ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice announced on Thursday that the government would file a reference against one of the judges who tried Pakistan’s former military ruler, General (r) Pervez Musharraf, in the Supreme Judicial Council — a constitutional body that is authorized to hear cases of misconduct against members of the country’s superior judiciary.
Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth, who is also the chief justice of Peshawar High Court, authored the detailed judgment in the treason trial against Musharraf, instructing the authorities to “apprehend the fugitive/convict” to “ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law.” However, if the former army chief was “found dead,” his “corpse” should “be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad, Pakistan and be hanged for 03 days.”
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, the law minister questioned the authority that empowered the judge to make such “an unprecedented, despicable and wrong observation.” He reminded the media of a 1994 judgment issued by the former chief justice, Nasim Hasan Shah, that deemed public hanging against the country’s constitution.
The law minister added that Justice Seth was “mentally unfit” to be part of the superior judiciary and should be restrained from working in that capacity.
“This is an attempt to take Pakistan into dark ages,” he said after announcing that the government would file a reference against the judge in the Supreme Judicial Council.
Earlier in the day, Major General Asif Ghafoor, the director-general of the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), also issued a brief statement in Rawalpindi, expressing his reservations at the language used in the detailed verdict against Musharraf, saying that it was against basic human, religious and cultural norms.
He said he had discussed the nature and character of war in his previous media briefings while highlighting that Pakistan was facing the specter of hybrid war.
Ghafoor said the country’s armed forces were keeping an eye on the situation and knew about the internal and external enemies.
He maintained that the army was not just an institution but a family, adding that it had sacrificed a great deal to bring about internal stability in the country and would not allow anyone to undermine the gains that were made.
The DG ISPR said there were elements who wanted to “provoke us” and trigger “internecine conflict” in the country. However, he noted that the armed forces were fully aware of how to defend Pakistan and secure their own institutional integrity.
Ghafoor revealed that the army chief had discussed the detailed verdict in Musharraf’s treason trial with the prime minister, though he said the “decisions” made during the conversation would be announced by the government.
He also urged the people of Pakistan to trust the country’s armed forces.
Government to file reference against judge who wrote Musharraf verdict
https://arab.news/n4aqg
Government to file reference against judge who wrote Musharraf verdict
- The law minister calls Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth “mentally unfit” to be part of superior judiciary
- Military spokesman also expressed reservation at the language of the detailed verdict
Pakistan to send over 10,000 workers to Italy over three years after securing employment quota
- Government says Italy will admit 3,500 workers annually under seasonal and non-seasonal labor schemes
- It calls the deal a 'milestone' as Italy becomes the first European country to allocate job quota for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has secured a quota of 10,500 jobs from Italy over the next three years, an official statement said on Saturday, opening legal employment pathways for Pakistani workers in Europe under Italy’s seasonal and non-seasonal labor programs.
Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will be employed in Italy each year, including 1,500 seasonal workers hired for time-bound roles, and 2,000 non-seasonal workers for longer-term employment across sectors.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development said Italy is the first European country to allocate a dedicated labor quota to Pakistan, describing the move as a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to expand overseas employment opportunities beyond traditional labor markets in the Middle East.
“After prolonged efforts, doors to employment for the Pakistani workforce in Italy are about to open,” Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said, calling the quota allocation a “historic milestone.”
The jobs will be available across multiple sectors, including shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, with opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers in professions such as welding, technical trades, food services, housekeeping, nursing, medical technology and farming.
The agreement comes as Pakistan seeks to diversify overseas employment destinations for its workforce and increase remittance inflows, which remain a key source of foreign exchange for the country’s economy.
The ministry said a second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group on labor cooperation is scheduled to be held in Islamabad in February 2026, where implementation and future cooperation are expected to be discussed.
