PESHAWAR: 

The Ehtesab Commission has obtained a further three-day physical custody of Noor Daraz Khattak, father of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Gul Sahib Khan. Khattak was arrested in a corruption case relating to alleged illegal appointments and contracts during his tenure as town municipal officer of Town 1 and 3.

Khattak was presented before judge Hayat Ali Shah on Monday, who was informed that the accused was arrested in a land grabbing case in Kohat. However, Khattak was later also named in another case related to alleged illegal appointments.

Additional Prosecutor General Qazi Babar Arshad told the court the case needs further investigation and holding Khattak in custody for a longer period of time would prove beneficial.

The court accepted the appeal and granted the commission custody of Khattak for three more days.

He was arrested in a land scam worth Rs250 million. During a government investigation, it was found that he was actively involved in the scam as a principal beneficiary and had grabbed 150 kanals of land.

Meanwhile, PHC adjourned a case hearing against the Ehtesab Commission Act 2014 till June 2. The case was adjourned by a division bench of Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Roohul Amin Khan.

Gul Sahib Khan of PTI had challenged the act, asking the court to declare it ultra-vires and strike it down for being in conflict with National Accountability Bureau Ordinance 1999 and Anti-Corruption Act.

The court was also requested to declare the arrest and all proceedings in Khan’s father’s case illegal.

In the petition, the court was told that Khattak was arrested on April 17 in a corruption case without the disclosure of lawful reason of his arrest.

The petition raised several questions about the act. It asked, “whether K-P Ehtesab Act 2014 could be brought into service in the presence of NAO 1999 and ACE 1947,” and “whether any person arrested could be detained without being informed of the grounds for such arrest as enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution.”

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ISLAMABAD: 

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s on Monday issued notices to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan to explain why he and his party had announced just days ahead of local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), which are due on May 30.

In addition to the notice to the PTI chief to appear in person on May 21, it directed PTI MNA and MPAs from indulging in acts that constitute pre-poll rigging and violation of the electoral body’s code of conduct.

The notice was issued after a petition was filed by a candidate running for Tehsil Council in Haripur, claiming that the PTI had announced rallies, to be headlined by Imran Khan, in various parts of the province ahead of polls.

The PTI had recently issued a programme of rallies whereby  Imran is scheduled to visit Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur on May 19; Mardan, Kohat and Bannu on May 21; Dir, Malakhand, Swat and Buner on May 23; while Swabi, Charsada, Peshawar and Nowshera on May 26.

The ECP had recently amended its code of conduct for elections, barring all parliamentary members, the prime minister, cabinet members as well as senators from taking part in election campaigns of candidates running in any elections.

A notification issued by the ECP two weeks ago, read, “After the issuance of schedule of by-elections, the President, Prime Minister, Chairman/Deputy chairman Senate, Speakers of Assemblies, Federal Ministers and Advisors to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, Provincial Ministers and Advisors to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, Members of the National Assembly/Provincial Assembly and other public office holders will neither visit the area of any constituency nor shall openly or in secret give any subscription or donation or make promise for giving such subscription or donation to any institution of a constituency, nor shall inaugurate, commit to undertake or announce any development project of a candidate of his choice and thereby influence the results of election”.

ECP officials told The Express Tribune that while there is no bar on MNAs and MPAs from visiting their constituencies, but they cannot announce any development schemes or make any such pledges.

ECP has been minutely observing party activities and their leaders such that they could not influence results of the forthcoming by-polls but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) skilfully dodged the poll body last week.

By-elections are scheduled for June 8 in NA-108 (Mandi Bahauddin) and PP-196 (Multan) in Punjab and PK-56 (Mansehra) in K-P.

PTI chairman had recently addressed a rally in Multan last week and prompted the commission to look into the matter but found that the party had skilfully avoided the bar by selecting a venue that was situated outside the constituency boundaries.

“We have brought it [rally] to the notice of ECP Secretary,” a senior ECP official told The Express Tribune on Sunday. However, it was found that the venue of the rally was rally some 12km away from the constituency where by-elections are to take place.

In its notice issued on Monday, the ECP asked PTI chief and chief secretary K-P to appear before the commission on May 21.

“You are, therefore, required to explain your position on the complaint of petitioner and also appear before Hon’ble Election Commission of Pakistan in person on the above-mentioned date and time in the Election Commission Secretariat….. failing which the matter will be decided in your absence” read the notification addressing PTI chief, K-P chief and the complainant.

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PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) has arrested a government contractor, and a housing officer of Kohat Development Authority in separate corruption cases.

The contractor, Mohammad Jawed, was arrested on charges of getting contract of general bus stand in Peshawar at much lower rates in connivance with the concerned officials.

The suspect was produced before an Ehtesab court presided over by Hayat Ali Shah, who remanded him into the commission’s custody for 14 days. The judge directed that the suspect should again be produced on June 1.

A deputy additional prosecutor general of the commission, Lajbar Khan, appeared before the court and contended that the suspect along with the concerned government officials had caused loss to the tune of millions of rupees to the exchequer by getting the contract of general bus stand at much lower rates. He pointed out that a deputy secretary of the local government, Ayub Jan, had already been arrested in the instant case and had now been in the commission’s custody.

Lajbar Khan pointed out that the local council board had set target of Rs220 million for awarding the contract, but later on the contract was awarded to the present suspect on Rs160 million for the year 2012-13.

Similarly, the commission arrested a housing officer of KDA, Attaullah Jan, on charges of illegal allotment of plots in the KDA through fake signatures of ex-project directors.

The commission alleged that the suspect had changed the status of 35 plots worth millions of rupees in violation of the rules. He will be produced before Ehtesab court for physical remand today (Tuesday).

An experienced and competent educationist is required as Principal of APSAC Kohat.
Qualification: Ph.D/M.Phil and MA/M.Sc
Experience: Minimum 3-5 years (teaching/administrative experience).

Applications alongwith CV may be forwarded on following address latest by 16 May, 2015
Army Public School & College Kohat Phone Number 0922-511900
Administration Officer 0345-8164112

KOHAT: 

During a series of meetings organised at Jangalkhel police station in Kohat, ECP officials urged candidates to follow a code of conduct otherwise action will be taken against them.

According to ECP officials, no one will be allowed to hoist flags of political parties and paste posters on the walls of official buildings. Moreover, contesting candidates for neighbourhood and village councils will only be allowed to spend Rs50,000 while candidates contesting for tehsil or district level seats will be allowed to spend Rs200,000 on their election campaigns.

The statement added candidates will not be allowed to use negative and abusive language against their opponents or hold public meetings.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2015.

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The International Day of Families, annually held on May 15, celebrates the importance of families and the work started during the International Year of Families.

A wide range of events are organized at local, national and international levels. These include: workshops, seminars and policy meeting for public officials; exhibitions and organized discussions to raise awareness of the annual theme; educational sessions for children and young people; and the launch of campaigns for public policies to strengthen and support family units. In some countries, tool kits are created to help people organize celebrations aimed at a particular section of the population, such as school children or young adults

The International Day of Families is a global observance and not a public holiday.

The year 1994 was proclaimed as the International Year of Families by the United Nations. This was a response to changing social and economic structures, which have affected and still affect the structure and stability of family units in many regions of the globe. The International Day of Families, on May 15, is an occasion to reflect on the work started during 1994 and to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world. It has been held every year since 1995.

The symbol of the International Day of Families consists of a solid green circle with an image in red. The image consists of elements of simple drawings of a heart and a house. This indicates that families are the center of society and provide a stable and supporting home for people of all ages.