Wednesday, 3 March 2021
LONDON, MAR 3: The British Home Secretary Priti Patel believes human traffickers should be able to get life imprisonment, The Times writes.
On Sunday, the Home Office announced that ministers would set out further details in the coming weeks.
“Whilst criminal gangs continue to put lives at risk it is right we consider every option to stop their exploitation of people. The government will set out further details in the coming weeks,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
Human traffickers can currently be sentenced to 14 years in prison in the UK, while the average prison sentence is three years.
A government source told The Times that there are no plans to impose a minimum sentence but that they hope for longer sentences for those currently sentenced to three or four years in prison.
A total of 14,773 people are currently in reception centers in the UK, awaiting either stay or deportation.
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COURTEYS norwaytoday
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LAHORE, MAR 3: Sarmad Ali, General Secretary, All Pakistan Newspapers Society visited the University of Punjab, Lahore and had a meeting with Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad at his office on Tuesday.
Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, Regional Integration Centre Director Dr Fauzia Hadi Ali, Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad, Executive Director, Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram and others participated in the meeting.
Mr Ali expressed his keen interest in promotion of academia-professional linkages with the School of Communication Studies. He said that both the organizations were rich in history and must work together for provision of quality human resource in the media.
He said that various technological advancements had brought several changes to the media industry and there was a need to equip our students with technical skills to meet the modern requirements of the profession.
PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmed said that PU would extend full support to
promote industry-academia linkages. He said that it was our duty to serve the
country as well as society.
He said that as per the modern demands of the subject of communication and media studies, the administration had upgraded the former Institute of Communication Studies to the School of Communication Studies and several departments had also been established under the school.
Later, Sarmad Ali visited School of Communication Studies where he had a question-answer session with the students on various national issues as well as the media industry.
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COURTESY CGSS
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LAHORE, MAR 3: Belarusian Ambassador Andrei Metelitsa has expressed the resolve to promote bilateral relations with Pakistan and its universities through collaboration in various fields of mutual interest.
He was talking to Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad during his visit to PU here on Tuesday. Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, deans of various faculties, Director External Linkages Dr Sobia Khuram, Centre for Global and Strategic Studies Executive Director Khalid Taimur Akram, and others were present on the occasion.
Addressing the meeting Metelitsa stressed the need to promote academic relations among the universities of both countries through exchange of faculty members and students and joint research projects.
He said that art, culture and literature could play an important role in strengthening ties between both countries. He said that Belarus also aimed at promotion of trade ties with Pakistan. PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad said that both the countries could benefit from each other’s potential in various fields.
He said that PU would extend full support in promotion of relations with Belarusian universities. He also briefed the ambassador regarding recent achievements of Punjab University in international ranking of universities. Later, Metelitsa presented Belarus’s national flag to the VC.
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COURTESY CGSS
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Tuesday, 2 March 2021
ISLAMABAD, MAR 2: Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad met with Ahmed Rabei, Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan.
During the meeting, the Ambassador acknowledged and
appreciated the role played by the Center for Global & Strategic Studies
(CGSS) in enhancing the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Palestine.
Furthermore, Ahmed Rabei identified areas such as economy,
medicine, etc. for further collaborations. The future joint activities of both
CGSS and the Embassy of the State of Palestine were also discussed.
Additionally, academic collaborations between Pakistan and Palestine were stressed upon. According to Ahmed Rabei, to develop people-to people contact between the two brother countries, joint academic projects must be initiated.
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COURTESY CGSS
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ISLAMABAD, MAR 2: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday said that the upcoming Senate elections, scheduled to be held on March 3, would be "conducted as provided in the Constitution and law as per past practice".
In a statement, the ECP said the decision had been taken due to "time constraints". A meeting of the Election Commission was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja and was attended by its members — retired justice Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, retired Justice Irshad Qaiser, Shah Mohammad Jatoi and Nisar Ahmed Durrani.
According to the statement, the meeting was held on March 1, the same day the Supreme Court shared its opinion on the presidential reference, saying that polls for the upper house of parliament will be held through secret ballot, according to Article 226 of the Constitution.
The meeting discussed the SC's short order, deciding to "implement it in letter and spirit". The apex court had said that it is the Election Commission's "duty [...] to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly, and in accordance with law and that corrupt practices are guarded against".
It suggested that the ECP could use latest technology to hold transparent elections. "The Election Commission is required to take all available measures including utilising technologies to fulfill the solemn constitutional duty to ensure that the election is 'conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law and that corrupt practices are guarded against'."
It emphasised that all institutions were bound to follow the ECP.
During the meeting, the commission observed that it had not received a detailed order from the Supreme Court.
However, it decided to constitute a three-member committee, comprising the special secretary, director general (IT), and joint provincial election commissioner from Punjab that would take input from different professionals and technical organisations on the use of technology in Senate elections.
The committee would then prepare recommendations based on the input within four weeks' time. It could also "take assistance from Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority), FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) and the ministry of information technology [...] for better recommendations".
A day earlier, Minister for Information Shibli Faraz called on the ECP to take "practical steps" to end corruption and secrecy in Senate elections.
The minister requested the ECP to "use technology — in the form of a bar code or a serial number on the ballot paper" — to ensure that the elections were transparent as per the SC's opinion.
Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court after the announcement of its opinion, PTI's Senator Faisal Javed said the ECP would have to ensure three things: identifiable ballots, proportional representation and ensuring free and transparent elections.
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COURTESY DAWN NEWS
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ISLAMABAD, MAR 2: Pakistan’s leading biscuit brand, EBM, the makers of Peek Freans has been consecutively supporting the Special Olympics Pakistan’s Unified Marathon since its inception. With this partnership EBM aspires to promote tolerance and inclusion of people who are differently abled or have intellectual and physical disabilities.
This marathon is quite favored for being Karachi’s biggest initiative for its prominent inclusion and empowerment of the differently abled. It is held every year to help spread awareness and to encourage others to understand people with such disabilities. The event took place at Emaar Cresent Bay in Karachi.
Shahzain Munir, the Executive Director of EBM said “We are extremely proud to be part of a marathon that not only teaches tolerance but also embraces diversity wholeheartedly.
We consider these values an extremely important part of being a good Pakistani citizen and so it is an honor for us to be a part of this wonderful cause since it indicates the start of a new, and a more compassionate era for everyone. We hope to be a part of other great causes in the future as well.”
Ever since EBM has been established, it has always been forthright about its devotion to help the community and to spread the message of inclusivity that is not hindered by gender, age or mental and physical abilities.
It has always taken upon itself to undertake causes which are in congruence with the company’s vision and mission. Employees at EBM are also extremely zealous when it comes to this marathon, which is why they also volunteer in great numbers.
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Monday, 1 March 2021
ISLAMABAD, MAR 1: Members of the government and the opposition both claimed victory over the Supreme Court's (SC) opinion on the issue of secret ballot in the upcoming Senate elections, which was announced early on Monday morning.
In its short written order issued some hours after the announcement, the Supreme Court bench noted that Senate elections are held in accordance with the law and the Constitution. However, the apex court suggested that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) could use the latest technology to hold transparent elections. The bench also said that the secrecy of the ballot papers was "not final", quoting a decision by the top court on a similar matter in 1967 (Niaz Ahmed case).
The 4-1 majority opinion was announced by a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and including Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Yahya Afridi, with the latter choosing to abstain from responding to the question posed by the president's reference.
Addressing the media outside the ECP's head office in Islamabad, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said that the SC's decision "supports our stance and moves it forward". The education minister was joined by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar and PTI Senator Faisal Javed.
The education minister said the SC's decision "has shown a path" to how bad practices in the Senate elections could be prevented. He said it was "clearly written" that it was the duty of the ECP to conduct an election which was free of corrupt practices.
Awan, meanwhile, said that the SC referred to a previous decision of the top court in 1967 which allowed for "secrecy to be lifted considering the present circumstances, this is clearly written". "This is a decisive moment in Pakistan's history for elections to be conducted fairly".
Chaudhry also said that the SC's advice was "clear" that voters and their votes should be identifiable. "This is the principle on which the prime minister and the cabinet sent this reference to the SC," said the federal minister.
"What is the SC's decision? They have said that the secrecy of the ballot will remain secret for political parties but it won't be secret for the ECP. So if there are allegations of horse trading or selling votes, then the ECP can conduct an inquiry," said Chaudhry.
The technology minister said in a post on Twitter that the SC had "acknowledged the stance" to end horse-trading and corrupt practices in the Senate polls, adding it "has not adhered to the principle of full secret ballot".
Minister for Information Shibli Faraz also took to Twitter and hailed the decision as "historic". He said it was a "big day" for businessmen and traders of "[people's] consciences" since the people who set up markets for buying and selling of votes will be disappointed.
"This is a success of Imran Khan's vision of transparent elections," said the information minister, adding that technology would be used in light of the SC decision to make "transparency real and make the identification of votes possible".
Addressing the media outside the SC premises earlier, Senator Javed had also termed the opinion a "splendid decision" and a "victory for Pakistan". "The honourable court said secrecy is not absolute. That means it cannot stay [this way] till the Day of Judgement," said the senator.
'Constitution far above the tricks of vote thieves'
Meanwhile, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter, saying the SC's opinion once again proved that "the Constitution is far above the tricks of vote thieves, malicious references and conspiratorial ordinances".
She said that now "alarms of technology are being raised" but warned that "RTS and Daska-fog technologies" wouldn't work anymore.
"Why are you afraid of the power of the vote?"
The Sindh government's spokesperson, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, too said that the SC opinion agreed with the "principled stance of the PPP, Sindh government, different opposition parties and Pakistan's various lawyer organisations".
"What was that stance? it was that Senate polls must be held in accordance with the Constitution," said Wahab, adding that Article 226 had already decided that any election in accordance with the Constitution would be through the secret ballot.
"Our stance was victorious because it was in accordance with the Constitution and the PTI and federal government lost," the Wahab, adding that the federal government had repeatedly claimed that Senate elections aren't held in accordance with the Constitution and they shouldn't be held through secret balloting.
"Today is a day for the lovers of the Constitution and those who have always struggled for the supremacy of the Constitution and free and fair elections."
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COURTESY DAWN NEWS
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ISLAMABAD, MAR 1: The Supreme Court on Monday announced its opinion on the presidential reference regarding Senate elections, saying that polls for the upper house of parliament will be held through secret ballot, according to Article 226 of the Constitution.
The 4-1 majority opinion was announced by a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and including Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Yahya Afridi.
Justice Afridi disagreed with the majority opinion.
The Supreme Court said that Senate elections are held in accordance with the law and the Constitution.
"It is the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to protect the election from corruption," it added.
The parliament can pass constitutional amendments, the top court said. It emphasised that all institutions were bound to follow the ECP.
The bench said that the secrecy of the ballot papers, however, was "not final", quoting a decision by the top court on the same in 1967 (Niaz Ahmed case).
A detailed judgement is expected to be issued shortly.
It also said that the ECP could "use the latest technology to ensure the holding of transparent elections" under powers granted to it according to Article 218 of the Constitution (related to the formation of election commission).
'Victory for Pakistan'
Talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, PTI's Senator Faisal Javed termed the opinion a "splendid decision" and a "victory for Pakistan".
He said he was grateful to the court for listening to everyone.
"The attorney general's team worked hard and great arguments were done. Such a detailed discussion on the Senate has not happened before."
He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan had made efforts to end corruption from every level, including bringing an end to "bribery, thievery and buying and selling" in the Senate elections.
"The honourable court said secrecy is not absolute. That means it cannot stay [this way] till the Day of Judgement".
Talking further on the court's opinion, he said it had instructed the ECP to work on matters including proportional representation and take measures against corruption in elections.
He said that when elections are held through identifiable ballots, no one would dare to sell their vote. "This is a splendid opinion for transparency," he stressed.
He said after the court's opinion, the ECP would have to ensure three things: identifiable ballots, proportional representation and ensuring free and transparent elections.
Speaking separately to reporters, Minister for Information Shibli Faraz called on the ECP to take "practical steps" to end corruption and secrecy in Senate elections.
He said the primary reason behind the presidential reference was to find out what practical steps can be taken to end corruption in Senate elections.
"Today's decision is a very historic decision which apparently seems [to state] that Senate elections will be held according to Article 226. But at the same time, the honourable judges of the Supreme Court acknowledged that technology should be used to make elections transparent."
The minister requested the ECP to "use technology — in the form of a bar code or a serial number on the ballot paper — to ensure that these [Senate] elections do not become secret as per the SC's opinion".
He also termed the government's decision to file a presidential reference as a "very important and good decision", saying it was a significant milestone in the PTI's struggle.
It would ensure that members elected to the upper house of parliament were done so on merit and their personal and business interests did not affect their efforts for legislation, he added.
Faraz also expressed confidence that Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh would win the Senate election, saying "people vote for Imran Khan, not the candidate".
'ECP bound to follow SC opinion'
Meanwhile, Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan said the ECP was "constitutionally bound to follow the opinion of [the] SC and implement it for the Senate election scheduled for March 3".
In a statement, he said the opinion of the apex court was "binding" and ignoring or violating it amounts to contempt and misconduct.
The attorney general said the court was of the view that secrecy in Senate elections was not absolute or eternal, thus it was up to the ECP to select the method to be used for the upcoming polls such as printing a bar code or serial number on the ballot paper.
"ECP is bound to print such identifiable or traceable ballot papers under Section 122(5) of the Election Act, 2017 [...] No change in law is required to give effect to SC opinion as 122(5) is existing law."
He said if there was any evidence to suggest corruption or rigging in the Senate elections after they were over, then any party head or citizen could "lodge [a] complaint with available material or evidence against any voting MPA/MNA with ECP".
"ECP is bound to investigate and trace the ballot to see whether any corrupt practice occurred," said AG Khan, adding if it did not, the complainant could go to court or tribunal to take up the issue.
The court had reserved its opinion on Saturday.
Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan had on Dec 23, 2020, moved the 11-page reference under Article 186 of the Constitution relating to the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
The president had sought the answer to the question of whether or not the condition of secret ballot under Article 226 of the Constitution applied to the Senate elections. The hearing started on January 4.
Ahead of the announcement, the registrar office had issued notices to the attorney general, chief election commissioner, Senate chairman and speakers of the national and provincial assemblies, advocates general for the four provinces, members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and others.
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COURTESY DAWN NEWS
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ISLAMABAD, MAR 1: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and National University of Modern Languages (NUML) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in languages and translations.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Rector NUML Major
General (r) Muhammad Jaffar observed the MoU signing ceremony held at NUML on Feb 26.
The MoU was signed by the Pro-Rector Resources and
Planning/DG NUML Brig Muhammad Badr Malik and Saima Sayed Director General
Strategic Communication Division MOFA. Senior officials from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and NUML were also present at the occasion.
While exchanging views with Rector NUML, the Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that NUML is playing a vital role in
promoting bilateral relations with other countries by way of teaching their
languages and hosting international students. He added that this MoU is an
acknowledgement of languages and translation expertise of NUML.
The foreign minister opined that the power of language is sharpen than the sword, therefore, NUML in that context is doing a commendable job in enabling government officials and people from across Pakistan and foreign countries in developing language proficiency.
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COURTESY THE NEWS
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KARACHI, MAR 1: Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s outstanding performance was enough for Lahore Qalandars to secure a nail-biting six-wicket win against Karachi Kings in match 11 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021.
Sohail Akhtar won the toss and elected to bowl first at the National Stadium in Karachi on Sunday.
Kings lost three wickets early but still managed to post a competitive total of 186 for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
The star of the show was opener Sharjeel Khan who scored 69 off 34 balls with the help of five fours and six sixes.
He was well-supported by veteran right-hander Mohammad Nabi who scored 57 off 35 balls with the help of four fours and three sixes.
For the winning team, left-arm pacer Shaheen was the star performer with the ball in hand as he finished with outstanding figures of 3-27 in his quota of four overs.
In reply, Qalandars—just like the Kings—lost three early wickets but managed to chase down the target with four balls to spare, courtesy a brilliant fourth-wicket partnership of 119 between Zaman and Ben Dunk.
The left-handed opening batsman finished the match with the top score of 83 off 54 balls with the help of eight fours and four sixes.
He was well-supported by Dunk who scored a valuable 57 off 43 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes. For Kings, pacers Mohammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood and Dan Christian claimed a wicket each.
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COURTESY SAMAA
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ISLAMABAD, MAR 1: “We want to live in peace but if our sovereignty is challenged, our response would always be Swift and Resolute as it was on 27 February 2019” said the Air Chief while addressing a ceremony held at Air Headquarters, Islamabad to commemorate the second anniversary of PAF’s resounding victory in “Operation Swift Retort”.
Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force was the chief guest at the occasion.
Addressing the audience, the Air Chief further said, “PAF maintained its Operational Readiness to deter aggression, despite the challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic.
He further said, “Pakistan is confronted with varied challenges including a Hybrid War, which demands our enhanced commitment and vigilance.
PAF endeavours to augment its capability in all spectrums of
operations while pursuing modernization through indigenous efforts.”
Former Air Chiefs and a large number of PAF officials witnessed the ceremony. Earlier, a smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force presented the Guard of Honour.
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