Attorney-general hints at introducing more electoral reforms

Days after the PTI-led government bulldozed legislation for use of EVMs and voting rights to overseas in a joint session of Parliament, Attorney-General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan hinted at introducing more electoral reforms.

The AGP said that the government had prepared 75 amendments for the Elections Act, 2017, but that some of the amendments had been removed from the bill, which was passed by Parliament, after he and some other ministers expressed reservations on them.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to hold back these certain amendments, the attorney-general said, adding that the amendments would be tabled in Parliament after the concerns over them were addressed

Responding to a question, the attorney-general said that Parliament has not yet decided in which general elections EVMs will be used and i-voting will be introduced.

The government will defend the use of EVMs and i-voting if they are challenged in court, he added.

Earlier, on November 17, the government had passed 33 bills in a joint sitting of Parliament, with the Opposition rejecting the legislation, saying that the treasury benches had bulldozed the bills.

Among the bills passed, the most crucial were amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, allowing the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in general elections.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan had presented the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021 to bring about the required amendments.

The motion to consider the bill had been passed with a majority vote as a total of 221 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion while 203 lawmakers opposed it.

Parliament had rejected the amendments moved by Opposition lawmakers including MNA Mohsin Dawar, Senator Taj Haider and Mushtaq Ahmed.

After the passage of the Elections Second Amendment Bill, 2021, the Election Commission of Pakistan shall, with the technical assistance of National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) and any other authority or agency, enable overseas Pakistanis in the prescribed manner, subject to secrecy and security, to exercise their right to vote during the general elections, Radio Pakistan had reported.

The bill also authorises the ECP to procure electronic voting machines for casting of votes in general elections.

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Attorney-general hints at introducing more electoral reforms

Days after the PTI-led government bulldozed legislation for use of EVMs and voting rights to overseas in a joint session of Parliament, Attorney-General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan hinted at introducing more electoral reforms.

The AGP said that the government had prepared 75 amendments for the Elections Act, 2017, but that some of the amendments had been removed from the bill, which was passed by Parliament, after he and some other ministers expressed reservations on them.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to hold back these certain amendments, the attorney-general said, adding that the amendments would be tabled in Parliament after the concerns over them were addressed

Responding to a question, the attorney-general said that Parliament has not yet decided in which general elections EVMs will be used and i-voting will be introduced.

The government will defend the use of EVMs and i-voting if they are challenged in court, he added.

Earlier, on November 17, the government had passed 33 bills in a joint sitting of Parliament, with the Opposition rejecting the legislation, saying that the treasury benches had bulldozed the bills.

Among the bills passed, the most crucial were amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, allowing the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in general elections.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan had presented the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021 to bring about the required amendments.

The motion to consider the bill had been passed with a majority vote as a total of 221 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion while 203 lawmakers opposed it.

Parliament had rejected the amendments moved by Opposition lawmakers including MNA Mohsin Dawar, Senator Taj Haider and Mushtaq Ahmed.

After the passage of the Elections Second Amendment Bill, 2021, the Election Commission of Pakistan shall, with the technical assistance of National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) and any other authority or agency, enable overseas Pakistanis in the prescribed manner, subject to secrecy and security, to exercise their right to vote during the general elections, Radio Pakistan had reported.

The bill also authorises the ECP to procure electronic voting machines for casting of votes in general elections.

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SBP, FIA join hands to curb money laundering, digital fraud

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir on Saturday emphasised the need for closer cooperation amongst banks, the central bank and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) so that "white-collar crimes are expeditiously investigated and fraudsters are apprehended and prosecuted."

According to a statement issued by the central bank, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Baqir to strengthen coordination against money laundering, digital fraud and cyber attacks.

Officials present during the meeting were informed that the SBP has taken several measures in the recent past to strengthen its work on Anti-money Laundering (AML) as well as taken regulatory and supervisory measures to improve bank controls to prevent digital and social engineering frauds.

During the meeting, it was decided that in addition to having better control at the level of financial institutions and enhanced customer awareness, effective investigation and prosecution of criminals is needed to substantially reduce the incidence of money laundering, digital fraud and cyber attacks.

“The FIA team offered support in strengthening cyber security at banks and suggested banks carry out Information Security (IS) audit of their systems,” the statement read.

Welcoming the suggestion, the SBP noted that as per existing regulations, banks are required to regularly carry out an information systems audit and penetration testing: however, the same would be reemphasised to the industry through PBA.

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Fresh Covid demos in riot-hit Netherlands

Dutch coronavirus demonstrators held fresh rallies on Saturday, a day after 51 people were arrested in an "orgy of violence" in Rotterdam that left two people in hospital with bullet wounds.

The Netherlands went back into Western Europe's first partial lockdown of the winter last Saturday with at least three weeks of curbs, and is now planning to ban unvaccinated people from entering some venues.

A few hundred protesters angered at the latest measures gathered in Amsterdam on Saturday and a similar number marched through the southern city of Breda.

It followed the Rotterdam unrest where police said they had fired both warning and targeted shots and used water cannon.

"Fifty-one people were arrested during the major disturbances on Friday evening and night on Coolsingel (street) in Rotterdam . About half of them were just underage," Rotterdam police said in a tweet.

The rioters came from different parts of the country, they said. Police were still searching for more suspects.

"Two rioters were injured when they were hit by a bullet. They are still in the hospital," the police said, adding that the Dutch national criminal investigation department would probe "whether the injuries were caused by police bullets".

A policeman was also taken to hospital with leg injuries while several other officers were hurt or suffered hearing damage because of large fireworks set off by the rioters, police said.

Police had said earlier that they fired several warning shots but that "at one point the situation became so dangerous that officers felt compelled to shoot at targets".

They dismissed rumours on social media that someone had died during the violence in Rotterdam.

The city's mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb denounced an "orgy of violence", adding: "The police have felt the need to draw a police weapon in the end to defend themselves."

- 'All hell broke loose' -

Despite the violence a day earlier, around 300 protesters marched through the southern town of Breda near the Belgian border on Saturday carrying banners with slogans such as "No Lockdown".

Organisers said they opposed Prime Minister Mark Rutte's plans to exclude the unvaccinated from bars and restaurants.

A group that had called an Amsterdam protest for Saturday, United We Stand Europe, said on Facebook it had cancelled the rally because "last night, all hell broke loose in Rotterdam".

But several hundred flag-waving protesters still gathered in central Dam Square, watched over by police vans, according to Dutch media and images on social media.

The Dutch government condemned the violence in Rotterdam.

"The riots and extreme violence against police, riot police and firefighters last night in Rotterdam are horrifying," security minister Ferd Grapperhaus said on Saturday.

"The police and the public prosecutor's office are doing their utmost to track down, prosecute and punish these rioters."

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Plea filed against former GB chief judge Rana Shamim

A petition has been filed in the Islam­abad High Court (IHC) seeking recovery of salaries received by former chief judge of the top court of Gilgit-Baltistan, Rana Moh­a­m­mad Shamim, for issuing a controversial affidavit.

Justice Shamim in the Nov 16 affidavit had claimed that former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar had asked an IHC judge to delay grant of bail to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

Chaudhry Mohammad Akram, a former vice president of the Islamabad Bar Association, in his petition cited Rana Shamim and the secretaries of law and justice and interior as respondents.

IHC Justice Tariq Meh­mood Jahangiri will take up the petition on Monday.

According to the petition, the former chief judge’s affidavit was a violation of Article 5 of the Constitution that requires every citizen to be loyal with the state and obedient to the constitution.

Advocate Akram contends in the petition that Rana Shamim has tried to scandalise the judiciary which is an important pillar of the state.

The petition requests the court to proceed against Rana Shamim and direct the federal government to place his name on Exit Control List.

The petition also says that since Rana Shamim has violated his oath of office, he should be treated as an alien to the office of the chief judge and stopped from using the title of former chief judge. Besides he should be disqualified from holding any public office in future.

The petition also seeks recovery of salaries drawn by Rana Shamim as chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah has already initiated contempt proceedings against Rana Shamim, Editor-in-Chief of Jang Group Mir Shakeelur Rehman, Editor Investigation Ansar Abbasi and Resident Editor Aamir Ghouri.

The chief justice’s order issued after a preliminary hearing on Nov 15 stated: “The news report and the purported affidavit have cast scandalous aspersions on the integrity, independence and impartiality of the Court and its judges. Liberty of the press and freedom of speech are of paramount importance but they are not absolute. They are subservient to proper administration of justice.”

The court noted that the alleged contemnors has tried to undermine public confidence in impartiality and independence of the IHC and its judges.

The IHC CJ also said this episode had created an opportunity for accountability of the judiciary. “This is an opportunity for holding this Court accountable. The onus is on the alleged contemnors to establish their bona fides by satisfying that the alleged aspersions are not unfounded to the extent of this Court and its Honourable Judges.”

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Govt to support Chinese businesses in Pakistan, vows PM Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan has given Chinese businessmen assurances that his government will support and protect their businesses in Pakistan.

A Chinese business delegation led by Chen Yan from Challenge Fashion (Pvt) Ltd met PM Imran Khan at his office, The News reported Sunday.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Imran said, “We will support Chinese businesses in Pakistan on priority basis, and are grateful to them for their keen interest in accelerating their investment in Special Economic Zones (SEZs)”.

“Pakistan and China have been connected not only in the past or present, but will remain united through our future generations also. We appreciate the valuable relationship of the peoples of the two countries,” he maintained.

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to facilitate all Chinese investors, who are setting up industries in Pakistan, on an emergency basis by resolving their issues related to road connectivity and provision of utilities.

Earlier, the PM was informed that Chinese businessmen are almost ready to start operations in glass, ceramics and information technology sectors.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Oppo, one of the leading tech manufacturers in the world, is going to establish a local mobile manufacturing unit and a research and development centre in Pakistan. It will not only save a lot of foreign exchange reserves on the import of smart phones annually but would also create employment opportunities for our tech graduates.

The meeting was also attended by Energy Minister Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, SAPM on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor and Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong, along with other senior officers concerned.

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Pakistan Test players leave for Bangladesh for two-match series

Members of the Pakistan Test squad have left for Bangladesh ahead of a two-match Test series with the hosts.

Taking to its official Twitter handle, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) posted some photos of the Test cricketers before they left for the host country.

After landing in Dhaka, the cricketers will spend a day in isolation as part of COVID-19 SOPs. Later, they will join their teammates in the practice session.

A series of two Test matches will be played between Pakistan and Bangladesh, with the first Test starting on November 26 in Chittagong and the second starting on December 4.

Earlier, on November 15, the PCB announced the Test squad for the series against Bangladesh. The line up includes opener Imam-ul-Haq, middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam and off-spinner Bilal Asif. These players will replace Haris Rauf, Imran Butt, Shahnawaz Dahani and Yasir Shah, who were part of the 21-player side that toured West Indies in July/August.

Left-handed Imam has got the opportunity following his impressive performances in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in which he hit 488 runs in five innings of four matches, including an unbeaten double-century. Imam had last played a Test, his 11th, against Australia in Adelaide in November/December 2019.

Bilal will replace Yasir Shah, who is still recovering from a thumb injury he sustained during the National T20 and is yet to feature in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The off-spinner has taken 16 wickets in five Tests and has been drafted in the side considering the Bangladesh squad includes left-handed batters and is also looking ahead to the home Tests against Australia.

Kamran received a chance in the squad after he missed the West Indies tour. He was in the squad for the home series against South Africa after scoring a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy record of 1,249 runs in the 2020-21 season. Kamran is presently in Sri Lanka with the Pakistan Shaheens, where he scored 58 not out and 45 in two innings of the rain-affected two-match four-day series.

Earlier, the Men in Green won two of the three-match T20 International series. The two teams will play the third and final match of the series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Monday.

The Test squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Zahid Mahmood.

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