Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

India-Pakistan

Pakistani court convicts three men in politician's murder in London

2020-06-19

[Jpost] A Pak court on Thursday sentenced three men to life in prison for their part in the liquidation of a Pak political leader who was stabbed to death in London in 2010, a government prosecutor said.
Imran Farooq, 50, was a founding member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement
...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
(MQM) but had moved to London and had not been active in the party for about two years. He was on his way home from work in north London when he was attacked.

The three accused were members of the party. Their motives were unclear.

Besides their life sentences, the three were each fined 1 million Pak rupees ($6,050), the prosecutor, Khawaja Mohammad Imtiaz, told news hounds.

Britannia gave Pakistain legal assistance, sharing evidence and having its officers testify at the trial, according Toby Cadman, counsel to a Pak government barrister, Toby Cadman.

Imtiaz said it was first trial of its kind in Pakistain. "There are hardly any examples in the world that an offence is committed in one country and the trial is conducted in another," he said.

Farooq's death marked the start of cracks in the leadership of the MQM. The ethnic party, which held sway for decades in Pakistain's commercial capital, Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
, later split into several factions.

The party represents Urdu-speaking ~~migrants~~ colonists from India who settled in Pakistain after the partition of the subcontinent at the end of British rule in 1947.

Link

India-Pakistan

IHC issues show-cause notice to bar association secretary for 'misconduct and contempt'

2019-12-13

[DAWN] The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) Secretary Muhammad Umair Baloch for "professional misconduct and contempt".

The high court also suspended Baloch's licence "to practice before [IHC]" until the next hearing, which will be held on December 19.

Baloch was reported to have been forcing lawyers not to appear before judges as the high court's bar association was observing a strike against alleged offences against the legal fraternity in Lahore a day earlier.

On Wednesday, lawyers had staged a violent protest at the Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
Institute of Cardiology (PIC) apparently on a mission to avenge a group of lawyers, who had been beaten up at the PIC a few weeks ago, soon after some video clips went viral on social media showing some doctors making fun of the lawyers while recalling the incident.

The outraged attackers, mostly young faces dressed in black suits and sporting neckties, spared no one present on hospital premises, where several serious cardiac patients are under treatment at any given time. The situation worsened when a mob stormed into the emergency department, seemingly in search of some doctors. In view of the approaching danger, the doctors expeditiously departed at a goodly pace.

As the condition of some critical patients deteriorated in the absence of doctors, three PIC patients, including a girl and an elderly woman, passed away.

The court, in its notice today, noted that Baloch was "forcing the learned advocates to leave the court".

"He continued doing so when the court proceedings commenced. He was asked to refrain from disturbing the proceedings and undermining the decorum of the court," the notice read.

"In response, he came to the rostrum and in a tone unbecoming of an enrolled advocate, he stated that instead of stopping him, the judges should encourage the strike."

The court's notice further said that other IHC judges had also reported that Baloch "interfered with court proceedings".

"The aforementioned acts also amounted to depriving the litigants from the right of access to justice."

Baloch, while talking to a news hound, said that IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had told him not to observe a strike in the high court, to which the advocate responded: "When you (the judge) observed strikes and we used to be your followers, it was acceptable. Now it is not?"

Link

India-Pakistan

‘Pervez Musharraf is our benefactor,’ says Fawad Chaudhry Listen

2019-12-02

[The News (Pak)] Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry said former president General (retired) Pervez Perv Musharraf
Pervez <q>Perv</q> Musharraf

...former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date...
was the nation's benefactor.

"Pervez Musharraf has rid us of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif
...served ~~two~~ three non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf, then by the courts...
in 1999 that's why, he is our benefactor," said the federal minister, addressing a ceremony in Jhelum.

Responding to a question about the PML-N chief's return to Pakistain, the minister was of the view, "Even Nawaz Sharif's family has no hope of his homecoming."

"When Pervez Musharraf was in power, a lot of people used to stand queuing up to light his cigar," he pointed out.

Chaudhry said all the political parties are unanimous on extension to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure, hoping the relevant legislation would be completed in the next parliamentary session.

On November 19, an Islamabad special court reserved the order in high treason case against the former president to be announced on November 28. Musharraf and the federal interior ministry filed an application against the reservation of the verdict.

The Lahore High Court had declared the petition of the former president as maintainable on Tuesday while overruling the LHC registrar's objections. Musharraf in his petition said that the Special Court has reserved judgment in the case on November 19 without hearing his stance.

He also questioned formation of the Special Court, saying that the then prime minister alone granted approval for the constitution of the Special Court and the cabinet's sanction was not sought.

A three-judge IHC bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah had set aside the November 19 order of the Special Court and instructed it to hear all sides before deciding the case.

Link

India-Pakistan

Little progress in self-confessed child abuser case

2019-11-26

[DAWN] Little progress has been made in investigations into the activities of habitual child abuser Sohail Ayaz because the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has not yet been made a part of the process.

Ayaz was recently arrested in Rawalpindi by Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
police upon a complaint filed by the mother of one of his victims; the first case against him was registered on Nov 12, while two more were registered on Nov 14 after more complainants approached police.

During police investigations, Ayaz admitted that he had targeted eight- to 15-year-old children and abused and filmed 30, uploading the footage online.

The matter was discussed by the Senate Standing Committee on IT & Telecommunications during a meeting here on Monday, with the chairperson saying that money and mafia are also involved.

"The most serious issue is that bigwigs of both the FIA and the Pakistain Telecommunications Authority informed the committee in July that there was no child pornography ring operating in or originating from Pakistain," said Senator Rubina Khalid, chairperson of the committee, while presenting the minutes of the previous meeting.

However,
a lie repeated often enough remains a lie...
the committee was informed that the case has yet not been transferred to the FIA cybercrime wing, while the police investigation officer (IO) was not clearly aware of cybercrime.

Rawalpindi SSP Mohammad Faisal said that the accused, aged 46, had a history of abusing boys; he had previously worked and travelled in nine countries.

"During investigations, Sohail Ayaz told the IO that he used the dark net to purchase drugs and share footage with like-minded people, but our IO asked him what the dark net was," the SSP said.

Members of the committee asked FIA officials about progress in tracing details such as possible accomplices and a monetary aspect.

However,
a lie repeated often enough remains a lie...
to the astonishment of the committee, the director of the FIA cybercrime wing, Mirwaiz Niaz, said that the agency was not yet involved and was cooperating with Punjab police on a voluntary basis; Punjab police would transfer the case after completing their investigation.

Link

India-Pakistan

IHC suspends decision to cancel JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah's citizenship

2019-10-30

[DAWN] The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended the National Database and Registration Authority's (Nadra) decision to cancel the citizenship of Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one that was led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spent more time running his madrassah until his secretary rubbed him out in a jealous rage. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability...
-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah.

Hearing a petition filed by the former senator and minister, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah sought a reply from Nadra within two weeks and directed the authority as well as the interior ministry not to take any sort of action against Hamdullah.

On Sunday, it was reported that Nadra declared Hamdullah an 'alien' after finding that he had 'fraudulently obtained' his computerised national identity card (CNIC), which was subsequently cancelled.

While the government decision had been taken two weeks prior, it came to the limelight only days before the JUI-F’s so-called 'Azadi March' on Islamabad. A notification issued by the Pakistain Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) barring TV channels from inviting Hamdullah to talk shows as a guest had referred to a Nadra letter dated Oct 11.

In his reaction, the JUI-F leader blamed state institutions of 'political victimisation' and said no one in his family, including his father, had ever been accused of being an alien. He said his father was an employee of the education department in 1974 and he had already provided documents to Nadra to prove it.

During court proceedings today, Hamdullah said Nadra had cancelled his CNIC and he had submitted a petition against the decision; however, no action had been taken on the application for a week. He said Nadra's decision should be declared void and the interior ministry should be stopped from taking any action.

Officials representing Nadra told the court that in December 2018, a letter was written to the JUI-F leader regarding his citizenship and a district-level committee had been formed. Following this, Hamdullah had appeared before the committee, which had asked him for his documentation.

According to Nadra, the documents presented by the JUI-F leader had turned out to be "bogus".

Justice Minallah asked if Hamdullah had any children and whether they had CNIC cards, to which his lawyer responded in the affirmative.

The counsel added that one of Hamdullah's sons was even in the army.

"Can you doubt the citizenship of the husband of a mother who sends her son to sacrifice himself for the country?" the IHC chief justice remarked.

After hearing initial arguments, the IHC decided to suspend Nadra's decision to cancel Hamdullah's citizenship.

Link

India-Pakistan

Pursued by NAB, JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani files pre-arrest bail plea

2019-10-24

[DAWN] Former federal minister Akram Khan Durrani on Tuesday filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking pre-arrest bail in multiple inquiries initiated against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Mr Durrani, a leader of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...the political wing of the Pak Taliban...
-Fazl (JUI-F), claims that he is being victimised for playing a key role in the Azadi March to be launched by his party on Oct 27 against the government of the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI).

In his petition the JUI-F leader stated that he is "being victimised and harassed by the respondents [the chairman, deputy director and investigation officer Nadeem Fraz of NAB] although he is cooperating with them and will continue to do so. However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
the pace at which all three inquiries are being carried out, his arrest before he could further garner support from other opposition parties for Azadi March is very likely."

Mr Durrani is facing inquiries for alleged corruption in two housing projects of the Federal Government Housing Foundation, appointment of blue-eyed officers in the Pakistain Housing Authority Foundation, allotment of ’out of turn’ plots for mosques and induction in the Pakistain Public Works Department (PWD).

The petitioner states that he "belongs to Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam-F which is to lead the Azadi March against the government from Oct 27" and a Rehbar Committee was formed for coordination and preparation of the protest.

"The petitioner has been playing an instrumental role in the Rehbar Committee and has in fact been representing his party at some of these meetings of the committee," the petition said, adding that the government "just to disturb political activities" is behind the inquiries.

The petitioner said that NAB "since its formation in 1999 has primarily been serving as a tool of political engineering and a way of silencing dissenting voices".

He expressed apprehensions that NAB may be used against the Azadi March’s organisers.

Link

Britain

Altaf Hussain charged by UK police with terrorism offence over 2016 speech

2019-10-11

[DAWN] Muttahida Qaumi Movement
...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
(MQM) founder the increasingly corpulent Altaf Hussain

the increasingly corpulent Altaf Hussain

... The head of MQM in Pakistain, who has lived in safety and comfort in London and hasn't laid eyes on his purported homeland since about the time Caesar made corporal. Judging from the size of him, he may be a Hutt...
was on Thursday charged with a terrorism offence in a case related to his incendiary speech relayed from the United Kingdom to his followers in Pakistain on August 22, 2016.

The MQM founder, 66, was taken into police custody and later produced before the Westminster Magistrates' Court, where he was granted conditional bail.

The conditions of his bail include a bar on him to broadcast any speeches and remaining at his residence for a restricted amount of time each night. He also cannot apply for a travel document and his passport will remain in police custody.

After Hussain appeared before judge Emma Arbuthnot, the charge against him was read out. He pleaded not guilty
"Wudn't me."
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) asked for Hussain to be granted conditional bail. The conditions sought included a restriction on Hussain not to broadcast any message, either video or audio, via social media, radio, TV, or internet to people in the UK or overseas concerning this case or comment on the political situation in Pakistain.

The court then entered into a recess as the lawyers for the prosecution and Hussain discussed the bail conditions further. He was subsequently granted bail.

Link

India-Pakistan

Ex-MQM lawmaker, six others acquitted in anti-state CDs case

2019-10-07

[DAWN] An antiterrorism court on Saturday acquitted a former Muttahida Qaumi Movement
...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
politician and six others of charges of distributing compact discs (CDs) containing anti-state speeches of their London-based party chief the increasingly rounded Altaf Hussain

... The head of MQM in Pakistain, who has lived in safety and comfort in London and hasn't laid eyes on his purported homeland since about the time Caesar made corporal. Judging from the size of him, he may be a Hutt...
"Bring me Solo and the Wookie. No, not Michelle"
Former MPA Sheeraz Waheed; Naeem Shamshad; M. Nabeel; Mubeen, alias Pak; Danish Saeed; Ali Hasan, alias Guddu and Syed Mohammad Shoaib were acquitted of the charges of distributing CDs, which contained speeches and statements to wage war against the state, among the people in an Ahsanabad locality in 2016.

On Saturday, the ATC-II judge pronounced her judgement reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides on Oct 5. All the accused appeared on bail. The judge noted that the prosecution failed to prove allegations against the politician and others beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt.

The judge cancelled their bail and also discharged their surety. The case against a proclaimed offender, Syed Azhar Ali, alias Anna, was kept on the dormant file until his arrest or surrender.

On Oct 5, the court had reserved its judgement after hearing final arguments from both sides.

According to the prosecution, former politician Waheed along with his around 15 accomplices allegedly distributed CDs, which contained speeches and statements of MQM chief Altaf Hussain to wage war or attempt or abet to wage war against the country, among the people in Ahsanabad.

Link

India-Pakistan

ATC returns Mureed Abbas murder case to sessions court in Karachi

2019-10-01

[DAWN] The case pertaining to the murder of TV anchorperson Mureed Abbas and another person allegedly by their business partner took another turn on Monday, with an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
ruling that the case did not fall within the meaning of ’terrorism’.

The ATC-I judge thus transferred the case to the District South sessions court for conducting the trial of a detained suspect, Atif Zaman, in the double murder.

Police had booked and arrested Zaman for allegedly killing his two business partners ‐ Abbas and Khizar Hayat ‐ in Khayaban-e-Bukhari, DHA, on the night of July 9.

Earlier, Judicial Magistrate (South) Abdul Raqeeb Tunio had referred the case to the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts on August 20 for further trial, observing that the matter fell within the ambit of terrorism.

The magistrate had accepted the charge sheet filed by the investigating officer, who had incorporated Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, in addition to the charge of murder.

On Monday, the ATC judge pronounced his verdict on an application moved by Atif Zaman seeking the transfer of the case to the sessions court.

The judge ruled that the motive behind the murder, according to the FIR, appeared to be a dispute between the parties on account of an investment of the dear departed with the suspect. He further declared that the incident did not cause any sense of terror in the society, and therefore it did not fall within the meaning of terrorism.

The judge allowed the suspect’s application for transfer of the case to the sessions court concerned.

Link

Britain

UK agrees to hand over Imran Farooq murder case evidence to Pakistan

2019-09-18

[DAWN] The United Kingdom has agreed to hand over evidence to Pakistan in connection with the Imran Farooq murder case, it emerged on Tuesday.

Toby Cadman, the lawyer for the Pakistan government, told Dawn that he had submitted the documents related to the case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The documents include the index of evidence as well as a letter from the UK government agreeing to share the originals.

Additionally, he confirmed that Pakistan had made a request for mutual legal assistance (MLA) to transfer evidence relevant to the inquiry regarding the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader's murder.

Cadman said he is currently in Pakistan to deliver the letter of acceptance, the evidence list and to attend a hearing of the case.

Meanwhile, a two-member high court bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, overturned a trial court's verdict and allowed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take more time to collect evidence. The court said that the trial should be completed within two months after the submission of evidence.

The letter of acceptance was also submitted in the court during today's hearing.

Dr Farooq, a senior leader of the MQM, was murdered outside his home in London in 2010.

In June, the FIA special prosecutor Khawaja Imtiaz had informed an anti-terrorism court (ATC) that the UK was ready to share evidence in the murder case provided the accused was not given the death penalty in the case of conviction.

Imtiaz had told the ATC that the UK Central Authority, in response to correspondence related to sharing of evidence in the murder case, said that European laws did not permit sharing of evidence with a country where the offence was punishable by death.

Link

India-Pakistan

Imran Farooq murder: ATC issues arrest warrants of three suspects

2016-12-03

[DAWN] An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday issued arrest warrant of three suspects allegedly involved in Imran Farooq murder case.

Arrest warrant of Kashif Khan Kamran, Muhammad Anwar and Iftikhar Hussain were issued by the ATC on the request of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

FIA had plead that three alleged suspects were directly involved in killing of senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement
...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
(MQM) leader Imran Farooq.

According to the documents available with Dawn.com, the FIR against the above mentioned suspects was registered in September 2010.

Last month, Khalid Shamim, a key suspect in the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, confessed to his role in the murder and alleged the increasingly hugeAltaf Hussain
..The head of MQM in Pakistain, who has lived in London and hasn't laid eyes on Pakistain since Caesar made corporal. Judging from the size of him,he may be a Hutt...
was also involved.

"September 16 was chosen as the date for Farooq’s murder as it was meant to be a gift for Altaf Hussain on his birthday," said Shamim in his confessional statement.

He added that a sum of 25,000 pounds were sent to him through Iftikhar Hussain, which were spent on travel arrangements.
25,000 pounds will pay for some pretty nifty hotels and air travel.

Link

India-Pakistan

Two suspects confess in Imran Farooq murder case

2016-01-09

[DAWN] Two men suspected of being involved in the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement
...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
's self-exiled leader Dr Imran Farooq recorded their confessional statements before the Islamabad deputy commissioner on Thursday, sources said.

The FIA had enjugged
Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'!
three suspects -- Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali Syed and Moazzam Ali -- for their alleged role in Dr Farooq's murder.

While Shamim and Mohsin Ali confessed to their involvement, Moazzam Ali, said to be the prime suspect, was unwilling to come up with a confession, sources in the prosecution told Dawn.

In his statement recorded under Section 164 of the criminal procedure code, Mohsin said that Moazzam had handled the travel documents to live in the United Kingdom.

According to private news channel Geo News, Mohsin in his statement gave graphic details of the murder.

He said that at a university hostel in London he and his accomplice Kashif Khan Kamran, whose whereabouts are not known and may have died, prepared a plot to kill Dr Farooq.

He said they monitored the movement of Dr Farooq in London to know about his routine.

On the day of the murder, he said, he grabbed Dr Farooq while Kashif stabbed him and then bludgeoned him with a brick to ensure his death.

Shamim said that he had consented to join the murder plot because he was a diehard MQM activist, sources said.

Shamim claimed that senior MQM leader Muhammad Anwar gave the order to assassinate Dr Farooq.

The JIT constituted to investigate the murder had suggested that MQM chief the increasingly enormousAltaf Hussain
..The head of MQM in Pakistain, who has lived in London and hasn't laid eyes on Pakistain since Caesar made corporal. Judging from the size of him,he may be a Hutt...
regarded Dr Farooq as a threat and wanted him eliminated.

The JIT report also noted that all three suspects were members of the All Pakistain Muttahida Students Organisation, the MQM's student wing.

The suspects were sent to Adiyala jail on 14-day judicial remand by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court.

The gruesome murder took place on Sept 16, 2010, near Dr Farooq's London home.

The London police had named Mohsin Ali Syed and Mohammad Kashif Khan Kamran as desperados in connection with the murder as they were in the UK when Dr Farooq was murdered. They arrested the three men during the last five years but released them later without filing any charges.

However,
there's more than one way to stuff a chicken...
it was widely reported that both Mohsin and Kamran had been taken into custody by Pak intelligence agents the moment they landed at Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
airport in 2010.

The third suspect, Khalid Shamim, was allegedly taken into custody in January 2011 and a petition regarding his 'illegal detention and going missing' was filed by his wife in the Sindh High Court.

Link

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