DNA

Islamabad, March 8 – U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad visited Islamabad on March 8.  In a meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and senior civilian officials, Ambassador Khalilzad stressed the need to accelerate progress towards a just and durable peace in Afghanistan.

In his discussions, Ambassador Khalilzad emphasized Pakistan’s continued important role in the peace process, especially to help Afghans achieve a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire.  He affirmed that the United States will continue to consult closely with our allies, partners, and countries in the region regarding how we can collectively support the peace process.

LAHORE, MAR 08 (DNA) – Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq has demanded complete ban on dowry and other un-Islamic and anti-constitutional traditions in Pakistani society on occasion of International Women’s Day on Monday.

Addressing “Istehkam-e-Khandan-Growth Protection of Family Institution” rally at Lahore’s Mall Road, he also called for ensuring protection of women at workplaces and educational institutions.

The JI women chapter organized rallies in all major cities including Lahore on women day. A large number of women from all walks of life attended the rallies with the commitment to counter the attempts of westernization of Pakistani society.

The JI chief said only Islam could guarantee the protection and rights of women. He appealed the nation not to pay attention to the conspiracies launched by a small section of the society in the name of women rights.

He said attempts to damage the ideological base of Pakistan had been started soon after the independence but they were died on their own as Pakistani society was not ready to accept them. The JI women chapter, he said, launched the “Protection of Family Institution” campaign on February 11 and it would continue till March 11.

 He requested the Pakistani women to be part of the campaign to create awareness among the masses about the sacred cause.

Emir Jamaat criticized the practices of displaying dowry articles and its demand from the groom family. He said depriving women from inheritance, marriage of a woman with Quran, honor killing, wani and others corrupt practices were still intact in the society despite legislation against them.

“Islam strictly prohibits these corrupt practices. The government must be vigilant to ban them.” He said Pakistani women and girls were harassed in educational institutional and at workplaces. He demanded the government build separate educational institutions for girls and fix a special amount to girls’ education in budget.

He regretted the incidents of raps and harassments were increasing in society due to non-vigilance of police and other law and order agencies and culprits were not given exemplary punishments due to ineffective prosecution. He said only a system based on brilliant principles of Quran and Sunnah could address the problems of the country.

The rally started from Nasir Bagh and ended at Anarkali was led by JI women chapter leaders Dr Samia Raheel Qazi, Dr Zubaida Jabeen and others. = DNA

====================

On International Women’s Day, a Kashmiri human rights defender asked international community to notice Kashmiri women who “have been carrying the heaviest burden” in the ongoing three-decades-long conflict.

In a letter addressed to the UN Security Council, the International Court of Justice, UN Commission on Human Rights and the EU, Ahsan Untoo, chairman of the International Forum for Justice Human Rights JK, exemplified the plight of Kashmiri women through the stories of four women whose sons or husbands have either been killed or jailed.

Untoo said Rafiqa Begum, wife of jailed pro-freedom leader Ayaz Akbar, has been suffering from stage four cancer. At her home in Maloora, in the outskirts of Srinagar, Rafiqa told Untoo:

“I can die any time. I want to see my husband before that. We have seen a lot of hardships. My daughter got divorced. My sons are struggling for livelihood. My husband was jailed on fake charges by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his political beliefs. I often see (Indian prime minister Narendra) Modi posting pictures of his meeting with his mother. Can’t my husband see what is happening to his family?”

While Rafiqa pines for a meeting with her husband, Rafia Begum, a resident of the restive Pulwama district, has asked the Indian government to return the body of her son, Athar Wani, who the Indian forces claim was a militant killed in a gunfight last December in Srinagar along with two other youngsters from southern Kashmir. The families of the deceased have said the three were killed in a staged gunfight, and they had no links with militants.

“The pain of losing a son is unbearable. I do not want to live anymore. They also snatched his body. Let them return his body at least. He was innocent,” Untoo has quoted Rafia in his letter to the world bodies.

Maroofa Mehraj Kalwal, a mother of four children, has told Untoo that she slipped into depression after the arrest of her husband Mehraj-ud-din Kalwal, a pro-freedom leader, in July 2017. Kalwal has been jailed at Tihar Jail in the Indian capital on trumped-up charges, Maroofa told Untoo.

“My four daughters (aged 7-21) are depressed. They want to see their father. Our relatives have been helping us in these tough times, but this can’t go on forever. When he was free, we always feared he would be arrested. Now, when he is in jail, we fear for his life,” Maroofa told Untoo.

Akhtara Begum was in a state of shock for long after the arrest of her husband, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, a pro-freedom leader, in July 2017. Bhat is also lodged at Tihar Jail. Before his arrest, Bhat alias Peer Saifullah had been operated upon for a brain tumor.

Incarceration in jails outside of Jammu and Kashmir has made it difficult—and costly—for the families to meet their imprisoned kin.

Akhtara’s teenaged son Faisal told Untoo that his mother barely steps out of the home and talks less.

“She is in a shock. She used to do things when her father was around. Now she is lost. Our family has been ruined. This is a political vendetta against my father. The NIA is yet to produce the charge sheet because they have nothing concrete against him. We demand justice. The world should intervene,” Faisal said.

Untoo told Anadolu Agency that the world has largely been callous towards the suffering of Kashmiri women.

“Kashmiri women have been raped, killed and jailed. They also carry the burden of their men who have been killed, maimed, jailed or subjected to enforced custodial disappearance. Their suffering is not accidental but a result of a policy of suppressing the voices of freedom,” Untoo said.

Kashmir is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed both in full. China also holds a small sliver of Kashmir.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars — in 1948, 1965, and 1971 — two of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.

‘Islam is protector of women rights’, Ulemas-Mashaikh announce to support PM Imran khan to make Pakistan on the pattern of state of Medina

ISLAMABAD, MAR 8 – Religious scholars and leadership of different religious schools of thought said that Islam is protector of women’s rights and advocated stern action against all those elements responsible for underage marriages and depriving girls from their rights of  education.

Addressing at ‘Pakistan Stability Ulemas- Mashayakh Convention’ which held here on Monday in aegis of Pakistan Ulema Council, the clerics said that Islam and teachings of Quran-o-Sunnah commands for girls education and there is no space for undrrage marriages in Islamic Shariah.Islam does not allow forceful conversions, said clerics.The clerics and religious scholars also pledged to support and endorse Prime Minister Imran khan to make Pakistan a state on the pattern of Medina Munawara.Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council, Special Aide to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East chaired the Pakistan Stability Ulemas-Mashaykh Convention.

The religious scholars speaking with the convention said that registration process of seminaries will be completed ahead of new academic year for seminaries. They said that establishment of new examination boards for seminaries will strengthen the Madaris. The clerics also demanded of Chief Election Commissioner to stop the use of money in elections.Addressing the Pakistan Stability Ulema-Mashaikh Convention, the clerics said that Islam and teachings of Quran-o-Sunnah have stressed on education for girls and underage marriages are not permissible in Islam.

Among keynote religious scholars present at Ulemas-Mashaikh convention include Maulana Tahir Aqeel Awan, Maulana Muhammad Aslam Siddiqui, Qari Aqeel-ur-Rehman Zubair, Maulana Tanveer Chauhan, Qari Mohabbat Ali Qasmi, Maulana Abdul Rauf Dogar, Rao Muhammad Tufail, Qari Mubashir Rahimi, Maulana Nigah Mustafa Chishti, Maulana Abdullah Saeed Hashmi Maulana Muhammad Saleem, Maulana Abbas Elahi Zaheer, Father Pervez Shali, Pir Abdul Waheed Dogar, Qari Ahmad Ali Nadeem, Qari Waqar Usmani and others also addressed the convention.The clerics said that anti-Pakistan forces wanted to create chaos in Pakistan. Ulemas-Mashaikh with unity will foil all such conspiracies and would thwart all such bids for stability of the country.

Among the purposes of the arrival of the Holy Prophet, one was to give honor and dignity to women,said clerics adding that Islam is protector of the rights of women.The clerics said that the strict punishments should be imposed on all those who obstruct the education of girls and hold underage marriages of girls.Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council and Special Representative to the Prime Minister for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East speaking with the convention said that the dream of making Pakistan a state on the pattern of Media  belongs to Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam, which will be fulfilled. He called upon the opposition to work together for the eradication of usury, corruption, ignorance, extremism and terrorism. He said that if Syedna Umar bin Khattab (R.A) could be questioned then why today’s politicians and scholars could not be questioned by any other person.He said that registration process of  Madaris will be completed ahead of new academic year of seminaries. He said that 3000 seminaries have so far registered with Ministry of Education adding that any change in curriculum of Madaris is not being made.He said that the rights of minorities would be protected in all circumstances and no one would be allowed to make discrimination in the country. He said that anyone should not be allowed in the country to insult the creed, faith and sanctity of others by following their own creed and belief.Following the convention, while talking to media, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said that Imran Khan has the confidence of the people, and Prime Minister Imran Khan has become more stronger with the vote of confidence.He said that leadership of all the  religious schools of thought will be approached to address their issues without any discrimination.

LONDON – Passengers travelling internationally from Monday will need to carry a new form that sets out their trip is permitted under the stay-at-home restrictions, the government has announced.

The form must be downloaded, signed before travel and carried, or is downloaded onto a mobile phone.

Carriers will be checking the forms have been completed before boarding, either at check-in (online or at the check-in desk) or the departure gate.

Passengers who do not have a valid form may be denied access to their booked service.

Carriers will also be legally obliged to set out on their website that the form must be completed before travelling.

Police have been stepping up their presence at ports and airports in recent weeks to enforce ever evolving travel restrictions.

Officers will now be conducting spot checks and have the power to ask travellers to produce a completed form.

It will be an offence to fail to produce a completed form and individuals could face a £200 fine.

Stay-at-home rules are still in place, which means it is illegal to travel abroad without a permitted reason, such as for education or work, officials said.

The police will undertake spot checks at UK ports across the country to ensure passengers are complying with domestic lockdown rules.

Passengers who are identified by police as attempting to travel internationally for reasons that are not currently permitted will be asked to return home and risk receiving a fixed penalty notice for breaking stay-at-home rules.

These fines start at £200 and ladder up to a maximum of £6,400.

The Home Office announced an additional £60 million for police in February – including £2 million to cover the costs of extra activity by police at airports and ports – which brought the total amount of funding available to forces since the start of the pandemic to nearly £200 million.

Stay-at-home rules are still in place, which means it is illegal to travel abroad without a permitted reason, such as for education or work, officials said.

The police will undertake spot checks at UK ports across the country to ensure passengers are complying with domestic lockdown rules.

Passengers who are identified by police as attempting to travel internationally for reasons that are not currently permitted will be asked to return home and risk receiving a fixed penalty notice for breaking stay-at-home rules.

These fines start at £200 and ladder up to a maximum of £6,400.

The Home Office announced an additional £60 million for police in February – including £2 million to cover the costs of extra activity by police at airports and ports – which brought the total amount of funding available to forces since the start of the pandemic to nearly £200 million.