Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Suman Kumari becomes first Hindu woman judge to be appointed in Pakistan
SAJJAD HUSSAIN
Pakistan appointed Suman Kumari as a civil judge serving in the Qambar-Shahdadkot district.
Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge, according to a media report.
Suman, who hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her native district.
She passed her LLB. examination from Hyderabad and did her masters in law from Karachi’s Szabist University, Dawn reported.
According to Pawan Kumar Bodan, her father, Suman wants to provide free legal assistance to the poor in Qambar-Shahdadkot.
“Suman has opted for a challenging profession, but I am sure she will go places through hard work and honesty,” the father said.
Her father is an eye specialist while Suman’s elder sister is a software engineer and another sister is a chartered accountant.
Suman is a fan of singers Lata Mangeshkar and Atif Aslam.
This is not the first time that a person from the Hindu community has been appointed as a judge. The first judge from the Hindu community was Justice Rana Bhagwandas, who served as the acting chief justice for brief periods between 2005 and 2007.
Hindus make up nearly 2 per cent of Pakistan’s total population and Hinduism remains the second largest religion in Pakistan after Islam. – PTI
Exclusive: Canada Offers Asylum To Pakistani Christian Woman Formerly On Death Row
By Amardeep Bassey
Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who spent eight years on death row in Pakistan for blasphemy, is moving to Canada after accepting an offer of asylum by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, HuffPost UK can reveal.Asia Bibi spent eight years on death row in Pakistan on blasphemy charges, after she was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.
The news comes as Pakistan’s top court today rejected a challenge to the acquittal of the mother-of-five on blasphemy charges, after she was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.
The Supreme Court upheld its decision to overturn Asia Bibi’s conviction and death sentence sparking fears of civil unrest which plagued her release last year.
Bibi is expected to land in Canada this week to join two of her daughters, who were secretly flown out earlier this month.
Wilson Chowdry, of the British Pakistani Association, told HuffPost UK: “I can confirm that Asia Bibi will be flown out to Canada very, very soon and be joined in Canada by the rest of her family in due time.“Canadian diplomats have confirmed they are making the necessary arrangements as we speak and she is looking forward to her new life in a new country.”Chowdry, a close friend of the Bibi family who travelled the world trying to secure her asylum, said Bibi was moving to a secret and “relatively remote” part of Canada.He said: “Justin Trudeau himself has been personally involved in making sure Canada accepts Asia and her family.“Security concerns are still paramount. Even in Canada, Asia’s life is in potential danger.” Bibi, a farm labourer, was released from prison two months ago after Pakistan’s highest court acquitted her in a landmark decision.
Last month a delegation from the British Pakistani Christian Association visited Canada and garnered support from MPs there, who said they would welcome Asia and her family to the country.
The Trudeau government has the support of Canada’s opposition Conservative Party, who have urged him to “use every mechanism at his disposal to offer the Bibi family asylum”. In November Trudeau told reporters while in Paris: “There is a delicate domestic context that we respect which is why I don’t want to say any more about that, but I will remind people Canada is a welcoming country,” he added.Bibi spent years in solitary confinement after an argument with a group of Muslim women in June 2009, who accused her of insulting the Prophet Muhammad. But in October Pakistan’s supreme court overturned her conviction, saying the case against her was based on flimsy evidence.Her acquittal sparked violent protests across the country, led by Islamic religious hardliners from the extremist group Tehreek-e-Labaik, whose leaders were later arrested and detained on terrorism and sedition charges.
Days after her release, Bibi’s husband Ashiq Masih made an impassioned video plea to Theresa May asking for asylum in the UK.
But her appeal for sanctuary was controversially denied by the UK’s home office because of fears that British embassies and their staff would be targeted by Islamic extremists as a result, HuffPost UK revealed at the time. Several countries had reportedly offered Bibi asylum, including France, Spain, Holland, Germany, Italy and Australia.Wilson revealed Bibi and her family had spent Christmas together in a “safe and secret location” adding that a core of “international diplomats” were guarding her.A spokesman for Global Affairs in Canada said: “Canada welcomes the acquittal of Asia Bibi and looks forward to seeing a positive resolution to the case. We are focused on ensuring the safety of Asia Bibi and her family.The Supreme Court upheld its decision to overturn Asia Bibi’s conviction and death sentence sparking fears of civil unrest which plagued her release last year.
Bibi is expected to land in Canada this week to join two of her daughters, who were secretly flown out earlier this month.
Wilson Chowdry, of the British Pakistani Association, told HuffPost UK: “I can confirm that Asia Bibi will be flown out to Canada very, very soon and be joined in Canada by the rest of her family in due time.“Canadian diplomats have confirmed they are making the necessary arrangements as we speak and she is looking forward to her new life in a new country.”Chowdry, a close friend of the Bibi family who travelled the world trying to secure her asylum, said Bibi was moving to a secret and “relatively remote” part of Canada.
He said: “Justin Trudeau himself has been personally involved in making sure Canada accepts Asia and her family.
“Security concerns are still paramount. Even in Canada, Asia’s life is in potential danger.”
Bibi, a farm labourer, was released from prison two months ago after Pakistan’s highest court acquitted her in a landmark decision.
Last month a delegation from the British Pakistani Christian Association visited Canada and garnered support from MPs there, who said they would welcome Asia and her family to the country.The Trudeau government has the support of Canada’s opposition Conservative Party, who have urged him to “use every mechanism at his disposal to offer the Bibi family asylum”. In November Trudeau told reporters while in Paris: “There is a delicate domestic context that we respect which is why I don’t want to say any more about that, but I will remind people Canada is a welcoming country,” he added.Bibi spent years in solitary confinement after an argument with a group of Muslim women in June 2009, who accused her of insulting the Prophet Muhammad. But in October Pakistan’s supreme court overturned her conviction, saying the case against her was based on flimsy evidence. Her acquittal sparked violent protests across the country, led by Islamic religious hardliners from the extremist group Tehreek-e-Labaik, whose leaders were later arrested and detained on terrorism and sedition charges.
Days after her release, Bibi’s husband Ashiq Masih made an impassioned video plea to Theresa May asking for asylum in the UK.
But her appeal for sanctuary was controversially denied by the UK’s home office because of fears that British embassies and their staff would be targeted by Islamic extremists as a result, HuffPost UK revealed at the time. Several countries had reportedly offered Bibi asylum, including France, Spain, Holland, Germany, Italy and Australia.Wilson revealed Bibi and her family had spent Christmas together in a “safe and secret location” adding that a core of “international diplomats” were guarding her.A spokesman for Global Affairs in Canada said: “Canada welcomes the acquittal of Asia Bibi and looks forward to seeing a positive resolution to the case. We are focused on ensuring the safety of Asia Bibi and her family.
“We cannot comment further at this time.”
9 Killed in Suicide Attack on #Pakistan Police Complex
Authorities in Pakistan say a suicide militant raid against a police facility Tuesday in southwestern Balochistan province killed at least nine people and injured 21 others.
A military statement said three bombers carrying guns assaulted the Deputy Inspector General Police office compound in Loralai at a time when about 800 candidates were present inside for enrollment in the provincial police.
One of the assailants blew himself up at the main gate, enabling the other two attackers to storm the crowded complex and take positions in one of the rooms before Pakistani security forces engaged them in a firefight.
“During the clearance operation remaining two suicide bombers have been shot dead and [the] area has been cleared,” the army said. It added that the rest of the candidates were safely evacuated during the operation. The victims were airlifted to Quetta, the provincial capital, about 200 kilometers north of the site of the attack.
The outlawed extremist Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for staging the deadly raid. This was the second attack this month against a security installation in Balochistan claimed by the militant outfit.
On January 1, three gunmen, including a suicide bomber, raided a military installation in another district and killed four security forces.
The violence-hit largest Pakistani province, which shares a border with Afghanistan and Iran, has seen a rise in militant attacks in recent months.
Balochistan is home to several under-construction China-funded infrastructure projects, and it is a natural resource-rich region. But a low-level Baluch insurgency and the presence of militant groups, including loyalists of Islamic State, pose security challenges for Pakistani authorities.
https://www.voanews.com/a/suicide-attack-pakistan-balochistan-police-complex/4764006.html
READY FOR LONG MARCH TO SAFEGUARD 18TH AMENDMENT, IF NEEDED: BILAWAL BHUTTO
The PPP chairman was addressing media, after the inauguration of a medical college in Gambat.Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said on Tuesday that his party is ready to safeguard the 18th Amendment of the Constitution and if needed, a long march will be held to let it remain intact.
Bilawal said that the party will appeal against the decision on the 18th amendment. “Will not let them snatch away the hospitals in Sindh”.
During his address, Bilawal Bhutto said that in New Pakistan, he challenges Prime Minister Imran Khan to build a medical college similar to the one inaugurated today.
“In the last budget, people such as PM Imran’s sister received relief but none was given to the poor,” said the PPP chairman.
Bilawal said that the way PM Imran is running the parliament is counter-productive for the country.
Bilawal said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had dismissed Imran’s father on the basis of corruption. “Bhutto was the first elected prime minister and he was the one who introduced the concept of one individual, one vote,” said the PPP chairman.
He said that the country and the province of Sindh is facing multiple challenges but now it will be possible for the poor to get their treatment in Sindh.
https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/81078-ready-for-long-march-to-safeguard-18th-amendment-if-needed-bilawal-bhutto.html
Pakistan blasphemy case: Aasia Bibi's acquittal upheld, she's free to leave
The three-judge panel of the country's Supreme Court said the arguments of the lawyer acting on behalf of the petitioners did not satisfy the judges.
Radical Islamists had demanded the court reverse its Oct. 31 acquittal and execute Bibi, who spent eight years on death row and has remained under guard at a secret place since her acquittal.
Following that decision last year, radical religious parties took to the streets to protest, calling for the killing of judges who acquitted her and for the overthrow of Prime Minister Imran Khan's government. They also filed a last-minute appeal for a review of the Supreme Court acquittal. The protests were spearheaded by the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik party, whose single point agenda is protection of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.Bibi, who always insisted that she was innocent, had said she would leave the country as soon as her legal battles were over. Her lawyer, who fled the country after receiving death threats, returned to Pakistan for the final review.
The blasphemy law and its backers
Bibi's case goes to the core of one of Pakistan's most controversial issues -- the blasphemy law, often used to settle scores or intimidate followers of minority religions, including minority Shiite Muslims. A charge of insulting Islam can bring the death penalty.
But the accusation on its own is sometimes enough to whip up vengeful mobs, even if the courts acquit defendants. A provincial governor who defended Bibi was shot and killed, as was a government minority minister who dared question the blasphemy law.
Bibi's ordeal began on a hot day in 2009 when she brought water to fellow farmhands who refused to drink from the same container as a Christian woman. Two of her fellow farmworkers argued with Bibi and later accused her of insulting Islam's prophet Mohammad. Bibi has steadfastly denied the charge.
Since her acquittal Bibi has spent her days in seclusion for fear of being targeted by angry mobs clamoring for her death. In her hideout, protected by Pakistani security, she has longed for her children, speaking almost daily to her daughters in Canada, according to a friend who was interviewed by The Associated Press. He asked not to be identified fearing reprisal from radical religious groups.
Following protests that accompanied her acquittal, the authorities arrested radical clerics Khadim Hussain Rizvi and Mohammad Afzal Qadri, both leaders of the Tehreekk-e-Labbaik Party, and several of their followers for destroying public property during rallies against Bibi and for inciting their followers to violence. The clerics and the others remain in custody.
The cleric petitioning the court for Bibi's return to death row, Qari Salam, is linked with Rizvi's Tehreek-e-Labbaik party.
Rizvi's party said Monday it will not accept any decision in favor of Bibi's release and asked its followers to prepare for more mass protests. Pakistani police have stepped up security around the Supreme Court in Islamabad ahead of its decision Tuesday.
آسیہ بی بی کی بریت کے خلاف نظر ثانی اپیل مسترد - #ChiefJustice #AsifSaeedKhosa #Dismisses #Plea #AsiaBibi
سپریم کورٹ آف پاکستان نےمسیحی خاتون آسیہ بی بی کی بریت کے خلاف نظر ثانی اپیل مسترد کردی ۔
سپریم کورٹ نے گزشتہ سال 31 اکتوبر کو توہین رسالت کیس میں سزائے موت پانے والی آسیہ بی بی کی سزا کالعدم قرار دے کر ان کی رہائی کا حکم دیا تھا۔
آسیہ بی بی کی سزا کالعدم قرار دینے اور رہائی کے خلاف قاری محمد سلام نے عدالتِ عظمیٰ میں نظر ثانی اپیل دائر کی تھی۔
چیف جسٹس آف پاکستان جسٹس آصف سعید کھوسہ کی سربراہی میں جسٹس قاضی فائز عیسی اور جسٹس مظہر عالم میاں خیل پر مشتمل سپریم کورٹ کے تین رکنی بنچ نے نظرثانی اپیل پر فیصلہ سنایا۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/603356-sc-rejects-review-petition-against-asia-bibi-acquittal
#ChiefJustice #AsifSaeedKhosa #Dismisses #Plea #AsiaBibi #Acquittal #SupremeCourt - Asia Bibi: #Pakistan’s top court upholds blasphemy acquittal
Asia Bibi, the Christian farm labourer who spent eight years on death row in Pakistan for blasphemy, is expected to leave the country after the supreme court upheld her acquittal.Christian woman who spent eight years on death row free to leave country.
The court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to October’s ruling brought by an extreme Islamist party, which led violent protests across the country in the autumn and called for Bibi to be killed.
Bibi, who has been held at a secret location since her death sentence was overturned, may be flown out of the country within hours. Two of her children are reportedly already in Canada, which has offered Bibi asylum.
The supreme court’s decision will be welcomed by Christian and human rights campaigners, who have lobbied western countries to offer sanctuary to Bibi, her husband and five children.
Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, one of a three-judge panel that considered the petition, said: “Based on merit, this review petition is dismissed.”
In a statement, Amnesty International said Bibi should be free “to reunite with her family and seek safety in a country of her choice”.
But Hafiz Ehtisham Ahmed, an Islamist activist linked to the extremist Red Mosque in Islamabad, said Bibi may not be safe wherever she goes. “She deserves to be murdered according to Shariah. If she goes abroad, don’t Muslims live there? If she goes out of Pakistan … anybody can kill her there,” she told AFP.
The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, which was formed to defend Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and which led violent protests demanding Bibi’s execution after her acquittal, called on Tuesday for its members to be ready for action.However, most of its leaders are in detention after a government crackdown, and there were few protesters at the court in Islamabad.Bibi was sentenced to death in 2010 in what swiftly became Pakistan’s most infamous blasphemy case. She had been accused by Muslim villagers of insulting the prophet Muhammad in a row over a cup of water.
Blasphemy is a highly inflammatory issue in Pakistan, where even unproven accusations of insulting Islam can spark lynchings. Human rights activists say blasphemy charges are frequently used to settle personal scores.
After the supreme court overturned her conviction, cities across Pakistan were paralysed for several days by violent demonstrations with enraged extremists calling for her beheading.
In a deal to end the violence, the government, led by the prime minister, Imran Khan, struck a deal allowing the petition seeking an appeal against the supreme court’s judgment. Khan was accused of capitulating to the extremists’ demands.