Babar says loot sale of edu institutes on in Punjab

Federal Law Minister Babar Awan on Sunday deplored that students and teachers are being roughed up on the streets in Punjab, adding that whenever Nawaz hints at the prevalent corruption he talks about Punjab.

Addressing the party workers at Lahore, Babar said that efforts are being made to create a hegemony in the educational institutes of Punjab. A loot sale of educational institutes is on in the province. Nawaz Sharif is right when he says that Punjab needs to work on its governance methods, the minister maintained. He wondered that why the PML-N chief is keeping mum at the ongoing economic exploitation of the poor in the province. He called upon Nawaz to announce the date for holding of local bodies polls, adding that the next general elections would evince that who has public support. As many as 745 petrol pumps are closed in Punjab, he told the gathering and urged Nawaz to support the PoL dealers, but added that, instead he only supports his government. Our reconciliatory policy should not be mistaken as cowardness or weakness, the minister warned the rivals, ours is party that defends public, he added. Hinting at the Sharif brothers spacious Raiwand residence, Babar said that all roads in Lahore lead to the royal palace.

Lahore Students Protest: Case registered against 42 persons, students announce black day

In Lahore, during a protest of students, a bus was set ablaze by 42 persons and a case has now been registered against them.

According to Islampura police, bus driver Mohammad Arshads statement has helped in registering a case against Jibran Butt and former Nazim Haseeb along with 40 other persons for setting ablaze the bus. While on the other side cases against Chairman Joint Action Committee Nazim of Jamiyat Lahore Akhzar Nazeer have been registered in Qilla Gujjar Singh police station for damaging property of Punjab Assembly, blocking the traffic and damaging other government properties.
On the other side, Islami Jamiyat for Students has announced a black day today against torture on students; where as Punjab Professors Association has also announced a boycott against the educational process for an indefinite period of time. Addressing a news conference in Lahore office, acting Nazim of Islami Jamiyat for Students told that Punjab government is against educational policies and is also taking the right of education from poor children. He also said that Chief Justice must take notice of the violence done on students by the police. Acting President of Punjab Professors Association also addressed the news conference in which he announced that from today, a complete boycott will be administered against the educational process for an indefinite period of time and until a decision for creating a board of governors in the institutions is made, this movement will get more violent. He also said that police must release the arrested teachers and anti-educational policies must also be eliminated according to directions by IMF.

Asma Jahangir to get UN award for human rights

UNITED NATIONS: One of Pakistan’s leading human rights defenders, Asma Jahangir, was Tuesday named as this year’s winner of a UN award that recognizes outstanding individual contribution to promoting a culture of human rights around the world.

The Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, nominated Ms. Jahangir as laureate of this year’s Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights in recognition of her work in Pakistan’s Supreme Court where she championed the rights of religious minorities, women and children, according to a UN press release issued at UN Headquarters in New York.

Ms. Jahangir is the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, a founding member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and served as its Secretary-General and chairperson.

Internationally,

LHC adjourns hearing of MPA Pir Nazim’s eligibility case

Staff Report

LAHORE: Lahore High Court has adjourned the hearing of the eligibility case of Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Pir Nazimuddin from PP-37, for one week.

The petitioner, Tariq, argued his petition against the MPA of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) saying that the educational degree of Pir Nazimuddin has been declared fake by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), so he should be disqualified and by-polls should be organized in the concerned constituency.

The petitioner added that Pir Nazimuddin had presented a fake madrassah degree for the elections of 2008, which was not registered in the records of the concerned madrassah.

After the arguments, LHC adjourned the hearing of the case till next week. SAMAA

Scrutiny of NA Secretariat employees starts

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Several employees of the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat have bogus educational degrees; the Establishment branch has asked the entire staff to submit photocopies of their educational documents, SAMAA reported Thursday.

According to a notification issued by NA Section Officer Arshad Mansoor-ul-Haq, all the employees have been requested to submit their educational documents before October 20.

The total number of employees in NA secretariat is 1,450; sources told SAMAA that several among them have fake degrees. SAMAA

Appointment of new NAB chief challenged

Staff Report

LAHORE: Justice (retd.) Deedar Hussain’s appointment as Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was challenged in Lahore High Court on Saturday.

The petition was filed by Barrister Iqbal Jafri who argued that Justice (retd.) Deedar Hussain was appointed NAB chairman on political basis in violation of merit.

The petitioner said that opposition leader was not consulted with prior to the appointment.

Barrister Jafri said his educational competency is much higher than that of Deedar Hussain, and that he too had applied for the post, but was not considered.

He requested the court to declare the appointment null and void. SAMA

AJK minister dismissed over fake degree

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Minister of Trade and Industry Chaudhry Rukhsar has been dismissed from his post due to submitting fake educational certificates.

Opposition candidate Chaudhry Arshad filed an application before the Election Commission, alleging that Chaudhry Rukhsar’s matriculation certificate was fake.

The Election Commission shifted the application to the District and Sessions judge of Rawlakot for a formal hearing.

As a result, today the District and Sessions Court disqualified Rukhsar after declaring his educational documents forged.

In addition, the court ordered the Election Commission to hold another election for the vacant seat in Mirpur. SAMAA

Terrorists destroy girls school in Mohmand Agency

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: Terrorists have destroyed a girls school in Yaka Ghund, Mohmand Agency with explosives on Friday.

The building of the girls school has been completely damaged; local female students can not continue their education in their devastated school.

After this blast, the toll of destroyed schools in Mohmand Agency has mounted to 52, and that of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to 600.

According to education experts, this school destruction spree will severely damage the educational requirements of KP’s students; millions of children will not be able to pursue their studies. SAMAA

Militants blow up three schools in Peshawar

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: Militants have blown up three government schools with explosive material in Suleman Khel area of Budhber in Peshawar, SAMAA learnt Thursday.

According to police, two Girls Primary Schools and a Boys High School were destroyed in militants’ attack.

No casualties were reported in the attack.

The local residents have demanded a substitute place for the educational activities.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister for education Sardar Hussain Babak, 1300 schools have been blown up by terrorists in the last few years.

“Anti-education forces want to push the society towards darkness so they can thrive,” he said. SAMAA

GB mourns Governor Shama Khalid death

Staff Report

GILGIT BALTISTAN: An official holiday is being observed on Thursday in Gilgit Baltistan and all the educational institutions are closed as the people are mourning the death of Governor Dr. Shama Khalid.

Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Dr. Shama Khalid died of cancer in Islamabad on Wednesday. She was 60.

All the government and educational institutions are closed in mourning and flags at all government buildings statewide are flown at half-mast.

Dr. Shama Khalid will be buried besides his husband in Abottabad at 4:00 p.m.

Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah and all the ministers will attend the burial.

Dr. Shama was the first female governor of the province. She was sworn in on March 23, 2010.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani have expressed grief at the demise of Dr.

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