Day: January 30, 2008

CHITRAL, Jan 29: District Nazim Maghfirat Shah has urged people to ensure participation of women voters in the general elections and said that the district government would extend all kinds of cooperation in this regard.

The nazim told people to exercise their right to vote and bring about a positive change in the social and political spheres of the society.

Addressing a seminar on the theme of “Voters’ education campaign” here on Tuesday, he said that in the past the elections did not serve the purpose to strengthen democracy and democratic values in the country. The seminar was held under the auspices of the Rural Community Development Program (RCDP). The nazim said that democracy could not flourish in the country due to the ‘money factor’ involved in the poll process. But the electorates wielded the power to send people to the parliament which reflected their wishes and aspirations, he added.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/30/2008

LAHORE (January 30 2008): The Women Business Incubation Centre, established by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) in Lahore, has announced that it will hold a series of 19 training programmes for business women between January and June this year.The first two-day training programme took place on Tuesday at the centre’s premises on the textile business.

Dress designer Saima Ali Dada was the chief guest. Project Manager Maimona Sattar and Business Consultant Areefa Azam discussed various aspects of the textile business.

Ms Sattar informed audience about details of wholesale markets, raw material, labour, marketing and textile business management, especially bed linens and garments. She told participants about ways and means of taking up a business with small investment and also covered supplier-buyer relationship, guiding them about the availability of cheaper raw materials.

In the second session, Ms Azam, an able business consultant, gave a lecture on the techniques of developing a business plan. Later, Ms Dada shared her experiences and told women entrepreneurs to cope with problems with confidence. In the end, Ms Dada doled out certificates to the participants.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:1/30/2008

SAHIWAL, Jan 29: Noor Shah police registered a first information report (FIR) against Shahadat and six others, including three women from his family, for kidnapping Nadia on Monday. Police also handed over Nadia to her parents.

Police claim that Shahadat kidnapped Nadia and married her on Jan 18 forcibly while the family of Shahadat claims Nadia married Shahadat according to her free will.

Shahadat’s family allege that police picked up the couple and two other family members of Shahadat a few days ago, which the police denied.

But on Monday, police nominated Shahadat and six others in the kidnapping of Nadia and detained Shahadat in the police lock up. Police nominated Shahadat, his father Bashir, uncle Jahangir, grandfather Alam Sher, grandmother Sabiran, sister Bakhtawar and aunt Shahnaz in the case.

Shahadat, Alam Sher and Bashir are in police custody.

Muhammad Arif, sub-inspector of Noor Shah police station, told Dawn that he was appointed as investigation officer to probe into the case. He said Nadia stated she was kidnapped when she was working in field.

Nadia was produced in the court of civil judge Saeed Akhtar Sindhu where she stated that Shahadat and his family abducted her and took her to Lahore and then to Arifwala where she was forcibly married to Shahadat. She said she wanted to go to her parents. The court let her go to her parents. Earlier, she was sent to the District Headquarters hospital for her medical examination. The doctor will submit the report on Jan 30. Nadia has now gone with her parents.

Earlier, the couple had moved a plea against four people for harassment to the additional sessions court judge in Arifwala on Jan 24. The judge set Jan 30 as hearing date.

Hina Jillani, rights activist, told Dawn that she had directed the coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, to file a habeas corpus case in the sessions court judge, Arifwala, so that police got the girl recovered from her parents’ custody. However, no application from the HRCP was filed till Tuesday.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/30/2008

DADU, Jan 29: A man shot dead his mother and teenaged sister on the pretext of karo-kari in Karimdad Lund village late on Monday night.

Mujeebur Rehman surrendered to police at Khairpur Nathan Shah police station after killing his mother Ms Husna, 45, wife of Kalo Khan and sister Saima, 15.

KIDNAPPED: A large number of minority people staged a demonstration on the Indus Highway on Tuesday demanding recovery of Rajanti Bai who was kidnapped by unidentified armed men in Bagri Colony the same day.

Dadu town police have lodged an FIR against Ghulam Haider and three unidentified armed men on charges of kidnapping the woman.

Source: Dawn
Date:1/30/2008