KARACHI, July 14: Former members of the National Assembly belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have deplored the continuous electricity crisis in Karachi and Hyderabad and demanded of the Sindh governor to intervene in the matter.
In a statement on Saturday, they said that the citizens were facing a severe power crisis after the rain on Thursday, but the agencies concerned in the two cities had failed to provide any respite to them, showing a criminal negligence.
They pointed out that the power shortage was also causing short supply of water.
Abduction case against SSP
KARACHI: New Karachi
Industrial Area police registered a case against some
leaders and activists of Sipah-e-Sahabah Pakistan (SSP)
on Saturday for attempting to abduct a Sunni Tehrik (ST)
activist. The ST Unit in charge of Sector 5-F, Muhammad
Salim lodged a complaint, vide FIR No 65/2001, stating
that some SSP workers tried to kidnap him from Shahji
Hotel in Khameso Goth. He also complained that the
abductors severely tortured him when he offered
resistance. He nominated SSP leader Ilyas Zubair and
Naimatullah, Shahid, Tariq, Bilal Shehzad, Ikhlaq and
Kashif, as accused. No arrest was, however, reported till
late on Saturday night.
Dacoits attack Khawaja Khizer shrine
SUKKUR: A gang of
dacoits on Saturday attacked the shrine of Khawaja Khizer
and kidnapped
31 people came there to offer Fateha. About 25 dacoits
entered the premises of Khawaja Khizer shrine at Bhakkhar
Island and on gunpoint kidnapped 31 followers and boarded
them on a boat in the Indus River. Later, the dacoits
released 26 hostages and took away with them five
persons, including Anwer Rajput, a shopkeeper of Sukkur,
Mumtaz Shoro, Ghulam Ali Bhambhro, Abdul Waheed Ansari,
Lecturer of Islamia College, and Ghulam Muhammad Maher.
Al-Khalid tank to be handed over to Army on 20th
ISLAMABAD: The first
batch of 15 Al-Khalid tanks, indigenously developed by
the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), will be handed over to
Pakistan Army on July 20.
It has indeed been a
result of relentless efforts during the eight years of
development by HIT. The tank stands well matched with the
most modern contemporary tanks around the globe.
According to sources at the HIT, it meets all our defence
requirements for the foreseeable future and is a great
leap forward in the quest to achieve an impregnable
defence for the country.
Supported by the modern
image stabilised fire control system with capabilities
for day and night operations, Al-Khalid is a welcome
addition to the country's defence. The firepower of
Al-Khalid includes a 125mm smooth bore chrome plated gun,
stabilised sights for commander and gunner, thermal
imaging system for target, auto tracking of moving
targets, hunter killer capability, automatic ammo loading
and co-axial and anti aircraft machine gun.
Al-Khalid has all the
protection by installing composite armour, explosive
reactive armour, thermal and smoke screen system, nuclear
biological and chemical protection, fire extinguishing
system and explosion suppression system.
PESHAWAR: Women being forced not to contest polls
PESHAWAR, July 14: Female candidates in Shangla and Upper Dir districts are under severe pressure and threat from religious and other elements, asking them to withdraw their nomination papers filed for fifth phase of local bodies elections.
While in Upper Dir, where religious and political parties had entered into agreements, religious elements in Alpuri tehsil of Shangla have also signed agreements, barring women from participating in the electoral process.
In both these districts the elements averse to female participation in the election have given different edicts, stating that in the light of Islamic teachings females were not entitled to cast their votes.
They claimed that participation of females would result in promoting vulgarity and obscenity in the area. The inhabitants of Alpuri had asked the females who have filed nomination papers to withdraw their papers otherwise face the consequences.
Last date for filing of nomination papers was 14th and now the returning officers concerned have been scrutinising these papers. Elections for fifth phase of local bodies polls will be held on Aug 9.
In Shangla district there are 24 union councils. Against reserved seats for females 189 candidates have filed papers of which 50 candidates have been elected unopposed.
During fourth phase of elections agreements were made in Lower Dir and even club-wielding supporters of different jehadi groups were present in courts, threatening females not to file papers. Due to this reason only eight females got elected from Lower Dir during last phase of elections.
A member of the District Coordination Committee (DCC), functioning for maximum participation of females in the local bodies elections in different districts, told Dawn that they had been facing threats from religious elements in Alpuri tehsil.
He claimed that during Friday sermons the clerics announced names of DCC members, stating that these people were agents of anti-Islamic forces. Moreover, they claimed that the females who had filed their nomination papers would promote vulgarity in he area.
The DCC member stated that despite their repeated requests the concerned quarters including the provincial government and Election Commission had not taken any step for containing activities of these forces.
Another member of DCC from Upper Dir told Dawn that on the one hand these religious parties had been fielding female candidates in districts like Peshawar, Nowshera, Kohat, etc on the other in Lower and Upper Dir and Shangla districts they had been declaring female elections violative to Islamic teachings.
Our Mingora Correspondent adds: Political and religious parties of Shangla district have unanimously decided to bar women from taking part in the forthcoming local bodies elections.
An all-party conference was held in Alpuri, district headquarters of Shangla, some 90 km from here, on Friday, which was attended by activists of different parties. Among the participants were the former members of the provincial assembly, Zahir Shah Khan of Pakistan Muslim League, Dr Afsarul Mulk, district president of the Pakistan People's Party, Shangla; Pir Mohammad Khan, former provincial minister, etc.
The conference decided that proposers and seconders of forms of women candidates would not come to the offices of returning officers on the day of acceptance or rejection of forms.
A local journalist told this correspondent that a committee had been formed, on the occasion, to arrange withdrawal of nomination papers filed by women candidates, and report to the Awami Jirga in this regard.
He said those who addressed the conference, vowed not to allow women even to cast their votes as it was against the tradition and custom of the Pukhtoons.
It may be mentioned here that in Shangla, there are some 189 women candidates for 144 reserved seats. Fifty of them have already been elected unopposed.
Taliban reject degrees from private varsities
KABUL: Taliban on
Saturday said degrees from private Afghan universities,
such as those in neighbouring Pakistan and Iran, would
not be recognised by the regime. Taliban Deputy Minister
of Higher Education Mohammad Muslim Haqani said that a
private university in Pakistan had recently claimed it
had struck a deal with the militia for its degrees to be
officially recognised here. But he said that the claims
were little more than "a way of cheating Afghan
students", who needed "essential basic Islamic
education". Degrees from regular foreign
universities were acceptable, Haqani said.