14 killed in Pakistan bus-tanker collision
Islamabad, Aug 5 : At least 14 people were killed and over 30 others injured in a deadly road crash in Pakistan's northwestern district of Kohat on Saturday, the media reported.
According to the reports, the accident occurred when a passenger bus collided with an oil tanker at the Indus Highway near Samari area of Kohat, a district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Rescue teams and police rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital in the district.
The deceased included two women and two children, police said, adding that the accident happened due to over-speeding. The ill-fated bus was on its way to the countrys southern port city of Karachi from northwestern Buner city.
Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan mainly due to poorly maintained roads, violation of road safety rules and reckless driving.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
