ABBAS KASSAR
HYDERABAD: Sindh Progressive Committee took out a rally here Saturday with reference to awareness campaign for house count and population census due in March. They rally was led by comrade Iqbal provincial secretary Communist Party of Pakistan, comrade Buxul Thalho secretary Sindh Awami Workers Party,Mukhtar Abbasi and Vishnumal of Awami Jamhoori Party and Akbar Khoso of Jeay Sindh Mahaz. The participants were carrying placards inscribed with slogans for expulsion of aliens from Sindh. Addressing rally the leaders said as census was being counted after 17 years as such asked Sindhis to take part in it by asking census staff to write only Sindhi in column of language though they may speak Siraeki, Dhatki, Marwari and Balochi in their homes. They said the finance award and representation in parliament depends on figures of census. They said Sindh was suffering lot of problems one among them being that we take less interest in counting ourselves in census and the main being infux of aliens the number of whom has surpassed 4 millions who are living in Sindh illegally. They demanded to expel these aliens as also to issue work permits to people of other provinces and not allowing them right of vote and purchase properties.They asked nationalist party workers to form teams in every village and town/ city to guide people for house counting and population. They told that they had published pamphlets which will be distributed across province and awareness programs will be organized in every district.
CIVIL SOCIETY RALLY LAUDS SINDH ASSEMBLY MEMBERS FOR PASSING LAWS AGAINST CHILD MARRIAGE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ABBAS KASSAR
HYDERABAD: Civil society took out rally here to congratulate Sindh Assembly Members for passing laws against child marriage and domestic violence on women. They observed that these laws would prove milestone in eliminating social inequality of women, violence, honor killing, handing over girls in exchange of crimes of male family members and child marriage. They said the members of SA who passed bills into law have done commendable work. They asked for forming of committees to implement these laws. It may be mentioned here that SA had passed Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act and Sindh Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Act . The civil society members said only few including lawyers, police officers, judges and journalists know about these laws while majority of people ought to be given awareness and asked for framing rules of business for committees and commissions to streamline their work to implement these laws. They demanded to form women protection committees on provincial and district level; local bodies and civil society representatives be taken on such committees; making appropriate system to ensure child and woman protection through women crisis centers, Darul Aman, and child protection units and empowering Sindh Human Rights Commission and Sindh Commission on Status of Women. Later the leaders of civil society Kashif Bajeer, Kashif Siddiqui, Nasir Pahanwer and others also addressed news conference.
CALL TO PROMOTE INTERFAITH HARMONY TO TACKLE GROWING INTOLERANCE IN SOCIETY
Abbas Kassar
Hyderabad: Speakers have highlighted the need to promote interfaith harmony to tackle growing intolerance in society. They were speaking seminar on interfaith harmony and non-Muslim marriage bill organized by Sindh Rural Partners Organization. Speaking at the occasion educationist Dr. Qamar Wahid said that majority should respect rights of minority. She said that minority rights are integral part of constitution of the country which needs to be implemented. She regretted that due to nonexistence of law on registration of marriage, non-Muslims faces plethora of problems. She emphasized that through education attitude changes could be brought in society. She added that religion should not be used to make experiments and tolerance needs to be cultivated to promote interfaith harmony. Prof. Noor Ahmed Janjhi said that Sindh has remained center of peace and interfaith harmony in sub-continent. He said that social system needs to be revived for promotion of interfaith harmony. He highlighted the need to acknowledge the diversity of people living in the country with various religions. Writer Arbab Nek Mohammad said that positive aspects of society must be projected so that minorities should feel sense of security. He added that all citizens are equal and without discrimination rights must be ensured by the state. Social activist Nasir Ali Panhwar said that communities must stand together to explore and celebrate their common history, culture and heritage, rather than religious differences. He said that civil society can play vital role in bringing together various segments of society for peaceful and prosperous country. He added that extremism and terrorism could be tackled with interfaith harmony. Journalist Sohail Sangi said that media must play role to highlight issues of minorities and highlight role models of interfaith harmony. However, he regretted that media has limitations and investigative journalism is not being practiced.Activist Radha Bheel said that non-Muslims face much discrimination in their daily life. She said that due to poverty minorities are unable to improve their quality of life. Ross Mehtani, Afroze Chohan, Rafiq Leghari, Juman Menghwar, Lina Khalid, Khalid Pervez Bhatti, Sher Mohammad Solangi, Salahuddin Kaka, Ghulam Hyder Birhmani and others also spoke at the occasion.
Infant’s deaths in Thar because of malnutrition: Marvi Memon
Sawan Khaskheli
BADIN: Marvi Memon, Chairperson, BISP and Minister of State while addressing the meet the press in Badin Press Club said that infant’s deaths in Tharparkar occurred because of malnutrition. To improve the malnutrition condition overall Pakistan BISP has increased the basic stipend of BISP families from 4500 to 4700 effects from July 2015 and all debts to be paid in March 2016 BISP installment to all BISP families, she added. She expressed that Prime Minister Pakistan, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and Federal Finance Minister, Ishaque Dar are committed to reduce the poverty in Pakistan. BISP has created the Web site portion where BISP families can upload pictures of their production like hand embroidery, Arch work and vice versa and BISP official have been instructed to purchase the uploaded productions as BISP families demands and amount of the productions will be paid in BISP installments, she expressed. She told that deaths of infants of BISP families have been also occurred and I am going to Thar for the condolences of infants.
There is malnutrition issue in Thar and deaths of infants are being occurred because of it. Prime Minister of Pakistan and Federal Finance Minister have conducted successful talks with World Food Program (WFP) and they soon initiate their activities in Thar to cope and reduce the malnutrition condition, Marvi Memon added.
NSSAB organizes Hafiz-ul-Quran award ceremony
Sawan Khaskheli
BADIN: National School of Science and Art Badin (NSSAB) has organized the Hafiz-ul-Quran event at Badin aiming to appreciate the little kids who have learned oral Quran in their little age. The Hafiz-ul-Quran event was presided over by Sayed Tahir Ali Shah, Principal, NSSAB, and participated by Dr Tanveer Ahmed Shah, Moulana Qari Abdul Ghaffar, Ghulam Mustafa Jamali, Abdul Majeed Mallah, Qari Shoukat and others. During the competition of the oral Quran, Mohammad Usman attained 1st position, 2nd position was won by Jawad Ahmed, 3rd position went to Syeda Hamad when 4th position got by Sayed Mohammad Youshah and NSSAB school administration awarded the position holders with appreciating certificates. While addressing the participants, Sayed Tahir Ali Shah expressed that in this hectic time religious education mainly Holy Qur’anic education is must for children. Considering this, NASSAB has established a Holy Quran Corner (HQC) in School and with grace of Almighty Allah, today we have achieved a results of the taken efforts. Event was participated by hundreds of children, parents and guests.
Judicial activism is new to rural youth, needs education on access to justice: District Bar Umerkot
UMERKOT: Judicial activism is new to rural youth, needs education on access to justice shared by representatives of District Bar Umerkot. Bar council will play its role in promoting campaign, volunteer for the legal empowerment and access to justice for the poor, said by speakers on the occasion of coordination meeting for sustainability of Legal Empowerment Committee (DLEC) held here in local hotel by AWARE and Insaf Network Pakistan (INP).
On this occasion chief guest of the meeting Om Parkash, president district bar Umerkot and DLEC member shared that Bar Council will continue to work together and support this campaign but still there is a need of awareness especially in rural area of Umerkot where people have less access to justice and information about legal rights. It is definitely a worth appreciating cause and campaign, District Bar has given its best and this district is going in a flare if compared with other Districts.
Renowned advocate and Ex-President District Bar Azhar Arain expressed his views by appreciating AWARE and Insaf Network Pakistan for this campaign which is in the huge favor of the Poor, He said that I have been through all this process of DLEC since long and I can guarantee you that maximum poor will be benefitted if this campaign is going in such a way.
Advocate Nabi bux Azad shared that People need to understand their legal rights and being an advocate and citizen it is my and every citizen’s duty to aware people specially living in rural areas.
Naveed Shaikh from Insaf Network Pakistan INP Shared the present status DLEC and urged everyone to play their part for the betterment of the poor so that they might have the faith on justice which is been lost unfortunately. This meeting has been arranged to develop linkages and coordination between Implementing partners and District Bar so that maximum benefit could be seen and observed in the future to sustain District Legal Empowerment Committee.
Advocate Saiqa expressed her views that AWARE and INP are doing good work in raising awareness regarding legal rights but there must be human rights education program for women especially and that will lead to legal empowerment of the poor.
Advocate Kulsoom shared her views that there should be a data of DLEC to be shared with all the lawyers and with civil society as well.
On this occasion, Agha Sardar from AWARE shared that this is splendid cause of legal empowerment of the poor and AWARE is always in the struggle for the betterment of the poor. As per S.R.O (Statuary regulatory Ordinance) 684(1)/2011 issued by law and justice commission of Pakistan (LJCP), dated 2nd July, 2011, LJCP rules for constitutions of the district legal empower committee (DLEC). The main purpose of DLEC’s is to provide legal aid to the deserving litigant(a person involved in a lawsuit) who might otherwise be unable to obtain legal aid or assistance for protecting his/her genuine legal rights or interest, involved in litigation , on account of his/her limited financial resources.
Insaf Network Parkistan (INP) took an initiative along with Association for Water, Applied Education & Renewable Energy (AWARE) to start this campaign of legal empowerment of the poor under District Legal Empowerment Committee (DLEC) so that maximum awareness could be spread to the people for their legal assistance and this occasion was one the initiative. This was the 2nd main event of this campaign; two more events are to come in this month.
On the occasion Sana Khanzada from Plan International, Sehrish Arain, Nisar Ahmed and Rajesh Kumar from AWARE, Advocate Ali Nawaz Jakhro, Advocate Noman Ahmed, Advocate Shareef Bheel expressed their views by urging civil society to take lead and bar council to assist people to have an access to the legal aid in a easiest way.