Tuesday, 10 November, 2020
Arzoo rAjA Aged between 14-15, medicAl boArd informs sHc KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
medical board constituted to determine the age of Arzoo Raja — a minor Christian girl who was allegedly abducted before being forcefully converted and married to an older Muslim man — informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday that the girl is aged between 14 to 15 years. Arzoo was allegedly abducted from her residence in Karachi on October 13 and two days later her neighbour, Syed Ali Azhar, while claiming to be her husband, produced a marriage certificate saying she was of legal age, 18, and had converted to Islam. A first information report (FIR) was lodged at Ferere police station subsequently on behalf of her father and nominated Azhar as the prime suspect. Following the filing of the complaint, the police arrested Azhar’s brothers — Syed Shariq Ali and Syed Mohsin Ali — and
a friend, Danish, for allegedly abducting Arzoo. Subsequently, a division bench — headed by Justice K K Agha — directed that the girl be taken back to a shelter home and told police to proceed against Azhar for violating the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013. During earlier hearings, Arzoo had stated she had embraced Islam out of her free choice and had solemnised a freewill marriage with Azhar “without any fear or pressure”. During Monday’s hearing, Arzoo reiterated she had not been kidnapped and had willingly married Azhar after converting to Islam. The bench observed that according to the report presented by the medical board, the girl is between 14 to 15 years of age while the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) record showed she is 13 years old. When the court asked Arzoo if she wished to go with her parents or to the shelter home, she insisted on going with Azhar and broke into tears.
bilawal promises PPP will keep asking for rights for gb Continuing his election campaign in GilgitBaltistan (GB), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that his party would always fight for the rights of the autonomous region. “Until your voices are heard in Islamabad, we will keep asking why the youth here is unemployed. Why the region lacks education and health institutions. We will keep asking for your rights,” he said while addressing a public gathering in Nagar. Bilawal added that granting GB provincial status had been a part of the PPP manifesto since 2018, and that Prime Minister Imran only started considering it during the elections. “Imran had opposed the idea in January when the topic was raised during a cabinet meeting,” he claimed, questioning what the premier had done for the province in the last two years. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan “will have to do more”, and asked the people to vote for the PPP on election day so that he can “fulfil his promises”. “Even before the making of a province, Imran and his allies can attempt to reduce your quota, steal your subsidy and increase taxes then think what they will do once the region is given provincial status,” he added. He said that PM Imran’s “tabdeeli” was another name for destruction and urged the people of GB to save themselves from it. He added only PPP will give them their constitutional rights. NEWS DESK
Pml-n mPA remanded in nAb office clash case LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted two-day physical remand of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir in a case pertaining to the violence outside the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Lahore office during the arrival of Maryam Nawaz there in August last. ATC Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta ordered that the accused be presented before the court on the 11th of November. Earlier, police produced the MPA before the court and sought an extension in his physical remand. During the course of the hearing, the public prosecutor pleaded with the court to grant the physical remand of the PML-N leader, saying that his custody was required for a photogrammetric test. Earlier on November 8, a court had granted one-day physical remand of Nazir on the provincial lawmaker, a day after he was arrested in a case pertaining to the violence outside the NAB Lahore office during the arrival of the PML-N vice president. Duty Judge Hafiz Nafees had ordered that the accused be presented before the ATC hearing the case on Monday without fail. Police had produced the MPA before the court and sought his one-day remand. Nazir’s lawyer, however, had opposed the police’s plea to grant remand of his client. STAFF REPORT
However, the bench observed that she appeared to be underage and could not contract a marriage of her own free will. The court ordered the girl be taken back to the shelter home and adjourned the hearing for two weeks. Jibran Nasir, the counsel for Arzoo’s family, said that the medical report submitted to the SHC proved that the girl is “around 14 years of age”. “Court recognises NADRA documents stating Arzoo’s age to be 13 as true. Declares prima facie she contracted child marriage,” said Nasir, who is part of the legal team fighting the case on behalf of Arzoo’s parents. “The court has not disposed of this petition and the next hearing is after two weeks. The court is yet to determine whether Arzoo is sui juris to convert religion of free will given her age of 13. At this stage only question of child marriage has been addressed and resolved,” he said. THE CASE: The case led to protests which started in Karachi but have since
spread across Pakistan to other cities including Quetta, Lahore, and Hyderabad after a judicial magistrate dismissed last month an application filed by Arzoo’s family, requesting to send her to a shelter home from the custody of her purported husband. However, the judge upheld the marriage after Azhar claimed the girl had converted of her own free will. According to Arzoo’s family, her purported husband lived in a house opposite theirs along with his family. “[The man who] abducted her has prepared fake papers to show that she is 18-year-old,” her mother, Rita Masih, said. The investigating officer in the case, Inspector Shariq Ahmed Siddiqui, had stated that the victim had appeared before the high court and was sent under the protection of the station house officer of the Preedy police station in compliance with the court’s October 27 order. He said he had called in the verification of Arzoo’s B-form, which as per the NADRA record, was authentic.
Political leaders to be briefed on security challenges tomorrow ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
The federal government has decided to brief the political leadership on the security challenges faced by the country in the National Assembly (NA) session on Tuesday. NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, has convened a meeting of the parliamentary leaders in the lower and upper houses of the parliament on November 11, 2020, at 02:00 pm. In this regard, the NA has issued an official communication to the parliamentary leaders, inviting them to attend the meeting. The military officials would brief the parliamentary leaders on the current issues of national security. The parliamentary leaders invited to attend the meeting include Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Narcotics Control, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) parliamentary leader Asad Mahmood, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema, Federal Minister for Housing and Works, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Mohammad Akhtar Mengal, Muttahida
Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Khalid Hussain Magsi, Ghous Bux Khan Mashar of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, and Amir Haider Azam Khan of Awami National Party (ANP). Senators Mushahid Ullah Khan, Sherry Rehman, Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi, Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Usman Khan Kakar, Siraj ul Haq,. Sitara Ayaz, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Anwar ul Haq Kakar and Aurangzeb Khan have also been invited to attend the meeting. Federal Ministers Pervaiz Khattak, Ijaz Ahmad Shah, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, Shafqat Mehmood, Asad Umar and Senator Shibli Faraz, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan, Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Zaheer Uddin Babar Awan, and Special Assistant to PM Dr Moeed Yousaf have been invited to attend the meeting as special invitees. Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan, Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan and Governor Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon and Caretaker Chief Minister Mir Afzal have been specially invited to attend the meeting.
Court allows lawmakers to continue electioneering in GB GILGIT TLTP
The Supreme Appellate Court has suspended the verdict of GB Chief Court which ordered the expulsion of national and provincial lawmakers as well as senators from the region, barring them from taking part in the campaign for November 15 elections. Earlier on November 7, the chief court directed members of parliament and other public office holders to leave the region within 72 hours for violating the election code of conduct. The verdict was challenged by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the Supreme Court (SC). A two-member bench heard the case on Monday. The court suspended the chief court’s verdict till November 12. The top leadership of all political parties is heading to GB ahead of the elections and is organising large public gatherings. Moreover, GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja
CEC SAYS ALL SET TO HOLD FREE, FAIR POLLS IN AUTONOMOUS REGION Shahbaz Khan has said that all necessary arrangements have been finalised to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the region. Talking to a state-run radio channel, Khan said that the election commission has dispatched ballot boxes and other relevant material to all districts. He said that training of returning officers and deputy returning officers will be initiated on Wednesday. The CEC added that out of 1,234 polling stations to be set up, 415 have been declared highly sensitive, 339 are sensitive and 480 are normal. He said that monitoring teams have been constituted for the first time and notices have been issued to different candidates regarding the election code of conduct.
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Pm to participate in sco-cHs conference ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday will participate in 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS), which will be conducted as a video conference due to the pandemic. The invitation to the prime minister to attend the SCO-CHS was extended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who would chair the meeting. Leaders from all eight SCO member states and four observer states will also attend, as well as the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and the secretary-general of SCO, the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson in a press release said. “The SCO-CHS is the highest forum of SCO. It adopts documents and decisions that provide policy guidelines for determining priorities and major areas of activities of the organisation. The 20th SCO-CHS will adopt 16 documents, including the Moscow Declaration, reflecting member states’ stance on important regional and international issues,” the spokesperson said. Besides Pakistan, SCO’s current membership comprises China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Since becoming a member in 2017, Pakistan has been actively contributing to the promotion of SCO’s multi-sectoral agenda. The SCO’s major objectives include promoting mutual confidence and strong, neighbourly relations among member states, strengthening regional peace, security and stability, and creating a framework for effective cooperation in political, cultural, trade and economy, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection and other fields. APP
maryam says the only solution to country’s problems is nawaz Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz took another shot at Prime Minister Imran Khan and said that the only solution to the countries problems is Nawaz Sharif. The above was said during her address in Gupis, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). “The solution for your problems is only one, and the name of it is Nawaz Sharif,” said Maryam, adding that it had been the PML-N government which made Yasinabad into a district, but it was not given its fair share by the incumbent government in Islamabad. She expressed confidence that the people in the GB would not vote for the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) as no one would board a sinking plane, but many will jump from it”. During the same address, she compared PM Imran to the coronavirus, saying that Pakistan had been dealing with Covid-19 since 2018. She added that the disease would not go away by wearing masks. “It will go away when we throw it out,” she said. Maryam, who is in GB for a seven-day campaign for the upcoming elections, said that “Imran Khan and his party of turncoats” is the disease that is ravaging the country, and that Nawaz can solve the problems faced by the people. “Mian sahab has already put him aside, telling him to stay out of this fight between elders. But I have no choice but to take his name,” she said, claiming that it pained her to take his name. She added that the premier does not deserve to sit in the PM Office. NEWS DESK
cjP forms bench to hear review appeals in justice isa case ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has formed a six-member larger bench to hear review appeals in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa case. The larger bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial will hear the review appeals filed by Justice Isa, Sarina Isa and different bar associations against the apex court's June 19 short order on November 16. The court, in its decision, declared void the reference and referred the matter of properties to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The review appeals were filed against sending the case of Justice Isa's family’s properties to FBR. APP
PML-N's Safdar, PPP's Kaira contract Covid-19 NEWS DESK Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (r) Safdar Awan and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira have tested positive for the coronavirus while campaigning for their respective parties in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) for the upcoming general election in the region on November 15. According to a PML-N youth wing spokesperson, Safdar had complained of flu and fever while campaigning in Skardu. He returned to Islamabad with his wife, PML-N Vice President Maryam
Nawaz, on Saturday after which he was tested for the virus. Thereafter, Safdar flew to Lahore on Sunday night and was admitted to the Sharif Medical City on the advice of doctors, Yusufzai said, adding that his condition is satisfactory. Meanwhile, Kaira also tested positive for coronavirus, Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah confirmed in a tweet. Shah said Kaira, who has been campaigning with party Chairman Bilawal Zardari-Bhutto for over two weeks, is a great “asset of the party” and prayed for
his health. For the last two weeks, political leaders from the country’s major parties have been campaigning in the region. However, the region has seen an increase in coronavirus positivity rates. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said the positivity rate in capital Gilgit has surged to 15.38 per cent — the third highest in the country. Pakistan on Monday reported 1,650 infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 33,340 tests — a positivity ratio of 4.95 per cent. The NCOC over the weekend issued new guidelines making face masks
mandatory in all public spaces, with an Rs100 fine imposed on anyone who is not wearing one. In addition, cities with high rates of transmission — Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Peshawar, Quetta, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Abbottabad — would have indoor weddings banned from November 20, while outdoor weddings would have a limit of 1,000 guests. All public and private offices would be required to have 50 per cent of their staff work from home.
