2012

PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER

A few days back, Chaudhry Aslam khan, the SSP CID Karachi said in an interview with a private TV channel that unless courts give a legal authenticity to the evidence of the police officials particularly in cases of terrorism, the giant of terrorism cannot be chained. It is a common complaint that in most of the cases people from common public lack courage to appear before the court and record their evidence against any terrorist activity. They are frightened of the threats of grave consequences from the terrorists they have to face as a result of such evidences. Not only against the terrorist activities, for a common man is it next to impossible to stand against even a pick-pocket or street-criminal. Most of the people are of the view that they are at the mercy of the criminals when they come out of the court premises after giving their statement against such criminals. This is the reason that in the last ten or fifteen years we find countless accused criminals who were proved guilty by the police but without sufficient evidence the courts could not send them behind the bars. In such cases the police or other law-enforcing agencies are left with only one option; to pay back the criminals in the same coin though this option gives birth to another type of injustice. The situation is getting worse and worse with the passage of time and would never be controlled unless the law of evidence is modified.

Read More »AT THE MERCY OF CRIMINALS

PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER                           

 What is more important; food or security; health or defence; prosperity or safety; certainly a difficult question to be answered. Today one finds a hurricane of allegations, accusations ultimately forming the shape of suggestions thatPakistanneeds not spend a huge amount on its army and the relevant security set-up. Various so-called western thinkers are doing all their best to create an atmosphere of disbelief and mistrust against the security agencies ofPakistanby painting a picture which depicts these agencies as an unbearable burden on the already stooping financial structure ofPakistan. More painful is the fact that some of our own people are playing in the hands of these enemies ofPakistanjust for their temporary, trivial gains and benefits. It is a day-light fact that without a strong and immaculate defence system it is quite unimaginable to survive in this world where ‘survival is the fate of only the fittest’. If we want to crush terrorism, if we want to up-root extremism we cannot do it without a well-equipped, well-trained and well-supported army. We have ample examples of countries like USA, Israel, UK, India and so many others who are doing all their best to strengthen their armies. Our closest neighbourIndiahas ignored all her past differences with US just to build up its military might.Indiais signing up new pacts and accords withIsraelandJapanas well as withRussiajust to enhance her defence capabilities but unfortunately inPakistansome self-claimed philosophers and thinkers are emphasizing the need of curtailing the defence budget and calling in question the existence of the institution of army.Read More »STRONG DEFENCE MEANS ULTIMATE SURVIVAL

Writers and poets in the city will be excited, as the favourite haunt of intellectuals, Pak Tea House, is set to revive literary and cultural activities within the next two weeks. The building of the Pak Tea House, which was being used as a garment store, was vacated on Thursday on the orders of the Lahore commissioner and has now come under control of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).

After the closure of the Pak Tea House, a cloth dealer had illegally occupied the building and was using it as a warehouse. Read More »LAHORE: Historical Pak Tea House to revive literary activities

She has charm and conviction. Our correspondent sat down with the 28 years old Bushra Zulfiqar, the extremely beautiful human development activist whose memoir A Daughter’s Heart has just been released.  Q: – A lot… Read More »A Meeting with Bushra Zulfiqar, the emerging Pakistani writer

National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence was informed on Monday that the second phase of the new Benazir International Airport would be completed by September 2012.

The airport is being constructed by a Chinese company, which is the world’s fourth largest construction company. The total cost of the project is is Rs 63 billion. “The first phase has been completed while the second phase will be completed by September 2012,” said a press release.

The committee meeting, chaired by Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, was apprised that the cargo operation could be started in December 2012 and the main problem being faced in the project was the road network, which was to be completed by the National Highway Authority (NHA). The committee stressed the NHA to take appropriate steps for timely completion of the project.Read More »Second phase of New Islamabad (Benazir) Airport to be completed by September