Work on a new Rs1.72 billion full-depth underpass along the Canal Road being constructed under the project has also concluded. The 3.4 kilometre-long corridor linking Johar Town and areas in its vicinity to Wahdat Road, Allama Iqbal Town and Multan Road was officially opened for traffic on Wednesday. It would also provide an alternative route linking Ferozepur Road and Multan Road from Kot Lakhpat to Kharak.

A new 1.8 kilometre-long road passing through land owned by the Punjab University (PU) in addition to the full-depth underpass along the Canal Road has been constructed under the extension project. The initiative has been taken to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.

The new road is a dual carriage way comprising three lanes on each side and service roads on either side. A cycle track has also been constructed along the university. LED lights have been installed on the road. The network will improve mobility and reduce pressure on Bhekewal Mor, Campus Bridge and Canal Road among other connecting roads. It will improve accessibility to the PU and areas in its vicinity.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest at the ceremony held in Model Town. The transport secretary and OPUS Group president Carl Magnus Greko signed the agreement.

The group will set up 39 fitness stations in the province to check commercial vehicles. In the first phase of the project, three stations will be set up in Lahore. They will commence operations from June this year. The project will extend to other cities in the second phase. Seven tests will be conducted on commercial vehicles at the fitness stations to check their condition.

The group will also help commercial vehicles in obtaining licences and training drivers. Under the agreement, the group will establish a driving school for this purpose.

Sharif said this was the first public-private partnership in the services sector. Under the agreement, no unfit commercial vehicle will be allowed on the roads, he said. The vehicles will be issued fitness certificates attesting them according to international standards.

Sharif said only vehicles that met fitness standards would be given route permits. “This is an extremely important project,” the chief minister said. “It will not only improve the system of inspection and certification of commercial vehicles but also control the number of accidents.”

Sharif said training under the Swedish group would greatly benefit drivers. The project will also help control environment pollution, he said.

The chief minister appreciated the efforts and said it would help create job opportunities and increase foreign investment.

Ambassador of Sweden Tomas Rosander, Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan, the Planning and Development chairman, the Punjab Information Technology Board chairman and OPUS International Inspection Chief Executive Officer Lothar Geilen were also present at the occasion.

Ensure trickle down

In a meeting of the provincial price control committee on Wednesday, the chief minister directed relevant departments and district administrations to take effective measures to ensure that the masses were benefiting from the recent reduction in prices of petroleum products. He also directed them to ensure a slash in public transport fares.

Sharif was addressing Ministers Bilal Yasin, Farrukh Javed, Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq and the chief secretary among other officers at the Civil Secretariat through a video link.

He directed officials to ensure that banners carrying updated fares would be displayed prominently at bus stands and at other prominent places. He ordered stern action against transporters found violating the new rates. “All divisional commissioners and DCOs should take effective measures to implement the new fares. Overcharging will not be tolerated at any cost.”

He said no one would be allowed to exploit the masses. He directed officials to inspect bus stands regularly. “Action will be taken against negligent officers while the efficient ones will be rewarded.”

Sharif said the welfare of the masses was of great importance and all out measures will be taken to protect their interests.

The chief minister also directed relevant authorities to negotiate with various associations to slash the prices of flour, poultry and ghee. “Citizens must receive the trickle down benefits of the reduction in petrol prices.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge sought comments from the Lytton Road SHO on Wednesday after a woman accused him of forcing her son to run a gambling den. Petitioner Zarqa Munir told the court that several policemen, including SHO Asif Zulifqar, were paid Rs100,000 per month by her son, Khawaja Umar, for running a gambling den. “When we refused to continue the gambling business, the SHO and other policemen threatened us. They beat up Umar severely. I then went to the CCPO office to complain against the policemen. They told me to return the next day. That night Zulifqar, Rashid other policemen came to our home and said they will kill us in an encounter or implicate us in cases if we pursued the complaint,” she said. She requested the court to direct police to register a case against him.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.

LAHORE: The police will ensure full cooperation with the Child Protection Bureau (CPB) in cracking down on gangs that use children for criminal activities, Inspector General of Police (Punjab) Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said on Wednesday. He was speaking at a briefing arranged by CPB chairperson Saba Sadiq. The IGP said a team of 20 constables and a senior police officer was cooperating with the CPB in its actions against these criminal gangs. He said that the traffic police would work with the CPB to discourage children from begging on public places. The meeting decided that experts from the CPB should give awareness raising lectures at all police training schools and colleges.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge sought comments from the Old Anarkali SHO on Wednesday over a petition seeking registration of a case against a sub-inspector. Petitioner Ghulam Jilani told the court that SI Rizwan Hussain of Qila Gujar Singh had told him that several posts of clerks were lying vacant at the district and sessions court. “He assured me that he will get me the job in return for money. On December, 2014, I gave him Rs360,000. On January 12, 2015, I was given a forged joining letter. After verification, I learned that there was no such post,” he said. Jilani said that he had asked the Old Anarkali SHO to register a case against the accused, but he had not done so. He requested the court to direct the SHO to register the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.

MULTAN: A spokesman of the district government of Multan on Wednesday said brick lining of Chopar-Hatta canal had started. In a statement, he said the Irrigation Department had estimated Rs102 million. He said the provincial government had released Rs20 million for the initial work. He said brick-lining of Chopar-Hatta canal would be completed by December this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge on Wednesday sought comments from the Federal Investigation Agency director in a petition seeking registration of a forgery case against two siblings.  Petitioner Fawad Iqbal submitted that the FIA had yet to take action on his application for registration of a forgery case against his ex-wife and brother-in-law. He said the suspects had forged his signatures to withdraw Rs1.5 million from his bank account. He accused his wife of having stolen his cheque book while leaving his house following their divorce.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.

Earlier during the day, police removed JuD flags off streetlight poles on The Mall but later gave the JuD a go-ahead for the rally. They had planned to hold a rally from Nasser Bagh to the Punjab Assembly but the administration persuaded them not to hold a rally on The Mall, so they held a demonstration in front of the LHC. JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed presided over the demonstration.

Addressing the protesters, Maulana Ameer Hamza said the government had tried to stop Hafiz Saeed from holding a rally on The Mall but could not stop him. “These rulers might regard themselves answerable to the United States, but Saeed only answers to Allah.”

The participants shouted slogans against India and America and called for Jihad.

Saeed said that the US had fixed a bounty on his head three years ago. “But no one can kill me if God doesn’t wish it.”

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must call a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Islamabad to solve the Kashmir issue. “We are Kashmiris and Kashmir is ours. Our religion binds us as one nation and we will always continue to support our brothers oppressed by the vicious Indian armed forces in Kashmir,” he said.

Saeed said that the Indian foreign minister’s visit to China was a conspiracy against the independence of Kashmir. “India is prepared to accept all of China’s demands for its support in the United Nations against parties who raise their voice for the independence of Kashmir.”

Saeed said that China was Pakistan’s friend but the government of Pakistan should be chary in view of these conspiracies.

He said there was no room for back-channel diplomacy with India. “Pakistan is the most vocal advocate of the oppressed in Kashmir. It must boycott the United Nations if it doesn’t push to solve the Kashmir issue.”

He said Pakistan had fought wars for America and had allowed its forces to use its air space, airports and roads for 13 years. “Yet President Barack Obama declared India its main partner and friend in the region.”

He urged the government to strengthen ties with China and Muslims countries because China had never deceived Pakistan, unlike America. He said America had threatened Pakistan with surgical strikes but they would never dare do it.

Saeed also urged Muslim countries to form a separate United Nations that represented their interests and build a joint military. “America, India and Israel are enemies of Islam and are hatching conspiracies against Pakistan because they see its atomic arsenal as an Islamic atom bomb. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Muhammad Arshad Sahi, Pir Muhammad Mahfooz Mashhadi, Tehrikul Mujahidin and Jihad Council of Jammu and Kashmir chief Sheikh Jamilur Rehman, and Abdullah Gul (Lt General (retd) Hameed Gul’s son) were among the speakers.

Hundreds of members of Jamaat-i-Islami also held a rally on The Mall.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2015.

LAHORE: City police is still tying to uncover details regarding the killing of three women and their assailant’s subsequent suicide on Wednesday in Gaddafi stadium.

The post mortem of the bodies of the deceased was completed at Mayo Hospital on Thursday. The preliminary autopsy report received by the police stated that Farida, the mother of the other two women, had received a bullet in a shoulder. The report said the bullet had pierced through flesh and travelled to her neck. Maida, 18, and Naila, 22, were shot in their necks according to the report. Muhammad Bashir, the suspect, received a bullet in the head. The police’s investigation has concluded seven shots had been fired from a 0.30-bore pistol found in Bashir’s hand.

The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families on Thursday. Younis, Farida’s husband, received the bodies with Aziz, his son.  They refused to speak to reporters at the spot.

An official from the investigation wing told The Express Tribune that Bashir was being considered the prime suspect in the case. He said it was premature to rule out the possibility of someone else having killed the deceased. The official said this was due to the fact that one of the women had messaged her brother saying that Bashir had shot them. He said she could have called him instead. The official said this made the possibility of someone else having killed them likely.

Model Town Investigation SP Rizwan told The Express Tribune confirmed that police were probing the possible involvement of a fifth person in the episode. He said each of the women had received bullets in their necks. SP Rizwan said this often resulted in instant death. He said it would be nearly impossible for a person in this state to send a message.

SP Rizwan said some evidence gathered from the spot had been sent for a gunfire residue test. He said the results of the test would be available on Friday. SP Rizwan said the results would assist the police in choosing a relevant angle to probe the case. He said the results of forensic tests would also be available on the same day.

Another police official told The Express Tribune that messages from Bashir had been found in Maida’s mobile phone. He said he had insisted on meeting her for one last time. SP Rizwan said police had obtained the call and text records of the deceased. Initial investigations revealed that Bashir had spent most of his life in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. He was mentally unfit and had attempted suicide in Malaysia. Investigations have revealed that he had served prison time in the country for attempting suicide. Police has also found that Bashir was indebted to the tune of Rs70 million and had been disowned by his family.

The FIR of the case has been registered on Younis’s complaint.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2015.

The remaining 18,055 vehicles are being used for purposes other than specified in the scheme, according to the department’s record.

The government had allocated Rs4.5 billion in the 2011-12 budget to give 12,000 Suzuki Mehran cars and 8,000 Suzuki Bolan vans to the unemployed youth.

Of the nearly 69,500 people who had applied for vehicles, 20,000 were selected at the end of September 2012 through a ballot conducted by the Bank of Punjab.

The Transport Department then arranged a 15-day mandatory training for drivers to issue them public service vehicle licences. Those selected for the scheme were required to pay 20 per cent of the cost of vehicles in down payment. The remaining amount was to be paid in installments over five years as an interest-free loan.

They were not allowed to change the colour and use of the vehicles. The owners were to apply for route permits for the cabs.

The department had allocated vehicles for various districts on the basis of their populations. As many as 1,627 vehicles were provided in Lahore, 540 in Sheikhupura, 565 in Kasur, 229 in Nankana Sahib, 603 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 403 in Layyah, 403 in Rajanpur, 973 in Muzaffargarh, 1,276 in Faisalabad, 428 in Jhang, 367 in Toba Tek Singh, 216 in Chiniot, 833 in Gujranwala, 441 in Gujrat, 222 in Hafizabad, 298 in Mandi Bahauddin, 272 in Narowal, 593 in Sialkot, 252 in Bhakkar, 245 in Mianwali, 204 in Khushab, 594 in Sargodha, 302 in Pakpattan, 419 in Sahiwal, 520 in Okara, 699 in Khanewal, 407 in Lodhran, 1,082 in Multan, 723 in Vehari, 873 in Bahawalpur, 694 in Bahawalnagar, 1,140 in Rahim Yar Khan, 810 in Rawalpindi, 291 in Attock, 242 in Chakwal and 212 in Jhelum.

Vehicle owners were asked to get route permits from the provincial or regional transport authorities to use them as public transport or contract carrier. Owners of the vehicles to be used as taxis were asked to obtain route permits after depositing Rs4,550 with the authorities concerned.

According to the department’s data, only 175 vehicle owners have obtained route permits in Lahore, 50 in Kasur, 18 in Sheikhupura, five in Nankana Sahib, 23 in Okara, 50 in Gujranwala, six in Narowal, four in Sialkot, 14 in Gujrat, three in Hafizabad, 22 in Mandi Bahauddin, 530 in Rawalpindi, 123 in Attock, seven in Jhelum, 16 in Chakwal, 39 in Sargodha, 11 in Mianwali, 26 in Bhakkar, 115 in Faisalabad, nine in Toba Tek Singh, 63 in Jhang, 12 in Chiniot, 75 in Multan, 19 in Pakpattan, 19 in Lodhran, 72 in Vehari, 85 in Sahiwal, 23 in Khanewal, 80 in Bahawalpur, 35 in Bahawalnagar, 63 in Rehim Yar Khan, 54 in Dera Ghazi Khan, three in Layyah, 85 in Rajanpur and 11 in Muzaffargarh.

None of 204 vehicle owners in Khushab have obtained the permit.

“As many as 18,055 beneficiaries are [apparently] not using the vehicles as cabs,” an official of the Transport Department said.

“Many of them have changed colour and modified the vehicles… removing the carriers on the roof,” said the official who did want to be named.

This year the government has launched a similar scheme to provide 50,000 vehicles at a cost of Rs31 billion.

Transport Secretary Shaukat Ali said the majority of yellow cabs were not being used for the specified purposes. “Many of the vehicles are in personal use.”

He said the department would remove the loopholes and discrepancies in the scheme. He said the recovery rate of the scheme was 98 per cent.

Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Department Muhammad Nawaz Chauhan said action would be taken against those who were using vehicles for purposes other than specified in the scheme. However, he refused to specify what action that would be.

He said the department would introduce a tracking system to avoid the ‘misuse’ of vehicles in the new scheme.

Government spokesman Zaeem Qadri could not be reached for a comment.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s Public Relations Officer Rafiullah said the transport secretary and the parliamentary secretary, not the chief minister, were the relevant people to comment on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2015.

KARACHI: Rangers on Friday afternoon submitted a report to the Sindh High Court (SHC) on the Baldia factory fire, revealing that the inferno – which killed over 250 people in 2012 – was deliberate and members of a political party were behind it, Express News reported.

Fire in Ali Enterprises – a garment factory in Baldia Town – burnt 259 people alive on September 11, 2012.

A two-member SHC bench, headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqir, took up the case today. The Rangers report submitted to the bench stated that a member of the accused political party admitted to setting the factory on fire along with his accomplices. The suspect was arrested by Rangers as part of the investigation into the inferno.

RELATED: SHC asks spy agencies to submit reports on Baldia factory fire

Rangers have asked SHC to keep the findings of the report secret due to the involvement of politicians in the attack.

During the hearing, the court ordered the concerned authorities to distribute cheques among the victims who haven’t been given any financial support. It also asked the authorities to submit a report in one week time.

LAHORE: Coal-based power projects and MoUs being signed in this regard is a fraud with the people of Pakistan, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek said in a report issued on Friday.

The report, released by PAT president Raheeq Ahmed Abbasi, said the government had signed a number of MoUs for setting up coal-based power plants only to receive kickbacks from foreign investors. It said the government was claiming that it would produce electricity using liquefied natural gas. “This, too, will prove an eyewash.” Abbasi said LNG was not discovered overnight. He said the government had failed to fulfil the promise it had made during election campaign to end load shedding in two years. Instead, he said, power outages had increased crippling the country’s industry.

“The government has no [proper] power policy. It does not have the vision to look into the future needs and devise its policies accordingly.”

He slammed the government for blaming political parties that had staged sit-ins in Islamabad for creating hurdles to foreign investment. He said the government had abandoned some power projects including the Gadani power project. He said the government had wasted Rs15 billion on Nandipur power project that he said was a thing of past now. “Hydel power projects are the most affordable source of power generation.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.

Citing the case of Pakistan, Kelly discussed how art could bring cohesiveness in war-affected regions to help maintain peace. She discussed how the love and appreciation of art had brought people together in the post-World War II era. The same, she said, could be done in Pakistan.

Kelly said an artist could create social content by making art relevant to people. Using images, she showed how the Southbank Centre explored cultural integration and focused on the idea of participation. The talk was followed by a question-answer session and a meeting of Kelley with BNU representatives, including VC Shahid Kardar. She visited the BNU’s Arts Studios. Kelly has represented Britain at the UNESCO, served on the Arts Advisory Committee for Royal Society of Arts, and chaired with Lord Puttnam the Curricula Advisory Committee on Arts and Creativity.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015. 

All Pakistan Traders’ Association general secretary Muhammad Naeem Mir said that the government had assured a traders’ delegation in November that traders’ reservations on the ordinance would be removed once the federal finance minister returned from his foreign visit. However, he said, there had been no progress on the matter.

Mir said that an earlier strike call had been withdrawn following the terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar in December. He added that a national convention would soon be organised in Rawalpindi to devise a course of action for proceeding in the matter.

All Pakistan Traders’ Association chairman Khwaja Muhammad Shafiq, senior vice chairman (Punjab) Shaikh Mairajuddin, Dera Ghazi Khan president Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Nasoha, vice presidents Jan Alam Laghari, Haji Shaikh Muhammad Ali, general secretary Tariq Ismail were present at the convention. Goldsmiths’ Association, Mobile Phone Traders’ Association, LPG Traders’ Association, Chamber of Commerce office holders and traders from Taunsa, Jampur, Muhammadpur, Rajanpur, Layyah and Muzaffaragrh also attended the convention.

Mir lamented that while traders were willing to make sacrifices in the interest of the country, the government which was apparently considered pro-business had yet to do anything for them.

Shafiq condemned the Federal Board of Revenue for selecting more than 70,000 tax payers for spot checks to verify their tax returns.

He rejected the raising of general sales tax on petroleum products and said that instead of giving relief to the consumers in accordance with the price cut in the international market the government increasing their tax burden.

Shafiq condemned the district administration for arresting traders during in ongoing drive against overcharging and said that price control committee was a tool for the government to harass retail merchants. He demanded that traders’ representatives be made part of the committee and said that a strike call would be issued in Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan if raids were carried out in future without traders’ representation. He said that a sit-in in front of the chief minister’s house could also be considered if the government refused to accept their demands.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.

The Faisal Town investigation in-charge told The Express Tribune that Shahzaib, a student of grade 9, was trying to board a bus at Akbar Chowk after school. The driver started the bus while Shahzaib was in the doorway and he lost his balance and fell. People in the area rushed the child to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Model Town Investigations SP Rizwan Khan told The Express Tribune that the driver and conductor of the bus had been arrested. “We have registered an FIR against them under Section 322 of PPC (causing death without motive).”

Scores of people in the area gathered to protest against the bus driver. They smashed the windows of the bus and tried to set it alight. However, a police team arrived at the scene and tried to placate them and stopped them from burning down the vehicle.

Shabbir Khan, one of the people in the area, told The Express Tribune that the driver should have been careful. “It was right after schools closed for the day and usually students boarded the bus at the stop every day…the driver should have been careful,” he said.

Khan said that the authorities must place checks on public transport drivers. “We cannot allow such incidents to take place.”

He said students must also be taught road safety and how to board a bus safely.

Khadim Ali, one of Shahzaib’s relatives, said that he used to travel to school in a rickshaw. “This was the first time he ever took a bus to school…he never came back.” He said the boy’s mother had gone into shock.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.

Assistant Commissioner Wasif Khokhar and Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary Urooj Fatima and Town Muncipal Officer (TMO) Azhar Mehmood Dewan made a surprise visit to the bus stand and found that transporters were charging their customers old fares.

The assistant commissioner called a police team that sealed the bus stand.

Talking to newsmen, Khokhar said the government had announced a substantial reduction in fuel prices. He said transporters had been asked to reduce tariffs after fuel prices were reduced.

He said Toba Tek Singh DCO Waqas Aalam had received complaints that transporters had not reduced transport fares nor had they displayed new fares at the stand.

He said the DCO had constituted monitoring teams to check transport fares and take action against those found overcharging passengers.

He said during the visit to the bus stand, he had asked passengers about how much they had been charged. He said he had then asked transporters why they had not reduced fares and displayed new fare schedule.

He said the transporters had refused to reduce fares.

“I informed the DCO and he told me to seal the bus stand. It will not be desealed until this issue is resolved,” he said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Transporters Association spokesman Muhammad Riyasat said transporters could not afford to reduce fares beyond Rs10. “We have to meet other costs.”

He said the government should fix new fares keeping in mind the problems faced by transporters. He said transporters would go on an indefinite strike if the bus stand was not reopened.

Van drivers go on strike

Scores of van drivers travelling on routes from Faisalabad to Lahore, Okara, Tandlianwala, Jaranwala, Chiniot, Sammundri, Mamonkanjan, Kamalia, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang and other parts of the province went on strike on Friday against fines being imposed by the Regional Transport Authority.

Muhammad Shafiq, a van driver, said, “We are charging Rs130 per passenger from Faisalabad to Lahore but the government has asked us to charge Rs110. If we do so, we wont be able to pay toll taxes and keep up with other costs”.

Muhammad Habib, another van owner, said “I travel between Faisalabad and Jaranwala. I charge Rs50 per passenger. After reduction in fuel prices, I voluntarily decreased the fare from Rs50 to Rs.40. Now the transport authority is forcing us to further reduce to Rs20 per passenger.”

RTA Secretary Tariq Chaudhary told The Express Tribune many people had complained that van drivers were overcharging. He said he had visited several bus stands and found that they had been overcharging exorbitantly. He said they had not displayed fares either. He said transport authorities were bound to take action against those found overcharging customers.

“There will be no compromise on this issue,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.

LAHORE: Metamorphosis of Time is about capturing the magic of passing time and the organic nature of life. The four-person show came to a close at the Ejaz Art Gallery on Friday. The works will now make their way to Dubai where these will be exhibited at Mussawir Art Gallery from February 17 to February 28.

National College of Arts Principal Murtaza Jaffery inaugurated the exhibition on Thursday.

The exhibit features works by Aroosha Khalil, Rahim Baloch, Romessa Khan and Ussama Bin Naveed. All except Khan completed their bachelor’s in fine arts from the NCA in 2014. Khan completed her masters in visual arts from the NCA in 2014. The artists share common interests.

Khalil’s work is about decay and decomposition.  Her six acrylic-on-wood pieces contrast decomposition and life. “I pair objects that shouldn’t be together…if I display an animal’s severed head in a piece, I place fresh fruit or flowers next to it.” Khalil says her work took her to a medical college where she sought to improve her knowledge and visual vocabulary of the decomposition of human body. “I learnt about how the body deteriorates and how it could be stopped from doing so. The question I came up with was what does a body look like if it’s not subject to time?”

Khalil says her inspiration came from nature. Nature always offers odd combinations and contrasting pairs, she says. This spares viewers the initial revulsion to decay, says Khalil. “My work depicts beauty in ugliness and vice versa.”

Baloch, a miniature artist, has showcased four gouache-on-wasli paintings that focus on love and time. Dandelions, featuring in his works, depict nostalgia and yearning for loved ones. “But time changes people and relationships. Leaves that were green once, turn brown and white flowers change colour and cannot revert to their original form,” he says.

Khan’s five ink-on-sheet pieces are all about lines. “It’s a meditative pleasure I get when I spend time with my canvas. When you meditate, you breathe in and out, drawing lines is my way of expressing that.” Khan focuses on human relationships and human beings, still breathing, but disintegrating with time.

Naveed has displayed five oil-on-canvas paintings titled Urban Wasteland. “I present Lahore as seen during my leisurely walks through its streets, its stills and motion.” Focusing on the street-level view Naveed has tried to capture a pedestrian’s interaction with the urban environment. “I want viewers to form a narrative after watching these paintings,” Naveed says.

Art critic Quddus Mirza, who was at the opening, said it was always exciting to see work of recent art graduates and compare it with what they were doing earlier and notice how far they had come.

“I think the most important thing to remember is that these artists have not given up…they do not have many facilities and connections, and therefore need to be commended on the scale that they work on.”

Mirza said people tended forget how difficult it was to work on such a scale… to transport art to various houses and sell their work. “Taking such risks for the sake of art is commendable,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.

The declaration issued by the World Punjabi Congress asks the provincial government to make Punjabi language a compulsory subject at primary school level.

It seeks the establishment of a committee at the province-level to reform Punjabi language courses and degree programmes in colleges and universities across the province. It says WPC members could assist the committee.

Speakers at the conference stated that use of obsolete words and expressions should be discouraged and new vocabulary introduced to popularise the language. Other demands put forth at the conference were the establishment of a Punjabi university in the city, jobs for masters’ degree holders in Punjabi language, adequate quotas of government advertisements for Punjabi-language newspapers and journals and enhanced financial assistance to Punjabi literary bodies.

The conference lamented the condition of Punjabi film industry and demanded that the federal government announce financial assistance for filmmakers. The declaration criticised the broadcast media and publishing houses for not promoting Punjabi language and for showing Punjabi culture in a derogatory way. The conference highlighted the importance of the use of social media and the internet in efforts towards promotion of Punjabi language and culture.

It stated that those calling for partition of the Punjab tended to reject Punjabi language and culture.

Punjab University Vice Chancellor Mujahid Kamran, Beaconhouse National University Dean Mehdi Hassan, Professor Qamar Abbas, Syed Afzal Haider, Dr Safdar Shah, Ahmed Saleem, Shaukat Ali, Hassan Nisar, former ambassador Tauheed Ahmed, Hussain Naqi, Tariq Khurshid, Rana Ehtesham, Bahar Begum, Nasreen Anjum, Qazi Javed, IA Rehman, Dr Akhtar Shumar, Karamat Bukhari, Nazir Qaiser, Parveen Malik, Dr Naheed Shahid, Syed Bhutta, Dr Naveed Shehzad, Humair Hashmi, Iftikhar Mijaz and Shujat Hashmi were present at the conference.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.

LAHORE: HomeNet Pakistan executive director Ume Laila Azhar said on Friday that the incidence of violence against domestic workers had increased over the years.

She was speaking at a consultation organised by HomeNet Pakistan to review a policy draft formulated by the Labour and the Human Resource Department for domestic workers. Azhar said reasons for this included lack of legislation affording them protection, the solitary nature of their vocation and lack of representation. She said such circumstances called for the introduction of domestic worker-friendly polices and legislation.

All Pakistan Workers’ Trade Union general secretary Aima Mehmood said protecting rights of domestic workers working in different houses was a formidable challenge. She said the draft should include the concept of hourly-wage to ensure that domestic workers were not exploited.

Pakistan Workers’ Federation deputy secretary general Usama Tariq said a provision regarding the registration of domestic workers travelling abroad for employment should be added to the part of the draft dealing with registration of the workers.

Labour Education Foundation director general Khalid Mehmood said the government should also focus on registering policemen and employees of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). Mehmood said they also faced problems related to wages and working hours.

Integrated Programme for Elimination of Child Labour and Bonded Labour Director Javaid Iqbal Gill said that the purpose of presenting the draft was to focus efforts on its effective implementation. He urged those present on the occasion to contribute models to ensure that the policy directives were enforced. Labour Secretary Ishrat Ali said the department was doing all it could to ensure that the draft was completed soon for submission to the cabinet committee for approval. He said the holding of the consultation with people experienced in the field constituted a step forward in the direction. Ali said a new labour policy originally slated for introduction in 2014 would be presented to the cabinet in its next meeting.

The draft aims to make provisions for domestic workers by placing them on par with their counterparts in the commercial sectors. It aims to get them covered under Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution by formalising contracts and working hours. Leaders of various trade unions and organisations working on labour issues were present at the consultation. They were given the opportunity to express their reservations regarding the draft.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2015.