Here’s what’s happening across the border: Ghaseet Pura’s Ahmadis and Muslims sign a peace accord; and Bushra Maneka’s ex-husband alleges harassment.
Minister apologises for her remark about Ahmadi economist
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has drawn flak from the opposition Pakistan People’s Party for appointing an Ahmadi — Dr Atif R. Mian, professor of economics at Princeton University — in the newly constituted Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
PPP’s provincial minister for women development, Syeda Shehla Raza, tweeted Sunday: “The creation of 5 million homes, 10 million jobs, creation of South Punjab province all in a 100 days was a lie. But this hypocrisy, the appointment of a descendant of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a close adviser was unexpected from those who declared the State of Madina as an ideal.”
However, her remark evoked sharp reactions from social media users, Pakistan Today reports. People belonging to the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam in Pakistan have been subject to religious persecution for many years and continue to face discrimination in the country.
Many Twitter users voiced their objections to Raza’s message:
Mohtarma, aap TLP join ker lain. Dear @BBhuttoZardari, twisted members like these are once again trying to push the party on the wrong side of history. Sindh should never stand for such bigotry. https://t.co/BPj78m6YUs
— Nadeem Farooq Paracha (@NadeemfParacha) September 3, 2018
What exactly do you want Ahmadis to do; commit mass suicide? Is there an end to this hate and #persecution pandemic? #AhmadiApartheid #Pakistan https://t.co/N91fr3aMik
— Mohammad Taqi (@mazdaki) September 2, 2018
However, Raza has apologised for her controversial tweet to social media users and the general public. Not only did she delete her tweet but also fired her entire social media team over the gaffe, Gulf News reports.
During Election social media team was formed a member in light of words tweeted a statement ,which is ambiguous creating negativity. I condemned & fired all .next I will run myself .I saw it now, busy in cabinet meeting.Accept my apologies
— Syeda Shehla Raza (@SyedaShehlaRaza) September 3, 2018
SC orders probe into ‘misbehaviour’ complaint by Bushra’s ex-husband
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered an inquiry into alleged mistreatment with the daughter of Khawar Maneka, former husband of PM Imran Khan’s third wife Bushra Maneka, by Punjab police personnel, says Dawn.
On 5 August, some policemen misbehaved with a family member of Khawar who was later identified as his daughter. In the court, he also alleged that the policemen involved in the incident were drunk.
Hearing the case, Chief Justice of Pakistan ordered the Punjab inspector-general to submit the inquiry report of the incident within a week. He also said, “The court apologises on behalf of the nation.”
Meanwhile, the apex court also ordered an inquiry into the alleged political interference in the sudden transfer of Punjab’s Pakpattan district police officer (DPO) Rizwan Gondal.
On the night of 23 August, Khawar was asked to stop at a checkpoint but he didn’t. When a team of police under Gondal chased and intercepted his car, Khawar allegedly misbehaved with the personnel.
Subsequently, the Punjab chief minister asked Gondal to apologise to Khawar and initiate an inquiry against his colleagues. However, Gondal refused to do so and was later transferred to the Central Police Office (CPO) in Lahore.
Pakistanis own properties worth $150 billion in UAE, says probe agency
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told the Supreme Court Monday that Pakistanis own properties and assets worth a whopping $150 billion in the UAE, reports The Express Tribune.
Similarly, on the basis of information received by the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), amicus Shabbar Zaidi told the court that about Pakistanis owned 225 properties in the UK.
Seeking a list of individuals who had not submitted the details of their foreign properties to the FBR, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who was hearing the case along with Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, said, “These individuals should be penalised for hiding the money.”
Meanwhile, at a high-level meeting, headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad Monday, the government decided to make substantial amendments in laws to thwart smuggling and illegal money dealings, reports The Express Tribune.
Khan has constituted a committee comprising officials of Customs, State Bank, FBR, and FIA, which will suggest the necessary amendments.
CPEC’s optical cable boosts communications between China & Pakistan
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s digital information channel, based on optical cable, was put into commercial use, which greatly shortened the delay between China and Pakistan and international communications, Dunya News reports.
Now, the time lag in international communications between China and Pakistan has been drastically reduced. In the past, Pakistan and China communicated via submarine cable where the time delay counted up to 180 milliseconds but now with the China-Pakistan optical cable, the delay is a mere 81.8 milliseconds.
Work on CPEC’s western route might begin finally
Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reform has stressed the need to start work on the western route of CPEC urgently. It also suggested that all the technical, bureaucratic and financial snags be removed with immediate action, Dawn reports.
Unnecessary delay in the construction of the western route prompted the committee to say that this work was given less priority because the previous government took more than two and a half years’ time period just to finalise the PC-1 of Dera Ismail Khan-Zhob and Zhob-Quetta roads. However, the committee was informed that PC-1 of the 210 km D. I. Khan-Zhob road is slated to be completed within 45 days.
Additionally, work is in progress on the $140 million Gwadar East Bay Expressway and is expected to be completed by October 2020.
Peace accord signed between Muslims and Ahmadis in Ghaseet Pura
A peace accord was signed last Tuesday between the Muslim and Ahmadi communities in Faisalabad’s Ghaseet Pura with an aim to avoid giving personal and individual disputes religious colour, Dawn has reported.
This written agreement was signed in the wake of last month’s clash between the two communities, fuelled by a few fake social media posts. Seven Muslims were killed in a firing by the Ahmadi community. A minor accident in which an Ahmadi man’s rooster had been hit by two Muslim guys, led to the clash between the two communities.
The six-point accord lays guidelines on how both communities must refrain from hate speeches against each other; both sides should exercise their religious rights granted under the Constitution of Pakistan, an ex parte decision would be made in case of any violation of this agreement, among others.