By Muhammad Kazim
Published: September 26, 2011
Pakistani Shiite Muslims shout slogans against the killing of community members in Quetta on September 21, 2011. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA: The division bench of the Balochistan High Court heard the suo motu case of the Matsung incident on Monday.
Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Essa and Justice Mohammad Asim Kakkar were hearing the case of the Mastung attack in which at least 26 people were killed last week.
(Read more: 29 killed in Mastung, Quetta ambushes)
Advocate General of Balochistan, Mr Amanullah Kanrani appeared before the bench and submitted a report on behalf of the Balochistan government.
Kanrani said a high power committee has been constituted under the Home Department, which will investigate the security lapses that resulted in the death of 26 people.
He also added that the number of police and security officials have been increased in the province to improve the security situation.
Kanrani also told the court that no pilgrim can go to Iran without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the Home Department of the province. After being issued an NoC, adequate security arrangement will be made for the pilgrims, he said.
The investigation of this matter has been taken from the levies force and given to the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
The court said the government should take this matter seriously and that an experienced officer should be appointed for the investigation of this case.
The Express Tribune
Comment by Gorgh
It is sadening to hear that AG Balochistan impose an act / demand from people which directly or indirectly mean subjucation of rights of the people guranteed to them by the Constitution of Pakistan; further griefing is that, the demand of such document (NOC) is made before Chief Justice of High Court, who is supposed to be the custodian of the Constitution of Pakistan. One wonder, was the imposition of NOC on people is studied, was its repercussion / future implications analysed/assessed. What course of action will be adopted for people proceeding for performance of Umra & Hajj. Do they also req to obtain NOC for the performance of Umar & Hajj to Saudi Arabia ( Mecca) from Home Dept of Govt of Balochistan besides getting Visa for the purpose.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Meeto Award: First Afghan female mayor awarded for her work
ISLAMABAD:
Azra Jafari, the first female mayor in Afghanistan, was awarded the Meeto Memorial Award (MMA) at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Thursday for her work.
People from different countries of South Asia attended the award ceremony, which was organised by the MMA trust in collaboration with NGOs Rozan and Sungi. Asma Jahangir, General Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association, and Hameeda Hossain, women rights’ activist from Bangladesh, were also present at the occasion.
Jafari was chosen for the award because of her work and commitment towards social development. In December 2008, after being appointed the major of Nili, she became the first female mayor in Afghanistan.
The first MMA was given in 2009 to Anusheh Anadil, a Bangladeshi singer and peace activist, during an award ceremony in New Delhi. The 2010 MMA award was given to Akeela Naz from Pakistan.
The award was set up in the memory of Meeto (Kamaljit Bhasin-Malik), an Indian scholar and activist.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.
Azra Jafari, the first female mayor in Afghanistan, was awarded the Meeto Memorial Award (MMA) at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Thursday for her work.
People from different countries of South Asia attended the award ceremony, which was organised by the MMA trust in collaboration with NGOs Rozan and Sungi. Asma Jahangir, General Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association, and Hameeda Hossain, women rights’ activist from Bangladesh, were also present at the occasion.
Jafari was chosen for the award because of her work and commitment towards social development. In December 2008, after being appointed the major of Nili, she became the first female mayor in Afghanistan.
The first MMA was given in 2009 to Anusheh Anadil, a Bangladeshi singer and peace activist, during an award ceremony in New Delhi. The 2010 MMA award was given to Akeela Naz from Pakistan.
The award was set up in the memory of Meeto (Kamaljit Bhasin-Malik), an Indian scholar and activist.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.
Mastung incident: BHC takes suo motu notice of atrocity
By Shahzad Baloch
Published: September 22, 2011
Ethnic Hazara women hold placards during a demonstration in Quetta on September 21 to condemn the attack. PHOTO: REUTERS
QUETTA:
Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday took suo motu notice of the Ganjidori incident in which 26 Shia pilgrims were killed in an attack on a passenger bus on September 20. The hearing will begin on September 26.
The chief justice took note of the incident following appeals from civil society members after reports on the incident were published in local and national media. The passengers were forced to disembark the bus and were shot dead in cold blood. The court observed that the incident has spread terror among the people of Balochistan and traumatised a segment of society.
The court has issued notices to the government of Balochistan through secretary home and tribal affairs, and the federal government through the interior secretary, provincial police chief, inspector general Frontier Corps, commissioner Kalat division, deputy commissioner Kalat and director general Levies.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has decided to form a wing of the Anti Terrorism Force (ATF) exclusively to provide security cover to the Hazara community in Quetta.
The decision was taken following the targeted killing of 26 pilgrims in Mastung. Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) personnel and police with anti-terrorism training will be recruited for the wing.
Hazara Town and Marriabad are two Hazara populated townships in the provincial capital where the government has decided to deploy the special force. “It has been observed that the Hazara community is being subjected to targeted killings and bomb blasts, thus the government has decided to provide them adequate security,” said Balochistan Home Secretary Naseebullah Bazai.
“Private transporters who provide transportation to pilgrims from Quetta to Iran had already been directed to get themselves registered with the provincial home department. The law already exists at the federal level by which transporters must first inform the government if they provide transportation to pilgrims.”
Shia Muslims usually travel from Quetta to Iran through private transport companies and mostly without any security cover. “It is unfortunate that the killings have intensified. Therefore, the government is compelled to adopt strict security measures,” Bazai added.
Another decision under consideration was to deploy personnel of Federal Levies along the borders of Afghanistan and Iran. “There are 3,000 personnel of Federal Levies and they will be posted along the borders and highways as we cannot deny the fact that cross border activities have caused much damage to peace in the province,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.
Published: September 22, 2011
Ethnic Hazara women hold placards during a demonstration in Quetta on September 21 to condemn the attack. PHOTO: REUTERS
QUETTA:
Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday took suo motu notice of the Ganjidori incident in which 26 Shia pilgrims were killed in an attack on a passenger bus on September 20. The hearing will begin on September 26.
The chief justice took note of the incident following appeals from civil society members after reports on the incident were published in local and national media. The passengers were forced to disembark the bus and were shot dead in cold blood. The court observed that the incident has spread terror among the people of Balochistan and traumatised a segment of society.
The court has issued notices to the government of Balochistan through secretary home and tribal affairs, and the federal government through the interior secretary, provincial police chief, inspector general Frontier Corps, commissioner Kalat division, deputy commissioner Kalat and director general Levies.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has decided to form a wing of the Anti Terrorism Force (ATF) exclusively to provide security cover to the Hazara community in Quetta.
The decision was taken following the targeted killing of 26 pilgrims in Mastung. Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) personnel and police with anti-terrorism training will be recruited for the wing.
Hazara Town and Marriabad are two Hazara populated townships in the provincial capital where the government has decided to deploy the special force. “It has been observed that the Hazara community is being subjected to targeted killings and bomb blasts, thus the government has decided to provide them adequate security,” said Balochistan Home Secretary Naseebullah Bazai.
“Private transporters who provide transportation to pilgrims from Quetta to Iran had already been directed to get themselves registered with the provincial home department. The law already exists at the federal level by which transporters must first inform the government if they provide transportation to pilgrims.”
Shia Muslims usually travel from Quetta to Iran through private transport companies and mostly without any security cover. “It is unfortunate that the killings have intensified. Therefore, the government is compelled to adopt strict security measures,” Bazai added.
Another decision under consideration was to deploy personnel of Federal Levies along the borders of Afghanistan and Iran. “There are 3,000 personnel of Federal Levies and they will be posted along the borders and highways as we cannot deny the fact that cross border activities have caused much damage to peace in the province,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.
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