Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the prime minister, emphasised the need for more criminal justice system reforms on Tuesday and stated that only parliament was authorised by the constitution to enact laws. In an interview, the prime minister shared his opinions, saying that the low conviction rate in the modern criminal justice system was a result of flaws that needed to be fixed with sensible legislation. The prime minister responded to a question concerning terrorist organisations in the province of Balochistan by saying that the State was responsible for stopping terrorist acts and that non-state actors had no right to use violence. He noted that waves of terrorism have claimed the lives of about 90,000 individuals in the country.
Mansoor Usman Awan, the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), gave the Supreme Court an assurance on Tuesday that until the February 8 general elections, no action would be taken against journalists who had received notifications for allegedly participating in a smear campaign against judges. The development occurred during the suo motu case hearing, which was combined with an earlier 2021 case about media harassment. The case was heard by a three-judge panel that included Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Mussarat Hilali, and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa. A five-person Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established by the caretaker administration on January 17 in order to investigate the details of a harmful social media operation.
Caretaker Minister for Information for Balochistan Jan Achakzai announced on Tuesday that security personnel have killed at least six militants in Mach during an operation. The development occurred just hours after terrorists stormed the city; the minister named Doda Baloch and Pardan Baloch as two of the attackers. On X, formerly Twitter, Achakzai announced the development and said that additional information about the terrorists, including images, is “coming”. Late on Monday night, terrorists fired multiple rockets from mountains, followed by a barrage of gunfire. Mach rang with explosions and fell into darkness. Explosions and gunfire also occurred in Kolpur and Gokhart Bibi Nani neighbourhoods, trapping people inside their homes. Security sources claim that fifteen missiles were fired by unknown individuals.
In order to resolve security concerns, COAS Asim Munir has underlined the necessity of ongoing interaction and making use of existing communication channels between Pakistan and Iran. He was speaking with Amir Abdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, who paid him a visit in Rawalpindi today. As the most crucial element of state-to-state relations, the Army Chief emphasised the importance of upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the other state, referring to it as sacred and untouchable. Additionally, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to the border region’s peace, stability, and prosperity, which is essential to the welfare of the residents on both sides. Acknowledging the historical, religious, and cultural connections between Pakistan and Iran, both parties placed a strong emphasis on developing deeper bilateral ties and promoting a better understanding of one another’s issues.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the prime minister, stated on Monday that there was currently no compelling reason to postpone the general elections , reaffirming the government’s commitment to conducting free and fair elections. In an interview, the prime minister stated that the candidates were canvassing and that by the evening of February 8, the day of the nation’s general elections, all the rumours will be put to rest. In response to the standard accusations of election tampering, he stated that in order to learn from the past, the parliament must rectify all of the legal, administrative, and Election Commission shortcomings. He claimed that electoral activity would be freely observed and reported by the observers.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the foreign minister of Iran, made a suggestion on Monday that “third countries” may be responsible for the increase in terrorism in the area straddling Pakistan and Iran. “There is no doubt that third countries lead and support the terrorists located in Iran and Pakistan’s common border regions and areas,” he stated, adding that the terrorists never support any positive actions that align with the interests and benefits of the governments and people of Pakistan and Iran. During his visit to Islamabad today, the Iranian Foreign Minister made his statement at a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart, acting Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. The press was notified by the Pakistani FM of a deal between the two countries to work together to combat terrorism in their respective regions.
On Monday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) maintained its benchmark rate at 22% for the fifth consecutive policy meeting. SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad stated during a news conference in Karachi that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the central bank has projected the average annual inflation to be between 23 and 25 percent. He also mentioned how the International Monetary Fund (IMF) tranche release had improved the foreign accounts. According to figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), inflation reached a new high of 29.7 percent in December, indicating a modest uptick from November. The SBP policy rate has not moved over the last four review meetings, having been increased to an all-time high of 22 percent in June.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa declared on Monday that no journalist or member of the public can be prevented by the Supreme Court from voicing criticism. He also instructed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) not to file a lawsuit against any of these individuals for their criticism of the highest court. During a suo motu case hearing on journalist harassment, the chief justice addressed the investigative body and directed the immediate removal of notices sent to journalists who had criticised judges. The top court postponed the hearing on the harassment of journalists to Tuesday (tomorrow), directing the director general of the FIA to meet with the journalists. In addition, the federal government was ordered by the court to provide a report on the tormenting of journalists within two weeks.
Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has attributed the nation’s long-standing issues on “powerful lobbies and bureaucracy,” calling his party’s manifesto solution for all the challenges ahead of the national elections. Bilawal was discussing his party’s manifesto, “Chuno Nai Soch Ko (Choose new thinking)” with students on Monday at the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) campus in Islamabad. The PPP chairman reaffirmed his commitment to help the poor after eliminating all subsidies to the upper strata of society, promising tough steps to break the hold of elites and powerful lobbyists. With the election on February 8, all political parties are gearing up for battle, their platforms and pledges aimed at appeasing voters.
According to Interior Minister Dr. Gohar Ejaz, the administration is committed to protecting people’s lives and property in addition to maintaining law and order. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Golra Police Station building in Islamabad today, he announced that 13 police stations in the federal capital have started the process of being renovated, and in 30 days, they will all have a state-of-the-art look. In a same vein, the government is working to transform Islamabad’s hospitals into models of excellence that benefit the populace. He promised improvements to the Polyclinic and PIMS hospital facilities.
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