Month: April 2013
Gilgit-Baltistan: Despite Budget Constraints, GB Police Doing Well, Says IGP
GILGIT (ET): Complaining about a lack of funds, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Zakaria on Monday said personnel will not be provided complete uniforms this year.
Addressing a gathering of policemen and officials at Police Lines, Zakaria said the department has been allocated the same budget since the past five years, without accounting for inflation. “Jackets, boots and oil (fuel) could not be given to the police this year and I want to bring this to your attention,” he said.
“Even then, we have managed to do remarkably well,” said Zakaria, adding 160 proclaimed offenders were arrested for six months by the force.
“When I was posted here nine months back, the force was divided along sectarian and regional lines, but it transformed into a single, strong unit,” claimed the IGP, saying the improved security situation was proof of his commitment.
G-B Chief Minister (CM) Mehdi Shah was the chief guest, while ministers, army, police and civil officials also attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Shah appealed to the finance ministry to increase the budget for the police force. He added development cannot take place if there is no peace, and appreciated the improvement shown by the police.
Talking about compensation packages for families of policemen killed in terrorist activities, Shah claimed the amount offered by G-B was the highest compared to the rest of the country. “In addition to Rs3 million, the widow of a martyred policeman is also paid full salary. One heir is given a job in the department and education expenses of the others are borne by the government. Previously, police officials used to collect donations to pay to the family of a martyr.”
Gilgit-Baltistan:Climate Change and Karakorams
ISLAMABAD (ET): Spread over around 10,000 square kilometres, the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) is home to the largest glacial land mass in the world outside the polar region.
Thirty-eight per cent of the park’s land mass is covered with glaciers, which provide freshwater to the park,local communities and much of the rest of Pakistan via the Indus River.
But climate change is beginning to adversely impact the mountain ecosystem of the park.
“The severe impact of climate change is being experienced in the form of floods, droughts, higher average temperatures and changes in precipitation, and all these are projected to affect the availability of water resources in the CKNP area,” said Daniela Giardina, a scientific coordinator for the Socio Economic Environmental Development (SEED) project in CKNP. “These factors are also expected to cause faster deterioration of water quality.”
Giardina was speaking at the launch of a SEED water management policy brief in Islamabad on Friday, which aims to highlight water issues in the CKNP and spell out research-based remedies.
The brief recommends that the communications gap between scientists and policymakers must be bridged for better water management. It also suggests raising awareness on water quality, water protection and hygiene among local communities. Finally, the policy brief states that the risk of water pollution should be reduced through water safety plans at the communal level.
Project Director Raffaele Del Cima said SEED intends to improve the quality of life of 230 village communities living on the park’s outskirts by diversifying their livelihood options.
At the same time, the project is helping in the development of a sustainable park management protocol and conducting scientific research about the park’s natural resource, Cima said. A water laboratory has been been set up and a team of Italian researchers have tested water quality in the area.
Their analysis of 19 samples from the different locations showed that water in the villages, especially in the Karimabad area of Hunza, is contaminated and contains elevated levels of E Coli and other forms of bacteria.
On the other hand, water in the central part of the CKNP was found to be safe for drinking. The experts believe that the presence of animals near water bodies in the villages and lack of wastewater treatment is degrading the water quality.
Water quality is crucial to the health of G-B residents, especially given that G-B’s infant mortality rate is higher than the rest of Pakistan, according to an Asian Development Bank survey from 2011.
Giardina explained that, as part of the project, glaciologists are compiling an inventory of the glaciers in the area, hydrologists are looking to answer questions about water availability and researchers are testing the water for contamination.
“We do believe that through applying scientific research, we can provide policymakers with the knowledge needed to make important decisions and promote better governance of natural resources,” she said.
Karakoram International University (KIU) doctoral students are contributing to the research as well, KIU Vice Chancellor Najma Najam said. The university’s students are working on at least 48 projects focused on the CKNP region, Najam said.
Chief Guest Javed Malik, the food and agriculture member at the Planning Commission, said awareness is critical for environment conservation and climate change mitigation.
Gilgit-Baltistan: Display of Traditional Items in GB
GILGIT (ET): An arts and handicrafts exhibition was held in Gilgit on Saturday, allowing local organisations from Gilgit-Balitistan’s (G-B) remote valleys to display traditional items.
More than 50 stalls were put up in the exhibition organised by the Trade Development Authority (TDA) in a hotel.
“This is an attempt to promote local art and culture,” said Khalid Baig, a TDA official. “The local products are excellent and don’t have competitors elsewhere, which is why they can fetch good prices.”
Women and children showed up in large numbers and took a keen interest in items, including clothes, food and other decoration articles.
Local handicrafts like caps, jewellery and wooden utensils were also on display.
Saeeda Parveen, who came from Ghizer valley and had a handicrafts stall set up, said she saw a good number of buyers at the event. “It’s encouraging to see people coming out and buying items.”
Gilgit-Baltistan: Boycott of Assembly Session Exposed Fault Lines in GB Cabinet
Gilgit (PT): In a unique, unprecedented and bizarre, incident the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, along with key members of his cabinet boycotted the 27th session of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.
The session had been requisitioned by the Speaker, Wazir Baig, on the request of 15 members of the assembly, including provincial ministers, parliamentary secretaries and members of the opposition.
There are reports that the CM wanted the session to be called in the mid of May.
The members of assembly who attended the session included Deputy Speaker Jameel Ahmed, Raziuddin Rizvi,Maulana Sarwar Shah, Mutabiat Shah, Ayub Shah, Mehnaz Wali, Abdul Hameed, Gul Mira and Mirza Hussain.
Others believe that various incidents during the last couple of months had turned many members of the assembly against the CM. For instance, the Speaker and CM had directly or indirectly exchanged harsh words over delays in the notification of the headquarters of Hunza-Nagar district. The Speaker had also termed the creation of Kharmang and Shigar district to be illegal, inviting the rage of legislators and political leaders from Baltistan. Some people were expecting a repeat of the tussle.
Similarly, MLA Raziuddin Rizvi, who is known for his hot temper, was also expected to challenge the CM in the assembly for not making him a minister.
Whatever be the reason, the boycott of the assembly session has exposed the fault-lines in the regional cabinet. The Speaker and members of the assembly, who were present in the session, termed the boycott to be tantamount to ridiculing the legislators and the house.
The Speaker said that action will be taken against the CM according to the laws of the assembly.
Gilgit-Baltistan: Fan of Musharraf Dies of Hard Attack
GILGIT (ET): A staunch supporter and fan of former president Pervez Musharraf suffered a heart attack and died after hearing the news of the ex-army chief’s arrest orders.
The retired general has been facing legal challenges since he returned to Pakistan in March.
Kacho Nisar, 30, was watching the events unfold surrounding the arrest orders issued by the Islamabad High Court on his television from Basho village, a valley in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), when he suffered a heart attack, said Gulam Ali, a resident of Skardu. The incident could not be immediately reported due to poor communication facilities in the village.
“We were informed about the tragedy by the relatives of the deceased,” said Manzoor Yoltar, the chief organiser of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), the former president’s party.
Musharraf’s arrest was ordered after his bail plea was rejected in the judges’ confinement case. He was later taken to his Chak Shehzad farm house in Islamabad, which was declared as a sub-jail.
In Basho village, which is about 250 kilometers from Gilgit and 50 kilometers from Skardu, TV programmes are accessible through dish antennas. The village lacks mobile or telephone services, however.
As the news of Nisar’s death got out, APML’s regional leaders, including Muzaffar Parvi, Ali Arman and Ali Haider, paid a visit to Nisar’s house for condolences and to pay tribute.
“The former president is being humiliated and this is something Musharraf’s fans and lovers cannot endure,” said Yoltar, adding the plight of Musharraf shocked Nisar and he died out of grief.
During Musharraf’s rule, G-B witnessed mega-development projects, including the establishment of the Karakoram International University.
Gilgit-Baltistan:SMEDA Finalized New SME Development Plan
LAHORE: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has finalised its new SME Development Plan comprising 13 potential sectors targeted to create 10.14 million new jobs during next five years.
The plan was reviewed by Zafar Mahmood, Federal Secretary Ministry of Industries in a meeting held at SMEDA head office on Tuesday. SMEDA Chief Executive Officer Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera briefed the Secretary that 13 sectors, having wider scope for creation of new employments and investments with high growth potential to integrate into global supply chain, had been selected for the plan. The sectors include information technology, construction, dairy & livestock, energy, tourism, minerals, horticulture, engineering, leather, textile, fisheries, logistics and tourism. These sectors have fair representation across the country ensuring equitable SME development in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Secretary was further informed that the plan will be followed up by a parallel strategy for promoting entrepreneurial culture in the country by encouraging youth, especially the young educated women, to join SME sector as active partners to the national economy.
For instance, there are 0.20 million new women entrepreneurs in the country at present creating 0.16 million jobs only. Whereas, the successful implementation of SMEDA strategy will raise the number of new women entrepreneurs up to 0.35 million with creation of 0.60 million jobs within five years.
Gilgit-Baltistan: 10 Days Folk Festival Concludes
Islamabad (News): The 10-day folk festival Lok Virsa, which started on April 12 concluded on Sunday with a prestigious award ceremony. The mega cultural event was organized by Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage) in collaboration with all the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
People from different walks of life attended the festival for 10 days in a big way, which featured artisans-at-work exhibition, provincial cultural pavilions, folkloric song and dance performances, cultural evenings, craft bazaar, NGO stalls, theatre performances and special entertainment for children and families.
Federal Secretary Ministry of National Heritage Gul Muhammad Rind said the folk genius of the people is the basis of their identity.
“It is therefore the sacred duty of a nation to pay homage to the perpetuators and promoters of its cultural heritage.” Earlier in his speech, Lok Virsa’s Executive Director Khalid Javaid thanked all provincial governments, sponsoring agencies and other institutions for their unstinted cooperation to Lok Virsa for making this national event a great success. “I am also indebted to our own administrative ministry, in particular federal minister Shahzada Jamal Nazir and Secretary Gul Muhammad Rind for their all-time support and guidance for organizing the festival”.
Describing the mandate of Lok Virsa, chief executive Khalid Javaid said although Lok Virsa was primarily a research-oriented organisation, it organised folk festivals in order to project traditional cultural heritage, so that young people are not overwhelmed by the onslaught of Western culture and lose touch with their own traditions. At the end, cash awards sponsored by different national organizations and individuals were given to the most authentic craftsmen and craftswomen on the recommendation of a jury of experts constituted by Lok Virsa. Jury held detailed meetings over the last three days and minutely observed working of each participating artisan so as to arrive on a just and fair decision.
Craftsperson who is crippled as a result of work was also awarded at the event in addition to those who demonstrated excellence and standard setting of high quality in craftsmanship; creative and successful alliance of traditional skills and innovation in material design. There was also a category for young budding educated craftswomen.
Among the sponsors, Royal Norwegian Embassy took the lead by contributing cash awards worth Rs500,000 for the craftsmen/craftswomen and folk artists participated in the festival from all over Pakistan. Other sponsors include THAAP NGO, Azad Kashmir Small Industries, Balochistan Small Industries, Sindh Small Industries, Right to Play NGO, Directorate of Culture Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Arts Council.
In total, sixty five cash awards worth over Rs700,000 were distributed among the winning artisans. Artisans from Punjab got 23 awards whereas Sindh 14, Balochistan 6, Kyber Pakhtunkhwa 12, Gilgit-Baltistan 6 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4. Ten cash awards were also granted to the folk artists and singers by the organizers.
Exotic cultural and musical performances were also presented during the ceremony, which were highly enjoyed by the audience. A large number of art, craft and music lovers, cultural personalities, diplomats, media persons and general public attended the event.
Gilgit-Baltistan: Satpara Dam Project Started Power Generation
LAHORE (D.Times): Satpara Dam Project’s Powerhouse No 3 with installed capacity of 2,360 kilowatts (KW) on Friday started power generation. The under-construction Power House No 4 with an installed capacity of 1,400 KW is also scheduled to go into operation by the end of this month.
With completion of these two powerhouses, Satpara Dam Power Complex will attain the installed capacity of 17.36 megawatt (MW). Power House No 3 and 4 utilise the water used for running the Power House No 2, as cascade system for electricity generation.
It may be mentioned that Powerhouse No 1 and 2 of Satpara Dam Project have been in operation since October 2007 and December 2008, respectively, and have contributed over 140 million units of low-cost hydel electricity providing much needed relief to the local populace.
Satpara Dam – the first-ever mega water and power project in Gilgit Baltistan – is located in the vicinity of Skardu town. The project consists of three components including a dam, irrigation system and a power complex comprising four powerhouses. The dam was completed in July 2010 and the irrigation system in 2012. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided a grant of $26 million to help complete Satpara Dam Project. The dam has a water storage capacity of 93,000 acres feet to irrigate more than 15,000 acres of land. The project is also providing 3.1 million gallons of potable water daily to the local populace. staff report
Gilgit-Baltistan: High Treason High Drama
By Humayun Gauhar
For clarity’s sake, you should know Article 6 of the constitution and the Act of Punishment for High Treason and what they entail as well as the 2007 Proclamation of Emergency. We will leave most of the discussion on them for next week.
They apparently want to try Musharraf not for the army’s 1999 intervention and the first Provisional Constitution Order or PCO but for the 2007 emergency and the second PCO. The Proclamation of Emergency 2007 includes the prime minister, governors and the military high command, but not the judges, for the proclamation went against them. Therein lies a tale: if Musharraf is tried only for the 2007 emergency the judges will be off the hook but if for the 1999 countercoup they will hang high if found guilty. Do they think that that way they can keep themselves out of the fire? Treason is treason: if something is treason in 1999 it remains treason in 2007. Treason cannot be legal when it suits you and a crime when it suits you. You cannot have it both ways.
Is it that the army’s countercoup and the first PCO were legal in 1999 because the judges who gave it legitimacy and took oaths under it saved their jobs while the 2007 emergency and the second PCO were illegal because most of the first PCO’s judges lost their jobs? The conclusion is inescapable.
Article 6 says:
“(1) Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.
2) Any person aiding or abetting or collaborating [in] the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason.
(2A) An act of high treason mentioned in clause (1) or clause (2) shall not be validated by any court including the Supreme Court and a High Court.
(3) Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) shall by law provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of high treason.”
The High Treason Act says:
“An Act to provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of acts of abrogation or subversion of a Constitution or of high treason.
Preamble: Whereas it is necessary to provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of acts of abrogation or subversion of a Constitution or of high treason;
It is hereby enacted as follows:
1. Short title, extent and commencement:
(1) This act may be called the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973.
(2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan.
(3) It shall come into force at once.
2. Punishment for high treason, etc: A person who is found guilty:
(a) of having committed an act of abrogation or subversion of a constitution in force in Pakistan at any time since the twenty third day of March, 1956; or
(b) of high treason as defined in Article 6 of the Constitution, shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life.
3. Procedure: No Court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under this act except upon a complaint in writing made by a person authorised by the Federal Government in this behalf.
The Proclamation of Emergency of 2007 says:
WHEREAS there is visible ascendancy in the activities of extremists and incidents of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, IED explosions, rocket firing and bomb explosions and the banding together of some militant groups have taken such activities to an unprecedented level of violent intensity posing a grave threat to the life and property of the citizens of Pakistan;
WHEREAS there has also been a spate of attacks on state infrastructure and on law-enforcement agencies;
WHEREAS some members of the judiciary are working at cross purposes with the executive and legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism, thereby weakening the government and the nation’s resolve and diluting the efficacy of its actions to control this menace;
WHEREAS there has been increasing interference by some members of the judiciary in government policy, adversely affecting economic growth, in particular;
WHEREAS constant interference in executive functions, including but not limited to the control of terrorist activity, economic policy, price controls, downsizing of corporations and urban planning, has weakened the writ of the government; the police force has been completely demoralized and is fast losing its efficacy to fight terrorism and intelligence agencies have been thwarted in their activities and prevented from pursuing terrorists;
WHEREAS some hard-core militants, extremists, terrorists and suicide bombers, who were arrested and being investigated, were ordered to be released. The persons so released have subsequently been involved in heinous terrorist activities, resulting in loss of human life and property. Militants across the country have, thus, been encouraged while law-enforcement agencies subdued;
WHEREAS some judges by overstepping the limits of judicial authority have taken over the executive and legislative functions;
WHEREAS the government is committed to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law and holds the superior judiciary in high esteem, it is nonetheless of paramount importance that the honourable judges confine the scope of their activity to the judicial function and not assume charge of administration;
WHEREAS an important constitutional institution, the Supreme Judicial Council, has been made entirely irrelevant and by a recent order judges have, thus, made themselves immune from inquiry into their conduct and put themselves beyond accountability;
WHEREAS the humiliating treatment meted to government officials by some members of the judiciary on a routine basis during court proceedings has demoralised the civil bureaucracy and senior government functionaries, to avoid being harassed, prefer inaction;
WHEREAS the law and order situation in the country as well as the economy have been adversely affected and trichotomy of powers eroded;
WHEREAS a situation has thus arisen where the government of the country cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution and as the Constitution provides no solution for this situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures;
AND WHEREAS the situation has been reviewed in meetings with the prime minister, governors of all four provinces, and with Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chiefs of the Armed Forces, Vice-Chief of Army Staff and Corps Commanders of the Pakistan Army; NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the deliberations and decisions of the said meetings, I, General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff, proclaim Emergency throughout Pakistan.
2. I, hereby, order and proclaim that the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall remain in abeyance.
This Proclamation shall come into force at once.”
We’re going to have great fun now for there is no way they can try Musharraf for treason for the 2007 emergency and second PCO and not for the 1999 countercoup and first PCO, for if the former had not been legitimized by the Supreme Court the 2007 emergency couldn’t have happened. You cannot legitimately ‘subvert’ the constitution in one instance and not in another. Subversion is subversion. What you have to determine is which subversion is greater, subversion of the constitution or of the state? The constitution is not the state, it is the state’s basic law begs for change when it itself subverts the state by its hypocrisy and contradictions.
Now many generals, including the current chief, judges, including the current chief justice, politicians, bureaucrats and others are going to be in the dock with Musharraf because they “aided, abetted and collaborated” with him in ‘subverting’ the constitution in 1999 and 2007. It’s going to be high drama Broadway style.
To say that they will try him for treason for the second emergency and PCO but not the actual army intervention and the first PCO is an insult to our intelligence. How can the same act be a ‘crime’ in the second instance but not the first? Or is it all about jobs: is it legal if our jobs are secure but illegal if they are not? Is that why the judges who secured their jobs after taking oath on the first PCO are pristine while those who took oaths under the second PCO are not? Is not every PCO the same as far as ‘subversion’ is concerned? I am amazed that people cannot see through such double standards.
The Clause 2A of Article 6 says that, “An act of high treason…cannot be validated by any court including the Supreme Court and a High Court.” This makes it incumbent upon them to include all those judges of the Supreme Court and those who followed them as potential traitors for aiding, abetting and collaborating with Musharraf in the 2007 emergency. Justice will be incomplete if they too are not tried with Musharraf. The dock shall be lonely; the guillotine still, for Robespierre’s head could be on the block too.
The Supreme Court can only determine guilt or otherwise. Punishment, if any, can only be determined by parliament. So it is imperative that parliament be in place on time.
The high treason act says that, “No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under this act except upon a complaint in writing made by a person authorized by the Federal Government in this behalf.” No complaint has been made by the federal government so what is the Supreme Court going on about? They are not even competent to ask (order?) the federal government to make a complaint. They should throw out the petition if and until the federal government does so. Else it will go down in history as gross vindictiveness.
The writer is a political analyst. He can be contacted athumayun.gauhar786@gmail.com
Gilgit-Baltistan:18th Amendment Causes Backlash to Tourism Industry in GB
GILGIT (ET): In the past two years, the 18th Amendment has had a far greater negative affect on tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) than the constant threat of terrorism.
The Ministry of Tourism was abolished after the amendment was passed in April 2010, devolving control of tourism, forests and minerals to the provinces. However, the devolution afforded little benefit to G-B as the control of these subjects went to the G-B Council, a body headed by the prime minister himself.
Additionally, the power to issue trekking permits to tourists also fell under the prerogative of the council under Article 33 of the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009.
The G-B Assembly cannot make laws on subjects falling in the domain of the council, which is represented by six nominated parliamentarians from the federal government, and representatives of the federal government are yet to be appointed to the council by the caretaker government.
“The devolution of the federal powers of the Ministry of Tourism has not served its purpose, at least for G-B,” said Secretary Tourism Akhar Hussain Rizvi on Thursday. The secretary was speaking at the end of an Italian-funded refresher course for porters organised by the non-profit association Ev-K2-CNR at a hotel in Gilgit.
“A lack of coordination between provinces and the centre has been the biggest issue since the ministry was abolished.”
Rizvi acknowledged the role the G-B Council had, but maintained it was limited and fell short of the powers afforded to the Ministry of Tourism in the past. “The deteriorating law and order condition aside, the responsibility for the decline of tourism in the province lies with both G-B and the federal government,” he added.
Rizvi claimed plans were being made at the regional level to boost tourism, which used to be an integral part of the area’s economy until a decade ago.
Last year, the G-B Assembly passed a resolution seeking powers to legislate issues pertaining to tourism. However, the centre is yet to approve the delegation of powers described in the resolution.
Gilgit Baltistan Bulletin 