Pakistan's new National Assembly begins session, 329 members take oath
Islamabad, Aug 13: The maiden session of Pakistan's newly-elected National Assembly began here on Monday, with the outgoing speaker administering the oath to 329 members of the Lower House of the Parliament as part of the country's second democratic transition of power.
Presiding over the 15th Parliament session, Speaker of previous National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to the new members in the 342-member house. This was followed by signing of the "Roll of Members", marking their presence in a register, Dawn online reported.
The session, summoned by President Mamnoon Hussain, commenced with the National Anthem and was followed by the recitation of the Holy Quran.
Prime Minister-in-waiting and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was among those sworn in, along with other prominent leaders including Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) President Shehbaz Sharif.
Bilawal Bhutto, who has been elected to the National Assembly for the first time, shook hands with Khan as the members took their seats.
Elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly will be held on August 15.
The PTI has already nominated former Speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Asad Qaiser for the office of National Assembly Speaker while the joint opposition, comprising 11 political parties, fielded PPP's Syed Khurseed Shah for speakership.
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Asadur Rehman was nominated for the post of deputy speaker.
Elected members of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan provincial assemblies were also sworn in. The Punjab Assembly session, on the other hand, is slated for August 15.
According to the poll body's figures, the PTI now has 158 members in the National Assembly after the joining of nine Independents and bagging of 33 seats reserved for women and minorities.
It faces a strong opposition from the PML-N with 82 seats, followed by PPP's 53 seats and MMA with 15 seats. These three had earlier joined forces to take on Khan.
The PTI chief is scheduled to take the oath of office on August 18 at the President's House. Shehbaz Sharif is the joint candidate of opposition parties for the top post.
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.
Need to be taught lesson: SC refuses to entertain bail plea of Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case accused
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has refused to entertain the bail plea of Mihir Shah, the son of a former Shiv Sena leader, in the 2024 Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case, saying "these boys need to be taught a lesson".
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih took into account that the accused belonged to an affluent family and his father was associated with the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena.
"He parks his Mercedes in the shed, takes out his BMW and crashes it and goes absconding. Let him be inside for some time. These boys need to be taught a lesson," the bench observed on Friday while refusing to entertain the bail plea.
Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for Shah, said the high court allowed him to seek bail after the testimony of key witnesses was recorded in the case. However, sensing the mood of the court, she sought permission to withdraw the plea, which was allowed.
Shah (24) was arrested on July 9 last year, two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW car into a two-wheeler in Mumbai's Worli area, killing Kaveri Nakhwa (45) and leaving her husband, Pradeep Nakhwa, injured.
The accused allegedly sped off towards the Bandra-Worli Sea Link after the accident, even as the woman remained on the bonnet of the car and then got entangled in its wheels for a distance of more than 1.5 kilometres.
Shah's driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, who was also present in the car at the time of the accident, was arrested on the day of the alleged accident. Both are in judicial custody.
Shah has challenged the November 21 order of the Bombay High Court that denied him bail in the case after noting that he was heavily inebriated and failed to stop the car even after hitting a scooter and dragging the victim under his vehicle.
The high court had said in the order that the conduct of the accused at the time of the alleged offence and afterwards does not inspire confidence in the court to grant him bail. It had said that Shah had accidentally crashed into the scooter but sped away at high speed, dragging the victim underneath the car.
His further actions indicate a clear intent to escape the consequences and evade arrest, the high court had noted, adding that his exchanging seats with his driver, calling his father and leaving the scene of offence indicate the predilection to tamper with evidence and/or intimidate witnesses.
