Category: 1. Pakistan

A letter, penned by Supreme Court Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar, has exposed another deepening rift within Pakistan’s apex court, this time over Chief Justice Yahya Afridi’s failure to implement what the two judges argue was a legally binding decision by a Supreme Court Committee to hear challenges to the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment before a Full Court.

The letter, which has surfaced amid a brewing controversy, reveals a clash over judicial independence, transparency, and the handling of one of Pakistan’s most politically charged constitutional issues: the 26th Amendment, which alters judicial authority and tenure, and has been a lightning rod for debate, with opposition parties and legal experts questioning its impact on the judiciary’s autonomy.

The letter states that on October 31, 2024, Justices Shah and Akhtar, members of the Supreme Court Committee formed under the Practice and Procedure Act, 2023, had pushed for a Full Court hearing to address petitions challenging the amendment’s validity. They argued that only a collective adjudication by all judges could restore public faith in the institution, which was seen at the time to have been battered by political pressures.

However, CJP Afridi, citing informal, private consultations with other judges, insisted that the cases should be assigned to a Constitutional Bench — a body created under the very amendment that was under scrutiny.

In a dramatic turn, the two justices said they had convened a formal Practice and Procedures Committee meeting the same day, deciding by majority to schedule the petitions for November 4, 2024, before a Full Court. The decision was never complied with by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, even after a subsequent letter was issued to them.

The CJP, who skipped the meeting, later issued notes justifying his refusal to comply. The two notes from the CJP, recently uploaded to the Supreme Court’s website, suggest that he had declined to implement the committee’s decision because such a move could have dampened the “much-needed spirit of collegiality” among the judges and “further expose the court to public scrutiny”.

However, Justices Shah and Akhtar complain that these notes were never shared with the members of the Committee, but presented at a Judicial Commission meeting – a move that the justices believe was legally inappropriate. The Registrar’s failure to act on the Committee’s directive further escalated tensions, leaving the petitions unresolved nearly ten months later. The judges also stated that they had thoroughly examined both notes authored by the CJP — now available in the public domain — and concluded that they neither provided a valid reason nor legal justification for non-compliance with the Practice and Procedures Committee’s “legally binding” decision on October 31, 2024.

The letter also raises questions over the sudden public disclosure of the Committee’s minutes of the October 31 meeting on the Supreme Court website despite a prior decision to restrict their circulation. The letter suggests this may be linked to the upcoming resumption of Constitutional Benches in September 2025. The judges have also highlighted amendments to the Practice and Procedure Act that removed Justice Akhtar from the Committee, labelling it as an attempt to centralise power with the CJP.

The controversy comes at a critical juncture for Pakistan’s judiciary, already grappling with accusations of political interference. The 26th Amendment, passed in 2024, has previously been criticised by PTI and legal circles as an effort to block Justice Shah, the senior-most judge, from becoming CJP.

In light of the CJP’s explanations being uploaded, the two justices demanded that their letter, too, be placed on the Supreme Court website to ensure transparency, promising to release it publicly if ignored.

“The challenges to the 26th Amendment continue to remain pending, and a golden opportunity to decide them at the earliest instance before the institution as a whole — i.e., the full court as it then stood — has been lost, perhaps irretrievably.

“This was the most appropriate forum (in terms of composition) to resolve the fundamental constitutional issues in a manner that would not only satisfy the dictates of law and justice but also ensure a judicial decision whose legitimacy could not be questioned,” the letter regrets.

ISLAMABAD: Heavy rains, flash floods, landslides and house collapses have killed at least 385 people across Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province since Aug. 15, with Buner district alone accounting for 228 deaths, according to disaster management officials. 

Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in the mountainous northwest have brought destruction since Friday in the worst spell of this year’s monsoon season, which began in late June.

Nationwide, monsoon rains and floods have killed at least 707 people and injured 967 since Jun. 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Most of the deaths have been caused by flash floods, house collapses, landslides, and electrocutions triggered by heavy rains.

“Administrations of affected districts [in KP] have been directed to accelerate relief activities and provide immediate assistance to victims,” the latest report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for KP said.

The report added that out of the 385 people killed in the province, 299 were men, 52 women, and 34 children, while 182 people had been injured.

A total of 1,398 houses had been damaged due to rains and flash floods since last week, with 1,030 houses partially damaged and 368 completely destroyed.

Buner, to the north, received more than 150 mm of rain within an hour triggered by a cloudburst on Friday morning, killing close to 230 people, the single most destructive event in this monsoon season.

“The most affected district is Buner, where the death toll has reached 228, followed by Swabi with 41 fatalities,” the report said.

Flood relief operations in places like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are notoriously difficult because of the province’s mountainous terrain, scattered valleys, and fragile road networks that are often the first to be washed away by landslides and flash floods. Many affected villages are accessible only by narrow link roads, suspension bridges, or dirt tracks that become impassable after heavy rain. Limited air support, damaged communications, and the sheer distance between communities slow down rescue efforts, while cultural and security sensitivities in some districts further complicate the ability of aid agencies to respond quickly.

Separately, the NDMA issued a travel advisory for northern Pakistan, particularly Gilgit-Baltistan, warning that landslides and flash floods had damaged or blocked several key roads and bridges.

Routes between Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang, and Kargil were reported cut off, while access to parts of Hunza, Gilgit, and Astore was disrupted. Authorities said limited traffic was moving on the Jaglot–Skardu road after damage to the Astak Bridge, while other roads including those linking Ghizer, Shandur, Khalkti, Dain, and Ishkoman remained closed. 

Some access points, including the Sarmo Bridge in Ghanche and Bagheecha Road in Skardu, have since been restored, but NDMA urged travelers to avoid damaged or unsafe routes and follow instructions from local authorities.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Muneer, visited Swat, Buner, Shangla, and Swabi districts to review the flood situation.

According to a report in state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Sharif said illegal encroachments, the timber mafia, and mining and crushing activities, especially in waterways, had contributed greatly to the loss of lives and damages. 

Environmental experts have long warned that riverbed mining, unregulated logging, and construction in natural flood channels weaken ecosystems, block drainage routes, and intensify the impact of heavy rains. Since Friday, experts have widely said poor regulation and corruption, as much as extreme weather, were aggravating Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate disasters.

Annual monsoon rains are vital for agriculture, food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Pakistan. However, in recent years they have caused intense flooding and landslides amid shifting weather patterns that scientists attribute to global climate change.

Pakistan is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions. Devastating floods in 2022, triggered by unusually heavy rains and the melting of glaciers, killed over 1,700 people and inflicted losses exceeding $30 billion, according to estimates.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has nominated Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief (PKMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Senator Azam Swati has been nominated as Leader of the Opposition in Senate, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja revealed on Wednesday.

The decision was taken in the wake of Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification disqualifying Omar Ayub as NA opposition leader and Shibli Faraz as Senate opposition leader following their conviction in May 9 cases. Besides Ayub and Faraz, scores of PTI MNAs and MPAs were also disqualified by ECP after their conviction in May 9 riot cases.

Talking to the media outside the Supreme Court, Raja said the PTI founder has sought a list of five names for the slot of Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly in a bid to pick the most suitable candidate.

It is pertinent to mention that Ayub and Faraz had moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) following their disqualification by the ECP. In response to their pleas, the PHC stayed appointments of opposition leaders in National Assembly and Senate and sought reply from the ECP.

Islamabad Saidpur village will be developed into an international-standard tourist and commercial hub, offering modern facilities to visitors, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

On the directives of the minister, a large-scale operation has been launched against illegal constructions and encroachments in Saidpur Model Village, Islamabad. Several buildings, occupied for years without rent payment, were also vacated. The operation is being carried out indiscriminately against all unauthorized constructions raised on 360 kanals of land after 2005.

The minister himself visited Saidpur Model Village to review the anti-encroachment drive, as well as the ongoing upgradation and beautification works in the area.

He directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and District Municipal Administration (DMA) officials to ensure strict action against all illegal structures without discrimination and emphasized that the vacated properties must be auctioned in a transparent manner.

He announced that well-known restaurants from Karachi and Lahore would soon be introduced in Saidpur Village to enhance its charm.  The revival of Saidpur will add to the beauty of Islamabad and provide citizens with a new recreational destination, he said.

The minister stressed that all resources would be utilized to develop Saidpur into an international-standard tourist and commercial hub, offering modern facilities to visitors. He also instructed CDA and DMA officials to ensure cleanliness in and around the village.

During the briefing, CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa informed the minister that satellite imagery was being used to identify constructions built illegally after 2005. He added that the green core area of Saidpur Village is also being restored.

Senior CDA members, the Additional Deputy Commissioner General (ADCG), SSP Operations, and other relevant officials were present during the visit.

Pakistan, China and Afghanistan on Wednesday committed themselves to bolstering joint efforts against the menace of terrorism and deepening their collaboration in key spheres.

A statement to this effect followed the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue held in Kabul between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese and Afghan counterparts, Wang Yi and Amir Khan Muttaqi, respectively, on the topics of political, economic and security cooperation.

“The three sides committed to strengthening joint efforts against terrorism. They also reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and combating drug trafficking, as well as extension of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) to Afghanistan,” the Foreign Office (FO) said on the meeting.

Before the meeting, Dar met FM Muttaqi on the sidelines and the two are said to have noted the positive movement in political and economic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan. They also reaffirmed their commitment to working closely on counter-terrorism and ensuring peace and stability in the region.

The FO said the two welcomed the recent elevation of diplomatic representation between the two countries from the chargé d’affaires to the ambassadorial level.

Its statement said both had noted with appreciation that most decisions from recent interactions had either been implemented or were nearing completion, adding that these efforts had significantly strengthened bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and transit.

FM Dar “acknowledged the encouraging progress in political and commercial ties, while expressing that progress in the security domain, especially in counter-terrorism, continues to lag behind,” the FO said, adding that Dar had highlighted a recent surge in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan perpetrated by groups operating from Afghan soil.

The FO added that he urged the Afghan authorities to take “concrete and verifiable measures” against proscribed groups such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army/Majeed Brigade.

The FO said Muttaqi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s commitment to ensuring its territory was not used by any terrorist group against Pakistan or other nations.

FM Dar landed in Kabul earlier today for the trilateral meeting and was received by Afghan Deputy FM Dr Mohammad Naeem, other Afghan officials, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani.

On May 21, Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed in principle to upgrade their diplomatic relations by exchanging ambassadors — a key step towards normalising ties after years of strained relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration in Kabul.

The understanding was reached during an informal trilateral meeting of foreign ministers from Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan in Beijing. The talks were part of Beijing’s broader effort to ease regional tensions and advance connectivity through its Belt and Road Initiative.

Pakistan and China had also noted that there was an agreement on the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan.

China, which has strategic interests in regional stability and economic integration, hosted the gathering to help resume the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral dialogue, which had been paused since 2023.

The key outcomes from the Beijing meeting also included commitments to enhance cooperation in security and counter-terrorism, including joint action against militant groups and external interference and an understanding to formally resume the trilateral process by convening the sixth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Kabul.

Earlier that month, the Afghan government had called for “mutual respect and constructive engagement” with Pakistan and China, according to a statement issued by its interior ministry.

The statement was issued after special envoys of Pakistan and China, Mohammad Sadiq and Yue Xiaoyong, met Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Top diplomats from Pakistan,China and Afghanistan committed their countries to stronger anti-terrorism cooperation during a meeting Wednesday in Kabul aimed at boosting political and economic partnership, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

The three sides also “reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and combating drug trafficking,” according to a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

The parties also reaffirmed an earlier agreement to extend the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, the statement added.

It provided no further details on the meeting among Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and top Taliban officials, hosted by the Taliban government in Kabul.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor involves improving road and rail links between China’s western Xinjiang region and Pakistan’s Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea. Pakistan’s authorities in recent weeks have said they hope the corridor will help attract more Chinese investment to revive its ailing economy, and that they are hopeful that extending it to Afghanistan will boost trade with Central Asia.

The meeting came more than a month after Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan. While no country apart from Russian has offered formal recognition, the Taliban have engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier had said that the meeting would include “comprehensive discussions” on a wide range of issues, including political, economic and regional cooperation.

The last round of the dialogue took place in May in Beijing.