On Friday, the Counter Terrorism Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa apprehended a female from Kohat, allegedly implicated in extortion cases.
The CTD disclosed that the suspect, identified as Maryam Bibi, played a role in her father’s extortion network. They claimed that the suspect was also traced to making calls from a mobile number associated with an Afghan cellular network.
According to the CTD, the suspect engaged in extortion calls directed at two businessmen in Peshawar and was implicated in leaving an extortion letter in one instance.
The CTD further stated that ongoing raids were underway in Mohmand and Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to apprehend the suspect’s father and dismantle the extortion network.
Earlier this month, the CTD reported that 51 women were under suspicion for their alleged involvement in various crimes, including terrorism, in the province over the past nine years. The list outlined charges against these women, ranging from terrorism and kidnapping to target killing, extortion, and terror financing since 2014.
Two Petitions Challenging ECP’s Delimitations Struck Down in Initial Hearings
Meanwhile, challenges to the delimitations conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan saw initial outcomes on Friday, as courts invalidated two petitions while mandating reviews for three others.
The Lahore High Court deliberated on petitions contesting the delimitations in the Punjab Assembly’s PP-35 Wazirabad and PP-59 Gakhar Mandi, along with the National Assembly’s NA-120 and 123 in Lahore.
Representatives of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Atta Tarar, and Azam Nazeer Tarar, presented their case in the LHC on Friday. Tarar argued that alterations to NA-123 and PP-39 were against the law.
The petitions contended that one constituency witnessed a decrease in population while another experienced an increase, violating rules that impose limits on such changes.
The LHC nullified the delimitations in PP-35 and 59, directing the ECP to reassess NA-120 and NA-123.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to the ECP in a petition challenging NA-35 Kohat on Friday. Barrister Umer Ijaz Gilani, representing the petitioner, argued that NA-35 was a significant constituency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He asserted that, in contrast, constituencies like Chitral, Hangu, and Orakzai were disproportionately small.
