ISLAMABAD: Legal experts, politicians and analysts have declared the government?s stance on Swiss cases a ?contempt of court?.

They are of the view that the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has a right to seek help from any of the state organizations to have its orders implemented.

Talking to Geo News Thursday, Justice (Retd.) Wajihuddin Ahmed said the government-adopted stance has no standing in the Constitution. ?While as far as contempt of court is concerned, even the Prime Minister enjoys no immunity,? he added.

He pointed out that the court can direct such authorities with whose help it can put the ruling into action. ?Actually this behaviour is being exhibited by the people who are trying to prove their so-called loyalty to their leader(s),? he noted, adding, ?they have no sense that with such acts they will ruin their political careers and lose their assembly membership as well as ministries.?

President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) asserted that the Supreme Court has the authority to have its orders implemented. It (SC) has a number of options at its disposal, he pointed out.

Article-189 of the Constitution states that all Supreme Court?s orders will be applicable and effective for all the departments and administrative heads of the government, he clarified. And Article-190 of the Constitution gives SC the right to seek assistance from any department/head of the government to establish supremacy of law.

Chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said government is totally indifferent to its integrity and standing. The government?s stance on Swiss cases may lead to a number of problems, he observed.

Sheikh Rashid said: ?Whenever they fear a clash, they pull themselves back by a couple of steps, but they continue to stand firm to their ultimate goal ?they never change their policies.?

He said if action is taken on grounds of ?contempt of court? then it can even lead to the dissolution of the government.

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HANGU: Twenty-six militants were killed and sever others wounded on Thursday in fresh clashes with security forces in Orakzai Agency.

According to sources, militants fired rockets at an FC fort, which was strongly retaliated. As a result five attackers were killed while one soldier also sustained injuries.

In another incident, six militants were killed in an armed clash with national lashkar (army) in Sragarha area.

In addition, 15 militants were killed and several others wounded in Dabori.

One solider embraced martyrdom while another sustained injuries.

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Rawalpindi

The Punjab emergency service ? ?Rescue 1122? ? is conducting fire safety programmes in organisations and schools as part of Fire Saf

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LAHORE

The NCHD is implementing various programs in Punjab for the uplift of education and health sectors.

This was said by the National

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Karachi

Amid the hot and humid weather on Wednesday, people in different parts of the city suffered prolonged and recurring power breakdowns a

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Karachi

A Gulberg Town police station investigation officer (IO) was found dead on Wednesday in the Sachchal police limits.

The deceased

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Karachi

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a notice to the Attorney General of Pakistan on a petition which challenges the portfolios of 12

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ISLAMABAD: The chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftekhar Muhammad Chaudhry, remarked that appointment of judges in lower courts by administration is

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ISLAMABAD: The audit department of Pakistan has identified the embezzlements worth Rs 29 billion in the financial records of the National Highways Authority (NHA) during the financial year 2008-09.

The audit report made 36 observations in five categories, including irregular awards of contracts costing Rs20.7 billion, overpayment due to officials” negligence costing Rs 4.6 billion, loss to authority worth Rs 1.8 billion, mismanagement in different works costing Rs 1.24 billion and non-recovery of Rs 504 million.

The total budget of the NHA for the fiscal 2008-09 was Rs 44.7 billion and the AGP audit report exposed massive irregularities and unjustified tenders awarded to their own contractors.

The AGP report said massive amount of road contracts worth Rs 20,757 millions were awarded to the blue-eyed contractors without adopting proper tendering procedure, contrary to the rules of NHA, contractors must meet the criteria of the authority.

The report observed that due to the negligence on part of the NHA officials, the Authority suffered the overpayments of Rs 4,669 millions.

According to the report, NHA faced overpayments due to the enhancement in approved cost of works, escalation on foreign cost component, skilled labor and so on.

The report further observed that NHA suffered a loss of Rs 1,884 million due to the suspension of fine imposition at weigh stations, less collection of revenue from toll plazas, award of work without considering risk and cost, premature dismantling of rigid pavement and due to delay in finalization of reasonable assessment of rent of Kandhar quarry.

According to the audit report, NHA officials could not recover the amount of Rs 504 million, including service area charges on motorway, rent and rental charges and non-deduction cost of excavated stone.

The report identifies the mismanagement of Rs 1.24 billion in NHA accounts due to the unjustified payments, extra payments, irregular award of contracts, irregular or unauthorized appointments and unauthorized use of vehicles.

The AGP office made repeated attempts to hold a Departmental Accounts Committee meeting for settling the observations, but the NHA did not bother.

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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly?s Standing Committee on Commerce on Thursday directed ministries of defence and commerce to submit the details of an agreement secured with allied forces for delivery of Nato supplies to Afghanistan via Pakistan.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Chairman committee Khurram Dastgir said the commerce ministry failed to give a satisfactory response on the query. Therefore, trade ministry has been directed to submit the particulars of agreement in the next meeting.

The committee asked the FBR officials to ensure checking of NATO supplies at the Karachi port. However, the officials told the committee that they were not authorized to do so under the international law.

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