Nawaz Sharif ’s family challenge ‘Disqualification VERDICT’

ISLAMABAD: Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s children and his son-in-law on Friday filed review petitions challenging the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

The court was urged on Friday to set aside its directive to the anti-corruption body to file corruption references against Hussain, Hassan and Maryam Nawaz and Sharif ’s son-in-law Captain Mohammad Safdar (retd) relating to the Avenfield properties in London and 16 offshore companies, Dawn newspaper reported.

In July, a five-member bench of the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif from office following a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probe that exposed illegal family wealth stashed abroad.

Sharif’s children and sonin-law have each filed two petitions — one challenging the judgement of the five-member SC bench and the other against the verdict reserved by the three-member Panama Papers implementation bench.

The pleas stated that the Supreme Court “should stay the filing of the reference against the applicants until the review petitions were heard and decided”.

The petitions also questioned the probe carried out by the six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on court orders, saying it was “incomplete” and contrary to the requisites of justice. BEIRUT: At least 34 Syrian soldiers and allied fighters have been killed in an Islamic State counterattack in the east of Raqa province, rolling back regime gains, a monitor said on Friday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the jihadist group had recaptured large swathes of territory from government forces in the fighting yesterday.

Syria’s army is seeking to advance through Raqa province to reach neighbouring Deir Ezzor, where jihadists have besieged government forces and civilians in the provincial capital since 2015.

Earlier this month, government troops and allied fighters arrived at the outskirts of Madan, the last Is-held town in the eastern Raqa province countryside before Deir Ezzor.

But in Thursday’s counterattack, IS “made major progress and... expanded the area under its control along the southern bank of the Euphrates,” the Observatory said. KABUL: A suicide bombing followed by gunfire as Shia Muslims gathered for Friday prayers at a mosque in the Afghan capital has killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens of others with ISIL claiming responsibility.

After the blast at the Imam Zaman mosque, in the QalaNajara neighbourhood in north Kabul, gunmen stormed in and began shooting.

“We were here, people were waiting for prayers to start, a suicide attacker came and killed the guards and fired on the other guard at the gate and killed him, then entered the mosque,” eyewitness Ghulam Reza told The Associated Press news agency.

Officials said more than 20 people were killed and at least 40 wounded with the casualty toll expected to rise as medical workers took the victims to the hospital. Policemen made an attempt to enter the mosque but withdrew after one of the attackers set off an explosion, said police official Mohammad Sadiq Muradi.

Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan’s Shia clerical council, said the mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people.

A sprawling cavernous prayer hall dominates the main floor. The second floor is where the women pray. Nasiri said when police initially sought to get into the mosque, the attackers blocked the door leading to the second floor, which he said would mean they held the women hostage.

Al Jazeera’s Jennifer Glasse, reporting from the scene, quoted eyewitnesses as saying the assailants had run out of ammunition and started stabbing worshippers with knives. Some of the victims included children and women.

“It was a busy time, in the middle of Friday prayer as the attack took place,” said Glasse, adding the brazen assault had now ened. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility. Isil-linked Aamaq website said on Friday two of its fighters carried out the assault. It did not give further details. KATHMANDU: Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday faced criticism from political parties in the country for assuring India about Constitution amendment to address the issues of Madhesis.

Deuba, who is currently on a state visit to India, during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that a Constitution “encompassing” the views of the people from all sections and ethnicities would be a reality.

Talking to reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) before heading to Thailand for a medical checkup, main opposition leader and CPN-UML chairman K P Oli criticised him for raising the issue in a foreign country.

“PM Deuba raised the issue of Constitution s acceptability out of context from the foreign land, which is highly objectionable,” Oli said.

“This has put at stake our national pride and sovereignty,” the former prime minister said.

“Deuba has taken the oath of office and secrecy while assuming the post of Prime Minister under the same Constitution and he was elected the Prime Minister under the same Constitution, how can he speak against the Constitution in the foreign country,” Oli questioned.

He said Deuba had no right to raise the issue that was decided by the Nepalese Parliament. “This is an objectionable matter. It is exclusively our concern what kind of constitution we adopt. Deuba is surrendering to India to prolong his tenure in the coalition government,” main opposition Vice chairman Bhim Rawal said.