ISLAMABAD: A special court formed under the Official Secret Act on Monday decided to indict the former prime minister and PTI chief and former foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a cipher case on October 17, ARY News reported.
Last month, the FIA submitted challan of the cipher case against the PTI chairman and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain heard the case in Adiala Jail under the Official Secrets Act 2023. During today’s hearing, the copies of challan in the case were given to the lawyers of the former prime minister and the former foreign minister.
The court will indict both the PTI leaders on October 17.
The first information report (FIR) was registered on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act. It was registered on the complaint of the Home Secretary.
Former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were nominated in the report, while names of former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar were also mentioned.
Read more: Cipher case: IHC to hold open hearing on PTI chairman’s bail plea
According to the report, action also will be taken against Azam Khan and Asad Umar after the authorities reached the conclusion that they were also involved in misusing the classified documents.
The FIR stated that the former prime minister and foreign minister distorted the facts of the diplomatic cipher. “A conspiracy was launched to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes”, it added. It further stated that former premier and top diplomat endangered the state interests.
The report claimed that former prime minister asked Azam Khan – the then principal secretary – to “manipulate the contents of cipher”. “The former premier deliberately kept the copy of diplomatic cipher, which was sent to the PM office”, it added.
NAWABSHAH: The police in an operation in katcha area of Dadu recovered a hostage kidnapped 53 days ago, citing police ARY News reported on Sunday.
SSP Shaheed Benazirabad Hyder Raza has said that the police recovered a youth, Soomar Larik, in an operation in katcha area of Dadu district, who was kidnapped by bandits 53 days ago from Mashaikh, an area near Qazi Ahmed.
Recovered hostage Sommar Larik is son of a Patwari, a lower rank official of revenue department.
After recent decision of the government to launch a law enforcement operation in katcha areas, the incidents of lawlessness being frequently reported.
In a rocket explosion in katcha area of Kandhkot district recently nine people were killed including four children.
“A rocket exploded at a house of Shah Ali Sabzoi in Bangi Khan Sabzoi village in katcha area leaving nine people dead including four children,” local police said. “Six others were injured in the incident”.
Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh Maqbool Baqar while taking notice of the rocket launcher blast in katcha area of Kandhkot, summoned report from the IG Police.
It is to be mentioned here that the Sindh government has decided to launch a law enforcement operation in katcha areas (riverine forests) along the Indus River in upper Sindh districts to curb activities of bandit gangs and other outlaws involved in rampant kidnapping for ransom and other crimes in the region.
Renowned Turkish Kurulus Omsan series lead actor Burak Ozcivit, has arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit.
Burak Ozcivit has reached Karachi for the launch of a Pakistani brand of perfume.
Speaking through a translator, as he only conversed in Turkish, Burak said that this was his first time in Karachi. “I had planned to come here two years ago also, but those plans could not materialise.”
“I came straight from my shoot to the airport to reach here, and when I return, I will again go directly to my shoot,” he added.
He said that he would love to work in Pakistani films or a Turkiye-Pakistan co-production.
Before this, the Turkish actor had informed about his visit to Pakistan while sharing an Instagram story.
Earlier, the main characters of Ertugrul Ghazi also visited Pakistan.
Burak Ozcivit, known for his role in the historical series “Kurulus Osman,” based on the life of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman Ghazi, has received worldwide recognition. The fifth season of the series premiered on October 4th.
KARACHI: A police meeting held over implementation of the national policy with regard to illegal immigrants in Karachi, ARY News reported on Saturday.
DIG East Ghulam Azfar Mahesar said that subordinate police officers were given the policy with regard to crackdown against Afghan and other illegal immigrants.
“The meeting was attended by the SSPs of three districts along with all concerned officers and SHOs of operation and investigation departments of police,” DIG Mahesar said.
The operation will be initiated against Afghan and other illegal immigrants till November 1st, he said.
The police department has also decided to launch crackdown against absconders and proclaimed offenders, DIG said.
The authorities have ordered stern action to control heinous crimes in the city. “The department will send the officers to homes who will fail to perform,” Police top official said.
Karachi Police had recently arrested 782 Afghan immigrants illegally staying in Karachi.
Police department in various operations in Karachi’s eight districts from September 09 to Oct 02, arrested 782 Afghans illegally staying in the city, officials said.
Most of the illegal immigrants were arrested in Malir, Korangi and East districts. Police arrested 204 illegal immigrants in East district, 135 in Malir and 114 in Korangi districts.
Moreover, 126 Afghans arrested from Keamari, 90 from Central and 58 from Karachi West district, officials said.
Police also arrested 35 Afghans from the City police district and 20 from South district, according to the police.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad following the apex committee meeting, the caretaker interior minister Sarfraz Bugti said that the immigrants have been given a deadline of November 01 to leave the country.
Bugti further said that a task force has also been constituted which will take action against illegal immigrants.
ISLAMABAD: In fresh operational guidelines for sales tax records, the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) on Saturday announced to initiate the audit of income tax returns of retailers and real estate tax filers, ARY News reported, citing sources.
The FBR warned retailers and real estate tax filers to avoid mistakes in sales tax filings, as the revenue board is set to audit the income tax and sales tax returns.
Sources close to the development stated that the decision regarding the audit of retailers’ income tax and sales tax returns will be under the horizon of the relevant Regional Tax Offices (RTOs).
READ: Real estate agents must get registered with FBR
Likewise, the strategy was also established for the audit of real estate income tax and sales tax filers under the relevant RTOs.
It is worth mentioning here that the FBR aims to streamline the audit process instead on relying on random selection through a lottery system.
The relevant RTOs have the authority to make targeted audits of income tax and sales tax based on discretionary powers.
Three people were killed on Friday after a small plane crashed in the city of Chilliwack in Canada’s British Columbia province, officials said.
The plane – a Piper PA-34 Seneca, a twin-engined light aircraft – crashed into trees and bushes behind a motel, near the local airport. Chilliwack is about 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of Vancouver.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it was sending investigators.
All three people onboard, including the pilot, were killed and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was notifying the next of kin.
Haylie Morris, who worked nearby, told the Vancouver Sun she watched the plane go down in front of her.
“(I) started running and I saw it go into the forest across the street, crash through the trees,” Morris told the newspaper.
Officials said the scene was contained and there were no other reported injuries or risks to the public.
ISLAMABAD: The environmental samples collected from Peshawar city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Dera Bugti district in Balochistan have tested positive for wild poliovirus, ARY News reported on Friday.
According to an official at the polio laboratory of the National Institute of Health (NIH), both viruses, found in sewage samples, are similar to Afghanistan’s poliovirus.
Polio, a highly infectious and incurable disease, mainly affects children under the age of five. The virus invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death in some cases.
Third polio case of the year 2023 was confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Bannu district on Wednesday as Pakistan struggling to get rid of the crippling disease, ARY News reported citing sources at the Ministry of National Health.
“Polio virus has been confirmed in an 18-month girl at UC Ghora in Bakakhel,” sources added.
In the year 2022, as many as 20 cases of poliovirus were reported across the country. Pakistan was come near to eradication of disease in year 2021 when only one case was reported in the country.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday launched a five-day anti-polio vaccination drive targeting around 44 million children across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, he said 350,000 polio workers would participate in the drive to administer anti-polio vaccine to 44 million children aged 0-5 years.
Pakistan registered two polio cases earlier since January, a blow to the goal of eradicating a disease that affects the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis in children.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio continues to threaten the health and well-being of children.
ISLAMABAD: A motorcyclist was crushed to death by a speeding car in Islamabad on Thursday night, ARY News reported.
According to rescue sources, one person was killed while another was wounded after being hit by a vehicle bearing a government plate number in Islamabad in the wee hours of Friday.
The accident occurred in Sangjani area near Islamabad where a vehicle bearing a government plate number and driven by a female driver hit and critically wounded two youths.
The injured were rushed to PIMS Hospital where one of them died during treatment. Police have arrested the driver from the spot.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Iconic action star Jackie Chan once took his on-screen action to real life, in order to confront Triad gangs.
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One of the biggest action legends, Hong Kong-born actor and martial artist, Jackie Chan once revealed his encounter with the dangerous Triad gang when he decided to take charge of his own protection and confronted the 20 armed mafia men with his own weapons in the incident, which dates back to 2012.
In an old interview with a local Chinese newspaper, Chan revealed that he once caught the attention of the Triad gangs, admitting that he had to seek refuge in the United States before he started travelling with his own weapons including guns.
“In the past, when they bullied me, I hid in the United States,” the veteran shared, adding that the attempt wasn’t of much success, as the triads opened fire at him when he got off the airplane.
“From that moment on, I needed to carry a gun every day when I went out,” he mentioned.
Chan went on to share an incident, “When I returned to Hong Kong and ate outside, more than 20 people surrounded me with melon knives.”
“I pulled out a gun and had two more concealed. I told them they had been going too far. I confronted them with two guns and six grenades,” he recalled.
Jackie Chan’s co-actor humiliates his $849 million film franchise
KARACHI: The Pakistani rupee (PKR) continued an upward trend against the US dollar in the interbank market on Thursday, extending its gains for the 21th consecutive session.
According to the Forex Association of Pakistan, the rupee gained Rs1 against the US dollar, trading at Rs284.68 from yesterday’s close of Rs284.68.
In the open market, the dollar depreciated by Rs 1, standing at Rs284 in the morning trade, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan.
Interbank closing #ExchangeRate for today https://t.co/7gpAlrU3K4#SBPExchangeRate pic.twitter.com/TgifPc4YOj
— SBP (@StateBank_Pak) October 4, 2023
During last week, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) gained 4.02 against the US dollar (USD) following the crackdown.
Read more : US dollar sheds 0.85 PKR, trading in interbank at Rs287.90
It is pertinent to mention here that the rupee gained after the Pakistani government intensified efforts by running after people involved in the illegal dollar trade that helped the currency.