Ibrar Ul Haq Chief Guest At A Dinner Arranged In His Honour At 'Mirch Masala' Goodmayes Ilford.  Ibrar Calls Overseas Pakistanis Backbone Of Pakistan.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of 'Turjaman International' arranged a dinner at Goodmayes ' Mirch Masala' restaurant in honour of Ibrar Ul Haq the Pakistani icon and musician, who is touring Britain. Zulfiqar introducing Ibrar Ul Haq said on a lighter note that when he first met Ibrar, he queried about his name, if it really was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The invitees were men and women who had excelled in different professions, councillors, mayors and other local dignitaries. Apart from a few guests, the majority of attendees were supporters of Tehreek e Insaf and it seemed a meeting of Tehreek e Insaf minus flags. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto conducted the meeting and Lord Patel of Blackburn who had been specially invited to attend was asked to preside. Mr Bhutto very eloquently thanked the people present, and chief guest Ibrar Ul Haq and lord Patel to find time from their busy schedule and commitments. He further stated that with the help of his friends he was holding a fashion show, in the last week of September, to give achievement awards to those who made mark and achieved distinction in their chosen fields. All the speakers one after another thanked Zulfiqar for his efforts and promised their support. They welcomed the chief guest and lord Patel and were proud of them as role models. Ibrar Ul Haq speaking stated that although this was not a political meeting yet he could not help talking about politics. He was grateful to Imran Khan who made him leader of youngsters. The political situation in Pakistan is very disappointing, Tehreek e Insaf and Imran Khan was the only hope to put things right. He urged the audience to register themselves as members, use 'your influence in getting Tehreek Insaf elected'. He called overseas Pkistanis the backbone of economics of Pakistan. He was very optimistic about the future of Pakistan, all that was needed was a clean, honest and sincere leadership..

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Washin­gton to contin­ue suppor­ting welfar­e projec­ts; help people, organi­sation­s intere­sted in being a part of those. Washington to continue supporting welfare projects; help people, organisations interested in being a part of those. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

MIRPUR (AJK): 

US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter said Washington takes keen interest in the development and prosperity of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Munter, who met with representatives of various NGOs and beneficiaries of US-sponsored projects during his visit to Muzaffarabad on Wednesday, added that Washington will continue supporting welfare projects in the state and help people and organisations interested in being a part of those.

“USAID will spend more than Rs450 million in AJK through these social welfare organisations,” he observed.

The envoy added that the US is interested in enhancing the basic health and education infrastructure in AJK and raise community awareness for economic uplift and better living standards in the state.

Earlier, Munter was briefed on the ongoing US-sponsored projects. The representative of the beneficiaries of these projects expressed his gratitude for the generous support and aid the US extended, both during natural disasters and for general efforts to raise living standards in AJK.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2012.

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HALLE, Germany: Germany's Tommy Haas defeated second seed Roger Federer 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to win the Halle grasscourt tournament on Sunday to become the ATP's second oldest champion.

Playing in front of his home fans, the 34-year-old wildcard added to his triumph at the same venue three years ago to take his 13th ATP title.

Swiss great Federer, the second seed, was seeking a sixth win at this Wimbledon warm-up event having booked his seventh final ticket with a straight sets semi-final win over unseeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

Haas, a former world number two, secured his place in the climax with a defeat of compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Injury-plagued Haas has only recently returned to the tour after a 14-month absence.

In that time, he underwent hip and right shoulder surgery which sent his ranking plummeting to 200.

He came into Halle at 87 in the world with Sunday's victory expected to move him back into the world top 50.

France's Fabrice Santoro remains the oldest champion, winning the 2008 Newport tournament when he was 35.

The German, who went through qualifying at the French Open last month before going onto to reach the third round.

He has also been awarded a wildcard into Wimbledon.

Sunday's victory was Haas's third career win over Federer after beating his better-fancied rival at Halle in the semi-finals in 2005 and 2006, against 10 defeats, the last in the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2009.

Federer broke to lead 3-1 in the opening set but proceeded to lose three successive games to find himself trailing 4-3.

Haas went on to clinch the set on a winning serve in 50 minutes.

In the second set, Haas broke to lead 5-4 and serve for the match, winning when Federer put a return long. (AFP)

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Jurist­s endors­e Kashmi­ris’ right to self-determ­inatio­n. Speakers request UN secretary general to appoint a small unit of UN forces to maintain law and order in the disputed state. PHOTO: AFP

MIRPUR: 

Eminent jurist and politicians at the conclusion of a national conference on Monday urged upon the United Nations Secretary General Baan Ki Moon to mediate the withdrawal of all armed forces from Jammu and Kashmir. They requested the UN secretary general to appoint a small unit of UN forces to maintain law and order in the disputed Himalayan state.

The national conference, titled “Islamic Law, International Community and the Global Peace” was organised by the Islamic Ideological Council of Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

AJK President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan presided over the conference, which was also attended by AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed.

Justice (retd) Majeed Mallick proposed that the Jammu and Kashmir should be given the status of an observer in the United Nations Organisation by acknowledged its leadership till the time a plebiscite is held and its future is determined by the people.

Other speakers also called for an early and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue.

They said that people of the disputed state should be granted the right to self-determination under the spirit of international norms.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2012.

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The day also marks comple­te solida­rity with the people of Indian occupi­ed Kashmi­r. Every year, Kashmiris observe the Indian Republic Day as black day. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

MIRPUR (AJK): Kashmiris dwelling on both sides of the line of control and in other parts of the world will observe the Indian Republic Day, falling on January 26, as black day to invite the attention of the international community towards the continued illegal and forcible occupation of Jammu & Kashmir by India.

In Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), preparations are under way to hold protest rallies and demonstrations in all ten districts of the liberated territory. These protest marches and rallies will be the hallmark of the scheduled black day.

The day also marks complete solidarity with the people of Indian occupied Kashmir.

The protest rallies are arranged by various social, political and public representative organizations representing people from all spheres of life including lawyers, journalists, members of the business community, laborers, students, women and social and political workers.

In occupied Jammu Kashmir, complete strike throughout the held territory, on the call of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and supported by the AJK government, will be the hallmark of the day where life will come to a complete stand still following boycott of their routine activities by the Kashmiris belonging to all walks of life, the report reaching here said.

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Their seven-point charte­r of demand­s alread­y with AJK govern­ment. FUNDS: 1.3b rupees are needed to upgrade the service structure of the staff, according to the employees. PHOTO: FILE

MIRPUR: 

The technical staff of the Mirpur Electricity Department staged a number of protest demonstrations on Wednesday to press the government to increase their salaries.

The employees boycotted their duties by locking their office rooms and took out processions from outside the electricity department’s office complex. They marched on various avenues across the city, raising slogans against the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government and demanding that their service structure be upgraded. They also demanded that they be paid the same amount of salaries given to the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) technical staff.

The protesting employees converged at the District Court premises, where speakers such as Muhammad Akram Mughal, Sayed Qaiser Shiraz Kazmi, Liaqat Qureshi, and Tariq Malik called for an immediate increase in their salaries. They also demanded dearness allowances owing to the continued price-hike. They maintained that Rs1.3 billion is needed to upgrade the service structure of the department’s technical staff. The procession was taken out under the leadership of Non-gazetted Employees Union President Chaudhry Gulzar Ali, Senior Vice-President Sardar Shapal Khan, Secretary General Majid Beg, among others.

Similar demonstrations were also staged in other cities.

The employees have already sent their seven-point charter of demands to the AJK government. They had earlier announced to hold pen-down strikes if their demands were not met by June 12.

Due to the strike, electricity consumers visiting offices of the local electricity department were turned back and complaints remained unregistered.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2012.

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CHICHAWATNI/FAISALABAD: Frustrated with the persistent loadshedding, enraged residents torched the city police station gate and several police motorcycles in Chicawatni.

Protests also took a violent turn in Faisalabad, when residents furious over continuous loadshedding for twenty hours burnt tyres, blocked the roads and voiced slogans against the authorities.

Police resorted to baton charge and heavy tear gas shelling to disperse the protestors; however this sparked a clash as protestors in retaliation pelted stones.

The excessive use of force by the police turned the peaceful demonstration into an angry mob that looted a beverages truck as well.

Protests also took place in several other cities of Punjab including Lahore.

The electricity shortfall in the country has risen to 8,500 MW and according to DG PEPCO, the supply of oil and gas is inadequate. The DG PEPCO adds that the responsibility of the power shortfall also rests with the Ministries of Petroleum and Finance.

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Shorta­ge of firefi­ghting crew main hurdle: conser­vator. In Punjab, 400 acres forestland is guarded by a single forest guard, whereas in AJK, a forest guard is assigned to safeguard 800-acre land.

MIRPUR: 

Despite attempts, the Mirpur Forest Department has been unable to extinguish the fire that broke out in parts of Kotli and Bhimber districts some days back.

Forest Department Conservator Gohar Rehman told media on Thursday that the department is trying to extinguish the flames with the help of locals; however, he said there are insufficient people for the task.

The conservator said that at present over 2,000 to 3,000 acres of forestland in proximity to populous areas of Mirpur division have been affected by the fire. He added that the department has only 206 forest guards for the 1.084 million acres of Mirpur Division.

Rehman said that forest fires have become common in the summer season, adding that they usually start small after people light grass or waste material and spread quickly. He said that passengers and picnickers throwing combustible materials like cigarettes or matchsticks on roadsides and use of fire-crackers in wedding processions and religious gatherings near shrines aggravates the problem.

“Last year, over 5,000-acre of forests across Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) had come under fire,” said Rehman. He added that the ratio of field staff comprising forest guards against the requirement was a major hurdle to overcome forest fires and timber theft. In Punjab, 400 acres forestland is guarded by a single forest guard, whereas in AJK, a forest guard is assigned to safeguard 800-acre land, he explained.

Rehman suggested that the forest guards in AJK should be doubled to keep a watch over per 400-acre forestland, bringing the ratio of forest guards and forestland at par with that of forests in Punjab. Moreover, he sought the cooperation of locals, urging them to raise awareness about forest fires, especially among those living close to thick forests, and be cautious in adopting preventive measures.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2012.

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Demons­tratio­ns held in AJK, semina­rs in twin cities agains­t atroci­ties in Indian Kashmi­r. Members of the AJK assembly hand over a memorandum of unanimously passed resolutions for the liberation of the people of Kashmir to an official of the United Nations in Muzaffarabad on Thursday. PHOTO: EXPRESS

MIRPUR/RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: 

Pro-freedom and anti-Indian slogans echoed on avenues across Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Hundreds took to the streets to protest against atrocities committed by security forces in Indian Kashmir and to reiterate their longstanding demand for self-determination.

The demonstrations were held to mark Indian Republic Day as black day on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, while various events were organised in the federal capital and Rawalpindi to endorse the demands of the Kashmiris.

In Muzaffarabad and Mirpur, people from all walks of life actively took part in the demonstrations while waving black flags and brandishing black armbands to condemn human rights violations by  Indian forces in occupied Kashmir and India’s “hegemonic designs” and its “forced and unlawful occupation of Indian Kashmir since the last 64 years”. The protestors marched through all major streets of the city shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.

Speakers in Muzaffarabad said India undertook several constitutional and administrative measures to annex Kashmir in total disregard of the Security Council resolution of 24th January 1957.

In Mirpur, the procession turned into the protest rally at the central Shaheed Chowk, where prominent leaders and human rights activist addressed the gathering. The speakers urged the United Nations and the world community to take immediate notice of Indian brutalities unleashed against the innocent Kashmiris in the held valley and to play a role in the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

A memorandum comprising unanimously passed resolutions in line with the sentiments of the people of Kashmir was moved to the United Nations Office in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The speakers reiterated full solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren in their “just and principled struggle” for the freedom of their motherland from Indian yoke.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) held an event in Rawalpindi to observe the Indian Republic Day as black day.

JKLF Chairman Javed Ahmed Mir said the Kashmiri people and freedom fighters had rendered matchless sacrifices for the Kashmir cause. He added that the freedom movement will reach its logical end.

JKLF Senior Vice-Chairman Dr Irfan Ashraf said Kashmir  is a nuclear flashpoint and  the people of Pakistan and India are the ones to suffer because a major percentage of their national budget is allocated to defence.

“India, contrary to its claim of being a democratic republic, continues to illegally occupy Indian Kashmir against the will of the people who are struggling for their basic social, democratic and human rights,” said Ashraf.

He said the observance of the black day on the eve of India’s Youm-i-Jamhooria (republic day) was a clear sign that the Kashmiri people will never bow before the “unlawful occupants”.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2012. 

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PARIS: French President Francois Hollande's Socialists have won an absolute majority in Sunday's run-off parliamentary election, according to polling firm estimates obtained by AFP.

The Socialists' parliamentary bloc obtained between 312 and 326 seats -- far more than the 289 seats needed for a majority in the 577-seat National Assembly -- so will not need to rely on support from either the Greens or the far left. (AFP)

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Young doctor­s went on strike after the YDA-AJK gave a call for boycot­t to press their long-standi­ng demand­s. " Young doctors from AJK are being forced to migrate from the country," President Young Doctors Association AJK Dr Nadeem Akhtar.

MIRPUR: 

Patients suffered and were not properly attended after young doctors working in public-sector hospitals and subordinate medical units across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) continued their indefinite strike for the 17th consecutive day.

Young doctors went on strike after the Young Doctors’ Association AJK gave a call for the boycott to press the AJK government to accept their long-standing demands which include raises in salaries and allowances at par with their counterparts working in provincial and federal government hospitals in Pakistan.

Young doctors had earlier observed a token strike to protest against the indifferent attitude of the AJK government towards them.

“Young doctors from AJK are being forced to migrate from the country,” said President AJK Young Doctors Association Dr Nadeem Akhtar. They are facing a financial crunch but the rulers do not seem to notice, he added.

The Young Doctors Association has invited the attention of AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, health minister Sardar Qamar Zaman and planning and development minister Latif Akbar towards the difference in pay structure of young doctors compared with their colleagues working in Pakistan.

The association’s office bearers pointed out that doctors selected for house jobs were given a stipend of Rs15,000 per month, while their colleagues in Punjab get double the amount. Similarly, doctors with 10 years of service are paid about Rs30,000 in AJK against Rs65,000 given to their colleagues in Pakistan.

He declared that doctors have no other option but to go on indefinite strike.

At the same time, patients in hospitals and subordinate health units suffered following the strike by young doctors.

The health department, when contacted, asserted that they had made alternative arrangements by requesting senior doctors to attend to both indoor and outdoor patients since the young doctors boycotted their duties.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2012.

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Slackn­ess from local author­ities has led to the deteri­oratio­n of the 500-year-old fort. The centuries-old fort has not been maintained. PHOTO: FILE

MIRPUR: 

Despite tall claims by the concerned authorities, especially the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, which is responsible for maintaining the condition of such historic places, Ramkot Fort today feels like an abode for ghosts.

Large funds are included in the annual budget of the AJK Tourism Department, but this has not translated into a tangible difference in the condition of historic structures.

Picturesquely located on the summit of a hill, Ramkot Fort is built over the site of an old Hindu temple on the banks of the Mangla dam lake. Three sides of the hilltop are surrounded by the Jhelum River, which falls into the huge reservoir of Mangla Dam.

After excavation, relics from the 5th and 9th centuries have been discovered near one of the temples. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Muslim rulers of Kashmir had built numerous forts, one of which is Ramkot. The Sikh Maharaja of Kashmir further fortified Ramkot – and today it should be as appealing as a Scottish castle.

In the 1990s, a dentist from Rawalpindi voluntarily spent hundreds of thousands of rupees trying to revive Ramkot Fort, but his efforts were in vain due to a lack of cooperation and interest from local authorities.

The tourism secretary in the AJK government, Dr Shehla Waqar, told The Express Tribune that her organisation is actively engaged in improving the condition of Ramkot Fort and also the historic Red Fort in Muzaffarabad. She said the archaeology department of Hazara University had been asked to lend its services to preserve the structures and make them attractive to tourists.

Others are more cynical about what has been done to protect the old structures.

Ramzan Dutt, a lawyer and campaigner for site preservation, believes that the AJK authorities have simply not done enough to promote tourism in the area.

Dutt said his organisation has presented a comprehensive proposal for looking after historic sites to the AJK authorities, with no response. He added that, especially since it is the ancestral home of many British-Pakistanis, Mirpur could be turned into an economic hub through the promotion of the tourism industry.

Shoaib Mirza, a visiting UK-based Kashmiri expatriate, said that hundreds of thousands of British-Kashmiri tourists would want to visit the area if it was developed properly. He urged authorities to make places such as Ramkot Fort pleasurable for visitors.

Jehanzeb Amin Khan, an unemployed youth, said that AJK is blessed with natural potential, and that authorities should capitalise on this to create tourism jobs in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2012.

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Former chief justic­e propos­es three new judges for High Court, two for Sharia­t Court to clear backlo­g. Delayed: 9,335 cases are pending with the AJK High Court, whereas 1,309 cases are pending with the AJK Shariat court.

MIRPUR: 

Litigants in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are suffering due to the shortage of judges in the High Court and Shariat Court.

In a letter to the President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, the AJK High Court Chief Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal has underscored the need to increase the number of judges in the High Court and Shariat Court.

He reasoned that under section 43 of the AJK Interim Constitution 1974, the High Court should comprise a chief justice and four judges, while additional judges may be appointed depending upon the workload.

At present, the high court has one chief justice and two judges – Chief Justice Mughal, Justice Chaudhry Munir Hussain and Justice Tabbasam Aftab Alvi.

Similarly, the Shariat Court should have four judges but only two are appointed, namely Justice Iftikhar Hussain Butt and Justice Hussain Mazhar Kaleem.

At present, there are 9,335 cases pending with the High Court and 1,309 cases with the Shariat Court.

Moreover, the posts of two judges in the high court are lying vacant since the appointees – Muhammad Younis Tahir and Raja Rafiullah Sultani – were removed last year. The judges were removed on grounds that their appointments were made without valid consultation by the then Jammu and Kashmir Council President, Shoukat Aziz, who was also the prime minister of Pakistan at the time. The two judges were appointed in January 2007 by former president Parvez Musharraf.

Chief Justice Mughal further noted that the Gilgit-Baltistan High Court, where at least 640 cases are pending, has a chief justice and three other judges appointed. The Balochistan High Court, where over 5,229 cases are pending, has a chief justice and eleven other judges appointed.

Justice Mughal noted that in the Shariat Court there are least 281 murder appeals pending due to the lack of judges. He added that as per the Criminal Procedure Code, a murder appeal must be disposed off by division benches, which have not been constituted due to the shortage of judges

He said that given the high number of pending cases in AJK courts and their circuit benches, it is “inevitable to raise the number of judges to clear the backlog”.

He proposed appointment of two new judges in the Shariat Court and two new permanent positions for Mirpur, Rawalakot, and Kotli circuit benches. He noted that three new judges should be appointed in the High Court. He added that the new High Court judges could be rotated to hear the divisional and full-bench cases.

Talking to The Express Tribune, AJK High Court Justice (Retd) Abdul Majeed Mallick, said that to ensure speedy and inexpensive justice to the people, it is imperative to fill all vacant posts of judges in AJK courts.

His stance was endorsed by Mirpur District Bar Association’s former president, Advocate Kamran Shareef.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2012.

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15 Madadg­ar Swift Police Assist­ance Centre inaugu­rated. 15 Madadgar Swift Police Assistance Centre inaugurated.

MIRPUR: 

In view of the increased population in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), an integrated plan has been chalked out to revamp the police force in line with international standards and the recommendations have been forwarded to the AJK government for approval.

AJK Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Tariq Khokhar stated this at the inaugural ceremony of 15 Madadgar Swift Police Assistance Centre set up at the SSP office on Sunday. The centre was inaugurated by AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed.

The IGP said traffic police squads will be available round the clock on all highways and roads connecting all ten districts of AJK. “Efforts are under way to improve the working conditions of the police to improve their performance. He said eight fully-equipped police posts have been set up in residential areas in Mirpur city to provide quick assistance to citizens in case of emergency.

Speaking on this occasion, the AJK prime minister said a police training centre will be established in Mirpur on the pattern of the Sihala Police Training Centre. He added that over 2000 police officials will be recruited across AJK in phases to overcome shortage of manpower.

Both retired and serving police officials and a large number of people from all segments of civil society attended the ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2012.

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BIRMINGHAM: China's Zheng Jie reached the semi-finals of the Birmingham WTA grasscourt tournament on Saturday, but torrential rain left organisers with a nightmare backlog of matches.

Zheng got the better of Italian fourth seed Roberta Vinci 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in a quarter-final already held over from Friday.

The world number 32 will play the winner of the quarter-final between Jelena Jankovic and Misaki Doi, which was suspended on Edgbaston Priory Club's Centre Court due to rain.

Jankovic was leading 2-0 in the opening set when the weather intervened.

Russia's Ekatarina Makarova is also through to the last four after dodging the showers to beat Taiwan's Su-Wei Hsieh 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

The Russian will now take on either Melanie Oudin or Irinia Falconi.

Oudin led her American compatriot 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 when play was called off to leave organisers trying to squeeze two quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final into Sunday. (AFP)

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The chief engine­er fails to pay compen­sation; judge holds engine­er, collec­tor land in contem­pt of AJK Suprem­e Court. Mangla Dam's capacity is being enhanced, up to its maximum level of 1,242 feet. PHOTO: FILE

MIRPUR: 

A judge on Monday issued arrest warrant for a Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) official for contempt of court.

The judge directed Mirpur Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Tahir Mehmood Qureshi to produce Wapda chief engineer Mangla Dam in court before June 18.

He was responding to petitions filed by locals of Kalayal Shehroo, Mirpur tehsil, demanding payment of compensation money for their land acquired under the Mangla Dam Raising Project (MDRP).

The judge also issued notice to Collector Land Acquisition Mangla Dam Affairs for non-compliance of the apex court’s orders to pay compensation to the land owners on time.

For the project, land belonging to Rehman Jan and others locals of Kalayal Shehroo was acquired by Collector Land Acquisition Mangla Dam Affairs. As directed by the AJK Supreme Court on February 2, 2011, compensation amounting to Rs7,619,376 was to be paid to the land owners.

There is resentment among the locals as they have been displaced under the Rs100 billion project and have not been paid their due compensation. The affected people have complained to the Prime Minister of AJK, federal minister for Kashmir affairs and other concerned authorities to pay them the compensation money so they can build their homes. They allege that the payment is being deliberately delayed despite “empty promises” by the concerned authorities, especially Wapda.

Meanwhile, Wapda authorities have given notice to the affected families to evacuate the area, as the dam’s water level will be raised to its highest level of 1,240 feet in August.

Press Conference

Addressing a press conference at Kashmir Press Club Mirpur on Monday, Acting President of MDRP Action Committee of Affected, Chaudhry Allah Ditta, lashed out at Wapda for “blatantly disobeying the AJK Supreme Court orders”.

He said that the apex court had ordered to pay Rs1 million per kanal to land owners affected under the project. He added that over a hundred locals are waiting to be paid their compensation.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2012.

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A prominent citizen of Brent Haji Chaudhry Mohammed Sadeeq arranged a meeting to celebrate Queen's Diamond Jubilee with local Muslim community of Brent. Councillors including ex mayor Chaudhry Mohammed Aslam, Nafees Zakria consul general and political consul Khalid Majeed from Pakistan High commission London, M Z Bhatti and his daughter,the youngest councillor Rabia Bhatti from Chesham, ex mayor cllr Ch Liakat Ali, London businessman Ch Shokat Ali from Walthamstow, Nation Weekly's Chief Editor Mohammed Sarwar,  Syed Qamar Ali Raza UKPCCI president, Raja Masarat Iqbal from Alesbury, Brent council leader Asghar Butt, cllr Paul, cllr Chaudhry Mehboob Hussain from Redbridge, Maulana Zardari Imam Masjid Neasden London were called upon by Barrister Shahzada Hayat, the stage secretary who travelled all the way from Wales, to address the the audience. The proceedings of the function started when Barrister Hayat  requested Qari Arshad Jamil to recite verses from Quran and start the meeting. Haji Ch Mohammed Sadeeq the chairman of Mosque welcomed all the guests and talked about diamond jubilee street parties but he decided to hold this function in the Mosque hall with Mosque users agreement. By holding jubilee celebration in the mosque a message has been conveyed to the main stream community that Muslims are part of the society. This is to dispel the perception of aloofness related to Muslins. Barrister Hayat introduced every speaker saying admirable words about their fields, they in turn spoke and paid glowing tributes to the Queen Elizabeth for performing duties of the state so ably for 60 years. They stressed that inhabitants of British society have religious, cultural and other freedoms across the board. Therefore integration is key for Asian and other people making Britain their home. They urged their compatriots  to take interest in their children's education and avail themselves of excellent educational system and join main stream political parties to participate in local politics rather than their parent country. British Pakistani Muslims have played their part in strengthening British economy, the claim being, Britain a second home could have been true about our forefathers but now Britain is our first home. Emphasised that community cohesion and multiculturalism were here to stay.  After the speeches cake was cut and long live the Queen was sung after which dinner was served to the guests.  Amjad Amin Bobbey events organiser and Haji Sadeeq ,Haji Hokumdad deserve plaudits for organising such a lovely function. Haji Hokum Dad then took Amjad Amin, Khalid Majeed, Barrs Hayat, Raja Qurban Hussain, and Pothwarnews correspondent home and entertained them with tea and cakes. 

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LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here Sunday expressed deep sense of sorrow and grief over the sad demise of PPP leader Fauzia Wahab.

In a condolence message, the Chief Minister has expressed sympathies with the bereaved family and prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity. (APP)

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PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said Sunday that the provincial government had found no evidence that the girls at the centre of the Kohistan video scandal were murdered.

Hussain also requested the Supreme Court to wrap up the case and take action against those individuals who had made these allegations.

During a news conference the provincial information minister informed reporters that the parents and sister of one of the girls had recorded their statements in front of the fact finding commission.

He further said that the commission had also recorded the statements of eight other locals and no evidence was found in the entire village that the girls had been murdered.

Hussain added that the video scandal was an attempt to disgrace the Jirga system and Pakhtun traditions.

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HARARE: A fine 62 from opener Hamilton Masakadza set up hosts Zimbabwe for an 11-run victory over Bangladesh in the opening match of a Twenty20 tri-nations tournament that includes South Africa.

Masakadza slammed four sixes and six fours in a 35-ball stand and captain Brendan Taylor (38) offered good support as the home team reached 154-6 off 20 overs in clear, warm conditions.

Bangladesh could make only 143-5 in reply and new coach Richard Pybus started with a loss in a country which has not proved a happy hunting ground for the Tigers as they lost a Test and a one-day international series there last year.

Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a good start with a 38 that featured three fours and Ziaur Rahman (23) and Mohammad Ashraful (22) contributed good knocks and the visitors required 56 to win with 30 balls left.

However, tight bowling at the death by debutant Richard Muzhange and Malcolm Jarvis tamed the Tigers and even a penultimate-over boundary mix-up between Elton Chigumbura and Vusi Sibanda that cost four runs did not prove fatal.

The non-cap tournament resumes at the same venue Tuesday when Bangladesh face hot favourites South Africa and Zimbabwe will confront their southern neighbours the following afternoon. (AFP)

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It is tragic to see that reside­nts of this unriva­lled paradi­se are shackl­ed in chains of slaver­y for over a centur­y. It is tragic to see that residents of this unrivalled paradise are shackled in chains of slavery for over a century.

The valley of Kashmir is a beautiful geographical entity on earth and its ravishing landscape has impressed visitors for centuries. When Mughal Emperor Jehangir came to Kashmir, he was so spell-bound by its calmness that he exclaimed “If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.”

It is tragic to see that residents of this unrivalled paradise are shackled in chains of slavery for over a century. The yearning and movement for the independence of Kashmir has continued unabated all along.

When the movement for Pakistan was launched, the people of Kashmir actively participated in it. A son of Kashmir from Sialkot, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, first dreamt about a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

His dream and contemplation about Pakistan caught every Muslims’ attention throughout the subcontinent and shone like a bright morning star for them.

The movement for independence spread exponentially and the dream became a reality under the indomitable leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Unfortunately, the fate of Kashmir became a casualty of machinations.

At the time of independence, it was agreed that the destiny of Kashmir will be decided through a plebiscite, but that promise remains elusive even after the lapse of 65 years.

A year after independence, the youth of Kashmir liberated a part of it, which is now known as Azad Kashmir, through their valiant struggle. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, in his address to the UN Security Council, had voiced the sentiments of Kashmiris and made the world believe that Kashmir and Pakistan were inseparable.

Bhutto had convened the Islamic summit in Lahore in February 1974 and highlighted the issues of Kashmir and Palestine. He won strong and unqualified support for the cause.

When the Kashmir independence movement was launched during the first government of Benazir Bhutto, as a mark of solidarity with the people of Kashmir, the government commemorated February 5th as the ‘Day of Solidarity with Kashmiris’. Since then, Solidarity Day is observed every year with full devotion and commitment.

The PPP has always emphasised the need for mutual links between Kashmiris on both sides of the border and even proposed opening the Line of Control, so that people can meet their relatives.

(The writer is the federal minister for information and broadcasting)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.

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Emphas­is will be on ensuri­ng basic facili­ties such as water, power, health and educat­ion to the people. Emphasis will be on ensuring basic facilities such as water, power, health and education to the people. CREATIVE COMMON

MIRPUR: 

Ministers of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in a pre-budget seminar on Wednesday vowed to make the budget for the year 2012-13 reflective of the aspirations of the people.

The speakers said that the emphasis will be on ensuring basic facilities such as water, power, health and education to the people, and efforts will be made to explore and enhance the resources of AJK to build a self-reliant economy. One of the major projects for the upcoming budget is on increasing the capacity of hydropower generation sector by up to 15,000 megawatts, they said.

The ministers said that besides promoting industrialisation and introducing solar energy and bio-gas systems, the government has also devised a plan to improve AJK’s tourism sector.

The speakers included Housing and Physical Planning Minister and Budget Committee Chairman Chaudhry Pervez Ashraf, Minister for Electricity Chaudhry Arshad Hussain, Minister for Rehabilitation Abdul Majid Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2012.

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Rights activi­st accuse­s AJK’s state depart­ment of neglig­ence. Rights activist accuses AJK’s state department of negligence. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE

MIRPUR: Over the past few years, none of the students of a government girls’ high school in Palahel Rajgan village, Kotli District, have been able to pass their matric exams. Are the girls not studying hard enough or is there a problem with the schooling? Human rights activist Rashed Akram blames the latter.

“Since its 30 years of existence, the school has lacked teaching staff and basic facilities,” said Akram. He said that for the past few years the school has had no teachers for biology and mathematics, which is why the girls have been repeatedly failing their exams. “This is proof of negligence and blatant mismanagement of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) State Education Department,” he added.

Akram, who also hosts a local radio show, told The Express Tribune that the school has been hiring visiting male teachers for mathematics and making them teach science subjects to the girls. He said that in the conservative setup of the villages, a male teacher teaching girl students is considered “awkward and uncomfortable”.

However, he said that despite repeatedly demanding the Kotli district education officer of girls’ schools to induct science teachers in the school, but to no avail.

Raja Shabir, whose daughter studies in the government school, said, “In this modern age of science and technology, it is shameful for a school to not having a science teacher.” He demanded that immediate induction of required teachers in the school against all vacant posts to ensure quality education to the local children.

Government Girls’ High School in Palahel Rajgan village falls under the electoral constituency of the acting Prime Minister of AJK, Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, who is a senior minister of Charhoi sub-division, Mirpur Division.

Despite repeated attempts, neither the minister nor the district education authorities were available to comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.

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Pakistsn Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Wednesday that the case of alleged corruption of Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,  was a conspiracy hatched to blackmail the chief justice, .

Speaking to media representatives, Khan said the case was a conspiracy by the land mafia against the independent judiciary.

He said that the conspiracy was intended to obstruct working of the independent judiciary and to blackmail the chief justice.

Moreover, the PTI chief said that his party will unveil this conspiracy.

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HALLE: Pakistan’s tennis ace Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his doubles partner Jean Julien Rojer have won the doubles event at the Gerry Webber Open. The duo overcame T.Huey and S. Lipsky 6-3 and 6-4 in the final.

The Pak-Dutch duo had a great run at the French Open, where they reached the semi-finals, only to be ousted by doubles maestros Bob and Mike Bryan.

Qureshi and Rojer have played 13 tournaments together so far and enjoy a top-ten rank (nine) in the ATP doubles team rankings.

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Mirpur DBA, nation­alist partie­s demand indepe­ndent judici­al probe. Mirpur DBA, nationalist parties demand independent judicial probe. PHOTO: FILE

MIRPUR: In response to an alleged attempt on the life of a Kashmiri nationalist leader, the Mirpur District Bar Association (DBA) and various Kashmiri nationalist parties have demanded the local authorities to conduct an independent judicial probe into the incident within 48 hours.

According to different reports, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Zone Secretary General of Jammu & Kashmir Peoples National Party, Advocate Raja Zulfiqar Ahmed, received multiple burn injuries in a fire that broke out at his residence in sector F/1 on Thursday night. He was taken to a Burn Centre in Kharian where he is undergoing treatment.

While investigators say the fire broke out due to short circuiting, the Mirpur District Bar Association and various Kashmiri nationalist leaders are convinced that it was an attempt on the life of the Kashmiri nationalist leader.

Addressing a press conference at the Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur DBA President Arshad Mallick claimed this was the fourth consecutive attempt on the life of a member of the local bar association. He said that similar “suspicious” attempts were made earlier on the lives of four seasoned local lawyers including former DBA President Riaz Inqlabi, Prof Fazal Hussain and Nawabi.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.

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KARACHI: Acting Additional IG Ghullam Bashir Sheikh said Sunday that criminals who take part in extortion, kidnapping for ransom, rioting or damage property will be shot on the spot.

Speaking to the media during a news conference, the acting Additional IG told reporters that thirteen people were killed during the last 24 hours in Karachi. He added that five of those killed were victims of targetted attacks while the rest were due to some personal rivalry or unknown reasons.

According to the acting Additional IG, the shoot on sight order had been issued to curtail violence in the city. Bashir further said that traders could also shoot extortionists and other criminals in self defence and they would be issued arms licenses’.

The situation in Karachi deteriorated after a political worker, Liaquat Bangash was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the stairs of his flat in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Rabia City project. Bangash was wanted by the police in several cases.

Following the discovery of Bangash’s body, unknown men opened fire in several areas of the city including Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Patel Para.

Three men were also gunned down on Super Highway and were identified as Rashid, Iqbal, and Mehmood. Gunmen also shot and killed a man in the Baldia Town area of the metropolis.

Five people including two policemen were injured in various firing incidents in Gulaistan-e-Jauhar.

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ISLAMABAD: Dr Fehmida Mirza, Speaker and Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan have condoled the sad demise of Fauzia Wahab, Senior Leader of Pakistan Peoples Party.

In their separate condolence messages to the members of bereaved family, Speaker and Deputy Speaker expressed their heartfelt grief and sorrow over the sad demise.

They paid rich tribute for her services for promotion and restoration of democracy in the country. They said that Fauzia Wahab was a seasoned politician and legislator of high repute. She rendered valuable contributions during her tenure as member of National Assembly they added.

They said that the vacuum created by her death is difficult to fill, her services for legislation and promotion of democracy in the country will be remembered for a long time to come.

They prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity. (PPI)

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Speech­es, lectur­es and walks to raise awaren­ess about green econom­y and conser­vation. "?G-B is rich in resources but has a fragile ecosystem that needs care and proper conservation," WWF Regional Conservation Officer Tajdar Hussain.

ATTOCK / MIRPUR / GILGIT: 

Environmentalists on Tuesday called for collective efforts to protect the fragile ecosystem of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and stressed to create awareness among communities for better handling of its resources.

Environment experts stated this during seminars organised in G-B to observe World Environment Day on Tuesday. Lectures, speeches, drawing competitions and walks were also held in schools to observe the day, raising awareness about the ecosystem of the mountainous region, and ways to conserve energy and to protect the environment.

“[G-B] is rich in resources but has a fragile ecosystem that needs care and proper conservation,” World Wild Fund (WWF) Regional Conservation Officer Tajdar Hussain told journalists in Gilgit. “We are facing repercussions of climate change that are triggered by human interventions in developed countries,” he added.

Hussain said that environmental degradations caused the floods in 2010, which wreaked havoc across G-B: killing thousands and sweeping away roads, houses, orchards and bridges. He added that the landslide that hit Attabad two years back was also an indicator of environmental degradation in the mountain-locked region.

The conservation officer said that G-B is geographically important as it hosts the highest number of glaciers after the polar region. The region is home to several glaciers, high altitude peaks, lakes and pastures which serve as a habitat for its rare wildlife, he added.

Hussain said that WWF, an international nongovernmental organisation, is helping locals understand the core issues posing threat to natural resources such as glaciers, wildlife and forests. He added that WWF is celebrating World Environment Day in Skardu, Hunza-Nagar, Ghizer and Danyor by involving students and community members.

On pollution in AJK

Meanwhile, speakers at a seminar expressed concern over the increasing adverse impacts of environmental pollution in Mipur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). They said that poisonous smoke emerging from industrial units, kilns, and wildfires are a major cause of pollution in the area.

The speakers urged state-run institutions to spread awareness on ways to prevent pollution, and called for legislation by the AJK Assembly to empower the Environmental Protection Agency to perform its duties. The session was chaired by Anglers Association President, Advocate Muhammad Ramazan Dutt.

Quoting a recent survey of the World Health Organization, a speaker said that although AJK is “blessed with 80 per cent of natural water sources”, drinking water being supplied from Mirpur using tube wells is unfit for consumption. Similarly, other water resources including the Mangla dam reservoir have been polluted by dirt heaps, he added.

When contacted, the Assistant Director Environmental Protection Agency Mirpur Division Raja Rizwanullah Khan said that his institution was working to launch projects for the elimination of environmental pollution in Mirpur division.

He stressed on imposing ban on plastic bags in the area. He said the AJK government has earmarked funds to bring about “green revolution” in the region.

Khan said that the federal environment ministry is spending Rs110 million for the reforestation of AJK, besides initiating steps to save the forests from fire and erosion. The ceremony was arranged by AJK Anglers Association Mirpur.

Awareness walk in Attock

In Attock, various functions were organised to observe World Environment Day. District Coordination Officer (DCO) Attock Shakeel Ahmed led an awareness walk from Fawara Chowk to Union Council Hall, in which district administration officers, students and representatives of various NGOs participated.

In a function held at Council Hall Attock, DCO Ahmed said, “Healthy environment produces healthy societies and the health of our coming generation depends upon the environment that we conserve.” He told participants that this year the theme of the day is to encourage the green economy. “For this, each and every citizen of Pakistan must try to develop alternate resources to overcome the current energy crises,” he added.

A large number of students pledged to save the environment for the better future of the country.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2012. 

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Lawmak­er demand­s amendm­ents in the interi­m consti­tution to run local affair­s indepe­ndentl­y. Farooq proposed that AJK’s defence, currency and foreign affairs should continue to be in the control of the government of Pakistan.

MIRPUR: 

The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) should be granted the same basic human rights enjoyed by the people of Pakistan.

AJK Legislative Assembly Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Chaudry Tariq Farooq gave the proposal during a press conference at the Kashmir Press Club on Saturday.

The opposition leader also underscored the need to empower the AJK government to run local affairs independently by bringing about required amendments in the state’s interim constitution. He proposed that the state’s defence, currency and foreign affairs should continue to be in the control of the government of Pakistan, while the powers of Pakistan Prime Minister-led AJK Council, the upper house of the AJK Parliament, should be reduced and transferred to the chief executive of the AJK government. “This will ensure early dispensation of basic human rights to the masses across AJK at large,” he remarked.

Farooq further called for granting authority to the AJK government to appoint judges of the superior judiciary, chief election commissioner, auditor general and other top slots.

“A fully empowered government of AJK could better perform not only to serve the people but also to raise the Kashmir cause and the Kashmir freedom struggle both at home and abroad,” he maintained. He said that the under the existing interim constitution of AJK – act 1974, the AJK government does not enjoy complete power.

On his party’s stance about any change in the existing position of AJK, Farooq said that his party was against any attempt of giving provincial status to AJK through emerging the liberated territory into Pakistan as a province. “Every attempt of the incumbent Pakistani rulers about making AJK a province of Pakistan would be resisted by the PML -N,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2012.

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Van plunge­s 300 feet below into Neelum River; wagon falls into ditch. Van plunges 300 feet below into Neelum River; wagon falls into ditch.

MIRPUR: 

At least 18 people were killed and 13 others injured in two separate road accidents between Friday night and Saturday evening in Mirpur district.

In the first accident, 12 people were killed and five injured after an overloaded Suzuki van skidded off the road and plunged 300 feet below into the Neelum River on late Friday night, police officials said. The fatal accident took place near Pathika village, around 11 kilometres from Muzaffarabad.

The ill-fated van with 17 passengers onboard was on its way from Muzaffarabad to Pathika town on Neelam Valley Road when the accident occurred.

Six bodies were recovered from Neelam River. They were identified as Imtiaz, Mazher Hussain, Farhad, Munir, Jamila Bibi and Shamiala. The bodies of six other passengers – identified as Moulvi Yasin, Mughees, Massarat Bibi, Faris Shah, Abdul Karim, Abdul Rehman, and van driver Nadeem Gillani – are still missing in the river while hectic efforts are under way to recover them. The wreckage of the van could not be dragged out of the river, police added.

Five of the injured, including Qari Rafiq Mir, Muhammad Urfan, Tasleem Ali, Muhammad Najamul Hassan and Waqas have been admitted to the Combined Military Hospital in Muzaffarabad.

In the second incident, six people were killed and eight injured after a passenger wagon’s tyre burst and it fell into a ditch near Dadayal town, police officials said. The incident took place near Sorokhi village.

Five of the passengers died on the scene, while the fifth died of injuries while being taken to the hospital. The injured were shifted to Tehsil Headquarter Hospital Dadayal and District Headquarters Hospital Mirpur, where the condition of four passengers is stated to be critical.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2012.

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Target of planti­ng 10 millio­n saplin­gs across AJK during the campai­gn has been fixed. Target of planting 10 million saplings across AJK during the campaign has been fixed.

MIRPUR: 

The spring tree plantation drive was Saturday commenced across Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) during which at least ten million saplings would be planted throughout the  territory, official sources said.

This was said by the state forest department spokesman on the eve of the tree plantation drive in Mirpur division. Sources said that the target of planting 10 million saplings across AJK during the campaign has been fixed. Over a million saplings will be planted in Mirpur division comprising Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimbher districts.

Efforts will be made to ensure that the maximum number of people participate in the tree plantation drive to make it a complete success and to protect the plants in future.

The AJK government has directed the forest department  to ensure the availability of saplings of various species free of cost in all government nurseries and sale points during the forthcoming spring tree plantation drive.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2012.

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Main proces­sion at Maulan­a Abdul Hakeem Markaz­i Jamia Masjid on Allama Iqbal Road. Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi is an occasion when people put up lights on buildings and take out huge processions. PHOTO: FILE

SWAT/MIRPUR: 

To commemorate the birth of Holy Prophet (pbuh), Eid Miladun Nabi was celebrated with religious fervour and zeal throughout Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday.

In Swat, a huge gathering was organised by Swat Scouts Open Group, which was attended by people from all walks of life.

“It is our duty to honour the most respected personality of all times and it is a great pleasure that a large number of people attend the event every year,” said Akhtar Ali, the scouts’ group leader.

“The Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) life is a beacon, a symbol of hope for humanity. If we truly follow in his footsteps, extremism will disappear from our society,” said Shahid Iqbal, another scout leader.

“He taught us to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave, but some elements have besieged our society and are misleading us by dividing knowledge into Islamic teachings and worldly knowledge,” he added.

In Mirpur city, various processions were carried out which later converged into the main procession at Maulana Abdul Hakeem Markazi Jamia Masjid on Allama Iqbal Road. A large number of people, including chief justice of AJK Supreme Court took part in the procession.

Speakers paid rich tributes to the Holy Prophet (pbuh), while food items were distributed among the poor. The city was also decorated with colourful lights on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2012.

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Omer migrat­ed to AJK in the 90s with hopes of return­ing as a ‘freedo­m fighte­r’. Omer migrated to AJK in the 90s with hopes of returning as a ‘freedom fighter’.

MUZAFFARABAD: 

In the mid 1990s, the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between Pakistan and India, was relatively porous, with many migrating from Srinagar (Indian-Kashmir) into Azad Kashmir. Some arrived in pursuit of a better life and others with hopes to win back Kashmir.

“I was around 18 years old when I decided I had enough. I had hoped that Pakistan, being a Muslim country, will help us win back Kashmir, but I was wrong,” said Omer, refusing to give his last name.

Omer’s exploits nearly two decades ago landed him with fighters who were training anyone and everyone for Jihad in Kashmir during the 90s.

“I was contacted by them, and they took me to Afghanistan, where I was trained in guerilla warfare for two years,” said Omer.

However, his stint as a Jihadi wouldn’t last too long. Eager to put his newly acquired skills to use, Omer crossed over with a group of fellow ‘freedom fighters’ into Indian-Kashmir.

“We were moving cautiously through the woods and hills when I stepped on a landmine which exploded,” he recalled.

The ill-fated night would constitute his first and last day on the battlefield. Omer injured his foot in the blast and was told by fellow ‘freedom fighters’ to return to the other side of LoC on his own since it was a general protocol for any injured combatants.

“I bandaged my foot, whatever was remaining of it, with a piece of cloth, as it was bleeding profusely. But God gave me the strength and I started to crawl back to this side again,” Omer said. A day later, miraculously, Omer reached the other side of LoC and was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. Even though doctors saved his life, they weren’t able to salvage his leg. He now wears a prosthetic leg.

Nearly two decades later, Omer is happily married with two children and is living on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad – AJK’s capital. However, even though Omer claims to have severed his ties with militant groups, he still believes that an armed resistance is the only way to win back his homeland.

“That is the only way we can have the world’s attention diverted towards us,” Omer said, adding that he and many other have been let down by the AJK and Pakistani governments as they have softened their stance on the Kashmir dispute over the years.

Speaking about the frequent talks between India and Pakistan, Omer said that even though the two countries have improved ties, they have not done so much for Kashmir’s inhabitants.

“There are these confidence building measures in which trade, travel and entertainment industry exchanges are taking place, but no one is resolving the Kashmir conflict even though everyday there are human rights violation by Indian authorities there.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.

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Pakistsn Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Wednesday that the case of alleged corruption of Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,  was a conspiracy hatched to blackmail the chief justice, .

Speaking to media representatives, Khan said the case was a conspiracy by the land mafia against the independent judiciary.

He said that the conspiracy was intended to obstruct working of the independent judiciary and to blackmail the chief justice.

Moreover, the PTI chief said that his party will unveil this conspiracy.

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That was evidently the case with two shrines in Islamabad which saw sectarian flare-up and bloody feud over their more than holy affairs.

After all, places of worship, particularly shrines, receive big amounts in charity from the faithful and devotees. With almost no institutional check on the earnings and expenditure, the massive income invests the voluntary committees that manage
them with pelf and power and ignites greed and rivalries.

Even where they are allowed some nominal control over the worship places, the civil administration and Auqaf Department prefer to stay away for fear of stirring up the religious sensitivities of one group or the other.No wonder the Islamabad administration and police intervened in the two recent cases only when a law and order situation arose.

On May 14, the custodian of a shrine in Islamabad, with the initials of HIS, lodged a complaint that a man NHS, and his 15 supporters, had stolen steel bars, worth Rs250,000, from the shrine compound a month ago.

That delay in reporting the theft made the police suspicious. And indeed investigations showed that the receipt of purchase of the steel was merely a quotation of price from the supplier on its letterhead as requested by the buyer.

Further investigations revealed that accused NHS was the head of a committee formed by CDA to manage the shrine as a dispute had arisen over the custodianship of IHS and his plans to expand the 200-year-old shrine, which earned Rs35,000
monthly from 300 acres of land it held in trust.

IHS allegedly planted religiously symbolic flags to claim land for adding a seminary and living quarters to the shrine, which NHS reported to the administration as being illegal. NHS too wanted a seminary and other structures constructed but under the control of the shrine committee, not of the custodian’s.

Their rivalry led the police to quash the theft case against NHS and request the Islamabad administration to take over the control of the shrine, and the land attached to it, so as to avoid a clash between the two sides.

For six weeks now, the shrine has been standing sealed under CrPC 133 – a conditional order for removing nuisance – until the rival sides settle their dispute.

A similar dispute had led to same action at another shrine in the capital in April – with the difference that the dispute involved two sects. Although both swear allegiance to the saint buried there, their reverence is expressed differently – in the form of an imambargah and a mosque.

On April 18, one side erected a 20-metre high alam there and added 13 more in the next two days. The other side, however, did not accept the claim that they represented a centuries-old tradition and removed them on April 20. The police registered a case of blasphemy on the complaint of a member of the aggrieved party.

When the opposing party went to the same police station to file a counter complaint that a blasphemy case can be registered only after a superintendent of police had inquired the veracity of the charge, two persons appeared and started shooting at
the party as it stood outside the police station.

One person was killed and two injured. The police promptly registered a case about the bloody incident, naming three persons, including the one who had filed the blasphemy charge.

Since then, the shrine stands off limit to rival sides. Police and the city administration believe both sides had their eyes on the Langar Khana – free meals – and accommodation that the shrine, controlled by Auqaf Department, offers to the poor and
devotees visiting the shrine.

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Tearfu­l relati­ves waved across river Neelum to family on Indian side, using loudsp­eakers to try to speak to them. Families wave to their relatives on the Indian side of the Neelum River. PHOTO: FILE

KERAN, AJK: 

Hundreds of Kashmiris on Sunday staged an emotional demonstration on the banks of a fast-flowing river to urge India and Pakistan to withdraw troops from the disputed Himalayan region.

On the Pakistani side, tearful relatives waved across the gushing Neelum – which separates the two countries – to their family on the Indian side, using loudspeakers to try to speak to them, an AFP photographer said.

But the deafening roar of the river – about 200 feet wide at the village of Keran – was too loud for the cries to carry across to the Indian side.

About 600 men and women gathered by the river in Keran, about 90 kilometres northeast of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir. Many migrated to Muzaffarabad in 1990 to escape violence.

The gathering, called by nationalists, was a rare occasion – the authorities do not normally allow such events on the river.

For Ashraf Jan, who left her mother and father to come to Muzaffarabad with her aunt in 1947, it was almost too much.

Overwhelmed with emotion, the 70-year-old had to be stopped by relatives from jumping in the furious river to try to reach her ageing parents on the Indian side.

“Let me go. I just want to see my parents and after that if I die, I will be in peace,” she said.

Indian police and military did not allow Kashmiris on the other side to come near the river bank and they were left to wave from a distance.

Though Kashmiris can cross the border via a special bus service started in 2005, it requires lengthy clearance procedures at both sides, meaning few go.

Arif Shahid, president of the pro-independence Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Conference, urged India and Pakistan to divert their military spending to help poor people in both countries.

“India and Pakistan are wasting money on arms when millions of people have to sleep without any meal every night. They should withdraw troops from Kashmir and liberate us so that they are able to work for the welfare of their citizens,” Shahid said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2012.

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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in their separate messages of condolence on Sunday expressed heartfelt grief and sorrow over the demise of Fauzia Wahab, MNA of Pakistan Peoples Party.

The President paid great tributes to her services for the party saying that she was a steadfast loyalist of the party who braved difficult situations. Her services to the party would be long remembered.

"She died while fighting to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions," the President said.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss with fortitude.

He lauded the services of Fauzia Wahab for the country and party. (APP)

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Spokes­man for AJK Ehtesa­b (Accoun­tabili­ty) Bureau says offici­als arrest­ed on charge­s of misapp­ropria­tion of funds. Spokesman for AJK Ehtesab (Accountability) Bureau says officials arrested on charges of misappropriation of funds.

MIRPUR (AJK): 

Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Accountability Bureau on Tuesday arrested five officials of AJK local government & rural development department on charges of embezzlement of official funds related to the World Bank-sponsored development schemes in the area.

A spokesman for the AJK Ehtesab (Accountability) Bureau said that two deputy directors including Shabir Abbasi and Ahmed Hassan, Assistant Director Aqeel Ahmed, SDO Khawer Mahmood and Sub Engineer Manzoor Hussain were arrested on charges of misappropriation of funds.

The funds were provided by the World Bank for growth of remote areas in the region through launching public welfare projects. Further investigations are in progress and more arrests are expected.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2012.

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KARACHI: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Sunday notified an increase of Rs1.98 per unit for the month of April 2012 under the monthly fuel price adjustment, Geo News reported.

The assessed fuel charges adjustment of Rs1.98 per unit for April is higher by Rs0.1912 per unit than Rs1.7918 per unit for the month of March, therefore, effectively, there will be an increase of Rs0.1912 in the utility bills on the same account as compared to March, the notification said.

According to the notification, the above adjustment will be applicable to all the consumer categories except lifeline consumers of all the power distribution companies (Discos) except Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

The said adjustment will be shown separately in the consumers’ bills on the basis of units consumed and would be recovered in the billing month of November 2012, the notification added.

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Power cuts: 18 hours is how long the power was cut to different areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. PHOTO: FILE

MIRPUR: 

For the third consecutive day of their protest, hundreds of non-gazetted technical staff members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Electricity Department boycotted offices.

They staged a sit-in to press the government to accept their demands, which include better pay structures and bringing facilities provided to them at par with the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) employees in Pakistan.

The protesters started a procession from the offices complex of the electricity department, rasing slogans against the AJK government.

Led by the senior vice president Non-gazetted Employees Organisation and president Technical Staff of the AJK Electricity Department, the protesters marched through the major streets of the city chanting slogans against the soaring prices of items of daily use.

They also raised slogans against the AJK authorities for failing to control inflation.

They demanded that the AJK government immediately accept their seven-point charter of demands.

Moreover, the protesters underlined that funds worth Rs1.30 billion were required for bringing the facilities provided to the AJK Electricity Department non-gazetted technical staff at par with the employees of Wapda.

People who visited the electricity department suffered due to the strike, as they had to return without having their complaints registered.

Protest over prolonged, unscheduled loadshedding

Meanwhile, power cuts in various parts of the AJK went up to 18 hours a day, bringing life in the state to a standstill.

Perturbed over the prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding, hundreds of people in Mirpur took to the streets on Friday.

Despite the recent announcement of Pakistan Electric Power Company about ending the loadshedding across the region, nothing has been done yet, said a protester.

The protesters marched through the main Bhimbher-Mirpur Sokasen Road, suspending traffic for hours.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2012.

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Beggar­s come to the city in droves to take advant­age of expatr­iate money. Luke went over 300-minute allowance, increasing his bill from the usual 28 pounds a month to over 900 pounds.

MIRPUR: 

Mirpur, the most affluent city in Azad Kashmir, is known to many as ‘mini London’. The reason is that Kashmiris living in the UK, who retain strong ties to Mirpur, have contributed greatly to the city’s development with a steady influx of pound sterling.

This relative wealth has also helped professional beggary flourish in the city.

“We prefer begging in Mirpur because people here are generous and give us alms in British pounds,” says Amjad, a teenage beggar, who is originally from a village in the Gujranwala district of Punjab. Amjad says that poverty forced him into begging; he is not alone. Ejaz, an eight-year-old boy who also comes from Punjab, says that “begging on the streets of Mirpur is rewarding. On average I earn Rs100-150 daily.”

Approximately 600,000 UK residents of Pakistani background are originally from Mirpur, with a strong concentration in the city of Birmingham.

In Mirpur, as in all big cities in Pakistan, most begging is controlled by a powerful mafia. The ‘Ods’ and gypsy communities are in charge, according to local sources, though they have never been targeted by the police, despite sporadic campaigns. The ruthless mafias send out their beggars, including young children, soon after dawn every day. Chaudhry Akhter, who has lived in the city for many years, says the gypsies send out their own children: “Their children move to the busy areas of the city, including in front of the shopping malls, courts, banks and other busy city streets, soon after sunrise.”

Lawyer Ramzan Dutt believes that strong legislation from the AJK parliament is required to curb the menace of professional beggary. “These mafias drop physically-handicapped beggars at street corners, traffic signals and roundabouts in the morning and then pick them in the evening with their earnings,” Dutt says.

Very occasionally the district administration and police round up beggars from the city’s streets and drop them out of the city’s jurisdiction. This has not made any long-term impact, as the beggars return soon after.

The police want help from society. “Begging is a curse. It’s a social issue. Every member of civil society, especially those who oblige the beggars, must help us eliminate professional begging,” says Raja Irfan Salim, Additional Superintendent of Police in Mirpur.“We regularly launch anti-beggary campaigns, but at the same time it’s a fact that civil rights and the liberty of any citizen cannot be suppressed under the Constitution,” Salim says, referring to Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the 1973 Constitution which guarantee basic human rights.

Salim says that Mirpur is a favourite city of professional beggars because residents are well-off, and visiting expatriates have money to spare. “I don’t say that deserving people should not be helped. What I say is people should discourage professional beggary by not giving alms to such beggars,” he adds.

Some woman beggars are also involved in prostitution. “I’ve often seen affluent young men driving away with a female beggar in their cars and then dropping them here,” says a shopkeeper at the Naangi Shopping Centre. This reality was also confirmed by Chairman Jammu & Kashmir Human Rights Commission Humayoon Zaman Mirza.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2012.

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Invita­tion extend­ed by Pakist­an envoy in New Delhi. Invitation extended by Pakistan envoy in New Delhi.

SRINAGAR: 

The veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Geelani, has been invited to visit Pakistan by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the spokesperson of Geelani’s forum, Ayaz Akbar, in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi, Shahid Malik, along with his associates visited the veteran leader at his Malviya Nagar residence in New Delhi. Malik had come up to formally invite Geelani to visit Pakistan.

The spokesperson added that the decision on accepting the invitation of Pakistan would be taken in Majlis-e-Shoora of the forum. He said that during the meeting, Geelani appealed to Pakistan to step up diplomatic efforts to apprise the world about human rights violations being perpetrated by Indian forces in the occupied Kashmir and to build pressure on India for resolving the issue.

“Pakistan has always supported Kashmiris at political, moral and diplomatic level,” Geelani said during the meeting. He called for inclusion of Kashmiri leadership in talks, saying that bilateral engagements between India and Pakistan had proven futile in the past and the dialogue process could be made result-oriented by involving the Kashmiri leaders.

Meanwhile, Malik assured the veteran leader that Pakistan would continue to support the Kashmir’s struggle for securing their inalienable right to self-determination.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2012.

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Invita­tion extend­ed by Pakist­an envoy in New Delhi. Invitation extended by Pakistan envoy in New Delhi.

SRINAGAR: 

The veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Geelani, has been invited to visit Pakistan by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the spokesperson of Geelani’s forum, Ayaz Akbar, in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi, Shahid Malik, along with his associates visited the veteran leader at his Malviya Nagar residence in New Delhi. Malik had come up to formally invite Geelani to visit Pakistan.

The spokesperson added that the decision on accepting the invitation of Pakistan would be taken in Majlis-e-Shoora of the forum. He said that during the meeting, Geelani appealed to Pakistan to step up diplomatic efforts to apprise the world about human rights violations being perpetrated by Indian forces in the occupied Kashmir and to build pressure on India for resolving the issue.

“Pakistan has always supported Kashmiris at political, moral and diplomatic level,” Geelani said during the meeting. He called for inclusion of Kashmiri leadership in talks, saying that bilateral engagements between India and Pakistan had proven futile in the past and the dialogue process could be made result-oriented by involving the Kashmiri leaders.

Meanwhile, Malik assured the veteran leader that Pakistan would continue to support the Kashmir’s struggle for securing their inalienable right to self-determination.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2012.

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