Pakistan court restores changes to accountability laws, widely seen as blow to anti-graft efforts

Update Pakistan court restores changes to accountability laws, widely seen as blow to anti-graft efforts
In this file photo, taken on May 23, 2023, Pakistan’s frontier constabulary personnel stand guard at the entrance of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court in Islamabad. (AFP/File)
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Updated 06 September 2024
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Pakistan court restores changes to accountability laws, widely seen as blow to anti-graft efforts

Pakistan court restores changes to accountability laws, widely seen as blow to anti-graft efforts
  • Sharif-led coalition government had passed the legislation in 2022 which was challenged in Supreme Court by ex-PM Imran Khan
  • New ruling will benefit Khan in £190 million land bribe case and investigation involving illegal sale of state gifts while he was PM

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday restored amendments to the country’s anti-graft laws approved in 2022 and accepted the federal government’s appeal against another judgment by the top court last year in which it had struck down the changes passed by parliament.
The 16-page ruling released on Friday morning is being widely seen as a setback to holding public office holders and bureaucrats accountable for corruption and misuse of authority.
The National Accountability (Amendment) Act, 2022 limited the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) jurisdiction to cases involving corruption of over Rs500 million, reduced the term of the chairman of the bureau and prosecutor general to three years and transferred all pending inquiries, investigations and trials to other authorities. The amendments were passed by the then coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his first term as PM from 2022-2023.
Imran Khan, who had at the time recently been ousted as prime minister through a vote of no-confidence in parliament, petitioned the top court against the amendments, claiming they were passed to benefit the influential, including top politicians, and would legitimize corruption in the country. In September last year, the Supreme Court, led by then Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, declared changes to the National Accountability Ordinance unlawful and ordered the restoration of corruption cases against public office holders that were withdrawn after amendments in the law came into effect.
The federal government led by PM Sharif and other parties filed intra-court appeals against the judgment, which were accepted by a five-member Supreme Court bench led by the current chief justice, Qazi Faez Isa. On Friday, the bench announced that it was restoring all the changes to the accountability law.
“We allow these appeals by setting aside the impugned judgment, and dismiss the petition,” the Supreme Court said, adding that Khan had failed to prove that amendments made to the accountability law were unconstitutional.
“We are also not persuaded by Mr. Niazi [Khan] and learned Senior Advocate Khawaja Haris Ahmed that the Amendments violated the Constitution,” the court said.
The judgment noted the amendments had not “criminalized any offense” and had “only changed what may be investigated by NAB itself and the forum of the criminal trial.”
“No person can be adversely affected with regard to such procedural changes,” the judgment said.
Interestingly, Khan, who has been in jail since August last year in a slew of cases, has become a direct beneficiary of the restored amendments as he can move the courts for his acquittal in at least two major corruption cases, namely a land bribe case involving a 190-million-pound bribe and an investigation involving the illegal sale of state gifts.
“Detailed verdict is awaited but in the light of short order, it’s safe to say new Toshakhana [state gifts] case against Imran Khan can no longer continue as it exceeds Rs500 million cap, making it ineffective, as per the new amendments,” Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said in a statement to media. “It will also impact the £190 million case.”
PTI chairman Gohar Khan said the Toshakhana case stood closed today after the Supreme Court’s judgment as it no longer fell in the jurisdiction of NAB.
“The Al-Qadir trust case [land bribe case] will also be finished after these amendments as the cabinet has approved the £190 million [transfer to the Supreme Court account],” he said.
Imran Shafique, a former NAB prosecutor, said the government had “watered down” the anti-graft laws through the amendments and made the bureau “toothless.”
“The chapter of holding public office holders and bureaucrats accountable for their corruption and misuse of authority is practically closed now,” he told Arab News. “Also, NAB now cannot initiate action against the decisions taken by the federal cabinet.”


Islamabad rejects Afghanistan’s ‘unacceptable, frivolous’ statement on Pakistan’s political tensions

Islamabad rejects Afghanistan’s ‘unacceptable, frivolous’ statement on Pakistan’s political tensions
Updated 07 October 2024
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Islamabad rejects Afghanistan’s ‘unacceptable, frivolous’ statement on Pakistan’s political tensions

Islamabad rejects Afghanistan’s ‘unacceptable, frivolous’ statement on Pakistan’s political tensions
  • Afghanistan had expressed alarm at rising tensions between Pakistan’s government, opposition over weekend protests in Islamabad
  • Pakistan urges Afghanistan to focus on “fixing its own domestic problems” such as militancy and lack of rights for women and girls

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Monday rejected Afghanistan’s “unacceptable” and “frivolous” statement expressing alarm over rising political tensions in the country following protests in Islamabad last week, urging Kabul to focus on its domestic issues instead. 

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry expressed alarm on Sunday over the weekend protests by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Islamabad. Hundreds of Khan supporters arrived in the capital on Friday to protest against the government’s proposed constitutional amendments and to demand his release from prison. All major routes leading to Islamabad were blocked with shipping containers while mobile phone services were suspended from Friday to Sunday afternoon as police clashed with Khan supporters. 

One police constable was killed while 31 other cops were injured during the clashes, police said, adding that they had rounded up over 870 protesters. Afghanistan’s foreign office expressed alarm over the rising tensions, saying that they could “adversely impact” the region. Kabul had urged Pakistan to address the “legitimate demands of the people” through negotiations and understanding. 

“Pakistan categorically rejects the frivolous statement made by spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan yesterday,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson, said in a statement. 

“The statement constitutes an unacceptable and deplorable interference in the domestic affairs of Pakistan.”

Baloch said that instead of lecturing Pakistan, Afghanistan should “focus on fixing its own domestic problems” which included granting women and girls the right to education rather than “curtailing their rights through misguided interpretation of religion.”

“The AIG should also deliver on the commitments given to the international community by denying space to terror groups which are seriously threatening peace and security in neighboring countries; and by preventing Afghanistan from becoming once again the center of global terrorism,” she added. 

Baloch said Islamabad remains committed to peace, dialogue and cooperation in the region. She said Pakistan expects all states, including Afghanistan, to adhere to “basic norms of responsible international conduct and interstate relations.”

Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained since the Afghan Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021. Pakistan has suffered a surge in militant attacks carried out by the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) outfit in its northwestern province bordering Afghanistan since November 2022. 

Pakistan blames Afghanistan for sheltering TTP militants and has urged Kabul to take decisive action against terror outfits it says use Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan. Afghanistan rejects Pakistan’s allegations and has urged its neighboring country to resolve its security challenges domestically. 

Tensions between the two countries reached a head in March when Pakistan conducted airstrikes into Afghanistan on what it said were militant targets. Kabul said the airstrikes killed six civilians, warning Islamabad against conducting similar actions in future. 

Bilateral relations further soured last year when Islamabad blamed Afghan nationals for being involved in militant activities in Pakistan, before launching a deportation drive against undocumented immigrants in the country that affected mostly Afghan refugees in the country. Since last year, Pakistan has expelled over 700,000 Afghans from the country as part of the deportation drive. 


Shooting starts in UK for Pakistani superstar Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback ‘Abir Gulaal’

Shooting starts in UK for Pakistani superstar Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback ‘Abir Gulaal’
Updated 46 min 11 sec ago
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Shooting starts in UK for Pakistani superstar Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback ‘Abir Gulaal’

Shooting starts in UK for Pakistani superstar Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback ‘Abir Gulaal’
  • After political disputes, there has been an unofficial ban since 2016 on Pakistani artists working in Indian films 
  • In 2023, Bombay High Court dismissed a petition seeking to officially ban Pakistani artists from working in India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani superstar Fawad Khan and Bollywood’s Vaani Kapoor have started shooting their upcoming romantic comedy film “Abir Gulaal” at locations in and around London, Variety reported on Monday. 
The film, which will be shot in the UK over October and November, is directed by Aarti S. Bagdi and produced by Indian Stories, A Richer Lens and Aarjay Pictures. Its producers include Vivek B. Agrawal, Avantika Hari and Rakesh Sippy. 
“The film explores the journey of two individuals who unintentionally help each other heal, with love blossoming as an unexpected consequence,” Bagdi told Variety. 
Khan enjoys heartthrob status in both Pakistan and India and has played the lead in Bollywood hits “Khoobsurat” (2014) and “Kapoor & Sons” (2016). He also starred in “Ms. Marvel” (2022) and “The Legend of Maula Jatt” (2022), Pakistan’s biggest hit of all time. The Indian release of “Maula Jatt” is currently on hold after a right-wing fringe group objected to it. Khan is also the lead of hit Zindagi series “Barzakh,” which debuted at Series Mania in 2023.
Kapoor, who won critical acclaim playing a transgender character in film “Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui” (2021), is also the lead in upcoming Netflix crime thriller series “Mandala Murders” and coming-of-age Bollywood drama-comedy “Badtameez Gill.”

The “Abir Gulaal” producers said: 

“Fawad has a massive global fan base, and we anticipate that audiences and his fans will wholeheartedly embrace this film, as it showcases him in his most endearing role yet,” Abir Gulaal producers said in a statement. “The chemistry between Fawad and Vaani is expected to light up the screen with their captivating performances and undeniable charm.”
Since 2016, there has been an unofficial ban on Pakistani artists working in Indian films, following political disputes between the two countries. However, in 2023, the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition seeking to officially ban Pakistani artists from working in India. 
“Arts, music, sports, culture, dance, and so on are the activities which rise above nationalities, cultures, and nations and truly bring about peace, tranquility, unity, and harmony in nation and between nations,” the court had said in its ruling.


Ex-PM Imran Khan’s party tells supporters to continue protests in Pakistani capital

Ex-PM Imran Khan’s party tells supporters to continue protests in Pakistani capital
Updated 07 October 2024
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Ex-PM Imran Khan’s party tells supporters to continue protests in Pakistani capital

Ex-PM Imran Khan’s party tells supporters to continue protests in Pakistani capital
  • Protesters from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf arrived in Islamabad and tried to congregate at D-Chowk square on Friday
  • They are pressing for Khan’s release and agitating against ruling coalition’s plans to pass constitutional amendments 

ISLAMABAD: The party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan told supporters on Monday to continue a protest in the federal capital, Islamabad, in which one policeman has been killed and over 30 injured since last week.

Defying a government ban on congregations, supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) arrived in Islamabad and tried to congregate at the D-Chowk square on Friday to press for Khan’s release and agitate against the ruling coalition, which the party says is planning to pass constitutional amendments to curtail the independence of the judiciary. The government denies it aims to suppress the judiciary.

The capital has been in near lockdown since Friday, with heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces, entry and exit points to the city shut down and main roads blocked off with shipping containers. On Sunday, the city began to return to some normalcy, though some roads and areas that house government and diplomatic buildings remain sealed. 

“Join the protest in groups as per instructions of Founder Chairman Imran Khan,” the PTI said in an advisory on X, calling on supporters to keep the protests going. “Be wary of suspicious persons in your ranks and remain calm despite provocations.”

The call to continue protests comes despite strict warnings from the government and police. 

“No one will be allowed to take any illegal course for causing instability in the country,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said after a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday.

In a press conference earlier that day, the head of Islamabad police said 31 policemen had been injured in the protests, while police had arrested nearly 900 “miscreants.” Local media widely reported that Lahore police had registered cases against PTI founder Imran Khan and 200 other party leaders, supporters and lawyers on charges of sedition, terrorism, among others. Three additional cases were lodged against hundreds of PTI leaders and supporters for violating the Section 144 provision against public gatherings imposed by the Punjab government last week.

The government had previously called on the PTI to delay any gathering until after diplomatic engagements in the city, including a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting on Oct. 15-16 which will be attended by delegations, including from China, Russia and India. Pakistan is also expecting a delegation from Saudi Arabia later this month and preparing for a visit by the Chinese premier.

Pakistani authorities announced they would deploy the army in the capital starting Saturday to secure the SCO meeting. India’s foreign ministry confirmed Friday that its external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, will attend.

Khan, the main rival of the coalition government led by PM Sharif, has been in prison for more than a year in connection with over 150 criminal cases. He remains a popular figure despite the cases, which critics and his party say are politically motivated. He was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in parliament and arrested in 2023 after a court handed him a three-year jail sentence in a graft case. Sharif came into power for his second term after the Feb. 8 vote which Khan says was rigged.

Sharif’s government says Khan’s party wants to weaken the country’s economy by staging violent protests despite the threat posed by the Pakistani Taliban and other militants, who have stepped up attacks in recent years. On Sunday, two Chinese nationals were killed in a separatist attack in the southern port city of Karachi. 

Pakistan, which recently received a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, has also been struggling to overcome an economic crisis.


Two Chinese nationals among three killed in attack near airport in Pakistan’s Karachi

Two Chinese nationals among three killed in attack near airport in Pakistan’s Karachi
Updated 07 October 2024
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Two Chinese nationals among three killed in attack near airport in Pakistan’s Karachi

Two Chinese nationals among three killed in attack near airport in Pakistan’s Karachi
  • Convoy carrying Chinese staff of Port Qasim Electric Power Company targeted, Beijing confirms
  • Separatist BLA says used vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to target Chinese nationals

KARACHI: Two Chinese nationals were among three people killed and 10 injured late on Sunday night in a “terrorist attack” near the airport in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, the Chinese embassy and local officials said on Monday.

The separatist militant group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), claimed the attack in a statement sent to media, saying a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device had targeted the Chinese nationals.

China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan, having pledged over $65 billion in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. 

“We have received the dead body of two Chinese nationals and the mutilated remains of an unidentified body,” chief surgeon for Karachi police, Dr. Sumaiyya Syed, told Arab News. “We have performed the autopsy of all three.”

Syed said 10 people were being treated for injuries at the Jinnah Hospital in Karachi, which included one child.

A Pakistani security official, who was injured in an explosion receives treatment inside an ambulance outside the Karachi airport, Pakistan, early Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP)

The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said in a statement a convoy of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was targeted in an attack near the Karachi airport around 11:00pm on Sunday night. Two Chinese nationals were killed and one was injured, the statement said, adding that the Chinese side was working with Pakistani authorities in the aftermath.

“The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan remind Chinese citizens, enterprises and projects in Pakistan to be vigilant, pay close attention to the security situation, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take safety precautions,” the statement concluded.

The Pakistani foreign office condemned the attack and said the country’s security and law enforcement agencies would make every effort to arrest the perpetrators and their facilitators. 

“This barbaric act will not go unpunished,” the foreign office warned. 

Sunday night’s attack is the latest by the BLA, the most prominent of a number of separatist groups fighting for independence for Pakistan’s gas-and-mineral-rich Balochistan province, where a low-lying insurgency has been ongoing for the past two decades. Baloch militants blame Pakistan’s state for exploiting the province’s resources, a charge the Pakistani state denies.

Security officials stand at the site of an explosion occured near Karachi airport in Karachi, on late October 6, 2024. (AFP)

The BLA also accuses Beijing of helping Islamabad exploit the province and has attacked Chinese interests and projects in the past, in particular the strategic port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. It has previously killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Beijing’s consulate in Karachi. 

In March this year, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in northwestern Pakistan as they headed to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in the country. In 2022, three Chinese educators and their Pakistani driver were killed when an explosion ripped through a van at the University of Karachi.

Sunday’s airport attack followed a deadly day of coordinated attacks in August, most claimed by the BLA, that killed more than 50 people in Balochistan and which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders had said sought to harm Chinese-funded investment and development projects.


KSrelief launches relief drive for 4,000 flood-affected families in Pakistan's northwest

KSrelief launches relief drive for 4,000 flood-affected families in Pakistan's northwest
Updated 07 October 2024
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KSrelief launches relief drive for 4,000 flood-affected families in Pakistan's northwest

KSrelief launches relief drive for 4,000 flood-affected families in Pakistan's northwest
  • Relief items distributed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan, Mansehra, Kohistan and Chitral districts
  • Heavy rains from July to September killed 347 in Pakistan, out of which 99 casualties were reported in KP 

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has started distributing relief items among four thousand flood-affected families in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, state-run media reported on Sunday. 

Heavy monsoon rains from July to September killed at least 347 people in Pakistan and damaged thousands of homes in the South Asian country. At least 99 people were killed and 147 injured in KP province alone. 

Pakistan is recognized as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries due to climate change effects where floods in 2022 killed over 1,700 people, damaged critical infrastructure and washed away large swathes of crops. 

“King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has started distribution of shelters and relief items among four thousand flood affected families in five districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Radio Pakistan reported. 

The state media said relief items include solar panels, plastic mats, blankets, water coolers, kitchen sets and anti-bacterial soaps, adding that these are being distributed in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan, Mansehra, Kohistan, Upper and Lower Chitral districts. 

KSrelief has one of the largest humanitarian budgets available to any aid agency across the world, which has allowed its officials to undertake a wide variety of projects in more than 80 countries.

Pakistan is the fifth largest beneficiary of its aid and humanitarian activities and has greatly benefited from its assistance since last year’s monsoon floods.