Thousands turn up for martyrs’ funeral in IOK

Srinagar, March 10, 2020 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, thousands of people defying curfew and other restrictions participated in the funeral prayers of two martyred youth in Kulgam and Shopian districts. The youth identified as Shabbir Ahmed Malik and Aamir Ahmed Dar were killed by Indian troops during a violent cordon and search operation in Ribbon area of Shopian district, yesterday. The troops also destroyed a house with mortar shells. Amid high-pitched pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the martyred youth were buried in their ancestral graveyards in Kulgam and Shopian districts. The killing triggered complete shutdown in the two districts.

 

The Chairman of Muslim Conference, Shabbir Ahmed Dar and Ummat-e-Islami in their separate statements in Srinagar said that the collaborators of India like Altaf Bukhari, Usman Majeed and others would face the wrath of the people of Kashmir for becoming a pawn in the hands of fascist Hindu rulers in India. They said that the new political formation in Kashmir led by the new traitors like Mir Jafers and Sadiqs is meant to serve the interests of their fascist masters in Delhi. Shabbir Ahmed Dar said these stooges cannot change the ground realities in Kashmir. Ummat-e-Islami Spokesman, Riaz-ul-Qadri reminded Altaf Bukhari and his accomplices of the lesson given by the Kashmiris to the Indian proxies like Shaikh Abdullah and Bakhshi Ghulam Muhammad for facilitating India’s illegal occupation over Jammu and Kashmir.

 

In London, the Law Society of England and Wales through an official letter written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grave concern over the continued detention of the President of High Court Bar Association of occupied Kashmir Mian Abdul Qayoom. Calling his detention as ‘judicial harassment’, the Law Society, which represents more than 180,000 solicitors, said that Mian Qayoom’s detention seemed to be politically motivated and a consequence of his work as a lawyer and representative for persons detained under draconian Public Safety Act in Kashmir.

 

Meanwhile, in the name of preventing students from pro-freedom activities, Indian authorities have decided to install CCTV cameras at colleges and universities in the Kashmir valley. The CCTV cameras would be installed in all classrooms.

 

The Kuala Lumpur based non-governmental organization, Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organization in a statement expressed deep anguish over the prevailing bloodbath targeting Muslims in India and inhuman lockdown in occupied Kashmir. Five members of a family including three minor girls, a boy and a woman, were killed after a residential house was hit by a boulder at Barmeen Khein in Udhampur district.

 

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Community policing must be promoted in post war conflict zones: Shireen Mazari

Islamabad, March 10, 2020 (PPI-OT): Dr. Shireen M. Mazari, the Federal Minster for Human Rights was the chief guest at the international conference on “Community Policing and Post-Conflict Police Reform in Pakistan” held in Islamabad. During her address, she reiterated Government of Pakistan commitment for the protection and promotion of human rights of all the citizens of the country as per constitution of Pakistan. She further said that many issues are common in many countries like minorities and climate change. We can see minority problems in Europe and India. She further said that there is a difference between community policing and post conflict community police. In FATA which is post conflict zone, we need to involve local community to build trust in traumatized society.

 

We need to bring local people in police and administration she further said that police need to change its image from harsh to supportive institution through inviting people and community policing. She also mentioned that Islamabad police registered First Investigative Report against nine religious party persons who threw stones on participants of Aurat March which developed trust of people. The conference was organized by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Norway, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Abbottabad Campus and Rozan, Islamabad.

 

The conference focused on sharing knowledge and experiences from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 funded project extended over a period of five years in 11 post-conflict countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Kosovo, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). NMBU’s global team of 15 research institutions and 45 international police experts, practitioners and civil society organizations jointly worked on this research project.

 

The speakers of conference include, Ms. Androulla Kaminara, European Union Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Raheel Qamar (T.I), Rector COMSATS University Islamabad, Mr. Ihsan Ghani, Former National Coordinator of National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), B. A. Nasir, Additional IGP, Establishment, CPO Punjab, Dr. Ehsan Sadiq, Additional Inspector General, FIA, Ms. A. Heather, UN Police Advisor, Ms. Kahsmala Tariq, Federal Ombudsperson, Islamabad, Dr. Sohail Habib Tajik, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi, Babar Bashir Managing Director Rozan and Cecilia Dunster, UK Police officer. Speakers highlighted the role of police to ensure internal security.

 

They emphasized that democratic countries need democratic policing. Pakistan has to invest more into police institution so it can meet the challenges and needs of policing in the 21st century. They further highlighted- The conference was concluded by Inspector General of Police, Islamabad Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan. He thanked the organizers by appreciating playing role in doing the research on community policing. He also shared key steps taken by the ICTP for engaging community for citizen centric policing.

 

A way forward to improve policing was shared that include demands to increase financial, human and technical resources of the police stations, Increase number of women in the police annually to bring it from the current approx 1.5% to 10% of total police strength and there must be at least 2 women police personnel at a police station in a shift, train police personnel on laws protecting rights of women, children, transgender, persons living with disabilities and minorities and take measures to promote positive image of the police.

 

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Secretary Ministry of Narcotics Control visits Headquarters Anti-Narcotics Force

Rawalpindi, March 10, 2020 (PPI-OT): Secretary, Ministry of Narcotics Control, Mr. AD Khawaja paid his first formal visit to Headquarters Anti-Narcotics Force, Rawalpindi after assuming the charge of Secretary MNC. He was welcomed by Director General ANF, Major General Muhammad Arif Malik, HI (M) and Senior Staff Officers of ANF. The secretary was briefed on counternarcotic endeavours being rendered by ANF, professional achievements, current drug situation and major challenges being faced with regard to trafficking of narcotics, precursor chemicals and psychotropic substances.

 

He was apprised that ANF is also vigorously undertaking drug demand reduction campaigns through public awareness drives and community participation activities throughout Pakistan; apart from running rehabilitation centers providing free of cost treatment to drug addicts. It was briefed that during year 2019, ANF has registered 1431 drug related cases, arrested 1632 offenders and seized 72484.108 Kg Hashish, 11685.572 Kg Opium, 4719.343 Kg Heroin, 29.771Kg Cocaine, 2931 Letters HCL, 19060.060 Kgs Acetic Anhydride Precursor Chemicals.

 

Moreover, ANF in its course of drug demand reduction programs, has carried out 730 awareness raising activities against drug abuse and treated 1248 drug addicts at its drug treatment centers being run at Islamabad, Sukkar and Karachi. He was also informed about the organizational requirements of ANF with respect to enhancement of manpower, development of infrastructure, increase in number of police stations, acquisition of latest technology and establishment of more drug treatment centers in the country. The secretary lauded ANF’s achievements and its role as a specialized force in combating trafficking of illicit drugs at national, regional and global level. He assured his all-out support to ANF for addressing the inadequacies of the force to tackle the menace more vigorously.

 

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National Park Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

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Website: www.anf.gov.pk

Coronavirus: no need to panic as Sindh Government taking all imperative measures, PSL matches in Karachi to go ahead as scheduled: Syed Nasir Hussain Shah

Karachi, March 10, 2020 (PPI-OT): Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government, Housing and Town Planning, Religious Affairs, Forest and Wildlife Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the Sindh government was taking effective and concrete steps to deal with the expected cases of cronovirus. Provincial Information Minister said that in this regard complete data of the people coming from abroad was being collected. He requested the people not to panic. The provincial Minister for Information and Local Government expressed views while talking to the journalists on Tuesday.

 

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that no match of the second phase of Pakistan Super League was being cancelled, and all matches would be played as scheduled. Provincial Information Minister said that the cricket fans should not be disappointed as Sindh Government had ensured that no match of Pakistan Super League could be cancelled due to the Coronavirus. He explained that none of the new cases of the Coronavirus had any linkage with China or Iran. Three Coronavirus patients had arrived from London via Dubai through Emirates Airlines, he added.

 

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that complete arrangements to detect the cases of Cronovirus had been made including screening of the people coming from abroad at the airports. The provincial Minister for Information and Local Government said that there was no need to be afraid of the Cronivirus. We should be together in the fight against this novel Cronovirus, he said.

 

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah was reviewing the situation arising out of the spread of the Cronovirus on a daily basis while presiding over the meeting of the task force formed in this regard. The Provincial Minister for Information said that all relevant departments were not only in close contact in this regard, but they were in a high alert position as well.

 

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Sindh Information and Archives Department

Directorate of Press Information

Government of Sindh

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IOK students implicated in sedition case denied bail

New Delhi, March 10, 2020 (PPI-OT): An Indian court in Karnataka on Monday denied bail to three engineering students from Kashmir who have been charged with sedition, last month. Talib Majid Wani, Amir Mohiuddin Wahi and Basit Asif Sofi’s plea for bail was rejected by Judge KN Gangadhar of the fifth additional district and sessions court in Hubbali district of Karnataka.

 

The students of civil engineering at the KLE Institute of Technology in Hubbali, about 400km north of Bengaluru, were arrested last month after an alleged video of them shouting pro-Pakistan slogans had gone viral on various social media platforms.

 

The students, from Shopian in occupied Kashmir, had been arrested in February. The bar association of the city had passed a resolution, saying that none of its members would represent the accused and when some lawyers from Bengaluru turned up under Karnataka High Court’s protection, they were heckled in court premises.

 

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Second meeting of Consultation Committee on Citizens Protection (against online harm) Rules 2020 held

Islamabad, March 10, 2020 (PPI-OT): Second meeting of the Consultation Committee on Citizens Protection (against online harm) Rules 2020 was held at Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) today. Besides the Committee members, Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr. Shireen Mazari and Barrister Ali Zafar also attended the meeting.

 

The Committee emphasized upon setting clear objectives to be achieved from the Rules and Consultation process be focused on the attainment of desired objectives. The committee also deliberated upon offences under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA 2016). The Committee decided that a questionnaire be posted on PTA website for soliciting feedback from stakeholders. Furthermore, plan for consultation meetings with stakeholders was also discussed. The committee also identified need for Data Protection Law in Pakistan.

 

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Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)

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Thousands attend martyrs’ funeral in IOK

Srinagar, March 10, 2020 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, thousands of people defying curfew and other restrictions participated in funeral prayers of two martyred youth in Kulgam and Shopian districts. The youth identified as Shabbir Ahmed Malik and Aamir Ahmed Dar were killed by Indian troops during a violent cordon and search operation in Ribbon area of Shopian district.

 

Shabbir Ahmed Malik was a resident of Tingdo Kulgam and Amir Ahmed Dar belonged to Vindona area of Shopian. The troops also destroyed a house with mortar shells during the operation. Amid pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the martyred youth were buried in their ancestral graveyards in the two districts. The killing led to complete shutdown in Kulgam and Shopian districts. All shops, business establishments and schools were closed while traffic was off the road in the two districts.

 

Meanwhile, Hurriyat leaders and organizations in their separate statements paid glowing tributes to Shopian martyrs. Muslim Conference Chairman Shabbir Ahmed Dar said that the freedom fighters Shabbir Ahmed Malik and Amir Ahmed Dar laid down their precious lives for the sacred cause of freedom. He said that the Kashmiri youth through the sacrifices are reminding the world community of their failure in protecting the political and human rights of the Kashmiri people.

 

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