DNA

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership stated that the 100-page starling US state department report on grave human rights abuses in Pakistan substantiated PTI’s submissions, as lawlessness and fascism pervaded in the country during the past two years, demanding that Chief Justice of Pakistan to fulfill his legal and constitutional obligations to rein in the reign of tyranny or else leave the position instantly.

Addressing a press conference, they made it clear that they wanted to live in a democratic Pakistan envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam, where rule of law and constitutional supremacy reign supreme as they did not want to live in the Hitler and Mussolini’s Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference along with PTI senator Walid Iqbal and Advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said that the US 2023 Country Report highlighted serious human rights violations in Pakistan, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, privacy, lack of fair trial, disappearance of journalists, serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, torture, inhumane treatment with a lack of accountability etc.

He said that a culture of lawlessness pervaded in the country, as no one freedom, dignity and respect and sanctity of four walls were safe from state goons.

Raoof went on to say that there was two powers of which one could be seen but was powerless and a dummy, while another was unseen but it was actual power; however, it was working like shadow.

He lamented that there was de facto martial law in the country as there was no democracy because only the orders of shadow powers were implemented and no one even could challenge them.

Raoof demanded that the judges should find remedy to the deeply rooted malady in the country instead of shying away of their constitutional obligations.

He stressed the CJP to perform his duty lawfully and should not act like a bystander and fix the long-delayed PTI’s various petitions for hearing and ensure rule of law or else leave the office.

 Speaking on the occasion, Senator Walid Iqbal said that the report was very important because it covered the entire period after the regime change, thus it was a damning assessment on the performance of the PDM, caretaker regime and the unseen power-wielders.

He said that the universal declaration of human rights (UDHR) was adopted by the newly established United Nations on 10 December 1948, which set some minimum standards covering human dignity, privacy, freedom, sanctity of four walls that was included in Pakistani constitution as well.

However, he said that out of the 100 pages, 50 pages contained of human rights violations, dignity and abuses with special mentioned of PTI leaders and workers, who were subjected to custodial torture.

Walid stated that even death of individuals occurred in custodial torture, which was a crime under section 302 of the penal code that carried the death penalty, but constitution and law violators mighty remained unpunished hitherto.

He highlighted that even the report mentioned instances wherein police unlawfully raided without having warrants the houses of PTI leaders and supporters and it was said that the protectors of citizens in uniform even stole precious items from homes in uniform.

Walid recalled that the fascist regime violated constitution but not conducting elections in the constitutionally mandated timeframe and denied fair trial and due process, which was evident in the case of Imran Khan, who was the only leader whose trial was conducted behind the closed door.

He made it clear that the country could only become super power if it adheres to the principles of law and constitution.

Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Abuzar Sulaman Niazi said that the US administration report summerised wide-spread and rampant human rights abuses and constitutional violation instances in the country, which substantiated all their submissions and contentions after regime change.

He said that there was no rule of law and constitution was sacrificed, besides compromising judicial independence.

PTI leader stated that its state responsibility to protect and safeguard right to life, right to freedom and right to liberty and the judiciary was the guardian of public rights but it miserably failed in performing its due duties.

He went on to say that enforced extrajudicial killing was rampant in the country, right to privacy, right against torture, right to dignity, freedom of expression and right to information violated with impunity.

Abuzar contented that free speech was the basic right but what happened to senior anchorperson Arshad Sharif, as even the SC did not fix his case of inhuman killing for hearing despite his mother hue and cry. Similarly, he added that what happened to Imran Riaz and Asad Toor.

He lamented that PTI was even denied right to peaceful assembly because it was not a democracy but a fascist regime, which did not have any regard and respect for constitution and law. He said that the puppet PM lacked public mandate; hence he could not appoint interior minister and IG of his own choice.

PTI leader saluted to six judges for taking a stand for upholding rule of law by exposing spy agencies’ meddling in judicial affairs through their letter but the CJP, who was the ultimate guardian of judiciary did nothing to safeguard judicial independence hitherto.

Abuzar revealed that around 700 MPO were issued in KP and 222 in Punjab against PTI leaders and supporters but only judge Babar Sattar took a stand against the unlawful order.

He made it clear that it was high time they have to choose whether to live with a civilized world which believed in rule of law or they stood with the world where there was kingship or authoritarian regime.

However, he stated: “We have to live in Quadi-e-Azam Pakistan, we have to live in democracy, as we don’t live in Hitler and Mussolini’s Pakistan.”

RAWALPINDI, APR 27: /DNA/ – A fire exchange took place between security forces and terrorists in Harnai District of Balochistan.

The terrorists tried to stop passenger vehicles plying on Sanjavi Road, Harnai. Security Forces reacted immediately and effectively engaged the terrorists. Resultantly, one terrorist was sent to hell, while another got injured.

The timely response by the security forces thwarted nefarious intent of the terrorists, saving innocent lives.

Sanitization operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area.

Security forces of Pakistan, in step with the Nation, remain determined to thwart attempts of sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.

DNA

ISLAMABAD: Road safety should not be confused with traffic management, says Prof Muhammad Zaman, head of Zaman Research Center (ZRC) at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU).

He was speaking at a function to evaluate performance of his team, dedicated to HEC’s Grand Challenge Fund (GCF) project titled Optimal Use of Available Resources: A Prototype Model of Road Safety in Islamabad.

He said that road safety is a concept that includes countering pollution, saving lives and offering solutions. He said Islamabad needs 300 busses to overcome its mass transit needs. “We have developed Apps after thorough research that can tell commuters which bus to take and how long they have to wait for it. We have monitored movement of people digitally on different routes and roads,” he said.

“On the basis of our work, we are able to offer the city managers solutions to traffic problems. We can tell them which new routes are to open. Our Apps are working and QAU students are benefiting from these,” he said.

He said that his team has developed smart parking mechanism for Islamabad. He said there is a need to pool buses in the federal capital so that available resources are used optimally. “If we make a pool of buses, we will cut down the number of vehicles on our roads in a big way. It will lead to saving resources that are needed to ply these buses. It will also cut down pollution levels,” he said.

“However, the existing lot of bureaucrats is alien to the concept of pooling and red tapes have been hampering these solutions from being presented to the masses for whom they are meant for. Out-of-the-box thinking is need of the hour as we have resources enough to solve our problems but we lack strategy,” he said.

Researchers from QAU, IIUI, NUST, LUMS, and Ibadat University etc. attended the event and presented their work. A decent dinner was arranged at the end.

QUETTA, APR 27 /DNA/ – A local court in Quetta on Saturday suspended the arrest warrant of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai till next hearing on May 31.

The investigation officer apprised the court that the PkMAP chief did not comply with the warrant by not appearing before the court in connection with the first information report (FIR) against him.

The judicial magistrate suspended Achakzai’s arrest warrant and fixed the date for next hearing on May 31.

The warrant for the politico’s arrest was issued a day earlier and the police were directed to arrest and produce him before the court on April 27.

The local administration had lodged a case at the Gawalmandi police station against Achakzai on March 11 for interference in the public affairs during a raid on his house.

On March 4, the district administration refuted the claims of the raid at the senior politician’s house, saying that it just got an empty government land vacated near Achakzai’s house on Quetta’s Quarry road.

Quetta Deputy Commissioner Saad bin Asad had said Achakzai  illegally occupied the government land by putting up walls around it. He confirmed that a person, who was guarding the land, was arrested for pointing weapons at an assistant commissioner and interfering in the state affairs.

Former Balochistan caretaker information minister Jan Achakzai, in a hurriedly called press conference, also denied the claims of a raid at the PkMAP chairman’s house, saying the district administration of Quetta recovered a government land.

He said lands in the city’s outskirts were recovered and the campaign against illegal land occupation would continue in the future as well. The district administration took action on a landlord’s complaint and got a plot vacated in front of the veteran politician’s house, he added.=DNA

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LAHORE, APR 27 /DNA/ – The Ferozepur Road Industrial Association (FRIA) has asked the government that its strategies should not only focus on short-term gains but also encompass a long-term vision for sustained progress.

FRIA senior vice chairman Shahbaz Aslam emphasized that such transparency from the government is crucial for instilling confidence in the business community and investors. He observed that the country has had trouble raising enough money to cover its expenses. Due to the low tax-to-GDP ratio, borrowing and outside help are heavily relied upon to close the fiscal imbalance. There is a recurring budget deficit because the government spends more than it takes in. The national debt burden has risen, as a result, needing substantial financial resources for debt repayment. Both internal and external debt in Pakistan has been constantly rising.

FRIA SVC called upon the government to announce clear and robust economic strategies, as the country has stuck in low economic growth situation, where double-digit policy rate for the last few years has diminished capacity to increase domestic production, and exports, negatively impacting domestic resource mobilization.

Shahbaz Aslam said that the new government that comes into office will have its work sharply cut out as far as the economic challenges are concerned. Coming at the back of fast-unfolding climate change crisis and recent Covid pandemic that pushed millions into poverty with little fiscal capacity of government to provide anywhere near close to what was needed in stimulus spending. Then there is acute debt distress, and seriously high inflation at the back of global aggregate supply shock, and accentuated by a world of rising conflicts, mainly in Ukraine, and the Middle East.

He said that even though Pakistan’s economic crisis is a recurring factor in the country’s political unrest, it has a history of ignoring the nation’s true issues, which include poor governance, a broken judicial system, outdated laws, complicated tax system, lack of transparency, duplication in the government system, ineffective bureaucracy, improper use of our human, natural and water resources, lack of efficient local government, inadequate data for country’s planning, and the consistent flaws in policies in execution by the government departments. Pakistan’s GDP growth rate has always remained below its potential despite efforts to boost economic growth. He said that the development of important sectors and investment prospects was hampered by inadequate revenue collection, structural problems, and governance issues.

Since it has been causing serious governance and economic issues for years, the cost of goods, food, petrol, and other necessities has increased, and inflation has almost reached 45 per cent, which is not bearable for the common man. On the other hand, there has been an increase in dissatisfaction among the public that no state institution is performing well and to save them from the haughtiness and bad administration pervasive in the system.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, APR 27 /DNA/ – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is leaving today for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy being held from 28-29 April 2024. The invitation has been extended by HRH Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Professor Klaus Schwab, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high level delegation including Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The Prime Minister and the Ministers will participate in WEF discussions on issues related to trade and investment measures, new investment frameworks, restructuring of supply chains, sustainable growth, and the energy landscape. The high level participation in the Forum will afford an important opportunity to present Pakistan’s priorities specifically in global health architecture, inclusive growth, revitalizing regional collaboration and the need for striking a balance between promoting growth and energy consumption.

On the margins of the main event, the Prime Minister and his delegation will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, including the Saudi leadership, heads of international organizations, and other prominent figures participating in the event.

Mushahid tells Istanbul International Conference on Palestine: ‘Rightful Hamas resistance has altered Middle East status quo, Palestine part of Pakistan’s DNA’

ISTANBUL, (DNA): In his address to the International Conference on Palestine, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that ‘Palestinians armed resistance to brutal Israeli occupation was fully justified under International Law and the UN Charter’, adding that ‘Palestine is part of Pakistani DNA’.

The three day conference, inaugurated by President Erdogan, is being attended by parliamentarians and political leaders from 80 countries. Mushahid Hussain, who is member of the 12-member Executive Board of Parliamentarians for Palestine & Al Quds’, said the ‘entire people and political parties of Pakistan support the just cause of Palestine, as Pakistan’s policy on Palestine was first enunciated by the Father of the Nation, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, even before the independence of Pakistan’.

Condemning the Gaza Genocide by Israel, Mushahid termed it the ‘first live televised genocide in modern history’, adding that ‘both Muslim regimes and West countries have let down the Palestinians, except for public opinion in Muslim and Western countries’. He said the ‘Al Aqsa Storm’ unleashed by Hamas on October 7 has altered the global political landscape, especially in the Middle East by shattering the myth of Israeli invincibility’.

Giving Pakistan’s track record of supporting Palestine, Mushahid Hussain referred to Pakistan being the only non-Arab country to take part in two Arab-Israeli Wars in 1967 and 1973, plus first recognition of PLO under Yasser Arafat took place at the Lahore Islamic Summit in 1974.

Mushahid urged an immediate ceasefire & steps to establish an independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. The Pakistan Parliamentary Delegation attending the conference includes Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, MNAs Sheryar Meher, Chaudhry Shahbaz & Junaid Akbar. The Pakistani delegates also met President Erdogan and Speaker of Turkish Parliament, Dr Noman Kurtulmus.