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Hafiz Tariq Masood Hafiz Tariq Masood Khudam-ul-Islam India-Pakistan 20030912  

India-Pakistan
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not given a fair trial: Supreme Court
2024-03-07
[GEO.TV] The Supreme Court of Pakistain on Wednesday issued its reserved opinion on the trial, sentence, and execution of the late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
...9th PM of Pakistain from 1973 to 1977, and 4th President of Pakistain from 1971 to 1973. He was the founder of the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP). His eldest daughter, Benazir Bhutto, would also serve as hereditary PM. In a coup led by General Zia-ul-Haq, Bhutto was removed from office and was executed in 1979 for authorizing the murder of a political opponent...
, saying that he did not get a chance to a "fair trial".

A nine-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistain (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, reserved its opinion on the 2011 presidential reference seeking to revisit the sentence, and execution of the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) founder and former premier Bhutto on Monday.

The bench also comprises Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

"Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not get a fair trial and it was not in accordance with the Constitutional requirement of due process," said CJP Isa while announcing the short order.

The court’s decision comes after nearly 12 years after a presidential reference seeking to revisit the sentence, and execution of the PPP founder and former premier was filed by former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari
...former president of Pakistain, husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in...
Bhutto was executed on April 4, 1979, following a verdict of the Supreme Court in a murder case that his party termed as "judicial murder".

The reference — filed by Zardari on April 2, 2011, under Article 186 of the Constitution — was taken up by the Supreme Court’s 11-member larger bench headed by former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry which held five hearings of the reference.

On December 12, 2023, the reference hearing resumed under a nine-member bench headed by CJP Isa following a decision to fix an instant case under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023.

The SC had appointed amicus curies with expertise on the criminal and constitutional sides, seeking their assistance, particularly on the matter of maintainability of the instant reference, pending with the court for 11 years.

Apart from CJP, the other members of the bench include Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Musarat Hillai.

The bench had reserved its opinion earlier this week after hearing all sides.
Related:
Supreme Court of Pakistain: 2023-03-28 Marriyum terms Minar-e-Pakistan rally a flop show, Maryam urges Pak gov’t to file treason case vs Imran
Supreme Court of Pakistain: 2023-03-28 President warns PM of 'contempt of court' if polls not held 'as per given timeframe'
Supreme Court of Pakistain: 2021-04-16 PM Imran, federal cabinet approves blacklisting of TLP as a terrorist organization
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India-Pakistan
Apparently PTI's allegations regarding level-playing field are correct: Justice Minallah
2023-12-23
[GEO.TV] Supreme Court Justice Athar Minallah on Friday observed that 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....
's (PTI) allegations of denial of the level-playing field ahead of the upcoming general elections are "prima facie correct".

He made these observations while hearing the PTI’s petition seeking a level-playing field in the general elections.

A three-member bench comprising acting chief justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Minallah and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the petition.

Referring to the raid at the ex-PTI leader's house, Justice Minallah said whatever happened at politician Usman Dar’s house was published in the newspapers.

The director general law of the Election Commission of Pakistain (ECP) was also present in the court.

The top court directed the ECP representative to meet the PTI counsels at 3:00pm today to address the party’s concerns regarding level-playing field.

The SC also ordered attorney general to assist the ECP in meeting with the PTI lawyers.

PTI founder Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree...
’s lawyer, Shoaib Shaheen said Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) orders were still being issued against their leaders despite the issuance of the election schedule.

Neither the PTI candidates were being provided with the nomination papers, nor they were allowed to submit them, he said.

Acting Chief Justice Sardar Tariq Masood inquired why the ECP was not taking any steps to stop the issuance of the MPO orders.

Justice Masood said an order would be issued to the electoral authority to redress all the complaints after reviewing them.

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India-Pakistan
SC grants bail to Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case
2023-12-23
[GEO.TV] The Supreme Court on Friday approved former 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) chairman Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree...
 and party's Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Wormtongue Qureshi
...a Pak political shape-changer. He is undistinguished except for his habit of periodically needing to have his lips reattached...
's post-arrest bail in the cipher case against surety bonds of Rs1 million each.

A three-member bench, headed by interim Chief Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah, conducted the hearing.

On December 13, the PTI founder and vice-chairman were indicted in the cipher case again by the special court established under the Official Secrets Act 2023 after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared their jail trial null and void.

Both politicians have pleaded not guilty
"Wudn't me."
 to their involvement in the offence related to the alleged misuse of diplomatic cable for political purposes.

During the court proceedings today, the top court also heard the petition against Khan and Qureshi's October 23 indictment.

At the outset of the hearing, Justice Masood remarked that the indictment that was challenged was already nullified by the IHC on November 21.

As a result, Khan and Qureshi’s Oct 23 indictments in the case also stood null and void, and the trial was conducted again.

Justice Masood said that the fresh indictment will not be affected by the previous proceedings that were declared invalid by the IHC.

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India-Pakistan
SC turns death sentence to life imprisonment in terrorism case
2019-06-22
[DAWN] The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the death sentence
...the barbaric practice of sentencing a murderer to be punished for as long as his/her/its victim is dead...
 awarded to a murder convict by a trial court in 2007, converting the sentence into life imprisonment.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin, pronounced the verdict.

The convict, Karim Nawaz, was found guilty of murdering his sister, brother and a sister-in-law in Mianwali. A trial court had convicted Nawaz to death on three counts of murder and one count of terrorism.
How does a family squabble among primitives amount to "terrorism," which is directed against the state?
The convict had later reconciled with his family. Subsequently, the three convictions for murder were dropped by the trial court but the conviction for terrorism had been upheld.

On appeals, both the Lahore High Court and the apex court upheld the death sentence awarded on the basis of terrorism.

Arguing against converting the sentence, the additional prosecutor general said that the convict murdered three people and is now asking for relief.

To this, the chief justice said that it seems the crime was committed in a fit of temporary rage.

The bench then ruled to convert the death sentence into life imprisonment.

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India-Pakistan
SC makes history by hearing case at Karachi registry via e-Court system
2019-05-28
[DAWN] The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday, for the first time in the judicial history of Pakistain, began hearing cases via e-Court ‐ a system based on video-link connectivity, the apex court announced in a blurb.

"Today, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel formally initiated the proceedings of cases through the e-Court system at principal seat Islamabad and the SC 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...
 registry," read the blurb.

"The advocates of Karachi, whose cases were fixed for hearing at the SC Karachi registry, argued their cases through a video-link and the bench at principal seat heard and decided the cases."

The chief justice, while hearing the first case through the technology, remarked that a big milestone had been achieved in the judicial history of Pakistain.

"The facility will benefit lawyers and litigants to save them time and money," the apex court said.

Jurists are of the view that by enhancing access to the apex court’s principal seat, the e-Court facility will discourage adjournments and encourage the legal fraternity to plead their cases without delays.

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India-Pakistan
PPP MPA booked for alleged assault of Karachi corps commander's protocol
2017-09-20
[DAWN] 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...
 police on Tuesday started the paperwork but haven't done much else against PPP MPA Tariq Masood Arain and more than 12 armed guards over charges of attempted murder as the politician's guards allegedly assaulted a security squad protecting the family of Corps Commander Karachi Lt-Gen Shahid Baig Mirza.

A first information report (FIR), registered on complaint of army Havaldaar Fahimullah Jan with Darakhshan Police, claimed the complainant and his colleagues were on duty when four men in a car tried to obstruct the VIP protocol of the corps commander's family, upon which they were instructed to stop and check the vehicle.

The obstructing vehicle was intercepted near Saba Avenue, and the four men inside were asked to produce their CNICs, which they failed to produce, the FIR claimed.

Meanwhile,
...back at the wrecked scow, a single surviver held tightly to the smashed prow...
 two boys later identified as Moon and Asad made telephonic contact with a person named Tariq, who immediately sent two vehicles with 15 to 18 gunnies carrying sub-machine guns (SMGs), the complainant alleged.

One person, later identified as Manzoor, who arrived with the gunnies in a Land Cruiser threatened and beat up members of the VIP security squad. Their accomplice, later identified as Jehangir, and others assaulted sepoys Arif, Ali Jan and the complainant, according to the FIR.

Moon and Asad also beat them up and snatched two official SMGs and two magazines, the complainant alleged, adding that he and two other members of the security squad were maimed and treated at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Complex where a medico-legal examination was carried out.

The complainant claimed they were beaten at the behest of Tariq Masood Arain, an elected MPA from Shaheed Benazirabad currently serving his third term as a member of the provincial assembly.

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Home Front: WoT
Pakistan woman in California shooting attended troubled university
2015-12-08
[CHANNELNEWSASIA] MULTAN, Pakistain: Security officials have been closely monitoring a university in east Pakistain attended by Tashfeen Malik, the woman involved in last's week's mass shooting in Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,, because of concerns that Islamist militancy was taking hold there.

Malik, a Pak, attended the sprawling Bahauddin Zakariya University to study pharmacy between 2007 and 2012, after she had lived most of her life in Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
Police and security officials on campus in the Punjabi city of Multan said intelligence officers had been stationed there to monitor militancy among 35,000 students studying in red-brick buildings set amid neatly kept grounds.

The enhanced security and monitoring was in response to the massacre of 134 pupils at an army-run school in the northwestern city of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
 a year ago that was blamed on the myrmidon Pak Taliban movement.

Malik had finished her studies by then, and officials said there was no evidence so far that she was radicalised at the university or had links to any particular myrmidon group.

But the tight security raises questions about Bahauddin Zakariya University itself and the potential for extremism being promoted in higher education in Pakistain more broadly.

"Our intelligence officials are now based in the university, working around the clock, gathering clues," said a policeman inside the university, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

"This is unusual for us, to put intelligence and police inside a university, but we have no choice."

WEAPONS AND THREATS

Behind him, a group of young men played guitar by a fountain, while women in full face veils sat chatting with male students at a nearby table.

"The university is under 24-hour surveillance. We have installed security cameras around the university, including in all dorms," said the officer.

Last month, police retrieved weapons from the men's dorms on campus, enjugged
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
 three students and confiscated mobile phones and laptops from others, he added.

Tariq Masood, regional police officer for Multan, confirmed police had "taken action" after university authorities requested that they intervened, but he declined to give more details.

A second security official on campus, a police superintendent who also declined to be named, said that a few months ago the university received a letter claiming to be from a banned sectarian group threatening to massacre students.

"This kind of radical thinking exists in this area (southern Punjab) in general, and so of course there will be some reflection of it at the university," the second official said.

University front man Babar Khaqaan said the university was involved in the "promotion of good values", and he condemned Malik's actions.

Shortly after he spoke, four carloads of police escorted a Rooters reporting team off campus, citing security threats.
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India-Pakistan
Multan blast leaves 10 dead, 58 injured
2015-09-15
[DAWN] MULTAN: Ten people were killed and 58 others injured in a blast at Vehari Chowk here on Sunday.

Regional Police Officer Tariq Masood Yasin told Dawn that one or more persons appeared to be carrying the explosives. It was not a suicide kaboom, he said. A forensics team was collecting evidence, he added.

According to him, eight people, including the person(s) carrying the kaboom, were killed and 58 injured.

Rescue 1122 said 10 people were killed.

The bodies and the injured were taken to the Nishtar Hospital.

A number of vehicles and shops were damaged.

District Coordination Officer Zahid Saleem Gondal said it certainly was a terrorist attack, adding that the body of the suspected bomber had been found at the place. He also said it was not a suicide attack because such attacks usually had their targets and so far police could not find one.

"It was possibly an accidental blast and the turbans wanted to use the kaboom to target some other place or people," he said.

RPO Tariq Masood said police did not find any suicide jacket or its parts. "We are collecting fingerprints and taking photographs of the dead and the injured. These would be examined to trace or identify the culprits," he said, adding that the injured were being questioned.

Nishtar Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Ashiq Malik said nine bodies and 56 injured had been brought to the hospital. The condition of 12 of the injured was critical.

Agencies add: According to CPO Azhar Ikram, a motorcyclist carrying the kaboom collided with a rickshaw which caused the blast.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Abdul Jabbar said a cycle of violence, a car and six rickshaws were destroyed.

Dr Ashiq Malik said 15 people had been discharged after first aid.

The CPO said police initially thought the CNG cylinder installed in the rickshaw had detonated, but bomb disposal personnel later found traces of explosives.

He said police had launched an investigation and were trying to identify the passengers in the rickshaw in an effort to find out where the explosives had come from and why these were being transported.
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India-Pakistan
Accused in Benazir case withdraws bail plea
2011-08-26
[Dawn] An accused in Benazir Bhutto murder case on Wednesday withdrew his bail application from the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench over non-maintainability in the court.

Sher Zaman filed the application before the high court's two-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed on March 29.

Khurram Qureshi, the counsel for the accused, took the bail plea back after prosecution argued that it could only be filed before the trial court.

In its application, Khurram Qureshi stated that neither any proof was found against his client, Sher Zaman, nor had he given any confessional statement.

He said that despite all the facts, his client had been in jail for the last more than three years.

During the hearing, FIA Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfikar argued before the court that Sher Zaman could not obtain post-arrest bail on the ground that he was being kept in the jail without trial.

"According to the law, any person could not be jugged in jail without trial for more than two year," he said and added that the bail application of Sher Zaman was set aside by a trial court where the accused had not cited the reason of delay in trial.

"If Sher Zaman wanted to obtain bail on this ground, he should approach the trial court," FIA prosecutor maintain.

After the completion of the arguments, LHC division bench said the matter would again be taken up after Eidul Fitr. On this, the defense counsel said he wanted to withdraw the bail plea.
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India-Pakistan
Council set up to monitor relief funds
2010-09-18
[Dawn] The government has set up a 15-member National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMC) to monitor distribution of funds for reconstruction in flood-affected areas.

The council comprises prominent personalities including retired judges and senior bureaucrats. Five members of the council have been nominated by the federal government, two each by the four provinces and one each by Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to a notification issued on Thursday, the council will be headed by U.A.G. Isani, a retired bureaucrat from Sindh who also served as vice-chancellor of the Quaid-i-Azam University and held senior positions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Other nominees of the federal government are Ejaz Rahim, Fauzia Naqvi, Ameena Sayed and Farid Rehman. Justice (retd) Mian Allah Nawaz and A.Z.K. Sherdil have been nominated by Punjab, Fazlur Rehman and Fazlullah Qureshi by Sindh, Justice (retd) Sardar Mohammad Raza and Mohammad Azam Khan by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Justice (retd) Amirul Mulk Mengal and Munawwar Khan Mandokhel by Balochistan; G.M. Sikandar by Gilgit-Baltistan and Tariq Masood by AJK.

According to a government handout, the council will review reconstruction plans and monitor their implementation. It will interact with the economic affairs division, Planning Commission, National Disaster Management Authority and provincial governments and ensure transparent disbursement of funds.

The council will prepare quarterly reports for the Council of Common Interests and will commission and supervise audit of utilisation of the funds.
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India-Pakistan
Baloch girls were killed with blunt weapons: autopsy report
2008-09-04
A medical team, headed by a senior female police surgeon on Wednesday issued the initial autopsy report of two girls killed for honour, saying that the cause of their death was wounds from blunt weapons.
Stone axes, no doubt.
Talking to reporters, Dr Shameem Mishwani said that both the bodies were buried in a two-feet deep ditch far from their home and their broken skulls and ribs showed that they were badly tortured and hit in the heads with a rod or a stone, which probably caused their deaths, APP reported.

Blood and hair samples and pieces of clothes of the victims have been obtained and would be sent to Lahore for a DNA test tomorrow (Thursday), she said.

However, the police are completely clueless about the grave of the third girl who was also killed in the same incident. Although Islamabad-based media and human rights organisations issued a report of the killing of five girls, the actual number of girls killed, a local journalist said, was three.

Investigations: A committee of the federal government, headed by National Police Bureau (NPB) Director General Tariq Masood Khosa, has still not reached the area and local police was quoted as saying that the team was unlikely to arrive in Naseerabad for investigations.

"The federal government team would come only if it does not have faith in the report issued by the provincial police," said Sibi-Naseerabad Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Ghulam Shabbir Sheikh, who has been in the area for the past many days. Sheikh said that until now, the federal government had raised no objections to their report and he did not have the schedule of Khosa's visit to Balochistan.
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India-Pakistan
‘Stern action against saboteurs’
2007-09-02
QUETTA: Provincial Police Officer Tariq Masood Khosa on Saturday warned that stern action would be taken against saboteurs and their patrons. He told participants of the 87th National Management Course of the National Management College, Lahore that the government would allow nobody to create law and order situations in the province. In order to ensure consolidation of power better enforcement of law, the Levies force of the province had been merged into the police, he said.
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