October 2023 - Page 8 of 9

Abbasi, Nawaz discuss Pakistan’s current crises, including ‘new party’

LONDON: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that he has a relationship of 35 years with Nawaz Sharif and these relations are beyond political considerations — amid speculations that his journey with PML-N has, more or less, come to an end and it’s just a matter of time before its made official.

Speaking to the media after meeting PML-N supremo Nawaz for two hours, Abbasi said that he discussed in detail every issue Pakistan is facing and suggested to Nawaz to unite the nation and show statesmanship as the country is stuck in a myriad of crises.

Abbasi met Nawaz a few days after announcing that there was a need for a new political party in Pakistan, and the existing parties — including PML-N, PTI, and PPP — have failed.

Abbasi dispelled rumours about forming a new political party, saying: “I only talked about forming the new party but I did not make one. There is a dire need to compensate for the injustices that happened with Nawaz Sharif.”

“I have had an association with Nawaz Sharif for the last 35 years. I and Nawaz Sharif exchanged views on the country’s political situation,” Abbasi said.

“Nawaz Sharif is the senior most politician of Pakistan today. He has the understanding of things like no one else. I believe that he should take the whole nation forward with him and forget a lot of things that have happened in the past.”

“We discussed everything that we needed to and we have done so always. There are things we agree on and somethings we disagree on,” he told Geo News.

The former premier said that Nawaz’s court-related matters — including his disqualification — should have been settled before his departure to Pakistan. He has said that Nawaz was victimised by the courts and deserves justice.

New party

When asked if he discussed “Re-Imagining Pakistan” or the new party matter with Nawaz, Abbasi said he discussed every matter with Nawaz Sharif and “gave my opinion”.

Abbasi said his relations with everyone in PML-N are fine and “I have no reservations or issues with anyone”. He said he was not part of the consultations related to Nawaz’s return to Pakistan or any decision-making.

A senior PML-N source said that Abbasi has been acting out of the party discipline for many months now, and it is clear that he has moved on from the party.

The source said that he has made it clear that he wants to launch a new party or be part of it when it’s formed.

“It’s just a matter of time before this party is launched by Shahid Khaqan, Miftah Ismail and Mustafa Khokhar as a new force. It’s another matter the fate it will meet.”

May 9

He said that what happened on May 9 — when PTI ransacked state installations — is unprecedented and unheard of in Pakistan’s history and those involved must be punished and dealt with according to the law.

“I am against persecution of anyone. Prosecution is a must for those who break law but nothing outside of the law should be allowed.”

Regarding the prime ministership, Abbasi said: “If the PML-N is voted into power, it will be up to the party to pick up the premier.’’

As Abbasi came out, a handful of PTI supporters staged a protest outside. When asked to comment about the protesters, Abbasi said he “prayed for their hidayat (guidance from Allah)”.

Kashmir is India’s ‘modern-day colonial project’, Pakistan tells UN

The UN body, which is also known as the ‘fourth committee’, began a general debate on freedom from foreign occupation at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.

Several member states participated in the debate, emphasising the need to resolve the questions of the 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories, more than six decades after the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

Pakistan’s UN envoy Munir Akram urged India to create conditions for dialogue — and for the United Nations and its member states to promote a peaceful settlement in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

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Munir Akram urges New Delhi to create conditions conducive to dialogue

The declaration, also known as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 1514, was passed during the assembly’s 15th session. It characterises foreign rule as a violation of human rights, affirms the right to self-determination, and calls for an end to colonial rule.

President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, said the Fourth Committee’s work was crucial to cultivate trust in the United Nations at a time when “the multilateral system and its institutions are descending even deeper into a credibility crisis”.

Ambassador Akram welcomed the committee’s recommendations and its request for the Secretary-General to explore innovative approaches to advance the decolonisation agenda.

Expressing regret that “there are still people who are denied the right to self-determination”, he highlighted the situations in Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, and supported the demand for a two-state solution in the Middle East.

He characterised India’s unilateral steps in the occupied territories as “a modern-day colonial project that includes human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings and demographic changes”.

“India is pursuing a Hindu-majority agenda in a Muslim-majority area,” he said, citing the issuance of fake domicile certificates and land confiscations.

Urging India to take steps to create conditions for dialogue and resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, including an end to human rights violations and demographic changes, Ambassador Akram called on the United Nations and its member states to “promote a peaceful settlement in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people”.

Since 1946, 80 former colonies have gained independence. “Yet, there are people who are still denied the right to self-determination, most prominently the people of occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Palestine,” he said.

“Pakistan believes that durable peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through the two-state solution and the establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, with the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”

The Indian occupation of Jammu & Kashmir, he added, “is the worst manifestation of modern-day colonialism”.

He pointed out that the right of self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir was explicitly recognised in UN Security Council Resolution 47 and several later resolutions, which prescribed that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, should be decided by its people through a free and fair plebiscite held under UN auspices.

Even though both India and Pakistan accepted these resolutions, “for more than 75 years, through force and fraud, India has avoided the implementation of these resolutions,” he said. Since 1989, India’s brutal repression in occupied Jammu and Kashmir has killed more than 100,000 Kashmiris, he added.

Ambassador Akram informed the committee members that since Aug 5, 2019, India has taken unilateral and illegal steps to annex occupied Jammu and Kashmir and “Kashmir today is the most densely occupied place in the world, with more than 900,000 Indian occupation troops deployed there”.

The Indian occupation forces, he said, had perpetrated a vicious campaign of extrajudicial killings in fake encounters and abductions and enforced disappearances of 13,000 young Kashmiri boys. “The entire genuine Kashmiri leadership has been incarcerated since 2019. Several leaders have died in Indian custody,” he added.

At least 23 Indian soldiers missing in flash flood

Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River… 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush,” the army said in a statement. “Search operations are underway.”

The remote area lies close to India’s border with Nepal, and Lhonak Lake sits at the base of a glacier in the snowy peaks that surround Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain.

The army said water released upstream from the Chungthang dam meant the river was already more than 4.5 metres (15 feet) higher than usual.

A video released by an Indian army spokesman showed a thick torrent of raging brown water sweeping down a thickly forested valley, with roads washed away and power lines ripped down.

Flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which begins in June and normally withdraws from the Indian subcontinent by the end of September.

By October, the heaviest of the monsoon rains are usually over. Experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.

Streets swamped

Other photographs shared by the army showed water submerging the first floor of buildings, and flowing down a street in a town with only the tip of a small construction crane visible poking out.

Local media showed Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang holding an umbrella during a downpour and talking to officials about floods in the town of Singtam, further downstream from where the soldiers are missing.

The monsoon occurs when summer heat warms the landmass of the subcontinent, causing the air to rise and suck in cooler Indian Ocean winds, which then produce enormous volumes of rain.

But it also brings destruction every year in the form of landslides and floods. Melting glaciers add to the volume of water while unregulated construction in flood-prone areas exacerbates the damage.

Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters.

Glaciers disappeared 65 per cent faster from 2011 to 2020 compared with the previous decade, a report in June by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) warned.

Based on current emissions trajectories, the glaciers could lose up to 80 percent of their current volume by the end of the century, it said.

Canada has elected Liberal MP Greg Fergus to be the new Speaker of the House of Commons after the previous one resigned amid a Nazi in parliament row.

Mr Fergus – the first black man to hold the position – was chosen by the 338-member House after a secret ballot on Tuesday.

He called it “a great honour” to be chosen for the role.

The former Speaker resigned after inviting a Ukrainian man who fought for a Nazi unit to the parliament.

Anthony Rota said he did not know of the veteran’s Nazi ties.

Seven candidates had been in the race to replace him on Tuesday.

In his first remarks, Mr Fergus urged his colleagues to treat each other with respect in the House, a place he said was for “passionate debate”.

“We will show them politics is a noble profession,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his election “should be inspiring for all Canadians, especially younger generations who want to get involved in politics”.

His nomination was opposed by some Conservative members. MP Michelle Rempel Garner of Calgary argued that an ethics violation from last year – in which he was found to have inappropriately written a letter of support as a lawmaker for a French-speaking broadcaster – made him unable to serve.

But despite some opposition, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre smiled as he and Mr Trudeau held Mr Fergus’ arms to escort him into the House of Commons in Ottawa in a centuries old tradition in which the new Speaker feigns an unwillingness to serve.

While Mr Fergus is the first black man to become Speaker in the House, Jean Augustine, the first black woman to be elected as a member of parliament in 1993, later went on to briefly serve as deputy speaker.

Along with his role as member of parliament, Mr Fergus, 54, served as parliamentary secretary to the Treasury Board president and to the health minister.

As a student in the late 1980s, he was also a House of Commons page for a year – a part-time year-long role that includes tasks such as delivering water and messages to members in the House chamber – a moment he recalled in his remarks.

Mr Fergus was first elected in 2015 as an MP for the Quebec riding (district) of Hull-Aylmer, near Ottawa, the year Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party swept into power.

His personal biography describes him as a “community activist, long distance runner, new grandfather and failed musician”.

The Speaker chairs debates, enforces the rules of the House, votes only to break a tie and is expected to be politically impartial.

His first role will be to “restore the honour of the Chamber,” said leader of the New Democrats Jagmeet Singh, speaking on the House floor.

It was a reference to the standing ovation given to a World War Two veteran who served in the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, a voluntary unit made up mostly of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command.

Yaroslav Hunka, 98, was sitting in the gallery in parliament when Mr Rota honoured him by calling him a “hero” during a visit to Ottawa by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Division members are accused of killing Polish and Jewish civilians, although the unit has not been found guilty of any war crimes by a tribunal.

The 22 September incident drew global condemnation.

Mr Trudeau last week apologised for the incident, saying it was “a mistake that deeply embarrassed parliament and Canada”.

At least 21 people including four children have died after a bus crashed off a flyover near Venice and caught fire, officials say.

The bus broke through a barrier and plunged near railway tracks in the district of Mestre, which is connected to Venice by a bridge.

Among the dead are five Ukrainians, one German and the Italian driver, city prefect Michele Di Bari said.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said a “huge tragedy” had taken place.

“An apocalyptic scene, there are no words,” he said on social media.

Another 18 people are known to have been injured, five of them seriously. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the death toll could rise.

The bus is thought to have been rented to take tourists between Venice and a campsite in the nearby Marghera district.

The incident happened at about 19:45 (17:45 GMT) as the bus was reportedly taking tourists back to the campsite.

The vehicle plunged more than 10m (33 feet), emergency services said.

Some reports say the bus was powered by methane gas and fell on to power lines and caught fire.

A reception point staffed by psychologists and psychiatrists has been set up at a nearby hospital to provide support for the victims’ families.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was following developments and expressed condolences.

“Our thoughts go out to the victims and their family and friends,” she said.

In 2013, 38 people were killed after a coach lost control on a viaduct near the south Italian town of Monteforte Irpino, hitting several other cars before falling into a ravine.

The government’s former chief scientific adviser criticised Boris Johnson’s “impossible flip-flopping” and “bipolar decision-making” in diary entries released to the Covid inquiry.

Sir Patrick Vallance also wrote of “chaos as usual” in Downing Street after a meeting on social-distancing.

The entries were read out at the start of stage two of the inquiry, which will examine the political decision-making.

The government has said it acted to save lives and protect the nation.

Mr Johnson will give evidence in person to the inquiry later this year, along with other ministers, advisers, civil servants and health officials.

Sir Patrick served as the government’s chief scientific adviser from 2018 to 2023 and was a familiar face at the podium for Covid news conferences.

Extracts of daily diaries he wrote during the pandemic were read out by the inquiry’s lead counsel, Hugo Keith KC, as part of his opening statement on Tuesday.

In one note Sir Patrick wrote: “Number 10 chaos as usual.

“On Friday, the two-metre rule meeting made it abundantly clear that no-one in Number 10 or the Cabinet Office had really read or taken time to understand the science advice on two metres. Quite extraordinary.”

In other entries Sir Patrick described how he felt scientists were “used as human shields” by ministers.

On 19 September 2020, around the time a possible “circuit-breaker” lockdown was being discussed, he wrote: “[Johnson] is all over the place and so completely inconsistent. You can see why it was so difficult to get agreement to lock down first time.”

Meanwhile, long Covid support groups said Mr Johnson used colourful language to describe the condition in October 2020.

Speaking on behalf of the groups, Anthony Metzer KC said that when the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was publishing guidance for people with long Covid the former prime minister dismissed it as “bollocks”.

“Mr Johnson has admitted in his witness statement that he didn’t believe long Covid truly existed, dismissing it as ‘Gulf War Syndrome stuff’,”Mr Metzer said.

‘Toxic atmosphere’

Mr Keith also said WhatsApp exchanges between senior officials in Downing Street painted a “depressing picture” of factional infighting and a “toxic atmosphere” during the pandemic.

He said messages showed “disharmony” between Number 10 and the DHSC, and contained repeated references to Mr Johnson’s loss of confidence in former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

“It appears to be the case that the prime minister and a number of officials and advisers held him in low regard,” said Mr Keith.

“In particular, on account of his apparent tendency to get over-excited and then make stuff up.”

The inquiry has now received messages from more than 250 different WhatsApp groups in addition to thousands of pages of one-to-one chat conversations, Mr Keith confirmed.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the BBC in an interview that “of course” he was helping the inquiry after it was claimed he was unable to provide some of his messages after swapping his phone a number of times.

The Guardian newspaper had reported that he had written in a witness statement that he did not have access to the messages because he did not back them up.

At the Conservative Party conference, Mr Sunak said: “This is the legal inquiry, there’s a full process. I submit a lot of different evidence and documentation. I will be interviewed. All of that will be transparent and public.

“And of course I’m helping with all of that, as people would expect. We want to learn the lessons from Covid.”

The Guardian also reported that Mr Johnson had been unable to access messages sent earlier than 7 June 2020 because of an unspecified technical issue.

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group said the loss of these messages was a “remarkable and unfortunate coincidence” and called for experts to examine the phone to see if the messages could be recovered.

Mr Keith told the hearing that although it was right to say the inquiry had not received all the messages asked for, “we have a very good picture of what happened”.

“There are unlikely to be any hidden corners which have escaped the inquiry’s attention,” he added.

US assures Pakistan of assistance to counter extremism

WASHINGTON: Following the suicide attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the United States on Monday assured that it would continue to assist Pakistan’s efforts to counter all forms of violent extremism, said a State Department’s spokesperson in his daily press briefing.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller highlighted that a high-level counterterrorism (CT) dialogue was held between Washington and Islamabad earlier this year. He explained that the dialogue focused on discussing the shared terrorist threats facing the two countries and working on strategies to cooperate in areas such as border security, and terrorist financing.

“We will continue to work with Pakistan to ensure that we can better assist Pakistan’s effort to counter all forms of violent extremism,” said the spokesperson.

Miller said that Pakistanis have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks.

“They deserve to practice their faith without fear,” he said while offering deepest condolences to families who lost their loved ones and speedy recovery to those injured.

Mastung, Hangu suicide attacks

On Friday, Balochistna’s Mastung was rocked by a suicide attack — which marked the second major explosion in the district in September — near a mosque where 43 people lost their lives instantly while preparing for a celebratory procession in honour of Eid Miladun Nabi.

The death toll rose to 60 after another injured victim Muhammad Rafiq — who had been receiving medical care at the Civil Hospital Trauma Center in Quetta — succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.

On the same day, a blast ripped through a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu killing five people including a policeman.

The incident took place within the parameters of Police Station Doaba during the Friday sermon — a time when scores of believers are gathered at a mosque for their weekly prayer.

The police officials had said that two militants tried entering the police station and started firing at the gate. They had added that one of the terrorists was killed at the gate by the police in retaliatory fire.

Moreover, two policemen were also injured during the firing, officials of the law enforcement agency said, adding that the other militant blew himself up inside the mosque.

The timely action by the police resulted in fewer casualties following the blast, they had added.

Following the blasts, during a press conference in Quetta, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was involved in carrying out terror incidents in Pakistan.

Bugti had said that the authorities knew who was involved in these activities and would avenge every drop of blood of Pakistanis.

The minister had also pledged to utilise all resources to eliminate terrorism, stressing that there’s no place for militants and their facilitators in the country.

CJP Isa hints at concluding SC law proceedings today

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has hinted at concluding proceedings of petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 today (Tuesday), saying too many cases are pending in the apex court.

The remarks come as the full court bench — headed by CJP Isa and comprising 14 judges of the Supreme Court — resumed hearing petitions challenging the law seeking to curtail CJP’s discretionary powers.

The proceedings of the case are being broadcast live by state-run PTV.

The full court bench includes CJP Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shahid Waheed and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

At the last hearing, the apex court’s full court had sought replies from all parties by September 25.

At the outset of the hearing, CJP Isa said the apex court would try to conclude hearings of the case today (Tuesday).

The CJP said many cases are already pending in the Supreme Court and the court cannot spend too much time on one case.

He also directed the petitioner’s counsel to complete his arguments in 10 minutes.

CJP Isa said the powers of the chief justice are not being curtailed through this legislation rather they are being devolved among the judges.

He said the impact of this law will be particularly on the chief justice and the two senior judges.

‘Parliament bulldozed judiciary’s independence’

Presenting his arguments, the petitioner’s lawyer Ikram Chaudhry said parliament bulldozed the independence of the judiciary through the practice Act.

“Parliament tried to breach jurisdiction through the Act,” he added.

Lawyer Chaudhry also pointed that it was also imperative to review the situation of the parliament at the time it passed the act.

“Will you base your arguments on newspaper reports?” the CJP said.

To this, the lawyer said they did not have record of parliament’s proceedings.

“Did you request the speaker in writing to provide you with the record of the proceedings?” the CJP inquired.

CJP Isa also told the counsel to avoid political discussion in the court after the latter read out the statement of former prime minister before the bench.

“Don’t do politics here, [forum of] media is available. Go and do politics there,” the CJP remarked.

The CJP said some people believed that Supreme Court and parliament have come face to face over this law.

“I will not use the word war,” the CJP remarked.

The CJP said the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act has now become a law and added that the debate should not be held on whether parliament could have enacted legislation or not.

“Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act is against the Constitution or not, tell me,” CJP asked the counsel.

Responding to the lawyer’s argument that the apex ocurt has powers to strike down any legislation, the CJP Isa said the Supreme Court declared in the 21st Amendment that it can also review the constitutional amendment.

“The independence of judiciary is only for courts to defend?” the CJP asked.

“If parliament makes a law to give priority to widows’ cases [then] that too will affect the independence of the judiciary?” the CJP added.

‘Act makes access to justice easy’

After lawyer Chaudhry completed his arguments, another petitioner’s counsel Hasan Irfan took the rostrum.

He told the bench that the Constitution made the use of Article 184 (3) mandatory on the Supreme Court.

At which, the CJP said: “You are saying that the not only Chief Justice has the power of Article 184-3, but the entire Supreme Court can exercise it?”

Justice Ijaz Ul Ashan said Article 191 empowers the Supreme Court to make its own rules of procedure.

“The Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act has devolved the powers of the chief justice to a committee of judges,” Justice Ahsan remarked.

He further said the apex court itself can divide its powers into one or as many judges.

“The powers of the Supreme Court are sacred,” Justice Ahsan remarked.

Justice Athar Minallah said the Act made access to justice easy. “[…] does the parliament not have the powers to bring transparency in the internal affairs of the Supreme Court?” asked Justice Minallah.

Justice Minallah further inquired from the counsel as to how the fundamental rights pertaining to access to justice of the people were affected by the Act.

Lawyer Irfan asked whether the chief justice and the judges’ committee have the discretionary authority to take notice of the violation of his rights.

Responding to this, Justice Minallah asked whether the right to access justice was affected when the suo moto powers rested with the chief justice.

Case background

On April 13, an eight-member bench of the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the law, which deals with the powers of the top judge in matters of public interest and seeks to limit the suo moto powers of the chief justice of Pakistan.

During the previous hearing in June, the similarities between the Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023 — which relates to the right of appeal in suo motu cases — and the SC Practice and Procedure Act were discussed with Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan saying that parliament could look into “harmonising” the two laws.

The then-CJP Umar Ata Bandial— while he welcomed the proposal — said that the federal government should take the top court into consideration when making any legislation related to the judiciary.

Following CJP Isa’s elevation as the country’s top judge, the petition was fixed for hearing on the first day of his tenure. The top judge had constituted a full court to hear the pleas challenging the law and was televised making it the first time in the country’s judicial history, the Supreme Court allowed live telecast of proceedings on the petitions challenging the contentious law.

During the day-long hearing, a number of queries were raised by different members of the bench and the attorney general and lawyers sought time to submit their responses.

To this effect, the court directed the lawyers to submit their responses by September 25 and adjourned the hearing till October 3.

Furthermore, to continue the functioning of the Supreme Court, CJP Isa constituted a three-member committee — comprising himself, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Ijazul Ahsan — to assign cases and form benches.

The law

The law gave 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.

It added that the decisions of the committee would be taken by a majority.

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.

It added that this right of appeal would also extend retrospectively to those aggrieved persons against whom an order was made under Article 184(3) prior to the commencement of the SC (Practice and Procedure), Act 2023, on the condition that the appeal was filed within 30 days of the Act’s commencement.

The Act additionally said that a party would have the right to appoint its counsel of choice for filing a review application under Article 188 of the Constitution.

Furthermore, it states that an application pleading urgency or seeking interim relief, filed in a cause, appeal or matter, shall be fixed for hearing within 14 days from the date of its filing.

India tells Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats by Oct 10

The Financial Times reported The Financial Times, citing people familiar with the Indian demand, said India had threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of those diplomats told to leave who remained after Oct. 10.

Reuters reported that the Indian and Canadian foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said: ‘There was a climate of violence and an atmosphere of intimidation against Indian diplomats in Canada.”

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said while responding to a question related to Nijjar’s killing in Canada said that it is in close coordination with Canada on allegations regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan leader—Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“We remain in close coordination with our Canadian colleagues on this question,” he said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently exposed India and said Indian government behind the fatal shooting of Nijjar.

Nijjar was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

Armenia says one dead, two wounded in earlier cross-border fire

Armenia on Monday said one serviceman was killed when Azerbaijani forces opened fire in a border region, underscoring the volatility of the area even after the capitulation of the separatist statelet of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“On 2 October, as a result of shelling by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces of a vehicle belonging to the Armenian Armed Forces carrying provisions for personnel… there is one dead and two wounded on the Armenian side,” Armenia’s defence ministry said on Telegram, after initially reporting an unspecified number of casualties.

Month: October 2023