Posts published in September 2012

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) High Court Bar Association and the Gilgit District Bar Association have rejected the Supreme Appellate Court Bar Association’s assertion that judges from lower courts should not be elevated to the apex court. “Preventing elevation of judges from lower courts to G-B’s apex court is a violation of Governance Order 2009,” said G-B High Court Bar Association President Javed Khan, while addressing a news conference here on Wednesday. He was referring to…

By Shabbir Mir  in The Express Tribune, Sept 21 GILGIT: To travel to Gilgit has become an ordeal owing to the dilapidated condition of land routes connecting the region to the rest of the country. Natural calamities and neglect by concerned authorities have taken a toll on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and Babusar Road, making the commute between Gilgit and Rawalpindi / Islamabad a tedious one. “I frequently travel between Gilgit and Islamabad and I…

Report in The express Tribune, Sept 19 GILGIT:  Detained youth activist Baba Jan was finally released from jail on Monday, following the acceptance of his bail plea on Friday. He was received by youth and political activists outside the jail gate who raised slogans in his favour and vowed to continue struggle for the rights of the down-trodden people of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). “We are pleased to see him out of jail after a year,” said…

The writer is a retired ambassador and the president of the Lahore Council for World Affairs Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s recent visit to Pakistan was accompanied by the usual sound bites from both sides about their determination to continue the dialogue process for the improvement of bilateral relations through peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes, building up mutual trust, and the strengthening of all-round cooperation. The visit also witnessed the signing of the agreement…

By Dr Maleeha Lodhi in the News, Sept 18 The writer is special adviser to the Jang Group/Geo and a former envoy to the US and the UK. The joint statement issued after the recent meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India was long on words and short on substance. It expressed the two ministers’ “satisfaction on the holding of meetings” rather than report progress on the disputes that divide the two countries.…

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan-India Commerce Secretary-level talks will be held here from September 20 (Thursday). Indian Commerce Secretary, S R Rao accompanied with an 11-member delegation is to visit Pakistan on September 20 to hold secretary-level talks with his Pakistani counterpart Munir Qureshi here Both sides will discuss various issues including development on negative list between the two countries, bilateral trade.http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-17560-Commerce-secretary-level-talks-with-India

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Manzoor Wattoo has said that people of Azad Kashmir have no objection on trade between Pakistan and India. Giving a briefing after returning from a visit to India, the federal minister said that the people of Azad Kashmir are themselves carrying out trade worth Rs 15 to16 billion with the Indian-held Kashmir. He said that India’s politicians, public and media were in favour of trade and peaceful…

By Shabbir Mir  in The Express Tribune, Sept 17 GILGIT: Detained youth activist Baba Jan Hunzai was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court on Saturday. “Jan’s bail plea has been accepted in all cases against him,” the defence counsel, Ehsan Ali, told The Express Tribune. He said that Jan was set to be released on Saturday; however, he alleged that the jail administration, in connivance with security agencies, has intentionally delayed his release to frustrate…

MIRPUR:People affected by the Mangla Dam Raising Project (MDRP) have threatened to launch a protest movement against the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government from September 21 if it fails to give them a schedule for the completion of their rehabilitation. Addressing a news conference at the Mirpur Press Club on Friday evening, representatives of over 100 affected families and heads of various action committees fighting for their rights announced that they would hold anti-government…

by  Tariq Naqash in Dawn, Sept 14 MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 13: The AJK Legislative Assembly was told here on Thursday that a ministerial committee was working out terms and conditions for regularising leases of official land and would take the opposition on board in this regard. The assurance was given by two ministers during the question hour in response to a question by PML-N lawmaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq who had sought details of the leases in…