REACTION ON PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
MULTAN, Feb 16th:Pervez Musharraf is no more a president and a top leader of his APML claiming constitutional immunity for him is a political gimmick given in a bid to create confusion and absolve the dictator of his abetment in Benazir’s muder, noted jurists viewed on Thursday.The jurists were one on the point that Musharraf is not a sitting president as such no parallel could be drawn between him and President Asif Ali Zardari.
If the notion is accepted that immunity on an offence allegedly committed while holding the office of the President and still available after quitting the office, then no justification would have been there to hold the murder trial of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, they commented..The FIA in its investigations into the murder case of Benazir Bhutto has found Musharraf also a character in the crime.
Former Law Minister Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Awan, one of the jurists who offered their comments, said that constitutional immunity against being prosecuted in a criminal case is available only to a sitting President which Pervez Musharraf is not. “The statement of Sher Afgan Niazi is merely a political one.” Former Vicec Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council Mian Abbas Ahmed also subscribes to the point of view that no immunity cover is available to Musharraf at present and that even if he has to ay something about his innocent or defence or even has to get any concession in the instant case, he must first surrender himself before the court as an accused for the fact, warrants of arrest have already been released against him. Mindful of the fact Musharraf is sitting thousand of miles of away and has given no clue to his associating the investigations,Mian Abbas however says, association with the investigations would benefit Musharraf in the long run when the trial would commence. And if he does not join the investigation nor appears before the court, law says, he would be prosecuted exparte wherein he may be declared proclaimed offender whose production may be affected through the Interpol in addition to attachment his property. Former judge and expert on criminal law, Habib-ullah Shakir says if warrants against Musharraf remain unexecuted for the reason of his non-availability, the proclamation under section 87 © would be issued against him and no trial would start against Musharraf until he is arrested. Former Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig says on the question of constitutional immunity to the president, that a distinguish should be kept in mind about president as person and his office and no immunity is available to the president if he commits an offence in his person. He says if Musharraf fails to appear in court his extradition may be sought through the Interpol provided Pakistan has an extradition treaty with the country he is residing.
MALNUTRITION
MULTAN,Feb 4th:The global malnutrition rate among children under five in the flood-affected areas of Punjab is 13.9 percent while the rate of severe acute malnutrition associated with a morbidity rate of 3.5 percent, reveals a nutrition survey report issued by the Punjab government’s Planning and Development Department on Thursday. The survey was conducted by the Bureau of Statistics, and Planning and Development Department in collaboration with UNICEF and ACF, and its report was revealed at a seminar held at the Royal Palm Country Club. In his welcome address, Planning and Development Board chief economist, Dr Rizwan Taqi, quoting the report, said that more than 60 percent households were living in ‘kacha’ (houses with mud or thatched wall) while the rest were in ‘paka’ (houses made of concrete and cement walls). He said that majority of the people were taking cereals, wheat, oil and sugar for more than 5-6 days a week but the consumption of meat, fruits and vegetables was extremely low. P&D Secretary, Ali Tahir, said that the aim of survey was to assess the nutritional status of children between 6 months to six years, pregnant and lactating women. He said the report revealed that there was a dire need for reinforcing and integrating community based programmes to address child and maternal malnutrition in the flood-affected areas. Punjab Bureau of Statistics Director General, Shamim Rafiq, said that flooded areas in the province were divided into two categories, moderately affected areas and severely affected areas. The severely affected districts are DG Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur. He said that 1,200 households were surveyed in these districts. UNICEF representative from Sri Lanka, Dr SM Moazzam, said that the survey recommended that an integrated and targeted plan should be executed to improve the knowledge about infant and child feeding practices, and improve access to and knowledge of basic hygiene, sanitation and health services for affected communities.
If the notion is accepted that immunity on an offence allegedly committed while holding the office of the President and still available after quitting the office, then no justification would have been there to hold the murder trial of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, they commented..The FIA in its investigations into the murder case of Benazir Bhutto has found Musharraf also a character in the crime.
Former Law Minister Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Awan, one of the jurists who offered their comments, said that constitutional immunity against being prosecuted in a criminal case is available only to a sitting President which Pervez Musharraf is not. “The statement of Sher Afgan Niazi is merely a political one.” Former Vicec Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council Mian Abbas Ahmed also subscribes to the point of view that no immunity cover is available to Musharraf at present and that even if he has to ay something about his innocent or defence or even has to get any concession in the instant case, he must first surrender himself before the court as an accused for the fact, warrants of arrest have already been released against him. Mindful of the fact Musharraf is sitting thousand of miles of away and has given no clue to his associating the investigations,Mian Abbas however says, association with the investigations would benefit Musharraf in the long run when the trial would commence. And if he does not join the investigation nor appears before the court, law says, he would be prosecuted exparte wherein he may be declared proclaimed offender whose production may be affected through the Interpol in addition to attachment his property. Former judge and expert on criminal law, Habib-ullah Shakir says if warrants against Musharraf remain unexecuted for the reason of his non-availability, the proclamation under section 87 © would be issued against him and no trial would start against Musharraf until he is arrested. Former Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig says on the question of constitutional immunity to the president, that a distinguish should be kept in mind about president as person and his office and no immunity is available to the president if he commits an offence in his person. He says if Musharraf fails to appear in court his extradition may be sought through the Interpol provided Pakistan has an extradition treaty with the country he is residing.
MALNUTRITION
MULTAN,Feb 4th:The global malnutrition rate among children under five in the flood-affected areas of Punjab is 13.9 percent while the rate of severe acute malnutrition associated with a morbidity rate of 3.5 percent, reveals a nutrition survey report issued by the Punjab government’s Planning and Development Department on Thursday. The survey was conducted by the Bureau of Statistics, and Planning and Development Department in collaboration with UNICEF and ACF, and its report was revealed at a seminar held at the Royal Palm Country Club. In his welcome address, Planning and Development Board chief economist, Dr Rizwan Taqi, quoting the report, said that more than 60 percent households were living in ‘kacha’ (houses with mud or thatched wall) while the rest were in ‘paka’ (houses made of concrete and cement walls). He said that majority of the people were taking cereals, wheat, oil and sugar for more than 5-6 days a week but the consumption of meat, fruits and vegetables was extremely low. P&D Secretary, Ali Tahir, said that the aim of survey was to assess the nutritional status of children between 6 months to six years, pregnant and lactating women. He said the report revealed that there was a dire need for reinforcing and integrating community based programmes to address child and maternal malnutrition in the flood-affected areas. Punjab Bureau of Statistics Director General, Shamim Rafiq, said that flooded areas in the province were divided into two categories, moderately affected areas and severely affected areas. The severely affected districts are DG Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur. He said that 1,200 households were surveyed in these districts. UNICEF representative from Sri Lanka, Dr SM Moazzam, said that the survey recommended that an integrated and targeted plan should be executed to improve the knowledge about infant and child feeding practices, and improve access to and knowledge of basic hygiene, sanitation and health services for affected communities.
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