Naeemi seminar demands sacking of Rana Sanaullah
LAHORE: The seminar held in commemoration of Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi Shaheed, head of Jamia Naeemia, demanded the sacking of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for patronizing the banned outfits, Geo News reported Saturday.
The participants of the seminar convened to honor the memory of Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi, martyred in a terror attack, voiced reservations over the fact that assassins of Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi are still at large even after the lapse of an entire year.
Addressing the seminar, State Minister for Information Samsam Bukhari said the issue relating the arrest of Dr Naeemi’s killers pertained to the provincial government; hence, the Punjab government should mull over it.
SC directs Acting Law Secretary to appear before court
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) ordered the Acting Law Secretary Syed Sultan Shah to appear before the court in the next hearing of the NRO verdict review case, Geo News reported Thursday.
The apex court today heard two cases regarding SC-nullified National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry headed a bench hearing a petition filed by the Federation for review of SC ruling on the NRO.
The federation’s lawyer Kamal Azfar said he had been abroad, pleading the court for more time for further consultations.
Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said it is the height of unconcern evinced by the Federation that it does not know how to proceed with the case.
The CJ Chaudhry remarked the review appeal exceeded its time.
Later the case was adjourned till June 28.
Another five-judge SC bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk heard the NRO implementation case.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq filed a comprehensive reply and intimated the court that the Prime Minister directed Law Ministry for opinion on the NRO ruling.
On this, Justice Nasirul Mulk quipped, ‘Law Ministry does not give opinion; it translate the SC rulings into action, instead’.
Justice Raja Fayyaz said in his remarks that the Prime Minister is duty-bound to implement the orders of the apex court under Article-190 of the Constitution.
Adopting harsh note, Justice Fayyaz said, “The SC ruling is being put to ridicule,’ adding how long court would tolerate this.
The apex court directing the Acting Law Secretary to appear before the court along with the ministry’s summary on the NRO verdict, adjourned the hearing till tomorrow.
PM defends Jamshed Dasti
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said he would talk Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif about manhandling of PPP MNA from Muzaffargarh Jamshed Dasti by police.
Earlier, PPP MNA Noor Alam while presenting point of objection in National Assembly said police raided house of Jamshed Dasti in Muzaffargarh and manhandled his mother. Chief whip of PML-N Shaikh Aftab expressed regret over it. Prime Minister in his address said the issue relating Jamshed Dasti has been taken up by the National Assembly speaker.
Three suffering from congo virus shifted to Quetta hospital
QUETTA: The number of Congo virus patients in Balochistan has been reached to seven after admission of another patient in Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital.
According to hospital sources, six patients were brought to hospital from different parts of Balochistan and one from Hilmand, Afghanistan.
The incharge of isolation ward of Jinnah Hospital Dr.Adam Khan Nasir told Geo News that blood samples of the patients have been sought and would be sent to Islamabad for clinical tests.
The family sources disclose to this ascribe that, two persons namely Abdul Qadir and Muhammad Nabi who died on Tuesday at their homes without getting medical aid. They said that the blood were oozing out from their body holes including the mouth and nose and family suspected that two of their relatives Abdul Rehman and Abdullah also fell victim to the fatal disease for being close to diseased.
The sources further said that they were immediately shifted to the hospital suspecting them for having Congo virus.
Sources said that deceased Abdul Qadir and Muhammad Nabi were traders and dealing in supplying cows and buffalos to neighbouring Iran and suspected they got the virus from the cattle.
They said that a girl namely, Razia Bibi, 16, who lived in the neighbourhood of victims is also being suspectedf or having same virus and has also been admitted in Civil Hospital.
Record of 1985 amendment be submitted, orders SC
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) said the Charter of Democracy (CoD) is a political document and enjoys no legal or constitutional status, Geo News reported Thursday.
The court also demanded the secretary of the National Assembly to present before the court Parliamentary record of the Constitutional Amendments made in the eras of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Ziaul Haq.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry while heading a 17-judge larger bench hearing various constitutional petitions filed against some provisions enshrined in the Eighteenth Amendment, said it does not add up to refer to the CoD in the case here, as it is a political document without any legal or constitutional status, adding, ‘We are meant here to review the 18th Amendment.’
Hamid Khan, the counsel for the Supreme Court Bar Association opening today’s proceedings with his arguments, said the Parliamentary Committee frequently mentioned the CoD in its report.
The Parliamentary Committee report, as Hamid Khan put it, contained the basic features of the Constitution.
The CJ said the judiciary should not be entangled in the politics, as its primary function is to interpret the Constitution not to be adrift in politics, urging, ‘Judiciary should not be dragged in the Charter of Democracy.’
The CJ said all the political parties were not on board while framing the CoD, it is just an agreement among some political parties, adding it is good of parties to enter agreements with each other.
Justice Shakirullah Jan said the signatories to the CoD did not have constitutional mandate.
Hamid Khan said the consultations held by the Constitutional Committee were kept under wraps and the Parliament accepted it without demur.
On this, the CJ Chaudhdry observed that it is up to the Parliament to accept the 18th Amendment; however, it should have been debated.
Justice Ramday said, ‘The loopholes in a proposed law surfaces, if it is mulled over by the Parliament.’
The court also demanded the Parliamentary record concerning the change in Objective Resolution through the Constitutional Amendment in 1985, whereby the words pertinent to religions freedom for the minorities were removed.
The apex court also asked the NA Secretary to submit the record of Interim Bills of 1972 and 1973.
The apex court adjourned the hearing of 18th Amendment case for two weeks till June 28.
Hamid Khan pleaded the court to give him one more day to complete his arguments. In the next hearing, Hamid Khan will continue with his arguments.
Gilani to talk to Shahbaz over Jamshed
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said the issue relating Jamshed Dasti has been taken up by the National Assembly speaker, Geo News reported Thursday.
Addressing the National Assembly, he said he would talk to Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif over the issue relating Jamshed Dasti.
On this occasion, he also sought assurance from Punjab Government that it does not arrest Dasti.
South Asia summit ends with pledges of cooperation
THIMPHU: South Asian leaders wound up a summit in Bhutan Thursday with an accord to tackle climate change and promises to pursue a new era of development for their under-performing region.
The two-day summit of the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was notable for the frank appraisal offered by several members of the bloc”s collective failings over the past 25 years.
In a final declaration, the summit said it was time for the organisation to live up “to the hopes and aspirations of the one-fifth of humanity” represented by the eight leaders gathered in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu.
It also adopted a statement on climate change that stressed the need for the region to join hands in combating a threat that faces all its members, from low-lying Maldives and Bangladesh to Himalayan nations like Bhutan and Nepal.
The host nation”s Prime Minister Jigme Thinley, who chaired the gathering, said there had been an overwhelming consensus to turn SAARC into “more than a talk shop”.
“The stage is set for SAARC to enter a new era 25 years after its founding,” Thinley said.
“I hope the things that did not happen in South Asia will now begin to happen,” he added.
SAARC, founded in 1985, groups Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Critics have blamed its failure to exploit the region”s common potential on the long and bitter rivalry between its two most powerful members, India and Pakistan, which has often hijacked the bloc”s agenda.
The two countries also stole the media spotlight at the Thimphu summit, where their respective prime ministers, India”s Manmohan Singh and Pakistan”s Yousuf Raza Gilani, held direct talks for the first time in nine months.
Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed, who will host the next SAARC summit, said the coming year would show whether the bloc could move away from declarations of intent to concrete implementation.
“My fear is that at the moment there is a disconnection between ambition and achievement. The ultimate result is that SAARC is not adequately delivering on the needs of the people of South Asia,” Nasheed said.
“Now, therefore, is the time… to begin a meaningful and self-critical appraisal,” he added.
It was the first time the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has hosted a SAARC summit in the bloc”s 25-year history.
Unfair to relate LG poll with target killing: Mirza
KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza has said that political motives are behind incidents of target killing in Karachi.
“The provincial government will soon get rid of target killing,” he told newsmen at the Chief Minister House on Thursday.
To a question, he said it would be unfair to relate the acts of target killings with the LG election.
He argued that dozens of people were killed during the time of former nazims.
SAARC summit concludes with agenda to promote development
THIMPHU: The 16th SAARC Summit concluded here Thursday with adoption of the joint declaration and ”Thimphu Statement” on climate change for development in the region.
It also include improving inter-connectivity, promoting people-to-people contacts and to evolve joint strategy for resolving the issues of water shortage, environment and food shortage.
A beautiful ceremony of flag hoisting of member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was held outside the Assembly Hall where the 16th summit was held before the concluding session.
The leaders approved the “Thimphu Declaration” giving a new vision to the organization to join hands for alleviating poverty, improving development, finding solution to power and water shortage.
The foreign ministers of all the SAARC member states then signed the “Bilateral Trade and Services Agreement” and from Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi signed it.
Later, it was decided that next 17th SAARC would be held in Maldives. Then the leaders of the SAARC summit adopted Thimphu Statement of Climate Change and joint declaration of the 16th SAARC Summit that has already been approved by the Ministerial Meeting of the member states.
Govt to review energy conservation plan fortnightly: Ahsraf
ISLAMABAD: Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Thursday said the government has imposed a ban on new village electrification in a bid to conserve energy and minimize power cuts.
Speaking at function organized by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce here he said the ban would remain intact till the normalization of the current power situation.
The minister said protection to commerce and industries was the government top priority and all out efforts were being made to provide more facilities to this sector.
He said the government would extend full support to the industrialists for setting up their own 2 to 5 MW power plants.
Pervez said the government inherited power crisis and there was a gap between supply and demand of the electricity.
Unfortunately, no concrete planning was made to explore new venues for generating electricity.
He said no unannounced load-shedding was being observed across the country after the measures taken by the government for conservation of the energy.
He said 1000 MW would be added soon to the national grid station which would help improve the situation.
Replying to the demand of the traders to extend market closure timing till 9 pm, he said the issue would be discussed in the review meeting scheduled to be held after 15 days.
Ashraf said the government was taking pragmatic steps to generate more and more energy and expedite work on all the pending projects.
