LAHORE: Four people accused for attacking a vigil observing the fourth death anniversary of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer, were sent on a six-day physical remand in police custody by an Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday.

Officials had produced the four accused, including Iftikhar, Furqanul Haq, Wazir Ali and Naveed in court on Wednesday. They sought remand for the accused for conducting further investigations regarding their role and purpose in spreading anarchy on the anniversary.

The court granted the police six days physical remand of the accused.

On January 4, a group of enraged men had attacked participants of a candle light vigil at the Liberty Chowk, organised to mark the death anniversary of Taseer. They snatched and tore placards and photos of the former governor before beating up vigil participants.

Taseer was shot dead by his own guard, Mumtaz Qadri, in broad day light on January 4, 2011 in Islamabad.

LAHORE: A 16-year-old boy has confessed to the gruesome killing a five-year-old, who was found strangled on the roof of a mosque a day on January 3, Express News reported on Wednesday.

The boy also confessed to molesting the five-year-old several times before his death.

Hours earlier, the family of the five-year-old victim protested in Green Town with the body but dispersed peacefully after Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Amin Wains assured them that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

The capital city police officer (CCPO) Lahore, while speaking to media, confirmed the 16-year-old suspect was among the 11 suspected assailants arrested earlier  for hanging the boy to death.

“Shoaib worked as a hairdresser at a barber shop located near the mosque,” he added.

An autopsy report, on January 4, confirmed that the boy who was recovered from the roof of a mosque was molested several times before his death.

A doctor at the Jinnah Hospital – where the body was moved for autopsy – also said there were some marks of torture and assault on the body.

Soon after the incident, the family of the victim also protested in the area earlier after which the city’s police assured them that the perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge sought comments from the Faisal Town SHO by January 22 on a petition filed by a woman seeking registration of an FIR against Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri among others for not paying her Rs3,500 for each day she attended the Inqilab March.

The court had sought comments from the SHO at the last hearing but no one appeared on his behalf nor submitted comments on the matter.  The PAT had claimed that the woman was not a member of the PAT but had been planted by the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz to tarnish PAT’s reputation. The woman, however, has attached her PAT lifetime membership certificate, bearing Qadri’s signature, to the application.

Hajan Momina said she had approached the SHO to file a complaint against Qadri, his son, daughter and PAT central president Raheeq Abbasi on January 6. The SHO refused to register a case.

Momina said that she had been a PAT member since 2007. On August 7, Qadri’s son and daughter requested her to gather women from her area to attend the Martyrs’ Day at Model Town.

She said she took several women from her area to attend the event but there the PAT chief, his son and daughter asked them to participate in the Inqilab March in Islamabad and promised to pay her and the women accompanying her Rs3,500 for each day they were there.

She said PAT officials took the identity cards of the women accompanying her and promised to compensate them for their participation. Momina said she and the other women stayed at the capital for 70 days but no one from the PAT paid them a dime for their participation even though they had to brave police violence.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

A grant from the Japanese government for the Raj International Education Institute Trust, a nongovernmental organisation for grassroots development, had financed the construction of the laboratory and centre. The laboratory has been built to improve the quality of education being imparted to students at the trust’s school for girls in the Sakhi village. The centre has been established to provide women from the area with an opportunity to develop skills. This will also improve their employability.

Ambassador Inomata said the Japanese government had prioritised women empowerment in Japan and other countries under the leadership of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He said the initiative was a testament to the Japanese government’s commitment to the cause. Ambassador Inomata said he hoped that the initiative would go a long way in developing the skills of women in the area and cementing Pakistan-Japan relations.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

The protest broke out after the manager of a motorbike stand near the college turned away students early in the morning, informing them that the college had not re-opened.

Ali Abbasi, a second year student, told newsmen, he was not allowed to park his motorbike in the parking stand. He said some students were arguing with the men manning the stand.

“They told us that the college was closed,” he said. “We tried to tell them that the university had not informed us about it.”

He said the argument got heated and the men hit some of the students. He said many students had come from more than 40 kilometres away.

He said five of them were injured. He said later, more students arrived and protested against the university.

He said the school was being mismanaged and that no clear schedule for January exams had been issued.

Students chanted slogans against the school administration and urged the government to take notice of the situation.

Principal Naseem Hasan told newsmen that students had been given time to prepare for January exams. He said the college would re-open on Thursday (today).

He said the former principal of the college had retired on January 8. He said the college administration needed time to devise course outlines before classes started.

The college, the biggest in Sahiwal, has nearly 3,500 students studying at intermediate level.

In Multan, 112 academic institutions remained closed or were shut down by police after their security arrangements were found to be inadequate.

Multan DCO Zahid Saleem Gondal said FIRs had been registered against owners of private schools and principals of public schools who had not completed security arrangements before reopening.

He said schools had been strictly advised against reopening before ensuring fool proof security.

He said schools should complete their arrangements by January 15.

He said schools sealed by the district administration would require a no-objection certificate from the Education Department.

He said weapons had not been provided to watchmen and security guards deputed around colleges and schools.

EDO Education Shamsher Khan said an application had been sent to Education Department secretary asking them to allow arms licences for security guards and watchmen.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

The letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, has also been forwarded to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

An election, held every four years, is due in February.

A council meeting of the council will take place on January 16.

“We are intending to participate in the CPSP council elections as provisioned under Section 6 (1) of the Pakistan College of Physicians and Surgeons Ordinance 1962. We have been informed by some veteran fellows that a restriction of eight-year standing as fellows have been imposed on aspirants by the CPSP council. We are deeply concerned about this as more than 70 per cent of the college have standing of less than eight years,” the letter reads.

The letter said imposition of such restrictions was unjustified.

“Such restrictions violate the Pakistan College of Physicians and Surgeons Ordinance 1962. Elections to the council should be conducted with compliance of section 6 (1) which states there shall be a council of the college consisting of 20 elected members by the fellows from amongst themselves.”

The letter urged the CPSP to review the eight-year restriction.

The letter said that in case of a delay in abolishing the restriction, the fellows would approach the federal government under Section 7 (3) of Ordinance to settle the dispute.

In such circumstances, the federal government’s ruling is final.

Dr Amir Bandesha, one of the fellows who signed the letter, said young fellows should be allowed to join the CPSP council.

“We want young fellows, assistant professors, associate professors and professors in the council to make it more effective,” he said.

“If there are only professors in the council, they cannot resolve problems faced by younger fellows,” he said.

He said of the 6,200 CPSP fellows in good standing, around 4,000 did not the eight years standing required of candidates.

The fellows, in a separate letter, have also asked the college to provide them with all the by-laws, regulations and rules of the college as they were not available on the website.

CPSP Regional Director Professor Khalid Masood Gondal said rules and regulations regarding the election were formed at the CPSP headquarters in Karachi.

He said he was not aware of an eight-year rule.

CPSP President Professor Zafarullah Chaudhary said doctors passing CPSP fellowship exam did not become professors.

He said the same logic applied for their induction to the council.

“Why do patients want to get treated by a professor when young fellows have the same qualifications?” he said.

“Because a professor brings more experience to the table,” he said.

He said he had not read the letter sent by the fellows so far but the matter would be taken up in the council meeting.

“Only the council is empowered to take a final decision in this matter,” he added.

Professor Chaudhary said there were 16,000 fellows at the college and 8,500 were in good standing.

He said the rules were formed when the college was established.

“Many of these young fellows were not even born when the rules were made,” he said. He said college’s council election was transparent. “Even the ECP declared many years ago that CPSP council elections were free and fair.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

He said Karim had made Pakistan proud by becoming the youngest Microsoft professional. Amjad Karim thanked the DCO for efforts to recognise his daughter’s talent.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

LAHORE: CCPO Muhammad Amin Wains said on Wednesday that the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) had arrested a 17-year-old hairdresser for molesting and strangling a five-year-old child on January 3 in Green Town area.

CCPO Wains was speaking to reporters at his office. He said a DNA test had confirmed that the boy had committed the offence. CCPO Wains said the case had been referred to CIA SP Umer Virk after the investigation wing had collected substantial evidence from the spot and had zeroed down on nine suspects. He said Virk’s team had nabbed the boy.

The CCPO said an autopsy report of the deceased had confirmed that the victim had been molested several times before being strangled. He said police had carried out DNA tests and polygraphs of the suspects to ascertain the culprit.

CCPO Wains said the results had confirmed that the hairdresser had killed the victim after molesting him. He said the boy had also confessed to committing the crime.

CCPO Wains said SP Virk’s team had nabbed the boy using state-of-the-art investigation methods including forensic evidence.

The hairdresser also confessed in front of reporters. He said he had coaxed the child into following him after he had approached him for a Rs5 donation for Eid Miladun Nabi funds. “I promised to give him Rs50 if he followed me,” the hairdresser said.

He said he had strangled the child after assaulting him because he feared that he would tell on him. The boy said he had earlier assaulted four other boys after giving them money.

CCPO Wains urged parents to keep track of their children’s movements. He said it was binding on masjid committees to screen backgrounds of people involved in administering mosques. CCPO Wains announced a Rs50,000 reward for the team that had cracked the case.

Investigation SSP Rana Ayyaz Saleem and SP Virk were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Supreme Court urged Pakistan Railways on Wednesday to consider an offer made by the administration of Royal Palm Golf and Country Club to share 50 per cent of its profits instead of 10 per cent, which it was getting earlier.

Justice Saqib Nisar issued the order on a petition filed by former railways minister Ishaq Khan Khakwani, challenging the award of a contract by Royal Palm Golf and Country Club to Maxcorp Husnain (Pakistan) Limited.

The petitioner said the organisation was scamming the government. He said the Royal Palm Club had allowed marquees for weddings outside of the contract and was making a great deal of profits without giving Railways its due share. Pakistan Railways owns the land on which Royal Palm Club is built.

Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, on behalf of the Royal Palm Club, said the contract had been drawn by the Pakistan Railways and Royal Palm Golf and Country Club after a transparent process of competitive bidding. He said they were not trying to scam the government, Maxcorp Husnain (Pakistan) Limited had fulfilled all the obligations and had built a premier golf club.

Barrister Zafar said throughout the period of the contract, the Royal Palm Club’s accounts had been audited by a leading chartered accountancy firm and Pakistan Railways had received more than Rs530 million under the heads of revenue sharing, commitment and land use.

Zafar said the contract had been executed between independent parties and in case of a dispute regarding its validity, the only recourse available to Railways was to refer the matter for arbitration. He said the Supreme Court could not decide any factual controversies, as under Article 10A of the Constitution all civil rights had to be determined through fair trial, while the proceedings under Article 184(3) did not amount to a fair trial as they were inquisitorial in nature.

He said his clients had nothing to hide. He said if the court had any doubts regarding the accounts, it could appoint an independent auditor to verify the accounts.

To the court’s query as to whether the contract allowed the Royal Palm Club to set up marquees for weddings, Zafar said the contract did not prohibit it. He said the Supreme Court should uphold its validity and only interfere where fraud is proven on the record, which was not the case.

Pakistan Railways and the Government of Pakistan alleged that the contract was not awarded fairly and should be declared void.

In response to these allegations, Zafar said according to the terms and conditions of the Implementation Agreement, the terms favoured Pakistan Railways as they shared 10 per cent of the revenue. Barrister Zafar said his clients were willing to share the profits equally.

At this, the court adjourned the hearing and directed Pakistan Railways and the government to consider the offer and respond before Tuesday, January 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

LAHORE: PIX, an Indian photography quarterly, launched a special issue on Pakistan titled Surge at the Nairang Art Gallery on Monday.

The event was attended by Rahaab Allana, the editor; Nandita Jaishankar, an editorial member; and Tanvi Mishra and Akshay Mahajan, photo-editorial members.

PIX was founded in November 2010. It is supported by the Goethe Institut. Each issue is based on a theme. In its 11 issues so far, 3 have been special issues. The first on Sri Lanka, was titled Metamorphosis. Another, on Iran, was titled The Interior. Their next issue will be on Afghanistan.

The PIX team describes its objectives as a magazine as investigating and engaging with broad and expansive fields of contemporary photographic practice, ranging from the application, conceptual standing and adaptability of photography to its subjects.

PIX, the title of the quarterly, is a premise for how photography has revealed the world in tangible as well as incongruous terms.

The quarterly seeks to present photography in temporal, spatial or historical terms. The issue, Surge, explores the evolving relationship between art-practice and documentary tropes as they are taking shape in Pakistan.

An emphasis on personal space and gender and an exploration of private archives are presented within the context of motivations and working practices. The broader concerns highlighted include: what constitutes the physical geography of photography today? How are images from Pakistan embedded in various social, cultural, and historical conditions?

The launch was followed by a panel discussion titled Photography: Emerging Practices in Pakistan with Salima Hashmi, Amber Hammad and Quddus Mirza. The talk was followed by a photo-presentation by Malcolm Hutcheson.

The advisories for this special issue were Pakistani artists, Salima Hashmi, Insiya Syed and Arif Mahmood.

Hammad, a visual artist who completed her masters in arts and design studies in 2012 from Beaconhouse National University (BNU), made it to the cover of the magazine.

“Photographic art and the related genres are still finding their way in South East Asia. For aspiring artists and the masses there is much more to know and learn in this field. Since very little is written and published about it, PIX is doing a great job by producing a quarterly magazine,” she said. “The PIX team is very enthusiastic and motivated. My experience with them was delightful,” she said.

“In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were multidimensional political and religious encounters between Asia and Europe.

My interest in history is in another context. My focus is on the self. My works combine history of art with the contemporary social-culture environment of urban Pakistan.

I take already existing images from the art world and appropriate them by using my own image as the protagonist.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

He was addressing a meeting with religious scholars and the district peace committee.

He said students from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would not be allowed to attend seminaries in Rahim Yar Khan.

The DPO said students would not be allowed to stay at seminaries after study hours were over. He said ordinances promulgated by the governor in this regard would be strictly enforced. He said there were 200 religious education institutions lacking proper registration in Rahimyar Khan. He said their administrations had been directed to complete their paper work without delay. He said if they failed to do so, police would take action against them. He said trade with Afghan refugees was forbidden. He urged religious scholars to raise awareness about legal reforms regarding seminaries..

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

He was chairing a meeting of the Apex Committee. Sharif said taking extraordinary measures was the need of the hour. He said the Peshawar carnage had united the nation. Sharif said the massacre was unprecedented. He said the military, religious and political leadership were on the same page regarding the need to rid the nation of the scourge of terrorism.  Sharif said victory was the only option for the nation in the war against terrorism.

He said to ensure that a peaceful and secure Pakistan could be bequeathed to the coming generations no terrorist would be left standing. He said the Pakistan Army was the best trained and most well disciplined force of its kind in the world. Sharif said the army, police and citizens had rendered great sacrifices in the war against terrorism. The chief minister said it was binding on people from all walks of like to play a proactive role in the war against terrorism.

He said Pakistan would be rid of sectarianism, extremism and terrorism through national unity. Sharif said terrorists would not be able to find any sanctuaries in the nation. He said the time was ripe to mount a determined struggle to ensure that the nation survived. The chief minister said the course of history would be altered and Pakistan would be transformed into an Islamic welfare state.

The law and order situation, security arrangements across the province and proposals regarding the implementation of foolproof security measures were discussed at the meeting. It was decided to take every step to secure citizens’ life and property. Those present at the meeting unanimously resolved to take immediate measures to guarantee the effective implementation of the National Action Plan.

Corps Commander Naveed Zaman, Rangers Director General Khan Tahir Javed Khan, 10th Division General Officer Commanding Amir Abbasi and Home Minister Shuja Khanzada were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

Hundreds of citizens including Provincial Assembly Members (MPAs) Shahbaz Ahmed and Ghazali Saleem Butt participated in the funeral prayers of those killed in the incident. Samina, an aunt of bride Shumaila, who was killed in the incident, said she was at a loss for words to describe the calamity that had befallen her family. “My niece’s hands were stained with blood instead of henna,” she said. Samina said the festive affair had turned into a bloody nightmare. “Who can we approach for justice,” she said. Shahbaz, an uncle of the bride, said the family did not want to apportion blame for the incident. He said their lives had changed over the course of a few hours.

The mother of Nauman, the shehbala who was also killed in the incident, said the prospect of becoming the shehbala at his uncle’s wedding had thrilled him. “Little did he know that this would be the last day of his life,” she said.

Five people were killed and 20 were injured in the incident. A Rescue 1122 spokesperson told The Express Tribune that rescue efforts had been impeded by rain and lack of light on the spot. Police, Rescue 1122 and Edhi took part in the effort to retrieve the bodies of those killed and injured from the debris. Those injured were taken to Kot Khwaja Saeed Hospital. Bodies of the deceased and those in critical condition were later sent to Mayo Hospital. He said those shifted to Kot Khwaja Saeed Hospital had been discharged.

A doctor from Mayo Hospital told The Express Tribune that 10 people including the groom had been shifted to the hospital. He said three of these were being treated at the hospital’s intensive care units (ICUs). The doctor said comedian Kashif Prince had been placed on a ventilator at the neurology department’s ICU. He said 14-year-old Hassan and 20 year-old Muqaddas, who had also been critically injured in the incident, were being treated at another ICU.

Shabbir Ahmed, a shopkeeper from the area, said the henna ceremony was the first event to have taken place at the hall. He said the wall that had caved in and the roof that had collapsed had been constructed recently.

Liaquat Ali, an eyewitness, said the wall had fallen onto the stage after caving in. He said some people had rushed to save help those present on the stage following the incident. Ali said the roof of the hall had subsequently fallen over them.

Another witness speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity said the ceremony had been in progress till midnight. The witness said the Shalimar Town administration had failed to ensure that the ceremony concluded at 10 pm in accordance with the law.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and constituted a five-member team led by the commissioner to look into the matter and submit a report regarding it in 48 hours. He also announced Rs500,000 compensation for the kin of those killed and Rs100,000 for those injured in the incident.

Operations DIG Haider Ashraf said an FIR had been registered against the owners and the administration of the hall on the complaint of a brother of moviemaker Arif, who had perished in the incident.

He said police would not hesitate to take action against Shalimar Town officials if they were nominated in any complaint regarding the incident. CCPO Muhammad Amin Wains said those responsible for the incident would be arrested soon.

He said police would ensure that justice was dispensed to the families of the deceased. Wains said raids were being conducted to nab the absconding owners of the hall.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.

LAHORE: The Punjab Minister for Home Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada said on Thursday that all political parties, armed forces and people of the country are united in the war against terror and terrorists will be rooted out from the country.

Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister Secretariat in Lahore, Khanzada said that the Punjab government has amended laws regarding the use of loudspeaker, tenancy and objectionable speeches and that these violations were now non-bail able offense.

Moreover, he said that sentences and the amount of fine on those offences had also been enhanced.

He said that action will be taken against terrorists and their facilitators in light of reports of secret agencies. He said that an Apex Committee has been set up at provincial level which will be headed by the Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Corps Commander.

DG Rangers and heads of secret agencies and law-enforcement institutions have been included in the committee.

He made an appeal to citizens to work with the government in the war against terrorism and immediately inform law, enforcement agencies if they witness any suspicious activity.

He said that government is taking all possible measures for the protection of lives and properties of citizens and maximum national resources are being utilised for this purpose.

IG Punjab Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera and Secretary Law Abul Hasan Najmi were also present at the occasion.

Col. (R) Khanzada said that banned organisations have been stopped from operating and a list of NGOs and seminaries working against national interest as well as the person delivering provocative speeches have been prepared and action will be taken against them on solid evidence.

He said that citizens are happy over the setting up of military courts which will soon start functioning.

The home minister said that terrorist organisations have been destroyed through Operation Zarb-e-Azb and execution of condemned terrorists.

He said that red alert has been issued in the present situation and the Army and law-enforcement agencies are working under a coordinated strategy.

IGP Sukehra said that provincial government and law- enforcement agencies are serious in implementing the National action plan.

He said that search and sweep operation has been started in the province and police has registered cases against 650 persons in different police stations.

Similarly, he said, more than eight thousand weapons of different types have been recovered in general holdup while more than 25,000 vehicles have been impounded.

He said that more than 2,000 cases have been registered over misuse of loudspeakers while 1,000 suspects have been put behind the bars.

Sukehra said that 328 cases have been registered over publication and distribution of objectionable material while 200 persons have been arrested.

He added that meetings have been held with police officers and officials and they have been given detailed briefing on the action plan.

He said that a number of foreigners have been arrested most of which belong to Afghanistan and they also include terrorists.

Secretary of Law informed that government has issued five ordinances and the law regarding tenancy, security of sensitive places, illegal weapons, wall-chalking and loudspeakers have been amended and violatiors had been declared non-bail able offense. Similarly sentences and the amount of fine have also been increased.

LAHORE: Unidentified men kidnapped a 13-year-old girl on Thursday morning from outside the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry, Express News reported.

The kidnappers took the young girl - who arrived at the registry for a love marriage case – with them in a rickshaw.

Soon after the incident, people in the area held the girl’s father and brother on suspicion of being involved in the kidnapping and handed them over to police.

The girl belonged to Sabsazar area of Lahore, and was marrying a man of her choice.

The decision has been in place since the varsity reopened following an extended winter break due to security concerns at educational institutions nationwide. Education institutions had been asked to beef up security following the Peshawar massacre that had left 130 students of Army Public School in Peshawar dead. The decision was introduced as part of a security plan being implemented at the varsity. Hall Council chairman Muhammad Akhtar told The Express Tribune that hostelites had been informed about the restriction. He said they had been urged to strictly follow it. Those found guilty of flouting the role would be asked to vacate their room in accordance with the varsity’s policy, he said. University spokesman Khurram Shahzad said a similar directive had been sent to the institution by the government. He said the regulation had been announced before the varsity reopened for the current academic session on Monday. Shahzad said the university’s administration had conducted a raid on its hostels on Tuesday. He said no foreigner was recovered in the raid. Shahzad said a team had raided hostels 15, 17, 18 and 19 and nabbed four students residing there illegally.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.

The Training, Events and Consultancy (TEC) had arranged the one-day event in collaboration with University of Punjab’s Institute of Administrative Sciences.

More than 20 speakers from the corporate world attended the summit themed Dream, Believe, Achieve.

“You don’t learn entrepreneurship by attending courses and summits only. Just go out and do it,” said Farhan Mirza, the CEO of Catalytic Consulting.

“The only way to overcome challenges is to face them.”

Mirza said he had started his journey in 2008 with only a laptop at Room 403 of the Lahore University of Management Sciences’ hostel. He said he focused on his idea from the office of one of his friends.

Within two years they struck a deal in China.

“Always aim for a job that allows you to make decisions as well as mistakes. This is something that helps you excel,” Mirza said. He said the biggest attraction in entrepreneurship was being your own boss.

“The biggest challenge you face is from your family, friends and peers.”

The summit included the businessmen’s perspective with regard to opportunities and challenges the country faced.

“Whenever I meet people from the private sector, I become more confident about opportunities available in our country. But when I meet people from the government sector, I say ‘Oh my God!’’ said FAST-Cables LTD Director Kamal Amjad Mian.

Women empowerment

A baker, an educationist and heiress to an automotive business made up the panel that deliberated the role of women in strengthening the economy.

“Nobody should tell you how to dream,” said International Grammar School CEO Sadia Vine.

She talked about her 28-year journey as an educationist. “We are now our teaching first grades entrepreneurship,” she said.

Sara Khawar, a doctorate researcher at the University of Exeter, talked about the journey of Sethi Motors, established by her grandfather and later managed by her father Muhammad Khawar Sethi.

She advised students to gauge their skills carefully and think deeply about their ideas if they wanted to become successful entrepreneurs. “Ideas are great but execution is key,” she said.

A stay-at-home wife and mother of three, Haleema Khan, is the founder of Cakes.pk. She encouraged young entrepreneurs to experiment with new ideas. “I turned my hobby and passion into a profitable business,” she said.

Khan, a blogger who makes customised cakes, said the best part of her work was that she remained close to her home and kids.

Startups: Fighting challenges initially

Entrepreneurs from the cyber world and specialised fabric sector highlighted challenges face by them.

Khalid Saeed Khan, an engineer and chairperson of Motifz, spoke of his struggle about switching careers to start his own business.

He urged students to understand that entrepreneurship was learned through practical work and not books.

Narrating the story of philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, Amal Academy co-founder Benje Williams urged students to appreciate small beginnings.

Williams spoke of his time at Stanford where he brainstormed on helping youth develop professional skills.

“Because we were striving for perfection, we did absolutely nothing,” he said.

“What matters most is to get started with our ideas.”

Leaving the audience in fits of laughter, Tossdown.com CEO Omair Bangash delivered a satirical presentation on how not to be an entrepreneur.

“Like everything there is a formula for failure,” he said. “Don’t do what you love and simply give up.”

Bangash talked about his seven-year struggle of creating an online eat out portal.

“Listen to and follow your heart. My story is mine. Go find yours.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.

The press conference was organised to condemn the killing of a local trader, Abdur Rehman.

The office bearers of more than 20 trade organisations said if those responsible for the murder were not arrested within 72 hours, traders would go on an indefinite strike.

Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Senior Vice President Nadeem Allahwala said 35-year-old Abdur Rehman of Fazal-i-Rabbi Dyeing was parking his car near Koh-i-Noor Plaza at Jaranwala Road near Peoples Colony police station when some men on a motorcycle robbed him at gunpoint.

“When Rehman resisted, the men shot and killed him,” he said.

He said last week, Ali Asghar, another trader, was gunned down by robbers near Factory Area police station.

He said some robbers had also stolen a journalist’s car in Peoples Colony.

Mehmood Alam Jutt, general secretary of the Anjuman Tajiran Faisalabad, said 10 armed men had robbed employees of Sitara Spinning Mills and taken away cloth worth millions of rupees.

He said the traders had complained about these incidents to the police but so far, no suspect had been arrested. He said police were claiming to have beefed up security in the city but the increasing crime rate pointed to their inefficiency.

Traders protest jewel heist in Sahiwal

Scores of traders on Thursday held a demonstration against the police for failing to promptly respond to a robbery at two jewellery stores in Sahiwal.

Anjuman-i-Tajiran Sahiwal president Malik Ghulam Hussain and general secretary Rana Nisar told newsmen that late on Wednesday night, some 14 men robbed two jewellery stores – Zain Jewellers and Faisal Jewellers – at the main bazaar in the city.

Hussain said the men had arrived in two cars with sirens on. He said they told guards at the stores at they were from the Federal Investigation Agency. He said the men had asked to inspect the guards’ weapons.

“One of them was holding a clipboard and was making notes,” he said.

They told the four security guards present there that there was a terrorist threat in the area and then beat them for not doing their jobs well. One of the guards, Sabir Ayub, was seriously injured. The men then tied up the guards and put duct tape on their mouths.

Hussain said their accomplices cut the locks of the stores and broke in. He said they took away jewellery worth millions of rupees. He said they also broke the strong boxes at the shops and took away hundreds of thousands of rupees.

They left the guards tied up in the shops.

He said the men also robbed a passerby on their way out.

Traders observed a shutter-down strike in protest. They also chanted slogans against the police for failing to curb crime in the area.

Hussain said the police had failed to respond to calls for help and had arrived at the scene an hour after the men left.

Traders chanted slogans against SP Attaur Rehman and DSP Ghulam Jillani who had registered the case. They threatened to remain on strike till the robbers were arrested.

A police team later met with the protesters and assured them that efforts to find and arrest the suspects were underway.

Traders then called off their protest and dispersed peacefully, threatening to go on an indefinite strike if the perpetrators were not arrested and security was not beefed up.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.

Muhammad Shahbaz told The Express Tribune Muhammad Abdullah went to school with his friends five days ago and went missing. He said his friends had told them that Abdullah had been taken away by some policemen on charges of theft.

He said his family contacted the police but he was not found.

He said the family got a call on Thursday morning that Muhammad Abdullah had been found at Sitiana Road.

He said the boy was found in an unconscious state and rushed to Allied Hospital in a critical condition.

He said witnesses told him that policemen in a car threw Abdullah on the road and left.

Saddar SHO Malik Jahangir said he was unaware of such an incident. He said he had taken charge of three days ago while the incident had happened five days ago.

He said relatives of the boy had not contacted the police to report the incident. He said if they did, the case would be investigated on merit.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.

Khanzada was addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s Office. Punjab Police Inspector General Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera and Law Secretary Abul Hasan Najmi were present on the occasion.

Proscribed organisations would not be allowed to operate in any capacity, Khanzada said. Strict action will be taken against terrorists and their facilitators in light of reports prepared by intelligence agencies, he said.

“All citizens have welcomed the establishment of military courts… these will become operational soon.”

The minister said all political parties, armed forces and citizens were united in the country’s war against terrorism. The government will leave no stone unturned in rooting out extremist elements from the country.

The provincial government has amended laws pertaining to misuse of loudspeakers and delivering objectionable speeches. Violation of these laws has been made non-bailable, he said. The fine and sentences in this regard have also been enhanced. “An apex committee, headed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Lahore corps commander, has been set up in the Punjab. The Rangers director general and heads of intelligence agencies and law-enforcement institutions are part of the committee.”

Khanzada requested citizens to cooperate with the government and inform law enforcement agencies about any suspicious activity they might observe in their vicinities. He said that the government was taking all possible measures to protect citizens and had allocated maximum resources for the purpose.

“Operation Zarb-e-Azb has eradicated several terrorist organisations and taken out many wanted terrorists.”

He said considering the current security situation, a red alert had been issued and the army and law-enforcement agencies were working to protect citizens under a coordinated strategy.

IGP Sukehra said the provincial government and law enforcement agencies were on the same page regarding the implementation the National Action Plan.

He said a search-and-sweep operation had been initiated in the province and the police had so far registered cases against 650 suspects at various police stations.

Sukhera said the police had also seized more than 8,000 unlicensed weapons during general holdups and had impounded more than 25,000 vehicles. He said more than 2,000 cases had been registered against prayer leaders for misusing loudspeakers and more than 1,000 people had been put behind bars in this regard. He said that 328 cases had been registered against people and organisations caught publishing and distributing objectionable material and 200 persons had been arrested so far.

He said they had held several meetings with police officials and had given them detailed briefings on the action plan.

“Police have also arrested several people of Afghan descent, some of them were terrorists.”

The law secretary said that the government had issued five ordinances in this regard and had amended various laws pertaining to tenancy, security of sensitive places, illicit weapons, wall-chalking and misuse of loudspeakers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2015.