A large number of people standing in a queue to be registered for getting free flour bags under Ramadan package at Hockey Stadium
Laborers busy in road construction work of Siddhar Bypass road
Youngsters enjoying swings at a local park
Senator Mushtaq appeals SC to take notice of Barkhan’s tragedy
ISLAMABAD, Apr 01 (APP):Jamaat Islami lawmaker Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan has appealed to Supreme Court (SC) to take notice of Barkhan’s tragedy, terming it as one of the gross human rights violations.The Senator also demanded that justice should be dispensed in the instant case and the culprits be brought to justice, adding that the victim family should be given justice.
Upon his recommendation, the Senate Committee on Interior had favored conferment of a civil award upon Amiro Bibi Khetran who had brought out a video of the incident and showed courage, he said at a press conference held here at other day.
Expressing his concern, the Senator said that the victim family was constantly on hiding as they were being chased.
KP minister visits late Dayal Singh’s residence, condoles with relatives
PESHAWAR, Apr 01 (APP): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information, Religious and Minority Affairs Barrister Feroze Jamal Shah Khakakhel here on Saturday visited the resident of slained Dayal Singh and offered condolences with his relatives.
The minister met with relatives and elders of the Sikh community in Peshawar’s Dir Colony and offered condolences there. He said that the person involved in killing of Dayal Singh would be brought to justice and the search operation of the police continued day and night to arrest the culprit.
The minister assured them that necessary action had been taken for the immediate arrest of the elements involved in the murder. Barrister Feroze Jamal Shah ensured concrete measures to protect the citizens of the minority community.
The killing of Dayal Singh is a highly condemnable and brutal act, Barrister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhil said. “I have come to ensure all kinds of assistance from the Chief Minister and the provincial government,” he said.
The killers, he said, will be brought to justice soon. The Chief Minister and the provincial government are giving Rs. 0.5 million to the next of kin immediately. The provincial government has an equal share in the grief of the bereaved family, the minister added.
Begum Alvi stresses upon greater awareness about ASD, change in society with conducive milieu
ISLAMBAD, April 1 (APP): First Lady Begum Samina Alvi on Saturday stressed upon greater awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to create greater understanding, encourage parents to seek early intervention therapies and ensure greater integration of persons with autism in the society.
“Despite the prevalence of disabilities in our society, individuals with disabilities face many barriers to inclusion and participation. They may face discrimination, stigma, and lack of access to essential services, such as education, healthcare, and employment,” the first lady was addressing a seminar on the occasion of World Autism day at Shifa International Hospital.
She said that it was their collective responsibility to work towards breaking down societal barriers for the individuals with disabilities by promoting their greater inclusion in all sectors of society.
“This means creating accessible environments, promoting universal design, and ensuring that individuals with disabilities have access to the resources and support they need to participate fully in their communities,”
She said that the ASD was a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affected communication, social interaction, and behaviour, and diagnosed in people of all genders, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Referring to the observance of the day, she said that it reminded of the challenges that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disabilities faced on a daily basis.
According to statistics, approximately one in 59 children was affected by autism spectrum disorder, she observed.
Begum Alvi underlined the need for provision of education, healthcare, employment opportunities, and other services that enabled individuals with disabilities to reach their full potential.
“Today, we reiterate our resolve to continue to work together to ensure that their rights are protected and that they are fully included in all aspects of society,” she added.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was an international treaty that outlined the rights of individuals with disabilities and set standards for their inclusion in society, she added.
She said Pakistan had already ratified this convention and it had already enacted laws that provided for the rights of persons with disabilities.
Enumerating certain steps, she said, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had introduced policies for students with disabilities and they were being provided fee waivers in Pakistan’s higher educational institutions.
The first lady mentioned that they also initiated a campaign on the rights and facilitation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in 2022.
With the help of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) about 128.15 million awareness messages in Urdu had been sent on this topic in Pakistan, she said, adding through their awareness campaign on the rights of PWDs, they were sensitising the people of Pakistan about their rights and society’s responsibility towards them.
“We are promoting the services and facilities that are already being offered by the governments, including their job quotas. We are also emphasising that these job quotas should be strictly implemented in their true letter and spirit and all PWDs, irrespective of the extent of their disabilities should be given jobs,” she opined.
She also highlighted that the banks, chambers of commerce and industries, private sector organizations, welfare foundations, and organizations were working for the cause of PWDs regarding skill development and employment of PWDs in all sectors of the economy.
Similarly, she said, the government and banks were now offering loans at discounted rates to PWDs for ensuring their financial independence, and these were working on a plan to make all their branches PWD-friendly and compliant with their special needs.
She further informed that they also held meetings with the representatives of PWDs, the provincial government, NADRA, and social welfare departments to highlight the issues being faced by PWDs. Similarly, laws had been enacted that have made it mandatory for the issuance of building permits to all future public buildings in the capital to be accessible and PWD-friendly, she added.
She said that the individuals with disabilities had the fundamental rights to education and employment, but they often faced significant barriers in accessing these rights.
These barriers might be due to a lack of accessible schools and classrooms, specialized support and services, or discrimination and stigma from employers, she added.
It was crucial to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to quality education that met their unique needs and to created inclusive workplaces that valued their skills and abilities, she opined.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of Shifa international hospital Dr. Zeeshan Bin Ishtiaque said that the hospital was committed to improving the lives of individuals with autism.
Dr. Nosheen Kazmi, a psychiatrist, said that every individual had to play a role in supporting autistic children and adults in society.
Muhammad Kashif Khan, AGM rehabilitation department, said that role of rehabilitation was vital in making a child with ASD functional and independent.
Earlier, the first lady also gave away shields among the notable speakers.
CPJ urges Taliban to reverse decision to shut down women-run Radio Sada-e-Banowan
NEW YORK, Apr 01 (APP): The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent watchdog body, Friday called on the Taliban authorities to stop their crackdown on local media in Afghanistan and allow the independent women-run Radio Sada-e-Banowan to continue its work.
On Thursday, authorities in the city of Faizabad, in Badakhshan province, shuttered the broadcaster’s operations and sealed its office, according to news reports and an employee of the radio station who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal, CPJ said in a press release.
The officers at the scene, from the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture and Directorate of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, accused the outlet of illegally airing music during the holy month of Ramadan. The Taliban banned playing and listening to music when it retook power in August 2021.
According to CPJ, the radio station employee who spoke to CPJ said she was not aware that any music had been aired, and believed that the decision was retaliation for the station’s programmes focusing on women’s education and job opportunities in Badakhshan.
“The Taliban should immediately reverse its decision shuttering the Radio Sada-e-Banowan broadcaster and allow the outlet to reopen and work freely,” CPJ Asia Programme Coordinator Beh Lih Yi, said in a statement.
“The Taliban have deprived Afghan women of everything from jobs to education. Shutting down a women-run radio station shows there is no reprieve for the Afghan media even during the holy month of Ramadan. The Taliban must correct its course and stop cracking down on journalism, ” she added
Radio Sada e Banowan was established in 2014 and owned by Afghan female journalist Najla Shirzad. Local Taliban officials allowed the radio station to restart operations not long after the group retook power. It has six employees, according to the person who spoke to CPJ.
CPJ said it contacted Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid for comment via messaging app but did not receive any response.
In August 2022, CPJ published a special report about the media crisis in Afghanistan, showing a rapid deterioration in press freedom since the Taliban retook control of the country one year earlier, marked by censorship, arrests, assaults, and restrictions on women journalists.
UN calls for ‘firm action’ to protect Palestinians’ human rights
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 01 (APP): The international community must take firm and principled action to protect the human rights and dignity of Palestinians, amid mounting violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the threat of even further annexation, an independent UN-appointed rights expert has said.
“The wave of deadly violence sweeping through the occupied West Bank since the beginning of this year is the inexorable consequence of an acquisitive and repressive occupation with no end in sight, and the culture of lawlessness and impunity Israel has nurtured and enjoyed,” UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said in a statement.
Recent months have been marked by escalating unrest between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel’s new hardline government has also pledged to expand West Bank settlements and annex occupied territory.
Ms. Albanese is the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
She said Israeli violence – including the deadly raid in Jenin refugee camp on 26 January, in the old city of Nablus on 22 February, and in Jericho a week later – has left 80 Palestinians dead, and over 2,000 wounded, in less than 90 days. Thirteen Israelis also were killed by Palestinians during this period.
“Every loss of life, whether Palestinian or Israeli, is a tragic reminder of the price people pay for not addressing pervasive injustice and its root causes,” she said.
The rights expert noted that over the past decades, the international community has witnessed record-high numbers of Palestinian deaths and injuries.
Meanwhile, Palestinians have also endured confinement, land confiscation, home demolitions, fragmentation, discriminatory law enforcement, mass incarceration and other countless abuses, indignities and humiliations.
“Israel, emboldened by a lack of meaningful intervention, has consolidated its acquisitive and repressive occupation, with Member States offering little more than symbolic condemnation, humanitarians providing band-aid aid, and legal scholars entangled in theoretical debates,” she said.
Her statement urged the UN to “move beyond simply counting casualties and calling for restraint.”
The Organization “cannot indulge in the condescending acceptance of an irresolvable ‘conflict’ and the myth of conflicting narratives, and in urging the ‘parties’ to ‘de-escalate tensions’ and ‘resume negotiations,’” she said.
“In reality, there are no equal parties nor a proper ‘conflict,’ but rather an oppressive regime that threatens the right of an entire people to exist,” she insisted.
Furthermore, “tolerating annexation would legitimize aggression, bringing international law back almost a century: this is the reality the international community must stop immediately and reverse.”
Ms. Albanese urged the international community to recommit to the ideals of the UN Charter, in the interest of both Palestinians and Israelis.
“To maintain its credibility and purpose, the UN must acknowledge that conflicting narratives and historical facts must be resolved through the lens of legality and justice, and work effectively to oppose any forms of annexation of occupied territory, realize the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and terminate the apartheid regime Israel is enforcing upon them.,” she added.
APHC urges world to play role in settling lingering Kashmir dispute according to UN resolutions
ISLAMABAD, Apr 1 (APP): The incarcerated All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt has said that India had been subjecting the Kashmiris to the worst state terrorism for over seven decades for demanding their inalienable right to self-determination.
In his message from New Delhi’s infamous Tihar Jail, Masarrat Aalam Butt said the Indian troops have martyred over 96,000 Kashmiris and tortured hundreds of thousands others since 1989 alone but failed to intimidate them into submission.
He said that it was due to the unprecedented sacrifices of these martyrs that the Kashmir dispute has become the center of attention at the global level.
The APHC Chairman urged the international community to take cognizance of the Indian brutalities and play an effective role in settling the lingering Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions and Kashmiris’ aspirations.
Meanwhile, Indian troops launched massive cordon and search operations in different areas of Srinagar, Shopian, Pulwama, Islamabad, Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipore, Kathua and Jammu districts of the occupied territory, subjecting the residents to severe harassment and intimidation.
The occupation authorities continued to keep senior APHC leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, under house arrest and disallowed him to offer Juma prayers at Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, today, on the second consecutive Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
The Mirwaiz has been under continued house detention since August 05, 2019. He has been prevented from offering Juma prayers for 188 successive weeks.
TTP claimed Fawad as its comrade
PESHAWAR, Apr 01 (APP): The banned Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has recognized Maulana Fawad as its comrade, said a statement of TTP spokesman issued to the media here Saturday.
The TTP has confirmed that Maulana Fawad, who was killed by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Mardan, was its member.
Fawad was killed a day earlier in a CTD raid at his hide out to arrest him but all of a sudden, the terrorists started firing and martyred a policeman.
In a retaliatory firing by Police, terrorist Fawad was killed and now TTP declared him as member of the terrorist group TTP.