ISLAMABAD : Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry welcomed Sunday the use of technology in court proceedings saying an accountability court is going to indict former president Asif Ali Zardari in a graft case via video link tomorrow.

In a tweet, he questioned why technology is not being used to hear cases against former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif who is in London.

He said cases against the ex-premier be heard at once with Nawaz Sharif joining the trial proceedings via video link.

On August 8, an accountability court (AC) issued a written order pertaining to the indictment proceedings of former President and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari and others in Park Lane reference.

In a three-page detailed court order, it said that nine accused including the former president would be indicted in the case on Aug 10 (tomorrow).  Zardari would join the indictment proceedings via video link from Bilawal House Karachi, another accused Anwar Majeed from a hospital in Karachi while three other accused, Farooq Abdullah, Hanif, and Saleem Faisal would also join the video link proceedings from Karachi.

Islamabad : Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch the biggest tree plantation drive today to plant 3.5 million saplings across the country in a day.

Over a million volunteers of the Prime Minister’s Tiger Force will also plant trees as part of Ten Billion Tree Tsunami initiative, marking “Tiger Force Day” as earlier announced by the prime minister.

In a message on Saturday, the prime minister had said he has also asked the members of parliament, ministers and chief ministers to participate in the plantation drive.

Expressing hope that the drive will turn into the “biggest tree planting campaign” in history, he said: “The target is 35 lakh trees in a day, though we will try to exceed it.”

According to details, to participate in the plantation drive volunteers have taken charge of their roles and divided into different teams to dispense their duties.

Following the prime minister’s directives, the distribution of 350,000 saplings has been completed so that they can be planted today.

Special Assistant to PM on Youth Affairs Usman Dar in his message ahead of the campaign, asked opposition politicians Shehbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto, Khawaja Asif and others to join the plantation drive.

“The Sindh government should [join us in] favour of national interest,” the politician had said.

Dar said the prime minister will also be in the field along with other volunteers and the general public tomorrow, adding the drive will begin from Islamabad under the premier, while CM Punjab Usman Buzdar will commence it from Sialkot.

He added that civil society, district administration, forestry department and the citizenry should work together to make the campaign successful.

PM Imran to plant sapling in Korang

Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam while addressing a press conference on Saturday said the premier would plant a sapling in Korang, Islamabad.

The advisor said all provinces, including Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad Capital Territory will participate in plantation campaign, with one million members of Tiger Force joining the campaign.

“A target of 300,000 trees for plantation has been set for Sindh, 1.2 million for Punjab and two million trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said. “In the federal capital, around 1.2 million saplings would be planted under the initiative.”

The adviser noted that the first billion trees’ target under Ten Billion Tree Tsunami initiative was going to be achieved by June 2021 as the stocks of saplings were augmented from 50 million to 300 million.

These saplings would be sufficient to meet the massive afforestation initiative.

Aslam added that Pakistan was the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change in the world and it is was our responsibility to act now.

Referring to a World Bank report on climate change, Aslam said if action was not taken, six districts of Pakistan would be under threat to become inhabitable till 2050. These districts include; Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas, Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan.

Zartaj Gul urges youth to plant maximum trees

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul has urged the youth of the country to come forward and plant maximum trees on “Plant for Pakistan Day” to achieve the overwhelming plantation target of 3.5 million plants under 10 Billion Tree Tsunami initiative.

In her video message on Twitter, Gul said PM Imran n was going to launch the largest ever one-day plantation of the country on Sunday.

“I have a belief that whenever our youth joins any movement it becomes successful. I request the youth to fully participate in the one-day plantation to make it a success,” she said.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 08 (DNA) – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has finalised the Narowal Sports City corruption reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal.

The NAB has named former interior minister as main accused in the reference and sent it for the approval to chairman NAB Justice retired Javed Iqbal.

Sources said that the NAB has acquired strong evidence against the PML-N leader and he has been found guilty according to the NAB Ordinance section 9. Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had converted the inquiry against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal into the investigation.

It is pertinent to mention here that Ahsan Iqbal had been released from Adiala Jail, after the Islamabad High Court had approved his bail. Ahsan is accused of using funds of the federal government and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for a sports city in Narowal.

NAB had announced to initiate a probe into alleged violation of rules in the construction of the National Sports City project –  a day after its inauguration by the then President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain. DNA

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Sydney has shown interest in hosting the upcoming Boxing Day Test between Australia and India. The Boxing Day Test is played in Melbourne each year from December 26 to 30. However, the chances of the match being shifted to another city are high due to the rising cases of coronavirus.

“We’d be very happy to host it because it’s a major event and it’s good for Sydney, and people like coming to Sydney, and we have the capacity to host it if that’s what Cricket Australia want to do,” Sydney Cricket Ground Trust Chairman Tony Shepherd said while speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Cricket fans in Sydney will experience a double header as the coastal city will be hosting the Boxing Day Test and the New Year Test as well if the former is shifted from Melbourne.

The prospect of Sydney hosting the Boxing Day Test will be discussed in an upcoming Cricket Australia meeting. 

Adelaide and Perth are contenders to host the fixture as well.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 8 (DNA) – The Islamabad High Court fixed on Saturday two petitions seeking disqualification of and contempt of court proceedings against Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda.

Justice Amir Farooq will hear the two petitions on August 20, according to a cause list issued by the IHC registrar.

Mian Faisal filed the petition seeking Vawda’s disqualification as an MNA. It noted that the court had sought a reply from the federal minister, the election commission and other parties to the case on January 29.

The petition says that Vawda submitted his nomination papers on June 11, 2018, which were accepted on June 18, 2018. He submitted the application to renounce his US citizenship on June 22, 2018 and hid his dual nationality while submitting nomination papers, it states.

The petitioner moved the court to disqualify Vawda in the light of Supreme Court’s verdicts, contending that he is illegally holding a public office.

Petitioner Jahangir Jadoon said in his petition that on January 29, the court had given Vawda two weeks to submit his reply in the disqualification case.

However, it has been several months and no reply was submitted by the minister, the petition notes. It is an open and shut case which is why Vawda does not want to submit a reply, Jadoon stated.

The petitioner requested the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the minister. DNA

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ISLAMABAD, AUG 8 (DNA) – Islamabad Police on Saturday reviewed security arrangements in connection with Muharram ul Harram and decided to enhance vigilance and patrolling in the various areas for fool proof security.

The security arrangements were discussed in a meeting presided over by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar khan and was attended among others by all Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Assistant Inspectors General of Police, Senior Superintendents of Police, Additional Superintendent of Police and all Zonal Superintendents of Police.

All wings of Islamabad police were given directions to ensure complete coordination for success of this plan.

The IGP directed DIG (Operations) Waqar Uddin to devise elaborate security plan and supervise all security arrangements himself in connection with Muharram-ul-Haram. He also directed all police officials to maintain close liaison with peace committees and organizers of Majalis and processions in Muharram-ul-Haram.

He directed to issue special cards to police officials deputed for security of religious gatherings and Imambargahs.

The IGP directed for strict security arrangements of gatherings and special checking of participants. Strict vigilance should be maintained through safe city cameras and entrance of all type of vehicles in surroundings of Imambargahs to be prohibited.

He asked to place barbed wires near venues of gatherings and jawans of police should be deployed at roof tops of buildings on the way of routes.

Islamabad police chief directed DG (Safe City) to monitor every type of movement around Imambargahs and gatherings through cameras and latest technology should be used for high alert security.

He said that it should be ensured to make arrangements for checking of participants of Majalis and processions through metal detectors. Strict vigilance should be maintained to ensure that security measures are in place by the police and SOPs issued by the government are being followed, the IGP maintained.

All SPs were asked to monitor search operations themselves and inform their high ups on daily basis about progress in this regard.

He directed for maintaining close coordination among all wings of Islamabad police and staff. The IGP said that walk through gates must be installed at all entry and exit points of Majalis and processions and it should be covered through large strength of policemen.

Mr. Aamir Zulfiqar khan  directed SSP (Traffic) to issue traffic plan and ensure smooth flow of traffic on alternate routes during the processions. He said that it should be ensured that parking lots are far away from Imambargahs.

DIG (Headquarters) would provide complete logistic support during Muharram days, he said and asked all SPs to conduct meetings with organizers of Imambargahs to share security related arrangements and implementation on timings planned for processions. DNA

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