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Karachi traffic policemen get spy cameras for better policing, security

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KARACHI: Traffic police authorities have provided sunglasses and pens attached with spy cameras to some of their personnel in a move to monitor their behaviour towards road users and also for security surveillance, as eight traffic policemen have been killed in targeted attacks during the past one year, a top official said on Thursday.

The authorities acquired a set of spy gadgets and distributed them among the officials as a pilot project which would be expanded to all other parts of the city later, he said.

He added that positive feedback had been received from certain areas where programme had been launched to modernise policing.

“In the first phase, we have distributed these camera-attached sunglasses and pens to our officers posted in south district,” said DIG (traffic) Dr Ameer Sheikh while speaking to Dawn. “The primary objective of this entire exercise is to bring reforms in traffic policing. Our personnel remain directly engaged with the people round the clock. As that kind of job is not easy, we continue to receive complaints from both sides – drivers or commuters and traffic policemen,” the officer said.

He said the traffic police authorities had no mechanism to check the weight of argument of each party in case of an altercation between them, rude behaviour or unjustified action from either side. The cameras would help sort such issues, he added.

“In case of any complaint against our personnel, we would be able to determine his role in the disputed matter and also the way he handled the situation,” said Dr Sheikh. The technology would also help keep track of officers’ performance and their activities during duty hours, he said. People often complained of being challaned unjustifiably by the officials at certain spots in case they were not offered bribes, he added. Similarly, in many cases, drivers overreacted and accused traffic personnel of wrongdoing to cover up their crimes, the officer said. The initiative would help the traffic authorities to keep record of such interaction, too, he said.

After the launch of Traffic Violation Evidence System (TVES) a few months ago, the recent project is second such initiative from the authorities to bring reforms in the traffic police. In the developed countries, the receipts of fine are delivered to traffic violators at their homes under the TVES. Their residential addresses are determined after identification of their vehicles’ registration number through surveillance cameras.

The modern gadgets will also be utilised for security surveillance as more than half a dozen traffic officials had been gunned down at traffic intersections in the city over the past one year. Last week, two traffic police constables were shot dead near the Ayesha Manzil flyover in a targeted attack whose responsibility was claimed hours later by the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“We have acquired the best available equipment,” said additional DIG (traffic) Tahir Ahmed Noorani. “Both things – sunglasses and pens – have built-in eight-megapixel cameras, which can record quite clear footage at a moderate distance. After the duty hours of the traffic personnel, we save the footage in our database. It gives multiple advantages like monitoring of our personnel and also the security surveillance of the areas of their deployment.”

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016


Two officials face probe over Mansour’s ID papers

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RAWALPINDI: Pishin’s Deputy Commissioner Hafiz Mohammad Tahir and Tehsil­dar Rafiq Tareen have been shifted to Islamabad from Quetta in connection with an investigation into verification of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour’s applications for Pakistani national identity card and passport.

Interior Minister Chau­dhry Nisar Ali Khan had iss­ued directives for the shifting of the two officials. They were brought to Islamabad on the PIA’s flight PK-352 on Thurs­day night by an FIA team.

Hafiz Tahir had verified the applications of Mullah Mansour using the name of Wali Mohammad while he was serving in Chaman as deputy commissioner.

An interior ministry spokesperson told Dawn that Hafiz Tahir had been summoned to Islamabad, but Rafiq Tareen had been arrested by the FIA team for investigation into the matter.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

PAC wants encroached land retrieved from Bahria Enclave

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ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to demarcate and retrieve land worth Rs2.3 billion in Kurri village, which has been ‘encroached’ by Bahria Enclave.

An audit report on the CDA account for the year 2013-14 pointed out that Bahria Enclave had encroached on the 1,542 kanal state land.

The auditors added that the civic agency on November 7, 2012, issued a final notice to Bahria Enclave, asking it to vacate the land or face the consequence but later turned a blind eye to the encroachment.


CDA asked to demarcate and retrieve 1,542 kanals in Kurri Village and submit a report


Maqbool Gondal, the director general audit, told the PAC meeting that under section 49-C (1&2) of the CDA Ordinance 1960, the deputy commissioner CDA could retrieve the encroached land as the section also empowered him to demolish properties built on any encroached land.

He said the tehsildar CDA in November 2012 had issued a final notice to Bahria Town asking it to vacate the land within seven days but the authority could not retrieve the land even after three-and-a-half years.

The report claimed that Bahria Enclave had also constructed a road on the encroached land.

The committee directed the CDA to demarcate the land and then retrieve it from the private housing scheme and submit a report.

Plot to IPS

The CDA informed the PAC meeting that a plot had been allotted to the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of former Jamaat-i-Islami leader Professor Khursheed Ahmed at the rate of Re1 annual rent.

The plot (No 19 at F-7 Markaz) was allotted to the JI leader in 1981 for the construction of a building for the institute.

Later, as a special case, the CDA board allowed the IPS to construct a shopping mall on the ground floor.

In January 2008, the board decided that the commercialisation of the building would be subject to the demolition and recreation of the building and after payment of the commercialisation charges.

The audit report said the CDA did not charge the commercialisation fee from the allottee who in August 2012 transferred the plot to a private party, resulting in a Rs462 million loss to the national exchequer.

The CDA informed the PAC that a private company constructed 122 flats on the land and then sold it to different people. The authority informed the PAC that the IPS transferred the land to the private party on its own and without bringing the matter into the notice of the civic agency.

According to the CDA, the decision to comemrcialise the plot was illegal and the authority had issued a charge-sheet to the officials concerned.

The CDA official told the committee that the plot was transferred to the private construction company in accordance with a routine procedure through the one-window operation.

The PAC chairman, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, expressed annoyance over the matter and said how a plot meant for the institute could be sold for the construction of flats. He directed the CDA to submit a report within a fortnight.

Safa Gold Mall

As per the audit report, due to the non-receipt of the capital value tax, delayed surcharges and late payment from the owner of Safa Gold Mall, the national exchequer faced a loss of Rs943 million.

The CDA on December 31, 2009, auctioned a plot in F-7 Markaz at the rate of Rs321,000 per square yard. The total cost of the plot was Rs1.2 billion. But the allottee did not deposit the premium of the plot, capital value tax, advance income tax and delayed charges.

The PAC chairman referred the matter to a committee constituted to examine the CDA audit objections which would take up the matter at its forthcoming meeting next month.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

Langove’s name put on ECL

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ISLAMABAD/QUETTA: The name of Mir Khalid Khan Langove, former adviser to the Balochistan chief minister on finance, was placed on the exit control list (ECL) after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) obtained his 14-day physical remand in a mega corruption case on Thursday.

A senior NAB official told Dawn that the interior ministry had put Langove’s name on the ECL on a written request of the bureau.

Langove was produced before an accountability court in Quetta on Thursday amid tight security. The NAB prosecutor sought the ex-finance adviser’s 14-day remand which was granted by the court.

When contacted, NAB spokesman Nawazish Ali Asim refused to give any detail of the case. “Nothing can be shared about the case at the moment because revealing any information to the media can affect the inquiry proceedings,” he argued.

Langove has been accused of accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income. He was put under investigation after recently arrested Balochistan finance secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani disclosed during interrogation that Langove was involved in the financial corruption.

Raisani was arrested on May 5 after currency notes amounting to Rs650 million were recovered from his residence during a raid.

The NAB official claimed that after the revelation made by Raisani, the ex-finance adviser was about to be removed by a competent authority, but he resigned from office before any action was taken against him.

NAB Balochistan arrested Langove from the Balochistan High Court premises on Wednesday after the court rejected his bail-before-arrest application filed by his counsel Baz Mohammad Kakar and Farooq H. Naek.

According to a handout issued by the NAB headquarters, the bureau issued three summons – on May 11, 12 and 18 – asking Langove to appear before its team in Quetta investigating the mega corruption case, but he failed to do so.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

Senate panel annoyed over ad hoc payment of salary to ECP members

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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance expressed its annoyance on Thursday over payment of a hefty amount in salary and other perks to members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on an ad hoc basis for the last five years without any formal approval by the finance ministry.

The committee was informed by officials of the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) that from June 2011 to April 2016 three members of the ECP had been given Rs102.09 million in salary and allowances/perks while one member had been paid Rs104 million under these heads. The TA and DA and medical bills of these four ECP members amounted to Rs6.95 million and Rs1.76 million, respectively.

The AGPR officials told the committee that there was no violation of rules as salary and other perks were being paid regularly and there had not been any objection from the finance ministry to the matter.

He said the law also allowed the AGPR to release salary for a short term of three months, but since there had not been any formal approval by the finance ministry for the last five years, an ad hoc permission for grant of salary/perks was issued after every three months and this had been the situation for the last five years.

“We have informed the finance ministry several times but there has not been any objection from it,” the official said.

The finance ministry representative present on the occasion informed the committee that there had not been any correspondence with the AGPR regarding the matter, and showed a letter written by the ECP determining itself the salary package of the ECP members.

The matter remained inclusive and will be discussed in next meetings of the committee.

Speaking on another agenda item, officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) told the committee that Pakistan would become a signatory to multilateral convention on mutual tax matters to combat tax evasion from August 31, 2016.

Briefing the committee, FBR Member of Inland Revenue Rahmitullah Wazir said that some legal measures would be taken in the financial bill of the next fiscal year to comply with the requirement of Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to become member of a convention on tax matters.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

Is CII ‘in denial’ about violence against women?

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ISLAMABAD: Senior members of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) categorically denied on Thursday that there was any violence or physical oppression of women at the hands of their husbands or in-laws, at least inside Pakistan.

Two of the council’s senior-most members told Dawn that Pakistanis were God-fearing and religious-minded folk who did not beat their wives.

The CII had been considering its own draft of a ‘Women Protection Bill’, written by CII member Imdadullah. But the draft does not outline any punishments for those who do beat their wives.

A major divergence between the CII’s proposed legislation and the law it seeks to replace – the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence bill – is that the council has highlighted women as “culprit party”, while the Punjab bill focuses on women victims of domestic violence.

The council’s 75 page draft, instead, describes the modes of punishments husbands are permitted to impose on their wives, if they do not comply with their responsibilities under Sharia.

Much of the CII’s opposition to existing domestic violence legislation has been the assertion that domestic violence does not exist in Pakistan, and therefore does not need to be legislated against.

Taking a very simplistic approach when asked about this issue, Allama Iftikhar Naqvi posited that, “That women are facing injustice and ill-treatment here is only Western propaganda.”

He then asked the reporter: “Tell me, do you beat your wife? No. Does your wife beat you? No. So who is spreading this propaganda?”

Instead, Allama Naqvi argued, the real issue facing women was the lack of understanding of their own rights, as granted by Islam.

Where the Punjab bill aims to address the grievances of women who face violence at the hands of their husbands or relatives, the CII’s law has no provisions to award punishments to men who resort to violence against women, and clerics continue to deny that this is a problem.

At a press conference earlier in the day, CII chairman Maulana Sherani described some of the punishments that are permitted against women who do not comply with their responsibilities under Sharia.

“No man can beat or humiliate his wife, and if there is a need to discipline her, then he should distance himself from her until she mends her ways,” Mr Sheerani said.

He said Islam gives women extensive rights and allows women to play an active role in society.

“Whenever there is a need, the government can force men to conscript, but women cannot be forced to do so. Similarly, if a woman denounces Islam, she cannot be awarded the death sentence as it is prescribed for men. Women can own property and even do jobs, while conforming to religious norms,” he added.

When asked about cases where husbands beat their wives, he claimed that there was no one in Pakistan disgraced enough to beat a woman.

“In our tribal culture, we stop firing during gunfights if a woman appears in the range,” he said. “If there is any such case, the government has to create awareness first, instead of making stringent laws.”

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

IHC issues notices to Malik Riaz, DHA, NAB over stalled DHA Valley project

Pakistan reaffirms QCG role for Afghan peace

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday formally acknowledged that a US drone strike in Nushki had killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour and vowed to continue working with its Quadrilateral Coordination Group partners for reconciliation in Afghanistan despite its reservations about dichotomies in the American strategy.

Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in a rare appearance at the foreign ministry’s wee­kly briefing confirmed Mansour’s death, saying “all indicators confirm that the person killed in the drone strike was Mullah Akhtar Mansour”.

The confirmation came a day after the Taliban announced their chief’s death and chose Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada as his successor.

Examine: Mansour not against talks, says Nisar

Pakistani authorities, who had earlier withheld confirmation of the Taliban leader’s death until a DNA test report, went ahead to corroborate it even though the results of the examination are still awaited.


Aziz confirms death of Mullah Mansour


It was, however, important to note that the Pakistan government, which believes Mansour’s death in the US drone strike from Afghan soil was a setback for efforts aimed at restoration of peace in the neighbouring country, agreed to remain engaged with the quadrilateral process that besides itself involves the US, Afghanistan and China.

Mr Aziz said that Mansour’s death “had added to the complexity of the Afghan conflict”.

Elaborating his contention, he said: “We believe that this action has undermined the Afghan peace process ... we believe this approach will further destabilise Afghanistan, which will have negative implications for the region, especially due to the presence of a large number of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.”

Notwithstanding its reservations, the Pakistan government renewed its commitment to peace efforts.

“Pakistan believes that a politically negotiated settlement re­mains the most viable option for bringing lasting peace to Afghanistan.…will continue to pursue the objective in close consultation with Afghanistan government and other members of the QCG,” Mr Aziz said.

Pakistan had earlier lodged a protest with the United States over the drone strike and described it as a violation of its sovereignty.

Mr Aziz regretted that US policy on peace in Afghanistan was marred by inconsistencies.

“On one side you want to start talks with them while on the other...you are killing them which is not a consistent attitude,” he said.

The adviser underscored that the decision at the last QCG meeting in Islamabad about continuing efforts for a politically negotiated settlement had not been respected by the US.

He opined that the QCG members would have to take “a collective decision” on how to take the process forward.

He said bilateral consultations with US, China and Afghanistan had begun to assess the situation in the aftermath of Mansour’s killing. Efforts, he added, would also be made to convince the Taliban to rejoin the peace process.

Rejecting the possibility of connivance at an official level, Mr Aziz in response to a question said that Mansour had been “travelling on a fake name and passport” and it was difficult to keep eye on “each and every person”.

“I don’t think we can infer that our security agencies knew or should have known about his travels,” he emphasised.

Chabahar port

Mr Aziz clarified that Pakistan did not look at Iran’s Chabahar port as a rival facility and was exploring possibilities of developing its links with Gwadar.

Tehran is developing Chabahar port with Indian assistance and signed an agreement with Delhi and Kabul this week for making it a transit hub.

Detractors in Pakistan see the port as providing India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan, while Afghanistan’s reliance on Pakistan for access to Indian Ocean would also reduce.

But, Mr Aziz did not see Chabahar posing any serious challenge to Gwadar.

“These routes are all complementary to each other and economics will decide which route is used more frequently and by whom. I think, there is nothing to worry about and regional cooperation overall is a desired idea. All these ports and processes are complementary to each other,” he noted.

The adviser said that Pakistan was also enhancing its connectivity with Iran.

“There is a proposal to make Gwadar and Chabahar sister ports and a road is also being built between them. So there is no conflict,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016


Supreme Court terms subsidy notification ‘wish list’

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court described on Thursday the Nov 3, 2015 notification for the grant of Rs20 billion subsidy on fertiliser under the much-trumpeted Kisan Package as a “wish list” and expressed surprise over the way government affairs were being run.

“Is this the way to govern the country as the government issued a notification but the parliamentarians were not kept in the loop about the announcement of such a huge amount,” said Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a member of the two-member bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.

The bench had taken up an appeal of the federal government against the Dec 8, 2015 order of the Peshawar High Court, which had held that the distribution of subsidy to fertiliser producers using imported rock was discriminatory.

The court was also not happy over the release of the subsidy under the supplementary grant without seeking prior approval of parliament under Article 84 of the Constitution.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced a Rs341bn Kisan Package around the time of local government elections. One of the components of the package was Rs20bn subsidy provided to manufacturers of the single super phosphate (SSP) with the condition that the end product would be made by using imported and not local rock.

Of the Rs20bn subsidy, the federal government had to pay Rs10bn, the Punjab government Rs7bn and the Balochistan government Rs400 million. The rest of the amount had to be paid by the governments of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.

The subsidy for manufacturing single super phosphate from imported rock was allocated because the presence of phosphate in local rock is below 18 per cent as declared by a 1995 chemical evaluation, infrared spectral, thermal and up-gradation study of Bataknala, Hazara.

Feeling aggrieved, Agritech Limited which manufactures fertiliser from local rock challenged the Kisan Package in the PHC by claiming that it was being discriminated against.

The high court held in its judgement that if a product met the standards of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority and Standards Development Centre (Chemical Division) then there should be no legal justification to deny the manufacturer the subsidy.

On Thursday Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf told the Supreme Court that the government had issued the notification under an executive order with the sole objective to keep fertiliser prices at a lower level by providing a subsidy of Rs196 per bag of phosphate fertiliser.

He stated that the major ingredient used in manufacturing the fertiliser was imported from Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, adding that the local rock was not suitable to manufacture the fertiliser.

Mr Ausaf requested the court to trust the parliamentarians but Justice Isa retorted that the government had not kept the parliamentarians in the loop about such an important decision to subsidise fertilisers. The court asked the AG to cite the reasons which forced the government to give subsidy to the manufacturers using imported rock.

Justice Isa asked if the imported rock was a criterion for ‘standard fertiliser’ and said he wondered whether the real purpose behind the notification was to reward some importers.

“Give us a precedent wherein a huge amount of subsidy is given through a notification,” he inquired.

Advocate Salman Akram Raja representing Agritech will present his arguments on Friday.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

Criminal justice system revamp plan approved

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ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday approved a plan to revamp the criminal justice system, observing that weak prosecution and flawed investigation were the main reasons for low conviction rate of terrorists and criminals.

He endorsed the idea of forming a core group to propose reforms in the criminal justice system, floated during a meeting presided over by Interior Secretary Arif Khan. The core group will comprise stakeholders from the federal and provincial governments, civil society, political parties and international organisations working on criminal justice system reforms in Pakistan.

The federal core group will have sub-committees of provincial governments which will submit their recommendations to the core group.

“Terrorist attacks, violence and loopholes in the criminal justice system require greater commitment from the state to ensure harsher punishment for terrorists and anti-state elements,” Chaudhry Nisar stressed while chairing another meeting.

He said that consensus on speedy and logical reformation of the criminal justice system taking all key aspects into consideration must be evolved on an emergency basis.

He directed the National Counter Terrorism Authority to look into the issue of justice system under its mandated National Action Plan with the objective of introducing reforms in the criminal justice system.

To ensure that reformation objectives were swiftly achieved in a given timeframe with clear working guidelines, the minister said, the core group should review the previous work done on the criminal justice system by the judiciary and foreign entities to help establish a way forward and achieve reformation target in minimum possible time.

Experts believe that a low conviction rate is nothing surprising in a system where investigators are poorly trained and lack access to basic data and modern investigation tools. Prosecutors, also poorly trained, are not closely involved in investigations. Corruption and intimidation compromise cases before they come to courts.

They point out that in the absence of scientific evidence collection methods and a credible witness protection programme, police and prosecutors mostly rely on confessions by the accused, which are inadmissible in court. Militants and other major criminals are regularly released on bail or their trials linger on for years even as they plan operations from prisons.

Despite increasing urgency of reforms, police and the whole criminal justice system still largely function on the imperative of maintaining public order rather than tackling crime.

Some of the recommendations made to reform the criminal justice system in the past include establishment of a robust witness protection programme and making the protection of witnesses, investigators, prosecutors and judges in major criminal cases, particularly terrorism cases, a priority, amendment to the evidence act to require investigators to incorporate scientific methods and data in investigations, modernising police force by enhancing scientific evidence collection.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

Govt, opposition still poles apart on Panamagate

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ISLAMABAD: The government and the opposition still appear to be poles apart on what the latter calls the “core business” about an investigation into Panamagate.

The nine-party opposition alliance feels that any investigation into the alleged scandal should deal first with the financial affairs of the prime minister’s family.

The government wants to widen the scope of the probe to loan defaulters and those who are accused of transferring money earned through corruption and kickbacks.

A 12-member parliamentary committee met on Thursday but its members initially had little to share with media, except saying that it was a good beginning. But in their subsequent media interactions, the two sides differed on key questions.

Meanwhile, the members of the committee violated their own decision taken on Wednesday that the proceedings would remain in camera.

First Senator Ishaq Dar told media that the committee had agreed on a four-point preamble and the opposition had been persuaded to review its 15 questions, instead of withdrawing a couple of them.

When the opposition learned that TV channels were airing Mr Dar’s views, they decided to tell their side of the story.

Senator Aitzaz Ahsan told the media: “We had no intention of speaking about today’s deliberations assuming that it is an in camera meeting.

“Yes, there is an agreement on the preamble passed by the two houses in the form a motion, but it is the committee which has to prioritise its work.”

The PPP leader said the two questions which the opposition had agreed to review were about inclusion of the name of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the proposed terms of reference (ToR) and perks and privileges which the Sharif family had received during their stay in Saudi Arabia.

“The government is insisting on the same ToR which the Supreme Court has already rejected and until it doesn’t review its position, there will be no progress,” Mr Ahsan said, adding that the opposition continued to stick to its ToR.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi of the PTI said the main business of the committee was to formulate ToR over which the two sides had serious differences. “The government wants to kick up a lot of dust so that the real issue of Panama Papers gets lost somewhere, whereas we want specific investigation.” He said agreeing on one or two points was not an issue because in the end the committee would have to take the decision in totality.

PML-N leader and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq said the committee had been constituted because Panamagate was a complicated issue. He said the investigation was to be carried out under laws and the Constitution of the country.

“We cannot spare those who have owned offshore companies in the past. If somebody has broken the law, he/she will be taken to task,” he said.

The minister claimed that the Supreme Court in its letter to the government had not rejected its ToR, but had given an opinion and “we respected that”.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2016

Fading splendour of Thatta's Shah Jahani mosque

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THATTA: Legend says when construction on Pakistan's Shah Jahani mosque was destroyed in 1644, advisers to the Mughal governor told him to find someone "who is so pious that he has committed no sin in all his life" to lay the foundation.

Bells rang out with the message, calling on such men to come in the darkness of the night and lay a stone in the grounds of the mosque, which was being constructed on the orders of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor best known for building the Taj Mahal.

The next day, 450 bricks were found placed in the foundations at the site in the town of Thatta.

"And thus the construction work started taking off," said Syed Murad Ali Shah, the ninth generation heir to Amir Khan, then-governor of Sindh.

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani worshipper offers prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani worshipper offers prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani custodian shows original brickworks at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani custodian shows original brickworks at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, shows detail of stonework at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, shows detail of stonework at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP

"There were hundreds of pious men and saints in those old good times, but there are none today to salvage the mosque," he said, standing outside the centuries-old structure, its grandeur now threatened by time, exposure, neglect and negligence.

Completed in 1647 by thousands of labourers, the Shah Jahani mosque is a rare example of Pakistan's Mughal heritage outside of the country's cultural centre of Lahore, with its famous fort and Badshahi mosque.

Thatta was for centuries the historic capital of Lower Sindh, and the central mosque would fill to capacity on Fridays and during Eid.

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists offer prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists offer prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists gather at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists gather at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani custodian sweeps at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani custodian sweeps at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo

Spanning more than 6,300 square feet, it was famously constructed so that an imam's voice could travel to every corner without amplification, pinging through dozens of domes lining the corridors surrounding its vast courtyard.

But as Thatta's importance declined after the 18th century, the mosque too fell into disrepair.

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani beggars gather at the entrance to the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani beggars gather at the entrance to the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists offer prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists offer prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo

Poor reconstruction work carried out in the 1970s by the federal government inflicted irreparable damage to original features including its unique auditory system.

"Many things were replaced during the repair work, and the replacements have ruined the original immaculate work, as well as disturbing the sound system," said Mohammad Ali Manji, principal of the Government College Thatta.

"No conservationist or archaeologist was consulted (for the repair) work, so its originality was badly damaged," said Qasim Ali Qasim, director of the Sindh Archaeology Department.

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists pose for photographs at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists pose for photographs at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP Photo

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani worshipper offers prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a Pakistani worshipper offers prayers at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP

The facade of the mosque's arched entrance was damaged during the repairs, with stones engraved with Quranic verses removed and taken to the National Museum in Karachi then dumped in a junkyard.

They were retrieved earlier this year only to be installed in a replica of the mosque's arch built at the entrance to the museum, a move that enraged mosque prayer leaders who wanted them returned.

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists pose for photographs at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, Pakistani tourists pose for photographs at the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP

In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a kid is running through a hallway of the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP
In this photograph taken on March 24, 2016, a kid is running through a hallway of the historical Mughal emperor Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta in southern Sindh province.—AFP

Qasim said efforts are being made to drain groundwater threatening the structure of the mosque, which still draws a small number of worshippers.

While fascinated tourists can be seen posing for selfies before the intricate mosaic tiles on the foot-thick walls, slowly being sundered from the red bricks beneath them by humidity.

But, Qasim said, despite the mosque's unique and historic qualities, there are no plans for any further restoration of its fading splendour.

US drone strikes in Pakistan see 631pc increase under Obama

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The drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in Balochistan earlier this week has once again strained Pak-US ties, with Pakistan terming the attack a 'violation of sovereignty' and the United States (US) vowing to continue targeting terrorists on Pakistani soil – if need be.

The US began carrying out drone strikes in 2001, after 9/11, under the administration of then president George W. Bush. Since then, the US has conducted 910 strikes in four countries ─ Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Pakistan is at the top of this list, with 424 drone attacks since 2004.

Over 2,500 people have been killed in US drone strikes, of which at least 350 were civilians.


PAKISTAN TOP TARGET OF STRIKES


There have been 424 drone attacks in Pakistan from 2004-2016, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

DRONE STRIKES IN PAKISTAN

• 424 strikes since 2004
• 373 strikes under Obama govt
• Over 2,500 people killed in strikes
• 2010 worst year for strikes
• First strike killed a Taliban commander

There have been at least 2,500-3,000 casualties reported in drone strikes, of which at least 350-420 are suspected to be civilians.

The first drone strike in Pakistan was carried out in 2004 to kill Taliban commander Naik Muhammad, according to data available with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism report (BIJ).

Over the last 12 years, more than 65 per cent of drone strikes were carried out in North Waziristan. Other areas hit by strikes include South Waziristan, Orakzai Agency, Bajaur, Bannu, Hangu, Khyber Agency and other parts of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

The greatest number of drone strikes on Pakistani soil, 128, were carried out in 2010, during US President Barack Obama's second year of presidency. Most drones were dispatched from US bases in Afghanistan.


OBAMA'S EXCESSES?

US President Barack Obama. ─ Reuters/File
US President Barack Obama. ─ Reuters/File

There was a 631pc jump in drone strikes under President Obama, compared to the Bush administration. According to the BIJ, Bush authorised 51 strikes, while Obama gave the go-ahead for 373 strikes.

However, the civilian casualty rate at 3.3pc was higher when George W. Bush was president compared to just 0.7pc under Obama. The overall casualty rate was also lower under current US leadership at 5.6pc compared to 8pc under Bush.

In 2016, the Obama administration carried out three drone strikes in Pakistan; the first one on January 9, the second on February 22.

The third drone strike of the year ─ and the first US drone strike outside the tribal areas ─ killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour and a civilian on May 21 in Balochistan, which has long been a 'red line' for Pakistan.

Pakistan had conveyed a set of 'red lines' to the US in 2010, specifically mentioning attacks in Balochistan as a no-go area.


STRIKES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

The US military has conducted 320 drone strikes in Afghanistan. ─ Reuters/File
The US military has conducted 320 drone strikes in Afghanistan. ─ Reuters/File

Afghanistan

In the 15 years since the Bush administration first invaded Afghanistan following 9/11, the US military has conducted 320 drone strikes in the war-torn country.

BIJ data shows 1,980 militants and over 100 civilians have been killed in these drone strikes.

Over 770 people have been killed in drone strikes in Yemen. ─ Reuters/File
Over 770 people have been killed in drone strikes in Yemen. ─ Reuters/File

Yemen

The US began conducting drone strikes in Yemen in 2002. There have been 139 drone strikes to date, according to data with the BIJ.

Over 770 people have been killed in these strikes, of which 90pc were militants.

The Long War Journal says that from Jan-May 2016, America has carried out 15 drone strikes in Yemen.

At least 10 people killed in drone strikes in Somalia were citizens. ─ Reuters/File
At least 10 people killed in drone strikes in Somalia were citizens. ─ Reuters/File

Somalia

BIJ says the US conducted 29 drone attacks in Somalia in which 392 people were killed. At least 10 of those killed were civilians.


IS DRONE BLOWBACK A MYTH?

The site of the Balochistan drone strike. ─ AFP/File
The site of the Balochistan drone strike. ─ AFP/File

Human rights organisations and even some former US military commanders argue that drone strikes inadvertently increase terrorism by exerting a “blowback” effect.

Their logic is simple. Drone strikes kill more innocent civilians than terrorists, which radicalises affected populations and motivates them to join terrorist groups to retaliate against the US.

Opinion polls, such as those carried out by the Pew Research Centre, indicate widespread Pakistani anger at drone strikes. Pew’s latest (2014) survey showed that 67 per cent of respondents opposed drone attacks because they kill “too many innocent people”.

However, Pew data on drones is deeply misleading as the organisation draws its samples mostly from urban areas not directly impacted by drone strikes.

Nonetheless, in a 2011 survey conducted by a local NGO in Fata, 63 per cent of the respondents thought drone strikes “are never justified”.

But when the results are disaggregated, support for drone strikes is the highest in North Waziristan, the Fata agency where the CIA has carried out most of its lethal drone operations, compared to the other six.

Read more: Why drone blowback in Pakistan is a myth

Four suspected Afghan terrorists killed in Mohmand

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PESHAWAR: Four suspected Afghan terrorists were killed in a clash with security forces on Friday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The clash occurred in Mohmand Agency's Khwezai tehsil, which borders Afghanistan.

"Terrorists attacked a security check post in Khozai area of Mohmand Agency, which borders Afghanistan," said a security official.

The security official added all four terrorists were killed in retaliatory action by security forces.

Mohmand is one of Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies near the Afghan border where the military has been battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade.

In Agogic Accents, young artists tackle memories in myriad ways


PM’s name not excluded from Panamagate inquiry: Aitzaz

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ISLAMABAD: The name of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not been removed from the proposed terms of reference (ToRs) for an inquiry into Panamagate, PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, who is a member of the committee from opposition side, said on Friday.

In an apparent response to some media reports that the opposition had agreed to remove the prime minister's name from the draft terms, Ahsan clarified that "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's name continues to exist [in the ToRs] by virtue of Hussain Nawaz being named in the Panama Papers".

It has been defined in the proposed ToRs that the family including parents, children, spouse and grandchildren of the person being probed under Panamagate will be part of the inquiry, said the opposition leader.

The prime minister's children — Hassan Nawaz Sharif, Hussain Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif —according to Panama data leaks, are the legal beneficiaries of offshore companies set up in British Virgin Islands.

These companies owned at least six upmarket properties overlooking London’s Hyde Park, leaked documents earlier revealed.

See: ‘Panama Papers’ reveal Sharif family’s ‘offshore holdings’

According to statements of MNAs’ assets released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last month, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif receives colossal amounts in remittances from his son, Hussain Nawaz, who is settled in the UK.

The premier received over Rs215 million from Hussain Nawaz in 2015. He had previously received remittances from his son, worth Rs239 million and Rs197. 5 million in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The nine-party opposition alliance feels that any investigation into the alleged scandal should deal first with the financial affairs of the prime minister’s family.

The government wants to widen the scope of the probe to loan defaulters and those who are accused of transferring money earned through corruption and kickbacks.

A 12-member parliamentary committee, which is tasked to draft joint ToR for an inquiry commission, held an in camera meeting on Thursday.

Following the meeting, Senator Ishaq Dar told media that the committee had agreed on a four-point preamble and the opposition had been persuaded to review its 15 questions, instead of withdrawing a couple of them.

Interacting with media later, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said: “Yes, there is an agreement on the preamble passed by the two houses in the form a motion, but it is the committee which has to prioritise its work.”

The PPP leader said the two questions which the opposition had agreed to review were about inclusion of the name of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the proposed ToR and perks and privileges which the Sharif family had received during their stay in Saudi Arabia.

Govt pulls out Khawaja Asif

The government has replaced Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on the 12-member ToR committee with Law Minister Zahid Hamid, said a notification issued by National Assembly speaker's office.

The government had earlier suggested that Hamid be made an ex-officio member of the committee. However, the opposition refused to allow a change in the number of committee members.


The committee comprises six government ministers and six opposition lawmakers:

  1. Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar
  2. Ports and Shipping Minister Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo
  3. Law Minister Zahid Hamid
  4. IT Minister MNA Anusha Rehman
  5. Housing and Works Minister MNA Akram Khan Durrani
  6. Railways Minister MNA Saad Rafique
  7. Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif
  8. PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan
  9. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Shah Mehmood Qureshi
  10. Jamaat-i-Islami MNA Sahibzada Tariqullah
  11. Awami National Party Senator Ilyas Ahmed Bilour
  12. PML-Q MNA Tariq Basheer Cheema

With additional reporting by Raza Khan in Islamabad.

‘Targeted killings put question mark over efficacy of NAP’

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KARACHI: The Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen and Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Friday condemned the targeted killing of two young men, including a government official, near the Nad-i-Ali Imambargah roundabout in Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society late Thursday night.

“It was a targeted attack, but it is yet to be ascertained if the killings were carried out on sectarian or political grounds,” said Karachi-East DIG Dr Kamran Fazal Siddiqui.

The victims belonged to the Shia community and were MQM supporters. In separate statements, leaders of the MQM and the MWM said unabated attacks had put a question mark over the effectiveness and direction of the National Action Plan (NAP).

Amir Haider, 35, Asim Hussain, 38, and Hassan, 25, were sprayed with bullets by armed motorcyclists in Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society late Thursday night when the area was plunged into darkness by a power outage. All the three victims were rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where Haider and Hussain were pronounced dead on arrival, while Hassan was admitted for treatment.

Hussain was a businessman while Haider was a government servant who also used to drive taxi to earn his livelihood.On Friday, the MWM staged protest demonstrations at Malir Kala Board and Khoja mosque in Kharadar against the killing of the people belonging to the Shia sect and to show solidarity with their leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, who has been on hunger strike in Islamabad for the past three weeks against the sectarian killings.

Meanwhile, the funeral of Haider and Hussain was held at the Imambargah near Malir Kala Board. Among others, leaders of the MWM and the MQM attended the funeral.

MQM spokesperson Aminul Haq told Dawn that Hussain had been their party worker since 2004, while Haider and Hassan were their supporters. Demanding arrest of the killers, the spokesperson said that last week their party worker Fahad Zaki was shot dead, while their supporter Kamran was wounded in Saudabad.

MQM lawmaker from the area Sajid Ahmed said that the law-enforcers were arresting their workers despite the killing of their party workers in frequent targeted attacks.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday evening, MQM central leader Dr Farooq Sattar said this was the second murder of their party worker in the same area during the past one week. He said it was ‘surprising’ to note that these killings were being taken place at a time when law enforcement agencies were restoring peace to the city.

Dr Sattar said the killings were not only a “conspiracy” against the law enforcement agencies but also a move to push the MQM to the wall. He blamed their rival Mohajir Qaumi Movement for the frequent killing of Muttahida workers.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2016

Two more Afghan 'spies' arrested by CTD KP

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PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday claimed to have arrested two spies during a search operation in Peshawar.

The CTD said the spies were Afghan citizens living in Pakistan with fake National Identity Cards. An initial investigation revealed both 'spies' had allegedly been working for a foreign intelligence agency.

An investigation is ongoing, the CTD said, adding that as progress is made, more sensitive information is expected.

The revelation comes a day after six Afghan spies were arrested in Balochistan.

Jamaatud Dawa offers funeral prayer for Mullah Mansour in Peshawar

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PESHAWAR: Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), a self-proclaimed charity working across Pakistan, on Friday held funeral prayers in absentia for the deceased Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in the provincial capital.

JuD provincial spokesperson Ghazi Inamullah told DawnNews that the funeral prayers in absentia were offered at Jamia Masjid Khyber Markaz in Peshawar and attended by hundreds of JuD activists and general public.

Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed in a United States (US) drone strike in Balochistan.

Attendees of the rally chanted slogans against US government and later desecrated the American flag. —DawnNews photo
Attendees of the rally chanted slogans against US government and later desecrated the American flag. —DawnNews photo

After holding the funeral prayers, JuD activists marched from Fawara Chowk area to the Peshawar Press Club to protest against the US drone strike inside Pakistani territory and called it an attack on the national integrity and sovereignty.

Attendees of the rally chanted slogans against US government and later desecrated the American flag.

JuD leaders Hafiz Samiullah, Haji Mohammad Iqbal and ASWJ Peshawar chief Moulana Ismail addressed the gathering and said that US government is trying to cover-up its failures and drone strike in Balochistan is part of this campaign.

Jamaatud Dawa is a controversial organisation, which was added to the banned outfits list by Pakistani authorities at the start of the year, along with the Haqqani network.

The US State Department last year named JuD as a “foreign terrorist organisation,” a status that freezes any assets it has under US jurisdiction.

Concern over 100 high-rises under construction in Karachi

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KARACHI: A public hearing held on Friday at a local hotel to discuss the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report of a major residential-cum-commercial project coming up in Clifton raised many serious issues for consideration and resolution by the government and all land owning organisations/ departments.

The gravity of these issues linked to city’s survival and sustainability, in fact, overshadowed the entire programme; over 100 high-rise buildings in the city, many of them being built in the high-density zones and without fulfilling legal requirements and expanding civic infrastructure, are under construction while a large number of city roads have been commercialised.

“Thirty-two roads have been commercialised and building plans are being approved without developing civic infrastructure and conducting EIAs. This is a dangerous trend being witnessed in the city,” director general of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) Naeem Ahmed Mughal told the audience following a briefing and question-answer session on the EIA report.

He described the situation in Karachi as ‘confusing’ and said there seemed to be no strategy in place on city development and growth. Criticising the Defence Housing Authority, which has done massive land reclamation for its different projects, he said it was building its Phase 8 spread over 4,500 acres without conducting an EIA.

“On the other hand, the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) is reclaiming land after cutting hundreds of mangroves. We need to ask ourselves where we are taking Karachi?” he asked. He, however, avoided explaining what his department had done to stop illegal construction.

High-rise on sinking coast

Proposed to be built in the block five of Clifton near Park Towers and the Pakistan Institute of Management, the project ‘Sky Gardens’ comprises an area 57,870 square feet and consists of twin towers, one with 53 storeys and the other with 29 storeys. The Bibojee Services Private Limited is the project sponsor.

While admitting that the coastal belt was sinking on account of land subsidence, the areas of the DHA and Clifton were vulnerable to minor earthquakes and are exposed to the phenomenon of liquefaction as large parts of these areas comprised land reclaimed from the sea, proponents of the project attempted to justify its construction in the programme.

Surprisingly, the hearing called by Sepa didn’t have representation of Clifton residents directly or indirectly to be affected by the 172-meter high project.

Though public representation was extremely inadequate, some speakers did raise pertinent questions on the project; of the most important concerns was how the water needs of the project would be met given the fact the city presently faced 50pc shortage (the project on completion would require 170,160 gallons of water).

Replying to this question, it was pointed out on behalf of the project advocates that the project included a reverse osmosis plant to draw out ground seawater. They, however, couldn’t give satisfactory reply when asked whether any study was carried out to determine the impact of drawing out ground seawater would cause in the area, which, according to the project consultants, was already ‘fragile’ and ‘sinking’.

“We are tapping sea water, which is endless. We will deliver what we are saying whether any government monitoring is done or not after and during the project,” argued project architect Tariq Hassan.

Replying to another question, he said all approvals from relevant agencies, including the Civil Aviation Authority, had been taken.

Sharing important features of the project, Mr Hasan said it would be the first green building of the city and planned by an expert team of consultants. “It’s a complete residential project, apart from a small club and restaurant. The building is designed according to the building code of Pakistan (zone 2B-moderate seismic risk zone) and will reuse 30pc of its own water through a recycling system.”

The project was said to have massive plantation, a drip irrigation and rain harvesting system, 800kv solar panels, energy efficient glass, heat reducing screens and efficient fire fighting system.

Earlier, Saquib Ejaz Hussain representing the Environmental Management Consultants, which carried out the EIA of the project, said the topography of the project area, once comprising swampy mudflats, had been completely altered and the entire area from the Manora channel to Clifton had been reclaimed by filling the low marshy land.

“Though there is no tsunami threat to the project area, the coastal belt is sinking due to land subsidence and also vulnerable to liquefaction. A water tank sank near Clifton area in 2006 reportedly on account of liquefaction caused by mild earthquakes,” he told the audience.

The only way to tackle these threats was to have ‘quality construction’, he added.

Nadeem Arif representing the EMC explained the need for the project, arguing that population growth rate of Karachi (4.15pc) was higher than other cities and the current housing backlog of the city was estimated to be 90,000 units per year.

“Detailed ground work investigation has been done for the project that includes ecological survey, environmental monitoring, reconnaissance survey and stakeholder consultation. All legal requirements and guidelines have been followed in preparing the EIA report,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2016

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