ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad will appear before the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Wednesday to give a briefing on the alleged failure of the Result Transmission System (RTS) on the election night, an issue that has put a question mark on the transparency and fairness of the July 25 general elections.

The Senate committee, headed by Sassui Palijo of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has invited a number of senior parliamentarians from the government and the opposition, including chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior Rehman Malik, chairman of the house committee on law and justice Javed Abbasi, chairman of the house committee on information Faisal Javed, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Senator Usman Kakar and Moula Bux Chandio of the PPP, to attend the meeting.

The committee is meeting at a time when the National Assembly has already approved constitution of a 30-member bipartisan and bicameral special parliamentary committee on the demand of opposition parties to investigate charges of rigging in the general elections.

The RTS controversy came to the surface when results of the elections were abruptly stopped around midnight after the daylong polling and later ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad appeared on TV screens and informed the perplexed nation that the RTS had “collapsed” and that the ECP was now returning to the traditional and manual method of tabulating the results and, therefore, there could be an inordinate delay in the announcement of the unofficial results.

Lawmakers from govt, opposition invited to briefing

According to sources, soon after the secretary’s news conference, the senior and top officials of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the creators of the RTS mobile app, had protested with the ECP and claimed that the RTS was fully functional and they also provided some documentary evidence to prove their claim.

However, Nadra officials were simply told by ECP officials that they had decided to stop using RTS since it had started “malfunctioning”.

The RTS was developed by Nadra after an agreement with the ECP in February when the commission had expressed the desire to receive the results directly from polling stations as done by newspaper and TV reporters. The system, they said, was only meant for the quick announcement of the results for the media through the ECP and that was why its link was provided to the PTV.

Some Nadra officials allege that perhaps it was the ECP’s own costly Result Management System (RMS), installed at the offices of the returning officers (ROs) for tabulation of the results, that had stopped functioning and the commission had put the blame on Nadra only as a cover-up as the RTS and RMS were independent systems and there was no integration between the two softwares.

On the other hand, a spokesman for the ECP had refuted Nadra’s claim that the RMS had failed on the election night, reiterating the stance that the RTS had crashed.

He alleged that Nadra was making these claims only to hide its own “weaknesses”.

PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar had stated that traditionally the polls day manipulation took place in the RO offices at the time of consolidation of results and the RTS had been introduced to reduce the role of the ROs.

“The RTS worked perfectly well on the election day for some hours until someone was scared by prospects of eliminating the role of ROs altogether and decided to discontinue it,” he had alleged, while calling for a “forensic audit” to find answers to a number of questions.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018

LAHORE: The members of Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Monday locked entrance gates of sessions court for hours as protest against a suo motu notice taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on manhandling of a policeman by lawyers.

At a general house meeting of the bar, the lawyers termed the suo motu notice taken by the chief justice a disappointing step. They announced removal of all CCTV cameras installed in and outside the courtrooms in the sessions court. They claimed that the cameras had been used for victimisation of the lawyers.

The bar’s leaders announced that next general house meeting would be held in the Supreme Court on Oct 13.

They were of the view that the policeman, who received a bashing at the sessions court, had been patronising a mafia of land-grabbers and lodging false cases against lawyers. They said the protest would continue till cancellation of cases registered against the lawyers.

The other day, Chief Justice Nisar had taken notice of assault by lawyers on a police sub-inspector after video of the incident was aired by television channels.

The chief justice had summoned IGP Punjab for Oct 13 along with a report on the incident. Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon, president and general secretary of the LBA were also asked to attend the hearing.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to cut its non-development expenditures and set ‘realistic’ targets for increasing resources in the eight-month budget the provincial government is going to present on Oct 16.

“Reduce non-development expenses and introduce financial discipline and austerity in each department for creating financial space to provide relief to the masses,” Chief Minister Usman Buzdar directed the officials concerned in a meeting held here on Monday to ponder on various proposals for the Nov 2018-June 2019 budget to be presented in the Punjab Assembly.

The meeting also reviewed in detail the Annual Development Plan (ADP).

The chief minister was briefed about the recommendations related to budget, ADP and increase in financial resources.

Mr Buzdar said realistic targets would be set to increase the resources and people would be given maximum facilities by ensuring financial discipline in government departments.

“A culture of austerity, simplicity and saving will be introduced at every level and resources will be provided to arrange basic amenities for the people by decreasing unnecessary expenditures without burdening the common man,” he said.

“The culture of change should be visible in our first budget and deprived areas should be given preference in the development programme,” he added.

He said more attention should be given on the provision of basic amenities.

Mr Buzdar said development and prosperity of south Punjab was part of the PTI manifesto and the development programme would reflect the objective.

Senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan said revenue would have to be increased along with bringing “reasonable” decrease in the government’s expenditures. The traditional procedure of increasing the resources would have to be avoided and for that purpose the departments were needed to work on innovative ideas, he said.

Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht assured the meeting that the first budget of the PTI government would depict realistic statistics and targets.

Ministers Mohsin Leghari, Malik Anwar, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed, Ansar Majeed, Jehanzeb Khan Khichhi, the chief secretary, chairman of P&D, senior member of the Board of Revenue, secretaries of concerned departments and other senior officers attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018

KARACHI: While a deep depression over the Arabian Sea turned into a tropical cyclone, named Luban, officials at the Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Monday that it posed no threat to any part of the country’s coastline.

The deep depression in the Arabian Sea started developing last week and on Monday the Met Office said that it intensified into a cyclonic storm.

However, it said that the trend and direction of the emerging cyclone suggested that it was likely to hit coasts of Yemen and Oman.

“It is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and move west-north-westwards towards south Oman and Yemen coasts,” said a Met Office statement. “The tropical cyclone warning centre of PMD, Karachi is regularly monitoring the intensity and track of this weather system. No threat is expected from the tropical cyclone, storm surge, strong winds or heavy rainfall to any part of Pakistan coastline.”

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Monday claimed that she was working on solving enforced disappearances issue.

Speaking to a delegation, led by Chairperson Defence of Human Rights and Public Service Trust Amina Masood Janjua, she said the government was determined to resolving this issue on priority basis.

Ms Janjua apprised the minister about the progress her NGO had made in tracing missing persons.

Meanwhile Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madrassatul Islam University Karachi, Dr. Mohammad Ali Shaikh called on Dr Shireen Mazari.

They discussed the possibility to introduce human rights as a subject in the university. Dr Mazari assured her full support in this regard. She said that education provided a foundation for character building.

He said universities could play a pivotal role in the formation of character building of students as well as in the development of nation.

She said that all out efforts were being made to ensure the provision of higher education facilities to the students on priority basis. Education is the key to success, she added.

On this occasion, Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh apprised the Federal Minister for working progresses and ongoing projects for the betterment of students.

Dr Mazari also met Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Punjab Ijaz Alam.

Both Ministers discussed the matters related to the human rights particularly in the province and how to extend the mutual cooperation to ensure the protection of rights of the people.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018

LAHORE: The members of Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Monday locked entrance gates of sessions court for hours as protest against a suo motu notice taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on manhandling of a policeman by lawyers.

At a general house meeting of the bar, the lawyers termed the suo motu notice taken by the chief justice a disappointing step. They announced removal of all CCTV cameras installed in and outside the courtrooms in the sessions court. They claimed that the cameras had been used for victimisation of the lawyers.

The bar’s leaders announced that next general house meeting would be held in the Supreme Court on Oct 13.

They were of the view that the policeman, who received a bashing at the sessions court, had been patronising a mafia of land-grabbers and lodging false cases against lawyers. They said the protest would continue till cancellation of cases registered against the lawyers.

The other day, Chief Justice Nisar had taken notice of assault by lawyers on a police sub-inspector after video of the incident was aired by television channels.

The chief justice had summoned IGP Punjab for Oct 13 along with a report on the incident. Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon, president and general secretary of the LBA were also asked to attend the hearing.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2018

An aerobridge for a flight at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA) collapsed on Monday, injuring an operator of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

As the Gulf Airline's flight GF771, heading from Islamabad to Bahrain, began to taxi, it was separated from a passenger boarding bridge which then collapsed.

A bridge operator Mohammad Mudassir was moving the bridge back when it collapsed. He suffered injuries from the broken glass.

The airline proceeded safely towards its destination, airport officials said, adding that they were investigating what had caused the accident.

The newly constructed airport was inaugurated less than six months ago in May after going through its share of hiccups.

The value of the dollar shot up Rs11.70 in the interbank market on Tuesday, hitting a historical high of Rs138 as the day's trading was underway, DawnNewsTV reported.

The dollar has been on an appreciating trend, reaching Rs124.30 in the interbank market on Oct 5, with rates in the open market reaching Rs127.80 on Saturday.

The interbank rate today rested at Rs124 as the market opened, rose to Rs138, then dipped slightly to Rs133.

For the past few days, the open market rate of the US dollar has been Rs4-5 higher than the interbank rate. The open market rate is Rs134 to Rs135, according to General Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan Secretary Zafar Paracha.

Currency dealers fear the alarming increase will fan panic in the market for dollars, causing a buying frenzy for the US dollar.

They speculate that the sudden increase in the price of the USD could be a result of rupee devaluation by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in order to secure a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Fund has demanded the government devalue the rupee by at least 15 per cent.

"The central bank has given an indication to let the rupee go with market forces," a broker was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Bankers and experts have said that the rupee value in the currency market was already reflective of its true position, suggesting that there was no need for the government to further devalue the local currency.

Paracha earlier warned that an immediate devaluation could result in market disequilibrium similar to earlier instances when banks were offering high price of dollars and open market trading was much below the official rates.

Forex Association Malik Bostan advised the government to be cautious. "It shouldn't devalue currency so much that it robs people of their purchasing power," he said.

"They [government] are going to the IMF now and they have devalued the currency on the Fund's demand. I think the govt has shot itself in the foot."

Pakistan’s economy has been wobbly for months amid speculation that Prime Minister Imran Khan's new government would request the country’s 13th IMF bailout since the late 1980s.

A formal announcement in this regard was made yesterday, with the government confirming that it would approach the IMF for balance-of-payments support and enter into a stabilisation programme.

Market analyst Muzammil Aslam, while speaking to DawnNewsTV said that once Pakistan would receive funds from the IMF, the economy would stabilise.

"I don't think it will go up to Rs150, the government won't allow the economy to spin out of control," he added.

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Zaidi said that the jump in the exchange rate would "affect everyone, even us ministers".

"But just bear with it for a while and everything will fall into place," he said.

The value of the dollar shot up Rs11.70 in the interbank market on Tuesday, hitting a historical high of Rs138 as the day's trading was underway, DawnNewsTV reported.

The dollar has been on an appreciating trend, reaching Rs124.30 in the interbank market on Oct 5, with rates in the open market reaching Rs127.80 on Saturday.

The interbank rate today rested at Rs124 as the market opened, rose to Rs138, then dipped slightly to Rs133.

For the past few days, the open market rate of the US dollar has been Rs4-5 higher than the interbank rate. The open market rate is Rs134 to Rs135, according to General Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan Secretary Zafar Paracha.

Currency dealers fear the alarming increase will fan panic in the market for dollars, causing a buying frenzy for the US dollar.

They speculate that the sudden increase in the price of the USD could be a result of rupee devaluation — the fifth time in the year — by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in order to secure a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Fund has demanded the government devalue the rupee by at least 15 per cent.

"The central bank has given an indication to let the rupee go with market forces," a broker was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Bankers and experts have said that the rupee value in the currency market was already reflective of its true position, suggesting that there was no need for the government to further devalue the local currency.

Paracha earlier warned that an immediate devaluation could result in market disequilibrium similar to earlier instances when banks were offering high price of dollars and open market trading was much below the official rates.

Forex Association Malik Bostan advised the government to be cautious. "It shouldn't devalue currency so much that it robs people of their purchasing power," he said.

"They [government] are going to the IMF now and they have devalued the currency on the Fund's demand. I think the govt has shot itself in the foot."

Pakistan’s economy has been wobbly for months amid speculation that Prime Minister Imran Khan's new government would request the country’s 13th IMF bailout since the late 1980s.

A formal announcement in this regard was made yesterday, with the government confirming that it would approach the IMF for balance-of-payments support and enter into a stabilisation programme.

Market analyst Muzammil Aslam, while speaking to DawnNewsTV said that once Pakistan would receive funds from the IMF, the economy would stabilise.

"I don't think it will go up to Rs150, the government won't allow the economy to spin out of control," he added.

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Zaidi said that the jump in the exchange rate would "affect everyone, even us ministers".

"But just bear with it for a while and everything will fall into place," he said.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Punjab was changed for a second time in two months, as Amjad Javed Saleemi replaced Muhammad Tahir as the provincial police chief on Tuesday.

A notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat announced the change "with immediate effect and until further orders".

There was no reason mentioned for the transfer.

Saleemi was serving as the commandant of National Police Academy until recently, before which he had been posted as the Sindh IGP.

After a shuffle in the police force in September, Saleemi was replaced in Sindh by Syed Kaleem Imam who was the then Punjab IGP. Tahir, who was the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) IGP at the time, was appointed as Punjab's police chief. Salahuddin Khan assumed the position of KP's police chief.

SaudiGulf Airlines on Monday announced that it is starting direct flights to four destinations in Pakistan.

Taking to Twitter, the airline said it would begin operating flights between Dammam and Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Sialkot from Oct 15.

Earlier, the Chief Commercial Officer of SaudiGulf Airlines, Karim Makhlouf had said that a "new full-service national career" would begin operations in Pakistan from March 1.

He said that this was the first time that a private Saudi airline had decided to launch operations in Pakistan. Pakistan would also be the first country on the airline’s international network.

In his statement, Makhlouf had said, that SaudiGulf Airlines Airbus A-320 aircraft would fly the new routes.

A three-judge bench of a special court hearing treason charges against retired Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday said that it is vital the former president's statement be recorded in the case.

Musharraf left the country seeking medical treatment in March 2016 after being summoned by the court which is hearing a high treason case initiated against him for suspending the Constitution on Nov 3, 2007 — an offence for which he was indicted on March 31, 2014.

In today’s hearing, Justice Ali said former president’s statement could be recorded on Skype.

Musharraf's lawyer Salman Safdar said that he would have to ask his client if he wished to provide his statement over Skype.

“Can a 342 statement [statement of the accused] be recorded over Skype?” Justice Ali asked.

"The court had taken Mubarak Saigol's witness testimony in the Benazir Bhutto murder case on Skype," the lawyer told the court while adding that he would have to find out if the same can be done in the case of a 342 statement.

"It is not that the defendant does not wish to appear in court, it is that he is unable to be here because of his health," the lawyer explained.

"Musharraf had assured us that he would return," Justice Yawar Ali said, adding that the matter had now been raised in the Supreme Court.

To this, the lawyer responded that Musharraf is not returning at the moment and that even Interpol had refused to issue red warrants against the former president at the moment.

The prosecutor, Advocate Naseeruddin Nayyar, on the other hand, warned that Musharraf's presence in court is vital. He said that Musharraf is an absconder and should surrender to the court, and that his statement could not be recorded until that happens.

"The law will take due course if he does not return," the prosecutor added.

The court, while adjourning the hearing till Monday, told Musharraf's lawyer to inform the court about the former president's decision regarding recording his statement over Skype in the next hearing.

Advocate Nayyar was directed to give in written form to the court the prosecution's objections to recording the statement on Skype.

The court has asked both lawyers to assist it in finding out if a defendant's statement can be recorded electronically.

Traces of polio virus have been found in five areas of Karachi, the Provincial Anti-polio Task Force said on Tuesday.

Samples of water from 11 locations were taken in Karachi. "From these, the samples from Sohrab Goth, Chakorah Nala, Muhammad Khan Colony, Baldia, and Nagi Nala have traces of the polio virus," Programme Incharge Fayyaz Jatoi told a meeting of key stakeholders, adding that samples collected from Sukkur in the same month also had traces of the virus.

In the briefing, it was revealed that up till the month of September 118,557 children from Karachi had not been administered the polio vaccine due to lack of consent from their parents.

The stakeholders were further told that between April to September, 96,906 children from Karachi were not administered the vaccine because they weren't available at home when the polio teams visited. At least 88,464 children from rural Sindh were also not administered the vaccine due to the same reason.

"It is through all of our collective efforts that not a singe case of polio has been reported in Sindh," Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah — who was chairing the meeting — said, adding that his government is committed to eradicating polio from the country.

After the briefing, the Sindh CM said that polio teams should be sent to all schools in order to ensure that polio drops are administered to all children.

"We need to further strengthen our efforts against the virus to make sure that it is eliminated," Murad said, noting that Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries that still have not eliminated the virus entirely.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday suspended the Cabinet Secretariat's notification announcing the appointment of Amjad Javed Saleemi as the Punjab police chief.

Hours after the appointment was made public, the ECP informed the Establishment Division through a letter that it had suspended the notification as it was a violation of the commission's directives of September 3, 2018, banning postings and transfers of government officials in the wake of the by-elections scheduled for October 14.

Through the letter, the ECP director (elections) has instructed the secretary of the Establishment Division to explain within two days why its directions "have not been complied with".

Earlier in the day, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Punjab had been changed for a second time in two months, as Saleemi replaced Muhammad Tahir as the provincial police chief.

The Cabinet Secretariat's notification had announced the change "with immediate effect and until further orders".

There was no reason mentioned for the transfer in the notification.

With the suspension of the notification, Tahir has been reinstated as the Punjab police chief.

Saleemi, a BS-22 officer, was serving as the commandant of National Police Academy until recently, before which he had been posted as the Sindh IGP.

After a shuffle in the police force in September, Saleemi was replaced in Sindh by Syed Kaleem Imam who was the then Punjab IGP. Tahir, who was the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) IGP at the time, was appointed as Punjab's police chief. Salahuddin Khan assumed the position of KP's police chief.

PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry's intra-court appeal against a contempt of court conviction was heard in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, during which Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar expressed his vexation at Chaudhry's challenge to the court's earlier decision.

On August 2, the Supreme Court had held Chaudhry in contempt of court for his speech at a PML-N rally in Jarranwala, where he had said: "There was an era when the Kaabah was full of idols. Today, the judiciary, which is the country's highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols."

He had been sentenced till the rising of the court, which disqualified him from contesting elections for five years, and fined Rs100,000.

Irked that the politician seemingly did not appreciate the relative laxity of the sentence, CJP Nisar ordered at the start of the review hearing that the speech be played for the record.

"Let us see whom he is referring to as idols. Which idols is he saying should be broken? Which idols has he set out to break?" the CJP remarked.

After a recording was played for the court, the chief justice asked: "Now, tell me: how should we proceed to compound his punishment?"

To this, Kamran Murtaza, who was representing Chaudhry as his counsel, appealed to the chief justice's better nature.

"You have always shown leniency," he pleaded.

"Kamran sahab you are the vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council. Your client has said that the judiciary is full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols.

"Why did Mian Nawaz Sharif not say that they [the judiciary] are not unjust?" the chief justice asked, continuing to pose the counsel some hard-hitting questions.

"Call Talal to the rostrum," CJP Nisar instructed.

Addressing Chaudhry, the chief justice asked: "Is this how you show respect to your mother and father? Do you call them idols and infidels too?"

Chaudhry's counsel rushing to his aid, saying: "The child has committed a mistake." This greatly annoyed the CJP, who responded in disbelief: "You call him [Chaudhry] a child?"

"While we are issuing the notification [setting aside the appeal], why don't we just go ahead and increase the punishment?" the chief justice continued, prompting Murtaza to plead: "I am requesting you to be the bigger person here. I am acknowledging you are right and Talal is wrong."

Justice Ijazul Hasan, who was also presiding over the hearing, remarked: "He [Chaudhry] is not remorseful. He wanted to challenge our decision in the matter."

Chaudhry's counsel again pleaded for mercy, saying that it was a question of Chaudhry's career.

"He [Chaudhry] is asking forgiveness. Not just from you but from the entire Supreme Court," Murtaza asserted.

Unconvinced, CJP Nisar proceeded to address Chaudhry: "Talal go bring some Mian sahab to throw out these PCO idols."

Chaudhry in at attempt to defend himself said: "We only use the PCO term symbolically. Your court's decision was against the PCO. I did not name you in particular."

But the chief justice was beyond any appeasement. "Why don't we summon the attorney general? Let's ask if we can have his [Chaudhry's] sentence increased?" he said.

Murtaza insisted that his client was asking for the court's forgiveness, to which the chief justice responded saying: "It doesn't seem that way with the kind of things he is saying."

The session concluded with the dismissal of Chaudhry's petition.

A Lahore sessions court on Tuesday sentenced a 60-year-old man to six years in jail for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl.

The court also ordered the accused, Muzaffar Hussain, to pay a Rs500,000 fine.

Two years ago, a case had been registered against Hussain under Sections 367 and 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The sections deal with kidnapping in order to subject person to grievous hurt and rape, respectively.

Hussain, a paraplegic, was brought to court in a wheelchair. He fainted when Judge Rehmat Ali read out the court's verdict.

Unidentified suspects set on fire a billion tree tsunami nursery in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, destroying thousands of saplings, local police said.

The government forest was set on fire over an alleged enmity with the caretaker of the forest, police said while sharing initial information about the fire with DawnNewsTV.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had inaugurated the billion tree tsunami plantation drive in 2015 on the bank of the Kurram river in the district. More than 130,000 saplings were planted back then.

Station House Officer (SHO) Gul Muhammad of the city police station told DawnNewsTV that police have registered an FIR against unidentified suspects for destroying the forest. He said police have also received an application from the caretaker of the nursery.

The caretaker has alleged that three to four men from his opponent tribe were involved in the incident, the SHO revealed.

So far no arrests have been made in connection with the case, the officer said, adding that the police have initiated an investigation into the matter.

Two policemen were arrested in Karachi on Tuesday as the traffic police began taking action against residents travelling on the wrong side of the road.

The crackdown began after Additional IG Karachi Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh ordered that commuters travelling the wrong-way be arrested and their vehicles seized.

Among the first offenders caught as part of the action were two police officials, who were arrested for driving on the wrong side near Zainab Market. They were shifted to Artillery Maidan police station.

The arrests are being made under Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Pakistan Penal Code, traffic police officials told DawnNewsTV.

They said action against wrong-way goers was started in all areas after the Karachi police chief issued directions to ensure implementation of traffic rules and regulations.

PML-N leader Tallal Chaudhry's intra-court appeal against a contempt of court conviction was heard in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, during which Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar expressed his vexation at Chaudhry's challenge to the court's earlier decision.

On August 2, the Supreme Court had held Chaudhry in contempt of court for his speech at a PML-N rally in Jarranwala, where he had said: "There was an era when the Kaabah was full of idols. Today, the judiciary, which is the country's highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols."

He had been sentenced till the rising of the court, which disqualified him from contesting elections for five years, and fined Rs100,000.

Irked that the politician seemingly did not appreciate the relative laxity of the sentence, CJP Nisar ordered at the start of the review hearing that the speech be played for the record.

"Let us see whom he is referring to as idols. Which idols is he saying should be broken? Which idols has he set out to break?" the CJP remarked.

After a recording was played for the court, the chief justice asked: "Now, tell me: how should we proceed to compound his punishment?"

To this, Kamran Murtaza, who was representing Chaudhry as his counsel, appealed to the chief justice's better nature.

"You have always shown leniency," he pleaded.

"Kamran sahab you are the vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council. Your client has said that the judiciary is full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols.

"Why did Mian Nawaz Sharif not say that they [the judiciary] are not unjust?" the chief justice asked, continuing to pose the counsel some hard-hitting questions.

"Call Talal to the rostrum," CJP Nisar instructed.

Addressing Chaudhry, the chief justice asked: "Is this how you show respect to your mother and father? Do you call them idols and infidels too?"

Chaudhry's counsel rushing to his aid, said: "The child has committed a mistake." This greatly annoyed the CJP, who responded in disbelief: "You call him [Chaudhry] a child?"

"While we are issuing the notification [setting aside the appeal], why don't we just go ahead and increase the punishment?" the chief justice continued, prompting Murtaza to plead: "I am requesting you to be the bigger person here. I am acknowledging you are right and Talal is wrong."

Justice Ijazul Hasan, who was also presiding over the hearing, remarked: "He [Chaudhry] is not remorseful. He wanted to challenge our decision in the matter."

Chaudhry's counsel again pleaded for mercy, saying that it was a question of Chaudhry's career.

"He [Chaudhry] is asking forgiveness. Not just from you but from the entire Supreme Court," Murtaza asserted.

Unconvinced, CJP Nisar proceeded to address Chaudhry: "Talal go bring some Mian sahab to throw out these PCO idols."

Chaudhry in at attempt to defend himself said: "We only use the PCO term symbolically. Your court's decision was against the PCO. I did not name you in particular."

But the chief justice was beyond any appeasement. "Why don't we summon the attorney general? Let's ask if we can have his [Chaudhry's] sentence increased?" he said.

Murtaza insisted that his client was asking for the court's forgiveness, to which the chief justice responded saying: "It doesn't seem that way with the kind of things he is saying."

The session concluded with the dismissal of Chaudhry's petition.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday announced that the parliamentarians of opposition parties will hold a protest outside the Parliament House on Thursday afternoon, following the government's failure to honour their request for calling a National Assembly session to debate the "unjustified arrest" of Leader of Opposition in NA Shahbaz Sharif by NAB authorities.

The call for the protest was given by former NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq, saying the gathering will be held on Thursday, October 11 at 3pm at Gate No. 1 of the Parliament House.

Earlier on October 5, the evening when Sharif was arrested, a requisition to call an NA session to deliberate the matter was submitted to the NA secretariat.

The next day, on October 6, a delegation of the opposition leaders comprising PML-N chairman and leader of the opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, former NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and PML-N lawmaker Rana Tanvir met the incumbent NA speaker at his residence and urged him to summon the session soon as they wish to raise the issue of Shahbaz’s arrest.

According to the NA spokesperson, the Speaker is bound by the law to call a session within 14 days when a requisition is submitted and NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had assured the opposition a session would be called before then.

However, so far no date has been set for the NA session.