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India-Pakistan

Curbing power theft through edicts: Clerics criticize Pakistani government move

2018-10-10

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The newly elected government in Pakistain has invited ire from religious quarters for a peculiar reason. The government has suggested exemption of 400 units of electric power per month to mosques where prayer leaders issue edict declaring power theft as forbidden [haram] in Islam and run a campaign in Friday sermons against power theft. The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... has come out with the novel idea to rid the country of the problem of power pilferage, which is particularly rife in the insurgency-hit tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and the rural areas in the other three provinces, causing huge revenue losses. Though the offer is not yet implemented, it has drawn strong criticism especially from Islamic scholars who dubbed it an "open bribe" to prayer leaders. "It is shameful that the government which came to power chanting slogans of making the country run like state of Medina, is now offering bribe to Ulema for petty causes which could have been resolved through technical means and improving management," said Mufti Mohammad Naeem, head of Jamia Binnoria. Dr. Allama Mufti Raghib Hussain Naeemi, member of Council of Islamic Ideology and head of Jamia Naeemia Lahore, said: "Rulers must stop dragging Ulema for achieving political and administrative aims. Crimes can’t be controlled through edicts." He was of the view that the menace of terrorism did not stop despite Islamic scholars using their platform to issue edicts against it.

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India-Pakistan

Candid camera

2013-02-08

[Dawn] IMAGES of last week's brutal slaying in 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... of holy men belonging to Jamia Binnoria, caught by security cameras, are still fresh in the mind. Though the footage was recorded by cameras installed at a marriage hall near the scene of the crime, the incident has raised legitimate questions about the effectiveness of closed circuit television camera networks, particularly the official networks on which public money has been spent. Two such CCTV networks exist in the metropolis; one run by the city government and the other belonging to the police, which has not yet been 'officially' launched. But these as well as cameras installed at private facilities such as banks have failed to help in reducing crime, even though in many instances the faces of the culprits are clearly visible on camera. What is the utility of having a CCTV network if it is not used to identify and track down criminals? Such footage practically becomes excellent prime-time viewing, with the electronic media using it to draw more viewers. Surely there is a more constructive use for security cameras. CCTV footage can play an integral role in beating crime and terrorism. The London tube and bus bombings of 2005, after which Sherlocks sifted through extensive footage to zero in on the perpetrators, are a prime example of how to use the technology. But far from the potential of this technology being put to efficient use in a country that desperately needs effective crime detection, quite often it turns out that cameras that could have recorded footage are not even in working order. Now that the money has already been spent, the existing CCTV network in Bloody Karachi needs to be put to some good use by developing a comprehensive and integrated database. Further, no more money ought to be spent on them until law enforcement authorities come up with some data on how useful they have been. Not just in Bloody Karachi but to a lesser extent in some other urban centres too, law enforcement personnel tout CCTV networks as an important crime fighting measure. But are they actually any good? The public needs to be told.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Holy Man Plugged in Karachi

2005-06-24

Mufti Atiqur Rahman, Shaikhul Hadis of Jamia Binnoria Mosque and Madrassa in SITE Town, was shot dead and his son and a man accompanying them were injured in an attack near the Sindh Secretariat in Artillery Maidan police precinct on Thursday night. Mufti Rahman, aged 55, was traveling in his pickup van with his son Ammar and Irshad. They were returning after giving lessons at Madina Masjid on Burns Road. When the van approached the Sindh Secretariat, it was stopped by an unidentified vehicle. Three or four assailants opened fire on the three men travelling in the van.

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