EDITORIALS

• Though Sukkur Bench of Sindh High Court has banned it, the Jirga system (tribal court system or also called out-of-court settlements) still prevails in Sindh and authorities are meek spectators to the ways court orders are being shown dis-respect. There is hardly a day without reports of such jirgas dispensing justice. Yesterday itself there were two reports of jirga settlements in Pehenji Akhbar, one about murder of a girl at Badah and another also about a murder and kidnap case in Larkana. We have been saying through these columns that till this parallel legal system is not brought to end, rule of law will be meaningless in Sindh. There will be no fear of law and crime rate will remain unabated. Those who decide and settle matters in jirga meetings are not alone in their acts; they get support from high places, who keep protecting the decision-takers in jirga meetings. We strongly demand that Sindh High Court’s orders about banning the jirga system be strictly followed.  There should be reforms also in the legal system so that people get speedy justice at affordable cost. This will help win back peoples’ trust in our legal system.   (Pahenji Akhbar Edit, Mar.28)

• It is responsibility of the PPP-led Sindh government and Sindh police to maintain law and order and ensure peace in Sindh. But Sindh home minister seems to be having no control on police.  As a result, lawlessness is increasing in the province. May be people have short memory, but it is not that short that they forget issue of lawlessness in Sindh while casting votes in next polls. (Sindh Express Edit)

• The political conflict is not only limited to parties; the office of President is also now under its influence. In normal circumstances, the president of the state should be the guarantor of the unity of the federation and its units instead of being a representative of a political party, and in this position, he puts aside his political views and plays the role of a mediator between different parties and groups. But President Arif Alvi has taken several steps which show that he is acting as a representative of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. (Edit in Nawaiwaqt)

• The constitution of Pakistan has been repeatedly violated but this issue has never come under the category of automatic notice and when this issue was brought to the court in the case of General Pervez Musharraf, what happened is in front of everyone. So, judges also tell why Parliament should be supreme. Why does the army chief have unlimited powers?  The only way to avoid contempt of court is to limit a person’s power of suo motu notice and to make contempt of court a law for trivial matters. Because it cannot be accepted in a democracy, series of insults of politicians continue throughout the year and an institution should be made so sacred that speaking the truth is considered an insult. (Jasarat Edit, Jinnah Edit, Daily Islam Edit)

• Those who fear the advent of martial law should know that in the presence of the Constitution no army chief dares to say “Hello my countrymen”. In the countries where there is rule of law and constitution, there is no martial law. India is our neighbor. Look at it. Today it is the fourth largest economic power in the world. The people of Pakistan celebrated 70 years of martial law, distributed sweets, and threw bhangras. Today, people suffer the consequences of this mistake in the form of backwardness, disease, ignorance, unemployment, poverty and non-availability of flour or by standing for hours in queues for free food and then being crushed in the crowd. Millions of children do not go to school. Even if they went to school there are no teachers. Government schools have become ghost bungalows. The people of Pakistan are struggling with the remnants of martial law.   Fear is visible on PDM’s face. During the press conference, the media persons of PDM could not talk face to face. Most of the time they were wiping sweat and staring at the ground. On the back of the judiciary are the people and the lawyers. There is thunder in their voice, not a whimper. After hearing the remarks of Justice Jamal Mandukhel, the joy of the PDM has dissolved in air. The arrests of lawyers have also brought the lawyers closer to the judiciary. People are already gathering around the judiciary. In such an environment martial law is not enforced, democracy is strengthened. A clear message is being seen and heard in the hearts of the people on social media. Maulvi Tamizuddin will win! (Edit, Roznama Intekhab)

• The Political temperature was already high in the country and it has intensified more with the Supreme Court jumping into the political chaos. The appellate court should not have over looked the Lahore and Peshawar High Courts where the case was being heard. There was no need for such activism by the Supreme Court. The decision given by the half bench has many contradictions and it has raised many questions on the decision given by the full bench. Legal experts and analysts see the current decision by the bench as troublesome for not only the judiciary but also the entire political system. Senior Judges have raised questions over the discretionary powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. This is going to tarnish the good image of the judiciary. At a time of grave problems, people have high hopes only in the judiciary, and if the judiciary is also getting controversial it will pose serious threat to the future of democracy and the country itself. Nonetheless, the concern expressed by the two judges is correct that the Supreme Court should not pose like a Court of a King. Because elected Parliament is above all in a democracy. (Jang Edit)

• The Sindh education system needs to be given maximum attention. The schools that are lying shut or were devastated in floods need to be made functional again.  About 31 lakh students are affected with closure of these schools. By reopening these schools, their academic future will be saved. Let authorities seek reports about such schools from NGOs and other sources and effective measures be taken for betterment of education system in Sindh. (Kawish Edit, Mar.28)

• It was promised that there would be no load shedding during Ramzan, but it is going on even at the time of Iftar and Sehri. The load shedding and inflation have made fasting very difficult. A samosa is costing 40 rupees and pakoras are being sold at rupees 500 per kg. Who can buy them for Iftar? Most people are using dry bread for Sehri and breaking fast with water at Iftar. (Edit-Himalya Today)

NEWS       

• Pakistan will not participate in the Summit on Democracy in the United States, the spokesperson of the Foreign Office said.  We value our friendship with the United States, and this friendship has increased during the tenure of the Biden administration. (Roznama Intekhab, Daily Kashmir Express)

• Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Sattar said that the census is being rigged. “We reject this census”. He alleged that the urban population of Sindh is being underrated and the village population is being exaggerated. (Daily Ausaf)

• MQM -P has rejected the results of the census so far. We do not accept the census conducted by the employees of the provincial government, which puts the population of Karachi at two crores, the party said.   The fears of MQM -P are proving correct. (Daily Khabrain, Daily Kashmir Express, Roznama Intekhab)

• Styled as Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill 2023, the judicial reforms law was presented by the Federal Minister Nazir Tarar in the National Assembly. The Speaker referred the Bill to the Standing Committee for consideration.  The bill was cleared by the Federal Cabinet to clip the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take Suo Moto notice and to constitute the benches of the Supreme Court.   (Daily Khabrain, Roznama Intekhab, Daily Kashmir Express, Daily Dharti)

• Chairman Jamaat-e-Islami Siraj-ul-Haq said that the reported division among the judges of the Supreme Court can be resolved if the full court hears the election case suo moto. If the political parties do not adopt the path of dialogue, democracy will also end in the country which is very little now. The national institutions have fallen victims to the factionalism of PDM and PTI. The start of a war within institutions mirrors the worst-case scenario. (Roznama Intekhab)

• PTI supremo Imran Khan has claimed that federal minister Rana Sanaullah is playing a key role in the conspiracy to assassinate him.   I have already given the names of two other conspirators. These three persons are responsible for sabotaging the investigation of the murderous attack on me.  Rana Sanaullah is a coward. He is not a Home Minister but a member of the terrorist mafia. I will take legal action against the threats of death to me. (Qudrat Daily)

• During the distribution of free flour in Nawaz Sharif Park, 2 women were killed and 42 people including women were injured. The stampede in Sahiwal was due to the huge rush; women were standing in queues in large numbers. Earlier, 6 people died in Punjab trying to get free flour. Two women fainted while standing in the line for free flour in Karachi’s Quaid area. Police made a cane charge at a flour distribution center located at the Dera Ismail Khan’s Degree College, Parva. (Ummat)

• Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said free flour centers would be opened at 6 am itself to reduce rush at such places. He said that the ministers and secretaries have been assigned various districts for hands on supervision.   DPOs and deputy commissioners will also be present at the centers in the morning. (Daily Khabrain, Roznama Intekhab, Daily Kashmir Express)

• Balochistan government has decided to protest strongly against the attitude of the Federal government, Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bezenjo said, adding that every legal means will be invoked for the protection of the rights of Balochistan. A show of weakness and kind-heartedness is not going to help. If the federal projects go on moving at the current speed, then they will not be completed in the next 20 years. This year 103 billion rupees were needed for federal projects and 26 billion rupees were promised every quarter. Till now we should have received 76 billion rupees but we got only 31 billion rupees. (Qudrat Daily)

• Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering, and Management Science is standing at the verge of destruction, according to the Organizer of Quetta district Pashtunkhwa Students Organization, Waris Afghan and other members of the organizing committee. In a statement, they said the university is suffering from a financial crisis at present. The salaries of the teachers are stopped every few months. A large number of the staff members is working on a contract basis for many years. The university laboratories are ill-equipped; many necessary items are not available in the labs. Unlike other universities, the canteen here is not subsidized for students. (Qudrat Daily, Urdu Point)

• The General Secretary of the Jamaat e Islami Sindh, Kashif Saeed Shaikh has shown great concern over the rise in street crimes, target killing, robbery, and killing of innocent people, who resist the crimes in Karachi. This is the worst kind of failure of the government, police, rangers, and security agencies. Effective steps should be taken to control crime and protect life and property.  Billions of rupees are spent on the police and rangers to keep peace in the province but the entire province is in the grip of lawlessness and unrest at present. (Pakistan Daily)

• Gwadar has overtaken other ports in volume of business. Import of wheat from Russia continues through Gwadar port. Out of 9 ships bringing wheat, four ships are anchored so far. Officials say  despite many difficulties, Gwadar Port is trying to speedily handle the import of two lakh metric tons of Russian wheat in the last 25 days.  These imports will boost commercial activities in Gwadar.  Officials assert that Gwadar is more economical than any other ports. It has the fastest stevedoring services as well as no demurrage and storage charges.   (Urdu Point)

• There is good news for Pakistani traders exporting to the Europe. The European Union has removed Pakistan from its list of countries of high concern. A high concern list indicates a weak anti-money laundering system and a weak system for preventing terrorist financing. (Nawaiwaqt)

• Measles epidemic has killed 6 children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – five of them in Dera Ismail Khan and one in Tank. The province has reported 656 new cases so far.   The highest number of 105 measles cases are reported from Charsadda, followed by 102 cases in Dera Ismail Khan,  64 in Peshawar, 46 in Kohat, 37 in Bajaur, and 28 in North Waziristan.  A campaign to prevent measles spread was launched by the health department in the affected districts, but it has not made any impact. (Daily Ausaf)

COLUMNS

• On one hand nationalist leaders like Dr. Qadir Magsi give the impression from that these days they want to be a federal leader than a mere Sindh nationalist leader. On the other hand those doing federal politics, like Bilawal, appear to be more keen on being known as  nationalist leader. Bilawal keeps saying          “Marsoon Marsoon, Sindh na desoon (we will die but will not give up Sindh). We need to look into reasons for this sudden big change.  The Sindh United Party has undertaken a long march from Sukkur to Karachi for the cause of Sindh. The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) leaders are suddenly active in Sindh. We know MQM’s strings are pulled by real power wielders in the country namely the establishment. The MQM leaders are just pawns in the Sindh power game. Are Sindh nationalists likewise getting closer to establishment? Are Sindh nationalist leaders also being attracted with offers of more power? Is it because of such offers that the Sindh nationalist leaders have started making statements that are more pro-federal in nature than pro-Sindh nationalist pursuits? We also sense that PPP and Sindh Taraqui Pasand of Dr. Qadir Magsi are getting closer. Though it is better to be nation-friendly than nationalist in outlook, this is not the right time. The State often gets irked with narratives of nationalistic nature because such narratives often speak about injustice to Sindh and Sindh’s neglect by powers that be. The nationalists are big failure at polls though their narratives on nationalism are effective. It is because of popularity of such narratives of Sindh nationalist groups that even PPP is playing with Sindh card off and on. That is also the reason why those who run State want nationalists to give up their narratives become a part of mainstream politics. Well, some parties like Sindh National Front of late Mumtaz Bhutto have merged with major parties. Yet nationalist feelings instead of getting weaker survived and will keep getting stronger till Sindh gets its rights. (Asghar Soomro in Pahenji Akhbar, Mar.28)

• The political fights are no longer amongst political parties and individuals; they are now being fought out of parliament between courts and election commission of Pakistan. It is time our leaders and rulers give a thought as to how they want to see Pakistan as an independent, capable and powerful country or as “another Afghanistan”. Right now, the country is under IMF pressure.  Political and constitutional affairs are no longer in rulers’ and politicians’ control. The country has started getting derailed ever since PTI’s ouster through no-confidence motion in April last year. Instead of trying other ways, we need to find solution to our crisis only through our provincial assemblies or National Assembly. (Sikandar G Soomro in Pahenji Akhbar, March 28)

• The Jamaat-e-Islami has already released its election manifest. It has made several promises of what it would do if elected to power. The party has pledged to appoint someone with proven ability, competence, and trustworthiness as head of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA.  It is also promising to restructure All investigation agencies and to end political interference in  their working. Corrupt elements will be given severe punishments including death as per Sharia law. The plea bargain will be terminated. The existing slab rates of electricity and gas are atrocious; hence will be abolished. There will be no excessive hike in power tariffs. Both WAPDA and Karachi Electric will be restructured. Investments will be encouraged in hydropower, solar energy panels and wind turbines to achieve self-sufficiency in the power sector. Highways and link roads will be constructed to promote tourism and the places of tourist interest will be made safe and pollution-free. There will be large scale afforestation to increase green cover and wild life protection laws will be strictly enforced.   Unnecessary check posts will be abolished across the country. “Rights of Gwadar” will be implemented with a written agreement between the Gwadar Movement leaders and the government of Balochistan. Negotiations will be held with the angry Baloch tribes and they will be respected by including them in the national mainstream. The merged districts of erstwhile FATA will be brought at par with developed districts through the “Special Development Package”. A “Real Estate Authority” will be established at the provincial level and the rights of victims of housing societies will be protected. The agreement between Jamaat-e-Islami’s “Give Rights to Karachi” movement and the government of Sindh will be implemented. Bahawalpur province will be restored. South Punjab will be made a separate province on administrative basis and will be brought on par with the developed areas. Women will be given compulsory free education up to matriculation and equal opportunities will be provided to women for obtaining higher education. As per Sharia, women will be given immediate and practical rights to inherit and own property from their fathers and husband.  Pakistan’s nuclear program will be developed; there will be no cessation of nuclear program or withdrawal of nuclear assets under any circumstances. Pakistan’s Army, Air Force, and Navy will be equipped with the latest weapons and technology. The appointment of service chiefs will be on the principle of seniority and merit which will be approved by the Parliament. No country or international agency will be given access to Pakistan’s land, maritime and airspace and secret information. Right of Kashmiris to self-determination, Freedom of Jammu and Kashmir, supremacy of Islam, and  the security and unity of Pakistan will be the main pillars of the foreign policy. All the projects of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be completed by strengthening brotherly, friendly, commercial and strategic relations with China. Bilateral, friendly, diplomatic and commercial relations with India will be kept under consideration until the Kashmiris get their right to self-determination, as also the final solution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue and the restoration of the special status of the occupied state. Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory consisting of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, and Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Its division shall not be recognized by any constitutional amendment or tacit agreement. The illegitimate Israeli state will not be recognized in the holy land of Palestine, nor will any diplomatic relations be established. All international agreements will be observed according to Islamic principles, says Jamaat-e-Islami manifesto. (Ikram Chaudhury in Nawaiwaqt) ###