New nikahnama law makes medical checkup compulsory

Source: Express Tribune

July 08, 2010

The Punjab Government made eight amendments to the nikahnama Law

A circular was issued by the Local Government and Community Development Department and sent to all DCOs in Punjab, describing the Punjab specific amendments. The new amendments make it necessary for both the bride and bridegroom to undergo a blood test, which is made compulsory to prevent disabled and handicapped births.

The amendments also make it mandatory for parents/guardians of both bride and bridegroom to sign the nikahnama document as witnesses. Mention of the bride and bridegroom’s date-of-birth has also been declared binding.

Link : http://tribune.com.pk/story/26497/new-nikkahnama-law-makes-medical-checkup-compulsory/

 

Education, health to get bulk of US aid: PM

Source: Express Tribune

Dated: July 09, 2010

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said the bulk of the aid money Pakistan is to receive from the US under the Kerry-Lugar Act would be spent for the development of social sector like education and health.

Chairing a meeting here on Thursday, Gilani directed the authorities concerned not to ‘lose sight of the welfare and benefits to the people at large’.

Pakistan has been promised $1.5 billion every year for coming half a decade under the act that was initially criticized by the political opposition and the powerful military. But the government managed to cool tempers later.

The premier said the government considers social sector development as its top priority. “It is a significant area requiring concerted efforts and appropriate allocations both through our own sources as well as assistance from friendly countries,” he added. The national education policy, the prime minister said, comprehensively covers various aspects, which would help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The health policy and women empowerment initiatives, he stressed, also have to be holistic to meet the growing needs of the society.

For more details: http://tribune.com.pk/story/26599/education-health-to-get-bulk-of-us-aid-pm/

 

 

IMPLEMENTATION OF ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAW

Source: The News
Dated: July 06, 2010

40 federal ministries, departments form committees

Showing steady progress in effective implementation of anti-sexual harassment law, around 40 federal ministries and departments have formed committees to deal with harassment cases and have complied and incorporated the code of conduct into their policies.

The information was shared with the media persons at a press conference organised by the Implementation Watch Committee that met for the first time after its constitution under the platform of National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW). The committee was established by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani with an aim to facilitate, monitor and oversee the implementation process of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 in the country.

For more details please visit website:http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=249130

Factory preparing fake beverages sealed

Source: The News

Date: July 05, 2010

District Health Department has sealed another factory preparing, packing and selling fake clod drinks of known brands, which are being supplied to different markets of Rawalpindi.

A team of District Health Department in a joint operation with police sealed the factory in Jamilabad, Taxila, on Saturday and took into custody hundreds of bottles of 1.5 litres filled with fake clod drinks of renowned brands. During past four weeks, it is second factory that the team of District Health Department has sealed for preparing fake drinks.

The team headed by District Food Inspector Rana Ghulam Murtaza comprising Sanitary Patrols Riasat Ali, Muhammad Abbas and Sajid Mehmood stayed in Taxila Friday night to collect information about the factory and raided it Saturday afternoon. The police arrested owners of the factory including Muhammad Jehangir, Shaukat, Zahid Jehangir and Qasim and lodged FIR against the accused under sections 420, 468, 471, 482, 483, 485, 272, 273 and 278 PPC and 23-1-C of Pure Food Ordinance 1960.

Ghulam Murtaza told ‘The News’ Sunday that the factory was preparing fake drinks in highly unhygienic conditions posing a serious threat to public health. “We have taken into custody the bottles filled with fake drinks along with filling machine, gas cylinder and a pump machine for filling water into bottles,” he said and added that the factory was using chemicals for preparing these fake clod drinks.

Ghulam Murtaza said that his team raided the factory on the directives of District Health Officer Dr. Khalid Randhawa, who first received information about the malpractice. To a query, Ghulam Murtaza said that the factory had been supplying fake brands in different markets of Rawalpindi for many months. He, however, admitted that many other such factories are also operating business of fake drinks in the town. “We are busy gathering information about them and soon we will launch an effective operation against the factories selling fake drinks,” he claimed.

Link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=248903

 

 

Focusing on the primary

The following article  "Focusing on the primary" by Aziz Ali Dad , source “The News July 03, 2010"

In Pakistan we are always bogged down in secondary issues, because we ignore the basic questions of which of these issues are merely by-products of the primary one. That is why we are constantly entangled in futile discourses and hair-splitting arguments which lead to no conclusions. The controversy surrounding the appointment of Maulana Sherani, a rural cleric from Balochistan who is said to possess no academic qualifications, as chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology, is a case in point.
After the establishment of Pakistan, the religious right succeeded in pushing progressive forces into a position where they have to confront their opponents on secondary issues. The primary question is: should the Council of Islamic Ideology be there, in the first place? Established in 1962, the council is entrusted with the task of advising government and legislative bodies on laws that are arguably repugnant to Islam. This has given the council an overriding status, the right to issue rulings on decisions of sovereign institution, including parliament.

For more details: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=248577

 

1,300 juveniles in jails: report

Source: Dawn News

Dated: 02 Jul, 2010

ISLAMABAD, July 1: Pakistani jails hold at least 1,300 juvenile prisoners and an up to 10,000 children are facing criminal litigation and appearing in courts.
These statistics come from a report launched by the Society for Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) here Thursday on the 10th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO).

According to the report, there were 1,357 juvenile prisoners in jails in December 2009, and the number dropped to 1,300 by the end June.

Speaking at the report launch, National Manager Juvenile Justice Abdullah Khoso said the noticeable decline in the number of juvenile prisoners was an achievement of the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance, which was promulgated in 2000 when the figure was anything over 5,000.

“Sparc commemorates 10 years of the JJSO in the hope that this figure will further decline and there will come a time when children will not be detained

in cells, at least not for petty crimes,” Khoso noted.

For more details: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/islamabad/1,300-juveniles-in-jails-report-270

 

 

Chicken waste being used to prepare protein & soap

Source: The News

Date: July 01, 2010

Health department looking into legal aspects

There are factories in town preparing protein and an oil to be used in soap industry from chicken waste including chicken’s intestines and wings, however the District Health Department is not clear as yet on whether the business is legal or not.

‘The News’ has learnt that a number of parties in town purchase chicken waste from poultry shops located in town on daily basis. The chicken waste is transported to factories in different areas of the district in the night where protein is prepared from the waste. The protein being used from chicken waste is used in poultry feed to be consumed by chickens in poultry farms.

The factories are also preparing oil from the chicken waste which is used in preparing a type of soap to be used for washing kitchen utensils.

“We are working on checking legality of the business,” said District Food Inspector (DFI) Rana Ghulam Murtaza while confirmed to ‘The News’ here on Wednesday that factories in different areas of town prepare protein and oil from the chicken waste.

On Tuesday, a District Health Department’s team under supervision of the DFI inspected a factory, Sheikh Poultry and Oil, located in Rawat Industrial Area, which has been preparing protein and oil from the chicken waste. “We witnessed there at the factory that chicken waste is heated up in huge cookers to extract protein and oil from it.”

For more details: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=248166