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Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while talking to journalists in his chamber at the Parliament House said that the government has given me this space for a month to reach a consensus on constitutional amendments related to judicial reforms. He said that only the final document of the PPP has come out, while the draft has not been formally received from Maulana Fazlur Rahman. The PPP draft has been with Kamran Murtaza for over a week.

He said that if the government has a two-thirds majority and still wants a consensus, then it is appreciated. How long will the government wait and give us space, so I am trying my best to continuously engage and put an agreed draft before the government through political consultation. The government wants to work according to the constitution and law. The PPP has always made constitutional amendments by consensus. The draft given by the PPP includes the establishment of the Constitutional Court and also includes the proposed amendments in Article 175 A, B, D, E, F.

Chairman PPP said that some points have come out in the draft of the government. He has also asked the government to share the points other than judicial reforms. Of course, there will be some points according to the government’s own manifesto. PML-N has the right to amend the constitution according to the Charter of Democracy. The PPP has not linked its aspirations with the constitutional amendment and we have put forward the constitutional court and judicial reforms.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while answering the questions of journalists said that he is grateful to the government for agreeing to our insistence that there should be a consensus among all political parties. We have been given time by the government and we have been trying for it since September. He said that if there is no consensus, how long will the government wait? So far only the full draft of the PPP has come out and we have not received the JUI draft yet.

He said that a detailed meeting of the Parliamentary Committee took place today [Friday], in which all parties gave their views. The PPP presented its original draft proposals in the committee, which have issues related to the Constitutional Court. We presented this draft to all political parties including the government. Apart from this, the points of the lawyers after consultations by the government were also presented in this committee. The Law Minister held detailed consultations with the lawyers and the suggestions of the lawyers were also presented. Opposition parties also presented their comments. Maulana Fazlur Rahman reiterated his position that he wants to make a draft by consensus with the PPP. We also reiterated that constitutional amendment should be done by consensus with the political parties. Our efforts are for a consensus draft. We don’t want to just oppose any suggestion for  no reason.

Chairman Bilawal while answering a question said that the federal government is very confident that they have the numbers. The Law Minister said that they have a two-thirds majority, but we are sitting here for all the political parties to reach a consensus on this issue. I appreciate their words, but since last month till now, efforts are being made to reach a consensus. But how long will the government give us space for consensus and how much time will it give us? In such a case, when the SCO conference is taking place, in that case, I am trying my best to establish a consensus. If the consensus takes more time than required, the government may use its constitutional right and move it. But it is our best effort and we have always maintained this position that a complete consensus should be established.

President Asif Ali Zardari held one-on-one meetings with the President of Turkmenistan, H.E. Mr. Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty (Peoples Council) of Turkmenistan, H.E. Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, today in Ashgabat.

During the meetings, the leaders had an overview of the bilateral relations and expressed their desire to further strengthen them in all spheres especially in trade and connectivity. 

The President also reiterated the invitations to the National Leader and the President to visit Pakistan at their earliest convenience. 

Pakistan and Turkmenistan enjoy robust and friendly relations, rooted in history and shared vision of peace and prosperity in the region.

President Asif Ali Zardari is visiting Ashgabat to attend the event of International Forum “The Interrelation of Times and Civilizations – the Basis of Peace and Development”, dedicated to the 300th  anniversary of the birth of Magtymguly Fragi on 11th October, 2024.

Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Senator Rubina Khalid, visited the BISP Dynamic Registry Center and Payment Camp Site in Faisalabad. During her visit, she met the beneficiaries at the campsite, listened to their concerns, and instructed the BISP staff to address their issues promptly. The women expressed their gratitude to Senator Rubina Khalid for her attentiveness and swift action.

In her address to the women who came for registration, Senator Rubina Khalid emphasized that there is no fee for the Benazir Income Support Programme survey. She clarified that 8171 is the only official BISP number used to send messages to the eligible women, and any message from a different number is fraudulent. She urged women to report any deductions or corruption by contacting the BISP helpline at 080026477.

Senator Rubina Khalid stated that the purpose of her visit to Faisalabad was to understand the challenges faced by deserving women. Later, she visited the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) on their invitation, where she was warmly welcomed by FCCI President Rehan Naseem and other officials. They praised the BISP’s intiatives especially skill development programme for beneficiary families.

Speaking to the media at the Chamber, Senator Rubina Khalid reiterated that the Benazir Income Support Programme is economically empowering women in line with the vision of the late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. She emphasized that BISP has given identity and support to Pakistan’s poorest women, and highlighted the importance of BISP’s Benazir Kafaalat, Taleemi Wazaif, and Nashonuma programs, which are aimed at improving the livelihoods of poor households.

She also announced the launch of the Benazir Skills Training Programme, which will teach various skills to deserving women and their children according to both local and international standards. This initiative aims to meet the growing global demand for skilled labor and pull the people out of poverty trap . Currently, 9.3 million families are benefiting from BISP , she noted.

Additionally, Senator Rubina Khalid stated that, under the special directives of the President of Pakistan to ensure the dignified and transparent disbursement of funds to the deserving women a new banking payment model has been introduced that comprises of 6 banks. However,  BISP is committed to improve its payment model and is already in consultation with the State Bank of Pakistan.

Before concluding her visit, Senator Rubina Khalid recorded her impressions in the FCCI visitor’s book. Later, Senator Rubina Khalid also visited the Faisalabad Garments City Company alongwith Chairman of Board of Garment City Rehan Naseem and talked to the internee women learning skills at the premises.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, arrived at Punjab House today and met with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Nawaz Sharif to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country.

During the meeting, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Mian Nawaz Sharif focused on the importance of implementing the Charter of Democracy (CoD). Chairman Bilawal proposed various amendments related to constitutional courts and judicial reforms, emphasising the need for political consensus on these vital changes.

“I hope that the proposed constitutional amendments are approved with the consensus of all political parties,” Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said during his discussion with Nawaz Sharif. In response, Nawaz Sharif assured, “We stand with every proposal of the PPP that aims for the betterment of the country.”

Both leaders agreed on pursuing common goals aimed at fostering development and prosperity in the country, and expressed their determination to guide Pakistan out of its current political and economic crises.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reaffirmed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s commitment to creating an atmosphere of consensus to ensure the successful implementation of the Charter of Democracy. He further criticised the uncivil political behavior prevalent in Pakistan, blaming it for the ongoing political chaos.

“Constitutional amendments are not only necessary but mandatory to ensure swift justice for the common man,” Chairman Bilawal stated. He emphasised that Pakistan must establish the supremacy of Parliament through judicial reforms to move towards the next stages of development. “Countries only progress when there is a balance of power, and we must address past mistakes through judicial reforms,” he added.

Chairman Bilawal was accompanied by PPP leaders including Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Khurshid Shah, Naveed Qamar, Raza Rabbani, Jameel Soomro, Sherry Rehman, and Murtaza Wahab.

On behalf of PML-N, Mian Nawaz Sharif was joined by Ahsan Iqbal, Irfan Siddiqui, Parvez Rasheed, Rana Sanaullah, Maryam Aurangzeb, and Murtaza Abbasi, among others.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, head of Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency met Vice President Peoples Party Senator Sherry Rehman. Syed Naveed Qamar also participated in the meeting.

Senator Rehman briefed the PLDAT chief on the policy of the PPP regarding the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court. Sherry Rehman said that the purpose of the meeting is to take all stakeholders into confidence regarding the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court. She said that on the direction of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, we are taking on board all political parties, lawyers’ organizations, civil society and related private institutions. Sherry Rehman said that we want a wider consensus to be established regarding the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court. She said that the PPP considers every stakeholder’s opinion important and we are trying to ensure transparency and consultation.

Today, Senator Sherry Rehman and Secretary General PPPP Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari also met the members of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Secretary General HRCP Haris Khaliq, Senior member HRCP Nasreen Azhar and Khushal Khattak were also present in this meeting. The PPP informed the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan about its policy regarding the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court. She said that we are consulting with all stakeholders regarding the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court. The purpose of this consultation is to get all the stakeholders on board, including the HRCP on behalf of Chairman Bilawal Bhuttoi Zardari. She said that we want the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court to be unanimous and based on consensus like the 18th Amendment.

President human rights cell of the PPP former senator Farhatullah Babar has said that a new generation of electoral reforms was needed to address the latest generation of nebulous electoral fraud and restore confidence of the people in elected representatives and governments.

He said this at the UNDP seminar on ‘next generation of electoral and legislative reforms in Pakistan in a local hotel in Islamabad Tuesday.

Identifying three elements as the latest in electoral fraud he said these were the role of turncoats and floor crossers, systematic manipulation of media including social media and disenfranchising over ten million women voters.

Although independents, small parties and turncoats have always polluted electoral landscape the art had now been perfected as they are used for making or breaking governments, political parties and for giving sham legitimacy to the back-seat manipulators of turncoats.

He said that in 2018 both PPP and PML-N witnessed their members switching sides to PTI.

These lotas then joined hands with PDM government to remove Imran Khan through VONC in 2022.

In 2024 through the same nebulous tactics the PTI was divided into Istehkam Pakistan Party in Punjab, PTI Parliamentarians inPakhtunkhwa and PTI Nazriati in some unknown location.

In the past the IJI was similarly formed and by using slush funds. In 1993 when Nawaz Sharif government was dismissed nearly 150 of the 220 PML-N deserted the Party. When he was restored a month later the deserters returned to its fold.

In 2002 Musharraf midwife PML-Q out of PML_N and also created Patriots out of the PPP..

First the Patriots supported PML- Q and later it merged into it.

The same happened in Balochsitan in 2018 elections when a non party independent MPA was elected as chairman senate. Today few regard the assembly and government of Balochistan as genuinely elected body, he said.

He said that politicians are also to blame as they not only embrace the turncoats but also give them important positions both in the parties and in governments. A new charter should clamp a total ban on turncoats by all political parties he said. The absence of a structured decision making mechanism in political parties is also responsible for this situation..

He said that lately social media and digital spaces are also used to manipulate elections as was done in Brexit referendum in UK & US Presidential elections 2016. In Pakistan the RTS failure in 2018 was also manipulation of digital space.

He said that everyone the political parties, extremist groups and even hyper partisan professional media organizations have manipulated media to discredit opposition, use false amplification, and foment hate and political polarization.

Recently at critical moments private audio/video leaks were employed to influence political thinking of people. He said that the state has done it more than private organizations and recalled that Face book cancelled in 2009 hundreds of pages linked to a government organization that were engaged in political propaganda and had millions of followers.

The elephant in the room is those who promote this culture. To throw the elephant out of the tent the political parties must agree to implement SC 2102 verdict in manipulation of elections by the intelligence agencies and also make legislation to determine the mandate of ISI.

President human rights cell of the PPP ex Senator Farhatullah Babar has said that a historic opportunity had presented itself to do away with a chaotic approach to the constitution by setting up and federal constitution court and streamline procedure for the appointment of judges to guard against a dangerous tendency of a judiciary of the judges, for the judges by the judges.

He was speaking at a dialogue with civil society at SZBIST in Islamabad today.

He said that the appointment of judges has been dangerously centralized as chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry alone appointed over a hundred and sacked another hundred judges of superior courts all by himself. It is not to question the competence and integrity of judges thus selected by one individual, he said. It is a far more serious issue namely stuffing the superior courts with likeminded judges and turning it into a monolithic unit like a military battalion, he said.

He said that the parliament through 18th Amendment sought to rationalize judges’ appointment but the judiciary under Chaudhry stood in the way and discreetly threatened to undo the constitutional Amendment if the parliament itself did not revisit this provision. Unfortunately the parliament and the political parties had cold feet and back tracked.

He said that it was an irony that the judiciary allowed the generals and itself to re-write and superimpose the constitution but denied the people to exercise this right through their elected representatives in the parliament.

A constitution Court is needed to address constitutional issues alone so as to reduce burden of cases of ordinary litigants and inject an element of provincial balance in addressing constitutional issues. If the political power has been rationalized among provinces by setting up senate why the judicial power should also be not balanced between provinces by providing for equal number of judges from all provinces in it he asked. 

He said that nearly four lac cases were pending in the courts of which over 60 thousand were in the SC because the constructional cases have to be accorded priority and they also take time. As the common litigants suffer incalculably the trust in the state and judiciary also erodes.

He said that since the days of Chaudhry Iftikhar it has been observed that the constitution was not what was written in it but what the judges said it was, as in the case of Article 63-A. The need for a separate Constitution Court has become even more urgent.

He said that after the 18th amendment the constitutional court is needed to address issues between the federation and the provinces.

Rejecting the claim that the constitution court was against the basic structure of the state he said that the basic structure of the state rested on the separation of powers, the independence of judiciary and the fundamental rights of the citizens and asked in what way the constitution court undermined the so called basic structure or independence of judiciary.

 The seminar was also addressed by ex Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Barrister Masood Kausar, CEO Bhutto Foundation Asif Khan, General Secretary ppp HR Cell Samana Malaika Raza and followed by interactive session with lawyers, academia, media, former civil servants, political activists and other members of civil society.

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have extended their partnership for another two years under the Benazir Nashonuma Programme. In a ceremony held today at BISP Headquarters, witnessed by Senator Rubina Khalid, Chairperson of BISP. Secretary BISP Mr. Amer Ali Ahmad and Ms. Coco Ushiyama, Country Director & Representative of WFP exchanged the agreement documents. This collaboration highlights the critical need to address malnutrition in Pakistan, where nearly 40% of children under five suffer from stunting due to poor nutrition.

Benazir Nashonuma Programme aims to reduce stunting among pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and their children under two years of age by providing additional cash support to BISP beneficiary families. PLW and boy child will receive PKR 2,500 per quarter, while girl child will receive PKR 3,000 per quarter.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of BISP Ms. Rubina Khalid emphasized the significance of this new agreement, describing it as a key step in the country’s fight against malnutrition. She said “The Government of Pakistan is proud to strengthen this vital partnership with WFP. Our commitment to the Benazir Nashonuma Programme remains unwavering, and we are dedicated to expanding its reach and effectiveness to ensure that every child in Pakistan gets the opportunity of a healthy start in life, setting the foundation for a brighter and more prosperous future”.

The first phase of the agreement concluded in June 2024, and under the second phase, the program will expand to cover 157 districts with 562 facilitation centers. WFP will continue to implement the program following the approved design and protocols, with an increased focus on quality. The second phase will run for two years, concluding in June 2026.

Key participants at the signing ceremony included Ms. Rathi Palakrishnan, Deputy Country Director; Mr. Eric Kenefick, Head of Programme; Ms. Rie Ishii, Head of Supply Chain; Ms. Mamoona Ghaffar, Programme Policy Officer; Dr. Yasir Ihtesham, Head of Nutrition; Dr. Asma Badar, Programme Policy Officer, Nutrition; Dr. Ijaz Habib, Nutritionist, WFP KP office; and Mr. Ahmed Hassan, Procurement Officer.

The official signing of the new two-year agreement took place in Rome on 28 August 2024 between WFP’s Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation, Ms. Rania Dagash-Kamara, and Secretary BISP, Mr. Amer Ali Ahmed.

Pakistan and Malaysia have reiterated their commitment to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, economy, banking sector, food technology and agriculture. The two sides also agreed to cooperate on issues of bilateral importance.

This was discussed during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and the visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, today. Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party, MNA Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Minister of Commerce, Mr Jam Kamal Khan, Senator Sherry Rehman, and senior government officials also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the Malaysian Prime Minister, the President said that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Malaysia and was committed to further enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. He added that the visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister would further boost bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries. He expressed concern over the current situation in Gaza and called on the international community to take measures to prevent Israel from committing genocide and atrocities against the Palestinian people.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia apprised the President that he held a very good discussion with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

Later, during a special investiture ceremony, President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the award of Nishan-e-Pakistan upon Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim in recognition of his support for Islamic causes and for being a great friend of Pakistan.

During the ceremony, it was highlighted that the Malaysian Prime Minister was an avid reader of Allama Iqbal and acknowledged that his work has been a source of inspiration for him. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been a prominent advocate of humanitarian causes and Islamic values throughout his political career. His leadership is marked by a profound commitment to promoting social justice and addressing global issues affecting the Islamic world. He has also been a voice for the causes of self-determination movements and has particularly stood against oppression across the world. He continues to work tirelessly to counter Islamophobia striving to create interfaith harmony by fostering understanding and respect between different cultures and religions.

The Ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Ministers, Services Chiefs, diplomats, and senior government officials.

The President also hosted a state dinner in honour of the visiting Malaysian Prime Minister and his delegation. 

President Asif Ali Zardari has directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority to process the appointment of a deceased employee’s son in accordance with the law within a month.

As per details, Mr Faheem Ahmed (the complainant) had complained against the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) for his non-appointment against the “deceased employees” quota. He stated that his father was an employee of PCAA, and he died in the year 1999 during service due to cancer. As he was a minor at the time, he could not apply for appointment against the “deceased employees” quota. He said that when he applied for a job, his request was turned down without any justification. He approached PCAA for the redressal of his grievance but to no avail. Feeling aggrieved, he approached the Wafaqi Mohtasib for the resolution of his complaint. The Mohtasib decided that the complainant had failed to make out any case of maladministration against PCAA as the Family Assistance Package was not applicable at the time of his application. The complainant then filed a representation with the President against the orders of the Mohtasib. 

In his decision, the President observed that the complainant’s father expired in 1999 during service and at that time the petitioner was only six years of age. He noted that the petitioner applied for appointment, after coming of age, under the policy of 2005, according to which the son of a deceased employee was to be considered for appointment in the same department without undergoing the formality of advertisement. He rejected the claim of PCAA that it adopted the Family Assistance Package Policy in 2005 and that the provisions of the said package did not merit consideration due to the factual and legal position in the instant case. 

The President pointed out that the contention of the Civil Aviation Authority was not legally correct in the circumstances of the present case as the petitioner attained the age of maturity after the introduction of the policy as he was not eligible to be appointed prior to the introduction of the policy. He held that this was the case of prospective application of the policy and not retrospective application of the policy. The President also placed reliance on the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Civil Appeal number 410/2020 dated 02-06-2021.

The President, therefore, accepted the representation of the complainant and asked the Civil Aviation Authority to process his application for appointment in accordance with the law within one month.