LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday reserved judgment on bail petitions moved by four people accused of attacking participants of a candlelight vigil for slain governor Salmaan Taseer on January 4 at Liberty Chowk.

Civil society activists had organised the event to commemorate Taseer. Police had arrested Muhammad Adeel, Muhammad Furqanul Haq, Muhammad Iftikhar and Wazir Ali Awan for attacking the vigil.

Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry appeared before the court on Tuesday as their counsel.

He said that the four had no previous criminal record. “They are law abiding citizens, who cannot even think of committing such a crime. There is no independent evidence available with the prosecution to connect them with the commission of the offence,” he said.

He said that police had failed to uncover any evidence during the physical remand of the accused. He requested the court to grant them bails.

The prosecution said that the men had been armed and had attacked people holding a peaceful protest. “They harassed the participants and threatened to kill them,” the prosecutor said.

The court reserved its judgment and is likely to announce it on Wednesday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2015.

LAHORE: A cell has been set up at Inspector General of Punjab Police’s office to implement court orders regarding the registration of first information reports (FIRs), The Express Tribune has learnt.

“The decision was taken at a meeting held between Additional District and Sessions Judge Nazar Hussain and police officials,” an official, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune.

Lahore High Court (LHC) had earlier expressed dismay over the non-compliance of court orders regarding the registration of FIRs. The court had asked police officials to formulate a mechanism to implement court orders.

“Citizens file petitions in courts after SHOs refuse to lodge FIRs. The court orders in this regard are not implemented. Also, policemen do not submit replies to courts,” the official said.

“Now, an FIR registration cell has been set up at the IGP’s office. Sub Inspector Khalid Hameed will be its in charge. Two constables will assist him. They will be in contact with judges and prepare a diary on daily basis to keep record of petitions in which judges seek comments or issue directions for the registration of FIRs,” he said.

“All police stations will keep separate registers for petitions filed under 22A-22B and will dispatch the weekly diary to the FIR registration cell. The report will be submitted to the FIR cell after implementation of court orders within two days. The SHOs have been directed to submit their comments. After receiving the application for FIR, proceedings will be initiated under Sections 154 and 155 of CrPC and 157(2) of Pakistan Penal Code and Police Rules under sections 24/4.

Action will be taken against SHOs who do not comply,” the official said.

“Two forms have been provided. One, for intimation to the SHO concerned for submitting comments to the relevant court, the other about compliance of court orders. These will be sent to the CCPO in case the SHO does not comply with the court orders. Legal action will be taken against such an SHO under Police Order 2002,” the official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Home Minister Shuja Khanzada said on Tuesday the National Action Plan against terrorism should be strictly implemented.

“Action should be taken against terrorists irrespective of their sect and social status,” the minister told a meeting of senior police officers at Civil Secretariat.

“We need to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against terrorists.” He said Apex Committees – consisting of chief ministers, corps commanders and Rangers, police and intelligence agency officers – were monitoring the efforts to curb terrorism.

Khanzada said all security agencies had been put on alert to deal with the ‘extraordinary situation’ in the country. He stressed the need for monitoring security arrangements at educational institutions on a daily basis. The minister said police were the frontline force against terrorists. He said police, in collaboration with other law-enforcement agencies, would continue to fight terrorism until the country was rid of the menace. He said the chief minister had raised the amount of compensation for the families of police officers who were killed in the line of duty. He said the family of a slain policeman would now receive a Rs10 million compensation. Khanzada said registration of madrassahs, a part of the National Action Plan, was underway. “Instructions have been in this regard… advertisements have also been placed in the media.” The minister said no one would be allowed to deliver hate speech.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said on Tuesday that the silence of the nation’s rulers over United States (US) President Barrack Obama’s support for the Indo-US nuclear deal and the country’s bid to gain permanent representation at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) could not be fathomed.

He was speaking to reporters in Mansoora. Haq said India was an aggressor and had suppressed Kashmiris for six decades. He said India had forced three wars on Pakistan. Haq said American support for India’s UNSC bid despite this background was ‘a great injustice.’ “We do not want to fight the US. But the nation cannot accept American stooges as its rulers,” he added.

Haq said peace could not be achieved in the region without resolving the Kashmir dispute. He said the party would stage rallies and organise seminars and procession nationwide on February 5 to express solidarity with those struggling to liberate Kashmir.

Haq said the country’s foreign policy history was a series of failures. ‘The rulers in Islamabad have been serving American interests instead of national interest.’ He said the US stood shoulder-to-shoulder with India today but our Pakistani leaders compelled to watch in silence.

He said the Indo-US nuclear deal would imperil regional peace. Haq said the US had concluded defence and trade agreements with India.

Haq said on assuming office Obama had assured the world that he was committed to resolving all global disputes including Kashmir but he was now propping up India as a ‘regional policeman’ and assisting it in destabilising Pakistan through Afghanistan.

He said the people needed a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan. Haq said it was the government’s responsibility to normalise the political situation before elections to the senate. He said the constitution of a judicial commission to probe electoral malpractices was not a demand peculiar to the PTI. He said it was incumbent on all parties to rise above their differences and join hands to help the nation overcome the challenges confronting it.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2015.

LAHORE: While there was nearly one per cent increase in enrolment of children in schools across the province in 2014 over 2013, the Fifth Annual Status of Education Report 2014 reports a five per cent drop in learning levels of children in various competencies.

In terms of learning levels, students in private schools scored better than those in public schools. Also, more students were enrolled in private schools during 2014 than in 2013 and boys scored better than girls.

The ASER 2014 was launched on Tuesday. The survey for it was conducted by the Idara-i-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) in collaboration with several civil society organisations. The survey is based on information gathered from 54,365 children in the 3 to 16 years age bracket.

The survey was conducted in 35 rural districts and seven urban areas. Volunteers tested 39,107 students in the 5 to 16 years age bracket on English, Urdu, and Arithmetic competencies. Among the schools surveyed, 988 were public and 666 were private schools.

The report collected data on 13 indicators including early childhood education, quality of learning, multi-grade teaching, teacher qualification, facilities in schools, school funds and grants among other indicators.

Enrollment

In the 3-to-5 years age bracket, the percentage of out-of-school children (OOSC) fell by 2 per cent in 2014 compared to 2013. The OOSC percentage in 2014 was 45 per cent whereas it was 47 per cent in 2013. The report says 49 per cent of OOSC were girls and 51 per cent were boys.

For the same age bracket, the percentage of children enrolled in schools was 55 per cent – 62 per cent of which were enrolled in private schools and 21 per cent in public schools. There was one per cent increase in the enrolment of children in the 6 to 16 years age bracket in 2014. Of the 85 per cent children enrolled in 2014, 62 per cent went to public schools and 38 per cent to private schools. The report reports 15 per cent OOSC in the 6 to 16 years age bracket, out of which 53 per cent were girls and 47 per cent were boys.

ASER Punjab 2014 states that the number of children enrolled in private schools compared to public schools in 2014 had slightly increased. In 2014, 37 per cent children in the 6-16 years age bracket were enrolled in private schools compared to 36 per cent last year.

Learning levels

The report says that the learning levels of children in the province are very poor.

In their English tests, 43 per cent of students of grade 5 could not read a sentence set at grade 2 level; the figure stood at 38 per cent in 2013.

In Urdu, the same indicator rose by 3 per cent as 37 per cent of students of grade 5 were unable to read Urdu stories set in grade 2.

This figure was 34 per cent in 2013. In mathematics, 49 per cent of grade 5 students were unable to do two-digit divisions, compared to 44 per cent students in 2013.

In terms of learning levels, children enrolled in private schools showed better performance than those in public schools.

In private schools, 68 per cent of grade 5 children were able to read stories in Urdu. The figure stood at 60 per cent in public schools.

In English, 63 per cent of grade 5 school children in private schools could read complete sentences – only 54 per cent of children in public schools could do that.

Around 55 per cent of grade 5 children in private schools were able to perform basic arithmetic division, in government schools, the figure was 48 per cent.

The survey indicates that boys outperformed girls in literacy and numeracy skills. As many as 55 per cent of the boys tested could read sentences in Urdu compared to 52 per cent girls. The report says 59 per cent of boys and 56 per cent girls in grade 5 could read words in English.

In arithmetic, 54 per cent of boys in grade 5 boys could do grade 2 level subtractions, compared to only 50 per cent girls in the same grade.

Attendance and facilities

In public schools, 10 per cent of the students were absent on the day of the survey, 11 per cent students in private schools were absent. Teacher absenteeism was 7 per cent at both private and government schools on the day of the survey.

In terms of facilities, public high schools were better equipped in terms of computer labs and libraries than private high schools.

In the public primary schools surveyed, 62 per cent received grants, 88 per cent had potable water; 86 per cent had boundary walls and 92 per cent had decent toilets.

The report points that on all indicators students in the Punjab fared better than those of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Balochistan.

ITA Programmes Director Baela Raza Jamil said the ASER team hoped to introduce the question of disability in households in terms of acquiring education at a larger scale next year.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2015.

FAISALABAD: Scores of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration against the joint investigation team (JIT) for exonerating MPAs Rana Sanaullah, Abid Sher Ali and Tahir Jameel, and DCO Noorul Amin Mengal among others from December 8 Novelty Bridge violence in which a PTI activist was shot dead.

PTI district president Rana Raheel led the protest. The protesters gathered at Zila Council Chowk and staged a sit-in at the city district government secretariat and shouted slogans against the JIT and the Punjab government.

Raheel said the JIT was partial to Sanaullah. “Those believed to be responsible for killing Nawaz on December 8 have walked free,” he said.

Raheel said Sanaullah had urged PML-N workers to “teach PTI a lesson” at a meeting on December 7 at the Circuit House.

He said dozens of PTI workers had been injured on December 8 because PML-N workers had disrupted their protest. He said no PML-N worker had been wounded.

He said police had arrested PTI workers on charges of disrupting law and order but PML-N worker was charged with the offence. Raheel said many PTI workers were still in police custody. He said the PTI would stage a sit-in at Novelty Bridge if police did not release PML-N workers by February 6.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

Carrying placards, the teachers chanted slogans. The protest was led by PTU central president Syed Sajjad Kazmi.

Kazmi said that Islam was a religion of peace. “The blasphemous caricatures are an attempt at instigating violence across the globe. This is a conspiracy to hurt the sentiments of Muslims,” he said. Kazmi demanded that the French government ban the magazine. “The French magazine is widening the divide among followers of various religions. Legislation should be done at global level to ensure respect for all faiths and religions,” Kazmi said.

The protesters demanded that repeated publication of blasphemous content be stopped. They demanded that a protest be lodged by government of Pakistan with the French government. They said diplomatic and economic ties with France be suspended until an official apology was received.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

He was chairing a meeting held to review progress on the Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap. Sharif said the government was committed to revamping the sector and ensuring the provision of quality healthcare to the people. He said ensuring the effective implementation of the roadmap by diligence and hard work was the need of the hour. The chief minister said a target for the provision of round-the-clock healthcare to patients at 700 basic health units (BHUs) by May had been set.

Special Monitoring Unit head Aizaz Akhtar briefed those present regarding the targets fixed under the roadmap and progress made. Sharif said the government had prioritised the provision of quality healthcare and medicines at the BHUs. He said a system with checks and balances had been formulated to ensure the effective implementation of the roadmap. Sharif said the effective implementation of the roadmap should be ensured at all costs. He said no stone would be left unturned to ensure the provision of quality healthcare at the BHUs.  Sharif said vacancies for medical officials should be filled transparently. He said action should be taken to remedy unexplained absences at the BHUs. Sharif said efforts should be made to ensure the availability of medicines, presence of staff and the provision of quality services at facilities in accordance with the goals outlined in the programme.

The chief minister ordered the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to introduce a biometric staff attendance system. Sharif said the purchase and distribution of medicines should be digitally monitored. He said it was incumbent to build the capacity of the Health Department to ensure the provision of quality healthcare to the people. Sharif said the provision of quality medicines at BHUs should be ensured with in 45 days. He said the roadmap’s implementation would be regularly monitored at the district level.

Sharif said a system would be devised to encourage officials effectively discharging their duties. He said action would be taken against officials guilty of laxity. The chief minister made the Chakwal Health EDO an OSD for failing to effectively discharge his duties regarding the implementation of the roadmap. He said only diligent officials would be allowed to hold important posts.

The chief minister stressed the need to improve the performance of the Punjab Rural Support Programme to ensure the provision of quality healthcare in rural areas. Sharif said the reforms being undertaken in the sector would help establish a healthy society.

British Department for International Development (DFID) Special Representative Michael Barber said initiatives taken to revamp the sector under the leadership of Sharif were yielding positive results.  He said public health facilities across the province had been improving.

Ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman and Begum Zakiya Shahnawaz, Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, former law minister Rana Sanaullah and DFID Pakistan Head Richard Montgomery were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Police have arrested 12 suspects in connection with the murder of 13 people in Muridke over seven years, Sheikhupura District Police Officer (DPO) Afzaal Ahmad Kausar said on Wednesday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Kausar said that a breakthrough in the case was expected soon. “The people arrested so far are not wanted for the murders. They have been held for being related to the main suspect. The nominated accused will also be arrested soon through the information provided by those being questioned,” the DPO said.

Muridke police said that the 13 murders were the result of a feud between Raisat Kasab and Billah Butt groups. “The enmity started on July 13, 2007, when several members of the Butt group beat up Riasat. Brothers Riaz, Akbar, Asghar, Ejaz and Mehmood of the Butt group were murdered over the years. Ashraf, their sixth brother, was shot dead on Monday when he was going to school to drop his children,” he said. His family staged protest demonstrations in Muridke and in Lahore.

They gathered outside the Punjab Assembly and chanted slogans against Muridke police. One of them said that police had failed to provide them security.

Following the protests, IGP Mushtaq Ahmad Sukehra has suspended Muridke DSP Khalid Mahmood Tabassum and SHO Muhammad Hussain on charges of misconduct and inefficiency. Requesting anonymity, a senior police official, told The Express Tribune that the IGP had given the Sheikhupura DPO a week to arrest the killers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Punjab Workers’ Welfare Board (PWWB) will construct residential colonies for industrial workers and labourers in the province, Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said. These colonies will have state-of-the-art facilities.

Sarwar was presiding over a review meeting regarding various development projects on Wednesday.

Labour Secretary Ishrat Ali, Rawalpindi DCO Sajid Zafar, PWWB Secretary Muhammad Saleem Hussain and Works Director Muhammad Mazhar also attended the meeting.

Hussain said projects worth billions of rupees including labour welfare complexes, WWB schools, multi-purpose community centres and mosques were underway in Multan, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Rawalpindi, Okara and Gujranwala. He said filtration plants and a drainage system will also be installed for industrial workers and their families.

Hussain said that a project to build 992 flats at a cost of Rs3,017 million at a labour colony in Multan would be completed in two years. Construction of a labour welfare complex at a cost of Rs7.7 billion in Sundar, Kasur, would begin next month.

Hussain said a project to build a labour colony in Quaid-i-Azam Apparel Park, Sheikhupura, was also under consideration.

DCO Zafar appraised the minister of the progress on the construction of 576 flats on 142 kanals at the Taxila Labour Colony in Rawalpindi.

Sarwar said a project to construct 208 flats at a cost of Rs926 million in Warburton in Nankana district, will be completed this year.

He said the government was in the process of acquiring land for the construction of labour complexes in Okara, Kasur and Gujranwala. He said they would ask for funds for the projects from the Federal Workers’ Welfare Board.

The minister directed the relevant officers to remove the bottlenecks in the construction of these projects and complete these projects for the welfare of labourers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015. 

The magistrates were told that strict action would be taken against them if they failed to effectively discharge their duties. An official said shortages of necessities, profiteering and hoarding were rampant in the city. He said officials who had been tasked with cracking down on profiteers and hoarders to ensure the availability of reasonably priced commodities had put up a dismal performance.

He said DCO Usman had ordered all magistrates to actively monitor prices of edibles and take action against those found guilty of fleecing the public.

The DCO said the city government would implement court orders to curb the proliferation of oxygen shots in the city. He has ordered town administrators to ascertain the availability of the shots at establishments in their jurisdictions. He directed them to take action against those found guilty.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

The case was registered on the complaint of Cantt AC Tariq Mehmood Awan in Darahma police station.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Awan said the lawyers had broken into his officer after he led an anti-encroachment operation on 571-kanal land worth billions of rupees on the directions of the Board of Revenue on Tuesday night.

He said the government had planned 10 public welfare projects including a rehabilitation centre for the disabled and a workers welfare school.

He said on Wednesday morning scores of lawyers besieged his office, chanting slogans against him. He said they had broken into the office and smashed windows and furniture. He said they were driven out by a police team led by Civil Lines SHO Ali Imran. He said workers at the office had been forced to flee when the lawyers broke in.

Earlier, hundreds of lawyers had protested on Kutchery Road and had blocked it for traffic. On being forced to leave the AC’s office, they had gone towards the DCO’s Office but he was out of the city.

Meanwhile, some revenue officials protested against the lawyers for attacking office.

The AC said lawyers were claiming that the operation was not justified.

“There is no land allotted for a lawyers’ colony” he said. He said lawyers had an filed an application to the Board of Revenue but it had been rejected.

Addressing the rally at Kutchery Road, Bar President Salim Raza Khan Kakar had said District and Sessions Judge Abdul Mustafa Nadeem had distributed plots in the Lawyer’s Colony. He said lawyers had completed all the paper work for the colony. He said removal of lawyers living there was against the law. General Secretary Salim Jan Khosa had also addressed the rally.

The lawyers also protested against police for registering the FIR against Kakar.

They said he had been implicated in a false case of possession of a Kalashnikov.

The lawyers said that the officials involved in the encroachment drive should be taken to task.

They said Cantt AC Tariq Mehmood Awan should be transferred immediately.

The lawyers said that they would expand their protest demonstrations across the province if their demands were not met.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

The spokesman said on reaching home, she complained of a severe headache and fainted. Her sister took her to Bahawal Victoria Hospital where she died. Doctors said Hayat’s blood pressure had spiked after the incident.

They said when she was brought to the hospital, she was already brain dead.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Khujista Rehan, a lecturer at the Punjab University (PU) Law College, and the PU administration exchanged barbs in two back-to-back press conferences organised at Lahore Press Club.

Rehan said the people were suffering due to the antics of the judiciary. She called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and General Raheel Sharif to take notice of cases pending in courts and take action against judges responsible for this. Rehan said Justice Baqir Ali Najfi’s wife had been posted at the PU Health Centre without advertisement. She said Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan had denigrated her and Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Umar Bandial had not taken notice of this. She said PU Vice-Chancellor Mujahid Kamran had close ties with Justice Bandial. Rehan urged Sharif to remove Kamran from his post.

PU Spokesperson Khurram Shahzad rejected her allegations of sexual harassment as ‘baseless.’ He was speaking to reporters later at the Lahore Press Club. Shahzad said she had failed to substantiate her allegations in court. Shahzad said the varsity had suspended disciplinary proceedings against her due to a stay order in her favour.

He said she was trying to garner ‘cheap publicity’ by resorting to blackmail. Shahzad said she was trying to organise a media trial of a sub judice matter. He said Rehan had alleged in 2013 that VC Kamran had harassed her in 2009. Shahzad said she had gone to Australia for eleven months without obtaining ex-Pakistan leave in 2010.

Shahzad said that the case had been discussed in a syndicate meeting in March 2013. He said Rozina Aslam, a syndicate member, had observed that proceeding on leave without approval itself constituted a case of indiscipline. Shahzad said Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, a representative of the chief justice of the LHC, had endorsed her view.

He said a group of teachers had called on the varsity administration to take notice of her attitude in July 2013. Shahzad said Rehan had levelled the allegation for the first time after a clarification had been sought from her regarding the teachers’ complaint by the varsity’s additional registrar.

He said scores of students had complained against her for not taking classes for years. Shahzad said an inquiry into the matter had revealed that the complaint was genuine. He exhorted the judiciary to take notice of her attempt to defile the sanctity of the institution by levelling false accusations against it.

Hall Council Secretary Imran Javed asserted that Rehan had beaten up a PhD student from the Persian Department. He said she had also snatched the student’s mobile phone.

Javed said the PU administration was probing the matter. He also played an alleged audio recording of Rehan threatening an official in front of reporters. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

Hashmi said the commission had found irregularities in the election records but no forged ballots. He said Awan had said he could not establish that the elections were rigged.

Hashmi said Awan was duty-bound to be objective and hold no opinion on the matter. He was particularly not allowed to speak to the media about the report before the matter had been decided. The petitioner alleged that Awan had favoured the opposition.

Hashmi has sought re-inspection of polling bags according to the terms of reference set by the tribunal and verification of the report submitted by the commission.

Hashmi also asked for re-inspection of votes cast in 29 polling stations. He said ballot papers at nine polling stations were of different colours and sizes. He said PTI representatives present during inspection had said that the commission did not take due care, and did not notify and include most of the material evidence.

He said observations vis-à-vis the election records were ambiguous and in some cases did not correspond to the records. He said some of the grave discrepancies had not been reported.

The counsel submitted the application after cross examination of the commission.

Hashmi said election records of 61 polling stations out of 117 in PP-147 were missing. He said PTI representatives had asked the commission to make an announcement in this regard, the tribunal judge had said that he would do so after examining records of NA-122. However, when the report was submitted the commission had omitted certain irregularities. For example, Forms 14 and 15 were missing from records of most polling stations, and the thumb impressions of the presiding officer were missing on Form 14, he said. The PTI’s counsel raised reservations regarding the commission’s statements to the media.

The judge observed that lawyers for the PTI and the PML-N had turned the case into a trial by media. Hashmi asked whether Awan was in the right to have given opinions on the matter before it was decided. The judge agreed that he should not have. He fixed January 31 for further arguments.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

LAHORE: The Counter-terrorism Force’s (CTFs) first batch comprising 421 corporals is set to pass out on Saturday having completed training at the Elite Police Training School at Bedian.

The corporals will be deployed at special police stations. These police stations would start operating soon to deal with cases related to terrorism. The corporals have been trained by nearly 70 experts from Turkey and officials from the police and the Elite Force. An official told The Express Tribune that around 1,500 corporals had been chosen through the Punjab Public Service Commission.  He said 421 of these had completed their training. The official said the Counter-terrorism Department had been given Rs300 million to train the corporals. The department is initially establishing special police stations in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan. Officials at these police stations would register FIRs, interrogate suspects on physical remand and follow suspects’ trials in courts. Each special police station will be staffed by a DSP and an SP who would be the district and regional officer, respectively.

A senior official from the department told The Express Tribune that the CTD would register cases of sectarian and terrorist violence. He said the department was presently gathering intelligence regarding high-profile suspects, activities of outlawed organisations and was monitoring activities of people affiliated with them who have been listed in the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The official said the CTD would be able to obtain a 30-day physical remand of suspects detained under Section 7 of the Act. He said the remand could be extended to 90 days in accordance with the new internal security policy. The official said new uniforms for officials staffing the police stations would be introduced.

“The CTD will have plenty of physical resources, modern gadgetry, weapons and training, but the major challenge it is currently facing is dead wood of DSPs, inspectors, SIs and ASIs of the Punjab Police who need to be replaced with physically-fit and dedicated officers to lead intelligence-led operations,” he said. Another official from the department said the corporals would be divided in three sections. He said 45 per cent of them would handle intelligence duties, 28 per cent operations and 26 per cent investigative work.

The special police stations are built on up to 17 kanals land. They have three-storey buildings with covered area of two and half kanals, 20 feet high and three feet thick RCC walls, four watchtowers each, offices for SPs, DSPs, SHOs and IOs, barracks for 50 corporals, eight lock-ups and messes. All rooms and lock ups are linked by computers and monitored by surveillance cameras. Another official from the department said lack of proper training, poor human resource and the paucity of coordination with other law enforcement agencies had hampered the department’s ability to prevent incidences of terrorism and sectarian violence.  He said the department and the police had been monitoring 1,250 people listed in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. He said monitoring the entry of young people from the province into local and international militant outfits was a formidable challenge.

He said the department’s performance would improve due to initiatives being taken to empower it and place more resources at its disposal. The official said the government had allocated special funds to enable the department to procure equipment, gadgets and logistics for the counterterrorism force.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

ISLAMABAD: Accusing the government of employing delaying tactics in forming a judicial commission to investigate alleged poll rigging, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has warned that the party’s next public movement would be “beyond the government’ control”.

While addressing a press conference in Bani Gala on Thursday, the PTI chairman said that his party ended its sit-in at D-Chowk in the wake of the Peshawar tragedy and to give the government a chance in the greater national interest.

“We decided after the Peshawar tragedy to give the government time to fight terrorism,” said Imran before adding, “…if they did not rig the elections, they should form the commission.”

The PTI will announce its new course of action once it is final that the government is not cooperating, he added.

Imran said there were discrepancies in the statements the government gives to the media and to the PTI.

He also announced to give a statement on the current petroleum crises, and other issues following the party’s core committee meeting on Friday.

Punjab a police state

The PTI chief alleged that Punjab has become a police state, where the force is used for vicitmisation of political opponents.

“…Haq Nawaz was shot dead in Faisalabad. A Joint Investigation Team was formed with three police officers who are the right-hand men of former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah,” he said. “How will he (Haq Nawaz) get justice.”

He added that former Governor Punjab Chaudhary Sarwar has resigned as the land mafia in the province is more powerful than the governor.

LAHORE: A five-member delegation of the Department for International Development (DFID), led by senior education adviser Barbara Payne, met with Punjab Education Foundation chairman Qamarul Islam Raja at his office on Wednesday.

They reviewed the provincial government’s reforms in the education sector and the PEF’s role in providing free education to students through partnership with private schools in all districts of the province.

Members of the delegation appreciated the PEF’s efforts and acknowledged that it had broadened children’s access to quality education.

The PEF chairman appreciated the DFID’s role in supporting development works, especially in the education and health sectors. He said the department’s efforts would help provide long-term stability and prosperity to the people of Pakistan. He said the PEF was working to promote free quality education by strengthening the role of low-fee private schools. He said the PEF had developed a public-private partnership that would cater to the needs of financially vulnerable segments of the society.

He thanked the DFID for helping the PEF reach its target of educating 2.2 million out-of-school children by 2019.

The delegation was given details of a project to construct classrooms that the DFID had sponsored. The chairman said the PEF had shortlisted 16 districts for the purpose, eight of which were in south Punjab.

“We have laid the foundation of an enlightened Pakistan where all children have equal opportunities of education…this will help improve their standards of living.” Payne said that the DFID was interested in long-term institution-building so that the future of millions of children could be secured.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Several groups in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have started lobbying for their candidates for the Senate elections scheduled for March.

Of the 369 members in the Punjab Assembly, the PML-N has 312 seats. The party can win all 11 Senate seats in the province unless Pakistan Tehreek-i-Isnaf (PTI) joins hands with the PML-Quaid (PML-Q).

PTI chairman Imran Khan has announced that the party would contest Senate elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa only.

“Many in the party favour fielding new candidates,” a PML-N leader said. He said several young PML-N workers who worked for party think tanks had not been nominated for general elections.

“They should be encouraged to contest Senate elections. A PML-N ticket will guarantee victory,” he said.

A PML-N MNA said a group in the party believed that young workers had helped the party win the 2013 general elections.

“They say that instead of old parliamentarians, new faces should be elected senators,” he said.

Of the 52 outgoing senators, eight are from the PML-N. They include Yaqoob Khan Nasir, Jaffar Iqbal, Mushahidullah Khan, Pervaiz Rasheed, Raja Zafarul Haq, Zafar Ali Shah and Prof Sajid Mir.

“Induction of fresh Senators will show people that the party prefers youth over the status quo,” the MNA said. He said all the outgoing senators in the Punjab were from cities other than Lahore.

“There is a campaign within the party that at least one senator should be from Lahore,” another party leader said. He said Senate election had had nothing to do with general elections.

“The party has a chance to rise above local compromises and bring middle class youth to the fore.”

Parliamentary Secretary in the Punjab Assembly Rana Arshad said the PML-N would sweep the Senate election from the province.

He said rules did not allow those below 40 years of age to elected senators. “The party believes in the youth welfare. However, candidates will be awarded tickets after a consultation with party leaders,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.

Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar resigned from his post on Thursday following a conversation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over statements the governor had made regarding the government’s foreign policy. 

Sources in the PM House told The Express Tribune the premier had principally decided to remove Sarwar owing to multiple reasons but particularly because of recent statement by Sarwar on the government’s failure to secure Obama’s visit to Pakistan.

Sarwar had censured the Foreign Office for US President Barack Obama visiting India and not Pakistan and termed it a “failure” on part of the country’s foreign policy.

“I sent my resignation to the President House and PM House last night,” Sarwar confirmed while speaking to Express News.

“I will address a press conference at 2pm today to share further details.”

Sarwar was reportedly eyeing the foreign minister’s post. However, according to sources, the prime minister had refused to accept his request.

Meanwhile, Sarwar posted the message below on his official Facebook page.

“I decided a while back that I want to resign because I was not being able to deliver what I wanted to the masses,” Sarwar said while addressing the media.

Elaborating on his decision, Sarwar said, “I also told Rana Sanaullah that I want to resign from my post.”

Denying earlier reports that the prime minister sought an explanation from him over his statements, Sarwar said, “No one asked me for an explanation nor asked me for a resignation.”

“I resigned of my own accord,” he asserted.

“It was my dream to serve Pakistanis and am thankful to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for giving me this opportunity.”

“I can serve Pakistan better out of office,” he added.

Further, Sarwar clarified he has no differences with the Sharif brothers.

“I have no objection to Obama’s India visit but he should have treated Pakistan equally and visited to express solidarity,” he said, clarifying his earlier statement regarding the US president visiting India but not Pakistan.

Later in the day, on a summary initiated by the Cabinet Division, the President Mamnoon Hussain has accepted the resignation of governor Punjab on the advice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sarwar, a former British MP, gave up his British nationality to serve Pakistan on the invitation of Sharif brothers.

Through his diplomatic efforts, Sarwar succeeded in getting GSP Plus status for the country.

Last year in October, it was reported Sarwar had decided to play a more active role in Pakistani politics from the PML-N platform. “Sarwar will resign as Punjab governor and assume responsibilities in the centre in a few days,” a person privy to the development had confided subject to anonymity.

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