Noor Mukadam murder: SC seeks evidence against Zahir Jaffer's mother in next hearing

The Supreme Court directed on Monday the prosecution to submit evidence against Asmat Adamjee, the mother of Zahir Jaffer, who is the prime suspect in the Noor Mukadam murder case. The direction came as the Supreme Court took up the bail applications of the suspect's parents, Adamjee and Zakir Jaffer, for hearing.

On Oct 6, Zahir's parents had filed separate petitions for bail in the Supreme Court — almost a week after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected their bail pleas and ordered authorities to keep them in detention until the completion of the trial.

Moved through counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed, the pleas stressed that the case against the petitioners was not based on tangible evidence, rather the allegations against them were highly speculative.

During the hearing today, Justice Umar Ata Bandial pointed out there was no mention of Adamjee in the IHC order denying bail to the duo. "We are just trying to get the hang of the Noor Mukadam case," noted Justice Bandial.

Justice Qazi Amin remarked that Noor Mukadam's murder was a sad incident, adding that "we sympathise with the family of the deceased".

The petitioner's lawyer, Khawaja Haris, told the court he had not yet received the forensic reports. He added that the IHC order to complete the trial in two months will affect the right to a fair trial.

The court, however, observed that while the right to a fair trial was a must, "but the delay in handling the case only adds to anxiety".

As the hearing progressed, Justice Bandial said he had to leave for Lahore immediately due to death in the family. Adjourning the hearing till Oct 18, the court directed the prosecution to submit all the evidence against Adamjee by the next hearing.

Last week, a sessions court in Islamabad fixed Oct 14 for the indictment of suspects in the case.

A total of 12 people will be indicted in the case, including Zahir Zakir Jaffer, his parents, their three household staff Iftikhar, Jan Muhammad and Jameel and six Therapy Works employees including Tahir Zahoor, Amjad, Dilip Kumar, Abdul Haq, Wamiq and Samar Abbas.

The court had last month set Oct 6 for framing charges in the case, but deferred it after the suspects filed fresh petitions, seeking certain documents along with the copy of the challan.

Noor, 27, was found murdered at a residence in Islamabad's upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20.

A first information report (FIR) was registered later the same day against Zahir, who was arrested from the site of the murder, under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim's father, Shaukat Ali Mukadam.

Zahir's parents and household staff were also arrested on July 24 over allegations of "hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime". They were made a part of the investigation based on Shaukat's statement, according to a police spokesperson.

In his complaint, Shaukat had stated that he had gone to Rawalpindi on July 19 to buy a goat for Eidul Azha, while his wife had gone out to pick up clothes from her tailor. When he had returned home in the evening, the couple found their daughter Noor absent from their house in Islamabad.

They had found her cellphone number switched off, and started a search for her. Sometime later, Noor had called her parents to inform them that she was travelling to Lahore with some friends and would return in a day or two, according to the FIR.

The complainant said he had later received a call from the suspect, whose family were the ex-diplomat's acquaintances. The suspect had informed Shaukat that Noor was not with him, the FIR said.

At around 10pm on July 20, the victim's father had received a call from Kohsar police station, informing him that Noor had been murdered.

Police had subsequently taken the complainant to Zahir's house in Sector F-7/4 where he discovered that his "daughter has been brutally murdered with a sharp-edged weapon and beheaded", according to the FIR.

Shaukat, who identified his daughter's body, has sought the maximum punishment under the law against Zahir for allegedly murdering his daughter.

Police later said that Zahir had confessed to killing Noor while his DNA test and fingerprints also showed his involvement in the murder.

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ICC adopts wait-and-watch approach on Afghanistan

The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a wait-and-watch approach on Afghanistan but will discuss the game's fate in the country in a board meeting next month, ICC acting chief executive Geoff Allardice said on Monday.

Afghanistan risk isolation since the country's Taliban takeover in August, with Cricket Australia threatening not to host them for a one-off Test in Hobart next month if the new government in Kabul did not allow women to play the sport.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has said it is committed to women's cricket but was awaiting instructions from the government on its future.

“Our primary function is to support the development of cricket in that country through the member board,” Allardice told a virtual news conference ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup which begins on October 17.

“We have said all along that we are waiting to see how things unfold under the different regime in that country.”

“The ICC board will consider it when they next meet which is looking like at the end of the T20 World Cup.”

Afghanistan are currently training in Qatar and will begin their Twenty20 World campaign against a qualifier in Sharjah on Oct 25.

When the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan two decades ago, girls were not allowed to attend school and women were banned from work and education.

Australia Test captain Tim Paine said teams might refuse to play Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup, but Allardice said there was no doubt over their participation in the showpiece event.

“They are a full member of the ICC and the team is preparing for the event at the moment and will be playing in Group B,” he said.

“As far as their participation in the event, it's proceeding as normal.”

The ICC official also confirmed that the 20-overs World Cup, last staged in 2016, will embrace the Decision Review System with each team having a maximum of two reviews per innings

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UK, US warn citizens of threat to Kabul hotels

The United States and Britain warned their citizens on Monday to avoid hotels in Afghanistan, days after dozens were killed at a mosque in an attack claimed by the Daesh.

The Taliban, which seized power in August and declared an Islamic emirate, are seeking international recognition and assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster and ease Afghanistan's economic crisis.

But, as the group transitions from a rebel army to a governing power, they are struggling to contain the threat from the Afghanistan chapter of Daesh.

“US citizens who are at or near the Serena Hotel should leave immediately,” the US State Department said, citing “security threats” in the area.

“In light of the increased risks you are advised not to stay in hotels, particularly in Kabul (such as the Serena Hotel),” Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office added.

Since the Taliban takeover, many foreigners have left Afghanistan, but some journalists and aid workers remain in the capital.

The well-known Serena, a luxury hotel popular with business travellers and foreign guests, has twice been the target of attacks by the Taliban.

In 2014, just weeks before the presidential election, four teenage gunmen with pistols hidden in their socks managed to penetrate several layers of security, killing nine people, including an AFP journalist and members of his family.

In 2008, a suicide bombing left six dead.

In August, during a chaotic evacuation of foreign nationals and at-risk Afghans, Nato countries issued a chorus of warnings about an imminent threat, telling people to stay away from Kabul airport.

Hours later, a suicide bomber detonated in a crowd gathered around one of the airport gates, killing scores of civilians and 13 American troops.

The attack was claimed by Daesh., which has since targeted several Taliban guards, and claimed a devastating bomb attack in Kunduz city on Friday that ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers — the bloodiest assault since US forces left the country in August.

In recent years, the Daesh's Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in those countries — massacring civilians at mosques, shrines, public squares and even hospitals.

The terror threat has partly overshadowed Taliban efforts to improve their international standing.

Over the weekend, senior Taliban and US delegations held their first face-to-face talks in the Qatar capital Doha since the US withdrawal.

The talks “focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for US citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners,” according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.

“Human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society” were also raised, Price said in a statement.

According to the State Department, the discussions were “candid and professional” and US officials reiterated that “the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words”.

The Taliban said the United States had agreed to send aid to Afghanistan, though the US said the issue had only been discussed, and that any assistance would go to the Afghan people and not the Taliban government.

“US representatives stated that they will give humanitarian assistance to Afghans and will provide facilities for other humanitarian organisations to deliver aid,” the Taliban's foreign ministry said, warning that the aid should not be linked to political issues.

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Pakistan does not want any instability in Afghanistan: President Alvi

President Dr. Arif Alvi has stated that peace in Afghanistan will bring prosperity to the region and open a window of business opportunities for the world to connect with Central Asian states through the war-torn country.

“Devastation in Afghanistan means more refugees in Pakistan. We don’t want any instability in our neighboring country and hope to see an ‘inclusive government’ representing all political stakeholders,” Dr Alvi said in an interview with Khaleej Times during his two-day visit to UAE.

Dispelling the impression that Islamabad has been backing the change in regime, the President said Pakistan is not an active player in Afghanistan.

“We are just helping the Taliban on humanitarian grounds as the Afghans are suffering due to sanctions and blockage of funds. There is a flight of capital from Pakistan to Afghanistan. So, it is in our interest to bring stability in the country,” he said in the interview published by Khaleej Times on Monday.

The newspaper quoted President Alvi terming the US withdrawal “a hasty call” and that there was no military solution in Afghanistan.

“We always tried to persuade the US into avoiding war, and back negotiations as a better solution. If US and Nato forces are unable to bring stability in Afghanistan despite spending $2.3 trillion, then how will Pakistan be able to do that?,” the president asked.

Dr. Alvi said that Pakistan has been hosting four million refugees and stressed that such a gesture must be considered as a matter of goodwill by the Afghan people.

“We have also played a very active and positive role in the repatriation of diplomats and other people from Afghanistan and the world has acknowledged our efforts,” he said.

President Alvi said inflation was on the rise worldwide and Pakistan was not the only country in the world facing this challenge.

“Inflation is high because commodities and oil price are increasing in the international market. However, the government will be taking steps to control the food inflation through supply chain mechanism and good governance,” he said.

To a question, he said the country was on the right track and its future was bright.

“The government has taken the right steps at the right time to overcome serious challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, jobs creation, and reviving the economy. We have managed to register close to four percent GDP growth rate in last financial year despite the pandemic,” he said.

About the Expo 2020 Dubai, the president said it is a wonderful event and all credit goes to the visionary leadership for hosting a successful show despite a challenging environment worldwide.

“The Expo 2020 is a landmark event not just for the UAE but also for the whole region. It offers a unique opportunity to the countries of the region and beyond to establish linkages and partnerships with multinational companies,” the president said.

“We have a very beautiful pavilion at the Expo. I suggest everyone should go to the Expo and must visit the pavilion projecting Pakistan’s positive image as a peaceful country,” the President said.

Dr Alvi also expressed grief over the sad demise of nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan who passed away in Islamabad on Sunday morning at the age of 85.

“He helped us develop nation-saving nuclear deterrence, and a grateful nation will never forget his services in this regard,” he said.

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Pak-IMF face to face meeting to be held in Washington

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold face-to-face policy level talks in Washington, with Islamabad looking to convince the international money lender to agree to a mutually agreed workable plan to revive the IMF program. Pakistan’s official entourage to be led by Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Tareen.

Some innovation on tax collection might become part of the IMF's condition as the Centre may be asked to convince provinces for the collection of agriculture income tax by the FBR on their behalf.

Top official sources confirmed to The News on Sunday that the US deputy secretary of state, who recently visited Pakistan, did not hold any meeting with Tarin, so there was no message conveyed by Washington on behalf of the IMF for the revival of the Fund program.

The IMF program under $6 billion EFF is in limbo at the moment and it can only be revived if both sides evolved a consensus on steps to move forward.

This requires striking a staff-level agreement by evolving a consensus on a roadmap for taking a combination of measures on fiscal, monetary, and exchange rate fronts as well as on undertaking structural benchmarks for paving the way for the approval of $1 billion under the EFF arrangements.

In order to strike a staff-level agreement, the IMF staff has placed tough conditions such as presenting a mini-budget for hiking upward adjustments in the Personal Income Tax (PIT), especially in higher income brackets of salaried and non-salaried class, removing GST exemptions, raising Regulatory Duty (RD) on luxury items, hiking baseline electricity tariff by Rs1.40 per unit, increasing discount rates by 50 to 75 basis points, devaluation of the exchange rate to bring it in line with the real effective exchange rate and further hiking of gas tariff.

The IMF wants to jack up the FBR’s tax collection target to Rs6.3 trillion against an envisaged target of Rs5.829 trillion. It requires an additional collection of Rs500 billion. This increase in FBR’s collection will compensate for the shortfall on account of the petroleum levy that was envisaged to fetch Rs610 billion on the eve of the budget 2021-22.

Interestingly, the autonomy of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the tabled bill has been put on the backburner for the time being, so its approval would be linked to the next review. Although the virtual talks held between the two sides identified major loopholes on the fiscal front and pointed out that there was a potential risk of Rs862 billion on the fiscal front in the shape of a petroleum levy of Rs610 billion and privatization proceeds of fetching Rs252 billion during the current fiscal year.

Top officials in background discussions told this scribe that the IMF staff presented its wish list before the authorities during technical level talks held last week but “those have been their demands. It does not mean we have to accept them in ditto”.

The policy discussions would continue in Washington, DC, this week where Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, along with governor SBP and secretary finance, would make all-out efforts to convince the IMF for stall level agreement. Pakistani authorities would ask the IMF for deferring the taxation measures till the next budget and would ask to jack up the FBR target to Rs6-6.1 trillion.

The power and gas tariff will be further hiked in a gradual manner. The discount rate will be hiked by 50 basis points while exchange rate adjustments would be allowed during the coming fiscal year.

In the worst-case scenario, the government might show its willingness to present a mini bill for making changes in the income tax and sales tax but it might take some time for approval. The IMF may come up with the condition to promulgate an ordinance for making adjustments in Personal Income Tax and removal of GST exemptions at the first stage and then get the mini bill passed from the Parliament.

When contacted, Spokesperson for Federal Minister for Finance Muzammil Aslam confirmed that the technical level talks with the IMF concluded on a good note and the remaining two to three issues would be sorted out in a face-to-face review meeting scheduled to be held in Washington, DC. He said that the policy level talks would conclude on October 15.

 

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Pakistan speaking to TTP groups 'from position of strength': PM Imran

Pakistan is speaking to various groups of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from a position of strength, said Prime Minister Imran Khan in an interview with Middle East Eye.

PM Imran Khan said Islamabad is trying to speak to elements within the TTP who can be reconciled "because it’s from a position of strength".

"I always believed all insurgencies eventually end up on the dialogue table, like the IRA [Irish Republican Army] for instance," he explained.

"We now have to talk to those we can reconcile with [and persuade] to give up their arms and live as normal citizens," he added.

He spoke about the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the War on Terror, saying that Pakistan had lost 80,000 citizens and its economy had been left devastated.

The prime minister said the Taliban had assured Islamabad that the TTP would not launch attacks into Pakistan. He accused India of instigating terrorism in Pakistan via Afghanistan, during the Ashraf Ghani-led government.

"Events in Afghanistan are still evolving, people like us still don't know where it will go," he said. "The US vacating the region will create a vacuum," he acknowledged.

The prime minister said Afghanistan is a trade corridor that connects Pakistan to the Central Asian countries. "And so, it is a very important country that way," he said.

"It should not be a 'US vs China' camp. Now, it should be about economic ties, economic connectivity. That's what we are looking for," he added.

PM Imran Khan said the Taliban had people among its leadership who had given a lot of sacrifices in blood. These people, he said, would now want to be a part of the government.

"And yet the government [in Afghanistan] is looking for international acceptability," he explained. "So it wants an inclusive government. It talks about human rights and not wanting its soil to be used for terrorism."

PM Imran Khan said it is a "critical point in Afghanistan" and called on the world to engage with the country.

The prime minister spoke about US President Joe Biden, saying that he is yet to speak to arguably the most powerful person in the world.

"Well, you know, it's up to him. It's [US] a superpower," he said.

When the interviewer told him he found that "absolutely astonishing" that the two heads of states had not yet spoken, PM Khan said:

"Well, our security chiefs have spoken. Our foreign minister has been in touch with the US foreign secretary. But no, we haven't spoken, but we are in touch," he added.

The premier spoke about his visit to the US back in 2008, adding that he had spoken to Biden, John Kerry and Harry Reid – then all senators - warning them that they were creating a problem for themselves in war-torn Afghanistan.

Khan said he had warned the three that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, however, he added that they did not listen to him.

He said a couple of years later, then Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, delivered the same message to US President Barack Obama.

"But unfortunately, they were led by their generals. And do you know what generals always say: give us more troops and more time," he added.

When asked about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the cricketer-turned-politician said Islamabad was "relieved" as it expected a bloodbath when the Taliban were about to take over the capital a couple of months ago.

"We have been so relieved because we expected a bloodbath but what happened was a peaceful transfer of power. But we also felt we were blamed for this," he noted.

The prime minister said the Afghanistan Army, numbering around 300,000 troops, had surrendered without a fight to the Taliban. "So clearly we did not tell them to surrender."

When asked whether the Taliban had formed an inclusive government in the country, Khan admitted it was not one. However, he said the current Afghan government, as per the Taliban itself, was a transitional one.

He said Pakistan was working with regional countries, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, who had more sizable ethnic populations, to ensure the Taliban agreed to a more diverse representation in its government.

A longtime critic of America's drone strikes in Pakistan and other countries, PM Imran Khan lashed out at Washington's strategy to counter terrorism through drone attacks.

"It is the most insane way of fighting terrorism. Doing a drone attack on a village mud hut and expecting there will not be casualties. And a lot of time the drones targeted the wrong people," he stressed.

When asked whether Pakistan will allow the US to launch strikes into Afghanistan, targeting Daesh, the prime minister said: "They don’t need a base here because we do not need to be part of a conflict again."

When the prime minister was asked to speak his mind on the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour against the British High Commission's advice, PM Imran Khan said "I think England let itself down".

The prime minister said that he had seen the evolution of Pakistan-England cricket ties over the years.

"I think that there is still this feeling in England that they do a great favour to play countries like Pakistan," he added. "One of the reasons is that, obviously, the money."

The prime minister said that the BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world, adding that no other country would dare to do to India what England had done to Pakistan.

"Money is a big player now," he said. "For the players, as well as for the cricket boards. The money lies in India, so basically India controls world cricket now. I mean, they do, whatever they say goes. No one would dare do that to India because they know that the sums involved, India can sort of produce much more money," he added.

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Educational institutions reopen with full attendance across country

All educational institutions - both private and public-reopened with full attendance across the country today. Separate notifications were issued by the federal ministry of education and professional training, and the Sindh department of universities and boards on October 10.

According to the notifications, vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for all students of 12 years and above to protect against COVID-19.

For the age group of 12 to 18 years, only Pfizer vaccine is being administered through mobile vaccination teams and all COVID vaccination centers.

The compliance of COVID-19 SOPs, including wearing of masks, hand washing, temperature checking and others will also be observed without any compromise.

Sindh Minister Universities and Boards Ismail Rahu said that all universities would “resume regular academic activities with 100% attendance from” Monday.

Here are the NCOC guidelines issued on September 14 for the vaccination of students:

Students, 12 to 17 years, with impaired immune systems will be administered the Pfizer vaccine.
The age group for vaccination has been lowered to 12 years.
For people below the age of 18 years, the Child Registration Certificate (B- Form) number will be used for registration in NIMS (National Immunisation Management System).

Earlier, 50% of students were allowed to attend classes on a given day and no student could come to school for two consecutive days.

 

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