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Pakistan

NADRA resumes registration of transgender persons

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ISLAMABAD:

The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has announced the resumption of registration for transgender persons, bringing a sigh of relief to the minority community after a three-month halt.

The decision was made in a notification issued on Monday, withdrawing Nadra’s earlier order to halt the registration process in response to a verdict by the Federal Shariat Court (FSC).

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Rida Qazi, Nadra Public Engagement Director, stated that the printing of ‘X’ National Identity Cards (NICs) for transgender individuals will now resume following instructions from the authority. She said that as the matter is now in the apex court the authority was constitutionally obligated to print ‘X’ NICs for transgender persons based on recommendations from its external legal advice wing.

Nayyab Ali, the director of Transgender Rights Consultants Pakistan, applauded Nadra’s decision and congratulated the transgender activist community for their unwavering efforts.

The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) also commended Nadra for its “prompt response” in reactivating the NIC registration process for ‘X’ gender category.

NCHR chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha emphasized the importance of a valid NIC in ensuring the provision of various rights, particularly for marginalised communities in Pakistan.

The FSC’s ruling in May 2023, which went against the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018, had led to Nadra halting the ‘X’ NIC registration for transgender individuals.

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However, this decision faced opposition from the legal community, civil society, and human rights activists.
In response, Secretary General of the PPP Farhatullah Babar challenged the FSC verdict in the Shariat appellate bench of the Supreme Court in July.

Considered a landmark law, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, enacted by the National Assembly in 2018, was intended to provide legal recognition and protection to transgender individuals and punish discrimination against them in various domains of life.

In September 2022, the FSC heard petitions challenging the legislation, with Mushtaq Ahmed, a Senator from Jamaat-e-Islami, and Orya Maqbool Jan, a TV anchor, joining transgender individuals Almaas Boby and Bubbly Malik as parties in the case.

Simultaneously, the Intersex Persons (Protection of Rights) (Amendment) Bill, 2022, sought amendments to the law, specifically targeting sections that were deemed contrary to Islamic and constitutional principles.

In May 2023, the FSC struck down the law and ruled that certain sections, including the definition of ‘gender identity’ and ‘transgender person’, were against Sharia law. The FSC also declared sections related to the recognition of transgender identity and inheritance rights to be in violation of Sharia law.

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Pakistan

Father of girl killed for ‘honour’ arrested in Kohistan

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Police in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Tuesday arrested the father of the girl who was allegedly killed in the name of “honour” in Kohistan, officials said.

The suspect Arsala was presented before a local court which granted a seven-day physical remand. Three suspected accomplices, believed to have aided and advised the accused, have also been taken into custody.

On Sunday, a young girl was murdered and another rescued by the police in a case involving a viral video in which both the girls could be seen dancing with local boys.

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The girl was killed in the Barsharyal village of Kohistan’s Palas — 150km northwest of Mansehra — allegedly by her own family members on orders issued by a local jirga.

Read More: Husband held over honour killing of wife

The boys featured in the video, which went viral on social media around four days ago, had gone into hiding.

According to details, in the case registered under sections 114, 15AA, 302/311/109/34 PPC at Palas police station on November 28, 2023, the arrested suspect, Arsala, son of Mohsin, belonging to the Barsharyal tribe, was presented before the senior sessions judge/ Palas Assistant Commissioner.

Read More: CM orders inquiry into Kohistan girl’s killing

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The police had requested a 10-day physical remand for further investigation, but the judge approved a seven-day remand. The accused will be interrogated further in connection with the case.

Three other alleged accomplices in this gruesome murder have also been arrested. Among them, one is Arsala’s brother, one is his uncle’s son, and the third is a close relative. They have been apprehended on charges of abetment and will be presented before the court for physical remand.

Meanwhile, the boy, identified as Rahmat Shah, who featured in the viral images, has been rescued safely by the local police from Barsharyal.

The police had recorded his statement, and he will be presented in court for further legal proceedings.

Police teams are actively present in Barsharyal, conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.

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PM Kakar arrives in Kuwait on two-day official visit

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KUWAIT:

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday arrived in Kuwait on a two-day official visit to meet the brotherly country’s leadership.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Kuwait’s Minister for Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Dr Jassim Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ostad received the prime minister, PM Office said in a press release.

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Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Muhammad Farooq and other senior diplomatic officials were also present on the occasion.

Read more: Investment worth $10b on the cards

During his visit, the premier will meet Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

During the visit, a new era of economic and economic cooperation between the two countries will begin. 

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A number of MoUs will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence, it was further added.

As a traditional Kuwaiti welcoming gesture, the caretaker prime minister was also presented “Kahwa” upon his arrival.

Earlier this month, the interim federal cabinet gave the nod to seven memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with Kuwait for an investment worth $10 billion.

The MoUs would be signed by PM Kakar during the visit.

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The MoUs will be inked for projects in various fields, including expansion of water reservoirs, mining facilities, protection and expansion of mangrove forests for coastal areas, investment in IT sector and food security.

The MoUs between the two countries became possible due to the efforts made by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), according to a statement issued by the PM Office earlier.

It added that the interim premier, who chaired the meeting in the federal capital, and his cabinet members appreciated the efforts of the SIFC and the relevant ministries.

The caretaker prime minister issued directions to the federal authorities concerned to ensure cooperation with the provinces for early and fair execution of the projects.

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Govt will support ECP in holding ‘fair polls’

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ISLAMABAD:

Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi Tuesday said under Article 218(3) of the Constitution, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would fulfill its responsibility to conduct fair, transparent and impartial elections and the government would support it.

Talking to media in the federal capital, the interim minister noted that the Constitution comprised 280 articles, adding that it not only had the article pertaining to holding of elections in 90 days but also had Article 254.

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Read also: Caretaker govt has no agenda: Solangi

“Everyone in Pakistan has freedom to express opinion, complain and criticize,” he said.

The minister maintained that the PML-N also had the same liberty as of the PPP and the other parties.

He said Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had apprised the people about his visit to the UAE on Monday night through a video message.



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