Pakistan News Time

WASHINGTON/EL PASO: The US government cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras on Saturday after President Donald Trump blasted the Central American countries for sending migrants to the United States and threatened to shutter the US-Mexico border. A surge of asylum seekers from the three countries have sought to enter the United States across the southern border in recent days. On Friday, Trump accused the nations of having “set up” migrant caravans and sent them north. Trump said there was a “very good likelihood” he would close the border this week if Mexico did not stop immigrants from reaching the United States. Frequent crossers of the border, including workers and students, worried about the disruption to their lives the president’s threatened shutdown could cause. At a rally on the border in El Paso, Texas, Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke denounced Trump’s immigration policies as the politics of “fear and division.” A State Department spokesman said in ...

SYDNEY: Australia’s top bowlers Sunday lashed out at “false” and “inflammatory” claims they were planning a Test boycott if David Warner had not been kicked off the team in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. Warner was widely seen as the instigator of the plot to use sandpaper to alter the ball during the third Test in Cape Town last year, with rookie opener Cameron Bancroft carrying out plan and then-captain Steve Smith turning a blind eye. The  Sydney Morning Herald  reported on Friday that Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon all intended to pull out of the fourth Test if Warner was not removed. The newspaper, citing multiple sources, said it “highlights the extent of the fracture within the dressing-room in the immediate aftermath”. But a statement from the quartet Sunday denied a boycott had been considered and, with Smith and Warner now free to play again after their one-year bans expired on Friday, the bowlers said they were focused on “m...

WASHINGTON: On the day that their talks in Hanoi collapsed last month, US President Donald Trump handed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a piece of paper that included a blunt call for the transfer of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States, according to the document seen by Reuters. Trump gave Kim both Korean and English-language versions of the US position at Hanoi’s Metropole hotel on Feb. 28, according to a source familiar with the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was the first time that Trump himself had explicitly defined what he meant by denuclearisation directly to Kim, the source said. A lunch between the two leaders was cancelled the same day. While neither side has presented a complete account of why the summit collapsed, the document may help explain it. The document’s existence was first mentioned by White House national security adviser John Bolton in television interviews he gave after the two-day summit. Bolton did not disclo...

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, who is the Ameer of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) said on Saturday that he does not support the presence of militant groups in the country. Speaking during an interview, Fazl ur Rehman called for rounding up the non-state militant groups in the country. However, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader said that if possible, such organizations should be mainstreamed. Appreciating the politics of chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he said that he has asked former president Asif Ali Zardari to put Bilawal under his mentorship. The JUI-F chief said, “Zardari has learned a lot from me, he should bring Bilawal now.” from Pakistan Today https://ift.tt/2FEySBx

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In the wake of a Twitter war Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent suggestion that an interim setup should hold elections in Afghanistan stirred up a hornet’s nest. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, considering it a blatant interference by Islamabad in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, recalled his ambassador to Pakistan as a mark of protest. It is another matter that the issue has been sorted out after the Foreign Office clarified that the Prime Minister was quoted out of context. According to the FO, Khan was only referring to Kabul emulating Pakistan by conducting its general elections under a caretaker set up. The Afghan ambassador is back in Islamabad but the controversy goes on unabated on Twitter, mainly owing to US diplomats seemingly being more upset on Khan’s remarks than the Afghans themselves. The US envoy to Kabul, John R Bass, sounding like the fictional ‘Ugly American’, created unnecessary controversy by taking to Twitter to ‘school’ Khan on diplomacy. Taking a dig at Pakist...

Women are human as well An answer to a question on Quora regarding the best punch in boxing says: ‘As a generalisation, a right cross will suit many taller people, and a right hook many who are short at the weight they compete at. But whatever gets the best results, then that’s your best punch, no matter what else applies.’ This definition applies well to ‘un-Islamic’, the punch that hits the hardest. No matter what else applies (or does not apply), that word will always get results. A petition for removing a humorous advertisement that says a woman can hire a Careem taxi to run away from her wedding has been filed in the (Lahore) High Court, claiming the advertisement violates Section 31 of the Pakistan Constitution. In other words, the petition claims the advertisement is ‘un-Islamic’. Section 31 speaks of the ‘Islamic way of life’, and says that: 1: Steps shall be taken to enable the Muslims of Pakistan, individually and collectively, to order their lives in accordance with th...

Beyonce was named Entertainer of the Year, and “Black Panther” nearly swept the film categories at the 50th NAACP Awards on Saturday night. During her speech at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Beyonce graciously thanked her fellow nominees in the category, including NBA superstar LeBron James, “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler and star Chadwick Boseman, […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2K2vntU

Just days after the state charges were dropped against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett for filing a false police report after a vicious attack in Chicago, Ill., “Saturday Night Live” weighed in on the thesp.’s troubles. Although Fox has stood behind their star, releasing a statement earlier this week that said “Jussie Smollett has always maintained […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2UiKqDX

“Saturday Night Live” cast member Ego Nwodim encountered her “Us”-esque doppelganger on the Mar. 30 episode of the late-night NBC sketch comedy series. In a parody commercial for Discover Card, Nwodim found some unusual activity on her account and called the customer service center. Although Kenan Thompson warned her she’d just be talking to a […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2Wu1CUi

“Killing Eve” star Sandra Oh marked her one-year anniversary of becoming an American citizen by hosting the Mar. 30 episode of “Saturday Night Live.” The Canadian-born actress announced the special occasion during the monologue of the NBC late-night sketch series, saying, “I love Americans. You are confident and direct. And now that I am an […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2HOVy5y

After Robert Mueller finally released his report, “Saturday Night Live” still had some things to say. Returning with a new episode on Mar. 30, the late-night NBC series started with a cold open sketch dedicated to the experience. Robert De Niro was back to play Mueller, reading from the report, while Aidy Bryant played Attorney […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2THW9aQ

“Judge Jeanine” is back in session on Fox News Channel. Outspoken opinion host Jeanine Pirro returned to her Saturday-night program “Justice with Judge Jeanine” on the cable-news outlet after a two-week absence, saying nothing about her time away from the program or the apparent controversy she sparked before she left. The Fox Corp.-owned outlet had […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2I8i0pR

Although Chris Rock was told to steer clear of the Jussie Smollett case at the NAACP Image Awards, the comedian couldn’t help but toss a couple barbed jokes towards the “Empire” actor. “They said no Jussie Smollett jokes. I know. What a waste of white skin. You know what I could do with that light […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2JUzZ5m

Leaders of the Writers Guild of America have repeated a threat to sue the major Hollywood talent agencies for alleged conflicts of interest. The leaders issued the threat Saturday during a members-only meeting at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif., attended by about 300, according to an attendee. The meeting was the fourth […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2HP53So

AMC has announced premiere dates for two of its summer series, Season 5 of “Fear the Walking Dead” and Zachary Quinto vampire series “Nos4a2.” The two series will premiere back-to-back on AMC Sunday, June 2 at 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET. “‘Fear’ remains one of the most successful dramas on cable with a […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2HPuN0Z

Three series from strong creative voices – Shane Meadows’ “The Virtues,” Nir Bergman’s “Just for Today” and the Fabrice Gobert-directed, and Netflix-backed, “Mytho” – shared  major honors at an enlarged, hectic 10th Series Mania, now firmly established in festival, industry and discussion forum terms as one of the major TV events in Europe. A story […] from Variety https://ift.tt/2CN0IuH

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will brief the parliamentarians next week on “hostile situation at Line of Control” in the aftermath of recent tension between India and Pakistan. The briefing, to be held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on April 4, will be attended by the members of standing committees of the National Assembly and Senate on defence. Take a look: What's next for Pakistan and India? It will be the second briefing by the COAS to the parliamentarians over one month. Earlier, parliamentarians were briefed in an in-camera session held at Parliament House on Feb 27, the day the Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian fighter jets. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan did not attend the briefing. Members of NA, Senate defence committees to attend briefing on April 4 The briefing would be attended by a number of prominent leaders from the opposition parties, including former ministers, as they are members of the two commit...

ISLAMABAD: The military courts that had been set up under the National Action Plan (NAP) in 2015 to try civilians on terrorism charges finally ceased to function today (Sunday) as their second two-year constitutional term expired at midnight. The government, which has already decided in principle to give another extension to the military courts for two more years, is still struggling to seek the cooperation of the opposition parties over the issue as it does not have the required two-thirds majority in any of the two houses of the Parliament to carry out the constitutional amendment for the purpose. Take a look: Shahbaz to 'think about military court extension' if approached by PTI The government had earlier planned a meeting of the parliamentary leaders and heads of political parties for a briefing on the issue of implementation of the NAP on March 28, but it had to cancel it following the opposition parties’ decision to boycott the event due to the prevailing tense politic...

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated Lahore-Karachi train Jinnah Express on Saturday, pledging to improve and revamp the country’s creaking railways network with the help of China. “Since rail transport is an economical source of travelling for the public, it needs to be promoted as well as modernised. We will seek help from China that has introduced state-of-the-art rail network in the world,” he said at the inaugural ceremony. PM Khan announced his plans to travel to China next month “to request them to help us in upgrading our railways”. Speaking on tourism, PM Khan’s preferred subject these days especially after recently announcing his PTI-led government’s ambitious new tourism policy, he said he would undertake wide-ranging efforts to promote trains for local and international tourists. “Pakistan is the most beautiful country in the world with several attractions for tourists. I assure you we will promote tourism and Pakistan Railways unlike the previous rulers.” Pla...

PALM BEACH: Threa­tening drastic action against Mexico, President Donald Trump declared he is likely to shut down America’s southern border next week unless Mexican authorities immediately halt all illegal immigration. The president, who also cut US aid to three Central American nations whose citizens are fleeing north, emphasised “I am not kidding around” about closing the border, even though such a severe move could hit the economies of both countries. “It could mean all trade” with Mexico, Trump said when questioned on Friday by reporters in Florida. “We will close it for a long time.” Though Trump has previously threatened to close the border and has not followed through, his administration moved to cut direct aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The State Department said in a statement that it will suspend 2017 and 2018 payments to the trio of nations that have been home to some of the migrant caravans that have marched through Mexico to the US border. Trump has been pr...

SWABI: Two alleged rapists of a woman beggar have confessed to their involvement in the crime during preliminary interrogations, sources told Dawn on Saturday. They said the accused, Akbar Khan and Fayaz Khan, were arrested the other day and the police had obtained a two-day remand from a local court. The wife of Sirtaj Khan, hailing from Tordher, had alleged in the FIR that two unidentified people raped her at gunpoint at an empty house in Zaida village. The sources said the two people had deceived the beggar and told her that one of their relatives wanted to give her zakat, and took her to Zaida village. Both took out pistols and raped her at gunpoint and warned her that if she disclosed the incident to police she would be killed. However, the victim got registered an FIR against the accused at Zaida police station, said the sources. They said during investigation the two admitted to their crime. Swabi DSP Khalid Khan said they arrested the rapists after the victim told them abo...

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate in Cantonment Courts has sentenced a man to three-month jail and imposed a fine of Rs5,000 on him for contracting second marriage without mandatory permission of first wife. Rabia Younas filed a complaint through a counsel pleading that her husband Shoaib Zahid contracted second marriage without obtaining her consent required under section 6 of Muslim Family Law Ordinance 1961. The counsel asked the court to punish the man under the law for committing a crime. He also produced witnesses and documentary evidence to prove the offence of the respondent. The magistrate, Kashif Abbas, observed that verbal and documentary evidence presented by the complainant established the offence the respondent committed. Therefore, the magistrate handed down three-month imprisonment to the respondent and Rs5,000 fine. Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2019 from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/2OzDHjD

ISLAMABAD: The country’s two major opposition parties — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan for his latest outburst against their leadership at a public meeting in Ghotki, saying it was “a speech by the head of a failed government”. Reacting to the prime minister’s statement asking the opposition leaders to go for plea bargain, the opposition parties dubbed Mr Khan a spokesman for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), saying his speech had put a big question mark on the ongoing accountability in the country. Take a look: PM Khan tells PPP, PML-N leaders to 'return nation's money' if they want reprieve Addressing a rally in Ghotki, Sindh, the prime minister had stated that the government would not let the PML-N and the PPP leaders off the (accountability) hook until they returned the country’s looted money. Say Imran’s speech in Ghotki has put a big question mark on ongoing ac...

RAWALPINDI: Local administrations with the support of police and intelligence officials on Friday sealed four offices of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Rawalpindi and Taxila under the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism and confiscated its record and equipment, Dawn has learnt. The offices are located in Tench Bhatta, Peshawar Road, and New Katarian areas of Rawalpindi, and Kohsar Colony of Taxila. The NGO’s office in Taxila was located in a rented house. Sources said that officials of the district administration after getting directives from the ministry of interior conducted raids on these offices and sealed them. They said the administration had taken accounts books, computers and other record of the NGO in its custody. Take a look: Why NGOs in Pakistan are at the brink of extinction A number of senior officials of the police and the district administration, however, remained tight-lipped about the allegations against the NGO on the basis of which they had car...

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the supreme regulatory body of lawyers, created a controversy on Saturday when it said that the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan’s (LJCP) press statement about a meeting between the bar representatives with the chief justice of Pakistan did not reflect true picture of the discussions that took place during the meeting. In a statement, PBC Vice Chairman Syed Amjad Shah recalled that a 15-member delegation comprising different bar leaders raised four different issues at the meeting, including the exercise of inherent jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution for enforcing fundamental rights. Take a look: What was the impact of CJP Nisar's tenure on Pakistan’s democracy? On Friday the LJCP issued a press release, highlighting the issue that emerged after the National Judicial Policy Making Committee’s (NJPMC) decision about sections 22A and 22B of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The focus of the p...

A young reporter associated with the Daily Jang newspaper was allegedly taken away by unknown persons from his home in Karachi on early Saturday morning, according to the reporter's family. Around two dozen persons wearing masks scaled the walls of the journalist's home in Salman Farsi Society at around 4am and took away the reporter, Matloob Husain Mosavi, claimed his brother, Minhaj Mosavi. The brother alleged that the masked men misbehaved with the family members and locked them in a room before taking away Matloob. Quoting neighbours, Minhaj said that plain-clothed gunmen had arrived in a Toyota Vigo, a Toyota Prado and three police vehicles. The brother said that Matloob had no affiliations with political or religious organisations. However, he added that his brother is "liberal, has progressive views and is a social activist." He demanded that if there is any allegation or case against him, he should be presented before the court, so that the "anxiety...

GAZA CITY: Tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied in heavy rain at the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of a new wave of protests, facing off against Israeli tanks and troops massed on the fortified frontier. The ‘Great March of Return’ protests have been marked by sometimes deadly violence and Gaza medical officials said two Palestinians had been killed on Saturday. Take a look: In pictures: 'Bloodiest day in Israel-Palestine conflict' as US moves embassy to Jerusalem One man died near the border before dawn, hours before the main afternoon rally, they said, while a 17-year-old boy was killed by Israeli fire at a protest site east of Gaza City. Palestinian protesters threw rocks, grenades and burning tyres toward soldiers across the border fence, the Israeli military said. The protesters are calling for the lifting of a security blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt, and for Palestinians to have the right to return to land from which their fa...

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday mulled a possible fourth attempt to get her Brexit agreement through parliament, faced with the growing risk of a chaotic no-deal exit in less than two weeks' time. MPs on Friday resoundingly rejected May's deal , although by a substantially lower margin than on two previous occasions in January and March. “We believe the best way to respect the referendum is to deliver the deal,” Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis told BBC radio on Saturday. Noting the growing support for her deal despite the defeat, May's spokesman told reporters on Friday: “We are at least going in the right direction.” Explore: With Brexit deal down again, what choices do the UK lawmakers have? MPs are due to gather again on Monday to consider possible changes to the deal that could ensure it is adopted, including support for closer economic ties with the European Union after Britain leaves. The government is opposed to revisions of its Brexi...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was "not at all serious" about ending corruption and only seeks to launch "fake cases" against his political opponents. Bilawal's remarks followed shortly after the prime minister, during a rally in Ghotki, had vowed that the government would not let PML-N and PPP leaders off the accountability hook "until they give back the country's [looted] wealth". The premier had also discussed corruption in Sindh, where the PPP has a majority government. While speaking to media, the PPP chairman remarked that he had read the news that NAB has evidence against a sitting minister and his brother, but expressed the view that the minister would not be arrested because the corruption watchdog only practices "selective accountability". "We all know that NAB's law [National Accountability Ordinance] is a black law, designed for political engineering," said ...

A man suspected of cutting off his former wife's tongue and grievously assaulting her was arrested in the Pindi Bhattian tehsil of Hafizabad district on Saturday, a day after he allegedly committed the crime. On Friday, a first information report (FIR) had been registered at the Saddar police station against the suspect, a man named Jehangir, on the complaint of the victim's father for allegedly cutting his daughters tongue off and subjecting her to grievous torture in the Mustafabad village of the area. According to the victim's father, the reason for the incident was that the suspect had verbally divorced her a few days ago. He said that the suspect had now wanted to murder his daughter, which was why he had come to his house and assaulted her. As per the FIR, the father had gone out to cut grass on the fields while his wife and daughter were at home when the suspect entered the house and took his daughter hostage in a room, which he then locked. He said the suspect ha...

Seven people — of which six were students and one a rickshaw driver — were killed, and a student was critically wounded in Punjab's Bhakkar district on Saturday after the vehicle was hit by a speeding bus. The driver of the bus — which belongs to a private transport company — managed to flee the crime scene as an enraged mob set the bus on fire. As soon as news of the incident broke, the deputy commissioner, district police officer and Rescue 1122 personnel reached the site. The district administration banned the entry of all buses belonging to the transport company within the limits of District Bhakkar. The incident occurred when seven students were returning home after appearing in ninth grade examinations at Multan's Government Girls High School. The rickshaw they had been travelling in was on Jhang road, near Jaise Wala area, when the speeding bus, enroute from Multan to Dera Ismail Khan, crashed into it. The rickshaw was completely swallowed under the bus, and the six ...

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has warned that politicising the UN counterterrorism machinery would only compromise the integrity of the regime, as China also warned against “forcefully moving” a resolution in the UN Security Council. Speaking in a Security Council debate on “Preventing and Combating the Financing of Terrorism” on Thursday afternoon, Pakistan’s Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said that current structures like FATF and the 1267 Sanctions regimes should not be used as political tools by some to advance their geopolitical goals. “There is also a need to make these institutions more inclusive of the wider membership in their decision-making processes,” she added. Caution follows tabling in Security Council of resolution by US, seeking to list JeM chief as global terrorist On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing in Beijing that “forcefully moving” a resolution directly in the UNSC undermined the authority of the UN anti-terrorism committee. ...

Cities around the world including in Pakistan observed Earth Hour on Saturday night by turning off the lights in a call for global action on climate change. According to DawnNewsTV , lights were switched off in well-known landmarks all across Pakistan from 8:30pm to 9:30pm, including the National Assembly as well as the provincial assemblies. Additionally, unnecessary lights in airports across the country were also switched off. In a message shared on the occasion, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said: "The world is experiencing diverse impacts of climate change more than ever and it is important to empower people to become part of climate change initiatives," Radio Pakistan reported. He added that Earth Hour was a reminder that individual actions, as well as actions of the global community, could prove to be a "milestone to transform the climate challenges and protect the generations to come". According to Radio Pakistan , the Speaker said that 'Paki...

WASHINGTON: A failure to reintegrate Taliban fighters and their families into Afghan society could undermine any peace agreement that the United States and the militants might conclude, warns an official US report to Congress. In its annual report to Congress, office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) identifies three risks that might persist after a peace settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government or arise out of such a deal. “A failure to successfully reintegrate Taliban fighters and their families into Afghan society, a failure to improve civil policing, and a failure to ensure effective oversight of continuing foreign financial assistance could each undermine the sustainability of any peace agreement that might be reached,” SIGAR chief John Sopko warned in the annual report. Since 2014, SIGAR has developed a “high-risk list” for each new Congress outlining the threats to US investment in Afghanistan, such as widespread insecurit...

ISLAMABAD: With a slight increase in international crude price and currency devaluation, the government is considering a major increase in the prices of all petroleum products for the month of April. Based on import parity price of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for purchase in March, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has worked out about Rs11.17 per litre increase in the price of high speed diesel (HSD), Rs11.91 in petrol, Rs6.65 in kerosene and Rs6.49 in light diesel oil (LDO) . As such, the ex-depot rate of HSD has been calculated at Rs122.60 per litre from about Rs111.43, showing an increase of 10 per cent. Likewise, the ex-depot petrol price has been proposed to go up to Rs104.80 per litre from existing rate of Rs92.89 per litre, up 12.8pc. A senior government official told Dawn that Ogra on Friday moved a summary to the government containing calculations on petroleum prices on the basis of existing rates of general sales tax and petroleum levy. An official said the price ...

A Karachi Accountability Court on Saturday extended the duration of physical remand of Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani till April 12. Durrani was arrested by NAB authorities from outside a hotel in Islamabad on Feb 20. According to NAB officials, the PPP leader is facing an inquiry for accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income as well as allegations that he had embezzled public funds. Last year in July, NAB had approved an inquiry against Durrani over various allegations of corruption. NAB’s regional board had sanctioned three separate inquiries against the PPP leader: the first inquiry pertains to an allegation of accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income; the second relates to 352 illegal appointments made by him; and the third pertains to embezzlement of funds for the construction of an MPA hostel and construction of the new Sindh Assembly building, as well as in the appointment of project directors for the said projects. The National Account...

A 14-member delegation from Saudi Arabia's interior ministry will arrive in Islamabad on Monday to review the arrangements made to assist Haj pilgrims under the 'Road to Makkah' project. Under the 'Road to Makkah' project — that has been initiated by Saudi Arabia to facilitate Muslim pilgrims — all immigration requirements are fulfilled at the airport of origin. The project also includes other Muslim countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia. Under the project, 90 per cent of Pakistani pilgrims will go through customs and immigration processes at the airports in Pakistan before leaving for Haj, instead of having to wait for 10-12 hours after arriving in Saudi Arabia, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs said. The Saudi delegation will be briefed at the Islamabad International Airport by officials from Customs, Civil Aviation Authority, the Anti-Narcotics Force and the interior and foreign ministries. The delegation will also review the arrangements m...

PESHAWAR: Mashal Khan’s father Mohammad Iqbal on Friday filed three appeals with the Peshawar High Court against the acquittal of two accused in his son’s lynching case by an anti-terrorism court, and sought death sentences for them. He also challenged the acquittal of Asad Zia alias Asad Katlang and tehsil councillor Arif Khan in some provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act. The appeals were filed through Barrister Amirullah Khan Chamkani. Seeks increase in sentences of two others On Mar 21, the ATC had convicted Asad, a former employee of the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, and Arif, and sentenced them on multiple counts to life imprisonment with Rs300,000 fine each. The court had acquitted two other accused, including Izharullah alias Joni and Sabirullah alias Sabir Mayar, both students, as the judge ruled that the prosecution could not bring any cogent and convincing evidence against them nor were they seen in any of the video clips produced by the p...