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Khwaja brothers record statements with NAB

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LAHORE: PML-N leaders Khwaja Saad Rafique and Khwaja Salman Rafique appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore here on Tuesday and recorded their statements in the Paragon Housing Society case.

Fearing arrest by NAB, the Khwaja brothers have already secured protective bail from the Lahore High Court till Oct 24.

The NAB is investigating the brothers for allegedly exchanging their 50-kanal piece of land with ‘developed plots’ measuring 40 kanal in the Paragon Housing Society through an agreement.

The bureau has asked them to explain under what ‘formula’ they got 40 kanal of developed plots in the housing scheme in exchange for a piece of raw land in 2016.

“The Khwaja brothers would not have got more than 16 kanals if this deal had been made on existing market practices,” the NAB claims.

The brothers, however, defended themselves saying the land exchange had been made in a legal way.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018


Environmental concerns raised over $220m Red Line BRT project

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KARACHI: At a time when work on two major transport projects — Green Line and Edhi Line — in the city has already been delayed, the Sindh government presented the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report of a third mass transit project — Red Line — at a public hearing on Tuesday.

Despite several commitments the 22km-long federally-funded Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is yet to be made operational while construction on the Sindh government-funded Edhi Line is continuing at a snail’s pace, causing a lot of inconvenience to commuters in the absence of proper traffic diversions and poor condition of existing track.

The public hearing was organised by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) at a local hotel. The EIA report prepared by Mott-MacDonald Ltd and MM Pakistan, the joint project consultants, pertained to phase one of the Red Line project involving its detailed engineering design, procurement and construction management.

A major concern raised during the hearing pertained to an estimated 23,693 trees currently existing along the proposed Red Line. A large number of these would be uprooted, according to the details shared during the hearing, some would be transplanted and, if forest department’s suggestion was followed, around 300 indigenous trees would be spared.

The project proponent, the Sindh transport and mass transit department, however, promised to ‘compensate’ the loss by planting more trees.

The EIA report does not include any details of traffic management plan

The over 23km-long Red Line running contiguous with M.A. Jinnah Road, University Road, Malir Cantonment link road and M.A Jinnah Avenue in the north-eastern sector of Karachi crosses districts Central, East and Malir Cantonment.

The estimate cost of the project is about $220 million and it would be financed largely through the Asian Development Bank with 25pc government equity.

‘No timeline’

A number of concerns shared during the hearing were rooted in public fears in the face of the government’s poor performance especially in road projects which are often launched without putting in place measures to ensure that the public is least disturbed and environment remains protected.

There was repeated specific reference to the present traffic mess at Numaish traffic intersection and a question was raised about how the government would handle the future traffic situation as it planned to integrate five BRT lines at this point, calling for a cumulative impact study.

The EIA report did not include any details of a traffic management plan and many critical areas, for instance, noise pollution and disposal of solid waste during the construction phase, had been left to the contractor who would be required to make on-site management plans.

“There should be a traffic plan showing how the general public would be facilitated during project’s construction as the Red Line also passes through busy thoroughfares, including University Road,” remarked Engineer A.A. Chandani.

The audience was told that a traffic management plan was being developed.

Zahid Farooq of the Urban Resource Centre showed concern over the fact that the recently repaired University Road would again be dug up to make way for the Red Line. “A waste of public resources, indeed,” he remarked.

Surprisingly, no time frame or duration for the project’s completion was mentioned in the EIA report, raising concern whether the data presented in the report would remain relevant when the project would finally take off.

“The EIA study is based on the environmental impact over a certain period of time. If that period is stretched over its initial duration of study, the environmental impact is multiplied exponentially. This undermines the reliability of the data and the mitigating measures of the Environment Management Plan (EMP)”, said Dr Raza Gardezi representing non-governmental organisation Citizens for Environment.

Continuing on the same point, he also questioned the project’s financial viability if strict timeline would not be followed and said that it would not only adversely affect its sustainability but also increase environmental impact manifold.

“No business plan is submitted by the proponent, explaining what will be operational and maintenance costs of the project and how the loan will be paid back,” he said, adding that no fare costing had been given in the report.

Highlighting another flaw in the EIA report, he said it was not just Quaid’s mausoleum that was a protected site but the entire surrounding park, “all the way to the boundary is a protected heritage site” and this protection extended to 200 feet beyond the limits within which no construction could take place as per the heritage act.

There were a couple of heritage buildings which could be affected by the project whose efficacy should have been thoroughly examined, he said.

NOCs from utilities

The project proponent could not present any no-objection certificates from any utility agency, though officials representing the transport and mass transit department maintained that all utilities were very much on board.

Consultants described concerns over possible damages to water and sewerage lines as misplaced since construction during the project would not go deep down.

Earlier, Tim Whittington, an environmental expert who authored the report, presented the key findings of the EIA report according to which the project was compliant with the Sindh government and ADB policies concerning environment, social impact, resettlement and compensation and local administration.

“Greenhouse emissions are likely to be reduced by removing vehicles from the roadway. However, data is insufficient at present to substantiate the supposition. In general, BRT has been shown to lead to reduced emissions of primary pollutants,” he said.

Referring to a recent Supreme Court ruling under which uprooting of trees had been prohibited, Saquib Ejaz Hussain said that uprooting of more than 23,000 trees would negatively affect the city’s climate.

Senior director Sepa Waqar Hussain Phulpoto assured the stakeholders that the department would protect public interest and ensure that all mandatory conditions were met before it received the government approval.

He showed annoyance over the absence of any high-level transport department official at the public hearing.

Abdul Aziz and Mohammad Ali Sheeshmahal represented the government.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018

Separate track along Sharea Faisal for bikers being made

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KARACHI: City Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Tuesday said work of setting up a separate track for motorcyclists along Sharea Faisal had been started, which would cover the whole area from Malir Halt to Metropole Hotel.

The anti-encroachment department of the KMC in this connection had already started its operation against encroachments on Tuesday, he added.

Talking to media representatives after laying floral wreath at the mazar of Shaheed-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan on his death anniversary on Tuesday, he said: “This is the first time that a separate track is being made for motorbikes alongside main corridor of the city. This being a model project, other major corridors will also be provided with such tracks for motorbike users.”

The mayor said that all efforts were being made to bring improvement to the city infrastructure especially to clean roads.

Meanwhile, on the directive of the mayor, the anti-encroachment department of the KMC took action against encroachments from Malir Halt to Metropole Hotel and removed all encroachments in about six kilometres’ area and seized the roadside cabins, stalls, sugar cane juice machines and other obstacles from the area and deposited them in the KMC store.

Ten people were arrested in the action carried out by the anti-encroachment staffers along with police and city wardens.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018

Interim bail of ex-president Zardari, others extended for third time

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KARACHI: A banking court extended for a third time the interim pre-arrest bail of former president and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in a money laundering case on Tuesday.

The bail of 11 other suspects was also extended till Nov 13.

Both Mr Zardari and Ms Talpur appeared before the banking court. Former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai was also produced from prison.

The Federal Investigation Agency booked them along with several bankers and businessmen in a case pertaining to money laundering of Rs4.14 billion through ‘fake’ bank accounts in the Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and United Bank Limited.

On Tuesday, Judge Tariq Mehmood Khoso of the banking court was on leave.

Warrants for arrest of five absconding suspects in ‘fake’ accounts case reissued

The link judge while adjourning the matter extended the interim bail granted to Mr Zardari, Ms Talpur and around 11 others, including Zain Malik, the son-in-law of real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and three sons of Anwar Majeed, till Nov 13.

The court also reissued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of five absconding suspects, including UAE national Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah, directing the investigating officer to arrest and produce them on the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the PPP co-chairman and his sister reached the court amid tight security. Other party leaders including Imtiaz Shaikh, Nasir Shah, Nadia Gabol and others were also present.

The jail superintendent informed the court that another detained banker, Taha Raza, could not be produced since he had got his right knee fractured as he slipped in the prison on Oct 12.

He further informed the court that detained businessman Anwar Majeed, who is widely believed to be a close friend of Mr Zardari, could also not be produced since he had been shifted from jail to a hospital because of his ailment.

Defence counsel Shaukat Hayat complained that suspect Raza had been examined by a team of orthopaedic surgeons of the Civil Hospital Karachi, who had suggested his immediate surgery, but the prison authorities were not shifting him to the hospital outside the jail due to which his condition was deteriorating.

Initially, the FIA detained Lawai and Raza in July for allegedly facilitating opening of 29 ‘fake’ bank accounts in three private banks. One such bank account maintained in Summit Bank was used for suspicious transactions to several business entities, including M/s Zardari Group, M/s Omni Group and others.

A case was registered against them under Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 5(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 and Sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018

SC asks Bahria Town to submit proposals for implementing May 4 verdict

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd to come up with proposals on how to implement its May 4 judgement declaring illegal the exchange of lands between the Malir Development Authority (MDA) and the property tycoon for development of a housing scheme.

A three-judge implementation bench headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said the court intended to take an option which should be least painful to the parties. But he hastened to add that it depended on the reasonableness of the proposals to be put forth by the Bahria Town on the implementation of the verdict.

“We have to implement the judgement but how it is implemented depends upon the parties,” Justice Saeed observed.

A five-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had on Oct 11 formed the implementation bench after the Bahria Town Karachi withdrew its petition seeking review of the May 4 verdict which had barred the developer from selling plots or constructed apartments in the housing scheme.

But before postponing the proceedings to Nov 14, the court made it clear that no extension of time would be granted in case the parties failed to furnish their suggestions. The court ordered National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor General Syed Asghar Haider to keep it informed about the pace of investigations into the matter which the bureau had initiated earlier, but made it clear again that the court would not monitor its investigations nor would it issue any directive lest it caused prejudice to the parties concerned.

“But the court will not close its eyes and will also not allow anyone to close theirs,” Justice Saeed said, adding that the hands of the court were tied since it could not go beyond its earlier judgement which it had to execute.

As per the May 4 order, NAB is also required to move a reference before the accountability court concerned against all those found responsible for causing losses to the national exchequer.

On Tuesday, the court asked the parties to identify exact measurement of the lands in physical possession of the Bahria Town with proper description, as well as the prices of built-up properties and plots.

The Sindh government and the MDA were asked to provide the names of the officers of the provincial departments responsible for the grant of lands to the MDA and then to the Bahria Town.

Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, representing the Bahria Town, argued that the developer had invested $1.5 billion by carrying out a large-scale development and created a Dubai-like city in a barren desert. He said the Sindh government also gained manifolds, instead of making losses, due to the development. “MDA is the biggest beneficiary,” he claimed.

The court asked the parties that evaluation about the estimates of the project should be conducted by an individual who should have no links with NAB.

The May 4 judgement pertains to the grant of 9,385 acres of land in 43 Dehs, consolidated by the MDA and then handed over in 2015 to the Bahria Town, some 9km from Toll Plaza on the Karachi-Hyderabad Superhighway.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018

Case registered against Sargodha police for death of man in custody

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Sargodah Police registered a case on Wednesday against five individuals — including a police inspector — for the death of a man in police custody. The man had been arrested a day earlier on charges of robbery.

According to relatives, Imran Arif, a resident of Sargodha Chak 34, was detained at the City Police Station for a robbery and died in police custody. The relatives claim that Arif had died due to police violence.

The Sargodha Factory Area police station have registered the case against the police officials under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code which pertains to qatl-i-amd.

A first investigation report (FIR) was registered on Oct 17 by the victim's grandmother which stated that Arif was arrested by the City police station on Oct 16 where he was interrogated and fell sick all of a sudden.

According to the FIR, police took the victim to a nearby hospital around 9pm and found out that Asif had died by that time.

In the FIR, Arif's grandmother had said that her grandson had died due to police brutality while in custody.

Relatives of the victim gathered outside the site of the post-mortem examination and protested against the police.

While protesting, the victim's family said that Arif had been falsely accused of robbery and he was innocent. They appealed to senior officials for justice.

Saudi Arabia agreed to end Umrah tax on Pakistanis, Senate panel told

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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs was informed on Tuesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan had requested Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud to waive 2,000 riyals tax imposed by the Saudi government on Pakistanis performing Umrah every year.

The committee, presided over by Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, was briefed about the problems faced by Pakistanis while performing Haj and Umrah.

The chairman of the committee said he had received several complaints about the Saudi government imposing a tax of 2,000 riyals on pilgrims performing more than one Umrah within two years.

“I have been informed that this was some kind of a discriminatory tax on Pakistanis and the government should do something about it,” Senator Haideri said.

Secretary of Religious Affairs Muhammad Mushtaq said that the rationale behind the Saudi move was to discourage repeated Umrah by a few people only and the tax had not been levied on Pakistanis only but it had recently been imposed on anyone coming from any country of the world.

“However this new tax of 2,000 riyals on people performing more than one Umrah within two years has been abolished for the people of Egypt and Turkey after requests were made by governments of these countries to the Saudi government,” Mr Mushtaq said.

He said that the matter had been taken up with the Saudi authorities in Islamabad and it was suggested that Prime Minister Imran Khan should make the request to the Saudi crown prince for the tax waiver.

“The prime minister during his visit to Saudi kingdom took up the matter with the Saudi crown prince and he has agreed to abolish the tax,” the secretary said, adding that it was a matter of time and the Saudi government would notify the waiver soon.

Some senators, however, criticised the prime minister’s move saying it would benefit only a few rich people who wanted to perform Umrah every year.

The committee was informed about Haj operations 2018 and was told that the ministry of religious affairs would start preparations for Haj operations 2019 in January.

Senator Sajid Mir demanded that the draft of Haj Policy 2019 should be presented to the committee first, but Minister for Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri said that the committee could only forward its suggestions to the government as amendments to the Haj Policy of 2018.

Several senators criticised arrangements made by the government for Haj pilgrims last year.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Haideri, told the meeting that he had performed Haj almost every year on a special quota granted by the Saudi ambassador.

“I have seen more mismanagement only on Pakistan’s side than any other country,” he said.

He also asked the religious ministry to explain the reason why only army men were required for medical care of Haj pilgrims during Haj.

He suggested the religious ministry to seek applications for the medical mission from provinces and the federal government also.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018

PML-N senators Haroon Akhtar, Sadia Abbasi disqualified over dual nationalities

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday disqualified PML-N senators Haroon Akhtar and Sadia Abbasi for holding dual nationalities at the time of filing their nomination papers for the upper house of the parliament.

Bilal Manto, who is assisting the SC in the case, said that whether or not a nationality could be completely renounced depends on that particular country's laws.

Citing Canada as an example, Manto said that the Canadian law does not allow its citizens to give up its nationality altogether once it has been procured.

Following Manto's argument, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar gave the orders of disqualification under Article 63 (1)(c) of the 1973 Constitution. The article pertains to a person's disqualification from Parliament due to holding the nationality of a country other than Pakistan.

During the hearing, Justice Nisar said that while the time of a person renouncing a nationality can be counted from the day they write to their respective embassy to relieve them of the second nationality, the letter should already be written at the time a candidate submits their nomination papers for a public office.

"This was not the case for Abbasi," the chief justice observed.

The chief justice also told the counsels of Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and PML-N's Nuzhat Sadiq to furnish their clients' verified affidavits showing that they had given up their second nationalities before filing their nomination papers.


Gen Bajwa meets Italy's defence minister

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Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday visited Italy where he met Italian defence minister and senior military officials, the military’s media wing reported.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the discussions with Italian leadership focused on “enhancing bilateral defence and security cooperation including potential joint initiatives”.

“They maintained that Pakistan is well on its way towards a prosperous future and that Italy and Pakistan will benefit by building on the existing relationship,” read the ISPR statement.

During the stay, the army chief also viewed demonstrations by Italian defence forces — both for land and amphibious operations. Gen Bajwa also interacted with the representatives of Pakistani community and the Italian defence industry.

The army chief is expected to return to Pakistan later tonight after visiting UK and Italy.

Sindh anti-corruption department to probe 'land grabbing' allegations involving PTI lawmakers

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The Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Wednesday opened an inquiry into allegations of grabbing government land in Karachi involving two Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers.

An exercise by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in Taiser Town on Tuesday to mark government land had turned into a violent episode when two PTI legislators — MNA Aftab Jehangir and MPA Rabistan Khan — turned up at the spot with their respective supporters and accused each other of supporting encroachments in the area, leading to a brawl between their groups.

Though the police stayed silent on the incident, a video of the brawl between supporters of MNA Jehangir and MPA Rabistan had gone viral on social media, showing them hurling allegations against each other of seizing government land and grabbing people’s property.

The incident had occurred in Sector-6C of the area where the KDA staff stood surprised when dozens of area residents came to protest against alleged encroachment of their land by the “mafia”.

The protesters were later joined by the PTI MNA and then Rabistan, each with dozens of their supporters. As the KDA team was returning after executing its job, the supporters of the two legislators locked horns, accusing each other of being members of the “mafia” and encroachers. The heated arguments turned into a brawl, forcing the leaders to escape the scene.

The ACE on Wednesday formed a high-level inquiry committee headed by its deputy director for district East to ascertain the allegations levelled by the two PTI lawmakers against each other. The body will submit its inquiry report within two weeks.

"Legal action will be taken against the elements involved [in alleged land grabbing] in light of the report," said Murtaza Wahab, the adviser to the chief minister on anti-corruption.

He said those occupying state land will be brought to book, "no matter how influential they may be".

Lahore acid victim demands swift justice 'like in Zainab murder case'

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A victim of an acid attack protested outside an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Wednesday, calling the attention of the chief justice and the army chief to her plight.

Recounting her tragic story to the media, Naila, the victim, said that her husband Arshad and her brother-in-law Mohammad Khan had allegedly thrown acid on her.

She demanded that her brother-in-law's pre-arrest bail be revoked and he be put behind bars. Her husband has been in jail since the incident, which took place in July.

An FIR was registered against the accused on the complaint of Naila's father on July 18 under Section 336-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to punishment for causing permanent disfigurement, and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which pertains to punishment for acts of terrorism.

According to the FIR, the incident occurred at around 7:30pm on July 18. Naila had been living with her family for the past eight to nine months after having had the last straw against the alleged abuse suffered at the hands of her in-laws.

Her father has mentioned in the report that he, along with Naila, his other daughter Nadia, and his son Fahad were walking home from Bagrian chowk when all of a sudden two motorcycles appeared and stopped behind them.

On one motorcycle, Arshad and his relative Bilal were seated, while on the other motorcycle Naila's brother-in-law Mohammad Khan and a man identified as Mustafa were seated.

Arshad and his brother Mohammad Khan got down from their respective motorcycles, while their fellow passengers remained seated and kept the engines running. Mohammad Khan reportedly grabbed Naila while Arshad threw acid on her face from a bottle in his hand, according to the account described in the report.

All four men are said to have fled the scene moments after. The report observes that Naila's siblings Nadia and Fahad were eyewitnesses to the crime. Naila was rushed to Jinnah hospital in a rickshaw.

Also read: Let these acid attack survivors inspire you to turn your life around

Naila claims her in-laws had started to issue threats to her family ever since they took her away to live with them. While talking to the media today, the victim expressed concern that her family was still receiving threats from the accused.

"My husband and my brother-in-law have ruined my life," said Naila, who has two young sons from her marriage of nine years to Arshad. "My eyes have been completely destroyed," she added.

The victim has demanded that swift justice be provided to her "as was provided in the Zainab murder case".

An anti-terrorism court had convened today for the hearing of her case, but the defendant's counsel was not present due to which the hearing was postponed until further notice.

'Active' efforts underway to recover abducted Iranian troops, FM Qureshi tells Zarif

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Pakistan on Wednesday informed Iran that it had launched “active” efforts to locate 11 Iranian security personnel, including Revolutionary Guards intelligence officers, who were abducted near the countries' shared border.

The Guards blamed “terrorist groups that are guided and supported by foreign forces” for the abductions on Tuesday near the Pakistan-Iran border point of Mirjaveh

In a call, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi briefed his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif “about the active efforts launched by the Pakistan law enforcement agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing Iranian guards, in coordination with the Iranian military and intelligence counterparts”, a press release issued by the Foreign Office spokesman said.

Qureshi blamed the kidnapping on “our common enemies unhappy with the existing close, friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran”, according to the statement.

The group kidnapped was involved in “a security operation” and included two members of the elite Revolutionary Guards intelligence unit and seven Basij militiamen as well as regular border guards, said the Young Journalists' Club (YJC), an Iranian state-owned news website, in an article that was later deleted.

The abduction took place around the Sistan-Baluchistan province, which has long been a flashpoint, with militants carrying out regular cross-border raids against Iranian security posts.

The province has a large, mainly Sunni ethnic Balochi community which straddles the border.

Lahore acid attack victim demands swift justice 'like in Zainab murder case'

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A victim of an acid attack protested outside an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Wednesday, calling the attention of the chief justice and the army chief to her plight.

Recounting her tragic story to the media, Naila, the victim, said that her husband Arshad and her brother-in-law Mohammad Khan had allegedly thrown acid on her.

She demanded that her brother-in-law's pre-arrest bail be revoked and he be put behind bars. Her husband has been in jail since the incident, which took place in July.

An FIR was registered against the accused on the complaint of Naila's father on July 18 under Section 336-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to punishment for causing permanent disfigurement, and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which pertains to punishment for acts of terrorism.

According to the FIR, the incident occurred at around 7:30pm on July 18. Naila had been living with her family for the past eight to nine months after having had the last straw against the alleged abuse suffered at the hands of her in-laws.

Her father has mentioned in the report that he, along with Naila, his other daughter Nadia, and his son Fahad were walking home from Bagrian chowk when all of a sudden two motorcycles appeared and stopped behind them.

On one motorcycle, Arshad and his relative Bilal were seated, while on the other motorcycle Naila's brother-in-law Mohammad Khan and a man identified as Mustafa were seated.

Arshad and his brother Mohammad Khan got down from their respective motorcycles, while their fellow passengers remained seated and kept the engines running. Mohammad Khan reportedly grabbed Naila while Arshad threw acid on her face from a bottle in his hand, according to the account described in the report.

All four men are said to have fled the scene moments after. The report observes that Naila's siblings Nadia and Fahad were eyewitnesses to the crime. Naila was rushed to Jinnah hospital in a rickshaw.

Also read: Let these acid attack survivors inspire you to turn your life around

Naila claims her in-laws had started to issue threats to her family ever since they took her away to live with them. While talking to the media today, the victim expressed concern that her family was still receiving threats from the accused.

"My husband and my brother-in-law have ruined my life," said Naila, who has two young sons from her marriage of nine years to Arshad. "My eyes have been completely destroyed," she added.

The victim has demanded that swift justice be provided to her "as was provided in the Zainab murder case".

An anti-terrorism court had convened today for the hearing of her case, but the defendant's counsel was not present due to which the hearing was postponed until further notice.

Journalist killed in Hattar over family feud, police claim

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Sohail Khan
Sohail Khan

HARIPUR: Gunmen killed a local journalist in Hattar village here on Tuesday.

The police claimed that the killing wasn’t an act of terrorism and instead, a family feud was to blame.

SHO of Hattar police station Ali Jadoon told Dawn that Sohail Khan, a correspondent of local Urdu daily K2 Times was targeted when he was returning in car after dropping children off at a school near Mohallah Rariyan.

He said the 28-year-old died of bullet injuries on the spot, while the attackers fled.

The SHO said the deceased’s father-in-law was killed by his (Sohail’s) brother, Amir Khan, few years ago over a family dispute and that the killer was arrested a fortnight ago after being at large for eight years.

He said Sohail’s family suspected the involvement of some family members in the arrest.

The SHO said though the family had yet to name suspects, the circumstantial evidence showed that Sohail was killed over a family feud and not over journalistic work or in an act of terrorism.

Bureau chief of Sohail’s newspaper, Bakhshish Elahi, was gunned down in June last year. However, the police have yet to trace killers.

LIQUOR SEIZED: The police arrested two people here after seizing a large quantity of homemade liquor.

The seizure of six liquor canisters and arrest of Chakwal’s Kamran and Rawalpindi’s Shabbir were made during the inspection of a car jointly by the police and excise department.

FIRE: A man and his wife suffered burns when a gas cylinder caught fire in their Dingi village house here.

The police said the incident occurred as Afshan Bibi was cooking food, while Zahid was injured when he came to his wife’s help.

They said the couple, who suffered burns on hands, face, legs and upper body, were shifted to the Wah Cantonment Hospital, where the woman’s condition was critical.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018

Health ministry reports two new polio cases

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The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for polio eradication on Wednesday notified about two new polio cases — one from Gadap area in Karachi and other from Khyber tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — bringing the total number of polio cases in the country to six this year, however, the virus failed to cause any clinical paralysis to both the children.

According to a statement issued by the health ministry, the first case of polio was confirmed in a 42-month-old female child from Gadap, Karachi, and the other case was confirmed in a 55-month old female child from Khyber tribal district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The laboratory detected the presence of poliovirus in their stool samples taken on October 1 September 30, respectively.

“Fortunately, both girls had received multiple doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) which boosted their immunity and protected them from a life-long paralysis,” read the statement.

Know more: Polio cases down but not out

“The polio virus has been continuously found in the sewage waters of Peshawar and Karachi for the last 12 months,” said Babar Bin Atta, the prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication.

“The programme will continue to focus on clearing these two remaining reservoirs from the virus with full force,” Atta remarked.

National Coordinator for Polio Eradication Dr Rana Safdar said, “The multiple vaccine doses gave the children the immunity boost to fight off the poliovirus attack. They have no residual weaknesses and will live like normal children.”

He appreciated the vigilant health workers who picked these cases with atypical clinical presentations, saying, “This why it’s important for every under five-year-old child to be vaccinated in every round, so immunity levels are high enough to fight off the virus in its entirety.”

Earlier this year, three polio cases were reported from Dukki District in Balochistan, while one case was reported from the Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Being fully vaccinated in routine and door to door campaigns, the Charsadda child had also escaped paralysis.

The wild poliovirus case numbers in Pakistan are the lowest ever and the immunity gaps continue to fall. However, despite this historic progress, Atta said: “We cannot afford any let up in our efforts because as long as the virus is being detected anywhere in the country, no child is absolutely safe.”

Multiple doses of polio vaccine are required for a child to be fully protected – each additional dose further strengthens a child's immunity level against polio. Contrarily, every missed child provides a place for the polio virus to hide.

“Any child with low immunity will be where the virus will find refuge. We need to ensure all our children have received all of their routine immunisations and are vaccinated, with two drops, every time the vaccine is offered,” Bin Atta added.


CDWP clears seven uplift projects worth Rs142bn

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ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Wednesday cleared a total of seven development projects at an estimated cost of Rs142 billion.

A meeting of the CDWP presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar deferred the Rs65bn mass transit project for Karachi.

It was the first meeting of the CDWP after a gap of about six months. The gap is reported to have caused a significant loss to the nation on external account because it dried up fresh flows of project-related funds from multilateral lenders.

The interim government of retired Justice Nasirul Mulk had tried to call meetings of the CDWP to clear foreign-funded projects, but then finance minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar was stopped at the eleventh hour by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

In the absence of project approval by the Pakistani authorities, the development partners could not take up approval of many projects.

Cost of Peshawar mass transit project rises by 38pc

The meeting cleared three major projects, including Rs68bn Peshawar Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) and Rs67.5bn Lahore Water and Wastewater Management, and referred them to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for formal approval because of limited financial powers.

Under the existing financial rules, the CDWP can only approve projects having maximum cost of Rs3bn and is required to refer the projects of higher cost to Ecnec after clearing them on technical grounds.

The CDWP formally approved five projects with a total cost of about Rs6.93bn.

In the transport and communication section, the CDWP referred the project of Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Corridor with a revised cost of Rs67.953bn — up by 38pc from its original approved cost of Rs49.3bn. The project aims at high-quality mass transit for Peshawar to trigger urban development, activities and density along the BRT corridor, improving economic growth and giving access to the city.

The Peshawar BRT’s cost was revised to Rs56.8bn and presented in May last year to the CDWP which did not clear cost increase. The project currently under implementation involves Rs48bn loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and would cover 25.8km-long road track, 32 stations with commercial buildings and other allied facilities.

The project, originally planned to be executed in 12 months, is already beyond schedule and is expected to facilitate 472,000 people per day in its initial phase. It starts from Chamkani on GT Road and terminates at Karkhano Market on Jamrood Road. It was started in December last year for completion in one year, but is now expected to be completed in March 2019.

Another mega project cleared by the CDWP in the physical planning and housing sector was the Lahore Water and Wastewater Management scheme worth Rs67.50bn and referred to Ecnec for approval.

The CDWP did not clear BRT Red Line Karachi worth Rs65.6bn in the transport and communication sector for the time being in the absence of proper documentation. The Sindh government is planning to construct this project with the help of the ADB to connect Model Colony with Numaish Chowrangi via University Road.

In the agriculture and food section, the CDWP approved a project for upgrade of Arid Zone Research Centre and establishment of New Adaptive Research-Cum-Demonstration Institute. The Rs691.564 million project will focus on poverty alleviation through introduction of improved agricultural technologies in the rehabilitant environment of the project areas. It will also strengthen linkages between provincial and international research organisations.

In the energy sector, a 220kV Head Faqirian substation along with 220kV double circuit transmission lines from Head Faqirian to Ludewala, Punjab, was forwarded to Ecnec for approval. The Rs5.5bn project aims to improve the power supply system.

In the health sector, the CDWP approved a project for strengthening of monitoring and surveillance of health systems at a cost of Rs157.790m.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

Imran’s close aide refuses to become his special assistant

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan got a setback on Wednesday when one of his close aides refused to become his special assistant.

According to a notification issued a couple of days ago by the Cabinet Division, the prime minister had appointed Sahibzada Amir Jahangir as a special assistant on foreign investments.

The notification said that Mr Jahangir’s term as the prime minister’s special assistant had begun on Oct 11.

Mr Jahangir had been serving as a senior adviser to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman on foreign trade, investment and development. He is also head of the PTI’s chapters for Britain and Europe.

However, on Wednesday Mr Jah­a­n­gir expressed regrets and anno­unced that he would not be assisting the prime minister owing to the severe criticism levelled at him by opposition parties and other people active on social media.

Amir Jahangir says he has taken decision after severe criticism levelled at him by opposition parties

In a tweet, he said: “To work to attract foreign investments. I cannot permit any controversy and problems for my prime minister. Therefore I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from the assignment, though in my private capacity I will continue to bring foreign investments to Pakistan.”

“I am honoured as the prime minister trusted in me by appointing me as special adviser for foreign investments. It is an honorary assignment. I decided not to [take] salary or benefits. However, fake allegations and media propaganda to malign my character and dignity could affect my performance,” he added.

Interestingly, a prominent educationist from Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, Dr Amir Muhammad Khan Jogezai, had refused to accept the position of Balochistan governor that was offered to him by Mr Khan in August.

Similarly, adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs, Babar Awan, had to step down from the post because the National Accountability Bureau had filed a reference against him for his alleged involvement in an inordinate delay in the construction of the Nandipur power plant.

Likewise, former inspector general of police Nasir Khan Durrani, who was appointed as chief of a task force formed to suggest reforms in Punjab police, resigned last week amid media reports that he had developed differences with the PTI leadership.

Prime Minister Khan also had to ask a well-known economist, Atif Mian, to resign from membership of the Economic Advisory Council following severe criticism over the fact that he belonged to a minority community.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

Punjab IGP’s abrupt transfer offensive to top police circles

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LAHORE: Many police officers at the level of Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) seem to have taken offence at the change of command at Central Police Office after Amjad Javed Saleemi assumed his charge as the new inspector general of police (IGP). It has also triggered a heated debate among the top police officials as some of them have expressed support to the government decision.

Mr Saleemi replaced Muhammad Tahir as Punjab IGP after the latter signed relieving documents while handing over charge to the former, respecting the decision of the federal government in letter and spirit reportedly despite some reservations.

Last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had suspended the government’s decision to appoint Mr Saleemi as new head of the Punjab Police, stating the police chief’s replacement would be considered a violation of its rules due to the by-polls that were scheduled for Oct 14.

The decision of the PTI government to remove Mr Tahir as IGP Punjab almost a month after his posting had triggered a controversy, inviting criticism from all relevant quarters as it violated the criteria for appointment of the head of the provincial police mentioned in the law.

Since it was the fifth appointment of the head of police of the largest province of the country in less than five months, the ‘disrespect’ towards the senior police officers left the PSP officers upset for the first time. Normally, they keep themselves aloof whenever the new head of the Punjab Police is removed, setting aside ‘reasons or factors’ behind the move.

Long ago, they were of the view that transfer/posting of the IGPs is an administrative decision and prerogative of the government rather than a legal subject. However, after promulgation of the Police Order 2002, this matter directly relates to the law. That’s why the recent frequent violations of the Section 12 of the Police Order 2002 in appointment and removal of the IGP Punjab have kicked off a an unprecedented debate and unrest among the police circles.

The Section 12 of Police Order 2002 categorically states: “The term of office of Provincial Police Officer, Capital City Police Officer and Head of a Federal Law Enforcement Agency posted under Article 11 shall be three years from the date of his/her posting”.

According to reports, a majority of the PSP officers have termed the federal government’s decision (last removal of IGP) political, contrary to its claim of granting independence/autonomy to the police. They say they are not against the ‘change of face’ rather the humiliating way the IGPs have been shown the door in violation of the law.

On the other hand, there are many others who support the new IGP’s appointment, saying that Mr Saleemi is known as a professional officer in the available lot.

Dawn spoke to many police officers serving in senior grades, including additional IGs, DIGs, SSPs and SPs, to seek their feedback in this respect.

“Amjad Saleemi is a professional officer. However, the government’s abrupt decision was not taken well in police circles,” says a senior cop, well-versed in the service matters of the PSP. He says unless certainty of tenure is ensured to police officers, especially DPOs/ RPOs and above, who are to implement reform agenda, the officers can’t wholeheartedly formulate a bit long-term policies.

“Uncertainty of tenure makes officers work on a day-to-day basis rather than designing plans for future under long-term strategy,” he adds.

Another officer says: “The continuity of tenure is must if we want some real change in police department as if the chief is uncertain, how can he plan for something good? Secondly, the removal of the IGP, commander of the force, without showing any cogent reasons shows that anyone can be removed if he/she doesn’t serve as per the whims and wishes of those who matter”.

He said the government needs some serious planning; otherwise, the previous regime was better in service delivery and output (regarding police) because they knew how to handle and tackle such matters.

“It is solely the prerogative of the government to post head of the provincial police from the available lot,” says another police officer who had a different point of view from his peer.

“The sad part is that rules and laws are being blatantly ignored without any cognizance (of the situation),” comments another DIG ranked officer.

“The issue is not of personalities. Whoever becomes the IGP, he must be posted and transferred as per the law,” he says.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

PAT wants PTI govt to do more in Model Town case

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LAHORE: Over 110 policemen involved in the Model Town incident have been removed from their current assignments and confined to the headquarters till further order.

The action was taken on the direction of newly-appointed Inspector General of Punjab Police Amjad Javed Saleemi on Tuesday.

The removal however did not please the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) which is pressing Prime Minister Imran Khan to remove `senior’ officials as well.

Earlier on Oct 3, former IGP Mohammad Tahir had transferred four senior officers from their key positions in Lahore and assigned them non-field tasks out of the city.

Removal of 110 cops is just the beginning: Qadri

They included the then SSP (discipline and inspection) Tariq Aziz, Maroof Masood Safdar, (AIG training, CPO Punjab) CIA SP Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi and anti-riot unit SP Muhammad Nadeem.

Some more senior officers named in the Model Town case are already holding non-field assignments.

An official privy to the information told Dawn the former IGP had reportedly been conveyed that Prime Minister Imran Khan required immediate removal of all the police officers from their assignments till the decision of the court.

He said Mohammad Tahir expressed utter displeasure over the “unprecedented interference” of the PM in the departmental affairs contrary to his previous claims of granting autonomy to the police, and resisted the move of making them OSDs.

This decision caused differences between the then IGP and the PTI government and led to Mohammad Tahir’s removal a month after his posting.A majority of the policemen who have been closed to the headquarters are constables and inspectors.

PAT: Not satisfied, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) says only officers up to DSP ranks have been removed.

“The Model Town accused include five superintendents of police (SPs), a senior superintendent of police (SSP) and a deputy inspector general (DIG). They are still in field – holding offices of influence. But the party chief (Tahirul Qadri) has assured the party men that these seven officials would also be removed shortly,” says a party official.

The party still wants a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to launch fresh probe into the incident.

Mr Qadri on Wednesday demanded that Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar take notice of the case.

Speaking at the 38th Foundation Day of Tehreek Minhajul Quran, he said the Sharif brothers deserved stricter punishment. “The removal of police officers up to DSP rank is appreciable but many senior officers are yet to be removed,” he said.

“Making accused OSDs is just the beginning and many more steps are yet to be taken for justice. Prime Minister Imran Khan has assured me of justice in a telephonic conversation.”

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

SC orders removal of hoardings from public land across country

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ordered removal of hoarding from public property across the country with Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar asking as to under which authority some government institutions have allowed installation of billboards in areas under their administrative control.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by the CJP on Wednesday was hearing a case initiated on a suo motu about billboards on public property in Lahore.

The SC last month issued notices to the Lahore Cantonment Board, National Logistics Cell (NLC), the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Pakistan Railways (PR) to come up with explanation about huge billboards put up in Lahore that might pose threat to public safety.

CJP Nisar questioned that under which authority billboards had been mounted in areas under administrative jurisdiction of PR and the Parks and Horticulture Authority in Lahore.

CJP questions under which authority govt institutions allow installation of giant advertising boards

“It cannot be done on public property. If people want to place advertisements, they should do it on private property”, CJP Nisar observed. He recalled that similar orders were given for Karachi.

The court ordered that billboards installed on public property across the country, including in cantonment areas, should be removed.

The CJP made it clear that the orders passed for Karachi would be applicable for the entire country. Noting that removal of billboards gave a neat and clean look to Karachi, he said the same should be done in other cities of the country as well.

Justice Ejaz-ul-Ahsan observed that in some areas billboards were put up on footpaths and that they could cause incidents. He also noted that billboards affect the landscape of a city.

The counsel representing the National Highway Authority (NHA) in the case said that the authority did not put up any billboard on any public property and that it gave the required permission in accordance with the law.

On his argument that billboards in all cities of the country were standing on the NHA’s property, the CJP asked if the authority was a private entity.

The lawyer of the cantonment board in Lahore, Latif Khosa, took the plea that the board run a hospital with money earned through the billboards. “Money should be earned by keeping the laws in mind,” the CJP remarked.

After hearing arguments, the CJP ordered authorities concerned to remove billboards on public land across Lahore within one and a half months.

A SC bench questioned the role of the country’s armed forces for developing housing societies and expressed surprise over property deals on their part for generating funds.

The court also dropped hints to develop rules and regulations on public safety that would be implemented in the entire country by ensuring structural stability of billboards and hoardings in extreme weather conditions.

While issuing notices, the court also asked the Defence Housing Authority, Lahore, the cantonment board in the city, NLC as well as the PR to submit replies and explain who gave them permission to erect billboards.

In addition, the top court also asked the commissioner of Lahore to issue notices to organisations for removing billboards in the city. It cautioned that in case the notices were not acted upon the commissioner should inform the court.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

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