The Chief Justice of Pakistan CJP Umar Ata Bandial has said that the country has to be taken towards a “mature democracy.” The remark came during the hearing of the presidential reference seeking the interpretation of Article 63(A) of the Constitution. He observed that the votes of the dissidents should not be counted to ensure national interest and to end the scourge of shifting loyalties.
The National Security Committee (NSC) has said that there was no foreign conspiracy to topple the Imran Khan-led government. Reportedly, the NSC examined the “contents of the communication” shared by the ambassador and “reaffirmed the decisions of the last NSC meeting”. The meeting of the NSC, which is the highest forum for coordination on security issues, was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Ex-prime minister Imran Khan on Monday responded to the Toshakana controversy and said they were his gifts, so it was his choice whether to keep them or not. “Mera tohfa, meri marzi [my gift, my choice],” the PTI chairman told reporters during an informal conversation. “Whatever I took from Toshakana is on record. I purchased the gifts after paying 50% of the cost,” Khan said.
An Anti-Terrorism court in Lahore has sentenced six people to death after convicting them for their roles in last year’s vigilante killing of a Sri Lankan factory manager accused of committing blasphemy. The court also gave life sentences to nine people, five years’ jail to one, and two-year sentences to 72, according to a statement from the public prosecutor. Eight of those sentenced were juveniles.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has administered the oath to federal ministers and ministers of state, who will form the cabinet of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Thirty-one federal ministers and three ministers of state and as many advisers to the PM took the oath. The oath-taking ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran at the President House.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the interior ministry to issue a diplomatic passport to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Shehbaz Sharif after assuming charge of his office got a briefing from the diplomatic staff about the issuance of a passport to Nawaz and Ishaq Dar. However, the diplomatic staff said only Sharif can be issued a diplomatic passport, not Dar.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested a “mastermind” and at least six others members of his network for alleged attempt to ‘malign’ the Pakistan army. The group was involved in launching a Twitter trend against the Pakistan Army and security institutions, following recent political developments in the country. The drive against the security institutions began with the ouster of Imran Khan as the prime minister.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called an urgent meeting on Tuesday with leading economists, to discuss in detail the current dire economic situation facing the country. PM Sharif reached the office at 8am, ahead of official office hours, and announced a change in the working hours of government offices. The offices are now to start their day at 8am instead of 10am.
After attempts to delay the vote of no-confidence for more than 12 hours, Imran Khan eventually lost the vote and was de-notified as the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday 9th April, 2022. However, a lot of rumors and conspiracies then starting brewing about events of the day. Reports by BBC News were vehemently denied by Imran Khan and ISPR as ‘fake’.
Since 1947, Pakistan has had nineteen prime ministers, but post of the Prime Minister in Pakistan can be said to be doomed as it carries a bizarre pattern. Imran Khan, Pakistan’s 22nd PM, despite his popularity could not undo the jinx. The premiership of I. I. Chundrigar was the shortest in Pakistan’s history, serving only 55 days of his term. At approximately five years and four months in total, Sharif is the longest-serving prime minister.