Islamabad, Rawalpindi receive heavy downpour

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Rawalpindi received heavy rainfall on Monday night.

The incessant downpour flooded many streets in the low-lying areas of the twin cities which lead to locals experiencing great difficulties in commute.

Scores of localities in Rawalpindi such as Shamsabad, Javed Colony, Committee Chowk and Sadiqabad are overflowed with water as it has entered houses, shops, mosques thus creating difficulties for the residents.

The two cities received 202 milimetres of rain so far, according to a report of the Flood Control Unit.

The water level in Nullah Lai has risen to 14 feet, as a result, Civil Defence, Rescue 1122, Wasa and other departments have been directed to remain on alert to meet any contingency.

Flooding in Nullah Dek
According to Punjab irrigation department nullah Dek flowing in high flood near Sialkot, while 17,000 cusecs flood stream passing through the Chhor point.

India has released water in Nullah Dek, and the water level continuously rising at Kangra, the point where the nullah enters into Pakistan.

Nullah Dek has a capacity of 17,000 cusecs, in case of flooding dozens of the villages in Sialkot will submerge under the floodwater, the irrigation department officials feared.

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Petition in court seeks removal of ‘N’ from PML-N

PESHAWAR: A petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court seeking the removal of ‘N’ from the name of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).
The petition was submitted by Khanzada Ajmal Zeb to the PHC, according to reports.

The petitioner prayed the court to declare the word ‘Noon’ or ‘Nawaz’ with PML illegal and unconstitutional and “therefore, it should be expunged from the Pakistan Muslim League.”

The petitioner told the court that Nawaz was convicted in corruption charges and sentenced for 10 years. He asked how can the name of former prime minister is still attached to a political party despite being banned from participating in politics for life?

“Nawaz has hijacked the PML and has introduced his own group, which is against the policy of party’s original ideology and public interests,” he claimed.

A similar application was filed with the Election Commission of Pakistan in the last week of June. The plea had sought removal of Nawaz Sharif’s name from PML-N, arguing that the name of the disqualified person cannot be used in a title of a political party.

The ECP had also issued a notice to party’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif to file his reply on the petition.

The NAB court had sentenced Nawaz Sharif to 10 years in prison for corrupt practices linked to his family’s purchase of upscale London flats.

Sharif’s daughter, Maryam, widely seen as his chosen political heir, was sentenced to seven years in prison and was disqualified from contesting the elections. Maryam’s husband capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar was handed a year in jail.

Sharif returned to country on July 13 and was arrested subsequently in the light of court orders. He is currently serving his jail term along with his daughter and son-in-law.

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ECP issues final list of election winners

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified the final results of the general election 2018, however, results of a few constituencies have been withheld due to pending disputes in courts.
According to the ECP declaration (attached below), the results of all five constituencies contested by PTI chairman Imran Khan have been withheld. Khan had contested from NA-35 (Bannu), NA-53 (Islamabad-II), NA-95 (Mianwali-I), NA-131 (Lahore-IX) and NA-243 (Karachi East-II).

According to the ECP, the notification of Khan’s win in NA-35, NA-95 and NA-243 is subject to a final ECP decision.

However, our correspondent Zahid Mashwani quotes the ECP spokesperson as saying that Mr. Khan can take oath of the prime minister despite withholding of notifications of the constituencies he won.

Meanwhile, the results of 16 constituencies in total have been withheld by the ECP.

The constituencies where results have been withheld are: NA-25, NA-35, NA-53, NA-60, NA-90, NA-91, NA-95, NA-103, NA-108, NA-112, NA-129, NA-131, NA-140, NA-215, NA-243 and NA-271.

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IHC approves transfer of Al-Azizia, Flagship Investment cases against Sharif family

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday approved transfer of two pending references against former premier Mian Nawaz Sharif and his family to other courts, ARY News reported.

According to details, a two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, approved transfer of Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references on the former PM’s plea.

The deposed premier’s counsel had filed a petition requesting the court to transfer Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from Judge Muhammad Bashir’s Accountability Court-I to another accountability court.

Sharif family had also appealed against its conviction in Avenfield verdict.

In the hearing on Monday, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi submitted in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that former prime minister’s petition of trial transfer to another accountability court could not be entertained because if an accused has been indicted by a court then the trial cannot be transferred to another judge.

“The reference is in its last stages henceforth the high court will have to decide on this matter now,” the NAB counsel had argued.

Nawaz Sharif was arrested on July 13 along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif when the duo returned to the country. The arrest was in compliance with July 6 court order against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retired) Safdar.

The verdict was announced by accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir.

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Shahbaz Sharif’s son-in-law declared absconder

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday declared Imran Ali Yousaf, son-in-law of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif, an absconder in corruption case.
Accountability judge Najamul Hassan gave the decision on the request of NAB-Lahore, which states that Ali has fled abroad while escaping the investigation into Punjab Power Development Company scandal. The court declared him absconder after he failed to appear in the hearing despite summons.

In May this year, the NAB had summoned Mr Yousaf as he was asked to bring details of a transaction of Rs 120 million deposited to his bank account from the account of the PPDC, but he did not appear.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment had already conducted a probe into the matter involving Mr Naveed and Mr Yousaf in 2016. It had declared Mr Naveed guilty of embezzling Rs 450 m but gave a ‘clean chit’ to Mr Yousaf.

The ACE had found that Mr Naveed had purchased 19 properties in his and his family members’ names. It had also unearthed properties worth Rs 1bn allegedly belonging to Mr Naveed and his family. The property has been attached and suspects’ bank accounts frozen.

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Former employee takes factory workers hostage, demands ‘unpaid salary’

KARACHI: An armed man took employees of a factory in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Maymar area over alleged unpaid dues by owners of the mill, ARY News reported.

According to ARY News correspondent Salman Lodhi, the man who is a former employee of the factory claims that he was unjustly fired from his job and was not even paid at least three months salary by the owners of the mill.

“I will blow myself and my colleagues up if I am not paid,” said the man identified as Saleem Shahzad, a former employee.

Huge contingents of police cordoned off the area and surrounded the factory premises to negotiate with him but so far, the attacker has refused to budge.

Police say they have offered Shahzad to surrender and they will make sure he gets his dues but he wants his salary without delay.

A video obtained by ARY News shows one of the hostages saying Shahzad was fired three months ago and was not paid his dues despite repeatedly visiting the factory.

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Atif Aslam receives flak for singing Indian song at Independence Day parade

Singer Atif Aslam has received immense criticism for singing a Bollywood song during an Independence Day parade in New York.
Many Pakistani citizens were disappointed after Atif sang an Indian song and left the concert midway. The singer also faced immense criticism on social media.

Renowned singer Muhammad Ali Shaikhi said that it was inappropriate to sing an Indian song at an event held to mark Independence Day.

He said national and patriotic songs are usually sung on such occasions, but it was possible that Atif may have sang one of his own songs on request.

“Often we are requested to sing one of our songs. I think Atif may have done that, not realising whether the song was made in India or Pakistan” he told ARY News.

He said that it was not sensitive to sing the song on such an occasion, but Atif may not have realised the reaction that it may cause.

He said that it was oversight of the situation and it was not a serious issue that he sang any other song. “The era of hatred and differences has now ended,” he said.

Another singer Nadeem Jafri said that it was inappropriate for Atif to sing any other song on any such occasion particularly from a country with which Pakistan has a contentious relationship.

However, he said that Atif has released a large number of songs in India as compared to Pakistan, so either Pakistani artists should either be stopped from going to India or otherwise it not a serious issue.

Singer Abrar-ul-Haq said that Atif Aslam should be forgiven for the inadvertent mistake, but it was rather insensitive to sing an Indian song at such an occasion.

He said that artists are not given the due rights in the country and forward towards India to further their talent and skills. He said that Atif should be much careful in the future.

Atif Aslam sang the song “Tera Hone Laga Hoon” from the movie “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.”

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Karachi police baffled by mysterious child kidnapper

KARACHI: Police in Karachi’s Quaidabad area are looking for a mysterious kidnapper who is abducting children only to torture them for hours before release, ARY News reported.
According to police, at least three children were temporarily abducted, tortured and then released after being severely tortured sending shock-waves among residents of Quaidabad area’s Sherpao colony.

Medical reports suggest children were tortured using electric wires and metal nails while one of the three victims was thrown off the roof of an empty building in the area.

A police team also searched the empty building named Mian Khel Manzil after the incident but didn’t find any evidence related to the kidnappings.

SSP Malir Munir Ahmed Sheikh said that the children had severe injury marks on their bodies adding that the criminal could be mentally ill.

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LHC rejects Firdous Ashiq Awan’s plea for vote recount

LAHORE: Lahore High Court on Tuesday rejected a request by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Firdous Ashiq Awan seeking votes recount in the NA-72 Sialkot constituency.
LHC judge Justice Mamoon Rasheed Sheikh was hearing the case filed by Ms Awan against the victory of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Chaudhry Armaghan.

The petition stated that Awan lost the election securing 91,392 while the winning candidate secured 129,041 votes while there there were 7015 rejected votes in the consituency.

It further said that the polling agents were not provided copies of the Form 45 which tabulates the final votes. The petitioner alleged that workers of the PML-N candidate forced their way in the polling stations and voted for him.

The petitioner pleaded the court to order a complete vote recount at all polling stations, and withhold the notification of the election results. However, the court turned down the request declaring it not unsuitable for hearing.

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