10,000 cops perform Chehlum, Urs duties

Over 10,000 police personnel performed duties to provide fool-proof security to the mourners of the Chehlum processions and devotees visiting the shrine of Data Sahib as the 978th Urs of Data Ali Hajveri and Chehlum of Imam Hussain (RA) concluded peacefully on Tuesday. The security of the provincial capital remained beefed up on the day. Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar frequently visited the route of the main mourning procession (Shabih-e-Tazia) as well as the shrine of Ali Hajvery Gunj Bakhsh and surrounding areas to review the security arrangements. DIG Operations Cap (retd) Sohail Chaudhry, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Umer Sher Chatta, CTO Muntazir Mehdi, SSP Operations Waqar Shoaib Qureshi, SP City Rizwan Tariq and other senior officers also accompanied him. DIG Operations Cap (retd) Sohail Chaudhry briefed the CCPO regarding the necessary measures taken by the police to provide security to the participants of both events. Dogar met with the community leaders and the licence-holders of the main mourning procession as well as the administration of the shrine of Data Sahib and inquired from them about the standard of security provided by police. He asked them to urge the citizens participating in the mourning procession of the Chehlum and the devotees visiting Data Darbar to wear a mask and adopt precautionary measures in the wake of a variant wave of coronavirus. Read More: Twin cities police prepare for Chehlum The CCPO directed the deputed police officers and officials at different points on the route of the main mourning procession and the shrine to remain alert at their duty points including the entry gates keeping a vigilant eye on any suspicious activity. He further directed the Dolphin Squad and PRU teams to ensure effective patrolling around the route of mourning procession, Imambargahs as well as the shrine of Data Sahib. Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2021.

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Lahore Zoo skips science and research

Breeding of animals is a research driven process in zoos across the globe but it seems that the Lahore zoo has missed the memo on the need for research before animals can be paired together. This absence of prior evidence on whether a pairing would be successful or not results in animal offspring that have disabilities, are weak, or die within a few months. Sources indicate that this lack of research is common practice at the famous Lahore Zoo and has resulted in premature deaths of baby giraffes, rhinos, hippos, chimpanzees, elephants, and black jaguars. Badar Munir, a member of the World Wildlife Foundation’s (WWF) Advisory Council, while talking to The Express Tribune said that the world over rare and high-breed wild animals are bred based on research in zoos and breeding centers which is not the case in Pakistan. “This entire process is done with the help of research on DNA and the data is stored with a central authority. The central authority then selects pairs according to the genetic history of male and female animals, which results in healthy offspring,” Munir informed. He said that only a few basic things are taken into consideration for animal breeding in the country which include the age, health, and behavior of males and females towards each other. “It is a process based on chance, sometimes we get lucky. For instance, in 2019, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) gave 18 lions as gifts to Pakistan, which included both males and females. These animals, when paired with pre-existing animals, gave birth to healthier offspring than usual, and this trend continued,” Munir added. Read More: SHC issues notices over zoo animals’ state Dr Madiha Ashraf, veterinary officer at the Lahore Zoo, while talking to The Express Tribune, informed that breeding of endangered and rare breeds of animals is extremely difficult and requires skill as compared to that of common wild animals. “Here at the zoo the breeding of big cats is done after taking their health and age into account,” Ashraf said. However, Ashraf conceded that scientific research was missing. “We have just begun the process of tagging rare breeds of animals at various zoos and breeding centers in the province, including Lahore Zoo and Safari Park,” she informed. As per Ashraf, under the new process each animal is assigned a number and three or four months prior to mating blood samples are collected and reviewed after which the breeding process is started. “We have begun storing these samples as data on animals that reside here but we still do not have any genetic history of these animals or central data center yet,” she added. According to experts familiar with the matter, while the breeding of big cats was transforming in the zoos no such hope was on the horizon for other animals. However, according to Dr Waqar, a veterinary expert who works with the Punjab Livestock Department, the mating process was much different for livestock as compared to zoos and the zoo administration should take a leaf out of their book. “We preserve the semen of healthy cows and buffaloes. The viruses and bacteria present in semen are eradicated and made healthy, which produces the highest quality breed of livestock,” Waqar told The Express Tribune. Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2021.

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Two sisters allegedly murdered in Chichawatni

Two sisters were allegedly shot dead while they were sleeping in their house in the city on Tuesday. According to the police report, two unidentified assailants managed to escape from the crime scene. Reportedly, 32-year-old Sumaira Bibi and 25-year-old Pathani Bibi were sleeping in the yard of their house when two unidentified assailants barged into the home. The suspected murderers carried 12-bore guns and 30-bore pistols. They allegedly shot and killed the two sisters. When the family of the victims woke up to the sound of gunfire, the killers managed to escape by climbing the outer wall. Zahoor Ahmad Kathia, the father of the slain sisters, had alleged that his ex-son-in-law Noor Mohammad Kathia along with his friend Amin Tharaj were involved in the murder of the daughters. He told police that his ex-son-in-law in connivance with the accomplice Amin had killed his daughters in retaliation of divorce. “The reason is that my daughter Sumaira was separated from her husband Noor due to domestic violence. After that, the victim was staying with me. My daughter Sumaira had filed a suit for alimony in the local court, which was scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.” Read More: Body of murdered man found in water tank Upon receiving the information, Shahkot police station SHO Muhammad Ijaz Bhatti along with police personnel and forensic van reached the spot, collected evidence and started investigation. Police also rounded up two suspects during the preliminary investigation. The bodies had been shifted to THQ Hospital for postmortem. It may be recalled that the victim Sumaira was a mother of four children and Pathani Bibi was divorced. Reportedly, the double murder of the two sisters resulted in fear and panic in the village. Taking notice of the indiscriminate killing of the two sisters in Chichawatni, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had demanded a report from Sahiwal RPO Malik Ahmed Arsalan and directed that the alleged murderers be held accountable for ensuring speedy delivery of justice to the heirs of the slain. Incidents of murder were not uncommon in the province. On May 3, a 26-year-old woman was shot dead by the unidentified suspect(s) at her rented place in Defence. The victim identified as Maiza Zulfiqar reportedly had returned to Pakistan two months back. Her parents still live in Britain. She had been living with her friends at a rented house. On the day of the incident, her body was recovered from the upper floor of the house where she used to live. Unidentified suspect(s) barged into her house and shot her dead reportedly in her bedroom. The victim had received a bullet injury in her neck. On March 3, a woman was strangled to death by her husband and brother in the name of honour in Khurrianwala. The suspected murderers tied a rope around the victim's neck and strangled her to death. On February 12, a man killed his wife with an axe in Khurrianwala. Reportedly, he kill her out of resentment for not having children. He then dismembered her body and threw it in a nullah. The murderer himself staged a drama of kidnapping of his wife and reached the police station with a complaint of her abduction. Fauzia Tabassum, 30, was married to Shahid Ehsan, seven years ago. Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2021.

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Youth allegedly killed by friend

A young man was allegedly shot dead by a friend during a minor altercation in Muslim Town. Police said the suspect tried to save his life by painting the incident as someone else’s doing. As per the latest report, cops arrested five people including a father and son following initial probe into the incident. According to the police report, Abdul Wahid, 24, a resident of Hajiabad, went to his friend’s house near Madina Science Academy to drink liquor. “In a state of drunkenness, Fahad shot and injured Abdul Wahid over an argument. Read More: One killed, five injured in clash Later he called Rescue 1122 service to report that robbers had killed his friend,” a police official told The Express Tribune. On suspicion, DSP Nishatabad Fayyaz Ehsan, SHO Millat Town Abid Hussain and SHO Sargodha Road Sufyan Butter detained Fahad and questioned him. The suspect finally gave in and said his friend was shot in his living room. Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2021.

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Education boards not to declare position holders

All eight Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs) of Punjab have unanimously decided not to announce the names of position holders of the upcoming annual exams and hold result announcement ceremonies due to Covid-19, The Express Tribune has learnt. According to sources, the Punjab inter-board committee decided not to announce names of position holders to stop the domination of private schools that use the announcements to attract admissions. The committee of the chairpersons of the boards decided to mention marks and grades on the result cards and advised all the boards not to declare the top positions. In accordance with instructions of Punjab Higher Education Department, ceremonies to announce the top positions will not be organised by any board. Following instructions of the federal government, the BISEs of Punjab had already decided to pass all candidates. The checking of answer sheets and compilation of results of intermediate and matriculation candidates was under way, including the ranking, before the decision against announcing names of those obtaining the highest marks. Read More: Educational institutions in Punjab to reopen from Sept 16 The sources said the tradition of declaring the names of top candidates might be discontinued for the future years as the higher education department is planning to introduce a system of grading for intermediate and matriculation students. "This year no position holders will announced and no result ceremony will be held at BISE Lahore and all boards are following this instruction," confirmed Lahore BISE spokesman Qaiser Virk. According to a senior official of the department, a private sector mafia ran their business using the names of position holders to attract thousands of students for admissions. He said Punjab government gave millions of rupees to the position holders as prize but they preferred to get admission to private schools. The official said it appeared that the government had decided to spend the money to strengthen public sector schools. Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2021.

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Govt may retain Javed Iqbal as NAB chief

The federal government may extend the tenure of incumbent National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal. Sources told The Express Tribune that Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting with legal minds to deliberate various options on the appointment of a new anti-graft body chief or extending the tenure of the incumbent one. The attorney general for Pakistan’s draft of proposed amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 2000 was also discussed. The final meeting on the NAB chairman will be held on Thursday (tomorrow). A senior federal minister told The Express Tribune that the government would extend the tenure of Javed Iqbal. Also read: PPP to 'forcefully oppose' NAB chief extension "However, it is yet to be clear as to whether the incumbent chairman's tenure will be given another term or he will be allowed to work until the appointment of his successor,” said the senior federal minister, who was part of the meeting. Legislation will be required to implement either of the suggestions. In the case of an extension, it would be for four years. It is learnt that one government functionary suggested to the PM to extend the NAB chief’s tenure until the appointment of his successor. Otherwise, consultation with the leader of the opposition in National Assembly would be required to give another term to the incumbent chairman. The participants also deliberated as to whether or not the PM should consult with the leader of opposition in NA on the appointment. Also read Fawad rules out consulting Shehbaz on NAB chief The AGP’s amendment draft endorsed the consultation process with the opposition leader. Despite a few participants’ reservations, the premier has no issue consulting with the leader of opposition, one of the participants said. Political analysts believe that the opinion of "powerful circles will be significant in the final decision. Sources informed that the participants agreed not to mention the role of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) in the appointment of NAB chief. Earlier, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) had sought the government's opinion on the Supreme Court’s suggestion for consulting the CJP while appointing the anti-graft buster chief. The SJC may take up complaints of misconduct against the incumbent NAB chairman soon. Interestingly, Justice Qazi Faez Isa has been included as a new member of the council. The SJC comprises three senior SC judges and two senior high court chief justices. The CJP is the chairman of the council. Major opposition parties, including the PPP, have already announced opposing an extension to the incumbent chairman. It is learnt that AGP Khalid Jawed Khan in his proposed amendments suggested giving the option of bail to the accountability courts.

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Bill moved in US Senate to sanction Taliban, supporters

A group of high-profile US senators – including a former presidential nominee – has moved a bill in the US Senate seeking imposition of sanctions on the Afghan Taliban that could also potentially extend to Pakistan. The bill, titled ‘Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act’, triggered an angry rebuke from a senior member of Pakistan’s cabinet. The 22 lawmakers, all from the Republican Party, introduced the bill on Monday that requires “the imposition of sanctions with respect to the Taliban and persons assisting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and for other purposes.” The proposed legislation also seeks to review and suspend assistance to and potentially impose sanctions on any foreign government the US believes was or is supporting the Taliban. It singles out Pakistan by name in the section that calls for a report on “entities providing support for the Taliban”. The bill was introduced by Senator Jim Risch, the representative for the state of Idaho and a ranking member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee who has previously co-sponsored acts imposing sanctions on Turkey and making it a federal crime for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Also read: Mazari rebukes US for introducing bill targeting Pakistan for Afghan failure The bill was co-sponsored by 21 other senators, including Mitt Romney, who ran against former president Barack Obama during his re-election bid, and Marco Rubio, who lost out in the primaries for the 2016 US presidential election. Pakistan singled out Although the bill sponsors say it is primarily aimed at addressing the “outstanding issues related to the Biden administration’s rushed and disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,” a significant portion is aimed at imposing punitive measures against the Taliban and those the US concludes supported and enabled them. Official press releases published on websites of some of the bill’s sponsors stated that the bill seeks to “establish a State Department task force to focus on the evacuation of American citizens, legal permanent residents, and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) still stuck in Afghanistan; impose oversight mechanisms on the processing of SIVs and refugees; require strategies for counterterrorism and for the disposition of Taliban-captured US equipment; sanction the Taliban and others in Afghanistan for terrorism, drug-trafficking, and human rights abuses; authorise sanctions on those providing support to the Taliban, including foreign governments supporting the Taliban; call for a comprehensive review of foreign assistance to entities that support the Taliban; [and] place restrictions on non-humanitarian foreign assistance to Afghanistan.” Regarding foreign governments and non-state groups, the bill itself states “the Secretary of State, in consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, shall conduct a comprehensive review of all forms of United States foreign assistance provided to or through the government of any country or any organisation providing any form of material support to the Taliban.” In a separate section, it adds “the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on entities providing support to the Taliban.” Pertaining to Pakistan, the bill elaborates that “the first report… shall include – (1) an assessment of support by state and non- state actors, including the Government of Pakistan, for the Taliban between 2001 and 2020, including the provision of sanctuary space, financial support, intelligence support, logistics and medical support, training, equipping, and tactical, operational, or strategic direction; (2) an assessment of support by state and non- state actors, including the Government of Pakistan, for the 2021 offensive of the Taliban that toppled the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan… (3) an assessment of support by state and non-state actors, including the Government of Pakistan, for the September 2021 offensive of the Taliban against the Panjshir Valley and the Afghan resistance.” Angry rebuke Lashing out at the bill on Twitter, Pakistan’s Human Rights minister said: “So again Pakistan will be made to pay heavy price for being an ally of US in its "War on Terror" as a bill is introduced in US Senate in aftermath of the US's chaotic Afghan withdrawal followed by collapse of ANA and Ashraf Ghani's flight to UAE.” So again Pak will be made to pay heavy price 4 being an ally of US in its "War on Terror" as a Bill (see pp 25-26) is introduced in US Senate in aftermath of the US's chaotic Afghan withdrawal followed by collapse of ANA & Ashraf Ghani's flight to UAE. https://t.co/PQFQyYkEN2 — Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 28, 2021 “Twenty years of presence by economically and militarily powerful US & NATO left behind chaos with no stable governance structures. Pakistan now being scapegoated for this failure. This was never our war; we suffered 80,000 casualties, a decimated economy, over 450 drone attacks by our US ‘ally’ and disastrous fallout of these attacks on our tribal people and area,” she said in another tweet. “US Senate should do serious introspection: Where did $2 trillion disappear? Why did the heavily-invested-in ANA simply dissolve? Who asked Pakistan to free TTA [Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan] leadership? Who signed Doha agreement with TTA and hosted them in DC?” the minister urged. “Enough is enough. It is time for those powers who were present in Afghanistan to look to their own failures instead of targeting Pakistan which paid a heavy price in lives lost, social and economic costs, refugees – all for being an ally and suffering constant abuse, in a war that wasn’t ours.” Enough is enough. It is time for those powers who were present in Afghanistan to look to their own failures instead of targeting Pak which paid a heavy price in lives lost, social & econ costs, refugees - all for being an ally & suffering constant abuse, in a war that wasnt ours. — Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 28, 2021 Pressure tactics Speaking to The Express Tribune, analysts said the bill was an attempt to put both Pakistan and the Taliban under pressure, and yet another sign that the US relationship with Pakistan was purely transactional. “We should think about our future transactions with Washington before signing up for them,” said Dr Talat Wizarat, former chairperson of Department of International Relations, University of Karachi.  “I think, senior US officials who are due in Islamabad are going to make some big demands, and they are trying to pressurise us by putting this bill before us. We should not fall into this trap again.” US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will travel next month to Pakistan, according to the State Department. Sherman, after CIA chief Bill Burns, will be one of the first high-level officials under President Biden to visit Pakistan where she will meet senior officials on October 7-8. Also read: Taliban govt warns US against ‘invading Afghan airspace’ According to defence analyst Inamul Haque, the inclusion of Pakistan in the bill by name could be a way to caution both Islamabad and the Taliban. “It could be a message to the Taliban. If you think you can survive without our support, we can cut off your supporters too,” he said. “Not just that, it may be a message for China and Russia as well.” That said, Inam mainly saw domestic politics at play with the bill. “Sentiments in the US are very negative at the moment. The people are angry, as are many in the government and deep state. The American defeat is a very big disgrace for a superpower and it is very hard for them to gulp it down,” he said. “In that respect, this bill and associated proceedings are mainly a way to satisfy those frustrations.” Given that the Republican senators sponsored the bill, Inam also agreed that it could be an attempt to pile more pressure on Biden. Even so, he did not rule out other influences at play. “We cannot discount Indian influence, by way of their media misinformation, diaspora and the Indian caucus. The reference to Panjshir may be a ploy to put pressure, but could even be on account of some senators who bought the Indian misinformation,” he said. Both Wizarat and Inam agreed that any sanctions on Pakistan were likely to make little difference this time around. “We survived the 90s, when we were really dependent on the US. Now not so much. Any sanctions now will have serious implications for residual US influence in the region instead,” Inam said. Wizarat said that US decision-makers are about to make the same mistake they made in the 80s. “I can only say we are not living in that era anymore. Washington needs to take Pakistan very seriously and this relationship can no longer be the way it has been for decades.” She added that Pakistan’s relationship with the US has always been weak and transactional. “They have always treated Pakistan as a disposable item in this transaction. I think Pakistan must go to its friends and allies now, and try to find a way around this without succumbing to US pressure.” Re-evaluations in US Speaking to VOA Deewa on Monday, Senator James Risch, who introduced the bill in the Senate, said that there have “already been lengthy discussions between the administration and the Congressional people as to what our role in Afghanistan and Pakistan is going to be going forward.” Also read: Afghan army collapse 'took us all by surprise': US defence secretary “We’ve got a long relationship with Pakistan, not all of it particularly pleasant on our side. I’ve met personally with part of the administration in Pakistan and both of us agreed there were things each of us could and couldn’t do because of our domestic politics,” he claimed. The senator added that at present, the US administration is “hammering out where they want to go” and “I think it will take some meetings between the secretary of state, others and the Pakistani government to see what we could do that is in the best interests of both.” His comments came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced earlier this month that the US is going to be looking at its ties with Pakistan in the coming weeks to formulate the role it wants Islamabad to play in the future of Afghanistan. “We are going to be looking at in the days and weeks ahead, the role that Pakistan has played over the last 20 years, but also the role that we would want to see it playing in the coming years,” he told Congress on September 14.  On the topic of US recognising the Taliban, Senator Risch said, “my recommendation to the administration is we wait and see, how they perform before we give any recognition at all." Regarding China opting to recognise the Taliban government, he said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if China does represent the Taliban. Their views on human rights are not that far off. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if China plays an active role in trying to influence and exert some control over Afghanistan.” (With additional reporting by Hammad Sarfraz)

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