Geelani asks civil society to work for Kashmir cause

Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani has asked the civil society to work for the Kashmir cause and not leave everything to the leaders.

“We have capable people in Kashmir who can work to address various dimensions of Kashmir issue. But they leave everything to Geelani. They should not blame the leaders but work at their own level. Instead of raising finger at us they should understand that we are not even allowed to move outside the house for prayers,” Geelani said addressing a seminar titled ‘World Human Rights Day and Oppressed People of Kashmir’ at his residence here.

Geelani said despite sacrifices people are not safeguarding their contribution. “Sacrifice and voting cannot go together. Despite sacrifice, people are strengthening New Delhi’s rule here.”

Geelani said that Institute of Kashmir Studies was shut down ‘with the collaboration of so-called friends.’ “A center was running in which we tried to document Kashmir history, but certain elements contributed in shutting it down.”

However, Geelani said that people should not feel dejected and appealed them to maintain unity.

Reacting to the statement of National Conference General Secretary Sheikh Nazir that Sheikh Abdullah never signed 1975 Accord, Geelani said, “They think people are fool. More than 30 years have passed since the accord took place. Sheikh’s son and grandson continue to hold the chair. They continue to enter into alliance after alliance with Congress whom they used to call gandi naali kay keeday. They think people will forgive them for their sins. Chief Minister is brutal than his grandfather.”

Geelani also said that New Delhi has ‘sent a battery of Hindu officers to rule the state through bureaucracy and police.’ “Governor, DGP, 4 ADGPs, 6 IGPs, 5 DIGs, 4 Principal Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officer, 6 Commissioner Secretaries are Hindus,” Geelani said.

He termed Kashmir as an economic, political, human and religious issue. “Until we are not free from India, our religion and resources are under threat. If people will not raise voice against injustice, I warn you that future of Kashmir will be dark. I want to educate people about the injustice done to them, but government keeps me under house arrest.”

Geelani said his amalgam will fight for the release of Muslim League leader Dr Qasim Faktoo and other Kashmiri youth who were recently awarded life sentence. Geelani said he will consult lawyers to fight for their release and also launch a campaign for their release.

He said that 150 youth have been slapped with PSA this year and 850 youth are in different jails in J&K and outside. “Thirty three are convicts and five have been awarded death sentence and life imprisonment.”

Geelani demanded that FIR should be registered against 500 officers of police and paramilitary whom Coalition of Civil Society recently accused of human rights violations.

Asiya Andrabi also spoke on the occasion. “Judiciary has been no different to Kashmiris. My husband’s sentence is a political vendetta. We should move beyond calling one-day protests and conferences,” she said.

Asiya called on the people and leadership to capitalize on the sacrifice rendered by his husband and others. “However, we should not forget the families of sufferers.”

She also asked the government of Pakistan to take up the issue of Kashmir youth who have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Prof. Hameeda Nayeem asked the leadership to move beyond sloganeering and present a rational case of Kashmir issue. “It is not only killings and torture; our every right has been vandalized. We have miserly failed to present Kashmir issue beyond a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan.”

She also castigated Hurriyat (M) for their scheduled Pakistan visit. “Pakistan has always supported us. They have never been against the third option, what will they present to Pakistan,” Hameeda said.
Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain said Kashmiris have failed to document human rights violations. “We failed to argue our case in various international organizations,” he said.

Other who spoke on the occasion included Ghulam Nabi Sumji, Zamrooda Habib, Abdul Majid Zargar, Muhammad Shafi, Abdul Ahad Para, Arjimand Hussain Talib and Peer Saifullah.

Source  http://www.sananews.net/english/geelani-asks-civil-society-to-work-for-kashmir-cause/

Civil society urged to contribute to economic growth

The civil society should play its role for economic revival of the country and achievement of economic growth targets while political parties should also develop a consensus on national issues.

These views were expressed by the participants in Jang Economic Session on “Future of Pakistan in Global Scenario” here on Tuesday. The panelists were Muhammad Ali Mian, Prof Shahida Saleem, Dr Tariq Bucha, Dr Yasir Mehmood and Nadeem Bhatti while the session was hosted by Sikindar Hameed Lodhi and Intikhab Tariq.

Muhammad Ali Mian said economic recession was going on across the world while Pakistan economy also was affected by high budget deficit and foreign loans. He said 60 percent of Pakistan SMEs had closed down while economic revival was crucial for safeguarding future.

Shahida Saleem said self-dependent policy and removal of social inequality were crucial to protect economic future of the country.

She suggested not taking loan facilities from international lenders. She said Pakistan growth rate was 9 percent in 1960s which needed to bring back through visionary leadership. She said China, India, Malaysia and Singapore had achieved growth with human resource development by improving their education system.

Tariq Bucha said agriculture was not vital for Pakistan only as globally the current decade was food and fuel decade but Pakistan government had put the agriculture sector on the back burner during the last three years. He said agriculture share in the country’s GDP was 50 percent but it was ignored by the government. He said the government had given MFN status to India rather than providing facilities to agriculture sector. He said a urea fertilizer bag was sold at Rs350 in India while at Rs1,750 in Pakistan. He observed that government might face circular debt in food sector if it continued ignoring agriculture.

Dr Yasir Mehmood said the next three years could be positive for Pakistan economy as labour cost was growing in China which was pushing its cost of production upwards. He said the minimum wage in Pakistan was Rs9,000 while in China it was equal to Rs40,000 to 50,000. He called for using alternate energy generation resources to produce cheap energy and use of labour cost advantage.

Nadeem Bhatti said that Pakistan’s share in global market was reducing quickly due to increase in production cost. He said unavailability of gas and electricity had bankrupted the industry. He said government should take concrete steps to stop energy theft and facilitate the taxpayers.

Source  http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-144358-Civil-society-urged-to-contribute-to-economic-growth

New bounty offer in Pakistan for prophet filmmaker

A former Pakistani legislator has offered a $200,000 bounty for anyone who kills the maker of an anti-Islam film that has angered Muslims around the world.

Ikramullah Shahid made the offer at a rally Monday in the northwestern city of Peshawar, before a crowd of about 15,000 people.

The rally was led by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella group of radical Islamic and militant groups. Shahid is a member of the group.

This is the second such offer made by someone in Pakistan. A federal cabinet minister earlier offered $100,000 for the man behind the U.S.-made film that portrays Islam's Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, womanizer and child molester.

Outraged Muslims have rallied against the film. At least 23 people have died in protests in Pakistan against the film.

Source  http://www.kcautv.com/story/19682236/new-bounty-offer-in-pakistan-for-prophet-filmmaker

Pakistani Kashmir Demands Power and End to Corruption

In Pakistani Kashmir dozens of civil society activists staged a peaceful demonstration; calling for much-needed reforms in region’s Interim Constitution Act “to pave way for worthwhile democracy, good governance and uncompromising accountability.” 

The demonstration, held in the wake of a row between the AJK Accountability Bureau and the AJK Council, coincided with a controlled visit of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to the outskirts of Muzaffarabad for inspection of an under-construction hydropower project. However, local media was not invited to the event for fear of upsetting questions on its part. 

The prime minister of Pakistan happens to be the chairman of AJK Council, which is at the centre of allegations of corruption and financial irregularities, largely because of non-observance of codal formalities and pre-audit checks in its expenditures.

“No to corrupt AJK Council,” read one of the several placards carried by the demonstrators, including lawyers, students, NGO workers, traders and journalists, as they lined up along the capital’s bustling thoroughfare and later marched through it and the adjacent magnificent district headquarters complex.

The AJK Council, it may be recalled, was established under the Interim Constitution Act 1974 apparently “to serve as a bridge between the governments in Muzaffarabad and Islamabad.” However, over the years, officials and public in AJK believe, it has turned itself into a parallel government, evading scrutiny of its expenditures by investigating and accounting bodies of Pakistan or AJK.

The main income source of Council, which is vested with legislative, executive and financial powers, is 20 per cent of the taxes generated from the AJK territory, which it claims it spends on the administrative expenditure of its secretariat in Islamabad, development activities (in Pakistan and AJK) and other miscellaneous heads.  Apart from the 20 per cent of taxes, it has some other income sources as well, including license fees from the cellular phone companies operating in AJK.

It was the former AJK Accountability Bureau chairman Justice Hussain Mazhar Kaleem, who had dared summon record of some dubious contracts from the Council in the wake of corruption complaints, but the Council officials did not comply with his orders until the AJK government removed him on Friday allegedly under the pressure of vested interests, fuelling anger among the already charged civil society and political circles in AJK.

While calling for abolition of Council and accountability of the Kashmiri taxpayers’ money at its disposal, the demonstrators criticised what they termed as lily-livered AJK rulers for bowing to the pressure of corrupt AJK Council officials.

They also emphasised for long pending constitutional reforms to address such issues.

The interesting aspect of the demonstration was the use of social media to attract its participants, something unusual in this area where modern ICTs are not so common.

 Tariq Naqash, a senior journalist, who created a group on Facebook, namely AJK Civil Society Forum, said he was heartened to observe the response of civil society to the posts on social media on the issue.

“It’s the first drop of rain and I am sure the civil society in Aad Kashmir will play a pivotal role in sensitising the decision makers and general public about the issues of national concern,” he said.

Speaking to correspondents on the occasion, Raza Ali Khan, President AJK Supreme Court Bar Association, said the Interim Constitution had undermined the status of the AJK government as it gave excessive executive and legislative powers to the AJK Council over 52 subjects, including taxation.

Mr Khan pointed out that as chairman AJK Council the prime minister of Pakistan was exercising full authority in AJK while he was neither answerable to the people nor to the elected representatives of AJK.

“There is dire need of constitutional reforms to remove such anomalies.”

Abdul Qaiyum Khan, a student, said if the federal government could devolve powers to provinces, why AJK was not being treated in the same manner.

“Why our government is not being empowered? Why we are being made to feel as aliens?”

It may be recalled that in the recent session of AJK Legislative Assembly, Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed had announced to work in consultation with all parties for constitutional amendments. However, the government is yet to make a serious effort to move ahead in this regard.

Source  http://www.groundreport.com/Business/Pakistani-Kashmir-Demands-Power-and-End-to-Corrupt/2947445

HRCP slams killing of FATA civil society activist

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the assassination of Farida Afridi, who worked for an organisation working for women’s welfare, in Jamrud, Khyber Agency, as well as reports of a man accused of desecrating religious texts being snatched from police custody and burned to death.

In a statement on Thursday, HRCP said: “It is a matter of grave concern that the risks facing human rights defenders and those working to ameliorate the lot of marginalized segments remain very high across the country. HRCP is utterly shocked at the targeted killing of Farida Afridi, whose only crime was working for the uplift of women in an area where they need such help the most.

Two armed men riding a bike shot her in the head and fled. The threats to human rights defenders in FATA are as worrisome as the impunity the killers enjoy. The ghastly murder is reminiscent of the killing on December 8, 2011, of Zarteef Afridi, a well known human rights defender and HRCP coordinator in Khyber Agency. He was too shot dead by two men on a motorcycle. His killers are still at large.

HRCP would like to remind the government of its obligation to provide a safe working environment to human rights defenders all over the country, particularly more so in the FATA region, which faces about the worst turmoil in the country. In such places, journalists, human rights defenders and workers of civil society organisations who strive to provide essential needs or awareness to the people at great personal risk, have faced perils only because of their role in promoting rights or highlighting violations.

The killing of journalists, rights defenders and civil society activists in FATA is the latest addition to the prevailing hurdles for those working in the region for the uplift of the marginalized people, especially women.” 

Source  http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=163635

Election Commission blames NADRA and floods for delay

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will not be able to complete the verification of fresh electoral rolls in time to meet the March 2012 deadline, Provincial Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch said on Monday.

The ECP planned to finish verifying voters by October 30. It then takes six weeks for the lists to be published and another three weeks to put the rolls under new inspection. Corrections are made at this stage at the commission’s district offices. In the last two phases, they planned to verify or add names through short text messages, to finally publish the lists by March 2012.

“Verification of voters displaced in rural Sindh and the rectification of lapses in preparing voter data are the main causes of the anticipated delay,” Baloch explained to the media at a consultative meeting with political leaders, civil society members and other stakeholders.

Baloch held the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) responsible for errors in the electoral list drafts. He explained that the authority had mangled data on CNICs when it came to family numbers and areas.

“Due to mistakes in NADRA’s data, members of one family have become scattered in separate polling blocks,” he alleged. “This means a family living in a particular area will be casting its votes at two or more separate polling stations.”

He added that, while cumbersome, NADRA’s errors would take less time to fix as compared to the time it would take to verify and register voters in flood-hit areas. However, the election commissioner could not elaborate on whether they would correct NADRA’s data on CNIC holders before the electoral rolls were rectified.

“Besides NADRA, we also collect data from district administrations and registration is also carried out by the staff and hired staff of the ECP itself,” he said.

ECP member Justice (retd) Roshan Essani told the gathering that verification teams have begun work in flooded areas from where water is receding.

Haphazard lists

Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari, PPP workers and residents of Qasimabad and rural tehsils of Hyderabad complained of omissions of their areas’ voters from the rolls. They also claimed that voters in the City and Latifabad tehsils of Hyderabad have been duplicated.

“Voters of union council 1 of the City tehsil are also registered in union council 2 which is a clear case of the doubling of votes,” Bhurgari told The Express Tribune. He alleged that the issue is most common in the City and Latifabad lists.

The two tehsils are considered Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) strongholds while the Qasimabad and rural Hyderabad tehsils always return Pakistan Peoples Party members.

The 2011 electoral roll draft has around 1.13 million voters in Hyderabad – up from 922,214 in 2007.

“The list is likely to have more names after the omissions are sorted out,” Aijaz Anwar Chauhan, assistant election commissioner, assured The Express Tribune.

The MQM, on the other hand, had its own objections. A member of the party’s zonal committee complained about the increase in the number of voters in Qasimabad. However, MQM MPA Suhail Yousuf intervened, saying that the party has no oppositions to an increase or decrease in voters in any part of the city.

PPP’s Roshan Solangi, meanwhile, explained the population surge in Qasimabad by pointing out the number of people migrating into the town from Latifabad, City and other districts. Qamar Din Lakho of PPP’s rural Hyderabad tehsil made a surprising revelation – 15,000 people from his area who filled out NADRA forms for CNICs back in 2008 are still waiting for their cards.

“We re-registered all of them again in 2010 only to be told that any applicant with a duplication of data cannot be issued the CNIC.”

Mukhtiar Korejo, a resident of Jamshoro district, informed the ECP officials that their staff has yet to reach 20 per cent of the district’s population that lives in mountainous areas.

Source http://tribune.com.pk/story/271310/voter-verification-election-commission-blames-nadra-and-floods-for-delay/

Benazir always believed in policy of reconciliation: Bhayo

Member Central Executive Committee (CEC) of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sardar Wahid Bakhsh Bhayo has said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto (BB) always believed in the policy of reconciliation and forgiveness.

President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari is a realistic person, who is pursuing BB’s unfinished mission of developing the country and providing employment opportunities to youths, he expressed these views in an exclusive interview with Daily Times at the State Guest House, Karachi.

He said that following the incarceration and hanging of father at the hands of a military dictator, BB experienced an unstable period, which was further aggravated by the untimely death of her brother Shahnawaz Bhutto, a murder that still remain shrouded in mystery.

Bhayo further said that for 11 years of the dictator’s regime, BB lived away from her people and motherland. “Despite living abroad for all this time, she still had complete acquaintance with her party’s affairs at central, provincial and district level. If any party leader ever expressed reservations against the other, her decision remained acceptable to all concerned”, he said.

Bhayo said it was her vision to accommodate the party workers and their families, who dedicated their lives for the democracy and party, adding, “It was her utmost desire and aspiration to compensate them commensurate to their sacrifices.”

Responding to a question regarding the no-confidence move against PPP government in 1993, Bhayo said that after the martyrdom of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB), the country witnessed the grim era of Zia’s Martial Law spanning over 11 years during which PPP’s leadership and workers were subjected to hardships and state repression.

As PPP took over the government in 1988, it failed to fulfil the pledges made with the masses and the fate of this term remained not different from the previous one, he added.

Every member of national & provincial assemblies, senators and party leaders had their own agenda to follow, which resulted in the dissolution of the government at the hands of their own nominated President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari in a short span of two and half years.

To a query, Bhayo said BB changed her mindset just after the removal of PPP’s second government in 1996. “She decided to sit in the opposition and regularly attended the National Assembly sessions. Being an opposition leader, she fought against a heavy mandate holding government,” he said.

“She was distressed after the removal of her second government, especially when her husband Asif Ali Zardari was put behind bars. BB herself faced several fake corruption cases and her family’s life went into total disarray, when she remained away from her children,” he said.

Bhayo said BB realising the ground realities and political culture of the country, decided to settle for a reconciliation process with her archrival Nawaz Sharif to foil conspiracies of establishment against democracy.

According to Bhayo’s observation, when BB returned to Pakistan on Oct 27, 2007, she had a completely changed mindset. Her attitude and speeches depicted a determination on her part for a fight against the anti-state, anti-people and anti-democratic forces through democracy,

The forces inimical to the people and democracy realising the changed attitude of BB decided to eliminate her through a well-hatched conspiracy, he added.

Commenting over the failure of present PPP government to end miseries of poor and downtrodden masses, he said it was a mere misperception of party’s rivals.

The present government inherited most of the problems from global crises and the financial crisis that not only affected this part of the world but also developed countries like United Stated and United Kingdom, he said.

Bhayo pointed out that the PPP government did not terminate services of ordinary workers and instead provided further employment opportunities to the needy, reducing the unemployment rate. Thousand of people rendered unemployed by the previous governments were reinstated during the current PPP government, he added.

He said that the government had been establishing new powerhouses along with several other projects so as to curtail the power shortage issue being faced by the country.

Commenting over the long debated honour killings (Karo-Kari) issue, he said it was a hype-up created by so-called human rights & non-governmental organisations and civil society, adding, they were merely interested in generating revenue by raising this issue.

He said, the issue was entirely Islamic and its salvation lies within ‘Qazi Courts’ which could be constituted to resolve the issue. If the courts had been constituted to provide swift justice, Karo-Kari issue would have been buried, he added.

Replying to a question, he said the people of Balochistan and Sindh, especially upper Sindh, had confidence in ‘Jirgas’ because they provided swift justice at their doorsteps without any hurdles and advocacy expenses.

Ironically, our prevailing judicial system had been very sluggish and people had been compelled to seek justice from ‘Sardars’ or ‘Waderas’.

Recollecting his first meeting with ZAB, Bhayo remained silent for a moment and then said it was in 1972 when he and Mir Murtaza Bhutto were studying at the Aitchison College Lahore. “It was dusk when I and Murtaza returned from the playground. He sat in the lawn and I was walking towards the hostel block when I saw a man in full-suit. He asked, “Hi young man do you know Murtaza and where is he now?”

I replied, “We were playing together but he is now having a nap, but I will soon bring him. After that ZAB, Murtaza and I went to a shop for a tea”, he added.

When ZAB was the prime minister, Bhayo invited him for a meeting with the student union of Maryland University on his visit to US, which was accepted and that was the first time he met BB.

Sardar Wahid Bakhsh Bhayo was born on Oct 15, 1954 in the home of Sardar Muhammad Jagan Khan Bhayo situated in a small village of district Shikarpur. He was enrolled in his village’s primary school but soon his father passed away and he got himself enrolled in the Grammar School, Quetta where he passed his primary level education. In 1973-74 Bhayo completed his High School studies from the Aitchison College Lahore. He then went to the University of Maryland, US to complete his Graduation in Business Administration.

Source http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\25\story_25-7-2011_pg12_9