Saturday, 28 November, 2020
04 NEWS
POlITICAl PrISOnerS BABA JAn, IFTIkhAr kArBAlAI releASed AFTer 9 yeArS ISLAMABAD
F
GHULAM ABBAS
OLLOWING the completion of the election process in GilgitBaltistan (GB), the government released political prisoners Baba Jan and Iftikhar Hussain Karbalai from Ghahkuch jail of the autonomous region on Friday. Sources told Pakistan Today that an agreement was reached between government and protesters in Hunza a month ago for the release of the political prisoners, but the condition was that they would be freed after the completion of the election process. Both prisoners spent nine years behind bars, before being released on Friday evening in the presence of many wellwishers and supporters. According to sources, 11 wrongly convicted prisoners
had been released ahead of the election. Iftikhar Karbalai is a senior leader of the Karakoram National Movement, a regional political party. Baba Jan, a political activist from Hunza, is a member of the Awami Workers Party. He is currently a member of the party’s federal committee. He, along with Iftikhar Karbalai and 13 other prisoners, was serving life imprisonment in Damas jail in district Ghizer after they were convicted by an anti-terrorism court over riots that erupted in 2011. Baba Jan was convicted by the court for participating in a demonstration against the killing of a man and his son by the police on August 11, 2011 at Aliabad, Hunza. When a deadly landslide submerged several villages in Attabad in early 2010, Baba Jan was trying to bring to attention the consequences of climate change and re-
Punjab set to start anti-polio drive from Monday
source exploitation. In 2011, after months of cold response to the disaster, the activist organised a movement to demand long delayed compensation for those affected by the disaster. On August 12, 2011, at a demonstration during the visit of then-chief minister to Attabad Lake, the police opened fire at the protesting internally displaced persons (IDPs), killing a father, Sherullah Baig, and his son Afzal. The news sparked angry protests throughout the region. The activist was not even present during the incident, but he was targeted because of his past activities. A month later, he and several other activists were arrested and booked under the anti-terrorist act, and thrown behind bars, where they were tortured and denied medical treatment. Despite the victimisation, Baba Jan
continued his political activities in the prison, uniting prisoners to demand humane living conditions in jail. The activist, who is the former vice president of the Awami Workers PartyPakistan, and the founding chairman of the Progressive Youth Front, was granted bail in 2013, upon which he resumed his activism, and successfully campaigned for wheat subsidy to be restored for the region in 2014. However, his bail was withdrawn, and he was handed life imprisonment along with 13 others. In 2015, he contested the election from his prison cell. Without funds and physically restrained by the prison boundaries, he nonetheless managed to gain the second-highest number of votes in the polls. When the seat became vacant once again the same year, the activist was not allowed to contest the election.
Sikh pilgrims arrive for Baba Guru Nanak’s 551st birth anniversary
LAHORE
LAHORE
TLTP
SHAHAB OMER
The Punjab government has completed preparations for launching a five-day anti-polio vaccination drive commencing from November 30 (Monday) to December 4. A total of 48,000 teams have been constituted and their training sessions were also concluded following the upcoming anti-polio vaccination drive for administering polio drops to more than 20 million children. According to the Polio Eradication Programme, the concerned authorities have completed the supply of polio vaccines in all districts besides provision of face masks and sanitizers to the polio workers to prevent them from contracting coronavirus. More than 4,900 teams have been constituted to take part in the campaign in the provincial capital Lahore to administer polio drops to more than 1.8 million children. More than 2,000 polio teams were constituted for Multan for 0.9 million children and 2,900 teams for 0.9 million children in Rawalpindi. According to the statistics, the total count of poliovirus stands at 14 in Punjab province, whereas, this year’s toll reaches up to 81 across the country.
Sikh pilgrims have started coming to Pakistan through the Wagah border to participate in the celebrations of 551st birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism and the first of 10 Sikh Gurus. A spokesperson for the Evacuee trust Property Board (ETPB) told Pakistan Today that a group of 602 members of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) led by Amarjeet Sindh arrived in Pakistan through Wagah border on Friday. The spokesperson added that Additional Secretary Shrines Tariq Wazir Khan, members of the SGPC and other board officials received the pilgrims upon arrival. Staff member of Indian High Commission, R B Sohran, and Santosh Kumar also reached Wagah border from Islamabad for welcoming the pilgrims. The Sikh pilgrims also brought a Palki for Guru
Garanth Sahib from India, which they will place in the Gurdwara. Speaking to Pakistan Today, the additional secretary said that as per the directions of the ETPB chairman, transports has been specifically disinfected for the convenience of the pilgrims. The official expressed satisfaction at the security and accommodation arrangements for the pilgrims. He said that Gurudwaras have been beautifully decorated by the board administration and the main event of Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary, which will be held on November 30, will be attended by political, religious and minority leaders, after which the visiting pilgrims will return to India on December 1. When asked about the implementation of coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs), Khan said that the representatives of the provincial health department screened all passengers for Covid-19 symptoms and checked the test reports they were carrying. “We will fully implement Covid-19 SOPs,” he added.
Three dIe AS FIre eruPTS FACTOry In OrAngI KARACHI: At least three people burnt to death after a factory in Karachi’s Orangi neighbourhood caught fire on Friday. According to police, the blaze broke out at the factory located in Orangi No 4. On getting information, a police team and fire brigade vehicles arrived at the scene and began the operation to douse the raging flames. The fire was later doused. Three fire tenders took part in the firefighting operation. The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. The people who died in the blaze were identified as Akram, Shahid and Ismail. On June 8, five people were killed in a factory fire in Faisalabad. The oil factory inferno was brought under control after five hours of toil, five charred dead bodies of factory workers were pulled from the burning establishment by rescue workers. The factory was housing almost 100,000 litres of oil which caught fire. TLTP
Investors turning to Punjab due to beneficial policies: Aslam FAISALABAD: Welcoming the establishment of a smartphone manufacturing plant in Faisalabad, Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal has said that local and foreign investors are turning towards the province due to the beneficial policies of the provincial government. Aslam said this while witnessing the agreement signing ceremony of setting up a smart phone manufacturing plant in M-3 Industrial Estate Faisalabad on Friday. VIVO Vice President Duam Tai Ping and Director Manufacturing Zhang Bin signed the agreement in the FIEDMC office with an initial investment of $10 million. FIEDMC CEO Aamer Saleemi was also present on the occasion. Aslam said that complete protection is being provided to the investors and facilities are being ensured on priority basis. Increase in employment opportunities through promotion of trade and investment opportunities is the policy of government, he added. Speaking on the occasion, the Chinese representative said that a conducive environment is provided for investment in Punjab and the company will invest more. He further said that $10 million is an initial investment only. STAFF REPORT
Pakistan keen to expand military cooperation with Tajikistan: CJCSC RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza has said that Pakistan is keen to expand its existing bilateral military to military cooperation with Tajikistan. The CJCSC, who is on an official visit to Tajikistan, said this during his meetings with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and other senior officials. During the meetings, both the sides deliberated upon various areas of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation including security, counter terrorism and prevailing regional environment particularly with reference to Afghanistan. They also dilated upon measures to enhance the level and scope of military engagements between the two countries and reaffirmed to continue to forge deeper ties. The Tajik dignitaries lauded professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in fight against terrorism.
Opposition acting irresponsibly amid Covid-19: Faraz ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has said that the opposition parties are continuously acting with irresponsibility despite the second severe wave of the Covid-19. In a tweet on Friday, the information minister said that the opposition should stop playing with the lives of people. He said that the people are rejecting the public gatherings of the opposition. It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is planning to hold a massive power show in Multan on November 30 and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani on November 12 had claimed that it would be the largest political rally in the region.
ISLAMABAD: Jinnah Avenue at sunset. INP
PML-N trying to create impression of political victimisation: Firdous LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Attacking the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N), Special Assistant to Punjab CM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday said that the party is trying to create a wrong impression of political victimisation by the government. Addressing a press conference in the provincial capital, Dr Firdous said that those who are chanting hollow slogans
had emptied the national exchequer in the past and such corrupt elements cannot hoodwink the nation any more as their incompetency and corrupt faces have been exposed to the public. She said that the alliance of opposition parties is only to safeguard their personal interests and looted money, and they have nothing to do with people’s problems. “The nefarious narrative of the opposition has been rejected by the people. The lust for power has blinded the opposition,” she alleged.
The CM’s aide said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will fulfil its promise of strengthening the institutions and Prime Minister Imran Khan is moving forward with the mission to hold the supremacy of law. She said that the PTI government is making every possible effort to end the hereditary politics and the day is not far away when the people of Pakistan will be free from political slavery. She also said that the opposition should refrain from putting the lives of
people at stake just for their political interests. The opposition rallies could lead to the spread of coronavirus at a large scale in the country, she added. Responding to a question, she said that the government will ensure the supremacy of law and violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) will not be tolerated under any circumstances. She further said that the people have rejected the PDM’s narrative at the Peshawar procession and all the opponents are blaming one another for the failure.
