ISLAMABAD: Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, who headed the three-judge panel that has sentenced to death former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, said on Friday that he only watches wrestling on TV, in a comment that has been seen as an apparent disregard of the controversy the verdict has stirred.
Musharraf was convicted of high treason and sentenced to death by a special court in Islamabad on Tuesday. In the ruling’s detailed version, which was released by the court on Thursday, it is ordered that if the former president dies before his execution, the body should be “hanged for three days” at D-Chowk, close to the parliament building in Islamabad.
Justice Seth, who is also the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court, gave the impression that everything was business as usual for him on Friday morning when he came to the court, despite the federal government’s announcement that it would seek his dismissal.
Advocate Muhammad Muazzam Butt, a lawyer at the Peshawar High Court, told Arab News that to his surprise the chief justice was calm and composed, and when Butt told him “you appear so relaxed,” he replied: “I just watch wrestling on TV.”
“I think Justice Waqar wanted to say that he doesn’t monitor news on TV channels and that he was not aware of the ongoing media debate on his judgment,” Butt said, adding that throughout his career, he has always seen the judge calm and poised.
“Everything was normal in the morning when I came to the court,” Justice Seth told him.
On Friday, a day after the detailed verdict in Musharraf’s case was announced, the government said it would file a reference against Justice Seth to the Supreme Judicial Council. The Pakistan Army also slammed the ruling.
The Pakistan Bar Council, the apex body of lawyers, disapproved of the criticism and said it would file a petition in the Supreme Court to defend the judge.
Justice Seth belongs to a family of entrepreneurs in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.
Born in 1961, he started his legal carrier as advocate of a lower court in 1985 and became a judge in 2011. He has been serving as the chief of the Peshawar High Court since June 28, 2018.
Judge who sentenced Musharraf says ‘only watches wrestling on TV’
https://arab.news/68umg
Judge who sentenced Musharraf says ‘only watches wrestling on TV’
- Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth who sentenced Musharraf to death is unmoved by the controversy the verdict has stirred
- The Pakistan Bar Council is ready to defend the judge
Pakistan advises citizens in Gulf to exercise caution, avoid travel after Khamenei killing
- The 86-year-old was killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran
- Islamabad shares contacts of embassies and consulates to facilitate Pakistanis abroad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday warned its citizens in the Middle East and Arabian Gulf states to exercise caution, avoid travel and strictly follow official adviseries, amid escalating tensions following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes.
Iranian state media reported that the 86-year-old was killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned of “a severe, decisive and regret-inducing punishment” coming over Khamenei’s killing.
Israel and Iran traded new attacks Sunday, after Tehran hit both the Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest for international traffic — and Kuwait’s main airport during its retaliatory strikes one day earlier.
As Iran’s army announced strikes targeting US bases in the Gulf and Iraqi Kurdistan, Trump threatened to unleash “force that has never been seen before” and urged Iran’s people to rise up and seize power.
“In view of the evolving regional situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has activated its Crisis Management Unit (CMU) to closely monitor developments and extend all necessary assistance,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
“All Pakistani nationals residing in the Gulf region are strongly advised to exercise utmost caution, remain indoors where possible, avoid unnecessary travel, and strictly adhere to the instructions and adviseries issued by the respective host governments.”
It said the CMU, which is active around the clock, could be reached for information or emergency assistance at +92-51-9207887.
Similarly, the Foreign Office shared emergency contact details of Pakistani embassies and consulates for facilitation of Pakistani nationals abroad, which are as follows:
IRAN
Embassy of Pakistan, Tehran
+98-21-669413-88/89/90/91 (landline)
+98-9107648298 (mobile)
Pakistan Consulate, Zahidan
+98-54-33223389
+98-9046145412 (mobile)
Pakistan Consulate, Mashhad
+98-9107625302 (mobile)
+98-9371807175
SAUDI ARABIA
Embassy of Pakistan, Riyadh
+966 (0)114887272 (landline)
+966(0)114884111 (landline)
+966(0)114884222 (landline)
+966 57 628 4980 (mobile)
+966 56 050 5030 (mobile)
Pakistan Consulate General Jeddah
+966(0)126689149 (landline)
+966(0)126692371 (landline)
+966 59 000 8295 (mobile)
+96653 661 7573 (mobile)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Embassy of Pakistan, Abu Dhabi
+971 50 254 8975
Embassy Hotline
+971 2 444 7800
Pakistan Consulate General, Dubai
+971 56 647 2721
+971 (0) 4397 0412
QATAR
Community Welfare Attache-I
+974 5530 5836
Community Welfare Attache-II
+974 7791 1392
Mr. Mubashir Ahmed
+974 5090 5777
BAHRAIN
+973 1724 4113
+973 3235 1512
+973 3435 2578
+973 3407 1665
+973 3456 3037
+973 3982 6823
+973 3569 0404
+973 3535 9150
KUWAIT
Deputy Head of Mission/Head of Chancery
+965 99699513
Additional Assistant
+965 98562753
OMAN
Mr. Liaqat Ali
+968 91276197
Mr. Khadim Hussain
+968 94201095
Mr. Abdus Samad
+968 92040038
Mr. Muhammad Sajjad
+968 78596604
JORDAN
+962 77 6444546
+962 77 9444546
IRAQ
Emergency Number
+964 7834 950311
+964 7846 192482
+964 7834 950183
+964 7839 800899
SYRIA
+963 990 138 972(mobile/WhatsApp)
+963987127822(mobile/WhatsApp)
