ISLAMABAD: A full blown campaign against unhygienic food and conditions in hotels and restaurants got underway in the city on Wednesday and saw at least 17 high class and popular food outlets sealed by the evening.

“They were found in violation of laws governing healthy, unadulterated food, vaccination record and proper wages to their staff,” Assistant Commissioner retired captain Waqas Rashid said.

But the manager of the popular Savour food outlet in the Blue Area, Irshad Ahmed, claimed to Dawn that the raiding party gave “no reason” for sealing the outlet.

Savour’s owner Chaudhry Mohammad Naeem described the action as ‘unjustified’ and said he would seek clarification from the deputy commissioner on Thursday.

FIRs have been registered against the 17 sealed outlets under the Penal Code and the Pure Food Ordinance of 1960. Some others among the restaurants, confectionaries and eateries raided in the Anti-Adulteration Campaign were fined a total of Rs144,000, officials said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Abdul Sattar Isani supervised the crackdown with the assistance of the Punjab Food Department, as directed by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan the previous day.

The 17 outlets sealed included the restaurant of the Best Western Hotel, the popular Savour outlet and the up-end café Chaye Khana.

Some citizens welcomed the campaign. But others had different ideas. In fact regular clients were as upset as the restaurant owners against the campaign.

It seemed the public revulsion created by the raging scandal that meat of dead and dying and ‘haram’ animals was being sold and served in the cities of Punjab had not diminished their appetite for their favourite dishes at the food outlets.

In fact, the clients of Savour joined a protest the staff and the Blue Area trading community staged outside the outlet.

The administration rushed police squads there to control the situation.

Traders’ Union official Imran Bukhari criticised the raids and his senior colleagues threatened a ‘shutter down strike’ if the food outlet was not unsealed by Thursday.

A funny situation arose when the Savour staff offered the arriving police their dishes but they refused.

“We used to eat here but after seeing the snaps taken of the conditions in the kitchen by the raiding party we could not take Savour’s offer,” a police officer told Dawn.

“We were told they use leftover bones to prepare fresh dishes to serve new clients,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali was sworn as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan during a ceremony held at the Presidency on Thursday.

President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to the new chief justice and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was also present on the occasion.

CJP Anwar Zaheer Jamali was sworn in by President Mamnoon Hussain. ─ DawnNews screengrab.

The ceremony was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan, former CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, senior judges and lawyers and military officials.

Justice Jamali replaces Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, who retired from his post on Wednesday after attaining superannuation. Justice Khawaja served as CJP for just 24 days.

Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali hails from the religious family of Hazrat Qutub Jamaluddin Ahmed Hansvi, the disciple and Khalifa of Baba Fariduddin Shakar Gunj.

His parents migrated to Pakistan from Jaipur, India in the year 1947. Justice Jamali was born on December 31, 1951 in the Pakistani city of Hyderabad.

Chief Justice Jamali completed Bachelors' Degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of Sindh in 1971 and 1973 respectively.

He enrolled at the Sindh Bar Council as an Advocate of the Lower Court in 1975. In 1977, he admitted and enrolled as an Advocate of the High Court in 1977, and an Advocate of the Supreme Court ten years later. He practised mainly civil and constitutional law in Hyderabad, as mentioned on the Sindh High Court website.

Justice Jamali was elevated as Judge of the Sindh High Court in May 1998.

He was among those judges who refused to take a fresh oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) in 2007. He was reappointed as Judge and Chief Justice High Court of Sindh on August 27, 2008 and elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court in August 2009.

Also read: Justice Khawaja urges judiciary to be fearless

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed the prosecution to submit its comments on the bail petition of a man, identified as Abdul Majeed, who is accused of mutilating a woman's body to practise black magic.

A two-member bench of the LHC headed by Justice Abdul Sami adjourned the next hearing of the case until September 17.

A bail petition for Abdul Majeed was filed in the LHC today. Majeed, a resident of Gujrat, is accused of removing the body of a woman, which he had found near the bank of a canal earlier this year, and beheading her so he could perform black magic.

Majeed was charged under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) by the area police.

The counsel for the defendant had argued that Majeed should be granted bail as the case was not maintainable under terrorism clauses.

Also read: Avarice drives couple to niece’s killing

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday barred a female student — who alleged in a Facebook video that she was denied admission by Lahore's Government College University (GCU) on grounds that she wears a face veil or niqab— from campaigning against the varsity on social media till the charges she had levelled were proven.

Justice Aijazul Hassan directed the niqab-wearing applicant to halt her campaign against GCU on social media until the matter was decided by the court, as it was affecting the reputation of the institution.

The court had taken up a petition filed by Mehreen Shafaq in which she had claimed that the GCU had discriminated against her when she applied for admission in its BSc Applied Management programme.

GCU's administration contended before the court that Shafaq had not been denied admission to GCU on the basis that she wears a face veil but because she did not meet the varsity's merit criteria.

After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

The controversy over Mehreen Shafaq's admission to GCU gained public attention when the student uploaded a video on her Facebook profile alleging she had been discriminated against on religious grounds.

In the video, Shafaq had said that she was told by a coordinator at GCU that her application could not be forwarded for interview as it was "against the department's new policy to admit students who cover their faces".

She added that upon her insistence her interview was conducted by the director of Management Sciences Department (MSD).

According to Shafaq, during the interview, director MSD told her that the department did not accept applicants who wore a face veil.

He further told her that "for students like you there are women colleges or girls universities", she claimed.

A faculty member who accompanied the director asked Shafaq why she had placed her photo on the form when she wears a face veil. Upon this, the student replied that it was purely for the purpose of record-keeping and the picture was not captured to be shown to general public, she said in the video.

Shafaq said it was the right of every woman to practice any Islamic rules "in this Islamic Republic of Pakistan".

Shafaq also demanded of GCU to make public any regulations on paper that denied admission to women who follow certain religious dress codes.

She wanted to know if the decision to deny her admission because she wears a niqab was a university policy or director MSD's personal choice, Shafaq had said in the video.

RAWALPINDI: At least 30 female students lost consciousness while over 350 others were affected as a result of anti-dengue fumigation carried out in Government Girls High School in Attock district's Jand area on Thursday.

Around 700 students were present inside the school premises when the spray was conducted by the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA). Out of the total, some 400 students were affected by the fumigation and at least 30 fell unconscious.

The affected students were shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) Jand — a 40-bed hospital which had difficulty in accommodating some 400 students.

The parents of affected students rushed to the school, alleging that TMA ignored necessary precautions when it fumigated the school — such as carrying out fumigation in schools after 2pm, after school hours end.

Parents also suspected the quality of insecticide used in the spray, allegation that it had passed its expiry date.

Hospitals in Punjab have seen a surge in patients affected by Dengue virus in recent months. Dawn reported that despite spending millions of rupees on the anti-dengue measures, the disease is apparently getting out of the control of the health department in Rawalpindi.

Dengue mosquito (Aedes Aegypti) attacks in the hours around sunrise and sunset, a Sindh health department communication earlier told Dawn.

An environment expert, F. H. Mughal, earlier told Dawn that owing to the adverse effects of the chemicals on human health, people should be informed of the scheduled fumigation in their respective areas in advance so that they remained indoors and took precautions, besides covering eatables, fruit, vegetables, drinking water, etc.

Depending on the severity of exposure, the insecticides could cause skin, eye and respiratory track problems and, in some cases, dizziness. Extreme exposure could even prove fatal, he had added.

Oscar fever officially kicks off in Pakistan as the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee has announced Moor as its selection for submission to the Foreign Language Film Award category at the 88th Academy Awards next year.

Directed by Jami, Moor is a drama film that follows the tragic story of a poor train station master and his son after the sudden demise of his wife. The story is set against the backdrop of the declining railways system in Balochistan.

According to a press release, Moor was the majority choice of the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee, which was chaired by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

"Moor pushes the boundaries of cinema in Pakistan," she said of the film, "A visual treat, the film reminds us of the history of a land we too often ignore."

The Committee this year included Coke Studio founder Rohail Hyatt, designer Maheen Khan, actor Aamina Sheikh, filmmaker/director Satish Anand, actor Faran Tahir, actor Alyy Khan, director Afia Nathaniel, film producer Mazhar Zaidi and writer Daniyal Mueenuddin.

About Moor's selection, Jami said, "Journey itself becomes our destination and with this submission to Oscars our destination is beyond hope now as we now know that our stepping stone was in the right direction."

This is the third submission of Pakistan to the Oscars since the reinstitution of the practice in 2013. Pakistan sent Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi's Zinda Bhaag and Afia Nathaniel's Dukhtar in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

The Oscar submissions will be longlisted by January 8. 2016 and the final list of nominees will be released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on January 14, 2016. The 88th Academy Awards will take place on 28th February 2016.

KARACHI: An accountability court disqualified Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Syed Ali Nawaz Shah from Sindh Assembly after convicting him and his two close relatives in a fraud case.

The court convicted Ali Nawaz on Thursday along with his nephew, Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah, and cousin, former MNA Syed Khadim Ali Shah, in a case pertaining to land revenue fraud worth millions of rupees.

The court has imposed a fine of Rs0.56 million on Nawaz Shah, while Khadim Shah and Imtiaz Shah have been asked to pay a fine of Rs0.54 million and Rs0.43 million, respectively.

The veteran politician and PPP lawmaker was disqualified from holding membership of the legislature for ten years and was sentenced to five years in prison.

His cousin Syed Khadim, who also served as the federal population minister in 1988, and nephew Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah, have been sentenced to four and three years in prison, respectively.

The reference filed in 2001 alleged that Ali Nawaz Shah and others sold land to government at inflated prices and later claimed the land as their own.

The trio was accused of forging the land revenue department record for the purpose.

The accused allegedly made fake ‘power of attorney’ so that executants of the power of attorney received the payment of compensation of land on owner’s behalf.

However, no such power of attorney was actually given by land owner in favour of the contractor or his representative.

Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf, Ali Nawaz Shah's spokesman, while talking to Dawn, termed the action a case of political victimisation, claiming that the fraud was committed by local revenue officials and not by Shah or his relatives.

Ashraf maintained that they were likely to challenge the verdict in the Sindh High Court.

Ali Nawaz Shah, who was first elected as member of the Sindh Assembly in 1977 also served as federal minister for industries in 1989. He has been elected a Senator and MPA three times since then.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said the government had resolved to eliminate the poliovirus from the country in a “short period of time.”

In a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication at the PM House, the premier was told that the incidence of polio had declined 82 per cent over last year.

During the meeting, measures taken by the government and directions issued for oversight, security, administrative assistance and monitoring of polio eradication campaigns were discussed.

The meeting was attended by the chief ministers of all four provinces, Prime Minister Azad Kashmir, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan and Focal Person for National Task Force on Polio Eradication, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq.

Appreciating the cooperation of all participants, the prime minister said Pakistan had achieved “remarkable success” in eradicating polio, adding that his government is committed both politically and financially to take forward the task of combating the the crippling virus in the country.

Earlier, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq briefed the meeting on the performance of her task force, saying that polio cases recorded in 2015 had declined 82 per cent over last year.

“Of the total 282 million children cumulatively targeted in campaigns, about 267 million children (95%) have been vaccinated during 2014 and the first half of 2015.”

She went on to say that no polio cases had been recorded in Sindh and Punjab since December 2014, which she said was a result of effective implementation of the vaccination program.

The main focus of the program, she said, was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – especially its southern parts.

Recent reports indicate that campaign workers have been able to gain access to many previously inaccessible parts of the province.

Adding to the success of the campaign, the program has also seen a major turnaround in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in the northern part of the country, she said.

PM Nawaz admired efforts of all chief ministers in successfully conducting the anti-polio campaign in their respective provinces and the performance of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication.

The premier expressed gratitude towards international partners for their support to fight the menacing virus in Pakistan and asked the chief ministers, PM Azad Jammu and Kashmir to brief the meeting on what had been done in the past two-and-a-half years to tackle the problem.

The premier directed all provincial administrations and other concerned organisations to work harder to eliminate the virus from the country for good.

ISLAMABAD: Following a meeting of the apex committee held at the PM House to review the progress of the National Action Plan, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced on Thursday that those challenging the writ of the government will be crushed.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, Chaudhry Nisar said that key terrorist leaders were willing to lay down their arms.

He added that more time was required to eliminate terrorism from the country.

The federal interior minister also emphasised on the need of bringing various non-government organisations (NGOs) under a uniform system. He said that thousands of NGOs were operating in the country but there is no available information regarding who is doing what and how they (NGOs) are funded.

Nisar also proposed the formation of a database of NGOs with cooperation of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

The minister clarified that the government did not intend to bar NGOs entirely; it wishes to facilitate them.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stressed the need for implementing all points on the NAP agenda with a joint approach to eliminate terrorism, Radio Pakistan reported.

He was addressing a meeting of the National Apex Committee which reviewed progress on implementation of the NAP besides discussing the future course of action.

The premier said all state institutions will have to remain on the same page to expedite activities against terrorists and corrupt elements. He said collective wisdom must prevail while taking decisions to make NAP a success.

“All agencies will have to remain vigilant besides improving their capacity to overcome the menace of terrorism.”

The premier said “it is our collective responsibility to join hands for complete success of the plan.”

The meeting was attended by governors, chief ministers, AJK Prime Minister Abdul Majeed, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, heads of intelligence agencies and the Nadra chairman.

Briefing newsmen about the meeting, Chaudhry Nisar said “those who try to defame Islam will be taken to task with cooperation of the Ulema, the media, and the civil society.”

The meeting acknowledged the successes achieved against terrorism with the support of the nation and media, and the joint efforts of government institutions.

KARACHI: Four suspected terrorists were killed in an encounter with Sindh Rangers in Karachi's Sohrab Goth area on Thursday, said a statement issued by the paramilitary force.

According to the details shared by Rangers spokesperson, an operation was carried out on receiving a tip off about the presence of alleged target killers of lawyer Husnain Bukhari, who was gunned down on March 4 this year.

Soon as the Rangers reached the area, the suspected terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on them after which an exchange of fire took place. One Rangers personnel sustained injuries while four miscreants were killed during the encounter, read the statement.

The director general of Rangers has already said that the paramilitary force would take steps to provide protection to lawyers and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Husnain Bukhari, a senior lawyer from the minority Shia sect who was also a counsel for several activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was shot dead in Karachi's Korangi No 1 1/2 area in March.

PESHAWAR: Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister for mines and mineral development, Ziaullah Afridi, who was arrested in July by the provincial anti-corruption body, made an appearance in the provincial assembly on Thursday, where he alleged that the KP cabinet was full of “smugglers who were not being apprehended.”

Speaker Asad Qaisar had issued a production order for the detained former minister so he could attend the assembly sittings on Thursday and Friday.

In his speech on the assembly's floor, the ex-provincial minister from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) alleged that KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was “responsible for the failure of PTI's Islamabad sit-in last year.”

He said that the chief minister had restricted him from inviting people to the capital during last year's sit-in, adding that the provincial police chief was a “fake person,” who “only talks but does not take action”.

Afridi criticised CM Pervez Khattak for “framing false charges” against him and slammed the Inspector General of Police Nasir Durrani, asking stern questions regarding the Army Public School attack in his address.

“714 lawsuits have been filed in mineral cases in Nowshera, but none of them have been addressed by the police chief.”

He called for authorities to investigate the Army Public School massacre that took place on December 16, 2014, and determine “exactly” how the insurgents had reached the school.

Earlier, members of the assembly welcomed Ziaullah Afridi with desk thumping, while hundreds of supporters were present outside the legislature.

Several lawmakers of the treasury and opposition had held meetings with the detained minister and sought commitments. Sources had earlier said the production order for Afridi had been issued on the condition that he would not speak against the chief minister on the assembly floor.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday clarified its stance for talks with India saying there would be no talks with India without the 'all important Kashmir Issue’ included in the agenda.

"Pakistan will also not accept any pre-conditions for talks with India," Foreign Office spokesman Syed Qazi Khalilullah said during a weekly news briefing held in Islamabad today.

The spokesman added that there is no proposal under consideration for a meeting between National Security Advisers of India and Pakistan on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meeting.

According to UN website The 70th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 70) is scheduled to open at UN Headquarters on Tuesday, September 15, 2015.

The General Debate of the 70th Session of the UNGA will take place from September 28 to October 6.

Security adviser level talks between India and Pakistan, scheduled for August 23 and 24, were canceled as both nations reached a deadlock over Pakistan's insistence to hold a meeting with Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi on August 23 despite India’s ‘advice’ to the contrary.

Pakistan on August 22 said that it had come to the conclusion that the proposed National Security Adviser (NSA) level talks between Pakistan and India would not serve any purpose if conducted on the basis of the two conditions laid down by Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Sawaraj.

The announcement comes hours before NSA Sartaj Aziz was to leave for India on August 23.

The Indian foreign minister had earlier said in a presser that India had made clear on August 18 that the scheduled meeting between national security advisers will only discuss issues related to terrorism.

"No other topic will come under discussion," she said, adding that all outstanding issues including Kashmir are part of the composite dialogue between the two countries which had not yet resumed.

Sawaraj had also said India did not recognise a third party in talks with Pakistan, referring to Pakistan's invitation to Hurriyat leaders for a meeting in Delhi.

Also read: NSA level talks cancelled over Indian conditions

Ball in Afghan court over ISI-NDS deal

Answering a question about agreement between Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Afghan intelligence outfit National Directorate of Security (NDS), Khaliullah said that it is up to the Afghan government to decide how to proceed on with the vital agreement signed for security cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Earlier in May this year, the two intelligence agencies had signed an accord for cooperation, aimed at bolstering fight against terrorism.

Read: ISI, Afghan intelligence in landmark deal

Under the agreement, the two intelligence agencies would cooperate in counter-terrorism operations. An essential element of the accord is a provision for joint probe of the terrorism suspects. The ISI would also equip the NDS and train its personnel.

Talking about the anti-terror operation within the country, Khalilullah maintained that Pakistan has taken decisive action against all terror groups in North Waziristan without discrimination while also downplaying rumours of Islamic State's presence on Pakistani soil.

"There are no foot prints of IS in Pakistan however Pakistani security agencies have taken all measures to meet any possible threat from the terrorist group", said the spokesman.

Also read: Pakistan Informs US of its stance on NSA level talks

ISLAMABAD: After the change of command at the Supreme Court, senior puisne judge Justice Mian Saqib Nisar expressed on Thursday the judiciary’s determination to continue to act as a bulwark against the menace of corruption.

He said that neither ignominy would come from the court against any individual or institution before reaching a final conclusion about their fault on the basis of concrete evidence and solid proof nor would the court give its opinion against them halfway. They would not be victimised or stigmatised unduly.

Justice Saqib Nisar made the observation during the hearing of the Ogra implementation case by a three-judge bench headed by him.

Take a look: Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali sworn in as country's top judge

At the last hearing on Aug 22, then chief justice Jawwad S. Khawaja had appointed a commission headed by Deputy Attorney General Khawaja Ahmad Hosain to ascertain whether the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the National Highway Authority (NHA) or the Punjab police had helped Tauqir Sadiq, a former chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), flee the country.

Tauqir Sadiq had escaped despite the fact that the authorities had prior information about his plan. His name was put on the exit control list (ECL) after the Supreme Court had on Nov 25, 2011, declared his appointment as Ogra chairman illegal. According to a NAB assessment, his tenure had cost the petroleum sector a whopping Rs82 billion.

On Thursday, the court ordered NAB to submit a complete record showing issuance of the arrest warrant for Sadiq by the bureau, its withdrawal on verbal orders and issuance of the second warrant.

Justice Saqib Nisar said the Aug 22 directive was a fundamental and basic order, adding that there would be zero tolerance for corruption since the menace rendered societies moth-eaten within inside. Fighting and eliminating corruption with full force should be on the highest priority list of the superior judiciary, he said.

Some people described this role of the judiciary against corruption as judicial activism, but in true sense ending the corruption from society should be the prime goal of the judiciary, the judge said, adding that it was the need of the hour that NAB – an institution considered as a watchdog against corruption – should be above all extraneous influences and it needed to be investigated how a person could manage to make good his escape from the country when his name was on the ECL.

When asked by the court who would investigate NAB if it was not behaving in a diligent manner or acting in bad faith, DAG Khawaja Hosain said the National Accountability Ordinance in its present form did not provide for any monitoring or accountability of NAB itself.

He said courts had the power of judicial review and was using its authority to monitor progress in certain cases, but practically they could not monitor each and every investigation or inquiry on a regular basis. Theoretically, the courts, which would ultimately be adjudicators in the event of a trial, would want to refrain from any sort of detailed involvement in the investigation or inquiry stage so as not to prejudice a fair trial, he said.

The DAG said there were a few examples where the NAB chairman or its prosecutor general had taken action against the bureau’s delinquent employees because there was an inbuilt mechanism in the NAB law.

Referring to a contempt of court petition by Mohammad Yasin against two television channels, the court directed NAB to submit its reply.

The court will resume the hearing after two weeks.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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SWABI: The administration on Thursday sealed operation theatres of some private health centers in Swabi’s district headquarters and closed down several laboratories and clinics over unhygienic conditions and unqualified staff.

The development comes two weeks after the administration asked private health facilities to immediately ensure strict compliance with the relevant laws.

Deputy commissioner Matiullah Khan told Dawn that a party led by additional deputy commissioner Irshad Khan raided several health centres and clinical laboratories.

He warned that private hospitals and clinics would face strict action if they didn’t adhere to the healthcare laws.

The deputy commissioner said quacks won’t be allowed to operate in the district.

He said operation theaters of Jehangir Medical Centre and Misal Medical Centre were sealed, while Manzoor Eye Clinic, Abdullah Vaccination Centre and Laboratory, Ilaj Homeopathic Centre, collection unit of Al-Shifa International, and Jamal Medical Centre Laboratory were closed down over unqualified staff and unhygienic conditions.

Matiullah Khan said the sealed facilities would have to fulfil formalities on staff, equipment and services before seeking permission to resume operation.

WATER SUPPLY PROMISED: Over 200,000 acres of arid land in Chota Lahor tehsil will get water for irrigation soon.

This was stated by Qaumi Watan Party MPA Abdul Karim during a meeting with party workers here.

The MPA said irrigation of barren area in Chota Lahor would bring about a green revolution in the district.

“Water supply will help the district become self-sufficient in grain,” he said.

Abdul Karim said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar created hurdles to the water project after the QWP parted ways with the ruling coalition.

“Instead of creating obstacles, the Speaker should help us ensure early start of work on the project for the benefit of the entire district,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Thursday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a medical college after it received an application from the college, accompanied by forged documents, for the accreditation of a teacher.

The documents were confiscated and an FIR registered in the first-ever case of its kind, where a faculty member who had been teaching students for some years was found to have forged registration documents.

A representative of the Mohammad bin Qasim Medical and Dental College (MBQMDC) in Karachi submitted an application with the PMDC, stating that Hasan Aziz had been employed at their institution as an assistant professor since January 2015.

PMDC had previously stopped admissions at the institution due to various inadequacies, including a shortage of faculty members. The college was advised to beef up its faculty before it could begin admissions.

Certificate signed by employee who left council in 2001 arouses suspicion; reference number found to belong to doctor from Lahore

A PMDC official said that an MBQMDC representative submitted the documents for Assistant Professor of Medicine Hasan Aziz for the purposes of faculty registration. The documents, available with Dawn, state that Aziz was being paid Rs.115,000 per month.

The official said that PMDC officials grew suspicious of the professor’s registration certificate, which bore the issue date of August 2011 and an expiration date of December 2015. Also suspicious was the fact that the certificate bore the signature of Syed Ehtram Ali, who had left the PMDC in 2001 – almost ten years before the date the registration certificate for Hasan Aziz was supposedly issued.

“I was shocked to see that, because Syed Ehtram Ali left PMDC in 2001, but there was his signature on a certificate supposedly from 2011,” he said.

In order to verify the certificate, the official said that PMDC staff checked its registration number. He said that the registration number – 15609-P – was actually allotted to a Dr Amjad Iqbal, from Lahore.

“It is upsetting that someone with forged documents was a faculty member teaching actual medical students. How will those students ever serve the country,” the official lamented.

Current PMDC registrar Dr Shaista Faisal confirmed that the matter had been brought to her attention.

“The college representative demanded that the documents be returned, but I told him that a case would now be registered against the ‘fake’ doctor and that an explanation will be sought from the college administration over how he was appointed as a faculty member at the college,” Dr Faisal said.

“It seems like the faculty member has been teaching for years, because the certificate states that the doctor graduated in 1987. One requires at least three years of experience to become an assistant professor, so we will inquire into where he taught before this,” she added.

“PMDC will file cases against the doctor in Islamabad and in Karachi,” she said, adding that this was the first time that a faculty member had been found guilty of using forged documents.

However, the faculty member in question told Dawn that his documents were not bogus.

“There must be a typographical error, because the college sends many documents. I have the original certificate and will submit it to the PMDC so that the issue is not taken seriously unecessarily,” Aziz said.

When contacted, PBQMDC principal Prof Tariq Sharafat Ullah said the college administration had had is doubts regarding the faculty member.

“If the PMDC confirms that the faculty member used forged documents, we will terminate his employment,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Healthcare professionals on Thursday called off their three-day sit-in near Nadra Chowk following successful negotiations with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

The medical and paramedical staff of government hospitals were demanding the unfreezing of the health risk allowance. During negotiations, the finance minister agreed to unfreeze the allowance within two days.

The allowance was approved by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government in 2011. However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government froze the allowance in the current budget.

A delegation of doctors and paramedics held a meeting with Mr Dar at the finance ministry on Thursday. It was decided that the health risk allowance would be unfrozen through a notification.

A statement issued by the finance ministry said a delegation from the Joint Action Committee of federal hospitals met the minister. The delegation included Dr Sajjad, Dr Sartaj Ali, Dr Gul Mohammad, Sharif Khattak, Raja Mohammad Ilyas, Riaz Gujjar, Sher Mohammad Hazara, Malik Qaiser and Shabbir Tanoli. Member National Assembly (MNA) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also accompanied the delegation.

The delegation members informed the minister about their demands and were assured that the demands would be given due consideration. “Both sides agreed to hold a meeting on Saturday for detailed deliberations on the demands of the JAC,” it added.

While the sit-in was going on, the management of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) worked hard to ensure that a strike was not held in the outpatient department (OPD).

Pims Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram attended to patients at the OPD counter and was later involved in a scuffle with employees who were trying to observe a strike.

“I have taken an oath that employees’ service will not be stopped, so I ensured that not a single patient left the hospital untreated,” Dr Akram said.

“I support the employees about their demand for the allowance but they should not stop serving the patients for such a small benefit,” he added.

Pims spokesperson Dr Ayesha Esani said in the morning manual receipts were given to the patients to ensure they got treatment.

“However, after a while, the hospital staff arrived and began issuing computerised slips. Around 2,000 patients visited the OPD on Thursday,” she said.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Expressing alarm over the territorial gains made by militants in Afghanistan, Russian envoy to Pakistan Alexey Dedov asked certain ‘partner’ countries to shun double standards in the fight against terrorism, without specifying who he was talking about.

“We call on our partners to abandon double standards in the fight against terror and abandon attempts to [classify] terrorists as good and bad,” the Russian ambassador said at a seminar on Countering Violent Extremism, organized by the Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies in collaboration with German think tank Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

Mr Dedov’s comments were echoed by Chinese diplomat Yu Xueyong, who also spoke at the seminar. “All countries should cooperate without employing double standards and selectivity,” Mr Yu said.

In his speech, Mr Dedov cautioned against the policy of dividing Taliban into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and said that if the concerned countries did not correct their course, the scenes witnessed in Iraq and Libya would repeat themselves in Afghanistan.

Mr Dedov said that militants’ progress in Northern Afghanistan, which borders the Central Asian Republics, was of particular concern to Moscow.

The Russian envoy’s remarks came as 65 villages in the Raghistan district of Badakhshan province fell to the Taliban over the past few days. The militant onslaught in Northern Afghanistan is of particular concern to Russia because it involves Chechen, Tajik, Kazakh and Uzbek militants.

“Countering the threat emanating from Afghanistan is important for the region’s security,” he underscored.

He suggested that the way forward was in extending “well-coordinated political support” to the Afghan government for recommencing reconciliation process in Afghanistan for creating peace and stability there.

The reconciliation process Pakistan began facilitating in July stalled after disclosures about Mullah Omar’s death. Islamabad has again offered to assist restart the process, but Kabul seems cautious about the proposal.

About regional cooperation against terrorism, Mr Dedov said Russia supports China’s initiative for preparing the draft Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) convention regarding the fight against extremism.

“We want SCO to play greater role in developing international counter-terrorism cooperation under the aegis of the UN,” he added.

The fight against terrorism, religious extremism and separatism is one of the top priorities for SCO because these threats pose a real danger to the region and beyond, the Russian ambassador remarked.

The Chinese diplomat, meanwhile, also praised Pakistan’s fight against terrorism and said that these efforts deserved international recognition.

“We expect that Zarb-e-Azb would make further achievements to create favourable conditions for economic development,” he said. China is willing to continue cooperation with Pakistan for ensuring regional peace and stability, the diplomat said.

Hassan Belal Zaidi adds: Addressing the closing session of the two-day seminar, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch blamed the creation of violent extremists in Pakistan on the West-centric policies of two ‘individuals’ – thinly-veiled references to Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen Pervez Musharraf – who “could not win the support of the people, so they sought the support of the Americans”.

He insisted that extremism was not a Islamic phenomenon, as was being portrayed, and recounted some of the greatest follies of man, such as the two world wars, as examples of extremism displayed by those of other faiths.

Speaking about the Karachi operation, he said that certain political parties who had pursued the policy of maintaining militant wings had been “given the realisation that they will be forced to abandon this policy” and that they could not rely on terror to get votes. “The government would [welcome their] return to parliament,” he said.

Talking about his home province, he said, “Balochistan was a problem. Balochistan is a problem. But we’re doing our utmost to resolve the issues there.” He said that in terms of area, his constituency was nearly as big as all of Khyber Paktunkhwa and Fata combined, but that no major development schemes had been implemented in the areas since 1947.

However, he said, one positive development was that people who were previously talking about secession from Pakistan had now come back to the negotiating table.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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LAHORE: The City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) has warned the public to be watchful as three months (September to November) are vulnerable to possible dengue spread in the provincial metropolis.

“The weather in these months enables the mosquitoes to bread. Of the total 1,512 dengue-related cases, 1,408 were reported in these months alone during the years 2013 and 2014,” a spokesman for the city administration said in a statement on Thursday.

He said the CDGL had in April 2015 advertised 2,956 temporary/seasonal jobs of dengue patrolling workers. At least 2,626 candidates joined the duty while 330 posts are yet to be filled.

He said since the Election Commission of Pakistan had imposed a ban on all sorts of recruitments, it also did not allow the CDGL to recruit further staff.

He said only two dengue cases were so far reported in the city. Meanwhile, the spokesman said the CDGL would hold 30 sports events/matches of various games in the coming months.

He said five new squash courts in various schools of the city would also be constructed.

KILLED: Teams of the district public health department killed 183 stray dogs in various towns of the city.

While various price control magistrates had 62 shopkeepers arrested for overcharging.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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Young drummers welcome the newly enrolled students at a girls school in Mingora on Thursday. (Below) MPA Nadia Sher Khan enrolling a girl. — Dawn

MINGORA: Teachers and education department officials at the launching ceremony of a campaign to increase enrolment have said that they expect enrolment of a big number of children in schools with special focus on girls in Swat.

The ceremony was organised at Government Girls High School No 2, Saidu Sharif, on Thursday by the provincial education department in collaboration with Alif Ailaan, Innovative Youth Forum, NCHD and Aurat Foundation. The event was presided over by parliamentary secretary of population welfare MPA Nadia Sher Khan and attended by district education officer (female), teachers and civil society members.

Dr Jawad Iqbal, an education activist, said that Swat was among the five worst performing districts in girls enrolment. “In comparison to 39,292 boys enrolment this year, only 15,000 girls have been enrolled which is of great concern. Apart from teachers and parents it is the responsibility of politicians to take part in the enrolment campaign,” he said.

He recalled that in 2013 Swat was on top in KP to enrol girls in schools.

Enrolment drive launched in Swat

“Until every child goes to school, our country cannot get on track of development and prosperity. For brighter future of Pakistan the parents must allow girls to get education, “said students Gulalai and Salva.

The participants said that the biggest challenge was to bring girls of far-flung rural areas to schools.

“Sincerity of teachers plays a key role in increasing enrolment and retaining students in schools. We not only have to bring children to the school, but also have to retain and educate them to the last,” said Iffat Nasir, principal of a girls school.

NCHD representative Tahir Rahman said that it was the collective responsibility of the society to extend help in the campaign.

“Low standard of education, lack of skills and boring environment cause the dropouts of children in schools,” said Bilawal Jamshed, head of the youth forum. DEO Shamim Akhtar said that the provincial government was spending huge funds in the education sector.

“Of the 511 primary school teachers required in Swat, 374 have already been approved, while the remaining posts will be filled this year. In the April enrolment drive we have almost achieved our target and enrolled 17,840 girls,” she claimed.

Nadia Sher assured the educationists that the government would support them in their endeavours for promotion of education. She said that the education sector had faced great loss during the militancy and the girls education was the most affected. She also enrolled a child by filling and signing her admission form.

Girls students of different schools on this occasion performed skits and national songs, highlighting the importance of education for girls.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s declaration that his government will now direct its energies to countering sectarianism can only be viewed as a positive development, though it will take a lot to pacify sceptics who continue to raise concerns about the slip between cup and lip.

The minister declared zero tolerance for those terming others as ‘infidels’, questioning their faith and fuelling sectarian fires in the country, already polarised along a number of lines. Nisar’s statement was significant inasmuch as it followed two rounds of consultations with the leaders of the umbrella organisation representing the Madaris (or religious schools) all over Pakistan.

Most significantly the second round of consultations chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was also attended by the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and the Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

If the interior minister’s words can be read as representing the civil-military consensus on the issue, there would be no sweeter music to many ears in Pakistan.

Nonetheless, the rollout of practical measures will be keenly awaited, because though the roots of sectarian intolerance in Pakistan in terms of a major incident can be traced back to the early 1960s, it nowhere near represented the constant persecution of sectarian and religious minorities which started in the 1980s and continues unabated to this day.

Two things happened towards the end of the previous decade, in 1979 to be specific. The march of the Soviet army into Afghanistan, and the Iranian revolution which saw to power a Shia theocratic regime would have profound impact on Pakistan. Both these events created a tidal wave of change, and a nasty one at that, as hundreds of millions of dollars started to flow into Pakistan to indoctrinate thousands of impoverished people into becoming virulent militants.

The primary aim of the western powers led by the United States was to counter Soviet influence in the region by trying to force out the Red Army from Afghanistan. Some of the West’s Gulf allies led by Saudia Arabia shared this goal but also wanted to bolster anti-Shia militant forces to nullify any influence Iran acquired over Pakistani Shias, many of whom saw Imam Khomeini as a credible religious leader.

The Shia protest over Gen Ziaul Haq’s rollout of Islamic laws, including forced deduction of Zakat, which saw thousands gathered in Islamabad in the summer of 1980, shook the regime. While Zia amended the law and made Shias exempt from this forced levy and allowed them to pay, collect and distribute Zakat as per their own ‘fiqh’, he never forgave them. And the result is there for all to see.

One particular Muslim school of thought, regardless of how small the number of Pakistanis who adhere to it, was patronised by the State to a point where its influence (just count the number of mosques and madaris controlled by it) outstripped others which together may have represented some 80 per cent or more of Pakistan. This particular school of thought provided the cannon fodder for the anti-Soviet military campaign.

Then, realising the efficacy of such ‘non-state’ actors, the military establishment started to further develop and deploy these ‘assets’ to its covert wars in Indian-occupied Kashmir and in other areas of ‘strategic’ interest.

Whereas in the past, such as in the genesis of sectarian violence in the country, for example in the southern Punjab town of Jhang, sectarianism may have been rooted in the tussle between the haves and the have-nots, what fuels it today is toxic ideology and nothing more, which explains its scary intensity.

This backdrop leads one to believe that the challenge is enormous and will require an iron will to meet it with any level of success.

For a start, let’s see if key government ministers stop publicly fraternising with sectarian leaders who routinely make hate speeches and lead frenzied slogans of ‘Kafir’ against other sects.

Equally, the military will have to demonstrate that anyone whose hand causes murder and mayhem in the country and violently drives wedges in society is not and can never be an ‘asset’ and needs to be brought before the law.

Once we have such demonstrable evidence, the reservations about welcoming Nisar Ali Khan’s statement will melt away and be replaced with relief and joy.