Day: December 3, 2006

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani criticised on Saturday the passage of the Women Protection Bill and said the provincial government had ensured more rights for the women by passing the Hasba Bill. Talking to journalists at the circuit house here, he said the provincial government was utilising all resources to come up to the expectations of the electorate. He said his government had made efforts to get the net hydel profit of the province and would strongly protest if the first installment in this regard was delayed. Durrani said the Chashma Lift Canal project would result in an agricultural revolution in the southern districts. He added that the federal government was supposed to provide funds for the project and, if it did not do so, the provincial government would arrange the required money from the first installment of the net hydel profit.

Source: The News

Date:12/3/2006

SHIKARPUR: Police on Saturday arrested three accused in the murder case of four women of Abdoo village in Shikarpur district. Police conducted raids on different places in the district and arrested Ghulam Qadir Mahar, Nazir Mahar and Javed Mahar.Four women, including three sisters, Shahzadi, wife of Ramzan Mahar, Safia, wife of Bashir Mahar, and Miss Naseem Mahar, and their sister-in-law Naseema, wife of Gul Bahar Mahar, were gunned down on the pretext of karo-kari by their relatives in the village some days back.The FIR was registered in the case at the Chak police.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/3/2006

DADU, Dec 2: Sindh Minister for Women Development Dr Saeeda Malik reiterated on Saturday that the Women’s Protection Bill had made women more secure.She said that the bill had been prepared in the light of holy Quran and Sunnah dismissing the bill’s opposition from Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) as a political gimmick.Talking to reporters at the Army Public School after inaugurating Women’s Festival 2006 organised by an NGO, Women Skill Development Organisation (WSDO) in collaboration with BHP Billiton, an oil and gas company, the minister claimed that the cases of honour killing and torture of women had reduced due to the government’s increased attention to the protection of women’s rights.

She said that it would be for the first time in the history of Pakistan that the assemblies would complete tenure and general elections would be held on time.She said that her ministry had set up “day care centres” to train rural women in such skills which could enable them to work in any part of the world, and introduce their embroidery skills at national and international level.
Later, the minister visited different stalls set up by several NGOs. She was accompanied by MPA Dr. Sajeela Leghari, BHP Billiton External Affairs Manager Humera Malik and Women Skill Development Organisation Project Coordinator Ruqia Memon.

MMA: MMA leader Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro reiterated on Saturday that the Women’s Protection Bill was not in accordance with the holy Quran and Sunnah as it favoured the accused (men) more than the victims (women).Addressing a confrence on Hudood in Johi, he said that the MMA would continue its struggle against the bill and would not allow the government to impose unIslamic laws on the country.He feared that the bill would cause an increase in the social evils and zina cases. The MMA’s supreme council would meet on December 6 and 7 to take decision on resignations from assemblies, he added.PROTEST: Paramedical staff of Dadu civil hospital boycotted the OPD and different wards on Saturday to protest against what they said the misbehaviour of Additional Medical Superintendent Dr Shehnaz with lower staff. Abdul Rasool and Mohammad Achar led the protest.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/3/2006

MIRPURKHAS: Police found bodies of two sisters, one of them pregnant, in their rented house here on Friday night. The bodies of Farah Naz, 18, and Rukhsana, 25, had bullet marks and police found two bullet shells near them, said City TPO Dhani Bux Mari. Late Farah’s body was lying in the veranda and Rukhsana’s in a room, he added.He said that police had also found a cellphone near the bodies, which might prove to be of great help in the investigation.

The slain girls’ father Mohammed Qasim Solangi said that late Rukhsana had married with Aurangzeb Leghari of her own free will a year ago who divorced her three months back but she was still living with him in a rented house. Aurangzeb Leghari had since been missing, he said, adding that late Farah was training as a nurse.Landlady Ms Samina told reporters that she did hear sounds of explosions but she took them for fire crackers and did not pay any attention.
Police moved the bodies to civil hospital for autopsy but did not register an FIR till the story was filed.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/3/2006

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani has said that the government will go ahead with more bills in parliament to protect women’s rights.
He said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s assent to the Protection of Women’s Rights Bill would empower the deprived segment of the society and ensure protection of rights and social liberties to the womenfolk.Speaking at a news conference here on Saturday, the information minister said that President Musharraf would explain the benefits of the women’s rights bill to the participants of the National Women Convention to be held at the convention centre here on Tuesday. He would also take the nation into confidence on bringing in more such legislations.

On government’s contacts with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal after the threats of MMA legislators resigning from parliament seats over the Protection of Women’s Rights bill issue, Mr Durrani said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had made a call to MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Friday and urged him to come to the table for discussion on all contentious issues.He said that the government’s message to all political parties was that it was not time for agitation and any change would come through the ballot.He warned that the religious parties’ alliance would not be allowed to disrupt law and order through sit-ins and protest marches.

He endorsed President Musharraf’s stance on the decision of not allowing two exiled leaders — Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto — to return home and take part in the electioneering process.
He said the government was in constant contact with all political party leaders in the parliament, but there was no chance of a deal as being speculated about any arrangement with the PPP.
He said similar contacts were made in a routine with Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Liaquat Baloch and other leaders and the consultation process was going on.Answering a question on federal government’s action against enactment of ‘Hasba’ act by the NWFP government, the minister said that the federal government was working on two options; one to send a reference to court and second to make people aware through media of MMA-led provincial government utilising Rs8 billion hard cash on a law which was unacceptable to majority.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/3/2006