Kathmandu (TIP): Questioning the impartiality of President Bidya Devi Bhandari in the May 22 dissolution of the House of Representatives, lawyers representing petitioners against the move have argued that her actions make it clear that she didn’t want anybody except KP Sharma Oli as PM. A five-member Constitutional Bench began the hearing , starting with the writ filed by 146 lawmakers backing President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s claim to Prime Ministership. (PTI)

Car bomb blast outside JuD chief’s house kills 3 in Lahore

Lahore (TIP): A powerful car bomb went off outside the house of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and banned Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed here on June 23, killing at least three persons and injuring over 20 others, the police said.

The blast took place at a police picket outside Saeed’s residence at the BOR Society in Jauhar town.

Inspector General of Police (Punjab) Inam Ghani said there could have been a “major loss” had there been no police picket outside the house of the high-profile personality, referring to Saeed. “Explosive material was installed in the car. There was a police picket outside the high-value target’s house. The car could not cross the police picket,” Ghani said, describing it as a “terror” act.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has taken over the blast site and investigating from all aspects, he said.

“The CTD will determine whether the blast was a suicide blast, if a device was used,” he said. Ghani also claimed that “hostile” intelligence agencies could be involved in this blast.

The injured people have been shifted to the Jinnah Hospital where the condition of six of them is said to be critical. “The injured also include policemen. The condition of six injured of the 17 admitted to hospital is critical,” said Dr Yahya Sultan of Jinnah Hospital. It was a powerful blast that damaged a number of houses, shops and vehicles in the area. (PTI)