Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah on Friday said the government, under the vision of Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, was implementing comprehensive social protection programmes to ensure quality healthcare, education and sustainable livelihood opportunities for deserving citizens across the country.

The minister made these remarks during his visit to the headquarters of the Zakat Foundation of America in Chicago, where he was accompanied by Consul General of Pakistan in Chicago Zaman Mehdi, said a news release issued here.

Highlighting the performance of his ministry, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah said institutions working under the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety were implementing targeted initiatives for poverty reduction, financial inclusion, skills development, healthcare, education and social welfare to improve the lives of vulnerable families.

Upon arrival, the minister was warmly received by Zakat Foundation of America Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Demir, Advisor Planning and Development, Farukh Raza and members of the Foundation’s team.

During the visit, Khalil Demir gave a detailed presentation on the Foundation’s global humanitarian work, informing the minister that the organization was operating in more than 40 countries. He said its programmes included orphan care, disaster relief, education for out-of-school children, provision of clean drinking water, skills development, rehabilitation services, mental health support and a broad range of humanitarian initiatives.

The federal minister thanked the Zakat Foundation of America for inviting him to participate in the Turkish Cultural Festival and lauded the organization’s humanitarian services around the world. He particularly appreciated the Foundation’s welfare initiatives in Pakistan and acknowledged its contribution to supporting vulnerable communities.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in poverty alleviation, human development and social welfare in Pakistan. At the conclusion of the visit, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah invited the leadership of the Zakat Foundation of America to visit Pakistan. Prominent members of the Pakistani diaspora in Chicago also attended the event.

Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has set for hearing an appeal filed by the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking his transfer to a hospital after Chief Justice Yahya Afridi set aside the Registrar Office’s objections and ordered the petition to be assigned a regular case number.

Chief Justice Yahya Afridi heard the chamber appeal on Friday against the Registrar Office’s objections to the petition relating to the PTI founder’s transfer to a hospital.

During the proceedings, counsel for the PTI founder, Uzair Karamat Bhandari, appeared before the court. The Chief Justice directed the counsel to submit a duly signed vakalatnama (power of attorney).

The court ordered the Registrar Office to assign a regular number to the appeal and club it with a pending petition of Uzma Khan.

The Chief Justice also accepted the request for an early hearing of both the PTI founder’s petition and the petition filed by Uzma Khan.

Islamabad: Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin met Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik on Friday to discuss ways to deepen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in the fields of law and justice, trade, regional connectivity and other areas of mutual interest.

Barrister Aqeel Malik reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its longstanding friendship and partnership with Kazakhstan.

He said Pakistan highly values its close ties with Kazakhstan and remains committed to enhancing cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Ambassador Kistafin appreciated Pakistan’s continued engagement and reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across diverse sectors.

Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and explore new avenues of collaboration to further reinforce the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that a claim for pre-emption cannot be maintained where ownership of a property has been transferred through an exchange rather than a sale, holding that the right of pre-emption is a weak legal right and the relevant law must therefore be construed strictly.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan and Justice Musarrat Hilali issued the reserved judgment in Civil Appeals Nos. 28-L, 29-L and 30-L of 2011.

The Court held that the record clearly established that the transaction between the parties was an exchange of properties and not a sale. It observed that the plaintiff had failed to prove that the transaction, though recorded as an exchange, was in fact a sale.

Consequently, the claim for pre-emption was held to be legally untenable.

The judgment stated that courts cannot treat a transaction recorded as an exchange as a sale merely on the basis of conjecture. It emphasized that where a mutation records an exchange, no right of pre-emption arises unless strong and reliable evidence is produced to establish otherwise.

The Court further held that the plaintiff had also failed to prove compliance with the mandatory legal requirements relating to Talab-i-Ishhad (affirmation of the claim before witnesses). It noted that the concerned postman had not been produced as a witness to establish the service of the registered notice, despite the defendants denying receipt of the notice.

Referring to earlier Supreme Court precedents, the bench observed that in such circumstances the testimony of the postman is indispensable, and failure to produce him constitutes a fatal defect in the plaintiff’s case.

The judgment also noted that the plaintiff had failed to explain how he became aware of the alleged sale price.

According to the Court, a claimant seeking to enforce the right of pre-emption must establish not only the transaction itself but also the lawful source of his knowledge regarding the sale consideration.

On these grounds, the Supreme Court allowed the appeals, set aside the judgments of the Lahore High Court and the appellate court, and restored the trial court’s decision dismissing the pre-emption suit.

Islamabad: Following monsoon rains in the federal capital, the district administration launched a citywide response to address flooding in low-lying areas.

Acting on the directions of Additional Deputy Commissioner General Sahibzada Yousaf, Assistant Commissioners remained in the field while drainage operations continued across residential neighborhoods, commercial centers, and major roads.

Authorities reported that flooding in affected areas had been brought under control and traffic flow had been restored on all roads. The Islamabad district administration remained on high alert after monsoon rainfall triggered water accumulation in several low-lying parts of the city.

Additional Deputy Commissioner General Sahibzada Yousaf supervised the situation through real-time monitoring of drainage operations and coordinated field activities with Assistant Commissioners and sanitation teams.

According to the administration, drainage work was carried out in various sectors and vulnerable locations where rainwater had collected. Teams worked continuously to remove standing water and prevent disruptions to daily movement. Officials said the situation in low-lying areas was brought under control after timely intervention by field staff.

Traffic movement, which had been affected in some locations due to water accumulation, was restored after drainage operations cleared roads and key routes. Additional sanitation workers were deployed in response to complaints regarding standing water in different parts of the city.

Sahibzada Yousaf said drainage activities were continuing across Islamabad to ensure that rainwater was removed from all affected areas. He added that preparations for the monsoon season had been completed before the arrival of heavy rains, including the cleaning of storm drains and waterways across the capital.

The ADC General stated that special monitoring teams had been formed to keep a close watch on drains during rainfall and respond quickly to any blockage or overflow. These teams remained active throughout the rain spell and coordinated with field officers to address emerging issues.

Officials further said Assistant Commissioners were present on the ground alongside sanitation staff to oversee operations and ensure uninterrupted drainage work. Monitoring of residential areas, business centers, and major roads was continuing to prevent further water accumulation and maintain normal traffic flow.

The district administration said all available resources would remain deployed during the monsoon season to respond to weather-related challenges and keep public services functioning without interruption.