Page 12 - Pakistan Link - June 25, 2021

P12 – PAKISTAN LINK – JUNE 25, 2021 PAKISTAN
India’s Unconstitutional, Illegal & Immoral Changes IHC Dismisses Nawaz’s

Not Acceptable to Us, Says Kashmiri Leader Appeals against Convictions

Experts say the meeting was meant to ward off mounting criticism at home and abroad after Modi’s Hindu nationalist govern- The judgement noted that Nawaz had been provided with a “fair trial” and he was
ment in August 2019 downgraded the region’s status, split it into two federal territories Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir and re- convicted only after the trial court had provided him with the opportunity to plead
moved inherited protections on land and jobs for the local population his case and cross-examine the prosecution witnesses

New Delhi: India’s prime minister Despite being pro-India and Joe Biden’s administration, has also Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court appeals of absconders and proclaimed

held a crucial meeting with politi- seen by many in occupied Kashmir been piling on the Indian govern- (IHC) on Thursday rejected former offenders and there was no hard and
cians from occupied Kashmir on as New Delhi’s collaborators, Shah ment to reverse some of its recent prime minister and PML-N supremo fast rule for fugitives.

Thursday for the first time since last year labelled them a “gang” changes. Nawaz Sharif’s appeals against his con- He, however, said that after Ar-

New Delhi stripped the region’s while some others called them “anti- Dean Thompson, acting assis- victions by an accountability court in ticle 10-A was inserted in the Constitu-
semi-autonomy and jailed many of national elements”. Some senior rul- tant secretary of state for South and the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references. tion, it ensures a fair trial and right of

them in a crackdown. ing party leaders also dubbed them Central Asia, told a congressional An IHC division bench compris- an audience even to those not present
No major decision was an- political untouchables who were hearing earlier this month that al- ing Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice before the court.
nounced after the meeting and many rendered redundant by the 2019 de- though New Delhi had taken some Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had reserved He cited at least nine judgements

Kashmiri leaders said they reiterated cision. steps such as the release of prisoners the decision a day earlier after hear- where the Supreme Court and high
their demand that New Delhi should The three and a few other in- and the restoration of 4G internet ing the National Accountability Bureau courts kept the window open for the

reverse its 2019 changes. vited leaders were among thou- access in the region, “there are other (NAB) additional prosecutor general absconders while dismissing their ap-
In a tweet, Prime Minister Na- sands arrested and held for months electoral steps we’d like to see them Jahanzeb Khan Bharwana and amici peals without touching upon the merits
rendra Modi termed the meeting an in 2019. They have criticized India’s take and that we have encouraged Azam Nazir Tarrar and Makhdoom of their respective cases.

“important step in the ongoing ef- policies in occupied Kashmir and them to do and will continue to do Hussain. Justice Kayani remarked that in
forts towards a developed and pro- formed an alliance with four other so”. - AP Bharwana had cited the Supreme case the appeals are simply dismissed,

gressive” Kashmir. parties to fight them, calling them Court’s 1985 judgement on Hayat the convict has the right to file an ap-

“Our democracy’s biggest “spitefully shortsighted and uncon- Wattoo Meets Khan in which the bench observed that peal before the Supreme Court and the
strength is the ability to sit across a stitutional”. an absconder loses rights guaranteed in apex court may remand this to the IHC
table and exchange views. I told the Shah said the government Zardari; Says He the Constitution including the right of if it is deemed necessary.
leaders of J&K that it is the people, “stressed to strengthen the demo- audience. An accountability court had sen-

especially the youth who have to cratic process” in the region. Never Left PPP In its nine-page judgement re- tenced Nawaz to 10 years in prison in
provide political leadership to J&K, But the alliance spokesman, leased today, the IHC stated that since 2018 for owning assets beyond known
and ensure their aspirations are duly Yousuf Tarigami, told reporters af- Lahore: For- Nawaz was a “fugitive from law hence income and one year for not cooperat-

fulfilled,” he said. ter the meeting that they did not get mer Punjab has lost his right of audience before this ing with NAB in the Avenfield refer-

The Indian prime minister said any concrete assurances from Modi chief minis- court and we are left with no choice ex- ence while his daughter, Maryam, was
that his government’s priority was to and Shah, although they “heard our ter Manzoor cept to dismiss his appeal”. handed seven years imprisonment for
“strengthen grassroots democracy” concerns, demands and aspirations”. Ahmed Wat- “There is nothing in the Constitu- abetment.

in the region. “Delimitation has to The Kashmiri alliance stuck to too called on tion or the Rules to compel the court to

happen at a quick pace so that polls their demands and said they told former presi- decide on merits an appeal filed by an Medics Th reaten

can happen and J&K gets an elected Modi during the meeting that the dent Asif Ali accused person who has chosen to be
Government that gives strength to region’s semi-autonomous powers Zardari and fugitive from justice and while remain- Agitation against
J&K’s development trajectory,” he should be restored. inquired aft er ing so decides to disobey or frustrate
tweeted. “India’s unconstitutional, illegal his health here the orders, directions and process of Licensing Exam
Meanwhile, Home Minister and immoral changes in the region on Wednesday. the court from which he seeks justice,”

Amit Shah said the “future” of Kash- are not acceptable to us,” Mufti, the The two sides also discussed the it added. Peshawar: Medical doctors have re-
mir was discussed in the meeting, region’s former chief minister, told political situation prevailing in the The judgement noted that Nawaz jected the National Licensing Exami-

adding “the delimitation exercise reporters after the meeting. country with former prime minister had been provided with a “fair trial” nation and demanded that the federal

and peaceful elections are important Mufti said she told the Indian Raja Parvez Ashraf also present in the and he was convicted only after the tri- government improve the quality of

milestones in restoring statehood as leaders that New Delhi should also meeting, says a press release issued after al court had provided him with the op- education instead of conducing addi-
promised in parliament.” talk to Pakistan and find a solution the meeting. portunity to plead his case and cross- tional examinations for qualified medi-

Experts say the meeting was to the dispute. Sources said Mr Wattoo rejoined examine the prosecution witnesses. cal professionals.

meant to ward off mounting criti- Several other leaders, however, the party during the meeting. “[Nawaz] proceeded abroad and Speaking at a joint press confer-

cism at home and abroad after steered away from demanding a Mr Wattoo, however, asked Dawn did not appear before this court despite ence at the Peshawar Press Club on

Modi’s Hindu nationalist govern- restoration of the special status and how he could rejoin a party which he [being] on bail and without any justifi- Wednesday, the provincial office-bear-

ment in August 2019 downgraded said they instead stressed an early had not left. cation or basis, remained absent on a ers of Grand Medicos Alliance (GDA)

the region’s status, split it into two restoration of statehood, the holding Explaining, he had contested the number of dates of hearing, hence this and Young Doctors Association said
federal territories Ladakh and Jam- of an election and land and employ- July 2018 general election as an inde- court was left with no option but to fol- that doctors would launch a protest

mu-Kashmir and removed inherited ment security for people. pendent candidate but never joined any low the procedure ... and declared him movement if the government failed to
protections on land and jobs for the The meeting follows the reaf- other party. as fugitive from law,” the judgement accept their demands.

local population. firmation of a 2003 ceasefire accord He said as Zardari, with whom further said. Dr Rizwan Kundi of YDA and Dr

Modi chaired the meeting in between India and Pakistan in Feb- he had very cordial relations, came to During yesterday’s hearing, the Mohammad Nayab of GDA said that
New Delhi attended by the Himala- ruary as part of a peace deal bro- Lahore after around two years, he went NAB additional prosecutor general re- the licensing examination in the pres-

yan region’s 14 political leaders, in- kered by the United Arab Emirates. to the former president not only to minded the bench that it had already ence of the University of Health Scienc-
cluding Modi’s own party members. Sushant Singh, a senior fellow inquire after his health but also thank deliberated upon the issue of proclaim- es and Khyber Medical University was

India’s powerful home minister, at the Centre for Policy Research, him for sending PPP Chairman Bilawal ing Sharif an absconder. a question mark on the standard of the
Amit Shah, and New Delhi’s admin- a public policy think tank in India, Bhutto, ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza He, however, argued that the educational institutions of the country.

istrator in the region, Manoj Sinha, said geopolitical reasons forced Gilani and Raja Parvez Ashraf as well as court was at liberty to hear the con- The licensing exam, they said,
also attended the meeting. Modi’s hand for an outreach to- Senator Sherry Rehman to condole the nected appeals of Maryam Nawaz and was not acceptable to the doctors as it
Among those invited were oc- wards Kashmiri political leaders. In death of his (Wattoo’s) brother. retired Captain Safdar against their would create hurdles to their progress.

cupied Kashmir’s former three top a tweet, he said on Tuesday that the Mr Wattoo rejoined the PPP in conviction in Avenfield reference. They said that the cabinet of Pakistan

elected officials: Farooq Abdullah, UAE-brokered backchannel talks May 2008 after about three months of Advocate Tarrar, on the other Medical Commission should be elected

his son Omar Abdullah, and Meh- led to certain commitments from winning as an independent candidate hand, argued before the court that pri- through a proper election instead of se-

booba Mufti, who was a regional co- the Modi government on occupied for a National Assembly seat from Oka- or to the 18th Amendment when Ar- lection. They demanded early resigna-

alition partner of Modi’s Bharatiya Kashmir. ra. He served as federal minister for ticle 10-A, which guarantees a fair trial, tion of Ali Raza, vice-president of Paki-
Janata Party for nearly two years af- International pressure, particu- industries and production and later for was not inserted in the Constitution, stan Medical Commission, to resolve
ter the 2016 state elections. larly from United States President Kashmir Affairs in the Gilani cabinet. the superior courts tended to reject the the issues.

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