Pakistan's PM-elect Shehbaz Sharif to take oath of office on Monday 2
Shehbaz Sharif will take the oath as Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday, taking over the reins of the country for a second time since 2022, amidst staggering economic and security challenges faced by the country.
President Arif Alvi will administer the oath to Shehbaz Sharif in a ceremony held at the President’s residence in the afternoon.
The oath-taking ceremony comes days after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party agreed on a power-sharing deal to form a coalition government.
Shehbaz, 72, earlier served as prime minister of a coalition government from April 2022 to August 2023 before Parliament was dissolved to hold general elections last month.
Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir, caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, chief ministers and governors of all four provinces are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony.
On Sunday, Shehbaz comfortably won a majority in the newly-elected Parliament amidst sloganeering by the Opposition.
Shehbaz, the consensus candidate of the PML-N and the PPP, received 201 votes in the 336-member Parliament. His challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes.
In the February 8 polls, marred by allegations of vote rigging, the Sharifs-led party failed to garner a clear majority, albeit technically, it is the largest party with 75 out of the 265 contested seats.
Shehbaz, known to be an astute politician and a good administrator, was tasked by his elder brother and former three-time prime minister to negotiate with other like-minded parties on the formation of a coalition government.
Besides the PPP, Shehbaz was backed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Balochistan Awami Party, Pakistan Muslim League (Z), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and the National Party. The new leader should make difficult decisions to undertake to reform the economy of the cash-strapped country and administration.
In his first speech after being voted in, Shehbaz spoke about the struggling economy and said it would require reforms to rid the country of financial difficulties. He should also mend ties with its neighbours for peace and stability.
He also faces challenges from Khan’s party which has promised to keep protesting the alleged manipulation of the February 8 election results.
The security situation of the country has also deteriorated in recent months, with an increase in terror attacks by Pakistan Taliban and other terror groups.
During Shehbaz’s two successive tenures as chief minister of Punjab (2008-2013 and 2013-2018), a network of underpasses, overhead bridges and mass transit systems was introduced in the most populous Punjab province and was completed in record time.
Born in September 1951 in a Punjabi-speaking Kashmiri family in Lahore, Shehbaz did his graduation from the Government College University, Lahore.
His family emigrated from Anantnag in Kashmir for business and settled in the village of Jati Umra in Amritsar district, Punjab at the beginning of the 20th century before moving to Pakistan.
BJP wins posts of senior deputy mayor, deputy mayor in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation 4
BJP’s Kuljeet Singh Sandhu and Rajinder Sharma defeated their rivals from the Congress to win the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor in the repolls in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Monday.
The Supreme Court on February 20 had overturned the January 30 results of the Chandigarh mayoral poll in which the BJP candidate had emerged a winner, and declared the defeated AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar as the city’s new mayor. As the mayor is the presiding officer for the elections to the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, polls were held again.
Sandhu won the post of senior deputy mayor by securing 19 votes. Sharma also got the same number of votes to win the post of deputy mayor.
Congress’ Gurpreet Gabi polled 16 votes and Nirmala Devi 17 votes for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, respectively. In the election to the post of senior deputy mayor, one vote was declared invalid.
The BJP candidates had won last time too.
In the 35-member municipal House, the BJP has 17 councillors. The number of BJP’s strength increased from 14 to 17 after three AAP councillors switched over to it on February 19. The AAP has 10 members while the Congress has seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal has one councillor.
Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, who is a BJP member, also has voting rights as an ex-officio member of the corporation.
For the posts, the BJP and the Congress had fielded the same set of candidates.
TMC leader Tapas Roy quits as MLA, expresses displeasure over party functioning 6
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, senior TMC leader Tapas Roy on Monday quit as an MLA, expressing displeasure over the functioning of the party.
Roy, the TMC deputy chief whip in the assembly, slammed the party leadership for allegedly not standing by him when his residence was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January.
”I am really disappointed with the way the party is functioning. I am fed up with so many allegations of corruption levelled against the party and the government. Secondly, I do not support the way the Sandeshkhali issue was handled,” he told reporters.
Senior TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Bratya Basu met Roy at his residence this morning in an attempt to pacify him. Roy has been at loggerheads with TMC MP from North Kolkata, Sudip Bandopadhyay. ”I have been a loyal soldier of the party for the last 25 years. But I did not get my due,” he said.
Kejriwal skips 8th ED summons, says ready to appear virtually before agency after Mar 12 8
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who skipped the eighth Enforcement Directorate summons in connection with the excise policy case on Monday, has expressed readiness to appear before the agency through video-conferencing after March 12, government sources said.
Sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the agency is examining Kejriwal’s response.
The probe agency might not allow Kejriwal’s request for appearing virtually and might issue a ninth summons to him for questioning in the case, they said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the probe agency’s intention is to arrest party national convener Kejriwal in the ”middle of the Lok Sabha polls”.
The schedule for the polls expected to be held in April-May is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. Kejriwal has skipped the summonses of the ED, calling them illegal and asking the agency to wait as the matter was in court.
In his latest reply to the ED, the sources said, Kejriwal has stated that the summonses are ”illegal” but still he is ready to answer the questions of the probe agency.
Kejriwal also has to appear before a city court on March 16 as it has sought his personal appearance in a complaint filed by the ED over skipping of its summonses by him.
The AAP demanded that Kejriwal be questioned by the ED through video-conferencing and it be live telecast.
Hitting out at the chief minister, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said no further relaxation should be given to him.
”What kind of a message is he (Kejriwal) giving to the children of Delhi? I believe that no further relaxation should be given to him. Now, he should be dealt with strictly,” Tiwari told PTI Videos.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana alleged that Kejriwal has disrespected the law by skipping the ED’s summonses. ”He (Kejriwal) is now saying that he will appear before the ED virtually on March 12. He can do this even today if he wants to appear virtually,” Khurana said.
Delhi Health Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said several BJP ministers and spokespersons were claiming that Kejriwal is trying to avoid giving answers but the AAP kept saying that the matter is not about the questions but about his arrest.
”So, now the CM has found a middle path. He has said that as soon as the Budget session ends, he will give the answers to every question via video-conferencing,” Bharadwaj told PTI Videos.
"Scoring century was a big relief": Shardul Thakur on maiden FC ton in Ranji semis 10
Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur expressed happiness after scoring his first-ever first-class century during Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semifinal game against Tamil Nadu, saying that reaching the three-figure mark was a big relief and he was trying to play with freedom. Due to Thakur century and a great fightback by the lower order, Mumbai led by 207 runs at the end of day’s play yesterday. The Palghar-born all-rounder, who has made a name for himself with some serious clutch knocks during big matches, celebrated his century by putting his bat and helmet down and throwing his fist in the air.
Following the match, Thakur told reporters, “I did a celebration which came to mind. Scoring a century is a big, big relief. Besides, it was very important for the team at that point of time. In big games if you are scared then you tend to lose the wickets or performance might not come your way. So I might as well play with freedom and that was the whole idea when I started batting,” said Thakur. The Mumbai star said that since some of big Mumbai players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan are currently playing for India in the home Test series against England and skipper Ajinkya Rahane is not in a great form, the top-order has been weak but it has received more than enough compensation from the lower order in the team’s collective aim to capture record-extending 42nd Ranji title.
In this match, Mumbai was down 106/7 despite Musheer Khan’s 55, before Thakur’s counterattacking 109 in 105 balls with 13 fours and four sixes, a half-century from tailender Tanush Kotian (89 in 126 balls, with 12 fours) and Tushar Deshpande lifted Mumbai to 378 runs in their first innings in reply to TN’s first innings total of 146 runs. During the quarterfinal against Baroda, number 10 and 11 batters Kotian and Deshpande slammed 120* and 123 respectively, the first instance of number 10 and 11 batters scoring centuries in Indian first-class cricket. This helped Mumbai to go from 337/9 to 569 all out and take a massive 605-run lead.
“You have to see that with Yashasvi playing for India now, Sarfaraz also being selected. And Prithvi who has just come back from injury, there was a big hollow (vacuum) which was created in the Mumbai batting lineup in the top order. And Ajinkya probably is not in that good form right now. So there is a big hollow in the top order,” said Thakur. “So it is okay if you are going to have these kinds of seasons. But the good thing the runs are coming lower down the order. And it also shows the grit Mumbai players have and Khadoos attitude that we talk about that Mumbai has,” he added.
MHA hands over Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast probe to NIA, agency files FIR 12
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has handed over Bengaluru’s The Rameshwaram Cafe blast probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has re-registered the case and started an investigation. The case was handed over to the NIA last week following the visit of an NIA team to the blast site.
The blast took place at the cafe on March 1 in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area where several people were injured following an explosion that occurred during the busy lunch hour. Over half a dozen people got injured after a low-intensity blast took place in The Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru’s Brookfield area.
Earlier, the Bengaluru Police had registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act in connection with the explosion at the cafe. The blast took place at 1 pm on March 1 and the police had also found a suspect in the CCTV footage, keeping a bag inside the cafe. The police probe so far indicated that an IED device with a timer was used to carry out the explosion.
Earlier, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had assured that the suspect would be arrested soon. “We are continuing our investigation. 8 teams have been formed and all are working in different directions and looking at different aspects. We have collected several CCTV footages. We are examining every angle including if there is any jealousy factor. I also appeal to the opposition to cooperate with us and not to make this a political issue…We do not know if there is any connection with the Mangaluru blast. They have used a similar material and the same system technically. Yesterday NSG arrived here. We will definitely find the person. We had a meeting yesterday and briefed the CM. Today, I have called a meeting of all the senior officers. BJP should not issue negative statements” the Karnataka Home Minister said on Sunday.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar echoed the state home Minister asking the people not to panic or worry. “It was a low-intensity blast. A youth came and kept a small bag which exploded after an hour. About 10 people received injuries. 7-8 teams formed to probe the incident. We are looking at all angles. I ask every resident of Bengaluru to not worry” DK Shivakumar had said.
No immunity from prosecution to MPs, MLAs for taking bribe to vote: Supreme Court 14
The Supreme Court held on Monday that MPs and MLAs do not enjoy immunity from prosecution for taking bribes to make a speech or cast a vote in the legislature.
A seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud unanimously overruled the 1998 verdict delivered by a five-judge bench in the JMM bribery case by which MPs and MLAs were granted immunity from prosecution for taking bribe to make a speech or vote in the legislature.
Pronouncing the verdict, the CJI said bribery is not protected by parliamentary privileges and the interpretation of the 1998 verdict is contrary to Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution.
Articles 105 and 194 deal with the powers and privileges of MPs and MLAs in Parliament and legislative assemblies.
The CJI, who read the operative part of the verdict for the bench, said that bribery is not immune under the articles as it erodes probity in public life.
Should presidents have immunity from the law? The US Supreme Court is to hear Trump's case 16
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear a ground-breaking legal case that promises to rock the 2024 election. The case relates to former president Donald Trump and presidential immunity, and more specifically, whether a former US president has to answer to civil and criminal charges against them.
US presidential immunity is a heavily contested issue. It has been argued that presidents should not face at least some types of legal action for the decisions they make in office. But does this mean that a president gets to run under a different law to everyone else? And under what exact circumstances? For a country that prides itself on equality, these are difficult questions. And the Supreme Court’s answers will not just potentially change constitutional doctrine, but also what happens in this year’s presidential election.
Trump is currently facing four charges that he interfered with the 2020 election, including his alleged involvement in the controversial 2021 Capitol Hill riots. The charges were brought by the US Department of Justice through the Washington DC court system.
The trial was supposed to start on March 4. Yet Trump is trying to have the charges dismissed on the basis of absolute presidential immunity.
The Supreme Court deliberations will delay the other trial, which alleges electoral interference and could potentially remove Trump’s eligibility to run for president.
Absolute immunity is the idea that a president cannot have legal charges brought against them for actions they undertake while in office. This may seem like common sense. Holding a president legally accountable for their job could see them dragged into court for everything they do in running the country – which is simply unworkable.
On the flip side, why should the president be subject to different legal standards than anyone else? There is nothing in the US constitution that explicitly grants full presidential immunity – but there is a lot about people being equal.
If that sounds messy, it is. There’s no consensus as to when and if immunity should apply. Previous US court decisions have upheld immunity in some cases (for instance 1982 Nixon v Fitzgerald) and denied it in others, such as 1994 Clinton v Jones.
These decisions have often come down to what has been called the “outer perimeter” test. Did the events happen within the context of the president carrying out their official duties? If not, the president is still potentially liable it was ruled.
Testing cases This test is the key issue for Trump and the upcoming case. Trump’s claim to immunity was turned down by an appeal court earlier this year on such grounds. Three judges said immunity did not apply because Trump was a presidential candidate at the time and not a president acting in line with official duties. No dice.
Yet, the ruling also went into deeper issues concerning what it means to apply a different standard of law to the president. The judges said that immunity in this case would mean Trump had “unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralise the most fundamental check on executive power – the recognition and implementation of election results”.
The judges highlighted wider concerns that immunity could be used to abuse the very system it was designed to uphold.
We see these same broader issues come to the fore now the issue of immunity has been kicked up to the Supreme Court, three of whose nine judges were appointed by Trump himself.
The Supreme Court is the final arbiter in the US legal system and they have the ability to set legal precedent as such. The judgement will undoubtedly be a landmark as this issue is not just about Trump but US constitutional politics and executive power.
The court has the opportunity to make a major statement about the status of presidential immunity, or at least to establish clear standards for when immunity applies. The decision could decide whether or not presidents and former presidents can be brought to trial in the future.
Whatever the actual decision, it will be controversial. Former speaker Nancy Pelosi said on X (formerly Twitter) that the Supreme Court “is placing itself on trial” by even agreeing to hear the case. She clearly thinks the court should rule against immunity: “It remains to be seen whether the judges will uphold the fundamental American value that no one is above the law – not even a former president.” Timing is everything It is not just the content of the ruling that matters, but the timing. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the week of April 22. But they may not announce a decision until this summer.
Every day the Supreme Court does not issue a ruling is another day Trump’s trial does not happen. Even if the justices do rule against the principle of immunity, that trial will not get going again immediately as Trump’s legal team will be given time to prepare.
Trump could also argue that he has a right to campaign in the election without a trial hanging around his neck. The really critical issue here is that Trump’s trial will almost certainly now not happen before the next election.
This delay is not just a way for Trump to protect himself before election day. The Supreme Court case is also a way of keeping himself in the spotlight. What looks to many like negative publicity has only ever bolstered him in the eyes of his supporters. This attention is even greater when associated with a significant constitutional ruling.
The case then is not just a legal landmark, but a major factor in who gets elected president on November 5.
BJP MP Gautam Gambhir asks party chief Nadda to relieve him of political duties 18
BJP Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir on Saturday requested party president J P Nadda to relieve him of political duties so that he can focus on his upcoming cricket commitments.
The parliamentarian from East Delhi also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for giving him an opportunity to serve the people.
”I have requested Hon’ble Party President J P Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji and Home Minister Amit Shah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!,” Gambhir said on X.
I have requested Hon’ble Party President @JPNadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!
A Five-Day budget session of the Maharashtra ended with awkward fight 20
The last day of the State Legislature budget session for the year 2024-25 began with wrestling between the minister Dada Bhuse and MLA Mahendra Thorve, they both got into an argument, allegedly after the latter went and asked Bhuse about his pending work. Bhuse got upset and turned violent. Both leaders shouted at each other, minister Shambhuraj Desai and MLA Bharat Gogawale rushed to pacify Bhuse and Thorve. The incident prompted the Opposition to slam the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the media too had a good laugh. They both are Shiv Sena leaders from the Eknath Shinde faction got into a heated argument inside the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly premises. The incident took place in the lobby of the Vidhan Bhavan on Friday afternoon
Rest of them went calm, and the newly elected government presented the full budget. The state government has decided to present an additional full-fledged budget in its next session in July. With the Lok Sabha elections slated for April-May, and the state assembly elections slated for October, populist pre-poll sops are expected to be announced in the budget. In a bid to bait state government employees demanding the old pension scheme’s (OPS) reinstatement, CM Shinde, announced the revised National Pension Scheme (NPS), where market linked risks in the NPS will be borne by the government.
As per the new scheme, employees will have the option to get a pension of 50 per cent based on their last drawn salary and Dearness Allowance (DA). In addition, employees can get a family pension of 60 per cent of their pension and DA. This will be applicable to state government employees who joined service after November 1, 2005. This will be a one time option and employees have to opt within the next six months if they choose to remain under the old NPS or the revised one. In February, the state government had issued an order awarding OPS to 26,000 government employees who were chosen before November 2005.
Currently, the government has 13.45 lakh employees, of which 8.27 lakh come under the NPS. The state government spends up to Rs 52,689 crore annually under the OPS, while its expenditure under the NPS for the same time period is Rs 7,686 crore. Its total annual expenditure on salary is Rs 1.27 lakh crore. In Maharashtra NPS was implemented from April 1, 2015.Retired government employees were to get benefits equal to 50 per cent of their last drawn salaries which was given as a pension in the OPS. However, after the OPS was scrapped, retired government employees under the NPS got a 60 per cent lump sum after retirement and a separate 40 per cent invested in annuities as pension. Under the OPS, government employees did not contribute any amount, but under the NPS, they contributed 10 per cent of their salary (a summation of their basic salary and DA), while the government’s contribution was 14 per cent.
In October last year, employee unions had organised a strike across Maharashtra demanding restoration of the OPS. In the budget session held last year in March, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the state government was not entirely negative about the OPS adding that the government will have to take a decision in this regard only after taking the state finances into consideration. He further added that even if the state government restarted the OPS, it will not be affected as its real liability will come in 2030. Incidentally, Fadnavis, during the winter session held in December 2022, had told the state assembly that the government would need Rs 1.10 lakh crore to implement the OPS, potentially running the state into bankruptcy. his is an interim budget to provide for the first four months. A proposal has been sent to UNESCO for 11 forts at Shivneri to go to the world level. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Versova – Bandra Sea Bridge will be extended to Palghar. Vilasrao Deshmukh Eastern Freeway will be extended to Thane city. Rs. 22 thousand 225 crores for land acquisition for the Virar-Alibag multi-modal corridor; Rs.10 thousand 519 crores for land acquisition for Pune Ring Road; Rs. 2 thousand 886 crores for land acquisition of Jalna-Nanded Expressway
Rs 10 thousand 629 crores to Urban Development Department, Rs19 thousand 936 crores to Public Works (Roads) Department, 7 thousand 500 km road works under Annuity Scheme Part-2 through Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation; upgradation of 7 thousand km long roads at a cost of Rs.7 thousand 600 crores is approved.
Land acquisition for new railway lines Kalyan-Murbad, Pune-Nashik and Solapur-Tuljapur-Dharashiv started; 50 percent financial participation approved for new railway lines Phaltan-Pandharpur, Kampa-Chimur-Varora, Jalna-Jalgaon and Nanded-Bidar; 50 percent financial participation for Jalna-Khamgaon, Adilabad-Mahur-Washim, Nanded-Hingoli, Murtijapur-Yavatmal Shakuntala railway and Pune-Lonavala route 3 and 4; 26 percent participation of Maharashtra Maritime Board in Vadhvan Development Project – Total cost Rs 76 thousand 220 crores are sanctioned.
Construction of well-equipped jetty radio club near Gateway of India in Mumbai under Sagarmala scheme at a cost of Rs.229 crores 27 lakhs; port development works to be undertaken- Bhagwati Port, Ratnagiri-Rs 300 crores, Marine Fort Janjira, Raigad-Rs 111 crores, Elephanta, Mumbai-Rs 88 crores; Modernization of Mirkarwada Port, Ratnagiri, for benefit of 2 thousand 700 fishermen. Fund of Rs.578 crore 45 lakh for land acquisition for expansion of airport at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar allotted.
Rs 9,280 crore agreed to the Rural Development Department for program expenditure for the year 2024-25 and Rs 4,094 crore to the Home (Transport, Ports) Department. Revised industrial, electronics, space and defence manufacturing policy and new micro, small and medium enterprise policy for industrial development. Creation of about 36,000 employment opportunities by setting up 18 small-scale garment industry complexes. “Integrated and Sustainable Textile Policy 2023-28” announced- Free distribution of one saree per family on Antyodaya ration card.
Rs 450 crores in infrastructure development program to promote exports; Rs.400 crores to provide special incentives to exportable components; five Industrial Parks to promote exports. Incentive fund of about Rs 7,000 crores in the coming year from package scheme of incentive. Chief Minister’s Employment Creation Program -25 thousand industry units to be established, out these 30 percent to be women entrepreneurs – 50 thousand new jobs will be created. with 7 thousand km of road works, Versova will take Bandra Sea Bridge to Palghar. Rs 15,554 crores have been allocated for railway lines and projects in Maharashtra by the Union government.
Work is in progress to give 1 saree to a woman while distributing rations under the textile policy. 5 Industrial Parks are being created to increase exports. Rs 196 crore tender process has been implemented under the Make in India policy. A mall will be made at this place.Employment for 1 lakh women, solar energy for 37 thousand Anganwadis. 40 per cent non-conventional energy will be implemented. 44 lakh farmers who have suffered losses have been assisted with Rs 3 thousand crores. One lakh women will be given employment; 5,000 pink rickshaws will be provided for women.
New Micro and Small Enterprise Policies to be implemented. 18 small-scale industries will be established in the state, and more than 3 lakh industries will come to the state as per the agreement in Davos. Provision of Rs 10 thousand crores for urban development. 19 thousand crores have been reserved for public works. The Solar Agriculture Pump scheme will be launched for the farmers. 8 lakh 50 thousand new solar agricultural pumps will be installed in this.
In the last day question answer session CM Shinde warned those people who are the reason for unrest in the state, he expressed no tolerance. He also spoke about the law and order situation in the state and assured women’s safety.
