LAHORE: The Punjab home department has written a letter to the federal interior ministry, asking it to declare under-trial prisoner Shahbaz Sharif’s designated residence in Islamabad as sub-jail.
In the letter addressed to the interior secretary, the Punjab home department has said that Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif is required to attend the assembly session at 4pm on Dec 10.
In this context, the home department has requested that the opposition leader’s designated residence in Islamabad be declared sub-jail from Dec 10 till the assembly session’s end. The session is expected to continue for two weeks.
Mr Sharif is facing trial under the charges of corruption in cases pertaining to Saaf Pani and Ashiyana housing schemes and alleged misuse of authority. He has been in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau for almost two months and was recently shifted to Lahore central Jail after an accountability court denied extending his physical remand.
DERA GHAZI KHAN: An alleged death in custody led to an attempt by an angry mob to besiege the Jhoke Utra Police Station on Sunday.
The family of a youth, identified as Ejaz, alleged that he had died of torture in the police station. Along with the relatives and neighbours, they came to the police station in protest against the incident and tried to besiege the building. However, the police foiled the attempt.
The police refuted the allegations, saying that Ejaz did not die in custody. They said Ejaz was drug addict and he had a cardiac arrest while escaping from the police raid on a drug pusher’ s house. Ejaz was present at the house when the police conducted the raid and he tried to escape. As he was running away, he had a heart attack. He fell down and died.
SP Investigation Tahir Mustafa denied the allegations by Ejaz’s family, saying the body of the deceased was already in custody of his family. District Police Officer Atif Nazir said the police were looking into the attempt of besieging of the police station and those responsible would be punished as per law.
PESHAWAR: The MPAs of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf overshadowed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s coveted finance committee after Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, being its chairman, notified its members without in-house election which is mandatory under the Constitution and the assembly business of rules.
An eight-member committee was notified on November 11 and only one MPA from the opposition was included in it. Speaker will serve as chairman and finance minister as ex-officio member of the committee.
Other members of the committee include MPAs Arbab Waseem Hayat, Fakhar Jehan, Rangez Ahmad, Zahoor Shakir, Babar Saleem, all hailing from PTI, while Zafar Azam of Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal represents the opposition.
Opposition member terms formation of finance committee unconstitutional
The notification said that the provincial assembly in its meeting “elected” members of the finance committee. “Consequently the under mentioned finance committee is hereby constituted for the purpose of Article 88 read with Article 127 of the Constitution and Rule-156 of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988,” it said.
A senior lawmaker from the opposition said that the speaker had acted in violation of Constitution and his oath by constituting the committee without fulfilling constitutional requirements and parliamentary formalities.
MPA Advocate Khushdil Khan, who belongs to Awami National Party, said that there was a provision in the Constitution that members of the finance committee would come through election. He said that speaker had formed finance committee without election or seeking consultation with the opposition.
He said that Article 88 read with Article 127 was very clear about the constitution of the finance committee that stated that the assembly would elect its members. He said that PTI was doing it in a clandestine manner and bypassed the opposition.
“The speaker has violated his oath and constituted the committee in violation of the Constitution and rules of business of the assembly which can be challenged in the court,” said MPA Khushdil.
He said that Rule 156 (2) of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988 clearly mentioned: “The Finance Committee shall consist of Speaker, Minister for Finance and six other members to be elected by the Assembly.”
Major functions of the finance committee are preparation of budget, supplementary estimates and demands for excess relating to the assembly and its secretariat, appropriation and re-appropriation and all financial matters relating to expenditures of the assembly and its secretariat within authorised appropriation.
It is worth mentioning that the assembly had passed a unanimous resolution in its last session in October to empower Speaker Mushtaq Ghani under Rule 193 to appoint chairmen and members of the house’s standing committees to avoid waste of time.
MPA Khushdil Khan, who was mover of the resolution, claimed that formation of the finance committee was out of the purview of the said resolution. It seemed that the ruling party had misinterpreted the resolution, he added.
Speaker Mushtaq Ghani, when approached, said that members of the finance committee had never been elected in the past. He claimed that Constitution and rules of business of the provincial assembly authorised the speaker to appoint members of the finance committee.
“Opposition would have never got representation in the finance committee if the process was completed through election,” he said, adding that chairmanship of 10 standing committees had been given to the opposition keeping in view its total strength.
“Opposition is not in a position to capture chairmanship of a single standing committee if the matter is put for vote in the house,” he said.
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman has said that government will explore all possible options for the development of tribal districts.
Speaking at a scholarship awarding function here on Sunday, he said that more than 30,000 youth of South Waziristan tribal district would get jobs during the next few months.
He said that government was keen in resolving matters relating to merger of Fata with the province. He claimed that 95 per cent issues were resolved.
The ceremony was organised at Dr Abdul Qadeer Auditorium at Gomal University by Wana Welfare Association (WWA).
It was attended by IG FC South Maj Gen Abid Latif, DIG Dar Ali Khattak, Commissioner Javed Khan Marwat, DIG Saeed Khan Wazeer, provincial government spokesman Ajmal Wazeer, elders of South Waziristan and a large number of students.
The governor said that several mega projects were underway in South Waziristan that would improve living standard of the local people. He called upon the elders of the region to extend support to the government and identify major public issues so that the same could be resolved.
Mr Farman said that 500,000 families of South Waziristan would get health cards while youth of the area would be recruited in FC, Levies and other departments.
The governor also distributed scholarships among the talented students belonging to South Waziristan tribal district.
LANDI KOTAL: Displaced families from different parts of Khyber tribal district have taken exception to the announcement by Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) regarding their final registration till December 20 after which it would not shoulder the responsibility of return of internally displaced persons or give them any other assistance.
The FDMA in an ad issued to some local dailies has asked about 1,132 displaced families of Akkakhel, Shalobar, Malakdinkhel, Bar Qambarkhel, Kamarkhel, Sturikhel, Sipah, Adamkhel, Kukikhel and Zakhakhel to approach the registration centre at the Levies centre in Shah Kas before Dec 20 for return to their respective regions.
The authority had further said that all official assistance in terms of cash and six-month food ration would be withdrawn while it would not shoulder the responsibility of return of IDPs after the expiry of Dec 20 deadline.
Kukikhel elders plan to move court against the authority
Reacting sharply to the announcement, MNA from Bara Iqbal Afridi said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf governments at the centre and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would not tolerate the FDMA to dictate its unilateral terms to the displaced families.
“I will consult both the governments on the issue and make the FDMA accountable for issuing such a threatening ad,” he remarked.
Mr Afridi said that such pressure tactics on behalf of FDMA had already multiplied the woes of returning families and he would take up the issue at every forum, including raising his voice in favour of the IDPs in the National Assembly.
Bazaar Gul, a Shalobar elder, described the announcement as ‘unethical’ and said that timing for the IDPs return was wrong as the region was now in the grip of severe cold. He asked that how would the IDPs return to their homes when over 90 per cent of their houses were damaged while the concerned authorities had not yet conducted any damage assessment survey in the affected regions.
Mr Gul alleged that FDMA was intentionally delaying the return of displaced families in order to usurp funds allocated for the return process. They urged the federal government to probe why the FDMA failed to complete the return process of the displaced families till the end of November as was announced by the authority itself.
Meanwhile, a jirga of Kukikhel elders announced to approach court against the FDMA announcement. of suspending all assistance to IDPs after their failure to register themselves till Dec 20.
Addressing the jirga in Jamrud, Kuikikhel elder Malik Naseer Kukikhel said that nobody could stop them from returning to their ancestral homes in Tirah and Rajgal regions, but they were now unable to go back as most of their houses were not fit for living.
CDA carries out an anti-encroachment drive in Tarnol on Sunday. — White Star
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Sunday removed encroachments from the right of way of G.T. Road from Sarai Kharbooza stop to Sangjani as part of its anti-encroachment campaign.
A CDA spokesperson said 42 illegally constructed shops, 26 rooms, two sheds, six gates, 13 boundary walls, five bill boards, two hotels, nine washrooms, two containers, and two two-storey offices were demolished and several kanals of state land was retrieved.
Officials of the Enforcement Directorate and ICT as well as of other concerned formations participated in the drive.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed as were a unit of the ICT police’s Anti-Riot Unit.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Human Rights (HR) has drafted nine laws related to the protection of children from abuse, the rights of minorities, protection against torture and improving legal aid and access to justice over the last three months.
In a statement released on the eve of Human Rights Day on Dec 10, Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari said that in addition to new legislation, the ministry has also concluded three policies and research studies on crucial matters.
“Research studies have been carried out on women’s right to inheritance, street children, as well as the harmonisation of domestic laws with international commitments. Policy against Gender Based Violence, Women Empowerment Policy and Policy on Child Abuse have also been concluded,” she said. Dr Mazari said the ministry is also redressing human rights violations through its helpline, and calls have risen from 4,000 a month to 15,500 a month after the new government took office.
Human Rights Day is observed to commemorate the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first global enunciation of the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of every human being. Pakistan became one of the declaration’s earliest signatories, in 1948.
Dr Mazari said that as a founding member of the Human Rights Council Pakistan has worked for the promotion and protection of human rights in the country, adding that the words of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah were the guiding principle of their policy: “We are equal citizens of one state.”
“The ministry recognizes the importance of awareness campaigns to make every citizen aware of her/his rights. A number of awareness campaigns are already ongoing, including on women’s rights to inheritance,” she said.
“Our ministry has also taken up the issue of the violation of human rights by the Indian state in Indian Occupied Kashmir on all international forums.
“We are also raising the issue of the increasing targeting of the human rights of Muslims in Europe which includes a large Pakistani diaspora. At home, as part of our commitment to democracy and rule of law, we are also seeking to bring closure on the issue of enforced disappearances,” Dr Mazari said in the statement.
PESHAWAR: The World Health Organisation has welcomed the government’s decision to impose ‘sin tax’ on consumers of tobacco, sugar and beverages and divert proceeds from the levy for financing healthcare activities to improve patients’ care.
“We appreciate the move because it would lead to improvement in healthcare of the people. Several countries around the world are charging such taxes and use them for making the healthcare activities effective,” Dr Nima Saeed Abid, the WHO’s acting chief in Pakistan, told Dawn. He said that the world health agency had been supporting countries to ensure better health services and improve lifestyle of the people.
“We have been recommending such taxes and the money thus collected should be spent on public health, such as promoting nutrition, immunisation and prevention of non-communicable, cardiovascular and other diseases,” he said.
WHO official says it will help to reduce diseases like cancer, asthma and TB
Dr Nima said that it was the recommendation of WHO to impose taxes on drinks and tobacco to divert the amount and channelise it towards improvement of public health interventions.
Asked if his organisation supported the federal government’s move to legislate on the ‘sin tax’ collection on stuff harmful to the public health, he said that it was extremely useful for the people of Pakistan as it was meant to reduce use of tobacco and safeguard people from its ill-effects.
“It can lead to promotion of public health and healthy life style and we support the move completely,” he said.
Last week, Federal Minister for Health Aamir Mehmood Kiani told reporters that a draft bill would be presented in the parliament to impose ‘sin tax’ on certain items that were injurious to health and the proceeds would be used to improve healthcare of the people.
The WHO’s official said that Pakistan’s efforts to reduce use of tobacco would lessen burden of diseases and would cut down number of diseases, such as cancer, asthma and tuberculosis etc.
Dr Nima also spoke about the long delay in the passage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Smoking/Tobacco Products and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Bill, 2016 and said that it was up to the government to do the legislation. “The government has its own way of doing things and we recommend the passage of the law the sooner the better,” he added.
Health officials in the province, however, said that the WHO provided technical assistance in drafting the law and wanted its approval from the provincial assembly. The proposed piece of legislation introduced in the provincial assembly in September 2016 is yet to see light of the day, owing to stiff resistance from the lawmakers, who are associated with tobacco production, trade and manufacturing of cigarettes.
“The bill has been sent to select committee of the provincial assembly to review it in consultation with the farmers. It has not been sent back yet,” said the health officials.
They said that a strong lobby among the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf blocked passage of the bill. “PTI ministers and MPAs are among the beneficiaries of production, trade and manufacturing of tobacco products due to which the law has been consigned to dustbin,” they added.
The health officials said that WHO was urging the provincial government to pass the law to protect people from the health hazards associated with smoking and use of other products of tobacco.
LAHORE: Dispelling the impression of any change in the federal and provincial cabinets, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar said such “rumours” are only limited to the media.
Speaking to the media persons after a polo match here on Sunday, Mr Sarwar regretted that there was no privacy left in these times of social media.
“It does not happen only in Pakistan, politicians gossip and criticise each other but such talk never make headlines in print and electronic media in Britain,” he said while referring to his experience of politics in the UK.
In a lighter vein, he said, “Media persons also gossip and speak against each other. If such private conversation is made public through social media, one can know how much you love each other,” he added.
PTI government does not believe in short-term policies
The governor said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had presented itself for accountability, adding that it was not a demand of any political party. He said though nobody had asked the government to make its 100-day progress public, it voluntarily came forward to explain it.
“Those who ruled the country for two or even three decades never presented themselves for accountability,” he said.
He said the present government was observing zero tolerance on corruption and would send even its own officials to the NAB, if found involved in graft.
He said the PTI government did not believe in short-term policies and was working to steer the country out of the crises it was faced with.
Lauding the polo players, he said it was a tough game. He said the foreigners only showed reluctance while coming to Pakistan. “Once they are here, they want to come back again,” the governor said and added that the Pakistanis were the most hospitable nation.
Earlier, speaking to a delegation of advisors and foreign services attaches from 17 countries led by Brig Hassan Raza Syed at the Governor House, Mr Sarwar said the Pakistan government, armed forces and people were on the same page for the elimination of terrorism from the country.
He said the government was desirous of maintaining cordial relations with its neighbouring countries on the basis of equality. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken bold steps by opening the Kartarpur corridor.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army's media wing, on Monday announced a reshuffle in the military's ranks.
Lieutenant General Majid Ehsan
Lieutenant General Majid Ehsan
Appointed Corps Commander Lahore
Lt Gen Majid Ehsan has previously held the position of vice chief of general staff at General Headquarters and the president of National Defence University, Islamabad.
Lieutenant General Amir Riaz
Lieutenant General Amir Riaz
Appointed President of National Defence University
Lt Gen Amir Riaz was previously serving as Corps Commander Lahore.
Nearly 1,600 polio workers will boycott an anti-polio campaign in Gilgit Baltistan because a dispute regarding pensions and other privileges has remained unresolved, Polio Workers Association for GB Vice President Mohammad Abbas said on Monday.
The four-day campaign was set to start today. Of the 1,600 polio workers, 99 per cent were female.
Abbas said that the boycott was ongoing in all ten districts of GB.
He added that prior to the boycott, they had not received cooperation in solving their problems through negotiations.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, while chairing the 23rd session of the apex committee in Karachi, vowed to end the rampant street crime in the port city, for which he claimed legal reforms are being considered.
As part of amendments to the law, the chief minister said, the cases of streets crimes would be heard by special magistrates under Section 30 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC), adding that those convicted will be handed prison sentences ranging from three to seven years.
"We need to end the menace of street crime," CM Shah said, adding that all law enforcement agencies were working together on the issue.
The 23rd meeting of the apex committee was attended by Karachi corps commander, Sindh chief secretary, director general (DG) Rangers, Sindh inspector general of police and other officials.
Furthermore, the apex committee was apprised that Sindh Police and Rangers had conducted a security audit of the entire province. At this, CM Shah issued instructions to fix the weaknesses identified during the security audits.
The meeting was also informed that 62 buildings and other institutions in the province, previously named after Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain, had been renamed.
During the meeting, the implementation of the decisions taken in the previous session were also reviewed.
While speaking to the media after the apex committee meeting, Sindh Chief Minister's Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab said that a pilot project will be initiated in the Safe City project red zone.
He said that those who repeatedly commit crimes will be dealt with in a different way. "They are repeatedly given bail," he said adding that they would be stopped.
Wahab added that to improve the Safe City project, cyber crime will also be controlled and help will be taken from the Army. Safe City cameras will also be improved.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday inaugurated the building of the Supreme Court's registry in Quetta, and expressed hope that the structure will play its role in delivering justice to people.
Justice Nisar, during his speech to mark the occasion, congratulated those "who made an effort to complete this project".
However, the chief justice noted that institutions are not defined by buildings but by the people that work there. He also emphasised the importance of justice for the development of a society.
'Roads are not blocked any where in the world'
A three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by the chief justice, and also comprising Justices Asif Saeed Khosa and Gulzar Ahmed, marked the occasion by hearing a case regarding the blockades placed on Zarghun Road in the provincial capital.
"You have ordered the removal of blockades from roads all over the country," observed lawyer Nazeer Agha, before informing the top judge that Quetta's Zarghoon Road still remains blocked under the pretext of being in the Red Zone.
At this, Justice Nisar instructed the advocate general to summon Balochistan's chief secretary to appear before the court, remarking that "roads are not blocked any where in the world for the sake of security."
However, a formal notice to summon the official was not issued. The chief justice also heard cases regarding scarcity of water in Balochistan.
Justice Nisar, while addressing a ceremony held later today by the Balochistan High Court Bar and Quetta Bar Association, said he had asked for names of judges in Balochistan who could be appointed to the Supreme Court.
He added that he had also contacted the Prime Minister's Secretariat regarding the appointment of Balochistan judges to the Islamabad High Court.
Joint Director of Land and Railway Imtiaz Siddiqui on Monday announced that the anti-encroachment drive to clear the land allocated for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) has been delayed by a day.
The drive was scheduled to start from today but Siddiqui said that authorities granted the people occupying the KCR land an additional day to vacate their shops and homes.
Siddiqui, while talking to the media, said that the authorities would now initiate the operation from the furniture market in Karachi's Ghareebabad area.
"We don't want anyone to suffer any losses," the official said, adding that the people had already been issued a notice.
Siddiqui noted that 1,200 encroachments stood intact on the land earmarked for the defunct metro rail system.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation plans on vacating about 360 acres from encroachers after an order issued by the Supreme Court last month in this regard.
As many as 5,653 illegally constructed structures are expected to be razed during the operation to clear more than 29 acres of KCR land.
So far, more than 3,000 shops have been demolished in different areas of Karachi, according to estimates based on information accessed from multiple sources.
Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, however, has promised that the authorities will relocate shops that had been razed in recent days during the ongoing anti-encroachment operation.
The Sindh chief minister has also ordered that the affectees be compensated. However, the authorities have not provided a concrete plan for the rehabilitation of the displaced people as yet.
Following the outcry against the operation by the business community, the Centre last week decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the metropolis.
On his day-long visit to Karachi yesterday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had declared that the government will stand by the people who had fallen victims to the anti-encroachment operation and would not allow exploitation of citizens under the guise of the ongoing drive.
MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says there are chances of restoration of a dialogue with the US government for the restoration of American financial assistance to Pakistan.
Speaking at a reception here on Sunday, minister said the government was making efforts to bring foreign investment to the country to improve economy. He said foreign missions abroad had been asked to make efforts to bring investment to Pakistan.
He said that political leadership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had no objection to the creation of south Punjab province, however a `small segment’ in Sindh and Punjab had some reservations.
“A small segment in Sindh thinks that the creation of south Punjab may pave the way for the demand for the division of Sindh which is totally baseless as no one is demanding the division of Sindh,” he said.
He said that the PTI government was sincere for the creation of south Punjab. “Right now we are trying to create a consensus among political parties.”
He said initially a sub-secretariat (of south Punjab) would be established in Multan for which funds would be allocated in next fiscal. Qureshi said he was not aware of changes to be made in the ministries.
The Balochistan government is mulling legislation to declare education an 'essential service' with the objective of improving the state of education in the province.
The proposed legislation was presented before a Balochistan cabinet meeting presided over by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Monday.
If approved by the cabinet, the "Balochistan Essential Education Service Act, 2018," will be presented before the provincial assembly for approval.
According to the document, obtained by DawnnewsTV, the proposed legislation suggests that employees of the education department should not be allowed to observe strikes, boycott classes or lockout classrooms in order to have their demands accepted.
The proposed law has also mentioned punishment for those found guilty of violating the directives.
Furthermore, under the proposed legislation, teachers in violation will be punished with a year-long conviction or fined Rs0.5 million.
The teachers community has strongly condemned the proposed legislation, terming it a violation of fundamental rights.
"We will not accept this," president of his faction of the Government Teachers Association Balochistan Mujeebullah Gharsheen told DawnNewsTV. "We will agitate against this move", he warned.
The Balochistan government has already declared education an emergency in the province and implemented Article 25A of the Constitution to make sure that out of school children attend school.
The article states: “The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to 16 years in such a manner as may be determined by law.” This article was incorporated into the Constitution through its 18th amendment.
Balochistan Education Secretary Tayyab Lehri said a number of reforms were being introduced in the department to improve the education sector.
"[The] government is committed to ensure the presence of all teachers in schools," he said.
Nearly 1,600 polio workers will boycott an anti-polio campaign in Gilgit Baltistan because a dispute regarding pensions and other privileges has remained unresolved, Polio Workers Association for GB Vice President Mohammad Abbas said on Monday.
The four-day campaign was set to start today. Of the 1,600 polio workers, 99 per cent were female.
Abbas said that the boycott was ongoing in all ten districts of GB.
He added that prior to the boycott, they had not received cooperation in solving their problems through negotiations.
The Balochistan government is mulling legislation to declare education an 'essential service' with the objective of improving the state of education in the province.
The proposed legislation was presented before a Balochistan cabinet meeting presided over by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Monday.
If approved by the cabinet, the "Balochistan Essential Education Service Act, 2018," will be presented before the provincial assembly for approval.
According to the document, obtained by DawnnewsTV, the proposed legislation suggests that employees of the education department should not be allowed to observe strikes, boycott classes or lockout classrooms in order to have their demands accepted.
The proposed law has also mentioned punishment for those found guilty of violating the directives.
Furthermore, under the proposed legislation, teachers in violation will be punished with a year-long conviction or fined Rs0.5 million.
The teachers community has strongly condemned the proposed legislation, terming it a violation of fundamental rights.
"We will not accept this," president of his faction of the Government Teachers Association Balochistan Mujeebullah Gharsheen told DawnNewsTV. "We will agitate against this move", he warned.
The Balochistan government has already declared education an emergency in the province and implemented Article 25A of the Constitution to make sure that out of school children attend school.
The article states: “The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to 16 years in such a manner as may be determined by law.” This article was incorporated into the Constitution through its 18th amendment.
Balochistan Education Secretary Tayyab Lehri said a number of reforms were being introduced in the department to improve the education sector.
"[The] government is committed to ensure the presence of all teachers in schools," he said.
Eleven journalists associated with the Dawn Media Group were recognised for their professional work at the Agahi Awards ceremony held under the theme “Dignity for All”.
Journalists, policymakers, diplomats, academicians, professionals from the media industry and representatives from think tanks attended the award ceremony, which was held in the federal capital on Sunday.
“The objective of Agahi Awards is to recognise and appreciate the best journalistic practices in Pakistan, creating a healthy competition within the community, encouraging ethical and professional reporting,” read a statement.
According to the press release, this year Agahi Awards received more than 2,000 nominations from all over the country in 40 different categories from print, television, radio and online media.
The Agahi Awards 2018 recognised the following “Journalists of the Year” associated with Dawn Media Group in the following categories:
Nearly 1,600 polio workers will boycott an anti-polio campaign in Gilgit Baltistan because a dispute regarding pensions and other privileges has remained unresolved, Polio Workers Association for GB Vice President Mohammad Abbas said on Monday.
The four-day campaign was set to start today. Of the 1,600 polio workers, 99 per cent were female.
Abbas said that the boycott was ongoing in all ten districts of GB.
He added that prior to the boycott, they had not received cooperation in solving their problems through negotiations.
