Category: 1. Pakistan

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari appointed the chief justices to the four high courts on Monday, Dawn.com reported.

The Ministry of Law and Justice on Monday issued notifications regarding the appointments. As per the notifications, Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar is appointed as the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar is appointed chief justice of the Sindh High Court, Justice Rozi Khan Barrech as chief justice of Balochistan High Court and Justice S.M. Attique Shah as Peshawar High Court chief justice.

The notifications stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (1) of the Article 193 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is pleased to make aforesaid appointments with effect from the date they (judges) makes oath of their offices.”-APP

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), last week, nominated them.

President Zardari will administer the oath to Justice Dogar at the Presidency, while the chief justices of other high courts will take the oath from the respective provincial governors.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025

• Malik Ahmad Khan cites precedent, legal powers to refer cases to ECP
• Rejects claims of bias, terms comments on meeting with CEC contrary to facts
• Federal law minister backs speaker’s ‘unlimited authority’

LAHORE: Punjab Asse­mbly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan on Monday vehemently defended his neutrality and constitutional auth­ority amid ongoing objections from the opposition regarding his powers to forward references to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Meanwhile, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also strongly defended Punjab Assembly speaker’s constitutional powers to de-seat members. At a ceremony in Lahore, Tarar asserted that the speaker, as the head of the House, possesses “unlimited powers”.

Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Assembly, Speaker Khan recalled a past precedent where the then-opposition demanded the disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “Mem­bers now ask, if a prime minister could be removed on the basis of a controversial judgement like Panama, why can’t action be taken against others under sim­ilar circumstances?” he ques­­­tioned, highlighting what he described as a double standard.

He firmly rejected accusations of bias, stating, “I am not a representative of any political party; I listen to everyone’s point of view. My priority is ensuring the smooth and fair functioning of the House. The speaker reiterated his commitment to honestly fulfilling his role as the custo­dian of the House, admi­tting that some members were suspended and others served with notices strictly in accordance with the rules and procedures.

He refuted the opposition’s claim that he lacks the authority to send references to the ECP, asserting that such powers had been exercised in the past and were legally valid. He also criticised media editorials for misinterpreting his constitutional role and authority.

Mr Khan lamented the repeated disruptions in the assembly, noting that for the past 22 years, no finance minister has been able to deliver a complete budget speech without interruption. “Is it acceptable that for 22 years neither a finance minister nor the president can speak without constant disturbance?”

He stressed the importance of maintaining discipline within the House, reminding the opposition members that while their rights are protected, government representatives also deserve respect and space.

He noted that many misun­derstan­dings could have been avoided through earlier consultation with the assembly secretariat.

He lamented being labeled as the “opposition’s speaker” mer­ely for granting them extended time and privileges, asserting that he had pledged to serve with honesty and fairness from the onset. While acknowledging that parliament allows for protest, he underscored the importance of setting limits to ensure order.

He urged members to listen to his stance, reiterating his constitutional oath and the need for the assembly to function according to its rules. He also stated that before issuing any suspension orders, he wanted to share his perspective with everyone.

He called on all members to avoid repeating past mistakes and urged both government and opposition to ensure mutual respect and adherence to constitutional boundaries within the assembly.

The speaker clarified that while he is not in favour of expelling any individual from the House, saying he will issue an order regarding the 26 opposition members’ references under the Article 63(2) of the Constitution within the next 27 days.

He expressed optimism that meaningful negotiations between the government and opposition can still improve the assembly’s environment.

Drawing a parallel to the disqualification of a prime minister in the Panama case, the speaker said that if a premier can be removed for violating oath under Article 63(2), then it remains a powerful mechanism for holding elected representatives accountable. “I am not Imran Khan, and I don’t want to disqualify people, but I am bound by the Constitution and the law,” he said.

Addressing concerns about his recent meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner, the speaker dismissed the speculation as factually incorrect.

ECP clarification

An ECP spokesperson, in a statement, clarified that various constitutional and administrative office holders routinely meet with the Election Commission to discuss official matters.

He cited numerous past meetings between former president Arif Alvi ECP members, particularly concerning electronic voting machines (EVMs) and internet voting — issues that were outside the president’s mandate.

Similarly, the CEC has met with numerous PTI leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Pervez Khattak, and former chief minister of KP Mahmood Khan, as well as former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar.

The spokesperson questioned why such meetings were acceptable at the time but are now being criticised, asserting that no ECP official met anyone for personal reasons and that it is not against protocol for politicians and political parties to approach the Election Commission.

‘Unlimited powers’

On the other hand, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar strongly defended Punjab Assembly speaker’s constitutional powers to de-seat members. At a ceremony in Lahore, Tarar asserted that the speaker, as the head of the House, possesses “unlimited powers.”

“If any member violates oath, then the speaker can suspend that member,” he stated. While acknowledging the opposition’s right to protest, Mr Tarar warned that “vandalism inside the assembly” would not be considered a peaceful demonstration.

Regarding the reference against 26 MPAs, he affirmed that the speaker has the authority to send such references to the chief election commissi­oner.

The law minister emphasised that while the speaker must remain neutral, he hoped Mr Khan would find a constructive path forward while upholding democratic traditions.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025

ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday opened an avenue for senior bureaucrats to amass virtually unlimited financial gains, while simultaneously imposing austerity measures on these very entities.

In a notification, the finance ministry said that an earlier order dated July 10, 2014 which capped earnings through board meetings of corporate entities at Rs1 million per annum, stood “withdrawn ab-initio” — meaning it was never issued.

The order, issued on June 12, 2024 with the approval of the then-federal cabinet, said that “government servants appointed to the board of companies/organisations and who become entitled to [a] fee, shall only be allowed to retain remuneration to a maximum of Rs1m in a financial year”.

Any amount in excess of Rs1m so received was required to be deposited by the officer in the government treasury.

The decision on capping meeting fees was originally announced by then finance minister Ishaq Dar almost a decade ago.

That order remained in the field for a couple of years and then ignored. It was categorically reiterated last year, but has now been ‘withdrawn ab-initio’, meaning that the amounts earned throughout FY2024-25 would become legalised as the earnings of those officers.

The finance ministry issued another notification for continuation of austerity measures, which have now also been extended to federal government’s attached departments, SOEs and statutory bodies including regulatory authorities.

In case of SOEs, “these austerity measures shall be considered a direction of the federal government under Section 35 of the SOEs (Governance & Operations) Act 2023 and under the relevant sections of their respective organic laws in the case of statutory bodies”, the notification said.

The restrictions include a complete ban on purchase of all types of vehicles. The ban also includes creation of new posts, treatment abroad and non-obligatory foreign visits at government expense.

Separately, the ministry also notified an increase of 7pc in net pension of all civil pensioners, including civilians paid from defense estimates, as well as retired armed forces personnel and civil armed forces personnel.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025

ISLAMABAD:

In a major shake-up, the government seeks dynamic private sector talent to revamp key ministries, inviting experts to lead federal secretaries’ posts in economic affairs, finance, and energy, signalling a significant shift beyond traditional bureaucracy.

The government has issued advertisement over the weekend to hire seven “dynamic” private sector individuals for the posts of federal secretaries. However, the advertisement did not name the divisions, the qualification criteria and job descriptions.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also constituted a ministerial committee, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, to finalise new nominees for appointment of Grade-22 bureaucrats as executive directors to the World Bank in Washington and the Asian Development Bank in Manila.

The government has invited applications from “dynamic and experienced professionals for the role of Principal Accounting Officers (PAOs), Technical Advisers, Head of Organizations in key economic areas”, states the advert. A two weeks’ deadline is given for submission of the applications.

The advertisement, posted at the Establishment Division website, did not name the divisions, qualification criteria and the job descriptions. However, it suggested that the government is set to hire seven federal secretaries from the private sector to run the economy-related ministries.

These are Finance Division, Petroleum Division, Power Division, Planning Division, Industries and Production Division, National Food Security Division and Vocational Education and Training. These divisions are currently headed by officers from the all-powerful Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS).

Currently, Imdad Ullah Bosal is the finance secretary, Momin Agha, petroleum secretary, Fakhre Alam Irfan, power secretary, Awais Manzur Sumra, planning secretary, Saif Anjum, Industries secretary and Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry is serving as the national food security secretary.

When contacted, Economic Affairs and Establishment Minister Ahad Khan Cheema said that no specific positions had been finalised yet, adding that the government wanted to build a pool of specialists for key positions, especially in economic ministries.

Pakistan’s economic ministries are mostly run by the officers from the PAS and there has been criticism that many of them do not have the requisite experience to understand the complexity of the economic matters.

To address this weak governance issues that were presumably blocking foreign investment, the military and civilian leadership set up the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The SIFC was also now being converted into a division, like any other division.

There is also a view that a private sector individual with no experience of the public sector cannot effectively lead these ministries. The nature of work is such that sometimes the secretaries must lobby with the prime minister to get the decisions done, particularly in cases where the relevant ministers are not very effective.

Another challenge that the bureaucrats face is that their ministers sometimes lack understanding or the courage to take the right decisions. The federal secretaries are often seen filling the federal ministers’ shoes. Sometimes, the bureaucrats also do not get support from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The government recently reshuffled the education secretary despite his phenomenal work in the field of public sector education.

“A bad workman quarrels with his tools,” said Fawad Hasan Fawad, former secretary to the prime minister and former privatisation minister, while commenting on the advertisement to hire federal secretaries. “This will not work,” he added.

“Public sector finance is a different horse, which can’t be run by those who don’t understand the constraints of public sector and the overriding responsibility of managing cash flows of a permanently deficit economy running on dole outs and begging bowls,” Fawad commented.

A year ago, the government had hired the information technology secretary from the private sector. The government has not yet released any performance report about the working of the IT sector to determine whether the experience remained successful or not.

The government plans to sign the “performance-based contracts” with the selected individuals for two years. The advertisement stated that the selected individual’s grade and compensation will be determined in accordance with the government rules and aligned with market-competitive rates, including applicable allowances and privileges for the position.

Candidates must have a minimum of 20 years of relevant post-qualification experience and the maximum age limit is 60 years at the time of appointment, which may be relaxed in exceptional cases as per orders of the competent authority, according to the Establishment Division.

The Establishment Division website shows that the government has invited applications to hire a PAO for the financial sector. The candidate must have experience “in public finance, economic policy, fiscal management, or related sectors and “proven experience in managing large budgets, tax policy, debt management, and familiarity financial sector regulation”.

The candidate must have proven ability to lead budget preparation, tax reform initiatives, and public expenditure management reforms. The experience requirement clearly indicates that the government wants to hire the finance secretary.

Likewise, for the petroleum sector, the candidate must have experience in the petroleum, energy, mining, or public administration sector and proven familiarity with upstream and or downstream petroleum operations, regulatory frameworks, mining sector oversight, or energy sector policy formulation.

For the power sector, the candidate must have experience in the power sector, energy management, or public administration and proven experience in overseeing power generation, transmission, distribution, and regulatory frameworks.

For the planning and development sector, the candidate must have experience in development planning, public sector reform, infrastructure coordination, economic policy, or large-scale project management.

For industry, a minimum of 20 years of experience in industrial development, public administration, manufacturing sector management, investment promotion, or economic planning and for food security, experience in agriculture policy, food security, rural development, or public administration is sought by the government.

 

Selection for Washington

The prime minister also constituted a ministerial committee to consider the suitable and eligible officers of BS-22 for nomination against the positions of the executive director at the World Bank and the executive director at the ADB, according to a notification.

These positions became vacant after Pakistan’s executive director to the World Bank Dr Tauqir Shah was made Adviser to the prime minister, while the tenure of the incumbent executive director at the ADB Noor Ahmad expired last week. Ahmad has been asked to continue till the filing of his position.

Some retired bureaucrats were also in the run, which have now been excluded from the selection process. Among the top contenders are Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal, Economic Affairs Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz and Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, said the sources.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will chair the ministerial committee, which includes Economic Affairs and Establishment Minister Ahad Cheema, Climate Change Minister Dr Musaddiq Malik and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Kayani.

The committee will consider suitable and eligible officers of BS-22, having relevant work experience and skill set. The suitable and eligible officers will have a skill set of policy analysis and decision making, leadership, collaboration, knowledge of operations of multilateral financial institutions, excellent communication and diplomacy skills, and social networking ability.

The committee will send its nomination of suitable officers for both positions to the prime minister for his consideration and approval, according to the notification.

 

 

 

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court has ruled that confessional statements made by an accused while in police custody and recorded by the media are inadmissible in court, warning that such media-facilitated confessions can undermine the presumption of innocence and irreparably damage the accused and the judicial process.

“A confession made by such an accused while in custody of a police officer cannot be proved against him/her unless made in the immediate presence of a Magistrate,” states the 25-page judgment authored by Justice Athar Minallah.

The bench was hearing a criminal appeal in which the accused, earlier sentenced to death by the trial court and whose conviction was upheld by the high court based on circumstantial evidence and his televised confession, was acquitted by the SC.

“It is not uncommon for a reporter to be given access to interview and record a statement of the accused and then disseminate it for information of the public. The news regarding a crime is always of interest to the people, particularly when the case is of high profile or the nature of the crime is of interest to the general public. An unusual interest of the public could lead to a media trial and the consequences could be irretrievable, not only for the accused but the victims as well.”

The judgment warned that such trials could also obstruct justice by enabling wrongful convictions.

“The public interest may also be harmed by preventing the actual perpetrators of the crime from being held to account and instead facilitating the conviction of an innocent person on the basis of a perceived imputation of guilt,” it said.

Justice Minallah noted that media holds enormous power to shape narratives – whether true or false – and this influence can wreak irreparable harm on the reputation and lives of not only the accused but also their families.

“The media has the unique power to make heroes or villains, intentionally or unintentionally, and such powers are susceptible to be abused in a society where the State suppresses freedom of expression and manipulates the media.”

In such a context, the judgment underscores that an even greater ethical responsibility lies on the media. “A greater responsibility rests with the media to strictly observe high standards of ethical codes in order to strike a balance between the rights of parties involved in criminal proceedings and the public interest i.e. what information should be disseminated to the general public.”

The judgment noted that the bedrock of the criminal justice system was the right to a fair trial, rooted in the presumption of innocence. “The guilt can only be proved in a trial before a competent court. The investigation ought to be conducted strictly in accordance with the procedure prescribed under the law i.e the Cr.P.C. and, that too, by a person authorised in this regard.”

Justice Minallah stressed that every effort must be made by investigators to protect the rights of the accused. “Extreme caution and care are required to be exercised by those associated with the process of investigation to safeguard the rights of an accused – his or her right to be presumed innocent, the right to privacy, reputation, respect for private life and the lives of the family members and the right against self-incrimination.”

Those involved in criminal investigations must not act in ways that create or support perceptions of guilt. “It is an onerous obligation of the investigators, prosecutors and other persons associated with the task of investigation to prevent the creation of perception and bias by acting in any manner likely to impute guilt.”

The court also called on media to uphold the dignity of both the accused and victims.

“It is also the responsibility of the media, in any form, to respect the rights of an accused as well as the victims while reporting on matters relating to criminal proceedings. A disproportionate and excessive media spotlight and the manner in which it is presented is likely to create perceptions of guilt and influence the public as well as those who are associated with the criminal proceedings.”

In this regard, Justice Minallah acknowledged that judicial officers are not immune. “The judicial officers are also humans and in this age of information and technology it would not be wrong to assume that they may also be susceptible to be influenced by the media coverage. This is a universal phenomenon.”

LAHORE:

Amid preparations to file a reference against PTI’s 26 suspended MPAs, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has reiterated that he is not in favour of expelling any member from the house but any lawmaker who violates the constitutional oath will inevitably face action.

Addressing a press conference, he said he would not politicise disqualification, but if a reference is received under Article 63(2) of the Constitution, it must be decided accordingly.

He said that under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, it is the right of the petitioners to have their applications decided within 30 days. He made it clear that if these applications are not resolved within the stipulated time, they will automatically be forwarded to the Election Commission.

The speaker said that the opposition had been given every possible democratic space in the past – from chairing standing committees to leading the Public Accounts Committee – but unfortunately the opposition had turned the assembly into a forum for constant disruption.

Speaker Khan said the opposition is portraying disorder as a political right, but there is no such provision in the Constitution.

He said parliament is meant for legislation, not protest.

He stated that he does not believe in the politics of disqualifying anyone, as practised by PTI. However, if anyone violates constitutional boundaries or undermines the discipline of the house against party decisions, he will not hesitate to take action, he added.

He added that he holds no grudge against any party or leader but is committed to upholding the sanctity of the house. Any member who violates their constitutional oath will inevitably face action.

The speaker stated that such actions in the past laid the foundation for undermining democracy. He said he would not politicise disqualification, but if a reference is received under Article 63(2) of the Constitution, it must be decided accordingly.

He also expressed hope that the government and opposition will engage in meaningful dialogue in the coming days to improve the atmosphere of the house, so that the Punjab Assembly can truly serve as the representative forum of the 120 million people of the province.

The speaker appears to be facing a new front of criticism in attempting to counter censure from treasury lawmakers accusing him of favoring the opposition.

He had also faced accusations of failing to maintain order during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speeches.

Speaker Khan had been accommodating opposition lawmakers in the house proceedings by granting them sufficient time and allowing them to speak on points of order. Sometimes he was also witnessed adopting a harsh tone with some treasury members.

An impression had bene gaining strength among the treasury benches that that the speaker was favouring the opposition. But he was of the view that he should take along the opposition and the treasury side by side and it was not appropriate to take strict action over petty issues.

At one stage, the treasury members had stopped bothering about the opposition’s protests, but called for silence during the speeches of the chief minister. The opposition members also often remained confined to their chairs rather than protesting in front of the speaker’s dais.

The opposition admired the speaker’s conduct but also tried to create maximum disruption during the CM’s speech.

When CM Maryam Nawaz spoke on June 27, the opposition appeared more aggressive, perhaps in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on reserved seats. This led to the preparation of the reference.

KARACHI:

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has immediately suspended the Director General of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and has constituted an investigation committee, which will submit its report on the tragic incident within two days.

Sharjeel Memon expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic incident of building collapse in Lyari while addressing a press conference on Monday. He said that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah chaired an emergency meeting and decided that strict action would be taken against irresponsible and corrupt officers and officials.

The investigation committee, headed by the Commissioner Karachi, has been instructed to immediately demolish 51 extremely dilapidated buildings in the city. Another 588 unsafe buildings will also be inspected to ensure that hazardous structures are vacated and demolished in a timely manner.

Saeed Ghani stated that the affected families will be given Rs one million each as compensation. He further said that all officers who have been posted in the affected area since 2022 will be included in the inquiry, and a case will be registered against officers whose negligence is proven.

Home Minister Lanjar stated that action would be taken against those responsible for criminal negligence.

In response to a question, the senior minister said that the government is reviewing the situation in slum areas, noting that 740 buildings across Sindh require repairs.

He added that relocating residents would not pose a problem, as similar arrangements were successfully implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and for flood victims.

Answering a question, Saeed Ghani said that illegal constructions are a serious issue in Karachi and it is the responsibility of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to prevent them. He added that amendments to the SBCA rules are underway, and suggestions have been sought within two weeks to enable effective action against illegal constructions and derelict buildings.

He added that the government is also considering whether the authority to demolish buildings should remain with the SBCA or be entrusted to a private institution.

Senior Minister Sharjeel was accompanied by Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, and Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla.

ISLAMABAD:

The first round of additional secretary-level talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been completed, focusing on the implementation of decisions made during Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Kabul on April 19.

The discussions centered around key areas of mutual interest, including trade, transit cooperation, security, and connectivity.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary for Afghanistan and Western Asia Ali Asad Gilani while the Afghan delegation was headed by Moti Noor Ahmad Noor, Director-General of the Political Division of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the talks, both sides recognised terrorism as a significant threat to regional peace and security. Pakistan emphasised the need for decisive actions against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, stressing that such groups undermine Pakistan’s security and hinder regional development.

The two delegations also reviewed the progress of various agreements, including the removal of the 10% processing fee in Afghan transit trade, the provision of insurance guarantees, reductions in scanning procedures, and the activation of the track-and-trace system.

Additionally, the discussions covered the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway framework agreement, with both sides agreeing to finalise it soon. The return of Afghan citizens to their homeland was also a key topic of discussion.

The briefing revealed that since January 2024, Pakistan has issued over 500,000 visas for medical, tourism, business, and educational purposes. Both sides reiterated their commitment to facilitating legal movement of individuals across borders and enhancing bilateral ties.

The next round of talks will be scheduled at mutually agreed-upon dates, with both countries reaffirming their support for strengthening sustainable cooperation to address shared challenges.