Day: December 17, 2009

Lahore: The LHC CJ directed the City Division superintendent of police (investigation) to appear in court on December 21 with the investigation officer concerned along with the complete record of the case on the death of Laiba, a minor girl who was allegedly pushed in a cauldron on October 29.

The CJ took notice of an application submitted by the deceased two-year-old’s mother Shumaila, who appeared in person before the judge, alleging that the police had favoured the accused (Abdul Qayum and his daughter-in-law Bilqees) and declared them innocent. She requested the court to take action against the culprits.

DHQ: Also on Wednesday, the LHC CJ took suo motu notice of the death of a six-year-old boy Ans, who was allegedly administered a wrong injection in the District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ), Faisalabad.

The CJ directed the DHQ medical superintendent to submit a detailed report of the case within three days. He said that such incidents were on the rise and special care and interest was needed while treating minors.

Torture: Meanwhile, Lahore High Court judge Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry has directed the Attock district police officer (DPO) to produce Sikh lawyer Anoop Singh in court today (Thursday), allegedly involved in a case of house trespassing and torturing residents.

The judge issued the direction while hearing a quash petition filed by the lawyer Anoop Singh of Pindi Ghep, Attock. Counsel for the petitioner Arif Chaudhry submitted that Singh, being a professional lawyer, was contesting a case of divorce on behalf of a woman, Safia Begum, against her husband Muhammad Amin.

He said Amin had nurtured a grudge against Singh and implicated Singh in a fake case with the connivance of local police in order to settle his score. He alleged that Amin also tortured the lawyer and chopped his beard in police custody.

Transfers: The LHC CJ on Wednesday made LHC Registrar Tahir Pervez an officer on special duty (OSD). He appointed District and Sessions Judge (Establishment) Abdul Sattar Asghar as acting registrar until further orders. The CJ also made Rawalpindi District and Sessions Judge Abdul Karim Langah an OSD.

Justice Sharif also accepted the resignation of Lodhran Civil Judge Majid Bashir and appointed Chichawatni Civil Judge Mudassar Umar Bodla as his replacement.

The Punjab People’s Lawyers Forum (PLF) will organise a seminar today (Thursday) in connection with Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) foundation day at the Lahore High Court Bar Association’s (LHCBA) Karachi Shuhada Hall.

Senator Raza Rabbani, Senator Kazim Khan, Advisor to the prime minister Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali, PLF leaders Malik Saeed Hassan, SM Masud, Shahid Mehmood Bhatti and LHCBA Secretary Muqtadar Akhtar Shabbir would address the seminar.
Source: Daily Times
Date:12/17/2009

HYDERABAD: A women awareness campaign to highlight the bills moved in the National Assembly to prevent harassment against women at workplace and the law against domestic violence was launched by Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Sharmila Farooqi under the directives of President Pakistan People’s Party Women Wing Faryal Talpur in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference after meeting a large number of PPP women leaders and workers hailing from Hyderabad at the Circuit House, the adviser said the campaign would be continued in all the districts of the province with the participation of the women PPP workers. Farooqi added that Faryal Talpur desires that the awareness campaign should be proactive and aggressive in poor and backward areas, where women do not even know their basic rights and she herself would supervise progress of the campaign. Sharmila Farooqi said President Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing a joint session of parliament on September 20, 2008 stated: “I request the government to do its utmost not just provide protection to women, but to empower them at every step of the long road to their just entitlement as full citizens of their state.

We cannot reverse the decades of social backwardness just by one stroke of the pen, but we can and will turn this tide slowly and surely.” Following the PPP manifesto and the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto of women empowerment Faryal Talpur desired that PPP women leaders and workers should spread awareness at grassroots level among women according to the new laws regarding protection against domestic violence and harassment at workplace, Sharmila Farooqi added. She noted that the tabling in the National Assembly of Domestic Violence Bill (Prevention & Protection) and amendment in CrPC and PPC on sexual harassment against women at workplace was due to the untiring efforts by the PPP Women Wing Chairperson Faryal Talpur.

Elaborating the proposed law, Farooqi said after the Senate of Pakistan passes those two bills, they would become an Act and part of Criminal Procedure Code. She maintained that under the new law, if a man victimised his wife and tried to evict her from his house, then the court could oust him from his house while his wife could live in that house. He will also be bound to incur medical and living expenditures of his wife and children until the court further decides in this regard. In case of sexual harassment at workplace, a man would be sentenced for three years of imprisonment and fine of Rs 0.5 million, she added.
Source: The News
Date:12/17/2009

Karachi: Sports activities for women would be promoted in the province, said Sindh Sports Minister Dr Muhammad Ali Shah informed the provincial assembly on Wednesday.

In his written reply to a question furnished by Husna Aftab, Shah said that the government is facilitating participation of women in sports by holding coaching camps, competitions and inter-provincial events for girls/women. He said that sports wear/kits are also provided to women teams participating in important events.

Shah said that the sports department has also submitted a proposal for the construction of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Sports Complex for Women to provide modern and exclusive facilities for the promotion of women’s sports, for which land has been identified in Block-H, North Nazimabad.

Responding to a Nusrat Seher Abbasi’s question, the sports minister said that the condition of Muncipal Stadium (Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Stadium) in Larkana was not up to the mark, and the ground was not being properly maintained. However, he said, the provincial government had shown keen interest to return the ground to its original condition and also to provide it with additional facilities.

Shah said that development schemes under the ADP 2008-09 envisage the construction of the sports pavilion at the stadium, which would be constructed at a cost of Rs211 million. He said that the Larkana district government has also been directed to ensure proper maintenance of the stadium on a regular basis.

Arbab Rahim’s leave application: Former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has once again sent a leave application to the speaker, reiterating that he could not attend assembly sessions due to “unavoidable circumstances.”

Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro observed that in both of Rahim’s applications, he had not explained “unavoidable circumstances”. The assembly would decide the acceptance of his application on Thursday (today).
Source: The News
Date:12/17/2009

Karachi: Women education is important to us and we can call today “the women education day” as three important projects worth Rs203.6million have been inaugurated in Gulberg Town for which I congratulate the residents and women students of the town, said the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday.

He was attending the inaugural session of projects for women education in Gulberg Town. The projects include the construction of the B.Tech Block and Display Centre at the Government Polytechnic Institute for Women in Karimabad and a new building for post graduate classes at the Shaheed-e-Millat Girls Degree College, Azizabad.

The city Nazim said that the education sector has received significant attention during the last four years, adding, “Work on 38 campuses is also underway where model schools are being established to provide modern and quality education facilities to citizens in every town.”

The Nazim stated that the establishment of a mini expo centre at the Women Polytechnic Institute in Karimabad would provide ample opportunities to students to show their talent and abilities in the field of technical education. He expressed hope that B.Tech courses in architecture, garments and electronic technology would help female students in getting a better and respectable livelihood. He further said that the inauguration of post graduate courses in Shaheed-e-Millat Degree College had also fulfilled an old demand of the students residing in Gulberg Town.

The Nazim said that the women education centres have also been equipped with computer labs and modern libraries to cater to the needs of modern era. A new auditorium will be completed soon at the Post Graduate Campus of Shaheed-e-Millat Degree College Azizabad.

Replying to a query, the city Nazim said that presently the city government was facing a shortfall of Rs350million in its budget. “Despite this, we have not allowed any lapse in the development process and kept things moving through alternate arrangements of funds or under bridge financing method.”
Source: The News
Date:12/17/2009