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KARACHI: PPP Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Jamil Ahmed Bhurgari passed away in Karachi early Monday morning. He was 63.

Jameel, elected from PS-67 (Mirpurkhas-cum-Umerkot- Old Mirpur Khas-IV) constituency of Sindh province, died of heart failure early this morning. He had defeated his rival Mir Janullah Khan Talpur, a PML-F candidate in May 2013 general elections.

"The sitting MPA breathed his last at his house in Karachi a few hours before he was scheduled to fly to the United States (US) for cancer treatment, as he was suffering from the disease for quite some time," a close relative, Nadeem Sagir Bhurgari, told Dawn.

Bhurgari belonged to the political family of Bhurgaris of Mirpurkhas district and was born on February 21, 1952 in the house of the known landlord Raees Ghulam Mustafa Bhurgari.

He was one of the members of standing committee on forests,wildlife and environment and works and services.

Jameel is survived by behind one son, two daughters and a widow.

According to the family sources, the politician will be laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in village Mohammad Hashim Bhurgari near Kot Ghulam Mohammad this evening.

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While the name may not strike fear into the hearts of hardened criminals, the newly established Dolphin Force – an elite security unit – is out patrolling the streets of Lahore.

The inspiration (and peculiar name) for the security force comes from a law enforcement unit in Turkey which greatly impressed Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, leading to its emulation at home. But while Sharif pushes to expand this pet project, top police officials eye the new unit with some disdain, as they believe it will meet an embarrassing end like its predecessors.

Exorbitant cost is the primary reason Dolphin Force looks likely to fail.

The unit has so far received 35 Honda CB motorbikes out of an estimated final strength of 300. With an engine capacity of around 500cc, the bikes have been purchased at a staggering cost of Rs1.5 million each.

Examine: CM fancies Istanbul police patrol model

The list of expenses the still nascent force has incurred does not stop here. Plans are also afoot to equip members of the unit with uniforms that cost Rs50,000 each, replete with attached cameras and a chip to monitor the officer's movement. Maintenance and repair costs will also be higher than those of previously established patrolling units.

The new 500cc motorbikes delivered to the Dolphin Force. — Photo courtesy: DawnNews screengrab

Requesting anonymity, police officials, when contacted, say it is just a matter of time before the force and its expensive equipment runs out of funds to function in the manner envisaged by the chief minister. They add that the unit will eventually end up being deployed to protect VIPs, not to fight crime.

Take a look: PC-I of Dolphin patrol force submitted to P&D

The new 500cc motorbikes issued to the Dolphin Force. DawnNews screengrab

DSP Dolphin Force Mir Kashif Khalil argues that such high-powered bikes are necessary for the unit to pursue and apprehend criminals involved in street crime. However, similar 'elite' units such as Muhafiz Force and Quick Response Force became redundant soon after they were established, due to a lack of funds to ensure maintenance of the 125cc motorbikes provided.

Most police officials that were a part of these units were reduced to using their personal vehicles to perform daily duties. To make matters worse, they were given a meager daily allowance of 1.5 liters of fuel.

Both units are now relegated to the protection of VIPs.

The 125cc motorbikes used by Punjab police. — DawnNews screengrab

Several requests were sent to higher offices of the provincial government to increase the number of vehicles deployed at police stations, officials claim, but no response was ever solicited.

They add that most of the police stations in Lahore have just two vehicles, which is not enough to maintain law and order in the city. Funds splurged on the new elite unit could have been used to revamp the existing squads, officials argue.

For now, there is little optimism regarding Dolphin Force's success within local police circles.

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ISLAMABAD: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is encouraging its businessmen to take advantage of investment opportunities in Pakistan, a report on the Radio Pakistan website quoted the Saudi ambassador-designate to Pakistan Abdullah Zahrani.

In a message released on the eve of Saudi Arabia's national day, the envoy said that prospects for an economic relationship between the two countries are wide-ranging.

He said that Pakistan and KSA enjoy excellent cultural relations ─ a factor which has forged a strong bond over time. He said the shared majority religion, Islam, remained one of the main dimensions of the relationship between the two states.

Zahrani thanked the Pakistani government for supporting the Saudi stance on the Yemen crisis and appreciated Pakistan's efforts against terrorism.

Also read: Pakistan receives $1.6bn remittances

QUETTA: The provincial government of Balochistan on Monday issued a ban on collection of animal hides by proscribed outfits during Eidul Azha.

The Balochistan home department has also issued a code of conduct in this regard, and has included political and religious proscribed organisations in the ban.

Balochistan's government has also imposed a ban on holding of any camp for collection of sacrificial animal hides in the province, including the use of loudspeakers for hide collection.

Read: Balochistan to control Zakat and Fitrana collections

All deputy commissioners and district police officers have been instructed to ensure compliance of the ban.

A control room will also be established in Quetta and other district headquarters to monitor collection of hides and compliance with the ban.

Earlier in July, the provincial government of Balochistan had imposed a ban on collection of Zakat and Fitrana by proscribed organisations in the province on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.

KARACHI: A woman believed to be dead 'came back to life' on Monday when Edhi mortuary staff were bathing her body prior to burial.

Edhi Foundation spokesman Anwar Qazi said the organisation receives around 20-25 bodies a day for burial. This particular woman, he said, is from Dumba Goth near the Super Highway.

Her body was brought to the foundation for the performance of final rites and burial after she was believed dead.

However, when staff began performing 'ghusl' on the woman, she suddenly came to life.

The spokesman said the woman's age was approximately 55 years old. A slip had been written up for record-keeping purposes when her body had been received by mortuary officials.

The officials had not been able to ascertain why she had been believed dead.

GHOTKI: A middle-aged woman and her brother were found dead under mysterious circumstances in her house in Ghotki district of Sindh province early Monday morning.

Rukhsana Buriro and her brother Uzair Buriro were found dead with their throats slashed with some sharp weapon in Deharki city of Ghotki district.

Police reached the spot after neighbours informed them that children were heard crying inside the house.

The bodies were shifted to Civil Hospital Deharki for postmortem.

Rukhsana was a widowed when her husband Advocate Aslam Buriro was murdered a few years ago over a property dispute.

After Aslam's murder, the widow's house was placed under police surveillance following court orders for the protection of the woman and her children.

However, no police personnel was present outside the house when the incident occurred.

ISLAMABAD: To ensure transparency in upcoming local body polls, a ban has been imposed on appointment and transfer of government officers in Punjab and Sindh.

Briefing the media after an ECP meeting to review the arrangements for LG polls, Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan Babar Yaqub informed media that the ban has been imposed to ensure organization of a fair and free election.

Answering a question, Yaqub also said that the commission has so far not received any written request for deployment of Rangers in the elections. He added that the paramilitary force would be deployed if the need arose.

Related LHC orders ECP to ensure free, fair LG polls

Besides the ECP staff, chief secretaries of Punjab and Sindh along with some high-ranking police officials also attended the meeting which was called in the federal capital city.

Yaqoob said that the participants of the meeting discussed the issues related to security in detail while the CEC directs IGP Punjab and Sindh to ensure security of returning officers and deputy returning officers during the upcoming polls.

“IG Punjab ensures the ECP that the police will remain neutral during the polls while he also showed concerns regarding the terrorist activity in the upcoming polls in the province,” said Yaqoob.

In his remarks, the Chief Election Commissioner assured that electoral code of conduct will be followed and implemented in letter and spirit during the polls

Local body elections in Punjab and Sindh will be held in two phases with the first phase scheduled for October 31 and the second to be held on November 19.

District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) have already been appointed by ECP for this purpose, and they have been asked to fulfill their duties in accordance with the provision of law and rules and maintain neutrality and impartiality.

According to the notification by the ECP, severe action will be taken against those returning officers who fail to fulfill their responsibilities.

The ECP has also issued the code of conduct for coverage of the elections by electronic media.

Since the polls are being held on party basis, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has been directed to monitor the coverage given to political parties and their candidates.

The code of conduct says that wild allegation and statements which may harm national solidarity or may create law and order situation should be strictly avoided.

The media has been directed to seek comments of both sides in case of allegations levelled by one candidate against another.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presided over a high-level meeting, attended by the top military and civilian leadership, on Monday which decided to share evidence of the PAF Badaber base attack with Afghanistan.

The meeting was held to review the overall security situation with particular reference to Friday's terrorist attack on Pakistan Air Force (PAF) camp in Badaber which killed 29 people.

Top intelligence officials briefed the meeting regarding the planning and execution of the attack by the TTP from Afghan soil.

Evidence was also shared in the meeting which would be presented to Kabul for tougher action against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts situated in Afghanistan.

"The meeting reviewed overall security situation in the country, sharing of evidence along with the border management strategy with Afghanistan and implementation of National Action Plan (NAP)," an official statement from PM house said.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Major Gen Aamir Riaz, Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI) Major Gen Nadeem Zaki attended the meeting.

Know more: Army captain among 29 killed in TTP-claimed attack on PAF camp in Peshawar

Pakistan Army spokesman had earlier maintained that the attack on PAF camp was planned and controlled from Afghanistan.

Later, Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz talking to a private TV channel said that initial investigation into the attack on PAF camp near Peshawar had proved terrorists’ contacts within Afghanistan, Dawn newspaper reported. The evidence would be shared with Afghan authorities, he said.

On the other hand, the Afghan government in a statement strongly rejected as baseless the claims that the attack on PAF camp in Peshawar was planned and controlled from Afghanistan.

LAHORE: A group of young doctors and paramedics threw eggs on adviser to chief minister on health Khwaja Salman Rafique and senior medics when they were attending a ceremony organised at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital on Monday to celebrate 50 successful liver transplant surgeries.

The incident occurred when Mr Rafique was leaving the venue along with medical teachers.

According to witnesses, a group of paramedics led by an employee Nasiruddin (dresser at the SZH) and some Young Doctors Association activists threw eggs on the adviser and also targeted some senior medics.

The security guards rescued Mr Rafique and he took shelter at a room of the hospital when the charged YDA members and paramedics chased him.

The act was strongly condemned by senior medics of the hospital.

Earlier, the paramedics and young doctors surrounded the office of the SZH chairman and also staged a sit-in, blocking access of the patients to the hospital building.

Young doctors, paramedics spoil liver transplant celebrations

A police contingent was called when a group of paramedics tried to enter the chairman’s office.

On misbehaving with the admin officials and some duty doctors, police took Nasiruddin into custody and shifted him to police station.

The YDA men and paramedics got furious on his arrest and surrounded the venue of the ceremony when police released Nasir.

The situation was tense as the charged protesters blocked all entry and exit points of the hospital.

The elective surgeries were postponed and patients denied treatment.

Salman Rafique, talking to media men at night, announced forgiving the “assailants.”

He, however, said the government would not allow the young doctors and paramedics to humiliate senior medical teachers.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2015

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LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday awarded death sentence on two counts to two suspects and imprisonment to two others for killing local PML-N leader Maimoona Jabeen and her gunman in 2011.

The court awarded death sentence to Ziafat Ali and Ghulam Abbas, and life imprisonment on two counts to Saqib with a fine of Rs2 million and 10-year jail term to Khawar with Rs1 million fine.

The suspects had gunned down Maimoona and her gunman Muhammad Ashfaq near Ravi Road in June 2011. She was a coordinator of PML-N in Union Council 113.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Conti­nuing its operations against white-collar crime in Sindh, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) decided on Monday to file a reference against a former provincial secretary for illegally appointing relatives and friends of politicians and other influential people to 30 executive posts in grades 17 and 18.

Chaired by NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, the NAB Executive Board Meeting (EBM) held at the bureau’s headquarters also decided to initiate investigations against two former provincial ministers from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

According to a National Accountability Bureau spokesperson, a reference will be filed against Badar Jamil Mandhro, the former secretary of the Minorities Affairs Department, Sindh, and others. They stand accused of allegedly appointing 30 individuals to the post of deputy director and assistant executive engineer in violation of service rules.

Sources told Dawn that the appointments were made during FY2012-13, while grade 17 appointments were the domain of the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) as officers in this or higher grades could not be appointed directly.

Cases related to illegal appointments in Sindh, corruption in Balochistan Development Authority taken up

They said that a summary for these appointments was sent to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but he did not extend his approval, rather asked the authorities concerned to meet the necessary formalities for the appointments.

Mr Mandhro was arrested by National Accountability Bureau on June 3, 2015, but has been out on bail since July 9.

Ex-ministers

The National Accountability Bureau meeting also authorised a complaint verification (CV) against former Balochistan Development Authority Minister Haji Mohammad Nawaz Kakar, ex-BDA chairman Saddat Anwar Qambarani, BDA GM (Tendering) Bismillah Kakar and others.

The accused allegedly received kickbacks from BDA contractors, made illegal bank transactions and acquired benami assets in other people’s name.

The National Account­ability Bureau spokesman also said that an inquiry would be conducted against officials of the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), including former minister Sardar Muhammad Idrees and other beneficiaries for corruption in the allotment of GDA plots, which caused a loss of Rs52 million to the national exchequer.

The meeting also decided to authorise an inquiry against owners of Zahid Traders for willful default of Rs282 million, referred by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

The second inquiry was re-authorised against officers of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), owners of the Al-Moiz Sugar Mill in Dera Ismail Khan and others.

In this case, the accused were alleged to have misused their authority and carried out the illegal sale and purchase of electricity.

The EBM also decided to close CV exercises against Ali Madad Jattak, former Balochistan Minister for Food Department.

It also authorised the closure of an inquiry against Khurshid Alam, ex-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Northern Areas.

The meeting also agreed that no further action would be taken in a complaint verification, against the authorities of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University Quetta and others due to lack of incriminating evidence.

In a complaint against the unlawful amalgamation of KASB Bank Limited into Bank Islami Pakistan Ltd, the EBM decided to link the case with an ongoing inquiry at NAB Karachi.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani leaders are convinced that the Badaber Air Force camp attack originated in Afghanistan, but are undecided about the mechanism for sharing proofs with the Afghan government due to yawning trust gap.

A late evening call from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, for condemning the Friday terrorist strike, served to reconnect the two leaders, but there was no indication about the two agreeing to give a fresh start to their dysfunctional counter-terrorism cooperation, except for a vague reiteration by Mr Ghani about not allowing his country’s soil to be used against Pakistan.

“The Afghan president said that Afghanistan will never allow its land to be used against Pakistan by anyone,” Prime Minister’s Office quoted the Afghan leader as having told PM Sharif during the telephonic conversation. Mr Ghani also offered condolence over the loss of lives in the attack.

Government leaders, military officials analyse PAF camp attack and strategise course of action

The Afghan presidency had over the weekend through a statement already rejected Pakistani military claims that the Badaber attack was “planned and directed” from Afghanistan, but at the same time asked Pakistan to fight all terrorist groups without discrimination to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The call from the Afghan president came at the end of a day when the civil and military leadership gathered at the Prime Minister’s House to analyse the attack and strategise their future course of action.

The meeting presided over by PM Sharif was attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, DG Military Operations Maj Gen Aamer Riaz, DG Military Intelligence Maj Gen Nadeem Zaki Manj and other senior officials.

“The meeting reviewed overall security situation in the country, sharing of evidence with Afghanistan, border management strategy with Afghanistan and implementation of National Action Plan (NAP),” the PM Office said.

Talking to Dawn after the meeting, one of the participants said Pakistan had strong evidence that the Badaber attack carried out by a Tehreek-i-Taliban affiliate was planned and directed from Afghanistan.

“In principle there is consensus that the Afghans will be given proof about the involvement of Afghanistan-based groups and other actors,” the official said.

Another senior official, who also attended the meeting, said the government was still examining what part of evidence it would share with the Afghans and how would that sharing be done.

Such proofs are normally shared through the ISI.

But an intelligence sharing and cooperation mechanism worked out by the two countries after PM Sharif’s visit to Kabul earlier this year failed to take off because of stiff opposition in Kabul to such an arrangement.

Officials said that chances of intelligence cooperation had particularly become bleak due to the presence of Indian intelligence officials within the Afghan spy outfit NDS as advisers.

The NDS currently has four advisers from RAW.

Bilateral relationship is not in a state where Pakistani leaders will be comfortable sharing the evidence with the Afghan government and expecting it to take action against the groups or individuals it had identified as involved in the attack.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2015

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Human rights organisation Amnesty International on Monday requested the government of Pakistan to halt the scheduled execution of a paraplegic man, who is due to be hanged tomorrow, according to a statement released.

Abdul Basit, a 43-year-old man, was convicted of murder in 2009, but has always maintained his innocence.

“Instead of debating the logistics of how to put a man in a wheelchair to death, the authorities in Pakistan should grant reprieve to Abdul Basit,” said Sultana Noon, Amnesty International’s Pakistan Researcher.

“This case has once again drawn widespread attention to the cruelty of the relentless conveyer belt of executions in Pakistan,” said the statement from Amnesty International.

The statement further added that at least 240 people have been put to death since December 2014 – a staggeringly high number that makes Pakistan one of the top three executing countries in the world.

Amnesty International also requested the government of Pakistan to immediately impose a moratorium on executions with a view to the full abolition of the death penalty, according to the statement released today.

According to Amnesty’s statement, Abdul Basit became paralysed in 2010 due to the inhumane conditions in which he was kept in Central Jail Faisalabad, and was not given sufficient healthcare after being diagnosed with tuberculosis meningitis, leading to severe spinal cord damage.

A report published in The Independent in August had thrown light on the issue.

Human rights campaigning group Reprieve had referred to this conviction as "cruel and violent spectacle."

His execution was about to take place after the court ordered a warrant on July 29, but his execution got temporarily suspended.

The counsel for Basit had pointed out that Pakistan’s law had provisions for mercy to be granted in cases where prisoners were suffering from severe “ill-health”.

Read: Disabled death row convict set to be hanged

The government’s failure to acknowledge this and commute Basit’s sentence appeared to form part of a worrying trend involving the blanket dismissal of all mercy petitions considered since executions resumed in 2014, he had said before the court.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Puras, had also voiced concern over the medical condition of Basit.

“We call on the authorities of Pakistan to protect the right to health of Abdul Basit and Khizar Hayat, and other inmates in death row with severe psychosocial disabilities,” he said earlier.

Abdul Basit's lawyer, from the Justice Project Pakistan, had said that hanging a man of his condition is against the law and since they won't be able to determine the correct length of rope which is needed to hang him, hanging him with a rope of an inaccurate length would give him an "appalling death".

His lawyer also claimed that his execution "would amount to a cruel and unusual punishment, breaching Pakistani and international law".

Telegraph reports showed that Faisalabad Central Jail's handbook specifies rules and regulations which include that a prisoner must be able to stand on his own before he could be hanged.

The federal government had lifted the moratorium on the death penalty on Dec 17, 2014, in terrorism related cases only, in the wake of a Taliban attack at the Army Public School in Peshawar, which claimed 150 lives, most of them children.

Later, the government completely reinstated capital punishment for all offences that entail the death penalty.

ISLAMABAD: A Memo­ran­dum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday with an aim to improve access to education in Sindh.

The MoU between the USAID, the provincial government’s Education and Literacy Department and the Engro Corporation was signed at a ceremony held the latter’s head office.

The MoU will bring closer the organisations so that they can support the Sindh Basic Education Programme (SBEP) which is a collaborative effort of the provincial government and USAID, an Engro statement said.

Education Secretary Fazlullah Pechuho, USAID Mission Director John Groarke and Engro’s Senior Vice President Ruhail Mohammed signed the memorandum.

Addressing the ceremony, US Consul General Brian Heath said, “The Sindh government and Engro Corporation have shown great leadership in implementing the US-funded education projects.

The collaboration will go a long way in making education more accessible to children in Sindh”.

The Sindh Basic Education Programme is being implemented in various districts of the province. The components of the SBEP include School Construction, Community Mobilisation Programme, Reading Programme and Capacity Development Project.

Under the tripartite agreement, Engro under its `I am the Change’ initiative will help generate funding for schools.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2015

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LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Monday denied stay to unseated MNA of the PML-N from NA-154, Lodhran, Siddique Khan Baloch, against the order of an election tribunal, but admitted his appeal for regular hearing and issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan and Jahangir Khan Tareen of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry observed that the stay could not be granted without hearing the other party.

A Multan election tribunal had annulled the results of 2013 general election in NA-154, disqualifying Mr Baloch for possessing fake academic credentials.

Mr Tareen had challenged the election before the tribunal.

As the proceedings started, Advocate Shahzad Shaukat appeared on behalf of the appellant and said the tribunal declared degrees of Mr Baloch fake without any proof on the record.

The bench noted that the tribunal in its order wrote that Mr Baloch did his matriculation in Sindhi but he could not even speak the language.

The appellant passed his intermediate examination from Karachi and did his graduation (BA) from Balochistan, but he was unable to speak English and even Balochi language, the bench cited the tribunal’s decision.

The bench expressed its wonder when it came to know that the appellant did his matriculation at the age of 43.

The counsel argued that the degrees of the appellant were found genuine during an inspection of parliamentarians’ academic credentials carried out by High Education Commission on Supreme Court’s order.

The bench observed that the authenticity of the appellant’s degrees appeared to be suspicious.

Advocate Shaukat told the bench that he would never appear before the Supreme Court if his arguments proved false.

The bench issued notices to the ECP and Mr Jahangir Tareen for Sept 29 and said no adjournment would be given to any of the parties. It would also decide the stay application on the next hearing.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2015

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LAHORE: An anti-hate speech campaign was launched in 45 district of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in connection with the International Peace Day on Monday.

Titled “Bolo Zimadari Se,” the campaign is aimed at creating public awareness through the short message service (SMS) of the negative impacts of hate speech in Pakistan.

About 0.5 million Pakistanis would be educated through the campaign launched by the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-Pakistan) under its “AAWAZ Voice and Accountability Programme” in collaboration with Aurat Foundation, Strengthening Participatory Organisation and the Sungi Development Foundation.

The campaign was formally launched in a ceremony at a local hotel.

Speaking on the occasion, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Secretary General I.A. Rehman said “Bolo Zimadari Se” campaign was more important than any other campaign because it would help make people responsible for their words. He said using hate words even by children could keep them away from real progress.

Rehman said although there were a plenty of laws available on the issue but such laws were framed during the colonial era and were used to snub the voice of the people.

He stressed that such colonial era laws should not be used to make the people voiceless rather they should be used against hate speech.

Punjab Minorities Advisory Council Chairperson MPA Mary Gill called for implementation of laws discouraging hate speech in letter and spirit. She said the Supreme Court had passed a verdict for protection of religious minorities and directed the authorities to take necessary action against all acts causing disturbance in the society.

She said that civil society organisations of Pakistan should play their role to discourage hate speech and material because it was affecting the religious minorities.

Highlighting the objectives of the campaign Deputy Director SAP-Pakistan Irfan Mufti said that to check hate speech and material the government should revise the curriculum, religious scholars and teachers should be trained, the laws which were affecting religious minorities should be amended, all type of hate material and speech should be banned and education policy should also be reviewed.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2015

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QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch on Monday hinted towards reinitiating the dialogue process after Eidul Azha with exiled and disgruntled Baloch leaders to bring an end to unrest in the country’s largest province.

“We believe in dialogue and are striving towards a negotiated settlement for issues that plague the province,” said the chief minister.

The second phase of negotiations would be started soon after Eidul Azha to find an amicable solution to issues facing the province, the chief minister added.

“I support anyone struggling for peace,” remarked Baloch.

The chief minister elaborated that he has been entrusted the task of bringing peace to the province and ending the bloodshed plaguing Balochistan.

Read: Brahamdagh Bugti willing to negotiate with govt: BBC

Responding to a question regarding the reported killing of Allah Nazar, head of the proscribed Baloch Liberation Frontier (BLF), the chief minister said that his “death can not be verified.”

“There are rumours of his death, but I can neither deny nor confirm his death,” stated Baloch.

The chief minister, while speaking on the occasion termed corruption as one of the underlying reasons behind the existing fragile democratic system.

“Corruption must be eliminated from the country in order to pave the way for development and prosperity,” said the chief minister of Balochistan.

It is pertinent to mention that security operations in Balochistan have increased in frequency and militants who were previously fighting against the state have started surrendering in substantial numbers, after an amnesty was announced.

Earlier in August, around 400 militants had laid down their weapons before authorities in Quetta during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day.

It was also reported during the same month that Brahamdagh Bugti, the separatist leader of the outlawed Baloch Republican Party (BRP) had said that he is willing to negotiate with the government over the Balochistan issue.

The government is also engaged in negotiations with the Khan of Kalat, Mir Suleman Dawood.

Earlier, Chief of Jhalawan and Senior Balochistan Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had met the exiled Baloch leader Khan of Kalat in London.

Chief Minister Balochistan had confirmed that his government will request members of the 'Grand Baloch Jirga' to make a formal appeal for Khan of Kalat’s return.

The chief minister had also stated that many militants had surrendered their weapons and joined the political process, which is an encouraging sign for the province.