Freedom of Judiciary a key element of constitution: CJ
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has decided to give an opportunity to Senator Raza Rabbani to submit detail reply of questions raised about consultation process in judges’ appointment.
Justice Javed Iqbal said the procedure of judges appointment was not free of faults even in the past.
The Supreme Court was hearing petitions challenging the 18th Amendment on Tuesday, Geo News reported.
A 17-judge full court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the challenges against certain clauses in the amendment.
Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday in his remarks said persons accused in murder were made judges in the past and century old tradition of consultation has been eliminated in the new process of judges’ appointment. It also limited the role of chief justice, he added.
The Supreme Court Bar Association”s counsel Hamid Khan continued his arguments on Tuesday. He said 18th amendment has ended process of consultation whereas in PCO judges case, Supreme Court made consultation with chief justice mandatory.
Justice Shakirullah Jan said in old procedure, administration had begun the process of judges appointment and this was the reason of consultation but in new process, judiciary will appoint the judges.
Chief Justice in his remarks said consultations were made with prime minister and chief minister in July 31 verdict to strengthen parliamentary system. The scrutiny of judges conduct was carried out by administration and system will be collapsed if everyone eliminated from the process.
Hamid Khan has completed his argument in today’s hearing. The court has ordered attorney general to prepare a questionnaire and send it to Senatro Raza Rabbani and said a date will be fix to hear Raza Rabbani.
Chief Justice said the purpose of hearing is to save thing and interpretation of constitution is the duty of court. Freedom of judiciary is a key element of constitutional structure, he added. Later the hearing was adjourned till tomorrow.
Company powering PCB website moves court over nonpayment
LAHORE: A private company powering PCB website has reportedly moved court over non-payments of dues and against the procedure being followed by PCB officials for award of official tenders, Geo news reported Friday.
Company filed petition in Lahore High Court (LHC) over violation of invitation procedure of tenders, which PCB sought besides; it moved civil court over, nonpayment of dues.
Company’s president, Sohail Ahmed, told a news conference that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been constantly failing to pay off dues worth of Rs 38 lachs for powering its official website.
“PCB has not cleared dues from October 2008 to April 2010 despite many reminders”, he said.
“Our company has earned PCB $0.8 million through website but PCB has invited tenders to run its website instead of paying off dues, committing grave violation of regulations, he revealed.
LHC has summoned PCB officials on June 30.
BP pauses effort to stop Gulf oil leak
May 28, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
LOUISIANA: BP suspended its attempt to choke off the gusher at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday so crews could monitor their work and bring in more drilling mud, but the company said everything was going as planned and the effort was expected to resume later in the evening.
News that it would be at least 24 more hours before officials know if the procedure called a “top kill”” will work came as dire new government estimates showed the disaster has easily eclipsed the Exxon Valdez as the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.
The top kill try was the latest in a string of attempts to stop the oil that has been spewing for five weeks, since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank off the coast of Louisiana. Eleven workers were killed in the accident.
PML-N airs reservations on constitutional package
April 20, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
Islamabad, News Trends :- PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif said that 17th Amendment should be abolished immediately. He said that some of the issues including judges’ appointment have not yet settled with the government. He said that President Zardari should address the Parliament only after full consensus on constitutional package.
During a press briefing Islamabad, he urged to avoid confrontation among institutions and no individual should have authority to appoint the judges solely. No one should appointment judges on the basis of favourtim and procedure of judges’ appointment should be evolved after consultation with the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). This procedure should be transparent and must have government’s input too. He said that if constitutional package was finalized, it would have presented in the Parliament for approval. He said Constitutional Committee should continue its work till reaching consensus. He said that he has listened for the first time about in-house change, so debate on it is futile. There is nothing like good governance and transparency, he added.
He said that there is no leniency on rules and nothing would be accepted which threatens freedom of judiciary. He said that democracy should not be in danger from any one. He said that the Parliament should be taken into confidence before US-Pak dialogue as opposition doesn’t know anything about these talks.
PML-N airs reservations on constitutional package was first posted on March 25, 2010 at 9:59 pm.
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SC, LHC bars to challenge 18th Amendment bill
LAHORE: Showing their reservations on certain clauses of the 18th Amendment, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) said that they might challenge the Amendment on the plea that it had destroyed the entire structure of the Constitution of 1973.
This statement was given out by members of the associations in a joint press conference here on Friday.
The lawyers also opposed the procedure outlined for the appointment of judges and maintained that the judicial commission can only recommend the names, the real authority was with the parliament and the parliamentary committee.
They said that certain clauses in the new Amendment have left little room to exercise democracy in its true spirit.
The lawyers now intend to hold another meeting in which they will decide whether to take out protest rallies against the Amendment or to challenge it.
IHC to be set up after 18th Amendment passage: Babar
ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Dr Babar Awan has said that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) would be established immediately after passage of the 18th Amendment.
He said it is for first time in the country”s history that a democratically elected President is returning the powers to the Parliament, which were snatched by despotic rulers.
Talking to media men here Friday in the Supreme Court, he said with passage of 18th Amendment, the Parliament would get its real powers and the amendments inserted by oppressive rulers would be annulled.
Referring to holding of joint session of the Parliament, he said on April 5, the session would be held on one-point agenda in which the President would deliver his speech.
The next day” sessions of National Assembly and Senate would beheld in which 18th Amendment would be tabled, he added.
“The Parliament will pass it unanimously in the same manner a consensus was reached among members of Constitutional Reforms Committee,” the law minister added.
He said after approval by both Houses, the 18th Amendment would not be referred to a parliamentary committee as it had already been done.
Constitutional package contains 19 dissenting notes
ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) has included in constitutional package 19 dissenting notes from various parties.
According to details, 3 notes each came from Pakistan Muslim League-N, Awami National Party and PML-Q; 2 each from Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Baloch members and Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) and; 1 each from Jmiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), PML-F, Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party and Jamat-e-Islami.
PML-N’s dissenting note on the procedure of judges appointment says the judicial commission should either have the Law Minister or Attorney General as its member while the seventh member be nominated by the Chief Justice of Pakistan and not by the committee.
The notes from PML-Q and PPP (Sherpao) relate to the new name of NWFP and the concurrent list.
JUI-F’s note pertains to the Islamic Articles of the Constitution while JI has expressed its reservations regarding the age of compulsory education.
The Baloch members’ dissenting note is in connection with provincial autonomy and NFC Award.
MQM, the coalition partner of the government, has shown reservations on Federal Legislation List while ANP’s note relates to the issues of FATA and PATA and giving regional languages status of national language.
New Online Forms For US Visas
The US embassy has issued a new non-immigrant visa form, which is named as DS-160.
The US Embassy, Islamabad, and US Consulate, Karachi, would require non-immigrant visa applicants to use a new web-based application form February 22, 2010. The new DS-160 application form incorporates all existing applications into one interactive, online form, replacing the forms that currently make up the Electronic Visa Application and Parental Information Forms.
In Pakistan, the DS-160 would not change the procedure for submitting application materials and non-immigrant visa fees to American Express, but would reduce the number of forms required for submission to a single confirmation sheet. After completing the form online, non-immigrant visa applicants should submit the one-page confirmation sheet to American Express together with a photo, passport photocopy, and the application fee. American Express would continue to schedule visa interviews.
The new DS-160 form demonstrates the US commitment to improving the efficiency and accuracy of the visa process to better serve our applicants. A link to the DS-160 form and directions for completing it can be found on the non-immigrant visa page of the US Embassy, Islamabad.
New Online Forms For US Visas was first posted on February 19, 2010 at 12:08 pm.
Steve Phillips Girlfriend Picture Update
ESPN analyst Steve Phillips star has burnt all his fingers, allowing his girlfriend to go home and terrorize his wife and children. Who is on leave from his post and his wife has already started the procedure for filing for divorce from Steve.
And as the sunrise Wednesday also was no longer a secret to American baseball fans. History by Steve Phillips with Brooke Hundley differs from other major media reported case of 2009 – the son of complaints of harassment on Facebook . Phillips, charges of telephone harassment Marni Phillips wife with a phone call cast Craigslist.
According to lalate.com, from Steve Phillips and Brooke Hundley case history is unlike any other media reported the main issues this year. Apparently there have been allegations of harassment Phillips Hundley’s son on Facebook .
But that’s not all, as was also alleged telephone harassment Marni wife Brooke Phillips. And since several photos of Brooke have appeared on the Internet, people have been asking why she deceived Phillips.
Steve Phillips Girlfriend Picture Update was first posted on October 23, 2009 at 7:31 pm.
