Author: Sajjad Ali

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court has formed a five-member bench to take up review petitions challenging the trial of civilians in military courts on October 23. Simultaneously, a three-member bench will address petitions advocating for elections within 90 days on the same date. As per the cause lists released on Friday, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan will lead the bench for the military courts case, accompanied by Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Mazahar Naqvi. Conversely, Justice Qazi Faez Isa will head a bench with Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah to hear petitions urging elections to…

PESHAWAR: Six terrorists were gunned down, and four soldiers of the Pak Army embraced martyrdom in two separate gun attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa North and South Waziristan districts, said ISPR in a statement on Thursday. The “fierce encounters” took place between the terrorists and security forces on the night of October 18/19, 2023, in the North and South Waziristan districts.  The first gun battle happened in the general area of Gharyoum, North Waziristan district in which six terrorists, including a high-value target identified as Hazrat Zaman alias Khawarey Mullah, terrorist ringleader, were killed, said ISPR. Khawarey Mullah was “actively involved in…

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, hinted that the Supreme Court may soon address the military court case and the general election case. Justice Isa made these remarks during a hearing of a petition filed by employees of Pak-Arab oil refinery. The lawyer in the case requested a hearing after 15 days. The Chief Justice mentioned that the refinery case might need to be postponed for two months as the court is gearing up to handle challenging cases, leaving limited time for routine petitions. He also indicated that the general election case and the military courts case…

Karachi Electric (K-Electric) consumers may face another round of adversity as authorities gear up for a second price hike in a single quarterly adjustment. K-Electric has formally requested the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to approve an additional increase of Rs3.02 per unit for electricity consumers. NEPRA is set to review and consider the utility’s request today. The proposed hike pertains to quarterly adjustments for the period of April to June 2023. Notably, a prior government request has already resulted in a Rs3.28 per unit increase for Karachi during the April to June quarter this year. Following the NEPRA…

MARDAN: The Power Division authorities have officially declared Mardan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa free from load-shedding following a significant reduction in electricity theft. Rashid Mehmood, the Federal Secretary for Power Division, announced the decision to cease power suspension in areas where electricity theft has been eliminated during his visit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He emphasized the prohibition of energy theft in all religions and sects, highlighting that no religion in the world considers stealing acceptable. Mehmood pledged to hold accountable those involved in facilitating such corrupt practices, stating that there would be no apologies or leniency for them. The energy loss…

CHAMAN: The ongoing process of repatriating of Afghan refugees residing unlawfully in Pakistan continuous through the Torkham and Chaman borders. As per details, a total of 3,076 Afghans returned to their country, comprising 601 men, 494 women, and 1,981 children. The cumulative number of repatriated Afghan refugees has reached 48,508, signaling a positive impact on the region. The government has set a deadline of October 31 for illegal Afghan residents to depart the country, with 12 days remaining.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) stopped authorities from the arrest of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references. Meanwhile, the Accountability Court suspended the arrest warrant for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief in the Toshakhana case. The two members bench of the IHC, headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, heard the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s protective bail petitions.  Nawaz Sharif’s lawyers, Amjad Parvez and Azam Nazir Tarar, along with National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Prosecutor Rafi Maqsood and Afzal Qureshi appeared before the court.  The bench has issued an order…

Meta, the company overseeing Instagram and Facebook, is broadening the reach of its “broadcast channels” feature. Initially launched on Instagram in February, this functionality allows administrators to send one-way messages to their followers. Now, this capability is extending to Facebook and Messenger. Creators and public figures managing Facebook pages can utilize broadcast channels to share messages, encompassing photos, videos, and voice notes, with their community. It’s crucial to highlight that only administrators have the ability to dispatch messages through these channels, whereas participants can respond to messages and participate in polls. Administrators can initiate a channel directly from their page,…

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, visited an operational air base of Pakistan Air Force to witness the on-going aerial exercise Indus Shield-2023. The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee was briefed on the Air Power Center of Excellence training facility as well as the scope of exercise which aims to project mutual cooperation between the participating air forces and consolidate upon modern concepts of aerial warfare. The Air Chief appreciated the utmost support extended by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and lauded his efforts in the promotion of tri-services synergy. He highlighted the significance of…

KARACHI: After a brief gain on Wednesday, the dollar resumed its decline against the rupee on Thursday. It lost Rs1.78 in value, settling at Rs278.50 in the interbank market. A day earlier, the greenback had surged by over Rs3, reaching Rs280.29. In parallel news, the Pakistan Stock Exchange demonstrated a positive trend on Thursday, initiating the day with a gain of 200 points in the opening session and reaching 49,600 points.