This Month Warning Of Imran Khan Chairmen Of PTI

Pakistan: NA passes Resolution Against Blasphemous Caricatures

Nawaz Calls Parliamentary Leaders To Address Concerns On Military Courts

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called a meeting of parliamentary leaders at the Prime Minister House on Friday (tomorrow) to address concerns that have arisen on the matter of military courts.

The two main opposition parties, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which had earlier endorsed the move, have since been having second thoughts to the commitments they had made during the December 24 meeting of parliamentary parties and key stakeholders, including the military's top brass, who were present there.

Earlier, PPP stalwart and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan had categorically stated that he had opposed the idea of amending the constitution for establishing military courts which were mentioned in the document made public after the meeting.


However, today, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah refuted that the establishment of military courts was discussed during the Dec 24 meeting.

Shah said that during the meeting, establishment of special courts did come into discussion but not military courts. The political parties were told that special courts would try terrorists and organisations where the terrorists were getting their funding from, he added.

The opposition leader said that the meeting had agreed to form a legal team to keep an eye on the process of the formation and workings of these special courts.

Shah however said that consensus has now been developed on carrying out amendments in the Army Act to pave way for creating special courts.


At present, the army act limits the military’s jurisdiction over civilians to specific cases.

The government’s legal advisers are weighing the option of amending Article 8 (1) and Article 212-A and B of the constitution in order to establish military courts in the country, officials privy to discussions on the issue had told Dawn earlier.

Article 8 is titled ‘Laws inconsistent with or in derogation of Fundamental Rights to be void’, while Article 212 deals with administrative courts and tribunals.

If the amendments are carried out, changes will be made accordingly in the Army Act 1952 to set up special trial courts to try terror suspects. Under the proposed constitutional amendment, the military courts will cease to function after a period of two years.

Pakistani officials displeased at Homeland’s portrayal of Pakistan

Espionage show "Homeland" raised a furore among Pakistani officials who believed it tarnished the image of the country. —Courtesy photo

Receiving much criticism regarding the portrayal of Pakistan from the Pakistani audience, Showtime’s espionage show Homeland has now also managed to upset the diplomats who believe that the country has been shown as a "hellhole", reported New York Post.

Pakistan Embassy spokesperson, Nadeem Hotiana showed his disapproval by complaining to the directors, who chose to ignore his views.

Starring Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, the show which ended its Season Four last Sunday was binge-watched by the officials who paid close attention to the details portrayed in the show, making a list of all the loopholes.

Speaking to New York Post, Hotiana said, “Maligning a country that has been a close partner and ally of the US... is a disservice not only to the security interests of the US but also to the people of the US.”
The spokesperson was also upset about the depiction of Islamabad, which is known for its lush green landscapes and serene environment.

“Islamabad is a quiet, picturesque city with beautiful mountains and lush greenery,” one source said. “In Homeland, it’s portrayed as a grimy hellhole and war zone where shootouts and bombs go off with dead bodies scattered around. Nothing is further from the truth.”

A known fact, instead of shooting scenes in the capital, Homeland's Islamabad scenes were shot in Cape Town, South Africa.
Along with the landscape, the officials pointed at the producers for tarnishing the language spoken by the locals.

“The Pakistani characters portrayed in the show speak English like Americans would,” a source said. “Also, when the characters in the show speak Urdu, the accent is far from the local accent.
“And the connotations of some of the Urdu words that are used are out of place.”

However the most questionable misrepresentation noticed by the officials was regarding the stance of Pakistan toward democracy and its treatment of terrorists.

“Repeated insinuations that an intelligence agency of Pakistan is complicit in protecting the terrorists at the expense of innocent Pakistani civilians is not only absurd but also an insult to the ultimate sacrifices of the thousands of Pakistani security personnel in the war against terrorism,” a source said.

“Our culture embraces Western society. Pakistan believes in the democratic system of voting in our presidents.”

“Pakistanis never embraced the dictators who, in the past, ruled the country because they took over the presidency through violent means.

“Homeland makes it seem that Pakistan has contempt for Americans and its values and principles. That is not true.”

Hotiana said that he wished that producers had given more consideration to the details and more importantly the facts.
“A little research would have gone a long way,” he commented.

PM finalises strategy to strengthen National Counter Terrorism Plan

PM Nawaz Shaif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday finalized a strategy to introduce separate working groups at the federal level as well, which would include federal ministers, DG ISI, DG IB and senior officials of other institutions, to further strengthen the National Counter Terrorism Plan.

According to sources, the Interior Ministry would oversee the implementation of all these separate working groups which would focus on the following: Prevent propagation of banned outfits, purging of various armed gangs, thwart dissemination of zealous literature, controlling the Afghan refugee situation, reformation of Madressahs, prevent any access to social media by terrorists, monitoring of Karachi Operation, and eradicate all traces of terrorism in Punjab and the rest of Pakistan.

Furthermore, the following working groups were made under separate heads to oversee the implementation of: Development reforms in FATA as well as process of returning back IDPs under Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehtab Khan Abbasi, restriction of terrorists’ financing under Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, curbing of media coverage for terrorists under Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, and criminal reforms under the Law Minister.

Women supporters of Pakistani party Jammat-e-Islami (JI) pray for the victims of the Peshawar school massacre, during a rally in Islamabad on December 26, 2014

Women supporters of Pakistani party Jammat-e-Islami (JI) pray for the victims of the Peshawar school massacre, during a rally in Islamabad on December 26, 2014 (AFP Photo/Aamir Qureshi)