Umar Cheema :- ISLAMABAD: Another year passes without witnessing the passage of the Right to Information (RTI) legislation. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government that promised the world’s best law on transparency has practically backed out of it.

An RTI draft law cleared by the cabinet this year is good for nothing. It will promote the culture of secrecy instead of eliminating it. The passing of this year is rather at a pessimistic note. Transparency initiatives taken in 2014 have been reversed in 2016.

The 2015 had expired amid the promises of enacting the RTI law prepared in 2014 by the Senate Standing Committee on Information. International experts had reviewed this draft and declared it the best legislation in the world only if adopted.

The government dilly-dallied on it by flirting with different ideas to improve it further. The information minister and secretary information held out assurances at different forums that the Senate committee-approved draft would be cleared from the cabinet. Each time they would promise to have done that “in the next cabinet meeting”.

Pakistan thus entered 2016 hoping to see translating dreams into reality. However, the developments followed left no room for optimism. Instead of improving the draft already finalised by the Senate committee and declared the best by the international experts, a cabinet committee was assigned to review it. 

The best law was eventually converted into the worst by this committee and subsequently approved by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the cabinet.

The information being promised through this draft law is already public and anything beyond that has been left on the discretion of bureaucracy to decide how to block ‘in public interest’.

Copy of the draft seen by ‘The News’ indicates that radical alterations have been made in the draft law that was unanimously finalised by the Senate Standing Committee on Information.

The modified version, now approved by the cabinet, has striking resemblance with the good-for-nothing RTI legislation that has been in practice since 2002 when promulgated by Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Experts on the RTI legislations who examined this bill have ranked it among the weakest laws of the world. The Canada-based CLD has g iven it 97 marks, out of 150, in comparison with the Senate Committee’s draft that scored 147 marks from the same organisation.

The Center for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), an Islamabad-based organisation working on RTI, has offered only 86 marks to this cabinet-approved bill and gave a detailed analysis of its shortcomings. Its score for the Senate bill was 145, out of 150.

One of the key measures to check the effectiveness of the RTI law is the measure taken to ensure maximum disclosure of public information.

The government-approved draft has no clearly and narrowly drawn list of the exempted information. Instead, there are three different lists containing categories of information as is in the case of the existing law, making it hard to let the requesters get information by any mean.

The laws in the KP and Punjab, considered fine pieces of legislation, have narrowly defined the exempted information whereas this law drafted for implementation at the federal level has gone to an extent of separately defining ‘public record’ in Section 6, and ‘exclusion of record’ in Section 7 that goes on describing that ‘any other record which the federal government may, in public interest exclude from the purview of this Act, will also be refused.

There are many instances where the requesters have been refused information under the existing law in the name of ‘public interest'.

This is in addition to the lists given in the draft bill of ‘records that can be shared and records that can’t be shared and then certain types of information, if contained in these records, will not be shared.

On the other hand, the draft earlier approved by the Senate committee contained only one clearly and narrowly drawn list of information exempt from disclosure and declared the rest of the information to be made public. The intended objective was to ensure maximum disclosure, a purpose defeated by the government-approved law.

The newly-drafted law doesn’t offer any right to the requester to inspect documents being granted lest he is provided the unwanted details. The Senate committee law had protected the requester’s right to inspect.

Another measure that judges the efficacy of an RTI law is the enforcement mechanism. The draft law though promises an information commission with powers of civil judge to enforce its directives; it is vague about the composition of commission. It says that commissioners would be picked from legal fraternity, civil society activists with knowledge of RTI and bureaucracy.

However, there is no provision to declare whether there will be one from each section of society or all three can be picked from one place, raising suspicions that bureaucrats will be given the task to block information instead of ensuring its provision.

—Originally published in The News (source by: Geo TV)

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to make necessary amendments to certain laws to keep members of proscribed organisations away from contesting elections, a first apparent sign of state acting decisively to bar extremists from electoral politics.

Key decision came weeks after a legislator from Jhang made his way to the provincial assembly despite the fact that his name was in the fourth schedule of 'The Anti Terrorism Act, 1997' — a legal tool that allows the government to catalogue all those suspected in terror activities.

“We have proposed amendments to two acts — ['The ATA, 1997' & 'The People Representations Act, 1976'] — to bar 4th schedulers from contesting elections,” revealed a senior official of Ministry of Interior who’s coordinating with the National Counterterrorism Terrorism Authority (NACTA) on this important issue. 

The proposed amendments came from the country’s top counterterrorism body —Nacta — which expressed deep concerns over the active role of proscribed organisations in electoral politics in certain parts of the country, officials said.

If the government successfully gets these earlier mentioned laws amended then around 8,400 members of proscribed organisations whose names are listed to the fourth schedule under 'The ATA, 1997' would not able to contest any kind of polls, they said on Sunday.

Before taking this decision, the federal government initiated a widespread monetary crackdown on the fourth schedulers allegedly involved in terror financing as part of implementation of the National Action Plan against terrorism and extremism.

Under the laws it’s mandatory for the Nacta to propose the necessary legislation to fight extremists and terrorism in the country, Interior Ministry officials told Geo News/The News on Sunday. 

At present, there is no bar on the 4th schedulers to contest polls and even names of some legislators in previous Parliament were listed to schedule IV, they explained. “We’ve proposed amendments to various sections of 'The ATA, 1997' and 'The People Representation Act, 1976',” a senior official said.

Seeking anonymity, he further revealed that Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali would give final approval for these amendments before we can send the proposed drafts to the Ministry of Law and Justice for the final touch. 

Nacta officials also told Geo TV that they started working on amendments after receiving serious reaction from certain quarters on by-elections held in PP-78 Jhang, where the Election Commission of Pakistan and a superior court allowed Masroor Jhangvi of proscribed Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan/Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat to contest elections.

The Nacta's law wing is working on these amendments, particularly on chapter IX of 'The People Representation Act, 1976' which deals with disqualifications of candidates intending to contest elections either for a Provincial Assembly, National Assembly or the Senate of Pakistan. 

Clause (g) of this act is being considered for amendments like “a person propagating any opinion, or acting in any manner, prejudicial to the Ideology of Pakistan, or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan [whose name was put on 4th schedule under 'The ATA, 1997'], or morality, or the maintenance of public order—which defames or brings into ridicule the judiciary or the Armed Forces of Pakistan---.”

The Nacta also wanted amendments to various sections of 'The ATA, 1997', Section 11 in particular, like “a person commits an offence if he invites support for a prescribed organisation — to support a prescribed organisation — or to be addressed by a person who belongs or professes to belong to a prescribed organisation — a person commit an offence if he addresses a meeting, or delivers a sermon to a religious gathering, by any means whether verbal, written, electronic, digital or otherwise, and the purpose of his address or sermon, is to encourage support for a prescribed organisation or to further its activates.”

The Nacta officials would be consulting the ECP as well for their input on this issue soon after Chaudhry Nisar Ali approves the drafts, officials added. This necessary process could take three to four months, they added.

 —Originally published in The News and source by: Geo Tv

Islamabad (News92world): Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Quetta on Monday morning, where he will be the chief guest at Baloch Recruits passing out parade, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

COAS General Qamar Bajwa will also address officers at Quetta garrison later, ISPR said.

(Source by: Geotv)

Buses are again poised to start evacuations from a rebel-held enclave in the Syrian city of Aleppo under a renewed but fragile deal.

Fighters and civilians had been due to leave on Wednesday, but a ceasefire collapsed. Rebels say a new truce came into effect on Thursday morning.

One convoy of ambulances tried to leave but was shot at, rebel sources said.

Government forces took nearly all remaining rebel-held parts of Aleppo this week after a four-year battle.

Latest updates from Aleppo

Syrian state TV said "4,000 rebels and their families would be evacuated from eastern districts on Thursday", adding that "all the procedures for their evacuation are ready".

A media unit run by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Muslim movement backing the Syrian government, said there had been "big complications" but that "intensive contacts between the responsible parties... led to re-consolidating a ceasefire to exit armed fighters from eastern districts in the next few hours".

Soldiers from Russia - Syria's ally - would lead the rebels out, escorting them along a corridor towards Idlib city on buses and ambulances, with surveillance drones monitoring the situation, a statement from the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, part of Russia's ministry of defence, said.

KARACHI (NEW News) – The arrested terrorist of a banned outfit has made sensational revelations during police investigation. The terrorist was apprehended during a police operation in Mubeena Town area of Karachi.

Arrested terrorist named Shahid alias Shahidu informed police that his 10-member gang used to collect fund to buy weapons for the purpose of target killing in Karachi, New News reported on Wednesday.

He said that his gang collected Rs 450,000 through extortion during Ramazan which was handed over to gang leader Wasi. He also revealed that his gang killed several people in Karachi.

He further informed that three members of his gang were killed in exchange of fire with police.

KARACHI (NEW News) – According to details, Rangers conducted a targeted operation in Baldia Yousuf Goth area of Karachi on Wednesday. Terrorists present in the area opened fire at the Rangers officials. Rangers returned the fire as a result three terrorists of gang war group were killed.

Two Rangers officials were also wounded in the exchange of fire. A Rangers spokesman informed that sophisticated weapons were also recovered from the dead terrorists.

Separately, police arrested three accused during an operation in Shah Faisal Colony. Police sources said that the arrested accused were involved in several cases of street crime.

On the other hand, one person was killed and another wounded in firing incidents in New Karachi and Landhi areas.

SRINAGAR: (NEW News) – Indian army killed yet another Kashmiri youth on Wednesday in a firing incident. Basit Rasool was a B-Tech student. The news of his martyrdom sparked protests throughout the valley once again, reported NEW News.

The occupying Indian forces killed yet another Kashmiri youth today. Protests broke out throughout the valley as the news of Basit’s martyrdom spread like wild fire. The protesters hoisted Pakistani flag in the valley and raised slogans against India.

The martyr was buried wrapped in Pakistan flag. The funeral prayer was attended by thousands of Kashmiris.

Reacting to the brutal murder, Kashmiri people said that the barbarity of the occupying Indian army in killing Basit had reminded them the martyrdom of Burhan Wani once again.

ISLAMABAD (NEW News) – Leader of the Opposition and renowned PPP leader Khurshid Shah has expressed that the masses send their selected members to Parliament and that the Parliament is a sacred place.

He expressed this in while addressing the Parliament session where he let it be known that the every word spoken in this parliament has great importance because the parliament draft a constitution and institutions are formed as a result.PPP leader revealed that despite of being blamed for several reasons, our party played a crucial role in saving the sacred parliament.

Khurshid Shah also commented that the PML-N government is losing its popularity at a faster speed.

During the speech in Parliament session, the Speaker forbade Khurshid Shah from speaking on Panama Leaks as according to his opinion, the matter is still in courts.

In response, Khurshid Shah expressed that the Parliament is supreme and is more sacred than Supreme Court.

Leader of the Opposition expressed his grief over PM terming his speech as political and commented that all this means that politics is a lie.

He expressed that calling PM speech as a political stunt is tantamount to disgracing the Parliament.

Khurshid Shah let it be known that the Parliament has been attacked from inside.

Leader of the Opposition professed that the Chief Justice belongs to the country as a whole and that is why he should not be made controversial.

PPP leader expressed that the prime minister is hiding behind the letter of Qatari prince.

He cleared out that despite all the differences, we joined hands with PML-N at each and every occasion.

ISLAMABAD (NEW) – Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Rizwan Akhter held a farewell meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on Thursday. Lt Gen Rizwan Akhter met the premier in PM House Islamabad. 

Both discussed the internal and external security situation of the country.

Prime Minister admired the services of DG ISI and expressed good wishes for new responsibilities and future.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement announced that Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar was appointed as DG ISI.

He will replace Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar who has been posted as President National Defence University (NDU).

KARACHI (Express News World) – Preparations for funeral prayer of former singer turned Islamic preacher Junaid Jamshed have been completed at Moin Khan Academy in Karachi. The funeral prayer would be held at 2:00 pm today (Thursday) while his burial will be done at Darul  Uloom in Korangi’s Karachi.

Earlier, Junaid Jamshed’s body was taken to Karachi on C-130 while his funeral prayer was offered at Nur Khan Airbase which was also attended by the air chief of Pakistan. Junaid Jamshed was also given guard of honor at the base. 

On December 7, Junaid Jamshed was martyred in Pakistan Airlines International (PIA) PK-661 flight crash that killed 46 other people as well.