Day: April 20, 2009

KARACHI – Defective transport system of the two largest public universities of the country, Karachi University (KU) and NED University, have once again been exposed after the horrible accident of NED girl student which occurred near the KU Silver Jubilee Gate on April 18, 2009.

Conversely, KU has constituted a three-member inquiry committee, comprising of Prof Dr Abuzar Wajidi as convenor, Prof Dr Waseemuddin Ahmed and Prof Dr Tanvir Khalid to probe into the incident and furnish a report immediately.

Teachers’ community has expressed their grief over the demise of the victim, Faiza Nadeem Zaidi, lived in Ghazi Town, Malir, and strongly criticised over the shortage of busses, causing fatal accidents of students in different span of time.

On the contrary, students have already staged protest in front of NED University to condemn the accidental death of the NED girl student. It is pertinent to mention here that the lack of sufficient transport facilities has once again surfaced at the campus, as only 25 point-buses out of 32 are available at the campus to provide transport facility to over 25,000 students of the university, who come to the campus from various parts of the City.

There are 6,000 students studying at the NED University, while there are only 14 buses to cater the transport need of such huge students’ quantity. It is worth mentioning that KU has suffered a deficit of Rs2 million to run the transport system for the students, while students did not cooperate with the administration as 50 per cent of students travelled with the KU point-buses without tickets of worth Rs3.

Prof Abid Hussnain, a leader of Karachi University Teachers’ Society (KUTS), said that this accident was not new for them. Such type of terrible accidents had become the feature of our substandard KU transport system, which was in short of buses. He said that the criminal negligence of KU drivers could not be ignored, saying that

KU administration was required to have more buses to protect the students from such fatal accidents.
A KU student, Zahid, said, “Precious lives of several students, belonging to both the varsities, have been lost due to over crowded point-buses of the varsities during the last one and two decades. But the basic right of the students (transportation facility) has never been heeded by the authorities concerned.”

On the other hand, Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Dr M Shamsuddin, deans of the faculties, Registrar Prof
Muhammad Rais Alvi, advisors and other administrative staff have expressed their deep sorrow over the demise of Faiza Nadeem Zaidi. They have also condoled with her parents, teachers and friends and prayed for the departed soul for eternal peace and offered Fateha.

According to KU statement issued on Sunday, the administration has stressed that the actions are being initiated to prevent this type of fatal incidents.
Source: The Nation
Date:4/20/2009

KASUR, April 19: Three minor girls drowned in SB Link Canal chasing their cattle near Sadaha Hithar village on Sunday.

Sisters Samreen (8) and Shabana (5) and their cousin Sana (9) were grazing their cattle along the canal. A cattle with Sana on its back went into the canal. Samreen and Shabana chased Sana’s cattle to bring it back from deep waters, but water swept away all three girls. Later, the locals retrieved the girls’ bodies from the canal.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/20/2009

KARACHI, April 19: The all-party conference organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami has called upon the government to take concrete measures for the recovery and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from US imprisonment.

The demand was made in a resolution adopted at the meeting held here on Saturday at Idara Noor-i-Haq on the topic of ‘Victim of brutality Dr Aafia Siddiqui and the US traders of human rights’.

The deputy chief of JI, Professor Ghafoor Ahmad, who presided over the meeting, said that the US claimed that it was the biggest champion of human rights. However, its deeds were contrary to its claims as it was the same US which committed gross abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

He said the US was the biggest enemy of human rights and rights violations at Guantanamo Bay were proof of it.

“At these camps innocent people from backward countries, Muslims in particular, were being treated inhumanly”, he said.

He demanded of the government to make serious efforts for the release of Dr Aafia.

Dr Aafia’s sister Dr Fauzia Siddiqui said that her sister was an innocent and educated Muslim woman. She said that the US had kept her in prison for over six years, but failed to prove her guilty of any crime.

Yusuf Mastikhan of the National Workers Party said that the US war was not against terrorism, but for “resources”. He said that the situation in the country was deteriorating day by day.

Salim Zia of the Pakistan Muslim League-N said the treatment meted out to Dr Aafia by the US authorities deserved strongest condemnation as it was a clear example of brutality.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/20/2009

PESHAWAR, April 19: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by robbers at Tehkal Bala in the small hours of Sunday.

The local police claimed that they had referred the alleged victim for medical examination to the Khyber Medical College and the chemical examination report was expected on Monday.

“We can’t say anything with confirmation and everything would be cleared after we receive the medical examination report,” said an official at Tehkal police station.

Residents of the area told journalists that police had been trying to create doubts about the case as the robbery was committed by around eight persons whereas police told the victim’s father to record the number of offenders as 25.

A resident of the area said that the victim family resided in a one-room house where even 25 persons could not enter. He added that by twisting basic facts police created suspicion about the case.

An official at the police station said that father of the alleged victim had lodged a complaint stating that around 25 armed persons entered his residence after midnight at around 1.30 am on Sunday.

The complainant stated that some of the robbers were carrying Kalashnikovs. He stated that they took away Rs199,000, one tola of gold ornament and two cellular phones.

He stated that some of the robbers sexually abused his 14-year-old daughter. An official at the Khyber Teaching Hospital told Dawn that they had sent the girl to the gynecology unit where relevant swabs would be taken and sent to the Forensic Science department of the Khyber Medical College. He added that the said department would conduct chemical examination and forward the report to them.

Meanwhile, in a broad daylight robbery some robbers looted a commission agent at the local fruit market and decamped with Rs3 million after injuring one of his servants near Bilal Town.

It is learnt that over a dozen armed persons entered the office of a commission agent, Haji Waheed, and at gunpoint snatched money from the staffers present there. When one of the staffers resisted they also fired at him resulting in inflicting injuries on him.

Following the occurrence the enraged shopkeepers and local people staged a protest demonstration and also blocked the road. After assurance by the police that the culprits would be arrested the protesters dispersed.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/20/2009

SHEIKHUPURA, April 19: Two minor daughters of a landlord were killed in an accident on Sharqpur Road in Marrhbhangwan village on Sunday.

Reports said that Rukhsar, 8, and Mehak, 12, were playing outside their house when the incident happened. Both sisters died on the spot.

Sharqpur police are looking into the matter.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/20/2009