial sectors. He launched an operation against ghost schools. 

Shahbaz Sharif, before his current elevation to the party’s top slot after disqualification of Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court, was elected twice as president of PML-N in the past. 

See Also: Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman – Born, Age, Political Party and Family

His party if overcome all odds and win in the upcoming general elections, he will be the most likely candidate of PML-N for the Prime Minister’s office.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif – Born, Age, Political Party, Net worth and Family