LHC grants bail to journalist Imran Riaz Khan

 

Lahore, JUL 9: The Lahore High Court on Saturday granted bail to journalist Imran Riaz Khan in a petition seeking to either quash the 18 cases filed against him or consolidate them all into a single first information report (FIR).

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi took up the petition, which was moved by lawyers Shazib Masud, Mian Ali Ashfaq, Rana Abdul Maruf Khan and Mian Izhar Ahmed on Imran Riaz’s behalf.

The petition, requested the court to suspend the “operations of all … FIRs till the final decision of this case and direct the respondents to produce the petitioner before this honourable court and release the forthwith till the final disposal of the instant petition”.

The Punjab government and inspector general of police (IGP) were nominated as respondents in the petition.

Imran, who is facing charges of treasons in multiple cases, was initially taken into custody by Attock police near Islamabad on Tuesday night. He was later granted relief by a local court in the wee hours of Thursday, only to be immediately arrested by a team of Chakwal police outside the courtroom.

He was then shifted to Lahore, prior to which a local court of Chakwal district had allowed his judicial remand.

It emerged on Friday that Lahore police had handed over the journalist to the Crime Investigation Agency in a case pertaining to the abetment of mutiny and criticism of state institutions.

The hearing

At the outset of the hearing in the LHC today, Imran Riaz’s lawyer thanked the court for taking up the petition on a public holiday.

At this, Justice Najafi remarked: “It is our obligation, we have to protect the Constitution.”

The lawyer then told the LHC that his client had approached a court the very next day after an FIR was registered against him.

“But he was arrested at Islamabad Toll Plaza,” he said, claiming that police had concealed the record of the case in which Imran Riaz was taken into custody from the LHC in another plea.

The police, he alleged, “wanted to arrest Imran Riaz and that is why [they] did not inform the court about those FIRs”.

The lawyer claimed the incumbent government was suppressing opposing voices from journalists. PTI party leaders have on several occasions praised the journalist by name.

Ashfaq argued that multiple cases could not be registered on the same charge and that the journalist’s comments were based on good intentions. “Something said with good intentions is not a crime,” he added.

The lawyer maintained that Imran Riaz had said nothing against the army and the registration of cases against him was “nothing but retaliation”.

The counsel was asked about the punishment under Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code (statement conducing to public mischief) to which he responded it was seven years.

“We are all bound by the Constitution and the law,” Justice Najafi remarked in response.

When Ashfaq reiterated that the journalist had said nothing against any army representative, he was asked to read the contents of an FIR filed from Gujranwala.

“The contents of 95 to 98 per cent of all cases are exactly the same,” the lawyer said, adding that the Constitution allowed freedom of expression and once again said multiple cases could not be registered on a single charge.

“Anyone who defames his forces or spreads chaos in the country is [committing] a crime. It is not a crime if a person brings correct news in good faith,” Ashfaq contended.

He once again said that his client had said nothing against the military and there was no evidence present for any of the registered cases.

The lawyer argued that the police did not even have the authority to register such an FIR and it came under the Federal Investigation Agency’s domain.

“Imran Riaz never made the statement which he is being blamed for in the FIRs.”

He further argued that the FIRs said those who had liked the journalist’s alleged statement were also complicit in the crime, adding that two million people had liked his statement.

Justice Najafi remarked at this point that the journalist had a responsibility since people followed and watched him.

The hearing was then adjourned for half an hour and Punjab’s advocate general was summoned.

Upon resumption of the hearing, Punjab Advocate General Shahzad Shaukat said he had looked at the case file and a detailed response was needed.

He said he did not have any reservation about Imran Riaz being granted bail if the journalist guaranteed his appearance before a magistrate on the first day after Eid.

Justice Najafi ordered for the journalist to be presented in the courtroom and to give an undertaking that he would not deliver any controversial speech till his appearance before a magistrate.

Subsequently, Imran Riaz presented in court where Justice Najafi told the journalist that his lawyer had assured that he would say not make any statement which could further complicate matters.

The journalist said he had received justice from whichever court he went to.

“Don’t make us controversial. You find it flawed to go to court on Saturday when there is nothing strange about it,” the judge remarked.

Imran Riaz assured the court that he would not deliver any controversial statement. The judge, hence, accepted the journalist’s request and granted him bail, adjourning the next hearing till July 19.

The petition

The plea contended that Imran Riaz had been “working hard to provide and deliver information based on quality of truth and by doing that, he has been exposing illegitimacies and wrongdoings of everyone without any bias any distinguish (sic), call it (sic)” ruler or the institutions.

He had “always given his opinion based on his complete independent journalist[ic] view on all sorts of topics […] in the larger interest of public of Pakistan” and “exposed thousands of people and stories with no fear”, the plea said.

It maintained that the incumbent government was being “revengeful” against several journalists, including Imran Riaz.

The petition said Imran believed “more bogus cases” in the forms of FIRs or complaints against him were registered against him on behalf of “different unknown persons on the instructions and behest of the incumbent government and with the connivance and collusion of the respondents”.

It mentioned that Imran had sent a letter dated June 30 to the Punjab IGP, requesting details about any pending complaints/FIRs against him so that he may approach the relevant forum for an investigation and seek pre-arrest bail.

But due to “non-cooperation showed by the Punjab IGP”, the plea said, Imran filed a writ petition before the LHC, which then directed the Punjab police chief to submit on July 1 the record of cases and complaints against the journalist.

A report was then submitted on the matter by the Punjab government, the plea stated. However, it added, while the report showed the records of 17 FIRs registered against Imran, some of the complaints and FIRs were “deliberately and intentionally” concealed for the sole purpose of arresting the journalist “by whatever means to please the people in present [the] government on whose instructions these bogus FIRs were registered against the petitioner by the respondent no.1 through planted complainants”.

The petition said Imran then decided to approach the Islamabad High Court for protective/transitory bail but was arrested by Attock police at Islamabad Toll Plaza on July 5 at 10:30pm.

The plea further stated that the case in which Imran was arrested had been concealed from the LHC, terming it a “mala fide” act.

Imran was then presented before a judicial magistrate in Attock, the plea said, adding that the journalist was thereafter granted relief.

The petition further highlighted by that FIRs against Imran were similar in nature, “so much so [that] most of the FIRs contain word to word ditto content”. In this regard, the plea contended that no second FIR could be registered about the same incident.

“Moreover, the allegations made and offences attracted in the FIRs are barred by Section 196 of CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) and other offences are non-cognisable in nature for which no set procedure given under the law has been followed,” the plea read.

It contended that the FIRs were registered “through planted individuals”, whereas they were required to be registered either through “authorised representatives/officers empowered on behalf of either of federal or provincial governments — that too if the complaint made by order of — or under authority from either of federal or provincial government, which is completely missing in the aforementioned FIRs”.

The petition said that offences pertaining the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 in the FIRs could not be “entertained or adjudicated” by police as the Federal Investigation Agency was the designated authority for the purpose.

Hence, the FIRs were liable to be quashed, the plea said.

Moreover, the petition said Imran was “being dragged from one police station to another police station and then another police station and in the same manner facing the proceedings of physical remand / judicial remand”.

“If this wrangling is going to continue, the petitioner’s life is going to be wasted while facing the proceedings … of these number of FIRs one after another,” the petition read.

The petition further contended that offences alleged against Imran “are not attracted in the explained circumstances of the incident in aforementioned FIRs and allegations are vague in nature”.

In fact, it added, “the Respondent no.1, while acting malafidely (sic) tried to drag the petitioner unnecessarily and involved him in the said FIRs without any justifiable or substantial basis”.

The petition maintained that there was no “incriminating material” available on the record that may create any nexus of the petitioner with the alleged offences.

“Moreover, no such words uttered or spoken by the petitioner has been referred in the contents of FIRs, and also the FIRs are silent to the extent that if any such material has been attached with the complaints filed by the private individuals who informed [of] such crimes.”

The petition sought the quashing of all “18 FIRs or its proceedings as none of the offences can be attracted in given set of facts and circumstances explained in the narration of said FIRs, due to lack of jurisdiction as well non-fulfilment [of] procedural requirements as mentioned in section 196 and 155 of CrPC”.

Otherwise, the petition added: “As an alternative, consolidate all the FIRs and the petitioner be investigated, or prosecuted, or tried under only one FIR in the large interest of fair, transparent and equitable justice.”

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

Another Reason for Travelling Pakistan; The Cuisine

 

Munaza Kazmi

Joined by China, Afghanistan, Iran and India -- and with a population of more than 200 million people -- it's no surprise that Pakistan is a country of geographical and linguistic diversity. 

However, there's common ground to be found in the cuisine. 

Overall Pakistanis are passionate about their cuisine, which is full of flavor and bursting with color. And they just love eating. Food is among the most significant! Even we have foods for different occasions and from different regions.

Tea

However, a habit of Colonial-Past, Pakistan is a nation of tea lovers, and there are several varieties of tea on offer from Kawa, Karak chai, Masala chai to Gulabi chai. Adding tea leaves into the boiling cup of water.

Tea is a social drink bringing everyone together, often served with savory dishes such as samosa, pakora or paratha.

Pakoras

These easy-to-make crispy, fried fritters are a classic finger food served as a starter or a side dish with the sweet cup of tea. Also, it’s our Pakistan’s sweetheart dish in Ramazan.

Vegetables are thinly sliced before being soaked in a seasoned and spice gram flour batter and then fried for a few minutes. 

Grab them while they are hot. If you prefer a meatier option, chicken pakoras are also on menu. 

 

Paratha

Abroad bread is eaten cold, here it’s always hot and comes with different flavors. Pakistanis make a range of perfect melt-in-your-mouth flatbreads including roti and naans but the paratha, made with clarified butter or ghee is a particularly delicious indulgence. 

Eaten for breakfast, you can go for the plain option but there are also various fillings to choose from including mincemeat, potato, spinach, and cauliflower paratha etc.

Kebabs

There are many types of kebabs in Pakistani cuisine. Such as the popular seekh kebab, which is ground meat grilled on skewers. The highly favorite chapli kebab, name is taken from the Pashto word “chaprikh” which means “flat”. It comes from the flat shape of minced meat slices, dish of the North – You can taste the flavors of coriander and pomegranate seeds in this tasty recipe.

And the shami kebab, small patties made with minced meat mixed with split chickpeas, finely chopped onion, mint, green chilli and egg to hold it all together. 

Gol Gappa

A popular street food having roots with Bangladesh, was once sold by cart-pushing vendors. However, with the growing trend fast food restaurants you can enjoy it along the ambience.

The round shell is made with semolina and fried. Once it cools and becomes brittle, a hole is created and filled with a mixture of tamarind chutney, chilli, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It is served with a bowl of spicy tamarind dip. Try, and you will crave it back home.

Biryani

Created in the royal kitchens of the 16th-19th century Mughal Empire by BeghumMumtaz Mahal, aimed to create a delicious, nutritious and wholesome dish for the soldiers in her husband Emperor Shahjahan's army.

Today it is among the most celebrated dishes in Pakistan and often served on special occasions. 

Made with lamb or beef but chicken biryani is a favorite. However, Karachi city is famous for the bone marrow Biriyani version.

The meat and rice are cooked separately before being layered and cooked together with an assortment of spices. 

Kabuli Pulao

Nevertheless, Kabuli Pulao is a specialty of Afghan cuisine, but it is very common in Pakistan. Kabul’s families made it first with tender meat, raisins, nuts, rice, and caramelized carrots.

Silk Road traders brought it from Afghanistan to western Pakistan, and it gradually spread throughout the country.

Nihari

“Narha” an Arabic word that means “Morning”, perhaps that’s the reason it is a must have breakfast dish. It used to be left to simmer and cook overnight to be served at sunrise. Logically it’s so rich that surely it will fill your stomach.

The food was born in Old Delhi, including lamb shanks, mutton, including the bone marrow as the main complements. It is also usually served with rice or naan.

Haleem

Served mostly in Breakfast and Lunch, but popular in the Holy Muharram, originated from Middle East, Indian Sub-continent and Central Asia. Warm and comforting, this dish may look simple enough, but a combination of lentils, wheat, barley and minced beef are slow-cooked for overnight in gentle spices to get sticky consistency. 

Paya

This warming goat curry, with a soup-like consistency, is often eaten on cold winter mornings.  Again, slow-cooking it will ensure that all the spices have infused into the perfectly tender meat. 

Halwa poori and Channa

An essential part of Punjabi breakfast, the combination of a poori which is light and fluffy, is served with the rich tasting halwa and chickpea curry. 

Charga

For the lovers of chicken Chargha is a fantastic suggestion. This recipe combines chicken, spices, and yogurt to make a distinctive and delicate flavor.

Its name “Chargha” means chicken in Pushto, and it is an invention in Lahore city, Pakistan. You can choose from the Tandoori Chargha version with roasted chicken or the traditional deep-fried chicken version.

Khadda Kebab

It is traditional Balochi dish and my favorite, Pakistani’s eat likes their Emperors. The whole mutton is very slowly cooked into the mud furnace by first stuffing with carrots and raisin rice. The aroma and taste are worth of waiting.

Dumpukht

The mild and delicious recipe found its origins in the Royal Mughal Kitchens, lamb shanks steamed for about 6-7 hours in dough-sealed pot along seasonal vegetables and salt. After cooking Served mostly with white rice. You can have them easily in Peshawar or any Desi restaurant across Pakistan.

Kadhi Pakora

If you are vegetarian, Pakistani Cuisine offers a variety of delicious treats.Kadhi Pakora is one of the choices you should consider. This delicious yogurt curry is a combination of gram flour, fritters, and spices that will add flavor to this food.

Smooth and consistent texture will make your taste buds fall in love with this food. The recipe originates from Rajasthan and is popular in Pakistan and India. People often combine it with rice or roti for dinner.

Smoked Eggplant

Another vegan delight, so tasty, simple and quick to make. 

A masala base is created by frying onions, tomatoes, with spices, and mixing with roasted eggplant in the oven, that gives the dish a smoky flavor.

Daal Tarka

A quite simple dish of lentils served with cumin rice, mostly common in Punjab. When the lentils are thoroughly cooked, the tarka is applied; onions, cumin seeds and crushed garlic cloves are fried until brown in a separate pan and added to the lentils without stirring. It makes a sizzling sound as the tarka mixture hits the lentils.

Gajrela

Gajrela is made using a combination of grated carrots, nuts, milk, sugar, boiled eggs, khoya and clarified butter. 

This flavorful dessert often makes an appearance at weddings.

Matanjan

Dating back to Mughal India. This was a sweetheart of Emperors. An eye-catching multicolor dessert, made with sugar, milk, sweet meat, food coloring and flavored with cardamoms, raisins, pistachios and various dry-fruits.

Sheer Khurma

Another dessert eaten at weddings or on Eid al Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. 

Sweet and milky dish is slow-cooked using milk, vermicelli, sugar, infused with cardamom and topped with crushed pistachios.

I am sure you had found another reason to visit Pakistan. Have a nice Holiday.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

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Our Baluchistan

 

Munaza Kazmi

 

Have anyone of you ever thought about Holiday in Baluchistan? Obviously after reading this you would book the first flight to Baluchistan.

 

A beauty in itself, a hub of energy and trade corridor, a link to South-Asian countries and a treasure on Earth in terms of Natural Resources, Baluchistan is a must-visit place and an integral part of Pakistan.

Exploring Baluchistan is not just sight-seeing adventure, it is the intense culture, rich tradition, colorful handicrafts, wonderful flavors, delicious food, mesmerizing aromas moreover half of Pakistan is in its name.

 

Gwadar, located on a natural hammerhead-shaped headland in the promising land of Baluchistan. The city is situated on a tapered and sandy 12 kilometers long strip that links Pakistan to rocky outcropping in the Arabian Sea known as Koh-e-Batil or Gwadar Peninsula.

However, Gwadar adores strategic significance for not just tourism but the economic development of Pakistan, reasoning the gateway to CPEC and OBOR. Gwadar’s CPEC routes are based on M8 motorway and Makran coastal highway that connects the province of Baluchistan with the rest.

Places to visit…

Shahi Bazar, that enjoys a rich flamboyant past, as Sultans come to buy and sell into it, till date its alive and inspiring, selling numerous of local handicraft that I bet you would buying in numbers and the aromatic delicious food.

Oman Fort, built in the times of Sultanate of Oman probably 16^th Century. The promising building is also a museum, housing treasures of the past.

On the South is Koh-i-Batil, at an altitude of 470 feet, where the huge waves come to embrace the land. The Beach promises a flamboyantly calm evening, while sun setting, going into the faraway lands with seagulls making way to home, dramatic!

Discovering further towards the interior of Baluchistan, you need to drive from Gwadar on Makran Coastal Highway, this is one of the meaningful roads of Pakistan, since it connects the port town of Gwadar to the entire province. Moreover, like Karakoram this highway have its own mysterious, dramatic and magical views.

Places to see…

Hingol National Park, Hingol National Park, that is one of the natural wonders of Pakistan, covering the area of 1,650 square kilometers with its rocky terrain, mountain caves, and beautiful beaches, and home to the huge anomalous rock formation known as the ' Sphinx of Pakistan'A mythical creature having the body of a lion and the head of a human. The structure boasts enough similarities to remind you of the sphinxes in Egypt. However,on a closer look it appears to be guarding the temple-like structure near it……and “Princess of Hope” standing high on a mountain range running along Makran Coastal Highway, this attractively sculpted object, which is a result of an alleged natural occurring, will leave you spellbound.

An exotic beach about 150 kilometers from Zero-Point on Makran Coastal Highway, KundMalir is scenic and is considered to be one of the most picturesque beaches in this world.

 

Then comes Ormara an old coastal town. Its historical routes are linked with Alexander the Great, who stayed here with his army for a few days on his way back from the Indus region after conquering Sindh, Punjab, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions in 400 BC. His general, Ormoz, died there, and the present-day city was named after him. It is a spectacular view for tourists. With fun in the waters at day and bonfires and camping at night, it is the most sought-after place to visit.

Moving further we would be heading towards Quettacity district and division of Baluchistan and the 5^th largest of Pakistan. The city enjoys rich history dating from 11^th Century when Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered it, and on top it is a love land for all Pakistanis because it’s the region where founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, have spent last of his memorable his days. Moreover, the valley is abundant with juniper and pistachio forests and diverse wild life. Also, if anyone is obsessed with horses, it’s the right place to be, as horse breeding is thought to be the passion of locals.

 

Also, I would suggest you plan a visit to the colorful bazars where you would found yourself in brightest of colors of silk, handmade coppers, precious jewels, luxurious rugs, and mesmerizing perfumes, not less than that of the Arabian Nights.

 

I would say, it's hard to describe the Baluchistan without getting carried away.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

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iPath Attains PCI Secure SLC Vendor Compliance Certification

 

KARACHI, JUN 30: iPath (Pvt) Ltd has become Pakistan's first company to attain the PCI Secure SLC Certificate. Secure SLC is the first global PCI standard to focus on the vendor's software development process and methodology rather than the payment application itself. This standard aims to embed payment application security principles early in the software development lifecycle and provides security controls and processes implemented into current industry-accepted SDLC practices. 

By obtaining this compliance, iPath’s software development is validated to protect sensitive customer payments data by building necessary security features and processes deep into the software development lifecycle.

This certification was attained via PCI QSA Firm Risk Associates, a premier global information technology company, which is a certification body of Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). The PCI Secure Software Lifecycle (standard SLC) emphasizes implementing security concepts and activities throughout the software development lifecycle. 

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Ali Shah Asani, CEO – iPath, commended the entire team for their hard work and efforts towards achieving this milestone. He expressed, "Over the course of the past few years, we have witnessed that the definition and methods of security threats in the payment sphere have largely evolved and require new strategies of building security deep-rooted within payment software to reduce attack surface; our journey towards becoming the first Pakistani company to attain PCI Secure SLC compliance has imparted our entire team with a modern-day approach at global best practices to infuse security in our software development lifecycle”. 

He added, "Achieving Secure SLC not only validates our adherence to a cutting edge PCI standard enabling us to deliver high-quality, secure software, but it is also a testament to our commitment towards providing our customers with best-in-class payment solutions."

Mr. Abdus Samad Khan, COO iPath, applauded the entire team and expressed, "Traditionally, payment software vendors developed applications and then evaluated security vulnerabilities. PCI secure SLC, on the other hand, changes the equation by shifting security towards the very left and in every aspect of the organization, not confined to the payment app alone. Prior to becoming the first IT Company in Pakistan to obtain the PCI Secure SLC, we had to undergo an extensive validation process, and the ongoing support from Risk Associates encouraged us to take all the preparatory actions to achieve this milestone." 

He added, "And this compliance with the PCI Secure SLC showcases our adaptability to changing security threats, leading to increased customer trust. Banks are lately focusing on remote teams and resource augmentation, and having a Secure SLC vendor instills trust of the institution in our abilities”.  

The occasion was attended by Mr. Kashif Hassan, Managing Director at Risk Associates, who stated, "Working with iPath throughout the certification process has been a pleasure and witnessing their commitment to protecting the integrity and confidentiality of payment transactions and customer data by accommodating the Risk Associates team with the required information. 

The Secure SLC Certification is proposed for vendors developing payment applications/software that supports or facilitates payment transactions. We commend iPath on becoming the first Pakistani PCI Secure SLC vendor and the 7th globally".

This certification proves that software developed by the iPath team is secure in design and protects payment transactions and sensitive consumer data. In addition, achieving this certification shows iPath's higher commitment to the ongoing changes in the payment application landscape.

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