ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani policeman was fighting for his life, while four other people were also hospitalised after they were shot at Saturday when they got into a dispute while playing a game of ludo in Faisalabad city, a media report said.
A man opened fire after he lost a bet while playing the game in Faisalabad in Punjab province, the Online news agency reported.
A bullet hit the policeman in the head, and he and the other injured were rushed to a hospital.
The condition of the policeman was serious, hospital authorities said.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Cabinet Div clarifies news item
The Cabinet Division has clarified the news item regarding refusal to provide helicopter to the Chief Minister Punjab, which appeared in the TheNation on Saturday.
It said the 6-Aviation Squadron (ERC) of Cabinet Division devotes its fleet of helicopters exclusively for relief and rescue operations during disasters apart from VVIP’s missions.
It said that during recent floods, the fleet of 6-Aviation Squadron conducted relief and rescue operations of 350 hours in various parts of the country. This included 100 hours with the Government of Punjab and remaining 250 hours in other three provinces, AJ&K and Gilgit-Baltistan, it further said.
The Cabinet Division said that it last provided helicopter of 6-Aviation Squadron to the Chief Minister Punjab from 16th to 17th November, 2010 (Eid Day) for his visit to Rahimyar Khan.
The Cabinet Division termed the news item as unfounded as the it has not declined to provide helicopter to the Chief Minister Punjab.
It said the 6-Aviation Squadron (ERC) of Cabinet Division devotes its fleet of helicopters exclusively for relief and rescue operations during disasters apart from VVIP’s missions.
It said that during recent floods, the fleet of 6-Aviation Squadron conducted relief and rescue operations of 350 hours in various parts of the country. This included 100 hours with the Government of Punjab and remaining 250 hours in other three provinces, AJ&K and Gilgit-Baltistan, it further said.
The Cabinet Division said that it last provided helicopter of 6-Aviation Squadron to the Chief Minister Punjab from 16th to 17th November, 2010 (Eid Day) for his visit to Rahimyar Khan.
The Cabinet Division termed the news item as unfounded as the it has not declined to provide helicopter to the Chief Minister Punjab.
Finance Ministry yet to approve summary
Even after the lapse of three months, the Ministry of Finance has not yet approved the summary moved by the Ministry of Law and Justice to increase the salaries of attorney general, deputy attorney general and standing counsels by more than 100 per cent.
Sources informed TheNation that the Law Ministry had submitted a draft summary, about three months ago, seeking the Finance Ministry’s permission to increase the salary package for attorney general, deputy attorney general and standing counsels.
They further said that the country had suffered colossal loss in the recent floods, adding that according to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank report on Disaster Need Assessment, Pakistan suffered $10.5 billion loss due to the recent floods.
In that scenario, it had become difficult for the Finance Ministry to give 100 per cent raise in the salaries of the legal counsels, they added.
Sources maintained that the ministry had proposed a salary package amounting to Rs500,000 per month for attorney general, who is presently getting around Rs200,000. Similarly, the deputy attorney general would get a salary package of Rs250,000 who is currently receiving around Rs150,000.
Moreover, the senior official said the salary package for standing counsel and federal counsel is also being doubled. He said the standing counsel would be offered Rs175, 000 whereas the federal counsel would receive Rs100,000 per month under the new proposal. Presently, the official said, the standing counsel gets a package of around Rs75, 000 to Rs100,000 whereas the federal counsel gets an amount of Rs50,000.
A Law Ministry official told that the move was aimed at ‘morale boosting’ for the legal team.
It has been learnt that the Government, due to paucity of funds, did not hire the services of eminent lawyers to defend it in the 18th Amendment before the 17-member larger bench of the Supreme Court.
Sources informed TheNation that the Law Ministry had submitted a draft summary, about three months ago, seeking the Finance Ministry’s permission to increase the salary package for attorney general, deputy attorney general and standing counsels.
They further said that the country had suffered colossal loss in the recent floods, adding that according to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank report on Disaster Need Assessment, Pakistan suffered $10.5 billion loss due to the recent floods.
In that scenario, it had become difficult for the Finance Ministry to give 100 per cent raise in the salaries of the legal counsels, they added.
Sources maintained that the ministry had proposed a salary package amounting to Rs500,000 per month for attorney general, who is presently getting around Rs200,000. Similarly, the deputy attorney general would get a salary package of Rs250,000 who is currently receiving around Rs150,000.
Moreover, the senior official said the salary package for standing counsel and federal counsel is also being doubled. He said the standing counsel would be offered Rs175, 000 whereas the federal counsel would receive Rs100,000 per month under the new proposal. Presently, the official said, the standing counsel gets a package of around Rs75, 000 to Rs100,000 whereas the federal counsel gets an amount of Rs50,000.
A Law Ministry official told that the move was aimed at ‘morale boosting’ for the legal team.
It has been learnt that the Government, due to paucity of funds, did not hire the services of eminent lawyers to defend it in the 18th Amendment before the 17-member larger bench of the Supreme Court.
Pakistan denies receiving new proposals from India
Pakistan Saturday denied 'receiving any new set of proposals from India for the resumption of bilateral dialogue'.
Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said he was 'unaware of the new proposals given by India'. Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had said Friday that 'new proposals have been sent to Pakistan to resume the stalled talks between both countries and a response is awaited'.
Basit said that 'Pakistan is eager to resume the process of dialogue but is not willing to do it just for photo-sessions'.
'India has some issues with the bilateral dialogue and is not willing to talk about Kashmir, Siachen and other core issues which is against our stated position,' he observed.
Both countries had agreed to resolve bilateral differences through composite dialogue following the SAARC conference in Islamabad in January 2004.
The pace of the dialogue was slow because India insisted on promoting economic, cultural and visa issues first, pending Kashmir and Siachen issues.
The peace process was jinxed after the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai as India accused Pakistan of exporting terrorism. The thaw in relationship came when Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna visited Islamabad but the joint communique could not be issued because of last minute differences on the respective stances over various issues.
Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said he was 'unaware of the new proposals given by India'. Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had said Friday that 'new proposals have been sent to Pakistan to resume the stalled talks between both countries and a response is awaited'.
Basit said that 'Pakistan is eager to resume the process of dialogue but is not willing to do it just for photo-sessions'.
'India has some issues with the bilateral dialogue and is not willing to talk about Kashmir, Siachen and other core issues which is against our stated position,' he observed.
Both countries had agreed to resolve bilateral differences through composite dialogue following the SAARC conference in Islamabad in January 2004.
The pace of the dialogue was slow because India insisted on promoting economic, cultural and visa issues first, pending Kashmir and Siachen issues.
The peace process was jinxed after the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai as India accused Pakistan of exporting terrorism. The thaw in relationship came when Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna visited Islamabad but the joint communique could not be issued because of last minute differences on the respective stances over various issues.
Gas management schedule for IU, CNG stations issued
ISLAMABAD: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) issued a schedule with regard to the gas load management for industrial units and CNG stations, Geo News reported on Saturday.
According to the SNGPL website, the gas supply will remain suspended from November 22 to 25 for Lahore, Sheikhupura and Sahiwal region under new announced schedule. November 19 to 22 is the gas outage span for Faisalabad, Multan, Islamabad, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur region.
Talking to Geo News, the Gas officials said there may be shortage of 40 to 89 crores cubic feet of gas from November 15 to March 15, adding there could be scarcity of 40 crores cubic feet of gas in November, 60 crores in December, 89 in January, 80 in February and March may face 56 crore cubic feet of gas shortage.
Talking to Geo News, Chairman Supreme Council All Pakistan CNG Association Ghayas Pracha said a decision has been made in view of Eidul Adha hustle that 1926 CNG stations will remain closed on November 23 across Punjab including federal capital.
According to the SNGPL website, the gas supply will remain suspended from November 22 to 25 for Lahore, Sheikhupura and Sahiwal region under new announced schedule. November 19 to 22 is the gas outage span for Faisalabad, Multan, Islamabad, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur region.
Talking to Geo News, the Gas officials said there may be shortage of 40 to 89 crores cubic feet of gas from November 15 to March 15, adding there could be scarcity of 40 crores cubic feet of gas in November, 60 crores in December, 89 in January, 80 in February and March may face 56 crore cubic feet of gas shortage.
Talking to Geo News, Chairman Supreme Council All Pakistan CNG Association Ghayas Pracha said a decision has been made in view of Eidul Adha hustle that 1926 CNG stations will remain closed on November 23 across Punjab including federal capital.
Legal complexities await Islamabad High Court
ISLAMABAD: A legal and administrative difficulty may arise when the Islamabad High Court (IHC) commences regular functioning on Dec 13 as the Act assented by President Asif Ali Zardari about its establishment is silent about transfer of suits, revisions and appeals pending in the subordinate judiciary of the federal capital though it specifically mentions transfer of matters from the Lahore High Court.
A number of cases were transferred or filed before different civil courts of Islamabad after the July 31, 2009, verdict of the Supreme Court which, while holding the Nov 3, 2007 emergency as unconstitutional, had ordered closure of the Islamabad High Court.
“Since the Constitution (Amendment) Order, 2007 being the President’s Order No 5 of 2007 and the Islamabad High Court (Establishment) Order being President’s Order No 7 of 2007 establishing Islamabad High Court for the Federal Capital Territory, have been declared to be un-constitutional and of no legal effect, therefore, the said Islamabad High Court shall cease to exist forthwith.
All judicial matters pending before the said high court before the passing of this order shall revert/stand transferred to the courts which had jurisdiction in the said matters before the promulgation of afore-mentioned President’s Order No 5 of 2007 and President’s Order No 7 of 2007 promulgated on 14th December, 2007,” the July 31 verdict had said.
Now Act No XVII of 2010 which President Zardari assented on July 29, 2010, and later published in the gazette of Pakistan by the National Assembly on Aug 2, 2010 provides that suits exceeding Rs10 million will be tried by the IHC. But the law does not suggest any thing what to do with the suits pending in civil courts of Islamabad.
Section 9 of the Act that deals with the transfer of proceedings says that all appeals, petitions and other proceedings pending before in the Lahore High Court or in another high court (Rawalpindi bench of the LHC) in relation to Islamabad Capital Territory immediately before the appointed date shall stand transferred to the Islamabad High Court.
“The absence of provision for transfer of cases from subordinate court to newly created IHC indicates lack of deep thinking on the part of the legislative authority,” commented Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed, a senior constitutional expert and an advocate of the Supreme Court.
After the July 31 verdict, the counsel recalled, the subordinate courts in Islamabad started to exercise jurisdiction in all matters.
Now the cases pertaining to Rs10 million or more pending in these courts have to be transferred to the IHC.
The jurisdiction of the defunct IHC was Rs2.5 million but that of the new IHC has been raised to Rs10 million.
As such, the counsel explained, all suits of Rs10 million or more under the new law were to be tried by the IHC.
Thus it is necessary that provisions should be made to transfer suits, appeals and revisions pending in the lower judiciary of Islamabad to the newly established high court.
Quite a few matters of Rs10 million or more were pending in the subordinate judiciary of the federal capital, the counsel said, adding that without a provision for the transfer in the law, either the LHC would have to direct for the transfer of matters to the newly established IHC or the federal government had to remove the difficulty by exercising power under Section 13 of the same Act.
Section 13 of the Act provides for removal of difficulties by explaining that if any difficulty arises in giving effect to any provision of this act within on year of its commencement, the federal government in consultation with the chief justice of the IHC may remove such difficulty.
Disparity between courts
The counsel highlighted another anomaly in the law by stating that while the original jurisdiction of the Sindh High Court is still Rs3 million or more the original jurisdiction of the IHC has been fixed at Rs10 million.
Such a disparity was not understandable, he commented, saying parity in fixing the original jurisdiction of the high court should have been maintained.
“The properties in Karachi are not less expensive than properties in Islamabad and such arbitrariness should not have been shown,” he observed.
Chaudhry Naseer was also not happy with the current building that will house the IHC, saying a proper building on the Constitution Avenue should be provided for the IHC to match its high stature.
For the present, the IHC can be established in the building of the Federal Shariat Court which after losing different types of jurisdiction has left with little work.
The current building of the IHC far away from the Constitution Avenue would not only be derogatory to the new high court but also would cause great inconvenience to lawyers and litigants who would have to traverse long distance in reaching from the high court to the Supreme Court on a daily basis, he said.
A number of cases were transferred or filed before different civil courts of Islamabad after the July 31, 2009, verdict of the Supreme Court which, while holding the Nov 3, 2007 emergency as unconstitutional, had ordered closure of the Islamabad High Court.
“Since the Constitution (Amendment) Order, 2007 being the President’s Order No 5 of 2007 and the Islamabad High Court (Establishment) Order being President’s Order No 7 of 2007 establishing Islamabad High Court for the Federal Capital Territory, have been declared to be un-constitutional and of no legal effect, therefore, the said Islamabad High Court shall cease to exist forthwith.
All judicial matters pending before the said high court before the passing of this order shall revert/stand transferred to the courts which had jurisdiction in the said matters before the promulgation of afore-mentioned President’s Order No 5 of 2007 and President’s Order No 7 of 2007 promulgated on 14th December, 2007,” the July 31 verdict had said.
Now Act No XVII of 2010 which President Zardari assented on July 29, 2010, and later published in the gazette of Pakistan by the National Assembly on Aug 2, 2010 provides that suits exceeding Rs10 million will be tried by the IHC. But the law does not suggest any thing what to do with the suits pending in civil courts of Islamabad.
Section 9 of the Act that deals with the transfer of proceedings says that all appeals, petitions and other proceedings pending before in the Lahore High Court or in another high court (Rawalpindi bench of the LHC) in relation to Islamabad Capital Territory immediately before the appointed date shall stand transferred to the Islamabad High Court.
“The absence of provision for transfer of cases from subordinate court to newly created IHC indicates lack of deep thinking on the part of the legislative authority,” commented Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed, a senior constitutional expert and an advocate of the Supreme Court.
After the July 31 verdict, the counsel recalled, the subordinate courts in Islamabad started to exercise jurisdiction in all matters.
Now the cases pertaining to Rs10 million or more pending in these courts have to be transferred to the IHC.
The jurisdiction of the defunct IHC was Rs2.5 million but that of the new IHC has been raised to Rs10 million.
As such, the counsel explained, all suits of Rs10 million or more under the new law were to be tried by the IHC.
Thus it is necessary that provisions should be made to transfer suits, appeals and revisions pending in the lower judiciary of Islamabad to the newly established high court.
Quite a few matters of Rs10 million or more were pending in the subordinate judiciary of the federal capital, the counsel said, adding that without a provision for the transfer in the law, either the LHC would have to direct for the transfer of matters to the newly established IHC or the federal government had to remove the difficulty by exercising power under Section 13 of the same Act.
Section 13 of the Act provides for removal of difficulties by explaining that if any difficulty arises in giving effect to any provision of this act within on year of its commencement, the federal government in consultation with the chief justice of the IHC may remove such difficulty.
Disparity between courts
The counsel highlighted another anomaly in the law by stating that while the original jurisdiction of the Sindh High Court is still Rs3 million or more the original jurisdiction of the IHC has been fixed at Rs10 million.
Such a disparity was not understandable, he commented, saying parity in fixing the original jurisdiction of the high court should have been maintained.
“The properties in Karachi are not less expensive than properties in Islamabad and such arbitrariness should not have been shown,” he observed.
Chaudhry Naseer was also not happy with the current building that will house the IHC, saying a proper building on the Constitution Avenue should be provided for the IHC to match its high stature.
For the present, the IHC can be established in the building of the Federal Shariat Court which after losing different types of jurisdiction has left with little work.
The current building of the IHC far away from the Constitution Avenue would not only be derogatory to the new high court but also would cause great inconvenience to lawyers and litigants who would have to traverse long distance in reaching from the high court to the Supreme Court on a daily basis, he said.
Kazmi says Hajis to be compensated
Minister for Religious Affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi Saturday said that Hajj arrangements made by Saudi government were excellent and due to its performance this year no untoward incident occurred during Hajj season.
Talking to private TV channels he said, problems were faced by Pak Hajj pilgrims in five ‘Maktabs’ in Mina as the facilities which should have been provided by the contractors, hired by ‘Muasasa’ for South Asia, were not available there. ‘Muasasa’ was misguided by its contractors, he added.
He said, “As we received the information about missing facilities in
Mina, the authorities concerned were contacted and the entire situation was brought into their notice. I myself was involved in this process.
They admitted the fault and ensured that all out efforts would be made to facilitate Pak Haj pilgrims.” He clarified that provision of facilities in Mina was not responsibility of the Saudi government rather it was responsibility of a contractor who had promised to compensate Pak Hajj pilgrims.
He informed that these ‘Maktabs’ had to be shifted to a new place due to unavoidable circumstances. He said the arrangements in newly established five ‘Maktabs’ dedicated to Pakistani Hajj pilgrims could not be finalized in time.
He dispelled the perception that Saudi government talked about compensation issue. The Minister said, “Saudi Arabia is a brotherly country of Pakistan and in my first meeting after reaching there, I had thanked the Saudi government for its generous contribution and financial assistance for Pakistani brothers during recent floods in Pakistan.”
To a question he said, sometimes, media reports a news out of context which creates a different perspective about a matter.
He appreciated the Hajj arrangements on part of Saudi government and hailed its efforts to upgrade facilities for Hajj pilgrims.
He said Saudi government ever expressed positive attitude for Pakistan and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia are assets for us.
Talking to private TV channels he said, problems were faced by Pak Hajj pilgrims in five ‘Maktabs’ in Mina as the facilities which should have been provided by the contractors, hired by ‘Muasasa’ for South Asia, were not available there. ‘Muasasa’ was misguided by its contractors, he added.
He said, “As we received the information about missing facilities in
Mina, the authorities concerned were contacted and the entire situation was brought into their notice. I myself was involved in this process.
They admitted the fault and ensured that all out efforts would be made to facilitate Pak Haj pilgrims.” He clarified that provision of facilities in Mina was not responsibility of the Saudi government rather it was responsibility of a contractor who had promised to compensate Pak Hajj pilgrims.
He informed that these ‘Maktabs’ had to be shifted to a new place due to unavoidable circumstances. He said the arrangements in newly established five ‘Maktabs’ dedicated to Pakistani Hajj pilgrims could not be finalized in time.
He dispelled the perception that Saudi government talked about compensation issue. The Minister said, “Saudi Arabia is a brotherly country of Pakistan and in my first meeting after reaching there, I had thanked the Saudi government for its generous contribution and financial assistance for Pakistani brothers during recent floods in Pakistan.”
To a question he said, sometimes, media reports a news out of context which creates a different perspective about a matter.
He appreciated the Hajj arrangements on part of Saudi government and hailed its efforts to upgrade facilities for Hajj pilgrims.
He said Saudi government ever expressed positive attitude for Pakistan and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia are assets for us.
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