Dr Afia needs justice which is seen to be done: Barrister Amjad Malik
Barrister Amjad Malik, Chairman (APL) an Association of Pakistani origin Solicitors, Barristers, Judges and ex pat members has taken a serious note of recent conviction of Dr. Afia Siddiqui of 3 February 2010 by Jury of 12 men at USA and has declared that this may result in a stumbling block between US-Pak people to people contact and relations between states. Dr Afia was kidnapped and kept at Bagram Airfield without the aid of a lawyer, doctor and or consulate access for years and being a Muslim women that has the potential to charge the mood of the public. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Al Qaeda, human rights, Justice, Law, minorities, Pakistan
Former corps commander, 2 ISI officials booked
Daily Times 04 Feb 2010 Case registered in line with orders of Supreme Court over disappearance of Quetta resident Ali Asghar Bangalzai By Malik Siraj Akbar QUETTA: Police in the provincial capital registered a case on Wednesday against former corps commander Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch and two senior ISI officials, in line with orders of a Supreme Court bench hearing a case related to the disappearance of a resident of the city, Ali Asghar Bangalzai. The family of Bangalzai, a tailor master, registered the first information report (FIR) with the Sariab Police Station against the former corps commander, former ISI Quetta chief Brig Siddique and another senior ISI official identified only as Col Bangash. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, baluchistan, Democracy, Justice, Law, lawyers movement, Pakistan, state
Flaws in the judgment
By Asma Jahangir Dawn, 26 Jan, 2010 The Supreme Court (SC) has spoken and the nation must bow its head. The chief justice has asked members of the bar to pray for the judiciary. This too must be respected, as the Almighty alone can rescue those who wish to destroy themselves. There is open friction between the ruling party and the court. By not restoring the SC judges earlier and letting Justice Dogar run amok with the law, the government lost face. … Read entire article »
Filed under: baluchistan, Democracy, Justice, Law, lawyers movement, Pakistan, state
Is Article 227 indispensable?
By Naeem Sadiq The News, January 28, 2010 If the Taliban were to come to power in Pakistan (which is what their struggle is all about), what would they do to the Constitution? The answer is: they would retain Article 227 and discard the rest of the Constitution. This single article of the Constitution would be sufficient for them to run the country. Their interpretation of this Article would be: “All laws to be brought in conformity with the injunctions of Islam – as perceived by the Taliban.” They could arguably use the article to make laws to kill a barber for a haircut, bomb a school if it was attended by females, gouge the eyes of those who watched television, lash people for wearing shorts and cut off hands for theft, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Islamism, Justice, Law, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, liberal Pakistan, minorities, Pakistan, Parliament, Religion, Rights, secular Pakistan, secularism, state, Taliban
Ruchika Girhotra, Safia Bibi and Mukhtar Mai: any different?
By Ishtiaq Ahmed Daily Times 05 Jan 2010 What goes on all the time in rural India with regard to working women, especially from lower castes, hardly ever figures in media discussions. Such women are constantly harassed and molested by men of the superior castes Some years ago, I met Indian human rights activists in Delhi. A lively discussion followed without the usual rancour that India-Pakistan interactions are notorious for, because we were interested in the rights and dignity of human beings as human beings and not as Christians, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs and so on. The exchange of views and notes ended with us being unable to decide whether the Indian or the Pakistani dominant classes were more ruthless and heartless. That both were identical in their inhumanity was probably the … Read entire article »
Filed under: culture, Democracy, Education, human rights, India, Islam, Justice, Law
"Monster MQM"
[This is another contribution by Bilal Qureshi (see here for Bilal's previous piece on the NRO). We are pleased to publish it since we believe it is important to continue the debate. We do not necessarily subscribe to the author's views - PTH] By Bilal Qureshi © The Nation, Pakistan There are times when I am tempted to accept Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) as a genuine political party. However, thankfully, I come to my senses as soon as MQM attempts one of those fascist maneuvers that have become synonymous with MQM. If anyone pays close attention, it is not difficult to see a pattern with MQM. … Read entire article »
And Now About the Own Goal
Pause, sirs, and ponder By I.A. Rehman Dawn 24 Dec, 2009 The fact that in its response to the Supreme Court judgment of Dec 16 the nation is divided cannot be denied, and prudence demands that the causes of this division should not be brushed aside without careful scrutiny. A large section of society believes that Pakistan has become a corruption-free entity and a judicially controlled democracy while a none-too-small section feels deeply hurt. Much can be said for and against both sides. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Islamism, Justice, Law, Pakistan, Parliament, state
Going the Wrong Way about Doing the Right Thing
By B. Civilian The full bench of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan unanimously declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) null and void, ab initio. In view of the unpopularity of the Ordinance, the PPP government had virtually disowned it over the last few weeks. The Federation decided not to defend it in the court, again, regardless of one of its lawyers insinuating that there was a threat to ‘rule of law’ from “CIA and the GHQ” (statements which the lawyer later withdrew as his own rather than his client’s view). Pakistan is in the process of transitioning from being a military dictatorship to becoming a democracy. It’s a difficult transition for any country, let alone for one which has attempted such a transition at least twice before, without much success. But … Read entire article »
Filed under: Benazir Bhutto, Democracy, Justice, Law, lawyers movement, Pakistan, Parliament, Politics, state, Zardari
Leftists, Liberals, Progressives … Time To Live Up To Your Claims
By YLH Those Pakistanis like me identifying themselves as Muslims are required – thanks to General Zia-ul-Haq’s military dictatorship- to state the following at the time of the renewal of their passport: I am a Muslim and believe in the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad the last of the Prophets. I do not recognize any one who claims to be a prophet in any sense of the word or any description whatsoever, after Prophet Muhammad or recognize such a claimant as a prophet or a religious reformer as Muslim. I consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani to be an impostor prophet and an infidel and also consider his followers whether belonging to the Lahori, Qadiani or Mirzai groups, to be non-Muslims. … Read entire article »
Another aspect of the judgment
By Asma Jahangir Dawn 19 Dec, 2009 The NRO case, Dr Mubashar Hasan and others versus the federation, has once again stirred a hornet’s nest. There is thunderous applause for bringing the accused plunderers and criminals to justice and widespread speculation on the resignation of the president. Very little analysis is being done on the overall effect of the judgment itself. While, the NRO can never be defended even on the plea of keeping the system intact, the Supreme Court judgment has wider political implications. It may not, in the long run, uproot corruption from Pakistan but will make the apex court highly controversial. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Justice, Law, lawyers movement, Pakistan, Parliament, state
After the NRO
By Ayesha Siddiqa Dawn 18 Dec, 2009 Now that the NRO problem has apparently been resolved people are jumping with joy. There are some commentators who believe that this represents the strengthening of the system and democracy, that the Supreme Court verdict is a warning for presumptuous, overly ambitious and corrupt politicians. The decision certainly is a milestone, but what does it mean for the overall learning process of the various stakeholders in the country’s power politics? And will it influence the future of Pakistan’s politics? These are two basic points to ponder. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Democracy, Justice, Law, Pakistan, state, Zardari
Tackling Medical Malpractice in Pakistan – Law, Media And Society
By YLH Thanks to our ever watchful media, several serious cases of medical malpractice have come up and have been debated nationwide. For the first time in our history real issues are becoming national issues. Some of the leading hospitals in Lahore have been accused of gross negligence. In recent times the cases that have come up and shocked the nation are that of Huma Akram – Waseem Akram’s wife - and of young Imane Malik who has touched all of our hearts. … Read entire article »
NRO Void Ab Initio
By YLH The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (“NRO”) void ab initio. This is a historical development in our judicial history from a jurisprudential point of view. 1. Quoting the Indian precedent of Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain the learned counsel- Pakistan’s finest in my view- Salman Akram Raja argued that there could be no “legislative judgment”. Indian Supreme Court had declared null and void a proposed constitutional amendment introduced by the prime minister that stopped the judiciary from adjudicating on the validity of elections. The prime minister wanted the executive branch to determine how elections were to be administered in India. This contention has been accepted by the Pakistan Supreme Court. Now there may never a legislative judgement and this would have profound jurisprudential consequences. We will do well now to extend this logic to other issues which need … Read entire article »
Filed under: Law, lawyers movement, Pakistan, Politics
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Comment on the current judicial crisis
February 15th, 2010 | 16 Comments
by Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim We are again faced with a judicial crisis – not a bonafide crisis but a crisis created for ulterior reasons. Ostensibly the crisis is the elevation of chief justice for the Lahore High Court in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the elevation of the next senior most judge Justice Saquib Nasir, as acting Chief Justice of Lahroe High Court (a la Zia ul Haq style). Being of the view that more harm is done by ignoring seniority, which opens the door for exercise of discretion in principle, I am against seniority being ignored, particularly in judiciary. My first reaction, therefore, was that the appointment of Chief Justice Lahore High Court to the Supreme Court and elevation of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Justice, Law, lawyers movement, Pakistan, Politics