24-10-2025

Month: October 2023

NA speaker believes Nawaz returning to Pakistan after ‘understanding’

ISLAMABAD: As the day for the return of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif approaches, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf said there may be an “understanding” behind the senior politician’s homecoming

Speaking with journalists in the federal capital, Ashraf said: “Obviously, there must have been some understanding for the return of Nawaz Sharif to the country. Why he’s coming back now? Why he didn’t come back earlier.”

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader’s statement came during a meeting with the delegation of the Parliamentary Reporters Association’s elected body. Led by President Usman Khan and General Secretary Naveed Akbar, the newly-elected PRA body called on the NA speaker.

During the course of the discussion, Ashraf spoke about the PML-N supremo’s health, stating that it should be fine.

When a journalist questioned him about the general elections scheduled to take place next year, the NA speaker replied with a counter question and asked: “Can you tell me the election is taking place.”

Replying to a question about the PPP, Raja Pervez Ashraf said the mood of the party had been very cool and better. “If PPP is talking about a level playing field, then there is really something in it,” he said.

The politician added that the PML-N members were included in the federal and Punjab cabinet and even today, all the work of the party-led government was going on.

Responding to another question, the NA speaker said if the election would be held with PTI Chairman Imran Khan in jail, he would become stronger.

In reply to another question about the reopening of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases, he said false cases had been made against the PPP leaders. “We are ready to face these cases,” he said.

In a reply to another question, the NA speaker said the top court’s verdict upholding the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, manifested that Parliament is the supreme institution.

“It is a praiseworthy decision as the Supreme Court upheld the legislation enacted by Parliament,” he said.

Nawaz’s homecoming

Meanwhile, the three-time former prime minister — who was on his way back home after four years of self-imposed exile — accompanied by his son Hussain Sharif and other close aides performed Umrah following his landing in Saudi Arabia ahead of his return to Pakistan.

Nawaz had left London for Pakistan via Riyadh and Dubai — on Wednesday.

After performing Umrah, the PML-N supremo will reside in Dubai for three days and then fly to Pakistan in a chartered plane on October 21 to address a gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan, where he will chalk out his agenda ahead of the next elections.

Anti-Israel protests continue in US despite harassment

“We have received multiple calls today regarding Palestinian nationals detained by ICE, and/or visited by the FBI,” Abed Ayoub, the executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said in a tweet posted on Thursday.

“The FBI has also visited multiple mosques on Thursday, in different states, as well as Arab inmates. This is a troubling trend,” he wrote.

Some Palestinian Americans detained for participating in rallies

His claim could not be independently confirmed.

Earlier this week, students at the prestigious Harvard University also faced nationwide condemnation for writing a letter that blamed Israel for allegedly starting the process that led to this week’s rocket attacks by Hamas.

A truck toured the campus, displaying the names of groups and individuals who signed that letter while CEOs of some US firms announced that they would not hire the signatories.

Despite the harsh reaction, the protests have continued. In the last two days, both pro- and anti-Israel protests were held at campuses across the country.

At Columbia University, New York, hundreds showed up in a pro-Palestinian rally despite a widespread fear of retributions.

During the protests, two groups of pro- and anti-Israel protesters came face-to-face, chanting slogans against each other but dispersed peacefully. University officials blocked public access to the New York City campus as a safety measure.

At Georgetown University in Washington, the local chapter of a group called Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted a vigil on Thursday night but declined to allow media access “due to increased harassment and threats of violence”, they said in a statement.

Dozens of students from the University of California Los Angeles chapter of SJP held a march for Palestine on Thursday, at their campus.

At the University of Washington, Seattle, a rally was held to ‘uplift the just Palestinian resistance’ and ‘condemn the state of Israel’. Protesters held signs that read “Free Palestine” and “To Exist is to Resist”.

About 100 feet (30 meters) away, students backing Israel silently held up posters with the faces of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.

Similar protests were also held at TUFTS, University of Virginia, and a dozen other campuses.

Meanwhile, SJP and other groups plan to observe “days of resistance”, with demonstrations by its 200 chapters at colleges across North America during this weekend.

The group, which advocates for an independent Palestine and said it believes “in freedom, solidarity, equality, safety and historical justice” for all.

But SJP’s University of Arizona, Tucson chapter, canceled a protest on Thursday, citing safety concerns after the school’s president called the gathering “antithetical to our university’s values”.

Demonstrators are also planned at Times Square, New York. A pro-Israeli Muslim group – Muslims for Israel – also planned a protest outside the White House late Friday.

A larger protest by pro-Palestinian groups are scheduled on Saturday.

Security officials have put parts of Washington and other areas across the country on heightened alert to prevent violence during the weekend protests.

Poland elects a new parliament this weekend after a bitterly fought campaign that has seen each side paint the other аs a dire, national threat.

The governing, right-wing Law and Justice party, or PiS, is battling to secure a record third term in office.

It says the opposition would weaken Poland with mass migration and chaos.

The centrist main opposition Civic Coalition wants to end eight years of PiS rule, arguing that the party is a threat to Polish democracy itself.

Both campaigns have been highly personalised with each party demonising the other’s leader.

But with opinion polls suggesting neither of the main parties is on course for an outright majority, the final days and hours of campaigning have been intense.

All over Poland, lamp-posts and railings are plastered with the images of election candidates.

They offer a choice from the far-right Confederation that wants to cut aid to Ukraine to a left-wing party that talks about LGBT rights and returning the right to abortion.

But this race has mostly focused on two men and two parties: PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Civic Coalition head Donald Tusk.

Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition argues that another PiS-led government would lead Poland to disaster

On Friday, they made their final pitches to voters.

In Starachowice, south of Warsaw, Jaroslaw Kaczynski repeated his mantra that a Poland governed by Donald Tusk would in fact be ruled “by a phone call from Berlin or Moscow”.

He has consistently painted his rival as a puppet of both Russia and Germany: the logic doesn’t matter as much as the suggestion that Mr Tusk is unpatriotic and a security threat.

Mr Kaczynski pointed to his own party’s massive boost in military spending, with both Russia and Ukraine on Poland’s border.

Stoking fear about migration is another PiS favourite, including with endless footage on state TV highlighting protests and riots in Europe.

The party leader stressed that PiS would “absolutely reject” an EU relocation plan for illegal migrants.

But he also had a positive message for the final stretch of the campaign.

“We have offered Poles a better life,” Mr Kaczynski told voters, mentioning higher wages and pensions. “This election is about whether that will continue.”

 

Donald Tusk contends that continuing with PiS would be a disaster.

While Poland has won plaudits for its role supporting Ukraine since the Russian invasion, there’s real concern about its commitment to defending key elements of democracy at home.

The EU is withholding large amounts of funding over the politicisation of Poland’s courts.

Civic Coalition highlights that issue, as well as increased control of the press and far more antagonism with Europe – trends that it worries will intensify if PiS are re-elected.

Some fear the trajectory is so bad, it could undermine Poland’s membership of the EU itself.

On Friday, though, all Donald Tusk’s talk was of winning.

“We are one step away from victory,” he claimed in a final campaign speech, before urging supporters to monitor Sunday’s election for fraud.

That includes abroad, where more than 600,000 Poles, a record number, have registered to vote. In the past, expats have favoured the opposition. Officials in the Netherlands have even urged people to head for Germany or Belgium instead, to avoid long queues.

The government has called a national referendum to be held in tandem with the election to parliament, posing questions that seem designed to get PiS supporters to the polls.

One asks whether “thousands of illegal immigrants” should be allowed into Poland, as “imposed” by the EU.

This week, PiS also announced cash payments for groups including brass bands and housewives’ clubs in small municipalities – where it tends to do best – if more than 60% of voters come out to vote.

It has already increased the number of polling stations in such areas, arguing that boosting participation is good for democracy.

It is possible that neither PiS nor Civic Coalition will win enough to govern alone.

If Law and Justice wins most votes, it might try to govern as a minority or it could seek a coalition with Confederation, assuming the far-right party wins enough seats.

Either way, the prospect of a party with a record of racism and homophobia holding the key to power is disturbing to some.

Should that combination prove impossible, the door to an opposition coalition might open.

“A vote cast in these elections is not only an expression of our beliefs and values, it also determines the direction in which Poland should develop,” the PiS-backed President Andrzej Duda urged voters on the last of campaigning.

“Today we have different visions to choose from.”

That’s one thing on which opposition supporters agree.

“We’ve had enough,” an editorial in the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper announced on Friday.

“If the democrats lose now, we will face pure authoritarianism in Russian-Turkish-Hungarian colours… But another Poland is within reach.”

US officials have accused North Korea of supplying vast amounts of military hardware to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Pyongyang has supplied up to 1,000 containers of “equipment and munitions” in “recent weeks”, National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said.

Officials also released photos of what they said were 300 containers assembled for transport in Najin, North Korea.

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia to discuss potential military cooperation.

Moscow’s military is believed to be burning through huge amounts of artillery shells and missiles in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and has been seeking to replenish its supplies from some of its isolated allies.

Some analysts believe that Mr Kim’s regime could be sitting on huge stores of arms, but could be reluctant to hand over too much given its relative lack of resources.

US intelligence agencies tracked the deliveries, which officials said took place between 7 September and 1 October.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Mr Kirby said the equipment was exported via sea and rail to a supply depot in southwestern Russia, near Tikhoretsk, about 180 miles (290km) from the Ukrainian border.

Mr Kirby did not specify the nature of the munitions he says were supplied by Mr Kim’s regime, but the US has previously accused Moscow of purchasing rockets and artillery shells from Pyongyang.

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, US officials have consistently voiced concerns that North Korea has supplied munitions to Russia.

“We condemn [North Korea] for providing Russia with this military equipment, which will be used to attack Ukrainian cities, kill Ukrainian civilians and further Russia’s illegitimate war,” Mr Kirby told reporters.

He said the deliveries by North Korea violate UN Security Council resolutions “which is why we will continue to aggressively raise these arms deals at the UN alongside with our allies and partners”.

In July, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the country with a military delegation and met with Mr Kim, who displayed a number of weapons systems – including the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

And in September, Mr Kim met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny space centre in Russia’s far east.

Observers say that North Korean weapons would only give a short-term boost to Russia’s war effort. They point to how Moscow, with hugely depleted ammunition, is relying on older, more unreliable artillery shell stocks.

And speaking recently at a ceremony to mark his retirement as chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Mark Milley said he was “sceptical” that any such deliveries would play a decisive role in the conflict.

But it comes as the US has been forced to pause plans to send an additional $6bn in military aid to Kyiv, amid an ongoing budget row in the House of Representatives.

President Biden said earlier this week that the temporary agreement between House Democrats and Republicans may force him to find alternative ways to fund Ukraine’s war effort.

Scotland’s first minister has said Israel is “going too far” and that innocent civilians in Gaza can not simply be “collateral damage”.

Humza Yousaf had earlier shared a video of his mother-in-law, Elizabeth El-Nakla, describing the situation on the ground.

She issued an emotional plea for help after Israel warned more than a million people to flee north Gaza.

Mr Yousaf said she was in a “real state of distress”.

He said it was “really difficult” to watch the video, and spoke of his sense of “helplessness and distress”.

Mr Yousaf added that it was important to share the video so people could see that his mother-in-law, like ordinary citizens of Gaza, had nothing to do with Hamas.

Calling on the international community to “step up”, he said there needed to be a ceasefire and a humanitarian corridor to allow supplies and to allow people out.

“There is a humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding and the collective punishment of 2.2 million Gazans just can not be justified,” he said.

Mr Yousaf stressed he had “entire and absolute sympathy” with the men, women and children who lost their lives in Israel.

Humza Yousaf comforted Bernard Cowan’s mother at an event on Thursday

At least 1,300 people were killed when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on 7 October.

The victims included grandfather Bernard Cowan, who grew up in the Glasgow area before moving to live in Israel.

On Thursday, Mr Yousaf comforted Mr Cowan’s mother when they both attended a service of solidarity at Giffnock Newton Mearns Synagogue in East Renfrewshire.

The UN said Israel was telling everyone to relocate to the south of Gaza in the next 24 hours, a move it warned would have “devastating humanitarian consequences”.

Ms El-Nakla’s mother, Elizabeth, with her twin grandsons, who had their ninth birthday on Wednesday

Palestinian health officials say 1,400 people have died in Israeli retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza as the death toll continues to rise in the conflict.

Earlier this week Mr Yousaf’s wife, Nadia El-Nakla, told BBC News her family were “terrified” and some of her relatives’ homes have already been destroyed.

Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband, Maged, had travelled to the south of the Palestinian enclave last week to see a sick relative.

The couple, from Dundee, are now trapped in a war zone with no way out.

On Friday, Mr Yousaf shared a moving 40-second video from his mother-in-law on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Elizabeth El-Nakla and Maged El-Nakla, who are from Dundee, were visiting family in Gaza when the Hamas attacks happened

Looking directly into the camera Ms El-Nakla said: “This will be my last video.

“Everybody from Gaza is moving towards where we are. One million people. No food. No water.

“And still they are bombing them as they leave. Where are we going to put them?”

The grandmother became tearful as she continued: “But my thought is all these people in the hospital cannot be evacuated. Where’s humanity? Where’s people’s hearts in the world to let this happen in this day and age?

“May God help us. Bye.”

Mr and Mrs El-Nakla are in Gaza visiting their son – a father-of-four – and Mr El-Nakla’s 92-year-old mother, who is ill.Nadia El-Nakla tells of her fears for the future of her family trapped in Gaza

Asked how his family were coping, Mr Yousaf said: “There is a sense of helplessness and distress and every day that goes on you fear the situation.

“I just had a message from my mother-in-law, all of 15 minutes ago, to say that there is now bombing in their neighbourhood.”

The first minister added that with every passing day the family’s meagre rations diminish and they will be placed under further strain when relatives flee the north of Gaza to join them.

Mr Yousaf said: “That house of 10 could potentially have 40 people in it by the end of this day with just a few plastic bottles of clean drinking water and rationing of supplies.

“So it is a human catastrophe and the international community really needs to step up.”

All movement into and out of Gaza is controlled by the Israeli authorities, except the pedestrian-only Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, which is controlled by the Egyptian authorities.

This has come under bombardment from Israel in recent days and, according to the BBC’s Egypt correspondent Sally Nabil, Egyptians are concerned about being dragged into the conflict.

Israel using white phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon: Human Rights Watch

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its recent military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, highlighting the potential danger to civilians. The rights watchdog’s allegations have stirred controversy and concerns about the consequences of such actions.

In response to these accusations, Israel’s military claimed it was “currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorous in Gaza.” However, they did not offer any comment on the HRW’s allegations regarding the use of these munitions in Lebanon.

 

The conflict escalated as a response to a Hamas attack on Israeli towns, resulting in significant casualties. This week alone, at least 1,300 people have lost their lives due to the ongoing violence, with over 1,500 Palestinians killed. The situation has also prompted tensions between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.

The HRW has supported its claims with video evidence from Lebanon and Gaza, recorded on October 10 and 11, which shows “multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border.”

The use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas such as Gaza has raised concerns as it can cause serious burns and set structures, fields, and other civilian objects on fire. Lama Fakih, the Middle East and North Africa Director at HRW, highlighted, “Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering.”

“White phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.”

White phosphorus ignites when exposed to atmospheric oxygen and continues to burn until it is deprived of oxygen or exhausted. Its chemical reaction can create intense heat (about 815°C/1,500°F), light, and smoke, the report said.

White phosphorus, upon contact, has the potential to cause severe burns, both thermally and chemically, penetrating deep into the body due to its high fat solubility, it stated.

Fragments of white phosphorus can further aggravate injuries, persisting even after medical treatment and possibly entering the bloodstream, resulting in multiple organ failure.

In some cases, previously treated wounds can re-ignite when exposed to oxygen after dressings are removed. Even relatively minor burns from white phosphorus can often prove fatal. Survivors may experience extensive scarring that tightens muscle tissue, resulting in physical disabilities.

Beyond the physical consequences, survivors also endure the trauma of the attack, painful treatment, and the lasting impact of disfiguring scars, which can lead to psychological distress and social isolation.

While white phosphorus munitions have legitimate uses, using them in densely populated civilian areas may violate international humanitarian law. This is not the first time Israel has faced accusations of using white phosphorus in Gaza, as similar incidents occurred in 2008-2009, resulting in civilian casualties and international criticism.

Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, a multi-pronged surprise attack on Israel involving rocket launches and infiltrations via land, sea, and air as part of retaliation for the alleged storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and escalating violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers.

Israel responded with Operation Swords of Iron, targeting Hamas within the Gaza Strip. The situation has worsened as Israel has cut water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further straining the already difficult living conditions for the residents.

Israel has vowed to defend itself vigorously against the Hamas attacks, and the conflict shows no sign of abating.

Israel wants Gaza City to be vacated within 24 hours: UN

More than one million residents of Gaza City Friday were warned by the Israeli military to evacuate and move to the south in the next 24 hours, as it deployed its tanks near the Gaza Strip amid fears of a major ground offensive.

As the Israeli warplanes continued attacking Gaza, its Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: “Now is a time for war.”

The military has warned about “significantly” operating in Gaza City in the coming days, insisting that the residents will only be able to return when a relevant announcement is made.

Earlier, the United Nations had told Reuters about the Israeli military’s warning, which, as feared by Palestinians, could result in Israel’s planned ground offensive.

No comments were immediately issued by the Israeli military regarding the warning. However, it had amassed tanks near the Gaza border and struck the Palestinian enclave with air strikes in the wake of Hamas’s fight to free Gaza from Israel’s decades-long occupation.

“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesperson, said in a statement.

She added that the UN strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.

Dujarric said the order by the Israeli military also applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities, including schools, health centres and clinics.

But appearing to confirm a warning took place, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said: “The UN’s response to Israel’s early warning to the residents of Gaza is shameful.”

Erdan said the UN should focus on condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to self-defence.

Salama Marouf, head of the Hamas government media office, said the relocation warning was an attempt by Israel “to broadcast and pass on fake propaganda, aiming to sow confusion among citizens and harm our internal cohesion.”

He added: “We urge our citizens not to engage in these attempts”.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said fuel powering emergency generators at hospitals in Gaza could run out within hours and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned food and fresh water were running dangerously low.

“The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent, and I implore the sides to reduce the suffering of civilians,” ICRC regional director Fabrizio Carboni said.

So far, Israel’s bombings have martyred over 1,500 Palestinians hundreds of which include children, Gaza authorities said. The Israeli forces have also killed four medics, which the Palestinian Red Crescent claimed were murdered deliberately.

Israel has so far put Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, under siege and launched a bombing campaign that destroyed whole neighbourhoods.

Pakistan looks forward to enhancing defence cooperation with Qatar: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces Lieutenant General (Pilot) Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Thursday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said matters of mutual and professional interest and regional security situation were discussed in the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, COAS Gen Munir said: “Pakistan values its brotherly relations with Qatar and Pakistan Army also looks forward for enhanced defence and security cooperation with Qatar armed forces.”

The visiting dignitary appreciated the Pakistan Army’s continuous efforts for peace and stability in the region and pledged to keep working for better relations between the two countries.

The meeting came as Israel unleashed its most powerful bombing campaign in the 75-year history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Israel announced that there would be no humanitarian break in its siege of the Gaza Strip until all hostages taken by Hamas were freed.

Nawaz Sharif’s journey back to Pakistan begins — after 4 years of exile

LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has left London for Pakistan via Saudi Arabia and Dubai — after four years of self-imposed exile.

Nawaz has left London for Saudi Arabia for Umrah, after which he will reside in Dubai for three days and then fly to Pakistan in a chartered plane on October 21 to address a gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan, where he will chalk out his agenda ahead of next elections.

As Nawaz left Avenfield flats ending his exile, he was seen off by his staff, family members, and party workers.

He is accompanied on the Saudi visit by his close friend Mian Nasir Janjua, aide Waqar Ahmed, Karim Yousaf, and a few others. Janjua, the owner of MIDJAC company, spent nearly three years in exile in London with Nawaz and returned to Pakistan just a few months ago.

The PML-N supremo will reach Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Wednesday. He will stay in the kingdom for a week during which he will hold important meetings. He will arrive in Dubai on October 17.

The flight carrying Nawaz to Pakistan will have the name “Umeed-e-Pakistan”, which can carry approximately 150 passengers. “The booking has been made and all arrangements are in place,” said a source.

Nawaz, along with party members and journalists, is scheduled to leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21.

The special flight will land in Islamabad from Dubai before proceeding to Lahore, where Nawaz will address the gathering arranged by his party faithful.

Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Ishaq Dar said there is no chance of Nawaz being arrested on return to Pakistan.

He said that transit bail and protective bail would be obtained from the court. “Nawaz Sharif will follow the standard legal procedures.”

He said that PML-N’s narrative will be focusing on the economy. Dar said: “Recovery of the economy is the best revenge.”

The former prime minister arrived in London nearly four years ago in November 2019 in an air ambulance to seek medical treatment for multiple diseases after he was allowed to leave Pakistan by the Lahore High Court.

He was accompanied by his brother Shehbaz Sharif and a personal physician as he was taken to his London residence at Avenfield apartments.

Nawaz had arrived in London for a few weeks only and he has been getting regular medical check-ups at the Harley Street clinic.

He decided not to return to Pakistan and initiated his speeches to party workers from London and has been conducting party affairs ever since from here.

This is Nawaz’s second exile term after first being deposed in a bloodless military coup in 1999.

PML-N, PPP welcome SC verdict sustaining law clipping CJP’s powers

Political parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have welcomed the Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict, saying that the decision not only enhances transparency but also democratises the apex court’s workings.

The SC’s full court — comprising all 15 judges — sustained the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, which deals with the chief justice’s powers, as “constitutional” with a 10-5 majority.

The verdict acknowledges the parliament’s right to legislation under Article 191, which states that the SC rules are subject to the Constitution.

Terming today’s verdict as a “welcome step” PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said that the development reflects’s judiciary’s respect for the parliament.

“The Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the Practice and Procedure Act 2023 is a welcome step. It not only democratizes the workings of the Supreme Court itself but also shows due respect to the Parliament, which represents the people of Pakistan,” the former Punjab chief minister said on X.

However, Shehbaz — addressing the possible effect of the verdict on party supremo Nawaz Sharif — said: “It is important to mention that, according to legal experts, the specific clause under discussion concerning appeals against past judgments does not affect Mian Nawaz Sharif.”

Meanwhile, PPP senator Sherry Rehman termed the decision as an “important step for parliament’s supremacy”.

“Today’s proceedings and verdict in the Supreme Court have certainly enhanced the transparency and faded image of the superior court. It is also an important step forward for Parliament’s supremacy in its first obligation of making laws.”

“Good also on CJ Issa on sharing his powers to a collegial framework of 3 judges. Appeals for suo moto cases being allowed are long overdue,” the senator added.

Commenting on the apex court’s verdict, PTI said that the decision was a disappointment for those who had political hopes associated with the top court, in a jibe at the PML-N.

The party’s future plan of action will be put into place after a thorough evaluation of today’s verdict, PTI said in a statement on its X account.

The SC law gives the power of taking sou motu notice to a three-member committee comprising senior judges including the chief justice. It further aimed to have transparent proceedings in the apex court and includes the right to appeal.

Regarding the constitution of benches, the Act stated that every cause, matter, or appeal before the apex court would be heard and disposed of by a bench constituted by a committee comprising the CJP and the two senior-most judges.

Regarding exercising the apex court’s original jurisdiction, the Act said that any matter invoking the use of Article 184(3) would first be placed before the committee.

On matters where the interpretation of the Constitution is required, the Act said the committee would compose a bench comprising no less than five apex court judges.

About appeals for any verdict by an apex court bench that exercised Article 184(3)‘s jurisdiction, the Act said that the appeal would lie within 30 days of the bench’s order to a larger SC bench. It added that the appeal would be fixed for hearing within a period not exceeding 14 days.

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