Siasat Wala Blog

RAWALPINDI: Former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC)  General (retd) Khalid Shameem Wynne died in a road accident on Saturday, according to Inter Services Public Relations. The police said that the accident occurred after the tyre of General (retd) Wynne's car burst open. The four-star general served as the 14th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee before retiring on October 7, 2013.

ISLAMABAD: A two-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday acquitted a man accused of disrespecting holy scriptures for lack of evidence.  The accused, Muhammad Mansha was accused of disrespecting the Holy Quran in Sadiqabad, Bahawalnagar and was awarded a life sentence by a trial court which was later upheld by the high court nearly a decade ago.  The evidence against the accused was the testimony of one man, a deaf and mute cousin of the accused.  During proceedings Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that in present times people were killing their own brothers, while Justice Dost Muhammad Khan remarked that an individual who falsely accuses another of blasphemy is guilty of committing the same crime.  Counsel for the accused, Rizwan Ejaz informed the bench that a case against his client was registered in Septemeber 2008 and his client had been incarcerated already for nine years.  Upon hearing the facts Justice Dost Muhammad Khan remarked that subjecting anyone over t

SUKKUR: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman is speaking to the media in Sukkur, a day after the 10th death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto. 

LAHORE: Gas supply to parts of the city will remain shut on Thursday, December 28, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has informed its customers. According to the SNGPL Lahore division, the gas supply will be closed for 24 hours, from 1am on December 28 to 1am on December 29, owing to the ongoing construction work on Orange Line Metro Train project. The areas which will be impacted by the shutdown include Mayo Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Gawalmandi, Abbott Road, Diyal Singh Mansion, Nisbat Road, Queen’s Road, Lawrence Road, Qila Gujar Singh, Royal Park, Governor House, Avari Hotel, Assembly Hall, Mozang, Davis Road, Mall Road, Canal Bank and other towns. The company has appealed to its customers to make alternative arrangements during the shutdown. 

PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed in a drone attack near Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Tuesday, Geo News reported citing sources. According to sources, the drone strike targetted a vehicle near the border. Two people inside the vehicle were killed as a result of the attack. Last month, three people were reported dead in a drone strike targetting a Taliban commander near the Pak-Afghan border in Kurram Agency – one of the seven tribal agencies in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In October, at least 31 people were killed in three drone strikes targetting areas near the Pak-Afghan border in Afghanistan over a span of 24 hours. At least 12 others were reported injured in the multiple drone attacks.

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has approved the summary for a province-wide public holiday on December 27, to mark the death anniversary of slain Pakistan Peoples Party Leader Benazir Bhutto, Geo News reported Tuesday. The summary for the holiday to mark Benazir’s death anniversary was forwarded to the CM by Department of Services General Administration and Coordination of Sindh government. It is expected that all offices, autonomous or semi-autonomous, working under the Sindh government will remain closed on December 27 (Wednesday).  On December 27, 2007, Benazir was assassinated during a public gathering at Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh.

KARACHI: Test cricketer Iftekhar Ahmad and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan helped Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the final of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on Saturday. SNGPL was struggling at 21/4 after their second innings, and at one stage conceded a 12-run lead to Wapda. But Iftikhar and Rizwan added 120 runs for the unbeaten fifth wicket partnership to help SNGPL come back in the match. Rizwan was playing at 54 and Iftikhar was unbeaten at 55, when the game concluded on day three. Earlier, Kamran Akmal scored a brilliant half century to help Wapda achieve a 12-run lead in the first innings. Wapda resumed its first innings with an overnight score of 171/5 before being bowled out for 271 as Test cricketer Mohammad Abbas sent four players back to the pavilion. Kamran scored 67 while Khalid Usman added 26 runs towards the end to ensure first innings lead for Wapda. However, SNGPL took over and was 129 runs ahead in the mat

LONDON: The doctors have asked Senator Ishaq Dar to get admitted to the hospital once again for treatment after scan showed complexities in his spine, according to sources. This was prescribed a day earlier when Dar met a neuro-spinal surgeon to discuss his Magnetic Resonance Imaging result, sources said. It showed that Dar has slipped disc at some point in his cervical spine, which is why the doctor suggested Dar gets admitted so that injections could be administered in his spine, they added. The sources quoted the doctor as saying that the latter will then assess whether the injections are assuaging Dar’s neck and back pain or not. If the injections do not work, Dar will have to undergo a spinal surgery, sources said. Dar left for London around two months ago, for treatment of heart ailments. However, further tests showed him to have been undergoing several health issues, including those related to his spine. The completion of Dar’s treatment is awaited in his home country, Paki

SUKKUR: A police constable burnt his sister over a dispute at a wedding ceremony Thursday night. According to Sukkur City ASP Maroof Usman, the constable, Mehboob Bhutto, was intoxicated when he sprinkled petrol on his sister Nausheen and set her ablaze.  As a consequence, not only was his sister burnt but a woman from their neighbourhood, Arbeli, also got injured. Police said the constable set his sister on fire for inviting to their nephew’s wedding the relatives he was unpleasant terms with. Mehboob was arrested while the two women with burn injuries were shifted to Karachi as there are no burn units in the hospitals of Sukkur. The constable was arrested while a case against him would be filed soon, said the police.