SC resumes 18th amend hearing today

ISLAMABAD: A 17-memebr larger bench of Supreme Court will resume hearing of petitions filed against various clauses of the 18th constitutional amendment today (Monday).

Read the original post:
SC resumes 18th amend hearing today

SC begins hearing of petitions against 18th Amendment

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) began hearing the case regarding the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment, Geo News reported Monday.

A 17-judge larger bench is hearing the constitutional petitions filed against the 18th Amendment.

Lawyers Form’s counsel Advocate AK Dogar is giving arguments at present.

SC directs for report on implementation of NRO verdict

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) asked Federal Law Minister Dr. Babar Awan to submit a concise report on the presence of $60 million in Swiss cases and the implementation of court’s ruling on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), Geo News reported Tuesday.

The government told the court that no case was filed against President Asif Ali Zardari in Switzerland. According to record, only the investigations were conducted in Swiss court; however, the action was unilateral.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk is hearing the case.

As the court proceedings make headway, Federal Law Minister Dr. Babar Awan apprised the Supreme Court (SC) of the government steps taken up in connection with the implementation of court’s verdict on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Several federal ministers including Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Ayatullah Durrani, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the PM’s advisor Latif Khosa and other PPP leaders including Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar were present in the courtroom.

Awan was summoned by the court to explain the reasons for the delay in the implementation of the court’s verdict on NRO.

The federal law minister said the government is not using the delaying tactics for implementing the NRO verdict.

The federal law minister said the summary for reference against former Attorney General Malik Qayyum has been sent to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Two National Accountability Bureau (NAB) courts have been sanctioned to be constituted in Islamabad, he informed the court.

The number of prosecutors of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is being aggrandized, the federal Law Minister informed the apex court adding the amazing facts will be uncovered, if the documents regarding the former AG is presented.

‘We have removed the Prosecutor General and two NAB courts are being constituted,’ he added.

He told the court nine steps regarding the NRO verdict implementation case; however, rules of business are the stumbling block in the way for the 10th step.

There is no Swiss case against President Zardari, as only unilateral action was undertaken there, he informed the court.

Responding Justice Jawwad S Khawja regarding steps on retrieving $60 million at Swiss banks, Babar Awan said the Swiss magistrate did not have the matter and the issue was exaggeratingly stated.

Justice Raja Fayyaz asked, ‘Who owned the money frozen by Swiss officials?’ Awan replied, ‘I don’t know.’

At the end of hearing, the Law Minister pleaded the court to give three-week time, as he is going abroad for some personal business.

Later on, the hearing was adjourned for two weeks till June 10, after the court asked the law minister to submit concise response.

Talking to media after the hearing, the Law Minister said all the rumours of clash died out, adding no clash among the institutions ever happened; nor is there any possibility for the same in future.

‘I brought to the fore some new facets to the case during hearing, which I cannot tell being out of the courtroom,’ he maintained adding he would not comment upon judicial proceedings out of the courtroom.

‘Court ordered the Attorney General to appear before the court in my stead in the next hearing,’ he said.

He said the government fulfilled its legal and constitutional responsibilities and acted upon all the rulings by the judiciary, examples of which are LNG case and the case regarding appointments in bureaucracy.

Qamaurz Zaman Kaira said, ‘We are with the government and came to see the court’s proceedings,’ adding the matter relating $60 million was controversial and baseless.

Lake likely to outpour today till Thursday

HUNZA: The outpouring from the landslide-generated Lake is expected from today till Thursday, as the rising water stands still at six feet from the spillway, Geo News reported Tuesday.

The helicopter service is in progress to evacuate the stranded people present on each bank of the Lake. At least six copters are busy with transportation of the relief goods as well as the evacuation of the people stranded in Hunza, Gilgit and Gojal.

Three helicopters arrived in Gilmat with relief goods including food for the affected people. At least 4200-kilogram relief goods have thus far been transported since today’s morning.

Meantime, Ata Abad Lake water is persistently on the go spreading in the low-lying areas of Phisso, causing to maintain the gap between Lake level and the spillway at six feet.

SC dismisses pleas against Hafiz Saeed release

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) upheld the verdict of Lahore High Court (LHC) by dismissing the petitions filed by the federal and Punjab governments against chief of outlawed Jamaatud Dawah Hafiz Saeed, Geo News reported Tuesday.

A three-member SC bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk heard the petitions challenging the LHC’s ruling regarding release of Hafiz Saeed.

The judges said in their remarks that no citizen could be deprived of his freedom on presumptions, as no solid proof was presented regarding Saeed’s links with Al-Qaeda or his involvement in Mumbai attacks.

Nawaz corruption references verdict on April 26

RAWALPINDI: An Accountability court will declare on April 26 the verdict on the plea filed here by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to restore three corruption references against Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif and his family, Geo News reported Saturday.

It should be mentioned that that Justice Wamiq Javed of Accountability Court-2 in Rawalpindi reserved verdict on the plea to restore corruption references against Sharif Brothers, which was expected to be made public during today’s hearing. However, the hearing was adjourned till April 26 for the verdict.

As per media reports judge Wamiq Javed of AC No 2 took up the application for hearing seeking revival of corruption references against Sharif brothers, senator Ishaq and his family members.

NAB counsel through the application has prayed the court for revival of pending references including default on payment of loan by Ittefaq Foundaries, default on payment of tax by Hudabia paper mills and Raiwind assets.

In earlier hearing, NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sultan Mansoor while giving arguments in the court said if no final decision would come then the court could review it.

He argued the decision to keep references pending against Sharif brothers was not judicial but it was of administrative nature. It was responsibility of the court to decide the matter which had been brought forth, he added.

SC to hear pleas against 18th Amendment on April 28

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) will begin hearing various identical constitutional petitions filed here against Eighteenth Amendment from April 28, Geo News reported Saturday.

A five-judge larger bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk has been constituted to hear the case.

Other judges include Justice Raja Fayyaz, Justice Rehman Hussain Jaffery, Justice Jawwad Owais Khawja and Justice Tariq Pervaiz.

SC Issues Detailed Verdict in NRO Petitions

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan News: SC Issues Detailed Verdict in NRO Petitions, Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued its detailed verdict in the petitions against the legality of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO),

A 17-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry had unanimously declared the NRO void ab initio on Dec 16, 2009 following days of hearings in several identical petitions filed against the law.

The bench had reserved the detailed verdict in the case to be made public later on.

On Tuesday, the court issued the 300-page detailed verdict, written by CJP Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry who also headed the bench, in the case, the channel added.

---

SC Issues Detailed Verdict in NRO Petitions was first posted on January 19, 2010 at 9:45 pm.

Stephen Colbert Alicia Keys,Empire State Of Mind 2

TrendPK.com Stephen Colbert Alicia Keys,Empire State Of Mind 2:Ann is going to have the full recap for you tomorrow, but I just *had* to get this posted right away, because that performance of “Empire State of Mind” was the best thing to happen in a show of utter gems. Extra mileage out [...]

In Supreme Court Swiss Case Withdrawal File Presented

TrendPK.com In Supreme Court Swiss Case Withdrawal File Presented:ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) is currently hearing the identical petitions filed against National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) on the 7th day of hearing today.
The Attorney General has been directed to present the original file on Swiss case withdrawal. The AG replied that the [...]