ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council said on Friday it would file a petition in the Supreme Court to defend a judge who wrote the verdict in the high treason case against the country’s former army chief, General (retired) Pervez Musharraf.
The government had criticized the wordings of the ruling, saying it would file a reference against the judge in the Supreme Judicial Council.
Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth’s order in the detailed judgment released on Thursday drew widespread criticism in which he instructed the authorities to “drag” Musharraf’s “corpse” to D-Chowk and hang it there for three days, if he was found dead before the execution of death penalty awarded to him in the case.
The government announced shortly after the release of the detailed judgment that it would move the Supreme Judicial Council — a constitutional body authorized to hear cases of misconduct against members of the country’s superior judiciary – against Justice Seth for his “despicable” observation in the judgment.
“We will challenge the government’s reference against Justice Seth in the Supreme Court, and defend his verdict in the case,” Syed Amjad Shah, vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, the country’s top regulatory body of lawyers, told Arab News on Friday.
He said that the government’s “mala fide intent” against the judge was exposed by its stance against the verdict. “The government has the prerogative to file a reference against any judge, but under the law it cannot be entertained,” he said.
Shah said the government and other aggrieved parties can file a petition in the Supreme Court against the ruling, but “cannot get a judge removed” through the Supreme Judicial Council on the basis of a judgment.
The 76-year-old, former military ruler was handed down death sentence on Tuesday in absentia as he currently resides in Dubai and is undergoing treatment for multiple ailments. He seized power in October 1999 in a bloodless military coup and remained in power till 2008.
The apex court’s senior lawyers said it was a lengthy and complicated process to file a reference against any judge of the superior judiciary and then get him removed for misconduct, physical or mental incapacity.
“The government apparently wants to offset pressure from different sides by filing the reference,” Habibullah Khan, senior advocate Supreme Court, told Arab News. “The government wants to show it has adopted a legal course against the judge who used graphic reference in the Musharraf ruling.”
About the formation of Supreme Judicial Council, he said it consisted of five members — the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the next two senior most judges of the apex court and two senior judges from high courts.
The council may initiate a probe on the request of the president or on its own, if it suspects that a judge may be incapable of properly preforming his/her duties due to physical and mental incapacity or misconduct.
All proceedings of the council are held in-camera and are not open to public, he said.
“If a judge is charged with any of the offense, he is removed by the president,” he said. “But in Justice Seth’s case, the government is not in a position to establish a cogent case against him.”
However, political analysts said the government was left with no option but to file a reference against the judge after the ruling against the former chief of the all-powerful military.
“The government is trying to get a face saving by moving a reference against the judge,” Zebunnisa Burki, political analyst, told Arab News. “The government is caught in a catch-22: It can neither support the verdict nor oppose it openly.”
Pakistan lawyers’ body backs judge who issued Musharraf ruling
https://arab.news/8ma95
Pakistan lawyers’ body backs judge who issued Musharraf ruling
- The Pakistan Bar Council says it will challenge the government’s reference in the apex court
- The government can neither support nor oppose Musharraf’s death penalty, says political analyst
Pakistan Railways targets $3.6 billion revenue amid track expansion, service upgrades
- Government plans new railway lines and modern trains with security cameras, Wi-Fi and dining cars
- Revival of a robust railway system is seen as key as Pakistan pushes to become a regional trade hub
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways has set a target of generating Rs 1 trillion ($3.6 billion) in revenue by June as the government expands railway tracks and upgrades passenger services with amenities such as Wi-Fi and modern dining cars, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said on Tuesday.
Pakistan Railways was once the backbone of long-distance travel and freight movement across the country, connecting major cities and ports soon after independence. However, decades of underinvestment, aging infrastructure and competition from road transport led to a steady decline in services and reliability.
As Pakistan seeks to position itself as a regional trade and transit hub, the government has renewed focus on rebuilding a robust rail network for both passengers and cargo.
“Pakistan Railways has set a target of achieving Rs 1 trillion in revenue by June 2026,” Abbasi said, according to an official statement. “Pakistan Railways will be transformed into a modern, safe and profitable organization,” he added.
The minister said work has already begun on digitization, outsourcing, construction of new railway tracks and improvement of passenger facilities.
He said the Asian Development Bank has approved a $2 billion loan for the construction of a 480-kilometer new railway track between Karachi and Rohri, a project expected to cut travel time by at least five hours.
Groundbreaking for the project is planned for July 2026, with completion expected within two and a half to three years.
Under the Reko Diq project, Abbasi said work is underway on a 900-kilometer railway track from Rohri to Nokundi, including construction of 500 kilometers of new track and upgrading of 400 kilometers of existing track.
The 87-kilometer Nokundi–Taftan line has also been included to strengthen rail connectivity with Iran.
The minister said a 54-kilometer People’s Train route is being launched in Balochistan at a cost of Rs 4 billion ($14.4 million), while eight regional routes will be developed in Punjab.
Provinces have also been offered the option to operate branch lines, with Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan allocating funds and consultations underway with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Abbasi said Pakistan is also advancing rail connectivity with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran and that the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul railway service will be launched after security clearance.
Passenger services are being upgraded alongside infrastructure expansion, he continued.
“Cleanliness and improvement work at Rawalpindi Railway Station has been completed, while three prime trains have already been upgraded, and more trains will be upgraded by June 30,” the minister said. “By December 31, all major trains will be upgraded, featuring security cameras, Wi-Fi, hostesses and modern dining cars.”
He added that Wi-Fi routers have been installed at railway stations, ticket booking has been enabled through the Rabta mobile application and a 1,700-kilometer fiber-optic network is being laid.
Karachi and Lahore railway stations are being upgraded for security, while progress is underway on a Rs 8.9 billion ($32 million) digital systems agreement with the Frontier Works Organization and a $85 million project with DP World at Pipri Yard.
Abbasi said 155 railway stations have been shifted to solar energy and Pakistan Railways recently recorded its highest-ever daily revenue of Rs 300 million ($1.1 million).
The minister also said a new Lahore–Rawalpindi track, backed by provincial funding, will cut travel time between the two cities to about two and a half hours once completed.
