Daily News Pakistan

The Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday gave former PTI leader Faisal Vawda an option that could soften his disqualification sentence if the outspoken leader accepts it. “If Vawda confesses to submitting a forged [citizenship] affidavit then he will be disqualified for one term; however, if the politician does not, then it will be for a lifetime,” Supreme Court said during the hearing of the petition against Vawda's lifetime disqualification from running or holding public office. A three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial heard the petition. The bench comprises Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik as members. The court also ordered Vawda to bring a certificate proving his renunciation of US citizenship in the next hearing. “Vawda should admit his mistake and be disqualified under 63(1) C, otherwise the court shall proceed with the case under 62(1) F,” the Chief Justice said adding, “There is enough material before the court to di...

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza Thursday paid a farewell call on President Dr Arif Alvi at the President's House. As the CJCSC, it was General Raza’s last meeting with the president as the federal government has named Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. General Raza — a highly decorated officer — has been serving as the country’s 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee since November 2019. Expressing his best wishes for the outgoing CJCSC, the president lauded his services for national defence. General Raza also called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at PM House. The premier paid tribute to the outgoing CJCSC for his services to Pakistan Army. On February 8, 2022, General Raza was installed as the Second Colonel in Chief of the Sindh Regiment, while the Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza was installed as the 13th Colonel Commandant of t...

Oil trickled down on Thursday, hovering around two-month lows, as the proposed price cap on Russian oil from Group of Seven (G7) nations was considered higher than the current trading levels, alleviating concerns over tight supply. A greater-than-expected build in United States gasoline inventories and widening Covid controls in China added to downward pressure. Brent crude futures dipped 21 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $85.20 a barrel by 0431 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell by 16 cents, or 0.2pc, to $77.78 a barrel. Both benchmarks plunged more than 3pc on Wednesday on news the planned price cap on Russian oil could be above the current market level. The G7 is looking at a cap on Russian seaborne oil at $65-70 a barrel, according to a European official, though European Union governments have not yet agreed on a price. The range of $65-70 would be higher than markets had expected, Commonwealth Bank commodities analyst Vivek Dhar said in a report. It ...

Malaysia’s perennial opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was named prime minister on Thursday, ending a days-long political impasse after inconclusive election results. His ascension will cap a turbulent political life for Anwar — which has not only propelled him into the corridors of power but also landed him inside a jail cell on corruption and sodomy charges. “After taking into consideration the views of Their Royal Highnesses the Malay Rulers, His Majesty has given consent to appoint Anwar Ibrahim as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia,” read a statement from the palace of the king, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah. In the capital Kuala Lumpur, Anwar’s supporters were in a celebratory mood. “I got goosebumps, seriously,” said 36-year-old Norhafitzah Ashruff Hassan. “He fought hard to be given the chance to be PM. I hope he performs well and proves his worth,” he added. “I cannot express in words the ecstatic feeling I have,” said Muhammad Taufiq Zamri, a 37-year-old product manager. ...

President Arif Alvi has arrived in Lahore to meet ex-prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. It is expected the president will discuss the shortlisted name of Lieutenant General Asim Munir for the next Chief of Army Staff (COAS) recommended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Meanwhile, Imran Khan has hinted at potentially spoiling the smooth appointment of the next chief of army staff. He had said “We have decided, the President and I, that whatever we do, we will do it whilst remaining within the ambit of the law,” he said, adding, “We will play within the ambit of the law.” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a Tweet, “The advice has gone to President Alvi. Now it’s Imran Khan’s test whether he wants to strengthen the institution of the country’s defence or make it controversial.” He added that President Arif Alvi would also be under scrutiny whether he would follow a political advice or a constitutional one.

As the government Thursday named Pakistan's next army chief, a decision also came for the appointment of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), another key post in the military. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also sent a summary to President Arif Alvi for the appointment of Lt General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the new CJCSC. Lt Gen Mirza started his army career in the Sindh Regiment after training at Pakistan Military Academy and served as the director-general of the military operations under former COAS Raheel Sharif from 2015-2018. Lt Gen Mirza also supervised the operations against terrorists in North Waziristan and was part of the coordination group that oversaw negotiations with Afghanistan. He was also a member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Reforms Committee. After becoming a Lt Gen, Lt Gen Mirza was appointed as the Vice Chief of the General Staff in 2018, a year before being posted as Chief of the General Staff. Currently, Lt Gen Mirzais serving as the C...

Late goals by Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano gave Japan an incredible 2-1 comeback victory over Germany in the World Cup on Wednesday after the four-times champions had looked to be cruising to victory via an Ilkay Guendogan penalty but paid a fatal price for missing chances. The shock result was a repeat of their 2018 World Cup nightmare when, as defending champions, they lost their opener to Mexico and, after another defeat by South Korea, were condemned to an unheard of group-stage exit. Germany looked in total command in the Group E clash but, with each missed chance, left the door open for Japan, who showed almost nothing in attack until a series of substitutions injected some energy in the second half. Doan equalised in the 75th minute before Asano showed lovely control and smashed the winner in from a tight angle — causing an explosion of joy among the Japan bench. It was a turnaround that looked scarcely believable as Japan struggled to get any foothold for most of the game....