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Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Evacuee properties now become public properties: LHC
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has held that after the enactment of the Evacuee Property and Displaced Persons Act, 2022, all the evacuee properties have become public properties. The court observed that under the Act, the evacuee properties have stood transferred to the government which has also a limited jurisdiction to utilize such land only for the public purposes. The Evacuee Property now do not fall within the jurisdiction of chief settlement commissioner or any authorized officer or the full board of the revenue board to decide its permanent disposal in any manner the court added. The court also observed that the superior courts have also settled this issue that the evacuee property, either urban or agricultural, can only be disposed of by the authorities through public auction. The court passed this order in a petition in which the petitioners claimed that their predecessor Noor Muhammad had purchased land in question from one Abdul Sattar The court set aside the petition and observed that decision of the chief settlement commissioner allowing the appellant to purchase the land in question on market price is a violation of law for being a kind of a private treaty. The court held that the chief settlement commissioner has no jurisdiction to sell the evacuee land through private treaty as the only mode for disposal of the state assets is the public auction. The court said as far as the claim of the petitioners who asserted to be bona fide subsequent purchasers of the property in question is concerned, the petitioners are subsequent purchasers of the evacuee property from Abdul Sattar whose allotment was cancelled and the land was resumed, the court added. The court said the petitioners claimed that their predecessor Noor Muhammad purchased land from Abdul Sattar but to prove their assertion, no document was produced, the court added. The court said the petitioner has not been able to point out any illegality or material irregularity in the impugned order and has also not identified any jurisdictional defect calling for interference by this court. The court said the land in question is admittedly a public property and the courts of law are custodian of the public properties, and it is the duty of the courts to be very careful and cautious that no mischief is being played with the state assets, the court added. The object is to eliminate the nefarious elements of favouritism, nepotism and the corrupt practices as well as to provide a fair equitable opportunity to every citizen of Pakistan to take advantage from public assets, the court concluded. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P universities face severe financial crisis
Public sector universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are facing a severe financial crisis, leading to delays in salary and pension payments for employees and retirees. The situation has raised serious concern among academic and administrative staff, many of whom are struggling to cover basic living expenses. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Universities Coordination Council has urged the provincial government to immediately release funds to address the crisis and ensure the timely disbursement of salaries and pensions. Speaking at a joint press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, council members Dr Noor Muhammad, Prof Dr Qibla Ayaz, Prof Dr Ihsan Ali, former Director IR Prof Dr Muhammad Rauf, and Prof Dr Noor Jehan criticized the government's inaction since the passage of the18th Constitutional Amendment. They noted that despite the devolution of powers to provinces, no meaningful reforms have been implemented in the education sectorparticularly the delayed establishment of a provincial Higher Education Commission (HEC). The speakers pointed out that since 2018, universities have seen no promotions for professors, while financial conditions continue to deteriorate. "Universities across the province are facing a crippling financial crunch. Professors go unpaid, and retired employees are left without pensions," said Prof Dr Ihsan Ali. They revealed that many academic staff and pensioners were unable to buy clothes for their children during Eid due to unpaid dues. "This reflects not only financial mismanagement but also a lack of empathy from those in power," said Dr Noor Muhammad. Council representatives stressed that it is the provincial government's responsibility to ensure timely and uninterrupted payment of pensions and to fund public universities adequately. They added that many employees who retired as far back as 2019 have yet to receive their pensions or other post-retirement benefits. The council demanded the establishment of an independent provincial HEC staffed with qualified education experts to help universities overcome administrative, academic, and financial challenges. They also called for sufficient budgetary allocations in the upcoming fiscal year to prevent the recurrence of such crises. In a significant move, the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) is organizing an 'Educational Jirga' on May 15. The event will bring together stakeholders from across K-P, including civil society, political leaders, educationists, and journalists. The provincial government has also been invited to participate. "This Jirga aims to propose viable solutions to pull universities out of their current financial crisis and to support the formation of a functional Higher Education Commission in the province," said the council in its concluding remarks.
Sky News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Pakistan: Hostages killed after separatist militants hijack train carrying hundreds
Hostages have been killed after separatist militants seized a train carrying hundreds, Pakistani authorities have said. An insurgent attack on the busy train is said to have now ended, with all the attackers killed after a day-long standoff, according to security officials. However, separatist militants said on Wednesday they had killed 50 of the hostages after they barricaded themselves inside the train with over 400 people. Officials said that over 300 hostages had been rescued and the operation was ongoing. They gave no details about those who had been killed. Earlier in the standoff, security forces exchanged gunfire with the militants, who were said to be wearing vests loaded with explosives. A government spokesman described the attack as "an act of terrorism". The train was hijacked on Tuesday as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, a district in the southwestern province of Balochistan. Officials said over 50 militants had been killed. Passengers who have been freed described how gunfire was "coming from everywhere". The Jaffar Express was packed with 425 people, including women and children. On Tuesday, officials said that of the rescued hostages, 37 had been injured and were receiving medical treatment. The train was on a 1,000-mile journey from Quetta to the city of Peshawar. Militants blew up the railway tracks before firing at the train, killing the driver and trapping it inside a tunnel at Mashkaf. Noor Muhammad, who was travelling with his wife, said: "First, they hit the engine with an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade). "After that, gunfire started and explosions were heard, RPGs were used. God saved us. They made us get off (the train) and told us to get down or they would shoot. We got down and then they said 'leave'." Bashir Yousaf, who was with his family, said: "Everyone was crying and passengers were shouting, everyone was lying on the floor trying to save their lives. "The sound of gunfire was coming from everywhere, then they (insurgents) told us to get down. "After getting off we were told not to look back. I just kept walking without looking back to save my family's lives." Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has condemned the attack and said security officials are "repelling" the militants. Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi has called the attackers "enemies" of Pakistan and vowed to foil their conspiracy to destabilise the nation. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. The militant group demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons within 48 hours. It threatened to start executing the hostages if the government did not fulfil its demands.
The Independent
12-03-2025
- The Independent
Rescued passenger speaks out after Pakistan train hijacking and hostage taking
A survivor of a train hijacking in Pakistan has spoken out after the attack in southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday, 12 March. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the train, which was traveling from the provincial capital, Quetta, to the northern city of Peshawar, according to a government spokesperson. Hundreds of passengers were taken hostage. Pakistani authorities on Wednesday said insurgents have killed some of the hostages, as a standoff continued with the separatists wearing explosive-laden vests. Passenger Noor Muhammad described how militants made him get off the train and get down, 'or they would shoot.' By late Wednesday, security forces had rescued 190 of the 450 passengers who were initially on the train, according to three senior security officials.
