Awaz Apni

CNews LAHORE: Five people were died, while several others were injured in a suicide bomb blast here at Allama Iqbal Town. According to the initial reports, in a suicide bomb blast in Allama Iqbal town five people were killed while more than 24 people were injured. More than 20 injured were shifted to Sheikh Zaid Hospital, while rescue works were underway.Meanwhile Security forces cordon off the area. Emergency has been declared in the hospitals in Lahore. According to eye witness biker blew himself at Dubai Chowk in Allama Iqbal Town.

CNews KARACHI: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal said he has attention focused on the recovery of the people injured in these blasts today (Monday). He urged the people to stay calm and do not create problems for the law enforcement agencies.He told that at least 37 injured have been brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where a large number of people arrived. Commenting on the injured, he said at least four people are critically injured, of them, three being operated now.He urged the camerapersons of various news channels to keep their cameras at a distance, as according to him, they are posing problems for doctors in the smooth run of medical treatment.Mustafa Kamal said he talked to the Police Chief Salahud Din Babar Khatak and some other security personnel, adding police and the Rangers patrols on the city roads have been increased.The city nazim said the lists of all the injured will be made available before soon.On this occasion, he said that he is unaware of any injured being taken to any ...

CNews KARACHI: One person was killed and 50 others injured in a series of 6 blasts that ripped through different areas of the busiest city of country on Monday.Two explosions occurred here in Banaras area. One of the blasts happened in a pile of garbage while the other one at a footpath near Banaras chowk, injuring 16 people. They were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, sources said.Enraged people took the streets and started pelting stones at moving vehicles.The third explosion ripped through a mini truck in North Nazimabad area of Shahra-e-Noor Jehan near Sohail mosque. Five persons were injured, police sources said. However, Chhipa sources said 8 persons were taken to hospital.There are reports of the fourth blast in Hyderi area near a children’s school.Police mobiles have reached the blasts’s sites while ambulances are shifting the injured to local hospitals.The fifth blast occurred here in a motor cycle in Qasba colony area, killing one person.A policeman was injured in the sixth...

{CNews Special Report} An American Washigton based expert Thomas Houlahan has made his assessment on Pakistan’s Judicial crises and lawyers movement. He says ‘In listening to a lot of the commentary on the recent showdown between President Pervez Musharraf and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, I’ve noticed that much of the “analysis” has been pretty hysterical and that many of those offering the opinions on the situation seem grossly ill-informed. It therefore struck me that it might be a good idea for someone to inquire as to what exactly has transpired between President Musharraf and the Supreme Court. At least it would provide a set of facts for commentators to work off'. Houlahan in his 47 pages report has not offered his opinion on whether or not it was right or wrong in moral terms to allow Pervez Musharraf to run for president while still a serving Army general, or whether or not his running for president while in uniform was a good idea. This is simply an examination of Presid...

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Friday amended various articles of the Constitution providing protection and continuity to the superior courts judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), and removed those who did not take oath under the PCO. However, they would be entitled to pension and other retirement benefits.The amendments were made a day before he intends to lift emergency and restore the Constitution. The president, in exercise of powers under the PCO, has amended Articles 41, 44, 193, 194, 208 and 270-C.Amendment to Article 193 has lowered the age of appointment of high court judges from 45 years to 40 years. This will facilitate entry of judges into high courts at younger age to remain in service for a longer period. Previously, the minimum age to become a high court judge was 40 years, which was raised to 45 sometime back and now it is again reduced to 40 years.Article 270-C of the Constitution has been amended to provide that the judges who ...

Musharraf’s address todayISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf will address the nation at 8 pm on Saturday. The president's address will be telecast live by the state and private television networks. Radio Pakistan will also broadcast ..... Superior court judges take fresh oath todayISLAMABAD: After revoking the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), the judges of the superior courts will take oath under the Constitution today (Saturday).The Constitution will be restored today after..... PML-N manifesto unveiledLAHORE: PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif on Friday announced manifesto of the party for the 2008 polls with a pledge of restoring the judiciary, democracy and eliminating military role in politics. The sev..... LGs not being suspended: AGISLAMABAD: The Attorney General of Pakistan, Justice (retd) Malik Muhammad Qayyum, on Friday denied the government was considering the suspension of the local governments and said they would continue to functio..... PML-Q seeks middle way to res...

ISLAMABAD: The Constitution is expected to be amended before the emergency is lifted on December 15 to give more powers to President Pervez Musharraf to act against judges of the superior judiciary, Attorney General Malik Qayyum said.The order for withdrawing the emergency will be finalised till Thursday (Today) and is likely to be issued on Saturday, Qayyum said after a meeting with Musharraf to discuss modalities for ending the emergency rule. The order will also revoke the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) that Musharraf had issued after imposing Emergency on November 3. The PCO had suspended the Constitution and key fundamental rights, including the freedom of the press, and resulted in the dismissal of judges who did not endorse the Emergency. Qayyum said "hectic discussions" were underway to finalise the order to revoke the PCO. Musharraf and his legal advisors are also discussing several amendments to the Constitution that will be made before ending the emergency,...

Draft receiving final touches for emergency lifting ISLAMABAD: The legal advisors are Saturday giving final touches to the draft of Provisional Constitutional Amended Order-II at the President House for lifting the emergency on December 15 and several new amendments are being recommended in the constitution.The suggested amendments include the accountability of the judges of higher judiciary and deleting the words regarding the appointed timeframe for the presidential election.According to the sources, the legal advisors are mulling over amending Clause-3 of the Article 41 of the amended PCO related with the presidential election. Under this article, the presidential election can be held prior to end of its stipulated tenure; also, thought is being given to eliminating the words related with the timeframe for this election from August 17, 1988.Phrase ‘subject to constitution’ is being replaced by ‘notwithstanding anything contained in the constitution’ in Sub-clause II of Article 44 dw...

Benazir placed under house arrest (Details updated at 1215 and first updated at 940) ISLAMABAD: Former premier and PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has been put under house arrest Friday, hours before she was due to lead a rally against a state of emergency, government officials said. "She is being placed under house arrest," a senior government official said on condition of anonymity. Nearly 200 police sealed off Bhutto's house in Islamabad with barbed wire and a magistrate went inside, apparently with the arrest order, hours before she was due to lead the demonstration in neighbouring Rawalpindi. A senior leader of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, senator Anwar Baig, said outside her house: "This is illegal confinement. This is illegal detention of a democratic leader." "We tried to convince Benazir Bhutto to cancel the rally but she did not agree, and we had no choice but to implement these restrictions," a senior police official said. The g...

UN chief rejects Pak protest, reiterates concern over emergency (Updated at 1300) UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has rejected Pakistan's protest over his statement expressing serious concern at the imposition of emergency rule.The UN chief also urged the government to release all detainees and restore democratic rule.According to a statement from the mission, Pakistan's Ambassador Munir Akram met Ban on Monday and conveyed his protest on the issuance of a statement by him regarding the internal developments in Pakistan.Asked whether he believed President General Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule was an internal matter or a matter for possible UN action, Ban told reporters ''I stand by my statement which I issued.''The Secretary General said he met Akram at his request ''and I again expressed my deep concern and regret at what had happened in Pakistan.''''I also urged strongly that Pakistani government ...

Justice Iftikhar rejects Musharraf blames to justify emergency ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has rejecting the blames leveled by President General Pervez Musharraf to justify declaration of emergency. The rulers had feared that Supreme Court would give decree in Musharraf eligibility contrary to their wishes so they imposed emergency in the country, Justice Iftikhar said. ftikhar Chaudhry was addressing the lawyers first time after imposition of the emergency. He said that the charges framed by President Musharraf against Supreme Court are baseless and unfounded. Declaration of emergency has damaged the constitution, he said, adding that Supreme Court had always worked within constitutional framework. Police continue arresting lawyers (Updated at 1430) KARACHI: Pakistan's government pursued its crackdown on pro-democracy activists Tuesday as police rounded up more than 100 people protesting emergency rule by President Pervez Musharraf, officials said. Around...

CNews Latest Stories: Musharraf denies rumours of house arrest ISLAMBAD: Pakistani President PervezMusharraf denied rumours sweeping Pakistan on Monday that he had been placed under house arrest by subordinates unhappy with his decision to impose emergency rule. "It is a joke of the highest order," Musharraf told foreign news agency from the Presidency building in Islamabad where he had just met more than 80 foreign diplomats to explain his decision. "It's nonsense, sheer baseless rumour," Musharraf's spokesman Rashid Qureshi said. "It's a complete hoax, totally baseless and malicious. People will treat it with the total contempt it deserves," said deputy information minister Tariq Azeem. "The president has just administered an oath to the federal sharia (Islamic law) judge and before that he briefed foreign diplomats on the situation," Azeem added. Oath under PCO unconstitutional: Bhagwan Das ISLAMABAD: Justice Rana Bhagwas Das has...