US pledge to stand by Pakistan in anti-terror war

ISLAMABAD: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US Ambassador Richard Olson have condemned the suicide bombing in Peshawar that killed Bashir Ahmad Bilour. “The secretary general reiterates the strong support with the heart.} Un to the efforts from the heart.} government and individuals of Pakistan to combat the scourge of terrorism,” said a statement from Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson. In the statement, Olson also praised Bilour as being a courageous man

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Appointment of IHC judges --- SC orders govt to issue notification

ISLAMABAD: The High court has directed the government to issue notifications of appointment of two Islamabad Supreme court (IHC) judges – Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and Noorul Haq N Qureshi – as judge and extra judge from the heart. IHC, respectively, for half a year with effect in the date of expiry of these earlier notifications.
A five-member bench with the heart. apex court, headed Justice Khilji Arif Hussain on December 14 after hearing the arguments of Wasim Sajjad, counsel for federation, Attorney General for Pakistan Irfan Qadir, amici curiae former attorney general Makhdoom Ali Khan and Khwaja Haris, former advocate general Punjab and Akram Sheikh, counsel of petitioner had reserved the judgement.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain has authored both-page judgement. The judgement says it would appear that the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) rolling around in its meeting on 22.10.2012, beneath Article 175A of the heart. constitution, recommended Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui being a permanent judge and Noorul Haq N Qureshi as a possible additional judge of IHC for six months through the date of expiry with their tenure to supplement judges with the heart. supreme court.
The Parliamentary Committee (PC) on receipt of the JCP nominations, after unanimous confirmation, sent the situation on the chancellor for forwarding for the president for appointment. The president apparently wouldn't issue orders for appointment allegedly because among the participants beyond ten wasn't qualified to attend the meeting with the heart. commission.
A legal court observed, “Were on the heart. view that whether or not the assumption is that certain in the heart. members, being non-entity sat, voted and took part in the proceedings culminating in nomination, but it may not vitiate the proceedings in the event the Judicial Commission in view of Clause 8 of Article 175A on the heart. Constitution has nominated by many its membership. We are supported in this view from the judgement reported as Manager, Sui Southern Gas service LTD, Karachi v. Ghulam Abbas yet others (PLD 2003 SC 724).”
Meanwhile, active lawyer Chaudhry Faisal Hussain has contended by using this short order, the State supreme court had reversed its July 31, 2009, decision, in which around 50 judges were removed simply because were appointed by having a wrong consultation the period. It truly is worth mentioning the federation had also filed a presidential reference, invoking a legal court’s advisory jurisdiction under Article 186 regarding the appointment of judges in superior judiciary, nevertheless the court has not yet given its opinion in this connection after reserving the judgement on December 14.
Meanwhile, the Top court has refused to entertain the Pakistan Bar Council and High court Bar Association’s separate petitions for becoming party inside presidential reference case given it has reserved its judgement on December 14. Good details, SCBA and PBC on Tuesday filed separate petitions inside the Supreme Court being parties within the president’s reference intended for the very last decision of the heart. Judicial Commission to the appointment on the heart. chief justice of Islamabad State supreme court.
It has to be noted that the superior bars have supported the questions of law raised by President Asif Ali Zardari in the reference, seeking judicial advice above the appointment on the heart. judges because on the heart. 18th and 19th amendments and a constitutional petition filed up against the delay of appointment of judges in the IHC.

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Climate change is a global phenomenon

Climate change is a global phenomenon and a challenging reality. It is a phenomenon that is likely to impact almost every sector of Pakistan’s economy. Today it stands not only as a major environmental issue but also as a multi-dimensional developmental issue. In view of these concerns, an Inception workshop was held for the launching of Collaborative project, “Climate Change Adaptation: Introducing and Promoting Energy Efficient Cooking Stoves (EECS) in flood and terrorism affected remote underdeveloped rural areas of Pakistan.” on Friday at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

The project activities towards climate change adaptation would be carried out by Sahara Welfare Foundation, Malakand, in collaboration with UNEP National Committee for the Republic of Korea and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad . The meeting was attended by Mr. Bakht Muhammad, Chairman, Sahara Welfare Foundation and his staff, Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, Mr. Mumtaz Khan, Chief Scientific Officer (Rtd.), Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Resources, Ms. Anusha Sherazi & Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja from SDPI.

During his opening remarks, Dr.Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director SDPI emphasized the need for technology transfer which is an effective measure for climate change adaptation. The EECS technology has already been successfully introduced and promoted in Nepal and Bangladesh . Dr. Khwaja, EECS project In-charge, gave an account of project objectives and activities which include awareness raising, training for making EECS with metal and with clay using metallic moulds. Ms. Anusha Sherazi, Project associate for EECS project; further highlighted that the importance of EECS and said that cooking for most of the households in rural areas of Pakistan is basically fuelled by burning wood. Open fire places are most common traditional technology used by majority of the rural people in Pakistan . One of the problems of cooking over an open fire place is the increased health problems caused by the smoke, particularly lung and eye ailments, but also birth defects. Replacing the traditional three-stone fire-place with an energy efficient firewood/cooking stove with chimney for venting the smoke out of the house can significantly contribute to the improvement of family’s health, fuel cost and reduction in green house gases emission.

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industrialization and climate change on water resources and environmental protection capabilities of cities and small towns

The World Water Day in 2011 was intended to focus international attention on the impacts of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and climate change on water resources and environmental protection capabilities of cities and small towns. Key issues such as the growing urban water and sanitation demand, increased pollution from municipal and industrial discharges, climate change and its unforeseen risks and challenges, over-exploitation of available water resources and better targeting of the urban poor were discussed at a seminar on “World Water Day 2011” organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Monday. The speakers included Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja, Sr. Advisor at SDPI; Prof. S. Shahid Ali of Bahria University, Farzana Yasmin, Research Associate at SDPI, Sanaullah Aman, Director General, Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, Head of Climate Change Study Centre at SDPI.

Anusha Sherazi, Project associate of SDPI moderated the proceedings.Sharing a detailed presentation, Dr Khwaja said that total waste water discharge 7,590 million cubic meter (2010)/annum; 15,180 MCM (2015) and Industrial: 5,310 MCM (2010); 10,620 MCM (2015). He further referred to Pakistan environmental protection act, PEPA, 1997, according to which “no person shall discharge or emit or allow the discharge or emission of any effluent or waste or air pollutant or noise in an amount, concentration or level which is in excess of the national environmental quality standards (NEQS) or, where applicable, the standards established under sub-clause (i) of clause (g) of sub-section (i) section 6 (section 11), PEPA, 1997. He said that, according to PRPA, 1997, the federal government levy a pollution charge on any person who contravenes or fails to comply with the provisions of sub-section (i) to be calculated at such rate, and collected in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed under section 11, PEPA,1997. He recommended the enforcement of NEQS, SMART, pollution charge, levying and collect of pollution charge by provincial/local governments. He said that there is a need of waste water discharge licensing system, waste water treatment plan, IEE/EIA, promotion of Cleaner Production Center and rapid industrial development within industrial zones. Treatment plants should also be established for both industrial and municipal water management. He also highlighted the working issues of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and implementation status of pollution charges in the country.

Sanaullah Aman discussed various issues faced by CDA water management wing and appealed for institutional support as well the financial support. He said that capital’s water system was essentially based on dams while his institution was making efforts to rehabilitate existing supply system which was an old system involving pipe leakage as well as parallel water and sanitation lines etc. However CDA was in difficult situation to tackles these critical challenges due to lack of financial resources. He was of the view that CDA would engage civil society particularly, sustainable development policy institute, SDPI for creating awareness, conduct survey and competitions to bring about needed changes in the state of safe drinking water in the capital.

Shakeel Ahmed Ramay raised concerns over the lack of proper infrastructure for water and sanitation in the country. He said that there was a need to raise issues of water scarcity and emerging problems. He further highlighted that there was an unequal distribution of water resource in the developing world. He strongly recommended immediate improvements in water governance.

Dr Shahid Syed discussed the situation of chemical and biological contamination of water. He urged that clean drinking water should be available for all human beings on earth while highlighting the importance of water for human. He said that human body organisms were composed of much water––70%-95%. He said that it was necessary for everything the body does need water because it carries food and waste in and out of cells and also keeps temperature at the balanced level. He lamented that in every fifteen seconds a child somewhere dies from a water borne disease due to dirty water. He further said that in developing countries, women and children spend hours each day walking miles to collect dirty water. “Carrying heavy water containers takes up valuable time and energy and it stops children from going to school and reduces the time in which they could be making a living” he added. This ultimately results more and more rural people were forced to leave their homes in search of a better quality of life including clean water.

Farzana Yasmeen said that 66% of the human body was made up of water while just 2% dehydration decreases human performance by around 20%. She recommended a human being should drink at least 1½ litres of water a day. She informed that 80% of all illness in developing countries was caused by water related diseases as 90% of wastewater in developing countries was discharged directly into rivers and streams without treatment. She also gave an account of water supply system for the capital, Islamabad .

Earlier, Anusha Sherazi briefed the participants that the objective of the seminar was to highlight key urban water management issues and priorities for action. The idea was to raise the profile of urban water management by presenting the current challenges, achievements and future prospects in the face of climate change-related risks and uncertainties. She hoped that this seminar will form the basis of the campaigns, through out the year, starting from the World Water Day 2011, by encouraging governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world to actively engage in addressing the water and sanitation challenges facing many cities and small towns, especially in the developing countries.

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