INDIA: Homosexuality illegal: SC

http://www.thehindu.com/

In a major setback to gay activists, the Supreme Court on Wednesday held that homosexuality or "unnatural" sex between two consenting adults under Section 377 Indian Penal Code would be an offence and this provision did not suffer from any constitutional infirmity.

A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadaya in its judgment allowed a batch of appeals challenging the Delhi High Court judgment decriminalising Section 377 of IPC between two consenting adults. The court had reserved verdict on March 27, 2012 after marathon arguments since February 15, 2012 from counsel for the appellants, the Attorney General G. E. Vahanvati and others arguing for and against the judgment. The Bench while setting aside the High Court judgment, however said it would be open to the government to accept the recommendations of the Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati either to delete Section 377 IPC from the statute book or bring in appropriate amendments.

After the initial flip flop by the Centre in opposing the High Court judgment and changing its stand later, during the arguments the Attorney General maintained that the Centre had decided not to file any appeal against the High Court judgment. He said Section 377 of the IPC “insofar as it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private” (prior to striking down by the Delhi High Court) was imposed upon Indian society due to the moral views of the British rulers.”

Mr. Vahanvati had said “the introduction of Section 377 in the IPC was not a reflection of existing Indian values and traditions, rather it was imposed upon Indian society by the colonisers due to their moral values. The Indian society prevalent before the enactment of the IPC had a much greater tolerance for homosexuality than its British counterpart, which at this time under the influence of Victorian morality and values in regard to family and the procreative nature of sex.” Parents of gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgenders told the court that the Delhi High Court judgment decriminalising IPC Section 377 between two consenting adults should not be interfered with. It was argued on their behalf that Section 377 created a sense of fear among them which was against their right to life and liberty guaranteed under the Constitution. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Apostolic Churches Alliance (ACA) had strongly opposed the Delhi High Court judgment.

INDIA: Visitors from Pakistan have to be vaccinated for polio

India on Wednesday announced it would be mandatory for all persons adults or children travelling to the country from Pakistan to furnish proof of vaccination against polio from January 30 next year.

"The step is being taken to safeguard India's polio-free status attained after sustained efforts and investment," said a statement from the Indian High Commission here.

"It is applicable to all travellers from all countries where polio disease is endemic or where cases of polio are reported," it said.

Travellers from Pakistan will be required to carry their vaccination record because evidence of polio vaccination will be requested for entry into India.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only three countries where polio remains endemic. The new measure will also apply to Indian nationals travelling to and from countries where polio is endemic.

Travellers should take Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) at least six weeks before their departure to India but not more than a year before the trip, the statement said. Record of taking OPV should be obtained from an authorised medical centre in the format laid out in the International Certificate of Vaccination?of the World Health Organisation's International Health Regulations of 2005.

Once administered, the vaccine remains effective for a year, after which it should be taken again.

The number of polio cases in Pakistan has touched 63 this year, up five from the whole of last year. Militants and gunmen frequently attack vaccination teams, accusing them of being Western spies and part of a plot to "sterilise" Muslims.

The WHO recently said polio that crippled 13 children in Syria was caused by a strain of the virus that originated in Pakistan and is spreading across the Middle East. Genetic sequencing showed the strain found in Syrian children was linked to a strain of Pakistani origin found in sewage in Egypt, Israel and Palestinian territories.In June last year, the Pakistani Taliban banned polio vaccinations in parts of the lawless tribal belt, saying the restriction would last till US drone strikes cease.

Since then, at least 260,000 children in North and South Waziristan regions have not been vaccinated against polio.

Farzana Naz - Pashto Song: Mina Kho Jannana Po Kabul Ke

US 'Nowhere Near' Decision to Pull All Troops Out of Afghanistan

http://www.voanews.com/

The Obama administration is “nowhere near” deciding to pull out all troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, a top U.S. official said on Tuesday, despite mounting frustration that President Hamid Karzai has not signed a security deal allowing the military to remain there after next year.

“I have no doubt that the [bilateral security agreement with Afghanistan] ultimately will be concluded,” Ambassador James Dobbins, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

While Dobbins said that an ongoing delay in finalizing the deal - which U.S. officials had hoped Karzai would sign weeks ago - would impose “damages and costs” on Afghans, he said the Obama administration was not on the verge of abandoning its effort to extend its troop presence.

“We're nowhere near a decision that would involve our departing Afghanistan altogether,” he said.

The administration has been urging Karzai to sign the bilateral security agreement (BSA) it negotiated with Karzai's government. The deal would permit the U.S. to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond the end of 2014 to support Afghan forces and conduct limited counterterrorism activities. After Afghan elders and politicians endorsed the pact last month, Karzai surprised Washington by introducing new conditions for his signature. If no deal can be finalized, Washington has said it will withdraw its entire force of 47,000 troops in a little over a year. Other NATO nations are likely to follow suit. The absence of foreign troops would likely dampen donor nations' willingness to fund Afghan troops and provide civilian aid.

“My judgment is no troops, no aid, or almost no aid,” Dobbins said. If security conditions were to worsen sharply, he said, United States could conceivably even close its embassy in Kabul.

There are fears that the Taliban and other militants ultimately could regain strength, the central government could founder, and Afghanistan be plunged anew into civil war. The possibility of a full withdrawal of foreign forces is already having a dangerous impact on Afghanistan, Dobbins said, as people pull money out of the country, property prices fall and the Afghan currency slips in value. Larry Sampler, a senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development, told senators that it would be more difficult to find ways to carry out promised civilian assistance for impoverished Afghanistan without a security deal and a foreign troop presence.

‘Colonial’ Pressure

As U.S. frustrations with Karzai become increasingly public, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made a surprise visit to Kabul last weekend. However, in an unusual move, he opted not to meet with Karzai.

In an interview with French newspaper Le Monde, Karzai accused the United States of applying 'colonial' pressure on him to sign the pact and said Dobbins suggested during a recent visit to Kabul that without a security agreement there would be no peace.

The Obama administration has not yet said precisely how many troops it would leave in Afghanistan after 2014 if a deal is finalized that would fight a Taliban that remains a potent, if diminished, force, Senator John McCain, a Republican, pressed Dobbins for clarity on how many soldiers would be left in Afghanistan post-2014, and said announcing future troops levels might persuade Karzai to sign.

“By not doing so you're making a very, very serious mistake,” McCain said.

He said the Obama administration risked repeating the course of events in Iraq, where U.S. officials halted efforts to seal a security deal with Iraq in late 2011, prompting the full withdrawal of U.S. troops at the end of that year. Violence in Iraq is now at its highest level in at least five years; more than 8,000 people have been killed so far in 2013, according to the U.N.

Afghanistan: Kabul Airport Targeted, No Casualties

http://www.tolonews.com/

A car full of explosives detonated north of Kabul Airport on Qasaba Road Wednesday morning, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI). The blast took place around 8:00am near the military entrance entrance to Kabul airport, the Ministry's statement said. Deputy Interior Minister Gen. Mohammad Ayub Salangi said there were no casualties reported and the area has been blocked off by security forces with investigations underway. The incident took place while Afghan President Hamid Karzai was due to arrive from South Africa. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujaheed claimed responsibility for the attack and said in a statement that a dozen German soldiers were killed and wounded in the attack. The Afghan Interior Ministry rejected the Taliban spokesman's claim. ISAF said on Twitter that it is aware of the explosion near Kabul Airport, but that more information would not be released until later.

Pakistan: Karakoram University’s Shia students rusticated for holding Youm e Hussain (AS)

Biased administration of Karakorum International University rusticated 3 Shia students for life and another 2 for 3 years for their only “sin” that they played leading role to hold Youm-e-Hussain (AS) in the University on Tuesday. Shiite News Correspondent reported here that biased administration of Karakoram International University did not allow the students to hold Youm-e-Hussain (AS) that was to be held to highlight the sacrifices of Imam Hussain (AS) and his comrades in Karbala.

After having been disappointed by repeated refusal to their request, the students held Youm-e-Hussain (AS) on Wednesday. The Yazidi nasbi takfiri elements of outlawed fanatic terrorist outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba staged demonstration outside of the university against the Youm-e-Hussain (AS). It appeared that Yazidi elements got supporters inside the university who rusticated Jamal Haider, President ISO, KIU chapter, Syed Waqar Hussain, President, JSO, KIU Chapter and Sherullah, vice president of the ISO KIU chapter for life. Ex divisional president of the ISO namely Ayub Ansari and Imtiaz Hussain were rusticated for two years. The rustication evoked countrywide opposition and condemnation from Sunni and Shia parties and leaders who demanded of the university administration to rescind their decision.

Pakistan's Shia Genocide: Yazidi terrorists flee after Shiites of Quetta came out to retaliate

Yazidi nasbi takfiri terrorists of outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba attacked Shia Muslims, ransacked and torched some shops but they had to take to their heels after Shiites of Alamdar Road came out to retaliate on Wednesday. Shiite News Correspondent reported that outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba’s terrorists attacked Shiites shops, ransacked and torched some shops but Shiites instantly came out of their shops and houses and retaliated. The terrorists fled the scene. Police reached there but took no action against the terrorists. The residents of Alamdar Road said that the terrorists enjoyed provincial government and police’s patronage. Shia parties and leaders have condemned the attack on Shia population in Quetta and demanded that the U.S.-backed Zionists-Wahhabi Deobandi terrorists must be reined in.

Pakistan: Personalisation under the guise of privatisation – by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/

by Bilawal Bhutto

Over a period of time the people of Pakistan have become conditioned to certain economic myths propagated by a powerful conglomerate of industrialists and big business. One of these myths is that Pakistan’s economy is suffering solely because of an inefficient public sector and that privatization is the only solution. This myth has been, and is again being used, to blatantly take forward opaque privatization schemes that will result in national assets being transferred into the hands of a select few, at the expense of the majority, whilst making thousands of Pakistanis redundant in the process. This is crony capitalism at its worst. This nation must not sell off its assets just because this government cannot run these assets properly.

This is a kin to selling all the family silver to pay for a wedding and making no provisions for the child born from this marriage. The current government’s thinking on privatization appears to have only one underlying plan – the creation of a permanent oligarchy that can exploit the state, and the poor people of Pakistan at will. While the thinking may appear brilliant to its architects and their friends, the Pakistan People’s Party and I are committed to stopping any plans based on the personalization of the economy. Personalization under the guise of privatization must be prevented.

Privatization has been successful in many developed countries but at a distinctive point in their economic history. Pakistan, on the other hand, is at a fundamentally different stage in its development trajectory, one at which further privatization will inevitably result in the mass exploitation of the poor, while giving the rich the ability to manipulate state-sanctioned rents in their favor. Unbridled privatization will simply result in the further perpetuation of private monopolies, cartels, and unemployment, and will take us further away from the desirable goal of equitable growth.

The so-called privatization led growth during the previous Nawaz Sharif and Musharraf eras has little to show for it other than increased unemployment, informalisation, and the development of a crony business oligarchy which has now become powerful enough to meddle in and manipulate the democratic vote. The much-vaunted benefits of privatization, namely the transfer of know-how, increased tax-revenue, and sustained private investment in labor-absorbing and productive sectors are missing, and will never come if privatization is forced through at this stage in our development. With about 80% of previously state owned enterprises – especially in large-scale manufacturing, banking, and other services – already privatized, what have we to show for it?

The main argument for privatization, or in the case of this government personalization, seems to rest on the pre-conceived notion that growth can only be achieved through the private sector. That we as a country have no alternative. Yet many of the world’s thriving economies are in countries where there has been an intelligent and effective partnering between the public sector and capital.

China, the second largest economy in the world, has experienced unprecedented economic growth of 9.5% per year over three full decades with the Chinese state remaining the largest shareholder in the country’s 150 biggest companies. Above all the state has undertaken large-scale poverty alleviation work and has reduced socio-economic inequality by providing for the poor.

Our opposition to the privatization of the economy does not mean that we are opposed to the fundamentals of a free market economy. We support the practices of a free market economy where the public and the private sectors are able to work in tandem for the betterment of society. We are for a public sector that sets the standards of good practice in terms of human resource management and protection of employee rights while remaining economically viable. Instead of peddling our assets on the cheap, we need to revisit our approach to the public sector. Instead of privatization we must focus on raising the quality of corporate leadership in the public sector, and promote management led share acquisitions coupled with employee share schemes.

The answer to our current economic malaise lies not in hawking of state-owned institutions but in restructuring these industries and developing effective public enterprise management and providing workers with a genuine stake in any such venture. Successful managements, which have driven similar enterprises successfully either in Pakistan or abroad, should be given the opportunity to take over failing state industries, backed by a mixture of public and private financing.

Similarly, the enormous potential of cooperatives must be unleashed fully, particularly in our agriculture and aquaculture sectors. Through cooperatives smaller farmers and stakeholders can gain access to financing from pooled resources that enable them to increase their productivity. Financial risk alleviation, like insurances and market-driven forward buying, will reduce the risk environment in which farmers operate in Pakistan, and would only be offered by state-driven cooperatives. Such cooperatives can also be extended to bring more land under cultivation and assist in the redistribution to the haris and other landless people of Pakistan.

Only in limited sectors where private capital is extremely difficult to raise should the state opt for limited participation of the private sector in the form of Public Private Partnerships and Private Finance Initiatives. Such enterprises must be crafted carefully and not used as vehicles for the sale of valuable assets to a select few. Any such initiative will only be acceptable to the Pakistan People’s Party if it guarantees worker rights, including jobs, and ensures that eventual ownership will not be transferred from the state. Pakistan belongs just as much to the poor majority as it does to the rich minority. During the last government the Pakistan People’s Party was unable to push through such programmes because we were part of a coalition government, saddled with an economically conservative judiciary that ventured beyond its constitutional mandate and forced a popularly elected government into administrative stasis.

Civil servants carrying out the will of the government were ruthlessly purged or humiliated, and in their place a hostile, conservative and obstructive civil service emerged. Similarly, attempts at broadening the tax-base were fiercely contested by a host of conservative business lobbies. Those same conservative forces of Pakistan, which were instrumental in the restoration of a predominantly conservative judiciary, are now in power. We are the only political force now standing against the pillaging of Pakistan’s resources and the continued exploitation of its masses. We will democratically resist anyone attempting to impose their version of imported economics on Pakistan for personal gain.

یوم نجات 12 دسمبر: پاکستانی قوم چیف جسٹس افتخار چودھری کی ریٹائرمنٹ پر خوش کیوں؟

posted by Sarah Khan

نیوز رپورٹ: بارہ دسمبر پاکستان کی سپریم کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس افتخار چودھری کی ریٹائرمنٹ کا دن ہے اس دن جہاں چیف جسٹس کے کچھ حامی جن

کا تعلق طالبان، سپاہ صحابہ، لشکر جھنگوی، جماعت اسلامی، تحریک انصاف وغیرہ سے ہے اداس ہیں وہیں پاکستانیوں کی کثیر تعداد یوم نجات بھی منا رہی ہے – بی بی سی اور دیگر میڈیا رپورٹس کے مطابق سندھ، بلوچستان، خیبر پختونخواہ، پنجاب اور گلگت بلتستان میں مختلف مذاھب، فرقوں اور قومیتوں سے تعلق رکھنے والے پاکستانیوں کی بڑی تعداد نے 12 دسمبر 2013 کو یوم نجات منانے کا اعلان کیا ہے چیف جسٹس افتخار چودھری مختلف وجوہات کی بنیاد پر پاکستان کی تاریخ کے متنازعہ ترین چیف جسٹس رہے ہیں – نیوز رپورٹس کے مطابق ان سے لوگوں کی ناراضی کی وجوہات حسب ذیل ہیں طالبان اور سپاہ صحابہ کی حمایت: افتخار چوہدری کے دور میں پاکستانی عوام اور فوج کے دشمن گرفتار شدہ تکفیری خوارج دہشت گردوں کو رہا

کیا گیا جن میں ملک اسحاق، خلیفہ عبدالقیوم، خادم ڈھلوں، ملا برادر وغیرہ شامل ہیں – افتخار چودھری کے قریبی رشتہ دار رانا ثنااللہ سپاہ صحابہ اور طالبان کے دہشت گردوں کی سرپرستی کرتے رہے اور ان کے اشارے پر کسی بھی گرفتار شدہ دہشت گرد کو سزا نہیں سنائی گئی ارسلان چودھری کی کرپشن: سموسے کی قیمت پر از خود نوٹس لینے والے اور حکومتی وزرا کو معزول کرنے والے چیف جسٹس نے اپنے بیٹے کی کروڑوں روپے کی کرپشن ہڑپ کر لی اور اس کو کوئی سزا نہیں دی نواز شریف کی خدمت: افتخار چودہری کے دور میں عدالت عظمیٰ پاکستان مسلم لیگ نواز کی حمایت میں کھل کر سامنے آئی – پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے شریک چیرمین صدر مملکت زرداری کے خلاف سیاسی مہم جوئی کی گئی ، وزیر اعظم گیلانی کو معزول کیا گیا لیکن نواز لیگ کے افراد خاص طور پر شریف فیملی کی کرپشن سے پردہ پوشی کی گئی شیعہ نسل کشی اور بلوچ نسل کشی: افتخار چوددھری نے گرفتار شدہ طالبان اور سپاہ صحابہ کے تکفیری دیوبندی دہشت گردوں کے انسانی حقوق کے لئے غائب شدہ افراد کے نام پر سیکیورٹی اداروں کو تنگ کرنے کی کوشش کی لیکن انہی تکفیریوں کے ہاتھوں شیعہ، سنی بریلوی، احمدی اور مسیحی پاکستانیوں کی شہادت پر چپ سادھ لی – بلوچستان میں سیکیورٹی اداروں کے ہاتھوں بلوچ نوجوانوں کی شہادت پر کوئی توجہ نہ دی جنگ گروپ کی خدمت: افتخار چودھری نے جنگ گروپ کے مالک میر شکیل الرحمن سے اپنے ذاتی تعلقات انصار عباسی اور نجم سیٹھی کی وساطت سے مستحکم رکھے اور جنگ و جیو کی ٹیکس چوری اور کرپشن کی پردہ پوشی کی

بی بی سی اردو میں شاہد ملک لکھتے ہیں کہ افتخار چودھری کی بحالی کی تحریک چلانے والے وکلا بھی ان کی ریٹائرمنٹ پر یوم نجات منا رہے ہیں تین نومبر سنہ دوہزار سات میں پاکستان میں ایمرجنسی کے نفاذ کے بعد جسٹس افتخار محمد چوہدری کی چیف جسٹس کے عہدے پر اور اعلیٰ عدلیہ کے دیگر ججز کو بحال کروانے کے لیے چلنے والی تحریک کے کرتا دھرتا افراد شاید افتخار محمد چوہدری کی ریٹائرمنٹ پر اُتنی ہی خوشی محسوس کر رہے ہیں جتنی اُنہیں 16 مارچ سنہ 2009 کو اُنہیں افتخار محمد چوہدری کی بطور چیف جسٹس بحالی پر ہوئی تھی اس عرصے کے دوران وکلا تحریک کے سرکردہ رہنما چیف جسسٹس سے دور ہوتےگئے شاید اس کی وجہ افتخار محمد چوہدری کے ایسے اقدامات ہیں جن پران رہنماؤں کو تحفظات تھے۔ اُن رہنماؤں میں چوہدری اعتزاز احسن ، علی احمد کُرد، جسٹس ریٹائرڈ طارق محمود، سردار لطیف کھوسہ شامل ہیں

سابق گورنر پنجاب سردار لطیف کھوسہ کا شمار اُن افراد میں ہوتا ہے جنہوں نے ججز بحالی کے لیے وکلاء تحریک میں سب سے پہلے اپنا خون دیا۔ اسلام آباد کے شاہراہ دستور پر وکلا کے مظاہرے کے دوران پولیس نے جن کے سر پر سب سے پہلے لاٹھی برسائی وہ سردار لطیف کھوسہ ہی تھے۔ سردار لطیف کھوسہ کہتے ہیں کہ وکلاء نے جس مقصد کے لیے عدلیہ بحالی کی تحریک شروع کی تھی وہ مقصد پورا نہیں ہوا۔ اُنہوں نے کہا کہ اس تحریک کا مقصد افتخار محمد چوہدری کی ذات کی بحالی نہیں بلکہ عدلیہ کو خود مختار بنانا تھا اور خاص طور پر ضلعی عدالتیں جہاں پر لوگ آج بھی انصاف کے حصول کے لیے آتے ہیں جہاں پر اُنہیں اپنا حق لینے کے لیے سالوں بیت جاتے ہیں۔ سردار لطیف کھوسہ کہتے ہیں کہ وکلاء نے جس مقصد کے لیے عدلیہ بحالی کی تحریک شروع کی تھی وہ مقصد شائد پورا نہیں ہوا۔ اُنہوں نے کہا کہ اس تحریک کا مقصد افتخار محمد چوہدری کی ذات کی بحالی نہیں بلکہ عدلیہ کو خود مختار بنانا تھا اور خاص طور پر ضلعی عدالتیں جہاں پر لوگ آج بھی انصاف کے حصول کے لیے آتے ہیں جہاں پر اُنہیں اپنا حق لینے کے لیے سالوں بیت جاتے ہیں۔ اُنہوں نے کہا کہ افتخار محمد چوہدری نے اس عرصے کے دوران جتنا وقت از خود نوٹس لینے اور ریاست کے دیگر اداروں کے امور میں مداخلت میں صرف کیا اتنا وقت وہ ضلعی عدالتوں میں اصلاحات پر صرف کرتے تو شاید آج صورت حال مختلف ہوتی۔ اُنہوں نے کہا کہ سنہ دوہزار سات کی تحریک کے بعد بحال ہونے والی اعلیٰ عدلیہ گذشتہ ادوار سے بہتر ضرور ہے لیکن اس کے اثرات نچلی عدالتوں تک نہیں پہنچے۔ سردار لطیف کھوسہ نے کہاکہ افتخار محمد چوہدری نے ایسے معاملات پر از خود نوٹس یا ایسے مقدمات کی سماعت کی جن کی وجہ سے وہ مقامی میڈیا پر چھائے رہے اور شاید ہی کوئی دن ایسا ہو جس دن اُن کا بیان یا اُن کے ریمارکس پرنٹ اور الیکٹرانک میڈیا کی زینت نہ بنے ہوں۔ ایک سوال کے جواب میں سردار لطیف کھوسہ کا کہنا تھا کہ اُنہیں وکلاء تحریک کا رہنما ہونے پر تو کوئی افسوس نہیں ہے البتہ مایوسی ضرور ہوئی کہ جس مقصد کے لیے اس تحریک کا آغاز ہوا تھا اُس کے ثمرات ابھی تک سامنے نہیں آئے۔ جسٹس ریٹائرڈ طارق محمود کہتے ہیں کہ اُنہوں نے اُس وقت چیف جسٹس کی پالیسیوں سے اختلاف کیا اور اُن پالیسیوں کو تنقید کا نشانہ بنایا جب عدالت عظمیٰ نے پارلیمنٹ اور انتظامیہ کے معاملات میں مداخلت کرنا شروع کی۔ اُنہوں نے کہا کہ اس مخالفت کی وجہ سے اُنہیں مالی نقصان بھی برداشت کرنا پڑا کیونکہ جب اُن کے کلائنٹس کو یہ احساس ہوا کہ طارق محمود چیف جسٹس کی پالیسیوں سے اختلاف ہے تو اُنہوں نے مقدمات واپس لے لیے۔ علی احمد کُرد بھی اُن وکلاء میں شامل ہیں جنہوں نے اس تحریک میں چیف جسٹس کی بحالی کے لیے کارواں کی لمحوں کی مسافت کو گھنٹوں اور پھر دنوں میں طے کیا لیکن افتخار محمد چوہدری کی بحالی کے بعد وہ چیف جسٹس کی عدالت میں پیش نہیں ہوئے۔ کافی عرصے تک گوشہ نشینی اختیار کرنے کے بعد افتخار محمد چوہدری کی ریٹائرمنٹ سے کچھ عرصہ قبل وہ منظر عام پر آئے ہیں۔ چیف جسٹس کے حمایتی وکلا کے گروپ سے علیحدگی کے سوال پر وہ کُھل کر بات نہیں کر رہے۔ تاہم یہ وہ ضرور کہتے ہیں کہ جس مقصد کے لیے اُنھوں نے لاٹھیاں کھائیں اور قید وبند کی صحبتیں برداشت کیں وہ رائیگاں چلی گئیں اور آج بھی لوگ انصاف کے حصول کے لیے دربدر کی ٹھوکریں کھا رہے ہیں۔ ’ چیف جسٹس کے وکلاء حمایتی گروپ سے علیحدگی کے سوال پر علی احمد کرد کُھل کر بات نہیں کر رہے تاہم یہ وہ ضرور کہتے ہیں کہ جس مقصد کے لیے اُنھوں نے لاٹھیاں کھائیں اور قید وبند کی صحبتیں برداشت کیں وہ رائیگاں چلی گئیں اور آج بھی لوگ انصاف کے حصول کے لیے دربدر کی ٹھوکریں کھا رہے ہیں۔ اُنہوں نے کہا کہ وکلا نے عدلیہ بحالی کی تحریک افتخار محمد چوہدری کے لیے نہیں بلکہ عوام کو فوری اور سستے انصاف کی فراہمی کے لیے شروع کی تھی جس کا حصول آج تک ممکن نہیں ہوا۔ علی احمد کُرد شاید گیارہ دسمبر کے بعد جب افتخار محمد چوہدری اپنے عہدے سے ریٹائر ہو جائیں گے، اس پر کُھل کر اپنے جذبات کا اظہار کرسکیں۔ بیرسٹر اعتزاز احسن اور عاصمہ جہانگیر جیسے وکلاء کے سرکردہ رہنما بھی چیف جسٹس کے مخالف گروپ کا حصہ نظر آتے ہیں۔ ان وکلاء رہنماؤں نے بھی اعلیٰ عدالتوں میں ججز کو تعینات کرنے کے لیے نام تجویز کرنے کے چیف جسٹس کے اختیار کو تنقید کا نشانہ بنایا ہے اور کہا ہے کہ جوڈیشل کمیشن کے دیگر ارکان کو بھی نام تجویز دینے کا اختیار ہونا چاہیے۔ افتخار محمد چوہدری کی عہدے پر بحالی کے بعد اُن کا حمایتی سمجھا جانے والا وکلا کا گروپ مسلسل چار سال سے پاکستان بار کونسل اور سپریم کورٹ بار ایسوسی ایشن کے انتخابات میں شکست کا سامنا کر رہا ہے۔ چیف جسٹس کی ریٹائرمنٹ پر چاروں صوبوں کی ہائی کورٹ بار ایسوسی ایشنز اور سپریم کورٹ بار ایسوسی ایشن نے اُن کے اعزاز میں الوداعی تقریبات کا بھی اہتمام نہیں کیا

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Pakistan: The wages of Imran’s ‘sins’

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has been hosted in Islamabad in the midst of ‘some frictions’ in the US-Pakistan relationship. It is the first visit by a US Defence Secretary for four years, a period that saw extreme ups and downs in the two countries’ relations. The current visit takes place in the context of the looming withdrawal of US/NATO forces from Afghanistan next year, with the issue of a residual US presence in that country still a contentious matter between Washington and the Karzai government. Pakistan is considered by all, including the US, as critical to restoring peace in Afghanistan, particularly in the wake of the withdrawal of foreign forces. Pakistan too is, or at least should be, a stakeholder with a deep interest in its own right in peace in Afghanistan, which is likely to affect directly the situation vis-à-vis terrorism inside Pakistan itself. Within this framework, the discussions the US Secretary of State had with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the newly installed COAS General Raheel Sharif have by and large been kept under wraps for their sensitivity, except what was considered kosher for sharing with the public. The information put out was not surprising, given that the respective positions and concerns of both sides are no secret. Whereas Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told Mr Hagel that the drone strikes were counterproductive and hurting the government’s efforts to counter terrorism, by which he meant that the peace dialogue his government wants to conduct with the terrorists was being affected (e.g. the killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud, chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, on the eve of hoped for talks), the US side stated that Mr Hagel wants to tackle the frictions between his country and Pakistan head on. Further, Hagel pressed for keeping the supply routes to and from Afghanistan open otherwise the US Congress may withhold aid to Pakistan. This demand and threat must be seen in the light of the withdrawn statement by Hagel’s aides that the supply route was about to reopen. He also reiterated the long standing US demand that Pakistan stop giving safe havens to the Afghan Taliban on its soil. Nawaz Sharif repeated his government’s support for the Afghan reconciliation process, implying the US side too should perhaps abandon its ambiguity on the issue and come out in support of Pakistan’s reconciliation efforts with its own terrorists.

Chuck Hagel’s aides were forced to withdraw their premature and overly optimistic statement about the restoration of the supply lines because the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) of Imran Khan, whose stoppage of NATO trucks by threatening violence against the truck drivers had caused Washington to announce a stoppage through Pakistan out of concern for the safety of the drivers, had announced a continuation of its disruption of the supply route from Torkham. Since the PTI leads the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, its cadres manning the ‘check posts’ to stop NATO trucks are in no fear of being prevented by the police from their ‘vigilante’ actions. Arguably though, the national highways and the question of allowing or stopping the supply routes lie within the purview of the federal government. But Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N government has been playing on the back foot, presumably so as not to be seen as taking up the cudgels on behalf of the west, particularly the US. But this ‘softly, softly’ approach has meant the provincial (PTI) tail has been allowed to wag the federal dog. If the Imran Khan-led PTI’s stoppage of the US/NATO supply lines costs the country bilateral and possibly multilateral aid, these wages will have been paid squarely because of Imran Khan’s ‘sins’.

Bilawal Bhutto vows to repeal ‘black laws’

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Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Patron-in-Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday signed a pledge of his party, calling for no compromise on people’s rights of liberty, equality, non-discrimination, assembly and speech, and vowed to repeal all “black laws” in the constitution.

Addressing the ceremony of adoption and signing of the human rights pledge by the PPP Human Rights Cell at Chief Minister’s House to mark the International Human Rights Day, Bilawal vowed to repeal all laws in the constitution which were discriminatory against religious minorities of the country. He directed PPP Sindh President and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali to form a ministry at the provincial level that would help safeguard human rights. He said we have laws against hate speech and violence on the basis of religion or sect, and the provincial government should ensure their implementation.

The PPP leader also read out the 18-point pledge which highlights PPP’s intention to make Pakistan a place where all citizens have equal opportunity to succeed, where access to quality education and healthcare is available to all; where discrimination based on race, religion, gender, class, caste and creed is not practised, no one is killed and injured or kidnapped. “The pledge also characterized PPP’s Pakistan, where strongest and weakest have the same access to justice, quality, education and affordable healthcare, where the poorest and the richest will have the same right to prosper, where privatisation of common interest will not become personalisation of wealth, where nature’s bounty shall be distributed to each according to his merit and others.” Addressing the ceremony, the Sindh chief minister said that PPP leaders had always struggled for the poor people of the country. He said Bhutto had termed the PPP party of the poor and Benazir Bhutto had made hectic struggle for the welfare of people in the country but she was martyred. “BB’s martyrdom caused chaos in the country but at that time PPP’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari raised the slogan of long live Pakistan in order to safeguard the country and interests of the common man.”

The chief minister said that Zardari introduced new dimension to politics with his reconciliation policy in which no action was taken against political rivals and they were taken into confidence on every issue. He hoped that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would continue to follow the footsteps of his forefathers. Speaking on the occasion, PPP Human Rights Cell Coordinator and Member of National Assembly Nafisa Shah said that the PPP had empowered people in the country and presence of Fundamental Rights Act in 1973 Constitution was a proof that PPP had always worked for the welfare of humanity, without any discrimination.

“Human Rights Cell was the vision of PPP’s martyred leader Benazir Bhutto and now her son will supervise the matters of the cell,” she said. Other people, including PPP Sindh General Secretary Taj Haider and members of the human rights cell also addressed the ceremony. Several PPP leaders, including Minister for Social Welfare Rubina Saadat Qaimkhani, Coordinator to CM on Human Rights Nadia Gabol and coordinator to CM on Culture Sharmila Farooqui, were also present at the ceremony.

‘Zardari cooperated with UN in BB murder probe’

Heraldo Munoz, writer of the book “Getting Away With Murder – Benazir Bhutto’s Assassination and the Politics of Pakistan” said that former president Asif Ali Zardari cooperated every time the UN commission approached him for investigation.

Talking to Daily Times at the Media Department of George Washington University, Munoz – chief investigator of UN commission which was established to probe Benazir Bhutto’s assassination – said, “President Zardari and PPP government did facilitate us though initially we have faced few difficulties.”

Along with students and US State Department officials, Mark Siegel – close aide and friend of Bhutto family who had also testified in Benazir’s murder trail – attended the second inauguration event of the book at the university. In his book, Munoz, also a former UN assistant secretary noted, “We requested a private conversation with president Zardari to inquire about key facts relevant to our work. He accommodated us on at least two further occasions; our interviews included a lengthy and emotionally charged question-and-answer session at his suite at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Manhattan during his attendance at September 2009 General Debate of UN General Assembly in New York.”

In one of his chapter of the book “The Assassination”, he highlighted that former Inter-Services Intelligence director general Major General Nadeem Taj in a meeting with Benazir Bhutto in early hours of December 27 did convey about a possible terrorist attack against her and urged Ms Bhutto to limit her public exposure and keep a low profile at the campaign rally at Liauqat Bagh later the day.

“Intelligence officers from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates had arrived by private plane in Pakistan the day before, General Taj said, to convey credible information about possible attack, which coincided with the revelation of ISI intelligence regarding terrorist cell in Mardan that might attack her in Rawalpindi,” said Munoz in his 268-page book also carrying Benazir’s picture on the cover.

He further mentioned, “Using communication-interception technology, the ISI had been tracking three separate Pakistani Taliban cells that were supposedly planning to attack Benazir, and the agency already knew about the information coming from foreign intelligence counterparts.”

It is worth noting that Gen Taj responded to a query of Benazir during conversation at her residence in Islamabad on December 27 that: “General Kayani’s policy was that the ISI, from now on, was going to stay out of politics.”

Regarding meeting with former chief of army staff Gen (r) Ashfaq Kayani, Mr Munoz said, “General Kayani considered the performance of Rawalpindi police after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto as ‘amateur’.” The writer quoted General (r) Kayani as saying, “If in 24 hours you don’t completely secure the scene, then you lose the threads to solve a case.”

He said that General (r) Kayani believed that the “Musharraf government’s press conference that had identified Mehsud as the culprit and offered the cause of her death the day following the killing had been ‘premature’. It should not have been done.” In his concluding remarks, Munoz said UN commission was not mandated to pinpoint culprits but broadly al Qeeda and Pakistan’s establishment were responsible for the murder of Benazir Bhutto besides number of other factors. Talking to Daily Times, Mark Siegel refused to offer any comment on the book, saying, “I was one of the persons who testified in Benazir’s murder case so it will not be suitable to make any comment.”

Organic milk may be more heart healthy, study suggests

A new study, published in PLOS One, examined the composition of organic milk versus non-organic milk to determine if there was a nutritional difference. Researchers looked at organic milk nationwide over the course of 18 months. The focus of the study was the balance of omega-6 fatty acids versus omega-3 fatty acids. They showed that, on average over the course of the period of the study, organic milk had 25 percent less of the “bad” fatty acids (omega-6) and 63 percent more of the “good” fatty acids (omega-3). Researchers concluded that consuming organic milk would make significant progress to reaching or maintaining a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid consumption. According to the New York Times, this study is the most clear-cut instance of an organic food’s offering a nutritional advantage over its conventional counterpart. The source of the difference in fatty acid composition comes, in part, from the grazing habits of the cows that are the source of milk. Under government requirements for organic labeling, dairy cows must spend a certain amount of the time in the pasture, eating grassy plants high in omega-3s. Conventional milk comes from cows that are mostly fed corn, which is high in omega-6s. Nonorganic cows that graze in pastures also produce milk with greater amounts of omega-3s. Nutrition experts broadly agree that omega-3 acids offer numerous health benefits. That was the impetus for the United States Department of Agriculture to urge people to eat more seafood when it revised its dietary guidelines in 2010. However, reduction of omega-6 consumption is far more controversial. In ancient times, people ate roughly equal amounts of the two fatty acids. Today most Americans now eat more than 10 times as much omega-6, which is prevalent in certain vegetable oils and thus also fried foods, as omega-3. While omega-6 is essential, some health studies suggest that such a wide disparity is associated with many ills. A shift to drinking organic whole milk along with an increase in consumption of that milk from the currently recommended three servings a day to 4.5 would take a big step to lowering the ratio. However, there would need to be additional adjustments to other portions of the diet to offset the calories from the additional milk fat consumed. In contrast with these findings, last year, a research team from Stanford University found that organic foods showed little evidence of health benefit. Based solely on health, there is not much difference between organic and non-organic food. The main benefit was a 30 percent lower risk of pesticide consumption, though organic foods were not completely pesticide free.

President Obama poses for a funeral selfie and gets chummy with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt but Michelle does not look impressed

http://www.nydailynews.com/

President Obama was caught committing a funeral faux pas — snapping a selfie during Nelson Mandela’s memorial service with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and British PM David Cameron. The threesome smiled as the Scandinavian beauty held her smartphone out to capture the moment but Michelle Obama sat at a distance, as if in disapproval of the digital display.Thorning-Schmidt, 46, was animated as she took her place among the dignitaries in the stands at the FNB stadium in Johannesburg for the somber occasion, chatting with other leaders and unabashedly typing away on her device.The Danish politician, who is married to British executive Stephen Kinnock, appeared particularly chummy with President Obama but Michelle Obama, 49, seemed annoyed at the mingling, looking solemn as she stared intently in the opposite direction and paid attention to the proceedings. As the President laughed away with the Danish leader, at least one photograph shows the First Lady flash a disapproving glare in their direction. Thorning-Schmidt, who has two daughters with Kinnock, is the first female prime minister of Denmark. She assumed office in October 2011. She has met Obama on numerous occasions, including a White House visit in February 2012 and the NATO Summit in Chicago in May 2012. In September, Obama visited with Thorning-Schmidt during his visit to Stockholm, when he also met with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.The Danish leader's selfie went viral on Twitter, with scores of comments on the total lack of propriety shown by the three leaders.

After the hoopla over Obama's pic, a candid snapshot of George W. Bush emerged on his Instagram account — showing him posing with Bono as they sat in the stands for the remembrance. The Obamas were just part of the U.S. delegation to the Tuesday service, accompanied by President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, President Bill Clinton, his wife, Hillary, and daughter, Chelsea,

and President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. Chelsea Clinton, 33, is an avid tweeter, but abstained from accessing the social media website during the event, as did her parents, who also both have Twitter accounts. Laura Bush is also on Twitter but did not post any updates to the website. After the memorial service ended, the Obamas and Bushes boarded Air Force One to return to the U.S.

They were in South Africa for less than 13 hours. Though Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled from the U.S. to Africa onboard Air Force One with the two couples, she did not return home on the President's plane Tuesday night.

Former President Bill Clinton, his daughter Chelsea, 33, and President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were also among the U.S. delegation but they traveled separately.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/president-obama-poses-funeral-selfie-article-1.1543188#ixzz2n8X9itgC

Saudi delegation visits Israel over Iran: Reports

A senior military delegation from Saudi Arabia has visited Israel to discuss a deal recently reached between Iran and the six world powers over Tehran’s nuclear energy program, media reports say.

Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Salman bin-Sultan Al Saud and two other officers secretly visited Israel, according to reports by the Palestinian news portal al-Manar and Israeli radio.

Bin-Sultan, who is the brother of Saudi Arabia’s spy chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, “met Israeli security leaders” and one of the “Israeli military bases accompanied by a senior member of the Israeli staff board”, the al-Manar report said, quoting "confidential sources".

On November 24, Iran and the six world powers -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany -- reached an interim deal to pave the way for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program. In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building measure to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the six countries agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously clashed with US President Barack Obama and other Western countries over last month’s deal with Iran, describing it as a "historic mistake” that is bad for Israel. He added that Tel Aviv would not be bound by it.

On November 17, the British newspaper The Sunday Times reported that Riyadh has given the go-ahead for Israeli planes to use its airspace for possible attacks on Iran over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

Riyadh denied the Saudi-Israeli cooperation in preparation for an attack on Iran's nuclear program.

Iran has repeatedly warned that it will retaliate with its utmost power against any attack on its soil.

Kerry Asks Congress to Hold Off on Any New Sanctions on Iran

http://www.voanews.com/

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has strongly defended the Obama administration's interim deal with Iran on its nuclear program, and asked Congress to hold off on passing any new sanctions on Iran to give ongoing negotiations a chance to succeed. The Senate is sending mixed signals as to whether it will take up a measure to impose new sanctions on Iran before it leaves for recess this year.

For the first time since the agreement on Iran was reached in Geneva last month, Secretary of State John Kerry came to Capitol Hill to address concerns that have been voiced by skeptical lawmakers. Kerry heard plenty of those from both Democratic and Republican members of the House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee. The committee's chairman, Ed Royce, a Republican, said Iran has a history of deceiving the international community about its nuclear program.

"Iran is not just another country. It simply cannot be trusted with enrichment technology, because verification efforts can never be foolproof," said Royce. Kerry argued that the agreement is a big boost to both U.S. national security and the security of close U.S. allies in the Middle East, including Israel.

"Once implemented, this agreement halts the progress of Iran's nuclear program, halts the progress and rolls it back for the first time in nearly 10 years," said Kerry.

Kerry appealed to members of the House and the Senate to hold off any efforts to impose new, tougher sanctions against Iran during the six month period specified in the deal, saying this could derail the process. "Let me be very clear: this is a very delicate diplomatic moment and we have a chance to address peacefully one of the most pressing national security concerns that the world faces today,” said Kerry.

The House already passed tougher sanctions on Iran in July, but the Senate has not. There are mixed signals coming from the Senate. Republican Senator John McCain, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, indicated to VOA that the panel is considering a new sanctions bill.

"[We are] still negotiating, we should have an agreement soon," said McCain.

The Senate Banking Committee is not planning to pursue new sanctions against Iran. For this year, the Senate only has a little more than one week to act before a planned recess.

World bids farewell to Mandela at huge memorial

Around 100 heads of state and thousands of South Africans gathered to honour Nelson Mandela at a memorial service in a Johannesburg sports stadium Tuesday.

• Family, friends, world leaders and religious figures from various faiths all spoke to pay homage to Nelson Mandela in front of the thousands of South Africans who turned out to celebrate the life of the anti-apartheid hero despite pouring rain at the World Cup stadium in Soweto.

• Barack Obama was greeted by wild cheers as he addressed the crowd. The US President said that Mandela was “the last great liberator of the 20th century” and that "we will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again”.

• There was embarrassment for Jacob Zuma when he was booed and jeered by the crowd as he arrived in the stadium and again as he prepared to speak. The South African president has been battling criticism over his government’s handling of various issues, including persisting poverty, crime and unemployment.

• The booing ceased for Zuma's speech, however, during which he underlined Mandela's role as "a fearless freedom fighter" who “laid the foundation for a better life for all”.

• And there was an historic moment as Obama shook hands with Cuban leader Raul Castro, who also spoke at the ceremony. Havana and Washington have not had diplomatic relations since 1961, two years after Raul’s brother Fidel came to power in the Cuban revolution.

President Barack Obama shakes Raul Castro's hand at Mandela memorial service

The US president, Barack Obama, shook hands with his Cuban opposite number, Raul Castro, at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.

The handshake between the two historic enemies came as they attended a ceremony in Johannesburg to celebrate the late South African leader's ability to foster reconciliation. The gesture - which comes despite half a century of hostilities - came as Mr Obama made his way to a podium to deliver a speech. It is only the second time ever that a US president has shaken the hands of a Cuban Communist leader. President Bill Clinton was the first to do so in 2000 after a lunch during a United Nations summit in New York, when he shook hands with Mr Castro's brother, Fidel.On that occasion, the White House initially denied the handshake had taken place but later backtracked, saying it had been instigated by Mr Castro, who had approached Mr Clinton. Unlike the latest occasion, however, the exchange was not photographed.Under diplomatic protocols established years ago, Cuba's president and Washington's representatives are rarely invited to the same events. If they do, the meeting is choreographed so that they are not likely to meet face to face. Given the legacy of Cold War hostility between the USA and Cuba - which brought America to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 - any handshake by a US president risks a backlash from more hawkish elements in US public opinion. A similar gesture was widely expected during America's recent talks with Iran over its nuclear programme, which saw American and Iranian presidents talk direct on the phone for the first time in 30 years. But in the end, the expected handshake never came off - allegedly because of fears among aides to the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, that it would lead to criticism among hardliners in his own camp. In today's ceremony in South Africa, Mr Obama also shook the hand of Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe, and of Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil, a noted critic of the US government.

Nelson Mandela funeral: Video of President Obama's full speech

In Afghanistan, Women Betrayed

By HEATHER BARR

When, in late November, I read a draft law prepared by Afghan government officials that reintroduced execution by stoning as the punishment for the “crime” of adultery, I was horrified but not that surprised. The draft, leaked to me by someone desperate to prevent reinstatement of this Taliban-era punishment, is just the latest in a pattern of increasingly determined attacks on women’s rights in Afghanistan.

The last 12 years have been a time of significant achievements here, hard-fought by Afghan activists. Millions of girls have gone to school, women have joined the police and the army and the civil service. Twenty-eight percent of the members of Afghanistan’s Parliament are women, and a 2009 law made violence against women a crime. But signs are everywhere that a rollback of women’s rights has begun in anticipation of next year’s deadline for the withdrawal of international combat forces. Opponents of women’s rights are already taking advantage of growing international fatigue with Afghanistan.

On Monday, the United Nations issued a new report showing that while reported cases of violence against women went up by 28 percent in the last year, prosecutions increased by only 2 percent. A parliamentary debate last May on the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women was derailed by conservatives calling for the abolition of a minimum marriage age for girls and arguing against making rape a crime. One of President Hamid Karzai’s new handpicked commissioners at the government’s previously well-respected Independent Human Rights Commission is an ex-member of the Taliban government who wasted no time after his appointment before calling for the repeal of the EVAW Law, which he said “violates Islam.”

These setbacks have occurred against a backdrop of continuing day-to-day abuses against women that are so commonplace that some extreme practices go almost unnoticed.

About half the women in prison in Afghanistan and about 95 percent of girls in juvenile detention — a total of about 600 people — are imprisoned on accusations of “moral crimes,” like sex outside of marriage or running away from home. In reality, most have fled forced marriages or domestic violence. Some are survivors of rape who are blamed by the courts for “immorality,” sometimes alongside their attackers.

Their stories are a call to the Afghan government to do much more to track down and punish abusers of women, and to crack down on police officers, prosecutors and judges who treat women fleeing abuse as criminals rather than victims. Above all, the government needs to end the barbaric practice of virginity tests. Whenever a woman or girl is arrested on “morality” charges — and sometimes even when she is accused of non-moral crimes such as theft or assault — she is whisked away for a vaginal examination at a government clinic in the province in which she was arrested. There is no opportunity for her to refuse.

Because of frequent mix-ups and general inefficiency, some women are sent for the examination two or three times. The examination, carried out by government doctors, results in a report on whether or not the woman or girl is a “virgin.”

These reports are often used as the sole evidence to support “moral crimes” charges in court, aside from a “confession” taken down by a police officer immediately after the arrest, which is usually signed with a thumbprint by a woman or girl who has no idea what it says. I have seen cases where a judge used the report as evidence against a girl even when its findings were inconclusive. For many of the 600 women and girls imprisoned for “moral crimes,” the doctor’s observations are a key factor in her receiving a stiff prison sentence.

Forcing these women and girls to undergo invasive vaginal examinations, sometimes repeatedly, to ascertain “virginity” as evidence likely to be used against them in criminal proceedings is not only a form of degrading and inhuman treatment strictly prohibited by international law but also a violation of their basic fair trial rights.

All of this would be horrific enough if it weren’t bad science, but it is. “Virginity” tests have no medical validity. A medical examination cannot determine, with any level of accuracy useful to a court, a woman’s sexual history.

And despite progress in other countries in banning such examinations, there are no signs of this practice ending in Afghanistan. For vulnerable Afghan women, things are only getting worse. One recently proposed law revision would ban victims of crime from testifying against family members — effectively preventing all prosecutions for domestic violence and forced or underage marriage. Female activists in Afghanistan, who have accomplished so much in the past 12 years, are doing all they can now to prevent that progress from unraveling. Countries, including the United States, have pledged continued funding for services for Afghan women, but in addition to aid they need political support. International support for the Afghan government and its security must depend on continued progress for Afghan women. Anything less would be a betrayal.

Shanti Dynamite beats Sunny Leone, Veena Malik, Poonam Pandey as Asia's sexiest woman!

http://wonderwoman.intoday.in/

If you think porn star Sunny Leone, buxom babe Poonam Pandey or Kamasutra sex bomb Sherlyn Chopra are among the contenders of the coveted title of the sexiest woman of Asia, you are mistaken. It is sizzling Shanti Dynamite, the porn star who is suddenly creating ripples the world over, who has been named the the

Sexiest Asian Woman by Britain's leading Asian newspaper Eastern Eye in its annual list. Shanti or Sofia Vasileiadou as she is originally known tops this list of 50 women. Shanti Dynamite was ranked at number 48 as the latest entrant, by beating Sunny Leone, Veena Malik and Poonam Pandey. The top 3 are Katrina who tops the rank, Priyanka coming second, and Drashti Dhami third.

Shanti Dynamite, is a British adult star of Indian and Greek descent. She does adult chat shows for UK television. She introduces herself as Sofiya (Shanti) Dynamite on Twitter. She began her career as a teenager, starring as a glamour model on the popular Hotel Voyeur, a UK-based topless show. In India she runs her own production company which shoots Indian adult music videos, AIDS awareness programs and sex education material. Shanti came into the limelight after being cast in upcoming Bollywood movie Chal Doctor Doctor Khelein as an item girl Clearly delighted, Shanti Dynamite said: "I'm hugely flattered. That's a nice surprise and a lot of fun to hear. Who wouldn't want to have a title like this bestowed on them! A big shout out to everyone who voted for me."

Shanti Dynamite spokesperson Satish Reddy said, "Yes I have been handling Veena Malik and Poonam Pandey and now I am happy that Shanti has made her entry into the list. I am lucky that my client got listed in top 50 Asia's Sexiest Women list." Other notable stars in this year's list are Sonam Kapoor (5), Parineeti Chopra (14), Sophie Choudry (21), Mehreen Syed (22), Sunidhi Chauhan (28), Ankita Lokhande (29), Hina Khan (31) and Shreya Ghoshal (43). The oldest women in the list were Bollywood icons Madhuri Dixit (23) and Sridevi (40)

Can Shahbaz Sharif curb sectarianism?

By Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

PML-N’s politics is its bane on the communal issue

What happened in Rawalpindi was not altogether unexpected. There had been enough rumblings in Punjab during the last few months that suggested that sectarian differences were gradually mutating into unrest which had the potential to boil over and engulf the country. The Punjab government dealt with one sectarian clash after another with a characteristic air of nonchalance. It generally reacted after incidents had taken place only to treat them as minor law and order issue unrelated to the grim security situation in Pakistan. Once there was calm, the PML-N administration forgot about it.

The second successive coming of the PML-N in Punjab promises to be no better than the first which was marked by mega incidents of attacks on Christians, the Ahmadis and Shias. The ignominious markers during this last tenure were: the infamous attack on a Christian locality in Gojra in 2009 and the killings of the Ahmadis in Lahore in 2010.

During the last four years, Punjab by and large remained immune from indiscriminate terrorist attacks that rocked the other provinces. This was widely ascribed to the appeal by Shabaz Sharif to the TTP to spare Punjab as its government was not pro-US. There was however no let-up in killings of Shias, the Ahmadis and Christians. The last two years in fact saw minorities in Punjab subjected to increased violence. This was on account of organisations like the ASWJ, which is banned, the LeJ working under a new name, having been given a free hand to spread nefarious propaganda against the minorities. The sectarian networks added to the extremist sentiment in the province through sermons, hate literature and using social network for inciting it against the religious minorities.

In March about a hundred Christian houses were burnt by a mob in Joseph Colony in the provincial capital. The Ahmadis were disallowed to publish their literature, their graveyards were frequently vandalized and their places of worship disfigured. In Faisalabad, there were cases of intimidation and abduction of the members of Ahmadi community. In Punjab, sectarian violence claimed 64 lives in 2011 and 43 in 2012. In 2013, the Shia community was to become the principal target of attacks. In February, a Shia surgeon and his son were sprayed with bullets in Lahore, in August a Shia leader was shot along with his son in Rahimyar Khan and five Shia were killed in a targeted attack in Gujrat. In all these cases unknown sectarian killers disappeared after completing their mission while people in the neighbourhood irrespective of their sectarian identity came to condole with the bereaved families. The anger continued to accumulate but there was no clear cut target to vent the sentiment.

The ASWJ provided one in Bhakkar in August when its armed activists took to streets in the city. This led to a bloody confrontation with the Shia community, leading to 10 dead. The government had to impose curfew to bring the situation under control in towns Panj Garain, Kotla Jam and Darya Khan.

There were minor aftershocks in the province in days to come but the complacent Punjab administration took no notice. The chief minister remained focused on issues altogether outside his purview. He continued running the federal ministry of Water and Power under an inter-party arrangement and having long trips abroad with the prime minister or on his own. During his five months in office, he has visited Turkey, the UK and Germany. With several irons in the fire, he had scant time to focus on any issue, least of all the sectarian question.

Days before the Rawalpindi mayhem, clashes took place between the Shia and Sunni communities in the provincial capital and Muzaffargarh. In Sanda area of Lahore, a dispute arose over the Aza’daars taking out a procession on 7th Moharram in a non-designated area close to an Imambargah. There was stone pelting and firing between the two sides causing multiple injuries to three, including the local police SHO.

At Khanqah Doma in Muzaffargarh, six people were injured when miscreants opened fire at a Muharram procession. The District Coordinator Moharram Committee alleged that there was no police official on duty. He said, he met the DPO and the DCO and told them about the situation but they did not arrange adequate security. As usual police was ordered to apprehend the culprits after the violence had taken place.

A well thought out policy for the Ashura days should have been formulated well ahead of Moharram. Mian Nawaz Sharif’s frothing at t

he mouth at the local administration and police amounts to crying over spilt milk. Why didn’t the idea strike him or the younger Sharif soon after they took office in June?

Many factors stood in the way of proper planning. The Punjab CM was too busy helping the federal government or frequently traveling abroad. Whatever energy was left in him was consumed in dealing with dengue mosquitos, which taking benefit of his absence had spread the virus all over the province. Bad governance that included putting several blue eyed boys in key police positions in violation of rules constituted another cause. Sectarian clashes create more social complications than terrorist attacks. In the latter case people across the sectarian divide tend to sympathise with the community which is targeted again and again. Sectarian clashes on the other hand divide society further as members in each community start accusing the other of being the real instigator responsible for death and destruction of property.

Political needs of the PML-N stand in the way of taking radical measures against those who spread communal hatred.

Mainstream parties, particularly the PML-N, have frequently joined hands with sectarian outfits like the ASWJ, thus helping the sectarian party gain respectability and carve out further space for itself.

On Wednesday, Nawaz Sharif hit out at the “criminal silence” on the part of local administration and police on the propagation of sectarian hatred through loudspeakers and wall-chalking, the prime minister said such acts would not be tolerated. But can the Punjab administration take action against organization like ASWJ, which are its potential election allies but are also responsible for spreading communal violence and sectarian hatred in the province? - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/11/22/comment/can-shahbaz-sharif-curb-sectarianism/#sthash.kH5opwt1.dpuf

Pakistan's Shia Genocide: Another Shia notable shot martyred in Yazidi terrorist attack in Karachi

www.shiitenews.com

Another Shia notable was shot martyred in a targeted attack of Yazidi nasbi takfiri terrorists of outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba in Karachi late on Monday night. Shiite News Correspondent reported here that Qamar Hasnain was going to somewhere in his car when notorious Yazidi terrorists ambushed him near Kulsoom Hotel Stop Godhra area New Karachi. He embraced martyrdom on the spot and body was taken to a government hospital for treatment. Martyr Qamar Hasnain was a member of Matami Anjuman Zulfiqar Haideri and owner of two Pakwan shops in Federal B Area Block 17 and Gulshan-e-Maymar. Shia parties and leaders have condemned the targeted murder and surge in genocide against Shiites. They demanded immediate military operation to eliminate terrorists.

Human Rights Day: Asian Human Rights Commission Outlines 2013 For Pakistan

The Asian Human Rights Commission releases a statement concerning the predicament of Human Rights in Pakistan in the year 2013 on Human Rights Day.

All the way through 2013, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been documenting how too many lives, and the solemnity of those living, have been snatched by a cold state and brutal cruelty in Pakistan. The AHRC’s State of Human Rights Report in Pakistan, 2013, released to mark Human Rights Day observed on 10th of December picking up on the year in Pakistan, inspecting the largely decisive factors that influence the lives of all its citizens. An extract from the statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day is presented below:

''Appeasement for hardliners means religious minorities are harassed and killed daily. Leaders and spokesmen from banned organisations, some internationally wanted, are allowed to make hate fuelled speeches in public. The government has arrested thousands of alleged extremists over the past four years, but there have been no successful prosecutions due to lack of proper witness protection and half-hearted attempts by the prosecutors. These criminal elements now utilize the weaknesses of the law to their own benefit and collect public donations but are not arrested for fear of upsetting extremist groups. In spite of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, minority groups are not protected. Targeted attacks of the Shiites take place in daylight and on public roads in the presence of uniformed personnel; every year, around 200 Shiites are killed in this manner. The groups that claim responsibility for these killings move freely and even have offices in major cities. The Ahmadis are also frequently targeted for their belief, their places of worship are attacked and they are not allowed to carry out their religious observances. Religious fanatics who rape and abuse Christians and Hindus with no fear of consequence or reprisal consider the women of these communities free game. Harassment, forced marriage, and forced conversions of both Christian and Hindu women to Islam is common. When victims do manage to reach the courts, judges rule in favour of their abductors, who are equally supported by religious fundamentalists. This Religious discrimination is forcing native Pakistani Hindus to flee their homeland.''

Killing by Numbers: Data compiled by AHRC (from January to November 28, 2013):

Sectarian Violence & Target Killings:

Total Attacks: 491

Killed: 2350 Injured: 3786 Terrorist Attacks: Total Attacks: 250 Killed: 2286 Injured: 1609 Suicide Attacks: Total Attacks: 38 Killed: 820 Injured: 1445 Drone Attacks: Total Attacks: 25 Killed: 188 Injured: 160

Total Attack Incidents & Killings:

Total incidents: 804 Total killings: 7170 Total injuries: 8746

- See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/human-rights-day-asian-human-rights-commission-outlines-2013-in-pakistan/#sthash.hR4jRhGr.dpuf

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa: Supply disrupted: Hundreds stranded as residents protest against power outages

The Express Tribune

Hundreds of commuters remained stranded in traffic for over three hours on Monday as disgruntled residents of Rajar, Charsadda blocked the Tangi-Peshawar Road in protest against prolonged power and gas outages. Nearly 300 protesters led by Qaumi Watan Party MPA Sultan Muhammad Khan blocked the road near Rajar by burning tyres and pelting stones at vehicles heading to Peshawar.

They chanted slogans against the Water and Power Development Authority and natural gas supply companies for not providing them basic facilities.

Addressing the demonstrators, MPA Khan said under the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf the people were passing through the worst of times with increasing lawlessness and the price hike. “While the coalition partners protest against Nato supply lines during the day, the trucks continue to pass through at night,” he claimed. “The provincial government is intentionally trying to cut off gas and electricity supply to Charsadda as the people of the district did not elect them.” He added if the issue is not resolved within four days then the protesters would march to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly building in Peshawar and protest for their rights.

Charsadda Assistant Commissioner Taimur Khan and police officials arrived at the site and assured the MPA the issue would be resolved. Following this, the protesters scattered peacefully after blocking traffic for over three hours. Miranshah

Meanwhile, hundreds of tribesmen from Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan Agency protested against the disconnection of power supply to the agency by tribesmen of Frontier Region (FR) Bannu. Led by elder Adeeb Gul Wazir, the protesters gathered in Mir Ali Bazaar and lashed out at the political administration because of lack of electricity since the past three days.

Wazir while addressing the protesters said Pathak Khel, Momand Khel and Bakka Khel tribesmen of FR Bannu disrupted power supply to North Waziristan Agency on Saturday by disconnecting an 11KV transmission line. He added officials of the North Waziristan and FR Bannu political administration were also involved.

The elder warned that if the supply was not restored they would block Miranshah-Ghulam Khan Highway for traffic to disrupt Pak-Afghan trade and political administration officials of the agency would be responsible for the consequences.

PPP condemns PM’s remarks about SZAB

http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/

Pakistan Peoples Party condemns the remarks of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against the Party’s founding Chairperson Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as totally unwarranted and devoid of any understanding of the historical context of the nationalisation policies of 70s. In a statement Spokesperson of the Party Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the nationalization of seventies was necessitated by the brutal exploitation of the labor and working classes by the agents of crony capitalism. It was the call of the time and the result of the inevitable march of the historical forces that led to controlled and thought out nationalization. It required extraordinary vision, leadership and courage to take the exploitative bull of capitalism by the horns and rescue the poor and downtrodden workers, peasants and labor from exploitation. The Party is proud that its founding leader possessed the vision and courage to provide leadership in this regard, he said. It goes to the credit of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto that he gave direction to the seething anger of the working class and thereby prevented a serious destabilization of the society. The Party is proud of its achievement, he said. The Prime Minister’s unwarranted remarks at this point of time lends credence to widely held suspicion that after completion of transition in all state institutions by the end of the year the government will expose its real and hidden agenda including a reversion to the days of crony capitalism based on sucking the blood of the poor. The Party will not permit a return to the days of crony capitalism nor the exploitation of workers, wage earners and labor, he said. “Let there be no doubt or mistake about it”.

Bilawal pledges to protect Human Rights

Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Patron-in-Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly condemned the murder of Dalit girl Kaku Kolhi in Shadi Pali on the even of World Human Rights Day to be observed on Tuesday.

He reiterated his party’s commitment to protect the human rights of every citizen of the country without any exclusion. Expressing sympathies with Kaku’s family, Bilawal asked Sindh government to take special interest and follow the investigations to ensure the culprits do not slip off the hook. Nothing is more important than basic human rights in any democratic and civilised society, the PPP patron said, according to a release from Bilawal House. He said that safeguarding the basic rights of the masses has been the founding principle of PPP; led by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and vigorously pursued by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. In the course of valiant struggle for protecting human rights in the country, they both sacrificed their lives, he said. He exclaimed that basic human rights were not any kind of concession, privilege or a favour, and urged the Federal government to adopt concrete steps to curb violations. agencies

Punjab University hostel admin raid, 15 illegal occupants handed over to police

The Punjab University hostel administration in an operation against the illegal residents caught 15 outsiders and later handed them over to Muslim Town police station, Geo News reported Tuesday morning.

Punjab University administration said that on a tip-off they raided the University new campus hostel no. 18 in the wee hours Tuesday caught hold of 15 persons illegally residing in different rooms and handed them over to police by registering an FIR against them for illegal occupation of public property. More such operation against the illegal occupants of the hostel rooms would continue, said the administration of the Punjab University hostel.

Pakistan should heed Husain Haqqani's urgent message of reform

By: Stephen Kinzer

Cutting military spending and focusing on domestic issues could keep Pakistan from becoming a 'nuclear-armed Somalia'

Just four months after taking power, new leaders in Iran have begun a highly promising effort to pull their country out of its isolation and, perhaps, transform it into a stabilizing rather than a destabilizing force. There is little prospect that Saudi Arabia or Israel, which also feed regional tensions, will follow suit. Yet some dare to hope that Pakistan might.

The Middle East and surrounding regions are in a period of historic flux. Iran's new policies, upheaval in Egypt, horrific warfare in Syria, state collapse in Libya, and intensifying terror in Iraq reflect the collapse of old structures. One of those structures, in place for more than half a century, has been a Pakistan that falls steadily deeper into poverty while spending huge amounts on weaponry, fomenting terror in neighboring countries, and deepening its self-destructive obsession with imagined security threats.

Pakistan stands at an intriguing crossroads. A new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, took office in June. General Pervez Ashfaq Kayani, the army chief of staff who nourished Pakistan's ties with Islamic militants, has just retired. The mercurial chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, will retire this week. Meanwhile, Pakistanis are expressing increasing disgust with their political system. In several parts of the country they have taken to the streets to protest murderous attacks by militants who count on clandestine support from within the government.

Pakistan is not about to crack down on terror groups or cut its military budget in order to build roads, schools and hospitals. Yet one prominent Pakistani, in a new book and a series of speeches, is urging it to do just that. He is offering a stark alternative to policies that threaten to turn Pakistan into what he calls "a nuclear-armed Somalia".

Most Pakistani politics is conducted within a narrow spectrum. Politicians spend much time debating the best ways to fight India, or take Kashmir, or dominate Afghanistan, or punish the United States for its real and imagined sins. Now comes a voice arguing that these debates are meaningless in a country that cannot care for its own citizens and is fast becoming a pariah state.

It is the voice of Husain Haqqani, a wily veteran of Pakistani politics who served as his country's ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011. During those years, Pakistani-American relations were fraught with tension and mistrust. Haqqani had to deal with fallout from the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and with the arrest of a CIA contractor, Raymond Davis, for the murder of two Pakistanis. His diplomatic skill and dense web of contacts in Washington helped contain these crises and maintain a semblance of partnership in the increasingly poisoned US-Pakistan relationship.

Now Haqqani has published a book exploring the roots of this relationship and explaining how it became so toxic. Its arresting title is Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding. As a trenchant and unsparing account of how these two countries came to mistrust each other so deeply, despite pretending to be friends, this book is unmatched. Its implicit message – the need to remake Pakistan – is even more provocative.

Haqqani has been travelling around the United States, where he now lives, preaching this message. Officially he is on a book tour, but it feels like something more. Haqqani is laying out a radically different path for his homeland. His campaign is important not only to Pakistanis, but to all who are terrified by threats to global security posed by what Liam Fox, a former United Kingdom defense secretary, recently called "the most dangerous country in the world". In his speeches, Haqqani begins by rattling off statistics – 43% of Pakistani children do not attend school – and recounting episodes that reflect the barbarism into which his country has fallen, like the murder of health workers giving polio vaccines. Then he describes Pakistan's role in training Islamic militants who have wreaked havoc in Afghanistan, India, and within Pakistan itself. His critique of obtuse and delusional American policies toward Pakistan – he blames the US for helping to undermine Pakistani democracy – is devastating. He told students at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies on Tuesday: The United States has to find some other way to deal with Muslims besides either killing them or taking them out to lunch.

Haqqani concludes with his prescription for Pakistan: it sounds like common sense to many outsiders, but in Pakistan it is nothing short of revolutionary. To begin with, Haqqani wants his country to stop supporting militant armies and terror groups. He urges a reversal of attitudes toward India, which he sees not as a threatening enemy but as a potential partner. Domestically, he wants the government to redefine the meaning of security away from military prowess and toward the development of a modern society.

He said in his Watson Institute speech:

We are a warrior state, and we need to become a trading state.

This message finds applause in the United States, and "Magnificent Delusions" has been well received in India. Remarkably, reviews in Pakistan have also been favorable. Haqqani has succeeded in widening the bounds of political discourse in his homeland. No Pakistani politician, however, is yet ready to campaign for high office on such a radical platform. In his book and speeches, Haqqani does not mention the possibility that he might do so himself. He is well known in Pakistan; may have as many friends there as enemies; is a Sunni married to a Shia woman from a prominent family; and has both a communal and regional base. Whether such an erudite cosmopolitan would be comfortable crisscrossing his country in an armored car, or campaigning while wearing a bulletproof vest, is far from clear. Even if Haqqani is not ready to return and preach his urgent message in Pakistan, however, Pakistanis need to hear it. If they do not, worse times lie ahead for them and their neighbors.