Senate chairman poll, IHC reserves verdict on Gillani’s petition

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved on Wednesday a verdict on former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani’s petition challenging the election of the Senate chairman.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up the petition. After a preliminary hearing, the court reserved its judgement on the maintainability of the petition, which is likely to be announced shortly.

During the hearing, the top IHC judge suggested that the petitioner could send a reference to the National Assembly speaker under Article 63 to have his grievance redressed.

“Has the Senate chairman ever been removed from the post in the past?” Justice Minallah asked Farooq H Naek, who represented Gillani. “What is the procedure for removal of the Senate chairman?” he further asked.

The judge observed that the court abstains from unnecessarily intervening in the matter. “You can take the matter to a Senate committee,” he suggested. At this, the counsel said no committee has powers to dislodge the Senate chairman.

Senator Gillani moved the petition through his counsel Farooq H Naek requesting the high court to declare the result of the election of Senate chairman held on March 12 “illegal, unlawful and void”.

He further demanded that the IHC declare the rejection of seven votes polled in favour of the petitioner illegal and suspend the notification dated March 13 regarding the re-election of Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate chairman and restrain him from carrying out his duties in this capacity until this petition is decided.

Gillani alleged in his petition that the government attempted to influence the result of the election to the seat of Senate chairman to win it by hook or crook.

“During the process of counting of votes the Presiding Officer (Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah) arbitrarily rejected 7 of the votes (the rejected votes) cast in the petitioner’s favour on the ground that stamp is affixed on the name of the petitioner despite protest of the petitioner’s polling agent Senator Farooq H. Naek that the stamp had been fixed within the box containing the name of the petitionern,” he contended.

“The votes rejected by the presiding officer clearly evince the voter’s intent to vote for the petitioner and no one else,” the petitioner argued. Moreover, he added, these are in compliance with the notice affixed near the polling booth as well as the understanding conveyed by the Senate secretary.

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Senate chairman poll, IHC reserves verdict on Gillani’s petition

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved on Wednesday a verdict on former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani’s petition challenging the election of the Senate chairman.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up the petition. After a preliminary hearing, the court reserved its judgement on the maintainability of the petition, which is likely to be announced shortly.

During the hearing, the top IHC judge suggested that the petitioner could send a reference to the National Assembly speaker under Article 63 to have his grievance redressed.

“Has the Senate chairman ever been removed from the post in the past?” Justice Minallah asked Farooq H Naek, who represented Gillani. “What is the procedure for removal of the Senate chairman?” he further asked.

The judge observed that the court abstains from unnecessarily intervening in the matter. “You can take the matter to a Senate committee,” he suggested. At this, the counsel said no committee has powers to dislodge the Senate chairman.

Senator Gillani moved the petition through his counsel Farooq H Naek requesting the high court to declare the result of the election of Senate chairman held on March 12 “illegal, unlawful and void”.

He further demanded that the IHC declare the rejection of seven votes polled in favour of the petitioner illegal and suspend the notification dated March 13 regarding the re-election of Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate chairman and restrain him from carrying out his duties in this capacity until this petition is decided.

Gillani alleged in his petition that the government attempted to influence the result of the election to the seat of Senate chairman to win it by hook or crook.

“During the process of counting of votes the Presiding Officer (Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah) arbitrarily rejected 7 of the votes (the rejected votes) cast in the petitioner’s favour on the ground that stamp is affixed on the name of the petitioner despite protest of the petitioner’s polling agent Senator Farooq H. Naek that the stamp had been fixed within the box containing the name of the petitionern,” he contended.

“The votes rejected by the presiding officer clearly evince the voter’s intent to vote for the petitioner and no one else,” the petitioner argued. Moreover, he added, these are in compliance with the notice affixed near the polling booth as well as the understanding conveyed by the Senate secretary.

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Corona claims 30 more lives, 3,301 fresh cases report in pakistan

Coronavirus has claimed 30 more lives in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 13,965, reported on Wednesday.

The latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed the COVID-19 has claimed 30 more lives and 3,301 fresh infections were reported during the period.

The total count of active cases is 36,849.

A total of 38,282 tests were conducted across the country during this period. Since the detection of the first COVID-19 case in the country, overall 9,895,515 tests have been conducted so far.

2,564 patients are in critical condition across the country, whereas, 957 people recovered from the deadly disease during the last 24 hours. Overall 586,228 have regained their health from the COVID-19.

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Corona claims 30 more lives, 3,301 fresh cases report in pakistan

Coronavirus has claimed 30 more lives in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 13,965, reported on Wednesday.

The latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed the COVID-19 has claimed 30 more lives and 3,301 fresh infections were reported during the period.

The total count of active cases is 36,849.

A total of 38,282 tests were conducted across the country during this period. Since the detection of the first COVID-19 case in the country, overall 9,895,515 tests have been conducted so far.

2,564 patients are in critical condition across the country, whereas, 957 people recovered from the deadly disease during the last 24 hours. Overall 586,228 have regained their health from the COVID-19.

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In call with COAS Bajwa, US defence chief reiterates commitment to ‘maintaining strong’ ties with Pakistan

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday reiterated Washington's "commitment to maintaining strong bilateral defense relationship with Pakistan".

The Pentagon chief renewed the commitment in a phone call with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on March 21.

"Secretary Austin reinforced the United States’ commitment to maintaining a strong bilateral defense relationship with Pakistan and expressed gratitude for Islamabad’s continued support for the Afghan peace process," said a press statement issued by the Department of Defense.

In the phone call, the US defence chief noted that he looks forward to "further cooperation" between the two countries in areas of common interest.

The phone call came just weeks before Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Afghan Taliban and Austin's unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Sunday.

Kabul was the last stop on a whirlwind tour of Asia for the new Pentagon chief, a former career soldier who served in Afghanistan as a division commander from September 2003 until August 2005.

Austin and his entourage flew into Afghanistan on a US-liveried aircraft instead of a military plane that usually carries US officials to the war-torn country.

Details of his visit were kept under wraps for security reasons until after he left.

Before Kabul, Austin had a series of meetings with Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi.

 

 

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COVID-19 vaccine: China will prioritise fulfilment of Pakistan’s needs: Wang Yi

China will prioritise the fulfilment of Pakistan’s COVID-19 needs, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.

The Chinese foreign minister, in a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said that China will donate more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan by March 31 to help the country fight coronavirus.

Wang Yi said that over a 100 countries had approached China to get the vaccine but they would prioritise the fulfilment of Pakistan’s COVID-19 needs.

The telephonic conversation encompassed the pandemic situation as well as the bilateral and other matters of mutual interests, a foreign ministry press release said.

Qureshi told Wang Yi that the government had formulated a comprehensive strategy to vaccinate the citizens against COVID-19 for which the country would require further doses of the vaccine.

In response, the Chinese FM assured to provide more vaccine doses by end of the current month.

Qureshi thanked the Chinese counterpart for the goodwill gesture. He said the Chinese assistance to the world particularly Pakistan during the challenging situation the pandemic was exemplary.

The foreign minister told his Chinese counterpart that Pakistan’s government was taking all precautionary measures, including the smart lockdown as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He also thanked the Chinese leadership for expressing good wishes, through a letter, for Prime Minister Imran Khan who had tested positive on Saturday.

Both the leaders had a detailed discussion on bilateral ties and multiple cooperation besides agreeing to keeping up the high-level contacts between the two countries.

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In call with COAS Bajwa, US defence chief reiterates commitment to ‘maintaining strong’ ties with Pakistan

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday reiterated Washington's "commitment to maintaining strong bilateral defense relationship with Pakistan".

The Pentagon chief renewed the commitment in a phone call with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on March 21.

"Secretary Austin reinforced the United States’ commitment to maintaining a strong bilateral defense relationship with Pakistan and expressed gratitude for Islamabad’s continued support for the Afghan peace process," said a press statement issued by the Department of Defense.

In the phone call, the US defence chief noted that he looks forward to "further cooperation" between the two countries in areas of common interest.

The phone call came just weeks before Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Afghan Taliban and Austin's unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Sunday.

Kabul was the last stop on a whirlwind tour of Asia for the new Pentagon chief, a former career soldier who served in Afghanistan as a division commander from September 2003 until August 2005.

Austin and his entourage flew into Afghanistan on a US-liveried aircraft instead of a military plane that usually carries US officials to the war-torn country.

Details of his visit were kept under wraps for security reasons until after he left.

Before Kabul, Austin had a series of meetings with Indian leadership during his visit to New Delhi.

 

 

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