The conference participants unanimously passed resolution to raise minimum age of marriage of girls to 18 years demanding to ensure the fundamental rights of the girls

DNA

ISLAMABAD: Applauding PODA for its struggle to protect girl-child’s and rural women’s rights, Dr. Riina Kionka, Ambassador of the European Union in Pakistan said, “Eliminating child marriage requires a collective effort to ensure that girls have access to education, health information, services and life-skills education”.

She was speaking at the concluding day of the 3-day 16th Annual Rural Women Leadership Conference held here in Islamabad. She further said that child-marriage is fundamentally an issue of gender inequality. It is also a multifaceted problem, with varying legal dimensions and immensely rooted socio-cultural norms, she added.

During the 3-day of the conference around 3000 rural women leaders representing around 150 districts of the country including the four provinces and regions of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan explored different dimensions of the issue of child-marriage from legal to human rights perspectives demanded to raise the minimum age of marriage of girls in Pakistan excluding Sindh to 18 years of age through legal amendment in the existing laws.

The conference participants unanimously passed resolution to raise minimum age of marriage of girls to 18 years demanding to ensure the fundamental rights of the girls the country to harness the underutilized potential that women represent in the country, it is imperative to break free from the gender norms to ensure these women and girls have essential services, economic resources and gainful employment and that they actively participate in their communities as voters, leaders, member of political parties as candidates.

Emphasizing on the right to education Article 25-A enshrined through the Constitution of Pakistan, Executive Director who is president and founder of PODA, Sameena Nazir demanded to give women equal representation at all levels in all sectors

HE Mr. Per Albert Ilsaas, Ambassador of Norway in Pakistan, the Ambassador of Norway in Pakistan, found the conference a platform where women were everywhere in majority to talk on the issues which were on the top of their priorities.

A wheelchair-user mother, Azra from Islamabad urged all to make no excuse to declare 18 years as minimum age of marriage of a girl because due to her disability she married off of daughter at an early age who was divorced very young. She urged all to protect young girls fundamental right to get education and access to opportunities to lead a dignified life.

Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson National Commission on The Child Rights ensured their support to raise the minimum age of girls to 18 years by signing the resolution.

During the last day of the conference two sessions were held. Earlier speaking during the session on “Enhance Electoral Participation of Rural Women through Voter Registration and Democracy Education”, Ms. Nazir said negligence to record girls’ birth officially and add girls in Family Form-B results in denial of Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) for girls when they turn 18. Without CNIC a woman cannot register as voter in Pakistan that has led to “missing women voters” problem in Pakistan. Low turnout of women voters is also caused by rejected votes when women do not know how to vote correctly. In many cases, women are not able to vote due to lack of transportation facilities and due to fear of violence and harassment. Women with disabilities and transwomen face additional gender specific obstacles to cast their votes with dignity, she added.

Rural women leaders who spoke were: Ms. Kausar Khatoon, Social Activist Kalat Balochistan

Shirin Gul, Ghanche Gilgit-Baltistan, Mariyam Iqbal, Social Activist Peshawar, KP, Fayyaz Kausar General Councilor, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtukhwah, Shazia Zaheer, Political Rights of Women with Disabilities, Rukhsana Arshad, Sangat Development Organization Sheikhupura, Ayesha Shafqat (PWD) Janant Welfare organization, Lahore, Iffat Batool, Sohni Dharti Organization, Qamber Shahdad Kot, Sindh and Sonia, Transwomen rights activist, Islamabad.

The conference ended on an award ceremony. The rural women leaders who excelled in their districts in protecting rights of women and girls were awarded shields. Jugni Theatre Group from Chakwal also presented an educational play on the importance of casting vote.

The conference was supported by EU, Norwegian Embassy, Islamabad, UN Women, Olive Culture, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, ECP NED, NDI and Nutritional International.

Session Chair the Senator Farhat Ullah Baber, PPP while addressing the ceremony shared that “I must complement PODA’s Executive director Ms Samina Nazir, it requires a lot of motivation and courage to gather rural women and important institutions all together and physically challenged women in huge number, I am really impressed to see passion displayed by all. This event has become a university for women’s empowerment for last 16 years. Women are politically and economically disempowered in Pakistan till date. Women’s unwavering strength is challenged by the fact that their votes are not registered and this issue is led to 13 million missing women in the 2018 elections. Women’s CNICs should be registered to enjoy their full rights to vote and combat child marriages and forced conversions.”

RAWALPINDI: The indictment of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case was deferred Tuesday, as a special court — established under the Official Secrets Act — adjourned the hearing till next week.

The hearing of the case was held at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi wherein the copies of challans submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against the PTI leaders were provided to the accused. 

Special court judge,  Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who conducted the hearing, scheduled the indictment for the next week as the accused lawyers had refused to receive the copies of the challan during the last hearing. 

The FIA special prosecutor, Shah Khawar, Khan, Qureshi and their legal teams were all present in the courtroom during the hearing.

During the last hearing on October 9, the court issued copies of challans (charge sheet) submitted by the FIA against the PTI leaders and shared them with the accused, while their date of indictment was fixed to take place on October 17 (today). 

“The accused had refused to receive a copy of the challan at the previous hearing,” the FIA special prosecutor said.

After the charges are framed, the evidence of the prosecution is recorded and the case trial begins. Subsequently, the testimonies and statements of the accused are recorded by the court.

Speaking with journalists outside the Adiala jail before the hearing, PTI chief’s focal person on legal affairs, Umair Niazi, said that the copies of the challans were not provided in the previous hearing. 

He also said that the prosecution’s Section 14 plea was not allowed by the court.

“The hearing in the jail should not be in-camera and the media should have access,” he said, adding that this will be discussed today.

It should be noted that the Islamabad High Court (IHC), a day earlier, reserved its ruling on petitions filed by the PTI chief seeking post-arrest bail and quashing of the cipher case registered against him.

On August 18, the ousted premier was booked under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) invoked Section 5 of the said law. The diplomatic cable reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. According to the former ruling party, the cable contained a threat from the US to topple the PTI’s government.

Imran is currently in Adiala jail on judicial remand in the cipher case. He was taken into custody after being sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case on August 5, 2023. Initially, he was kept in Attock jail but later he was moved to Adiala jail.

It is pertinent to mention here that the IHC on August 29 had suspended the sentence handed down to the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case.

‘Indictment hearing on Monday’

FIA prosecutor Khawar told journalists that the indictment proceedings will take place next Monday (October 23).

“On October 23, the charges will be framed and the indictment will be filed. After the indictment, the regular trial of the cipher case will begin,” he said.

Meanwhile, Khan’s counsel, Sher Afzal Marwat, told journalists outside the Adiala Jail that the court said an indictment cannot be filed without providing copies of challan to the accused.

He also said the hearing of the case in jail will be challenged in the court again.

Marwat also talked about the issue of jail facilities. “PTI chairman is kept in a cage-like room and his rights are being violated.”

He lamented that attempts are being made to implicate Khan in the May 9 incidents.

FIA charge sheet

The FIA, in its challan, stated that the former prime minister and the vice-chairman were found guilty in the matter and requested the court to conduct their trial and sentence them in the case.

According to the sources, former PTI secretary-general Asad Umar’s name was not added to the list of accused. Meanwhile, Khan’s former principal secretary Azam Khan was also named as a “strong witness” in the case.

The FIA also attached Azam’s statements, recorded under Sections 161 and 164, along with the challan, said the sources, adding that the PTI chief kept the cipher to himself and misused the state secret.

The sources also said that Khan had a copy of the cipher but he did not return it.

Moreover, the FIA also attached the transcript of Khan and Qureshi’s speech on March 27 — the day when the former premier brandished a letter claiming it was a cipher from a foreign nation, that wanted his government to be removed from power.

The agency also submitted a list of 28 witnesses to the court with the challan after recording their statements under Section 161.

Sources further revealed that the names of former foreign secretaries Asad Majeed, Sohail Mehmood and the then additional foreign secretary Faisal Niaz Tirmizi have also been added to the list of witnesses.

In August of this year, the FIA booked the PTI chief and the party’s vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing the classified document for their vested political interests.

“Consequent upon the conclusion of the enquiry No. 111/2023 dated 05.10.2022, registered in the CTW, FIA Islamabad, it transpired that former prime minister namely Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, former foreign minister namely Shah Mahmood Qureshi and their other associates are involved in communications of information contained in the secret classified document (Cipher Telegram received from Parep. Washington dated 7th March, 2022 to Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to the unauthorised person (i.e. public at large) by twisting the facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security,” read first information report (FIR) registered against the PTI leaders.

Subsequently, both leaders were arrested in connection with the investigation into the case and a special court was established under the Official Secrets Act to try the accused.

What is ciphergate?

The controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Khan — less than a month before his ouster in April 2022 — while addressing a public rally waved a letter before the crowd, claiming that it was a cipher from a foreign nation that had conspired with his political rivals to have PTI government overthrown.

He did not reveal the contents of the letter nor did he mention the name of the nation it came from. But a few days later, he accused the United States of conspiring against him and alleged that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal.

The cipher was about former Pakistan ambassador to the US Majeed’s meeting with Lu.

The former prime minister, claiming that he was reading contents from the cipher, said that “all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power”.

Then on March 31, the National Security Committee (NSC) took up the matter and decided to issue a “strong demarche” to the US for its “blatant interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan”.

Later, after his removal, then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of the NSC, which came to the conclusion that it had found no evidence of a foreign conspiracy in the cable.

In the two audio leaks that took the internet by storm and shocked the public after these events, the former prime minister, then-federal minister Asad Umar, and then-principle secretary Azam could allegedly be heard discussing the US cipher and how to use it to their advantage.

On September 30, the federal cabinet took notice of the matter and constituted a committee to probe the contents of the audio leaks.

In October, the cabinet gave the green signal to initiate action against the former prime minister and handed over the case to the FIA.

Once FIA was given the task to probe the matter, it summoned Khan, Umar, and other leaders of the party, but the PTI chief challenged the summons and secured a stay order from the court.

The Lahore High Court (LHC), in July this year, recalled the stay order against the call-up notice to Khan by the FIA.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, OCT 17: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) under the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Careers Programme hosted a prestigious Prize Ceremony to honour the outstanding achievements of participants in 2022 and 2023 at International Science Olympiads.

Chairman HEC Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed was the chief guest. The ceremony was attendedd by Executive Director HEC Mr. Awais Ahmad, Rector Institute of Engineering and Applied Science (PIEAS) Dr. Naseem Irfan, faculty members, students, and relevant HEC officials.

The STEM Career Programme is a joint venture of HEC and PIEAS. It has two objectives to pursue. First, it aims to inspire youth of the nation to opt for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and prepare them for participation in the annual International Olympiad in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Second, it targets encouraging Engineering students to come up with innovative solutions to problems of national interest preferably related to local industry and Research & Development. National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) strives to address the first part of the mission, and National Engineering Competition (NEC) addresses the second part of the mission.

In his address, Chairman HEC Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the PIEAS team, recognising their leadership role in this prestigious endeavour. He said that the event is a testament to the HEC’s dedication to nurturing talent and competing on a global scale. He emphasised the unwavering support of the Government and HEC in standing behind initiatives like the Science Olympiads. He went on to express his optimism, stating, “Our teams have been performing exceptionally well, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for gold medals in the future.”

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed emphasised the holistic development of individuals, saying, “Our aim is to make a complete human being.”

Dr. Naseem Irfan highlighted the importance of benchmarking with global competition and the need for continuous improvement in STEM education. He stressed the importance of expanding STEM careers programme and expressed his intent to continue this exercise to nurture future talent. Addressing the International Science Olympiad (ISO) participants, he encouraged them to contribute to their domains an strive for excellence. He urged them to keep their curiosity alive, emphasising that only innovators would survive in the long term.

The event was a celebration of academic excellence, recognising the hard work of the students who participated in ISO in various fields of science. In the year 2022, the students who emerged as winners and brought home Bronze Medals were Muhammad Bilal Asmatullah and Osman Siddique in the field of Physics. In the year 2023, Soban Safdar won bronze medal in field of Biology and Ahmed Raza won bronze medal in the field of Mathematics.   

In addition to the winners, HEC also honoured students with an Honorable Mentions in ISO for their commendable performances.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (DNA): The Interior Ministry has constituted a
high-level five-member committee to probe the matter involving issuance
of 12,096 fake passports from Pakistan.

According to a notification released by the Interior Ministry, the
committee will be headed by the Passport and Immigration director
general, and will draw the FIA deputy secretary, a representative each
from the Ministry of Interior, FIA and Nadra as its members.

The probe body will investigate the matter of fake passports, including
the issuance of passports and determining the complicity of the
authorities.

The committee will also submit proposals to prevent such issues in the
future and will submit its report to the Interior Minister within 15
days.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has formed a five-member committee
to investigate issuance of fake Pakistani passports to over 12,000
Afghan nationals.

The director general of immigration and passport will head the
committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Investigation
Agency (FIA) and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).
Assistant director admin will work as secretary of the committee.

The high-level committee would not only point out the loopholes in the
system but also submit suggestions to prevent such threats in future.
The ministry has given 15 days to the committee to submit its report.

The development comes after Saudi Arabian authorities revealed that they
have successfully retrieved over 12,096 Pakistani passports from Afghan
nationals.

Teachers’ family protection bill approved by Parliament is being held by bureaucracy in PM Office

Wedlock teachers hold protest demonstration against delay in sending their bill to President

Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, OCT 16: /DNA/ – Islamabad’s teachers working on deputation under wedlock in different schools of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on Monday took to roads to register their protest against what they called ‘mysterious’ delay by the government in sending their bill to the President House for signature.

The bill “Protection of Family Life & Wedlock Bill 2023” was passed by both Houses of the Parliament—The National Assembly and the Senate—two months ago in August and was destined to land in the President House for President Dr Arif Alvi’s assent in the same month. The bill aims at permanent absorption of around 300 lady teachers working under wedlock in various schools of FDE for last many years.

However, since August 7 when the bill was passed by the Senate, it has not been sent to the President and is taking rounds from one section of the Prime Minister’s Office to the other.

While condemning this inadvertent delay on part of the PMO, these teachers, mostly women teachers, held protest outside  the National Press Club and chanted slogans and regretted that bureaucracy proved more powerful than the Parliament as a legislation passed by the Parliament is lying at its mercy.

They had arrived with their families braving the cold wind and showers. They were holding placards and banners on which were inscribed slogans such as “Paliamant ko Izzat Do” “Ustaad ko Izzat Do” and “Don’t Distrub Family Life of Teachers.”

The protesting teachers were even determined to march towards the Prime Minister’s Office, however, the local administration with the help of the police and the FC stopped them requested them to postpone their march as they would arrange negotiations between them and the quarters concerned in the PM Office.

One of the lady teachers while speaking on the occasion, said they were surprised why an ordinary bill related with the welfare and family life protection of the teachers was being withheld by the government’s officials. “Kindly send our bill to the President and let him decide its fate,” said she. Another teacher said it was unfortunate that bureaucrats sitting in the PM Office were undermining the wisdom of the Parliament. Our protest will continue unless reason prevails and our bill is forwarded to President House, said she.

More than two months have passed since the Senate had passed the Islamabad wedlock teachers’ bill for their permanent absorption in FDE schools, but the bill is yet to see the light of the day as it has reportedly gone missing in the corridors of the Prime Minister’s Office and is yet to be traced and sent to the Aiwan-e-Sadr for President’s signature, she said.

“This is mysterious, shocking and quite irritating that at a time when a number of bills passed by the National Assembly and the Senate have been signed by the President and incorporated as Act of Parliament, a simple bill related to the ‘welfare and protection of family life’ of 300 teachers on deputation passed by the both the Houses is not yet signed by President Arif Alvi,’ said another protesting teacher.

Despite the Law Ministry’s clear observation, the bill was again kept and not routed to the President House. Meanwhile, the Caretaker Prime Minister left for the UNO. Now even more than a week after Prime Minister’s return, the bill has not yet been sent to the President House and the teachers, mostly lady teachers working for years in Islamabad’s schools on wedlock are keenly awaiting when it would finally be sent to the President House as it is directly linked with their family life and future of their kids. We shall continue our protest unless our bill is sent to the President House, they warned.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, OCT 16: The house unanimously supported the demand to raise the minimum age of marriage of girls to 18 years of age throughout Pakistan. Sindh is the only province in Pakistan where the minimum age of marriage for girls is 18 years.

PODA organized a 3-day 16th Annual RURAL Women Leadership Conference in Islamabad which will culminate tomorrow (Tuesday, 17th October) on award ceremony to honor the rural women leaders who have been excelled in their regions while promoting human rights. PODA has started organizing the conference since 2008. It is one of the biggest platforms in the country through which specifically rural women representing all regions of the country voice their concerns on issues which affect them most.  This year the theme of the conference i.e. “Stop Child Marriages for Sustainable Development, Climate and Democracy” was set with the input of the women leaders who are the primary custodians of the platform of the rural women conference. This year, PODA brought representatives from over 150 districts of the country, including ICT, Islamabad and regions of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. Rural women in hundreds were present during the 2nd day of the conference to call upon the policymakers, legislatures and all segments of the society to work for the protection of the rights of a girl-child who is not able to voice for her own rights, who wants to play, wants to live a healthy life, wants to get education and lead a dignified life as a full-fledged citizen of the country and who wants to exercise all the entitlements written in the Constitution of Pakistan.

“We are working specifically in 41 districts of Punjab, involving and engaging all concerned including communities and government officials to work together to increase the minimum age of marriage of girls to 18 years through a legal amendment. However, it is high time to introduce same age defining who is child in all laws to have a unanimity not discrepancies at national level,” said Sameena Nazir, PODA Executive Director. 

“The enforcement mechanisms of child marriage prevention are weak and insufficient and the role of the police needs clarity and direction legally and institutionally. Political parties need to commit to increase the minimum age of marriage to 18 years. Rural women will present on the ground situation about child marriages and share what are the key obstacles for prevention of child marriages and what strategic action is needed to protect the human rights of girls under age 18,” another speaker added.

Fauzia Yazdani, Policy Advisor and Journalist moderated the session. The speaker of this session included, Sumera Shaheen, Director Thal Development Organization, Bhakkar, Amina Mulazim, Vice President Chaman Welfare Society, Chiniot, Kausar Shaheen, President of Lady Health Workers’ Union, Lodhran and Dr. Anoosh Masood, Senior Superintendent of Police, Lahore.

Surriya Asghar, former Member National Assembly and Riffat Inam Butt, Secretary, Law and Justice Commission Pakistan spoke on the occasion.

Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson National Commission on Child Rights said____.

HE Mr. Per Albert Ilsaas, Ambassador of Norway in Pakistan said, “protecting and promoting women’s rights has high priority in Norwegian foreign and development policy, Child early and forced marriage is form of gender-based violence and a human rights’ violation that deprives those involved of choice and autonomy over their lives and their own bodies”.

Pakistan is 5th most populous country in the world with 230 million people and 6th highest country with alarming number of girls married before the age of 18 in the world including girls with disabilities and from minority religious communities.

Through the session on “Asserting Rural Women’s Leadership for Food, Nutrition, Population and Climate Change Adaptation Decision-Making” the rural women explored ways to provide nutritional food awareness messages to rural women to improve knowledge about food diversity and the importance of understanding different and new ways of getting nutrition for women.

Dr. Shabina Raza, Country Director, Nutritional International said, “malnourished mothers more likely to give-birth-weight infants, who are at higher risk of malnutrition and related health issues. Young mothers usually lack the knowledge or support needed to practice optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding which are essential for infant nutrition potentially resulting in undernourished infants and children.”

“Keeping in view that climate change has impacted women’s food and livelihoods options negatively yet women are not included in the knowledge sharing and decision making processes about climate change adaptation mitigation processes, we believe to bring women upfront to tackle the adverse effects of climate change on their lives to find their own solutions here through the platform of the conference,” said Dr. Fozia Kanwal, agronomist.

Bushra Tabassum, Muzafarabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pushpa Kumari, Vice President of Sindh Climate Action Network (SCAN), Dheli Bai, President of Women Self Help Group Sindh, Shirin Akhter, Ghanche, Gilgit-Baltistan, Dr. Shahid Fazal, Technical Advisor for Maternal Nutrition Campaign, Nutrition International, Mr. Marco Mmarchetti, Representative, Olive Culture Pakistan, Dr. Shabina Riaz, Country Director Nutrition International (NI) and Rina Saeed, Chairperson Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, Islamabad. A larger number of rural women gave deep insight on the issues related to the nutritious food. They were of the view that young mother who lack nutritious food are unable to feed their infants and help lead their families for a dignified life.