ISLAMABAD, Jul 28 (APP):In an impressive ceremony, the Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday bid farewell to Justice Tariq Masood and Justice Mazahar Alam Khan Miankhel, who laid down the robes of office as Additional Judges of the Supreme Court. The farewell luncheon was hosted by Justice Yahya Afridi, Chief Justice of Pakistan, and was attended by all Judges of the Supreme Court.
While speaking on the occasion, the Chief Justice paid glowing tribute to the judicial legacy and professional integrity of both outgoing judges. He commended their exceptional service, unwavering commitment to justice, and substantial contribution to improving the Court’s performance, especially in the criminal docket.
He further added that during the past year alone, the Supreme Court decided a total of 7,196 criminal cases. Of these, 2,220 cases were decided by the bench comprising Justice Tariq Masood and Justice Mazahar Alam Khan Miankhel, accounting for more than 30% of the total disposals in this category. This singular achievement underscores their tireless efforts and extraordinary work ethic, which have directly contributed to reducing the pendency of criminal cases and enhancing access to speedy justice.
The Chief Justice highlighted that both judges brought to the Bench a rare combination of legal acumen, principled judgment, and deep understanding of criminal jurisprudence. Their verdicts will continue to guide future interpretations of law and serve as valuable precedents for the legal fraternity.
He further remarked that their dignified conduct, courteous demeanor, and commitment to constitutional values have earned them the utmost respect of their peers, the Bar, and the litigants. Their departure marks the end of an era of remarkable judicial service, but their contributions will continue to inspire the institution. Concluding his remarks, the Chief Justice extended his sincerest prayers and best wishes for their health, happiness, and continued success in the next phase of life.
The farewell gathering concluded in an atmosphere of deep respect, appreciation, and fraternity, symbolizing the Court’s enduring recognition of meritorious service.
Former chief justice of Pakistan Jawad S Khawaja has filed a contempt petition before the Supreme Court against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for failing to implement the apex court’s May 7 order in the military courts case.
The petition states that the apex court had directed the federal government to amend the law or legislate within 45 days to provide civilians convicted by military courts the right to appeal to a High Court. According to Khawaja, the government has not complied with the order.
“This is a straightforward case. The Supreme Court gave a direction to the Federal Government to make necessary amendments/legislation to provide an independent appellate right to the High Court from decisions in court martial proceedings within 45 days. This direction has not been complied with,” the petition reads.
It further claims that the federal government has disobeyed a binding order of the court and that the Prime Minister, as the respondent, is liable for this failure.
“In cases of violation of fundamental rights, the Superior Courts are empowered to issue direction to the Federal Government or the Provincial Governments to bring the law in conformity with fundamental rights and/or enforce law and issue notification, in that regard,” the petition states.
It adds that even the legislature and executive can be directed to take legislative measures to bring laws into line with fundamental rights.
The original Supreme Court ruling upheld previous judgments and instructed the federal government to legislate on the right to appeal for military court convictions, calling it necessary to enforce constitutional protections.
PM pushes digital economy drive for public ease – Daily Times
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Karachi: A viral video of the “honour killing” of a woman and her lover in a remote part of Pakistan has ignited national outrage, prompting scrutiny of long-standing tribal codes and calls for justice in a country where such killings often pass in silence. While hundreds of so-called honour killings are reported in Pakistan each year, often with little public or legal response, the video of a woman and man accused of adultery being taken to the desert by a group of men to be killed has struck a nerve.
At that moment, I opened the car door, about to get in and leave, when suddenly I heard a sound, gunshots.
The video shows the woman, Bano Bibi, being handed a Koran by a man identified by police as her brother. “Come walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me,” she says, and she walks forward a few feet and stops with her back to the men. The brother, Jalal Satakzai, then shoots her three times and she collapses. Seconds later he shoots and kills the man, Ehsan Ullah Samalani, whom Bano was accused of having an affair with.
Once the video of the killings in Pakistan’s Balochistan province went viral, it brought swift government action and condemnation from politicians, rights groups and clerics. Civil rights lawyer Jibran Nasir said, though, the government’s response was more about performance than justice. “The crime occurred months ago, not in secrecy but near a provincial capital, yet no one acted until 240 million witnessed the killing on camera,” he said.
“This isn’t a response to a crime. It’s a response to a viral moment.” Police have arrested 16 people in Balochistan’s Nasirabad district, including a tribal chief and the woman’s mother. The mother, Gul Jan Bibi, said the killings were carried out by family and local elders based on “centuries-old Baloch traditions”, and not on the orders of the tribal chief. “We did not commit any sin,” she said in a video statement that also went viral. “Bano and Ehsan were killed according to our customs.”
She said her daughter, who had three sons and two daughters, had run away with Ehsan and returned after 25 days.
Police said Bano’s younger brother, who shot the couple, remains at large. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said it was a “test” case and vowed to dismantle the illegal tribal courts operating outside the law. Police had earlier said a jirga, an informal tribal council that issues extrajudicial rulings, had ordered the killings.
#JusticeForCouple The video sparked online condemnation, with hashtags like #JusticeForCouple and #HonourKilling trending. The Pakistan Ulema Council, a body of religious scholars, called the killings “un-Islamic” and urged terrorism charges against those involved. Dozens of civil society members and rights activists staged a protest on Saturday in the provincial capital Quetta, demanding justice and an end to parallel justice systems. “Virality is a double-edged sword,” said Arsalan Khan, a cultural anthropologist and professor who studies gender and masculinity. “It can pressure the state into action, but public spectacle can also serve as a strategy to restore ghairat, or perceived family honour, in the eyes of the community.” Pakistan outlawed honour killings in 2016 after the murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch, closing a loophole that allowed perpetrators to go free if they were pardoned by family members. Rights groups say enforcement remains weak, especially in rural areas where tribal councils still hold sway.
“In a country where conviction rates often fall to single digits, visibility – and the uproar it brings – has its advantages,” said constitutional lawyer Asad Rahim Khan. “It jolts a complacent state that continues to tolerate jirgas in areas beyond its writ.” The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported at least 405 honour killings in 2024. Most victims are women, often killed by relatives claiming to defend family honour. Khan said rather than enforcing the law, the government has spent the past year weakening the judiciary and even considering reviving jirgas in former tribal areas. “It’s executive inaction, most shamefully toward women in Balochistan,” Khan said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in recent months has asked senior ministers to evaluate proposals to revive jirgas in Pakistan’s former tribal districts, including potential engagement with tribal elders and Afghan authorities. The Prime Minister’s Office and Pakistan’s information minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Balochistan killings were raised in Pakistan’s Senate, where the human rights committee condemned the murders and called for action against those who convened the jirga. Lawmakers also warned that impunity for parallel justice systems risked encouraging similar violence.
Activists and analysts, however, say the outrage is unlikely to be sustained. “There’s noise now, but like every time, it will fade,” said Jalila Haider, a human rights lawyer in Quetta. “In many areas, there is no writ of law, no enforcement. Only silence.” Haider said the killings underscore the state’s failure to protect citizens in under-governed regions like Balochistan, where tribal power structures fill the vacuum left by absent courts and police. “It’s not enough to just condemn jirgas,” Haider said. “The real question is: why does the state allow them to exist in the first place?”
This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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Three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were killed in an encounter with Pakistani security forces in Karachi, officials confirmed on Monday. Among those killed was Zafran, who was identified as the mastermind of a November 2024 attack on two Chinese engineers in Pakistan’s largest city. He carried a bounty of Rs 20 million. The operation was conducted late Sunday night in the Manghopir area by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and intelligence agencies, CTD official Raja Umer Khattab told Dawn. The TTP men opened fire when they saw security personnel approaching, triggering a firefight which lasted over an hour.Authorities recovered a suicide jacket, three grenades, a Kalashnikov rifle, two pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition from the site.On November 5 last year, a private security guard opened fire on two Chinese nationals at a textile mill in Karachi, injuring both before fleeing. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in militant attacks—particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan—since the TTP ended its ceasefire with the federal government in late 2022.Founded in 2007, the TTP is an umbrella organisation of various extremist groups seeking to impose a strict version of Islamic law across Pakistan. It has claimed responsibility for numerous high-profile attacks, including the 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing in Islamabad, the 2009 assault on army headquarters, and multiple strikes on security installations.
A representational image of police tape an a crime scene. — AFP/File
The body of the woman, allegedly killed in the name of honour in Rawalpindi’s Pir Wadhai area, was exhumed on Monday with authorities conducting a post-mortem as part of the ongoing probe in the murder case.
The exhumation was carried out under the supervision of Area Magistrate Qamar Abbas Tarar and Holy Family Hospital’s Dr Misbah was also present at the site.
Subsequently, the forensic team obtained samples from the body.
The case involves the murder of a 19-year-old woman, reportedly killed in the name of so-called honour following a jirga verdict, and secretly buried in a local graveyard.
The woman, married to Zia-ur-Rehman, had allegedly left her home on July 11 with gold jewellery, Rs150,000 in cash, and her belongings, according to the FIR registered by the husband on July 21.
He later learned she had married a man named Usman, despite already being married, according to the FIR.
She was believed to have been murdered on July 16 and buried the next day.
Expanding on the ongoing investigation and case details, Rawalpindi’s City Police Officer (CPO), while speaking on Geo News’ programme “Geo Pakistan” said that the police had traced the woman’s murder on the same night of the killing, i.e., July 17.
The victim’s second husband, Usman, later surrendered himself to police with the couple’s Nikahnama featuring July 12 as their marriage date in Muzaffarabad.
Earlier, the girl had also filed a statement before the judicial magistrate and sought protection from the court.
In her statement before the court, the woman claimed that she had willingly married Usman and revealed that her father had passed away, her mother had remarried, and that her first husband had verbally divorced her, according to police sources.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Ilyas, the victim’s father-in-law and Usman’s father, recorded a video statement saying that he and his family live modestly by working as labourers, and he arranged Rs30,000 to 40,000 to help the victim secure court protection.
Four days after the wedding, armed men allegedly entered their home and threatened the family’s lives, Ilyas said in a video statement.
The family later handed the woman back to her relatives after her marriage was finalised. Tragically, they learned two days later of her murder, he said.
SUKKUR, Jul 28 (APP):An explosion on the railway track near Shikarpur injured one person, causing three coaches of the Jaffer Express to derail.
The Rescue teams from Sukkur were summoned to start repairing work after the incident.
According to the Divisional Superintendent (DS) Railways, Sukkur Jamshaid Alam, the Jaffer Express was traveling from Peshawar to Quetta when it met with an accident near Sultanpur near Shikarpur due to an explosion on the track. Following the blast, train operations have been suspended.
However, passengers faced serious difficulties due to the train’s derailmen.
Railway officials stated that it may take up to further five hours to restore the track. Meanwhile, Sindh Government Authorities has taken notice of the explosion on the track and ordered an investigation.
On June 21st, Jaffar Express was escaped a major disaster as one bogie of the power van was derailed near Shikarpur. The incident was occurred at the Mandi Phatak area of Shikarpur. The train was going to Peshawar from Quetta. No loss of life was reported from the site the incident.
At least 279 people have died and 676 others have been injured as a result of monsoon floods that swept across Pakistan from June 26 to July 25, 2025, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The flooding, triggered by seasonal rains, also destroyed 1,553 houses and led to the death of 374 livestock.
Punjab was the hardest-hit province, with 151 fatalities and 535 injuries. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) followed with 64 deaths and 80 injured, while Sindh recorded 25 deaths and 40 injuries.
Gilgit-Baltistan suffered the most extensive property damage, with 533 houses impacted — 342 of them destroyed.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) reported 299 damaged homes, K-P 291, and Punjab 223.
The largest livestock losses were recorded in K-P (135) and Punjab (123).
Rescue efforts have been ongoing, with 148 operations carried out across the country.
Punjab saw the bulk of these operations with 128 missions, while K-P, Sindh, and other regions accounted for the remainder.
No rescue operations were reported in AJ&K.
On the other hand, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued flood alerts for several areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) due to expected monsoon rains from today through Thursday.
Rainfall is forecast in Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, and Shigar in Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, and Bagh in AJK during the period.
Authorities have warned that the rains may cause flooding, with the possibility of landslides in hilly regions following heavy downpours.
In Chitral Valley — including Buni and Reshun — rain combined with glacial melt may lead to increased flow in the River Chitral.
Urban flooding is also likely in Muzaffarabad and Bagh.
The NDMA has directed all concerned departments and agencies to take proactive measures, ensure the readiness of personnel, machinery, and rescue teams, and remain alert to respond to any emergency.
Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and local administrations have also been instructed to take timely preventive action.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the federal government to hold meaningful consultations with provincial governments for effective and comprehensive implementation of the Digital Transformation Plan.
Chairing a weekly review meeting on Cashless and Digital Economy here, the prime minister said digitalization of the economy will help promote transparency.
The core objective of the Federal Government’s Digital Transformation Plan is to provide ease and convenience to the public without any additional cost, he said, adding that the government was encouraging digital payments and digital transfer of funds through policy measures.
All provincial governments, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, should fully cooperate with the federal government regarding the digitalization of the economy and cashless economy, the prime minister stressed adding that with the cooperation of provincial governments and institutions, the federal government’s Digital Transformation Plan should be further streamlined to ensure targets are achieved within the set timelines.
Meaningful consultation with all stakeholders should be made a permanent feature of this plan, the prime minister added.
During the meeting, the prime minister was told that the National Digital Commission and the Pakistan Digital Authority had been established, and the necessary rules had been formulated.
The appointment process of the Chairperson and Members of the Pakistan Digital Authority is in its final stages.
Furthermore, it was informed that the Merchant Onboarding Framework for digital services was launched on July 25, 2025.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, Chief Secretaries of all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Chief Commissioner of Islamabad Capital Territory, and other senior government officials.
