NEC meeting approves Rs1675 bn development budget

London: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday presided over a meeting of the National Economic Council through a video link from London where he is to undergo an open heart surgery on Tuesday.

The NEC meeting considered the proposed Annual Development Plan (ADP) and the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Sources said the meeting approved development budget of Rs 1675 billion for the fiscal year 2016-2017.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers, chief ministers of the four federating units, governor and chief minister of Gilgit Baltistan and others.

The prime minister applauded Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and his team for preparing a development plan in line with the economic growth of the country. He said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has the potential to raise the GDP.

Chief ministers of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra interacted with the prime minister and conveyed their wishes for his speedy recovery from ailment.  

Following the NEC meeting, the prime minister presided over the meeting of his cabinet and approved budget proposals.

Later on, he told media outside the Pakistan High Commission that he was not staying in London on his own accord. He said Pakistan would have achieved GDP target if it had not missed on targets in agriculture, expressing hope that economic situation would improve due to government's policies.

'US-led coalition troops assisting Kurds in new offensive'

BAGHDAD: Servicemen from the US-led coalition are assisting Kurdish Peshmerga forces in a new offensive in Iraq that aims to retake a handful of villages from Daesh (Islamic State) east of their Mosul stronghold, a coalition spokesman said.

Soldiers were seen loading armored vehicles outside the village of Hassan Shami, a few miles east of the frontline, a Reuters correspondent reported. They told people present not to take photographs.

They spoke in English but their nationality was not clear. Reuters had earlier reported that they were American but this could not be confirmed officially.

"US and coalition forces are conducting advise and assist operations to help Kurdish Peshmerga forces," US Army Colonel Steve Warren, the spokesman for the US-led coalition in Baghdad told Reuters, commenting on the ground deployment of coalition soldiers seen near the battle front.

He said he could not confirm which country those seen by Reuters were from.

Noushki drone attack case registered against US officials

QUETTA: Pakistani officials on Sunday registered a case against American officials for the US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Noushki area of Balochistan earlier this month.

The FIR, however, does not mention any US officials by name.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Geo News, was lodged at the Levies police station in Mal Noshki area of Balochistan, some 30 kilometers from the site of the drone attack, on behalf of Mohammad Qasim, a brother of driver Mohammad Azam who was allegedly bringing the militant commander in his taxi from Iran to Pakistan.

Driver Mohammad Azam also perished in the missile attack.

The complainant has sought legal action against US officials, who he said claimed responsibility for the attack through the media.

The FIR has been lodged on different counts including murder, terrorism and laws that deal with explosives.

Muhammad Qasim complained that he was informed on May 21 at 3:00 pm that the vehicle was blown up in an explosion that killed his brother and passenger Wali Muhammad, a false identity assumed by Mansour.

Seeking 'clarification' of US strike on Afghan Taliban leader: foreign office

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Foreign Office said it was "seeking clarification" about a US drone strike against Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday, after US officials said Mansour was likely killed in an air strike.

"I have seen the reports. We are seeking clarification," Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement.

He added that Pakistan wanted the Afghan Taliban to return to the negotiating table to end the long war in Afghanistan.

"Military action is not a solution," he added.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was notified of the air strike which took place a day earlier, but declined to elaborate on the timing of the notification.

Afghan Taliban leader likely killed in US drone strike near Pak-Afghan border

The United States conducted a drone strike on Saturday against the leader of the Afghan Taliban, likely killing him close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region in a mission authorised by US President Barack Obama, US officials said.

The death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour, should it be confirmed, could further fracture the Taliban—an outcome that experts cautioned might make the insurgents even less likely to participate in long-stalled peace efforts.

The mission, which included multiple drones, demonstrated a clear willingness by Obama to go after the Afghan Taliban leadership now that the insurgents control or contest more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since being ousted by a US-led intervention in 2001.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook confirmed an air strike targeting Mansour in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region but declined to speculate on his fate, although US officials speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters he likely was killed.

"We are still assessing the results of the strike and will provide more information as it becomes available," Cook said.

The US drones targeted Mansour and another combatant as the men rode in a vehicle in a remote area, said another US official speaking on condition of anonymity.

US special operations forces operated the drones in a mission authorized by Obama that took place at about 6 am EDT (1000 GMT), the official said. That would have placed it at Saturday at 3 pm in Pakistan.

Afghan govt, intelligence confirms Taliban chief's death

Afghan government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah issued the highest level confirmation that Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour had been killed in the attack by US.

Abdullah said Mansour was killed in a drone strike when his car was attacked at 04:30 pm on Saturday.

Afghanistan's main intelligence service, the National Directorate for Security also said that it had confirmed Mansour's death.

Pakistan's Foreign Office said it was "seeking clarification" about the US drone strike against the Afghan Taliban leader.

"I have seen the reports. We are seeking clarification," Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement.

He added that Pakistan wanted the Taliban to return to the negotiating table to end the long war in Afghanistan.

"Military action is not a solution," he added.

Also read: Bodies recovered from burnt down car in Noshki

Pakistan, Afghan leaders notified: Kerry

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour posed a "continuing imminent threat" to US personnel in Afghanistan and to Afghans, and was a threat to peace.

"Yesterday, the United States conducted a precision air strike that targeted Taliban leader Mullah Mansour in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Mansour posed a continuing, imminent threat" to US personnel and Afghans, Kerry told a news conference in the Myanmar capital.

"This action sends a clear message to the world that we will continue to stand with our Afghan partners as they work to build a more stable, united, secure and prosperous Afghanistan."

Kerry said the leaders of both Pakistan and Afghanistan were notified of the air strike but he declined to elaborate on the timing of the notifications, which he said included a telephone call from him to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Confirmation from Senior Taliban commander

Meanwhile, a Taliban commander close to Mansour, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, denied Mansour was dead.

"We heard about these baseless reports but this not first time," the commander said.

"Just wanted to share with you my own information that Mullah Mansour has not been killed."

But news agency the Associated Press reported that a senior Taliban commander had confirmed Mullah Akhtar Mansour's death in the drone strike.

Mullah Abdul Rauf, who recently reconciled with Mansour after initially rebelling against his ascension to the leadership, said that Mansour died in the strike late Friday "in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area," the Associated Press reported.

In December, Mansour was reportedly wounded and possibly killed in a shootout at the house of another Taliban leader near Quetta in Pakistan.

"The opportunity to conduct this operation to eliminate the threat that Mansour posed was a distinctive one and we acted on it," a State Department official said.

There has been no official confirmation from US authorities.

US House decides on conditional military aid for Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) House of Representatives on Thursday voted 277 to 147 in favour of a defence policy bill seeking to increase restrictions on military aid for Pakistan unless certain conditions are met.

The House, expressing frustration over what they term Islamabad's failure to crack down on the Haqqani network, passed the $602 billion National Defense Authorization Act 2017, or NDAA late on Wednesday.

The NDAA will block $450 million in aid to Islamabad unless it does more to fight the militant group, which lawmakers see as a major threat to US forces in Afghanistan.

The bill requires the Pentagon to certify that Pakistan is conducting military operations to disrupt the Haqqani network, not letting the network use North Waziristan as a safe haven and actively coordinating with Afghanistan's government to fight the network along their border.

Rs0.5m and up: What salaries and perks are parliamentarians asking for?

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentarians on Thursday proposed an exponential increase in salaries and perks 'commensurate with their status', bringing their wages to par with those of BS-22 officers, with a monthly allowance of at least Rs470,000.

The set of recommendations presented in the National Assembly (NA) by Acting Chairman of the Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk was unanimously adopted as a motion by parliamentarians.

Kidnapper leaves child at Edhi Centre Karachi

KARACHI: A three-year-old girl was left at the Edhi Centre by her alleged kidnapper on Wednesday.

The girl was handed over to her father by Edhi officials.

According to reports a fight broke out between a rickshaw driver and the child’s parents on Tuesday. When the fight got dirty the rickshaw driver picked up the girl and fled, police said.

Her parents filed a complaint at the Samanabad Police Station.

Sparks fly as NA starts debate on Panama Papers scandal

ISLAMABAD: Opposition and government lawmakers delivered fiery speeches and took jibes at each other on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday as the House began its debate on the Panama Papers scandal.

Opposition lawmakers returned to the House today, ending their boycott following Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech in the National Assembly earlier this week.

At the start of the session today, NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq informed the House that it was decided in a meeting of parliamentary parties to suspend the Question Hour as the members wanted to discuss the Panama Papers scandal.

Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah criticized the prime minister, saying questions being raised against Nawaz Sharif were because of his own family’s mistakes.

"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should have asked his children to come forward and explain,” said Shah, who was the first to speak on the floor of the House today.

ڈاکٹر عبدالقدیر کا خاندان بھی پاناما پیپرز میں شامل

کراچی: پاکستان میں جوہری پروگرام کے بانی ڈاکٹر عبد القدیر خان کے خاندان کا نام بھی پاناما پیپرز میں آگیا۔

پاناما پیپرز کے مطابق ڈاکٹر عبد القدیر خان کے بھائی عبد القیوم خان، عبد القدیر خان کی اہلیہ ہندرینہ اور ان کی دو بیٹیاں، دینہ اور عائشہ خان بہامس میں رجسٹرڈ وحدت لمیٹڈ نامی آف شور کمپنی کے مالک ہیں۔

اگرچہ ان کا نام انٹرنیشنل کنسورشیم آف انویسٹی گیٹو جرنلسٹس (آئی سی آئی جے) کے آن لائن کیے جانے والے ڈیٹا میں موجود نہیں ہے، تاہم اس کا نام گروپ کو حاصل ہونے والے بڑے ڈیٹا بیس میں موجود ہے۔

وحدت لمیٹڈ، مئی میں ایٹمی دھماکے سے چند ماہ قبل جنوری 1998 میں رجسٹر ہوئی اور 12 اکتوبر کی بغاوت کے بعد، 31 دسمبر 1999 میں اسے غیر رجسٹر کرادیا گیا۔

آف شور کمپنیاں:'تحریک انصاف سب سے بڑی ملزم'

اسلام آباد: پاکستان تحریک انصاف (پی ٹی آئی) کے چیئرمین عمران خان کی آف شور کمپنی کے انکشاف کے بعد وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات پرویز رشید نے انھیں آڑے ہاتھوں لیا اور پاکستان میں آف شور کمپنیوں کا 'بانی' اور تحریک انصاف کو سب سے بڑی 'ملزم جماعت' قرار دے دیا۔

یاد رہے کہ گذشتہ روز لندن کے ہیتھرو ایئرپورٹ پر صحافیوں سے گفتگو میں عمران خان نے اپنے کرکٹ کھیلنے والے دنوں میں ٹیکس بچانے کےلیے 1983 میں ایک آف شور کمپنی بنانے کا اعتراف کیا تھا۔

ان کا کہنا تھا کہ انہوں نے یہ آف شور کمپنی اپنے اکاؤنٹنٹ کے مشورے پر لندن میں فلیٹ خریدنے کے سلسلے میں بنائی تھی۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ 'میں پہلے ہی اپنی کمائی پر 35 فیصد ٹیکس ادا کررہا تھا تو مزید ٹیکسوں سے بچنے کے لیے میں نے یہ آف شور فرم بنائی جو کہ میرا حق تھا کیوں کہ میں برطانوی شہری نہیں تھا۔'

Ali Haider Gilani rescued from captivity in joint Afghan-US operation

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Haider Gilani has been recovered in a joint operation by Afghan and US forces in Ghazni, three years after he was kidnapped from a pre-election rally in Multan.

The news was first broken by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in a tweet.

PTI Aleem Khan claims media trial being run against him

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Aleem Khan said that he has declared all of his assets.

In a fiery press conference held on Monday, Aleem Khan said that he has never hidden that he owned an offshore company.

He added that for the NA-122 elections he had submitted details of his offshore company and four flats in London. “I have declared that I own $ 381,000. Half of my assets are in my wife’s name. But other politicians should also declare their assets.”

He said that he had remained a minister for five years. “But not a single corruption case has been filed against me.”

He alleged that media cell had been established at the PM House.

Waving a copy of the Jang newspaper at the press conference, he alleged that a vile media campaign was being run against him.

Responding to the allegation, The News journalist Umer Cheema, who first blew the whistle over money stacked in offshore accounts by the rich and influential in Pakistan, said, “In all of my stories I have taken Aleem Khan’s account. In my stories I have stated that despite Aleem Khan’s declaration that he has not been named in the Panama Papers, his name is very much there.”

More prominent Pakistanis named in Panama Papers

ISLAMABAD: As the much-awaited list of Pakistanis owning offshore companies is released today, the close associates of politicians and families of celebrities are set to capture more attention than the businessmen including those who registered companies only to open accounts in Swiss banks.

Identities of some of the high-profile figures suspected to be linked with offshore companies are still being ascertained and will therefore be published after a complete investigation.

The list to be released by The News will be the most comprehensive as painstaking efforts were made to find the last Pakistani buried in the 11.5 million files of the Panama Papers shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Nevertheless, it can’t be claimed with confidence that all of them have been fished out.

Right from the family of Zulfi Bokhari, a key financier of Imran Khan, to Irfan Puri, an oil czar equally close to the PPP/MQM leadership and presently in Dubai jail; from Tariq Islam, a cousin of Benazir Bhutto, to the son of former health minister Naseer Khan; from the family of famous Seth Abid to the son of Admiral (retd) Muzaffar Hassan; and from the Port Qasim Authority’s former MD and NRO beneficiary Abdul Sattar Dero to the former president of Karachi chamber of commerce, Shaukat Ahmed, are in the list.

Mother of Oscar award winner, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy; a billionaire owner of Sachal studio Izzat Majeed; wife of Ghous Akbar; and fashion designer Zehra Valliani along with her brother, an asset manager, Fawaz Valliani have also been identified as owners of offshore companies.

Wamiq Zuberi of the Business Recorder and his wife, former PPP senator Rukhsana Zuberi, have been identified among those invested in an offshore company, a fact Wamiq acknowledged. He explained that they stopped investing after being defrauded and that the company was owned by somebody else who was murdered in Islamabad.

Although Abdul Aleem Khan of the PTI has been claiming with confidence that he didn’t figure in the Panama Papers and The News story about his offshore company was based on his assets declarations, his name is very much in the record.

CIA Pakistan chief suspected he was poisoned after OBL raid: report

Shortly after the US raid in Abbottabad that killed Osama Bin Laden, the CIA's top operative was pulled out of Pakistan because he suspected he was poisoned, claims a recent report published in a US newspaper.

In 2011, Mark Kelton, now 59 and retired, served as the Central Intelligence Agency's station chief in Pakistan for less than seven months — a period of tense relations between the US and Pakistan.  

It was the second such departure in seven months from the post, after his predecessor was forced to leave when his identity was revealed by media after being named in a lawsuit.

According to the Washington Post, the CIA official started experiencing health problems shortly after the US military raid on the Al Qaeda chief's compound in May.

He was pulled out of the country by July in a move vaguely attributed to health concerns and his strained relationship with Islamabad. But, according to the report, the CIA station chief was so violently ill that he was often doubled over in pain.

"Trips out of the country for treatment proved futile. And the cause of his ailment was so mysterious, the officials said, that both he and the agency began to suspect that he had been poisoned,” reports the Washington Post.

The CIA official at first thought he had come down with a digestive disorder many Americans catch when they visit South Asia. But by July, Kelton was in what one official described as a “severe medical crisis.”

Less than seven months after arriving in Pakistan, the CIA official informed his bosses that he could no longer continue the job.

The story has been rejected by Pakistani officials, who dismissed all accusations of the country's intelligence agency being involved in foul play.

“Obviously the story is fictional, not worthy of comment,” said Pakistan Embassy spokesman Nadeem Hotiana. “We reject the insinuations implied in the allegations.”

US officials also admitted that the CIA never saw proof of Kelton's suspected poisoning.

“We have uncovered no evidence that Pakistani authorities poisoned a US official serving in Pakistan,” CIA spokesman Dean Boyd said.

According to the Washington Post report, some of Kelton’s colleagues also remained skeptical that the CIA official was poisoned, believing instead that Kelton’s condition was more likely caused by bad food or job pressure.

Kelton has now retired from CIA and his health has recovered after abdominal surgery.

Billboards be removed from Karachi’s public places within 15 days: SC

KARACHI:  The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, cantonment boards and other authorities concerned to remove within 15 days all the billboards installed without permission on public property within their jurisdiction.

“There is no law which permits the KMC, DMC, cantonment boards or any other agency in Karachi to install billboards or hoardings on  public property,” a three-member bench headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed in a matter regarding illegal advertising signboards in the city.

“Such an act on the part of the permission granting agency is against the civil rights of  citizens. The civil rights of citizens cannot be hampered by erecting billboards or hoardings on the civic amenity meant for the use and benefit of the public at large; besides, such an act would endanger the life and property of the common man.”

The bench further observed that no billboard could be permitted to be installed on any public property by any authority under the garb of by-laws, as that would militate against the civil rights of the public at large.

It said billboards/ hoardings installed on public property under any licence or lease “shall be uprooted by June 30, 2016” by the concerned advertising agencies that owned those poles or display materials or by contractors if they owned such material or by the authorities with whose permission the billboards or hoardings had been put up.

The apex court observed that trees on roads and greenbelts were cut off for the installation of hoardings. It noted that public property included roads, sidewalks, overhead bridges, underpasses, overhead pedestrian bridges, walkways, greenbelts, pedestrian lanes and storm water drains, which could not be allowed to be used for the installation of billboards.

Multiple torture marks found on MQM worker Aftab Ahmed's body, post-mortem report confirms

KARACHI: Multiple torture marks were found on Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker Aftab Ahmed’s body, a postmortem report confirmed on Thursday.

Over 35 percent of the body was covered in bruises and abrasions, the postmortem report, a copy of which is available with Geo News said.

Bruises in reddish and reddish black colours were present at various parts of the body including the chest, thighs, skull and buttocks, the report said.

The skin had received multiple abrasions, it added.

A nail of the left toe was partially torn off, it stated.

The ankles of the body were swollen and red, the report said.

The postmortem report said that the cause of death could not be ascertained.

Specimens of various body parts had been sent for lab tests, a Geo News reporter confirmed.

Turkish PM Davutoglu exits as Erdogan aims at stronger presidency

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced on Thursday he would not stand again as leader of the ruling AK Party, bowing out as President Tayyip Erdogan accelerates his drive for a stronger presidency set to reshape the political landscape.

In a speech defending his record as prime minister but also vowing loyalty to Erdogan, Davutoglu said he had kept his party and the government intact during a tumultuous period in Turkey and pledged that "strong" AKP government would continue.

After a meeting of the party´s executive committee, Davutoglu told a news conference that under the current circumstances he would not run for the leadership of the AKP at an extraordinary party congress on May 22. "I am telling our members, up until today I was leading you. From now on, I am among you," he said, vowing to continue his political struggle as an AKP lawmaker.

Davutoglu´s departure plunges Turkey into political uncertainty just as Europe depends on it for help in curbing a migration crisis and as Washington draws on the NATO member´s support in fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Turkey could now face an early general election this year as Erdogan pushes ahead with plans to strengthen the presidency. Davutoglu had offered only lukewarm support for Erdogan´s vision and his departure follows weeks of tensions.

PML-N slams PTI leader Aleem Khan over undeclared assets

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced that it will approach the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) over Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan’s undeclared assets and property-owned abroad.

In a press conference held on Monday PML-N leaders Maryam Aurangzeb and Talal Chaudhry brought forth the details submitted by PTI’s Aleem Khan to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Maryam Aurangzeb said that the financial details Aleem Khan had told media in a press conference had not been submitted to the ECP.

The PTI leader has no property overseas and his assets within the country are worth 509.7 million rupees, according to the details given to the ECP on September 11, 2015. The details revealed that Aleem Khan earned a total of 6.5 million rupees in the financial year 2014, and gave taxes worth 1.167 million rupees.

Maryam Aurangzeb claimed that the PTI leader had said that he did not declare the assets due to the issue of mortgage, adding that the section of mortgage on forms was left unmarked.

The details to the ECP further mentioned that Aleem Khan’s house is worth 139.4 million rupees and that is named under a company, while there is no mention of the business abroad.

Pakistan announce probables for England tour; Afridi dropped

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced the names of 35 probable players for the upcoming England tour, dropping former T20 skipper Shahid Afridi, opener Ahmed Shehzad and middle-order batsman Umar Akmal from the list.

Afridi had resigned from captaincy after Pakistan failed to put up a decent show in the World T20 in India, but announced that he would continue playing international cricket.

Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq-led selection committee was in Faisalabad monitoring players’ performances during Pakistan Cup and shortlisted the names of 35 performers.

Those shortlisted include players from the Pakistan international and ‘A’ sides.

“We are scheduled to play only six or so T20s in the coming year so we thought it is better to give chance to youngsters,” Inzamam said at a press conference. “In the meantime, Afridi will also get some time to rest and hopefully will regain his form.”

Pakistan cricket’s troublemakers Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal have been also axed from the tour probables.

“Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal had discipline issues and their performances weren’t up to the mark either,” Inzamam said.

The selection committee has informed the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan regarding the shortlisted players and it is likely that Afridi won’t be selected for the team’s training camp either.

Afridi, commenting on the list of probable players announced by Inzamam, took it to Twitter and said: “Appreciate the approach by selection committee; happy that youngsters are getting a chance.”

Stage set for PTI's show of power in Lahore despite govt disapproval

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was almost set to put up its power show at Mall Road in Lahore on Sunday afternoon despite the government's disapproval and warnings of security risks.

Around 2:00PM in the afternoon, a large stage had been prepared near the Punjab Assembly and seats laid out for participants, some of whom had already arrived at the venue in spite of scorching temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius.

Due to the extreme weather, the PTI had given special instructions to workers and supporters, asking them not to bring children to the rally.

The weather was expected to cool down later in the evening.

Party sources said PTI chairman Imran Khan would address the public gathering around 8:30 PM.

Amir can get UK visa if PCB, ECB jointly appeal to visa officer: lawyer

LONDON: Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Amir will get visa to enter the United Kingdom only if Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the England Cricket Board (ECB) present a joint application to the Entry Clearance Officer in the British High Commission when the convicted cricketer applies for the UK visa, a leading immigration lawyer said on Sunday. 

Solicitor Dr Akbar Malik told Geo News that as per immigrations rules in the UK, Amir can apply for the visa after April 2017. He explained that Amir was convicted and sentenced in November 2011 and sentenced to less than 12 months.