Current Final

Category: National

  • Minister announces uniform curriculum for schools across country

    Minister announces uniform curriculum for schools across country

    Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood has said that the federal government would soon announce a uniform curriculum for the entire country to end disparity between different educational systems in the country.

    “We are in the process of making curriculum for all children across Pakistan, and kids enrolled with government-run or private schools or even madrassas will be taught only one curriculum,” the federal minister was quoted as saying by The Nation at the concluding session of the three-day celebrations in connection with Quaid Day on Wednesday.

    Addressing the event organised by Sindh Madrassatul Islam University, Mehmood said the country was riddled with different systems of education, therefore, the government wanted to introduce a uniform curriculum.

    “These different systems of education have divided the country’s philosophy, and a uniform syllabus will help put an end to this condition,” he said, adding that Tanzeemul Madaris had also accepted his ministry’s suggestion, according to which children in madrassas would be required to appear in matriculation and intermediate examinations.

    Earlier this year, the Punjab government had also promised a uniform curriculum at least for primary schools in the province from 2020.

    “A uniform curriculum for primary schools in the province will be introduced by March 2020,” Schools Education Minister Murad Raas had told the Punjab Assembly in January. Responding to a written question in the provincial house, he had said the curriculum would also include a certain portion of religious teachings and that uniform syllabus for higher levels would be introduced in due course.

    Replying to a query about existence of both English and Urdu mediums in state-run schools, he had chided former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif for it saying the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader introduced English medium without making available teachers for the purpose.

    He said English would be taught in primary schools as a language and other subjects would be taught in Urdu.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Shehryar Afridi reveals how he felt when Rana Sanaullah was arrested

    Minister of State for Safron & Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi in an exclusive interview with The Current in August shared how he felt when PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah was arrested for possessing drugs.

    “The most important for me are families who suffer because of this [drugs] menace,” said Afridi. “Positions and stature do not count. No one is above the law.”

    “No matter what position one is on, if found involved in such activities, they’ll be made an example [out of],” he asserted.

    When asked the one thing he liked about Rana Sanaullah, the minister responded, “I think his commitement to his party, which one should have.”

    Watch the complete interview and the place where Rana Sanaullah was first kept when arrested in this video:

    On July 1, Rana Sanaullah was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) after the discovery of a large stash of drugs in his vehicle from near the Sukheke area in Punjab. The former law minister was arrested while travelling with his guards to a meeting from Faisalabad to Lahore.

    The case against him was filed in accordance with the Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997.

    He was granted bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday due to lack of evidence. The LHC directed Sanaullah to submit two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each to secure his bail.

  • NUST called out for ‘disappointing’ reaction to ‘on-campus rape’ claim

    NUST called out for ‘disappointing’ reaction to ‘on-campus rape’ claim

    National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) has been called out for its disappointing reaction to a student’s claim of being raped on its Islamabad campus, which surfaced over the internet on Tuesday.

    According to Dawn, reports had claimed that a female student was sexually assaulted by a construction worker behind the girls’ hostel. The girl also reportedly complained to the varsity administration, “but no action was taken or FIR [First Information Report] registered”.

    With social media flooding with posts claiming that rape did take place, NUST on Tuesady night took to Twitter to deny the same. It termed the reports “a desperate act of seeking attention” while also slamming “false rape allegations”.

    https://twitter.com/Official_NUST/status/1209500489785729026
    https://twitter.com/Official_NUST/status/1209500493971623936

    “NUST is safe, and people have no reason to pay heed to this deceitful accusation,” read a subsequent tweet.

    https://twitter.com/Official_NUST/status/1209500496119181313

    It wasn’t later that people started calling out the university for its “dissapointing” reaction.

    Meanwhile, an international public policy and gender reforms specialist, Salman Sufi, who introduced the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2016 and South Asia’s first Violence Against Women Centre, urged the varsity to allow an independent probe into the incident.

    “Safety must never be a factor students have to compromise on to secure an education. The era of student abuse on campus must be brought to an end now,” Sufi said while speaking to The Current.

    “I have decided to launch a confidential reporting mechanism for students from all across Pakistan where they can report sexual abuse on campus and we will take action on it. To start, if NUST doesn’t allow or initiate independent investigation into rape allegations, I will move a case in court to compel them to do so.”

    He further said that time for institutions or individuals to “self-stamp their exoneration from any assault allegation” had ended, and there must be an independent third-party review of facts.

  • Rana Sanaullah case: Afridi says he has ‘footage, not video’

    State Minister for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi on Wednesday said that following the arrest of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah, he had “used the word footage in his press conferences and not video”.

    The minister’s implication that there is a difference between “video” and “footage” came as he addressed a press conference following brutal trolling by people over his tall claims regarding evidence in the case against the PML-N leader who was granted bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday.

    Earlier, the minister had repeatedly defended the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) by claiming to have “pictures and video record” of Sanaullah’s arrest during which drugs were recovered from his vehicle. He had also said that the PML-N leader’s car “was monitored for three weeks before he was arrested”.

    Speaking to journalists a day after the PML-N lawmaker’s bail, Afridi said there was a lot of talk in the media about video evidence, and clarified that he had “always used the word footage and not video”.

    The minister also alleged that Sanaullah’s legal team was adopting delaying tactics in the drugs trafficking case and defended the decision to book the PML-N leader.

    “After the bail a perception was created in the media that Rana Sanaullah was innocent,” he said, adding that the PML-N MPA had only been granted relief and not been acquitted by the court.

    “This is a season of bails,” commented the minister, insisting that the ANF was a professional force.

    Afridi also clarified that he did not speak about the issue earlier as he was out of the country.

  • ‘Ahsan Iqbal should be hanged for 3 days’: Faisal Vawda

    ‘Ahsan Iqbal should be hanged for 3 days’: Faisal Vawda

    Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda had said on Monday that Ahsan Iqbal should be hanged for three days.

    In a tweet, Mr. Vawda said: “Ahsan Iqbal alias Aristotle alias hypocrite is a bigger thief than Nawaz Sharif. He should have been arrested first but he was caught so late. I will bring forward the list of his front companies and relatives. Their looting [corruption] has brought our country to the edge of destruction. Such people should be hanged for at least 3 days.”

    Read also: ‘If found dead, Musharraf’s corpse should be dragged to D-Chowk, hanged for three days’

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal was arrested on Monday by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in relation to the Narowal Sports City Complex case

    Ahsan Iqbal is accused of using funds of the federal government and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for a sports city being established in Narowal, which is a multi-billion-rupee project.

    Iqbal while speaking to the media before heading to NAB had said that when the PML-N came to power in 2013, he, as planning minister, had taken up several projects that were incomplete and sports city was one of them.

    He said that the funds spent on NSC were approved by the cabinet, parliament and the National Economic Council (NEC).

  • Imran now an international puppet: Bilawal

    Imran now an international puppet: Bilawal

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) cheif Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday took a jibe at Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and called him an “international puppet” for reportedly having succumbed to pressure from Saudi Arabia and cancelling his trip to Malaysia.

    Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah had last week quoted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying that Pakistan had decided to stay away from the recently concluded Kuala Lumpur summit because of Saudi Arabia’s threats of economic sanctions.

    The statement had come amid claims by media outlets that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had “pressurised and threatened” Pakistan to refrain from participating in the summit that was attended by hundreds of government officials, businessmen, representatives of civil societies and experts from different sectors across the Muslim world.

    Besides Erdogan, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani were among the Muslim world leaders who attended the summit hosted by Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad. Meanwhile, Riyadh had rejected claims that Islamabad was told not to participate.

    With the PPP chief continuing to taunt the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for being “selected to power” and PM Imran for being “powerless”, he has now said that the premier “is not just a puppet of Pakistan, but also that of another country”.

    Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Bilawal also announced that he would not appear before the Nat­ional Accountability Bureau (NAB) on December 24, saying the call-up notice served to him by the anti-corruption watchdog is “unconstitutional and illegal”.

    NAB had summoned the PPP chairperson for a second time this month in the fake bank accounts and money laundering case on December 24.

    According to Dawn, Bilawal accused the government of creating obstacles in his party’s plans to observe late former PM Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary on December 27, and also called out the Imran administration for “preventing a son from observing the death anniversary of his mother” by not yet issuing permission to hold the death anniversary observance ceremony.

    “I will become even more dangerous if I am arrested. Arrest me if you can,” the PPP chief maintained as he criticised the government for “selective accountability” and for attempting to “pressurise the opposition”.

  • Japan opens doors for trained Pakistani labourers

    Japan opens doors for trained Pakistani labourers

    Islamabad and Tokyo have signed a memorandum of cooperation, under which trained Pakistani labourers would be provided with employment opportunities in Japan, Profit reported.

    The agreement was signed in the presence of Special Assistant to PM on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfiqar Bukhari, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and other high-level officials.

    “The newly signed memorandum will help the trained Pakistani labourers get employment in Japan,” said a statement issued by the ministry. “This is a major milestone that will further enhance bilateral ties between both countries.”

    Addressing the ceremony, the Japanese envoy termed the agreement a “special occasion” for both nations, saying that it would play a key role in strengthening the existing ties between Pakistan and Japan.

    “Japanese language and technical expertise are essential for employment in Japan; the country needs approximately 340,000 trained labourers,” he added.

    Speaking on the occasion, Zulfiqar Bukhari highlighted that 65 per cent of the Pakistan population was below the age of 35, adding that employment opportunities were present in 14 sectors of Japan.

    He urged the youth to especially focus on the information technology sector citing future needs.

    On December 20, the Japanese ambassador had met Zulfiqar Bukhari for a pre-discussion on the agreement which is signed on Monday (today).

    According to a statement issued by the ministry, the two sides had discussed a wide range of issues related to trade, tourism and manpower.

    The envoy had informed that Japan would build a network, in collaboration with language universities in Pakistan, and carry out 3 to 6 months language proficiency course with e-learning facilities for far-flung areas so as to accommodate the maximum number of Pakistanis to work in Japan.

    Acknowledging their diligence and social conduct, the ambassador showed his highest gratitude towards 25,000 Pakistanis residing and working in Japan.

  • PML-N stalwart Ahsan Iqbal arrested

    PML-N stalwart Ahsan Iqbal arrested

    Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday.

    The anti-graft watchdog had earlier summoned Iqbal for recording his statement in a multi-billion-rupee case pertaining to the controversial Sports City Project in Narowal.

    It was the second time in two months that NAB had summoned the PML-N leader to seek details of his income and expenditures.

    According to Dawn, the opposition leader, who is accused of using funds of the federal government and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for the sports city, had already replied to a questionnaire given to him by the bureau in connection with the same case.

    The PML-N leader had said he had submitted documents related to his income and expenditures to NAB Rawalpindi.

    He claimed that he had nothing to do with the case as the project had been launched in 2009 during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government when he was not a federal minister.

    He said that before Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power, the project was 90 per cent complete, but the present government had turned it into ruins.

    “In fact NAB should take those people to task who are responsible for the destruction of a national asset,” he added.

    The PML-N leader said that when he became a federal minister, the NSC project was in the doldrums and like many other stalled projects, the PML-N government revived it and took it to near completion.

    Meanwhile, analysts have expressed concern over the arrest, saying that Iqbal was the sole PML-N leader commenting on former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf’s death sentence in the high treason case.

  • Unknown armed men break into residence of Musharraf’s ex-prosecutor, ‘warn him’

    Unknown armed men break into residence of Musharraf’s ex-prosecutor, ‘warn him’

    An armed robbery has been reported at the farmhouse of Akram Sheikh, who previously headed the government’s prosecution team against Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf in the high treason case against the latter, SAMAA reported.

    According to reports, the armed men remained at the lawyer’s residence for around two hours while they held his family hostage, and finally left after looting items worth millions of rupees.

    Sheikh’s farmhouse is located in Islamabad’s Chak Shehzad area, police said and added that the lawyer’s family was locked in a room after their mobile phones were taken away by the intruders. “The house was then combed and looted.”

    While a case has not yet been lodged amid Sheikh’s silence, senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir has claimed that the lawyer was also threatened by the armed men.

    Sheikh was appointed as the prosecutor by former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif to fight the Musharraf treason case on behalf of the government. He fought the case till 2018 and resigned after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was elected to power.

    The former army chief and dictator was handed death sentence by a special court earlier this week.

  • Musharraf’s exit: ‘PML-N was powerless after Raheel Sharif’s recommendation’

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Pervaiz Rashid has said that former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf, who was recently sentenced to death in abstentia for treason, “was allowed to go abroad for medical treatment on the recommendation of then army chief Raheel Sharif”, and the government stood “powerless”.

    “We [the PML-N government] didn’t have the power to stop him,” said the former information minister, who was sacked in 2016 following the Dawn Leaks fiasco that revealed the details of a high level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of Pakistan’s banned outfits.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Rasheed has also claimed that Gen (r) Raheel Sharif wanted an extension in his tenure as the army chief, but the then government of prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif refused it.

    However, a former army general rejected Rasheed’s claims that the PML-N had turned down Gen (r) Raheel’s request for an extension in his tenure. “In fact, the PML-N government had offered to give Gen (r) Raheel a promotion by making him a field marshal,” Lt Gen (r) Amjad Shoaib said while speaking to the TV channel.

    He added that Shehbaz Sharif and then interior minister Chaudhry Nisar wanted to give Gen (r) Raheel an extension in his tenure as the army chief. Shoaib said that Raheel had announced 10 months before his retirement that he would not take extension.

    “Raheel Sharif had an offer from Saudi Arabia,” the former military official said.

    In 2015, Saudi Arabia announced that it would form a new Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition force. Gen (r) Raheel Sharif was appointed the alliance’s chief in January 2017, months after his retirement as the army chief.