Here’s what is happening across the border: Woman to lead high court for the first time, and Britain wants to help end illiteracy in Pakistan.
A ‘technicality’ gets musician’s sexual harassment complaint rejected
Musician Meesha Shafi’s complaint of sexual harassment against actor-singer Ali Zafar has been dismissed by the governor of Punjab, reported The Express Tribune.
Shafi, who alleged Zafar had harassed her on numerous occasions, had filed the complaint under a law for workplace harassment. This was reportedly what led to the complaint’s dismissal – since Shafi wasn’t “an actual employee” or under a contract at the time of the alleged episodes, her complaint didn’t make the cut under the Act.
Zafar’s team said Shafi was not “compelled in any way to work” with him. The complaint was reportedly rejected on 11 July, but his team said they didn’t reveal it earlier to ensure the ensuing reportage didn’t interfere with publicity for Zafar’s debut Pakistani film.
Meanwhile, Shafi’s lawyer said the complaint had been dismissed on a technical basis, adding that they will file an appeal in a “competent forum”.
A woman will head a high court for the first time
A woman is set to take office as a high court chief justice for the first time in Pakistan’s history.
Justice Tahira Safdar was nominated by the chief justice of Pakistan as the most senior judge of the Balochistan high court, and the appointment approved by the judicial commission of Pakistan this week, reported The Express Tribune.
“Interestingly, Justice Safdar was also the first woman to be appointed as a civil judge in Balochistan. She also has the distinction of being the first lady to be appointed in all posts she has so far served. She was also the first female high court judge,” the report adds.
Representation of women in Pakistan’s senior judiciary remains poor. Right now, Pakistan is the only South Asian country that has never had a woman as a Supreme Court judge, even though women do hold important positions in district courts. According to a 2016 report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, women comprised only five per cent of high court judges.
Britain offers to send 22 million Pakistani children to school
British high commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew met PTI chairman Imran Khan Wednesday to congratulate him on his victory in the national election, and said London was ready to fund the schooling of 22 million local children, reported The Express Tribune.
The promise comes a year after Pakistan’s ministry of federal education and professional training released a report showing 44 per cent of the country’s children (22.6 million) aged five to 16 were out of school in 2015-2016.
The British envoy also praised Khan’s victory speech, saying, “It has… created a lot of interest in the UK.”
Pakistan gets its first eye bank
Pakistan got its first eye bank at the Al Shifa Trust Eye hospital in Rawalpindi Wednesday, reported The Express Tribune.
The head of the trust, General Hamid Javed (Retd) inaugurated the eye bank.
“We have joined hands to bring the citizens an international non-governmental organisation to collect corneal donations within the country,” he said.
China firm trashed for failing to dispose of Karachi waste
The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board has lashed out at a Chinese private firm responsible for waste disposal in two districts of Karachi, reported The Express Tribune.
“The overall performance of the company is very disappointing,” said the board’s managing director, Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, at a hearing of the Supreme Court-mandated water commission in Karachi.
“The company is yet to employ sweepers in District East, while in South, the performance of manual and mechanical sweeping has remained poor, said Mangnejo. According to him, the contractor is bound to carry out collection of solid waste twice a day but the same is not being done,” the report stated.
The Chinese private contractor, Changyi Kangjie Sanitation Engineering Company Ltd, had secured a contract of Rs 2 billion/year for keeping Karachi’s north and south districts clean.
The company’s general manager didn’t appear before the commission for the third consecutive time.
Mike Pompeo’s jibe has caretaker government fuming
Caretaker foreign minister Abdullah Hussain Haroon Wednesday hit back at the US secretary of state for his statement suggesting that Pakistan might use its International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout to pay off Chinese lenders, reported The Express Tribune.
Haroon called Mike Pompeo’s comment “inappropriate”.
“It is totally wrong to link an IMF package with the CPEC,” he said, adding that there was “no reason for anyone to intervene” in Pakistan’s relationship with China.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a massive Chinese-funded infrastructure push that is said to have placed Islamabad under heavy debt.
Social media rallies in support of ‘censored’ politician
Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Khan’s 27 July address alleging poll rigging has gone viral, triggering a social media campaign in his support with the hashtag ‘IstandwithAsfandyarWali’.
In the address, he claimed Army personnel outside polling stations had threatened women, and suggested foul play by members of the election commission.
After his address went viral on Facebook, parts of it were deleted, leading Pakistanis to rally in his support and express dissatisfaction with the elections and censorship.
Caught red handed in the worst election rigging of Pakistani history, the violators of Constitution and law are trying to hide behind blaming game.#IstandWithAsfandyarWali
— Afrasiab Khattak (@a_siab) August 2, 2018
#IStandWithAsfandyarWali for his pro-democracy stance this makes him #غدار_ابنِ_غدار for the deep-state who've abrogated constitution of the country, hijacked governance, suffocated democracy, engineered electioneering and made Pakistan a place where Pashtuns are lost
— Malik Achakzai (@MalikAchkJourno) August 1, 2018
Contributors: Soniya Agrawal, Priyamvada Grover, Manisha Mondal, Rupanwita Bhattacharjee, Anagha Deshpande and Sharanya Munsi.