Former chief justice of the Supreme Court Jawad S. Khawaja on Monday filed a contempt of court petition against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Supreme Court.
The petition has been filed over the issue of granting the right to appeal within 45 days to those convicted by military courts.
The petition was filed by lawyer Khawaja Ahmed Hussain on behalf of Jawad S. Khawaja.
The petition argued that despite the passage of 45 days, the government has failed to enact a law granting the right to appeal to those convicted by military courts.
According to the petition, the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on military courts on May 7, in which it ordered that the accused convicted by military courts must be given the right to appeal.
However, despite the court’s decision, the government has yet to enact any legislation in this regard, it maintained.
The petition further stated that failure to comply with a court decision amounts to contempt of court; therefore, contempt proceedings should be initiated against the prime minister.
The German Consulate General in Karachi on Monday announced on social media that it will be closed for services to non-EU citizens “until further notice”.
According to the announcement, all services for non-EU citizens have been suspended, including visa appointments.
“All confirmed visa appointments for non-EU citizens for an undisclosed time are cancelled and will not be rescheduled,” the notice read. “Applicants will need to register again via our appointment system.”
A similar notice has been published on the consulate’s website.
The German Embassy in Islamabad has not issued a similar notice. Dawn.com has reached out to the embassy for comment.
Last month, United States consulates in Karachi and Lahore requested that all applicants for F, M or J nonimmigrant visas make their social media accounts public for vetting, after similar instructions were issued by the US Embassy in New Delhi.
While addressing the Lok Sabha on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar informed the House that the US Vice President had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about a massive attack by neighbouring Pakistan on May 9.
“…It was important to send a clear, strong and resolute message after the Pahalgam terror attack. Our red lines were crossed, and we had to make it very apparent that there would be serious consequences. As a result, the Cabinet Committee on Security met and put the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably gives up its support of cross-border terrorism,” said the External Affairs Minister.
“Our task, from a diplomatic perspective, from a foreign policy approach was to shape global understanding of the Pahalgam attack. What we tried to do was to bring to international community Pakistan’s long standing use of cross border terrorism,” said Jaishankar while addressing the Lower House of the Parliament.
Police on Monday arrested a man after footage showing him allegedly molesting a minor girl in Punjab’s Kasur district went viral online.
According to Kasur District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Isa Khan, the suspect was arrested in an injured condition.
“The suspect had molested a little girl playing in a street in Shah Inayat Colony three days ago,” the statement said.
DPO Khan took notice of the footage and directed Station House Officer Asif Javed to arrest the suspect within 24 hours, it added.
The police said that the suspect was caught at Dhanpat Road where he pulled out a pistol to escape arrest. However, he was shot during a firing exchange and was arrested in an injured condition, the statement said.
It added that the suspect had been taken to the Kasur District Hospital for treatment.
“According to the vision of the Punjab chief minister, sexual abuse of women and innocent children will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the statement said.
As many as 3,364 child abuse cases were reported from across the country last year, according to a civil society report. The report Cruel Numbers 2024 by Sahil was prepared based on data collected from 81 national and regional newspapers across the country.
“The objective of the report is to present the data on the situation regarding violence against children (up to 18 years) in cases of sexual abuse, abduction/kidnapping, missing children, and child marriages,” the report stated.
In January of 2018, police recovered the body of six-year-old Zainab Amin from a heap of trash in Kasur, five days after she went missing. A postmortem examination suggested that she may have been raped before she was strangled to death.
The case sparked outrage across the nation and forced the government into action in finding the serial rapist and killer.
The culprit, identified as Imran Ali, was convicted of the rape and murder case and sentenced to death. He was hanged to death in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Central Jail on Oct 17, 2018.
The heinous nature of the crime had seen immediate riots break out in Kasur — in which two people were killed — while #JusticeforZainab became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children.
More than two years after the Zainab case, the National Assembly passed the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill, 2019 that seeks to expedite investigation and punishment for perpetrators of child abuse.
United States Chargé d’Affaires in Pakistan and acting top diplomat Elizabeth Horst on Monday met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad, according to a press release by the Finance Division.
On Thursday, the US State Department appointed Elizabeth Horst as the acting ambassador to Pakistan.
Horst, a senior career diplomat, was serving as the principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs before arriving in Pakistan to take charge of her position.
“Horst welcomed the economic progress and the government’s reform-driven approach, emphasising the US commitment to strengthening economic and trade ties with Pakistan,” the press release said.
The meeting served as an opportunity to exchange views on matters of mutual interest and to reaffirm the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US.
The finance minister expressed appreciation for the longstanding support extended by the US towards Pakistan’s economic development. He particularly lauded the continued US support for macroeconomic stability achieved over the past year and a half, and welcomed the healthy momentum in bilateral engagement across various sectors.
“Recalling his recent visit to the United States, the minister shared insights from his productive meetings with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer in Washington, DC,” the statement continued
He noted the encouraging progress in deepening trade and economic ties between the two countries.
Aurangzeb underscored the importance of the US as Pakistan’s largest trading partner and highlighted Pakistan’s keen interest in broadening bilateral cooperation beyond traditional sectors. He specifically pointed to the promising potential in information technology, minerals, and agriculture as avenues for mutually beneficial collaboration.
The finance minister also briefed Horst on Pakistan’s recent macroeconomic indicators, including sovereign rating upgrades and renewed investor confidence.
He outlined the government’s reform agenda focused on critical areas such as taxation and energy, aimed at unlocking sustainable, long-term economic growth.
“Furthermore, he shared updates on Pakistan’s successful entry into Middle Eastern capital markets, its upcoming plans for issuing the inaugural Panda bond, and future access to euro and US dollar markets,” the press release added.
The acting US ambassador reiterated US support for continued economic and political stability in Pakistan and expressed optimism for an enduring and robust business partnership between the two nations.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to building on the momentum of current engagements to further deepen bilateral cooperation.
Last week, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio lauded Pakistan’s role in “global and regional peace” in his first meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the Foreign Office (FO) had said.
US-Pakistan relations saw a major boost when Trump hosted Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House last month in an unprecedented meeting.
Three coaches of the Jaffar Express train were derailed near Shikarpur in Sindh due to an explosion on Monday, leaving one injured, The Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
According to the report, rescue teams from Sukkur were dispatched to start repair work after the incident.
Sukkur Railways Divisional Superintendent Jamshaid Alam said that the Jaffar Express was travelling from Peshawar to Quetta when it was caught in the explosion near Sultanpur.
“Following the blast, train operations have been suspended,” Alam said, adding that passengers “faced serious difficulties due to the train’s derailment”.
Railways officials stated that it may take up to another five hours to restore the track.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government authorities have taken notice of the explosion on the track and ordered an investigation.
This is not the first time the train service has been attacked.
In June, the detonation of a remote-controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks derailed four bogies of the Jaffar Express near the cattle market in Jacobabad.
No one was hurt in the incident, but the attack was reportedly claimed by the banned Baloch Republican Guards in a statement.
In March, the train became the target of an unprecedented hijacking, when terrorists fired on the locomotive and took over 400 passengers hostage.
Media reports said that security forces had surrounded the area and launched a clearance operation to rescue all passengers. Radio Pakistan reported that security forces had rescued 80 hostages held by the terrorists.
Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the clearance operation, launched after the train’s unprecedented hijacking in Balochistan, ended with all 33 terrorists being killed.
Authorities in Rawalpindi exhumed the body of 17-year-old Sidra Arab on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation into her killing seemingly over honour.
Police said Sidra’s post-mortem was carried out at Pirwadhai Graveyard by a team from Holy Family Hospital, led by Senior Medical Officer Dr Misbahur Rehman. The medical board also included Dr Arif Saleem, mortuary supervisor Muhammad Saeed, and a hospital dispenser.
Samples collected from the body will be sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency in Lahore. The results are expected to help determine the cause of death.
Preliminary findings indicate signs of torture. Police sources said that Sidra’s body was swollen due to water exposure, her tongue was protruding, and her neck bones were broken. The burial site had reportedly been tampered with to erase evidence, despite heavy rainfall on the day of the funeral.
Read: Man kills wife for ‘honour’
Police believe Sidra may have been strangled in a suspected honour killing. Hospital officials said the medical board will submit a sealed report to the court once the forensic tests are complete.
Eight suspects, including former union council vice chairperson Ismatullah Khan, have been arrested. Police say the suspects exhibited “extreme brutality” and are now being presented before the court under special security. Investigators are seeking extended physical remand for further interrogation.
Sidra’s second husband, Usman, and his father Muhammad Ilyas were brought to the graveyard for formal identification of the body. The exhumation and autopsy were conducted under court orders.
Sidra had married her second husband, Usman, in Muzaffarabad on July 12. According to court documents, she had appeared before a judicial magistrate days later, confirming the marriage was consensual and stating that she feared for her life. She also requested court protection.
Usman surrendered to police shortly after her death and handed over the marriage certificate and supporting documents. His father Ilyas released a video statement alleging that Sidra had been taken from their home by armed members of a local jirga, who promised a respectful farewell but instead killed her.
Police say Sidra’s burial was organised to hide the crime. CCTV footage from the graveyard, burial tools, and the loader rickshaw used to transport her body were recovered. Officials also found the relevant burial receipt had been removed from cemetery records.
The jirga was allegedly led by Ismatullah Khan, a former Union Council Vice Chairman and local trader affiliated with the PML-N. Party officials have since publicly distanced themselves from him.
Investigators say Section 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code has been invoked, ensuring the case cannot be settled privately and will proceed under state prosecution.
