WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (APP):US describes Asma Jehangir”s death great loss to World“ The US State Department on Tuesday paid rich tribute to renowned Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer, Asma Jahangir, saying she championed the rule of law, democracy and human rights around the world.
Asma Jahangir died on Sunday of heart attack at the age of 66. She won international awards and served as the United Nations rapporteur on human rights and extrajudicial killings.
“Her passing is a great loss to the world, and she will be missed as a champion in her country, its people, and millions more around the world,” said State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, who expressed condolences from the US government at the start of the press briefing.
“We would like to say that we like to join the Government of Pakistan and others around the world in mourning the passing of a Pakistani human rights and democracy advocate “For years Ms. Jahangir courageously defended the rights of those who did not have a voice.
Paying tributes to Asma Jahangir, the spokesperson said that as a global icon in human rights, she founded and chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She served as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Most recently, she served as UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, tirelessly fighting on behalf of the Iranian people as they demanded freedom, dignity, and human rights.
Asma Jahangir was also paid tributes by the US and Canadian media. In an obituary published in the New York Times, she was described as the “Fearless Pakistani Rights Activist”.
Jahangir, a human rights lawyer, had a reputation for speaking truth to power and defending the weak and the marginalized and women and minorities against injustice,” the paper wrote.
“Ms. Jahangir never minced words while defending democracy and human rights, ” the paper noted, and eulogized her for championing the rights of religious minorities and women.
“An active member of bar politics, she was the first female president of the Pakistan Supreme Court’s Bar Association. Till her death, she spoke out against corruption in the legal community and advocated judicial reform,” the paper said.
US national radio, NPR, also remembered the Pakistani lawyer for her fierce defense of human rights, especially women and minorities. The radio also broadcast extracts of her interview she gave to the radio in 2001.
A Canadian publication, Toronto Sun, also published a news about her death, saying that for 40 years, the lioness of Pakistan stood alone,†in her fight for human rights, democracy and against militancy.
US describes Asma Jehangir’s death great loss to World
606 mosques agree to implement uniform prayer, Azaan timings: Yousaf
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):Minister for Religious affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf Wednesday said 606 out of total 615 mosques of the federal capital have agreed to implement uniform prayer and Azaan timings at their respective mosques.
Chairing a meeting of Nizam-e-Salat Committee, he said the consensus of all schools of thought Ulema on uniform prayer and Azaan timings in their respective mosques was a great achievement of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.
The Nizam-e-Salat (Uniform prayer and Azaan system) would be expanded to 50 union councils of the federal capital. This system would be started in mosques of G-8, I-9 Markaz from the current week.
The meeting was attended by Ulema, representatives of trader associations, interior ministry, district management of ICT, Auqaf department, civil society and chairmen of various union councils of the federal capital.
First phase of Joint Pak-Saudi exercise Aff’aa Al Sahil concludes
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):The first phase of Joint Special Operation Forces Maritime exercise Aff’aa Al Sahil being held at Karachi between Pakistan Navy (PN-SOF) and Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF-SOF) has concluded.
During the first phase, series of land and harbour exercises were scheduled; wherein, Maritime Special Operations were rehearsed prior exercises at sea in second phase, a press release issued here by directorate of public relations of Pakistan Navy.
Exercise Aff’aa Al Sahil is aimed on enhancing interoperability and sharpening the tactical proficiency in countering Maritime Human trafficking, Piracy and Terrorism. The exercise will help in developing synergy in operations against asymmetric and
conventional threats.
Exercise Aff’aa Al Sahil is a bilateral exercise being conducted annually between the two sides since 2011. Culmination of first phase will lead to Sea Phase; wherein sea based Maritime Special Operations will be conducted.
Beside Exercise Aff’aa Al Sahil at Karachi, Exercise Dera Al Sahil between Pak Marines and RSNF Marines is also under progress at Saudi Arabia.
This exercise is aimed to enhance professional skills and practices especially in the field of Coastal Defence like demonstration for Military Operations and Urban Terrain (MOUT), Joint Beach Landing through Landing Craft Utility (LCU) and training of snipers through camouflage and concealment techniques.
Chief Secretaries can’t be made member of ECC: Senate told
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Ahmed Sheikh Wednesday apprised the Senate that under rules of business chief secretaries of the provinces could not be made members of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) adding that they were only
special invitees to the ECC meeting.
Speaking on the status of implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Special Committee on 24
demands made by the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said it was also demanded that chief secretaries should also be member of ECC.
However, he said after through deliberation, it was informed that under the rules, only chief ministers could be the member of ECC rather than the chief secretaries.
Education plays key role in promotion of tolerance in society: Governor
PESHAWAR, Feb 14 (APP):The Governor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Engineer Iqbal Zafar Jhagra Wednesday said that education plays an important role in creating a prosperous and tolerant society.
The Governor expressed these views while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the prefabricated building of Govt: High School, Hisara, Khyber Agency here.
Beside others, Additional Chief Secretary, FATA, Sikandar Qayyum, Jean – Francois Cautain, European
Union Ambassador to Pakistan, Ignacio Artaza, Country Director, UNDP, Christian Munduate, Deputy Representative UNICEF Pakistan and Masood-ul-Mulk, Chief Executive Officer, SRSP were also present on the occasion.
Jhagra said, “In any society, youth is the real agent of change and the youth bulge of FATA is approximately 60% and to engage them in healthy activities, efforts are already underway”.
He said that a comprehensive package of social cohesion, income generation and education activities had been provided to communities in Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai and North Waziristan agencies.
“More than 100 schools had already been rehabilitated, 408 teachers had been trained to provide better quality education for our children and Taleemi Islahi Jirgas were being formed to advocate for improved services and increased enrolment” he said.
The Governor also pointed out that FATA Secretariat had earmarked Rs. 4 billion this year for the education sector, however, there were still more than 400 institutions in the area that require urgent
rehabilitation and support in teachers training. In addition, he said, the needs and priorities of the Frontier Regions (FR) are also being taken care of in the drafting of our development plans, as they also lack basic facilities.
He said that approximately 200,000 out of school children have been brought back into the regular education system in FATA. Girls’ enrolment and attendance is also our key priority, and the FATA Secretariat remains committed to address the specific needs of the girls’ schools with the aim to improving the basic school infrastructure and ensuring the provision of a safe learning environment
therein.
Later on, the Governor alongwith European Union Ambassador to Pakistan inaugurated the prefabricated building in Govt: High School, Hisara, Khyber Agency and distributed prizes among the students.
Afghan origin man sentenced to life in prison for New York bombing
NEW YORK, Feb 14 (APP):An Afghan-American man who set off bombs in New York and the neighbouring state of New Jersey in 2016 has been sentenced to life, according to media reports.
Ahmad Khan Rahimi, the 30-year-old Afghan-born US citizen, who was captured after a shootout with police, told the court that he does not “harbour hate for anyone”.
Thirty people were injured when he set off a bomb in Manhattan’s upscale Chelsea district.
“There is nothing that could justify anything but a life sentence,” US District Judge of New York Richard Berman said.
“There is no comparison between the grievances that you may feel and the actions you took,” he said. “The conclusion is inescapable that you remain extremely dangerous.”
According to federal prosecutors, Rahimi has not shown remorse and has attempted to radicalize others in prison to support ISIS/Da’esh.
Rahimi, known to many as the “Chelsea bomber”, was convicted in 2017 October on all eight counts brought against him in court, including the use of a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a public place.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement “justice has been served”.
“The sentencing will not heal the pain and suffering that this despicable act caused New Yorkers, but it sends a strong message that we will not tolerate those who seek to sow fear, hate and violence.”
On the morning of 17 September 2016, Rahimi left his home in Elizabeth, New Jersey with several homemade bombs.
The first bombing location he chose was along the route of a Marine Corps charity race in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Due to a last-minute change to the race schedule, no people were injured when that pipe bomb detonated.
Investigators said Rahimi then planted two bombs in the Chelsea neighbourhood of New York but one failed to detonate.
Other remaining devices were left in a discarded rucksack in a rubbish bin at a train station in New Jersey on the day after the weekend attack.
Rahimi was arrested two days after the attacks following a shootout with police in New Jersey, which left him in hospital for weeks. Prosecutors said that Rahimi had started following terrorist propaganda in 2012 and had tried to influence his fellow inmates since arriving in prison, including sharing speeches from deceased al-Qaeda leaders Anwar al-Awlaki and Osama bin Laden.
The sentence of multiple life terms means Rahimi is likely to never leave jail, according to the reports.
ECP, NADRA sign agreement to prepare RTS for general elections
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and NADRA Wednesday signed an agreement to prepare a Result Transmission System (RTS) for upcoming general elections.
The new system will enable presiding officers to transmit result to returning officers and Election Commission in real-time.
Under the agreement, NADRA will provide technical assistance to the Commission for development of mobile based result transmission system for the presiding officers. This will allow presiding officers to transmit result directly from polling stations using their mobile phones, said a press release.
The Commission used mobile APP result transmission system in four previous by-elections successfully.
Secretary Election Commission Babar Yaqub Fateh Muhammad and NADRA Chairman Usman Yusuf Mobeen inked the document.
Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry delivers lecture on current state of Pakistan-U.S. relations at USC
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry delivered a lecture on the current state of Pakistan-U.S. relations at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Emphasizing the significance of strong ties between Pakistan and the United States, the Ambassador expressed the hope that both countries would be able to work together in future to achieve common objectives such as peace in Afghanistan, said a message received here.
Each time Pakistan and the U.S. had worked together, they had been able to benefit both countries. On Afghanistan, the Ambassador reiterated that Pakistan wanted peace and stability in Afghanistan. Recent violence in Afghanistan and continued erosion of territorial hold indicated that the situation in the country was rapidly deteriorating.
In such circumstances, the Ambassador said it was unfair to blame Pakistan for strategies that did not work well in Afghanistan. Instead, he believed that Pakistan and the U.S. must set aside their differences and continue to encourage the Afghan government and the militants towards political reconciliation. Relying solely on military strategy would never bring lasting peace to Afghanistan.
The Ambassador said that any militant safe havens had been eliminated from Pakistan, thanks to the remarkable sacrifice in blood and treasure as well as the success of military operations in the tribal areas conducted by Pakistani security forces in the last three years.
He added that relations between Pakistan and the U.S. had always been broad-based and multifaceted. Citing examples of cooperation in diverse areas such as trade, agriculture, energy, water, health and education, Ambassador Aizaz said that Pakistan has much to gain by working with the U.S. and vice versa. However, relations between the two countries must be based on mutual trust and mutual respect.
He observed that even when relations between both governments were under stress, people to people contacts and private sector engagements remained strong and robust.
During the Q&A session, the Ambassador responded to queries related to Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, its relations with Afghanistan, Iran, India as well as the situation in South Asia. To contextualize his lecture, the Ambassador shared an overview of the rapidly evolving geo-strategic and socio-economic situation that presented new challenges for which every country needs to be prepared.
Participants at the talk included faculty and students of USC and members of the Pakistani American community. Mr. Abdul Jabbar Memon, Consul General of Pakistan, Los Angeles also attended the event.
PNCA to organize a three-day National Artists Convention from Feb 24
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) would organize a three-day National Artists Convention from February 24 to 26 at PNCA.
National Artists’ Convention is an initiative by PNCA to underscore various issues and problems confronting the artist’s community and as a consequence adversely affecting the cultural environment of the society at large, senior official of PNCA told APP.
The convention would be attended by leading artists of the country to discuss threadbare cultural issues and conclude with recommendations for submission to the authorities to take necessary steps to alleviate the condition of the artists and try to remove ambiguities prevailing in various fields of arts.
The artists would also present their papers on various subjects including the validity of Art and Culture, its current status and challenges, cane art and culture bring about social change, education of arts and culture and its promotion and welfare of artists.
After the paper reading and panel discussion the participants will form their respective focus groups to deliberate on issues specific to their fields and come out with realistic proposals/ demands.
PNCA to screen animation comedy film ‘Monster Hunter’ on Feb 16
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP):Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in collaboration with China Cultural Center (CCC) would organize screening of live action- animation comedy ‘Monster Hunter’ in PNCA Lecture Hall on February 16.
‘Monster Hunt’ is a film with lots of comic action and gags. The film came out in China in 2015 and soon became a hit in China and elsewhere. It originally came out in 3D. ‘Monster Hunt’ takes us back into the past when the times were good and humans lived in peace and harmony with monsters. Then comes a time when friction erupts. Monster queen gives birth to a prince. The innocent baby faces threats from opposing forces, ready to mess up the peaceful environment. The peace has shown door to evil forces and evil would retaliate with all its might. It is a full-time adventure to save the baby from the clutches of outsiders.
The basic message comes with the fact that one must accept difference of opinion. We must have the courage to listen to others and their point-of-view which is other than ours. We must also see through other’s perspective. This results in understanding and coordination, avoiding conflict and tussle.
The film carries this message by presenting it on screen by showing a land of mystery and myth with a baby as centre of attraction (or discord). All this is played with high-energy super martial-arts acts and feats.
All this looks cheesy, more to the children audiences. ‘Monster Hunt’ is full of such entertaining acts with high quality production effects, obviously carried and achieved in post-production with full help from CGE (computer generated effects). The slapstick comedy is another additional benefit here. It has been made intelligently which engages the young audiences with comic adventures from beginning to the end.