Islamabad—Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has given special compensation in its poverty score benchmark for the families with one or more disabled persons so that they could be supported through the programme throughout the country including Gilgit Baltistan. Also, more deserving families who fall just above the criteria have been given the right to appeal through BISP’s Grievance Redressal System so that more and more deserving families could be included in the programme. This was said by Farzana Raja, Federal Minister and Chairperson BISP while talking to Governor Gilgit Baltistan Pir Syed Karam Ali Shah who visited BISP Secretariat on Wednesday. Raja told the visiting Governor that BISP’s Grievance Redressal Mechanism is a comprehensive online system to resolve all the inclusion and exclusion errors along with resolving all types of complaints by beneficiaries. Federal Minister said that BISP is serving the people of Gilgit Baltistan indiscriminately which is helping the socio-economic empowerment of the region. Governor Gilgit Baltistan Pir Syed Karam Ali Shah appreciated the efforts of Farzana Raja for tackling the menace of poverty from the platform of BISP. He said that the people of Gilgit Baltistan are also getting benefitted from theprogramme like other fellow Pakistanis which has brought them in the national mainstream. Issue of creation of new tehsils in Gilgit Baltistan was also discussed in the meeting and it was agreed between the two leaders that after such notification, BISP offices will be established in new tehsils keeping in view the convenience of the beneficiaries.

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The G-B chief minister has spent about 70% of his time in Islamabad in the past year, according to sources close to him.

Moreover, since the beginning of the winter season most lawmakers, including G-B Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah, Deputy Speaker Jamil Ahmed, Senior Minister Wazir Jaffer, adviser to chief minister and several other officials have stayed in Islamabad and other cities.

“The capital city is bleeding while the chief minister and his cabinet members are living in luxury in Islamabad,” said Imtiaz Khan, a local resident while referring to the recent attack on JUI-F information secretary.

In addition to that, the capital city of G-B has also witnessed the worst power crisis in its history, bringing life to a complete standstill.

Jehanzeb Hussain, a resident of Jutial, said, “With every case of target killing, the feeling of alienation gets multiplied among residents, who blame the government for ignoring the gravity of the issue.”

Taking note of the growing criticism from the people, the chief minister recently ordered the lawmakers to ensure their presence in the region and play their part in addressing people’s issues.

“If lawmakers have to go out of town for personal reasons, they should avail their leaves,” he said. Even though Gilgit has a long history of target killings, the situation has aggravated since 2005, when a religious scholar was targeted.

Most of the residents believe the situation has become out of control for the government, which has simply failed to arrest the culprits behind the violence.

Published in The Express Tribune

In a unique case of judicial history, a judge of the apex court in Gilgit Baltistan has been formally charged to have hurled serious threats, including life threats, at the GB governor, and may even face removal from office. The chief judge of the GB Supreme Appellate Court and chairman GB Supreme Judicial Council, Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, has filed a reference before Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to initiate the proceedings against the judge – Justice Syed Jafar Shah.

A senior official source in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat told The News that the federal government has received the reference against the judge who is charged to have hurled at GB Governor Pir Karam Sli Shah ‘threats of life, setting his house at fire and also dire consequences of sectarian hatred’.

According to the reference (SAC-CJ-08/2011 dated December 22), the top judge and mover of the reference, Justice Nawaz Abbasi, was approached by GB Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah on December 19 at about 2:45pm on telephone conveying that Justice Jafar Shah has extended him threats of life, setting his house at fire and also dire consequences of sectarian hatred in a manner of his personal interest.

Justice Abbasi added the governor at about 8pm again contacted him and repeated the above fact on phone and informed that the governor had also brought the matter to the notice of the GB chief secretary.

According to the reference, Justice Abbasi was also informed by the chief secretary that the governor had intimated him about the matter. In addition to this, Justice Abbasi was also informed by the secretary Kashmir Affairs and Northern Affairs Division, government of Pakistan, that Governor Pir Karam Shah had confirmed to him as well about the threats that he had allegedly received from a top judge of GB.

Narrating the facts of the case, Justice Abbasi argued: “The Judicial Office is a sacred office and according to unwritten code of conduct applicable to all Judicial Offices in a Judicial System, a judge must be humble and behave in a dignified manner without being rude and rough to any person. A judge is required to maintain high moral in private and official life, and must avoid indecent behaviour to any person in society. The extending threats of life to governor and threats of setting his house at fire with consequence of sectarian hatred by a judge is certainly a serious matter, which is not only an insult and showing disrespect to the governor but is also a criminal offence and disgrace to the high office of a judge of Supreme Appellate Court, Gilgit Baltistan”.

The reference added: “As narrated by the governor, the act of extending threats to him by the judge of Supreme Appellate Court is shocking and unbecoming of a judge and a gentleman. The above behaviour of a judge is highly derogatory to the Code of Conduct circulated by the Supreme Appellate Court Gilgit Baltistan throughout Gilgit Baltistan which is incorporated in the judgment on the subject of the independence of judiciary in Gilgit Baltistan reported as (2010 GBLR 160) and Syed Jafar Shah is also party to the judgment as a judge of Supreme Appellate Court, Gilgit Baltistan”.

Referring to the procedures for the removal of a judge, Justice Abbasi said the prime minister of Pakistan as being chairman of the Gilgit Baltistan Council or the GB governor as the case may be, on information from Supreme Judicial Council or from any other source regarding misconduct of a judge, shall direct for inquiry by the Supreme Judicial Council and if the SJC is of the opinion that the judge is guilty of misconduct, the chairman GB Council (Prime Minister of Pakistan) shall advise the GB governor to remove the judge from his office. It is also explained that inquiry into the conduct of a judge by the SJC is mandatory and if judge is found guilty of misconduct by the SJC, the removal of such judge from office is mandatory.

“In the present case, the judge extended threats to the governor who is removing authority of a judge and the governor brought the matter to the notice of Chairman Supreme Judicial Council. The matter is extremely serious which may constituted misconduct within the ambit of Article 66 of Gilgit Baltistan (Empowerment and Self-Governance) Order, 2009, therefore, keeping in view the gravity of the matter, this is my duty as Chief Justice Gilgit Baltistan and Chairman, Supreme Judicial Council to place the matter before the chairman, Gilgit Baltistan Council for necessary direction to the Supreme Judicial Council for inquiry and report in the matter in the interest of the dignity of high office of governor and also of the Institute of Supreme Appellate Court, Gilgit Baltistan. The chairman, Gilgit-Baltistan Council may if consider proper directly proceed for appropriate action in accordance with law,” the reference concluded.

Published in TheNews

Published in Jang

Source(Express Tribune) The Gilgit-Baltistan’s Election Commission has set up 51 polling stations for the by-elections to be held in Ghizer District this month, officials said on Friday.

This is an increase of 11 polling stations compared to the 2009 election.

The seat fell vacant after Pir Karam Ali Shah was appointed Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan.

“There will be 51 polling stations for the by-elections,” read the notification.

The details of the polling station have been dispatched to the concerned officials for arrangements.

Earlier this week, the government announced the election schedule for Constituency 19 Ghizer 1, a constituency from where the PPP has never lost any election in the past.

The announcement of a Rs100 million aid package for the constituency, made by Chief Minister Mehdi Shah earlier this month, was assailed by
opposition party candidates as pre-poll rigging,
though the election commission remained silent over the issue.

Source (Daily Times) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said present government had paid special attention towards the development and progress of the Northern Areas.

He was talking with Gilgit Baltistan Governor Pir Syed Karam Ali Shah, who called on him at his office here on Wednesday, where the Sindh CM warmly greeted him. Qaim appreciated the concerted efforts being taken by Gilgit Baltistan governor for resolving the problems faced by Northern Areas people.

Gilgit Baltistan governor, speaking on the occasion, said that the present government of PPP initiated various development schemes with the result, the area came under umbrella of progress and change.

He said it was the present government, which had given status of province to Gilgit and Baltistan, and credit goes to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Both leaders also discussed matters of mutual interest. Later the Sindh CM presented shield of CM House and traditional gifts of Sindhi cap and Ajrak to Gilgit Baltistan governor. staff report

Source (tribune) Declaring peace in the region is my government’s top priority, newly appointed governor to Gilgit-Baltistan, Pir Karam Ali Shah, said on Tuesday.

“If there is no peace, development is elusive. We should first ensure that peace is here,” Shah told reporters soon after he was sworn in as governor Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday.

The oath taking ceremony had twice been delayed as Shah couldn’t reach Gilgit-Baltistan, due to cancellation of flights because of bad weather.

The seasoned politician, who hails from Ghizer valley, has served as deputy chief executive of the region in 1994. After the death of Dr Shamma Khalid, Pir Karam Ali is the second governor of Gilgit-Baltistan apart from Wazir Baig, who was acting governor for almost five months after the death of Dr Shamma in September last year.

Chief Judge of Supreme Appellate Court, Justice Nawaz Khan Abbasi administered oath to him. Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, cabinet members and advisers attended the ceremony.

“President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have been taking keen interest in the affairs of this region,” said the governor as he was greeted by PPP workers in the historic Chinar Bagh.

Chief Minister Mehdi Shah said it was his desire that someone from the PPP should be made governor. I am thankful to the president that he honored our wish, he said, adding “We hope he will deliver.”

Mehdi Shah said the name of a woman was also under consideration for the slot, but he had told the president about the “reservations” people had about that. “A woman wouldn’t have been an ideal option for G-B and we are thankful to the president for a male governor,” he said.