LAHORE: Former cabinet minister of India Mani Shankar Aiyar has advised both Pakistan and India not to discontinue dialogue, come what may.

“We should talk until we succeed,” said Mr Aiyar in his keynote speech at the launch of former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book ‘Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove,’ at a local hotel on Tuesday.

Stressing the need for starting a composite dialogue to solve all the outstanding problems, including Kashmir and terrorism, he said the issues between Pakistan and India were not so complicated that they could not be solved.

Aiyar says terrorism, Kashmir not insoluble issues

He said it was on record that the incidents of violations on the Line of Control (LoC) increased whenever the two neighbouring states stopped talks. There had been a surge in LoC ceasefire violations when talks at Agra, Sharm Al-Shaikh and Ufa remained inconclusive.

“Agra talks failed because there were not adequate preparations (on both sides). We were so close to the solution (at Sharm Al-Shaikh) but there was no proper homework. The Ufa talks remained inconclusive because these were initiated on the insistence of Russia and China. We have not given each other a chance to talk on a continuous basis. We have to work for uninterrupted dialogue to build our relationship,” said the former Indian minister while thanking Mr Kasuri for inviting him to visit his birthplace.

He said that good relations were in the interest of both the states. They would be instrumental in combating the biggest problem of terrorism both the countries had been facing.

“There are miscreants who use Pakistani soil for carrying out act of terrorism both inside and elsewhere. This should be recognised along with the fact that Pakistan had been the prime victim of terrorism in the region as thousands of its citizens have lost their lives in terrorism incidents,” said Mr Aiyar.

He termed Mr Kasuri’s narrative intricately balanced, with the author providing anecdotes, both personal and political, alongside his observations on serious issues.

Earlier, Mr Kasuri while giving an overview of his book said it had been an insider’s view of Pakistan’s foreign relations with details of Kashmir framework.

During the panel discussion, Mr Kasuri said he had never deviated from the stance on Kashmir at any forum. It had been the stance of almost every politician that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through bilateral dialogue.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Authority has so far been unable to bring at least nine major sectors into Sales Tax net as its officials face pressure from ‘political’ as well as other influential quarters in taking action against those flouting the Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act 2012.

Those defying PRA include property developers and dealers, construction companies, travel agents and tour operators, car dealers, passengers and goods transport companies, cable TV operators, airlines and auto workshops.

Sources in the PRA told Dawn on Tuesday that real estate developers and property dealers appeared to be major opponents of the tax and the authority was facing political pressure while dealing with them.

Nine major sectors still evade sales tax

The sources said the authority had served notices on the estate developers like Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Eden, Paragon, Lake City and Bahria Town housing societies, besides constructors like Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), National Logistics Cell (NLC) and Sheranwala builders.

They said the authority’s proposal to withdraw tax exemption allowed to the construction companies working on public sector projects failed to convince the federal government because some powerful politicians were associated with the business.

They said after the protests lodged by DHA property dealers, a federal minister called the PRA chairperson a month ago, asking him to spare them from 16 percent ST.

Similarly, they said, in passengers and goods transport category, only Daewoo company got registered with the PRA for tax, while other private transport owners were resisting the tax and trying to influence the authority.

The property dealers and goods transport owners have been staging rallies and demonstrations against 16pc tax for the last few months.

However, a Punjab government official said the PRA must act lawfully by summoning the property developers for personal hearings and also write to the authorities concerned to bring them into tax net.

LITIGATION: The PRA has been facing litigation by 15 restaurants and banquet halls, two fashion designers and a beauty salon since May 2015.

An official said these businesses had moved the courts against sealing of their premises for nonpayment of tax while some of them had also challenged the tax on certain grounds.

He said the courts had ruled in favour of the PRA in majority of cases and directed the authority to receive the due amounts from the tax evaders.

He said majority of restaurants and banquet hall owners pleaded in the court that their businesses didn’t fall under the ST ambit, but their cases appeared to be weak.

The official said in case of fashion designers, the court had directed the petitioners to give an undertaking to the PRA that they would appear for a hearing within three days.

The official added that the beauty salon took the plea that it didn’t have National Tax Number (NTN) and thus be allowed to register with the Federal Board of Revenue.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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KARACHI: The Monday evening murder of Ghulam Abbas, driver of slain social activist Sabeen Mahmud and the prime witness to her killing, seemed linked to the fatal attack on her life, as the city police on Tuesday sounded worried about the security of other witnesses in high-profile cases.

The police planned to move the witnesses to safe places temporarily, with the Malir cantonment being their top choice, after it emerged that the 48-year-old man killed in Bhitai Colony was the police constable who used to work as Ms Mahmud’s driver on a part-time basis.

The incident was initially considered a regular crime but later his identification and association with the slain activist sent ripples in the security administration and turned the killing into “high-profile killing” case.

“The investigations are on but we are 90 per cent sure that the two killings are linked to each other,” said Karachi police chief Mushtaq Mahar while speaking to Dawn.

“We are not investigating this case as a regular murder but treating it as a high-profile case, as it is most probably an attempt to eliminate the key witness to Ms Mahmud’s murder,” the police chief said.

The human rights activist, who founded the social forum T2F, was shot dead on April 24 this year shortly after the end of an interactive discussion on ‘Unsilencing Balochistan’ organised by her and attended by journalists and rights activists, including the founder leader of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, Abdul Qadeer Baloch.

In June, police claimed to have busted a gang of militants who had killed 45 people of the Shia Ismaili community in the Safoora bus carnage in May. The police said they also confessed to have killed Ms Mahmud for they “did not approve of her views regarding Lal Masjid’s cleric Abdul Aziz, Valentine’s Day and burqa (veil)”.

The killing of her driver was alarming for the police officials investigating Ms Mahmud’s murder. However, official investigation into his killing has yet to be launched as no FIR of Ghulam Abbas’ murder had been registered till Tuesday evening.

“The only witness to the murder of Ghulam Abbas is a nine-year-old boy,” said area DSP Rao Muhammad Iqbal.

“We are in the process of collecting evidence before registering the FIR,” the officer said.

Ghulam Abbas was a police constable and currently posted at the Anti-Corruption Establishment. In April when Ms Mahmud was killed, he was working as a driver on a part-time basis.”

For SP Raja Umer Khattab of the CID’s counter-terror unit, the key man that traced and arrested the Safoora Goth bus carnage and Sabeen Mahmud’s murder suspects who are believed to be local operatives of the self-styled Islamic State militants, Ghulam Abbas’s murder needed to be investigated with all possible aspects.

“No doubt, he was the key witness to her murder,” he said. “During trial, he had identified the suspects and cooperated with the investigators at every single step. Though his killing would not affect the Sabeen Mahmud murder case at this point, as he had already identified the killers, it’s now crucial to secure the lives of witnesses of other high-profile cases.”

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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LAHORE: On the 14th and last day of its session, the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed five resolutions covering issues from terrorism to hot borders to prices of the meat and naming buildings or roads after Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

As usual, the sitting started some 40 minutes late than it scheduled time and was quickly ran through the agenda fixed for the day – a question hour on “Irrigation and Social Welfare”, which proved to be a perfunctory affair, and six resolutions by private members.

What helped make the course of the sitting even more quick and smooth was the members’ thin attendance which never went beyond 47 – almost half of what is procedurally required to run the House. And those in attendance were more interested in cross talk, rather than business of the House.

Ramaish Singh Arora, a minority member belonging to the Treasury, asked the House, through a resolution, to name some buildings or roads in the province after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who had ruled the area for four decades and was the first native ruler.

“His (Maharaja’s) rule has been a period of interfaith harmony and socio-economic prosperity for the area. He deserves to be remembered in a better way,” insisted Mr Arora.

Ahsan Riaz Fitayana from the Opposition tried to oppose the resolution saying other historic personalities also deserve to remembered in the same way, but quickly withdrew when Rana Sanaullah, the law minister, reminded him that every community living in Punjab had its own heroes and the demand should not be linked to other figures and faiths. The resolution was carried through without any opposition.

Other resolutions also treated in a similar way. Mian Aslam Iqbal had asked the House to condemn “terrorism and praise those fighting it and those losing their lives in the process be given full economic and social benefits.” As expected, no one in the House opposed the resolution.

Similarly, Khadija Umer demanded the House should condemn killings on the Working Boundary as a result of unprovoked Indian firing and salute those resisting Indian aggression. She, understandably, found the House standing behind her on both issues.

Dr Waseem Akhter demanded the House to put its weight behind quick assessment of floods damanges and “complete restoration of normal life” in the affected areas while Sabtain Khan sought meat sale on official rates. Both resolutions were adopted quickly by the House.

The only exception was Nabila Hakam Ali, who wanted to abolish entrance test for admission to varsities and medical colleges but found law minister opposing the idea with a promise to discuss the entire issue in the House because “the arguments for and against the issue were weighty and needed thorough discussion in the House. He asked the mover to withdraw the resolution and bring an adjournment motion on the issue and the Treasury would cooperate in the debate. Ms Nabila obliged, wrapping up the agenda for the day. The chair prorogued the session.

Earlier, on a point of order, the law minister, who had been part of the official team negotiating with the protesting farmers, told the House that a meeting with the federal government was held on farmers’ demand, but remained inconclusive – at least for now. He said the world prices of different agricultural commodities had dropped, foreclosing the possibility of export. Neither the federal nor the provincial government could spare a huge sum to purchase and then subsidise agricultural commodities, he said. The export regime belonged to the federal government, which was trying to find ways of clearing the domestic glut and hopefully, it would come up with a solution. For now, things were in limbo, he admitted.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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KARACHI: Three years since the country’s deadliest factory fire claimed 259 lives in Baldia, investigation is still under way and the court has yet to decide whether the fire was accidental or the result of an arson attack while the families of as many as 64 victims have not been compensated so far, it emerged on Tuesday.

Most of these people do not have computerised national identity cards, or their documents are not in place, or they are not getting the cheques due to dual nationality. In some cases, women who lost a brother or a father in the inferno, or got married in the ensuing years, are not getting permission from their in-laws to make CNICs causing issues in creating a bank account for them. Besides, there are families which after waiting for the promised compensation relocated from Karachi or even the country.

For the past three years, labour rights organisations have been fighting on behalf of the victims and say the remaining people could have been paid if “there were not too many lacunas in the way the compensation was dispensed to the deserving”. They have also been insisting on the need for an overhaul of the entire labour system to ensure workplace safety and precautions for workers.

According to labour rights organisations, 259 workers were killed and many others were injured in the fire that broke out in the garments factory, known as Ali Enterprises, on Sept 11, 2012.

Speaking to Dawn, Rehana Yasmeen, a spokesperson for the Hosiery Garment General Workers’ Union, Sindh, said her organisation was still looking for the remaining families of the victims. “So far, there are problems in the dispensation of the money. Some women got married and changed their surnames on the CNIC, due to which the court refused to pay them the compensation,” she said.

She explained that of the 64 families still unpaid, 37 men, women, and children, who had lost their parents, did not possess their CNICs. Eight other people left the country. Of them, three women got married and moved to Dhaka, Bangladesh, two men left for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, two others for Qatar, while another family recently moved to Afghanistan, according to Rehana. Then there were two women facing issues at home over handing money to the rightful heir, she said. Besides, she added, 17 people had relocated over the past three years, causing the authorities to either wait for their return or look for an heir they could dispense the money to.

When Rehana was sent by the worker’s union to Baldia Town for an inquiry, she found out that most of the 17 people had relocated to Punjab while the remaining were “not interested” in the compensation itself. “They say there’s no use taking the money. So, we are still waiting for them to either change their minds or provide a solution as to who should be compensated,” Rehana said.

Soon after the factory fire, details began to emerge about what exactly happened that evening. It was revealed by the surviving factory workers that the doors of the factory were bolted and later, that the factory was not even registered with the Sindh labour department.

As the days went, further information about the factory came to the fore. Since the factory was in violation of the building plan, site inspections, leave alone surprise inspections which were discontinued by the government, were not carried out. As a result, 1,500 workers were left at the mercy of the factory owners.

In February this year, as the city went into an outrage over an excerpt from a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report, pointing towards arson by a political party over non-payment of extortion as the main reason behind the inferno, rights activists thought it would shift the blame from the persisting problem — lack of safety and precautions for labourers — on others.

Shujauddin Qureshi, executive director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, said: “What boggles my mind even today is that the accused in the case, whose statement based on mere hearsay was bandied about so much, is nowhere on the scene any more. Apparently, he was given a bail and shortly afterwards moved abroad.”

Nasir Mansoor, general secretary of the National Trade Union Federation, said: “It rests on the court to decide whether the fire was accidental or arson. At the same time, whether accidental or arson, what should be focused on, is whether the factory had all precautionary arrangements for its 1,500 labourers? The answer to that is a clear no.”

At present, Rehana claims, her biggest struggle during her daily 9 to 5 routine is to look for the families of the victims. So far, the families of the victims have been paid in three instalments: Rs700,000 from the Sindh government, Rs400,000 from the German company KIK, which is the only instalment the company is willing to pay, according to NTUF, and Rs500,000 from the death grant paid by the owners, Rehana said.

“You should understand why we insist on compensating the families,” explained Rehana, “these people belong the poorest of neighbourhoods. Soon after getting the first instalment, most of them fixed their homes or saved it for their children’s future. Since justice is still a long way to come, payment of compensation is the only hope for them.”

But for many of the remaining 64 families, probably the wait was too long to bear.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security, Sartaj Aziz, said categorically on Tuesday that Pakistan would give a ‘befitting response’ in the event of an aggression by India.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating the fourth Regional Technical Group (RTG) meeting on Disaster Management and Confidence Building Measures, he said the Modi government won the election on the basis of ‘anti-Pakistan platform’ and was pursuing the same policy from day one.

“They want better ties, but on their own terms,” Mr Aziz said.

He was responding to a statement made by Indian Information Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who said his government would explore every possible means, including carrying out a covert or a special operation, to neutralise Dawood Ibrahim or Hafiz Saeed.

Mr Aziz said if there was any such thing, “a befitting response will be given”.

“If anyone has this notion that after such an attempt they can get away with it, it is their wishful thinking.”

The adviser, who also looks after the country’s foreign affairs, said Islamabad’s stance was clear that unless Pakistan and India discussed all issues, including Kashmir, there was no use of holding any dialogue.

“This has been conveyed to them [Indians] and the international community supports our stance that unless there is a talk on all outstanding issues, and no solution is sought, how can the situation improve?”

He said the director general of Rangers and officials of the Indian Border Security Force would meet on Wednesday and discuss the 2003 ceasefire agreement. Pakistan would take up the issue of unprovoked firing by India along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, he added.

Regarding his recent visit to Afghanistan, Sartaj Aziz said following terrorist attacks in Kabul there was “a persistent anti- Pakistan campaign” which was not good for bilateral ties.

He said the objective of his meeting was restoring trust and removal of misunderstandings.

The adviser said President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan agreed that there was a need to remove the trust deficit and in this regard a couple of suggestions were put forward. He said it was also agreed that a memorandum of mutual trust would be signed in a few days to avert a repeat of such incidents.

Mr Aziz said the matter of security of the Pakistan embassy in Kabul was also taken up and the Afghan government assured of beefing it up.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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LAHORE: A draft law on regulation of all kinds of charities including funding of NGOs will prominently figure in the list of actions taken by Punjab under the National Action Plan (NAP) in an important meeting being reportedly held in Islamabad in the next few days.

Sources in the Punjab government said on Tuesday that preparations for the meeting were in full swing and another item on the list of the Punjab government would be the action taken against terrorists and banned organisations in the past few days.

They said that draft law focused on the purpose of the donations and their use by the registered or non-registered charities so as to prevent funding of anti-state elements through them.

Proposed law will be tabled at NAP meeting in Islamabad

They said NGOs receiving local or foreign funding would also be covered in the law so as to prevent usage of these funds other than their stated purpose.

They said many laws covered the registration of charitable bodies and NGOs but they were silent on the aspect of the sources of charities, for which and for whom they are made, and how they are spent by the charitable organisations.

Sources said the province would submit how many criminals or terrorists had been hanged in Punjab after convictions by the courts and what was the status of pending cases of heinous crime and terrorism.

Details of cases registered and people punished under over six laws enacted by the Punjab government, including misuse of loudspeakers and wall chalking, would also be submitted.

But the latest item to be discussed in the meeting would be how to plug funding of criminals and terrorists through charities or any other method. The related draft law would not suggest any action against the donors who earn legally but evade tax. “This is not illegal or black money and our purpose is to stop misuse of such funding,” an official remarked.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar has stripped the assembly secretary of his administrative and financial powers in a spat over recruitments and other issues.

In a hasty move, the speaker immediately created a parallel office of secretary by upgrading the post of additional secretary and handed him over all financial and administrative powers enjoyed by the secretary.

Sources said the secretary had refused to create certain posts and appoint an assistant, who didn’t apply for the said position, which led to the tug of war between the speaker and secretary.

A notification was issued by the speaker’s office stating: “in anticipation of approval by the relevant finance committee, the speaker is pleased to upgrade and re-designate the post held by Nasrullah Khan Khattak, additional secretary (administration), from BPS-19 to the post of secretary (administration, finance, and accounts) in BPS-20 and is promoted against the said post.”

Row over recruitments, other administrative issues behind the move

In line with the notification, the secretary will look after matters related to legislation and meetings of the public accounts committee although the secretary has been declared the principal accounting officer of the assembly’s secretariat.

Official sources said contrary to Rule 4 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Provincial Assembly Secretariat (Recruitment) Rules, 1974, the speaker had not received the assent of the relevant finance committee for introducing the new secretary post.

Sources said serious difference persisted between the speaker and Assembly’s secretary Amanullah Khan for quite some time over certain issues related to fresh recruitments and finances of the assembly.

They said in the past, the secretary had twice asked for long leave insisting he could not work under the existing environment.

In one of the communications, which took place between the speaker and the secretary, the former said: “I, the undersigned being the authority, have strong reservations on the official business, especially the administrative and financial matters of the assembly secretariat, as on a number of occasions, whenever, I asked for some urgent nature administrative and financial arrangements in the public interests, my orders were not compiled for.

“As a result, the secretariat was put in an embarrassing situation. I feel the secretary, in addition to his primary duty of legislation, attending the assembly sessions, meetings of PAC and other standing committees, has also to deal with files on administrative and financial matters, which has put extra burden on him.”

Interestingly, the speaker’s correspondence didn’t specify any order allegedly not complied with and impliedly the powers of the secretary being illegally interfered, unfairly and unjustly curtailed.

“If any order was not implemented, there might be some legal justification and the same might have been brought to the notice of the authority, as was done in the creation of the post of assistant transport officer and induction of Baqar Sardar of Swabi and the recent filling of one post of assistant,” said an official while replying to the speaker’s charges.

Sources said the process to fill the post of the assistant was conducted in a transparent manner but it was cancelled as a resident of Swabi, Uzair, who did not apply for the post, was not placed in the merit list.

Sources said Secretary Amanullah had also turned down a proposal to create from 15 to 20 posts of various categories during the local body elections campaign in light of the Supreme Court orders.

An official of the assembly said under Rule 3 of the recruitment rules, there should be a secretariat headed by the secretary.

He said there was no room in the rules for the post of another secretary and that for creating

the same or upgrading another post to that level, the rules had to be amended for which the approval of the governor was required.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: A city police officer surprised a Senate committee by justifying the arrest of slum dwellers under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for resisting the recent bulldozing of the Sector I-11 katchi abadi.

“Police is an instrument of the government and were providing security cover to the Islamabad administration which wanted the illegal settlement cleared. The law is clear on resisting government actions,” DIG headquarters Khalid Khattak told the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday.

But the members of the committee were baffled rather than impressed by his defence of the heavy-handed action, which uprooted some 10,000 inhabitants of the slum on July 31.

“This is not why the anti-terror act was enacted. It cannot be used at free will,” said Senator Kalsoom Parveen, with other committee members nodding in unison.

The administration and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) conducted the demolition operation in the name of clearing the area for developing residential sectors and fighting crime.

An adjournment motion moved by Senator Sitara Ayaz, critical of the rationale and ‘brute force’ the administration, CDA and the police used in carrying out the operation, brought the issue before the Senate committee. None of the committee members agreed to DIG Khattak’s plea to appreciate the support the police extended to the administration in carrying out the operation.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Mohammad Talha Mehmood, said the forum supported clearing of the slum but could not endorse the police invoking the ATA for such purposes.

“The government evicted people and razed their houses. Anyone would resist in such a situation,” he said.

Though the committee members agreed that the Anti-Terrorism Act was wrongly used in the operation, they somehow missed the loaded remark of DIG Khattak during the heated discussion that “I will do it again if required.”

Police were fired upon during the operation, the officer asserted. However, the committee promptly rejected his assertion, especially Senators Kalsoom Parveen and Sitara Ayaz who were witness to the operation.

About 66 inhabitants of the slum were arrested for resisting the police, five of whom are in judicial lock-up. People on both sides were hurt.

The committee held the CDA responsible for the growth of illegal settlements in Sector I-11. Senators Hidayatullah and Mir Mohammad Yousuf Badini and others said the illegal slum grew over the years with the connivance of CDA officials.

DIG Khattak agreed with them. “It could not have gotten this worse without CDA’s connivance,” he said, supporting the Senators’ demand for a legal action against the corrupt officials in the CDA.

CDA’s Director General Lands, Hamza Shafaqat, told them that an inquiry had been initiated. “The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been provided records of the past 10 years and junior and senior CDA officials who dealt with the matter (growth of slums) during that period,” he said, promising legal actions against the guilty.

According to official sources, 3,000 to 4,000 Afghan refugees, who had settled in Sector I-11, had been repatriated to their homeland by 2002, leaving some 25 families in their mud houses.

After 2005, the slum started growing again with a steady flow of illegal settlers over the next seven years.

“The country was occupied with the relief work for earthquake victims and the growth of slums went unnoticed,” said Mr Shafaqat.

According to the CDA official, the demolition operation became necessary to fight crime as 150 cases of criminal incidents were registered in the preceding six months.

The Senate committee did not reach any conclusion on Tuesday and put off its decision until it meets again.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Issuing a detailed judgment in the houbara bustard case, a three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Jawwad S. Khawaja ordered the federal and the provincial governments not to grant further licences or permits to hunt this species.

The federal government was also ordered to ensure its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), both of which are recognised by Pakistani law.

Take a look-Editorial: Saving the houbara

The court directed the provinces to amend their respective wildlife laws to make them compliant with CITES and CMS and to not permit the hunting of any species that is either threatened with extinction or categorised as vulnerable.

On Aug 19, the Supreme Court had reserved ruling on a petition moved by Advocate Raja Muhammad Farooq on behalf of Aamir Zahoorul Haq.

The judgment declared the Oct 21, 2014, notification by the Sindh Forest and Wildlife Department as being against the law and struck down the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance.

The notification had taken away the protected status of the houbara bustard and permitted its hunting; stipulating that: “The hunting of houbara bustard would be allowed only with a special permit supported with a letter from Ministry of Foreign Affairs for allocation of an area.”

Under the notification, at least two letters were issued by the foreign ministry on Nov 1, 2014, one addressed to the embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the other to the embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Islamabad, in favour of 15 foreign dignitaries, who were allocated different areas of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab for hunting purposes.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the global population of the houbara bustard has been estimated at between 78,960 and 97,000. The bird has been mentioned in IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.

In the same document, under the title ‘Threats’, IUCN reports that, “The principal threat is from hunting (primarily using falconry), largely but exclusively on the species wintering grounds. Large numbers are also trapped, mainly in Pakistan and Iran and shipped to Arabia for use in the training of falcons.”

Additionally, it states, “If hunting pressure is not reduced, the species could soon warrant up-listing to a higher threat category.”

However, despite the presence of scientific data showing the vulnerability of the species the governments of Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Pakistan, contrary to their obligations, had taken measures that would hasten the decline of the houbara bustard, if not pushing it towards the precipice of extinction, the judgment feared.

The apex court also rejected the argument that foreign dignitaries who hunt the houbara bustard bring money and spread their largesse in establishing schools, mosques, dispensaries etc and noted that the local laws and Pakistan’s international treaty obligations were not saleable commodities, and in contending as much the governments debase, degrade and demean the citizens.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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Pakistan is a regular presence at many of the major stops of the global film festival circuit, and this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will see Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy present her documentary, A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers.

Peacekeepers follows the personal stories of five Bangladeshi policewomen who are deployed to the earthquake-stricken Haiti in 2010 as members of the UN peacekeeping mission.

Sharmeen shares directorial credits with Indian filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir in this documentary, which not only details their gruelling journey throughout the mission where they are considered with mistrust, but also their return home, where they face challenges of a different kind: familial disapproval of leaving home for work.

"The role of United Nations peacekeepers is a true 'mission impossible,' dropping soldiers who literally don't speak each other's languages into foreign countries rife with chaos and violence. Anything that goes wrong can become an international incident. Good luck," reads the description about the documentary on the TIFF website.

Pakistan also makes its mark in the form of the premiere of popular actor Ali Kazmi's Hollywood debut film, Beeba Boys.

Directed by Deepa Mehta, the film sees him as a trigger-happy member of a super-slick Indo-Canadian gang. Having acted in several American TV shows and video games, Kazmi finally gets to prove his acting mettle on the Hollywood big screen.

Also read: Ali Kazmi only gets meaner in Deepa Mehta's Beeba Boys

He Named Me Malala, the much-awaited documentary on Malala's family life in central England, also finally hits the screens at TIFF.

The festival begins tomorrow.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and members of their cabinet will not be able to campaign for their candidates in the upcoming important by-elections for two National Assembly seats, one in Lahore and the other in Lodhran, as the Supreme Court restored on Tuesday the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to its original form.

A clause in the code of conduct barring holders of public office from taking part in election campaigns for their candidates was recently struck down by the Lahore High Court (LHC), on a petition filed by a PTI leader, but the decision was challenged by the ECP in the Supreme Court.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, set aside the LHC’s verdict two days prior to the submission of nomination papers by candidates for the by-elections in the two constituencies.

The NA-122 (Lahore) seat had been won by the then speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who was deseated by an election tribunal and the NA-154 seat by Muhammad Siddique Khan of PML-N, who was disqualified by another election tribunal. Polling in both constituencies will be held on Oct 11.

The counsel for the ECP argued before the Supreme Court that the code of conduct had been announced by the commission in line with a judgment of the Supreme Court. He said the code had been formulated on the basis of the Constitution and the Representation of People Act, 1976.

He said it was the mandate of the ECP to conduct free, fair and transparent elections, and pleaded that the LHC’s verdict striking down a key component of the code be declared void.

The ECP recently rejected the objection raised by PTI over visits of key federal government functionaries to Mansehra for campaigning in favour of the PML-N candidate and pointed out that it was the PTI which had challenged the bar on public office holders.

Mansoor Sarwar Khan, PTI’s central Punjab President, had questioned the barring of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from canvassing in by-elections in Punjab at that time.

The ECP code of conduct had prohibited federal and provincial lawmakers from visiting areas where by-polls were being held, after the issuance of the election schedule.

LHC judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had ruled that the ECP could not limit a political activity or make a political party dysfunctional by putting restrictions on the movement of its leaders or members because such freedom is grounded in fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

“The clause that imposes restriction on public office holders not to visit the constituencies where by-elections are being held is declared to be unconstitutional and illegal and, therefore, struck down,” the judge wrote.

The judgment said that holders of public offices, like the prime minister, chief minister, federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers to the president, belong to political parties.

“They are not in the service of Pakistan,” the judgment said. “Hence they are free to attend to their political obligations and are fully entitled to the fundamental right guaranteed to them under Article 17(2). A political party has to freely conduct electioneering, canvassing and the electoral campaign,” the LHC judgment said.

Meanwhile, the ECP has extended the date for issuing party tickets to candidates for the first phase of local government elections in Punjab and Sindh from Sept 11 to Sept 30.

The request for extension in time was made by Punjab Minister for Local Govern­ment Rana Sanaullah during a recent meeting with ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad.

The ECP also de-notified Muhammad Arif Chaudhry of PML-N as MNA from NA-144, Okara, with effect from Aug 21.

Arif Chaudhry had been disqualified by an election tribunal of Multan on Aug 21 for possessing a fake degree, on an election petition filed by independent candidate Fayyaz Ghouri.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: A 16-member delegation of Pakistan Rangers, headed by Rangers (Pun­jab) Director General Maj Gen Umar Farooq Barki, arrived in New Delhi Wednesday for routine annual talks with Border Security Force (BSF) officials.

The delegation comprises officials from Pakistan Rangers (Punjab and Sindh), Ministry of Interior, Survey of Pakistan and the Anti-Narcotics Force.

BSF Director-General Devendra Kumar Pathak will represent India at the meeting, which will last for four days (Sept 9-12).

A Rangers spokesman told DawnNews that the Rangers-BSF talks are held alternatively in India and Pakistan.

Editorial: Working Boundary violence

The spokesman said both border guarding forces will discuss professional matters in relation to border management.

In order to avoid losses of innocent civilian lives and property, the delegation will discuss issues pertaining to ceasefire violations, smuggling and the safe return of inadvertent border crossers, the spokesman said.

Take a look: DG Rangers-BSF chief dialogue will help reduce tensions along LoC: Sartaj

Independent observers rate this interaction highly significant against the backdrop of the recent heavy exchange of artillery fire.

QUETTA: Security forces foiled a major terror bid, seizing a huge cache of explosive material and weapons from the custody of suspected militants near the Pak-Afghan border on Wednesday.

Three suspected militants were arrested during the raid and 3,800 kilogrammes of explosive material, ten mortar shells and hundreds of sub-machine gun rounds were recovered, security sources told DawnNews.

Security forces also seized two vehicles in the operation conducted in the Loi Bund area of Qila Saifullah near the Pak-Afghan border.

The suspected terrorists had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and were trying to smuggle these weapons into Quetta and other areas of the province in order to carry out terrorist attacks, security sources said.

Earlier in August, Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan chief Major General Sher Afgan had accused Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies of involvement in the prevailing unrest in the Balochistan province.

He said spy agencies of the two countries were behind subversive activities to disrupt peace in the province. "However, our forces with the support of the masses foiled the designs of the enemies."

A 500 kilometre trench has been dug along the porous Pak-Afghan border to stop the flow of weapons and narcotics into Pakistan.

Also Read: Balochistan govt to collect bio-data of Afghan clerics

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan would continue to maintain minimum nuclear deterrence for security purposes, but that these weapons are 'not against any one".

The prime minister was briefed on the strategic and nuclear assets of the country during a meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) in the capital.

The meeting was held to discuss matters pertaining to national security and defence, Radio Pakistan reported.

Premier Nawaz chaired the meeting which was held at Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) in Chaklala. He expressed satisfaction over the security and safety of nuclear weapons and observed that an efficient nuclear control and command system is in place.

The premier was given a comprehensive briefing by the Director General Strategic Plans Division (SPD) Lt-Gen Mazhar Jamil, who said that a security force of 30,000 is protecting the nuclear arsenal.

The NCA meeting was attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Advisor to the PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashad Mahmood and three services chiefs.

The NCA stated that Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state will remain actively engaged with the international community on nuclear stability and security issues, and expressed satisfaction on Pakistan’s enhanced outreach with the multilateral export control regimes.

Pakistan shares the goals of non-proliferation and is committed to play its due role as a mainstream partner in the global non-proliferation regimes, reiterated the NCA.

The NCA meeting held today also renewed Pakistan’s interest in the membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), as the country possesses the requisite credentials for full access to civil nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, particularly to meet its energy shortages.

DG Inter-Services Public Relations Major Asim Bajwa said that the sacrifices made during Operation Zarb-i-Azb and the success of the operation were also acknowledged during the NCA meeting,

He said the NCA reiterated national resolve to maintain full-spectrum deterrence capability in line with the dictates of 'credible minimum deterrence' in order to dissuade all forms of aggression and adhere to a policy of avoiding an arms race.

He said Pakistan sought peace and strategic stability in South Asia as a cornerstone of its policy, and considered conflict resolution a means to achieve this goal.

According to reports published by two American think tanks, Pakistan could become the third largest nuclear stock pile within the next five to ten years ─ with at least 350 nuclear weapons ─ behind only the United States and Russia.

Pakistan currently possesses around 120 nuclear warheads as compared to India's 100, a report said.

Also read: Pakistan's nuclear stockpile could become world's third largest, says report

KARACHI: The Rangers on Wednesday released Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Qamar Mansoor after 49 days from what was to be a 90-day preventive detention.

The Rangers released Mansoor on "humanitarian grounds" as the initial investigation concerning him had concluded, a Rangers law officer said.

Officials at Anti-Terrorism Court-II (ATC-II) confirmed the receipt of an intimation report from the Rangers informing the court of his release from their custody.

"During his 49-day detention, he was allowed to meet with his ailing mother," the Rangers law officer said.

Although Mansoor has been released, the law official said the MQM leader had not been cleared of the charges against him.

"He has been asked to appear before investigators whenever summoned," he said.

A day ago, the MQM's legal aid committee had moved an application contending that the party was sceptical about Mansoor's whereabouts as he was allegedly not present in his detention cell. The plea was however turned down due to technical reasons.

Mansoor's detention period was to expire on October 21.

Qamar Mansoor and Rabita Committee in-charge Kaiful Warah were detained by the paramilitary force in a pre-dawn raid on the party's Nine-Zero headquarters on July 17.

MQM relieves Mansoor of all duties

MQM, in a statement on party website announced to relieve Mansoor of all his duties both as a party leader or worker.

The statement says that the decision has been taken in a joint session of party’s London and Karachi Rabita Committee after reservations expressed by Mansoor before the committee after his release.

The RC ordered all party workers not to contact Mansoor regarding party matters.

The party however welcomed Mansoor and his family to MQM headquarters Nine Zero if they need Rabita Committee's help.

Also read: Notice issued to Rangers’ prosecutor

KARACHI: Four family members — father, mother and two children — were found dead in their residence in Karachi's Manzoor Colony area Wednesday morning. The youngest family member, an eight-year-old boy, was found alive but had sustained critical injuries.

Police surgeon Dr. Jalil Qadir said the mother and the two deceased children were stabbed to death. The father, he said, was suffocated to death with the help of a hard object.

The victims were identified as Tariq, 45, his wife Samina, 40, their son Saad, 15, and daughter Rumeesa, 13. Hammad, eight, was found alive but critically injured.

SSP Investigation-South Faizullah Korejo said initial investigation suggested they were murdered by someone who "might have stayed there as the family’s guest."

Tariq, originally hailing from Dera Ismail Khan, was a Quran teacher who taught pupils at their homes.

Three killed in alleged sectarian attacks

Three men were shot dead in two separate incidents in suspected sectarian attacks, said police officials.

A bakery owner, Imran Iqbal, 30, and his employee, Waqas, 27, were gunned down in an attack on their shop in North Karachi.

They belonged to the Deobandi school of thought and may have been targeted on sectarian grounds, said Karachi-Central SSP Muqaddas Haider.

In another incident in Shah Faisal Colony, a worker of Sunni Tehreek (Bilal Qadri group), Mohammed Qasim, 28, was killed, said SHO Ejaz Khan.

KARACHI: Senior journalist Aftab Alam was killed in a gun attack near his home in Karachi's North Karachi neighbourhood on Wednesday, television reports said.

Unknown assailants opened fire on Alam near his home in North Karachi's Sector 11-C. Alam was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors declared him dead after an external examination.

Later, Alam's mother and sister took his body to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).

He was shot in the head upon leaving his residence to pick his children up from school. DIG West Feroz Shah said the police recovered three 9 MM bullet casings from the site.

The shooting took place near Sir Syed market and within the remits of the Sir Syed police station.

Alam, 42, was unemployed for the past year and a half on account of health issues and had previously worked with Geo News. He was also reportedly associated with Samaa TV at one point.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah took notice of the murder and directed the police to submit a report on the incident. He has ordered for the immediate arrest of those behind the attack.

Location map for violence during last 36 hours in District Central of Karachi.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack and prayed for eternal peace for the departed soul. He also directed relevant authorities to make a comprehensive security plan for journalists in Pakistan immediately.

Sindh Interior Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal demanded a report about the attack from Inspector General Police (IGP) Sindh Ghulam Haider Jamali, while ordering immediate arrest of the murderers.

Siyal further said that such attacks cannot deter the war against terrorism and terrorists in the province.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) too condemned the attack.

Moreover, the Karachi Union of Journalists – Dastoor said Alam’s killing was a question mark on the efficacy of the Sindh government and the security agencies. The organisation said it condemned the targeted killings of and attacks on media workers in the strongest possible terms.

The Journalist Union demanded the immediate arrest of killers of both Alam and Arshad Ali Jafri, a media worker killed yesterday.

The senior journalist’s death comes hours after senior satellite engineer Arshad Ali Jafri who was associated with Geo News was gunned down in an attack on the channel’s DSNG van in Karachi’s Bahadurabad area. The van driver also suffered bullet injuries in the attack.

Police remained clueless about the motive of yesterday's attack, but investigators are sure that the attack was not a mugging attempt because it appeared to be a deliberate murder.

The Geo News management called it a ‘targeted attack’ and said the assault apparently was meant to harass not only the channel’s staff but also the entire Pakistani media.

Rangers vow to catch culprits

Pakistan Rangers Sindh has taken serious notice of the target killings of media persons in the city and has decided to kick off concerted efforts for the arrest of perpetrators of such henious crimes, Rangers spokesman said in a statement.

The statement further said that nexus between some groups trying to malign the operation will be made public and stern action will be initiated against these elements who are killing media men for their ulterior motives.