The Evening Wrap: Imran Khan injured in firing during Pakistan rally, say officials

A gunman opened fire at a campaign truck carrying Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday, wounding him slightly and also some of his supporters, a senior leader from his party and police said. Party official Asad Umar said Khan was wounded in the leg and was not seriously hurt. The identity of the gunman, who was arrested at the scene, was not immediately known. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting. According to police, the attack happened in the Wazirabad district in the eastern Punjab province where Khan was traveling in a large convoy of trucks and cars heading towards the capital, Islamabad, as part of his campaign aimed at forcing the government to hold early elections. Khan was later seen with a bandage on his right leg, just above the foot, according to reports and a blurry image. He was moved to another vehicle from his container truck, from where announcements were being made that he was safe. “He is being taken to a hospital in Lahore, but he is not seriously wounded. A bullet hit him in the leg,” Umar told reporters. According to the Interior Ministry, the government has ordered a probe into the incident. An unspecified number of supporters from his Tehreek-e-Insaf party who were part of the march were also wounded, according to the announcement from the party. The attack happened less than a week after Khan began his march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, along with thousands of supporters. Since his ouster in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April, Khan has alleged that his ouster was a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States — claims that both the new premier and Washington have denied. Sharif’s government has also said that there would be no early vote and that the next elections will be held according to schedule, in 2023. Khan’s latest challenge to the government comes after Pakistan’s elections commission disqualified him from holding public office for five years for allegedly selling state gifts unlawfully and concealing assets as premier. Khan, who has challenged the disqualification in a pending court case, has said he would sue Chief Election Commissioner Sikandara Raja, who was behind the decision, for calling him a “dishonest person.” It was also not immediately known if Khan’s convoy would proceed on to Islamabad. Earlier, Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader in Khan’s party, said they plan to enter Islamabad on Friday. Working on a single platform, national model for live-streaming in all courts: Justice Chandrachud “The Supreme Court is working hard to institutionalise live-streaming of court proceedings and frame a uniform and national model,” Chief Justice of India-designate, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said on November 3. Justice Chandrachud, heading a Bench with Justice Hima Kohli, said efforts are on to set up a national infrastructure where proceedings in all courts, from subordinate courts to High Courts and the Supreme Court, can be beamed live from a single platform. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Mathews Nedumpara on live-streaming of proceedings. Justice Chandrachud urged Nedumpara also to consult domain experts and lawyers who are technically proficient to make live-streaming across courts a reality. “We need a uniform framework for courts across the country… This has to be done as a national model,” Justice Chandrachud said. The judge, who is also the chairperson of the apex court’s e-committee, said live-streaming rules have already been formulated and many High Courts have already adopted them. Justice Chandrachud said High Courts in Orissa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Patna have started live-streaming their proceedings. In September, the Supreme Court had started to live-stream Constitution Bench hearings. It had taken the court about four years to implement its own judgment in the Swapnil Tripathi case, which had upheld live-streaming. In that judgment, the court had said live-streaming would “virtually” expand the court beyond the four walls of the courtroom. “Live-streaming of court proceedings has the potential of throwing up an option to the public to witness live court proceedings which they otherwise could not have due to logistical issues and infrastructural restrictions,” the court had said. Justice Chandrachud, who was on the Bench which gave the 2018 judgment, had observed that live-streaming of proceedings would be the true realisation of the “open court system” in which courts were accessible to all. Gujarat elections in two phases, counting on December 8 Voting for the Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5, the Election Commission (EC) announced on Thursday. The counting of votes will take place on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh. Of the total 182 Assembly seats in the State, voting for 89 seats will be held on December 1 and the remaining 93 seats on December 5. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, before announcing the poll schedule, paid tributes to the victims of the Morbi bridge tragedy that killed at least 135 people. He said that political parties must explain why they selected candidates with criminal backgrounds. He also said that via the ‘Know Your Candidate’ App, voters will be informed about all the details, including criminal history and funds, of all the candidates. “If voters witness any untoward activities, like use of muscle power or money power, they can use the cVIGIL application to raise a complaint from the booth itself,” he said. “As a unique initiative to facilitate voters, a polling station will be set up in a shipping container at Aliabet in the Bharuch district with AMF for 217 voters,” said the CEC. “In Gujarat, more than 4.9 crore electors will be served by the Election Commission of India. There are 4.6 lakhs first time voters,” said Kumar. Gujarat has a 182-member Assembly and the BJP had pulled off its sixth consecutive victory winning 99 seats in the last polls, while the Congress put up a spirited fight by bagging 77 seats. In percentage terms, the BJP had polled 49.05% of the valid votes, while Congress had polled 42.97%. The Congress witnessed a series of defections after the assembly elections and the BJP increased its tally in the House to 111. The Congress numbers were reduced to 62. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has trained its sights on Gujarat and has already entered election mode. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has made several trips to Gujarat in his bid to make inroads for the AAP in the State after a successful foray in Punjab. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been visiting Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh frequently to inaugurate and launch several projects. Also, these elections along with a few more in other states in 2023 are being seen as crucial in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when PM Modi and BJP will bid for their third consecutive government at the Centre. Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years The Bank of England has announced its biggest interest rate increase in three decades as it tries to beat back stubbornly high inflation fuelled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the disastrous economic policies of former Prime Minister Liz Truss. The bank boosted its key rate by three-quarters of a percentage point on November 3, to 3%, after consumer price inflation returned to a 40-year high in September. The aggressive move to prevent inflation from becoming embedded in the economy was in line with market expectations after a more cautious half-point increase six weeks ago. The interest rate decision is the first since Truss’ government announced 45 billion pounds ($52 billion) of unfunded tax cuts that sparked turmoil on financial markets, pushed up mortgage costs and forced Truss from office after just six weeks. Her successor, Rishi Sunak, has warned of spending cuts and tax increases as he seeks to undo the damage and show that Britain is committed to paying its bills. The rate increase is the Bank of England’s eighth in a row and biggest since 1992. It comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve on November 2 announced a fourth consecutive three-quarter point jump as central banks worldwide tackle inflation that is eroding living standards and slowing economic growth. In Brief: India has abstained on yet another resolution involving Ukraine, this time a motion sponsored by Russia at the UNSC that sought to establish a commission to investigate claims by Moscow that the U.S. and Ukraine are carrying out “military biological activities” in laboratories in Ukraine in violation of the biological weapons convention. The resolution failed to get adopted on November 3 as only two Council members — Russia and China — voted in its favour, while the U.S., the U.K. and France voted against it and the other Council members, including India, abstained. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 03 NOVEMBER 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Imran Khan injured in firing during Pakistan rally: officials A gunman opened fire at a campaign truck carrying Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday, [wounding him slightly and also some of his supporters]( a senior leader from his party and police said. Party official Asad Umar said Khan was wounded in the leg and was not seriously hurt. The identity of the gunman, who was arrested at the scene, was not immediately known. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting. [In this still image obtained from video, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan is helped after he was shot in Wazirabad, Pakistan on November 3, 2022 . Photo: Urdu Media via Reuters] According to police, the attack happened in the Wazirabad district in the eastern Punjab province where Khan was traveling in a large convoy of trucks and cars heading towards the capital, Islamabad, as part of his campaign aimed at forcing the government to hold early elections. Khan was later seen with a bandage on his right leg, just above the foot, according to reports and a blurry image. He was moved to another vehicle from his container truck, from where announcements were being made that he was safe. “He is being taken to a hospital in Lahore, but he is not seriously wounded. A bullet hit him in the leg,” Umar told reporters. According to the Interior Ministry, the government has ordered a probe into the incident. An unspecified number of supporters from his Tehreek-e-Insaf party who were part of the march were also wounded, according to the announcement from the party. The attack happened less than a week after Khan began his march from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, along with thousands of supporters. Since his ouster in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April, Khan has alleged that his ouster was a conspiracy engineered by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States — claims that both the new premier and Washington have denied. Sharif’s government has also said that there would be no early vote and that the next elections will be held according to schedule, in 2023. Khan’s latest challenge to the government comes after Pakistan’s elections commission disqualified him from holding public office for five years for allegedly selling state gifts unlawfully and concealing assets as premier. Khan, who has challenged the disqualification in a pending court case, has said he would sue Chief Election Commissioner Sikandara Raja, who was behind the decision, for calling him a “dishonest person.” It was also not immediately known if Khan’s convoy would proceed on to Islamabad. Earlier, Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader in Khan’s party, said they plan to enter Islamabad on Friday. Working on a single platform, national model for live-streaming in all courts: Justice Chandrachud “The Supreme Court is working hard to institutionalise live-streaming of court proceedings and frame a uniform and national model,” [Chief Justice of India-designate, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said]( on November 3. Justice Chandrachud, heading a Bench with Justice Hima Kohli, said efforts are on to set up a national infrastructure where proceedings in all courts, from subordinate courts to High Courts and the Supreme Court, can be beamed live from a single platform. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Mathews Nedumpara on live-streaming of proceedings. Justice Chandrachud urged Nedumpara also to consult domain experts and lawyers who are technically proficient to make live-streaming across courts a reality. “We need a uniform framework for courts across the country… This has to be done as a national model,” Justice Chandrachud said. The judge, who is also the chairperson of the apex court’s e-committee, said live-streaming rules have already been formulated and many High Courts have already adopted them. Justice Chandrachud said High Courts in Orissa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Patna have started live-streaming their proceedings. In September, the Supreme Court had started to live-stream Constitution Bench hearings. It had taken the court about four years to implement its own judgment in the Swapnil Tripathi case, which had upheld live-streaming. In that judgment, the court had said live-streaming would “virtually” expand the court beyond the four walls of the courtroom. “Live-streaming of court proceedings has the potential of throwing up an option to the public to witness live court proceedings which they otherwise could not have due to logistical issues and infrastructural restrictions,” the court had said. Justice Chandrachud, who was on the Bench which gave the 2018 judgment, had observed that live-streaming of proceedings would be the true realisation of the “open court system” in which courts were accessible to all. Gujarat elections in two phases, counting on December 8 [Voting for the Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5]( the Election Commission (EC) announced on Thursday. The counting of votes will take place on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh. Of the total 182 Assembly seats in the State, voting for 89 seats will be held on December 1 and the remaining 93 seats on December 5. [Municipal Corporation workers in Surat on November 3, 2022 remove a hoarding as Model Code of Conduct came into force for the Gujarat Assembly polls.] Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, before announcing the poll schedule, paid tributes to the victims of the Morbi bridge tragedy that killed at least 135 people. He said that political parties must explain why they selected candidates with criminal backgrounds. He also said that via the ‘Know Your Candidate’ App, voters will be informed about all the details, including criminal history and funds, of all the candidates. “If voters witness any untoward activities, like use of muscle power or money power, they can use the cVIGIL application to raise a complaint from the booth itself,” he said. “As a unique initiative to facilitate voters, a polling station will be set up in a shipping container at Aliabet in the Bharuch district with AMF for 217 voters,” said the CEC. “In Gujarat, more than 4.9 crore electors will be served by the Election Commission of India. There are 4.6 lakhs first time voters,” said Kumar. Gujarat has a 182-member Assembly and the BJP had pulled off its sixth consecutive victory winning 99 seats in the last polls, while the Congress put up a spirited fight by bagging 77 seats. In percentage terms, the BJP had polled 49.05% of the valid votes, while Congress had polled 42.97%. The Congress witnessed a series of defections after the assembly elections and the BJP increased its tally in the House to 111. The Congress numbers were reduced to 62. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has trained its sights on Gujarat and has already entered election mode. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has made several trips to Gujarat in his bid to make inroads for the AAP in the State after a successful foray in Punjab. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been visiting Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh frequently to inaugurate and launch several projects. Also, these elections along with a few more in other states in 2023 are being seen as crucial in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when PM Modi and BJP will bid for their third consecutive government at the Centre. Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years The [Bank of England has announced its biggest interest rate increase in three decades]( as it tries to beat back stubbornly high inflation fuelled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the disastrous economic policies of former Prime Minister Liz Truss. The bank boosted its key rate by three-quarters of a percentage point on November 3, to 3%, after consumer price inflation returned to a 40-year high in September. The aggressive move to prevent inflation from becoming embedded in the economy was in line with market expectations after a more cautious half-point increase six weeks ago. The interest rate decision is the first since Truss’ government announced 45 billion pounds ($52 billion) of unfunded tax cuts that sparked turmoil on financial markets, pushed up mortgage costs and forced Truss from office after just six weeks. Her successor, Rishi Sunak, has warned of spending cuts and tax increases as he seeks to undo the damage and show that Britain is committed to paying its bills. The rate increase is the Bank of England’s eighth in a row and biggest since 1992. It comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve on November 2 announced a fourth consecutive three-quarter point jump as central banks worldwide tackle inflation that is eroding living standards and slowing economic growth. In Brief: India has [abstained on yet another resolution involving Ukraine]( this time a motion sponsored by Russia at the UNSC that sought to establish a commission to investigate claims by Moscow that the U.S. and Ukraine are carrying out “military biological activities” in laboratories in Ukraine in violation of the biological weapons convention. The resolution failed to get adopted on November 3 as only two Council members — Russia and China — voted in its favour, while the U.S., the U.K. and France voted against it and the other Council members, including India, abstained. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.  Today's Top Picks [[Air quality panel bans entry of non-CNG, non-electric trucks into Delhi] Air quality panel bans entry of non-CNG, non-electric trucks into Delhi]( [[Watch | Tetrapod seawall saves Kerala village from destruction] Watch | Tetrapod seawall saves Kerala village from destruction]( [[Dissecting caste discrimination from admissions to placements: Part 2 - IITs, IIMs and beyond | Data Point podcast] Dissecting caste discrimination from admissions to placements: Part 2 - IITs, IIMs and beyond | Data Point podcast]( [[Explained | Can convicted legislators be disqualified from Assembly?] Explained | Can convicted legislators be disqualified from Assembly?]( Copyright @ 2022, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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