ISLAMABAD: Yousaf Raza Gillani, former Prime Minister, senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and joint candidate of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for Senate elections from Islamabad on Monday has met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
According to details, both the leaders discussed strategy for the elections in the upper house of the Parliament. They also deliberated upon the ongoing political situation in the country.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ex-chairman Senate Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and others were also present on the occasion.
Talking to media after the meeting, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed satisfaction over Yousaf Raza Gillani and hoped for his victory in the Senate elections. It will be an honor if PPP leader becomes chairman of the upper house of the Parliament after winning the polls, he added.
Meanwhile, Yousaf Raza Gillani said that the democratic powers will be succeeded in Senate elections. No contact has been made with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen, he stated.
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday offered full support to PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari for Yousuf Raza Gilani, the PDM’s joint candidate for the Senate polls from Islamabad.
Nawaz assured Zardari of his party’s support in a telephone call between the two leaders. Former president then told Gilani to speak to the PML-N supremo separately.
Apart from the Senate elections, the two leaders also spoke about the PDM’s upcoming long march to Islamabad.
Gilani had earlier been named as the PDM’s joint candidate from Islamabad.
The PTI had tried to block Gilani’s bid for the Senate seat through the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). They had asked the body to reject the nomination papers of the former prime minister on the basis of his earlier disqualification from office.
However, the ECP had rejected the objection raised by the PTI and accepted Gilani’s papers.
Gilani has been proposed as a candidate by former PPP prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. His candidature was seconded by former PML-N prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Gilani, who was prime minister from 2008 till 2012, had been removed from office after he was convicted by the SCP for contempt of court. The campaign against him had been spearheaded by the PML-N.
The SCP had handed down a symbolic punishment lasting less than a minute to Gilani and disqualified him from holding public office.
ISLAMABAD: Hidden cameras installed around the federal capital’s famed Margalla Hills have caught five leopards roaming around in the rugged terrain.
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has warned people who trek in the Margalla Hills to return before dark as five leopards have been sighted while one was seen walking on tracks used by humans thrice over the past week.
A common leopard was spotted at 5:37am on January 31, with the IWMB’s cameras successfully capturing images of the rare breed. Moreover, a female leopard named ‘Shehzadi’ — or ‘Princess’ — was spotted thrice between Trails 4 and 6 in the last five days.
Five different leopards have been spotted in Margalla Hills National Park since 2019.
IWMB Chairperson Rina Saeed Khan said the gate to the Trail 4 would be closed in the evening — at Maghrib time — and a gate to the Trail 6 would be installed soon.
Citizens were advised to return from the tracks before dark lest they run into trouble.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Human Rights launched its annual performance report 2020 at an interactive media engagement session held in Islamabad.
The report highlights significant initiatives undertaken to protect and promote rights of women, children, persons with disabilities, transgenders, and other vulnerable population groups.
The report also includes chapters on the Ministry’s progress in projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP); special initiatives launched to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic; and well as the engagements of the Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari.
Speaking at the session, Minister Shireen Mazari emphasized the progress the Ministry has been in terms of strengthening grievance redressal mechanisms including the establishment of the 1099 national helpline application as well as the Zainab alert on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal for missing children.
Video animations developed by the Ministry to raise awareness about these initiatives as well as the recently launched Human Rights Resource Portal were also showcased at the event.
Minister Shireen Mazari also emphasized the progress of the Ministry of Human Rights in terms of overcoming gaps in legislation to ensure that the rights of citizens, particularly the vulnerable, are protected.
Recently, the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance 2020 was enacted to protect the rights of women who have been victims of gender-based violence.
The amendment to include child domestic labour as a form of hazardous activity under schedule I of the Employment of Children Act 1991 is also an important legislative milestone.
She further spoke about the Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act and the ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act that were enacted in 2020.
Finally, she spoke about special initiatives undertaken to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
This included upgrading the 1099 helpline, an extensive awareness campaign targeting vulnerable social groups, and special research undertaken including a policy brief on the Gendered Impact and Implications of COVID-19 in Pakistan, and a comprehensive report on “COVID-19 and Disaster Vulnerabilities in Pakistan: A human rights-based analysis.”
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani nation has once again come together in solidarity and concern after a 6.4.-magnitude earthquake hit several cities of the country late Friday night.
Citizen, politicians, and celebrities took to Twitter and sent heartfelt prayers for all those living in the affected areas.
According to reports, tremors were felt in Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Mardan, North Waziristan, Swat, Multan, Sargodha, Faisalabad, and Lahore.
The tremors were also felt in Killa Abdullah, Pishin, Toba Achakzai, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Dir, and Chitral.
As per the Seismological Centre, the depth of the earthquake was measured at 80km into the ground. Citizens have been advised to be careful as the aftershocks of the earthquake are expected.
PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz took to the micro-blogging website and prayed for people’s safety and “hoped” that everyone was safe.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis also prayed for everyone’s safety.
Singer Fakhr-e-Alam prayed and asked people to be careful of aftershocks.
Similarly, Shafqat Amanat Ali hoped everyone was safe in Pakistan and across the border.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman also joined hands with others and prayed for the nation.
ISLAMABAD: The Asian Study Group (ASG), Islamabad is organizing a session on understanding and appreciating the rich carpet-weaving traditions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran on Saturday 13 February.
Can you tell a Bokhara from a Chobi? Why is knot density so important? What is the symbolism behind the intriguing patterns? What are the points to look for when carpet buying?
The session will address these and many other questions related to the traditional craft.
Geographically, ‘oriental’ rugs are made in an area referred to as the “Rug Belt”, which stretches from Morocco across North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia and the Subcontinent.
Carpets and rugs have been an integral part of cultures of origin.
Defined as a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes, they may be pile or flat woven and composed of various materials such as silk, wool, or cotton.
Examples range in size from pillow to large, room-sized carpets, and include carrier bags, floor coverings, decorations for animals, and prayer rugs.
Ashok Kumar –a professional in the field- will share his expertise on the complexities of the rich art of carpet weaving and purchasing.
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has urged the international community to pay attention to the gross and blatant human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
He was addressing a photography and cultural exhibition organized in Islamabad on Thursday to pay tribute to the Kashmiris resilience in their just struggle for right to self-determination.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the diplomats should visit Azad Kashmir and the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir to assess the ground realities and judge for themselves as to what the people want there.
The Foreign Minister said Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is under military siege over the last eighteen months. He hoped the new US administration which is talking about human rights protection will stop ignoring the ground realities in the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He expressed the confidence that the OIC and the EU will also play their role in this regard.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Kashmir is not an internal matter of India. He said the dispute has been on the agenda of Pakistan-India talks in the past whilst the UN Security Council has held three discussions on it in the wake of 5th August 2019 illegal Indian steps in the valley.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan wants to resolve this dispute through dialogue and peaceful manners as there is no military solution to it. He said Pakistan did not vitiate the environment and the one who did it needs to create an environment for engagement.
In his remarks, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said Kashmir is heaven on earth but India has turned it into a hell through its brutal acts.
He said Pakistan will continue to stand by their Kashmiri brothers and sister till they get their inalienable right to self-determination in line with the UN Security Council resolutions. He pointed out that Prime Minister Imran Khan has forcefully raised Kashmir dispute at all the forums. He said these efforts have not gone unnoticed. He said the world community must take cognizance of the Indian ill will and evil designs to usurp the rights of Kashmiri people.
President Azad Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan said India has unleashed cultural invasion in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Mosques, shrines and the language of Kashmiri people is under attack in the valley. He said the holding of photography and cultural exhibition is very timely to highlight the plight of oppressed Kashmiri people.
ISLAMABAD: Talks between a government committee and representatives of the federal government employees protesting for a raise in salaries a day earlier have reportedly been successful.
A delegation of the government employees has been assured of a 20 per cent increase in their salaries and the release of all arrested government employees.
A notification for it is expected today (Thursday).
The talks took place at Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak’s house.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid confirmed news of the talks on Twitter. He has instructed the Islamabad administration to release all arrested employees immediately.
Khattak, Ahmed and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan participated in the talks on behalf of the government.
The federal government employees were demanding a raise in their salaries and had gathered on Wednesday after their leader Rehman Bajwa and nine others were arrested overnight.
Following the arrests, the government workers in the federal capital had announced they would march towards the Parliament House from Pakistan Secretariat for their demands and the release of their leaders.
The police had resorted to tear gas shelling after they made a move towards the Parliament. The protesters at one point had also encircled Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz.
At one point the protesting employees also closed the doors to the secretariat bringing the government machinery to a halt.
At least two dozen protesting employees were taken into custody under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).
The government employees were protesting against the income disparities between various federal government employees. They have been demanding a 40% increase in their salaries.
The protesters have received support from government employees over grade 17, who have also demanded an increase in their salaries.
The All Pakistan Clerks Association and government employees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh are also supporting the protest.
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police have temporarily halted the ongoing operation against protesting government employees in a bid to disperse the crowd which was moving towards the Parliament House located at the Constitution Avenue.
The protesters have gathered around D chowk as well as China chowk, while Islamabad authorities have blocked the way towards the Parliament with containers.
Demonstrators started bypassing the containers because of which the police once again had to resort to tear gas shelling to disperse them. Because of the tear gas, some police and Rangers personnel also had to retract for a while.
The protestors have demanded that the containers be removed or else they would remove it themselves.
The federal government employees are demanding a raise in their salaries and had gathered today after their leader Rehman Bajwa and nine others were arrested overnight.
Following the arrests, the government workers in the federal capital had announced they would march towards the Parliament House from Pakistan Secretariat for their demands and the release of their leaders.
The police had resorted to tear gas shelling after they made a move towards the Parliament. The protesters at one point had also encircled Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz.
At one point the protesting employees also closed the doors to the secretariat bringing the government machinery to a halt.
At least two dozen protesting employees were taken into custody under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).
The government employees were protesting against the income disparities between various federal government employees. They have been demanding a 40% increase in their salaries.
The protesters have received support from government employees over grade 17, who have also demanded an increase in their salaries.
The All Pakistan Clerks Association and government employees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh are also supporting the protest.
Meanwhile, Speaking on the matter, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that the government dealt with the protesters “correctly” and that it was the demonstrators that had “gone back on the agreement.”
“We dealt with this correctly we are increasing the salaries of 95% of employees at an average of 40%,” the minister said.
Rasheed blamed the protestors for going back on the agreement they had made with the federal ministers. He claimed that the government had agreed to increase the salaries of the government employees from grade 1-16.
He said when the government was about to issue the notification in this regard, the protesters demanded that the salaries of employees from grade 17- 22 should also be increased which, he said, will add the burden of billions of rupees to the exchequer.
The interior minister also claimed that the protestors have the support of the officers. He also refused to the demand of increasing the salaries of provincial officers, clarifying that it was not in the domain of the federal government.
“The matter will be resolved [if] they go back to their initial demands,” said the interior minister.
BEIJING: A special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plane with the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine doses reached Islamabad today (Monday).
China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi during a phone call with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi last week had promised to provide 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Pakistan by January 31.
Beijing had asked Islamabad to send an airplane to get the vaccines.
Later, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying had also confirmed that in order to support the brothers and sisters in Pakistan, the Chinese government would provide a batch of vaccines as aid and would actively coordinate with the relevant Chinese enterprise to speed up export of vaccines to Pakistan.
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), which oversees Pakistan’s coronavirus response, had sent the special aircraft to bring the vaccine that Beijing had promised to provide.
The NCOC has taken necessary steps to store the vaccine in Islamabad and onward supply to various federating units particularly to Sindh and Balochistan through the air.
It has also set up a vaccine nerve center with the provincial and district level vaccine administration and coordination and adult vaccination centers.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Pakistan have been working together to overcome difficulties.
Pakistan has approved two foreign anti-coronavirus vaccines as of now, including the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, for emergency use in the country.
Pakistan plans to provide vaccines to frontline health workers and elderly people in the first phase.
