He was speaking to a delegation of overseas Pakistanis from Spain who had called on him at his residence. Mehr Irfan, the leader of the delegation, bemoaned the discontinuation of the PIA service between Lahore and Barcelona. He said this had inconvenienced overseas Pakistanis living in Spain. The delegation members complained of the step motherly conduct of the government towards them. They said the government was not interested in helping them overcome the challenges confronting them. The delegation members said the government had compounded their problems by withdrawing facilities for overseas Pakistanis instead of addressing their grievances.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

LAHORE: Dr Saman Yazdani Khan, Centre for Health and Population Studies Pakistan director, has been selected as an alternate board member of the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), the Secretariat hosted by WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. The Centre for Health and Population Studies (CHPS), Pakistan, is a public health teaching and research facility established in the private sector for the first time in Pakistan in 1999. The PMNCH is an alliance of more than 500 members.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

LAHORE: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) will hold a rally on The Mall on February 5 to express solidarity with the people of Indian-held Kashmir. According to a press statement issued on Sunday, JI national and provincial leaders will lead the rally. “Thousands of women and children will also participate in the rally. The JI will condemn the atrocities being committed by the Indian troops in Kashmir,” the statement quoted JI Lahore president Maqsood Ahmad as saying. He said the Pakistani government should adopt a proactive stance against the Indian firing across the Line of Control. “The government is playing the role of a silent spectator. Our leaders want to appease India,” he said. He said the Indian government should resolve the Kashmir issue according to the wishes of the Kashmiris. “The dialogue between India and Pakistan cannot succeed until all outstanding issues are resolved.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

FAISALABAD: Scores of students attended the AEO Australian Education Expo in Faisalabad on Sunday. AEO Resident Director Saad Mahmood said, “A world of amazing opportunities waits for Pakistani students. We want to help them start their journey.” He said Australia was fast becoming the hub of quality education. “The country offers everything one needs for a great study abroad experience,” he said. He said the AEO had held expos in six major cities of Pakistan. He said 15 top Australian universities were participating in the event. Hundreds of students, accompanied by parents, interacted with representatives of Australian universities about higher education options in Australia. Entry to the exhibition and career counselling was free.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

The Chiniot Saddar SHO station told The Express Tribune that Laila Bibi had married Muhammad Aslam, 40, a resident of village Qazi Harlan five years ago. He said they had three children. He said the couple apparently had had a difficult married life and often argued.

The SHO said on Friday evening, Aslam and Laila had an argument. He said later at night, while he was asleep, Laila poured kerosene oil on him and set him on fire.

He said he was taken to the Chiniot DHQ hospital from where he was referred to Allied Hospital in Faisalabad. He said he died there a few hours later. He said he had been rushed to the hospital by neighbours. He said Laila fled from the house.

The SHO said the body had been handed over to the family for burial. He said police had registered a case against Laila and raids were being conducted to arrest her.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

The deceased had a Rs200,000 bounty. CPO Sohail Habib Tajik told The Express Tribune that two armed men had snatched Rs20,000 and a motorcycle from Atta Muhammad Sial late on Saturday in Killianwala. He said Sial had called Rescue 15 after the incident. Tajik said a police team led by Garh SHO Rana Muhammad Arshad had reached the spot after receiving the information and had pursued the suspects.

He said the team had cornered them near Pattan Peepal and urged them to surrender. Tajik said an encounter had ensued after the men had fired on the team. He said one of the suspects had been killed in the encounter. Tajik said the other man had fled under the cover of darkness. He said the deceased had been later identified as Abdul Ghafoor alias Ghafoori. Tajik said he was wanted for various offences including murder and robbery.  He said police had also recovered a snatched motorcycle, one pistol, one rifle and twenty bullets from the spot.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

He was giving a talk organised by the Trust for History and Architecture Pakistan (THAAP) on the history of miniature painting in the nation. Omar said practitioners of the art such as Haji Sharif had often been shunned for not being innovative. He said Abdul Rehman Chughtai was the only renowned miniature artist. Omar said this was due to his western outlook and approach to the art.  He said Sharif had contributed in equal measure to miniature painting in the subcontinent.

Omar said Chughtai’s work had made historical styles more accessible and Sharif’s was feted for his mastery of skills and techniques. He said Sharif had been seen as an artisan and not an artist due to this.

Omar said it was because of this perception that Sharif had not been acknowledged in a manner befitting his stature even after the establishment of the National College of Arts.  He said Sharif had died in obscurity 10 years after his plea for permanent employment at the college was turned down in 1969.

Omar said Shazia Sikander had made a pivotal contribution to reviving miniature painting by showing that the craft could be used as a medium of self expression. He said that her work had been appreciated as it was coded in a language that was sustained by a myth of authenticity. Omar said this had been derived from copying motifs and symbols used in miniatures from the Mughal era.

He said those who had dismissed Sharif’s work as repetitive had failed to realise that the repetition of motifs in his work represented the creation of a citation, a code that could only be deciphered and modernised after its meaning and context had been fathomed. Omar said popular understanding of miniatures was limited to seeing them as individual pieces.

He said miniatures were not meant to be read like that. Omar said miniatures had historically been a part of larger manuscripts in which the paintings were accompanied by text. He said a large number of these had been lost due to ignorance and rapine rife in the twilight years of the Mughal Empire.

Omar said the education system in the nation was premised on the obliteration and suspension of indigenous knowledge as awareness regarding pre-British society was severely limited.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

The announcement was made at the All Pakistan Lawyers Convention, organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

“We have strong reservations over the armed forces’ involvement in politics as it will lower their dignity,” the participants said. They said lawyers would observe a black day on every Thursday.

They rejected the amendment and termed establishment of military courts in conflict with fundamental rights and basic structure of the constitution.

Lawyers from across the country participated in the convention. Karachi Bar Association president Naeem Qureshi, Peshawar Bar Association president Razaullah Khan, Ijaz Mahmond from FATA, Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Azam Nazir Tarar, Pakistan Bar Council member Hamid Khan, Supreme Court Bar Association former president Asama Jahangir, LHCBA president Shafqat Mehmood and Lahore Bar Association president Ishtiaq Amed Khan were among the participants.

Legal experts believe it will be easier for the judiciary to decide the petitions challenging the amendment with the support of the bar. The Pakistan Bar Council has also resolved to move the SC against the amendment through a separate petition.

The participants of the convention condemned terrorism and said they stood by the armed forces in their fight against terrorism. “The military courts will distract the armed forces’ attention from their original goal,” they said.

Judges directed to expedite disposal of cases

Last week, the Lahore High Court directed judges of anti-terrorism courts in Punjab to expedite disposal of cases.

Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts, and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood presided over a meeting to review cases registered under Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 along with their disposal.

Justice Malik expressed his satisfaction over working of the courts and directed the judges to expedite the cases as per the spirit of law and also urged police to complete investigation of the cases and arrest the proclaimed offenders.

NA-122 petition dismissed

Last week, the Election Tribunal disposed of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) application filed against the local commission that examined NA-122 and PP-147 electoral record.

“The tribunal will closely examine the report submitted by the local commission as well as other evidence. It will exercise all powers to dig out the truth if the report is found incomplete, vague or deficient in material,” Election Tribunal Judge Kazim Ali Malik said.

PTI had sought action against the commission, headed by Ghulam Hussain Awan, for alleged breach of trust, re-verification of the report submitted by the commission, and re-inspection of election record pertaining to certain polling stations.

Agreeing with the petitioner, the tribunal remarked that the commission had no legal or moral ground to give an opinion on a matter that was to be decided by the court.

PTI leaders have expressed serious concerns over the decision of the tribunal.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

LAHORE: “I found Pakistani food hard to digest. People think it is because the food is too spicy for me, but I actually find it too greasy,” said Vincent Chen from China at Global Village 2015 on Sunday.

AIESIC in association with Bargad, Plan 9, the Lahore Arts Council and the Youth Department had organised Global Village 2015.

The theme of the event was rediscovering peace by celebrating diversity.

Stalls were setup by sponsors and exchange students from Hong Kong, Somalia, China, Philippines, Brazil and Colombia.

Some students had prepared popular dishes from their country, while others dressed in their traditional dresses.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Bargad Executive Director Sabiha Shaheen said that celebrating diversity was important at times when society was being threatened by extremism.

She said the AIESIC had played an important in promoting a peaceful image of Pakistan.

Students of the exchange programme also gave presentations about tourist attractions in their country and talked about their cultural norms. Some students from Colombia and China also performed traditional dances and songs. Many in the audience were seen trying to mimic the steps.

Talking to The Express Tribune Javeria Sheikh, a university student from Somalia, said Lahore had a rich history and that she had enjoyed visiting Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque and Minar-i-Pakistan.

She said the architecture and construction here were quite different from Somalia, where they did not use bricks for construction.

The event also showcased a performance by musical band Three Musketeers.

This was followed with a performance by Pappu Sain. The event ended with a candle light vigil for those who lost their lives in attacks in Shikarpur and Peshawar.

AIESEC is a global network spread in over 124 countries that provides college students internship opportunities in various countries.

Their recruitment drive for this year is about to start, after which they take the candidates through a rigorous interview procedure.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

LAHORE: The Lahore Transport Company decreased intra-city urban public transport fares on petrol-run wagons and minibuses by 9.24 per cent and intra-city non-ac diesel bus fares by 6.68 percent on Sunday.

The decision to revise fares was taken in the wake of the recent decline in the prices of petroleum products nationwide.  Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan said the reduction in petroleum prices would have a significant impact on prices of daily essentials in addition to public transport fares. He said the government would quickly implement the revised fare structure to provide relief to the people.

Bilal Yasin

Cabinet Price Control Committee Chairman Bilal Yasin said that government had formulated a coordinated strategy to ensuring the effective implementation of the decision to revise public transport fares in the wake of the nationwide decrease in price of petroleum products.

He was chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Price Control Committee at the Civil Secretariat. Those present at the meeting were informed that special squads were ensuring that the revised prices of petroleum products were enforced. They were told that revised fare lists were being displayed at bus stops across the Punjab.

DCO Muhammad Usman said 139 fuel stations overcharging consumers had been fined Rs398,000 on Saturday. He said FIRs had been registered against 20 petrol stations, six stations had been sealed and 20 people had been arrested.

The industries secretary said action had been taken against 17,904 profiteers in January. He said they had been fined around Rs20 million and 862 people had been arrested. The secretary said a reduction of 11 per cent in the prices of eatables had been witnessed in comparison to last year. He said prices were expected to drop further in the wake of the decrease in prices of petroleum products.

Yasin expressed satisfaction with the measures taken by the government to reduce public transport fares. He said this would directly benefit the citizens. Yasin said the decision to reduce fares had proved yet again that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz represented the people and was committed to their welfare.

Industries Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq, Provincial Assembly Member MPA Muhammad Rafi Rajwara and a number of bureaucrats were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

The protesters carried placards with messages ‘Stop Sectarian Violence, Stop Shia Genocide’ and ‘Regulate Religious Establishment’. They chanted slogans against terrorism.

A vigil was also arranged for the bombing victims.

Rights activist Khawar Mehmood Khatana told the protesters that terrorism was the result of the country’s Afghan policy in the 1980s.

“It is time to make an effective policy against terrorism.” He said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had a confused stance against the Taliban. He said military courts were need of the hour.

Ahsan Javeed, one of the protesters, said such protests would not bring about any immediate change but these reflected the efforts that civil society gad been making for the purpose.

South Asia Partnership Pakistan national manager Shabnam Bashir said Shia genocide must stop. She said the government should show a serious resolve against anti-state elements.

“It is time to root out extremism from the country instead of putting the onus for the current situation on others.”

Bashir called for regulating madrassahs. Police had made stringent security arrangements for the demonstration.

Seminar

The consensus on military courts by political parties is important for the fight against terrorism, speakers at a discussion on the 21st Amendment said on Sunday.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Mehdi had organised the discussion.

Salman Abid, the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) regional head, said that the military needed popular support to fight the war against terrorism. “The political leadership has to stand behind the military. There should be a citizens’ consensus about this war,” he said.

“Extremism leads to terrorism. Political parties apparently are not serious in countering extremism,” he said.

Journalist Wajahat Masood said that the army needed political support to eliminate terrorism. “It seems several political parties only supported the establishment of the military courts in official meetings with the military leadership. Later, they started expressing their reservations. The courts have not started functioning yet as well,” he said.

Columnist Ataur Rehman said that it had to be accepted that it was Pakistan and America’s joint war. “Intelligence-sharing needs to be improved to eliminate terrorism from the country. Those who planned the attack on former president Pervez Musharraf have been hanged. In another case, the Supreme Court had stated that those convicted of planing a murder could only be hanged if they confessed to their crime or the intended target was hurt in the attack,” he said.

Journalists Gohar Butt, Salman Ghani, Sajid Mir and Khalid Farooqi also spoke at the discussion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary board, formed to finalise candidates for the Senate elections, will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, The Express Tribune has learnt.

“The meeting will take place in Islamabad. The candidates for Senate elections will be interviewed,” said a board member, who requested anonymity.

“The meeting will finalise the candidates. Punjab is the province from where the party is likely to win the most seats. All 11 seats of Senate from the Punjab could go to the party. The party has 312 seats in Punjab Assembly out of a total 369 seats,” a senior party leader told The Express Tribune.

The Senate election will be held for 52 seats in March. Of the 52 outgoing senators, eight are from the PML-N. They are: Yaqoob Khan Nasir, Jaffar Iqbal, Mushahidullah Khan, Pervaiz Rasheed, Raja Zafarul Haq, Zafar Ali Shah, Prof Sajid Mir and Najma Hamid.

Except for Nasir, who is from Balochistan, all the outgoing PML-N senators are from the Punjab. Prof Sajid Mir was elected on a technocrat seat and Najma Hamid on a seat reserved for women.

“So far the names of Pervaiz Rashid, Mushahidullah Khan and Raja Zafarul Haq have been finalised. Jaffar Iqbal is also in the run for governorship. Zafar Ali Shah’s name has not been finalised. Four candidates on general seats from the Punjab are still to be decided,” he said.

The Parliamentary Board is chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is its convener. Other members of the board are: Raja Zafarul Haq, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Pervaiz Rashid, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PML-N president Pir Sabir Shah, Sindh PML-N president Ismail Rahu, Balochistan PML-N president Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Senators Sardar Yaqob Khan Nasir and Nuzhat Sadiq and Political Secretary to the PM Dr Asif Saeed Kirmani.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

He was speaking to a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) activists. Sharif said victory was the only option in the war against terrorism. He said the nation agreed on the need to eradicate terrorism, religious extremism and sectarianism. Sharif said the nation would be rid of intolerance and religious extremism.

The chief minister said the nation would be rid of terrorists who had done great damage to the national economy and the country. Sharif said the military and the political leadership and the state apparatus were determined to eradicate terrorism. He said this was necessary to ensure national progress, stability and secure the future of the following generations.

Sharif said a coordinated strategy to eradicate terrorism had been formulated with political consensus. He said the formulation of the National Action Plan by the national leadership would play a pivotal role in this regard. Sharif said no stone would be left unturned to ensure the effective implementation of the plan. He said a counterterrorism force had been raised for the province and vigilance committees were being constituted at the union council level.

The chief minister said efforts were being made to secure citizens’ lives and properties. He said laws were being made more stringent by introducing legislation.  Sharif said extraordinary times required extraordinary measures. He said national progress and prosperity would remain a chimera till peace was fostered.

He said terrorism, extremism and sectarianism would be eradicated through collective efforts and wisdom. Sharif said the nation favoured dealing with terrorists with an iron hand. He said it was the need of the hour to hold those guilty of shedding the blood of innocent citizens to account.

Sharif said the nation had not forgotten the carnage perpetrated in Peshawar. He said those responsible for the massacre would be punished. Sharif said the time was ripe to rid the nation of terrorism. He said the enemies of the nation would be defeated with national unity. Sharif said the people would foil the plans of anti-state elements. He said the nation was destined for victory in the war against terrorism.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.

He said he had suspended the officials over negligence and had directed Kotwali police to register a case against them.The CPO said he had constituted a team under the supervision of the Lyallpur SP and directed it to arrest Waseem.  The Kotwali SHO said police had registered a case against the police team and had started investigations.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.

LAHORE: A Supreme Court bench on Monday dismissed bail petition of an assistant food inspector accused of swindling money from a citizen. The petitioner’s counsel said that charges of fraud were false. A state counsel, however, said that Inspector Zafar had deprived a man of millions of rupees. He said that the suspect was found guilty in the police investigation. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, dismissed the petition. Zafar was then taken into custody.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.

Petitioner Syedullah told the court he had given Rs534,000 to Foqi Khan who had said he would double the amount in three months. “When I had gone to Khan after three months he sought another 15 days for payment. He had later pulled a gun at me and warned me against demanding the money.”

Syedullah said the SHO had refused to take any action against Khan and requested the court to direct the police to register an FIR against Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.

FAISALABAD: A boy was killed when a hut caught fire near Tarkhani police station on Monday. Police said that Maqbool Ahmad and his family were sleeping in their hut in Chak 47-GB when the fire broke out on Sunday night. They said Maqbool and his family woke up and ran outside. They said their eight-year-old son Ahsan received burn injuries. He was taken to a hospital where he died.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.

The committee included former chief secretary Pervaiz Masud, University of Health Sciences (UHS) Vice Chancellor Maj Gen (r) Muhammad Aslam Khan, Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik, Prof Dr Amir Aziz and Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique

The candidates interviewed were: Dr Farrukh Iqbal, the Sheikh Zayed Hospital acting chairman; Prof Dr Nouman Ahmad, Prof Dr Attiya Mehboob, Prof Dr Kamran Hussain, Prof Dr Ajmal Naqvi, Professor Sibgha Zulfiqar, Dr Ayaz Ali, Prof Dr Syed Awais, Prof Dr Fareed Ahmad Khan and Professor Ghiasun Nabi Tayyab.

“Nouman Ahmad may be out of the race because he is left with less than three years before his retirement. The committee wants to select a person with at least three years of service. The government is also not comfortable with acting chairman Dr Farrukh Iqbal. Dr Ayaz might not be considered for the post due to seniority concerns,” a committee member, who requested anonymity, said.

Dr Farrukh Iqbal was given the additional charge after retirement of Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal on June 18.

Additional Secretary Technical Shahid said that three names would be forwarded to the chief minister by Wednesday. “The chairman of the institute will be selected in the current month,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.

KHANPUR: A man was killed and his father was injured after Lahore-bound Shalimar Express ran over him while he was crossing the railway track on Monday. Police said Abdul Rasheed, 20, a resident of Chak 24 was crossing the railway tracks on his motorbike with his father Muhammad Saddiq, when he was hit the train. He died instantly. His father sustained injuries. They were taken to a hospital where Rasheed was declared dead on arrival. Saddiq’s condition was later reported stable.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.

The judge also sought reply within a fortnight on a petition filed by Muhammad Mustafa, secretary general of the Idara, challenging the notice for cancellation issued by the registrar.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the registrar had sent a notice to the Idara on December 20, 2014, accusing it of misusing funds on the purchase of bulletproof vehicles and containers.

“A bulletproof vehicle was purchased for Rs14.3 million for the Idara head Dr Tahirul Qadri and Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers who needed protection after Dr Qadri issued a fatwa against terrorists,” he said.

He said that after the Model Town incident, the government was victimising the Idara and its workers. “On behalf of the Idara, a reply has already been sent to the Joint Stock Companies registrar,” The minister said the bus terminal, consisting of 282 kanals, and an auto workshop near it would be shifted.he said.

He requested the court to declare the notice null and void. He also requested the court to stop the government from harassing the Idara workers.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.