Day: November 6, 2021

QUETTA: Dr Ishaq Baloch, Central Vice President, National Party NP, has said that Balochistan produces 20 percent of the natural gas, but receives only 5 percent of the produced natural gas, raising the question as to where the remaining 95 percent gas is being utilized.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, he said that remaining 95 percent of the natural gas produced in Balochistan was being supplied to manure companies of the country on subsidy rates. Baloch said that article 158 of Constitution of the country clearly states, “The province in which a wellhead of the national gas is situated shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirements from the wellhead.”

He added that presently Balochistan and Sindh were the largest gas producing units of the country, but constitutional rights of Balochistan and Sindh were being denied by the federation which was clear violation of the constitution.

He said that the present deplorable economic situation, mismanagement and sky rocketing inflation were the consequences of defective and failed policies of selected rulers. He said, “As soon as winter season begins, gas load-shedding in Balochistan starts.”

Baloch called on the authorities of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited SSGCL to address the issue of gas load shedding in Balochistan, otherwise, National Party NP would raise voice for the constitutional rights of the people of Balochistan at every forum.

ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry called on Prime Minister Imran Khan here on Saturday and briefed him on his recent foreign visits to highlight the Kashmir cause.

He apprized the Prime Minister of his successful visit to the United States and Europe to motivate the Pakistani diaspora to highlight the Kashmir issue internationally. During the meeting, they also discussed matters pertaining to development in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

KARACHI: The Central Vice President PTI and Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, while condemning incidents of murders of innocent citizens allegedly by PPP legislators and their close relatives, demanded that membership of MPA’s under allegation should be suspended at the earliest.

Haleem, while addressing a press conference along with MPA Raja Azhar, District president PTI Malir Urban Dr Masood Sial and Insaf Lawyers Forum’s advocate Ajmal Solangi, here at Sindh Assembly building on Saturday, further demanded inclusion of relevant sections of Anti-Terrorism Act in the FIRs and ensuring free, fair and transparent investigation of the murder cases.

Haleem said that consecutive murders of innocent citizens of Sindh reportedly by Sardars tribal chieftains, who unfortunately were elected representatives of their respective areas as well, was manifestation of the fact that terrorism in Sindh had transformed into a new form ‘Sardargardi’.

Influential persons who claimed to be custodians of their tribes and representatives of public were setting new instances of barbarism and brutality in Sindh and become merciless killers while CM Murad Ali Shah and his administration was visibly supporting their unlawful and inhuman acts, he stated adding that PPP was no more a political party of Bhutto and had become an unholy alliance of Sardars.

Haleem said that a brave son of Malir Nazim Jokhio was violently killed for filming a video of guests of MNA Jam Karim Jokhio as bereaved family members accused that Nazim was abducted from his home in darkness of night by henchmen of Jam Karim and MPA Jam Awais Jokhio, was taken to a torture cell and beaten to death.

Haleem quoting Nizam’s family further alleged that inordinate delay was made in postmortem while Memon Goth police had registered a flimsy FIR without including section 7 ATA and name of the main accused Jam Karim. Haleem expressed no confidence on a JIT constituted by provincial government with SSP Malir as its head and said it was tantamount to protecting the culprits and obstructing justice to the bereaved family.

Haleem assured the affected family of his unwavering support and vowed that PTI would pursue the case even to the level of Supreme Court for dispensation of justice to mother and widow of Shaheed Nazim Jokhio who eagerly wanted to see the assassin behind the bars.

Another heinous crime was reported from a village of Qambar-Shahdadkot district where Shaheed Khan Isran, father of PPP MPA Ganhwar Khan Isran, took life of an innocent woman inside her home, Haleem stated adding that Isran accompanied with police guards forcefully entered into the home and directly shot dead Fahmida Sial who was carrying Holy Quran at the time and requesting safety of her family members.

“Police also in this case was trying to protect the real culprits as name of the nominated main accused Ganhwar Khan Isran as well as section 7 ATA were not included in the FIR,” Haleem pointed out adding that two more family members had got injured while two more members of affected family were apprehended by Police in a fake case.

PPP chairman Bilawal Zardari was present in Larkana on the day but he did nothing for the affected family, Haleem lamented and asked media to highlight the issue for dispensation of justice to the bereaved family. Haleem said that meanwhile son of another member of Sindh Assembly Sajid Banbhan killed a woman by hitting a motorcycle with his vehicle and escaped from the site of accident. The woman died on the spot but police was shy of taking legal action, he alleged.

Leader of the opposition appealed to chief justice Supreme Court to take suo moto action on the heinous crimes committed by influential persons to maintain writ of the law in the province. He also urged Bilawal to get membership of alleged MPAs suspended as it was not an individual case but matter of sanctity of human lives, honour of Sindh Assembly and dignity of parliamentarians. “If Bilawal does not seek resignation from the MPAs under allegation it would be justified to assert that he was patronizing criminal mindset in PPP,” Haleem commented.

Member Sindh Assembly Raja Azhar, informed at the occasion, that medico-legal office at Jinnah Hospital was reluctant to carry out post-mortem and legal formalities and the same was done after more than 6 hours on his intervention. Even police were not registering FIR and Afzal Jokhio – brother of deceased Nazim Jokhio- was being intimidated on phone, he added and vowed that PTI is struggling for justice to masses and they would extend every possible support to affected family for justice.

Dr Masood Sial shared with media persons details of inhuman incidents in Qambar-Shahdadkot and said that Shaheed Isran wanted to grab house of the affected family by force while the matter was settled through arbitration in favour of Sial family two months ago. Family members of Fehmida Sial were apprehended by police while Shaheed Isran ambushed the home, killed women and abducted and tortured another family member Safdar Siyal while household items and a motorcycle was also taken away.

The family of the assassinated women wanted registration of FIR as per their will and arrest of Shaheed Isran, he said adding that another person Gul Muhammad Sial was murdered in Moro a few days back and his assassins were being supported by Zia Lanjar.

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has rejected the representation, filed by the Soneri Bank Ltd (SBL) against the order of the Banking Mohtasib, and has made the bank responsible to make good the loss of the money to the complainant without further delay.

While upholding the orders of the Banking Mohtasib to pay an amount of Rs 800,000 amount to the complainant, the President stated in his decision that the bank could not escape the liability in a case of this kind, when the commission of fraud with the account holder by its management was established and admitted.

He said that the ample opportunity had been provided to the Bank before the learned Banking Mohtasib to defend and controvert the claim of the complainant and even before the forum, however, the bank had failed to discharge the burden and statutory liability cast upon it under the law. According to the details, Muhammad Danish Naseem (the complainant) maintains an account with the Soneri Bank Ltd Sargodha Road Branch, Sheikhupura. Mr. Danish opened his account on 22-10-2018 in the bank branch and requested the Manager to deposit PKR. 2,000,000 (two million rupees) cash in the said account.

Whereas, the Manager gave him deposit slips of Rs. 500,000/-, Rs. 900,000/- and Rs. 600,000/- respectively. Despite insistence of the account holder for issuing one deposit slip of amount i.e. Rs. 2 million, the bank Manger issued three deposit slips saying that it was to overcome the restrictions of the SBP. Later, the account holder wanted to draw money from his account but there was no sufficient balance in his account. He lodged a complaint with the bank’s authorities but his grievance was not addressed.

Although, the complainant possessed valid deposit slips admittedly issued by the Ex-Manager bearing his genuine signature and Branch Stamp affixed thereon which validated customer claim to the extent that the Bank had not accounted for amounts of PKR. 2,000,000/- in his account. Furthermore, the Bank had admitted during the proceedings before the Banking Mohtasib that the receipts in possession of the customers bore signatures of the Bank’s ex-Manager.

Despite all these proofs, the complainant was compelled to run from pillar to post and no relief was provided to him. Feeling aggrieved, Mr. Danish Naseem approached the Banking Mohtasib for his grievance. The Banking Mohtasib, under Section 82 D of the BCO read with Section 9 of the Federal Ombudsmen Institutional Reforms Act, 2013 (No. XIV of 2013), advised the Bank to forthwith make good the loss by crediting the account of the complainant with a sum of PKR 800,000/- in pursuance of the findings.

While rejecting representation of the Bank, the President has noted that it is a case of wrong doing and maladministration by the Bank officials and it is, therefore, responsible to make good the loss of the complainant. He further stated that the ambit and extent of jurisdiction of Banking Mohtasib was spelt out under Section 82A (3)(a)(e), Section 82B(4)(5) and Section 82F of the Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962.

The cumulative reading and perusal of these provisions of law undoubtedly leads to the conclusion that the Banking Mohtasib is to inquire into the complainants about banking malpractices, maladministration, wrong doings, the fraudulent transactions, the corrupt and malafide practices by the Bank officials and pass appropriate orders on conclusion of inquiry. These powers of the Banking Mohtasib when considered in context with Section 18 and 24 of the Federal Ombudsmen Institutional Reforms Act, 2013 further show that in matters falling within the jurisdiction of the Banking Mohtasib, stated the decision.

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed to speed up the crackdown against sugar hoarders in the province.

Meanwhile, district administration Lahore has started stern action against those who sell sugar at more than the fixed price. Special teams have been deployed at Sugar factories to monitor the sugar stocks.

A team led by Assistant Commissioner Raiwind, Adnan Rasheed sealed a general store for stocking sugar. A case was also registered against the owner of store.

KARACHI: On the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail along with Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh visited the heirs of slain Nazim Jokhio in Achar Salar village of Malir and expressed condolence with his family.

The governor obtained full details of the incident from the heirs and relatives of the slain Nazim Jokhio. On this occasion, the Governor of Sindh said that it was a very tragic incident which they strongly condemned.

“I assure the heirs of Nazim Jokhio that the elements involved will be brought to book in any case,” he said. Later talking to media, the Sindh Governor said that the Prime Minister had sent him here to get the details of the incident and inform him.

He said that he would provide all possible assistance to the heirs of Nazim Jokhio and would take the case to a logical conclusion. In this regard, he would also talk to the Chief Minister Sindh and IG Sindh.

Ismail said that Nazim Jokhio was brutally killed and his heirs were also receiving threats. So far, the names of the real killers have not been included in the case and the forest law will not be allowed to prevail here.

He further said that it was not possible for the powerful to oppress the oppressed under the present regime. He said that the provincial government did not have confidence in JIT and in this regard, he would ask the Prime Minister to form JIT at the federal level.

Replying to a question, the Sindh governor said that it was unfortunate that there were many people in the Sindh Assembly who had criminal cases against them. He asked the Chief Minister to try such members.

KARACHI: The OIC’s Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Yousef Aldobeay will be visiting Pakistan and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 7-12 November 2021.

According to a PID handout issued on Saturday, a high-level delegation including the OIC’s Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador Tarig Bakhit and other Senior Officials will accompany the Special Envoy. The Special Envoy will hold discussions encompassing the peace and security, human rights, humanitarian and legal aspects of the grave situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

His visit will reinforce the centrality of a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to lasting peace in South Asia. During his visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Special Envoy will interact with a cross-section of the Kashmiri society including the True Representatives of the Kashmiri People. The delegation will visit a model village housing Kashmiris forced from their homes by the Indian occupation forces in the IIOJK and meet victims of India’s cross-LoC violations including women and children.

These engagements will provide the Special Envoy a first-hand account of the gravity of the situation on the ground in the IIOJK and along the LoC. The presence of the Assistant Secretary General (Humanitarian Affairs) is particularly significant to follow-up on the OIC’s call at the 47th session of the Council of Ministers in Niamey, Niger in November 2020, to examine and analyze the egregious violations of international human rights and humanitarian standards in the IIOJK with particular reference to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Established by the 14th OIC Summit in Makkah in 2019, the OIC’s Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir has played an important leadership role in steering the Organization’s principled position on this issue. The Special Envoy earlier visited Pakistan and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir in March 2020.

He presented his first report to the 47th CFM, in Niamey. The report, inter alia, reaffirmed the OIC’s support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination and recommended intensifying coordination between OIC Member States to support the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at international fora. As part of the OIC’s broad-based and comprehensive engagement on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir at the level of Foreign Ministers also met on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, on 23 September 2021.

The Joint Communique adopted on the occasion affirmed OIC’s unequivocal support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination as enshrined in UN Security Council resolutions and firmly repudiated India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 and all subsequent steps.

A delegation from the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) also visited Pakistan and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir in August 2021. Pakistan greatly values the OIC’s principled and steadfast stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. As a collective voice of over 1.2 billion Muslims across the world, the OIC has led the way on this critical issue for the Ummah.