Pakistan Federal Union of journalists (PFUJ) expresses deep concern over the decision of the BBC Urdu Service management to layoff forcibly majority of its reporters in Pakistan. “The decision is autocratic, arbitrary, unfair, without any justification and based on prejudice” Last week, the BBC managers and HR officer suddenly made an announcement of retrenching of 10 reporters out of 14 across Pakistan claiming the move will help to save them 180,000 pounds during the next year. The management’s argument lacks rationale because the service has horde of managers that claims a major share of the salary budget and they remain unaffected by the recent announcement. PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat and Secretary General Amin Yousuf said that the BBC Urdu Service itself had announced that 11 percent of the total budget saved in previous restructuring would be taken forward until 2014, which clearly means that the latest restructuring is unjustified.
“The decision means depriving reporters from livelihood whose years of hard work has played a significant role in making BBC one of the most credible news sources in Pakistan. They said that “The BBC reporters in Pakistan have been working under constant stress for several years due to an unusual increase in their workload and have at times risked their lives while performing their duties, or received threats for the kind of stories they were doing,” “Instead of recognizing their hard work, they are being constantly bullied, harassed, terrified, abused, mistreated and at times threatened with job sacking by the top management. “Bullying, harassment and discrimination is reported to be widespread in BBC Urdu Service. This is clear negation of BBC’s its own policy about respect at work place” PFUJ urge the BBC’s top management to immediately intervene and stop the BBC Urdu Service management from taking such arbitrary action“. We assure reporters of BBC Pakistan of our all-out support. PFUJ also demand that BBC’s management should probe circumstances under which they were sacked. REFERENCE: PFUJ expresses deep concern over layoff of the BBC Urdu Service Reporters by PFUJ http://pfuj.org/pfuj-expresses-deep-concern-over-layoff-of-the-bbc-urdu-service-reporters/
ISLAMABAD: Hard-hitting journalist Matiullah Jan told JournalismPakistan.com on Friday night that it was untrue he had been fired by the DawnNews management and asked to clean out his office immediately. At the same time Mati hinted this status could change in a week’s time. Earlier, throughout Friday, reports of Mati being one of three big names to be sacked by DawnNews spread through the industry like wildfire. It had been reported that Mati, host of the controversial but hugely popular Aapna Gareban, had been shown the door along with Mubashir Zaidi, Editor DawnNews, and Azaz Syed. Strangely enough this information was confirmed by Dawn insiders as well as sources in other news channels, including Geo and ARY. REFERENCE: Mati not out of DawnNews just yet Steve Manuel JournalismPakistan.com May 26, 2012 http://journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=142
Apna Gareban "Forcibly Closed" Dawn News Censorship. (Courtesy BBC)
آخری وقت اشاعت: جمعرات 30 جون 2011 , 16:34 GMT 21:34 PST
اپنے گریبان میں جھانکنا کتنا مشکل ہے، یہ بات مطیع اللہ جان اچھی طرح جان گئے ہیں۔ ڈان نیوز کے اینکر پرسن نے اس عنوان سے اپنا پروگرام شروع کیا تھا جس میں کسی اور کی نہیں بلکہ اپنے ہی طبقے یعنی صحافیوں کا احتساب کیا گیا۔ لیکن یہ پروگرام زیادہ دیر نہیں چل سکا اور بقول مطیع اللہ جان کے اس کے ایک پروگرام کی ریکارڈنگ جاری تھی کہ اسے بند کرنا پڑا۔ اسلام آباد سے آصف فاروقی کی رپورٹ:
It was said Mati was targeted because of his almost ‘missionary-like’ zeal to reveal the ‘truth’ about the media, politicians, and judiciary and of course, the military. Aapna Gareban is seen by many to have precipitated Mati’s downfall. In the program, which drew both extreme criticism and rave reviews, Mati exposed corrupt journalists. Mati has a reputation of being a straight talker and this trait has ruffled more than a few feathers in all four areas of interest. On the other hand, insiders at DawnNews say Mati was part of a ‘power lobby’ that did not sit well with the management and especially with the new Director News Zahid Mazhar. They say Mati, Mubashir and Azaz have been told their last working day was May 31st. REFERENCE: Mati not out of DawnNews just yet Steve Manuel JournalismPakistan.com May 26, 2012 http://journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=142
Asghar Khan Interview Dawn News 29 January 2012 (Part 01)
This could fit with Mati’s assertion that his status might not be the same in a ‘week’s time.’
While Mubashir has been reportedly running from pillar to post, meeting with the heads of news channels in a bid to land a job, Mati has put forward the idea for establishing a journalists’ emergency fund, a sorely needed respite for many media persons going through a difficult phase such as being jobless, especially at a time when most news channels and newspapers have been going through downsizing. While his proposal has largely been greeted enthusiastically and considered a meaningful and badly needed initiative, there exists a certain lobby bent on discrediting Mati and accusing him of attempting to make “a quick buck.” Those that know Mati say this accusation is the result of envy and vindictiveness. Mubashir, it has been learned tried to meet Dawn Editor Zafar Abbas to land a job, but was not successful. He is also said to have tried to approach Zafar Siddiqui, the owner of Samaa and CNBC but got the cold shoulder. Meanwhile, resignation letters have reportedly been prepared for Mati, Mubashir and Azaz, according to a source within DawnNews HR. The three have been given up till May 31st to resign. If they do not, termination letters will be issued. Industry watchers are waiting with bated breaths to see what happens. The buzz is that the trio will resign and that it is the only option open. REFERENCE: Mati not out of DawnNews just yet Steve Manuel JournalismPakistan.com May 26, 2012 http://journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=142
General (R) Mirza Aslam Beg Misbehaves & Attacks Journalist Azaz Syed (Dawn News)
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 Unidentified people attacked the house of a reporter of DawnNews in the early hours of Tuesday and damaged property. The attackers did not cause any physical harm to Azaz Syed and his family, and left after hurling stones at the house and damaging his car. Mr Syed told Dawn that his younger brother woke him up at around 3am after sensing commotion outside their house in Alipur Town. In the meantime, the attackers started hurling stones. This lasted for a few minutes, terrorising the three members of the family and Mr Syed`s cousin. His father went out after the situation calmed down and found the main gate locked from outside. The windscreen of the car was smashed. Mr Syed said there were three attackers, of whom two hurled stones at the house and one stayed in a vehicle. Later, he contacted the Rescue 15 service, which sent Shahzad Town police to inquire about the incident. “I have no idea who the attackers were, but suspect that an intelligence agency was behind the incident,” he said. A complaint had been lodged with the SDPO of Rural Circle, he added. Journalists covering Senate and National Assembly proceedings walked out from both the houses of parliament in protest against the incident. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, PML-N MNA Sardar Ayaz Saddiq and ANP Senator Zahid Khan went to the press lounge and were briefed about the incident by journalists` representatives.
Mr Malik “apologised” to Mr Syed for the incident and promised that the culprits would be brought to book. He said he had asked the deputy inspector general (operation) to hold an inquiry and submit preliminary findings by the evening. The minister announced that he had suspended the official in charge of Rescue 15 for not reaching the place in time. He said the station house officer concerned would also face action if he had failed to respond promptly. Mr Syed said police had responded in time and the minister had been misguided. “I request the minister to reinstate the official.” A statement issued by DawnNews said unknown people had attacked the house of investigative reporter Azaz Syed. They locked both gates of the house, leaving the terrorised family inside. The windscreen of his car was also smashed. The attack happened a day after Mr Syed was threatened by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sleuths over an investigative report he was preparing about the military. The DawnNews management said it would take up the matter with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minster Yousuf Raza Gilani, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar and ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas as well as journalist unions and human rights organisations. The management urged the authorities to initiate a high-level inquiry. REFERENCE: DawnNews reporter`s house attacked By Our Staff Reporter http://archives.dawn.com/archives/41491
ISLAMABAD Abdul Islam Siddiqui, a soldier of the Pakistan Army hanged in 2005 after an in-camera military trial for his alleged involvement in the Dec 2003 attack on then president Pervez Musharraf`s convoy, was denied right to file writ in any superior court, Dawn investigations show. The case of six other co-accused from the Air Force is currently in the apex court. Two of the soldiers turned prosecution witnesses, but alleged torture and coercion by military authorities nevertheless. “The military authorities tortured us to get a false statement against Siddiqui. Brigadier Feroz, who was supposed to be our defending officer, threatened us into get our signatures on an English-language statement. “Prosecutor Brigadier Liaqat threatened us with dire consequences unless we signed the statement and Siddiqui`s defending officer, a major whose identity I`ve been unable to ascertain, was browbeaten by military court officials every time he tried to argue in Siddiqui`s support,” claims a former soldier Hafiz Mohammad Ashfaq. He was subsequently released but dismissed from service without benefits.
Havaldar Mohammad Younis, another witness who deposed against Siddiqui and is currently incarcerated in Gujranwala jail, also alleged torture. In an undated hand-written note to his family, he claimed that he was subjected to torture for 10 months in Rawalpindi cells to extricate a false statement against Siddiqui. “I filed an appeal before Maj-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha [current ISI Chief and the then military judge hearing appeals against conviction] who merely completed the procedural formality before upholding my sentence,” Younis said in his note. “He did not provide a lawyer or summon my witness and did not even care for my refusal to depose before him.” Attempts to secure the army`s version of events failed as military spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas did not respond to calls or a detailed text message.
“Recent Supreme Court verdicts have established that persons convicted by military courts have the right to file writs in high courts,” said former attorney-general Malik Mohammad Qayyum. “I recently represented some Air Force personnel in a similar case in the SC, which upheld their right to move the judiciary against the military court verdict.” Siddiqui was prosecuted by in-camera trial and executed on Aug 20, 2005. Record shows that he was sentenced to death before Dec 25, 2004, when this fact was officially announced. Siddiqui`s family quote him as saying that he had filed appeals before military appellate courts right up to the army chief, but all were rejected. “The appeal process in the army is contradictory,” said Colonel (retd) Akram, a former military lawyer. “When the army chief confirms a death sentence, the convict can file an appeal in a military court of appeal which is headed by a military officer subordinate to the army chief.” He added that it was strange that General Musharraf — the target of the attempted murder — decided the fate of an appeal as the army chief. And, had Siddiqui been allowed the due process of the law, his mercy petition would have been presented to Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as president.
Under the law, such appeals — once rejected by the army chief and confirmed by appellant military courts — go to high courts and then the Supreme Court. If the appeal is rejected by the apex court, a mercy petition is filed before the president. In Siddiqui`s case, the process of law appears to have been short-circuited. President Musharraf rejected Siddiqui`s appeal as army chief and when this was confirmed by an appellate military court, it was interpreted by jail authorities as a rejection of his mercy petition by Musharraf in his capacity as the president.
“You are hereby informed that your son Islam Siddiqui, who was sentenced to death for an attempt on the life of the president and whose appeals have been dismissed, including a mercy petition that has been rejected by the president of Pakistan, will be hanged to death [sic] on Aug 20, 2005,” said the Aug 13, 2005, letter from the jail authorities to Siddiqui`s father Karim Buksh, mother Maria Kalsoom and brother Umer Islam Siddiqui. Siddiqui`s family members accuse jail officials of stopping them from challenging the death sentence in superior courts. “Ten days before his scheduled execution, I reached Multan jail accompanied by our lawyer and the prison authorities refused to let us meet my brother saying that the army had strictly forbidden it,” said Umer Islam Siddiqui. Normally, jail authorities are responsible for filing appeals for such convicts from jail,” said Shah Khawar [then acting attorney-general and currently the deputy AG] when contacted in December. Mr Qayyum said that military officials could still be held accountable. “The family of the hanged soldier can still seek action against military authorities by filing writ in the High Court,” he said. “The name of the Abdul Salam Siddiqui never formally appeared in the previous proceedings of the lower courts; we were told by the prosecutor that he was hanged in the same case but his case details were not provided,” said advocate Col (retd) Akram.
“If a military court awards the death sentence to any accused persons, it has to be verified by the chief of the respective armed forces; since he was the Chief of Army Staff at the time, Gen Musharraf must have signed his death warrant,” said another lawyer, advocate Altaf Malik who is representing the air force personnel. Colonel (retd) Akram, said that they never knew that there was a seventh accused in the case. “We came to know about him through media reports after his execution and later the army prosecutor told me that since he was an army man, his case was separated from the Air Force persons,” said Akram. “Even if he was involved in the assassination attempt, though, he should have been tried with the rest of the accused persons.” 35-year-old Siddiqui, a father of three who worked for Company No. 1 of the Defence Services Guard, was charged with pressing the button of the remote control device which caused an explosion on Jhanda Chichi Bridge on Dec 14, 2003. Immediately prior to his execution, Siddiqui wrote a two-page letter to his family claiming innocence. REFERENCE: Convict in Musharraf attack case denied appeal By Azaz Syed and Matiullah Jan - Abdul Islam was hanged in 2005 after an in-camera military trial for his alleged involvement in the Dec 2003 attack on then president Pervez Musharrafs convoy.-File photo http://archives.dawn.com/archives/44282
عزاز سید کا کہنا ہے کہ گزشتہ دنوں آئی ایس آئی کے اعلیٰ افسران نے انہیں اپنے دفتر طلب کر کے سنگین نتائج کی دھمکیاں دی تھیں
پاکستان میں انگریزی زبان کے نیوز چینل ’ڈان نیوز‘ کی انتظامیہ نے حکومت سے مطالبہ کیا ہے کہ چینل کے ایک رپورٹر کے گھر پر نامعلوم افراد کے حملے کی تحقیقات کی جائیں۔
دوسری جانب صحافتی تنظیموں نے اس واقعے کے خلاف احتجاج کا اعلان کیا ہے۔
اسلام آباد میں ’ڈان نیوز‘ کے رپورٹر اعزاز سید کے مطابق نامعلوم افراد نے پیر اور منگل کی درمیانی شب ان کے گھر پر حملہ کیا اور پورچ میں کھڑی ان کی گاڑی کو نقصان پہنچانے کے بعد گھر کو باہر سے تالے لگا کر فرار ہو گئے۔
چینل انتظامیہ کی جانب سے جاری ہونے والےایک بیان میں کہا گیا ہے کہ ان کے تحقیقاتی رپورٹر کے گھر پر یہ مبینہ حملہ ’انٹیلی جنس ادارے آئی ایس آئی کی جانب سے اعزاز سید کو ملنے والی دھمکیوں کے بعد ہوا ہے‘۔
پاکستانی فوج کے ترجمان اس خبر پر ردعمل کے لیے دستیاب نہیں تھے۔
اعزاز سید نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ وہ پاکستانی فوج کے بارے میں ایک تحقیقی رپورٹ پر کام کر رہے تھے جسے روکنے کے لیے، ان کے بقول، ’گزشتہ دنوں آئی ایس آئی کے اعلیٰ افسران نے انہیں اپنے دفتر طلب کر کے سنگین نتائج کی دھمکیاں دی تھیں۔ان افسران کا کہنا تھا کہ آئی ایس آئی کے سربراہ مجھ سے خوش نہیں ہیں لہذا مجھے اپنی رپورٹنگ میں قومی سلامتی سے متعلق اداروں اور افراد کے نام لینے سے پرہیز کرنا چاہئے‘۔
’ڈان نیوز‘ انتظامیہ کے بیان میں کہا گیا ہے کہ وہ اس واقعے کے بارے میں صدر مملکت، وزیراعظم، وزیردفاع، وزیرداخلہ اور وزیراطلاعات کے علاوہ فوجی حکام اور صحافتی اور انسانی حقوق کی تنظیموں کو بھی مراسلے بھیج رہے ہیں تاکہ اس جرم میں ملوث افراد کو بے نقاب کرنے کے لیے اعلی سطحی تحقیقات کی جائیں۔
صدر مملکت کے نام لکھے گئے خط میں ڈان نیوز کی انتظامیہ نے کہا کہ ’ڈان نیوز‘ کے صحافیوں کو اس سے پہلے بھی بعض افسران کی جانب سے ہراساں کیا جاتا رہا ہے۔ خط میں آئی ایس آئی کے ایک افسر کا نام، فون نمبر اور عہدہ بھی بتایا گیا ہے جس نے مبینہ طور پر اعزاز سید اور چینل کے ایک اور رپورٹر مطیع اللہ جان اور ان کے اہل خانہ کو ہراساں کرنے کی کوشش کی تھی۔
Similarly, the apex court had also taken notice, though not on contempt grounds, of a statement last year of then information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira urging Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of a newspaper report that claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had a secret meeting with the chief justice. On Oct 2 last year, the Supreme Court, in a rare statement, had warned political leaders against impugning the impartiality of judges while commenting on court judgments and advised them to avoid unwarranted and uncalled for comments. The statement was issued after the court took notice of a controversial statement attributed to then labour and manpower minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah but cancelled by the government’s press information department. Some superior court judges are also facing contempt charges for taking oath under the Provisional Constitution Order of Nov 3, 2007, issued by then president Pervez Musharraf. REFERENCE: Two PPP leaders issued contempt notices by SC By Nasir Iqbal | From the Newspaper (14 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/27/two-ppp-leaders-issued-contempt-notices-by-sc.html
Apna Gareban - Media Owners Exposed As Media Worker Commits Suicide -- Ep 09 -- Part 1/5
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01QO3LTVTnU
A young media worker committed suicide in Lahore about two years ago due to non-payment of salary for five months. Mohammad Azam was just one of the many media workers across Pakistan who have to regularly face this problem. In this episode of Apna Gareban, Matiullah Jan discusses the issue of delayed salaries in media organizations, and exposes the names and pictures of those media tycoons who deprive their hard working employees of their due right. Guests: Nasir Hussain Haidery (Chairman, ITNE),Pervez Shaukat (President, PFUJ) and Rana Azeem (Chief Reporter, Khabrein Group / President PUJ). Courtesy: DAWN NEWS PAKISTAN http://www.youtube.com/user/dawnnewspakistan
ONWERS CARTEL & IMPLEMENTATION TRIBUNAL
While journalists lack resources to fight cases in courts or protect their members from being illegally sacked or pressured by owners in media organizations, the owners cartel, the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), whose prime object is to protect economic interests of media tycoons, and which gets subscriptions from owners in millions, has filed cases in various courts, challenging the law itself, its vires, or the operation of tribunal. Under such circumstances, the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees constituted under the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973, failed to prove effective under the circumstances. The Sindh High Court is hearing newspaper owners’ petitions for the last nine years without any judgment in any case and has held the implementation of the 7th Wage Award in abeyance, although journalists believe that justice delayed is justice denied. Due to machinations of the powerful and influential group of newspapers owners, which is known to be the mightiest pressure mafia of Pakistan, journalists are appearing in court cases although they have lost hope for justice. They have not enough resources to challenge owners’ maneuvers in courts of law with same force, although the PFUJ and the concerned UJs are doing their level best and appearing in courts regularly.
The owners’ cartel, the APNS, has succeeded in thwarting and defeating pronouncements of Chief Justice of Pakistan, and succeeded in keeping the implementation of the 7th Wage Board Award in abeyance by maneuvering to get a restraint order from the Singh High Court through clever tactics. The owners’ mafia is so strong that no person or agency can dare probe, check, or inspect working conditions prevailing in media houses, as per prevailing laws. The owners’ mafia is the most privileged class of Pakistan as they enjoy exceptional and preferential concessions in terms of taxes, duties, levies and sanctions, by virtue of the media power commanded by them.
As a consequence to these circumstances, the media persons are forced to work on the 14-year-old wages and fringe benefits fixed under the 6th Wage Award as on July 1, 1996, whereas there has been tremendous increase in the salaries and allowances of employees of other departments since then, but poor press workers and journalists have been deprived of these benefits. Some major newspaper groups who had earlier increased salaries of journalists under the head of ex gratia as per market dynamics on the recommendations of their editors (because most of journalists were leaving those organizations in search of better pay packages), are bent up to deduct that amount being paid under ex gratia as soon as decision of the seventh wage award is announced. They are seeking undertakings from journalists that the amount would be adjusted, and recently the Dawn Media Group adjusted an amount of Rs. 67,000 against the payment made in the salary of each worker on the head of ex gratia after a petty agreement with the Dawn Union. The management had to pay this amount as it was payable since 1994 at the rate of Rs.300 per month in view of judgment of Faisalabad Compensation Court in the case of Shamsul Islam Naz vs Dawn Group of Newspapers.
ANNUAL INCREMENTS AND PROMOTIONS DENIED
On the other hand, journalists and workers in newspaper organizations are working in great stress and are being denied promotions, move-overs, and their other lawful dues by the managements. Some major organizations, including Dawn, Jang, Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily Times, have introduced contract system of hiring and have been indulging in recruitment on contract for six moths to two years or they have re-hired some senior journalists after their retirement, but are not extending any other benefits including medical, leaves, overtime, night allowance, five per cent, cost of living allowance, etc., but have mentioned their posts as “Consultant”. Although they are doing journalistic work, they are not being mentioned as editors, assistance editors etc. They are being denied medical facilities, unlike other regular employees.
600 JOURNALISTS SACKED
At least 600 media workers have been sacked from various channels and newspapers during the period under review, only to save their salaries while their share of responsibilities is shifted on the remaining employees who are subjected to over-work on the same wages, because no institution in Pakistan is strong enough to curb the activities of the said mafia. REFERENCE: PFUJ termed the 2009-2010 as a worst period for Pakistani Media persons December 19th, 2010 suhail123 http://pfuj.pk/2010/12/pfuj-termed-the-2009-2010-as-a-worst-period-for-pakistani-media-persons/Pakistani TV Channels SACKED 350 Journalists http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2011/01/pakistani-tv-channels-sacked-350.html
Apna Gareban - Media Owners Exposed As Media Worker Commits Suicide -- Ep 09 -- Part 2/5
A young media worker committed suicide in Lahore about two years ago due to non-payment of salary for five months. Mohammad Azam was just one of the many media workers across Pakistan who have to regularly face this problem. In this episode of Apna Gareban, Matiullah Jan discusses the issue of delayed salaries in media organizations, and exposes the names and pictures of those media tycoons who deprive their hard working employees of their due right. Guests: Nasir Hussain Haidery (Chairman, ITNE),Pervez Shaukat (President, PFUJ) and Rana Azeem (Chief Reporter, Khabrein Group / President PUJ). Courtesy: DAWN NEWS PAKISTAN http://www.youtube.com/user/dawnnewspakistan
LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge on Wednesday directed the chief executive and editor-in-chief of the Khabrain Group of newspapers, Zia Shahid, to pay Rs 100 million to a petitioner for levelling baseless allegations against him in news reports. Former group legal adviser and prominent lawyer Azam Sultan Suharwardi had earlier filed a defamation suit against Shahid. The judge also directed Shahid to publish an apology in favour of the plaintiff in his newspaper. Suharwardi had submitted in the suit that he had been performing as a legal advisor for the group. He said in July 2009, differences developed between him and Shahid, after which he was sacked. “After sacking me, Zia Shahid started a campaign against me through publishing false news in his papers. The news items leveled totally baseless accusations against me, which not only damaged my repute but caused considerable mental anguish,” the petitioner said. The plaintiff said that Zia Shahid also pressured him to withdraw the cases, filed in the Lahore High Court. “When I did not bow to his pressure, he initiated the defamatory campaign against me, which damaged my repute,” the petitioner said. He then directed the court to order Shahid to apologise for publishing the news, and pay compensation to him. The court then ordered Shahid to pay the damages and issue an apology. staff report. REFERENCE: Zia Shahid ordered to pay Rs 100m in defamation suit Thursday, September 09, 2010 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\09\09\story_9-9-2010_pg7_23
By Dr Riaz Ahmed Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan [Courtesy http://www.sacw.net/ - South Asia Citizen Web since 1996]
A major impact of privatisation is downsizing and wage reduction. In a month when government claimed it has amassed Rs 22 billion from privatization of the largest bank, divested largest mutual fund, dis-invested shares of the second largest fertilizer company amongst 11 others getting proceeds worth 20% more than the last year it is no surprise that the billion dollar newspaper owners of Pakistan are calling for a repeal of a law passed in 1973 that enforces minimum wages in the private newspaper industry. What do media barons want to achieve from their recent campaign when the 7th Wage Award will only effect 5% of the total newspaper employees? The answer stems from the recent liberalization measures that have gone unresisted. Newspaper owners wish to seize on a golden opportunity to wipe away the remnants of nationalization of the 1970s. They hope that like the nearly un-resisted privatization amid bomb blasts, mass murders at mosques and the Wana Operation the only resisters to change could be Al Qaeeda.
Hence the blatant and provocative sacking of the President of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists in late April and in mid June the Joint Secretary of KUJ was sacked just to send reminders to activist amongst the 5% permanent news-workers throughout Pakistan that they dare not resist the re-privatization of wages. And the owners are not up against that many. Recently a survey of 18 newspapers and two agencies by Karachi Union of Journalists revealed that "only 152 journalists mostly from DAWN, Jang, APP, Business Recorder, and Daily Times have permanent jobs." The survey reports that temporary workers, making 75% of total workforce, will not benefit from the award and will continue to work without formal appointment letters on illegal contract basis without job security. Owners are confident hat they will be successful in getting public support for their wage-control measures through a massive advertisement campaign that equates a mere 50% wage rise in 5 years against freedom of the press. They say the wage award will force newspapers to close down even though only four newspapers implemented the 6th Wage Award the last time it was awarded eight years ago. Newspaper employees throughout Pakistan are agitating for the implementation of the 7th Wage Board award. Since the third week of June daily protests are reported (on the internet and foreign media only) from Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and recently in Karachi.
The Wage Board Award, headed by a Supreme Court Judge, fixes wages for the journalists and newspaper workers after every four years. The 7th Wage Award provides for an average increase of 50% in pay with corresponding increase in general transport allowance; night transport allowance; local transport; outfit allowance; uniform allowance; charge allowance; piece-rated wages; hill allowance; house rent allowance; and computer allowance. Taking the rise in cost of living 50% after 5 years is still less than the inflation. The KUJ survey reports that "majority of the journalists are receiving salaries from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000, but no medical or insurance facilities". 7th Wage Award was announced in October 2001. The newspaper owners are bound by the Wage Board decision as stipulated by the Newspapers Employers 1973 as representatives of both employers and employees unanimously agreed upon the Seventh Wage Board decision. But employers took to courts. Despite court verdicts newspapers refused blatantly to implement them even though the government twice revised the official advertisement rates for the newspapers to appease the owners in the same period, argues a leading activist. This means that newspaper employees are still receiving the wages decided by Sixth Wage Board eight years ago.
The recent spate of agitation was sparked by the newspaper owners themselves. A massive publicity campaign was launched in the second week of June by the All Pakistan Newspaper Society calling on the President to repeal Newspaper Employees Act 1973. Daily quarter page size advertisements are published in newspapers of member organizations by the owners rejecting the 7th Wage Award saying that owners will have to pay Rs 200 crore in five years to the employees an amount that will force closure of papers. PFUJ, the main force behind the agitation, has termed the advertisements as pack of lies aimed at blackmailing the government. REFERENCE: The Dawn Media Group & Insecure Jobs of Journalists http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/04/dawn-media-group-insecure-jobs-of.html The day I got fired from Dunya News by Sadaf Khan http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/3603/the-day-i-got-fired-from-dunya-news/ A broadcast journalist based in Islamabad who was formerly associated with Geo News and Dunya News. She blogs at http://ibteda.wordpress.com/ MORE IN: Unethical Behavior of Express News TV Pakistan. http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/09/unethical-behavior-of-express-news-tv.html
Apna Gareban - Media Owners Exposed As Media Worker Commits Suicide -- Ep 09 -- Part 3/5
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2jmImTaKc4
A young media worker committed suicide in Lahore about two years ago due to non-payment of salary for five months. Mohammad Azam was just one of the many media workers across Pakistan who have to regularly face this problem. In this episode of Apna Gareban, Matiullah Jan discusses the issue of delayed salaries in media organizations, and exposes the names and pictures of those media tycoons who deprive their hard working employees of their due right. Guests: Nasir Hussain Haidery (Chairman, ITNE),Pervez Shaukat (President, PFUJ) and Rana Azeem (Chief Reporter, Khabrein Group / President PUJ). Courtesy: DAWN NEWS PAKISTAN http://www.youtube.com/user/dawnnewspakistan
Massive retrenchments in media organizations journalists boycott National Assembly session. [ALSO APPEARED IN Business Recorder Date:1/14/2009]
ISLAMABAD: Journalists covering the National Assembly (NA) session on Tuesday staged a token walk out and boycott the proceeding against firing of journalists by some newspaper and TV channels. Soon after the recitation from the Holy Quran, the journalists walked out from the press gallery and gathered at the press lounge to protest, what they said, the inhuman attitude of some of the media groups. Information Minister Sherry Rehman, State Minister for Education Ghulam Farid and PML-N lawmaker Hanif Abbasi came to the press lounge and persuaded the protesting journalists to end their boycott, assuring them that government would fulfill their demands. Journalists said that the owners of some newspapers and news channels are firing their employees without giving their dues and some of them are not paying salaries for the last many months.
They demanded of the government to ensure implementation of resolutions passed by the NA for protection of working journalists. They also demanded to implement 7th Wage Board Award, pending for the last many years. Sherry asked the journalists to give her the detailed information about their complaints and assured them to contact the concerned owners to stop firing of journalists and resolving of other issues. She, however, said that the owners are also excusing that due to financial crunch they are laying off some staff. Later, she informed the House that the present government is pursuing a liberal media policy. She said that a meeting of the tri-lateral commission was held recently to consider issues relating to Wage Board Award and end-February was given a dateline for implementation of 7th Wage Board Award. About the suspension of a TV channel's transmission, she said the channel was allowed test transmission without license provisionally but the channel neither applied for license not deposited the requisite fee. Sherry said under the regulatory framework, government could not allow channels without payment of license fee. Hanif Abbasi, PML-N lawmaker said that Governor Punjab Salman Taseer had terminated a number of employees from his TV channels and newspapers. The Dawn Media Group & 7th Wage Board Award http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/04/dawn-media-group-7th-wage-board-award.html
Apna Gareban - Media Owners Exposed As Media Worker Commits Suicide -- Ep 09 -- Part 4/5
A young media worker committed suicide in Lahore about two years ago due to non-payment of salary for five months. Mohammad Azam was just one of the many media workers across Pakistan who have to regularly face this problem. In this episode of Apna Gareban, Matiullah Jan discusses the issue of delayed salaries in media organizations, and exposes the names and pictures of those media tycoons who deprive their hard working employees of their due right. Guests: Nasir Hussain Haidery (Chairman, ITNE),Pervez Shaukat (President, PFUJ) and Rana Azeem (Chief Reporter, Khabrein Group / President PUJ). Courtesy: DAWN NEWS PAKISTAN http://www.youtube.com/user/dawnnewspakistan
PCO JUDGES VALIDATED MARTIAL LAW OF MUSHARRAF [History as reported by Daily Dawn]
Chaudhry Iftikhar named new CJ [Daily Dawn 2005] By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, May 7: President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday appointed Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court, as the next chief justice. He will assume the office on June 30 after retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice, Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, on June 29. “The notification has ended speculations of appointment of a junior judge as chief justice in violation of the seniority principle settled under the 1996 Judges case,” commented a senior Supreme Court lawyer on condition of anonymity. Justice Chaudhry will reach the superannuation age of 65 years in 2012, which will make him one of the longest serving chief justices in the judicial history of Pakistan. He will serve as chief justice for over seven years. Earlier Justice A. R. Cornelius and Justice Mohammad Haleem served as chief justice for eight years from 1960 to 68 and 1981 to 89, respectively. Justice Chaudhry was elevated as a judge of the apex court on February 4, 2000. He has performed as acting chief justice from January 17 to 29, 2005. He holds the degree of LLB and started practice as an advocate in 1974. Later he was enrolled as an advocate of high court in 1976 and as an advocate of Supreme Court in 1985. In 1989, Justice Chaudhry was appointed as advocate-general of Balochistan and elevated to the post of additional judge in the Balochistan High Court in 1990. He also served as banking judge, judge of Special Court for Speedy Trials and Customs Appellate Courts as well as company judge. He served as the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court from April 22, 1999 to February 4, 2000. He was elected the president of the High Court Bar Association, Quetta, and twice a member of the Bar Council. He was appointed as the chairman of the Balochistan Local Council Election Authority in 1992 and for a second term in 1998. Justice Chaudhry also worked as the chairman of the Provincial Review Board for Balochistan and was appointed twice as the chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Balochistan. Presently he is functioning as the chairman of the Enrolment Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Buildings Committee. Reference: Caudhry Iftikhar named new CJ By Our Staff Reporter May 8, 2005 Sunday Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1426 http://www.dawn.com/2005/05/08/top4.htm
Jang Group & GEO TV misguide & malign JUDICIARY (Column Kaar 16 October 2010)
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, and five of his colleagues on Wednesday refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order promulgated by the chief executive on Oct 14, 1999. As a result, the six judges ceased to be the judges of the apex court. Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, a senior judge of the Supreme Court, took oath as new Chief Justice under the PCO. Those who refused to take oath, besides Justice Saeeduzzaman, were: Justice Mamoon Kazi, Justice Khalilur Rehman, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad and Justice Kamal Mansur Alam. Apart from the six judges of the Supreme Court, nine judges of the four high courts also lost their jobs as they were not invited to take oath under the PCO. The judges of the apex court who took oath under the PCO are Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, Justice Mohammad Bashir Jehangiri, Justice Sheikh Ijaz Nisar, Justice Abdur Rehman Khan, Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, Justice Mohammad Arif and Justice Munir A. Sheikh. Out of the SC's six judges who refused to take oath, five belong to Sindh and one from Punjab. Out of the sitting seven judges of the apex court, five are from Punjab and two from the NWFP.
Jang Group & GEO TV VS Lawyers & Lawyers Movement - 1 (Aaj TV 15 Feb 2011)
Notably, three out of the SC's six judges who refused to take oath were appointed judges to the high courts at a time when a PCO was enforced in the country by another military ruler, Gen Ziaul Haq. They were: Justice Saeeduzzaman, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, and Justice Khalilur Rehman Khan. Justice Saeeduzzaman told newsmen at his official residence on Wednesday that when he was contacted on Tuesday night by the authorities he made it clear that he would not take fresh oath under the PCO. He said what he did had been done in accordance with his conscience, adding that the rest of his (five) colleagues had made independent decisions.
The judges of the Federal Shariat Court also took oath under the PCO. Justice Fazal Ellahi Khan, who was recently appointed Chief Justice of the FSC, took fresh oath of office with Justice Fida Mohammad Khan, Justice Mohammad Khiyar and Justice Chaudhry Mohammad Yousuf. Two judges of the FSC were not present in Islamabad on Wednesday and they would take oath under the PCO in a few days. The fresh oath came as a surprise to many as Justice Saeeduzzaman had repeatedly said that the Constitution was intact even after the military takeover and that the judges of the superior court were not required to take fresh oath. On Tuesday, Justice Saeeduzzman had constituted the full court bench to hear the petitions challenging the military takeover. The case was scheduled to be heard on Jan 31. Sources close to the legal experts of the government said that everything was going "smoothly" till a few days back when a petition, sponsored by the PML, was filed in the SC. The petition asked the apex court to proceed against Gen Pervez Musharraf under the High Treason Act for the military takeover. The petition was entertained by the SC office. Irshad new CJ: Saeed, five others refuse to take oath Rafaqat Ali Dawn Wire Service Week Ending : 29 January 2000 Issue : 06/05 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2000/29jan00.html#irsh
Jang Group & GEO TV VS Lawyers & Lawyers Movement - 2 (Aaj TV 15 Feb 2011)
LAHORE, June 27: The Lahore High Court summarily dismissed three writ petitions challenging the assumption of the President's office by Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf. The petitions were filed by Advocates MD Tahir, Amir Sohail and Hanif Tahir. The first-mentioned two argued at some length while the last-mentioned told Justice Khalilur Rahman Ramday, who heard the petitions, that he had reservations about him on account of his pro-government sympathies but would, instead of seeking transfer, leave the matter to his conscience. Advocate MD Tahir said frequent military interventions, prompted by politicians and invariably condoned and validated by the judiciary, have greatly damaged Pakistan in all spheres of life. Advocate Amir Sohail submitted that the Supreme Court recognized Gen Pervez Musharraf as chief executive for three years and his elevation to the office of President was repugnant to the SC judgment in Zafar Ali Shah's case. Under the judgment and the provisional constitution order validated by it the country is to be governed as nearly as possible in accordance with the provisions of the 1973 Constitution. Mr Rafiq Tarar could not have been removed except by impeachment. Justice Ramday observed that the 1973 Constitution was in existence by virtue of the PCO as amended from time to time and dismissed the three petitions. REFERENCE: LHC rejects pleas against Musharraf's presidency Staff Reporter DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 30 June 2001 Issue : 07/26 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2001/jun3001.html#lhcr
SCBA against reappointment of adhoc judges (Express Tribune)
ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: The government elevated five judges to the Supreme Court on Wednesday. According to a notification, the president has appointed Justice Rashid Aziz, Chief Justice, Lahore High Court; Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Chief Justice Sindh High Court; Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice, Balochistan High Court; Qazi Farooq, former chief justice of Peshawar High Court; and Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, judge, Sindh High Court, judges of the Supreme Court. After the elevation of Justice Rashid Aziz Khan to the SC, Justice Mohammad Allah Nawaz has been appointed Chief Justice of Lahore High Court. Justice Deedar Hussain Shah has been appointed Chief Justice of Sindh High Court and Justice Javed Iqbal Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court. After these appointments, the number of SC judges has risen to 12, leaving five posts vacant. REFERENCE: Five judges elevated to SC Bureau Report DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 5 February 2000 Issue : 06/05 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2000/05feb00.html#five
Apna Gareban - Media Owners Exposed As Media Worker Commits Suicide -- Ep 09 -- Part 5/5
A young media worker committed suicide in Lahore about two years ago due to non-payment of salary for five months. Mohammad Azam was just one of the many media workers across Pakistan who have to regularly face this problem. In this episode of Apna Gareban, Matiullah Jan discusses the issue of delayed salaries in media organizations, and exposes the names and pictures of those media tycoons who deprive their hard working employees of their due right. Guests: Nasir Hussain Haidery (Chairman, ITNE),Pervez Shaukat (President, PFUJ) and Rana Azeem (Chief Reporter, Khabrein Group / President PUJ). Courtesy: DAWN NEWS PAKISTAN http://www.youtube.com/user/dawnnewspakistan
ISLAMABAD, June 20: The Chief Executive, Gen Pervez Musharraf, assumed the office of President with a pledge that elections would be held in the country by Oct 2002 as directed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Talking to journalists after being administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice, Irshad Hasan Khan, at the Aiwan-i-Sadar, President Gen Pervez Musharraf said he had assumed the office of the president in the "supreme national interest." The oath-taking ceremony was attended by cabinet members, provincial governors, corps commanders, services chiefs and the diplomatic community. An official announcement made earlier in the day said that Mr Rafiq Tarar had ceased to hold the office of the president with immediate effect. This followed the dissolution of the suspended parliament including the Senate, the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.
Judges VS Lawyers - Part - 1 (Dunya TV 17th Feb 2011)
Two amendments have been made in the Provisional Constitutional Order to effect the removal of Rafiq Tarar and induction of Gen Musharraf as the president. A proclamation order was read out after the oath-taking ceremony of the President which said: "General Pervez Musharraf has entered upon the office of the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan under the President's Succession Order 2001. Therefore, let it be known to all and sundry that General Pervez Musharraf took oath of office as President and assumed the office of the President of Pakistan." After the ceremony, Gen Musharraf told reporters that his decision to take over as the president was led by constitutional, political and economicconsiderations. He, however, made it clear that general elections would be held by October next year as was directed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
"I feel in all humility that if I have a role to play for this nation I will not hesitate whatever decisions are involved. I hold national interests supreme. I personally think with all sincerity and honesty that I have a role to play in this nation. I have a job to do here and therefore I cannot and will not let the nation down," said the new President who continues to be the Chief Executive and the Army Chief. He said he had taken over as the President of Pakistan through an amendment to a clause of the PCO of Oct 14, 1999, which allowed continuity of the ex-president of Pakistan. "I have been thinking of this change for some months. This has been one of the most difficult decisions that I have taken. It was difficult because it involved myself, doing something which I have never done in my life.
Judges VS Lawyers - Part - 2 (Dunya TV 17th Feb 2011)
In my entire career I have never done anything for myself. God has been kind and continues to be kind to me. I bow my head before Him for all the bounties that He has showered on me. I will bow in more humility as I rise," he said. As far as the political process is concerned, he said, there was no change whatsoever. "Let there be no doubt that there is no change in our intentions for the future". He said the Supreme Court ruling directing the government to hold elections by October 2002 was very clear. "We will abide by that". Local government elections up to district level would be completed by August 14. Provincial and national elections would be held on schedule next year, he added. Political activity would continue as before, he assured. "I think I must tell you why I decided to take over as the president of Pakistan," he said, adding that the first consideration was constitutional. As the assemblies, according to the PCO of Oct 14, 1999, were suspended there was a degree of uncertainty whether these assemblies were being restored or not.
Then the Supreme Court judgment which validated the action of suspending the assemblies made it easier for me to decide about the dissolution of assemblies. "With the dissolution of the assemblies, the office of the President who was elected by these assemblies, became untenable." He said the second consideration was political consideration. He said his major concern for Pakistan was political stability and harmony. "I have been saying that I would like to place appropriate checks and balances on superstructure of the political environment. I will ensure and guarantee the continuity and sustainability of all the reforms and restructuring that my government is doing. I will ensure that national interest will remain supreme over personal and political interest." President Musharraf said the third consideration was economic consideration where the entire business community and foreign investors were waiting and asking for proof of continuity and sustainability of all the reforms that the government was now undertaking. "I thought I can give this proof and also help improve the economic environment of Pakistan, if I undertake this change. It was basically the constitutional issue, political and economic considerations which led me to this decision and above all this decision has been taken in the supreme national interest," he said. REFERENCE: Takeover in 'national interest': Assemblies, Senate dissolved By Ihtashamul Haque DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 23 June 2001 Issue : 07/25 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2001/jun2301.html#take
ISLAMABAD, June 20: Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf elevated himself as the President of Pakistan for an indefinite period through a Succession Order 2001 here on Wednesday. "The Chief Executive shall hold office as President until his successor enters upon his office," the CE Order No 3 of 2001, called as Succession Order 2001, said. The Supreme Court in its judgement validating the military takeover, had ruled that general elections should be held before the October 12, 2002. The CE Order further states: "Upon the office of the President becoming vacant for any reason whatsoever, the Chief Executive of Pakistan shall be the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and shall perform all functions assigned to the President by or under any law." General Ziaul Haq had fixed a five-year period for himself as the president of Pakistan.
The Order No 2 of 2001 issued by the Chief Executive stated that the "person" holding the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, immediately before the commencement of the Proclamation of Emergency (Amendment) Order 2001, shall "cease" to hold the office. For dissolving the parliament and provincial assemblies, the CE order stated that the order of suspending the same on October 14, 1999, should now be read as: "The National Assembly, the Provincial Assemblies and Senate shall stand dissolved with immediate effect."
Chief Justice of Pakistan will be the acting president of Pakistan in the absence of the president, a departure from the recent pronouncements by the apex court holding that it was violative of the principle of trichotomy of power. "If the President, by reason of absence from Pakistan or any other cause, is unable to perform his functions, the Chief Justice of Pakistan is also absent from Pakistan, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court shall perform the functions of President until the President returns to Pakistan," Chief Executive Order No 3 of 2001 says.
The practice of holding the executive office by the judges was abandoned in 1996 after the Supreme Court decision in Judges Case. The first violation of the Judges Case took place when the military government appointed Justice Faqir Khokhar as Federal Law Secretary. Former President Mohammed Rafiq Tarar who "ceased" to hold office on Wednesday remained president for three years, six months and 20 days. He assumed office on Jan 1, 1998. He was the ninth head of the state of the country. He was the candidate of Pakistan Muslim. Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf called on the outgoing President Mohammed Rafiq Tarar at the Aiwan-i-Sadar on Wednesday morning, said an official announcement. The CE remained with the outgoing president for nearly an hour during which various issues of national importance came under discussion, it said. Gen Pervez Musharraf said that there were no words to express his gratitude to Rafiq Tarar whom he always held in the highest esteem. REFERENCE: Orders issued to give legal cover to action By Rafaqat Ali DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 23 June 2001 Issue : 07/25 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2001/jun2301.html#orde
ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to change its earlier order of validating the military take-over on the basis of the doctrine of necessity. Dismissing the review petition filed by the PML through Wasim Sajjad, chairman of the suspended senate, the court held that the period of three years was granted to the military government after considering all the "relevant factors" and "practical realities". The government, which was asked by the apex court on Tuesday to come up with its election plan, "reaffirmed" its assurance of holding elections before Oct 12, 2002. Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, counsel for the federation, stated: "Under instructions from the competent authority, I reaffirm the assurances which have (already) been given."
He also referred to the chief executive's recent interview in which he was quoted as saying that the Supreme Court order, requiring restoration of elections within three years, would be adhered to. Under the Supreme Court judgment passed on May 12, the military government is required to complete the process of elections within three years, starting from Oct 12, 1999. In its 22-page short order on the review petition, the 11-man bench said: "We are firmly committed to the governance of the country by the people's representatives and we reiterate the definition of the term democracy to the effect that it is government of the people, by the people and for the people, and not by the army rule for an indefinite period."
The court held that it would not make any comment on the exile of former prime minister as the matter was sub judice. Similarly, it said, the matter relating to accountability under the National Accountability Bureau was also sub judice. The court held that the validation and legitimacy accorded to the present government was conditional and inter-linked with the holding of general elections to the National Assembly and provincial assembles and the Senate within the time-frame laid down by the Supreme Court, leading to the restoration of democratic institutions. The court further stated that there was no glaring or patent mistake floating on the surface in the judgment under review. "Nothing has been overlooked by the court, nor has it failed to consider any aspect of the attending matters."
Due to the situation prevailing on or before October 12, 1999, for which the Constitution provided no solution, the armed forces had to intervene to save the state from further chaos and to maintain peace and order, economic stability, justice, good governance as well as to safeguard the integrity and sovereignty of the country as dictated by the highest considerations of the state, necessity and welfare of the people, the court maintained. The court held that the petitioners could not be permitted to re-argue the case and seek reversal of conclusions earlier reached by the Supreme Court after the full application of mind.
It observed that no one could disagree with the opinion that Pakistan must have democracy, and any obstacles in respect of achieving that goal must be overcome. The bench held that when the country was faced with grave crisis, the constitutional maintenance demanded that the court should interpret the proclamation of the PCO in such a way as to authorize whatever power and measures were necessary to cope with the emergency. The court recalled that Khalid Anwar, who had argued the original petition of the PML, had rightly said that he would not request the court "to do the impossible." REFERENCE: SC verdict on military take-over stands; polls in 2002 Rafaqat Ali DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 10 February 2001 Issue : 07/06 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2001/feb1001.html#scve
ISLAMABAD, March 1: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Irshad Hasan Khan, on Wednesday observed that when the politicians are in power, they try to become dictators but when they are out of power, they become champions of the rule of law. Presiding over a 12-member bench seized of the seven petitions challenging the military takeover, the chief justice directed the attorney general to provide details of the expenditure on holding elections, including the expenses made by the candidates on their election campaigns. The Supreme Court announced that it would decide the issue of maintainability and merits of the case simultaneously. The chief justice said the court had entertained the petitions. The bench started regular hearing of the petitions on Wednesday. The court first took up the petition of Syed Zafar Ali Shah, suspended MNA of PML from Islamabad. The representative petition of PML would be taken next and Khalid Anwer would argue the case on behalf of the party.
Other petitions before the court are of Syed Imtiaz Hussain Bukhari, Challenging the PCO; Fazal Ellahi Siddiqui, challenging the PCO; Shahid Orakzai, seeking restoration of Senate, office of speakers and provincial assemblies; Al-Jehad Trust, seeking restoration of Constitution to the extent of judiciary; and Syed Iqbal Haider of MWM, seeking validation of PCO. The bench consisted of Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, Justice Mohammad Bashir Jehangiri, Justice Sheikh Ijaz Nisar, Justice Abdur Rehman Khan, Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, Justice Chaudhry Mohammad Arif, Justice Munir A. Sheikh, Justice Rashid Aziz Khan, Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Qazi Mohammad Farooq and Justice Rana Bhagwandas. The chief justice made it clear at the outset that the counsels should try to be relevant and unnecessary repetition of arguments should be avoided. He said the whole work of the court was suspended due to the present case.
Chaudhry Farooq, the counsel of Mr Shah, said that on the last hearing the petitioner had apprehended that the judges of the court would be asked to take fresh oath under the PCO and his apprehensions proved to be true. He said the PCO (1) of 1999 and subsequent orders were unconstitutional, having no force of law. The chief justice asked the parties to avoid mud-slinging, and added that: "we will perform our function without intimidation." He observed that the bar and the bench were integral part of the chariot of justice. He said his effort was to save the system and referred to the decisions of the Chief Justices Committee. The counsel said: "Pakistan was a gift of our forefathers, but unfortunately the rule of law had been interrupted at regular intervals. In its total life, Pakistan had suffered military rule for 30 long years".
He said the government in its reply to the petitions had said that the elections of Feb 3, 1997, were farce. The elections in which PML obtained heavy mandate were monitored by the observers across the globe, he said, and added the armed forces were employed to supervize the elections. On the court's query, Barrister Khalid Anwar stated that 36 per cent of voters used their right of franchise in the 1997 elections. Chaudhry Farooq said if the government of Khawaja Nazimuddin would not have been dismissed, the fate of Pakistan would have been different. He said Pakistan was created with the force of vote and not through any military operation. "Both citizens and soldiers are subject to Constitution alike."
Referring to Article 6 of the Constitution, he said abrogating the Constitution was treachery with the country. When he stated that the respondents had not replied to the Politicians in power try to be dictators: CJ challenge he raised in the petition, the chief justice observed that the counsel was trying to be hyper technical. The CJ made it clear to the counsel that notice of the case to the chief of the army staff was there. The counsel said he was firm believer that the Kafir (infidel) could not be a friend of Muslim and Hindus being Kafir could not be trusted. When the counsel referred to a judgment from the Indian jurisdiction, the court asked him not to cite Indian judgments in the present case. When the counsel started reading an old judgment from Pakistani jurisdiction, the chief justice asked the counsel to first read the speech of the chief executive in which he had spelt out the reasons which forced him to come into power. The counsel was still reading the speech of Gen Musharraf when the court rose to assemble again on Thursday (March 2). Politicians in power try to be dictators, says CJ Bureau Report DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 4 March 2000 Issue : 06/10 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2000/mar04.html#poli
SUKKUR, Jan 5: The president of Supreme Court Bar Association, Abdul Haleem Pirzada, has said that the exile of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had staked the credibility of the judiciary, and time would come when this case would be reopened. Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, he said that the President had no legal power under Article 45 of the Constitution to send Nawaz Sharif into exile. This even amounted to jailbreak by the present government, he remarked. He said that Nawaz Sharif had been a convict in the plane hijacking case, moreover so many cases were pending in the courts. He questioned the validity of this action as in what capacity the government would answer the courts when these cases are heard? He said with this act the judicial system had lost its credibility, and once the people loose their faith in the system no one can stop them from resorting to unconstitutional and unlawful methods to achieve their rights. He said there was no clause in the Constitution, which could empower the government or the President to exile anybody to a foreign country, nor there was any precedence in Islamic Shariat. He termed the Provisional Constitutional Order an unlawful act of the government, and said that the decisions under the PCO was challengable. He said the judicial system had been under jeopardy, because the judges took a wrong turn by taking oath under the PCO. REFERENCE: Exile put judiciary's credibility at stake: SCBA president DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 06 January 2001 Issue : 07/01 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2001/jan0601.html#exil
ISLAMABAD, April 25: President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar on Tuesday appointed five judges to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. With the appointment of these judges, the strength of the Supreme Court judges, i.e. 17, stands completed. The newly-appointed judges include Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal, Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court; Justice Deedar Hussain Shah, Chief Justice, High Court of Sindh; Justice Javed Iqbal, Chief Justice, High Court of Balochistan; Justice Hamid Ali Mirza, judge, High Court of Sindh and Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, judge, High Court of Sindh. These judges have been appointed to the SC from the date they respectively take upon themselves the execution of their offices as such judges. Following are the names of the judges of the Supreme Court according to their seniority:
1. Justice Irshad Hassan Khan, Chief Justice of Pakistan,
Pakistani minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti with Ashif Masih, right, husband of Christian woman Asia Bibi who had been sentenced to death. – AP (File Photo)
ISLAMABAD: Gunmen shot and killed Pakistan’s government minister for religious minorities on Wednesday, the latest attack on a high-profile Pakistani figure who had urged reforming harsh blasphemy laws that impose the death penalty for insulting Islam. Shahbaz Bhatti was on his way to work in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, when unknown gunmen riddled his car with bullets, police officer Mohmmad Iqbal said. The minister arrived dead at Shifa Hospital and his driver was also wounded badly, hospital spokesman Asmatullah Qureshi said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but private Pakistani TV channels showed pamphlets at the scene of the killing that were attributed to the Pakistani Taliban warning of the same fate for anyone opposing the blasphemy laws. Gulam Rahim was coming from a nearby market when he saw Bhatti’s car drive out of his house. Three men standing nearby with guns suddenly began firing at the vehicle, a dark-colored Toyota. Two of the men opened the door and tried to pull Bhatti out, Rahim said, while a third man fired his Kalashnikov rifle repeatedly into the car. The three gunmen then sped away in a white Suzuki Mehran car, said Rahim who took shelter behind a tree.
Why Shahbaz Bhatti was Assassinated?
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqoxQNktbRY
Courtesy: BBC Pakistan Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti shot dead 2 March 2011 Last updated at 13:35 GMT http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12617562
Pakistani TV channels showed Bhatti’s vehicle afterward, its windows shattered with bullet holes all over. It was not immediately clear why Bhatti, a member of the ruling Pakistani People’s Party, did not have bodyguards with him.
Pakistani government leaders condemned the attack. “This is concerted campaign to slaughter every liberal, progressive and humanist voice in Pakistan,” said Farahnaz Ispahani, an aide to President Asif Ali Zardari. “The time has come for the federal government and provincial governments to speak out and to take a strong stand against these murderers to save the very essence of Pakistan.” Bhatti’s friend Robinson Asghar said the slain minister had received threats following the death of the Punjab governor. Asghar said he had asked Bhatti to leave Pakistan for a while because of the threats, but that Bhatti had refused. Pakistan’s information minister, Firdous Ashiq Awan, said Bhatti had played a key role in promoting interfaith harmony, and he was a great asset. We are sad over his tragic death,” she said, adding that the government would investigate why he did not have a security escort. REFERENCE: Minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti assassinated AP http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/02/minorities-minister-attacked-in-islamabad.html
Muslim Persecution of Christians in Pakistan
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMslaw_tt-Q
Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan Minister for Minorities, is receiving death threats for pursuing justice for Gojra victims
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minorities, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, has received death threats from members of banned militant organizations for pursuing justice for victims of Gojra violence, ANS has learnt from well-placed sources.
Gojra, a small town in province Punjab of Pakistan, exploded into the
Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti
international limelight when Muslims set on fire over fifty houses on August 1, following rumors that Christians had committed blasphemy. Some seven Christians lost their lives as a result of the incident and the brutal attack left scores of Christians injured. Most of Christian residents of the area have fled the town fearing more trouble from extremists.
What has alerted Mr. Bhatti is that Pakistan's religious affairs minister, Hamid Syed Kazmir, was wounded and his driver killed in a drive-by shooting in the capital Islamabad on September 2, 2009. ANS has learned that Mr. Bhatti has received written letters and messages from militants, warning him to stop campaigning against misuse of blasphemy laws and pursuing justice for victims of Gojra. On September 4, 2009 the Bhatti testified before the Inquiry Commission which was set up to look into the Gojra tragedy.
ANS has also learnt that statements of some militant elements have also been published in some sections of Pakistani print media in which they have warned that they would not allow anyone to touch the country’s controversial blasphemy laws.
Shahbaz Bhatti, who is also the chairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), an umbrella organization of minorities, has been campaigning for the protection of minority rights, religious freedom and the repeal of all discriminatory laws against minorities in Pakistan since 1985. In the past, Mr. Bhatti has faced an assassination attempt, torture and victimization for raising a voice against Pakistan Sharia Laws and injustices against minorities. He has been a vocal voice against the defunct militant groups, who are involved in violence and terrorism in Pakistan. Mr. Bhatti has vehemently condemned violence against the Christians of Korian and Gojra and stood with the victims in their difficult time.
On August 2, 2009, when the victims of Gojra violence had blocked the railway track and were demanding registration of Police First Information Report (FIR) against the culprits of the attacks, the local government did not heed to their demand and instead started employing dilly-dallying tactics which further dampened their hope of the Christians ever getting justice.
The Federal Minister joined the protesting victims and staged a sit-in along with the victims who were protesting by laying bodies of the Christians, who had lost their lives in the wake of Gojra violence. Mr. Bhatti on that occasion had announced that he would not go from the scene until the FIR was lodged. This statement had the desired effect and prompted the authorities to lodge FIR against the culprits. Expressing solidarity with them, the Federal Minister also asked the protesting victims to remain peaceful.
The Federal Minister also accompanied Pakistan Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, Chief Minister of Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, and other members of parliament during the visit to Gojra. Pakistan Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik has said that the government would not allow anyone to destabilize Pakistan and the country’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, have vowed that Pakistan would continue to fight against terrorism. Several minority leaders in Pakistan have expressed concern over Mr. Bhatti’s safety in the wake of the death threats to him by militants. They have appealed to Christian brethren across the world to pray for him at this difficult time. http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09090035.htm
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that it was a criminal negligence to bring changes in the documents like Objectives Resolution as former president General (retd) Zia ul Haq tampered with the Constitution in 1985 however, the sitting parliament had done a good job by undoing this tampering. At one point Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed that the word ‘freely’ was omitted from the Objectives Resolution in 1985 by a dictator, which was an act of criminal negligence, but the then parliament surprisingly didn’t take notice of it. He said the Constitution is a sacred document and no person can tamper with it. The chief justice said credit must go to the present parliament, which after 25 years took notice of the brazen act of removing the word relating to the minorities’ rights, and restored the word ‘freely’ in the Objectives Resolution, which had always been part of the Constitution. The chief justice further said that the court is protecting the fundamental rights of the minorities and the government after the Gojra incident has provided full protection to the minorities. “We are bound to protect their rights as a nation but there are some individual who create trouble.” - DAILY TIMES - ISLAMABAD: Heading a 17-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry termed as criminal negligence the deletion of a word about the rights of minorities from the Objectives Resolution during the regime of General Ziaul Haq in 1985. Ziaul Haq had omitted the word “freely” from the Objectives Resolution, which was made substantive part of the 1973 Constitution under the Revival of Constitutional Order No. 14. The clause of Objectives Resolution before deletion of the word ‘freely’ read, “Wherein adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to ‘freely’ profess and practice their religions and develop their culture.” DAILY DAWN - ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Tuesday praised the parliament for undoing a wrong done by the legislature in 1985 (through a constitutional amendment) when it removed the word ‘freely’ from a clause of the Objectives Resolution that upheld the minorities’ right to practise their religion. The word “freely” was deleted from the Objectives Resolution when parliament passed the 8th Amendment after indemnifying all orders introduced through the President’s Order No 14 of 1985 and actions, including the July 1977 military takeover by Gen Zia-ul-Haq and extending discretion of dissolving the National Assembly, by invoking Article 58(2)b of the Constitution. After the passage of the 18th Amendment, the Objectives Resolution now reads: “Wherein adequate provision shall be made for the minorities freely to profess and practise their religions and develop their culture.” The CJ said: “Credit goes to the sitting parliament that they reinserted the word back to the Objectives Resolution.” He said that nobody realised the blunder right from 1985 till the 18th Amendment was passed, even though the Objectives Resolution was a preamble to the Constitution even at the time when RCO (Revival of Constitution Order) was promulgated. REFERENCES: CJ lauds parliament for correcting historic wrong By Nasir Iqbal Wednesday, 09 Jun, 2010 http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/ziaera-deletion-from-objectives-resolution-criticised-cj-lauds-parliament-for-correcting-historic-wrong-960 - CJP raps change in Objectives Resolution * Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry says deletion of clause on rights of minorities was ‘criminal negligence’ * Appreciates incumbent parliament for taking notice of removal of clause by Gen Zia’s govt in 1985 By Masood Rehman Wednesday, June 09, 2010 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=201069\story_9-6-2010_pg1_1 CJ lauds parliament for undoing changes in Objectives Resolution Wednesday, June 09, 2010 Says minorities’ rights have to be protected; Hamid says parliament should have no role in judges’ appointment By Sohail Khan http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=29367
Christian persecution in Pakistan-Incident in Gojra
1 - A JUDGMENT by the High Court in Lahore is worrying Pakistan's Christians. The court decided recently that Pakistan's blasphemy laws are applicable to all the phrophets of Islam. Jesus is a prophet in Islamic teaching. By worshipping Jesus as the son of God, Christians are, it could be argued, committing a blasphemy. The Bible itself, which Islamic scholars regard as not strictly factual, might be reckoned to contain blasphemies against Abraham, Noah, David and Jacob, all of whom are in the Islamic canon. Blasphemy carries the death sentence in Pakistan. Reference: Prophet and loss: Pakistan. (blasphemy law) The Economist (US) May 7, 1994. http://www.encyclopedia.com/The+Economist+(US)/publications.aspx?pageNumber=1
2 - The two cleaners from Jhang district, 300 miles south of Islamabad, were jailed by a Faisalabad court in 1999 under Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws, having been wrongly accused of burning a copy of the Koran. Because the law can be invoked on the word of just one witness, it is frequently manipulated by Muslims to settle scores or rouse religious tensions. Reference: Pakistan's blasphemy laws used to persecute non-Muslims Massoud Ansari in Lahore and Michael Hirst Published: 12:01AM BST 25 Jun 2006 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1522285/Pakistans-blasphemy-laws-used-to-persecute-non-Muslims.html
GOJRA Christians massacre was due to hate announcements from Mosques A Shocking Report
3 - Lahore: March 2, 2009. (SLMP report) Two Christians named Wallayat Masih son of Saraina Masih alias Sala resident of village Maloki District Kasur and Mushtaq Masih son of Sooba Masih resident of Kareem Park Bank Stop Lahore have been charged under blasphemy law vide case registered vide First Information Report (FIR) No. 33 dated 1st March 2009, under section 295 B & C with police station Theh Shaikham District Kasur, both have been arrested and presently detained in the local police station. 7 team members from CLAAS and SLMP visited village Maloki for fact finding today on 2nd March 2009. Mr. Joseph Francis the National Director Center for Legal Aid Assistance & Settlement (CLAAS) and Chief Coordinator Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) led the team. Reference: Two Christians Charged Under Blasphemy Law in Kasur, Punjab. July 6, 2009, 2:36 pm http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=1003
4 - Pakistan's human rights commission has reacted strongly after the country's military ruler gave up plans to change the way in which a controversial blasphemy law is implemented. A number of Islamic organisations had threatened to hold demonstrations on Friday to protest against the proposed changes. But General Musharraf has said that he now plans to leave the laws completely unchanged. Bishop John Joseph killed himself in protest at the blasphemy laws. Reference: Pakistan's blasphemy law U-turn Wednesday, 17 May, 2000 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/751803.stm
5 - Faisalabad (AsiaNews) – Bishop John Joseph, who committed suicide in 1998 to protest the blasphemy law, was recalled today in a mass in the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul in Faisalabad. Mgr Andrew Francis of Multan and Mgr Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad participated in the celebration, together with dozens of priests. In his homily, the bishop of Multan described Mgr Joseph as a "perennial voice of ecumenical and inter-faith dialogue", who "preached the words of the Gospel with all his life". Reference: Mgr John Joseph, blasphemy martyr, remembered by Qaiser Felix 05/06/2006 17:59 http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=6099 - Analysis: Pakistan's Christian minority Monday, 29 October, 2001 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1625976.stm
سلمان تاثیر کے قتل اور میڈیا میں ان کے قاتل کی کوریج پر سینیئر صحافی اور ایکسپریس اخبار کے ایڈیٹر عباس اطہر سے گفتگو
6 - "As it was the unanimous demand of the Ulema, Mashaikh and the people, therefore, I have decided to do away with the procedural change in registration of FIR under the blasphemy law" (General Musharraf, Dawn 17.5.2000). How was public opinion determined? No one asked me! Is the reference to ulema and mashaikh to the self-proclaimed ones or men and women of Islamic learning? And did populism prevail over Islam? Why was no attempt made to enter into a debate, or at least a learned Islamic discourse? What was the role of the two ministers (religious affairs and law) who are primarily concerned with this issue? One does not recollect any valuable contribution from these two sources. Reference: NEED TO CHECK MISUSE OF BLASPHEMY LAW (28 May 2000) EDITOR'S NOTE: An article entitled "Need to Check Misuse of Blasphemy Law" by Qazi Faez Isa, was published in DAWN, Karachi, on Sunday, May 28, 2000 http://ecumene.org/INRFVVP/blasphemy.htm
8 - The barbaric murder of Jagdeesh Kumar, accused of blasphemy by some of his workmates at a garment factory in Karachi, brings out in sharp focus once again the exposed and vulnerable situation of non-Muslims in a Pakistan still wedded to the legacy of General Zia-ul-Haq. When the police finally intervened, the body of the 22-year-old victim had been mutilated and disfigured beyond recognition: among other things the eyes had been gouged out. The reports published indicate that he was a quiet man, from a poverty-stricken Hindu family belonging to some obscure village in the Sindh desert. People with such a depressed and vulnerable background come to factories to seek out a miserable living, not to engage in religious controversies. In the days and weeks ahead, we will learn that some petty personal quarrel or irrational hatred of a Hindu was the real reason for his murder. Reference: Blasphemy and persecution by Ishtiaq Ahmed Saturday, April 26, 2008 http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=108906
Dunya TV - DUNYA INVESTIGATION CELL - 08-08-09 -3
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddRh4c5IWgs
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Text/Report to support questions.
... It is the will of the people of Pakistan to establish an order ... wherein shall be guaranteed fundamental rights, including equality of status, of opportunity and before law, social, economic and political justice, and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and association, subject to law and public morality.
Constitution of Pakistan
Preamble
Subject to law, public order and morality (a) every citizen shall have the right to profess, practise and propagate his religion; and (b) every religious denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.
Article 20
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 1
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 18
No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have a religion or belief of his choice. No one shall be subject to discrimination by any state, institution, group of persons, or person on the grounds of religion or other belief.
Reserved seats for minorities in parliament
The system of reserved seats for minorities and women introduced by President Musharraf in 2002 failed to fulfil the required objective of giving a political voice to minorities. The minorities’ representatives in the assemblies usually followed the line of the party that got them elected and not the interest of their communities. In early February, the World Minorities’ Alliance Convener, Mr. J. Salik, said the current system did not allow any minority person to contest elections independently on the minorities’ seat. He had challenged that process in the Supreme Court in 2002 but to date no hearing had been set. (N, Feb 6) A minority representative said: “When the Hasba Bill was approved in the NWFP, two persons elected by the MMA on reserved seats also voted for it. This instance showed that representatives of religious minorities elected on reserved seats were not free to pursue private agendas”. (DT, Feb 24)
Freedom of Religion
Ahmadis
As in previous years, the spread of hatred against the Ahmadis continued. At least six Ahmadis were murdered because of their faith during 2008.
An anchorperson of a popular TV channel held a prime-hour discussion commemorating the 1974 amendment to the Constitution declaring Ahmadis as “not Muslims”. The programme ended with a verdict by a participating mufti, of an extremist school, that the Ahmadis deserved to be murdered for deviating from the view of the finality of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Neither the TV channel nor the anchorperson was chastised by the government for the virulent broadcast. Following the TV discussion, three Ahmadis were shot dead in early September – Dr. Abdul Mannan Siddiqui in Mirpurkhas, Seth Yusuf, a Nawabshah trader, and Sheikh Saeed at his pharmacy in Karachi. (D, Sep 21)
In Lahore in late May the International Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Movement (IKNM) announced a moot to be held at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal. IKMN Ameer MPA Maulana Ilyas Chinoti added the moot would mark a hundred years of successfully countering Qadiyaniat. (N, May 23)
In Faisalabad in early June, a mob of 300 college students barged into the rooms of Ahmadi students, beat them up and threw their belongings out of their rooms. The boarders also stole valuables from the Ahmadi students. The Punjab Medical College (PMC) through a notification rusticated 23 Ahmadi students on the report of the disciplinary committee. It was alleged that they were preaching and distributing Ahmadi literature. (DT, Sep 9) The students suffered harassment and interruption in their studies for months before they were allowed to resume their studies. In Shabqadar, Charsadda district, local clerics refused to lead the funeral prayers for a man believed to be an Ahmadi. The local clerics issued a fatwa (decree) that the deceased had become an Ahmadi and, therefore, no one would lead his funeral prayers. (DT, Sep 23)
Christians
The Christian community was discriminated against and the marginalisation of an already poor and disenfranchised community continued with the State offering virtually no protection. In early January, dozens of Christians held a protest outside the Lahore Press Club against the occupation of their homes in Bakar Mandi by influential people with the support of the government. The protesters said they had been living on the government property since pre-partition time but now they were being forced out. They said that the residents were very poor and had no means to buy houses; they had no shelter and had been left with no option but to commit suicide along with their children. (N, Jan 7)
In late February, the Christian residents of Chananpura, Bakar Mandi, claimed that they were under siege by “land grabbers” who continued to harass and threaten them despite an ongoing civil lawsuit to decide ownership of the disputed land. The residents claimed that armed men, acting on behalf of the alleged land-grabbers, stripped and beat one of their young men, Faqirah Masih. They also hurled threats at him of bulldozers demolishing their prepartition homes. (D, Feb 23)
In Lahore, two minority councillors were injured during a scuffle in a meeting of the Lahore district council when they had attempted to move a resolution against a blast that damaged a church and also draw attention to the Freedom of thought, conscience and religion 7 7
illegal occupation of the Church of Christ in Garden Town by land grabbers. (D, Mar 17)
In late May, Christians protested against the Defence Housing Society, Lahore, for desecration and bulldozing of the graves in a Christian graveyard situated on Walton Road. The Christians alleged that they were being stopped from burying their dead in the graveyard. In June, 20 minority members of the Christian community, in Peshawar, were kidnapped and beaten up at a charity dinner for the members. The attackers, who came in land cruisers and pick-up trucks, attacked the Christians who were in the middle of their prayers. The attackers threatened them of similar attacks in the future if the “Christian community did not mend its ways”. (D, Jun 22)
Hindus
The Hindus of the scheduled class were neglected and ignored in every walk of life. At a conference at the Lahore Press Club, the Haray Rama Foundation and Guru Gorakh Naath Sewa Mandal director protested that there was no lower caste Hindu or other caste MPA or MNA representing the non-Muslims in Punjab. He stated that the lower caste was given no representation in the 10 national assembly and 23 provincial assembly seats. (N, Jan 5) In Hyderabad, the low caste Hindus staged a demonstration outside the press club protesting discrimination towards them by successive governments. They said that the lower caste constituted 95 percent of the Hindu population; the 5 percent upper caste Hindus became MPAs and MNAs and patronised only their own class. (D, Oct 26)
Sikhs
The Sikhs had no representation in parliament and could not hope to have their issues taken up. In Lahore, Dr. Swaran Singh of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara stated Sikhs in the country (about 12,000 in number) faced social and political problems because of a lack of direct access to the government. While Christians and Hindus had representations in the government, Sikhs had none. Many Sikh youths were deprived of quality higher education because there was no scholarship quota in the Higher Education Commission. Further, the poor Sikhs did not receive financial relief from the government. Christian and Hindu widows received Rs 5, 000 per month but the Sikh widows were deprived. (DT, May 3)
Blasphemy laws and their victims
In Karachi, a Hindu factory worker, Jagdeesh Kumar, was killed outside his workplace by a mob, which comprised of many of his colleagues. He was allegedly accused of blasphemy. The law enforcement agencies did nothing to save the young man. (D, Apr 26, May 11) In early May, Dr Robin, of Hafizabad, who had lived and served in that town for thirty years was booked under Section 295- C of the Pakistan Penal Code. The doctor was charged with blasphemy when he joked with a patient about the latter’s unruly beard. After incitement by a local Imam, hundreds of residents marched to Dr. Robin’s residence threatening to kill him and his family. While the mob encircled Dr. Robin’s house, law enforcers stood by and watched the whole episode silently. A Christian welfare organisation rescued the doctor and Jagdeesh Kumar: Done to death by his co-workers. State 7 8 ate of Human Rights in 2008 his family from likely death. Dr. Robin was put in jail and the uprooted Robin family had to go into hiding to escape the anger of religious extremists.
Demolition of places of worship
In Lahore, members of the Christian community protested against the demolition of a church in Garden Town, desecration of the holy Bible and illegally occupation of the land. The Church of Christ was constructed in 1963 and had been a place of worship since then. (DT, Jan 25). In protest, Sunday prayers were offered on the road in front of the demolished church. The participants said the police and d i s t r i c t administration had remained silent spectators despite the desecration. (D, Feb 15)
Recommendations
1. The blasphemy law was promulgated in 1985 and in 1990 the punishment under this law, which sought topenalise irreverence towards the Holy Quran and insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH), was life imprisonment. In1992, the government introduced death penalty for a person guilty of blasphemy. Immediate abolition of ‘blasphemy’laws is needed as these provisions are often used against non-Muslims as well as Muslims to settle personal scores.
2. School curriculum has to be sensitised toward non-Muslim Pakistanis so that children feel safe, secure and equal.
3. The Ahmadis have been denied the benefit of the joint electorate system which was revived in 2002. The discrimination should be ended.
4. The Commission on Minorities should be made functional by reinforcing its independent status and providing it with the necessary resources, human as well as financial.Christians demand end to occupation of a church by the land mafia.
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