Thursday, June 17, 2021

Music Video - Billie Eilish - bad guy

Video Report - New book aims to show the diversity of Iran

Video Report - Can the US and Russia reset their relationship?

Video Report - Why the Supreme Court ruled to save Obamacare

Video - Lemon reacts to 14 Republicans voting against Juneteenth holiday

Video Report - President Biden Signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act Into Law

Bilawal to write to ISI chief, drawing attention to agency's 'defamation' due to attacks on journalists

 




PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday said he would write a letter to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to bring to his notice "how his institution is being defamed" through attacks on journalists.

He made the comment during a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Human Rights which was also attended by several journalists including Absar Alam, Matiullah Jan, Hamid Mir, Asad Toor and Asma Shirazi.

Alam also tweeted the announcement later, saying: "In the backdrop of the attacks against journalists and the wave of fear and horror among Pakistanis, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will write a letter to DG ISI [Lt] Gen Faiz Hameed to make him aware of the seriousness of the situation and the damage caused to the respect of the institution."

During the meeting of the committee, Bilawal, who is also its chairperson, also directed the interior ministry to submit a list of treason cases and cases registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016 against journalists, bloggers and vloggers so far.

Absar Alam case

A police official informed the committee that footage of the attack on Alam was sent to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) but no progress had been made yet.

The official also said that the CCTV footage was "obtained through great difficulty" and it was blurred. A special investigation team had been formed to look into the incident, he added.

A similar statement was also made by the interior special secretary who told the committee he would brief them after receiving a response from Nadra.

Bilawal expressed concern at the attacks on journalists in the federal capital, saying embassies from all over the world were functioning in Islamabad.

"A negative message is sent to the whole world because of such incidents. The interior ministry should take this matter to its final conclusion," the PPP chairperson said.

Members of the committee also expressed resentment at Nadra's unresponsiveness, questioning what the institution was doing.

PTI MNA Ataullah, who is also part of the committee, pointed out that the footage was sent to Nadra two months ago but no report had been received yet. "Would it (Nadra) have taken this much time to report if an attack had happened on the interior minister or chairman Nadra?" he asked.

The interior special secretary objected to Ataullah's question, saying it was "not appropriate to talk this way". Thereafter, a war of words broke out between the MNA and the special secretary with both criticising the other. However, things calmed down after MNA Mohsin Dawar and another member intervened.

'50 attacks since 2018'

Bilawal asked the police officials present how many attacks against journalists had taken place in Islamabad so far and how many were properly investigated.

The officials responded that 50 attacks had been reported since 2018, 44 of which were of a personal nature. Of these 44 cases, challans of 20 had been submitted, five had been dismissed and 19 were under investigation, they added.

There were six high-profile attacks against journalists, they told the committee.

Bilawal said that if any institution was involved in attacks against journalists, it was condemnable and if the name of the institution was being "used wrongly", then it was also condemnable.

A briefing was also given on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill, 2021, which was presented in the National Assembly last month by the secretary for human rights.

The secretary informed the committee that an autonomous commission would be constituted under the proposed bill. Four members of the commission would also be from the journalist community while four members would be from press clubs established in provinces.

The bill would help in taking practical steps for the protection of journalists, the secretary added.

'Most attacks happened in Naya Pakistan'

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Bilawal thanked all the journalists who had participated in the meeting but noted that "no satisfactory answers" were given by police and government officials.

"We are thankful that the secretary and police officials presented themselves here today and gave answers. Unfortunately, we're not satisfied. The most attacks [on journalists] in Islamabad happened not in Ziaul Haq's era, not in [Gen Pervez] Musharraf's era but in Naya Pakistan. This is not only condemnable but is also a violation of the Constitution," he said.

He shared that a sub-committee had been formed that would not only regularly engage with the journalists who had been attacked and pursue the cases but would also review the journalists' protection bill.

"I expect that after this deliberation, we will get a more powerful bill which will be in your (journalists) favour."

https://www.dawn.com/news/1629909

British-Pakistani AHMADI MUSLIM lawyer elected the next chief prosecutor at ICC

 

  • Khan, 50, currently heads a United Nations investigation into war crimes committed by Daesh in Iraq
  • At ICC he will decide the next steps on investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan and the 2014 Israel-Palestinian conflict in Gaza

 

British-Pakistani lawyer Karim Khan has been elected the next chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), the court's governing body announced on Saturday.

Khan, 50, currently heads a United Nations investigation into war crimes committed by Daesh in Iraq.

He is succeeding Gambian judge Fatou Bensouda and will begin his nine-year term at the court in the Hague in June.

"Mr. Karim Khan (United Kingdom) has been elected in the second round as the next ICC Prosecutor. Warm congratulations!" O-Gon Kwon, president of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC, said in a Twitter post.


Mr. Karim Khan (United Kingdom) has been elected in the second round as the next ICC Prosecutor. Warm congratulations! Thank you all for your hard work!! The result can be found at asp.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/asp/e

Khan has previously worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

At the ICC he will decide the next steps on investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan and the i2014 Israel-Palestinian conflict in Gaza.

The ICC is the only permanent intergovernmental body that investigates crimes against humanity.

https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1808526/pakistan

 

پاکستانی امریکی لینا خان امریکہ کی سب سے کم عمر فیڈرل ٹریڈ کمشنر بن گئیں

 


کاروباری اور تجارتی قوانین کی پاکستانی نژاد امریکی ماہر لینا خان نے سینیٹ سے نامزدگی کی منظوری کے بعد امریکہ کے فیڈرل ٹریڈ کمشنر کی حیثیت سے حلف اٹھا لیا ہے۔

امریکہ کے صدر جو بائیڈن نے اس سال مارچ میں لینا خان کوٖ فیڈرل ٹریڈ کمیشن کی سربراہی کے لیے نامزد کرتے ہوئے کاروبار کے میدان میں اینٹی ٹرسٹ قوانین پر ان کی مہارت، تجربے اور اسکالرشپ کا حوالہ دیا تھا۔

32 سالہ لینا خان امریکی فیڈرل ٹریڈ کمیشن میں شامل ہونے والی سب سے کم عمر رکن اور کمیشن کے اب تک مقرر کئے گئے رہنماؤں میں سب سے کم عمر چئیرپرسن ہیں۔ اسی وجہ سے ان پر بعض ریپبلکن حلقوں کی جانب سے اعتراض بھی کیا گیا ہے۔

امریکہ کا فیڈرل ٹریڈ کمیشن ایک آزاد ادارہ ہے جس کی ذمہ داریوں میں کاروبار میں ناجائز طریقوں اور فراڈ کو روکنا اور صارفین کے حقوق کی حفاظت کرنا شامل ہیں۔

امریکی سینیٹ نے اس ہفتے لینا خان کی نامزدگی کو اکثریتی ووٹ سے منظور کیا تھا۔

لینا خان کا شمار امریکہ میں کاروباری شعبے میں اینٹی ٹرسٹ قوانین اور اجارہ داری جیسے اہم پہلووں کے ماہرین میں ہوتا ہے۔ وہ ٹیکنالوجی کمپنیوں کے کچھ کاروباری طریقہ کار کی نمایاں نقاد بھی ہیں۔

اس سے قبل لینا خان کولمبیا لا سکول میں قانون کی ایسوسی ایٹ پروفیسر کے طور پر خدمات انجام دے رہی تھیں۔ انہیں کاروباری شعبے میں اینٹی ٹرسٹ قوانین کے علاوہ انسداد اجارہ داری کی روایت اور انفراسٹرکچر کے شعبے کی صنعتوں سے متعلق قوانین میں تدریسی مہارت حاصل ہے۔

انہیں اینٹی ٹرسٹ قوانین پر تحقیق اور آرٹیکلز تحریر کرنے پر متعداد انعامات سے نوازا گیا ہے ۔کاروباری قوانین کے متعلق ان کے مفصل مضامین امریکہ کے ممتاز تعلیمی اداروں ییل، ہاورڈ اور کولمبیا یونیورسٹی کے لا جرنل، کولمبیا لا ریویو اور شکاگو لا ریویو سمیت کئی اشاعتوں میں چھپ چکے ہیں۔

وہ امریکہ کے ایوان نمائندگان میں اینٹی ٹرسٹ قوانین اور تجارتی اور انتظامی قوانین سے متعلق سب کمیٹی برائے انصاف کی مشیر بھی رہ چکی ہیں۔ اس کمیٹی کی وکیل کے طور پر انہوں نے ڈیجیٹل مارکیٹس پر تفتیش میں اہم کردار ادا کیا۔

قبل ازیں انہوں نے سابق ڈیموکریٹک ٹریڈ کمشنر روہیت چوپڑا کے دفتر میں قانونی مشیر کے فرائض بھی انجام دیے۔ وہ اوپن مارکیٹس نامی انسٹی ٹیوٹ کی قانونی مشیر بھی رہ چکی ہیں۔ انہوں نے ییل لا سکول اور ولیمز کالج سے قانون کی ڈگری حاصل کی۔

لینا خان نے طالب علمی کے دوران ہی کاروباری قوانین سے متعلق حلقوں میں اس وقت ممتاز مقام حاصل کیا، جب 2017 میں انہوں نے'ایمیزوں کے اینٹی ٹرسٹ پیراڈاکس' کے عنوان سے ایک مضمون لکھا، جس میں کاروباری شعبے سے متعلق قوانین کے نفاذ اور قانون شکنی سے متعلق بات کی گئی تھی۔ اس مضمون میں انہوں نے یہ نتیجہ اخذ کیا کہ اینٹی ٹرسٹ قوانین کی خلاف ورزیوں کا تعین صارفین کو پہنچنے والے نقصان کی بنیاد پر کیا جاسکتا ہے۔

لینا خان کے والدین پاکستان سے تعلق رکھتے ہیں، جب کہ وہ لندن میں پیدا ہوئیں.
وہ گیارہ سال پہلے اپنے والدین کے ہمراہ 2010 میں امریکہ میں مستقل سکونت اختیار کرنے کے لیے آئیں اور قانون کے شعبہ میں اعلی تعلیم حاصل کی۔


https://www.urduvoa.com/a/lina-khan-federal-trade-commissioner/5931245.html

Imposing a 17% sales tax on dairy products when Pakistan’s poverty rate is 40% is equivalent to killing our children – says Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

 

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called out Prime Minister Imran Khan for attempting to hide the facts of the “poor enemy budget” by silencing the voice of the opposition. He asserted that no matter what tactics the PTI government stooped to, PPP will reveal the truth regarding the Budget 2021-2022 to the people.


In a statement issued from the Media Cell Bilawal House, the Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari declared that using abusive language and hurling insults will not save Imran Khan from the public’s wrath. “Imran Khan set the minimum wage at Rs 20,000 and then imposed a tax of Rs 700 billion. What does this say about the country’s development?” questioned Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Revealing the true face of Imran Khan’s “Tabdeeli,” Chairman PPP stated, “In one year, there has been a 17% reduction in the income of the common man and a 25% rise in the prices of food utilities. It’s absolutely disgraceful that in a country where one in three children suffer from malnutrition, the incompetent PM has imposed a 17% sales tax on milk and allied products,” he said.

Chairman PPP further stated that imposing a 17% sales tax on dairy products when Pakistan’s poverty rate is 40% is equivalent to killing our children. “This is the price the people of Pakistan have to pay for Imran Khan’s ‘change,'” he pronounced.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the increase in flour, oil, and electricity prices and said that the puppet Prime Minister has brought a tsunami of inflation on the nation.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/25129/