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Ephedrine scam: NA panel to take up Ali Musa’s case on April 17
In ke baren mein ap log kya kahen ge
Shadi Mubarak by Ary Digital Episode 12
Proposed budget share: 2% for higher education, 20% for military
In ke baren mein ap log kya kahen ge
Courts must not threaten lawyers: Asma Jehangir
“Yeh Kisi Aur Ko Kuch Samjhtay Hi Nahi” – Aftab Iqbal’s Wife
Meray Mutabiq with Hassan Nisar – 15th April 2012
Hasb e Haal 15th April 2012
Khaber Naak 15th April 2012

Ephedrine scam: NA panel to take up Ali Musa’s case on April 17

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 01:18 PM PDT

ISLAMABAD:

While the country's top court hears a corruption case involving the premier's son, an opposition-led parliamentary panel on anti-narcotics has decided to initiate a parallel probe into the issue on April 17.

Although charges against him are yet to be established, Ali Musa Gilani is accused of involvement in a multi-billion financial scam regarding the distribution of Ephedrine – a chemical used in medicine – at a much greater quantity than the allotted quota.

Led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Murtaza Javed Abbasi, the National Assembly's standing committee on anti-narcotics will investigate the matter on April 17.

The 17-member committee includes six members from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, four from the PML-N, three from PML-Quaid and one each from the Awami National Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Abbasi told The Express Tribune that his committee has asked the anti-narcotics minister, establishment secretary, Anti-Narcotics Force officials and other relevant officials to present a record of the case before the parliamentary panel.

The minister has already declined to appear before the panel, citing personal engagements. The health secretary is also hesitant, he said.

Abbasi, however, was determined that his committee would try to dig out the facts and make everything public.

The next hearing of the case before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court is due on April 20, where Ali Musa, former health secretary Khushnood Lashrari, the incumbent health secretary and the acting director general of the ANF Zafar Abbass have been directed to appear before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2012.

In ke baren mein ap log kya kahen ge

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 01:18 PM PDT

Shadi Mubarak by Ary Digital Episode 12

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 12:55 PM PDT

Proposed budget share: 2% for higher education, 20% for military

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 12:55 PM PDT

ISLAMABAD:

For wishful thinkers, there will be no surprises in the upcoming budget.

In line with its previous allocations, the government plans on allocating less than 2% of its budget to higher education and almost 20% to the military.

Authorities are considering allocating Rs47.8 billion to higher education in the upcoming budget, which amounts to 1.8% of the proposed total budget of Rs2.738 trillion.

The proposed allocation is 5% higher than the current allocation, and 20% lower than what the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had requested, sources say.

In contrast, the federal government has proposed Rs545 billion for defence for the next fiscal, which is 10% higher than the current year's budget of Rs495 billion. The amount on account of army's pensions and some external defence assistance is not included in the proposed allocation.

Compared to the total size of the economy, estimated to stand at Rs24 trillion for fiscal 2012-13, higher education allocation is 0.2%, while defense allocation is 2.3, of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to a 2007 research paper, "countries spend in general between 0.8 and 1.5% of their GDP in subsidising higher education."

While education has been devolved to the provinces after the 18th Amendment, the HEC remains with the federal government.

Breakdown of allocation

Providing further details, sources said the HEC had requested about Rs60 billion for the next fiscal – Rs21.6 billion for development and Rs38.3 billion for non-development expenses.

Authorities, however, have suggested allocating Rs15 billion for development, and Rs32.8 billion for non-development expenses.

For the outgoing fiscal, the revised non-development budget was Rs31.5 billion while the development budget of the HEC was Rs14 billion.

The government had originally proposed Rs26.6 billion for non-development expense but had to increase the allocation after faculty protested against delay in disbursements of their salaries.

The Annual Plan Coordination Committee, headed by deputy chairman Planning Commission, will soon start reviewing the recommendations of the Priorities Committee, and table to the National Economic Council, headed by the prime minister, for final approval.

Impact

Less than required allocations are likely to affect the operations of the HEC in the next year, including salaries and the foreign scholarship programme.

The HEC and the finance ministry have been at loggerheads over the former's finances since 2010. The finance ministry has been asking the HEC to generate its own funds if it wants to provide scholarships.

Due to funding constraints, the number of students going on foreign scholarships has drastically dropped to almost 250 per year, down from 700.

"There is huge difference between what has been allocated and what we sought and this will significantly impact our operations next year; universities situated in far flung areas will especially be affected", said HEC executive director, Dr Sohail Naqvi.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2012.

In ke baren mein ap log kya kahen ge

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 12:55 PM PDT

Courts must not threaten lawyers: Asma Jehangir

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 12:51 PM PDT

Former President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and noted human rights activist, Asma Jahangir has reacted strongly towards a news item appearing in a section of the press quoting the memo commission warning that she could be made ineligible for law practice on her comment to the press regarding the recording of evidence of former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani.

In a press release, Jehangir said that courts must not threat lawyers for valid opinions that they hold. She added her law practice was not granted to her in a "lottery" which could be grabbed from her through any threats.

The lawyer said that there was no law that allowed a commission to suspend her license and her grievance had precisely been that judges must speak through their judgements and within the parameter of the law.

"Which law grants judges the power to suspend people's livelihoods because of their legitimate comments on the procedure of a commission?" she questioned.

She also challenged Advocate Bhutta to advise his clients to file contempt proceedings against her rather than making pleas before the commission without filing any such petition.

She said she was prepared to defend herself but would not be admonished into losing her right of free expression.

“Yeh Kisi Aur Ko Kuch Samjhtay Hi Nahi” – Aftab Iqbal’s Wife

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 12:51 PM PDT