January 15, 2012

Raped and robbed, victim appeals for justice

Claims the accused threatened her with dire consequences.

By Muhammad Sadaqat

HARIPUR: A married woman subjected to rape and blackmail by rapists, who filmed the incident, petitioned the court for registering an FIR against the accused, on Saturday.

The court has summoned the concerned station house officer on Monday. Nazia*, 25, a resident of Kangra village petitioned the district judge, Haripur, after the police refused to register a case.

She said she was asleep with her two minor children when two persons entered her room after scaling the boundary wall on Eidul Fitr. Her husband was with his first wife in a neighboring village.

The accused whom she identified as Roshan* and Israr*, held her at gunpoint and looted Rs1,80,000 cash. They subsequently raped her in front of her two minor children and filmed the incident. They threatened her of dire consequences in case she told her family when they left.

Nazia called her husband the next morning and he lodged a complaint with the Kotnajibullah police nominating the two accused for robbery. She said she had concealed the rape fearing they might harm her husband and children.

The accused who were not booked by the police began to blackmail her and threatened to upload her movie on the internet if she failed to pay up or revealed their names.

She said the accused called her and threatened her on her mobile phone four days back. Her husband, who had eavesdropped on the conversation, contacted the Kotnajibullah police again for registration of an FIR but the police was using delaying tactics.

When approached for comments, police sources said that neither the woman nor her husband had lodged any complaint of rape or robbery with them and there was no mechanism to determine the veracity of the claim of a married woman after four months. However, he confirmed that one of the accused has been booked.

This was the second case of rape in which the incident was filmed in a fortnight in Hazara. A girl was sexually assaulted in Kaghan valley and her rapist had filmed the crime and uploaded the movie on the internet. She had also kept quiet about the rape out of fear. He was later arrested by the police.

January 15, 2012

Punjab cabinet approves three universities for women

Lahore: The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday approved establishment of three universities for women in Bahawalpur, Sialkot and Faisalabad, and setting up of knowledge city at Rakh Dera Chahal.

The Punjab Cabinet met here that was chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, disclosed an official.

The Cabinet also approved Evacuee Trust Properties (Management and Disposal) Amendment Bill 2012 and policy aimed at plying CNG buses in big cities.

They reviewed Punjab Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority Act 2012 and decided that the cabinet committee will consider the recommendations for setting up regulatory authority and these recommendations would be widely publicised for obtaining public opinion.

The meeting also decided that recommendations with regard to setting up of information technology university of international standard be submitted in the next cabinet meeting whereas Net Café Regulations Act be submitted again after reviewing its all aspects.

Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said the government has also taken solid measures for women empowerment and is pursuing an effective programme for equipping them with modern knowledge.

While giving approval to setting up of women universities, he directed that planning for setting up of such universities be made in those divisional headquarters where women universities do not exist.

He said a committee has been constituted for setting up Punjab Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority, which has formulated its recommendations meticulously keeping in view all aspects.

However, before giving final approval to the act of setting up that authority, it has been decided that those recommendations be widely publicised for getting public opinion, he added.

Directing to constitute the cabinet committee, the Chief Minister said besides getting public opinion, that committee should also consult with stakeholders for setting up that authority and after completing that process within 15 days it should be presented for approval in the next cabinet meeting.

The cabinet unanimously seconded the proposal of setting up regulatory authority for private educational institutions.

On knowledge city at Rakh Dera Chahal, he said it would be utilised for promotion of educational activities where educational institutions of international standard would be set up.

On public transport, he said provision of quality transport facilities to the masses has been started and a separate bus service for women has also been launched.

He disclosed that 575 more CNG buses are being imported and besides Lahore, those buses would also be plied in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala while some buses would be sent to Bahawalpur.

He directed that CNG be provided to the public transport uninterruptedly and he will hold a meeting with the Federal Minister for Petroleum soon in that regard.

He directed that plying of mini buses in small cities should also be considered and Secretary Transport might formulate recommendations in that regard.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister constituted a cabinet committee headed by Law Minister with regard to amendment in section 19 of Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 and added that the committee should submit its report after reviewing again that amendment.

He directed to constitute a committee headed by the Punjab Chief Secretary regarding provision of facilities to special persons and amendment in Punjab Social Services Board Ordinance 1970 and added that this committee might submit its recommendations after reviewing all matters.

Shahbaz Sharif said there is a dire need for establishment of a university of engineering and information technology of international standard in Pakistan.

He said a decision for setting up of such a university has been taken for this purpose where new generation could be equipped with latest knowledge.

“An agreement with regard to establishing university of information technology has also been made during his visit to Turkey.

January 15, 2012

Arfa loses fight against epilepsy

LAHORE: Arfa Karim, the world`s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), breathed her last here on Saturday night at Combined Military Hospital, Lahore. She was 16.

Her funeral prayers will be offered on Sunday at 10am at Cavalry Ground, Cantt. Her body will be taken to Faisalabad for burial at her native village.

Arfa Karim remained in intensive care at CMH after suffering an idiopathic epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest a few weeks ago. After battling for life for 26 days, one of Pakistan`s brightest brains left this world for good.

Born in 1995, Arfa got the honour of World`s Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional when she was only nine in 2004. Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, invited Arfa to visit the Microsoft Headquarters in the USA when she was 10-year old.

Later, in August 2005, she was also honoured by the Pakistan government for the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal in the field of science and technology which she received from the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz.

She was also awarded Salaam Pakistan Youth Award in 2005 which had been set up by Nobel laureate Dr Abdul Salam. Arfa has won the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance.

She represented Pakistan on international fora. She was also included as the honourable guest by IT professionals of Dubai for twoweek stay in Dubai. During that trip, Arfa was awarded a number of medals by various tech societies and computer companies working in Dubai.

Amazingly, she was certified for flying aplane at a flying club in Dubai at the age of 10.

Arfa also participated in Microsoft keynote session in the Tech-Ed Developers Conference held in Barcelona, in 2006. The theme of the conference was `Get ahead of the game` and Arfa was in fact a great example of being ahead of the game.

The medical experts say the epilepsy can be caused by various infectious and non-infectious diseases but in idiopathic epilepsy no underlying disease of the brain or body can be identified in the early or short investigations.

Arfa was studying at the Lahore Grammar School`s Paragon Campus for her A Levels.