August 2, 2019 – Pakistan Gender News

August 2, 2019

Man gets 29-year jail term for throwing acid on varsity teacher in Lahore

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday awarded a man collective imprisonment of 29 years on different counts after finding him guilty of throwing acid on a private university’s teacher a month before her marriage, in January 2014.

Umar Farooq had attacked Huma Shahid with acid when she was going home from the university on an auto-rickshaw on College Road, Green Town.

Farooq was pillion riding with his friend Abdul Haq on a motorcycle when they intercepted the rickshaw and threw acid on Ms Shahid.

The police investigation revealed that Farooq was friend of Ms Shahid’s fiancé and sent a marriage proposal to her. However, the victim’s family rejected the proposal and also complained to the convict’s parents.

Farooq nurtured a grudge against Ms Shahid and in connivance with his friend threw acid on her.

Satokatla police had arrested Haq who was handed down 14-year term by the trial court.

Meanwhile, Farooq fled to Dubai where Interpol arrested him in April 2017 and handed him over to Pakistani authorities.

After the prosecution successfully established its case, ATC-III presiding judge Javed Iqbal Warraich announced the guilty verdict on Thursday.

The judge handed down 14-year rigorous imprisonment to Farooq under section 336-B of the Pakistan Penal Code along with a fine of Rs1 million, 10-year imprisonment with Rs100,000 fine under section 7 (c) of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and five-year imprisonment under section 21-L of the ATA.

All the sentences will run concurrently.

Advocate Faizullah Khan Niazi, the victim’s counsel, told Dawn that Huma Shahid, after surviving the acid attack married her fiance and went to Germany to pursue a Ph.D programme. He said the victim visited Pakistan for a couple times to record her testimony before the trial court.

Dawn

August 2, 2019

Women and youth vital for socio-economic development: Speaker NA Asad Qaiser

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has said that sustainable socio-economic development is not possible unless needs of women and youth are addressed.

Addressing the Closing Plenary of the 5th CPA Asia Regional Conference held in Islamabad on Thursday, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser stressed upon the Asia Region Commonwealth Members States to push their respective governments, through their legislative and oversight role, to utilize the parliamentary foresight of this forum and collaborate on these issues in light of this forum’s deliberations and recommendations.

He said that the theme of the Conference, “Envisioning Parliamentary Paths towards a Diverse and Developed South Asia” had softened the ground for healthy and target oriented debate and invited collective attention to not only our shared problems but also to mutual opportunities faced by South Asia.

The Speaker NA said that the Parliamentarians during the course of this discourse had brought to the fore all crucial challenges faced by the South Asian region and to help set the course of regional, national and provincial action.

He said that the wisdom and foresightedness reflected in the keynotes and interventions of worthy speakers had identified crucial prospects of parliamentary cooperation. He stressed the need for sustaining this meaningful parliamentary dialogue through regular parliamentary interaction.

Expressing his gratitude, Asad Qaiser said that he was extremely grateful for the vote of thanks by distinguished delegates and participants and their appreciation had indeed humbled him, his colleagues and his Secretariat. He said that this conference was in fact the joint achievement of all the participating Parliaments of the region.

Speaker Asad Qaiser assured that National Assembly of Pakistan shall continue to make coordinated and cohesive efforts to address common regional challenges and strengthen ties between Parliaments to forge strategic partnerships.

The Nation

Business Recorder: Sustainable development not possible without meeting needs of women, youth: NA Speaker

August 2, 2019

Paedophile wanted for assaulting 8 girls caught

RAWALPINDI: A paedophile wanted by the police for targeting eight girls was arrested on Thursday.

Rawalpindi police claimed that the suspect, Zia Ullah, was the man who had lured eight girls at different instances and assaulted them.

Police were looking for the culprit spotted on CCTV footage convincing a child to get up on his bike and then drive away.

According to victims, the suspect posed himself as friend of their father. He would convince the children that their father was calling them and he would take them to him. However, the suspect took the victims to desolate places, assaulted them and left them somewhere in the city.

Rawalpindi police said they used mobile tracking technology to locate the suspect.

They said Zia could be nominated in some 25 cases of kidnapping and raping of girls between 10 to 12 years.

Police said suspect had earlier performed heinous acts in Bhakkar, Laiah Karak and other areas.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Ahsan Tufail had formed a team under Banni SHO Ahsan Kayani assisted by police’s IT team. The officials in IT team including Sub Inspector Usman, ASI Adeel Haider, Khurram Butt, Ejaz Mughal, Samar Shah, Jaber Ali, Mohammad Waqar and Nasr Butt poured tireless efforts and successfully managed to arrest him from Adyala using mobile tracing technology.

The Express Tribune