In a significant development, the accountability court in Islamabad has suspended the permanent arrest warrant of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Subsequently, the Islamabad High Court has granted him protective bail until October 24. This decision stems from the ongoing case related to Toshakhana vehicles.

Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Accountability Court, in a reserved decision, accepted Nawaz Sharif’s request for suspending the arrest warrant. The court has ordered him to appear before it on October 24. The proceedings began when Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer, Qazi Misbah, appeared in court.

Qazi Misbah Advocate argued that permanent arrest warrants were issued as an advertisement. He added that Nawaz Sharif is returning, and the court has the option to cancel the arrest warrant.

Judge Muhammad Bashir emphasized the need to review the case’s record. NAB prosecutor Sohail Arif also appeared in court.

Qazi Misbah Advocate pointed out that no security bond had been filed in the Islamabad High Court in this case. He likened the situation to the case of Ishaq Dar when the court canceled the warrant on September 9, 2020.

Medical grounds

The court inquired why Nawaz Sharif had not appeared for so long. The lawyer explained that he had been seriously ill when he went abroad, and the Lahore High Court had granted him permission for medical treatment abroad. Pending this matter, they have submitted Nawaz Sharif’s latest medical reports.

NAB Prosecutor Sohail Arif noted that interim relief had been sought in this application.

Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer emphasized that they would appear in court on October 24, and there was no NAB arrest warrant in this case, only a permanent arrest warrant was in effect, and they were willing to appear in court.

The NAB prosecutor clarified that the arrest warrant was solely for the presence of the accused and suggested that Nawaz Sharif could request the Senate to cancel the permanent arrest warrant.

Following arguments from both sides, the court reserved its decision on the application.

Protective Bail

This development pertains to Nawaz Sharif’s protective bail application, which was heard in relation to the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references. Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb presided over the hearing.

Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer, Azam Nazir Tarar, mentioned that the accountability court had also canceled the permanent arrest warrant, which had been suspended by the trial court.

The court inquired about the existence of the order, to which Azam Nazir Tarar explained that the order had been issued, and lawyers were coming from the accountability court.

During the proceedings, the court noted that the NAB prosecutor had previously stated they had no objection to the security bond. The NAB prosecutor clarified that their current position was that they had no objections to Nawaz Sharif’s appearance.

After a brief hearing, the Islamabad High Court granted protective bail until October 24, with an order preventing Nawaz Sharif’s arrest upon his return to Pakistan. The court also requested a written response from NAB regarding Nawaz Sharif’s non-objection to protective bail.

Across Pakistan’s Punjab province, a wave of teacher-led protests has taken hold, in opposition to significant changes in government school norms and pension rules. Teachers protest, now in its eighth day, has garnered widespread attention as educators persist in their efforts to protect the educational system. Teachers are resolute in their commitment to an ongoing educational boycott until their demands are met, and their arrested colleagues are released.

Amidst these calls for change, the government has issued stark warnings of disciplinary action, while also taking a heavy-handed approach by arresting hundreds of protesters. Yet, these educators remain resolute, resolute in their determination to safeguard the educational future of Pakistan’s youth.

The consequences of this ongoing strike are felt far and wide, with attendance in government schools plummeting by more than 20 percent. The teachers’ demands are simple—abandon plans to outsource educational institutions and reverse the decision to hand control of 1,000 schools to external organizations. Moreover, they insist on the immediate withdrawal of changes to rules governing leave encashment, gratuity, and pensions.

These educators are not limited by provincial boundaries; their message reverberates in major cities across the region, even reaching as far as Manipur. Their commitment knows no bounds, as they advocate for the preservation of a public education system that has been the bedrock of Pakistan’s progress. The pity condition of education system in Pakistan is not hidden. In past also, there have been protests in various regions against various issues related to education. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s response to these important issues has always been repressive.

Privatisation of 1000 schools

At the heart of this controversy lies the government’s decision to entrust 1,000 government schools to the non-governmental organization ‘Muslim Hands Pakistan.’ This choice hints at a broader shift towards privatization—a move met with skepticism and concern from teachers’ unions. They argue that such a step will affect the quality of education and could deprive underprivileged students of affordable schooling. The government schools, they point out, offer free admission, whereas these privatized institutions are likely to charge fees.

In addition, the shortage of teachers in government schools is a pressing issue. Teachers argue that this problem necessitates new hiring rather than the hasty transfer of educators to different institutions, along with tempting offers of early retirement. Past experiences of privatization have been marred by inefficiencies, and private institutions struggled to manage these schools effectively.

The teachers and their supporters offer an alternative approach, suggesting that the government should consider transferring schools with inadequate infrastructure to non-governmental organizations. By doing so, these organizations can work to enhance the quality of these facilities.

As teachers from all backgrounds stand shoulder to shoulder, a question lingers—what is the government’s true intention? Some suspect it aims to undermine the government-run education system by selling off its most successful schools. As these Teachers protest continue to gather momentum, the battle for the future of education in Pakistan rages on, with teachers on the front lines, their message clear: education is a right, not a privilege.

A recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has underscored the need for accountability and justice in the wake of the Sakrand incident. The report, based on a thorough investigation, reveals several incongruities in the statements of various authorities involved in the operation, raising questions about the tragic event. The operation, as elucidated by report, was hastily executed and lacked a comprehensive strategy, resulting in chaos and the deaths of four villagers. Surprisingly, there was no prior history of such an incident in the village, and the civilians caught in the crossfire had no criminal records. Consequently, HRCP emphasized the importance of addressing the impact on the affected families and the local community, underscoring their rightful demand for justice.

Sakrand Incident: A Tragic Turn of Events

On September 28, a security operation was conducted in the village of Maari Jalbani in Sakrand, Sindh, led by the so-called “Counter-Terrorism Department” (CTD) and the Pakistan Army. The operation’s intended target was nationalist activist Rajab Jalbani. However, what transpired was a devastating turn of events. Indiscriminate firing by the rangers led to the loss of nearly four innocent lives and injuries to others. The incident, marked by its swift and chaotic execution, left an indelible impact on the local community. The affected families, who had no history of criminal involvement, were compelled to express their grievances by blocking the National Highway Bypass Sakrand, demanding justice for their fallen loved ones.