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Recent Appearances... Rantburg

India-Pakistan
‘A live person can be hanged but not a dead body under the law of the land’
2019-12-20
[TWITTER]
But aren't they the same thing after you're done hanging them? Just asking...
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India-Pakistan
Pakistan Seeks Removal of Judge for Ordering Public Hanging of Musharraf
2019-12-19
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's government announced Thursday that it was seeking to disqualify the head of a three-judge panel that ruled that the corpse of convicted former dictator Pervez Musharraf should be "hanged for three days" outside Parliament if he died before his execution.

In its unprecedented short order announced this week, the special court issued a death sentence to the former military ruler for high treason for subverting the country's constitution in 2007. Musharraf, 76, has been living in self-imposed exile since 2016 and is undergoing medical treatment in a Dubai hospital. Avoiding gaol basically.

The court has directed law enforcement officials to arrest the "fugitive-convict" to ensure the death sentence is carried out. But "if found dead, corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad, Pakistan, and be hanged for 03 days," the ruling said, referring to a place just outside the national Parliament.

Top government officials told a hurriedly called news conference Thursday evening that they had decided to initiate legal proceedings against Judge Waqar Ahmad Seth for issuing a "despicable order" that they said was in violation of the constitution.

"Our plea is that such a judge has got no authority to be a judge of any high court or the Supreme Court ... . [H]e must immediately be stopped from performing his official duties," said Pakistani Law Minister Farogh Naseem. This statement is honestly a beaut. I wish we could use it for so many others.

Neither the constitution nor Islam allows public hangings, the minister said.

Prominent Supreme Court attorney Aitzaz Ahsan compared the special court's ruling with the harsh Islamic justice of the radical Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan in the late 1990s, where public hangings and executions were common.

The rest of it's at VOA... but this is enough.
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India-Pakistan
'Shameful': Legal fraternity condemns violent protest by lawyers in Lahore
2019-12-12
[DAWN] As the protest by lawyers outside Lahore's Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
Institute of Cardiology (PIC) on Wednesday took an ugly turn, members of the legal fraternity slammed those protesters who resorted to violence.

PPP leader and senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, while talking to the media, said that the violence was "shameful and should be condemned".

"Many of them will be candidates for the January election coming up. They want to become prominent. These people should not be allowed to even contest the elections. These lawyers are destroying the reputation of all lawyers. My head is bowed with shame," he said.

"They have attacked a hospital. For black coats to break the glasses and enter wards ‐ this should never happen. Everyone who took part in this should not be voted for."

Some members of the legal fraternity took to Twitter to express their concern and called for action to be taken against the lawyers for attacking a hospital.

Lawyer Babar Sattar called the violence "abhorrent" and pointed out that "it isn't the first such incident". He said that the bar leaders should call for the cancellation of the licences of the lawyers involved.
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India-Pakistan
Justice delayed is justice denied
2019-03-07
[DAILYTIMES.PK] It has now been 17 years since Mukhtaran Mai survived a brutal panchayat-ordered gang rape. Despite the astounding amount of time that has passed and the grizzly nature of the crime, she still hasn’t been able to get justice. It is no wonder that she showed more faith in God than anything elsewhile speaking to Daily Times regarding the Supreme Court’s recent adjournment of her case. Forced to run from pillar to post to receive justice, Mai’s only real ally at this point seems to be her attorney Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, who is representing her pro bono.

Eight of the 14 men Mai accused of being involved in the rape continue to be on the lam. They continue to use legal loopholes in the Pak justice system to evade justice. On the case’s last hearing this past Wednesday, they showed up to the court without any legal representation, forcing the presiding judge to adjourn the case until March 27. It is unfortunate that these men have been given a rather long reprieve once again. What makes matters worse is that this is a country where members of the judiciary in the past have been seen jumping past all legal hurdles to order the construction of mega infrastructure projects etc., but a high profile rape case has taken ages to reach its logical conclusion. What causes more anguish to the victim is that the Lahore High Court had previously acquitted six of the previously convicted accused.

The Pak justice system must now prove that it is able to protect women from such brutal crimes. Apart from this, it must also prove that it is able to crack down on the parallel systems of justice that order such heinous sentences. Mai’s case must not face any more delays. The case must be expedited so justice can be served and seen to be served, once and for all.
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India-Pakistan
PTI's Dr Arif Alvi elected 13th President of Pakistan
2018-09-05
[DAWN] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
's (PTI) Dr Arifur Rehman Alvi has been elected the 13th President of Pakistain, according to results provided by the Election Commission of Pakistain.

Alvi, who is now set to succeed the outgoing President Mamnoon Hussain, edged out PML-N backed chief of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Fazlur Rehman and senior PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan in the presidential race by garnering more votes than both his rivals combined.

The ECP, in a blurb, said that a total of 1,110 voters participated in the presidential polls held simultaneously at the Parliament House and the four provincial assembles today. Of the total votes cast, 27 votes were declared invalid.

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India-Pakistan
'We are ready for presidential battle': Mullah Diesel
2018-09-03
[DAWN] Joint opposition's presidential candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
 on Sunday declared that he is "ready for presidential battle" even if his attempts to convince PPP to withdraw their candidate Aitzaz Ahsan in his favour made little headway.

Rehman, following a meeting with PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif
...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab...
 in Lahore, delivered a media talk and made a last-ditch effort to convince PPP supremo Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari
... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto
... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in...
, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in ...
 to back him in the presidential election, set to be held in less than 48 hours on Tuesday.

"For my withdrawal, I will have to take into confidence five parties," said the JUI chief, whose party is one-fifth of the Muttahida Majlis‐e‐Amal (MMA) ‐ a religiopolitical alliance.

"For PPP it is easier to withdraw its candidate," he added in response to PPP leader Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira's call for Rehman to withdraw his candidacy earlier in the day.

While there have been little signs that the impasse between the joint opposition and PPP could be thawed prior to Tuesday's poll, Rehman is not giving up on the challenge. "We are trying to have the PPP accept the joint opposition's decision and back a single candidate; Asif Ali Zardari and Aitzaz Ahsan are good friends of mine."

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India-Pakistan
Aitzaz Ahsan hopeful of winning presidential election with 'vote of conscience'
2018-08-30
[DAWN] PPP stalwart and candidate for the presidential election Aitzaz Ahsan on Wednesday expressed hope that he would win the Sept 4 contest with the help of "votes of conscience".

Talking to media outside the Election Commission of Pakistain (ECP) after acceptance of his nomination papers for the upcoming presidential elections, Aitzaz said, "The Constitution only binds a politician to vote as per party policy when it comes to voting on the budget, a constitutional amendment, or the election of the prime minister and chief ministers."

"The presidential election is a vote of conscience," he asserted, saying politicians are bound to vote for him based on what their conscience tells them.

He expressed hope that members of the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
 (PTI) as well as Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...the political wing of the Pak Taliban...
-Fazal (JUI-F) would therefore cast their votes in his favour.

The PPP leader also said he hoped that JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman would withdraw in his favour.
Fazl withdraw? What'll you give him?
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India-Pakistan
Mullah Diesel still hopeful Mister Ten Percent 'would reconsider', back him in presidential election
2018-08-28
[DAWN] Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...the political wing of the Pak Taliban...
-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman on Monday expressed hope that PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari
... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto
... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in...
, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in ...
 would reconsider his decision and have his party vote for him in the September 4 presidential election, despite the impasse and tension between the two main opposition parties.

Soon after senior PPP leaders blamed the PML-N and the media for the growing fissures within the opposition 'alliance', and seemed all but resigned to not reaching a consensus over a presidential candidate, Rehman ‐ the opposition's presidential nominee ‐ said he would try and convince Zardari to back him.

"The PPP did not vote in the prime minister's elections, which resulted in Imran Khan
... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems...
 becoming the PM by four votes," Rehman said in a presser in Islamabad. "The act of dividing up the opposition is not popular in the public.

"It will be our effort to take him (Zardari) in confidence and convince him to reconsider his decision so that a joint candidate could contest."

The JUI leader said he "would like to meet Zardari today" to convince him to withdraw PPP nominee Aitzaz Ahsan's candidacy in his favour.

Rehman said the he and PML-N both "wanted the opposition's prime minister candidate to be from the PPP.

"However,
a woman is only as old as she admits...
 the PPP people themselves said that the PM candidate should be from the PML-N. When a consensus was reached, then [the PPP] decided not to vote, which dispersed the opposition, and turned our hope ‐ our decision to go into the parliament and turn the tables ‐ into disappointment and despair."

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India-Pakistan
Aitzaz, Fazl (of all people) emerge as opposition's nominees for president after consensus eludes alliance
2018-08-28
[DAWN] With the grand opposition alliance failing to reach consensus on a single nominee, the PPP's Aitzaz Ahsan and Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...a Pak religious party. It is usually part of the govt, never part of the solution...
 (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
 on Monday emerged as the two candidates challenging Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
 (PTI) candidate Dr Arif Alvi's bid for the head of state's office in the September 4 election.

The failure of the opposition parties to field a joint candidate is expected to provide a virtual walkover to Dr Alvi, an MNA from Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
Ahsan, Alvi and Fazl filed their papers for the election before the 12-noon deadline on Monday.

Fazl, who had suffered humiliating defeat on both seats he contested in the July 25 elections, was thrown another lifeline as the 'single nominee' of the opposition parties (except the PPP).

The JUI-F chief has submitted his nomination papers as a candidate fielded by the PML-N, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Awami National Party
founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986. Part of the PPP-led cabinet 2008-13. The ANP is considered left wing, advocating for secularism, democratic socialism, public sector government, and economic egalitarianism....
, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and National Party.

PML-N leader Ameer Muqam will be Fazl's covering candidate.

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India-Pakistan
Zardari secures protective bail in fake accounts case
2018-08-19
[DAWN] Former president Asif Ali Zardari was on Saturday granted two weeks' protective bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), a day after a banking court had issued arrest warrants against his name.

The PPP co-chairman secured bail in a Rs4.14 billion money laundering case by depositing surety bonds worth Rs500,000. His plea, filed earlier today, was heard by Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb.

During the hearing, Zardari's lawyer, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, said his client wished to appear before the banking court and cooperate with the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) investigation, but feared arrest.

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India-Pakistan
Attack on schools
2018-08-06
[DAWN] AN assault on education, particularly girls’ education, brings back some of the most terrible memories of Pakistain’s fight against extremism.

Early Friday morning, at least 13 government and private schools in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district were vandalised; several were set on fire. Most of them were girls’ schools, including one which has been attacked five times since 2004.

Fortunately, there was no one present on the premises at the time. According to law enforcement, preliminary investigations indicate that the perpetrators were not associated with any hard boy group but locals opposed to girls’ education.

It is therefore some consolation that a good number of other locals in the area hold very different views: members of political parties, student groups and local organizations came out in droves to hold protest demonstrations, shouting slogans against extremism and demanding that the culprits be severely punished.

Deliberate, wilful attacks on schools in any setting ‐ and by definition, on education itself ‐ are worthy of condemnation in the strongest terms, but they have a particularly symbolic significance in the context of Pakistain’s recent history.

They are associated with some of its worst tragedies, and also its most enduring acts of bravery. In fact, a campaign of intimidation against girls’ education from 2008 onwards was among the initial indications of the TTP’s increasing hold over Swat
...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat...
Valley, when it started asserting itself outside Fata.

In early 2009, the terrorist group ordered a complete ban on girls’ education. Resistance to these ominous developments coalesced in the form of young Malala Yousafzai
...a Pashtun blogger and advocate for girls' education from Mingora, in Swat. She is esteemed as an ambassador of international good will, even though she can't go home lest some fellow in a turban shoots her in the head again...
, whose bravery very nearly got her killed by the TTP, and who went on to become an international icon for the right of girls to education.

In early 2014, 15-year-old Aitzaz Hasan gave his life while preventing a jacket wallah from attacking his school in Hangu, KP.

Later that year, on Dec 16, a group of TTP Lions of Islam targeted the Army Public School, Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
, and slaughtered 132 students and 17 staffers in one of the country’s deadliest acts of terrorism.

Hundreds of schools, mostly for girls, have been bombed by Lions of Islam during the last decade or so.

Opposition to girls’ education is a trait common to violent bad boy organizations, and Friday’s attack in Diamer is evidence that a similar mindset continues to prevail in parts of the country; indeed, the district has long been known as a hotbed of radical and sectarian groups.

The authorities must act swiftly to find the perpetrators before their actions embolden others to once again make the obliteration of girls’ schools the centrepiece of an obscurantist agenda.

Literacy rates in Diamer are abysmal and in terms of education indices, it ranks among the 10 lowest-ranking districts in Pakistain.

Fortunately though, it seems many of its residents are prepared to fight for the right of their girls to go to school. The state must not let them down.

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India-Pakistan
31 killed in suicide blast outside Quetta polling station
2018-07-26
[DAWN] At least 31 people have been killed and more than 30 injured in a suicide kaboom outside a polling station in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area on Wednesday, officials said.

Police officials and civilians both are among the dead. Eight of the maimed are at death's door.

A statement issued by Quetta police said a jacket wallah went kaboom! after he was stopped from entering the Tameer-e-Nau Education Complex school, which is serving as a polling station. Earlier reports had said the target of the blast was a police van.

"(The bomber) was trying to enter the polling station. When police tried to stop him he went kaboom!," a local administration official in Quetta, Hashim Ghilzai, told AFP. Police officials rushed to the site and launched a probe into the blast.

The kaboom occurred outside the school in Quetta's 'sensitive' NA-260 constituency where polling was taking place. A number of murder incidents and bombings have taken place in this area over the last 15 years.

The blast has left 31 people dead and more than two dozen people injured, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) CTD Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said quoting the latest figures.

A station house officer (SHO) injured in the attack is in a critical condition, DawnNewsTV reported. An emergency has been imposed at the Civil Hospital.

Polling was halted at the school after the blast, but it resumed after a few hours.
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