Day: December 1, 2021

COAS visits Azad Kashmir RC as Pakistan denounces Kashmiris’ killings

RAWALPINDI:General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) visited Azad Kashmir (AK) Regimental Centre Mansar Camp Wednesday.

According to an ISPR statement, COAS laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and offered Fateha. COAS formally installed Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, Commander Quetta Corps as Colonel Commandant of AK Regiment. Addressing the participants, COAS praised the Azad Kashmir Regiment for its glorious history, professional excellence, outstanding operational performance and war worthiness.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has strongly condemned the continuing spree of extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in staged encounters and so-called cordon and search operations by Indian troops in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, according to a PID statement today.

Foreign Office Spokesperson, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, in the statement said at least 18 innocent Kashmiris have been martyred with impunity by Indian occupation forces in the last one month. While the fundamental freedoms of Kashmiris remain suspended, the Indian occupation forces have further intensified their repression in IIOJK in the past weeks, he said.

The Spokesperson said the deteriorating security and human rights situation in the occupied territory is a matter of grave concern for the international community. Amidst all this, the visit by Indian ministers to the occupied territory is another Indian ploy to divert attention from India’s state-sponsored terrorism and to project a false sense of normalcy in IIOJK.

He said no amount of lies, deceit and publicity stunts by the RSS-BJP votaries in the name of fake normalcy and development, can address the total alienation of the Kashmiris in IIOJK. The spokesperson said India must realize that the path to sustainable peace and development in the region is through permanent resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.

UN asked to play role for release of IIOJK detainees

ISLAMABAD:Jammu-based Hurriyat organizations Wednesday appealed to the international community to play its role for the immediate release of Kashmiri detainees languishing in different Indian jails.

Abdul Majeed Malik, Vice Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement, Qazi Imran, Vice Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Pir Panjal Freedom Movement, Khalid Shabbir, Convener of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Association and Sajjad Ahmed, Vice Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir United Forum, in a joint statement issued in Islamabad said in a statement that thousands of Kashmiris have been lodged in different jails of Indian illegally occupied Kashmir and India on baseless charges, according to Kashmir Media Service report.

Over the past two months, they added, Indian forces arrested dozens of innocent civilians during cordon and search operations in Pir Panjal area. Hurriyat leaders said that five members of a family; Hakim Din Qureshi, Sakhi Muhammad Qureshi, Lal Din Qureshi, Feroz Din Qureshi and Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who were arrested in 1999, have gone missing while in custody.

They pointed out that the people of Pir Panjal, Poonch and Rajouri have been facing severe hardships for the past two months due to the ongoing operations by Indian troops. The leaders appealed to the United Nations and international human rights organizations to send a joint team to occupied Kashmir to look into the plight of illegally detained Hurriyat leaders and activists.

Ordinance to regularize certain illegal buildings in the offing

KARACHI:The Sindh government has drafted an ordinance to regularize certain illegal buildings and stop anti-encroachment operations across the province.

The ordinance has been sent to the Sindh Governor Imran Ismail for promulgation. The ordinance is aimed at halting anti-encroachment operations from Karachi to Kashmore with immediate effect.

The move to legalize residential buildings comes following the Supreme Court’s order to demolish Karachi’s Nasla Tower and Tejori Heights. Under the ordinance, a commission headed by a retired Sindh High Court (SHC) judge, would be formed to identify illegal structures. The secretary of Local Government and Housing Town Planning, Government of Sindh, will be its secretary.

The Supreme Court (SC) has recently ordered the Karachi commissioner to double the number of labourers and demolish the Nasla Tower within one week. Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Tuesday demanded for chalking out a plan to regularize illegal structures in the province. A delegation of builders and realtors led by Chairman ABAD Mohsin Sheikhani conveyed their grievances in a meeting with Governor Sindh Imran Ismail at the Governor House.

ABAD’s representatives discussed with the Sindh governor the challenges and issues faced by the construction industry and their probable solutions. They were of the view that a regularization commission should be established in Sindh like Punjab to regularize illegal buildings and housing projects.

The ABAD office-bearers asked the governor to introduce a one-window operation for real estate projects for easing out the procedure of obtaining No Objection Certificates and approvals which will benefit the prospective property buyers and real estate developers.

Man tortured to death, thrown in well

QUETTA:The body of 23-year-old young man, who was tortured to death, was retrieved from a well in a house at Musa Colony, Sariab Road area of Quetta, on Wednesday.

According to rescue sources, Amanullah, 23, son of Umar Khan Durrani, resident of Sirki Kala area near Zarghoon Road, Quetta, who had been tortured to death. His body was retrieved from a well in a house at Sariab Road area of the provincial capital. The body was shifted to Sirki Kala after fulfilment of codal authorities by the authorities of police station, Sariab Road, Quetta. A mourning atmosphere prevailed in the house of the victim.

CM holds function to encourage best performing officials in red campaign

LAHORE:Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a ceremony at his office in honour of best performing officials of reach every door campaign as vaccination target of 13 million people was achieved in 12 days drive across the province.

The CM distributed shields and appreciated the hard work of concerned officials and announced to start the second phase of this campaign to vaccinate more than 20 million citizens till December 31. I hoped the line departments would actively work to achieve the target as the new corona variant has emerged as a new global challenge, he said.

The government is striving to vaccinate the maximum number of citizens because it is the best way to remain safe from this virus, he continued. It is sanguine that Punjab is leading in achieving vaccination targets due to the hard work of the concerned officials. I appreciate the efforts of DCs and health CEOs of Pakpattan, Narowal, Bhakkar, DG Khan, Gujrat, TT Singh, Lodhran, Kasur, Mandi Bahauddin, Chakwal, Jhelum and Khanewal and hope the other districts would show the best performance in the next phase, the CM said.

Meanwhile, population welfare, school education, auqaf, I and C and information departments have also shown good performance; he added and appreciated that teamwork has been shown in difficult circumstances. With the blessings of Almighty Allah, there is no polio case in Punjab and anti-dengue steps are also proving fruitful, he added.

The health minister said the CM always extended full support in corona vaccination to achieve targets. Secretary primary and secondary health briefed about RED campaign. SACM Hassan Khawar and others were also present.

Sindh decides to halt anti-encroachment operation, tells CM aide

KARACHI:Administrator KMC, Sindh Government Spokesman and CM Advisor on Law Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday said that the provincial government had decided to stop anti-encroachment operation across Sindh.

“The anti-encroachment operation from Karachi to Kashmore will be temporarily suspended. The Sindh government has prepared an ordinance to stop the anti-encroachment operation. A commission will be set up under the ordinance to determine which non-commercial structures must not be demolished,” he said this while addressing a news conference in Sindh Assembly Committee Room here. He said that those who are threatening should understand that this is not Karachi of 1990s or May 12, 2007, adding that Karachi is free and politics of separatism should come to an end.

Wahab said that a tragic incident took place on Wednesday in which lawyer Irfan Mehr was martyred. Condemning the incident he said that the accused will be arrested at the earliest. He said that immediately after the incident, the Sindh Chief Minister met the police officials and also held a meeting on law and order. The Chief Minister took all the details from Additional IG Karachi. The Administrator said that whoever was behind the killing will be arrested and brought to justice.

He added that the Sindh government had said more than once that it is the duty of the government to protect the lives and property of the citizens and that is why laws are being made. Unfortunately, the commercialization took place in last several months, adding that it started from the regime of Naimatullah Khan as City Nazim. “When the citizens approached the courts against it (commercialization), it was decided (by the court) that it is the prerogative of the city government,” he added.

The areas have been commercialized, the consequences of which are being felt today. “Underground system has not been created. This problem has spread all over Pakistan. Societies have been formed on agricultural land in Islamabad. It is asked that the building (Nasla Tower) is being demolished but why it is not happening in Bani Gala in Islamabad,” he added. He said that the PPP passed a resolution in the Sindh Assembly on the issue anti-encroachment drive and urged the need of legislation so as to reduce miseries of the citizens. He said that those who held press conferences on Nasla Tower issue had ‘escaped’ from the Sindh Assembly.

He said that action should be taken against the establishments which are on drains but such buildings which had been constructed and are affecting the flow of water should not be acted upon. The PPP drafted the ordinance draft and sent to the Governor. “The Sindh Governor will approve the draft of the ordinance,” he hoped and added the ordinance was made purely in the interest of the citizens. He said that the law is the same in Sindh as it is in Punjab but only a paragraph was added that the anti-encroachment drive should be stopped immediately until the committee decides.

He said that the retired judge will be the head of the commission and it will decide whether to regularize the construction or not. The Administrator said that they would also get the ordinance passed by the assembly. In a reply, he said that Sindh government is not allotting land for Nasla Tower as Sindhi Muslim Society was not its administrative control. This property was commercialized in 2007 at that time Mustafa Kamal was the City Nazim,” he said. After commercialization, the building control authority gave permission for construction. The land actually belonged to KMC and In 2000, the court ruled that the land was given to Sindhi Muslim Society in exchange for money.

In response to a question, Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that Mustafa Kamal wanted him to say something so that he could reply. “This is not Karachi of 1990, this is not Karachi of May 12. He also asked MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to stop the politics of ‘segregation’. Barrister Murtaza Wahab asked MQM-P that it had been in the coalition federal government for three and a half years and what has Imran Khan done for this city. “The Prime Minister did not even listen to your (MQM-P) census demand,” he said.

Dr Shoaib Suddle calls on CM Punjab

LAHORE:Chairman One Man Commission Dr Muhammad Shoaib Suddle called on Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office on Wednesday and discussed the welfare of the minority communities.

The CM disclosed that the draft of the minority rights commission has been devised to protect the rights of the minorities in Punjab. Meanwhile, a five percent increase has been made in minorities’ budget and instructions have been issued to fill vacant posts under the five percent quota for minority communities.

A sum of 2.5 billion is earmarked in the current financial year for minorities welfare; he said and added that minority communities’ job quota would be totally filled and all recruitments would be made on merit. Meanwhile, a 2 percent quota has been fixed for minorities in higher education institutions so that the non-muslim students could study in the best institutions to excel in life, he added.

Similarly, Youhanaabad and Warispura have been declared model minority areas in Lahore and Faisalabad, respectively while the Hindu temple in Bhong has been restored in a period of 30 days only, he said. The government would make every effort to protect minorities’ rights as they enjoy equal status and rights in the country, the CM concluded. Provincial ministers Ejaz Alam, Asad Khokhar, chief secretary, ACS (Home) secretary HR and minorities affairs were also present.