National

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari has left Lahore after spending around two days in the city without meeting the local leadership of his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), adding to speculation surrounding the political situation within the party. Zardari departed for Islamabad on Sunday after a low-profile visit during which he reportedly held no formal meetings with PPP leaders in Lahore. His stay has drawn particular attention amid unconfirmed reports that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari may have left Pakistan. A senior party figure close to the leadership said the president’s visit was not intended for meetings with the party’s local leadership. According to the source, Zardari had come to Lahore to deal with sensitive and urgent matters away from public attention. The same source acknowledged hearing reports about Bilawal’s possible departure but said he could neither confirm nor reject them. During his stay, Zardari was reported to have held only one known meeting, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was accompanied by businessman Gohar Ejaz. The president’s arrival also appeared to catch several PPP leaders off guard, with party members saying they had not been informed beforehand. Some PPP leaders reportedly sought meetings with Zardari but were unable to secure appointments. The president’s visit comes at a politically sensitive time for the PPP, which has recently taken a strong position against the creation of new administrative units and criticised the PML-N government over what it describes as excessive reliance on the establishment. Zardari has also recently withheld his assent to the elevation of judges, adding another layer to the growing political tensions. Attempts were made to contact PPP leaders Nadeem Afzal Chan and Shazia Marri for clarification about the reports concerning Bilawal, but no response was received before the report was filed. Meanwhile, PPP Kashmir leader Chaudhary Riaz said Bilawal had left the Kashmir Valley but added that he did not know where the party chairman was currently located.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed a strong increase in remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis, with the country receiving $3.6 billion during July. Reacting to the latest figures, the prime minister described the inflow as encouraging, noting that remittances recorded a 13 per cent increase compared with the same month last year. He also highlighted a month-on-month rise, saying remittances grew by 4.5 per cent in July. The continued increase provides further support to Pakistan’s foreign exchange position and reflects the growing contribution of overseas Pakistanis to the national economy. Shehbaz praised the Pakistani diaspora for playing an important role in supporting economic stability. He said overseas Pakistanis remain an important part of the country’s economic strength and appreciated their continued support through financial transfers. The latest rise in remittances comes as Pakistan continues efforts to strengthen its external account, improve foreign exchange liquidity and maintain economic stability.

KARACHI: Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the office of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA and former federal minister Qadir Patel in Karachi’s Boat Basin area, prompting a police investigation and tighter security around the premises. According to police, the attackers fired several shots at the office entrance late at night before fleeing the scene. No one was injured in the incident, while the main gate sustained bullet marks. Investigators recovered five spent 9mm pistol casings from the site and secured them as evidence. Police teams also began examining CCTV recordings from the surrounding area to trace the attackers and determine the vehicle used in the shooting. Following the incident, security was increased around Patel’s office and nearby areas of Clifton. Police said efforts were underway to identify the suspects and establish the motive behind the attack.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has announced that Pakistan’s Hajj application process has been fully digitized, allowing prospective pilgrims to apply from the comfort of their homes without visiting offices or standing in long queues. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said the digital system had been introduced to make the Hajj registration process easier and more convenient for pilgrims. Around 400,000 registered applicants will be able to submit their applications online. Under the new system, applicants will have several options for paying their Hajj expenses. Payments can be made through credit cards or PSID, while those wishing to pay in cash can print a challan and deposit the required amount. Yousaf said 107,526 pilgrims are eligible to perform Hajj under the government scheme. The collection of the first installment of Hajj expenses will begin on August 17, while the second installment is scheduled to be collected in October. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with registration closing once the government’s allocated quota is reached. The minister also said pilgrims opting for the private Hajj scheme would be able to select a private operator through the Pak Hajj application. However, he cautioned pilgrims against making direct payments to private Hajj operators.

TEHRAN: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said that Iran cannot be subdued, claiming that the country’s people are standing united against external pressure and forcing their opponents to retreat. Qalibaf made the remarks while congratulating General Mohsen Rezaei on his appointment to the Supreme National Security Council. He described Rezaei’s inclusion in the council as evidence of the confidence placed in him by Iran’s Supreme Leader. According to Qalibaf, Iran is currently passing through one of the most sensitive periods in its history. He said recent developments had demonstrated to the international community that attempts to bring Iran under pressure would not succeed. The Iranian parliament speaker said national unity remained strong across the country, with the public, military and diplomatic institutions standing together under the leadership of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Qalibaf further claimed that the Iranian people were demonstrating resilience in the face of their adversaries and were now putting pressure on the opposing side to back down. His comments come amid heightened tensions surrounding Iran and the United States, with disagreements over regional security, military threats and the strategic Strait of Hormuz continuing to dominate international attention.

ISLAMABAD: A proposal to reduce the passing threshold for medical college admissions to 50 percent has emerged amid concerns over vacant seats despite efforts to lower merit requirements. The matter was discussed during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, chaired by MNA Mahesh Kumar. The committee also examined complaints alleging that some medical colleges were charging fees above the permitted limit. Committee Chairman Mahesh Kumar said medical colleges are allowed to charge annual fees of up to Rs1.8 million. He directed officials to provide details of institutions allegedly collecting higher fees from students. The chairman also questioned why seats were still remaining vacant after merit requirements had already been relaxed. He suggested that the passing marks could be set at 50 percent and that the proportion of difficult questions in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s entrance examination could also be reviewed. Federal Health Minister said 61 medical colleges had applied for permission to increase their fees. However, he clarified that colleges cannot raise fees independently and that only 35 of the 61 institutions had fulfilled the required conditions for a fee increase. Colleges failing to meet the prescribed criteria would not be permitted to charge higher fees. The President of the PMDC informed the committee that notices had been issued to medical colleges against which complaints of excessive fee collection had been received. Committee member Mustafa Kamal said vacant seats were also a concern for the authorities, but argued that high fees alone could not explain the situation. He pointed out that colleges charging around Rs3.5 million had not faced vacant seats, suggesting that other factors may also be contributing to the problem. The PMDC president further informed the committee that 468 additional seats had been approved for government medical colleges in Punjab, while 315 seats had been added for students from the former FATA region. When the committee chairman asked about an increase in medical seats in Sindh, the PMDC president said no additional seats had been allocated because the province had not submitted an application for an increase.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has asked the federal government to explain the constitutional implications of keeping Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice on judicial appointments pending with President Asif Ali Zardari. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued notices to the president, the federal government and the attorney general on Monday while hearing a petition challenging the delay in approving appointments to the superior courts. The court also directed the respondents to submit separate concise reports detailing when the prime minister’s advice was sent to the president and what action had been taken on it. The case has been fixed for hearing on August 11. The petition was filed by lawyer Luqman Zafar through his counsel Zahid Asif Chaudhry, who questioned the prolonged delay in completing the constitutional process for judicial appointments. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, had recommended 19 additional judges and the confirmation of five judges for the high courts during meetings held on July 20 and 21. The recommendations were subsequently forwarded by the prime minister to President Zardari for approval under Article 48 of the Constitution. During Monday’s proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that the use of the word “shall” in Article 48(1) placed a constitutional duty on the president to act on the prime minister’s advice. He maintained that although the president could return the advice for reconsideration within the prescribed period, the Constitution did not permit an indefinite delay. The counsel further argued that the delay was affecting the administration of justice at a time when the superior courts were already struggling with a growing backlog of cases. According to the petitioner, prolonged vacancies could also undermine the public’s constitutional right to timely access to justice. Justice Tahir directed that notices be served through all available modes. Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez was also asked to ensure that the respondents provide the court with clear timelines regarding the submission and handling of the judicial appointments summary. The presidential delay has already had consequences for the high courts. Four additional judges of the Peshawar High Court whose confirmation had been recommended by the Judicial Commission ceased to hold office on August 4 after their terms expired without formal notifications. A similar situation arose in the Sindh High Court, where an additional judge left office after his extended tenure ended on July 29. The oath-taking ceremony for the newly recommended judges had originally been scheduled for July 27 but was postponed indefinitely after the president neither approved the summary nor returned it for reconsideration. With the matter now coming under judicial scrutiny, the Islamabad High Court is set to examine whether the continued delay in acting on the prime minister’s advice is constitutionally permissible.