Saturday, 30 November 2019

Rulers intentionally complicated issues: Siraj

NOWSHERA: Jamaat-e-Islami head Senator Sirajul Haq on Saturday accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of creating controversy over the chief of the army staff issue.Talking to reporters here, he said the PTI government intentionally complicated the issues in a bid to disgrace national institutions. He added that the Supreme Court had placed the burden on the Parliament, but the government was in no mood to sort things out and was instead creating one crisis after another. “The government wants political martyrdom, but we will not allow it to hide behind lame excuses,” the Jamaat-e-Islami leader said.He maintained that the government had miserably failed to honour the pledges made by it with the people. He said the government had lost the confidence of the people as it did not have the competence to steer the country out of the prevailing crises.Sirajul Haq claimed that the government had yet to provide any relief to the people and control inflation.He said the people were struggling to arrange a two-time meal for their children due to price hike. He said inflation and joblessness had made life miserable for the common man. The Jamaat-e-Islami ameer said the people had lost trust in state institutions. “Even the prime minister has admitted that the people are not getting justice from the courts,” he reminded. “From the statements of the prime minister it seems he is still standing on the container,” he remarked.

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Two killed, 4 injured in road accident

BATKHELA: Two persons of a familywere killed and four others sustained injuries in an accident between a car and dumper near Serai Khwar on Swat Expressway on Saturday.According to Alladhand Levies Post report, a car bearing registration number LZH-2625 was on way to Swat from Islamabad when hit by a dumper (C-1093).As a result, Awais Khan and Saheema, who were stated to be brother and sister, killed on the spot while car driver Sajjad Khan, Ubaidur Rahman, Saeedur Rahman and Abdal, residents of Qambar area in Swat, sustained serious injuries. The personnel of Levies force shifted the dead and injured to the hospital from where three injured were referred to a hospital in Peshawar because of their precarious condition.The Malakand Levies has impounded the dumper and registered a case while the driver has fled the scene after the accident.The dead and injured belonged to the same family. The family members had gone to Islamabad to receive Awais Khan after coming from Saudi Arabia.

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SCCI, Pesco agree to separate Hayatabad Industrial Estate from Tesco

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) have decided to separate the Hayatabad Industrial Estate from feeder of Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) to overcome power theft and tripping issue.The decision was taken during a meeting between SCCI president Engr Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz and Pesco Chief Executive Engr Dr Muhammad Amjad at the Chambers House here on Saturday, said a press release.Speaking on the occasion, Maqsood Pervaiz said that Shahkas, a vicinity of Khyber district, was in close proximity to Hayatabad Industrial Estate, due to which difficulties were being faced in smooth power supply to industrial units there as power theft and tripping was a routine in the area.He urged the Pesco to take action against electricity thieves and corrupt officials to ensure smooth power supply and resolve tripping issue as well as make the Pesco as a profit-making power distribution company.The SCCI chief demanded exemption of the Small Industrial Estate on Kohat Road from electricity loadshedding by following decision of federal government. He urged the Pesco to take practical measures to resolve the issues of overbilling, low voltage, fault in power transformers due to overload and tripping. He said the Pesco should not harass the business community during anti-power theft campaign.Responding to complaints and reservations of the business community, Pesco chief Dr Amjad said that Wapda has planned to install a new power feeder along with Small Industrial Estate Kohat Road Peshawar, which could minimise load on the existing electricity feeder. He announced to exempt the Small Industrial Estate from loadshedding.The Pesco chief asked the SCCI and business community to identify 80 to 90 percent commercial areas in order to install separate feeders for commercial consumers there. He informed the traders that work on Ring Road (GT Road, Charsadda Road section) was in full swing, through which electricity supply would be ensured to commercial plazas, CNG stations, petrol pumps, hospitals and educational institutional from an independent commercial feeder.

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Staff shortage: People in Darband fasten cattle at hospital in protest

MANSEHRA: People of Darband took to the streets and fastened their cattle at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, symbolically changing it into a cattle pen in protest against shortage of doctors and healthcare services.“We have been protesting over the years toask the health department to fill the vacancies of doctors, paramedics and others whose posts are lying vacant since long, but to no avail,” HabibSakhi, former Darband neighbourhood nazim, told protesters.The protesters with their cattle marched through the main bazaar of Darbandup to the Tehsil Hospital and also “inaugurated” the health facility as a cattle pen.The protesters raised slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) government and local lawmakers.“Had there been a doctor, the life of a minor girl who was pulled alive from a dry well after having gone missing four for days could have been saved,” said HabibSakhi.He warned that if the vacant posts of doctors, medics and others were not filled within a week, they would again stage protest next week and fasten cattle in the hospital premises.“The PTI government makes mega claims of having brought reforms in the health sector but practically nothing has been done on the ground and people are still without healthcare services.This hospital is an example of the government’s indifference. Its claims are all propaganda,” said a protestor Nasir.

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Govt has set direction for real development, says Omar Ayub

HARIPUR: Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan said on Saturday that the government set the direction of real development and prosperity of the country which had encouraged the trend of investment in the country. He expressed these views while talking to participants of public meetings that he addressed after the inauguration of gas supply project in Pind Gujran and Khalabat township areas here on Saturday.He claimed that when the PTI took over, the national exchequer was almost depleted and the national economy was facing worst-ever melt down.“But the well-planned policies of the sitting government have put the country on the track to real development,” he claimed, adding that the country was now investment-friendly and that trend was on the rise.He said that the team led by Prime Minister Imran Khan was working diligently on the economic turnaround and the policies devised by the government would soon usher in a new era of development and prosperity.

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‘Punjab govt striving for providing best health facilities to masses’

FAISALABAD: Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad has said that the Punjab government is striving for providing best health facilities to the masses.He said this during his visit to the Children Hospital on Jhang Road here on Saturday. MS Dr Habib Buttar, DMS Dr Abid, DMS Dr Fatima and other doctors were also present. The Punjab minister inspected emergency ward and interacted with the parents of the sick children. He asked about the medical facilities and performance of the hospital staff. The minister also checked the record of the emergency medical treatment and the attendance of the staff.He directed the doctors and paramedical staff for immediate checkup of the children came in emergency ward and said that no delay should be reported in providing medical services. He took a detail round of the all sections of the Children Hospital, including ICU, Diagnostic Block and Pediatric Ward, for inspecting the process of medical treatment.During the inspection of the OPD, he checked the work of issuing the medical examination slip and providing medicines.He directed the staff for providing swift services to the parents of patient children for avoiding long queue and waiting. The minister specially reviewed the cleanliness condition and official discipline in the hospital. He expressed his satisfaction over the administrative discipline and medical performance of the Children Hospital.He asked the hospital management to keep medical services active in all sections. He said that the best performance of the Children Hospital was very important to provide the advance medical treatment to the patient children because they were the future of the nation and government was mobilising all resources for the welfare and healthy life of the children. He said that the government was taking steps for providing best possible facilities to the children being treated at the hospital. He told that strict monitoring was being carried out of all government hospitals and other medical institutions for ensuring prompt medical service delivery and maintaining the standard of medical facilities.Later, talking to media, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad said that necessary funds would be provided in the next financial year for completion of second phase of the Children Hospital. He said that the inspections of the government hospitals and other public service institutions were carried out by the provincial ministers to come up the expectation of the public under the direction of Punjab CM Sardar Usman Buzdar.MS Dr Habib Buttar informed during briefing that more than 2,000 patient children were being checked up at the OPD daily and emergency medical services were being provided to more than 400 patients daily at the hospital. He informed that 18 different medical specialties were available for the treatment of children, including pediatric, neuro surgery, orthopedic, plastic surgery and pediatric cardiac section.Lawyers observe strike for LHC bench: Lawyers Saturday observed a token strike demanding establishment of a Lahore High Court (LHC) bench in Faisalabad.Talking reporters, District Bar Association (DBA) Faisalabad spokesman said the LHC bench was not only a legal and constitutional right of the people of Faisalabad division but it would also play a role in speedy provision of justice to the people of the area.120-kanal state land retrieved: The Punjab Cooperative Board of Liquidation Saturday retrieved 120-kanal and 3 marlas of state land from land grabbers in tehsil Sammundri.According to a spokesman for the local administration, the land was situated at Chak 473/GB and it was encroached upon by squatters for the last many years. The action against land grabbers was taken on special direction of Provincial Minister for Cooperative Mehr Muhammad Aslam Bharwana, he added.

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Rights body demands steps for children’s welfare

PESHAWAR: The Child Rights Movement (CRM) has stressed the need for solid steps to ensure the implementation of laws to meet Pakistan’s obligations under the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).The CRM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expressed these views during a consultative meeting on Saturday.Khursheed Bano, the coordinator of CRM, said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should take immediate steps for resolving the issue of child labour on sustainable basis.She said the provincial government should make serious efforts to implement Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan about right to free and compulsory education for children aged 5 to 16.She said though education was a fundamental right, according to official statistics in KP, excluding newly merged districts, 1.8 school going age children are out of school net and are in labor or on the street facing physical, emotional and sexual abuse.Laila Shah Nawaz said child labour is common in KP, which is a major supplier of child laborers to other provinces.Imran Takkar said the Peshawar High Court took a commendable initiative and established three exclusive child courts in the province in accordance with the Child Protection Act, as well as the Juvenile Justice System Act 2018.The government should implement JJSA 2018 properly as well, establish more such courts across the province, establish rehabilitation centers, observation homes and notify juvenile justice committee as per the demand of the law.

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Court orders FIR against minister, others for torturing doctor

PESHAWAR: A local court has ordered the registration of a case against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan and others for torturing a senior doctor.A senior doctor Ziauddin has moved the court to make a plea for lodging a case against provincial Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan, Dr Nausherwan Burki who is the architect of the health reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is the cousin of Prime Minister Imran Khan, and others for attacking him at the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar a couple of months back.The petitioner said the police were not lodging the case against the accused who tortured him at the hospital along with their armed guards.The court directed the University Town Police Station to lodge the case against the minister and others.

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It is people’s participation that matters

While the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan is faced with innumerable challenges, emanating from the past as well as present, his 'cleansing and cleaning' mission seems to be moving ahead as has been gathered from his recent launch of ‘Clean Pakistan, Green Pakistan’ with the citizens' participation.I would have taken it as yet another luring and ensnaring 'trip' to greener pastures had it not focussed on the energies and devotion of the common man whose motivation is being sought for transforming the country into a land of clean and green environment.The problem, however, with myopic people of my ilk who belong to the class of skeptics, by virtue of media background, is that everything appears yellow, not green, to us. I had been trying to sit on the other side of the fence in order to perceive everything green but could not achieve desirable results. Things have continued to appear yellow to my jaundiced, nay journalistic, eye but now I am ready to give benefit of doubt to Prime Minister Imran Khan, given his repeated- and trumpeted- emphasis on devolving this noble ('clean and green') mission on the common man.Of course, it is the citizen who matters more than a government or a politician. Societies flourishing and prospering without waiting for a descended saviour or for manna and quails from the heavens, have neutralized the ills of bad governance in many parts of the world, courtesy the empowerment of masses.If people are assigned participatory roles, it means that their empowerment has begun. The fact is that the decay of the government, wherever it is installed, is not essentially the decay of the society.It is, instead, the other way round: if a society decays, even tonnes of good governance cannot counter the ill effects of societal decay.Whatever the vision of governance the leaders have in their minds and hearts, the best system is the one that offsets the societal decay. This target is achievable only if the governments draw direct power through the people's participation.The successful world primarily owes its success to the theme that the government is not the panacea of all ills. Barring a very few advanced countries of the world, the rest of the globe is working on the model of governance that stands on lesser government. And, if lesser government is bolstered with greater public participation, the results are invariably expected to be marvellous.This scribe once conducted an interview of an Australian scholar and researcher, Dr John Steen, who narrated the wonderful results achieved in his country with the citizens' participation while coping with acute shortage of water.The government officials and authorities of Australia led from the front but their main thrust was on integrating the people's abilities into the system. And, it worked superbly.Clean, Green Pakistan can also yield desired results because it relies less on the governmental levers and more on people's abilities to reach the pollution-free destination. Of course, the ultimate relief is in the hands of the citizenry which ought to be reminded of its responsibilities for its own benefit. It is always the people-government cooperation that works.The government has announced 'Clean Green Champion Programme', describing it as an important pillar of Clean Green Pakistan. And the slogan is 'My city, my responsibility' that revolves around volunteers from amongst the people who would be given awards on the basis of points scored by way of efficient handling of these targets namely clean water, plantation, solid waste management, safe sanitation, hygiene and liquid waste management.I am inclined to draw the conclusion that if, someday, we succeed in coping with pollution and cleaning the atmosphere, we may soon be able to overcome pollution-laden attitudes in our socio-political scheme of things.mianrehman1@gmail.com

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US says will ‘protect its interests’ at climate conference

WASHINGTON: The United States will send a diplomatic team but no senior members of Donald Trump´s administration to a global climate change conference starting in Spain on Monday, according to a statement.The US is withdrawing from the Paris climate accord that set a goal of limiting global temperature rises to well within two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial levels.Spain stepped in to host the COP25 meeting, which seeks to boost commitments to fight climate change, after Chile pulled out due to civil unrest. "The United States will continue to participate in ongoing climate change negotiations and meetings -- such as COP25 -- to ensure a level playing field that protects US interests," the US State Department said Saturday.The US delegation will be led by ambassador Marcia Bernicat, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs.

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Trump gives blessing for Taliban deal

WASHINGTON: Nearly three months after he abruptly ended talks with the Taliban, President Donald Trump has given his blessing to fresh diplomacy, but major obstacles stand in the way of a deal to end the Afghanistan war.Chief among the questions is how to address the soaring violence in Afghanistan -- which the Taliban sees as leverage but which Trump has hinted that the insurgents were willing to halt.Trump flew to Afghanistan on Thursday for a surprise trip to see US troops on the Thanksgiving holiday and dropped the news that talks with the Taliban were back on -- a process the president declared dead in September. "The Taliban wants to make a deal and we're meeting with them," Trump said.US officials offered little evidence that full-fledged negotiations had resumed. But observers said that Trump was at least signaling support for further negotiations after the success last week of a captive swap with the Taliban, who freed two Western professors held hostage for three years. "US diplomats have been quietly exploring how to get the talks restarted," said Laurel Miller, who served as the US special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan under both Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama."Until now it was unclear if those quiet efforts were enough to reverse his public claim that the talks were dead. Now he´s publicly validated them," said Miller, now the Asia director at the International Crisis Group.She nonetheless questioned if fresh talks would be seamless after Trump in September said he had invited and then disinvited a Taliban delegation after the death of one US soldier."I think that would give any party that you're negotiating with some pause about how reliable you're going to be in meaning what you say and sticking to it," she said. Trump, who faces re-election in less than a year, has been eager to end America's longest war and wind down what he sees as a waste of blood and treasure.

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Libyan navy rescues over 200 migrants Mediterranean

­TAJURA, Libya: Libya's navy said Saturday it had rescued 205 migrants in an operation off the coast of Tripoli.The rescue took place on Friday, with 158 men, 33 women and 14 children taken from three inflatable boats off the coast of Zawiyah, 45 kilometres west of the capital, a navy statement said.After receiving calls for help, coast guards had found the boats between 45 and 50 nautical miles (83-93 kilometres) offshore, it said.The migrants, who came from African nations including Mali, Ivory Coast and Guinea, were returned to port in east Tripoli.Rescued migrants returned to Libya are often detained in overcrowded detention centres, where a lack of regulation means people face torture, sexual abuse and forced labour.Their situation deteriorated after fighting broke out south of Tripoli in April, with forces loyal to eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar attempting to seize the capital from Libya´s unity government.

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Tunisians march against violence against women

TUNIS: Several hundred mostly women protesters rallied in the Tunisian capital on Saturday against violence targeting women, urging authorities to act to ensure their rights.Demonstrators marched through the city centre, waving brooms to symbolise the sweeping away of violence against women.The march was called for by some 50 local NGOs including the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD).Some protesters beat on drums and others rapped on pans, chanting "Solidarity with women victims of violence!"The march followed an incident in October in which a newly elected lawmaker was shown in a video that purported to show him masturbating outside a school.MP Zouheir Makhlouf said he is diabetic and had been urinating into a bottle. He walked free after being investigated for alleged sexual harassment and public indecency. The video went viral and sparked Tunisia´s own #MeToo movement, with sex abuse victims breaking taboos under the hashtag #EnaZeda.It was inspired by the huge global movement that emerged in 2017 in the wake of sexual assault allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

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BB murder case: ATC seeks details of Musharraf properties for confiscation

RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) I, Rawalpindi Judge Shaukat Kamal Dar on Saturday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present full details of Musharraf’s property for confiscation in Benazir Bhutto murder case.The court has given two days’ time to the FIA to present details of Musharraf’s property for confiscation till December 2, 2019. The court has already confiscated moveable and immoveable properties of former military dictator in BB murder case. But, FIA has told the court that Musharraf yet having some other properties in the country which are not confiscated. On this, the court has directed to present full details of other properties of Musharraf for confiscation.The FIA special prosecutor appeared in Rawalpindi ATC and requested for some more time to present full details of Musharraf’s property. The court has accepted the FIA request and given two days to present full details of Musharraf’s property till December 2.The court has already confiscate Musharraf’s eight properties in Pakistan. These include a house in Karachi worth Rs5 million, a plot at Khayaban-e-Faisal Phase 8 worth 1.5 million, a plot in DHA Karachi worth Rs1.5 million, a plot in DHA Phase II Islamabad worth Rs750 million, a plot in Lahore worth Rs6 million, a farmhouse at Islamabad Chak Shehzad worth Rs6 million.He also has bank accounts at Askari Bank, Rawalpindi, NBP Rawalpindi, Habib Metropolitan Bank Pindi Cantt, Bank Alfalah Blue Area Islamabad, Askari Bank GHQ Branch Rawalpindi, NBP Super Market Islamabad, Union National Bank Super Market and HSBC London. There is an estimated amount of $20 million dollar in foreign banks and Rs1.25 million rupees in national banks.As Musharraf had been declared a proclaimed offender, the ATC then initiated a process for attachment of his moveable and immoveable properties.The trial of the Benazir murder suspects had commenced in January 2008. However, the government in 2009 ordered a fresh probe into the assassination. Subsequently, a JIT of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) implicated the ex-military ruler Musharraf, then city police officer Saud Aziz and SSP Khurram Shahzad as accused.

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Donkey King to be released in Russia in local language

KARACHI: Pakistan’s biggest and Geos first animated film the Donkey King, the highest grossing Pakistani animated film, is set to have (dubbed) theatrical release in the Russian Federation on 5th Dec, 2019. After South Korea and Spain, this is third international market to have dubbed theatrical release.The Donkey King set to become the first Pakistani film ever to have dubbed theatrical release in The Russian Federation. This is the third international release of the film after South Korea and Spain.Aziz Jindani, the Director of the Donkey King, and the man behind Pakistan’s first and most popular superhero animated series has stated, “This is a huge achievement for us as a nation that a Pakistani film has reached such high levels of popularity and is now reaching newer audiences. We will, however, not stop just with the release in Russia, we are trying to unlock other international markets too and further updates on this front will be shared soon. This is a huge stepping stone for the Pakistani film industry as it is creating new benchmarks internationally, giving us much more exposure than we ever had before.”The Donkey King is an animated comedy film that was released in Pakistan in October 2018 and has been produced by Geo Films and Talisman Studios. The film features the voices of Jan Rambo, Ismail Tara, Hina Dilpazeer, Ghulam Mohiuddin and Jawed Sheikh, and grossed Rs24.75 crores after running in the cinemas for 25 weeks.Over the next few months, DK will be dubbed and released across seven countries. This is the first ever Pakistani film in recent history to have a dubbed release internationally and for sure the first Pakistani film ever to release in Russia.

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Iqra University listed among top Asian universities

KARACHI: Iqra University (IU) for the first time has placed its name in the QS World Universities Ranking 2020, becoming Sindh’s first private sector varsity to receive this prestigious ranking award.The QS World University Rankings include 29 public and private universities in Pakistan, out of which, four are the private universities from Punjab while there are no private universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. From Sindh, there are five public sector varsities, including University of Karachi, University of Sindh, NED University, Mehran University and DOW University of Health Sciences.The KU and NED universities have retained their ranking as of last year, University of Sindh’s ranking has been depreciated while the Mehran University has improved its ranking. The IU has been included in the category of Business School while the Dow University has also been included in the medical category.The QS ranking takes into account many indicators for devising these rankings which include the university’s academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty student ratio, Staff with PhD citations per paper, papers per faculty, international research network, international faculty, international students and exchange programme students.According to the QS World Universities Ranking 2020, the IU has the strongest faculty-student ratio indicator in the whole region with the rank of 264th position in Asia. The score of the varsity in the said indicator is 27.8 which is highest in Asia.The IU has taken a lead in this indicator among all leading public sector varsities in the country.

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Two Indian army personnel killed in avalanche hit

ISLAMABAD: Two India army personnel were killed on Saturday after an avalanche hit their patrol at an altitude of about 18,000 feet in southern Siachen glacier in Ladakh occupied by India.Six Indians were perished ten days ago in Siachen and with this number of Indian troops killed in Siachen ever-since it occupied the area in 1984 to around nine hundred fifty.According to media report an Indian army patrol operating at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet in southern Siachen Glacier was hit by an avalanche during the early hours of Saturday, Srinagar-based defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said in a statement. He said an Avalanche Rescue Team following the patrol immediately rushed and managed to locate and pull out all members of the patrol. Army helicopters too were simultaneously pressed into service to evacuate the avalanche victims, he said.Despite the best efforts by the medical teams, two army personnel, however, perished in the avalanche, the officer said.It was for the second time that an avalanche occurred in Siachen in the past two weeks. Earlier on November 18, four Indian Army personnel and two civilian porters were killed in an avalanche in the northern part of the Siachen Glacier. The Siachen Glacier at the height of around 20,000 ft in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds.Avalanches and landslides are common at the glacier during winters with temperatures often dropping to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius. The region has witnessed intermittent skirmishes for decades, but more soldiers have died from the harsh weather than combat at the world's highest battlefield. In 2017, at least 24 people, including 20 soldiers, were killed in a series of avalanches, while in 2012 a massive avalanche in Siachean adjacent to Azad Kashmir martyred 140 people, including 129 soldiers.

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APHC protests Indian brutalities in IOK; urges UN intervention

ISLAMABAD: Leadership of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Saturday staged a strong protest demonstration here ahead of the Diplomatic Enclave to condemn the Indian brutalities and human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir.The protesters were holding banners and posters inscribed with anti-India and pro-freedom slogans, some of which read: India has a plan to carry out genocide in Indian Occupied Kashmir and the United Nations should intervene and freedom is our fundamental right.They also chanted slogans like what we want is freedom. Indian must go back, Kashmir seeks attention and Indian forces have crossed all limits of brutalities. The speakers, on the occasion, urged the international community to break silence and pressurize India to give right to self-determination to the Kashmiri people.They emphasised that Kashmiris should be given their right of plebiscite as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions.They said the people of Occupied Kashmir were deprived of essential commodities and medicines owing to the continued curfew and lockdown in the occupied valley.They said Modi regime was adhering to the RSS ideology to satisfy its diabolical designs but, no power could succeed to stop valiant Kashmiris in getting freedom from the illegal Indian occupation. They emphasized Kashmiris would ultimately win freedom come what may.

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Shahzada Zulfiqar elected PFUJ president

KARACHI: Shahzada Zulfiqar and Nasir Zaidi got elected as the president and secretary-general respectively of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists for a term of two years in elections held on Saturday.Zulfiqar is a recipient of the President’s Award for Pride of Performance — the first journalist from Balochistan to receive the distinction. He was previously associated with Dawn, The Nation, and Samaa, and has over three decades of experience in journalism.Zaidi is also veteran journalist and a press freedom activist. He was one of four journalists jailed and flogged in 1978 during the Zia era for protesting the closure of Musawaat newspaper.Initial reports from Karachi said that Lala Asad Pathan, Saleem Shahid, Bakhatzada Yousafzai, and Rana Pervaiz Hameed were elected as the vice presidents of PFUJ.Others elected were: Zulfiqar Metho (treasurer), and Khalid Khokher, Hamid Yasin, Eisa Tareen, and Shahid Ch (assistant secretaries-general).The following are the elected members of the Federal Executive Council: Abdul Rauf, Adil Akram, Afzal Butt, Ayub Jan Sarhandi, Wastar Shah, Imdad Buzdar, Ibrahim Khan, Saeed Akhtar, Zaheer Shahzad, Shabbir Mughal, Makhdoom Bilal, Khursheed Abbasi, Lal Rehman, Amin Abbasi, Nasir Hussain, Shafeeq Raja, Zaheer Khan Lodhi, Ihsan ul Haq, Nurul Amin, Javed Siddiqui, Banaras Khan, Habib Rehman, Mubarak Zeb, Javed Iqbal, and M. Akram Nasir.

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PHC orders FIA to conduct inquiry into 35 BRT points

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct a detailed inquiry about 35 different points in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and submit report within 45 days.A division bench headed by Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth was hearing writ petitions filed by different petitioners against the BRT.The bench directed the FIA authorities to take action against the delinquents if found guilty in the inquiry.The petitioners told the court that the project was initiated without any vision and plan. They questioned if there was any need to obtain huge loans for the project. They also questioned as to why the project was pushed for approval without proper feasibility. The court in the judgement observed that such a huge amount spent on the BRT could have been used to complete projects in a number of sectors that would have changed the economic landscape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.It added that visionless PTI government has concentrated loaned money in one city and this project may not bring radical change in the lives of people.The court was told during the hearing of the case that senior officers of provincial government like Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner Peshawar were being paid a hefty allowance even though they had no managerial role in the BRT.The court was told that the total cost of 27.37 kilometres road project was estimated at Rs66.437 billion which meant Rs2.427 billion per kilometre. The petitioners termed the cost exorbitantly high. They argued that the project was grossly mishandled and mismanaged from inception by the provincial government officials and thus far three project directors have been changed.During the hearing, the counsels for the petitioners argued that consultants have developed a false and deceptive financial model to hoodwink the decision-makers.The role and nexus between former chief minister Pervez Khattak (now Defence Minister), two former Director General, Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) Saleem and Israrul Haq, senior bureaucrats Azam Khan and Shahab Ali Shah and that of Shah Mohammad was also questioned in the case.The court in the judgement observed that weekly meetings were convened in the Chief Minister’s House but still the project was not well-coordinated and thus resulted in loss to the public exchequer.The judgement posed a question as to why Trans Peshawar chief executive officer Altaf Akbar Durrani was made to resign and why the PDA was not protecting the parked buses imported from abroad. It also questioned as to who took the decision to buy 220 buses when only 65 buses were being used in Punjab for a longer bus route. The judgement also asked as to why the project could not be completed in the anticipated one year period. The court observed that one of the major flaws of the project was construction of at-grade corridor on the University Road as it would increase traffic congestion instead of providing ease to the commuters.The court directed the FIA to inquire about all the points in the BRT project and submit the report to the office of the PHC registrar within 45 days.

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Debt servicing consumes 80pc more than defence, uplift spending

ISLAMABAD: Debt servicing on domestic and external loans has consumed almost 80 percent more than joint spending on defence and development during the first quarter (July-Sept) of the current fiscal year.According to fiscal operation released by Finance Division on Saturday, the budget deficit stood at Rs286.023 billion equivalent to 0.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the first quarter of the current fiscal. The total fetched revenue was standing at Rs1.489 trillion while booked expenditures were Rs1.776 trillion so the fiscal deficit was hovering in the range of Rs286 billion. The deficit financing was reduced through improved collection in shape of non-tax revenue.Debt servicing consumed the major chunk as it stood at Rs571.684 billion while defence spending was standing at Rs242.63 billion. The development spending was standing at Rs147 billion. The statistical discrepancy stood at Rs47 billion in first three months of the current fiscal. The primary deficit stood at surplus 0.6 percent of GDP.

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Two sentenced to 26 years in prison for murder

KARACHI: A district & sessions judge on Saturday sentenced two men accused of murdering a man five years ago to a collective 26 years in prison.The District East’s additional sessions judge Haleem Ahmed awarded the punishment to Baaz Muhammad and Sher Muhammad Khan after finding them guilty of the murder of Ghulam Rabbani.According to the prosecution, the accused men as well as their accomplices, who were declared absconders, had attacked a shop within the jurisdiction of the Korangi Industrial Area police station on August 2, 2014.As a result of the firing during the attack, Rabbani got injured and died during treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.In his order, the judge observed that the prosecution had successfully established its case against the accused, while they failed to prove their innocence.After the pronouncement of the verdict, the two men who had been out on bail were taken into custody and remanded to the central prison for serving their sentences.

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IHC CJ orders: Adiala Jail prisoners’ blood tests

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday ordered to carry out blood test of all the prisoners in Adiala jail and remarked if medical board can be constituted of Nawaz Sharif then why not for others.Justice Athar Minallah on Saturday took up the petition of prisoner of Adiala Jail Khadim Hussain seeking relief on medical grounds. Secretaries’ Ministries of Human Rights and Health and Adiala jail officials appeared before the court.Both the secretaries filed replies on the petition from prisoner Khadim Hussain.During hearing Justice Athar Minallah deciding to visit Adiala jail and remarked, "I will visit Adiala jail next Friday.Ensuring the rights to the prisoners is responsibility of the federation. Medical board is constituted on one’s sweet will. Justice Minallah remarked that if medical board can be constituted for Nawaz Sharif then why not for others.Addressing the Adiala Jail authorities Justice Minallah said you know how corruption is being committed in jails. Have you written letter to state on plight of prisoners. Federation should file report about prisoners in all the four provinces.The best health facilities to be provided to Adiala jail inmates. He further observed, "there are such prisoners who are acquitted later honorably. All the prisoners should be subjected to blood test. It should not be waited when the prisoners fall ill. All necessary tests should be conducted before illness. The IHC CJ later adjourned the haring till December 14.

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Friday, 29 November 2019

KP CM receives briefing on Kamyab Jawan Programme

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said on Friday that the government was investing in the youth as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and manifesto of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.A handout said he was speaking at a meeting where he was briefed on the 'Kamyab Jawan Programme' by Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Youth Affairs Usman Dar. The meeting was also attended by Senior Minister Muhammad Atif Khan, Minister Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Advisor to CM on Merged Districts Ajmal Wazir, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah and others. Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Youth Affairs Usman Dar said that one million applications have been receivedfrom all over the country during the last five weeks.He added that the programme was expected to provide employment opportunities to the youth of the province by enabling them to initiate businesses. "It will not only generate revenue but will also promote entrepreneurship," he added. Dar said the use of digital portal has accelerated the process of applying whereas most of the applications in KP have been received from Peshawar followed by Swat.

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LPG price up by Rs18.61 per 11.8kg cylinder

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Friday issued a price-revision notification of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for the month of December. According to the notification, the authority has increased the locally produced LPG price by Rs18.61 per cylinder of 11.8 kilogram. After the revised prices, the cylinder would be sold in open market for Rs1,513, which was available at Rs1,495.08 during the month of November. Whereas, the per metric ton (MT) LPG rate has been fixed at Rs128,279.16 for month of December. The commodity sale price for per MT was Rs126,768.35 during the month of November.

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Man, son held in murder case

HARIPUR: The police claimed to have arrested a man and his son on charges of murder of a watchman in Changi Bandi area eight months. Station House Officer Sera-e-Saleh Police Station Sajid Farooq said the bullet-riddled body of Saifullah Khan, the watchman of Kaka Khan Market, was recovered from the backyard of a shop on March 3. On the complaint of the widow of the slain watchman, the police registered the case against unknown murderers.

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Jordanian princess applauds Pak efforts to fight malnutrition

Islamabad: Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan, who campaigns globally to bring attention to the criticality of good nutrition in the first 1,000 days from conception to a child’s second birthday, appreciated Pakistan’s commitment to address the malnutrition emergency here on Friday.Princess Sarah was in a meeting with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Nets Dr. Sania Nishtar for a discussion on current projects aimed at fighting malnutrition in Pakistan. Tackling malnutrition is also a core focus of Ehsaas, the government’s pioneering poverty alleviation programme.“Malnutrition has long-lasting consequences for families and countries. The Government of Pakistan’s commitment to address malnutrition is commendable. “I highly appreciate the multisectoral programmatic steps being taken by the Government of Pakistan under Ehsaas to achieve nutrition driven outcomes,” stated Princess Sarah, who is a Special Advisor to the World Food Programme (WFP) on Mother and Child Nutrition.Five actions undertaken since the launch of Ehsaas were highlighted to Princess Sarah to reflect ongoing progress against malnutrition. First, the Pakistan National Nutrition Coordination Council was founded as the country’s highest coordinating body on nutrition to drive forward multisectoral action. Second, in collaboration with EFP, a new mother and child health and nutrition initiative to address stunting in children using specialized nutrition food and conditional cash transfers is in the final stages of getting deployed. Third, Ehsaas is planning a ration card scheme in collaboration with the Government of KP and WFP for poverty stricken newly merged districts of KP. Fourth, nationwide soup kitchens (Langars) have been launched as part of a new public-private partnership mode with a private Trust at zero cost to the government to ensure nutritious meals for the poorest. And finally, an asset transfer of desi chicken and goats has also been prioritised.“The 1000-day window is critical for nutrition outcomes for the health of children and mothers. Our country is grappling with the double burden of malnutrition. Undernutrition in young children and over-nutrition later in life lead to higher risk of costly diseases, like hypertension and diabetes. Both sides of the same coin of malnutrition are on painful display. We are committed to addressing these,” Dr. Sania reiterated.The meeting was part of a high-level mission to Pakistan hosted by WFP. Attending the meeting were also officials from WFP and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development.

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Graduation ceremony at PAF Finishing School held

Islamabad: Graduation ceremony of the 47th batch of PAF Finishing School was held at the Officers' Mess, PAF Complex here on Friday.Dr Sania Nishtar, special assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety Division was the chief guest at the occasion. Wife of Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, president Pakistan Air Force Women Association & Patron-in-Chief of PAF Finishing School was also present at the occasion.The chief guest awarded certificates to the graduating students. Dr Sania Nishtar congratulated the students on successful completion of their personality development programme at this unique institution of the country. She also praised the standard of training at this premier institution and lauded the efforts of the faculty members in grooming the womenfolk of our society. She added that the personality development programme would bring about all-round refinement in the lives of students and help them play a vital role in the nation building.Earlier, Director Finishing School Zeba Shaukat presented a report highlighting the main aspects of the training, which are aimed at transforming young girls into useful members of society. Established in July 1996, PAF Finishing School is the first of its kind in Asia, offering various courses in communication skills, languages, management, art of self-presentation, domestic science, general culture, cuisine, protocol, art, childcare, introduction to psychology and spiritual enrichment. The school is an initiative of AF for the grooming of young girls and the promotion of education in the country.

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Kashmiris-led, Kashmiris-owned solution urged to resolve crisis

Islamabad: The abrogation of the so-called autonomous status of Indian occupied Kashmir has exposed the true nature of false Indian democracy and brought the subcontinent to the brink of a nuclear war.If not resolved peacefully and timely, the conflict can not only jeopardize the stability of the region but it will also have implications far beyond the continent. The crisis has remained unresolved for decades for want of more efforts that are led and owned by Kashmiris.This was the crux of the thoughts expressed at an international seminar on “The Crisis in Kashmir amidst Regional and Global Dynamics” here.The event was organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad in collaboration with Policy Research Forum AJK and Maritime Studies Forum to dig deep into the Kashmir crisis and come up with policy imperatives.It was attended by a variety of international and national leaders, experts and scholars including AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, Executive President of IPS Khalid Rahman, law expert Dr Syed Anwar, acting Chairman of the PRFAJK Mansoor Qadir Dar, British historian and political economy scholar Dr Roger van Zwanenbarg, author and political activist from the UK Dr Yashpal Amarchand Tandon, American scholar and author Dr Akis Kalaitzidis, Turkish scholar Dr Halil Toker, senior journalist from the Indian-held Kashmir Syed Iftikhar Gilani, Afghan academic and politician Dr Fazlul Hadi Wazeen, political activist Farzana Yaqoob, and many others.The speakers opined that a multidimensional approach – including diplomatic, legal, social, etc – is needed to resolve the long drawn out issue.They exposed the vulnerability of the UN in coming up to expectations of millions of Kashmiris and stressed self-reliance in dealing with the aggression of the fascist Modi regime. They said the revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution were an act of stripping Kashmiris of their religious and cultural identity and was tantamount to razing the Babri mosque. The conflict of Kashmir needs sustainable efforts from the Kashmiri diaspora living across the globe.The way Kashmiris have fought their case globally and sensitized international media is commendable but more consistent endeavors are required. Speakers coming from Indian occupied Kashmir expressed concern over the lack of concrete measures on the part of the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.They also revealed the scale of torture unleashed upon Kashmiris trapped in the occupied valley. They termed modern India a racist country where rights of minorities let alone Muslims are being snatched.It was also highlighted that the textbooks in India contain venomous content aimed at spreading religious hatred to pave the way for establishment of ‘Akhand’ Bharat. The speakers said that pessimism and dejection will not help the Kashmir cause.

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Tents provided to Upper Dir primary school

DIR: The Government Primary School Katair in Doog Dara, a remote area of the Upper Dir district, was provided with two tents for classrooms to lessen burden of students at two existing rooms of the school.More than 300 students are enrolled in the school. However, it has only two classrooms. The school staff had informed Additional Assistant Commissioner Sheringal Muhammad Saqib Khan during his visit to the school that the two classrooms were overcrowded.The official was told that it was almost impossible for them to accommodate the 300 students in two classrooms when it rained. The school staff had requested the official to provide tents to establish makeshift classrooms for the students.The official had promised to provide tents to the school as a stopgap measure until the construction of more rooms. The school staff thanked the district administration for providing the tents, but reiterated the demand for the construction of more classrooms.

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Variation in temperature poses major threat to health

Rawalpindi: The winter has set in but still there is a great variation in temperature between day and night in this region of the country that may cause serious health threats both to healthy persons and chronic patients particularly those suffering from heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure and other chronic ailments.The phenomenon may pose mild to moderate health threats to healthy persons but the chronic patients may suffer from serious complications due to exposure to sharp fall in mercury at night and early in the morning.Majority of people do not take extra care while spending time outside homes and offices late at night or early in the morning when temperature drops sharply to a significant level.Almost all healthcare facilities in public and private sectors in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been receiving extraordinary burden of patients with seasonal ailments including upper and lower respiratory tract infections that take the shape of epidemic in the region every year in November and December. It is not the weather conditions but the ignorance among public that causes rise in number of cases of colds, sore throat, cough, flu, asthmatic problems in adults and upper and lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia among children while chronic patients suffer from life-threatening complications.Head of Department of Infectious Diseases at Holy Family Hospital Dr. Muhammad Mujeeb Khan expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ on health threats, the cold weather and the variation in temperature between day and night pose to general public.He said majority of people do not take sudden fall in mercury seriously because they are unaware of bad effects of exposure to extreme cold.Exposure to extreme cold may cause vasoconstriction, the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels and it may pose serious complications for patients with coronary heart disease particularly when they breathe in cold air.It is important to mention here that vasoconstriction increases blood pressure. Studies reveal that the lungs function best in warm and humid weather. When you stay outside in extreme cold weather, you may find it difficult to breathe. Symptoms are worse if you have lung disease. The best course of action is to stay indoors and seek immediate medical attention if you experience chest pain when outside in cold weather, said Dr. Mujeeb.Breathing cold air through either the nose or the mouth causes airways to constrict and it causes difficulty in breathing mainly because the airways get tightened. Some symptoms include dry mouth, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.Health experts say that elderly people and chronic patients should not come out of homes early in the morning or late at night with uncovered nose as it may affect their health badly. The significant fall in temperature particularly at night and in the morning may cause body pains among people who do not use warm clothing.Dr. Mujeeb said parents should take extra care of children particularly those going to schools early in the morning when temperature falls to a greater level. Malnourished children are at greater risk of contracting winter-related health threats including pneumonia and parents should give quality food to children to avoid seasonal ailments, he said.

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Engro Fertilizers receives International Fertilizer Association’s Award 2019

KARACHI: Engro Fertilizers Limited has been presented with yet another accolade in the light of its valid Protect & Sustain certificates and participation in IFA’s recent safety, environment, and energy benchmarks.IFA’s new President Mostafa Terrab presented Nadir S. Qureshi, CEO Engro Fertlizers Ltd, with a symbolic Gold Medal at Annual Strategic Forum held in Paris-Versailles at the IFA General Meeting.Engro Fertilizer Ltd’s entry in this leadership category by securing this medal exhibits its utmost priority on plant’s safety and adherence to top quartile standards pertaining to safety standards, environmental stewardship and energy efficiency.The Gold Medal recognizes the commitment of the Company to operate at globally acclaimed standards of safety, environmental compliance and energy efficiency.On receiving the award Mr Nadir Salar Qureshi CEO Engro Fertilizers stated “we are honoured to be recognised by the IFA for excellence in safety, environmental compliance and energy efficiency. This award is a testament to the phenomenal work our team in Daharki does and the care and dedication they demonstrate in their work every day.”***

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Jabir Motiwala extradition case: Judge questions why US not giving undertaking to exclude terror charges

LONDON: The Westminster Magistrate’s Court has asked the United States authorities to come clean on whether an “enhanced terror charge” or “terrorism enhancement” will be added on Karachi businessman Jabir Motiwala if he were to be extradited to the US to face importation of drugs and extortion charges.On the concluding day of the extradition trial, District Judge John Zani raised the most important question in the extradition case: whether the US Prosecutors will seek a terrorism enhancement if the Pakistani national was extradited to the US.American authorities have accused Motiwala of importing class A drugs, extortion and money laundering in the United States. He has not been accused of terrorism charges but the indictment issued by the US details Motiwala being a “top lieutenant” of Dawood Ibrahim’s so-called network. Motiwala has denied being a member of any network and so far the court has not seen any evidence linking him with D-company or any evidence showing involvement of Motiwala and D-company. The US authorities – and the their counterparts in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – have shown no proof to the court linking Dawood Ibrahim or his alleged network with Motiwala.In the middle of the oral submissions on Wednesday, the Judge questioned why the US was not giving a clear undertaking that a terror charge or terror enhancement will not be added if Motiwala was extradited.It is understood that the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) has written several emails to their counterparts in the US asking them to provide clarity on the possible inclusion of terror charges or terror enhancement but the US authorities have chosen not to provide a clear response.Judge John Zani asked the US authorities to “put flesh on the bone and explain the thought process”. He questioned why an unequivocal statement on whether a terrorism charge or terror enhancement will be added or not has been provided.Defence Counsel Edward Fitzgerald QC told the Judge that Motiwala should not be extradited to the US because his human rights under Article 3 will be breached. He told the court that prison conditions in the US are inhumane and degrading, rendering Motiwala’s life in danger. He made a reference to the medical reports that Motiwala had a history of mental depression and on three occasions he tried to commit suicide.Mr Fitzgerald QC told the court that the US government agents were in breach of international law when they conducted their operations in Pakistan and obtained evidence involving Motiwala. Mr Fitzgerald QC said he was not seeking an entrapment defence however the evidence was gathered without the approval of sovereign Pakistani government, therefore international law was breached.Mr Fitzgerald QC drew the Court’s attention towards the facts of the case leading to Motiwala being given a sentence of life without parole.Two American expert witnesses previously told the Westminster Magistrates’ Court that extraditing Motiwala will put his life at risk in unsafe jails, his mental health will further deteriorate therefore placing him in a high risk of suicide. They provided reports to the court about deplorable jail conditions following the death of Jeffrey Epstein on the 10th August 2019. Epstein was housed in the Special Housing Unit where he was subject to solitary confinement prior to his death. The experts have told the court that the Metropolitan Correctional Centre (MCC) and the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) New York are over populated prisons, mismanaged, under staffed, troubled with racism, with these issues being a recurring theme for many years without any action being taken.The CPS lawyer, making representations on behalf of the US, told the court that Motiwala will not be at risk of suicide risk and assurances have been provided.Lawyers from both sides have agreed to frame questions for the US authorities to provide assurance that no terrorism enhancement will be sought in the event of extradition of Jabir Motiwala.Judgement in this matter is reserved. Motiwala is represented by Counsel, Edward Fitzgerald QC and Daniel Sternberg and lawyers Deepak Vij and Amirah Ajaz of ABV Solicitors.

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UAE interested in establishing furniture manufacturing unit in Punjab

LAHORE: The UAE investors showed their interest in establishing furniture-making unit in Punjab.A delegation of investors of UAE led by former UAE Ambassador Darwaish Almansoori called on Provincial Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal at the office of Punjab Board of Investment and Trade on Friday. Investment opportunities in various sectors in Punjab were discussed in the meeting. The investors expressed interest in establishing furniture-making unit in the province.Talking to the delegation, Mian Aslam Iqbal said that there was a vast scope of investment in furniture industry. “We will welcome the investment from the UAE investors in furniture-making sector. UAE investors should establish furniture making units; the government will provide place to them in special economic zones,” he said. The Punjab Board of Investment and Trade will provide all possible cooperation to them, he added.Aslam Iqbal said it was top most priority of the Punjab government to bring new investment to the province. The purpose of establishing new industrial estates and special economic zones is to accelerate the industrialisation. More than 1 billion dollar investment has been made in Faisalabad Industrial Zone and billions of dollars agreements have been signed with foreign companies, the minister said.Punjab Board of Investment and Trade CEO and other officers concerned were also present in the meeting.

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Teachers’ role vital for peace in society: moot

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a one-day workshop on Friday highlighted the role teachers can play in reining in the growing tendency of extreme behaviours among the vulnerable younger generation in the country.The training workshop titled ‘Principles of Effective Leadership for Peace Building and National Cohesion’ was organised at the Jinnah Jam-e School and College, Haripur, by the Department of Islamic and Religious Studies, The University of Haripur, in collaboration with Center for Peace, Reconciliation and Reconstruction, Islamabad. A large number of intellectuals, academicians, faculty members and students participated in the workshop.Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdul Muhamin said the faculty of schools can hugely contribute towards nation building and making Pakistan a place where wisdom, peace and harmony prevails. He said the teachers as agents of peace can address the legacy of violent behaviours in contexts where religion, sect and ethnicity have mitigated against the promotion of social cohesion in the society. “School and classroom need to be used to engage students for bringing about a mindset change. Students need to be taught about tolerance and how they can live and co-exist with other people from other faiths and from other cultures,” he said.Other speakers stressed that fundamental education is the primary source of positive change in the society and that peace can’t be maintained in a society without education. They emphasized the need for positive co-curricular activities at educational institutions and urged the faculty to play their positive role in character building of their students. They urged the educational institutions to create a peaceful environment so that the students not only get education but also get the knowledge of peace and tolerance.The speakers maintained that the role of teachers and ulema is of vital importance in character building of students at educational institutions and madaris to achieve lasting peace and tranquility through elimination of extremism, sectarianism and terrorism from the society. They said Pakistan is facing multiple political, ethnic, social, religious and sectarian conflicts at present, which require immediate attention and prompt redressal, adding that peace and conflict resolution are vital preconditions for a sustainable economic growth, democracy and development.

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Two minor cousins murdered

BUREWALA: Two cousins were killed after abduction at Basti Chamanabad of Mauza Jhoni, Tehsil Mailsi, on Friday. Reportedly, seven-year-old Sania and six-year-old Fauzia, residents of Basti Chamanabad, were on their way to a mosque when they were abducted by some unidentified accused. Later, their bodies were found from fields.Receiving information, Vehari DPO Akhtar Farooq along with other police officials rushed to the spot and launched an investigation by taking the girls bodies into custody. The relatives of the girls staged a demonstration against the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

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NAB presents irrigation officials to court over corruption charges

SUKKUR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday brought the arrested irrigation officials, allegedly involved in corruption, to Sukkur from Islamabad on transit remand and presented them before the Accountability Court that sent them to jail. Reports said the NAB Sukkur had taken Executive Engineer Irrigation West Division, Ayaz Soomro, Sheer Muhammad Veesar, SDO Thari Mirwah Ghulam Nabi Baber, Ali Gul Phull, Sadoro Khan Abro, Mir Muhammad Abro, contractor Ghulam Sarwar Kalihoro into custody from Islamabad after the Supreme Court had rejected their bail plea in a mega corruption of irrigation projects, including remodeling of Mirwah Canal. The court has sent officials jail on judicial remand and gave December 02, 2019 the next hearing date. The NAB has also brought another arrested contractor Abdul Razzaq Behrani to the court and told that the criminal had allegedly transferred Rs. 2.5 million to the account of PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah. The Bureau pleaded the court to extend the physical remand to conclude investigation in the case. Eyeing NAB’s request, the court has given 15 more days remand of Razzaq.

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Four people die in different incidents

SUKKUR: Two women were killed and a couple committed suicide in different incidents. In a firing incident, a man Muhammad Bachal Gabool allegedly shot dead his wife Farzana at Khanpur in Ghotki and and managed to escape from the crime scene. The police said investigation was underway to determine the cause of the murder. An accused Moula Bakhsh Mugheri allegedly gunned downed his wife Naseeba over Karo Kari issue. The police shifted the body to a local hospital but failed to arrest a killer. In another incident at Nangharparkar, a poverty-stricken couple Bhagchand Kolhi and his wife Parbity Kolhi committed suicide and hanged themselves.

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Court orders arrest of suspects in gang-rape case

MANSEHRA: Additional District and Sessions Judge Asghar Ali Shah has ordered the arrest of suspects in a gang rape case.The court issued the orders after the victim girl in her statement alleged that the rapists and a female accused in the case had threatened her with dire consequences if she didn’t reach a compromise with them.“The court cancelled the pre-arrest bail of suspects and ordered the police to arrest them,” Bilal Khan, the counsel of defendant told reporters on Friday. The prime suspect in the case, Ashiq Hussain, escaped from the court premises following the judge ordered cancelled of the pre-arrest bail of four accused. The police arrested Mohammad Aurangzeb, Mohammad Sabir and Mehreen Bibi who had deceived the victim girl. According to the FIR lodged with city police last month, accused Mehreen Bibi deceived her friend stated to be an employee of the education department and helped the accused in the crime who sexually assaulted her and fled the scene.The counsels for the accused had offered a compromise with the victim girl in court, which was rejected by the judge. During her fresh statement, the victim girl alleged that the accused had threatened her with dire consequence. The district prosecutor presented the victim girl in court following which judge ordered the arrest of four accused but one of them managed to escape from court promises.Bilal Khan said that he would challenge the cancellation of the accused bail in court. Also in the day, the Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench in a polling rigging case (NA-13) Mansehra, the two-member bench didn’t pronounce its ruling as counsels of MNA Salah Mohammad Khan didn’t show up in the court.

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Crackdown launched on Indian medicines

LANDIKOTAL: The Khyber administration and drugs control programme officials jointly launched a crackdown against chemists dealing in Indian medicines at Jamrud and Bara bazaars in the Khyber tribal district, officials said on Friday.Assistant commissioner Nek Muhammad, drugs inspectors Yahya Khan and Manzoor Ahmad raided several medicine stores in Jamrud and Bara bazaars. The action was taken on the directives of Khyber Deputy Commissioner Mehmood Aslam Wazir.

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Official says target achieved in polio campaign insufficient

ABBOTTABAD: Hazara Division Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam has termed 98 per cent of the targets achieved during the recently concluded “Case Response - 2” (CR-2) Polio Campaign in Hazara Division” insufficient.Chairing a meeting of the Divisional Polio Eradication Committee here on Friday, Regional Police Officer, Hazara Region, Mazharul Haq Kakakhel, made it clear to the district health authorities that the government would not accept less than 100pc results in the forthcoming polio eradication drive to be launched on December 2, 2019. All deputy commissioners, district health officers, the polio program authorities and other members of the committee attended the meeting. The commissioner directed the Health Department to compile complete particulars of those 18141 children who could not be approached due to their absence from native districts, refusal by the parents or any other reason.He said all the children who missed polio drops during the previous campaign must be reached in the next phase of vaccination for administrating polio vaccine.The meeting was told that 98 per cent targets were achieved during the previous campaign by vaccinating 900,196 children out of a total 912447 by 3912 mobile teams and fixed centres in 236 union councils of eight districts of the Hazara Division.Conference on drug development held in AbbottabadA two-day international conference titled “Drug Development: Natural and Synthetic” was organised by the Centre for Advanced Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy at COMSATS University, Abbottabad Campus on Friday. Scientists from around the world and the indigenous talent participated in the mega event.

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233 receive certificates at Mardan driving school

MARDAN: A total of 233 candidates, including 30 women, received certificates upon completion of a course at the Traffic Police Driving School in the district on Friday. District Police Officer Sajjad Khan was the chief guest at the certificate distribution ceremony, which was also attended by DSP traffic wardens Jamilur Rehman, principal of the school Irshad Khan, other staff and the trainees. Addressing the ceremony, Sajjad Khan said traffic accidents can be avoided if the drivers follow traffic rules and observe discipline and patience. The official added that the school is the first-ever institute in Mardan district which, besides providing training in driving, also acquaints the trainees with information about different vehicles, traffic laws, morality, as well as the purposes behind the establishment of the police assistance lines and police access service, and dispute resolution council.

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Committee asks Swabi traders to give relief to consumers

SWABI: The officials at a meeting asked the business community to provide maximum relief to the masses.The meeting of the District Price Review Committee was held with Deputy Commissioner Shahid Mehmood in the chair. The meeting called on the business community to show the spirit of sacrifice and give maximum relief to the public and general consumers. The meeting was attended by Assistant Commissioner Swabi Ihtisham-ul-Haq, Assistant Commissioner Chhota Lahor Tabinda Tariq, and District Food Controller Sher Fayyaz Khan and representatives of the business community.Speaking at the meeting, Shahid Mehmood said the traders in the district have to follow the new price-list or else they would have to face the law. He asked the price magistrates to carry out daily checking to ensure implementation of the newly fixed rates to ensure maximum relief to the public.The district food controller presented comparative prices of edible items of Swabi, Mardan and Nowshera districts. After a thorough discussion, new prices were fixed by taking into confidence the office-bearers and representative of the business community.

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Open court in Lower Dir

TIMERGARA: The people at a Khuli Kutchehry on Friday demanded the construction of roads, the appointment of doctors and upgrading schools in Samarbagh tehsil.The district administration Lower Dir arranged the Khuli Kutchehry at the Basic Health Unit (BHU) Darbar Miskini in Samarbagh. Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Haji Bahadar Khan, Deputy Commissioner Saadat Hassan, Assistant Commissioner Samarbagh Muhammad Mohsin Salahuddin, AAC Samarbagh Younas Khan and heads of line departments were present on the occasion. A number of locals also attended the Khuli Kutchehry.Speaking on the occasion, the deputy commissioner said that the government officials were public servants and must facilitate people.He set a deadline of half a month to various departments for resolving the short-term issues highlighted by the general public during the open forum.The public demanded widening of Miskini Road, posting of MBBS doctor at BHU Darbar Miskuni, upgrading building of GPS Skhawono Miskini, repair of Kakas bridge, water supply schemes for Miskini, High and Higher School for Girls in Miskini, making functional the hydropower plant at Maskini and construction of road from Miskini to Dhall.

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Man, son held in murder case

HARIPUR: The police claimed to have arrested a man and his son on charges of murder of a watchman in Changi Bandi area eight months.Station House Officer Sera-e-Saleh Police Station Sajid Farooq said the bullet-riddled body of Saifullah Khan, the watchman of Kaka Khan Market, was recovered from the backyard of a shop on March 3. On the complaint of the widow of the slain watchman, the police registered the case against unknown murderers.The SHO said the investigation team used modern gadgets and traced Khalid Khan, his son Tauseef Khan and their co-accused Muhammad Arshad and arrested them on Friday. The motive behind the murder was an old enmity, the SHO said, adding that an AK 47 rifle and two pistols were also recovered from their possession.Meanwhile, District Police Officer Dr Zahid Ullah Jan has assured the entrepreneurs of Hattar Industrial Estate and local traders to increase security measures.He was talking to a delegation of Haripur Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by its Chairman HCCI Fakhre Alam Awan.

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Thursday, 28 November 2019

Three sisters tortured

DASKA: Four drunkards tortured three sisters in the area of Bombanwala police on Thursday. Reportedly, accused Sufian and his accomplices entered the house of Ihsanullah and tortured and injured his three daughters. The injured were removed to the Civil Hospital.CASH, VALUABLES SNATCHED: Two bandits deprived two people of cash and other valuables in the area of sadr police on Thursday. Akram and his brother were going to home when two robbers intercepted them and snatched Rs 300,000, gold and a cell phone.TWO SHOPKEEPERS BOOKED FOR OVERCHARGING: City police booked two shopkeepers on charges of violating price regulations on Thursday. A special magistrate visited Mohallah Gaga and found shopkeepers Naseer and Ashraf busy overcharging.THREE INJURED: Three people sustained injuries in a road accident in the area of Motra police on Thursday. Irfan, Amir and Nadeem were heading to Sialkot on a motorcycle and near village Rajoke a van hit them, leaving them injured. They were removed to the Civil Hospital.

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Opportunity for politicians to show steadfastness

Cheif Justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khosa was right in protesting against the vilification campaign against the judiciary and putting the executive on the mat while showing judicial restraint as did the Islamabad High Court in ordering retrial of the Musharraf treason case.A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa in its brief order has allowed a six-month probation period to Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to stay in office and the government to undertake necessary legislation to determine the contours of the most powerful office.Again finding glaring omissions and contradictions in the third summary by Prime Minister Imran Khan meant for a fresh appointment of the outgoing COAS for three more years, the court showed its bewilderment about how could be a sitting officer freshly appointed while in office. Similar was the reaction of the SCP to the extension or re-appointment of Gen Bajwa, as how could be a retired officer appointed COAS. Since the tenure of the office of the COAS is also not defined in the Pakistan Army Act or Army’s Rules and Regulations, the SCP also rejected a three-year extra tenure as sought by the government.Last three days of judicial intervention under Article 184(3) of the Constitution put the Imran Khan government in a most embarrassing position, as it continued to fumble over three summaries of the PM Office and the presidential notifications. Yet it failed to present any legal provision and constitutional justification for the extension of the tenure of COAS. The glaring mishandling added fuel to the general criticism of the extension in the services of army chiefs — almost all army chiefs had been extending their tenures on their own during the periods of prolonged martial laws. But, despite the 18th Amendment, even some professional army chiefs tried to maneuver extra tenure, such as Gen Kayani, which was resented by the rank and file of the armed forces. The chief justice ridiculed the ministry of law for having messed up with the procedure of appointment. The first letter of appointment was issued by the PM Office on Aug 19 and the summary was approved the same day by the President who had in a TV interview on Sept 12 had, however, shown his ignorance about the summary. Then on Aug 21 the cabinet approved another summary but it was not signed by the President. The SC rejected the summary of appointment and asked the government to come with clear orders. Again the cabinet met and approved a summary for “re-appointment” and the president on PM’s advice issued the order for “extension”. That was also rejected by the SCP. The third summary presented on Thursday was also overturned by the bench and it asked the Attorney General and Gen Bajwa’s attorney to amend the summary, excluding a reference to SCP, omitting three-year tenure, giving commitment to bring in an appropriate legislation within six months and in its order restricted the extension of chief to six months without providing justification for the extension which remains without legal justification. Even though the SCP avoided creating a crisis of command in Pakistan Army as this was the last day of Gen Bajwa’s term, its decision fell short of logical conclusion. On the same day, it is perhaps a coincident that the Islamabad High Court restrained the Special Court in General Musharraf’s treason case from announcing its decision and has almost reopened a closed case as desired by the ministry of interior headed by Brig (R) Ejaz Shah.The Supreme Court has rather thrown the ball back to the executive and the parliament. With the humiliation of the Khan government, a greater space is created for the opposition parties to find courage in asserting the supremacy of the parliament. The whole controversy must have not left some quarters with a good taste about the man they preferred to other politicians. The COAS could either keep a legitimate distance and wait for his retirement or resign to retrieve the prestige of the office of COAS or become more engaged to seek full tenure. All these options will have far reaching implications on the alignment of forces in Pakistan. What is probable is that with the weakening of his backing Imran Khan may lose his majority in the Punjab and, subsequently, at the Centre. Now the parliament would become a center-stage of political maneuverings. But it remains deadlocked due to exclusionary and intimidating attitude of PM Khan who has put many top leaders of mainstream parties to the sword of a selected ‘accountability’. The issue before the parliament could become much broader in the context of a precarious civil-military relation. Finding some relief from the establishment, PM Khan could assert the chief executive’s office by only accommodating the opposition parties. This could be an exceptional opportunity for Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) to show some steadfastness on the issues of civilian supremacy. But it should not be forgotten that the politicians because of their rivalries could be tempted to outclass each other in their temptations to find favor from the establishment. In the meanwhile, media may find greater room to discuss the forbidden issues.

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US intentions questioned in Jabir Motiwala extradition case

LONDON: The Westminster Magistrate’s Court has asked the United States authorities to come clean on whether an “enhanced terror charge” or “terrorism enhancement” will be added on Karachi businessman Jabir Motiwala if he were to be extradited to the US to face importation of drugs and extortion charges.On the concluding day of the extradition trial, District Judge John Zani raised the most important question in the extradition case: whether the US prosecutors will seek a terrorism enhancement if the Pakistani national was extradited to the US. American authorities have accused Motiwala of importing class A drugs, extortion and money laundering in the United States. He has not been accused of terrorism charges but the indictment issued by the US details Motiwala being a “top lieutenant” of Dawood Ibrahim’s so-called network. Motiwala has denied being a member of any network and so far the court has not seen any evidence linking him with D-Company or any evidence showing involvement of Motiwala and D-Company. The US authorities -- and their counterparts in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) -- have shown no proof to the court linking Dawood Ibrahim or his alleged network with Motiwala.In the middle of the oral submissions on Wednesday, the judge questioned why the US was not giving a clear undertaking that a terror charge or terror enhancement will not be added if Motiwala was extradited. It is understood that the CPS has written several emails to their counterparts in the US asking them to provide clarity on the possible inclusion of terror charges or terror enhancement but the US authorities have chosen not to provide a clear response.Judge John Zani asked the US authorities to “put flesh on the bone and explain the thought process”. He questioned why an unequivocal statement on whether a terrorism charge or terror enhancement will be added or not has been provided.Defence Counsel Edward Fitzgerald QC told the Judge that Motiwala should not be extradited to the US because his human rights under Article 3 will be breached. He told the court that prison conditions in the US are inhumane and degrading, rendering Motiwala’s life in danger. He made a reference to the medical reports that Motiwala had a history of mental depression and on three occasions he tried to commit suicide.Fitzgerald QC told the court that the US government agents were in breach of international law when they conducted their operations in Pakistan and obtained evidence involving Motiwala. Fitzgerald QC said he was not seeking an entrapment defence however the evidence was gathered without the approval of sovereign Pakistani government, therefore international law was breached.Fitzgerald QC drew the court’s attention towards the facts of the case leading to Motiwala being given a sentence of life without parole. Two American expert witnesses previously told the Westminster Magistrates’ Court that extraditing Motiwala will put his life at risk in unsafe jails, his mental health will further deteriorate, therefore, placing him in a high risk of suicide. They provided reports to the court about deplorable jail conditions following the death of Jeffrey Epstein on the 10th August, 2019. Epstein was housed in the special housing unit where he was subjected to solitary confinement prior to his death. The experts have told the court that the Metropolitan Correctional Centre (MCC) and the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) New York are over populated prisons, mismanaged, under staffed, troubled with racism, with these issues being a recurring theme for many years without any action being taken.The CPS lawyer, making representations on behalf of the US, told the court that Motiwala will not be at risk of suicide and assurances have been provided.Lawyers from both sides have agreed to frame questions for the US authorities to provide assurance that no terrorism enhancement will be sought in the event of extradition of Jabir Motiwala.Judgement in this matter is reserved. Motiwala is represented by Counsel Edward Fitzgerald QC and Daniel Sternberg and lawyers Deepak Vij and Amirah Ajaz of ABV Solicitors.

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Non-existence of internal audit control: ETPB lost billions in flawed contracts with housing societies

ISLAMABAD: The audit officials of the Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan Thursday told the Subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that a fraud of billions of rupees in the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) due to non-existence of internal audit control and 29 cases were being under investigation in the Federal Investigation Authority, National Accountability Bureau and also in the courts.The meeting of the PAC Subcommittee was held with the chair of its convener of Senator Sherry Rehman in which the audit para with regard to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony and Evacuee Trust Property Board for the year 2015-16 were examined. It was also told the committee that the fraud of billions of rupees was committed through forming the shell companies for the investment purposes and even the land exchange agreement was made in LDA, DHA and Multan Development Authority. Even the Secretary of Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith harmony told the committee that it was not possible to defend the audit objections. Convener of the Sub-committee of the PAC Senator Sherry Rehman asked from the progress report on the ongoing investigation in the FIA on which the FIA failed to give satisfactory response so the committee summoned the Director General FIA in its next meeting for the detailed briefing on the cases.It was also told the PAC Subcommittee that Evacuee Trust Property Board suffered a loss of billions through flawed contracts with M/s Elysium Holdings Pakistan Ltd, Highland Living Concept and Defence Housing Society. During the meeting, the audit officials complained that the corruption cases of billions of rupees were under investigation in the FIA and NAB but in slow phase. While examining, the Audit officials told the Subcommittee that there is 41 land of the ETPB on lease in Nankana Sahib but did not yet collected any rent from the leacee.The Audit officials told the Subcommittee that the ETPB has entered into agreement for the sale any buy of Allotment Certificate with M/s Elysium Holdings Pakistan Ltd, Highland Living Concept and DHA but these companies did not give the share of 3 billion profit to ETPB and this matter is under investigation in the NAB.ETPB Chairman Dr Aamer Ahmed invited the committee for the visit to Kartarpur which has been accepted by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed.The ETPB chairman told the Subcommittee that currently 120 departmental inquiries were undergoing, 25 employees were dismissed and 3 officers were also dismissed from the service on the charges of corruption of billions of rupees.

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3 cops booked for embezzling recovered local, foreign currency

FAISALABAD: The FIA Thursday booked three sub-inspectors on charges of misappropriating recovered local and foreign currency worth millions of rupees in different cases. SI Abid Hussain, Muhammad Jawaid and Ajmal Hussain were booked and SI Ajmal Hussain reportedly was arrested. The embezzlement was traced during a thorough checking of the recovered items by FIA Additional Director Abdur Rab Nadeem. Further investigation is underway.

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PTI’s foreign funding case: ECP body discusses evidence on two limited Cos

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan’s Scrutiny Committee with regards to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s foreign funding case met for the 44th time on Thursday and adjourned the proceedings until December 2.The ECP had earlier directed the Scrutiny Committee to complete fact finding of the foreign funding case ‘as soon as possible’ and hear the case on a daily basis. As a consequence of the ECP directive, the Committee met on November 26 but adjourned for November 28. Opposition parties have urged for early wrapping up of the case soon.Again, instead of hearing on a daily basis to complete fact finding and enable ECP to make a final determination of the case before the retirement of the Chief Election Commissioner Justice (R) Sardar Muhammad Raza on December 6, 2019, the committee once again adjourned until December 2, 2019.Sources in the Election Commission said the petitioner and PTI founding member Akbar S Babar’s lawyer Syed Ahmed Hassan Shah and Badar Iqbal Chaudhry presented the evidence that had been before the ECP since November 2014 about alleged PTI funding from illegal and prohibited sources.The evidence presented before the committee on Thursday was limited to the two limited liability companies registered in the US by PTI with the signatures of PTI Chairman and now also Prime Minister Imran Khan. The committee was briefed about the entire scope of violations of the Constitution and the relevant laws with regard to funding of political parties. The petitioner’s lawyer is expected to continue presentation of evidence on the next hearing scheduled for December 02.When contacted, the petitioner declined to share details of the committee meeting and he limited his comments to the long continuing funding case and expressed hope that it would conclude soon, as be believed, the entire nation’s eyes are focused on the case.He explained all those hoping or attempting to delay the case one way or another were doing a great ‘disservice to the country.’He said the October 10, 2019 verdict of the ECP holding PTI responsible for ‘worst historical example of abuse of the process of law’ for delaying the case would create political upheaval and force the head of the party to resign in any established democracy. “Not in Pakistan where democracy exists mostly in form but not in substance and where the accused ruling party and its leadership are allowed to abuse the law to avoid accountability,” he noted.

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Senate panel for law on permission to foreigners to buy land

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice Thursday called for an independent law on permission to foreigner to buy land anywhere in Pakistan.The committee met here at the Parliament House and its Chairman Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi presided over deliberations. It had lively discussion on the bill, introduced by JI’s Mushtaq Ahmad for insertion of Article 253A regarding permission to foreigners to purchase land in any part of Pakistan. The committee members were of the view that this should be brought as an independent law and not as a constitutional amendment so that the constitutional amendment was not disturbed.The committee members sought information as to what was the current mechanism of granting permission to foreign nationals or foreign companies and it was subsequently decided to call Secretary Interior, provincial Boards of Revenue, Board of Investment and SECP to next meeting to discuss whether it falls under federal or provincial domain and how many foreigners currently have land in Pakistan. The meeting was attended, among others, by Senators Musadik Malik, Mushtaq Ahmed, Dr GhousNiazi, Mushahidullah Khan, Sana Jamali, Mian Ateeq Sheikh and officials from the ministries of Law and Justice, National Health Services and Regulations and State Life Insurance Corporation.While discussing ‘The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2018, introduced by Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Sheikh, the committee was told by Nadra that a chip could be installed in the National Identity Card which will be indicative of the fact that the owner has expressed his or her will to donate organs.However, the committee members asked Nadra to come up in the next meeting with a simpler mechanism which is easier to comprehend by the general people.This bill was reported by the Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination and has also received approval of Council of Islamic Ideology and Federal Shariat Court. Regarding the matter of sit-in of the employees of the State Life Insurance Corporation for their demands, the committee heard the General Manager of the Corporation and decided to call the Ministry of Commerce and SECP to discuss the matter.

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ATC indicts man involved in Shuja Khanzada assassination

RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC-II) Rawalpindi Judge Salman Baig on Thursday indicted Qasim Muavia, an alleged terrorist involved in the assassination of former Punjab home minister Col (R) Shuja Khanzada.Shuja Khanzada along with 16 others was martyred in a suicide attack at his political office in Shadi Khan near Attock on August 15, 2015. The court has ordered to present evidences against the accused on December 4, 2019.Shuja Khanzada was been holding a meeting with local people when the suicide attack happened.He was trapped with several others under the rubble after the blast brought down the roof of the house.According to police, there were two suicide bombers, one stood outside the boundary wall and the second one went inside and stood in front of the minister.

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Extension issue to remain in limelight till settled

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, in its short order, left it to the government and Parliament to do the necessary legislation clarifying and specifying reappointment, extension, perks and privileges and tenure of the chief of army staff after three days’ of grueling proceedings.Legal experts believe that there may not be any need to amend Article 243 of the Constitution, which deals with the command of the armed forces. It is unclear so that either amendment may be made in the Pakistan Army Act or a new act of Parliament will be enacted or both will be done.It is believed that the issue would remain in the limelight till it is settled once for all.Eminent constitutional lawyer Zahid F. Ebrahim said in a tweet that the government has the parliamentary strength to amend the army act to provide for term limits and extensions for the army chief. In his view, no constitutional amendment or two-thirds majority is required. Therefore, the opposition can continue to enjoy its slumber, he wrote.The short order found it appropriate to leave the matter to the Parliament and the federal government to clearly stipulate the terms and conditions of service of the army chief through an Act of Parliament and to clarify the scope of Article 243 in this regard.The order noted that the government moved from one position to another on the issue during the last three days referring to it as reappointment, limiting of retirement or extension of tenure and has also interchangeably placed reliance on Article 243(4)(b) and Regulation 255.“The apex court exercised restraint in passing any order and left it to the government and Parliament to remove the anomalies and fill up the gaps in the Constitution and law about the reappointment, extension and other related matters,” prominent lawyer Omar Sajjad told The News when contacted. He said that although the extension was not allowed in the Constitution or law, the apex court permitted Gen Bajwa to continue in his position for six months so that requisite legislation is done within this period.It was noted in the short order that there was no provision in 243(4)(b), Pakistan Army Act, Pakistan Army Act Rules and Army Regulations (Rules) relating to the tenure of army chief or of a general and whether the military chief can be reappointed or his term can be extended or his retirement can be limited or suspended.Instead of practice, the apex court wanted the government to codify all these measures in the law. The existing statutes do not specify the tenure, retirement, reappointment and extension of the army chief or a general. While justifying the exercise of judicial restraint, the Supreme Court noted that the military chief is responsible for the command, discipline, training, administration, organization and preparedness for war of the army and is the Chief Executive in General Headquarters. The instant judicial restraint means that the court avoided striking down the extension notification signed by President Dr Arif Alvi and allowed Gen Bajwa to continue for six months. After that, the new legislation will determine his tenure and other terms and conditions of service.The last three days saw a crisis-like situation and an issue that has never been debated so intensely in any judicial or political forum was talked about. It ended with the short order. The social media was madly awash with comments on the interpretation of the judicial proceedings with some posts being too irrational and irresponsible.

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Decision on COAS appointment legislation after consultations: Azma

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has said the party will take a decision about the constitutional amendment regarding appointment/extension in tenure of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) through consultation within the party as well as the combined opposition.“The PML-N will hold consultation within the party as well as the joint opposition in the matter of amendment to Article 243 of the Constitution,” said Azma Bokhari, PML-N Punjab information secretary while talking to The News in the backdrop of Supreme Court (SC) decision to allow six-month extension to the COAS, and refer the matter to parliament to legislate on the matter.The SC, in its short order on Thursday, referred the matter to parliament to introduce legislation with regard to Army chief’s service under Article 243.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would require two-thirds majority in both houses of the parliament to amend any article of the Constitution, which puts the government and the opposition in a test, in an atmosphere of hostility between the treasury and the opposition in the parliament.As the PML-N awaits detailed judgment, Azma said the party accepted Supreme Court decision pronounced in a short order. However, she emphasised that although the issue of constitutional amendment was six months away, it was parliament’s responsibility to adopt extreme care in framing the proposed amendment. She criticised Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI) government for making mockery of army chief’s extension, which embarrassed General Bajwa. “It is beyond comprehension that Prime Minister Imran Khan, with his whole legal team comprising Babar Awan, Farogh Naseem, Anwar Mansoor, Shahzad Akbar and others, could not make one summary correctly,” she said as she sees it an attempt to make the incumbent army chief controversial and malign the institution of army. About Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid’s claim that the PML-N was on board vis-à-vis extension to the COAS, she laughed it off as childish, saying that the federal government could not even know whether they were issuing the notification of reappointment or extension in service of the COAS.PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said the matter of extension in service of army chief was an administrative matter. “We have always refrained from commenting on professional matters of the armed forces,” he added. PML-N Central Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb strongly responded to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tirade against the opposition in the wake of Supreme Court’s decision in the case of COAS extension, saying that the PTI government did not need any enemies in the presence of such an inept leadership.In a series of tweets, she said Imran Khan’s ineptness was highlighted by the Supreme Court time and again, adding that the PM was trying to hide his lack of substance and ineptness by targeting the opposition. “Not a single penny’s corruption is proven against the opposition leadership,” she said, adding that the country’s stability was at risk due to incompetent and inefficient leadership.

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