By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Tariq Pervez Khan on Thursday restored a civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate who had resigned in protest when police manhandled Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry some two years back. Through a notification issued by the PHC Registrar, Civil Judge Ijaz Ahmad was restored to his previous position as civil judge-I Abbottabad. Qalandar told the media that after restoration of all November 2, 2007 superior court judges, the PHC had also put a summary for restoration of lone civil judge from the NWFP who had tendered resignation to protest the humiliation of Justice Chaudhry through Islamabad Police.
Suo motu notice on journalists’ torture disposed of
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court disposed of a suo motu notice of torture of journalists when the accused lawyers tendered an unconditional apology before the court’s two-member bench. Accused-lawyers Rana Asif, Rana Sajjad, Rana Saeed Anwar and Malik Hanif Awan and Mehar Jahangir expressed regret over the incident, saying they wanted to apologise unconditionally. They also withdrew their bail applications, leaving themselves at the mercy of the court. Lahore Bar Association President Rana Zia Abdul Rehman said that the bar membership of accused lawyers was under suspension. He also undertook to ensure that such incidents do not take place in the future.
Aafia’s lawyers
NEW YORK: The Government of Pakistan will pay for new three-member team of lawyers to defend Dr Aafia Siddiqi. The decision was made “in consultation” with the family of Aafia Siddiqi, “and with the understanding that Dr Siddiqi refused the assistance of and did not want to be represented by her (State) appointed counsel,” a media report quoted the documents as saying.
Ministries told to reconcile accounts with AGPR
ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed all the ministries to reconcile their accounts with the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) every month to avoid any dispute during the committee meeting. This instruction has been issued on the directives of Chairman Public Accounts Committee Ch Nisar Ali Khan, official sources confirmed here.
Five killed in Kurram
By our correspondent
PARACHINAR: Five militants were killed and seven others injured when helicopter gunships pounded hideouts of militants in the Kurram Agency on Thursday. Tribal sources said security forces’ helicopter gunships pounded the hideouts and compounds of the militants in the central Kurram, killing five militants and injuring seven others.
PML-Q announces LB conventions
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The PML-Q is holding two separate ‘All Pakistan Local Government Conventions’ on August 19 and 20 to press the federal government to hold local government elections instead of appointing administrators. PML-Q central leader Ch Pervaiz Elahi stated this during a press conference at his residence here on Thursday. Pervaiz Elahi criticised the Punjab government and said it was adopting vindictive policies against the district Nazims and levelling baseless allegations against them. The PML-Q would raise the local governments issue in the Senate, national and provincial assemblies as well as in the Supreme Court, he added.
Two cops killed
QUETTA: Two cops of the Balochistan Constabulary were killed and two others injured in an ambush on the Sona Khan check-post located in the Hazarganji area late Wednesday night. They also fired a rocket on the check-post. Meanwhile, the Khuzdar police said miscreants had fired two rockets on the town but there was no damage.