ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has set up a nine-member medical board to examine Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, who has been facing various health-related issues.

“The board, headed by senior surgeon Prof Dr Tanveer Khaliq, has been established on the request of a medical team of Lahore which is responsible for the treatment of Shahbaz Sharif,” Pims executive director Dr Raja Amjad told Dawn on Wednesday.

“Apparently the request has been made as Mr Sharif has now become chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and because of this he is likely to spend more time in the federal capital. All nine doctors of the board are specialists in different fields and they will provide the best possible treatment to him,” he said.

Pims director says initially the board will check old reports and medical history of PML-N leader

In reply to a question, Dr Amjad said that initially the medical board would examine old reports and medical history of Mr Sharif and then it could suggest some tests to ascertain his latest health situation.

He said that although a medical board of Polyclinic had been set up last month, he was not aware if it would continue examining Mr Sharif or would be dissolved.

Mr Sharif was arrested by NAB on Oct 5 on corruption charges in the Ashiyana housing scandal.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2018

Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the incarcerated PML-N quaid Nawaz Sharif, arrived at Kot Lakhpat jail on Thursday to meet the former prime minister along with her grandmother and several party leaders.

Nawaz Sharif had been shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore on Tuesday, a day after he was taken into custody following an accountability court judgement sending him to jail for seven years in a corruption case.

Initially, he was kept at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail and later flown to Lahore after the trial court allowed him to serve his sentence in Kot Lakhpat.

Former national assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq and PML-N leader Rana Tanvir also arrived at the jail to meet the PML-N supremo.

Sadiq, while talking to reporters outside the jail, expressed the party's reservations over the judgement. He said that a bail application will be moved soon and expressed his hope that they would secure bail for Nawaz Sharif.

He claimed that the decision doesn't specify financial corruption done by Nawaz, and commended the former premier for honouring the supremacy of law.

"The three-time prime minister had been appearing before a joint investigation team. There is no such precedent in the past, nor would be in the future," he added.

Rana Tanvir claimed that the PML-N was being subjected to a political vendetta. He also accused the government of using dual standards.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued directives to ban the sale of petrol to motorcycle riders who do not wear their helmets in Lahore.

The directives were issued by LHC judge Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi during the hearing of a petition filed by Advocate Azhar Siddiq.

The judge warned that petrol stations that are found in violations of the court's directives will be sealed and made to face legal action.

Furthermore, Justice Qureshi told the chief traffic officer of Lahore to submit a compliance report in this regard by next week.

The LHC had last month directed the CTO Lahore to start enforcing the condition of wearing safety helmet on pillion riders from December 1 without any discrimination.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday announced that the federal cabinet has decided to place on the exit control list (ECL) all 172 suspects named in a joint investigation team's report in the fake bank accounts case.

"I was watching Asif Ali Zardari say that he does not take the JIT seriously," recalled the minister. "Hopefully, he will take it seriously after today. In the upcoming days he will know the seriousness of this inquiry.

Read: PPP rejects ‘unilateral accountability’, JIT report

"This is not Purana Pakistan where the two big [players] make a deal. Now, each and every penny will be accounted for."

Chaudhry explained that the decision was taken because "this money belongs to the people of Pakistan."

The information minister, who was briefing the media following a cabinet meeting, also discussed the recent spate of killings in Karachi.

"The situation has deteriorated suddenly," the minister said. "The death of Ali Raza Abidi shows that some gangs have become active again. Karachi's peace is linked with Pakistan's economy so we will never allow Karachi's peace to be sabotaged like this again."

"We have seen Altaf Hussain's provocation and orders from England to commit murders here. His hate speech then went viral on social media. The UK authorities have not taken any action yet. The cabinet is concerned about this. These issues will be raised with the British government.

"There are South African gangs active in Karachi. It's very important that these gangs are squeezed there where they are being operated from. The Foreign Office has been directed to take up this matter with the South African government as well.

Furthermore, Chaudhry said that the government has decided to extended till January 15 the deadline for imported mobile phones' registration.

"After January 15, phones would still be registered but for the payment of 10 per cent of the phone's custom duty," he said.

The information minister said that the cabinet has approved the tabling of a constitutional amendment bill that would seek an extra reserved seat for women from Islamabad in both the National Assembly and Senate.

Chaudhry said that the prime minister also commended Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood for his part in the planned conversion of the PM House into a university.

"In the first phase, the the PM House's name will be Darul Hikma," he said, adding that the place will be used for research.

"In the long run we will convert it into a university."

The information minister said that the regulatory duty on newsprint is being slashed to just one per cent, and hoped that the benefit of the measure would be felt by working journalists.

A summary to float bonds in Chinese market was also approved by the cabinet, Chaudhry said, adding that "it will be the the first time in the history of Pakistan that we will enter the Chinese market."

He also confirmed that Farrukh Sabzwari has been appointed the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday accepted for initial hearing a petition seeking the disqualification of PPP head Asif Ali Zardari, DawnNewsTV reported.

The commission will decide on the maintainability of the plea in the initial hearing. According to sources, the initial hearing is expected to be held in the next week.

A notice has been issued to Khurrum Sher Zaman, the mover of the petition and a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker. The PTI leader in his plea had asked the commission to disqualify and de-seat Zardari as an MNA under the Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution.

The petition accused PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari of concealing his assets.

Last week, PTI members of the Sindh Assembly led by Khurram Sherzaman had filed the application accusing Zardari of owning an apartment in Belaire Condomi­niums located at 524 East 72nd Street, New York, but not declaring it in his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections.

Zardari was elected member of the National Assembly in the 2018 elections.

“Because of this act of his, Zardari under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Rules of the Election Commission of Pakistan, as per past precedent, should be disqualified from holding public office under Article 62 (1)(f), as in my opinion he ceases to be truthful and sagacious,” Sherzaman had read out from his application before the media after filing the complaint.

He showed the copy of his letter carrying “documentary evidence” and said that one of the documents “proved” that Zardari owned the New York property. Another piece of evidence, he claimed, showed that one Mehreen Shah was granted the power of attorney for the condo unit by Zardari.

Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a prisoner transfer agreement allowing foreign inmates in both countries to serve their sentences closer to home.

Interior Secretary retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew signed the UK-Pakistan Prisoner Transfer Agreement in Islamabad.

According to the British High Commission, the agreement — approved in principle during British Home Secretary Sajid Javid's visit to Pakistan in September — restores and updates a previous treaty between the UK and Pakistan, and includes strengthened assurances that all transferred prisoners will serve their appropriate sentences before being released.

Read: Pakistani, British officials discuss extradition, money laundering cases

It also allows inmates to prepare for reintegration into their home communities when they are eventually released from prison.

"I am delighted to sign this updated prisoner transfer agreement today, which will allow prisoners to serve their sentence closer to home," Drew, the high commissioner, said at the agreement signing ceremony.

"This is a testament to the strength of the two countries’ relationship.”

GILGIT: Two persons allegedly involved in torching of girls schools in Diamer district surrendered to police on Wednesday.

The accused were given to law enforcement agencies at a jirga held in Deral.

15 burnt schools later: Diamer needs action, not statements

The authorities said Shabbir and Asmatullah were allegedly involved in girls schools’ torching incidents in August this year. Police and other law enforcement agencies personnel had since been searching for them.

So far, the jirga has handed over about 50 accused involved in the incident to law enforcement agencies.

The writing on the wall: Diamer's torched schools bear a chilling warning

Two accused involved in the incident were killed during an encounter with police in August.

A source said the mastermind of the incident was still at large.

Talking to mediapersons, Deral jirga members, Rahmat Khaliq, Abdul Shakoor and Malik Maskeen, said the jirga supported law enforcement agencies to maintain peace in the area. They said the government should take further steps for girls’ education in the area.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2018

At least three coal miners died while two others were rescued when a mine collapsed in Balochistan's Dukki district on Thursday morning, District Police Officer (DPO) Sardar Hashim told DawnNewsTV.

According to the DPO, the incident took place in the Chamlang area of the district. The police official said five miners were working thousands of feet deep inside a mine, when it suddenly collapsed.

A large number of coal miners reached the site of the incident and launched rescue efforts on their own to ensure the safe recovery of the trapped miners.

However, only two miners could be rescued alive from the collapsed mine. Bodies of the three deceased miners have also been recovered.

"There are almost no safety arrangements for life security of miners," said Bakht Nawab, an official of the coal miners association in Balochistan.

The regulations framed under the Mines Act, 1923, stipulate a fairly extensive safety and labour welfare regime that must be enacted and observed at all mines.

Under this Act, the key position empowered to carry out and verify the implementation of the Act is that of the chief inspector and the inspectors appointed, pursuant to the 18th Amendment, by the provincial governments.

"Rules are mere in papers rather than in practice," said Sultan Muhammad Khan, the central leader of Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PMCLF).

According to the PMCLF, casualties from accidents among labourers working in coal mines range from 100 to 200 every year.

Coal mining has historically been fraught with hazards, which are similar to those associated with the aftermath of natural disasters: suffocation, gas poisoning, roof collapse, rock burst, gas explosions and a plethora of lung diseases, including incurable diseases like coalworker's pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung disease.

In the past eight years, more than 318 labourers working in coal mines have been killed in the course of their employment in Balochistan.

Just in the first eight months of this year, at least 50 miners have died in Balochistan and in August alone, 17 coal miners lost their lives in two separate incidents.

In one of these incidents, labourers were digging 300 feet deep in a coal mine owned by a local company in Bolan district, where they reportedly suffocated to death on account of lack of oxygen.

The other incident occurred due to an explosion in a coal mine in the Sanjdi area of Balochistan, claiming the lives of 15 labourers.

According to government sources, there are at least 20,000 labourers employed across Balochistan in 2,500 mines.

Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the incarcerated PML-N quaid Nawaz Sharif, arrived at Kot Lakhpat jail on Thursday to meet the former prime minister along with her grandmother and several party leaders.

Nawaz Sharif had been shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore on Tuesday, a day after he was taken into custody following an accountability court judgement sending him to jail for seven years in a corruption case.

Initially, he was kept at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail and later flown to Lahore after the trial court allowed him to serve his sentence in Kot Lakhpat.

Following her meeting with Nawaz, Maryam said that her father was “in high spirits”. In her tweet, Maryam said that when she asked Nawaz “if he needed anything from home”, he replied, “yes, Kulsoom’s photos”.

Former national assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq and PML-N leader Rana Tanvir had also arrived at the jail to meet the PML-N supremo.

Sadiq, while talking to reporters outside the jail, expressed the party's reservations over the judgement. He said that a bail application will be moved soon and expressed his hope that they would secure bail for Nawaz Sharif.

He claimed that the decision doesn't specify financial corruption done by Nawaz, and commended the former premier for honouring the supremacy of law.

"The three-time prime minister had been appearing before a joint investigation team. There is no such precedent in the past, nor would be in the future," he added.

Rana Tanvir claimed that the PML-N was being subjected to a political vendetta. He also accused the government of using dual standards.

LAHORE: As the government moves to bridge a growing revenue shortfall, another problem may be brewing in the fiscal accounts as the estimated revenue surplus from the provinces could come in below the estimated Rs285.6 billion.

Punjab is already showing a slowdown in its revenue collection for the first five months of this fiscal year. In the period July to November, the provincial civil accounts show that the government has been able to collect Rs74.9bn, or 27 per cent of its total tax target of Rs275.8bn for the year. In the same period last year, the provincial revenue authorities collected 33pc of their annual target. Additionally, the province is also struggling to meet its non-tax revenue target, raising just Rs18.1bn, down from last year’s number of Rs46.9bn.

The shortfall will force the Punjab government to make a hard choice: either cut the already small provincial annual development programme of Rs238bn or bridge the shortfall from the Rs147.8bn cash surplus it had promised to help Islamabad keep down consolidated fiscal deficit.

Finance department officials of the provincial government estimate that there is a deficit in federal transfers under the National Finance Commission award of up to Rs20bn in the same five months. Moreover, the estimated payment of net hydel profits, including arrears for the previous years, of Rs41.2bn also appear unlikely because of the financial troubles of the federal government. The officials are expecting only a partial reimbursement of the profits at the moment.

Revenue collection falls as current expenditures rise

Compounding the difficulties, the current expenditure of the province has gone up by 17.9pc to Rs407.9bn from Rs345.7bn a year ago. Little wonder then that the Buzdar government has already slashing public development spending, which stood at Rs51.6bn compared with Rs157.1bn spent on development schemes in the corresponding months last year.

“The shortfall in provincial tax collection is broad-based” conceded an official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The suspension of services tax on mobile telecom companies by the Supreme Court in May is the single most important factor behind low provincial sales tax this year. Sindh is also suffering losses because of this. We are hopeful that the court will restore the levy in its next hearing, allowing us to make up for the loss before the close of the financial year.”

He said the Punjab Revenue Authority responsible for collecting provincial sales tax on services was also making efforts to partially make up for the losses on account of the suspended services tax on mobile telecom companies by improving collection from other service providers. “We have brought life insurance in the purview of the provincial sales tax and increased the rate of the levy on construction services. Besides, we are expecting recovery of unpaid tax of Rs5 billion from NBP this year. We expect these measures to somewhat fill the hole in the services tax revenue (caused by the court decision).”

When contacted, provincial finance minister Makhdum Hashim Jawan Bakht said the government was committed to meeting all its budget targets from tax collection to development spending to production of cash surplus (as required by the federal government) and had instructed the departments concerned to expedite development spending. “We have met our 100-day targets and now plan to ramp up revenue mobilisation. We intend to meet our targets and we will.”

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

QUETTA: Balochistan Minister for Information Technology Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran informed the Balochistan Assembly on Thursday that the provincial government had approved the Quetta Safe City Project (QSCP) that would cost Rs2.28 billion.

Speaking on a resolution jointly moved by opposition members Nasarullah Zerey, Sham Lal and Shahina Bibi, he said safe city projects for Gwadar and all divisional and district headquarters of the province would also be launched soon.

He said the QSCP was pending for long, adding work on the project would start soon.

The opposition members through the resolution demanded that the Balochistan Assembly should be converted into an e-assembly as was done for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail — who presided over the session — and members on treasury benches supported the call. The resolution was adopted without any opposition.

Though Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani was present in the house, Mr Khetran took the floor and informed the house about the government’s plan for the QSCP.

He said the government would soon establish an IT village in Quetta for which Rs500 million had been allocated, adding that land for the purpose would be provided soon. In the IT village, he said, educated youths would be provided technical training.

The assembly adopted another resolution moved by Malik Naseer Ahmed Shahwani, parliamentary leader of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal. The resolution called upon the government to increase the maximum age limit for government jobs from 40 to 43 years.

Mr Khetran informed the house that the government had already taken a decision in this regard and the age limit had been increased from 40 to 43 years.

The house adopted two more resolutions. One was moved by opposition member Malik Sikandar Khan who urged the government to make the highway police more efficient on the Quetta-Karachi highway so that incidents could be avoided.

The other resolution was moved by Haji Mohammad Nawaz who demanded natural gas supply to Gulistan and Qila Abdullah.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

KARACHI: Sindh police on Thursday set up a seven-member “special investigation team” to probe the murder of Ali Raza Abidi, former MNA and leader of a faction of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

A notification issued by the DIG south office says that SSP South Pir Muhammad Shah would lead the team which includes SSP investigation Tariq Razaq Dharejo, Clifton SP Suhai Aziz, DSP Mukhtar Ahmed Khaskheli, DSP Raja Azhar Mehmood and Inspector Asadullah Mangi.

“The team will submit a daily progress report and ensure that concrete efforts are made to arrest the involved accused persons,” said the notification and added: “The team can co-opt any officer from South Zone in this regard.”

Mr Abidi, 46, was attacked and killed outside his home in Khayaban-i-Ghazi, DHA, on Tuesday moments after he returned from his workplace. The CCTV later shared by the investigators with media showed two men on a motorbike emerged in the scene chasing Mr Abidi’s vehicle. One of them got off the bike and fired multiple shots at him at a very close range the moment he stopped his four-wheeler at the entrance of his house.

Mr Abidi’s murder was widely condemned by people from every walk of life, including politicians, triggering fears as well among the Karachiites that the sudden surge in killings and other violent incidents, mainly on political grounds, might again hit the peace restored in the aftermath of a lot of efforts .

Meanwhile, leaders of the MQM’s factions visited Mr Abidi’s residence and a few of them chose to share their thoughts with the media outside his home.

Disgruntled leader of the party, Dr Farooq Sattar called for reconciliation in all the “divided groups” the MQM for a lasting peace in Karachi.

“I always appreciate Syed Sardar Ahmed’s suggestion and voice for uniting the divided groups and I have always welcomed his call for reconciliation between them,” he said. “Ali [Raza Abidi] shared the same thought. He was one of my best friends and it was his utter desire to unite all the divided groups and now I promise to everyone that I would carry on his mission.”

He “requested” all the divided groups of the party to come forward and leave the enemies of peace behind for the peace of Karachi. In reply to a question about the suspected motive behind Mr Abidi’s killing, he blamed the security arrangements for the threats to people lives.

Faisal Sabzwari, a leader of the MQM-P, demanded immediate arrest of the killers and to uncover the exact motive behind the incident, he insisted to reach those who had masterminded the episode.

“Arrest of the attackers would not be enough this time,” he said. “We have sacrificed everything and continue to do so for the sake of Karachi’s peace. We have parted ways with all those mistakes we made in the past, but at the same time we keep the right to question the killing and oppression against our workers and leaders. It’s high time to arrest the planners and masterminds. This case should not be closed with announcements and committees only.”

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

QUETTA: National Accounta­bility Bureau (NAB) Balochistan Director General Mohammad Abid Javed has said that the bureau is committed to eradicating corruption through its holistic approach.

“No leniency would be shown to the corrupt elements and they will be dealt with as per law,” he said while listening to the complainants who called on him during an open kutchery here on Thursday.

He said in the light of NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal’s vision the bureau was pursuing the policy of across-the-board accountability. He said strict action would be taken against those who looted national wealth and cheated the public for their vested interests

A large number of people attended the open kutchery and submitted complaints against government functionaries, departments and private individuals.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

KARACHI: While expressing serious resentment over the illegal constructions in the provincial metropolis, the Supreme Court has ruled that the cost for relocation of the people occupying these buildings will be recovered from the guilty officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority, says the written judgement issued on Wednesday partly reported last week.

The bench also ordered the director general of the SBCA to take action against all responsible officers found to have indulged in and abetted such illegal constructions.

These directives have been issued by a three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed on a petition regarding illegal construction in Lyari.

Wants cost of relocation recovered from relevant SBCA officials

The judgement says: “The cost of relocation of the people occupying such illegal buildings shall be taken from the officials of KBCA which was renamed as SBCA themselves from their emoluments and properties and in this respect the DG shall raise funds and such funds shall include contribution from the DG himself also.

“Further, if these constructions have been carried out during the tenure of any other incumbent official, who has retired or is no more in employment, then after proper notice, recovery from retirement dues and his properties shall be made by the KBCA. The AGPR (accountant general of Pakistan revenue)/Accountant General, Sindh, to be notified accordingly.”

Action against official ordered

The bench further observed in its order that as many as 17 illegally constructed buildings had been pointed out in Lyari and ordered legal action against the SBCA deputy director in charge of Lyari, Ejaz Malik, and others after the official admitted that he was unable to perform his duty.

It observed that Mr Malik had been altogether negligent in performing his functions and there was hardly any reason or justification for the SBCA to retain him in service.

The bench further noted that it was not only Lyari where such illegal constructions had been carried out, but such constructions had been done all over Karachi and the SBCA DG must take action against all the responsible officers/ officials found involved in it. The DG must also ensure that measures in accordance with law be taken to remove illegal buildings by ensuring relocation of the occupants, it added.

Notice issued on bail plea

A two-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar on Thursday issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau on the bail applications of a former chairman of the Fishermen Cooperative Society and others in a corruption reference.

Former FCS chairman Abdul Saeed Khan and two contactors through their counsel moved the Supreme Court after the Sindh High Court had dismissed their bail applications.

NAB had filed a reference against the then FCS chairman Dr Nisar Ahmed Jan Memon, alias Nisar Morai, former chairman Abdul Saeed Khan, former FCS vice chairman Sultan Qamar Siddiqui and 10 other officials and contractors for allegedly misusing authority, embezzling of funds, making illegal appointments and awarding fake contracts during 2014-15 causing a loss of over Rs343 million.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

KARACHI: Amid the pro-active policing and ongoing “targeted-operation” by the Rangers, the number of criminal activities — from killings to extortion to kidnapping for ransom — remained at lower side in 2018 compared to previous year but the street crimes remained a challenge for the Sindh government and security establishment which has seen a rise during the past 12 months, police data showed on Thursday.

Barring incidents of terrorism as three acts of terrorism (bomb blasts) took place in the current year till Dec 23 as compared to no such incident in 2017, all other categories of heinous crimes registered significant decrease, revealed the data.

Street crimes

The police data about the situation of street crimes obtained by Dawn showed that mobile snatching incidents increased in 2018. As many as 14,321 mobile phones were snatched in 2017, while 15,038 cell phones were snatched in 2018, registering over five per cent increase in this crime.

However, snatching and theft of four wheelers and two wheelers decreased this year.

The data revealed that 233 four wheelers were hijacked at gunpoint in 2017, while 169 cars were snatched in 2018, thus registering a decrease of over 27pc in this crime.

Similarly, 2,545 two wheelers were snatched in 2017, while 2,039 motorbikes were hijacked at gunpoint this year, registering over 20pc decrease.

As many as 1,288 cars were stolen in 2017, while 1,162 four wheelers were stolen this year, indicating a 9pc fall in the crime.

A total of 25,738 two wheelers were stolen in 2017 as compared to 25,140 in 2018, indicating a decrease of over 2pc.

A total of 868 alleged street criminals were arrested red-handed in 2017, while 1,165 suspects were apprehended red-handed this year.

Heinous crimes

Among four heinous crimes, incidents of terrorism (bomb blasts) increased in 2018. The data showed that no incident of bomb blast took place in 2017, but three bomb blasts occurred this year so far.

Police claimed that 23 people lost their lives in targeted killing in 2017, but only seven incidents of targeted killings had taken place this year.

The killings carried out on other grounds also decreased during the current year.

The police data revealed that 573 people were murdered in 2017, while 447 people were killed in 2018.

Police also claimed significant decrease in incidents of kidnapping as 17 such incidents took place in 2017, but only 10 incidents of kidnappings have been reported this year so far.

The data showed that 116 cases of extortion were reported in 2017, while 109 such incidents had taken place in 2018.

Encounters

As many as 453 encounters took place this year in which 62 suspects, including three terrorists and 57 street criminals, were killed while one policeman embraced martyrdom and 18 others injured.

The police claimed to have made significant increase in arrests of suspects. A total of 15,497 suspects, including 12 kidnappers, 58 extortionists and 204 alleged killers, were arrested in 2017, while 19,775 suspects, including 215 alleged killers, 23 kidnappers and 65 extortionists, were arrested.

Meanwhile, Additional IG Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh told Dawn that the city police have taken several initiatives to support victims of crimes and enhance capacity of investigation officers to increase conviction ratio before the courts in order to create deterrence against crimes.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Thursday decided to form a monitoring commission headed by the district and sessions judge of Tharparkar to examine periodically initiatives being taken by the provincial government of Sindh for health, education and provision of food to the residents of the district.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a suo motu notice case pertaining the deaths of infants due to diseases and malnutrition in Tharparkar.

Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, who represented civil society and also assisted the court as amicus curiae, told the court that a report filed by the sessions judge was an eye-opener.

The CJP observed that he was well aware of the situation since he had personally visited the district.

“People complained to me about non-provision of food by the government,” he said and added that the school for girls in Diplo area had no washrooms. The CJP also recalled that hospitals in Mithi area were without doctors and equipment.

Advocate General for Sindh Salman Talibuddin said the government had initiated a programme to provide pregnant women free-of-cost food. He said the government had announced incentives for doctors to work in Tharparkar. However, he said the response from the doctors was not welcoming. He said accommodation facilities for doctors were also being established in the district.

However, Advocate Siddiqui pointed out that the sessions judge in his report stated that only women with influential men had been given food. The advocate general admitted that the judge’s report was correct. He said doctors posted in government hospitals of Thar had indulged in private practice in violation of the law.

The counsel told the court that the matter regarding the establishment of the Thar development authority had been pending before the provincial government for two years.

At this, the CJP directed the Sindh advocate general to place the matter before the provincial cabinet. The law officer said the matter had already been taken up with the Sindh chief minister.

CJP Nisar adjourned the hearing and observed that composition of the monitoring commission would be disclosed in the written order.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Thursday reconstituted a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the role of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in illegal allotment of land around the Baba Farid shrine in Pakpattan in 1986 after National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) director general Mehar Khalid Dad Lak refused to head the team.

Mr Lak and other members of the JIT were present in the court when a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took up the case.

The chief justice said he had already heard the concerns of Mr Lak in chamber and the court would not force him to head the JIT. However, the chief justice observed that the court had showed its trust in Mr Lak by assigning him the task.

“Such people are so fortunate,” he added.

Nawaz Sharif has been accused of being involved in illegal allotment of land around Baba Farid shrine

When asked to propose his replacement, Mr Lak suggested the name of the director general of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab, Hussain Asghar. The chief justice remarked that Mr Asghar was also a man of integrity and regretted that he had forgotten his name while constituting the JIT earlier.

Finally, the bench appointed the ACE chief as head of the JIT and directed all its members to finalise within 10 days the terms of reference (ToR). The bench would resume hearing on Jan 8.

Other members of the JIT are from the Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau. The team is empowered to co-opt more members for assistance.

It is alleged that being chief minister of Punjab, Nawaz Sharif had in 1986 ordered withdrawing a notification of Dec 17, 1969 and allotted a huge tract of land of Auqaf around the shrine to Dewan Ghulam Qutabuddin in violation of a high court order.

In his reply, Mr Sharif had requested that the notice issued to him be discharged in the interest of justice. He said the documents submitted by the government in the SC revealed that the Auqaf department had on Jan 17, 1961 taken over administration, management and maintenance of the shrine of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar.

Subsequently, with the approval of the then governor of Punjab, the Auqaf department issued another notification on Dec 17, 1969 for taking over additional land that later resulted into litigation between the parties, the reply added.

It said Dewan Ghulam Qutabuddin, the Sajada-Nashin of the shrine, filed an application in June 1986 to the then prime minister through the governor of Punjab, pleading that the disputed property taken over by the Auqaf department was his ancestral property and the same should be returned to him.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet approved a strategy to issue so-called ‘Panda bonds’ in the Chinese market to raise foreign exchange from global markets, though the size of the issue has not been released at the moment. The bonds will be denominated in Chinese yuan.

The cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the strategy on Thursday.

Official Spokesperson to Finance Ministry Dr Khaqan Najeeb told Dawn that the Panda bond has been finalised “after several rounds of discussions with Chinese banks, investment groups, regulatory authorities in China and stock exchange and traditional financial advisers.”

“They will help government diversify investor base of capital market issuance and provide a source of raising renminbi (RMB).”

Size of issue not yet known

The spokesperson said the size, tenor and pricing would be determined on the market response at the time of issuance, which is to be done in several rounds.

“A good response is expected considering the interest shown by Chinese banks and investment groups,” the spokesperson added.

The size of the issue has yet to be determined, but a source in the finance ministry said it will be around $1 billion. It will be in instalments, the source said, adding it will provide the government a space to move and diversify from US dollars into RMB, as well as providing cover to pay for imports from China.

At the moment, a swap facility exists to settle payments between buyers and sellers in China and Pakistan, but it has seen virtually zero utilisation. It is not known yet how the funds raised from the Panda bond flotation will be utilised in bilateral trade between the two countries.

The Chinese yuan cannot be settle payments with countries other than China.

In 2013, the State Bank had purchased a $1.5bn worth of Chinese yuan and sold them in forex markets in the far east in exchange for US dollars to shore up the reserves.

That option may still be available, otherwise the government will have to play a more proactive role in urging local traders to use the yuan to pay for imports from China to make productive use of the proceeds of the Panda bonds.

Market sources have been expecting up to $2.2bn worth of Panda bonds to be floated in two separate flotations of late.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) on Thursday suggested changes in the draft bill on the Protection of Persons against Enforced Disappearances.

NCHR member Chaudhry Mohammad Shafique, while chairing a focused group discussion on the draft bill, said that the government should immediately sign and ratify the International Convention on the Protection of Persons from All Forms of Enforced Disappearances.

He said it was a long-standing demand of human rights groups to make enforced disappearances a distinct crime.

Government urged to ratify convention on the protection of persons from all forms of enforced disappearances

The objective of discussion was to identify the gaps in the draft bill and suggest a comprehensive law for protection against enforced disappearances. The experts from the ministries of interior and law and justice and civil society and senior lawyers attended the discussion.

Nasreen Azhar from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, legal consultant Sharafat A. Chaudhry, Ms Manahil from the Research Society of International Law and others were also present on the occasion.

According to a statement issued by the NCHR, various provisions of the draft law were deliberated in detail and issues like trial of the perpetrators, punishment, compensation and rehabilitation of victims and establishment of a tribunal and its functions came under discussion. Moreover, it was also discussed whether there was a need for a separate stand-alone law on the issue of enforced disappearances or it could be dealt by simply amending the Pakistan Penal Code.

Mr Shafique informed the participants that the draft bill was under consideration of the Senate committee on human rights and the NCHR would submit its recommendations and suggestions to the committee. He said the international obligations of Pakistan demanded for the criminalisation of the acts of enforced disappearances.

NCHR member from Balochistan Fazila Aliani said that the issue had emerged as the most alarming challenge for the government in Balochistan where almost every day such incidents were reported.

“There is a dire need of strong and effective legal framework to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice,” she said.

The alleged involvement of the establishment in enforced disappearances also came under discussion and the major demand of the group was that such cases should also be tried under this law and should not go to the military courts.

Moreover, while discussing the procedure/implementation of the law, it was agreed upon that police should be the first point of contact if someone was disappeared and the tribunal or the commission should be equipped with the powers of independent inquiry and investigation.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018

MARDAN: Waqar Ahmad Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was elected officiating district nazim, Mardan, amid a walkout by opposition members of the district council here on Thursday.

Waqar Ahmad obtained 57 votes against Mohammad Shafiq of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl in the district council meeting presided over by convener Asad Ali.

On this occasion, the convener announced the victory of Waqar Ahmad, but he did not bother to say anything about votes obtained by the rival candidate.

The district council members belonging to PTI, PPP, PML-N and some disgruntled members of JUI-F and ANP voted for Waqar Ahmad.

After the voting, assistant director local government Fazalullah presented the report about vote count to the convener who announced that the PTI candidate had got 57 votes and was declared victorious in the election for officiating district nazim.

The opposition members belonging to ANP and JUI-F protested and boycotted the council meeting as they said that the proceedings for election of the officiating nazim were conducted in violation of the relevant law and rules.

The alleged that the district returning officer had not nominated a returning officer to conduct the said election as provided under rule 1 sub rule 1 and 2 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Council (conduct of elections) Rules 2013-14. They demanded of the relevant authorities to declare the election as null and void.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018