Lawyers’ League
Daily Nawa-i-Waqt (11 September 2018) reported that the Islamabad High Court had given lawyers one month to move their chambers away from a football ground. The lawyers argued that they lacked office space. According to the report, the Court was not pleased with this argument.
No report
According to Daily Express (13 September 2018), the Election Commission denied having requested or received any report with regards to problems with the Result Transmission System (RTS) implemented as part of the recent elections. The Election Commission was quoted as denying the circulating rumours about having received such a report from NADRA.
Incognito
Sheikh Rasheed promised to reduce the losses of Pakistan Railways. According to Daily Dunya (14 September 2018), he vowed to check on train services with a disguised appearance (bhes badal ke).
Skeletons in Sidhu’s closet
Daily Express (14 September 2018) reported that Navjot Singh Sidhu was having to pay the price for his visit to Pakistan on the occasion of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s inauguration. According to the report, 20-year-old cases against Sidhu had come under review by the Indian judicial system.
On mistakes
Daily Dunya (15 September 2018) quoted Prime Minister Imran Khan as saying that there was not sufficient money to run the country (mulk chalanay ko paisa nahin). He went on to urge bureaucrats to not be afraid of making mistakes (matt ghabraein), and that he would back them. He further stated that he had himself made the most mistakes, and that it was nothing to be worried about.
Undercover
A traffic warden helped arrest a rickshaw driver who tried to pass himself off as an operative of the Special Branch of the police. It was reported by Daily Express (15 September 2018) that the rickshaw driver was operating his vehicle under an “Applied For” registration, and when stopped to be fined, tried to pass himself off as a Special Branch operative – and made threats against the traffic warden. The latter, however, saw through it all.
Persistent protocol
The President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi, according to Daily Dunya (16 September 2018) had asked that he not be given extra protocol on arrival in Karachi, but that it was still done despite his indication to the contrary.
Trouble on board
A PIA flight from Lahore to London ended up being delayed for hours due to a fight between the flight captain and a steward. It was reported by Daily Dunya (16 September 2018) that the captain refused to let the steward board, since he accused the latter of having been part of a smuggling case. The rest of the flight crew began to protest against the position taken by the captain, leading to a delay of the flight, which the authorities eventually resolved – amidst protests by the passengers caught up because of the clash.
Housing
Daily Dunya (16 September 2018) reported that it was found that up to 74 officers – to include commissioners, bureaucrats and police officers – are occupying up to two government houses each, while not being in service at the moment.
Consequences
According to Daily Express (16 September 2018), the family of a woman who entered into a marriage of her choice in Kabirwala caught the groom and forced him to draw lines in the ground with his nose, bark like a dog and beat him – and made a video of the process.