April 2, 2024

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice and seven judges have received “suspected anthrax-laced letters” with “threatening messages” just a day after the Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo motu notice over the allegations of the high court jurists against intelligence spy agencies. A police team comprising experts launched a thorough probe to collect facts and ascertain powdery substance after the eight IHC judges received “suspicious letters containing suspected anthrax powder along with a threatening message”, Geo News reported citing sources. The letter was sent by a woman namely Resham without mentioning her address, the sources said. They added that a staffer of a judge accidentally dropped the envelope containing the suspicious powdery substance and later he felt extreme irritation in eyes and burns on skin around his lips. Following the incident, Islamabad Inspector General (IG) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) police have been summoned to the Islamabad High Court. All suspicious letters have been handed over the police for further investigation. Subsequently, a case was lodged at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Police Station in the federal capital over complaint of a branch clerk Qadir Ahmed who received and dispatched the post. The development came just a day after the Supreme Court took suo motu notice and formed a seven-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to hear the matter after the six IHC judges blamed spy agencies for meddling in judicial affairs. The seven-member bench will hold the maiden hearing on the issue tomorrow (Wednesday). Apart from the CJP the bench also comprises Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Mussarat Hilali, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan. The explosive letter which surfaced last week triggered a crisis and the Supreme Court led by CJP Isa has been under pressure to hear the matter under Article 184(3) of the Constitution. Just a day earlier, over 300 lawyers belonging to different bar associations across the country lauded the judges’ and called upon the apex court to hear the matter under its suo motu jurisdictions. The IHC judges — Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz — wrote the letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), urging the body to convene a judicial convention over the alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial affairs. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1174961-ihc-cj-among-eight-judges-receive-threatening-letters-containing-suspected-anthrax-powder

At least 29 people have been killed and one injured in a fire at a nightclub in central Istanbul during daytime renovation work, according to the office of the city’s governor. “The number of people who lost their lives in the fire … has increased to 29,” Governor Davut Gul’s office said in a statement on Tuesday. “One person hurt in the fire was still being treated in hospital,” it added. The fire broke out on Tuesday on the ground floor of a 16-storey building located in the residential Gayrettepe district. Television images showed flames and a column of thick smoke rising from upper storey windows. The fire began at 12:47 (09:47 GMT) and was brought under control by firefighters hours later, the governor’s office said. An investigation into the incident was launched, it said. Arrest warrants were issued for five people, including the management of the club and the person responsible for the renovations, state media reported. By late afternoon around 20 fire trucks and ambulances were still crowded around the building. “They were preparing for the Eid holiday, which will take place next week,” she said. Our correspondent said the number of deaths, which was initially lower, increased as people died after being transferred to the hospital for treatment. The Masquerade website said it would be closed from March 10 to April 10 “due to our new design renovation”. It can host up to 4,000 people with DJ performances and stage shows several times a week, it says. Authorities cut power, water and gas to the area and building residents were evacuated as a precaution. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/2/at-least-25-killed-in-fire-at-istanbul-nightclub

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/4/2/israels-war-on-gaza-live-five-aid-workers-killed-after-delivering-food