Day: February 8, 2022

Lahore, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):The fourth and last week of one-day Distance Learning Training Sessions for Special Courts Judges in Punjab through Webinar has been concluded. During the said week, webinar sessions for Presiding Officers of Consumer Courts and Anti-Corruption Court Judges were conducted.

First session from 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. on the topic “Public Servant, subject matter of Anti-Corruption Proceedings under the relevant law (Section 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947)” was conducted by Hon’ble Mr. Justice (R) Mujahid Mustaqeem.

In the second session from 12:30 – 01:45 p.m. on the topic “Criminal Misconduct (Section 5 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947) and offences of corruption committed by public servant under section 161 to 165-A of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) – Scope and Proceedings under Section 5 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947”, Hon’ble Mr. Justice (R) Rauf Ahmad Sheikh shared his knowledge and experience with the participants. Sessions for Presiding Officers of Consumer Courts (2nd February, 2022), for pictures, click here

First session from 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. on the topic “Concept, Purpose and Function of Consumer Courts – Receipt of Complaint and Procedure under The Punjab Consumers Protection Act, 2005” was conducted by Mr. Fakhar Hayat, District and Sessions Judge (R).

In the second session, Mr. Maroof Ahmad Ali, District and Sessions Judge (R), sensitized the participants on the topic “Jurisdiction and Procedure of the Consumer Courts (Section 27 to 29 of Punjab Consumers Protection Act, 2005)” from 12:30 – 01:45 p.m.

At the conclusion of webinar training program, Mr. Tariq Iftikhar Ahmad, Director Training (Distance Learning) in his concluding remarks thanked all the participants and resource persons. He specifically thanked his lordship Hon’ble Mr. Justice Jawad Hassan for sparing valuable time and sharing knowledge and experience with the webinar attendees.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Judicial Academy (PJA)
15 – Fane Road Lahore
Email: info@pja.gov.pk
PABX.No: 042-99214055-8
Website: https://pja.gov.pk/

Islamabad, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):A one-week training course on “Exploring Concepts in Trial Procedures” for Additional District and Sessions Judges from all over Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir began at the Federal Judicial Academy, Islamabad, on February 11, 2022.

While addressing the training participants in the inaugural ceremony, Director General of the Academy, Mr. Hayat Ali Shah said, “Judges ought to be more leaned, more reverent, and more update which is why the Academy has devised and developed this training course to explore concepts in trial procedures in this globalized world where forms of crimes have also changed among many other things.”

In this batch 29 Additional District and Sessions Judges from all over Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir are undergoing training and they will be imparted training in these areas such as “Critical Thinking”, “Evidence The Judges Perspective,” “Digital Investigation,” “Appeal/ Review/ Revision:

The Conceptual Difference,” “Emotional Intelligence”, “Criminal Trial Procedure” “New Approaches to Judgment Writing,” “Understanding Land Revenue Records,” “Forensic Medicine and Toxicology,” “Use of IT in justice sector”, among others, at the Academy.

For more information, contact:
Federal Judicial Academy (FJA)
Service Road South, Sector H-8/4, Islamabad, Pakistan
PABX Exchange: +92-51-926969-70
Fax: +92-51-9269686
Email: contact@fja.gov.pk
Website: http://www.fja.gov.pk

Multan, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Aligned with the commitment to promote sustainable development equitably across Punjab, a UNDP Pakistan mission led by Resident Representative, Mr. Knut Ostby, met with Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab, Capt. (R) Saqib Zafar to launch District SDGs Profiles and South Punjab SDGs Indicators Reports. These reports are a flagship initiative of UNDP Pakistan’s Punjab SDGs Unit, developed in collaboration with the Planning and Development Department, South Punjab.

The South Punjab SDGs Indicators Report is the first report of its kind providing a regional focus that will help formulate data-driven and evidence-based policies and plans for South Punjab’s regional development. The District SDGs Profiles Report is also an important step in localizing the SDGs Agenda 2030 at the district level and will serve as an important policy guidance tool for district administrations to achieve SDGs within their respective districts.

Speaking on the occasion Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab, Capt. (R) Saqib Zafar said, “The Govt of Punjab has always cherished the friendship with UNDP for SDGs mainstreaming and localization in the province. This strategic partnership between UNDP and South Punjab Secretariat is critical for South Punjab regional development and accomplishing Agenda 2030 across Punjab. The two reports on District SDGs profiles and South Punjab SDGs indicators are the beginning of a new regime in South Punjab with evidence-based policymaking and informed development interventions.”

The launch event provided an opportunity for the leadership to discuss the social, economic, and environmental development challenges of the area, underscoring the role of South Punjab development as a strategic priority for the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the region.

The participants also deliberated on existing development priorities, ongoing interventions, and future collaborations between UNDP and the South Punjab Secretariat to reduce long-standing regional disparities and develop an equitable model of development as part of the Leave No One Behind approach of SDGs.

“UNDP is providing technical support and strategic partnership to South Punjab to reduce regional inequalities. We are working together for the effective localization of Sustainable Development Goals to leave no one behind.

The Punjab SDGs Unit, in collaboration with the P and D Department Punjab, has computed over 40 indicators to fill data gaps with a regional focus on South Punjab. District SDGs profiles will provide a snapshot of the performance of each district to ensure evidence-based policymaking and sustainable development in South Punjab,” said Mr. Knut Ostby, Resident Representative, and UNDP Pakistan.

Other notable participants included Ms. Ammara Durrani, Assistant Resident Representative, Development Policy Unit, UNDP Pakistan; Mr. Shoeb Iqbal Syed, Secretary P and D South Punjab; Mr. Umer Akhlaq Malik, Policy Analyst, Development Policy Unit, UNDP Pakistan; Mr. Muhammad Rashid, Assistant Chief Policy and Reform; and Ms. Maheen Rashid, OIC/Economic Policy Analyst, Punjab SDGs Unit.

South Punjab’s comprehensive regional development is central to UNDP Pakistan’s Punjab SDGs Unit’s work, which has been closely collaborating with South Punjab’s Secretariat to gauge the need for evidence and analysis for South Punjab’s decision-making process.

Other significant ongoing initiatives of the Punjab SDGs Unit include socio-economic baseline profiling of South Punjab; formulation of district SDGs localization plans for Multan, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan; impact assessment of the Violence against Women Center Multan; and policy support to P and D department, aimed to ensure inclusive and equitable development in South Punjab, to Leave No One Behind.

For more information, contact:
Communications Analyst
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan
4th Floor, Serena Office Complex,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8355650
Cell: +92300 535 8225
Fax: +92-51-2655014-15
Email: fatimah.inayet@undp.org
Website: http://www.undp.org.pk

Karachi, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Although the worsening climate crisis threatens and affects all humanity, climate change impacts are not gender or wealth neutral but have deeper sociological repercussions too. Given existing gender inequalities resulting from gender discrimination, women remain the worst affected during any type of climate-induced disaster.

In Pakistan, during the floods of 2010, a total of 713,000 women aged between 15-49, and 133,000 pregnant women, were reportedly affected. Reports from the time show that over 70 percent of those displaced by flooding in Pakistan in 2010 were women and children.

To understand this disadvantage of women, reduce the vulnerabilities of climate-stressed women, and solicit potential feedback, UNDP Pakistan through its Sindh SDGs Support Unit, in collaboration with the National Commission on the Status of Women, organized a Provincial consultation with stakeholders on ‘Women and Climate Change: Impact, Challenges, and Solutions’.

This theme is aligned with the upcoming 66th session of the Global Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is ‘Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies, and programmes”. Earlier on, similar consultations were held in Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the same theme.

The consultation provided a platform to engage highly experienced gender and climate change experts, policy practitioners, representatives from the Government, private sector, civil society, academia, and media to discuss how climate change impacts women adversely, and highlight existing mechanisms to reduce these vulnerabilities. It also provided a platform to explore potential solutions to reduce vulnerabilities of climate-stressed women and other marginalized populations.

Speaking on the occasion Chairperson, National Commission on the Status of Women, Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar said, “As per a UN report, 80% of displaced people in disasters are women. Bu the women of Pakistan are also its greatest resource, and the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan must build upon and utilize this great human potential, and prepare plans and policies which focus on Pakistan’s women at the grassroots level.”

“Pakistan has consistently ranked among the top ten most vulnerable countries in the world owing to poor resilience mechanisms and exposure of disadvantaged groups to extreme weather events. Thereby, at UNDP, we are committed to ensuring that women’s priorities and needs are reflected in climate change planning and funding.” said Dr. Sabeeh Zaidi, Head of the Management Support Unit, UNDP Pakistan.

Sindh is regarded as a hotspot for climate impacts in Pakistan. The heatwave in Karachi in 2015 caused up to 1500 recorded deaths in the city, and 200 in other cities in Sindh. The floods of 2011 also resulted in an estimated 434 deaths with 5.3 million people being affected.

The rising sea levels have not only intensified damage caused by flooding in the province, but have also washed away livelihood opportunities by encroaching on agricultural land and disrupting breeding conditions in local fisheries. Given the fact that women have limited access to land, assets, and financial resources, they are more likely to have greater vulnerability to climate change as compared to men, even with the same degree of exposure.

This substantiates the need to address and revaluate national and provincial policy frameworks incorporating gender-responsive planning, and to ensure gender equity in design, procedures, budgeting, and outcomes, to avoid women’s exacerbated vulnerabilities to climate change impact.

Dr. Shabnum Sarfaraz, Member, Social Sector and Devolution at the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, explored this in greater detail at the consultation. She presented the government’s gender responsive policy and planning framework, and asked the session participants to ideate recommendations to improve policies, procedures, implementation, and outcomes for women impacted by climate stress.

Other notable speakers and participants at the consultation included Mr. Arif Anwar Baloch, Secretary NCSW; Mr. Faisal Uqaili, Secretary Planning, Planning and Development Department, Government of Sindh; Sindh members of the NCSW; and senior representatives of civil society organizations, government departments, the private sector, academia, and media.

The findings of this provincial consultation, and the feedback received from other relevant stakeholders at the country-wide dialogues, will be presented at the 66th session of the Global Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2022 in New York.

For more information, contact:
Communications Analyst
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan
4th Floor, Serena Office Complex,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8355650
Cell: +92300 535 8225
Fax: +92-51-2655014-15
Email: fatimah.inayet@undp.org
Website: http://www.undp.org.pk

Islamabad, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Capital police, during a drive against anti-social elements and drug mafia, held 13 criminals and narcotics sellers, informed a police spokesman on Monday. He said that, following directions of IGP Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younas, a massive anti-drug campaign had been launched in the city to curb the menace.

Following these directions, a police team under supervision of SP City Kamran Aamir Khan headed by SHO Kohsar and officials raided and arrested a notorious drug-peddler identified as Malik Tahir alias Billo and recovered 1200 gram hashish from him. He was also involved in 08 cases of drug supplying.

Kohsar police also arrested an accused Shahzad and recovered one 9MM pistol along with ammunition. Likewise, Ramna police team arrested a drug-peddler identified as David Nonsochukw iroanya and recovered 10 bottles wine and 20 tin beer from him.

Golra police arrested 03 accused namely Ghulam Murtaza, Abdul Qayyum and Tassaduq Mehmood and recovered four pistols along with ammunition from their possession. Tarnol police arrested accused Abdul Wahab and recovered one 9mm pistol along with ammunition from him.

Sabzi Mandi police arrested a drug peddler namely Abdul Waheed and recovered 380 gram hashish from him. Moreover, a Khanna police team arrested a drug-peddler identified as Meraj Ali and recovered 1050 gram hashish from him. Koral police arrested accused Muhammad Nadeem and recovered one 30 bore pistol along with ammunition from him.

Secretariat police arrested 03 accused namely Zaheer Ahmed, Nazakat and Lal Wazir and recovered one 223 gun, one 12 bore, one 9MM pistol along with ammunition and 113 gram heroin from their possession. Cases have been registered against the accused and investigation is underway.

IGP Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younas has appreciated the police performance and further directed to intensify this crackdown in the whole city. “No one would be allowed to play with the precious lives of the citizens, ” he added. The IGP emphasized that citizens should also take part in this noble cause and inform any suspicious activity. “It’s our collective responsibility to curb this social evil from the city” the IGP informed.

For more information, contact:
Islamabad Police
Data centre H-11, Admin Block,
Police Head Quarter, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9258371 Ext (160)
Fax: +92-51-4443180
Email: webmaster@islamabadpolice.gov.pk
Website: https://islamabadpolice.gov.pk

Lahore, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan has said that action should be taken against criminal elements for the solution of public problems and establishment of law and order in the province. Officers and personnel will be removed from field postings who do not take interest in resolution of public problems.

He further said that strict action would be taken against those who do not register FIR and delay it without any reason and ACR of officers who do not do good work would not be written well. He said that the work of the police is not over till the culprit is convicted so officers should open cases under investigation for many years and resolve pending cases with personal interest.

He directed to intensify crackdown on criminals across the province and said that negligence in arrest of proclaimed offenders and court absconders would not be tolerated under any circumstances. He said that it was the primary responsibility of the supervisory officers to self-monitor such high-profile cases and to achieve results by removing obstacles in the investigation process using the latest technology.

“The young generation is our future and our mission is to save them from the scourge of drugs, so adopt zero tolerance in the campaign against drug dealers,” he added. He directed that the sale and purchase of drugs especially ice (meth) sheesha, hashish and other modern drugs in educational institutions should be strictly stopped and take strict actions against elements involved in this smuggling.

He directed the supervisory officers to pay special attention to prevention of vehicle and motorcycle theft, cattle theft and street crime and to expedite intelligence-based operations by identifying crime pockets. He said that patrolling in such areas should be further enhanced.

He further said that indiscriminate operation should be carried out against the mafias grabbing public and private properties. He emphasised upon taking stern legal action against unregistered arms dealers and illegal arms holders in all the districts. He said that night patrolling should be increased and monitoring should be done through tracking of patrolling vehicles. He expressed these views while addressing to RPOs video link conference at Central Police is.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Police
Punjab Police Computer Bureau,
5th Floor, Central Police Office (CPO),
Punjab, Lahore
Tel: +92-42-99213019, +92-42-99213013
Fax: +92-42-99213012
Email: sapcb@punjabpolice.gov.pk
Website: www.punjabpolice.gov.pk

Lahore, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Inspector General of Police Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan has said that preferential measures should be taken against kite flying, one wheeling and aerial firing in all districts of the province. He directed RPOs and DPOs to take action on daily basis against the manufacture, sale and use of metal strings and kites.

Rao Sardar Ali Khan said that accused of one-wheeling and aerial firing do not deserve any sympathy and strict legal action should be taken against such accused under an effective strategy. IG Punjab said that special attention should be paid to kite-flyers at night in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and other major cities and also wreak massive crackdown against those selling kites and metallic strings online across the province.

He said that parents should keep an eye on their children’s activities and not allow them to be a part of illegal activities while citizens should immediately report 15 about cases of one-wheeling, aerial firing and kite-flying.

Punjab Police Spokesperson said, in all the districts of the province, on the direction of IG Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan, Punjab Police has taken action against one-wheeling, aerial firing and kite-flying. 1319 cases have been registered against the perpetrators of one wheeling, aerial firing and kite flying in the first month of current year while 1341 persons have been detained.

Punjab police spokesperson said that 255 cases were registered against one-wheelers in January while 278 people were arrested. 471 cases were registered against aerial firing across the province and 438 persons were arrested. Similarly, 593 cases were registered against kite sellers and kite-flyers while 625 persons were arrested.

Spokesperson Punjab Police said that a total of 543 cases were registered against one-wheeling, aerial firing and kite-flying in Lahore and 539 persons were arrested out of which 179 cases of one-wheeling and 183 persons were arrested.

199 cases against aerial firing were registered in Lahore and 190 persons were arrested. Likewise, 165 cases were registered against kite sellers and kite-flyers and 166 accused were arrested. Spokesperson Punjab Police said that preferential operations would be continued against those involved in dangerous sports like one wheeling, aerial firing and kite flying.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Police
Punjab Police Computer Bureau,
5th Floor, Central Police Office (CPO),
Punjab, Lahore
Tel: +92-42-99213019, +92-42-99213013
Fax: +92-42-99213012
Email: sapcb@punjabpolice.gov.pk
Website: www.punjabpolice.gov.pk

Lahore, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Inspector General of Police Punjab has said that incidents of violence, harassment and abuse against women and children are not acceptable under any circumstances. Legal action should be taken against the accused involved in such incidents under zero tolerance. He said that DIG Investigation Lahore should keep in close touch with the abused girl under the pretext of job and ensure provision of justice to the victim girl on priority basis.

Punjab Police spokesman said that immediate action was taken on the incident of alleged gang rape of a girl under the pretext of a job in Gulberg Lahore. He said that in the incident that took place last week, the police team had arrested two main accused.

The arrested accused include Ramzan and Waleed while raids are underway for the arrest of the third accused. A spokesman for the Punjab Police said that as soon as the incident was reported, the police registered a case and ensured immediate arrest of the accused and the investigation is being completed as soon as possible and the accused will be punished.

Besides, IG Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan also took notice of the incident in which a couple was shot dead in Nankana. IG Punjab sought report of the incident from RPO Sheikhupura. IG Punjab directed DPO Nankana to reach the spot immediately and said that search operation should be carried out by forming teams to arrest the accused and get them punished severely.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Police
Punjab Police Computer Bureau,
5th Floor, Central Police Office (CPO),
Punjab, Lahore
Tel: +92-42-99213019, +92-42-99213013
Fax: +92-42-99213012
Email: sapcb@punjabpolice.gov.pk
Website: www.punjabpolice.gov.pk