Arrest warrants issued for ARY's Salman, Luqman

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday issued arrest warrants for ARY chief executive Salman Iqbal and anchor Mubashir Lucman for presenting anti-judiciary programs.

IHC Justice Shaukat Siddiqui was hearing the Islamabad District Bar petition against ARY’s program maligning the judiciary.

During the hearing, Secretary Information, Dr. Nazeer and Acting Chairman, PEMRA, Pervaiz Rathore appeared before the court, while PEMRA submitted CDs and transcriptions of Mubashir Lucman’s anti-judiciary programs which were broadcast on ARY.

Later, the court issued warrants of arrest for Salman Iqbal and Mubashir Lucman, as both the accused failed to appear before the court, despite summons.

Further hearing of the case has been adjourned until first week of August.

Order to arrest Qadri’s activists not issued: Pervaiz

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid said on Sunday that the government had not directed the law enforcement agencies to arrest activists of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) and that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands.
He said that Tahirul Qadri wanted chaos in the country, media reported. In a statement, he said by doing so Tahirul Qadri wanted to disunite the nation and intended to extend unrest in the country. Pervaiz Rashid said Qadri could not survive under democratic rule so he wanted to weaken democracy.

The minister said that Qadri was part and parcel of the regime which had conducted the most rigged elections and referendum of 2002. Talking about the IDPs issue, he said that the government would utilise all available resources to address the sufferings of the affected people of North Waziristan.

The information minister said that all the departments concerned were in direct contact to look after the affected people. He said that Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch, governor and chief secretary were regularly holding meetings for the purpose.

Pervaiz Rashid said the federal and the provincial governments were in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Fata Disaster Management Authority to facilitate the displaced people. He said the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would not leave the affected people of North Waziristan alone.

The information minister said Imran Khan had failed to express solidarity with the affected people of Thar and Awaran. He said the prime minister had visited Thar and Awaran to mitigate the sufferings of the affected people.Pervaiz Rashid said Imran Khan did not demand the resignation from the provincial government when five hundred terrorists fled Dera Ismail Khan jail.

Punjab CM issued orders for firing, must resign: Qadri

 

LAHORE: Dr Tahirul Qadri, the chief of Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT), while rejecting the removal of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and terming it an eyewash, said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had ordered the police to open firing at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Model Town, Lahore, and he should tender his resignation.
He was addressing a press conference on Friday via video link as many opposition leaders were also present on the occasion. All the opposition parties gathered at the Minhajul QuranInternational (MQI) Secretariat on Friday to reiterate the demand that top ruling personalities including the prime minister, Punjab chief minister, some federal and provincial ministers, senior bureaucrats and entire team in Lahore operation should resign by accepting responsibility for the killing of its 11 workers.

On the other hand, Dr Tahirul Qadri said his workers had exercised restraint; otherwise, they would have set the whole country ablaze.

MQI Federal Council Chairman Hasan Mohiuddin Qadri – the eldest son of Qadri - addressed a press conference along with senior leaders of PPP, PML-Q, MQM, PTI, MWM, MYC, SIC and religious personalities. They demanded that a three-member judicial commission of impartial Supreme Court judges should hold inquiry with the help of unbiased officials of ISI, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau to fix responsibility.

They termed the anti-encroachment operation at MQI secretariat state terrorism and slaughter of MQI workers to deter Qadri from returning to the country for launching anti-government movement.

The senior opposition leaders present on the occasion — PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badr, PPP Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo, PML-Q’s Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, MQM’s Rasheed Godale, PTI Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry, Imtiaz Naqvi of MWM - stressed that they would stand by Qadri in his movement for restoration genuine democracy, electoral reforms, elimination of corruption and realisation of the fundamental rights of the people.

Hasan, who read out the demands, said the meeting of opposition leaders decided that the FIR registered by police should be discarded and all the arrested be released, as he also called for recovering the missing workers.

He thanked all the opposition parties for expressing solidarity with the MQI and said justice could be provided only through Qisas. He said Qisas for the martyred workers was the destination of revolution which was clear in the sight.

Later, Qadri addressed the press conference and said his workers had exercised restraint after the Model Town tragedy; otherwise, they would have set the whole country ablaze. He reiterated that the barricades around the MQI Secretariat and his house were not erected by his party but by the police on the orders of Lahore High Court (LHC) and if police wanted to remove them the issue could have been resolved amicably.

He rejected the reports that people of the area had lodged complaints against him for closing down several roads. He said if there were complaints, why the government did not address them earlier and why it removed the barricades when he was about to launch the anti-government movement.

Qadri alleged that the PML-N leadership had gone mad on the thought of him launching a movement to re-establish rule of law in the country and eliminate corruption, bad governance, and plunder of public wealth.

He alleged that the Punjab chief minister was actually (Qatil-e-Ala) who had written a historic chapter of brutality and barbarism by attacking MQI Secretariat and his house.

On the reports of removal of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and CM’s Principal Secretary Dr Tauqeer Shah, he said it was the victory of his stance that the provincial government had committed a gross injustice. He, however, said removal of one or two persons was just eyewash and demanded that entire team involved in the operation, including the prime minister and chief minister, must be removed.

Qadri opined that Rana Sanaullah was not actually removed but sent on ‘honeymoon’, so that he could be brought back any time. He said by Sana’s removal, Shahbaz Sharif had changed the earlier stance of his government and vindicated MQI’s position.

Earlier, the meeting of opposition leaders also passed a resolution on the murder of MQM MNA Tahira Asif and demanded an inquiry to identify the culprits. Manzoor Wattoo, Zaheeruddin, Rasheed Godale, SIC leader Sahibzada Hasan Raza, Ijaz Chaudhry and others also spoke on the occasion.

Non-bailable arrest warrants for Gilani, Fahim issued again

KARACHI: The Federal Anti-Corruption Court (FACC) on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants of five accused including former PM Yusuf Raza Gilani and former commerce minister Makhdomm Amin Fahim in seven cases concerning the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) scam.

The court headed by Muhammad Azeem has now issued non-bailable warrants of arrest in seven cases filed by FIA against Yusuf Raza Gilani, Amin Fahim and former secretary to the prime minister’s house, Zubair. In these cases, the FIA submitted seven charge sheets and showing the three accused as absconders.

Consequently, the court issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against the three accused involved in the TDAP scam. Earlier, on May 29 an anti corruption court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Gilani and Fahim.

In these cases, the two PPP leaders were accused of misappropriation of huge funds and the apex court of the country had also taken notice of alleged plundering of national exchequer under one pretext or the other by the accused.

A bench headed by the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had heard the corruption cases relating to different departments and had directed the FIA to investigate, report and lodge cases.

The cases that were lodged after investigation were now being heard by the FACC that had earlier given Amin Fahim an exemption from appearance in the court and at times it had directed the defence counsel to ensure the appearance of his client at the next hearing.

In some of the cases, the trial court had declared to frame charges against the accused, but due to non-appearance of some of the accused, including Amin Fahim, it could not happen. The court now has issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the two accused along with other absconding accused.

The investigators have been made bound to ensure arrest of the accused and their production before the court on June 17 when the court would sit again to hear these seven cases.The FACC has ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to produce all the accused before the court by June 17.

Earlier the FIA had declared Yusuf Raza Gilani and Makhdomm Amin Fahim as fugitives in cases linked to TDAP scam and the court ultimately had to pass the above orders as part of legal proceedings.

The FIA mentioned in its charge sheet that former TDAP chairman Tariq Iqbalpuri, former director general Javed Anwar, Abdul Karim Daud and former project manager Mirchumal Khatri had already been arrested and recorded their statement while Gilani and Amin Fahim’s names were included in the light of the statements recorded by the detained accused. In these cases the warrants against the two PPP leaders have been issued by two courts (in Karachi and in Islamabad). Seven other accused have also been declared as absconding and non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued against these accused as well.The court had previously issued notices (three times) to Yusuf Raza Gilani and Makhdoon Amin Fahim, directing them to appear before it.

Non-bailable arrest warrants for Gilani, Faheem issued

KARACHI: An anti-corruption court in Karachi on Thursday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Faheem.

The warrants against the two were issued in a case relating to financial irregularities in the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing till June 17.

The case in this regard had been registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) when Amin Faheem was Commerce Minister.Gilani and Fahim had been accused of involvement in Rs7 billion financial scam in TDAP. Muhammad Firdous, the key accused, turned approver against the former prime minister and former federal minister.

The court had previously issued three notices to Gilani and Faheem, requiring them to appear before it. The notices were ignored after which bailable arrest warrants were issued against both the leaders. On Thursday, however, the court issued non-bailable arrest warrants and adjourned the hearing till June 17.

Meanwhile, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that he would appear in the Accountability Court, Islamabad on June 4 and also ATC court in Karachi in TDAP case adding he had been facing fabricated cases in the past and would face these now as well.

In a statement issued here Gilani said that he was only one who had received the notices to appear in the court adding that he was determined to defend himself as he had done in the past.

He said if the competent appointing authority was to be held responsible, no one could be spared if the intentions were motivated by vendetta.He advised the Ministry of Interior and the present government to bring out all the cases against him and his sons in order to avoid the implications of double jeopardy.

He lamented that no case in this country was completed without implicating him whether it was case of Ogra, NICL, NRO, TDAP or Haj scam. The beneficiaries of the NRO had been exonerated but he was still facing the music. “These are classic examples of miscarriage of justice,” he said.

He said that his sons had been implicated in false cases while his other son was kidnapped and they knew the amount of torture his family was going through.He asked the government to avoid crossing the limits of victimisation and unleash it to the extent they could also bear it tomorrow. They had no stomach to tolerate even the fraction of what was going on against him, he observed.

Non-bailable arrest warrants for Gilani, Fahim issued

KARACHI: Federal Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday issued arrest non-bailable warrants for former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and former minister for commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Geo News reported.

The Federal Anti-Corruption Court no. 01 Judge, Muhammad Azeem issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Gilani and Fahim over irregularities in Trade Development Authority (TDA)

Former staff officer of Amin Fahim, Farhan Junejo, Imran Qadir and ex-deputy secretary PM House Zubair Ahmed are fugitive in the case.

The case 27/2013 was registered by FIA Crime Circle against the accused.