ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly is all set to refer a bill on domestic violence for vetting to the Council of Islamic Ideology today (Thursday) since the government wants to make sure all its provisions are in line with Islamic injunctions.
The bill was passed by the lower house of parliament in April before being approved by the Senate after certain amendments in April. Some lawmakers, however, raised objections over its provisions, requesting the government to send it to the council for advice.
The council is a constitutional body that evaluates legal provisions within the framework on Islam when asked by the authorities and advises the legislature over religious issues, though its recommendations are not binding on parliament.
The government is expected to ask the National Assembly speaker today to refer the bill to the council for advice and see if its provisions are in line with the injections of Islam.
According to a senior official who works with the country’s human rights ministry, there is nothing wrong with the bill that could be fixed by the council.
“The government is now sending the draft legislation to the council, so let’s see how they respond to it,” Muhammad Hussain Mangi, the ministry's director general, told Arab News.
He added it was “an important piece of legislation” that should be implemented to establish an effective system of protection and rehabilitation of women against domestic violence.
The draft legislation defines domestic violence as “all acts of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and economic abuse committed by a respondent against women, children, vulnerable persons, or any other person with whom the respondent is or has been in a domestic relationship that causes fear, physical or psychological harm to the aggrieved person.”
The crime is punishable by simple imprisonment from six months to three years and a fine from Rs.20,000 to Rs.100,000.
Rights activists have questioned the government’s decision to send the bill to the council for vetting, describing it as yet another “delaying tactic” to avoid the implementation of the law that is designed to protect women and other vulnerable members of the society.
Alia Amirali, a member of Women Democratic Forum, said the government should have first explained to the public why it thought that the articles of the law were against the teachings of Islam before sending it to council for advice.
“If women get justice in case of a domestic violence, is it against the injunctions of Islam,” she questioned, adding that religion was being used as a weapon against women and vulnerable members of the society to keep them compliant.
“The referral of the bill to the council for vetting signals to the public that the government was not serious in enacting and implementing such laws,” Amirali told Arab News.
Under the United Nations human rights conventions ratified by Pakistan, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), all states are obliged to take legislative measures for the protection of women in domestic life.
Maria Farooq, a high court advocate and women’s rights activist, said that recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology on the bill should be progressive and help report the underreported cases of domestic violence.
“The government may incorporate the council’s recommendations in the bill if they help strengthen the legislation in protecting the women’s rights,” she told Arab News. “If a law is passed without proper consultation and vetting, its scope remains limited and courts also interpret it in their own ways.”
Pakistan refers domestic violence bill to Council of Islamic Ideology for advice
https://arab.news/55642
Pakistan refers domestic violence bill to Council of Islamic Ideology for advice
- The draft legislation proposes three years imprisonment and fine for perpetrators of domestic abuse
- Rights activists question the referral of the bill to the council without specifying provisions that are thought to be in contravention to Islamic injunctions
Pakistan and UK agree to deepen bilateral cooperation, address climate challenges
- British Under-Secretary of State Hamish Falconer meets Deputy PM Ishaq Dar in Islamabad
- Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change impacts
ISLAMABAD: British Under-Secretary of State Hamish Falconer called on Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries and challenges related to climate change, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. Floods in 2022, which scientists said were aggravated by global warming, affected at least 33 million people and killed more than 1,700 and cost the nation an estimated $33 billion. Pakistan’s economic struggles and high debt burden put a strain on its resources and impinged the country’s ability to respond to the disaster.
The South Asian country has also experienced frequent erratic weather patterns, which range from droughts to heat waves and intense rainfall. This year, Pakistan recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” after recording 59.3 millimeters of rainfall, while some areas of the country faced deadly heatwaves in May and June.
“Pakistan and the United Kingdom have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation and address climate change-related challenges,” Radio Pakistan reported.
It said both leaders also discussed regional and bilateral issues of common interest, with Dar reaffirming Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen traditionally cordial ties with the UK.
Pakistan and the UK enjoy strong military, economic and educational ties, with the latter hosting a large Pakistani diaspora.
The two countries have recently witnessed high-level visits between their military leaderships, indicating a strengthening of defense ties and collaboration. The relationship between the two countries is underpinned by shared history and the presence of a significant Pakistani diaspora in the country.
Ex-PM Khan warns party leaders against making excuses ahead of ‘decisive’ Islamabad protest
- Khan’s PTI party last week announced a “long march” to Pakistan’s capital from all parts of the country on Nov. 24
- PTI plans to protest against alleged rigging in Feb. 8 polls, demand independence of judiciary and release of supporters
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday warned his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leaders and ticket holders against making excuses ahead of a “decisive” protest in Islamabad on Nov. 24, urging those who cannot ensure their participation to dissociate from the PTI.
The PTI last week announced a ‘long march’ to Islamabad over alleged rigging in Feb. 8 national election and to call for the release of political prisoners and the independence of the judiciary. Khan accuses the powerful military of colluding with his political rivals to form the
Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and has faced dozens of cases since he was removed as prime minister in 2022 after which he launched a protest movement against a coalition of his rivals led by current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and backed by the powerful military, which denies interfering in politics.
In a message posted from his official account on X, Khan appealed to the entire nation to take to the streets and protest on Nov. 24.
“Everyone must join the protest on November 24th,” the former premier’s message read. “If any PTI leader or ticket holder is not able to ensure their participation in the protest, they should disassociate themselves from the party because this is the decisive moment when the entire nation will come out for freedom.”
He called upon overseas Pakistanis to record anti-government protests in their respective countries and raise funds for the PTI.
One of the PTI’s fundamental demands is for the government to roll back recent constitutional amendments like the 26th amendment which it alleges is an attempt to curtail the independence of the senior judiciary. The government says the amendments are meant to smooth out its functioning and tackle a backlog of cases.
Khan accused “fraudulent assemblies” of attacking the independence of the judiciary. “It is impossible for a democracy to exist without an independent judiciary,” he said.
The caretaker government that administered the Feb. 8 election denies the polls were manipulated to ensure Khan’s party lost. The incumbent Sharif-led coalition government denies it is backed by the military and that it is unfairly treating Khan supporters.
Following the PTI’s call for the Nov. 24 protest last week, Pakistani authorities have bolstered efforts to thwart the march. Islamabad’s district magistrate imposed a two-month-long ban on the gathering of more than five people in the capital on Monday.
The PTI’s recent rallies and marches have been thwarted by similar bans on public gatherings imposed under Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code which allows the government to prohibit various forms of political assembly, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, and other activities for a specified period.
Pakistan reports fresh polio case from country’s northwest, taking 2024 tally to 50
- Female child from northwestern district of Tank contracts poliovirus, says Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme
- Pakistan has reported the highest number of cases this year from Balochistan, 24 and 10 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported another polio case from its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Tuesday, the country’s polio program said, taking the total tally of nationwide cases in 2024 to 50 as Islamabad struggles to contain an alarming surge in the infection.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. Starting from late 2018, Pakistan saw a resurgence of cases and increased spread of polio, highlighting the fragility of gains achieved in the preceding three years. Pakistan reported a total of six polio cases in 2023, up from only one in 2021.
The regional laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad confirmed the wild poliovirus type 1 in a female child from the KP’s Tank district.
“Genetic sequencing of the virus isolated from collected samples indicates it is genetically linked to WPV1 detected in the same district in July,” the polio program said. “This is the second polio case from Tank.”
The program said Tank remains one of the polio-endemic districts of the southern KP province, reporting multiple positive environment samples in 2024 which indicated that polio remained a threat to children.
“There is no cure for polio,” the polio program stated. “Multiple doses of the polio vaccine protect children from the devastating effects of this disease.”
It advised parents to ensure timely vaccination of their children.
This year, 24 cases have been reported from Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, 13 from Sindh, 10 from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan continues to face challenges in its fight against polio, among them misinformation about vaccinations and attacks by religiously motivated militants on polio teams proving to be major impediments to immunization campaigns.
Pakistan’s chief health officer this month said an estimated 500,000 children missed polio vaccinations during a countrywide inoculation drive in November, blaming a large part of it on vaccine refusals.
Seven people, including five children, were killed when a bomb targeted police personnel guarding vaccine workers this month.
Zimbabwe name squads for Pakistan white-ball series
- Pakistan will play three ODI and three T20I matches against Zimbabwe from Nov. 24-Dec. 5
- Graig Ervine will captain Zimbabwe’s ODI squad while Sikandar Raza will lead team in T20Is
ISLAMABAD: Zimbabwe Cricket this week announced the names of the men’s national squad for their upcoming home series against Pakistan, which is slated to be held from Nov. 24-Dec. 5.
Pakistan will play their first white-ball match against Zimbabwe on Sunday. The green shirts’ tour of Australia ended on a mixed note on Monday after they lost the three-match T20I series 3-0 after winning the ODI series 2-1.
The series will serve as preparation for Pakistan ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament in February-March next year. While minnows Zimbabwe will not take part in the competition, Pakistan are scheduled to host the trophy.
“The white-ball series will kick off with three One Day International (ODIs) on 24, 26 and 28 November, followed by as many T20Is scheduled for 1, 3 and 5 December 2024,” Zimbabwe Cricket said on social media platform X on Monday.
Zimbabwe cricketer Graig Ervine will captain the ODI squad against Pakistan while Sikandar Raza will lead the T20I squad, which will include Sean Williams and pace bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava.
Three new Zimbabwe players Trevor Gwandu, Tashinga Musekiwa and Tinotenda Maposa have also been selected for the home series.
Zimbabwe Convener of Selectors David Mutendera said he was confident in the “balance of experience” and “fresh talent” within the ODI squad.
“The series against Pakistan is an important platform for Zimbabwe, and we believe the ODI squad we have selected is well-rounded,” he said. “The presence of seasoned players like Craig, Sikandar and Sean provides stability, while young players like Clive Madande, Brian Bennett, Dion Myers and the uncapped trio bring energy and the potential for game-changing moments.”
Pakistani cricket stars Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Naseem Shah will be rested for the Zimbabwe series. Meanwhile, skipper Mohammad Rizwan will be rested for the Zimbabwe T20I series, the PCB had announced last month.
Zimbabwe ODI squad: Craig Ervine (capt), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Joylord Gumbie, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brandon Mavuta, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams
Zimbabwe T20I squad: Sikandar Raza (capt), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava
Pakistan ODI squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir
Pakistan T20I squad: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan
IDEAS 2024: Pakistan says volume of defense exports not at par with actual potential
- Pakistan hosts 12th edition of premier defense exhibition IDEAS in southern port city of Karachi
- Karachi to host over 550 exhibitors, including 340 global defense companies, from 55 countries
KARACHI: Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Tuesday Pakistan’s volume of defense exports is not at par with its actual potential, as the South Asian country inaugurated the 12th edition of its premier defense expo in the southern port city of Karachi.
The International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) exhibition, Pakistan’s premier defense exp, has been held biennially since its inception under General (retired) Pervez Musharraf’s administration in 2000 and has grown into a key event for the defense sector. This year’s exhibition, running from Nov. 19-22 at the Karachi Expo Center, will host over 550 exhibitors, including 340 international defense companies, alongside more than 350 senior civil and military officials from 55 countries.
The exhibition will showcase a wide range of modern and traditional defense equipment, weapons systems and vehicles, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“Though Pakistan is now exporting some high-tech products to more than 60 countries, the volume of exports is not at par with its actual potential,” Asif said while addressing the exhibition.
“A crucial factor, however, has been the limited involvement of the private sector in defense production and activity.”
The defense minister said relatively less attention has been paid to academia, industry interface and involvement of research and development organizations. He said these factors have curtailed the competitiveness of certain sectors of the defense industry.
“In order to achieve this objective, I will stress upon the integration of public and private defense industry to achieve maximum results,” Asif said. “New ideas, entrepreneurship and management skills mastered by the private sector need to be co-opted with the public sector defense industry.”
Without mentioning Pakistan’s arch-rival and nuclear-armed neighbor India, Asif called for greater cooperation between regional players to make South Asia a safer place.
“We believe in meaningful dialogue on the basis of equality, not only to resolve bilateral issues but also to give chance to peace and harmony in the region,” he said.
‘PRODUCTS OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS’
Brig. Ali Adil, director of coordination for IDEAS 2024, had outlined the event’s diverse activities during a news conference over the weekend, saying it includes live demonstrations of cutting-edge defense technology, an international seminar and the IDEAS Tri-Services Karachi Show.
The event will also offer opportunities for networking through business-to-business and business-to-government engagements.
“IDEAS 2024 will bring together representatives of defense industries from around the world to showcase their latest technological innovations, while Pakistan’s defense sector, including both public and private companies, will present products of international standards,” Brig. Adil had said.
He had said this year’s event will feature a new “Startups Pavilion” designed to offer international exposure to young Pakistani entrepreneurs, adding the pavilion will showcase innovative projects and technologies.
An international seminar on “Pakistan Defense Production Potential – Challenges, Opportunities, and Way Forward” will be held on the third day of the event, with presentations from leading national and international experts.
Karachi has faced significant security challenges, including a suicide bombing near Jinnah International Airport last month that killed two Chinese engineers and injured several others. The city also grapples with high street crime rates, with over 90,000 incidents reported in 2023, causing considerable hardship for residents.
To bolster security, local authorities have already fortified the Expo Center, the venue for the exhibition, with multiple layers of containers. As per local media reports, a ban on public gatherings in the city has been imposed for seven days.
