KARACHI: A sessions court was informed on Saturday that reinvestigation was being conducted in the Baldia garment factory fire case.

The industrial unit owner, Abdul Aziz Bhaila, and his two sons Arshad Bhaila and Shahid Bhaila, general manager Mansoor and three gatekeepers Fazal Ahmed, Arshad Mehmud and Ali Mohammad were arrested for the killing of over 250 workers in the factory blaze in September 2012.

During a previous hearing, the court had asked the prosecutor to inform it whether a reinvestigation was ordered after the defence counsel pointed it out during the proceedings.

Read: New Baldia factory fire probe team takes spy agencies on board

When the case came up for hearing before additional district and sessions judge (west) Naushaba Kazi on Saturday, SP Sajid Sadozai turned up and informed the judge that the reinvestigation was ordered last month and he was appointed the new investigating officer of the case.

Replying to a query, the newly-appointed IO said that he could not give any timeframe for the completion of the reinvestigation. He moved an application, seeking computers and laptops containing data about factory employees.

The court adjourned the hearing till May 16 and asked the IO to submit a progress report about the reinvestigation at the next hearing.

Also read: Rangers’ report blames MQM for Baldia factory fire

The judge allowed an application of the factory owners for condonation of their absence but asked them to ensure their presence in the court on the next hearing. The court also asked the provincial law secretary to inform it about the status of special public prosecutor in the case after a public prosecutor said that the resignation special public prosecutor Shazia Hanjra had not been accepted so far. Ms Hanjra had resigned in February for what she claimed non-cooperation of the then IO.

During a previous hearing, the mother of absconding accused Shahrukh, who had been declared proclaimed offender by a court, also moved an application submitting that her son had been arrested but not produced in court. The first investigating officer, however, submitted that he was not in custody and had gone into hiding.

Meanwhile, the counsel for the factory’s general manager Mansoor, who along with the other accused was on bail, contented that his client was picked up and detained by the Rangers.

According to the prosecution, a devastating fire engulfed the multi-storey garment factory building in Baldia Town on the evening of Sept 11, 2012 that had left over 250 workers dead.

Moreover, a judicial magistrate had ordered that the then MD SITE Abdul Rasheed Solangi, labour department director Zahid Gulzar Shaikh, additional controller civil defence Ghulam Akbar and chief inspector electrical Amjad Ali also be named in the case for their alleged negligence. Later, the accused challenged the order before the high court.

The IO had twice charge-sheeted the owners and others in interim and final charge-sheets under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 322 (qatl-bis-sabab) and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the court admitted both the investigation reports for hearing.

But in a supplementary charge-sheet filed earlier in 2013, the IO had shown the four officials innocent and also removed Section 302 of the PPC against the other suspects.

The fate of the supplementary charge-sheet still hangs in the balance since a special public prosecutor opposed the removal of premeditated murder offence and said that the IO filed it without her permission.

The case took a dramatic turn when a report prepared by a joint investigation team in 2013 was submitted in Sindh High Court on Feb 6, which revealed that Rizwan Qureshi, arrested in an illicit weapon case in June 2013, disclosed that the factory was set on fire after its owners failed to pay protection money. The JIT report marked him as a worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which was vehemently denied by the party.

On Feb 10, the SHC had ruled that the veracity and relevance of the JIT report was to be determined by the competent forum before which the same may be placed for such purpose and told the trial court to decide the Baldia Town factory inferno case within a year.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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PESHAWAR: Tribal elders want direct interaction with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to ensure early return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their native areas in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

“Everybody knows that powers lie with the army, so let us talk to General Raheel or director general Inter Services Intelligence to find out a quick solution to the problems being faced by the tribal people,” said Malik Nasrullah Wazir, chief of Madakhel tribe in North Waziristan Agency, while speaking at a tribal jirga here on Saturday.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had convened the jirga, which was attended by Sirajul Haq, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Afrasiab Khattak, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Rahim Dad Khan and elders from seven tribal agencies and Frontier Regions.

All Parties Political Alliance of North Waziristan Agency has launched a campaign to mobilise the country’s political leadership to pave the way for unconditional and immediate return of IDPs to their homes. The alliance has planned to call an all-party conference in Islamabad before Ramazan to shore up their support.

Malik Nasrullah, who has been designated head of the tribal jirga, said that recently Maulana Fazlur Rehman had approached Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to expedite return of the IDPs to North Waziristan and remove unnecessary hurdles being created in their way.

“Nawaz Sharif replied that he will talk to Gen Raheel,” he said, adding that the civilian leadership was helpless. Elders from other areas also demanded direct contact Elders want direct interaction with army chief for IDPs return with the army.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman assured the jirga leaders that he would arrange a jirga to be attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Gen Raheel and political leadership in the near future.

He criticised the government for forcing IDPs to sign an agreement with the administration prior to return to their homes. He asked the government to refrain from using unlawful practices that caused delay in return of IDPs to their homes in Fata. He said that the government should facilitate return of IDPs in a dignified manner and announce a package for their rehabilitation.

“Tribal people will be bound by Frontier Crimes Regulation after return to their native areas while state institutions will work within the ambit of Constitution,” Maulana Rehman said, adding that the existing situation was not in the favour of institutions, including the army and establishment.

The JUI-F chief urged the government not to tie the hands and feet of the tribal people, otherwise its repercussions would be serious. He said that tribal people were being suppressed not to raise voice for their rights.

Joint declaration read out by Maulana Rehman at the end of the jirga demanded of the government to send IDPs back to their homes as soon as possible. The declaration said that all institutions should operate in Fata within the framework of Constitution.

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party president Mehmood Khan Achakzai criticised the government policies regarding Fata and demanded withdrawal of troops from tribal areas. He said that on the one hand people of Fata were victimised, on the other they had been forced to say “long live Pakistan” which was not possible.

QWP chairman Aftab Sherpao suggested that Nawaz Sharif should call Gen Raheel to find out solution to the problems of IDPs. He termed payment of package to the returnees insufficient and asked the government to make proper assessment of damaged properties of the people.

JI chief Sirajul Haq said that being chief executive of the country Nawaz Sharif could not absolve himself of the responsibility. He said that army came under the command of the prime minister and the political leadership should directly talk to the prime minister and not to the army chief.

ANP general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain hit out at the government for forcing tribal people to sign the agreement. He said that army had been deployed in Fata, therefore the jirga should discuss IDPs-related problems with the military leadership directly. He said that the establishment should not humiliate IDPs by forcing them to give undertaking for showing loyalty with the country.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf notified on Saturday the dissolution of its intra-party election tribunal which had last week summoned PTI Chairman Imran Khan to appear before it.

The notification signed by the PTI chief on Friday says that the tribunal formed by the party in 2013 to investigate “irregularities” in the intra-party elections stands dissolved “with effect from March 22”.

Earlier, the party through a press release had announced the dissolution of the tribunal headed by retired Justice Wajeehuddin Ahmed, but it kept on functioning and issuing directives and recommendations. Yousuf Malik Gabol is a member of the tribunal.

Read: PTI election tribunal ‘summons’ Imran

The tribunal had summoned Mr Khan to appear before it in Karachi on April 21 over non-compliance of its earlier orders.

Despite announcing that he would appear before the tribunal, Mr Khan did not do so and three days later he signed the dissolution notification.

The tribunal had passed an order on various petitions in October last year and again in March, terming the intra-party polls, which were completed in March 18, 2013, seriously flawed and had thus reduced terms of office of those elected from four years to two years.

Also read: PTI’s intra-party election and handpicking of secretary general

In its latest order of April 10, the tribunal expressed concern over the PTI chairman’s decision to allow former office-bearers, including Secretary General Jahangir Tareen, against whom there were complaints of irregularities, to work as caretakers till the fresh elections.

The tribunal had reportedly summoned Mr Khan after he made an attempt to meet Mr Wajeehuddin during his visit to Karachi earlier this month.

Sources in the party said that Mr Khan, along with a local PTI, had gone to the residence of Mr Wajeehuddin but the latter refused to see him. Later, the tribunal summoned Mr Khan to hear him on April 21.

Also read: Clashes mar PTI polls in KP

PTI’s Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari had said that the tribunal had already been dissolved, “but Khan Saheb decided on his own to appear before Justice Wajeehuddin to answer all queries because we are a democratic party and Khan Saheb believes in leading by example”.

“Once the decision was announced, the tribunal effectively ceased to exist and its members became functus officio with no further powers as the tribunal was constituted for a specific purpose,” says the notification issued on Saturday.

Explore more: ‘Tsunami in PTI ranks’ after party polls

“However, even after the tribunal had become defunct it kept on sending certain recommendations in terms that were imperative. Instead of ignoring these it was decided on 22.03.2015 to give effect to those that were compatible with interests of the party.”

The notification says: “Following the core committee meeting on 22.03.2015, I, as the chairman made a public statement that the tribunal stood dissolved. However, it appears that despite this statement the tribunal has continued to issue notices and pronounce orders. This is hampering work of the party in these critical times.”

“I, therefore, in exercise of my powers as the chairman of the party...formally notify that the election tribunal constituted on 12.03.2015 stands dissolved with effect from 22.03.2015. This is in confirmation of my earlier public statement.”

When contacted, Justice Wajeehuddin refused to comment on the matter, saying: “I am sorry, I cannot talk on judicial matters.”

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The government has increased the minimum pension paid by the Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) by 46 per cent from Rs3,600 to Rs5,250 per month.

The increase will be effective from April 1.

“EOBI pensioners will get the enhanced pension on May 1,” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Saturday.

The government had announced in the budget 2014-15 that the EOBI pension would be increased to Rs6, 000.

The decision will benefit 337,000 pensioners in the country. Of them, 52 per cent pensioners belong to Punjab followed by 31pc to Sindh. The share of Khyber Pakhtun­khwa is 13pc and the remaining 4pc belong to Balochistan. The raise would have a financial impact of Rs6.67 billion on the exchequer, the minister said. The amount will be raised through special grants.

The total number of EOBI’s registered pensioners is 525,000 but there are only 360,000 people who regularly receive their pensions, according to EOBI chairman Mohammad Sualeh Faruqui.

Mr Dar said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had approved the increase in the pension.

Under the 18th Amend­ment, he said, the EOBI had been devolved to the provinces since 2011 and now its pensioners were the responsibility of the provinces. The pensioners, he said, were not retired employees of the government but those of private sector organisations.

“The government is committed to strengthening the EOBI to make it a sustainable organisation,” he said.

The minister, who was also the chairman of a committee on the EOBI affairs, said that a report on the strengthening of the EOBI had been finalised and its recommendations would be made public soon.

He said the EOBI could be jointly run by the provinces.

He said the International Monetary Fund would start seventh review of its programme for Pakistan in the first week of May in Dubai. “We have achieved most of the targets regarding major economic indicators,” he said, adding that his ministry had completed preparations for the review which would be held on May 1 to 10.

He said that the new head of the IMF for South Asia would visit Pakistan after completion of the review.

Mr Dar said he would represent Pakistan at a meeting of the Asian Development Bank being held in Azerbaijan in the first week of May. “We will discuss project funding with the bank.”

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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QUETTA: At least four people were killed and 18 others wounded in an explosion in Balochistan's Sibi district on Sunday.

Unknown persons had planted a bomb on a motorcycle, parked on the road side, in Chakar Khan road area of Sibi which went off with a huge bang, Anwar Khetran, the District Police Officer (DPO) Sibi told DawnNews.

He further said that the nearby buildings and shops were also damaged in the explosion and added that all the blast victims were civilians.

Nearby buildings and shops were also damaged in the explosion. — Photo by author

"The target of blast is yet to be confirmed," Khetran said.

Security and rescue teams reached the blast site. Security personnel cordoned off the area as a probe into the incident went underway.

Rescue sources said that the victims were shifted to Civil Hospital, Sibi where an emergency was imposed to treat the injured.

The condition of three wounded was reported as critical where as five victims had been treated for minor injuries.

Shopkeepers pulled down their shutters after the blast as fear and panic prevailed in the city.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

Balochistan has been under the grip of sectarian violence and attacks of Baloch separatists and unknown elements since more than a decade.

Scores of people have lost their lives in sectarian suicide bombings and target killings.

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N formally refuted on Saturday charges of systematic rigging in the 2013 general elections and said it was routine for leaders of losing parties to hurl such allegations at the winning party.

In a 117-page rebuttal to the allegations levelled by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) it submitted to the inquiry commission headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, the PML-N argued that such allegations did not in any way invalidate the elections as only election petitions accepted by election tribunals could do so.

Read: Judicial commission directs PML-N, MQM to submit replies by April 25

PML-N Chairman Senator Raja Zafarul Haq accompanied by its Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Adviser to Prime Minister Barrister Zafarullah Khan, the PM’s Special Assistance on Law Ashtar Ausaf, Information Technology Minister Anusha Rehman and Senator Rafiq Rajwana submitted the document to the commission.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provides additional information to the body

Like other parties, PTI also furnished additional evidence to the commission. Ishaq Khakwani, the head of PTI’s task force on poll rigging, told Dawn that his party had submitted additional material that ran into 120,000 pages and mostly dealt with 82 constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies.

“It took us 15 days to compile the record to bring it in conformity with the legal requirements, as stipulated by the commission,” he said.

He rejected the impression that the PTI did not have adequate proof of rigging and said such criticism in the media was unfounded.

He said the party had the evidence all along but meeting the legal requirements took time as its lawyers had to give consent to what should be submitted to the commission.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which was also asked by the commission to respond to the allegations levelled by Jamaat-i-Islami, did not submit any reply. MQM Senator Mian Atiq said his party had received the notice on Saturday.

Senior counsel Shahid Hamid, representing the PML-N, said that in its allegations the PTI had never tried to establish that the PML-N was involved in any manner or at any level in the alleged systematic manipulation of the elections.

“The allegations are against ECP and its officials,” he said, adding that there might have been some irregularities in individual constituencies which had to be dealt with by the election tribunals.

As acknowledged by the PTI, PML-N polled over 14.8 million votes across the country while the PTI was a distant second with 7.6m votes, the PML-N document said. “The sum total of alleged irregularities mentioned in the PTI documents does not reach anywhere near the difference of 7.1m votes.”

While highlighting different irregularities, it argued, the PTI petitions had not even attempted, in most cases, to quantify the effect of the alleged irregularity on the votes cast for or against candidates of different parties.

Referring to the PTI sit-in in Islamabad and media interviews of its leaders last year, the PML-N recalled that it was their constant refrain that the elections had been systematically rigged through a conspiracy hatched by individuals holding high offices in the judiciary, the Election Commission of Pakistan, the caretaker government and the bureaucracy.

“A plan to systematically rig elections is a criminal conspiracy in terms of section 120-A of the Pakistan Penal Code,” it said, adding that the complainant had to specify as to who conspired with whom, where and when, which illegal acts were committed and which illegal means employed.

“Contrary to the dharna rhetoric, the PTI petition is singularly silent about these ingredients of a criminal conspiracy apart from the vague and non-specific averment made by the PTI. But no material has been placed on record before the commission either to prove such conspiracy or even to form the basis of a further investigation,” it said.

Of the 272 ‘direct’ seats of the National Assembly, polling was held in 269 constituencies and the PML-N won 129 of them, including 119 in Punjab, five in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one each in Sindh and Balochistan and one in Islamabad whereas the PTI won 27 seats, it said. But only 30 of the PTI’s losing candidates chose to file election petitions, including 19 in Punjab. Another 28 PTI candidates challenged elections on provincial constituencies.

The PML-N document said that the figures established that the preponderant majority of the PTI candidates accepted, rightly and in good taste, their electoral defeat.

It said that the PTI lost the elections to the PML-N primarily because of the latter’s public appeal, time-tested leadership, manifesto and better candidates.

The PTI’s election review commission comprising Tasneem Noorani, Ahmed Awais and Yacoob Izhar had identified several internal factors that had contributed to the party’s defeat, like flawed selection of candidates, the PML rejoinder said. The review commission did not level any of the allegations mentioned in the PTI petition.

It said that the inquiry commission was tasked with preparing a report in accordance with the terms of reference set out in the presidential ordinance and the PML-N was not an accused in the proceedings because, among other things, there was no allegation that the PML-N was party to any pre-planned conspiracy for systematic rigging.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Acting President Raza Rabbani ordered on Saturday immediate arrest of social activist Sabeen Mahmud’s killers, while the military said its intelligence agencies would assist the investigators in the probe.

The acting president sought a detailed report from provincial authorities on the incident and directed Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to arrest Ms Sabeen’s killers within three days.

Social media campaigner and the director of a social forum — The Second Floor (T2F) — was shot dead on Friday evening in DHA Karachi shortly after she had hosted a discussion on Balochistan titled ‘Unsilencing Balochistan — Take 2’.

Read: Director T2F Sabeen Mahmud shot dead in Karachi

The interactive session was part of a series of discussions being held by civil society to protest the forced cancellation of a seminar on the same topic a few weeks ago at Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Mr Rabbani described Ms Sabeen’s assassination as “an attack on freedom of speech and expression” and her death as a big loss for Karachi.

“Nothing can justify this inhuman killing,” the acting president said, adding the whole nation stood by Ms Sabeen’s family in this hour of great tragedy.

With many analysts looking at the incident in the context of the event she hosted before her murder, fingers were also pointed at the alleged role of intelligence agencies.

Military Spokesman Maj Gen Asim Bajwa condemned the incident in a twitter posting and said intelligence agencies had been told to cooperate in the investigation.

Also read: Intelligence agencies to probe Sabeen Mahmud's murder: ISPR

“We condemn the tragic and unfortunate killing of Ms Sabeen Mahmud. Our heart goes out to bereaved family at this sad moment,” he tweeted.

In another posting, the military spokesman said: “Intelligence agencies have been tasked to render all possible assistance to investigating agencies for apprehension of perpetrators and bringing them to justice.”

Gen Bajwa, talking to Dawn, agreed that it was rare for the military to instruct intelligence agencies to cooperate with the probe in cases involving civilians.

The last time when the military announced it would cooperate with an investigation involving a civilian was after last year’s attack on journalist Hamid Mir. The probe in Mr Mir’s case has yet to find out the attackers, a military official said.

Meanwhile, former president Asif Ali Zardari has also condemned Ms Sabeen’s killing.

“The timing and location of the crime scene and the issues Ms Sabeen was known to advocate raise questions about the motives behind this seemingly targeted assassination that needs to be probed,” Mr Zardari’s spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted the former president as saying.

US Embassy: A statement issued by the US Embassy said: “We strongly condemn the murder of Sabeen Mahmud and the wounding of her mother. We extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones and our wishes for her mother’s full and speedy recovery. Sabeen was a courageous voice of the Pakistani people and her death represents a great loss.”

SINDH CM: In Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who holds the portfolio of home minister, issued orders for setting up a ‘judicial commission’ to probe the murder, according to the CM House spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the provincial government would write a letter to the chief justice of the Sindh High Court to nominate a serving judge for the probe.

Mr Shah said that the late Sabeen was a determined human rights activist.

Meanwhile, a member of the investigation team told Dawn that no CCTV camera was installed at the place where the incident occurred, which he termed an ‘unfortunate’ thing. He recalled this was the same area where last year a naval officer came under attack and they had no CCTV footage of that incident. However, the officer said, proper probe might start on Monday after receipt of a report from the police forensic laboratory.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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KATHMANDU: Four Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft carrying rescue and relief assistance, including a 30-bed mobile hospital, for Nepal left for the earthquake-devastated country Nepal on Sunday.

Two C-130 aircrafts have landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and two more are expected to reach Kathmandu on April 27.

In line with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's directive, the two C-130s which reached Kathmandu today are carrying a medical team of doctors and paramedics, a 30-bed hospital, medicines, tents, water, dry food, and a search and rescue team with equipment

The relief team and equipment have been put together with the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan Army, PAF, National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan, the embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu, the embassy of Nepal in Islamabad, and the Nepalese authorities.

The Pakistani ambassador and other embassy officials were present at the airport to facilitate and extend logistical support to Pakistan relief assistance team.

Besides making efforts for relief assistance in Nepal, the embassy also reached out to Pakistani expatriates to extend their support.

Read: Aid starts coming to Nepal after quake kills 1,865

According to ISPR, the 30-bed hospital will be run by Pakistan Army doctors including surgical, medical, orthopedic, gynecologist, anesthesiologist, child specialist, radiologist and paramedics.

“Four C-130 aircraft carrying a 30-bed hospital, special search and rescue teams including Army doctors and food items left for Nepal,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-Gen Asim Bajwa said in a tweet on Sunday.

Another tweet said that, "Urban search & rescue team of Pakistan Army, equipped with ground-penetrating radars, concrete cutters, sniffing dogs and other equipment sent to help rescue teams. "

Food items include 2,000 meals, ready-to-eat packs, eatables and bottled water while the team is also carrying medicines, 200 tents, 600 blankets and other necessary items, according to the state-run Radio Pakistan website.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had offered humanitarian assistance in telephonic conversation with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala following the midday earthquake that left nearly 2,000 people dead.

Also read: Relief items will be sent to Nepal today

Mr Sharif had called the Nepalese premier from London, where he is participating in the commemoration of the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign and Anzac Day. Mr Koirala, meanwhile, was on a visit to Bangkok.

The PAF aircraft were ready to depart for Kathmandu since Saturday night and had been awaiting clearance to land at the airport in the Nepalese capital, according to the PM Office.

Explore: Tear and prayers for quake-hit Nepal

ISLAMABAD: The local government elections, held in 42 of the country’s 43 cantonment areas, appeared to be a contest between the PML-N and the PTI, with the former winning 50 and the latter 28 wards, according to unofficial and incomplete results seen by Dawn on Saturday night.

The PML-N and PTI maintained their supremacy in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa respectively, whereas the MQM emerged as the most successful party in Sindh.

Unofficial results show that independent candidates, backed by alliances of various political parties, secured more than 50 seats in the 42 cantonments that were divided into 199 wards for the elections that were held in the country after a gap of 17 years.

Read: Local govt polls conclude in cantonments, PML-N in the lead

Local govt polls held in 42 out of 43 cantonment areas

The election in Balochis­tan’s Ormara cantonment could not take place because of a dispute over demarcation of land between the district administration and the cantonment authorities.

Punjab

The PML-N proved its supremacy in Punjab by winning the highest number of wards, while the PTI could manage victory in only 15 wards. Indepen­dents won in 26 wards in Punjab.

Read: PML-N regains ground in cantt areas

The PML-N swept the two cantonment boards of Rawal­pindi by winning 19 out of 20 wards. Of the 20 wards in Lahore, the PML-N won 10, whereas the PTI remained successful in six. In the remaining four wards, the PML-N was leading until the filing of this report.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

In KP, the PTI emerged victorious in 10 wards, followed by the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) with three wards and the Awami National Party (ANP) in two wards. Pakistan Peop­les Party and PML-N could win only one ward each.

As many as 15 wards were won by independent candidates in KP.

Also read: Tehreek-i-Insaf major winning party in KP cantt elections

PTI candidates won from three wards in Abbottabad, two wards in Peshawar and one each in the cantonments of Buner, Kohat, Nowshera, Risalpur and D.I. Khan.

PPP remained successful in only one of the five wards of Peshawar cantonment, whereas PML-N gained its only seat from Abbottabad cantonment.

The JI’s candidates remai­ned successful in three wards — one each in Peshawar, Nowshera and Risalpur cantonments.

The two wards won by the ANP are in Mardan and Nowshera cantonments.

Sindh

The urban Sindh-based MQM, which recently recor­ded a landslide victory in the by-election on a National Assembly seat, NA-246 from Karachi, emerged as the most successful party by winning 22 wards out of 44 in eight cantonment boards.

The MQM won 16 wards out of 32 in Karachi cantonments and six out of 10 in Hyderabad cantonment area.

Read: Muttahida makes gains in CBH elections

PPP, which is the ruling party in Sindh, managed to win three wards each in Karachi and Hyderabad.

The PTI also succeeded in three Karachi wards whereas the JI and PML-N won two wards each. Seven independents won the elections in Karachi, Hyderabad and Pano Aqil cantonments.

Balochistan

Out of nine wards contested in three cantonments of Balochistan, eight were won by independents and one by PML-N. PML-N secured the seat in the Quetta Cantonment Board.

Also read: Independents win most seats in Balochistan cantt board polls

Two independent candidates had already been declared as winner unopposed in Zhob cantonment.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had set up 1,225 polling stations to conduct the elections, which largely remained peaceful.

According to the ECP data, 1,151 candidates — 541 affiliated with political parties and 610 independents — took part in the elections in which 18 parties had fielded their candidates.

The PTI had fielded 137 candidates — 93 in Punjab, 22 in KP, 18 in Sindh and four in Balochistan. PML-N had 128 candidates — 99 in Punjab, 13 in KP, 12 in Sindh and four in Balochistan.

PPP had fielded 89 candidates — 58 in Punjab, 22 in Sindh, eight in KP and one in Balochistan. The number of candidates fielded by JI was 74 — 41 in Punjab, 28 in Sindh and seven in KP. The MQM had fielded 27 candidates, all in Sindh. The ANP contested on 13 seats in KP and the Awami Muslim League on seven seats in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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Cricket commentator and former Test captain Ramiz Raja has described Pakistan's hammering at the hands of Bangladesh as "embarrassing" and the "lowest point in our international history".

He said pressure was on the green-shirts to re-invent themselves and keep Bangladesh at a distance during the upcoming Test series between the two countries.

In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Ramiz Raja expressed his disappointment in the "lack of direction" and the lack of "fresh ideas" from the Pakistan Cricket Board which had rendered the national cricket team as a "rudderless ship".

His comments followed Pakistan's 0-3 ODI whitewash, and a loss in the only T20 international played during the ongoing tour of Bangladesh.

Read: 4-0: Bangladesh hammer Pakistan on way to maiden T20 triumph

The drubbing was the culmination "of a badly thought out strategy", according to the former cricketer who criticised the PCB's 'outdated strategy' of keeping wickets in hand and then going hard in the last 10 overs.

Raja said that the country is no longer churning out the same assembly line of talent as they did in the past, and even if any player comes through they are not "used properly" by the team management.

He said that the emerging lot of players are "timid" and have a boxed in mentality. He pointed out flaws in the players brought up, and said that they [the players] ─ having technical and mental issues ─ do not know how to construct an innings.

The former national captain said that Pakistan cricket needs a tonic of aggression, and its overall strategy needs to be improved.

He said he had expected Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez top lose their bowling potency after they returned to international cricket with a remodeled action.

The only silver lining seen by the cricket commentator is the emergence of newly-appointed captain Azhar Ali as the top run-getter, with a century and a half-century in three innings.

Talking about the upcoming two-match Test series between hosts Bangladesh and Pakistan which begins in Khulna on April 28, Ramiz said, "I think Bangladesh should be relentless as this a golden chance for them to create history."

He added, "Pakistan have been hit by losses and injuries and it's going to be a real challenge. It's going to be difficult as things can't change dramatically as the coaching staff is the same; most of the players are same."

KARACHI: Former president and co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing a rally in Lyari's Kakri ground said Lyari had always been a PPP stronghold and remains the party's bastion till date.

In an emotional speech to party workers and supporters, Zardari said he will hold the leadership fort "till Bilawal and Asifa take the helm."

Talking about the importance of Lyari for the PPP, Zardari said, "Some of our rivals may not remember, but I was elected to the National Assembly from Lyari for the first time ever; Benazir had herself asked me to contest election from Lyari."

"Lyari is the place where I was married to Benazir Bhutto; this is the place we began our marital life from," Zardari reminded the crowd.

Zardari addresses rally at Kakri ground. ─ DawnNews screengrab

The PPP co-chair said the people of Lyari had rendered countless sacrifices for the party; "the list of martyrs is too long," he said.

"Sometimes Bilawal comes to Lyari without telling me," said the former president.

Zardari said today's rally in Lyari was the beginning of PPP's journey for the next election. "We have initiated our election campaign from Lyari. This is the first in a series of rallies we will hold across Pakistan."

"I request all of you to strengthen your party. It is time we transfer the reigns to the younger generation so that new leaders are groomed."

Zardari also announced a development package for the people of Lyari. "Sindh Chief Minister has sent gifts for Lyari in the form a Rs1 billion fund including the Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College and a low-cost housing scheme that will comprise flats," said Zardari.

"The CM has also promised that daily wages workers will be made permanent." We know that water is a major issue in the area and I have told Shah sahab to resolve the issue in three months."

Talking about the recent development projects announced during Xi Jinping's visit to Pakistan, Zardari said his party will not politicise the investment. "We will take our Baloch brothers on board and address their problems," said Zardari.

The foundations of a solid Pakistan-China relationship were laid by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto along with Mao Zedong, he said.

In a warning to the Indian leadership, Zardari spoke up for the Muslims in Indian-held Kashmir.

"I know all that is happening in Kashmir. I want to tell the Indian leadership to stop treating our Kashmiri brothers unfairly; you may awaken the rising Muslim population in India."

The PPP's rally at Lyari's Kakri ground is seen as a bid to reject the impression that it has lost favour in the Karachi locale.

Lyari has long been a stronghold of PPP supporters. Since the 1970 general election, the Karachi locale has been an unbending vote bank of the PPP. The PPP has won every national and provincial election that it has contested from Lyari from 1970 right up till the 2008 election.

Policewomen deployed to provide security at the venue. ─ DawnNews screengrab

It is also the venue of the first large rally that Benazir Bhutto held in Karachi ─ and the venue of her marriage to Asif Ali Zardari in 1987.

Tight security measures were taken for the public meeting, which was organised by the party’s Karachi division, and policemen and women were deployed at key points in Lyari to prevent untoward incidents.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Sherry Rehman also addressed the rally before Asif Ali Zardari.

KARACHI: More than 500 doctors were awarded postgraduate degrees at 49th convocation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) held on Saturday.

The programme organised late in the evening on the lawns of the CPCP was well attended by health professionals and their families.

The college awarded degrees of the Fellow of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) and the Member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (MCPS) to 428 and 111 candidates, respectively, serving at both civilian institutions as well those of armed forces.

Presenting the welcome address, CPSP president Prof Zafarullah Chaudhary paid tributes to founders of the college that, he said, had played a vital role in harnessing skills of young graduates and developing excellence in medical profession.

Also read: 400 doctors willing to serve in remote areas

He particularly mentioned the name of late Lt Gen Wajid Ali Khan Burki, also served as minister of health, who along with other visionaries, was instrumental in setting up the college in 1962 on the pattern of postgraduate colleges of the UK.

The college since its inception was being run in the most democratic way, he said, explaining that a 20-member council was elected every four years, which in turn elected office-bearers of the college each year from among themselves.

The institution that initially received government grant later became financially independent. “This important factor has helped greatly in the growth of the institution that today offers 73 fellowship and 22 membership programmes,” he pointed out.

“Financial independence has also led us to interact freely with international medical sciences institutions and get their approval for the college programmes.”

He said that the college that had been awarded the Golden Europe Award for Quality and Commerce Prestige last year and the Socrates Best College Award 2013 presently had about 21,000 trainees in various disciplines of medical sciences at 272 prestigious and well-equipped institutions — 187 are located in Pakistan while 85 abroad.

To young doctors sitting in the audience, he said: “All the new fellows and members of the college whether serving at the armed forces institutions or the private and public sectors should keep the CPSP vision in focus and serve the nation to the best of their abilities.”

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Zakaullah, the chief guest, in his brief remarks appreciated the services of the CPSP and said the institution offered affordable opportunities for postgraduate studies within the country that were earlier restricted to those who could go abroad.

Felicitating the doctors, he said: “You have chosen one of the noblest professions. Now, you are professionally, religiously, morally and ethically bound to give your best to patient.”

The Gen W. A Burki Medal for the year 2014 was awarded to Dr Zainab Liaquat Ali Dairkee while Prof Zafarullah Chaudhary Medal was awarded to Dr Kishwar Ali. The Anis and Saleem Medal went to Dr Bushra Aijaz.

Dr Muneeza Kishwar and Dr Farhan Saeed Vakani received the MCPS in Health Profession Education whereas Dr Kausar Abbas Saldera got a diploma certificate in healthcare system management.

“I think I was lucky to have the support of good teachers that helped me a lot to achieve this success. I believe the process of educating, updating and improving one’s self must never end and we should avail all learning opportunities,” said Dr Mohammad Irfan Anwar (of the Army Medical College, Rawalpindi) who received the Prof Tahir Saeed Haroon Medal in the specialty of dermatology.

Expressing her feelings, Dr Sana Khurrum, young mother and recipient of the Prof Syed Muzaffar Hassan Medal in the specialty of pathology, said that her success couldn’t have been possible without the support of her family.

“My little daughter was of six months when I was giving my exams. So, it’s a shared achievement equally contributed by my teachers at the National Institute of Blood Diseases (Karachi),” she said.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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Ambassadors of 'I am Karachi' campaign.

KARACHI: “With 90 per cent of the population coming to Karachi to find jobs, the city has become culturally diverse but civic responsibility is still not present. Why can’t everyone, including those originating from other cities, take Karachi as their own?”

This was said by Deepak Parwani, one of the ambassadors of ‘I Am Karachi’ in an event at Frere Hall that was dedicated to striving for a peaceful city.

With the ongoing intolerance, fragmentation and a sense of insecurity plaguing the country, mobilising people into taking ownership has become more important than ever. With this premise in mind, I Am Karachi launched its campaign to pledge for a united, peaceful and tolerant Karachi.

The consortium, which consists of ‘I Am Karachi’s’ founding members, earmarked the second Sunday of every March in the coming years to be dedicated to Karachi. Ghazi Salahuddin, one of the members of the consortium and also part of their dialogue committee, spoke about the idea behind it: “With the assassination of Sabeen Mahmud it has become even more important for us to promote dialogue; somebody needs to take it up.”

Contraction of public spaces, mistrust between people and aloofness is what the campaign aims to bridge by providing a platform for social and cultural activities to thrive.

For the president of the consortium, Jameel Yusuf, it was not at all difficult to find ambassadors and philanthropists who would be interested in promoting the cause. “There were already many small groups of civil society members working in different areas of the city, all we had to do was unite them under one banner.”

The Frere Hall lighted up.

The entire event was dedicated to the late Sabeen Mahmud, who was remembered by the ambassadors and tributes were paid to her. “We had two choices, either to postpone this event or cancel it altogether. Had we cancelled it, the people who are behind the murder will have been victorious. How many will they kill and silence?” said Yusuf in his opening speech.

Sidra Iqbal, who moderated the event, juxtaposed Karachi with Ms Sabeen: “She represented exactly what we want the city to be, pluralistic, diverse, encompassing and a safe haven where we could speak.”

While discussion continued for the need to be harmonious in the wake of sectarian attack and religious polarisation, a part of the speech by Quaid-i-Azam was read out by his grandnephew Liaquat Merchant, which accentuated his stance on religious freedom. “There will no distinction between one community and another. We are all citizens and equal citizens of one state” were the words that resonated amongst the audience, serving as a reminder of what the founder had envisioned.

'I Am Karachi' consortium president Jameel Yusuf with Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui making a pledge for a peaceful Karachi.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the president ‘I Am Karachi’ and Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui which marked the official pledge to safeguard the city.

The commissioner encouraged the public to report crime or suspicious activity when they see it. “Email the authorities, make an anonymous call but notify us if you see someone disrupting peace in the city,” said Siddiqui.

Talat Hussain, also one of the ambassadors for the cause, read out the pledge which was undertaken by everyone in the audience, the gist of it being: to be a peaceful citizen, to respect people’s lives, to not discriminate against any citizen, to solve all problems peacefully, to do everything in their capacity to make the city that Quaid wanted.

An ‘I Am Karachi’ app was also launched at the event which boasted numerous security features including crime reporting, a rescue button which sends the location of the person to their family members, and contact directory of over a thousand organisations.

A musical concert by Fuzon band, Shahzad Roy and folk singer Mai Dhai was also organised.

A musical performance by folk singer Mai Dhai.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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It is generally assumed that creative people have a marked tendency to suffer from mental disorders. Modern research supports the popular idea that connects mental illness with creativity.

A study carried out at Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2005 concluded that writers and their close relatives, when compared with people having the similar educational background and similar IQ levels, had higher rates of mood disorders. Donald W. Goodwin, MD, in his Alcohol and the Writer wrote that out of 11 American Nobel Laureates, four (Eugene O’Neill, Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner) were “clearly alcoholics”. John Steinbeck, the fifth one, according to Goodwin, was “probably” alcoholic.

Researchers at Karolinska Institute, a medical university in Sweden, carried out a study based on the data representing about 1.2 million patients with problems such as Schizoaffective disorder, depression, alcohol abuse, suicidal tendencies etc., and found that creative persons, especially authors, were twice as likely to commit suicide.

Perhaps creativity has a price and an author has to pay it. Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway (English), Sadiq Hidayat and Taqi Rifat (Persian), Allama I.I. Qazi (Sindhi) and Mishima Yukio (Japanese) are just a few of hundreds of authors who committed suicide. The list goes on and in fact Joumana Haddad, an Arab woman author, has published Death will come and it will have your eyes, an anthology of 150 poets who committed suicide. Though the topic is rather gloomy, someone could not refrain from commenting in the lighter vein that writers’ tendency to commit suicide should be included in “occupational hazards”.

Why do people kill themselves? The experts often cite depression, and the resultant hopelessness, as the reason. Without going into the details as to what causes depression, let us have a look at the authors of Urdu who committed suicide:

Shams Agha

Though not well-known, Shams Agha was a talented short story writer and novelist. Born in 1922, Agha was a sensitive child and as a result of separation between his parents, he was separated from his mother and siblings, which added to his restlessness. On Dec 3, 1945, he disappeared and never returned home. Vazeer Agha, a close friend and relative, believed that he had committed suicide, since Vazeer Agha had saved his life on one occasion when Shams had taken some tranquillisers. Shams had penned nine short stories and an unfinished novel. Before disappearing, he had handed over the incomplete manuscript of his novel to Maulana Salahuddin Ahmed.

Shakeb Jalali

Today considered one of the distinguished Urdu poets of post-independence era, Shakeb Jalali was mostly ignored by his contemporaries. Born Syed Hasan Rizvi in Jalal, a village near Aligarh, on Oct 1, 1934, Shakeb suffered from the painful memories of his mother’s tragic death. Shakeb’s father, suffering from some mental illness, had thrown Shakeb’s mother before an approaching train and Shakeb, 10, at that time, witnessed the devastating incident along with his siblings. This kept on haunting him all through his life and on Nov 12, 1966, he threw himself before a passing train near Sargodha. Roushni aye roushni, a collection of his poetry, appeared in 1972. Sang-e-Meel published his complete poetical works, Kulliyat-e-Shakeb Jalali, in 2004.

Sara Shugufta

Born on Oct 31, 1954, in Gujranwala, she wrote poetry in Urdu and Punjabi. Her personality was an enigma. Hailing from a poor and uneducated background, she wanted to rise socially through education but could not pass her matriculation. Her step mother, an early marriage and subsequent three more marriages (two of her husbands were poets) all added to her mental agonies. She was sent to mental asylum and after an unsuccessful suicide attempt, she threw herself before a passing train in Karachi on June 4, 1984.

Aanas Moin

A sensitive soul, Aanas Moin was born in Lahore on Nov 29, 1960. Coming from a deeply religious family, he had developed a keen interest in Sufism and it did not seem likely that he could commit suicide. But a Sufi friend of his once commented that the life after this life was so beautiful that if the people knew about it, half the population of the world would commit suicide. Yet another theory suggests that Aanas Moin wanted to marry a colleague, but his family disproved of it. Also, a fraud was committed at the bank where he worked and being the in charge of the bank, he felt it was his responsibility to prevent it. This led to his suicide on Feb 5, 1985, in Multan, when he threw himself before a train.

Sarvat Hussain

A poet of Urdu and Punjabi, Sarvat Hussain was born in Karachi on Nov 9, 1949. During his student days, Sarvat fell in love with a fellow girl student (who was later to become a renowned poet for her feministic sensibility). Sarvat was jobless but was selected as a lecturer after some struggle and taught Urdu at a college in Karachi. The fellow female poet shot to fame and began to ignore him. Later, his transfer to a college in a small town near Larkana created in him a deep sense of loneliness and being separated from his loved ones. In 1988, he was transferred to Hyderabad, but by then he had developed some psychological problems and was under treatment. In 1993, Sarvat tried to commit suicide by throwing himself before a passing train. Though saved, he lost his legs and was crippled. On Sept 9, 1996, he again tried to take his own life by falling before an oncoming train in Karachi and died.

What surprises one is the obsession of poets with train and choosing it as a means of suicide. Perhaps train’s journey has a romantic appeal and the tracks and train itself are metaphor for a long journey, the ultimate journey!

And now a few words about authors whose death is shrouded in mystery and the questions about their death remain unanswered:

Mustafa Zaidi

Born Syed Mustafa Husnain Zaidi, Mustafa Zaidi was a high-ranking civil servant. Born in Allahabad on Oct 10, 1930, Mustafa Zaidi died in Karachi on Oct 12, 1970, under mysterious circumstances. Some believed that he was murdered while others thought that he committed suicide.

Qamar Abbas Nadeem

Born in 1944, Qamar Abbas Nadeem was a medical doctor and an established short story writer. Many believe he did not commit suicide and died in a road accident. But a close friend of Qamar Abbas Nadeem’s had once disclosed to this writer that Nadeem had suicidal tendency and often talked about the “absurdity” of life. On May 29, 1981, he took tranquillisers and crashed his car against an electric pole. His sedating himself before crashing the car was perhaps a way of ascertaining the death. But his death was generally reported as an accident.

Dr Safia Ibaad in her book Rag rut, khwahish-e-marg, aur tanha phool, published a few years ago, has offered some insight into the lives of Urdu authors who committed suicide. Though it was helpful in writing this piece, the book lacks certain details.

drraufparekh@yahoo.com

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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A child’s birth brings joy and happiness, and parents and family look forward to healthy growth and development. But that is not always the case. It’s a sad situation that in Pakistan more than 40 out of every 1,000 newborns die during the first month of their lives; in 2013, almost half of all under-five deaths took place during the first 28 days of a baby’s life — a period that is considered most crucial in a newborn’s life.

It is heart-wrenching to see so many newborns dying each year. Though there can be many causes for this, out of the estimated 200,000 newborns who die every year in Pakistan, at least 36,000 lose their lives due to premature birth, 80,000 due to complications arising during childbirth and 50,000 due to infections during the first month of life.

The tragedy is that most, if not all of these issues, are easily preventable.

The first few days of a baby’s birth can be the most exciting time for parents. But for some, it is a time of agony and irreparable loss

There are many ways to deal with this issue — improving nutrition and providing prenatal care and basic medical services are some of the interventions that can lower infant mortality rates. The National Nutritional Survey, 2011, for example, revealed that a large percentage of pregnant women suffered from vitamin and mineral deficiency, while more than half of the pregnant women surveyed were iron deficient. According to research, iron-deficiency in pregnancy results in premature birth and low birth weight babies, some of whom then require intensive care.

Such babies are more susceptible to disease as their organs, including lungs and heart as well as their immune system, are not adequately developed. Premature babies require advanced medical care — including state-of-the-art facilities such as ventilated incubators and special care units, as well as trained and sufficient staff members. If they receive proper care, their chances of survival increase.

Unfortunately, despite the growing demand for neonatal care in Pakistan, few hospitals have neonatal wards or adequately staffed facilities to cater to the needs of these babies.

In order to improve newborn survival rates so that babies can survive the first month of their lives, we need to focus on providing prenatal care to expectant mothers in underserved areas, training medical personnel to identify high-risk pregnancies, as well as improving facilities and providing advanced care for premature babies.

Likewise, to identify high-risk pregnancies, there is a need to train existing healthcare practitioners serving in rural areas. Though efforts have been made in this area, there remains an on-going need for skill enhancement and training midwives, nurses and paediatricians so they can provide quality care, which will ultimately reduce neonatal and maternal mortality rates.

Mobilising well-trained medical professionals in rural and underserved areas is critical but so far there appears to be little commitment from the government to address this issue. Medical officers can help counsel expecting women and to-be fathers on: delivering babies in healthcare facilities as opposed to delivering at home, enhancing hygiene levels, adopting breastfeeding habits and timely vaccination, among other pertinent issues. Professionals can also provide antenatal care and delivery, as well as postnatal care, including training mothers on how to look after premature babies.

Additionally, medical officers can work in collaboration with nutritionists to develop and administer diet plans for expectant mothers. Undernourished mothers are more likely to give birth to premature babies, increasing the incidence of neonatal deaths. Raising awareness about the underlying causes of neonatal mortality can play a significant role in improving the survival rate of newborns.

Few children in rural areas are lucky enough to receive medical attention

An important step in improving neonatal mortality would be to create awareness among the general public that expectant mothers need to seek professional help. In rural areas most of the women do not go for antenatal care throughout the pregnancy as they think it an ordinary matter and only depend on the dai / midwife for delivery. These midwives are often not trained to handle complications, or deal with factors which may result in premature birth. Women are often malnourished and also are not aware of the importance of proper balanced diet during pregnancy and midwives fail to address this aspect. Malnourished mothers give birth to low birth weight babies who are more vulnerable to infections which may result in death.

Lack of female doctors in rural areas also contribute to women not seeking professional help as women shy away from visiting a male doctor or the family may consider it inappropriate. Delay in reaching a doctor, especially when specialised care is needed, also results in complications rendering the mother and child more at risk.

It is a sad situation that specialist care is only available at tertiary care hospitals in the public and private sectors, to which access for a large section of the population is not easy due to distances and transport issues. While it is the government’s responsibility to provide health care to all at primary and secondary levels, in the absence of such facility corporations are encouraged to invest in healthcare initiatives as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts, which they are doing to some extent.

Looking at the global scenario, there has been progress in reducing neonatal and under-five mortality rates; however, despite solutions being available to tackle challenges, 2.8 million newborn babies were lost around the world in 2013. These staggering statistics call to step up our efforts and take responsibility for the issues we face nationally — and simultaneously, work collaboratively with local and international donors, NGOs and health organisations to ensure that right steps are being taken to reach out to high-risk babies and mothers across Pakistan.

Let’s give ourselves a deadline — let’s unite — and together, let’s fight to curb neonatal and maternal deaths.

The writer is a freelance journalist, editor and owner of www.54thedition.com, a writing and editing boutique. Additional information acquired from Nazish Shekha, sustainability consultant at the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) — a sustainability advocacy platform.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 26th, 2015

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LAHORE: The heirs of Murtaza who was murdered in Askari-10 and Zain who was killed in Cavalry Ground met Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here on Sunday and were given cheques of financial assistance for Rs2.5 million each.

The cheques were received by mothers of both deceased students.

Talking to the affected families, the chief minister announced that the Punjab government would bear educational expenses of the children of both families.

He also announced the provision of a job to the brother of deceased Murtaza. He said though the deceased could not be brought back, the demands of justice would be fulfilled and the Punjab government would follow the cases.

Mr Shahbaz ordered all out protection to the families of Murtaza and Zain. He directed the CCPO to present the challan of the cases in the court without any delay.

Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Mrs Khawaja Saad Rafique, MPA Yasin Sohal, the CCPO and SSP (Investigations) were also present.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The killing of a prominent rights campaigner Friday has sent shockwaves through the country's progressives, as those who speak out against alleged abuses by the state say they are under increasing threat.

Sabeen Mahmud, the 40-year-old director The Second Floor cafe in Karachi which regularly hosted debates and arts events, was killed when gunmen attacked her car as she left the venue minutes after hosting a seminar on abuses in the restive Balochistan province.

Read: Director T2F Sabeen Mahmud shot dead in Karachi

The same talk, featuring prominent Baloch activist Mama Qadeer who has campaigned for the “missing people” of Balochistan, had been cancelled by the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences weeks earlier after members of faculty reported pressure from intelligence agencies.

Police say they are examining whether she was targeted because of her work at the cafe, which held talks against religious extremism as well as state brutality.

Also read: Sabeen was being coerced into ‘suspending her activities’

“She had no personal enmity so there is much possibility that she might have been targeted because of her intellectual activities. She was getting threatening calls from some unknown callers. We are working (out) who they might be,” senior police official Jamil Ahmed said Sunday.

Culture of impunity

Her death led to an outpouring of grief with hundreds of mourners attending her funeral Saturday, as the United States and the European Union joined Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in officially condemning the killing.

But most analysts say there is little chance her murderers will ever be brought to justice given the recent history of impunity among those who target the country's marginalised liberals.

Also read: Columnist, anchor Raza Rumi attacked, driver loses life

Last year, prominent liberal TV host Raza Rumi narrowly escaped a gun attack on his car in Lahore that killed his driver, while another anchor, Hamid Mir, survived being shot in the stomach in Karachi shortly after hosting a TV programme about Balochistan.

No perpetrators have been brought to justice in either case.

Also read: Intelligence agencies to probe Sabeen Mahmud's murder: ISPR

TV anchor Mir, whose brother quickly pointed the finger at the country's Inter Services Intelligence agency (ISI) for the attempt on his life, said he saw several parallels with the attack on Mahmud.

“The most common factor was Mama Qadeer Baloch because I received threats when I invited him on my show,” Mir told AFP.

Also read: Journalist Hamid Mir injured in gun attack in Karachi

“I got six bullet injuries, she got maybe four. I was attacked by the people who were riding a motorcycle, she was too. My attackers were guided by some people who were sitting in a car and this was the same case in her incident.“

Dissenting voices silenced

Hashim Bin Rashid, a leftwing columnist and activist, says that there is a growing atmosphere among the country's urban middle classes that encourages the silencing of dissenting voices.

“The overall atmosphere of fascism... is much more worrying, where anyone is offering any dissent is going to be called a traitor,” he said.

Activists who write about the rights of Baloch people on social media, or condemn the killing of minorities, are often loudly berated and receive death threats that are never investigated, while on the other hand the government blocks pages belonging to progressive groups on Facebook, he added.

Resource-rich Balochistan is the largest of Pakistan's four provinces and also its most impoverished, and it has been racked by a separatist insurgency since 2004.

Human rights groups allege the security forces commit abuses, accusing them of picking up non-militant separatists, including academics and students, torturing them and dumping their bodies on the streets.

Others simply disappear, activists say.

Mir said the room for freedom of expression on Balochistan had significantly narrowed in the mainstream media.

“Since I was attacked last year, the media has been facing a lot of pressure,” said Mir, who now travels with an armed escort. “They feel they are helpless, they cannot express their views in the media openly, they cannot get justice. They feel anyone who speaks truth or people who become voice for the voiceless will be silenced. This is not good for democratic society.“

Also read: Herald exclusive: Mama Qadeer — the voice of the missing

Abid Hussain, a Karachi-based journalist who attended Friday's seminar and had known Mahmud for more than a decade, described her loss as “unquantifiable”.

“I truly hope we are able to rally around her and do our best to continue her legacy and what she taught us... but the sceptic in me says that it won't be possible,” he said.

The first test, he said, would be whether a talk on Balochistan scheduled to be held at the University of Karachi next month is allowed to go ahead, and safely.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif indirectly taunted the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for its allegations of rigging in the 2013 general election by saying the cantonment board polls exposed the reality of the accusations.

Greeting PML-N candidates on their success in the local body elections of cantonment boards here on Sunday, he said, “The results of local elections have shown a mirror to those levelling allegations of rigging in 2013 elections.”

He said the nation would never forgive those who created hurdles in the journey to progress through sit-ins. He alleged that energy projects had been delayed due to “protest politics” the previous year and efforts were made through sit-ins to shake the confidence of people in the democratic process.

The chief minister said the success of PML-N nominees reflected full confidence of the people in party policies and the results proved that people loved the PML-N and its leadership.

The chief minister assured residents of the constituencies where the PML-N did not succeed that they were also his constituencies and development process would continue there like in other areas.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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QUETTA: At least 16 districts of Balochistan, including the provincial capital, plunged into darkness late on Sunday night.

Officials of the Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco) said a fault had developed in the main 220kv transmission line supplying electricity to the province from the Guddu power plant.

“Our engineers and technical staff are trying to locate the place where the fault has developed,’’ Qesco officials said.

They said that 16 out of 32 districts of Balochistan were without electricity. “We are trying to supply power to Quetta from alternative arrangements,” they added.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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The first quarter of 2015 hasn’t even passed and we have more than five films lined up for the year. But the best part about this is that all films do not follow the same old script and cast and the latest offering Karachi se Lahore (KSL) is a fresh road-trip film, a genre which according to director Wajahat Rauf has never been experimented in Pakistan before.

The film boasts a cast of celebrities with diverse backgrounds. The crew comprises TV, film and theatre actors like Javed Sheikh, Rashid Naaz, Ayesha Omer, Eshita Syed, Shehzad Sheikh and Yasir Hussain.

The cast looks forward to its release in the Eid season on July 31. This was officially revealed in a pre-release event held at Karachi's Pearl Continental hotel which also gave the first glimpse into the film's trailer.

What's there to see in Karachi se Lahore?

• A cast to look forward to: Javed Sheikh, Ayesha Omer, Shehzad Sheikh and Yasir Hussain
• Music being looked after by Noori's Ali Noor and Ali Hamza along with Shiraz Upal
• First of its kind road-trip rom-com in Pakistan.

Filming 36-hour real time journey:

Rauf who has his fair share of experience in the industry with dramas like Karachi High, Minglish and the recent Soteli dubs the film as the first Pakistani road trip movie: "This is the first road trip film to be made in Pakistan. It covers the 36-hour journey from Karachi to Lahore in real time, where the characters face obstacles, overcome them and undergo personal growth.”

With recent films like Jalaibee and Good Morning Karachi that did not do as well at the box office as expected, with their plots being among the reasons, KSL is expecting to reach out to the audience with 'local' humour, and a narrative which speaks of life, development and childhood friendships.

Also read: 'Karachi se Lahore' set to hit screens on July 31 2015

"Between the trip from Karachi to Lahore, the audience will see all sorts of characters from all ethnicities; Pashtun, Baloch, Sindhi everybody is incorporated; the film revolves around our culture completely," Rauf tells Dawn.

Director Wajahat Rauf at the event. — Photo by Yumna Rafi

The film's Director of Photography (DOP) will be Rana Kamran who shares the same credentials for the box office hit Na Maloom Afraad.

NOT an item number:

The teaser of the film which was released earlier this year with Ayesha Omer's 'item song' created quite a buzz. However, upon being asked about it, Ayesha flashed a mysterious smile and commented that it is "not an item number, you will figure that out."

Cast and crew filming a song in Lahore. — Photo Courtesy: KSL's Facebook page

Yasir Hussain had further clarified that it was a "situational song" which the story demanded, an item number as the Bollywood has defined it for us is "added in the film and is performed by a female actor who is not part of the film cast".

The cast speaks:

Javed Sheikh, who is also starring in the movie along with his son taking the lead role, candidly shared how he and Rauf embarked upon the journey together to make the film: "Wajahat had no prior experience in making a film; when he shared the script with me, I wondered what he would make. But when I read the beginning, it was so good, I was a bit shocked."

Having starred in numerous films in Bollywood, Sheikh went on to say that India is hooked on to Pakistani dramas: "They (Bollywood) are in awe of our stories and cast; I want the same for Pakistani films. I once dreamt of seeing our industry using the same modern equipment as the Indians and that has become a reality now."

The cast speaking to the media.— Photo by Yumna Rafi

Ayesha Omer also spoke about her role which is a transition of a girl who is domesticated and later finds herself and evolves during the journey: "The character has a lot of shades and can strike a chord with any age group. The film carries important life lessons; it is not a meaningless, message-less film."

Yasir Hussain, who has an acclaimed background as a play writer, with Aangan Terrha and Sawa 14 August to his name, will not only be acting but has also penned down the storyline for KSL:

"It took me two and half a years to write the script for this film; I can assure you it will be a breath of fresh air."

Yasir Hussain, Shehzad Sheikh and Ahmed Ali at the trailer launch. — Photo courtesy: KSL's Facebook page

Playing Javed Sheikh’s ‘dream girl’, Mantahaa, who is a fitness trainer by profession would be marking her entry in the industry: "I had no experience in acting or modelling; arts was my passion. A friend of mine told me about Wajahat and that is how I became a part of the film.”

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"I wasn't expecting the industry would be this advanced; it was pleasant surprise,” she added.

The trailer:

Although not as quirky as Ho Mann Jahaan, the trailer was still able to grasp the audience. Catchy soundtracks and amusing dialogues left many in the audience chuckling.

Item song or not, ‘Tutie fruity’ did appear like a ‘situational song’ in relation to a scene in the film which demanded the performance. Ayesha Omer, whom many have seen evolve from a domineering student in Kollege Jeans to Khubsoorat in Bulbulay, would agree that the actor will make her presence felt in the film.

Ahmed Ali and Rashid Naz. — Photo by Yumna rafi

All in all, KSL can quite literally be termed as a family film with father-son duo of Javed Sheikh and Shehzad Sheikh both part of the crew. In addition, a new entrant child artist Aashir Wajahat who is director Wajahat Rauf's son, will also be acting in the feature film.