Vawda’s plea to stay disqualification proceedings

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday turned down Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda’s plea seeking to restrain the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from hearing a disqualification case against him

After a preliminary hearing, a two-judge bench of the high court issued notices to the ECP, the federal government and other respondents to furnish their comments on Vawda’s petition by March 16. The court also sought the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict in the disqualification case against him.

The minister has challenged the Feb 24 decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan and argued that the ECP has rejected his plea against the facts of the matter.

“The ECP is not authorised to hear complaints against me,” Vawda argued. “My objection was turned down by the ECP,” he further said. The ECP is hearing three complaints over dual nationality of Faisal Vawda.

Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon, the counsel of a petitioner, alleged that Vawda lied in the June 11, 2018 affidavit he submitted to the ECP before the 2018 elections that he had given up his dual nationality.

He said the minister was an American national at that time but he fibbed in the affidavit, adding he held the US citizenship even when his nomination papers were being scrutinised.

The petitions seek Vawda’s removal from the public office under clause 62-1 (F) of the constitution.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared that it could not disqualify Vawda after his resignation from the National Assembly seat.

The court, however, directed the ECP to decide the matter of submission of an allegedly false affidavit by the minister along with his nomination papers for the July 2018 polls.

Vawda had won the 2018 general election from Karachi’s NA-249 constituency.

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IHC initiate Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case today

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the petition seeking the appointment of a lawyer for the Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav today

A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear the case at 2:00 pm today.

Despite the issuance of notices multiple times, the Indian Embassy has not made any response regarding the appointment of a defence counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav.

In the previous hearing, the court had appointed its amici curiae for legal assistance in the case. Mr Abid Hassan Manto, Hamid Khan and Attorney General had not submitted their response.

On July 22, the federal government had filed a petition in the IHC seeking the appointment of defence counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The IHC in its Aug 7 verdict had said: “We appoint Mr Abid Hassan Manto, Mr Hamid Khan, Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and former presidents of the Sup­reme Court Bar Association, and Mr Makhdoom Ali Khan, Senior Advocate Sup­reme Court and former Att­orney General of Pakistan, as amici curiae for our legal assistance in general and, in particular, to ensure that the judgement of the Inter­national Court is effectively implemented.”

Later on October 1, Senior Advocate Supreme Court (SC) and former Attorney General of Pakistan, Makhdoom Ali Khan, had excused from legally assisting the high court as amicus curiae in the case.

Jadhav has been in Pakistan’s custody following his arrest from Balochistan in a counter-intelligence operation on March 3, 2016. During the investigation, he confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan that resulted in the loss of many precious human lives.

He also made important revelations about RAW’s role in sponsoring state terrorism in Pakistan.

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Re-polls of NA-75 Daska, Appointments of police, administrative officers notified

The appointments of police and administrative officers have been notified following the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold a re-poll in the NA-75 Daska constituency

Deputy Commissioner Gujranwala Sohail Ashraf has been given an additional charge of Commissioner Gujranwala and CPO Gujranwala Sarfraz Ahmed Falki as Regional Police Officer (RPO).

Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Mir Muhammad Nawaz was given an additional charge of the deputy commissioner and Superintendent Police (SP) Investigation Muhammad Imran was given the charge of DPO.

Moreover, the appointments of SDPO Adnan Malik and SDPO Sambharial Rizwan Ahmed were also notified.

It may be noted that the commissioner, deputy commissioner (DC), RPO, DPO and two DSPs had been removed over the directives of the election commission.

Earlier on February 25, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ordered re-polling at all polling stations of NA-75 Sialkot-Daska over rigging.

The Election Commission of Pakistan after hearing arguments from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Returning Officer (RO) had reserved the judgment. Riots had been reported during the polling day and the masses were not provided the right to vote in a true manner.

Terming the polling null and void in the NA-75 Daska, the ECP had ordered re-polling in the constituency on March 18

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IHC initiate Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case today

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the petition seeking the appointment of a lawyer for the Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav today

A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear the case at 2:00 pm today.

Despite the issuance of notices multiple times, the Indian Embassy has not made any response regarding the appointment of a defence counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav.

In the previous hearing, the court had appointed its amici curiae for legal assistance in the case. Mr Abid Hassan Manto, Hamid Khan and Attorney General had not submitted their response.

On July 22, the federal government had filed a petition in the IHC seeking the appointment of defence counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The IHC in its Aug 7 verdict had said: “We appoint Mr Abid Hassan Manto, Mr Hamid Khan, Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and former presidents of the Sup­reme Court Bar Association, and Mr Makhdoom Ali Khan, Senior Advocate Sup­reme Court and former Att­orney General of Pakistan, as amici curiae for our legal assistance in general and, in particular, to ensure that the judgement of the Inter­national Court is effectively implemented.”

Later on October 1, Senior Advocate Supreme Court (SC) and former Attorney General of Pakistan, Makhdoom Ali Khan, had excused from legally assisting the high court as amicus curiae in the case.

Jadhav has been in Pakistan’s custody following his arrest from Balochistan in a counter-intelligence operation on March 3, 2016. During the investigation, he confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan that resulted in the loss of many precious human lives.

He also made important revelations about RAW’s role in sponsoring state terrorism in Pakistan.

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Re-polls of NA-75 Daska, Appointments of police, administrative officers notified

The appointments of police and administrative officers have been notified following the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold a re-poll in the NA-75 Daska constituency

Deputy Commissioner Gujranwala Sohail Ashraf has been given an additional charge of Commissioner Gujranwala and CPO Gujranwala Sarfraz Ahmed Falki as Regional Police Officer (RPO).

Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Mir Muhammad Nawaz was given an additional charge of the deputy commissioner and Superintendent Police (SP) Investigation Muhammad Imran was given the charge of DPO.

Moreover, the appointments of SDPO Adnan Malik and SDPO Sambharial Rizwan Ahmed were also notified.

It may be noted that the commissioner, deputy commissioner (DC), RPO, DPO and two DSPs had been removed over the directives of the election commission.

Earlier on February 25, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ordered re-polling at all polling stations of NA-75 Sialkot-Daska over rigging.

The Election Commission of Pakistan after hearing arguments from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Returning Officer (RO) had reserved the judgment. Riots had been reported during the polling day and the masses were not provided the right to vote in a true manner.

Terming the polling null and void in the NA-75 Daska, the ECP had ordered re-polling in the constituency on March 18

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EU accepts Pakistani rice exporters' plea to get the exclusive rights of Basmati Rice

Pakistani rice exporters say their reasons for why India should not be given exclusive rights to export basmati rice have been accepted by the European Union

Officials in the industry said the European Commission declared the notice of opposition and the statement of Pakistani exporters admissible.

Pakistani exporters had filed a "detailed response” to the European Union in a Notice of Opposition against the Indian claim over the geographical indicator (GI) tag of basmati rice in the bloc.

Last year, India had asked the EU to recognise the fragrant, long-grain staple as originating in seven Indian states and territories, which would give its producers exclusive rights to the basmati label in the lucrative European market.

Pakistan rejected India’s claim, arguing that its farmers also grow basmati rice.

“Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan [REAP] has filed a Notice of Opposition on (December 7) against India’s claim on GI of basmati in the EU,” the association had said.

“REAP has taken this step on behalf of rice exporters and farmers of Pakistan who are at the risk of losing a billion-dollars’ worth of income,” the statement read.

Since 2006, the EU has applied zero tariffs on rice imported into the bloc that has been authenticated by either Pakistani or Indian authorities as genuine Basmati.

Pakistan has a thriving export industry of basmati, making the country one of the top five exporters of rice in the world.

REAP said it has previously been involved in developing and revising the UK Code of Practice and arranging trade delegations abroad to foster the export of basmati from Pakistan.

“India had sought the protection of its basmati as a GI product in the EU in a mala fide attempt to deter Pakistan’s growing export and appreciation of basmati.”

The European Commission made Reap a party to the case. “Now, Reap can advocate for the protection of Pakistan’s GI rights over basmati directly,” Reap said in a statement.

India is the world’s biggest basmati exporter and meets 65% of the global demand for the aromatic rice. Pakistan meets the remaining requirement and earns $800 million to $1 billion annually from its exports.

A GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess origin-based qualities and reputation in the region.

“With the admissibility of Reap as a party, the case of Pakistan in EU has reached its third stage where all the contesting parties will engage in consultations with each other,” Reap said. “The time period for the parties to engage in negotiations is three months. The negotiations will last, tentatively, till May 6. This is a pre-trial phase, whereby, parties are encouraged to reach an amicable solution.”

In case no settlement is reached, the fourth stage of trial will commence in the tribunal of Directorate General Agriculture, European Commission, according to the Reap. Pakistan only recently registered basmati rice as GI under Geographical Indications Act 2020.

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ECP initiate Ali Haider Gilani leaked video case

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is hearing a case pertaining to a leaked video in which former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Haider Gilani was seen purportedly advising an MNA on how to waste his vote in the Senate elections

The video had surfaced last week, a day before the March 3 Senate elections showing Gilani who is advising an MNA on how he could waste his vote if he doesn’t want to vote for the government’s candidate.

The ECP had earlier announced that it would conduct a hearing of the issue of the leaked video of former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Gilani about Senate elections on Thursday. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) earlier in the day filed another petition in the ECP urging it not to issue the notification on Yousaf Raza Gillani’s victory in the Senate election.

PTI lawmakers Maleeka Bokhari and Farrukh Habib submitted a petition in the election commission seeking an urgent hearing of PTI plea over the matter. Former prime minister Gillani was elected on a general seat from Islamabad in the recently held Senate elections.

“The matter is extremely important as a senator elected with corrupt practices now aspiring to become chairman of the Senate,” the petition read.

“The election of Yousaf Raza Gillani has been a rare incident in the national political history”, the application further read. “Hopefully, the election commission will hear the matter urgently, as it had heard the issue related to the by-election in NA-75 in Daska,” according to the petition.

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