ISLAMABAD: Insisting that his party had presented enough evidence before the inquiry commission to prove their claim that the 2013 general elections were rigging in the favour of the ruling PML-N, PTI chief Imran Khan accused the government, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) of a collective cover-up.

Speaking to mediapersons outside the Supreme Court, which has become a regular part of Mr Khan’s routine now, he maintained that these national institutions were responsible for the “farcical elections”.

Clad in his signature white shalwar kameez and sunglasses and flanked by key party leaders, the triumphant-looking PTI leader declared that his struggle to bring true democracy to the country was about to be completed and those involved in stealing the people’s mandate had been exposed. “In the future, no one will dare to make such a mistake again.”

“I am surprised by the recent statements made by the ECP and Nadra, which clearly show whose side the two institutions are standing on at this critical moment,” he said.

On one hand, the Nadra chairman said they lacked the technology to read fingerprints because of poor ink quality, but at the same time claimed that all unreadable ballots were also genuine voters.

“I know the Nadra chairman made this statement under pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office,” Mr Khan said.

In a strong rejoinder issued over the weekend, the ECP had accused PTI of failing to provide evidence proving its claims before the judicial commission, in contrast to its claims that it would prove that the last elections were deliberately rigged in favour of the PML-N.

Mr Khan accused the ECP and Nadra of covering-up for the ruling party, saying both organisations were busy trying their best to hide evidence on behalf of the incumbent government. “This is why, during the sit-in, I had demanded the PM’s resignation because I knew that a fair investigation was not possible in his presence,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Khan was particularly harsh on ECP Punjab, who he accused of “giving a free hand to PML-N candidates to manage elections at their will.”

Substantiating his argument with examples of how returning officer (ROs) connived with the ruling PML-N, particularly in Punjab, Mr Khan said, “During his appearance before the commission, the baffled RO for NA-125 accepted that he was unaware that additional 50,000 were ballots printed for the constituency he supervised.”

Showing two different sets of Form XV from the NA-21 Mansehra, where the prime minister’s son-in-law Captain Mohammad Safdar was elected from, the PTI chairman told the media corps gathered outside the SC there were scores of polling stations where this kind of cover-up was attempted.

Mr Khan hoped that after the constitution of the inquiry commission and the hearing of the PTI plea against rigging, the country will embark on the path to free and fair elections in future.

PTI National Organiser Jahangir Tareen and Information Secretary Naeemul Haq were also present on the occasion.

Soon after Mr Khan’s press talk, information minister Pervaiz Rashid announced he would hold a press conference in the evening, as per routine, but his press conference was later cancelled.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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KARACHI: An antiterrorism court remanded a man in judicial custody in a case pertaining to the murder of a Karachi University professor.

Sami-uz-Zaman has been booked for allegedly killing Dr Syed Waheedur Rehman, better known by his pen name Yasir Rizvi, in a drive-by shooting near the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases in Federal B Area on April 29.

The police arrested the suspect on June 14 and the following day he was remanded in police custody for 14 days.

After the end of his remand, the police produced the suspect in court and the judge of the ATC-II sent him to prison on judicial remand and asked the investigation officer to submit the investigation report.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Yousuf Plaza police station.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that his government’s top priority was to rid the country of chronic loadshedding by 2017.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of the 24-km signal free corridor of the Islamabad Expressway, Mr Sharif said that besides development of infrastructure, the government was equally concentrating on energy-related projects.

The prime minister said that this year there was less loadshedding than last year and mentioned a number of ongoing power projects, eg the 960MW Neelum Jhelum, 1400MW Tarbella-IV and 1000MW by LNG which, he said, would help address the issue of power shortage.

He said the government had lowered the power tariff by Rs5.32 per unit.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Alleging that there was a lack of accountability, monitoring and proper delegation of authority within the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), senior counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada said that not only was the ECP responsible for the recurring electoral crisis that happened off and on in the country, but warned that the ECP might become redundant if this trend continued unchecked.

Arguing before the three-judge inquiry commission – investigating allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections – Mr Pirzada said the ECP had failed to effectively monitor and obtain feedback on what transpired on polling day.

“This is total abdication of the duties cast upon the ECP, which left the job of holding the elections to the sweet will of its subordinates,” the counsel emphasised. He blamed the ECP secretary and the provincial election commissioners for failing to implement election laws.

The ECP left everything, including the job to assess the requirement of ballot papers for each constituency, on returning officers (ROs), which eventually led to the printing of the ballot papers far in excess of the number of registered voters in those constituencies.

Pirzada says commission created controversy around Form XV itself

Referring to the testimonies recorded by the ROs who appeared before the inquiry commission, Mr Pirzada regretted that the ECP left Forms XV in possession of the ROs, who also filled them out when that was the job of presiding officers.

This was not permissible under the election laws or rules, he said, adding that the violation of these laws amounted to a criminal offence, liable to be punished by two years in jail.

How many ROs were show-caused or punished by the ECP, asked the counsel. But Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, who heads the commission, reminded him that action against the presiding or returning officers would require evidence.

The counsel said the ECP, through its April 18, 2013, letter to the provincial election commissioners and printing presses, had informed them about the instructions under an action plan to maintain the sanctity of the ballot, which suggested that the number of ballot papers in each constituency should be determined by rounding off the requirement for each polling station and not the polling booths. But the ROs rounded up on the basis of individual booths.

Can the consolidation of election results take place in violation of these guidelines, the counsel asked.

Referring to the testimony of former caretaker Punjab chief minister Najam Sethi, who had conceded that administrative powers had been taken away from him and that, soon after the elections, secretaries had begun reporting to Raiwind, Mr Pirzada argued that the caretaker set-up in the province was a sham, adding the very purpose of appointing a caretaker CM was frustrated since nobody listened to him.

“It was the administration in the Punjab that was running the show,” the counsel regretted, adding that a large number of ballot papers were printed especially for Lahore’s high-profile constituencies and the ballot papers assigned to polling stations were not accounted for.

This cannot be meaningless, he said, adding that had all the materials such as Form XV been produced in a timely manner by the ECP, the controversy would not have arisen at all. This controversy is of their own creation, he said.

The counsel also highlighted the need of doing something with the election tribunals, which took more time in deciding disputes, making people lose faith in them.

At this, the chief justice reminded the counsel that tribunals now had full-time judges. Pirzada said that there should be more tribunals and some reforms also. The commission’s terms of reference do not include the reforms, quipped Justice Amir Hani Muslim, but Pirzada explained that he meant that the reforms should be suggested by the law and justice commission of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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KARACHI: At least 25 more people died of heatstroke in the province on Tuesday with environmentalists saying that the punishing heatwave has not yet fully gone and sea breeze has not yet returned to the metropolis despite decreasing temperatures and improved weather patterns.

Officials said that with 22 more deaths in the city its tally was now 1,256 while the three more deaths in Badin and Thar districts brought the heat-related deaths to 101 in other districts of the province, taking the overall toll to 1,357.

The provincial government earlier said heatwave had affected more than 100,000 people in Karachi alone while hundreds others were estimated to be hit by it.

Despite repeated trips to various hospitals of the city by the chief minister and his cabinet ministers till Monday following Pakistan Peoples Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s visit to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) on Sunday, the provincial cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday said not a single word of policy, inviting further criticism from the opposition parties.

“It shows how serious the provincial government is about the welfare of the people of the province, Karachi in particular,” said Syed Hafeezuddin, a provincial lawmaker of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

The provincial cabinet’s sole focus during the meeting was on the National Action Plan.

Environmentalists, however, warn that the authorities would have to do a lot of work to save further loss of life during the current heatwave and be prepared for the future when more such climatic disasters were in store.

“Repeated warnings had been given by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the previous years about possible heatwave disasters in Southeast Asia, but we turned a deaf ear to it and it caught us unawares,” said Dr Tahir Qureshi, eminent environmentalist belonging to the World Conservation Union, while speaking to Dawn.

He said despite decreasing temperatures, sea breeze, the city’s own cooling system, had not fully returned, confirming that the situation was still grim and deadly for the most vulnerable inhabitants, particularly the low-income elderly and socially-isolated poor.

Officials at the city’s hospitals said a majority of the dead appeared to have hailed from lower economic groups, including many homeless, beggars and drug addicts.

“Though temperatures are not as high as before, the low pressure in the sea still remains, which means the heatwave is still in Sindh,” said Dr Qureshi, adding that the inadequate sea breeze was not sufficiently neutralising the heatwave.

Officials at various hospitals were perplexed over the heatwave phenomenon, which, they said, had seemingly faded away yet patients affected by it were arriving at the emergency departments.

“Their numbers have decreased significantly, but they are still coming to us. Most of them are elderly and belong to the poor groups,” said Dr Saeed Qureshi, who heads the CHK.

He said most of the patients arriving at the hospitals with high-grade fever and critical symptoms were those who were affected by heatstroke a day or two earlier and their condition deteriorated later.

An official in the provincial health department said the city’s hospitals were still receiving heatstroke patients, especially during afternoon hours when the temperatures were still harsh.

Official figures say some 37 per cent of the people who died of heatstroke were women. Experts say children survived heatstroke more proficiently than adults for the reason that they normally do not fast and take liquids when needed.

A representative of the Edhi Foundation said its volunteers buried two more unclaimed bodies received at its morgue a couple of days earlier.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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PESHAWAR: Six security personnel were injured in firing and shelling from Afghan security forces in South Waziristan tribal agency on Wednesday.

Afghan security forces early on Wednesday morning fired mortal shells at a security checkpost in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan.

Read more: Pakistani troops cross border, rescue Afghan soldier

Tensions have been rising along the border of Khyber Agency and South Waziristan tribal region over the last few days, say official security sources.

Reports of rising tensions come as the Taliban step up attacks in Afghanistan as a part of their annual offensive.

An Inter-Services Intelligence officer was accused of involvement in a Taliban attack targeting the Afghan parliament building on June 22.

Read more: ISI officer involved in Kabul parliament attack, claims Afghan intelligence

The latest attack on security personnel occurs as operations Zarb-i-Azb and Khyber II ─ targeting militancy in the sensitive tribal region of Waziristan ─ have reached their final phases.

LAHORE: Alarmed by departure of Ashraf Sohna, the PPP leadership has approached two other former federal ministers, following reports they too have plans to say goodbye to the party for different reasons.

PPP central Punjab president Manzoor Wattoo, on the direction of the party leadership, contacted on Tuesday former federal ministers Nazar Gondal and Sumsam Bokhari and discussed ‘rumours’ about their plans to quit the party and join the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

“Both Mr Gondal and Mr Bokhari dismissed such reports and reiterated their commitment to the party and its leadership,” Mr Wattoo told Dawn.

When asked whether the Gondals’ reservations with regard to the PPP leadership included not stopping the PML-N government from “victimising” some of their family members (Zafar Gondal) in EOIB case, Mr Wattoo said: “Reservations are a routine matter and leaders do not quit parties on petty issues.”

Former legislator retired Maj Zulfiqar Gondal, a relative of Gondals of Mandi Bahauddin, said that none of them was quitting the party. “Yes we have friends in the PTI who often try to convince us to join them but we have taken no such decision,” he said.

Replying to a question about the family’s differences with the PPP top leadership, Mr Gondal said: “The PML-N government has got registered false cases against Zafar Gondal to politically victimise the Gondal family. It is often asked why PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who is considered close to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is not asking him about the victimisation and stopping his government from registering false cases against him (Zafar Gondal).

Zulfiqar Gondal deplored that a friend of Asif Ali Zadari, who got clemency from him (during his tenure as president) after his conviction in corruption cases, had held a media trial of Zafar Gondal. “That friend (of Mr Zardari) and his family are still close to the former president,” he said.

He alleged that former interior minister Rehman Malik was the only beneficiary of PPP’s reconciliation policy and others including former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Giani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, were being still “victimised” by the PML-N government.

“Why the Federal Investigation Agency does not take action against Rehman Malik for his alleged involvement in money laundering through model Ayyan Ali. It had been established that it was the money of Mr Malik’s brother Khalid Malik which the model was trying to launder to Dubai,” Mr Gondal argued.

“But this does not mean we are saying goodbye to the PPP,” he added.

Another PPP leader from Punjab told Dawn the party leaders and workers in the largest province were feeling frustrated.

“Since the PPP top leadership does not stop acting as ‘B Team’ of the PML-N, some of its leaders will be weighing the option of joining the PTI,” he said and urged both Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari to camp in Punjab to address the workers’ concerns to salvage the party.

“Sumsam Bokhari and some others have a right to consider other parties,” he said, adding that though Mr Bokhari had no reservations or any rift with the PPP leadership like former Punjab minister Ashraf Sohna had, he was pessimistic about the party’s future under the present circumstances.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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KARACHI: The promised Green Line Rapid Transit System was the focal subject during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday.

Water projects and loss of lives due to the unprecedented heatwave came under discussion. However, the participants did not discuss the law and order situation of Karachi.

Secretary Saleh Farooqi briefed participants about the contours of the mega transport project for Karachi, saying that the service is being given from the federal government to the province. Farooqi said that the Green Line, having a capacity of 300,000 passenger trips per day will operate along a 17.8km route, with 21 stations.

“We have given you Rs8billion for the Green Line project,” Nawaz was quoted as saying to the chief minister. To this, Shah responded by thanking him and saying that the project will cost Rs16 billion.

PM Nawaz holds discussion at the CM House. —DawnNews screengrab

PM orders for completion of K4 project within two years

Water project K4 also came under discussion, with the prime minister issuing orders to complete the project within two years.

He said the federal government can give Rs10 billion for this project adding that consultancy for K4 should be completed in six months. The K4, a Rs270million project, is designed to double the capacity of Karachi’s water supply system

PM Nawaz was also briefed on the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme by chief secretary Sindh under which 260 million gallons of water per day would be brought from Kinjhar lake to Karachi, to meet present and future needs of Karachi. The project will be completed in three phases.

The premier directed that a monitoring committee comprising federal and provincial government officials be set up to ensure efficiency and transparency in its execution in a speedy manner. Federal government would share the project cost with the provincial government, he said.

Nawaz vows to punish those who neglected responsibility: PM Nawaz

PM Nawaz expressed deep grief and sorrow over the heatwave incident. "The whole country sympathises with the affected people in this hour of grief," he said.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah thanked PM Nawaz for taking personal interest in matters of the province, particularly Karachi.

He briefed the premier on the crisis that hit the city on June 19 which caused hundreds of casualties and the relief measures taken by Sindh government in its aftermath.

PM Nawaz was also apprised that more than 65,000 patients were reportedly admitted in hospitals during this period, out of which around 1,250 lost their lives.

PM Nawaz said that this was an unprecedented incident in the history of Pakistan and all departments that neglected their responsibilities and added to public misery should be held accountable in a transparent manner.

The premier added that lessons should be learnt from such calamities and measures be taken to avoid their recurrence in future. He appreciated the role played by private welfare associations in providing relief to the people.

Those attending the meeting include Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch along with members of the Sindh Cabinet.

PM Nawaz arrived at the CM House to discuss matters pertaining to the heatwave, electricity crisis and over all law and order situation in Karachi. —DawnNews screengrab

Earlier, PM Nawaz arrived in Karachi for a day-long visit. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was present at the Karachi airport to receive the premier and interior minister.

The premier arrived at Chief Minister House to discuss the electricity crisis, deaths caused by the heatwave, steps the government can take to improve the situation and the over all law and order situation.

PM Nawaz is also scheduled to visit various hospitals where heatstroke patients are receiving treatment. Later, the prime minister will meet Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) representatives before leaving.

Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed also accompanied the premier.

Since the onslaught of the deadly heatwave which has claimed over 1,200 lives in Karachi, there have been calls from all over the country for Nawaz Sharif to visit the metropolis as the federal government has been blamed for loadshedding that has been held responsible for contributing to deaths in the city.

Also read: PM-COAS meeting focuses on Karachi

Before leaving for Karachi on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met Army Chief General Raheel Sharif at the PM office on Tuesday.

An official of the prime minister’s office had told Dawn that a meeting between the prime minister and the army chief always carried importance, but following the BBC report which accused the MQM of working hand in glove with Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for creating unrest in Karachi, it had gained an added significance.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has stopped 17 public and private sector medical colleges from admitting students for the 2015-16 session for being critically deficient in faculty and other facilities.

Besides, the PMDC has recommended to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination to order closure of four of the colleges for constantly violating rules and regulations.

The PMDC decision has sent a shockwave among students and the administration of colleges as the admission process is to start in coming weeks.

The closure of four institutions will put the future of hundreds of students at stake.

Eight of the 17 colleges are in Punjab, four each in public and private sectors.

Test for admission to government-run medical and dental colleges in Punjab has been scheduled on Aug 30.

The PMDC has advised parents and students to confirm the status of medical colleges before seeking admission to them.

In a letter sent to the ministry on June 25, the PMDC has listed the colleges which have been stopped from holding the admission process. They are: Sahiwal Medical College, Dera Ghazi Khan Medical College, Abbottabad International Medical College, Abbottabad Women Medical College, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical College, Lahore; Shaikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan; Rashid Latif Medical College, Lahore; Pak Red Crescent Medical and Dental College, Lahore; University College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore; Hashmat Medical and Dental College, Gujrat; Al-Razi Medical College, Peshawar; Mohammad Bin Qasim Dental and Medical College, Karachi; Federal Medical and Dental College, Islamabad; Pak International Medical College, Peshawar; Indus Medical College, Tando Mohammad Khan (Sindh); Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi; and Department of Dentistry, Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan.

The medical and dental colleges whose closure has been recommended are: Pak Red Crescent Medical and Dental College, Lahore; Hashmat Medical and Dental College, Gujrat; Al-Razi Medical College, Peshawar; and Sahiwal Medical College.

The council has said that the Dera Ghazi Khan Medical College and the Department of Dentistry, Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan, were functioning without recognition, a violation of rules and regulations.

In separate letters to the provincial health departments and the vice-chancellors and principals concerned, the PMDC has urged them to ensure implementation of its decision.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is expanding the scope of its investigation against alleged corruption and irregularities in different departments of Sindh, particularly in Karachi, and has decided to open two new cases.

On Wednesday, the bureau’s executive board authorised an inquiry against officials of the Workers Welfare Board (WWB) and the revenue department of Gadap town in Karachi.

According to NAB’s spokesman, the officials were accused of purchasing 66.25 acres of land in Deh Allah Phiai area through forgery in revenue record, thus causing a loss of Rs243.8 million to the national exchequer.

The executive board’s meeting also approved an inquiry against officers of Sindh police for alleged embezzlement of funds in procurement of armoured vehicles and CCTV cameras and misappropriation of POL funds.

Last week, NAB Karachi arrested Manzar Abbas, Chairman of Benazir Housing Cell (BHC), for allegedly misappropriating Rs367.5m of the cell’s funds. He was accused of making fake calculations for issuing illegal cheques to M/s Fiza Social Welfare Organisation, the NAB spokesman said.

Before this arrest, NAB was investigating two other cases relating to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). The first case was against Manzoor Qadir, former director general of the SBCA, who along with other officials of the authority was accused of being involved in corruption and misuse of authority.

The second case was against SBCA’s former director Nisar Ansari, who is in NAB’s custody on physical remand.

On June 15, Rangers raided the SBCA reportedly over illegal construction and ‘China cutting’ (illegal plotting of state-owned land) in Karachi. They seized relevant record and important data and interrogated SBCA staff over such unlawful practices and alleged involvement in these of the authority’s former director general.

The PPP-led Sindh government strongly reacted to the Rangers’ `raid’. PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar alleged in the upper house of parliament on June 18 that a plan appeared to be afoot to dislodge the Sindh government and the raid was aimed at taking control of its functions.

NAB also decided to file a corruption reference against Imdad Ullah, Director of the Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, and others for allegedly misusing their authority and causing a loss of Rs12.5m to the exchequer.

The bureau authorised an inquiry against Abdul Ghafoor Lehri, Balochistan’s former minister for industries and commerce. He is accused of amassing assets worth Rs8 billion beyond his known source of income.

The meeting approved two investigations. The first is against Sahibzada Riaz Noor, former chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and KP communication and works department’s former project director Sohail Bin Qayyum and its ex-secretary Zahid Arif. They are accused of misusing their authority and illegally reinstating Zahid Arif.

The second investigation was authorised against Ahsanullah Khan, officials of the KP revenue department and others for allegedly misusing authority and making illegal appointment and promotion of revenue staff.

The meeting assigned an inquiry into the privatisation of MCB Bank to NAB Rawalpindi under NAB Ordinance.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights rejected on Wednesday a constitutional amendment bill seeking an end to constitutional indemnity available to the president and governors in proceedings against them in criminal cases after its opposition by PPP and PML-N members.

The chairman of the committee, Mohammad Javed Abbasi, had to go for a vote count to decide about the fate of the private bill that had been moved by Hafiz Hamdullah of the JUI-F when the mover refused to withdraw it after its opposition by PPP’s Saeed Ghani and PML-N’s Ayesha Farooq.

The bill had been tabled by Mr Hamdullah in March. The JUI-F senator had sought omission of clause 2 of Article 248, which states: “No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continue against the president or a governor in any court during the term of office.”

Saeed Ghani and Ayesha Farooq were the only two members, out of 12, who attended the meeting. Since Mr Hamdullah is not a member of the committee, he could not cast his own vote in favour of the bill.

The mover termed this provision in the constitution against the Quran and Sunnah, saying it also negates the constitutional provision which grants equal rights to every citizen.

Interestingly, Federal Law Secretary Mohammad Raza Khan also indirectly supported the bill, saying the indemnity given to the president, prime minister, ministers and governors through Article 248 was against the basic principles of Islam.

PPP and PML-N members reject bill seeking end to indemnity

The law secretary suggested to Mr Hamdullah to withdraw his bill and asked him to move another bill seeking abolition of the whole Article 248.

The committee chairman, who belongs to PML-N, observed that the amendment bill, if approved, would open a Pandora’s box. He said such indemnity was available in other countries as well.

Mr Ghani said the JUI-F’s former head late Mufti Mehmood had also signed the Constitution of 1973 which granted this indemnity to the offices and not to individuals.

Ayesha Farooq said that no one was above the law and constitution. She said if the president or governors would be appearing before courts, they would not be able to perform their constitutional duties.

The opponents of the bill were of the view that the indemnity had been given to the offices only for a limited period and the president or governors would have to face courts after retiring from their offices.

Meanwhile, the committee directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present before it complete details of corruption cases being pursued by them in various courts of law.

The committee also decided to call NAB Chairman Chaudhry Qamar Zaman to appear before the committee with details of the cases NAB had filed in courts, decisions on them and recovery made so far from the corrupt people.

The directives were issued by the committee during a discussion on the steps being taken by the government to check corruption in federal institutions.

The law secretary briefed the committee about the steps being taken by the government through the NAB and FIA to curb the menace of corruption from government departments. He informed the committee that the draft of a new law to provide protection to complainants in corruption cases had been prepared and it had been sent to the prime minister and the federal cabinet for approval.

Senior FIA official Maqsoodul Hassan told the committee that there were differences between the NAB and FIA on certain issues. He said 94 FIA officers had been punished through a recently-established internal accountability unit. He said more than 70 cases had been registered against various people in connection with cyber crimes and for manufacturing spurious drugs.

In reply to various questions of the members, the NAB’s legal adviser told the committee that in the larger interest of the public, the bureau could hold inquiry into the matters under investigations of FIA.

Hafiz Hamdullah criticised the performance of NAB, terming it an institution which was being used to malign politicians. He alleged that those who had looted billions of rupees from the national exchequer had been released after paying only a few million rupees. He alleged the NAB had become a “kidnapping for ransom institution”. He asked if the NAB had filed cases against any army general.

The committee members expressed reservations over a move to grant degree-awarding status to the Federal Judicial Academy.

While reviewing the Federal Judicial Academy (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, introduced by Law Minister Pervaiz Rashid in the Senate on April 23 last year, the committee decided to hold more consultations on the draft.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) termed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Karachi on Wednesday ‘disappointing’ and said it was regrettable that he showed a 'lack of interest' in solving the basic problems of the city.

In a statement, the MQM coordination committee said there was hope that the prime minister would announce some real relief measures for the people of Karachi to save them from the menace of loadshedding and water shortage, but he made no such announcement.

It said the prime minister did not even bother to visit any hospital to inquire after the heatstroke patients.

“This attitude of the Sindh and federal governments with a city which generates 70 per cent of the country’s revenue is not only regrettable but discriminatory,” the statement said, adding: “It will increase the already existing sense of deprivation among the people of Karachi.”

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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MANSEHRA: The local wildlife department on Wednesday seized preserved markhor and ibex at a Naran hotel here and fined Rs400,000 owner of the hotel. The hunting of the two animals is banned for being endangered species.

Sub-divisional officer of the wildlife department Khursheed Abbasi told reporters on Wednesday that the two preserved animals were smuggled from Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan to Naran valley via Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road.

He said the seized animals seized under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity Act 2015 had a huge price both in local and international markets.

He said the law banned hunting, killing and reservations of exotic animal species in the province.

“We have taken strict measures to check hunting of endangered species, including national animal markhor. The seizure is a great accomplishment,” he said.

Abbasi also said a two-month-old leopard cub was seized during a raid on a Gidarpur house.

He said the house owner was held, while the cub was shifted to Dodial peasantry.

“The arrested man claims he caught the animal when it came to his village from the nearby forest. We’ve begun legal proceedings against him,” he said.

The wildlife official said only the inquiry would show if leopard cub was caught in the village or in the forest.

RAINFALL: Rains lashed upper parts of Hazara division on Wednesday lowering soaring temperatures.

The rainfall began in Mansehra, Batagram, Kohistan and Torghar at around 4pm simultaneously and lasted many hours. Local residents stepped out to enjoy rainy weather after being restricted to indoors for many doors during the daytime.

In some areas, puddles of rainwater inconvenienced road users.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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MINGORA: Surrounded by peaceful yet mysterious blackish mountains, the lush green Arab Khan Cheena valley in Swat is known for possessing relics of Gandhara civilisation.

The valley located at the end of Batkara Road in the suburbs of Mingora was once a flourishing Buddhist area.

Noted among the relics are rock carved statues and stupas, which conjure up the glorious past of the kingdom of Uddiyana, ancient name of Swat.

Besides taking fascinating traditional route, visitors can also go there via Panr and Dangram villages.

The site is in bad shape due to the neglect of authorities and lack of public awareness.

Visitors lament lack of proper information about Arab Khan Cheena valley

According to archaeologists, the site was first discovered by Aurel Stein. It was documented by Giuseppe Tucci in 1955 and 1956, studied by Domenico Faccenna, Pierfrancesco Callieri, Luca M Olivieri and Anna Filigenzi. Lastly, the site was visited by Badshah Sardar.

“With six stupas and eight rock carvings, the area offers a unique environment to understand the 7th century Buddhist context, which, despite being widely narrated by a deluge of rock carvings,” said Dr Luca Maria Olivieri, head of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan.

He, however, lamented lack of proper archaeological information about the site.

On high ground near a spring are eight rock carvings.

Slightly upstream from the ‘relief zone’ near the ridge of the Sharara range stand the ruins of six stupas.

“It’s lovely to see this small valley near Mingora. It is beautiful and historical. If you stand in the middle of the area, you will find many rocks, small and big engravings,” said Shaista Hakeem, a local tourist.

The site is rarely visited by tourists, who find it one of the best archaeological places in Swat.

“I got happy and sad at the same time when I saw the Buddhist carvings in Arab Khan Cheena. I was angry at the neglect of the authorities and happy to know about the area’s glorious past,” said Shehla Anjum, a Pakistani American writer, who lives in Alasaka.

The writer, who has a special affinity for Swat and visited it several times, said old carvings, many of them on big rocks, were tumbling down and thus, slowly disappearing.

She also regretted people had grown crops on the archeological site. “A few rock faces have visible carvings, but deteriorating from the ravages of weather as well as neglect. I looked in disbelief at a rock statue of Buddha, which was weathered and forlorn. Ironically, there was animal dung at its base,” she said.

A farmer has a rock carving in his compound.

He said he was poor and couldn’t do much except for warding off vandals.

Unfortunately, the area is being converted into a residential area amid fears the archeological site will be encroached upon in future.

“I do not know why the government and relevant departments are not taking interest in the site’s preservation. I fear these relics will soon disappear erasing an important chapter of history,” said Usman Ulasyar, chairman of Suvastu Arts and Culture Association, Swat.

When contacted, curator of Swat museum and in charge of the Swat archaeological sites Faizur Rehman said currently, the provincial government was in the process of acquiring land of 12 other archaeological sites in Swat.

“Once we complete the land acquiring exercise, work to preserve Arab Khan Cheena site will begin,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s average annual inflation was 4.53 per cent in the just-ended fiscal year, the lowest in over a decade, due mainly to falling oil prices, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

The government set an annual inflation target of 8pc for the fiscal year 2014-15. However, the central bank recently revised its target to between 4.5pc and 5.5pc.

Successive downward revisions in POL prices and a stable Pakistani rupee along with subdued global commodity prices were the main reasons behind low inflation. Average inflation was 8.62pc in 2013-14 and 7.36pc in 2012-13.

On a monthly basis, inflation was steady at 3.2pc in June 2015 compared to the previous month.

According to an official report, inflation has moved at slow pace since 2013 despite some policy adjustments.

In 2014-15, crude oil prices dipped by 45pc, followed by wheat 31pc, palm oil 27pc, sugar 26pc, soybean oil 25pc, urea 11pc and tea 8pc.

Core inflation — which is measured by excluding volatile food and energy prices — slowed for the ninth consecutive month to 4.6pc in June 2015 compared to 4.9pc in the previous month.

Falling inflation has also encouraged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to cut its key interest rate to a 42-year low of 7pc.

Core inflation has remained subdued since November 2014 because of tight monetary policy and reduction in food and fuel prices.

In June 2015, food inflation stood at 3.2pc, while that of non-perishable and perishable items was 2.45pc and 2.17pc, respectively.

The food items whose prices increased included potatoes (31.72pc), tomatoes (22.58pc), chicken (14.91pc), besan (8.32pc), pulse gram (7.07pc), sugar (4.80pc), eggs (4.28pc), pulse mash (3.49pc), gur (2.98pc), and gram whole (2.43pc).

An increase of 17.54pc was seen in the prices of beverages in June over the same month last year, followed by 5.60pc in clothes and footwear, and 4.85pc in housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels.

Increase in domestic oil prices after a period of six months also pushed up transport prices by 1pc in June over the previous month.

Non-food inflation was 3.2pc in June. The items whose prices rose included kerosene (5.53pc) and motor fuel (2.71pc).

Average inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) was 1.74pc in 2014-15, while Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation was a negative 0.30pc. Lower WPI inflation reflects less demand for domestic commodities, apparently because of low purchasing power.

The entering of manufacturing sector into a negative growth indicates deflation in the economy.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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